11 Best St. Louis Foods To Try in 2025

Reflecting the hearty homeland where it’s served, St. Louis food is comforting, unique and delicious. While there are several James Beard award-winning chefs in the city, St. Louis food is more honest and straightforward than in many other cities, much like its people. This area's unique culinary scene proves that good food doesn’t need to be fancy to be exceptional.

If you're not familiar with the city, you may now be wondering, "What food is St. Louis known for?" Or even "What are the most iconic dishes not to be missed?"

Well, the Gateway to the West has a lot to offer, including its own style of barbecue, its own pizza and many scrumptious desserts that are not found anywhere else. And don’t forget to wash down whatever St. Louis food you’re eating with a local beer, because St. Louis is also home to Anheuser-Busch.

To find out more and discover all of the foods unique to St. Louis, keep reading for our curated guide to the city's top eats! 

 Jump to Section

• How We Choose the Best St. Louis Foods
• 11 Best St. Louis Foods
• Get a Taste of Iconic St. Louis Foods

How We Choose the Best St. Louis Foods

The team at Cozymeal has over 10 years of experience connecting culinary enthusiasts with food-based content as well as activities like cooking classes and food tours in over 200 cities. This experience has given us an in-depth look at culinary scenes in cities around the world, including St. Louis. 

To create this guide to the best St. Louis food, we turned to this experience while also conducting research via the web and social media to discover which foods truly embody the city and are beloved by locals. We even connected with team members located in the city or who have visited, to get some insider tips on what you can’t miss eating in The Gateway City. 

Finally, we ensured each food covered in this guide to the best eats in St. Louis met the following criteria. 

Our list of the best St. Louis foods:

• Includes dishes that embody St. Louis and are well-known by locals. 
• Features dishes with undeniable widespread popularity and, where possible, a history connected to the city.
• Suggests foods at various price points to ensure affordability for everyone. 

Ultimately, this guide to the best St. Louis food highlights the most unique dishes the city has to offer, with something for almost every taste.

11 Best St. Louis Foods

1. Frozen Custard at Ted Drewes Frozen Custard 

Move over ice cream, custard is in town. Frozen custard is one of the most iconic St. Louis foods to try when you’re visiting the area. If you’ve never had this popular dessert, you'll find that frozen custard is a richer, creamier cold treat than ice cream, with a base of rich vanilla flavor.

From there, it’s a lot like picking out a Blizzard at Dairy Queen, as there are mix-ins and toppings galore. The most famous place to get frozen custard is at Ted Drewes, and we highly recommend visiting at least once. However, having tasted this St. Louis food at Ted Drewes, you'll probably find yourself going back again and again.

The Vibe

Ted Drewes is a take-out only spot that has a come-as-you-are, family-friendly vibe. 

What to Order

The most famous version of this St. Louis food to get at any custard shop, including Ted Drewes, is a “concrete,” which is essentially a thick soft serve made from frozen custard.

At Ted Drewes, we recommend getting a Dutchman Delight concrete frozen custard, which comes with chocolate, pecans and butterscotch. We find that this classic pairing is irresistible and is a top choice if you love Turtles candy. The chocolate and peanut butter Muddy Mississippi and the delightful Strawberry Shortcake are also excellent orders. 

Ted Drewes Frozen Custard | Multiple Locations | $

2. St. Louis–Style Pizza at Imo’s Pizza

Many cities have their own distinctive style of pizza, but St. Louis has one of the most unique. St. Louis serves up its pizza on a crust as thin as a cracker. And you’re going to get squares, not slices.

Another key difference with this St. Louis food is the cheese. Provel is a cheese product that was developed specifically for Imo’s Pizza, the best place to sample St. Louis-style pizza. Provel is a combination of cheddar, Swiss and provolone plus a touch of liquid smoke. It melts like a dream, but it’s definitely an acquired taste.

The Vibe

Ted and Margie Imo opened their first restaurant in 1964. The neighborhood pizza franchise now has over one hundred locations. No matter which one you choose, you'll be welcomed by friendly staff, and can dress casually and comfortably. It’s a pizza parlor, after all. 

What to Order

It’s your pizza, so build it your way! If you're a little indecisive, however, we recommend the Sweet Heat Specialty Pizza. It comes with chicken, red onion and bacon, plus Imo's "sweet and tangy sauce." No matter what toppings you choose when ordering this St. Louis food favorite, you’re getting Provel cheese.

Imo’s Pizza | Multiple Locations | $$

3. Toasted Ravioli at Anthonino’s Taverna

Toasted ravioli is undoubtedly one of the best St. Louis foods that almost everyone will love. Many places around the city serve this comfort food dish, with Anthonino’s Taverna being one of our favorite places to try it.

And don't just take our word for it! Anthonino’s Taverna's ravioli were featured on an episode of Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.” You can even buy them frozen at Schnucks, a local grocery store chain. 

The Vibe

This charming restaurant in St. Louis feels like a modern brasserie. It's casual enough to be comfortable, but also allows you to be a little dressed up. It's perfect for when you want to eat out somewhere that falls between a sports bar and a high-end eatery. 

What to Order

There aren't any variations of this St. Louis food on the menu, so you know what to get: toasted ravioli filled with ricotta, Pecorino Romano and ground beef and served with a side of zesty marinara dipping sauce. If you want something to go with your ravioli, this Mediterranean-style eatery serves up excellent gyros and spanakopita. 

Anthonino’s Taverna | 2225 Macklind Ave., St. Louis, MO 63110 | $$

4. Gooey Butter Cake at Russell’s Café

Like toasted ravioli, gooey butter cake from Russell’s Café is a St. Louis food that is easy to love. This decadent dessert is part coffee cake, part custard, and it gets dusted with powdered sugar for a final sweet touch. In other words, it’s the perfect finish to any meal.

The Vibe

Russell’s has a few locations in St. Louis, all of which are cozy spots that serve brunch and dinner. Whether you dine in or simply grab a slice of gooey butter cake and go about your day, you'll be welcomed by a warm and friendly neighborhood restaurant vibe. 

What to Order

The original gooey butter cake is traditionally made with a vanilla custard on a coffee cake base, but Russell’s uses a signature salted shortbread cookie crust instead. The blackberry and toasted coconut versions of this St. Louis food are addictive, but the classic is always a winner as well. 

Russell’s Café | Multiple Locations | $

5. St. Paul Sandwich at Mai Lee

Whatever you were expecting this St. Louis food to be, you probably didn’t expect to find it on a St. Louis Chinese food menu. But that’s where the St. Paul Sandwich, another very unique St. Louis food, resides. 

Named after the restaurant owner's hometown in Minnesota, the St. Paul Sandwich at Mai Lee consists of an egg foo young patty dressed with lettuce, tomato and pickles on two slices of white bread. This is a cult favorite hangover food and the best St. Louis food to search out when you’re starving and on a budget.  

The Vibe

 This strip mall spot is clean and tidy with table and counter seating. It's the ideal place to relax in your favorite comfy clothes with great food, or grab and go for extra convenience. 

What to Order

This Chinese-Vietnamese fusion restaurant has five different versions of the sandwich on its menu. The original St. Paul Sandwich is a good place to start, but the ham or pork versions are both great orders if you've tried the original. If you want a backup plan, this restaurant’s extensive menu of over 200 dishes will give you plenty of options.

Mai Lee | 8396 Musick Memorial Drive, St. Louis, MO 63144 | $$

6. St. Louis Style Ribs at Pappy’s Smokehouse

St. Louis-style ribs are a classic St. Louis food typically made with pork spare ribs instead of baby backs, which are fattier in general but also have more meat. Pappy’s Smokehouse has been named as having the Best Ribs in America by the Food Network, so that’s the place to go for this St. Louis food.

The Vibe

Pappy’s Smokehouse has a few locations, and both are somewhat nondescript brick buildings mostly obscured by their smokers on the outside, but full of fun barbecue style on the inside. Don’t worry about finding a table. Just get in line.

What to Order

Ribs obviously. For those with big appetites, the Big Ben combination plate includes a full slab of ribs, a brisket sandwich, a pork sandwich, a smoked chicken sandwich and four sides. Trust us when we say to come hungry! 

Pappy’s Smokehouse | Multiple Locations | $$

7. BBQ Pork Steak at Five Aces Bar-B-Que

Another much-loved St. Louis food is found at Five Aces Bar-B-Que. The BBQ Pork Steak is one of the best dishes here. It's made with a shoulder (or blade) steak that is slowly simmered in a tomato and vinegar sauce to help tenderize it.

Navy veteran owner Antonio Ellis uses a combination of Creole and jerk spices to season the pork steaks before coating them in a sticky, molasses-like sauce. 

The Vibe

No frills are needed when you serve up St. Louis food like this. You can grab your order from the food truck or sit down at the Smokestaq Lightning restaurant. The latter features exposed brick and a friendly vibe. The eatery is perfect for everything from family dinners to a casual birthday dinner in St. Louis. 

What to Order

Get the pork steak dinner with a “big ‘ol bowl” of potato salad and baked beans. Finish with a Southern-fried apple pie.

Five Aces Bar-B-Que | 4000 Shaw Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63110 | $$

8. The Slinger at Courtesy Diner

If you’ve had a bit of a late night, the cure you’re looking for is at Courtesy Diner, and it’s a St. Louis food called the Slinger. The Slinger is a pile of perfectly crispy, shredded hash browns topped with either a burger or sausage patty, plus chili and cheese.

The Vibe

A super cute retro diner in St. Louis that’s all about the food. Whether you want to grab a quick bite or are looking for cute and quirky date ideas in St. Louis, this is a fun spot to head to. 

What to Order

Get your standard Slinger, or go for a lighter breakfast in St. Louis by getting the Devil’s Delight, which leaves the meat patties off. The eatery even occasionally offers a Super Slinger that has tamales or a burrito under the chili. If it’s available, we highly recommend the tamale version of this classic St. Louis food.

Courtesy Diner | Multiple Locations | $

9. Gerber Special Sandwich at Ruma’s Deli

Another great St. Louis food that comes in sandwich form, the Gerber Sandwich from Ruma's Deli was first added to the menu in 1973. Named after the man who created it, the open-faced sandwich is made on Italian or French bread.

For toppings, it features ham, garlic butter and St. Louis specialty Provel cheese (although the original supposedly had provolone). The sandwich then gets a sprinkling of paprika before being grilled into a crunchy, cheesy delight. 

The Vibe

Ruma's is super laid-back and casual. It's the ideal place for a quick lunch that's full of flavor. Or, simply pop in and grab your order to go. No matter which option you choose, you'll always get excellent service from the friendly staff. 

What to Order

This St. Louis food can also be made with roast beef, but we always suggest trying the classic version at least once. You can also try two famous St. Louis foods at once if you have the appetite, as Ruma's Deli serves toasted ravioli. 

Ruma's Deli | 1395 Covington Manor Lane, St. Louis, MO 63125 | $

10. Hand-Twisted Pretzels From Gus’

Gus’ Pretzels has been hand-twisting since 1920, so the brand must know a little something about a great pretzel. Whether you want traditional, garlic-buttered or cinnamon-sugared, this St. Louis food is the best deal in town. 

The Vibe

This simple family concept doesn’t overcomplicate. This spot simply serves to-go warm pretzels and pretzel sandwiches. That’s it. You’ll also find the brand's pretzels in stores around the city, ready to heat and warm at home. 

What to Order

An OG soft pretzel is what you should order if it's your first time here. If not, or if you have a big appetite, we recommend getting a pretzel sandwich, the most tempting of which is the jalapeño pepper jack bratwurst. Pair that with a bag of cinnamon-sugar “Endz” for a carb-lover's dream meal!

Gus’ Pretzels | 1820 Arsenal St., St. Louis, MO 63118 | $

11. GOAT Eats Potato Chips by The Goat Brand

You might be surprised to learn that a potato chip is a signature St. Louis food. It’s also one of the most popular snacks in America, with the St. Louis-based The GOAT Brand believing its chips are the very best. Developed by a team of professional chefs and using only the highest-quality ingredients, these chips are even bagged by hand daily. 

The Vibe

GOAT Eats Chips are available at local grocers around the area, including Whole Foods and Schnucks. You can order party-sized bags from their online store.

What to Order

In addition to the original chip, the brand offers a spicy Kicker option and a sweet potato chip. We recommend starting with the original, but make sure you try all the other flavors at some point to choose your favorite. 

The GOAT Brand | Available at Grocery Stores Around the City | $

Get a Taste of Iconic St. Louis Foods

One of the best ways to get a feel for the St. Louis food scene is by taking a cooking class with local chefs. These hands-on cooking classes in St. Louis will introduce you to the unique flavors that you’ll find on restaurant menus throughout the city, plus they’re a lot of fun! 

If you don't feel like making local St. Louis dishes yourself, you could also hire a private chef in St. Louis. These professional chefs can create a local food feast, with all the area's most popular dishes accounted for. They even handle clean-up at the end of the meal. 

If you've been wondering: "What food is St. Louis, Missouri, famous for?", this guide should have helped you answer that question. From St. Louis-style pizza to Gooey Butter Cake, there are many delightful local foods to taste. 

Whether you’re visiting friends, taking in a baseball game or viewing the Gateway Arch, you’re going to get hungry at some point while visiting St. Louis. So be sure to sample some of these iconic St. Louis foods or have fun discovering your own!

For even more ways to explore St. Louis and beyond, check out other experiences happening on Cozymeal.