Best Toasted Ravioli in St. Louis: The Hill and Beyond

The best toasted ravioli in St. Louis is a breaded, fried pasta square served hot with marinara for dipping, and it is the city's best-known appetizer. It belongs to The Hill, the Italian American neighborhood on the south side, where families have run restaurants and bakeries for generations.

Order a plate as a starter and share it, since eight to a dozen pieces feed two or three people. Add St. Louis style pizza or gooey butter cake to the trip for the full local menu.

What is toasted ravioli?

Toasted ravioli is ravioli, usually filled with meat or cheese, that is dipped in egg, coated in breadcrumbs and deep-fried until golden. Despite the name, it is not toasted in an oven. A dusting of grated Parmesan on top and a bowl of red sauce at the side finish the plate.

The pieces are small enough to eat with your fingers, which makes the dish a good one to share. It is crisp outside and soft inside, and the sauce is part of the experience.

How did toasted ravioli start on The Hill?

The common story places the dish's beginning at a restaurant on The Hill in the early 1940s, when a cook is said to have dropped ravioli into hot oil by mistake. Several restaurants have claimed the story, and the details differ between tellings, so treat it as a local legend that has stuck. What is not in doubt is that the dish became a St. Louis tradition and spread across the metro area.

Today you will see it on menus at Italian restaurants, bars, ballparks and family gatherings. Frozen versions sell in supermarkets across the region.

Where to eat the best toasted ravioli in St. Louis

On the Hill, restaurants with a long tie to the dish's story still put it on the menu, neighborhood kitchens serve handmade versions, tavernas offer it too and a food hall stall specializes in it.

Some small places open only on certain days, so go midweek for an easier table, and order a mixed plate to compare fillings.

How to order toasted ravioli

Order it as a starter and share. A plate usually arrives with eight to a dozen pieces, and one plate feeds two or three people. Ask whether the ravioli are filled with beef or with cheese, and whether they are made in house, since the best versions use fresh pasta.

Eat the pieces while they are hot, dipped in sauce a little at a time. Cold toasted ravioli turn chewy fast, so do not let the plate sit while you talk, and ask for a fresh dish of sauce if yours runs out.

What is The Hill in St. Louis, and what Italian food is there?

The Hill is a compact neighborhood in south St. Louis with Italian bakeries, delis, groceries and restaurants. Its streets are named for Italian places and the fire hydrants are painted in the colors of the Italian flag. It is a good place to eat on foot: a lunch of toasted ravioli at one spot, a sandwich from a deli and a loaf of bread to take home.

The area is the center of the city's Italian American food, but it is also a residential neighborhood. Park respectfully, and plan to go during the day or early evening.

What is St. Louis style pizza?

St. Louis style pizza has a very thin, cracker-like crust that is made without yeast, so it does not rise. It is cut into small squares, sometimes called party cut, instead of wedges. The cheese is usually Provel, a processed blend of cheeses that melts smoothly and has a mild, slightly smoky taste, and the sauce is a bit sweet.

Many people love it and many are puzzled by it, which is a good reason to try a slice. It is a local habit, and a pizza night is a common part of a St. Louis family week.

What is gooey butter cake?

Gooey butter cake is a dense, flat yellow cake with a layer of sweet, buttery filling on top that stays soft and slightly sticky, finished with powdered sugar. It is usually served in squares for breakfast or with coffee and is sold at bakeries across the city. A story says it began as a baking mistake in the 1930s, but the details are uncertain.

What other St. Louis food should you try?

Barbecue pork steaks and sweet-sauce ribs are part of the local repertoire, and custard stands and ice cream shops are everywhere in summer. A walk through a farmers market or an old neighborhood bakery rewards the curious. Saturdays are the best time for markets.

For the other end of Missouri, see the Kansas City barbecue guide. To place the dish among other regional specialties, read the Ohio Valley regional foods guide. The rest of the country is on the US guides page.

St. Louis has opinions about breading, sauce and who did it first. Add yours: the Mosey app lets you rate every plate of toasted ravioli and keep your own list of The Hill and beyond.