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Home/Travel/St. Louis Food Guide: Best Place to Eat Your Way Through the Gateway City

St. Louis Food Guide: Best Place to Eat Your Way Through the Gateway City

St. Louis is a quirky Midwest city Known for its Midwest BBQ rivalry with Its little sister Kansas City and the battle of the pizza rivalry with the Chicago pizza scene. What St. Louis lacks in size it more than makes up for by packing some big flavor. After living here for quite a while now, I’ve done a little bit of exploring to find some of the best places to eat in St. Louis. I’ve even tried some of its famous delicacies (even though there are a ton more for me to try out and report back). So, if you’re visiting St. Louis for a Midwest getaway or a foodie looking for a hot spot; here are a few of my Must Try Restaurants in St. Louis.

This list is ongoing and will be updated regularly with new finds.

Places to eat in St. Louis: Best tacos in St. Louis, St. Louis fried chicken, St. Louis BBQ

 

Best Place to Eat in St. Louis

St. Louis BBQ @ SugarFire Smoke House 44

sugar fire smoke house: St. Louis Barbecue

sugar fire smoke house: St. Louis Barbecue

Fact, you just can’t come to the Midwest without indulging in BBQ. Here in St. Louis, you’ll find arguably some of the best BBQ in the country! SugarFire Smoke House’s famous St. Louis style barbecue takes tender and juicy meat and couples it with a sweet St. Louis style BBQ sauce… and it’s to die for. The menu gives you a ton of great options like pulled pork, burnt ends, ribs, fish, sausages and more in just about any way you like your BBQ served. Bun or no bun, sauce or no sauce; completely up to you. Plus, the portions are massive but the price is not.

This restaurant has been awarded over the years with titles like Best Sandwich in the world and featured on some of my foodie favorite shows like BBQ Pitmasters, Beat Bobby Flay and Burgers Brew and Que. I am telling you right now that it does not disappoint. I indulged in the Carolina which is a Pulled Pork Sandwich with slaw, Carolina Mustard and St. Louis Sweet BBQ sauce. I don’t even typically eat slaw but this sandwich together was the Bomb! My husband took on the massive Big Muddy Sandwich with brisket, smoked sausage and all the fixings’’. Come with an appetite for this one! Oh and by the way, don’t leave without picking up a homemade pie or pie milkshake. The Pecan Pie was delicious!

St. Louis style Pizza @IMO’s Pizza

St. Louis Signature Dishes: St. Louis style pizza from imo's

St. Louis Signature Dishes: St. Louis style pizza from imo's

St. Louis Signature Dishes: St. Louis style pizza from imo's

While St. Louis has a pretty hefty rivalry with Chicago for the most unique style of Midwest pizza, I would have to give this one to the Gateway city! St. Louis pizza is a super thin cracker like crust topped with gooey Provel cheese (which is a classic combination of white cheddar, provolone and Swiss) and cut into squares instead of triangles. Another unique St. Louis delicacy is their famous DELICIOUS toasted ravioli which apparently dates back to St. Louis’s famous Italian neighborhood, The Hill. The story does that this goodness was discovered after a chef accidentally dropped ravioli into hot oil and fried them and we totally don’t hate him for it. Turns out, that both of these meals are a hit and must try if you ever find yourself in the LOU. These things you can only get in St. Louis. Nowhere else would do it justice.

 If either one of these St. Louis signature dishes are on your list to try, I recommend doing them both at the same time by visiting one of the famous St. Louis IMO’s pizza locations. The company originated in St. Louis in the 60’s and today reigns supreme as the best Pizza in St. Louis (maybe even the Midwest).

 

St. Louis Fried Chicken @ Grace Meat + 3

Soul Food in St. Louis: Grace Meat + 3 Shrimp and Grits

Soul Food in St. Louis: Grace Meat +3 St. Louis Fried Chicken

Soul Food in St. Louis: Grace Meat + 3 Shrimp and Grits

There is quite a bit of debate here in St. Louis on if Missouri is southern or not. As a true southerner, I say no way! But this restaurant might just have what it takes to change my mind! Grace Meat + Three is St. Louis’s take on Southern American dining in STL’s Grove neighborhood. Fan favorites include chicken and waffles, shrimp and grits and Friday’s special the Chicken Fried Steak. Drink it down with a glass of their house made sweet tea or an Arnold Palmer. In true southern fashion, I give this place a 10 for being the one and only place I’ve been able to find good sweet tea in the state of Missouri.

Grace Meat + 3 was voted “Best Fried Chicken in Missouri “and I’d have to say that they aren’t wrong. So, if you’re craving a taste of the south while visiting, I highly recommend visiting this restaurant for good Soul food in St. Louis and a down home feel.

Farm to Table Breakfast @First Watch 

Best Place for Breakfast in St. Louis: First Watch Million Dollar Bacon

Best Place for Breakfast in St. Louis: First Watch French Toast

Best Place for Breakfast in St. Louis: First Watch Omelet

Best Place for Breakfast in St. Louis: First Watch Morning Meditation

Breakfast is known as the most important meal of the day so why not eat it 100% fresh and farm to table? First Watch STL is a daytime cafe and St. Louis local favorite for both breakfast and lunch. Even St. Louis native, Sterling K Brown, has spotted at the restaurant recently. They pride themselves on 100% fresh ingredients that are locally sourced. Even their coffee has a unique cause called “The Sunrise Project”.

This is no doubt one of my favorite breakfast spots in the city especially for their FAMOUS Million Dollar Bacon which is spiced hardwood smoked bacon topped with a maple drizzle, brown sugar, black pepper and cayenne. Seriously, this bacon is DREAMY! It’s just the perfect mix of sweet and savory. I also adore their French toast. Omelets are super fresh with great veggies and the their juice bar specialties are a great start to a day. The Morning Meditation drink has fresh orange, lemon, turmeric, ginger, beat and agave nectar. This drink always gives me a good morning boost and it tastes so darn good!

Best Tacos in St.Louis @Mission Taco Joint

Best Tacos in St. Louis : Fish Tacos Mission Taco Joint

Best Tacos in St. Louis : Shrimp Tacos Mission Taco Joint

Best Tacos in St. Louis : Shrimp Tacos Mission Taco Joint

If tacos are the last thing you think of in the Midwest you wouldn’t be the only one but when California native brothers, Jason and Adam Tilford, came to the Midwest; they brought a taste of Cali street food with them. Mission Taco Joint came to the city in 2013 and completely changed the foodie scene. Now, there are multiple yummy locations all over St. Louis.

Get your fix of tacos, burritos, tortas and fresh house made salsas. I love my seafood tacos and that was no exception here at Mission. After trying multiple versions of tacos on their menu, I highly recommend the Baja Fish and Mango- Hop- Anero Shrimp. The Baja Fish is crispy beer battered and topped with chipotle Baja sauce, shredded cabbage, Pico de Gallo, and Queso fresco. The crunch on this thing + the fresh fish and mouth- watering topping is a match made in heaven. The Mango- Hop- Anero Shrimp is the perfect combination of sweet heat. Its Beer battered shrimp, red cabbage slaw, fresh mango salsa, smashed avocado, and Mango-Hop-Anero aioli. Again, so good and the perfect flavor mashup. Highly recommend this place to get your taco fix!

Sunday Brunch in St.Louis @ Rooster STL

Best Place for Sunday Brunch in St. Louis : Rooster STL

Best Place for Sunday Brunch in St. Louis : Rooster STL Breakfast Slinger

Best Place for Sunday Brunch in St. Louis : Rooster STL French Toast

Every good food list needs a brunch spot and I am not here to disappoint. Good Food? Check. Boozie Brunch? Check. Farm fresh and locally sourced ingredients? Check. The Rooster STL is one of the very best spots in the city to find all this goodness and a vibe. The Rooster STL was voted one of the Best Brunch Spots in the state of Missouri and for good reason.

Rooster prides itself on creative dishes with the highest quality of ingredients. They have a farm to table mission that means supporting local farms that ethically raise eggs, meat and 100% fresh produce. The quality… you can absolutely taste it. They even own an Urban Micro-Farm in the city that grows flowers and herbs.

Slingers are an STL specialty and Rooster gets it right. The Pork slinger is to die for. It’s a dreamy mashup of sausage, bacon, fried egg, roasted potatoes & sausage gravy over thick-cut toast. Sub the toast for a biscuit and you’re in for a treat! This is a savory breakfast that you NEED to try. Another good find is on the Weekend brunch menu. If you love a sweet breakfast then their French toast is good way to go. Choose from toppings like berries & Crème’ fraiche, caramelized bananas or nuts apple pie for a treat. You won’t be disappointed.

Watch the Cardinals Game @Midwestern 

Best Casual Restaurant and Bar in St. Louis: Midwestern Turkey Leg

Best Casual Restaurant and Bar in St. Louis: Midwestern Chicken Wings

Chances are, your thoughts of St. Louis are synonymous with Cardinals baseball, barbecue and bars. Well, you’re not wrong and Midwestern STL is the embodiment of all Midwestern things come to life in the form of a restaurant. Located just across the street from Busch Stadium, you’ll find this indoor/outdoor sports bar. With TV’s on every wall, live outdoor music, good food and proximity to the STL sporting events centers; this place makes for one of the best casual restaurants in St. Louis.

Chicken wings or a massive turkey leg covered in BBQ Dry Rub? Yes Please!! You can’t go wrong with choosing either option. Its mouth- watering meat coupled with a sweet crunch and makes for insane flavor. I hear the traditional bar foods are good too but hands down, this best place has the best STL vibe. So, if you find yourself going to a Blues or Cardinals Game, I highly recommend stopping here before or after a game to get a true taste of St. Louis culture.

Best Rooftop Restaurant in St.Louis @ 360 STL

Best Rooftop Restaurant in St. Louis: 360 STL

Best Rooftop Restaurant in St. Louis: 360 STL

Best Rooftop Restaurant in St. Louis: 360 STL

Best Rooftop Restaurant in St. Louis: 360 STL

If unique experiences and good food are your thing then you should check out 360 STL. 360 is a rooftop restaurant 400 feet above St. Louis in the Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark hotel. Here, you’ll find gorgeous scenic views on one side of the Gateway Arch monument and the other side of the iconic Busch Stadium. This swanky modern style restaurant offers a ton of great menu options for breakfast or dinner and with each morning or night visit you get a stunningly different Birdseye view of the city.

The restaurant was voted one of the best rooftop restaurants in the world and top 5 rooftop wine bars. Reservation for this restaurant are necessary especially at night or during the holidays but the wait is well worth the experience. For brunch, I enjoyed 2 of the classic American style breakfast options but I hear amazing things about their Moonfish tacos for dinner. That’s next on my list to try!

For the next couple of months, I’ll be eating my way through the rest of the city and trying more of St. Louis’s quirky delicacies and famous recipe. Some honorable mentions that I’ve yet to try include: 

  • Park Ave Coffee for their 70+ flavors of St. Louis’s famous Gooey Butter Cake 
  • Jerk Soul for the best carry out in St. Louis and their innovative ways to serve jerk chicken
  • St. Louis Union Station Soda Fountain for their artesian milkshakes
  • Ted Drew’s for their famous frozen custards

So, if you’re a St. Louis native or a foodie who’s been to the area, what are your favorites?

Check Out These Posts for More Info:

Heading to Missouri Soon? Check out this hotel: https://www.thedailyimpressions.com/where-to-stay-in-st-louis-for-best-view-the-st-louis-arch/

Searching for other yummy foodie cities ? Check out these Food Guides: 

Kansas City : https://www.thedailyimpressions.com/restaurants-in-kansas-city/

Hawaii : https://www.thedailyimpressions.com/oahu-food-best-places-eat-honolulu/

Las Vegas : https://www.thedailyimpressions.com/places-to-eat-in-las-vegas/

Stock Island : https://www.thedailyimpressions.com/stock-island-florida-ocean-front-luxury-tasty-seafood/

San Antonio : https://www.thedailyimpressions.com/family-friendly-restaurants-in-san-antonio-texas/

Orlando : https://www.thedailyimpressions.com/6-drool-worthy-places-to-eat-in-orlando/

February 4, 2020 by Sierra Redmond

Filed Under: H - Trips for Foodies, Travel Tagged With: food guide, midwest, Missouri, st louis, st Louis food, st louis food guide, st Louis travel, travel

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☀️ Requirements across California are very different based on a county level . La Jolla is apart of San Diego county .  ☀️San Diego County is currently in the less restrictive Tier 2 or Red Tier of Reopening  ☀️In San Diego , you will find outdoor dining and limited indoor dining. Masks are mandatory for all common areas. Retail and shopping are operating at 50% indoor capacity  ☀️Starting April 1st, you’ll find that amusement parks are opening at between 15% and 20% capacity  We stayed in San Diego ( La Jolla) for 4 nights/ 5 days and at no point did we feel unsafe . Everyone was kind, wearing masks and we were able to have  A great time with no exception  Bottom Line: We highly recommend adding San Diego to your list for spring break destinations if you feel comfortable and are willing to Adhere to all policies that are currently in place  ————————-  Where are you planning to go for spring break ? If California , what part and what activities are you looking to do ? Leave it in the comments below !
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WHERE TO EAT IN LA JOLLA? ——> Please remembe WHERE TO EAT IN LA JOLLA?  ——> Please remember to save this post and tag a friend who could use this information <——  ————————
Happy Foodie Friday!! Thanks so much for engaging with all my posts this week about La Jolla in San Diego, California. La Jolla has some amazing food. If you’re headed to town , be sure to check out these places  📍@bobboi_naturalgelato 
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More Things to do in La Jolla ( San Diego) Califor More Things to do in La Jolla ( San Diego) California !  —-> Please remember to SHARE | COMMENT | SAVE and LIKE this post . It means the world to creators <———-  ——————-  🌊Did you know that there was a beach where you can get super up close and personal with seals and sea lions? 😳  🌊La Jolla Cove is located approximately 20 mins from downtown San Diego. If you’re staying in La Jolla, it will likely be no more than 10 mins from your hotel. It’s worth spending a half day on the beach swimming , discovering coves, having a picnic at connecting Scripps Park and watching Sea Lions wash up on shore for the day.  🌊By mid day, there were hundreds on sea lions and while you can get EXTREMELY close to them, it’s best to keep a bit of distance and not bother with them or try to feed them.  🌊If you homeschool or travel to La Jolla with children , this is a great opportunity to learn about Marine life coupled with another short drive to the La Jolla tide pools .  ————————-
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What to do in La Jolla ( San Diego) California ? What to do in La Jolla ( San Diego) California ?  ——> please remember to SHARE, SAVE , COMMENT and LIKE this post <———-  How adventurous of a traveler are you ? I consider myself to like a mix of adventure / thrills and chill in my trips. During our time in La Jolla,  took up the sport of Paragliding and became a student pilot for the day at the @flytpg in Torrey Pines. Y’all!! A once in a lifetime experience 😍we glided over cliffs and one of the most beautiful beaches .  —————-
About Paragliding at @flytpg  🪁 The Torrey Pines Gliderport has over 100 years of aviation history and is one of the most historic locations for Hang Gliding , paragliding and more in the US.  🪁Guests can choose from flight lessons to tandem flight classes (which I did with a certified pilot) and more  🪁The cost for paragliding starts at $175 pp which includes a tandem ride with a certified pilot for 20 to 25 mins . Fun fact: weight is not a factor as long as the winds are high for the day. Also, anyone age toddler to senior can ride !  🪁Hang Gliding starts at $225 pp and is only offered occasionally.  🪁 Flights are typically from 11 to 5 each day and no reservation is required!  🪁 Call the morning of your flight to be sure that the weather permits for the day  Also, I HIGHLY recommend that even if this is something you don’t want to participate in , you visit the glider port and watch others take off for the day. There’s great picnic tables and a snack stand to have lunch!  ————————
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Where to stay in Hawaii? ( Please remember to SAVE Where to stay in Hawaii? ( Please remember to SAVE| SHARE | COMMENT & LIKE)  During our time in Hawaii, we had the pleasure of staying at @hiltonhawaiianvillage . The resort is right on the world famous Waikiki Beach with stunning views, easy access to a ton of activities and a large variety of amenities for families.  HERE’S WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT @hiltonhawaiianvillage  🌺Hilton Hawaiian Village spans 22 acres on Waikiki beach  🌺There are 5 pools and multiple towers , if you stay in the highly esteemed Ali’i tower, there is a private pool for guest in that tower  🌺There are over 80 shops and 18 restaurants on property. What we loved about the @hiltonhawaiianvillage is that we could have stayed on the resort every day because all that you need is walking accessible  🌺The resort is extremely family friendly / oriented . There are a large variety of amenities and activities on site such as a Friday night firework show, lei making , a famous Starlight Luau, rental paddle boarding, water bikes , Children’s program and more !  🌺There are 5 guest towers that have different price ranges , styles and guest rooms / suited to choose from. Something for everybody !  —————  What would you like to learn about @hiltonhawaiianvillage ? Leave your questions below ! 🔻🔻🔻🔻🔻  #hiltonhawaiianvillage #hiltonhonors #hiltonhotels #hawaiihotels #oahuvb #waikikibeach #honoluluhawaii #hiltonproperty #hilton100 #hawaiiblog #travelbloggers #familytravel #hotelblogger #hoteldesign #travelwithkids #gowithnugget #traveltips #travelgram #blacktravelbloggers #blackfamilytravel #hawaiiresort #hiltonresorts #familyfriendlyresorts #beachresort #travelbloggers #hilife #visitoahu #visithawaii @swaypr @hiltonhotels @hilton @hiltonhonors @hawaiianairlines @gohawaii @hawaiimagazine  @honolulumag @hiltonnewsroom
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