Restaurants in Alton

When Brian Toska and his daughter Susannah opened Buca Pizza Pub, they had family in mind. In a feature for the Telegraph, Brian explains his theory: "Kids love pizza, and we thought that would be a great way to bring them here.” He concocts an eclectic selection of pied-piper tunes and specialty pizzas to do just that, including the Chicago-style pie with italian beef, onion, and hot and sweet peppers, as well as the pizza greco with spinach, feta, and olive oil. In addition to pizza, servers also transport plates loaded with spaghetti, lasagna, and Italian sandwiches to famished families.

Twin City's Restaurant epitomizes a classic Midwestern restaurant, with local owners, a menu of home-cooked American favorites, and country-style breakfasts served from dawn until dusk. After the morning breakfast crowd dines on pancakes, biscuits, and gravy, a lunch buffet of freshly made specials snakes across the dining room. At dinner, classic American steaks and chops meet with eclectic, internationally inspired entrees that range from Mediterranean–style chicken to burgers.

At Malone’s Grill & Pub, chefs fire-grill steaks and half-pound burgers, and they slow-char grill baby back ribs while basting the slabs in a house barbecue sauce. The comfort food that travels from kitchen to table matches the pub’s neighborhood vibes, as friends and families connect over meals and glasses of Malone’s own Irish brews. Daily specials reinforce the pub’s friendly aura, including on Tuesdays, when kids eat for free with each paid adult entrée.

Founded in 1954 by James McLamore and David Edgerton, Burger King rapidly expanded from humble beginnings as a lone burger joint to more than 12,400 locations across 79 countries today, making it the second-largest fast-food-hamburger chain in the world. Its signature burger—the Whopper sandwich—consists of flame-broiled, quarter-pound beef patties crowned with a miniature fedora and a fully customizable array of toppings such as tomatoes, onions, and dill pickles. Focused on continual improvement, the chain recently reinvented the fries that accompany each value meal, outfitting the spud slices with a thicker cut of potato for a fluffier texture on the inside and crispier golden-brown exterior. A spread of decadent desserts including dutch apple pie and an Oreo sundae keeps sweet teeth from elongating into fangs, and made-to-order breakfast sandwiches clasp eggs, american cheese, and bacon, sausage, or ham between two halves of a flaky croissant to round out the speedy menu.

Husband-and-wife team Koffy and Kike Osun bring the singular flavors of African cuisine from Nigeria, Ghana, and Jamaica to the St. Louis area. The kitchen's chefs craft dishes of jollof rice, fried plantains, fried tilapia, pounded yam, and fried chicken wings with a host of ingredients they import directly from Africa. When the sun drops in the Missouri sky, a DJ sets up shop inside the eatery, spinning afrobeat, kwaito, juju, and soukous beats as patrons show off their best square-dance moves.

Scents of pimento, scotch bonnet peppers, and jerk chicken and pork waft through the air at Mi Hungry Jamaican BBQ & Catering's two casual locations. The county location’s menu of barbecue and Jamaican fare “makes it a dining destination,” according to St. Louis Magazine, and the city location serves up a similar multicultural duet of spice and flavor. Barbecue rib tips and crispy snoot coexist with Jamaican beef patties and tender red snapper. Island specialties such as the curried goat and brown stew chicken get a special flair from owner Rueben, who was born in Ocho Rios, Jamaica.