Top Restaurants for Dining in St. Joseph, Missouri

Dining out is always a pleasure in the old frontier town of St. Joseph, Missouri on the banks of the Missouri River. Dating back to the wagon train heyday, St. Joe has been home to a wide variety of industries and cultures. Once known as the third largest livestock center in the nation, St. Joe remembers its stockyard history at The Hoof and Horn, St. Joseph’s oldest restaurant. Located in the former stockyards district, The Hoof and Horn has been known for more than a century for its’ aged, tender steaks and more.
A steak dinner at the Hoof and Horn is one to long remember – the steaks are fresh, tender, cooked to order and absolutely delicious. A full line menu offers much more as well – including some of the city’s best hamburgers.

Another old time St. Joseph, Missouri favorite place to dine is Galvin’s. Decades of Joetown residents have delighted in Galvin’s signature dish – pan fried chicken like someone grandma used to make. Every piece of the hand breaded, fried by hand fried chicken is tender, succulent, and to die for! This restaurant has been around so long that gangsters and outlaws patronized it back in the Roaring Twenties and Galvin’s is still known far and wide today as the best place to eat fried chicken in Northwest Missouri. Even folks from Kansas City head north to enjoy Galvin’s famous fried chicken. Galvin’s is located on 69 south.

Early Hispanic residents of St. Joseph brought their zippy, zest style of cooking when they came from Mexico. That heritage is reflected today at Barbosa’s Castillo, the city’s premier Mexican cuisine restaurant. The Barbosa story began back when Mama Barbosa sold enchiladas and other dishes from her kitchen to her son’s friends and co-workers. In the late 1960’s, the first Barbosa’s opened and St. Joe dining has never been the same! Today – and for the past two decades – Barbosa’s Castillo serves up the same traditional style Mexican foods that Mama made in her kitchen. Housed in a former mansion in a once elite district above downtown, Barbosa’s Castillo offers tacos in hand made shells, the best enchiladas and tamales this side of the border and more. A roof top garden and bar offers drinks – and a fantastic view of the city!

The D & G Restaurant on the city’s Frederick Avenue is another old time St. Joseph favorite. This traditional restaurant offers a full bar in addition to outstanding blue plate specials, sandwiches, and their specialty – hot beef sandwich served with tender, scrappy roast beef, home made mashed potatoes, and succulent beef gravy. The walls of this fine establishment are hung with mementos from St. Joseph’s history including a portrait of famous madam Lizzie King, once the queen of the city’s red light district.

The Frederick Inn Steak House and Lounge is another local favorite. Prime rib, seafood, and fresh salads are available along with their famous steak. Home made desserts are out of this world and are some of St. Joseph’s best. Service truly is with a smile at the Frederick Inn!

Whiskey Creek Steakhouse offers barbecue beef, chicken, and sandwiches for those who tastes run to barbecue. Pasta and sizzling hot fajitas are another tasty favorite at this St. Joseph restaurant. The convenient location at Frederick Avenue and I-29 is a plus!

Casual diners can delight in the old fashioned but never out of style taste of a Maid Rite. Maid Rite has multiple locations throughout St. Joseph and offers a delicious loose meat hamburger with all the fixings. Although they originally offered just the Maid Rite loose meat burger Maid Rite today offers a versatile menu that includes chicken too! They also offer ice cream treats. Look for Maid Rite on Frederick Avenue near Ashland.

These are the best of the best – the top restaurants that can be found in the city of St. Joseph, Missouri located north of Kansas City on the banks of the Missouri River.