I'm all about trying new Thai restaurants, especially comparing certain dishes. This so far is the only local restaurant near my work (I live in the city) and I was initially pleased. Once I got a pad thai that was overcooked which was unfortunate. I do like the eggroll and soup that accompanies the dish during the lunch specials (not sure if the same goes for other times of the day). Decor wasn't too bad. I was a fan of the light fixture/golden umbrella combo hanging from the ceiling. The staff is generally nice and hospitable. I'm definitely open to finding other Thai restos in the area, but this was a good start.
(3)
Michael C.
My 5 stars is to offset some of the low ball stars that I read regarding this place. Be sure to read all the reviews and give this place a try. I bet you'll find more dishes you like then dislike. Rising out of the fast food and chain restaurant cesspool of Gurnee is good home made Thai food place. This place is close to destination places like Gurnee Mills, Six Flags, and Key Lime Cove. We were with the kids and needed some decent food, since lunch that day was a debacle. Miso soup: Among the best we've had. All the soups are available by the serving bowl so that everyone could have some. My daughter asked how do they make it so good. Pad woo sen: wife is an expert of this glass noodle dish. She loved it and even took home the left overs. Combo fried rice: Good enough. Would not win a competition, but decent enough to order again . Eggplant with chicken: good enough for me to finish the whole dish. We ate until we were stuffed. What we liked is how nice the owners were and how much they cared. We were asked several times if everything tasted good and how much we liked it. Extra star for being so caring and nice. Offset extra star: way too many petty reviews that gave one or two stars. My fellow yelpers, your messing around with someones livelihood. If your meal was like cat food, go ahead and rate like you will. This is not a 2.5 star place. 3-4 would be more like it. I feel bad that this couple is so nice and caring that some of the petty issues or lack of the number of reviews would lower this homemade Thai place less then 3 stars.
(5)
Adam F.
Haven't been here in a while, but this is one of the best Thai food joints in the area!
(4)
Jonathan K.
i went w a couple co workers for lunch, and they both didnt enjoy their meals. my pad see eiw was actually good. it wasnt great, but yea it was good. the service was very nice, but they should have been more accomodating about an order confusion. if we had ordered something and they understood it wrong, they should offer to change the order... ethnic restaurants are known to be "bad" at customer service, but this usually comes from the american consumer who has american cultural expectations. sometimes ethnic patrons arent being rude or inconsiderate when they seem to be. :)
(3)
Ruth L.
Let me just say first that I spent over a month in Thailand and I am comparing this to the amazing food that I had there, which I realize is not a completely fair comparison. I had their pad thai with beef, which was good but not great. I am very particular about pad thai and what should go in it. Shredded cabbage instead of carrots? Well, not typical, but it actually tasted fine and added nice texture to the dish. But sliced onions? No, you do not belong in pad thai, not ever. They also used thin rice noodles rather than medium-sized ones, which does affect the texture of the dish. To their credit though, the sauce was right on - not too much of it, and a good balance of salty/sweet/umami. Service was fast (I was there at lunchtime and there were only a few other tables filled). I do agree with a previous reviewer who wrote that the servers are too quick to ask you if you want a box. Then when she did bring the box she left it on my table and I had to box my food myself - which I have NEVER, ever had to do before at an Asian restaurant, and I have been to my share of Asian restaurants. C'mon, Royal Thai. That is Waitressing 101 stuff. I haven't tried any other Thai restaurants in the northern suburbs, so can't compare this to other local options. I found it to be expensive ($10 for my pad thai), so I will have to keep looking for my go-to Thai place on this side of the city.
(3)
Tom W.
Thoroughly enjoyed the food and experience. Everyone there was friendly and I was asked many time if there was anything I needed or was everything was ok. I started with the Tom yum soup with chicken. The chicken was shredded and very tastey. The broth was nice and spicy as well. My pad tai beef was awesome. Very well seasoned and the noodle were thin. I would be a regular if I lived near here!!
(5)
Debbie F.
Good food and great staff! I would recommend. A little slow but they gave me free jasmine tea for our wait!
(4)
Johanna E.
Love the food very authentic with great flavors. Loved the choose of food to order. Staff was very friendly!
(5)
Chris J.
MSG Alert. I have to give a bad review here because I think the food or the cook has changed. Thumbs used to be my fav Thai restaurant in the area. But after my last 3 orders the next day I have the worst headache. I get migraines and MSG is a severe trigger for them. This never was a problem before at Royal Thai but I'm afraid I can no longer trust eating here. Sorry.
(2)
Greg D.
All 3 of us had 3 different meals and they were tasty! Staff was very attentive and friendly. Great selection on the menu.
(5)
Ron B.
This our local thai place and we enjoy eating here. Not all of the menu items taste great, but they have very good curry dishes, especially Chicken Panang. Also, the Pad Kee Mao is very good. No complaints with their service, the staff is friendly and generally we do not have to wait very long for our orders to arrive. I'd like to see them add some dishes such as lemongrass bbq beef/chicken and papaya salad.
(4)
Nancy A.
I really want to like this place more than I do. Their food is hit or miss. Some items are great while others really lack flavor. We love the chicken with green beans in red curry. The family had ordered their pad Thai often, but to me it seriously lacks flavor and moisture. Always has been very bland, but the family loves it. Pad kee mao is another favorite and how good it is depends upon the chef working. The egg rolls are the best. Overall portions are small in my opinion. The lunch specials are great...soup, appetizer and entree served up quick and fast. Service is steady. We love it when the owner is there and she is just fantastic. The rest of the wait staff provides fine service, but are no where near as friendly as the owner. All in all a good place, but the food can be hit or miss for an evening meal, but a great place for a group work lunch.
(3)
Taisiya T.
The best Thai restaurant!!!! 4 stars just because they don't have a changing table for baby in restroom. But food was GREAT!!!!
(4)
Rick F.
Went there for the first time and will definitely return. Nice atmosphere, great service and excellent food. I've been to Thailand and this place reminded me of the flavors I had experienced there.
(5)
Melanie R.
Had the Royal Thai special which started with a little bowl of cucumbers, 1 chicken wing & 1 drumette. The spicy BBQ sauce on the chicken was good, but very messy. They need to give you more than just one napkin. The chicken curry in this special was very good; the pad thai just so-so. It was rather tasteless and dry. I almost dumped my cucumbers over it just to flavor it up and give it some moisture! Husband had the duck curry and said it was good. We had the spring rolls for an appetizer and they were "OK". Rather tasteless, but refreshing. Service was fast and efficient (a little TOO efficient...the waitress tried to take my cucumber bowl away which was still full), but not very friendly. At the end of our meal, I had both leftover pad thai and chicken curry and rice. I asked for a to-go box and the waitress brought me just one of those little Chinese take-out boxes. I had to mix all the food together and dump it into the container. She really should've brought two containers for two different dishes. We would come back here though because the food was good (I'll skip the pad thai though) and we enjoyed the ambiance of the restaurant, too. It was quiet and pleasant music playing in the background.
(4)
Alisa S.
This is the best Thai food in the area. Love the ladna and panang curry. You really can't go wrong with any of the food here. The egg rolls are delicious as well!
(5)
Denise C.
We enjoyed the seafood combo, crab rangoon, shrimp and veg tempura as well as the miso soup. Ohhh... how can I forget that sauce that comes with the spring roll. Yum yum
(4)
Kim P.
Hidden Gem!: After living in the city for many years, my husband and I know food Thai food! We are so glad we gave this place a try & we were not disappointed! The pad Thai is amazing! Pretty much everything we've tried here has not left us disappointed! Their eggs rolls were very small and not very flavorful, but that's the only item on the menu I wouldn't order again.
(5)
Jennie E.
Service is wonderful! The menu is vast. I have to say that when I ordered spicy, I was expecting more. Also, while peanut is a flavor in Pad Thai it was evident in most all of the food, which I thought odd. The food was fresh and I believe authentic but definitely tamed down for burbs. I had the yellow curry, beef salad, tom yum, and dessert. It was a satisfying meal but I missed the heat!
(3)
Rylee S.
Ordered carryout about a week ago for lunch- The food (ginger chicken) was REALLY tasteless... I wouldn't eat it again even if it was free.
(1)
Kaylen A.
I love this place!! I moved to the area from San Francisco and was looking everywhere for good Thai food. They aren't completely traditional Thai cuisine, but everything is absolutely deeeelicious! They have real ramen noodle soup, and they have it with tofu and veggies. I'm mostly vegetarian/vegan so I greatly appreciate that. They have 2 different types of spring rolls, Vietnamese and Thai. Both are fabulous. My husband tries something new every time we go and loves it every time. I hear the pad thai is awesome. To top all the yummy food off, the service is always very friendly. There's a specific server there that I absolutely love. I believe she may be one of the owners, but I'm not sure. She always remembers me and what I like to order. She's so sweet, and makes the experience ten times better!
(5)
Kevin N.
This warmly decorated Thai restaurant has improved in quality quite a bit since it opened. The owner is a gracious lady, very friendly and sweet. She often runs the front of the house by hosting and serving. I've tried a lot of dishes over the years and my favorites have to be the seafood hot pot and duck curry. I've always felt they have been light on the spice, so if you you like typical Thai spice, I order it very spicy because light and medium are barely spicy at all. I enjoy the cucumber salad, the beef salad and the spring rolls. I was surprised by a spicy sweet cheeks wing which came as part of the special curry dinner the other day. The yellow chicken curry is also absolutely delicious. Don't forget to order some tom kha or tom yum soup as well- but make it spicy! Until royal Thai I'd never tried Thai desserts, but the owner makes an absolutely yummy coconut ice cream served over sticky rice and homemade pineapple cake with a cream cheese frosting. Very good!
(4)
Josh Y.
It's easy to skip past this tiny lil restaurant that seats about 25-30 max. It's right across the street from Great America, but back off Grand Ave about a half mile quietly hiding in a strip mall with a few other restaurants. The servers of Royal Thai are always nice and on top of things from water refills to getting you anything else you could need. I've only been here for lunch so my review is based off those experiences. Their lunch special menu has about 15 options from curries to noodle dishes with plenty of protein options to choose from. I've had the Pad See Eiw and Green Curry. Lunch specials come with a spring roll and soup and depending on your protein range from $9-$12. Maybe a little bit more than your usual lunch, but well worth it. The Pad See Eiw is outstanding. Crunchy veggies and the sweet sauce is fantastic. Their curry dishes are just as good. They can make them however hot you'd like so don't be afraid to ask for a milk version. I like mine with medium heat and I can always kick it up with the chile sauce they put at your table if need be. Royal Thai is a great alternative for lunch goers in the area since most of your options are either fast food or chain restaurants.
(4)
Denny P.
Excellent food this is the best thai food place north of the city. A little pricey, friendly staff great service. Thanks
(5)
Gloria Z.
Ordered pineapple fried rice w/ chicken to go. NOT the best I've ever had, but still good quality. At least serving very fast.
(4)
Michael K.
Great food, friendly service. We were visiting from the Rockford area to go to Six Flags. Glad we found this spot.
(5)
Jiaxi L.
Perfect! The best Thai restaurant! Good service and amazing food! Ni zhi de yong you!
(5)
Nina M.
This is our new favorite thai place! We live in lindenhurst so there aren't many places to choose from. We had a bad experience at lovely Thai in grayslake and I've been searching for a place close to our home for my weekend cravings. Customer service is great and they are very attentive. Price isn't bad either! For two appetizers, two entrees and two pops (yes, I said pop and not soda!) it came in under 40 dollars! Their crab rangoons are amazing. Better than any place I've ordered from before. I've only ordered the pad kee maw because I have a strange addiction to wide noodles and the other items have broccoli in them. Blaghhh - some childhood aversions I can't get over! The hubs orders their royal Thai noodles every time. He claims the sauce is amazzzzing! (Yes, he says it just like that too ) Only drawbacks are: I wish the beef had more oooomph. Doesn't seem like the best quality meat, but it is definitely not bad. And the hubs wishes they had better egg rolls ( I had a bite though and they weren't bad - maybe could use the addition of more veggies in it?) Definitely recommend!
(4)
Chris G.
Good food--I would certainly go back for the curry.
(4)
Gorgon S.
Not too shabby. This place is your best Thai option in the northern Illinois/Wisconsin area.
(5)
A S.
I love this restaurant! I have been a loyal customer for around 7 years now. This small, family owned establishment serves up consistently fabulous dishes at completely reasonable prices! Their lunch special is fantastic. My favorite dishes are Pad Ke Mao (drunken noodles) which they do to perfection, not too dry, not too much sauce, just the right amount of spice. I also love their Panang curry! Their Thai egg rolls are not bad either!
(5)
John T.
My wifes favorite place in town to get take out from. The food is very good. We always get take out, so can't speak about dine in service, but everyone is always very friendly. Don't pass this place up!
(4)
Tom P.
We had never been to Royal Thai and only went because all Thai places were closed on Sunday. Here's my take. The service was very fast. The food was exceptional. We will add this to our list. Enjoy!
(4)
Rebeccah L.
One of my favorite Thai places and definitely one of my favorite restaurants in Gurnee (which is just full of chain restaurants). The family is super nice and they are passionate about what they do, which is always great. Some dishes: Spring rolls - delicious!!! Pad see ewe - I get this almost every time because I love it so much. I've tried this dish at many Thai restaurants and this is one of my favorites. Thai custard - it looks incredibly unappetizing, but it is unbelievably delicious. It's served warm, which adds a nice touch, too. A sweet, coconut flavor that ends a meal perfectly. I get it every time!!! They also always have coupons attached to Jewel receipts, so it's nice to get a discount as well!
(4)
Taylor M.
I really liked the Pad See Eew. I have eaten at a bunch of thai restaurants and this Pad See Eew was different, but yummy! The sauce was much thicker than I was accustomed to and the beef was tender and not overcooked like most thai restaurants. My boyfriend got the Spicy Basil Chicken, extra spicy, and it was also very good. The only thing I was not impressed by was the crab rangoon. The only major complaint I have was that it was silent. There were three tables full (I went right at 4:30 for dinner) and there was no music or anything which was a little strange. Nice restaurant for a thai place which seemed to do more carry out business. I really liked the waitstaff. My water glass was never even half full the entire time, they kept coming to refill it! Nice and clean with an open kitchen.
(3)
Richie D.
I have to agree with the previous review. The Thai food here is alright. They do have a large variety (over 65 dishes), so maybe I should try something new next time. It can't compare with the Thai in Chicago, but adequate for the suburbs. The portions are a fair size, so that's a plus. The service is one of the best parts because they are really sweet and helpful. Great location across from Great America! Unfortunately, due to its location being next to a kid's game/entertainment/mini-golf business (Monster Golf), you hear Whack-A-Mole while you're trying to slurp your noodles. Even though the unfortunate owners re-constructed the wall on one side of their store to block out the noise, it still remains a problem. Yet, the owners of Monster Golf wouldn't do anything about it, like relocating specific game machines. DOWN WITH MONSTER GOLF (which is a rip-off in and of itself)!
(3)
Bri D.
food is super yummy. im obsessed with the pad thai
(5)
Eileen H.
I was happy and a little excited to find out that there is now a Thai restaurant in my hometown of Gurnee, IL. Unfortunately, the food was a little disappointing. I will admit that I only tried three dishes: Royal Thai fried rice w/shrimp, chicken satay and pad see ew. I didn't try my usual 'control' dishes (pad thai and pad kaprow or gkaprow or whatever. spicy basil chicken) because I had eaten some pizza right before I went. The best dish out of the three was the fried rice. Pretty run-of-the-mill shrimp fried rice, but nothing special. The chicken satay was passable, but it came out already doused in peanut sauce! Not happy about that. I don't think I've ever had to specify 'peanut sauce on the side'. The pad see ew was really not good. The noodles were super long and wide, which is fine, but the whole dish was WET! Too much sauce or something. The flavor wasn't that great either. I don't claim to be an expert on Thai food, but having lived in the Bay area for over then years has spoiled me with so much great Asian food, that when I have some sub-par stuff, it's painfully obvious. Sorry Royal Thai!
(2)
Mel M.
My girlfriend and I were debating on where to eat. We stumbled upon Royal Thai and was really impressed. We ordered the shrimp dumplings for an appetizer and it was great. For our entrees we ordered the Thai Sampler and the Duck curry. We were blown away on the presentation and taste. Five Stars for Royal Thai!!!
(5)
Ryan W.
Easily our favorite Thai resturaunt in the chicagoland area. we are never disappointed when we go there, I'm guessing the people rating it low either don't know what Thai food is supposed to taste like, or failed to order the right dishes. My suggestions: 1) Their curry's (red and green) are great, and full of flavour, if you like thai-style curry, this is definitely for you. 2) The beef pad thai is the first pad thai I've had at a restaurant that doesn't taste like a box mix (if I wanted that i'd just buy the mix from the supermarket and make it at home). if you are used to the Americanized pad thai, this may be a foreign taste to you, but it is a far superior flavor if you are willing to but aside your bias and preconceptions as to what pad thai should taste like. if you go in expecting boxed pad thai, you might not like it (just like if you order a cola, but they give you a root beer; even though you might love root beer, the taste is going to throw you off because you were expecting cola) . I'd suggest getting it mildly spicy for an added kick 3) The royal thai noodles are a must, if a place puts it's namesake on a dish, you know it's going to be their specialty. medium spicy is my favorite, but might be too spicy for some people (you can downgrade to mild spicy) 4) the egg rolls and spring rolls are both phenomenal appetizers, I prefer the egg rolls (love that pineapple dipping sauce), but if you are looking for something not fried, spring rolls are it. 5) wash everything down with a thai iced tea. easily the best version in all of chicagoland. 6) the pad see ew can be hit or miss, but when it's on it's amazing. again, medium or mild spicy is recommended. (and yes, the long/wide noodles are used, which is traditional for the dish, and they are fried up to a crisp exterior with a nice soft/chewy interior with plenty of sauce) ask for extra crispy noodles to ensure you get it nice and crispy.
(4)
Sid B.
THIS IS MY FIRST ONE STAR FOR A THAI RESTAURANT Today I had the worst pad thai ever!!!! seriously have eaten in umpteen no of thai places in IL and never have experienced such a tragedy... the dish was like as tasteless as dry mud and the tofus were surely a week old.... on top of that it was too oily.....My friends ordered other dishes and none were good... the only grace was the egg roll which was served as an appetizer .... U PLANNING TO VISIT GURNEE RT? THERE ARE 15 OTHER RESTAURANTS IN THE MALL, SO SAVE YOURSELF AND GO ELSEWHERE!
(1)
Vinny The Vacuum S.
This place is just OK in my book. If you're jonesing for Thai food this place fits the bill nicely but keep in mind the portions are small and they skimp on the meat added to the noodle dishes. I had the Royal Thai noodles with beef strips - fried rice noodles with veggies and beef covered in a gravy sauce, very tasty and well prepared. The problems: the plate was 3x the size of the entree and I only got 5 strips of thinly sliced beef with the noodles. Glad I had a coupon.
(3)
Vira K.
I really like this place. Of course it's not a restaurant for which you should drive all the way to Gurnee, but if you live in the area and like Thai food, I definitely recommend it. I like the staff and I love the food there. Always fresh and delicious.
(4)
Nicole D.
I've been here twice. Once, I stopped ONLY for Thai iced tea. The second time, I was seriously craving Pad See Eiw, and this is the only Thai place I really know about in the area. Maybe I've been spoiled by the numerous Thai restaurants in Southern California, which never disappoint. If I didn't have them as a basis for comparison, I may have been more satisfied. My total was $13 for Thai iced tea, and Pad See Eiw entree. At $10, for the dish, the portion size was much smaller than I expected, and much smaller than I'm accustomed to. The noodles were good, though more stuck together than usual. The overall flavor of the dish was enjoyable. My biggest gripe? I ordered the dish because I really wanted the Chinese broccoli which is supposed to be in it. Not only was there no Chinese broccoli, there were only about 3 pieces of regular broccoli. The Thai iced tea was below average as well. I have to remember not to go there unless I'm having an incredible craving for the tea. Otherwise, it's not worth the disappointment. The owners are nice, as other reviewers mentioned. The first time I stopped, I talked to the woman about my love for Thai iced tea and boba, and she told me I should ask her if she has made any boba milk tea when I stop, because sometimes she just makes some for herself. Conclusion: Prices are above average. Food is below average.
(2)
L T.
This is my favorite local restaurant. The panang curry is so good, and the service is friendly & professional. I don't really like the eggrolls, but nothing I've ever had there has been bad. Tthe wonton prawns are totally awesome. I'd also recommend the oriental vegetable soup. We ordered party trays from there recently and were very pleased with the price and quality.
(5)
Janice F.
They have a great peanut chicken sauce...Every time we have been here, the food has been excellent!!
(4)
Kelly H.
I love a place that reconizes you, and the owner always does here! i usually do take-out since its close to my work and all us ladies in the office love it! The food is wonderful for any thai place in any burbs! Their lunch garlic chicken special is my fav! cheap and comes with a yummy spring roll and soup! cant beat that!
(4)
Justin R.
This is a great little place for Thai food if you're up in the Gurnee area. The massaman curry is very good, as is the pad thai. The wonton prawns are a superb appetizer with an awesome pineapple dipping sauce.
(4)
Kay M.
Had lunch here with a friend, the service was excellent. The food was good. I had the Pad kee mao, which was good. The decor was elegant. Not much more I can say.
(3)
Graham T.
I found this place by chance. The food is authentic and very delicious! Great service, friendly staff and pleasant surroundings. The portions are good sized considering the reasonable prices. Terrific fresh spring rolls, nice, plump shrimp in my soup, tasty beef salad, and excellent chicken panang. I live in Lake Forest, but the drive to Gurnee for this Thai gem is well worth it! The best in Lake County.
(5)
Justin G.
I went here for lunch yesterday and it was highly okay. I was expecting great things after a vegan raved about how awesome the food is here. Perhaps listening to a vegan was my biggest folly, as I am highly carnivorous. I forgot what my dish was called, but it was the last one under lunch specials. The taste was decent, and the amount was pretty good for $9.95. In fact, I kept forking at the food and it seemed to take a surprisingly long amount of time to get to the bottom. However, the chicken was A BIT dry. I can give them the benefit of the doubt though, since I got here around the end of lunch time. I would try it again, but not go out of the way. This place is located in what I think is called Pembrook Plaza. Great America's main entrance is across the street on Grand, so if you are fiending for Thai that is close by if the park gets shut down for rain, lightning, typhoons, or whatever, this place might be worth a try.
(3)
Chris A.
Just like what I put 3 stars it's OK. This was the closest Thai restaurant in Great Lakes. I wanted to eat a Thai restaurant when I went to a Navy school. So I tried it out. I went here for lunch and the place was empty. So obviously they gave good service since I was the only customer they had to worry about. I guess this place is good if there's really no competition and you don't feel like driving all the way to Chicago.
(3)
Parker ..
It's a cool place to dine in..I don't know of any other thai place in the area. The Mussamun is alright, though the sauce is a bit watery. The Red Curry is good but I wish they cooked it with squash instead of eggplant..which seems to be the way most places cook it (Madison and Chicago). Plenty of menu choices to go through, appetizers are limited and the variety of beverages are nice.
(3)
Jessica B.
The Pad Thai here is terrible. The service is fine and the ambiance is decent, but the food just sucks.
(1)
Lisa C.
I had a craving for tom yum soup and this was the closest Thai place. We have eaten there a few times prior and found it very inconsistent. The last two times I have gotten tom yum soup has been no lemongrass in it! Not even close to the sweet/savory/pungent flavor it should have had, tasted more like Mom's chicken soup. No more chances for Royal Thai, I will stick with Lovely Thai in Grayslake for my cravings!
(1)
Melissa C.
my husband and I have been going to this Thai place for years. We absolutely love it. The owners and waitstaff are attentive as well as kind. The food is delicious. They recently expanded their menu. My new favorite thing? The dumplings! I love their pad kee mao, red and yellow curries, and pineapple fried rice. The portions are generous, I often take home half my entree. I also find that they will accommodate requests and substitutions.
(5)
Renato P.
I have to say the first time I hit this place up , I wasn't really that impressed. The decor was fine , the service adequate , and the menu selection solid. I ordered the pan fried wide noodles , and sadly they were more like deep fried which didn't jive with me. The veggies and meat were solid but after the shock of the noodles , I wasn't going to be satisfied. Second time I went with a hungry group of four and I have to say things were way different this time. We started with the potstickers which were unanimously graded as good , I leaned more toward very good. The satay chicken was a solid good as well , nothing to write home about but still tasty. They poured the peanut sauce on the chicken , which for some reason bothered me , but again I did like it. The Tempura shrimp and veggies was also good , but I felt they used a bit too much batter or maybe it was a bit too thick. I did like the sauces there , they weren't the standard potsticker and tempura dipping sauces , and I appreciated that. The fried rice was very good , it had nice sized chunks of beef , and I can dig that. The garlic beef was very good , and is now a new favorite of mine when I do Thai again . The Pad Woonsen (glass noodles) was very good , with a killer sweet flavor , again an instant favorite. I will admit that I still am not very well versed in Thai cooking , but I really enjoyed myself here. I will sure be back here at some point , and might even try some other Thai places because of how much I enjoyed my food today. If this place was closer to home , It would definitely make my regular restaurant rotation. The only gripe would be a smidge higher than average price, nothing too crazy though.
(4)
Donroy Q.
The food is good but the service leaves a lot to be desired. I normally don't do a lot of reviews of the places I've visited but the service that me and my family received just right now is unacceptable. Hiring a more customer-friendly staff should be a must. The food may be 4-star worthy but the service deserves a ZERO.
(2)
S C.
This was a pretty nice restaurant! Their ice teas were yummy and both of our main meals + spring rolls were very hearty and overall good. I believe their egg rolls are a bit on the small side and their ramen could use a little more flavor though... The atmosphere was great! Prices not too bad.
(4)
Tabitha H.
Best best Thai I've ever had. I recommend this place to everyone and they love it!! Delicious food, always good service, clean and they are pretty fast! I love their iced coffee, curries, egg rolls! And they have vegan/vegetarian options :)
(5)
Vivian M.
Came here because of the 4 star rating on yelp. was disappointed. small portions. and I've had better tasting food elsewhere. Service was good, but when I eat out, I expect better food.
(2)
Nayla M.
I wasn't sure about coming here during a business trip, but man I'm glad I went with my gut and the good reviews! I loved every bite! Got the coconut soup with tofu, medium spice! SOOOOOO DELICIOUS! Also had the pineapple fried rice with pork and was amazing as well! I love that they add curry powder to it. It gives it the perfect taste! Would come back in a heartbeat!
(5)
Lauren N.
Ordered out my usual thai, chicken pad thai. It was pretty good, a bit spicy but I'm sure that could be adjusted next time. I found the price to be higher and the portion smaller than pretty much any other thai place in the area. Nicely garnished tho and prepared, I would go back again. I did not eat in, but when I picked up I noticed the dining area was very nice, so I may eat in next time.
(4)
Dan K.
We called to order some food for delivery while we were staying at Key Lime Cove. Strangely, they said they can't deliver because they had a big catering order. Ok, that sucks, but they are close by so we decided to just order pickup. They told us to come in about 30 minutes but we ended up waiting about 10-15 minutes more but that's ok. The servers and staff were friendly and offered us water and seats while we waited. The packed the food well for our return trip home and there were no issues with the order. The food was tasty and seemed pretty fresh. The spicy was pretty spicy but overall everything was ok to eat. I would definitely go back the next time I am there.
(4)
Rion R.
Had a great lunch special for $10 with generous portions. The decor is lacking but it is a very relaxing environment with friendly staff. The food is authentic to my knowledge with quality fresh ingredients. It is also located directly acrossed the street from the Six Flags entrance so it can be crowded at times to get in there.
(4)
Tiffany H.
This is our favorite restaurant in Gurnee. Because I am a somewhat predictable diner, I have only had two different entrees here, but they are both delicious. The first is the massaman curry and the second is the Vietnamese beef noodle soup (pho).
(5)
Logan H.
Amazing food. Some of the best Thai I've ever had. Friendly staff, great service, and the restaurant is beautiful.
(5)
Sam F.
5 stars all around. I was staying at the Hampton inn up the road and walked over to get some take out after a long day. The staff is super friendly, and even brought me some hot tea while I waited for my order. It was ready in less then 10 minutes, and absolutely delicious. I had the royal Thai noodle with chicken for $11. It was cooked and seasoned perfectly and the portion size was just right. Some of these places give you so much, which is great until you finish and feel like you need a shower and a nap before you can do anything. If you're in the area and like Thai food, or even if you don't, come here. Definitely coming back next time I'm here.
(5)
Lea W.
DELISH! I got a sampler platter which was delicious. But, the best kept secret was the green tea ice cream served on sticky rice. My friends ordered it and I wasn't even going to try it. Well, they went on and on about the amazingness and they were RIGHT!
(5)
Pink N.
Good service. Great food. Amazing quality. Perfect price! The owner is the sweetest as well.
(5)
Liz G.
My favorite Thai restaurant! Their lunch special is great! For around $10.00, you receive a spring roll, soup and a good sized entree. My favorite dishes are the ones with the wide noodles. I HIGHLY recommend going there. The staff are friendly and very timely with everything. 5 STARS! (I also never had to ask for more water which is my largest restaurant pet peeve when I do have to ask.)
(5)
Brandon W.
As far as good eating in the northernmost suburbs goes, this is one of the best places around. Although the strip mall exterior might deter you, definitely venture in. Great Thai food awaits. The red curry is my go to dish, wish is always prepared Great with consistency.
(4)
Jeffrey O.
Royal Thai is one of my favorite restaurants in the area, and I haven't had a meal that I have not liked there. I've eaten at many Thai restaurants and I'm happy that this place is nearby because it's the best I've found. I've had the Rama Chicken, Pad Thai, and Duck! The Duck is the best I've had anywhere from a Thai or Chinese restaurant, I couldn't believe how wonderful and tasty the meat was. I also like the character and atmosphere of the dining area. It's never crowded when I am there.
(5)
Karthikeyan T.
After a long fun day in six flags, myself and my wife were so tired, hungry and carving for some good food. We both are favorites of Asian food and picked this restaurant. Overall service was good, fast and food was delicious. We tried fish cake as appetizer, which is a must try. I ordered thai entree sampler ( not seen this types in most of other restaurants) - which contains cucumber salad, 2 pieces of spicy chicken wings, pad thai, veg fried rice, yellow chicken curry. I tried my different classic favorites in the same dish. Everything was good except chicken wings which had too much of sauce and not spicy. Good restaurant and i would recommend to visit at least once.
(4)
Curtis S.
Excellent service and food. We drive down from Wisconsin quite often. The staff is very friendly.
(5)
Jeremiah D.
This is my go to every time I'm in Gurnee (which is once a month). The staff is super nice and service is quick. So far I've had most of the menu items, and the classics remain my favorite. If you aren't sure what to get, yellow curry is always a good start.
(4)
Lynn W.
Tried this place for an early dinner. Friendly staff and decent food. Crab Rangoon app was good as was the chicken satay. Pad Thai ok, sweet and sour chicken good but needed more sauce. Not the best Thai food we've had but not the worst.
(3)
Lien D.
This place is SOOO GOOD. Great fast superb service. So good that they allow me to order stuff off menu only because they weren't busy. So nice of them to offer and understand that I want real Thai food and not something catered to the general public. Need to come here!! Promise you won't regret it.!
(5)
Amruth ..
Tried their takeout service last night. The experience has to be broken down to food and service. Food - Tried the Pad Kee Mao and it was delicious. The noodles and vegetables were on point with fresh basil throughout. You would never expect this quality of food in a shopping plaza store front, but you will be surprised. Service - This was a different issue. I called in the order as "Hot", but actually received "Very Hot". Also when I got home, I found out that there were no utensils in the takeout bag either. I would definitely eat here again for the food, but not much else.
(4)
Phyllis S.
So there we were, trying to forget the cold February weather, on our way to the indoor water park, when we decided to stop off for some food. We were pleased with our meal. The decor was very nice, the waitstaff was friendly and the food was good. We shared the spring rolls, which were great. I nibbled on the salad that came with my hubby's special, but I thought the vinegar sauce was a bit too sweet. I was not impressed with the wings. I (deliberately) ordered some very spicy red curry, and that is what I got. It was delicious! The portion was so large, I took half of it with me for later. (Our hotel room had no microwave, but even cold it was excellent later that evening.) Good food and reasonable prices.
(3)
Tri L.
Been here several years now. Food is fresh and delicious. Only Thai restaurant in lake county are highly recommended.
(5)
W S.
Went here on a whim for lunch with my husband because I wanted thai and I'm so happy we did. The service was prompt and courteous, the food was delicious. Definitely hit the spot and I would definitely come back again.
(4)
Elizabeth V.
The pad see ew is one of the best I have had! Also ordered the pad thai and fried rice. Loved all of the food and would come back!
(4)
Kathleen F.
Love this place! Delicious dishes. Friendly staff! Fast service! A bit on the expensive side but given the scarcity of Thai restaurants in Gurnee, it's worth it!
(5)
Easwara S.
I discovered this place a few months back and its a small, quiet place near six flags Gurnee. I would rate it as one of the best Thai restaurant in the northern suburbs. As I mentioned earlier the place is small and does not have fancy seating options, but the food makes up for it. The quality and taste of curry dishes is excellent and the place offers a relaxed ambiance to enjoy the food and sip on hot tea. Definitely a 'must go' for all Thai food enthusiasts!
(5)
Big B.
I ate here everyweek when I was working in Gurnee. Realiably solid food. Really should be called Royal Asia or something because they serve a lot more then just thai food and some of the other food is probably actually better then their thai. A solid lunch spot in a town with not that many.
(4)
Usama S.
I feel that the reviews of this place are misleading. The soup was simply just water with scrap chicken in the soup along with tomatoes and mushrooms thrown on top. I typically enjoy hot and sour soup from most Chinese/Japanese/Thai places but this one was awful. It was edible, then again insects are edible too. We also ordered Bangkok royal chicken fried rice, which let me tell you was the best thing we ordered that we could eat without feeling like we were eating warmed up left overs from the night before. We also ordered sesame chicken, which was not edible what so ever! It was hard and not even chewable. We sent it back. If you're looking for a good Thai food place this is not it.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Ian M.
I'm all about trying new Thai restaurants, especially comparing certain dishes. This so far is the only local restaurant near my work (I live in the city) and I was initially pleased. Once I got a pad thai that was overcooked which was unfortunate. I do like the eggroll and soup that accompanies the dish during the lunch specials (not sure if the same goes for other times of the day). Decor wasn't too bad. I was a fan of the light fixture/golden umbrella combo hanging from the ceiling. The staff is generally nice and hospitable. I'm definitely open to finding other Thai restos in the area, but this was a good start.
(3)Michael C.
My 5 stars is to offset some of the low ball stars that I read regarding this place. Be sure to read all the reviews and give this place a try. I bet you'll find more dishes you like then dislike. Rising out of the fast food and chain restaurant cesspool of Gurnee is good home made Thai food place. This place is close to destination places like Gurnee Mills, Six Flags, and Key Lime Cove. We were with the kids and needed some decent food, since lunch that day was a debacle. Miso soup: Among the best we've had. All the soups are available by the serving bowl so that everyone could have some. My daughter asked how do they make it so good. Pad woo sen: wife is an expert of this glass noodle dish. She loved it and even took home the left overs. Combo fried rice: Good enough. Would not win a competition, but decent enough to order again . Eggplant with chicken: good enough for me to finish the whole dish. We ate until we were stuffed. What we liked is how nice the owners were and how much they cared. We were asked several times if everything tasted good and how much we liked it. Extra star for being so caring and nice. Offset extra star: way too many petty reviews that gave one or two stars. My fellow yelpers, your messing around with someones livelihood. If your meal was like cat food, go ahead and rate like you will. This is not a 2.5 star place. 3-4 would be more like it. I feel bad that this couple is so nice and caring that some of the petty issues or lack of the number of reviews would lower this homemade Thai place less then 3 stars.
(5)Adam F.
Haven't been here in a while, but this is one of the best Thai food joints in the area!
(4)Jonathan K.
i went w a couple co workers for lunch, and they both didnt enjoy their meals. my pad see eiw was actually good. it wasnt great, but yea it was good. the service was very nice, but they should have been more accomodating about an order confusion. if we had ordered something and they understood it wrong, they should offer to change the order... ethnic restaurants are known to be "bad" at customer service, but this usually comes from the american consumer who has american cultural expectations. sometimes ethnic patrons arent being rude or inconsiderate when they seem to be. :)
(3)Ruth L.
Let me just say first that I spent over a month in Thailand and I am comparing this to the amazing food that I had there, which I realize is not a completely fair comparison. I had their pad thai with beef, which was good but not great. I am very particular about pad thai and what should go in it. Shredded cabbage instead of carrots? Well, not typical, but it actually tasted fine and added nice texture to the dish. But sliced onions? No, you do not belong in pad thai, not ever. They also used thin rice noodles rather than medium-sized ones, which does affect the texture of the dish. To their credit though, the sauce was right on - not too much of it, and a good balance of salty/sweet/umami. Service was fast (I was there at lunchtime and there were only a few other tables filled). I do agree with a previous reviewer who wrote that the servers are too quick to ask you if you want a box. Then when she did bring the box she left it on my table and I had to box my food myself - which I have NEVER, ever had to do before at an Asian restaurant, and I have been to my share of Asian restaurants. C'mon, Royal Thai. That is Waitressing 101 stuff. I haven't tried any other Thai restaurants in the northern suburbs, so can't compare this to other local options. I found it to be expensive ($10 for my pad thai), so I will have to keep looking for my go-to Thai place on this side of the city.
(3)Tom W.
Thoroughly enjoyed the food and experience. Everyone there was friendly and I was asked many time if there was anything I needed or was everything was ok. I started with the Tom yum soup with chicken. The chicken was shredded and very tastey. The broth was nice and spicy as well. My pad tai beef was awesome. Very well seasoned and the noodle were thin. I would be a regular if I lived near here!!
(5)Debbie F.
Good food and great staff! I would recommend. A little slow but they gave me free jasmine tea for our wait!
(4)Johanna E.
Love the food very authentic with great flavors. Loved the choose of food to order. Staff was very friendly!
(5)Chris J.
MSG Alert. I have to give a bad review here because I think the food or the cook has changed. Thumbs used to be my fav Thai restaurant in the area. But after my last 3 orders the next day I have the worst headache. I get migraines and MSG is a severe trigger for them. This never was a problem before at Royal Thai but I'm afraid I can no longer trust eating here. Sorry.
(2)Greg D.
All 3 of us had 3 different meals and they were tasty! Staff was very attentive and friendly. Great selection on the menu.
(5)Ron B.
This our local thai place and we enjoy eating here. Not all of the menu items taste great, but they have very good curry dishes, especially Chicken Panang. Also, the Pad Kee Mao is very good. No complaints with their service, the staff is friendly and generally we do not have to wait very long for our orders to arrive. I'd like to see them add some dishes such as lemongrass bbq beef/chicken and papaya salad.
(4)Nancy A.
I really want to like this place more than I do. Their food is hit or miss. Some items are great while others really lack flavor. We love the chicken with green beans in red curry. The family had ordered their pad Thai often, but to me it seriously lacks flavor and moisture. Always has been very bland, but the family loves it. Pad kee mao is another favorite and how good it is depends upon the chef working. The egg rolls are the best. Overall portions are small in my opinion. The lunch specials are great...soup, appetizer and entree served up quick and fast. Service is steady. We love it when the owner is there and she is just fantastic. The rest of the wait staff provides fine service, but are no where near as friendly as the owner. All in all a good place, but the food can be hit or miss for an evening meal, but a great place for a group work lunch.
(3)Taisiya T.
The best Thai restaurant!!!! 4 stars just because they don't have a changing table for baby in restroom. But food was GREAT!!!!
(4)Rick F.
Went there for the first time and will definitely return. Nice atmosphere, great service and excellent food. I've been to Thailand and this place reminded me of the flavors I had experienced there.
(5)Melanie R.
Had the Royal Thai special which started with a little bowl of cucumbers, 1 chicken wing & 1 drumette. The spicy BBQ sauce on the chicken was good, but very messy. They need to give you more than just one napkin. The chicken curry in this special was very good; the pad thai just so-so. It was rather tasteless and dry. I almost dumped my cucumbers over it just to flavor it up and give it some moisture! Husband had the duck curry and said it was good. We had the spring rolls for an appetizer and they were "OK". Rather tasteless, but refreshing. Service was fast and efficient (a little TOO efficient...the waitress tried to take my cucumber bowl away which was still full), but not very friendly. At the end of our meal, I had both leftover pad thai and chicken curry and rice. I asked for a to-go box and the waitress brought me just one of those little Chinese take-out boxes. I had to mix all the food together and dump it into the container. She really should've brought two containers for two different dishes. We would come back here though because the food was good (I'll skip the pad thai though) and we enjoyed the ambiance of the restaurant, too. It was quiet and pleasant music playing in the background.
(4)Alisa S.
This is the best Thai food in the area. Love the ladna and panang curry. You really can't go wrong with any of the food here. The egg rolls are delicious as well!
(5)Denise C.
We enjoyed the seafood combo, crab rangoon, shrimp and veg tempura as well as the miso soup. Ohhh... how can I forget that sauce that comes with the spring roll. Yum yum
(4)Kim P.
Hidden Gem!: After living in the city for many years, my husband and I know food Thai food! We are so glad we gave this place a try & we were not disappointed! The pad Thai is amazing! Pretty much everything we've tried here has not left us disappointed! Their eggs rolls were very small and not very flavorful, but that's the only item on the menu I wouldn't order again.
(5)Jennie E.
Service is wonderful! The menu is vast. I have to say that when I ordered spicy, I was expecting more. Also, while peanut is a flavor in Pad Thai it was evident in most all of the food, which I thought odd. The food was fresh and I believe authentic but definitely tamed down for burbs. I had the yellow curry, beef salad, tom yum, and dessert. It was a satisfying meal but I missed the heat!
(3)Rylee S.
Ordered carryout about a week ago for lunch- The food (ginger chicken) was REALLY tasteless... I wouldn't eat it again even if it was free.
(1)Kaylen A.
I love this place!! I moved to the area from San Francisco and was looking everywhere for good Thai food. They aren't completely traditional Thai cuisine, but everything is absolutely deeeelicious! They have real ramen noodle soup, and they have it with tofu and veggies. I'm mostly vegetarian/vegan so I greatly appreciate that. They have 2 different types of spring rolls, Vietnamese and Thai. Both are fabulous. My husband tries something new every time we go and loves it every time. I hear the pad thai is awesome. To top all the yummy food off, the service is always very friendly. There's a specific server there that I absolutely love. I believe she may be one of the owners, but I'm not sure. She always remembers me and what I like to order. She's so sweet, and makes the experience ten times better!
(5)Kevin N.
This warmly decorated Thai restaurant has improved in quality quite a bit since it opened. The owner is a gracious lady, very friendly and sweet. She often runs the front of the house by hosting and serving. I've tried a lot of dishes over the years and my favorites have to be the seafood hot pot and duck curry. I've always felt they have been light on the spice, so if you you like typical Thai spice, I order it very spicy because light and medium are barely spicy at all. I enjoy the cucumber salad, the beef salad and the spring rolls. I was surprised by a spicy sweet cheeks wing which came as part of the special curry dinner the other day. The yellow chicken curry is also absolutely delicious. Don't forget to order some tom kha or tom yum soup as well- but make it spicy! Until royal Thai I'd never tried Thai desserts, but the owner makes an absolutely yummy coconut ice cream served over sticky rice and homemade pineapple cake with a cream cheese frosting. Very good!
(4)Josh Y.
It's easy to skip past this tiny lil restaurant that seats about 25-30 max. It's right across the street from Great America, but back off Grand Ave about a half mile quietly hiding in a strip mall with a few other restaurants. The servers of Royal Thai are always nice and on top of things from water refills to getting you anything else you could need. I've only been here for lunch so my review is based off those experiences. Their lunch special menu has about 15 options from curries to noodle dishes with plenty of protein options to choose from. I've had the Pad See Eiw and Green Curry. Lunch specials come with a spring roll and soup and depending on your protein range from $9-$12. Maybe a little bit more than your usual lunch, but well worth it. The Pad See Eiw is outstanding. Crunchy veggies and the sweet sauce is fantastic. Their curry dishes are just as good. They can make them however hot you'd like so don't be afraid to ask for a milk version. I like mine with medium heat and I can always kick it up with the chile sauce they put at your table if need be. Royal Thai is a great alternative for lunch goers in the area since most of your options are either fast food or chain restaurants.
(4)Denny P.
Excellent food this is the best thai food place north of the city. A little pricey, friendly staff great service. Thanks
(5)Gloria Z.
Ordered pineapple fried rice w/ chicken to go. NOT the best I've ever had, but still good quality. At least serving very fast.
(4)Michael K.
Great food, friendly service. We were visiting from the Rockford area to go to Six Flags. Glad we found this spot.
(5)Jiaxi L.
Perfect! The best Thai restaurant! Good service and amazing food! Ni zhi de yong you!
(5)Nina M.
This is our new favorite thai place! We live in lindenhurst so there aren't many places to choose from. We had a bad experience at lovely Thai in grayslake and I've been searching for a place close to our home for my weekend cravings. Customer service is great and they are very attentive. Price isn't bad either! For two appetizers, two entrees and two pops (yes, I said pop and not soda!) it came in under 40 dollars! Their crab rangoons are amazing. Better than any place I've ordered from before. I've only ordered the pad kee maw because I have a strange addiction to wide noodles and the other items have broccoli in them. Blaghhh - some childhood aversions I can't get over! The hubs orders their royal Thai noodles every time. He claims the sauce is amazzzzing! (Yes, he says it just like that too ) Only drawbacks are: I wish the beef had more oooomph. Doesn't seem like the best quality meat, but it is definitely not bad. And the hubs wishes they had better egg rolls ( I had a bite though and they weren't bad - maybe could use the addition of more veggies in it?) Definitely recommend!
(4)Chris G.
Good food--I would certainly go back for the curry.
(4)Gorgon S.
Not too shabby. This place is your best Thai option in the northern Illinois/Wisconsin area.
(5)A S.
I love this restaurant! I have been a loyal customer for around 7 years now. This small, family owned establishment serves up consistently fabulous dishes at completely reasonable prices! Their lunch special is fantastic. My favorite dishes are Pad Ke Mao (drunken noodles) which they do to perfection, not too dry, not too much sauce, just the right amount of spice. I also love their Panang curry! Their Thai egg rolls are not bad either!
(5)John T.
My wifes favorite place in town to get take out from. The food is very good. We always get take out, so can't speak about dine in service, but everyone is always very friendly. Don't pass this place up!
(4)Tom P.
We had never been to Royal Thai and only went because all Thai places were closed on Sunday. Here's my take. The service was very fast. The food was exceptional. We will add this to our list. Enjoy!
(4)Rebeccah L.
One of my favorite Thai places and definitely one of my favorite restaurants in Gurnee (which is just full of chain restaurants). The family is super nice and they are passionate about what they do, which is always great. Some dishes: Spring rolls - delicious!!! Pad see ewe - I get this almost every time because I love it so much. I've tried this dish at many Thai restaurants and this is one of my favorites. Thai custard - it looks incredibly unappetizing, but it is unbelievably delicious. It's served warm, which adds a nice touch, too. A sweet, coconut flavor that ends a meal perfectly. I get it every time!!! They also always have coupons attached to Jewel receipts, so it's nice to get a discount as well!
(4)Taylor M.
I really liked the Pad See Eew. I have eaten at a bunch of thai restaurants and this Pad See Eew was different, but yummy! The sauce was much thicker than I was accustomed to and the beef was tender and not overcooked like most thai restaurants. My boyfriend got the Spicy Basil Chicken, extra spicy, and it was also very good. The only thing I was not impressed by was the crab rangoon. The only major complaint I have was that it was silent. There were three tables full (I went right at 4:30 for dinner) and there was no music or anything which was a little strange. Nice restaurant for a thai place which seemed to do more carry out business. I really liked the waitstaff. My water glass was never even half full the entire time, they kept coming to refill it! Nice and clean with an open kitchen.
(3)Richie D.
I have to agree with the previous review. The Thai food here is alright. They do have a large variety (over 65 dishes), so maybe I should try something new next time. It can't compare with the Thai in Chicago, but adequate for the suburbs. The portions are a fair size, so that's a plus. The service is one of the best parts because they are really sweet and helpful. Great location across from Great America! Unfortunately, due to its location being next to a kid's game/entertainment/mini-golf business (Monster Golf), you hear Whack-A-Mole while you're trying to slurp your noodles. Even though the unfortunate owners re-constructed the wall on one side of their store to block out the noise, it still remains a problem. Yet, the owners of Monster Golf wouldn't do anything about it, like relocating specific game machines. DOWN WITH MONSTER GOLF (which is a rip-off in and of itself)!
(3)Bri D.
food is super yummy. im obsessed with the pad thai
(5)Eileen H.
I was happy and a little excited to find out that there is now a Thai restaurant in my hometown of Gurnee, IL. Unfortunately, the food was a little disappointing. I will admit that I only tried three dishes: Royal Thai fried rice w/shrimp, chicken satay and pad see ew. I didn't try my usual 'control' dishes (pad thai and pad kaprow or gkaprow or whatever. spicy basil chicken) because I had eaten some pizza right before I went. The best dish out of the three was the fried rice. Pretty run-of-the-mill shrimp fried rice, but nothing special. The chicken satay was passable, but it came out already doused in peanut sauce! Not happy about that. I don't think I've ever had to specify 'peanut sauce on the side'. The pad see ew was really not good. The noodles were super long and wide, which is fine, but the whole dish was WET! Too much sauce or something. The flavor wasn't that great either. I don't claim to be an expert on Thai food, but having lived in the Bay area for over then years has spoiled me with so much great Asian food, that when I have some sub-par stuff, it's painfully obvious. Sorry Royal Thai!
(2)Mel M.
My girlfriend and I were debating on where to eat. We stumbled upon Royal Thai and was really impressed. We ordered the shrimp dumplings for an appetizer and it was great. For our entrees we ordered the Thai Sampler and the Duck curry. We were blown away on the presentation and taste. Five Stars for Royal Thai!!!
(5)Ryan W.
Easily our favorite Thai resturaunt in the chicagoland area. we are never disappointed when we go there, I'm guessing the people rating it low either don't know what Thai food is supposed to taste like, or failed to order the right dishes. My suggestions: 1) Their curry's (red and green) are great, and full of flavour, if you like thai-style curry, this is definitely for you. 2) The beef pad thai is the first pad thai I've had at a restaurant that doesn't taste like a box mix (if I wanted that i'd just buy the mix from the supermarket and make it at home). if you are used to the Americanized pad thai, this may be a foreign taste to you, but it is a far superior flavor if you are willing to but aside your bias and preconceptions as to what pad thai should taste like. if you go in expecting boxed pad thai, you might not like it (just like if you order a cola, but they give you a root beer; even though you might love root beer, the taste is going to throw you off because you were expecting cola) . I'd suggest getting it mildly spicy for an added kick 3) The royal thai noodles are a must, if a place puts it's namesake on a dish, you know it's going to be their specialty. medium spicy is my favorite, but might be too spicy for some people (you can downgrade to mild spicy) 4) the egg rolls and spring rolls are both phenomenal appetizers, I prefer the egg rolls (love that pineapple dipping sauce), but if you are looking for something not fried, spring rolls are it. 5) wash everything down with a thai iced tea. easily the best version in all of chicagoland. 6) the pad see ew can be hit or miss, but when it's on it's amazing. again, medium or mild spicy is recommended. (and yes, the long/wide noodles are used, which is traditional for the dish, and they are fried up to a crisp exterior with a nice soft/chewy interior with plenty of sauce) ask for extra crispy noodles to ensure you get it nice and crispy.
(4)Sid B.
THIS IS MY FIRST ONE STAR FOR A THAI RESTAURANT Today I had the worst pad thai ever!!!! seriously have eaten in umpteen no of thai places in IL and never have experienced such a tragedy... the dish was like as tasteless as dry mud and the tofus were surely a week old.... on top of that it was too oily.....My friends ordered other dishes and none were good... the only grace was the egg roll which was served as an appetizer .... U PLANNING TO VISIT GURNEE RT? THERE ARE 15 OTHER RESTAURANTS IN THE MALL, SO SAVE YOURSELF AND GO ELSEWHERE!
(1)Vinny The Vacuum S.
This place is just OK in my book. If you're jonesing for Thai food this place fits the bill nicely but keep in mind the portions are small and they skimp on the meat added to the noodle dishes. I had the Royal Thai noodles with beef strips - fried rice noodles with veggies and beef covered in a gravy sauce, very tasty and well prepared. The problems: the plate was 3x the size of the entree and I only got 5 strips of thinly sliced beef with the noodles. Glad I had a coupon.
(3)Vira K.
I really like this place. Of course it's not a restaurant for which you should drive all the way to Gurnee, but if you live in the area and like Thai food, I definitely recommend it. I like the staff and I love the food there. Always fresh and delicious.
(4)Nicole D.
I've been here twice. Once, I stopped ONLY for Thai iced tea. The second time, I was seriously craving Pad See Eiw, and this is the only Thai place I really know about in the area. Maybe I've been spoiled by the numerous Thai restaurants in Southern California, which never disappoint. If I didn't have them as a basis for comparison, I may have been more satisfied. My total was $13 for Thai iced tea, and Pad See Eiw entree. At $10, for the dish, the portion size was much smaller than I expected, and much smaller than I'm accustomed to. The noodles were good, though more stuck together than usual. The overall flavor of the dish was enjoyable. My biggest gripe? I ordered the dish because I really wanted the Chinese broccoli which is supposed to be in it. Not only was there no Chinese broccoli, there were only about 3 pieces of regular broccoli. The Thai iced tea was below average as well. I have to remember not to go there unless I'm having an incredible craving for the tea. Otherwise, it's not worth the disappointment. The owners are nice, as other reviewers mentioned. The first time I stopped, I talked to the woman about my love for Thai iced tea and boba, and she told me I should ask her if she has made any boba milk tea when I stop, because sometimes she just makes some for herself. Conclusion: Prices are above average. Food is below average.
(2)L T.
This is my favorite local restaurant. The panang curry is so good, and the service is friendly & professional. I don't really like the eggrolls, but nothing I've ever had there has been bad. Tthe wonton prawns are totally awesome. I'd also recommend the oriental vegetable soup. We ordered party trays from there recently and were very pleased with the price and quality.
(5)Janice F.
They have a great peanut chicken sauce...Every time we have been here, the food has been excellent!!
(4)Kelly H.
I love a place that reconizes you, and the owner always does here! i usually do take-out since its close to my work and all us ladies in the office love it! The food is wonderful for any thai place in any burbs! Their lunch garlic chicken special is my fav! cheap and comes with a yummy spring roll and soup! cant beat that!
(4)Justin R.
This is a great little place for Thai food if you're up in the Gurnee area. The massaman curry is very good, as is the pad thai. The wonton prawns are a superb appetizer with an awesome pineapple dipping sauce.
(4)Kay M.
Had lunch here with a friend, the service was excellent. The food was good. I had the Pad kee mao, which was good. The decor was elegant. Not much more I can say.
(3)Graham T.
I found this place by chance. The food is authentic and very delicious! Great service, friendly staff and pleasant surroundings. The portions are good sized considering the reasonable prices. Terrific fresh spring rolls, nice, plump shrimp in my soup, tasty beef salad, and excellent chicken panang. I live in Lake Forest, but the drive to Gurnee for this Thai gem is well worth it! The best in Lake County.
(5)Justin G.
I went here for lunch yesterday and it was highly okay. I was expecting great things after a vegan raved about how awesome the food is here. Perhaps listening to a vegan was my biggest folly, as I am highly carnivorous. I forgot what my dish was called, but it was the last one under lunch specials. The taste was decent, and the amount was pretty good for $9.95. In fact, I kept forking at the food and it seemed to take a surprisingly long amount of time to get to the bottom. However, the chicken was A BIT dry. I can give them the benefit of the doubt though, since I got here around the end of lunch time. I would try it again, but not go out of the way. This place is located in what I think is called Pembrook Plaza. Great America's main entrance is across the street on Grand, so if you are fiending for Thai that is close by if the park gets shut down for rain, lightning, typhoons, or whatever, this place might be worth a try.
(3)Chris A.
Just like what I put 3 stars it's OK. This was the closest Thai restaurant in Great Lakes. I wanted to eat a Thai restaurant when I went to a Navy school. So I tried it out. I went here for lunch and the place was empty. So obviously they gave good service since I was the only customer they had to worry about. I guess this place is good if there's really no competition and you don't feel like driving all the way to Chicago.
(3)Parker ..
It's a cool place to dine in..I don't know of any other thai place in the area. The Mussamun is alright, though the sauce is a bit watery. The Red Curry is good but I wish they cooked it with squash instead of eggplant..which seems to be the way most places cook it (Madison and Chicago). Plenty of menu choices to go through, appetizers are limited and the variety of beverages are nice.
(3)Jessica B.
The Pad Thai here is terrible. The service is fine and the ambiance is decent, but the food just sucks.
(1)Lisa C.
I had a craving for tom yum soup and this was the closest Thai place. We have eaten there a few times prior and found it very inconsistent. The last two times I have gotten tom yum soup has been no lemongrass in it! Not even close to the sweet/savory/pungent flavor it should have had, tasted more like Mom's chicken soup. No more chances for Royal Thai, I will stick with Lovely Thai in Grayslake for my cravings!
(1)Melissa C.
my husband and I have been going to this Thai place for years. We absolutely love it. The owners and waitstaff are attentive as well as kind. The food is delicious. They recently expanded their menu. My new favorite thing? The dumplings! I love their pad kee mao, red and yellow curries, and pineapple fried rice. The portions are generous, I often take home half my entree. I also find that they will accommodate requests and substitutions.
(5)Renato P.
I have to say the first time I hit this place up , I wasn't really that impressed. The decor was fine , the service adequate , and the menu selection solid. I ordered the pan fried wide noodles , and sadly they were more like deep fried which didn't jive with me. The veggies and meat were solid but after the shock of the noodles , I wasn't going to be satisfied. Second time I went with a hungry group of four and I have to say things were way different this time. We started with the potstickers which were unanimously graded as good , I leaned more toward very good. The satay chicken was a solid good as well , nothing to write home about but still tasty. They poured the peanut sauce on the chicken , which for some reason bothered me , but again I did like it. The Tempura shrimp and veggies was also good , but I felt they used a bit too much batter or maybe it was a bit too thick. I did like the sauces there , they weren't the standard potsticker and tempura dipping sauces , and I appreciated that. The fried rice was very good , it had nice sized chunks of beef , and I can dig that. The garlic beef was very good , and is now a new favorite of mine when I do Thai again . The Pad Woonsen (glass noodles) was very good , with a killer sweet flavor , again an instant favorite. I will admit that I still am not very well versed in Thai cooking , but I really enjoyed myself here. I will sure be back here at some point , and might even try some other Thai places because of how much I enjoyed my food today. If this place was closer to home , It would definitely make my regular restaurant rotation. The only gripe would be a smidge higher than average price, nothing too crazy though.
(4)Donroy Q.
The food is good but the service leaves a lot to be desired. I normally don't do a lot of reviews of the places I've visited but the service that me and my family received just right now is unacceptable. Hiring a more customer-friendly staff should be a must. The food may be 4-star worthy but the service deserves a ZERO.
(2)S C.
This was a pretty nice restaurant! Their ice teas were yummy and both of our main meals + spring rolls were very hearty and overall good. I believe their egg rolls are a bit on the small side and their ramen could use a little more flavor though... The atmosphere was great! Prices not too bad.
(4)Tabitha H.
Best best Thai I've ever had. I recommend this place to everyone and they love it!! Delicious food, always good service, clean and they are pretty fast! I love their iced coffee, curries, egg rolls! And they have vegan/vegetarian options :)
(5)Vivian M.
Came here because of the 4 star rating on yelp. was disappointed. small portions. and I've had better tasting food elsewhere. Service was good, but when I eat out, I expect better food.
(2)Nayla M.
I wasn't sure about coming here during a business trip, but man I'm glad I went with my gut and the good reviews! I loved every bite! Got the coconut soup with tofu, medium spice! SOOOOOO DELICIOUS! Also had the pineapple fried rice with pork and was amazing as well! I love that they add curry powder to it. It gives it the perfect taste! Would come back in a heartbeat!
(5)Lauren N.
Ordered out my usual thai, chicken pad thai. It was pretty good, a bit spicy but I'm sure that could be adjusted next time. I found the price to be higher and the portion smaller than pretty much any other thai place in the area. Nicely garnished tho and prepared, I would go back again. I did not eat in, but when I picked up I noticed the dining area was very nice, so I may eat in next time.
(4)Dan K.
We called to order some food for delivery while we were staying at Key Lime Cove. Strangely, they said they can't deliver because they had a big catering order. Ok, that sucks, but they are close by so we decided to just order pickup. They told us to come in about 30 minutes but we ended up waiting about 10-15 minutes more but that's ok. The servers and staff were friendly and offered us water and seats while we waited. The packed the food well for our return trip home and there were no issues with the order. The food was tasty and seemed pretty fresh. The spicy was pretty spicy but overall everything was ok to eat. I would definitely go back the next time I am there.
(4)Rion R.
Had a great lunch special for $10 with generous portions. The decor is lacking but it is a very relaxing environment with friendly staff. The food is authentic to my knowledge with quality fresh ingredients. It is also located directly acrossed the street from the Six Flags entrance so it can be crowded at times to get in there.
(4)Tiffany H.
This is our favorite restaurant in Gurnee. Because I am a somewhat predictable diner, I have only had two different entrees here, but they are both delicious. The first is the massaman curry and the second is the Vietnamese beef noodle soup (pho).
(5)Logan H.
Amazing food. Some of the best Thai I've ever had. Friendly staff, great service, and the restaurant is beautiful.
(5)Sam F.
5 stars all around. I was staying at the Hampton inn up the road and walked over to get some take out after a long day. The staff is super friendly, and even brought me some hot tea while I waited for my order. It was ready in less then 10 minutes, and absolutely delicious. I had the royal Thai noodle with chicken for $11. It was cooked and seasoned perfectly and the portion size was just right. Some of these places give you so much, which is great until you finish and feel like you need a shower and a nap before you can do anything. If you're in the area and like Thai food, or even if you don't, come here. Definitely coming back next time I'm here.
(5)Lea W.
DELISH! I got a sampler platter which was delicious. But, the best kept secret was the green tea ice cream served on sticky rice. My friends ordered it and I wasn't even going to try it. Well, they went on and on about the amazingness and they were RIGHT!
(5)Pink N.
Good service. Great food. Amazing quality. Perfect price! The owner is the sweetest as well.
(5)Liz G.
My favorite Thai restaurant! Their lunch special is great! For around $10.00, you receive a spring roll, soup and a good sized entree. My favorite dishes are the ones with the wide noodles. I HIGHLY recommend going there. The staff are friendly and very timely with everything. 5 STARS! (I also never had to ask for more water which is my largest restaurant pet peeve when I do have to ask.)
(5)Brandon W.
As far as good eating in the northernmost suburbs goes, this is one of the best places around. Although the strip mall exterior might deter you, definitely venture in. Great Thai food awaits. The red curry is my go to dish, wish is always prepared Great with consistency.
(4)Jeffrey O.
Royal Thai is one of my favorite restaurants in the area, and I haven't had a meal that I have not liked there. I've eaten at many Thai restaurants and I'm happy that this place is nearby because it's the best I've found. I've had the Rama Chicken, Pad Thai, and Duck! The Duck is the best I've had anywhere from a Thai or Chinese restaurant, I couldn't believe how wonderful and tasty the meat was. I also like the character and atmosphere of the dining area. It's never crowded when I am there.
(5)Karthikeyan T.
After a long fun day in six flags, myself and my wife were so tired, hungry and carving for some good food. We both are favorites of Asian food and picked this restaurant. Overall service was good, fast and food was delicious. We tried fish cake as appetizer, which is a must try. I ordered thai entree sampler ( not seen this types in most of other restaurants) - which contains cucumber salad, 2 pieces of spicy chicken wings, pad thai, veg fried rice, yellow chicken curry. I tried my different classic favorites in the same dish. Everything was good except chicken wings which had too much of sauce and not spicy. Good restaurant and i would recommend to visit at least once.
(4)Curtis S.
Excellent service and food. We drive down from Wisconsin quite often. The staff is very friendly.
(5)Jeremiah D.
This is my go to every time I'm in Gurnee (which is once a month). The staff is super nice and service is quick. So far I've had most of the menu items, and the classics remain my favorite. If you aren't sure what to get, yellow curry is always a good start.
(4)Lynn W.
Tried this place for an early dinner. Friendly staff and decent food. Crab Rangoon app was good as was the chicken satay. Pad Thai ok, sweet and sour chicken good but needed more sauce. Not the best Thai food we've had but not the worst.
(3)Lien D.
This place is SOOO GOOD. Great fast superb service. So good that they allow me to order stuff off menu only because they weren't busy. So nice of them to offer and understand that I want real Thai food and not something catered to the general public. Need to come here!! Promise you won't regret it.!
(5)Amruth ..
Tried their takeout service last night. The experience has to be broken down to food and service. Food - Tried the Pad Kee Mao and it was delicious. The noodles and vegetables were on point with fresh basil throughout. You would never expect this quality of food in a shopping plaza store front, but you will be surprised. Service - This was a different issue. I called in the order as "Hot", but actually received "Very Hot". Also when I got home, I found out that there were no utensils in the takeout bag either. I would definitely eat here again for the food, but not much else.
(4)Phyllis S.
So there we were, trying to forget the cold February weather, on our way to the indoor water park, when we decided to stop off for some food. We were pleased with our meal. The decor was very nice, the waitstaff was friendly and the food was good. We shared the spring rolls, which were great. I nibbled on the salad that came with my hubby's special, but I thought the vinegar sauce was a bit too sweet. I was not impressed with the wings. I (deliberately) ordered some very spicy red curry, and that is what I got. It was delicious! The portion was so large, I took half of it with me for later. (Our hotel room had no microwave, but even cold it was excellent later that evening.) Good food and reasonable prices.
(3)Tri L.
Been here several years now. Food is fresh and delicious. Only Thai restaurant in lake county are highly recommended.
(5)W S.
Went here on a whim for lunch with my husband because I wanted thai and I'm so happy we did. The service was prompt and courteous, the food was delicious. Definitely hit the spot and I would definitely come back again.
(4)Elizabeth V.
The pad see ew is one of the best I have had! Also ordered the pad thai and fried rice. Loved all of the food and would come back!
(4)Kathleen F.
Love this place! Delicious dishes. Friendly staff! Fast service! A bit on the expensive side but given the scarcity of Thai restaurants in Gurnee, it's worth it!
(5)Easwara S.
I discovered this place a few months back and its a small, quiet place near six flags Gurnee. I would rate it as one of the best Thai restaurant in the northern suburbs. As I mentioned earlier the place is small and does not have fancy seating options, but the food makes up for it. The quality and taste of curry dishes is excellent and the place offers a relaxed ambiance to enjoy the food and sip on hot tea. Definitely a 'must go' for all Thai food enthusiasts!
(5)Big B.
I ate here everyweek when I was working in Gurnee. Realiably solid food. Really should be called Royal Asia or something because they serve a lot more then just thai food and some of the other food is probably actually better then their thai. A solid lunch spot in a town with not that many.
(4)Usama S.
I feel that the reviews of this place are misleading. The soup was simply just water with scrap chicken in the soup along with tomatoes and mushrooms thrown on top. I typically enjoy hot and sour soup from most Chinese/Japanese/Thai places but this one was awful. It was edible, then again insects are edible too. We also ordered Bangkok royal chicken fried rice, which let me tell you was the best thing we ordered that we could eat without feeling like we were eating warmed up left overs from the night before. We also ordered sesame chicken, which was not edible what so ever! It was hard and not even chewable. We sent it back. If you're looking for a good Thai food place this is not it.
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