Welcome to Picky Cafe
Our
Menu
We’re a tiny café, but we have big standards.
Our menu is intentionally small and thoughtfully curated, built around the best ingredients we can find from local farmers, growers, and producers. Because we follow the seasons, what’s on the menu can change from day to day—and that’s part of the fun.
Each morning, we bake and prepare fresh food with the goal of meeting the standards of even our pickiest customers. Stop in for breakfast, lunch, a snack, coffee, wine, or whatever sounds just right today.
Picky’s Market
Forgot the sugar? Need something delicious for dinner? Heading to a picnic and looking for the perfect snack? Searching for a thoughtful gift that doesn’t feel like an afterthought?
Picky’s Market has you covered.
We’ve filled our shelves with the things we think are worth bringing home—from pantry staples and specialty foods to locally crafted goods, seasonal produce, and those hard-to-find little treasures that make a meal, a gathering, or a gift just a bit better.
We’re picky about what we put on our shelves so you don’t have to be.
About Picky
You hear it all the time: “Don’t be so picky.” “Be happy with what you get.”
We have a different idea: Why?
Why shouldn’t you ask for what you like? You know what works for you. You know what tastes good to you. Being particular isn’t being difficult—it’s knowing what you want.
At Picky, we think that’s something to celebrate.
Picky is a café, market, and urban garden in the heart of historic Lafayette Square. We’re here for the people who care about a great cup of coffee, a homemade meal made with excellent ingredients, or just the right little something to take home.
Our café serves fresh, seasonal food made with locally sourced ingredients whenever possible. Our market is filled with carefully chosen pantry staples, specialty foods, locally made goods, artisan crafts, and home-grown produce. Our garden brings a little more green—and a lot more life—to the neighborhood.
Everything we do reflects our commitment to community, sustainability, and the local farmers, growers, makers, and artists who make St. Louis special.
So go ahead. Be picky. We are.
Our Location
Picky has a history of its own.
Our building began as a blacksmith shop, with oversized front and rear doors built to accommodate horses and carriages coming in for service. The garden behind the building once served as grazing space. Over the years, the space has also been home to an emporium, an antique store, and an artist’s studio.
Today, it’s home to Picky.
We’re proud to be part of Lafayette Square, one of St. Louis’ most distinctive and historic neighborhoods—and the city’s first nationally designated historic district. In the mid-1800s, elegant Victorian and Italianate homes began rising around Lafayette Park, offering residents a beautiful respite from the growing city around them.
More than 150 years later, Lafayette Square still offers that same sense of escape. At Picky, we’re building on that tradition with a place to slow down, enjoy something good, discover something unexpected, and spend a little time in the neighborhood.
Picky is a collaboration between sisters Erin Budde and Bethany Budde Cohen, founder of SqWires, the beloved neighborhood restaurant across the street. Together, they’re building on SqWires’ 25 years of shared spirit and hospitality in Lafayette Square.
The work began in April 2026, after founder Erin Budde decided it was finally time to turn a long-held dream into reality. After retiring from nonprofit work, Erin brought together family, friends, and an exceptional group of contractors to transform the space.
The garden, once overgrown with years of vines, weeds, and leaves, was reclaimed and opened to sunlight. A new fence went up. Inside, the building received plenty of attention and care, creating the warm, welcoming space Picky is today.
We’re grateful to everyone who helped bring Picky to life—and we’re happy to share the names of the talented people who helped make it happen.
Address
1415 South 18th Street
St Louis, MO 63104
Our Team
We’re picky about our location. We’re picky about what we serve. And we’re just as picky about the people who make Picky what it is.
Our small team brings together different skills, experiences, and perspectives, but we share one goal: making sure every customer finds exactly what they’re looking for—and perhaps discovers something they didn’t know they wanted.
Erin
After nearly 30 years working with nonprofits, Erin decided to embrace her “picky” and pursue a long-held dream of opening a business focused on her favorite things: family, baking, gardening, yummy food and Lafayette Square. With help from her husband, Rich, a very large family, and many talented vendors and contractors, Picky owes its success to a thoughtful collaboration with SqWires Restaurant & Annex, the 25-year-old neighborhood favorite that was founded by Erin’s sister, Bethany Budde Cohen. While Picky started with Erin’s “picky”, she’s looking forward to welcoming you, hearing what you like and any suggestions you have. It’s good to be picky!
Justin
Justin is here to guide your coffee experience at Picky. He brings with him a variety of specialty coffee knowledge, having worked in roles as a barista, roaster, and quality evaluator. He loves learning about the evolving world of coffee and is passionate about offering the most welcoming and memorable service to the community. Between his years teaching English in Thailand and his ever-changing reading list, there’s plenty to bend his ear about as he makes you a pour over or cortado and feel free to let him know just how you like your drink or if you want to try something new.
Joe
Joe has spent the last few years exploring the country, discovering its diverse foods and communities while capturing those experiences through film and digital photography. With a background in food and beverage, he’s returned to St. Louis to share his passion for travel, locally sourced quality foods, and the arts. Whether you’re looking for a great local product we don’t currently stock, want to talk food or art, or simply want to connect with the community, Joe is always happy to start a conversation.
Chuck
Chuck returned to St. Louis after years away to help launch Picky, bringing years of experience creating memorable events and productions for nonprofits. At Picky, he’s your go-to guy for making the details work—and making sure you have a great experience. Planning a catered event and not sure where to start? Looking for the right spot to host a brainstorming lunch? Need a comfortable place to focus on your next writing project? Chuck can help you figure it out.
A Little More Picky
Picky isn’t about being difficult. It’s about caring enough to choose well.
We believe good food is worth being particular about. Good coffee is worth seeking out. Local makers deserve our support. Old buildings deserve a new chapter. Gardens deserve to grow. And neighborhoods are better when people have a place to gather.
So come in. Look around. Ask questions. Tell us exactly what you like.
We’ll help you find it.