Lynn has amazing food. She uses fresh foods in her Thi, authentic recipes. Her donuts are fabulous! The surroundings are clean and peaceful. The service is top notch. Ericka took very good care of me. read more

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Food was almost 5/5, more in that later. Staff was busy busy busy as there were only two people visible on the floor as well as taking care of to go orders. Quaint little restaurant and the decor was solid. We had to wait for almost everything which isn't surprising as they looked to be short-staffed - I hope they staff more than two front house people regularly. My friend and I had drinks, he tried a Thai beer and peach saki, which he enjoyed. I had fountain root beer. We ordered steamed potstickers, which came out too quickly, were just north of warm and the sauce was far too sweet. Underwhelming. They'd be better if they were up to temp and the sauce was more savory and less sweet. The crabmeat Rangoon was crisp on one side and a little soggy on the other, they came out hot but I think they had been sitting for a bit. The sauce was again, far too sweet. It looked like straight honey with red pepper flakes in it. The entrees however, almost made up for the appetizers. Both plates were large and outstanding flavor. He had Racy Pad Thai (shrimp) with level 2 heat (1-5). I had chicken pad Thai (level 3), with a tamarind-based sauce and chopped peanuts on top. Again, both were fantastic. Overall a pleasant experience, I will return. read more

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The worst Thai Food I've ever experienced. Perhaps the misspelt sign when you enter "Hot Thai Noods" was the moment I should have turned around and left. Dark, humid interior.....sat in 3 different booths all had seats with zero support. Felt like small child needing a booster chair to get to the table. Bunched up jacket to sit on. Dumpling appetizer ok. Ordered my favorite soup in the world....Tom Yum. I was embarrassed for the kitchen. First filled so full waiter struggled to set down. Horrible and someone decided sugar would be a great idea. Awful.....fished out the 3 shrimp that I paid $2 extra for and sent soup back. No galangal, no ginger, no lemongrass. It was some sweet gross concoction. Later the waiter told me he tasted some and thought it tasted like 'tomato water'. It sucked. I then ordered a green curry and friend with me ordered a yellow curry. She on 1st taste......too much salt. I had asked for a #3 medium spice. They dumped some old chili pepper flakes on top of the food in the middle of the dish. Super amateur cooking move. Instead of cooking the heat into each dish. The sauce was a quick coconut milk mixed with different curry pastes and then extra salt dumped on it. Just give it pass, like I said: the worst excuse for Thai food I've ever experienced. Save your money....keep driving! read more

The food here is fresh, tasty and servings are large. The only thing I didn't care for is a large amount of dry crushed pepper put in the middle of my food. I had to remove it. My spice was plenty but if a let that in there, mixed it up it would have been to much spice. They should let customers add extra spice if they want it. We all enjoyed our dinner. I would recommend this restaurant but I suggest people ask them for the extra dry crushed pepper on the side. read more

Thai food is one of our favorites. This place does it right. Comes out tasting great and we eat here often. It's usually pretty busy so other patrons like it too. read more

Amazing food, we never had a bad meal here. They adjust the heat level to your individual preference. We really need to come back more often. The Crispy Chicken Cashew Nut stir-fry has so much flavor! read more

NaRa Thai Cuisine - Cashew Nut stir-fry - Thai Near Me - Marion, Iowa

We had the drunken noodles and the drunken ramen. Both were excellent. Heat level 3 was light for both of use but the chili's provided to boost spice was great. Server was great. And food came quickly read more

New owners? No problem! The new owner re-opened this place about a month and a half ago and the renovations/decorations make the place feel even more inviting and fun! We loved our weeknight dinner here and can't wait to be back! The food was amazing! The Kuea Kai noodles were so delicious and came as a MASSIVE portion. The Panang Curry was also super flavorful. The owner, Lin, came by our table and was just so pleasant. She really cares about her customers! Please support this place, we want it to be around for years to come! read more

NaRa Thai Cuisine - two chairs in front of a neon sign - Thai Near Me - Marion, Iowa

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The Pad Thai here is the best I've ever had in Iowa, the staff was so kind and our food came out relatively quickly even though it was very busy. The atmosphere of the restaurant was also very nice. I would note that as a person who has a very high spice tolerance the level 5 spice isn't as spicy as the server may make it seem but that's just my opinion. I also love all the vegetation options. read more

Level 5 spice had no spice to it even after adding extra powdered spice. I found it odd that they had no fresh chili in the back. The dish had the smallest amount of chicken in it. I am glad I did not ask for a more expensive meat like duck because I would have gotten so little of it. The flavor was not bad and the low review is not because of the level of spice but really the amount of meat that you get. When I first got the dish I was thinking that it was a pretty big plate but then saw it looked full because of the amount of green beans, onions, and bell peppers that was in the dish. I felt like I was eating a vegetarian dish. read more

NaRa Thai Cuisine - Basil chicken (Level 5 spice) - Thai Near Me - Marion, Iowa

Great experience! Elena was our server and was sweet, attentive, and knew the menu well. We ordered a variety of items and got a really good selection of the menu! The soups were my favorite, drunken noodles on par, and nicely prepared rice. Good, authentic Thai flavors all around! If you like things spicy, advocate for it-- a 3 on their scale is pretty mild for heat lovers. Easy to eat vegetarian and even has gluten free options like pad Thai. Nicely decorated, clean place with good energy. We left with a mango sticky rice for each of us -- a little pricy at $8 a piece but it was so good I would come back just for that (and maybe try some appetizers next time)! read more

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My husband craves pad Thai and, since he's on the mend from being sick all week, I stopped in to get some carry out. I almost didn't since it was 15 minutes to closing time, but everyone was so warm and welcoming. I ordered chicken pad Thai and West Coast pad Thai and both were authentic and so delicious. The space is so nice, and the food is so good, I know we'll be back to dine in. read more

NaRa Thai Cuisine - Thai Near Me - Marion, Iowa

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We have become regulars here. The food is always good. I will admit, I get the same few entrees because I am not a spice girl. The servers are always helpful and attentive. The prices are good for the amount of food you get. The seating area is not big, so you may encounter a wait. This is a favorite place, they never disappoint read more

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Nara Thai is especially good and I highly recommend them to our of towners. The food is consistently delicious and I've never had a meal I didn't like from them. Suggestions: I especially enjoy their Pad See Ew and the Kua Kai. Their crab rangoons are a little different than most other places as they are served much like chips and dip. Service at Naras is typically good, but you've got to plan for a longer meal than other places. Food takes a fairly long time and getting checked out can take time. This has caused me to be late for a meeting when I've gone there for lunch, but it was worth it. Plan a little more than an hour for lunch. Consider getting Naras for takeout. We do this routinely and it's always well done. read more

We went last night during restaurant week and we thought they would be at the top of their game but sadly they were not. We have been here before and love their food however last night was less than stellar. We arrived at opening we ordered the fried appetizer plate which was hot and great, loved the two options for sauce. My husband had the special duck entree for the week and it was good and hot however our meals came out separately and about 10 minutes apart. His duck had bones in it and even the waiter commented on this. I ordered the pangy chicken sandwich special for the week, I enjoyed the sauce however my meal was not hot and the bun was burnt. I old the waiter about the food temp however nothing was done or offered. Like another review there were only two wait staff out front and other tables had prolonged waiting for their food as well. We were there for 1.5 hours waiting for our food. You have lost our business sadly. There are other good Thai restaurants in CR. read more

Always great food and friendly fast service. Our favorite Thai restaurant, we love the ability to adjust the spice level

Lynn and crew offer up amazing Thai food in a fun and friendly atmosphere. Be sure to try the Drunken Noodles, the Khao SOI, the Lion City, the amazing curries, and the is more. Finish up with sticky rice and mangoes. You are in for a treat! read more

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This was a nice restaurant. The potstickers, egg rolls & spring rolls are very good. I would eat there again.

Normally, I would give a restaurant a 5-Star rating when they have the quality that NaRa has. Really good Thai food. However, they used to have the best crab rangoons I've ever had. Now, they have crab Rangoon dip with chips that are typically over cooked. Sorry NaRa, you ruined a good thing. Never the less, I will continue to order the other stuff and then go down the street for crab Rangoons. read more

NaRa Thai Cuisine - Seriously, these are gross! Bring back real crab Rangoons. - Thai Near Me - Marion, Iowa

Came here for lunch with a colleague who was talking it up - I was not disappointed whatsoever. I've been to Thailand many times and this is the real deal We started with chicken satay and crab ragoons - amazing . I ordered Pad Thai and he had another spicy dish - both were excellent ! Service was attentive and very friendly - I wish I lived in IA so I could come back . Stellar venue for Thai !! read more

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Given some of the positive reviews I was really looking forward to trying NaRa. Unfortunately the reality was very disappointing. The wait for takeout was over an hour. There was spilled soy sauce all over the inside of the bag. The pad Thai and pad se eu noodles were barely cooked and lacked flavor. Ingredients seemed to be missing. The noodles used for the pad se eu were almost like fettuccine rather than the expected thick rice noodles. Just shockingly subpar Thai food. read more

Soooooo goooood. My daughter who lives in London and eats a lot of different cuisine there said that the green curry here has something that tones down the sweetness that is better than any green curry dish she's ever had. Way to go! read more

Hello I was here about 3 weeks ago in CR. I was traveling and dis not want the usual. Thai sounded good but did not know about Thai in CR. I will say it was very good! The food was hot, fresh and yummy. Go check it out!! read more

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ordered spring rolls, and the peanut sauce was jelly, too much thickener. asked for mango sticky rice and got just rice, was sticky but not sweet at all, tried to give some to my dogs but they wouldn't eat it. three orders inedible . flavor decent to curries I ordered however. very skimpy on shrimp. four small shrimp. waited for an hr when told order would be ready in 30 minutes. not impressed read more

Good Thai food choice for Cedar Rapids. Portions are plentiful, if you are looking for volume. Restaurant offers ample vegan choices. Mine ended up being on the rather salty side. Service was excellent. Will give it another try sometime in the next few weeks to making sure if this may become a more permanent local choice. read more

The best Thai food around. The staff and owner are really great too. Top recommendations: drunken noodle and panang curry read more

Really loved the drunken noodles and pad thai and will definitely be coming back regularly for more! Love that you can customize your choice of protein and spice level - this makes it super vegetarian friendly. Staff were helpful, space felt clean and comfortable. read more

NaRa Thai Cuisine - Drunken Noodles with Tofu - Thai Near Me - Marion, Iowa

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We visit friends in CR frequently but are terrible at branching out for food places. We decided Thai sounded good so we ended up at NaRa. We were seated right away but told there were only 2 servers so it may be a bit. We ordered our beverages shortly after that and then our food. The couple with us ordered red curry and shrimp pad thai. My husband ordered some mango dish and I ordered pineapple fried rice. Before I ordered I asked our server if I could order the fried rice without pineapple as I am allergic and she said yes. She didn't bat an eye to tell me she was also allergic to pineapple. It relieved me to know she understood I still wanted the dish because of the delicious ingredient combination of chicken, yello curry fried rice, raisins and cashewsbut was allergic to the main ingredient. Everything was delicious and we all finished off our dishes. The servers did a fantastic job of keeping everyone happy! read more

I visited on Valentine's Day while in town for work and they were super busy. The kitchen was a backed up but I had some podcasts to catch up on, so I wasn't in a hurry. Plus, the staff set expectations and suggested I get an app since the main would be a while. I got the veggie delight with mock duck and enjoyed my meal. I've been here several times, but this was my first since the new ownership. I noticed the next day I had left my AirPods at the table. I called and left my information, but I live in Michigan, so fully accepted I would never see them again. To my surprise, they arrived in the mail a few days later! Thanks, Nara! See you next time I'm in town! read more

My food was supposed to be ready at 7 o'clock and I didn't get till 740! I paid for shrimp and they were small

Amazing food, service, and genuine hospitality. I would recommend this local place to anyone willing to give it a try :)

When COVID has you stuck at home and you can't travel sometimes you have to order in and pretend you are in Thailand. That's where NaRa came to the rescue! We placed our order and of course everything on the menu sounded so good we ended up with a 4 course meal with plenty of left overs! We were most excited to try their Khao Soi a traditional soup from Northern Thailand. It was a tad sweeter than what we got in Thailand but hit the spot. I also loved the many vegetarian options on the menu. I can't wait for the next time we get to relive our travel adventures on a random Tuesday night when cooking up dinner after a long day at the home office seems like the best escape! read more

This new little Thai spot is definitely living up to the hype. This whole time I hadn't realized they were in the strip mall, the signage blends in so you almost miss it. We were greeted immediately, the hosted was friendly and energetic. The inside is clean and calm, but I did feel a little on top of other diners even though our table was set off by itself. My boyfriend said he thought he saw another section with floor seating? That would be neat next visit. Our server was kind and knowledgeable. I think the owner or manager was floating around helping out as well. The whole dining experience was very smooth and we were well attended. The food was incredible and came out super quickly. We had chicken satay and fresh rolls for appetizers. The satay was delicious but a super small portion. The meat in the fresh rolls is a negligible sliver and they're perfectly delicious without. My boyfriend went for something new and order pad Thai, which didn't live up to his expectations. Dad and I thought it was okay, but we've had better. Dad opted for ginger pork at a level 5 spicy. He found it incredibly spicy, probably needed a 2-3, but enjoyed it nonetheless. I also went for something new and got yellow stir fry with chicken at level 2 spicy, which was perfect. I'm so excited to have another great Thai place in town and so close to home. We will definitely back to try more of their expansive menu. That mango fried rice is calling my name! read more

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I'm so glad we found your place. Service was excellent, kudos to the staff. The food tasted wonderful. Can't wait to get back and try more of the menu. Really appreciate that you can order the heat to your tolerance. Ambiance was nice and comfortable. read more

Good food and great service. Will definitely return and take some friends. Authentic Thai restaurant.

New owners for last year. So many upgrades made! Awesome food! Khao Soi is the best! Cannot say enough good things about this place.

Me and my family have been eating here at least once a week ever since we moved here 4 years ago. Delicious food and quick service. P.S.-my personal favorite dish is the Panang curry. read more

Went here 3/9/22. I will preface this by saying the staff were all lovely. The negative is strictly regarding the food. Got Pad Kee Mao shrimp, Pad See Ew pork, Combination Fried Rice, Chicken Satay, Spring Rolls, and some other dishes. None of them were good. Ingredients were incorrect (e.g. Noodles were the wrong type in the Pad See Ew and Pad Kee Mao, No egg in Pad See Ew, Only regular broccoli in the Pad See Ew, no Chinese broccoli). Noodles were over cooked. They were actually tough. Taste was bland in all the dishes or incorrect seasoning was used (e.g. didn't taste any fish sauce in the Pad See Ew) and the spice levels are for people who never eat spicy food. I could eat a 10 and not even break a sweat. Not coming back here. The food was neither authentic nor good tasting. But the staff was all wonderful. read more

Ordered food online. Was charged 15% gratuity for a to go order of 3 items. Haven't seen a restaurant make a mandatory charge of gratuity before, let alone for a to go order. I asked the lady at check out if this is normal, to which she stared at me and said that the waiters put everything together and make sure everything is in the order. This response caught me off guard because I thought it would just be a good restaurant policy to make sure the order is correct. Won't be going here again as we found another Thai restaurant as good that doesn't charge extra just because. read more

There is something for everyone on their menu. I had a coconut milk and lemongrass soup that was out of this world. The crab Rangoons are the best in Cedar Rapids. I also heard they changed it to a dip so I'm not sure anymore. But great food I'll be back read more

NaRa Thai Cuisine - Thai Near Me - Marion, Iowa