Snail Thai Cuisine

Literally the best Thai food I've ever had, Thai tea is phenomenal, the hot ginger tea my friend has also tastes comforting and soothing in this cold weather. We got Tomkha Gai soups, my friend got the cucumber salad and I got Pad See Ew, all excellent and flavorful, the environment was very lush and relaxing which makes our meal even more delicious. The service was excellent too! I feel so welcomed here. Highly recommend!

Stopped by for an early lunch with the family today. We were the first dine in customers they had. We were notified that they were busy filling a catering order but we still got tended to in very reasonable time. We ordered seaweed soup. Light broth, fresh vegetables, piping hot and ample chicken. Pad woon sen had that great smoky wok flavor, crunchy vegetables and tender chicken. Chicken pad Thai was very well favored and again, crunchy fresh vegetables. Sauce was a tad sweet for my liking but wife enjoyed it. The star for me was the roast duck curry. The sauce had.so many layers of flavor, the duck was tender and plentiful. The veggies still tasted bright even with the curry sauce. I literally mopped up all the sauce with the last bit of rice. It's been awhile since I've had Thai food worth writing about but this place was great on all fronts. They checked on us while they were prepping the catering order and were good about clearing the table of empty dishes.

Great little Thai place! I had the green duck curry and it was amazing. The spices were wonderful and the dish had a bit of spice as well. Washed it all down with a delicious Thai tea. The staff was friendly and the food came relatively fast. If you love Thai food, or if you are looking for something new, I would highly recommend this place.

Not bad, not amazing. Slightly above average. We ordered drunken noodles and Thai basil chicken. Probably wouldn’t come back but good for a try from picky Thai eaters 😀

DELICIOUS! My friend and I were looking for a restaurant close to the Museum of Science and Industry and this gem popped up on the map. It was less than a 10 minute walk from the museum. We stopped in close to 2:30pm and it was empty. But by the time we left around 3:15pm, the tables were getting filled up on one side. I tried the Bangkok and Snail noodle dishes. My friend also had the Bangkok noodles and a mango bubble smoothie. All of it was incredible! I would order everything again. The snail noodle was a bit more vinegary than I expected, but I’d still eat it again. My only regret was not getting a bubble smoothie myself. Service was fast and friendly. We couldn’t have asked for a better experience. I hope to come back. 😀

Friendly welcome, interesting menu. Good service. Everyone smiles. My friend had left his scarf behind on a previous visit. They remembered him the next time to return it to him

I ordered the khao soi. It tasted good but curry is a little too thick to enjoy the khao soi with noodles. Also wished they had the option for fried chicken instead. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed the food here!

OMG I LOVE THIS PLACE!!! Great food and amazing staff. This place has so many memories. I was first here 4 years ago. I have been back every time I've been in Chicago. 😁

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*!

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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!

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!

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.

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!

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.

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.

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 ..

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

Great neighborhood spot. The couple who run the restaurant were delightful. Arrived around 2:00PM for lunch on a Saturday and the place was crowded. I ordered Larb and my fried ordered Pad Thai. Both were super tasty. Warning! the Larb salad was spicy! I have been to Thailand five times and my son lives there. This was even spicy for me! The cabbage was fresh and the spices were perfect. The restaurant was clean and the service outstanding.

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

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

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.

The friendliest staff ever, the family that owns this business is incredibly welcoming and it was a really nice dining atmosphere. The food was great, the portions were pretty large and I loved my Drunken Noodles, despite the fact that I generally don't like Thai Food. My boyfriend got the Pad Thai and we both had leftovers.

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!

An uncomfortable customer service experience has marred my view of this, the wunderkind of Hyde Park's iconic 55th St. "Thai Row," which I have ordinarily been happy to get take out from for its compelling curries. On a recent visit, my companion ordered the "Pineapple Shrimp Curry" only to be upcharged for the shrimp. We then listened incredulously as a server regaled us with the explanation that this dish's standard price (again, a "shrimp" curry) reflects when it comes with "chicken." I am convinced that this is basically false advertising and was taken aback that we were not refunded the upcharge. This is a shame, because had this interaction gone otherwise, I would be able to more heartily recommend the exotic but cozy ambiance and delicious flavors at Snail Thai.

Amazing place! We got the tofu pad kimao and it was so good! The service was great and the place is beautiful. Really felt like the servers were nice and made the experience better

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.

Vibes are off here. Go to Siam Thai a few doors down. The food is better, less expensive, and the workers are much more attentive.

I ordered delivery and was surprised how quickly it was delivered. My egg roll was hot and crunchy. Well filled. My entree was well seasoned and a generous portion. Lots of chicken and broccoli flowerets. I also treated myself to a mango boba. And wow it tasted like fresh mango. Yum

Consistently good. I've been coming here for some time. That being said, I never noticed they charged me an extra .50 cents for not having ice in my thai iced tea. What? There isn't any notation on the menu about the charge. How does one come up with that amount? It's just weird and makes me not ever want a thai iced tea from them again, which I now don't order any more. I wasn't even aware that I was being charged until I placed a phone order. Then I went in an ordered and noticed the charge sneakily put on the receipt. It's deceptive and not cool. I have definitely not ordered from them as much since I've found out, which is sad, because I used to come here often. Anyway, their pad thai and cucumber salad is great.

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.

This is not my go-to Thai spot in Hyde Park but the food is good, I can't lie. The staff is courteous and the food comes quickly. They don't get a full five stars for me because they are stingy. What do I mean by that? Entrees are on the high side compared to the local competition to begin with, and you have to order rice separately; I don't encounter this elsewhere and it just feels like another way to make the bill go up. I also find that they are stingy with napkins/cutlery for takeout and stingy with sauces/condiments. It's the little things that make customers happy, right? All that said I do like the place and hope it stays open.

The veggie egg rolls are really good. The pad Thai was good and they give a great amount of food, however, I found a metal thing in my meal which is concerning.

Portions are great, food is hot and fresh, the staff are super friendly and lovely, what more could you need? I have a soft spot for Snail Thai! It's straightforward Thai food that'll be sure to warm you up or put a smile on your face hehe

The food here is consistently bad. I've tried various noodle dishes here and they don't have much flavor. I got the garlic noodles with pork this time specifically and the meat tasted extremely gamy and was not flavored at all. It felt like they cooked the noodles and then just added some boiled pork on top-- very gross. Also, I don't know what they do to their tap water but it tastes extremely metallic and chlorine heavy... it's very off putting. Overall, this restaurant is a shame to Thai cuisine which when made well, is probably one of the most sophisticated and flavorful cuisines in the world.

3.5 stars for a great little place, decent prices, and tasty food! My spouse and I came here for lunch the day we visited the Museum of Science and Industry. Instead of eating at the crowded options inside the museum, we walked less than 10 minutes to the Snail. They had just opened, so we were the only customers until halfway through the meal. Friendly service, food came out quickly (no reason otherwise), and not overpriced. We started with chicken satay that was marinated in a curry seasoning. It came with a peanuty sauce that wasn't as sweet as I was expecting but still good. The cucumbers were also good but could have been soaked in the sugar/vinegar longer. We shared a main entree of green curry with beef. It was suuuuper spicy, so I ate less than I usually do. Rice doesn't come with the entree, so we got a large order of rice. It helped to soak up the curry but I had to make sure there was more rice than curry or else it would've been too spicy. We each also got Thai tea, which helped cut the spice when our mouths were on fire!

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.

This is my first time trying a Thai place that I've actually enjoyed. First time having it was at a cousins get together where she got food catered and it was SO GOOD! I just had to go in for myself. The restaurant experience was really great. It was a small, quiet atmosphere. The staff was very attentive and helpful because I had trouble choosing what to order. I ended up with the chicken pad Thai, Bangkok chicken, brown rice, and fried wontons. This was just enough to share with my bf and a very affordable price. We fell in loveeee! Lol we order take out pretty frequently and still enjoy it.

Exposing myself to a vast array of Thai restaurants, in preparation for a Thailand trip... Thai fried rice- 4 Spring rolls- 3.5 Fried squid- 3.5 Potak soup: 4 Shrimp curry: 3 Beef in massamun curry (may have botched the spelling): 3.5 Pad woon soon (may have botched the name): 3.5 Scallops w/ chilli: 4 Garlic squid: 4 Overall, decent food, but nothing I'd return for; albeit, I was never a fan of Thai cuisine. I am just now warming up to it.

Left the Museum of Science & Industry with the broha in search of a casual joint to eat a late lunch. The Snail was perfect as it was only a short walk, and not too busy so we were seated immediately. The other tables were mostly college kids. The tortilla chips they brought us were a bit strange for a Thai place, and they were really greasy! But can I really complain too much about anything that comes free? No. My pad Thai (no meat) was pretty tasty, but my brother was less than impressed with his drunken noodles. I very much enjoyed the random assortment of art on the walls. Service was friendly but pace was a bit sluggish. Maybe that's why they named it the Snail?

I ordered take away food from an online menu. The shumai had 4 pieces not seven when I called the restaurant I was told they changed the menu.if it's the case change your on line menu Language barrier perhaps , but they seemed rude on the phone Small Portions and mediocre food

Their portion sizes are very large, but mostly filled with carbs (noodles/rice) rather than lots of meats or veggies. They have a nice selection of types of meat and it's always cooked very tender. The flavors are wonderful and the staff is very friendly. They are also very good at accommodating large groups. We bring our first years here a lot. Our school caters them a lot for large events. Quite nice to get free asian food once in a while.

In my search for godo thai food on the southside, I had to go to Hyde Park. In finding The Snail I was saitisfied with the food and service. It was to-go but the food was still good and the staff was friendly.

As someone who has been coming here for 13 years, it breaks my heart that I may never eat here again. For 13 years, I have brought dates here; taken friends visiting from out of town; ordered here for small dinner parties. During this Covid mess I have gotten takeout several times because I wanted to make sure they had business. It has been hit or miss over the years-- often delicious, occasionally mediocre. Tonight? Awful. So bad that I called after getting home and realizing that my chicken pad thai was inedible. My name and number are in the system, and many people at the restaurant recognize me. Some even guess at my order because I have a few favorites. Had. Despite this, I was treated rudely on the phone. Barely told sorry when I said I couldn't eat this, told "that's how we always make it". No offer of a replacement, a credit, a refund... nothing. Im going to call again tomorrow and hope I can speak to the owner or manager, and hope for a different response. Because without it, I'm going to have to cross a favorite spot off my list for good, and stop telling people to eat at Snail Thai.

This restaurant REALLY knocked my socks off!!! - service was okay, my server was friendly enough -ambiance was dry, it was very quiet and I don't remember hearing music over us agreeing how goooodd all the food tasted. -decor was blah, I noticed a few of the art pieces were for sale but nothing to take your mind off of the food. All these things in mind, the food was so amazing it made up for everything it lacked!! Came here for a casual spur of the moment lunch with my sister and brother as we were actually on the way to get donuts at the doughnut vault and decided we were hungry forreal. Lol My sister has been here several times before and recommended it. I was weary because there are 2 other Thai places very close by with similar ratings and price point. After the first bite, I was glad we went with her suggestion! They are BYOB and no corking fee! We went about 2 stores down and got a nice rosé for about $9 bucks to have with our meal. My sister & I had the shrimp pad thai, brother had the pineapple curry with rice noodles. The pad Thai was sweeter than usual according to my sister but yummy none the less. The pineapple curry was spicy but as delicious as it was no amount of heat could stop your consumption! Good portion size as I had over half of my food to take home since we had apps AND water AND rosé AND the chips they place on your table upon entrance. We shared an order of crab rangoon & chive dumplings. Crab Rangoon was light airy & fried in FRESH OIL! The chive dumpling tasted way better than I expected. I give this place a 6 out of 5 stars!! I'll be back soon :)