Social Profile: 
✔️Brunch ✔️Lunch ✔️Dinner ✔️Dine in ✔️Take out ✔️Delivery
… View more
Welcome to The BAO, a modern asian restaurant and cocktail bar located in the heart of Clayton, Missouri. We’re a team of passionate food lovers and experienced chefs who believe that great food is about more than just a meal, it’s a journey, a memory, and a celebration of flavor.
Stylish, contemporary restaurant serving Asian-fusion plates, plus classic & inventive cocktails.
Hours
| Monday | 11 AM–2 PM, 4–10 PM |
| Tuesday | 11 AM–2 PM, 4–10 PM |
| Wednesday | 11 AM–2 PM, 4–10 PM |
| Thursday | 11 AM–2 PM, 4–10 PM |
| Friday | 11 AM–2 PM, 4–10 PM |
| Saturday | 11 AM–2 PM, 4–10 PM |
| Sunday | 4–10 PM |
Address and Contact Information
Address: 14 N Central Ave, Clayton, MO 63105
Phone: (314) 899-9089
Website: http://www.thebaostl.com/
Menu Photos
Order and Reservations
Reservations: thebaousa.comthebaostl.wixsite.com
Order: Order online
Photo Gallery
Related Web Results
The BAO – Clayton, MO
Looking for the best Asian restaurant in Clayton, MO? The BAO serves steamed buns, udon, rice bowls & cocktails steps from downtown. Open 7 days a week.
Reservations – The BAO
Reservations are currently not enabled through SpotHopper’s New Reservation Management System. (If you are an employee here and think this is not right, …
the BAO (@thebaostl) · Clayton, MO – Instagram
9.5K+ followers · 1.9K+ posts · Bun & Bar Bao / Rice / Udon Lunch (Mon-Sat): 11am – 2pm Dinner (7 days): 4pm – 10 pm.
Last Updates
Reviews
A Hart
Stopped for lunch with the husband, good atmosphere, very comfortable inside. We ordered a lot as we like to try bunches even if we have leftovers to take home. The server was really great, answered our questions and made us some delicious mocktails.
The food! The food was really good, I especially loved the popcorn tofu and the soft shell crab bao.
Definitely reccomend, also seems like it would be a great dinner date spot!
… moreThe food! The food was really good, I especially loved the popcorn tofu and the soft shell crab bao.
Definitely reccomend, also seems like it would be a great dinner date spot!
Dana
BAO in Clayton is my top choice for Asian food in the area, maybe even in all of St. Louis! Whenever I want Asian food, I head straight to BAO. I’ve been here many times with friends and even for quick lunches alone. The food is always amazing, so I’ve challenged myself to try everything on the menu—I’m almost done!
My favorite dishes are the Mala Soup Udon with BBQ pork and Mala Popcorn. They taste incredible and keep me coming back for more. Surprisingly, they also have some of the best French fries I’ve had in Clayton!
In short, BAO is my favorite spot for tasty Asian food and a great time. I’ll definitely keep returning!
… moreMy favorite dishes are the Mala Soup Udon with BBQ pork and Mala Popcorn. They taste incredible and keep me coming back for more. Surprisingly, they also have some of the best French fries I’ve had in Clayton!
In short, BAO is my favorite spot for tasty Asian food and a great time. I’ll definitely keep returning!
Michael Chang
Ordered Bao, fries, and udon for a late night dinner. I’d come back and try more baos. Here’s the breakdown.
Bao buns were perfect and yummy. The fries were amazing with the aioli.
Teriyaki Bacon bao – bacon was super thin and well cooked. Our least fav. pretty much tastes like bacon.
Kakuni – Our fav. Good kimchi and pork belly flavor with good texture.
Gangnam – Fried chicken was great with good flavors but almost overpowering.
Udon – The yuzu broth was the best part – light and summer like flavor. Katsu tofu was well cooked but the noodles were soggy. Udon noodles should have that chewy texture with good mouthfeel.
… moreBao buns were perfect and yummy. The fries were amazing with the aioli.
Teriyaki Bacon bao – bacon was super thin and well cooked. Our least fav. pretty much tastes like bacon.
Kakuni – Our fav. Good kimchi and pork belly flavor with good texture.
Gangnam – Fried chicken was great with good flavors but almost overpowering.
Udon – The yuzu broth was the best part – light and summer like flavor. Katsu tofu was well cooked but the noodles were soggy. Udon noodles should have that chewy texture with good mouthfeel.
Ryan Westendorf
Incredible food & drinks, great atmosphere, and very attentive and friendly staff.
I sat at the bar and the bartender was great. I sat down at 5:55pm and they made sure to ask for my appetizer and drink order before happy hour stopped at 6:00pm. Highly recommend the old fashioned and steamed gyoza.
I got the 3-bao special for my entree – Gangnam chicken, kimchi wagyu, and kakuni (pork belly).
I had never had bao before this and it certainly exceeded my already high expectations. Best meal I’ve had in a long time.
… moreI sat at the bar and the bartender was great. I sat down at 5:55pm and they made sure to ask for my appetizer and drink order before happy hour stopped at 6:00pm. Highly recommend the old fashioned and steamed gyoza.
I got the 3-bao special for my entree – Gangnam chicken, kimchi wagyu, and kakuni (pork belly).
I had never had bao before this and it certainly exceeded my already high expectations. Best meal I’ve had in a long time.
Rae G-Lifeguard
My friend Melanie and I had a leisurely lunch here on a lovely Monday afternoon and it was great! We both had three bao and split the tuna nachos, which were divine! The server was lovely and had great recommendations for the soft shell crab, and she was correct! I ordered the Thai iced coffee as well, and it was delicious! I highly recommend this place for lunch, because it was utterly lovely!
… moreDavid Ortega
Great location with a dim lit atmosphere. Food was outstanding and the BAO is delicious and worth returning to this location to get. The Caviar fish BAO was light and flavorful, the soft shell crab was delicious and unique, and the Bangkok chicken was a remarkable recommendation and ended up being my favorite. The buns were light and filling at the same time, and their soups were hardy and loaded. Our service was awesome despite how busy the location was.
Reservation is recommended!
… moreReservation is recommended!
Benjamin Mossinghoff
The food was solid, the service was fantastic on a busy Friday night, and the atmosphere was great. We had a terrific time tonight while we were at the restaurant. We mainly got food to share and 2 cocktails. We had: An order of the wagyu loaded fries, an aviator, a yuzu Yakuza, and the survivor combo with the sweet chili tofu bao, kukuna bao, and the softshell crab bao. The experience at the restaurant was really enjoyable with a very clear allergy menu. Shout out to the bar tender and team for the great hospitality and service tonight.
… moreJordan
The first time I went to Bao was with some friends and I was so impressed that I vowed to come back asap. This Labor Day weekend, I treated my family to Bao (for dinner) and they left full and satisfied! I had the shrimp Bao and it was delicious. If you’re looking for an Asian dinner spot, Bao is perfect for a date night or a night out with friends. I will return with other friends and family!
… moreBen Shakman
Moving my reviews over from Yelp. This is a place I’ve returned to time and time again over the years. Originally published 6/24/18:
Go here now! Get some bao! That’s really all you need to know!
More details? Sure.
We went here for the first time with the International Supper Club – an ad-hoc group of Yelpers who enjoy trying cuisines from other countries.
Bao are buns. We had a discussion at the table about what makes them unique but we never got to the bottom of it. I did a little research before sitting down to write this review and the answer is that it is a relatively standard dough that is steamed instead of baked. When the restaurant griddles them lightly they pick up an even more unique combination of flavors and textures.
I ordered a couple of appetizers: dumplings and wings. Both were quite good but the wings were the more unique of the two. Think of wings that are coated in a bunch of less common ingredients like lemongrass and rice powder and you’re on the right track.
I chose the three little bao for dinner and they came out on a small wooden cutting board. The first one I grabbed turned out to be my favorite – it was stuffed with tempura-fried slices of tofu and yam then topped with a house-made sauce and a few leaves of cilantro. Next up was the pork belly, followed by the waygu beef. Odd as it seems, the first one remained my favorite by a long shot. I also snagged a bite of the kids’ char siu bao and they were something I could see myself ordering on a future visit.
… moreGo here now! Get some bao! That’s really all you need to know!
More details? Sure.
We went here for the first time with the International Supper Club – an ad-hoc group of Yelpers who enjoy trying cuisines from other countries.
Bao are buns. We had a discussion at the table about what makes them unique but we never got to the bottom of it. I did a little research before sitting down to write this review and the answer is that it is a relatively standard dough that is steamed instead of baked. When the restaurant griddles them lightly they pick up an even more unique combination of flavors and textures.
I ordered a couple of appetizers: dumplings and wings. Both were quite good but the wings were the more unique of the two. Think of wings that are coated in a bunch of less common ingredients like lemongrass and rice powder and you’re on the right track.
I chose the three little bao for dinner and they came out on a small wooden cutting board. The first one I grabbed turned out to be my favorite – it was stuffed with tempura-fried slices of tofu and yam then topped with a house-made sauce and a few leaves of cilantro. Next up was the pork belly, followed by the waygu beef. Odd as it seems, the first one remained my favorite by a long shot. I also snagged a bite of the kids’ char siu bao and they were something I could see myself ordering on a future visit.
Harleigh Hildebrand
This place has been a favorite date night spot for a couple years. We love it! Best fries ever! Great appetizers and bao. Buns are perfect. Only recently bummed because they changed their spring rolls…they have pork now and are completely different than the ones I used to love.
… more