Best Greek & Mediterranean Food in St Louis: A Local's Guide
Revised July 17, 2026
Where is the best Greek and Mediterranean food in St. Louis?
For Greek, Olympia Kebob House (Dogtown, since 1980), Spiro’s (Chesterfield and St. Charles), Ari’s (Lindenwood Park), and The Gyro Company. For Lebanese and Middle Eastern, The Vine (South Grand), Ranoush (Delmar Loop), Jafra (St. Charles), and Phoenicia (Ballwin). Going deeper: Sultān (Kurdish, The Grove), Aya Sofia (Turkish, Lindenwood Park), The Gin Room (Persian, South Grand), and Sameem (Afghan, The Grove). Remember: all Greek food is Mediterranean, but Mediterranean food spans much more.
Keep reading ↓Here’s a useful bit of food knowledge to start: all Greek food is Mediterranean, but not all Mediterranean food is Greek. Greek cuisine — gyros, souvlaki, tzatziki, feta — is one bright branch of a much bigger tree that also includes Lebanese, Turkish, Kurdish, and other Middle Eastern kitchens. And St. Louis, it turns out, has a genuinely rich version of that whole tree.
From a Dogtown taverna that’s been carving gyros since 1980, to a South Grand market-cafe stacking shawarma, to a Kurdish room in The Grove pulling naan from a tandoor, the metro’s Mediterranean scene is deeper and more varied than most people realize. You can eat your way from the Aegean to the Levant to Anatolia without leaving the region.
This guide covers both the Greek classics and the wider Mediterranean and Middle Eastern world — across Dogtown, Lindenwood Park, Chesterfield, South Grand, the Delmar Loop, The Grove, St. Charles, and beyond. Come hungry for hummus, kebabs, and a great gyro.
📌 Gyro and hummus fan? Keep this — and share it.
Bookmark this guide and send it to the friend who’s always chasing the best gyro, the group planning a mezze night, or anyone who thinks Mediterranean food starts and stops at a chain bowl shop.
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The Greek Classics
Start with the Greek icons. In Dogtown, Olympia Kebob House & Taverna ($$) has been the metro’s gyro benchmark since 1980 — gyros, souvlaki, and flaming saganaki cheese in a warm, old-world room. In Chesterfield (with a St. Charles location too), Spiro’s ($$-$$$) is the West County institution for tableside flaming saganaki and avgolemono soup. In Lindenwood Park, Ari’s ($$) does full-service Greek with a bar. And for a fast, excellent gyro, The Gyro Company ($) has spots in South City and South County. These are the places to fall in love with Greek food.
Lebanese & Middle Eastern
The Levantine side of the Mediterranean is a St. Louis strength. On South Grand, The Vine Mediterranean Cafe & Market ($) is a beloved Lebanese-Palestinian-Iraqi cafe and grocery, famous for shawarma, falafel, and hummus. In the Delmar Loop, Ranoush ($$) does kebabs, mezze, and late-night hookah. Out in St. Charles, Jafra Mediterranean ($$) is a family-run Levantine spot, and in Ballwin, Phoenicia ($) is a longtime Lebanese deli and grocery. This is the world of warm pita, garlicky toum, char-grilled kebabs, and mezze spreads made for sharing.
Beyond the Basics: Kurdish, Turkish, Persian & Afghan
The most exciting corner of the scene is its diversity. In The Grove, Sultān Mediterranean ($$) serves acclaimed Kurdish and Middle Eastern cooking — kebabs, dolma, and tandoor-baked naan. In Lindenwood Park, Aya Sofia ($$-$$$) is the metro’s signature Turkish room, doing kofte and moussaka in an upscale setting. On South Grand, the Persian classics of the legendary Cafe Natasha live on through The Gin Room ($$), where chef Hamishe Bahrami relaunched her Persian kabobs in 2026. And also in The Grove, Sameem ($$) is Missouri’s first Afghan restaurant, with kabobs, stews, and rice. This is the deep, delicious end of the Mediterranean pool.
The Metro East
Across the river, the Metro East has its own scattering of gyro shops and Mediterranean grills, particularly around Belleville and Edwardsville. The scene there is smaller and shifts often, so it’s worth a quick search for what’s currently open near you before you head out — but eastsiders don’t have to cross into Missouri for a good gyro or a plate of hummus.
Don’t Skip the Sweets
A Mediterranean meal deserves a sweet ending, and the region delivers. Baklava — layers of flaky phyllo, chopped nuts, and honey syrup — is the icon, and nearly every Greek and Middle Eastern spot makes a version. Look also for loukoumades (honey-drizzled Greek doughnuts), kanafeh (a warm, cheesy, syrup-soaked Levantine pastry), Turkish delight, and rich, cardamom-scented Turkish or Arabic coffee to finish. Persian spots add saffron-and-rosewater sweets and cardamom ice cream. These desserts are often shareable and not overly heavy, the perfect close to a mezze feast. Order a couple for the table with coffee, and linger — that unhurried finish is part of the Mediterranean way of eating.
What St. Louis Mediterranean Does Best
A few strengths define the scene. The gyro — seasoned meat carved off a vertical spit, tucked into pita with tomato, onion, and tzatziki — is the gateway dish, and Olympia sets the standard. Mezze (the spread of small shareable plates: hummus, baba ganoush, tabbouleh, dolma, falafel) is where the region shines, especially at the Lebanese and Kurdish spots. Char-grilled kebabs — beef, lamb, chicken, and kofte — are everywhere and reliably great. And the metro’s diversity is the real headline: Greek, Lebanese, Turkish, Kurdish, Persian, and Afghan kitchens all within a short drive. Add fresh-baked pita and flatbread, and you’ve got a scene with serious range.
Greek vs. Mediterranean: Understanding the Menu
Since the terms get used loosely, here’s a quick decoder. Greek cooking leans on lemon, olive oil, oregano, and dill, with feta cheese, lamb, pork, and seafood, and signature dishes like gyros, moussaka, and tzatziki. Broader Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cooking — Lebanese, Turkish, Kurdish — brings earthier spices like cumin, coriander, and sumac, more beef, chicken, and chickpeas, and staples like shawarma, falafel, hummus, and kebabs. They share a foundation (olive oil, fresh vegetables, grilled meats, flatbread) but diverge in the details. The good news in St. Louis: you don’t have to choose — both are well represented, often within blocks of each other.
A Haven for Vegetarians & Healthy Eaters
Mediterranean food is one of the easiest cuisines for eating well, whether you’re vegetarian or just after something wholesome. So much of the menu is naturally plant-based: hummus and baba ganoush (chickpea and eggplant dips), falafel (fried chickpea fritters), tabbouleh and fattoush (herb and vegetable salads), dolma (stuffed grape leaves), and warm pita. Build a meal entirely from mezze and you’ll eat beautifully without any meat. It’s also the model for the celebrated Mediterranean diet — heavy on olive oil, vegetables, legumes, and grilled lean proteins — which is why these restaurants are a reliable choice when your table includes vegetarians, vegans, and health-minded eaters. The Lebanese and Kurdish spots especially shine here, with deep benches of vegetable and legume dishes.
Great for Groups & Sharing
Few cuisines are as built for a table as Mediterranean food. The whole mezze format — lots of small plates passed around and shared — makes it a natural for group dinners, celebrations, and lingering meals. Order a spread of dips, salads, kebabs, and grilled meats family-style, add plenty of warm pita, and everyone builds their own perfect bite. Many spots also do generous platters and catering for parties, and the food travels and holds well. Between the shareable format, the range of vegetarian and meat options, and the reasonable prices at most spots, a Mediterranean restaurant is one of the easiest places in St. Louis to feed a big, mixed group happily.
How to Order Like a Regular
A few tips to eat well. Order mezze to start — a spread of hummus, baba ganoush, falafel, and dolma with warm pita is the best way to sample a kitchen’s range and share with the table. Try the gyro or a kebab plate to judge the grill. At the Lebanese spots, don’t miss the garlicky toum (whipped garlic sauce) and fresh tabbouleh. Save room for baklava or Turkish coffee to finish. And be adventurous — if you usually get a gyro, branch out to Kurdish dolma at Sultān or Persian kabob at The Gin Room. The metro’s Mediterranean scene rewards curiosity.
A Note on What’s Closed
One honest update for anyone chasing an old favorite: a few notable spots have closed. Al-Tarboush, the iconic University City Lebanese deli, has shut its doors — a real loss. The Grove’s Layla and South Grand’s Moroccan Baida are also gone, and the historic Grecian Gardens is long a memory (any current business by that name isn’t the old St. Louis one). Happily, the original Cafe Natasha’s Persian cooking survives inside The Gin Room. Restaurants come and go, so a quick check before a special trip is smart — and when a Mediterranean kitchen wins you over, go often and tell your friends.
Run a Greek, Lebanese, or Mediterranean restaurant? Be the name they find first.
Every month, about 250 people around St. Louis search for the best Greek and Mediterranean food in town — plus many more hunting for gyros, shawarma, and kebabs near them — but most get handed a national app that buries the small local rooms under ads. Here’s your opening: get in on the ground floor of a growing local directory and become one of the first spots locals — and AI assistants like ChatGPT — surface when someone’s craving Mediterranean. It works because a focused local directory shows up where the big apps don’t, and being easy to find is what turns a search into a full dining room.
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Claim your spot and be the name they find first — or start with a free visibility audit to see how findable you are today.
Mediterranean food is one of the most rewarding and healthful corners of the St. Louis dining scene — and one of the most diverse. For the bigger picture, see our guide to the best restaurants in St. Louis — then go get yourself a gyro, or better yet, a whole table of mezze. The best Mediterranean food in this metro comes from family kitchens carrying recipes across oceans — from Greece, Lebanon, Turkey, Kurdistan, and beyond — and setting them down, warm, right in front of you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Greek the same thing as Mediterranean food?
Not exactly. Greek food is one branch of Mediterranean cuisine, which spans more than 20 countries including Italy, Spain, Lebanon, and Turkey. So all Greek food is Mediterranean, but not all Mediterranean food is Greek. Greek cooking has its own signature — lemon, oregano, dill, feta, and dishes like gyros and moussaka — while the broader Mediterranean world brings different spices, proteins, and staples like shawarma and falafel.
Are gyros Greek or Mediterranean?
Both, really. The gyro is a specifically Greek dish — seasoned meat cooked on a vertical rotisserie, shaved and served in pita with tomato, onion, and tzatziki. Because Greek cuisine is part of the Mediterranean family, gyros are also, broadly, Mediterranean food. Similar spit-roasted meats appear across the region (shawarma in the Levant, döner in Turkey), but the gyro itself is Greek in origin.
What is a must eat in Greece?
Beyond the gyro, Greek must-eats include souvlaki (grilled meat skewers), moussaka (a layered eggplant-and-meat casserole), tzatziki (yogurt-cucumber dip), spanakopita (spinach-feta pie), Greek salad with feta, and fresh grilled seafood. Save room for baklava or loukoumades (honey-drizzled doughnuts). In St. Louis, spots like Olympia Kebob House, Spiro’s, and Ari’s serve these classics.
Is Greek food the healthiest in the world?
Greek cuisine is often cited among the world’s healthiest because it’s the model for the Mediterranean diet — heavy on olive oil, vegetables, legumes, fish, and whole grains, and lighter on red meat and processed food. That diet is repeatedly linked to heart health and longevity. Naturally, fried and rich dishes exist too, but the core of Greek and Mediterranean eating is genuinely nourishing.
Where can I get the best gyro in St. Louis?
Olympia Kebob House & Taverna in Dogtown, open since 1980, is the metro’s longtime gyro benchmark. Ari’s in Lindenwood Park and Spiro’s in Chesterfield are excellent full-service Greek options, and The Gyro Company (South City and South County) does a great fast gyro. For a Levantine cousin, try the shawarma at The Vine on South Grand or Ranoush in the Delmar Loop.
Written by a dedicated team of St. Louis locals who live, work, and play right here in the St. Louis metro. Founder Lane Forman and team are committed to building the region’s most trusted directory by verifying listings and connecting local businesses with loyal customers across Missouri and Illinois.