Features
Best of 417 2025 Editor's Picks
Check out what the 417 Magazine Editorial team picked for their 2025 Best of 417 list.
by Katie Pollock Estes
Feb 2025
Photo by Brandon AlmsThe Up Down, Plum Silly and Smokey the Pear Mocktails by So Curious from The Royal.
Purchase Photo
Best Caffeine Culture Mash-Up
El Cafecito | 2462 S. Campbell Ave., Springfield, MO
This is a little restaurant that packs some big flavor. The menu features authentic food and great coffee that bring an all-things-Mexican vibe. Our recommendation for a morning meal: a plate of chilaquiles, a hot cup of cafe de olla and a Mexican pastry.
Best Grab-and-Go Lunch
MaMa Jean’s Natural Market | Multiple Locations
It’s not just MaMa Jeans’s Natural Market’s proximity to our offices that we love. The salad bar is top-notch, with unique ingredients. (Roasted sweet potatoes? Yes!) The Drunken Bean Dip (made with Mother’s Lil’ Helper IPA) plus a bag of chips always hits the spot too.
Best Taste of the Islands
Palm & Paddle Grille | 2515 S. Campbell Ave. Suite 400, Springfield, MO
The coconut shrimp and the jerk chicken both make us swoon at this Caribbean-inspired eatery, and the coconut martini pairs perfectly with both. Plus you can get an order of salted caramel plantains for dessert... I mean!
Best Creative Foodie Moments
Good Spirits & Co. Headquarters | 1424 E. Cherry St. Suite A, Springfield, MO
You won’t find an imperfect cocktail here, but that’s not the only draw. There are luxe pop-ups, multi-course Sunday Supper Club events and lots of seasonal events that always surprise and delight. Good Spirits & Co. owners are also the minds behind other local hotspots, like The Golden Girl Rum Club and Cherry Picker Package & Fare, so their reputation precedes them.
Best Way to Win Friends and Influence People
St. George’s Donuts | Multiple Locations
Need to earn some goodwill points at the office? Bring in a dozen donuts. Need a quick breakfast treat for your out-of-town guests? Pick up a dozen donuts. The possible scenarios in which you might gain social capital by being the bearer of a box of donuts are endless, and all of them lead you straight to ol’ reliable: St. George’s. You can’t go wrong with a combo of classic flavors, but we suggest adding in a few special donuts when you really want to impress—like our all-time favorite cinnamon twist or the delightful maple long john.
Best Mocktails
The Royal | 1427 E. Cherry St Ste. B, Springfield, MO
Cocktails at The Royal, sipped in an intimate setting with a live band nearby, are always a winner. The mocktails, which are created by So Curious Co. and don’t skip on sophistication, are just as good. They incorporate Seedlip non-alcoholic spirits and flavorful additions like the plum and peppercorn shrub, Earl Grey tea and orange bitters in the Plum Silly mocktail.
Best Vegetarian Breakfast
Gailey’s Breakfast Cafe | 220 E. Walnut St., Springfield, MO
The best breakfasts tend to go one of two ways: a plate of eggs plus an array of salty meats, or a plate of some sweet dessert disguised as a morning meal. We adore both of those things. But vegetarians who don’t have a sweet tooth are often out of luck. Not so at Gailey’s Breakfast Cafe, though. There you can get locally made (and very tasty) Jake’s Vegan sausage inside your breakfast burrito.
Best Lake Day Pick-Me-Up
The Funky Twig | 9828, 13272 MO-13, Kimberling City, MO
After a long day on the water, soaking up the sun and swimming your heart out on Table Rock Lake, you need a treat. We love The Funky Twig in Kimberling City for these moments. Get a scoop of maple-bourbon-bacon ice cream on a bubble waffle.
Best Menu Change-Up
Skully’s | 1427 E. Cherry St., Springfield, MO
Skully’s surprised us all when it added a sizeable banh mi sandwich section to the menu—and we are here for it! These Vietnamese-inspired sammies are absolute flavor bombs, and we love that there are multiple vegetarian options.
Four Best Glow Ups
Avanzare Italian Dining | 3240 S. Fremont Ave., Springfield, MO
Corner 21 | 1369 E. Sunshine St., Springfield, MO
Omo Japanese Soul Food | 2219 W. Chesterfield St., Springfield, MO
Sleepy Opossum Cafe | 1423 E. Cherry St. Suite 101, Springfield, MO
It’s been quite a year for local restaurants getting major upgrades. Avanzare Italian Dining moved out of its longtime (super-tiny) strip center storefront into a massive freestanding building. Corner 21 added a second location, this one much bigger and decorated with a fun and modern vibe. Omo Japanese Soul Food moved out of its spot in Chesterfield to another location in the same neighborhood, decorated with a cherry blossom theme. And finally, the Sleepy Opossum Cafe team outgrew sharing a space with The Royal and moved into an open storefront just down the block, to a space all their own. We’ve been thrilled to see these local favorites (some newer, some around for ages) evolve and grow—and keep serving up the good stuff!
Best Lagniappe
Retro Metro | 2150 W. Republic Rd., Springfield, MO
In my home state of Louisiana, we have a word for those unexpected, but often welcome bonuses in life: Lagniappe. Those warm cookies you get at a certain hotel’s check-in? That’s lagniappe. A complimentary amuse-bouche at your favorite restaurant? Lagniappe. Free samples at Costco? Also, lagniappe. A recent visit to Retro Metro surprised my husband and me with a trio of lagniappe that had me asking how soon is too soon to go back? Our drinks were accompanied by a complimentary mini charcuterie with the perfect combination of salty cheeses, savory meats and briny olives. My soup course arrived in time with impossibly fluffy, lightly salted rolls, perfect for soaking up the final bits of creamy broth. Our final and favorite lagniappe was the plate of oven-fresh chocolate chip cookies served with the bill that made paying for dinner perfectly sweet. Cheers to more meals with lagniappe!—Katy St. Clair
Best Eats for When You Can’t Agree
14 Mill Market | 203 E. Mt. Vernon St., Nixa, MO
“What do you want for dinner?” “Whatever you want.” “Pizza?” “But we got that last week.” Gah, stop! You’ve been there. We’ve been there. This conversation is the worst. 14 Mill Market is a good solution here because the food hall is home to about 10 unique locally owned restaurants, each serving something different. There is Korean food, poke bowls, burgers, pizza and several more options, so everybody in your crew can find something they like.
Best Beans
The Coffee Ethic | 124 Park Central Square, Springfield, MO
The folks at The Coffee Ethic are serious about their coffee beans, and it shows. Their perfectly roasted blends are practically life-giving—whether you’re there for a simple cup of coffee or one of the always-inventive seasonal drinks.
Best Breakfast with a View
Steamy Joe Cafe | 3590 State Hwy 265, Branson, MO
This absolutely bustling diner at the Bradford Inn overlooks a sweeping view of the Branson hills—so we recommend sitting by the back windows or out on the deck. And while you’re there, you have to try the Bradford French Toast, stuffed with cream cheese and topped with a homemade mixed berry compote and whipped cream.
Best Cookies. Full Stop.
Pappo’s Pizzeria | Multiple Locations
When a dessert item has special instructions to order it before your meal, you know it’s about to be freshly baked—and you better order it. Take, for example, the Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies at Pappo’s. The browned butter and sea salt flakes elevate these classic treats, which are literally stuffed with a Ghiradelli chocolate center and baked in the restaurant’s pizza oven. They come to the table ooey-gooey and piping hot.
Best Cosmopolitan Experience
Ariake Sushi & Robata | 1110 E. Battlefield Rd., Springfield, MO
It would be impossible to mention all the things that make a trip to Ariake feel like you’ve been transported to a big city. A few of our favorites: the vibe is tres chic, food is presented like a work of art, and you can get a true omakase meal that will knock your socks off.
Best Bounce Back
J.O.B. Public House | 319 E. Walnut St., Springfield, MO
When J.O.B. Public House closed its doors after the death of its beloved owner, Danny Schlink, so many mourned the loss of a uniquely Springfield place and person. We love the bounce-back J.O.B. had this past winter with its J. Ho Ho B. Christmas pop-up events, which felt like an explosion of holiday spirit and fun. The event drew crowds throughout the month of December, and we were so glad to see it!
Best Classic Diner Food
Cafe B29 | 751 W. State Hwy J, Ozark, MO
This little restaurant located just off Highway 65 in Ozark might look unassuming, but their diner fare is no joke. All of it is filling, indulgent and delish. The nostalgic eats like a Sloppy Joe or a grilled bologna sandwich are fun to order for a change of pace, and the burgers are reliably a sure bet. Try the brat burger, which is exactly what it sounds like: a bratwurst, sans casing and grilled up as a patty.
Four Best Rebrands and Expansions
The European | 105 Park Central Square, Springfield, MO
Mile 6 Taproom | 115 E. Jackson St., Willard, MO
One2Five Taproom | 1846 MO-125, Rogersville, MO
Schultz Pizza & Pub | 2210 W. Chesterfield St #8683, Springfield, MO
For years, the owners of Rise and European Cafe operated the two restaurants in side-by-side storefronts in downtown Springfield. Late last year, they streamlined things. They closed European Cafe, moved all of its bakery items and coffee drinks into the Rise space next door, shortened the Rise menu, and renamed the whole thing The European. We love this for them and for us: They have one location to manage instead of two, and we can still get pretty little passionfruit cheesecakes anytime we want. As for Mile 6 Taproom (Willard) and One2Five Taproom (Rogersville), those are both new Springfield Brewing Company and Ty Iechyd Da Distillery outposts. The OG Springfield brewery has expanded into nearby cities with casual gathering places that combine both outdoor and indoor spaces. In fact, Mile 6 Taproom is located right by the Frisco Highline Trail for easy access to even more outdoor fun. And in the world of pizza, Schultz Pizza & Pub is the newly rebranded version of Schultz & Dooley’s, which changed its name, changed its branding look and revamped its menu. It’s been fun to see these brands we love find new ways to share their tasty fare with 417-land. High fives all around!
