Restaurants in Kingman, Arizona, and St. Louis made the list of Yelp’s Top 100 Places to Eat in the U.S. for 2024. Both restaurants also are close to Route 66.
The crowdsourced review site favored by many foodies and hipsters noted that Asian noodle shops, vegan Mexican joints, Latin food, Korean fusion cuisine and Sun Belt restaurants did particularly well in the ratings this year.
Menya Rui in St. Louis earned the No. 2 ranking in the entire U.S. by Yelpers. Here’s what the site said about the restaurant:
Chef-owner Steven Pursley trained for 3 years in Japanese ramen shops to create St. Louis’s own “noodle haven.” The small, 24-seat restaurant — named Menya (noodle shop) Rui (Steven’s given name) — serves more than 200 daily bowls of “rich and decadent” broth loaded with “cooked-to-perfection” noodles. Its popular pork shoyu ramen features an alchemy of chintan broth (clear chicken soup), tare (a soup flavoring made with 3 kinds of soy sauce), and rendered pork fat. “It’s like they gathered flavor from every corner of the universe and poured it into that bowl,” writes Yelper Sean P. The staff works 8-hour shifts with a Japanese-imported machine to meet the demand for these “chewy” creations. “We’re just constantly cranking out noodles,” Steven says.
A native of St. Louis, Steven fell in love with ramen during frequent childhood visits to Japan. In 2014, he returned to that country to apprentice at noodle shops, later running ramen pop-ups out of his US apartment while saving up for his own restaurant. Since opening Menya Rui in April 2022, Steven has been named Food & Wine’s “Best New Chef” and almost always has a line out the door. Menya Rui is first-come, first-served, dine-in only, and customers are encouraged to slurp quickly. (The average Japanese person eats ramen in 5-10 minutes, according to the restaurant’s website.) “Don’t expect to stay for a long meal, but you can expect a delicious bowl of ramen in a unique, high-energy, cozy space,” advises Yelp Elite Mary Z. Steven’s tip? Keep your party small for faster seating.
Most popular/most photographed dishes: Pork shoyu and chicken shoyu (both with pork shoulder and ramen toppings chasyu and menma); Karaage (Japanese fried chicken) that’s “I-can’t-stop-thinking-about-it good”; and spicy, sesame-laden Brothless Tantanmen — thick noodles topped with ground pork and tossed in chili oil, sesame paste, and house shoyu. Or try Steven’s favorite, Tsukemen (dipping-style ramen served with vinegary scallop broth).
Menya Rui is located at 3453 Hampton Ave. in St. Louis, less than a half-mile north of Missouri 366 (aka Route 66) in the southwest part of the city.
Sirens Cafe & Custom Catering in downtown Kingman made it to No. 85 on the list. Here’s what Yelp wrote about the restaurant:
Fresh-baked bread; homemade beer cheese; and ricotta, artichoke, and olive spreads are the pride of this busy sandwich spot. Reviewers praise favorites like the Curry Tito (curry chicken salad with green apple, craisins, and cashews); Euro-style paninis, such as the Moretti (roast beef, caramelized onion, and beer cheese); and unique, daily homemade soups, like Zucchini Lime and Polpettini (meatballs, spinach, and mini pasta in chicken broth).
Sirens is at 419 E. Beale St., just two blocks from Route 66.
According to Yelp, its data science team analyzed user submissions to determine the top restaurants by ratings, number of reviews and volume of submissions. It then finalized the rankings with the expertise of its community managers.
(An image of an offering from the Menya Rui restaurant in St. Louis via Facebook)