Having just moved into the Lazybrook area, I was delighted to find Thai Lanna just around the corner, nestled in a generic strip center on the West Loop at 18th. It wasn't long before I strolled into the small but decorative space. There isn't usually a throng of patrons inside, and the lone woman in front plays both hostess and waitress. We were seated at a table for two, and I immediately went for the Tom Yum soup, which Thai Lanna serves in a small cup size you might see at a Chinese place. I was glad for this, knowing I'd have plenty of room for my entree. Ample mushrooms and chicken bathed in the tangy, spice-flecked broth and took on the subtle flavors. For the main course, both of us went for the drunken noodles (spelled Pad Kee Moew here) at our respective levels of spiciness, and the wide, flat noodles were set before us replete with vegetables including broccoli, bell peppers, and tomatoes tossed with chicken. The tomatoes were perhaps the best part, as their consistency allowed them to absorb the spicy Thai flavors and turn into little flavor bombs. At the end of the meal, we were served complimentary little cups of sweet cream with bits of melon, which was delicious and refreshing base to counter the spicy acidity of the meal. My next time in I was flying solo, and decided to start with a different appetizer, the chicken satay skewers. Chicken satay is one of those international snacks that have become common enough you could probably find them in a TGIF box in your grocer's freezer section. But your average chicken satay, this was not. Four sizeable, skewered pieces of chicken came out expertly seasoned and grilled, with a little side of peanut sauce with hints of coconut and red chili flakes, and a dish of fresh cucumber coated with a sweet and spicy red chili sauce. The skewers were large enough that I worried about room for my entree, but they would be perfect to share. Thai Lanna has plenty of Thai standards, like Pad Thai, Tiger Cry, and Red and Yellow Curries. The Red Curry features beef or chicken with squash, zucchini, bamboo strips, bell peppers, and basil. While the curries are all listed as mild or sweet, there is a note under the Red Curry that you can get those same ingredients in a Spicy Green Curry. So after my chicken satay, I had to give the spicy green a shot. Again, you can specify your spiciness, and while I was given a bowl of rice over which to ladle the curry, I found myself going straight to the bowl like a green curry soup to savor the well-balanced spices more directly. And this isn't any generic green curry - you can tell just by looking that this is made with authentic ingredients in the hands of someone's Thai grandma, and in fact, you'll catch glimpses of her in the kitchen behind the partition, like the Wizard of Oz behind his curtain. Another demitasse of Thai dessert to soothe the burn, and I was on my way, excited to have found a neighborhood gem. They're also BYOB, so next time I'll have to bring a pack of Singha or Chang with me. read more

Thai Lanna - Thai Near Me - Houston, Texas

I've been intimidated to stop to eat here, because the outside of this place looks quite old and run down, but I was very pleasantly surprised when I went inside. It is much nicer indoors, and the staff is very friendly. The clerk at the register helped me pick an excellent meal, the Masaman Curry (Sweet) Shrimp. Wow! It had lots of shrimp and even avacodo in it. The spiciness was perfect with plenty of ginger strips throughout. I'm so very glad I took the risk and stopped in, because I've found a new (to me) great Thai place. And being only a couple of miles away from my house is a huge plus. read more

We were hoping to find a new hole in the wall Thai place close to us, but unfortunately it wasn't up to par. We had the shrimp fried rolls, chicken pad thai and the masaman chicken curry. Shrimp fried rolls (3/5)- slightly burnt in presentation. If you're not carefully while holding the tail, the oil might get you on your fingertip which was what happened to me. I almost threw the shrimp across the room! These taste better at Thai Restaurant on Westheimer. Chicken Pad Thai (3.5/5)- it tasted decent but it still tasted a little different than the typical pad thai. It's pretty sweet, more of a brown sauce. I didn't like that there were chunks of garlic in there. Sometimes I kept thinking it was peanuts but I would bite into the garlic... I love garlic and all but not to munch on. Masaman Curry (1/5)- No flavor. Tasted like sweet water with a little touch of coconut flavor. Only thing my husband said was, "Well at least the potatoes are cooked." He was severely disappointed. They gave a mini complimentary dessert which was come chopped up cantaloupe with basil seeds in coconut milk. It was an interesting mix but I enjoyed it. That's all I can really say about this place. There are better Thai places...even if you have to drive a little further out. read more

Thank you so much, khob khun ka! I was able to get my green curry today, and it warmed my soul. Thai Lanna is continuing to offer takeout through COVID-19, and there's nowhere I trust more to keep a sterile facility. The Thai sole proprietress is an amazing cook who cooks very authentic food to taste. I politely asked for my preferred (higher than most local residents) level of spice the first time I visited years ago, and she has remembered ever since - incredible. I also echo the other reviews of the cashew ginger - out of this world. read more

I've been living out of a hotel in Houston for work and don't know the area very well. So yesterday, I was dying for some Thai food and decided to give this little restaurant a shot. It's in a dumpy shopping center, but some of the best food I've ever had was in a dive. Well, this unfortunately wasn't the case. The fact that the sign on the building, "Thai Touch Cafe," and the name on the restaurant menu, "Thai Lanna," didn't match should have been a tip off for the dinner I was about to endure. I ordered the Pad See-ew with beef and green curry beef to go. Both things cost me about $16 which is average, so I would at the very least expect average Thai food. The cook/owner? came out and told me that they didn't have any of the flat noodles for the Pad See-ew and if I would accept the thinner vermicelli noodles. I was disappointed, but let her do it since I wasn't in the mood for Pad Thai. When I got the food, I was even more disappointed. The Pad See-ew, which is a very common Thai dish, was made with ramen noodles. Yeah, like the stuff out of the grocery store for .10 a package. And the beef looked colorless like it was simply boiled and thrown in. The broccoli tasted like it had been frozen to the point of frostbite. The flavor of the entire dish was indistinguishable. It tasted like it was just thrown in together and sauteed with soy sauce. The Green Curry Beef was better but not a very good value. I got mostly sauce and bamboo shoots with very little beef, which was the same with the Pad See-ew. When you're paying about $8 for a dish, you expect to see more meat. I took the menu with me, but I'll definitely never go back. The waiter was nice, but that was about the only thing nice about the place. read more

Going to Yyped (Yelp-hyped) restaurants is great, especially when they live up to the acclaim (Jonathan's the Rub, anyone?). But going to a relatively unknown place, with no real expectations, and being blown away...that's what this whole thing is about. Muneezeh K. (who is now on Yelp! Get excited) and I wandered over to this nondescript strip center on a whim, seeing how she loves Thai food, and craves Tom Yum Soup when she's sick. Not to speak ill of the deceased, but this was actually a bit better than the much ballyhooed Kanomwan. I know, I know. But you can only imagine our utter delight when slurping up a delicious bowl--again, no expectations. We had the spicy Shrimp Pineapple Fried Rice, WHICH THEY ACTUALLY BROUGHT OUT TO US SPICY! *Aside* [I can't even begin to tell you how many times I order something spicy on my ethic foodtrips, and they either argue with me or just outright bring me the "white people spicy" version]. It was actually fairly spicy, so if you are afraid of heat, maybe try the medium. But it was fantastically delicious. Obviously I've revealed myself to be something of a whatever-the-fried-rice-equivalent-to-a-lush is, but trust me on this. The pad thai was very solid, no complaints were heard. To finish, we had a fried banana w/ ice cream, which if you know my better half, you know made all the difference in her feeling better. It was fairly wonderful. All of that was 20 bucks, with leftovers in tow. Will definitely be back. Hope this stays a hidden gem. read more

Thai food is one of my favorites and I've tried so many different pad see ew's. This was one of my least favorites. Not that I have anything really bad to say about it, but it lacked some flavor. Although, the service was really good. I've only been once and I only tried the pad see ew though. read more

Thai Lanna is my favorite Thai food restaurant in the city. Granted, I have only been to a few others; nonetheless, I cannot imagine that they are much better than this place! The egg rolls are awesome, and I always get the beef pad thai. It is made just right, with a perfectly cooked and seasoned noodle base. I absolutely love it and the food and service are great every time I go. BOTTOM LINE: Great Thai food in the Houston area. read more

We ordered take-out from Thai Lanna last week. They took our order efficiently and said it would be ready in 20 minutes. As I walked in, 20 minutes later, the server was walking out of the kitchen with our meal - perfectly timed. We greatly enjoyed every item we ordered. A past favorite was the Cashew Ginger Chicken - we like it so much, we ordered 2, and we ate every last bite of it - so yummy! We tried some new things: Nam Sod which was such a wonderful blend of cool and interesting tastes, Yum Woon Sen Salad, and Beef Pad Thai. Everything was done to perfection and just the right temperature. Whenever we've been there, there have not been many other diners, which is such a big puzzle. Their food is excellent quality and a great value and it's really, really good. read more

I just recently started working in the Heights and wanted to try the local Thai restaurants in the area since Thai curry is my favorite meal! Well I really wanted to like this place. I typically order my meals to go but pulling into the restaurant there is limited parking, so I had to park down a ways along the strip over to the BBQ restaurant. Not a huge deal but don't expect ample parking when dining in. When I walked in, the restaurant is small, I went around 12:15pm and for a Friday it seemed a little bit on the dead side...where were all the people who were parked out front!?!? The cashier was very friendly and my food was ready, having called it in 10 minutes before arriving. I ordered the chicken red curry, medium spicy. It came with steamed rice and I ordered a Thai tea to-go. The Thai tea was not sweet at all, not sure if its supposed to be since every place I have gone to, either has super sweet or not sweet versions. This version is a not sweet version, it was ok I suppose. I like mine to be mildly sweet. It was a very small to-go cup as well. As for my curry...I was a bit disappointed but that's because I am a curry snob. The curry has a good helping of chicken and lots of veggies but man...that curry sauce was horrible. How could something so spicy be so flavorless? The curry tasted like spicy water and it was extremely thin like a chicken broth. I never experienced a curry like this. I still think that the overall experience was ok, friendly and quick service for lunch, but I will need to try another menu item before I am entirely sold on the place. read more

Thai Lanna is another Heights-area BYOB restaurant very close to mi casa. It's in a pretty non-descript strip center at the intersection of 610 and 18th street hidden behind a Whataburger and next to a massage parlor (it's better than the adult bookstore that used to be there!) and a pool hall. Despite the questionable surroundings, this is a pretty good place to head if you are in the 'hood. The menu isn't that extensive, but everything is prepared well. I think they have the best spring rolls in town and my sister thinks their fish cakes are as authentic as they come. I've tried several items on the menu over the years and they all have been pretty solid--garlic chicken, basil chicken, ginger chicken, basil beet--you get the idea. They have a good selection of curries, but I haven't tried them. The pad thai portion is huge, but it lacks flavor. All portions are generous and the prices are really reasonable. They also have a lunch buffet, but since I'm not around at lunch, I don't know how that is. I'm not sure how they stay in business because there are never more than two occupied tables in the entire place. But then when I get home with my order, I remember they do every thing pretty solid. So if you can get past the sketchy strip center, check it out. read more

Really nice people & good service. Tried it for the first time this week, as I was in the neighborhood. My usual dishes were quite different from my usual Thai spot, and a little too vinegar-y for my taste. Will have to come back to see if this is what they're usually like, or if we just happened to get a heavy-handed pour of vinegar. The food was really fresh, and was pretty fast for a take-out order. Reasonable prices. At lunch, there is a [smallish] buffet that is $8.50 (inclusive of tax). read more

I don't really want to knock on this place because the service was pretty good. I wasn't feeling the food though. I went here with a couple co-workers for lunch. It is right next to a Thai massage parlor and a Whataburger. I decided on going with the buffet. To be honest, initially I wasn't impressed. It was small. The guy who served us was one really nice guy. The decor in the restaurant isn't much. It's what you would expect in a rinky-dink Thai food restaurant. I would not come back. It just didn't please my Thai taste buds. Oh well, maybe others will have a better experience. read more

Two stars only because I ate it- although if it weren't carry out I would of returned it. I ordered green curry. I ended up picking out the chicken and trying to just eat the broth but even that was sad. Very watered down and does not appear to have coconut milk in it. Save your time and money. I don't usually leave reviews, but I can't even handle that this place has the same rating as Nidda and Asia Market. read more

Only one table occupied during peak lunch hours should have confirmed by skepticism about this place, but I was too lazy and hungry to go elsewhere.....so I did give this place a try. Ordered Chicken Pad Thai and it was average in terms of taste and seemed pricey compared to the quantity provided, location, ambiance and service of the restaurant. For a less price, Thai Spice serves comparatively much better food in a better environment and service. Not the kind of 'must eat' places. You are not missing much if you haven't been here. read more

We had spring rolls, best dumplings I've ever had and crispy shrimp as appetizers. We both had curry dishes that were fantastic and the best part is this place is BYOB! What a great experience! We will definitely be back and I recommend it to anyone. read more

Worst Thai I've ever had; bad service, bad food and you come out smelling like the bad food you just ate!!! I ordered the Pad Thai which was too sweet, almost no egg and it all just looked bad. As an appetizer I ordered egg rolls and dumplings. Augh! The dumplings looked good but my first bite was hot and the second bite was ice cooled, this means one thing microwave the left over food! When I said some thing she took the dumplings and brought them back a minute later and this time I heard the microwave beep when they were done. She NEVER offered to take them off and never asked how we liked our food, serve was hard to get a refill and after waiting for our bill she said "when you ready go pay at counter." Someone wrote of a lunch buffet here I didn't see one, one was not offered or on the menu. 4/8/2014 11:30. Save your money... It burps bad too. ;-) read more

My absolute favorite thing to order is the Ginger Cashew Tofu. It is always amazing, crunchy on the outside and melt in your mouth on the inside. The Chicken Satay is also some of the best I have had. read more

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Food was okay, unlike most Thai I have had. For example the Cashew Chicken was smothered in a sauce I can only describe as seasoned Sugar Water!?! The appetizers were good though. I was surprised considering the reviews. I would give two stars but our server was so nice I bumped it up to three stars read more

This isn't the best Thai food I've been to in Houston, but that's okay. Their one dish has won me over - the cashew ginger chicken. It's always deep fried to perfection and flavored impeccably. I have tried their other dishes and they were mediocre at best. Avoid their noodles, it's way too oily and bland. Their ginger salmon was overcooked and flavored poorly. Just stick to the cashew ginger chicken!!!!! read more

This is probably the worst Thai food I've ever had in my life. I got the pad thai and it was honestly terrible. The chicken was not fully cooked and the whole meal generally lacked flavor. Honestly stay away from here if you can. read more

If you are craving decent Thai food, you can come here. If you are craving good Authentic Thai food, don't come here. You can get the Thai flavors, but you won't feel like you're eating authentic Thai food. Ordering anything that's fried is a sure win here. Their ginger cashew recipe on any of the proteins is a safe choice. read more

We decided to go for a takeout Thai lunch today and wanted some Thai Lanna food as we previously always enjoyed the food there! We are so glad we did as the food was perfect, service was great and staff handled the food in a safe manner! Go check it out read more

Brought family from out of town here and everyone loved it. We were a large group and were well taken care of. Some in our group said the eggrolls were the best they have ever eaten. The pineapple fried rice was also a favorite. Of course the ginger crispy chicken and shrimp were delicious. We ordered several of the curry and coconut soups and shared with the table. We loved them all. This is a hidden gem and a great experience for our visiting family who do not get to enjoy Thai food back home. read more

My husband and I tried Thai Lanna this weekend. We will certainly be back! We took the recommendations of our server and she did not disappoint. We started with Tom Kha Kai and Tom Yum soups and had the panang chicken curry and the cashew ginger fish. The cashew ginger fish was crave worthy! Lightly fried and sweet tasting- yum! Oh and this place is BYOB with no corking fee! Don't worry, a liquor store is around the corner in the same shopping center if you forgot your wine. read more

We have driven past this place 213506 times in all the years we've lived in Oak Forest. It has weird hard to get to location in strip center off the loop. Some friends of ours love it and when it popped up as option on Door Dash delivery we decided to try it. We got the cheese rolls (YUM) and the Thai chicken dumplings (also YUM) as appetizers. Then the pad see ew noodles with chicken and yellow chicken curry. The noodle dish was good, I love Chinese broccoli so was nice to have. The curry was sweet with light spice, I asked for spicy but it wasn't. I'm sure if I ordered at the restaurant it would have been super spicy! All and all a great experience and we will order again!! read more

This place has amazing fish and delicious interpretations of Thai dishes that you will find yourself craving for days! The cashew ginger fish is one of the top dishes at any Asian restaurant in Houston in my opinion, the coating is light but crispy and the sauce amazingly balanced. Also delicious with the same crispy fish is the fish salad. The Larb style salad was on point with a slight sweetness. Most things seem milder so keep that in mind when ordering if you prefer fiery Thai food. The toughest thing is you won't want to explore the menu as you'll probably try one thing and get stuck on a favorite! read more

OMG... Cashew Ginger Chicken! I can't believe how good this is!!! Saw it on the menu but wasn't that intrigued. But then the waitress said it was the most popular dish. I now taste why. Also had the crispy egg rolls. A little thick on the breading but very good and crispy. Also had the pad Thai. Nothing too spectacular. But did I mention the CASHEW GINGER CHICKEN?! read more

Good food and attentive service.

Tasty, well priced meals. Conveniently located. Decor is nice; great date/dinner spot

I'm afraid there isn't a lot that I can add that hasn't already been said, but I do want to lend my support to this quaint mom and pop Thai restaurant. Every time I'm there it seems like there aren't more than 2 or 3 other tables inhabited, so I live in constant fear that Thai Lanna will soon be no more. (If it weren't for the steady flow of take out orders, I'm sure they would be on the verge of collapse.) The food is fresh, homemade, and expertly prepared. I've had quite a few items, and have never been disappointed. The portions are well sized and very reasonably priced. I'm usually not a fan of Thai tea because it's often sweeter than I'm able to tolerate, but Thai Lanna's is wonderfully refreshing compared to others I've had. I also love the little tapioca and cantaloupe palate cleanser they unfailingly bring to the table at the end of the meal, and I don't even like cantaloupe! If you live in the area or are just in the neighborhood, please do give Thai Lanna a try. This business deserves to succeed! read more

I have had the best Thai Ginger Chicken & steamed rice here. Delicious food in a quiet atmosphere with friendly staff. It's great for ordering to-go as well. Plenty of parking. read more

I'm within walking distance - awesome. small tables and a boombox with some current jams - awesome fast (called in an order) - awesome food - awesome I love me some Thai food and this place rocks it for how close and not too expensive either. $13 for a soup and a dinner that i shared with my friend. awesome. read more

Delicious food! Cashew Ginger Chicken! Get it and you will never regret it! BYOB as well! Excellent customer service and awesome environment. Super friendly and above all, decent prices for authentic Thai food! read more

Service is fast. Service is friendly. Prices avg $10 for dinner entree. Really the only complaint is that the food has little flavor. Everyone's dish was super bland. Baby food bland. Then I read many of the reviews to learn of the common complaint. Spice it up! It's Thai food! read more

Thai Lanna - Dinner rush. - Thai Near Me - Houston, Texas

Was in the neighborhood for work and wanted a quick lunch. This is the first thai place I've been to with no lunch menu or lunch specials. (Usually smaller portion for a lower price often with salad or soup) I ordered the spicy pork noodle dish which took a while to come out. The pork was very dry and the dish as a whole was just spicy with no real complexity. I may have to give it another try since it was fairly busy, but it doesn't top my favorite thai joints by far. I've had much better food and service at super Americanized thai chains. read more

This place is great! Owners are so friendly and food prepared for you to season it your own way. Would definitely come back

OMG so good!! My bf and I shared the spring rolls and the cashew ginger chicken. Both were amazing! The spring rolls were different than the usual and the peanut sauce was sweet and tangy. Yummy. The cashew ginger chicken is where it's at though! We basically licked the plate the clean. Super fast service too! read more

For $50, the Tom Yum soup was the best part of the order. The Pad See Ew was muddled with mushy flat noodles. No heat. The Pad Thai was very underwhelming. No heat. The shrimp were cut up in the Shrimp Pineapple rice read more

It smelled weird, like cleaning supplies, upon arrival. Then, I got the glass noodles with no shrimp and it was cold when i drove home 5 minutes away. It didn't have a consistent flavor profile. I won't be back. read more