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 beloved 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.