Vegas Wok Takeaway. Vegas Wok is a busy, spicy, and affordable Chinese spot just off the Loop. I give it a 7.9/10 for flavorful, delicious Szechuan. It's a great choice if you're nearby and craving heat, big portions, and quick service. Just know what you're walking into. The food hits hard, but it's more of a casual lunch stop than a destination meal.
While it's a better version of the Chinese takeout I grew up with, the bar for Chinese and Asian food is very high in UCity. The dishes are authentic, and the prices still feel like a deal, but with so many great Asian restaurants in the area, this one lands just a little short of the best.
You'll still see plenty of college students grabbing something to eat here, no matter the time of day.
Vegas Wok Experience Summary
I finally went to Vegas Wok after driving past it hundreds of times. It was a Wednesday around 12:30 p.m., and the place was packed. We got the last open table. The crowd was mostly the WashU students you'd expect to see at this prime location off Delmar.
Combine relatively low prices with large portions, and you easily see why students love it, heck, I love it.
My friends and I were the only non-Asian group in the place, which is generally a good sign. They also have one menu fully in Chinese, another good sign.
Over the 90 minutes we were there, every table turned at least once. It runs like clockwork. You order at the counter, find your seat, and wait for your food to come out. No one takes your order at the table, and you pay up front. Even with the rush, the food came out in under 10 minutes.
The menu is partly in Chinese and partly in English, and the item numbers don't match up. I ended up ordering what the table next to me was eating, spicy beef in hot oil.
A 4 / 5 on the spice scale and a 7.9/10 on the flavor scale. I loved it.
To say it worked out well would be an understatement
Always get what the person next to you gets if you're unsure.
The Food At Vegas Wok
I ordered the spicy beef in hot oil. It turned out to be the most expensive thing on the menu at $17.99. It came in a bowl full of broth, cabbage, sprouts, and a generous serving of thinly sliced beef, with a side of rice.
It was spicy. Like, six-napkins, nose-running, face-burning spicy. in the best way.
I couldn't feel my tongue halfway through, but I kept going for the flavor.
When I first ordered it, I had pictured something more stir-fried, kind of like Cate Zone's beef dishes. But this was much more of a soup, and I wasn't totally mentally prepared for that.
There was way more broth than I expected, and I didn't finish it all. But the beef was great, and the rice helped balance the heat. The flavors were deep and sharp, just what you want from Sichuan food.
My buddy got the fish version of the same dish and liked it a lot. Our other buddy got pork with braised noodles. He said the noodles tasted a little like spaghetti, so probably not the texture he was hoping for.
Next time, I'd probably go for one of the pork options at $12.99. It's a better deal and still a ton of food.
All in, Vegas Wok doesn't quite match Cate Zone, Chilispot, or Corner 17, but it's still a solid option, especially if you're nearby and want something.
Vegas Wok Atmosphere And Miscellaneous
Vegas Wok's space is small and crowded, but it moves fast.
It's not fancy.
The tables are packed in, and it's loud during lunch. But everything runs smoothly. You order at the front, they bring your food out, and people are in and out fast.
There's no table service. You just grab a number, sit down, and wait. The menu layout can be confusing, but it's manageable if you know what you want. Or, do what I did, and ask someone what they got.
The setting was no-frills, built for speed, not comfort. It's a good place to grab a quick, spicy lunch with friends. Not somewhere you'd go for a long sit-down dinner.
Parking At Vegas Wok
Parking was fine. I usually find a spot on the street across the way. There was some construction nearby, but even with snow on the ground, I still got a spot without much trouble. Be ready to walk a block, but it's doable.
Vegas Wok Receipt
