St. Louis in Pictures

20 Tasty Cocktails and Drinks in St. Louis

St. Louis' bar and restaurant scene has always been known for its cocktails, wine, and spirits. The city's culture is comprised of…

By Riverfront Times Staff

May 14, 2021

Yellowbelly
(4659 Lindell Boulevard, 314-499-1509)
Photo credit: Riverfront Times / @riverfronttimes on Instagram

Gooseberries Is Dishing Out Culinary Genius at Fortune Teller Bar [PHOTOS]

The Gooseberries location in Dutchtown (2754 Chippewa Street, 314-577-6363) isn't the only place to find Kim Bond and Ross Lessor's legendary food…

By Riverfront Times Staff

Apr 29, 2021

A selection of items from Gooseberries: Kimbo pizza, kale and raisin salad, peanut tofu noodles, honey lemon pepper wings, gyro tacos, raspberry pecan cake and banana chocolate chip cookies.

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United We Brunch 2021: Drool-Worthy Food Photos From Participating Restaurants

RFT's United We Brunch returns for the 6th year! After a crazy 2020, we're excited to bring back events and an ultimate…

By Riverfront Times Staff

Apr 16, 2021

Beffas
(2700 Olive Street, 314-571-9367)
Photo credit: Beffas / @beffasstl on Instagram

23 slides

30 Delicious Foodie Photos from Locally-Owned St. Louis Restaurants

Are you a foodie at heart? Well, here is a compilation of great food photos from locally-owned restaurants that will have your…

By Riverfront Times Staff

Apr 4, 2021

Alpha Brewing Company
(4310 Fyler Avenue, 314-621-2337)
Photo credit: Whitney in the City / @whitneyinthecity on Instagram

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25 Best St. Louis Restaurants for Takeout and Delivery, According to Yelp

Looking for a new go-to takeout spot? Well, Yelpers have plenty of opinions, especially now that takeout and delivery has become a…

By Riverfront Times Staff

Jul 18, 2020

Bloom Café
(5200 Oakland Avenue, 314-652-5666)
Photo credit: Mabel Suen

St. Louis Fish Fry Feasts You Must Try in 2020

These are all of the best places in St. Louis to grab God's Cod (and green beans and hush puppies) this Lenten…

By Riverfront Times Staff

Feb 27, 2020

St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church
(8750 Magdalen Avenue, Brentwood; 314-961-0149)
Your prayers have been answered  one church here in St. Louis that offers its delicious fish-fry eats in drive-through form. The "God's Cod" drive-through at St. Mary Magdalen Catholic School makes it easy to get your Lent on, even if you're in a hurry. There's a fish fry every Friday until Easter from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. The full menu is available to dine in or carry out, and the drive-through has an abbreviated menu. Pick up a single meal, a family meal or even a whole cheese pizza for the kids on your way home from work.Nancy Stiles
Find out more here.
Photo credit: Flickr / 5chw4r7z

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St. Louis Classics: The Oldest Restaurants in St. Louis

The folks at St. Louis Magazine recently compiled an awesome list of the oldest restaurants in St. Louis. Reading through it made…

By Riverfront Times Staff

Dec 21, 2019

Gioias Deli
(1934 Macklind Avenue, 314-776-9410)
YEAR OPENED: 1918

Grandparent-approved Gioia's has been the hotspot to get hot salami since the end of World War I.
Photo credit: Jaime Lees

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The 22 Best New Restaurants in St. Louis in 2019

New restaurants open in St. Louis all of the time (we're lucky like that) so it's hard to know which of the…

By Riverfront Times Staff

Dec 13, 2019

The Midwestern Meat & Drink
(900 Spruce Street, 314-696-2573)
Chef Ben Welch first gained national attention at his own counter-service barbecue joint, Big Baby Q. Now Welch is supervising a kitchen staff of twenty at the Midwestern, with Tello Carreon (who himself earned national plaudits for his work at Nixta) serving as butcher and Mary Bogacki of Yolklore doing the baking.
Find out more here.
Photo credit: Sarah Fenske

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We'll Miss These St. Louis Restaurants That Closed in 2019

While many restaurants in the St. Louis area boomed this year, others had to shut their doors. Here are some of our…

By Riverfront Times Staff

Dec 6, 2019

Goody Goody Diner
5900 Natural Bridge Road, Wells Goodfellow
Photo credit: Paul Sableman / Flickr

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The Top 25 St. Louis Restaurants of 2019, According to Yelp

Sometimes reviewers on Yelp actually get things right. When looking over the top 25 best restaurants in St. Louis list we think…

By Riverfront Times Staff

Nov 15, 2019

Sugarfire Smokehouse
(9200 Olive Boulevard, 314-997-2301)
"We LOVED Sugarfire came in from Cincinnati and had a blast in St. Louis and had a great meal here. Brisket, ribs, smoked turkey, jalapeño smoked sausage, Cole slaw, fries and Cornbread was BANGIN !!!!! We will be back great customer service. But you better know what you want to eat when you get up to order your food lol! You can really taste the hickory in the food it's smoked to perfection!!!!!" - Olivia L. via Yelp
Photo credit: Mabel Suen

Where to Find the Best Food and Drinks at Enterprise Center

After their remarkable season that resulted in the franchise's first Stanley Cup win, the St. Louis Blues are back for the 2019-2020…

By Riverfront Times Staff

Oct 5, 2019

Sugarfire Smoke House

At the Sugarfire Smokehouse concession stand inside Enterprise Center, the local barbecue joint serves 'cue and sandwiches including the new Big Muddy, with smoked brisket, jalapeño-cheddar sausage, lettuce, pickles, St. Louis sweet sauce and Alabama white sauce.

Photo by Mabel Suen.

Best of St. Louis Food and Drink in 2019

These are the places to go, food to eat and bars to drink in for 2019, curated for you by the Riverfront…

By Riverfront Times Staff

Oct 2, 2019

Best Seafood
Bait
4239 Lindell Boulevard, 314-405-2797
As soon as a server walks out of the kitchen with Baits seafood boil, all eyes in the dining room turn to this stunning seafood feast. A giganti, bubbling cauldron of the seas bounty, this masterpiece is to Cajun seafood boils what the A5 Wagyu is to beef: pure and utter perfection . Chock-full of thick crab legs, plump jumbo shrimp, andouille sausage and potatoes so butter-soaked they may as well be a sponge, the marvelous dish dazzles at every turn  especially the caramelized bits of seasoning, browned butter and garlic that, when scraped off, serve as a mouthwatering tapenade youd want to butter bread with. And this is only one of Baits impressive seafood dishes. At every turn, the Central West End restaurant impresses with dishes like a whole red snapper, fish and chips that could rival whats served in the best English pub and flaming prawns served in a fiery bowl. Like all of Baits dishes, its a feast for the eyes, though its your palate thats in for the real show.
Photo credit: Mabel Suen

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50 St. Louis Area Bars We Love

In our past bar guides, we’ve offered various guides to various bar genres: best craft breweries (2015), best dive bars (2016), best…

By Riverfront Times Staff

Aug 14, 2019

Brennans
Cheeky, cosmopolitan Brennans (4659 Maryland Avenue, 314-497-4449) has something for everyone. There are cigars in the private club upstairs, ping pong in the basement below, and whiskey and wine throughout. There is sidewalk seating and bar stool seating and intimate little tables with still more seating. There is food, which includes not only a burger, but Limoncello Gooey Buttercake. And now, thanks to the BHIVE, which opened in 2015, Brennans even has a coworking space. You might stop by in the morning and never actually leave, which, whether or not you actually set up your office here, is very much a Brennans thing. How many times have you met a friend for a drink on the sidewalk only to end up staying for a flatbread or two, then moving upstairs for more drinks and then downstairs for a game or two and then finally ending things at 1 a.m.? Far more than its prudent to admit, but thats the charm of this Central West End mainstay. Kevin Brennan was 33 when he first opened the place and had no inkling it would become the juggernaut it has. I didnt really want to open a bar, he says. It just happened over time. As he tells it, it was originally a store that also had a bar, and all the various levels and extra rooms have simply flowed from there as demand kept increasing and he and his staff kept tinkering. Sixteen years later, not only does the tinkering continue, but Brennans remains the bar of choice for many of the citys most discriminating drinkers. -Sarah Fenske
Photo credit: RJ Hartbeck

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25 Wild St. Louis Restaurants Everyone Should Visit at Least Once

From restaurants that serve penis on a plate to restaurants that will (literally) spank you, these are the best places in the…

By Riverfront Times Staff

Jul 12, 2019

The 25 Best Restaurants in St. Louis Right Now, According to Yelp

Tired of us telling you where to eat? Here are some other people's opinions. Whether a hole-in-the-wall joint or a sophisticated dining…

By Riverfront Times Staff

May 31, 2019

Blues City Deli
(2438 McNair Avenue, 314-773-8225)
"This is such an awesome sandwich place! For a place to have hundreds and hundreds of reviews and maintain 5 stars, this was a must try for my boyfriend and I when visiting St Louis. We went at a weird time in the afternoon, around 2pm, however it still had a line! Not huge, but it's still there. Even our driver was jealous we were going to eat there for lunch." - Mimi H. via Yelp
Photo credit: RFT file photo

24 Bars to Watch the Blues Win the Stanley Cup

The time has finally come for St. Louis to take what is ours. These are the best places in town to go…

By Riverfront Times Staff

May 26, 2019

Bluenote Sports Bar & Grille
(3133 N. Lindbergh Boulevard, Maryland Heights; 314-298-2583)
This hockey-themed bar in Maryland Heights is one of the best places in town to enjoy all things Blues. The moment you walk in, you are greeted by life-sized wall decals of Blues players, and the theme carries throughout the bar. If you want to feel like you're drinking in the middle of an all-Blues heaven, this is the spot.
Photo credit: Cheryl Baehr

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10 Fun Rooftop Patios For Summer Drinking in St. Louis

It's the perfect time to hit a rooftop patio. Being outside is great, but being outside up on a roof is fantastic.…

By Riverfront Times Staff

May 17, 2019

Frisco Barroom
(8110 Big Bend Boulevard; 314-455-1090)
Webster had been lacking in rooftop patios until Frisco Barroom came along and gave its citizens everything they desired.
Photo credit: Lexie Miller

The Best Neighborhood Bars in St. Louis

Every city has its bars, but few cities have perfected the good old-fashioned neighborhood version quite so well as St. Louis. These…

By Riverfront Times Staff

May 4, 2019

The Geyer Inn
If you picked up a south-city dive bar and dumped it in Kirkwood, you'd have the Geyer Inn (220 South Geyer Road, Kirkwood; 314-814-9402). This old stone bar looks more like Grandma's cottage than a dive bar. Inside, the cozy interior sports a loose hockey theme, with a mish-mash of Blues memorabilia, a hockey foosball game and a jukebox. Originally built as a gas station in 1904, the property was converted to a tavern in the 1930s and updated again in 2010. It offers a full bar, a handful of taps and a minimal beer selection dominated by AB products. If you show up at this watering hole with more than three friends, you'll feel as if you rented out the whole place. The crowd is all local and mainly in their 50s or older; eavesdroppers should expect to overhear plenty about their glory days at Kirkwood High.
Photo credit: Tom Hellauer

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The 18 Best St. Louis Restaurants When You're Broke AF

Great food doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. These 18 St. Louis restaurants are the best in town when…

By Riverfront Times Staff

Apr 26, 2019

Gioia's Deli
1934 Macklind Avenue, 314-776-9410
More than a century ago, an Italian immigrant named Charlie Gioia landed in St. Louis' Hill neighborhood with little to his name but an old family recipe for salam di testa. With that as his secret weapon, he opened Gioia's Deli as a grocery store, but garnered so much attention for what came to be known as "hot salami" that it would become his defining legacy, turning his humble store into one of the country's best sandwich shops. These days, members of the Donley family are the steward of his secret recipe, cranking out massive batches of the hot salami in the same room and with the exact same process that Mr. Gioia used all those years ago.
Photo credit: Mabel Suen

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11 St. Louis Bars Where You Can Drink at 6 a.m.

Sometimes you have to get the party started early. Really early. And in St. Louis, you can start drinking before the sun…

By Riverfront Times Staff

Apr 16, 2019

The Tavern at Clifton Heights
(2817 Watson Road; 314-645-4033)
Opens at 6 a.m. every day
Sophies Place may be no more, but the Tavern at Clifton Heights (2817 Watson Road, 314-645-4033), which opened in its longtime home, hasnt altered much since the place changed hands: same bartenders and same pool tables, free on Sundays and Mondays. They've retained Sophie's fan base, too -- a line of regulars is often waiting for the doors to open in the mornings.
Photo credit: Daniel Hill

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15 St. Louis Restaurants Our Critic Is Raving About This Spring

Spring has sprung and, man, we are excited about it. It’s time to stretch out, soak up the sun and chow down…

By Riverfront Times Staff

Apr 12, 2019

Sultan Mediterranean Restauran
(84200 Manchester Avenue, 314-390-2020)
Your first clue that Sultan is something special comes courtesy of its dolmas. It's not that their presence is novel; you can find rice-stuffed grape leaves at just about any Mediterranean restaurant. Usually, though, they are basic and often even from a can, plopped next to some shawarma as an afterthought. To liken Sultan's dolmas to such a mass-produced product, however, would be like comparing A5 Wagyu beef to a sirloin from Ponderosa. Here, the grape leaves serve as a delicate wrapper for flawlessly cooked rice, fresh herbs and lentils that are bound together with just a touch of spice-perfumed tomato sauce. The heaping platter also includes halved red and white onions, eggplant and zucchini, all stuffed with the same delectable filling.
Photo credit: Mabel Suen

30 slides

The Angad's New Rooftop Bar Is Open and Ready to Be Your Summer Hangout

Last night, the rooftop bar at the Angad Arts Hotel -- A.R.T. Angad Rainbow Terrace (634 N. Grand Boulevard) -- officially opened…

By Riverfront Times Staff

Apr 12, 2019

The Angad's New Rooftop Bar Is Open and Ready to Be Your Summer Hangout

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25 St. Louis Restaurants That Are Totally Worth the Wait

The restaurant may be packed, the lines might be long and reservations may require a three-week notice -- on a Monday. Still,…

By Riverfront Times Staff

Mar 29, 2019

Mission Taco
(multiple locations including 6235 Delmar Boulevard, 314-932-5430)
The original location of what's grown into a taco empire is always hopping, with crowds of Wash U students, neighborhood denizens and tourists bellying up to the bar and taking tables as fast as they open even during off hours. Good news if you're dying for a margarita fix: They stay open late, and a late-night happy hour means it's even cheaper when the boring people are in bed. Maybe try your luck at midnight?
Find out more here.
Photo credit: Jennifer Silverberg

The RFT's 3rd Annual Mac & Cheese Throwdown Was a Cheesy Good Time

The RFT's third annual Mac & Cheese Throwdown drew restaurants from across the metro area to Union Station on Saturday, with heavyweights…

By Riverfront Times Staff

Mar 25, 2019

The RFT's 3rd Annual Mac & Cheese Throwdown Was a Cheesy Good Time

111 slides

The 10 Best 3 a.m. Bars in St. Louis

If there's one thing that can be said about St. Louis — the real St. Louis — it's that we're a thirsty…

By Riverfront Times Staff

Mar 15, 2019

Atomic Cowboy
(4140 Manchester Avenue, 314-775-0775)
Atomic Cowboy is more of an entertainment complex than simply a bar. The Grove mainstay has expanded and grown continuously since it opened fourteen years ago, with a dining area, a dance floor, a companion venue (the neighboring Bootleg) and a sprawling patio with its own bar and stage as well. Atomic is known for its regular live music and events, its kitchen churning out some of the tastiest burgers in town and a drink program sure to please your taste buds, regardless of the late hour.
Photo credit: Ryan Gines

The 15 Best St. Louis Fish Fry Feasts

Today is Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of fish fry season, and in St. Louis we take this very seriously. We…

By Riverfront Times Staff

Mar 6, 2019

The Best Fish Fry Fiesta
Parroquia Santa Cecilia
(906 Eichelberger Street; 314-351-1318)
Parroquia Santa Cecilia, a.k.a. St. Cecilia, is the unofficial church for Mexican-American Catholics in St. Louis. Families come together for its Lenten events and bring to the table an entire new universe of fish-fry fare, with the emphasis on fare, as opposed to fish. St. Cecilia fish fries are perhaps best known for their chiles rellenos  big-ass mildly spicy poblano peppers jammed full of cheese, then dipped in batter and fried till the exterior browns and the cheesy depth-charge inside achieves molten status. Praise the Lord and pass the cervezas; these calorie bombs are addictive to the very last gooey bite. Read more about it here. Rease Kirchner
Find out more here.
Photo credit: Kelly Glueck

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Kid-Friendly St. Louis Spots Where Parents Can Get a Damn Drink

Parenting is hard. Some days you just have to push though until you get through to the next day. And sometimes you…

By Riverfront Times Staff

Feb 22, 2019

Civil Life Brewing Co.
(3714 Holt Avenue; no phone)
Small breweries are havens for parents of young children who are still trying to have a social life. Gather together with all of your other friends with young children and let hem run around the patio of Civil Life while you sip suds. Playdate and beer? Everybody gets what they want!
Photo credit: Robert Rohe

These gentlemen were more than happy to share their collected knowledge on beers and brewing.

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United We Brunch 2019 Brought Big Crowds to the Chase Park Plaza

Bottomless mimosas, bellinis, bloody marys and spiked coffees, along with food from more than 40 terrific St. Louis restaurants -- you may…

By Riverfront Times Staff

Jan 28, 2019

87 slides

The 33 Best Brunches in St. Louis

These 32 St. Louis restaurants excel at our favorite late-morning meal. Let's face it: Much as we regularly stake our reputation on…

By Riverfront Times Staff

Jan 23, 2019

Best Sustainable Brunch: Indie Eatery
There aren't a ton of family-owned restaurants serving fresh, local and sustainable food in St. Peters. This was a problem that Shannon Thompson sought to solve when she debuted Indie Eatery (7827 Mexico Road, St. Peters; 636-387-1000) in fall 2018. Her journey to opening her own restaurant and catering business is an unlikely one: For twelve years, Thompson served in the U.S. Air Force, which afforded her the chance to travel around the world (meanwhile, her husband, A.J., spent six years in the Missouri Air National Guard). After retiring from the military, the couple launched a catering company, Indie4, as an outlet for sharing the food they'd enjoyed around the globe. Two years later, the Thompsons opened the cafe, which serves organic and sustainable comfort food. With Indie Eatery's menu, Thompson is trying to put her own fresh and healthy spin on hearty classics; for instance, the cafe's take on waffles for brunch offers organic brown butter waffles with espresso brownie pieces, sea salt caramel, all-natural vanilla bean ice cream and vanilla bean whipped cream.Liz Miller
Photo: courtesy Indie Eatery

32 slides

The Cheesiest Foods in St. Louis

Cheese is the best thing in the world. If you’re hungry and only something cheesy will hit the spot, these are some…

By Riverfront Times Staff

Jan 20, 2019

DEEP-DISH PIZZA
The Black Thorn Pub
3735 Wyoming Street; 314-776-0534
The amount of cheese on the deep-dish pizza at Black Thorn Pub borders on outrageous, but we bet they've never had a complaint. The thick cheese, savory sauce and golden crust here is a thing of beauty.
Photo courtesy of Jenna Murphy

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