Adriana's On The Hill is a sicilian room in The Hill. Get the Sicilian sub and split it; it is huge. Lunch only, so plan a midday Hill visit.
Editorially verified May 28, 2026 by Lewis Vaughan, TableJourney editor. Source.
Why locals love it: Overshadowed by the Hill's marquee restaurants, this family sandwich shop builds foot-long Sicilian subs that regulars rate above the famous names.
Tip: Get the Sicilian sub and split it; it is huge. Lunch only, so plan a midday Hill visit.
Address: 5101 Shaw Ave, St. Louis, MO 63110
Lu Lu Seafood & Dim Sum (Chinese) in St Louis: Come for weekend dim sum before noon for the fullest carts. Salt-and-pepper dishes are the off-menu standouts.
Why locals love it: Off the Olive Boulevard Chinese strip far from downtown, Lu Lu runs cart-rolled weekend dim sum that draws Chinese-food regulars who know to drive out.
Tip: Come for weekend dim sum before noon for the fullest carts. Salt-and-pepper dishes are the off-menu standouts.
Cocina Latina (Peruvian) in St Louis: Order the aji de gallina or ropa vieja with a pisco sour; it is an easy, affordable CWE meal a block off the busy core.
Why locals love it: Around the corner from the Euclid restaurant strip, Maritza Rios's modest Peruvian-Cuban-Colombian kitchen turns out aji de gallina and ropa vieja most visitors never spot.
Tip: Order the aji de gallina or ropa vieja with a pisco sour; it is an easy, affordable CWE meal a block off the busy core.
Coffeestamp is a tiny south city micro-roastery near cherokee street, coffeestamp roasts honduran-focused beans that quietly rank among the city's best.
Why locals love it: A tiny South City micro-roastery near Cherokee Street, Coffeestamp roasts Honduran-focused beans that quietly rank among the city's best.
Tip: Ask about the Honduran lots the brothers source directly. The cafe is small, so it is more a quick stop than a hangout.
Federhofer's Bakery (Bakery) in St Louis: Its gooey butter is a denser, old-school style than the cream-cheese versions. Come early for the freshest cases.
Why locals love it: A suburban Affton bakery off the tourist map, Federhofer's makes a distinctive gooey butter cake without cream cheese or powdered sugar that locals adore.
Tip: Its gooey butter is a denser, old-school style than the cream-cheese versions. Come early for the freshest cases.
Woofie's Hot Dogs on Woodson Rd in Overland is the 1970s drive-in near the airport that has sold more than a million Chicago-style dogs to date.
Why locals love it: A modest Overland drive-in near the airport, Woofie's has sold a million-plus Chicago-style dogs since the 1970s with almost no tourist attention.
Tip: Order it Chicago-style, dragged through the garden. It is a quick roadside stop most visitors never discover near the airport.
Venice Cafe is a cafe room in Benton Park. The art-covered patio is the whole point; come on a warm evening with live music. Cash is handy here.
Why locals love it: A Benton Park bar covered floor-to-ceiling in mosaic and folk art, Venice Cafe is a surreal hidden world that few first-time visitors manage to find.
Tip: The art-covered patio is the whole point; come on a warm evening with live music. Cash is handy here.
