Ok, ...a lot of people seem to like this place, but we weren't so excited by it, so I'll share our experience. I tried the "crispy" Pad See-Ew based on some yelper's opinions of it. Not knocking their love of it. But I personally found it horrible. So bad I didn't eat it. Let me preface this with the fact that I love deep fried things. I don't dab the grease of my pizza with a napkin, I'll eat an entire funnel cake by myself, I think deep fried twinkies are amazing. But this crispy Pad See-Ew was yucky. Each of the noodles are deep fried, in theory this sounds wonderful. In practice, I think their oil was about 100 degrees too cold. Those noodles soaked up so much oil.... when you bit into the noodle you got a mouth full of oil. Also, the "rest" of the dish tasted like it had no sauce. So it was deep fried noodles with tofu and egg...and it tasted like deep fried noodles, with plain tofu and plain egg. My husband got the pepper and garlic tofu. He also was unimpressed, he added a bunch of crap from around the house and made it tolerable for himself, but we both looked at each other and decided we never needed to try this place again. We tried to get the pot stickers, but they either don't make or were out of veggie ones. So we got the spring rolls. I didn't have any major complaints about them but my husband thought they weren't good, so I guess it worked out well. I ate the spring rolls for dinner because mine was awful, and he ate his doctored pepper and garlic tofu. If you're thinking about trying this place for the first time, maybe don't try these items... I bet the WHOLE menu isn't awful, but our opinion of these were so poor, we don't feel the need to (potentially) waste more money trying.
(1)
Patrick and Jes D.
Bland food. Slow service. Delayed ordered with no complimentary appetizer. I must say there are much better options for good Thai food in the area
(3)
Alexander H.
Every Sunday my death metal band and I go to Thai Valley to get sweaty with hot peppers. Some weeks the food comes out fresh and fast, other weeks, we have to wait 25 minutes just to get our orders in. The speed of the service doesn't seem at all correlated with the number of customers though. Sometimes it's jam packed and we get great service. Other times, we're the only ones there and end up having stomach growling contests before we even get to speak to the waiter. When I say 'the waiter' I really mean, the one and only waiter. Again, regardless of how busy the place is, it's always just this one guy! I don't get it! The food itself is also hit or miss, but for $6, the lunch special (soup, appetizer and entre) never fails to satisfy. They've always been good with special requests and made me suffer (in a good way) once when I mentioned that their 'hot' wasn't hot enough the previous time. All in all, I like the tradition of coming to this place but in the grand scheme of Thai restaurants, it's Thai Valley only shines with three stars.
(3)
Minh D.
Excellent Authentic Thai food at very affordable pricing. Street Parking can be a bit hard.The menu does not have as many items as a typical Thai restaurant in the area. However the food is carefully and properly made here. I always get their panang with spinach and the minced chicken with basil. The Thai fried rice with basil is very good also. The pad Thai is up to par, a bit wet though. When you get the panang it will take some time to prepare, but it's done correctly. Simmer using low heat. If you eat enough Thai curry you will know what I mean when the curry is prepared correctly. Many times I have tasted curry prepared quickly using high heat causing the panang sauce to have a slight burn taste. BTW, I gave up on their delivery.... took too long and the seasoning seems lacking and not as flavorful.
(4)
Edward W.
The BEST Shrimp Fried Rice in the City! All the food here is very good. Nothing outstanding, other than the SFR. BYOB Always slow service. As long as you expect this you'll have a good time.
(4)
Ashley U.
Great lunch special- 2 appetizers and entree for 6 bucks! Tasty, casual and good service!
(4)
Jack P.
Finally, a Thai restaurant without the punny name. It's not Thai One On, or Thai Me Up, just a nice bucolic "Thai Valley." A friend took me to lunch here and the first thing I noticed was the very clean and classy decor, and the real trailing plants nicely snaked around the windows. It's very comfortable and it instilled confidence in this new customer. After agonizing over the lunch special vs. the regular menus (lunch specials are $5.95 and three items are included.), we settled for a la carte. What is unusual about the lunch specials, though, is that $5.95 is a "base price" or "MSRP", and $1.00 more if you want meat or seafood. This is a little different from most lunch specials which include those. We settled on Basil Leaves over rice with chicken, and Noodle kee Mow with Beef. And at the last minute, we threw in some Crab Cream Cheese appetizers. Those were a little cold upon arrival and just OK. The entrees were excellent ,and the layers of flavors done very well, with the heat at medium, as requested. The beef dish had the perfect mix of sweet and hot. Portions were moderate. The thing which impressed me most was our server's hair. He was a latino chap with the smoothest hair I'd ever seen. And this on the heel of watching the original Star Trek re-runs and thinking: "Geez, these guys all have such smooth shiny hair. How did they do that?" And boom, right there at the Thai Chuck Wagon was a nicely dressed guy with a Spock Pompadour. I wondered if he had been beamed down. The food really impressed me, but the hairdo blew me away. And the service was, well, sufficiently Thai. Check out the lunch specials here, though. They have some interesting combinations. But remember to bring your extra $1.00 if you're a meat-eater. I would definitely come back here to the Smooth Do Thai Palace. (I need a damn haircut!)
(4)
Yaneck W.
this is our neighborhood Thai place and we like it a lot! The food is pretty good and consistent. The only reason for 4 starts vs 5 stars is because their interior definitely needs a refresh. It seems like nothing has changed since the 70s
(4)
Rachelle D.
We ordered from this place a couple weeks ago. I really wanted to like it because they deliver to my place and we don't have many Thai delivery options in the area. We ordered basil chicken, the bass and pad thai. The basil chicken was really good. No complaints there. Now the pad thai....actually I don't think I can even call it pad thai. It was a different type of noodle from what I've ever experienced and there was no taste at all. I thought maybe they forgot to add seasonings to it and just gave us the cooked noodles. There is no way that was pad thai. It was so bad we didn't even eat it. The bass was pretty gross. They serve it whole, which doesn't scare me. My family eats whole fish all the time, with head, tail and all. The problem here is that they did not scale it well. All the scales were left on the tail, head and sides of the fish. I know it's deep fried, so maybe that doesn't matter, but who wants to eat fish with scales on it? The taste was ok, I've had much better. It did come with a nice garlic sauce. I don't think I'll give this place another try. My boyfriend and I are really particular with Thai food since it's one of our favs and this place just didn't do it for us. Lately it's been Dharma Garden or pick up at Sticky Rice.
(2)
Pamela M.
Thai Valley is quite good and at a reasonable price. The spring rolls are best ordered with the sauce on the side (note to self as well as the rest of you) and the egg rolls were delish (but how can you mess that up aside from bad oil or burning, right?!). The Pad Thai is rather good, comparatively. I'm not a fan of the sweet, reddish sauce on my Pad Thai and this place is not an example of that, thankfully. Given the price and decency of the food, the value proposition here is quite worthy of a very good review. It's also a few business fronts over from a liquor store if you forget it's a BYOB (but the liquor store has a credit card minimum of around $20, so drink up!). I recommend this place and look forward to trying out new options myself. The lunch deals are even better than the already fair prices for dinner, as I've seen in the menu. Check it out!
(4)
Deah S.
I've been here a few times and their food here is very greasy. I had ordered the pad thai on one occasion and on another occasion it was the pad see ew. Everything was oversauced and there were no fresh vegetables on the pad thai. So sad...
(2)
Nona Gayle D.
I'm a fan of cripst pad see ew, and this place doesn't disappoint. I order here once in a while when I do get the urge to eat. I have only eaten here once and I carry out mostly, the carry out times are mostly on point. I've never showed up and my food isn't ready. The family that owns this place is super nice, and whenever I order they throw in free cokes! The basil chicken is made to order to be mild or super spicy and you can get it made from ground chicken or just chicken pieces. The crispy pad see ew is made to perfection! One of the best that I have had. I would get it everytime, and probably will from now on. The pad thai is very good as well. I would also suggest the shrimp friend rice! I actually don't like friend rice but this I would make an exception for. It's an authentic, family owned, thai restaurant. Can't get better than that.
(4)
Phyllis S.
This is my favorite Thai restaurant... I've been to a lot...this place has the best best egg rolls...I crave these..I could make a whole meal out of this...I've tried a lot of things on the menu and I've loved all of it...sometimes the food is better than other times...but definitely better most times... Lunch specials are the best...includes soup, appetizer and main dish..and a lot of it so I always have left overs. I admit even if we order ahead we always have to wait a long time after you get there..but let me tell you..the egg rolls are worth it..I also like their pad Thai and their soups... Street parking...
(5)
Keith A.
thai valley to me is yet another case for wanting half stars, but I'm in a good mood and enjoyed it enough to give them three. I stopped in for lunch with a friend and we just sat ourselves. There were a decent amount of people in around 12:30ish, but it didn't take us long to get our food. The lunch specials are a bit thin in selection, but I got myself some pad prik, soup, and shrimp rolls lunch deal. The shrimp rolls were pretty good. The tails were still on them, which caught me a bit off guard, but no big deal. The tom yum soup that was the special was very good. More savory with some nice sized chunks of mushrooms in there. The pad prik was pretty solid, nothing too spectacular. They didn't dumb down the spicyness thankfully (which happens too often for me). The service was friendly and there was a very old school vibe to thai valley. Its nothing I would go out of my way for in the end though
(3)
Dan M.
Last night I had an awesome meal here with one of my friends (his recommendation). BYOB was the theme of the night and this place fit the bill. We picked 6 cold Breckenridge Brewery bottles and headed to the restaurant. The place is very welcoming when you walk in with a good seating arrangement and plenty of tables. The staff was very friendly and we were seated and placed orders in quick fashion. The Lowdown: I live about 50 blocks from this place and I would return for the Yum Nue alone. It was excellent. If you' like the Tiger Cry at Opart then you will love this dish. I actually preferred it to Opart. We also had the Tom Yum soup; I know, Tom Yum big deal, everybody does it and 90% of the time it's good. I can honestly say this was a step above normal and they serve it in a heated container so it stays nice and hot. Finally, I had the red curry with duck and it was perfect. Nice and spicy; not over-sweetened and plenty of vegetables and rice. (I had enough left over for a full lunch the next day). Anyways, I've eaten at probably 15-20 thai eateries in Chicago and this one gets in to my top 3, easily. Try it out, you'll probably like it.
(5)
Keith B.
Thai Valley is my solid choice for Thai take-out in my neighborhood, Albany Park. Carry-out service is quick and friendly. Prices are reasonable. Most dishes are very good - - even family and friends have been impressed. My favorites are the lemon grass chicken (yum), pad thai (with a side of peanut sauce), shrimp rolls, and chicken cashew.
(4)
Jacob J.
Delivery: Anytime I visited a particular relative, they'd order takeout from here. That's how I began to take a liking for Thai food. The food was always well prepared, warm and fresh. You know how sometimes some ethnic foods just don't travel well; maybe their delivery people suck, so the food arrives soggy or different than usual. Never had that problem yet with Thai Valley, however at times the delivery time took up to 50 minutes. If you don't mind the wait, you're in for a good surprise. Fyi: 1 order of Crab Rangoon 8 pcs. Cream cheese is plain, not sweet. Good with the provided S&S sauce or hot sauce. Dine-In: Dining room is adorned with a visual smorgasbord of Thai dcor. Near the front door there are many plants and a board stand-up of a Thai woman? Maybe a Thai airline stewardess?? Perhaps you are supposed to think you just got off the airplane and were transported to Thailand. I dunno. Very laid back approach to dining. Unless you are a regular you won't be able to distinguish their wait staff from a customer. Service is better when the dining room is full. On lazy nights, find yourself calling out for service or walking down to the desk so they call the waiter. Which still, is, retarded since they have a mini camera watching the front. Pay attention to your tip is what I want to yell out. Parking: You are limited to street parking, which is hard to find usually. Cost: due to the popularity, a simple order for three could run up to $40. Something happened recently which really grossed me out and just lingers in my brain. It involves the old Thai dude which is usually manning the counter. I'm just going to fast forward to save us time. So, it's the end of the meal and the waiter is nowhere to be found. I walk over to the counter and as I look up at him, he's got his index finger flying up into nose picking position. He didn't notice me walk up, so he's got his finger flying up into his nose, with a quick twist around inside and out. He's a pro at this maneuver. I call him over, cause I need a container to carry out my Beef Panang and the bill. My friend is watching him and also witnessed the booger pick. Old guy packs my curry and hands the bill over. As we walk out my friend says "dude, are you going to eat that?" "Why, you want it?" "Heck no, that dude picked his nose and then packed your curry." " Don't call me if you plan on coming here again." If I never ate in the dining room, I would've rated them much higher.
(3)
Francis A.
This is my new go-to-spot for thai food in my neighborhood. The food is great and the people are nice. The service is definitely slow. But the owner is the man, he's super-friendly. My suggestion: Order it, take your time picking it up, bring it back home, eat happy.
(4)
Philly G.
Oh my god this place is horrible. I had the thai spring rolls which tasted like it had burnt tofu in it. I had thai ice tea and it tasted as though it had some weird spice in it. I had pad see ew and it had no sauce at all with it and the noodles tasted nasty. The only thing in my order I could eat was the pot stickers. Everything else was so bad I couldn't even try to eat it. There goes $18 down the drain and an empty stomach to take to bed.
(1)
Manuela M.
I hate doing this. It's my first review ever and I wish it was a good one, but after a series of bad experiences with a place that used to be one of the few good places to eat withing walking distance from my place I feel like I have to say something. We moved to the neighborhood a couple of years ago and had so many bad experiences with the restaurants in the area, but when we found Thai Valley we were very excited. We would go there or order food every other day and although there was no consistency with the food, it was always reasonable. Sometimes it was actually amazing. While the prices are good, the service has always been a problem. I could be wrong, but I think they only have one server working there, because I've never seen anyone else working there. Which is fine, the guy was always very nice and we would just avoid going on busy times. But the last couple of times we've been there we were very disappointed with the wait for a menu, for someone to take our order, for the food, for the check... Finally we had it, when after waiting for like 15 minutes, the waiter came to take our order and I felt like trying something new but wanted to know more about the dishes. The guy got annoyed and said we needed more time and he would come back once we were ready. Fine, whatever, I can decide on my own. But another 15 minutes went by and no sign of the waiter. We got up and left, hungry and very frustrated, and I sworn to never come back. Anyway, tonight, after a 12-hour shift, I thought I didn't feel like cooking and I thought I would give them another chance, so on my way home I placed an order of panang curry, with chicken and shrimp, and broccoli added. This is my standard order and I've never had problems with it before, no consistency, but it was never bad. So I sit to eat my dinner and as I serve myself I notice that the panang curry didn't look normal. The broth was weird, like that was too much water or something, and all I could taste was the fish sauce, barely no coconut milk. The broccoli was extremely over cooked, like frozen broccoli that you heat up in the microwave, and it tasted like a sponge. Finally, I realized I had paid $2 to add the shrimp, but I could only find 3 units. 3!!! So, inconsistency, bad service and now bad food. Good-bye Thai Valley. I rather drive to Broadway and have my favorite panang curry at Thai Aroma.
(1)
Jeremy L.
I love this place! We've discovered this resto almost 15 years ago! They have great and very cheap lunch special , it comes with soup , appetizer and a large entree! We've moved to the burbs but each time we visit the cirty and craves for Thai this place is where we go!
(4)
Katrina M.
two words: LUNCH SPECIALS I've been going here for years , usually for the lunch specials. So much food is given when you get their lunch specials. I usually get the pad thai lunch special, which also comes with a bowl of tom yum soup and vegetable tempura. I am always so full when I leave, and I always have money left over. The lunch specials are under $7! I love their pad thai; noodles are always cooked nicely. Their portions are large too. I also recommend getting the crab rangoons. They're always so crispy and with the right amount of filling. No frills here. Don't expect top-notch customer service, but know they try their best. You walk in, choose your place to sit, and if the waiter is a bit busy, you can always grab a couple menus at the front desk yourself. Everyone is really friendly! If I'm starving and craving great food for reasonable prices, I never go wrong by going here.
(5)
Tanya D.
I went there yesterday (5/15) with my friend for some post thrifting lunch. The lunch specials looked good and were reasonably priced, but I went for the dinner dish of Yellow curry, with potatoes and meat. We were seated quickly and were able to order fairly quickly but our food took forever. I was starting to get annoyed since people who came in after us were being served but our appetizer took so long, the main dishes came out a few minutes after we'd just tucked into what should have been our starters. After we ate, it took a while to catch the waiters eye and pay up. Overall not bad, but not the place to go if you're in a hurry.
(3)
Amber S.
The prices were very reasonable, the range for entrees were about 6-7$, with the highest item on the menu being a 18.99 red snapper dish. I ordered the Pad Woon Sen, it was my first time having it but it was very flavorful. I also saw a group of cops eat here so you know the food is good. I would definitely come here again to try different dishes and judging by the other reviews here, I won't be disappointed.
(4)
K P.
I've only ordered the pad Thai as takeout one evening. It was not good at all! It lacked veggies, was rather mushy, and just tasted funky. It was very disappointing as I was really craving the bright and fresh flavors and textures I associate with Thai food. Maybe the other dishes are better, but if they can't get one of the most popular dishes right, I'm doubtful. Since there are sooo many other Thai places nearby, I'll be trying those instead.
(2)
Ruth H.
Thai Valley is such a far drive from Romeoville.. it usually takes about an hour and 10 or so to get there, but for me, it's worth the drive. Of all of the Thai restaurants that I've been too, Thai Valley's papaya salad is my favorite. Most places you get a mix of carrots and papaya, but their salad definitely doesn't fall short of the amount of papaya you get. (That's how a papaya salad should be!) I love the dressing.. it's not too sour, not too sweet. They give you big chunks of tomatoes and half to whole roasted peanuts. I always ask for spicy! I also like their basil beef because of the flavor of the gravy. Some other thai restaurants barely have any sauce to go with their beef. Thai Valley gives you a good amount and I like the way that they slice the beef. It's just the right thickness. I could go on and on, but you'll have to try it for your self.
(4)
Maria M.
I love this place. Good prices and the lunch specials are amazing. $5.95 for soup, appetizer, and entree? Its a good deal. Service might not be all that great, but who cares? the food is great. I love the clear sweet and sour sauce they have. i pour it over the fried rice and it makes it taste even better!
(5)
ali m.
not bad for the price service kinda slow will be back
(3)
Chris K.
Pretty basic Thai - nothing special, but nothing really wrong with it. Sometimes the beef is a little tough, and I don't think I would risk ordering anything out of the ordinary. But if you need a quick Thai fix, try this place out.
(3)
Luke L.
i love thai valley! i lived two blocks away for over twenty years, and i love thai food, but somehow managed to never even think of going. a friend swore by it for years and finally i tried it. i couldn't be happier, the price and quality give 5 stars. the lunch special is the best deal you will get at a legit restaurant. i have tried every thai dish there, pad thai, pad see ew, panang, etc. i always expected it to suck, and was proven wrong every single time. i now order the beef fried rice every time, a dish that i wouldn't even think of ordering anywhere else because it is just so simple yet often f###ed up by other restaurants
(5)
Kelly G.
I will never again set foot in this awful place. My husband and I used to get food there on an almost weekly basis. We loved it. Then one extremely cold, wintry day, we decided to grab a late dinner there. We called ahead and asked for two orders of pad si eiw for pickup. We were exhausted, got our food, paid, and left. We got home and realized that they had given us pad thai. This was not going to do. We were both craving pad si ew something fierce. I called them and told them what happened. They apologized and told us to bring the food back, and they'd replace it. We got all bundled up again and went back into the freezing cold. It was close to 10pm by now. We were frustrated because we were hungry, tired, and cold, but mistakes happen - we weren't upset with them - until they tried to charge us the difference between the pad thai and the pad si eiw! We're talking about $3 here. They f****d up our orders, we had to go back out into the freezing cold, and they want to charge us more?!! I politely disagreed with them at first, but then when the owner started yelling at us, that was the last straw. I told him I'd be sure to write a scathing review (too bad I'm a few months late), and he threw our food at us. Thank goodness that the food was already out of the kitchen, at least. Never again. I don't care if it's a mom and pop joint. If you feel like you can't afford to comp someone a measly $3.00 after you screwed up their order and inconvenienced them, you don't deserve to have good customers.
(1)
Lizard F.
Got takeout from here several months ago when we first moved to Albany Park. Eh......it wasn't great. Maybe I'm spoiled, having lived in Lincoln Square and having eaten nothing but Spoon and Opart Thai House for 2 years, but I wasn't impressed with Thai Valley. Maybe the pad thai is spiced to match traditional Thai tastes, but it didn't taste good to me. I also had a slight tummy ache afterwards. There's got to be better Thai in Albany Park........has anybody found it?
(2)
Richie D.
Just an average Thai joint. Prices are average, spices/flavors are average and service average to poor = Simply Average! What spooks me out is the random Thai stand-up paper women when you enter. Oh and don't be weirded out when people for pick-up/take-out orders just appear because there is also a back door. If it weren't for my Entertainment book coupon, I probably wouldn't have come here or known about it...which wouldn't have been much of a loss.
(2)
Allegra K.
Thai Valley is the bomb. I mean, my goodness it's good. I've been eating here for almost ten years and it hasn't changed, which is a wonderful wonderful thing. The things that I recommend are: Vegetable tempura, potstickers, chicken satay, and as far as main dishes go, order the basil over rice, the gang garee, chicken cashew, or the pad see ewe. Those have all been my go-tos for all these years. The owner is always there and always friendly. The place is always clean and bright. The food is just so good and even though I named what I like, I'm sure that no matter what you choose, you will not be disappointed. The lunch special is $6.95 and you get a lot of food. You get soup, an appetizer, and an entree. The soup that comes with it, Tom Yum, is another thing that I frequently get as a meal (if I'm in the mood and late for the lunch special). It's chock full of straw mushrooms and ground chicken and the broth has a unique flavor that not everyone enjoys based on my experience, but I love it. One thing I want to try is their desert of mango and sticky rice. There will be an update! Everything is great. Everything is fresh. Thai Valley, you're the best!
(5)
Stephanie H.
I live around the corner from Thai Valley, so when I first moved here, I was a regular. I think the red curry with chicken and panang curry are quite good. You can't beat the crab rangoons...very tasty. I prefer not to eat in the dining room, usually opting for take out. I just can't get into the decor, and the table service leaves a bit to be desired. Otherwise, I will always be a Thai Valley customer. Great prices, too!
(4)
Christina S.
Stopped in here on sunday night to get some take out and it took FORTY minutes. I amused myself by watching the discovery channel in back, but still. come on! that said, the man who took my order was very polite and offered me some free soda for my troubles. and the satay was really, really tasty. some of the best i've ever had. but their pad si ewe was nothing to write home about. I may give it one more shot, but my first experiece was obviously not all that.
(2)
Hiromi U.
The food is not as delicious as I hoped it to be. When my friend and I went, the place was pretty empty. I may give this place another chance on another day, but I'm not going to expect much.
(2)
Anna T.
We stopped in on a whim. I remembered seeing it on GrubHub, so we gave it a try. We had a hour until we had to be at a show, I know Thai is usually quick but still a solid meal. We had ordered the Duck with rice and Green Curry with chicken (hot). The service was nice and the food came out fast. (ah i love being right). My green curry was really good. They have three levels of heat. I went with the "hot." The burning feeling of my lips didnt stop me from craving the great flavor of the green curry! The duck was okay, better if you put the green curry on it. :) All in all we had a good meal, quick and easy, and got to our show with time to let our food settle.
(3)
Dorothea S.
I have been going to Thai Valley ever since I was young, which was about 10 years ago. I grew up blocks away from that but live in the suburbs now. Every time I visit my grandparents I always make sure to get takeout from Thai Valley. The only things I have ever got was beef and broccoli, eggs rolls, and chicken fried rice. Yes, it doesn't sound like anything crazy but no one has ever beaten those meals. It's simple but amazing. I finally got a chance to take my boy friend and he is hooked as well. It hasn't changed in years and thats why I like it so much.
(5)
iddells E.
I can only speak for my carry-out beef salad....it was excellent! Beef salad is my favorite Thai dish and a must-have when I feel like Thai. I asked for it to be medium spicy and they were right on. It was just the right amount of kick. So tasty! However, they have their way of skimping out on you. To my surprise, when I opened the box, there was an abundance of meat, cucumber, tomatoes, cilantro, and onions. But, that was just a front.....a thick bed of iceberg lettuce awaited underneath. But whatever, it was delicious nonetheless. I also ordered a Thai ice tea, which was a bit on the sweet side, but still good! Thai Valley is a nicely-decorated, cozy restaurant. I shall return.
(4)
Renee P.
A good place for Thai take out. Nothing fancy, nothing dissapointing. I always get the panang curry, but my husband just got a crispy noodle thing that was to die for when you need something fried...
(3)
Michael A.
I have been here a lot of times and finally decided to do a review on it. I liked the fried rice and the Chili on rice everything else was just ok. The soup of the day is always the same and the smell and taste of it reminds me of cleaning products. That is why i hardly ever eat the soup of the day. I have definitely been to better Thai places. The waiter is always the same guy since he takes care of every table even if it is busy. I don't remember him coming to our table at all asking if everything was ok. There was also what looked like a piece of hair in my sister's food!! EWW! So in the end I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone unless they are looking for a cheap dinner.
(2)
Bella V.
I'm Thai, and I'm not usually impressed with Thai food because frankly, anything most people make, my Grandma can make it better, or I can. However, I did really enjoy the food here at Thai Valley. It was very reasonably priced, and I really like sitting at the tables near the front window to watch people passing by. My reason for the -2 stars is the service. I've NEVER gotten good service here. I have always had to go and find my server to ask for anything. They bring you your food and then never come back, so be sure you order everything at once, or you'll be stuck searching for your waiter or waiting for 1/2 hour. I'd go back for the food and the prices, but already assuming that the service iwill be terrible.
(3)
Darlene R.
Perhaps one of favorite thai places. The portions are huge here and the food is good. I usually get basil rice and pad thai. The deep fried whole fish is good, if you are ready to deal with bones. My mom and sister like the fish cakes from here. If you get a chance go for the lunch special. They give you a huge entree portion, appetizer and soup and i think its less than 8 dollars. Nothing amazing here, but nothing weird and funky.
(4)
Alli H.
Good, simple food. Service was a little slow and, yes, the cardboard cut out of a Thai woman is creepy. But, all in all, I'll definitely go back.
(4)
Alice S.
Believe me, I know how LUCKY I am to have this place in my neighborhood! Consistently good, fresh Thai food. The prices are so reasonable, it's unreal. I'm hungry now....must get Thai food from Thai Valley soooooon......!!! ***tummy rumbling***
(4)
Jenna P.
Having just moved into the neighborhood, I now have eaten at Thai Valley several times and am officially a fan. Personally, I think the food is really tasty. The pad thai is well done, probably my second favorite in Chicago (after Jitlada in Lakeview). The noodles are well cooked and very flavorful. I have also tried several kinds of curry, and found them to be delicious. The appetizers were amazing too, and the peanut sauce for the satay was spot-on. The prices CANNOT be beat. The lunch specials are amazing, but the regular dinner prices are pretty freakin great too. I end up spending $10 for food that lasts me 2 meals. Add in the fact that it's BYOB, and you can get a huge meal for very cheap! A tip... if you're eating in the restaurant, the servers can be a little slow. Just head on over to the counter if you're in a rush to leave. They are perfectly polite about it (unlike some restaurants that get annoyed when you DARE visit the counter), and then you can leave when you like without waiting at all.
(3)
Sarah L.
Came here the other night for dinner. We sat down and waited and waited.... another couple came and sat down after us. They had their order taken before us! My hubs and I were fed up and left. I don't care how busy you are, hire more servers. We may just stick to take out from Thai Valley if we're up to waiting for an hour. Shame on you Thai Valley. Maybe they think they can get away with such awful service since this is the only Thai restaurant in Albany Park?
(1)
An P.
I ordered from here due to a suggestion from a friend. They guy taking my order was very friendly and gave me suggestions while I ordered. The pad thai was as good as any other place and their egg rolls were still crisp by the time it got there. They did not fuss around with the delivery time but the only strange thing I noticed was that small children delivered my food. My assumption is that the parents drove and then the little kids got out of the car because it was cold. Oh well, nothing like a little old child labor!
(4)
Nikkie H.
I haven't been here in awhile, but I used to frequent this place quite a bit. I'm fairly boring and tend to stick with beef friend rice, which is nothing to write home about. The crab rangoon, pot stickers and egg rolls are delish, and plenty enough for two people. I did try to Lard Nar once and it was really watery. I wouldn't get that again.
(3)
Vanessa R.
Is there a menu here? Because all I ever get is the same darn thing! I can't break away from my addiction...which is the Spicy Tofu Pad YUMMY! The staff is so nice, food is great, and portions are generous. I usually can split it in half and have lunch the next day. I have seen signs there that they have a lunch special during the week. One day I will venture over there midweek and give that a whirl.
(5)
Daniel D.
been going here for years! the food is great and it is so not expensive at all! the staff is kind and quite prompt. the place is a bit small but I've never had to wait very long for my food and when it comes, boy is it good! I definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a delicious (and inexpensive) place to go!
(5)
Beebe G.
this is our go-to place for thai take out! their prices are decent and the food's delish. i'm glad they finally took down the photo of blago and the fam that was signed and framed. :-) try their tom yum soup and won ton soup are both wonderful. there's this spicy beef salad that my husband orders all the time and is full of delicious flavor. their portions are very generous for the price. our other regular order is pad thai and spring rolls.
(4)
Anpan W.
After years of hearing good things about Thai Valley, I finally made it there a few months ago. A group of us shared shumai, crab rangoon, and spring rolls. Everyone enjoyed the beef panang, noodle kee mow, chicken pad thai, and chicken gang garhee. We had a great experience with the service. Food service was prompt, and the staff seemed to intuit when we needed something, but otherwise left us alone.
(3)
Irena A.
I live really near this place. It's ok food. I have had the pad see eiw here and it's pretty tasty. The Tom Ka soup was huge but not very tasty. The crab rangoon was good... fresh too
(4)
Megan L.
The food from Thai Valley is consistenly good - I'm a big fan of the pad se eiw ordered crispy, and one of my friends gets the pork and spinach curry dish (sorry, can't remember the name) which is fantastic, and extremely spicy. The only challenge is the delivery - they get lost every time we order.
(3)
Jasmyn K.
Went here for the first time, and probably last since I am moving, last night. Food was priced good, thai iced tea for only $1.50 and it was delicious! We got some egg rolls which were good, yellow curry chicken and wide noodles with beef...all were yummy! The only reason for 4 stars is the service....it is seat yourself and I guess go up and pay yourself and doggie bag it yourself....which isn't a problem, but when you don't know and you are just sitting and waiting, that kinda sucks!
(4)
sarah l.
Thank you, Thai Valley for sort of making a comeback in my book. Thai Valley is my local neighborhood Thai spot & it used to be really good with lots of food for cheap. About a year I noticed them getting kind of crappy and more expensive. Less vegetables, not enough spice or flavor, small portions...Well tonight I resigned myself to it for the need of something close & quick that wasn't of the Latin American variety. Thai Valley it was. I picked up the food and medium spicy is medium spicy again! Even though their prices weren't as good as they used to be, it seems the portions have gotten larger. Nice to know I can bring my business back here. Food is pretty good again.
(3)
Mrjustice ..
Glad I stumbled upon this place recently. It now gets my vote as my favorite Thai restaurant. Although the menu selection is relatively small, the traditional Thai dishes that are served up are wonderful. Portions are HUGE, no skimping on the meat or tofu main ingredient, and when you ask for spicy you get it. Delicious. And, BYO!
(5)
Melissa M.
Ew, ewww! I had to force myself to eat that pad thai even tho I was hungry! However, about 3 other people have told me this place is "great," so I might've just gotten the thursday cook or something. I really won't make it a point to find out tho....
(2)
katrina w.
this place was recommended to me for fried rice and eggrolls but we ordered and everything that arrived was brown. Pad thai = brown and the green onions were slimy and rotten. fried rice = deep brown, no fresh vegetables. egg rolls = filling - totally soggy brown and unidentifiable. Panang curry chicken was pretty good. Sticky rice, opart, or spoon are much better choices.
(2)
jason t.
The lunch specials at Thai Valley are great. For five bucks you get soup, an appetizer and an entree, and the portions are humongous. I usually have enough leftover for an entire second meal. Everything I've tried here is delicious, the only downside is that the service can be pretty slow in the daytime since they've only got one guy working the dining room. Call your order in advance and you'll be ready to go.
(4)
Brett B.
This place isn't nearly good enough to compete with all of the other stellar Thai joints in North Center, Lincoln Square and Ravenswood that will all deliver to this area. Any place on Western between Irving Park and Lawerence will beat it. A bit further east is Aroy Thai which is currently by go-to Thai delivery. I am giving it a 2 because I've eaten there more than once and it won't kill you (although my wife ended up in the ER with an allergic reaction yet ordered nothing she's allergic to).
(2)
Josh R.
One of the best lunch specials in Chicago Soup Appetizer Entree All for $6.99 everyday between 11:30 & 3. Also if you aren't ordering off the lunch special menu you should really try their spicy rice namsod, one of the best dishes I've had at any Thai restaurant. Worth going just for this dish alone!
(5)
Dorthee B.
Always seemed empty inside and now I know why. 1) Smells like cat pee inside 2) Bad staff 3) Even worse food - the tom ka kai was actually inedible, weird thick consistency and intensely lemony (so much so that no other flavors came through). I will NEVER go back. Way too many other good Thai restaurants in the neighborhood to waste your money on this place.
(1)
Kristine M.
Very good... Never disappoints you get your money's worth soup, appetizer, and entree for lunch special only $6.95/sit down only...love the pad see eiw, spring rolls and crab Rangoon
(3)
E J.
This place is a hidden gem. I would go there literally every weekend when I lived in Chicago. Fairly affordable price, especially their lunch special, and the portion is HUGE. Satay was my favorite from this place--tender marinated chicken, skewered and charcoal-broiled, served with peanut sauce & cucumber salad. You get to pick your own choice of fried rice as well. I would always go with beef fried rice. Sooooo good. Now I miss this place. I discovered I had a huge appetite Thai food when I first checked out this place about 5 years ago. Just try it, you won't regret it. P.S. : The only thing was I could never get used to their appetizer soup though. I don't know what it's called but I was never a big fan of it.
(5)
Sarah S.
I would give it 5 starts, but the service is slow... Otherwise I think it's perfect. I have tried several menu options and none disappointed me
(4)
August B.
Best lunch special ever...after Pilipino Isla of course. But this place can't be beat for their brand of Asian cuisine. The food is good enough, nothing Bourdainish about but it's also six bucks so nobody is going to spend time transforming pad thai into something that resembles a piece of bamboo for an audience who doesn't care. So yes this is a review of the lunch deal which comes with soup, appetizer and main dish. I'm not going to be too critical because only an ass would critique a six dollar meal...only a bigger ass would be critical of a real live old thai lady doing the cooking especially when I grew up on a fake version of Thai food. Long story short it's a destination lunch place...4 stars****
(4)
Aaron B.
I'm sure they can care less about reviews so I won't go there with how they need to hire more staff. No I think I'll go there! Owner lets one man bus/wait the entire restaurant making you wait ridiculously long for your order, your food, and your check. I love their food but their service needs a lot of work. I despise going there during lunch because my entire stay takes an hour and a half just to eat pad Thai and an egg roll. Insane. I don't have that much time during lunch! Back to food. Soup is awesome. Never had anything like it. Hot sauce is unique with a Spanish (sofrito) flavor. Try their crispy padsee eww. Very nice and crispy.
(3)
Sumeet D.
So Amazing!! The Spicy Rice Namsod is killer!!
(4)
Geoffrey S.
Very pleasant service, every dish is done well, and you can't beat the lunch specials. The candy they have by the register is an added favorite of mine. Some people have knocked this place for slow service, but considering it seems to only ever be one guy running the front l, and probably one in the kitchen, they do an excellent job managing rush periods.
(5)
Mauricio P.
This is the only place that does pad si we with the very crispy noodles. (You have to request then xtra crispy) Mmmm. Reasonably priced and very friendly. Street parking. Just off the Brown Line kedzie stop. We come with the whole family. Everything is made to order. The pad Thai and fried rice are the way to go also.
(5)
H S.
The food was not worth the wait, it had a burnt smell to it. Will not be ordering again.
(1)
Alivia L.
In agreement with a lot of the other reviewers, this place is decent but not amazing. I do have to say that the staff is incredibly nice and friendly.
(2)
Bryant A.
thai valley = oh yeah!! everything we have had from here has been delicious. Curry, good. Pad Thai, awesome. Tom Yum soup, spicy and wonderful!
(4)
Theresa A.
Great service. Great prices, including lunch specials. Delicious soup! Tom Yum is my favorite!
(5)
Rae S.
I read reviews on this place before i walked in thinking everyone has their own taste buds and i would try this place out for myself since i dont live that far away. I walk into this place and there is not a single person to take my take out order. The i think owner finally gets up to take my order from watching iron man on tv off in the corner. I order chicken pad thai and spring rolls. I get home and the pad thai tastes like it sat underneath a heat lamp for an hour coming from a box at the grocery store. It was not true pad thai by any means. and if a thai food place cant get pad thai correct there is something really wrong. I open up my spring rolls thinking they can redeem themselves. and my spring roll looks like its sushi. It looked and tasted like it was wrapped in Styrofoam. It was awful. Please I want to let you know, if you like thai food you will want to go somewhere else. I wish i would have gone to mcdonalds right next door instead. I am not the one to really write extremely bad reviews because i understand small business's are trying to make it in corporate america, but do yourself a favor and go to a different small business in the area.
(1)
Anastasia B.
This place used to be the best that good on the north side. Now it's just edible... It's too bad as I really did enjoy this place once upon a time.
(2)
Valerie J.
My family has visited this family's restaurant for over 30 years. The original Thai Valley was located on Lawrence. There is an entire menu worth checking out, and others have mentioned trying different foods. That is all well and good, but I have consistently ordered only one dish from here over the many years: the fried rice. Their fried rice is hands down the best friend rice I have eaten anywhere in the US. I've lived in LA, in New Orleans, and a few other smaller cities, and Thai Valley's fried rice is the one I compare all fried rice to. And, none ever come close. It could be a combination of my taste buds and their unique recipe, but whatever it is, it works. If you try this place out, start with the fried rice and then work your way out. The fried rice with the wonton soup: my family's classic combo. I guarantee that you will be satisfied with this combo. It is perfect, and there are few restaurants that can meet perfection with such simplicity. There is a reason this place has been open for over 30 years, and I think the reason is the fried rice.
(5)
Dan R.
Below average tasting Thai Food. Orange Chicken was burnt. Not one or two pieces of chicken....I'm talking every piece of chicken. Would never go back.
(1)
mary h.
I hate to write bad reviews, but this place warrants one. First of all, they need to learn how to answer the phone. It's really not a complicated device. The line is always busy because I don't think they ever hang up. I ordered an appetizer, pad thai and pad prik last night at 6:40pm. I asked how much my order would be and the man told me to hold on. I could tell he must have been busy. He put the phone down and never returned. Just for fun I stayed on the line. I hung up at 7:05. Well....my order was still not delivered at 7:45, so I gave him a call. Third time I got through. He told me another 15minutes!!! I was furious but also starving. The food arrived at 8:05 and we got the wrong order. I don't know what we got but we ate it because we starving. The food was very bland. It was hot and fresh but very bland. I will never go back.
(1)
Alicia A.
Seriously? I don't know whether you guys who gave this place better than 2 stars have had Thai food outside of Chicago (because so far Chicago thai restaurants are FAIL) but this half-assed garbage does not even rate. Ordered the tom ka, papaya salad, basil fried rice, and pad see ew. Tom ka we ordered with tofu but got it with chicken. Nothing special about it, tasted like they heated up a can of coconut milk and threw in some chicken. Papaya salad was actually decent, though nothing special. Basil fried rice...well I don't know how they can call this fried rice because there is nothing fried about it. I got some sad wilted basil leaves, mushy steak and a mess of bell peppers and onions (supposed to be hot peppers) over plain old steamed rice. Absolutely not fried rice by any stretch of the imagination. Even for what it was it sucked. Pad see ew- Yuck. A meager smattering of overcooked broccoli and dry chicken accompanied overcooked noodles that were baaaaaarely sauced and certainly not sauteed to a nice caramelized glaze like they're supposed to be. Tasted like they dunked old noodles back into tepid dirty water, chucked in old chicken and broccoli cooked yesterday and called it a day. We ordered take out and I guess if I had ever set foot in the place beforehand I would never have ordered from there in the first place...place smells of stale cigarettes and they have a TV blaring in the back while people in the front get to eat to it as background music. Yuck, just yuck.
(1)
Sasha T.
Overall if you are craving Thai food this place is not bad to go to. We went there last night and for appetizer we ordered spring rolls and cream cheese crab wonton. I enjoyed the spring rolls but the cream cheese crab wonton was more greasy dough than the actual stuffing (I love a good crab wonton). For the main dish I ordered Shrimp pad thai and my boyfriend ordered the chicken pad thai. Chicken pad thai was good (probably the best choice on the menu) and there was a lot of chicken. My shrimp pad thai on the other hand had only 5 small pieces of shrimp...
(3)
Sabrina R.
Came here with my husband for the lunch special. We arrived at 11, but it was 11:20 before they even turned the lights on (after 3 more tables had arrived). The service was good, but the food was too sweet for my taste. I had the Tom Yum chicken soup. I normally love the spicy lemongrass flavor of tom yum, but this soup was waaaaaay to sweet for me. The crab rangood was just ok, nothing mindblowing. The basil chicken, a dish I love and eat all the time, was also way too sweet! The cook must have a sweet tooth. My husband's fried rice was good, but that's not enough to lure me back to Thai Valley.
(2)
Danny Y.
This tastes like Thai food made by some guy who learned to make Thai food from a guy who learned to make Thai food from a guy that learned to make Thai food from a guy that visited Thailand once in 1972, Tried it out twice because I'm a glutton for punishment. The first time got some curry and the FRIED PAD SEE EWW!!! FRIED! I have been to a lot of Thai restaurants. Lots. It's a favorite ethnic go-to... Chicago has made me sad in this regard. Most places just don't cut it and all of these 'fusion' asian restaurants just spread the mediocrity around the various style so that they all just suck. But I digress: I have been to a lof of Thai restaurants and have never heard of this FRIED Pad See Ew. I mean, the dish is actually named "Fried with Soy Sauce", so FRIED Pad See Ew sounds redundant, but there it was next to regular Pad see Ew for a dollar up charge. Oh my, what a novelty. I could see myself buying this from a stand at some local festival while I watch toddlers scream for funnel cakes. Yet a novelty does not save a restaurant from its myriad other failures. First order was take-out. Ready in 30 minutes the fellow on the phone said. I headed over there and announced myself at about 25 minutes. It wasn't ready, but no worries, I'm 5 minutes early or so. Not sure why it takes THIRTY MINUTES to make Coconut Milk Soup and Curry that you already made hours ago and just have simmering on the pot waiting to throw in whatever meat I choose, but whatever. The inside of this place was odd. In the front near the windows facing the street was the dine in area, which seemed fine. But in the back sitting area which doubled as the waiting for pick-up area was a large TV. So if you were in the dine-in area, you got to hear it but not see it. Cozy. So when I got there, the TV was on number 15 of the countdown of the TOP TWENTY STUPID DAREDEVILS! Quality television for the discerning intellectual. Before my food was ready, I got to watch the rest of the show in its entirety. I was even prepared to get mad when I got to see the number 2 STUPIDEST DAREDEVIL but then get my food and leave, never knowing who had the dubious distinction of being number one. Because that's how it always works. Except this time. I got to finish the show. For anyone that's counting, this puts me in the restaurant for FORTY FIVE MINUTES. So what the guy on the phone really meant when he said 'ready in 30 minutes' was 'ready in an hour and ten minutes'. Anyway, took that home and had some bland Thai food, not at all inspiring. Sad sad sad. Except for the Fried Fried with Soy Sauce. That was fun. So why did I go a second time? Because the first time may have been a fluke. Head Chef might have been out sick that night or who knows?!? Yeah, lightning strikes TWICE! Bland, boring, not properly cooked, poor presentation. 'Fried rice' that was just white rice with sauteed vegetables thrown over it. The Tom Kha was OK, but how do you mess up Tom Kha? Anyway, sorry for you guys that think its great. I pray for your palette.
(1)
Andre W.
Decided to stop in since there was a 2 hour wait at Semiramis (failed attempted groupon use). We walked by the place and I looked in and thought to myself that it might actually be good. I had no idea I would be walking back over to eat in the same night. We started out with Crab Ragoon as an appetizer. They were huge and came with 7 pieces...pretty good. For my meal I went with the Roasted Duck over rice. The portion was just right...not too big, not too small. The duck was very tender and packed with lots of flavor Nice little spot to stop in randomnly. This place is BYOB and delivers
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes
Lucy P.
Ok, ...a lot of people seem to like this place, but we weren't so excited by it, so I'll share our experience. I tried the "crispy" Pad See-Ew based on some yelper's opinions of it. Not knocking their love of it. But I personally found it horrible. So bad I didn't eat it. Let me preface this with the fact that I love deep fried things. I don't dab the grease of my pizza with a napkin, I'll eat an entire funnel cake by myself, I think deep fried twinkies are amazing. But this crispy Pad See-Ew was yucky. Each of the noodles are deep fried, in theory this sounds wonderful. In practice, I think their oil was about 100 degrees too cold. Those noodles soaked up so much oil.... when you bit into the noodle you got a mouth full of oil. Also, the "rest" of the dish tasted like it had no sauce. So it was deep fried noodles with tofu and egg...and it tasted like deep fried noodles, with plain tofu and plain egg. My husband got the pepper and garlic tofu. He also was unimpressed, he added a bunch of crap from around the house and made it tolerable for himself, but we both looked at each other and decided we never needed to try this place again. We tried to get the pot stickers, but they either don't make or were out of veggie ones. So we got the spring rolls. I didn't have any major complaints about them but my husband thought they weren't good, so I guess it worked out well. I ate the spring rolls for dinner because mine was awful, and he ate his doctored pepper and garlic tofu. If you're thinking about trying this place for the first time, maybe don't try these items... I bet the WHOLE menu isn't awful, but our opinion of these were so poor, we don't feel the need to (potentially) waste more money trying.
(1)Patrick and Jes D.
Bland food. Slow service. Delayed ordered with no complimentary appetizer. I must say there are much better options for good Thai food in the area
(3)Alexander H.
Every Sunday my death metal band and I go to Thai Valley to get sweaty with hot peppers. Some weeks the food comes out fresh and fast, other weeks, we have to wait 25 minutes just to get our orders in. The speed of the service doesn't seem at all correlated with the number of customers though. Sometimes it's jam packed and we get great service. Other times, we're the only ones there and end up having stomach growling contests before we even get to speak to the waiter. When I say 'the waiter' I really mean, the one and only waiter. Again, regardless of how busy the place is, it's always just this one guy! I don't get it! The food itself is also hit or miss, but for $6, the lunch special (soup, appetizer and entre) never fails to satisfy. They've always been good with special requests and made me suffer (in a good way) once when I mentioned that their 'hot' wasn't hot enough the previous time. All in all, I like the tradition of coming to this place but in the grand scheme of Thai restaurants, it's Thai Valley only shines with three stars.
(3)Minh D.
Excellent Authentic Thai food at very affordable pricing. Street Parking can be a bit hard.The menu does not have as many items as a typical Thai restaurant in the area. However the food is carefully and properly made here. I always get their panang with spinach and the minced chicken with basil. The Thai fried rice with basil is very good also. The pad Thai is up to par, a bit wet though. When you get the panang it will take some time to prepare, but it's done correctly. Simmer using low heat. If you eat enough Thai curry you will know what I mean when the curry is prepared correctly. Many times I have tasted curry prepared quickly using high heat causing the panang sauce to have a slight burn taste. BTW, I gave up on their delivery.... took too long and the seasoning seems lacking and not as flavorful.
(4)Edward W.
The BEST Shrimp Fried Rice in the City! All the food here is very good. Nothing outstanding, other than the SFR. BYOB Always slow service. As long as you expect this you'll have a good time.
(4)Ashley U.
Great lunch special- 2 appetizers and entree for 6 bucks! Tasty, casual and good service!
(4)Jack P.
Finally, a Thai restaurant without the punny name. It's not Thai One On, or Thai Me Up, just a nice bucolic "Thai Valley." A friend took me to lunch here and the first thing I noticed was the very clean and classy decor, and the real trailing plants nicely snaked around the windows. It's very comfortable and it instilled confidence in this new customer. After agonizing over the lunch special vs. the regular menus (lunch specials are $5.95 and three items are included.), we settled for a la carte. What is unusual about the lunch specials, though, is that $5.95 is a "base price" or "MSRP", and $1.00 more if you want meat or seafood. This is a little different from most lunch specials which include those. We settled on Basil Leaves over rice with chicken, and Noodle kee Mow with Beef. And at the last minute, we threw in some Crab Cream Cheese appetizers. Those were a little cold upon arrival and just OK. The entrees were excellent ,and the layers of flavors done very well, with the heat at medium, as requested. The beef dish had the perfect mix of sweet and hot. Portions were moderate. The thing which impressed me most was our server's hair. He was a latino chap with the smoothest hair I'd ever seen. And this on the heel of watching the original Star Trek re-runs and thinking: "Geez, these guys all have such smooth shiny hair. How did they do that?" And boom, right there at the Thai Chuck Wagon was a nicely dressed guy with a Spock Pompadour. I wondered if he had been beamed down. The food really impressed me, but the hairdo blew me away. And the service was, well, sufficiently Thai. Check out the lunch specials here, though. They have some interesting combinations. But remember to bring your extra $1.00 if you're a meat-eater. I would definitely come back here to the Smooth Do Thai Palace. (I need a damn haircut!)
(4)Yaneck W.
this is our neighborhood Thai place and we like it a lot! The food is pretty good and consistent. The only reason for 4 starts vs 5 stars is because their interior definitely needs a refresh. It seems like nothing has changed since the 70s
(4)Rachelle D.
We ordered from this place a couple weeks ago. I really wanted to like it because they deliver to my place and we don't have many Thai delivery options in the area. We ordered basil chicken, the bass and pad thai. The basil chicken was really good. No complaints there. Now the pad thai....actually I don't think I can even call it pad thai. It was a different type of noodle from what I've ever experienced and there was no taste at all. I thought maybe they forgot to add seasonings to it and just gave us the cooked noodles. There is no way that was pad thai. It was so bad we didn't even eat it. The bass was pretty gross. They serve it whole, which doesn't scare me. My family eats whole fish all the time, with head, tail and all. The problem here is that they did not scale it well. All the scales were left on the tail, head and sides of the fish. I know it's deep fried, so maybe that doesn't matter, but who wants to eat fish with scales on it? The taste was ok, I've had much better. It did come with a nice garlic sauce. I don't think I'll give this place another try. My boyfriend and I are really particular with Thai food since it's one of our favs and this place just didn't do it for us. Lately it's been Dharma Garden or pick up at Sticky Rice.
(2)Pamela M.
Thai Valley is quite good and at a reasonable price. The spring rolls are best ordered with the sauce on the side (note to self as well as the rest of you) and the egg rolls were delish (but how can you mess that up aside from bad oil or burning, right?!). The Pad Thai is rather good, comparatively. I'm not a fan of the sweet, reddish sauce on my Pad Thai and this place is not an example of that, thankfully. Given the price and decency of the food, the value proposition here is quite worthy of a very good review. It's also a few business fronts over from a liquor store if you forget it's a BYOB (but the liquor store has a credit card minimum of around $20, so drink up!). I recommend this place and look forward to trying out new options myself. The lunch deals are even better than the already fair prices for dinner, as I've seen in the menu. Check it out!
(4)Deah S.
I've been here a few times and their food here is very greasy. I had ordered the pad thai on one occasion and on another occasion it was the pad see ew. Everything was oversauced and there were no fresh vegetables on the pad thai. So sad...
(2)Nona Gayle D.
I'm a fan of cripst pad see ew, and this place doesn't disappoint. I order here once in a while when I do get the urge to eat. I have only eaten here once and I carry out mostly, the carry out times are mostly on point. I've never showed up and my food isn't ready. The family that owns this place is super nice, and whenever I order they throw in free cokes! The basil chicken is made to order to be mild or super spicy and you can get it made from ground chicken or just chicken pieces. The crispy pad see ew is made to perfection! One of the best that I have had. I would get it everytime, and probably will from now on. The pad thai is very good as well. I would also suggest the shrimp friend rice! I actually don't like friend rice but this I would make an exception for. It's an authentic, family owned, thai restaurant. Can't get better than that.
(4)Phyllis S.
This is my favorite Thai restaurant... I've been to a lot...this place has the best best egg rolls...I crave these..I could make a whole meal out of this...I've tried a lot of things on the menu and I've loved all of it...sometimes the food is better than other times...but definitely better most times... Lunch specials are the best...includes soup, appetizer and main dish..and a lot of it so I always have left overs. I admit even if we order ahead we always have to wait a long time after you get there..but let me tell you..the egg rolls are worth it..I also like their pad Thai and their soups... Street parking...
(5)Keith A.
thai valley to me is yet another case for wanting half stars, but I'm in a good mood and enjoyed it enough to give them three. I stopped in for lunch with a friend and we just sat ourselves. There were a decent amount of people in around 12:30ish, but it didn't take us long to get our food. The lunch specials are a bit thin in selection, but I got myself some pad prik, soup, and shrimp rolls lunch deal. The shrimp rolls were pretty good. The tails were still on them, which caught me a bit off guard, but no big deal. The tom yum soup that was the special was very good. More savory with some nice sized chunks of mushrooms in there. The pad prik was pretty solid, nothing too spectacular. They didn't dumb down the spicyness thankfully (which happens too often for me). The service was friendly and there was a very old school vibe to thai valley. Its nothing I would go out of my way for in the end though
(3)Dan M.
Last night I had an awesome meal here with one of my friends (his recommendation). BYOB was the theme of the night and this place fit the bill. We picked 6 cold Breckenridge Brewery bottles and headed to the restaurant. The place is very welcoming when you walk in with a good seating arrangement and plenty of tables. The staff was very friendly and we were seated and placed orders in quick fashion. The Lowdown: I live about 50 blocks from this place and I would return for the Yum Nue alone. It was excellent. If you' like the Tiger Cry at Opart then you will love this dish. I actually preferred it to Opart. We also had the Tom Yum soup; I know, Tom Yum big deal, everybody does it and 90% of the time it's good. I can honestly say this was a step above normal and they serve it in a heated container so it stays nice and hot. Finally, I had the red curry with duck and it was perfect. Nice and spicy; not over-sweetened and plenty of vegetables and rice. (I had enough left over for a full lunch the next day). Anyways, I've eaten at probably 15-20 thai eateries in Chicago and this one gets in to my top 3, easily. Try it out, you'll probably like it.
(5)Keith B.
Thai Valley is my solid choice for Thai take-out in my neighborhood, Albany Park. Carry-out service is quick and friendly. Prices are reasonable. Most dishes are very good - - even family and friends have been impressed. My favorites are the lemon grass chicken (yum), pad thai (with a side of peanut sauce), shrimp rolls, and chicken cashew.
(4)Jacob J.
Delivery: Anytime I visited a particular relative, they'd order takeout from here. That's how I began to take a liking for Thai food. The food was always well prepared, warm and fresh. You know how sometimes some ethnic foods just don't travel well; maybe their delivery people suck, so the food arrives soggy or different than usual. Never had that problem yet with Thai Valley, however at times the delivery time took up to 50 minutes. If you don't mind the wait, you're in for a good surprise. Fyi: 1 order of Crab Rangoon 8 pcs. Cream cheese is plain, not sweet. Good with the provided S&S sauce or hot sauce. Dine-In: Dining room is adorned with a visual smorgasbord of Thai dcor. Near the front door there are many plants and a board stand-up of a Thai woman? Maybe a Thai airline stewardess?? Perhaps you are supposed to think you just got off the airplane and were transported to Thailand. I dunno. Very laid back approach to dining. Unless you are a regular you won't be able to distinguish their wait staff from a customer. Service is better when the dining room is full. On lazy nights, find yourself calling out for service or walking down to the desk so they call the waiter. Which still, is, retarded since they have a mini camera watching the front. Pay attention to your tip is what I want to yell out. Parking: You are limited to street parking, which is hard to find usually. Cost: due to the popularity, a simple order for three could run up to $40. Something happened recently which really grossed me out and just lingers in my brain. It involves the old Thai dude which is usually manning the counter. I'm just going to fast forward to save us time. So, it's the end of the meal and the waiter is nowhere to be found. I walk over to the counter and as I look up at him, he's got his index finger flying up into nose picking position. He didn't notice me walk up, so he's got his finger flying up into his nose, with a quick twist around inside and out. He's a pro at this maneuver. I call him over, cause I need a container to carry out my Beef Panang and the bill. My friend is watching him and also witnessed the booger pick. Old guy packs my curry and hands the bill over. As we walk out my friend says "dude, are you going to eat that?" "Why, you want it?" "Heck no, that dude picked his nose and then packed your curry." " Don't call me if you plan on coming here again." If I never ate in the dining room, I would've rated them much higher.
(3)Francis A.
This is my new go-to-spot for thai food in my neighborhood. The food is great and the people are nice. The service is definitely slow. But the owner is the man, he's super-friendly. My suggestion: Order it, take your time picking it up, bring it back home, eat happy.
(4)Philly G.
Oh my god this place is horrible. I had the thai spring rolls which tasted like it had burnt tofu in it. I had thai ice tea and it tasted as though it had some weird spice in it. I had pad see ew and it had no sauce at all with it and the noodles tasted nasty. The only thing in my order I could eat was the pot stickers. Everything else was so bad I couldn't even try to eat it. There goes $18 down the drain and an empty stomach to take to bed.
(1)Manuela M.
I hate doing this. It's my first review ever and I wish it was a good one, but after a series of bad experiences with a place that used to be one of the few good places to eat withing walking distance from my place I feel like I have to say something. We moved to the neighborhood a couple of years ago and had so many bad experiences with the restaurants in the area, but when we found Thai Valley we were very excited. We would go there or order food every other day and although there was no consistency with the food, it was always reasonable. Sometimes it was actually amazing. While the prices are good, the service has always been a problem. I could be wrong, but I think they only have one server working there, because I've never seen anyone else working there. Which is fine, the guy was always very nice and we would just avoid going on busy times. But the last couple of times we've been there we were very disappointed with the wait for a menu, for someone to take our order, for the food, for the check... Finally we had it, when after waiting for like 15 minutes, the waiter came to take our order and I felt like trying something new but wanted to know more about the dishes. The guy got annoyed and said we needed more time and he would come back once we were ready. Fine, whatever, I can decide on my own. But another 15 minutes went by and no sign of the waiter. We got up and left, hungry and very frustrated, and I sworn to never come back. Anyway, tonight, after a 12-hour shift, I thought I didn't feel like cooking and I thought I would give them another chance, so on my way home I placed an order of panang curry, with chicken and shrimp, and broccoli added. This is my standard order and I've never had problems with it before, no consistency, but it was never bad. So I sit to eat my dinner and as I serve myself I notice that the panang curry didn't look normal. The broth was weird, like that was too much water or something, and all I could taste was the fish sauce, barely no coconut milk. The broccoli was extremely over cooked, like frozen broccoli that you heat up in the microwave, and it tasted like a sponge. Finally, I realized I had paid $2 to add the shrimp, but I could only find 3 units. 3!!! So, inconsistency, bad service and now bad food. Good-bye Thai Valley. I rather drive to Broadway and have my favorite panang curry at Thai Aroma.
(1)Jeremy L.
I love this place! We've discovered this resto almost 15 years ago! They have great and very cheap lunch special , it comes with soup , appetizer and a large entree! We've moved to the burbs but each time we visit the cirty and craves for Thai this place is where we go!
(4)Katrina M.
two words: LUNCH SPECIALS I've been going here for years , usually for the lunch specials. So much food is given when you get their lunch specials. I usually get the pad thai lunch special, which also comes with a bowl of tom yum soup and vegetable tempura. I am always so full when I leave, and I always have money left over. The lunch specials are under $7! I love their pad thai; noodles are always cooked nicely. Their portions are large too. I also recommend getting the crab rangoons. They're always so crispy and with the right amount of filling. No frills here. Don't expect top-notch customer service, but know they try their best. You walk in, choose your place to sit, and if the waiter is a bit busy, you can always grab a couple menus at the front desk yourself. Everyone is really friendly! If I'm starving and craving great food for reasonable prices, I never go wrong by going here.
(5)Tanya D.
I went there yesterday (5/15) with my friend for some post thrifting lunch. The lunch specials looked good and were reasonably priced, but I went for the dinner dish of Yellow curry, with potatoes and meat. We were seated quickly and were able to order fairly quickly but our food took forever. I was starting to get annoyed since people who came in after us were being served but our appetizer took so long, the main dishes came out a few minutes after we'd just tucked into what should have been our starters. After we ate, it took a while to catch the waiters eye and pay up. Overall not bad, but not the place to go if you're in a hurry.
(3)Amber S.
The prices were very reasonable, the range for entrees were about 6-7$, with the highest item on the menu being a 18.99 red snapper dish. I ordered the Pad Woon Sen, it was my first time having it but it was very flavorful. I also saw a group of cops eat here so you know the food is good. I would definitely come here again to try different dishes and judging by the other reviews here, I won't be disappointed.
(4)K P.
I've only ordered the pad Thai as takeout one evening. It was not good at all! It lacked veggies, was rather mushy, and just tasted funky. It was very disappointing as I was really craving the bright and fresh flavors and textures I associate with Thai food. Maybe the other dishes are better, but if they can't get one of the most popular dishes right, I'm doubtful. Since there are sooo many other Thai places nearby, I'll be trying those instead.
(2)Ruth H.
Thai Valley is such a far drive from Romeoville.. it usually takes about an hour and 10 or so to get there, but for me, it's worth the drive. Of all of the Thai restaurants that I've been too, Thai Valley's papaya salad is my favorite. Most places you get a mix of carrots and papaya, but their salad definitely doesn't fall short of the amount of papaya you get. (That's how a papaya salad should be!) I love the dressing.. it's not too sour, not too sweet. They give you big chunks of tomatoes and half to whole roasted peanuts. I always ask for spicy! I also like their basil beef because of the flavor of the gravy. Some other thai restaurants barely have any sauce to go with their beef. Thai Valley gives you a good amount and I like the way that they slice the beef. It's just the right thickness. I could go on and on, but you'll have to try it for your self.
(4)Maria M.
I love this place. Good prices and the lunch specials are amazing. $5.95 for soup, appetizer, and entree? Its a good deal. Service might not be all that great, but who cares? the food is great. I love the clear sweet and sour sauce they have. i pour it over the fried rice and it makes it taste even better!
(5)ali m.
not bad for the price service kinda slow will be back
(3)Chris K.
Pretty basic Thai - nothing special, but nothing really wrong with it. Sometimes the beef is a little tough, and I don't think I would risk ordering anything out of the ordinary. But if you need a quick Thai fix, try this place out.
(3)Luke L.
i love thai valley! i lived two blocks away for over twenty years, and i love thai food, but somehow managed to never even think of going. a friend swore by it for years and finally i tried it. i couldn't be happier, the price and quality give 5 stars. the lunch special is the best deal you will get at a legit restaurant. i have tried every thai dish there, pad thai, pad see ew, panang, etc. i always expected it to suck, and was proven wrong every single time. i now order the beef fried rice every time, a dish that i wouldn't even think of ordering anywhere else because it is just so simple yet often f###ed up by other restaurants
(5)Kelly G.
I will never again set foot in this awful place. My husband and I used to get food there on an almost weekly basis. We loved it. Then one extremely cold, wintry day, we decided to grab a late dinner there. We called ahead and asked for two orders of pad si eiw for pickup. We were exhausted, got our food, paid, and left. We got home and realized that they had given us pad thai. This was not going to do. We were both craving pad si ew something fierce. I called them and told them what happened. They apologized and told us to bring the food back, and they'd replace it. We got all bundled up again and went back into the freezing cold. It was close to 10pm by now. We were frustrated because we were hungry, tired, and cold, but mistakes happen - we weren't upset with them - until they tried to charge us the difference between the pad thai and the pad si eiw! We're talking about $3 here. They f****d up our orders, we had to go back out into the freezing cold, and they want to charge us more?!! I politely disagreed with them at first, but then when the owner started yelling at us, that was the last straw. I told him I'd be sure to write a scathing review (too bad I'm a few months late), and he threw our food at us. Thank goodness that the food was already out of the kitchen, at least. Never again. I don't care if it's a mom and pop joint. If you feel like you can't afford to comp someone a measly $3.00 after you screwed up their order and inconvenienced them, you don't deserve to have good customers.
(1)Lizard F.
Got takeout from here several months ago when we first moved to Albany Park. Eh......it wasn't great. Maybe I'm spoiled, having lived in Lincoln Square and having eaten nothing but Spoon and Opart Thai House for 2 years, but I wasn't impressed with Thai Valley. Maybe the pad thai is spiced to match traditional Thai tastes, but it didn't taste good to me. I also had a slight tummy ache afterwards. There's got to be better Thai in Albany Park........has anybody found it?
(2)Richie D.
Just an average Thai joint. Prices are average, spices/flavors are average and service average to poor = Simply Average! What spooks me out is the random Thai stand-up paper women when you enter. Oh and don't be weirded out when people for pick-up/take-out orders just appear because there is also a back door. If it weren't for my Entertainment book coupon, I probably wouldn't have come here or known about it...which wouldn't have been much of a loss.
(2)Allegra K.
Thai Valley is the bomb. I mean, my goodness it's good. I've been eating here for almost ten years and it hasn't changed, which is a wonderful wonderful thing. The things that I recommend are: Vegetable tempura, potstickers, chicken satay, and as far as main dishes go, order the basil over rice, the gang garee, chicken cashew, or the pad see ewe. Those have all been my go-tos for all these years. The owner is always there and always friendly. The place is always clean and bright. The food is just so good and even though I named what I like, I'm sure that no matter what you choose, you will not be disappointed. The lunch special is $6.95 and you get a lot of food. You get soup, an appetizer, and an entree. The soup that comes with it, Tom Yum, is another thing that I frequently get as a meal (if I'm in the mood and late for the lunch special). It's chock full of straw mushrooms and ground chicken and the broth has a unique flavor that not everyone enjoys based on my experience, but I love it. One thing I want to try is their desert of mango and sticky rice. There will be an update! Everything is great. Everything is fresh. Thai Valley, you're the best!
(5)Stephanie H.
I live around the corner from Thai Valley, so when I first moved here, I was a regular. I think the red curry with chicken and panang curry are quite good. You can't beat the crab rangoons...very tasty. I prefer not to eat in the dining room, usually opting for take out. I just can't get into the decor, and the table service leaves a bit to be desired. Otherwise, I will always be a Thai Valley customer. Great prices, too!
(4)Christina S.
Stopped in here on sunday night to get some take out and it took FORTY minutes. I amused myself by watching the discovery channel in back, but still. come on! that said, the man who took my order was very polite and offered me some free soda for my troubles. and the satay was really, really tasty. some of the best i've ever had. but their pad si ewe was nothing to write home about. I may give it one more shot, but my first experiece was obviously not all that.
(2)Hiromi U.
The food is not as delicious as I hoped it to be. When my friend and I went, the place was pretty empty. I may give this place another chance on another day, but I'm not going to expect much.
(2)Anna T.
We stopped in on a whim. I remembered seeing it on GrubHub, so we gave it a try. We had a hour until we had to be at a show, I know Thai is usually quick but still a solid meal. We had ordered the Duck with rice and Green Curry with chicken (hot). The service was nice and the food came out fast. (ah i love being right). My green curry was really good. They have three levels of heat. I went with the "hot." The burning feeling of my lips didnt stop me from craving the great flavor of the green curry! The duck was okay, better if you put the green curry on it. :) All in all we had a good meal, quick and easy, and got to our show with time to let our food settle.
(3)Dorothea S.
I have been going to Thai Valley ever since I was young, which was about 10 years ago. I grew up blocks away from that but live in the suburbs now. Every time I visit my grandparents I always make sure to get takeout from Thai Valley. The only things I have ever got was beef and broccoli, eggs rolls, and chicken fried rice. Yes, it doesn't sound like anything crazy but no one has ever beaten those meals. It's simple but amazing. I finally got a chance to take my boy friend and he is hooked as well. It hasn't changed in years and thats why I like it so much.
(5)iddells E.
I can only speak for my carry-out beef salad....it was excellent! Beef salad is my favorite Thai dish and a must-have when I feel like Thai. I asked for it to be medium spicy and they were right on. It was just the right amount of kick. So tasty! However, they have their way of skimping out on you. To my surprise, when I opened the box, there was an abundance of meat, cucumber, tomatoes, cilantro, and onions. But, that was just a front.....a thick bed of iceberg lettuce awaited underneath. But whatever, it was delicious nonetheless. I also ordered a Thai ice tea, which was a bit on the sweet side, but still good! Thai Valley is a nicely-decorated, cozy restaurant. I shall return.
(4)Renee P.
A good place for Thai take out. Nothing fancy, nothing dissapointing. I always get the panang curry, but my husband just got a crispy noodle thing that was to die for when you need something fried...
(3)Michael A.
I have been here a lot of times and finally decided to do a review on it. I liked the fried rice and the Chili on rice everything else was just ok. The soup of the day is always the same and the smell and taste of it reminds me of cleaning products. That is why i hardly ever eat the soup of the day. I have definitely been to better Thai places. The waiter is always the same guy since he takes care of every table even if it is busy. I don't remember him coming to our table at all asking if everything was ok. There was also what looked like a piece of hair in my sister's food!! EWW! So in the end I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone unless they are looking for a cheap dinner.
(2)Bella V.
I'm Thai, and I'm not usually impressed with Thai food because frankly, anything most people make, my Grandma can make it better, or I can. However, I did really enjoy the food here at Thai Valley. It was very reasonably priced, and I really like sitting at the tables near the front window to watch people passing by. My reason for the -2 stars is the service. I've NEVER gotten good service here. I have always had to go and find my server to ask for anything. They bring you your food and then never come back, so be sure you order everything at once, or you'll be stuck searching for your waiter or waiting for 1/2 hour. I'd go back for the food and the prices, but already assuming that the service iwill be terrible.
(3)Darlene R.
Perhaps one of favorite thai places. The portions are huge here and the food is good. I usually get basil rice and pad thai. The deep fried whole fish is good, if you are ready to deal with bones. My mom and sister like the fish cakes from here. If you get a chance go for the lunch special. They give you a huge entree portion, appetizer and soup and i think its less than 8 dollars. Nothing amazing here, but nothing weird and funky.
(4)Alli H.
Good, simple food. Service was a little slow and, yes, the cardboard cut out of a Thai woman is creepy. But, all in all, I'll definitely go back.
(4)Alice S.
Believe me, I know how LUCKY I am to have this place in my neighborhood! Consistently good, fresh Thai food. The prices are so reasonable, it's unreal. I'm hungry now....must get Thai food from Thai Valley soooooon......!!! ***tummy rumbling***
(4)Jenna P.
Having just moved into the neighborhood, I now have eaten at Thai Valley several times and am officially a fan. Personally, I think the food is really tasty. The pad thai is well done, probably my second favorite in Chicago (after Jitlada in Lakeview). The noodles are well cooked and very flavorful. I have also tried several kinds of curry, and found them to be delicious. The appetizers were amazing too, and the peanut sauce for the satay was spot-on. The prices CANNOT be beat. The lunch specials are amazing, but the regular dinner prices are pretty freakin great too. I end up spending $10 for food that lasts me 2 meals. Add in the fact that it's BYOB, and you can get a huge meal for very cheap! A tip... if you're eating in the restaurant, the servers can be a little slow. Just head on over to the counter if you're in a rush to leave. They are perfectly polite about it (unlike some restaurants that get annoyed when you DARE visit the counter), and then you can leave when you like without waiting at all.
(3)Sarah L.
Came here the other night for dinner. We sat down and waited and waited.... another couple came and sat down after us. They had their order taken before us! My hubs and I were fed up and left. I don't care how busy you are, hire more servers. We may just stick to take out from Thai Valley if we're up to waiting for an hour. Shame on you Thai Valley. Maybe they think they can get away with such awful service since this is the only Thai restaurant in Albany Park?
(1)An P.
I ordered from here due to a suggestion from a friend. They guy taking my order was very friendly and gave me suggestions while I ordered. The pad thai was as good as any other place and their egg rolls were still crisp by the time it got there. They did not fuss around with the delivery time but the only strange thing I noticed was that small children delivered my food. My assumption is that the parents drove and then the little kids got out of the car because it was cold. Oh well, nothing like a little old child labor!
(4)Nikkie H.
I haven't been here in awhile, but I used to frequent this place quite a bit. I'm fairly boring and tend to stick with beef friend rice, which is nothing to write home about. The crab rangoon, pot stickers and egg rolls are delish, and plenty enough for two people. I did try to Lard Nar once and it was really watery. I wouldn't get that again.
(3)Vanessa R.
Is there a menu here? Because all I ever get is the same darn thing! I can't break away from my addiction...which is the Spicy Tofu Pad YUMMY! The staff is so nice, food is great, and portions are generous. I usually can split it in half and have lunch the next day. I have seen signs there that they have a lunch special during the week. One day I will venture over there midweek and give that a whirl.
(5)Daniel D.
been going here for years! the food is great and it is so not expensive at all! the staff is kind and quite prompt. the place is a bit small but I've never had to wait very long for my food and when it comes, boy is it good! I definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a delicious (and inexpensive) place to go!
(5)Beebe G.
this is our go-to place for thai take out! their prices are decent and the food's delish. i'm glad they finally took down the photo of blago and the fam that was signed and framed. :-) try their tom yum soup and won ton soup are both wonderful. there's this spicy beef salad that my husband orders all the time and is full of delicious flavor. their portions are very generous for the price. our other regular order is pad thai and spring rolls.
(4)Anpan W.
After years of hearing good things about Thai Valley, I finally made it there a few months ago. A group of us shared shumai, crab rangoon, and spring rolls. Everyone enjoyed the beef panang, noodle kee mow, chicken pad thai, and chicken gang garhee. We had a great experience with the service. Food service was prompt, and the staff seemed to intuit when we needed something, but otherwise left us alone.
(3)Irena A.
I live really near this place. It's ok food. I have had the pad see eiw here and it's pretty tasty. The Tom Ka soup was huge but not very tasty. The crab rangoon was good... fresh too
(4)Megan L.
The food from Thai Valley is consistenly good - I'm a big fan of the pad se eiw ordered crispy, and one of my friends gets the pork and spinach curry dish (sorry, can't remember the name) which is fantastic, and extremely spicy. The only challenge is the delivery - they get lost every time we order.
(3)Jasmyn K.
Went here for the first time, and probably last since I am moving, last night. Food was priced good, thai iced tea for only $1.50 and it was delicious! We got some egg rolls which were good, yellow curry chicken and wide noodles with beef...all were yummy! The only reason for 4 stars is the service....it is seat yourself and I guess go up and pay yourself and doggie bag it yourself....which isn't a problem, but when you don't know and you are just sitting and waiting, that kinda sucks!
(4)sarah l.
Thank you, Thai Valley for sort of making a comeback in my book. Thai Valley is my local neighborhood Thai spot & it used to be really good with lots of food for cheap. About a year I noticed them getting kind of crappy and more expensive. Less vegetables, not enough spice or flavor, small portions...Well tonight I resigned myself to it for the need of something close & quick that wasn't of the Latin American variety. Thai Valley it was. I picked up the food and medium spicy is medium spicy again! Even though their prices weren't as good as they used to be, it seems the portions have gotten larger. Nice to know I can bring my business back here. Food is pretty good again.
(3)Mrjustice ..
Glad I stumbled upon this place recently. It now gets my vote as my favorite Thai restaurant. Although the menu selection is relatively small, the traditional Thai dishes that are served up are wonderful. Portions are HUGE, no skimping on the meat or tofu main ingredient, and when you ask for spicy you get it. Delicious. And, BYO!
(5)Melissa M.
Ew, ewww! I had to force myself to eat that pad thai even tho I was hungry! However, about 3 other people have told me this place is "great," so I might've just gotten the thursday cook or something. I really won't make it a point to find out tho....
(2)katrina w.
this place was recommended to me for fried rice and eggrolls but we ordered and everything that arrived was brown. Pad thai = brown and the green onions were slimy and rotten. fried rice = deep brown, no fresh vegetables. egg rolls = filling - totally soggy brown and unidentifiable. Panang curry chicken was pretty good. Sticky rice, opart, or spoon are much better choices.
(2)jason t.
The lunch specials at Thai Valley are great. For five bucks you get soup, an appetizer and an entree, and the portions are humongous. I usually have enough leftover for an entire second meal. Everything I've tried here is delicious, the only downside is that the service can be pretty slow in the daytime since they've only got one guy working the dining room. Call your order in advance and you'll be ready to go.
(4)Brett B.
This place isn't nearly good enough to compete with all of the other stellar Thai joints in North Center, Lincoln Square and Ravenswood that will all deliver to this area. Any place on Western between Irving Park and Lawerence will beat it. A bit further east is Aroy Thai which is currently by go-to Thai delivery. I am giving it a 2 because I've eaten there more than once and it won't kill you (although my wife ended up in the ER with an allergic reaction yet ordered nothing she's allergic to).
(2)Josh R.
One of the best lunch specials in Chicago Soup Appetizer Entree All for $6.99 everyday between 11:30 & 3. Also if you aren't ordering off the lunch special menu you should really try their spicy rice namsod, one of the best dishes I've had at any Thai restaurant. Worth going just for this dish alone!
(5)Dorthee B.
Always seemed empty inside and now I know why. 1) Smells like cat pee inside 2) Bad staff 3) Even worse food - the tom ka kai was actually inedible, weird thick consistency and intensely lemony (so much so that no other flavors came through). I will NEVER go back. Way too many other good Thai restaurants in the neighborhood to waste your money on this place.
(1)Kristine M.
Very good... Never disappoints you get your money's worth soup, appetizer, and entree for lunch special only $6.95/sit down only...love the pad see eiw, spring rolls and crab Rangoon
(3)E J.
This place is a hidden gem. I would go there literally every weekend when I lived in Chicago. Fairly affordable price, especially their lunch special, and the portion is HUGE. Satay was my favorite from this place--tender marinated chicken, skewered and charcoal-broiled, served with peanut sauce & cucumber salad. You get to pick your own choice of fried rice as well. I would always go with beef fried rice. Sooooo good. Now I miss this place. I discovered I had a huge appetite Thai food when I first checked out this place about 5 years ago. Just try it, you won't regret it. P.S. : The only thing was I could never get used to their appetizer soup though. I don't know what it's called but I was never a big fan of it.
(5)Sarah S.
I would give it 5 starts, but the service is slow... Otherwise I think it's perfect. I have tried several menu options and none disappointed me
(4)August B.
Best lunch special ever...after Pilipino Isla of course. But this place can't be beat for their brand of Asian cuisine. The food is good enough, nothing Bourdainish about but it's also six bucks so nobody is going to spend time transforming pad thai into something that resembles a piece of bamboo for an audience who doesn't care. So yes this is a review of the lunch deal which comes with soup, appetizer and main dish. I'm not going to be too critical because only an ass would critique a six dollar meal...only a bigger ass would be critical of a real live old thai lady doing the cooking especially when I grew up on a fake version of Thai food. Long story short it's a destination lunch place...4 stars****
(4)Aaron B.
I'm sure they can care less about reviews so I won't go there with how they need to hire more staff. No I think I'll go there! Owner lets one man bus/wait the entire restaurant making you wait ridiculously long for your order, your food, and your check. I love their food but their service needs a lot of work. I despise going there during lunch because my entire stay takes an hour and a half just to eat pad Thai and an egg roll. Insane. I don't have that much time during lunch! Back to food. Soup is awesome. Never had anything like it. Hot sauce is unique with a Spanish (sofrito) flavor. Try their crispy padsee eww. Very nice and crispy.
(3)Sumeet D.
So Amazing!! The Spicy Rice Namsod is killer!!
(4)Geoffrey S.
Very pleasant service, every dish is done well, and you can't beat the lunch specials. The candy they have by the register is an added favorite of mine. Some people have knocked this place for slow service, but considering it seems to only ever be one guy running the front l, and probably one in the kitchen, they do an excellent job managing rush periods.
(5)Mauricio P.
This is the only place that does pad si we with the very crispy noodles. (You have to request then xtra crispy) Mmmm. Reasonably priced and very friendly. Street parking. Just off the Brown Line kedzie stop. We come with the whole family. Everything is made to order. The pad Thai and fried rice are the way to go also.
(5)H S.
The food was not worth the wait, it had a burnt smell to it. Will not be ordering again.
(1)Alivia L.
In agreement with a lot of the other reviewers, this place is decent but not amazing. I do have to say that the staff is incredibly nice and friendly.
(2)Bryant A.
thai valley = oh yeah!! everything we have had from here has been delicious. Curry, good. Pad Thai, awesome. Tom Yum soup, spicy and wonderful!
(4)Theresa A.
Great service. Great prices, including lunch specials. Delicious soup! Tom Yum is my favorite!
(5)Rae S.
I read reviews on this place before i walked in thinking everyone has their own taste buds and i would try this place out for myself since i dont live that far away. I walk into this place and there is not a single person to take my take out order. The i think owner finally gets up to take my order from watching iron man on tv off in the corner. I order chicken pad thai and spring rolls. I get home and the pad thai tastes like it sat underneath a heat lamp for an hour coming from a box at the grocery store. It was not true pad thai by any means. and if a thai food place cant get pad thai correct there is something really wrong. I open up my spring rolls thinking they can redeem themselves. and my spring roll looks like its sushi. It looked and tasted like it was wrapped in Styrofoam. It was awful. Please I want to let you know, if you like thai food you will want to go somewhere else. I wish i would have gone to mcdonalds right next door instead. I am not the one to really write extremely bad reviews because i understand small business's are trying to make it in corporate america, but do yourself a favor and go to a different small business in the area.
(1)Anastasia B.
This place used to be the best that good on the north side. Now it's just edible... It's too bad as I really did enjoy this place once upon a time.
(2)Valerie J.
My family has visited this family's restaurant for over 30 years. The original Thai Valley was located on Lawrence. There is an entire menu worth checking out, and others have mentioned trying different foods. That is all well and good, but I have consistently ordered only one dish from here over the many years: the fried rice. Their fried rice is hands down the best friend rice I have eaten anywhere in the US. I've lived in LA, in New Orleans, and a few other smaller cities, and Thai Valley's fried rice is the one I compare all fried rice to. And, none ever come close. It could be a combination of my taste buds and their unique recipe, but whatever it is, it works. If you try this place out, start with the fried rice and then work your way out. The fried rice with the wonton soup: my family's classic combo. I guarantee that you will be satisfied with this combo. It is perfect, and there are few restaurants that can meet perfection with such simplicity. There is a reason this place has been open for over 30 years, and I think the reason is the fried rice.
(5)Dan R.
Below average tasting Thai Food. Orange Chicken was burnt. Not one or two pieces of chicken....I'm talking every piece of chicken. Would never go back.
(1)mary h.
I hate to write bad reviews, but this place warrants one. First of all, they need to learn how to answer the phone. It's really not a complicated device. The line is always busy because I don't think they ever hang up. I ordered an appetizer, pad thai and pad prik last night at 6:40pm. I asked how much my order would be and the man told me to hold on. I could tell he must have been busy. He put the phone down and never returned. Just for fun I stayed on the line. I hung up at 7:05. Well....my order was still not delivered at 7:45, so I gave him a call. Third time I got through. He told me another 15minutes!!! I was furious but also starving. The food arrived at 8:05 and we got the wrong order. I don't know what we got but we ate it because we starving. The food was very bland. It was hot and fresh but very bland. I will never go back.
(1)Alicia A.
Seriously? I don't know whether you guys who gave this place better than 2 stars have had Thai food outside of Chicago (because so far Chicago thai restaurants are FAIL) but this half-assed garbage does not even rate. Ordered the tom ka, papaya salad, basil fried rice, and pad see ew. Tom ka we ordered with tofu but got it with chicken. Nothing special about it, tasted like they heated up a can of coconut milk and threw in some chicken. Papaya salad was actually decent, though nothing special. Basil fried rice...well I don't know how they can call this fried rice because there is nothing fried about it. I got some sad wilted basil leaves, mushy steak and a mess of bell peppers and onions (supposed to be hot peppers) over plain old steamed rice. Absolutely not fried rice by any stretch of the imagination. Even for what it was it sucked. Pad see ew- Yuck. A meager smattering of overcooked broccoli and dry chicken accompanied overcooked noodles that were baaaaaarely sauced and certainly not sauteed to a nice caramelized glaze like they're supposed to be. Tasted like they dunked old noodles back into tepid dirty water, chucked in old chicken and broccoli cooked yesterday and called it a day. We ordered take out and I guess if I had ever set foot in the place beforehand I would never have ordered from there in the first place...place smells of stale cigarettes and they have a TV blaring in the back while people in the front get to eat to it as background music. Yuck, just yuck.
(1)Sasha T.
Overall if you are craving Thai food this place is not bad to go to. We went there last night and for appetizer we ordered spring rolls and cream cheese crab wonton. I enjoyed the spring rolls but the cream cheese crab wonton was more greasy dough than the actual stuffing (I love a good crab wonton). For the main dish I ordered Shrimp pad thai and my boyfriend ordered the chicken pad thai. Chicken pad thai was good (probably the best choice on the menu) and there was a lot of chicken. My shrimp pad thai on the other hand had only 5 small pieces of shrimp...
(3)Sabrina R.
Came here with my husband for the lunch special. We arrived at 11, but it was 11:20 before they even turned the lights on (after 3 more tables had arrived). The service was good, but the food was too sweet for my taste. I had the Tom Yum chicken soup. I normally love the spicy lemongrass flavor of tom yum, but this soup was waaaaaay to sweet for me. The crab rangood was just ok, nothing mindblowing. The basil chicken, a dish I love and eat all the time, was also way too sweet! The cook must have a sweet tooth. My husband's fried rice was good, but that's not enough to lure me back to Thai Valley.
(2)Danny Y.
This tastes like Thai food made by some guy who learned to make Thai food from a guy who learned to make Thai food from a guy that learned to make Thai food from a guy that visited Thailand once in 1972, Tried it out twice because I'm a glutton for punishment. The first time got some curry and the FRIED PAD SEE EWW!!! FRIED! I have been to a lot of Thai restaurants. Lots. It's a favorite ethnic go-to... Chicago has made me sad in this regard. Most places just don't cut it and all of these 'fusion' asian restaurants just spread the mediocrity around the various style so that they all just suck. But I digress: I have been to a lof of Thai restaurants and have never heard of this FRIED Pad See Ew. I mean, the dish is actually named "Fried with Soy Sauce", so FRIED Pad See Ew sounds redundant, but there it was next to regular Pad see Ew for a dollar up charge. Oh my, what a novelty. I could see myself buying this from a stand at some local festival while I watch toddlers scream for funnel cakes. Yet a novelty does not save a restaurant from its myriad other failures. First order was take-out. Ready in 30 minutes the fellow on the phone said. I headed over there and announced myself at about 25 minutes. It wasn't ready, but no worries, I'm 5 minutes early or so. Not sure why it takes THIRTY MINUTES to make Coconut Milk Soup and Curry that you already made hours ago and just have simmering on the pot waiting to throw in whatever meat I choose, but whatever. The inside of this place was odd. In the front near the windows facing the street was the dine in area, which seemed fine. But in the back sitting area which doubled as the waiting for pick-up area was a large TV. So if you were in the dine-in area, you got to hear it but not see it. Cozy. So when I got there, the TV was on number 15 of the countdown of the TOP TWENTY STUPID DAREDEVILS! Quality television for the discerning intellectual. Before my food was ready, I got to watch the rest of the show in its entirety. I was even prepared to get mad when I got to see the number 2 STUPIDEST DAREDEVIL but then get my food and leave, never knowing who had the dubious distinction of being number one. Because that's how it always works. Except this time. I got to finish the show. For anyone that's counting, this puts me in the restaurant for FORTY FIVE MINUTES. So what the guy on the phone really meant when he said 'ready in 30 minutes' was 'ready in an hour and ten minutes'. Anyway, took that home and had some bland Thai food, not at all inspiring. Sad sad sad. Except for the Fried Fried with Soy Sauce. That was fun. So why did I go a second time? Because the first time may have been a fluke. Head Chef might have been out sick that night or who knows?!? Yeah, lightning strikes TWICE! Bland, boring, not properly cooked, poor presentation. 'Fried rice' that was just white rice with sauteed vegetables thrown over it. The Tom Kha was OK, but how do you mess up Tom Kha? Anyway, sorry for you guys that think its great. I pray for your palette.
(1)Andre W.
Decided to stop in since there was a 2 hour wait at Semiramis (failed attempted groupon use). We walked by the place and I looked in and thought to myself that it might actually be good. I had no idea I would be walking back over to eat in the same night. We started out with Crab Ragoon as an appetizer. They were huge and came with 7 pieces...pretty good. For my meal I went with the Roasted Duck over rice. The portion was just right...not too big, not too small. The duck was very tender and packed with lots of flavor Nice little spot to stop in randomnly. This place is BYOB and delivers
(3)