Country Bob’s Diner & Rich’s Famous Burgers

End of the Line

October 2025

Whether its starting the day with a hearty breakfast, breaking for lunch or finishing off your fishing venture at Maramec Spring Park or the Meramac River, you have a couple of great options nearby for a hearty meal. Just up the road in St. James, Missouri are a pair of outstanding eateries that will have you walking away satisfied.

Country Bob’s Diner

Country Bob’s Diner is located on North Jefferson Street on the northern fringe of St. James. The building has a no-frills look, which differs from the restaurants menu. Their motto is “Delicious homemade food served with a smile.” Three meals are offered from Monday to Saturday, including daily lunch buffets. Thursday through Saturday a buffet option is available for dinners, along with a breakfast buffet on Friday and Saturday.

The classic American country dishes served up by owner Travis Holt and his staff come in hearty portions, as well as with a family-friendly atmosphere. Besides their buffets, the dinner menu features soups, salads, chicken or catfish baskets and a variety of 1/2-pound burgers. Entrees of pot roast, pork chops, meat loaf, country fried steak and even more are found on the menu.

If you are in a hurry to get on the water for some fishing, Bob’s offers takeout so you can have a shore lunch. To check out their website and the full menu, click here.

Rich’s Famous Burgers

As with many eateries, Rich’s Famous Burgers comes with a back story. Owner Jason Cusick got his start in the restaurant business as a 15-year-old by flipping burgers at the grill in The White Barn in St. Louis. That grill started as a food truck in 1955, with owner Rich Robson then turning it into a restaurant. Eventually, Cusick bought the establishment from his boss, ran it for several years, then in turn sold it and moved to the northern Ozark Region. Here he opened a new grill in Steelville and named it after his mentor, thus Rich’s Famous Burgers was born.

That was in 2016 and the idea soon spawned a chain of restaurants bearing the name, with the second in Sullivan. In 2022, the third of what would become six locations opened in downtown St. James on East Springfield Street.

As you might expect from the name, offering up fresh, never-frozen ingredients in hand-formed patties of Angus beef is the signature of this eatery. Those burgers are cooked to order in five varieties and 1/4- or 1/2-pound sizes. However, the options don’t stop there. A full breakfast menu is also offered, as well as lunch and dinner fare of appetizers, soups, salads, sandwiches, pizza and desserts.

Rich’s Famous Burgers in St. James is open seven days weekly from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. (9 p.m. on Fridays) and offers takeout, as well as onsite dining. You can check out their website and full menu by clicking here.