35 Family-Owned Restaurants in St. Louis That Stand the Test of Time

By Riverfront Times Staff on Sat, Apr 28, 2018 at 3:46 am

Restaurants come and go, but not these classics. These family-owned restaurants were built to last and they survive still because of the love and dedication of their proprietors -- who either continue to own them, or have their descendants own them, no matter how many years have passed. Many of them showcase the food of the family’s home country and some of them were built just so they could be passed down for generations. If you want something with history or something of quality, your search ends here. These are the special places that are carrying on grandma’s recipe.

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Crown Candy Kitchen

1401 St. Louis Ave.
The beloved candy shop and soda fountain was founded in 1913 and has stayed in the same family and in the same building ever since. This St. Louis institution is famous for its candies, its malts and its "Heart Stoping BLT"s.

Photo courtesy of Keith Yahl

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Ted Drewes

6726 Chippewa St.
Tennis champion Ted Drewes Sr. launched this St. Louis institution in 1930, adding additional stands in 1931 and 1941. Four generations later, the frozen custard stand has two thriving locations, selling ice cream and Christmas trees with equal aplomb to huge south-city crowds.

Photo courtesy of Philip Leara / Flickr

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Pat Connolly Tavern

6400 Oakland Ave.
Joe Jovanovich's maternal grandfather founded the iconic Dogtown establishment 75 years ago, his mom and dad eventually took over the business, and he grew up in the place. At age 11, Jovanovich's world came crashing down at the age of eleven when his dad passed away suddenly from an aneurysm. Six years later his mom sold the bar. But a few years ago, Jovanovich and his mom bought back the Pat Connolly Tavern and restored it to its original glory. - Cheryl Baehr

Photo courtesy of Kelly Gueck

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Cafe Napoli

7752 Forsyth Blvd.
This family-owned place was founded by Tony and Kathy Pietoso in 1989. Located in Clayton, it's a great place for a business lunch or after-work cocktails. Tony Pietoso is an omnipresent force in this coolly modern dining room. The restaurant offers a relatively short list of pastas complemented by Italian standards, along with exquisite signature dishes.

Photo courtesy of Stephen Fairbanks

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Adriana's

5101 Shaw Ave.
Adriana's on the Hill has been a sandwich institution for the past nineteen years, owned and run by Adriana Fazio and her daughters, Suzanne, Dianna and Tia. Their sandwiches are an explosion of tastes, and best-suited for those who are prepared to get a little messy with their lunch. - Tara Mahadevan

Photo courtesy of Tara Mahadevan

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Biggie's

3332 Watson Rd.
The menu offers something for everybody — pizza, sandwiches (including one of the best veal parms around) and pasta. Biggie's isn't merely a great neighborhood restaurant but its own neighborhood, a place where anyone can feel a part of the community.

Photo courtesy of Kate Bockhold

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Erio's

951 Jungermann Rd.
Don't let this restaurant's unfortunate location between a Dollar Tree and a Subway scare you off. Joan and Pete Pulizzi serve up word-class Sicilian food so good that you'll think you're dreaming.

Photo courtesy of Google Maps

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Al's Steakhouse

1200 N. 1st St.
Al's is special. Opened in 1925, it's the city's oldest, single-family, locally owned and operated restaurant still in its original location. This is the mother of all family restaurants.

Photo by John Schoemehl

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King and I

3155 S. Grand Ave.
Located at the corner of South Grand Avenue and Juniata Street, the space provides prime people-watching or simply a comfortable spot to hunker down for a hot meal. Open since 1980, Suchin Prapaisilp's restaurant specializes in Thai cuisine with influences from Chinese, Vietnamese and Japanese eats. - Mabel Suen

Photo courtesy of Mabel Suen

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Banh Mi So

4071 S. Grand Blvd.
Thomas and Lynn Truong serve the area's best spring rolls. And egg rolls. And charred pork banh mi. And, well, basically everything. - Cheryl Baehr

Photo courtesy of Cheryl Baehr

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Mai Lee

8396 Musick Memorial Dr. Brentwood, MO
Owner Lee Tran keeps her family close. Her children Linda, Qui and Sara are all involved with her restaurant. Check out her spring rolls, roast duck or pho. Mai Lee is a Vietnamese restaurant but when it opened it was a Chinese restaurant, so a selection of Chinese dishes still remain available.

Photo courtesy of Jennifer Silverberg

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Cafe Mochi

3221 S. Grand Blvd.
Café Mochi is a hip little place located in the heart of South Grand. Living in a land-locked state, we run the risk of stale-tasting fish every time we go out for seafood, but this family-run joint always keeps it fresh. - Caillin Murray.

Photo courtesy of Jennifer Silverberg

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Cafe Natasha

3200 S. Grand Blvd.
Behshid Bahrami, who founded Cafe Natasha, passed away at the end of 2016, but his family continues on in his name. The restaurant was named after his daughter, Natasha, who took over operations four years ago. Stop in for Persian specialties like lamb and try his signature kabob marinade.

Photo courtesy of Natasha Bahrami

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BJ's Bar & Restaurant in Florissant

184 Washington St. Florissant, MO
This quintessential corner tavern has been in the same family since 1955, and not much seems to have changed since then. The neighborhood joint makes some of the best thin-crust pizza in town, served with (gasp) mozzarella cheese.

Photo courtesy of Google Maps

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Sweetie Pie's

9841 W. Florissant Ave.
The wait here can get long, but this soul food is worth it. From okra to black eyed peas to cornbread, everything that proprietor Robbie Montgomery touches is so magnificent that it even earned her a reality show on Oprah's OWN network.

Photo courtesy of Sarah Rusnak

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Cardwell's at the Plaza

92 Plaza Frontenac
Known as that beautiful space that serves equally beautiful food, at Cardwell's at the Plaza, Bill Cardwell has been supplying fine cooking with thoughtful presentation for the last twenty years.

Photo courtesy of Google Maps

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Pizza-A-Go-Go

6703 Scanlan Ave.
Founded in 1967 by Frank LaFata, Pizza-A-Go-Go has stayed in the family. Frank's son Paul started working with his dad when he was 13 years old and runs the place today. This place is cash only, but it's worth the stop at an ATM. Pizza-A-Go-Go is a St. Louis classic.

Photo courtesy of Ian Froeb

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Favazza's

5201 Southwest Ave.
The restaurant was founded in 1979 by Vito Favazza, his wife, Ellen, and their son, Tony. The restaurant is now owned and operated by grandsons John and Tony, who have kept the tradition of the "fishbowl drink" alive and well. It's a pretty famous drink. You've probably tried it already but you don't even remember that you tried it.

Photo courtesy of Google Maps

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Kreis Steakhouse

535 S. Lindbergh Blvd.
This family-owned restaurant has excellent steak -- but you'd be wrong to skip the prime rib. It's "world famous," and it might just be the biggest prime rib you've ever seen. Complete with seafood and German specialties, the menu has a wide variety of options to choose from every time you visit.

Photo courtesy of RFT Archives

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Lu Lu Seafood and Dim Sum

8224 Olive Blvd.
Authentic yet Western-friendly, this Shanghai-style mainstay does dim sum cart service as well as a la carte meals. Jerry Li and Jenny Lu opened the place in 2000 with Jenny's brother LiMing Lu; today they're assisted by daughter Julia Li in ventures including a fast-casual spinoff.

Photo courtesy of Mabel Suen

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35 Family-Owned Restaurants in St. Louis That Stand the Test of Time

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