Driving advice (Kansas City, St. Louis, Washington: hotel, construction, casino)

[normie]

Hi--I have to make a quick trip to St. Louis and understand road construction is a problem. I have to get from the airport to South 2nd Street (near Anheuser Brewery). I have a hard time reading street signs, so I need a route that's easy. Any suggestions for an easy, quick route?

[CellarBelle]

St. Louis drivers will correct me if I'm wrong, but I think you can take 170 south to 40/64, and head east towards downton. I think the 40/64 shutdown will be just west of where you will need to access 40/64 to get downtown. Mapquest it, and then compare it against what MO DOT is saying (Missouri Department of Transportation).

[losnek]

Just take I-70 downtown. The construction should not change your trip --it involves a different expressway west of the city.

[aragx6]

Either of those should work just fine, but if you're not good with road signs I would just 70 all the way downtown as losnek suggested. It might be slightly more circuitous, but probably worth it if you're not familiar with the area.

[normie]

Thanks everyone. I'm staying at the Hampton Inn, at the corner of Washington and I-70 (near Eads Bridge). Any suggestions for good places to eat? I hear the ribs are really good in St. Louis if you know of a good place. Thanks!

[ShadowCaver]

Originally Posted by normie

Thanks everyone. I'm staying at the Hampton Inn, at the corner of Washington and I-70 (near Eads Bridge). Any suggestions for good places to eat? I hear the ribs are really good in St. Louis if you know of a good place. Thanks!

Might check out this thread for some places to get some good/great vittles.

If desire to try the StL style pizza, there are some excellent choices around too.

One that really enjoyed when back over Christmas holidays:
Talayna's At the Park
310 De Baliviere Ave
St Louis, MO 63112
314-367-7788

Another one that has great reviews, but haven't been to yet [drove by it tho'! ]:
Pizza-a-Go-Go
6703 Scanlan Ave.
St. Louis, MO
63139
314-781-1234

As to your route, might check out: POST4TrafficOnline.com

Hope ya enjoy your visit

[TGS]

Call ahead for your pizza at Pizza-a-Go-Go. They aren't very fast. It is worth the trip, though.

[losnek]

I noticed that my answer to your question about the highway closure was a bit unclear. I said that it was a different highway west of the city. What I meant to say was that it was a different highway and a section of that highway that is west of the city, so it should not affect you.

About the food, I am assuming that you want something close to where you are staying. If you are willing to pay a high price, there is St. Louis' only AAA five diamond restaurant, Tony's (Italian). Reservations may be difficult to obtain. You can also check out Kemoll's (in the Metropolitan Square Building) and Faust's (in the Adam's Mark Hotel).

For more reasonable prices:

You will be close to Laclede's Landing, a night spot area where there are several restaurants. You will also be close to the new hotel and casino, Lumiere Place, which I assume has some good dining options. It has been open less than a month. A few miles from from downtown is "the Hill," an area with several good Italian restaurants. The most famous is probably Cunetto's, but unless you are there at an off-hour, you would probably have a long wait. A few blocks away from there is Favazza's, but there are many good Italian restaurants around there.

St. Louis is actually not that big a rib restaurant town. May be you are thinking of Kansas City. If you are going for pizza, be aware that St. Louis style pizza is a local taste, just as Philadelphians somehow like Tastee Cakes and Detroiters like Vernor's ginger ale (the old formula). Out-of-towners generally do not like it. They use what they call "Provel cheese," which is a processed cheese; a combination of Swiss, cheddar and provolone. It has a tendency to stick to the teeth.

[Northwoods Voyager]

Try: Supersmokers: Welcome to some Great Tastin' BBQ! for some locations of good ribs. Also, Charlotte's Rib. Google St. Louis barbeque ribs and you will find some links there also. The Lumiere Place also serves BBQ ribs. When you arrive at your hotel just ask and someone will direct you to some mighty fine eating places. St. Louis style BBQ ribs are really worth it. Have fun and enjoy your visit to St. Louis. Notice the architecture downtown while you are there!