For more than 20 years, well before Third Degree opened its doors in 2002, numerous people could be seen parking outside our patio to grab a bite from Delmar Lee’s Chop Suey, the go-to place for area residents and Third Degree’s staff and artists alike for delicious Chinese takeout.
But recently, when the need arose to repair the façade on the building, TDGF co-founder Doug Auer saw it as an opportunity. His idea? To relocate the Lee family’s business to their own building, and claim the entire building at 5200 Delmar for Third Degree.
Renovations started late in 2015 at 5162 Delmar, an old fuel station used by Third Degree for equipment storage. Much of the interior had to be gutted and renovated to accommodate the new restaurant setup. See the renovation pics here:
While some finishing touches need to be added to the building, Delmar Lee’s is now open and back to the public and back to serving its loyal customers!
In a recent letter to neighbors in the West End neighborhood, Doug recommends some of his favorite dishes. “I’ve eaten pretty much everything he serves over the last 14 years. I should tell you his egg rolls are excellent, you can’t go wrong with his fried rice and if you’ve never had a St. Paul Sandwich – I’m told his are the best in town. Some of my favorites off the Combination Plate section: Green Pepper Beef, Hunan Beef, Garlic Chicken, Cashew Chicken, Hot Braised Chicken……and I always substitute steamed rice for the fried rice with the combo plates. The portions are large, and the service is fast.”
After making a trip to browse the gallery at Third Degree, stop by Delmar Lee’s in its new location and pick up some delicious takeout!