Best Dinner Restaurants In St. Louis According To Me

Best Dinner Restaurants In St. Louis

1. #1 Best Dinner In St. Louis

   Union Loafers

   5/5 Rating $15.00/sandwich

   Union Loafers Takeaway. The Crown Jewel Of St. Louis. My favorite St. Louis restaurant. 8/10 Salad. 8.9/10 Sandwiches. 9.1/10 Pizza. 10/10 Sourdough Bread.

   The Simone Biles of STL food.

   Always order a loaf. Get anything with bread. ~$8 bread. $8 salad. $15 sandwiches. It's expensive. Ask your parents to take you when they come to town. Twenty minutes to an hour for pick up. Ordering pizza can be a pain. Parking is easy on side streets with a three-minute walk. Tip: Try a pizza rosa with chili oil at lunch. Note: Pizza review coming in the future.

   

   Website 1629 Tower Grove Ave, St. Louis, MO 63110 (314) 833-6111
2. #2 Best Dinner In St. Louis

   Cate Zone

   4.97/5 Rating $21.59/entree

   Cate Zone Takeaway. The best Chinese food I've ever had. Currently in my top two favorite St. Louis restaurants. Better than any Chinese food I ever had in Los Angeles or San Francisco. It's Szechuan, so add one spice level to everything. Expect 45-60 minutes for takeout or a table on Friday/Saturday. Huge portions. ~$30/person. Tip: Go for lunch if you don't want to wait. Eating in the restaurant is 1.5x better than takeout, which is still amazing.

   

   Website 8148 Olive Blvd, University City, MO 63130 (314) 738-9923
3. #3 Best Dinner In St. Louis

   Balkan Treat Box

   4.96/5 Rating $16.00/plate

   Balkan Treat Box Takeaway. Treat yourself to Balkan Treat Box whenever you're in the area, and they're open. One of the best restaurants in St. Louis with a general food score of 9.3 / 10 from me. Hard to classify exactly what food type a "pide" or "doner". Not a sandwich; it's more a Mediterranean delight. The pita may be the best I've ever had, and it's definitely the best in St. Louis. I order a bag to go every time.

   They even fixed the biggest downside - their hours. They're now open from 11-8 Friday and Saturday.

   Still closed on Sunday and Monday. You should check availability before making the trek to Webster Groves.

   Service is fine. You order at the counter, get a number, and go to your table. It usually takes 10-15 minutes to get your food; even if a long line runs, you only have fifteen minutes to wait. My favorite place to sit is outside when the weather permits. They have a dedicated lot in the back or street parking out front.

   

   Website 8103 Big Bend Blvd, Webster Groves, MO 63119 (314) 733-5700
4. #4 Best Dinner In St. Louis

   Pizza Head

   4.92/5 Rating $18.00/pizza

   Pizza Head Takeaway. Perfect Pizza That Tastes Like New Jersey. Pizza Head in Tower Grove made my night last night. This pizza tastes exactly like New Jersey. Perfect sauce-to-cheese ratio. Super thin undercarriage that maintains its structure. A bit chewy, but still crisp. Brought me back to being a kid.

   At 9.2 / 10, this is in the top 5% of pizzas I've had in my life. The 8/10 crust held it back from scoring even higher. $18 for 20" weighing 40 oz is the BEST VALUE non-Dominos/Costco division. CRAZY. And you can order by the slice.

   The best pizza in St. Louis.

   Take out only. Order online to schedule pickup. You pickup or order from a very small window. Street parking in downtown Tower Grove.

   

   Website 3196 South Grand Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63118 (314) 266-5400
5. #5 Best Dinner In St. Louis

   Salt + Smoke

   4.91/5 Rating $18.99/plate

   Salt + Smoke Takeaway. My pulled pork place in St. Louis. 8.7 / 10 bbq score. The pulled pork, brisket, and chicken are all top-notch. Each plate comes with two sides and a pop-over. It's a ton of food, but on the relatively pricer side of St. Louis. $18.99 for a plate. I am partial to the mac-and-cheese and duck-fat fries. Every bite from start to finish is heavy, tasty, and filling. Just have a Tums on hand afterward.

   I ordered online for pickup this time, but I've been at the Delmar location for lunch and dinner. Never had an issue with service or time-to-food. For pickup, I park in the little parking lot next to the restaurant on the Loop or across the street on a side street. Parking is easily available behind the building.

   

   Website 6525 Delmar Blvd, University City, MO 63130 (314) 727-0200
6. #6 Best Dinner In St. Louis

   Menya Rui

   4.9/5 Rating $16.00/ramen

   Menya Rui Takeaway. The best ramen I've ever had. I climbed a personal Everest and made it to Menya Rui. An inverse dining experience, you wait outside for 45 minutes to an hour chatting and then get in and eat in under twenty. Spectacular broth with melt-in-your-mouth ground ramen. Splurge the extra $1 for the soft-boiled egg, bringing it to $16 / bowl. Karaage was yummy, but just save stomach space for ramen.

   Very high-energy vibes make you feel alive. Inside, it holds maybe twenty people. There are small tables and bars. They expect you to get in and get out quickly. You order and pay from an electronic menu tied to your seat, so bring a phone. Come in small groups. Expect to wait an hour in line outside. There is plenty of parking.

   

   Website 3453 Hampton Ave, St. Louis, MO 63139 (314) 601-3524
7. #7 Best Dinner In St. Louis

   Corner 17

   4.85/5 Rating $12.99/noddles

   Corner 17 Takeaway. Truly awesome Chinese food. The hand-pulled and hand-shaved noodles are the star of the show. Order anything with dough. Expect a 30-minute+ wait at non-lunch times or order online. Standard Chinese food price. It feels small on the inside. Parking on the loop is easy, even at 8 p.m. on a Saturday. Extensive list of bubble teas, slushies, and milt teas I've never had. Everything is green.

   

   Website 6623 Delmar Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63130 (314) 727-2402
8. #8 Best Dinner In St. Louis

   El Guanaco Taqueria & Pupuseria

   4.81/5 Rating $7.99/burrito

   El Guanaco Taqueria & Pupuseria Takeaway. El Grand Guanaco Delivers With The Baleada Especial. Oh my god, was that delicious. Chorizo, steak, chicken, queso, eggs, avocado, and cream. I mean, come on. Where has this been all my life? And only $7.99?!?!!?!? The $3 pupusa was heavy on the bread, and the sauce detracted from the flavor. It wasn't a table favorite. Chips were a 4.8/10 for me, but free. Excellent red salsa > green salsa.

   Total hole in the wall on Page Ave. Barely enough parking for lunch.

   Friendly, fast service.

   No frills. No filler. Just totally amazing food. Currently in my top five best restaurants in St. Louis.

   

   Website 10633 Page Ave, St. Louis, MO 63132 (314) 274-8022
9. #9 Best Dinner In St. Louis

   Soup Dumplings STL

   4.7/5 Rating $9.00/soup dumplings

   Soup Dumplings STL Takeaway. Savory Soup Dumplings Steal The Show. The pork dumplings top my charts for single-dish Asian food in St. Louis. The accompanying vinegar and chili sauce complete the experience. Six dumplings ($9-12.75) aren't enough, and 12 are too many, so bring a friend and split 18. My preference is pork dumplings >> chicken > beef.

   Some notes. Chopstick only. I've never asked for a fork, but they might have some. The chili sauce on the table is A++. And try it with the recommended vinegar. I highly recommend putting your bowl under the eating operation to not let any soup get away.

   Service takes a minute as they only have one register. The dumplings are also handcrafted in the back, so they take another bit to cook. Give yourself 20 minutes to get food from the time you step in during lunchtime. There is plenty of parking. Solid hours for St. Louis.

   

   8106 Olive Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63130 (314) 445-4605
10. #10 Best Dinner In St. Louis

    The Lobby Lounge

    4.59/5 Rating $22.00/sushi

    The Lobby Lounge - Ritz Carlton Clayton Sushi Takeaway. Surprisingly stellar hotel lobby sushi. An 8.8/10 on my sushi scale was St. Louis pricey at $22 for a gourmet spicy tuna roll. The sushi melts in your mouth, which is a different sushi experience. The fries were standard hotel fair, and my wife's rainbow roll goes head to head with others in the area.

    The best part of eating sushi in the Ritz Lobby is people-watching. Get there early on the weekends before it fills up to see all kinds of people. Service was spotty, as the server seemed overworked, but it didn't detract from the evening. Valet parking is available at the front, or street parking is three to five minutes away for plebes like me.

    

    Website 100 Carondelet Plaza, St. Louis, MO 63105 nan
11. #11 Best Dinner In St. Louis

    El Burro Loco

    4.55/5 Rating $21.25/fajitas

    El Burro Loco Takeaway. I'm loco for El Burro Loco. My new favorite Mexican restaurant in St. Louis. Best fajitas I've ever had. Top-of-the-line rice and beans. 8.4/10 unlimited chips. Above-average complimentary salsa. Amazing atmosphere and decorations. Good service. Gross bathrooms. The most expensive Mexican food I've had because it's in the Central West End. $21.25 for fajitas compared to $12-13 elsewhere in STL. Still great for families. Parking on the street. They have a second location downtown.

    

    Website 313 N Euclid Ave, St. Louis, MO 63108 (314) 224-5371
12. #12 Best Dinner In St. Louis

    Tai Ke

    4.54/5 Rating $12.99/entree

    Tai Ke Takeaway. Delicious Taiwanese food at an affordable price. Everything up and down their menu is fantastic. 8.5 / 10 Asian food for me. I love the eggplant, bok choy, chili stir-fry chicken, beef noodles, pork belly bao, and braised pork rice. An entree still goes for under $15, which is a steal. My kids love the Taiwanese popcorn chicken. In fact, two 9 year olds who swore they didn't eat Asian food cleared their plates.

    One of the best Asian restaurants in St. Louis. It was my "last meal" before the Pandemic - I went at lunch the day my office closed because I knew it would be the last time I would get to eat out for over a year.

    I order online all the time, and it's always ready in under twenty minutes. The food tastes better hot in the restaurant, but it travels well. There isn't a ton of seating, so it can get packed at busy times of the week. Plenty of parking in Olivette's biggest strip mall.

    

    Website 9626 Olive Blvd, Olivette, MO 63132 (314) 801-8411
13. #13 Best Dinner In St. Louis

    Fire Chicken

    4.52/5 Rating $14.00/meal

    Fire Chicken Takeaway. Affordable, Spicy, Delicious Chicken On Page. I've been a "long-time" customer as we started "coming" here during the pandemic when they first opened. My favorite Fire Chicken is Spice Level 3, which pushes me to my enjoyable limit. $14.00 for a serving, it's a solid 8.4 / 10 experience. My sons like the teriyaki, and I've also enjoyed their bulgogi.

    We ordered the ramen during the pandemic but haven't had it in four years. It was delicious, but they never got our order right back then. No such problems anymore.

    Not a sit-down restaurant. You can order online from any of five different sites. Plenty of parking if you go to pick it up, or they can deliver it.

    

    10200 Page Ave, St. Louis, MO 63132 (314) 551-2123
14. #14 Best Dinner In St. Louis

    Sides Of Seoul

    4.48/5 Rating $10.99/bowl

    Sides Of Seoul Takeaway. Sides of Seoul makes my soul happy with quality Korean food. 8.2 / 10 on my Asian food scale makes it one of my favorite Asian places in St. Louis. I normally go with the delicious bibim-bop, but I audibled today into the spicy pork bowl-bop. Both hit the spot for $12.99 and $10.99, respectively, making both a heck of a deal. Also a big fan of their kimchi, seaweed salad, and bulgogi. Just all-around great Korean food for the money.

    You can only takeout at S.o.S. At maybe 20' by 20' inside, they don't have an option for eating in the restaurant. I always call in my order, and they always give me a 10-minute quote. In the 10+ times I've been here over the last three years, they've never been late. The same, super friendly woman mans the front desk each time. Parking is easy in a dedicated lot with dedicated spots.

    

    10084 Page Ave, St. Louis, MO 63132 (314) 942-8940
15. #15 Best Dinner In St. Louis

    Milano Kabob

    4.38/5 Rating $15/falafel

    Milano Kabob Takeaway. Falafel donuts are hole-y delicious. My favorite falafel in St. Louis. A new spot in the Loop where Al-Tarboush used to be located. 8.2 / 10 overall, led by 8.6 / 10 falafel and 9.0 / 10 garlic sauce. The falafel has a unique donut shape and I could quite literally drink the garlic sauce. The fatoush, sides, fries, and chicken tenders rate out at average restaurant quality of 7/10. I didn't get a kebob…

    Milano's service was friendly. My sons and I were the only ones there on a Friday night, so we chatted with the owner. Although they have been in the restaurant business for a while, this is their first time in this location. They did a great job of renovating the frontage and space to bring it up to modern times. There's only a handful of seating in the restaurant, so expect more grab-and-go. Parking is available in the usual places on Delmar.

    

    Website 602 Westgate Ave, University City, MO 63130 (314) 261-4816
16. #16 Best Dinner In St. Louis

    Pie Guy Pizza

    4.36/5 Rating $20.00/pizza

    Pie Guy Pizza Takeaway. Pie Guy are my guys for pizza. 8.2 / 10 pizza is great for a Friday night with friends. Standard plain pizza with above-average sauce, cheese, crust, and crunch. $20 for an 18" pie that weighs 34.4 oz is very reasonably priced for St. Louis. Give them thirty minutes to an hour on Friday or Saturday night. Friendly service and great vibes with pizza murals. Parking can be hard on Manchester, so you might need to drive around. Not a great place to hop out to pick up the pizza.

    

    Website 4189 Manchester Ave, St. Louis, MO 63110 (314) 899-0444
17. #17 Best Dinner In St. Louis

    Pizzeria Da Gloria

    4.35/5 Rating $17.00/pizza

    Pizzeria Da Gloria Takeaway. A Shining Example Of Wood-Fired Pizza On The Hill. I'm not a wood-fired pizza guy, but this is my favorite in St. Louis so far. Comes in at a very respectable 8.1 / 10 pizza score. The top-notch sauce carries the pizza. A little too many cheeses for me. Very good crunchy crust. The undercarriage isn't crispy enough because it's wood-fired. The pizza is the most expensive I've measured in St. Louis thus far, coming in at $1.09 per oz.

    One of my top five best pizzas in St. Louis.

    Service was standard the one time we ate inside about two years ago. I ordered online this weekend, and it was ready on schedule. Street parking in The Hill can be tricky at prime time, but I found a spot on the side street for pickup at 5:30 pm.

    

    Website 2024 Marconi Ave, St. Louis, MO 63110 (314) 833-3734
18. #18 Best Dinner In St. Louis

    Top Sushi

    4.34/5 Rating $9.00/spicy tuna

    Top Sushi Takeaway. Great for Saturday night sushi at home. 7.1/10 sushi is among the best I've had in St. Louis. Our go-to takeout sushi. Well priced, but not cheap, like all sushi. Great yaki udon chicken rivals coastal restaurants. Gyoza and miso soup hold their own. The restaurant is small, clean, and good for kids. We also went here for a quick date night. TV in the corner and a sushi bar when you walk in. Parking is super simple in the strip mall. Tip: Order extra pickled ginger if you get three or four rolls. Directly across the parking lot from Vivola Express.

    

    Website 1947 Schuetz Rd, St Louis, MO 63146 (314) 801-8816
19. #19 Best Dinner In St. Louis

    Grassi's Ristorante & Deli

    4.33/5 Rating $10.69/sandwich

    Grassi's Ristorante and Deli. Grab Grassi's when you want to gorge on great chicken parma. A 7.9 / 10 sandwich for $10.69, this local institution delivers classic St. Louis hospitality in a family-friendly setting. Sandwiches come with a side salad drenched in dressing. Try the toasted ravioli. Get ready for parmesan cheese on top of parmesan cheese.

    You'll find Grassi's in a hole-in-the-wall building off of Lindbergh in Frontenac. Took them ten minutes from ordering to the table. I didn't expect the lunch line format with signature trays. You order from the sandwich man before moving down the line to pay. They said you can expect a longer wait during the lunch rush, but I had no one in front of me. Parking right outside in a dedicated lot.

    

    Website 10450 German Blvd, Frontenac, MO 63131 (314) 994-1111
20. #20 Best Dinner In St. Louis

    Taco Buddha

    4.33/5 Rating $13/salad

    Taco Buddha Takeaway. I'd Rub This Taco Buddha's Belly Any Day. Fun, fresh, family atmosphere with mostly outdoor seating. 7.9 / 10 Mexican food overall. My favorite chips in the area with a score of 8.6 / 10. Unfortunately, the chips cost extra 🙁 at $4.25 and $11.25(!!) with guac. My kids and friends love the tacos, but I'm not a taco guy, so I go with the Baja salad with chicken for $13.50. All in all, $71 for lunch isn't cheap and lowers my overall rating for the Buddha.

    The atmosphere at Taco Buddha is hip and trendy. The kind of place where the chairs don't have backs, the tables have QR codes instead of waitresses, and it feels like you're eating family-style. They have a pretty extensive drink menu, but I mostly come with family or friends at lunchtime. Parking is easy on Pershing, and it's never more than a 3-minute walk. They have dedicated parking spots for curbside pickup.

    

    Website 7405 Pershing Ave, University City, MO 63130 (314) 502-9951