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    Thai Canteen

    3.7 (1.2k reviews)
    ModerateThai, Noodles
    Closed 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

    Order Thai Canteen Takeout or Delivery

    Thai Canteen Photos

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    THAI CANTEEN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Classy
    Loud
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Thai Canteen

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    Pad Thai Chicken
    Karl G.

    Thai Canteen was my go-to spot during my college days in Davis. Lunch, dinner, late-night -- Thai Canteen always had me covered. My usual order at any Thai restaurant is pad thai or pad see ew, and they nailed it every time. The portions are huge and the prices are excellent and they definitely don't skimp. The vibe is very much a casual cantina: metal chairs, wooden tables, and an olive-green color palette throughout the interior. It feels lively and relaxed, perfect for a quick meal with friends between classes. - Pad Thai -- classic chicken pad thai topped with chopped peanuts and lime for extra zest; huge portion with a great balance of sweet and savory flavors; they also go pretty hard on the Thai spice if you ask for it - Thai Iced Tea -- cool, refreshing, and not overly sweet, with that classic amber color topped with condensed milk Service is always friendly and welcoming. The place can get pretty bustling, especially during weekend lunches, but that's part of the classic college-town cantina atmosphere. We were usually able to find a table, though you might have to wait a bit during peak hours since Thai Canteen is a must-try spot in downtown Davis!

    Got my heat rack ready!
    Meena P.

    I been coming to Thai Canteen for a few months now for lunch, typically on Fridays or a random Tuesday! Located in downtown Davis, you are greeted right away and order at the counter, pick a number and then go make yourself comfortable at any open seat! They have ice cold water you can fill yourself in these stainless steel cups and don't forget to grab the legit fire spice rack! I always get pad ga prow chicken with steam rice and a side of Thai style fried eggs! Can never go wrong or their drunken noods with extra noods and extra chicken! And make it even more better adding the Thai red chili on top!! Their Thai Tea is yummy! I normally get that on my way out for my dessert! The people who work and run this eatery are not only very nice but work hard and do an amazing job cooking lots of orders in immaculate timing! Food comes out piping out every time! Ambience is very chill, lots of people like me on their lunch break, students on lunch etc Please come by!!

    Thai tea cake
    Annie X.

    Love stopping by Thai Canteen when i'm in the Davis area for some good Thai food. My go to for some Pad Thai. And service is always friendly (Thank you)! I usually get more, but today i was by myself. And unfortunately can't stuff myself. I will definitely be back for more with the family! See ya later. 2/21/26 :)

    Pinky N.

    Our favorite Thai place in Dixon is closed for 2 weeks as they visit family, so we ventured into Davis for Thai food. Thai Canteen was right there when we parked so we decided to try it out. It is super cute inside with quite a bit of seating. We ordered at the counter and chose chicken Pad Thai. She asked us about our spice level choice and we both chose medium. Once the food came out, we realized it might have been the wrong choice!! It was definitely too spicy for the both of us. We suffered through it and decided to bring it home to finish it instead. Everyone was super nice! We asked for an additional plate of bean sprouts thinking it might help with the spiciness. Ultimately, we got boxes for what we had left and got up to leave. The food was super yummy, but next time we will get it mild!! Eating at home I'll mix it up with some rice to take down the heat! We will be back for sure!!

    Inside
    Katelynn V.

    My favorite Thai restaurant when I was a college student at Davis! Came to visit as an alumni and it's just the same as i remembered. I came on a Saturday with some friends around 8pm and it wasn't that busy and lots of seating was open. You order first and then you can find anywhere open to sit. - Pad kee mao (drunken noodles) : The exact same when I had it a few years ago. We got it with beef and the noodles are cooked well. There is a spicy kick to it which I love. However, I noticed they barely gave us any meat. - Pad kra pow : This rice dish was so good and the sauce is amazing!!! We got this with chicken and it was cooked well and packed with sm flavor! I highly recommend getting this rice dish. - Thai tea: Standard Thai tea. No complaints. They have extra sauces and chili flakes you can use. Normal ambiance inside the restaurant. You can see the chefs in the back because there is a clear window. Can't wait to come back here again some day.

    27 Pad Kee Mao (Drunken Noodles)
    Athonia C.

    well first this is a top-notch place to go while you charge your EV at the EVGO which is right over by the Arboretum just about three minute walk away. They have both level two and level three chargers there. Next if you have your fuzzbutt with you you can sit on the patio oit front that has a dog bowl for water and plenty of shaded seating. water is self-serve so you can go get a cup of water and fill up the water bowl that's outside for your little schnoogins. I came here because Chatty-G. The notorious G.P.T., told me i should according to this artificial intelligence it was one of the best options for vegan food in town! Thai cuisine is my favorite so this was an easy choice. My Pad Kee Mao, a.k.a. drunken noodles came out very fast and the tofu was perfectly braised. I think I would've ordered it a bit spicier but I told them to go mild since they had ample condiments that fulfilled my capsaicin requirements. Note to vegans: the condiments are not all vegetarian exactly. There is one that has little sliced red peppers in it that has a fish base. All the other ones are animal free. For instance the green peppers are jalapeños and they're just in a vinegar brine. I do wish they would label the ones that have fish sauce in them, which is probably my only complaint. Anyway, The interior looked comfortable as well. you can actually order inside and they'll deliver to you wherever you may be if you've got the number on your table. That is all the information that you require.

    Pad 26 Padthai with chicken
    Sarah D.

    Nice dinner here while visiting family! Casual vibes, you order at the counter. Menu is on wall and helpful that they have printed menus as well. Loved their beer selection! We had the Thai beer. Delicious chicken pad Thai and Ben had a chicken yellow curry. The dumplings we had (gyoza style) were great! Good leftovers the next day. Friendly service. Great location in downtown Davis.

    Thai iced tea
    Francie M.

    Every college town needs a local low key Thai place for hungry students to gather. I got my classic pad see ew with tofu (egg ok) and Thai iced tea. It hit the spot until i decided i wanted a little bit more spice and sprinkled some of the crushed red chili in the jars on the table over my dish. Little did I know that these were Thai chili, not American red chili flakes. The result was too spicy for my medium-low white girl spice level and I spent the rest of the time chugging my creamy Thai iced tea. Stay the sprinkle of the chili else risk a tongue on fire. Logistics: - indoor and outdoor seating - limited street parking nearby but I think there was a paid public garage around the corner - order at the counter

    Duck fried rice
    Jessica D.

    Still one of our favorite Thai restaurants of all time! The duck fried rice is a dish I'll never be able to skip here and it was delicious as always. My boyfriend got the drunken noodles with beef this time (hot level spicy again) and said the beef was much more dry and chewy than pork/chicken- so something to note! We shared a hot ginger tea and I am still thinking about it. I've never had a cloudy, spicy gingery, yet sweet tea like this before. Such a great meal that we'll continue to order again and again. 5 stars!

    Mango sticky rice
    Darlene A.

    Great authentic Thai spot in town. We did takeout and I have to give them a shoutout for their service. I brought my own glass Tupperware because I prefer not to put hot soups/ curries in plastic containers. They were nice and accommodating about it, which I appreciated! Heres what we ordered: * Tom Yum: This was the highlight! It had that perfect, classic balance of spicy & sour notes with aromatic herbs. They were very generous with the protein, too. Be warned: the spice is definitely up there! I had to accompany this with lots of water, but I really enjoyed the kick. * Red Curry: A really solid curry with bamboo shoots, bell peppers & basil. The broth wasn't too heavy or creamy, but it was packed with spices and flavor. The beef was tender, and the bamboo/peppers added a nice freshness. * Pad See Ew: I loved the chewy texture of the noodles and the fact that they use white meat chicken. However, it was slightly too greasy for my taste and lacked a little bit of flavor compared to the other dishes. * Mango Sticky Rice: Visually, looks cool because the sticky rice is blue! It was yummy, though I do wish they had the coconut cream topping that is usually drizzled on top. One note for improvement: They unfortunately forgot to pack my order of rice. I wish they had double checked the bag before handing it out, so just a heads up to check your order before you leave!

    27 Pad Kee Mao (Drunken Noodles)
    Huryoung V.

    Thai Canteen is easily the number one Thai spot in Davis. A great spot for any occasion - casual lunch, dinner date, or large groups. Checkout their specials - if you see the Khao Soi on there, highly recommend. The noodles for the drunken noodles have great texture, the pad Thai is very good, the papaya salad is solid, and the wings are decent. The tamarind sauce that comes with the wings, I'd recommend saving that for later at home to dip in anything.

    Fried Sesame Balls
    Catherine M.

    I ordered some take out after a long day and was excited to get some Thai food. Red curry was good, but they gave me the wrong item for dessert. When I got home, I was really looking forward to the sweet fried banana but am now stuck with some bland sesame balls.

    Samantha C.

    Came here with a group one Friday night since it is one of the few restaurants that closes later. We were also drawn in by some deal where you order a dish and get a free Thai iced tea. What we got: chive pancake (2/5) -- I kind of thought this would be scallion pancake adjacent, but when it came out, I was surprised at how thick and greasy each cake was. The dough seemed to be made of rice/tapioca flour and was fried very crisp while the inside was mush because of the moisture between the chives and the cooked dough. It basically fell apart as I picked it up, lucky if it made it to the dipping sauce in one piece. The amount of chive was also overwhelming since it was bitter and tough to chew through without, again, having the entire cake fall apart. green curry (3.5/5) -- average green curry that I've tried at every other Thai restaurant khao pad gai tod (3.5/5) -- I tried just the fried rice and it was flavorful and light, but also on the much sweeter side gkuay tiow reur (3/5) -- this reminded me a lot of pho with both the meat and the broth flavor. The broth and noodles were nice, but the meat was very tough/dry I would give this place another chance given the ease of ordering, payment, and speed at which the food is ready. Portions are fair, service is average, and the ambiance is nice for hanging out.

    Pineapple fried rice

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    4 years ago

    One of my go to restaurants in sac! My favorite is the tofu pad thai but literally anything is amazing. Always great service also!

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    8 years ago

    Got the Pad Thai and Thai Tea, both are really good.

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    Page 8 of 30

    Ask the Community - Thai Canteen

    Are you guys open today?

    We not open today because of the power outage.

    I have a friend with a peanut allergy. Is there anything for her to eat here?

    I have a peanut allergy and I always have the Pad Thai without peanuts. They are really good about making sure everything is prepped without peanuts!

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    Sophia's Thai Bar & Kitchen

    Sophia's Thai Bar & Kitchen

    3.5
    (887 reviews)
    0.0 mi
    $$

    WOW FACTOR? Yes, the outdoor dining is most pleasant. HAVE…read moreAGAIN: Thai iced tea, pra ram with beef, pad Thai original, massaman with salmon are all our regulars and we really enjoy them. NOT HAVE AGAIN: Curry basil snapper had way too much cabbage.

    Yesterday my niece, my 3 1/2‑year‑old son, and I came here to celebrate my niece's birthday and…read moreenjoy the outdoor patio. Instead, our experience was ruined by the owner, Gordon Langstaff, and his completely inappropriate behavior around a small child. My son, who is three and on the autism spectrum, briefly picked up a loose electrical cord that was lying on the ground under the patio stairs (I have a photo of how exposed it was). Instead of calmly addressing the situation, Gordon walked over in a rude, irritated tone and said, "Can you do something?" I told him I was already handling it and redirecting my son, but as he walked away he started cursing under his breath, using foul language that was clearly audible right next to my child. There is no excuse for swearing like that in front of a three‑year‑old, especially when the unsafe cord was left out in the open by the restaurant in the first place. Whether or not my son is autistic, families should never be subjected to hostility and foul language from the owner of a restaurant. If you offer outdoor seating and leave cords and other hazards accessible, you should expect children to be curious and respond with basic courtesy, not anger. The food itself was mediocre, and after that interaction it honestly didn't matter. This was supposed to be a special birthday outing, and his attitude and language completely ruined it.

    Photos
    Hot Sauces
    Hot Sauces
    Pad se ew
    Pad se ew
    Terrace - perfectly suited for dinner (even at 100F)

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    Terrace - perfectly suited for dinner (even at 100F)
    Tasty Palace

    Tasty Palace

    4.1
    (131 reviews)
    0.3 mi
    $$

    Came in for lunch on a weekday. Food is good. Service is fast…read more There are so many menu items I want to try but I only have one stomach. So I went for the Mapo Tofu lunch special. It came out fast and hot. The spring roll that came with the set is delightfully crispy. The Mapo tofu is delicious. I really wanted to try their malatang but that'll be next time. I look forward to revisiting and trying more!

    First time here to try while visiting my college kid. Was attracted by their good review so…read moredecided to give it a try. Arrived right before their opening time but they still let us in. My kid mentioned they usually are very pack and people would dine outdoor, but I guess we arrived early so there wasn't any wait time. Ordered few items, food came out very fast and the tastes are not bad at all. Beef Fried Rice Noodles: How do you differentiate if this dish is good or not, it is about how much excessive oil that's left on the plate. The stir fried was good, not too greasy, and they marinate the meat well. Unlike other Chinese restaurants, this place's meat was good. Only they could stir fried with even higher eat to create more "wok air" Sticky Rice Stick with Brown Sugar: First time trying this dish, so not sure what to expect. But it does seem to be a dessert to me, my comment would be higher if the rice stick is more chewy. Hot & Sour Shredded Potato: This is common dish from northern part of China. The way they prepared was awesome. The potato was not starchy and the seasoning is just right. A bit greasy but this is actually my favorite dish! Shrimp and Pork with Chives Dumplings: Meat is fresh and dumpling wrap is great too. Each dumpling size is not too big and wasn't torn. Taste is okay but maybe try another filling if I visit again. I would come again to try out other things on the menu if I'm visiting my kid again.

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    Tasty Palace
    Tasty Palace
    Tasty Palace

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    Dah Bao

    Dah Bao

    4.6
    (65 reviews)
    1.6 mi
    $$

    New fav chinese beef noodle soup in Davis! The broth was flavorful, the beef was tender, and it was…read morea really comforting meal. It came with a small side of pickled mustard greens, white vinegar, and chili oil. They give big portions so it made 2 meals for me. I also ordered a jasmine milk tea (50% sweet) with boba. It was the perfect level of sweetness for me and the boba was good. Highly recommend trying this spot!

    We stopped by here for an impromptu dinner because we were really craving beef noodle soup. The…read moreshop itself is the size of a typical Boba place, fit may be about six tables or so?. That being said, it's pretty cleaned and well maintained. Now for the food: we ordered the passion grapefruit jasmine tea with aloe, beef noodle soup, the cold noodles with peanut sauce, and the pan fried dumpling. The drink was standard, though a little sweet for my liking. Next time we'll adjust the sweetness to be a little bit lower. The aloe was strangely very mushy and not very enjoyable. The cold noodles with peanut sauce were a little disappointing. I found it to be overwhelmingly, salty, though the rest of it tasted fine. I enjoyed the beef noodle soup more, especially once you added the pickled mustard greens. The noodle texture was not my favorite, but soup was pretty good and the beef was well cooked. Overall, it really itched that scratch and I was satisfied. Both noodle dishes were hefty. It doesn't look like a lot of food because it comes out in plastic containers, but we were pretty satisfied by the amount of food that we got. The star of the show were definitely the pan fried buns. They were super crispy and well fried on the outside, and the inside was delicious. Lots of juice, well seasoned, perfectly cooked in my opinion. To be honest, we were just OK with the meal until we ate these pan fried buns! Will definitely return to try more buns and bowels and some other dishes that they have on the menu.

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    Dah Bao
    Chilled beef shank bowl
    Chilled beef shank bowl
    Brown sugar milk w/ boba

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    Brown sugar milk w/ boba
    Dumpling House

    Dumpling House

    3.9
    (1.5k reviews)
    0.0 mi
    $$

    Stopped by with a couple of friends for lunch! We ordered calamari, the pan fried pork dumplings,…read moreand the kimchi pork dumplings. The calamari wasn't quite what we expected. It was pretty heavily battered and not too seasoned, but it wasn't bad. I think there is probably better calamari elsewhere. The dumplings were amazing though! Both came out piping hot. The fried ones had a nice crispy exterior and were super flavorful and juicy. The kimchi ones definitely had a kick, but were also juicy and delicious! We thoroughly enjoyed all of them and would recommend both to anyone in the mood for dumplings. The place itself has good seating options both inside and outside! I would highly recommend enjoying a meal outside on the patio on a nice weather day :)

    It's just ok. If you're needing dumplings it'll do the trick, but I honestly rather buy frozen…read moredumplings from BaoBao 88 or even Trader Joe's. I hate to say it because the workers are very friendly and I love hearing people speak Canto when I'm homesick. Very casual ambiance, might have a wait to be seated but they take a reasonable amount of time to get your food out after ordering. Have a few vegetarian options as well. It is conviently downtown unlike Yang Kee, but I still dont come back to here. I'm glad they've found their audience and seem to be doing well, though.

    Photos
    Inside of the restaurant
    Inside of the restaurant
    Popcorn chicken
    Popcorn chicken
    Inside the restaurant, where you line up to order

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    Inside the restaurant, where you line up to order

    Thai Canteen - thai - Updated July 2026

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