Post-Dispatch file photo
Southwest Diner
Southwest Diner serves barbacoa fries. Did you know this? I somehow didn’t until a recent visit and now regret my six previous barbacoa-fries-less years. At Jonathan Jones and Anna Sidel’s New Mexico-inspired diner in Ellendale, the kitchen braises beef and then finishes it on the flattop grill. The pieces get a tender-crisp combination like great gyro meat. This is piled atop fries along with guacamole, pico de gallo and Chihuahua cheese. It’s an appetizer you can order as an entree — or order as an appetizer and then again as an entree. Along with Southwest Diner’s posole, carne adovada and enchiladas, it’s another reason to accept the inevitable wait for weekend brunch here.
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