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    The Spice Trap

    5.0 (1 review)

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    4 years ago

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    Broadway Oyster Bar

    Broadway Oyster Bar

    4.4(2.8k reviews)
    3.0 mi•Downtown St. Louis, Downtown
    •$$

    Great place with live music and amazing food! I had the steak and it was A-mazing!!! And don't…read moresleep on the bread pudding! 10 out of 10.

    We love BOB and hadn't been for a while - so we went! I did make a reservation, but it wasn't super…read morecrowded when we got there. We were able to get a table on the patio where there's live music. Unfortunately, there wasn't anyone playing while we were there. There had been music earlier and there would be some later, but not in the time we were there. Maybe next time! Our server was Anya and she was great! We placed drink orders and then had the tough choice of deciding what we were going to eat. We decided to start with the Alligator Sausage & Shrimp Cheesecake. Sounds weird, but it's delicious! It is in no way a traditional cheesecake. I've added a photo of it, but it was after I had already cut it up. It comes out looking like a piece of pie. I looked at the menu and went to my fave - Shrimp Voodoo Tacos. They were so good! It came with a "side" of Jambalaya. The side was a full dinner portion! In fact, I was so full, I brought the whole serving home and my husband had it for dinner and it filled him up. He got the Fried Oysters. It's a great place for people watching. The last time we were there, a woman walked in with a birdcage and bird. You don't see that every day in a restaurant! The place is just good food, good drinks, and good vibes. We'll definitely be back!

    Photos
    Broadway Oyster Bar - Big screen for the soccer game!

    Big screen for the soccer game!

    Broadway Oyster Bar - Crab cakes

    Crab cakes

    Broadway Oyster Bar - Extra cool bar.

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    Extra cool bar.

    Peacemaker Lobster and Crab - Our delicious spread!

    Peacemaker Lobster and Crab

    4.2(1.2k reviews)
    4.5 mi•Benton Park
    •$$

    Peacemaker Lobster and Crab was absolutely amazing. We ordered a ridiculous amount of food because…read morethere were so many things on the menu we wanted to try, and somehow, nearly everything we ordered was a hit. We started with Stella on tap, which just felt appropriate while visiting St. Louis, especially after touring the nearby Anheuser-Busch brewery. It was easily one of the freshest Stellas we've ever had. For food, we tried the lobster mac and cheese, lobster bisque with pieces of lobster, a pound of steamed crab legs, fried green tomatoes, and the warm lobster roll. The lobster roll was phenomenal. We shared it, but I honestly could have eaten the entire sandwich myself. The real standout, though, was just how perfectly the seafood was cooked. Both the lobster and crab were juicy, sweet, and tender with just the right amount of chew. Nothing was rubbery or overcooked, but it wasn't soft or mushy either. I genuinely don't think they could have cooked the seafood any better. The fried green tomatoes were also cooked perfectly and something I was excited to try since you don't see them on every menu. Unfortunately, they were a little too spicy for my personal taste, so we didn't finish them, but that's definitely more about my spice tolerance than the quality of the dish. The atmosphere was another plus. It's a really cute setup with great ambiance, and our server was wonderful. We also walked right in without a reservation and had no wait at all, which has honestly been one of our favorite things about eating our way through St. Louis. Coming from California, we're used to having to plan ahead for popular restaurants, sometimes weeks in advance. Here, we've been able to discover some fantastic places without having to plan our entire trip around restaurant reservations. I will say, this was probably the most expensive meal of our trip. The one pound of steamed crab legs was $65 market price, and the lobster roll was $37 market price, so Peacemaker definitely isn't the cheapest place we've eaten. That said, considering the quality of the seafood and how much we enjoyed everything, it was absolutely worth the splurge. From the crab legs to the lobster roll to the bisque and mac and cheese, everything we tried was delicious. Combine that with the atmosphere, great service, and being able to walk right in, and this was easily one of our favorite meals in St. Louis. I'm actually hoping I can convince some of my coworkers from my training class to go back with me before I leave Missouri. I think that probably says everything you need to know about how much I enjoyed it.

    Peacemaker has been on my to-try list for YEARS, and we finally got around to trying it out on…read moreFriday night (funnily enough, right after visiting the aquarium)! The outside is very unassuming, as are most restaurants along Sidney St. in my opinion, but upon walking to the table for our reservation the first thing that caught my eye was the wooden plank ceiling which really fit the expected vibe of a seafood restaurant with more of an upscale feel. After being seated, our server brought us some water in these cool colored mason jars which added to the character of the entire restaurant. Our server was very attentive and made sure we had everything we needed as she checked in quite a few times throughout our dining experience and answered our questions in full. We started off with some cocktails: the Port Royal as well as the seasonal slushie, the Yodermelon. Both of them were quite delicious, with the Yodermelon tasting exactly like a refreshing watermelon slushie; you could barely tell there was any alcohol in it! The Port Royal was very good as well and fit the seaside vibe with the rum & pineapple mixture. For the food, we got the seasonal salad which was a Tomato Salad with tomatoes (obviously) beneath a bed of arugula, peaches, pickled red onion, feta, croutons, dill, & a pistachio pesto. Although I really enjoyed all of the different flavors, I do wish the salad was mixed a little bit more as most of the pesto dressing was at the bottom which made it difficult to coat the rest of the salad as we ate. I ordered the Snow Crab Legs as my entree which came complete with a bucket & bib. The clarified butter & roasted lemon to drizzle really complimented the crab. There's something really satisfying about having to work for your food after you're already paying for it since, at the end of it all, you feel accomplished! Despite my love of crab legs, I can't help but feel like I should've ordered something else, though. They were delicious of course, but a side wasn't included despite the somewhat steep market price which meant I was left with a pile of crab legs and nothing else to snack on (besides my girlfriend's lobster roll & chips, thankfully). I was still left feeling hungry after making my way through the crab, so even a recommendation of ordering a side may have swayed me into having a more satiating meal. In short, it felt like I ordered one of the things on the menu that didn't have much character at a restaurant filled to the brim with it. I guess I was just hoping for a differentiator in the preparation or presentation that made this meal feel more unique, which I didn't really get. In summation, I was very pleased with Peacemaker Lobster & Crab and will definitely be finding my way back in the future, likely for a coveted Lobster Roll, but I will be passing on the crab legs next time.

    Photos
    Peacemaker Lobster and Crab
    Peacemaker Lobster and Crab - Delicious Hush Puppies

    Delicious Hush Puppies

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    Shrimp Boil

    Mariscos El Gato - Shrimp ceviche

    Mariscos El Gato

    4.3(6 reviews)
    6.7 mi•Dutchtown

    First and foremost/ this is NOT Mariscos El Gato. The food is not the same. There is nary a…read morebusiness name to be seen anywhere not even on the menu. It maybe called Mexa-Hondo?????? It was definitely a Mexican Honduras mash-up. So now on to the review Atmosphere: legit Central American restaurant. Good green salsa, terrible ceviche, as our friend put it, it was viscous which is never good for a fish dish much less a fresh uncooked one. The fajitas were good and large, the chicherones were not something we will ever get my husband (who likes to try new foods) again. My margarita was mid at best. Was it terrible? No. Was it good enough to make it a point to go back? Also no. And if someone could please point me to the real Mariscos El Gato I'd love to know. I miss it and we had been hoping to wow our friends with an amazing meal. :-(

    If I'm taking the time to do this there definitely was a problem. I usually just don't go back and…read morewarn friends family coworkers etc. I went years ago when they were in the Bevo Mill on Gravois and had a great experience the first time which was also Easter in 2022. We had a huge carry out order that same for Mother or Father's Day and were treated awful but I attributed it to the busy holiday crowd. However afterwards I continually saw negative reviews from African American customers. However, today my daughter and I went and the food was amazing as always and OUR server was great...let me just say that first!!!! However, the atmosphere and the demeanor and attitude of not just the Hispanic clientele but other older female servers was so blatantly rude it was SAD! POC have soooooo many other worries daily that the fact that I couldn't eat my food and enjoy my time with my adult child is crazy, especially and you're on the corner of Chippewa and Gravios...a literal melting pot. That's crazy work

    Photos
    Mariscos El Gato - Fish ceviche and salsa

    Fish ceviche and salsa

    Mariscos El Gato - Front dining area

    Front dining area

    Mariscos El Gato - Crab leg platter

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    Crab leg platter

    Mariscos Seafood El Najar

    Mariscos Seafood El Najar

    3.9(14 reviews)
    4.4 mi

    If Taylor Swift would ever do a pescatarian era, this restaurant would be it. Mariscos El Najar in…read moreCollinsville. This spot doesn't mess around, it's seafood or nothing, and my ocean loving heart was thrilled. I ordered the seafood tower, which had every species in the sea, clams, octopus, scallops, shrimp, you name it. It even came with a side of entertainment when the whole thing collapsed in. Sad but inevitable. If you love seafood, this is a must. Wonderful smiling service and a great vibe! #stlouispescatarianapproved

    this is one of the best meals I've had in years, definitely in 2026. It's rare that I want to…read morefinish all my food in one sitting because it's so good. I don't know where to begin. I was at the Cahokia mounds and I used Yelp to find a nearby place to eat because I wanted to try something local and off the beaten path. This place is only a mile and a half from the mounds a straight shot down the road, and it looks like an old seafood shack you'd see in a tourist village on the coast. I'm from Florida and I felt right at home like the whole tin roof thing. You go in and you immediately see all the family members hanging out complete with a kid coloring and there's a cash register in the front and then you go to the back and there's a cute little bar and you get a laminated menu that's mostly in Spanish but they have everything broken down in English for us gringos. They have seafood cocktails which is basically cold seafood cooked in lime juice kind of like ceviche and then they have fried platters as well. They also have paella. It was almost impossible to decide. I ended up getting the stuffed pineapple, stuffed with octopus imitation crab meat shrimp and prawns and topped with avocado and of course mixed with a wonderful lime and cilantro and tomato base. The presentation was gorgeous. Included as the photo and the condiments served at the beginning of the meal were also excellent. She gave me a small cup of Caldo... I don't know the proper name for this type of soup but it's a tomato based soup with prawns in it and it was so good I ate it right up and she offered me another cup and ice said yes and this one had what looked like a little piece of yucca in it and I was just absolutely delighted to have something so authentic and perfect here in Collinsville Illinois of all places. And the prices! The stuffed piña was 32 or $36 and piled high with seafood. In a major American city or where I'm from in Florida a plate like this would set you back over $100 easy. The service was impeccable, the waitress was incredibly sweet and attentive. The bill with two coronas came to $53. And they also have these big family packs of seafood also that can feed up to 8 to 12 people. It would be a great place to have a party or event. I definitely want to go back because there are lots of things on the menu I want to try. Great place to take a date as well. You could split one of those $30 plates and still get full. More money for booze! I wonder if they have clamatos there . . . Seems like the kind of place that would make you want if you asked. This place is a gem. Highly recommend if you are a seafood lover.

    Photos
    Mariscos Seafood El Najar - Full bar

    Full bar

    Mariscos Seafood El Najar - Caldo complementary with your meal and a basket of garnishes and sides

    Caldo complementary with your meal and a basket of garnishes and sides

    Mariscos Seafood El Najar - Seafood cocktail  stuffed pineapple

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    Seafood cocktail stuffed pineapple

    The Spice Trap - seafood - Updated October 2026

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