I visited Snail Thai on June 3, 2026 and again on June 21, 2026. I'll start with the parking. This restaurant is located in the Hyde Park area of Chicago. The location offers paid street parking only (no pay on Sunday's). Each time I visited I did not have a problem parking practically in front of the restaurant. The restaurant itself is of humble decor. The service and food flavor is definitely where Snail Thai shines. With regards to service, the restaurant is family owned and operated. From the moment we walked through the door the greeting and smiles were present. They are very gracious and attentive to the needs of the customers. As for the food, it was obviously delicious since I patronized the restaurant twice in a month. Each visit I just had to have the Wonton Soup. The chicken dumplings in the soup are amazing and full of flavor! On the first visit I enjoyed the Noodles dish of Pad Woon Sen. I did not add a protein. On the second visit I enjoyed the Oyster Sauce Entrée with chicken. It was apparent to be authentic Thai cuisine of selections and flavors. read more

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Small and cozy. Menu has a great variety. Perfect for a date night or a family dinner. Staff are nice and food comes out fast. I very much enjoyed yellow curry with chicken. The potatoes were cooked well and complimented the flavors well. My husband got the basil chicken. We shared our dishes but still had leftovers. There are several Thai places on this street. All are good. Snail is my favorite though! read more

The staff is really sweet here and the soup was very comforting and tasty, but the main dishes were way too spicy and didn't have much flavor. The fried rice we got was so spicy, we couldn't even eat it and it had no other flavor. read more

Still hit or miss, and I've been trying to find out if it depends on who is in the kitchen or if it's a bit more random. So far I can't tell, but I've been back here 4 times in the last 6 weeks and 3 of those times (take-out all 4 times) were really good. One of them was not, and everything just seemed... off. Still, this is almost a return to form, so Snail is back on my rotation of regular spots. I've been cooking 4-5 nights a week and have almost perfected my own green curry chicken, but I'll still come here for the drunken noodles! read more

I love the food here. Always hot and fresh, cooked to order with decent prices. Come during the weekday for faster service. read more

The Snail Thai Cuisine - Spicy basil shrimp - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The owners were so sweet and smiley! Earned four stars for the kind hospitality!! I truly felt at home here! This feels like your neighborhood Thai spot with a large menu and a good variety of southern and northern Thai cuisines. The restaurant has a good amount of seating, and I saw a lot of people order takeout too. We ordered the snail noodle with pork which mostly lacked flavor, the Bangkok chicken which was very crispy and delicious, and then green curry with beef which had a smaller portion, but still packed a punch with flavor. The large rice for $3 was huge and fed our table of 3 with multiple bowls each. read more

The Snail Thai Cuisine - Large rice, snail noodles with pork, green curry with beef, bangkok chicken - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

It was surprisingly delicious. I ordered Wonton soup, Steamed Pot Stickers, & Yum Shrimp . My sister, Cucumber Salad, Duck Egg Roll & Shumai. Desserts, Thai Coconut Custard & Mango Cheesecake for my sister. Our server was Aunisha. read more

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This place was amazing!!! The food was delicious, I got the Pad Thai with tofu, and it was super good- a bit on the sweet side, but still amazing!! Our server was super kind, and talked about what to do in Chicago!! The whole place was just super chill and fun!! read more

The food was too salty. I could not eat it. I paid for my barely eaten lunch and then left the restaurant. read more

Our favorite Thai food in the neighborhood! We love their green curry, Singapore noodles, warm, friendly staff, and cozy low key environment. read more

Out of the three Thai places on 55th Street Snail is the one I usually ordered from when I lived nearby. They have always been consistently solid. Last summer I brought my partner to eat there after we visited the Museum and was happy to find it was still the same. Solid food, friendly cheerful service. Fair prices and generous portions. read more

I was in need to use the bathroom really, really bad while I was running some errands just now. It was the closest thing I could get inside. The waiter guy got pi**ed at me by accusing me of breaking in like I was some burglar/criminal and threatened to call the police on me for tresspassing. He also mocked my situation. I understood that the bathrooms weren't "public," but he still didn't have to be so rude. And, he shouldn't make threats about calling the cops on me. I think he did it because of my "biracial" race. Never going back there again! read more

This place is a hidden gem! The is so good, so fresh, and so delicious! Prices are wonderful and the ambiance is very homy and authentic. The staff were always smiling and so helpful, making this place a new favorite. you must try! the duck curry was mouth watering *drool*! read more

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Great food, great service! Very friendly! I feel like they remember me the minute I walk in!

On vacation we were in this quaint college town. Couldn't decide where to go and as we passing this unique Thai restaurant. Loved the name.There was a local woman passing said go there it's really good. We walked in to a very friendly welcoming place. We were seated & looked at the menu, many great items. Ordered Chicken Satai, wonton rangoon to start and coconut chicken soup. Delicious! Then ordered beef fried rice, a delicious addition, great portions. Great service so friendly and we shared travel stories. Our server was so easy to talk to, shared such genuine care and attention to us. Also advice on other local places to visit. Felt like we were regulars. Would love to come back while we are visiting if we can. Thank you for the hospitality and a wonderful meal. read more

The Snail Thai Cuisine - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Very ordinary, the quality of food is not good. I will not come back here. Service is just OK read more

The Snail Thai Cuisine - Taste good Noodles, Bangkok chicken - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is a cute little restaurant tucked away close to the science Museum in Chicago. The service are extremely friendly and kind and I enjoyed eating at the restaurant. We got the Thai tea, which was spot on, and a few dishes. The red duck curry was good, as well as the shrimp hot pot. The snail noodles are also good, and surprisingly minty in flavor. Stop by if you want Thai food! read more

The Snail Thai Cuisine - Thai tea - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I've been to this place several times they are always polite. Yesterday the food was horrible. The crab Rangoon had very little filling. They have a House version of sweet-and-sour sauce, It was overly sweet. I ordered pad Thai. I've had it before it was as if someone put maple syrup in it again overly sweet. Very disappointed. read more

Came here with my friend for dinner on a Tuesday night. Seated immediately and given water. My friend ordered the pad see ew and I ordered the green curry. Good amount of spice but totally doable. Had to order the rice separately and portions seemed kind of small, but good rice to curry ratio. The tofu inside the curry was delicious and I loved the bamboo. A consistently solid place for Thai food in Hyde Park! read more

I'm new in town, and one of the first things I wanted to get nailed down was "my Thai place." With The Snail, I think I'm there. Friends came to the neighborhood to welcome me, and we ended up here for a long lunch, where we lingered over a collection of dishes. One person in our group wanted something very customized, which seemed not to faze the super-friendly staff in the slightest: they just did it, and did it perfectly. And everything was delicious. We ended up sampling a bit from each others' plates--which feels even more daring in the post-COVID world--and now I don't know what I'll get next time. But I do know it'll be yummy. Highly recommended, especially for a casual sit-down meal... the people there are extremely nice. read more

Take Out: Back in Chicago visiting my Bestfriend, and I needed my Thai Food fix. I eat here every time I visit the city. The ordering process is quick and easy as my phone number pops up each time I call and they ask if I want my previous order. This time I changed my selection a little bit from the Fried Spring Rolls to the steamed ones and was not a fan. I still ate them but won't order them again. My usual Basil Shrimp Fried Rice was fresh with just enough basil giving off a good aroma. Customer service, prices and portions never skip a beat while offering authentic, fast-casual Thai food. Definitely my go-to Thai food place in the Hyde Park neighborhood. read more

I was given a certificate for this place and referred by a noisy neighbor, but I like to think I would have visited anyway. (They don't serve snail so I don't know why it's called that). I would normally be put off by the NON Inclusive rice entree' thing: they do NOT include rice or noodles it has to be ordered separately. Luckily one of my party has been cutting down on carbs that convert to sugar so it didn't seem like a big deal. They do have brown rice for those avoiding white rice. They only have dine-in for lunch so we got carryout. The place has a nice exotic decor. We got dumplings, suan tong (fried vegetables, like Japanese tempura) salmon panang, cucumber salad, shumai (steamed shrimp dumplings, they were out of fish cakes) garlic beef. Dessert was Thai coconut custard and sweet taro root with nuts. (This took place over 2 visits, that's why it seems like a lot of food! Everything was really good, not too salty or spicy. I was pleasantly surprised by the sweet taro root! I got it when they were out of custard(which was good but not as sweet as how we Americans see custard). The taro root is a root vegetable, very versatile apparently. The sweet taro root is whipped into a mousse and put over sticky rice. I didn't get any food pics. It's not as appealing in takeout containers as in person. read more

The food was great and the staff was very friendly and helpful I will come back because how good it is

Snail Thai is hands-down the best Thai in Hyde Park. The food is constantly good. The service is impeccable and friendly. After a few visits, they will know you by name. The food is great, but without a doubt I return for the smiles. read more

The curry was delicious. Sever is great. I love this place. Glad it's in the neighborhood read more

The Snail Thai Cuisine - The curry is delicious - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Excellent service and great food. I was glad they had so many gluten free options. I had the gluten free pad Thai and my husband the lemon chicken. Both were very good with nice sized portions. Will definitely return next time we are in Chicago. read more

The Snail Thai Cuisine - Gluten free pad thai with tofu - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I enjoyed the cashew shrimp dish with ginger. And my date ordered cashew chicken dish. We enjoyed our dining experience. Many left with smiles. Dishes are very tasty. The brown rice is very flavourful read more

The Snail Thai Cuisine - Cashew chicken dish - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Not good at all no snails Regular cooking nothing fancy might have tables we're dirty . Never again . Sorry . read more

I'd only had the takeout version some time ago, which was fine, but recently ate at the restaurant--a better food experience, of course--and everything was truly excellent. It could be that they improved their recipes or something, but the food is far better than I remembered. I can't speak for the takeout experience, but it's great to know there's actually a very good Thai restaurant in Hyde Park. Highly recommend! read more

I found this restaurant when I was looking for gluten-free, celiac-safe food near the University of Chicago. I was really blown away by my experience! I've come twice now, and the food is always great-- as well as the thai iced coffee. They also serve coke products, which is always a plus. The employees and owner are all great and you can tell that they care deeply about the restaurant! Based off of interactions I had with other customers, it seems like they have a large group of long visiting regulars. With their great food and customer service, I can see why! The thing that I love most about their restaurant is their accessibility for people with different food restrictions. Not only do they use separate friers for food with gluten, they also keep meat and dairy separated for those who keep kosher. They also have quite a few vegetarian options and the employees are all educated about their menu and which items contain allergens. read more

The Snail Thai Cuisine - Pad thai - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The Pad See Ew is my go-to order at any Thai place, but this time, I decided to be ~adventurous~ and try something new! I went with the taste good noodles with tofu, and they were delicious! I was looking for a dish with more veggies, and this was definitely it. This noodle dish was loaded with carrots, baby bok choi, red peppers, snow peas, and tofu. The wheat noodles were also exactly what I was looking for, and I prefer them over the thin rice or vermicelli noodles. My boyfriend is now a big fan of the pad see ew thanks to me, so he ordered it with chicken and loved it. Snail Thai is probably my favorite thai place in Hyde Park, and ordering for pickup is super easy! read more

The Snail Thai Cuisine - Pad See Ew with Chicken - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Excellent quality authentic Thai food at a reasonable price! Customer service was fast and friendly. Portion sizes are good! I ordered the Pad Thai and I had enough leftover to eat for lunch the next day. read more

I love the snail! We moved from Hyde park years ago but we make a point to come to snail at least once a year when we are back visiting Chicago and it never disappoints. The best Thai food I have ever had. I love come here. read more

A really terrific place that got us in and out very quick despite being understaffed. Everyone was very kind and understanding. Everybody in my party was quite satisfied I just had chicken and fried rice which filled me up very well. Very very generous portions read more

As common thai dishes go these definitely track. I ordered takeout on my lunch break. Only a 10 minute wait. The service exchange was pleasant and I was greeted immediately. I'd stop by again to try other menu items. read more

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TL:DR - Great weeknight take-out Thai good. Portions are large. Dishes were fairly average with nothing truly standing out. Chicken satay, however, was an above average dish I did get to try. Supposedly one of the best Thai places in Hyde Park, but I haven't tried the other Thai places, so it's hard for me to say. I will say that the people who own/work here are legitly some of the nicest people you'll meet. They guy working/delivering the food is ALWAYS smiling, his happiness is infectious and just puts you in a great mood. But I got a large take-out order of pad thai, bangkok chicken, basil fried rice, and chicken satay. I won't comment on the basil fried rice, simply because it tasted exactly like it was described, and I didn't like that taste, so hard for me to be a fair judge of it. I will say one big plus is that the portions are huge. My friends and I easily got two meals out of each dish. But in terms of the pad thai and bangkok chicken, I will say it was light on the protein, which was kind of a bummer. The pad thai was alright, nothing to write home about. The bangkok chicken was similar and just had a generic Chinese soy sauce based flavor to me. The cashews also didn't do it for me as they were soggy. The chicken satay was probably the best. The chicken had a great curry taste and the sauce was perfectly peanutty and coconutty. All in all, a great quick in and out Thai spot, but nothing I'd go out of my way to go again to. read more

Very good food and very nice servers. Had the lemon grass soup and duck curry, both were excellent. Food came out quickly despite a small crowd , so the service was excellent . Will be coming back for sure .. read more

This is the best place for chicken pad Thai in Hyde park hands down. Make sure you go to snail because there's another place next door and note they are not open Mondays read more

It's a relief to have this back in operation and unchanged--same solid Thai food, friendly staff, and cozy atmosphere. My favorite table is right next to the window in the northeast corner--good people-watching (including the option of peering into the lit stairways of the old building across the street) and nice old architecture to look at. There are plenty of vegetarian options and I succeeded in getting the chef to dial down the sugar and dial up the spices on the drunken noodles. You can pick up good wine at Open Produce a few doors down. You can also ask for and get Thai hot sauce, which I think the food tends to need, but then I sometimes nibble on raw hot peppers. read more

It had been years since I last went to The Snail Thai Cuisine. In the past, I would frequent to restaurant once a week. A bit of reminiscing left me hankering to return. So, I was off to Hyde Park to see if I could capture a bit of those old memories. Golden Bag. Khao soi gai. Thai custard. The Golden Bag was a new appetizer and not so bad. Potatoes, peas, and sweet cord in a fried wonton and served with a sweet plum sauce. It was a pleasant surprise from crab rangoon. The khao soi gai, yellow curry chicken soup, was much different from any khao soi gai I have ever had. There was no cabbage in this soup and the noodles were spaghetti instead of the crunchy rice or egg noodles. Good, but no wow factor. The Thai custard made it all better, though. Nice and warm, I loved it. The trip back to The Snail Thai Cuisine was worth it, though. read more

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