5 Must Eat Foods While Visiting St. Louis

I'll admit I would have never guessed St. Louis would be such a foodie destination. I knew it was known for the Gateway Arch and some other great attractions but that was about it. Much to my surprise we discovered neighborhoods dedicated solely to a particular culture's culinary style as well as a few dishes which got their start in St. Louis and can be found on almost every menu in the city. Grab your fork, I'm sharing 5 must-eat dishes as well as a couple bonus items which we didn't have the chance to try. You can also read more about our trip to St. Louis, including our full 3-day itinerary here. 

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#1 Toasted Ravioli 

I'm not wasting any time and starting with my #1 must-eat: toasted ravioli (or T-rav as the locals call it). It's start can be traced back to the city's Italian neighborhood known as "The Hill" (more on that below) and was actually created by mistake when a chef dropped a ravioli in the fryer. The pasta is filled with meat and/or cheese and then breaded and deep fried and served with marina topped with parmesan cheese. You don't have to search very hard to locate a restaurant that serves the appetizer as it can be found on many menus throughout the city. We tried it while eating lunch at The Sliced Pint and this pillowy fried goodness lived up to its reputation. If you're feeling really adventurous, you can order their T-rav pizza which has a layer of toasted ravioli as the pizza crust.

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#2 Italian Food from The Hill

As I mentioned above, St. Louis' Italian neighborhood coined "The Hill" is a must visit. Here you'll find everything from family-owned delis, sandwich shops, and bakeries to pizzerias and upscale Italian restaurants. We took a local's recommendations and had dinner at Favazza's and were certainly not disappointed. They have a great outdoor patio space with a fountain, string lights and walls painted to look like an authentic Italian village. If you haven't got your toasted ravioli fix in yet you can order as an appetizer or try one of their mouth-watering pasta dishes. If you have time, stop by Missouri Baking Company for handmade Italian sweets and other European desserts. 

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#3 St. Louis Style Pizza

I'll never say no to pizza so of course we had to give the pie named after the city a try. We were visiting the City Museum and The Sliced Pint happened to be located next door so this is where we chose to devour our pie. Other places that come with high marks are Pi Pizzeria (located near the Arch) and Imo's Pizza. So what exactly makes this pizza different from others? St. Louis style pizza is known for it's thin, cracker-like crust and use of Provel cheese instead of mozzarella. This style pizza of is also cut into squares or rectangles instead of wedges.

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#4 St. Louis Style BBQ

St. Louis is said to consume more barbecue sauce per capita than any other city in the nation so you know they're doing something right. Again, you'll have a variety of bbq joints to choose from. We decided to check out Salt and Smoke in Delmar Loop and all agreed this was the foodie highlight of our trip! My husband ordered the St. Louis style ribs which are known for being meatier than baby back and presented in a well-formed rectangular shape. Trust me when I say the meat was literally falling off the bone! The ribs are often heavily sauced with St. Louis bbq sauce which is known for its sweet, slightly acidic, tomato-based flavor. I ordered a two meat plate with chicken and brisket and the best Mac and cheese I've ever eaten. 

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#5 Broadway Oyster Bar

St. Louis isn't necessarily known as a seafood capital, but our dinner at Broadway Oyster Bar was one of our favorite meals on the trip so it had to make it on my top 5 list. Try to grab a seat on their patio if you can which features an eclectic mix of decor and a stage with live music every day of the week. And of course let's not forget about the food! Their seafood selection is out of this world. I tried the lobster poboy which features hearty chunks of breaded lobster and a creamy Sriracha voodoo sauce. You can't leave here without trying the oysters - I mean it's in the name after all. If you're like me and not brave enough to try them raw, I highly recommend the char-grilled oysters or the oysters Rockefeller which come topped with a spinach-bacon cream sauce and parmesan cheese and then baked. 

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Now for my must-eat runner ups which I'm so sad we didn't have a chance to try on our trip: 

• Gooey butter cake - Similar to toasted ravioli, this dessert is said to have come about by mistake when a baker accidentally doubled the butter in a yellow cake recipe. You can enjoy the classic version or one of several different flavor varieties.
• ​Concrete - A frozen custard dessert which is named after its thick texture which allows you to turn your desert upside-down without it dripping out. The very best place to go is the iconic Ted Drewes Frozen Custard.
• Pork steak - Found on the menu at most bbq joints, this cut of meat  is cooked on a hot grill and heavily sauced.