I have to say that of all the Asian places I have tried while I have been here in Springfield for three months Mekong easily wins, hands down, for flavor profile. This place is not afraid to put some kick in their food. Serious flavor. Also, really enjoyable level of heat. I ordered all my food medium and it was definitely at least medium, perhaps a tad over. Loved it. First time here so I wanted to try a variety of things. We had the fresh spring rolls, ginger shrimp, Laotian curry beef noodles and chicken red curry. Spring rolls were about average, but were large and stuffed with several meats (I think chicken and shrimp?) as well as noodles. Good stuff. The garlic shrimp was killer. Sometimes places have a light, bland garlic sauce. Not Mekong. The garlic sauce here is dark and super flavorful. Warning, if you arent a fan of onions (like my dining companion) this dish isnt for you. Its full of both white and green onions. Shrimp were large, tender and flavorful. Yay! The Laotian curry beef noodles were a good surprise. They came out cold-style with the cold noodles, beef and vegetables all in one bowl with the sauce to pour over the dish. I love this style, but could see how some people might expect it to be more like a traditional noodle dish presentation. The combination of the perfectly-seasoned beef and vegetables make this dish something Ill crave all the time. Last dish was the Thai red curry with chicken. This dish was definitely good and would satisfy a curry craving. My only issue was that overall the dish seemed a tad dry. Not the chicken itself, but there was just a serious lack of curry sauce... actually none. So, it was sad times for those of us who like to soak our white rice in curry juice and slurp it up. Is that just me? Flavor of this dish was really good, lack of curry sauce was just a bummer. Overall the service was very friendly. We arrived in the middle of lunch rush so the place was sort of hectic and the food took a bit longer than expected. I think if you came closer to 1130 or after 1230 it would have been much better. Mekong is now at the top of my list for Asian in Springfield. Will definitely be returning. read more

Was okay. I had the crab rangoon and chicken larb. The crab rangoon filling was good but I didn't care much for the wrap they used. The chicken larb wasn't like any larb I've had before. It looked like the ground chicken was fried. It tasted greasy and wasn't particularly good. The rice and food were cold when I got it. My friends had the basil fried rice and the crazy beef noodle. My friend said the basil rice was bland and he couldn't taste anything but onion. The other friend enjoyed his noodles. The service was alright. The owner and staff were friendly. Nothing about this place was exceptional. I thought it was a very okay experience. I would prefer not eating here again. Looks like people who raved about this place had not tasted good Thai/lao/vietnamese food before. read more

I've lived in the area for 30 years, and hadn't tried Mekong Cafe until today. It is EXCELLENT, and lives up to the 5-stat reviews on YELP. Cashew Chicken and Basil Stir Fry had just the right spice. (We ordered medium for both.). One note: The lunch portions are large! Come with an appetite, or you'll need a take home container. We'll definitely be back! (Oh, and the ambiance isn't bad. It's a cute little place tucked off of 2nd street. Limited off-street parking is available in the back.) read more

Crab rangoon was the best I've had, while the rest of the food was just alright. I was alone in the dining room when I went, and I heard the waitress tell someone in back that the guy out there was "creepy". Never went back to a place that's gonna insult me within earshot. read more

The food was ok, but I realized after I left that they overcharged me almost $11. It cost me $25 for a bowl of bume noodle soup and an order of egg rolls. According to the menu it should have cost $12.50. The food was good and the servers were friendly, but I won't be back. Can't afford to pay twice the menu price. read more

This place is own by Laotians and their foods are very similar to Thai foods. I would say it's not the best Thai place you can get but in the Springfield, I feel like this one is the good one to go for so far. They also have Vietnamese food options like Pho as well. read more

Ethnic food at it's best! The Mekong Cafe' is one of Springfield's best kept secrets. Numerous things on the menu are very tasty, from the spring rolls, to the Pad Thai, Garlic Chicken, to something as simple as the Fried Rice! Owner/Cook very pleasant, and eager to please. Have been numerous times now, and never had a bad experience. Kudos MeKong!! read more

This place is hands down the best Thai place in Springfield. Everything I've tried is amazing. My favorite thing off their menu is the Thai Spicy Chicken they will make it as hot or mild as you'd like. I've been a loyal customer for years now and have never been disappointed. They've recently renovated the place and there's a lot more seating and wait staff. I definitely recommend this place. read more

Mekong Cafe - Dining room - Vietnamese Near Me - Springfield, Illinois

This charming little hole in the wall has great food in a location that one wouldn't expect it. The staff are courteous and seem to really care about service. The menu doesn't overextend the abilities of the kitchen. read more

Love this little family-owned treasure in Springfield. Delicious Asian dishes. Thai egg rolls are so good!

Delicious food!! Anything from the noodle dishes to the rice dishes you can't go wrong. The soup is great and I never pass up the Vietnamese Spring Rolls, best in town! The owners are wonderful people, service is great and fast. read more

Mekong Cafe - Mekong Beef. Sooo tasty!! - Vietnamese Near Me - Springfield, Illinois

This place gets three and a half stars. I have definitely had better. I started with the fresh spring rolls in rice noodle. They were small, and the peanut sauce was very thin and not sweet at all. I actually liked the sauce, I just was not expecting it. Then came the beef pho. When it first came out, it was the soup only. I had to request the sides and the chop sticks. The waitress was working the cash register and tables. However there were never more than three seated tables while I was there. She was very nice, but seemed very distracted. The pho its self was ok. A little on the bland side. The temperature was hot which was nice. I have had cold pho and that's no Bueno. I'm guessing there are not many choices in this area, and I was staying at a hotel with no car. If I ever come back I will try it again. It was not bad just not my best experience. read more

Mekong Cafe - Beef pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Springfield, Illinois

Lady was super rude for no good reason. I asked for a menu to take home and she said no we don't do that. Online menu prices are out dated. $15 for fried rice. Was very good though read more

I'll admit I was nervous walking in. Not many customers on a rainy night. But rest assured the food did not disappoint. My dinner mate had the beef lo mein and ate every morsel. Yeah, lo mein is basically lo mein and this wasn't so much better than any other place, but it was solidly good. Huge portion, too. I had the lemon grass soup with chicken and mild spice. Was delicious. Best ever? No. But solidly good? Yes, indeed. We also shared the eggroll, which was fine. Attentive service gets them from 3.5 for the food to 4 overall. read more

This is our favorite Thai/Vietnamese restaurant. Awesome crab Rangoon, spring rolls, and Thai Coffee. I love the Mekong Beef, my wife usually gets the Vietnamese Noodle Salad & our son had a curry dish- all were great. read more

The BEST Thai/Viemanese food in Springfield! This was a regular stop for me and mine when I still lived in Springfield. Lets put it this way - I don't miss Springfield, but I DO miss this restaurant - so that should say something! It's easy to pass by because of the somewhat shabby exterior - but don't let that fool you! This place is, without a doubt, the BEST place to get asian food in Springfield. I'm a Thai food fanatic, so I've tried all the other places, and they are good, but Mekong is WAY better. They get very busy at lunch so I recommend getting there right at 11:00 to avoid the crowd. I highly recommend the lemongrass soup - the flavor is phenomenal. I also really enjoyed the basil fried rice and just about anything else I've tried on the menu, so you can't go wrong! read more

I doubt if I'll ever go to Springfield again but if I do this is the place I'll always visit. Fantastic food. Great, funny, gracious owner. A perfect combination. Don't expect much ambiance but the food and service more than make up for the lack of ambiance. read more

Good consistent Thai food in a town that lacks consistency. Friendly staff. I think that in house is a little bigger serving than carry out however even with having a Thai place within a quarter mile of our house we will drive here to get take out over others. Never had a take out experience where we had a box mystery what is that and had to go back. Not flashy, and not probably a first date place however it is a place where the staff genuinely seems to care. read more

This place is by far the best oriental restaurant in Springfield. The Viet noodle salad is very good. Have not had a bad meal here. Parking can be tricky. read more

Best Vietnamese and Laotian food in Springfield, never dissapointed and if you come here and something is off like cold rice and or mushy food like one review I read ifyour paying for food say something the staff is great and will fix the problem and perfect the plate. Never be scared to be a customer that speaks up. This place is excellent!! read more

Waited all day because of the good reviews. They said open at 4. It's 4:30 Friday evening and no one is there. I won't try again. Would not recommend. read more

Amazing food!!! No matter what I get to eat... it's always EXCELLENT!!!! I would venture to say this is the best restaurant in town!!!

Don't let the exterior fool you, this place is a gem. Family owned, friendly staff, if you come in regularly they might even have your order memorized. The pad-see-ew and thai eggrolls are delicious. Fast service; its easy to get in and out in a half an hour even when they're packed for lunch and sending loads of to-go orders out the door. They are currently updating the facade outside and working on improving the ambience inside as well. My favorite thai food in Springfield by a long shot. read more

This is a wonderful little restaurant It's not fancy but the food is great and plentiful. Everything is made to order and served hot. The owners are very hardworking and friendly. I only wish they had a liquor license read more

Food was good, nice service. There wasn't anything wrong with the food but also nothing that stood out or that was very memorable. It would be a good lunch place if you want to try something new. Older building but the food is still good. read more

Chicken Pad Thai is delicious! Wonderful owners go above and beyond to give you great food and excellent service. Their crab Rangoon is the best in town. The place is always hoping especially at lunch with eat in and carry out orders. read more

The lemongrass soup is so so flavorful. I'm a harsh critic, and this place does it just right. I come here whenever I'm in town from Chicago for work. Do not let the run down external appearance fool you. Delicious!!! read more

Came in from Chicago and wasn't expecting much since I'm kind of a snob about indochinese food. Everything was amazing and clearly made with fresh ingredients and it was all at a cheap price. Plan on coming back. read more

This place is in my neighborhood, and I often walk here with my dog to pick up a carry out order. They are very friendly and meet me at the door. The food is very good and a great value. I love the red curry with coconut milk. The mix of proteins and vegetables is just right. During lunch the service gets bogged down, but during dinner you food is ready very fast. I usually call in my order after I've already started walking over! read more

Ethnic food at it's best! The Mekong Cafe' is one of Springfield's best kept secrets.

Love the pad thai! Great prices too

Food was great, especially the basil chicken! Service was courteous, and I would definitely go back. Medium plus spicy was just right.

OMG!!! All the good reviews are spot on! I first walked up to this place and I thought hmmmm But I had read not to let the outside throw you off. I ordered the basil fried rice and it was delicious! All the flavors were perfectly balanced without anything being added. I am looking forward to cominh back and trying something else. The service was wonderful! U won't be disappointed! read more

Excellent food, excellent service. Completely family owned and operated, and it shows.

I eat here way too much! I can't find a bad meal here lol! Everything is excellent!

I'm from the Chicago area and I can't believe there is a Thai place this good in Springfield. So far I have tried Curry fried rice, Mekong beef, pad Thai, and Crab ragoon. Prices are good considering what you get. It seems like they do a lot of take-out business but I have always dined in. Good service and great food. Worth the drive even if you are staying on the other side of town. read more

I felt like serving size is slightly small, but food was really good!! Definitely going back...

It's definitely a little hole in the wall kind of place. Super nice people though and yummy food. I had the lemongrass soup (which I highly recommend) and crab rangoons. The soup was even good reheated as leftovers. The rangoons didn't last that long because I ate all of them. It's definitely worth the visit. read more

LOVE this place! My coworkers and I eat here at least once a week. The best pad thai I have ever eaten. Everything else I have tried there is excellent and the owners are very nice. read more

Great service every time we go and the Pho is the best we have found in Springfield. We moved here from the SF Bay area and the fact that we have had a very hard time finding comparable Dim Sum, Vietnamese, Sushi, etc here in Springfield has been a huge issue. The Mekong Cafe has been the one bright spot so far. We're still looking though! read more