Restaurants in Ballwin

At Piara Tandoori King, spicy sauces cover seafood and goat dishes alongside paneer—Indian-style cheese—and other herbivorous fare. Biryani entrees are filled with saffron-infused basmati rice laced with succulent meat or vegetable pieces, and flatbreads such as aloo paratha and naan are browned in a traditional tandoori oven, rather than a newfangled chocolate fountain. An all-you-can-eat lunch buffet lets diners sample diverse Southeast Asian flavors without settling on one, and yogurt-based mango lassis and other beverages neutralize the burn of spicy dishes.

At DeCarlo's Bar and Grill, chefs take an innovative approach to burger making. Rather than piling toppings on the outside of the burger, they stuff flavorful ingredients—such as pepper jack cheese, bacon, or jalapenos—directly between two quarter-pound patties. These signature burgers ooze juicy fillings and gossip with every bite, and they star on a menu of pub fare also populated by hearty sandwiches, fried appetizers, customized pizzas, and a variety of draft beers and cocktails.

A'mis Italian Restaurant garners compliments from area natives and transplants for its kitchen's mastery of regional pizzas ranging from hand-tossed New York–style pies to Chicago–style pizzas baked in a deep pie dish. St. Louis pizzas sport a thin-crust base that's sprinkled with a blend of provel cheese and mozzarella. All pizza dough is baked fresh every day in a brick oven. Entrees also include steak and pasta dishes, as well as lighter dinner options, such as grilled chicken or poached cod, that give diners fewer calories and grant increased aptitude for speaking in fishtongue.

A proud staple of Labadie for more than two decades, the Hawthorne Inn and its co-owners, Cathy Hancock, Chris Hancock, and Dick Hoey, pay homage to the old railroad town with the Labadie Locomotive pizza, flecked with pepperoni, sausage, meatballs, and pepperoncini. On a mural behind the bar, local artist Bryan Hayes celebrates the steam engines and nuclear-powered cabooses of years past, and hand-trimmed steaks and pretzel-encrusted trout are served in present-day portions. Wines travel from as far as Missouri, California, or overseas to fill the tavern's glasses, along with a large selection of domestic and imported beers.