Malo (4156 Manchester), St. Louis’ newest tasting menu experience, recently opened in the former home of Lucy Quinn/Little Lucy in The Grove. The fine-dining concept from Jordan Goodman’s Good Hospitality comes on the heels of Chico Bueno, Goodman’s casual counter-service taqueria that opened next door in late June.
As Goodman told SLM earlier, the dual-concept restaurants’ names are a riff on “good boy” and “bad boy,” with both spaces maintaining a separate but cohesive identity. Open in the evening, Malo serves out-of-the-box offerings, with a walk-in cocktail bar and a reservations-only, 10-course tasting menu.
The tasting-menu experience is $125 per guest for dining table seating or $150 per guest at the chef’s counter. An optional beverage pairing is available for an additional $75 per guest. Dinner service lasts approximately three hours, allowing guests to settle into an intentionally paced dining experience. Reservations are available through Resy, with reservations released one month in advance.
Here’s what to know before you go.
The Atmosphere
The restaurant’s edgy personality is immediately apparent from the exterior and continues once you step inside. The cocktail bar is decorated with black-and-red accents, from the curtains and seating to the overhead lighting and tea-light candles.
Behind a red curtain, the dining room has a long communal table, designed to feel like a family dinner. “We want you to feel like you’re in our personal living room, having a great time and a great dining experience,” says chef Adrian Maldonado. Fresh floral arrangements designed by artist Holly Hennessey line the table and change weekly. Beautifully detailed coasters are an ode to Mexican art and heritage, along with the night’s menu, which is autographed by the evening’s hosts.
“We want to provide an elevated experience with all the touches of fine dining but not a stuffy solo experience,” says Good Hospitality’s Daisy Hudspeth.
The Service
The same attention to detail carries into the service. Guests are escorted to their assigned seats, identified by their party’s name at the top of the menu. Maldonado begins the evening by introducing guests to the kitchen and waitstaff, referring to everyone as “chefs,” an intentional choice that reflects his belief, support, and respect for his team.
The bowls are positioned in front of each guest, introducing the “chili fresca” concept—a customizable condiment that allows guests to control heat and acidity with pickled peppers based on personal preference. The team can accommodate many dietary restrictions with advance notice.
Before each course, Maldonado explains the dish and the creative decisions behind it, with one overarching message: Immerse yourself in the experience and, whenever possible, eat with your hands. That philosophy is evident throughout the tasting, as utensils aren’t necessary until midway through the meal, following an intermission.
The Menu
At both the cocktail bar and the dining room, the restaurant presents familiar ingredients in unexpected ways. Consider, for instance, a sampling of the bar’s small plates, cocktails, and agave spirits:
- Tomato & Corn Salad: Whipped queso fresco creates a smooth texture similar to whipped feta, and aguacate leaf oil paints the bowl a vibrant green.
- Shrimp Ceviche: The traditional bite-size pieces are swapped for whole tiger shrimp, delivering the same light, punchy flavors expected from a great ceviche.
- Lamb Barbacoa Burrito: Served with salsa de calabaza, this traditional dish offers a preview of the lamb served behind the curtain.
- Duck Carnitas: Served on blue and yellow tortillas, the carnitas make for an ideal summer bite with peach mole and peach escabeche.
- Guayaba: The duck carnitas are especially well paired with this fresh, light guava mezcal cocktail.
- Noche Negra: Think of this cocktail as mezcal-forward with Old Fashioned vibes.
Then there’s the tasting menu:
- Introductory bite: A tortilla with huitlacoche butter is a unique interpretation of bread and butter. (Later in the meal, actual bread is served, a nudge for guests to break bread as a symbol of community and fellowship.)
- Hamachi and Tetela: These courses are bright, fresh, and thoughtfully paired with drinks. The ingredients create sweet, sour, and salty flavors, from the chamoy and tamari in the hamachi to the salsa dulce, pineapple, and pickled onions in the tetela. The drink pairings follow suit, with a salty cucumber refresher accompanying the hamachi and a fermented pineapple drink served alongside the tetela. Aside from using a spoon to scoop the hamachi onto the tostada, both courses are meant to be enjoyed primarily by hand.
- Mole Negro: The dish features snap peas, corn mole to balance the richness, and pickled mushrooms standing in as the “meat.” Maldonado explains that “negro” refers to the cooking technique, with every ingredient charred before coming together in the finished dish. It’s paired with a Spanish GSM wine—a blend of Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre. Once the ceremonial bread is broken, it becomes the perfect vehicle for soaking up the remaining mole.
- Intermezzo: Guests are served a watermelon chia fresca alongside an unexpected bite skewered on a cocktail pick: pickled watermelon.
- Mackerel: The fish is brined overnight to remove much of the excess fat and oil commonly associated with mackerel. It’s served with pickled squash in a rich broth made from the fish’s bones, creating a deeply flavorful stock. After finishing with the spoon, guests are encouraged to pick up the bowl and drink the remaining broth.
- Lamb Barbacoa: As demonstrated throughout the meal, the lamb barbacoa continues the team’s philosophy of honoring traditional flavors through unconventional preparation and presentation. The roasted leg of lamb remains fork-tender without being fully braised and is served simply with a fresh tortilla and lime. Both the mackerel and barbacoa are accompanied by carefully selected wine pairings—primarily a Sauvignon Blanc for the fish and a Grenache-based red for the lamb.
- Dessert: Maldonado explains that each course intentionally becomes more comforting and homey as the meal progresses, culminating with two desserts: Pay de Queso, a Mexican cheesecake, and a Mexican wedding cookie, a bite he recalls always just showing up on the table while he was growing up. The final pairing is a smooth pour of tequila.
Dinner concludes with the entire team gathering around the communal table to thank guests before clinking glasses together in a toast to one another and the shared experience. Maldonado makes his way around the table, thanking each guest and opening conversations about the meal. Asked about his own background, he redirects the spotlight to the staff around him, sharing that while he hopes to recruit exceptional talent, his ultimate goal is to see them succeed in their own careers beyond the doors—and curtain—of Malo.
Malo
📍 4156 Manchester, The Grove
📞 314-571-9536
⏰ The tasting menu offers one seating at 6 p.m. Thursday–Saturday: The cocktail bar and à la carte menu are available from 5–10 p.m. Thursday-Sunday.
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