Food

Family-owned Kurdish restaurant serving sakuska, pilau, and life-changing dolmas. Jenar Mohammed, a longtime home cook, along with her family, opened Sultān, their first restaurant, to rave reviews last year.

Sump is a bit out of the way from the medical campus, but it’s a great excursion on the weekend.

They have traditional, gluten-free, and vegan baked goods. They also have a great vegetarian/vegan breakfast and lunch!

The focus of the long-running show Welcome to Sweetie Pie’s on the Oprah Network. Southern soul food served cafeteria style, known for their chicken wings and mac’n’cheese.

A popular special occasion restaurant in St. Louis serving New American cuisine and a bomb bread service of savory beignets.

Where to Try It: Mama Toscana’s Ravioli (or many other places on The Hill); for a more upscale option, the t-rav at Trattoria Marcella are the BEST (handmade, though larger than what is traditional).

Everyone likes toasted ravioli, or “t-rav” as the locals call it. A breaded and fried ravioli (typically filled with meat or ricotta) that you dip in marinara sauce, it’s ubiquitous here (often from frozen), but head to The Hill’s Italian restaurants for the best fresh t-rav.

The new kid on the block taking over the STL taco scene. The patio is the place to sit, and it’s even covered and heated in winter months! Their frozen margs are just insane good, even if you typically don’t order your margs frozen. Tacos are huge (you might need a fork) and include unique, slow roasted fillings such as green chile pork, chicken tinga, and Thai street beef.

While The Hill is known for its Italian eats, Taco Circus is a great find for those with food allergies who love Tex-Mex. They offer extremely filling tacos including al Pastor, carnitas, and grilled skirt steak which all can come on corn tortillas if you have a wheat allergy/are gluten free.

Craving Taiwanese? Tai Ke, St. Louis’ first 100% Taiwanese restaurant is incredible. Try the Gua Bao (pork belly bun).

Target is a short 15-minute drive from campus and is a convenient one-stop shop for groceries, household products, clothing, etc.

Summer isn’t summer without a concrete from Ted Drewes. Concretes so thick they stay in the cup when it’s turned upside down. Buy one and then sit in your car with the windows open, enjoying the lively scene while you savor your treat. Try brownie with butterscotch, Tedads with salted caramel, or one of their many listed combinations of concrete toppings. Dog friendly (but if your pup has a sensitive tummy, know their “dog cups” are made with human custard).

Where to Try It: You’re probably too old to trick or treat, but offer to help one of your classmates who owns a house hand out candy this Halloween!

Here in St. Louis, kids must earn their candy when they trick or treat. When handing out candy, they’re asked for their joke, and upon telling it, receive the candy as a reward. We St. Louisans grew up with this tradition but it really seems to blow people’s minds when they learn about it.

Craving Thai? Don’t want to leave CWE? The lunch talk was pizza? As your closest solution, Thai 202 will be your hero.

Contemporary seafood and steak, right by the Ritz in downtown Clayton.

If you’re looking for a slightly more upscale place to celebrate, you’ve found it. The Bridge is a cheese/charcuterie place with a massive wine/beer/cocktail list and seasonal entrees. It’s quality food that doesn’t break the budget for students.

A well-known, upscale steak chain.

Delicious sweet and savory crepes. Coffee is so-so.

Jilly’s in U City may have won Cupcake Wars, but we still think the Cup has the best cupcakes in town.

St. Louis’ only Taiwanese bakery, which sells Taiwanese bolo buns, umami burst bread (with miso), naisu milk buns, and crispy orange buns. Also has boba, fruit milk, and coffee.

A retro ice cream bar and restaurant in the former Sutz auto showroom. It’s an old-school fountain parlor with adult upgrades, namely, ice cream martinis.

The breakfast menu is massive at this popular, wacky write-on-the walls restaurant; tons of drink options if you’re in the mood for a boozy brunch. Expect a wait.

Brisket chili and burnt ends, served by a waitstaff, so you don’t have to do the barbecue line cattle call.

The unofficial favorite lunch talk caterer here at WUSM, The Vine serves up beef and chicken shawarma, hummus, pita, baked eggplant, fattoush salad, taboul, and other cravable items.

Historically the go-to special occasion restaurant in St. Louis, long before our bustling foodie scene blossomed. At Tony’s they’ll treat you right.

Saturdays and Tuesdays in Tower Grove Park, with an indoor Winter Market during the colder months.

Trader Joe’s is only a 15-minute drive from campus and contains tons of favorites. It’s a great place for buying quick meals and snacks for those busy nights.

Just off The Hill, try this “Italian Soul Food” restaurant, with incredible, massive t-rav and a comfortable ambiance.

A little bit pricey for the quality, but has a good atmosphere and a rotating seasonal menu. Great date night option!

Union Loafers is *the* place to buy a loaf of bread here in town (Companion Bakery is also locally owned!), but their pizza is to die for. Ian Froeb of the STL Today magazine describes it as, “New York-ish, but with an airiness and aggressive blistering more reminiscent of Neapolitan pies.”

Geared toward the college student set, you’ll find Asian and South Asian provisions, plus tons of Asian convenience foods like frozen bao, frozen dumplings, noodle packets, chips, cookies, hot sauces, and drinks.

Fun arcade bar with skee-ball, every arcade game you can think of, foosball, giant jenga, Mario Kart, and the ever popular Killer Queen. Up-Down also serves pizza until closing time, so you can refuel while playing your 80s arcade game of choice.

They have a vegan Big Mac and vegan Jack-in-the Box tacos that taste just like the real thing.

Vegetable-forward, upscale farm-to-table restaurant. The chef is James Beard semifinalist Michael Gallina. Beautiful dishes and atmosphere.

Sit outside for the best views in the city.

Made from scratch, artisanal donuts with flavors like maple bacon, dulce de leche, and lemon lavender. Gluten-free donuts available on Fridays and vegan donuts baked weekly.

There’s a Whole Foods really close to campus; it’s convenient but slightly more expensive for groceries. It also has great prepared foods and a hot bar for when you’re feeling lazy.

Brunch and good happy hour specials a few blocks away. Roll out of bed with your hair a mess and enjoy a patio brunch here on a nice day.

Farm-to-table, recently taken over by Vicia (previously called Winslow’s Home). Beautiful space, and a shaded patio. A must-do on a nice day.

The true St. Louis-style Italian experience. Baked mostaccioli (mostaccioli al forno on the Zia’s menu) is a St. Louis classic, and get t-rav as an app.