Where to Eat in Imperial, MO
Local Restaurants & Places to Eat in Imperial, MO
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Restaurants near me in Imperial, MO? Here’s where to eat in Imperial right now: Trattoria Giuseppe, Frankie Gianino's, and At Sunrise.
Searching Imperial food near me? These are real, locally owned Imperial restaurants worth knowing — updated June 2026.
- Trattoria Giuseppe — Italian · 5442 Old State Rte 21
- Frankie Gianino's — Italian · 1209 Imperial Main St
- At Sunrise — breakfast · 1277 Imperial Main St
- Detour Grill and Bar — pizza · 2855 Seckman Rd
- Marcos Tacos & the Imperial taquerias — Mexican · 1006 Imperial Main St
By Lane Forman, Founder of St Louis Near Me DirectoryLocal restaurant guides, researched and maintained · Updated June 2026
Imperial is a Jefferson County town on I-55 with a genuinely wild claim to fame: the Mastodon State Historic Site here preserves the Kimmswick Bone Bed, where a Clovis-culture spear point was found alongside mastodon bones — the first solid proof that humans and mastodons coexisted in eastern North America. People come for the Ice Age bones and the covered bridge nearby. They stay, if they're smart, for the food.
For a town its size, Imperial eats well — an owner-run Italian destination, a couple of family kitchens that have been at it for years, and a handful of taquerias worth hunting down. Here's where to eat in Imperial.
Most of the independents sit along Imperial Main Street and Old Highway 21 / US-61, just off I-55. A few of the Mexican spots keep food-truck or shorter hours — worth a quick check before you drive. Pair a meal with Mastodon State Historic Site or the Sandy Creek Covered Bridge (one of only four left in Missouri, just southwest) for a real half-day.
Trattoria Giuseppe
Start with the destination. Trattoria Giuseppe is the owner-run Italian spot — Joe and Grace Prezzavento's place, where Joe works the room and the strip steak Paulo (brandy mushroom cream) and seared tuna Siciliano are the orders. Reservations recommended a few days out; this is Imperial's special-occasion table.
📍 5442 Old State Rte 21, Imperial, MO 63052
Frankie Gianino's
Frankie Gianino's has served Jefferson County since 2007 — a family-owned Italian-and-comfort kitchen doing chicken modiga, scratch pasta, toasted ravioli, and Provel bites in big from-scratch portions. The reliable family dinner, with a private room for a crowd.
📍 1209 Imperial Main St, Imperial, MO 63052
At Sunrise
For the morning, At Sunrise is Imperial's breakfast-and-brunch spot — scratch pancakes, loaded omelettes, and brunch with a twist, open daily till early afternoon. A genuinely good independent breakfast in a town that mostly had to drive for one.
📍 1277 Imperial Main St, Imperial, MO 63052
Detour Grill and Bar
Detour bills itself "best burgers in Jefferson County" — burgers, St. Louis-style pizza, prime rib, and all-you-can-eat fried chicken, with a patio, a full bar, and weekend karaoke. The casual everybody's-welcome hang on Seckman Road.
📍 2855 Seckman Rd, Imperial, MO 63052
Marcos Tacos & the Imperial taquerias
For tacos, Imperial quietly has a few independent options: Marcos Tacos (a husband-and-wife taqueria on Imperial Main), Adelita's Mexican Cuisine (a sit-down spot on Main), and Stop N Go Taqueria (a US-61 hidden gem). Hours can vary, so check ahead — but these are the local, made-fresh alternatives to the highway chains.
📍 1006 Imperial Main St, Imperial, MO 63052
Why this little town matters
Imperial is the kind of place the apps reduce to a row of I-55 logos — but it's got an owner-run Italian destination, a since-2007 family kitchen, a real breakfast spot, and a clutch of independent taquerias, all wrapped around an Ice Age fossil site and a covered bridge. That's a genuine town, and it deserves better than a list of exits.
Search St Louis Near Me Directory for Imperial and Jefferson County before you go — and our Kimmswick guide (the historic river town minutes south) and Crystal City guide are an easy add.
And if you run an Imperial spot — a taqueria, a café, a food truck — a listing is how the next family visiting the mastodons finds you.
FAQ
What's the best restaurant in Imperial, MO?
Trattoria Giuseppe — an owner-run Italian spot (the Prezzavento family) that's the town's special-occasion destination; reservations recommended.
Where do locals go for breakfast in Imperial?
At Sunrise on Imperial Main Street — scratch pancakes, loaded omelettes, and brunch, open daily into the early afternoon.
Is there good Mexican food in Imperial?
Several independent options — Marcos Tacos, Adelita's, and Stop N Go Taqueria — all local and made fresh. Check hours before you go, as a couple keep food-truck schedules.
What's there to do in Imperial besides eat?
Mastodon State Historic Site (the Ice Age Kimmswick Bone Bed and a mastodon skeleton replica) is in Imperial, and the historic Sandy Creek Covered Bridge is a short drive southwest.
Plan your Imperial visit
Breakfast at At Sunrise, the bones at Mastodon State Historic Site, and dinner at Trattoria Giuseppe. For more local spots across Jefferson County and the St. Louis metro, explore St Louis Near Me Directory.
Run a business worth discovering? List it here so your neighbors can find you.