⚾ Eat Well in St. Louis

Feed Two in St. Louis
Under $20, No Compromise

⚾ St. Louis, MO  ·  12 verified spots  ·  Updated June 2026

St. Louis has one of the most underrated cheap-eat scenes in the country — frozen custard stands that Route 66 travelers have stopped at since 1929, a Cherokee Street lined with taquerías and tamale bakeries, a South Grand corridor packed with Vietnamese and Mediterranean food, and Bosnian cevapi out south. Toasted ravioli is a St. Louis invention. So is eating extraordinarily well without trying very hard.

⚾ Where to Eat in St. Louis
🍔 ✓ verified

Carl's Drive-In

Burgers + Root Beer — ~$16 for Two

A 1950s Route 66 drive-in in Brentwood (16 stools, cash only) for crispy-edged griddle burgers, footlong dogs, and house-made IBC-recipe root beer in frosted mugs. A burger runs a few dollars; two people eat burgers, fries, and root beers for under $18.

📍 Brentwood (Route 66)  ·  ⏳ Daily — cash
🗺️ Map🌐 Site
🍦 ✓ verified

Ted Drewes Frozen Custard

Frozen Custard Concretes — from ~$5

A St. Louis institution since 1929 on old Route 66 (Chippewa) for concretes so thick they're handed over upside down — Cardinal Sin (tart cherries, hot fudge) and more. Two concretes run around $12–16. The quintessential STL treat.

📍 St. Louis — South City  ·  ⏳ Daily (seasonal)
🗺️ Map🌐 Site
🧆 ✓ verified

The Vine Mediterranean Café

Lunch-Basket Sandwich — $6.99

A South Grand Lebanese café and market for family-recipe shawarma, falafel, and hummus — a lunch-basket sandwich is $6.99. Two people each get a shawarma or falafel sandwich for under $16. Made-from-scratch and authentic.

📍 St. Louis — South Grand  ·  ⏳ Daily 11a–10p/12a
🗺️ Map🌐 Site
🌮 ✓ verified

La Vallesana

Al Pastor Tacos — $4.11

A Cherokee Street taquería-and-neveria that grew from an ice-cream shop into one of the street's busiest spots — al pastor tacos (smoky pork, grilled pineapple) are $4.11, plus tortas and homemade aguas. Two people each build a taco plate for under $20. Closed Wednesdays.

📍 St. Louis — Cherokee St  ·  ⏳ Daily exc. Wed 10a–9p
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🌮 ✓ verified

Taqueria El Bronco

2 Tacos — $7

A Cherokee Street institution for super-cheap tacos — al pastor, chorizo, carnitas, carne asada — at about two for $7, plus tortas and pozole. Two people stack a full taco spread for well under $20.

📍 St. Louis — Cherokee St  ·  ⏳ Daily to 9:30/10:30p
🗺️ Map🌐 Site
🫔 ✓ verified

Diana's Bakery

Half-Dozen Tamales — $17.20 (Feeds Two)

A Cherokee Street Mexican bakery for handmade tamales — a half-dozen (pork in red, chicken in green) is $17.20 and feeds two, plus a case of conchas and pan dulce. Two people share a tamale feast for under $20.

📍 St. Louis — Cherokee St  ·  ⏳ Daily, early
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🍕 ✓ verified

Pizza Head

Slices — $3.50

A punk-rock South Grand pizzeria slinging 20-inch New York pies by the slice — slices are $3.50 (a slice-plus-drink deal from $6.95), all vegetarian with vegan options. Two people each grab a couple of giant slices for under $16. Card only.

📍 St. Louis — South Grand  ·  ⏳ Wed–Mon 11a–9p
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🥖 ✓ verified

Truc Lam

Banh Mi $3.50 · Pho $7

A Tower Grove South Vietnamese spot on Gravois since the '80s — a banh mi dac biet is $3.50 and a bowl of pho tai around $7. Two people eat banh mi and pho for around $14. A genuine cheap-eats gem.

📍 St. Louis — Tower Grove South  ·  ⏳ Daily
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🥙 ✓ verified

Gyro House

Gyro Sandwich — $8.99

A 40-year Delmar Loop Greek spot for hand-carved gyros — a gyro sandwich is $8.99 (jumbo $10.99) and a Greek salad with meat $7.99. Two gyros run about $18, each their own.

📍 St. Louis — Delmar Loop  ·  ⏳ Daily 11a–10p
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🇧🇦 ✓ verified

Taste of Bosnia

Cevapi — $7.99

A Lemay Bosnian spot (St. Louis has one of the largest Bosnian communities in the U.S.) for grilled cevapi sausages in lepinja flatbread — a small cevapi is $7.99 and burek $9.49. Two people eat cevapi plates for around $16. Closed Mondays.

📍 St. Louis — Lemay  ·  ⏳ Tue–Sun
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🍳 ✓ verified

Affton Diner

Slinger Skillet — $10

An Affton diner on Gravois serving the St. Louis slinger — two eggs, chili, two burger patties, potatoes, and cheddar in a skillet — for $10, with skillets and breakfasts from $10. Two people eat a classic STL breakfast for around $20 (lighter plates keep it under).

📍 St. Louis — Affton  ·  ⏳ Daily 6a–3p
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🥖 ✓ verified

Mai Lee

St. Paul Sandwich — ~$6

The first Vietnamese restaurant in St. Louis (now in Brentwood) with a 200-dish menu — the local St. Paul sandwich (egg foo young on bread) runs about $6 and spring rolls $3.95. Two people each get a St. Paul for around $14. (Pho bowls run higher.)

📍 Brentwood  ·  ⏳ Tue–Sun 11a–9p
🗺️ Map🌐 Site

💡 Pro tip: Carl's Drive-In is cash only — there's an ATM on site, but come prepared. Ted Drewes runs seasonal hours and can close in winter, so check before making a special trip. Pizza Head is card-only (no cash), and Cherokee Street — La Vallesana, El Bronco, and Diana's Bakery — is the city's best taco-and-tamale stretch to walk. If a deal has changed, flag it on our main directory.

🇺🇸 Also Valid Nationwide

These chain deals work anywhere in the country, including St. Louis.

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Buffalo Wild Wings

Pick 6 — Meal for Two from $19.99

The Pick 6 lets two people build a shared meal — choose six items across wings, tenders, and sides — starting around $19.99. A reliable two-for-$20 play at any BWW. Dine-in or takeout; pricing varies slightly by market.

📍 Nationwide  ·  ⏳ Ongoing
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🌶️ ✓ verified

Chili's

3 for Me — about $10.99/person

Each person picks a starter, full entrée, and non-alcoholic drink — roughly $10.99/person. One of the best per-head values in casual dining nationwide.

📍 Nationwide  ·  ⏳ Ongoing
🗺️ Map🌐 Site

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