Mom's Deli is a street-food stop in St Louis Hills, St. Louis.
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.
Tip: The Mom's Special is the order; the thousand-island dressing is the secret. Expect a line since the 2025 reopening.
Address: 5425 Hampton Ave, St. Louis, MO 63109
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.
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 drive-in near the airport, Woofie's has sold Chicago-style hot dogs since the 1970s, billing itself the home of the hotdog with dignity. A retro counter.
Try: Chicago-style hot dogs
Tip: Order it Chicago-style, dragged through the garden. It is a quick roadside stop near the airport.
