Best Lunch Spots in St. Louis

Wow, the joy of having a quick, delicious lunch in St. Louis. The Gateway City to the West features a gastronomic selection of flavor-packed lunch spots. If you find yourself in St. Louis, you’ll be glad to know that our team at AutoCenters Herculaneum found a few gems with mouth-watering menu options. You can take your pick from American-style burgers, old-fashioned barbecues, New York-style sandwiches, tempting oysters, and Italian cuisine. Here are our favorite locales to get the best lunch in St. Louis, Missouri.

Stacked STL

The next time you yearn to build your own burger, there’s no better locale in St. Louis, Missouri, than Stacked STL. Dine in or carry out, you can choose from enticing house-stacked burger options, or if you feel inspired and think you can do it better, you can build your own. The kitchen sources its ingredients from local farmers, so whatever you choose, expect a culinary binge to eat.

Some house-stacked burger options include ground chuck, pineapple, chutney, provolone cheese with bourbon bacon maple jam, or a turkey burger with jalapeno-peach marmalade, Swiss cheese, bacon, and spinach on a brioche bun. Vegetarian stacks feature a sweet potato patty, garlic hummus, house tzatziki sauce, feta cheese, and roasted red peppers or a black bean burger with pepper jack cheese, guacamole, spinach, roasted red peppers, and chipotle aioli on a wheat bun. Stacked STL also offers starters, salads, sandwiches, wraps, desserts, and a special menu for juniors.

• Location: 7637 Ivory St., St. Louis.
• Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday.

Bogart’s Smokehouse

Established in 2011, Bogart’s Smokehouse is a classic joint offering generous servings of authentic barbecue fare. The kitchen is passionate about quality and uses fresh ingredients that enhance its top-shelf aromatic barbecue dishes. Smoked to perfection, Bogart’s delivers nostalgic comfort food in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Takeout or delivery may satisfy those hometown barbecue cravings if you’re on the go or too busy to get away.

The menu includes your choice of a full or half slab of pulled pork, beef brisket, burnt ends, turkey, pastrami, or tri-tip with two sides. Sides feature Bogart’s infamous beans, sweet and sour slaw, fire and ice pickles, applesauce, deviled egg potato salad, and a bag of potato chips. Other delicacies include barbecue sandwiches or a delicious barbecue salad option of mixed greens, smoked onions, pepper cheese, tomatoes, and your choice of meat. With sweet barbecue aromas, the best beans in town, and efficient service, Bogart’s Smokehouse makes lunch in St. Louis a barbecue event.

• Location: 1627 S. Ninth St., St. Louis.
• Hours: 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday through Saturday.

Blues City Deli

Kick back and relax with live soul music and Southern-inspired fare as you take in rhythm and blues musician artwork at the well-loved Blues City Deli. Established in 2004 in a charming and character-filled neighborhood, the Blues City Deli serves delicious po’boy sandwiches, premium old-fashioned sodas, fresh brewed Mississippi mud coffee, and ice-cold microbrews. The inviting atmosphere and delectable deli dishes compel you to return for more gastronomic lunchtime experiences.

The deli’s extensive po’boy selection includes classic American, delicious Italian, and vegetarian options. A house favorite is the Creole Deluxe po’boy made with homemade roast beef, pork roast, provolone, arugula, onion, peppers, Creole mayonnaise, and a dash of Italian vinegar oil on seeded French bread. Relish New York-style sandwiches and choose from cherry wood-smoked pastrami and Swiss cheese with Dusseldorf mustard or house-smoked pastrami and Swiss cheese with sauerkraut and a Thousand Island dressing on rye or sourdough bread.

• Location: 2438 McNair Ave., St. Louis.
• Hours: 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Monday through Saturday.

Broadway Oyster Bar

Indulge your taste buds with fresh shrimp, tempting oysters, and the best Cajun lunch outside New Orleans at the Broadway Oyster Bar in downtown St. Louis. Established over 35 years ago, this premier restaurant is housed in one of the oldest buildings still in daily use in St. Louis, Missouri. The Broadway Oyster Bar’s tasty, award-winning, flavor-filled dishes feature some of the most sustainable seafood, such as fresh Gulf and Blue Point oysters, Louisiana crawfish and shrimp, Prince Edward Island mussels, scallops, and crabs.

Oyster Bar specialties include shrimp and grits, chicken and seafood gumbo, a rich red bean stew containing spicy andouille sausage, Creole jambalaya, blackened tuna fajitas, fish tacos, crawfish enchiladas, and shrimp and wild mushroom pasta. Their extensive menu offers spicy appetizers, tangy salads, a chunky crawfish bisque, delicious sandwiches, and stacked pork sliders. Try their famous bread pudding for a sugary ending to one of the best lunches in St. Louis.

• Location: 736 S. Broadway, St. Louis.
• Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday for kitchen hours.

Anthonino’s Taverna

Anthonino’s Taverna, one of the best-loved family-owned eateries on The Hill in St. Louis, transports you to another country with its authentic Italian and Greek specialties. This culinary destination, established in 2004, welcomes you with nostalgic aromas, charming Italian decor, friendly service, easygoing ambiance, and decadent dishes. Reserve your seats, as this is a popular eatery.

Anthonino’s extensive menu includes appetizers, salads, soups, burgers, sandwiches, pizzas, and one-of-a-kind pasta. Signature pasta dishes include wild-caught clams in garlic olive oil and red pepper, Romano cheese and fresh egg yolk carbonara, ricotta and aged parmesan Bolognese lasagna, and chicken and goat cheese pesto pasta.

• Location: 2225 Macklind Ave., St. Louis.
• Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Monday through Saturday.

These are our picks for the best lunch spots in downtown St. Louis, Missouri. Is your mouth watering yet? What do you think of our list? Are there any local favorites we missed? Contact us today and let us know so we can update our list. While you’re at it, check out our AutoCenters Herculaneum dealership’s collection of pre-owned vehicles. We might help seat you behind the wheel of your next fine-looking truck.

Photo of a Burger Between a Person’s Hands by Leonardo Luz is licensed with Pexels License