Gate E6 in Terminal 2 means Pei Wei is your hot option
Right by gate E6 in Terminal 2, Pei Wei covers the Chinese fast-casual slot once you’re past security. It runs from 10:00am until the last departure, so you can still get a rice bowl on a late Frontier flight. Expect a standard Pei Wei menu built around wok-fired stir-fries, fried rice, and noodles, ordered at the counter and called out by name.
Prices sit in the midrange for STL: most entrees land in the $11–$15 band, with add-ons like egg rolls and crab wontons pushing the total into the low $20s if you go hard on sides and a drink. Portions skew bigger than a typical food-court plate, so one main can be enough if you’ve got a flight under two hours and don’t want to feel weighed down.
As a post-security option in Terminal 2, Pei Wei mainly serves Southwest and Frontier passengers using the E-gates. The line spikes around the 11:30am–1:30pm and 5:00pm–7:00pm departure banks from E6–E18, since it’s one of the more substantial non-burger choices. If you’re tight on time, count on 10–15 minutes from order to food during the rush, a bit less in the mid-afternoon lull.
The menu usually includes orange chicken, Mongolian-style beef, Kung Pao, and a teriyaki or sesame option over white or brown rice or noodles. If you’re boarding a three-hour leg, go for rice over noodles; it travels a bit better and stays warm longer in a to-go box. For faster eating at the gate, stick to a single entree and skip soup, which is easy to spill in the E-gate seating area.
Tip: lines are shorter before the 10:30am Southwest bank, so if you’re on a noon-ish flight out of E6, grab an early bowl around 10:15–10:30am and eat at the gate while everyone else queues later.