A Food Lover’s Guide to the Hill, St. Louis' Premier Italian Destination

When it comes to specialty food shops and restaurants that have stood the test of time, no St. Louis neighborhood does it…

By Riverfront Times Staff

Joe Fassi Sausage & Sandwich Factory
Details: 2323 Sublette Avenue, open Monday through Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.History: This vintage sandwich shop is the latest iteration of a business operated by the same family in the same location for 98 years and counting.Menu: Hot sandwiches are a specialty, with customer favorites including sandwiches utilizing the housemade salsiccia, meatballs and Italian sausage. However, Fassi’s offers combinations of layered meat and veg to suit all tastes, with condiments including the house special dressing. Pair your sandwich with soup, salad or the pasta of the day.Vibe: Hole-in-the-wall neighborhood sandwich shop that transports you to an earlier era of the Hill: green-and-white tiles, red neon and the “Wall of Fame” featuring old newspaper cuttings highlighting the accomplishments of local heroes like Yogi Berra.
41 slides

Mouthwatering Street Food Is the Star at Locoz Tacoz in Maplewood

People are going wild for this food-truck-turned restaurant, and it's easy to see why. Located in the heart of Maplewood, Locoz Tacoz…

By Jaime Lees

Mabel Suen
18 slides

Fleur STL — in the Former Eat-Rite Location — Still Serves a Slinger (It's Just Fancy Now)

Located in the same building that once hosted the iconic Eat-Rite Diner, Fleur STL takes classic diner food and elevates it in…

By Jaime Lees

Mabel Suen
19 slides

Grand Sammies Is Serving the Sandwiches of Your Dreams

For classic sandwiches made with high-quality ingredients, head to Grand Sammies & Sides (3194 South Grand Boulevard, 314-769-9933) where Chef Pat Skiersch…

By Jaime Lees

MABEL SUEN
16 slides

New St. Louis Restaurants Destined To Become Classics

We love our old favorites, but sometimes you want to try something new. If you need a recommendation for a fresh place…

By Cheryl Baehr

MABEL SUEN
20 slides

Find Fantastic Honduran Cuisine at Sueño Latino on Cherokee Street [PHOTOS]

If you live by the carnivore diet, you must visit Sueño Latino (two locations including 2818 Cherokee Street, 314-899-0777) and try out…

By Jaime Lees

Mabel Suen
15 slides

St. Louis Area Barbecue Joints to Try Before You Die

St. Louis has become a barbecue destination in recent years with many fantastic BBQ restaurants popping up all around the area. Whether…

By Jaime Lees

Mabel Suen
20 slides

Katsuya Builds Designer Bento Boxes Stuffed with Sushi and More [PHOTOS]

For beautiful bento boxes and thoughtfully prepared katsu, hit up Katsuya (6301 Delmar Boulevard, University City; 314-296-3368) in the Delmar Loop. And…

By Jaime Lees

Mabel Suen
16 slides

New St. Louis Restaurants You Should Visit Now

So many fantastic restaurants have opened in St. Louis lately that it's hard to keep up with all of the great new…

By Jaime Lees

Jessica Rogen
23 slides

Bagel Union in Webster Groves Is Worth the Hype [PHOTOS]

Perfectly firm outside. Just the right amount of chewy inside. And topped with flavorful, gourmet toppings and spreads? Yep, Bagel Union has…

By Jaime Lees

Mabel Suen
14 slides

Kitchen 95 Serves Unique Versions of Taiwanese Favorites [PHOTOS]

For crispy tofu with Taiwanese kimchi, pork and shrimp dumplings, Taiwanaese sausages, sesame oil chicken soup and fantastic American-style Chinese dishes, head…

By Jaime Lees

Mabel Suen
14 slides

Black-Owned Restaurants You Can Support in St. Louis

We have four words for you: Support Black-owned businesses. St. Louis' Black-owned bars, restaurants and other businesses are central to our economy…

By Riverfront Times Staff

Alibi Cookies
     (1136 Tamm Avenue, 314-376-4095)
    Find out more here.
    Visit their website:alibicookies.com
    Photo credit: Mabel Suen
55 slides

Heated St. Louis Area Patios That Will Keep You Warm When It's Cold [PHOTOS]

The fall and winter — not to mention early spring in St. Louis — can be a real bummer when you want…

By Riverfront Times Staff

The Royale
    (3132 S Kingshighway Boulevard, 314-772-3600)
    The Royale's fire pits will keep you warm for the rest of fall.
20 slides

If Your Personality Was a St. Louis Food, Here's What You Would Be

We couldn't help but notice that some people in St. Louis are fake like Provel. But other people are a sexy little…

By Riverfront Times

If Your Personality Was a St. Louis Food...
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RFT's Best of Food & Drink in St. Louis 2022 [PHOTOS]

Mask mandates may be a thing of the past, dining rooms are at full capacity and diners have come back out in…

By Riverfront Times

Best Burger
Jack Nolen's
Jack Nolen’s (2501 South Ninth Street) owner Jim Grindstaff doesn’t have a phone in his Soulard establishment. What he does have is the city’s most quintessential smashburger, a stunning specimen created after he traveled the country on a quest to discover what makes for a delicious burger patty. He paid attention to the key details — the ideal blend of beef, the perfect melty cheese, the right type of bun — and the culmination of that effort is Jack Nolen’s double cheeseburger, a magical smashburger that is a perfection of the form. The key is the beef mix, a blend of brisket, chuck and short rib that is so well marbled it remains buttery and tender throughout when smashed on the flattop, save for the crispy edges that are like a beefy lace. Gooey American cheese seeps into every crevice, and a simple garnish of lettuce, tomato, onion and dill pickle slices crown the beauty before it’s tucked into a soft potato bun. That you can enjoy such a classic while bellied up to the bar at such a quintessential watering hole only adds to the mystique. It’s a good thing he doesn’t have a phone; it would be ringing off the hook. —Cheryl Baehr
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Find Some of the Best Mediterranean Food in St. Louis at Salve Osteria [PHOTOS]

Natasha Bahrami serves up a worthy successor to Cafe Natasha's at Salve Osteria on South Grand Boulevard. Read Cheryl Baehr's review: "Salve…

By Riverfront Times

Orecchiette with lamb sausage and broccolini.
20 slides

The Eat DuckBill Food Counter Inside Platypus Serves Perfect Snack Food [PHOTOS]

From popcorn chicken to roasted cauliflower to hand-cut fries and crispy tofu, Eat DuckBill has it all. And the drinks at Platypus…

By Riverfront Times

DuckBill's signature dish is Chooch's popcorn chicken.
28 slides

RFT Restaurant Guide: Old Gems and New Spots in University City [PHOTOS]

We're kicking off our Restaurant Guide. Here's a look at one of the areas we're covering. Stay tuned for the rest. If…

By Riverfront Times Staff

Frank & Helen's Pizzeria
You’ll find the same cheesy-baked pastas, the same char-grilled ribeyes with sides of fettuccine and, of course, the same broasted chicken — a special way of pressure-frying the bird that results in impossibly succulent meat and a crispy, non-greasy coating. But if there is one thing you must order at Frank & Helen’s, it’s the pizza, one of the best St. Louis-style thin-crust pies in town. Beer and wine only. $-$$. Open Tuesday through Sunday for dinner.
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RFT Restaurant Guide: Old Gems and New Spots on The Hill [PHOTOS]

We're kicking off our Restaurant Guide. Here's a look at one of the areas we're covering. Stay tuned for the rest. The…

By Riverfront Times Staff

Gioia’s
An institution since 1918, Gioia’s Deli (1934 Macklind Avenue, 314-776-9410) began its life as a grocery store but is now a sandwich shop with three locations. The original is on the Hill, a friendly counter-service shop named an “America’s Classic” by no less than the James Beard Foundation.
15 slides

Jalea Brings Peruvian Flair to St. Charles’ Main Street [PHOTOS]

Jalea brings a spectacular cevicheria experience to Main Street in St. Charles. Read Cheryl Baehr's review: "Jalea Dazzles with Traditional Peruvian Cuisine…

By Riverfront Times

Arroz con mariscos (rice and seafood) with aji panca, garlic rice, shrimp, littleneck clams, pei mussels, peas, cilantro, rocoto and lime.
15 slides

Maize & Wheat Offers Some of the Best Colombian Food in St. Louis [PHOTOS]

Maize & Wheat has you covered on empanadas, arepas and more. Read Cheryl Baehr's review: "Maize & Wheat Brings Revelatory Colombian Cuisine…

By Riverfront Times

Arepas are available with a variety of fillings, such as a Colombian arepa with sausage, corn, yellow plantain and mozzarella.
16 slides

Head to Arber Cafe For Stunning Traditional Albanian Cuisine [PHOTOS]

This combination Italian-Albanian restaurant and coffee shop works magic in a small storefront off Gravois Avenue. Read Cheryl Baehr's review: "Arber Cafe…

By Riverfront Times

Olive salad with orange, lemon, onion, extra-virgin olive oil and oregano.
18 slides

St. Louis' Favorite Pizza Places [PHOTOS]

There's nothing more heavenly than a slice of pizza. Luckily, the St. Louis area is full of pizza — and 'za enthusiasts.…

By Riverfront Times Staff

Noto
(5105 Westwood Drive, St. Peters; 636-317-1143)
Noto offers “dishes to remember,” food critic Cheryl Baehr writes.
31 slides

St. Louis Summer Bucket List: Things to Do This Summer [PHOTOS]

Summer is here, finally, and it seems like we're in for semi-normal season with extraordinary circumstances. While COVID-19 looms in its ever-shadowy…

By Jenna Jones

 Cool off with a Ted Drewes custard.
33 slides

Foodies Love These St. Louis Restaurants [PHOTOS]

If you have a foodie friend visiting from out of town but aren't sure where to take them, these St. Louis restaurants…

By Riverfront Times

Indo
(1641D Tower Grove Avenue, Indo-STL.com)
Read Cheryl Baehr’s review: ”Nick Bognar’s Indo is More Than Restaurant — It’s a Revolution of the Form”
30 slides

The Kitchen Offers Homestyle Asian Food Served With Love [PHOTOS]

For outstanding versions of Chinese, Vietnamese and Thai standbys, leave your kitchen and go to The Kitchen. Read Cheryl Baehr's review: "St.…

By Riverfront Times

Bourbon chicken made up of marinated grilled chicken covered in a sweet bourbon sauce.
17 slides

Namaste Offers Tasty Twists on Nepali and Indian Dishes [PHOTOS]

The menu at Namaste draws on chef Arzun Chuhan's previous restaurant experience and his Nepalese heritage. You can order many classic Indian…

By Riverfront Times

Chicken biryani with basmati rice and spices.
12 slides

Pizza Champ Proves Every Night Should Be Pizza Night [PHOTOS]

Pizza Champ quickly becoming a go-to pick-up spot for weekly pizza nights and pizza parties. Read Cheryl Baehr's review: "Elmwood Owners Find…

By Riverfront Times

The "Triple Pepperoni" is Pizza Champ's signature pie.
19 slides

The Traditional Yucatán Cuisine at Sureste Mexican Is Dazzling [PHOTOS]

Chef Alex Henry offers a taste of his ancestral homeland at this new fast-casual spot. Read Cheryl Baehr's review: "Sureste Mexican is…

By Riverfront Times

A selection of dishes from Sureste: cochinita pibil, local beets marinated in citrus, pavo en escabeche, Mayan fried roll with local turkey and meatballs, mushroom tamale, ceviche and vaporcito tamale.
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New St. Louis Area Restaurants to Check Out This Summer [PHOTOS]

The weather is starting to heat up, and the restaurant opening are coming in hot. If you need plans on what to…

By Riverfront Times Staff

Pizza Champ
(2657 Lyle Avenue, pizzachampstl.com)
Read our food editor Cheryl Baehr's review here.
23 slides

St. Louis Suburban Restaurants to Check Out, According to Reddit [PHOTOS]

We've shown you some great spots in the 'burbs to check out, but it made us curious. What are we missing out…

By Jenna Jones

J's Pitaria
(91 Concord Plaza Shopping Center, 314-270-8005)
"I consider it the superior younger brother to Balkan Treat Box." — u/setfaceblastertostun
29 slides

Saucy Porka Offers a Thrilling Blend of Culinary Traditions [PHOTOS]

The Asian Caribbean–inspired restaurant seamlessly fuses seemingly disparate cuisines into something that seems less like a mix-up of the two and more…

By Jaime Lees

Mexi Pho with pork carnitas in a pho broth with Chinese noodles, topped with bean sprouts, fresh basil, cilantro, jalapeños and scallions.
14 slides