Fox Park covers just 0.28 square miles, which means good lunch takeout near Fox Park is rarely more than a short walk or drive from wherever you’re standing. The harder part is choosing a place that’s fresh, fills you up and doesn’t leave you sluggish by 2 p.m.
We’re biased, so we’ll say so up front: this guide starts with our own shop on California Avenue. Then it covers the Saturday markets nearby, how to order, and how to vet any lunch spot before you head out.
Where is the best lunch takeout near Fox Park?
For fresh Asian food with a soul-food flare, the best lunch takeout near Fox Park is Lona’s LiL Eats at 2199 California Ave., St. Louis, MO 63104. It’s the home of the Giant Rice Paper Wrap, and you can reach the shop at (314) 925-8938.
Lona’s LiL Eats on California Avenue
The shop is the brick-and-mortar sibling of a stand that started in 2008 with one gas grill at Soulard Farmers Market. Owners Pierce and Lona live above the shop with their two children, Jane and Daniel, so when we say the place is run by the people who cook there, we mean the lights-on-upstairs kind of run.
The shop’s Fox Park location page has the details for finding us, and the hours and location page is the one to check before you go.
What a good takeout lunch should be
A good takeout lunch survives the trip. It should travel without turning soggy, fill you up without making you want a nap, and taste like someone cared about it.
Our own bar is simple. Ingredients are chopped fresh, there’s absolutely no MSG, and the seasonings and sauces are made from scratch, from peeling the garlic to roasting the peanuts. That’s slower than opening a jar, and you can taste the difference.
How close is Fox Park to Tower Grove?
They’re next-door neighbors, more or less. Wikipedia’s entry on Fox Park lists Tower Grove East among the neighborhoods that border it, and the entry on Tower Grove Park names Tower Grove East among the neighborhoods around the park.
Fox Park itself runs from Jefferson Avenue on the east to Nebraska Avenue on the west, with Interstate 44 to the north and Gravois Avenue to the south. Also on its edges are the Gate District, Compton Heights, Benton Park West and McKinley Heights.
So if you’re working or wandering around Tower Grove East, you’re already close to the California Avenue shop. Tower Grove Park itself is a different thing: 289 acres stretching 1.6 miles from Kingshighway Boulevard east to Grand Boulevard. It’s a park, not a neighborhood, and it is not inside Fox Park.
Wikipedia also notes that Feast Magazine said in 2024 that Fox Park has some of the best restaurants in St. Louis. Plenty of choices, then, which is why it pays to know what you’re looking for.
The neighborhood has deep roots, too. In the early 1880s it was an enclave for German Americans and Slavs, many of them craftsmen, and St. Francis de Sales Oratory, which sits on the National Register of Historic Places, still anchors the area. Good food has had a long runway here.
Tower Grove Park has its own story: Henry Shaw donated the land to the city in 1868, and it opened to the public in 1872. Picnics are held there throughout the year, so a takeout lunch eaten on the grass is a time-honored move.
Can I get lunch takeout on Saturdays?
Yes. Saturday is actually the best day to eat your way around the area, because two markets are running and our stand is at one of them.
Soulard Farmers Market on a Saturday
The stand at Soulard Farmers Market is open every Saturday lunch, the same spot where this whole business began. According to Wikipedia’s page on Soulard Farmers Market, Saturdays are the busiest days there, and the market has more than 140 vendors, many of whom only show up on Saturdays.
Show up hungry and a little early in the lunch window. Our Soulard Farmers Market page has more on the stand.
The Tower Grove Park farmers market
The Tower Grove Park market has run since 2006, May through October, and it’s held just west of the Wading Pool Pavilion with local and organic farmers. It’s a morning market, so think produce for the week rather than a hot lunch.
Here’s how the two compare at a glance:
| Market | When it runs | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Soulard Farmers Market | Wednesday through Saturday, all year | More than 140 vendors, busiest on Saturdays; our stand is there Saturday lunch |
| Tower Grove Park farmers market | May through October, Saturdays 8 to 12:30 | Just west of the Wading Pool Pavilion, local and organic farmers |
Since the park market wraps up at 12:30, the lunch plan writes itself: browse produce in the morning, then head to Soulard or the shop for the actual meal.
Soulard’s market has real history behind the folding tables. Wikipedia traces it to 1779, when farmers first brought goods to a flat meadow, and says Julia Soulard donated two city blocks by 1841-42 on condition that it stay a public marketplace. Its Grand Hall holds permanent shops such as bakeries, butcher shops, florists and a spice shop, so a Saturday trip can cover the week’s groceries and lunch in one go.
How do I order takeout from Lona’s LiL Eats?
For lunch takeout near Fox Park, order online through the links on our site, or call the shop at (314) 925-8938. The Dine-In and Take-Away Menu is the one to browse before you commit.
Hours and pickup arrangements can change, so confirm both on the hours and location page before heading over. A quick check beats standing at a locked door with a growling stomach.
What should I order for a filling lunch?
Start with the Giant Rice Paper Wrap, the dish we’re known for. Our food is filling without feeling heavy, which is exactly what a weekday lunch needs when the afternoon still has a meeting in it.
If you can’t decide, the full menu is worth a scroll, and our rundown of the best rice bowls in St. Louis is a good second stop if bowls are more your speed.
How do I check a lunch spot before I go?
Check three things: current hours, how ordering works, and whether the menu fits what you can eat. It takes two minutes and saves you a wasted trip.
Websites go stale. Our own page carried old notices that no longer applied, and plenty of other places have the same problem, so a phone call or a look at the live ordering page is more reliable than an old banner.
For market stands, check the day and season too. The Tower Grove Park market is a May through October, Saturday-morning thing, while Soulard keeps its Wednesday-through-Saturday schedule year-round.
Finally, ask about ingredients if it matters to you. For lunch takeout near Fox Park, that question is easy to answer here: fresh-chopped ingredients, no MSG, scratch-made sauces. Plenty of places will tell you whether they use MSG and make their sauces in-house, and the ones that do are usually glad you asked.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Giant Rice Paper Wrap filling?
Our food is filling without feeling heavy, and the Giant Rice Paper Wrap is the dish we’re best known for. It’s built for a lunch that keeps you going.
Does Lona’s LiL Eats use MSG?
No. We use absolutely no MSG, and we make our seasonings and sauces from scratch.
Is Tower Grove Park inside Fox Park?
No. Tower Grove Park is a 289-acre park on the south side of St. Louis, and Fox Park is a separate neighborhood. They share a neighbor in Tower Grove East.
Is Soulard Farmers Market open year-round?
Yes. Wikipedia describes it as open Wednesday through Saturday all year, and our stand there runs every Saturday lunch.
Sources
- Lona’s LiL Eats — Lona’s LiL Eats
- Fox Park, St. Louis — Wikipedia
- Tower Grove Park — Wikipedia
- Soulard Farmers Market — Wikipedia
Cover photo by MART PRODUCTION on Pexels
