Thai Siam
601 S Kasold Dr, Lawrence, KS, 66049
Thai Siam Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Lawrence for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Lawrence for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Lawrence for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
601 S Kasold Dr
Lawrence, KS, 66049 - Phone (785) 331-2525
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 3:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch, Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : No
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : No
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : No
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : No
Caters : No
Categories
Chinese Cuisine
The popularity of Chinese food in America can be adjudicated by the appearance of China Town in many major cities in the United State of America. The popular trend of ordering or opting for Chinese take away food isn't unknown in America. Chinese take away food comes to rescue when you're too tired from work or too exhausted to cook. No one can resist the temptation of eating spicy noodles, shrimp, chicken, beef or pork cooked in the sweet and spicy sauce. The cooking method of authentic Chinese food is a lot different compared to what is served in America.
Generally, Chinese use dark meat small bones and organs to cook dishes but this changes when you are eating American-Chinese fusion food prepared using white boneless meat cooked with broccoli, carrots and onions. Back in China, the food is less spicy and oily as they favor steaming and braising method for cooking the most popular dishes. So, if you have a taste for authentic Chinese food, then try finding a real Chinese restaurant in the city. You can also try the most popular fusion Chinese food like Pecking Duck, Chicken Feet, Hot Pot, Shrimp Dumpling Soup, Mapo Tofu, Wontons, Chop Suey, Egg Rolls and not to forget Fortune Cookies.
There are not many restaurants in America serving authentic Chinese food. A little research on Restaurant Listings directory can help you locate the best Chinese restaurants in the city. Chinese cuisine is continuously evolving, and you can find a variety of dishes categorized as the food for lactose intolerant, gluten intolerant, vegan, vegetarian, and diabetic friendly. So, if you have a group of friends with different taste patterns, save the hassle and visit the nearest Chinese restaurant in your city.
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Nitchada B.
The owners are so RUDE!! I heard them talk about their employee so rude (in their language)... If their foods were not that good, i would not come to this place EVER!! Btw, PhadThai is so good here!!
(1)Tiffany P.
Tried Thai Siam last night and was not disappointed! I just recently moved to Lawrence from Phoenix and am glad I found a good thai place. The comments about the interior resembling the old Subway were spot on, it was a very unusual mix. We did order to go, as other reviewers suggested, and the employee who helped us was very helpful and friendly. We tried chicken pad sea ewe and chicken lo mein and both were delicious. Will definitely be coming back.
(5)Bobbi T.
Our last trip here was such a terrible experience. It started when I asked if there was curry in the pineapple fried rice. A simple no would have been nice but she told me that pineapple curry and pineapple fried rice were different. So whatever, we decided to order the fried rice, fried tofu and our usual - lad na and pad see eww. When they bring our food, the first two dishes they bring is pad Thai and fried rice. We tell them that we ordered pad see eww and lad na. He yells at us that he told us there's one more dish coming and then the wife says no you order pad thai not lad na. Pretty sure we know what we ordered because we get it every time we come. So we begrudgingly eat what we are served. The pineapple fried rice tastes like ketchup fried rice and the pad thai tastes similar to what I make at home - which is why we rarely order this dish! As we are eating we hear them talking in Thai about the other customers. They probably didn't say anything about us because they knew we understood them! We really could not enjoy our food with all the rudeness from this visit. This time the food didn't make up for it. We will definitely not be going back anytime soon.
(2)Hannah R.
Best Tom yum soup I've ever had! (And I've eaten a lot of tum yum soup and been to thailand) plus they're getting new help and they are VERY PLEASANT and nice. Give it a try!
(5)Cassandra A.
I love the tofu pad thai. It's ruined me because I cannot go anywhere else for thai food. This is definitely not a place you go if you want a great venue to hang out. It is a exactly as others have mentioned - an old subway with hardly any remodeling. This is great for takeout though. Typically I call ahead and pick up my food. The wait isn't too long though if you just order in the shop. Not because of a line or anything, but because they make your food fresh. The food is a large portion too. Typically it will last me for two meals. I do wish they did delivery. Update 5/24/12: I went in and had a horrible experience. They burnt my food and when I tried to communicate that to the cook she got upset and started yelling at me. Little weird, especially since I DO actually know what their food normally tastes like. Kinda put a bad taste in my mouth (no pun intended) and I won't be going back for quite a while and thus changing my star distribution. (Just a friendly request to management - it is a business no matter how good your food is. If you want to keep your customers, don't be excessively rude to them.)
(2)Sarah M.
Food= excellent! Pad Thai is delicious Service= good (guy that takes phone orders is really nice) Atmosphere= eh. We always get it to go. Thai Siam is in an old subway and it's pretty obvious, but you don't go for atmosphere. Bottom line: cheap and delicious Thai food
(4)Sean S.
I'll start by saying that I have no idea if this Thai tastes authentic or not, but I've heard it's close for what you'll find in the states. That said, their Pad Thai is AMAZING! Don't recommend dining in here, it used to be a Subway and they didn't change a thing. Watch out for the lady owner, she constantly looks like she's about to rip someone's head off, but she's always good with customers. I have fun watching her when I'm waiting for my carry out, which usually takes 20-30 minutes by the way, so call ahead. Love this place!
(5)Sunthud P.
This is only one authentic Thai restaurant in Lawrence. I recommend fried tofu (in appetizer) and any kinds of curry here. The fried tofu is very crispy and delicious. I think their sauce is too sweet. They cook any kinds of curry very well. The hardest part of the Thai curry cooking is to cook until the coconut milk have an oily sheen--somebody may think it is unhealthy but the curry with or without the oily sheen have the same amount of fat and calories (just a different look). They cook the curry well and very authentic. If I pick one from the curry list, I would pick the Thai curry with grilled duck. You cannot find it easily in US (even in Thailand). Their pad Thai is as good as you can get in Lawrence. Sometimes, it is too oily and too sweet for me. The ingredient for their pad Thai is not complete compared to what I had in Thailand. I think the pad Thai from Bangkok Pavilion in Overland Park is closer to what I had in Thailand. Their pad kee mow is good but not one of the kind. Other dishes I have tried are okay. I would recommend the fried tofu and any curry dishes in this place. As a disclaimer, sometimes, the food can be super slow here.
(4)C V.
The pad-thai is my favorite in town. I always call ahead and take my food home because the dining area is a little skeezy. Not really dirty, just like cluttered a "hole-in-the-wall" feel. Also, the family that runs the place seems to have permanently set up camp in the main booth near the cook line. There's always tons of newspapers, jackets, personal belongings piled up and it's a little weird. If you can get past that, the food really is great.
(4)Justin G.
Good food but exceedingly rude service. Like other reviewers they have served me something other than what I ordered and been down right hostile when the issue was pointed out.
(2)Scott T.
My favorite 3-star restaurant in Lawrence. Stop laughing. It's depressing. A former corporate Subway, you and your fellow diners will be bathed in the finest glow-in-the-dark neon yellow tables and chairs from 1989. The restaurant itself can be very busy, stuffy, hot and noisy. You might need to wait a bit. It's a small joint, the staff is limited and sometimes the language barrier doesn't work in your favor. But I come here for the that one guilty pleasure, a better version which can only be found via a 35 mile drive to Kansas City: red curry chicken, Thai hot. For those times when I need the fix, I can be assured I'll be sitting at the end of the meal with tears in my eyes, a burning mouth and that feeling of "why, why do I need this so?" The sweetness of the coconut milk mixing with the aromatic Thai basil, the pleasant first crisp taste of the red peppers, a burst of protein with chicken (my choice) or shrimp, and then comes the heat. That heat, intense, unrelenting. The rice is nicely moist and there's plenty of it, and the entire dish is an enormous amount that'll have you knowing... there'll be more to come... tomorrow. Probably best saved for those nights when carry-out is your option or catch them at a down time. It can be busy. Know this, it's a joint, but the food is typically pretty rewarding. Go for the taste, not the ambiance. When a hot curry is this good, the decor is pretty low on the list.
(3)J S.
I took Beef broccoli to go and it tasted Okay, but my experience in this place was pathetic for many reasons First the packing of the food was very poor, so it spilled I made a big mess, photos attached. Second I ordered coffee from there which turned out to be very sweet, I asked the only guy who seems to speak english if he can make it less sweet, he didn't look at me or speak and looked to the other side and told the other lady about it who rolled her eyes and waved with her hands, in other words we cannot do anything for you!!! Third there is a pile of junk on another table which looks like a garage that needs to be cleaned, review pictures from another yelpers In other words a place that I don't recommend for their horrible customer service, pathetic packing of the food and bad ambiance!
(2)Bryan D.
The food is good but not great. My favorite dish is the Green Curry. I was slightly disappointed in the Pad Thai and Panang Curry. The Phad Thai I found to be a bit dry and lacking that hint of lime so often found in other Phad Thai. The Curry in general is on the runny side in case you are one who prefers thicker. Portions are great. Atmosphere is sub-casual, service is a touch slow. Finally can't go wrong with the crab ragoons.
(3)William B.
Just plain and simple, Ask them to make you a true Thai dish. My favorite shrimp fried rice with basil and jalapeños!!!!!!!!!!!! Price is always an issue, but for a good meal, I will pay the price! Love it!
(5)Clinton C.
Called in an order at 1144 he told me to pick up in twenty five minutes. Showed up twenty five minutes later and they completely forgot to make it. He yelled at the lady to start making it. It was 1230 when they finished and he made me pay full price. Good food but the worst service.
(2)Rika B.
1. Don't you dare asking for an empty bowl to share your food because they only have 10 big bowls. Don't get fooled by the empty restaurant too, they still NEED those bowls! 2. Hold on to your tips until you finish the meal. You never know how you're going to be treated that day. This place is not for the faint-hearted 3. Let's all pray for the workers they hire(d). Hope they find their peace Oh, and the food is good
(2)Eunice M.
I went for the first time to this place today with my girlfriends and their kids. Prior to that, I had tried Thai Siam's food when a friend invited me over her place for some take out. I remember enjoying dinner mainly because of the company, however, I didn't think the food (we had Pad Thai and Red Curry) was exceptionally great having been to Thailand numerous times - I know how real Thai food tastes like. I felt that the food here has been 'Americanized' and well, I really have no problem with that. Whatever sells here, right? Anyway, back to today's visit. While deciding what to order, a lady walked in, looked at us and sighed that exasperated sigh and said something in Thai, which I understood (I speak enough Thai to get by) as "Oh, why are they so many?" 'They' meaning me, my three girlfriends and their three young children. Why wouldn't they want the business we're bringing? Beats me! After standing there for about 5 minutes and no one asking us what we'd like to order, I finally made eye contact with the male staff member (possibly owner?) and he snapped, "What? Are you ready to order? You should stand behind the counter and not back there!" Back where? We were behind the counter. So to appease him, I took one short step towards the counter and then that's when he asked what we'd like to order. Weird. It cannot be a cultural thing because I'm Asian, I have many Thai friends, I've been to Thailand and this is not their culture to be mean. It just isn't! So don't think it is cultural (It ain't a language barrier either, the guy spoke good enough English to me). They're just plain odd. So oddness aside, I was polite (because seriously, you shouldn't be mean back to the people making your food) and ordered. 45 MINUTES later, we get our food. The poor kids were telling us that they were so hungry. We got there at 12pm. Food was at our table at 12.45pm. In fairness, the food was good. I ordered Chicken with Garlic Sauce. For $7.50 it was a good price for a decent lunch. However, like what other reviewers said, the place is a little dumpy. What's up with that table with all that garbage on it? Bottom line, the food was alright. But it was the experience dining in there that left a bad taste in my mouth. Never coming back. I'll be dining at Oriental Bistro, where the service is amazing and the food worth coming back for again and again. Two stars because the food was good when it arrived and it didn't kill me.
(2)David S.
The food is great. I highly recommend the beef lard nar or the pad sea ewe! What I don't recommend is the wait or the owners. The owners are the rudest people ever, they act like they are doing you a favor by letting you give them money for food. Ohh and did I mention it will be at least a hour wait ever time. Even if you are the only people in the place be prepared to wait at least an hour before they decide they want to be bothered to make your food. If you really want it order take out and add at least 20 minutes to what ever time they tell you. And then you might only wait 15-20 minutes to actually get your food.
(3)Chris P.
Hit and miss... Don't expect good service, watch and learn how to order, then expect to wait. I've had fabulous food, next visit, below par.
(3)Brian M.
Thai has been my favorite food for as long as I can remember but it is a gamble most times if a place will be quality. I can count on a couple hands the great Thai establishments I have been to around the country. This place is awesome...really. Why only 3 stars?! Because as you may have read in a review or two; the owner is extremely rude. On the Thai jerk scale he is 5. This because I wanted garlic chili sauce on side. "They do not do this in Thailand!!". He went on- I will spare you, and I then again got yelled at with the food delivery. Something about only having 2 hands and shaking his head. I know he cussed me in Thai to his wife because she gave me a somewhat dissapointed look. Will I be going back?... bet your sweet ass. This man can cook! NO SOUP FOR YOU!!!!! Also he did not have spring rolls made which was a bummer. There is a seating booth that appears to be where the owner, sleeps, eats, stores general garage type items, nuts, fruit, statues, etc. very strange. Okay, I know it's sad I will get yelled at for good Thai while eating at a circa 1989 rundown Subway restaurant- I will suppress my shame. Go check it out- bring boxing gloves.
(3)Morgan S.
Thai Siam is the best Thai food in town. I honestly eat there AT LEAST once per week, if not more. It takes a while because everything is made fresh, but its well worth the wait. I am always polite and the service is always exceptional. I think the people complaining of bad service are just impatient because they're used to fast food and quick take-out. The owners and workers recognize me because I eat there so much and are very polite and often ask me how my mother is doing. I HIGHLY recommend their food, particularly their tofu yellow curry, their egg rolls and their pad thai. The crab rangoons aren't bad either.
(5)P O.
I've been to Thai Siam twice, and after the first time I would have given it 4 stars based solely on delicious food. On that day I ate tofu pad kee mao and tofu green curry and both were very good. I've eaten lots of thai food in Chicago, Portland and other cities that have lots of excellent thai food. Although neither if those dishes compared to the best thai food I've had, they exceeded my expectations. Yesterday I got tofu lard nar for carry out and it was awful :( The sauce tastes like the saltiest, worst American style chinese sauce you could imagine. I won't be back.
(1)Kev L.
The food here taste good. But none of it taste "great" or "spectacular". It's nice to see a Thai establishment this far from the center of the KC metro but after trying a few of the dishes with a crowd of friends, I really didn't have anything that left me impressed or really yearning to go back. For a college town though, I would have to say this is very subpar Thai food. The customer service here on the other hand was absolutely horrible. Messy tables everywhere. It seems like the son of the owner just sits behind the counter and yawns all night long. We actually had to ASK them to clean a table for us. This was a complete disregard for their eating area. I also did not care for the lack of a friendly attitude from anyone. They seem to hate the fact they are running a restaurant. I will not waste my money here again.
(1)Teresa P.
Ouch. Had high hopes for this hole in the wall, but sooo many things made me frown. 35 or 40 min for our food? Hmm. Never had to wait this long for thai, especially on an unbusy weekday night. Then I finally got my beef pad see ew and was disappointed. Flavor was there, but the beef was toooooo chewy. My jaw hurts. Some noodles were a bit overcooked/dry, and most of the plate of noodles was in small chunks. Tried friend's pad thai and it was pretty meh too. Massaman curry was likely the best thing at our table. It was flavorful and portion size was hefty. Only thing is that they seem to dump in the coconut cream here... the curry was as oily as a teenager's face. I'd come back only for the curry, and only if others insisted on trying this place.
(2)Cherry Y.
The best thing is the duck noodle soup... But the environment is not so good,, kitchen is connected to dining space
(3)Holly G.
The food is DELICIOUS. But they don't care at all about their customers. They are EXTREMELY rude and could care less about you individually. ONLY DO TAKEOUT UNLESS YOU HAVE A LOT OF TIME TO SIT AROUND. If you dine-in they will serve you last.
(3)Chirag R.
Great food! The place is small and seems to be family managed, but it truly offers excellent food. They do get busy often, so it could take a while. But it's so worth it!
(5)Zach G.
Thai Siam is pretty darn tasty...not only the best Thai in town, but some of the best Asian food in town, in my opinion. The staff are nice but not overly so. Prices are fair. Quality seems good. One thing though - the places throws off the vibe of being fast food (being in a former Subway and all), but ti isn't...it can take 15 minutes to get your food.
(4)Melissa T.
"Dear Thai Siam, You were my first thai experience. I thank you for opening that door for my to have a full blown out love affair with thai food. Although I've had better thai than you since my first visit to you 5 years ago as I've moved away and spread my thai food eating wings, I will always remember the first time I stood there, looking at your board menu. I randomly picked #58 (i think that's the number - the beef kee mao), and I must say, my random pick sure was a good one. Your kee mao was delicious, and I thank you for that. Love, Melissa" Ok, I really do have a great fondness for thai siam as it was my first thai experience. Their teriyaki chicken appetizer, which I do believe they refuse to make now, was delicious. Their crab rangoon - they're some of the best, if not the best in my opinion, in Lawrence (not saying much though b/c most chinese restaurants in Lawrence that would have crab rangoon SUCK - I'm sorry but it's true). Their yellow subway benches - how can you not love those? Their curries - too watery for my preferences. I like my curries thicker; their's was thin, soup even. For the most part though, their food has been great. Overall, I might give consider giving this place three stars if I had been there after I had better thai food at other fine eating establishments, but for giving me my first taste of a cuisine that I now love, the fourth star is certainly warranted. Further, if you're considering a rating based on location, (due to lawrence's lack of thai food) I also think that 4th star is warranted. The best in lawrence, I would say.
(4)Ken K.
Any Seinfeld fans? I know it's an old show, but it will help you understand my 'review'. The food is obviously really good, but watch out for the "Thai Nazi" / dragon lady. It is seriously just like the soup place in the Seinfeld episode. "NO THAI FOR YOU!" I have, on a couple occasions, had nightmares about her. lol. Great food, but do not look her in the eyes or you may turn into a pile of red pepper flakes. Now for a short funny/sad story: I was in there once and we got our order, but we were short a soup. So, I reluctantly and fearfully went up to tell them... one thing led to another... after a little yelling she ended up firing this young college kid on the spot. I felt so bad... like I was responsible for his termination (yet again Seinfeld episode where George gets a dude fired)... the poor guy turns around as he exits and says "Welcome all to Thai Siam, best service in TOWN!!" I couldn't eat the soup... it just sat there. Hope you found another, less stressful job.
(4)Jennifer H.
I do not ever want to be dragged back to this place. It was a recommendation, which is kind of scary. My panang curry was EXTREMELY oily. My friend's Mongolian beef was overwhelmingly salty, and another friend's dish was inexplicably sweet. Other reviewers have mentioned the booth that looks to be used as someone's closet/medicine cabinet/bed(?) It is indeed very off-putting.
(1)Kavitha B.
Loved the Thai Fried Rice. The place is a hole in the wall with questionable hygiene. But the food is good.
(3)Drew F.
So here's the thing: This place is unbelievable when it comes to the food. I ate there once a week when I lived in Lawrence (just moved a month ago). Everything I've had here has been amazing. I'm especially a huge fan of the Chicken Pineapple Curry. However, there are a couple caveats I want to put on this place. First, call your order in and get it to-go!! It's fresh food and most of the time they're really busy. So it's going to take longer. I know not to order from there when I'm on a time crunch. Second, they are not the friendliest people. I've been yelled at before by the owners for one of their employees screwing up, and I still went there once a week. In addition, since they saw me consecutively for 3 years, once a week, you would imagine they would have tried to remember my name? But again they're really busy, so I wasn't too heartbroken when they never remembered who I was. I can turn a blind eye to the service if the food is this amazing. However, I did stop tipping them after I was scolded by the woman owner. So if you get easily offended, I wouldn't really recommend this place, but if you don't, then prepare for some amazing and very authentic Thai food.
(4)Madelynn M.
Great food. Cooked quickly and on the spot. A little place, a dive....but NOT a dump. I take my friends there if we're in a hurry for some good lunch.
(4)Sarah G.
My boyfriend and I walked into Thai-Siam at around 9:59, right as they were shutting off the "OPEN" sign. I started to back out and tell my boyfriend they were closed, when the man behind the counter beckoned me back in and asked what I wanted. With this sweet gesture, my boyfriend and I were treated to quick, hot food and we were on our way out. The chicken pad thai was awesome, and so was their garlic chicken (which wasn't thai). I can't wait to try their panang and green curries!
(5)Alicia R.
Yes, it does take awhile for your order to go through. Luckily, I usually come with friends when we're not quite starving and we have plenty of good conversation before the food comes. The old Subway tables are small, only fitting 4, so I wouldn't advise bringing a large group here. Meals are pretty big, I can comfortably eat 1/2 to 2/3. Make sure you check out the little whiteboard menu next to the register for more options! Most dishes run around $8-9. Info on food: Appetizers: Spring rolls - yum! peanut sauce with these is great Paper-wrapped chicken - tasty, plentiful, but a bit messy Fried tofu - not the best I've had, but not the worst, also plentiful Entrees: Massaman Curry - has chicken, very peanutty, my favorite, I think a safe intro to curry Yellow Curry - similar to Massaman, also a favorite Pad Sea Ewe - I like this one, haven't had in awhile, but good Panang Curry - a bit spicier, sometime I like this, sometimes not Pad thai - tasted better when reheated, but solid enough basic dish Lard Nar - wide noodles and the sauce is a bit too thick for my tastes Moo Goo Gai Pan - eh, plenty of lovely vegetables, but sauce is very bland Pro tip - order the Thai iced tea; it's not on the menu but is heavenly. Slightly smoky flavor with what I believe is cream on top. Yum! Ambience is not awesome - lots of Thai decorations (that part's nice) in a an old Subway, but the food is pretty darn good!
(4)Colin H.
I'll go three stars here. To parrot the sentiment from some other reviewers, the food is passable to half-way decent thai, but the customer service is a train wreck. I quite enjoy the duck noodle soup as well as a number of their other offerings, but am I willing to deal with decidedly aloof service and wait 45 minutes for it? That's a resounding "No." I've all but scratched this place from the rotation in light of the service.
(3)Peter b.
Really good food. This place used to be a Subway, so it has a weird feel to it; I always just get it for carry out instead. thoughts: 1) the curry dishes are so good. I prefer the normal curry to the green curry, but both are good. I always wind up drinking the juice when I'm done because it's that tasty. 2) at the same time, the curry isn't as filling as I'd like. I always get the beef and feel like there aren't enough beef pieces in it. 3) A lot of people love the pad thai but I can't get into it. 4) I also tried the 'lard nar' which i didn't really like--it was too bland. Apparently I don't like their noodle dishes much. 5) Inconvenient hours. Not open on Sunday and they shut down between lunch and dinner.
(4)Christina M.
Wow. This place has gone downhill since I last had it in 2006. In college, my roommate and I essentially lived on Thai Siam, and we loved everything they cooked up. The place was always a little divey, but it's in a strip mall, so we weren't going to judge. After what I experienced last week, however, I'm more than ready to judge. I walked in to a moderate lunch crowd. Didn't have to wait very long in line before ordering, so I was pleased about that. After filling up my soda, I turned to find a table. In the booth directly in front of the ordering counter was... I'm trying to find a way to describe this, and the only word coming to mind is "crap." Not, like, literal crap, but just a big pile of random stuff. A jacket, some grocery bags filled with who-knows-what, a handful of open vitamin bottles, a couple of bags of candy, some more grocery bags on the seat, some newspapers. It looked like someone had been living out of that booth. I get that it's hard to keep a place clean all the time, but seriously... you can't just shove all that shit in the back before you open? Come on. Then my food arrived... after about twenty minutes. Which seems ridiculous for a place as small and non-crowded as it is. I ordered the same thing I'd always gotten before: tofu pad thai. What arrived at my table looked nothing like what I'd enjoyed so many times a few years ago. It was a big, greasy pile of noodles and some big rectangular chunks of over-fried and oil-soaked tofu. The peanuts in the sauce weren't ground to a pleasing texture. It felt like chewing grit. The sauce itself was oily and bland. I felt like I was just eating noodles soaked in peanut oil with some chilis thrown in to give it a modicum of flavor. In short: it was disgusting. When I got home that night, I sat on the couch for awhile with the dogs, and then it hit me. I needed to get to a bathroom STAT. Everything I'd eaten came right back up. Now, ordinarily I might be willing to blame part of this on being pregnant, but I'm on Zofran. It's the stuff they give to chemo patients to combat their nausea. Since getting that magical, wonderful stuff prescribed, I have had zero problems with morning sickness, so I'm kind of not willing to give Thai Siam the benefit of the doubt on this one. I figure I must have gotten food poisoning, or else all that oil just didn't agree with me. Either way, it tasted just as bad on the way back up as it did on the way down. That'll be the last time I visit.
(1)Amy H.
Food = 5+* Service = 3* Decor/Ambience = 2* Seriously delicious Thai food! We have about 5 Thai places in my town and Thai Siam is better than all of them. Many folks were getting take out orders while we were there and that is definitely the way to go for this place. Very bright, yellow decor.
(4)Marina H.
Excellent food! Call ahead for takeout because getting your food can take a while but it's definitely worth the wait. The green curry is a must.
(5)Kerry P.
I used to always come here while in college. Great hole-in-the-wall for some good Thai food. Get the curry, highly recommend. The service is meh, and the owners are kind of rude but their food makes up for it and that's all that matters.
(4)Brian J.
The best Thai food that I have ever had. They have a small kitchen with the same crew making the most delicious Pad Thai and spring rolls you can possibly imagine. Call ahead because there will be a line and you will have to sit and wait for some time. The interior is small and there are no waiters, but the food just makes up for everything.
(5)Erin P.
Ok, this food cannot be beat. I've ordered many times and eaten several things and they're ALL JUST FLAT OUT AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS NOM NOM NOM! Do not go there if you are in a hurry, however. You will get angry and you may vow never to come back, which would be a travesty and, ultimately, your loss. If you want it faster, you can call ahead, wait about 20-30 minutes, then go pick it up. But seriously, eating Thai food in an old Subway is sort of awesome so you should really dine-in if you can handle the wait. Don't expect gushing service. In fact, you may sort of feel like they don't even really acknowledge your existence during your stay. Don't be offended. You're about to experience the best way the staff knows how to show you they care once you take a bite. Heavenly! The menu is huge, the food is always piping hot and fresh, the flavors meld to form mouth nirvana and the prices are totally reasonable for what you get. Give it a shot!
(4)Bryan A.
The freaking best chicken fried rice on the planet! The Green curry is equally amazing, and even better with tofu. You might have to wait a little bit for your food. They might bring out one dish and leave the other person waiting for a few minutes. That little jerk of a kid behind the counter might be a smart ass, but it's all worth it for the food :) PS, seriously, what's with that kids attitude?
(5)Sarah S.
Really delicious food. I love their Noodles Kee Mow with chicken. I like to add tofu. Their tofu rocks. The food is not bland. I do recommend being adventurous and trying something other than the pad thai. The veggies and ingredients are fresh and right in front of you (it is set up like the old Subway it used to be) and you can watch them make each order. The service only sucks if you expect it to be like a Subway, where you get it at the end of counter. It is really a slow restaurant that seems like it should be quick. But with each order being custom made, you get it hot and freshly made. If you call for a to-go order and they say 20 minutes, it will be at least 25.
(4)Jeff T.
Don't let the old bright-yellow Subway interior fool you, this is the best Thai and Chinese food in town. It's also the only place in town where theyserve "Springfield-style Cashew Chicken" or as my friends call it, "Kentucky Fried Cashew Chicken". Their Thai food is amazing too!
(5)Mian W.
Food is good, low price, and good portion. Worst thing: the owners are rude and loud, once I saw a customer who took the wrong order was shouted by the owner and he looked stunned...
(3)Joel S.
I've been on a huge Thai kick lately, both in terms of eating out and my own cooking. I tend to judge Thai places on their panang curry - always the first dish I order at a new place, my "control variable," if you will. I got the medium, which gave me the sniffles but wasn't unbearable - exactly the way I like it. You could taste everything - the peppers, coconut, fish sauce, peanut - every flavor popped through. I'm sure this was no canned paste mixed with coconut milk - which is fine for most occasions, but this was a whole new level. My girlfriend got the pad thai with chicken (her control dish), which I sampled and thought was pretty decent as well. The service is polite but very slow. They bring out the food as they make it, so your dining partner may have their food 15 minutes before you. But it's worth the wait. Judging by the food prep stations (up front) and the yellow hard booths, I'm pretty sure the place used to be a Subway, so it's not exactly a luxurious or romantic atmosphere. And that's OK, because this place is about the food, and they clearly do it very, very well.
(5)Hannah A.
It's a mom & pop shop in a strip mall. It's actually Chinese and Thai. I can't take too much spiciness, but I found the pad Thai to be too sweet. My friend's Pa-nag curry did look good, but w a kick. It's missing the two stars because of one of the tables were cluttered with office type stuff just piled on. Also, not the most friendliest people around......customer service?
(4)Greta W.
I rescind my earlier claim about the appetizers. I recently had their spring rolls, and I'm a believer. I may or may not have licked the peanut sauce dish clean, and for two large spring rolls, stuffed with rice noodles, green cilantro, romaine, and shrimp, you can't do much better.
(4)Erika Y.
good food, bad service, nonetheless best Thai food in Lawrence
(4)Katherine J.
I have had a love-hate relationship with this place. However, as a lover of Thai food, Lawrence does not have many options (I'm like a kid in a candy store in Boston). I have been with Thai Siam in good times and bad. The customer service is never wonderful (you're lucky to get a smile) but they are great about customizing ingredients to help out vegetarians and vegans. The food is usually spot on - sometimes better than others. I love the panang curry and the pad thai. One big complaint - the tofu is in these weird strips instead of nicely fried cubes. Why? It's ugly and the texture is odd. They also won't let you order half orders and they make your food when they get around to it (even if there is no one else there). So go to Thai Siam for some yummy food. Just make sure you pack your patience and leave your Western notions of customer service at the door. Your tummy will thank you.
(4)Mnason M.
I decided to dine here for the first time to try something different that people rated decent on Yelp while we were in the Lawrence area. We ordered a medium (hotness) chicken curry panang and a chicken noodle pan thai. Both were decent. I have to admit, I've never liked any Thai restaurants I've been to in the past except this one gets a plus. I didn't fall in love but I would return. The food was decent however wow they used a lot of chopped peanuts and peanut oil in the pan thai. So much it almost got annoying...almost. The service was fine. The young girl working the counter was nice. They are slow on cooking. I think they had just one takeout order before ours and we were basically the only people they were cooking for. They took their time while lacking any "hop in their steps". Not really a bad thing, just I can understand an order would take a long time to fill if they were backed up. I thought it was funny how they had ink jet printer signs up saying things like "no outside food", "restrooms only for customers", "order at the bar", and "return papers to this table" all over the store. Made me chuckle for some reason. I wouldn't mind returning for a second meal.
(3)Ty O.
Thai Siam is a little divey and all the better for it. Uncomfortable chairs, a generally worn interior, and friendly service are what await for you inside (and you probably will be doing a little waiting). But it's a place like this that reminds you that sometimes, it's just about the food. The food here is quite tasty and very reasonably priced considering the quality. They have a very wide selection of meals, covering the basics of Thai food and then some. The flavors are pretty vibrant, which is a nice contrast to some less skillful Thai restaurants who muddle things up a bit. You can get a nice tasting meal for a comparable price to any king-gantic sized meal from a fast food joint. The storefront is a little unassuming, as is everything else about the place, but don't be put off -- this is some excellent Thai food and definitely one of the better independent places around Lawrence. Review: 3.5 stars.
(3)Ed C.
I had the chicken pad thai, and while it was not quite as good as Encore's, it was still rather nice. We split an order of crab rangoon that was very good. The wait wasn't too bad and I don't mind the lobby so much.
(4)Jennifer H.
Food was decent, though not presented well. Plates were too large for the portions served and my tofu cubes apparently broke apart during cooking. The location is obviously a former Subway, and the food is prepared behind the counter. Ingredients are a bit haphazardly kept in bins visible throughout the restaurant, and inventories of restaurant supplies are out in the open. One of the booths was taken over by personal effects that implied an employee was practically living there. I guess I just expect a better facade from an eating establishment. Definitely less expensive than most Thai restaurants with the loss coming in quality and atmosphere. I recommend getting your order to go if you're looking for some less expensive but decent Thai food.
(3)Patrick S.
I couldn't eat the food, I had to throw it away. I got a to-go order because a friend had suggested this place. The vegetables were cooked to mush and the shrimp tasted old and rubbery. It was so expensive for the poor quality! I am usually a BIG fan of thai food; its my favorite! This place is so bad though, we tried giving it a chance.
(1)Casey M.
Wow! Thai Siam, what can I say...I think I'm in love! I absolutely adore Thai Siam. I lived in Lawrence for 4 years and ate there at least once a week. Now I live in Austin, TX and I just can't seem to find any Thai food that is even half as good as Thai Siam. The food is wonderfully flavored with fresh ingredients and is cooked fresh to order...so no food poisoning due to 8 hour old chicken or something... I'm telling you, if you want good Thai food, or Chinese for that matter, Thai Siam is the place. My favorites: Fried Rice (any meat is good), Pad Thai, Lard Nar, Pad See Ewe, Green curry, Pad Kee Mao, Hot and Sour soup, Crab Rangoon, and the egg roll If you want Chinese, I agree with Carol R., don't get the lo mein, but the orange chicken and the other "fried then put in sauce" stuff is also to die for, as the breading underneath the sauce is still really crispy and not soggy like every single other Asian restaurant I've been too. Anyway, as a former Lawrencian, who now lives in a big city that should have good Thai, but doesn't -- treasure every single moment that you have with Thai Siam, because you'll miss it when you have to leave it... : (
(5)Just A S.
Fresh food prepared by great cooks that make you feel like family. You don't get much better than Thai Siam. I promise you---ANYTHING you order on the menu is excellent and by far, the BEST thai food i've had...I think ever. This restaurant is a converted Subway, which only adds to the kitch and charm. You can see them preparing your food, so it's kitchen theatre, too...which I love. The only thing that could improve about the atmosphere---the lighting. and even that isn't distracting...it kind of feels like you're in some hole in the wall in Greenwich Village. The people that run it make me feel the most welcome and taken care of in all of Lawrence's restaurants. Maybe it's because they are family and it feels like they've invited you into their own kitchen for some classic Thai food. Keep it up, Siam. I don't know what I'd do without you. :-)
(5)Brenda H.
People are always raving about pad thai and at most Thai restaurants I'm just not that impressed. Here, however, it's GREAT! I miss their sweet and sour soup.
(4)Abby A.
Mmmm...love me some Thai Siam. Hole in the wall sorta place with amazing Thai food. I love the chicken wings as an app and Beef with Basil for my meal. Nothing short of heavenly! My hubby always gets the Pad Thai with tofu or Panang Curry with the same. Great portions, good value. Getting hungry just thinking about it...
(5)Ryan B.
I've eaten at TS about maybe five times. they serve chinese and Tahi food. Chinese is pretty typical. Thai is outstanding. I've had several of the curry dishes, and they're amazing. The pad Thai is good. The spring rolls are great. The other posters are right about the service. its not too good. However, I love their open kitchen with the old Thai guy making all the food before your eyes. Its a treat to watch them cook. Bottom line, if you want really good Thai food, go to Thai Siam. If you want to be treated really nice and sucked up to, go somewhere else.
(4)Natalie S.
Best Thai food in Lawrence, hands down. I won't order Phad Thai anywhere else.
(4)Helen M.
We just moved back here from DC, where they have some excellent Thai restaurants and I've been jonesing for a fix. So I turned to Yelp for some reviews of Lawrence's Thai restaurants. The reviews are spot on. The grumpy owner was there scolding the new, college student, part-timer for repeating a customers order for mild food --"Makes no sense! Medium, extra spicy, or Thai hot!" I was just glad to hear "Thai hot." The food was excellent and the Crab Rangoon really is off the hook. I had the Basil Chicken, Thai hot, and was thrilled. If I don't sweat over my Thai, I'm not happy. My S.O., who can't do hot, was happy with his Mongolian Beef, but really liked the Crab Rangoon. Like I said, I just got back to the Midwest from DC, so I've become accustomed to less than hospitable service. Just go to the bar ~two doors over, get a couple of cheap beers and come back in 15-20 minutes - it worked out for me. Can't wait to try more of the menu and see if the part-timer is able to stick it out.
(5)SE T.
Great food, great price. We frequent this restaurant often, and it feels like family when we drop in. The owners are from Thailand and create the most authentic Thai cuisine in the Land of Oz. So, it might be necessary to leave your notions of fast food instant gratification at home, and relish the pleasure of fresh, spot on cooking in a unique atmosphere. It usually is a wait, but you can chat with the cook and gain some insight into his gastronomical magic.
(5)Josh P.
Service is wretched. The man behind the register, I believe he is the owner, was so rude that I don't plan on ever dining there again. I asked a question about a dish, and he was obviously annoyed for whatever neurotic reason exists in his brain. He kept asking why I was asking and acting like I should know the answer to my question, while pretending not to understand what I was asking. I made a comment about leaving to eat somewhere else and he toned it down and finally answered my question. This is the second time he was flat out rude over some simple non-issue. I will not be returning.
(1)Alison M.
The food at Thai Siam is good, but the service is beyond awful. We once went in for carry out and were told it would take 20 minutes. TWO HOURS later we got our food. Sure, it was Valentines Day (I think 2006), and sure they were busy. But it was ridiculous. After an hour we asked for a refund, as we wanted to leave, but they would not give us one. We ended up getting beer from the liqour store next door and hanging out in the parking lot while we waited. Other times I've been to Thai Siam and my food has tasted like soap. Also, the Pad Kee Mao is heavy on sprouts, so if you ask for no sprouts, you get a very small portion of food. I used to go to Thai Siam because I liked their food, but I have had so many negative experiences that I will no longer eat there.
(1)Teresa G.
Don't know what the other reports are about regarding rude service. I went, and both the people who helped us were polite. Maybe it's a discrepancy between what constitutes good service. I don't need someone to perpetually smile from ear-to-ear (that would be creepy) and make small talk. I just want to order. It might also be a language difference. I ordered pad thai with tofu and it was decent. The spice level, hot, was better than other places in Lawrence & KC. Still looking for a northern Thai place, though! Throw in Himalayan, too.
(4)Erica T.
Yes, it can take a while for the food to come out. Yes, the cook (owner??) can become grumpy (and argumentative) if you ask about the food taking a long time. But, this is the best green curry I've ever had. It's all I've ever gotten here, because it's THAT good. It's sweet, spicy, and full of flavor. You also get a ton of food, but I always seem to finish it because I can't stop eating!!! I've also tried my fellow diner's panang curry, which was wonderful, though not as good as the green curry. It's a bit thicker than the green curry, and has a deep peanut flavor. It's in an old Subway, so seating consists of the yellow Subway booths. The dining room is a bit tight, space-wise, but we've never had a problem finding a place to sit. It's worth a try. Get the green curry if you go!!
(4)Adam S.
Thai Siam, you are the strangest, quirkiest spot that I miss dearly in Lawrence. Thai Siam is authentic Thai Food, where a Thai family is always behind the stove whipping up delicious curries and noodle dishes. It's endearing that it's in an old Subway and it never fails to deliver on flavor. It's a place I was so hesitant to ever try because it looks like it's a snack bar at a baseball game with their blue and white menu sign. They also offer an array of crowd-pleasing Chinese dishes, but don't go that direction of think that it's their area of strength. Thai is the forte here, through and through. Bottom line up front: I have been severely chided by the folks working here for reaching to get a to-go container. I mean, u-n-d-r-e-s-s-e-d in front of a packed house. I have had them hang up on me when they couldn't understand my to-go order. And that's the tip of the iceberg... But I'm pretty willing to overlook all of that to quietly shuffle through line for my soup..errr..curry. Still five stars. Another reason I'm willing to overlook some terrible customer service experiences is that they are ALWAYS working. I'd be a bit cranky too, but it helps their product stay 100% and I respect that. I highly recommend getting it to go and if you're a curry fan, they make a delicious Massaman curry with peanuts, onions, potatoes, carrots and a milder broth. Almost like a hybrid of Indian spices and Thai spices. For the spice lovers, their Panang and Green curries come chock full of veggies and so much flavor. They're usually pretty hot, but definitely not too hot to eat. One of their strongest areas though are their noodles. They've spoiled me on other Thai places because Thai Siam makes their noodles from scratch. With the Pad Sea Ewe, the thick, wide noodles completely soak up the wok flavors and are unbeatable. Their Pad Thai is a gigantic portion of deliciousness, and has a nice little kick to it if you ask for it. I think that about covers it, but I highly encourage you to have your expectations set and then give these folks a try. They're buried in a strip mall off of 6th street, but well worth the trip.
(5)Paula R.
The best Thai place in Lawrence! I have been coming here every Wednesday with a group of friends for about 3 years. The food is always hot and tasty! I always get one of the curries, which is plenty of food. Sure, the owners aren't exactly the friendliest, but they have never been rude either. Recently my friends moved away so I have been getting take out instead. I usually get there 5 mins after they say it will be ready, and it is always ready for me. It's not the fanciest place, (there is always a booth full of personal items and clutter) but the food more than makes up for it in my opinion.
(5)Frank H.
All the stars are for the food! Best Thai food in Lawrence. Atmosphere is old Subway and you order your food from the counter but man, was the Chicken Pabang Curry to die for. Enough to feed us both and for about 14 bucks a good deal too.
(5)Daniel H.
All of the good reviews sure fooled me. I met with a few of my friends and this place wasn't what I expected or even what other Yelpers' reviews had me believe based on their review. First off, we waited close to 40 minutes for our food to come out to our table and we were the only ones in the restaurant at one point. Apparently, they didn't know how to divide up the cooking, because they cooked everybody's orders who ordered to-go either by phone or in-person first. This was fine except they could have divided up the cooking so one person would prepare all the to-go orders and the other for everybody in the restaurant. I ordered the Chicken Pad Thai ($7.95) and a soda for $10.49 total. My friends ordered the Beef Pad Sea Ewe, Chicken Masaman Curry, and the Chicken Lo Mein. The Chicken Pad Thai was nothing amazing and I've had way better. I tried some Beef Pad Sea Ewe and the beef was tough to eat. It might have been cooked a little bit too long. The Chicken Masaman Curry was good but oily and probably the only thing worth ordering out of our table's food. I didn't try the Chicken Lo Mein, but it didn't look like it tasted great. Based on those four dishes, I would recommend the Chicken Masaman Curry. I'm not coming back.
(1)Beau S.
The food is very expensive for the amount you get. It's like paying for front row seats when you're sitting in the nosebleeds. 2 entrees and an order of spring roles was almost $30. The owners seem like they hate you on the phone. "Did you get the spring roles?" "YES I GOT THE SPRING ROLLS I SAID OK!" Sorry to bother you on the phone sir. Once I got into the restaurant it was like there was anger about taking my money and giving me food. Is their heart still in this business? The good thing is if they aren't into it, they can still sell the space back to subway since they haven't changed anything after taking over in probably 1993. The food is good. But the price puts a bad taste in my mouth. The spring rolls are priced like they have shrimp, but they are all veggie! WHERE IS MY SHRIMP!!??
(1)Adam D.
One star is for the rude horrible service. I ordered combo lad na and somehow they heard and gave me combo pad thai. Went to tell them we ordered combo lad na and the man yelled "I TOLD YOU ONE MORE DISH COMING!" Then the wife said no you said pad Thai. Funny thing is we order the same dishes every single time and pad Thai is never one of them. Stick to getting take out if you can. Food is delicious but not sure how much bad service I can take.
(1)Jenn G.
I love Thai Siam. This review is for take-out, which I order in-person. I went here for years, moved to NYC, came back, still my favorite...My husband worked for another unnamed popular Asian restaurant in town, and although it is good food, quicker service, better lighting, Thai Siam's food is great and makes all those other things not matter to me. The pluses: It's the only place in town I've found that has some authentic food *on the menu,* and the Bangkok-style pad thai doesn't taste like a water down version Americanized pad thai. The serving sizes are *huge,* and fairly priced. (I always have enough for 2-3 meals.) I also like that it looks like an Asian restaurant in any Little Thailand or Chinatown USA, which is to say it is like a Thai interpretation of a diner, nothing hip or fancy. I also always receive courteous service. The minuses: The lighting is bright fluorescent lighting, which is really bright at night (never been for lunch). I know some people don't mind that, but I do so I always get my food to-go. The location is not that convenient for me, I live on the other side of town and avoid the West Side for most things. (But Thai Siam is an exception.) And I always order a Thai Iced Tea...Because the wait time is very long. Sometimes it seems like they're making the noodles from scratch. Overall 5 stars.
(5)Adam S.
Thai Siam, you are the strangest, quirkiest spot that I miss dearly in Lawrence. Thai Siam is authentic Thai Food, where a Thai family is always behind the stove whipping up delicious curries and noodle dishes. It's endearing that it's in an old Subway and it never fails to deliver on flavor. It's a place I was so hesitant to ever try because it looks like it's a snack bar at a baseball game with their blue and white menu sign. They also offer an array of crowd-pleasing Chinese dishes, but don't go that direction of think that it's their area of strength. Thai is the forte here, through and through. Bottom line up front: I have been severely chided by the folks working here for reaching to get a to-go container. I mean, u-n-d-r-e-s-s-e-d in front of a packed house. I have had them hang up on me when they couldn't understand my to-go order. And that's the tip of the iceberg... But I'm pretty willing to overlook all of that to quietly shuffle through line for my soup..errr..curry. Still five stars. Another reason I'm willing to overlook some terrible customer service experiences is that they are ALWAYS working. I'd be a bit cranky too, but it helps their product stay 100% and I respect that. I highly recommend getting it to go and if you're a curry fan, they make a delicious Massaman curry with peanuts, onions, potatoes, carrots and a milder broth. Almost like a hybrid of Indian spices and Thai spices. For the spice lovers, their Panang and Green curries come chock full of veggies and so much flavor. They're usually pretty hot, but definitely not too hot to eat. One of their strongest areas though are their noodles. They've spoiled me on other Thai places because Thai Siam makes their noodles from scratch. With the Pad Sea Ewe, the thick, wide noodles completely soak up the wok flavors and are unbeatable. Their Pad Thai is a gigantic portion of deliciousness, and has a nice little kick to it if you ask for it. I think that about covers it, but I highly encourage you to have your expectations set and then give these folks a try. They're buried in a strip mall off of 6th street, but well worth the trip.
(5)Rika B.
1. Don't you dare asking for an empty bowl to share your food because they only have 10 big bowls. Don't get fooled by the empty restaurant too, they still NEED those bowls! 2. Hold on to your tips until you finish the meal. You never know how you're going to be treated that day. This place is not for the faint-hearted 3. Let's all pray for the workers they hire(d). Hope they find their peace Oh, and the food is good
(2)Tiffany P.
Tried Thai Siam last night and was not disappointed! I just recently moved to Lawrence from Phoenix and am glad I found a good thai place. The comments about the interior resembling the old Subway were spot on, it was a very unusual mix. We did order to go, as other reviewers suggested, and the employee who helped us was very helpful and friendly. We tried chicken pad sea ewe and chicken lo mein and both were delicious. Will definitely be coming back.
(5)Bobbi T.
Our last trip here was such a terrible experience. It started when I asked if there was curry in the pineapple fried rice. A simple no would have been nice but she told me that pineapple curry and pineapple fried rice were different. So whatever, we decided to order the fried rice, fried tofu and our usual - lad na and pad see eww. When they bring our food, the first two dishes they bring is pad Thai and fried rice. We tell them that we ordered pad see eww and lad na. He yells at us that he told us there's one more dish coming and then the wife says no you order pad thai not lad na. Pretty sure we know what we ordered because we get it every time we come. So we begrudgingly eat what we are served. The pineapple fried rice tastes like ketchup fried rice and the pad thai tastes similar to what I make at home - which is why we rarely order this dish! As we are eating we hear them talking in Thai about the other customers. They probably didn't say anything about us because they knew we understood them! We really could not enjoy our food with all the rudeness from this visit. This time the food didn't make up for it. We will definitely not be going back anytime soon.
(2)Hannah R.
Best Tom yum soup I've ever had! (And I've eaten a lot of tum yum soup and been to thailand) plus they're getting new help and they are VERY PLEASANT and nice. Give it a try!
(5)Justin G.
Good food but exceedingly rude service. Like other reviewers they have served me something other than what I ordered and been down right hostile when the issue was pointed out.
(2)Teresa G.
Don't know what the other reports are about regarding rude service. I went, and both the people who helped us were polite. Maybe it's a discrepancy between what constitutes good service. I don't need someone to perpetually smile from ear-to-ear (that would be creepy) and make small talk. I just want to order. It might also be a language difference. I ordered pad thai with tofu and it was decent. The spice level, hot, was better than other places in Lawrence & KC. Still looking for a northern Thai place, though! Throw in Himalayan, too.
(4)Erica T.
Yes, it can take a while for the food to come out. Yes, the cook (owner??) can become grumpy (and argumentative) if you ask about the food taking a long time. But, this is the best green curry I've ever had. It's all I've ever gotten here, because it's THAT good. It's sweet, spicy, and full of flavor. You also get a ton of food, but I always seem to finish it because I can't stop eating!!! I've also tried my fellow diner's panang curry, which was wonderful, though not as good as the green curry. It's a bit thicker than the green curry, and has a deep peanut flavor. It's in an old Subway, so seating consists of the yellow Subway booths. The dining room is a bit tight, space-wise, but we've never had a problem finding a place to sit. It's worth a try. Get the green curry if you go!!
(4)Paula R.
The best Thai place in Lawrence! I have been coming here every Wednesday with a group of friends for about 3 years. The food is always hot and tasty! I always get one of the curries, which is plenty of food. Sure, the owners aren't exactly the friendliest, but they have never been rude either. Recently my friends moved away so I have been getting take out instead. I usually get there 5 mins after they say it will be ready, and it is always ready for me. It's not the fanciest place, (there is always a booth full of personal items and clutter) but the food more than makes up for it in my opinion.
(5)Ed C.
I had the chicken pad thai, and while it was not quite as good as Encore's, it was still rather nice. We split an order of crab rangoon that was very good. The wait wasn't too bad and I don't mind the lobby so much.
(4)Ty O.
Thai Siam is a little divey and all the better for it. Uncomfortable chairs, a generally worn interior, and friendly service are what await for you inside (and you probably will be doing a little waiting). But it's a place like this that reminds you that sometimes, it's just about the food. The food here is quite tasty and very reasonably priced considering the quality. They have a very wide selection of meals, covering the basics of Thai food and then some. The flavors are pretty vibrant, which is a nice contrast to some less skillful Thai restaurants who muddle things up a bit. You can get a nice tasting meal for a comparable price to any king-gantic sized meal from a fast food joint. The storefront is a little unassuming, as is everything else about the place, but don't be put off -- this is some excellent Thai food and definitely one of the better independent places around Lawrence. Review: 3.5 stars.
(3)Joel S.
I've been on a huge Thai kick lately, both in terms of eating out and my own cooking. I tend to judge Thai places on their panang curry - always the first dish I order at a new place, my "control variable," if you will. I got the medium, which gave me the sniffles but wasn't unbearable - exactly the way I like it. You could taste everything - the peppers, coconut, fish sauce, peanut - every flavor popped through. I'm sure this was no canned paste mixed with coconut milk - which is fine for most occasions, but this was a whole new level. My girlfriend got the pad thai with chicken (her control dish), which I sampled and thought was pretty decent as well. The service is polite but very slow. They bring out the food as they make it, so your dining partner may have their food 15 minutes before you. But it's worth the wait. Judging by the food prep stations (up front) and the yellow hard booths, I'm pretty sure the place used to be a Subway, so it's not exactly a luxurious or romantic atmosphere. And that's OK, because this place is about the food, and they clearly do it very, very well.
(5)Hannah A.
It's a mom & pop shop in a strip mall. It's actually Chinese and Thai. I can't take too much spiciness, but I found the pad Thai to be too sweet. My friend's Pa-nag curry did look good, but w a kick. It's missing the two stars because of one of the tables were cluttered with office type stuff just piled on. Also, not the most friendliest people around......customer service?
(4)Greta W.
I rescind my earlier claim about the appetizers. I recently had their spring rolls, and I'm a believer. I may or may not have licked the peanut sauce dish clean, and for two large spring rolls, stuffed with rice noodles, green cilantro, romaine, and shrimp, you can't do much better.
(4)Erika Y.
good food, bad service, nonetheless best Thai food in Lawrence
(4)Frank H.
All the stars are for the food! Best Thai food in Lawrence. Atmosphere is old Subway and you order your food from the counter but man, was the Chicken Pabang Curry to die for. Enough to feed us both and for about 14 bucks a good deal too.
(5)Morgan S.
Thai Siam is the best Thai food in town. I honestly eat there AT LEAST once per week, if not more. It takes a while because everything is made fresh, but its well worth the wait. I am always polite and the service is always exceptional. I think the people complaining of bad service are just impatient because they're used to fast food and quick take-out. The owners and workers recognize me because I eat there so much and are very polite and often ask me how my mother is doing. I HIGHLY recommend their food, particularly their tofu yellow curry, their egg rolls and their pad thai. The crab rangoons aren't bad either.
(5)Scott T.
My favorite 3-star restaurant in Lawrence. Stop laughing. It's depressing. A former corporate Subway, you and your fellow diners will be bathed in the finest glow-in-the-dark neon yellow tables and chairs from 1989. The restaurant itself can be very busy, stuffy, hot and noisy. You might need to wait a bit. It's a small joint, the staff is limited and sometimes the language barrier doesn't work in your favor. But I come here for the that one guilty pleasure, a better version which can only be found via a 35 mile drive to Kansas City: red curry chicken, Thai hot. For those times when I need the fix, I can be assured I'll be sitting at the end of the meal with tears in my eyes, a burning mouth and that feeling of "why, why do I need this so?" The sweetness of the coconut milk mixing with the aromatic Thai basil, the pleasant first crisp taste of the red peppers, a burst of protein with chicken (my choice) or shrimp, and then comes the heat. That heat, intense, unrelenting. The rice is nicely moist and there's plenty of it, and the entire dish is an enormous amount that'll have you knowing... there'll be more to come... tomorrow. Probably best saved for those nights when carry-out is your option or catch them at a down time. It can be busy. Know this, it's a joint, but the food is typically pretty rewarding. Go for the taste, not the ambiance. When a hot curry is this good, the decor is pretty low on the list.
(3)Ken K.
Any Seinfeld fans? I know it's an old show, but it will help you understand my 'review'. The food is obviously really good, but watch out for the "Thai Nazi" / dragon lady. It is seriously just like the soup place in the Seinfeld episode. "NO THAI FOR YOU!" I have, on a couple occasions, had nightmares about her. lol. Great food, but do not look her in the eyes or you may turn into a pile of red pepper flakes. Now for a short funny/sad story: I was in there once and we got our order, but we were short a soup. So, I reluctantly and fearfully went up to tell them... one thing led to another... after a little yelling she ended up firing this young college kid on the spot. I felt so bad... like I was responsible for his termination (yet again Seinfeld episode where George gets a dude fired)... the poor guy turns around as he exits and says "Welcome all to Thai Siam, best service in TOWN!!" I couldn't eat the soup... it just sat there. Hope you found another, less stressful job.
(4)Jennifer H.
I do not ever want to be dragged back to this place. It was a recommendation, which is kind of scary. My panang curry was EXTREMELY oily. My friend's Mongolian beef was overwhelmingly salty, and another friend's dish was inexplicably sweet. Other reviewers have mentioned the booth that looks to be used as someone's closet/medicine cabinet/bed(?) It is indeed very off-putting.
(1)Kavitha B.
Loved the Thai Fried Rice. The place is a hole in the wall with questionable hygiene. But the food is good.
(3)J S.
I took Beef broccoli to go and it tasted Okay, but my experience in this place was pathetic for many reasons First the packing of the food was very poor, so it spilled I made a big mess, photos attached. Second I ordered coffee from there which turned out to be very sweet, I asked the only guy who seems to speak english if he can make it less sweet, he didn't look at me or speak and looked to the other side and told the other lady about it who rolled her eyes and waved with her hands, in other words we cannot do anything for you!!! Third there is a pile of junk on another table which looks like a garage that needs to be cleaned, review pictures from another yelpers In other words a place that I don't recommend for their horrible customer service, pathetic packing of the food and bad ambiance!
(2)Bryan D.
The food is good but not great. My favorite dish is the Green Curry. I was slightly disappointed in the Pad Thai and Panang Curry. The Phad Thai I found to be a bit dry and lacking that hint of lime so often found in other Phad Thai. The Curry in general is on the runny side in case you are one who prefers thicker. Portions are great. Atmosphere is sub-casual, service is a touch slow. Finally can't go wrong with the crab ragoons.
(3)William B.
Just plain and simple, Ask them to make you a true Thai dish. My favorite shrimp fried rice with basil and jalapeños!!!!!!!!!!!! Price is always an issue, but for a good meal, I will pay the price! Love it!
(5)Clinton C.
Called in an order at 1144 he told me to pick up in twenty five minutes. Showed up twenty five minutes later and they completely forgot to make it. He yelled at the lady to start making it. It was 1230 when they finished and he made me pay full price. Good food but the worst service.
(2)Daniel H.
All of the good reviews sure fooled me. I met with a few of my friends and this place wasn't what I expected or even what other Yelpers' reviews had me believe based on their review. First off, we waited close to 40 minutes for our food to come out to our table and we were the only ones in the restaurant at one point. Apparently, they didn't know how to divide up the cooking, because they cooked everybody's orders who ordered to-go either by phone or in-person first. This was fine except they could have divided up the cooking so one person would prepare all the to-go orders and the other for everybody in the restaurant. I ordered the Chicken Pad Thai ($7.95) and a soda for $10.49 total. My friends ordered the Beef Pad Sea Ewe, Chicken Masaman Curry, and the Chicken Lo Mein. The Chicken Pad Thai was nothing amazing and I've had way better. I tried some Beef Pad Sea Ewe and the beef was tough to eat. It might have been cooked a little bit too long. The Chicken Masaman Curry was good but oily and probably the only thing worth ordering out of our table's food. I didn't try the Chicken Lo Mein, but it didn't look like it tasted great. Based on those four dishes, I would recommend the Chicken Masaman Curry. I'm not coming back.
(1)Beau S.
The food is very expensive for the amount you get. It's like paying for front row seats when you're sitting in the nosebleeds. 2 entrees and an order of spring roles was almost $30. The owners seem like they hate you on the phone. "Did you get the spring roles?" "YES I GOT THE SPRING ROLLS I SAID OK!" Sorry to bother you on the phone sir. Once I got into the restaurant it was like there was anger about taking my money and giving me food. Is their heart still in this business? The good thing is if they aren't into it, they can still sell the space back to subway since they haven't changed anything after taking over in probably 1993. The food is good. But the price puts a bad taste in my mouth. The spring rolls are priced like they have shrimp, but they are all veggie! WHERE IS MY SHRIMP!!??
(1)Brian M.
Thai has been my favorite food for as long as I can remember but it is a gamble most times if a place will be quality. I can count on a couple hands the great Thai establishments I have been to around the country. This place is awesome...really. Why only 3 stars?! Because as you may have read in a review or two; the owner is extremely rude. On the Thai jerk scale he is 5. This because I wanted garlic chili sauce on side. "They do not do this in Thailand!!". He went on- I will spare you, and I then again got yelled at with the food delivery. Something about only having 2 hands and shaking his head. I know he cussed me in Thai to his wife because she gave me a somewhat dissapointed look. Will I be going back?... bet your sweet ass. This man can cook! NO SOUP FOR YOU!!!!! Also he did not have spring rolls made which was a bummer. There is a seating booth that appears to be where the owner, sleeps, eats, stores general garage type items, nuts, fruit, statues, etc. very strange. Okay, I know it's sad I will get yelled at for good Thai while eating at a circa 1989 rundown Subway restaurant- I will suppress my shame. Go check it out- bring boxing gloves.
(3)P O.
I've been to Thai Siam twice, and after the first time I would have given it 4 stars based solely on delicious food. On that day I ate tofu pad kee mao and tofu green curry and both were very good. I've eaten lots of thai food in Chicago, Portland and other cities that have lots of excellent thai food. Although neither if those dishes compared to the best thai food I've had, they exceeded my expectations. Yesterday I got tofu lard nar for carry out and it was awful :( The sauce tastes like the saltiest, worst American style chinese sauce you could imagine. I won't be back.
(1)Kev L.
The food here taste good. But none of it taste "great" or "spectacular". It's nice to see a Thai establishment this far from the center of the KC metro but after trying a few of the dishes with a crowd of friends, I really didn't have anything that left me impressed or really yearning to go back. For a college town though, I would have to say this is very subpar Thai food. The customer service here on the other hand was absolutely horrible. Messy tables everywhere. It seems like the son of the owner just sits behind the counter and yawns all night long. We actually had to ASK them to clean a table for us. This was a complete disregard for their eating area. I also did not care for the lack of a friendly attitude from anyone. They seem to hate the fact they are running a restaurant. I will not waste my money here again.
(1)Cassandra A.
I love the tofu pad thai. It's ruined me because I cannot go anywhere else for thai food. This is definitely not a place you go if you want a great venue to hang out. It is a exactly as others have mentioned - an old subway with hardly any remodeling. This is great for takeout though. Typically I call ahead and pick up my food. The wait isn't too long though if you just order in the shop. Not because of a line or anything, but because they make your food fresh. The food is a large portion too. Typically it will last me for two meals. I do wish they did delivery. Update 5/24/12: I went in and had a horrible experience. They burnt my food and when I tried to communicate that to the cook she got upset and started yelling at me. Little weird, especially since I DO actually know what their food normally tastes like. Kinda put a bad taste in my mouth (no pun intended) and I won't be going back for quite a while and thus changing my star distribution. (Just a friendly request to management - it is a business no matter how good your food is. If you want to keep your customers, don't be excessively rude to them.)
(2)Sean S.
I'll start by saying that I have no idea if this Thai tastes authentic or not, but I've heard it's close for what you'll find in the states. That said, their Pad Thai is AMAZING! Don't recommend dining in here, it used to be a Subway and they didn't change a thing. Watch out for the lady owner, she constantly looks like she's about to rip someone's head off, but she's always good with customers. I have fun watching her when I'm waiting for my carry out, which usually takes 20-30 minutes by the way, so call ahead. Love this place!
(5)Sunthud P.
This is only one authentic Thai restaurant in Lawrence. I recommend fried tofu (in appetizer) and any kinds of curry here. The fried tofu is very crispy and delicious. I think their sauce is too sweet. They cook any kinds of curry very well. The hardest part of the Thai curry cooking is to cook until the coconut milk have an oily sheen--somebody may think it is unhealthy but the curry with or without the oily sheen have the same amount of fat and calories (just a different look). They cook the curry well and very authentic. If I pick one from the curry list, I would pick the Thai curry with grilled duck. You cannot find it easily in US (even in Thailand). Their pad Thai is as good as you can get in Lawrence. Sometimes, it is too oily and too sweet for me. The ingredient for their pad Thai is not complete compared to what I had in Thailand. I think the pad Thai from Bangkok Pavilion in Overland Park is closer to what I had in Thailand. Their pad kee mow is good but not one of the kind. Other dishes I have tried are okay. I would recommend the fried tofu and any curry dishes in this place. As a disclaimer, sometimes, the food can be super slow here.
(4)C V.
The pad-thai is my favorite in town. I always call ahead and take my food home because the dining area is a little skeezy. Not really dirty, just like cluttered a "hole-in-the-wall" feel. Also, the family that runs the place seems to have permanently set up camp in the main booth near the cook line. There's always tons of newspapers, jackets, personal belongings piled up and it's a little weird. If you can get past that, the food really is great.
(4)Christina M.
Wow. This place has gone downhill since I last had it in 2006. In college, my roommate and I essentially lived on Thai Siam, and we loved everything they cooked up. The place was always a little divey, but it's in a strip mall, so we weren't going to judge. After what I experienced last week, however, I'm more than ready to judge. I walked in to a moderate lunch crowd. Didn't have to wait very long in line before ordering, so I was pleased about that. After filling up my soda, I turned to find a table. In the booth directly in front of the ordering counter was... I'm trying to find a way to describe this, and the only word coming to mind is "crap." Not, like, literal crap, but just a big pile of random stuff. A jacket, some grocery bags filled with who-knows-what, a handful of open vitamin bottles, a couple of bags of candy, some more grocery bags on the seat, some newspapers. It looked like someone had been living out of that booth. I get that it's hard to keep a place clean all the time, but seriously... you can't just shove all that shit in the back before you open? Come on. Then my food arrived... after about twenty minutes. Which seems ridiculous for a place as small and non-crowded as it is. I ordered the same thing I'd always gotten before: tofu pad thai. What arrived at my table looked nothing like what I'd enjoyed so many times a few years ago. It was a big, greasy pile of noodles and some big rectangular chunks of over-fried and oil-soaked tofu. The peanuts in the sauce weren't ground to a pleasing texture. It felt like chewing grit. The sauce itself was oily and bland. I felt like I was just eating noodles soaked in peanut oil with some chilis thrown in to give it a modicum of flavor. In short: it was disgusting. When I got home that night, I sat on the couch for awhile with the dogs, and then it hit me. I needed to get to a bathroom STAT. Everything I'd eaten came right back up. Now, ordinarily I might be willing to blame part of this on being pregnant, but I'm on Zofran. It's the stuff they give to chemo patients to combat their nausea. Since getting that magical, wonderful stuff prescribed, I have had zero problems with morning sickness, so I'm kind of not willing to give Thai Siam the benefit of the doubt on this one. I figure I must have gotten food poisoning, or else all that oil just didn't agree with me. Either way, it tasted just as bad on the way back up as it did on the way down. That'll be the last time I visit.
(1)Amy H.
Food = 5+* Service = 3* Decor/Ambience = 2* Seriously delicious Thai food! We have about 5 Thai places in my town and Thai Siam is better than all of them. Many folks were getting take out orders while we were there and that is definitely the way to go for this place. Very bright, yellow decor.
(4)Marina H.
Excellent food! Call ahead for takeout because getting your food can take a while but it's definitely worth the wait. The green curry is a must.
(5)Kerry P.
I used to always come here while in college. Great hole-in-the-wall for some good Thai food. Get the curry, highly recommend. The service is meh, and the owners are kind of rude but their food makes up for it and that's all that matters.
(4)Sarah M.
Food= excellent! Pad Thai is delicious Service= good (guy that takes phone orders is really nice) Atmosphere= eh. We always get it to go. Thai Siam is in an old subway and it's pretty obvious, but you don't go for atmosphere. Bottom line: cheap and delicious Thai food
(4)Teresa P.
Ouch. Had high hopes for this hole in the wall, but sooo many things made me frown. 35 or 40 min for our food? Hmm. Never had to wait this long for thai, especially on an unbusy weekday night. Then I finally got my beef pad see ew and was disappointed. Flavor was there, but the beef was toooooo chewy. My jaw hurts. Some noodles were a bit overcooked/dry, and most of the plate of noodles was in small chunks. Tried friend's pad thai and it was pretty meh too. Massaman curry was likely the best thing at our table. It was flavorful and portion size was hefty. Only thing is that they seem to dump in the coconut cream here... the curry was as oily as a teenager's face. I'd come back only for the curry, and only if others insisted on trying this place.
(2)Cherry Y.
The best thing is the duck noodle soup... But the environment is not so good,, kitchen is connected to dining space
(3)Holly G.
The food is DELICIOUS. But they don't care at all about their customers. They are EXTREMELY rude and could care less about you individually. ONLY DO TAKEOUT UNLESS YOU HAVE A LOT OF TIME TO SIT AROUND. If you dine-in they will serve you last.
(3)Chirag R.
Great food! The place is small and seems to be family managed, but it truly offers excellent food. They do get busy often, so it could take a while. But it's so worth it!
(5)Zach G.
Thai Siam is pretty darn tasty...not only the best Thai in town, but some of the best Asian food in town, in my opinion. The staff are nice but not overly so. Prices are fair. Quality seems good. One thing though - the places throws off the vibe of being fast food (being in a former Subway and all), but ti isn't...it can take 15 minutes to get your food.
(4)Melissa T.
"Dear Thai Siam, You were my first thai experience. I thank you for opening that door for my to have a full blown out love affair with thai food. Although I've had better thai than you since my first visit to you 5 years ago as I've moved away and spread my thai food eating wings, I will always remember the first time I stood there, looking at your board menu. I randomly picked #58 (i think that's the number - the beef kee mao), and I must say, my random pick sure was a good one. Your kee mao was delicious, and I thank you for that. Love, Melissa" Ok, I really do have a great fondness for thai siam as it was my first thai experience. Their teriyaki chicken appetizer, which I do believe they refuse to make now, was delicious. Their crab rangoon - they're some of the best, if not the best in my opinion, in Lawrence (not saying much though b/c most chinese restaurants in Lawrence that would have crab rangoon SUCK - I'm sorry but it's true). Their yellow subway benches - how can you not love those? Their curries - too watery for my preferences. I like my curries thicker; their's was thin, soup even. For the most part though, their food has been great. Overall, I might give consider giving this place three stars if I had been there after I had better thai food at other fine eating establishments, but for giving me my first taste of a cuisine that I now love, the fourth star is certainly warranted. Further, if you're considering a rating based on location, (due to lawrence's lack of thai food) I also think that 4th star is warranted. The best in lawrence, I would say.
(4)Drew F.
So here's the thing: This place is unbelievable when it comes to the food. I ate there once a week when I lived in Lawrence (just moved a month ago). Everything I've had here has been amazing. I'm especially a huge fan of the Chicken Pineapple Curry. However, there are a couple caveats I want to put on this place. First, call your order in and get it to-go!! It's fresh food and most of the time they're really busy. So it's going to take longer. I know not to order from there when I'm on a time crunch. Second, they are not the friendliest people. I've been yelled at before by the owners for one of their employees screwing up, and I still went there once a week. In addition, since they saw me consecutively for 3 years, once a week, you would imagine they would have tried to remember my name? But again they're really busy, so I wasn't too heartbroken when they never remembered who I was. I can turn a blind eye to the service if the food is this amazing. However, I did stop tipping them after I was scolded by the woman owner. So if you get easily offended, I wouldn't really recommend this place, but if you don't, then prepare for some amazing and very authentic Thai food.
(4)Madelynn M.
Great food. Cooked quickly and on the spot. A little place, a dive....but NOT a dump. I take my friends there if we're in a hurry for some good lunch.
(4)Sarah G.
My boyfriend and I walked into Thai-Siam at around 9:59, right as they were shutting off the "OPEN" sign. I started to back out and tell my boyfriend they were closed, when the man behind the counter beckoned me back in and asked what I wanted. With this sweet gesture, my boyfriend and I were treated to quick, hot food and we were on our way out. The chicken pad thai was awesome, and so was their garlic chicken (which wasn't thai). I can't wait to try their panang and green curries!
(5)Alicia R.
Yes, it does take awhile for your order to go through. Luckily, I usually come with friends when we're not quite starving and we have plenty of good conversation before the food comes. The old Subway tables are small, only fitting 4, so I wouldn't advise bringing a large group here. Meals are pretty big, I can comfortably eat 1/2 to 2/3. Make sure you check out the little whiteboard menu next to the register for more options! Most dishes run around $8-9. Info on food: Appetizers: Spring rolls - yum! peanut sauce with these is great Paper-wrapped chicken - tasty, plentiful, but a bit messy Fried tofu - not the best I've had, but not the worst, also plentiful Entrees: Massaman Curry - has chicken, very peanutty, my favorite, I think a safe intro to curry Yellow Curry - similar to Massaman, also a favorite Pad Sea Ewe - I like this one, haven't had in awhile, but good Panang Curry - a bit spicier, sometime I like this, sometimes not Pad thai - tasted better when reheated, but solid enough basic dish Lard Nar - wide noodles and the sauce is a bit too thick for my tastes Moo Goo Gai Pan - eh, plenty of lovely vegetables, but sauce is very bland Pro tip - order the Thai iced tea; it's not on the menu but is heavenly. Slightly smoky flavor with what I believe is cream on top. Yum! Ambience is not awesome - lots of Thai decorations (that part's nice) in a an old Subway, but the food is pretty darn good!
(4)Adam D.
One star is for the rude horrible service. I ordered combo lad na and somehow they heard and gave me combo pad thai. Went to tell them we ordered combo lad na and the man yelled "I TOLD YOU ONE MORE DISH COMING!" Then the wife said no you said pad Thai. Funny thing is we order the same dishes every single time and pad Thai is never one of them. Stick to getting take out if you can. Food is delicious but not sure how much bad service I can take.
(1)Jenn G.
I love Thai Siam. This review is for take-out, which I order in-person. I went here for years, moved to NYC, came back, still my favorite...My husband worked for another unnamed popular Asian restaurant in town, and although it is good food, quicker service, better lighting, Thai Siam's food is great and makes all those other things not matter to me. The pluses: It's the only place in town I've found that has some authentic food *on the menu,* and the Bangkok-style pad thai doesn't taste like a water down version Americanized pad thai. The serving sizes are *huge,* and fairly priced. (I always have enough for 2-3 meals.) I also like that it looks like an Asian restaurant in any Little Thailand or Chinatown USA, which is to say it is like a Thai interpretation of a diner, nothing hip or fancy. I also always receive courteous service. The minuses: The lighting is bright fluorescent lighting, which is really bright at night (never been for lunch). I know some people don't mind that, but I do so I always get my food to-go. The location is not that convenient for me, I live on the other side of town and avoid the West Side for most things. (But Thai Siam is an exception.) And I always order a Thai Iced Tea...Because the wait time is very long. Sometimes it seems like they're making the noodles from scratch. Overall 5 stars.
(5)Nitchada B.
The owners are so RUDE!! I heard them talk about their employee so rude (in their language)... If their foods were not that good, i would not come to this place EVER!! Btw, PhadThai is so good here!!
(1)Eunice M.
I went for the first time to this place today with my girlfriends and their kids. Prior to that, I had tried Thai Siam's food when a friend invited me over her place for some take out. I remember enjoying dinner mainly because of the company, however, I didn't think the food (we had Pad Thai and Red Curry) was exceptionally great having been to Thailand numerous times - I know how real Thai food tastes like. I felt that the food here has been 'Americanized' and well, I really have no problem with that. Whatever sells here, right? Anyway, back to today's visit. While deciding what to order, a lady walked in, looked at us and sighed that exasperated sigh and said something in Thai, which I understood (I speak enough Thai to get by) as "Oh, why are they so many?" 'They' meaning me, my three girlfriends and their three young children. Why wouldn't they want the business we're bringing? Beats me! After standing there for about 5 minutes and no one asking us what we'd like to order, I finally made eye contact with the male staff member (possibly owner?) and he snapped, "What? Are you ready to order? You should stand behind the counter and not back there!" Back where? We were behind the counter. So to appease him, I took one short step towards the counter and then that's when he asked what we'd like to order. Weird. It cannot be a cultural thing because I'm Asian, I have many Thai friends, I've been to Thailand and this is not their culture to be mean. It just isn't! So don't think it is cultural (It ain't a language barrier either, the guy spoke good enough English to me). They're just plain odd. So oddness aside, I was polite (because seriously, you shouldn't be mean back to the people making your food) and ordered. 45 MINUTES later, we get our food. The poor kids were telling us that they were so hungry. We got there at 12pm. Food was at our table at 12.45pm. In fairness, the food was good. I ordered Chicken with Garlic Sauce. For $7.50 it was a good price for a decent lunch. However, like what other reviewers said, the place is a little dumpy. What's up with that table with all that garbage on it? Bottom line, the food was alright. But it was the experience dining in there that left a bad taste in my mouth. Never coming back. I'll be dining at Oriental Bistro, where the service is amazing and the food worth coming back for again and again. Two stars because the food was good when it arrived and it didn't kill me.
(2)David S.
The food is great. I highly recommend the beef lard nar or the pad sea ewe! What I don't recommend is the wait or the owners. The owners are the rudest people ever, they act like they are doing you a favor by letting you give them money for food. Ohh and did I mention it will be at least a hour wait ever time. Even if you are the only people in the place be prepared to wait at least an hour before they decide they want to be bothered to make your food. If you really want it order take out and add at least 20 minutes to what ever time they tell you. And then you might only wait 15-20 minutes to actually get your food.
(3)Chris P.
Hit and miss... Don't expect good service, watch and learn how to order, then expect to wait. I've had fabulous food, next visit, below par.
(3)Colin H.
I'll go three stars here. To parrot the sentiment from some other reviewers, the food is passable to half-way decent thai, but the customer service is a train wreck. I quite enjoy the duck noodle soup as well as a number of their other offerings, but am I willing to deal with decidedly aloof service and wait 45 minutes for it? That's a resounding "No." I've all but scratched this place from the rotation in light of the service.
(3)Peter b.
Really good food. This place used to be a Subway, so it has a weird feel to it; I always just get it for carry out instead. thoughts: 1) the curry dishes are so good. I prefer the normal curry to the green curry, but both are good. I always wind up drinking the juice when I'm done because it's that tasty. 2) at the same time, the curry isn't as filling as I'd like. I always get the beef and feel like there aren't enough beef pieces in it. 3) A lot of people love the pad thai but I can't get into it. 4) I also tried the 'lard nar' which i didn't really like--it was too bland. Apparently I don't like their noodle dishes much. 5) Inconvenient hours. Not open on Sunday and they shut down between lunch and dinner.
(4)Mian W.
Food is good, low price, and good portion. Worst thing: the owners are rude and loud, once I saw a customer who took the wrong order was shouted by the owner and he looked stunned...
(3)Jeff T.
Don't let the old bright-yellow Subway interior fool you, this is the best Thai and Chinese food in town. It's also the only place in town where theyserve "Springfield-style Cashew Chicken" or as my friends call it, "Kentucky Fried Cashew Chicken". Their Thai food is amazing too!
(5)Erin P.
Ok, this food cannot be beat. I've ordered many times and eaten several things and they're ALL JUST FLAT OUT AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS NOM NOM NOM! Do not go there if you are in a hurry, however. You will get angry and you may vow never to come back, which would be a travesty and, ultimately, your loss. If you want it faster, you can call ahead, wait about 20-30 minutes, then go pick it up. But seriously, eating Thai food in an old Subway is sort of awesome so you should really dine-in if you can handle the wait. Don't expect gushing service. In fact, you may sort of feel like they don't even really acknowledge your existence during your stay. Don't be offended. You're about to experience the best way the staff knows how to show you they care once you take a bite. Heavenly! The menu is huge, the food is always piping hot and fresh, the flavors meld to form mouth nirvana and the prices are totally reasonable for what you get. Give it a shot!
(4)Brian J.
The best Thai food that I have ever had. They have a small kitchen with the same crew making the most delicious Pad Thai and spring rolls you can possibly imagine. Call ahead because there will be a line and you will have to sit and wait for some time. The interior is small and there are no waiters, but the food just makes up for everything.
(5)Bryan A.
The freaking best chicken fried rice on the planet! The Green curry is equally amazing, and even better with tofu. You might have to wait a little bit for your food. They might bring out one dish and leave the other person waiting for a few minutes. That little jerk of a kid behind the counter might be a smart ass, but it's all worth it for the food :) PS, seriously, what's with that kids attitude?
(5)Sarah S.
Really delicious food. I love their Noodles Kee Mow with chicken. I like to add tofu. Their tofu rocks. The food is not bland. I do recommend being adventurous and trying something other than the pad thai. The veggies and ingredients are fresh and right in front of you (it is set up like the old Subway it used to be) and you can watch them make each order. The service only sucks if you expect it to be like a Subway, where you get it at the end of counter. It is really a slow restaurant that seems like it should be quick. But with each order being custom made, you get it hot and freshly made. If you call for a to-go order and they say 20 minutes, it will be at least 25.
(4)Katherine J.
I have had a love-hate relationship with this place. However, as a lover of Thai food, Lawrence does not have many options (I'm like a kid in a candy store in Boston). I have been with Thai Siam in good times and bad. The customer service is never wonderful (you're lucky to get a smile) but they are great about customizing ingredients to help out vegetarians and vegans. The food is usually spot on - sometimes better than others. I love the panang curry and the pad thai. One big complaint - the tofu is in these weird strips instead of nicely fried cubes. Why? It's ugly and the texture is odd. They also won't let you order half orders and they make your food when they get around to it (even if there is no one else there). So go to Thai Siam for some yummy food. Just make sure you pack your patience and leave your Western notions of customer service at the door. Your tummy will thank you.
(4)Mnason M.
I decided to dine here for the first time to try something different that people rated decent on Yelp while we were in the Lawrence area. We ordered a medium (hotness) chicken curry panang and a chicken noodle pan thai. Both were decent. I have to admit, I've never liked any Thai restaurants I've been to in the past except this one gets a plus. I didn't fall in love but I would return. The food was decent however wow they used a lot of chopped peanuts and peanut oil in the pan thai. So much it almost got annoying...almost. The service was fine. The young girl working the counter was nice. They are slow on cooking. I think they had just one takeout order before ours and we were basically the only people they were cooking for. They took their time while lacking any "hop in their steps". Not really a bad thing, just I can understand an order would take a long time to fill if they were backed up. I thought it was funny how they had ink jet printer signs up saying things like "no outside food", "restrooms only for customers", "order at the bar", and "return papers to this table" all over the store. Made me chuckle for some reason. I wouldn't mind returning for a second meal.
(3)Alison M.
The food at Thai Siam is good, but the service is beyond awful. We once went in for carry out and were told it would take 20 minutes. TWO HOURS later we got our food. Sure, it was Valentines Day (I think 2006), and sure they were busy. But it was ridiculous. After an hour we asked for a refund, as we wanted to leave, but they would not give us one. We ended up getting beer from the liqour store next door and hanging out in the parking lot while we waited. Other times I've been to Thai Siam and my food has tasted like soap. Also, the Pad Kee Mao is heavy on sprouts, so if you ask for no sprouts, you get a very small portion of food. I used to go to Thai Siam because I liked their food, but I have had so many negative experiences that I will no longer eat there.
(1)Brenda H.
People are always raving about pad thai and at most Thai restaurants I'm just not that impressed. Here, however, it's GREAT! I miss their sweet and sour soup.
(4)Abby A.
Mmmm...love me some Thai Siam. Hole in the wall sorta place with amazing Thai food. I love the chicken wings as an app and Beef with Basil for my meal. Nothing short of heavenly! My hubby always gets the Pad Thai with tofu or Panang Curry with the same. Great portions, good value. Getting hungry just thinking about it...
(5)Ryan B.
I've eaten at TS about maybe five times. they serve chinese and Tahi food. Chinese is pretty typical. Thai is outstanding. I've had several of the curry dishes, and they're amazing. The pad Thai is good. The spring rolls are great. The other posters are right about the service. its not too good. However, I love their open kitchen with the old Thai guy making all the food before your eyes. Its a treat to watch them cook. Bottom line, if you want really good Thai food, go to Thai Siam. If you want to be treated really nice and sucked up to, go somewhere else.
(4)Natalie S.
Best Thai food in Lawrence, hands down. I won't order Phad Thai anywhere else.
(4)Helen M.
We just moved back here from DC, where they have some excellent Thai restaurants and I've been jonesing for a fix. So I turned to Yelp for some reviews of Lawrence's Thai restaurants. The reviews are spot on. The grumpy owner was there scolding the new, college student, part-timer for repeating a customers order for mild food --"Makes no sense! Medium, extra spicy, or Thai hot!" I was just glad to hear "Thai hot." The food was excellent and the Crab Rangoon really is off the hook. I had the Basil Chicken, Thai hot, and was thrilled. If I don't sweat over my Thai, I'm not happy. My S.O., who can't do hot, was happy with his Mongolian Beef, but really liked the Crab Rangoon. Like I said, I just got back to the Midwest from DC, so I've become accustomed to less than hospitable service. Just go to the bar ~two doors over, get a couple of cheap beers and come back in 15-20 minutes - it worked out for me. Can't wait to try more of the menu and see if the part-timer is able to stick it out.
(5)SE T.
Great food, great price. We frequent this restaurant often, and it feels like family when we drop in. The owners are from Thailand and create the most authentic Thai cuisine in the Land of Oz. So, it might be necessary to leave your notions of fast food instant gratification at home, and relish the pleasure of fresh, spot on cooking in a unique atmosphere. It usually is a wait, but you can chat with the cook and gain some insight into his gastronomical magic.
(5)Josh P.
Service is wretched. The man behind the register, I believe he is the owner, was so rude that I don't plan on ever dining there again. I asked a question about a dish, and he was obviously annoyed for whatever neurotic reason exists in his brain. He kept asking why I was asking and acting like I should know the answer to my question, while pretending not to understand what I was asking. I made a comment about leaving to eat somewhere else and he toned it down and finally answered my question. This is the second time he was flat out rude over some simple non-issue. I will not be returning.
(1)Jennifer H.
Food was decent, though not presented well. Plates were too large for the portions served and my tofu cubes apparently broke apart during cooking. The location is obviously a former Subway, and the food is prepared behind the counter. Ingredients are a bit haphazardly kept in bins visible throughout the restaurant, and inventories of restaurant supplies are out in the open. One of the booths was taken over by personal effects that implied an employee was practically living there. I guess I just expect a better facade from an eating establishment. Definitely less expensive than most Thai restaurants with the loss coming in quality and atmosphere. I recommend getting your order to go if you're looking for some less expensive but decent Thai food.
(3)Patrick S.
I couldn't eat the food, I had to throw it away. I got a to-go order because a friend had suggested this place. The vegetables were cooked to mush and the shrimp tasted old and rubbery. It was so expensive for the poor quality! I am usually a BIG fan of thai food; its my favorite! This place is so bad though, we tried giving it a chance.
(1)Casey M.
Wow! Thai Siam, what can I say...I think I'm in love! I absolutely adore Thai Siam. I lived in Lawrence for 4 years and ate there at least once a week. Now I live in Austin, TX and I just can't seem to find any Thai food that is even half as good as Thai Siam. The food is wonderfully flavored with fresh ingredients and is cooked fresh to order...so no food poisoning due to 8 hour old chicken or something... I'm telling you, if you want good Thai food, or Chinese for that matter, Thai Siam is the place. My favorites: Fried Rice (any meat is good), Pad Thai, Lard Nar, Pad See Ewe, Green curry, Pad Kee Mao, Hot and Sour soup, Crab Rangoon, and the egg roll If you want Chinese, I agree with Carol R., don't get the lo mein, but the orange chicken and the other "fried then put in sauce" stuff is also to die for, as the breading underneath the sauce is still really crispy and not soggy like every single other Asian restaurant I've been too. Anyway, as a former Lawrencian, who now lives in a big city that should have good Thai, but doesn't -- treasure every single moment that you have with Thai Siam, because you'll miss it when you have to leave it... : (
(5)Just A S.
Fresh food prepared by great cooks that make you feel like family. You don't get much better than Thai Siam. I promise you---ANYTHING you order on the menu is excellent and by far, the BEST thai food i've had...I think ever. This restaurant is a converted Subway, which only adds to the kitch and charm. You can see them preparing your food, so it's kitchen theatre, too...which I love. The only thing that could improve about the atmosphere---the lighting. and even that isn't distracting...it kind of feels like you're in some hole in the wall in Greenwich Village. The people that run it make me feel the most welcome and taken care of in all of Lawrence's restaurants. Maybe it's because they are family and it feels like they've invited you into their own kitchen for some classic Thai food. Keep it up, Siam. I don't know what I'd do without you. :-)
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