Something is always happening in the St. Louis restaurant scene -- and in the last five months, that's meant a ton of interesting new openings. From cuisine influenced by a chef's roots in Laos to a new Bosnian-American hybrid, from a counter-service spot offering the hottest Chinese street food to a restaurant offering boiled seafood like that in Texas, there's something for everyone in this list of new and exciting openings. Use it as your cheat sheet to plan your next nights on the town.
20 New St. Louis Restaurants that We Can’t Get Enough Of
By Riverfront Times Staff on Tue, Aug 1, 2017 at 8:53 pm
Something is always happening in the St. Louis restaurant scene -- and in the last five months, that's meant a ton of interesting new openings. From cuisine influenced by a chef's roots in Laos to a new Bosnian-American hybrid, from a counter-service spot offering the hottest Chinese street food to a restaurant offering boiled seafood like that in Texas, there's something for everyone in this list of new and exciting openings. Use it as your cheat sheet to plan your next nights on the town.
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Tin Roof
1000 Clark Avenue, 314-240-5400
It makes sense that downtown’s newest hotspot, Tin Roof, has its roots in Nashville: The vibe may be casual, but the party goes on all night. Tin Roof has three bars, including one outside on the mid-sized patio, and a surprisingly ambitious food menu courtesy of executive chef Nowell Gata. Photo by Sarah Fenske.
1000 Clark Avenue, 314-240-5400
It makes sense that downtown’s newest hotspot, Tin Roof, has its roots in Nashville: The vibe may be casual, but the party goes on all night. Tin Roof has three bars, including one outside on the mid-sized patio, and a surprisingly ambitious food menu courtesy of executive chef Nowell Gata. Photo by Sarah Fenske.
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Try Tin Roof’s pub boards, which offer your choice of protein, including Nashville hot chicken or voodoo shrimp, along with two sides. Photo by Sarah Fenske.
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Shell City Crab Shack
1330 Aubert Avenue, 314-696-2799
The new restaurant now open in the city’s Fountain Park neighborhood has north city buzzing. Shell City Crab Shack offers large platters of seafood (crab, shrimp, even lobster) paired with goodies like corn, potatoes and sweet potato casserole, all served to-go. Photo by Taylor Vinson.
1330 Aubert Avenue, 314-696-2799
The new restaurant now open in the city’s Fountain Park neighborhood has north city buzzing. Shell City Crab Shack offers large platters of seafood (crab, shrimp, even lobster) paired with goodies like corn, potatoes and sweet potato casserole, all served to-go. Photo by Taylor Vinson.
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Chef/owner Ryan Martin is justifiably proud of his seafood mac & cheese at Shell City Crab Shack. Get an order and see what the neighborhood is talking about. Photo by Taylor Vinson.
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The Taco & Ice Cream Joint
2738 Cherokee Street, 314-224-5799
The Rico family’s big new restaurant on Cherokee Street, the Taco & Ice Cream Joint, is as brightly lit and fun as a street carnival. Tacos come undressed, so you can top them just the way you like them at the free salsa bar. Photo by Sarah Fenske.
2738 Cherokee Street, 314-224-5799
The Rico family’s big new restaurant on Cherokee Street, the Taco & Ice Cream Joint, is as brightly lit and fun as a street carnival. Tacos come undressed, so you can top them just the way you like them at the free salsa bar. Photo by Sarah Fenske.
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After you’ve had a few tacos at The Taco & Ice Cream Joint, you’ll surely be in the mood for something cool and sweet – and you’ll have several options, from scoops of house-made ice cream to delicious Mexican-style fruit popsicles. And did we mention the fudge-dipped bananas? Photo by Sarah Fenske.
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MK’s Asian Persuasion
6417 Hampton Avenue
Don’t let that goofy name fool you; MK’s Asian Persuasion knows its stuff. Chef MK Vongnarath is a native of Laos who also lived in Thailand before moving to St. Louis as a teenager. Photo by Cheryl Baehr.
6417 Hampton Avenue
Don’t let that goofy name fool you; MK’s Asian Persuasion knows its stuff. Chef MK Vongnarath is a native of Laos who also lived in Thailand before moving to St. Louis as a teenager. Photo by Cheryl Baehr.
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Previously the proprietor of MK’s Rolls and Wraps, Vongnarath is offering food that’s accessible and pan-Asian, with egg rolls and spring rolls, curries and pad thais. On weekend nights, part of the space becomes a karaoke spot; plan your visit accordingly. Photo by Cheryl Baehr.
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The Mad Crab
8080 Olive Boulevard, University City
The Ho family’s new spot on Olive replaces Kim Son Vietnamese Bistro and offers something totally new for St. Louis: a boiled seafood spot akin to the ones in Texas. Pick your protein, your seasoning and your spice level, and then get ready for servers to pour out the ocean’s bounty right onto your table. Photo by Sara Bannoura.
8080 Olive Boulevard, University City
The Ho family’s new spot on Olive replaces Kim Son Vietnamese Bistro and offers something totally new for St. Louis: a boiled seafood spot akin to the ones in Texas. Pick your protein, your seasoning and your spice level, and then get ready for servers to pour out the ocean’s bounty right onto your table. Photo by Sara Bannoura.
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The offerings at The Mad Crab aren’t for the dainty; you’ll need to dig in with your hands and go to work. Not into seafood? You can always order sausage. Photo by Sarah Fenske.
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Bing Bing
567A Melville Avenue, University City; 314-669-9229
Business partners Yong Liu and Yijun Chen are bringing St. Louis something altogether new: bing. These savory crepes combine meat, vegetables and sometimes eggs in a thin wrapper akin to what you use to eat moo shu pork. They’ve been taking New York and San Francisco by storm, but Bing Bing is definitely the first restaurant to serve them in St. Louis – and likely one of the first in the whole Midwest. Photo by Sarah Fenske.
567A Melville Avenue, University City; 314-669-9229
Business partners Yong Liu and Yijun Chen are bringing St. Louis something altogether new: bing. These savory crepes combine meat, vegetables and sometimes eggs in a thin wrapper akin to what you use to eat moo shu pork. They’ve been taking New York and San Francisco by storm, but Bing Bing is definitely the first restaurant to serve them in St. Louis – and likely one of the first in the whole Midwest. Photo by Sarah Fenske.
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But bing aren’t the only reason to check out this sleek storefront just off the Loop. Appetizers such as the “Volcano Chicken” and Japanese-style meat skewers provide a taste of the kind of global street food young Chinese diners seek out today. Photo by Sarah Fenske.
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Seoul Garden
10441 Olive Boulevard, Creve Coeur; 314-569-4123
Kyung and Dong Moon’s original Korean barbecue spot, Seoul Garden, is in St. Ann, but they recently opened a new version in Creve Coeur. The Moons had initially opened the spot as KimCheese, a fast-casual Korean joint, but decided a classic table-top barbecue might do even better here. Photo by Cheryl Baehr.
10441 Olive Boulevard, Creve Coeur; 314-569-4123
Kyung and Dong Moon’s original Korean barbecue spot, Seoul Garden, is in St. Ann, but they recently opened a new version in Creve Coeur. The Moons had initially opened the spot as KimCheese, a fast-casual Korean joint, but decided a classic table-top barbecue might do even better here. Photo by Cheryl Baehr.
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Diners are in luck, because a new Seoul Garden location means a host of free banchan, or appetizers, with every meal, as well as some delicious meat offerings. Grab a table and enjoy. Photo by Cheryl Baehr.
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Sister Cities
3550 South Broadway, 314-405-0447
Pamela Melton and Travis Parfait served up delicious Cajun and barbecue in south city from 2013 to 2016 when problems with their building -- including (but definitely not limited to) a car crash into the structure and a city condemnation -- made it clear they needed to move. Photo by Mabel Suen.
3550 South Broadway, 314-405-0447
Pamela Melton and Travis Parfait served up delicious Cajun and barbecue in south city from 2013 to 2016 when problems with their building -- including (but definitely not limited to) a car crash into the structure and a city condemnation -- made it clear they needed to move. Photo by Mabel Suen.
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This June, Sister Cities reopened in a bigger, better structure in the shadow of the Lemp Brewery, a sunny spot with big windows and a patio out back. The food, thank God, remains the same, with jambalaya and po’boys along with what have been called the best chicken wings in the city. Photo by Sarah Fenske.
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The Libertine
7927 Forsyth Boulevard, Clayton; 314-862-2999
Nick and Audra Luedde’s Clayton restaurant isn’t new, of course. It opened in 2013. But it has a brand-new chef, and with her has come a new menu that doesn’t just replace the old one – it gives the restaurant a whole new identity. Photo by Sarah Fenske.
7927 Forsyth Boulevard, Clayton; 314-862-2999
Nick and Audra Luedde’s Clayton restaurant isn’t new, of course. It opened in 2013. But it has a brand-new chef, and with her has come a new menu that doesn’t just replace the old one – it gives the restaurant a whole new identity. Photo by Sarah Fenske.
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Under chef Samantha Mitchell, previously known for the Farmtruk food truck, the Libertine has an aggressively local focus, with the bounty of the Midwest on full display. Still, the flavors here are not provincial; Mitchell evokes the West and the Southwest in her creative offerings. These days, the dining room at the Libertine is buzzing, and savvy diners would be wise to see what all the fuss is about. Photo by Jennifer Silverberg.
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Charleville Brewing Co.
2101 Chouteau Avenue, 314-241-4677
A partnership between Paul and Wendy Hamilton (Eleven Eleven Mississippi, Vin de Set) and the Russell family that founded Charleville Vineyard & Microbrewery in Ste. Genevieve, Charleville Brewing Co. isn’t just a good place to grab a bite and a beer – it’s a bona fide hit, the restaurant that Downtown West didn’t know it was missing. Photo by Sarah Fenske.
2101 Chouteau Avenue, 314-241-4677
A partnership between Paul and Wendy Hamilton (Eleven Eleven Mississippi, Vin de Set) and the Russell family that founded Charleville Vineyard & Microbrewery in Ste. Genevieve, Charleville Brewing Co. isn’t just a good place to grab a bite and a beer – it’s a bona fide hit, the restaurant that Downtown West didn’t know it was missing. Photo by Sarah Fenske.
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The food at Charleville Brewing Co. is more creative than you may expect, with great vegetarian options, terrific bruschetta and even some really good chicken livers as an appetizer. And hey, if the restaurant is too busy to seat you, the Hamiltons have lots of other options just one block away, including their underrated PW Pizza. Photo by Sarah Fenske.
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