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Southwest Diner

4.5 (1.2k reviews)
Closed • 8:00 am - 2:00 pm
Updated 3 months ago

Waitlist - Southwest Diner

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Southwest Diner Photos

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SOUTHWEST DINER ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Good for kids
Outdoor seating

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Recommended Reviews - Southwest Diner

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Omelette with potatoes
Gabrielle J.

Unpretentious, cozy and always a great time. The staff here are always great, even during a rush. I love coming here for a good Sunday brunch; and always leave pleased. They are accommodating to my gluten allergy and I've never left disappointed. The potatoes are always super tasty and filling; and even their iced coffee is great with a pinch of sugar and... hear me out... a squeeze of lemon! I'm telling you, if you're an iced coffee fan, you gotta try it once. Always worth a visit!

Queso
Whitney S.

Holy Breakfast Burrito! Southwest diner is an institution in STL and for good reason. The food is delicious, the service is great, and the vibe is laidback! Be sure to get the breakfast burrito. It's SO good!

Syrup served in old Coca Cola bottles
Teresa D.

Such a fun place! Diner meets eclectic. The food is very diner-esk and it is very good. I had the Eggs, bacon, and biscuit (biscuit is house made and very savory). My friend had the eggs bacon and pandcakes....loved the pancakes..they are a cornmeal pancake - we loved it As you can see from the pictures there is a diner counter, but the decor is eclectic Our server was attentive and helpful. PS - they have sopapillas, I did not try them, but I will be back to try them.

Tacos
Maddie W.

On a Saturday afternoon, I came by for a late lunch. I added my name to the waitlist in advance and I'm glad I did - it seems like the Saturday lunch rush lasts a while! Everyone in my party enjoyed their meals (I had the tacos). I do think they may have been understaffed in the front and back of the house on our visit as service was particularly slow, but all is forgiven when the food is so good! :)

Sopapilla
Mindy P.

If your friends suggest it, just say yes. If you need a great diner/greasy spoon, make the plan. I was not expecting to like this place as much as I did. We were not able to make a reservation, which is fine, our wait was short. The space is small which is sad for the rest of STL, because they can only help so many people in one day. Service was very attentive, food was a great combo of breakfast with southwest flavors. Hopefully will be able to come back for lunch very soon!

Rocket to Bacon Land
Byron C.

I've been meaning to eat southwestern-themed breakfast food since I saw the legendary "chorizo and eggs" scene from the movie Midnight Run. The opportunity finally presented itself when a member of my old man's bicycle group suggested this place for a Friday afternoon lunch. I was more than happy to step away from my responsibilities for an hour or two, and the only thing that would have made it better is if I'd been able to disappoint a group of people standing in line, like at the DMV. I'd been as far south on McCausland as a shopping center near the intersection with Manchester, for a drug test for a job, which I'll have you know I passed with flying colors. Consulting Google Maps on the way to the restaurant, I was surprised to see that it's on (er, kinda on) Southwest Avenue. Does it serve diner fare with a southwestern flair due to its address, or is that a mere matter of coincidence? According to a guy I know, who knows several people who work there (don't be jealous), it's the latter. Certainly, you wouldn't put a restaurant here for the ambience. This looks like the kind of place where you'd ditch a stolen car after using the backseat for a fried chicken dinner that somehow involved ketchup (why?) and an assignation with a lady of the evening. If you live nearby, I guess it's not off the beaten path, but who lives here? The menu is a veritable plethora of riches. You could have breakfast food, or you could have lunch food, even if you couldn't bring yourself to roll out of bed until after 10:30 AM. It's downright anxiety inducing! I toyed with the idea of a torta or a burger, and I also saw that they had milkshakes. I ended up going with breakfast food, because I love breakfast food and I don't get it as often. Specifically, I went with something called the Rocket to Bacon Land. It's a bacon and goat cheese omelet with arugula and caramelized onions, served with home fries and your choice of bread. I could have gone with various kinds of toast or a sopapilla. I went with a biscuit. It was amazing! It looked like something your mom would make with Bisquick when she's feeling especially lazy, but it tasted great. It may have been better than the biscuits at Popeyes--which is pretty much the highest compliment you can pay a food item. The omelet was also pretty good. I appreciated the generous helping of eggs, which must have run them, thanks to a certain individual who shall not be named. It was definitely an egg-forward preparation. The arugula didn't seem to add much, as I suspected, and I don't know that the bacon or onions were present in sufficient quantities as to be truly dominant. The goat cheese was definitely a choice. It was warm and soft (ahem), but not melty the way you'd expect cheese in an omelet to be. I liked it, but I don't know if I liked it as much as a regular ol' Denver omelet. I'm a close-minded individual. I buy vanilla ice cream for the taste. Would I feel the same way, to varying degrees, about everything else on the menu? There's only one way to find out.

Lindsey P.

The decoration of the restaurant is very cute. We went while they were busy, so things seemed a little tight in the space, but it was perfectly fine. We ended up sitting at the counter on stools and I thought it was really fun and cute with the older red style cushions. I got the Grits on Fire, and it's really funny to describe this, but when I took my first bite, I was a little disappointed. It had a nice flavor and a bright spiciness to it but was lacking a depth of flavor. It was so close to being amazing! My husband suggested adding salt, and it changed the dish completely. It became something incredible, but I did have to tweak the dish. My husband got a burrito, although I forget which one. It was good, but didn't reach "great." This place was really nice, but not quite what I'm looking for personally. It's way better than an average restaurant, though. I would suggest people try it.

Breakfast burrito (Christmas style - red and green sauce), torta with chorizo, and grits on fire
Sarah M.

Finally made it to Southwest Diner on a chilly day recently! Due to the weather, it was not busy at all on a late morning Saturday but they were still open! Our server was really nice and attentive. We got the grits, a burrito, and torta. All were super good - big fan of the fries that came with the torta! The homemade chorizo was amazing. This is definitely worth the hype!!

Art on patio
Shauncei G.

Came here as it was recommended by a couple of friends. To me the food was pretty mediocre, I had the breakfast burrito with green chili. I was expecting more of a chili rather than actual green chilis ontop. It was fine but lacked flavor in general. And the portion was pretty small, tho it was inexpensive for the portion size. I LOVED the artwork on the patio, and I loved that they offered patio seating. It didn't take too long to get sat even tho they were busy. But our service was pretty slow, I also had the coffee which I didn't care for but I did drink the cup, our waiter never got us a refill on our coffee at all either. The pancakes were truly the best part of the entire experience, very unique and not too sweet which I love! I also had a bite of my husbands heuvos rancheros, the portion was also very small, and it was just okay not great but not bad either.

Build Your Own Burrito
Alli N.

A must-try Southwest-meets-St. Louis gem! Every bite here is bursting with that bold Southwest flair -- perfectly spiced, comforting, and absolutely delicious. The food looks as good as it tastes -- from crispy tater-tot bites topped with queso fresco and green onions, to the hearty plates piled high with eggs, gravy, and golden potatoes, to that incredible smothered breakfast burrito that's pure flavor heaven. The service is just as awesome -- friendly, attentive, and quick even when the place is buzzing. And the vibe? Totally unmatched. It's bright, eclectic, and full of energy, with the coolest outdoor setup featuring a converted school bus bar for drinks. It's the perfect place to kick back with brunch, a cocktail, or both. Whether you're a local or just passing through, Southwest Diner is one of those places that leaves you full, happy, and already planning your next visit.

J David H.

A highlight of my recent trip to Saint Louis was a brunch outing at the Southwest Diner with my son. Located in the Ellendale community outside of Maplewood. Ellendale began to thrive with the addition of electric street cars in 1896. The Southwest diner is in an early 1900's brick building. It was several businesses in its past, but most well known as a grocery. Parking is off street and free. Southwest offers a covered outside patio for additional space with frequent waits especially on weekends. The dining room vibe is spectacular and will deceive customers into believing it has operated for many decades. In reality, Southwest has only existed since 2012 and was formerly a breakfast taco stand at Tower Grove Farmers Market. A sharp eye of their retro tables and chairs may reveal the former identity as 1950's Jack in the box. A cool looking bar compliments their space. They also have interior group dining that seats eight. Table service was top notch, the coffee delicious and a classic diner menu with a flare of New Mexican cuisine superb. The owner Johnathan was on hand too. We both wanted eggs which is a specialty, so for me the "Rocket to Bacon Land" omelette with three eggs goat cheese, arugula, caramelized onions and bacon. Side of potatoes. My son opted more basic with a three egg omelette, sausage and fried potatoes. Our waitress Kate suggested a side order of French Toast to split instead of toast which proved an excellent choice. She also included a biscuit to try that was yum. Put Southwest Diner on your list for a visit in Saint Louis. For families the prices are affordable as well. Jump on their waitlist for a smoother experience on weekends when they get clobbered. Can't wait to return.

Coffee!!
Madhura J.

Went back today after a bit . The pozole was warm and comforting and the sopapilla was just the right amount of sweet. My husband loved his hueveos rancheros and our friends loved their black bean burger and veggie tortas as well . Our server was great , friendly professional and gave us the space we needed . The ambience is so relaxed and welcoming. My only regret is that I didn't take more pics .

Carne adovado
Sara M.

We ate at this place last Thursday for the first time in a while. I had the rocket to Baconland, my partner had the carne adovado and grits on fire. The service was fantastic and we like the vibe of the place a lot. He liked his dishes. As for the rocket to Baconland omelette, it felt more like a salad wrapped in an egg crêpe, which was not for me. There was also not much bacon for a dish with the name implied. I did not leave hungry though, and I would definitely give them another try.

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14 days ago

Southwest Diner never disappoints! The food is terrific and the service is always friendly and efficient.

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6 months ago

Delish! We got the sopapillas. Yum. Good coffee. Kind waitress. Great patio. We love this place!

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Southwest Diner Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Southwest Diner

Is the patio dog friendly?

Yes! 🙂

What types of menu items are gluten-free and does Southwest Diner accommodate those with Celiac disease?

This place is pretty carb forward but maybe an omelette and sub the toast for a salad?

Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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Southwest Diner - diners - Updated October 2026

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