I have to admit, I feel bad reviewing when I only ever get the curries, either the green or red curry and I almost always get take away though I have dined here. I really like the place. I've never had terrible service. It is sometimes a bit slow, but I've never waited an hour for my food before. I love the curries. I can't comment to the technique or if it's perfectly authentic but they are quite delicious. I'm on an adventure in cooking and will soon make a green curry from scratch, as soon as I track down some Kaffir limes. then I can compare to this place's curries. I like them better,though, than the other Thai place in town which used to be amazing but they changed ownership and the food seemed to suffer for it. I also love their shrimp dim sum and their (yes another curry) chef special duck curry. yum.
(5)
Karyn M.
Surprisingly great! Loved the atmosphere and the food. Four stars versus five because our poor server was all alone serving every table, so the service suffered. I will definitely go back though -- new favorite Thai place!
(4)
Frans S.
I have the misfortune of living in Omaha at the moment & it has to have the WORST restaurants in America & the Thai places especially suck. So I was so happy to remember Thai Spice where I ate at a conference a few years back while traveling from Ohio a few days ago. Got off the Green Stamp & popped in about 2p. Needless to say I wasn't disappointed as the food was just as great as I remembered from my last visit. Not only is the food great, reasonable but the venue is artistically done in gorgeous colors with a Thai motif that soothes the eyes while the food warms & delights insides! I think that this just might be one of the best Thai places in America because I've had Thai food North, East, South & West. Also beats Chicago hands down for Thai!! Here is a link to a video of Thai Spice I shot while eating my lunch! youtube.com/watch?v=yWQM…
(5)
Jon H.
Called in a takeout order for a late lunch. She took my order and said they close in ten minutes (2pm). I told her not to worry about it since I was halfway back from Cedar Rapids and it would take more than ten minutes. She insisted since there were still diners eating and so at five after 2 my #16 was ready to go. Damn was it good!
(5)
Matt B.
Thai Spice has been a favorite of mine for years. Used to get take-out regularly when I lived a bit closer so have tried a fair number of dishes. All have been good, but a few stand out. The pineapple fried rice with cashews seems to be the favorite of most of my family members. I'm a big fan of the stir fries with the Thai chili sauce and basil. The one thing I crave, though, is the yellow curry. It's sweet, not spicy, but man.....I scarf it down as quickly as possible because it's so damn good. I usually do take out, but it's nice inside too. It's a little slower-paced and quiet - so it was a good first or second date place when I was in college - but that's not where I took my wife on our first date, so she might have a different opinion on that.
(5)
Tiffany S.
My roommate and I hail from California and we've been craving ethnic food ever since moving to Iowa City in August. We've tried a couple of Asian restaurants that can't really decide what type of Asian food they're trying to serve. What we liked most about this place was the fact that the whole menu was Thai food-- a welcome change from some other restaurants around here that try to incorporate all of Asia into their selection. We started with the Thai ice tea which was pretty good but a touch sweet for me. I ordered the Panang (red curry) with chicken as was surprised at how spot on it was. OMG Thai food in Iowa City! Woot woot. But in all seriousness, it was delicious. We are definitely coming back. Cons: we went at night and there is no neon sign so we drove past it like twice. Also, the prices are a little higher than we're used to in Cali but in Iowa City it's worth the couple extra bucks!
(4)
Josh S.
After waiting over 7 minutes to be acknowledged at the hostess stand we were taken to a table and left to die. The waitress never returned. In fact, I should have put her picture on a milk carton because she went missing! The food that others were eating looked good. It smelled flavorful, unfortunately I wasn't given the opportunity. After 20 minutes, my wife suggested we leave, which is what we did. I saw two other un-served tables get up and leave shortly after we did. If you go to this establishment, be warned and good luck. Who knows, you might even find our waitress!
(1)
peter c.
Horrible pad thai without any eggs and cheap on the meat/seafood. However, good service, good authentic Thai essan music, free parking and free wifi ... what else is good about this place besides the food? Maybe I was spoiled from my mom's Thai cooking with high expectations! Went again after a year, it's a lot better if you get seafood. I also heard the owner cooked this night and it made a huge difference.
(3)
Akhil A.
These ppl really know how to make Thai food...really live upto d name...
(5)
Anavmy F.
One of my favorite restaurants in IC! Really tasty food, a little pricey but portions are large. Nice atmosphere!
(5)
Anna H.
Great little out of the way spot. Food is delicious and cheap and the service is good.
(4)
Al N.
The service here is spotty. I've seen several servers on their cells in the dining area. The food, though, is consistently tasty. Their chili sauce haunts me at the most inconvenient times and is the reason I'm giving 4 stars. I'd stick with the takeout though, especially if the servers have a rave to attend later that night.
(4)
Ida n.
Thai Spice offers the best Thai food in Iowa City--which makes the fact that it is only satisfactory all the more depressing. The curries can all be made with tofu instead of meat and are good, I suppose, but they lack heat (even when you request that it be turned way up). Service is minimalist, prices are high and the interior looks a bit like a Disneyland-themed Thai restaurant ride.
(2)
Sandra A.
I see no compelling reasons to eat Thai anywhere else in Iowa City, and I guess by that I mean that this restaurant is much better than Thai Flavors. Whereas there's nothing particularly bad about Thai Flavors, it's about as complicated as mall Thai. The handful of things I've tried at Thai Space have mostly been total winners; they have been surprising and complex. But then of course I'm not one to judge a place on one bad waitress, no matter how skinny she is...
(4)
Anna K.
Excellent authentic Thai! Super tasty and reasonable prices.
(5)
Liz G.
One of my favorites in Iowa City for sure. Atmosphere - nice Red/Gold Thai themed. Much better than the other Thai place in Iowa City. Food - darn good Thai. Not the best I've had but hands down the best in Iowa City. I'm a veggie so can only speak of those dishes but the Green Curry is oh so yummy. Also recommend the peanut sauce tofu dish, Pad See Ew is better than most and what I crave from here. (however sometimes they run out of the big flat noodles and will try to 'replace' them with the thin Pad Thai noodles. NOT the same thing! The dish definitely suffers--I've had this happen a couple times (a reason for ****) Service - yes sometimes there is something to be desired. Although I think they're all nice and I've never had to wait way long for anything. Overall - I enjoy getting take out from here too! They're quite quick w/ it and often have it done before the stated time, so get there early!
(4)
Kelsey J.
I love Thai food and recently discovered this restaurant. I ate there again within the first week it was so good! This place is definitely somewhere I will continue eat a few times a month. A meal here is a fantastic value at around $10 for a generous portion. I wish they would have the option to get fried rice at an upcharge. The food is really heathy and delicious and they use a lot of fresh veggies. The sauces and flavors are incredible.
(5)
Jennifer T.
My favorite place for Thai food in Iowa City. They have a wide variety of options and everything I've had is tasty. Their appetizers and drinks add to their range of options and just make the experience even better. If you want a slightly more private atmosphere, there is a back room where you can make reservations for groups up to 10 people to sit at a low table on the floor.
(5)
rozz d.
I just dont get this place. The food I've had here has been good at all, yet more pricey and pretentious than Thai Flavors. I'm a veggie, so maybe the meat dishes are better... All in all, I do not get why ppl come here.
(2)
Greg O.
Easily the best Thai in Iowa City/Coralville area. Love their curries.
(5)
Gigi W.
can't wait to go back for the crabmeat and curry and their green curry. cool atmosphere. great place.
(5)
Shumin W.
I went there once, and I will not go back again...
(1)
John P.
this is a charming restaurant located off the street. i haven't tried all the possible Thai restaurants in the area, but with this, i don't think i need to. the service is excellent, and even when we're just sitting there to chat after finishing our meal, we were still being served the same. the green curry is awesome, and carries a good amount of heat. in thai places, i tend to get a side dish of chili in fish sauce, but the flavors here are strong and tasty. if their prices weren't so high on the majority of items, they'd have my 5 stars.
(4)
Chris V.
Best Thai restaurant hands-down. Very nice ambiance. The wait staff are very friendly and hard-working, but there are never enough of them. Often there is only one server for the whole place. It can be a frustrating wait to order or pay- especially if you only have an hour for lunch. Otherwise, the food is fantastic. I recommend: Chicken Satay, Shrimp Rolls, YamYai Salad (this is a huge salad and enough to serve 3 or 4, assuming everyone orders entrees),Stir-fried Curry Crabmeat, and the Pa-Nang (red curry).
(5)
Gina K.
Very horrible experience! We waited for about 15 mins to get the waiter noticing our existence, waited forever for the food to come. The waiter and waitress were so rude to us, ignoring our request, and they were always missing... I heard the most insincere "Thank You" from the waiter to the table next to us, but for us, even no "Thank You" at all when we leave! They even dare requiring 18% tip charged in the bill for this horrible service!! The taste of food was no excitement at all. Will Never Come Back!
(1)
Ryan S.
In spite of being the only people in the restaurant at the time, we were hardly waited on. The waiter only came to take our orders and give us the food. Other than that, we did not see any wait staff in the seating area for the remainder of the time. The food was excellent, full of flavor, though not a great value. Speaking of value, my wife and I took a LivingSocial deal voucher to the restaurant. After the waiter brought our food to us and we began eating, he asked us if we had a LivingSocial deal. We confirmed that we did, and then he told us that the owner "just called" and that the voucher was only valid at their other Iowa City location. We expressed our displeasure with the situation as the address listed on the voucher was the one we were at, but the owner refused to honor it. No wonder we were the only people there!
(1)
Erin V.
What is it with Iowa City and their Thai restaurants??? Please, please, go to Thailand...study the food, then come back and cook some decent food at your restaurants. Just in case you can't make it there anytime soon, here's a good idea of what goes in Tom Kha Gai soup. WHAT YOU NEED Good chicken stock, coconut milk, lemongrass, Galangal, Kaffir Lime Leaves, Thai bird's eye chillies, Fish sauce, lime juice, Sugar, Coriander, chicken breast, and mushrooms....not that complicated.
(2)
Kim G.
Good flavoring and service. Large portions. Slightly pricey
(4)
Chris H.
The service can be spotty, and it's more expensive than other Thai in Iowa City, but I think the food is much better. I'm a fan of the curry dishes, and the Pad Thai. If you don't want to deal with the service, takeout is a good option.
(4)
Wilkie C.
not everything on the menu is created equally, but the green curry is really good and so are some of the noodle dishes. def. worth a try and one of the better places in town for vegetarians.
Sorry, Store hours have not been updated. If you are the owner of this restaurants. Please update the store hours.
Specialities
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Rachael W.
I have to admit, I feel bad reviewing when I only ever get the curries, either the green or red curry and I almost always get take away though I have dined here. I really like the place. I've never had terrible service. It is sometimes a bit slow, but I've never waited an hour for my food before. I love the curries. I can't comment to the technique or if it's perfectly authentic but they are quite delicious. I'm on an adventure in cooking and will soon make a green curry from scratch, as soon as I track down some Kaffir limes. then I can compare to this place's curries. I like them better,though, than the other Thai place in town which used to be amazing but they changed ownership and the food seemed to suffer for it. I also love their shrimp dim sum and their (yes another curry) chef special duck curry. yum.
(5)Karyn M.
Surprisingly great! Loved the atmosphere and the food. Four stars versus five because our poor server was all alone serving every table, so the service suffered. I will definitely go back though -- new favorite Thai place!
(4)Frans S.
I have the misfortune of living in Omaha at the moment & it has to have the WORST restaurants in America & the Thai places especially suck. So I was so happy to remember Thai Spice where I ate at a conference a few years back while traveling from Ohio a few days ago. Got off the Green Stamp & popped in about 2p. Needless to say I wasn't disappointed as the food was just as great as I remembered from my last visit. Not only is the food great, reasonable but the venue is artistically done in gorgeous colors with a Thai motif that soothes the eyes while the food warms & delights insides! I think that this just might be one of the best Thai places in America because I've had Thai food North, East, South & West. Also beats Chicago hands down for Thai!! Here is a link to a video of Thai Spice I shot while eating my lunch! youtube.com/watch?v=yWQM…
(5)Jon H.
Called in a takeout order for a late lunch. She took my order and said they close in ten minutes (2pm). I told her not to worry about it since I was halfway back from Cedar Rapids and it would take more than ten minutes. She insisted since there were still diners eating and so at five after 2 my #16 was ready to go. Damn was it good!
(5)Matt B.
Thai Spice has been a favorite of mine for years. Used to get take-out regularly when I lived a bit closer so have tried a fair number of dishes. All have been good, but a few stand out. The pineapple fried rice with cashews seems to be the favorite of most of my family members. I'm a big fan of the stir fries with the Thai chili sauce and basil. The one thing I crave, though, is the yellow curry. It's sweet, not spicy, but man.....I scarf it down as quickly as possible because it's so damn good. I usually do take out, but it's nice inside too. It's a little slower-paced and quiet - so it was a good first or second date place when I was in college - but that's not where I took my wife on our first date, so she might have a different opinion on that.
(5)Tiffany S.
My roommate and I hail from California and we've been craving ethnic food ever since moving to Iowa City in August. We've tried a couple of Asian restaurants that can't really decide what type of Asian food they're trying to serve. What we liked most about this place was the fact that the whole menu was Thai food-- a welcome change from some other restaurants around here that try to incorporate all of Asia into their selection. We started with the Thai ice tea which was pretty good but a touch sweet for me. I ordered the Panang (red curry) with chicken as was surprised at how spot on it was. OMG Thai food in Iowa City! Woot woot. But in all seriousness, it was delicious. We are definitely coming back. Cons: we went at night and there is no neon sign so we drove past it like twice. Also, the prices are a little higher than we're used to in Cali but in Iowa City it's worth the couple extra bucks!
(4)Josh S.
After waiting over 7 minutes to be acknowledged at the hostess stand we were taken to a table and left to die. The waitress never returned. In fact, I should have put her picture on a milk carton because she went missing! The food that others were eating looked good. It smelled flavorful, unfortunately I wasn't given the opportunity. After 20 minutes, my wife suggested we leave, which is what we did. I saw two other un-served tables get up and leave shortly after we did. If you go to this establishment, be warned and good luck. Who knows, you might even find our waitress!
(1)peter c.
Horrible pad thai without any eggs and cheap on the meat/seafood. However, good service, good authentic Thai essan music, free parking and free wifi ... what else is good about this place besides the food? Maybe I was spoiled from my mom's Thai cooking with high expectations! Went again after a year, it's a lot better if you get seafood. I also heard the owner cooked this night and it made a huge difference.
(3)Akhil A.
These ppl really know how to make Thai food...really live upto d name...
(5)Anavmy F.
One of my favorite restaurants in IC! Really tasty food, a little pricey but portions are large. Nice atmosphere!
(5)Anna H.
Great little out of the way spot. Food is delicious and cheap and the service is good.
(4)Al N.
The service here is spotty. I've seen several servers on their cells in the dining area. The food, though, is consistently tasty. Their chili sauce haunts me at the most inconvenient times and is the reason I'm giving 4 stars. I'd stick with the takeout though, especially if the servers have a rave to attend later that night.
(4)Ida n.
Thai Spice offers the best Thai food in Iowa City--which makes the fact that it is only satisfactory all the more depressing. The curries can all be made with tofu instead of meat and are good, I suppose, but they lack heat (even when you request that it be turned way up). Service is minimalist, prices are high and the interior looks a bit like a Disneyland-themed Thai restaurant ride.
(2)Sandra A.
I see no compelling reasons to eat Thai anywhere else in Iowa City, and I guess by that I mean that this restaurant is much better than Thai Flavors. Whereas there's nothing particularly bad about Thai Flavors, it's about as complicated as mall Thai. The handful of things I've tried at Thai Space have mostly been total winners; they have been surprising and complex. But then of course I'm not one to judge a place on one bad waitress, no matter how skinny she is...
(4)Anna K.
Excellent authentic Thai! Super tasty and reasonable prices.
(5)Liz G.
One of my favorites in Iowa City for sure. Atmosphere - nice Red/Gold Thai themed. Much better than the other Thai place in Iowa City. Food - darn good Thai. Not the best I've had but hands down the best in Iowa City. I'm a veggie so can only speak of those dishes but the Green Curry is oh so yummy. Also recommend the peanut sauce tofu dish, Pad See Ew is better than most and what I crave from here. (however sometimes they run out of the big flat noodles and will try to 'replace' them with the thin Pad Thai noodles. NOT the same thing! The dish definitely suffers--I've had this happen a couple times (a reason for ****) Service - yes sometimes there is something to be desired. Although I think they're all nice and I've never had to wait way long for anything. Overall - I enjoy getting take out from here too! They're quite quick w/ it and often have it done before the stated time, so get there early!
(4)Kelsey J.
I love Thai food and recently discovered this restaurant. I ate there again within the first week it was so good! This place is definitely somewhere I will continue eat a few times a month. A meal here is a fantastic value at around $10 for a generous portion. I wish they would have the option to get fried rice at an upcharge. The food is really heathy and delicious and they use a lot of fresh veggies. The sauces and flavors are incredible.
(5)Jennifer T.
My favorite place for Thai food in Iowa City. They have a wide variety of options and everything I've had is tasty. Their appetizers and drinks add to their range of options and just make the experience even better. If you want a slightly more private atmosphere, there is a back room where you can make reservations for groups up to 10 people to sit at a low table on the floor.
(5)rozz d.
I just dont get this place. The food I've had here has been good at all, yet more pricey and pretentious than Thai Flavors. I'm a veggie, so maybe the meat dishes are better... All in all, I do not get why ppl come here.
(2)Greg O.
Easily the best Thai in Iowa City/Coralville area. Love their curries.
(5)Gigi W.
can't wait to go back for the crabmeat and curry and their green curry. cool atmosphere. great place.
(5)Shumin W.
I went there once, and I will not go back again...
(1)John P.
this is a charming restaurant located off the street. i haven't tried all the possible Thai restaurants in the area, but with this, i don't think i need to. the service is excellent, and even when we're just sitting there to chat after finishing our meal, we were still being served the same. the green curry is awesome, and carries a good amount of heat. in thai places, i tend to get a side dish of chili in fish sauce, but the flavors here are strong and tasty. if their prices weren't so high on the majority of items, they'd have my 5 stars.
(4)Chris V.
Best Thai restaurant hands-down. Very nice ambiance. The wait staff are very friendly and hard-working, but there are never enough of them. Often there is only one server for the whole place. It can be a frustrating wait to order or pay- especially if you only have an hour for lunch. Otherwise, the food is fantastic. I recommend: Chicken Satay, Shrimp Rolls, YamYai Salad (this is a huge salad and enough to serve 3 or 4, assuming everyone orders entrees),Stir-fried Curry Crabmeat, and the Pa-Nang (red curry).
(5)Gina K.
Very horrible experience! We waited for about 15 mins to get the waiter noticing our existence, waited forever for the food to come. The waiter and waitress were so rude to us, ignoring our request, and they were always missing... I heard the most insincere "Thank You" from the waiter to the table next to us, but for us, even no "Thank You" at all when we leave! They even dare requiring 18% tip charged in the bill for this horrible service!! The taste of food was no excitement at all. Will Never Come Back!
(1)Ryan S.
In spite of being the only people in the restaurant at the time, we were hardly waited on. The waiter only came to take our orders and give us the food. Other than that, we did not see any wait staff in the seating area for the remainder of the time. The food was excellent, full of flavor, though not a great value. Speaking of value, my wife and I took a LivingSocial deal voucher to the restaurant. After the waiter brought our food to us and we began eating, he asked us if we had a LivingSocial deal. We confirmed that we did, and then he told us that the owner "just called" and that the voucher was only valid at their other Iowa City location. We expressed our displeasure with the situation as the address listed on the voucher was the one we were at, but the owner refused to honor it. No wonder we were the only people there!
(1)Erin V.
What is it with Iowa City and their Thai restaurants??? Please, please, go to Thailand...study the food, then come back and cook some decent food at your restaurants. Just in case you can't make it there anytime soon, here's a good idea of what goes in Tom Kha Gai soup. WHAT YOU NEED Good chicken stock, coconut milk, lemongrass, Galangal, Kaffir Lime Leaves, Thai bird's eye chillies, Fish sauce, lime juice, Sugar, Coriander, chicken breast, and mushrooms....not that complicated.
(2)Kim G.
Good flavoring and service. Large portions. Slightly pricey
(4)Chris H.
The service can be spotty, and it's more expensive than other Thai in Iowa City, but I think the food is much better. I'm a fan of the curry dishes, and the Pad Thai. If you don't want to deal with the service, takeout is a good option.
(4)Wilkie C.
not everything on the menu is created equally, but the green curry is really good and so are some of the noodle dishes. def. worth a try and one of the better places in town for vegetarians.
(4)