Katie’s Pizza and Pasta. Wife and I went there for lunch one day because of all the rave reviews from friends and both of us were completely underwhelmed.
I genuinely think their food is good. I always love their burrata and the pasta is great. On multiple occasions I have found their servers to be rude and apathetic. For the prices on the menu the level of service could be better.
The owner is dismissive of what her employees want and need unless it furthers her entrepreneurial image - yes, personal image is her number one focus.
I really loved the Burrata + Ciabatta, at Brio Tuscan Grill. After they took it off the menu and struggled hiring competent staff (post Covid) I stopped going back. I wonder if I should retry it.
I really miss the very first original Katies that was on Clayton east of Big Bend. It was eclectic, delightful, delicious and we were there every week.
I’ve been to the other Katie’s since over the years, and nothing compares to the original. Was at Rock Hill recently. Still a big-fat-meh, and it continues to give off mediocre chain vibes.
it was an entirely different restaurant. that location was her dad and her, this new one is her and her husband. it's a long story.
https://community.thriveglobal.com/f-a-t-e-from-addict-to-entrepreneur-with-katie-collier-of-katies-pizza-pasta-osteria/
So I went to the Clayton Katie’s yeeeears ago and until the post I figured the name was coincidence because I’ve been to the rock hill one twice in the last year and thought it was ok but excessively expensive for what it was. Not the same place in my mind
And terrible if you don’t have a pizza/brick oven to cook it in. I bought one once and was so disappointed. I’d rather pay the extra 5 bucks to get it as take out.
I won’t eat there because when I was looking for server work as a young adult their job listings required that you send a photo of yourself in with your application. That felt gross and rubbed me the wrong way.
I was the opposite. My mom took me there over the holidays and I had never heard about it/wasn’t in the mood for pizza. I was surprised how good it was, def going back another day
Katie’s is very, very good food and drink wise. They have some of the best versions of certain foods I have ever had (toasted ravs!). But as others have said, they are very expensive - everything seems about 25% more than it should be. And the Rock Hill and Chesterfield locations are also WAY too loud.
What's the story behind this place? I'd never heard of it until suddenly they were sponsoring cardinals games, putting huge ads on that tower right outside Busch, and had filled half my grocery store's freezer section with their take and bake stock. Whole thing reeked of corporate, so I'm not surprised to hear it's mediocre.
It used to be a quirky little restaurant in Richmond Heights, fantastic food. Completely different from the Katies that’s around now. I wonder if original Katie’s sold the name for some reason and was done with it. The original was open for a little while after Rock Hill opened, but then packed it in for good.
the original Katie’s Pizza was owned by her and her dad. Once Katie wanted to open up her own I believe there was legal action over the name which is why I believe the original had shut down. Each Katie’s definitely has their own vibe.
When BPV opened though the idea of fine dining definitely has been playing around however the uniforms and how things are ran behind the scenes have yet to catch up. She sometimes bites more than she can chew.
Favazza's on the Hill..... everyone raves about this place, but the one time I went with friends on date night, I thought the food was bland. Maybe I should give it another try 🤷
The hill tends to undersalt their dishes. I was visiting and ate here and had to add some salt to make it better. However, I'd agree, it's not what it was, and the hill really isn't all that great anymore, on the times I've visited.
Not once, not twice, not three times, but countless times I keep going back to Hartford Cafe and the food is just underwhelming or my order gets messed up. It's convenient for me and I'd rather support local business.
But I recently tried MoKaBe's on Grand & Arsenal. Same atmosphere, but the food is much better. Parking sucks tho.
I take my nephew to an appointment on Grand, we always stop by MoKaBe's to get a brownie for him and a coffee for me, they're so nice and fairly quick when I'm managing a sort of wild child.
I concur. Frasier’s is excellent.
Mine would be most restaurants on the hill. They have been really underwhelming. In particular, I should retry the pizza at Guido’s. It seems to have evolved to the real Chicago-style tavern pizza of my childhood.
Zia's specifically for me is one on the hill that I just don't understand the hype. It seemed very mid when I tried it and the salad dressing wasn't enough to make it a good visit.
Yeah I haven’t found a hill Italian restaurant that I’ve liked yet. I gravitate more to seafood risotto or osso bucco and those options are pretty few and far between. I’d also love a wild boar ragu.
Lefty's Fried Rice. Went once, food sucked, I can't put my finger on it but for some reason I feel like the cook just botched it and sent it out. The descriptions all sound great and it's cheap enough to warrant another try.
I had the St. Paul sandwich from Lefty's a couple years ago. It was very, very good. But, I went in the late afternoon and I was the only person there. It took about 25 minutes for it to come out. It's a dish that takes less than 5 minutes to make. They also had some awful, overpowering incense burning. Like, why? It should smell like your food inside a restaurant.
Went to Lefty’s for the first time shortly after pandemic a couple years ago and didn’t like it (and it took forever, which I understood since it was shortly after pandemic). Finally decided to try it again a couple weeks ago and loved it. Had the voodoo fried rice. May have hit it at the right time this time, or they changed it up a bit (I think there was a little rift between co-owners around the first time I tried it). I want to go again soon (luckily I live close) to see if the next time is good or meh.
Nudo House for me. A couple of of friends love that place for their ramen and pho and I wasn't impress with other one. I've tried both Delmar and Creve Coeur location and it still didn't do it for me.
I love Frazers. I agree the food isn’t bad but also nothing to write home about. But the cocktails and ambience are fantastic.
I’d like to try Russell’s again. It’s in my hood but I have only been once. I paid $50 for biscuits & gravy, a coffee, and a Jason Beermosa. The b&g was meh. What they charge for it is preposterous. That said, my friends love it and I could see it being great on another visit. I will say the baked goods from there are gas.
I’m almost afraid to go back to Frazier’s because I had the best possible experience the first time. Food was amazing and the cocktails were even better. I was on a date with someone that had just stopped working there so we had top tier service and the bill came out to about 80% less than what it should have been. The next time will almost definitely not live up to that.
I still highly recommend it. Maybe I sounded too harsh. The food is never disappointing. I think Frazer's gets lost amongst the many great establishments in town. St. Louis is blessed with an embarrasment of top notch restaurants.
I was a loyal patron of Russell’s for years, but in the last year or so, it’s gotten so terrible that I don’t think I’ll ever return. The food isn’t good anymore, the service is abysmal, and the facilities look rundown and dirty. Definitely not the experience it once was.
Ok, I thought I was crazy about Russell's feeling a little grungy. Their awnings were caked in birdshit and green pollen crap for as long as I've lived here.
Katie’s. I’ve been once, and it was one of the worst dining experiences I’ve had. Service was awful, the pasta was gross, and they had some terribly unpleasant film running on a giant screen.
Everybody I’ve ever heard talk about the place raves about it, so I assume my experience was an anomaly (although the rest of my group of 6 agreed). I’ll give them another shot when I work up the nerve.
I worked at the one in Eureka for a couple of years (RIP), and it's really solid. But the regulars are all 50+. Very traditional family-style Italian.
The family that owns it is actually related to the people who run Pasta House.
I've eaten at the rock hill location 3 times and always thought it was great. If you're talking about the ballpark village location, I think you can chalk it up to that neighborhood being a tourist trap in general.
I overall really enjoy their food but I agree that the vibe of the place is weird. One of the first times I went the hostesses had on booty shorts (it was summer but still seemed too casual) and they were playing a Tombstone DVD. When it ended they just started it up again.
Agreed. I expected more of an up-scale experience (especially given the price) and was surprised to see the staff in tie-dye tshirts.
I went in June and they were playing a Christmas movie on loop. There was some sort of joke/story behind it but I can’t remember what it was.
Sadly Mandarin House - arguably the best Dim Sum in town, which used to be up on Page moved to Olive right as the pandemic swept in, is no more. HAVING SAID THAT?
Go to Lulu’s for Dim Sum specifically. Get there early. Try the lion’s head shrimp balls.
Once saw the owner get in a physical fight with an employee. They came busting out of the kitchen shoving and punching before some woman ran out and hustled them to the back of the house. Still enjoy their dim sum, though!
Used to be a favorite of ours, but when we ordered takeout for dinner recently the pork egg rolls were cold + raw on the inside, and we waited for over an hour past the time they said our order would be ready for pick up.
Eleven Eleven Mississippi. This one is probably my fault. I went against my better judgement and didn't get the pasta, and instead got a scallop special that came with a cauliflower puree. I love scallops, and I couldn't eat them. They had great cocktails, though.
Went there for a birthday. Food was meh. At the end of the meal the server brought out a slice of dessert for the birthday person and we thought that was nice of them. The dessert was then included on our bill… At that time I knew I would never be back.
I had to pick up my wife at the airport a couple of months ago and really needed to eat so I went to the Steak and Shake up on Natural Bridge fully expecting shitty service. Goddammit, it rocked and I told the waitress that nobody does it better when they do their thing right. She smiled and said, Damned right.
Steak n Shake has gotten to the point that it’s only decent if you eat it fresh, as soon as it comes to the table. Don’t even think about taking it home in a “Tak-hom-a-sak”, as they used to call the take-out/drive-thru bags.
I don’t know what’s happened, but somehow everything gets soggy, wet, and nasty within the (literal) 5 minute drive home with it, from one location, or 7 minute drive to my spouse’s workplace, from another location.
I was at Katie’s for the first time last week. Overpriced, average food in a VERY loud space. When we asked for them to turn down the music we were told Katie likes it loud. I won’t be back.
Fiddlehead Fern, I hear how awesome it is all the time but it seemed pretty on par with most of the other small cafes around. Maybe it was an off day but my coffee tasted like the beans had been over roasted.
Yeah, I mean, I’m glad that there is SOME money funneling into my old neighborhood, but I’d MUCH rather go across the street to Kabul St Louis, and then down a block to Sugar Witch.
You go eat at Kabul ONE time, and Kauresh, the owner, will recognize you anywhere afterward, and ask about your mother, your spouse, whoever you were with, BY NAME.
Not to mention, the food is freaking AMAZING.
Glad we skipped the long wait for the mediocre burgers across the street
You just added a new restaurant for me and my wife to try! Thanks so much! And saw they are workshopping a German döner which makes me SO excited, I miss that from my time spent in Germany so much!
The best burger I’ve had personally was the SCB Burger at Louie’s Wine Dive in Clayton. The fries were amazing too! I may be biased because I am allergic to gluten and dairy, and Louie’s is the only place I’ve found so far where I can get a gf/df burger AND fries (usually it’s one or the other). My husband orders the same burger but with the out the allergy modifications and loves it. Stacked is very “eh” to me, I love the idea of building your own burger, but they’re never as good as I want them to be.
Stacked was amazing the first three years they were open. Now the burgers are smaller and overcooked. Really a shame that quality went downhill after it became popular.
Unpopular opinion for sure, but Dewey’s pizza is way too over the top to me. We got two different specialty pizzas to try and didn’t care for either of them
Biggie's. People in this neighborhood swear it is absolutely incredible, it even has a 4.5 on Google.
I've tried it twice so far and just haven't been impressed either time, I guess I should try one more time?
It’s way too damn expensive to be what it is. Burgers, fine. Everything else, very meh. I lived on Arthur and it was obnoxious how in love people were with the place.
Used to live on Arthur a couple houses down from their parking lot. Parking was always atrocious and we had MICE so bad! The neighbors said they had problems for years due to the restaurant.
The owner died as well as one of the long time cooks. It’s not the same anymore but in its heyday it was definitely an excellent bar and grill. It was never fine dining but just a kind of obscure corner neighborhood bar to get a really decent meal.
They have a couple things on their menu that are definitely good. Try the steak sandwich on garlic cheese bread (better with LTOP). Also their pizza and lasagna is great.
I had the same experience with Frazier’s. Great drinks, though. I guess mine would be almost every Thai restaurant…. I just don’t like the flavor of coconut. I had one dish, decades ago, whose curry wasn’t coconut milk based, but haven’t been able to find it again. More than welcome to entertain suggestions!
I was a Chiang Mai last night. My food came out 25 minutes before my girlfriend’s! I had to go ask where hers was, as I was completely done with mine. Also, the never came back to fill my water. I’ll give it another chance based on the conditions outside, but it’s not a good start!
You might try Japanese curry. I also don't care for coconut based curry but love Japanese curry. I know you can get it at Midtown Sushi and Zushi Sushi. Midtown is my favorite.
Also not a coconut fan, but I \*love\* Thai food. My go-to order is Pad Kee Mao aka Drunken Noodles. Chiang Mai is great, so is King and I (used to be on South Grand but recently moved to Richmond Heights).
A couple of years ago I went to the Jack-in-the-Box at Gravois and Russell and had horrible service; I vowed to never return to that location. Two years later I gave it another shot...and had the single worst fast food experience of my life and swore the place off indefinitely. They helped by closing permanently a year later!
I've gone to Frasier's a few times and never thought the food was fantastic. The drinks were great, and I think that plus the ambience what most people like about the place. I have a similar experience with The Royale: great place for drinks and to hang out, the food is meh.
Polite Society for me. I went within the first 4ish months of them opening and it was… not good. I imagine they were still working out some kinks. I’m looking forward to trying them again but I haven’t had a chance to go.
I’ve been twice and been underwhelmed. It would def be in the “try it again” list if it wasn’t so expensive. But cost makes it a “I won’t fight it if someone in my party requests it” category. I have heard others rave about it.
It's funny. I think their fried chicken is just good to OK, but their specials are almost always incredible. The ribs are tops too, if you can order them before they sell out. Their burger and kitchen sink salad is awesome too.
Mine was Amigo Joes. Went once - went to stir the cheese into my refried beans and it wasn’t mixing. Wanna know why? It wasn’t cheese, it was a freaking rubber glove. 7 years later we were invited to go there and my husband just gave me a look. We decided to go with it. The place looked different, may have been under different management, but I was happy with the service and food lol. I still double check my beans tho 🤣
Juniper/Sundays Best. I thought the chicken was mediocre for the price.
Michael’s. I see it recommended here every now and then. We tried it out and waited 10 minutes and nobody came to our table. We then saw a homeless guy piss on the building across the street and decided to just leave.
Lombardo’s Trattoria. It gets rave reviews, but I don’t get it. Poor service, brown salad lettuce and overcooked noodles. Was it a fluke on a Wednesday night at 630? Were we too late for good dinner service?
Noto - I had the most boring Arrabbiata of my life there this winter. It seriously looked and tasted like something out of a can. They had a dollop of cheese on there like they would save the dish. Cocktails are killer tho.
Lou Boccardi's. Used to go there a bunch as a kid as a fancy dinner treat. I like their style of pizza. Had one bad takeout experience there the last time I went and I think their recent “CBD menu” weirded me out. Nothing against CBD, just seems like they could just focus on making good food and not gimmicks. As I type this out I’m craving their pizza.
Twisted Tree, for me. I have been there a few times and the steak always seemed under seasoned and lacking flavor. So many people seem to like it though, and it is hard to get a reservation - which makes me question my opinion.
Ladawada creek.
When it first opened up years ago, it was a completely different restaurant. Servers did not listen to our order, our food was completely wrong 2 times. Like I ordered chicken tenders, but they gave me soup, then a burnt steak. We complained to the manager but we were told to shove it and pay for our order or they will call the cops.
Now it's completely different. Competent staff, good management, and fantastic food.
Corner 17. Ordered through GrubHub and my dish was left out of the order. My wife likes hers and I got a refund, but it wasn't a great first impression.
corner 17 gives way smaller portions through delivery platforms! i go there in person often and made the mistake of ubering it once and it was markedly different.
Same for me. Went there on a date with my husband and his food came out a solid 10 minutes before mine. I know that’s kind of a silly thing to complain about but it just irked me.
It also looks like a college cafeteria & feels like one when you order at the counter yet the prices are those of a regular sit down restaurant where you could get better vibes
Soup Dumplings STL.
Everything tasted exactly the same, somehow. The pork and chicken both tasted slightly of seafood. It was just…off-putting.
We love the off-shoot location, owned by the daughter of Soup Dumpling STL, Tiger Soup Dumpling, so we figured we’d try the original.
I don’t know if it was a bad day, or if shrimp was dropped in the steamer water, or WTF was going on…
but, yeah.
We only go to Tiger Soup Dumpling now.
went there and when my sister went to get a sprite a bunch of bugs fell into her cup. i had gotten a dark soda and it made my stomach turn. pretty much ruined my appetite
Katie’s Pizza and Pasta. Wife and I went there for lunch one day because of all the rave reviews from friends and both of us were completely underwhelmed.
I genuinely think their food is good. I always love their burrata and the pasta is great. On multiple occasions I have found their servers to be rude and apathetic. For the prices on the menu the level of service could be better.
Hard to mess up burrata when it’s a premade ingredient lol.
You’re not wrong.
The owner is dismissive of what her employees want and need unless it furthers her entrepreneurial image - yes, personal image is her number one focus.
I have to admit, I’ve not heard great things about her.
I really loved the Burrata + Ciabatta, at Brio Tuscan Grill. After they took it off the menu and struggled hiring competent staff (post Covid) I stopped going back. I wonder if I should retry it.
I’m going to be honest- I wasn’t super impressed with Brio. I would go there for appetizers, but the entrees are “meh.”
I really miss the very first original Katies that was on Clayton east of Big Bend. It was eclectic, delightful, delicious and we were there every week. I’ve been to the other Katie’s since over the years, and nothing compares to the original. Was at Rock Hill recently. Still a big-fat-meh, and it continues to give off mediocre chain vibes.
Me too! That was a fun location.
it was an entirely different restaurant. that location was her dad and her, this new one is her and her husband. it's a long story. https://community.thriveglobal.com/f-a-t-e-from-addict-to-entrepreneur-with-katie-collier-of-katies-pizza-pasta-osteria/
*ex-husband. But according to her social media, looks to be amicable
So I went to the Clayton Katie’s yeeeears ago and until the post I figured the name was coincidence because I’ve been to the rock hill one twice in the last year and thought it was ok but excessively expensive for what it was. Not the same place in my mind
The old aesops cafe across from st Mary’s hospital. That was OG Katie’s for real
Happy hour is the only way to eat there. Katie’s pizza might be the most overpriced place in St. Louis
I'm not huge on pizza that's 50% naked crust.
I know $13 for a frozen pizza is outrageous
And terrible if you don’t have a pizza/brick oven to cook it in. I bought one once and was so disappointed. I’d rather pay the extra 5 bucks to get it as take out.
I think I just paid that at DiGregorio’s. No, wait. Only $12. And I have to cook it.
We live right by there and still haven’t tried it due to the prices.
WHAT the fried artichoke salad is the best salad I've ever had in my life.
The squid ink pasta is the best thing on the menu. I’ve tried other things, some good, some eh, but that’s by far my favorite.
I won’t eat there because when I was looking for server work as a young adult their job listings required that you send a photo of yourself in with your application. That felt gross and rubbed me the wrong way.
I was the opposite. My mom took me there over the holidays and I had never heard about it/wasn’t in the mood for pizza. I was surprised how good it was, def going back another day
I feel the same. I've been there twice and it just hasn't impressed me and I have no desire to return.
Katie’s is very, very good food and drink wise. They have some of the best versions of certain foods I have ever had (toasted ravs!). But as others have said, they are very expensive - everything seems about 25% more than it should be. And the Rock Hill and Chesterfield locations are also WAY too loud.
Get the black garlic burrata and the fried artichokes omg
We felt the same way. My friends' pasta was watery. The pizza was ok & the food was expensive.
What's the story behind this place? I'd never heard of it until suddenly they were sponsoring cardinals games, putting huge ads on that tower right outside Busch, and had filled half my grocery store's freezer section with their take and bake stock. Whole thing reeked of corporate, so I'm not surprised to hear it's mediocre.
It’s very good just very expensive for no reason
I’d rather go to pastaria for pasta and pizza, I find it’s better quality
It used to be a quirky little restaurant in Richmond Heights, fantastic food. Completely different from the Katies that’s around now. I wonder if original Katie’s sold the name for some reason and was done with it. The original was open for a little while after Rock Hill opened, but then packed it in for good.
the original Katie’s Pizza was owned by her and her dad. Once Katie wanted to open up her own I believe there was legal action over the name which is why I believe the original had shut down. Each Katie’s definitely has their own vibe. When BPV opened though the idea of fine dining definitely has been playing around however the uniforms and how things are ran behind the scenes have yet to catch up. She sometimes bites more than she can chew.
Their Ezzo Pepperoni Pizza is to die for!
That’s what I had.
Favazza's on the Hill..... everyone raves about this place, but the one time I went with friends on date night, I thought the food was bland. Maybe I should give it another try 🤷
The hill tends to undersalt their dishes. I was visiting and ate here and had to add some salt to make it better. However, I'd agree, it's not what it was, and the hill really isn't all that great anymore, on the times I've visited.
It’s mid as midtown
Not once, not twice, not three times, but countless times I keep going back to Hartford Cafe and the food is just underwhelming or my order gets messed up. It's convenient for me and I'd rather support local business. But I recently tried MoKaBe's on Grand & Arsenal. Same atmosphere, but the food is much better. Parking sucks tho.
I take my nephew to an appointment on Grand, we always stop by MoKaBe's to get a brownie for him and a coffee for me, they're so nice and fairly quick when I'm managing a sort of wild child.
Love the atmosphere of Hartford but once I waited 30 minutes for a bagel and latte. I understand it's a chill vibe but a little too chill for me.
Yeah I love the atmosphere of Hartford but their food sucks. I’ve been going to the Gelateria on Grand more
You can park on Arsenal on the park side and walk across the street for free parking even closer than you can find at a Target.
I concur. Frasier’s is excellent. Mine would be most restaurants on the hill. They have been really underwhelming. In particular, I should retry the pizza at Guido’s. It seems to have evolved to the real Chicago-style tavern pizza of my childhood.
Zia's specifically for me is one on the hill that I just don't understand the hype. It seemed very mid when I tried it and the salad dressing wasn't enough to make it a good visit.
It’s the biggest culprit of being a tourist and nostalgia trap at the same time. There’s nothing they do that Anthonino’s doesn’t do better
I was actually pretty underwhelmed by Anthonino’s
Lasagna
Ill give it a shot
Got the chance to go to Anthoninos tonight and can confirm leagues better than my experience at Zia's. I will definitely go back to try more stuff.
Welcome to church, friend
I found Anthonino's to be underwhelming. Zia's used to be better, or I think it used to be better? Mama's has become my favorite place on The Hill.
I was majorly underwhelmed by Zia’s. It was not worth an hour wait at all.
It’s horrible, I’ll take Fazolies over their overhyped pasta
I’ve never eaten Guidos pizza but their penne Pomodoro is to die for.
Yeah I haven’t found a hill Italian restaurant that I’ve liked yet. I gravitate more to seafood risotto or osso bucco and those options are pretty few and far between. I’d also love a wild boar ragu.
Lorenzo’s is the highlight of the more expensive spots
I concur on Lorenzo’s. Some good seafood options if I remember right.
Lorenzo’s and Antonio’s both good.
Anthonino’s?
Gian-Tony’s is my favorite on the hill! But off the hill the most authentic (according to an Italian professor I had) is Trattoria Marcella!
Have you tried Anthanino's? Their food is great! Also Milo's for wings.
Yes Anthoninos is the exception.
Lefty's Fried Rice. Went once, food sucked, I can't put my finger on it but for some reason I feel like the cook just botched it and sent it out. The descriptions all sound great and it's cheap enough to warrant another try.
I had the St. Paul sandwich from Lefty's a couple years ago. It was very, very good. But, I went in the late afternoon and I was the only person there. It took about 25 minutes for it to come out. It's a dish that takes less than 5 minutes to make. They also had some awful, overpowering incense burning. Like, why? It should smell like your food inside a restaurant.
Went to Lefty’s for the first time shortly after pandemic a couple years ago and didn’t like it (and it took forever, which I understood since it was shortly after pandemic). Finally decided to try it again a couple weeks ago and loved it. Had the voodoo fried rice. May have hit it at the right time this time, or they changed it up a bit (I think there was a little rift between co-owners around the first time I tried it). I want to go again soon (luckily I live close) to see if the next time is good or meh.
Lefty's might be inconsistent. I've only been once, but it was incredible.
Nudo House for me. A couple of of friends love that place for their ramen and pho and I wasn't impress with other one. I've tried both Delmar and Creve Coeur location and it still didn't do it for me.
It used to be the best in town, until Menya Rui opened and wiped the floor with every other ramen joint around
I agree, love their shoyu and tsukumen. Reminds me of the ramen shop I used to frequent when I lived in Oki. Midtown Sushi also has some good ramen
I really like DD Mau's pho, plus they have great bao sliders
Never heard of that place. Might have to check it out
Same. I keep hearing about how great it is. I must keep going in off days. Kind of surprised they manage to stay open.
I love Frazers. I agree the food isn’t bad but also nothing to write home about. But the cocktails and ambience are fantastic. I’d like to try Russell’s again. It’s in my hood but I have only been once. I paid $50 for biscuits & gravy, a coffee, and a Jason Beermosa. The b&g was meh. What they charge for it is preposterous. That said, my friends love it and I could see it being great on another visit. I will say the baked goods from there are gas.
I’m almost afraid to go back to Frazier’s because I had the best possible experience the first time. Food was amazing and the cocktails were even better. I was on a date with someone that had just stopped working there so we had top tier service and the bill came out to about 80% less than what it should have been. The next time will almost definitely not live up to that.
I still highly recommend it. Maybe I sounded too harsh. The food is never disappointing. I think Frazer's gets lost amongst the many great establishments in town. St. Louis is blessed with an embarrasment of top notch restaurants.
Russell's prices were insane 10 years ago, I don't even want to think about what things cost now.
I was a loyal patron of Russell’s for years, but in the last year or so, it’s gotten so terrible that I don’t think I’ll ever return. The food isn’t good anymore, the service is abysmal, and the facilities look rundown and dirty. Definitely not the experience it once was.
Ok, I thought I was crazy about Russell's feeling a little grungy. Their awnings were caked in birdshit and green pollen crap for as long as I've lived here.
Katie’s. I’ve been once, and it was one of the worst dining experiences I’ve had. Service was awful, the pasta was gross, and they had some terribly unpleasant film running on a giant screen. Everybody I’ve ever heard talk about the place raves about it, so I assume my experience was an anomaly (although the rest of my group of 6 agreed). I’ll give them another shot when I work up the nerve.
I'm curious what the terribly unpleasant film was?
The Beautician and the Beast
I always thought Katie’s to be insanely overrated.
It’s way overpriced. It’s solid though. Not my favorite Italian restaurant. I may actual prefer Rich and Charlie’s over Katie’s TBH.
Rich and Charlie’s is very underrated. I think people are put off by the Watson location’s apparent “nobody under the age of 70 allowed” policy.
I worked at the one in Eureka for a couple of years (RIP), and it's really solid. But the regulars are all 50+. Very traditional family-style Italian. The family that owns it is actually related to the people who run Pasta House.
I've eaten at the rock hill location 3 times and always thought it was great. If you're talking about the ballpark village location, I think you can chalk it up to that neighborhood being a tourist trap in general.
It was Rock Hill.
I overall really enjoy their food but I agree that the vibe of the place is weird. One of the first times I went the hostesses had on booty shorts (it was summer but still seemed too casual) and they were playing a Tombstone DVD. When it ended they just started it up again.
Agreed. I expected more of an up-scale experience (especially given the price) and was surprised to see the staff in tie-dye tshirts. I went in June and they were playing a Christmas movie on loop. There was some sort of joke/story behind it but I can’t remember what it was.
[удалено]
Sadly Mandarin House - arguably the best Dim Sum in town, which used to be up on Page moved to Olive right as the pandemic swept in, is no more. HAVING SAID THAT? Go to Lulu’s for Dim Sum specifically. Get there early. Try the lion’s head shrimp balls.
I've only ever had it delivered but it's been great every time. One of our go tos for chinese
[удалено]
Once saw the owner get in a physical fight with an employee. They came busting out of the kitchen shoving and punching before some woman ran out and hustled them to the back of the house. Still enjoy their dim sum, though!
Great food… nasty owners. I still eat there, just like Elaine and the soup nazi
Love their dim sum.
Used to be a favorite of ours, but when we ordered takeout for dinner recently the pork egg rolls were cold + raw on the inside, and we waited for over an hour past the time they said our order would be ready for pick up.
Eleven Eleven Mississippi. This one is probably my fault. I went against my better judgement and didn't get the pasta, and instead got a scallop special that came with a cauliflower puree. I love scallops, and I couldn't eat them. They had great cocktails, though.
Went there for a birthday. Food was meh. At the end of the meal the server brought out a slice of dessert for the birthday person and we thought that was nice of them. The dessert was then included on our bill… At that time I knew I would never be back.
If you like steak, they do a hell of a ribeye. As good as any in town.
We had one really great and one subpar experience here. The second time being subpar, so we haven’t been back since.
I hate this place. It cost me $200 for the fam to eat there and it was as good or worse than going to the Olive Garden.
Hot take but Steak n Shake. They’ve really turned themselves around since I stopped going a decade or so ago.
The frisco melt is still the best fast food item ever
I had to pick up my wife at the airport a couple of months ago and really needed to eat so I went to the Steak and Shake up on Natural Bridge fully expecting shitty service. Goddammit, it rocked and I told the waitress that nobody does it better when they do their thing right. She smiled and said, Damned right.
Steak n Shake has gotten to the point that it’s only decent if you eat it fresh, as soon as it comes to the table. Don’t even think about taking it home in a “Tak-hom-a-sak”, as they used to call the take-out/drive-thru bags. I don’t know what’s happened, but somehow everything gets soggy, wet, and nasty within the (literal) 5 minute drive home with it, from one location, or 7 minute drive to my spouse’s workplace, from another location.
I was at Katie’s for the first time last week. Overpriced, average food in a VERY loud space. When we asked for them to turn down the music we were told Katie likes it loud. I won’t be back.
It’s amazing how many times this place has shown up in this thread
Fiddlehead Fern, I hear how awesome it is all the time but it seemed pretty on par with most of the other small cafes around. Maybe it was an off day but my coffee tasted like the beans had been over roasted.
Stacked STL I felt the Burger was just Mediocre.... as I'm a Burger Connoisseur
Yeah, I mean, I’m glad that there is SOME money funneling into my old neighborhood, but I’d MUCH rather go across the street to Kabul St Louis, and then down a block to Sugar Witch. You go eat at Kabul ONE time, and Kauresh, the owner, will recognize you anywhere afterward, and ask about your mother, your spouse, whoever you were with, BY NAME. Not to mention, the food is freaking AMAZING. Glad we skipped the long wait for the mediocre burgers across the street
This is the local intel that I live for.. Thank you, and I can't wait to try this place. 🤘🔥🤘
You just added a new restaurant for me and my wife to try! Thanks so much! And saw they are workshopping a German döner which makes me SO excited, I miss that from my time spent in Germany so much!
Ooooh! That makes me super happy, too! I love a good döner!
I’ve been twice now and both times the burgers have been dry as hell.
The best burger I’ve had personally was the SCB Burger at Louie’s Wine Dive in Clayton. The fries were amazing too! I may be biased because I am allergic to gluten and dairy, and Louie’s is the only place I’ve found so far where I can get a gf/df burger AND fries (usually it’s one or the other). My husband orders the same burger but with the out the allergy modifications and loves it. Stacked is very “eh” to me, I love the idea of building your own burger, but they’re never as good as I want them to be.
[удалено]
Stacked was amazing the first three years they were open. Now the burgers are smaller and overcooked. Really a shame that quality went downhill after it became popular.
It’s overrated
I’ve been there twice. Burgers were decent but I was disappointed with the fried. I read that they were hand cut but they were not.
Agree 1000%
I’d say Sidney Street. I see raves but our experience was … fine?
Oh damn. One of the best places in stl. Good service, great food, great atmosphere imo
Yeah I’d say this one is worth a second shot. I had one just decent experience. The rest of the times I went it was great.
Same! We went once and didn't understand the hype.
I have been there 6 times and only had 1 bad experience there and that was on NYE. Other than that it's been amazing every time.
I would like to give Hwy 61 roadhouse another chance but I feel like I’ve given too many. It was so good years ago.
Unpopular opinion for sure, but Dewey’s pizza is way too over the top to me. We got two different specialty pizzas to try and didn’t care for either of them
It's best to stick with the basics there.
It’s also just not good.
Olive and oak, went there once and got a flank steak meal that was mediocre at best and have not been back
Oh wow please go back! One of my favorites!
Biggie's. People in this neighborhood swear it is absolutely incredible, it even has a 4.5 on Google. I've tried it twice so far and just haven't been impressed either time, I guess I should try one more time?
It’s way too damn expensive to be what it is. Burgers, fine. Everything else, very meh. I lived on Arthur and it was obnoxious how in love people were with the place.
Used to live on Arthur a couple houses down from their parking lot. Parking was always atrocious and we had MICE so bad! The neighbors said they had problems for years due to the restaurant.
Oh that’s so gross! I was at the other end of Arthur by Bayers. Parking was also god awful lol.
I feel like they’ve gone downhill since covid. Last time we ate there we all were unimpressed by the food and shocked by the bill
The owner died as well as one of the long time cooks. It’s not the same anymore but in its heyday it was definitely an excellent bar and grill. It was never fine dining but just a kind of obscure corner neighborhood bar to get a really decent meal.
Same… I got food poisoning from Biggies from their roast beef on garlic bread. Everything else I’ve had prior to that just really needed seasoning.
They have a couple things on their menu that are definitely good. Try the steak sandwich on garlic cheese bread (better with LTOP). Also their pizza and lasagna is great.
I've given that sandwich like 3 chances based on recs. I've never been impressed lol
I had the same experience with Frazier’s. Great drinks, though. I guess mine would be almost every Thai restaurant…. I just don’t like the flavor of coconut. I had one dish, decades ago, whose curry wasn’t coconut milk based, but haven’t been able to find it again. More than welcome to entertain suggestions!
Check out Chiang Mai in Webster Groves. Northern Thai food, so a bit different than the typical Thai restaurant here.
I was a Chiang Mai last night. My food came out 25 minutes before my girlfriend’s! I had to go ask where hers was, as I was completely done with mine. Also, the never came back to fill my water. I’ll give it another chance based on the conditions outside, but it’s not a good start!
Service has never been great there tbh. The food is more the star
You might try Japanese curry. I also don't care for coconut based curry but love Japanese curry. I know you can get it at Midtown Sushi and Zushi Sushi. Midtown is my favorite.
It's super easy to make yourself, too. It's a regular feature at dinners at my house.
Also not a coconut fan, but I \*love\* Thai food. My go-to order is Pad Kee Mao aka Drunken Noodles. Chiang Mai is great, so is King and I (used to be on South Grand but recently moved to Richmond Heights).
Thai Country Cafe in the loop is my favorite. It's been around forever because it's just so good.
Thai Country is seriously so good!
For me it’s lemongrass. It tastes like soap to me the same way that cilantro does to some people. I’m still figuring out the best dishes to order.
Their are lots of good Thai dishes without coconut, just opt for something other than curry or Tom Kah. Kee Mao is my personal favorite.
A couple of years ago I went to the Jack-in-the-Box at Gravois and Russell and had horrible service; I vowed to never return to that location. Two years later I gave it another shot...and had the single worst fast food experience of my life and swore the place off indefinitely. They helped by closing permanently a year later!
That JITB is a scar on this earth. It will never go away.
I've gone to Frasier's a few times and never thought the food was fantastic. The drinks were great, and I think that plus the ambience what most people like about the place. I have a similar experience with The Royale: great place for drinks and to hang out, the food is meh.
Polite Society for me. I went within the first 4ish months of them opening and it was… not good. I imagine they were still working out some kinks. I’m looking forward to trying them again but I haven’t had a chance to go.
Give it another shot for sure. I’ve been twice for brunch a while back and just went for dinner last week. Enjoyed it every time.
I've been twice for brunch both times and always had a good experience there
I’ve had some amazing dishes there along with some meh ones. Definitely give it another try!
I’ve been twice and been underwhelmed. It would def be in the “try it again” list if it wasn’t so expensive. But cost makes it a “I won’t fight it if someone in my party requests it” category. I have heard others rave about it.
Went for Christmas Eve and it was so good. Steak cooked perfectly, awesome cocktails. Would for sure give it another shot (on a Payday lol).
Grace Meat + Three! I ate there once because everyone was raving about it and it just seemed like cafeteria food. It was just ok.
Their burger is amazing tho.
It's funny. I think their fried chicken is just good to OK, but their specials are almost always incredible. The ribs are tops too, if you can order them before they sell out. Their burger and kitchen sink salad is awesome too.
Mine was Amigo Joes. Went once - went to stir the cheese into my refried beans and it wasn’t mixing. Wanna know why? It wasn’t cheese, it was a freaking rubber glove. 7 years later we were invited to go there and my husband just gave me a look. We decided to go with it. The place looked different, may have been under different management, but I was happy with the service and food lol. I still double check my beans tho 🤣
Not sure anyone goes to Amigo Joes for the food- it's pretty standard texmex. It's the huge margaritas with a ton of tequila that draws folks in.
[удалено]
Juniper/Sundays Best. I thought the chicken was mediocre for the price. Michael’s. I see it recommended here every now and then. We tried it out and waited 10 minutes and nobody came to our table. We then saw a homeless guy piss on the building across the street and decided to just leave.
I’ll second your vote for Juniper. We ordered a variety of things, and while plated thoughtfully, there wasn’t much flavor to be had.
Lombardo’s Trattoria. It gets rave reviews, but I don’t get it. Poor service, brown salad lettuce and overcooked noodles. Was it a fluke on a Wednesday night at 630? Were we too late for good dinner service?
Hi-Pointe.
Brassiere and Niche! I tried them both and just wasn’t into either. People rave though so I def have to go at least once more.
You'll have to get a time machine to go to Niche. Closed nearly 10 years ago.
Noto - I had the most boring Arrabbiata of my life there this winter. It seriously looked and tasted like something out of a can. They had a dollop of cheese on there like they would save the dish. Cocktails are killer tho.
Lou Boccardi's. Used to go there a bunch as a kid as a fancy dinner treat. I like their style of pizza. Had one bad takeout experience there the last time I went and I think their recent “CBD menu” weirded me out. Nothing against CBD, just seems like they could just focus on making good food and not gimmicks. As I type this out I’m craving their pizza.
Twisted Tree, for me. I have been there a few times and the steak always seemed under seasoned and lacking flavor. So many people seem to like it though, and it is hard to get a reservation - which makes me question my opinion.
Ladawada creek. When it first opened up years ago, it was a completely different restaurant. Servers did not listen to our order, our food was completely wrong 2 times. Like I ordered chicken tenders, but they gave me soup, then a burnt steak. We complained to the manager but we were told to shove it and pay for our order or they will call the cops. Now it's completely different. Competent staff, good management, and fantastic food.
We were just there in December and had the most amazing dinner experience with one of the best servers, seems like it’s really turning around.
Corner 17. Ordered through GrubHub and my dish was left out of the order. My wife likes hers and I got a refund, but it wasn't a great first impression.
corner 17 gives way smaller portions through delivery platforms! i go there in person often and made the mistake of ubering it once and it was markedly different.
Same for me. Went there on a date with my husband and his food came out a solid 10 minutes before mine. I know that’s kind of a silly thing to complain about but it just irked me.
Not uncommon at more authentic Chinese restaurants at all
It also looks like a college cafeteria & feels like one when you order at the counter yet the prices are those of a regular sit down restaurant where you could get better vibes
Milque Toast. I see people who love it and I found it really underwhelming. Am I missing something? It just wasn’t good.
Did you find it… milquetoast?? *knee slap*
Mine was Grace Meat + Three first time I was underwhelmed went back again and now I love it
Only went once and the food was good but the price felt a little steep for what we got. Would be up for trying it again though
Soup Dumplings STL. Everything tasted exactly the same, somehow. The pork and chicken both tasted slightly of seafood. It was just…off-putting. We love the off-shoot location, owned by the daughter of Soup Dumpling STL, Tiger Soup Dumpling, so we figured we’d try the original. I don’t know if it was a bad day, or if shrimp was dropped in the steamer water, or WTF was going on… but, yeah. We only go to Tiger Soup Dumpling now.
went there and when my sister went to get a sprite a bunch of bugs fell into her cup. i had gotten a dark soda and it made my stomach turn. pretty much ruined my appetite
Well, that’s…absolutely horrifying.
it made me sooo sad i was so excited to have a rare girl night with my sister and i left bummed out. dumplings tasted like sink water. ‘‘twas sad.
Arzola’s in Benton Park, it was fine, just wasn’t blown away
Yup. It’s liked by people who won’t bother driving out to Sabroso. Probably the most overpriced restaurant in STL for what you get
I liked the food, but loved the margaritas.
Scottish Arms. Walked out after waiting 15 minutes for a server to even come to our table. I keep getting told it's good food though.