U-City Grill Takeaway. Affordable, no frills, no thrills, delicious Korean food. The go-to lunch spot for my buddies and me in U-City. 7.5 / 10 bibimbob and bokumbob. The "most expensive" item on the menu is $8.95. My favorites are only $6.95. Great flavors in in the meats and sauces. I can't ask for more for the price point.
One of my favorite Asian restaurants in St. Louis.
No real external signage. It's a hole in the wall on the westernmost side of the Delmar Loop. It's cash only, so bring a ten. Limited to maybe 10 counter seats in the entire restaurant. The owner cooks right in front of you while you eat. The seats get really uncomfortable after an hour. Free, infinite parking right outside the entrance.
U-City Grill Experience Summary
My buddies and I headed to U-City Grill as part of a Friday afternoon traditional last week.
A couple of years ago, we went searching for a lunch spot where we could meet up once a month to catch up. After trying tacos and sandwiches up and down Delmar, we landed at the U-City Grill as our go-to.
Now, one Friday a month, you'll find us taking up half the restaurant chatting about weekend plans, politics, and NPR while enjoying one of the most affordable menus in St. Louis.
For under $10 in cash, you can choose from a half dozen or so Korean-style lunches. We've enjoyed the whole menu essentially at this point, but the bulgoki, bokumbob, and bibimbob with a protein of choice have become our standard orders.
In other words, half the menu.
While we've eaten here upwards of 15 times, which I think would classify us as regulars, I've never spoken more than two words at a time to the owner. He serves and cooks the food in front of you, offering a hibachi-style lunch with exactly zero of the theatrics.
Think of the U-City Grill as the Toyota Corolla of Asian lunch spots in U City. Dependable, cheap, and a great place to create memories with friends.
The Food At U-City Grill
We've been to the U-City Grill maybe ten to fifteen times over the past two years. For under $10 in cash, you get a filling meal in under twenty minutes.
I've sampled and enjoyed maybe half the menu in that time. I've had the bulgoki chicken, bulgoki pork, bokumbob, and bibimbob.
On this day and for this review, I went with the bokumbob. More ricey than the rest of the menu, it reminds me of a really good Benihana-style fried rice. With an egg and carrots mixed in, the chicken and rice combo absorbs all the sauce, creating a mouth-watering bite in every forkful. It's a little heavy on the carrot strips, but delicious.
I give this dish a 7.2 / 10 on the Asian flavor scale. I'd say the bulgogi steak or pork can push a 7.5 while everything on the menu hovers in that low 7 range.
The $6.95 price point really makes the lunch special. That's as good of a deal as you will find in all of St. Louis for the quality of food. You will get change back from a $10 bill after tax and tip.
U-City Grill Atmosphere And Miscellaneous
The U-City Grill is such a hole-in-the-wall that it doesn't even have any active signage. The open sign barely lights up, and you can't tell if the door will open until you pull on it.
The owner is a quiet man who cooks the food in front of you on the stove as you eat at the counter. In what feels like an old diner, the ten or so well-loved stools provide the only seating in the house. Besides maybe a fridge for drinks, it's just you, the owner, the menu, and a counter.
The small digs mean that the service is speedy. You'll get your food ten minutes from the time you order.
My buddies and I usually spend an hour hanging out, but at that point, my butt starts to ache from sitting on the stools with not quite enough legroom for an adult male. No complaints. Just don't plan on spending more than an hour.
Parking At U-City Grill
The Grill can be found in most western parts of the Loop. And it backs onto the free parking lots that line the loop's Northside. That means you have free, infinite parking right outside the restaurant.
U-City Grill Receipt
To Come
