With all the kerfuffle about veganism online these days, you would be forgiven for thinking that eating meat is going out of fashion. However, this is really is not the case, and in many US cities you can not only visit to enjoy the atmosphere and the culture but find some of the best meat-based dishes around too. In fact, one city in particular that will delight carnivores is St Louis, Missouri, a place that you can find out all about below.

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If you’re looking for a meaty treat, St Louis can’t be beat!

Pizza

If you think you know about Pizza, then a trip to St Louis is likely to change your mind. In fact, even before we get to the meat toppings the St. Louisans have changed up the game entirely with almost all the elements when it comes to pizzas.

What this means is that you can expect your pizza to come tavern cut into squares rather than triangular slices, and the base itself with be a thin crack like crust. Don’t expect mozzarella either because few pizzas in St Louis will have this, instead, they will be covered by a regionally specific cheese called Provel which is made from a mix of provolone, white cheddar and Swiss!

The best thing about this St Louis type of pizza is that the crust is so stable you can really layer on the toppings, which make them perfect for meat lovers that want more than one type in each bite.

In fact, if you head on over to Pi, you can get a St Louis style pizza with churrasco steak sauce and steak which comes highly rated. Alternatively, why not try Pirrone’s Pizzeria on Washington St where a supreme with bacon, pepperoni, and sausage will set you back under $20!

Sandwiches

Apart from pizza, there are some pretty specific type of meat-laden sandwiches that the St Louis area is known for as well. These include the St Paul sandwich which is a Chinese-American classic that is well known throughout the city.

Of course, we’re aren’t talking about the St Paul’s Sandwich that comes with just the egg foo young patties in, but the delicious morsels that come along with chicken, pork, and beef as well. Try the dine-in or takeout at Hon’s Wok on Forest Park Ave, where they offer the full range, and you won’t be disappointed!

Famous St Louis BBQ!

No post about the meaty delight of St Louis would be complete without covering the world famous St Louis variety of American BBQ and where to get it. Now, of course, you can get versions of the St Louis BBQ all across America, but you can only get the genuine article in the city itself.

To identify the pedigree of this dish you need to know three things. The first is that St Louis BBQ is all about ribs! Not brisket, or burnt ends, but thick and juicy smokey ribs! Secondly, St Louis BBQ comes with a lot of sauce, and it’s of a tomatoey kind, with both sweet and sour notes! Lastly, even the way the ribs are cut is specific to the St Louis area with a particular square presentation that gives a great meat-to-bone ratio! Of course, with all that detail paid to ribs, it’s no wonder that St Louisians are credited as eating the most BBQ and BBQ sauce of any US city!

Now, when it comes to finding the best St Louis style BBQ in the city, your first stop has to be the legendary Sugarfire Smoke House on Washington Ave.

Of course, you’ll be sample the ribs, but the carnivore with a bigger appetite should try the homemade sausage links, pulled pork, and brisket too. They even add meat to their salads there too, making it a real carnivores paradise.

International treats

While St Louisian cuisine is known for its meaty regional treats, that doesn’t mean you can’t find some delicious international flavors there as well.

In fact, LonaÍs Lil Eats on California Avenue specialize in Asian style food, with plenty of meaty twists. When you visit be sure to try their famous giant rice paper wrap which can you stuff with a selection of smoked brisket, turkey, grilled steak, or chicken. Then add some of their delicious homemade sauces to top them off, including lime-ginger, and spicy sesame!

They even have an awesome vegan and vegetarian options as well. Perfect for if you are in a mixed party of diners, or your carnivorous tour of St Louis has you all meated out!

Then there is Yemanja Brasil on Missouri Ave. This is a joint that knows all about how to cook meat, with the signature dish being Feijoada de Ogum, a mix of Brazilian dried beef, smoked sausage, and smoked pork ribs! They don’t just serve beef at Yemanja Brasil though, and you can a pretty decent Lombo Ipanema, or pan-fried jumbo pork chop there as well!

Fine dining

Lastly, there is no shortage of places to visit for a swanky evening out either, especially if a meat-based dish is what you are craving!

In fact, Kreis Restaurant on Lindbergh Blvd is a choice that you can’t miss, mainly because of the dinner plate sized prime ribs of beef they serve! Choose the king cut if you want the maximum meat experience, although the queen cut they run as a special on Sunday night is excellent value for $39, and you get a starter, and dessert thrown in too!

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Alternately if you are looking for a steakhouse with some French and US influences why not head over to 801 Chophouse on Carondelet Plz? On Sunday they have a prix fixe menu where you can choose from a rib of beef or Filet Mignon De Burgo.

Alternatively, if you want to go a la carte why not treat yourself to a meat mix up with steak tartare, roasted marrow bones, and beef carpaccio to start, and then follow it up with a 24 oz Porterhouse off the grill, just the way you like it? Which for most carnivorous gastronomes, will be pretty rare, I’m guessing!