11 Restaurants In and Around St. Louis, Missouri
If you’re planning a trip to St. Louis, I want to share with you 11 restaurants you can add to your list to try. I have tried all but one of these and the other one I still have on my list to try for the next time I visit. With each suggestions, I will share my thoughts as well as tips and tricks along the way. To get started, let’s start on “The Hill”.
The Hill is a special area in St. Louis, Missouri. It is an Italian community made up of houses, bakeries, delis and restaurants. You will also see crosswalks and fire hydrants painted in the colors of the Italian flag. Not only is the area charming but I have never had better Italian food than when I have eaten on “the Hill”. A couple of things to consider when visiting the Hill are parking and operating hours. Most of the parking around the restaurants is street parking or small lots. We have never had a hard time finding parking but you may have to walk a few blocks to get to the restaurant. If you come with a group, you can also have the driver drop your group off at the door before they go find parking. You will also want to check which days and hours the store you want to go to is open. Several of the shops close down one or two days during the week so you will want to make sure to visit on the right days. Let’s start our restaurant suggestions off with my absolute favorite, Mama’s on the Hill!
Mama’s on the Hill
The main reason Mama’s is my favorite is because of the marinara sauce. This sweet sauce just makes my favorite dish. I always order manicotti and no matter how many times I order it at another Italian restaurant, I haven’t been able to match it’s greatness. Mama’s has a cozy setting with wonderful wait staff who makes sure your visit is a good one. This is also a great place to grab one of St, Louis’ well known dishes – fried ravioli! If you plan to go in the evening, you might want to give them a call to get a reservation. This can help you get seated faster when you arrive. Check out the history, operating hours and menu for Mama’s here – https://www.mamasonthehill.com. I highly recommend you giving this restaurant a try. To read more of my thoughts on this restaurant you can read my blog dedicated to this restaurant here – https://pepperandpassports.com/myfavoriteplacetoeatonthehillinst-louismissouri/
Zia’s
Right down the street from Mama’s, you can find another great Italian restaurant – Zia’s. Zia’s, like Mama’s, has many of those classic Italian dishes you will love. The food that stood out to me the most when I recently visited Zia’s was the bread and oil served at the beginning of the meal. Don’t get me wrong, the main food was really good as well but the bread and oil were bursting with flavor! I ordered the mostaccioli when I went and thought it was really tasty. If you have time on your trip, a second visit to the Hill to eat at Zia’s will be worth your while. Zia’s website – https://zias.com
Amighetti’s
There are several delis on the Hill along with the restaurants. Amighetti’s is one such deli. The delis can be great options for more casual dining or even to grab food to go. We grabbed sandwiches to take with us to the Cardinals game and they were good! I would love to go sit in the restaurant on another trip and try out their hot food options. As an added bonus, there is a small parking lot close by for parking as well. At the back of the store, you will also find all kinds of pastries and baked goods available for purchase. Here’s the link to their site – https://amighettis.com
Missouri Baking Company
Across the street from Zia’s sits the Missouri Baking Company. If you love sweets and baked goods, you will not want to pass this one up. Not only do they have a variety of options but so many of them are Italian specialties like cookies shaped like a boot and cannolis! My favorites have to be the small cookies sold by weight. Some of my go-tos are the chocolate and mint as well as the strawberry. Go ahead though and try one of each. When you walk in, you will grab a number and when your’s is called, a bakery worker will help you pack up all the goodies you have picked out. We love going so much that we plan to bring food storage containers with us next time to store everything we get so it will last longer.
Salt and Smoke
Maybe you love Italian food but you don’t want to eat it the whole trip. Why not try a new bbq place. Salt and Smoke currently has seven different locations including one in Ballpark Village, making it a great restaurant to eat at before a St. Louis Cardinals game. I’ve eaten at this location a couple of times now and both times were good experiences. My family and I have enjoyed the food we have ordered each time. There are many different items to choose from and you can see more of their menu here – https://www.saltandsmokebbq.com/menu/. If you are planning to go before a ballgame, I would recommend you get to the restaurant a little before they open so you can be seated quickly. The waiters are good about making sure you get your food quickly so you can get to the game in plenty of time. Not going to a game? Check out one of the other seven locations.
Fitz’s
Now let’s travel over to the Delmar Loop. Here you will find Fitz’s. Fitz’s is known for their bottled sodas and there are so many to choose from. Not only can you pick up several sodas to go but you can stay an grab lunch or dinner. The atmosphere is casual but you will have a waiter. Before you go, don’t forget to buy one of the giant, and I mean giant, milkshakes or floats. I recommend sharing with one, two or even three other people. See the different flavors here – https://fitzsrootbeer.com/menus/. These are definitely picture worthy shakes and floats. Fitz’s also has another location in Sappington, Missouri.
Lotawata Creek Southern Grill
Lotawata Creek Southern Grill is located a little outside of St. Louis in Fairview Heights, Illinois. Here you will find a variety of southern cooking from their extensive menu – https://www.lotawata.com/menu. The restaurant itself is fairly large but what stood out to me the most was the size of the food portions when it was brought to the table. This is one place you will definitely want to share food! From the giant rolls to big burgers, to nachos served in a bucket, you will have plenty to eat. Lotawata Creek is a great family friendly restaurant to add to your list.
Crazy Bowls and Wraps
If you want a quick grab and go lunch or maybe are looking for a healthier option, you can stop by Crazy Bowls and Wraps. These bowls can be loaded with different vegetables and proteins to your liking. The menu has many premade bowls and wraps you can choose from or you can build your own. If you want to build your own you will pick whether you want a bowl or wrap, then pick which base you would like and what else to add. You can find the locations of this fast-casual restaurant by following this link – https://crazybowlsandwraps.com/locations/. While it’s not at the top of our list, it is a good option to add some variety.
Stacked
This burger joint has a unique model in that you can order at your table by filling out a form. You can build the burger you would like. If you would rather order a premade burger though, you have that option as well. While we were waiting to be seated, another customer shared with us that they really liked the food at Stacked so we were glad to give it a try. We had a good experience at the restaurant and had a good waiter as well. As for the food, we all agreed that it wasn’t bad but it maybe wasn’t our favorite restaurant in the city. You can check out their website and learn more about them here – https://www.stackedstl.com.
Gus’ Pretzel Shop
I have not had the chance to visit Gus’ Pretzel Shop yet but it is on my list of places to go. While at a ballgame this past summer, I was sitting next to a lady who had been to Gus’ during their trip. She recommended I go to Gus’. I started looking more into it and it looked like a place I would like to visit. Here is their website if you want to give it a try – https://guspretzels.com.
The Breakfast Corner
Let’s end this list with a nice breakfast place. The Breakfast Corner is a typical breakfast diner with an upper class feel. The dishes you can order are beautifully put together and taste delicious. One thing to be aware of though is that their parking lot is on the smaller side so you may have to find street parking if they are busy. Check out pictures below and their website here – https://www.breakfastcornerstl.com.
If you’re planning a trip to St. Louis, I hope those restaurant suggestions help make your vacation better. – Pepper and Passports
Want some suggestions for a three day trip to the city? Check out this three day itinerary here – https://pepperandpassports.com/if-i-had-3-days-to-spend-in-st-louis-heres-what-i-would-do/.
Love Italian? If you find yourself down in Tulsa, Oklahoma here is another Italian restaurant to try – https://suitcasesandsalt.com/authentic-italian-restaurant-in-tulsa-ok/
Want to make your own bucket list of places to go and things to try? Grab this free printable here – https://seasonedtravel.kit.com/793556e6a0
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