SOUTH OF MERAMEC
Chicken Seven
At Chicken Seven (6312 South Grand Boulevard, 314-354-6349), Korean fried chicken has been elevated to high art. The golden batter that encases the plump, searing-hot drumstick is as crunchy as a kettle-cooked potato chip, yet also, somehow, impossibly light, wrapping the juicy bird in a layer of savory flavor so crisp you can hear someone bite into it halfway across the dining room. Still not persuaded to give it a try? Well, Chicken Seven also serves a Yum Yum sauce, a brown-sugary nectar, laden with soy, garlic and medium-hot red chiles. A perfect glaze (though not their only one) for the fried chicken. Proprietors Sean Lee and Erica Park opened the restaurant to bring St. Louis Korean street food and beer, but have struggled to get their liquor license. This is definitely a place St. Louis wants to keep around, so we encourage you to show your support even before they can serve you booze. $-$$. Open Thursday to Saturday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 4 to 9 p.m., Sunday 1 to 8 p.m. and Monday 4 to 9 p.m.
The Drawing Board
With a pool table and stable of craft beers, at first glance, the Drawing Board (4123 Chippewa Street, 314-899-9343) may seem like your average bar in Tower Grove South. But if you look a little closer there's something unique. Maybe it's the chalkboards that line the restaurant or the mural of the St. Louis skyline that covers a wall. Or maybe it's the menu, with jambalaya balls, falafel sliders, smash burger, grilled PB&J, and Gooey Babies — their version of the St. Louis staple gooey butter cake. Or maybe it's the activities — the darts, the Bimini ring toss, the live music, the trivia and the karaoke. Really, there's something for everyone at the Drawing Board. $. Open 4 p.m. to midnight Tuesday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to midnight Saturday and Sunday.
Gooseberries
Have you ever heard of a pizza with a giant egg foo young patty, mayo, lettuce, onions and pickles? Or a fried tofu pizza with pickles? Or a fried bologna sandwich or a bacon-jelly cream cheese sandwich? Well, they're all menu items at Gooseberries (2754 Chippewa Street, 314-577-6363), a beloved south-city restaurant and gathering place. Owner Kim Bond calls the menu "weird." You could also call it creative, original and a vegan haven. The selection is comprehensive and eclectic. You'll find dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner that include omelets, carrot cake pancakes, hand-pies and pizzas. Not only are Bond and her partner, Ross Lessor, beloved for their delicious food; they have been a source of support for their south-city neighbors throughout the pandemic, showing their regulars what community means. $-$$. Open Thursday through Saturday from 4 to 10 p.m.
Majeed Mediterranean Restaurant
Opened in January 2018 by Syrian refugees, Majeed (4658 Gravois Avenue, 314-282-0981) offers not only some terrific bargains but some of the best Middle Eastern food in town. Beef kefta, so often a dried-out, lackluster kabob choice, is here as juicy as a composite of slow-cooked pot roast. The meat pulls apart at only the slightest prodding; each bite is verdant with fresh parsley and garlic. Served over a platter, it is wonderful; wrapped in pita and covered in garlic sauce, it is sublime. The hummus is sumptuous and velvety; the chicken shawarma is transcendent. No alcohol. $. Opens daily at 11 a.m.
Mariscos El Gato
Chef Pedro "el Gato" Diaz earned a big following on Cherokee Street for his Nayarit-style seafood dishes, only to decamp for a new location in the heart of Bevo Mill after a dispute with a business partner. Look for the massive seafood platters, filled with whole fish, crab, scallops, lobster and octopus, that made folks fall in love with his cooking in the first place. Stuffed whole fish, ceviche and a variety of seafood cocktails also feature in the new menu, only now they're being served in a classic St. Louis storefront with lots of dark wood and exposed brick. No wonder Mariscos El Gato (4561 Gravois Avenue, 314-282-0772) has become one of the hottest tables in town. $$-$$$. Open for lunch and dinner every day but Tuesday, beginning at noon.
Stacked Burger Bar
The inventive burger creations at this friendly Patch bar and grill are pretty fantastic. However, the "Think You Could Do It Better?" build-your-own menu is what sets Stacked Burger Bar (7637 Ivory Street, 314-544-4900) apart from the rest. Seventy-two options inspire one-of-a-kind creations sure to satisfy anyone's craving. Patty options include ground chuck, chicken breast, black bean, local grass-fed beef, Sriracha burger and turkey. A lengthy toppings list includes bourbon-bacon maple jam, fried pickles, guacamole, sauerkraut, sautéed mushrooms, barbecued brisket and a fried egg. Could you do better? Maybe not, but you'll sure have fun trying. $. Open for lunch and dinner on Mondays as well as Wednesday through Saturday (closed Tuesday), with Sunday hours from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Stellar Hog
Chef and pitmaster Alex Cupp is dishing up some quintessential St. Louis barbecue at Stellar Hog (5623 Leona Street, 314-481-8448, and other locations), which is where dive bar Super's used to be. The pulled pork is infused with fruitwood smoke that underscores its sweetness, and you can add a smoky, mustard-forward Carolina-influenced sauce with a tang that cuts through the pork flavor. The ribs are fork-tender and slide off the bone with almost no prodding, dressed up in a rub that is simple and slightly sweet with a touch of warm spice. You really can't go wrong with anything on the menu, but if you had to choose just one thing, it comes down to Cupp's brisket or, when they're available, beef ribs, which are the best the town has to offer. If we had friends come in from out of town who wanted St. Louis 'cue done right, we'd take them here and order one of everything. $-$$. Open Wednesday through Sunday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Tacos La Jefa
Nearly two decades ago, Heriberta Amezcua started selling birria meals out of her house. She set up shop at Mexican festivals in town and held cookouts in her backyard. Amezcua was one of a few people in St. Louis who made birrias, the Mexican meal that takes crispy corn tortillas and envelopes them around meat that has been cooked for hours. Then in 2020, Amezcua opened her first brick-and-mortar restaurant, Tacos La Jefa (3301 Meramec Street, 314-845-4248). Sadly, Amezcua passed away only a few months into her business, but her family keeps her legacy alive, offering just two meals: the matriarch's signature birria and quesobirria — a birria with melted cheese inside. It's also a pop-up shop, meaning it's open only on Saturdays and Sunday (check hours because they are known to fluctuate). But when open, it's not uncommon for the restaurant to sell out before the day is over. Just don't forget to dip the birrias into consommé, the broth — not sauce, you'll be reminded — that tops off the meal. $$. Open Saturday and Sunday for lunch.
Tiny Chef
Pre-COVID-19, word was just starting to get out about Tiny Chef (4701 Morgan Ford Road, 314-832-9223), an unlikely bastion of Korean cuisine inside Bevo Mill neighborhood pinball bar the Silver Ballroom. From a small takeout counter in the back of the space, owner Melanie Meyer was finally realizing her dream of connecting with her Korean heritage through food with delicious results, gradually building a group of loyalists who were eager to taste what she was cooking that day. When the pandemic hit and the bar shuttered, Meyer was crestfallen, worried that she was on the verge of losing all that she'd worked for. However, she rallied, creating a robust takeout business through a small, street-facing window, and pushed through to where her operation within the bar is open and thriving once more. She's gotten creative with her offerings, serving everything from her amazing tteokbokki special to a Korean-style seafood boil that has people begging for it to be a regular occurrence — one she's inclined to keep going, like everything she does, as long as the people keep coming. $-$$. Open Fridays from 6 to 10 p.m., Saturdays from 5 to 10 p.m., Sundays from 5 to 9 p.m.
