An Independent Guide St. Louis, Missouri est. 2026
  • Blues City Deli Sandwiches / Benton Park
    An iconic Blues-themed sandwich shop
    Blues City Deli is an absolute gem of a spot. You can expect to see a line when you go to visit, but you'll get to…
  • Bono's Pizzeria Pizza / Southampton
    Deep dish and St. Louis-style pizza
    I was highly impressed with both the Chicago deep dish pizza and the St. Louis-style pizza at Bono's Pizzeria on…
  • El Jarocho Mexican / Twin Oaks
    Authentic street tacos in St. Louis
    One of the first things I needed to find after moving to St. Louis was authentic Mexican food. I've always been used to…
  • Faraci Pizza Pizza / Ellisville
    Brick-oven St. Louis-style pizza
    Faraci Pizza is one of the original Pizza spots in St. Louis. It began in Ferguson, Missouri and moved to Ellisville in…
  • Farotto's Pizza / Rock Hill
    My top St. Louis-style pizza
    Farotto's is a family-owned restaurant that has been making pizzas since 1956, making it one of the oldest ones as far…
  • Kishimoto Mendo Ramen / University City
    Rich, comforting Tonkotsu ramen
    As a long time fan of Menya Rui, I've been hyped to try Kishimoto Mendo ever since it was announced. Kishimoto Mendo is…
  • Louie Italian / Clayton
    An upscale Italian restaurant
    Louie is an excellent restaurant at an excellent location. It's right on the strip on DeMun Ave in Clayton next to…
  • Menya Rui Ramen / North Hampton
    Shoyu ramen worth waiting in line for
    Menya Rui was my first introduction to ramen in St. Louis, which was lucky for me since it's excellent. For a while, I…
  • Nicky Slices Pizza Club Pizza / The Hill
    A perfect Detroit-style pie
    I know St. Louis is the town of thin cracker-crust pizza, but I'm partial to the thicker, fluffier Detroit-style pie.…
  • O'B'Que's BBQ / Chesterfield
    Texas-style brisket at a gas station
    Tucked away at a gas station in Chesterfield, O'B'Que's serves up Texas-style brisket and BBQ. I tried the ribs,…
  • Park Avenue Coffee Coffee / Lafayette Square
    Local coffee roaster and gooey butter cake specialist
    Park Avenue is a local coffee chain that has locations in Lafayette Square, The Hill, Midtown, and Downtown. They also…
  • Sultan Middle Eastern / The Grove
    Our go-to spot for Middle Eastern
    This is our go-to spot for Middle Eastern food. Specifically, the beef kefta kabob is flavorful, tender, juicy, and…
  • Telva at the Ridge Coffee / Webster Groves
    A Balkan-inspired cafe with a cozy chai
    Telva is a Balkan-inspired cafe from the owners of the famous Balkan Treat Box. I visited on the recommendation that…
  • Woofies Hot Dogs Hot Dogs / Overland
    A perfect Chicago dog and smash burger
    There are three staple foods of the Chicagoan's diet - the Italian beef sandwich, the Chicago-style hotdog, and deep…
  • Anthonino's Taverna Italian / The Hill
    Greek and Italian food on the Hill
    Anthonino's Taverna is an Italian and Greek restaurant on the Hill. It was once featued on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives…
  • Bud's Pizza & Beer Pizza / North Hampton
    Cozy pizza joint with my favorite t-ravs
    After my favorite New York-style pizza place in town closed down, I was on the lookout for a good pizza place. I heard…
  • Carl's Drive-In Burgers / Brentwood
    No-frills Route 66 diner
    Carl's Drive-In is a charming, no-frills diner right off historic route 66. It's cash only and seating is very limited,…
  • Grace Meat & Three Chicken / The Grove
    Comfort-food fried chicken and sides
    Grace Meat & Three is a classic comfort food spot to get fried chicken and sides. It's located in The Grove alongside a…
  • JJ Twig's Pizza & Pub Pizza / Southampton
    A Chicago thin-crust pizza spot
    J.J. Twig's is the only place in town that I know of that specifically makes a Chicago thin-crust pizza. They also make…
  • La Pizza Pizza / University City
    An authentic New York slice
    La Pizza is one of the only places in St. Louis where you can get an authentic New York-style pizza. It's a small shop…
  • Pappy's Smokehouse BBQ / Midtown
    Top-tier ribs
    It's hard for me to properly rate Pappy's, because I'm a bit torn on it. On the one hand, they have a great spot,…
  • Stacked STL Burgers / Carondelet
    A build-your-own burger in Carondelet
    I've been to Stacked a couple of times, and it's always good. I'll admit that burgers just aren't my favorite food, and…
  • Taste of Lebanon Middle Eastern / Central West End
    Hookah and Lebanese food
    Middle eastern food in general is one of my favorite types of cuisine, and Lebanese in specific is possibly my favorite…
  • The Stellar Hog BBQ / Holly Hills
    Intergalactic BBQ vibes and a big patio
    A really cool BBQ stop with a large outdoor patio and painted murals. The intergalactic BBQ vibes are fun, the sides…
  • Tikka Tangy Indian / Central West End
    Indian and Middle Eastern fusion
    Tikka Tangy is great for when you want a cozy night in with samosas and Butter Chicken or Chicken Tikka Masala. The…
  • Failoni's Restaurant Pizza / Dogtown
    A 1916 spot for brick-oven STL-style pizza
    Recently, I saw pizzababble put Failoni's as his number one pizza place in the whole city, so I had to check it out.…
  • Mac's Local Eats Burgers / Dogtown
    Mac's Local Eats is a local smash burger spot in Dogtown. They really take the smash is smash burger seriously - it's…
  • Vinnie's Italian Beef & Gyros Sandwiches / Lindenwood Park
    A solid gyro and an okay beef
    There's only a few places in all of St. Louis that do a rendition of an Italian beef sandwich, as seen in 4…
  • La Tejana Taqueria Mexican / St. Ann
    A hyped taqueria that fell flat for me
    One of the first types of cuisine I was on the lookout for when I arrived in St. Louis was authentic Mexican food. I…
  • Adam's Smokehouse BBQ / Clifton Heights
    Slow-smoked barbecue and burnt ends
  • Balkan Treat Box Balkan / Webster Groves
    Wood-fired bread and Balkan street food
  • Beast Craft BBQ BBQ / Belleville
    Craft barbecue, smoked sausage, and pork steaks
  • Charlie Gitto's Italian / The Hill
    The Hill Italian classic
  • Comet Coffee Cafe / Southwest Garden
    Airy coffee bar with pastries
  • Dalie's Smokehouse BBQ / Valley Park
    Barbecue from the Pappy's and Bogart's crew
  • Damn Fine Hand Pies Cafe / Shaw
    Sweet and savory hand pies
  • Gioia's Deli Sandwiches / The Hill
    Famous Hot salami sandwiches
  • Hi-Pointe Burgers / Hi-Pointe
    Griddled smash burgers and wild specials
  • Himalayan Hut Indian / Rock Hill
    Indian and Nepali kitchen
  • King Doh Chinese / Kirkwood
    Peking and Szechuan cooking
  • Layali Halab Mediterranean Middle Eastern / Creve Coeur
    Authentic Syrian cooking
  • Lefty's Bagels Sandwiches / Chesterfield
    Hand-rolled bagels and breakfast sandwiches
  • LeGrand's Market Sandwiches / St. Louis Hills
    Deli sandwiches and fresh-cut meats
  • Manee Thai Thai / Ballwin
    Strip mall Thai kitchen
  • Mestiza Mexican / Northampton
    Street tacos from the Malinche team
  • Mom's Deli Sandwiches / Lindenwood Park
    Longtime St. Louis classic deli
  • Nick & Elena's Pizza / Breckenridge Hills
    North side St. Louis-style pizza
  • Pirrone's Pizza / Florissant
    North side St. Louis-style pizzeria
  • Rozanna Mediterranean Middle Eastern / Manchester
    Syrian and Lebanese grill
  • Salt & Smoke BBQ / The Loop
    Barbecue and bourbon
  • Salvage Yard Pizza / Princeton Heights
    Chicago deep dish and St. Louis thin crust
  • Shortwave Coffee Cafe / Central West End
    Specialty roaster and espresso bar
  • Signature India Indian / Ballwin
    North Indian plates and bakery
  • Sugarfire BBQ / Olivette
    Famous St. Louis barbecue
  • Taj Palace Indian / Chesterfield
    North Indian cooking
  • Thai Sawadee Thai / Chesterfield
    Longtime Thai favorite
  • The Drip Community Coffee House Cafe / Tower Grove South
    Community coffeehouse
  • Affton Pizza Company Pizza / Affton
    St. Louis-style pizza and wings
  • Berix Balkan / Lemay
    Cevapi, doner, and Turkish coffee
  • Bevo Caffe Lounge Balkan / Bevo Mill
    Bosnian café with pizza and espresso
  • Blackthorn Pizza / Tower Grove South
    Deep dish and thin crust in an old corner pub
  • Brasserie American / Central West End
    Parisian-style bistro from the Niche group
  • Cate Zone Chinese / University City
    Northeastern Chinese comfort food
  • ChiliSpot Chinese / University City
    Fiery Sichuan cooking
  • Corner 17 Chinese / The Loop
    Hand-pulled noodles and soup dumplings
  • Ehsani's Hot Kabob Middle Eastern / Bevo Mill
    Persian kabobs cooked over fire
  • El Morelia Supermercado Mexican / Bridgeton
    Mexican grocery and taqueria
  • El Torito Mexican / Cherokee Street
    Taqueria and supermercado on Cherokee
  • Fonda La Poblanita Mexican / Bevo Mill
    Pueblan cemitas
  • Havana's Cuisine Cuban / Central West End
    Cuban sandwiches and slow-cooked classics
  • Indo Asian / Botanical Heights
    Thai-Japanese omakase and small plates
  • Kevin's Place Pizza / Cherokee Street
    St. Louis-style pizza with a patio
  • King Burrito Mexican / Overland
    Homestyle Mexican and burritos
  • Lefty's Fried Rice Chinese / Benton Park
    Chinese-American comfort food
  • Little Fox American / Fox Park
    Neighborhood bistro
  • Locoz Tacoz Mexican / Maplewood
    Mexico City-style street tacos
  • Mai Lee Vietnamese / Brentwood
    Vietnamese restaurant
  • Majeed Mediterranean Middle Eastern / Bevo Mill
    Shawarma, kababs, and falafel
  • Michael's Bar and Grill Greek / Dogtown
    Greek classics and American bar fare
  • Napoli Italian / Town and Country
    Old-school Italian
  • O/B Slices Pizza / Alton
    New York-style slices across the river
  • Olive + Oak American / Webster Groves
    New American plates
  • Pizzeoli Wood Fired Pizza Pizza / Soulard
    Wood-fired Neapolitan pizza
  • Sado Sushi / The Hill
    Omakase and creative sushi
  • Saffron Middle Eastern / Town and Country
    Indian and Pakistani plates
  • Sameem Afghan Restaurant Middle Eastern / The Grove
    Afghan kabobs
  • Sasha's Wine / Clayton
    Wine bar and small plates
  • Songbird Breakfast / The Grove
    Breakfast sandwiches and brunch
  • Tacos Wey Mexican / Affton
    Quesabirria and street tacos
  • TeeRak Thai Thai / Shaw
    Regional Thai and khao soi
  • The Gramophone Sandwiches / The Grove
    Creative sandwiches and live music
  • The London Tea Room Cafe / DeBaliviere Place
    British teas and scones
  • Tiger88 Vietnamese / Des Peres
    Banh mi and boba
  • Zlatno Zito Balkan / Bevo Mill
    Bosnian bakery and deli