If you want authentic Thai food give this place a try! The egg rolls are where it's at with the sauce!

I've ordered from White Pearl a handful of times in the past and have always gotten the same thing. Chicken fried rice, Mangolian beef not spicy, beef pho, pad Thai, papaya salad. A couple days ago I decided to place an order through door dash, their ordering platform is very simple. If you wanted to modify anything from being spicy, all you had to do was click the "not spicy" box. So I placed an order for Mangolian beef not spicy, chicken fried rice and beef pho. I got my order fairly quickly , about half an hour. The beef pho was super skimpy except for the noodles, they filled the whole box with noodles. The garnishes were super skimpy as well. The chicken fried rice had a ROCK in it. A black ROCK. I spooned it into my daughters plate and noticed it right away. I was so infuriated that I called the restaurant right away, spoke to a young man and explained the rock situation he was confused I asked how that could have happened and he said he has no idea. He offered to put a credit on my account for the rice for the next time I ordered from there. I said no thanks we won't be coming back. He said he can remake it, once again no thank you, who knows what else they can do to the food so then he gets frustrated and says there's nothing else he can do since I ordered through door dash to call them. Thankfully DoorDash was able to refund me for the order. I went back to the kitchen to throw the food out and decide to see if the messed up the Mangolian beef, and you know they did!! The not spicy order had huge slices of spicy green peppers with their seeds fully intact, it didn't even look the the Mangolian beef I used to order. They also had red peppers and green peppers in it barely any meet, no brown sauce. What the hell was that? I've been to so many Asian restaurants and yes their recipes vary but I have no idea what that was. I'm so disappointed and I do not recommend this place to anyone. Food quality and handling is obviously very poor and customer service needs training. read more

I have a buddy of mine that is now going to school down in Champaign. We would always hang out when he was here regularly and would always pass this place. Each time, we would mention, "Hey, we should check this place out some time". We finally went one afternoon about a week before he had to go back to school. We loved it. The food was amazing and were giant portions. I've gone back several times and everything i've ever gotten was amazing. The menu is somewhat limited, but I don't care. The quality of the food makes up for it. read more

Outstanding! Just done eat the pho noodles, lap beef and fried rice with green and red cero with lime and milk!

Best Thai place in the suburbs by far Best Thai fried rice and Pad See Ewe ever. The sweet and sour sauce is made on-site and is delicious. Definitely top of my list. read more

Every time I come here the food is so good! I've had their pho, crispy rolls, pad thai, and thai iced tea. One of my friends has also ordered takeout from here, and when I've been at her house I got to sample some of the food. Always good :-) Every time I am in the area and hungry... I stop here :-) read more

The White Pearl... Where to begin? Let's start of with their building and decor. Their structure is simply an old, run-down Taco Bell. It is nothing fancy or appealing. The inside also looks like a 1980's VFW hall. The tables and chairs are tacky, and there is an old projection television along the wall that seems like it has not been functioning for years. While there, I had to use the restroom. It was not too clean... Barely a step up from a dingy bar bathroom. Normally, after seeing the aforementioned we would walk out of an establishment. But, something told us to hang in there. The food from the White Pearl does prove that you can't judge a book by its cover. We ordered the Beef Pad Thai, and the Chicken Pad Thai. Both meals were truly amazing! The sauce was delightful, the meat was done just right, and the flavors were aplenty. This has to be some of the best Pad Thai in the area! To top it off, the service was very kind, prompt, and courteous. The waiter definitely made us feel welcome. My suggestion would be to order out. Bring the amazing food home so you don't have to be in such drab surroundings. One thought still lingers in my mind though... Is the kitchen just as bad as the rest of the place? Lets hope not! read more

Portion size of papaya salad is really SMALL is decreasing in size considering price has increased over the years. Nothing really special about this place... it's like the only Laotian restaurant around this area. This place does well because there no other Laotian restaurant near by so lack competitors keeps this place afloat. Wish someone would open up another Laotian restaurant! Please either lower your price to match food size and quality or up your portion so that customers don't feel like you are ripping them off. Every time I order papaya salad for the price and portion size I can't help but feel like I'm getting taking advantage of. Anyway, I really need to stop coming here... quality of food and portion size becomes more disappointing with each visit. read more

Love, Love, Love it! Only reason it didn't get 5 stars was that the pad thai was a bit bland. The Pho on the other hand, WOW! My husband and I both love Thai food and I can eat Pho every week of the whole year. I asked the waiter which Pho he'd recommend, he named two and when he noticed my hesitation cheerfully stated they could leave out the tripe no problem (sorry, Irish and German - dont' do tripe). Good service and wondefful soup. The egg rolls/spring rolls were a treat, crisp without the heavy oily feel you often get with fried food. The chicken wonton soup is a winner also. Decor is nonexistent, but hey - I'm here for the food. read more

"PHOking Fantastic" Okay now I could not resist. If you get it, then you'll get this place. If not let em draw you the picture. Imagine if you will an old Taco Bell building from the 80's, the same shape but no Taco Bell colors. On the inside the resemeblence falls completely off. You are there amongst a sea of non-white folks (this is a very good sign). On each tbale is Siricha (a.k.a. Cock Sauce), chopsticks, asian spoons, soy sauce, chili peppers in oil, hoison sauce, etc. The food is very good, authentic asian cusisine here. Appetizers of note: Laos Sausage (picture above from previous yelper). These things are interesting. Note I didn't say delicious but the flavor palaate is so unique I irder thenm every time I being someone new. I think I appreciate them on a different level each timeI try them. Egg Rolls* are good - thin crispy, pork and noodles on the inside - you get 6 of these wto an order and the peanut sauce they are served with relaly make them sing. Entrees of Note: The Pad Thai is the most authientic you will find - I reccomend the beef myself and extra, extra spicy. It has an awesome 'unnatural-natural' sheen to them that most white eyes are nto so familiar with now-a-days. MSG! Yeah that's right i said it and meant it! (read the data folks this is nowhere near as nasty as reputed). The Fried Rice - very tasty and fulof wonderful yummy whatever you get in there (chicken, veggies, bbq pork, etc. The Pho - Okay white people say it like the work above that is how it is pronounced. It is awesome. If you do not know what pho is then you are in for a treat. You see France tried to tkae over Vietnam a few years back (see Vietnam War for reference material) and being that the greatest spoil of war is delicious food this dish was born - a mixture of an old vietnamese dish with heavy french influences equates to an amazing broth served with noodles and a ton of throw them in yourself other options, cabbage, bean sprouts, chilis, etc. Trust me it is Phoking good! You also get to choose the meats you want in your Pho - go bold and try the combination - the 'meatballs' are not quite liek anythign I have ever had before and give a very nice fatty flavor to the Pho. The seafood is alsways fresh in taste and never ppor smelling. A nice touch (the squid strips honestly does leave a it to be desired). Price: Cheap baby - rela cheap! *The Litmus Test as I have explained previously in reviews. read more

I have only used the White Pearl for takeout thus far. The noodle dishes are very good. I have tried a variety but not all, yet. The menu is a refreshing change from what you will find available at most Asian style cuisine places in the area. I have been pleased by the quality of the food. The thing is... for the price I had hoped that the portion sizes were a little bigger. There are definitely much cheaper options in the area. They raised their prices here quite a bit a little while back... I can live with that but the portions have also decreased so its a double whammy. If the portions were a little bigger the White Pearl Restaurant would be worthy of my 5 stars and frequent visits instead of my current occasional visits. Still good,but used to be perfect. read more

Great authentic food which has a taste of thailand, laos, and china! Fast service, friendly people, and good pricing! Family-owned and treats all customers like family =) . Dont let the exterior of restaurant intimidate you! Come in and try it! read more

Now my favorite restaurant in Chicago. The food is soooo good! I would consider moving to the suburbs for this place.

This is a classic ma and pa shop where the food is served with pride. You cant go wrong with the springrolls - 6 in a serving! We also like the Tom Yong soup served with shrimp. The seasoning is strong and authentic and will be made as hot as you'd like. I also order fresh chopped peppers on the side to crank mine up a bit more. The Lad Na - chicken with rice noodles and brocelli is excellent. The owner is especially proud of her Pho which is served with fresh condiments so you may spice it as you wish. The service may slip a bit, but there could be a grandkid holding things up... tolerate it for the good food! read more

Great food and very affordable prices! Service was good and delivered quickly. We'll definitely come back and recommend it to others.

This is our regular go to place for pho and other noodles since moving to Elgin and not finding many options. It is a great place. It is family run. Recently learned the brothers who work here understand Cantonese. It is tasty. Also the deep fried Lao pork sausage is absolutely fantastic, redolent of lemongrass, crispy, juicy, and fragrant from frying. Have not tried anything else yet but should give it a shot. Purists can dismiss it, but they should bring me and everyone else in Elgin some pho, because we're 40 miles out of Chicago and we're not driving down to Bloomingdale or Uptown just to get a bowl. Or they can just shut up and join us here. read more

This place is a hit or miss. They really need to work on Thier customer service. Every time I come in, the same servers seem not to care, they care to make money. Egg rolls are my favorite, the food is pretty good. read more

Great go to place for consistently great food. Love the Pho, & Thai egg rolls. I have been going here for over 17 years, when they were in the location next door. Yummy! read more

Even though it is really a Chinese noodle and soup place the pad Thai here is AWESOME. Inside is a little bright for my taste but I always order take out. read more

What can I say?!? Dishes are just so tasty. More of the authentic side of southern Asian cuisine. Their broths are amazing!!!! Papaya salad....finger lickin good! read more

My family has been going here for years. My FAVORITE restaurant! I have not found better thai food. I have been to many thai restaurants in Chicago and New York City. This is by far my favorite. The tum yum chicken is a must. read more

Soooo good. Egg rolls are awesome. Have never tried something there that wasn't delicious.

Best thai food around Elgin, the pad thai is the best and a fantastic value for the price. You can share a pho and noodle dish, pay less than $20, and leave feeling good about life! I won't be going anywhere else for my thai food fix. read more

One of my favorite restaurants. Not fancy but they have the best pho. Really, everything here is amazing and bonus that it is run by a super nice family and prices are awesome. Best kept secret in Elgin. read more

Delicious fresh. I eat here at least once a week. I enjoy the family atmosphere. Great iced coffee. Their egg rolls are so delicious. Their Pho is delicious. The ginger fish is amazing. I love this place. read more

This is a quaint place, nothing fancy. It is family owned. The food is delicious though. Their soups are really good. If you are there to eat then it won't disappoint. But if you are there for the ambiance and mood then this is not the place for you. read more

Excellent local place! We ordered the egg rolls. 6 pieces and delicious. The chicken fried rice was good. Huge portion! The Mongolian Beef was delicious and spicy as promised! Tons of jalapeños and red peppers. The beef pad see yew was fantastic! The tom yum soup shrimp was the best I've ever had. So fresh and spicy! The pad keemao pork and chicken had me sweating. So spicy and delicious! We usually order from Thai Town but would pick this place over Thai Town based on taste, portion size, and cost! 4 out of 5 stars because -even though small and family owned- service was ok. read more

Poor service!! I understand it's Saturday,dinner time but why tell a customer 30-35 minutes and not be able to have the order ready. An hour later and the food is not ready. Two orders of noodles. Not a big order. NEVER gonna order here again!!!! read more

White Pearl Restaurant - Better off ordering from New Hong Kong!!! Food tastes better better services!!! - Chinese Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

I love going to this restaurant , delicious food one my favorite Vietnamese restaurant, it's a family business they are very nice :) can't wait to come to this place again read more

It is some what of a dive so snobs need not come in! Really good food and i don't exaggerate when i say HUGE portions. The Pho is delicious and Thai Iced Tea is my favorite. service is nothing super special but they are attentive and polite. :) read more

Consistently good authentic Thai food. We get the chicken pad Thai, combination fried rice, egg rolls, beef jerky and sticky rice. Delicious. My only beef today is when we dined in, the waitress failed to tell us they charge for refills. Family of four with one drink refill each came to $12 alone on just drinks (I had Coke and the rest of the family had watered down lemonade). Not cool that they didn't mention that when we asked for refills and who charges for that anyways these days? We'll be back but will likely stick to take out. read more

The Laos sausage and Sticky rice are great. The pad thai is good, but sweet not spicy. Will definitely go back. read more

Unfortunately the decor is abysmal but the food is good. I especially like the egg rolls. They feature a crisp delicate wrapper and I love the peanut dipping sauce. The pad Thai and pad si ew are exceptional. These dishes are perfectly spiced and the noodles have a great texture. They have an excellent selection of noodle soups. Overall the menu is limited. They don't have any beef or pork selections and they have only one curry selection which is chicken. read more

I have friends who will drive all the way from the city to check out this place. My expectation was high when I went there. It was probably too high that I was a little disappointed. Papaya Salad and Beef jerky was good. We ordered couple of stir fry noodle types (pad thai and pad-see eaw). I was really disappointed. The noodles were way overcooked. Seafood was really chewy which I assume that it's not fresh. The owner/ staff is friendly and that's probably the only pro i can find. read more

The best pho in the area hands down. The chicken wings are amazing. Fried bread and iced coffee is a must. The white pearl also has great service. I wish they had more locations. read more

I've ate here several times in the past and would again when I am in the area! Never disappointed in my meal. Everything I've ordered was delicious! Small group of friends and/or the kids will make the experience more pleasant. I go for the food! read more

The food is authentic and has the Laotian flavors I look for. The owners are extremely friendly and helpful. It was a recommendation for a business lunch and I will be back again and again............home family cooked meals......it does not get any better than this. read more

We tried this place by accident since the other Asian restaurant was closed and we are So Glad we did. This place does Huge bowls of noodles and soups that are very authentic. If your just use to Americanized Chinese food then you need to try a place like this as it will rock your world. This place is very rustic and homey but these are the type of places you find the best food. I had the Tom Yum soup which was the best Tom Yum soup I have ever had! We are so happy to find an authentic Chinese restaurant close to home. My friend ordered noodles & pork that was also amazing. The portions were large for the price as I would have paid double for the quality. People who are not into authentic quality food will not get this place. Or if your all about decor and service you just don't get it and you wont get this place. If you are a true foodie and into authentic food I think you will love this place as much as we do. read more

Good pad thai with chicken-- lots of sauce, lots of peanuts, thin noodles. Went for lunch with a large group, we were served quickly and with very friendly service. Others had the pho and said it was good-- it looks good. Atmosphere isn't much to speak of-- it is a converted old-style taco bell. So best for lunch or carryout. read more

I've gone here several times. It's the closest place around for me to get good pho. I love the beef jerky with sticky rice, I'll admit the portion is pretty small for the price but it's so good I still get it every time I'm there. Service has always been fine to me. We were greeted and seated with a smile. The decor definitely isn't anything to talk about. It looks outdated and the bathroom could use some freshening up but the food will keep me coming back. read more