Let's start with the fact that almost all the veggies are canned. Not fresh There was a sign posted in the restaurant. A small warning with tiny font warns to "please check your takeout for accuracy before you leave the restaurant. We want your experience to be perfect however mistakes CAN and WILL happen occasionally. We can fix a problem quicker here but can't when you are already at home". WHAT?!?Nobody is going to rip open their bag in the store, it's the cooks job to make the food right. When we got home my friend realized that most ingredients from the hunan she ordered did not match the ingredients listed on the menu. There were numerous other things that did not belong in the dish, including cabbage which resembled wet used tissues, onions and these red noodle like things. There was no broccoli or carrots to be found in the dish. We realized the cook made a mistake and prepared the dish directly under the one we chose on the menu. No worries! Mistakes CAN and WILL happen... RIGHT? We made numerous calls to the establishment that were sent to voicemail. We decided to go down there to talk to someone in person to get it corrected. They were willing to remake the dish after we came in but gave the dish a thorough inspection and asked to see the menu on her phone. He said it would take 5 mins, but after 10 mins of waiting the manager asked the cooks why they hadn't started to remake it yet. They then began the remake, which included the microwave being used which I know because she heard the ding sound go off. We made it back home to find out they gave us the exact same dish with different sauce and 3 pieces of broccoli added this time. I don't even know what the black thing is that is in the picture... but it still had the wet tissue cabbage and undercooked onion. Did they remake the wrong dish again? Did they dump the brown sauce and just add broccoli and the human sauce to the dish we brought in the first time? Not sure, but I am sure that this was the last time I come to Lai Thai read more

Lai Thai Kitchen - The cabbage and red noodle that was not listed to be in the order and what we wanted removed from the re-order. - Vietnamese Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

If you are looking for fancy this is not the place, the location is kind of sketchy(in a ran down strip mall) but the food is well worth it. We ordered the Panang curry with chicken, Green curry with beef and Pineapple fried rice. Everything was delicious. The portions were huge and well worth the money.Our server was good and offered suggestions. We will definetly be back. read more

It was very tasty! But I was unsatisfied because there was barely any chicken in it, mostly noodles. Like 5% chicken 5% veggies and 90% noodles. But if that's your thing then this is the right place for you!! ;) read more

Lai Thai Kitchen - Crispy pad Thai - Vietnamese Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

Excellent place to try Thai or a variety of other options. Chicken drunken noodles was solid. Spice level 7/10, coulda/shoulda got 9/10. Will next time. Bangkok rolls were fried perfectly. Chewy underneath an exceptional crispy outside. The sauce though. The Sauce!!!! Cucumber mint sauce for the Bangkok rolls. When people use the phrase "nectar of the gods" THIS is what they are referring too. Ordered an extra side right then and there. Will definitely return. Would give a 100/100 stat rating for the Eggrolls. read more

Lai Thai Kitchen - Drunken noodles. Chicken. Spice level 7/10. Bangkok rolls with Cucumber Mint sauce. Sauce is heavenly - Vietnamese Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

Fantastic food. generous portions, fresh and well seasoned. friendly staff, quick service. I'm in grand rapids on vacation and wanted some Thai food so I chose the closest place to my hotel. I am impressed and will definitely come back when I can read more

I saw this place a few weeks ago and finally stopped in. I was real happy with my meal, I got the Pad Prik. The vegetables were fresh and just the right crispness and the chicken was tender and moist. I asked for it HOT and it wasn't very hot though. Although temperature-wise it was volcanically hot. The egg roll was kinda dry though. The only complaint I had was that there were 4 of us for lunch and something weird happened. They didn't bring our food out at the same time. Each was delivered like 3 or 4 minutes apart and not all at once?? It was plenty hot enough to last though. read more

Over the last few months i've had a strong craving for their pho. [I've been here a few times back in 2017] I always call for take-away. In the last 3 months i've called no more than 15 times with no one answering. I live near-by so on the way to get food from somewhere else i'll see it's open.. No big deal. Maybe they're busy. Last week I call several times, no answer [as usual] so I decide to go see if they were open. They were! I go in and a man [the owner I think] watches me as I stand there for a few minutes or two. Finally I say hello to him and ask if I can order take-away. He sternly says "it's over an hour" then looks at me. I respond with "wow" and look around. There were people there.. Most people looked to be eating, but didnt appear to be busy enough for a 1 hour wait. I looked back and asked if the wait would be an hour for pho. To which he responded "an hour wait for anything." Told him to have a good night and left. Unfortunately I won't be giving this establishment any of my money due to poor customer service. read more

Great food. Excellent recipes with wonderful spices. Lots of fresh vegetables. My most favorite restaurant of all times. It could compete with the best places to eat, even those in fancy locations such as Manhattan. read more

The best Thai in GR with amazing vegan options, fabuloussss service with a smile. GO HERE; you won't regret it. The food is so so good and fair prices, too! read more

My to go place love the bun and the pho. Good food bUt didn't give 5 stars because five stars are places I would dive an hour or so to eat there But good food read more

We ordered pho and some rice noodle dish in curry. They were not seasoned at all! Had to add salt. For the price you pay, it would have been better to eat at home. Their dessert selection looked good but didn't try because the food was so disappointing. read more

Not as good as the original owners. One good thing is their Korean BBQ appetizer. Get that with rice and you will be good. Other than that not exactly sure what else you should order since I will always compare it to the original owner. Give this place a try, it's he only Thai/ Viet restaurant on the NE side. You might like it read more

By far our favorite Thai restaurant in town! A hidden gem! Their house cucumber mint sauce for crab rangoons is amazing! Being a vegetarian they are so accommodating! It's hard to not order my favorite dish, but every time I try something new, I'm never disappointed! read more

Lai Thai Kitchen - Pad Ped and vegetable tofu soup - Vietnamese Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

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Delicious!! Always a great experience when getting to go food! Always fresh and always warm!

Partner and I stopped in here while traveling through. My review is mostly for the wonderful, kind service staff, especially our waiter, Billy! First off, we were grateful that it was open on a Sunday (Superbowl Sunday!) since many restaurants in the area are not (W. Michigan for ya!) The staff was super friendly from the time that we walked in and attentive through the meal. Food was very tasty and hit the spot especially after few days in Northern Michigan where we'd been missing Asian flavor. Best part though... I left my hat at the restaurant... I know... a hat is no big deal, but I really loved this little beanie! I called and left a message with the receptionist and they promised to look and call me back. Billy called me back just a few hours later and said he had my hat. When I told him I live in another state, he was willing to MAIL my hat back to me and thanked me for stopping in to eat there. Now THAT is service :) Thank you! read more

This is my favorite restaurant in all of Grand Rapids! The owners know us when we walk in the door, very down the Earth people. They're a local place and also offer vegan & vegetarian options. The chef, Gi, always knows when I'm in because she knows my usual order. I haven't had anything I didn't like here. It's all very fresh and amazing! I always order crab rangoons, spring rolls, and the oh my gods, along with general tso chicken or their drunk noodles depending on my mood. Their desserts are great to try and at such a good price! Definitely stop at this hole in the wall place. read more

Lai Thai Kitchen - Vietnamese Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

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I have tried a dozen items from the menu and they are amazing. There staff is kind and helpful. We love Lai Thai.

After reading more recent reviews I went yesterday for lunch to try. Last I was there was 2015 after change in ownership. Much better this time. Still same owner (Sawalee). I spoke with her and told her about my experience. She said when she first took over she had someone cooked for her bc she was working another job. But after a few months she noticed her reviews were not good. So she took over full time and thats when things turned around. Overall, the food was very good compared to the last time I was there. read more

My neighbor recommended this place....and I love it! I always tell myself I will try more of the menu....however, I always end-up ordering the Panang Curry with mushrooms....it's absolutely delish! read more

Do not order Chicken Wings - Appetizers. It's only 5 pieces $9. It's not worth it. Pho was too salty and pad thai was too sweet.

Very good pho ramen place that is quite local. The dumplings were yummy and I got the big pho ball and everything was quite yummy. Highly recommmend. read more

A few months ago, I gave this restaurant an excellent review; however recently the quality has gone down. Just yesterday I ordered a BUN Combo dish, which used to be very good, but what I got yesterday was quite disappointing. Inside my bowl there was a square block of stuck-together noodles that were not heated well and partly cold. There were very few super tiny pieces of meat and two or three shrimp. The vegetables seemed sparse and not as fresh as they used to be, and there was not enough curry base at the bottom, and what was there was unpleasantly gritty with too many crushed peanuts and unappetizing. After I sent the first bowl back, they brought me a "corrected" version, which was not really improved. They must have stuck what they originally brought me into a microwave oven. What I got back was mostly now separated and warm noodles with some gritty curry which did not taste good at all, and a couple of pieces of wilted lettuce. This time they decided to skip the meat altogether. When I asked for a box to go, I got a little container too small to pour the soup into. The waitress brought an extra container when I asked her to, but when I got home, I ended up dumping the whole thing because it was completely unappetizing. Perhaps they changed their cooks recently? Anyway, I will not be going there any time soon. read more

Best gluten free Chinese food I've had in my life. Quick, efficient, awesome portions for at least two meals.

I Had a horrible experience at Lai Thai. I'm new to the area, and have made it my personal mission to try as many different restaurants in Grand Rapids. Keep in mind I work in food service, and am always very patient and understanding with any restaurant. As a huge fan of Thai food, it didn't take me long to start sampling some of the local joints. After checking out the decent Yelp reviews, I decided to try Lai Thai. I live about 15 minutes away, and had ordered a couple Beef Pad Thais for takeout. Upon returning home, I had realized they had given me one beef pad thai, and one mystery dish (some strange curry dish with chicken). Being the nice guy that I am, I give my girlfriend the correct order and attempt to eat the curry. Not feeling it. I call and explain politely the situation, and ask if I can swap it out for the Beef Pad Thai I had originally ordered. They said no problem and it would be ready in 10 minutes. I hopped back in the car and drove back to Lai Thai. Upon arriving, she tells me to take a seat and someone would be with me shortly. 10 minutes later, a little old lady (the owner I assume) comes out from the back and demands to see the food they had messed up. I explained to her that it was not what I ordered, and I just want to get my food and get home. She then tells me that she didn't believe they had made a mistake, and was not going to remake my food until I brought in the incorrect order. At this point I'm starving and just want my food, so I agree. Another fifteen minutes pass still with no food, upset at the horrible customer service I had experienced I decided to ask for a refund and was gonna settle on fast food drive thru. I was told that no refund would be given, and that it was my choice if I wanted to wait for the food or not. read more

Where to begin with this cavalcade of clusterfuckery? A weekend trip to Lai Thai for lunch specialized in *terrible* service and horrible food. I can't be bothered to go into the details but the highlights: * long wait for service despite only one other new table seated * interminable wait for the food to actually come out * wrong orders delivered to table * no plates (we gave up and used the serving dishes) * OLD oil used to fry things like Crab Rangoon * Gang Massaman was watery curry soup The people at the next table said they'd never had such awful service at this place. When they asked for the Crab Rangoon to be taken off their bill, Trixie Waitress with Ponytail got very snippy with them saying, "It's Crab Rangoon, what do you EXPECT?" before she stomped out and climbed into her Toyota Suburban Assault Vehicle. She'd already been slamming plates and to-go boxes onto the tables so she clearly want happy with her life choice to work there. And now I can't wait to brush every took in my head that came into contact with this mess. read more

My first visit to Lai Thai Kitchen surely warranted a second. And a third. And a fourth, and a... Service was outstanding. To be fair, we went on off hours, but the owner walked us through their IMMENSE menu, and made recommendations on dishes we should try. She was extremely accommodating, and quickly pointed out without prompting that we could order almost any dish vegetarian, seasoned to taste, and substitute ingredients. We started with a Chinese appetizer, the boiled wontons. At $2.50 for a plate of 8, it was an excellent choice. The wontons came out right away, and were obviously very fresh and hot. The filling was delicious, and seasoned just right, while the doughy, semi-gelatinous shell was delicate, without falling apart. The dipping sauce was amazing. Grated hot peppers lurked in the bottom, sesame seeds floated on top. Those who aren't into the spice, beware, don't dive too deep with your wonton! They gave the sauce a really nice touch overall. I chose to order a favorite of mine -- Vietnamese pho.I chose the Pho Dac Biet Bo Vien ($8), which is described as a combination of meatballs, rare beef slices and brisket, in addition to the usual pho ingredients. The bowl was big enough for me to swim in, and the plate of accompanying basil, sprouts, peppers, etc. looked like a meal in and of itself. The steaming bowl was absolutely full of meat, meatballs, noodles and other goodness. I dumped my plate of veggies into the bowl, added my usual copious amounts of hoisin and sriracha, and dug in. The broth was heavenly. Lots of flavor, but very delicate and clean in texture. Very pure. The slices of steak were a little more than rare, but they were still melt-in-your-mouth tender. The meatballs were pretty standard fare in my experience, but there were quite a few of them, instead of the usual one or two. The brisket was the standout in the bowl. It almost disintegrated as I tried to trap it with my chopsticks. The owner checked back several times to ask us how we were enjoying the food, and talk with us. She was very welcoming and made us feel at home. Later, a man who is possibly her son, came up as we were leaving and made sure to ask us how we enjoyed the food -- I think he was in the kitchen preparing it. We both enjoyed the experience immensely. The restaurant is very discreet, tucked in a somewhat decaying 60's era strip mall in the blue-collar part of town, but the staff and food were truly first-class. We'll be back. Often. read more

Sad to say the new owners have strayed. 0) The place was empty in a Friday night - not a good sign. 1) The Korean ribs, while tasty enough, were cut paper thin with very little meat to chew. 2) The "Oh My God" appetizer was nothing like the menu description - it was basically just a cream cheese egg roll. We pointed the menu discrepancy out to the proprietor - and he agreed with us but did not ask us if we'd like something else instead. 3) Chicken pho was just passable - the broth lacked any underlying spice, we had to chase after the few pieces of thin-cut meat, the accompanying basil and sprouts were sad and wilty, 4) We ordered tofu fresh rolls (to supplement for the uneaten "OMG" things) and they were weirdly decorated with tiny bits of greasy burnt onion - which might be interesting if expected - but were far from the refreshing treat hoped for. When we pointed out that the rolls did not contain any tofu, they offered to make us some more with tofu, but by that time we had finished our soup and did not plan to stick around any longer. The bill included all the uneaten food and the clueless proprietor even offered us containers to take the sorry stuff home. I like having the eating option in the neighborhood and really dug what the previous owners did with a Thai fusion theme, but I think we will not give this place another shot. Sorry. read more

So disappointed we drove 20 minutes hoping to find an awesome pho place closer to home. Service was alright but Worst Thai food I've had, definitely won't be returning. Our pho we had ordered was so watered down and plain the noodles was over cooked and my seafood was under cooked I'm lost of words. Can't believe i spent close to $13 for this dish. What did I expect tho, the name the of the order i picked was called "Kitchen sink pho" exactly taste like what its name was. Our Crab Rangoon was small and burnt. Worst Thai restaurant experience ever. read more

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A very good find in GR. Owned by a Thai woman, and her American husband, they have created a wonderful menu filled with Thai, Vietnamese, and Chinese flavors. I had the Chicken Pad Thai which was delicious and one of my favorite Pad Thai's. I just recently came back from Thailand so that says something. Spice level is Mild/Medium/Hot. I got Hot which was pretty spicy. It'd be nice if they had more options. (Most Thai restaurants have a larger scale like 1-5). Also the serving size is very good! Great food, friendly service. The atmosphere isn't fantastic, just pretty casual. read more

Lai Thai Kitchen - Chicken Pad Thai - Vietnamese Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

I Loveeee This place!! I have not yet to dine in yet, but will soon! My to go for pick up! Pho's are ALWAYS ON POINT and pricing is out of this world great! fresh spring rolls are the best!!! And service is ALWAYS outstanding and i don't even dine in! Every staff that passes me always greets and smiles! GREAT JOB!! read more

I went here last night for the first time. By the reviews, I was excited to try it out. I have yet to find a REALLY good thai place in town so I as hoping this would be it. Not so much! My boo and I ordered the crab rangoon and spring rolls to start with. The crab rangoon was sooo good! But the spring rolls, totally bizarre. They have iceberg lettuce, a HANDFUL of parsley, shrimp, and some sort of noodle wrapped in a rice wrap. It was incredible weird and the parsley was way overpowering. Yuck. I ordered panang curry with tofu. She ordered vietnamese noodles with veggies and tofu. The panang was SO not what I expected. There was something off about it. The curry was thicker than most I have had and tasted almost like it was missing some spices. Honestly, it tasted the way it did when I made it at home one time. It was ok but not anything I want to pay for! Plus when I go out I want it to taste better and more authentic than when I cook it at home! I did however love the tofu, it was cooked perfectly! But for sure not enough of it. The vietnamese noodles were pretty tasty! Lots of veggies and sauce and it was a pretty good size portion. My lady and I ate that and took the panang home. But after eating it for a bit we came to the conclusion that is tasted pretty generic. I have never eaten vietnamese but I am pretty sure it shouldn't taste like an American version of some Chinese dish. Overall, kind of disappointing. I think maybe if they focus on one ethnic cuisine perhaps the food would taste more authentic. But they serve thai, vietnamese, AND chinese. With all the amazing food places town, I doubt I will be back again. Still in search for an amazing authetic Thai place! read more

Since moving back to Michigan after time in Seattle and Boston, it has been difficult to find good Thai food. I will admit I only had pho and spring rolls but they were GOOD! Good flavor and right price. Definitely will try again! read more

I went to graduate school in San Francisco and one of the staple lunches my girlfriends and I would eat was Pho. (pronounced like FUH) It was the perfect meal to warm us up on those misty cold days. After returning home to Michigan I was on the hunt to find some Pho that could take me back to the city by the bay. I Yelped Vietnamese food and saw this location in the results. I was willing to take a chance. Close to home and mostly positive reviews. I ordered sliced rare beef pho for take out and drove to the restaurant. It was a modest, yet very clean venue. I had friendly service and didn't have to wait long for my meal. It was delicious. Magical rich beef taste accented with fresh bean sprouts and basil. I will definitely be returning. read more

I wanted to try the Pho. This the first time at this restaurant since it was Kim Kim, I thought the same people operated this restaurant, no. The service was very, very, slow, our waiter was new and did not provide good service. The Pho w/sliced steak was very good !!! I would go back again, hopefully the service will get better. read more

Eric was initially skeptical of this place because it serves Chinese, Vietnamese, and Thai food... how can it be good if they serve so many types of cuisines? However, this place proved us wrong (mostly). Let's say that the Vietnamese pho is the best dish there. Very savory broth, didn't need much sriracha or hoisin sauce. Beef was a little overcooked. I sampled the curry chai, which was very savory. I liked the selection of veggies, with generous portions of rice. Kevin, our server, said it was a very popular dish. He answered all our questions promptly and provided pleasant service. We also ordered pad ke mow (my favorite Thai dish), which wasn't great. Not very spicy or flavorful, with undercooked, hardened noodles. Sampled the curry pad thai, which tasted kind of bland. It was also a surprising yellow color. I was a bit taken aback. It reminded me of Lawry's chicken seasoning. It proved to be just okay, better after we took it home and microwaved it. Went back a few days later to sample the lunch buffet. Very Americanized, with a lot of Chinese options (chicken or beef with veggies). No tasty, ethnic dishes we enjoy, like the curries. However, it proved to be quite popular with others. We saw several customers dine in for the buffet. Bottom line: Probably serves the best pho in Grand Rapids. Vietnamese options the best, curry chai excellent, very affordable, pleasant service. Mind over matter, food over mind. read more

Amazing food, best Asian food I've ever had! They tend to be very busy in the evening but it's worth the wait. Also great for take out. read more

Lai Thai Kitchen - V 14 - Vietnamese Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

Solid! After breaking up with the Asian place closest to my house after one too many sub par meals, this will be my new go-to for tasty carryout! We sampled 3 dishes (pho, Thai country curry, and spicy garlic shrimp). All tasted fresh and delicious with a nice mellow burn at medium spice. I'll def go back!! read more

Sadly I've now only eaten here once, but the food was really good. I wish I had found this place sooner. My friends and I ordered an array of items, and everything was very good as well and our server actually helped us pick out what we should order. read more

Arrived at 11:30am. One other table seated. Most tables dirty/not cleaned off-- sticky and remains of food left on them. Ordered appetizer (coconut chicken with cucumber mint sauce), pad thai chicken, and massaman. 11:50am Appetizer arrives and was grossly over cooked, dry, tasted like they cooked it in the seafood she of the fryalator, and no cucumber mint sauce....some other sauce. Then at 12:09pm, pad thai came out. Had a burnt taste to it--more grossly over cooked food. Waiter did not come back over until he brought the other entree 15 minutes later (12:24pm). At least the massaman was edible and tasty. They offered to remake the pad thai. But after sitting nearly an hour for already crappy food, I told them to take it off the bill and I'm not paying for it. We asked the waiter for the bill and 5 minutes later he didn't bring it so we just walked up to the counter and stood there and waited for him to ring it out on the register. At least my meal was taken off the bill. Which they did. No tip was left. If i could give them zero stars, I would. Won't go there again. Unfortunate because the first time we were there , we had the buffet and the food was really good. The food this time and the experience this time turned me off of this place. I've had some bad food experiences in my life and this is the worst I've ever had. Would not recommend to any one. read more

I have never tried anything but their Pho , but damn is it good. Service is friendly, and the place is cute. Eat it there because ordering Pho for take-out is kind of an ordeal. I give it a 5 based on the sheer fact that their Pho is the best in the city. read more