Meanwhile, locally and nationally lauded Balkan Treat Box (8103 Big Bend Boulevard, Webster Groves; 314-733-5700) makes the list for its famous cevapi. "Across the Balkans, chefs and home cooks combine minced meat and garlic into thin, finger-shaped kebabs and grill them over an open flame," Food Network shares. "This sausage-like specialty can be found plain without any accoutrements, but more often than not it’s served in pillowy flatbread with flavorful condiments. That’s what you’ll find at St. Louis Bosnian food specialist Balkan Treat Box. The former food truck, now a brick-and-mortar restaurant, serves longer, denser Sarajevo-style cevapi in its homemade wood-fired pita (called somun) with raw onion and kajmak, a creamy white sauce that somewhat resembles clotted cream.

Loryn Nalic, chef and co-owner of Balkan Treat Box, opened her food truck after falling in love with the cuisine of her husband’s native Bosnia. The truck boasts a wood-fired oven that cooks food fresh to order, and a menu full of Bosnian favorites that are approachable even for first-time eaters. The somun bread (essentially Bosnian pita bread) is the tasty base for many of the dishes, including the crowd favorite pide— which is then stuffed with ajvar (red pepper spread), kajmak (cream cheese-esque spread), herbs, cabbage, fefferoni, and meat and/or cheese.

Balkan Treat Box is serving up Turkish and Bosnian flavors in a new, modern way, which includes plenty of vegan options. Though you might not recognize the names of these sandwiches – like pide, lahmacun or patlidzan – you’ll remember them after trying them once. Try the pide, a Turkish wood-fired flatbread baked with cheese, a roasted pepper sauce (ajvar), vegan meat replacement and herbs with a side of cabbage salad, or order a vegan doner with tofu, onion, cheese, cabbage, lettuce, tomato and a special sauce inside a somun (a traditional flatbread).

Located in the charming Webster Groves suburb, this lunch-only restaurant draws lines around its building, and one whiff of Turkish-style flatbread (pide) baking in a wood-fired oven will instantly explain why. Chef Loryn Nalic, who grew up in Sarajevo, created the menu, which is inspired by Balkan street food, namely flatbread topped or filled with a delicious array of ingredients including creamy cheese (Kajmak), grilled beef sausages, wood-roasted eggplant, and grilled fish. Whatever you choose, you can’t go wrong.

I can’t think of anything more a reasonable diner could expect from Balkan Treat Box. Loryn and Edo Nalic’s Webster Groves restaurant features acclaimed food, the visual and olfactory pleasures of the open kitchen’s wood-fired hearth, and the convenience and affordability of a counter-service operation. Heck, the couple can even claim a meet-cute story: They met when Loryn worked for a food-service company and paid a sales call to the restaurant where Edo was employed.

The great melting pot of St. Louis welcomed a large number of Bosnian refugees in the early 1990s as they fled the horrors of the war that ultimately broke up Yugoslavia. In the shadow of the Bevo Mill, an iconic landmark in South St. Louis, they turned boarded-up businesses and vacant homes into a thriving community now known as Little Bosnia. But the city’s best-known Bosnian restaurant got its start as a food truck.

This lunch-only spot in St. Louis’ Webster Groves neighborhood has won many accolades for its accessible, tasty bites that reflect old-world Balkan traditions. The menu is centered around Turkish flatbreads and wraps, from döner kebabs to lahmacun (thin, crispy, pizza-like flatbread). Dishes cater to vegans, vegetarians, and carnivores alike.

With 926 Google reviews and an average score of 4.9 stars, Balkan Treat Box just missed the top 10 on USA Today's list. Balkan Treat Box’s brick-and-mortar restaurant, at 8103 Big Bend Blvd., opened in 2019. The menu, created by James Beard Award Semifinalist Loryn Nalic, features delicious foods inspired by Bosnia and Turkey.

Try McKinley Heights for breakfast at Milque Toast and head to Midtown for Memphis-style barbecue at Pappy’s Smokehouse. Stop by cozy Planter’s House for a cocktail like the A Hit Off the Old Juice Box (reposado Tequila, dragon fruit-kiwi syrup, caramelized fig syrup, lime), or go for seafood and a daiquiri at Yellowbelly.

Pick up some ćevapi from Balkan Treat Box, or head over to The Hill for Italian. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention a St. Louis specialty, toasted ravioli (a misleading name — it’s actually deep fried). You can find it at any number of Italian restaurants including Mama Toscano’s or Charlie Gitto’s.

Balkan Treat Box offers a taste of Balkan cuisine with dishes like 'pide,' a wood-fired flatbread topped with cheese and pepper sauce, and 'cevapi,' grilled beef sausages served with flatbread, onion, and cabbage. Vegetarian and gluten-friendly options are available upon request.

Always in the top 5, this is the hottest place for lunch with the best food and the friendliest staff. Don’t be scared by the long lines; they always move fast and the food is worth it. I always recommend the pide in any flavor.

If you’re looking for a unique place for lunch, Balkan Treat Box is a terrific option for restaurants near St. Louis. A wood-fired oven makes this spot a treat to enjoy a casual meal or business meeting lunch.

8103 Big Bend BlvdWebster Groves, MO 63119(314) 733-5700 Visit Website See Menu Open in Google Maps. The Balkan Treat Box, established in 2016, is an informal eatery serving European-inspired dishes.

8103 Big Bend Blvd, Webster Groves, MO 63119Phone: 314-733-5700 Visit Website. View this post on Instagram. A post shared by Balkan Treat Box (@balkantreatbox)

And the only place I know I can always get my hands on the good stuff is the Sutlija at Balkan Treat Box, a rice pudding with pistachios and rose petals.