For decades, the stretch of Manchester Avenue now known as the Grove was the kind of corridor people mostly passed through. Today, it’s one of the city’s most recognizable dining and nightlife districts, humming from breakfast through late night, constantly reshaping itself while still holding tight to the community that built it.
“The Grove is an all-day destination,” said Josh Smith, owner of super-fresh salad spot Neon Greens and its pop-up breakfast concept Biscuit Town. “It keeps reinventing itself.”
That constant reinvention has become part of the Grove’s identity. In recent years, a new wave of restaurants, pop-ups and hybrid concepts has reshaped the neighborhood into something far broader than a nightlife district. Newcomers like Oni by Blue Ocean, along with Good Hospitality Group‘s Chico Bueno and Malo, have added momentum, while forthcoming projects like Good Hospitality’s Baia continue widening the area’s culinary reach. Smith sees concepts like Fordo’s Killer Pizza inside Urban Chestnut Brewing Co., Street Food by Brasas inside Rockwell Beer Co., Good Company’s neighboring cocktail bar Aperi and Biscuit Town as part of a growing pattern across the neighborhood: businesses expanding through spin-offs, side concepts and collaborations built into existing spaces.
“There’s a story in second acts here,” Smith said. “Places aren’t just opening and staying static. They’re adding new ideas, new formats and new experiences. The Grove itself feels like it’s constantly becoming something larger than it was before.”
The Grove’s evolution has also been shaped by restaurants that bring broader cultural representation to the neighborhood’s dining scene. Longtime spots like Sameem Afghan Restaurant & Catering, Everest Cafe and Sultan Mediterranean Restaurant continue to add richness and perspective to the corridor, helping ensure the neighborhood’s growth reflects a wide range of communities, traditions and flavors.
That evolution has also changed what dining in the neighborhood looks like. Smith said fine dining is becoming less rigid, with guests gravitating toward experiences that feel indulgent without being inaccessible. He points to places like Grace Meat + Three and newer concepts from Goodman’s team as examples of restaurants balancing quality with approachability.
For Rick Lewis, chef-owner of Grace Meat + Three, the Grove’s appeal has always been rooted in people as much as food. “We chose the Grove for its diversity in culture and its proximity to large businesses,” Lewis said. “We wanted our flagship location to be ingrained in the city of St. Louis because it’s been our home our entire lives.”
Since opening, Lewis said the restaurant has focused as much on community as cuisine. “We’ve built a business on serving delicious food and caring for people well,” he said. “It’s a blessing to be able to live out our dream of serving the community through delicious food and fellowship.”
While the Grove’s restaurant scene has exploded in recent years, its foundation was built decades earlier by the LGBTQIA+ community. Long before the district became a dining destination, queer-owned bars and clubs established the area as a place where people could safely gather and openly be themselves.
“In the ’80s, Manchester Avenue was mostly desolate and unwelcoming, especially at night,” said Guy Slay, of property management firm Mangrove. “So it became a perfect destination for closeted LGBTQ+ community members who did not want to be recognized.”
Businesses like Attitudes, Grandma’s Rainbow’s End and Novak’s helped create that refuge during a time when many LGBTQIA+ people still risked losing jobs, families or community support simply for being openly queer. Novak’s, which opened in 1996, became the city’s first lesbian bar, while Attitudes served as a longtime cornerstone of the neighborhood’s nightlife scene until its closure in 2020.
Though society has shifted dramatically since then, Slay said the spirit of welcome established by those early businesses still defines the Grove today. Murals, banners and openly affirming businesses throughout the district continue signaling that inclusivity remains central to the neighborhood’s identity.
That identity has only broadened with time. Smith notes the Grove has expanded far beyond its late-night reputation over the past decade, with growth in lunch, breakfast and happy hour options helping transform it into a full-day neighborhood. Spots like Biscuit Town, Grace Meat + Three and Seoul Taco have helped anchor daytime dining, while concepts like Fiddlehead Fern Café moving into the former Songbird space signal that evolution is still ongoing.
Today, the Grove’s identity feels less singular than ever before, and that may be exactly what keeps it thriving. It’s a neighborhood where queer nightlife history, neighborhood staples, breweries, cocktail bars, fast-casual concepts and ambitious new restaurants all exist within a few blocks of one another, each adding another layer to the district’s story.
“Blending different genres and different types of food expands our identity as a food destination,” Smith said. “It grows the idea of the Grove as one of the most recognizable districts in town.”
This article appears in June 2026.
