Photo by Michael Thomas
Annie Gunn's
Annie Gunn’s is still popular. Just trying to nab a seat at the bar for a weekday lunch can be a challenge. It also remains influential. Former executive sous chef Jesse Mendica now leads the kitchen at Olive + Oak, 2016’s best new restaurant, and fellow Annie Gunn’s vet Samantha Mitchell opened one of 2016’s best new food trucks, Farmtruk. Most importantly, Annie Gunn’s continues to be one of the area’s most essential restaurants. Chef Lou Rook III and his staff are equally at home with upscale cuisine (foie gras, Missouri caviar) and everyday fare (chicken wings, potato chips). Steaks and chops are a house speciality, but you don’t need to be a big spender to appreciate the expert meat cookery. The Classic — a half-pound patty formed from four cuts of beef, with brown-sugar-cured and smoked pork belly and a grain-mustard aioli — is one of the great St. Louis burgers.
Hours: Lunch and dinner Tuesday-Sunday (closed Monday)
Last year's ranking: No. 17
Opened: 1936 (as the Smokehouse Market)
Must order: Menu changes frequently