Lefty's Fried Rice

I saw a social media post on Instagram regarding this restaurant. My husband and I love trying out new places to eat and judging for ourselves if it deserves the hype. Let's just say I was blown away with all of the combination choices available. I was in a panic because I didn't know what I wanted to try due to all of the selections at a reasonable price. I ended up settling on the Ultimate Fried rice. It has everything you can imagine in a fried rice. It was sooo good!!! From the first bite I was in heaven! My husband ordered a combination plate with chicken fried rice, 6 chicken wings, and crab ragoon. The styrofoam was so full he ate on that for 2 days. I can't wait to try something else from the menu next time. The person that took our order was polite and gave us some grace for being newbies who were indecisive in placing our order. We even got a discount for being a first time customer ☺️. Don't sleep on this spot. Run don't walk to visit Lefty's and enjoy one of the best spots in the Lou!!!!

New hours started this weekend, but it seemed like they weren't ready. I ordered 2 large special fried rice and a salmon combo plate. I stood at the counter for 15 minutes before they would let me order, then it took an hour to get my food. I tried to order online, but it was down. I tried to call my order in ahead of time, but my calls were unanswered, so I drove down. They were supposed to be open until 11, but closed at 7 and were turning people away at the door. The meat in my fried rice was kinda tough, the rice was okay, much better the second day. The salmon was very tasty. I would go back for the salmon.

(Ordered through DoorDash) The egg foo young and gravy was extremely tasty but a bit on the pricier side. And unfortunately, most of the white rice was dry and hard, and transferring the egg to my rice at home left a lot of that great gravy on the old rice. I wish there were more options on DD, such as: 1) Order the egg foo young a la carte 2) Upcharge to get fried rice instead of white rice 3) Order the gravy on the side The lobster rangoons were good. I've previously gotten their wings, fried rice, and rangoons and have no complaints about previous orders.

Well I tried this restaurant because of a review I saw. I tried the Voodoo rice a little spicy. It had everything in it. I was very impressed by the flavor. It was very tasty. For 15.99 it was so worth it. The customer service was very good. She was helpful and knowledgeable of what’s good for the first timer’s. The place smells amazing. I love that indeed. I totally recommend this restaurant and look forward to going back to try the St. Paul sandwich. So keep up the good work and I shall return.

The seafood fried rice was absolutely delicious. I’m honestly shocked only because we had it delivered and we are 20 miles or so from the location. The food was hot and I enjoyed my seafood fried rice directly out of the box. I’m huge on Stl style fried rice and this was done right. My seafood fried rice had real crab, lobster and shrimp in it. The cook on the rice was perfect and fried excellently. Even with it being fried, the rice still had an airy lightness to it. My wife had the chicken fried rice with extra veggies. We also really enjoyed the crab rangoon. I can’t wait to order again or visit their restaurant in south city. Bravo to them on a fine meal experience!

Listen this food is extremely good. And they are not slow from the time we ordered until we got our food was less then 20 mins

I have order multiple times on door dash and everything was perfect ...I like new china on gravois and this one ..but this is definitely the best Chinamen spot and is worth all the hype !!!! I have been to a lot of different Chinamen spots over the years and this is the best !!!!!!

Customer Service A++ Food A++ Cleanliness A++ I just watched the owner chase down two Flys saying " this ain't holey moley donut shop" lmao and the server was excellent. Great experience all around

Lefty's food is made to order. Prepare to wait for at least 30 minutes for your food. It's totally worth it. The customer service is impeccable.

Quick facts: Black owned , STL style Chinese food. Prepare for street parking. Service was typical of a fast casual restaurant. Easy to order online. Food: I tried the fried rice and chicken wings, both were too salty for my preference.

First time trying this place and likely my last. I've always heard good things about Lefty's and now I cannot understand why. The chicken wings which I ordered crispy, were over seasoned with cumin I believe and they were also very salty. The fried rice didn't have meat in it which I've never seen in a combination plate, and it was dry and a little bitter tasting. The only thing that was good was the egg roll. Even the broccoli I added extra wasn't good. So disappointed

Delicious- definitely a place that gives you such a solid amount of food for the price. My first time, and as a vegetarian, they knocked it OUT. Will be back asap - thank you !!

I can't remember the last time I had Fried Rice and wings! Lefty's lived up to the memory! Rice was definitely St. Louis style..meaning eggs and onions only. You'll have to add veggies if that's what you want. I added bean sprouts and Loved! Counter style ordering and mainly to go but very nice option if you choose to dine in. Lots of tables, spacious and clean. Service was quick and pleasant. Will return.

One of the 2 only African American owned Chinese restaurants in St Louis The presentation of the food is unmatched .The packaging and quantity for the price is the best in town. Give them a try!!

We've had Lefty's at a friend's house previously, and my husband has been obsessed with wanting to get it on our own. It's definitely our spot for Chinese food now, we won't go anywhere else. I will warn you that they have a pretty long wait, which is a good sign it's made fresh, but be prepared. Highly recommend putting in an online order so you know the right timing! Their menu was actually larger than we thought. We ended up with their specialty fried rice and the chicken fried rice - both super flavorful and delicious. My husband loved their wings, and I enjoyed their crab Rangoon and egg rolls. Everything was fantastic. Definitely a solid spot, we won't be going anywhere else for Chinese food ever again.

I ordered lefty's via uber eats on labor day (thank you for being open on a holiday!!) and it was quite good! I ordered. the dragon wings with a sriracha and ranch drizzle but they didn't arrive with the drizzle on them, however, were really spicy and baked well-great flavor. I also got the special fried rice in a big box, rice had great flavor but. I did expect the meat inside (chicken, beef, shrimp etc) to have been seasoned as well and it wasn't. The rice was still good with red pepper and soy sauce. Also had the crab rangoon which was good, pretty standard filling and taste, along with an egg roll. The shrimp po boy was really good and very fresh, likely my fav dish. Overall, good food, price point is a bit high but I would definitely try it again!

I love all things Asian, American style Chinese food included. Been wanting to try Lefty's fried rice for a while, but just could not work out the time. My experience was definitely five star. Ordered online and the process was easy and painless. My order was actually ready a few minutes early and as I was driving to pick up received a phone call to tell me. The gal who took my order was super kind and sweet and I love the decor when I walked in to Lefty. Saint Paul sandwich was huge and tasty and I enjoyed the fried rice. I will definitely be back to try some of the other options. Love, supporting small, independent business owners, and Lefty's definitely falls in that group!

Love the voodoo fried rice. Wonderful and welcoming service. I'll come back again for sure

Two days ago, I decided to order takeout from Lefty's Fried Rice. I ordered two chicken egg rolls, and a whole order of their Voodoo Fried Rice. The food was good. However, the service was VERY poor. I ordered & paid for my food online from home one hour in advance. I got there right when my food was supposed to be ready. It wasn't. I had to wait an additional TWENTY MINUTES for it! RIDICULOUS! And when I finally got it, no one apologized, or offered me a free item (egg roll, soda, etc.) for my inconvenience. And it wasn't like the place was packed. There were maybe 2-3 tables occupied. So they weren't getting slammed. Incidentally, at the 10-minute mark, the counter person contacted the kitchen on her walkie-talkie, asking where my order was. The cook replied, "I'm working on it." And then I heard the sound of him banging on his wok and cooking. So it seemed as if he had just started preparing my food. Like I said, the food was good. However, it's NOT worth waiting an additional 20 minutes for it, after having already ordered AND paid for it online an hour in advance.

Food good - Chinese Food Meets Cajun Cooking Service - great, nice. Ambiance is simple mom and pop place, nothing fancy and like your favorite local joint.

The food service was great,ambiance was nice. The place was clean. However the food was not good . My deluxe fried rice was very dark,dried out,hard rice ,meat was over cooked. The crab Rangoon was very flat , very little crabmeat filling. The wings were overcooked, dried out. I wasted 47.00. I drove 40 miles to eat here because of there reviews. Maybe I ordered the wrong food.

The hot braised cauliflower is so freaking good! The service is amazing, everyone is so nice. I love the vibe and the ambiance on the inside. I love supporting local businesses and this family is doin it right for St. Louis city! Thank you!!!

Um, Lefty's did NOT come to play with y'all!! @leftysfriedrice314 (on ig) is a black-owned Chinese food restaurant on the south side. Let me repeat that. BLACK OWNED HOOD RICE!!! (Because I, for one, cannot stand light-skinned fried rice with peas and carrots. What is that?! ) Why is a vegan so excited about this? Because last Friday they added vegan shrimp to their menu!! I ran down on 'em so fast, they didn't even have time to enter it into their POS. I ordered... Lemon Pepper Vegan Shrimp combo Vegan Orange Shrimp combo Hot Braised Vegan Shrimp combo The combos come with fried rice and a big spring roll. And then the manager (I'm assuming that was her role) ran out and made SURE the kitchen understood that no eggs went in the fried rice. LOVE TO SEE IT!!! They also offer veggie fried rice and fried cauliflower. I tried the Hot Braised Cauliflower and it was delicious as well. Food 100% Customer service 100% On my second visit I noticed that the rice was even better (more moist) than the previous visit, but the spring roll in my combo, and the vegan shrimp portions were both smaller. Also of note, if you order on their website do not bother putting in a specific time. They do not pay attention to that. I requested a 6:30pm time, but the food was made at 5:51pm. So by the time I made it there from my workout, the food had been sitting there for nearly and hour and was cold. HOWEVER, the manager remade my order, so no problem for me, I just want to inform others not to preorder unless you're picking it up right away. It is a restaurant, so you may grab a table and eat there. Various bottled/canned drinks available in their cold case. (Yes, the infamous fruit flavored sodas i.e. grape, peach, pineapple, etc are there too!) They accept cash, card, ApplePay. I won't be giving my fried rice money to any other establishment from now onward. They got me!

I got a chance to try Lefty's today at the Wash U graduation because they were a food vendor. Let me tell you my colleague and I got back to the office and was googling how far this place is away. Lol Seriously, their table at the graduation was crowded, and when we heard they were present on campus we ran to go grab us some grub. The food was amazing! You don't even need any condiments like soy sauce or sweet and sour because that's how well-cooked it is. The individuals working the table were pleasant, nice, and helpful in letting us know what options we could choose from. Guess who is making a trip to support the business this weekend? ME! You have a fan forever on errrthang!

I will definitely be back! A group of us were visiting St Louis and heard about Lefty's Fried Rice. We stopped by on our way to the airport (luggage and all). Put our suitcases and bags against the wall and put in our order. Everything we had was GREAT - Fried rice with chicken, spicy wings, pork egg rolls, they give plenty of extra sauces. (Soy sauce, sweet and sour, pepper sauce) The woman who runs the front of the restaurant was a true professional. She coordinated phone orders, in person orders, and delivery orders keeping everything smooth and flowing. She took care of us as we had been up late celebrating and arrived tired/ spaced out on our way home to San Francisco. See you next time I'm the area. Glad we found you Lefty's

This will be my go to spot every time I visit St Louis. As soon as we touched down from Houston we were hungry and needed a St Louis specialty and it did not disappoint. A black owned Chinese restaurant... yes please. I ordered the combination fried rice and a St. Paul and it did not disappoint. The food was fresh and lovely packaged. The customer service was great. Every person in the restaurant greeted me and my family. There was a cookie pop up inside that I also tried and the cookies were so delicious. Definitely give this place a try.

This is a Review I have to Give. Service Was Horrible,Young Lady Would Rather TEXT THAN HELP CUSTOMER WITH A REAL BAD ATTITUDE.I wanted fried rice cooked without soy sauce, they could not do that. Chinese don't eat fried rice cooked in soy sauce. Not a Good Frist Time Experience A Total Waste of Time.

This was my third visit. The first two times were delicious hence why I came back a third time. I immediately noticed a shift in the quality. No real crab or lobster meat and there was a mixture of both andouille sausage and what appeared and tasted like a hot dog. I figured it was used as a replacement to fill out the lack of chicken and barely seared shrimp. A real disappointment. I didn't call and complain nor did I leave a review because no one is perfect. But then a friend on social media asked if Lefty's was worth it and I did respond with what I experienced. The restaurant replied and in a most unprofessional way lacking any accountability and called me a liar when I chose to patronize their restaurant please review screen shots

I love my black folks, but I definitely wanna know where and how did the chef run with this ... great concept just over done if that's make sense .. I tried it twice I'm a regular south city Saint Louisan but idk maybe I'm Picking the wrong items ... the voodoo was good just not the second like on reheat... The beef noodles good just to rich flavor... lots of seasoning the steak was great thought really tender !! Wasn't a fan of the wings ..

Meh... We drove from Pittsburgh to St Louis to try Lefty's based on the reviews. Our experience was less than to be desired. When we first arrived we came with the intent to place a take out order inside @ 6:40PM when they close at 8 pm. The employee at the counter handed us menus and informed us there was a long wait for sit down orders.(which was an assumption because we didn't offer any additional information at that point) She further instructed us to proceed to place an online order because the online orders were faster than the in house ordering. She stated it would take around 45 minutes to make our food due to their current demand. Even though there was only 2 people in the restaurant. Then instead of taking our order at the counter she instructed us to go outside and order online because we would get our order quicker. Even after going to the car and ordering it still took 50 minutes to get our food. So why didn't she just take the order at the counter? I would hate to think that she was trying to deter us from placing an order. We should have left after that welcoming but wanted to give this business our support. Chicken: Ordered 6 Dragon party wings w/ sweet and sour. Someone from the kitchen came out yelling they didn't have sweet and sour which I explained to them cook them the normal way they're prepared . She responded rudely most people get them plain. If that's the case, I have to say the presentation was desirable however the wings had no seasoning at all. On top of that I did get charged the extra dollar for the sweet and sour which I didn't receive. Chicken St Paul: The chicken St Paul sandwich was like an egg foo young on bread with no seasoning and it tasted like the grease needed to be changed. Voodoo Fried Rice: The voodoo fried rice was tasty and was the only thing we kind of liked. Customer service really needs to be worked on. Would not recommend - very disappointed.

I pulled up to Lefty's incredibly excited. I was recommended this place, and on arrival it looked super cute. The ambiance is great, and the atmosphere is very calm and would make for a great date. When I arrived, there seemed to be a problem with their online ordering, so I ended up waiting for about 40 minutes past when I was told to get there, but things happen and I totally understand so I didn't mind waiting. I got their #2 combo with hot braised chicken, fried rice, and the crab Rangoon. At almost $16 after tax, it's a bit pricey for Chinese takeout, but the portions were very big and it looked amazing so I didn't really mind. Overall, though, I was definitely let down by the food. The crab rangoon was greasy and had little filling, and the rice was underwhelming flavor-wise. The sauce the hot braised chicken was in was super good, and the chicken was pretty tender and well cooked. I've heard great things about this place, so I plan on coming back and giving it a second chance, as I hope this experience was just a fluke.

The only black owned Chinese food restaurant in Missouri! Maybe the Midwest! And I'm glad I live close enough to enjoy it! They know what we like, and we like our brown fried rice, St. Paul sandwiches (a St. Louis favorite! It's an egg foo young patty in between 2 slices of bread. ) and their hot braised chicken (available in cauliflower too vegetarians!) every time I go to Lefty's I am never disappointed, I have enjoyed anything and everything that I have ordered from there. This place has a GREAT online ordering system too, so coming from across the river in Illinois, it is easy for me to order, and know exactly when I will be able to pick up so I can pick up my hot and fresh food in a jiffy! The owners are great people and I am glad this little known secret place is finally getting the recognition they deserve!

Oh every-time I visit Lefty's it's a whole vibe! From the moment I pull up, although there's always customers - finding a parking spot is smooth and easy. You can either park on the street - the side of the street - or the back parking lot. I ordered their Vegan Shrimp with rice and veggies - plus with a side of their Hot Braised Sauce with is DELICIOUS! I couldn't wait to get home to take my first bite because the aroma coming from the bag - OMG I just wanted a bite for the road! Lol ok - back to the food, it was super fresh and steam came out the moment I opened my lid. Oh I loved it! So the first bite - exactly what I knew it would be - beyond flavorful and perfect! The rice is seasoned well and not overpowering- oh and the veggies - my fave bc it's like how in the world do you make veggies not only have a crunch but seasoned like immaculately! And the vegan shrimp - when you try it, it speaks for itself. It's crispy, but not dry - if that makes sense. I called in my order and the woman working the register greeted me the moment I walked in the door. For sure a welcoming experience! I just love Lefty's and love when I'm on that part of town because I ALWAYS stop there for a good meal!

I've been wanting to try this restaurant for a while! This was my first time trying a St. Paul sandwich and I must say I was not disappointed. It's definitely a quick lunch or snack item. The hot braised chicken plate was delicious!! There is enough food on the plate for 2 days. I will be back. The only reason for not having 5 stars is my online order wasn't ready at the time I arrived and I had to wait another 10 minutes.

I was searching on yelp for someplace new and came across Lefty's. The food here is delicious!! So ordered the Voodoo Fried Rice, Dragon wings, noodles. It was so good I forgot to take a pic! This will be my go to place!! The service seemed very friendly however I just had mine to go. I'll stay and eat there next time.

This place had been on my radar for awhile. I finally got the opportunity one Friday after getting off work early. I stopped in for a visit with my sister to purchase several items to-go. First: Parking is absolutely horrid on Jefferson, so be careful. The space is fairly large. There is ample seating for indoor dining. The tables are draped with table cloths that need to be cleaned or wiped off. Orders are taken at the bar. They have a huge bar area. The day we stopped by, one of the owners was taking orders. She is very nice. She was helpful with suggestions regarding ordering. Second: The food...... Where do I begin??? I would think because it takes a good minute to obtain your order. I expected something really outstanding, at least halfway decent. I don't mind waiting for food, if it's good.....but this food isn't. The prices are outrageous for the quantity and especially the quality of food being served. The fried rice and fried noodles were bland. They were both greasy and tasted only of soy sauce and onions. There was no hint of seasoning. I was very disappointed. The fact that your entire business centers around St. Louis style Chinese food but represents nothing of the sort.........UUUhhmmmm that to me is a problem. The boneless hot braised chicken was nothing even close to hot-braised. The best part of the dish were the cheese fries.....now that is saying a lot and that is sad. I don't know if there was someone new cooking or if it was an off day, but I will never return to give them another try. I would not recommend this place at all. Unless the quality of their food improves drastically, it is not worth the trip.

Very nice place! They only have soft drinks out of a cooler but on a recent Friday my wife and I went and ordered and then had lunch outside. They do a brisk carryout business and the food was sold. My wife loved her noodle dish and their egg rolls were top notch. The best thing I had was the lobster ran good. Puffier she'll than normal Chewy crab rangoon shell. Super friendly. Clean Bathrooms. Very reasonably priced. Support these folks. It is a good place!

This place is delicious! Order online to save time waiting, you'll get texts when your order is ready for pickup. The Voodoo fried rice and hot braised chicken wings are my go-to, but 2 veggie spring rolls for $1 is a great deal. The shrimp St. Paul is also very good!

Everyone needs a little Lefty's Fried Rice in their life. The Voodoo Rice is some of the best fried rice I've had. Packed full of meat and flavor. The Shrimp St Paul was awesome! Everything was served hot and fresh! All the employees we encountered were all super nice!

Helpful, friendly, beautiful crew! Food was amazing, definitely highly recommended stopping by for dine in or take out! We got Voodoo Fried Rice, Chicken Fried Rice, and Fried Cauliflower bites - half servings of the fried rices and they're still huge portions that we ended up taking home left overs still Wish we lived near by because this would for sure be our go to place!

On 12/16/2023 I visited Lucky's Fried Rice, First off let me say the staff was more than pleasant, the restaurant was extremely clean and the music playing thru the speakers throughout the restaurant was quite nice. I saw the restaurant being featured on YouTube by a local st louis foody so I thought I would patronize this establishment. Now about the food, I specifically went there for the Voodoo Fried Rice dish which contained Chicken, Shrimp, Crab, Lobster, Turkey Sausage, Eggs, Onions, Green Onion, Green/Red Pepper and Bean Sprouts, chicken lomein and four chicken egg rolls; the rice was basic and nothing special and aside from the shrimp, the difference types of seafood that was to be featured in the dish were pulling a disappearing act, the lomein noodles where decent but the chicken was super dry, the highlight of the whole order was the chicken egg rolls. Won't be returning to this establishment again.

Customer service is top tier. Friendly and fun staff. The food is absolutely amazing!!! I've been a loyal fan since Lefty's opened.

First let me say I got lucky stumbling upon this place! I had the ham fried rice and crab rangoon, I don't know what they do differently but OMG! Delicious!! Love the spicy flavor, not greasy at all and the half order fed 2 of us! I just wish I would have had time to go back before leaving town. The service was excellent! She was very personable, made you feel like family. Next time I'm in St Louis I'm making a daily stop!

Tried this today and unfortunately, it's a no go for me. The presentation was beautiful of the rice (we got plain fried rice and a St Paul) in a nice brightly colored yellow logo box, so I was ready. The rice was packed to the brim, but was greasy, and stiff. The egg, onion, peppers ratio was skimpy, and I could taste a LaChoy flavor soy sauce throughout the meal, which was overpowering, leaving an after taste. It gave me the "I made it myself at home, not takeout flair." The St Paul was super thick, with 2 pickles, the texture was weird tasting and rubbery. It had good seasoning like that used on tripe sandwiches. The bread was not the standard thin bread, it was thick and doughy like brioche bread. Don't know what was used as lettuce, it looked like a collard green leaf and really didn't add anything to the sandwich. I am lover of this St Louis classic sandwich, so again, I was disappointed. While I hate my experience did not fair well for me, I wish them well, because I know a lot of people like their cuisine.

Well I finally made it to Lefty's to try and compare their Chinese food to other Chinese restaurants I've eaten at. Overall I was dissatisfied, I have home chefs that have cooked Chinese food better than this! There was much to be desired for hood chinese food. I'mma start with the best thing I had which was a grilled cheese sandwich with fries, that was good and the best of what I sampled. The grilled cheese sandwich was golden and creamy, no special cheese but good nonetheless. The fries was good, nothing special, probably Frozen but cooked good and Inate those plain no salt or ketchup. It was just the best tasting thing that I had from Lefty's. The next thing I ate that was pretty good was the vegetable egg rolls, however, it was about a third of the size of a regular egg roll that I normally have bought Ithe freezer section at the local grocery. I've bought Frozen egg rolls out of the grocery store that tasted better than these did. I am sure these are probably frozen as well and Lefty's just cooks them there. The vegetable egg rolls were not spectacular, they were good, and priced right. You get two for a dollar, but when you look at what you are getting you can understand why it's two for a dollar, the egg rolls was about the size of my thumb. Then I had the St Paul and you know what that St Paul was not good at all! I have made scrambled egg sandwiches that tasted better, I don't know what it is they're doing different from when I used to read the reviews on Lefty's they were like top of the line reviews and now I don't see myself wanting to eat there on a regular basis. The St Paul was dark in color and did not look appetizing at all, I have never seen eggs that dark before unless it was burnt and it didn't taste burnt but it just didn't have any flavor and it wasn't soy sauce they had mixed with it and it did not taste like a fresh st. Paul I have ever had out of any restaurant. It just didn't have any flavor. Tastes like a lot of the food had baking soda in it to preserve it or something? I then had the fried rice and as you can see in the photos, I got the plain fried rice on purpose, because, I want to try and see how was the rice. That's the key; that's what I'm eating and I was not impressed with the fried rice at all! I've had home chefs that have cooked fried rice better than this fried rice. Even after I doctored it up it wasn't nothing that I would be like wow this is awesome. I can still tell that the rice was lacking in something flavorful and exciting form Chinese rice I had eaten in the past. And I got the lo mein noodles they were okay but again, I don't know what it is, I was not feeling like wow these are some delicious noodles that I really want to drive an extra 20 miles to get too, I just didn't get a hungry feeling to eat those noodles. I feel like I can make noodles as good as these at home probably just as good. I can just go around the corner and get them less than 2 mi from the house instead of driving from Spanish lake to South St Louis city to be disappointed. I ordered regular noodles with the broth and they were okay, I mean again they were not spectacular it was nothing that blew my socks off. It ain't like I want to just get this broth and have these noodles. I would not make a special trip to get these noodles, moreover, I just was not feeling this food at all. You can go by Lefty's and try some of the food yourself, me personally I tried several of the dishes and I'm I'm good on them, I probably won't be making a special trip back there. I'll probably get some other restaurants a chance to earn my business to see if I can get the excitement and the flavor I want out of authentic Chinese food! At least close to what I consider authentic Hood Chinese food.

I came here from out of town! The service and ambience was great. The food was delicious. I had the Combination fried rice and it was lovely. My friends had the Special fried rice and the dragon wings and thoroughly enjoyed them. The prices were reasonable. When I come back to St. Louis I'll definitely be back.

As a St. Louisan, I'm serious about my neighborhood Chinese restaurants. We are well known all over the country for them. My expectations are 1. The rice must be dark brown. 2. The restaurant must be in a sketchy neighborhood (Not a place you want to eat inside) 3. They must have a good St. Paul sandwich. My first impression was great. Their online ordering was easy to navigate. The S. Jefferson location is a sketchy neighborhood, but not during the day. When I entered the restaurant, I fell in love! I smelled floors moped with pine-sol. I heard a spatula slapping a wok. And "Get Money" by Junior M.A.F.I.A. on the speakers. A lot better than your typical corner restaurant. That's when things avalanched. There were two people upon my arrival, but within five minutes of waiting there were eleven. I like these situations to let me know what an establishment is made of. The manager explained that he only had one cook that day. Some customers understood. Some walked out. I completely understand being short staffed. And they handled it as professionally as possible. The food was more flavorful than I've had in a long time. My orange chicken combination plate had fried rice and noodles which is a nice touch. I tried their voo doo fried rice. It had chicken, pork, crab, and veggies. I give it an 8/10 for flavor. But the half order was more than what I'm used to. All the portions were generous. The best part of my meal was the Shrimp St. Paul. I have no idea what it is, but the flavor is top tier. I definitely recommend this place. I will continue to give them my business. A black owned and operated Chinese restaurant that's true to its culture.

My friend recommended coming to Lefty's and I highly recommend it if you are craving fried rice. The food comes out fresh and hot. The price is cheap for the amount of food you get. I recommend those that do not eat a lot to get a half because it is A LOT! Staff was also very sweet and attentive.

Some of the best Chinese food in STL & it's Black-owned! My only downfall with this establishment is that they need to update their hours. Came down on a weekday. Hours said they were open but they were closed when I got there.

We were excited to give this place a try but are definitely underwhelmed. My rice is salty and crunchy, the noodles are over cooked, and my wings are bloody and flavorless. Should have known something was up when they "lost my ticket" for an order placed inside the restaurant. It took about 45 minutes just to get my order, only to bring it home and now be able to eat it.

The posted hours state open at 11am. The outgoing VM recording stated open at 11am. The website wouldn't even accept online orders at 11:45am so I drove to the location to order. I was standing in the rain at 12:02 with 2 other customers. The host/server could clearly see us and made us wait. Once inside it continued to get worse. The same employee went about her business, making calls to manager to report the issue with the hours, stocking napkins and doing everything to avoid taking care of the matter at hand.. serving customers as we stood at the register. By the time we has our orders taken it was 12:15 and the line had grown to 6 (one guy walked out without ordering) We heard about how super busy the morning was with unloading a truck, etc. It's interesting though, someone has time to light the incense (gross) and turn on music. It's noon.. it's lunchtime.. hello!! So many missed opportunities to salvage the experience but.. no. Guests should never feel like a bother. So tacky!

I really wanted to like & support this restaurant but can't ignore the deceit & lack of business preparedness. I tried them on a Friday. They were out of 1/2 of their menu items then still charged me for items they couldn't provide. They refused to compensate me for item paid for but not received. Food overall that I did receive was average.

3/11/24 6:25 pm I place an online order for cauliflower plates with rice, all paid up. I drive from about 20 minutes in Illinois to patronize a black business that I love and visit frequently 6:45 pm. I arrive at the restaurant to get my food. I ask the person at the chest to ensure there is no eggs in my rice because I am vegan. They agree. They tell me my food should be ready in 10-15 minutes. 7:05 I check back in, they hey say give them another 10 minutes. No problem. I want my food hot and fresh. 7:19 I go inside to get my food and I am told they don't have any cauliflower. Bear in mind I am vegan... they ask me if I want to order chicken instead. No one apologizes for the hour wait. No one offers to comp me anything. They gladly refunded my money and send me on my way. I have been here multiple times and never had an experience like this. They could have offered to give me the rest of my order minus the cauliflower. That would have been rice and an egg roll for the inconvenience. Instead, they disregarded my 40 minute commute both ways and sent me away hungry. I am very disappointed.

I was in town & ate a Saint Paul it was soooo good that I cried so I wanted one sooo bad that I called to see if they would ship me food to Florida & baby they did! It comes frozen with cooking instructions. They even through in their signature sauce. Thank you guys sooo much. The service is good all the way to Florida

The noodles were horrible. No flavor at all. The hot braised cauliflower was fantastic. Service was great.

We are going to become regular customers. We had Voodoo Fried Rice and it was awesome. So Fresh. Very friendly staff. Make the trip in.

I had heard great things about Lefty's Fried Rice from various people. My stylist is basically across the street and I had never paid attention to the sign (duh ‍). So let me tell y'all what!!!.... The smell of incense greets you at the door and that was a first for me, but by the time I left I understood why that was a great idea (at least for me). The Customer Service was amazing and ENTERTAINING! The gentleman that took my order, whom a customer called #kevinhart, kept everyone engaged while doing Facebook Live, packing orders, offering suggestions, cleaning/bussing a few tables, and smiling the entire time! Even if I didn't enjoy one bite of my meal, it was worth the drive and time just to enjoy the customer service. However, I am giving kudos where they belong: I really enjoyed my meal! The Beef St. Paul Sliders with fries are perfect for lunch and they were not greasy like some St. Paul Sandwiches can be(and y'all know what I am talking about). I ordered a combination plate so I could taste a few different things: Voodoo Fried Rice (their version of special fried rice), Crab Rangoon, and Dragon Wings. Another #foodie in the #stl area and myself have been searching for good crab rangoon and I enjoyed the ones I had today. It was obvious they made in-house and not store bought, the taste was on point! The Voodoo Fried Rice was great...I love that they made it their own with the ingredients they use and the sausage adds some different flavor to our traditional "Chinamen/Rice House" that you can only find here in the St. Louis Metropolitan Area. My daughter enjoyed the Dragon Wings and said she would definitely be visiting soon. #leftysfriedrice #leftysfriedricestl #stlmetrofoodie