The most anticipated restaurants in St. Louis for 2023

As always, a new year brings new restaurant concepts, additional locations of familiar favorites, and collaborative partnerships. Here are the ones that we’re most excited about in 2023, in order of approximate opening date.

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Momo

Projected opening date: spring

Located in the former Bandana’s BBQ space at the corner of McKnight and Manchester in Rock Hill, the 5,700-square-foot restaurant will serve “coffee, champagne, and brunch all day.” It's owned by Chris and Courtney Sedlak, the husband-and-wife team who also own neighboring dinner-only restaurant Hangar, as well as The Mud House on Cherokee. (Momo is the coffee-roasting company that the Sedlaks own.) Chris says the restaurant's food menu will be "recognizable, with unique touches," such as a BLT with house-made tomato jam. “We think there’s a market in Rock Hill for a place to get curated coffees and cocktails with your breakfast or brunch,” Chris says. A small front patio will cater to the grab-and-go, eat-on-the-run crowd. A larger, rear patio (adjacent to the one at Hangar) has been designed for more leisurely dining. And the entire facility can be rented out in the evening for private events. 9500 Manchester, Rock Hill.

The 2700 Locust Complex

Projected opening date: spring and summer

One of the most ambitious restaurant projects announced in 2022—five concepts under one roof at the corner of Locust and Beaumont, in a development area known as JC Midtown (2700 Locust, Midtown)—will come to fruition in 2023. The first restaurant, Kain Tayo, is slated to open before the end of the month, followed by another one every three weeks after that, says Tower Real Estate Group owner Jassen Johnson, who conceived the project. All five restaurants are owned or co-owned by women:

  • Kain Tayo means “let’s eat” in Tagalog, and it will feature traditional Filipino dishes. 
  • Anita Café and Bar will focus on Middle Eastern and Mediterranean fare, plus a variety of sweet and savory open-faced toasts and specialty drinks.
  • Nexus Cultural Cuisine & Craft Cocktails is the lynchpin of the project, a global cuisine-themed restaurant from Misha Sampson and Ceaira Jackson, the duo who hooked local diners on Bait in the Central West End after luring them at the former Fleur de Lilies. 
  • Videira Wine Shop & Bar is “a mashup of 33 Wine Bar and Brennan’s...a mix of wine knowledge you pick up at 33 with the coziness you experience at Brennan’s,” says owner Mykel McIntosh. 
  • Blue Jay Brewing Company is a 3,500-square-foot brewery/taproom with a covered, three-season patio that features American and European lager-style beers. One of the owners is Jason Thompson, the former head brewer and production manager at Urban Chestnut Brewing Co.
  • Rick’s and Rick’s Rooftop (2639 Locust), an entertainment and music venue that features a rooftop bar with live music, is also a block away and slated to open in the spring.  

Maryland House by Brennan’s

Projected opening date: March 

When Brennan’s (often dubbed “the coolest bar in town”) initially relocated mere steps from its flagship location in the Central West End, the design did not include Maryland House, its speakeasy-like upstairs bar and events space. Instead, owner Kevin Brennan expanded that concept at the former Mandarin Lounge to include a rooftop garden terrace, digital art gallery, and library room, with built in wooden-cases to display books and art. An optional membership program includes house credit, food and drink perks, and preferred access to the space. 44 Maryland Plaza, Central West End.

Sado

Projected opening date: March

When Nippon Tei closes this January, giving way to Sado, a more modern venue several ZIP codes to the east, co-owner and James Beard Award nominee Nick Bognar (who also owns indo, SLM's 2022 Restaurant of the Year) hopes that customers will see the 100-seat restaurant as “a reinvention, one synonymous with ‘sushi bar,’ in the most elegant sense,” where they can also find popular Japanese dishes from Nippon Tei. Later this year at Sado, a former office surrounded by a courtyard will be converted to a space to host Bognar’s renowned omakase dinners. 5201 Shaw, The Hill. 

Napoli Sea

Projected opening date: April

Two years ago, the Pietoso family opened Napoli III, a much-needed Italian restaurant at The Streets of St. Charles. Now, the family is doubling down with Napoli Sea, a seafood restaurant located next door. “We managed to tap an untouched market, so we’re doing it again in our own backyard but in a smaller space,” says co-owner Kye Pietoso. An 18-seat, U-shaped “showstopper” bar anchors the 70-seat room, where themed design elements include LED lighting that mimics the ocean flowing from the ceiling down to the bar. 1450 Beale, #115, St. Charles.

Billy G’s Finer Diner

Projected opening date: early May

Billy Gianino, Jr., owner of the always-busy Billy G’s in Kirkwood, is opening a spinoff of sorts in the former Balaban’s space in Chesterfield. The plan is for Billy G’s Finer Diner to open early, serve meals (including breakfast) throughout the day, and close at 9 p.m. seven days a week. “The pandemic changed a lot of diners’ habits,” Gianino, Jr. says. "We took notice of that." Since boozy—and brewsy—cocktails have become popular at modern breakfast-themed restaurants, the 6500–square-foot space will be equipped with a full bar, as well as a separate coffee bar. The project designer, Lori Olsen (Blondie's, Rosalita's in Des Peres) of RDG Planning + Design says to expect “a '70s-era, Quentin Tarantino-Palm Springs kind of vibe, as opposed to a traditional, '60s-era Johnny Rockets vibe.” Gianino adds that, “This won’t be a New Jersey diner. It’ll be unique—call it a St. Louis–style diner.” 1772 Clarkson, Chesterfield.

Katie’s Pizza & Pasta Osteria - Ballpark Village

Projected opening date: April

Despite the meteoric success of two Katie’s Pizza & Pasta Osteria locations and an ever-growing frozen-pizza operation, owners Katie and Ted Collier did not have a space for private parties and events. This new downtown 350-seat, 10,000-square-foot space can accommodate weddings, business and casual dinners, as well as fans in Cardinals jerseys in search of a slice and a beer. Guests can expect “major greenery,” bespoke art from Ted Collier and Belinda Lee (Katie’s aunt), and a building-length patio enlivened by a bank of French doors. 751 Clark, Downtown.

Taco Buddha

Projected opening date: Mid-April

We get asked all the time what we think of Taco Buddha. Our stock answer: “We love it,” with a caveat, “when we can get in.” After five years, owner Kurt Eller’s part-inside-but-mostly-covered-patio juggernaut in University City, continues to delight customers at lunch and dinner with its simple formula of composed tacos, tart margaritas, and side dishes, along with a taco of the month. The new location in Kirkwood (a former Hardee’s) will play the same hits to a larger audience, with 120 seats, many of them behind decorative, sound-mitigating fencing. And due to a slick pickup system that Eller perfected in U. City during the pandemic, dine-in guests won’t have to endure a line of crawling cars snaking around the building. 11111 Manchester, Kirkwood.

The Station

Projected opening date: fall

A collaboration between 4 Hands Brewing Co. and Peacemaker Lobster & Crab Co., the concept will take over the former Down by the Station space in Kirkwood. The atmosphere will blend traditional with modern, resulting in what 4 Hands owner Kevin Lemp calls “industrial elegance.” The narrow, 3,400-square-foot space and expansive all-weather patio will allow for a more elevated cocktail program and expansion of 4 Hands’ 1220 Spirits and Withered Oak brands. Peacemaker owner Kevin Nashan promises all of the menu favorites, minus the shrimp and crab boils, which will be featured on occasional weekends. 150 W. Argonne, Kirkwood.

Always check our list of the Best Restaurants in St. Louis for our picks on the best places to eat right now. 

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