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Saint Louis, Missouri Food Guide: 10 Italian food Must-Eat Restaurants & Street Food Stalls in University City
Discover Restaurants offering the best Italian food in University City, Saint Louis, Missouri. University City (colloquially, U. City) is an inner-ring suburb of the city of St. Louis in St. Louis County, in the U.S. state of Missouri. The population was 35,371 in 2010 census.
Things to do in University City
10. Zia's Restaurant
Overall Ratings
4 based on 969 reviews
Family owned St. Louis Italian restaurant on "The HIll"
Reviewed By Taylor B
There are several popular and long-standing Italian restaurants located on The Hill, the celebrated 50-block Italian neighborhood in south St. Louis, Missouri. Zia's is one of them. Located at 5256 Wilson Avenue, it opens at 11 a.m. Monday through Saturday. My wife is half-Italian and she claims Zia's reminds her most of her Italian grandmother's home cooking. We started with toasted ravioli, a St. Louis staple, topped with parmigiana and served with marinara sauce, garlic cheese bread and DeLuxe salad, Romaine and iceberg lettuce, ham, tomatoes, blended Italian cheese and parmigiana with house dressing. For an entree, my wife chose Cod Bianco, a six-ounce filet of Icelandic cod lightly breaded and baked, then topped with blended Italian cheese and white wine lemon butter sauce with fresh broccoli and mushrooms and a side of pasta. I couldn't resist one of the house specialties--and a classic St. Louis dish--spaghetti with meat sauce and meatballs. Somehow, it has a different taste when it's made on the Hill in St. Louis. For dessert, we shared plates of tiramisu and spumoni. Yes, Zia's offers a true taste of Italy.
9. Anthonino's Taverna LLC
Overall Ratings
4 based on 677 reviews
Reviewed By krissullivan
Had high expectations due to great reviews here on TripAdvisor and itâs ranking as #18 in the city. Very confused by this rating as my experience did not measure up. Very warm outside AND Inside the restaurant on a busy Saturday evening. We were seated 25 minutes later than our reservation time (745pm) and comped a toasted ravioli. It was not so much about the lateness of being seated but the shortness and responses to questions about timing of being seated from the front of house staff that made this wait annoying. The caprese salad was good, dolmades and ravioli were ok, but the pasta with red sauce and sausage was unpleasant. I have never tasted a smokier red sauce. It almost tasted âburntâ. The sausage was also quite spicy and the pasta was nothing special- an inedible dish.The prices are quite good and itâs a family atmosphere, but I will not be returning.
8. Charlie Gitto's On the Hill
Overall Ratings
4 based on 942 reviews
Charlie Gitto's On the Hill is a landmark for fine Italian dining in The Hill neighborhood of St. Louis.
Reviewed By Taylor B
Charlie Gitto is a familiar name in St. Louis' vibrant restaurant business. Charlie Sr. opened his Downtown restaurant in 1974. His son, Charlie Jr. opened his restaurant on the Hill in 1981, then opened a second location in Maryland Heights in 2004 and a third restaurant, from the hill, in Chesterfield. My wife and I opted to dine at Charlie Junior's On the Hill because we wanted to visit the famous Hill neighborhood, the birthplace of Yogi Berra and Joe Garagiola. Located at 5226 Shaw Avenue, it is a longtime Italian eatery with red sauce fare delivered in an old world, elegant atmosphere. The signature dish is original hand-made meat-filled toasted ravioli with pomodoro sauce. So my wife and I started with the ravioli, house-made meatballs in pomodoro sauce, large shrimp roasted in garlic butter and bread crumbs and Classic Caesar salad with Romaine lettuce and shaved parmigiano with house-made Caesar dressing and signature croutons. For an entree, my wife chose veal marsala with sweet marsala wine sauce and mushrooms with creamed spinach. I chose a 14-ounce New York strip steak with herb butter, baked potato and creamed spinach. For dessert, we shared portions of tiramisu and cannoli. Did I mention that my wife is half-Italian? St. Louis features several outstanding Italian restaurants, on and off the Hill, and Charlie Gitto's On the Hill certainly is one of the very best.
7. Tavolo V
Overall Ratings
4 based on 97 reviews
Reviewed By NXTTRP
We have friends who live in the area and think of Tavolo when planning an evening out with them. This family of restaurants is a great endorsement, but recognize that their menus are not identical. But the food is predictably good. We like the venue in U City; many of the restaurants in the area are far more casual. Thatâs not to say that TV is dressed up, it is very comfortable. The service is very good, TV is easy to find and there is an adjacent surface parking lot. TV is at the eastern end of The Loop, a bit out of the rush of the area. Weâll be back with more and different friends.
6. Gioia's Deli
Overall Ratings
4 based on 171 reviews
Reviewed By smmarkfan
When you begin to consider a grocery store deli sub (or worse) for lunch, kick yourself and head for Gioia's! The quality comes through in every bite and you will remember why you have taste buds. Outdoor seating great for dog lovers!
Where to Eat in University City: The Best Restaurants and Bars
5. Sauce on the Side
Overall Ratings
4 based on 90 reviews
Reviewed By Winesnob96
This local restaurant just opened itâs fourth location in the St. Louis metropolitan area (one in Clayton, two in St. Louis and now in Chesterfield). Made from scratch and right in front of you, these calzones will fill you up, are extremely tasty and only run $9 -$10. Nice change from the normal lunch options. Quick delivery to our nearby office as well. About 15 creatively named selections to choose from along with a half dozen salads and a couple of hand crafted desserts - everything is made in-house. My favorite is the âMeat Me In St. Louieâ w/ pepperoni, Italian sausage, three-cheese blend and garlic. My daughter goes for the âCock-A-Doodle Noodleâ which is stuffed with mac-n-cheese, roasted chicken & mozzarella.
Top 3 Southwestern food in University City, Saint Louis, Missouri
4. Maggiano's Little Italy
Overall Ratings
4 based on 454 reviews
Reviewed By Timothy M
Visited Maggiano's on Easter with 15 family members for dinner. Seated on the balcony,we had a good view of much of their dining room. The waitress was very personable as well as efficient. It took a while for the food to come as the place was very busy. They had a pretty good variety of entrees to choose from, and also some "deals". You could get a meal that included entree,salad and dessert with another entree to take home. There were some other deals also. Their wine list was very good. Everyone said their food was very good.
Most Popular American food in University City, Saint Louis, Missouri
3. Pastaria
Overall Ratings
4 based on 444 reviews
Reviewed By kevindouglasw
I was staying couple blocks away to be in court the next day. Picked up kale salad and minestrone. Both very good and priced well. I wish Iâd eaten in because atmosphere was very nice.
Where to eat Pizza food in University City: The Best Restaurants and Bars
2. Cafe Napoli
Overall Ratings
4 based on 339 reviews
When Tony Pietoso opened the original Cafe Napoli in the '80s, it quickly became a success. So Successful, in fact, that it moved to a bigger location at 7754 Forsyth Blvd. The restaurant continued to flourish with its generous portions of regional Italia
Reviewed By Tubman74
Wonderful artichoke & heart of palm salad. Pasta entree of ground salsiccia over linguine (never thought Iâd say this) just too heavily saturated by oil & sausage, which contributed even more oil. Better than average service provided at a table in the bar, but bar itself small enough & my dinner late enough to make singular & inane nearby conversations all too audible. Pre-dinner cocktail well executed. All-electronic/mobile valet experience a disaster.
1. Pi Pizzeria
Overall Ratings
4 based on 499 reviews
Reviewed By angienich
Used to have to wait for a table...but the place was slower the night we went. Service pretty good....NOT for a quiet dinner but good atmosphere. The pizza was excellent and the toppings on my favorite salad (Bada Bing) plentiful. Great place to people watch and take in the vibe of The Loop....right on trolley line. Hard to resist the desserts next door...(create your own cookie and icecream sandwich combo!)
