St. Louis Markets: Soulard and City Foundry Guide

St. Louis markets mix old and new in a way that rewards a slow morning. The Soulard Farmers Market, a city-run market with a long history, sells produce and meat, City Foundry STL holds a food hall in a reclaimed foundry, and the Tower Grove market moves with the seasons.

Go early for the best selection and parking, carry a little cash, and bring a stroller or wagon if you have children.

What are the best St. Louis markets?

The best depend on what you want. For a traditional market with many stalls and a long history, go to Soulard. For a food hall with a bar and room to sit, go to City Foundry. For a producer market with local growers and makers, go to the Tower Grove market.

Plan to go hungry, bring a bag and carry a little cash for small stands.

A good way to use the list is to make a theme for your visit. Spend one Saturday at an old public market, one evening at a food hall and one morning at a producer market, and compare how each handles freshness, variety and atmosphere. Three visits teach more than any ranking.

What is the Soulard Farmers Market?

The Soulard Farmers Market is run by the City of St. Louis and has a long history. Sources disagree on its founding year, so the history is best treated as a local legend.

A visit is a lesson in St. Louis food. Stalls sell produce, meat, spices, baked goods and prepared food, and the surrounding neighborhood has bars and restaurants. Go early for the best selection, and wear comfortable shoes.

The market is a good place to buy ingredients for a picnic. A loaf of bread, a wedge of cheese and a bag of fruit can be assembled in a few stalls, and nearby parks offer places to sit. Ask the sellers what is best that day, and they will usually point you to something you had not planned to buy.

What is City Foundry STL?

City Foundry STL is a food hall in Midtown, in a reclaimed foundry. Listings describe a food hall with a bar and a brewery, and the site hosts events through the year. It is a good choice for a group with different tastes, because each person can order from a different counter.

Check the schedule before you go, since events change from season to season.

The building itself is part of the appeal. High ceilings, exposed steel and big windows give the hall a feel that is different from a mall food court, and the mix of a food hall, a brewery and events makes it a place to spend an evening. Because of that, the busiest times are weekends and event nights.

What is the Tower Grove Farmers Market?

The Tower Grove Farmers Market is a producer market with a loyal following, held in Tower Grove Park rather than at City Foundry. Confirm the current days on its own page.

A producer market sells what growers raise and makers produce. You will find vegetables, fruit, eggs, cheese, bread, flowers and prepared food, and you can ask the seller how to cook what you buy.

Buying at a producer market is also a way to meet the people who grow the food. Ask when a vegetable was picked, whether the eggs are from pastured hens and what is coming next week. The answers are usually specific and enthusiastic, and they make the shopping more fun.

What are the best St. Louis Saturday markets for a day out?

St. Louis Saturday markets give you a way to plan a morning. A good route is a coffee, then a walk through a market, then lunch from a stall or a nearby restaurant. Parking near popular markets fills early, so arrive before the crowd or use a rideshare.

If you are visiting with children, pick a market with open space, music or a playground nearby. Bring a stroller or wagon for the shopping.

How do you shop at a market?

Walk the whole market first. Notice who sells what and at what quality, and compare before you buy. Ask for samples, and ask how a vegetable or cheese is best used. Buy the heavy items last.

Bring bags, a cooler and cash. Many sellers accept cards or mobile payments, but small stands may not. Be patient at busy stalls, and thank the sellers.

What else should you eat around St. Louis?

For an Italian lunch after the market, read the Hill St. Louis restaurants guide. For a day with children, the family friendly restaurants in St. Louis guide helps, and food worth a drive in Missouri goes beyond the city. The US guides page lists more.

How can Mosey help with markets in St. Louis?

Friends' picks on the Mosey map put the places your friends rated or saved in one view, and the people you follow decide what appears there. Check it before you choose between Soulard, City Foundry and Tower Grove.

A market is a place to taste and compare. Download the Mosey app, rate each stand by its freshness, its flavor and its welcome, and build a St. Louis list that sends friends to the best stalls.