Olive Boulevard is St. Louis's Chinese corridor, spread across University City storefronts and one St. Louis city strip mall, and it runs deeper than any one cuisine. This stretch covers hot crisp fish, weekend dim sum carts, Korean home cooking, and a wing counter that keeps the group orders moving, all on the same few blocks worth crossing Skinker or the county line for.
№ 01
Cate Zone Chinese Cafe
University City $$
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Hot crisp fish is the order at this University City counter, whole and fried hard enough to hold its crunch under the accompanying sauce. Mapo tofu and salt pepper fried calamari round out a menu that regulars work through methodically. The kitchen keeps taking orders close to closing time and the staff stays welcoming about it, which says something about how the room is actually run night to night.
What to orderhot crisp fish, salt pepper fried calamari, mapo tofu
№ 02
Asian Kitchen Korean Cuisine
$$
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Bibimbap and bulgogi anchor this no-frills St. Louis room, a Korean counter that has been feeding the same stretch of the city for over a decade. Kimchi jjigae rounds out the short list of what people actually order. The dining room is plain and clean, service is direct, and the cooking has stayed the through-line even as the room around it has changed.
What to orderbibimbap, bulgogi, kimchi jjigae
№ 03
Wonton King
University City $$
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Crispy beef is the dish worth ordering at this University City dim sum hall, where weekend carts and a deep menu draw multi-generation family groups and anyone stopping in after a run to the Olive Boulevard supermarkets nearby. Har gow and siu mai cover the standard cart rotation. The dining room fills fast on Saturdays, and the owner works the floor seating groups as they arrive.
What to ordercrispy beef, har gow, siu mai
№ 04
Grill Stop
University City
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Wings, onion rings, and fries make up the order at this University City quick-service spot built for group and office orders. The kitchen gets large tickets right and moves fast, which is the whole appeal. A Philly cheese and a gyro also show up on the menu, though the wings and fries are the safer call for anyone ordering for a crowd.
What to orderchicken wings, onion rings, fries
Frequently asked
What is the best Chinese restaurant near me on the Olive Boulevard corridor?
Cate Zone Chinese Cafe in University City and Wonton King in University City are the two strongest picks on this stretch, one built around hot crisp fish and a la carte Chinese cooking, the other built around weekend dim sum carts. Both show up with strong Insider Scores based on the volume and consistency of what diners actually say about them.
Is the Olive Boulevard corridor in the city of St. Louis or St. Louis County?
Both. Olive Boulevard runs through University City, which is its own municipality in St. Louis County, and also through a strip of St. Louis city itself. Asian Kitchen Korean Cuisine is in the city; Cate Zone Chinese Cafe, Wonton King, and Grill Stop are in University City. The line matters locally and this guide states it restaurant by restaurant.
Where can I get dim sum on the weekends in this area?
Wonton King in University City runs a full weekend dim sum service with carts and a large menu, drawing family groups and anyone making a stop near the Olive Boulevard supermarkets. The crispy beef is the dish most often called the standout.
How are restaurants chosen for this guide?
Every restaurant here is ranked by its Insider Score, a rating built from the volume and substance of real customer feedback, not from paid placement. No restaurant pays to be listed or to rank higher on Top of St. Louis.
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.
