Photo by Christian Gooden (Post-Dispatch)
Mi Tierra Bonita
Whenever a good restaurant expands or relocates, you worry it will lose some of its charm or the quality will fall off as the kitchen struggles to keep up with larger crowds or a bigger menu. In 2018, Juan Sanchez relocated tiny Mi Tierra Tienda y Taqueria a very short distance but expanded it from a tiny taqueria into a sprawling restaurant with a bar and, on one visit last year, a mariachi band serenading tables. The menu ranges widely now, but the soul of the original location persists in the tacos and especially the staggeringly good mole de olla with its guajillo-infused broth.
Hours: Lunch and dinner daily
Last year's ranking: Rest of the Best
Opened: 2018 (expansion)