Went there this past Sat. night. I was in the mood for Asian food, so we tried this since it's near the bars. Got the papaya salad, which was surprisingly tasty! The medium was still really hot, so be aware! I got the drunken noodles and my bf got tom yum soup. The noodles were def. tasty, but the tom yum soup was too salty and def. had wayy too much msg! Give it a try though.. Also, the service is super, super, super slow! So don't expect so much. read more

cash only solid, homemade LAUS & Thai. Very authentic. Converted space, so tables are arranged a bit odd, but it works! service by family/owners, so no issue - motivated to please. Priced fair and quality is better than others. Family (teens) enjoyed Pho and curry dishes. Sukiyaki. Heat if you want it, options if you don't. We'll be back! read more

My fave food: Som Tum Thai (Green Papaya Salad) with beef jerky and sticky rice. I love the green papaya salad and beef jerky, but always put the sticky rice aside (and my husband usually eats it, lol). Score: 3.5/5 Foods to avoid: fried rice (oily, tasted like Maggie soy sauce/fish sauce, score: 1/5). Different curry dishes. I have tried the chicken red curry, panaeng curry, and pork green cury; none of them were very satisfying (score: 1/5). I actually felt bad for this place, but I have been going to this place so many times because of its convenient location on State Street. What can I say, I am just not a fan.. read more

Upon arriving at the jazz-bar-turned-Thai-restaurant we found no hostess or direction of any kind to indicate where to sit. We finally encountered a waitress that directed us to a drafty inconveniently shaped table. The waitress was nice enough but obviously lost our order ticket for the bowl of Pho, Red Curry, and crunchy Green Papaya Salad. We sat shivering on tall bar chairs for nearly 1.5 hours before our order was delivered (one dish at a time). The salad was viciously inedible and gave off a smell most remnant of unwashed feet. The amount of red chili flake was like an awful defense mechanism punishing you for each attempt at tasting the dish, and rightly so. My Pho was luke-warm with borderline undercooked hunks of insipid meats with uninteresting white noodles and mushy bean sprouts. The broth had no body or discernable flavor of any kind. The waitress dropped my chopsticks promising to return with a replacement (no dice). My taste of the red curry revealed it to be diluted and with completely inadequate seasoning. Atop it floated dried mushroom slices which had not been re-hydrated. The rice was fine. The decor ranged from Christmas lights which were not lit to a "The Rat Pack" poster to various Thai trinkets and statues. Our table was shaped like a mutant kidney and had a saxophone swirling out colorful clouds. The price would have been very respectable had we gained anything of value. read more

This little hole in the wall restaurant on State street is a secret gem amongst all the restaurants/stores on State. The curries here a little on the thin side and tend to be smaller portions, but are packed with flavor (I've had the panang and massamun). The Kao Poon is really the star for me...a perfect balance of soothing with a little spice. Customer service has never been great unfortunately, but the food is worth the aloof staff members. read more

My friend and I sat at the counter, so the service felt pretty laid back, but they were nice! We both had curry dishes that were perfectly satisfying but nothing out of the ordinary. Pretty good place if you're looking for Thai/ Laotian food... I'd recommend it! read more

I have eaten 3 times at Rising Sons over the years. Each time my experience has been more disappointing than the last. I recently dined there early on a Saturday evening before ushering at Overture. I needed a meal that would hold me til late evening without my feeling weighed down. I ate the green chicken curry. I found the sauce somewhat flavorful but extremely thin. I even sent it back once and it came back to me just about the same. The waitress stated that this was normal recipe. I liked the Thai eggplant but wished for a greater array of veggies. I might have forgiven the watery consistency if the flavor profile had been more robust. The server was kind and accommodating. No one ever came to take my money and I had to get up and go to the counter to pay. The place was not busy so I just think I was forgotten. I love Thai food. I can imagine a freezing winter day when I am hungry and just want to warm up. I will give in to my desires and head to Rising Suns in hope that those lovely Thai spices and textures will magically appear and I will feel the heat all the way to my toes. read more

Came here with friends to nurse our freakfest hangover and was greeted with a delicious steamy bowl of noodles. This place is PHO-real. The noodles were tasty and the broth game here is mad strong. I definitely recommend getting their duck noodles and tom yam noodles (spicy), as both broths were on a different flavor level compared to the others. Just thinking about the noodles is making my mouth water again. I'm definitely coming returning again if I ever find myself in madison. However, they do have some flaws. One being they only take cash, so remember to hit the atm before. Another being the inconsistent portions of meat in the noodles, which would be an issue for gluttons like myself. Overall, I think it's a hidden gem in madison with cheap food at pretty respectable quality. read more

Me and two of my friends were in Wisconsin for a grad school related trip and came to Rising Sons Deli after being in planes/airports/taxis from 4AM California time to 3PM Wisconsin time and walking around campus and State St for three hours in the rain. We were tired and starving and wanted a warm, hearty meal. The meal was warm and hearty but truthfully, not very good. My friend and I both ordered the pho. It came with meatballs, beef, bean sprouts, a tiny bit of green onions but we had to ask for cilantro, limes and fresh jalapenos. They didn't have jalapenos but i thought it was weird that we had to ask for ingredients that usually accompany pho. Ingredients that were also missing and that I missed were basil leaves and raw onions. Reasonably priced at 5.95 especially given the generous portion size but not very tasty by any means. The pho was not very good... definitely one star material. The broth was too sweet and bland, the meat was SO tough i considered not eating it (and for me to consider not eating anything...............hoooeeey!), and the noodles were undercooked and gave me a mild jaw ache. I do not recommend getting the pho. My other friend ordered this stir fry and I can't believe I can't remember the name of it because my friends and I spent so much time trying to remember it. Well, it's #25 on the menu and my friend ordered it with chicken and it was great. The chicken was tender, the flavor and it came with two scoops of white rice (i would guess jasmine rice) that was perfectly steamed. The flavor of the stir fry like meal was decent, not complicated and a little too salty. The menu advertised it as being spicy but it was definitely not spicy enough for the three of us and so my friend added some of the crushed garlic and chili in oil that was on the table which really added a much needed kick. While this dish was decent, it was definitely something that I could have whipped up and so, not worth the 8.50. The pluses of this restaurant are the cute, kitschy decor with lots of high stools and plastic red chairs and a funky little booth in the back; the super friendly and generous staff who brought us lime wedge after lime wedge; and the tootsie rolls that are in giant bowls all around the restaurant. I never knew that tootsie rolls complimented pho so well! =) Would I go back? Probably... Would I order the pho? Definitely not. read more

I actually thought the food was pretty good--I had the drunken noodles and they were just the right amount of spice (I don't like things super hot) and good flavor in general. However, I ordered the drunken noodles with chicken, but received them with beef, and that's just the beginning of our problems. I arrived here as part of a party of six. It was pretty full but there was a large table open that accommodated us, so we sat down. 10-15 minutes later, a woman took our orders. By this point, most of the people who'd been there when we arrived were leaving, so the restaurant was more than half empty. We were all a little concerned when she didn't write anything down, but she didn't seem worried. She did bring out the beers that three of us ordered right away. ...Approximately 50 minutes later, our food arrived. My drunken noodles, as noted, were served with beef; one of the pad thais, for which the beef had been ordered, got the chicken. I said something about it and the waitress did ask if I wanted it redone; since I didn't have another hour to spare, I said no. I feel kind of silly, because this is EXACTLY the kind of service experience a friend of mine described to me when he went there a couple of years ago, but other people in the group had been there before and wanted to go, so I went along with it. I guess I might go again some time when I have 2-3 hours to kill and want to drink awhile before eating. read more

This restaurant should name a dish after me with the amount of business I provide them. When my friends and I are thinking about eating out, we telepathically know exactly where we're meeting up - below the red awning of Rising Son's Deli. I'm going to be a bit biased in my review, since I only eat 4 items off of the menu - drunken noodles, Pad Kappao, Pho and occasionally their spring rolls - reasoning being that the flavor of their pad thai is overpowered by ketchup, their coconut egg noodles are in fact ramen noodles broiled in canned coconut milk and their microwaved duck was likely purchased pre-cut and wholesale from BJs. But then again we're eating Thai food in Madison, WI. What can you really expect? So among the 4 items I'm well acquainted with, drunken noodles beats out the rest. The portions are filling and the seasoning and texture of the noodles is savory. The Pho is the cheapest item at around $5.95 and while the Pad Kappao rivals the Drunken Noodles in flavor, the portions are meager - I normally eat a lot. The service is slow, considering it's a mom and pop shop with one or two employees skedaddling to and from, and as expected an order of chicken arrives as pork. As long as I get my food, I'm a happy camper. Yes this was a long review, but for someone who frequents this restaurant as often as I do (sometimes 4 times a week) I think my review is merited. read more

We snuck in here and sat outside on their secret back patio for a lunch meal. The food was good and came quickly. Overall we were quite impressed. I am not sure the name of the place inspires you to think of Thai food, but I am not a marketing genius either. I agree with another review that it would have been nice if they had asked about spice level - I love things very spicy which is outside the norm of most mid-westerners. read more

On the door it says that they're supposed to open from 11am onwards on a Saturday. Only at 11:05am and after several attempts to get the owner's attention from outside did we manage to get in. If not for the long lines in every other restaurant along State Street, we would've given up a long time ago. - Duck noodle soup: I tasted the soup, and it was really tasty and flavorful! Definitely try this if you want a failure-proof dish. - Tomyam noodle soup: This was really good too! I'm glad they didn't just use the plain tomyam paste because I could taste the shrimp flavor which made it better. - Kao Poun: On the menu it says that this is coconut-based curry with noodles. Boy they weren't kidding about the coconut part. The coconut taste was way to overpowering and you can barely taste curry. Overall, I wouldn't say that my experience here was bad, although I was a little ticked off my the owner's lack of punctuality at the beginning. If you're looking for mediocre cheap Asian food, this is the place to go. read more

Rising Sons serves the best damn Pad Thai I have ever had. You don't even need to bother getting meat with it. Just douse it with the Sriracha and Hoisin sauce they have sitting at every table. Service is pretty slow, and there's not a lot of seating space. They seem understaffed, like they're in a restaurant that's way too small for the amount of food they're cooking and amount of people they're serving. Regardless, the food is definitely worth the wait. You can't get Thai food of this quality anywhere else in Madison. read more

Not a fast food place vibe ready to wait. On the plus side each dish is prepared fresh. The pho is decent. I like my clear noodle soap to look clear and taste clean and this one has that. the one complaint I have about this dish is that it is a little bit too salty. I would come back to try the other dishes. read more

You won't be disappointed if you enjoy authentic Thai food! This was my first visit to Rising Sons Deli, but won't be my last! The service was fast & friendly and the chicken pad Thai was awesome! Very reasonable prices, too!! read more

As an food enthusiast i walked in with the anticipation of great food. Food looked good. But a disappointment. They didn't accept debit/credit. So i had to walk to 3 atm machines! I came back, they gave me my change a dollar short! Oh how pissed off I am! Total inconceinance! I was so pissed, i almost just didn't come back to pay. I'll never go there again. Sorry. I know us asian ppl don't like to pay taxes. But rich ppl pay lots of taxes so time to upgrade and pay taxes and do business a legitament way! It pays off in the long run! read more

Rising Sons Deli - Looks are deceiving - Thai Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

We went here for a quick lunch with our daughter. Bathrooms clean: check. Nice waitress: check. Tasty thai food: check. General cleanliness: oh well... on State Street in Madison, you can't have everything! read more

I'm always surprised at how hard it is to find good Pad Thai but this was always good. Service was usually good. I would do both sit down and carry out and had good experiences with both. Mainly remember this place for the solid Pad Thai. Nice people. Cash only. read more

Small quaint place right outside UW campus on State Street. The food wasn't spectacular, but it was certainly authentic and not a bad meal! The service was fairly quick and polite, and like other reviews have said - they are cash only! I would check them out if you're curious about authentic northern Thai food, because it's quite different from the southern Thai food that most people are used to (Pad Thai, etc.). read more

Ate here for lunch one day with three other people. We were lucky enough to grab a table for four. Service was kind of slow, so I don't recommend going here if you have a short lunch break. I had the Pad Thai, which was solid - not the best I've had, but decent. I left feeling full and happy. Oh, and apparently they don't take credit cards. Plan accordingly. read more

So I am a bit harsh when it comes to Thai Food. What I ordered was Basil, and coming from a Thai family, I would like authentic. It wasn't cooked exactly how I would like it. However the spice was up to par. The place was cozy. It won't be my primary place to head to, but I will definitely eat here again. read more

Such a solid place for a yummy, cozy meal. My go-to is Stir Fry Vegetable. I know it sounds generic but the flavor is just great. Remembered loving it years ago and went back for a visit and it was just as good. A place that holds happy memories. :) read more

I was wandering around State street and found this little homey restaurant. It has a super casual feel and is family run, which is always a plus in my opinion. I had the Panang Curry which was great. Not too spicy and not too oily. A good ratio of meat to veggies. You definitely get all the flavors of the ingredients they use; Nothing is lost. I did take out on a Monday night and it was very quick. Would definitely recommend this place to friends. read more

I like Rising Sons. Definitely always hit up this place when I need a nice home cooked meal. I used to always order their chicken fried rice, but recently they haven't really been cooking the chicken well done, and I'm really picky about chicken! So I switched to the coconut yell curry... SO DELICIOUS. I mean, it was just so good. Pad Thai, Tom yum soup, egg rolls, sticky rice ice cream dessert are all amazing. Give this place a try! Also, cash only so don't forget that! read more

Rising Sons Deli - Coconut yellow curry - Thai Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

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Excellent curries and Pad Thai are beat eaten on their small open patio during the summer. Remarkably friendly staff. I have not ordered anything here that I did not thoroughly enjoy. Reasonably priced but bring cash. read more

Rising Sons Deli - Eating pad thai on the patio - Thai Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

Moderately good eats here. I've had Pho and drunken noodles (both were pretty tasty). Try their coconut mango rice for dessert.

I went here on a Sunday with my girlfriend. We were seated outside immediately in the back alley which is super cool. I really enjoyed the food but the service and the scenic alley are what gives it 4 stars in my book. My girlfriend got a shrimp dish. they were medium sized and the taste was fine to her. I got a coconut chicken noodle, I enjoyed it but it was a little more unique then what I expected. More fusion then traditional. The dishes were great and we both had some take out. Luckily the place has the good plastic take out containers. I wouldn't make this a regular place but I would certainly come back and try something else next time. This is also cash only, which is a pain in the butt, Back to three stars!! read more

Delicious food always made with care! Incredibly kind staff keeps us coming back for takeout time and time again :)

While the food isn't spectacular, the ingredients are fresh and there are certain dishes that are definitely better than others. I enjoy their noodle dishes, particularly the pad thai, and it's a unique and convenient dinner choice if you're near campus. It's a fun, casual date-night type of place. The service can be slow, but you usually don't have much of a wait to get a table. read more

The place has somehow room to improve but the food is not bad. Friendly servers, sometimes being forgotten though; very slow but that's probably an authentic south East Asian feature. Food portion is pretty small, even for an Asian like me. I like most food but last time the chicken satay tasted funny. What I like about this place is, it really reminds us of our time in Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar. It mostly takes forever to wait for some simple dishes but their people are usually polite and friendly. The food definitely has its authentic flavor, not the American/fusion one. Also like the fact they are willing to accommodate customer's special diet. Most Chinese restaurants, if operated by Chinese, won't do that. (Sauce mixed, or just say yes but comes out the same). They do try to make their customers happy, which is appreciated. read more

Tom Yum noodle soup at the Rising Sons Deli. (Yes, it's called a deli, but it's all Thai/Laos food here.) Very rustic soup that's hot/salty/sweet/fish sauce broth that's cooled by the coriander and lemongrass. Chicken meatballs are superfluous. The minced pork just sneaks in at the end. So good. read more

Good standard Thai. This place is super quirky and kinda wished we had eaten in instead of getting take out. Pretty good vegetarian tofu pad Thai. The red curry with tofu and squash was not bad, but really spicy. Would have been nice if they asked about spice level. The butternut squash was an interesting twist, but it was undercooked and kind of flavorless. The broth itself had good flavor (besides the spice) but it was pretty thin. Didn't really coat the veggies, which is how we like it. Good sized portions. Interested in trying some other dishes. read more

RIsing Son's is my go-to spot for life. First off it has only been around for three years now and since this Laotian/Thai spot bought the 50's dinerish joint they have not changed the decor! Where else are you going to get giant Rat Pack posters and funky tables with old american Big Band legends to enjoy your Pad Thai? They are a family-owned, one off restaurant unique to Madison and the lady who runs it is the nicest person ever. They have all the usual stuff (best flippin pad thai) but you can also get some of the TASTIEST crab rangoons i have ever come across...ever. If you like ridiculously spicy, they have a Catfish dish called Mok Pa that will just about kill you. The curries are great and if you are into Tofu try it with the Drunken Noodles. And definitely the greatest thing about this place is the Coconut Chicken Noodle Soup. If it is a cold day and you are feeling miserable or you are sick this is the medicine. read more

I only keep on coming back here because this is as close to mom's cooking as you can possibly get without trying to cook it yourself. I've been here long enough to actually eat at the retro restaurant that was in service right before Rising Sons relocated there from the old University Square...and I can testify that the decor has not changed much. Entree dishes have risen in price and is usually hit and miss (even if you order the same dish every time). I will however recommend their lunch special--usually can't get too wrong there. I will definitely recommend the sticky rice and homemade beef jerky. It has been so popular that they've run out on the jerky the last two times I've been there. Their papaya salad isn't as good as it used to be either. read more

We came here wanting soup to fill the empty void left in our souls from midterms, and it delivered the crab rangoons were too good and the Tom Yum Soup was amazing (they substituted pork with chicken for me and it was the best) really nice and helpful server too ! read more

First time for one star. Very disappointing lunch. The dish I got was the only one i saw that said "very spicy" on the menu. I don't remember the name but It was described as containing chilis and Thai basil with your choice of meat - I got beef. The dish I received had no chilis or basil. It was hamburger cooked in oil with frozen vegetables. Yes hamburger - i have never before received hamburger when getting a beef dish at any type of Asian restaurant. There was nothing dicernably Thai about it. Nor did it have any, and i mean any, heat to it. Most 1 star reviews concern service - the service here was fine. But it was the worst excuse for a Thai dish I ever received and I will never be back. read more

Was here again the other day and found a long black hair entangled in my pad thai noodles. Yikes! I'm not coming back.

The only reason why I don't come here everyday is because I'm afraid the servers/owners will think I'm weird! Really good food and if I could come everyday, I certainly would. My favorite is the Coconut Noodle Soup - really good. I also like their curry. I'm not an expert on Thai and Laos food, but I certainly like it. read more

Horrible for delivery. Tiny tiny portions, looked like it had packed by a blind person (spilling everywhere) and the worst Tom Kai I ever had. read more