Tony's

Our Story

From Tony’s Spaghetti House to St. Louis icon…  When Vince Bommarito took over his father’s restaurant business in 1946, he envisioned that Tony’s would become the finest Italian restaurant in St. Louis and one of the finest in the nation. He was right.

Vince Bommarito, who passed away in 2019, managed every detail of Tony’s every day. Tony’s has been honored with a bevy of awards, including the AAA 5 Diamond Award and the Mobil 5 Star Award, as well as the Levee Stone Award.

The Bommarito dining story began with St. Louis’ first Italian bakery at 7th and Carr, just down the street from the family’s spaghetti factory and a small café on North Broadway.  Vince had just graduated from St. Louis University High School, and, with the help of his siblings, turned the spaghetti house into Tony’s Steak House, serving breakfast and lunch. Photos from that time period show all the waiters walking backwards up the stairs as the restaurant grew into 6 connected buildings. 

In 1971, Vince’s brother Anthony opened Anthony’s Restaurant at 4th and Market Streets. In 1992, the City of St. Louis purchased the Tony’s property to develop the Convention Center and the Dome. Vince then moved Tony’s restaurant into the Equitable Building. The brothers were together again, hosting St. Louisans.

Tony’s signature tableside service is unparalleled. The food is always the best of the best. Prime corn-fed steaks are hand-cut, sauces start simmering at 6 a.m., and fresh fish from the Atlantic is flown in directly just for Tony’s. Long-time guests still request the original savory meatballs for which Tony’s Spaghetti House was known.

An evening at Tony’s has always been unlike any other. With Vince’s son, James, at the helm in the new Clayton location, that tradition is guaranteed to continue.