About Frisco's

While chain restaurants have their place, often when you choose a restaurant, you want the character and atmosphere of something a little more outside the ordinary dining experience.

One such outside-the-ordinary restaurant experience is Frisco's Pub and Grill located about 75 miles southwest of St. Louis in Cuba, Missouri along I-44 and the historic Rt. 66 corridor. The century old building was built to face the railroad track, the area of commerce for Cuba in the pre-1900s. However, food and service, not the location, is the reason for the success of the train-themed restaurant.

"Our food is fresh and cooked to order, and I think that is the reason for our success. We start over everyday, preparing, chopping, and cooking our orders," states owner Virginia Watson.

Frisco's, which opened in 2002, is owned and operated by Virginia Watson. Most days will find her husband John assisting the chef in the kitchen, and Virginia hosting at the door and making sure everything moves smoothly in the pub and dining areas. Virginia, who grew up in the 10-member Korte family, is used to hard work and organizing a large number of people, including restaurant staff. John Watson, an engineer for the Union Pacific railroad, which, along with the restaurant's proximity to the railroad tracks, made choosing a train theme a natural choice. John's father Ed also worked for the railroad and is often a customer, along with his wife Pat, whose grandparents owned a small grocery store just down the street in the historic area. So the Watson family has a traditional association with Cuba's uptown historic area.

Another element of Frisco's success is the Watsons' hands-on management style. You will always find the Watsons on-site doing whatever it takes to keep their customers satisfied and things running smoothly. Virginia says, "If we have a mistake, we do whatever we can to fix it." Virginia also credits their well-trained staff for their success. "We have a great staff, and we don't ask them to do anything that we wouldn't do." Everything seems personalized in the restaurant right down to the high chairs that have been individually painted by local artists to appeal to a child's imagination.

After working in other people's restaurants for years, Virginia saw a lot of things done both right and wrong. She always wanted to have her own restaurant so that she could see a restaurant run well. Then when she married, her husband John also liked the challenge of the restaurant business. They heard that the bar and building that would become Frisco's was for sale, and it was in their price range. After purchasing and remodeling the business, Frisco's was almost immediately a success. However, soon that very success caused problems.

"We outgrew our capacity and needed to upgrade our facility." The restaurant's success put a strain on the 100 year-old building. After months of consulting architects, planners, and contractors, in 2006, it was finally time to the take the plunge and begin tearing out the old and putting in the new. All new electric and plumbing were installed during the remodel. After four months of being closed for remodeling, the results were apparent when they reopened. There was a state-of-the-art kitchen with a new freezer and cooler, improved ventilation, and the capacity to turn out many cooked-to-order meals in a more efficient manner. "Before we had a bar kitchen and a restaurant business. Now we have a restaurant kitchen," Virginia states. "I'm not afraid to let anyone take a tour of the kitchen. It's clean and well-maintained."

The dining room was also gutted and rebuilt with a higher ceiling. A dining room for 65, which can be closed for private parties, was added on to the building. A smaller, private room was also built for parties of 12. An outdoor seating area, "The Depot," is an addition with its own bar, cooking area, and casual atmosphere. The separate pub room got a new back bar and upgraded furniture and now proudly serves eight premium beers and ales on tap as well as cocktails. An expanded wine list complements Frisco's offerings. Recently, Frisco's added Wi-Fi capability to their building to allow customers to access the internet while relaxing with a drink or sandwich during an afternoon break.

With all the improvements, what they didn't replace in their remodeling is the friendly and efficient service, the quality food, the family friendly atmosphere, the train décor, and a great place to enjoy friends and family. Whether you are a regular from Cuba or a surrounding town, or a traveler just passing through, you will always find a welcome at Frisco's. Everyone may not know your name at Frisco's, but they are willing to learn it.