June 26, 2025

Top 3 restaurants in Missouri for business dining

Ramp processes billions of dollars in business expenses across thousands of companies every month. Our unique position in the payments ecosystem provides visibility into actual spending patterns, including restaurant and dining expenditures across diverse industries and business sizes.

Understanding Missouri's restaurant landscape requires examining where businesses actually spend their dining dollars. By analyzing corporate expense data and spending patterns, we can identify the establishments that consistently deliver professional environments, quality service, and the amenities that make business meetings successful. This data-driven approach cuts through marketing claims to reveal where Missouri's professionals actually conduct their business over meals.

Understanding Missouri restaurant industry

Missouri's restaurant sector represents a $15.4 billion market with 6,177 establishments operating statewide as of 2025. The industry employs 285,200 workers, comprising 10% of the state's workforce. This ecosystem benefits from Missouri's 33 million annual visitors who contribute $7.9 billion to the economy. Regional barbecue traditions dominate the culinary landscape, with Kansas City's sweet tomato-based sauces competing against St. Louis's vinegar-based preparations, while German and Italian influences appear in signature dishes like toasted ravioli and gooey butter cake.

Top 3 restaurants for business meals and client dining

Based on corporate expense data from thousands of Missouri businesses, these three establishments consistently rank highest for business dining. The rankings reflect actual spending patterns from companies using these venues for client meetings, team dinners, and professional entertaining—not individual dining preferences or consumer reviews.

Level 2 Steakhouse

Level 2 Steakhouse has served as Branson's premier business dining destination since 2007, operating from the second floor of the Hilton Convention Center Hotel. The restaurant combines sophisticated ambiance with consistent execution, featuring white tablecloth service, floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking downtown, and a carefully curated wine program that appeals to corporate diners seeking to impress clients or celebrate deals.

Notable facts: The steakhouse gained national attention after surviving a 2012 tornado that destroyed the hotel, emerging from a $20 million reconstruction with enhanced facilities. Their signature "Cut Club" loyalty program rewards frequent business diners with personalized engraved steak knives displayed in-house—over 3,000 members including celebrities have earned this distinction. The kitchen's proprietary 1600-degree infrared oven technology sears steaks in seconds while maintaining interior tenderness, applied to 28-day aged corn-fed Midwest beef.

Signature dishes:

  • Infrared-grilled filet mignon (6oz/$52, 9oz/$64)
  • 20oz Angus bone-in ribeye ($72)
  • L2 signature meatloaf (ribeye/filet mignon/pork/truffle - $38)
  • Pan-roasted king salmon ($58)
  • Missouri butter cake (bourbon caramel, raspberries, ice cream)

Best for: Executive-level client dinners, closing celebrations, and formal business entertaining where privacy and prestige matter. The second-floor location provides separation from hotel traffic, while the AAA Four Diamond rating since 2012 ensures consistent service standards that reduce risk when hosting important guests. Private dining options accommodate groups, and the extensive wine list supports both conservative and adventurous selections.

Puttery

Puttery at Chateau on the Lake Resort opened in 2023, revolutionizing Missouri's business entertainment options by combining avant-garde mini-golf with sophisticated dining in a 12,000-square-foot complex. This unique venue offers professionals an alternative to traditional business dinners, creating memorable experiences that facilitate relationship building through interactive entertainment paired with executive chef-driven cuisine.

Notable facts: Designed by award-winning Rockwell Group, the space features interactive projection mapping on dining tables and a central champagne bar with liquid nitrogen ice cream preparation. Executive Chef Marcus Ware's menu emphasizes Missouri-sourced ingredients, while the beverage program showcases local distilleries. The venue's "Chef's Table" experience inside a replica 19th-century whiskey barrel offers seven-course tasting menus with rare Missouri vintages. Food & Wine Magazine recognized Puttery among 2024's "Most Innovative Dining Concepts."

Signature dishes:

  • Cast iron bison meatloaf (Missouri bison, hickory glaze - $28)
  • Ozark forest mushroom flatbread (morels, chèvre, truffle oil - $18)
  • Show-Me State bouillabaisse (Table Rock Lake fish, saffron broth - $34)
  • Blackberry bourbon glazed quail (goat cheese polenta - $31)
  • Lavender honey crème brûlée (Missouri honeycomb garnish - $12)

Best for: Team building events, creative agency pitches, and informal business meetings where breaking traditional boundaries helps forge connections. The combination of competitive mini-golf and craft cocktails creates natural conversation starters, while multiple themed lounges accommodate groups from 10 to 300. Weekly jazz performances add sophistication, making this ideal for entertaining out-of-town clients seeking authentic Missouri experiences beyond conventional steakhouses.

McAlister's Deli

McAlister's Deli operates 34 Missouri locations, with the Kansas City Plaza flagship serving as a reliable business lunch destination since 2005. This 5,000-square-foot venue balances quick service with quality, offering a 200-seat patio with fire pits and the efficiency corporate diners need when time matters more than formality.

Notable facts: The Plaza location pioneered the "Deli-to-Go" kiosk system enabling app-based ordering with curbside locker pickup—critical for busy professionals. Their "Sweet Tea Diplomacy" campaign reflects serious beverage commitment, serving over 1 million gallons annually in Missouri. The "Farm to Fork" program sources 78% of produce within 200 miles, appealing to sustainability-conscious corporate clients. Food Network featured the restaurant on "Sandwich Kings" in 2021, while Kansas City Business Journal awarded "Best Family Dining" seven consecutive years.

Signature dishes:

  • McAlister's Club (turkey/ham/bacon/cheddar/Swiss - 820 cal)
  • Kansas City BBQ spud (burnt ends, smoked gouda - 710 cal)
  • Missouri River catfish sandwich (cornmeal crust, remoulade - $11)
  • Ozark apple salad (candied walnuts, goat cheese - 590 cal)
  • Sweet tea (fresh-brewed, gallon size - $7)

Best for: Working lunches, casual team meetings, and last-minute client meals where consistency matters more than ambiance. The Plaza location's patio provides options for weather-permitting outdoor meetings, while Thursday live music creates a relaxed atmosphere for after-work gatherings. Fast service and diverse menu options accommodate dietary restrictions easily, making group ordering straightforward when hosting varied stakeholders.

Tips for business dining in Missouri's restaurant scene

Missouri's business dining culture reflects Midwest sensibilities—relationships matter more than flash. Book Level 2 Steakhouse at least three days ahead for prime 7-8pm slots, especially during Branson's peak season (May through October). For Kansas City meetings, avoid Plaza district restaurants during First Fridays when art crowds create two-hour waits.

Leverage regional pride when hosting out-of-state clients. Order Missouri wines (Norton grape varieties excel), highlight local barbecue traditions, and consider venues showcasing Ozark ingredients. Business breakfast remains underutilized—Missouri professionals often prefer 7:30am meetings over coffee and pastries rather than dinner commitments.

Weather impacts dining logistics significantly. Summer humidity makes patio dining uncomfortable after 11am, while winter ice storms can strand guests at restaurants. Always provide parking validation or rideshare codes, as Missouri's car-dependent culture means most business guests drive themselves. For international visitors, explain that Missouri's 15-20% tipping standard applies even for business meals covered by corporate cards.

Try Ramp for free
Share with
Victoria NaefMarket Data Strategist
Victoria uses market data and performance insights to help businesses scale efficiently and drive growth.
Ramp is dedicated to helping businesses of all sizes make informed decisions. We adhere to strict editorial guidelines to ensure that our content meets and maintains our high standards.

When our teams need something, they usually need it right away. The more time we can save doing all those tedious tasks, the more time we can dedicate to supporting our student-athletes.

Sarah Harris

Secretary, The University of Tennessee Athletics Foundation, Inc.

How Tennessee built a championship-caliber back office with Ramp

Ramp had everything we were looking for, and even things we weren't looking for. The policy aspects, that's something I never even dreamed of that a purchasing card program could handle.

Doug Volesky

Director of Finance, City of Mount Vernon

City of Mount Vernon addresses budget constraints by blocking non-compliant spend, earning cash back with Ramp

Switching from Brex to Ramp wasn’t just a platform swap—it was a strategic upgrade that aligned with our mission to be agile, efficient, and financially savvy.

Lily Liu

CEO, Piñata

How Piñata halved its finance team’s workload after moving from Brex to Ramp

With Ramp, everything lives in one place. You can click into a vendor and see every transaction, invoice, and contract. That didn’t exist in Zip. It’s made approvals much faster because decision-makers aren’t chasing down information—they have it all at their fingertips.

Ryan Williams

Manager, Contract and Vendor Management, Advisor360°

How Advisor360° cut their intake-to-pay cycle by 50%

The ability to create flexible parameters, such as allowing bookings up to 25% above market rate, has been really good for us. Plus, having all the information within the same platform is really valuable.

Caroline Hill

Assistant Controller, Sana Benefits

How Sana Benefits improved control over T&E spend with Ramp Travel

More vendors are allowing for discounts now, because they’re seeing the quick payment. That started with Ramp—getting everyone paid on time. We’ll get a 1-2% discount for paying early. That doesn’t sound like a lot, but when you’re dealing with hundreds of millions of dollars, it does add up.

James Hardy

CFO, SAM Construction Group

How SAM Construction Group LLC gained visibility and supported scale with Ramp Procurement

We’ve simplified our workflows while improving accuracy, and we are faster in closing with the help of automation. We could not have achieved this without the solutions Ramp brought to the table.

Kaustubh Khandelwal

VP of Finance, Poshmark

How Poshmark exceeded its free cash flow goals with Ramp

I was shocked at how easy it was to set up Ramp and get our end users to adopt it. Our prior procurement platform took six months to implement, and it was a lot of labor. Ramp was so easy it was almost scary.

Michael Natsch

Procurement Manager, AIRCO

“Here to stay:” How AIRCO consolidated procurement, AP, and spend to gain control with Ramp