Food

I am allergic to milk, eggs, peanuts, walnuts, and pecans, so as always when moving to a new city, I was anxious to see how the restaurants in the area dealt with food allergies. A good number of places I have been to have allergen menus, and those that do not are more than willing to make accommodations from my experience! I have had no problems finding things I can safely eat at all of the most popular places near the med school, including Jeni’s Ice Cream (they have vegan flavors!!), Salt + Smoke, Mission Taco, and Kingside Diner. Additionally, when you sign up for talks that provide free lunch at the med school there is an area to indicate any dietary restrictions, and most talks that I have attended have been able to accommodate my allergies!

Dessert is arguably my favorite course in any meal. I started looking at dessert options in St. Louis before I committed to WashU. (Not saying that this had any influence on my decision.) Popular options include:

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams — Scoop shop about a 10-minute walk from campus, just up Euclid

The Baked Bear — Ice cream sandwiches/cookies in the Delmar Loop

Clementine’s Naughty and Nice — Non-alcoholic and alcoholic ice cream with two locations, each a 12-minute drive away

Ted Drewes — Takeout frozen custard with a dizzying array of options, 15 minutes by car from Central West End

Insomnia Cookies — A late-night staple on any school campus

Donut Drive In — Excellent takeout donut spot, 15 minutes by car from Central West End

John’s Donuts — Opens up at 4 a.m. and is located in downtown St. Louis

As a vegetarian moving to St. Louis, I had some concerns about finding food that I liked for those nights that I just didn’t want to cook, but I was blown away by both the quantity of vegetarian options and the quality of the food. I have a hard time choosing favorites, but these are some of the places I or other vegetarian friends have loved:

Terror Tacos, Tower Grove — A relatively new restaurant that serves a variety of incredible tacos with totally different flavor profiles. It’s also totally vegan so order anything you want!

Basil India, Tower Grove — Hands down my favorite Indian food in St. Louis. Has delicious vegan and vegetarian options for reasonable prices.

Gokul, The Loop — Totally vegetarian Indian restaurant that also has a wide variety of vegan food and hosts vegan buffets frequently.

Meskerem Ethiopian Restaurant, Tower Grove — Ethiopian is a super vegetarian-friendly cuisine, and Meskerem’s food is simply delicious. My personal favorites are the vegetarian combo and the shiro wat with injera.

Akar, Clayton — Great Asian fusion food with several tasty vegetarian options.

Treehouse, Tower Grove — A little expensive but all food is prepared vegan, so many options available.

Vicia, Central West End — Definitely on the expensive side, but the dining experience is incredible, and the food is exquisite.

Lulu’s Local Eatery, Tower Grove — Café with amazing food that is 100% plant-based with a focus on sustainability.

Clementine’s Naughty and Nice Ice Cream — One of my favorite ice cream places in St. Louis that serves several different vegan flavors.

SweetArt, Shaw — Locally-owned restaurant serving traditional, vegan, and gluten friendly baked goods as well as vegan and vegetarian lunch and breakfast.

Like most cities, St. Louis has quite a few app-based delivery services supporting local businesses! This can be especially helpful during pandemic era and exam weeks, when you might not have the time or bandwidth to cook at home! Some popular options that are available on both iOS and Android include (alphabetically listed): DoorDash, Grubhub, Postmates, and UberEats. Personally, I periodically switch between the $10 monthly subscription to Grubhub and the $9.99 subscription to UberEats. Both include great discounts (Grubhub+ has a free $10 monthly perk for pickups and UberOne offers discounts for both UberEats and Uber rides)

It’s your birthday (hooray)! If you’re hoping to celebrate with family and friends, here’s a list of some great places to check out! (Some may require reservations, so I’d definitely check that before committing!)

$ — Mission Taco, Lona’s Lil Eats, Medina Grill, Mayo Ketchup, Lulu’s Local Eatery

$$ — Sauce on the Side, Sugarfire Smoke House, Olio, Polite Society, Broadway Oyster Bar, Grace Meat + Three, The Fountain on Locust, Pappy’s Smokehouse, Salt + Smoke, Mai Lee, Chiang Mai, Wasabi, Balkan Treat Box, Corner 17

$$$-$$$$ — Brasserie by Niche, Yellowbelly, Juniper, Sidney Street Cafe, Nixta, Akar, Vicia, Bulrush, iNDO

*P.S. The dollar sign indicators are based on Google’s scale, so I always check the online menus for pricing!

It’s possible that brunch is the ultimate St. Louis pastime. Look no further than the Kingside Diner conveniently located in Central West End for a slew of delicious options (and chess boards on the tables for entertainment), or if you’re closer to downtown, the cult favorites Egg and Rooster. Willing to drive a little further out into the county? My personal favorite is the Mud Slinger at Mud House in Tower Grove South, which is a chili-like topping on potatoes and toast with amazing raspberry jam. With any of these options, definitely reserve ahead if possible or be ready to stand in line, especially on weekends.

Dating can be tough, but one thing that makes it 10 times easier is having some lovely, new places to explore and create memories. To that end, St. Louis definitely knows how to deliver!

If you’re wanting to share a foodie adventure with your special someone, I’d highly recommend trying a donut tour (Strange Donuts, World’s Fair Donuts, Pharoah’s Donuts, Vincent Van Doughnut), going brewery-hopping (tours at Anheuser Busch, Schlafly’s) or checking out one of the city’s nearby, casual, mid-range joints (Mission Taco for Mexican fusion, Salt + Smoke for barbecue, Jeni’s/Clementine’s Creamery/Ted Drewe’s for ice cream, Kingside Diner for brunch, Taha’a Twisted Tiki/Planter’s House for cocktails in a courtyard, The Fountain on Locust for an ice cream martini)!

If you’re looking for a quiet, free activity, I’d highly suggest exploring Forest Park (a nice walk, a bike ride, perhaps paddle-boating in the pond!), checking out the Saint Louis Zoo (it’s free and there are penguins!), dropping by the Saint Louis Science Center (tons of dinosaur/space exhibits!) or browsing the amazing installations at the Kemper Art Museum on the Danforth Campus! If you’re feeling sporty, you can score some cheap tickets to see the St. Louis Cardinals, go roller or ice skating at the Steinberg Rink depending on the season, or hike through Castlewood State Park or the Cahokia Mounds!

Finally, if you’re feeling real romantic, my favorite is definitely the Missouri Botanical Garden! In the summer, they host the Japanese Festival, and near the winter holidays, Garden Glow! All the hand-holding vibes you could hope for — it’s divine!

Your parents are visiting, and you want to show off the St. Louis food scene and take advantage of eating expensive food when you don’t have to pay for it. Head to Olive and Oak to enjoy oysters on the half-shell, ribeye steak, or freshly prepared fish. Or introduce your parents to a St. Louis classic, toasted ravioli at Anthonino’s Taverna, voted “Best Toasted Ravioli” seven years in a row. If you’re looking for a quick lunch option between activities, grab an Asian inspired gourmet sandwich that will be sure to satisfy at Zenwich.

There are some fantastic rooftop dining and bar options in St. Louis to share a beautiful evening with family or friends. The Cinder House Sky Bar and Terrace (located in the Four Seasons Hotel) has the most amazing view of the Gateway Arch — highly recommend for a special occasion. Three Sixty, situated near the St. Louis Cardinals ballpark, is a very popular place to hang out before or after a Cardinals game. Angad Rainbow Terrace, located downtown, is also a cool, artsy spot for some nice views of the city.

Ok, so I just need to pitch this place. Balkan Treat Box is truly one of the best restaurants of its class I’ve ever been to. I have lived on the West and East coasts, in big cities too, and Balkan Treat Box stands above so many trendy moderately priced places I’ve been to. It is a place that feels like a labor of love. Where the food is excellent, and the story behind the restaurant and its community is inspiring. (I have literally watched like a PBS documentary on this place, I love it that much.) The bread is insanely good, and the meat and vegetarian options are so flavorful it is truly unique. In the MSTP seminar and thread, we’ve had it catered a couple times and at the middle/end of a long day it hits so good it’s transcendent. Even if you don’t choose WashU, when you come to St. Louis, try this unique spot. The music slaps too.

Pappy’s Smokehouse was voted by the Food Network as home of “The Best Ribs in America,” and it definitely lives up to that reputation. (I once took a vegetarian friend there for lunch and he decided to start eating meat again after trying their ribs.) Other great barbecue spots are Salt + Smoke (there’s a location in the Central West End!) and SugarFire Smoke House!

The highest concentration of Chinese food you’ll find near Central West End is along Olive Boulevard. If you’re looking for family style, Cate Zone and Tai Ke have some great Northeast Chinese and Taiwanese options respectively. For those who crave a little more spice, ChiliSpot on Olive and Perfect Taste on the Delmar Loop offer Sichuan (Szechuan) fare. Finally, Corner 17 on the Loop has both American-Chinese options as well as a few traditional classics — and solid boba as a bonus.

Brasserie by Niche in the Central West End is SO GOOD. Great spot to bring parents or visitors for a nice dinner. Make sure you get the French onion soup. Polite Society Restaurant and Bar on Park Avenue is more “New American” but has a French twist, great ambiance, and is super yummy! Also loved the French onion soup here lol.

As a bona fide Korean, the first thing I did when I came to St. Louis was hunt around for some K-BBQ places. I came up with two: Wudon and Seoul Garden. The latter has two locations which I think are comparable, and both have AYCE. Depending on where you hail from, you might be variably impressed by these two places, but I found them to scratch the itch at the very least. I recommend getting brisket and pork belly at Seoul Garden, and definitely try the egg soufflé that they offer as a side.

Two very important and amazing spots: Katie’s Pizza & Pasta and Pastaria. The Lemon Strozzapreti from Katie’s is mouthwatering, and the Chitarra al Pomodoro from Pastaria is life-changing. Louie is also great for fresh handmade pasta and if you’re looking for a fancier meal. For more casual Italian eats, anywhere in The Hill neighborhood is perfect!

Saigon Cafe on Euclid Avenue in the Central West End is so good and such an easy lunch or dinner spot near campus. Very reliable pho options. Pho Grand on S. Grand Boulevard is also delicious and is near tons of other great restaurants!

St. Louis is renowned (and maybe not in a good way) for IMO’s Pizza — a local chain pizzeria that uses a combination of cheeses called provel which I can only describe as unique. Some people are IMO’s die-hards, others think it tastes like hot garbage. You won’t know which camp you fall into until you try it.

But regardless of any pizza shame St. Louis may have, I’m here to tell you that you CAN live in St. Louis and still get good pizza. Here is a list of other places worth trying … and, worst case scenario, there’s always Domino’s.

Jet’s — Get the BBQ chicken. You’ll thank me later.

Pi Pizzeria — Legend has it Barack Obama used to have Pi shipped to the White House.

Racanelli’s — Classic New York-style pizza; you can even get it by the slice.

Dewey’s — Their non-traditional toppings are “bananas good.”

Pointer’s — My personal favorite, home of the pointersaurus: a gargantuan pie that will feed alllllll of your friends.

Peel — A classier joint in Clayton and some of the tastiest I’ve had in St. Louis.

Union Loafers — A bread bakery in Tower Grove with yummy artisan pizza; don’t pass up on a side of “fresh cheese and burnt toast”!

I came to St. Louis with zero expectations about finding good Puerto Rican food. However, I was pleasantly surprised with a restaurant off of Lafayette Square called Mayo Ketchup. Right next to a beautiful and historic park, Mayo Ketchup has everything from pollo guisado to pernil with arroz con gandules, and of course, everything comes with a bottle of mayo ketchup. You can even get a sampler if you and some friends want to try their selection of tostones, empanadas, queso frito, and sorullitos (my personal fave). This has quickly become one of my favorite spots in St. Louis, because after thoroughly stuffing my face, I always love taking a stroll in the serene Lafayette Park afterwards.

The Delmar Loop offers a few ramen shops, including Blue Ocean, Nudo House (which has several vegetarian options), and Nami Ramen. But the best ramen I’ve had in St. Louis was from Ramen Tei, which is located in Ballwin, MO (about half an hour away from campus). I highly recommend getting their pork buns and their standard tonkotsu ramen.

While the Midwest might not be known for its fantastic seafood, there are still plenty of choices for sushi and poke here in St. Louis! Central West End a bunch of spots — Kampai Sushi right under Del Coronado, Sushi Koi and PokeDoke on Euclid, and Drunken Fish right down the street are all great places to grab a few rolls or a quick poke bowl. And if you’re craving all-you-can-eat (and you’re up for the challenge of consuming your own body weight in sushi) you can check out Sushi Ai in Clayton or downtown St. Louis!

St. Louis has a surprisingly diverse set of taquerías and taco shops sprawled across the city. So far, my personal favorites have been Taquería El Bronco on Cherokee Street and El Toluco Taquería out in Manchester (20 minutes from Central West End). Although El Toluco is a bit of a drive, their tacos and tortas are, in my opinion, the best in the city. If you’re looking for a creative spin on traditional tacos or simply want to bond over some margaritas, you should also check out Seoul Taco, Mission Taco, or Burro Loco. And of course, if you’re craving the ultimate late night junk food, Taco Bell and the mighty crunch wrap supreme are always within reach. Despite this list, there are still so many places that I haven’t tried like Taqueria Hectorito, Tacos la Jefa STL, or anywhere on Cherokee Street. If you’re a taco lover, you won’t be disappointed.

Thai Country Café is a cult favorite of both WashU and Saint Louis University students, with enormous portion sizes and fairly affordable fare — I highly recommend the red and green curries, pad see yew, and tom yum soup. Thai 202 is more local in the Central West End. For something more ~fancy~, try Fork and Stix, which is also on the Delmar Loop along with Thai Country.