CITY GUIDES | MIDWEST
The Best Places to Eat Right Now in Springfield, Missouri
By Jamie Dutton | April 7, 2026
The Order
AUTHOR BIO: With family spread across the Midwest and a job that has her in airports near daily, Jamie Dutton finds herself across the Heartland regularly. She’s partial to BPTs a Bell's.
I end up here for work often, which is how I’ve come to spend a fair amount of time eating my way through the best restaurants in Springfield, Missouri. Not the places with the biggest signs or the safest menus, but the ones that feel like somebody in the kitchen or dining room has a point of view.
That matters in a city like Springfield, where a restaurant can still surprise me. There are chef-driven spots here, old reliables that have held their ground, and a few places doing the kind of food that would get a lot more attention if it were being served in a larger city with worse parking. So this is my list of the best Springfield restaurants, the ones I’d send somebody to knowing they’ve never let me down.
Bawi Korean BBQ
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At Bawi, you’ll get your own tabletop grill and a selection of marinated meats to cook at your leisure, plus an array of Korean sides like spicy kimchi and crispy pajeon. It’s as much about the experience as the food, but the flavors more than hold their own.
Best for: DIY tabletop grilling
Black Sheep
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Black sheep has a couple locations around Springfield now, and I keep waiting for the day when I hear they’re popping up elsewhere, because it’s that good. The Cowboy Carl comes with slow-cooked smoked brisket, spicy fried onions, a house-made pickle, and chipotle BBQ—messy in all the right ways. Their boozy shakes are just as over-the-top, but somehow it works. It’s loud, it’s fun, and it doesn’t care if you leave with barbecue sauce on your shirt.
Best for: Burgers and boozy shakes
Buttermilk
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Buttermilk is Kyle Davis taking one dessert people already loved and building a broader little empire from it. He opened the Rountree walk-up in 2025, serving housemade ice cream in flavors like vanilla, chocolate, buttermilk, and espresso, then throwing in specials like olive oil and an Uncrustable riff made with slow-roasted grapes and tahini paste, while the old Milk & Honey dessert keeps showing up around town with its milk jam, honey semifreddo, and crunchy streusel.
Best for: Dessert that’s better than it needs to be
Cafe Cusco
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I thought I knew what Peruvian food was until I stepped into Cafe Cusco on Commercial Street. It’s bright, colorful, and smells like garlic and lime. Their lomo saltado—a beef stir-fry with rice and fries—feels like comfort food but with a sharp, citrusy kick. The servers make you feel like you’ve walked into a friend’s house for dinner, and the vibe is casual without cutting corners.
Best for: A colorful dinner on Commercial Street
Greek Belly
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If you’ve ever had a bad gyro, Greek Belly is your antidote. Their lamb is perfectly seasoned, the pita is soft and warm, and the tzatziki is garlicky enough to make you reach for gum after. It’s small, unassuming, and the kind of place you find yourself thinking about long after you’ve left.
Best for: Gyros done right
Haruno
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When I need sushi in Springfield, it’s Haruno every time. Their Madam Butterfly roll—bulgogi bbq beef, pickled radish, tamago, carrot and cucumber—is a little indulgent but never too heavy. The modern decor and dim lighting make it feel just upscale enough for a Friday night out without feeling like you’re trying too hard.
Best for: A casual sushi night
La Roux Bistro
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La Roux Bistro opened on Commercial Street with a Louisiana-French idea that could’ve gone sideways fast, but the menu has enough detail to make the case, with head chef Steven Snyder and sous chef Peter Tinson working from both Paris and New Orleans. The smart order starts with blue crab beignets or boudin balls, then moves to dishes like shrimp and grits with cheddar polenta and green pepper roux, seafood étouffée, or beef medallions au poivre, all inside an 1885 building with a hidden Civil War-era vault discovered during the remodel. It also has the sort of downtown atmosphere Springfield doesn’t get every week: a little dramatic, a little theatrical, and very aware that dinner should feel like something.
Best for: A date night with a little swagger
Leong’s Asian Diner
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You can’t talk about Springfield food without mentioning Leong's, where Springfield-style cashew chicken was invented. It’s fried, sauced, and salty in all the best ways, served in a retro diner that feels like a time warp to the 1960s. Don’t mess around—order the original cashew chicken, and thank me later.
Best for: The original Springfield cashew chicken
Ocean Zen
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Ocean Zen is where you go when you want a little drama with your dinner. Their oven-roasted Chilean sea bass is delightfully herby. The dining room is sleek, with floor-to-ceiling windows and just enough elegance to make you sit up a little straighter.
Best for: A dress-up dinner without the fuss
The Order Food & Drink
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This downtown spot inside the stylish Hotel Vandivort could easily coast on its good looks. But then you take a bite of their play on cashew chicken: fried chicken bites, lemongrass-ginger caramel, fish sauce and spiced cashews. It’s a dish that’ll steal the show from whatever else is on the table—or maybe ate this year. The Order is upscale without being snooty, perfect for a date night or when you just feel like spoiling yourself.
Best for: A stylish downtown date night
Show Me Chuy
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Jesus “Chuy” García built Show Me Chuy out of two parts of his own story: he’s from Jalisco, Mexico, and he previously ran the kitchen at Avanzare Italian Dining, so the menu lands where those two lives meet. That means dishes like the Mexican lasagna, stacked with corn tortillas, shredded chicken, tomato salsa, cheese, and poblano sauce, alongside lobster ravioli in a garlic butter lemon sauce with sautéed shrimp, plus a pork chop with mango pico that’s become one of the signature plays.
Best for: A dinner when plain old Italian or Mexican won’t cut it
Team Taco
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In the Rountree neighborhood, Team Taco keeps it simple and delicious. Pictured here is the Pump Up the Lamb taco: braised leg of lamb with mint chimichurri sauce, feta and pico. This is a spot that’s reliably quick, casual, and always tastes like summer.
Best for: Creative tacos in a casual setting
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