White Lotus is in an old-school, repurposed White Castle. It is so clever and perfect for Thai food. It's fun to sit at the counter and see your food cooked right in front of you. Since it's a small place, the staff is very attentive. There seems to be a steady stream of take-out orders, but this is really a cute place to sit and have lunch. Most important... the food is good! Perfectly spiced, the noodles are not overcooked, and everything is fresh. Even the free soup that you get as an appetizer is a step above what I've had at other Thai restaurants. It's also right next to the main branch of the public library. I wish I lived closer! read more

White Lotus - Pad Thai with chicken - Thai Near Me - Dayton, Ohio

Easily the best and most authentic Thai food I've had in Ohio. The husband-and-wife owners cook everything fresh right in front of you, and it truly felt like I was back in Bangkok. Amazing food, authentic flavors, and great hospitality. A hidden gem in Dayton that I'll definitely be coming back to. read more

White Lotus - Papaya Salad & Sticky rice with chicken - Thai Near Me - Dayton, Ohio

Best restaurant in Dayton. The only thing bad about this place is how full I get. Come here or be square.

I called to order carry out and was told 20 minutes. I arrived exactly 20 minutes later and proprietor was talking to a guest and laughing and looked and me and said "Can you give me a few minutes?" To which I said sure. She hadn't even started the order and there was no one inside except one gentleman. I watched as she fired up a skillet and began to add ingredients. I ordered spice 5/10 and it was hot which I like, but it came from a pepper and chicken was very dry. I'm used to Thai 9 where dishes are more broadly flavored and often use an oil in noodle and stir fry dishes. This was dry chicken and veggies. The rice portion was a "double" which in my opinion a good cheap filler. Finally, carry out menu said my dish was $10.50. When my card was ran, it was for $15.50. Signs do say $1.00 up charge for credit card (give me a break this is 2024)... but where did it say +$4 for her being late. I was ready to exit having seen her unfriendly demeanor, completely silent and with no acknowledgement for being late. 3 coworkers who saw my dish said "ugh, that looks dry" - they weren't wrong. Thai 9 is 3 blocks away. Save yourself a bad attitude, dry food, and an extra wait and just go there. I won't be back nor will the 3 coworkers who asked my opinion...and most of all because the chefs attitude resonates inconvenience the entire time she's cooking. I love supporting local but this was a disappointment. read more

Have you ever wanted a Thai grandma that would coook amazing food and is spunky as heck...well this is the spot is it. Stopped by here on a whim while picking up a Facebook Marketplace purchase and was so surprised. This definitely was a small diner at one time and like others have stated it's a one woman show. She cooks, she cashes you out and she keeps everything clean. Inside while waiting she has classic rock keeping everyone entertainined. Prices are reasonable and the food is freshly cooked and very tasty. Definitely someplace I would come back when I need a quick meal for the road. read more

See all

An update to my original review from a few years back. I just found some pictures and memories that make me so longing cool older adventures like this. The owner, Yung, from Thailand, is the most amazing and hard working lady I have ever met in my life. And, she can really converse... Don't give her any BS as you will be cut off at your knees. And she is so extremely sweet at the same time. Definitely a 'must go experience' in Dayton, OH. Aloha, Greg read more

White Lotus - Outside this architecturally iconic place in Dayton. So really, really cool in the heart of the 'rust belt'...... - Thai Near Me - Dayton, Ohio

See all

We pass this wonderful spot every time we're in downtown Dayton, ESPECIALLY when we (used to) go to events at the Convention Center. I've been tempted to try it for AGES, and Saturday for a late lunch was the PERFECT opportunity!! This GEM is housed in one of two "old time/classic" hamburger joints in the downtown area, and still even will warm you up a burger and fries if you're crazy/not in the mood for the AWESOME made-to-order Thai dishes served here with love... Not a HUGE menu, but everything on there is tempting, and really makes you want to try one of EVERYTHING!! Order ahead for pickup, or do like I did and make a last minute, spur of the moment decision to FINALLY try ANYTHING off this wonderful menu. I went for the yellow chicken curry, medium heat, and brought home some chicken satay for the Mister. I watched the owner make both dishes from start to finish, as well as juggle a couple of additional orders called in while I waited. Places like this are a TRUE embodiment of the American Dream!! Be sure to read the owner's story from the glowing newspaper review she has posted, but also don't miss a wonderful opportunity to talk to, learn from, and witness someone who is truly a great example of HARD WORK and dedication are all about. It will make your AMAZING Thai meal taste even BETTER!!! read more

Good Service Cleanliness food so tasty can't go wrong soups amazing they use spices so if you enjoy flavored food please try you won't be disappointed!!! read more

Best burgers around. Might have to wait a little, they are hand made and slow cooked. DELICIOUS !!!!!!!! And IF your lucky.... you might just get a little bit of sass Love this place read more

Rude lady. Don't eat here. Not clean either. Very just disgusting. She refuses service to anyone she wants with no explanation. Just nastiness. Tables are always sticky. read more

The best thing about this place is the woman running it. She is terrific and makes everything by hand. The Yummy Burger: a solid burger made from at least 80/20 ground beef placed on the griddle cooked 1/2 way through and flipped once. The fries are hand cut. Lettuce, onion, tomato topping on griddled roll. Very solid burger. The chicken curry: very good but honestly the chicken was a bit dry and while this was made by hand not exceptional. It was very good! read more

I am just so tickled by this little hole in the wall and the owner/operator. She is wonderful and has taken such good care of me countless times over the last 10 years. I love bringing burger lovers here because I've been told BY. EVERY. BURGER. LOVER. She has THE worlds best burger. I get the tofu pad Thai or the tofu pad see ew Our most recent visit my man got the yellow curry and though he is not a fan of ethnic foods he really enjoyed it and said he would eat it again. The owner can be hard to understand for some people and may even come across as brash or "rough" but she is a sweet lady! We make the 30 minute drive to eat here any opportunity we have. read more

I have been wanting to check this place out for a long time, and haven't been able to due to schedule conflicts. Really glad I made it down here. This place is small... i think some people like to call cozy. Definitely a mom and pop old dinner kinda place. The lady(i presume the owner) is a hoot. She is sassy little spitfire. My old man ordered lab kai.. and she gave him a disapproving look (not because it wasn't good, there is no veggies she says.. and u need veggies to be healthy). He said "hell what you suggest". She suggested green curry, and boy it turned out to be the best choice. He loved it. The entire time we were there, she was engaging, and talked to us about things that have happened to her (how she chased down some thief with a butcher knife in hand lol) Our meal was ultimately delicious and I definitely will be back. read more

I've read some of the reviews from a lot of snowflakes about this place. It's a hole-in-the-wall diner with literally one worker. It's not fast food. So, wait an extra ten minutes and deal with her sass. It's part of the charm and the experience for food that is made from scratch and tastes absolutely phenomenal. Highly recommend the Yummy Burger and the Pad Thai is far better than certain "connoisseurs" have indicated here. Sure, you probably know more about it than someone who was born in the culture and has made it for decades. But it doesn't taste like the stuff some white dude made you at the House of Thai. read more

This place is disgusting. It hasn't been cleaned it what seems forever, the counter was sticky with grease, the floors also.. when we were walking in there was no one there to even say hello.. sat at the counter for 6 minutes before we got help. Then the foreign lady was extremely rude, and seemed extremely annoyed we were even there. I would rate it below zero if I could. The old owners were awesome, this new is a joke. I will never step foot in here again unless I'm looking for hep-c read more

Unbelievably good food, excellent service and the best burger I've ever had with Richard, try the coconut soup it sounds like it might not be a great thing to try... but trust me it tastes awesome.... a little bit of a wait but well worth the taste! read more

I love this place. Great, fresh good eveytime. It's owned and ran by one lady and she is so kind. Makes everything from scratch. My husband and I will definitely be making this a usual spot for lunch. read more

It was pretty good. The lady working there (owner?) is gruff. Kind of dismissive if you ask a question and impatient. Because she's the only one there at lunch time she can cook about two orders at a time. The chicken pad Thai was great and so were the spring rolls. Someone was asking about chicken or shrimp and rather than being helpful she told them they were the one eating it not her - though true it wasn't helpful. I asked for a receipt and she made a motion like she was throwing it away and made a sound. She then went over and was talking to herself as she made receipt. It was actually kind of amusing but still poor customer service. I think she has a group of regulars who think she's amusing because she's so impatient. read more

Had the chicken pad thai. Delicious! Owner is quirky and fun, leaving a lasting impression on my experience. I had a spice level of 4 out of 10... be careful with your order. I like a good bit of heat, but I'll probably order a 2 or 3 next time. read more

I have very mixed feelings about this place! I showed up around lunchtime on a weekday. The place was packed, bar stools only and the one cute older Asian lady was busy! She seemed to be the only one there and was cooking, taking checks, running the whole operation. Because she was so busy, it took about 45 minutes for us to get our food. We ordered chicken yellow curry, Thai iced tea, and pad Thai with tofu. The curry was the high point of the day. It was extremely grainy, but the flavors and aromas were on point. The Thai iced tea was okay, but overly sweet to the point it almost needed to be watered down. The pad Thai however, was bordering inedible. It was drowning in soy sauce, and was very salty. Tasted absolutely nothing like any other pad Thai I've ever had. The noodles were definitely under done as well. The tofu was decent, and plentiful but again, WAY. TOO. MUCH. SOY. SAUCE. Note: I've also been known to pass extreme judgement on hot Thai dishes that use lettuce sautéed in as a hot vegetable. If I had the opportunity to come back, I would definitely give the curry another chance. The little Asian lady was super cute and had so much charisma - I'd come back for her too. Just make sure you have time, and think twice before ordering the pad Thai if you are a Thai connoisseur like me! read more

White Lotus - Thai Near Me - Dayton, Ohio

After living in Dayton for 2 years I finally stopped in this place and ordered spicy pad Thai. And let me say this did not disappoint. The owner is very friendly and she even gave me some of her cucumber salad for free to try. Recommend visiting this place soon! read more

You know its good when you DREAM about YUMMY'S food! Ok let me control my "inner big girl" but our family can't get enough of White Lotus! This is a one WOMAN production in the kitchen & babbby she puts here love in all dishes. This is our 3rd time here this week and each time it gets better. My son ordered the Yummy Bacom Burger w/ fries. He claims to be a hamburger connoisseur & claims this is the BEST burger in Dayton. I must agree the quality of the beef was excellent! I have tried many items on the menu, but this time I had a taste for pepper steak. Honey... it was AWESOME! Tender slices of beef, which Ms. Yummy bought out a large piece of beef & sliced off nice portions accompanied w/ orange & green peppers & onions. She threw in wok added a little special Thai sauce & a lil spice (WARNING...spice is HOT)and KABOOM its done. If you haven't been Downtown to check out White Lotus you are missing a great culinary mouth explosion experience! read more

White Lotus - Delicious Pepper Steak w/ steamed rice... a little spicy! - Thai Near Me - Dayton, Ohio

See all

Incredible food with sweet and sassy service. Best spring rolls I've ever had! I originally ordered what the owner considered a plain dish. After asking a couple questions, she suggested I'd like something else more. She was super sweet and made me a taste of what I originally ordered to compare. She was right. If you order the se-ew, you're missing out. However, you can't really go wrong, it was all incredible. The only downside is she was he only one there, so service will be slow but worth the wait! read more

White Lotus - Honey Thai chicken - Thai Near Me - Dayton, Ohio

See all

Well I had high expectations for the burgers. We called in an order at 1:15 told it would take 35m to pick up. My husband left our house at 1:40 we live in Huffman Historic so we are about 2m maybe 3 from White Lotus. The owner/cook was apparently really behind. No One else running the grill. If someone was cashing out she had to stop cooking or tending the grill to handle that. It wasn't till 2:15 that my husband got our food. The burgers were tasty but. I choose the restaurant because of the proximity and the great reviews. I would like to try the Thai food but I don't think I would do a to go order read more

Best Red Curry Chicken I've ever had! My husband had the chicken Pad Thai and he said it was the best he had ever had. Delicious, quick service! read more

White Lotus - Thai Near Me - Dayton, Ohio

See all

I've eaten at this establishment sporadically over the years and always enjoyed it. Yesterday I sat down at the counter and while looking over the menu the owner came out of the back room with some items as she was preparing a dish for another patron. One item caught my eye because it was obvious it should have gone in the trash. It was a plastic bag of cilantro. The bag was full of the brownish color liquid when its obvious that the cilantro was old and rotten. She proceeded, right in front of me in the sink below the counter to clean out the old cilantro and rinse off what was still "usable". She then took what was salvaged and cooked with it. I got up and left. I figured if she's salvaging old rotten cilantro what is she doing with the meat. read more

What can I say but wow!!!This is really a small place that at first look you might pass up. If you do your missing out on some really incredible food. The owner is so entertaining and really interacts with you as you wait. The food is so good that your not going to believe this little old lady cooked all this food by herself while making you laugh. Be prepared to wait during the lunch rush but it is so well worth the wait. read more

My wife and I stopped in here the day after thanksgiving and it was spectacular. I had mussaman chicken curry. If you ask for Thai hot - be prepared for Thai hot! And super tasty curry. They cook everything short order style in front of you and make you feel like you are in their kitchen at home. You won't be disappointed with your meal. read more

You'd not expect to find good Thai food in an old Yummy Burger building but guess what, you can. The White Lotus has some pretty good thai food. I had the Pad Thai and it was very good. I was in a hurry for lunch the other day and since the White Lotus is a couple blocks from work I figured I'd give it a try. The staff is friendly, the service quick, the food good and the portions large. I couldn't ask for much more when after a quick lunch. The parking lot is small but there is metered parking all around. If your in a hurry and have an urge for Thai food, give the White Lotus a try. Yeah, it doesn't look like much from the outside but I go to restaurants for their food and not their architecture. read more

This place absolutely slaps, the Thai food easily the most authentic and delicious you're going to find in the area. It's made to order by the owner so don't expect it to be fast, but it's awesome. read more

Or maybe you'll know it as Yummy Burger! I stopped in for lunch and had the special of the day - Green Curry w/ a spring roll. Some of the other customers were having the Yummy Burger (said it was 'tops'). My meal was a large portion and good curry (didn't pick my spice level but was spicy for my spicy pallet). The atmosphere is a tiny Diner but that is what makes a great friendly experience. It was interesting to watch the traffic of the city go by the window during lunch. read more

White Lotus - From the inside counter. The sun shine just pours in. - Thai Near Me - Dayton, Ohio

See all

Be prepared to wait! However, once you get your food it will be worth it! I ordered the burger and it was deeeelicious!!! Juice pouring all over the plate as I tapped into my inner carnivore, ripping bite after bite as the blades of my teeth tore through lettuce, pickle, tomato, buttered brioche bread smothered with mayonnaise! Just go already if you don't believe me! read more

Interesting little place on the corner of 3rd & Wayne. Tried one of the standard Thai dishes, Pad Thai, and some spring rolls. The good--spring rolls were homemade & vegetarian. Very tasty with the given sauce. The Pad Thai had a good heat at a level 5. The below average -- was the Pad Thai. The chicken was over cooked & dry. The egg was lost after covering it with some unusual sauce that everything was cooked in (and so were the 10 tiny pieces of peanut). This Pad Thai was dark colored like soy sauce. The noodles could have been cooked longer. I grew up on a lot of international foods including Thai; and, this one was not very good compared to the many I've tried over the years. And the price was too high for what you got -- this is -not- high quality food. The owner seemed nice though and the service average. Overall, as two stars says -- Meh. I've experienced better. Guess I'll keep looking for a good Thai restaurant around here. Is there one in these parts? Caio. read more

I seldom eat burgers, but had a taste for one, and stopped in at this place on my way home. First, it took half an hour to get my burger. A couple went into the restaurant in front of me, and we were the only customers. I thought it a little odd when Youg did not take my order while in front of me, but was standing in front of the young couple at the other end of the counter. I gave my order for the basic $7.95 cent burger, to go, and did not get a ticket of what the total cost would be. The burger was cooked to perfection, only mildly seasoned, with one thin slice of pickle in the middle of the toasted bun, and two thin slices of tomato. I was given change of $1.45 from the $10 I tendered, no receipt of course. When I questioned the amount, she cooly said (from a distance) $8.55 with tax. There is no tax on carry-out in Ohio, but I was not going to argue over $.60. I later reflected on the coolness with which I was treated, as if I was not welcome in her tiny establishment. I brought my burger home, seasoned it properly, and unfortunately did not have pickles to put on it. I did add additional tomato slices, but an $8.55 burger should not have needed any additions. It came with no sides. This woman is rude, unfriendly, cheats (adding tax to carryout) and very slow. The burger wasn't bad, but could have been better with a little seasoning, and pickles that could be tasted. I will not bother her with my presence again. I believe this is a one-person operation. Would not recommend. read more

This place is a dump. I'm sorry. The strong smell of grease made me nauseous. I got the chicken pad Thai and Thai tea and didn't care for either one. I waited forever for a carry out too. (About 35 mins) read more

White Lotus - Thai Near Me - Dayton, Ohio

Very tasty Thai food in a most unexpected location. The former Yummy Burger diner has changed very little [including the awning that still sports their name], but this former greasy spoon now produces some delicious cuisine. As good as the food is the service is even better. We showed up after closing time on a Fri. night and the owner, Young, was sweet enough to open up for us, despite having already cleaned the grill. She whipped up a couple of fantastic meals, that where large on portions and very affordable. I highly recommend White Lotus for lunch or dinner. read more

White Lotus - Thai Near Me - Dayton, Ohio

I have no idea what the food will taste like. But I've been sitting here for an hour, 60 mind numbing minutes, waiting for 3 cheeseburgers and some fries. Three burgers with cheese and some fries. Not special burgers, something requiring a 45 minute marinade, or some kind of special tenderizing, where they hug the patty then gently form press it into shape with the delicate touch of rose petals attached to the paws of fluffy kittens. And no, it's not busy on Saturday at 3pm. I have no idea what could possibly require 60 minutes to cook 3 burgers, unless you're using an easy-bake oven, matches, rubbing the patties between your hands to try and cook them with the heat from friction, or cooking the meat in little 1/8" pieces, one piece at a time, and assembling them afterward. Unless these burgers provide some sort of life altering, existential enlightenment, I will not be returning. read more

Four stars for the reason that it is great Thai food, big protions for a great price A giant plate of Pad Thai for 6.95 yes please Young stayed open for us even though we came in after closing, rumors that this place would be open 24 hours soon make me pretty pleased. Although I have had better Thai food, for the price and size it just can't be beat. I keep coming back when I'm looking for a quick and tasty lunch. Unique atmosphere to boot read more

I'm sure the food is great, I just can not handle horrible service. See check in for more details.

Little older lady does it all. Thai food and burgers. I ordered something and she told me i wanted something else. I went with her suggestion and really enjoyed it. She makes her own spring rolls and they were good. Limited seating. I would go back read more

White Lotus - Red curry - Thai Near Me - Dayton, Ohio