Edibles & Essentials

If your looking for upscale food with generous portions for an exceptional price… this is your place! My wife and I love this place. The staff is always very attentive, and the outdoor heated patio is great even in the winter time.

What a great addition to Hampton. The food is fresh, all of the groceries are more unique than most other places in the St. Louis area and the chef obviously knows what he is doing. Can not miss the tacos! And if u r being very healthy the beat salad is to die for!

I live not far from this place and just stopped in for the first time to get dinner to go. The Moroccon chicken dish is superb — loved the spicy sauce they served with it. When I got home with the food I noticed there was no vegetable included so I added some cooked chopped spinach, and then had a perfect meal. I will go back!

Stopped by for lunch to go. What a great little shop and restaurant. Mushroom soup is to die for. Zucchini melt also outstanding. Great addition to St Louis Hills neighborhood. Give them a try!

Yes yes yes! Good food great prices friendly staff! Oh and FRIED FUCKING RIBS!!! Unilocal says my review is short on words well this new spot isn’t short on anything. Buy the food and the ingredients to make it all in one stop. They cure their own bacon, they have a duck Reuben!!! To top it all off the folks were super friendly. I’ll be back!

Went here for the first time and I tried the Duck Reuben small plate and the Bahn Mi Taco large plate. The Duck Pastrami was really good and the Pork Belly on the tacos was extremely good. I especially loved the pickled vegetables on the tacos. I could have spent another $ 100 on products on the shelves. I caved and bought some Alabama white BBQ sauce. Can’t wait to try it.

Went and finally tried it on Small Business Saturday and enjoyed the fried ribs and fries. The bbq rub made the ribs really stand out. And I loved the smoked ketchup with the fries. It’s great to know that it’s within walking distance to my place. Only drawback is of course the parking… getting in is no problem but out can be challenging.

This is our place. The Bahn mi tacos are incredible. The brunch breakfast sandwich and biscuits & gravy are delish. The friendly and welcoming atmosphere is great. So easy to make it a regular stop. Now, if only I can get them to carry tortilla chips!

My first visit with friends for dinner — flavorful food, nice wine selection and great service! Flash fried ribs, meat and cheese plate, sweet potato enchiladas and bahn mi pork were some of the dishes we tried and all were fabulous!
We had a difficult time deciding exactly what to order because everything on the menu looked appealing. Menu consists of small and large plates, meat and cheese boards and on some nights a full course meal! Beautiful presentation of the meat and cheese along with olives and other pickled items.
We topped off our satisfying dinner with a fabulous dessert of a chocolate chip cookie and rosemary crème brûlée! Crème brûlée had a crispy surface and some of the best, creamiest custard I have ever tasted. I wasn’t too crazy about the rosemary flavor with the sweet, but others at the table enjoyed it. The owner said he also makes lavender flavored crème brûlée and will return to try it!
Small downside is not much inside seating area. A few tables in a very small space and you order at the bar vs. table service, but don’t let this deter you! The delicious food and friendly, welcoming service is well worth it! I will return!

Neat little spot! I sat outside on a nice, slightly chilly evening and sat next to an outdoor heater and was very comfortable. I had the French onion soup, which as delicious, and a Caesar salad, tasty as well. Heads up, you can taste the anchovy in the dressing! Slightly more than I would have liked. And it was a bit pricey for a cup of soup and a small salad, but all in all, I definitely recommend and will come back.

Nice, friendly neighborhood business. The atmosphere is a cross between a deli and a specialty grocery store, you could pick up a quick order to go, but it’s also a comfortable place to sit down for lunch. I had the «banh mi tacos,» which I liked, though I’m not quite sure about the name — there really isn’t a lot of Vietnamese flavor to them, the presentation and garnishes are more like what you usually get with fish tacos, except in this case the meat is pork belly instead of fish. But they were very tasty, as were the pickles on the side. The grocery section of the store also looks promising — it’s still a little sparse, but I’m sure it’ll be expanding over time. All in all this is a welcoming new spot that I’m sure I’ll visit again when I’m in that part of town.

A really great neighborhood deli and sandwich shop with gourmet European tendencies. The meatloaf and pork sandwiches were great, as was the cheese charcuterie board. Specials change daily but there’s a core menu of standards. Lots of small gourmet foods and a few kitchen devices. Parking can be a challenge on this busy street but E&E is a welcome addition to the neighborhood!

This place is awesome. Bahn Mi tacos, beet salad, Chinese wings, all outstanding. The manager is friendly, the wine is delicious and I love the little patio. It has heaters so it’s nice to sit outside even if it’s a little on the cool side.
Can’t wait to try the rest of the menu!

Very happy to see Matt open up his first restaurant, as there is so much more to him than just amazing food. He is a devoted volunteer, an amazing dad, and he has an amazing spirit.
I loved everything about Edibles and Essentials! It is a unique gem, with a mix of gourmet delicacies, homemade everything, and specialty items from around the world. I am sad that I live 36 miles away, but when I do travel down to St. Louis I will make it a point to stop by again.
While we were there we had the grilled cheese with tomato chutney, asian chicken wings, and the deep fried ribs. Can’t tell you how good everything was and I was completely stuffed. Next time I want to buy a pound of that cured bacon and try the tacos too. Matt, I wish you all the success in the world.

I had the pork sandwich which was awesome. Friendly staff and cute patio out back. So happy to have another great neighborhood spot!

I had seen the recent opening of Edibles & Essentials announced in a few local publications and, considering it’s right in my neighborhood, I was eager to check it out.
My wife, three-​year-​old daughter, and I visited this past Saturday evening, and we really couldn’t have been more impressed. Amongst the three of us, we sampled a variety of menu options, which included the fried ribs, the meatloaf sandwich, the quinoa cakes, the dates, and even a few post-​dinner chocolate chip cookies. Everything was absolutely top-​notch. As I understand it, the menu will be changing with some regularity, but we would unanimously recommend any/​all of these offerings, if they happen to be available during your visit.
In addition to the food, the service was exceptional. Each staff member on hand — including the owner — made it a point to personally visit with us and not only ensure we were taken care of but also engage in genuine, pleasant conversation. We were made to feel as if they really appreciated our being there, and that in itself goes a long way with me.
I give Edibles & Essentials a big five stars as a restaurant alone. But wait, there’s more, and I wish I had the option to allocate even more stars as a result. Besides being a phenomenal dining experience, the place also serves as a culinary shop, of sorts, offering a beautifully displayed variety of items for purchase (everything from cutting boards to applesauce to bloody-​mary mix). And these aren’t things you’ll find just anywhere — rather, they’re unique offerings that seem to each have a story behind them.
The last highlight I’ll mention is the patio, where we were fortunate enough to enjoy our meal. It’s a beautiful outdoor space that backs up to Bishop DuBourg’s football field. On evenings when a game is being played, I could see this making for a truly unique — and entertaining — dining experience.
I know Edibles & Essentials has only been open for a week, but you wouldn’t guess it. It feels like they already have their legs firmly under them, and I can’t wait to see how they find ways to get even better. As Chip K’s review mentioned, there aren’t a ton of original dining options along this particular stretch of Hampton, so Edibles & Essentials is not only a welcome addition to the neighborhood but is also likely to become one of my new go-​to spots. Do yourself a favor, and check it out!

My forays out of Unilocal Retirement seem to be getting more common as time goes on…
I live in St. Louis Hills, not very far from a stretch of Hampton that has very little in the way of exciting dining beyond Mathew’s Kitchen (unless you’re REALLY into casual pizza places — there’s a ton of that). Therefore, I was pleased to discover that this self-​described market/​café that opened up near me isn’t just good, it’s really good.
At least when we went (on a Thursday evening), they were taking orders at the counter and you waited for your food at a table. While I was waiting, I perused the market section, which currently consists of a couple of refrigerator cases at the counter and some shelves of goods. They had house-​cured bacon, some specialty meats and cheeses, and deli salads (chicken, pasta, etc.); fancy oils, vinegars, and seasonings/​sauces like Japanese mayonnaise (didn’t realize that was a thing); and fancy olives, pickles, and random curiosities like American-​caught tuna and Spanish sardines. I didn’t buy anything, but was tempted to.
We ordered banh mi tacos ($ 10 for two generously stuffed and delicious tacos), chicken wings ($ 12 for four massive «Chinese style» wings, served over slaw), and charcuterie.
I’m a sucker for a good charcuterie plate, but I admit that I usually feel ripped off when ordering one. But their pricing scheme is innovative and I didn’t feel ripped off. You mix and match salami ($ 5), cheeses and nuts ($ 4), olives and pickles ($ 3), and/​or fruits, chutneys and bread ($ 3). So if you want a bigger portion of salami and nothing else, you can just order two salami servings.
I ordered one of each, thinking that when you ordered «the salami» you had to pick the one you wanted. But that’s not how it works. When you order the salami, you get a decent portion of three varieties; the cheese gets you three varieties (including the most ridiculously creamy cheese I’ve ever had) with a mound of nuts; the olives and pickles includes a decent portion, and so does the fruit/​chutney/​bread. Ultimately it was a very generous charcuterie plate for $ 15. And it, too, was tasty.
I’m glad this place opened up near me. The prices seem good for the quantity and quality, the staff was friendly, and you can buy some specialty groceries if you’re in the mood, too.

Perfect neighborhood joint. Amazing food (seriously try the fried ribs and beet salad!), helpful and attentive staff, and cool retail items. New go to place!