Photo by Laurie Skrivan (Post-Dispatch)
Quincy Street Bistro
Matthew “Chef Birk” Birkenmeier has settled in as executive chef of Mike and Sue Enright’s Quincy Street Bistro, which over the course of this decade has grown into the Platonic ideal of the neighborhood tavern. Birkenmeier continues the Quincy Street tradition of smartly executed comfort fare (meatloaf, roasted chicken), fat burgers (now including the Mountain, a monster with two 8-ounce patties) and terrific barbecue and barbecue-esque sandwiches like the charcoal-roasted pit beef and the Steak-n-Eggs, with smoked brisket, a sunny-side-up egg and fried onions. The challenge of not stuffing yourself with the standout appetizers — fried cheese curds, hog-head toasted ravioli and buffalo-chicken dip — remains daunting.
Hours: Lunch and dinner Monday-Saturday
Last year's ranking: Rest of the Best
Opened: 2011
Must order: Steak-N-Eggs sandwich ($15)