Tomorrow, we're heading to St Louis for the weekend to visit the theatres where I used to work and to see their current shows. I've noticed a lot of press lately about St Louis according to outsiders, both good and bad. My history has had me living in numerous cities for my education and career. My hometown is Philadelphia. From there, I moved to central Pennsylvania, then New York City, then DC, then Boston, then a new town in central Pennsylvania, then a small town in Maine, then back to Philadelphia, then to St Louis, and now Chicago. I've had extended visits to even more places. But St Louis locked me in for 2+ years for graduate school.
When you visit St Louis, everyone will tell you to try Imo's Pizza, toasted ravioli, and gooey butter cake. If you're an outsider, you're not going to like any of it, but it's always cool when a city has staple foods. You can try it for the experience (I did), but I'm telling you right now that you won't like it if you weren't raised on it. However, while living there, I found many incredible restaurants. So to an outsider, from an outsider, here are 17 restaurants in St Louis that I recommend.
1. Dressel's Public House (419 N Euclid Ave) - It's a Welsh pub in the Central West End. It's a great atmosphere to unwind. There aren't TVs everywhere. It's a true, intimate pub with good service and good food. Recommended: Homemade potato chips with rarebit.
2. The Schlafly Tap Room (2100 Locust St) - It's a popular local brewery, and a restaurant in a neat building. It's a good place to hang out with friends. Bring darts if you've got 'em, and play a round or two. Recommended: Beer cheese soup.
3. Herbie's Vintage 72 (405 N Euclid Ave) - It's an American/French restaurant with 3 sections: The bar, which is very casual, the restaurant, which is formal dining, and the bistro, which is in between. I prefer the bistro, and like the big windows. This is one of those really nice restaurants where no one is pretentious or "above" you. It's always a special place for us to go on date, and brunch is particularly affordable and fun. Every dish we've tried has been delicious and beautifully presented. Recommended: Country fried steak.
4. Pappy's Smokehouse (3106 Olive St) - I'll hand it to St Louis, they know a thing or two about barbeque. I'd even say their barbeque is underrated. I like Pappy's because they don't douse everything with sauce, and instead, let you do it yourself. There's always a line, but it moves fast, and there's a cool vibe about the place where you don't really mind waiting in line. It just feels good to be there. Recommended: Pulled pork sandwich.
5. Momo's Ouzaria Taverna (630 North and South) - It's a Greek tapas place. Having spent time in Athens, it's very close to the real deal, except you don't get a shot of Ouzo at the end, which is fine by me. It's a fun place to go with friends and eat off each other's plates. Recommended: Saganaki.
6. Guido's Pizzeria and Tapas (5046 Shaw Ave) - It's an Italian and Spanish tapas bar owned and operated by a sweet older couple. Get ready to embarrassingly practice your Spanish because the menu selections are in Spanish. I'll admit that this is the only place in the city where I can stand St Louis-style pizza (mind you, I opt for mixed cheeses, and not provel). It's a great place for a date or to dine as a group. I recommend inviting a lot of people out, and eating off of each other's plates because everything this place serves is worth trying. Recommended: Mejillones en Salsa de Jerez.
7. The Drunken Fish (1 Maryland Plaza) - The Drunken Fish has 3 locations, but we prefer this one since we lived within walking distance for a year. This is a great place for a sushi beginner and an experienced, picky sushi eater. Not all of the rolls are raw fish, and some are hot. The menu is highly creative. Upstairs can get loud and club-like, but downstairs is usually pretty chill. Recommended: Fried cheese steak roll.
8. Adriana's (5101 Shaw Ave) - It's an always busy place in The Hill with a very wide selection of sandwiches. It's casual, comfortable, and inviting with a very local vibe. It's a great stop for lunch. Recommended: Mary's Special.
9. Blueberry Hill (6504 Delmar Blvd) - This isn't a particularly great place to eat, but it's a great place to hang. Definitely bring your darts to play here, order a pitcher of beer, and check out all the cool stuff decorating the walls. Recommended: See Chuck Berry perform. He plays here monthly.
10. Crepes Etc (48 Maryland Plaza) - It's a casual breakfast place where you order at the counter, and they bring you your food, and the food is excellent. Recommended: Ham and cheese omelet.
11. Copia's Restaurant and Wine Garden (1122 Washington Ave) - This is an expensive downtown restaurant, but it's not pretentious, and the servers are very nice. If your suit jacket doesn't quite fit right, no one cares. We always opt to dine in the garden, which is spacious, comfortable, and pretty. It's a great place for a date or a girl's night. Recommended: Filet of beef tenderloin.
12. John D. McGurk's Irish Pub and Garden (1200 Russell Blvd) - Whether you're sitting inside or outside, this is a cool place. Their corned beef is honest to God the right stuff. Recommended: Russell Street reuben.
13. Culpepper's (300 N Euclid Ave) - They have 5 locations, but we prefer this one. Culpepper's has great chicken wings. We became regulars here, we always sat at the bar, and we made friends, so if Joe or Laura wait on you, say "hi" for us. Recommended: Gold wings.
14. Crown Candy Kitchen (1401 St Louis Ave) - Crown Candy Kitchen is something you have to do once. It's in a dive of a neighborhood and it's a dive of a restaurant, but do yourself a favor and try it out. Grab a malt, and a ridiculously high-calorie sandwich (just this once). Recommended: Heart stopping BLT.
15. Ted Drewes (7626 Chippewa St) - Frozen custard is a thing. You probably never knew it was thing, but you'll be glad you do now if you try this place. Ted Drewes is a famous stop on Route 66, and for good reason. I'm not even a person who ever craves sweets, but this place is rad. Recommended: All Shook Up.
16. The Post (7372 Manchester Rd) - Any place where this Philadelphian approves of the cheesesteak has to get a nod (of course, I get it without the peppers). This is an easy-going sports bar. No matter what team you root for, this place will welcome you. On a football Sunday, you'll see almost every jersey here, and I, for one, think that's awesome. Wear your colors proudly at The Post, and place your food orders on their computers, and have really cool waiters bring them to you. If you want to watch a game, especially as an outsider, this is your place. Recommended: Cheesesteak (no peppers).
17. Blue Ocean Sushi (6335 Delmar Blvd) - Street Fighter murals don the walls. It's cheaper sushi than most places, and it's in The Loop, which you probably are in for some other reason. The sushi's good, and the crab rangoon may be the best I've ever had. Recommended: Crab rangoon.
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