We have few reliable Thai-Asian restaurants in Durham. I have been here twice in two weeks. This one is easily accessible, has ample parking, friendly service, very little food, reasonably priced, and tasty food. The crab wontons and pad thai medium spicy are my favorites! They even give a small container of peanuts on the side. The only drawback to consider is if you are a not a noodle eater, there are very few options. I really would like to try the mango sticky rice in the future! read more

Noodle 501 - Drunken Noodle Fried - Thai Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

A must try in Durham for Thai food! I ordered takeout over the weekend and had a great experience. I ordered drunken noodles with tofu. It was piping hot when I picked it up. The inside of the restaurant is very clean featuring modern decor. And the staff were very friendly as well. The flavor of the noodles was very delicious, savory, and not too spicy. You can indicate your level of spice when ordering which is a major plus. The tofu pieces were crispy and added a nice texture to the meal. And the entree was loaded with sautéed veggies which enhanced the overall flavors of the dish. Definitely top tier drunken noodles! I look forward to checking out other menu items. read more

Noodle 501 - Drunken Noodle with tofu - Thai Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Noodle 501 is pretty new to the chapel hill/Durham area, and since I loveee noodles, I was really excited to try this place! We got the roti and curry, and I got the yellow curry noodle with chicken at the medium spice level (2). The roti was a bit too oily for me, and it wasn't as fluffy/layered as I would have liked. The yellow curry noodle was wayyy more spicy than I expected. My stomach is pretty sensitive to spice, so next time I would definitely get level 1 spice. The noodles were a bit too chewy for me as well, but I did enjoy the chicken. I didn't get to taste much of the broth because it was just so spicy, but it was pretty decent as far as I could tell. Overall, the food here was average and fairly priced, and I definitely would want to try the pad thai next time I make a visit! read more

Noodle 501 - Khao Soi - Thai Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Food was delicious, and the service was great and fast. Quiet spot with great food. Would definitely eat here again read more

Noodle 501 - Wall menu - Thai Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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"Thai soups and dishes in New Hope Commons" We stumbled upon this place on GrubHub and ordered delivery on a Friday night. My wife and I both ordered the large Tom Kha coconut soup (one with chicken, one with tofu) and we split an order of spring rolls. We were pleased with the dishes overall. They came in plastic containers and arrived on time and still surprisingly hot... impressive for delivery. The soup was good-- rich (lots of coconut milk) and with big chunks of mushrooms and tofu/ chicken. It was a little sweeter than might be expected, but I didn't mind. Unlike the same dish our usual Thai takeout place (Pad Thai), it didn't have a lot of "other stuff" in it-- no onions. tomato, scallion, etc., so up to you whether you see that as a positive or negative. But it was a BIG helping and for just $10 before tax/ tip/ delivery fees. The spring rolls were quite yummy, and while a bit small, they were good at just $4. Overall, while we've barely sampled the menu, if you're looking for good Thai at a very good price, this seems like a good option to check out. I'd be interested to visit the restaurant in person sometime rather than just the delivery! read more

Stopped thru Raleigh on 7/3/22 & grabbed takeout. The food was fresh & delicious. The excellent: Pork dumpling ramen-The broth is the elixir of life. Omg...so good. Curry rotee. The sauce is superb. The fried dumplings (not what you expect! It's deep fried!) the calamari & crab rangoon...light & crispy perfection. Also good- the yellow curry noodles with chicken. My wife raved over it more than I. I had 2 bites. I thought the chicken was dry & it lacked flavor overall, which is surprising because everything else was packed with flavor. But she loved it- so I'm ok thinking maybe it's just me? The meh: The fried tofu. So dry & tasteless. But quick hack- dumped it in the ramen- holy moly! It soaked up the elixir & became amazing. Shrimp summer roll. 1 small shrimp per roll- disappointment! It was also very dry & no flavor. Thankfully, there was sauce. They really should consider adding - gasp- another shrimp per roll? Or add mango or something. Idk. It was basically lettuce in rice paper. 2 adults & 2 kids ran me almost $80. But our bellies were full & not a morsel was wasted. It's really delicious!! Plus the service was warm & friendly. Will definitely tell our local folks to check it out & we will be back for sure. read more

This place is so cute inside and the food is great! My mom have really high spice tolerance so a lot of the time 4/5 spice level is not that spicy to us, but this place had really good spice! It was perfect for us :) the music inside also is not loud and is actually very relaxing, so I really like that. There's also bar seating, making this a convenient place to eat by yourself if you wish to. The Tom yum soup had a really fragrant lemon grass flavor that was really great, and the noodles in the ramen was not soggy at all - really yummy! The drunken noodles were so good with the fried tofu - a solid dish. The service here is great too! Definitely recommend. read more

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Ordered spring rolls and there was one spring roll thrown directly into the plastic bag. Gross read more

Noodle 501 - Thai Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

One of my favorites in Durham! I love the ramen noodles and the crab Rangoon is some of the best we've had in the US. Excellent timely customer service. read more

Absolutely yummy! When I came in here I was set on a non soup entree but the owner who was also my server convinced me to get the tonkotsu ramen noodles. I've been lowkey looking for a ramen spot near me and I'm happy to have found this spot! I added extra spice and I am so glad I did. Mouth watering. I wanted mango sticky rice but they didn't have it in stock unfortunately...I was also disappointed by the price ($18 yikes) but I'll just come by a bit less often than I would want to but I am coming back! read more

Noodle 501 - Tonkotsu Ramen - Thai Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Delicious drunken Udon. Plenty for supper. lots of noodles with veggies and chicken (my choice). cooked to order. will come again.

It's always a red flag for me when the menu offers too many different types of cuisines. However, my friends and I were craving noodles so we decided to give this place a try. Just as expected, this one is a flop. The tom yum noodle (spicy level 4 out of 5) that I ordered was not spicy. There was a hint of lemongrass and galangal but Thai dishes are known for bold sour and spicy flavor which the broth did not deliver. The noodle was limp and soggy, a weird texture that I've not had before for ramen which was disappointing because a bowl of ramen should have good broth but also GREAT noodles. The toppings include packaged pork meatballs and a few dry slices of pork, which again, was very underwhelming. None of us finished our food, which is rare because we love to eat. I don't see the hype and will not be returning. read more

Service was good even though they were busy. The takoyaki was okay, I recommend getting it somewhere else. The pad Thai was delicious though! I absolutely recommend trying that or their ramen. read more

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My first time here and I was very pleased. Service was so fast and attentive. The fried tofu was a little on the soft side but very flavorful. I ordered the pad woon sen with chicken and got it medium. The medium was plenty spicy and the portion was massive. I should've taken half of it home for another meal later but it was so good that I ate it all. Definitely will return. read more

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Visited on a whim with a friend because we were craving Thai. The interior space is lowkey and perfect for a meal with friends. We ordered the pad thai with chicken and the chicken curry noodle to share. The pad thai was standard and had great flavor. The chicken curry noodle was a bit underwhelming, partially because we ordered it on a low spice level and because the noodles were a bit too soft for my liking. Regardless, I'm glad we tried it because I think the menu does offer a good selection of dishes. The price point is a little high, but it isn't out of the ordinary for Durham and it's not shocking given the healthy portions. read more

Noodle 501 - chicken pad thai - Thai Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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What a fun place to visit. Great selection of noodle based dishes. Conveniently located with great hours throughout the week. If you like to experiment with flavors you can't go wrong with this place! read more

Very expensive for what you get (note that all proteins are an additional charge). Ordered the pad Thai with shrimp - it was ok. Also ordered the fried drunken noodles with chicken - it was inedible. Looked and tasted like it was cooked many hours before and kept warm for the day. Will not be returning. read more

Just tried Noodle 501 for the first time and ordered the drunken noodles. Flavor and spice levels were good but overall disappointing for the price!($20). No wok hei and over cooked noodles. The noodles were mushy and not even discernible as in the other photos. And portion was small although It didn't matter so much in this case as I don't think I can eat a plateful of mush. read more

Noodle 501 - Drunken Noodles with shrimp - Thai Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Clean, very quick service, food is excellent! Love being able to order spiciness level. Several gluten free options to chose from! Changed to 3 stars because I got glutened! I am in total misery after my "gluten free" meal. Darn, it was soooooo good! read more

Service was wonderful. My waiter and host, perhaps the owner, was friendly, attentive, and accommodating. The restaurant was clean and inviting. The food was just okay. I tried the appetizer sampler sub veggie goyza, drunken noodles with combo meat no pork, thai tea, and mango sticky rice. The appetizer was crispy and hot but lacked flavor. The batter on the shrimp was too thick. The spring rolls were soggy and kind of wet on the inside. Guessing the veggies were over cooked or the rolls were previously frozen. They did not taste homemade. The vegetable goyza and house dipping sauces were pretty good. The drunken noodles lacked the umami that I wanted. I missed the notes of fragrant basil and saltiness from some type of fish sauce. I even paid $2 to have cilantro and scallions added to the dish to no avail. The mango and sticky rice were the stars of the show. The mango was sweet and juicy. The rice was warm and sticky with a slight note of sweetness. I just wish they had included more coconut cream. Overall: service 10/10 Quality of ingredients 10/10 Taste of food 6/10 read more

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Get take out-- shrimp pad Thai, beef stew and mango with sticky rice. Pad Thai was ordered mild but was inedible because it was SOOO spicy -- and I like spicy. The stew was fine but not much flavor, the meat was a little tough. The mango sticky rice was beyond sticky. I had high hopes because I love the mothership twisted noodles on university and this place is 2 minutes from my house. I will try again because of both those facts and hope that I just experienced new restaurant glitches read more

We were so looking forward to trying this place and unfortunately won't be returning. The dumplings arrived cold, the vegetable tempura wasn't cooked thoroughly and was oily and spring rolls were mainly filled with lettuce. We did however enjoy the drunken noodles but when I asked the server for an extra plate, he said no and brought me an appetizer size plate. He said that he didn't want to have two of the ceramic plates on the same table but there's other appetizer plates that are made out of the same material so quite perplexed. That was shocking! read more

Food: I had the Beef Stew Ramen and it was amazing. My fiance had the drunken noodles and she loved it. Venue: The restaurant is nice and has a great vibe to it. My one critique is the music can be more lively. I would recommend a Lofi channel on YouTube that would fit the place. read more

A very cozy and hidden gem of a noodle please on the Durham and Chapel Hill boarder. They've got a lot of noodle dish selections and some really good ramen choices. I typically always order one of their speciality ramen dishes. They do lean towards spicy so be very carful when choosing your spice level. I've gotten take out from them a few times and dined in their establishment as well, both the take out and in the restraunt dining were very good experiences. The food came out fast and the waiter was very friendly. Highly recommended. read more

Just had the best drunken noodles I've ever had - delicious and full of flavor! I hate fish sauce, but took a risk on ordering this anyway (I've stopped asking places to leave it out, don't know if they would, places usually won't). I'm happy to report that it was not at all overwhelming and I really just got a hint of it in one bite. The fried vegetable gyoza was terrific, too. Note: they don't skimp on spicy - that's a good thing if you love spicy. I do. I ordered medium and it was quite spicy, enough for me to consider ordering mild next time. It was still delicious and not too spicy for me but close. I can't believe I didn't take a picture of my food for my review. Next time, which will be soon, and I'll re-review! read more

Flavorful dishes, enticing menu. Friendly staff and kid compatible! Can't wait to come back! We loved the loaded tofu, yellow curry noodle and my son loved the beef pho broth. read more

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Got take out from Noodle 501 and it was delicious. I had the Seafood Tom Yum Ramen and my wife had the Coconut Noodle Soup. We both loved our dishes and will definitely go back. We also had the Sampler appetizer which was great as well, especially the three sauces that came with it. Would strongly recommend trying Noodle 501 out. Even though we got take out the atmosphere inside was awesome, loved the decor and feel of the entire place. Give it a try! #supportlocal read more

Noodle 501 - Seafood Tom Yum Ramen - Thai Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Came here for dinner with my mom. Food portions were amazing. I felt the food was a little lacking but I will definitely come back and try something else. read more

Noodle 501 - Fried Calamari (10) - Thai Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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My son and I were in town and we're looking for a local spot to eat. I found this on yelp with the other reviews being fantastic. We decided to give it a try and we're so glad we did. We absolutely loved it! The food was so flavorful and delicious. We will definitely be back when we visit Durham. read more

Noodle 501 - Pad Thai was delicious - Thai Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Checked this place out because they just opened and I'm quite satisfied! The atmosphere was quiet and homey, and the staff was friendly and quick to respond! My pad Thai was a little lackluster however my chicken curry noodles were superb! Definitely would recommend read more

Noodle 501 - Chicken curry noodles, beef pad thai - Thai Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Placed an online order. Everything was perfect. Pad See Ew, sampler appetizers and mango sticky rice. Everything was cooked perfect the flavors of the Pad see ew! They gave a time for pick up and it was to the minute. Staff was nice and helpful read more

Ok I am going to change my original review. I think I was a bit negative and I want to support local business. I think overall this place is decent. I would not say it's anywhere near what I'm used to but It's a good place to get decent asian noodles. The tonkotsu ramen by far was the best. I did not like their drunken noodles. I have to caveat, that day we had been looking forward to going to another place but they were closed. We had just arrived from a long road trip and we were taking our son out last time before he started college and so it was a mixed day of tiredness, unmet expectations, and we were downright cranky. The manager did replace the drunken noodles for ramen, service was good but I still would say the noodle place is very average. But from the sounds of it, they seem like they are very receptive to customer feedback and able to change their recipes according to the reviews. We will visit again. read more

In search of food this afternoon and luckily found this gem. We tried the crispy pork dumplings (no picture, we ate them too fast), duck ramen, and crispy drunken noodles. The star for me was the duck ramen. Great flavor and seasoning on both the duck and the broth. The broth had a cinnamon flavor and really accentuated the duck. The crispy drunken noodles also had great flavor and an added crunch with every bite. I'll admit this was a new one for me so I wasn't sure what to expect. Some noodles were crispier than others but otherwise exceptional flavors. The dumplings were really good. A little thicker coat on the outside that reminded me more of a funnel cake but really enjoyable. I'll definitely be back. read more

Noodle 501 - Duck Ramen - Thai Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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It's a decent spot. Easy to find location. Cute decorations and music. My beef stew ramen was just okay but I loved the crab ragoons. read more

Noodle 501 - Beef stew ramen - Thai Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

This is by far the best Ramen in the area. It's always good but I must warn you that when they say Thai Hot, they mean Thai hot! I brought someone who is a supertaster tonight and they kept looking down at the bowl and muttering "it's so good! it's so good!" Be aware this ramen is different than standard Japanese Ramen. The Chef has put his own spin on it which is part of what makes it so good! Highly highly recommend. read more

What a special surprise this dinner was. In town for one night and wanted Thai. Service was prompt, and the food was something special - sure wish this was in my town. I love shrimp, started off with Tempura and right into Pad Thai. The shrimp were adequate sized and ordered it med spice. It had some kicked.... Finished off with Crispy Roti and ice cream. Can't wait to come back someday. read more

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The service at this place is bad simply no costumer sevice at all. no manners oblivious of how to greet people. waited 15 minutes for a glass of water on my wife's Birthday. Server walked by table 5 times with no expression on his face....then some people walked in, they were served almost instantly . we walked out. Thank you Noodle 501 for ruinning a date!!! No used to talk to manager since he was the one neglecting us. I gave you one star and that is a lot!!!! read more

I'm sure a lot of people will like Noodle 501, but if I'm being completely honest it wasn't my jam. I felt the noodles in my Pad Thai had a bit of a slimy mouth feel, but the flavors were otherwise fine. The waitstaff was attentive and the price was a bit high in my humble opinion. Again, others may love Noodle 501 but it was a miss for me. read more

Dropped by for a late lunch. The food was delicious! I got soup, my husband had a noodle bowl. The ingredients were fresh and the broths were outstanding. Thomas was friendly and helpful. We will definitely return! read more

I'm Thai and I know my flavors and this place in on point and I can hear the actual thai cooks/chef in the kitchen choppin it up!!! I had the fried soft shell crab and seafood Tom yum ramen and it hit the spot!!! BOMB as food I'm sure everything on the menu is a hit keep it up y'all my peoples!!!! read more

Noodle 501 - Soft shell crab and Tom yum seafood Thai Tom Yum Ramen - Thai Near Me - Durham, North Carolina