cheap eats

The easiest way to spend time (and a little money) in St. Louis is to pay visit to a few restaurants with good food and better prices. I meant it when I said a little money.

One of our favorites is Courtesy Diner, with two locations. Of course, we prefer the original, located on Hampton. Near Steak n’ Shake, we’re surprised that the chain restaurant makes any money at all. Courtesy Diner is small, but it keeps up the '50s feel it had when the actual decade took place. Complete with jukebox, booths, and the red, white, and black color scheme. Like its chain restaurant competitor, Courtesy is open 24/7. Unlike its chain restaurant competitor, Courtesy has quality without the extra expenses. Ben prefers the BLT, and i’m a pretty big fan of their pancakes, hash browns, and bacon (AKA my ideal breakfast). We can both agree on their chicken tenders and fries. And, as a highly picky eater, I give my seal of approval to Courtesy’s chicken products. The same cannot be said of Steak n’ Shake. The major wow factor? Courtesy’s prices. Easily half of Steak n’ Shake’s, I think the most we’ve ever spent there is $13 for the both of us.

Another notable favorite is Carl’s Diner. The one and only is located on Manchester, but closed Sundays and Mondays. Also, they aren’t open past 8. But aside from their time constraints, Carl’s offers IBC root beer fresh out of the barrel, quick service, and burgers that are said to be devil’s food. (Unfortunately, I don’t eat red meat. Trust Ben on this one!) Carl’s is perhaps half the size of Courtesy, but it packs in all the same tradition. It is the perfect place to go on a short lunch break or after school. Anyone in the Brentwood area knows about this small, booming business-- I run into people from my dance school there all the time. And once you make this a traditional stop on your meal route, they don’t forget you.

Courtesy and Carl’s are perhaps the best deals in the 314 when it comes to good old American food. As for other restaurants that we’ve tried and loved, you’ll have to pay the expected price. As ke$ha says, the rush is worth the price I pay.

Stay cool, St. Louis.