Grace Meat + Three is a mainstay of Southern food in St. Louis

Sauce 75: the essential St. Louis restaurants right now

Grace Meat + Three has become a mainstay of Southern food in the city since it opened in 2017. Are you craving cornmeal crusted catfish the way chef and owner Rick Lewis does it? Is it a fried bologna sandwich you’re after? Shrimp po’boy? Collard greens? Or fried chicken livers with a hot honey mustard? Find it all here. But beware: If you’re coming on a Sunday, expect everyone else in the city to be here for Grace’s excellent brunch, which stars chicken and waffles and the Egg Rick Muffin (housemade sausage, white American cheese, pepper jelly and a sunny-side-up egg on an English muffin). Grace is a counter service restaurant with a big, easy dining room vibe, but their chicken-and-fish pick-up window offers grab-and-go convenience.

4270 Manchester Ave., St. Louis, 314.533.2700, stlgrace.com

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The Sauce 75 is a photomosaic of the best in St. Louis dining in 2024. This list is a celebration of the diverse skills, techniques and culinary traditions that meet across our region. In sum, it tells a story about where St. Louis has been, where it is now and where it’s going next. Many great and good St. Louis restaurants have not made the cut. (Seventy-five is a lot fewer than you think!) Restaurants are constantly growing and evolving and go through ups and downs. Newly opened restaurants can take time to find their feet: There are a few exciting new places we’re cheering for, but which we feel haven’t yet fully hit their stride. Read the entire list here.