LaPez Mod Mex is a street-food stop in Central West End, St. Louis.
Adam and Jason Tilford's CWE taco room turns out wood-fired tacos and coastal-Mexican plates in the old Session Taco space, a quick festive corner of Euclid.
Tip: Order the duck taquitos or a couple of wood-fired tacos at the bar; lunch is brisk, dinner livelier with cocktails.
Address: 398 N Euclid Ave, St. Louis, MO 63108
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.
A St. Louis Hills deli, Mom's stacks the locally famous Mom's Special and made-to-order subs, reopened in 2025 to hour-long lines of regulars.
Try: St. Louis deli sandwiches
Tip: The Mom's Special is the order; the thousand-island dressing is the secret. Expect a line since the 2025 reopening.
Mama Adriana Fazio's Shaw Avenue shop, run by her daughters, builds foot-long Sicilian subs and Sicilian soups, a Hill lunch counter going more than 30 years.
Try: Sicilian subs and soups
Tip: Get the Sicilian sub and split it; it is huge. Lunch only, and the line moves quickly.
A Cherokee Street taqueria with a sheltered patio, La Vallesana serves tacos al pastor, tortas and aguas frescas, an anchor of the Mexican Cherokee strip.
Try: Tacos al pastor and tortas
Tip: The al pastor tacos and the chicken chipotle torta are the orders. The patio and aguas frescas suit a warm afternoon.
A family-run Overland taqueria, Durango is famous for the torta ahogada, a pork sandwich drowned in spicy red chile, with big portions for cheap.
Try: Torta ahogada and tacos
Tip: The torta ahogada is the signature; come hungry. Everyone can eat for under ten dollars here.
Founded by musician Steve Ewing, Steve's loads creative toppings onto griddled dogs on South Grand and has been voted the city's best, a cult counter spot.
Try: St. Louis-style loaded hot dogs
Tip: The over-the-top loaded dogs are the draw; the Get Down dog is a favourite. Counter service, fast turnaround.
