Amy’s Corner Bakeshop
4476 Chouteau Ave.
Price: $
Amy’s Corner Bakeshop is a really cute and cozy bakery/café located across the street from Aventura Apartments, a 10-minute walk south of campus across the Taylor Avenue bridge. Their core business is in cakes and baked goods, but they serve breakfast and lunch, and are a full-service coffee shop as well. They have a good variety of menu options available: biscuits and gravy, omelets, sandwiches, soups, scones, muffins, brownies, cupcakes, and pies. It’s a husband-and-wife operation, Matt and Amy, and they’re both really friendly. Their cinnamon rolls are scrumptious and pair great with any of their coffee drinks for breakfast. For lunch, their roast beef is amazing. A meal for one is about $10 once you add on a drink and cookie.
— Shari B., M1
The Cup
28 Maryland Plaza
Price: $
I suspect the cupcake’s popularity in the American consciousness spiked in part due to TLC’s “D.C. Cupcakes,” a TV series from a couple of years ago, which featured a cupcakery called Georgetown Cakes. But enough about that; we’re here to talk about The Cup, which has been around since 2007 and is currently located in the Central West End. You want delicious cupcakes? The Cup has got delectable, reasonably-priced cupcakes of all sorts and a handy online calendar so you know what’s in the lineup each day as well as what’s rotating in next month. The staff is friendly, the store is easily within walking distance of the medical campus, and it’s open until at least 8:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday if you get a hankering for a bite-sized dessert. As of this writing, my personal favorites are their red velvet and lemon drop cupcakes, but it’s hard to go wrong with anything on the menu.
— Jeffery M., M1
John Donut
1618 S. Broadway
Price: $
John Donut (no, not “John’s Donuts”) is a magical place of legend and lore passed down from generation to generation of Washington University undergraduates. I once braved the long and lonesome road to South Broadway, and though the specific donuts I purchased and consumed were lost to the evening’s fever dream, I can say that nothing was the same afterward. Here’s the deal: John Donut opens at 11 p.m. (yes, p.m., as in nighttime) every night EXCEPT Saturday night, it’s cash only, and the donuts are outstanding. The donuts are freshly made each evening, but only one or two are set out right when they open each night;
I recommend waiting until 11:30 or midnight before you go so that you have more options. The donuts are undeniably tasty, but it’s the whole John Donut Experience, including the banter with the sassy cashier, that makes it unique and memorable. Highly recommended.
— Jeffery M., M1
Kayak’s Café
270 N. Skinker Blvd.
Price: $
When I can’t bear to sit at my carrel anymore, when I’m sick of staying on the medical campus, and the silence in the library is maddening, I escape to Kayak’s. Our free Metro pass comes in handy, as Kayak’s is right next to the Skinker Metro stop (two stops away from campus). It’s not too noisy, and the Wi-Fi works great, so you can really get to work. The tables are of a good size, allowing you to nibble on one of many pastries as you work. Kayak’s overlooks the undergraduate campus and is great when you just need a change in routine and scenery to get you motivated. The only downside is that paying for cup after cup of coffee can add up, because you just might get addicted to this café.
— Stephanie T., M1
Piccione Pastry
6197 Delmar Blvd.
Price: $-$$
I, unfortunately, am not a connoisseur of Italian pastries, but Piccione Pastry (an old-world Italian bakery adapted for a St. Louis crowd) has made me keen on becoming one. Located on the Loop, they serve all sorts of pastries and other treats, from cannolis and pasticotti to frittatas and Italian sodas, including some unique variants (ever had a pistachio or chocolate cannoli?). Piccione tends to be a little expensive ($2 – $3 for a medium-large cannoli), but the quality is well worth the price (St. Louis Magazine voted it “Best Pastries” in St. Louis). If you want a treat in a true European-style café, come here.
— Drew S., M1
Ted Drewes
6726 Chippewa St.
Price: $
Some cities are known for their ice cream, or maybe gelato or froyo. For St. Louis, it’s frozen custard. And the place to get frozen custard is the one and only Ted Drewes. Don’t be fooled by those little tubs of vanilla/chocolate/strawberry Ted Drewes that they pass out at events. You must go to the actual location on Chippewa Street, a 15-minute drive away from the med school that’s totally worth it. During the summer or early fall, you’ll find masses of St. Louisans milling around outside the stand-alone building of Ted Drewes, where you wait in one of 10 different lines, order at a window, and receive your sundae (toppings on top) or concrete (toppings mixed in) to eat at outdoor tables. Sometimes the staff will even flip your custard upside down before handing it to you. Don’t freak out, they’re just showing you that frozen custard is so awesome that it won’t fall out of your cup! It’s also important to note that frozen custard doesn’t have different flavors, but rather different combinations of toppings on a vanilla base. Last tip: Ted Drewes is closed in January, so get there before you have to count down the days to when it reopens!
— Debra Y., M1