LoRusso’s Cucina to close in Lindenwood Park after 38 years

The restaurant’s final service will be Sept. 29

LoRusso’s Cucina has announced it will close its doors on Sept. 29, ending a 38-year run for the Lindenwood Park restaurant. The closure comes two-and-a-half years after the death of the restaurant’s chef-owner, Rich LoRusso, who passed away in March 2022.

The closure was reported Sept. 3 by St. Louis Magazine, with Terri LoRusso, Rich LoRusso’s widow and owner of LoRusso’s, citing multiple factors behind the closure but saying she felt that this was the right time to bow out. 

Rich and Terri LoRusso opened their restaurant in 1986, initially in a location on Hampton Avenue. After three years, LoRusso’s moved to its permanent home at 3121 Watson Road. Although technically located in Lindenwood Park, LoRusso’s was an Italian restaurant rooted in the best traditions of the Hill, with a menu inspired by the Sicilian recipes LoRusso learned growing up in his mother’s kitchen.

Speaking after Rich LoRusso’s passing in 2022, his sister-in-law Nancy LoRusso told us that dining at LoRusso’s was akin to visiting a friend’s house for dinner. “Rich recreated that [fellowship] in his restaurant,” Nancy said. “You came to his restaurant, he cooked you a meal and, whenever possible, he would come to your table and he would sit down and talk. And so he built relationships. And people went back not only because the food was good, but to see Rich and Terri.”

News of LoRusso’s closure was met with an overwhelming response on the restaurant’s Facebook page, with many long-term customers expressing their support for the LoRusso family and gratitude for the restaurant’s longevity.