The chicken pide from Balkan Treat Box. (Matt Eisner | Managing Sports Editor)

Sometime in the early months of senior year, the four of us had a simple idea: What if we could eat as much international food as possible in the St. Louis region during our final months at WashU?

Thus, Gateway Global Grub (GGG) was born. With a Chat-GPTed name (and Instagram in tow, @gatewayglobalgrub) and a desire to relive past travel experiences from time traveling and studying abroad in 2025, we came up with a simple plan: once-a-week lunches on Sunday afternoons at different restaurants representing differents part of the world.

As four busy college students with limited eating out budgets, we might have bitten off more than we can chew. Exploring all of St. Louis’ expansive and underrated food scene is an impossible task. However, with 14 restaurants visited so far and several dozen others on our list to try before our upcoming graduations, we’ve tried our best to give justice to St. Louis’ diverse culinary community.

Below are some of our favorite restaurants discovered on recent GGG outings. Each rating is an average of our scores on the food rating app Beli.

Balkan Treat Box: 9.7
It’s impossible to overrate Balkan Treat Box, which has become a classic among WashU students and St. Louisans alike. From the flavorful pide flatbread to the succulent cevapi sausages, its menu features classics from the Balkan region, an homage to the owners’ Bosnian heritage and St. Louis’ prominent Bosnian community.

Fritanga: 9.4
A no-frills restaurant near Soulard, Fritanga serves up traditional Nicaraguan comfort foods and looks like a location that would be found on Anthony Bourdain’s “No Reservations.” While there, we enjoyed dishes including carne asada, gallo pinto (rice and red beans), yuca frita (fried yuca), and maduros (plantains). While it’s far from campus, the prices and vibes make up for it. Fritanga has become a staple among St. Louis’ Nicaraguan and Latin American communities, and it’s easy to see why.

House of Jollof: 9.0
House of Jollof, located in Florissant, specializes in Ghanaian-style jollof rice, waakye rice, and egusi. We loved the restaurant’s tender chicken and lamb, which was well-spiced and flavorful. And while it’s a bit of a splurge (an average entree is north of $20), it’s owned by the parents of a WashU student, so be sure to ask for the student discount when you check out!

A plate of chicken and waakye rice from House of Jollof. (Ian Heft | Senior Sports Editor)

House of India: 8.6
A short drive from campus on Delmar Boulevard, House of India serves some of the best Indian food in the area. We recommend the Sunday lunch buffet, where you can get all-you-can-eat servings of dishes like biryani, channa masala, and korma for just $20.

Afandi Kitchen: 8.4
Another yummy spot that’s worth the 20-minute drive to Chesterfield, Afandi Kitchen specializes in food from the Uyghur-majority parts of western China. Uyghur food shares a lot more in common with Central Asian food than it does with Eastern China. Afandi’s most popular dishes include lamb and beef-based options. We recommend hand-pulled laghman noodles.

Sameem Afghan Restaurant & Catering: 8.3
Sameem offers a well-portioned meal that celebrates Afghan cuisine. The grilled meats on offer are relatively familiar, making Sameem a good place to start if you are hoping to begin a GGG journey yourself. If visiting with a group, we recommend the Mideast feast as a great way to sample their diverse appetizers, including falafels and pakoras. Of note — be prepared for a surprisingly large amount of rice with your meal.

Sushi Ai: 7.9
A WashU student classic. Boasting 10+ locations in the St. Louis area, Sushi Ai (pronounced like “eye,” which is Japanese for “love”) offers good Japanese cuisine. And with a $16 asking price for an all-you-can-eat sushi lunch, it makes sense that it is always packed here. Fun fact: Sushi Ai has a 10% student discount if you provide your student ID when you pay!

Florentin: 7.7
Florentin offers Israeli-inspired cuisine. The restaurant on East Delmar markets itself as a brunch spot, limiting its offerings a bit. If you are seeking shakshuka, then this is the place to be, while the salatim selection of dips was also very solid.

Meskerem Ethiopian Restaurant: 7.4
It is so fortunate that St. Louis gets to experience Ethiopian cuisine! The hallmark spongy flatbread injera is unlike any other food found in the United States, with a slightly sour taste that is balanced by the combination of lentils and meats that it is served alongside. Go for a combo platter to try out a number of new flavors.