Highest-rated cheap eats in St. Louis by diners

Americans spend a lot of money on eating out—in 2024, that totaled $1.54 trillion, or nearly 59% of all food spending. So, it's only natural to want the best bang for your restaurant dollar.

Value has become a key component of what diners look for when they eat out, with more than 7 in 10 consumers eyeing menus for value meals. At the same time, many diners also look for something new and exciting, hoping to sample new flavors or food with ingredients that are too expensive to make at home.

Many ethnic cuisines also provide a lot of value because they aren't as expensive to produce. Many Mexican dishes fall into this category because tortillas are cheaper to produce than bread. Many Asian cuisines, including Chinese, Filipino, and Cambodian food, also rely on low-cost ingredients and simple food preparation techniques.

Food trucks and street food vendors also offer cheaper food, thanks to lower overhead costs. Their limited menus typically focus on one type of food, allowing them to simplify purchasing and pass the savings on in the form of lower prices.

Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated cheap eats restaurants within 10 kilometers of the St. Louis area using data from Yelp. Data is as of Aug. 8, 2025. Businesses were selected using Yelp's ranking system, which calculates an adjusted rating value that takes into account the number of ratings as well as the rating score itself. Only businesses with at least 20 reviews were considered, and a cost of "$" (out of 4) were considered. Also, in an effort to highlight independent businesses and local chains, those with more than five locations nationally, based on the Yelp data, were not included.

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The Gelateria

1 / 30

#30. The Gelateria

- Rating: 4.4/5 (295 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3197 South Grand Blvd. Saint Louis, Missouri
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Gelato, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Go! Gyro! Go!

2 / 30

#29. Go! Gyro! Go!

- Rating: 4.4/5 (58 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: Saint Louis, Missouri
- Categories: Greek, Food Trucks, Mediterranean
- Read more on Yelp

Pizza Head

3 / 30

#28. Pizza Head

- Rating: 4.4/5 (229 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3196 South Grand Blvd. Saint Louis, Missouri
- Categories: Pizza, Vegetarian
- Read more on Yelp

Pretzel Boy's

4 / 30

#27. Pretzel Boy's

- Rating: 4.4/5 (91 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 11750 Manchester Road Saint Louis, Missouri
- Categories: Bakeries, Pretzels, Hot Dogs
- Read more on Yelp

La Tejana Taqueria

5 / 30

#26. La Tejana Taqueria

- Rating: 4.4/5 (319 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3157 North Lindbergh Blvd. Bridgeton, Missouri
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

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Chuck A Burger Drive-In

6 / 30

#25. Chuck A Burger Drive-In

- Rating: 4.4/5 (179 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 9025 St. Charles Rock Road Saint Louis, Missouri
- Categories: Burgers, Diners, American
- Read more on Yelp

SuWaller's Bar & Grill

7 / 30

#24. SuWaller's Bar & Grill

- Rating: 4.5/5 (77 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2101 Warson Road Saint Louis, Missouri
- Categories: Bars, American
- Read more on Yelp

Maggie's Lunchbox

8 / 30

#23. Maggie's Lunchbox

- Rating: 4.5/5 (117 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 867 Horan Drive Fenton, Missouri
- Categories: American
- Read more on Yelp

Saint Louis Halal Meat, Grocery & Foods - Baba's Restaurant

9 / 30

#22. Saint Louis Halal Meat, Grocery & Foods - Baba's Restaurant

- Rating: 4.5/5 (69 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 10276 Page Ave. St. Louis, Missouri
- Categories: Indian, Pakistani, Halal
- Read more on Yelp

Mama Mel's Pizzeria

10 / 30

#21. Mama Mel's Pizzeria

- Rating: 4.5/5 (72 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1200 Telegraph Road Saint Louis, Missouri
- Categories: Pizza, Salad, Italian
- Read more on Yelp

Medina Mediterranean Grill - Central West End

11 / 30

#20. Medina Mediterranean Grill - Central West End

- Rating: 4.5/5 (161 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 5 Maryland Plz St. Louis, Missouri
- Categories: Mediterranean
- Read more on Yelp

Terror Tacos

12 / 30

#19. Terror Tacos

- Rating: 4.5/5 (215 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3191 South Grand Blvd. St. Louis, Missouri
- Categories: Tacos, Vegan
- Read more on Yelp

2Schae Cafe

13 / 30

#18. 2Schae Cafe

- Rating: 4.5/5 (324 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 5513 Pershing Ave. St. Louis, Missouri
- Categories: Sandwiches, Breakfast & Brunch, Coffee & Tea
- Read more on Yelp

Great Harvest

14 / 30

#17. Great Harvest

- Rating: 4.5/5 (77 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 125 West Argonne Drive Kirkwood, Missouri
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Bakeries, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Teleo Coffee

15 / 30

#16. Teleo Coffee

- Rating: 4.5/5 (139 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 132 West Monroe Ave. Kirkwood, Missouri
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Cafes, Caterers
- Read more on Yelp

Espresso Yourself Coffee & Cafe

16 / 30

#15. Espresso Yourself Coffee & Cafe

- Rating: 4.5/5 (92 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 5351 Devonshire Ave. St. Louis, Missouri
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Cafes
- Read more on Yelp

The Gyro Company

17 / 30

#14. The Gyro Company

- Rating: 4.5/5 (268 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 7240 Gravois Ave. St. Louis, Missouri
- Categories: Greek, Falafel, Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

Tiger Soup Dumplings

18 / 30

#13. Tiger Soup Dumplings

- Rating: 4.6/5 (231 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 98 Gravois Bluffs Cir Drive Ste D Fenton, Missouri
- Categories: Dim Sum
- Read more on Yelp

Vinnie's Italian Beef and Gyros

19 / 30

#12. Vinnie's Italian Beef and Gyros

- Rating: 4.6/5 (230 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3208 Ivanhoe Ave. Saint Louis, Missouri
- Categories: Italian, Greek
- Read more on Yelp

Road Crew Coffee & Cycles

20 / 30

#11. Road Crew Coffee & Cycles

- Rating: 4.6/5 (59 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3172 Morganford Ste C St. Louis, Missouri
- Categories: Cafes, Bike Repair/Maintenance, Coffee & Tea
- Read more on Yelp

Sweet EM's Coffee And Ice Cream

21 / 30

#10. Sweet EM's Coffee And Ice Cream

- Rating: 4.6/5 (78 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 6330 Clayton Ave. St. Louis, Missouri
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

Eovaldi's Deli & Catering

22 / 30

#9. Eovaldi's Deli & Catering

- Rating: 4.7/5 (124 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2201 Edwards St. Saint Louis, Missouri
- Categories: Delis
- Read more on Yelp

Medina Mediterranean Grill - Downtown

23 / 30

#8. Medina Mediterranean Grill - Downtown

- Rating: 4.7/5 (348 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1327 Washington Ave. St. Louis, Missouri
- Categories: Mediterranean, Halal
- Read more on Yelp

Goshen Coffee Roasters

24 / 30

#7. Goshen Coffee Roasters

- Rating: 4.7/5 (74 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 910 Geyer Ave. St. Louis, Missouri
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Cafes, Vegetarian
- Read more on Yelp

Nathaniel Reid Bakery

25 / 30

#6. Nathaniel Reid Bakery

- Rating: 4.7/5 (707 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 11243 Manchester Road Saint Louis, Missouri
- Categories: Bakeries, Desserts, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Sides Of Seoul

26 / 30

#5. Sides Of Seoul

- Rating: 4.7/5 (215 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 10084 Page Ave. St. Louis, Missouri
- Categories: Korean
- Read more on Yelp

Southwest Market Cuisine

27 / 30

#4. Southwest Market Cuisine

- Rating: 4.8/5 (71 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 5224 Columbia Ave. Saint Louis, Missouri
- Categories: Delis
- Read more on Yelp

Vitale's Deli

28 / 30

#3. Vitale's Deli

- Rating: 4.8/5 (98 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 425 North Sappington Road Saint Louis, Missouri
- Categories: Delis, Sandwiches, Italian
- Read more on Yelp

Cafe Miami

29 / 30

#2. Cafe Miami

- Rating: 4.8/5 (50 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2022 South 12th St. St. Louis, Missouri
- Categories: Sandwiches, Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

Zito Deli

30 / 30

#1. Zito Deli

- Rating: 4.9/5 (149 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3553 Ritz Center Saint Louis, Missouri
- Categories: Mediterranean, Delis
- Read more on Yelp

This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 388 metros.

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