St. Louis servers share their favorite dishes

By Sara Graham // June 7, 2015

Ever wonder what servers order for themselves? Here’s the insider intel on what to eat at St. Louis restaurants right now. 

sanctuaria's wicked good shrimp // photo by skylar finan

"The Wicked Good Shrimp. Tiger prawns are sauteed in spices and served with bread for dipping. People come specifically for that dish." – Skylar Finan, Sanctuaria

“Definitively the Jungle Love Nachos. It features house-smoked barbecued pork, seasoned ground beef, spicy cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, black olives and jalapenos and is served with sour cream and house-made salsa. When I first started working here, I had it three times a week. There’s a lot of love in those nachos.” – Jen Zoyles, Three Monkeys

“I love a slab of ribs. They are smoked slow, tender. The spices are perfect. They are fall-off-the-bone good.” – Dakota Diamond, PM BBQ

blue ribbon burger from 5 star burgers // photo by kelly villa

“Our Blue Ribbon Burger is an amazing combination of port-braised onions, bacon and Gorgonzola. It's the best a burger can get.” – Kelly Filla, 5 Star Burgers

“The Goat. It’s a vegetarian sandwich with a goat cheese spread topped with greens, cucumbers and apricot chutney and served on toasted wheat. It’s simply the best.” – Ethan DeGhelder, The Mud House

“Our house-made lamb sausage is food fit for the foodie. It’s served over hearty white beans with tender sauteed spinach and lamb jus. Bread-and-butter pickles add a touch of sweetness.” – Jamie Moody, Bixby’s

rasoi's chicken tikka masala // photo by sarabjeet jaswal

“Chicken tikka masala is a dish of good-sized roasted pieces of chicken in a creamy, bright orange tomato sauce with lots of flavor. It's one of my all-time favorite meals.” – Sarabjeet Jaswal, Rasoi

“The BrieLT sandwich with tomato marmalade and Nueske bacon from Wisconsin is so, so good.” – Sam Kichline, Cafe Osage

“The Drunken Noodle with beef. It’s filling, and the shrimp sauce has a perfect little spicy kick to it. I love the crunch of the fresh vegetables and the rich egg – it all just works.” – Andy Jaeger, Wang Gang Asian Eats

handlebar's brussels sprouts salad // photo by megan ehrhart

“Our Brussels sprouts salad is my current addiction. Tender roasted Brussels sprouts, strips of bacon and crumbs of creamy goat cheese are tossed in burnt honey vinaigrette. The flavor combination turns lifelong Brussels sprouts haters into enthusiasts." – Megan Ehrhart, HandleBar

“The shrimp Alfredo pasta. The fettuccini noodles are handmade in-house. The shrimp Alfredo sauce is fabulously creamy and perfect for dipping with garlic bread.” – Melissa Schlecht, J. Fires’ Market Bistro

“All shift long I dream about the steak sandwich with fries. Gotta have that spicy mayo for those fries, too." – Katie Seitz, West End Grill and Pub