Best of St. Louis 2020
Food & Drink
Staff Pick
Best Restaurant for Vegetarians and Omnivores to Eat Together
Lona’s Lil Eats
- MABEL SUEN
- Lona's Lil Eats makes everyone happy.
Anyone who thinks it’s hard to eat vegetarian in St. Louis hasn’t tried. Every neighborhood in the city has delicious options, either in all-vegetarian spots or with thoughtfully prepared dishes at omnivore places. You know the kind I mean: the ones that the staff would actually choose to eat themselves, rather than throwing together some half-assed wet-pepper portabello mess that doesn’t appeal to anyone, much less vegetarians who could cook circles around that stuff. That’s what makes Lona’s Lil Eats such a pleasure — you can tell that the vegetarian and vegan options are on equal footing with any of the other items. Their giant rice paper wraps are a wonder to behold and a joy to bite into, full of flavor and texture: glass noodles combine with tofu, crisp lettuce and really any of the sauces to put a feast in your fists. Wise eaters know to order the spicy eggplant side dish as well, which arrives right on the paper lining and dark with a smoky flavor that will haunt your tastebuds until you come back for more. And when you’re done, you and your meat-eating friend can split a pineapple-coconut butter cookie. — Evan Sult
