Food · St. Louis · United States
What to eat in St. Louis
The dishes, drinks and food experiences that define St. Louis, and where locals actually eat them.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Sam valadi, CC BY 2.0
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Quick answer
Start with Toasted ravioli, St. Louis-style pizza and Gooey butter cake. Start with toasted ravioli at a family-run Italian restaurant, then buy cannoli or Italian cookies from a bakery on the way out. Book popular restaurants on The Hill ahead for weekend dinners.
Key facts
- Signature dish
- Toasted ravioli
- Vegetarian-friendly picks
- 5
- Tipping
- Tipping is expected: about 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, a dollar or two per drink at…
- Food experiences
- 4
10 foods to try
Snack
1.Toasted ravioli
Meat-filled ravioli breaded and deep-fried until crisp, dusted with Parmesan and served with marinara for dipping. Restaurants on The Hill claim to have invented it.
Where: Italian restaurants on The Hill and appetiser menus all over the city.
Dish · Vegetarian
2.St. Louis-style pizza
A cracker-thin, unleavened crust topped with Provel, a processed blend of cheddar, Swiss and provolone, and cut into squares rather than slices.
Where: Local chains such as Imo's and neighbourhood pizzerias.
Dessert · Vegetarian
3.Gooey butter cake
A dense, flat coffee cake with a sticky, sweet butter-and-sugar layer on top, created by St. Louis's German-American bakers in the 1930s.
Where: Local bakeries across the city, sold by the slice or whole.
Dessert · Vegetarian
4.Frozen custard concrete
Frozen custard blended with mix-ins until so thick that it is handed over upside down to prove it will not fall out of the cup.
Where: Ted Drewes Frozen Custard on Chippewa Street, on old Route 66, is the institution; expect queues on summer nights.
Dish
5.St. Paul sandwich
An egg foo young patty served on white bread with dill pickles, onion, lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise, invented in St. Louis's Chinese-American takeaways.
Where: Chinese-American takeaway restaurants across the city.
Breakfast
6.Slinger
A late-night diner plate of hash browns, eggs and a hamburger patty, all smothered in chilli and topped with cheese and onions.
Where: All-night and old-fashioned diners across the city.
Dish
7.Pork steaks
Thick slices of pork shoulder, grilled and then simmered in barbecue sauce until tender, a St. Louis backyard barbecue tradition.
Where: Barbecue restaurants and summer cookouts.
Dish
8.St. Louis-style ribs
Pork spare ribs trimmed into neat rectangular racks, smoked or grilled and usually sauced.
Where: Barbecue restaurants across the city and suburbs.
Snack · Vegetarian
9.Soft pretzel sticks
Chewy, salty pretzel sticks and twists, a local snack with German roots, often sold by street vendors and at ballgames.
Where: Gus' Pretzels on Arsenal Street, open since 1920, and street vendors around the city.
Drink · Vegetarian
10.Local beer
Budweiser has been brewed in St. Louis since the 19th century, and the city now has many craft breweries, led by Schlafly, which opened in 1991.
Where: The Anheuser-Busch Brewery, Schlafly's tap rooms and craft breweries across the city.
Food experiences
Dinner on The Hill
Start with toasted ravioli at a family-run Italian restaurant, then buy cannoli or Italian cookies from a bakery on the way out.
Ted Drewes on a summer night
Join the queue at the Route 66 custard stand for a concrete, a classic local summer ritual.
South Grand food crawl
Sample Vietnamese, Thai, Afghan and other cuisines along South Grand Boulevard.
Soulard Farmers Market
Browse the stalls and grab snacks at one of the oldest markets west of the Mississippi.
Quick bites and street food
- Toasted ravioli — Italian restaurants on The Hill and appetiser menus all over the city.
- Slinger — All-night and old-fashioned diners across the city.
- Soft pretzel sticks — Gus' Pretzels on Arsenal Street, open since 1920, and street vendors around the city.
Vegetarian options
Of the 10 foods in this guide, 5 are usually vegetarian: St. Louis-style pizza, Gooey butter cake, Frozen custard concrete, Soft pretzel sticks and Local beer. Check preparation with staff, as stocks and fats vary.
Eating out: tips and etiquette
- Book popular restaurants on The Hill ahead for weekend dinners.
- Many local favourites close on Sundays or Mondays; check before going.
- Provel cheese has a distinctive, slightly gooey texture; try St. Louis-style pizza at least once.
- Ted Drewes and other summer favourites can have long queues on warm evenings.
Tipping
Tipping is expected: about 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, a dollar or two per drink at bars, and 15–20% for taxis and rideshares.
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Where did you go to high school? | Classic local icebreaker |
| Provel | The processed cheese on St. Louis pizza |
| Concrete | A very thick frozen custard |
| T-ravs | Toasted ravioli |
Questions travellers ask
+What food is St. Louis famous for?
Toasted ravioli, St. Louis-style pizza, Gooey butter cake and Frozen custard concrete. Meat-filled ravioli breaded and deep-fried until crisp, dusted with Parmesan and served with marinara for dipping.
+Is St. Louis good for vegetarians?
Several local staples are meat-free, including St. Louis-style pizza, Gooey butter cake and Frozen custard concrete.
+Do you tip in restaurants in St. Louis?
Tipping is expected: about 18–22% at sit-down restaurants, a dollar or two per drink at bars, and 15–20% for taxis and rideshares.