St. Louis has kept its own Chinese-American tradition alive for generations, the counter kitchens that built the St. Paul sandwich, chop suey, and fried rice into local staples rather than imports. This list runs from the WashU-adjacent standby to the counters south of Gravois, judged on the fried rice, the wings, and whether the regulars keep coming back.
№ 01
Vegas Wok
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A tight storefront near the WashU campus, Vegas Wok draws a steady crowd for General Tso Chicken and Vegetable Lo Mein with tofu, plates that come out scalding hot and get eaten fast. The menu runs long, and the mapo tofu holds its own against the sweeter standards. Sauce consistency can slip on an off night, but the kitchen's regulars keep the small dining room full.
What to orderGeneral Tso Chicken, Vegetable Lo Mein with Tofu, Mapo Tofu
№ 02
Lona's Lil Eats
$$
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Lona's Lil Eats has built its name on portion size and repeat visits rather than any single dish, with the exact menu items less the point than the pattern: households naming it week after week for dine-in or takeout. Wait times run fifteen to twenty minutes, service is friendly, and street parking is the only real logistics to plan around. Expectations set too high by outside hype can occasionally outpace the plate.
What to orderUnable to determine from excerpts - menu items not named
№ 03
Hunan Chop Suey
$
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Hunan Chop Suey keeps a fast counter going on shrimp egg foo young and the St. Paul sandwich, the city's own Chinese-American invention done straight and without fuss. The fried rice draws visitors back from out of state on their trips home, evidence of how far the reputation travels. Consistency varies plate to plate, but the core menu is exactly what a chop suey house should be.
What to ordershrimp egg foo young, fried rice, St Paul sandwich
№ 04
Kienlen Chop Suey
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Kienlen Chop Suey sits in a stretch of the city that keeps the food it produces from getting the attention it deserves, but the duck wings and chop suey are the real draw for anyone who bothers to stop. Service moves fast, debit cards are accepted, and the room itself is bare bones: a counter, a bench, little else. Order to go and treat it as a takeout stop, not a sit-down.
What to orderduck wings, fried rice, chop suey
№ 05
A Taste of China
$
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On Gravois, A Taste of China turns out crab rangoon and chicken wings fast enough that fresh always means fresh, not reheated. Portions run generous and prices stay fair, which is most of the case for a neighborhood chop suey counter built on repeat trade. The fortune cookies get their own mention from regulars, a small detail that signals a kitchen paying attention past the wok.
What to ordercrab rangoon, chicken wings, fortune cookies
№ 06
China King
$
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China King built its name on Beef and Broccoli and crab rangoon that come out hot and consistent order after order, the kind of plate a family calls in when the usual spot is closed. Portions scale up easily for a crowd, and counter staff know the menu well enough to walk newcomers through it. It works as a fallback and a first choice both.
What to orderBeef and Broccoli, Crab Rangoon, Fried Rice
№ 07
Sunny China
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Sunny China has run on lunch specials and oversized portions, dumplings and crab rangoon landing on time and without complaint from most tables. The hot braised chicken has drawn sharper criticism for running flat on spice and sauce, a sign the kitchen's consistency varies by dish rather than across the board. Current operating status is worth confirming before a drive out.
What to orderdumplings, crab Rangoon, fried rice
№ 08
Lemay Garden
$
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Lemay Garden's pot stickers get named again and again as the reason to keep coming back, alongside gravy chicken and orange chicken that hold up on the reheat. The counter is run tight, with the same face greeting regulars and taking orders, and portion sizes stay generous for the price point. It has not fully replaced anyone's go-to spot, but it checks most of the boxes.
What to orderpot stickers, gravy chicken, orange chicken
Frequently asked
What is the best Chinese restaurant near me in St. Louis?
It depends on which part of the metro. This guide covers counters across the city of St. Louis, from the WashU area to Gravois to the Lemay corridor, and each entry names its actual neighborhood so it is clear what is a short drive versus a cross-town trip. Check the Insider Score listed next to each name to compare at a glance.
Do any of these restaurants pay to be listed?
No. None of the restaurants on this list paid for placement or coverage. Selections and rankings come from the review record and the Insider Score attached to each entry, not from advertising relationships.
What is a St. Paul sandwich and where can I get one?
The St. Paul sandwich is an egg foo young patty served on white bread with mayo, pickle, and lettuce, a St. Louis-born invention from the city's Chinese-American chop suey tradition. Hunan Chop Suey is the entry on this list that carries it.
Is Chinese takeout in St. Louis mostly counter-service?
Yes, and that is by design rather than limitation. Most of the rooms on this list are counter-service or takeout-forward, with fast turnaround and simple seating, which keeps prices low and the food moving quickly from wok to bag.
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The data first, then the verdict
We start with the review record, not a press release. Every room here is a real kitchen with a strong rating across a meaningful number of reviews, ranked on our 10-point Insider Score. We weight consistency over time and the rooms locals return to, not the ones tourists pass through once. The list updates as the data does. How we work →
Nico Marchetti
Staff Writer · Top of St. Louis
The Hill and Heritage Editor. Third-generation Hill family who grew up bagging hot salami on Saturday shifts. Covers the red-sauce canon, St. Louis-style pizza, and the kitchens of Cherokee Street, South Grand, and the Olive Boulevard corridor. His standard: the regulars would notice.
