Best Dinner Restaurants In St. Louis According To Me

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Sultan Mediterranean Restaurant Takeaway. Sultan's selection of Mediterranean specialties satisfies. Based on a strong recommendation from a friend, we went on a date night with some friends. Sultan did not disappoint. It deservrers a solid, round 8.5/10. An 8.5 is a very good score for me, putting it in the top 20% of restaurants.

The restaurant setting is practical, but the food is awesome. The Baba Ganoush was exceptionally garlicky and smoky, and the Ali Naza beef kebab was fantastic. The vegetarian rice pilaf didn't taste quite as good as it looked, an the same could be said for the pita.

But those are nit picks, Sultan was great.

For anyone seeking high-quality Mediterranean food in St. Louis, Sultan is a must-try. It's a place that's been around for a while, surviving the pandemic, yet had somehow flown under our radar. Parking on, or around, Manchester should be easy, even during prime time.

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.

Kazu Takeaway. Kazu goes all out with knockout, takeout-only sushi. Spicy Tuna, Hamachi, and Rainbow rolls for the win. I give it an impressive 8.1 / 10, which makes it worth a ten-minute drive.

Kazu is a tiny, two-person operation that delivers high-quality sushi. The ingredients are fresh, the fish melts in your mouth, and the price comes in lower than other sushi spots in St. Louis.

The catch? It's takeout only, and the wait times on weekends are no joke. You need to plan ahead and order early. They also have St. Louis hours and close on Sundays. But if you're looking for top-notch sushi without the fancy restaurant experience, Kazu is a fantastic choice.

Wright's Tavern Takeaway. Wright's really writes the book on what a St. Louis steakhouse should be. I'm giving it an 8.2/10 because the steak was perfectly cooked, the atmosphere nailed the upscale vibe, and the whole experience felt worth the price tag.

This is absolutely a place worth seeking out for special occasions. It's not Peter Luger or Wolfgang's level, but for St. Louis, it delivers a legitimately impressive steakhouse experience without the crazy markup you'd find at some places.

Reservations are tough to snag, but showing up right at opening or around the 6-6:30 rollover gets you a bar seat. The bartender was great to chat with. Parking is typical downtown street parking, so plan accordingly.

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.

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.

Yummi Tummi Takeaway Yummi Tummi provides a surprisingly tasty time in Maplewood. On the back of some fantastic ramen, I give it an 8.1/10, even if some of the other dishes don't quite hit the same high notes.

Yummi Tummi isn't the place you take your parents when they're visiting from out of town, but it's absolutely worth a 15-minute drive for some ramen without crowds. One of the better Asian restaurants in my travels around St. Louis.

Service is fast. Parking is a breeze, with its own dedicated lot right outside the building. Based on all the pickup orders, it definitely seems more focused on takeout, but there's plenty of seating if you decide to dine in.

Afghan Kebab House Takeaway. Afghan Kebob House has authentically awesome Afghan flavors that mostly deliver on taste but stumble on execution. I'm giving it an 8.1/10 for the food, but a lower overall score because of the service.

The chicken kebabs are cooked to absolute perfection, juicy and tender in a way that kebabs almost never are. The aushak (leek-filled dumplings with yogurt and meat sauce) is a standout dish with unique, complex flavors you won't find anywhere else in St. Louis. The tikka masala has a great creamy sauce, and the meat kebabs won over most of my group.

But here's the thing: the logistics are rough. They missed part of our order, the timing was off by 10-15 minutes, and I had to make a 40-minute round trip to get the rest of our food. If you're in the area near Lindenwood Park or Ted Drewes, it's absolutely worth stopping by.

But I wouldn't make the 25-minute drive from across town specifically for it.

Bar Moro Takeaway. A taste of Spanish tapas and delights on a fancy date night. I don't have a great local comparison on roast rabbit, so go with my overall score of 4.39 / 5. The food is an 8.2 / 10, but it's super expensive for the area. The price always brings down my overall score because you can get similar quality food for less elsewhere -- just not rabbit.

The service was excellent. It's an upscale, modern space that puts a premium on service and quality. My big nitpick is that it's too dark. I couldn't see my food, which negatively impacts taste, in my opinion. I would rather come at 6:30 in the summer than in winter because you could see your food.

With limited seating, we got 2 bar seats at 6:30 pm on a Saturday. You would have needed a reservation to sit at a table. Parking on Wydown means you find a spot within a three-minute walk.

Subway Takeaway. The "Everyperson's Sandwich." Solid 5 out of 10 sandwich. The control group for comparing other sandwiches. $11.91 after tax and tip seems expensive. Super fast service. Incredibly high-calorie count. Meat lacks flavor, so get toppings. Brings me back to my first job. Parking is usually convenient. Subway Smell as soon as you walk in. A footlong is good for two meals.

The Preston Takeaway.The Preston presents predictable plates in a plain package. I'd give The Preston a 7.0/10, with food that you'd expect from a hotel lobby. Restaurant-quality, but, in my opinion, a bit overpriced for what you get.

This is not a destination restaurant. In the search for the best food in St. Louis, you can skip this one unless you are staying in the hotel and can't go anywhere else. Great for convenience, not a place to go.

Service was perfectly fine, especially since we were basically the only people there. Parking is a bit of a hunt. You'll have to search the side streets off Kingshighway, but you'll find something within a few minutes' walk.

Costco Pizza Takeaway. Tastes like a Tuesday. The "everyman pizza". 5/10 pizza. A baseline pizza we can all compare against. Insane value at $10/pizza. Limited options with only cheese and pepperoni. Very cheesey and floppy. Pizza weighs 58.8 oz for $.17/oz, which is crazy. Dominos is $.30/oz. One of the few places you can order by the slice for $1.99.

Tip: Call ahead and order via the food court saves waiting there for 20+ minutes.

You need to be a member. Parking is easy and convenient with the new UCity location off of I-170.

Chipotle Takeaway. The Mexican Comparison. Chicken burrito clocks in at $8.75 with a 5 / 10 burrito score. It's big enough to be a filling meal, particularly if you go calorie heavy with cheese and sour cream. I keep it healthy and low calorie by sticking with only adding veggies. Their chips are a 7.0 / 10, thin, salty, and with a hint of lime.

The Chipotle corporate overlords removed the fun of ordering here. No longer can you hack the menu with ½ and ½ beans or a tortilla on the side. Everything costs extra and they lightened the load.

Service at Chipotle has been getting worse over the last five years. Lines take ten-plus minutes for five people. I've had pick-up orders that they hadn't started ten minutes after the scheduled time. It's all just sad because ordering ahead of time used to be a superpower.

Holds a special place in my heart as the first Mexican food I ever had - when I was 18 at college. Even if it has been on a sad, slow decline.

La Tejana Taqueria Takeaway. Tinga Tacos Taste Like A Tuesday. Got the lunch special for $7.99. The side of refried beans was the best part. Tinga tacos were solid, particularly when I added green salsa. Campechano was dry. The corn tacos were the standout on the taco front. Roughly 12.7 oz of food. Free chips were a 4.8 / 10. They were thick but not salty or flavorful. Tasted wontonish. Green salsa was the best salsa.

Another pure hole on the wall off of Lindbergh. Service was standard and very friendly. They were continuously half-full from 12 to 1:30 on a Tuesday.

Parking out front in a dedicated lot.

Bridge Tap House And Wine Bar Takeaway. All ‘Bout Charcuterie & Drinks. Not my favorite restaurant. My $16 5.8 / 10 ban mi sandwich sums up my experience with price and quality. I'm not meant for poorly lit, fancy-vibe places known for charcuterie and drinks. Focaccia bread was the standout for me. I don't drink and don't like to share food, so take everything I say with that in mind.

The running joke at the table for the night was the poor service from the bartender, who seemed upset he had to make drinks for the 12 of us. Our server, Joel, on the other hand, was top-notch and responsive.

Bridge has a grown-up, date-night wine bar feel to it. I don't fit in well with sweatpants and T-shirts. Street parking in this part of downtown was easy on a Thursday night.

Akar Takeaway. The overall experience at Akar was a miss. Great appetizers. Surprisingly expensive for Saint Louis. Parking is a pain. Would go back if someone else chose to come.