South Grand is a half-mile stretch of Grand Boulevard between Tower Grove Park and Arsenal Street, dense with Vietnamese restaurants, Ethiopian places, Thai, Persian, Caribbean, vegan, and a smattering of bars. It is the most international stretch of dining in the city and has anchored the revival of the surrounding Tower Grove and Shaw neighbourhoods.
The Vietnamese restaurants are the standout — Mai Lee, Pho Grand, and Banh Mi So 1 among them — reflecting the city's substantial Vietnamese community, which arrived in waves from the late 1970s. The street is walkable for several blocks, parking is generally easy on a weeknight, and there is no single restaurant that requires reservations weeks ahead — but several worth booking a day or two in advance.