The food was amazing! I got a level 3 spice and it was perfect. Service was fast and really sweet!…read moreIt's a really nice spot right in Maplewood you walk in and it's spacious and perfect for a friend catch up or even a date :)

I've been trying several different Thai places, looking for a great Thai restaurant since moving…read moreaway from "my" local place run by two old Thai women in Gulfport MS. This one comes very close! I always order Nam Tok Beef spice level 3-4 and my spouse always orders Pad Kee Mao spice level Thai spicy. My beef was tender, spicy and flavorful and the sticky rice was a nice change to regular rice. His noodles were wide and tender, the veggies were fresh and the spice level was good. Maybe not as spicy as we're used to, but the flavor and freshness was there. Will be back, many, many times. Thanks for having a nice place to get my Thai fix.

Upon being seated at the Crow's Nest yesterday, we were informed that the deep fryer wasn't working…read moreand that, because we were a group of more than eight, we would not be allowed to split our checks and would be charged an automatic gratuity. Not only were we not granted an exception on the checks as consolation for not being able to order french fries, there was no indication that this had even occurred to our server. This is precisely the level of temerity we need to inculcate in young women in our society, and I'd encourage her to apply for a job at the women's-only sports bar a few doors down if and when it ever opens. It'd be tragic if she wasn't there if and when I return, but I'd appreciate the fact that she has a greater mission. Hopefully, the deep fryer is working. It being out of commission naturally limited the number of things on the menu we could order. We were only told that we couldn't order anything that required a deep fryer, not given a modified menu or anything. I started going through each item and imagining how it might be prepared, but I couldn't muster the psychological bandwidth to continue. Hit my Cash App if you appreciate the amount of unpaid emotional labor I was compelled to contribute. It occurred to me that I might just get a burger and a side salad, but then I saw that they carry a club sandwich. I love a good club sandwich, and I figured it might make for a light, refreshing alternative, given the weather. There's an option to get a cup of soup for $1.50 extra as a side with your sandwich (no, they didn't offer to eat the charge), and I figured that might go well with my sandwich. I was kicking myself when they brought out someone else's order with the side salad. It looked really good. The Frisco Burger, or whatever they're calling it, looked good too. Meanwhile, the BBQ Beef & Cheddar Soup--the soup du jour (that's French), according to Flo--looked gross, like something your dog might cough up. But damn it was good! It was more beef than anything else. A large bowl of it might actually be too much food. (I'd still eat it, natch.) The overall flavor profile was along the lines of a good french onion soup. It was a reminder that I need to be ordering soup in restaurants more often. I wish the club sandwich was cut into little triangles and fanned out on the plate in some elaborate configuration, like at a place where rich old ladies have lunch, but I guess that wouldn't have been in keeping with the theme. Instead, it was served on the world's thickest Texas toast, with the world's dullest steak knife protruding from its center. This sounds like hyperbole, but I may have honestly been served the equivalent of half a loaf of bread. It was much more bread than I required, but at least it was fresh and delicious, as were all the other ingredients. Turkey used for sandwiches is almost never remarkable, but this was surprisingly great, as good as anything you'd get served as an entree unto itself. Nothing about this place suggests that it would have such good food, but it just goes to show you can't judge a book by its cover. The decor, the overall vibe and the lack of hospitality might not be for everyone, but don't let that deter you.

What a great place! Popped in and found seating right away. The had a lot of great food and drink…read moreoptions, including vegetarian and vegan. We got cheese curds for the table and I got the hot honey mac and cheese. The food was delicious. They had a retro movie playing and lots of cute decor. It was super fun to sit there and enjoy the ambiance. The service was also quick and good. Will be coming back.

You walk in, they tell you to order at the counter, hand you a number, and for a split second you…read morethink "oh, this is gonna be a glorified Chipotle situation." Reader. It is not. It is a Trojan horse for one of the best burgers in St. Louis (my wife says I'm being dramatic for calling it THE best; I say I am not NOT going back for another). We enjoyed everything we order: the pork belly burnt ends and cashew chicken wings, and a coffee & cardamom old fashioned that sounds like a personality disorder but tastes like a vibe, smoky, a touch sweet, and very drinkable year-round. The Sam Elliott burger, BBQ sauce, bacon, crunchy onions, brioche, is named for a man who has never disappointed anyone, and neither does the sandwich. And the meatloaf is NOT your grandma's brick: tender, charred at the edges, laid over silky mashed potatoes with broccolini, perhaps closer to a chop steak than a loaf in the best possible way. Vibe is farm-chic: old church pews, repurposed interior doors, a proper bar up front, plus a patio and rooftop for when the weather cooperates. Fun fact -- it's named after the blue duck Billy Madison paints in elementary school, which is a fantastic piece of trivia and tells you absolutely nothing accurate about the actual restaurant. 4.7 Stars. Picking Nits: the counter-order setup is efficient, but it sets expectations in the wrong direction for the first 90 seconds, you brace for fast-casual and instead get something considerably more ambitious. Food comes out fast once you've ordered, which is great if you're hungry and slightly jarring if you wanted a slow, lingering dinner. And the Billy Madison naming is charming trivia but entirely misleading as a vibe preview, no complaints about the actual restaurant, just the branding expectations it sets. If The Blue Duck were a character: Ron Swanson. Hear me out. If Ron ate here, he'd be suspicious of the entire experience until his first bite of protein -- the counter ordering, the repurposed doors, a burger named after a fellow mustachioed American, all of it registering as potentially too clever. Then the Sam Elliott hits his plate, he takes one bite, and the skepticism dissolves into the quiet respect of a man who has found his people. Looks rustic. Has strong feelings about meat. Secretly sophisticated -- plays saxophone in a jazz club under a fake name, builds his own furniture, would 100% approve of the farm-chic decor once the protein has spoken. Presents as simple. Isn't.

Excellent cocktails - both interesting and reasonable priced (IMO). Food was also tasty…read more Wandered in here for lunch after moving a friend on a Saturday, seating at the bar readily available. Parking lot in rear.

Ok so here's the deal run don't walk 1. The consommé with…read morethe tacos is next level 2. Service is fantastic 3. Neighborhood crowd, not pretentious or overly fussy. Every single thing we ordered was fantastic. They were accommodating to dietary restrictions

Feel at home and enjoy the queso!…read more This restaurant was a great option on a hot day! The pineapple refresca was juicy and sweet. My food was hot and delicious! Need to come back during happy hour. Accessibility note: there are a few steps around the building.

I came to Mai Lee with my cousin after reading about the restaurant in the book Matt's St. Louis…read moreFood Story, learning that it got national recognition when it was tapped as a semifinalist for Outstanding Restaurant by the James Beard Foundation. The expectation was high, and the restaurant delivered outstanding marks. The menu was huge (over 300 items) and we had no idea what to eat. No worries, the daughter of the proprietor, Sarah, was our server and without rushing, she thoughtfully asked questions to narrow down our options to the items she believed we would really like. She was very friendly and her recommendations hit the spot. I ordered a Banh Me Thit (56) and a Com Tom Thit Trung (74). The Banh Me had very fresh bread and I enjoyed every bite. The Com Tom Thit Trung was very good, just what I expected. Throughout our meal, Sarah would stop by to check on us and we also chatted about the restaurant and its' history (since I saw an article in St. Louis Magazine framed to the wall). One of my rules-of-thumb of good hospitality at a restaurant is if leftovers are boxed up for you. At the end of the meal, Sarah's brother cleared the table and boxed up the food. If you want authentic food with great service backed by a rich storyline with 40 years of history in St. Louis, check out Mai Lee!

This is one restaurant that my husband and I can always agree upon when we are out. Couples, you…read moreknow the car conversations, right? Well you can't go wrong here. When you walk in you are always greeted with a smile. The seating is quite close but not so close you cannot walk through. Tables and booths. Very clean and well kept. Your order can be family style or individual. Family style allows you to share tea and big serving bowls of soups. Now for the good stuff. The menu is varied with authentic or Americanized "Asian" stirfry and egg rolls. The Pho is outstanding! My goodness, the flavors of the broth, with added ingredients from chicken and beef to vegetarian. What brings it home are the side dishes of flavor bombs they serve along side: jalapeños, bean sprouts, and Thai basil. Add it to the soup and the noodles seem to envelope it all with an explosion of flavor as you slurp even to the last drop. And grab those last leaves or noodles with your chopsticks. It's worth every bite. I highly recommend Mai Lee, as it is at the top of our all-time favorites list.

Robata is a small place with an ample parking lot size for its seating, or close to ample. I think…read morethere may not be enough seating for its customer demand... that's a sign of a popular place. Happy hour prices + the food quality are what had my friend invite me here. Some rolls are half off and so are a few beverages, like hot sake. I had never had hot sake. I've only had any sake once. I liked it fine, but I didn't want a second order after I finished the first. I was disappointed that Robata was out of plum wine. Instead I ordered what was described as a white sangria, but it tasted more like a brandy. I had a few sips and gave it to my friend. I had 4 vegetarian sushi rolls. Only the asparagus was included with happy hour. My 3 other rolls were takuan, pickle plum and BB. As much as I like plum (keep reading), and takuan was a pleasant surprise, and the asparagus was good, the BB, which has tempura asparagus, cream cheese, and sweet soy, was my favorite item of the evening. I was happy to see umeboshi onigiri on the lengthy menu. These were of a good size, but I think it perhaps would have benefitted from a higher pickled plum to rice ratio. (The only time I've had it has been from a food truck and I don't know how representative it is of onigiri.) Each order of food took a while to come out. My friend had trouble getting the server's attention when she wanted to put in more orders. Robata is not a place for a quick happy hour bite. It's going to take a while, especially if you're ordering in multiple rounds like we did. When the kitchen got too busy, my order another roll was denied. That happened well before dinner service ended and it was disappointing. I would have waited a bit longer. But it was probably good to get cut off from sushi at some point. We were a little confused by the bills. My friend may have overpaid (not gotten happy hour price) for some of her items, and there was some question about whether mine had been billed correctly, but in the end we decided that mine was probably correct. Hers, though... we aren't sure. I think I'll return to Robata for the BB roll, plum wine, and maybe something new, but I will be sure to have plenty of time, order a bunch all at once, and check the bill.

Since my source for umeboshi onigiri seems to have ceased operations (does anyone know what…read morehappened to the Izumi food truck?), i was pretty excited to see pickled plum rice balls on the menu here. I came with a friend for happy hour. We got the half off sushi (which included the mackerel nigiri, which is my FAVORITE (Tho, theirs isn't as good as Sushi Hanna in Alton)) and house hot sake, which was perfect for this freezing week. The heat was out? Which the waitress apologized for. They had a space heater out, so we sat right by that. I also ordered a few of the onigiri to go. They aren't the best I've had, but I'll probably be back semi-regularly to get my fix of the flavor, which is just so unique. Same for half off mackerel Maybe one day I'll even try their non-sushi offerings...

I don't need fancy as long as the food is delicious. This is what Meyou has to offer. Flavorful,…read moremade-to-order Thai food and a friendly service to boot. They had 2 wait staff working when we went and both greeted us immediately and seated us inside. Their air conditioning was broken and awaiting repair and they had signs throughout explaining that. It was still cooler inside than out so we sat inside. I was curious what a butterfly lemonade was so I ordered one. It was good and quite refreshing with traditional lemonade at the bottom topped with a vibrant deep purple concoction on top. After I educated myself, I found that the deep purple concoction is steeped tea made from butterfly pea flowers. We started with some egg rolls - fried with ground pork and vegetables and served with sweet and sour sauce. The sauce was great! I normally pass as most of them have a cloyingly sweet flavor that I don't like but theirs had a really good balance of flavors amd not too sweet. The egg rolls were flavorful enough to stand on their own though and yes, delivered piping hot to the table. I had the drunken noodles with beef at medium spicy level. At first bite, I was immediately able to taste the spicy level I chose. A great sign. Then I sniffed and started sweating. Another great sign of good spice level. My husband ordered the yellow curry with tofu and medium spice level as well. At first he said it could be hotter but then midway through he decided it was more of a build up and thought the level was actually perfect. Serving size was great. You can definitely get another meal out of an order! We took the rest of our food home. I cannot wait to eat my leftovers today. What a great spot for a delicious, quick dinner!

Apparently, some Chinese restaurants have a policy where they give you free egg rolls if you're a…read moreparty of six. I get that this is a Thai restaurant, not Chinese (though it's more Chinese than I am), but Meyou might consider such a policy. I would have benefited from it yesterday. I visited on a Wednesday evening with members of a running group. There were umpteen of us. If we'd been given a single egg roll appetizer, we would have been forced to cut it in tiny pieces and share. I would have been willing to do that, because I'm a confirmed, avowed savage. My reputation precedes me. Arguably, they should give you one free appetizer for every six members of your party. But I digress. Now, where was I? Ah yes, Meyou. I'd describe this place as a somewhat Americanized version of Thai food, based on what little I know from having recently visited Bangkok and eaten in roughly 40 or 50 restaurants, food stalls and what have you over the course of a few days, i.e. not a whole lot. You can get pad thai and various other soups, noodles and curries, along with fried rice, egg rolls, crab rangoon and chicken wings. It's got a little something for everyone. Do they charge you $0.25 for extra soy sauce? Can you call up and try to harangue them into giving you a free order of crab rangoon by claiming that they shorted you the last time you were there, knowing good and well they can count better than you? I'm not sure. I might try that on my next visit and report back. This time, I went with something called Pad See Ew, which wasn't nearly as gross as its name suggests. In fact, it was good. Its description on the menu, with broccoli, eggs and soy sauce, called to mind various things I might order from a Chinese takeout--which is what I tend to look for in a menu item. As a noodle dish, I figured the overall flavor profile might not be different from a lo mein lunch special I used to get decades ago, that I still fondly reminisce about on a weekly basis. I wasn't that far off from the mark. They let you choose the spice level, ranging from mild to hot. I usually get hot in most places, but I'm hesitant to do that at Asian restaurants, because they might have access to peppers that are technically considered research chemicals, like Temu Ozempic, and therefore not subject to FDA approval. There were a few girls there, and I didn't want to run the risk of my throat starting to close up. I'd have to find a new run group. Medium turned out to be just right for me, but maybe too spicy if you're expecting something along the lines of a buffalo wing. Even the mild, apparently, has a bit of a kick to it. The noodles were nice and slippery and cooked a touch beyond al dente, right in that Goldilocks zone between undercooked and mush. The heat, and the complexity provided by whatever they use to season this, helped offset the underlying sweetness. You get your choice of meat. No Diddy. I went with pork, natch, with apologies to the Honorable Minister. The amount they give you is surprisingly generous, except that this dish will run you. I'm talking modern-day Chipotle prices. Maybe a dollar or two more. Yikes! But I'd argue that the quality justifies it. If I lived nearby, and I had the means, I'd stop by on occasion.

Just go by direct from the farmers, the markup isn't worth it here anymore. As others have…read morementioned, they do over salt their prepared food fairly often but that's just the chef's palate. Everything's high-quality and poor value after accounting for the price. I stopped in to pick up a pork loin because I was around the corner, looking for ~3-4lbs of meat. They only had a 1 1/2 pound in the case (order taker weighed it to confirm before going to the back, which should've been my first warning) so I asked if they had any larger ones. They were nice enough to check and offer to cut one. That's where things went downhill. After waiting 5 or 10 minutes, my order taker came back out to ask how I wanted it prepped (bone or boneless, skin on or off). I said skin off and ambivalent on the bones. This was my mistake, leaving my fate to the hands of someone profit motivated. I walked out with just about a 3 pound bone in roast, which is maybe half a pound more meat than the one and a half pound I turned down - not enough for my guests and I. Had I gotten a roast closer to 4lbs, I would've been unhappy with the price but not enough to write a review. Additionally, they only charged a dollar less for bone in. At $15/lb, I effectively paid the price of their beef for the meat after accounting for the bone. I felt tricked. In hindsight, I should've just turned it down when I saw the price, but I was a bit too shocked to say anything. So I paid my bill and swore that I wouldn't be coming back for anything but (maybe) sausage or a snack again.

Bolyard's is a cute little butcher shop located in the heart of Maplewood. I ordered online and…read morepicked up to-go once I got there. The Tom Tom sandwich was just okay, nothing spectacular. I probably wouldn't order it again, but if you're thinking about trying it I'd recommend adding bacon to make it less bland. But the beef tallow fries were 11/10!!! At first I thought no way are these $8 fries going to be that good but they really were spectacular. The house made ketchup with them too made it really unique!‍ I also ordered some breakfast sausage to make with biscuits and gravy at home since the meats case was filed with a great selection. A plus is they also have a parking lot with dedicated spots too if you wanted to dine-in.