We may be a little biased, but we think the Grove is the best neighborhood in St. Louis. It’s May’s Place’s home, it’s sacred, and it’s our community. Because of this, we know the best places around for whatever you’re up to. We’ve created a whole Guide to Grove shopping, eats, beer, dancing, and more. If you’re in St. Louis for the weekend, just moved here, or if you’re a local, check out all our favorite places our corner of the world has to offer.

Eats

Sultan

Located at 4200 Manchester Ave, Sultan is the Mediterranean spot to go on the Grove. During our lunch breaks, our favorite dish is the hummus plate that comes with their delicious homemade hummus, the best falafel in town (trust us, it is), and huge, pillowy soft Naan bread.

Pie Guy

Pie Guy is right across the street from us, so obviously we love them. They offer all kinds of toppings for a whole pie, or they serve by the slice, which comes in handy after a night of dancing at Rehab. They offer not only vegan za’, but their garlic knots can also be made vegan. Mmm.

Everest Cafe

Everest has been serving Nepalise, Indian and Korean food at 4145 Manchester Ave since 2004. In the “before time” the lunch buffet was our favorite way to experience Everest, and we look forward to its return. The owners are husband and wife, and they have given everything to bring enriching, healthy food to St. Louis. One of the owners has his graduate degree in health and food sciences and aims to prevent chronic illness through the menu at Everest. How cool is that?

Gramophone

If you are in need of a fat, greasy (cheap) sandwich Gramophone at 4243 Manchester Ave is the place to go. Their sandwich menu is out of this world and huge, in addition to their large selection of local beers on tap. We will also mention that not all their sammies are fat and greasy, and they also have a light veggie option. Any of their sandwiches can be made half or whole, too. They are open late to the bar-goers on the Grove, and open for lunch time for the day walkers. Check out their big patio when you dine in!

Layla’s

Layla at 4317 Manchester Ave has a little bit of everything - American gourmet burger vibes, with an eclectic twist on the shawarma sandwiches, all kinds of vegetarian and vegan options. Enjoy local beer at happy hour, and their homemade falafel and hummus. We love their vegan Unicorn burger which is made with impossible patties and lots of veggies. Also, they’re open for brunch!

Tempus

Tempus at 4370 Manchester Ave offers modern American cuisine with a Mediterranean flair. They are a little on the pricier side, but if you’re looking for a fancy dinner with your babe it’s perfect. New to St. Louis's fine dining scene, Tempus is owned and operated by renowned chef Ben Grupe, a member of the USA food olympics team. We recommend their focaccia starters with sorghum butter and sea salt.

Taco Circus

Taco Circus is a May’s Place staple, and they’ve recently posted up inside Grove favorite Tropical Liquors (AKA Trops) at 4104 Manchester Ave. Now you can get your fix of funky Mexican cuisine alongside your boozy slushie on Trops’ amazing patio, and not forgetting their killer drag brunch.

Shopping

Crimson Serpent

Crimson Serpents Leather Goods offers handmade leather items (obviously), premium excellent quality denim, clothing and accessories. Get graphic tees and leather belts that will last a lifetime. They are located at 4254 Manchester Ave, but you won’t be able to miss them because of their very cool and very large vintage “MELROYS” sign.

City Boutique

City Boutique is a little shop on the corner at 4300 Manchester Ave. You may recognize their store from the mannequins in the window dressed in wild colors and funky patterns, and it doesn’t disappoint from what they offer inside their doors. From clubwear to casual attire, City Boutique is worth checking out if you’re in the Grove.

Coffee

A little peak of Rise’s amazing patio plants (and lattes)

Rise Coffee

Rise is one of our favorite coffee shops in St. Louis, hands down. We love everything about their menu, their staff is so kind, and they have a killer brunch menu with mimosas and bloody marys included, of course. The best part about this joint is the patio - It’s gorgeous and did we mention huge? They are located right next door to us at 4176 Manchester Ave, so come shop after you grab a bite!

Songbird Cafe

Songbird was dreamed up by the creators of Kitchen Kulture and has an extensive coffee and bakery menu, and it also doubles as a venue during non-covid times. Their menu is all locally sourced. They opened recently in Winter of 2020, so they are relatively new to the neighborhood at 4476 Chouteau Ave. Give them a “welcome to the neighborhood” when you stop by.

Vincent Van Doughnut

Vincent Van Doughnut at 1072 Tower Grove Ave is a yummy staple for the guilty pleasure donut craving we all get sometimes. They stand out from other donut joints because they offer gluten-free and vegan dones, as well as specials every Friday like New York Cheesecake flavors among other things. They also have some savory brekkie sandwiches, and of course coffee. But get them soon, they sell out fast, every day!

Dancing/Nightlife

The infamous bike sculpture outside of Handlebar

Rehab Bar and Grill

Rehab is our number one go-to for drag shows on the Grove at 4052 Chouteau Ave. They have free drag shows every Saturday from 8-10 p.m. and an extensive cocktail menu, including Fireball (literally) on tap. St. Louis is lucky to have an amazingly talented drag team, and Rehab houses the queens every weekend in the best way.

Handlebar

If you’re looking for a bar that’s not too crowded, has good music, and also dancing, Handlebar at 4127 Manchester is your best bet. They have special deals for cyclists (hence the handlebar name), a food menu, and local DJ sets and drag shows every week. Their patio dance sessions are the best around in these pandemic times.

Just Johns

Just Johns at 4112 Manchester Ave is a nightclub, plain and simple. If you’re looking for dancing and a pleasant space full of other LGBTQIA+ folks, Just Johns is the place to be. During non-covid times, their stages were filled with stripper poles and half-naked bar-goers ready to have fun. It’s just as good now, with a patio for partying.

Beer

Urban Chestnut

Urban Chestnut is one of the biggest brewery concepts in St. Louis, their Grove location at 4465 Manchester Ave the most iconic out of their St. Louis locations. It’s not just a brewery, they have an entire indoor German-inspired beer hall, and a decent-sized patio with gorgeous string lights that set the mood. Not forgetting their to-die-for beer cheese pretzels and other small plates to go with your brew.

Gezellig

Gezellig (which means ‘cozy’ in dutch) is the direct neighbor to Pie Guy offering a wall-to-wall beer can fridge, local brews on tap, and a wide choice of bottles. They have a bar and tables if you want to hang out, or you can get build-your-own six packs of cans that is a popular option for the folks wanting to stock their fridge with good quality beer.

Rockwell Brewing Co.

Just off the Grove, Rockwell Brewing Co. at 1320 S. Vandeventer Ave is the hippest brewery in town, with a specific vibe of large shipping containers for their building and a large patio. Rockwell beer is unique in its rotating taps, and what makes them unique is that they also offer a full cocktail, wine, and non-alcoholic menu for those non-beer drinkers. Their food is next level, offering burgers and small bites by Brasswell, a Niche food group project.

Health

City Greens

The Grove has its own little produce market, City Greens at 4260 Manchester Ave. They offer fresh, quality, affordable produce in the Forest Park Southeast area. Their goal is to promote healthy living in our community, and healthy eating. They believe healthy food and produce should not be considered a luxury. You can also volunteer for this non-profit anytime! They have a flier at the shop with their giveback initiative to help low income folks get fresh food.

Confluence Kombucha

Confluence at 4507 Manchester Ave is the go-to kombucha spot in our little side of town. They offer a wide variety of rotating kombucha brews, as well as an all-around plant-based menu. Get kombucha by the growler, or order a flight when you’re dining in.

Urban Breath

Located at 4237 Manchester Ave, Urban Breath yoga is there for you to take a deep breath and let go of all the stress of the past year. They are known for having an excellent pre-natal yoga class selection, and they offer lots of discounts and reasonable offers on yoga classes for first time folks, and for yoga veterans.

Yes Honey Studio

Yes Honey is owned by one of our really good friends and good customers at May's, Jenny Hill. The concept is dance and fitness mixed in one, like a re-imagination of Zumba. Located at 1519 Tower Grove Ave, Yes Honey brings Strength, Fitness, Twerking, Musical Theater dance and a variety of different teachers to try out. We highly reccomend.

Mary Jane

SWADE Dispensary

We want to give a shoutout to our newest neighbors, SWADE Dispensary 4108 Manchester. As Missouri recently passed a law that legalizes medicinal marijuana, if you have your med card, you can shop SWADE’s goodies, and trust us, they have a lot. If you don’t have your med card, you can also make an appointment with a doctor through 420id (through SWADE) and get set up for that. When you support SWADE, you also support The Last Prisoner Project, a non-profit that helps those incarcerated for marijuana-related crimes.

Overall

The Grove is our home, and we love each and every business that occupies this space. While you're planning your visit to May's, make sure to plan some time to explore the neighborhood, as we're sure you'll find much to love, and keep an eye out for more local guides from us!