Solid Thai lunch. Boss man loves this spot and it's easy to see why. Fresh and tasty offerings for an affordable price. He'd go on and on about how much money he saves without overhead costs by running a work from home organization but I also think he sees his company allowing him to work-from-restaurants. I appreciate that and I'm glad Thai cafe is there in his favorite shopping center to fit the bill. The pad Thai is excellent and what's even better is that you can totally ask servers to throw some cilantro on top (doesn't come with it). Unlike Simply Thai, they also have mock chicken as a vegetarian option which is my favorite "meat" on Thai dishes. Is it weird I like the mock stuff better than the real thing? Whatever. It's great here, give it a try!
(4)
Alan S.
Service is friendly but the food is just okay. Not worth going out of your way to come here. Better Thai can be had elsewhere.
(2)
Cheryl S.
We we're on our way home and were actually stopping at another restaurant but changed minds and ended up here instead and we are so glad we did! What a great surprise! This is THE BEST Thai restaurant we have eaten at by far!
(5)
Cara H.
My favorite Thai spot in Louisville by far. Great service and food. We really like the curry dishes and appreciate the choices of meat. Their satay with peanut sauce is very good but my absolute favorite is their Panang with either chicken or beef. The owners seem like lovely people and it's a relaxing restaurant too.
(4)
Andrea H.
A common lunch option for business meetings for my boss, I have become quite fancied with Thai Cafe. The staff has become acquainted with our party because of the frequency we are there, and they are always friendly and helpful. The food is amazing - I wasn't sure what to order last time because I've loved everything I've had so far, so I simply requested something spicy and with chicken. The chef laughed at me, then asked to rank my spicy desire on a scale of one through four. I ended up with the no-fail pad thai, with the appropriate "four" spicy I requested. Delicious. I agree with fellow Yelpers on the disappointing size of the entrees. A lunch entree will set you back about $8, but leaves me wanting just a little bit more. I guess I am a bit American in my desire for a hefty lunch.
(4)
Janice C.
I've been looking for a good Thai restaurant in town and fellow Yelpers didn't lead me astray on this one. We ordered the curry puffs, Massaman tofu curry, and a shrimp pineapple curry. All of it was outstanding. We had plenty of curry for leftover lunches, and I was scraping the bottom of the bowl to get the last remnants of rice and sauce. The service was good -- friendly and efficient -- but the hostess is the reason I hesitated to give it 4 stars. There was a bit of a wait when we got there, so we put our name in and walked around just outside the restaurant for a few minutes. We waited a good 25 minutes after we went back inside before asked the hostess how much longer it would be. I gave her our name only to receive a blank stare before she said "I called your name, like, 3 times." Did you whisper it behind your hand or something?! However, once we were seated, the food was so good, I really couldn't fault the experience much for that. We'll definitely be back!
(4)
Shelley M.
Pretty good. Only one lunch to judge it from though so this review may go up or down in the future. All the entrees were $7.95 at lunch which after tax and tip is just a tad higher than I normally try to spend for a quick workday lunch but it is the east end and the overall service/ambiance was nice. Served with a soup or salad, my friend and I both got the salad which was small (like half size of most "house salads") but fresh and with a very tasty peanut dressing. Entrees were well done, moderate portion sizing that didn't leave any leftovers but didn't leave us hungry either. Fairly standard Thai flavors, nothing spectacular but quite serviceable. Service was friendly and understated, prompt water refills.
(4)
Andrew M.
Great food. Pretty good service. Very casual atmosphere, pad Thai is awesome and so is the curry
(4)
Sneha V.
I just loved this place..!! The food was so delicious.. yummm... We went on the 30th of Dec.. Service was awesome.. He kinda customised the food to match our spice needs.. I'm a vegetarian.. Had good options.. Loved the soup.. My hubby had sea food.. He loved it too.. I would like to try the Kee paw (veg) again.. Keep up the good work guys.. C u again soon.. :) Highly recommendable in my opinion..
(5)
Dennis S.
Good food, good people.
(3)
Stephanie S.
Good solid Thai food and attentive service. Only downside is the portions are pretty small for Thai food. For $10 I'm usually left with enough for lunch the next day too but this was just big enough for dinner.
(4)
gloria c.
by california standards, the thai cafe is pretty sub-par. compared to other asian restaurants in louisville, though, i'd say it's actually one of the better places to go. the food is a little on the greasy side, but they have a good variety and they have a lot of vegetarian options (you can pretty much get any dish and substitute tofu or mock "chicken" or "pork"). my favorite dishes are the corn cake appetizer and the veggie fried rice. other pros are the reasonable prices (i think all the entrees are ~$10) and the staff, who are always polite and friendly (even when they're really busy). i also like that the thai cafe is family owned and operated. so you can eat there and feel good that you're supporting a local business! =)
(4)
Cynthia D.
This is my spot to go to in Louisville for Thai. I've ordered many items with tofu, and they were great. Tofu is one of those things, that when done wrong, it's a disaster. I agree with the previous reviewer on the food being slightly greasy. Portions were large enough to take some home, and staff was very friendly. Pricing is excellent for the east end of Louisville, too.
(4)
Laika W.
Outstanding. Some of the best and most authentic Thai food I have had in the U.S. The fish special was excellent. The papaya salad was spicy but delicate. Even the steamed rice was a cut above the norm you see outside Thailand. Plus very laid back and sedate, with a nice owner and good service - and no long lines. If you are in Louisville and like Thai food, this is your place.
(5)
Diane R.
One of my favorite restaurants. The food is always fresh and good. I usually get chicken red curry and it is the best I've had at any restaurant. It has the perfect amount of spice/heat. The salad and dressing are great and so is the spring roll.
(5)
Mari K.
So many Thai places are dialed back to suit American palates--this place pulls no punches and as a result all the dishes are bright and distinct in flavor. Highly recommend.
(5)
Tim S.
My favorite Thai place in Louisville. Family run, husband in the dining room, wife (born and raised in Thailand) runs the kitchen. Order your food one notch below your preferred spicyness and ask for the house hot sauce. I've been trying to get them to bottle the recipe for years. Service can be slow so don't think you'll be in and out in 30 mins. You probably need to slow life down a little bit anyway.
(5)
Rachel A.
We stopped in for lunch recently and the experience was mixed. The host was helpful and polite but the food was mediocre. One exception to this was a crispy spring roll which was among the best I've ever had. The fresh spring rolls were stuffed with huge pieces of cucumber. Not a fan. The soup was very thin and a spicy oil overpowered it. A mortal error was leaving inedible lemon grass stalks/stems and another type of seasoning in the soup. Nothing inedible should ever be served. We love Thai and hope this kitchen will make some adjustments. The restaurant itself is clean and quiet and in a good location.
(2)
kevin g.
I Never see anybody in here...there is a reason why. they are friendly but in a 30 minute lunch I was the ONLY person in the place. The food is OK but I would not go out of my way to get it. They have a very extensive menu but my test strip for a new place is a simple dish in the case of Thai restaurant its Pad Thai. It was not bad jsut not that special. Maybe they are better at dinner but since I ahve never seen anyone in here I wonder how they are surviving. Sorry Thai Cafe.
(2)
Brittany R.
I stopped in here for a quick dinner and was pleasantly surprised with the quality and efficiency of this place. I probably could have just eaten a few orders of crab Rangoon and left happy- and the green curry was excellent. Will definitely be back!
(5)
Paige H.
Thai Cafe, from the outside, looks lovely and cozy with tables on an enclosed patio, requisite umbrellas to ward off the searing late summer sun, lush potted plants and comfy chairs. Inside, it's another story. With the exception of the massive Buddha guarding the kitchen and bathroom doors, the place is utterly lacking in charm and cleanliness. I arrived shortly after 1 pm to meet a friend for lunch. There were no other diners and I was surprised to see nearly half a dozen tables with detritus from the presumed lunch "rush" still in evidence. The owners sitting behind a screen, watching TV (?). My friend was already seated and the minute I sat down, a man came up and asked for my order. I said "I just got here, may I have iced tea please". He brought my tea and then sat in a chair next to the cash register. My friend made some suggestions as she had been here before. I looked for him to signal that we were ready to order and from his seated position by the cash stand said "Go ahead". Taken aback, I hesitated and then he got up and approached our table, then he sat down again. I am not a fan of staff being quite so casual. The food came up very quickly and it was hot and delicious although I found the dressing on my tiny salad to be overly sweet. My friend and I both had curried rice with chicken and vegetables. I seemed to have no veg other than corn, whereas her portion was gorgeous with peas and green beans. We both also had a spring roll which was very crisp and had a perfectly light balance of veg. We couldn't find the man to get refills on our tea, my friend spotted a carafe on another table and got it and filled our glasses. Turns out, that was water. My friend wanted to place a to go order so we simply called out "Hello?" and he came from behind the screen. She gave him her order and he looked at our glasses. I explained that we wanted refills on our tea, but found only the water. I also asked him for boxes for us to pack up our lunch leftovers. He brought me a fresh tea and I had to ask for a box again. While the food was delish, the service and environment was not. It's not likely that I'll go back.
(2)
Katie W.
I've been coming here since I was a little kid, moving up from the sweet and sour chicken and fried rice to the excellent thai basil and pad see ew. Service might sometimes be slow, but that's because this is literally a mom and pop operation. PS - check out the photos of the royal family on the wall. Always a sign that you've chosen a good spot.
(5)
Planters V.
Came here on New Year's Eve. Woefully understaffed. Took more than 5min to wait on our takeout order. Only manager and 1 waiter were working. Portions were very meager. One small side of rice with dishes did not feed my family.The Pad thai noodles consisted of something that resembled italian pasta than anything I've ever tried. The only good dish we got was the jungle curry. Basil curry was pretty much siracha sauce. Keep looking I say for better places.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Bike Parking : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Noise Level : Quiet Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Megan F.
Solid Thai lunch. Boss man loves this spot and it's easy to see why. Fresh and tasty offerings for an affordable price. He'd go on and on about how much money he saves without overhead costs by running a work from home organization but I also think he sees his company allowing him to work-from-restaurants. I appreciate that and I'm glad Thai cafe is there in his favorite shopping center to fit the bill. The pad Thai is excellent and what's even better is that you can totally ask servers to throw some cilantro on top (doesn't come with it). Unlike Simply Thai, they also have mock chicken as a vegetarian option which is my favorite "meat" on Thai dishes. Is it weird I like the mock stuff better than the real thing? Whatever. It's great here, give it a try!
(4)Alan S.
Service is friendly but the food is just okay. Not worth going out of your way to come here. Better Thai can be had elsewhere.
(2)Cheryl S.
We we're on our way home and were actually stopping at another restaurant but changed minds and ended up here instead and we are so glad we did! What a great surprise! This is THE BEST Thai restaurant we have eaten at by far!
(5)Cara H.
My favorite Thai spot in Louisville by far. Great service and food. We really like the curry dishes and appreciate the choices of meat. Their satay with peanut sauce is very good but my absolute favorite is their Panang with either chicken or beef. The owners seem like lovely people and it's a relaxing restaurant too.
(4)Andrea H.
A common lunch option for business meetings for my boss, I have become quite fancied with Thai Cafe. The staff has become acquainted with our party because of the frequency we are there, and they are always friendly and helpful. The food is amazing - I wasn't sure what to order last time because I've loved everything I've had so far, so I simply requested something spicy and with chicken. The chef laughed at me, then asked to rank my spicy desire on a scale of one through four. I ended up with the no-fail pad thai, with the appropriate "four" spicy I requested. Delicious. I agree with fellow Yelpers on the disappointing size of the entrees. A lunch entree will set you back about $8, but leaves me wanting just a little bit more. I guess I am a bit American in my desire for a hefty lunch.
(4)Janice C.
I've been looking for a good Thai restaurant in town and fellow Yelpers didn't lead me astray on this one. We ordered the curry puffs, Massaman tofu curry, and a shrimp pineapple curry. All of it was outstanding. We had plenty of curry for leftover lunches, and I was scraping the bottom of the bowl to get the last remnants of rice and sauce. The service was good -- friendly and efficient -- but the hostess is the reason I hesitated to give it 4 stars. There was a bit of a wait when we got there, so we put our name in and walked around just outside the restaurant for a few minutes. We waited a good 25 minutes after we went back inside before asked the hostess how much longer it would be. I gave her our name only to receive a blank stare before she said "I called your name, like, 3 times." Did you whisper it behind your hand or something?! However, once we were seated, the food was so good, I really couldn't fault the experience much for that. We'll definitely be back!
(4)Shelley M.
Pretty good. Only one lunch to judge it from though so this review may go up or down in the future. All the entrees were $7.95 at lunch which after tax and tip is just a tad higher than I normally try to spend for a quick workday lunch but it is the east end and the overall service/ambiance was nice. Served with a soup or salad, my friend and I both got the salad which was small (like half size of most "house salads") but fresh and with a very tasty peanut dressing. Entrees were well done, moderate portion sizing that didn't leave any leftovers but didn't leave us hungry either. Fairly standard Thai flavors, nothing spectacular but quite serviceable. Service was friendly and understated, prompt water refills.
(4)Andrew M.
Great food. Pretty good service. Very casual atmosphere, pad Thai is awesome and so is the curry
(4)Sneha V.
I just loved this place..!! The food was so delicious.. yummm... We went on the 30th of Dec.. Service was awesome.. He kinda customised the food to match our spice needs.. I'm a vegetarian.. Had good options.. Loved the soup.. My hubby had sea food.. He loved it too.. I would like to try the Kee paw (veg) again.. Keep up the good work guys.. C u again soon.. :) Highly recommendable in my opinion..
(5)Dennis S.
Good food, good people.
(3)Stephanie S.
Good solid Thai food and attentive service. Only downside is the portions are pretty small for Thai food. For $10 I'm usually left with enough for lunch the next day too but this was just big enough for dinner.
(4)gloria c.
by california standards, the thai cafe is pretty sub-par. compared to other asian restaurants in louisville, though, i'd say it's actually one of the better places to go. the food is a little on the greasy side, but they have a good variety and they have a lot of vegetarian options (you can pretty much get any dish and substitute tofu or mock "chicken" or "pork"). my favorite dishes are the corn cake appetizer and the veggie fried rice. other pros are the reasonable prices (i think all the entrees are ~$10) and the staff, who are always polite and friendly (even when they're really busy). i also like that the thai cafe is family owned and operated. so you can eat there and feel good that you're supporting a local business! =)
(4)Cynthia D.
This is my spot to go to in Louisville for Thai. I've ordered many items with tofu, and they were great. Tofu is one of those things, that when done wrong, it's a disaster. I agree with the previous reviewer on the food being slightly greasy. Portions were large enough to take some home, and staff was very friendly. Pricing is excellent for the east end of Louisville, too.
(4)Laika W.
Outstanding. Some of the best and most authentic Thai food I have had in the U.S. The fish special was excellent. The papaya salad was spicy but delicate. Even the steamed rice was a cut above the norm you see outside Thailand. Plus very laid back and sedate, with a nice owner and good service - and no long lines. If you are in Louisville and like Thai food, this is your place.
(5)Diane R.
One of my favorite restaurants. The food is always fresh and good. I usually get chicken red curry and it is the best I've had at any restaurant. It has the perfect amount of spice/heat. The salad and dressing are great and so is the spring roll.
(5)Mari K.
So many Thai places are dialed back to suit American palates--this place pulls no punches and as a result all the dishes are bright and distinct in flavor. Highly recommend.
(5)Tim S.
My favorite Thai place in Louisville. Family run, husband in the dining room, wife (born and raised in Thailand) runs the kitchen. Order your food one notch below your preferred spicyness and ask for the house hot sauce. I've been trying to get them to bottle the recipe for years. Service can be slow so don't think you'll be in and out in 30 mins. You probably need to slow life down a little bit anyway.
(5)Rachel A.
We stopped in for lunch recently and the experience was mixed. The host was helpful and polite but the food was mediocre. One exception to this was a crispy spring roll which was among the best I've ever had. The fresh spring rolls were stuffed with huge pieces of cucumber. Not a fan. The soup was very thin and a spicy oil overpowered it. A mortal error was leaving inedible lemon grass stalks/stems and another type of seasoning in the soup. Nothing inedible should ever be served. We love Thai and hope this kitchen will make some adjustments. The restaurant itself is clean and quiet and in a good location.
(2)kevin g.
I Never see anybody in here...there is a reason why. they are friendly but in a 30 minute lunch I was the ONLY person in the place. The food is OK but I would not go out of my way to get it. They have a very extensive menu but my test strip for a new place is a simple dish in the case of Thai restaurant its Pad Thai. It was not bad jsut not that special. Maybe they are better at dinner but since I ahve never seen anyone in here I wonder how they are surviving. Sorry Thai Cafe.
(2)Brittany R.
I stopped in here for a quick dinner and was pleasantly surprised with the quality and efficiency of this place. I probably could have just eaten a few orders of crab Rangoon and left happy- and the green curry was excellent. Will definitely be back!
(5)Paige H.
Thai Cafe, from the outside, looks lovely and cozy with tables on an enclosed patio, requisite umbrellas to ward off the searing late summer sun, lush potted plants and comfy chairs. Inside, it's another story. With the exception of the massive Buddha guarding the kitchen and bathroom doors, the place is utterly lacking in charm and cleanliness. I arrived shortly after 1 pm to meet a friend for lunch. There were no other diners and I was surprised to see nearly half a dozen tables with detritus from the presumed lunch "rush" still in evidence. The owners sitting behind a screen, watching TV (?). My friend was already seated and the minute I sat down, a man came up and asked for my order. I said "I just got here, may I have iced tea please". He brought my tea and then sat in a chair next to the cash register. My friend made some suggestions as she had been here before. I looked for him to signal that we were ready to order and from his seated position by the cash stand said "Go ahead". Taken aback, I hesitated and then he got up and approached our table, then he sat down again. I am not a fan of staff being quite so casual. The food came up very quickly and it was hot and delicious although I found the dressing on my tiny salad to be overly sweet. My friend and I both had curried rice with chicken and vegetables. I seemed to have no veg other than corn, whereas her portion was gorgeous with peas and green beans. We both also had a spring roll which was very crisp and had a perfectly light balance of veg. We couldn't find the man to get refills on our tea, my friend spotted a carafe on another table and got it and filled our glasses. Turns out, that was water. My friend wanted to place a to go order so we simply called out "Hello?" and he came from behind the screen. She gave him her order and he looked at our glasses. I explained that we wanted refills on our tea, but found only the water. I also asked him for boxes for us to pack up our lunch leftovers. He brought me a fresh tea and I had to ask for a box again. While the food was delish, the service and environment was not. It's not likely that I'll go back.
(2)Katie W.
I've been coming here since I was a little kid, moving up from the sweet and sour chicken and fried rice to the excellent thai basil and pad see ew. Service might sometimes be slow, but that's because this is literally a mom and pop operation. PS - check out the photos of the royal family on the wall. Always a sign that you've chosen a good spot.
(5)Planters V.
Came here on New Year's Eve. Woefully understaffed. Took more than 5min to wait on our takeout order. Only manager and 1 waiter were working. Portions were very meager. One small side of rice with dishes did not feed my family.The Pad thai noodles consisted of something that resembled italian pasta than anything I've ever tried. The only good dish we got was the jungle curry. Basil curry was pretty much siracha sauce. Keep looking I say for better places.
(2)