Photo by Cristina M. Fletes (Post-Dispatch)
Southwest Diner
For the obsessive catalogers, Southwest Diner remains the only St. Louis restaurant dedicated to the cuisine of New Mexico. While it’s my job to be an obsessive cataloger of restaurants, I don’t think of Southwest in such terms any longer. Instead, it’s a succession of dishes I didn’t know I can’t live without. Chief among these is the signature carne adovada, pork shoulder braised in red chile. There’s the posole, the New Mexico-style enchiladas — there’s even the breakfast burrito, a dish I rarely love but here, plump with egg, potato, green chiles and sausage, I devour.
Hours: 7 a.m.-2 p.m. Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday-Sunday
Last year's ranking: Rest of the Best
Opened: 2012
Must order: Carne adovada ($10)