Sump Coffee is a restaurant in Tower Grove South, St. Louis.
Sump built a national reputation roasting light, precise single-origin coffee in South City, served in a spare room that treats the cup seriously.
Why locals love it: A spare, no-frills roastery far from the cafe circuit, Sump roasts some of the most precise light-roast coffee in the country for those who seek it out.
Tip: This is a place to taste, not to camp; try the filter flight. Buy a bag of the single-origin light roasts to take home.
Address: 3700 S Jefferson Ave, St. Louis, MO 63118
Why locals love it: A 1920 pretzel bakery in the brewery's shadow, Gus' hand-twists soft pretzels and salami sticks that locals grab but visitors rarely know to find.
Tip: Get a fresh hot pretzel or a salami-stuffed stick. It is a quick snack stop near the Anheuser-Busch brewery.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
