Missouri Baking Co Menu: What to Order at The Hill’s Legendary Bakery
Revised July 12, 2026
What are some customer favorites at Missouri Baking Co?
Missouri Baking Co is a family-owned Italian bakery on The Hill, open since 1924 and rated the #1 bakery in St. Louis. What to order: the cannoli, a slice of gooey butter cake, and a mixed box from the cookie case — sold by the pound — plus fresh bread. It’s cash-first and closed Sundays and Mondays.
Keep reading ↓Picture a Saturday morning. You’ve got family coming over — maybe driving in from Kirkwood, maybe from as far as St. Charles — and you promised you’d handle dessert. Not the grocery-store kind. The real thing. The kind that makes your aunt go quiet for a second after the first bite.
So where do you go? If you’ve lived around St. Louis long enough, you already know the answer, and you already know there’s going to be a line. On a plain corner on The Hill, behind a storefront that hasn’t needed to change in a hundred years, sits Missouri Baking Company — and the crowd out the door on a weekend morning tells you everything before you even walk in. This is a local’s guide to what’s actually worth ordering, what to know before you go, and why a bakery that opened in 1924 is still the one St. Louis argues about most — more than a century later.
At a Glance: What to Order
| Order this | Why it’s the move |
|---|---|
| Cannoli | Filled to order — the signature |
| Gooey butter cake | The St. Louis classic, done right |
| Chocolate drops | Their beloved house specialty |
| Cookies by the pound | Build a mixed box from the case |
| Fresh-baked bread | Baked daily; it sells out |
What Missouri Baking Co Actually Is
Missouri Baking Company is a family-owned Italian bakery at 2027 Edwards Street, right in the heart of The Hill — the historic Italian neighborhood that’s been feeding St. Louis fresh bread and red sauce for generations. It was founded in 1924 by Stefano Gambaro, a baker from Genoa in northern Italy, and it has stayed in the family for a full century.
That century wasn’t without drama. After a two-year ownership dispute among the third generation, a St. Louis court in January 2026 placed the bakery entirely in the hands of Camille “Mimi” Lordo — a granddaughter of the founder — keeping the 100-year-old institution family-run and intact. So when you walk in today, you’re buying cannoli from a business that has survived a full century, a changing city, and a family fight to stay exactly what it always was: a neighborhood Italian bakery that refuses to modernize the things that matter.
There’s something fitting about that. A place this old has watched The Hill change around it, watched grocery-store bakeries and national chains come and go, and simply kept doing the same thing at the same corner. The recent court battle could easily have ended with the doors closing or the recipes sold off; instead, it stayed in the founder’s family and stayed open. For a lot of longtime customers, that outcome was a small relief — proof that at least one St. Louis institution can make it to a second century intact.
Why a 100-year-old bakery still matters
It would be easy to dismiss the hype — every city has an “oldest bakery.” But Missouri Baking has earned its standing the hard way, and the accolades are real: it was named best bakery in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s 2024 “Headliners,” and it’s a fixture on food critic Ian Froeb’s STL 100 list of the region’s best restaurants. What those honors are really recognizing is consistency — the same recipes, the same hand-work, the same cash-only counter, decade after decade.
That’s the rare thing here. In an era when most bakeries chase trends, Missouri Baking has spent a century doing a handful of Italian classics extraordinarily well and refusing to cut corners on any of them. When people say a place is “worth the line,” this is the kind of spot they mean.
What to Order From the Missouri Baking Co Menu
The case is long and the line moves fast, so it helps to walk in with a plan. Here’s what locals reach for.
The Cannoli
Start here. Missouri Baking’s cannoli are filled to order, so the shell stays crisp against the sweet, faintly citrus-and-chocolate ricotta cream — the way a cannoli is supposed to be, and the opposite of the soggy pre-filled versions sitting in a grocery case. That fill-to-order detail is the tell of a serious bakery: they won’t let a shell go soft just to save thirty seconds at the counter. It’s the single most-recommended thing in the shop, and for good reason — order a few, because one is never enough once the box is open.
Gooey Butter Cake
Gooey butter cake is a St. Louis original — dense, buttery, sugar-dusted, more “why is this so good” than elegant — and Missouri Baking’s is a benchmark version. Legend holds the cake itself was a happy St. Louis baking accident generations ago, and eating a great one is a small rite of passage here. If you’re introducing an out-of-towner to exactly one St. Louis dessert, this is a strong pick — buy an extra piece for the car, because it rarely makes it home intact.
Chocolate Drops & the Cookie Case, By the Pound
The cookie case is where Missouri Baking earns its arguments. Their chocolate drops — a rich, chocolate-coated house specialty — are a top seller and a local favorite, and the amaretto macaroons once took a Riverfront Times “Best Cookie” nod. The move is to build a mixed box, sold by the pound: point at what looks good and let them fill it. Italian classics like biscotti and the fig-filled cuccidati (studded with dates, raisins, and pine nuts) round out a box that’s perfect for a party or a gift.
Cakes, Cannoli-Cream Sweets & Bread
Beyond the cookie case, Missouri Baking turns out Italian bakery staples: cassata cake layered with ricotta and fruit, tiramisu, airy cream puffs, and, of course, a daily run of fresh Italian bread that regulars grab on the way out — it sells out, so don’t leave it for last. If you’re ordering a whole cake for an occasion, it’s worth calling ahead. Prices are old-school fair, and the quality is why people drive across the metro for a white bakery box tied with string. The trick with a first visit is simple: don’t try to get one of everything (you’ll blow the budget and the counter’s patience). Get the cannoli, a slab of gooey butter cake, a small mixed box of cookies, and a loaf of bread — that’s the perfect starter order, and it’ll tell you everything about why this place has lasted.
A word on The Hill’s holiday-baking heritage
Part of what you’re tasting at Missouri Baking is a much older tradition. The Hill’s Italian-American families keep the old feast days, and none is bigger for a baker than St. Joseph’s Day on March 19, when Italian households build St. Joseph’s altars piled with bread and sweets, and bakeries fill their cases with special pastries. Missouri Baking’s fig-filled cuccidati and traditional Italian cookies come straight out of that heritage — the reason a box from here tastes less like a modern bakery and more like a family recipe that never got updated. That continuity is the whole point.
It’s also why the holidays are the bakery’s busiest, most joyful stretch. Around Christmas and the feast days, the line out the door grows and the cases fill with seasonal cookies that regulars have been buying for their families for decades. If you’re shopping around a holiday, go early in the day and expect company — you’ll be standing with a lot of other St. Louisans carrying on the exact same tradition their parents did.
Before You Go: Hours, Cash & the Line
A few things save first-timers some grief. Missouri Baking is cash-first — famously so — so hit an ATM before you go rather than getting to the counter and improvising. It keeps old-school hours, generally Tuesday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and closed Sunday and Monday, but the recent turbulence makes a quick call to (314) 773-6566 worth it before a special trip. And yes, there’s often a line, especially on weekend mornings and around the holidays. Go early, know roughly what you want from the case, and have your cash ready — the regulars keep it moving.
Make a Day of It on The Hill
Missouri Baking sits in the middle of St. Louis’s great Italian neighborhood, so build a little outing around it. Settled by Italian immigrants beginning in the late 1800s, The Hill is one of the most intact ethnic neighborhoods in the country — and a genuine food destination in its own right. It’s the birthplace of toasted ravioli, the beloved St. Louis appetizer said to have been created here around 1947 and still served at neighborhood institutions like Charlie Gitto’s.
Part of the fun is just walking it. You’ll notice the fire hydrants painted red, white, and green in the colors of the Italian flag, and you can walk off a cannoli at Berra Park (named for a local figure, in the neighborhood where baseball great Yogi Berra also grew up). The streets are packed with Italian delis and groceries selling cured meats, fresh cheese, house-made ravioli, and imported pantry goods — so a smart plan is to load up on dinner ingredients and then make Missouri Baking the sweet final stop. Grab your cookies and a loaf of bread, and you’ve got a whole Italian meal, appetizer to dessert, from a few blocks of one neighborhood.
Find great local spots (and a note for the owners)
Century-old, family-run institutions like Missouri Baking are the soul of St. Louis’s food scene — and they’re exactly what a good local directory helps you find. You can search St Louis Near Me Directory to look up hours, details, and other local favorites across the metro before you go.
And if you run a bakery, restaurant, or food shop anywhere in the St. Louis area, getting found by hungry neighbors is the whole game. Listing your business is how people searching for “best bakery near me” end up at your counter instead of driving past.
More St. Louis food & dining guides
- Where to eat on South Grand: the International District
- Cate Zone: real Northeastern Chinese in University City
- Old St. Louis chop suey & the St. Paul sandwich
- Pop’s Kitchen: fried catfish in Maryland Heights
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most popular items at the Missouri Baking Company?
The fill-to-order cannoli is the signature order, alongside gooey butter cake, house chocolate drops, and Italian cookies sold by the pound. This family-owned Hill bakery, open since 1924, was named best bakery in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s 2024 “Headliners” and appears on Ian Froeb’s STL 100 list.
Where is Missouri Baking Co?
Missouri Baking Company sits at 2027 Edwards Street, in the heart of The Hill — St. Louis’s historic Italian neighborhood (ZIP 63110). It’s a plain-corner storefront that hasn’t needed to change in a century. To confirm details before a special trip, call (314) 773-6566.
What are the hours for Missouri Baking Company?
Missouri Baking generally opens Tuesday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and closes Sunday and Monday. Listings can disagree on exact times, and recent ownership turbulence makes confirmation wise, so call (314) 773-6566 before a weekend or holiday visit. Weekend mornings and holidays bring long lines.
Is Missouri Baking Co cash only?
Plan on cash. Missouri Baking is famously cash-first, so the safest move is to stop at an ATM before you arrive rather than counting on a card at the counter. Bringing cash also keeps the often-long line moving, which the regulars genuinely appreciate on a busy weekend morning.
Is the Missouri Baking Company still open?
Yes. Despite a two-year family ownership dispute, a January 2026 court ruling placed the bakery fully under Camille “Mimi” Lordo, a granddaughter of founder Stefano Gambaro — keeping the century-old business open and family-run. It continues to operate at its longtime home on The Hill.
Who owns the Missouri Baking Company?
Camille “Mimi” Lordo, a granddaughter of founder Stefano Gambaro, owns Missouri Baking Company. A St. Louis court awarded her full control in January 2026, ending a two-year dispute among the third generation and keeping the 1924 bakery in the founder’s family for a full century.
Are the cookies really sold by the pound?
Yes. The signature way to buy from Missouri Baking is to build a mixed box from the cookie case, sold by the pound — you point at what looks good and they fill the box. It’s ideal for parties, gifts, or sampling their Italian cookies, from amaretto macaroons to fig-filled cuccidati.
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.