One of my favorite experiences of being a dentist is getting to know my patients.
Many of our new patients are also new to the neighborhood or the St. Louis area in general. Apparently, a lot of my conversations with new patients revolve around food—to the point where it became apparent I needed to put it all in a post about the best St. Louis restaurants (imho).
I’m not cool enough to belong to “foodie” culture, but…
…it is fun (and there are less dishes) when we get to go out and try the local fare. For that reason, I’ve compiled a list of our favorite spots. I should disclose that I am not getting any kind of compensation for mentioning any of these fine institutions nor am I affiliated in any way with any of them. Most of the time we try to stick to
GDA certified restaurants, but (unfortunately) that’s not always the case. If you think you’re going to have some leftovers, bring a container (
like this one) that you can re-use again and again when you go out! And so, without further delay:
Restaurants–for when you just want to get out.
- Hi-Pointe Drive-In: Shakes, Burgers, Fries—we had trouble getting our daughter to eat when she was a baby—then we took her here and I’ll put it this way: it was the first time she ate with both hands.
- Frida’s—Excellent U-city sit-down restaurant that happens to be vegan
- Seedz– Great fully vegan plant-based restaurant that always hits the spot!
- Taco Buddha–The kid loves saying this. (U-city for the win!)
- Union Loafers– couldn’t figure out where to put this on the list–bread loaves amazing, pizza a slam dunk.
- Edibles and Essentials–The chef/owner here has a food truck featured in this St. Louis Mag article. South Hampton is becoming quite the foodie destination.
- Kounter Kulture–very chill, very quality—they also have an amazing breakfast place, Songbird. When they made their breakfast sandwiches at the the Tower Grove Farmers’ Market we would happily wait in line for them!
- Union Loafers–we thoroughly enjoy their pizza and love bringing home their bread–we love botanical heights!
- Pastaria–despite this list, we really don’t eat out a lot; this Clayton family-friendly place is always on our list of options.
- Pizza Head– an all vegetarian (with vegan options!) soooo gooood.
- Peacemaker Lobster and Crab–So happy this Chicago native (eventually) found his way to St. Louis. Skip the big-name seafood place and find your way into a neat neighborhood. So worth it.
- Big Sky Café–Another Webster Groves favorite—Love what they do both in the kitchen and beyond. One of two places we can take the extended family and everyone is happy.
- BLK MKT Eats— So, in my mind, this place is the sushi burrito place. My wife rolls her eyes and tells me it’s poke. Whatever it is, it’s good.
- Sameem–Afghan cuisine in The Grove. When I tell you this is the best chicken I’ve ever had, please don’t tell my mom.
- Sheesh–South Grand Turkish cuisine—The other place we can take the extended family without having to worry about “problems.”
- Katie’s Pizza and Pasta–Solid; she’s won awards. Probably all of them. Definitely the pizza ones. (But their pasta is delicious too—pretty much, it’s all in the name).
- Sushi Station–Get your sushi fix here—so good. My favorite sushi spot in St. Louis (that happens to be in Webster Groves!)
- The Wolf Cafe—It’s hard to figure out where to put this spot: good food, good pastry, good coffee.
- Pie Guy– Patient recommended, dentist approved!
Brunch
- Turn–loved the food—celebrated here and was a fan of the décor. Their dinner menu looks killer too.
- Sweet Art– Amazing vegan and non-vegan menu items–never disappoints!
- Lola Jean’s–really good breakfast/brunch menu, excellent coffee, baked goods, and (most importantly) they do a lot for local charities (S. Hampton strikes again!)
- The Clover and the Bee—Great restaurant (down the street from the practice!) with an excellent overall menu, but I’m partial to breakfast foods so I file it under brunch
The Finer Things
- Farmhaus–Farm to table, food speaks for itself—good memories here.
- Olive and Oak–Great neighborhood spot with a LOT of heart
- Sardella–delicious Italian—from the Clayton team that brings you Pastaria (and next door to it too!)
- Louie—celebrated another special occasion here—nice space, amazing food. (DeMun Love)
Sweet Spots
- Nathaniel Reid’s Bakery—Seriously I can’t even begin to tell you how much I love their beautiful (and decadent) pastries! (Kirkwood is lucky to have him)
- La Patisserie Chouquette–Only place I’ve ever seen a Chocolate chocolate croissant—my wife loves their cookies and macarons and I’ve had somewhat of a sweet-tooth-fling with their Tiramisu brownie (Botanical Heights!).
Coffee (just for fun!)
Alright I think those are the best St. Louis restaurants! There’s no order to any of this and I’m sure there are many fine eateries that I have forgotten. It was nice to make this list because it was kind of a trip down memory lane for me thinking about why or how my family and I found our way to these fine establishments. Enjoy!
Lastly, be sure to brush and floss before you go to bed after dinner (sorry couldn’t resist)! If you’re not a patient yet, contact us and we’ll keep your smile healthy–can’t chomp without your chompers.
