Jacket: Old Navy // Top: Target (old, similar here and here) // Jeans: Old Navy // Shoes: Steve Madden // Purse: Old Navy
This photo was taken outside the Piper Palm house – which apparently has an amazing brunch! We haven’t tried it yet!
One fun part of living in a new place is getting to explore new restaurants. The past few years in St Louis we’ve been able to have some great meals, and we definitely have some favorite places to go! Here are our favorites, in no particular order!
Lunch
- Pappy’s
- BEST BBQ in St Louis! The waits can get really long on weekends (definitely over an hour), so come prepared to stand. You might be outside for part of the wait, so dress accordingly! They do carry out orders, so if you don’t want to wait in line you can order over the phone and walk in and pick it up. They do sell out of meat pretty much every day, so if you for sure want one type of meat get there early. If you’re in STL you have to stop!
- Blues City Deli
- If you want a great sandwich, look no further! It’s in such a cute neighborhood and there are so many great sandwich options. I had the Chicken Shack Ranch last time we were there and it was super yummy.
Dinner
- The Crossing
- We had our best dinner in STL here last year. We went to celebrate my birthday and our anniversary and we were already talking about when we can go back this year! It is super fancy and fairly pricey, so it’s definitely good for a special occasion. If you want a perfect place for a special dinner, I can’t recommend this enough.
- Cooper’s Hawk
- This is part of a chain (maybe a few?) of restaurants and it’s in a suburb outside St Louis. It was a perfect dinner and they have their own wine for you to choose from – they serve it in these massive decanters at your table, which was super cool!
- Annie Gunn’s
- What a place. This is another must-visit in the St Louis area. It’s about 30-40 minutes west of downtown and is super unassuming from the outside. I had one of the best steaks ever here! We even got to sit inside their built in booths – which are actually rooms with doors that close for extra privacy. So cool! It’s pretty pricey so it’s definitely for a special occasion, but you won’t regret it!
- Pastaria
- This is one of the most popular restaurants in STL – and the waits will show that! They have the most fantastic pasta dishes. Honestly, it’s hard for me to wait 3 hours for dinner since they don’t take reservations (is anything worth that?), so we’ve stuck to going on weeknights when the wait is more reasonable.
- Porano
- Pastaria’s sibling that you can actually get into! You can create your own pasta dishes with the same ingredients as Pastaria, but in a more casual setting.
- Sauce on the Side
- I didn’t know how much I would love calzones until we went here! Their salads are also amazing if you want something lighter. There are a few locations in the city and it’s a great quick spot for dinner or lunch.
Sweets
- Andy’s Frozen Custard
- This is a chain so I know there are locations outside STL, but it is our current favorite ice cream place. You order outside at a window (FYI) and I have yet to find something that isn’t amazing!
- Ted Drewes
- Ted Drewes is a Saint Louis institution and a must visit if you’re in the area. They were just named best ice cream in the world! (No, I’m not making this up) This place gets insanely busy whenever the weather is warm. You order at a window (theme for STL) and the “thing to do” is to sit in your car and enjoy your ice cream! There are a few benches scattered around but good luck finding one 🙂 Pro tip – you can get your ice cream to go by having them put dry ice with it!
- World’s Fair Donuts
- Our favorite donut shop – and it’s run by the cutest old couple! They only take cash, and their best donuts are gone super early on weekends – so get there early if you have something specific you want. My favorite is the Apple Fritter and my husband loves their Cinnamon Rolls. They’re famous for their buttermilk cake donuts – so be sure to grab one of those!
I hope this is a helpful list if you’re ever in St Louis and want to find a fun place to eat! Enjoy 🙂
