St. Louis Restaurants That Are Closed But Never Forgotten

Rossino's

206 N. Sarah St.
In the basement of this apartment building lived the best little Italian joint: Rossino's. The ceilings were low, the decor was kitchy and the food was great. Rossino's was rumored to be the first pizza place in all of St. Louis.

Photo courtesy of Toby Weiss / B.E.L.T. (photo has been cropped )

Parkmoor

6733 Clayton Rd.
Opened in 1931, this old-style curb-service restaurant eventually turned into the most beloved eat-in diner in all of St. Louis. From service right at your car to a drive-up to a dine-in, the Parkmoor always changed with the times and customers followed. It eventually fell prey to chain restaurants, though, and closed in 1999. Sadly, the entire building was eventually demolished to make space for a Walgreens.

Photo courtesy of Facebook

Cicero's

6691 Delmar Blvd.
This was the second location of Cicero's, with the first one just down the street still remembered as an important music venue. This location also had a room for performances, but the focus was on the food. The thick-crust pizza was outstanding and Cicero's was on the forefront in offering non-local beers.

Photo courtesy of Mabel Suen

Shangri La Diner

2201 Cherokee St.
Though the decorations were memorable, this little vegetarian place was legendary for offering good food at great prices. Before Cherokee Street became the sensation that it is currently, the Shangri La was a big hit. It was also a favorite haunt of the late St. Louis photographer Bob Reuter, who could frequently be found holding court there.

Photo courtesy of Facebook

Famous Barr Restaurant

175 Jamestown Mall
Shopping malls are going extinct, but they might not be if places like this were still around. The restaurant inside the Famous Barr department store served food that was oddly delicious, and just fancy enough to feel apropos when you were out to eat with your grandma. And the French onion soup here was the stuff of legend.

Photo courtesy of Paul Sableman

Cristo's

8901 Riverview Blvd.
This beloved restaurant in Baden closed just one year shy of a 50-year run. Even though it was once in the news for terrible reasons (its cook was abuducted from the parking lot and found dead in Forest Park a couple of days later), this place is still remembered as a great place to take the family for good food and generous portions.

Photo courtesy of Google Maps

Home Wine Kitchen

7322 Manchester Rd.
This Maplewood stunner had to close a couple of years back after getting his with a lawsuit over tipping brought on by a couple of former employees. But while it was in business, chef Cassy Vires brought great food, a cozy atmosphere and an extensive wine list to all who entered. Rest in peace, Home Wine Kitchen. You live on in our hearts.

Photo courtesy of Jennifer Silverberg

Kopperman's Deli

386 N. Euclid Ave.
This was once the best sandwich shop in all of St. Louis, possibly all of the United States. Just one look at that photo tells you everything that you need to know. With food that great and cute sandwich names (like "Ike and Tina Tuna"), we're going to remember Kopperman's forever.

Photo courtesy of Nancy Stiles

Black Bear Bakery Co-Op

3639 Cherokee St.
This collective made the best bread in town and sold it at both the Soulard Farmer's Market and at a storefront on Cherokee. The food was delicious and the products were local. They were pioneers.

Photo courtesy of Mabel Suen

Busch's Grove

9160 Clayton Rd.
Set on premium real estate, this restaurant in Ladue was a one-of-a-kind, with amazing outdoor dining set back in the woods of Ladue. With the great service and the private cabanas, it was easy to imagine that you were on vacation somewhere exotic and not just in St. Louis County.

Photo courtesy of Google Maps

McBarge

Floating on the Mississippi River near the Gateway Arch
It was just a McDonald's but it was a boat, man. This floating thing was known as the McBarge and the only difference between it and a regular McDonalds was that it was dirtier. That didn't matter, though. We loved the stupid thing.

Photo courtesy of 48 States / English Wikipedia

Bleeding Deacon

4123 Chippewa St.
The Bleeding Deacon became a St. Louis favorite for three reasons: It was a fine bar, the food was way better than would be expected at a bar and the Deacon was the only place in its neighborhood doing food that well. Located near the corner of Chippewa and Gravois, this place had a sex shop next door but that didn't stop it from serving some of the best meals on the south side.

Photo courtesy of Chrissy Wilmes

The Majestic

4900 Laclede Ave.
Lou Politis' Greek-inflected diner had a terrific 53-year run in the Central West End before closing in 2014, and its loss is felt every time a neighborhood resident awakens with a hangover and wonders, "Just where should I go to breakfast?" There was nothing majestic about the Majestic .... except its wonderful warmth, its cozy environs, its deliciously greasy diner food. R.I.P.

Photo courtesy of Google Maps

Del Taco

212 S. Grand Blvd.
Though we're told it still exists in other cities, in St. Louis is sadly without a Del Taco. The location near the Hi-Pointe Theater was plenty well-used, but when Del Taco moved out of the "saucer" building on Grand Ave, historians feared demolition. It was saved, however, and is now the futuristic home of another chain -- a Starbucks.

Photo courtesy of Laura Miller

Eternity

11 S. Euclid Ave
We voted this place "best vegetarian" again and again because, well, it was. From non-meat BBQ to fish filets to gyros, Eternity had you covered. It also didn't use additives, preservatives, or artificial colors and flavors. Please come back, Eternity.

Photo courtesy of Google Maps

Dierdorf and Harts

323 Westport Plaza
Founded by two St. Louis Cardinal players (the football team, not the baseball team), Dierdorf and Harts was a classic steakhouse. There was a downtown location, too, but sadly both are no more. With a menu that included both a 30-ounce porterhouse and a delicious vegetarian lasagna, it pleased everyone in the family.

Photo courtesy of Google Maps

Flaco's Tacos

116 N. 6th St.
Flaco's will forever be remembered as the first good place to get fish tacos in St. Louis. The meal has become popular among St. Louis residents (who rave about the version at the Royale now) but it was Floco's that first introduced us to this favorite food.

Photo courtesy of Thomas Hawk / Flickr

Niche

7734 Forsyth Blvd.
Back before Gerard Craft's flagship restaurant was a Clayton temple of fine dining, back before he banned even sugar because it wasn't truly local to Missouri, and long before it earned him a James Beard Award, Niche was simply the very best restaurant to open in St. Louis a long time. Located in the Benton Park space that now holds Peacemaker, Niche opened in 2005 and knocked all of our socks off.

Photo courtesy of Jennifer Silverberg

Big Boys

275 N. Service Rd.
The food might not have changed the world, but everybody loved the Big Boys restaurant in Wright City. A great place for a quick bite of greasy American goodness, it also served as a nice place for families on road trips to stop to stretch their legs and grab a photo with the Big Boy.

Photo courtesy of elycefeliz / Flickr

The Good Pie

3137 Olive St.
Mike Randolph's acclaimed Midtown pizzeria, which opened in 2008, helped St. Louis understand that a thin crust didn't need to be topped with Provel. His authentic Neapolitan-style pies were charred perfection, and the Good Pie's original location in Midtown flourished for five years before the restaurant to the Loop for a two-year run. It later became Randolphi's and then the tasting menu-based Privado.

Photo courtesy of Jennifer Silverberg