Lona’s Lil Eats

Such a unique and healthy place to grab a meal. So glad they have a stand alone location over their Soulard stall. I think the prices are a bit high for this type of restaurant, but not prohibitively so. And it can take awhile before it’s brought out, so these two reasons are why I gave it 4 stars over 5. But it’s innovative, yummy, and fresh food, and good drink choices, so try it.

Where have I been??? This is fresh and tasty at its best!
It is my new go to place!

I’ve been wanting to try this place for quite a while. The kid chose it as we were driving back from an out of state road trip.
Miscellaneous thoughts:
The food is mostly very good but doesn’t match the price point. Dinner for 3 at a «work-​a-​raunt» shouldn’t cost $ 60. If you want to charge those prices (and request gratuities) you should really be offering table service and you shouldn’t be serving entrees on plastic trays.
Ginger cookie was amazing! I would certainly swing by for another one of I found myself in the neighborhood.
Mushroom potstickers had a strange and unexpected taste that nobody at the table really enjoyed.
Other reflections… sautéed shrimp plate with glass noodles is tasty but a little short on the shrimp. I really enjoyed a level of spice that warmed me but didn’t lead to tingling lips.
Glad I finally tried the place but I won’t be beating a path back to their door.

I ordered a Create Your Own — a plate of stir-​fried glass noodles with steak, spicy sesame sauce and chili paste ($ 10.25). The food tasted good, but I had stomach issues the next morning. I think the chili paste was the culprit. It didn’t agree with me. Craft beer is $ 5 — $ 7. Busch 16 oz. cans are $ 3.

I really want to love this place because it’s really a lovely place located in a nice neighbourhood in midtown. I came here with high expectations because of all those good reviews. But I have to say I wasn’t impressed by the food… The concept of Asian burrito is interesting but the way they are made is too simple (I can easily make it at home at pretty low cost). I guess what I’m trying to say is there is nothing special about the food, not even the sauce… Sorry…
I ordered chicken rice wrap with sesame sauce. The sauce is so salty that I could barely taste the rest of ingredients. My fiancé had turkey wrap which was kinda plain. The bamboo stew tastes like bamboo sauce I normally get from the Chinese market. Eggplant dish was ok but salty…

YOU MUST EAT HERE!
Mr W and I have been here a handful of times and everytime I just want to come back! The food is fresh, delicious and amazing!
It has become our new go-​to place for lunch with visitors… Well for anytime!

This place has amazing food. I had the sautéed shrimp plate with lemongrass pesto sauce; I added their from scratch red pepper paste, and wowzers was it good!
I love hot stuff and a tiny amount of their hot paste added the perfect amount of heat, small sweat beads on my forehead without killing the dish’s natural flavors.
This was a very good sized portion for the price and I can’t wait to order it again and try other things on the menu.

I first tried Lona’s when they had a stand at the Soulard farmer’s market. I really liked the food so I was really glad when I found out they moved to a physical restaurant.
The food is really really good. I’ve had the big thai chicken wrap (with the rice paper wrap instead of tortilla) and the grilled steak wrap. I like the chicken wrap more than the steak (which really says something because I love steak), the lime-​ginger peanut sauce is delicious. The steak wrap tasted a little bland so I asked for more sauce, which they happily provided. For sides I’ve had the eggplant and the stir fried glass noodles. The eggplant is tasty but a little bit oily, which was especially apparent since they serve the food on trays lined with parchment-​paper like material. I think next time I’ll try the plates rather than the wraps because based on eyeing the food of the people sitting next to me, it looks like you get larger portions with the plates haha. The portion size for the wrap is good too, I was pretty full afterwards and still had some to take back home.
Place is clean, service is friendly, drinks are reasonably priced (you can have your choice of beer, wine, or tea), I really can’t find anything negative to say about this place.

Pretty much awesomeness. Love these guys and everything we’ve ordered. Can get a bit busy at times but we’ve always found a table.

Cute little spot in Fox Park area with a fairly unique menu. You can choose one of their items or build your own meal. You can also order it «burrito-​style» (wrapped in rice paper) or plate style. I prefer the plate style because it is easier to eat.
The tofu here is really good. They must use a good marinade. It pairs well with their spicy sauce (and be warned, it is actually quite spicy!)
Strongly recommend ordering the steak and mushroom dumplings. They are like pot stickers but sooo much tastier.

Went here for lunch with a couple friends and we were all absolutely blown away! The food was delicious and all of the staff were very friendly. The Lona que sauce is to die for!

My group of 5 came here on a weekday for lunch. Upon walking in, you can smell the strong fragrance of spices and seasoning. It was a good start. I did a light reading of reviews prior to this visit, because we were from out of town and wanted the best St. Louis had to offer. We were thrilled to try an asian fusion place. Service here was friendly. Gentleman at the register was able to answer our questions. We finally decided on a few staples to start — spring rolls, dumplings, and lona-​q chicken plate. We wanted to order more so long as we were pleased.
The verdict? It’s a no-​go which was unfortunate. Everything was just… lacking. While I do prefer strong, flavorful dishes, I am capable of loving simple dishes as well — and these didn’t hit the mark. The only thing I enjoyed was the lime-​ginger peanut salad that came as a side item. To each their own, I suppose, as this place does have a big following. Overall, 4 stars for concept and service, and two stars for food.

Fabulous and fresh, had dinner here Tuesday Evening. I had been wanting to dine here for awhile. Started with the Handmade Dumplings! They were filled with steak and mushrooms. Then we shared the Big Thai Chicken Wrap. It was cut in half. Grilled chicken, rice, lime-​ginger peanut sauce. Spicy eggplant as a side. A 5 star meal!

Lona got a soup noodles recently. And it is super delious! I perfer chicken than beef. The chicken slices cooked just right. Not tough at all.

Still the best potstickers anywhere… A Must try «Hill Tribe Soup!»
Consistent!

Three times coming here in two weeks. Love the flavors, I only get take out, but gracious me so, so
good!

I am a HUGE fan of this place. Went there on a Saturday night with a party of four. It was all of our first time and we didn’t realize the kitchen closed at 9PM. The staff was UBER friendly and accommodated us with our order, catered to us very kindly, and did not rush us as we ate the meal even after the restaurant was officially closed for business and they were cleaning up. I hate to do that in any restaurant, but they were so sweet and understanding about it– not at all giving us the side eye. On top of that, they delivered AMAZINGLY delicious food and Pierce and Lona both stopped by and talked to us at length! They told us all about the dishes we were eating and gave us a glimpse into their cuisine story and their lives together. It was such a treat to learn about the background of the Asian cuisine that Lona brought to St. Louis from her native China, bordering Laos and Myanmar (correct me if I am wrong… :))
It is a great destination for meat eaters and vegetarians alike. I am looking forward to my nest visit very much!

Lona’s Lil Eats has been on my radar for months and I was very excited to finally try it out with my favorite food companion, my hubby, last Friday night.
From photos, we had no idea of what to expect ambiance-​wise and, candidly, this place struck me as more of a lunch spot than a dinner date (I don’t require frills, believe you me, but the wall menus, drink station, and dinner being served on a tray just sort of said «Fast Food Chain» to me — which this is certainly not).
I do think they would benefit from a less complicated menu/​ordering system. The menu is posted on the side wall as people line up and straight overhead where your eyes would — hopefully — find it on the wall behind the order station and yet, as first timers, we still needed the guy taking our order to hand us menus AND walk us through it. It should/​could be easier.
At his suggestion, we went with the 5 Star Sampler and an order of steak dumplings — all to share. With two beers and a tip, we were at nearly $ 40 which felt a bit rich for «sharing» food on a tray.
But the food??? The food is amazing… the sesame and BBQ sauces were delectable and the meats and rice were flavorful and cooked to perfection (I highly recommend the stir fried whole grain rice over the glass noodles which, to me, where ‘meh’). The dumplings were DELISH!
Also, they were out of shrimp, much to my husband’s chagrin, and so we doubled up on the chicken and didn’t really touch the tofu (I had a single bite to give it a shot… to each their own; not for me). As a result, we were actually still hungry by a the meal’s end but, in looking around, those who ordered single plates looked to be well appointed. Bottom line: I would not recommend the sampler and an appetizer to share between two enthusiastic eaters unless at least one of you relishes tofu.
We will definitely return again and again because the food will beckon you to do so and I think I might have stumbled on my favorite new lunch (not dinner) spot in Lona’s.

A delightful little eatery that boasts original giant rice paper wraps. Lona’s Lil Eats is one of my go to places for quick and healthy Asian cuisine. What I love about Lona’s is she somehow manages to cook authentic AND healthy Asian food that is really good; it is a gem found among the myriad of greasy Chinese take-​outs. I have eaten Vietnamese/​Thai food all my life and I will vouch for the authenticity of her dishes. Although a bit Americanized, she keeps the flavors real and balances it well so that the sauces and spices are not too strong for unaccustomed taste buds.
I have come here on multiple occasions and lunch time around 12−1pm is usually busy so be ready to stand in line because it’s an order and sit down type of restaurant. My favorite is the wrap itself. You can choose between a wrap or a plate if you want but I strongly prefer the wrap because I think the flavors mix better when eaten all at once. I created my own wrap which you can pick between flour or rice paper. Of course I choose rice paper. Ranges from $ 9.25-$ 11.25 depending on what protein you choose. The wraps are burrito-​like size and are big. I imagine they have to use two rice papers to fit all the delectable goodness inside.
You can choose:
1 protein (chicken, steak, spicy tofu, pulled turkey, stir fried shrimp)
1 staple (stir-​fried or plain rice, glass noddle, glass noodles, lettuce mix) and
1 sauce (peanut sauce, lemon grass pesto, Lona-​Q, spicy sesame) and
1 one side (Spicy Eggplant, Stir Fried Veggies, Bamboo Stew, and various salads)
My favorite combination is:
Rice paper, chicken, stir fried rice, spicy sesame sauce and the spicy eggplant a a side.
Lona Q sauce and spicy sesame sauces are my favorite. The spicy sesame sauce isn’t really spicy for me; it is more on the milder side.
The décor of the restaurant itself is dainty, cute and most importantly (for an Asian restaurant) clean! I love the combination of clear chairs with the multi-​colored tables.
Final thoughts:
Perfect if you’re looking for a simple and healthy lunch. I will definitely be back!

I tried Lona’s this past weekend because one of my friends has been raving about it for the past week, and it was a game changer.
Giant rice paper wrap burritos? Five kinds of meat, noodles/​rice/​greens, and a delicious assortment of sauces? I was sold. I’ve had sushi burritos, kimchi bulgolgi burritos, Chipotle burritos, spring rolls, but nothing could compare to the giant rice paper burrito at Lona’s.
I got the #6 grilled steak wrap — a rice paper wrap with grilled streak, jasmine rice, and smoked vinaigrette — with a side of spicy eggplant. It took awhile to get our food but that’s because it was the saturday night of after Mardi Gras, but when my food came I was just blown away by the size of my burrito.
The steak wrap was delicious. The steak was a little chewy but so good with the sauce and jasmine rice (which is 100x better than the fake asian rice at school) and the greens all in my rice paper wrap. I really liked the rice paper wrap because I tend to stray away from ordering burritos since the flour tortillas are always so filling and get in the way of all my fillings. The rice paper wrap was the perfect alternative; it kept the fillings inside from spilling out, but it didn’t take away from the flavor with too much wrap.
I was only able to finish half my burrito because it was so huge. I gobbled up all of my spicy eggplant which was super delicious! Definitely recommend the spicy eggplant.
This new discovery will probably ruin me for the next few months, but at least the burritos seem a lot healthier than Chipotle or conventional Mexican food. Definitely going to hit up Lona’s again soon

Anytime you’re looking for fast casual food you need to pluck the sinful desires from your brain to get Qdoba or Chipotle and THROW IT ON THE GROUND. Then you’re going to go to Lona’s and take your taste buds on a culinary vacation to the land of all things sweet, savory and spicy.
I came here on my birthday after seeing Star Wars and was ready to take my soul to another galaxy. Lona’s has an accessible and straightforward menu… you choose your protein, sauce, your filling’s and the vessel. I went with the flour tortilla, steak, «Lona’s Q Sauce», fried rice, and the fried rice side. Excessive on the rice? Maybe but they have some darn good fried rice. I It was amazing. I ate every last bite, was stuffed but still wanted more. It’s safe to say I’m masochistic when it comes to over-​eating delicious food.
My GF got the plate with glass noodles, a spicy sauce and eggplant side. It was sooo good as well. Her sauce came on the side so you could garnish it as you please. We got ours to go but they have a decent amount of seating if you eat in AND you can get booze.
I’m already looking for my next excuse to grab Lona’s.

Sometimes, I give a three star because I had a poor experience, and sometimes I give a three star for a good experience but nothing wowed me about the experience. The only way you know is to read my reviews.
I don’t give 5 stars flippantly.
Before I begin, my husband I have been here twice in a week. We don’t live anywhere near Lona’s and we have to go relatively far out of our little bubble in Webster to get it.
Tiny, quaint, authentic. Those are the best ways to describe the atmosphere. Only one of those words also describes the food. Authentic. The other two words for the food, flavorful, unique. You are greeted by a staff eager to please and help you through the menu and are happy to get your drinks for you (even though this is an establishment with the fountain available to the patrons) — they are just that nice.
I’m quite new to the Lona’s phenomenon and only learned her amazing backstory (Soulard Market!) here in STL, on the very first night there.
My husband and I were so pleased, so very pleased. When they have the Hill Tribe Soup– get it. You can taste the smokey char of the meat in the broth– not salt like many broth bases. When they have it, get it, it’s not a menu staple. It’s enormous, by the way. HUGE bowl.
The clear rice wraps are amazing and sometimes I just don’t want the flavor of the tortilla to interfere with what’s going on on the inside.
Chicken Thai wrap. Filling, delicious, but does not leave you lethargic. The flavors are hands down authentic and unique to any other Asian-​type establishments anywhere in STL and the husband and I have had A LOT since that’s his favorite.
Might be mine now, too.
Lona’s husband came over and greeted us and asked us if it was our first time, inquired about how we felt about the food, and personally thanked is. I love that!!!
Also, even when the place is packed, the wait doesn’t seem terrible and the staff is incredibly friendly and will bring out your entrée instead of letting it sit while waiting for your sides.
Like I said, we have been twice in eight days, and the price won’t break the bank either which is either a good problem to have or challenge for me… I haven’t figured out which.
Go. Go there.

This is one of my favorite places in St Louis. I went back 2 weeks in a row…
Their marinated steak paired with the salad is heavenly. The flavor explosions on every item on the menu make it delicious and my mouth is already watering thinking about it!
We weren’t a huge fan of the dumplings but the sauce that came with it was totally legit.
The peanut sauce is to die for. I found some of their sauces a bit too spicy for my taste but it’s still absolutely yummy. I love places that aren’t afraid to go all out with flavors and I can’t wait to go back.

I really enjoyed the monster wrap they served up.
Think of a Vietnamese spring/​summer roll only the size of a Chipotle burrito.
I had it stuffed with stir fried shrimp which were cooked perfectly, stir fired glass noodles with spicy sesame sauce and lime ginger peanut salad… it was a bit salty but not the fault of the kitchen, I should have chosen some different pairings to stuff the behemoth with. However, it was still delicious!!! I also had an order of the mushroom stuffed dumplings! Again, amazing!
They also had some sort of whiskey punch that I really enjoyed.
I would come back again and I would bring a friend!!!
Take advantage of the outdoor seating while it’s nice out!

I’m updating Lona’s to give a whopping tally of 10 total stars across the board.
This place never ceases to amaze me. Just a few things to note when you arrive:
The bike parking is a personalized L. O. N. A., I just love to pull up and see bicycles safely connected to this rack… just adds so much character. OK, I’m done being excited about the bike rack.
The customer service is super personable and they all make me feel so welcome. Everyone, even Lona (such a doll) makes an effort to remember my name; kinda makes me feel like fam lol.
The Big Rice Paper Wrap is as BIG as it sounds. In terms of taste it’s unbeatable. I prefer Lona’s Q because it’s makes everything taste superbRice paper also doesn’t allow the contents to be overtaken by this thin shell; yet you still get a burrito-​like experience.
The stir fried glass noodles are made to perfection… I seriously do t know what they put in the sauce but it has an addicting effect. Which explains my frequency.
Now that they offer these delicious desserts I feel compelled to test them out for you guys the coconut cookie is definitely a dose of crack. Although I’ve never had crack I’m certain the efforts are similar to what this cookie does. The ginger cookie is also pretty amazing. It had real chucks of ginger inside (I loooooove this)!