Spare No Rib
2200 Gravois Ave,Ste 101, Saint Louis, MO, 63104
Spare No Rib Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Saint Louis for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Saint Louis for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Saint Louis for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
2200 Gravois Ave,Ste 101
Saint Louis, MO, 63104 - Phone (314) 202-8244
- Website https://sparenorib.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 9:00pm
- Mon : 11:00 am - 9:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Street, Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
Categories
Mexican Cuisine
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
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Richard T.
I will attempt to write a proper review by combining two words that are rarely used together-gourmet barbeque!! Upon entry you fear that you are in for a little food for a lotsa money.......NOT!!! From the homemade salsa(fabulous), to the huge bbq pork sandwich (incredible) to the mac and cheese (WOWSERS).. My wife and I split the meal and were stuffed. LOTSA FOOD FOR LITTLE MONEY! and all was absolutely delicious. Just try it Mikey,,, you'll really like it. Ask for Ellis, been here from beginning.
(5)Luke A.
I could write a novel about how everything on the menu is amazing, but I don't need to. Blindly point your finger at something and you will not be disappointed. Easily the most friendly restaurant in the city with wonderful servers and an all-around 11/10 staff. IMHO, best burger in town. Medium-rare (by preference) and DELICIOUS! Stop by on your way to a Blues or Cards game and it's guaranteed they'll have the game on their TV. Local beers, artisan beers, and house margaritas. Enough said. EAT THERE NOW!
(5)Jason B.
Tough review for me because I wanted to like everything, and I did like the tacos and the sides, but the ribs were just not great. They had a dry rub on them that was ok, but not that tasty or memorable the way they taste at Pappy's, and they were not as tender as they are at Pappy's either. However, I thought their Carnitas and Steak tacos were great, my wife loved her Chicken taco, and my father-in-law loved his Chorizo Sausage taco (saying it had a great kick to it). And the Mac and Cheese, Baked Beans, and Corn Sides were all very good, particularly the Mac and Cheese. I would come back for the Tacos and the Mac and Cheese! My wife also liked the "Pearls" salad. Service was really good and the ambiance is cool/funky. Newer and cooler space that I had expected. I hope they do well. So overall, I would give their tacos a four, their sides a four, and their ribs a 3. Overall - weighing everything, I would round up from a high three to give them a four.
(4)Tiffany N.
Came here on a whim couldn't decide where to eat and it came down to Spare No Rib or Peacemaker mind you both I have wanted to check out and heard awesome things about. We happened to come across Spare No Ribs first so pulled in and I can tell you I don't regret it. I'm stuffed the food was amazing! Great fusion of Latin and BBQ. All three of there sauces are amazing I mixed them together :) lol plus the margaritas are on point and freshly made! Very attentive to our table and our needs! The mac n cheese is also to die for will be back with my six year old she will love it! Plus the prices a fairly reasonable.
(5)Audrey J.
Very happy I tried this place! Cute on the inside, great service, super good food. We started with the queso with chorizo... The chips came out hot with flaked salt. Sooo good. I really don't think there is anything better than chips and cheese with a Margarita. The marg was great too. For my meal I got a fish taco and a carnitas taco. Both were really wonderful! I think it's difficult for me to find a fish taco that I like more than Mission's... But it's a very close second. The carnitas was super tender and tasty too, there was this spicy salsa on top! Almost a little too spicy for my taste, but I'm kind of a wimp when it comes to spicy foods. All in all a great experience and I definitely will come back! They also have ribs and burgers, which I would like to try that SNR plate. That seems like a great deal, two ribs and two tacos and a side for $15... Also gotta come back to try their mac and cheese, because that looked good too.
(5)Jay S.
Very, very disappointed with our visit to Spare No Rib. Apparently this was an anomaly, looking at the other reviews...but maybe the owner needs to know how the restaurant runs when they aren't there. When we arrived for dinner there were only 3 other parties in the place. One person was sitting at the bar. A total of less than 6 people. I am explaining this because every aspect of our service was slow. From being seated, to receiving our drinks, to our food and ending with receipt of the bill: SLOW. Not "European Service" slow, just the "Not Paying Attention" kind. Two college-aged men were running front of house. They frequently were on their phones. When 2 young women came in, they spent quite a bit of time chatting them up such that they almost never checked on us. Those 2 women were the only other party to come in the whole time we were in this place. Just terrible service. When I asked the server about cocktails, he said he didn't drink - so he wouldn't know. Not, "I've heard this is good" or "People say this one's sweet". He was so odd about my questions that I should have taken this as a sign to NOT order a drink. I ordered the Caipirinha - at this point I was still banking on the rep of the place - it was so heavy, I couldn't finish it. I would have been TOASTED if I tried to finish it. And let me explain - I'm a drinker. I spent almost every evening in St. Louis at The Whisky Ring or The Fortuneteller - I drink! This was an irresponsible amount of booze and it was far too heavy for a drink with a meal. The only thing I liked were the ribs. The meat fell off the bone. The sauce is on the sweet side. Based on all the other issues we had, I will go elsewhere for ribs. Taco aficionados may wish to be wary. The tacos were dry, made with no care and very expensive for what they were. The meat on all the tacos was dry. Seriously. OK - I'm from the West Coast and spend plenty of time in LA, so I have high expectations - but St. Louis, these tacos are wayyyyy toooo expensive for the quality or lack thereof. Mac n Cheese - very loose, bland and had a graham cracker topping I found too sweet for the dish. Corn Fritters were hard to judge because they were overdone. Hard on the outside and dry inside. There seemed to be some nice flavor there, but it was lost. Just a waste of money up and down.
(2)Kate A.
This place has great food, atmosphere and service. Second time here and neither time has it been very busy. Don't know why because everything about it is great. I had the BBQ Chicken sandwich this time which was excellent. Not your standard grilled chicken breast with kc masterpiece. Rather it is tender and juicy smoked chicken with avocado, lettuce and onion. The sauce on it tasted like mustard-based but worked well. Really good fries.
(4)Zachary M.
This is a great little place. Casual enough to be comfortable, but not so much so that you're eating out of a styrofoam tray. I got the SNR Plate: 2 ribs, 2 tacos, and a side (baked beans for me) The ribs are definitely above standard and the baked beans are better than homemade, but the best feature of the meal is the tacos! Be sure to try a beer with your meal. The selection is good enough that you can find one to pair with anything.
(4)Jon T.
On the last day of Bro J's visit we went to Spare No Rib for lunch. I had tried to find it with Mr D a few months ago and somehow could not see it. Anyway, I learned it is right by Hodak's and armed with that information, this time there was no problem. The parking lot between the two businesses is great and was wide open on this day. I'm sure the Hodak's normally fills it up on weekend evenings. With three of us, we got a pretty good sampling of the menu, more tacos than barbecue. I had a combo plate that included a sample of two ribs and two tacos. Ms T went for grilled fish tacos and Bro J selected two, still different tacos. Grilled Fish tacos - Ms T forgot, forgot, forgot to tell them no onion, so it was served with green sauce and plenty of the odious stuff. This green sauce was a good one with avocado and tomatillos and a little heat. Chorizo tacos - fairly standard chorizo, also served with the green sauce and onion treatment Cacheta tacos - very good, juicy flavorful meat served with a red sauce that has a pretty noticeable level of cinnamon. I would stifle their creativity here. Kudos for having this meat choice on the menu. Carne Asada - the meat was grilled and good, but needed salt. It had a different sauce from the others. Carnitas - also good, sorry, I forget the sauce. Each taco meat selection seems to be served with its own sauce. In general they are pretty good. I just don't want cinnamon on my tacos. They are pre-sauced, so on a future visit, I would try to remember to get the sauces on the side. Ribs - With just two to sample, I would say they were 3-1/2 stars. They were properly cooked with nice smoke flavor. The rub has too much cumin and they needed salt in the rub. These could easily be quite good. Slaw was my side and it was easily the worst I have had in some time. It was almost undressed and what dressing there was, was bad. It was almost completely unseasoned, unsalted cabbage with a little poorly thought out dressing. I know people rarely go somewhere for slaw, but considering the thought they put into what must be at least six housemade salsas, how hard would it be to make some more flavorful dressing for the slaw and actually use some of it on the cabbage? Their chip salsa is extremely mild. We asked for some hotter and it is chipotle based and again, no salt. So what to make of all this. If you really want great tacos, you will probably go to a place like Taqueria Durango or La Tejana or possibly some place on Cherokee that I have not tried. The tacos are far superior to Mission Taco, however. If you want good ribs, you will probably go to Salt + Smoke or Bogart's or Vernon's or..... . But if your party can't decide which you want, SNR is a decent bet. I am truly on the line between three stars and four. I am rounding up to four despite the cinnamon salsa and hideous slaw and so too will contribute to SNR being a little overrated. I will also say that somehow the bill adds up. Three of us had a relatively light lunch and is was over $60, with three beers and without tip. I'm comparing it to what I had at La Tejana last week for $11.
(4)Ben S.
Knocked another bookmark off my list of places to try. Holy smokes was it delicious! Kid 1 started with their tomato bisque. I managed to get a bite and it was pretty good. Ordinarily, tomato soup does not impress me very often but this was really good. With only one bite I regret that I can't give a better description. The owner was working the counter and waited on us. I told him that it was our first time in the restaurant and he provided great feedback on the menu and which dishes were the most popular. I ordered his highlighted tacos and a sopes. The wife ordered a fish taco and the kid went after a 75/25 hamburger/chorizo option and added bacon - mainly because she's addicted to bacon. Before our food arrived, the owner treated us to an order of chips & salsas. The chips were served warm and had plenty of salt on them to really wake up their flavor. There were three house-made salsas offered but one of them was my clear stand-out...smoked salsa! After he explained it to me it made perfect sense but my first impression was something like: 'holy crap is this amazing!!!' Chorizo & egg sopes was a delicious combination of flavors and textures which included a sunny-side up egg and a whole bunch of other things I have never had together but which really worked. The creaminess of the egg yolk combined nicely with the spiciness of the chorizo while the beans and crispy tortilla-esque thing added even more textures and flavors. In short, this thing was the most amazing $3 small plate I've ever had. The wife was done loving her fish taco well before I started on mine. I was impressed when Mark P. referred to it as the best fish taco he's ever had and needed to take one for a spin. He's right - it was perfect. Next up was the beef cheek taco. I can take or leave pot roast but I'll almost always try a beef cheek dish. Unfortunately, while this was good it was not amazing. I may also have liked it a lot better if I had started with it because I was a bit full by the time I took my first bite. I can't wait to get back to this place!!!
(5)Alexis S.
This restaurant is amazing! Everything is delicious! The veggie tacos, veggie sopes (minus cheese), corn, and French fries are my faves. The drinks are good too and the service is always wonderful.
(5)Fern R.
This is one of my favorite places to go after a long day for a relaxing and delicious meal! The owner takes great pride and he's warm and engaging. The atmosphere is lively and very comfortable; The food is always delicious! Whether you order ribs or street tacos, or something else from the menu, everything is prepared with great love and attention to detail. The food is just so very tasty and there's a great selection of beers and other drink options. The combination platter allows you to try the street tacos, the ribs, and a side, and it's a great option for a first visit!! Everything is prepared beautifully and you will be sure to return for great food and an atmosphere that is so very comfortable and relaxing!!
(5)Greg K.
I had the taco/rib plate. Despite the price, they are generous with the portions. The food was stellar and so was the service. Definitely worth going back.
(4)Daniel F.
Been here numerous times, and one just can't miss here. Great food, presentation, and service. Pulled pork is the best in the city, and that's saying something. Do NOT miss Sunday brunch, their takes on eggs Benedict are not to be missed.
(5)Papa H.
Name should be "Taco's With a Rib". Trending Taco joint that thinks Ribs are done with seasonings and baking. Tacos were upscale yuppie! I give them a 3. Ribs, I'll be going to Pappys for mine. Cooked to where they don't fall off bone which was good, but lacks that smokie juicy taste. SIDES: one word, Delicious !! Everyone was a 5 star. Mac n cheese, beans, corn and fries were all prepared by a master. Seriously, if you've graded this "rib joint" more than a 3, then your way to nice! Ribs were a 2 at best! Sorry!
(3)Aimee W.
Loved the Mexican Mule and fish tacos. Coming from Texas this was my first time having dry rub ribs and I thought they were delicious. So happy this place is down the road from us!
(4)Charleen S.
I have been here twice now. The first time with the family was such a success that I brought some of my pickier customers here for a business lunch. Its not that they are picky really; just that there are a few places that they like to be taken to lunch and I was really putting myself out there by suggesting a place that was off the beaten path for them. I called ahead to make sure that they would be okay with a business lunch and that it would be quiet enough for us to sit and chat after our meal. I got the green light, so we gave it a shot. They did not disappoint! The owner brought us a sampler of their chips and salsas for us to try; this really started us off right, as my colleagues really enjoyed trying the salsas and deciding on their favorites. I had the SNR plate with fish taco and sweet corn. I surprised myself and my colleagues by eating it all! The ribs were fall-off-the-bone, which is how I like them. The fish was perfectly fried and not greasy. And the corn was delicious too! Although I am hard-pressed to remember what everyone else ate, what I do remember was that they all liked their food enough to authorize me to add it to the regular lunch rotation! I also want to mention that the service is more European style. That said, they kept our glasses full and continued to attend to our needs during the business portion of our lunch. It is a pet peeve of mine when the waiter acts like you are dead to them after you receive the bill, especially during a business lunch. And yes, I do tip them extra to account for us tying up a table if the place is busy.
(5)Arin S.
The Mac N Cheese has a graham cracker crust. It makes it a bit sweet tasting. Def worth trying. AMAZING FRENCH FRIES. delicious chips n salsa.
(4)Nicole B.
Despite the name, it's not the barbecue that draws folks here. The tacos are the best! I've tried the fish and chicken tacos - both were served stacked high on double-layered corn tortillas and were delicious. Oh, and you'll definitely want to check out their house made salsas - the smoked veggie salsa is one of the best I've had anywhere!
(5)David C.
Just left there. The tastiest BBQ we have had in years. The meats and the cornbread are moist with real flavors, not that dry factory taste. The ribs are perfect, not falling off the bone, but just ready to fall. The pork belly is as good as it gets. Baked beans - smokey and sweet. The salsas burst with flavor. (Try the smoked vegetable salsa!) The Carolina mustard sauce is better than Piggy Park with a noted vinegar snap. And don't forget the St Louis Gooey Butter Cake. Everything tasted fresh with no leftovers from the prior day. Lasad, one of the owners, and his staff provided outstanding service. They anticipated us rather than waiting for us to call. We are driving on a 6,000 trip around America and this is one of the best dinners we have had.
(5)Alison W.
Trying to do too many things - are you all about bbq? Or tacos and guac? Or French fries? Friendly service, decent taste, not enough veggies on the menu. Probably won't go back.
(2)Vik S.
Fan-freakin'-tastic! You must get the corn fritters app! You get 7-8 perfectly fried fritters, crispy on the outside, soft & golden on the inside. Diced jalapenos add a little heat, and the dipping sauce pairs perfectly. Also really great here -- the fries! Hearty and potato-y, perfectly seasoned. I split an SNR plate with rib & cachete (beef check tacos) and a side of the baked northern beans. Everything was really great. Especially loved the beef cheek. Other people got sopes and sandwiches (chicken chorizo & cheese) and loved them. The sopes in particular seem like a great deal for the money. There's a solid beer selection. I got a cocktail, the Mexico Mule ($8) which uses tequile and ginger beer. They use a very high-quality brand ginger beer called Fever Tree. This thing had a serious kick! Our service was great as well. They rearranged tables to accommodate our large party. And they even offered to split our cocktail into two glasses for sharing. Great atmosphere too, with cool interesting upbeat music playing in the background. Can't wait to come back.
(5)Steven B.
A solid 3 Stars, that I am confident will be 4 Stars on my next visit. I started out with a House Margarita, which is made from scratch and hand shaken. In fact, it was rather strong which allowed me to sip it through out my entire meal. As an appetizer, we ordered the House Made Chips and Guacamole. We both were surprised by its' flavor, it could easily be ranked up there with some of the higher end Mexican restaurants here in STL. To get the full experience, we ordered the SNR Plate, which gives you 2 ribs, 2 tacos and 1 side dish. The ribs were meaty and tender. The dry rub on them was sufficient enough seasoning for me. I did try a couple dabs of their sauces, but preferred my ribs without. We ordered four different tacos; Chorizo, Cachete, Carnitas and Chicken. The Cachete and Carnitas were the favored ones out of the four. I will be sure to try the battered fish on my next visit. As our sides, we choose Mac-n-Cheese and Cole Slaw. Both were good, with the Cole Slaw out shining the MnC. Some of the other BBQ joints in STL may want to take note, this is the type of slaw that is the perfect accompaniment to ribs. The Mac-n-Cheese was creamy, but I would of liked just a tad more flavor. The ambiance was rather industrial and stark, which actually made it rather warm and cozy if that makes any sense. SNR is a great addition to Benton Park and is an easy find in the neighborhood. It's just across the parking lot from Hodak's. I'll be back to try more ribs, a different taco and I hope to see you there too.
(3)Dennis M.
We stopped by in the afternoon while in the area and hungry. Maybe the tastiest tacos we have had and we have lived in Houston and El Paso. The homemade red sauce was also great. Very friendly too. Guy even showed me his smoker in the kitchen.
(5)Kimberly M.
Lunched here for the first time on Friday. Fish tacos so full of fish I had to eat a few pieces first in order to get it to "close". Yummy, spicy veggie taco and fries (shared off my husbands ate). He loved his BBQ chicken sandwich. Definitely plan on going back...would've been five stars based on food but drinks were a bit pricey.
(4)Andrea S.
Was a little disappointed with SNR. After hearing such great things and reading fantastic reviews, I was so excited for our dinner. The place itself is clean and simple. The service was VERY slow. And I felt our server was acting way too overwhelmed for only having a few tables. I hope he hasn't had a mental breakdown since... For starters we got chips and queso. Just ok, the cheesy was kind of oily, but the chips were so crispy and warm! Loved those....the 3 salsa selections were nice, too. I got a fried fish taco and it was a tad soggy. The carne asada taco was good, nothing earth-shattering. OH, those corn fritters were actually pretty friggen good and I've sat here for 5 minutes debating whether to give them another star for that....... NO, b/c I remembered they were out of a few things my table wanted to order from a beer selection to a meat choice for tacos. This place loves cilantro, so just a head's up!
(3)Jolena S.
Fabulous little joint for Mexican / barbecue! Chips and salsa features 2 kinds of salsa, yellow is sweeter with hints of sesame and red is spicier. Corn fritters with spicy ranch sauce are a must, so tasty, but be warned they aren't kidding around with the spicy in the ranch sauce!! I had the carnitas taco and fish taco. Poured the rest of the yellow salsa on my carnitas taco, the sweet flavor went well with the pork. The fish taco was superb, everyone at my table that got it raved about it too. Other stand outs that friends ordered were the ribs and pulled pork. The guacamole was very freshly made and chunky with flavor. They're pretty new and still working out some kinks but nothing too bad. The owner dropped by our table to get feedback on the experience and the food so they can get the place "running like a fine Swiss watch". I've no doubt they will and we'll be back for more!
(5)Charles R.
I really want to love this place, as the concept is great, but there were a few hiccups on our first visit. First they were out of the Dos Equis amber beer, which is not a huge deal, but with not very many Mexican beers you think they would keep them in stock. Second, there was a sharp 1-inch sized bone in my rib taco. Luckily it didn't do any damage, but it was definitely a surprise. Third, we ordered the spicy corn fritters for an appetizer as they sounded great. We were told there would be a delay but said that was fine we could just have them with our entrees. Well the corn fritters never arrived and while driving home we thought the bill was a little high and realized we were still charged the 6 dollars for the fritters. Normally you would catch this on the bill, but there was no paper bill, just a swipe of your card on the servers Iphone with only the total amount and how much you'd like to tip. So obviously this was a bit disappointing. Besides that, the food was mostly really good, the guacamole was amazing, the tacos were great, the side of mac n cheese was a little bland. The people running the place were about as friendly as could be. They are the reason I will come back and give it another shot.
(3)Alex Y.
I grabbed take out last night from SNR for my girlfriend and myself, I would say it is a place I would try again. Having heard about this place through social media, I was intrigued to try barbecue with a latin inspiration. The guacamole was fresh and with the addition of a little salt, was great. At the recommendation of the staff I got the chicken sope and the toppings were good but the sope was a little tough to chew through. (I'll give it another try next time to see if it was just not right that time). Wanting to add something green, I got the chop salad as well. It was a decent salad, nothing amazing. In addition to the starters we tried, we also had the rib plate and two tacos. The ribs were good, but needed sauce. I'm a big fan of Sugarfire's style of ribs. For what I was paying for 4 ribs, I expected a bit more. The beans that came with the rib plate were under cooked. (I went in after 7, so I'm guessing they scrambled to make a fresh batch if they ran out earlier.) The flavor was good on the beans, they just needed to be cooked longer. The cornbread was great and the added touch of corn kernels was a welcome addition. The cole slaw was okay, but I'm not a big fan of cole slaw to begin with. The tacos I ordered were the carnitas and carne asada. They were served on corn tortillas. These were the best part of the meal and my main reason to try this place again. The tacos had the most flavor and had a decent amount of meat on them. Good place to try if you are in the area.
(4)Jenny O.
Love it!! A little pricier than I expected but soooooo delicious. I got the SNR platter with fries and the fish taco and chorizo taco. So good!! Im not used to eating ribs with tacos....but it works. I can't wait to go back. The wait staff was amazing as well. Very attentive and super nice.
(4)Morgan M.
This is a great new spot that takes on the bevy task of fusing barbecue and Mexican. Two really nice guys from North Africa who have been here since '99 found this cute almost hole in the wall and transformed it into something awesome. Drink prices are stellar. Margarita pitchers for 25 dollars. Really diverse menu. When I went I got a plate of ribs with Mac and cheese and cornbread. Their ribs fall off the bone. Their cornbread is fresh an served with honey butter. My ONLY negative comment is their Mac and cheese. The breadcrumbs they use are graham cracker crumbs, adding a weird sweetness that I didn't vibe with. Other than that, wonderful! Catch it before it before it becomes too trendy and packed.
(4)Susan L.
Eh..it was alright. We had heard so many great things and it just fell short. The tacos were good. We tried fish, beef, pork and chorizo. They cost more than the tacos at Tower Taco and Mission but there was nothing about them that was special or better. Chairs were uncomfortable. Not that impressed.
(3)I Know W.
Our visit must have been a bad day, but the confusion seem to be a norm. Honestly, the sauces were doctored, everything we order was over sauced, not fresh, meats dry, service was spotty, bunch of guys running around with messy hair, torn clothes...we will try one more time.
(2)Melissa S.
I came here with my friend on a slight whim... we normally pick restaurants based on yelp, and this was one of the first we came across with such high ratings that we had to check it out. And I can't begin to say how happy we were that we did. Firstly, the food was exceptional... from the homemade sauces, which included a salsa that included smoked vegetables and a mustard-based salsa that was yummy to the core... to the BBQ sauce that truly tasted like the heart-infused homemade kind... to the authentic with a twist tacos packed full of unique and delicious flavor... to the "why didn't I think of that" graham cracker crust mac and cheese... the food was truly special. Secondly, the staff was hands down over-the-top in terms of quality service with actual care and pride in its product. Needless to say we were well taken care of and extremely pleased with the entire experience. We had the great fortune of meeting the owner, and we discovered that a brunch menu will be in the near future. I think we both agreed that although we are both completely excited for "Egg" the brunch experience, we will be back again for the excellent food they have already before then.
(5)Wes B.
I've only been here once, but thought the food was quite good. I had a fish taco and a rib taco. Both were really tasty. I also tried their mac and cheese (with a graham cracker crust). It was good. Not thick, like some mac/cheese. And the light crust on top worked. It's a pretty hip-looking place, with a fine atmosphere. The server was good, but the wait time (for 4 people) for our food was a bit long. I plan to go back and try more of the menu.
(4)Heather V.
A little under-whelming. We ordered take out for work; the order took WAY longer than it should have, they forgot items we ordered, pricing was different than what was posted on the website, and a few items were not available until later in the day (which was not specified on the website). Overall their food was decent, but definitely overrated.
(2)Leah S.
Pretty good stuff! I went and got a to go order of 2 tacos, fries and corn fritters. The guy who put it all together was very nice and the food was delish. Need to go back and take the boyfriend next time, this would be up his alley too! Cute place and super close to home.
(5)Connor R.
This place is awesome. Great beer selection, pretty cheap food depending on what you get, and a nice relaxed atmosphere. North African seasonings, southern bbq meats, and tacos with great house made salsas. What's not to like? I'd suggest everyone getting 2-3 tacos and sharing because you'll want to try everything.
(4)Tony V.
Dry rub is pretty smoky.. The mustard sauce option in conjunction with the traditional made the 5 star a must.. Friendly staff!
(5)Luke H.
This place is amazing. Wonderful menu. Lots of options, low priced items. Great bar and beer selection too.
(5)stephany b.
Last night was my second visit to SNR, and I want to share my appreciation for this little gem of a place. We ordered ribs, fish tacos, salad and fries, and the food was delicious across the board. The very fresh salad starter combined dark tasty greens with pungent chunks of cheese and toasty tortilla strips. The nicely sauced fish tacos were right up there with some of the better one I've had in town, and I remember the good old days of the original Flacos Tacos. Lovely silky, smoky ribs, and seasoned fries to die for. The young man who waited on us was absolutely delightful and chatted us up about our plan to attend a show at Off Broadway. Thank you SNR, for a very pleasant start to a Saturday night out.
(5)Sam S.
Ribs: while it might sound heretical, I liked the ribs better than Pappy's. My date had the tacos, and she loved them. That's all I have to say about that.
(5)Jo M.
Came by this place on a Friday night. Besides us, there was only one other table of folks. My husband ordered the carnita taco, beef cheek taco, ribs and coleslaw. All were very good, he liked the ribs best. My 3 year old got a fried fish taco and she really enjoyed it as well. I had a carnita taco which was tender and really good. The corn and corn bread were very good too. We also tried the Mac and cheese which was oddly sweet. The owner was quirky, but very nice and attentive. I really hope they get more customers to keep it open since they just opened. My only complaint was that a couple of the glasses we got were not clean, but we got new ones.
(4)Tracie K.
Uniquely amazing! Everything was absolutely delicious! Chorizo queso, bbq chicken with the avocado coleslaw, plus every taco we tried - carne asada, cachete, carnitas and chorizo. Plus, they buy as much local produce and farm raised meat as possible. It definitely transfers into the quality and taste! Highly recommend it! Glad we found it on our way through town. Will definitely make a point to come back!
(5)Jonathan S.
Amazing new place. Great service. The food was unexpectedly diverse and delicious. Not just a BBQ place. Chorizo tacos = wow. Go support this place you will not be disappointed.
(5)Kevin G.
Everything was outstanding! Carne asada and carnitas tacos were sublime. I would suggest trying all the salsas- four good ones. Service staff was attentive and the owner is a gentleman. Please think local and give them a try.
(5)Aurora F.
Tried this place out hearing it just opened. This place is described in one word. AMAZING! The food was so delicious! Great value for your money! Very attentive staff and who I believe was the owner came out to greet us and asked how everything was. I will definitely keep coming back more often now that I know it's in the neighborhood. I highly recommend this place! Great experience!
(5)Shelby R.
Great food and atmosphere! The service is awesome as well! I have gotten take out the 2 times I've been and they always sit and chat with me while I wait. Also, the fries are to DIE for!
(5)Robin C.
Fantastic food, lovely atmosphere. On the outskirts of Benton Park, this place is a fun addition to a foodie neighborhood. They just opened, but have already got the food down. The owner is present, and great to talk to. Cachete taco's are amazing..must try. Ridiculously inexpensive.
(5)James T.
I recently lunched at Spare No Rib and enjoyed my meal. The chicken chorizo sandwich was a tasty combination of flavors. The queso sauce added a spicy pop to the sandwich. Plus I also enjoyed the hand cut fries. Funny, the server did a disappearing act after I paid my bill. I guess his service was worth a 35% tip :-(( There goes two stars for this review!
(3)Bill C.
I am going to review this place as a Mexican restaurant because that is what they excel at. Tacos and guacomole. Allof the tacos looked good. My friend had the fish tacos and they were awesome. I had a pork and steak taco. Both were outstanding. The ribs were very good, but the STL BBQ scene is crowded and nothing really compares to the top BBQ joints in KC. SNR's ribs were as good as the other ribs in town and better than most. I got to try the pork shoulder, and that was excellent.
(5)Andrea J.
Get the BBQ Sammy and fries with margarita (fresh squeezed limes, what's up!) and chips and guac. That guac will make you want to do bad things and then the BBQ will take your breath away. Cheers!
(4)Laura M.
Great food and AMAZING staff! The hubs gets the tacos here at least once a week.
(5)Stephanie H.
My boyfriend and I stopped by for an impromptu, late meal last night and had a wonderful experience. The staff was very attentive and couldn't have been nicer, and we loved the eclectic barbecue/southwest menu - especially the side dishes such as the roasted corn and mac & cheese. Can't wait to go back. PS: The guacamole was delicious and very natural.
(5)Emily H.
Beer selection is great. Plenty of parking! The sides are excellent, and since it was our first time here, they brought out chips and salsa to try. Definitely recommend!
(5)Lauren S.
Thought we'd give this place a shot since it's so close to where we live. We were a bit nervous that it seemed fast foodish from the picture, but it's a nice spot! Cool loft-like interior, bad ass looking bar, and great food! Started off with guacamole and chips...awesome! Very well constructed guac considering I'm picky about my guac. I got the taco carnitas and taco carne asada. The carne asada was good and flavorful, the carnitas were a home run in my book! Anytime you throw pork belly in the mix, I'm sold. My husband got the ribs plate and was really happy with it. Very tender and great smokey flavor. Awesome, big portions, fair prices.
(5)Kim B.
We tried all of the tacos, and all were exceptional - simple yet delicious! The service was professional yet friendly. Love the renovations to the warehouse as well.
(5)Colin R.
We tried the fish tacos, veggie tacos, and carne asada tacos. They were all very delicious. They did seem to be understaffed and our order took a long time to come to the table. Definitely worth a visit, though, I'm sure they will work through the issues.
(4)Mo M.
I discovered Spare No Rib on a hungry afternoon while browsing Yelp, after having learned that Blues City Deli was closed. My friend and I came in around 5 pm on Saturday. There were maybe 3 other parties seated at the restaurant, not very busy at all. Our server (also bartender) and the owner (I assume) attended to us and got us started with some cocktails: I tried the Sochi Tap Water ($9 classic mojito prepared with Kraken black rum) and my friend tried the Caipirinha ($7.5 - cachaça, fresh lime, simple syrup"). Both drinks were great. After browsing the menu, we both decided on the SNR Plate ($15 each): 2 tacos, 2 ribs, and a side. I ordered the chorizo taco, carnitas taco, sweet corn for my options; he chose 2 fish tacos and fries for his plate. The must-try items: carnitas taco and sweet corn BLEW MY MIND. So delicious! It's hard to describe how delicious the carnitas taco was, other than to say it must be had. In comparison, the chorizo taco was just OK. If I could do-over I would get 2 carnitas tacos. The sweet corn was unreal: sweet, crunchy, perfectly sauteed, which I promptly inhaled... My friend enjoyed his battered/fried fish tacos, and we both agreed that the fish portions were very generous. The hand-cut fries were also really good. Then, we got to the ribs: This ended up being a disappointment, given that "rib" is in the restaurant name. That's the only reason I docked a star. If this were marketed as a taco joint, then I wouldn't mind. But since BBQ/ribs are what they're selling, I was disappointed that the ribs were dry and difficult to tear off the bone. I picked at one rib and didn't eat the second. Even with various BBQ sauces, it was still "meh." Overall, I loved this restaurant. Great location, I love to see that good businesses are coming to the area. I would definitely come back! The ambience is really cool and trendy. The bar is beautiful. But I wouldn't order ribs here. Next time I come I want to try the mac and cheese (with graham cracker crumbs!)
(4)Marisa S.
Delicious food and great service. I had the chipotle and chicken melt, which was very good and rich. Two of us had ribs and and pork loin tacos, which were also yummy. The ribs had a nice smoky flavor. Another of our party had the baked mac and cheese, which was a bit sweet, but also tasty. We had a bit of a wait to be seated, but the owner/host comped us some chips and salsa. As we were eating, he came and talked to us and found out we were from out of town. At the end of the meal, he brought us a sample of butter cake on the house. Truly a wonderful place!
(5)Mark P.
It's not often that I'll visit the same restaurant two nights in a row, but that's exactly what I did after recently discovered Spare No Rib. The 5 stars are specifically for the tacos, the avocado salsa and excellent service. I've sampled 6 different tacos ($3 each), but my three favorites so far are the fish, veggie, and cachete (braised beef cheeks). They come traditional Mexican style with a base of two grilled corn tortillas per taco. I prefer the double layer as it helps hold the messy tacos together. The fish taco consists of a generous portion of battered and deep fried tilapia topped with pico de gallo and avocado-tomatillo salsa. I got my fingers a little dirty as I devoured this delicious creation, but I seriously think it was the best fish taco I've had in St. Louis. Another favorite was the veggie taco. With a combination of yellow squash, zucchini, onions, and mushrooms chopped into think pieces, it came topped with the avocado-tomatillo salsa also. It's difficult to find a somewhat healthy taco alternative, but this was so good that I can't wait to go back and have more. Possibly the best taco of all was the cachete taco. The braised beef cheeks were juicy, tender and packed with flavor. Topped with onions, cilantro and a red salsa it was simple and delicious. In addition to the tacos, some of the other menu items I've tried includes the chips with salsas & guacamole, and the sopes. Now days, the trendier taquerias around town charge you for chips & salsas and I have no problem with that. For $3 at Spare No Rib, you get a basked of warm tortilla chips with 3 house made salsas. Our 3 included a chipotle adobo tomato, a 3 pepper salsa made with roasted peppers, and a smoked veggie salsa. The first two were very good, but the third had too much smoky flavor for my liking. I suspect that the flavors rotate as new batches are made, so I can't wait to try more. On another visit we tried the chips with guacamole for $7. The price was a bit high considering the serving size of guacamole, but the chunky mix was fresh and flavorful. The Sopes could have been 5 stars also, but the corn pancake-like base was too chewy making it a little difficult to eat. We tried the pulled chicken sope for $3 and the chorizo & egg sope for $4. I wouldn't hesitate to try one again though. I've yet to try the ribs, but based on what I have sampled I can say that I'll be back to try more. I should also mention the excellent service on both visits. The owner came to introduce himself and went out of his way to make sure we were satisfied with everything. Overall I've got to say that this is a 5 star place. The tacos are among the best in St. Louis!
(5)JB F.
They are always delish and care about their customers
(5)Barb M.
I think this place has the best FISH tacos and the best Margarita in town... Simple atmosphere but great food. YES, park in the hodaks parking lot and there it is. Great salsa, 3 different kinds and even a great RIB taco. : ) Great sides here as well. I have had the street corn and both beans, all good.
(4)Christian K.
We might have something here . . . Benton Park is the place to find something to eat. Make no mistake about it. Just on one block, Benton Park has two StL staples: Blues City Deli and Hodak's Chicken. However, there's a new kid on the block, Spare No Rib. Okay. It's not exactly on the same block. In fact, it's not entirely easy to spot from the street. I drive up and down Gravois most days, and I almost always miss it. The place shares a complex with a recording studio and a martial arts studio. On my first visit, there was a banner in front. I'm not entirely certain if it's been there prior to that day. BBQ and tacos? I'm not sure how they decided to market this menu. There's not much of a correlation between these two ideas, but it seems to work from SNR. If you don't eat meat, then I'm not sure that this is your place. They do have salads . . . We went with the SNR platter: two ribs, two tacos, and a side. This meal goes for fourteen dollars. We also added two more tacos, each three dollar add-ons. First, the ribs were good. Good but not great. The meat fell off the bones, but I feel like the quality might have been affected by the time of day, which was just after four. Perhaps the ribs would have been fresher at eleven or noon. I didn't fall in love, but I would definitely order them again. As for the tacos, we got a variety of meats: carnitas, chorizo, chicken, and pulled ribs. The rib one came with a orange, fruity sauce, and the other three had a guacamole based sauce. They had the same feel as the tacos on Cherokee Street, but the sauces gave them a different personality. We also tried the mac 'n' cheese and fries. Both were solid effort. The mac 'n' cheese had a sweet note to it, which was awfully nice. Also, they had a nice pumpkin gooey butter cake. I wasn't blown away by Spare No Rib, but they kept me interested. They have some BBQ sandwiches that I would like to try, so the story doesn't end here.
(4)Morris R.
When I came here for dinner they were busy but they did have a couple open tables so no waiting. I got an appetizer of corn fritters which were very good. I got two tacos - fish and ribs. Delicious. Amazing. Good toppings, great food, not too oily or greasy. My date wanted just ribs no sides so he asked for that and they brought him a few more ribs than you'd get if you got the rib plate with the sides. Same price as the rib plate. I tried the ribs and they were some of the best ribs I've ever had. Seriously. They bring the sauce on the side and it's fantastic. This place has amazing food and lots of drink selections. The inside is cool, modern, sleek. Great location, but kind of small. It could get crowded. The service, although SUPER nice, seemed disorganized. I think we had about 4 different servers who didn't seem aware of whether or not someone had already helped us or taken our order. There was a long wait between the time when someone wordlessly brought our appetizers and when someone came back to take our actual order. We had finished our appetizers and someone again came just to clear the plates and then we sat waiting for a few minutes for another server to take our dinner order. The service was kind of clumsy. But they were all really nice, helpful.
(4)Brian P.
Have been here twice now since they opened for lunch - both times ordering the SNR plate. Staff is very friendly and always very welcoming. Onto the food, this past time, I order the SNR plate with a carnitas taco and carne asada taco and the mac & cheese as the side. The tacos here are awesome. Really really good. At $3 apiece, they're cheaper than Mission and the flavor is just as good. The mac & cheese was excellent. Really good flavor and happy with the portion. Also tried the chips with trio of salsa and the salsas were all awesome. Highly recommended! The only reason I go for a 4* review instead of a 5* is the ribs. I am a BBQ connoisseur and I'm just not crazy about these ribs. They are cooked well and very tender but the flavor is just not there. It seems like they are well rubbed but the rub just doesn't have much taste. I will say I liked them a lot more with one of the BBQ sauces (red color, vinegar base) but I am a rib purist and really appreciate when I don't need a sauce as a crutch. Keep up the good work but would love to see some experimenting with the flavor of the ribs - if you go down to street to Bogart's and try their ribs, you'll know what I mean.
(4)Jessica P.
The entire menu was tearing me apart with temptation; I wanted to order everything! Any place that has soup is a friend in my book; they have tomato bisque + a daily rotating option. They had a handful of salads that all sounded good but the one that stood out on the menu was grapes and pearls--a roasted fingerling potato salad with grape tomatoes and mozzarella pearls in a basil garlic vinaigrette. Seriously tantalizing, but I wanted to start with their main attractions. We got the Queso and chorizo with chips as an appetizer. Their chips stole my carb/salt-loving heart. Thicker than your typical cantina chip that is prone to breakage, these had just the right heft to ensure a safe cheese-bowl to mouth trip (who wants a lap full of meaty cheese due to wimpy chip fail?!?!). These chips were also surprisingly warm and held their temperature and freshness well. They weren't greasy, and they used the most amazing flaked sea salt; its flat, large surface area ensured maximum stickage to your chip. FLAKED people! FLAKED! The chip to cheese ratio was in perfect balance and the meat/cheese blend itself was quite good, lacking that familiar pool of grease that so typically accompanies chorizo. I got the $14 SNR platter; a hearty meal of value offering 2 ribs, 2 tacos, and 1 side. I got the last ribs they had. They were very smoky and tender, and seemed to have a good amount of meat on them. The squeeze bottle of sauce probably wasn't necessary, but what can I say? I'm a saucy kind of gal, so I drizzled on! The sauce was thinner and less vinegar-y and spicy than I prefer, but still a decent sauce if you only have one selection. The meat was the yummy sort you want in a rib. That's descriptive enough, right? The corn tortillas had outstanding flavor and texture and I was so glad to receive lime wedges that were cut in a shape for optimum squeeze-ability and actually produced a generous amount of juice--yet another winning detail! The Carne asada was tender and all toppings combined made for a very flavorful taco I would gladly order again. Now the fish taco, OMG was that the jam! You could taste the beer, the breading wasn't too heavy or greasy, and it wasn't "fishy" tasting! The salsa topping and lime squeeze were perfect complements. If you like fish tacos in general and don't order this, you're just an idiot that's missing out on an awesome flavor and texture experience. Your friend will order it, you will be jealous, you will regret not ordering it, and your friend will say "I told you so". So, get it already! The cornbread was a good side selection, especially because hubby got fries and let me steal some. It's a decent size square that comes out warm and is very heavy and thick. In the future, I'd probably try other sizes and eventually come back to this. The platter is a lot of food to eat and this cornbread would be excellent wrapped up in a napkin, taken home, and microwaved with a big splash of milk poured over it and eaten like spoon bread the next day. If you're getting fries, know they are the delicious hand cut kind. Also know that if you like crispy fries, you had better ask for them well done. I know it's not steak but if you like a good crunch, you'll thank me! The beer selection was good and I like that they grouped their offerings into categories for those who want to try unfamiliar beers. There's nothing worse than going out on a limb to try something new and hating it (like thinking you were getting a Belgian white that was actually an IPA--and you don't like IPAs!). I was glad to see they had Abita!'s Purple Haze; it paired nicely with dinner! All in all it was an outstanding dining experience and I look forward to going back. The portions are generous, the food is flavorful and well prepared, the prices are right (thanks for the great value!), the place is clean, staff isn't douchy--they're smart, nice, and personable, and the menu selection is a dreamy little bit of everything. We talked the place up with our friends last night, and we'll be back again soon for lunch and dinner!
(5)Aaron W.
It may sound like BBQ, but these guys SERIOUSLY know what they're doing when it comes to tacos!! We went on a slow Tuesday night and had a smorgasbord of Taco's along with a salad. The fish tacos were the best we've ever had. The beef cheek was amazing and pork belly were outstanding as well. We actually ordered a second helping to have leftovers for the lunch the next day...it was that good! I've been to the "authentic" restaurants on cherokee as well as most of the other Mexican restaurants and, no offense, but these blow them away! Run, don't walk to this newest taco sensation!
(5)Carrie B.
Great place. Been here several times. Laid back, quick with good atmosphere. Friendly staff. Great house margarita. I like the queso and fish tacos.
(4)Tom E.
Awesome local spot with great selection of authentic tacos, sopes, and refreshing salads. The beer selection was also top notch for bottles and atmosphere worked for the more commercial business building setting. I would highly recommend!
(5)Christina C.
2nd time here. It was even better! The pulled pork sandwich was incredible. Housemade fries are the best. The SNR platter is a great deal for $15. Love love love the fish taco. Carne asada taco is good but not wow. Ribs are delectable. They are tender but still have that pull on the bone. I liked the sweet BBQ sauce on my ribs and my husband couldn't get enough of the mustard sauce on his fries. And please do not leave without the Mac and cheese. To. Die. For.
(4)Kate C.
I enjoyed this small restaurant. The ribs were fall off the bone & very tasty. They carry Civil Life Brown from a local STL micro-brewery so I was happily surprised. Totally try it some time soon too.
(4)Sabrina P.
Love the friendliness, atmosphere and the food! It's small but very cozy! Hope they extend brunch a few more days outside of Sunday's....cause they are that good. The food is always fresh and delicious.
(4)Emily S.
I could smell the aroma of this place as I walked there from my parents house. I'm in town for a few weeks and they talked highly of this place and so we went on a Tuesday night. The vibe and atmosphere is excellent. The owner is very nice and introduces himself to everyone. We ordered to start out two modelo especials and the caipirinha to drink. Also, salsas and the guac. The guac is incredible! Chunky, fresh and perfectly flavored. The salsa was ok- nothing to write home about. I ordered two tacos- carne asada and chicken. Both had a kick but could've been spicier. However, both meats were excellent and had amazon flavor. My dad got the ribs and fish tacos and he cleaned his plate with a smile on his face. Highly recommend this place! Great drink and beer menu. Great atmosphere. Great food. What more could you ask for.
(5)Emma F.
Its a mix of BBQ and Mexican - I opted for Mexican this time - Had the tacos - they were great. The portions are small/perfect size - you won't leave feeling like you need to throw up. It did take a long time to get our food, but we went when they were still a bit new.
(3)C. H.
I'm glad to see the ratings are strong for this restaurant because the ownership seems extremely genuine. Great $3 tacos you basically get two tacos for 3 bucks which is amazing. We had a great chorizo and white cheese appetizer dip that was delicious. I've also had the combo platter with ribs and tacos which was a great mix of flavors and creative seasoning. The drink selection is good. A lot of beers and some fun specialty drinks as well. Location is unassuming but it's worth the trip for sure.
(4)Steven C.
I think this place is great . I went in a few days ago for lunch and was very impressed. I was greeted by the owner himself and he made great recommendations .I got two tacos and two ribs with a side of fries .The food was fresh and hot.The person who made my food came out to greet me as well.I am looking forward to getting brunch there in the near future. Great place and great customer service
(4)ShoKill B.
Split the rib platter, 2 tacos (chorizo and beef cheek), some baked mac and cheese, and the corn fritters. I went on a week day so we didn't any drinks, but they looked like there was a nice selection. Unfortunately, they were out of the blueberry gooey cheese cake they had listed. Everything was delicious. The Mac and cheese was pretty remarkable, I reccomend tying it. The large order is more than enough for two people. Ugh, I think we both too much. Haha! Overall it was an good experience, most likely will come back with more friends at dinner & drinks.
(4)Sarah H.
A unique concept that works! The creative cocktails are delicious (and strong, so watch out!) and the Mexican fare is fabulous. BBQ ribs are so-so, but I'm spoiled at home on good BBQ. I recommend getting the sauce/salsas on the side of your tacos, because it was a little heavy. There's a little tweaking to do a this restaurant, but I still give it 5 stars for the outstanding service. The owner was so welcoming and accommodating of our ever-expanding party on a Friday night. The bartender was superb, a real professional. We'll be back!
(5)Jamison S.
The food here is beyond AWESOME!
(5)Mark S.
First things first: there is no signage so park in the lot next to Hodak's; next door is SNR. It's a cozy spot, with a full bar and small dining room. We sat at the bar because the place was full. The food and service was a little slow, but the owner (a gregarious and peppy dude) gave us some chips and salsa- 3 delicious flavors, while we waited. Nice touch. I got the SNR plate: 2 ribs, 2 tacos, and a side. Ribs were flavorful and the beef cheek and pork belly tacos were outstanding. Fries were hand cut I think, very good as well. The large mac and cheese was decent, a little runny, but good nonetheless.
(4)Jim W.
A great find when deli line was to long. Tacos were great. We tried all the variations on the menu. Ribs were among the best I've had in StL. Only problem with them was they aren't sold by the rack! Will be a regular stop when in Benton park area.
(4)Corey S.
Amazing, I loved it. I had the SNP plate which was exquisite! The ribs were delicious and the chorizo taco was AWESOME!!!!!! I'll definitely be coming back. Also the Sochi Tap Water Mojito was clever and tasty.
(5)Stacey T.
I was craving BBQ but every place 24 wanted to try was closed! Hubs remembered reading about Spare No Rib in the Riverfront Lies... ahem, Times so off we went. The building could be easily missed on Gravois as a ware house of some sort, it's just west of Hodak's. Whatever you do, don't go to Hodak's. It's embarrassing that St. Louisans call that crap the best fried chicken. Get real. Anyway, the building is beautiful on the inside- bright, airy, and clean. The chandelier was gorgeous! We grabbed two seats at the bar and started to ohhh & ahh over the menu. The owner or manager was super friendly. He chatted us up, made me a free café latte & have us some free dessert after dinner! Hubs got the ribs, Cole slaw & beans. I am seriously in love/ lust with the ribs (hubs said the were too dry). The baked beans were not too sweet & had delicious pieces of crispy bacon mixed in. Cole slaw was... ummm Cole slaw... kinda boring and lackluster. I had three tacos. The carnita taco was numero uno in my book. I also had the lengua & mixed pork tacos; both were scrumptious. Loved the portions and the taco shells. My favorite part was the cheese and corn fritters with spicy ranch. That shit was amaze balls. For reals. Apparently the chef is of Latino decent & does not @$&# around so I can not wait to go back to try more things!
(4)Michelle B.
very nice owner. nice relaxed ambiance. BUT the food was not great on a second visit. not even close to good. the fish tacos were oily. the batter too thick. the pork and fennel was totally different from the previous visit. this time it looked steamed, boiled...yes boiled. completely flavorless. the three salsas were not impressive. I'm pretty sure one ( the chilled pepper one) came straight from the jar, as I do buy this vegetable spread myself. it is tomatoes and pepper spread sold at Global Foods. the other two salsas were actually the same salsa with one difference. one of the salsas had bbq juice added to it for a smokey flavor. the bbq taco was underwhelming as well. too bad. what a difference two months could make..maybe the original chef left?
(2)Meggie S.
Great ambiance, bad service, terrible food. Seven friends and I decided to visit St. Louis this past weekend. We had planned on going to Bogart's for some authentic St. Louis bbq but found our schedule too packed to make it over there between Anheuser-Bush and the Card's game. We decided to stop here when we saw that it was close to our current location and had good reviews on Yelp. Total mistake. Our first impression was that the ambiance in this restaurant was great. It felt very green, clean and hip with classical musical playing from a record player in the corner. The waiter brought us complimentary chips and salsa and we made our orders. I asked the waiter how the restaurant got into bbq and Mexican/tacos and received a very snarky non-answer. This was the first of many very awkward encounters with the staff. Our food took FOREVER. No one checked the clock as we ordered but we're sure we waited at least an hour. We were a large-ish party but there was almost no one else there and it was BBQ. Majority of what we ordered should have been made already. We have absolutely no idea what took so long to get our food. Once we finally got our food we all started to stuff our faces immediately, but realized quickly that what we got was just plain bad. Like, really bad. The actual bbq was super mediocre. One friend liked the bbq sauce in the mustard bottle but no one liked any of the others. The mac and cheese was nauseating; somehow both sour and sweet. The coleslaw was very bland. Across the table no one had anything good to say. Finally, we had to pay our bill using Square. It took an obnoxiously long time to pay our bills in couples as the waiter sat with us at our table. This isn't a food truck. It just felt very awkward, inappropriate and time-wasting. Everyone left unhappy. I should also mention that at least three of us had serious stomach aches that evening. We can't be sure they were caused by this restaurant but if anyone had to guess, Spare No Rib was the culprit. My recommendation -- go out of your way for Bogarts! I'm still sad we missed out.
(1)Rogan B.
This place encompasses the melting pot that America is known for. A BBQ/Mexican fusion restaurant owned by a friendly Tunisian that is former math professor turned restaurant owner. I really like this place and I've enjoyed everything that I've had here. The chips and salsa comes with three different types of salsa. Personally, I think the smoked vegetable salsa is the best, but all are good. Of the tacos I've only tried the cachete and carnitas, which are equally delicious. The carnitas aren't dry, which is a big plus. My girlfriend says the vegetable tacos are good. The pulled pork sandwich is delicious. They add come slaw to the sandwich on the bottom. If you don't like that, I imagine you can ask them to leave it out. The mac and cheese has graham cracker topping, which gives an unusual sweet flavor to the mac and cheese. I can see how some people wouldn't enjoy that. As you can see, I don't know enough synonyms for delicious, but if you can think of more than I can, Spare No Rib will fit them. Sit at the bar and have a nice conversation with the owner. In summary, Spare No Rib is definitely worth visiting the next time you're in the downtown St. Louis area.
(5)Stella H.
This place is great. Had the pulled pork sandwich with fries. Both were perfect. Delicious fries...nice and crispy. Had the salsas and chips as a starter and a margarita. My mom had the sope, which looked great. Great prices and atmosphere. The owner is very nice, as well and came over to chat. They also play records! Old school. Love it.
(5)Tom J.
There are a lot of things to like about Spare No Rib. First and foremost, the combination of BBQ and Mexican, especially for me personally because my wife never wants to go out for BBQ but is almost always up for Mexican. This place is real casual, but with table service. Service was a little odd. I don't remember them ever asking if we wanted a drinkg, so we stuck with water. They have a great beer selection. Nothing on tap...maybe that's a future development if things go as planned. I've been low-carbing and none of the beers fit the bill (no Ultra or Select), so I would have skipped it anyway. If they have diet soda, I didn't see it in the display. I'm sure they do, but we never had a chance to discuss it. I had the SNR plate - the most expensive thing on the menu at $14. It included two ribs, two tacos and a side. I upgraded to a chopped salad for my side. My daughter the health nut had fries and mac and cheese. My wife had a fish taco, then took one of mine, plus a guacamole app. Some of these were outstanding - the fish taco, guac and fries were all perfect. Everything else rated just okay for me. The ribs came out black, which I thought was odd. They weren't overly dry, though. VERY smoky. I chalk my minor disappointment up to personal taste more than execution. They were very similar to the Shaved Duck. Good, but not my favorite in town (Bogart's). I'm almost embarassed to say it, but I think I liked Bandana's better. The carne asada taco had lots of meat, but not many onions, no char taste as I expected and not many onions. I wouldn't get it again. Chimichanga's has spoiled me - these guys would do well to take a drive down Grand and see how carne asada is supposed to taste. My salad was ok. I tried the fries (awesome) and mac and cheese, which he had brought out as a freebie saying "it's about the best thing we serve." I found it bland, but very cheesy. Just bland cheese, I guess. My wife loved here fish taco, but didn't like the carnitas. I like Spare No Rib and wish them well. My wife will probably be back for more fish tacos, but I doubt they'll see me again.
(3)Jackie S.
Being a recent transplant to St. Louis from Chicago I've been spoiled by good food and unique restaurants. Coming to this city has been a little underwhelming at times. Spare No Rib makes me feel like I'm back at home! Wow. Tonight was our second time coming here and it was even better than the first. Our server was very pleasant and knowledgeable, especially about the beer selection. We ordered the corn fritters to start and they were absolutely delicious. The sauce that came with them had the perfect amount of heat. I ordered the chorizo burger which was also cooked to perfection, and the fries were the perfect mix of crisp but not burnt. Friendly and knowledgeable staff and the owner came to check on us frequently too and you can tell he has a passion for a great dining experience. This is my favorite St. Louis restaurant so far. Can't wait to go back!
(5)Jerry A.
Excellent food, good service. Pretty original. I enjoyed the food and the service was wonderful. Food was seasoned and cooked to perfection. Definitely recomme it anyone and everyone.
(5)Jennifer B.
Whoa! Totally blown away by the tacos here. Much better than the tacos at that other place in the Loop (which I think are overrated anyway :-P). First off, since we mentioned to our waiter that it was our first time there the waiter brought over a complimentary plate of warm chips and three of the house-made salsa. My fav was the sweet red pepper salsa (cause I am a sucker for roasted red peppers...yum). For dinner I had the SNR plate which came with two ribs, my choice of two tacos and a choice of side. I got the fish taco, the cachete (braised beef cheeks) taco and the cornbread as a side. First I tried the fish taco, the fish was plump and fried with a beer batter, light and not too greasy...delicious. The cachete taco was topped with a bright and not-too-spicy pico de gallo as well as a tomato vegetable salsa. The cachete also tasted like it was flavored with some Mediterranean spices, which paired well with the savoriness of the beef and really pulled the taco together. The cornbread was moist and dotted with whole kernels of corn and the ribs...well, the ribs were some of the best dry rub ribs I've ever tasted (and I've tasted a lot of ribs). The sweet BBQ sauce provided on the table was my pick to use with the ribs and it did not disappoint. So wonderful together, the dry rub and the sweet sauce. The meat on the ribs was tender, juicy and spot on. The owner, who seemed a genuinely friendly older gentleman, even came over to our table to ask how our food was. It was a nice added touch to our meal. All in all I will definitely be going back to Spare No Rib, and I will definitely be bringing all my friends along with me. More people need to taste the wonder that is their delicious, delicious food. Yummmm.....
(5)Paul L.
Very unique and delicious new restaurant. They merge the worlds of STL BBQ and traditional Mexican cuisine beautifully. The tortilla chips are fresh fried, served warm with a sprinkling of sea salt and 3 very different salsas. Tacos are served on incredible authentic Mexican-style corn tortillas (unlike Mission Taco, which serves their tacos on mealy, soft, messy tortillas that they insist on making themselves for some misguided reason), and the meat/filling choices are top-notch. The tacos are big and the meat portions extremely generous for $3 tacos. Fish taco comes with an awesome tomatillo-avocado salsa, which adds a cool, bright zing. The pulled pork sandwich is also delicious, made with a unique blend of traditional spices, but also a taste of the world with some coriander and cumin. A top 3 pulled pork sandwich for me. The fries that came with the pulled pork were clearly handcut, and also delicious. Haven't tried everything on the menu, but based on the stellar quality of the offerings I've tried so far, this place is going to be highly successful St. Louis fixture for a long time, as long as closed-minded people are willing to put their biases aside and visit the rapidly improving (and full-of-character) Benton Park neighborhood.
(5)Staci S.
Stopped in here to try something new. Ordered the rib platter and a couple tacos. The ribs were over done and dry with very little meat on them. The carnitas tacos were extremely bland. The cornbread was ok, the coleslaw was just meh. I was hoping the sweet corn would have been actual sweet corn. It was just corn with a lot of butter. We had ordered a coke and a margarita, the margarita never showed up and it took us asking about the coke once more to get that when the meal finally showed up. The place is kinda cute, our table was sticky and the chairs were dirty. I really was hoping it would have been better, but I was thoroughly unimpressed.
(2)Jen J.
One of the best new restaurants that opened in St. Louis this year in my opinion. These people know good flavors. You need to try it! We had a fantastic meal here on a week day night. Don't let the name fool you. They have more than just ribs. I am not a huge bbq fan and was delighted to see they had tacos and other offerings on the menu. We both had the sampler that included two tacos, two ribs, and a side. I had the pork cheek and carnitas tacos. These are street-style tacos without as much onion as those from Mexican taco joints (perfect!)The tacos were loaded and perfectly-spiced. The ribs were tasty as well. They came with two sauces, which were slightly similar. They could distinguish them a bit more. But that was literally the only minor complaint with the meal. The owners came out to greet us. They were very nice and eager to improve and get their name out there. The place is tastefully decorated with a modern, rustic vibe. We will return.
(4)James E.
So here I sit at Spare No Rib, basking in the warm afterglow of a delicious meal. It's a cute little place, very casual, not a lot of seating. We were immediately greeted warmly by the owner, and seated at a nice corner table. The meal started very well with a nice selection salsas to accompany very very good tortilla chips. The smoked vegetable salsa was unbelievably good. We ordered the chorizo queso to start, and were all blown away by how much we enjoyed it. Yes, I scraped the bottom of the bowl with a chip to get the last of it. We got an assortment of street tacos, and they all were fabulous. I enthusiastically endorse the carne asada, fish, rib, and chorizo tacos! Additionally, they offer a nice lineup of beers to help wash it all down.
(5)Michael U.
Had dinner here on Wednesday with friends. Really cool place. Unique food options using super FRESH, quality ingredients. I ordered the SNR plate: 2 ribs, 2 tacos, 1 side. Got chorizo taco, carne asada taco, and corn bread. Delicious. I also ordered a Fizzy Izzy, Big Cat root beer!?! Winner. I recommend this restaurant and will be going back for sure.
(4)Alex S.
Very cool BBQ restaurant with a great selection of tacos. I enjoyed the SNR combo, which included two smoked ribs, two tacos and a side dish. I had the beans, which is a little heavy on the BBQ sauce. Nevertheless, the ribs and tacos were so good I had to give this place 5 stars. Also, the service is excellent. Thank you Faysal for a great twist on the St. Louis BBQ scene. It's nice to find a place breaking new ground. Good luck and see you next time I visit the city. :)
(5)Laurie S.
Absolutely amazing .... The fish tacos, veggie tacos, ribs, Mac & cheese, home cut fries and homemade sauces are all outstanding!!! Also serving an amazing Sunday brunch!!! YOU MUST TRY!!!!!
(5)Zach H.
Nice place, Good food, retrain waiter. The restaurant is nice inside, kinda on the smaller side, but still nice. It was slow the night we went. The menu is on the smaller side so it isn't hard to decide what you want. I got the pulled pork sandwich w/ fries and also a side a mac&cheese. The food was amazing!!! Couldn't have got any better! The food deserves 5 stars... Our waiter seemed like he either didn't want to be there or was mad about something. He wasn't rude, but short. Didn't want to have small talk... the least amount of any communication for him seemed like the better. Half way through our meal the owner/cook?? came out and asked about our food and he seemed very happy!
(3)John D.
Fantastic little place! The owner(Fiesal) is usually there, and will come by and talk to you. Great meat dishes (any of the taco fillings is worth it. Ribs are awesome. Try the Chorizo taco, the Beef Cheek taco and the Ribs all in the "SNR plate" The chorizo comes with a pineapple chunk salsa and a creamy avocado/tomatillo salsa. Perfect balance of spicy, sweet, and creamy. Great cocktail selection and solid selection of interesting bottled beer. Somewhat kid-friendly too, as the Mac&Cheese was a hit with my daughter. Don't miss this gem.
(5)Kelly B.
Spare no Rib is a brand new fast fresh food restaurant that opened in the old Bittersweet Bakery store next to Hodak's on Gravois. This is an "order at the counter" restaurant with plenty of tables and natural light inside. The set up is pretty bare bones thus far, but that could change since they are so new. Everything is made from scratch including the sauces and tortillas. Mostly authentic fresh tacos, BBQ (ribs, pulled pork and chicken) with homemade sides, soups and salads on the short menu. They also have a few desserts like brownies and other easy to grab and go treats. I had the fish and chicken tacos. A little sauce heavy, but overall very fresh and delicious. A friend said the ribs are to die for and if you have ever been to Smoking Barrels on Kingshighway, you will like the BBQ, because it is the same owners and recipes. Can't wait to try more! This place is easy to miss driving by. It would serve the owners well to put additional signage outside somewhere. Currently they just have a door logo and sidewalk sign. So, look for Hodaks. They share the same parking lot between them,
(4)Wayne W.
Food is great! The place has been understaffed at peak times a time or two.
(3)Jay D.
If you're looking for a solid dry rub with an optional sauce, then look no further. This place is pretty delicious and homey. The staff are friendly and helpful. The corn bread is yum and so were their baked beans. My wife had the deep fried fish tacos, which she liked too. I have recently fallen for the fish tacos from Ruby Tuesday, but it's like apples and oranges since RT's aren't fried. Come, eat enjoy.
(4)Haley M.
This was my first trip to SNR and it was wonderful! I didn't realize they had already been open a year........seriously, how did I miss this place? Thanks to my buddy Nate for reviewing it on the book of faces, and bringing it to my attention! I headed out with a good friend for Friday night girls night and it did not disappoint. We started off with the well reviewed corn fritters, and they were spicy little nuggets that should be tried by all! Seriously, get them. They're delightful! We tried the rib/taco combo platter and were very pleased. The waiter recommended the fish tacos and claimed them to be "the best fish tacos around"...........which was true! Light, flaky, and covered with some guac and pico. Simple and delicious. I also tried the carne asada taco which was spicy and tasty, just like I like my food! We also had the mac n cheese and cornbread sides and both were great additions to the meal. My friend had the mexican mule (or maybe 2 mexican mules, no judgement) and thoroughly enjoyed them. I had a local milk stout and was pleased to see the variety of local craft brews both in bottle and on tap. Gotta love a place that supports other small local businesses. Now I know there are several reviews for the dessert but seriously, after all of the food we stuffed our faces with, there was not a millimeter of space in which to put dessert. Maybe next time? But the wait staff was wonderful, friendly and appropriately attentive. They even hung up some of our delightful art work behind the bar.......which was the result of a friendly competition we were having with a tiny child from a nearby table! We also had the owner (or maybe manager) stop by our table and chat with us for a bit. What a nice guy! You can definitely tell he has a love for working in his restaurant and prides himself on creating a warm, friendly atmosphere! Kuddos! My only complaint (which I have for many establishments) is there is no great place to set your purse! Now this is a tiny complaint, but hooks under the bar and tables goes a long way. And the chairs have rounded backs, which doesn't give you the option to hang it on your chair. Again, small criticism, but nothing to keep me from coming back. Can't wait to bring more friends to SNR to try this little neighborhood gem!
(5)Paul H.
Went there for dinner Friday night. Everything was excellent. The people that worked there were very friendly. The ribs were perfect! And the 3 distinct sauces were all excellent in their own right. I had a fish taco and a chorizo taco, both were fantastic! Definitely worth your time.
(4)Sean F.
Stopped in for lunch, had a pleasant convo with the staff about the building and their take on the resurgence of the area. Ordered the "best of both worlds" platter which included two ribs, two tacos and a side. Opted for the carnitas and fish tacos, both of which were served on warm corn tortilla, and both of which were excellent. The ribs were cooked to perfection with a sweet and salty rub. Ribs came with two amazing sauces but the rub was so good that I decided not to dip. The beans may have benefitted from a pinch of salt and maybe some cayenne, put none the less were still excellent. Had a great experience here and will enjoy returning. Definitely a superb addition to the blossoming foodie scene.
(5)Brian H.
Delicious! My wife and I were visiting from LA and wanted something other than Italian food, like maybe some midwestern bbq. On the advice of a friend, we tried this place. What a great surprise! It's like a fusion of Mediterranean, Mexican, and Southern foods. Flavorful street-cart style tacos, unique burgers, and above all, perfectly smoked babyback ribs. I mean, perfect ribs. They're so good I'm jealous, since I've found nothing on par with this in California. Firm bark with a rub that has a rich paprika and cumin note, well-balanced smoke flavor, moist all the through, and pulled away clean from the bone. Highly recommended! The tacos are the smaller, soft corn tortilla type where you order several different kinds for a meal. We tried a lightly battered fish taco in avocado and tomatillo sauce that was excellent, as well as a beef cheeks taco (not sure of the real name) which reminded me of a slow-cooked brisket in like an ancho sauce. Really creative flavor development. My wife tried a chorizo burger that was quite juicy and came with a crisp heap of what looked like fresh-cut fries. We were talked into trying the buttercake for dessert -- it was my first experience eating it and I enjoyed it immensely! It's definitely a place any foodies like us would enjoy. It's decor is rustic/utilitarian and the burgers/ribs come in plastic baskets with wax paper -- so leave the coat and tie at home. The chef has obviously focused all the attention on the food with impressive results. This restaurant would be right at home in the LA or New York food scenes -- you're lucky to have it in STL!
(5)R. S.
Great fish tacos & ribs! Waiter was very friendly and attentive and gave us two new salsas to try. The chips tasted like they were freshly fried-delish!
(4)Luke M.
This place just opened up last Monday. As a very close neighbor to this place I may be a bit biased. But honestly, our neighborhood lacks a variety of restaurant choices. Sure you could drive to soulard or Lafayette square. Chorizo, chicken, and cachete (beef cheeks) tacos were my choice. The chorizo was spicy and not as runny as some of the cheaper taco places in STL. The cachete was surprisingly the best of the 3 tacos. The sauces that came with each taco were fantastic. They also have a decent beer and cocktail menu. Margaritas, and several other drinks were spelled out on the chalk board. As a beer drinker I appreciated their various options. The atmosphere seems like a very cool place and I hope to see it succeed. If they got a tv in here I'd definitely sit down and have a few beers.
(4)Kristina C.
This place is awesome. I just had two tacos, the carne asada, and fish. Blown away. Perfect flavor, perfectly cooked. Reasonable prices. I also loved the salsa. I would say my biggest complaint- not enough salsa. I needed a giant bowl of it! The owner (I think it was the owner?) came to our table several times to make sure everything was okay, and to our liking. Very prompt service. It was refreshing! I'm going to tell everyone about this place.
(5)David V.
The chips and guacamole were very good. Ordered 3 tacos. Chorizo, Carnitas and Carne Asada. Carnitas was excellent. Carne asade was very good. Chorizo was OK. Had I not ordered the chorizo, I probably would rate 4 stars (but I love chorizo). Biggest let down was the server. We had a difficult time ordering beverages because he spoke very broken english. My sister wanted an ice tea, and received an herbal tea over ice. Not the end of the world, but not really an iced tea either. The management did notice she wasn't happy and brought her a real iced tea. When the bill came, there was no iced tea charged. this place is doing something right. Then the server came back, noticed it, and took the bill away to add it. I overheard management saying no charge for it, he came back and told us there wouldn't be a charge and we went on our way. Wasn't bad service by any means. In fact, all things considered, it was excellent... Our server was just in need of some training, which it appears, the management is doing. I'll give them another shot and maybe increase my rating
(3)Jasen B.
Had lunch at SNR on a Tuesday. I was with a large group, so the service was a little slow, but not too bad. The food was very good, with plenty of flavor. The menu is a bit limited, but there is enough to satisfy most people. I'll be going back.
(4)Josh B.
Spare no rib offers a really cool space in a convenient city location. With a mexican/BBQ theme, the first thing I noticed was the excellent beer selection, offering a variety of local, regional, and imported bottles. The menu isn't huge, but there wasn't a thing on it that didn't sound appealing. We went with tacos and ribs, partnered with some baked beans and baked macaroni. Everything was flavorful and looked good on the plate. My wife loved the chicken taco and I thought the chorizo taco was delicious, with their house-made sauces pulling everything together. Pair that up with a polite and attentive staff (the owner served us, I think), and I think we found a new spot in our "favorites" rotation.
(5)Mark R.
Excellent barbecue and Mexican. I love the barbecue rib tacos. Freshly made salsas and sauces make this place a must visit in St. Louis. On top of that, it's a friendly place with fine ambiance.
(5)LeAnne R.
One of my all time favorite places in Tower Grove! Everything is made homemade and fresh. I don't eat meat and I still feel like I have tons of options. The owners have waited on us everytime and always make sure to give you a fantastic dining experience. If I could give it more stars, I would!!
(5)Tyra W.
food is fresh and very tasty!!! The owner is very kind and the Atmosphere is very warm and inviting. There were lots of sauces for us to try which were all amazing. There's a veggie salsa- must try it! Ull thank me.
(5)R. L.
So very delicious. Everything we had was quite tasty. Service excellent. Owners are very passionate about the food and it's evident in the menu. Will go back frequently.
(5)Glenn F.
Had the afternoon in St. Louis before my Saturday evening flight. Went to Pappy's Smokehouse based upon its rating with Yelp to find a 55 minute wait to get to the cash register to order. Limited time, let's find something else. Can't leave St. Louis without having some BBQ. Drive to Spare No Rib. It is a little difficult to find as it is in an old ice factory, with limited signage, due to restrictions in an historical district. There was a bar and tables. Sat at the bar and studied menu on a blackboard above. Interesting: They have both BBQ and Tacos. I order the rib plate which came with bacon, coleslaw and corn bread. When I tasted the beans, I knew I had something special. Lots of bacon and cooked to perfection. Then the ribs were tender and delicious. Hot, sweet and mustard sauces were provided. I liked the sweet and mustard; never got to the hot. Great bottled beer selection; I ordered a Newcastle Black Ale, which I'd never had before. Very good. The owner, Lassaad, came by to welcome us. He poured us a taste of an Deschutes Obsidian Stout and stayed to talk. Spare No Rib opened about three months ago. This harsh mid-western winter has made business slow. He made the visit more enjoyable BBQ and Tacos on the same menu seems different. Lassaad is from Tunisia, and explained how the spices of Mexican food are similar to those of North Africa, due to the Spanish and Moor connection. He brought us free corn chips with a couple of unique sauces, different from anything I've tasted before. I consider Spare No Rib a find. Beat standing in line for an hour before ordering food and eating in a crowed restaurant. The personal attention from owner and staff, and pleasant conversation, were an added benefit. If I get back to St. Louis soon, I'll certainly try to return.
(5)Julie H.
Went for dinner on a Friday night and had a brief wait for a table during which we were directed to a place to wait and given menus and margaritas. The excellent service continued once we were seated. The food was delicious and came out quickly. I highly recommend this place and will be back.
(5)Tori W.
Highly, highly recommend a meal here! This is the best kind of locally owned place. I have eaten here twice and the customer service is fantastic...we had about a 20 minute wait and they made sure we got drinks and brought us complimentary chips and salsa. All of the workers are very helpful and welcoming. Also, the food is out of this world. So fresh and delicious. You have to try the salsas.
(5)Erin S.
The food was fantastic (fries, carne asada tacos, chorizo queso dip) and the service superb!
(4)Rachel W.
My son and I went for lunch 12/31/14 after reading about the restaurant in an online article. Service was great. We did not try the tacos because we were craving ribs! Very good!
(5)Walker H.
Their ribs are dry and need the sauces they put out. This is unlike the places like Bogart's and Capitalist Pig where you need NO sauce for the ribs. Spare No Rib's ribs taste fine, but they're not going to blow your mind. The tacos would be great if they came out with hot meat. Instead, mine arrived with tepid meat. And, for what they're charging for that meal, they had better come out hot and awesome. The ribs weren't that warm either. Their sauces were decent. I sorta liked their try at a "new american" taco in the form of a pork tenderloin and fennel taco. But the temperature it's meat was served at just made it's fatty deposits (the first things to cool) unappetizing. They guys their said their beer list was going to be getting better (more local stuff, more curation) but their current selection looks like they got whatever fell off the local AB Inbev distributor's truck. They did have two different beers from the Cathedral Square Brewery. I chose the Belgian IPA and rather enjoyed it. The decor is a bit strange. The tables and the way they're set is more suited to a sit-down dinner place, but the feel of the place is "southern/bbq/mexican bar hangout". They should put in communal tables, scrap table service, and divide up their bar & kitchen ordering. Let people order food from one spot and beer in another. Also, judging from their alcohol stocks, they clearly want to try to serve everyone. I saw mediocre beer, tequila, wine, and spirits. If you're going to charge mid-to-higher-end prices, take some pride in your alcohol list (and choose just stuff that fits your venue) otherwise, just let your distributor pick and then charge as low a price as possible. If you live in the neighborhood and want to watch a sportsball game while drinking a mid-priced beer and eating food, this might be the place for you.
(2)Chris Z.
Spare No Rib is located across the parking lot from Hodak's. It's very easy to miss. And even if you are standing outside, you might not know you are in front of a restaurant. They might need to invest in a sandwich board or a neon or two. Inside there are a few tables and a long bar. The place feels open with the two-story ceilings. But the seating area itself isn't that large. They focus on two dishes... ribs and street tacos. Kind of an odd mix, but I love both. This past Saturday I gave their tacos a shot. The wife and I split one of each taco. They are $3 a piece and come with an extra tortilla. There is enough meat to split each taco into two. Here's what we tried in order what I liked the best... Fish taco... lightly battered but not overdone. Cachete (beef cheek)... melt in your mouth tender. Chorizo... oily but the most flavorful. Chicken... in a red sauce. Carnita... open pit flavor. Carne Asada... good but nothing special. We had guac too and stayed for a latte. The manager was nice and interested in how we found out about the place. It seems he also runs the Bar Italia restaurant which seemed odd... becase the two placed couldn't be more different. All in all, they offer a good authentic street taco experience if you don't feel like hitting Cherokee.
(4)Lisa C.
Barbeque AND Mexican? Somehow it really, really works at Spare No Rib. I think just about everyone has tried the SNR plate, for good reason. You get two tacos and two ribs, plus a side. Damned good ribs, which really didn't need any of the three sauces. But the mustard sauce was so good, my friend contemplated stealing the bottle. (In the end, she simply asked for some to take home, and was rewarded.) My waiter steered me away from the baked beans for the mac n' cheese, and I'm glad he did. It was pretty tasty, with a creamy bechamel and a sprinkling of graham crackers (what the???) The beer selection is small but decent, and they also have a variety of bottled sodas. The owners are super friendly, and the space, which once housed the stellar Bittersweet Bakery, is freaking gorgeous. So do yourself a favor. Next time someone says, "Hey, let's go eat bland fried chicken at Hodak's," steer them to the next building and treat them to SNR instead. It's by far the better meal.
(4)Joey M.
I wasn't very impressed with the food. The salsa was very good. As were the chips. But that is about it. The mac n cheese had a strange flavor. Not bad, but not good. The ribs were dry and didn't seem fresh at all. The coleslaw was ok. It was also VERY expensive for the quality and quantity of food. The owner was very nice, however. I probably won't be back intentionally but I won't avoid it if someone says he let's try it. Maybe it was just a bad day.
(2)Danny T.
She had heard about SNR, driven by it, and said we should check it out. All she knew was that it was Mexican meets BBQ. So we ventured to engage in the SNR experience. We were the only people in the place, but that didn't matter. There was jazz on LPs playing on a turntable off to the side of the place. I hopped on Yelp and ran through some of the reviews and the pictures of SNR and it all looked delightful. We ordered the chips (homemade), guacamole, and salsa. The guac was delish, and so were the three salsa's the very kind owner brought out to us. Our favorite was the chipotle salsa. It was a smoky, tomato-y, garlicky delight. For mains, she ordered the tacos (fish tacos and beef-cheek tacos), and the beans. I had a taco with the chorizo and the bbq ribs. The tacos were awesome, the beans were very tasty, and the bbq was delightful. We also split an order of the mac-and-cheese, which was a savory dream. Cheesy macaroni with a graham-cracker crust topping. Wow -- first time having that dish! The owner was such a great host and treated us incredibly well. We loved our SNR experience so much that we went back the following week!
(5)Gaetano A.
New restaurant that just opened up on Gravois. A mix of Mexican and BBQ. We were offered complimentary chips and salsa, which was delicious. We also got guacamole. It was good but too many chips and not enough guacamole IMO. My partner ordered tacos while I got the rib plate with beans and fries. They mixed up the order so she got 4 tacos, basically every kind they had. The fish was the best to her. My ribs were good but seemed a little dry and weren't really fall off the bone. They were tasty though and the sauces were delicious. The best part was the homemade cornbread. When I told them how much I liked it they gave my partner a slice to try on her own. She added some honey butter and really enjoyed it. We will definitely be back but they do have a few kinks to work out. Completely understandable. Try it out yourself!
(3)Vanessa W.
This is a great new spot! It has a fantastic ambiance, friendly owner and delicious food. I have tried a lot of bland mac and cheese here in St. Louis and this was flavorful, cheesy and scrumptious. Yum, I'm getting it next time! The chips and salsa were salty, freshly made and crisp. So good! It's a great spot for date night or with friends (shout out to Andy and @ecarretto). Support this place because it's yummy.
(5)Hectogram H.
Ill keep this short.. Or not. The owner is engaged with the customers which is great, if he is there he will surely want your opinion on those ribs you're eating. Now about those ribs... I ordered the rib plate with their mac n cheese, baked beans and cornbread. The cornbread was amazing, kind of sweet how i like it. The mac n cheese was tasty, it has a little bit of graham cracker crust but it isn't very noticeable. The baked beans didn't taste very traditional and it almost reminded me of chili. Now about those ribs...really this time...the rib plate came with four ribs. They were fall of the bone tender, however they weren't very flavorful. I didn't get a smokey flavor or anything, they could have been cooked in a traditional oven for all i know. And i wasn't a huge fan of the bbq sauce either and i only want bbq sauce on my ribs if they aren't flavorful. I would return if i got a special on the price, i didn't feel like my meal was worth the $17 paid for it as the portions were small.
(3)Rashar d.
I tried most of the tacos and they were all amazing. But the pulled pork sand which took the cake. The guys that run the place are outright awesome. Very hospitable. The noise level is moderate to loud so kids would do well here. My kid screamed a couple times and did not draw much attention. The food is just so good. If the United States becomes a monarchy and I happen to run the place, Spare No Rib will be forced to cater food at my castle and all public executions. I love this place.
(5)Greg G.
2.5 Had lunch here. Got the SNR plate, which provides you 2 tacos, 2 ribs, and a side. I got the pork belly/pork shoulder, as well as the carne asada tacos. The tacos were just ok. There was nothing good or bad about them. They were just there. I smothered some guacamole on there to liven them up but it couldn't quite put them over the top. The ribs didn't have much flavor and also needed sauce. 2 sauces were plopped on the table without explanation. One was in a distinctive red plastic squeezy thing that would have made you think it contained ketchup. Alas, it did not. The sauces were just ok. I won't be going back. I had high hopes, but I was ultimately disappointed.
(2)Brooke R.
This place is great all around. Wonderful Barbeque and sauces. Tacos are delicious, ribs are amazing, tilapia sandwich is great, fries are terrific, am desperately in love with the three salsas, etc. etc. etc. Honestly, I love this place and am sad it took me so long to finally get here. Plus it's very pretty. And the owner is friendly as all get out. It's also kid-friendly - even my kids who don't eat bbq - with mac and cheese and other staples. I want the best for this place!
(5)Dona C.
Great food. Personable owners. Original menu. Diverse crowd. St. Louis --not the cow town everyone thinks--at least as far as food goes!
(5)