After a festive evening of Zoolights at the Lincoln Park Zoo, all we were craving was hot, spicy, comforting Thai food. I placed a carryout order as we were leaving the zoo. They use ChowNow, and you can select the spice level and any extra toppings you want. You can get 10% off using a promo code on their website. The order was estimated to take 30 minutes (just a heads up if you're ordering on the weekend!), and it was ready at the stated time. When we arrived, they were not doing Dine-In, but seems like it would probably be nice! We were in and out in less than a minute with our big brown bag of goodness. We ended up ordering our favorites--steamed shrimp shumai, tofu pad see ew with extra vegetables, and panang curry with chicken. It was a bit of a drive back home, but the food was still pretty hot when we arrived. Luckily I could just pop the noodles and curry in the microwave for a minute or two since I like it extra steamy. The shumai were flavorful--especially with the delicious sauce on the side. The noodles were delectable, and a good level of spice (medium level)--full of fresh vegetables (as a reminder, I ordered extra), eggs, and tofu. The panang curry (which we ordered spicy), definitely had a strong kick. It was also super tart from the lime and rich from the soft chicken and coconut milk. We devoured our meal in front of the TV and really enjoyed it, especially on a cold Chicago night. Highly recommend! read more

Delicious food bursting with flavor and at a great price!! It's also always piping hot ready to eat whether I pick it up right on time or 30 minutes later. I am addicted to the curry here. You really can't go wrong with anything on the menu. The portions are fair and if you have self control (unlike me) one item should last you 2 meals. Also, the garlic chicken is incredible... I asked for extra garlic and they obliged. You can also tell everything is fresh and high quality. I am so happy I discovered this place. At the time of writing this review they are carry out or delivery only which is fine by me. Just a heads up to anyone going to try. read more

This is a great find, local thai restaurant. It is also BYOB (with $5 cork fee per bottle) so you can get boozy without a huge cost if that's your thing... this was a bug plus for us. The food is on par with what I can get from Thai town in LA, the restaurant was small but extremely clean, and the service was consistent. We ate family style and had dishes broken into 3 different courses. In my opinion, we had the complementary pairings for each course: 1. Appetizers: edamame, fried dumplings, and crab rangoon 2. Noodles: #195 Jade Kee Mao with beef (similar to a pad kee mao / drunken noodles), #200 Rama noodle with chicken 3. Entree: Chicken Basil, Panang curry with chicken My favorite dish was the Jade Kee Mao with beef. This dish was full of flavor and the right amount of spice (medium). It had a generous portion of sauce but was not too heavy which sometimes can be the case. The Basil Chicken was a close second place, very well seasoned and a good texture. The panang curry chicken was also delicious but it was a bit thinner than I am used to. Because we were doing family style and only given 2 small rice bowls we were eating from our plates instead of the rice bowl so the curry went all over the place. The rama noodles were a hit at the table but were probably our least favorite just because the peanut sauce was so rich and heavy. read more

Lunch menu was reasonable, service was relatively rapid. The food was a little bland but my non Asian friends did not disagree with the meal other than the lighter Thai ice tea. I try this again in a pinch as this area is a bit limited on Thai places. read more

SaiMai Thai Restaurant - Panang curry which comes with white rice - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

This is probably my favorite Thai restuarant that I have been to in Chicago (so far)! The Pad See Ew wasn't oversalted nor too oily (it's a low bar, but I've experienced too many lackluster efforts in the past), and the green curry tasted great. I wasn't a fan of the raw "spring rolls" though. I was definitely expecting something more deep fried, but this obviously was just a miscommunication on my part when ordering. If I lived closer I would definitely come here a lot. read more

SaiMai Thai Restaurant - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I came here before going to a show at Park West with a friend of mine. I love Thai Food and had been having difficulty finding a Thai Place that was good. I had a duck curry that was really good and reasonably priced. My friend had the Thai iced coffee and seaweed salad both of which she enjoyed. The prices are incredibly reasonable. My only negative feedback is that from start to finish the staff seemed annoyed we were there. I felt like we were being rushed out and no one smiled. I might recommend take out instead. read more

I have been eating at Sai Mai Thai since years and have never once been disappointed with the food. I've tried a variety of entrees, curries, noodles, and appetizers and they're all bang for the buck. It's hard to rave about a single dish when they're all really good and I've tried a huge number of them. The place is surprisingly not as crowded as you'd expect and I've always gotten a space to sit. The servers are nice. read more

This is a wonderful addition to the neighborhood, I just wish I had come here sooner! While I don't consume Thai food enough to be an expert on it, my taste buds aren't completely useless and I really enjoyed the panang curry here. Like, ordered it take out a few days later enjoyed it. The restaurant is clean, simple, and the food is tasty. Everything about this place is great: friendly and attentive service, new furniture and quick pick-up, food doesn't take forever to make and the prices are way affordable. This would be a killer lunch spot (if I worked in the city I would probably live here) and I'm hesitant to say anything else about this place for fear of lines and long wait times. Definitely going to come back. read more

SaiMai Thai Restaurant - Panang curry! - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Good food good service nice decor The best Pad Thai in Chicago The restaurant next to Geja it's look small but the food taste delicious ,you should try curry as well Love this place give 5 stars read more

I've been on the hunt for my go-to Thai since moving to the city back in June, and I think after much trial and error I've finally found it. Got delivery and the chicken Pad Thai was absolutely worth writing home about. Had them make it spicy and the heat was perfect. Also got crab rangoons based on reviews but they were just ok. A little on the bland side. The boba tea is AMAZING. I got the Thai one with tapioca. Highly recommend. Not for sure who don't like sugar though. Pricing is also reasonable. Definitely will get have it delivered again soon... especially given the current circumstances. read more

This is an above-average quick Thai place. It has all of the Thai dishes you would expect - plus more! The pad kee mow with chicken is my go-to after trying a good selection of the menu over the past year or so - it's the perfect amount of sweet heat tossed with veggies and thick noodles. I'm actually starting to crave it just from thinking about it as I write this review... Throw in an order of the dumplings (get them fried!) and you'll easily satisfy your Thai craving. I've thoroughly enjoyed all of my meals at this restaurant and this rating is only meant to reflect that it is not comparable to some of the more upscale Thai restaurants in Chicago - that's okay though, it's good at what it is meant to be! read more

I ventured into SaiMai Thai on a Wednesday (7/18/2018) for an early pre birthday dinner with my family. A loving treat set up by my two sons. What a wonderful little slice of heaven right around the corner from Park West. This place is so understated and charming. I loved the ambience right away, a treat for the eyes, ears and taste buds. A plethora of the unusual and unexpected. Let me just clarify what I mean with the following statement: A TREAT FOR THE EYES- Simple, and uncomplicated yet very alluring. The decor is nothing special but evokes a somewhat quaint homey type atmosphere. A TREAT FOR THE EARS- Perhaps my ears only, but I loved the unexpected genre of music that emanated around me. It was more a Spanish, or Italian (Think Mandolins) vibe than Asian. I love world music. It felt like I was in a topsy turvy type world where different is good. A TREAT FOR THE TASTE BUDS- I sampled some familiar and some new dishes. We started off with pot stickers and lumpia which are great standard fare for the start of any Asian meal. My taste buds came further alive with a Curry beef which had eggplant in it, very well seasoned and quite sweet and spicy. The combination rice was excellent with pork, shrimp and chicken. I especially enjoyed the Chicken wings which had a sweet sticky sauce but the uniqueness of it was that they were sprinkled with fresh chopped cilantro. I was totally not expecting that flavor combination but it was so unusual to my taste buds. I didn't really know how I felt about it since I love cilantro but am accustomed to eating it mostly in Latin cuisine. I made the decision that I kinda sorta liked it once I took a few more bites. However the light of my day was the fact that they had Creme Brulee' and I LOVE Creme Brulee'. Again, didn't expect to see a dish like that on the menu but hey, remember it's quite topsy turvy, gotta love it! The Creme Brulee was excellent. The service was great and the only reason I give it a 4 instead of a 5 is because I had to wait a little for the chicken dish, but I was told that it was going to take a little longer. That I really appreciated. Great place! Can't wait to return when I visit Chicago again! read more

What a waste of otherwise fresh food. It was like having lunch at Willy Wonka's factory. Everything was absolutely doused in sugar. The Pad Thai tasted like it was rolled on honey. Curries so lacking in spice but so sweet they belonged on ice cream as a topping. Every entree sauce was unbearably sweet, the Tom Kha soup that was billed as "hot and sour" was basically inedible from the absurd amount of sweetness in the broth. The saddest part was that there was barely any detectable flavor beyond sweetness. This is the second time I've tried this place, and basically all I can say is that the tea was good, mainly because they didn't pre-sweeten it. read more

Dare I say -- this is of the best Thai food in the land. The panang curry is light yet flavorful, always with fresh basil on top. The crab Rangoon is perfectly fried, the pastry arranged so the filling is in nearly every bite vs. one giant glob of filling in the middle. It is clear that there is attention to detail in the preparation of their dishes which isn't a guarantee with fast casual Asian food. An inexpensive dinner as all Thai food is. Highly recommend this spot! read more

SaiMai Thai Restaurant - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

We ordered delivery from SaiMai when visiting my daughter in Chicago. We ordered a veggie dish, pad thai and sweet and sour chicken with an order of Rangoon. The rangoons were average, the veggie dish and pad Thai were ok but the sweet and sour chicken was delicious. Not the best Thai I've ever had but was good and I would order from here again. read more

It is really hard to find authentic Thai food in the midwest. Really hard. So we entered SaiMai with low expectations. They did manage to exceed the low bar of our expectations. Rude service, mismanaged orders, dry "fresh" spring rolls with spoiled avacado, hard soft shells, tasteless carrots past their day and a forgettable sauce. The panang curry was as watery as could be with a few red peppers floating in the broth. Their fried tofu had a strange aftertaste of oil from better days. And, the other items were truly subpar. My wife said she'd rather have eaten airplane food. When we complained that our appetizers were not fully cooked we received attitude and then a second version equally as inedible. Having spent time in Thailand and eaten on the West Coast where Thai is superb, this was the equal of throwing money into the lake. Avoid. read more

Fast delivery and great value for the $. Happy to find a papaya salad that's made vegetarian! Lots of vegetarian options and they always follow my order notes. read more

Our go to carryout Thai in LP for a few years! Consistently good. We love their chicken Basil and Pad Siew the most but have not had a single bad dish from all that we've tried! read more

Chicken Pad Siew was delicious! Added medium sauce on the side for a little more flavor. Highly recommend!

Good Thai place. My typical to go order is pad Thai , pad see ew, mango sticky rice , and green curry.

I loved the tomyum noodle soup the first visit. On our return visit I ordered the same item and got a much different soup :( it was takeout instead of dine-in the 2nd time. Very little broth, basically a bowl of rice noodles. I will try again though because it was so good the first time! read more

SaiMai Thai Restaurant - tom yum noodle soup at the first visit. Really good with lots of broth - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

You were our last meal together with friends who have been enjoying time together since before Covid pandemic. We ordered different appetizers and noodles. We enjoyed our meals. Some share and others didn't. I tried the crab Rangoon, Fried Tofu, Pad Thai/chicken, Pad Siew/beef, and Orange chicken. The portions were okay, the seasoning/flavors were reasonable, and your price/delivery efficiency was easy on the wallet/process of ordering. I can't say that I will eat your food again, but its not because of a negative experience. I just have other Thai restaurants in my frontal lobe that I enjoy a little more. read more

I can't tell you how many of my Chicago friends have said they can't find good Thai in the city and I always recommend they try SaiMai. We are lucky to live nearby and SaiMai is a near weekly staple for us. Everything is delicious but the pad see ew and pad Thai are phenomenal. If you're feeling extra hungry get the appetizer sampler it has the best of everything! read more

So thankful for SaiMai Thai - staying open, keeping safe, making quick adjustments to their operations for all their customers. We have made take out from SaiMai Thai a weekly treat during lockdown. Each take out order has been hot, fresh, as well as easy and safe to order. read more

SaiMai Thai has a special place in my heart. It's the quintessential neighborhood thai spot that everyone wants to have -- quick, no frills, and fantastic food. On weeknights this is a serious take-out operation- they are b-u-s-y. They've always been on time with my order, and very courteous. Plus, if you want to dine in it's BYOB and who can hate that? I cannot recommend the Panang Curry enough! It's absolutely awesome. Pro tip: ask for your desired level of spice! I get the extra spicy, and it's perfect. The sizes are great and I'm always able to save some leftovers for the next day. If you're looking for a fancy night out this isn't your place. But if you're looking to get some edamame, egg rolls, and an entree while keeping it under $25 you're in the right spot! I couldn't be happier to have SaiMai Thai in the neighborhood. read more

One of the better Thai spots in the city. Their pad see ew is delicious and not greasy at all! Highly recommend.

We ordered take out for the first time (will DEF not be the last) on Saturday evening. We ordered through the yelp app and it was ready super quick. We're right next door so it didn't take long to pick up either. We had the pad Thai- medium and the Mongolian beef - spicy. We also asked for some of the red sauce to poor on. The sizes were great and everything was still hot when we got home. The pad thai was perfectly spicy in the medium sauce. The veggies were crunchy and the noodles were good. It would be my favorite ever if there had been a little more chicken. The Mongolian beef was SPICY but that was how we ordered it. It went really well with the jasmine rice. The beef was tender and full of flavor. I would recommend this place to anyone who loves Thai food. My only regret is not ordering more so that we would have had leftovers. read more

We ordered delivery tonight. Food came on time. I ordered glass noodles with scallops it was a hefty portion but a little fishy smelling. My husband has ordered bubble tea for delivery twice now. The first a strawberry mango bubble tea he got he thought the tapioca balls were too soft almost mush. This time he ordered strawberry mango but got a strawberry banana flavor luckily this time the tapioca balls were more chewy in texture but the balls were all stuck together in one clump. I know it's a difficult task to deliver bubble tea but if it's being offered maybe there could a better way to transport the smoothies so they don't arrive melted. The first time we ordered we thought it could be new promising delivery option but the inconsistancey makes it tough to want to order again. read more

SaiMai Thai Restaurant - Glass noodles with medium heat is pretty good. - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

IF they get your order correct, the food is decent. However your order will never be correct!! Don't bother to ask for it to be corrected, they will just fight you on it and ask to you to drive back to show them said incorrect order. Treat customers as customers and correct mistakes without an argument. At a minimum they should refund you or send back the correct food. Order your Thai from the million other options in Chicago!! read more

My journey to find the best pad thai in the United States continues. My mom and I (shoutout mom) ordered the vegetarian pad thai and vegetarian pad see ew. Pad thai was okay, 4/10 at most. Good bold flavor but the noodles felt too slippery. Vegetables lacked freshness. Pad see ew was honestly a 2/10. The flavor was barely there and the noodles were undercooked and dripping with sauce. In other words it was a bit "weak." Personally, I enjoy a pad see ew where the sauce sticks to the noodles a bit more by searing the noodles a little longer. We still ate everything, it wasn't uneatable by any means and for a quick dinner it did the job. However, the biggest problem was that the noodles needed more cooking time so that the sauce could be better absorbed into the dish. Unfortunately SaiMai is not the best pad thai in the United States. My journey continues. read more

My third time visiting and the first time dining in. Each time, my experience at SaiMai Thai Restaurant was excellent. First two carry out orders were ready on time and packed nicely. Tried three different kee maos and they all had good flavor with fresh ingredients and unique textures. Pad kee mao was good and I asked for mild to medium spicy. It was still nicely flavored with bit of heat...which was actually making me eat more. If you want softer noodle, try SaiMai kee mao made with egg noodle....like lo mein. If something more chewy, recommend jade kee mao. Appetizer samplers had good variety of small fried appetizers. Chive dumpling was very good too. For the dining, I was recommended something new so tried Prink Khing Chicken. I asked for the medium spicy. It was served over white rice and I throughly enjoyed the flavor of the new curry. Looking forward to order it again for sure. Talking about the service, each staff was very friendly and doing excellent job catering to each customers' needs finding the best dish in the restaurant. I saw staffs constantly checking on Tables for emoty water and also making sure customers are happy with their food. Experience dining here was excellent and this is the place I would give it a try to different new menus as they will make sure I will love the food. I should stop writing. It is very long, read more

SaiMai Thai Restaurant - Mango with sticky rice. Seasonal - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

Okay. Been looking for solid red curry and pad siew for some time. We got the Rangoon and pot stickers as well via doordash. After spending time in Thailand I'm SUPER picky about Thai food. Highly highly recommend SaiMai Thai. I ordered everything spicy and it was perfect and everything was still hot. Will absolutely be ordering from here any time we crave Thai food. read more

Not to Shabby. BYOB. Good food. Good service Had Seafood delight, curry, satay and spring rolls. read more

I enjoy their food here. I dined in once & the rest has been take-out. Service was great but they decided to start cleaning the restaurant while we were still eating & they used some sort of clorox smelling cleaner that made me lose my appetite. They still had an hour to close & they were putting up chairs & cleaning. The food is delicious but I had to take the rest of it home because the smell of the cleaning was just terrible. read more

SaiMai Thai Restaurant - Pad thai w/veggies. - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

This place is a gem. Lovely inside, kind staff, and excellent food. The curries are delicious and pick-up is always expedient. It has a lovely atmosphere and I would love to dine-in sometime soon. Totally delicious! read more

Excellent Thai food! We walked from the zoo and we are so glad we did. The food is incredibly delicious. Most dishes were able to be made gluten-free and vegetarian. So tasty! Our family of 6 all loved it...and that is not easy to do. Great food and great service! read more

Great service. Very fast. The food was delicious. We had pad Thai with chicken and an avocado curry with chicken, which was amazing. Very clean place as well. read more

See all

I've been to this place 3 times. Usually when I go to the Park West Theater. This place is not growing up in a competitive world of restaurant costumer service. Does the owner trains his/her servers ? Seems like they don't know how to serve. As always, you in to the restaurant, you will not be greeted with a warm smile but just the casual hi. This time, the girl working is moody, no smile and just automated. Same as what I experienced before. This place is also expensive compared to Andy's Thai Kitchen. Their food is not that superb either. I hope that this restaurant will evaluate their customer service. read more

Suiting Chicago- got the sesame tofu, tea, red curry and spring rolls. It was all so delicious. Would rate 10 stars if possible! Only take out but was great service. read more

Update: the owner reached out and apologized for including a child as the 5th person and charged a service fee. She said she would refund us and we appreciate her honesty. We did enjoyed our food. The food was good. But this restaurant charge us $10 service tax because we have 4 adult and a child. I didn't see it on their website about this extra service charge when I checked out their menu earlier. We have gone around to many restaurants in Chicago city without being charged a service tax for 4 adults and a child. Our total bill was $55. So the staff just automatically shoved us 18% tips in the bill and said this is their policy for 5 pax. It is our prerogative to decide if we like to tip 15/18/20% tips. We will not patronize this restaurant ever again and if you have 4 or more person dining here beware. read more