Photo by Cristina M. Fletes (Post-Dispatch)
Blues City Deli
You go to this barbecue place for the beef brisket, that one for the pork ribs, to this sandwich shop for the Italian beef, that one for the hot salami. At Blues City Deli, you can order anything with confidence. Roast beef is juicy and brawny whether garnished with giardiniera in the classic Italian beef or dressed with cheddar, bacon and the spicy, smoky Delta sauce in the Mike’s Spicy Beef n’ Cheddar. Chicken? Go for the Chicken Shack Ranch. Pork? Try any of the cold-cut combinations on the Delicious Italian menu. And while Blues City Deli isn’t a barbecue restaurant, it serves some fine smoked meats, like pastrami smoked over cherry wood (the Prez Reuben). The line to order can be long, but the combination of efficiency and hospitality that owner Vince Valenza has mastered eases any wait.
Hours: 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday-Saturday (check website for Thursday evening live music schedule)
Last year's ranking: Rest of the Best
Opened: 2004