Gus’ pretzels are made fresh daily. They make a great snack or lunch.

Gus’ Pretzels is a family-owned and operated business—Gus is the third generation pretzel baker.

Gus' Pretzel Shop-- City's Best
Twisting for St. Louis since 1920

Like Cardinals baseball, Anheuser-Busch beer and Ted Drewes Frozen Custard, Gus' Pretzel Shop is an institution that has bridged generations of St. Louisans. The family business has served the city since 1920, and every day but Monday folks visit the landmark in Benton Park to watch the production process through the windows and get their Gus' fix. These hand-twisted, doughy slices of heaven are made fresh daily, and the prices make them even more appetizing; try three pretzels for $1.20, 24 for $9.60, or savor a pretzel sandwich (salsiccia, bratwurst, hot dog, ham or turkey) for $3 or less. You can add a soda pop, dip (cheddar cheese, cream cheese and honey mustard) and dessert for the complete Gus' take-out meal experience. The shop also sells mass quantities of frozen pretzels, and you can phone or fax in orders for unique pretzels (numbers, letters, etc.) for exceptional occasions. -- Cary Anthes

Gus' Pretzels

By Betha Whitlow - SPECIAL TO THE POST-DISPATCH
04/24/2008

The humble pretzel is riding a heat wave, and not just right out of the oven. Recently anointed a "trendlet" by New York Magazine, pretzels are being paired with lavender mustard and house-made bratwurst, replacing ciabatta in breadbaskets at upscale Manhattan restaurants.

With this hipster buzz, you'd think the Big Apple had discovered the pretzel's cachet single-handedly. There's only one thing wrong with this picture: When it comes to recognizing pretzel cool, St. Louis got there first.

The year: 1920; the name: Gus' Pretzels.

If you ever wondered what might happen when a man marries the only daughter of a riveter-turned-pretzel maker, Gus' Pretzels is your answer. Started by Frank Ramsperger and handed to his daughter Marcella and her husband, Gus, in the 1950s, the shop is still family operated in Benton Park, near the Anheuser-Busch brewery.

Its zealous customers dodge traffic and endure lines that are as predictable on cold days as they are on hot days or at 7 in the morning on a weekday.

One of my first St. Louis memories is being cut off by a car making a beeline to a street vendor selling hot Gus' pretzels.

My guy Dave once had a special jar of mustard he kept on his desk for his regular Gus' fix. Such fervor isn't hard to explain. The pretzels at Gus' are hand-twisted, oven-warm surprises, in much the same way as they were 90 years ago.

A classic stick or twist pretzel costs a mere 50 cents for a salt-dusted pretzel with a crusty, amber skin and warm, chewy insides. It becomes one of life's finer simple pleasures when dipped into cheddar cheese sauce (60 cents).

Old school meets new wave with a garlic and butter pretzel ($1), a basic twist made decadent with a quick butter dredging and a sharp sprinkle of garlic powder. The same twist finds a new identity as a cinnamon and sugar pretzel ($1) — a doppelganger of cinnamon and sugar toast and cream cheese dip (30 cents).

Gus' also serves three pretzel-breaded sandwiches: bratwurst, salsiccia and hot dog (each $2.50). Unless you treasure mildness, overlook the tame, bland bratwurst. Instead, try the hefty, fennel-fired salsiccia, which emits a burn that stands up well to its mellow, pretzel blanket.

Even better is the hot dog, cooked within a crispy stick pretzel hand-etched with two steam-releasing X's, allowing the meat to retain a smoky juiciness.

As we tried to squeeze a sufficient dose of mustard out of small packets, Dave knowingly observed, "This is why you should always bring your own bottle of mustard with you to Gus'."

Perhaps a place as great as Gus' Pretzels deserves accessories as dedicated to it as its following. Hardly a New York "trendlet" in a breadbasket, Gus' is the real deal, which we've known in St. Louis for a long, long time.

 

Last updated: Friday, November 14, 2008