It was date night for the boyfriend and I. We both have a favorite Thai place in Milwaukee, WI and it has been super hard to find a place in IL that comes close but this one is it! He ordered pad Thai and I had the basil fried rice and wow wow wow!! I had left overs and even warmed up the next day, it tasted amazing!! So happy we tried this place. Just wish it was a bit more spacious to dine in! read more

This place was tiny but well worth it. Pad khee mao was served exactly how I like it, pipping hot and spicy, and sweet and savory. The chicken satay was good, meat was tender not over cooked. Peanut sauce was the classic Smokey, sweet savory that you would expect. Portion sizes were awesome. The dishes were family sized, so one dish was usually more than enough to satiate an appetite. The service was good, and the meals came out quick, although we were there during a slow night. There was not much seating for big groups, for example a group of two or three might be pushing it. If you are looking for mid range solid thai food this is the place to be. read more

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Warm, soft, and filling There's something about a container of noodles that makes me all hot and bothered... Yep I'm talking about noodles. Absolutely love the pad see ewe here--great consistency, goor ratio of noodles to vegetables to meat and eggs---not too much or too little of anything-- I have been here a few times for carry out since we moved into the hood. Small place primarily take out but they have a few seats available if you want to linger for a few. We've had the shrimp cigars, chicken satay, lad nar, and basil fried rice.....and all have been very good. The lunch specials are a good portion size and definitely leave you satisfied. Only thing is delivery doesn't start til after 4pm----womp womp Yummo! read more

Good pad thai and curry friend rice. We love it! Better than most Thai around here!!!

Their portions have gotten SIGNIFICANTLY smaller and their prices have gone up. Makes zero sense. We used to go here from time to time but won't be going ever again. Many other thai places have food that's just as good and give you 2-3 times the amount. read more

The food is ALWAYS so good I would work here just to learn how to cook! Flavors, colors, freshness AND service- outstanding. Each and every time. We have been coming here for years and will definitely will continue. read more

Thai Cafe - Basil fried rice. Flavor sharp. Colors vibrant. Variety of veggies. And spiceness just right! - Thai Near Me - Downers Grove, Illinois

The green curry and Thai pepper steak is delicious. This is my favorite Thai restaurant hands down. Yum yum. Highly recommend.

This place has always been a decent Thai location. They've recently dropped the ball completely. We just ordered two entrees, both with beef. The cut of meat they use is absolutely questionable. It tasted sour, had terrible odor, and had consistency of a gritty tofu. Completely inedible. What's worse is that we ordered one of the entrees with extra beef, and not only was it this awful, the meal didn't have any extra beef at all. My last order at this location. Unfortunately, this is no longer a quality location. In fact, the food is downright dangerous. read more

Tom kha kai & scramble egg my favor. Thank chef . Basil chicken and scramble egg so happy for sweet treat Christmas present with ur oder read more

Thai Cafe - Thai Near Me - Downers Grove, Illinois

After losing Amarinds unceremoniously and without notice earlier this year. We have been on the search for another fantastic Thai restaurant. Found Thai Cafe on Yelp with 4 stars and decided to give it a try. Ordered two vegetarian appetizers and five entrees (4 vegetarian and 1 chicken dish). Upon pick up, found the restaurant designed mostly for pickup as there was seating only for 4, 2 tables of 2 and in a almost hidden strip mall pushed back from Main Street in Downers Grove. The Thai Cafe had the meal prepared on time and it was still warm when we unpacked dinner. The Thai Veggie Baby Eggrolls (5 pieces) with too small container of duck/plumb sauce were standard fare. Thai Cafe no longer offers the Spring Roll, so the I asked for another vegetarian option. Received Gyoza (5 pieces), a sort of dumpling with a too small container of soy sauce. Looked like meat filling, so two of four were not willing to try it. Both appetizers were ok, almost flavorless without the sauces. For the entrees we tried the traditional Pad Thai for comparison to our Amarinds standard. It was alright. Again almost flavorless as it had no peanuts, lemongrass or other Thai spices. The Thai Fried Rice with Tofu, was just just sticky rice in soy sauce with a smattering of veggies (mostly onions, some carrots and 2 peapods). Bland and boring. The Red Curry was ordered to test the spicy flavors, but again was very neutral in taste. Couldn't find the coconut flavor at all. The Mixed Vegetables was supposed to be a stir fry of vegetables. Too many onions and no water chestnuts or celery, and only one mushroom. Lastly, the Sweet and Sour Chicken was more of a soup in sweet and sour sauce. Again, way too much onions, and only 2 pieces of pineapple and no cucumbers. The presentation was below average and flavors mostly absent. Vegetables listed were not served and too large for dishes when they were served. There just was no heart in the preparation of this food. Lastly, the prices listed on Yelp were at least 30% lower than I was charged. They did not have menus at the restaurant and offered a website instead. Went to the website - www.ThaiCafeDownersGrove.com. Under Menu Tab message states "Our new menu is coming. Please check back soon!" No previous menu of items or prices listed. Like I said, there was no heart put into this food or this business. Yelp needs to update their listed prices and update their information on this business. Very disappointed in both. read more

Best Thai food around. Don't want to eat in, but still the best. Love the larb, Tom kha kai, panang. Prices are reasonable and food comes out fast. Parking is tight... read more

Yelpers, you done me wrong. Walked in, sweltering inside, ignored for ten min, that's ok only one person.. ordered Pad Khee Mao with beef and tofu. Upcharge for tofu was $3 extra. So my noodle dish was $14 and change. With tip and now $16.... excited to try, was craving fat noodles. Got it home and OMG. I could not eat it. Was so greasy and the beef was chewy with an off smell. It was so bad. I think I got a bad batch or something cause I'm gonna be sick. Yikes. How can they serve this? read more

This service here is great, people are always friendly and quick. The pad Thai is awesome and I also love the crab Rangoon's... They are light and crispy! Highly recommend this place! read more

Ordered Woonsen Pad Thai and the Spicy Basil chicken--neither disappoints. Sauce ratio was excellent (they don't skimp), chicken was tender and easy to eat. Overall a solid hometown Thai place, would definitely return. read more

OUTSTANDING Thai food! I had Panang Curry and Thom Kha soup- it is one of my favorite soups and they have hit a home run with their recipe! Definitely coming back! read more

Everything I've gotten from here has been really good. I eat meat but I'm also "veggie-curious" and the vegetable tofu soup was the best thing I've ever eaten with the word "vegetable" in the name. Yum! read more

Service was friendly and my carry out order was ready to go when I got there. Crab rangoon is not the usual mass produced kind and it's pretty tasty. Pad se eiu was bland. I asked for medium spicy and they gave me a little cup of red sauce and that's it- no spice stirred into the dish or thai chilis. It wasn't sweet either- just oily. I don't know if they didn't add enough sweet soy or what. I'll probably get something else next time like Tom kha. read more

I really enjoyed my lunch entree. I was pleasantly surprised they grilled/sautéed the chicken. I was happy it wasn't fried. Everything tasted fresh and delicious! read more

Came here for a Thai dinner because I was craving Thai, got the Panang noodles. There's not much seating here, it's more of a takeout and go place. There's only two small tables. Also there was NO BATHROOM. Had to go to the bathroom so badly through the whole meal. But the food itself was pretty good. I liked the thick noodle that they used with it. I struggled eating some of the veggies since they weren't cooked very long and were still very hard. I had just gotten my wisdom teeth removed. Also I'm not a huge fan of really crunchy veggies in general... but the curry had great flavor, just a bit sweet with the coconut milk and very creamy and good with rice or noodles! read more

It isn't everyday a girl finds the food of her dreams. And it's no secret that this little lady lives, breathes, and dies for good Thai food. Heck, I even have the logo of my now 2nd fave Thai spot tattooed on my body 3 separate times. So you can imagine the conundrum I'm in now that I've found my official untoppable fave with Thai Cafe, who doesn't appear to have an official logo as of yet. What's a gal to do? Well I'll tell ya what I did- stuff my pie hole with generous portions of the finest Thai food around. Anywhooo. I found Thai Cafe while doing my bi-weekly exodus and migration from Nordstom Oakbrook to my housing project in Naperville. Normally, I just get right on the highway and do not pass go and I certainly don't collect $200- just ask my empty -practically virgin- wallet. But on this particular day it was different. Instead of zipping home I felt oddly drawn to take the long, traffic filled, stress inducing drive through suburban America during rush hour for a scenic tour of d-town Downers Grove. Actually, I'm convinced that the fine businesses of DG have somehow (fingers crossed it wasn't rectally) implanted a homing and retrieval device in my stomach because whenever I'm hungry (or even when I'm not hungry for that matter) I find myself in the area and eating. Today I found myself ordering up a smorgasbord of food from Thai Cafe thanks to the delightful little 'refresh Nearby Restaurants' option on Yelp's mobile app. 5 star average + Thai Food- Looks like this is my lucky day! Again straying away from my norm, I ordered take-out instead of sitting down to eat- mainly because it's a not a place you're really meant to sit down and eat in. And though there is one table and some seating along the wall, I think it's meant for waiting and maybe having a beverage since they only have to-go packaging. When you order from here (and you absolutely MUST order from here!), you should get at least one order of shrimp cigars for every person you plan on feeding. TRUST ME. A plan to share these things is like an evil plot to start World War III... just ask my boyfriend. No, wait- don't remind him. Honestly, they're one of the most delicious things I've ever eaten in my entire life. Next time I'm getting 3 orders for myself + my meal b/c I'll be damned if I walk out of a Thai place without extra spicy basil with tofu. Truly, Madly, Deeply I promise you that everything I had from Thai Cafe was fantastic. The fried Tofu was perf and the crab rangoon (which I normally am not a fan of) was devilishly good. I LOVED their spicy sweet and sour sauce which has more of a vinegar-y flavor than most places that have a sweeter flavor and more of a honey consistency that I'm not a fan of. My Tom Yum soup was a steal at $8 for a large... and they gave us an extra soup and free bottled water b/c we waited all of 15-20 minutes for a metric ton of food. I followed up my spicy basil with tofu with some mango and sticky rice for dessert and I recommend you do the same on your trip. The boss lady owner went above and beyond to make us at home while their phone line was positively blowin' up with take-out orders at 8PM on a Monday evening. Not only is she beautiful, but you can tell she puts everything she's got into making every person's experience into a 5 star one from the food to the service to the (and I appreciate this from so many Thai experiences in the past that lack it) comprehensive website with menu and pricing listed. Oh, and did I mention they deliver?! I believe I'm out of their delivery range but the owner did mention that they're opening another restaurant shortly a little farther South closer to my house. This tastes like the beginning of a beautiful relationship. read more

Just a gem! I can't say enough about how good the food is - all the soups are so delicious my favorite is the Wonton Soup. Dishes that have vegetables are always so fresh - crunchy cooked vegetables. Never a disappointment. The service is always polite customer friendly and the food is flavorful with plenty of spice. read more

I've eaten at a few other Thai restaurants in the area and I have to say that this is as good as it gets for Thai food in Downers Grove. The restaurant itself is really small and can only seat 7 or 8 customers at a time, but it's perfect if you're looking for take-out. The food here has all of the traditional Thai flavors. Trust me, I'm Thai and I've had their Pad Thai, Larb Kai, Panang Curry, Nam Sod, Lard Nar, Tom Yum, Tom Kha, Crab Rangoons, and Thai Fried Rice. The only downside to this place is that their curries are a bit on the watery side and their portions could be a bit bigger. Their service is courteous and timely, sometimes they do get a bit backed up due to order volume but keep in mind that this place is run by a small Thai family and they freshly prepare their food. Undoubtedly my go to place for a quick fix to my Thai food cravings! read more

I love tom yum soup. I had a jones for some tom yum and woonsen pad Thai, and Thai Cafe fit the bill. The place is small and warm and they make everything fresh. I hadn't called ahead, so I was happy to wait for my food. And about 12 minutes later, I was leaving with my double-bagged woonsen pad thai and piping hot tom yum. The soup was super-hot in temperature and just the right hot in spice. This is the perfect soup when you're sick, I think, although I love it any time. The balance of spicy-sour-sweet notes with tender chicken and tasty veggies really hit the spot. Then I dug into my woonsen pad thai. I love those glass noodles, the flavors were well-balanced, maybe a little less tofu than I would have liked, but it was a large portion and I can't complain. I really need more Thai food in my life, and I think Thai Cafe and I are going to be good buddies. read more

I didn't want to cook last night. Scratch that. I don't want to cook ANY night. But I do. And my wife does too. But I wouldn't say either one of us will be competing for a spot on the Food Network anytime soon. Either way, I had to pick her up from the train station last night and decided that takeout was in order. My eating hasn't exactly been of the most healthy nature as of late, so I decided to order up some Thai. Keeping it simple, we went with two orders of pad thai with chicken, and some potstickers. The lady at the counter was super friendly and made me want to order all my meals from her. However, the portion sizes seemed a little lacking. Maybe this is a Downers Grove thing? I seem to find that portions are smaller, with heftier prices everywhere in the Grove. I just moved here from a 'burb about 10 minutes south, and sure they're slightly less wealthy than the folks who inhabit Downers, but the $$ doesn't exactly grow on trees here either. And a deal is a deal. So when I spotted the two microwave entree-size containers and six miniature potstickers I was a little disappointed. I'm used to generous portion sizes, especially considering that the total for this meal was about $25. The food itself? It was all right. It wasn't the best pad thai I've had, but certainly wasn't the worst either. It had a very pungent sauce, and was extremely sticky. The potstickers were tasty, but definitely one-biters. We could've used a second order, methinks. So will I try Thai Cafe again? Most likely, especially considering that they deliver. But I don't think it'll be my first choice. read more

I don't like giving one star reviews, but I feel compelled in this case because I think there needs to be a warning amongst all these high ratings. I was really excited to get some great Thai food and the 4 star reviews for this joint made me excited to try some take out. My boy and I ordered a spread of Thai tastes - noodles, soup, spring rolls, rice. Sadly, every dish was seriously flawed. The spring rolls were wrapped in a thick wrapper that made you feel like you were eating a tube sock. The tom yum was boiling hot 30 minutes after pick up (re: microwaved) and the seafood tasted like it had been freezer burned. They also fail to mention on the menu that "crab" means "krab". That's fine - just tell me so I know what I am getting! A little expectation setting always helps ease the disappointment. The broth actually tasted OK - but not great. I didn't eat the noodles but my guy said they were flavorless (his exact words were "meh" as he tossed 3/4 of it in the garbage). The rice was fine but what is the point of rice if there is nothing tasty to eat it with! We won't be returning. read more

My wife and I decided to try the Thai Cafe after hearing about it from friends and neighbors. I called to place a carry out order at 6:15 p.m. on Saturday, 2-Nov. Simple order of Shrimp Cigar, Tom Tum soup and Basil Chicken. Total was $21 and change. The person who took my order said it be ready in 25 minutes. I walked in the door at 6:40 p.m. and the order was being placed in the bag. Total time spent inside was less than 2 minutes. Now that's service and the reason it get's five stars. Returned home to enjoy a piping hot Thai dinner that was delicious from start to finish. We will definitely return. read more

No proper sign on the outside of the building. A makeshift paper sign taped to the window for the restaurant. Threadbare seating. A "just-got-started" look. Positively RIDICULOUS Thai food. Do -not- let the piecemeal appearance of this place fool you. This guy knows what he's doing. Went in on a Saturday afternoon awhile back and I, along with two of my friends, were met by a kindly older gentleman at the counter who took our orders. It left me with the impression of one of those (stereotyped) quiet Asian restaurants where the grand master cook comes out to meet you and is this totally unassuming person on the outside, but a freaking -wizard- in the kitchen. We honestly had our doubts when we walked in the place and it looked like they had literally just unpacked their equipment into the restaurant - but it became refreshingly clear once the food was served that the stereotype above was more the -reality-. And I have to say that that's one stereotype that benefits everyone involved! The place is designed more for take-out than it is for dine-in, so there's only a few seats in the place, and everything is served in take-out containers with styrofoam plates. Despite the cut-rate tableware, the food will freaking BLOW YOUR MIND. I ordered my old standby, pad cashew, chicken, medium. I've learned that at a Thai place, order it medium to start - because while you can always turn the heat up later, you can never turn it down, and one place's "medium" might be another place's "nuclear". That said, their definition of medium is just shy of what I would personally consider medium - about a 2.5 on a scale of 1-5, which is, incidentally, how you tell them how hot you want the dish. My friend got their Szechuan chicken at a 4, which was nice and solidly spicy as well. I ended up asking for an extra shot of spice in mine, turning what was once a 2.5 into a solid 4-plus for me. Flavors were much lighter than at other Thai places I've had, although the brown sauce used in the pad cashew was still quite savory. The red and green bell peppers really brightened up the flavor of the dish, and the chicken was tender and not at all stringy. What can I say? It knocked my socks off. And, as it turns out, the place actually -is- brand new - they had apparently only opened a few months before I walked in the door. read more

Food was really good here! It's a small place but the dishes were super tasty & the staff was very friendly & courteous. read more

Thai Cafe - Food was really good here! It's a small place but the dishes were super tasty & the staff was very friendly & courteous. - Thai Near Me - Downers Grove, Illinois

I had my first experience at Thai Cafe at lunch today and it was superb. I decided not to do the $7.95 lunch special, and went with one of my favorite Thai dishes, Pad Khee Mao. Everything was delicious. Some may argue that the vegetables were a tad undercooked, but I love the crispness. Well done. The spring rolls (called egg rolls on the menu) were very good. The sauce served with them was not entirely to my liking, but I thought the dish was excellent. I got carry out and sat at one of the 5 bar stools in the window. While I waited, the server surprised me with a complimentary cup of the noodle soup. This soup, and this restaurant, have found a home on my favorites list very quickly. One word of warning, hot means HOT! at the Thai Cafe. I love spicy and I asked for the Pad Khee Mao spicy. It did not disappoint, but I feel like casual "spicy" people would be overwhelmed by this. I recommend working up to spicy if you are on the fence. Overall, a wonderful addition to the downtown DG restaurant scene. read more

We really like this place. I usually get the Massaman curry, which is my standard dish at That restaurants and not only does it taste good and have a good consistency (I've had it other places where it is too runny) but the portions are huge, so we can get multiple meals out of it for a good price. read more

Thai Cafe may be my new go-to Thai place near work (or in general, as we don't really have great Thai options near my house, that I've found anyway...) "Dine-in" really isn't too much of an option here, they do have 2 small tables and a counter with a few stools, but it's really a take-out mecca. Instead of calling ahead, I ordered at the restaurant and just waited for my lunch to be ready. The girl who took my order was very friendly, and seemed genuinely happy I came in that day. Everything is made to order, which was evident by my 15 minute wait time. I ordered the green curry lunch special with chicken. The portion was huge, and came with a large heap of rice and two spring rolls, which I couldn't even get to after eating the curry. The curry. Ohmigosh, was the curry good! Rich, deep flavors and the perfect amount of spice. Packed with plenty of thai basil, veggies, and chicken, I couldn't finish what was given to me. So, if everything was super great and I'm raving away, why only 4 stars? $10 minimum for credit/debit card purchases. Boo-hiss. I just don't carry cash on me, and don't really like to have to order more than I'm going to eat in order to pay with plastic. read more

I'm just blown away by the level of authentic thai-ness of the food here. This is the best Thai food I've had since my friends parents moved back to Thailand. Homeade Thai is the best and this is as close to it as you can get. Try the KHAO SOI! read more

Cute little place for takeout! We ordered the BEST crab rangoons I have ever tasted (mind you I'm not huge on seafood!). And some amazing tom kha soup!!! Delicious! Quick service and freshly made!! We also ordered the fried tofu. It was good. Not my thing. My husband really enjoyed it! read more

This little take-out in Downtown Downers Grove just opened 2 months ago, and looks slightly uninviting with their sign made of print-outs. But do not let this deter you from checking them out, because this is simply the BEST thai food I have yet to come across. So why the 3-star rating? Well, unfortunately, I can't in good conscience put it in the same category as some of the culinary LEGENDS due to its lack of appeal. Just realize that the 'restaurant' is really just a take-out, with sparse window seating and just but one table. Now for the important part: what we ordered! My wife ordered the Pad-Thai noodles, and Crab rangoons, both of which she said were excellent. I personally RECOMMEND the Mongolian beef, which consists of well-marinated and perfectly cooked beef mixed with a variety of bell-peppers, onions, and carrots. Both the pricing and quantity is fair, at about $9/dish, you will be what I call, "happy-full." read more

Best Thai in the area in my book. Panang curry is just right and has great veggies (red bell pepper and snow peas). Very good pad thai, thai basil, and spring rolls. BTW, it's carry out. So yes, there is not a rest room. read more

This is one of the best Thai food places that we have found. Me and my wife are both very picky about Thai food, and this place is fantastic. Everything is great. I love the Thai fried rice with pork and sweet and sour chicken. Noodles are good. My wife loves the Tom Kai Khai soup. We order here once a week now. It's very small inside. You can eat inside, but I would suggest carry out. read more

Good stuff here. I always get a little hesitant ordering Thai from a place I've never tried before. There's a lot of bad bad bad bad Thai out there. However this place, although a little pricey for the curries, is a real guaranteed good meal. I highly recommend the red curry! There is such a nice balance of sweet, umami and heat coming from that curry. It really was simply perfection. My husband got the green curry out of a suggestion from a friend. It was still pretty darn good too but next to the red curry it paled in comparison. Just wasn't as good. Nice friendly fast service too. read more

Just got my first Delivery/first try. Delivery was QUICK. Chicken Panang Curry, Pad Woon Sen, Chicken Pad Thai. So far tried the Panang and Pad Thai. GREAT!! So happy to have found a good place and one that Delivers to me! read more

Been here twice so far. Both times have been excellent. I've had the green curry and the pad thai. Both I'd get again. Affordable, good food, and nice sized meals. read more

I'll start with saying that this place makes the best Thai food I've ever had. They're friendly and cook consistently great food. This review is based on over 20 to go orders. Standout Dishes: Pad Khee Mao - Awesome flavor, I personally like this dish with beef and cooked extra spicy! Red Curry Tofu - Flavorful and reheats amazingly well! Panang Curry Noodle - This dish is best with beef and served extra spicy! Duck Curry - Big pieces of duck with Red Curry, lots of flavor, peppers and pineapple play well in the curry. Cashew Noodle - Recommend to get with chicken and extra spicy, while the nuts don't reheat well the flavors all work together very well. I'm looking forward to trying more from this place and will update, so far everything has been delicious. Try them out. One last call out they're best for take out. read more