The food at Lil' Rita's is always freshly prepared and, in my experience, the best Thai food that we've had anywhere around here. We've never really met Lil Rita because she is always busy in the kitchen preparing customer orders. I'm also a bit picky and she let's me make changes to her incredible menu without a hitch. Add to this top-notch and attentive service from her staff and you have a perfect and reasonably priced meal in a quiet and comfortable atmosphere...a little house on East Tyler. Enjoy!! 5's read more

Lil Rita's has the MOST DELICIOUS food I've had in the valley and no that's not an overstatement or exaggeration. If you love Thai food or food in general you'll find the most delicious flavors here. Wish I lived in Harlingen now so I can enjoy this more than just once a week when I come into town for meetings. ****Also Please disregard the low rated reviews as they are outdated and nonsensical. **** read more

Lil Rita's Grill House - Thai Near Me - Harlingen, Texas

See all

This was my first time visiting Brownsville and my cousin asked if I wanted Thai food. I love Thai so I agreed immediately. Since my flight was late, she ordered take out. I ordered Drunked Noodles with pork. This place is supposedly AUTHENTIC. I'm not going to dispute that, but in comparison to the Thai food I enjoy in Durham NC, this place left a lot to be desired. The flavors were just not there, and not going to mention the small portions. Definitely a hard pass next to I'm in town. read more

Food is authentic, delicious and fresh! Service is amazing! And the ambiance feels like home! read more

Delicious, flavorful spicy Thai food in a cozy house. It can get very busy so come early and don't be in a hurry.

Lil Rita's is one of our favorite restaurants in Harlingen. Authentic food. Always a must visit whenever we are in town.

Excellent food! The food takes time but it is totally worth it! I usually call ahead and order my dine in food and it's ready by the time I arrive. The service is wonderful and the staff is very courteous and polite. The Thai music sets the mood and allows you to enjoy a little bit of Thailand in Harlingen! Great restaurant! read more

See all

Good service, excellent food, but a bit pricey for the tiny portions. I like the Bohemian atmosphere of the place.

Great atmosphere quite little place the food is amazing. Been coming here for a couple of years and service is always on point. read more

Lil Rita's Grill House - three plates of food - Thai Near Me - Harlingen, Texas

Nothing like the freshly made taste of Rita's!! Everything is amazingly delicious!! Clean restaurant with courteous service!

Dined here for the first time on Friday evening despite being a lifelong Harlingen resident. I had actually attempted to go the Friday prior, but they were closed it seemed. My husband and I ordered 3 plates to share: Gung Galee, Pad Ped Gai, and Pad Wun Sen. The Pad Wun Sen was stir fried glass noodles, egg, mushroom, tomato, onion, and cilantro. It was the tastiest of the three and our favorite. A close second was the Gung Galee which was stir fried shrimp with onion, egg, and their homemade chili sauce. It had really nice heat, not overpowering. It was almost as good as the Pad Wun Sen, but the glass noodles were just so tasty. The least favorite, but still incredibly yummy, was the Pad Ped Gai which was sliced chicken breast, stir fried with bamboo, mushrooms, onion, red curry, and coconut milk. It was the milder flavor of the three. Though still a tasty sauce, it definitely needed more body in its flavor. There's a coconut milk aftertaste that I appreciated but my husband, who isn't too fond of coconut milk didn't like too much. We also ordered the spring rolls, and they were good as well. Dishes are about $12 each, and portions are on the smaller side. However, I felt it was a fair price to pay for quality Thai food at a family run business instead of another chain restaurant. One last thing! Try their chai tea! Delicious. Will be coming back again! read more

Great little spot. Definitely a hidden gem. One of the few Thai places in the RGV. I recommend ordering your food spicy! Woo! Hardworking and friendly staff read more

Amazing food! Have been eating at Li' Rita's for at least 20 years and the food is the same or even better. Made by one person back then and today! Keep it up RITA! read more

Quiet little place with great food. Food is cooked when ordered, but worth the wait. I have been coming here for years and always receive excellent service. read more

Wonderful food and decor. Friendly Staff. I will definitely come when I have an itch for Thai food. I particularly enjoyed the coconut milk chicken soup. I am not capable of pronouncing it or spelling it off the top of my head. read more

Went by yesterday to this little restaurant in between hearings and was again pleased by both the service and the food. I ordered a Pad Thai, extra spicy, which was probably not a good idea. It was hot! I'd recommend medium and some chili on the side as this was very good but a bit too much even for me. The food was fresh, and made on the spot. Didn't really get the white rice on the side, as I was eating rice noodles, but overall it was a good meal. Those of you who are used to the great Thai places in Houston may want to wait to go to Houston. This is a good little place, but not great. For those of us who want some fast Thai food at a decent price, it is a great place to go on that side of the valley. I recommend it. read more

Lil Rita's Grill House - Thai Near Me - Harlingen, Texas

Tom Kay Gai is my all time favorite soup. Sliced, mushrooms, herbs, cilantro, simmered in coconut milk and a glass of Tai Iced Coffee. read more

Lil Rita's Grill House - Thai Near Me - Harlingen, Texas

See all

Lil Rita's is a mom and pop type Thai restaurant in Harlingen. Its a quaint little house with nice homey vibes. The service is okay, not always the quickest or most efficient, but adequate. As for the food, I was really pleasantly surprised! I ordered the chicken pad thai at medium spicy, and I really enjoyed my meal! I thought that it was delicious, and I will definitely be frequenting Lil Rita's now and trying their whole menu. It is a little pricey for Thai food/food in Harlingen, but I think it is totally worth it. read more

This is the first time that my fellow yelpers have ever let me down. Im convinced that the four other reviewers are either the owners or employees! If this is truly the best Thai that the RGV has to offer, I will never be eating Thai here again. The service was horrendous. We were the first table to be seated, and to have our orders taken. Three other tables had their hot tea and other drinks served before ours. WHen I asked about our tea, they brought it out.....cold. While placing our order, I asked that the Panang Curry be very spicy. The waiter told me that their medium is quite spicy and that if I wanted it any spicier, there would be a $2.00 charge. Are you FREAKING kidding me?? Charging for a spice level at a Thai restaurant?! 30 minutes later I saw what appeared to be our order appear in the small window between the kitchen and the dining room, where it sat.....and sat.....and sat. I was finally able to get the attention of the waiter, and he brought it over.....cold again! The Tom Yum Goong was bland and tasteless. The Panang curry was weak and not spicy at all. It consisted of chicken, curry sauce and chunks of canned pineapple. No vegatables, nothing else. It was accompanied by 2 tablespoons of rice. (Im not kidding!) WHen I asked for more, I was told it would be $3!! The Pad Thai was decent but nothing to write home about. From the service to the food, it was dissappointing all around. STAY AWAY Last surprise of the night came on the bill....were were charged $1.25 for each glass of tap water.....yes, tap water! Be thankful this place is only open one night a week for dinner!!! read more

Certainly one of the best restaurants in Harlingen. It takes its place in a converted home. The hours are a bit disappointing, as there is only lunch served Monday through Friday, and dinner on Friday. However, it is definitely worth if it you can make it. Also, the food is absolutely homemade - hence the wait period. I had the Pad Ped Gai w/ tofu instead of chicken. Delicious! And the Yum Wun Sen is great, too! Oh, and for dessert, the chocolate cake is wonderful! I highly suggest you get over there now! Ha! read more

First time to try out this place, very disappointed :( we ordered chicken curry and shrimp pad thai, fell short of my expectations- servings are small (entree) the pad thai was a little dry, too sweet for my liking. read more

Lil Rita's Grill House - Shrimp pad thai - Thai Near Me - Harlingen, Texas

I was introduced to little Rita's by a friend and came here a couple of times with friends and family. The food is pretty good and the atmosphere is casual and unique. The service there is always really fast and the the waitress is also very patient and polite. I will continue to go to Rita's. This is a wonderful place to have in Harlingen TX. read more

Lil Rita's Grill House - Thai Near Me - Harlingen, Texas

1. Takes to long. Most thai places that i have been to at least hit a 15 min mark. 2. For the price it is very small portions. 3. Extra charge for everything! Even water. 4.You CANNOT sub anything! Its made as it comes. 5. Good Luck read more

I've been a customer at Rita's for 15 years, I'm normally there every Friday evening for dinner. If you're new to Thai food, start with the tom ka gai soup (chicken in coconut milk with mushrooms and cilantro) and the pad wun send (glass noodles with onion, tomato, mushroom, cilantro). I usually order mine with a fried egg on top! If you can handle the heat, order the gungalee, a spicy shrimp and egg dish that will have you sniffling between bites and wishing you could lick the plate clean. Lita has an extensive menu with delicious curries, stir fries, and noodle dishes. People not used to eating fresh, made-to-order food may not understand that on a busy day, the food will take time. Her restaurant is small and cozy, like eating at a friend's house. Her portions are normal size. If you're looking for a Chinese buffet, this place ain't it! Everything on the menu is incredibly delicious so you can't go wrong! read more

See all

This is a unique place by many standards A unique experience. A kitchen staff of 1.5, plus 1.5. servers a Total of 5 stars for freshness, flavor and friendliness. We will be back we will order ahead and enjoy the flavors. read more

When I lived in the area I ate here every week. The Tom Ka Gai and Pad Thai are excellent, and she's willing to pile on the spice if you want it. Highly recommended. read more

The food is great, the ambiance is delightful, the service is friendly and attentive. Best Thai food ever!!! read more

Lil Rita's Grill House - Pad Thai chicken. The best - Thai Near Me - Harlingen, Texas

Don't eat here. The place smells musty and moldy. The waitress is rude, the pad Thai.... does not taste like pad thai. The plate did not come how the menu states it's supposed too. The noodles are stuck together and mostly hard. The rice is extremely mushy. NOT WORTH THE MONEY AT ALL. Waste of money on food!! read more

Lil Rita's Grill House - Thai Near Me - Harlingen, Texas

Home converted into a restaurant. Food made fresh so it takes a good while to get your food. For the long wait you think they would provide soup. The Pad Thai was fine, I've had better. Husband had the gangmassaman chicken curry (sp?) and that was good! My mother wasn't brave enough to eat there and ordered the mushroom cheese burger. She enjoyed it. :) Overall, The food was decent and the prices are a bit pricey for lunch. read more

Good tasting food. The spices are NOT over powering and I don't feel guilty eating the noodles (carbs) because their texture is so light compared to other restaurants. We will definitely come back to try other dishes. read more

See all

Small little place that's kind of cute I ordered the shrimp pad Thai medium heat and it was not hot at all.. Portion was kind of small than what I'm normally use to in DFW for the price but I guess it's the most you can expect in a small town. Decent enough to go back but not on the top of the list read more

The restaurant is doing curbside for COVID so we could continue enjoying their great meals... try the curries, absolutely delicious

A Lil GEM in Harlingen! Small Buisness owner who is taking excellent care of her business. A delightful menu. Hours are a bit limited, but good things are available 24 x 7 :) read more

Wow, I've heard and read so many good reviews I have this place the benefit of the doubt. Ordered pad Thai and it literally looked like prison food. Tried it and the noodles were super hard and nasty. Also the white rice tasty mushy like water. Sucks that I spent 13$ on garbage. DONT WAIST YOUR MONEY! If you want good pad Thai. It's unfortunate that you have to drive to mission to a place called chopsticks. 9$ for 5 times the serving. Plus shrimp. read more

This place is horrible. Ok, now that I got that out of the way, it's time for me to start venting. I completely agree with Laughn R. We walked in and was told to sit wherever we wanted. And after about 5 minutes of waiting, the waiter came waltzing to our table and asked us what we wanted to drink. We requested for two waters. We were surprised when we got our check towards the end and they charged us for each glass. Giving them the benefit of the doubt, I asked the waiter why there was a charge and he rudely informed me that they charge for water because it's not tap water, it's "mineral water". I still didn't get why they had to charge, I mean c'mon, 5 gallons of "mineral water" is .75 cents at the water mill. He then snippily informed me that it's their policy and I can't do anything about it. Ok, I'm done with my water tirade. Here comes our food. I ordered the Pad See Ewe, ABSOLUTELY DISMAL!. They didn't use the right noodles, they used spaghetti like glass noodles which was very soggy, the dish had no seasoning at all, 5 slices of beef were included in the dish, and the dish looked absolutely pathetic. My bf ordered the Thai Cashew Chicken, again, same thing. No seasoning at all, chili powder was sprinkled on the dish just to make it seem flavorful, and the sauce was watery, no thickness at all. Disgusting place, disgusting service. Never again! p.s. I don't think it even deserves one star! read more

Extremely delicious I ordered the Panang curry on a Tuesday at lunch time it was so full of flavor who ever was cooking today sure knew what he/she was doing. As soon as I walked in I was taken back by how amazingly cute this place is. A little pricy for the portion, but definitely worth every penny. Will be going back again. read more

Me being Asian I have to say there's not enough of Thai kicks in its flavoring. It is edible and looks somewhat Thai but it is more of a water down version. Just like others said, overpriced for its portion. Left hungry after a $12+ tax lunch plate. read more

I've been coming here for years. Another great non-Mexican restaurant in Harlingen! Weird ambiance... Strange Thai music constantly playing and sometimes the food takes a while to come out. BUT when it does, it is always fresh and hot. I believe the owner cooks everything herself & on the spot. I always get the Pad Thai Chicken. Can't go wrong with that. Beverages are pricy. Soups are great and flavorful. I always bring friends from the upper valley to try this place out. While driving by, you tend to overlook this place, but I promise it's worth it! read more

The portion of pad won sen is ridiculously small! not worth $12. Went during lunch so we waited a while to get our food as expected during that time. I can't get over that tiny portion lol get it only if you're not hungry read more

Love Lil Rita's Grill. One of the few places in town worth your time. The food is delicious and very authentic.