A south-side neighbourhood of brick storefronts near the brewery, home to Sidney Street Cafe, the mosaic-covered Venice Cafe and Gus' Pretzels.
A Benton Park gathering place for 25 years, Frazer's pairs a globe-trotting comfort menu with one of the better cocktail programmes on the south side.
Order: The cioppino loaded with mussels, clams, shrimp and squid.
Tip: It is a neighbourhood room that fills with regulars; reserve at weekends and ask the bar what is being shaken that night.
Hodak's has won Riverfront Times reader polls for best fried chicken since the 1990s. The family-run Gravois corner room is a no-frills temple to the bird.
Order: The fried chicken dinner with sides.
Tip: The fried chicken is the only thing most regulars order; pair it with the slaw and a cold draft. Expect a wait on Friday nights.
Gerard Craft's Benton Park seafood shack plates lobster rolls, oysters and a New England clam boil, a casual coastal counter in a landlocked city.
Order: Lobster roll and the New England clam boil.
Tip: The lobster roll is the signature; go Connecticut-style with warm butter. It is no-reservations and fills fast.
A Benton Park sandwich counter, Blues City turns out New Orleans-style po-boys and muffulettas with live blues some afternoons, a lunch-only institution.
Order: The muffuletta or one of the New Orleans po-boys.
Tip: The muffuletta and po-boys are the orders; arrive before the lunch rush. Live blues plays some afternoons.
Brothers Patrick and Spencer Clapp roast ethically sourced beans, many from their native Honduras, at this South City micro-roastery near Cherokee Street.
Signature drink: Honduran single-origin espresso
Tip: Ask after the Honduran lots the brothers source directly. The cafe is compact, so it is more a quick stop than a work session.
A Cherokee Street fixture, The Mud House pairs a rotating multi-roaster coffee program with hearty brunch plates in a brick room full of antiques.
Signature drink: Multi-roaster espresso and lattes
Tip: Brunch gets a line at weekends; weekday mornings are calmer for laptop work. The biscuits and the breakfast platters are the orders.
A century-old house turned all-day breakfast cafe, Benton Park Cafe pours coffee and plates hearty brunch in a warren of cosy rooms. A south-side staple.
Signature drink: Coffee and all-day breakfast
Tip: The hash and the breakfast burritos are the orders. Weekend mornings draw a wait, so go early.
Brothers Patrick and Spencer Clapp roast ethically sourced beans, many from their native Honduras, at this South City micro-roastery near Cherokee Street.
Tip: Ask after the Honduran lots the brothers source directly. The cafe is compact, so it is more a buy-and-go than a work session.
Sources from: Honduras, Colombia, Ethiopia
How they serve: Espresso, Filter, Whole bean retail
A Benton Park cocktail bar with a clever, accessible list, Small Change does top-notch drinks at fair prices, and turns into a Christmas pop-up each winter.
Signature drink: Affordable craft cocktails
Food: Light snacks
Tip: The cocktails punch above the price; the winter Miracle pop-up is a season highlight. Cosy and walk-in friendly.
A Benton Park institution covered floor-to-ceiling in mosaic and folk art, Venice Cafe is the city's most idiosyncratic bar, with a lush patio and live music.
Signature drink: Cocktails and local beer
Food: Light bites
Tip: The art-covered patio is the whole point; come for a warm-weather evening with live music. Cash is handy here.
The lounge side of Frazer's in Benton Park pours some of the best classic cocktails on the south side, a 25-year-old bar attached to the restaurant.
Signature drink: Classic cocktails
Food: Full restaurant menu
Tip: Sit at the bar for the cocktail program even if you are not dining. Ask what the bartender is shaking that night.
Opened in 1920 near the Anheuser-Busch brewery, Gus' Pretzels hand-twists soft pretzels and pretzel-wrapped sausages, a Benton Park snack-counter institution.
Try: Hand-twisted soft pretzels
Tip: Get a fresh hot pretzel or a salami-stuffed pretzel stick. It is a snack stop, not a sit-down meal.
A Benton Park sandwich counter, Blues City turns out New Orleans-style po-boys and muffulettas with live blues some afternoons, a lunch institution.
Try: Po-boys and muffulettas
Tip: The muffuletta and the po-boys are the orders; arrive before the lunch rush. Live blues plays on some afternoons.
Open since 1920 near the brewery, Gus' Pretzels hand-twists cheap soft pretzels and salami-stuffed pretzel sticks, a Benton Park snack-counter bargain.
Try: Soft pretzels and pretzel sticks
Tip: A fresh hot pretzel or a salami pretzel stick is a few dollars. It is a snack stop, not a sit-down meal.
A Benton Park sandwich counter, Blues City turns out cheap po-boys and muffulettas with live blues some afternoons, a well-regarded lunch-only spot.
Try: Po-boys and muffulettas
Tip: The muffuletta and po-boys are the value picks; arrive before the lunch rush. Live blues plays some afternoons.
Hodak's has won reader polls for best fried chicken since the 1990s, plating a generous bird-and-sides dinner at a fair price in a no-frills room.
Try: Fried chicken dinner
Tip: The fried chicken dinner with sides is the value order. Expect a wait on Friday nights for the bird.
Lassaad Jeliti's Egg plates a Tunisian and Mexican-inspired brunch in Benton Park, from shakshuka to spiced scrambles, a break from standard pancake fare.
Order: Shakshuka and the Tunisian-spiced plates.
Tip: The shakshuka and the North-African-spiced dishes set it apart. A second location runs in Midtown on Locust.
A century-old house turned all-day breakfast cafe, Benton Park Cafe plates omelets, breakfast pizza and eggs Benedict in cosy south-side rooms.
Order: Breakfast pizza or eggs Benedict.
Tip: The breakfast pizza is a local quirk worth trying. Weekend mornings fill the warren of rooms, so go early.
Friendly's is a south-side neighborhood sports bar that keeps its kitchen open to 1:30am seven nights a week, plating pizza and wings for the bar crowd.
Try: Bar pizza, wings, and griddle plates
Tip: It is cash only with a back patio. Come after midnight for the full bar menu and cheap drinks during the nightly late happy hour.
Satisfy your culinary curiosity with a private tour that takes you on a flavorful journey through some of the city's most beloved dining spots.
Learn to make melt-in-your-mouth beignets from scratch in this interactive cooking class with Chef Legina. Create a rich chocolate filling and a tangy lemon glaze.
Tour the haunted Lemp Brewery Bottle Works as you pass through tunnels and massive spaces you will learn of the horrific events that occurred in these dark and forgott...