Over at least a decade, and in some cases more than a century, the impact of these 10 local restaurants and breweries has been so profound that they are part of the fabric of our culinary scene.
This list was created as part of the Sauce 75, a photomosaic of the best in St. Louis dining, and a celebration of the diverse skills, techniques and culinary traditions that meet across our region. In sum, it tells a story about where St. Louis has been, where it is now and where it’s going next. Many great and good St. Louis restaurants did not made the cut. (Seventy-five is a lot fewer than you think!) Restaurants are constantly growing and evolving and go through ups and downs. Newly opened restaurants can take time to find their feet: There are a few exciting new places we’re cheering for, but which we feel haven’t yet fully hit their stride. Check out the slideshow below for some of St. Louis’ most iconic landmarks, and read the entire list here.
Carl’s Drive In
Time stands blissfully still inside Carl’s Drive In. The tiny roadside space has remained largely unchanged since its first big remodel in 1962, when they added air conditioning and indoor seating for 16 at the counter. The restaurant still seats just 16 diners, and the slotted menu board still displays a modest but eternally enjoyable menu: famous griddle-smashed burgers with irresistibly crispy edges; footlong and curly-Q hot dogs; tamales topped with Edmond’s Chile Co. chili; and housemade root beer served in heavy, frozen mugs. Change can be a good thing, but we say if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
9033 Manchester Road, Brentwood, 314.961.9652, carlsdrivein.com Credit: photo courtesy of Carl's Drive InCrown Candy Kitchen
Crown Candy Kitchen has some stats to be proud of. Opened by Harry Karandzieff and his friend Pete Jugaloff in 1913, it’s one of St. Louis’s oldest surviving food and drink attractions. It’s also the oldest soda fountain still in operation in the city, at least by our reckoning. Stuffed with bacon, the outsized BLT is the signature sandwich, but the sweeter sections of the menu are also stacked with winners, from the Ozark black walnut ice cream, housemade hand-dipped clusters and specialty chocolates to the Johnny Rabbit Special, a banana malt with whipped cream and nutmeg. If you dare, rise to the milkshake challenge: Drink five of these (13% milk fat) lovelies in 30 minutes and you won’t pay a dime – for any of them. Good luck!
1401 St. Louis Ave., St. Louis, 314.621.9650, crowncandykitchen.net Credit: photo courtesy of Google MapsDonut Drive-In
Donuts, neon and Route 66 combine here for a timeless St. Louis experience, but the line of customers who congregate in anticipation of fresh donuts on weekend mornings tells you Donut Drive-In remains an addictively vibrant stop on the local food scene. You won’t find any “renegade” donuts here, just consistently exquisite renditions of classic cake and yeast donuts: long johns, jelly donuts and their essential apple fritter. On weekends, skip the line and stop at the takeout window behind the shop to pick up a dozen assorted donuts.
6525 Chippewa St., St. Louis, 314.645.7714, donutdrivein.com Credit: photo courtesy of Google MapsFaraci Pizza
If you’re going to Faraci Pizza in Ferguson, don’t mess around: go for the Faraci Special. Sausage, pepperoni, bacon, mushroom and onion are loaded onto a crispy, St. Louis-style crust. It’s delightfully gooey, with the requisite blanket of provel cheese, and it’s rich and salty from the abundance of toppings. This little pizza shop has been nestled in downtown Ferguson since 1968, and besides the prices not much has really changed. They still have a pared-down menu focusing on their pizzas, a small selection of sandwiches like their meatball sub, and a few pastas and salads. They still have a retro space with wood paneling and a tiny window that peeks into the kitchen. And they have their regulars, the customers that keep returning, some for decades, because they simply cannot get enough.
520 S. Florissant Road, Ferguson, 314.524.2675, faracispizza.com Credit: photo courtesy Google MapsGioia’s Deli
In a city of great sandwich shops, Gioia’s is elite. That’s in no small part due to the signature hot salami, used to great effect in sandwiches like the Spicy Daggett (toasted garlic pepper cheese bread stuffed with hot salami, hot coppa and capicolla, and spooned with intensely piquant giardiniera). The bare bones little deli on the Hill dates to 1918, and they have grown to include locations in Creve Coeur, Valley Park and Maryland Heights. Gioia’s fame has also spread far beyond St. Louis: In 2017, they won the James Beard American Classic Award, and the Food Network named the hot salami sandwich “one of the best sandwiches in America.” When we say, “bare bones,” we mean Gioia’s on the Hill has only what it needs and no more: a walk-up counter, a drinks machine, a few chairs outside in the sunshine, and a rack of chips. When you’ve got a tightly wrapped Daggett in your hand, and there’s a pocket park across the road, what else could possibly be lacking?
Multiple locations, gioiasdeli.com Credit: photo by Meera NagarajanPappy’s Smokehouse
It’s impossible to talk about barbecue in St. Louis today without acknowledging the impact Pappy’s has had over the past 16 years. That legacy is evident not just at Pappy’s two St. Louis area restaurants, but also at the numerous Pappy’s-affiliated restaurants – Dalie’s Smokehouse, Adam’s Smokehouse and Bogart’s Smokehouse – that form an extended barbecue family. Customers still eagerly wait in line at Pappy’s Midtown location for their dry-rubbed ribs, smoked for up to 24 hours over apple and cherry wood. Get the ribs, always, but also get the pulled pork and at least a couple of sides (the baked beans are our favorite, but take your pick). They regularly sell out, so if you’re visiting later in the day, call ahead to confirm what’s still available.
Multiple locations, pappyssmokehouse.com Credit: photo by Lauren HealeySam’s Steakhouse
This South County gem calls out to us whenever we’re craving a well-executed, grilled-to-order cut of meat. The steaks here are set apart by the saucy glaze they receive just before serving. Cooked to a 35-year-old recipe created by one of the restaurant’s founders, Sam Andria, the glaze has over 40 ingredients and gives the steaks a salty-sweet finish. The filets are our go-to, leaving room for more of Sam’s fabulous, classic steakhouse hits. Their wedge salad is the perfect steakhouse wedge with crunchy iceberg, blue cheese, cherry tomatoes and bacon. Meanwhile, the shrimp cocktail features juicy, jumbo Gulf prawns served with a housemade cocktail sauce that’s fresh and bright with punches of lemon and horseradish ground fresh in the kitchen every day. The food is only part of the story at Sam’s. The people-watching in the bar is unsurpassed. Whether you’re discreetly using the giant mirror to observe bar patrons, or lingering to watch the comings and goings of people in the parking lot, you will be thoroughly entertained.
10205 Gravois Road, St. Louis, 314.849.3033, samssteakhouse.com Credit: photo by David KovalukSchlafly Tap Room
It’s hard to overstate Schlafly’s role in the development of craft beer in St. Louis. It’s not just that the brewery was making and selling its beers for a whole two decades before the craft scene really exploded. The brewery and its co-founder, Tom Schlafly, were also instrumental in reshaping alcohol laws in Missouri that set the stage for what St. Louis’ beer scene is today. Although Schlafly now has four locations in the region, their Locust Street tap room in Downtown West is the best place to enjoy Schlafly’s hospitality, which blends influences from British, German and – of course – American tradition. Beers like the Pale Ale, Hefeweizen and the seasonal Pumpkin Ale are undisputed modern St. Louis classics, while the fish and chips or soft, chewy Bavarian pretzel sticks with white cheddar sauce are eternally satisfying accessories to your pint.
2100 Locust St., St. Louis, 314.241.2337, schlafly.com Credit: photo courtesy of Schlafly BeerTed Drewes
A trip to Ted Drewes is a St. Louis tradition. Often credited as the creator of the concrete, Ted Drewes has been inverting bright yellow cups filled with thick, rich frozen custard before handing them over to our greedy little fingers for over 80 years. Their Dutchtown location claims to be the oldest frozen custard stand in the world still in operation, but the Chippewa location is equally iconic to generations of locals. Pick from their can’t-go-wrong menu of classics (available in either concrete or sundae form) like the Cardinal Sin with tart cherries and hot fudge or make your own ideal combination – we opt for coconut, chocolate chips and almonds.
Multiple locations, teddrewes.com Credit: photo courtesy of Google MapsUrban Chestnut Brewing Co.
Since opening in 2010, Urban Chestnut Brewing Co. has been combining innovative flavor with traditional, European-style beers. They’re among the pioneers that set the standard for the flood of new microbreweries in the 2010s, and their beers still serve to remind drinkers why St. Louis is the beer capital of this hemisphere. Co-founders Florian Kuplent and David Wolfe honed their craft during tenures at Anheuser-Busch, the former as a brewmaster, the latter as a marketing director. No one does German beers truer to style than Urban Chestnut. Schnickelfritz, their Bavarian Weissbier, is a beautiful pour with a big, eggshell-colored head and unfiltered golden body. Bold banana, bubble gum and clove notes come alive as you sip, with a hint of vanilla in the finish. Many American breweries attempt this style, but few do it this well.
Multiple locations, urbanchestnut.com Credit: photo courtesy of Google MapsCrown Candy Kitchen Credit: photo by David Kovaluk
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