Best Burgers in St. Louis: Route 66 to Soulard

The best burgers in St. Louis are spread across its neighborhoods and inner suburbs: the Central West End, The Grove, the Delmar Loop, Soulard, Cherokee Street and South Grand inside the city, and Brentwood along old Route 66. Look for griddled drive-in burgers, tavern burgers and one diner plate built around a burger patty.

That plate is the slinger, a St. Louis late-night original from the diner counters: hash browns, a hamburger patty and two eggs, smothered in chili and topped with cheese and onions. For a straight burger with history, Carl’s Drive In in Brentwood, a tiny counter on Manchester Road, the old Route 66 alignment, griddles burgers and pours its own root beer. Route 66 itself turns 100 in 2026. The city’s other local ingredient is Provel, the processed blend of cheddar, Swiss and provolone that defines St. Louis-style pizza.

Burgers in St. Louis: key facts

• Neighborhoods to explore: the Central West End, The Grove, the Delmar Loop, Soulard, Cherokee Street, South Grand, The Hill and Brentwood.
• Local plate: the slinger, with hash browns, a patty, eggs and chili.
• Route 66 stop: Carl’s Drive In on Manchester Road, Brentwood.
• Local ingredient: Provel cheese.
• Getting around: MetroLink light rail connects downtown, the Central West End and the Delmar Loop.
• Currency: US dollar (USD).

Every guide we publish on St. Louis is dated and lists only venues, addresses, prices and ratings we could verify. Compare with other cities in our burger restaurant guides.