Lona's Lil Eats
$$ • Restaurant
Most Recent Reviews
Lona’s has fantastic food and allergens on the menu are clearly labeled. There are only a small number of items on the menu that contain gluten. It’s one of my favorite places to eat! I always feel safe with my Celiac and my family’s severe nut allergies! I’d highly recommend the smoked brisket, bamboo village stew, and spicy cucumber salad.
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Very knowledgeable about allergies, Celiac and cross contamination. The food is consistently good. Great spot for both carry out and dining in. Online ordering prompts you to indicate allergies before anything else which is very reassuring. We eat here constantly and always have a great experience!
If you ask me what I want to get for lunch, Lona's is always the answer. Amazing food. All of the food is gluten free except for wheat wraps, dumplings, and desserts. Portions are very generous. The hill tribe soup is worth trying if it's in season.
Lona’s is one of the few places I can eat and NEVER worry about getting glutened. Their menu is thoroughly marked for allergens and dietary restrictions, and they also only offer two things on their menu that are not gluten free. They have next to no cross-contamination risks in the kitchen and are very well-educated on allergens. The food is also SO incredible, and it’s supported locally-owned family business. Cannot recommend enough if you want tasty food and a safe, stress-free dining out experience
We found this place through find me gf and
it was amazing. the cashier was extremely knowledgeable of the very few gluten or contaminated items. my little is allergic to dairy and eggs and could also eat most things. I had the spring rolls and the turkey rice paper wrap and it was delicious!
I am a loyal LLE customer! I have loved this place since moving to Compton Heights. The food is yummy and now that I have celiac disease, I am overjoyed to know most of my choices are good.
Reasonable prices for the amount you get. Not blown away by the flavor of the food, but would return. Funky cafe vibe with equally funky, kind staff. Almost everything can be gluten-free and the whole staff seemed well versed with the concept.
The restaurant was very full! The menu doesn't have gf items listed so I asked and the manager said everything on the menu is gluten free except beer, cookies and egg rolls. It was delicious. We'll see yet whether I have a reaction..
One of my favorite places to eat in STL. Today they assured me they still very much use GF soy sauce. I have also tested leftovers from there in the past couple months with my Nima and it detected no gluten. Everything is always so flavorful and delicious. Highly recommend!
Ordered online, options to mark celiac. Staff was friendly. We tried veggie spring rolls and the veggie sampler. Spicy eggplant was my favorite. So far no reactions. Very tasty, excellent flavor
Celiac and ordered take out lunch for my staff. Selected Celiac Disease for my order. Nothing was marked and 30 minutes later I had full blown gluten reaction. Will not eat from this restaurant again.
Used to LOVE eating here. I found out last visit that they use regular soy sauce so there’s wheat in almost everything- including every single protein. I had a sad dinner of sautéed bokchoy and rice noodles. They haven’t updated their menu- many things are marked gf that are not. Make sure you ask the manager if you plan on eating here. SUPER FRUSTRATING
Lona’s is my FAVORITE restaurant in St. Louis. Everything is so flavorful, fresh and delicious. My go to order is the big Thai chicken wrap with rice paper, and a side of glass noodles. If I don’t get that, I get a plate with the glass noodles, grilled steak, and lona q or peanut sauce. Everything I’ve ever gotten here has been amazing, there’s quite a few gf options. It’s great if you’re df too! The staff is knowledgeable, friendly and provides excellent service every time. :)
Great options and very clear menu labeling
Had a great dinner here—I also ordered lunch for the next day, knowing I was heading for the airport and wouldn’t have time to get something safe. For dinner, I had the Thai chicken wrap. The cashier helped me pick out a beef bowl for lunch, explaining that the rice paper would get tough if refrigerated overnight. I didn’t love the texture of the cold rice (probably should have picked the glass noodles) but the steak, salad, and viniagrette were great as was the spicy cucumber side dish.
I absolutely love this place. The food is amazing. The service is so awesome. The wait time is reasonable and the prices are good! I am not from STL but I have come here every visit and it’s the only place I can’t wait to come back for. I wish they had one in Florida! Gotta try it. GF options are almost the whole menu!
Probably the single best place to eat gluten free in St Louis. Very knowledgeable staff, so many gluten free options, celiac safe. Would strongly recommend
This local cafe is almost all GF except a couple of labeled items. Delicious rice wraps the Thai one was excellent! No reactions.
Most of the menu is GF and clearly marked. Food was tasty and staff knowledgeable about preventing cross contamination.
This place is amazing! Employees very knowledgeable, so many options, they have cider, never got sick! If I lived in the neighborhood I would be here all the time! They should really think about franchising!!
SO GOOD. Almost everything on the menu is GF, it was so exciting to order! Very affordable, great portions. Delicious.
Many delicious gluten free options, and vegan/vegetarian choices too! They also offer to exchange gloves to prevent any possible cross contamination for gluten.
Menu is super easy to navigate. Everything was clearly labeled and mostly gluten free.
Ordered takeout and it was a breeze. Food was delicious and I didn’t get sick. Great option for if you want something that feels healthy and fresh.
Amazing vibe and super good food. Staff was unbelievable, accommodating and helped our group with all of their orders.
I got the rice wrap Smokey chicken wrap and loved it!
This. Place. Rocks! Celiac safe. Super knowledgeable. Staff is terrific and very helpful. Delightful little neighborhood restaurant. Casual. Good portion sizes. So much flavor! Lots of spice and meat, but options for the vegetarian in our family too. We walked in and said we had never been here before, and they walked us through it. First question from the host was whether anyone had any food allergies. There are not enough stars for this place!! Most places are struggling with staff during the pandemic. If that’s true here, we couldn’t tell. ❤
When you walk in, and the manager asks, “Does anyone here have any food allergies?” you know it’s going to be a safe experience. When they ask for details about what you can/can’t eat and even go to the extent of asking if any of us experience cilantro as “soapy,” we felt so loved and cared for! (My youngest does experience that soapy taste of cilantro.) Everything is so good, and we could eat almost everything!!! Wow! We loved getting to eat all kinds of authentic Chinese food made by an award-winning chef from China. The front house manager went above and beyond to make sure we were well cared for, and he even shared a great story about the awards the chef was nominated for three years in a row! Do yourself a favor—Don’t miss this place!
Really an outstanding place that is very accommodating to gluten free. Love their rice paper wraps and spring rolls. All of their sauces are safe too. It's hard to find safe Asian food, but this place nails it everytime I go. Great place to support!
I got the vegan stir fry with chicken and glass noodles. It was absolutely delicious
Staff were knowledgeable and extremely helpful. You can tell they care about allergies and accommodating their customers’ dietary needs. The rice paper wrap with steak, stir fried noodles, and vinaigrette was delicious. The spicy eggplant was amazing. There are only a couple of gluten containing items in the menu, so cross contamination was not a concern for me.
online orders and curbside pickup only right now bc of COVID, was great and easy bc the menu is labeled (vast majority is gf) and the online ordering of each item has a option for gluten allergy to select! i got the seasonal soup and Vietnamese spring rolls, very good and no issues!
Really tasty and unique! Loved the huge spring rolls and had a tasty beef soup... most of the menu is GF and I felt safe.
They were knowledgeable, almost the entire menu is gf, and when we ordered one gluten item for a guest, they double checked with us do we knew that my partner (who has celiac) shouldn't eat it.
Wonderful selection with all allergies listed, food was amazing and service was fast and friendly!
Amazing meal. Most of the menu is gluten free, and the cashier made suggestions on what to order. I was visiting from out of town but would definitely eat here as often as I could. I got the sampler “5 Star” platter with spicy noodles, peanut sauce and spicy sauce, and eggplant as a side.
Quick, safe and very large portions what more could you want? Will be back.
All sauces and meats are gf, so you can order everything off the menu except flour wraps and dumplings. It's rare to find an Asian restaurant that is so celiac friendly. I've been many times and have never gotten sick.
I don’t understand all the great reviews. I went and mentioned gluten free and basically said they use regular soy sauce So if you want 100% gluten free you can only choose from tofu or shrimp and can only have plain rice. I showed him how on the menu there is no symbol that shows the spicy glass noodles have gluten and he said but it’s already mixed with soy sauce... so I think they actually have a very poor understanding of how to label gluten on their menus and falsely advertise
This place is really good, and very Friendly. Lots of gluten free options, definitely with the visit.
The staff are friendly & helpful, and the food is delicious! The gentleman taking our order walked us thru the menu for each of our separate allergies (kids #1 has a pistachio/cashew allergy, #2 allergic to dairy, I am celiac). He was very patient & gave us great recommendations. The entire restaurant is dairy & tree nut free & the only gluten is in the flour tortilla, dumplings & a few individually wrapped desserts. We will definitely be back on our next trip thru STL.
This is my frequent place in St. Louis area. I go here 2 times or more a month, and the food, service, and GF implementation with their food is consistent and thorough. I cannot say enough about the pleasing use of spices and sauces. Never gotten sick and I'm confident I never will. I'm celiac BTW.
It was a relief to be in a restaurant that understood. Lots of gluten free options, including sauces. DELICIOUS!
Like others have said everything except the dumplings and flour tortillas are gluten free. Staff was helpful in helping me order and told kitchen staff about my condition to have them take extra precautions (although not really needed). I got a rice paper wrap and the spicy eggplant both were great!
Everything is gluten free except the flour tortillas (not used frequently) and dumplings. The Lona-Q is amazing.
Wonderful place for anyone with celiac. Everything except the dumplings are gf. Proteins, sauces, sides, etc are all safe. Wait can be long but it's worth it.
