Mother of All Pizzas
Inspired by Lamar’s golden age of pizza, Mother Tucker’s blends nostalgia, comfort and family fun STORY AND PHOTOS by Sara Schafer Every town has a restaurant that becomes part of its story. In Lamar, that place was Pappa’s Pizza. For decades, families gathered to...
Where Warriors Feast
Carnivores serves unforgettable made-from-scratch dishes Story and Photos by Paul Newton The smell of smoked dishes and grilled steaks immerses you as soon as you walk in the door. The tables aren’t set for a fancy, white tablecloth dinner in this strip mall just off...
From denim to dinner
Delicious food served in former Levi’s factory STORY AND PHOTOS by Paul Newton Long before guests enjoyed goat cheese croquettes or sipped maple old-fashioneds under the tin ceilings of the 19th-century building, more than 450 employees worked here to shape part of...
Robyn’s
Homestyle staples and unique dishes on the menu in Cameron by Sara Schafer | sschafer@ruralmissouri.coop Step inside Robyn’s and you’ll find more than a menu full of mouthwatering dishes — you’ll find a place where neighbors chat, travelers feel at home and the...
Court Square Cafe
A small-town cafe with a big-city menu by Jim McCarty | jmccarty@ruralmissouri.coop Savvy travelers know the courthouse square in just about any county is a good place to find something to eat. Alton, the county seat of Oregon County, is no exception. But...
Eastside Social
Local favorites bring diners to downtown Neosho by Jim McCarty | jmccarty@ruralmissouri.coop You’re driving down the highway and realize your stomach is growling “feed me.” You stop and whip out your phone in search of sustenance. When this happens Charlotte and...
Good News
by Paul Newton | pnewton@ruralmissouri.coop The duo just wanted to share the good news. Dan Tripp and Matt Fair loved to brew beer and cook pizza. They wanted to share it with their friends, family and Bible study group. They hosted brewing parties every month where...
Spencer Manor Winery
Upscale dining, fine wines and epic views await in St. James by Sara Schafer | sschafer@ruralmissouri.coop Spencer Manor Winery is a special place to create unforgettable moments. The modern architecture of the beautiful building is set against the vibrant vineyards...
Olde Town South
Old-school comfort and new-school flavor await in Knob Noster by Sara Schafer | sschafer@ruralmissouri.coop Even if you’re not from Knob Noster, you’ll feel right at home at Olde Town South. The menu is full of classics with modern twists, the atmosphere is...
Tin Mill Brewing Company
Tasty food paired with housemate brews in Hermann. by Paul Newton | pnewton@ruralmissouri.coop You’ll come for the food, but hang around for so much more at Tin Mill Brewing Co. There’s a pet-friendly patio with yard games and live music. There’s a jukebox in the...
The Catfish Cafe
Housemade catfish and more in Buffalo. by Paul Newton | pnewton@ruralmissouri.coop The kitchen is a busy place. John Phillips has hand-breaded tenderloins and chicken strips that have to be dropped in the deep-fryer so they’re served hot and fresh. He tends to the...
The Station
About a dozen years ago, Ben Brubacher and his family bought the former Mark Twain National Forest ranger station in Fredericktown. Then they started dreaming. What could this historic property become? What did the 4,500-population town need? “We love coffee, so we...
Shooter’s
by Sara Schafer | sschafer@ruralmissouri.coop As soon as you walk into Shooter’s Taproom & Kitchen in downtown Chillicothe, you know you’re in for a treat. The charming building is filled with the smells of good food, the long bar features colorful taps of craft...
Frisco’s
The food inside this popular restaurant has been carefully crafted for decades by different owners, finding the perfect balance of down-home classics, Ozark fare and favorites from the nearby Gateway to the West. That balance and nuanced touch have kept...
Fredrick Inn Steakhouse & Bar
Fine dining and comfort food converge in St. Joseph Would you like rolls and cinnamon rolls with your dinner?” New customers at the Fredrick Inn Steakhouse & Bar might be caught off guard by this question from their server — or think they landed in restaurant...
The Pitchfork
Farmhouse favorites in a relaxed setting It was a party you wouldn’t want to miss if you were in Bolivar. The Francka Feast started a decade ago when dairy farmers Thomas and Jessica Francka welcomed about a hundred of their closest friends for a gathering featuring a...
Harry J’s Steakhouse
Prime rib and more that are worth the drive After more than 20 years inside the kitchen at Harry J’s in Moscow Mills, owner Paul Blucker gets his enjoyment stepping away from the grill and into the dining room full of satisfied customers. “Another grill cook and I...
Missouri State Fair Eats
For 11 days in August, Missouri's best food comes from the state fair Take two steps through the entrance to the Missouri State Fair and the aroma of scrumptious treats is overwhelming. From corn dogs frying in hot oil, pork burgers and juicy steaks grilling, or the...
Marceline Pizza Company
Homemade pizza, sandwiches and more in Marceline Flinging freshly stretched dough into the air, Andrew Welsh is at home in the kitchen of his Marceline restaurant. He can chat with regulars as he builds a variety of specialty pizzas before sliding them into the oven...
The Riverhouse
Food and drinks with a view on the banks of the Mighty Mississippi First-time visitors to The Riverhouse in Scott City might ask the owners whether this is a wine house that serves great food or a fine-dining destination that also happens to have great wine. To this...
Mama Loca’s Cafe and Cantina
Delicious Mexican food and more are on the menu in an inviting historical building photos by Paul Newton | pnewton@ruralmissouri.coop What do you get when you combine a Missouri farm girl with Mexican heritage and fine-dining experience, a former police officer who...
Carson’s
Refined plates in historic ambiance It all started with a wheel of Maytag blue cheese for Adam Glenn. The high schooler was visiting a friend’s house over the holidays when a giant wheel of cheese was set on the counter for guests to snack on. “I didn’t know what it...
IDK Cafe
Fried chicken is the thing at this northeast Missouri gathering spot Employees of the IDK Cafe have a standard response when newcomers ask: “What does IDK stand for?” Their answer is, “I don’t know.” Eventually the guests get the texting abbreviation, but not the...
Taboo Burgers, Grill and Ice Cream
Over-the-top burgers with a story photos by Paul Newton and Sara Schafer There’s no definitive path for finding your footing as a rural restaurant. Some go to culinary school, others rely on family recipes and more lean on their business acumen. The path for David and...
Fred & Red’s
Photos by Sara Schafer and Jim McCarty A step into Fred & Red’s in Joplin is a step back in time. As you enter the unassuming tan diner, you take in the classic decor, neon sign, vintage barstools and wood paneling. Then, suddenly, your senses surrender to one...
NaCl+H2O
Upscale dining in downtown Rolla Inside the kitchen, the work is never done — especially before the first customer even walks in the door. Whole fresh, never frozen, salmon, halibut and mahi-mahi need to be skinned and prepped. Whole potatoes are waiting to become...
HoneyBadger
Classic American fare with a memorable twist As soon as the front doors open, the kitchen is a flurry of activity. Hungry customers head to the counter to order one of Nick and Rachel Giacopelli’s creations for lunch. Online orders come in as fast as the couple...
The Rolling Pin Bakery
The pastry chef has been cooking for as long as he can remember. Growing up, Jeremy Sayler would enlist his older brother, Michael, to turn on the burners to the stove; at just 6 years old, he couldn’t reach back that far. “I just cooked what I liked to eat back...
Have a Cow
St. Louis restaurant specializes in all-day breakfast and burgers Steve and Lisa St. Pierre have three requests when you step into their restaurant: Love coffee, love burgers and love your enemy. Their St. Louis-based farm-to-table restaurant and urban store is more...
Catalpa
The chef thought she had it figured out. Every weekend she served elegant, refined dishes at Catalpa — her quaint, 10-table Arrow Rock restaurant — to customers heading to a show down High Street at the Lyceum Theater. “I got a lot of acclaim for the fine dining,”...
1851 Underground
Burgers, sandwiches and tacos in a unique setting The 144-year-old brick building in downtown Fulton is brimming with history. The Palace Hotel was a hub of activity in the Callaway County seat. It played host to uncountable community and civic events and served as...
The Clarktonian
Crawfish and seafood in the Bootheel Crawdads, mudbugs, crawfish — call them what you want, but just know you will find the best at The Clarktonian in the Bootheel town of Clarkton. Repeat customers prove owner Tyler Miller’s claim that you won’t find anything better...
Fernweh Distilling Co.
Elevated food and cocktails in an upscale atmosphere The German word fernweh roughly translates to a yearning to visit somewhere you’ve never been. That’s appropriate for the Hermann restaurant and distillery of the same name which welcomes guests by trail, rail and...
Rustic Duck
Find homecooked food, wildlife art and a lifetime of happiness in Appleton City Take a trip around the lake at Susan Hearting’s farm and you’ll find a lot of things taking wing from the nest. Some are molting downy feathers while their wooden doubles watch from a...
Rich’s Famous Burgers
Over-the-top burgers in the Ozarks The sizzle and smell of fresh, hand-pattied ground beef cooking takes Jason Cusick back to flipping burgers on a 24-inch grill at The White Barn in St. Louis. “That was my first job,” Jason says. “I just fell in love with cooking...
Home Town Diner
Nostalgia and familiar flavors on the Pomme de Terre River Mix equal parts small-town charm with from-scratch flavor, and you’re cooking from the same book of recipes as Rich and Joy Porter. If the bright red sign of the Home Town Diner in Hermitage doesn’t...
The Original Lemonade House Grille
According to the calendar, summer is coming to an end. But one of the best parts of the season can be enjoyed all year long at The Original Lemonade House Grille in Poplar Bluff. It starts with one of the 30 fresh-made lemonades offered in flavors such as Blueberry...
Captain’s Corner
Being imaginative with her cooking is nothing new to Katherine Wald. Raising two sets of twins, born two years apart, put her creative cooking skills to the test. April Fools’ Day meals consisted of items like what appeared to be a grilled cheese sandwich, but was...
Spanish Street Farmacy
Green family offers healthy, locally grown food in Cape These days restaurants are justifiably proud to offer menu items that are made from scratch. At Spanish Street Farmacy in Cape Girardeau, the owners take the concept a big step further. Not only is everything on...
The Heist II
Over-the-top sandwiches and wraps in an historical setting Inside the narrow corner store, “Wanted! Dead or Alive” posters line the brick wall. A newspaper clipping details the $2,000 stolen from this building by Jesse James and the James-Younger Gang when it was The...
The Hoof Family Steakhouse
Delicious steaks in Monroe County There are two entrances leading into The Hoof Family Steakhouse in Madison and it doesn’t matter to co-owners Keith Thomas and Charles Wheeler which one you choose as long as you come on inside. Once inside, Keith nods to a trail of...
A Slice of Pie
Rolla pie shop serves up sweet treats When you walk in the door the aroma almost stops you in your tracks. The sweet smell of an American Apple, Red Velvet or Boston Cream pie is reminiscent of pie shop co-owner Ryan Warnol’s childhood. “My great-grandparents had the...
America Bowman Restaurant
Authentic Irish cuisine in an historical setting With a menu full of mouthwatering dishes, diners at America Bowman Restaurant will undoubtedly need something to wash it all down. There’s plenty of soda as well as wine and spirits all made not far from the restaurant...
Dubious Claims Brewing Co.
Pizza, pasta and pretzels in a unique brewpub The journey to opening a brewpub began for Neil Wilkerson on his honeymoon to Breckenridge, Colorado more than three decades ago. It was his first time visiting and he and his wife patronized the newly opened Breckenridge...
Ivory Grille
Modern eats in a historical hotel setting Since the late 1800s, Sedalia has been known as the home to the state fair, railroads, cattle drives, the Scott Joplin Ragtime Festival and the beautiful Daum Museum of Contemporary Art. But when it comes to dining worth the...
Firehouse 54
Unique pizza creations in a cozy setting Tana Kinder knows the moment she realized her idea for a pizza restaurant would come to fruition. The hairdresser-turned-pizza maker was serving up pies from her 20-foot gooseneck trailer on the Eagleville square, just as she...
Cafe B-29
Ozark diner pays tribute to American heroes You can tell there’s something different about Cafe B-29 before you walk in the door. It’s not every restaurant where ammo boxes double as flower planters, helmets are refashioned as booth lights and one of two 6-foot-tall...
Cole’s Hearth Room
Fine dining and fun cocktails in Palmyra A chef, mixologist and former professional fighter, Coltin Cole may not have known his road would lead to Palmyra but he was always destined for the kitchen. Starting with summer cooking classes as an 8-year-old and...
Pilot House
Classic sandwiches and more at a Cape Girardeau institution The cozy eatery is much more than just a place to get your next meal. This dining destination is a southeast Missouri institution that pays homage to Cape Girardeau’s river roots. The portions are plentiful...
1820 The Family Restaurant
Comfortable food in a homey location The inside of the restaurant is filled with one-of-a-kind items. Tobacco sticks from the owners’ father line the ceiling just next to the grain bin with a unique dining table inside. A 1940s wheat reel from a local farm spins...