Thai Café

Thai restaurant · Thomas-Dale

Thai Café

Thai restaurant · Thomas-Dale

2

371 University Ave W, St Paul, MN 55103

Photos

Thai Café by null
Thai Café by null
Thai Café by null
Thai Café by null
Thai Café by null
Thai Café by null
Thai Café by null
Thai Café by null
Thai Café by null
Thai Café by null
Thai Café by null
Thai Café by null
Thai Café by null
Thai Café by null
Thai Café by null
Thai Café by null
Thai Café by null
Thai Café by null
Thai Café by null
Thai Café by null
Thai Café by null
Thai Café by null
Thai Café by null
Thai Café by null
Thai Café by null
Thai Café by null
Thai Café by null
Thai Café by null
Thai Café by null
Thai Café by null
Thai Café by null
Thai Café by null
Thai Café by null
Thai Café by null
Thai Café by null
Thai Café by null
Thai Café by null
Thai Café by null
Thai Café by null
Thai Café by null
Thai Café by null
Thai Café by null
Thai Café by null
Thai Café by null
Thai Café by null

Highlights

At this cozy St. Paul cafe, simplicity meets bold flavor, showcasing authentic Thai dishes from savory sour pork ribs to delightful curries—all served with a smile.  

Featured in Eater
Placeholder

371 University Ave W, St Paul, MN 55103 Get directions

thaicafemn.com

$10–20 · Menu

Information

Static Map

371 University Ave W, St Paul, MN 55103 Get directions

+1 651 225 8231
thaicafemn.com
ThaiCafeMN

$10–20 · Menu

Features

payment credit card
Tap to pay

Last updated

Jul 11, 2025

Powered By

You might also like

Terms of Use • Privacy Policy • Cookie Policy
 © 2025 Postcard Technologies, Inc.
@eater

"Don’t let the simplicity of this modest café fool you. Their dishes pack big flavors from the fried fish laab to the sweet Massaman curry to the tangy Tom Yum seafood soup, teaming with squid, mussels, crab and shrimp." - Alex Lodner

Phenomenal Thai Take Out in the Twin Cities
View Postcard for Thai Café
@eater

"Thai Cafe in St. Paul (whose beautiful and inexpensive Pad Thai is my feel-good lunch go-to.)" - Joy Summers

The most consistent and reliable dining of 2019 - Eater Twin Cities
View Postcard for Thai Café

ExileOne

Google
Food was amazing and place seems to be run by a family. Staff was very noice and respectful. My wife is a strong critic when it comes to food but she had nothing but yum to say. We will definitely try here again. Food is bit pricey but it’s worth it.

Yatanar Htun

Google
This place is a hidden gem! Our group of four ordered Fried Tofu, Sour Pork Ribs, Lao Papaya Salad, Tom Yum Seafood, Fried Fish Laab, and Mango Sticky Rice—every dish was bursting with authentic flavors, just like being back in Thailand. (I wpersonally prefer Lao-style Papaya Salad, so I ordered that, but given how authentic everything else was, I’m sure their Thai version is great too.) At first, we weren’t sure what to expect since the restaurant was empty and the decor wasn’t impressive, but the food far exceeded our expectations. The staff was friendly, and parking at the rear was convenient. Highly recommend!

Clarissa Rice

Google
Phenomenal food, exceptional service! Kham took such great care of us and was so knowledgeable about the food. Tom Kha was outstanding. Spring rolls were fresh (ordered a second round), papaya salad was like homemade. Fish cakes with fresh relish were tasty. Fresh young coconut—enjoyed every drop. Mango sticky rice and fried bananas were tasty desserts. Can’t wait to go back.

Xeena Vang Cha

Google
Service was great! The server was attentive. We were greated as soon as we got in. Water was brought out fairly quickly. Ordered our entrees which came out pretty quick. A cozy Cafe to enjoy a quick meal. Only reason I didn't give it the full 5 stars is it seemed like the spring rolls were pre-made because the wrap was cold and a bit hard---not overly hard. It would've tasted better if it was made fresh as soon as we ordered it. The spring roll was a bit small compared to other spring rolls I've had at other restaurants. I wanted to give this cafe a try. Overall, it wasn't so bad.

mikayla peterson

Google
Thai Café is the best Thai food in the Twin Cities area. Every entree and appetizer I’ve tried is delicious (and they have the best bubble tea). The staff are genuine, kind, and sweet. The service is great too. I could not recommend this restaurant enough!

Thomas Olsen

Google
Best thai restaurant in the metro. I haven't been to every thai restaurant, but I've been to dozens, and this mom and pop shop is doing something special. I implore you to eat here.

Matha Rogers

Google
My husband and I had the Laos papaya salad (4/5 spice), dried noodles (3/5 spice) and beef laab (3/5 spice). The food was amazing!! The spice and flavor was on point! The service was excellent!! The owner was very personable and met our needs to the best of his abilities. My husband wanted raw laab, but he couldn’t serve it raw, so he made it medium rare. The atmosphere was casual but a little small; if I would’ve brought my family there, it would’ve been difficult to seat everyone. Lunch hour. Reasonable price. Parking was not an issue.

carole whitehawley

Google
Went for a late lunch. Greeted by the owner; super friendly and inviting. Ordered 4 main dishes to explore. Everything was superb! Great flavors well balanced. Sour pork is incredibly succulent. Easily the best Thai in the metro! Excited to get back for more adventures! Thanks for everything

Molly B.

Yelp
This is hands down the best Thai food in the Twin Cities. I taught English in Thailand for a year after college & believe me when I say that Thai Cafe's food tastes EXACTLY like what I ate every day in my little Thai town. An absolute must-order every time I go there are the sour pork ribs - insanely delicious. Other favorites include the Laab, Pad Gra Pow, khao man gai, and som tum. You can even get a fresh coconut to drink the coconut water out of! Free parking in the small lot behind their building. Have gotten take out a number of times and the food still tastes great by the time I get home.

Neng Y.

Yelp
One visit is not enough. The signature sour pork ribs are packed with punch in your face flavor, a must get. Tendon soup is superb. Wings are pretty good too. Overall very good. Recommended. Parking in the back...

Anjeline R.

Yelp
Tasty spot! My husband and I were craving Thai food last night and ended up driving here from Minneapolis and we were NOT disappointed! We were greeted with a friendly face. Another party of 3 walked in right behind us and there was no one else in the restaurant. We got menus and waters right away and received our food pretty quickly. Our order: Egg rolls - I feel like these were tasty enough, nothing drastically different than what I've had in other restaurants Yellow Curry - if you like your yellow curry on the slightly sweeter side, this is for you! It's absolutely delicious, packed with flavor and veggies (squash and bell peppers?! yes please!) It was enough for my husband and I to share. Pad Thai - I like my pad thai with wider noodles and less orange (I believe they're typically orange because of food coloring to make them more appetizing for people, but I prefer it without). I still thought it was pretty tasty though. We finished all of it We are very excited to have tried it and will absolutely go back! I would say the food is a solid 4 star and the extra star just came from how friendly the man was who served us (not sure if he's the owner or not). We will 100% be back!z

Christa K.

Yelp
Love it. One of my favorite Thai places in St. Paul. The people working are always really nice. It's good for take out or to sit down and relax for a quick lunch or dinner. Love their curries. So good.

Patti I.

Yelp
I came here with two friends. The restaurant was packed so we had to wait a bit but the proprietor was helpful and friendly. We crammed ourselves at a table for two when it became available and he offered to move us to a larger table a few minutes later when it opened up. We ordered three dishes to share: green curry with pork--super tasty and spicy but not over the top; pad thai with chicken--a generous, flavorful portion; and a whole red curry fried fish--super tasty but a little hard to eat. We asked for chopsticks, which the proprietor happily supplied, so we could get all the little bits of fish that stuck to the bone. All dishes were delicious. The menu is large and has several items I haven't seen before. I want to come back and try some of those items. The restaurant is small and plain but the food is amazing and prices are really reasonable. The bill for the three dishes came to about $50, and we tipped generously.

Esmae J.

Yelp
The service was great, I believe the owner is one of the individuals serving and treated us very kindly. Food came quickly. We ordered the egg rolls (came hot and crispy, but seemed like it only came with clear noodles inside, Tasted like mushed cabbage), ginger chicken (not spicy at all, very gingery), sour pork ribs (were indeed sour, but tasted sour in a bad way not a good way), thai cafe wings (the best thing we ordered, they did have a nice flavor and good crunchy texture, maybe a bit too salty/soy saucy for some), the rice was a bit mushy. Another table next to us enjoyed some cream cheese wontons, they looked very good and I'll try those if we go back.

Ian M.

Yelp
Love this place. I know the star tribune named it the best Thai food in the twin cities and I'd say it's right up there. My favorites here are the Thai cafe wings (deeply crave able) and the cashew gai stir fry. If you want something incredible though, try the khao mun kai. Just trust me on that. The service is always incredibly kind and the ambiance is low key, like an ideal family restaurant vibe.

Annie M.

Yelp
The food here is 5 stars. The restaurant itself is just fine for an informal, small restaurant. We had the chinese broccoli with tofu and wow, did it have amazing flavor. The broccoli was fresh and crunchy and the tofu was fried perfectly. We ordered a 2 for spice and it was plenty spicy! Prices were good, especially considering how much food it came with. I love thai food, so i try every spot i can. I'll certainly be going back to thai cafe every chance I get!

Jim M.

Yelp
I'm really sorry to leave this review. Based on the yelp reviews and the star tribune review, I expected this place to be quite good. But it really wasn't. I have been to 50 to 70 Thai restaurants across America during my travel for work. I've been to most of the good places in the Twin Cities. I would say this is arguably among the worst places I've been to ever. The food just isn't good. There's nothing special about this place at all. I got a mango salad that didn't seem to have any mango in it and was super spicy. Nothing interesting in the flavor, and just generally kind of gross. It was hard to finish. The dishes that had chicken in them felt kind of slimy. The chicken didn't taste or feel like normal chicken. Like maybe it was canned chicken? One dish that had shrimp had teeny, itsy-bitsy tiny shrimp. If you're going serve shrimp, you need to serve normal size shrimp with a tails removed. The fried rice was flavorless, and also a little bit gross. Super oily without much flavor or spice. The red curry was wildly substandard. Easily the worst and least flavorful red curry I've had anywhere ever. We also had a basil stirfry that was also among the weakest and worst stir fry's we've had anywhere. The chicken felt very slimy and a little bit gross. Like it was may be from a can. Maybe we just got them on an off night. Other people have had a good experience here. But I will say this: we live only a few blocks away, and we will never go here again.

JayonBlay C.

Yelp
3rd time here and food here has always been good. I ordered the boat noodle pho 3/5. Noodles were great, broth was nice but a bit sour for my pallet. Chicken Pad see ew- 3/5 flavor was there but could use some more. Flat noodles tasted good. I added more spice on my end. Overall not bad. Spring roll was good but missing meatloaf and protein such as roasted pork. Only had shrimp and flavorful green veggies. Nicely priced overall on the menu. Great customer service. Glad to see this place open up for dine-in after the covid pandemic.

Amy Y.

Yelp
The service is great, tables enough for 8-10 people. The food was okay, not the best not the worst. I ordered fried chicken and rice, the chicken was kinda hard, the sauce wasn't what I liked and expected. Typical Laos food. Me personally wouldn't try again but do try it! My opinion could be different from your taste!

Mark W.

Yelp
I read about this place in the Strib, so I decided to try it out. This is a very small place, but don't let that fool you! The menu is pretty large. I got the sourl ribs, the.green curry w chicken, and the fish patties. Everything was very good (although be forewarned that there was spice in the first two but not the third.) You really can't go wrong here. I will be back.

Brad K.

Yelp
Great spot. Wonderful food. Wide selection. Very friendly. Tried the green curry - so flavorful!!!

Pa V.

Yelp
Thai Cafe has been on my radar and I finally gave it a try with a friend. Overall, the food was good, I would come back but wouldn't go out of my way for it. The coconut curry was good but a little sweet for my preference. I enjoyed the egg roll and spring roll and actually really appreciated that it was made with chicken (not pork like it is traditionally) since my friend is Muslim and does not eat pork. She was able to enjoy it with me. It's very small and the service was very slow- I recommend calling in your order to do take out. From what I know, there is no parking lot so parking could take a little time to find but it is right by the light rail for folks who take public transportation.

S S.

Yelp
At first glance definitely a hole in the wall. The menu was extensive with many photos. I mostly eat with my eyes so this is a plus! All the dishes look very appetizing as I paged the menu. Nice customer service and prompt. The green curry is amazing with full flavor, nothing like I have had before. My favorite dish so far here are the flavor packed, fermented sour pork. Little nuggets of finger licking marbled pork shining in its full glory of goodness! Don't forget to try the tofu laab, a dish that stands out all on its own and lastly the thai papaya salad, it's fresh, light and extra funky (from the shirmp paste)! Truly a hole in the wall place that is a sure hidden gem!

Eve L.

Yelp
Wonderful little Thai place! Food is great, and the owner, John, takes beautiful care of all of his customers. I am a photographer, and was taking pictures of the art at the light rail station, and made this my home base! I managed to sample a lot of their menu, and it was all good. Best was the duck curry!

Iris H.

Yelp
I love Thai food but had never been to this spot before. It's right across from where I was working for the day so I went in for lunch. It's a cute, family owned restaurant and has about 6-8 tables if you're not getting take out. It'll be chilly if you sit by the door since it's a small space but the food will warm you up! The menu is pretty expansive so my friend and I ordered egg rolls (made with chicken instead of pork), glass noodles with tofu and their squash curry. Y'all. Everything was delicious but that squash curry soup??!! Fiiiiiiirrrrrrrreee. Really the perfect blend of spices and enough sauce for all of the rice given. I love curries but could eat this every day of the week. The glass noodles had a generous amount of veggies and the portion size was large enough for two servings. Check this spot out if you haven't yet. It's deeeeeelicious!

Kathy M.

Yelp
This modest little place delivers a variety of dishes with BIG flavors! Thai Cafe is owned by a fierce woman that made her way into kitchens in Thailand while being told she could only be a dishwasher. She learned from Thai chefs and brought the recipes with her to Saint Paul and opened up Thai Cafe. This location has had a lot of turnover (a new restaurant ever year or so) until she opened up shop. Pretty much everything is delicious, but I encourage you to be adventurous and highly recommend the: - sour pork ribs ($13.99) for a really flavorful and unique pork treat; - the fruit salad ($7.00) for a new and refreshing twist on a traditional papaya salad - it's sweet, salty and fruity at the same time; - the Tendon Soup ($13.99) is just DELICIOUS and soothing on a cold winter day; - the fried glass noodle ($9.99) not as daring, but always good But, like I said... everything else is high ranking as well. You really won't be disappointed with anything.

Kay K.

Yelp
I've been here two times in the past and neither visit was good enough that it made me want to return but I'm happy to report that this third visit has helped me turn the corner on Thai Cafe and now I'm looking forward to coming back! First, service was solid right from the get go. We were greeted and seated as soon as we walked in the restaurant. I believe it was the manager himself who attended to us, very friendly man who showed appreciation to all the customers for being there. We settled on 2 dishes - tom yum noodle soup (ORDER THIS) and pork laab. The soup was the standout dish. It packed a strong and flavorful punch (largely from fish sauce) and came with just enough noodles and seafood to reach fullness and satisfaction. If you don't like fish sauce, then you've been forewarned because this dish almost takes fish sauce to the brink of overload but not quite. Pork laab was good. Not the best I've had but a smidge above average. I personally prefer beef.

Sitha K.

Yelp
I live west of MPLS and was in Saint Paul, needed to satisfy my papaya salad craving so decided to order their Thai style. Typically restaurants on my side of town charge an arm and a leg for papaya salad. I think this was 6.99 so well with the try. Loved the flavor! I opted for 3 out of 5 peppers and I should've done two. It was so good though that I couldn't stop eating it. My mouth was on fire afterwards. Craving satisfied! Also the gentlemen that took my payment was super nice!

Monica N.

Yelp
I was drawn in by the mango sweet rice and OH. MY. GOSH. It was soooo good!!! The warmth of the rice and the perfect balance of sweetness for me. We also ordered the sweet and sour ribs. The flavor is something I can not explain or attempt to imitate. The food was amazing! I also enjoyed that it was not packed when we went. Our server was kind and patient. 5/5 Thank you, Thai Cafe!

Dorothy H.

Yelp
We tried this place since this was the only Thai place around the area not closed (still wondering why...). We came in for a late lunch so we were the only ones there. The restaurant was nicely sized, but we got seated in the very back corner. I ordered the Pad Thai with pork for my entree and while my food came out extremely quickly, I was given chicken instead of pork. This was a bit disappointing, but I do like chicken so it worked out fine. Strangely, the Pad Thai tasted like it was doused in ketchup which made it very difficult for me to eat more than 5 bites. I figured this might be because I was drinking tea too, but when I tried the leftovers for dinner I got the same ketchup taste. On top of having a ketchup-tasting dish, we waited a very long time to get the bill. It made the experience less enjoyable and maybe I'll come back, but I'll stay away from the Pad Thai.

Patti K.

Yelp
We came here on Mother's Day, hoping to avoid the crowds at places such as Blue Plate restaurants. We arrived at 1 p.m. sharp, just in time to sit at the one table left open for two. (There were also four parties of four, filling the restaurant.) We watched two families come in and not be able to sit down. I suspect my fried tilapia laab took a little extra time, but it was entirely worth the wait. The fish was tender and well-seasoned with crusty salt and spices, topped with herbs, tomato, and citrus/spice/fish sauce dressing. Easily the best fried fish I've had in years. I ate half of the fish on the spot. My husband ordered #31 with chicken, which was also very good. The chicken was cooked just right, and there were lots of vegetables with a sprinkling of peanuts. The Ocean World video held my husband's interest, with scenes of ocean life, boats loaded with shipping containers, etc. but I was more focused on the food. I was impressed by how quickly they cleared off and cleaned the tables for fresh customers. It's a tiny space, but they are clearly used to having wall-to-wall customers. The space was no-frills, with photos of the food (including the Midwest favorite cream cheese wontons) and a framed metal necklace. The owner himself took our orders, and he was very kind and friendly. We saw a lot of dishes we hadn't seen in other places, such as the fried fish laab. We are intrigued, and we'll definitely be back! But maybe on a weekday.

Mark S.

Yelp
Absolutely delicious! The Masman Curry was excellent! Service was quick. Fair price I wish I lived closer

Salinee H.

Yelp
Still a favorite in my family. This particular lunch, we kept it simple with pad Thai and Panang curry. Both are just delicious. Other times, we get more of a variety of dishes, and all of them are equally wonderful every time. Prices remain good at about $10/dish.

Xia Y.

Yelp
Small little cafe right on University. The food is amazing and authentic. I love their Thai fried rice. I would say this place is not ideal for large groups given the small space but great for dinner or lunch dates and grabbing something to each with a group of friends with six or less people.

Jennifer S.

Yelp
One of the few Thai food restaurants in the area that is open on Mondays. That's the reason why I landed here one recent Monday evening. There's parking available in a lot behind the store front. The cafe is pretty small inside but the front is complete glass windows that look upon University Ave. A handful of customers were seated and eating when we arrived around 7pm. We were warmly greeted by the owner and invited to sit at a table of our choice. We perused the menu and gazed upon the pictures on the wall showing many of their various dishes. We decided to start out with their fresh Spring Roll. A short time later, it arrived with a dipping sauce. It was freshly made in what seemed to be *very* fresh (and sticky) rice paper. It was plump and filled with tender rice noodles, lettuce and other delectable bits. The sauce was a tasty compliment. I ordered a dish that had beef and vegetables and wide noodles in a broth-y sauce. It was really tasty. I ended up eating the stuff out of the broth rather than fill myself up on so much "broth". I also got a taste of the beef, peppers and broccoli dish in front of my companion. Very tasty. It seemed as though a fairly steady stream of people came in to either pick-up their take-out order, or to order food for take-away.

Rhonda G.

Yelp
Nice large portioned curries and quite a variety and in general mild. I got the potato peanut butter one. They carry my favorite item, fish cakes served with a simple syrup and cucumbers. It makes sense that they have it since they have so many fish items. Everything is delicious. the iced tea is very sweet and has almost a chocolate milk under taste. Good thing I tried it before I added sugar. It's a given that you don't come for the ambiance. Great service from Lao. Very welcoming.

Pardra H.

Yelp
This is my fourth time here...and I am never ever disappointed. I recommend this place to everyone who is craving Thai food. They are consistent in food and customer service is good and friendly! The only downside, they are very small and tight in parking and seating. Recommend coming to enjoy this little spot during their downtimes (I've only gone a little after opening and stopped during lunch but it was packed to the max so my party and I had to hop over to a different restaurant) but other than that, there food is great in taste, quality, and presentation. LOVE IT!!

Amy O.

Yelp
Best cream cheese wontons in the state! They have a small dine-in space, so we usually do takeout. It's always one of our recommended restaurants to friends!

GG L.

Yelp
My sister and I went in for lunch just roughly around 11:30am. We were greeted and seated immediately, and there were no other customers when we went in. The place was small (seating about 30 people max, to give you a picture). Fair warning it is street parking but the building faces a busy street so you'll have to find parking in the neighborhood and walk. My sister ordered the Thai boat noodle which I would rank 4/5. The broth was very creamy and bloody, as it should be. There were a generous amout of meat, noodles, and veggie. Overall you get more than what you pay for. I ordered the dried noodles but substituted the rice noodles for vermicelli noodles. I'd give it a 3/5. It wasn't totally bad but not a dish I'd order again. It came with bits of pork rind, bean sprouts, pork meatballs, and ground pork all on top of the vermicelli noodles, with a wedge of lime. I know it's a dry noodle dish but it really was a DRY noodle dish. I had to squeeze the lime and add fish sauce to be able to mix up all the ingredients and to get flavor, otherwise it was pretty much flavorless. Overall, the staff was friendly, the environment was calm and clean. I'd go back but will probably try a different dish.

Kimber D.

Yelp
Small family-run place. They are always extremely friendly and I feel welcomed there. I usually take my food to-go because it is small. There are 3 tables for 2 and 2 tables for 4. The Thai Fried Bananas are SO GOOD. Eat them hot. They are mushy on the inside and a little crunchy on the outside. Amazing. If taking to-go, open the container for travel so they don't get soggy. The Chicken Thai Cashew is great. Lots of veggies, chicken and cashews in a stir fry sauce. Super good. Filling. The Pad Thai is really good. I can't find many pad thai dishes in the cities that I like. Everything is so sweet. I know pad thai is a sweet dish but I think a lot of places around here go overboard. Thai Cafe figured it out. They have a good balance of noodles, egg, bean sprouts, green onions, peanuts, sauce and your protein of choice. The Pad Se Ew with chicken is good but it is just noodles, broccoli and chicken. It is a dish that is too plain for me but it was executed well. My favorite dish is the Rad Na with chicken. It is a soup with wide noodles, chicken, big hunks of broccoli and carrots. It is savory and warm and I wish I could eat it everyday. The noodles start to break apart as it cools off so you have to eat it hot. My favorite part about this place is that it is family-run. I love going to mom and pop shops but this one is my favorite. We used to get food here constantly but then we moved to Minneapolis. After a while we stopped in for take-out and they asked us where we'd been and why we didn't get our usual order this time. How thoughtful! It really made me feel good that we were remembered so well, because this place is special to me too. I may live in Minneapolis now but it is worth it to travel to St. Paul for this place.

Mayra P.

Yelp
Excellent flavor .. real Thailand food Simply words.. come to try a great costumer service and flavor

Fuzz H.

Yelp
A small restaurant with amazing food! The staff is super friendly, place is buzzing with people speaking Thai, portion sizes are big, and the food doesn't taste soggy and overloaded with spice to hide the base flavors. Try the Papaya Salad, Red curry, and Dried Suki-Yaki Seafood!

Song H.

Yelp
I really wanted to like this place, but sadly no. There were 4 of us and we waited over 30 mins for our food in total. We ordered individual plates, and one by one we got our food. By the time the last person got their dish (30 mins later) everyone else was done. The waiter was nice, apologized for the long wait. The food was average, not worth the wait. Won't be returning.

威

Yelp
There are a lot of Thai restaurants on University Avenue. Each one has their own unique flavor and spin on Thai food that make them stand out. Thai Cafe has recently become one of my favorites. It makes my rotation once and sometimes twice a week. Previously, I missed out on the "old" Thai Café so I cannot attest to the old menu. They have been under new ownership as of 9-10 months ago. IMO they have the best Khao Na Ped on University Avenue and it comes with the best and most generous portions than the other Thai restaurants nearby. Try it with the crushed peanuts (if you're not allergic to peanuts). You also get a bowl of refreshing chicken soup garnished with herbs and shredded vegetables. Their chicken phò is made of chicken broth and not a beef broth. Most phò uses beef broth base even if on the menu it states that it's chicken, seafood, or sea-bass phò. This is a welcome change and is the way it should be served. This is light and excellent on a cold day. Oh, did I mention they have a secret phò that's not on the menu? When it's not busy, ask about the duck phò! You won't regret it; savory broth served with baby Chinese broccoli! If you like Khao Na Ped, you'll certain enjoy this as well. Heck, treat yourself and order both! You won't regret it! Now, if you are planning to stop by Thai Café for lunch between 11:30 AM and 1:00 PM, the old phrase, "the early bird catches the worm" is what one should practice. The place is small and gets super busy quick, so if you're going in a large group, call ahead and make a reservation. I can't stress this enough as I don't think it can fit more than 20-25 people at once. Also, plan ahead for parking. There's a small lot in the rear for parking and it gets full quick because it's also shared with May's Market, Hung's Tattoo, and Hmong Cultural Center. Street parking is also available but limited at the busy intersection of University Avenue and Western Avenue. So with that said, what are you waiting for? Stop in today! Thai it! You'll like it!

Jennifer K.

Yelp
We were so excited to try out Thai Cafe after all of the great reviews but sadly it did not meet our expectations - that being said they were having a festival not to far from them at the time so that might have had a large affect on everything. It took us about 30 minutes to order our food and another 30 for us to get it - It was fairly plain and simple food - I sadly would not recommend it

Hailey P.

Yelp
Four and a half star? No way, this place is definitely overrated. Craved Thai food suddenly on a Sunday night- so yelped and found this pretty high rated Thai place. Was very excited to try their food and we were hungry!! We ordered spring rolls, pad Thai and chicken cashew- the service was very slow and our appetizer(spring rolls) came out with the main dishes. The food here was very disappointing; pad Thai was over cooked, bland, just not tasty at all, the cashew chicken smelled weird(they do not use fresh chicken I guess), kinda salty and I just did not really like it. Spring rolls were just okay. Most importantly, this place is not clean... Dirty. Dining area did not look clean, but also the kitchen area looked even worse- DISGUSTING. What a bad experience... Never would go back or would recommend this restaurant! One of the worst Thai places I've ever tried in my whole life!

Mindy B.

Yelp
My favorite restaurant in Saint Paul - a diamond in the rough! The owner is super sweet and polite. I love the pork lab appetizer, sour short ribs appetizer, duck curry and lastly my favorite the Thai cafe noodle soup! I highly recommend.

Sy V.

Yelp
Thank you for the amazing food and dining experience!! A quick trip to Thailand and back it seemed:) The sour pork, laab & curry deep fried fish was delicious and spot on! No other restaurant can replicate it! The 3 types of pepper available on the table was an added bonus!! Will be trying other dishes next time for sure!

Jackie L.

Yelp
So, places like this are why I come to Little Mekong. D and I had planned to go to our favorite Vietnamese place, but they were closed for Memorial Day. Instead, we decided to come here. The owner was super friendly and very helpful in deciding what we should get. The prices are super cheap. I had shrimp green curry and it was the best green curry I have ever had. Super flavorful with a bite, just like I like it. D had pad Thai with mock duck. They made it very mild, just as he likes it. lots of veggie options here. It's a small place. Maybe six tables tops. And it was busy when we got there, there was a large party just finishing up and another one came in just as we were getting our food. They appear to do a lot of take out too. Thai Cafe has better curry than my next-favorite, Lisu's in Roseville, and I think it's worth the extra drive. Can't wait to try some other dishes soon!

Master A.

Yelp
It's a small joint. Please have no more than 4 in your party when you eat here. They take credit cards for orders over $10. Parking is kind of a pain. Yes, there's parking spaces in the back of the building, but getting one of those is like hitting the lottery. Street parking is your best bet. Western Ave is always full around lunch time. Sherburne Ave will probably be your best option. And they do deliver using a 3rd party delivery service. They serve decent Thai food. Egg rolls lack meat though. They taste more like the Chinese buffet egg rolls. Pork rib tips are semi chew-able because they are deep fried. I wish they were slow cooked. Their rice noodle soups (Pho) are pretty decent. Broth does not taste like Vietnamese style broth (more watered down in my opinion). Curry tastes just like curry. I don't know how else curry should taste. Service could be a tad faster. This place seems to get a lot of non-Asian visitors, which tells you one thing.... the taste isn't authentic enough for Asian visitors. Would I go back? Lao Thai All Day Baby!

Stuart S.

Yelp
Delicious food, fresh veggies, and great service. Would definitely recommend for Thai food in St. Paul

Panoukee V.

Yelp
Small restaurant but delicious food!! I got the sour pork ribs and Chinese broccoli story fry with roast pork and it was soooo good!! I highly recommend this restaurant. Seating and tables are small and it's not good for a large crowd but the food makes up for it. I don't know if their ac died or not but it was so hot. Overall, I loved their food.

Suzanne C.

Yelp
Do not order from here. They will take your money and sell food that has been reheated in a microwave. Absolutely the most disgusting thing I've ever eaten hands down. Ordered from Doordash. Food was clumped hard as a rock. All the noodles were stuck together chicken was rubbery there was a giant hole in each Togo container. The wontons tasted fowl and expired (they were so gross I gagged after eating one). Food was clearly microwaved. All of the food ended up in the trash within ten minutes of our delivery. DO NOT ORDER FROM OR EAT HERE. You might as well toss your money in the trash. This restaurant has done nothing but ignore my emails has not even made an attempt to contact me and apologize. I am a store manager and this is horrible horrible customer service I would never recommend this restaurant to a single person not even my worst enemy. UPDATE 11/5/17: Took me two months to get my money back. After emailing the restaurant 8 times with no response I called and explained the situation and was hung up on by an employee. Had to beg Door-Dash to step in and help the situation. DoorDash was fantastic and got my money back. Would never ever recommend this restaurant to anyone ever ever ever.

Abbie F.

Yelp
We marched. It was incredible. We left and there were thousands of people. 100,000 actually trying to leave at the same time. What better idea than to use trusty yelp to find a spot to eat before getting on the train home. Thai cafe came up and we were lucky to walk into one table of two that was just leaving. It was packed and everything looked delicious-they did not disappoint! We ordered spring rolls, cream cheese wontons, pad see ew with chicken and number 9 noodle soup. I also ordered a mango/strawberry bubble tea. So how was it? Here we go Spring rolls-meh and they had celery which I don't like-wouldn't get these again Cream cheese wontons-Run there and get these now-like 10 orders!! Some of the best flavor I've ever had-could use note filling but so so so delicious! Number 9 soup-amazing flavor, weird pork items but super flavorful. My friend ate it all Pad see ew-also amazing flavor and I would get this again. I prefer the super duper dense and wide noodles but it still tastes really good even with the thinner noddles Bubble tea had the jello like bubbles-so good!! And the service was awesome considering how insanely busy it was. Only downfall of eating in there is you leave smelling like fried food-yucky. I will definitely be back!

Sanchez B.

Yelp
So, visited this place recently and it was kind of a mixed bag. I'll do my best to explain exactly what I mean by that, so on the to the review. Decided to visit on a random Wednesday, wasn't packed at all, though, it was very difficult to find parking. There was no clear indication on where to park, or even how to get around to the area of the restaurant to find parking. None the less, we found it. Stepped into a cafe like setting, hence the name. There was small TV in view hanging from the ceiling in the corner of the restaurant. Would've been great were it not showing scenes or insects and animals procreating. Not a pleasant dinner viewing. Waitress was young, but very nice. Still not a fan of the new "yoga pants are work pants" trend that's flying around, but hey, if you're comfortable and giving me good service, who cares. Good service was not the driving factor here however. I have been Vegan for the last month, and I've enjoyed it thus far. Most likely because I've only been to places that I've been to before, places that happily accommodate Vegans. So I haven't run into any issues until now. The waitress assured us that a few of their dishes were Vegan, so we ordered them. The Tofu laab was NOT Vegan. I asked her prior to ordering if they used fish oil in it, she said no, and it came out in a sauce that was CLEARLY made from fish oil. She also said the Fried Bananas were just fried, but they came out clearly in a batter. I'm not 100% sure what was in the batter, but being a cook myself, I'm confident in saying it was of the lactic variety. All that said however, the Pad See Eew was indeed Vegan and very tasty. Some of the best I've had, despite the fact that the cutlery was dirty. The food in general was honestly very tasty, but the experience was terrible. Can't give such good food one star though. I'm just not a fan of a waitress or wait who lies about the ingredients of a dish. Dietary preference to some people is just as serious as being allergic to something, especially in the case of my Fiance. Not cool. And with Thai Garden just a couple blocks away, i definitely won't be back here. But what do I know? I'm just a Yelp Elite.

Stacy L.

Yelp
My husband and I frequently get food from Thai Cafe. We have tried others because it is a bit of a drive from our house but we keep coming back here because it is the best! In fact it is the Thai food we judge all other Thai food against. I love the basil stir fry and the green curry. My husband is a fan of the pad see ew . Everyone that works there is so nice. You feel welcome whether you are dining in or picking up take out.

Susan B.

Yelp
Great food. It can get a little crowded during busy times. Food comes out fast and service is friendly. Prices are very reasonable.

Matt Y.

Yelp
Given the sheer blend of well-prepared ingredients, savory sauces, and remarkable prices of many dishes (i.e. between $8-10), Thai Cafe offers quality Thai meals with a true college student sensibility in mind. For my parents and my wife, they were also impressed with the offerings of Thai Cafe. My Thai tea proved luscious in the balance of black tea to cream to essential spices, refreshing and savory. There can be no better place to try out duck curry, with a solidly spiced red curry sauce, tender vegetables, and juicy slices of duck on incredibly fluffed rice. My wife enjoyed immensely her yellow noodle soup, as well as my Dad and Mom with their Massamam curry and seafood platters respectively. Plus, Thai Cafe would be the first place I've been which plays BBC Earth on their main televisions! An experience without equal.