Everything about this place was HOT besides its location and uncleanliness. But, I guess sometimes you gotta go to a hole-in-the-wall type of restaurant to get the best Thai/Laotian food. Trust me, I questioned myself as I drove over 20 miles to get here, just for Thai food, but by the time I left with a filled and satisfied stomach, I knew that I'll be coming back. LOCATION: This place is super close to the airport so it's a perfect location for those who want to grab a bite before boarding the plane or just arriving to Atlanta. From the outside appearance of this small strip of businesses, it looks super sketchy and perhaps, kinda scary....so lock those car doors and hide your valuables when you're here. When you walk into the restaurant, you'll noticed the cashier to your right and cabinets full of Asian remedy products that you can purchase. If you know anything about Asian establishments, especially the old school ones, this is pretty normal. And it doesn't look the cleanest, with buckets of water for the leaking ceiling and tables/chairs looking run downed. But, don't feel disgusted or intimidated by this, because trust me, the food is worth it. SERVICE: We were one of the two parties that were there so service was pretty quick despite that there were only two ladies there. They are super friendly and it seems like they get a lot of regulars here. We ordered and got our food pretty quickly. FOOD: Everything that we got here was pretty yummy. Although I believe that it's a little pricier than I expected, I think it's definitely worth the price for it's authentic taste. While we were there, we got 5 piece chicken wings, sticky rice, papaya salad, and two Banh canh. This was the only place that serves Thai/Laotian Banh canhs and although it wasn't as good as the ones I've had in Thailand, it did satisfy my Banh canh cravings. The chicken wings and papaya salad were so good and authentic. Nostalgia hit hard because it reminded me of my go-to chicken wing stands and papaya stands that I went to while I lived in Thailand for a year...and trust me, eating those chicken wings and papaya salad tricked my taste buds and stomach into thinking that I was in Thailand. Our tab came out to be around $33, which isn't too bad for what we got. We couldn't finished all of our food and to-go some of it as well. Overall, I'll definitely come here again for those chicken wings and papaya salad. So, come here if you want to experience an authentic Thai/Laotian experience and don't be intimated and turned off by its location or decor...because I honestly feel like it's the product of their location and that's why everything looks so run-downed. read more

Hot Cafe - Thai Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

Everyone and their mothers have told me to check this place out whenever I'm in the area, so I finally got to try this place last night. The parking/area was pretty sketch, when you walk into the restaurant, it seems pretty sketch as well and SUPER quiet and dark. The only noises you hear are from the kitchen and the tv in the corner. It did not seem like a place that would serve up some good food BUT never judge a book by its cover :) My boyfriend ordered the red curry and I ordered Papaya Salad (mild) and Lad Na. I did asked how spicy it was and the waitress told us it's going to be a Thai person's spicy, which is exactly how I wanted it. Food was great and the waitress was nice. If it wasn't for the sketchy area, I would give them 5 stars. read more

Papaya Salad + Sticky Rice + Wings = Winning Papaya Salad + Sticky Rice + Wings = Winning Papaya Salad + Sticky Rice + Wings = Winning read more

Hot Cafe is the definition of a hole in the wall, and you might even find a few things crawling out of the walls here. Don't be deterred though! This is the best spot for Laos/ Thai-style fried chicken wings, beef jerky, Laos sausage, tom yum soup, and kha piek. It also doubles as a store front, so if you're looking for items like sugar cane or baby duck egg, you can often find them here. It's a good neighborhood spot, and family style is the best way to go in my opinion. read more

I love it here . Been eating here for years ! Great service and food. Anything on the menu is authentic and mouthwatering

This is as authentic as Laos/Thai food gets besides a home cooked meal. Their food is packed with a lot of flavors and will make you crave for more soon as you leave the store! They specially make Tom Yum Shrimp Soup with noodles for me and practically remember me because I always ask for it since it's not on the menu. But It's basically Tom Yum soup with pho noodles in there and it's so good! I always fear ordering Tom Yum elsewhere because I'm afraid they won't be up to par! This place really set the bar high!! I also like how this restaurant is also a store. I can buy strawberry Fanta in a glass bottle and also buy Balut aka "kai luke". Whenever I stop by this side of town, I always try to stop by here! It's always worth the visit whether you're pressed for time or just want some genuine Laos/Thai food. read more

I decided I needed to update my review since my original was pretty short considering how much I love this place. First off, yes, it serves pho and if you're on the south side it's a solid option for pho. It tastes great and there's a wide selection of additions you can put in that you sometimes don't see at other Vietnamese pho shops like peanuts and a few extra chili sauces. However, if you want pho I might recommend VN pho or Pho Dai Loi II which are both about 10 to 15 minutes away. What you come here for is the Lao food. Yeah, there's Chinese stuff on the menu but ignore it. The food here is basically just home cooking similar to what I've gotten at the houses of Lao friends. Here's a breakdown of some highlights of the menu. Appetizers: Sticky rice (Menu says "Glutinous Rice"): Get some. Even if you've never had it. Reach into the basket they give you, ball up some rice with your hand and use it like you'd use a biscuit to sop up gravy, sauces, or pinch off other foods like laab, papaya salad or pieces of chicken or sausage. The smallest size is enough for one person. Papaya salad: A spicy mix of mostly papaya, tomatoes and chilies served with some strips of cabbage and pork grinds that you can pair with it. You can add a bite of papaya salad to pretty much anything else on your table and it's going to be good. Meatballs: comes with a sweet sauce similar to what you usually would get with spring rolls at any other Vietnamese shop. Another good food to eat with your hands. Chicken: It's really just chicken wings like you'd get at most Chinese places but paired with sticky rice, papaya salad, or some Jaew Bong it's really awesome. Sausage: I think it's called fried sausage on the menu but it's a Lao sausage with a mostly sweet taste and a little bit of spice. Again, good with sticky rice. You know what, just assume everything is good with the sticky rice. Jaew Bong: It's not on the menu, you'll have to ask for it. It's a semi-spicy paste made from chilies, galangal and fish sauce. Sounds kind of gross to people not used to Asian foods but trust me, it's not gross at all. Good for pairing with a meat or rice. Make sure to specify you just want a little or you'll end up with a tupperware container full of it to take home for about 6 or 7 bucks. If that happens, don't worry, just take it home and enjoy it. Scoop it out and put it in a separate bowl so what's in the container doesn't spoil. From there use it on whatever. It tastes great spread on french bread. Or a pizza. Or a hot dog. Hell, anything really. Overall, if you come here I'd say always order the sticky rice and papaya salad off the appetizers and everyone at the table share it. Entrees: I pretty much have two standard entrees: Lard Na and Laab. They have Yum and a few other dishes but I haven't really tried most of them cause it's hard for me to pass up my first two choices. Lard Na is a mix of wide rice noodles, veggies, chicken, beef or pork and a thick gravy. The gravy is what makes this dish. You're definitely gonna want to have that sticky rice to soak it up. Laab is a meat salad. I know, that sounds kind of gross but keep reading. It's a meat of your choice (chicken, beef or pork) finely chopped and mixed with generous amounts of cilantro, lime, chilies, and I think some mint. If you don't like cilantro, you can pass this up. There's a lot of it in there. I personally love cilantro, so it's a good choice to me. Other than cilantro the lime is probably the most noticeable flavor along with some spice from the chilies but I didn't think it was overpowering. It's served alongside some lettuce leaves and cucumbers. Try taking a lettuce leaf and putting a small ball of sticky rice, a pinch of papaya salad, and a pinch of Laab. Maybe a drop of sriracha, jaew bong, or hoisin sauce. A quick note, I feel like if you're going to eat Lao food, you really need to eat with your hands. Save the fork and spoon for the messy stuff like noodles but for the most part you can just ball up some sticky rice and then pinch a bit of whatever other food you want to eat. As it was explained to me by a Lao friend (Doe I. who also reviewed this place), among Laos families and friends you typically eat with your hands as a sign of trust. Therefore a lot of the foods are chopped, minced, and served in portions that make it easy to pick up bits and pieces. Sure it can be a little messy but that's what napkins are for. And if you're that worried about germs from your fellow diners, why are you eating with them? For drinks, go with the Thai tea or some Vietnamese coffee. By the counter you can buy a few things like a basket for steaming sticky rice, the baskets for storing cooked sticky rice, some Thai energy drinks (Kratingdaeng, the drink Red Bull got it's formula from but without the carbonation), and tupperware containers of different sauces like Jaew Bong. read more

Upon entering the establishment, you may quickly question your decision to try this establishment. The place looks a little run down, but you will be quickly greeted by a very happy owner. The menu is pretty standard for a Thai restaurant with a few Vietnamese items as well. I went with the Pad Thai, which was delicious! The flavors were spot on and the is by far the best Pad Thai I've had in the Atlanta area. I was a little torn between the 3 and 4 star rating, but went with 4 due to the food. The restaurant itself is a little out of the way, and as mentioned the restaurant doesn't have the most inviting interior. read more

I've searched for the essence of my childhood for years. Sticky rice, papaya salad, and Hmong sausage. My step mother spending the majority of the day preparing extravagant meals for everyone. Hot Cafe was a time machine. It was superb. Everything was beautiful and well done. From a person with deep Thai and Lao roots, this is the closest thing to home. Authenticity? Above all else. The only negative here is location. It's quite a drive to get there. read more

This place is your typical hole in the wall restaurant. It's located in the gut of the ghetto and the waiter who knows us very well mentions how there are many break-ins in the store. It makes me pretty sad but seeing as how they're still willing to be open after all of that ,business MUST be good! And so is their food! Typical order: eggrolls, papaya salad Laos style, meatballs, chicken wings, lo mein seafood Definitely try the lo mein here it is one of my favorites! And the meatballs seem simple but it's a great appetizer. I love the food and service here! Sometimes they will have banh canh as a special, that is always a treat. Just ask the waiter! read more

I've pretty much given up on Thai fod in the ATL. This is my third bad experience and this was the worst of them. I was also pretty disappointed since most of the Yelp reviews were good. I flew into the ATL airport and wanted to try some Thai food before heading back to the backwards town I live in (it doesn't have a Thai restuarant). I looked on Yelp and thought I should try Hot Cafe since the reviews were decent (4 stars) and it wasn't far from the airport. The drive from the airport was relatively pain free but I knew I was in trouble when I approached the restuarant. It is in a quiet (almost abandoned looking) dirty strip mall. As soon as I pulled up, I grabbed my GPS and locked it up before anybody noticed I had one. A few jobless guys were standing in the parking lot and were staring at me as I walked into the restaurant. They were probably wondering who the unlucky soul was. Thankfully the restaurant was empty (that should have clued me in) around 5 PM and I found a window seat so that I could watch my car as I ate. I was seriously worried that someone would try to break into it. There was just one person there and she served as the waitress, cook and cashier. The restaurant was disgusting. When you walked in, the cashier area looked like a laundry facility. There were clothes hanging and clothes folded on the table. There were also a couple trays of eggs and a handful of tomatoes just hanging out. I'm not sure why I stayed after I saw that- I blame the Yelp reviews. I was sure the food would make up for it. I was wrong. Service was quick. The egg rolls were okay. Nothing to write home about. I decided to play it safe and get the Pad Thai. I mean, who messes up Pad Thai. Apparently Hot Cafe does. It looked and tasted nothing like Pad Thai. Just a bunch of soggy noddles with a side of rice. I was very close to vomiting while I made myself eat some of the food. So disgusting. On my way out, my lone server was in the kitchen eating a big bowl of rice. I almost lost my food there too seeing how disgusting the kitchen was. I raced out as soon as I paid my bill and ran to retrieve my car. The unmistaken smell of urine could be appreciated on my way out. That was such a disgusting experience. I don't know how this place got such good reviews. Thank you Columbia Missouri for giving me an amazing Thai experience. I don't think Atlanta can duplicate it (or come close) but I'll keep looking. read more

This is my go to place for authentic Laos/Thai food. I love that it is a mom & pop restaurant which I whole heartily support. The place is old but all that it matters is the food. I usually order the chicken wings, papaya or cucumber salad, sticky rice, and/or sausage. There is only one person that takes the orders but I always think he does a fabulous job. A really nice guy. I guess it helps that I go there so much. read more

Wow! Talk about a hidden treasure!! This place has some of the most amazing Thai and Laotian food I've ever tasted in the US. And to think that it is practically on the runway of Atlanta's airport, in what appears a shady neighborhood. Be sure to get the papaya salad, but get it Laotian style rather than Thai style. It still packs a lot of heat but leaves out the fish sauce and dried shrimp. If you're looking for an authentic meal, that's not soul food or fast food, then look no further. Come to this shady hole in the wall for an awesome meal. read more

Is it the nicest restaurant? Not at all. But if you are looking for quality Thai/Laotian food this is a solid spot. The location is unfortunate; it is in a really sketchy looking strip mall in Riverdale, but the inside isn't as bad as some of these reviews make it out to be. The food is very good. We had beef lard na, pork larb (i.e. lettuce wraps), meatballs, and of course sticky rice. I have never had lard na before, and this was very good. You could tell the dumplings/noodles were homemade. It wasn't spicy at all. It kind of tastes like chicken and dumplings but with beef gravy, and I mean that in the best possible way. The pork larb was so delicious; probably the best lettuce wraps I have ever had). I would skip the meatballs. The flavor was very good, but it had a consistency like hot dogs that kind of freaked me out. Overall, if you are down this way, craving Thai, or want to try something new, give this place a shot. read more

Let's start with some honesty... I've never eaten Thai food before. With that said... The food here is delicious! The overall appearance of the place is kind of dated. I could almost hear the flutes in the background and see the subtitles at the bottom of the screen. Wait... Wrong review but that's the feeling I got. The furniture was rickety and the menu was tattered, but as I browsed the menu and the meals around me I could see this was going to be an authentic experience. Fresh greens, vegetables, bean sprouts, soups, all around me and quiet the variety of guests from around the world adding to this Asian culture salad of a Resturant. My meal was brought before me and displayed quite nicely and it was full of flavor. I had an array of sauces on my table... But this meal needed no assistance with being absolutely delicious. read more

Hot Cafe - Pad thai beef - Thai Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

For those of you looking for a high end thai restaurant that gives you "authentic" thai food then you're looking in the wrong place. First, the places where most people go to get Thai food, usually don't serve real Thai food. Second, this place has more of a specialty of home made Laos food, which is actually almost like Thai but with differences. This is as authentic as you can get it, don't expect to come here and get amazing chinese food, its a freaking Thai restaurant. Third, I will say you would have to get past the sanitary issue as it doesn't seem as clean as most restaurants and it is in a pretty bad neighborhood as well. But the awesome food makes up for it. Fourth, instead of trying random things on the menu, how bout asking them what they're specialty is and what they're good at making. You wouldn't get lasagna from a burger joint would you? Alright then. And last, pretty much everything on the first page is amazing, and most of the second too. Everything else is pretty much in the air because I always eat the same things. And for those of you who think Pad Thai is the center of our food, you're sadly mistaken. I'm full Laos(which is a lot like Thai), and have family in Thailand, and I've never had Pad Thai, until I went to a Thai restaurant in America. Its not what we eat normally. Try some Glutinous Rice(stick rice) and everything on the appetizer menu. Because thats how we eat. Sticky rice and a mix of a bunch of different plates in small portions. And if you don't have any friends that are from Laos/Thai/Vietnam/China/Korea/Japan/India or anywhere other than America and been to their house to eat their food, please don't insist that you know what "AUTHENTIC" is, until you do. read more

I love this place. Tastes just like home. Try the basics... lard na, pad thai, pad sa ew, larb, pho, papaya salad...things like that. Those are bomb. However, I do think that the spike in prices is really annoying...seeing as how for the amount I pay for a meal for two ($30ish-$40ish) is comparable to a waaay nicer restaurant. I definitely don't go there as much as I use to. read more

Just landed and all the of us were hungry. I found this place on Yelp along other restaurants, but I chose this for the high rating. When we walked in, we were not site what's going on. The place doesn't look attractive at all. They also could use some remodeling on the outside. We statutes just because we're hungry. When we got our apps, the papaya salad, was amazing! We asked for medium spicy, but it was so pleasantly hot and spicy! And yet, I couldn't stop eating. It was so delicious that we ordered another one to go, among others. The Hot Café special fried rice was awesome! Pad see ew was also delicious. Beef Yum was also to die for! Tips on ordering papaya salad: instead of saying mills, medium, or spicy, tell the wait staff how many chili pepper you want in it. I'm warning you, one is quite spicy! In short: I'm really glad I found this place. Well definitely come back to this hole in the wall! read more

It's an odd place. It's in a tiny strip mall that you'd miss if you weren't looking for it. It's also a huge space, but about 1/3 of it was full of coolers-like the kind you take tailgating with you. And another part of the space was sort of a shop/convenience store, I think... Anyways, the service was just fine and the food was delicious! I was really sad to give my green curry leftovers to my mom because I was about to catch a plane. Also, there's an app that's called "tiny angels" or something similar. They were like tiny crab rangoon sticks. Delicious! read more

Absolutely love love this place. This is truly authentic Laotian and Thai cuisines. Everything we've ordered was right on point. It looks like a mom and pops type of atmosphere. So don't expect it to be looking like Tuk Tuk in Buckhead. I truly recommend their beef jerky, papaya salad, sausage, and larb. I just wish that their proportion was larger though. read more

Wrote down my order and never brought it out. Had to remind the server 30 min later. How you gon write down my order and FORGET it? Smh

This had to be the worst food I've ever had. I ordered the Massaman Curry. First they gave me basically a scoop of the food and a bunch of rice. The food was SO bland. I could barely taste the curry flavor. I could hardly finish the food. I will not order from there again. read more

I myself would have never stopped at this hole-in-the-wall place. It just seems like you're setting yourself up for a horrible eating experience from the outside. Well, who am I kidding? The inside isn't great either, but the food will place you in heaven! Absolutely delicious! I am so grateful my friend pressured me into coming here. No regrets at all with any of my experience. Service and food are wonderful. It might not look like it but it's a must stop. read more

If you ever want authentic Laos or Thai food, this is the place to go. I love getting papaya salad,Laos sausage,and etc there. It's always sooooo good. read more

Hot Cafe - Thai Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

As much as I love this place, and as amazing as the food is.. I'd really have to say that there has been a lack of customer service lately. This is my second time trying to order lunch from here within a week, they don't open up at 11AM anymore it seems like nor is anyone answering calls. I've wasted my lunch breaks driving here and for it to not be open. Starting to consider a different Lao/Thai restaurant to go to during lunch. read more

It's difficult to find a decent Thai/Laos restaurant, most don't even care to look. Hot cafe doesn't have the best atmosphere, but the food totally makes up for it. I remembered trying the papaya salad.... AMAZING! The food is authentic, and the selection is great. When you pull up you might be disappointed for the area is desolate, but i recommend a quick meal, and some to-go. read more

Loved the coconut soup... pineapple rice was eh I couldn't possibly eat in here because it's a hole in the wall greasy spoon but it was rated so highly but probably for the real stuff and I only came for pineapple rice and coconut soup read more

Hot Cafe - Hours and address - Thai Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

Good food, fried wings....spring rolls...Thai iced tea. It's always the whole in the walls that have the best food.

Been coming here for years!!!! Great Laos food! Very authentic!!!! The papaya salad is amazing!!!! I always get it extra spicy. The fried rice and wings is a great combo w/ the papaya salad. The lard na beef is great too!!!! Me and my friends come atleast 1-2 a week read more

Hot Cafe - #79 combo fried rice and wings and I order a side of papaya salad extra spicy - Thai Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

This place is so amazing. The food here is by far my favorite southeast Asian cuisine in Atlanta. I always get the papaya salad, sticky rice, sausage, lard na, House fried rice, sticky rice, and chicken wings (I always eat with my girlfriend don't worry). The service is amazing and the food has always satisfied! read more

Online it says dining in is not an option but it is. When we got in we were able to sit anywhere . But the server was so busy doing to go orders (that came in after us) she didn't come to us for 10 minutes. It took another 12 minutes for her to bring the drinks. We ordered spring rolls as an appetizer but they didn't come out until the food came out. The owner ( I assume) came in with supplies with NO MASK on. The kitchen staff then came out with NO MASK on. Only one person had a mask on. The food was OK. Service was horrible. Probably won't be back. read more

The location might be a little rough around the edges and the interior might need a bit of a face lift, but the food was out of this world! We had Papaya Salad, Pad See Yew and Lard Na along with a generous portion of sticky rice. The unique way they serve the Papaya with cabbage and pork rind was both weird and delicious. If you are staying near the airport and want a great meal, chech this place out. read more

Awesome hot fresh food with excellent friendly service. My favorite Thai restaurants.

The beef jerky, papaya salad, and the seafood pad se ew are so delicious here!!! Most people probably wouldn't come here if they were judging it from the outside, but you really have to try the food to know that this place is truly a gem when it comes to Thai food!!! Customer service is great & fast!!! read more

Good food at a great price, friendly employees and great customer service. Their plantain chips are amazing as well so if you have a chance do yourself a favor and grab a bag. read more

Place is a little hole in the wall but has great food! It's like your mom prepared diner for you. Don't expect a fancy place but don't let the environment fool you either! Food is packed with flavor. Papaya salad and the pork sausage are a must! Tom Yon soup is also very comforting. read more

Hot Cafe - Thai Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

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All I have to say is - Masaman Curry with store bought freezer bag style boiled crinkle french fries as the potato. Seriously. Seriously? Let me repeat in case that did not sink in: Freezer bag. Crinkle French Fries. Boiled. In curry. The dish was also devoid of the traditional avocado and there were three cashews in the whole dish. I'm all for the hole in the wall type places, as they usually have some bomb food. Our group of six was not impressed...those that got the fry noodle dish thought it tasted like old raw ramen. The place was gross and run down, even for me. Overpriced for sure. I'll stick to Zab E Lee thank you very much! read more

As Thai food goes, I would consider this place barely acceptable. The food was not bad per se, but it was really underwhelming. The fresh spring rolls: One had one small piece of shrimp, the other two pieces. Really? Im used to MUCH better than this. Chicken Pad Se Ew was not seasoned great, but it wasn't terrible. I left 50-60% of the food on the plate. I have found that when a restaurant "tries" to do Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, etc. they are usually not very good at any of them. This is definitely the case here. read more

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The food was made perfectly and delicious. Will visit again and I highly recommend a visit who like real Thai/Lao food. read more

Hot Cafe - Papaya Salad and Spicy Chicken with Basel. - Thai Near Me - Atlanta, Georgia

The food here is very good, but I have to slow their Roll a bit, because they have gone up on price and They have gotten real skimpy on the portions. I Recommend this wonderful place on Hwy 85 in Riverdale name the fusion house. Great prices, Excellent portions, and the food is amazing.. read more