Like everyone said, this is a solid Thai restaurant. The place is not big but cozy enough to attract customers. The service was fast and friendly. Our party had Pad Thai with Chicken, Pineapple Fried Rice with Shrimp, and Jungle Curry with Beef (although I don't know why they call it jungle..). We liked them all. But it is true that I was not wowed either. I cannot say the foods are authentic because I don't know.. but all the foods taste good and pretty similar to what I have eaten at other Thai restaurants. Only one complaint from me is the foods were little too salty. My friend who goes here a lot said it was saltier than usual, though. Overall, this restaurnat is pretty good and could be my regular stop for Thai.
(4)
Laura V.
I've eaten Pad Thai all over the country, and as strange as it sounds, this clean, friendly little restaurant has the best I've ever eaten. Service is prompt and polite, food is amazing!!!!! I drive from Chicago to visit friends in Cincinnati and this place is a MUST everytime we visit. Keep up the great work Lemon Grass!!
(5)
Stacey L.
I have been to Lemongrass several times and never feel the need to go back. The food is pretty standard Thai food. No better or worse than 5 or 6 other Thai restaurants out there. The coconut soup with chicken is good. I also like their Pad Thai and Chicken Thai Spicy. Prices are reasonable and comparable with any other Thai restaurant. My issue with this restaurant is with cleanliness. Specifically with the cleanliness of the bathrooms. It is in serious need of a remodel and a scrub down. This isn't just based on one experience at the restaurant, but on at least three restaurant. It always makes me wonder how clean the kitchen is if the bathrooms look that bad. On the other hand, service is always decent. Parking can be a little bit of an issue. The dining room itself is clean enough, though maybe also in need of some updating. There are too many other places in this city to go to a place that gives me the willies every time I need to use the facilities....
(2)
Ed J.
An old favorite - I hadn't been back for a while and needed a place for lunch so I stopped in. Lunch prices are very reasonable - my Swimming Angel and spring roll was $10 with tip included. The chicken was juicy and tender, the peanut/coconut sauce was flavorful and had some heat. Spring roll was warm and crisp and tasted just right. An excellent lunch at an excellent price.
(4)
Shane O.
Good quality food, with nice quaint atmosphere , staff is very friendly Pineapple fried rice and crab crispies for life
(5)
Jeremy B.
I absolutely LOVE Thai food. I love how different it is from Chinese food; it's such a nice switch from the heavy stuck you get from those places. The first thing I noticed was how nice Lemon Grass was. It caught me off guard, as I was in a hoodie and shorts, so you may want to dress a little nicer than I did. But when I got to the menu, I wasn't shocked by the prices. There are plenty of delicious sounding options for right around 10 dollars, and I could get these any time I go back, but my first experience, I splurged a bit. I got one of their specialties, the Bangkok Duck, and my goodness was it excellent. For $15 I had some of the best duck I have ever had and I was very satisfied at the end. The only reason I don't rate it perfectly was it was a little cramped, therefore service wasn't impeccable, but by no means did it detract from the experience. I will definitely have to return.
(4)
Monika N.
My favorite Thai restaurant in Cincinnati - which says a lot because they have some great competition. I've never had to wait in line to be seated even though the restaurant is small. I love their pad thai. And they have a new (or maybe just new to me) lunch menu that contains perfect portions for around $6 - so reasonable!!!
(5)
Sheila M.
This place is cozy (aka cramped). As I reached back to hang my jacket over my chair, I nearly elbowed the guy behind me in the face. Keeping my feet out of my friend's personal space under the table was also a challenge - and no, that's not just cuz I enjoy playing footsie. To avoid further awkwardness, I ended up sitting with all limbs as close to my body as possible. The food was alright, but I've had better. One thing I found hilarious was that the communal rice arrived on a raised, covered silver platter. A lift of the cover revealed a pathetic amount of rice, good enough for maybe one person. We started eating and asked the waiter for more rice when he came back around. "Sure," he said, and to our surprise he brought the remaining rice on our platter with him. When he came back, we saw that he had added just enough to bring it back to the original amount. So on the plus side, if you're trying to be on a diet, portion control is a strength here :D I'd put Lemongrass one step above Wild Ginger. I realize I may have to just stop ordering the Spicy Eggplant though (it was steamed beforehand, chopped, then simmered in the sauce...and absorbed none of the flavor). Go for something safer like the pad thai or one of the many soups on the menu. But when you have to pick and choose what's good and bad - to me, that's the mark of an average restaurant.
(3)
Ben N.
Although Asian food in the Cincinnati area as a whole is sorely lacking, both in quantity and quality, the East Side of Cincinnati for some reason has about eight Thai restaurants within about a two-mile radius. Alas, none of them is particularly good, and Lemon Grass isn't even the best of those. (Green Papaya and Amarin seem to have the best food of this East Side lot.) So why do we like Lemon Grass? It is more dependable, inviting, friendly, and inexpensive than the local competition. Lemon Grass sometimes lays the flavors on a bit thick, resulting in unbalanced, somewhat off-putting accents in some dishes. But they do pretty well with simple, traditional Thai-restaurant favorites like basil and ginger items and the curries. Some of the seafood dishes on their specials menu are great values at 13 or 14 dollars. We like the atmosphere and feel of the place, too: It's slightly shabby and pleasantly dark, like a favorite neighborhood diner or pub. It seems to attract a crowd that's a little more diverse than the typical East Side eatery. We keep going back even though we know Lemon Grass is never going to knock our socks off.
(4)
David B.
I'm used to Thai restaurants at home in California, where they're thick on the ground. Now, Thai restaurants out there usually have a couple of crispy catfish dishes on the menu. Lemon Grass had not just crispy catfish, but also crispy walleye. And that is how I knew I was in the Midwest, where walleye - a fish unheard of out west - is ubiquitous. Even in the Thai restaurants. It was memorable, and worth having again.
(4)
Mike W.
What the hell is a lemon grass? I recently have developed an appreciation for thai food, so it was only a matter of time before I found myself visiting this place. From what I've heard it's pretty good, but not life changing. Well, one of my friends claimed it was more the latter rather than the former. She then set in motion an elaborate plot to get me to Rookwood. Her: Hey Weg. Want to go to Lemon Grass? Weg: Kay. It sounded more sinister in my head. We had four in our party, which is apparently kind of a big deal for Lemon Grass. This place is tiny. For all that is holy, please call ahead. One of us did, but upon arrival they told us we had called and cancelled. We definitely did not, but I have many enemies - I cannot rule out foul play. Other than that, the dining experience was pretty unremarkable. The food was good, but I'd say Thai Pepper or Mai Thai is better. Also the portions were a tinge smaller for about the same price. So, meh. I confess I only had the pad thai, so maybe their other stuff stands out. But as for my opinion, it's not bad.
(3)
Amanda C.
I live down the street from Lemon Grass, and I love it! My favorite is the mango curry... or wait, maybe the swimming angel (chicken, broccoli and spinach in a delicious peanut sauce). It's too hard to decide, actually. It's easy to get a table here, which both delights and worries me. I've never had a wait, which is nice... but I want Lemon Grass to stick around. So, c'mon, Yelpers, let's help them get a bit busier. Feel free to park at the 24-hour Busken when you come to Lemon Grass for dinner. I'm sure Busken hopes you stop in for a treat, as Lemon Grass doesn't have much in the way of dessert.
(4)
Hank M.
I've been coming here for lunch at least once a week for years. The food is superb - fresh ingredients, very well prepared, and consistently excellent. It's family owned-and-operated and it shows - the service is fast, friendly and professional. Prices are consistent with what you find in places with generic quality- in other words, this is a real value. The atmosphere is not fancy, but it's warm and spotlessly maintained.
(5)
Leisa W.
Soo....Lemon Grass. It was pretty good. Not life-changing, but pretty good. There don't seem to be many Thai restaurants around me, so this is the only Thai place I've been to in Cincinnati. Which makes me sad, I'm thinking of mounting a one-woman campaign to get more Thai nationals here, especially ones who can cook. But until that happens, let me get back to Lemon Grass. Most importantly--their food. They have a 1-10 rating system for their spicyness...which seems like it would be a good thing, but it confuses me. I've been eating Thai food for a long time, and I've never ordered like this before, so I'm not sure what to do. I got pad see ew, which was pretty good (it's my favorite Thai food), and tom ka gai, which was also good. I think I'd prefer to do take-out from this place in the future, as the restaurant itself is kind of old-school and tiny. Parking is a big pain. We went early, so we didn't have much trouble getting a table but figuring out where to park (the street) made it less of a fun experience. So--it wasn't terrible, by any means...but if I could find another thai place, I'd probably go there first.
(3)
Monica W.
I come to Lemon Grass with my mom for lunch about once a month. I really love the location on this little Thai place. It is right near Rookwood shopping center. The parking is street parking so bring quarters! I usually order some sort of noodle dish like pad Thai or paht see ew. Lots of tasty authentic dishes to order here. If you are a first timer and don't want to spend much I'd suggest coming in during lunch for the lunch menu. I have never actually been here to eat dinner so I don't have much to say on how dinner is here. I have always been pleased with the food and the atmosphere here.
(4)
Dan M.
For some reason, there are a lot of Thai places in Cincy. This is good for us because we don't have to settle for Lemon Grass. The food was ok; the dishes were pretty uninspired. The portions were kind of small for a Thai place, and my 9/10 spicy dish was not spicy. It was far from bad, but it was not the best Thai in the area at this price. I'd recommend heading to Teak. People throw a fit about the parking, but it's worth it for tastier Thai. Bottom Line: With so many Thai options in Cincy, I'll probably never be back here.
(2)
David G.
Good Thai food and good service. I love that they have rotating deserts.
(4)
Sanjeet G.
One of my favorite thai restaurants in the city! Pros: 1) Absolutely great service! 2) The food is great, I really love their red curry 3) Very reasonably priced Cons: 1) It is an older restaurant and sometimes not the "nicest" place to sit down and have a meal Overall its a great place for take out thai food!
(4)
Patrick E.
Fresh food and great service! Even ad they were closing at 3pm we got great service when we arrived at 2:40pm. Being from Chicago, we eat Thai all the time and this place is top five all time. Cool feature: if you say spicy, they ask you to rate your desired slickness on a scale of 1-10. I got a 4 at it was about right -- most other places say mild, medium or hot.
(5)
Alexandra K.
I had pretty high expectations of Lemon Grass before I went as my last Thai experience was at this amazing place in Harvard Square. The food was good, but didn't live up to the expectations I had and the food I had a hankering for. However, they still deserve a good review because I enjoyed my meal! The waitress serving us was great, she was very attentive and very sweet. One of the people with me has a taste for spicy things and he ordered the 10 out of a 10 scale of spiciness. The waitress joked about a regular customer she had that ordered a 75 in spice and now orders a 50 because it was too much! So if you really like spice, the 10 may even be too little and they'll let you go higher! I had a wonderful lemon grass soup that had a great perfectly spiced broth. I wish I could describe the flavor but it was something I never had before. The lemon grass was only a highlight. Then I had to be typical and order the pad thai. However on the menu it was spelled paht thai. I had never seen that before. It was good but I've had better. I really like my pad thai to be sweet and peanutty. This lacked a little of the sweetness and had more of a savory flavor. Overall, it was an enjoyable evening. I washed everything down with a REALLY good Thai iced tea.
(4)
Gavin D.
Lemon Grass is solid, dependable, and makes Sarah's favorite pad thai in town to date. Lately we've been using it as a take out option, but they also have space to dine in. This post has been in draft form for a long minute, so I'm glad it is finally making its way to you! It's a simple one. The Food: As I said above, Sarah loves the pad thai at Lemon Grass (it reminds her of the pad thai she loves best, at her old haunt in Sarasota called Thailand), while my favorite continues to be at Thai Express. And Sarah was out of town when I made this order, so this is a Gavin only review, and I tend to enjoy Lemon Grass' curries the most. I ordered a pad thai, spring rolls, and sesame noodles, although my typical order is curry (I am especially a fan of their massaman). The starter, sesame noodles, was very sweet and covered in a thick peanut sauce. There was a crunch from the scallions and iceburg lettuce at the bottom of the to go container, and small bites of chicken on top. I usually think of sesame noodles as being a round lo mein-style, but theirs are made with a flat egg noodle, and sprinkled with black sesame seeds as garnish. The noodles were a bit overcooked too unfortunately. I had straightforward but good spring rolls and dipping sauce (which is thicker than the sauce at Thai Express), and then ate the pad thai. Lemon Grass' version of this thai standby has quite a bit of egg, and has noodles that I felt were less sticky, but more slimy in texture. Also, their pad thai is not nearly as sweet as at Thai Express. They also use a bit of cilantro, and I've found that I need to go a bit higher on the spicy scale at Lemon Grass then at other spots locally to get something as hot as I like it. The Ingredients: There's nothing on the Lemon Grass menu about local or organic ingredients. I'll have to ask on the next trip. The Story, Setting, & Service: The interior is very simple - no frills, and smells great. It's always calm and quiet inside, and yet there always seem to be people coming through. I've gone many, many times and have never had a wait. The service is straightforward. Maybe most important of all, Lemon Grass is open Sundays and Mondays, making it one of the few options to choose from on both of those days. The Last Bite: Honestly, most of the time we end up at Lemon Grass because it's the only place open - it's become a Sunday dinner option a few times recently. I've never had anything bad at Lemon Grass, and that consistency means something these days. Plus, with reasonable prices and a favorite Thai dish as well in our household, we will certainly be back. Do you have a favorite Thai place we should try? If you enjoyed this review, there's more at Amateur Foodies.
(4)
Joe J.
Of the many Thai choices in this area this is my least favorite. It is less authentic, greasier and not a fresh as the other Thai restaurants. (If you are close to Lemon Grass you are very close to Wild Ginger, Green Papaya, Asiana, Blue Elephant, Saki Bomb and Bangkok Bistro....all of which are better than Lemon Grass). It is my opinion that the flavors are simply dumbed down.
(2)
Mike F.
Love love love Lemongrass! Food is always great and service is so friendly! One of our favorite restaurants in the city!
(5)
Brian H.
Amazing Thai food at low prices. I've eaten Thai from all over the world and this place definitely nails it. Very casual atmosphere with great service. Highly recommended
(5)
William G.
Better Thai food for less money, also without the pretentious environment. If good Thai food is our goal then Lemongrass is your place.
(5)
Rich T.
A really great Thai restaurant for Cinci. Friendly staff, interesting menu and really reasonable prices. Try something new on your next visit! Too many people go to great Thai restaurants and order Volcano Chicken and Pad Thai. You've got to give your taste buds an adventure at Lemon Grass. Every single item on the menu is delicious and fascinating in its own special way.
(5)
Erin B.
Fantastic. My dad discovered this place and the waitresses started remembering his orders after only 2 or 3 visits. So sweet. Great food (get the lunch specials if the dinners look too pricey).
(5)
Ben K.
Just returned from dining at Lemon Grass. In one word, terrible. Both my girlfriend and I fail to see why this restaurant has positive ratings. Her catfish dish was simply inedible. The fish may have even been rotten and the sauce was gluey like cheap chain food Chinese. My yellow curry tasted way too much like cilantro and was overly coconutty. The chicken satay quite literally seemed to be chicken mcnuggets stretched out on a skewer. Disgusting. Both of us ordered our food spicy, and neither dish was remotely spicy. Both of us are very familiar with what good Thai food should taste like, and this wasn't it. Avoid. That being said, the service was fine, the atmosphere pleasant, but why go to a restaurant if the food is this bad?
(1)
Christopher K.
If you want to know what is a great pad thai, then go here! I love it!
(4)
Vincent K.
I'd have to say I'm really snobby when it comes to Thai, and likely because it's one of my favorite cuisines and I've spent my fair share eating in Thailand. Lemon Grass was "Not" all that spectacular. If your Thai palate is more "Americanized" then you might like this. All the dishes were way too sweet. The Tom yum was- sweet, pad Thai - sweet, Masaman curry - sweet, lemon grass chicken and 7 element beef were a pass. Also they were super stingy on the shrimp, only two pieces in the Tom Yum, and a couple in the Pad Thai.... kinda ridiculous.
(2)
Isabel Y.
Perfect chicken fried rice. I never actually eat at this restaurant but it's awesome takeout for nights hanging out at home. I don't even live anywhere close to Lemon Grass, but we will drive over there just to pick it up because it's that good. Parking sucks especially on busy nights!
(4)
Dan J.
Lemon Grass has good Thai. I was quite surprised at the mediocre to negative reviews of it. I had a great meal there. The spiciness was perfect. I had duck and it was extremely moist and not too tough like duck is notorious for. I also had the lemon grass soup and it was so great. It had a perfect blend of sweet and sour to it. The decor is admittedly less than desirable but I don't go to a restaurant to look, I go to eat. The rest of my party enjoyed their meal. Oakley does have a lot of options for Thai, but you would be perfectly happy choosing Lemon Grass.
(4)
Peter C.
Recently someone tried to become my yelp friend, and when I realized he had over 11,000 friends, I just couldn't do it. It's not my style to be courted by a yelp whore...so I declined...I hope he won't take it personally...it's not you, it's me. On the other hand, when I find myself in a strange city with reputedly good cuisine, looking for the kind of food I want and getting an idea of what's good and what's not...that's what I'm all about. So I was quite pleased when Lemon Grass worked out so well based on three out of four very positive reviews. When you're a traveler, like me, and you don't get to take multiple trips it seems so crass to boil down a restaurant to one visit, but I can say that I liked their Tofu Pad Khee Maw as well as I've liked any I've tried. And for that, they get four stars. I also appreciate a Thai restaurant that gives me a spicy scale of 1-10, but I must be in the midwest because a 7 just barely tickled my taste buds in the way that I like. Next time I'll try an 8 or 9. I might go back tomorrow. Finally, the service was fast and friendly, which was appreciated as tonight, I was in a bit of a hurry. And I have to rebut the lack-of-freshness claimed by Sean B. I can't speak to his experience, but my meal seemed to me to contain very fresh and delicious veggies. So maybe I shouldn't have called that other yelper a whore. Groupie, perhaps? Maybe that's nicer. Maybe I'm missing something. Maybe I don't know what I'm talking about.
(4)
Brittany F.
Stopped by here for lunch on our way out of town. Food was good, prices made it even better. Two meals including a spring roll a piece for under $20 with tip. I ordered the Pad See Ew, 8/10 spiciness--which was far from spicy but had good flavor. Would definitely eat here again, especially for a cheap, fast lunch.
(4)
M Q.
Ruthai was closed (sign on door says will reopen mid May - forgot the date). I figure with all the positive reviews, this place would do as a substitute. Well, what a disappointment..... maybe what I ordered wasn't the best the restaurant has to offer, but I don't think I'll be back. All I taste is sweet. Got red curry with shrimp... the curry wasn't too tasty (maybe too much coconut cream) and there must have been 5, maybe 6 shrimps in the whole dish for $14. The grill salmon in tamarind sauce (off the specials menu) was also just sweet, and the salmon was bland... texture was like it was poached in the sauce, not grilled and then covered with sauce. Not the best salmon I've had by far, although you do get a big piece of salmon. Bathroom looks scary.
(2)
Sarah T.
Their food is fresh and authenticly fun.
(3)
Ann S.
I have eaten here several times, but always gotten the same thing (Pad Thai) and it was good. Today I ventured out and ordered the Phat See Ew and it was EXCELLENT. One of the best thai dishes I have ever had. The portion was a little small, but for only $5.50 who can complain. I will definitely order this dish again and again and will also venture out and try new things.
(4)
Lauren Y.
Very good Thai food. Excellent selection of curries. Good service and clean.
(4)
Morgan A.
So I visit good ol' Ohio a few times a year and was pleasantly introduced to this place about a year ago. After some rave reviews I had some take-out and loved everything I tried (my favorite entree being the 7 Elements with tofu). I just finished my second and third meals from this place (yep, 2 nights in a row) and still love it. Dining in was fantastic even just before closing; they weren't rushing us out or anything. Its not the best dressed spot in the world, but it does the job. I will always go back when in the 'Nati for reliable Thai food. Note: YOU MUST TRY THE FRIED BANANAS!!!!!!!
(4)
Ryan L.
Lemon Grass serves good specials for the lunch crowd at reasonable prices. Parking can be a little tough on Madison, though there is a sign saying parking is available in the lot at Busken across the street. I have not come here yet for dinner, since I usually go to Bangkok Bistro or Wild Ginger. Don't miss the Tom Kha Kai (chicken coconut) soup or the Pad Thai.
(4)
Sam K.
Giving out 1 star is rare for me..but man..it just didn't deserve two. I'm quite reluctant to eat at Thai restaurants because it's usually overpriced, but when one craves Thai food and happens to be near one, why not. I stopped by this place after hearing good reviews, and I was disappointed. I find that many Thais never order the usual Thai dishes (Pad Thai, curry or basil etc..), because its easy to make at home, so we order the stuff we're too lazy to make like duck. I ordered the spicy duck and "sweet angel chicken," both at 10 spice level, and I even spoke Thai to the waiter. The duck was moist, but the sauce was overpoweringly (I know its not a word) sweet and salty. The chicken intrigued me because of its name, but it should have been called chicken with a slab of Jiff peanut butter sprinkled with spinach leaves and steamed frozen brocolli (for $8.99). This is NOT a Thai dish, but I suppose they dreamt of it in their dreams and saw angels deliver it to them--hence the name. What made it worst was I didn't even taste the spice. I'm not sure what their Pad Thai or other signature Thai dishes are like, but I can safely say that gourmet Thai food is unavailable here. Lastly, there were plenty of tables where my guest and I could sit parallel to the front entrance, but we were seated in the back...next to the bathrooms...and my guest stared at the back wall for an hour. Though prices were reasonable..not worth my time.
(1)
James S.
Really good thai. Definitely one of the top thai restaurants in Cincinnati. Their spice levels are really good, and the flavors of their dishes is really nice. They're equally good with both rice and noodle dishes, and their appetizers are excellent. Don't listen to the negative reviews - great thai!
(5)
Justin K.
Not very good Thai food. Not awful, but not very good. Plus i somehow took offense that none of my food had the fresh and perky lemon grass flavor. The only real consultation was that they will make your food really really spicy if you know how to ask. When we ordered the waitress asked me to name a number of spice I would like. I assumed she meant from 1 to 10 so I asked for an 8, it was reasonably but certainly not overly spicy. Then, after dinner, she said next time I could ask for a number as high as 100. Now that is wicked spicy.
(2)
Raymond L.
My quest for good Asian food in Cincinnati led me to Lemon Grass. I should have read some of the posts prior to going but decided against it so that I can write the review without having premonitions going there. I went there for lunch on a Monday and it was half full. The place can fit around 50 comfortably. There were 2 male and 2 women waitstaff on the floor. The waitresses seems the be more friendlier than the waiters (yes guys, smiling is sometimes good since you rely on tips right?) I told my waitress that it was my first time (and probably my last) and if the food is authentic thai ? Of course she said yes. So I go about ordering the chicken pad thai. She asked me what level of spice do I want on it (now real pad thai is not suppose to be spicy but you can add chilies yourself) and she said give her a number from 1 to 10 ? I just can't imagine how the cook can gauge a 1 to 10 scale, maybe 1 to 5 is a more realistic range anyways, I told her 7 (does that mean 7 chilies or 7 hotness?) She asked if I wanted a soup and I asked her about the chicken coconut (tom kah gai) and she said it has mushrooms, chicken, red onions and green shallots. I should've said no after the "red onions" but was curious and ordered it. The ingredients was exactly what I received and the soup was very sweet. I didn't taste or smelled any lemon grass, galanga, etc.. After a few sips I couldn't drink anymore because it was just too sweet. Next came the pad thai. It was a lunch portion (so small). It looked okay with choy suey on the side. I noticed that there was no lime and asked the waitress for some and she said we only have lemon today cause it's Monday?? The lemon she gave me was the thin slices you put on the edge of your drinks not lemon quaters but I didn't want to give them a hard time for a $5.95 pad thai. The pad thai was just ok. It didn't have much flavor (missing dried shrimp, some vinegar, etc) it just tasted spicy that's all. I gave it 2 stars for good stir frying on the pad thai and prob zero stars on the soup. I sat near the washroom so it was hard for the 4 staffers to see me as they were always together by the cash. The only time they would move is to go cleanup the empty tables but those tables don't give any tips it should be the customers who are still there that you should be attending to. I can imagine some people that haven't really had "real thai food" to say it's great but it wasn't for me. I'll probably try the other Thai restos in and around the area.
(2)
Mark K.
Great food!! Great lunch menu. We had lunch for less than $20. We both had the Pad Thai (spiced at 8 out of 10)...phenominal!! The egg rolls are crispy and served fresh. Staff are very attentive and the food is served quickly.
(5)
Taylor G.
The royal noodle was fantastic. The 1-10 level of spiciness allows for anyone to get what they want. Very diverse menu as well. I contemplated ordering 3 different things at once!
(4)
Fuzzysaurus L.
so if i was in a different place, lemongrass probably wouldn't get 4 stars. however - it is 1. asian food i'm willing to eat in cinci and 2. does the trick when comfort food is in need. somehow - they do a good job with the food in a way that makes you miss 'their' particular flavor combinations and makes you want to go back for more. the portion sizes are also great - usually, i have enough for lunch for the next day. service is always fantastic here which makes it a pleasant dining experience. plus - they don't do the silly 'charge extra for white rice' thing that some of the other thai restaurants around here do. i almost always order the steamed tofu pad thai and it always hits the spot. chicken panang curry is also quite good. oh, and the other thing is that their spice levels are consistent! if you order a 2 - it always is a 2 =D
(4)
Gusty S.
Fresh ingredients. Friendly service. Plenty of menu options. Overall - decent Thai for reasonable prices.
(4)
Marisa D.
The Pad Kee Mao was amazing - smoky & delish. My husband got the green curry which he said was good but not excellent. Beginning to think we will never find excellent Thai in Cincy...
(4)
Sean B.
Having lived in several other cities prior to Cincinnati, I have to say that, unfortunately, the Queen City does not have very good Thai food... at least I haven't discovered it yet. Sure it's gonna be tough to touch the pure joy of a 12-course meal at Arun's in Chicago, but isn't there at least a TAC Quick or Spoon? Anyway, one of the keys to delicious Thai is preparing it when ordered with fresh ingredients, but *most* of the Thai I've tried in this town is prepared much the same way you might expect Chinese food to be prepared. It was made earlier in the day in order to prepare for the expected volume of restaurant traffic and they are simply heating up your meal or giving you food that has been simmering for a long time. With a few exceptions, most of the food I've had at Lemongrass smacks of this method. The service is fine, but the food is nothing to write home about. If you are looking for better Thai in Cincinnati, try Green Papaya, right around the corner on Wasson. Or, better yet, Thai Express in Clifton is a tiny little dive of a joint, but you watch them make your food after your order it.
(2)
Christopher K.
Best Pad Thai in town! I wish that they had summer roll.
(4)
Andy W.
Haven't been in awhile because we moved to the East Coast but this was one of my favorite restaurants in Cincinnati, the Seven Elements with tofu is absolutely incredible, one of my favorite dishes of all time.
(4)
Emily G.
Lemon Grass is one of the things I miss about moving out of Cincinnati. I love their food and that they allow you to set the spiciness level of your meal. I always like to get the Swimming Angel with Lemon Grass soup, it's great. The dinning room and restaurant is admittedly small but I think that just adds to it's charm. The wait staff is always very helpful and observant without getting in the way. Next time I come home to visit I will definitely be visiting Lemon Grass.
(4)
Kevin B.
I want to give it a 5 star review, but don't know if I should because I only ever get their Chicken Fried Rice. But it's so dang good!!
(4)
Jennifer H.
This is not just the best Thai food in Cincinnati, it's some of the best Thai food I have ever had, period. The restuarant doesn't have much in the way of ambiance, but it makes up for that with efficient service, cheap prices and insanely delicious food. My mouth is watering just thinking about their pad thai!
(5)
Kevin S.
My first Thai restaurant, and still one that others haven't lived up to. Maybe it was the fact that it was the first place I dined out with my future dearest friends Sean and Jenn, but I have only the fondest memories of this place. We tried a lot of dishes and everyone always loved the food here. It's not the chicest place in town but it's a good, high quality dining experience from start to finish and one of the two best Thai places in Cincinnati.
(5)
Devon C.
I was excited to try Lemon Grass after many friends recommended it. It has a casual ambience, and the service was very fast and courteous. We ordered the Green Curry, Red Curry, and Pad Thai. All of them were tasty but I would not say that any of them were standout. If you want spicy definitely order to the hotter side. If you are looking for reasonably priced and tasty Thai food I would recommend Lemon Grass.
(3)
Chelsi B.
Got the Singapore dish with pork spice level 7. Perfection! Going again for lunch today!
(5)
Craig H.
This is not Thai. We had pad thai, red curry, and spring rolls. All were identical to Chinese fast food and we have been Thai food aficionados for 10+ years. This is a Chinese restaurant. Not a Thai one.
(1)
Ron G.
I decided to try this hole in the wall joint and was not disappointed. The pot sticker sauce made the divine. The duck had a PERFECT sear on the skin with the crisp you are looking for and the basil sauce...holy cow! Definitely give them a shot! If you like your food hot they seem to have a conservative heat scale but the food is fabulous. Yum!
(5)
Esther K.
Delicious curries! Love the food! It's kind of a dive but it's part of the appeal for me!
(4)
Brittany W.
This ia the best Thai restaurant I have ever been to. We always bring guests here as the service is as wonderful as it is speedy. We have been here at varying hours of the day and rarely wait for a table (this is great for couples who wait until the last minute to decidewhat to eat for dinner! ). For the health conscious they also offer brown rice to be served with their dishes which is a huge plus! My favorite is the chicken thai spicy-yum!
(5)
Ashley S.
Above average food and service. An attentive without being overbearing staff provided a pleasant dining experience, which was completed with cloth napkins and leftovers boxed at your request. Not necessarily my weekday haunt, but an excellent switch-up for date night.
(4)
Allison B.
We decided to try this place when my husband was on a recent quest for Asian cuisine that we haven't tried before. Meh. Take it or leave it. The place needs a good cleaning. The shelves beneath the hostess stand were literally overflowing with papers and folders and the whole place had a dusty, untidy feel to it. My dining companions and husband seemed to be okay with their dishes, although their main complaint was that the seasoning seemed a little overzealous in the sauce. Because I wasn't feeling too great, I ordered the Wun Ton soup and a few of the appetizers. The appetizers were fine, as expected, but the soup seemed to be in the wrong broth (it tasted like beef broth or something- not what I was expecting.) Overall the meal wasn't terrible, but I probably wouldn't make it my first choice as there are so many other great Asian places in the Oakley/Hyde Park area.
(3)
Anna S.
My now-husband introduced me to Lemon Grass when we first first started dating several years ago, and I have loved it since. I think we would literally eat there once a week, which suited me just fine because it is so cheap and consistently good. The place ain't pretty. You won't find snazzy 1/2 off sushi or nouveau Asian fusion dishes. But again the food is so good and cheap, we have always had friendly service by the same staff members, and it's BYOB, which is cool. A friend once described LG as "every dish has some form of the same brown sauce - but who cares because that brown sauce is so damn delicious!" And that's a pretty accurate description. My husband always gets the coconut chicken soup (lava-hot temperature wise, and yummy), and either the Chicken Royal or Chicken Thai Spicy. I've had the pad Thai and pad se ew and they're both very tasty and hearty. However, what I LOVE is their chicken spring rolls (so good! I could eat both rolls that come per order) and the Spicy Green Beans with chicken. You get unlimited rice, which I definitely want to soak up all that "damn delicious" brown sauce. You can't beat the low prices either for such a yummy filling meal, hence why we have been repeat customers for years.
(4)
Jenny B.
The paht see ew was what I got which is my norm for Thai and an appetizer of pot stickers. The paht was sweeter than most I have tried however the noodles were a different style which I liked. The place was right on Madison and the building was in need of some upkeep. The duck my date got was phenomenal and flavorful - I'd happily eat duck like that everyday!
(3)
Katie D.
I was not impressed by the coconut chicken soup, it tastes like it comes straight out of a can. My entree was tasty but, because I am not a huge fan of rice, I didn't think it was filling. The tofu was very tasty but I was only given maybe 5 small squares. I don't understand why they charge you an extra $1.50 for tofu when the meat dishes come with the meat! Tofu is cheap! Obviously the goal here is planet destruction by encouraging us all to eat meat at all times! :) Service was attentive, but I doubt I'll give this place another try. Time to resume my search for the perfect Thai cuisine!
(2)
Andrea V.
Love! I haven't had anything there I didn't like. I have tried several dishes including Pad Thai, yellow and red curries, ginger and garlic dishes, the fried rice, etc. Spicy level 5-7 is just fine, flavorful with a slight kick. (Queue prev post from an indian restaurant where a 5 was pretty dang spicy). My husband doesn't think 7 is spicy at all. While we live pretty far from this restaurant, it is worth the drive. Has a comfortable atmosphere in a rather small dining room, but it's very cozy.
(5)
Becky P.
Our appetizers were so fried--we ordered chicken satay, and it was like a chicken tender--it was fried! That is not how satay is supposed to be. I got a spicy chicken dish. It was just greasy and generally not great. I guess it'd be okay if you want greasy and cheap takeout, but I felt pretty disgusting after.
(2)
Ashley L.
Go here on a regular basis. Noodle dishes are delicious, coconut soup is the best I've had.
(5)
Sandra F.
Paht See Ew and Cashew Chicken are hands down the best dishes on the menu. I'm really picky when it come to Thai food and this place really hits the spot. Very small and intimate. Restaurant clean. Staff very fast and friendly. The only thing I do not like about the restaurant is the location. It is on the busiest road in Hyde Park/Norwood area (On Madison). Parking is very limited and street parking is very hard to find at times.
(4)
Ryan S.
Really good food! Hands down the worst service I have ever had at an establishment in my entire life!!!
(1)
Sarah B.
I have yet to order something from Lemon Grass that I did not like. I have had take out and ordered in the restaurant. It is usually pretty empty so most of their business must be carry out. I would personally recommend Lemon Grass over Green Papaya although I do not think that is the norm around here. It must depend on what you order since both menus are rather extensive. My favorite dish so far at Lemon Grass is the Paht Khee Mao and the Panang Curry.
(4)
Sara W.
Good food, it seems to be a really really popular place for take-out orders which made dining a bit awkward as it's a relatively large restaurant space that only had two tables of patrons when we visited.
(3)
Jessica L.
By far my favorite Thai spot in Cincy. With the abundance of 'posh' Thai and sushi joints in Hyde park, it's nice to find a hole in the wall place that cares more about good authentic food than about decor and ornamentation.
(5)
Bart L.
Lemongrass has the best phad Thai I have ever had. Period. Ate there today $7.40. Chicken phad Thai. Spring roll. I have spent more at Wendys. The decor is a little beat up, but the waiters are on the ball, you eat on a plate with a table cloth and drink from a glass. Just a great lunch deal for authentic tasty Thai.
(5)
Randy B.
My favorite Thai food in Cincinnati. Very reasonably priced (especially for lunch) and super efficient and friendly service (except for the one surly server...always bummed when she is working). The food is quite good. I'm a fan of their pad ki mao and royal noodles, in particular. Much better than Wild Ginger and cheaper, too.
(5)
Carrie M.
Fantastic thai food at a great price! This is my favorite Thai restaurant around. The food is reliable and the staff is very friendly. The decor might not be fancy but the food is out of this world.
(5)
Chris D.
Sooo...this place seems to get some great reviews and after a long day at the aquarium I was looking forward to some good food. The restaurant looked amazing and the wait staff seemed attentive to needs. Also with the amount of people that were seated and waiting to be seated I was excited. I was however, let down. If you enjoy drinking warm coconut milk with some chicken which is roasted with very little to no seasoning then the coconut chicken soup is for you. My wife had the Phad Thai which was ok but oddly enough tasted very similar to my Singapore noodle, odd. Anyway if you are looking for subpar Thai food that just gets your mouth sorta wet for Thai then you found it. If you are looking for a good Thai place that makes you want to come back just walk by this place and window shop...food is better to look at than to eat.
(2)
Andrew F.
Tom ka gai (the coconut chicken soup) is one of my favorite foods, and I'm sorry to say that this place butchered it. It tasted like watered down coconut milk from a can and I couldn't detect any hint of ginger, lime, or curry, all of which should be important ingredients. On the plus side, their massaman curry was actually pretty good, but not enough to make up for the soup, sadly...
(2)
Ivan M.
Lunch was good! Not sure why the $$, lunch prices seemed very reasonable! Thai basil chicken was a perfect lunch portion, chicken was moist and not over cooked. Served with plenty of veggies, yum!
(4)
A G.
This is my favourite Thai place. Pad Thai is most delicious and Thai iced tea is very nice. Both vegetarian and chicken entrees are good too. I took my mom specially to try Thai food for first time. This place can never disappoint you.
(5)
Don A.
Visited Lemon Grass on a Monday night thus it was not very busy. Service was good. Nice selection of dishes on the menu. Spiciness of our dishes varied even though three out of four were suppose to be the same. Tried the sticky rice and mango--the sticky rice was great but the mango was not ripe thus it was tart and difficult to cut.
(3)
Natalie F.
My go-to takeout place! Not the best in the city but I live right around the corner and it's pretty awesome-- good curries, cold peanut noodles, and paht kee mao is a favorite of mine. Pretty cheap too.
(4)
Kevin B.
A great local Thai place where I can order take out and pick it up in under 10 minutes. I've had the pad thai a few times and I think it is pretty good. I love pot stickers and they do them right (well, in my opinion right). They are slightly crispy by soft on the inside. I've been getting their curries lately and they have become my new favorite items on the menu. At first it doesn't seem like a lot of food, but I can make into two meals sometimes. Great options and a good price and quick service, I'll keep coming back.
(5)
Alex S.
Lemon Grass is one of my favorite flavors in a food. If you say you've got something in it, I will eat it. So when I learned there was a spot with that name, I had to check it out ... and then it only took me three years to get here. Not sure why I've waited so long. Cute place, cozy atmosphere, friendly staff, good food, what more could you want? This one medium-sized restaurant is very basic with it's decorations. You walk in and get seated at a table, menu in place. I got my favorite Thai meal: Cirspy Pad Thai with vegetables and it was good. Crispy, sweet, just how I liked it. They asked spice level from 1 to10 and I said 7. I should have said a little more, as it has some kick but not a ton of kick (and I like somewhere between some kick and a lot of kick.) I'll know for next time. We also got the golden baskets (or golden something, I can't remember what they are called) as an appetizer, and they were fried wantons with shrimp and veggies in the middle. Very good. I would come back here in a heartbeat. Had a pleasant meal with some good eats.
(4)
Catherine C.
I've lived in Cincinnati for three years now and worked near Hyde Park for two, and I can't believe I'd never been to Lemon Grass until last week! It was awesome. The lunch specials are a great deal, and I would highly recommend adding on a spring roll to your meal. The service was great and super fast and the portions were very good. I will definitely be going back in the near future!
(5)
Ben D.
I'm a repeat customer at Lemon Grass. They have a variety of dishes, from generic Thai, to chef specialties. The pad thai won't disappoint for those less adventurous. They are quick and it won't take long even if you walk in and order take out. If you want spicy, you'll need to order closer to their extreme heat, but they will deliver! I've never had to wait, and I haven't had a bad experience.
(4)
Katie W.
Reasonably priced Thai food. Service was not the best. Decor could use some work, even considering it as a "hole in the wall" restaurant. Decently sized portions, but still comparable to every other local Thai restaurant. I'd go back only because it is close to home and on the cheaper end of Thai in Cincinnati. Takeout from here would be a good future choice!
(3)
Mark F.
This is solid good Thai. Casual atmosphere. Fair price. Fair service. Central. Flavors are very good.
(4)
Janet L.
I would have never guessed this was such a gem from the exterior. I had the Pad Thai and my friend had a curry dish- it is so delicious; I would recommend going spicier because they seem a bit cautious ;) Highly recommend!
(5)
Zack F.
Cozy. I like the display of raw ingredients and spices. The food I had was average. Not bad, but I'm not inspired to rush back here again. Good Thai is very difficult to find in Cincinnati. This did not provide the answer, unfortunately. Vegetarian options. Not terribly sweet which is good.
(3)
Paige M.
Two words: Mango Curry. Four words: Ten kinds of soup. Are you on your way to Lemon Grass yet? My mouth is watering recounting this culinary adventure! For starters, we ordered the Gold Bags. I had no idea what this was, but with a name that awesome, how could I not try it? They were actually pretty similar to crab ragoon, except they contained shrimp and crab, no cream cheese. Served up with a side if sweet sauce, these crispy apps were delicious. Next, I had the coconut vegetable soup. A gigantic bowl arrived with spiral carrots, baby corn, mushrooms, pea pods, and other delightful veggies. The coconut broth was seasoned with cilantro, my favorite herb, and made for an all-around 5-star soup. For my main, I had the mango curry with fried tofu. A platter boat came out with the bright orange, creamy mango sauce, garnished with a variety of veg, including those awesome baby corns. Served up with a side of fluffy white rice, I kept eating this massive amount of curry until I was bursting at the seams. Lemon Grass definitely gives you your money's worth for portions. While I was enthralled with the meal, I had to knock off a star because we had reservations, but for some reason, one of the staff members had cancelled it without our consent. We were left waiting 15 minutes for a table to open up. Parking for Lemon Grass is pretty tricky, as street spaces are limited. There is a lot that customers can use by Busken, but you'll have to play Frogger crossing the traffic on Madison Road. Price per person: $20.00
(4)
Ed P.
After having prior dinner plans spoiled due to circumstances beyond our control, my wife and I stumbled into Lemon Grass for dinner. This was the first dinner in a long time without our infant son at our sides. We walked in and asked for a table for two and were led to the back of the restaurant. Upon sitting down my wife and I both realized how dark and dreary it was in the back of this narrow restaurant. We asked our server if we could move toward the front of the restaurant and he directed us toward a table that sat along the front windows. I guess we should have asked for a table up there at the beginning since he seemed more than happy to accommodate our request. I can't find a menu online other than their lunch offerings, but I think what I ordered was called chicken Thai spicy. If that's not right it was some basic dish of chicken with mixed vegetables in a light but spicy sauce. It was served with a side of white rice. Lemon Grass uses the 1-10 spice rating for their dishes and I went with an 8. It was fairly spicy but I could have used just a bit more I think. Other than that the dish was well prepared and tasted good. I would definitely order it again. My wife went with the Paht Thai. The way that the dish was presented was nice in that you could easily leave out some of the ingredients if they were not to your liking. She also ordered an 8 on the spice scale which seemed to be enough for her. I sampled only a small bit of her dish, but it tasted pretty much like Pad Thai should. She agreed that the dish was good and fairly standard, nothing out of this world. With that said I think she would easily order it again on a future visit. Compared to Bangkok Bistro, which I reviewed earlier this year, I would say that the spice scale at Lemon Grass seems to be dumbed down just a bit more than the already weak scale at Bangkok. The serving sizes were a bit larger at Bangkok but I also think that their prices were too. With all of that said I would bet that we will likely return to Lemon Grass in the future and I would recommend it as a place to get a solid Thai meal for a very affordable price.
(4)
Bonnie S.
One of my favorite restaurants. Love the waitstaff -very courteous and attentive without being overbearing. Wish I lived next door. Never had a bad meal ~everything delicious.
(5)
Jenny L.
Have loved this place for years. Ginger chicken is divine! The chicken is always big chunks of white meat, and the veggies are always crisp and fresh, never overcooked.
(4)
Michael W.
I recently had a lunch meeting at Lemongrass with a friend and colleague. I have to say that I was fairly impressed with the place, the food, as well as the service and I had an overall pleasurable experience. I really had no expectations other than the fact that I knew they served Thai cuisine. Upon arrival, the restaurant doesn't really look like much. It is an older building with no frills, just a simple awning with the Lemongrass name. As I entered I was greeted by one of three staff members eagerly waiting to greet and seat. After sitting, I was greeted by my server and offered a glass of water without asking. I ordered the Royal Noodles with Shrimp and a Chicken Spring Roll. Our food came quickly and tasted fantastic. The service was very attentive and never overbearing. The check was appropriately delivered as we neared the completion of our plates. I would highly recommend any fans of Thai or other Asian cuisines to visit this restaurant and try it for your self. I doubt you will be disappointed. Nothing fancy here, just plain good eats.
(4)
Qingqing C.
The spicy level 10 is not spicy at all and the fried rice noodle I ordered is way too sweet!!
(3)
Hyatt G.
Stopped by for a late lunch on thursday. VERY difficult to decide what to get. I got fried wide noodles with a couple veggies and pork--Super. My wife got some peanut ginger thing with rice--also super. Will be back fo sho to start working down the menu.
(4)
Tom W.
Lemon Grass is a fine place to stop for Thai food. The lunch menu is rather large, and everyone in your party should be able to find something to their taste. The prices are reasonable, and they do the best they can decor wise with as small a space as they have. One tip, if you're tempted by the citrus beef because you think it may be like Chinese Orange Beef, it isn't even close. It's good in it's own right, but it's a completely different experience.
(4)
Jeffrey S.
I am a long time customer of Lemon Grass (about 15 years now). The food has always been very good and I was ready to enjoy 7 Elements tonight. When I arrived I immediately headed to the restroom, but before I could get there I spotted a large black cockroach on the floor. I thought it might be dead, so I tapped it with my shoe and it began to run around. I did everyone else a favor and squashed it with my shoe. I immediately returned to the table and my wife and I immediately left. I really hope they can solve this problem because the food was always good, but I guess we won't be going back any time soon.
(1)
John B.
CLEAN UP YOUR BATHROOMS! We've visited this place a few times over the years and without fail, the bathrooms (both male and female) are dingy, dirty, and just not fun to use. The food is ok, nothing spectacular, as many have already noted. But seriously, last night one of the girls in our party saw a cockroach in the bathroom. Not cool. Spend some money and spruce up the bathroom, pretty please.
(2)
Niamh O.
How can I not have reviewed Lemon Grass yet? I AM the duchess, after all. Firstly, Dan M., you must have been at Lemon Grass on a bad night. I highly recommend you go back. I'll take you. Secondly, I love this spot. It's cheap, quick, and close to campus, so I can get here and back for a quick lunch or dinner. Parking is iffy, but not terrible. And I was NOT joking when I said it's speedy. Recently, Lemon Grass has redone their menu, so it seems more appealing now, but don't let that fool you: the food is just as good as it was before. I particularly love the carrot and cabbage slaw and get it every time I go there. Warning: it comes spicy. I like spicy food, but I generally order no more than a 7 on this one. My favorite dish is probably the Singapore Noodles, but in general, the food is very good and, I think, the portions are quite generous. My one complaint would be that the wine is overpriced and served in very small glasses, but it doesn't really bother me since I'm usually chugging water to keep up with my spicy food. I will be back here many a time in the future. You should go, too.
(4)
Laura T.
This has long been my favorite Thai restaurant in Cincinnati (trust me, I've had them all too!) the pad Thai is awesome (not as liquidy as some places tend to be) and I especially love the golden bags appetizer. Reasonably priced too.
Above average food and service. An attentive without being overbearing staff provided a pleasant dining experience, which was completed with cloth napkins and leftovers boxed at your request. Not necessarily my weekday haunt, but an excellent switch-up for date night.
(4)
Allison B.
We decided to try this place when my husband was on a recent quest for Asian cuisine that we haven't tried before. Meh. Take it or leave it. The place needs a good cleaning. The shelves beneath the hostess stand were literally overflowing with papers and folders and the whole place had a dusty, untidy feel to it. My dining companions and husband seemed to be okay with their dishes, although their main complaint was that the seasoning seemed a little overzealous in the sauce. Because I wasn't feeling too great, I ordered the Wun Ton soup and a few of the appetizers. The appetizers were fine, as expected, but the soup seemed to be in the wrong broth (it tasted like beef broth or something- not what I was expecting.) Overall the meal wasn't terrible, but I probably wouldn't make it my first choice as there are so many other great Asian places in the Oakley/Hyde Park area.
(3)
Ron G.
I decided to try this hole in the wall joint and was not disappointed. The pot sticker sauce made the divine. The duck had a PERFECT sear on the skin with the crisp you are looking for and the basil sauce...holy cow! Definitely give them a shot! If you like your food hot they seem to have a conservative heat scale but the food is fabulous. Yum!
(5)
Esther K.
Delicious curries! Love the food! It's kind of a dive but it's part of the appeal for me!
(4)
Brittany W.
This ia the best Thai restaurant I have ever been to. We always bring guests here as the service is as wonderful as it is speedy. We have been here at varying hours of the day and rarely wait for a table (this is great for couples who wait until the last minute to decidewhat to eat for dinner! ). For the health conscious they also offer brown rice to be served with their dishes which is a huge plus! My favorite is the chicken thai spicy-yum!
(5)
Anna S.
My now-husband introduced me to Lemon Grass when we first first started dating several years ago, and I have loved it since. I think we would literally eat there once a week, which suited me just fine because it is so cheap and consistently good. The place ain't pretty. You won't find snazzy 1/2 off sushi or nouveau Asian fusion dishes. But again the food is so good and cheap, we have always had friendly service by the same staff members, and it's BYOB, which is cool. A friend once described LG as "every dish has some form of the same brown sauce - but who cares because that brown sauce is so damn delicious!" And that's a pretty accurate description. My husband always gets the coconut chicken soup (lava-hot temperature wise, and yummy), and either the Chicken Royal or Chicken Thai Spicy. I've had the pad Thai and pad se ew and they're both very tasty and hearty. However, what I LOVE is their chicken spring rolls (so good! I could eat both rolls that come per order) and the Spicy Green Beans with chicken. You get unlimited rice, which I definitely want to soak up all that "damn delicious" brown sauce. You can't beat the low prices either for such a yummy filling meal, hence why we have been repeat customers for years.
(4)
Jenny B.
The paht see ew was what I got which is my norm for Thai and an appetizer of pot stickers. The paht was sweeter than most I have tried however the noodles were a different style which I liked. The place was right on Madison and the building was in need of some upkeep. The duck my date got was phenomenal and flavorful - I'd happily eat duck like that everyday!
(3)
Katie D.
I was not impressed by the coconut chicken soup, it tastes like it comes straight out of a can. My entree was tasty but, because I am not a huge fan of rice, I didn't think it was filling. The tofu was very tasty but I was only given maybe 5 small squares. I don't understand why they charge you an extra $1.50 for tofu when the meat dishes come with the meat! Tofu is cheap! Obviously the goal here is planet destruction by encouraging us all to eat meat at all times! :) Service was attentive, but I doubt I'll give this place another try. Time to resume my search for the perfect Thai cuisine!
(2)
Andrea V.
Love! I haven't had anything there I didn't like. I have tried several dishes including Pad Thai, yellow and red curries, ginger and garlic dishes, the fried rice, etc. Spicy level 5-7 is just fine, flavorful with a slight kick. (Queue prev post from an indian restaurant where a 5 was pretty dang spicy). My husband doesn't think 7 is spicy at all. While we live pretty far from this restaurant, it is worth the drive. Has a comfortable atmosphere in a rather small dining room, but it's very cozy.
(5)
Becky P.
Our appetizers were so fried--we ordered chicken satay, and it was like a chicken tender--it was fried! That is not how satay is supposed to be. I got a spicy chicken dish. It was just greasy and generally not great. I guess it'd be okay if you want greasy and cheap takeout, but I felt pretty disgusting after.
(2)
Devon C.
I was excited to try Lemon Grass after many friends recommended it. It has a casual ambience, and the service was very fast and courteous. We ordered the Green Curry, Red Curry, and Pad Thai. All of them were tasty but I would not say that any of them were standout. If you want spicy definitely order to the hotter side. If you are looking for reasonably priced and tasty Thai food I would recommend Lemon Grass.
(3)
Chelsi B.
Got the Singapore dish with pork spice level 7. Perfection! Going again for lunch today!
(5)
Craig H.
This is not Thai. We had pad thai, red curry, and spring rolls. All were identical to Chinese fast food and we have been Thai food aficionados for 10+ years. This is a Chinese restaurant. Not a Thai one.
(1)
Ashley L.
Go here on a regular basis. Noodle dishes are delicious, coconut soup is the best I've had.
(5)
Michael W.
I recently had a lunch meeting at Lemongrass with a friend and colleague. I have to say that I was fairly impressed with the place, the food, as well as the service and I had an overall pleasurable experience. I really had no expectations other than the fact that I knew they served Thai cuisine. Upon arrival, the restaurant doesn't really look like much. It is an older building with no frills, just a simple awning with the Lemongrass name. As I entered I was greeted by one of three staff members eagerly waiting to greet and seat. After sitting, I was greeted by my server and offered a glass of water without asking. I ordered the Royal Noodles with Shrimp and a Chicken Spring Roll. Our food came quickly and tasted fantastic. The service was very attentive and never overbearing. The check was appropriately delivered as we neared the completion of our plates. I would highly recommend any fans of Thai or other Asian cuisines to visit this restaurant and try it for your self. I doubt you will be disappointed. Nothing fancy here, just plain good eats.
(4)
Qingqing C.
The spicy level 10 is not spicy at all and the fried rice noodle I ordered is way too sweet!!
(3)
Hyatt G.
Stopped by for a late lunch on thursday. VERY difficult to decide what to get. I got fried wide noodles with a couple veggies and pork--Super. My wife got some peanut ginger thing with rice--also super. Will be back fo sho to start working down the menu.
(4)
Tom W.
Lemon Grass is a fine place to stop for Thai food. The lunch menu is rather large, and everyone in your party should be able to find something to their taste. The prices are reasonable, and they do the best they can decor wise with as small a space as they have. One tip, if you're tempted by the citrus beef because you think it may be like Chinese Orange Beef, it isn't even close. It's good in it's own right, but it's a completely different experience.
(4)
Jeffrey S.
I am a long time customer of Lemon Grass (about 15 years now). The food has always been very good and I was ready to enjoy 7 Elements tonight. When I arrived I immediately headed to the restroom, but before I could get there I spotted a large black cockroach on the floor. I thought it might be dead, so I tapped it with my shoe and it began to run around. I did everyone else a favor and squashed it with my shoe. I immediately returned to the table and my wife and I immediately left. I really hope they can solve this problem because the food was always good, but I guess we won't be going back any time soon.
(1)
John B.
CLEAN UP YOUR BATHROOMS! We've visited this place a few times over the years and without fail, the bathrooms (both male and female) are dingy, dirty, and just not fun to use. The food is ok, nothing spectacular, as many have already noted. But seriously, last night one of the girls in our party saw a cockroach in the bathroom. Not cool. Spend some money and spruce up the bathroom, pretty please.
(2)
Niamh O.
How can I not have reviewed Lemon Grass yet? I AM the duchess, after all. Firstly, Dan M., you must have been at Lemon Grass on a bad night. I highly recommend you go back. I'll take you. Secondly, I love this spot. It's cheap, quick, and close to campus, so I can get here and back for a quick lunch or dinner. Parking is iffy, but not terrible. And I was NOT joking when I said it's speedy. Recently, Lemon Grass has redone their menu, so it seems more appealing now, but don't let that fool you: the food is just as good as it was before. I particularly love the carrot and cabbage slaw and get it every time I go there. Warning: it comes spicy. I like spicy food, but I generally order no more than a 7 on this one. My favorite dish is probably the Singapore Noodles, but in general, the food is very good and, I think, the portions are quite generous. My one complaint would be that the wine is overpriced and served in very small glasses, but it doesn't really bother me since I'm usually chugging water to keep up with my spicy food. I will be back here many a time in the future. You should go, too.
(4)
Laura T.
This has long been my favorite Thai restaurant in Cincinnati (trust me, I've had them all too!) the pad Thai is awesome (not as liquidy as some places tend to be) and I especially love the golden bags appetizer. Reasonably priced too.
Like everyone said, this is a solid Thai restaurant. The place is not big but cozy enough to attract customers. The service was fast and friendly. Our party had Pad Thai with Chicken, Pineapple Fried Rice with Shrimp, and Jungle Curry with Beef (although I don't know why they call it jungle..). We liked them all. But it is true that I was not wowed either. I cannot say the foods are authentic because I don't know.. but all the foods taste good and pretty similar to what I have eaten at other Thai restaurants. Only one complaint from me is the foods were little too salty. My friend who goes here a lot said it was saltier than usual, though. Overall, this restaurnat is pretty good and could be my regular stop for Thai.
(4)
Laura V.
I've eaten Pad Thai all over the country, and as strange as it sounds, this clean, friendly little restaurant has the best I've ever eaten. Service is prompt and polite, food is amazing!!!!! I drive from Chicago to visit friends in Cincinnati and this place is a MUST everytime we visit. Keep up the great work Lemon Grass!!
(5)
Stacey L.
I have been to Lemongrass several times and never feel the need to go back. The food is pretty standard Thai food. No better or worse than 5 or 6 other Thai restaurants out there. The coconut soup with chicken is good. I also like their Pad Thai and Chicken Thai Spicy. Prices are reasonable and comparable with any other Thai restaurant. My issue with this restaurant is with cleanliness. Specifically with the cleanliness of the bathrooms. It is in serious need of a remodel and a scrub down. This isn't just based on one experience at the restaurant, but on at least three restaurant. It always makes me wonder how clean the kitchen is if the bathrooms look that bad. On the other hand, service is always decent. Parking can be a little bit of an issue. The dining room itself is clean enough, though maybe also in need of some updating. There are too many other places in this city to go to a place that gives me the willies every time I need to use the facilities....
(2)
Ed J.
An old favorite - I hadn't been back for a while and needed a place for lunch so I stopped in. Lunch prices are very reasonable - my Swimming Angel and spring roll was $10 with tip included. The chicken was juicy and tender, the peanut/coconut sauce was flavorful and had some heat. Spring roll was warm and crisp and tasted just right. An excellent lunch at an excellent price.
(4)
Shane O.
Good quality food, with nice quaint atmosphere , staff is very friendly Pineapple fried rice and crab crispies for life
(5)
Vincent K.
I'd have to say I'm really snobby when it comes to Thai, and likely because it's one of my favorite cuisines and I've spent my fair share eating in Thailand. Lemon Grass was "Not" all that spectacular. If your Thai palate is more "Americanized" then you might like this. All the dishes were way too sweet. The Tom yum was- sweet, pad Thai - sweet, Masaman curry - sweet, lemon grass chicken and 7 element beef were a pass. Also they were super stingy on the shrimp, only two pieces in the Tom Yum, and a couple in the Pad Thai.... kinda ridiculous.
(2)
Jeremy B.
I absolutely LOVE Thai food. I love how different it is from Chinese food; it's such a nice switch from the heavy stuck you get from those places. The first thing I noticed was how nice Lemon Grass was. It caught me off guard, as I was in a hoodie and shorts, so you may want to dress a little nicer than I did. But when I got to the menu, I wasn't shocked by the prices. There are plenty of delicious sounding options for right around 10 dollars, and I could get these any time I go back, but my first experience, I splurged a bit. I got one of their specialties, the Bangkok Duck, and my goodness was it excellent. For $15 I had some of the best duck I have ever had and I was very satisfied at the end. The only reason I don't rate it perfectly was it was a little cramped, therefore service wasn't impeccable, but by no means did it detract from the experience. I will definitely have to return.
(4)
Monika N.
My favorite Thai restaurant in Cincinnati - which says a lot because they have some great competition. I've never had to wait in line to be seated even though the restaurant is small. I love their pad thai. And they have a new (or maybe just new to me) lunch menu that contains perfect portions for around $6 - so reasonable!!!
(5)
Sheila M.
This place is cozy (aka cramped). As I reached back to hang my jacket over my chair, I nearly elbowed the guy behind me in the face. Keeping my feet out of my friend's personal space under the table was also a challenge - and no, that's not just cuz I enjoy playing footsie. To avoid further awkwardness, I ended up sitting with all limbs as close to my body as possible. The food was alright, but I've had better. One thing I found hilarious was that the communal rice arrived on a raised, covered silver platter. A lift of the cover revealed a pathetic amount of rice, good enough for maybe one person. We started eating and asked the waiter for more rice when he came back around. "Sure," he said, and to our surprise he brought the remaining rice on our platter with him. When he came back, we saw that he had added just enough to bring it back to the original amount. So on the plus side, if you're trying to be on a diet, portion control is a strength here :D I'd put Lemongrass one step above Wild Ginger. I realize I may have to just stop ordering the Spicy Eggplant though (it was steamed beforehand, chopped, then simmered in the sauce...and absorbed none of the flavor). Go for something safer like the pad thai or one of the many soups on the menu. But when you have to pick and choose what's good and bad - to me, that's the mark of an average restaurant.
(3)
Hank M.
I've been coming here for lunch at least once a week for years. The food is superb - fresh ingredients, very well prepared, and consistently excellent. It's family owned-and-operated and it shows - the service is fast, friendly and professional. Prices are consistent with what you find in places with generic quality- in other words, this is a real value. The atmosphere is not fancy, but it's warm and spotlessly maintained.
(5)
Ben N.
Although Asian food in the Cincinnati area as a whole is sorely lacking, both in quantity and quality, the East Side of Cincinnati for some reason has about eight Thai restaurants within about a two-mile radius. Alas, none of them is particularly good, and Lemon Grass isn't even the best of those. (Green Papaya and Amarin seem to have the best food of this East Side lot.) So why do we like Lemon Grass? It is more dependable, inviting, friendly, and inexpensive than the local competition. Lemon Grass sometimes lays the flavors on a bit thick, resulting in unbalanced, somewhat off-putting accents in some dishes. But they do pretty well with simple, traditional Thai-restaurant favorites like basil and ginger items and the curries. Some of the seafood dishes on their specials menu are great values at 13 or 14 dollars. We like the atmosphere and feel of the place, too: It's slightly shabby and pleasantly dark, like a favorite neighborhood diner or pub. It seems to attract a crowd that's a little more diverse than the typical East Side eatery. We keep going back even though we know Lemon Grass is never going to knock our socks off.
(4)
David B.
I'm used to Thai restaurants at home in California, where they're thick on the ground. Now, Thai restaurants out there usually have a couple of crispy catfish dishes on the menu. Lemon Grass had not just crispy catfish, but also crispy walleye. And that is how I knew I was in the Midwest, where walleye - a fish unheard of out west - is ubiquitous. Even in the Thai restaurants. It was memorable, and worth having again.
(4)
Mike W.
What the hell is a lemon grass? I recently have developed an appreciation for thai food, so it was only a matter of time before I found myself visiting this place. From what I've heard it's pretty good, but not life changing. Well, one of my friends claimed it was more the latter rather than the former. She then set in motion an elaborate plot to get me to Rookwood. Her: Hey Weg. Want to go to Lemon Grass? Weg: Kay. It sounded more sinister in my head. We had four in our party, which is apparently kind of a big deal for Lemon Grass. This place is tiny. For all that is holy, please call ahead. One of us did, but upon arrival they told us we had called and cancelled. We definitely did not, but I have many enemies - I cannot rule out foul play. Other than that, the dining experience was pretty unremarkable. The food was good, but I'd say Thai Pepper or Mai Thai is better. Also the portions were a tinge smaller for about the same price. So, meh. I confess I only had the pad thai, so maybe their other stuff stands out. But as for my opinion, it's not bad.
(3)
Amanda C.
I live down the street from Lemon Grass, and I love it! My favorite is the mango curry... or wait, maybe the swimming angel (chicken, broccoli and spinach in a delicious peanut sauce). It's too hard to decide, actually. It's easy to get a table here, which both delights and worries me. I've never had a wait, which is nice... but I want Lemon Grass to stick around. So, c'mon, Yelpers, let's help them get a bit busier. Feel free to park at the 24-hour Busken when you come to Lemon Grass for dinner. I'm sure Busken hopes you stop in for a treat, as Lemon Grass doesn't have much in the way of dessert.
(4)
Lauren Y.
Very good Thai food. Excellent selection of curries. Good service and clean.
(4)
Leisa W.
Soo....Lemon Grass. It was pretty good. Not life-changing, but pretty good. There don't seem to be many Thai restaurants around me, so this is the only Thai place I've been to in Cincinnati. Which makes me sad, I'm thinking of mounting a one-woman campaign to get more Thai nationals here, especially ones who can cook. But until that happens, let me get back to Lemon Grass. Most importantly--their food. They have a 1-10 rating system for their spicyness...which seems like it would be a good thing, but it confuses me. I've been eating Thai food for a long time, and I've never ordered like this before, so I'm not sure what to do. I got pad see ew, which was pretty good (it's my favorite Thai food), and tom ka gai, which was also good. I think I'd prefer to do take-out from this place in the future, as the restaurant itself is kind of old-school and tiny. Parking is a big pain. We went early, so we didn't have much trouble getting a table but figuring out where to park (the street) made it less of a fun experience. So--it wasn't terrible, by any means...but if I could find another thai place, I'd probably go there first.
(3)
Monica W.
I come to Lemon Grass with my mom for lunch about once a month. I really love the location on this little Thai place. It is right near Rookwood shopping center. The parking is street parking so bring quarters! I usually order some sort of noodle dish like pad Thai or paht see ew. Lots of tasty authentic dishes to order here. If you are a first timer and don't want to spend much I'd suggest coming in during lunch for the lunch menu. I have never actually been here to eat dinner so I don't have much to say on how dinner is here. I have always been pleased with the food and the atmosphere here.
(4)
Dan M.
For some reason, there are a lot of Thai places in Cincy. This is good for us because we don't have to settle for Lemon Grass. The food was ok; the dishes were pretty uninspired. The portions were kind of small for a Thai place, and my 9/10 spicy dish was not spicy. It was far from bad, but it was not the best Thai in the area at this price. I'd recommend heading to Teak. People throw a fit about the parking, but it's worth it for tastier Thai. Bottom Line: With so many Thai options in Cincy, I'll probably never be back here.
(2)
David G.
Good Thai food and good service. I love that they have rotating deserts.
(4)
Sanjeet G.
One of my favorite thai restaurants in the city! Pros: 1) Absolutely great service! 2) The food is great, I really love their red curry 3) Very reasonably priced Cons: 1) It is an older restaurant and sometimes not the "nicest" place to sit down and have a meal Overall its a great place for take out thai food!
(4)
Patrick E.
Fresh food and great service! Even ad they were closing at 3pm we got great service when we arrived at 2:40pm. Being from Chicago, we eat Thai all the time and this place is top five all time. Cool feature: if you say spicy, they ask you to rate your desired slickness on a scale of 1-10. I got a 4 at it was about right -- most other places say mild, medium or hot.
(5)
Alexandra K.
I had pretty high expectations of Lemon Grass before I went as my last Thai experience was at this amazing place in Harvard Square. The food was good, but didn't live up to the expectations I had and the food I had a hankering for. However, they still deserve a good review because I enjoyed my meal! The waitress serving us was great, she was very attentive and very sweet. One of the people with me has a taste for spicy things and he ordered the 10 out of a 10 scale of spiciness. The waitress joked about a regular customer she had that ordered a 75 in spice and now orders a 50 because it was too much! So if you really like spice, the 10 may even be too little and they'll let you go higher! I had a wonderful lemon grass soup that had a great perfectly spiced broth. I wish I could describe the flavor but it was something I never had before. The lemon grass was only a highlight. Then I had to be typical and order the pad thai. However on the menu it was spelled paht thai. I had never seen that before. It was good but I've had better. I really like my pad thai to be sweet and peanutty. This lacked a little of the sweetness and had more of a savory flavor. Overall, it was an enjoyable evening. I washed everything down with a REALLY good Thai iced tea.
(4)
William G.
Better Thai food for less money, also without the pretentious environment. If good Thai food is our goal then Lemongrass is your place.
(5)
Rich T.
A really great Thai restaurant for Cinci. Friendly staff, interesting menu and really reasonable prices. Try something new on your next visit! Too many people go to great Thai restaurants and order Volcano Chicken and Pad Thai. You've got to give your taste buds an adventure at Lemon Grass. Every single item on the menu is delicious and fascinating in its own special way.
(5)
Erin B.
Fantastic. My dad discovered this place and the waitresses started remembering his orders after only 2 or 3 visits. So sweet. Great food (get the lunch specials if the dinners look too pricey).
(5)
Ben K.
Just returned from dining at Lemon Grass. In one word, terrible. Both my girlfriend and I fail to see why this restaurant has positive ratings. Her catfish dish was simply inedible. The fish may have even been rotten and the sauce was gluey like cheap chain food Chinese. My yellow curry tasted way too much like cilantro and was overly coconutty. The chicken satay quite literally seemed to be chicken mcnuggets stretched out on a skewer. Disgusting. Both of us ordered our food spicy, and neither dish was remotely spicy. Both of us are very familiar with what good Thai food should taste like, and this wasn't it. Avoid. That being said, the service was fine, the atmosphere pleasant, but why go to a restaurant if the food is this bad?
(1)
Christopher K.
If you want to know what is a great pad thai, then go here! I love it!
(4)
Gavin D.
Lemon Grass is solid, dependable, and makes Sarah's favorite pad thai in town to date. Lately we've been using it as a take out option, but they also have space to dine in. This post has been in draft form for a long minute, so I'm glad it is finally making its way to you! It's a simple one. The Food: As I said above, Sarah loves the pad thai at Lemon Grass (it reminds her of the pad thai she loves best, at her old haunt in Sarasota called Thailand), while my favorite continues to be at Thai Express. And Sarah was out of town when I made this order, so this is a Gavin only review, and I tend to enjoy Lemon Grass' curries the most. I ordered a pad thai, spring rolls, and sesame noodles, although my typical order is curry (I am especially a fan of their massaman). The starter, sesame noodles, was very sweet and covered in a thick peanut sauce. There was a crunch from the scallions and iceburg lettuce at the bottom of the to go container, and small bites of chicken on top. I usually think of sesame noodles as being a round lo mein-style, but theirs are made with a flat egg noodle, and sprinkled with black sesame seeds as garnish. The noodles were a bit overcooked too unfortunately. I had straightforward but good spring rolls and dipping sauce (which is thicker than the sauce at Thai Express), and then ate the pad thai. Lemon Grass' version of this thai standby has quite a bit of egg, and has noodles that I felt were less sticky, but more slimy in texture. Also, their pad thai is not nearly as sweet as at Thai Express. They also use a bit of cilantro, and I've found that I need to go a bit higher on the spicy scale at Lemon Grass then at other spots locally to get something as hot as I like it. The Ingredients: There's nothing on the Lemon Grass menu about local or organic ingredients. I'll have to ask on the next trip. The Story, Setting, & Service: The interior is very simple - no frills, and smells great. It's always calm and quiet inside, and yet there always seem to be people coming through. I've gone many, many times and have never had a wait. The service is straightforward. Maybe most important of all, Lemon Grass is open Sundays and Mondays, making it one of the few options to choose from on both of those days. The Last Bite: Honestly, most of the time we end up at Lemon Grass because it's the only place open - it's become a Sunday dinner option a few times recently. I've never had anything bad at Lemon Grass, and that consistency means something these days. Plus, with reasonable prices and a favorite Thai dish as well in our household, we will certainly be back. Do you have a favorite Thai place we should try? If you enjoyed this review, there's more at Amateur Foodies.
(4)
Joe J.
Of the many Thai choices in this area this is my least favorite. It is less authentic, greasier and not a fresh as the other Thai restaurants. (If you are close to Lemon Grass you are very close to Wild Ginger, Green Papaya, Asiana, Blue Elephant, Saki Bomb and Bangkok Bistro....all of which are better than Lemon Grass). It is my opinion that the flavors are simply dumbed down.
(2)
Mike F.
Love love love Lemongrass! Food is always great and service is so friendly! One of our favorite restaurants in the city!
(5)
Brian H.
Amazing Thai food at low prices. I've eaten Thai from all over the world and this place definitely nails it. Very casual atmosphere with great service. Highly recommended
(5)
Isabel Y.
Perfect chicken fried rice. I never actually eat at this restaurant but it's awesome takeout for nights hanging out at home. I don't even live anywhere close to Lemon Grass, but we will drive over there just to pick it up because it's that good. Parking sucks especially on busy nights!
(4)
Peter C.
Recently someone tried to become my yelp friend, and when I realized he had over 11,000 friends, I just couldn't do it. It's not my style to be courted by a yelp whore...so I declined...I hope he won't take it personally...it's not you, it's me. On the other hand, when I find myself in a strange city with reputedly good cuisine, looking for the kind of food I want and getting an idea of what's good and what's not...that's what I'm all about. So I was quite pleased when Lemon Grass worked out so well based on three out of four very positive reviews. When you're a traveler, like me, and you don't get to take multiple trips it seems so crass to boil down a restaurant to one visit, but I can say that I liked their Tofu Pad Khee Maw as well as I've liked any I've tried. And for that, they get four stars. I also appreciate a Thai restaurant that gives me a spicy scale of 1-10, but I must be in the midwest because a 7 just barely tickled my taste buds in the way that I like. Next time I'll try an 8 or 9. I might go back tomorrow. Finally, the service was fast and friendly, which was appreciated as tonight, I was in a bit of a hurry. And I have to rebut the lack-of-freshness claimed by Sean B. I can't speak to his experience, but my meal seemed to me to contain very fresh and delicious veggies. So maybe I shouldn't have called that other yelper a whore. Groupie, perhaps? Maybe that's nicer. Maybe I'm missing something. Maybe I don't know what I'm talking about.
(4)
Brittany F.
Stopped by here for lunch on our way out of town. Food was good, prices made it even better. Two meals including a spring roll a piece for under $20 with tip. I ordered the Pad See Ew, 8/10 spiciness--which was far from spicy but had good flavor. Would definitely eat here again, especially for a cheap, fast lunch.
(4)
M Q.
Ruthai was closed (sign on door says will reopen mid May - forgot the date). I figure with all the positive reviews, this place would do as a substitute. Well, what a disappointment..... maybe what I ordered wasn't the best the restaurant has to offer, but I don't think I'll be back. All I taste is sweet. Got red curry with shrimp... the curry wasn't too tasty (maybe too much coconut cream) and there must have been 5, maybe 6 shrimps in the whole dish for $14. The grill salmon in tamarind sauce (off the specials menu) was also just sweet, and the salmon was bland... texture was like it was poached in the sauce, not grilled and then covered with sauce. Not the best salmon I've had by far, although you do get a big piece of salmon. Bathroom looks scary.
(2)
Sarah T.
Their food is fresh and authenticly fun.
(3)
Ann S.
I have eaten here several times, but always gotten the same thing (Pad Thai) and it was good. Today I ventured out and ordered the Phat See Ew and it was EXCELLENT. One of the best thai dishes I have ever had. The portion was a little small, but for only $5.50 who can complain. I will definitely order this dish again and again and will also venture out and try new things.
(4)
Dan J.
Lemon Grass has good Thai. I was quite surprised at the mediocre to negative reviews of it. I had a great meal there. The spiciness was perfect. I had duck and it was extremely moist and not too tough like duck is notorious for. I also had the lemon grass soup and it was so great. It had a perfect blend of sweet and sour to it. The decor is admittedly less than desirable but I don't go to a restaurant to look, I go to eat. The rest of my party enjoyed their meal. Oakley does have a lot of options for Thai, but you would be perfectly happy choosing Lemon Grass.
(4)
Morgan A.
So I visit good ol' Ohio a few times a year and was pleasantly introduced to this place about a year ago. After some rave reviews I had some take-out and loved everything I tried (my favorite entree being the 7 Elements with tofu). I just finished my second and third meals from this place (yep, 2 nights in a row) and still love it. Dining in was fantastic even just before closing; they weren't rushing us out or anything. Its not the best dressed spot in the world, but it does the job. I will always go back when in the 'Nati for reliable Thai food. Note: YOU MUST TRY THE FRIED BANANAS!!!!!!!
(4)
Ryan L.
Lemon Grass serves good specials for the lunch crowd at reasonable prices. Parking can be a little tough on Madison, though there is a sign saying parking is available in the lot at Busken across the street. I have not come here yet for dinner, since I usually go to Bangkok Bistro or Wild Ginger. Don't miss the Tom Kha Kai (chicken coconut) soup or the Pad Thai.
(4)
Sam K.
Giving out 1 star is rare for me..but man..it just didn't deserve two. I'm quite reluctant to eat at Thai restaurants because it's usually overpriced, but when one craves Thai food and happens to be near one, why not. I stopped by this place after hearing good reviews, and I was disappointed. I find that many Thais never order the usual Thai dishes (Pad Thai, curry or basil etc..), because its easy to make at home, so we order the stuff we're too lazy to make like duck. I ordered the spicy duck and "sweet angel chicken," both at 10 spice level, and I even spoke Thai to the waiter. The duck was moist, but the sauce was overpoweringly (I know its not a word) sweet and salty. The chicken intrigued me because of its name, but it should have been called chicken with a slab of Jiff peanut butter sprinkled with spinach leaves and steamed frozen brocolli (for $8.99). This is NOT a Thai dish, but I suppose they dreamt of it in their dreams and saw angels deliver it to them--hence the name. What made it worst was I didn't even taste the spice. I'm not sure what their Pad Thai or other signature Thai dishes are like, but I can safely say that gourmet Thai food is unavailable here. Lastly, there were plenty of tables where my guest and I could sit parallel to the front entrance, but we were seated in the back...next to the bathrooms...and my guest stared at the back wall for an hour. Though prices were reasonable..not worth my time.
(1)
Raymond L.
My quest for good Asian food in Cincinnati led me to Lemon Grass. I should have read some of the posts prior to going but decided against it so that I can write the review without having premonitions going there. I went there for lunch on a Monday and it was half full. The place can fit around 50 comfortably. There were 2 male and 2 women waitstaff on the floor. The waitresses seems the be more friendlier than the waiters (yes guys, smiling is sometimes good since you rely on tips right?) I told my waitress that it was my first time (and probably my last) and if the food is authentic thai ? Of course she said yes. So I go about ordering the chicken pad thai. She asked me what level of spice do I want on it (now real pad thai is not suppose to be spicy but you can add chilies yourself) and she said give her a number from 1 to 10 ? I just can't imagine how the cook can gauge a 1 to 10 scale, maybe 1 to 5 is a more realistic range anyways, I told her 7 (does that mean 7 chilies or 7 hotness?) She asked if I wanted a soup and I asked her about the chicken coconut (tom kah gai) and she said it has mushrooms, chicken, red onions and green shallots. I should've said no after the "red onions" but was curious and ordered it. The ingredients was exactly what I received and the soup was very sweet. I didn't taste or smelled any lemon grass, galanga, etc.. After a few sips I couldn't drink anymore because it was just too sweet. Next came the pad thai. It was a lunch portion (so small). It looked okay with choy suey on the side. I noticed that there was no lime and asked the waitress for some and she said we only have lemon today cause it's Monday?? The lemon she gave me was the thin slices you put on the edge of your drinks not lemon quaters but I didn't want to give them a hard time for a $5.95 pad thai. The pad thai was just ok. It didn't have much flavor (missing dried shrimp, some vinegar, etc) it just tasted spicy that's all. I gave it 2 stars for good stir frying on the pad thai and prob zero stars on the soup. I sat near the washroom so it was hard for the 4 staffers to see me as they were always together by the cash. The only time they would move is to go cleanup the empty tables but those tables don't give any tips it should be the customers who are still there that you should be attending to. I can imagine some people that haven't really had "real thai food" to say it's great but it wasn't for me. I'll probably try the other Thai restos in and around the area.
(2)
Mark K.
Great food!! Great lunch menu. We had lunch for less than $20. We both had the Pad Thai (spiced at 8 out of 10)...phenominal!! The egg rolls are crispy and served fresh. Staff are very attentive and the food is served quickly.
(5)
Taylor G.
The royal noodle was fantastic. The 1-10 level of spiciness allows for anyone to get what they want. Very diverse menu as well. I contemplated ordering 3 different things at once!
(4)
Fuzzysaurus L.
so if i was in a different place, lemongrass probably wouldn't get 4 stars. however - it is 1. asian food i'm willing to eat in cinci and 2. does the trick when comfort food is in need. somehow - they do a good job with the food in a way that makes you miss 'their' particular flavor combinations and makes you want to go back for more. the portion sizes are also great - usually, i have enough for lunch for the next day. service is always fantastic here which makes it a pleasant dining experience. plus - they don't do the silly 'charge extra for white rice' thing that some of the other thai restaurants around here do. i almost always order the steamed tofu pad thai and it always hits the spot. chicken panang curry is also quite good. oh, and the other thing is that their spice levels are consistent! if you order a 2 - it always is a 2 =D
(4)
Gusty S.
Fresh ingredients. Friendly service. Plenty of menu options. Overall - decent Thai for reasonable prices.
(4)
Marisa D.
The Pad Kee Mao was amazing - smoky & delish. My husband got the green curry which he said was good but not excellent. Beginning to think we will never find excellent Thai in Cincy...
(4)
Sean B.
Having lived in several other cities prior to Cincinnati, I have to say that, unfortunately, the Queen City does not have very good Thai food... at least I haven't discovered it yet. Sure it's gonna be tough to touch the pure joy of a 12-course meal at Arun's in Chicago, but isn't there at least a TAC Quick or Spoon? Anyway, one of the keys to delicious Thai is preparing it when ordered with fresh ingredients, but *most* of the Thai I've tried in this town is prepared much the same way you might expect Chinese food to be prepared. It was made earlier in the day in order to prepare for the expected volume of restaurant traffic and they are simply heating up your meal or giving you food that has been simmering for a long time. With a few exceptions, most of the food I've had at Lemongrass smacks of this method. The service is fine, but the food is nothing to write home about. If you are looking for better Thai in Cincinnati, try Green Papaya, right around the corner on Wasson. Or, better yet, Thai Express in Clifton is a tiny little dive of a joint, but you watch them make your food after your order it.
(2)
Christopher K.
Best Pad Thai in town! I wish that they had summer roll.
(4)
Andy W.
Haven't been in awhile because we moved to the East Coast but this was one of my favorite restaurants in Cincinnati, the Seven Elements with tofu is absolutely incredible, one of my favorite dishes of all time.
(4)
Emily G.
Lemon Grass is one of the things I miss about moving out of Cincinnati. I love their food and that they allow you to set the spiciness level of your meal. I always like to get the Swimming Angel with Lemon Grass soup, it's great. The dinning room and restaurant is admittedly small but I think that just adds to it's charm. The wait staff is always very helpful and observant without getting in the way. Next time I come home to visit I will definitely be visiting Lemon Grass.
(4)
James S.
Really good thai. Definitely one of the top thai restaurants in Cincinnati. Their spice levels are really good, and the flavors of their dishes is really nice. They're equally good with both rice and noodle dishes, and their appetizers are excellent. Don't listen to the negative reviews - great thai!
(5)
Justin K.
Not very good Thai food. Not awful, but not very good. Plus i somehow took offense that none of my food had the fresh and perky lemon grass flavor. The only real consultation was that they will make your food really really spicy if you know how to ask. When we ordered the waitress asked me to name a number of spice I would like. I assumed she meant from 1 to 10 so I asked for an 8, it was reasonably but certainly not overly spicy. Then, after dinner, she said next time I could ask for a number as high as 100. Now that is wicked spicy.
(2)
Kevin B.
I want to give it a 5 star review, but don't know if I should because I only ever get their Chicken Fried Rice. But it's so dang good!!
(4)
Jennifer H.
This is not just the best Thai food in Cincinnati, it's some of the best Thai food I have ever had, period. The restuarant doesn't have much in the way of ambiance, but it makes up for that with efficient service, cheap prices and insanely delicious food. My mouth is watering just thinking about their pad thai!
(5)
Kevin S.
My first Thai restaurant, and still one that others haven't lived up to. Maybe it was the fact that it was the first place I dined out with my future dearest friends Sean and Jenn, but I have only the fondest memories of this place. We tried a lot of dishes and everyone always loved the food here. It's not the chicest place in town but it's a good, high quality dining experience from start to finish and one of the two best Thai places in Cincinnati.
(5)
Sandra F.
Paht See Ew and Cashew Chicken are hands down the best dishes on the menu. I'm really picky when it come to Thai food and this place really hits the spot. Very small and intimate. Restaurant clean. Staff very fast and friendly. The only thing I do not like about the restaurant is the location. It is on the busiest road in Hyde Park/Norwood area (On Madison). Parking is very limited and street parking is very hard to find at times.
(4)
Ryan S.
Really good food! Hands down the worst service I have ever had at an establishment in my entire life!!!
(1)
Sarah B.
I have yet to order something from Lemon Grass that I did not like. I have had take out and ordered in the restaurant. It is usually pretty empty so most of their business must be carry out. I would personally recommend Lemon Grass over Green Papaya although I do not think that is the norm around here. It must depend on what you order since both menus are rather extensive. My favorite dish so far at Lemon Grass is the Paht Khee Mao and the Panang Curry.
(4)
Sara W.
Good food, it seems to be a really really popular place for take-out orders which made dining a bit awkward as it's a relatively large restaurant space that only had two tables of patrons when we visited.
(3)
Jessica L.
By far my favorite Thai spot in Cincy. With the abundance of 'posh' Thai and sushi joints in Hyde park, it's nice to find a hole in the wall place that cares more about good authentic food than about decor and ornamentation.
(5)
Bart L.
Lemongrass has the best phad Thai I have ever had. Period. Ate there today $7.40. Chicken phad Thai. Spring roll. I have spent more at Wendys. The decor is a little beat up, but the waiters are on the ball, you eat on a plate with a table cloth and drink from a glass. Just a great lunch deal for authentic tasty Thai.
(5)
Randy B.
My favorite Thai food in Cincinnati. Very reasonably priced (especially for lunch) and super efficient and friendly service (except for the one surly server...always bummed when she is working). The food is quite good. I'm a fan of their pad ki mao and royal noodles, in particular. Much better than Wild Ginger and cheaper, too.
(5)
Carrie M.
Fantastic thai food at a great price! This is my favorite Thai restaurant around. The food is reliable and the staff is very friendly. The decor might not be fancy but the food is out of this world.
(5)
Chris D.
Sooo...this place seems to get some great reviews and after a long day at the aquarium I was looking forward to some good food. The restaurant looked amazing and the wait staff seemed attentive to needs. Also with the amount of people that were seated and waiting to be seated I was excited. I was however, let down. If you enjoy drinking warm coconut milk with some chicken which is roasted with very little to no seasoning then the coconut chicken soup is for you. My wife had the Phad Thai which was ok but oddly enough tasted very similar to my Singapore noodle, odd. Anyway if you are looking for subpar Thai food that just gets your mouth sorta wet for Thai then you found it. If you are looking for a good Thai place that makes you want to come back just walk by this place and window shop...food is better to look at than to eat.
(2)
Andrew F.
Tom ka gai (the coconut chicken soup) is one of my favorite foods, and I'm sorry to say that this place butchered it. It tasted like watered down coconut milk from a can and I couldn't detect any hint of ginger, lime, or curry, all of which should be important ingredients. On the plus side, their massaman curry was actually pretty good, but not enough to make up for the soup, sadly...
(2)
Ivan M.
Lunch was good! Not sure why the $$, lunch prices seemed very reasonable! Thai basil chicken was a perfect lunch portion, chicken was moist and not over cooked. Served with plenty of veggies, yum!
(4)
A G.
This is my favourite Thai place. Pad Thai is most delicious and Thai iced tea is very nice. Both vegetarian and chicken entrees are good too. I took my mom specially to try Thai food for first time. This place can never disappoint you.
(5)
Don A.
Visited Lemon Grass on a Monday night thus it was not very busy. Service was good. Nice selection of dishes on the menu. Spiciness of our dishes varied even though three out of four were suppose to be the same. Tried the sticky rice and mango--the sticky rice was great but the mango was not ripe thus it was tart and difficult to cut.
(3)
Natalie F.
My go-to takeout place! Not the best in the city but I live right around the corner and it's pretty awesome-- good curries, cold peanut noodles, and paht kee mao is a favorite of mine. Pretty cheap too.
(4)
Alex S.
Lemon Grass is one of my favorite flavors in a food. If you say you've got something in it, I will eat it. So when I learned there was a spot with that name, I had to check it out ... and then it only took me three years to get here. Not sure why I've waited so long. Cute place, cozy atmosphere, friendly staff, good food, what more could you want? This one medium-sized restaurant is very basic with it's decorations. You walk in and get seated at a table, menu in place. I got my favorite Thai meal: Cirspy Pad Thai with vegetables and it was good. Crispy, sweet, just how I liked it. They asked spice level from 1 to10 and I said 7. I should have said a little more, as it has some kick but not a ton of kick (and I like somewhere between some kick and a lot of kick.) I'll know for next time. We also got the golden baskets (or golden something, I can't remember what they are called) as an appetizer, and they were fried wantons with shrimp and veggies in the middle. Very good. I would come back here in a heartbeat. Had a pleasant meal with some good eats.
(4)
Catherine C.
I've lived in Cincinnati for three years now and worked near Hyde Park for two, and I can't believe I'd never been to Lemon Grass until last week! It was awesome. The lunch specials are a great deal, and I would highly recommend adding on a spring roll to your meal. The service was great and super fast and the portions were very good. I will definitely be going back in the near future!
(5)
Ben D.
I'm a repeat customer at Lemon Grass. They have a variety of dishes, from generic Thai, to chef specialties. The pad thai won't disappoint for those less adventurous. They are quick and it won't take long even if you walk in and order take out. If you want spicy, you'll need to order closer to their extreme heat, but they will deliver! I've never had to wait, and I haven't had a bad experience.
(4)
Katie W.
Reasonably priced Thai food. Service was not the best. Decor could use some work, even considering it as a "hole in the wall" restaurant. Decently sized portions, but still comparable to every other local Thai restaurant. I'd go back only because it is close to home and on the cheaper end of Thai in Cincinnati. Takeout from here would be a good future choice!
(3)
Mark F.
This is solid good Thai. Casual atmosphere. Fair price. Fair service. Central. Flavors are very good.
(4)
Janet L.
I would have never guessed this was such a gem from the exterior. I had the Pad Thai and my friend had a curry dish- it is so delicious; I would recommend going spicier because they seem a bit cautious ;) Highly recommend!
(5)
Zack F.
Cozy. I like the display of raw ingredients and spices. The food I had was average. Not bad, but I'm not inspired to rush back here again. Good Thai is very difficult to find in Cincinnati. This did not provide the answer, unfortunately. Vegetarian options. Not terribly sweet which is good.
(3)
Kevin B.
A great local Thai place where I can order take out and pick it up in under 10 minutes. I've had the pad thai a few times and I think it is pretty good. I love pot stickers and they do them right (well, in my opinion right). They are slightly crispy by soft on the inside. I've been getting their curries lately and they have become my new favorite items on the menu. At first it doesn't seem like a lot of food, but I can make into two meals sometimes. Great options and a good price and quick service, I'll keep coming back.
(5)
Paige M.
Two words: Mango Curry. Four words: Ten kinds of soup. Are you on your way to Lemon Grass yet? My mouth is watering recounting this culinary adventure! For starters, we ordered the Gold Bags. I had no idea what this was, but with a name that awesome, how could I not try it? They were actually pretty similar to crab ragoon, except they contained shrimp and crab, no cream cheese. Served up with a side if sweet sauce, these crispy apps were delicious. Next, I had the coconut vegetable soup. A gigantic bowl arrived with spiral carrots, baby corn, mushrooms, pea pods, and other delightful veggies. The coconut broth was seasoned with cilantro, my favorite herb, and made for an all-around 5-star soup. For my main, I had the mango curry with fried tofu. A platter boat came out with the bright orange, creamy mango sauce, garnished with a variety of veg, including those awesome baby corns. Served up with a side of fluffy white rice, I kept eating this massive amount of curry until I was bursting at the seams. Lemon Grass definitely gives you your money's worth for portions. While I was enthralled with the meal, I had to knock off a star because we had reservations, but for some reason, one of the staff members had cancelled it without our consent. We were left waiting 15 minutes for a table to open up. Parking for Lemon Grass is pretty tricky, as street spaces are limited. There is a lot that customers can use by Busken, but you'll have to play Frogger crossing the traffic on Madison Road. Price per person: $20.00
(4)
Ed P.
After having prior dinner plans spoiled due to circumstances beyond our control, my wife and I stumbled into Lemon Grass for dinner. This was the first dinner in a long time without our infant son at our sides. We walked in and asked for a table for two and were led to the back of the restaurant. Upon sitting down my wife and I both realized how dark and dreary it was in the back of this narrow restaurant. We asked our server if we could move toward the front of the restaurant and he directed us toward a table that sat along the front windows. I guess we should have asked for a table up there at the beginning since he seemed more than happy to accommodate our request. I can't find a menu online other than their lunch offerings, but I think what I ordered was called chicken Thai spicy. If that's not right it was some basic dish of chicken with mixed vegetables in a light but spicy sauce. It was served with a side of white rice. Lemon Grass uses the 1-10 spice rating for their dishes and I went with an 8. It was fairly spicy but I could have used just a bit more I think. Other than that the dish was well prepared and tasted good. I would definitely order it again. My wife went with the Paht Thai. The way that the dish was presented was nice in that you could easily leave out some of the ingredients if they were not to your liking. She also ordered an 8 on the spice scale which seemed to be enough for her. I sampled only a small bit of her dish, but it tasted pretty much like Pad Thai should. She agreed that the dish was good and fairly standard, nothing out of this world. With that said I think she would easily order it again on a future visit. Compared to Bangkok Bistro, which I reviewed earlier this year, I would say that the spice scale at Lemon Grass seems to be dumbed down just a bit more than the already weak scale at Bangkok. The serving sizes were a bit larger at Bangkok but I also think that their prices were too. With all of that said I would bet that we will likely return to Lemon Grass in the future and I would recommend it as a place to get a solid Thai meal for a very affordable price.
(4)
Bonnie S.
One of my favorite restaurants. Love the waitstaff -very courteous and attentive without being overbearing. Wish I lived next door. Never had a bad meal ~everything delicious.
(5)
Jenny L.
Have loved this place for years. Ginger chicken is divine! The chicken is always big chunks of white meat, and the veggies are always crisp and fresh, never overcooked.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Paul K.
Like everyone said, this is a solid Thai restaurant. The place is not big but cozy enough to attract customers. The service was fast and friendly. Our party had Pad Thai with Chicken, Pineapple Fried Rice with Shrimp, and Jungle Curry with Beef (although I don't know why they call it jungle..). We liked them all. But it is true that I was not wowed either. I cannot say the foods are authentic because I don't know.. but all the foods taste good and pretty similar to what I have eaten at other Thai restaurants. Only one complaint from me is the foods were little too salty. My friend who goes here a lot said it was saltier than usual, though. Overall, this restaurnat is pretty good and could be my regular stop for Thai.
(4)Laura V.
I've eaten Pad Thai all over the country, and as strange as it sounds, this clean, friendly little restaurant has the best I've ever eaten. Service is prompt and polite, food is amazing!!!!! I drive from Chicago to visit friends in Cincinnati and this place is a MUST everytime we visit. Keep up the great work Lemon Grass!!
(5)Stacey L.
I have been to Lemongrass several times and never feel the need to go back. The food is pretty standard Thai food. No better or worse than 5 or 6 other Thai restaurants out there. The coconut soup with chicken is good. I also like their Pad Thai and Chicken Thai Spicy. Prices are reasonable and comparable with any other Thai restaurant. My issue with this restaurant is with cleanliness. Specifically with the cleanliness of the bathrooms. It is in serious need of a remodel and a scrub down. This isn't just based on one experience at the restaurant, but on at least three restaurant. It always makes me wonder how clean the kitchen is if the bathrooms look that bad. On the other hand, service is always decent. Parking can be a little bit of an issue. The dining room itself is clean enough, though maybe also in need of some updating. There are too many other places in this city to go to a place that gives me the willies every time I need to use the facilities....
(2)Ed J.
An old favorite - I hadn't been back for a while and needed a place for lunch so I stopped in. Lunch prices are very reasonable - my Swimming Angel and spring roll was $10 with tip included. The chicken was juicy and tender, the peanut/coconut sauce was flavorful and had some heat. Spring roll was warm and crisp and tasted just right. An excellent lunch at an excellent price.
(4)Shane O.
Good quality food, with nice quaint atmosphere , staff is very friendly Pineapple fried rice and crab crispies for life
(5)Jeremy B.
I absolutely LOVE Thai food. I love how different it is from Chinese food; it's such a nice switch from the heavy stuck you get from those places. The first thing I noticed was how nice Lemon Grass was. It caught me off guard, as I was in a hoodie and shorts, so you may want to dress a little nicer than I did. But when I got to the menu, I wasn't shocked by the prices. There are plenty of delicious sounding options for right around 10 dollars, and I could get these any time I go back, but my first experience, I splurged a bit. I got one of their specialties, the Bangkok Duck, and my goodness was it excellent. For $15 I had some of the best duck I have ever had and I was very satisfied at the end. The only reason I don't rate it perfectly was it was a little cramped, therefore service wasn't impeccable, but by no means did it detract from the experience. I will definitely have to return.
(4)Monika N.
My favorite Thai restaurant in Cincinnati - which says a lot because they have some great competition. I've never had to wait in line to be seated even though the restaurant is small. I love their pad thai. And they have a new (or maybe just new to me) lunch menu that contains perfect portions for around $6 - so reasonable!!!
(5)Sheila M.
This place is cozy (aka cramped). As I reached back to hang my jacket over my chair, I nearly elbowed the guy behind me in the face. Keeping my feet out of my friend's personal space under the table was also a challenge - and no, that's not just cuz I enjoy playing footsie. To avoid further awkwardness, I ended up sitting with all limbs as close to my body as possible. The food was alright, but I've had better. One thing I found hilarious was that the communal rice arrived on a raised, covered silver platter. A lift of the cover revealed a pathetic amount of rice, good enough for maybe one person. We started eating and asked the waiter for more rice when he came back around. "Sure," he said, and to our surprise he brought the remaining rice on our platter with him. When he came back, we saw that he had added just enough to bring it back to the original amount. So on the plus side, if you're trying to be on a diet, portion control is a strength here :D I'd put Lemongrass one step above Wild Ginger. I realize I may have to just stop ordering the Spicy Eggplant though (it was steamed beforehand, chopped, then simmered in the sauce...and absorbed none of the flavor). Go for something safer like the pad thai or one of the many soups on the menu. But when you have to pick and choose what's good and bad - to me, that's the mark of an average restaurant.
(3)Ben N.
Although Asian food in the Cincinnati area as a whole is sorely lacking, both in quantity and quality, the East Side of Cincinnati for some reason has about eight Thai restaurants within about a two-mile radius. Alas, none of them is particularly good, and Lemon Grass isn't even the best of those. (Green Papaya and Amarin seem to have the best food of this East Side lot.) So why do we like Lemon Grass? It is more dependable, inviting, friendly, and inexpensive than the local competition. Lemon Grass sometimes lays the flavors on a bit thick, resulting in unbalanced, somewhat off-putting accents in some dishes. But they do pretty well with simple, traditional Thai-restaurant favorites like basil and ginger items and the curries. Some of the seafood dishes on their specials menu are great values at 13 or 14 dollars. We like the atmosphere and feel of the place, too: It's slightly shabby and pleasantly dark, like a favorite neighborhood diner or pub. It seems to attract a crowd that's a little more diverse than the typical East Side eatery. We keep going back even though we know Lemon Grass is never going to knock our socks off.
(4)David B.
I'm used to Thai restaurants at home in California, where they're thick on the ground. Now, Thai restaurants out there usually have a couple of crispy catfish dishes on the menu. Lemon Grass had not just crispy catfish, but also crispy walleye. And that is how I knew I was in the Midwest, where walleye - a fish unheard of out west - is ubiquitous. Even in the Thai restaurants. It was memorable, and worth having again.
(4)Mike W.
What the hell is a lemon grass? I recently have developed an appreciation for thai food, so it was only a matter of time before I found myself visiting this place. From what I've heard it's pretty good, but not life changing. Well, one of my friends claimed it was more the latter rather than the former. She then set in motion an elaborate plot to get me to Rookwood. Her: Hey Weg. Want to go to Lemon Grass? Weg: Kay. It sounded more sinister in my head. We had four in our party, which is apparently kind of a big deal for Lemon Grass. This place is tiny. For all that is holy, please call ahead. One of us did, but upon arrival they told us we had called and cancelled. We definitely did not, but I have many enemies - I cannot rule out foul play. Other than that, the dining experience was pretty unremarkable. The food was good, but I'd say Thai Pepper or Mai Thai is better. Also the portions were a tinge smaller for about the same price. So, meh. I confess I only had the pad thai, so maybe their other stuff stands out. But as for my opinion, it's not bad.
(3)Amanda C.
I live down the street from Lemon Grass, and I love it! My favorite is the mango curry... or wait, maybe the swimming angel (chicken, broccoli and spinach in a delicious peanut sauce). It's too hard to decide, actually. It's easy to get a table here, which both delights and worries me. I've never had a wait, which is nice... but I want Lemon Grass to stick around. So, c'mon, Yelpers, let's help them get a bit busier. Feel free to park at the 24-hour Busken when you come to Lemon Grass for dinner. I'm sure Busken hopes you stop in for a treat, as Lemon Grass doesn't have much in the way of dessert.
(4)Hank M.
I've been coming here for lunch at least once a week for years. The food is superb - fresh ingredients, very well prepared, and consistently excellent. It's family owned-and-operated and it shows - the service is fast, friendly and professional. Prices are consistent with what you find in places with generic quality- in other words, this is a real value. The atmosphere is not fancy, but it's warm and spotlessly maintained.
(5)Leisa W.
Soo....Lemon Grass. It was pretty good. Not life-changing, but pretty good. There don't seem to be many Thai restaurants around me, so this is the only Thai place I've been to in Cincinnati. Which makes me sad, I'm thinking of mounting a one-woman campaign to get more Thai nationals here, especially ones who can cook. But until that happens, let me get back to Lemon Grass. Most importantly--their food. They have a 1-10 rating system for their spicyness...which seems like it would be a good thing, but it confuses me. I've been eating Thai food for a long time, and I've never ordered like this before, so I'm not sure what to do. I got pad see ew, which was pretty good (it's my favorite Thai food), and tom ka gai, which was also good. I think I'd prefer to do take-out from this place in the future, as the restaurant itself is kind of old-school and tiny. Parking is a big pain. We went early, so we didn't have much trouble getting a table but figuring out where to park (the street) made it less of a fun experience. So--it wasn't terrible, by any means...but if I could find another thai place, I'd probably go there first.
(3)Monica W.
I come to Lemon Grass with my mom for lunch about once a month. I really love the location on this little Thai place. It is right near Rookwood shopping center. The parking is street parking so bring quarters! I usually order some sort of noodle dish like pad Thai or paht see ew. Lots of tasty authentic dishes to order here. If you are a first timer and don't want to spend much I'd suggest coming in during lunch for the lunch menu. I have never actually been here to eat dinner so I don't have much to say on how dinner is here. I have always been pleased with the food and the atmosphere here.
(4)Dan M.
For some reason, there are a lot of Thai places in Cincy. This is good for us because we don't have to settle for Lemon Grass. The food was ok; the dishes were pretty uninspired. The portions were kind of small for a Thai place, and my 9/10 spicy dish was not spicy. It was far from bad, but it was not the best Thai in the area at this price. I'd recommend heading to Teak. People throw a fit about the parking, but it's worth it for tastier Thai. Bottom Line: With so many Thai options in Cincy, I'll probably never be back here.
(2)David G.
Good Thai food and good service. I love that they have rotating deserts.
(4)Sanjeet G.
One of my favorite thai restaurants in the city! Pros: 1) Absolutely great service! 2) The food is great, I really love their red curry 3) Very reasonably priced Cons: 1) It is an older restaurant and sometimes not the "nicest" place to sit down and have a meal Overall its a great place for take out thai food!
(4)Patrick E.
Fresh food and great service! Even ad they were closing at 3pm we got great service when we arrived at 2:40pm. Being from Chicago, we eat Thai all the time and this place is top five all time. Cool feature: if you say spicy, they ask you to rate your desired slickness on a scale of 1-10. I got a 4 at it was about right -- most other places say mild, medium or hot.
(5)Alexandra K.
I had pretty high expectations of Lemon Grass before I went as my last Thai experience was at this amazing place in Harvard Square. The food was good, but didn't live up to the expectations I had and the food I had a hankering for. However, they still deserve a good review because I enjoyed my meal! The waitress serving us was great, she was very attentive and very sweet. One of the people with me has a taste for spicy things and he ordered the 10 out of a 10 scale of spiciness. The waitress joked about a regular customer she had that ordered a 75 in spice and now orders a 50 because it was too much! So if you really like spice, the 10 may even be too little and they'll let you go higher! I had a wonderful lemon grass soup that had a great perfectly spiced broth. I wish I could describe the flavor but it was something I never had before. The lemon grass was only a highlight. Then I had to be typical and order the pad thai. However on the menu it was spelled paht thai. I had never seen that before. It was good but I've had better. I really like my pad thai to be sweet and peanutty. This lacked a little of the sweetness and had more of a savory flavor. Overall, it was an enjoyable evening. I washed everything down with a REALLY good Thai iced tea.
(4)Gavin D.
Lemon Grass is solid, dependable, and makes Sarah's favorite pad thai in town to date. Lately we've been using it as a take out option, but they also have space to dine in. This post has been in draft form for a long minute, so I'm glad it is finally making its way to you! It's a simple one. The Food: As I said above, Sarah loves the pad thai at Lemon Grass (it reminds her of the pad thai she loves best, at her old haunt in Sarasota called Thailand), while my favorite continues to be at Thai Express. And Sarah was out of town when I made this order, so this is a Gavin only review, and I tend to enjoy Lemon Grass' curries the most. I ordered a pad thai, spring rolls, and sesame noodles, although my typical order is curry (I am especially a fan of their massaman). The starter, sesame noodles, was very sweet and covered in a thick peanut sauce. There was a crunch from the scallions and iceburg lettuce at the bottom of the to go container, and small bites of chicken on top. I usually think of sesame noodles as being a round lo mein-style, but theirs are made with a flat egg noodle, and sprinkled with black sesame seeds as garnish. The noodles were a bit overcooked too unfortunately. I had straightforward but good spring rolls and dipping sauce (which is thicker than the sauce at Thai Express), and then ate the pad thai. Lemon Grass' version of this thai standby has quite a bit of egg, and has noodles that I felt were less sticky, but more slimy in texture. Also, their pad thai is not nearly as sweet as at Thai Express. They also use a bit of cilantro, and I've found that I need to go a bit higher on the spicy scale at Lemon Grass then at other spots locally to get something as hot as I like it. The Ingredients: There's nothing on the Lemon Grass menu about local or organic ingredients. I'll have to ask on the next trip. The Story, Setting, & Service: The interior is very simple - no frills, and smells great. It's always calm and quiet inside, and yet there always seem to be people coming through. I've gone many, many times and have never had a wait. The service is straightforward. Maybe most important of all, Lemon Grass is open Sundays and Mondays, making it one of the few options to choose from on both of those days. The Last Bite: Honestly, most of the time we end up at Lemon Grass because it's the only place open - it's become a Sunday dinner option a few times recently. I've never had anything bad at Lemon Grass, and that consistency means something these days. Plus, with reasonable prices and a favorite Thai dish as well in our household, we will certainly be back. Do you have a favorite Thai place we should try? If you enjoyed this review, there's more at Amateur Foodies.
(4)Joe J.
Of the many Thai choices in this area this is my least favorite. It is less authentic, greasier and not a fresh as the other Thai restaurants. (If you are close to Lemon Grass you are very close to Wild Ginger, Green Papaya, Asiana, Blue Elephant, Saki Bomb and Bangkok Bistro....all of which are better than Lemon Grass). It is my opinion that the flavors are simply dumbed down.
(2)Mike F.
Love love love Lemongrass! Food is always great and service is so friendly! One of our favorite restaurants in the city!
(5)Brian H.
Amazing Thai food at low prices. I've eaten Thai from all over the world and this place definitely nails it. Very casual atmosphere with great service. Highly recommended
(5)William G.
Better Thai food for less money, also without the pretentious environment. If good Thai food is our goal then Lemongrass is your place.
(5)Rich T.
A really great Thai restaurant for Cinci. Friendly staff, interesting menu and really reasonable prices. Try something new on your next visit! Too many people go to great Thai restaurants and order Volcano Chicken and Pad Thai. You've got to give your taste buds an adventure at Lemon Grass. Every single item on the menu is delicious and fascinating in its own special way.
(5)Erin B.
Fantastic. My dad discovered this place and the waitresses started remembering his orders after only 2 or 3 visits. So sweet. Great food (get the lunch specials if the dinners look too pricey).
(5)Ben K.
Just returned from dining at Lemon Grass. In one word, terrible. Both my girlfriend and I fail to see why this restaurant has positive ratings. Her catfish dish was simply inedible. The fish may have even been rotten and the sauce was gluey like cheap chain food Chinese. My yellow curry tasted way too much like cilantro and was overly coconutty. The chicken satay quite literally seemed to be chicken mcnuggets stretched out on a skewer. Disgusting. Both of us ordered our food spicy, and neither dish was remotely spicy. Both of us are very familiar with what good Thai food should taste like, and this wasn't it. Avoid. That being said, the service was fine, the atmosphere pleasant, but why go to a restaurant if the food is this bad?
(1)Christopher K.
If you want to know what is a great pad thai, then go here! I love it!
(4)Vincent K.
I'd have to say I'm really snobby when it comes to Thai, and likely because it's one of my favorite cuisines and I've spent my fair share eating in Thailand. Lemon Grass was "Not" all that spectacular. If your Thai palate is more "Americanized" then you might like this. All the dishes were way too sweet. The Tom yum was- sweet, pad Thai - sweet, Masaman curry - sweet, lemon grass chicken and 7 element beef were a pass. Also they were super stingy on the shrimp, only two pieces in the Tom Yum, and a couple in the Pad Thai.... kinda ridiculous.
(2)Isabel Y.
Perfect chicken fried rice. I never actually eat at this restaurant but it's awesome takeout for nights hanging out at home. I don't even live anywhere close to Lemon Grass, but we will drive over there just to pick it up because it's that good. Parking sucks especially on busy nights!
(4)Dan J.
Lemon Grass has good Thai. I was quite surprised at the mediocre to negative reviews of it. I had a great meal there. The spiciness was perfect. I had duck and it was extremely moist and not too tough like duck is notorious for. I also had the lemon grass soup and it was so great. It had a perfect blend of sweet and sour to it. The decor is admittedly less than desirable but I don't go to a restaurant to look, I go to eat. The rest of my party enjoyed their meal. Oakley does have a lot of options for Thai, but you would be perfectly happy choosing Lemon Grass.
(4)Peter C.
Recently someone tried to become my yelp friend, and when I realized he had over 11,000 friends, I just couldn't do it. It's not my style to be courted by a yelp whore...so I declined...I hope he won't take it personally...it's not you, it's me. On the other hand, when I find myself in a strange city with reputedly good cuisine, looking for the kind of food I want and getting an idea of what's good and what's not...that's what I'm all about. So I was quite pleased when Lemon Grass worked out so well based on three out of four very positive reviews. When you're a traveler, like me, and you don't get to take multiple trips it seems so crass to boil down a restaurant to one visit, but I can say that I liked their Tofu Pad Khee Maw as well as I've liked any I've tried. And for that, they get four stars. I also appreciate a Thai restaurant that gives me a spicy scale of 1-10, but I must be in the midwest because a 7 just barely tickled my taste buds in the way that I like. Next time I'll try an 8 or 9. I might go back tomorrow. Finally, the service was fast and friendly, which was appreciated as tonight, I was in a bit of a hurry. And I have to rebut the lack-of-freshness claimed by Sean B. I can't speak to his experience, but my meal seemed to me to contain very fresh and delicious veggies. So maybe I shouldn't have called that other yelper a whore. Groupie, perhaps? Maybe that's nicer. Maybe I'm missing something. Maybe I don't know what I'm talking about.
(4)Brittany F.
Stopped by here for lunch on our way out of town. Food was good, prices made it even better. Two meals including a spring roll a piece for under $20 with tip. I ordered the Pad See Ew, 8/10 spiciness--which was far from spicy but had good flavor. Would definitely eat here again, especially for a cheap, fast lunch.
(4)M Q.
Ruthai was closed (sign on door says will reopen mid May - forgot the date). I figure with all the positive reviews, this place would do as a substitute. Well, what a disappointment..... maybe what I ordered wasn't the best the restaurant has to offer, but I don't think I'll be back. All I taste is sweet. Got red curry with shrimp... the curry wasn't too tasty (maybe too much coconut cream) and there must have been 5, maybe 6 shrimps in the whole dish for $14. The grill salmon in tamarind sauce (off the specials menu) was also just sweet, and the salmon was bland... texture was like it was poached in the sauce, not grilled and then covered with sauce. Not the best salmon I've had by far, although you do get a big piece of salmon. Bathroom looks scary.
(2)Sarah T.
Their food is fresh and authenticly fun.
(3)Ann S.
I have eaten here several times, but always gotten the same thing (Pad Thai) and it was good. Today I ventured out and ordered the Phat See Ew and it was EXCELLENT. One of the best thai dishes I have ever had. The portion was a little small, but for only $5.50 who can complain. I will definitely order this dish again and again and will also venture out and try new things.
(4)Lauren Y.
Very good Thai food. Excellent selection of curries. Good service and clean.
(4)Morgan A.
So I visit good ol' Ohio a few times a year and was pleasantly introduced to this place about a year ago. After some rave reviews I had some take-out and loved everything I tried (my favorite entree being the 7 Elements with tofu). I just finished my second and third meals from this place (yep, 2 nights in a row) and still love it. Dining in was fantastic even just before closing; they weren't rushing us out or anything. Its not the best dressed spot in the world, but it does the job. I will always go back when in the 'Nati for reliable Thai food. Note: YOU MUST TRY THE FRIED BANANAS!!!!!!!
(4)Ryan L.
Lemon Grass serves good specials for the lunch crowd at reasonable prices. Parking can be a little tough on Madison, though there is a sign saying parking is available in the lot at Busken across the street. I have not come here yet for dinner, since I usually go to Bangkok Bistro or Wild Ginger. Don't miss the Tom Kha Kai (chicken coconut) soup or the Pad Thai.
(4)Sam K.
Giving out 1 star is rare for me..but man..it just didn't deserve two. I'm quite reluctant to eat at Thai restaurants because it's usually overpriced, but when one craves Thai food and happens to be near one, why not. I stopped by this place after hearing good reviews, and I was disappointed. I find that many Thais never order the usual Thai dishes (Pad Thai, curry or basil etc..), because its easy to make at home, so we order the stuff we're too lazy to make like duck. I ordered the spicy duck and "sweet angel chicken," both at 10 spice level, and I even spoke Thai to the waiter. The duck was moist, but the sauce was overpoweringly (I know its not a word) sweet and salty. The chicken intrigued me because of its name, but it should have been called chicken with a slab of Jiff peanut butter sprinkled with spinach leaves and steamed frozen brocolli (for $8.99). This is NOT a Thai dish, but I suppose they dreamt of it in their dreams and saw angels deliver it to them--hence the name. What made it worst was I didn't even taste the spice. I'm not sure what their Pad Thai or other signature Thai dishes are like, but I can safely say that gourmet Thai food is unavailable here. Lastly, there were plenty of tables where my guest and I could sit parallel to the front entrance, but we were seated in the back...next to the bathrooms...and my guest stared at the back wall for an hour. Though prices were reasonable..not worth my time.
(1)James S.
Really good thai. Definitely one of the top thai restaurants in Cincinnati. Their spice levels are really good, and the flavors of their dishes is really nice. They're equally good with both rice and noodle dishes, and their appetizers are excellent. Don't listen to the negative reviews - great thai!
(5)Justin K.
Not very good Thai food. Not awful, but not very good. Plus i somehow took offense that none of my food had the fresh and perky lemon grass flavor. The only real consultation was that they will make your food really really spicy if you know how to ask. When we ordered the waitress asked me to name a number of spice I would like. I assumed she meant from 1 to 10 so I asked for an 8, it was reasonably but certainly not overly spicy. Then, after dinner, she said next time I could ask for a number as high as 100. Now that is wicked spicy.
(2)Raymond L.
My quest for good Asian food in Cincinnati led me to Lemon Grass. I should have read some of the posts prior to going but decided against it so that I can write the review without having premonitions going there. I went there for lunch on a Monday and it was half full. The place can fit around 50 comfortably. There were 2 male and 2 women waitstaff on the floor. The waitresses seems the be more friendlier than the waiters (yes guys, smiling is sometimes good since you rely on tips right?) I told my waitress that it was my first time (and probably my last) and if the food is authentic thai ? Of course she said yes. So I go about ordering the chicken pad thai. She asked me what level of spice do I want on it (now real pad thai is not suppose to be spicy but you can add chilies yourself) and she said give her a number from 1 to 10 ? I just can't imagine how the cook can gauge a 1 to 10 scale, maybe 1 to 5 is a more realistic range anyways, I told her 7 (does that mean 7 chilies or 7 hotness?) She asked if I wanted a soup and I asked her about the chicken coconut (tom kah gai) and she said it has mushrooms, chicken, red onions and green shallots. I should've said no after the "red onions" but was curious and ordered it. The ingredients was exactly what I received and the soup was very sweet. I didn't taste or smelled any lemon grass, galanga, etc.. After a few sips I couldn't drink anymore because it was just too sweet. Next came the pad thai. It was a lunch portion (so small). It looked okay with choy suey on the side. I noticed that there was no lime and asked the waitress for some and she said we only have lemon today cause it's Monday?? The lemon she gave me was the thin slices you put on the edge of your drinks not lemon quaters but I didn't want to give them a hard time for a $5.95 pad thai. The pad thai was just ok. It didn't have much flavor (missing dried shrimp, some vinegar, etc) it just tasted spicy that's all. I gave it 2 stars for good stir frying on the pad thai and prob zero stars on the soup. I sat near the washroom so it was hard for the 4 staffers to see me as they were always together by the cash. The only time they would move is to go cleanup the empty tables but those tables don't give any tips it should be the customers who are still there that you should be attending to. I can imagine some people that haven't really had "real thai food" to say it's great but it wasn't for me. I'll probably try the other Thai restos in and around the area.
(2)Mark K.
Great food!! Great lunch menu. We had lunch for less than $20. We both had the Pad Thai (spiced at 8 out of 10)...phenominal!! The egg rolls are crispy and served fresh. Staff are very attentive and the food is served quickly.
(5)Taylor G.
The royal noodle was fantastic. The 1-10 level of spiciness allows for anyone to get what they want. Very diverse menu as well. I contemplated ordering 3 different things at once!
(4)Fuzzysaurus L.
so if i was in a different place, lemongrass probably wouldn't get 4 stars. however - it is 1. asian food i'm willing to eat in cinci and 2. does the trick when comfort food is in need. somehow - they do a good job with the food in a way that makes you miss 'their' particular flavor combinations and makes you want to go back for more. the portion sizes are also great - usually, i have enough for lunch for the next day. service is always fantastic here which makes it a pleasant dining experience. plus - they don't do the silly 'charge extra for white rice' thing that some of the other thai restaurants around here do. i almost always order the steamed tofu pad thai and it always hits the spot. chicken panang curry is also quite good. oh, and the other thing is that their spice levels are consistent! if you order a 2 - it always is a 2 =D
(4)Gusty S.
Fresh ingredients. Friendly service. Plenty of menu options. Overall - decent Thai for reasonable prices.
(4)Marisa D.
The Pad Kee Mao was amazing - smoky & delish. My husband got the green curry which he said was good but not excellent. Beginning to think we will never find excellent Thai in Cincy...
(4)Sean B.
Having lived in several other cities prior to Cincinnati, I have to say that, unfortunately, the Queen City does not have very good Thai food... at least I haven't discovered it yet. Sure it's gonna be tough to touch the pure joy of a 12-course meal at Arun's in Chicago, but isn't there at least a TAC Quick or Spoon? Anyway, one of the keys to delicious Thai is preparing it when ordered with fresh ingredients, but *most* of the Thai I've tried in this town is prepared much the same way you might expect Chinese food to be prepared. It was made earlier in the day in order to prepare for the expected volume of restaurant traffic and they are simply heating up your meal or giving you food that has been simmering for a long time. With a few exceptions, most of the food I've had at Lemongrass smacks of this method. The service is fine, but the food is nothing to write home about. If you are looking for better Thai in Cincinnati, try Green Papaya, right around the corner on Wasson. Or, better yet, Thai Express in Clifton is a tiny little dive of a joint, but you watch them make your food after your order it.
(2)Christopher K.
Best Pad Thai in town! I wish that they had summer roll.
(4)Andy W.
Haven't been in awhile because we moved to the East Coast but this was one of my favorite restaurants in Cincinnati, the Seven Elements with tofu is absolutely incredible, one of my favorite dishes of all time.
(4)Emily G.
Lemon Grass is one of the things I miss about moving out of Cincinnati. I love their food and that they allow you to set the spiciness level of your meal. I always like to get the Swimming Angel with Lemon Grass soup, it's great. The dinning room and restaurant is admittedly small but I think that just adds to it's charm. The wait staff is always very helpful and observant without getting in the way. Next time I come home to visit I will definitely be visiting Lemon Grass.
(4)Kevin B.
I want to give it a 5 star review, but don't know if I should because I only ever get their Chicken Fried Rice. But it's so dang good!!
(4)Jennifer H.
This is not just the best Thai food in Cincinnati, it's some of the best Thai food I have ever had, period. The restuarant doesn't have much in the way of ambiance, but it makes up for that with efficient service, cheap prices and insanely delicious food. My mouth is watering just thinking about their pad thai!
(5)Kevin S.
My first Thai restaurant, and still one that others haven't lived up to. Maybe it was the fact that it was the first place I dined out with my future dearest friends Sean and Jenn, but I have only the fondest memories of this place. We tried a lot of dishes and everyone always loved the food here. It's not the chicest place in town but it's a good, high quality dining experience from start to finish and one of the two best Thai places in Cincinnati.
(5)Devon C.
I was excited to try Lemon Grass after many friends recommended it. It has a casual ambience, and the service was very fast and courteous. We ordered the Green Curry, Red Curry, and Pad Thai. All of them were tasty but I would not say that any of them were standout. If you want spicy definitely order to the hotter side. If you are looking for reasonably priced and tasty Thai food I would recommend Lemon Grass.
(3)Chelsi B.
Got the Singapore dish with pork spice level 7. Perfection! Going again for lunch today!
(5)Craig H.
This is not Thai. We had pad thai, red curry, and spring rolls. All were identical to Chinese fast food and we have been Thai food aficionados for 10+ years. This is a Chinese restaurant. Not a Thai one.
(1)Ron G.
I decided to try this hole in the wall joint and was not disappointed. The pot sticker sauce made the divine. The duck had a PERFECT sear on the skin with the crisp you are looking for and the basil sauce...holy cow! Definitely give them a shot! If you like your food hot they seem to have a conservative heat scale but the food is fabulous. Yum!
(5)Esther K.
Delicious curries! Love the food! It's kind of a dive but it's part of the appeal for me!
(4)Brittany W.
This ia the best Thai restaurant I have ever been to. We always bring guests here as the service is as wonderful as it is speedy. We have been here at varying hours of the day and rarely wait for a table (this is great for couples who wait until the last minute to decidewhat to eat for dinner! ). For the health conscious they also offer brown rice to be served with their dishes which is a huge plus! My favorite is the chicken thai spicy-yum!
(5)Ashley S.
Above average food and service. An attentive without being overbearing staff provided a pleasant dining experience, which was completed with cloth napkins and leftovers boxed at your request. Not necessarily my weekday haunt, but an excellent switch-up for date night.
(4)Allison B.
We decided to try this place when my husband was on a recent quest for Asian cuisine that we haven't tried before. Meh. Take it or leave it. The place needs a good cleaning. The shelves beneath the hostess stand were literally overflowing with papers and folders and the whole place had a dusty, untidy feel to it. My dining companions and husband seemed to be okay with their dishes, although their main complaint was that the seasoning seemed a little overzealous in the sauce. Because I wasn't feeling too great, I ordered the Wun Ton soup and a few of the appetizers. The appetizers were fine, as expected, but the soup seemed to be in the wrong broth (it tasted like beef broth or something- not what I was expecting.) Overall the meal wasn't terrible, but I probably wouldn't make it my first choice as there are so many other great Asian places in the Oakley/Hyde Park area.
(3)Anna S.
My now-husband introduced me to Lemon Grass when we first first started dating several years ago, and I have loved it since. I think we would literally eat there once a week, which suited me just fine because it is so cheap and consistently good. The place ain't pretty. You won't find snazzy 1/2 off sushi or nouveau Asian fusion dishes. But again the food is so good and cheap, we have always had friendly service by the same staff members, and it's BYOB, which is cool. A friend once described LG as "every dish has some form of the same brown sauce - but who cares because that brown sauce is so damn delicious!" And that's a pretty accurate description. My husband always gets the coconut chicken soup (lava-hot temperature wise, and yummy), and either the Chicken Royal or Chicken Thai Spicy. I've had the pad Thai and pad se ew and they're both very tasty and hearty. However, what I LOVE is their chicken spring rolls (so good! I could eat both rolls that come per order) and the Spicy Green Beans with chicken. You get unlimited rice, which I definitely want to soak up all that "damn delicious" brown sauce. You can't beat the low prices either for such a yummy filling meal, hence why we have been repeat customers for years.
(4)Jenny B.
The paht see ew was what I got which is my norm for Thai and an appetizer of pot stickers. The paht was sweeter than most I have tried however the noodles were a different style which I liked. The place was right on Madison and the building was in need of some upkeep. The duck my date got was phenomenal and flavorful - I'd happily eat duck like that everyday!
(3)Katie D.
I was not impressed by the coconut chicken soup, it tastes like it comes straight out of a can. My entree was tasty but, because I am not a huge fan of rice, I didn't think it was filling. The tofu was very tasty but I was only given maybe 5 small squares. I don't understand why they charge you an extra $1.50 for tofu when the meat dishes come with the meat! Tofu is cheap! Obviously the goal here is planet destruction by encouraging us all to eat meat at all times! :) Service was attentive, but I doubt I'll give this place another try. Time to resume my search for the perfect Thai cuisine!
(2)Andrea V.
Love! I haven't had anything there I didn't like. I have tried several dishes including Pad Thai, yellow and red curries, ginger and garlic dishes, the fried rice, etc. Spicy level 5-7 is just fine, flavorful with a slight kick. (Queue prev post from an indian restaurant where a 5 was pretty dang spicy). My husband doesn't think 7 is spicy at all. While we live pretty far from this restaurant, it is worth the drive. Has a comfortable atmosphere in a rather small dining room, but it's very cozy.
(5)Becky P.
Our appetizers were so fried--we ordered chicken satay, and it was like a chicken tender--it was fried! That is not how satay is supposed to be. I got a spicy chicken dish. It was just greasy and generally not great. I guess it'd be okay if you want greasy and cheap takeout, but I felt pretty disgusting after.
(2)Ashley L.
Go here on a regular basis. Noodle dishes are delicious, coconut soup is the best I've had.
(5)Sandra F.
Paht See Ew and Cashew Chicken are hands down the best dishes on the menu. I'm really picky when it come to Thai food and this place really hits the spot. Very small and intimate. Restaurant clean. Staff very fast and friendly. The only thing I do not like about the restaurant is the location. It is on the busiest road in Hyde Park/Norwood area (On Madison). Parking is very limited and street parking is very hard to find at times.
(4)Ryan S.
Really good food! Hands down the worst service I have ever had at an establishment in my entire life!!!
(1)Sarah B.
I have yet to order something from Lemon Grass that I did not like. I have had take out and ordered in the restaurant. It is usually pretty empty so most of their business must be carry out. I would personally recommend Lemon Grass over Green Papaya although I do not think that is the norm around here. It must depend on what you order since both menus are rather extensive. My favorite dish so far at Lemon Grass is the Paht Khee Mao and the Panang Curry.
(4)Sara W.
Good food, it seems to be a really really popular place for take-out orders which made dining a bit awkward as it's a relatively large restaurant space that only had two tables of patrons when we visited.
(3)Jessica L.
By far my favorite Thai spot in Cincy. With the abundance of 'posh' Thai and sushi joints in Hyde park, it's nice to find a hole in the wall place that cares more about good authentic food than about decor and ornamentation.
(5)Bart L.
Lemongrass has the best phad Thai I have ever had. Period. Ate there today $7.40. Chicken phad Thai. Spring roll. I have spent more at Wendys. The decor is a little beat up, but the waiters are on the ball, you eat on a plate with a table cloth and drink from a glass. Just a great lunch deal for authentic tasty Thai.
(5)Randy B.
My favorite Thai food in Cincinnati. Very reasonably priced (especially for lunch) and super efficient and friendly service (except for the one surly server...always bummed when she is working). The food is quite good. I'm a fan of their pad ki mao and royal noodles, in particular. Much better than Wild Ginger and cheaper, too.
(5)Carrie M.
Fantastic thai food at a great price! This is my favorite Thai restaurant around. The food is reliable and the staff is very friendly. The decor might not be fancy but the food is out of this world.
(5)Chris D.
Sooo...this place seems to get some great reviews and after a long day at the aquarium I was looking forward to some good food. The restaurant looked amazing and the wait staff seemed attentive to needs. Also with the amount of people that were seated and waiting to be seated I was excited. I was however, let down. If you enjoy drinking warm coconut milk with some chicken which is roasted with very little to no seasoning then the coconut chicken soup is for you. My wife had the Phad Thai which was ok but oddly enough tasted very similar to my Singapore noodle, odd. Anyway if you are looking for subpar Thai food that just gets your mouth sorta wet for Thai then you found it. If you are looking for a good Thai place that makes you want to come back just walk by this place and window shop...food is better to look at than to eat.
(2)Andrew F.
Tom ka gai (the coconut chicken soup) is one of my favorite foods, and I'm sorry to say that this place butchered it. It tasted like watered down coconut milk from a can and I couldn't detect any hint of ginger, lime, or curry, all of which should be important ingredients. On the plus side, their massaman curry was actually pretty good, but not enough to make up for the soup, sadly...
(2)Ivan M.
Lunch was good! Not sure why the $$, lunch prices seemed very reasonable! Thai basil chicken was a perfect lunch portion, chicken was moist and not over cooked. Served with plenty of veggies, yum!
(4)A G.
This is my favourite Thai place. Pad Thai is most delicious and Thai iced tea is very nice. Both vegetarian and chicken entrees are good too. I took my mom specially to try Thai food for first time. This place can never disappoint you.
(5)Don A.
Visited Lemon Grass on a Monday night thus it was not very busy. Service was good. Nice selection of dishes on the menu. Spiciness of our dishes varied even though three out of four were suppose to be the same. Tried the sticky rice and mango--the sticky rice was great but the mango was not ripe thus it was tart and difficult to cut.
(3)Natalie F.
My go-to takeout place! Not the best in the city but I live right around the corner and it's pretty awesome-- good curries, cold peanut noodles, and paht kee mao is a favorite of mine. Pretty cheap too.
(4)Kevin B.
A great local Thai place where I can order take out and pick it up in under 10 minutes. I've had the pad thai a few times and I think it is pretty good. I love pot stickers and they do them right (well, in my opinion right). They are slightly crispy by soft on the inside. I've been getting their curries lately and they have become my new favorite items on the menu. At first it doesn't seem like a lot of food, but I can make into two meals sometimes. Great options and a good price and quick service, I'll keep coming back.
(5)Alex S.
Lemon Grass is one of my favorite flavors in a food. If you say you've got something in it, I will eat it. So when I learned there was a spot with that name, I had to check it out ... and then it only took me three years to get here. Not sure why I've waited so long. Cute place, cozy atmosphere, friendly staff, good food, what more could you want? This one medium-sized restaurant is very basic with it's decorations. You walk in and get seated at a table, menu in place. I got my favorite Thai meal: Cirspy Pad Thai with vegetables and it was good. Crispy, sweet, just how I liked it. They asked spice level from 1 to10 and I said 7. I should have said a little more, as it has some kick but not a ton of kick (and I like somewhere between some kick and a lot of kick.) I'll know for next time. We also got the golden baskets (or golden something, I can't remember what they are called) as an appetizer, and they were fried wantons with shrimp and veggies in the middle. Very good. I would come back here in a heartbeat. Had a pleasant meal with some good eats.
(4)Catherine C.
I've lived in Cincinnati for three years now and worked near Hyde Park for two, and I can't believe I'd never been to Lemon Grass until last week! It was awesome. The lunch specials are a great deal, and I would highly recommend adding on a spring roll to your meal. The service was great and super fast and the portions were very good. I will definitely be going back in the near future!
(5)Ben D.
I'm a repeat customer at Lemon Grass. They have a variety of dishes, from generic Thai, to chef specialties. The pad thai won't disappoint for those less adventurous. They are quick and it won't take long even if you walk in and order take out. If you want spicy, you'll need to order closer to their extreme heat, but they will deliver! I've never had to wait, and I haven't had a bad experience.
(4)Katie W.
Reasonably priced Thai food. Service was not the best. Decor could use some work, even considering it as a "hole in the wall" restaurant. Decently sized portions, but still comparable to every other local Thai restaurant. I'd go back only because it is close to home and on the cheaper end of Thai in Cincinnati. Takeout from here would be a good future choice!
(3)Mark F.
This is solid good Thai. Casual atmosphere. Fair price. Fair service. Central. Flavors are very good.
(4)Janet L.
I would have never guessed this was such a gem from the exterior. I had the Pad Thai and my friend had a curry dish- it is so delicious; I would recommend going spicier because they seem a bit cautious ;) Highly recommend!
(5)Zack F.
Cozy. I like the display of raw ingredients and spices. The food I had was average. Not bad, but I'm not inspired to rush back here again. Good Thai is very difficult to find in Cincinnati. This did not provide the answer, unfortunately. Vegetarian options. Not terribly sweet which is good.
(3)Paige M.
Two words: Mango Curry. Four words: Ten kinds of soup. Are you on your way to Lemon Grass yet? My mouth is watering recounting this culinary adventure! For starters, we ordered the Gold Bags. I had no idea what this was, but with a name that awesome, how could I not try it? They were actually pretty similar to crab ragoon, except they contained shrimp and crab, no cream cheese. Served up with a side if sweet sauce, these crispy apps were delicious. Next, I had the coconut vegetable soup. A gigantic bowl arrived with spiral carrots, baby corn, mushrooms, pea pods, and other delightful veggies. The coconut broth was seasoned with cilantro, my favorite herb, and made for an all-around 5-star soup. For my main, I had the mango curry with fried tofu. A platter boat came out with the bright orange, creamy mango sauce, garnished with a variety of veg, including those awesome baby corns. Served up with a side of fluffy white rice, I kept eating this massive amount of curry until I was bursting at the seams. Lemon Grass definitely gives you your money's worth for portions. While I was enthralled with the meal, I had to knock off a star because we had reservations, but for some reason, one of the staff members had cancelled it without our consent. We were left waiting 15 minutes for a table to open up. Parking for Lemon Grass is pretty tricky, as street spaces are limited. There is a lot that customers can use by Busken, but you'll have to play Frogger crossing the traffic on Madison Road. Price per person: $20.00
(4)Ed P.
After having prior dinner plans spoiled due to circumstances beyond our control, my wife and I stumbled into Lemon Grass for dinner. This was the first dinner in a long time without our infant son at our sides. We walked in and asked for a table for two and were led to the back of the restaurant. Upon sitting down my wife and I both realized how dark and dreary it was in the back of this narrow restaurant. We asked our server if we could move toward the front of the restaurant and he directed us toward a table that sat along the front windows. I guess we should have asked for a table up there at the beginning since he seemed more than happy to accommodate our request. I can't find a menu online other than their lunch offerings, but I think what I ordered was called chicken Thai spicy. If that's not right it was some basic dish of chicken with mixed vegetables in a light but spicy sauce. It was served with a side of white rice. Lemon Grass uses the 1-10 spice rating for their dishes and I went with an 8. It was fairly spicy but I could have used just a bit more I think. Other than that the dish was well prepared and tasted good. I would definitely order it again. My wife went with the Paht Thai. The way that the dish was presented was nice in that you could easily leave out some of the ingredients if they were not to your liking. She also ordered an 8 on the spice scale which seemed to be enough for her. I sampled only a small bit of her dish, but it tasted pretty much like Pad Thai should. She agreed that the dish was good and fairly standard, nothing out of this world. With that said I think she would easily order it again on a future visit. Compared to Bangkok Bistro, which I reviewed earlier this year, I would say that the spice scale at Lemon Grass seems to be dumbed down just a bit more than the already weak scale at Bangkok. The serving sizes were a bit larger at Bangkok but I also think that their prices were too. With all of that said I would bet that we will likely return to Lemon Grass in the future and I would recommend it as a place to get a solid Thai meal for a very affordable price.
(4)Bonnie S.
One of my favorite restaurants. Love the waitstaff -very courteous and attentive without being overbearing. Wish I lived next door. Never had a bad meal ~everything delicious.
(5)Jenny L.
Have loved this place for years. Ginger chicken is divine! The chicken is always big chunks of white meat, and the veggies are always crisp and fresh, never overcooked.
(4)Michael W.
I recently had a lunch meeting at Lemongrass with a friend and colleague. I have to say that I was fairly impressed with the place, the food, as well as the service and I had an overall pleasurable experience. I really had no expectations other than the fact that I knew they served Thai cuisine. Upon arrival, the restaurant doesn't really look like much. It is an older building with no frills, just a simple awning with the Lemongrass name. As I entered I was greeted by one of three staff members eagerly waiting to greet and seat. After sitting, I was greeted by my server and offered a glass of water without asking. I ordered the Royal Noodles with Shrimp and a Chicken Spring Roll. Our food came quickly and tasted fantastic. The service was very attentive and never overbearing. The check was appropriately delivered as we neared the completion of our plates. I would highly recommend any fans of Thai or other Asian cuisines to visit this restaurant and try it for your self. I doubt you will be disappointed. Nothing fancy here, just plain good eats.
(4)Qingqing C.
The spicy level 10 is not spicy at all and the fried rice noodle I ordered is way too sweet!!
(3)Hyatt G.
Stopped by for a late lunch on thursday. VERY difficult to decide what to get. I got fried wide noodles with a couple veggies and pork--Super. My wife got some peanut ginger thing with rice--also super. Will be back fo sho to start working down the menu.
(4)Tom W.
Lemon Grass is a fine place to stop for Thai food. The lunch menu is rather large, and everyone in your party should be able to find something to their taste. The prices are reasonable, and they do the best they can decor wise with as small a space as they have. One tip, if you're tempted by the citrus beef because you think it may be like Chinese Orange Beef, it isn't even close. It's good in it's own right, but it's a completely different experience.
(4)Jeffrey S.
I am a long time customer of Lemon Grass (about 15 years now). The food has always been very good and I was ready to enjoy 7 Elements tonight. When I arrived I immediately headed to the restroom, but before I could get there I spotted a large black cockroach on the floor. I thought it might be dead, so I tapped it with my shoe and it began to run around. I did everyone else a favor and squashed it with my shoe. I immediately returned to the table and my wife and I immediately left. I really hope they can solve this problem because the food was always good, but I guess we won't be going back any time soon.
(1)John B.
CLEAN UP YOUR BATHROOMS! We've visited this place a few times over the years and without fail, the bathrooms (both male and female) are dingy, dirty, and just not fun to use. The food is ok, nothing spectacular, as many have already noted. But seriously, last night one of the girls in our party saw a cockroach in the bathroom. Not cool. Spend some money and spruce up the bathroom, pretty please.
(2)Niamh O.
How can I not have reviewed Lemon Grass yet? I AM the duchess, after all. Firstly, Dan M., you must have been at Lemon Grass on a bad night. I highly recommend you go back. I'll take you. Secondly, I love this spot. It's cheap, quick, and close to campus, so I can get here and back for a quick lunch or dinner. Parking is iffy, but not terrible. And I was NOT joking when I said it's speedy. Recently, Lemon Grass has redone their menu, so it seems more appealing now, but don't let that fool you: the food is just as good as it was before. I particularly love the carrot and cabbage slaw and get it every time I go there. Warning: it comes spicy. I like spicy food, but I generally order no more than a 7 on this one. My favorite dish is probably the Singapore Noodles, but in general, the food is very good and, I think, the portions are quite generous. My one complaint would be that the wine is overpriced and served in very small glasses, but it doesn't really bother me since I'm usually chugging water to keep up with my spicy food. I will be back here many a time in the future. You should go, too.
(4)Laura T.
This has long been my favorite Thai restaurant in Cincinnati (trust me, I've had them all too!) the pad Thai is awesome (not as liquidy as some places tend to be) and I especially love the golden bags appetizer. Reasonably priced too.
(5)Sarah F.
The first Pad Thai I ever ate was from Lemon Grass so maybe that's why it's the standard by which I judge every other Pad Thai, but every time I go back, it does not disappoint. So, I actually can't recommend any of the other entrées on the menu, because honestly I couldn't imagine going to Lemon Grass and getting anything other than the Pad Thai! However, if you're looking for a calorie splurge, the comically-named "golden bags" appetizer is the way to go: tiny fried packages of goodness. The ambiance is the only thing lacking here, so great for take-out or just a more casual experience (wouldn't recommend as a first date or special occasion place). Parking can be kind of a pain if the metered spaces directly out front are taken (try the Busken lot across the street).
(4)Ashley S.
Above average food and service. An attentive without being overbearing staff provided a pleasant dining experience, which was completed with cloth napkins and leftovers boxed at your request. Not necessarily my weekday haunt, but an excellent switch-up for date night.
(4)Allison B.
We decided to try this place when my husband was on a recent quest for Asian cuisine that we haven't tried before. Meh. Take it or leave it. The place needs a good cleaning. The shelves beneath the hostess stand were literally overflowing with papers and folders and the whole place had a dusty, untidy feel to it. My dining companions and husband seemed to be okay with their dishes, although their main complaint was that the seasoning seemed a little overzealous in the sauce. Because I wasn't feeling too great, I ordered the Wun Ton soup and a few of the appetizers. The appetizers were fine, as expected, but the soup seemed to be in the wrong broth (it tasted like beef broth or something- not what I was expecting.) Overall the meal wasn't terrible, but I probably wouldn't make it my first choice as there are so many other great Asian places in the Oakley/Hyde Park area.
(3)Ron G.
I decided to try this hole in the wall joint and was not disappointed. The pot sticker sauce made the divine. The duck had a PERFECT sear on the skin with the crisp you are looking for and the basil sauce...holy cow! Definitely give them a shot! If you like your food hot they seem to have a conservative heat scale but the food is fabulous. Yum!
(5)Esther K.
Delicious curries! Love the food! It's kind of a dive but it's part of the appeal for me!
(4)Brittany W.
This ia the best Thai restaurant I have ever been to. We always bring guests here as the service is as wonderful as it is speedy. We have been here at varying hours of the day and rarely wait for a table (this is great for couples who wait until the last minute to decidewhat to eat for dinner! ). For the health conscious they also offer brown rice to be served with their dishes which is a huge plus! My favorite is the chicken thai spicy-yum!
(5)Anna S.
My now-husband introduced me to Lemon Grass when we first first started dating several years ago, and I have loved it since. I think we would literally eat there once a week, which suited me just fine because it is so cheap and consistently good. The place ain't pretty. You won't find snazzy 1/2 off sushi or nouveau Asian fusion dishes. But again the food is so good and cheap, we have always had friendly service by the same staff members, and it's BYOB, which is cool. A friend once described LG as "every dish has some form of the same brown sauce - but who cares because that brown sauce is so damn delicious!" And that's a pretty accurate description. My husband always gets the coconut chicken soup (lava-hot temperature wise, and yummy), and either the Chicken Royal or Chicken Thai Spicy. I've had the pad Thai and pad se ew and they're both very tasty and hearty. However, what I LOVE is their chicken spring rolls (so good! I could eat both rolls that come per order) and the Spicy Green Beans with chicken. You get unlimited rice, which I definitely want to soak up all that "damn delicious" brown sauce. You can't beat the low prices either for such a yummy filling meal, hence why we have been repeat customers for years.
(4)Jenny B.
The paht see ew was what I got which is my norm for Thai and an appetizer of pot stickers. The paht was sweeter than most I have tried however the noodles were a different style which I liked. The place was right on Madison and the building was in need of some upkeep. The duck my date got was phenomenal and flavorful - I'd happily eat duck like that everyday!
(3)Katie D.
I was not impressed by the coconut chicken soup, it tastes like it comes straight out of a can. My entree was tasty but, because I am not a huge fan of rice, I didn't think it was filling. The tofu was very tasty but I was only given maybe 5 small squares. I don't understand why they charge you an extra $1.50 for tofu when the meat dishes come with the meat! Tofu is cheap! Obviously the goal here is planet destruction by encouraging us all to eat meat at all times! :) Service was attentive, but I doubt I'll give this place another try. Time to resume my search for the perfect Thai cuisine!
(2)Andrea V.
Love! I haven't had anything there I didn't like. I have tried several dishes including Pad Thai, yellow and red curries, ginger and garlic dishes, the fried rice, etc. Spicy level 5-7 is just fine, flavorful with a slight kick. (Queue prev post from an indian restaurant where a 5 was pretty dang spicy). My husband doesn't think 7 is spicy at all. While we live pretty far from this restaurant, it is worth the drive. Has a comfortable atmosphere in a rather small dining room, but it's very cozy.
(5)Becky P.
Our appetizers were so fried--we ordered chicken satay, and it was like a chicken tender--it was fried! That is not how satay is supposed to be. I got a spicy chicken dish. It was just greasy and generally not great. I guess it'd be okay if you want greasy and cheap takeout, but I felt pretty disgusting after.
(2)Devon C.
I was excited to try Lemon Grass after many friends recommended it. It has a casual ambience, and the service was very fast and courteous. We ordered the Green Curry, Red Curry, and Pad Thai. All of them were tasty but I would not say that any of them were standout. If you want spicy definitely order to the hotter side. If you are looking for reasonably priced and tasty Thai food I would recommend Lemon Grass.
(3)Chelsi B.
Got the Singapore dish with pork spice level 7. Perfection! Going again for lunch today!
(5)Craig H.
This is not Thai. We had pad thai, red curry, and spring rolls. All were identical to Chinese fast food and we have been Thai food aficionados for 10+ years. This is a Chinese restaurant. Not a Thai one.
(1)Ashley L.
Go here on a regular basis. Noodle dishes are delicious, coconut soup is the best I've had.
(5)Michael W.
I recently had a lunch meeting at Lemongrass with a friend and colleague. I have to say that I was fairly impressed with the place, the food, as well as the service and I had an overall pleasurable experience. I really had no expectations other than the fact that I knew they served Thai cuisine. Upon arrival, the restaurant doesn't really look like much. It is an older building with no frills, just a simple awning with the Lemongrass name. As I entered I was greeted by one of three staff members eagerly waiting to greet and seat. After sitting, I was greeted by my server and offered a glass of water without asking. I ordered the Royal Noodles with Shrimp and a Chicken Spring Roll. Our food came quickly and tasted fantastic. The service was very attentive and never overbearing. The check was appropriately delivered as we neared the completion of our plates. I would highly recommend any fans of Thai or other Asian cuisines to visit this restaurant and try it for your self. I doubt you will be disappointed. Nothing fancy here, just plain good eats.
(4)Qingqing C.
The spicy level 10 is not spicy at all and the fried rice noodle I ordered is way too sweet!!
(3)Hyatt G.
Stopped by for a late lunch on thursday. VERY difficult to decide what to get. I got fried wide noodles with a couple veggies and pork--Super. My wife got some peanut ginger thing with rice--also super. Will be back fo sho to start working down the menu.
(4)Tom W.
Lemon Grass is a fine place to stop for Thai food. The lunch menu is rather large, and everyone in your party should be able to find something to their taste. The prices are reasonable, and they do the best they can decor wise with as small a space as they have. One tip, if you're tempted by the citrus beef because you think it may be like Chinese Orange Beef, it isn't even close. It's good in it's own right, but it's a completely different experience.
(4)Jeffrey S.
I am a long time customer of Lemon Grass (about 15 years now). The food has always been very good and I was ready to enjoy 7 Elements tonight. When I arrived I immediately headed to the restroom, but before I could get there I spotted a large black cockroach on the floor. I thought it might be dead, so I tapped it with my shoe and it began to run around. I did everyone else a favor and squashed it with my shoe. I immediately returned to the table and my wife and I immediately left. I really hope they can solve this problem because the food was always good, but I guess we won't be going back any time soon.
(1)John B.
CLEAN UP YOUR BATHROOMS! We've visited this place a few times over the years and without fail, the bathrooms (both male and female) are dingy, dirty, and just not fun to use. The food is ok, nothing spectacular, as many have already noted. But seriously, last night one of the girls in our party saw a cockroach in the bathroom. Not cool. Spend some money and spruce up the bathroom, pretty please.
(2)Niamh O.
How can I not have reviewed Lemon Grass yet? I AM the duchess, after all. Firstly, Dan M., you must have been at Lemon Grass on a bad night. I highly recommend you go back. I'll take you. Secondly, I love this spot. It's cheap, quick, and close to campus, so I can get here and back for a quick lunch or dinner. Parking is iffy, but not terrible. And I was NOT joking when I said it's speedy. Recently, Lemon Grass has redone their menu, so it seems more appealing now, but don't let that fool you: the food is just as good as it was before. I particularly love the carrot and cabbage slaw and get it every time I go there. Warning: it comes spicy. I like spicy food, but I generally order no more than a 7 on this one. My favorite dish is probably the Singapore Noodles, but in general, the food is very good and, I think, the portions are quite generous. My one complaint would be that the wine is overpriced and served in very small glasses, but it doesn't really bother me since I'm usually chugging water to keep up with my spicy food. I will be back here many a time in the future. You should go, too.
(4)Laura T.
This has long been my favorite Thai restaurant in Cincinnati (trust me, I've had them all too!) the pad Thai is awesome (not as liquidy as some places tend to be) and I especially love the golden bags appetizer. Reasonably priced too.
(5)Sarah F.
The first Pad Thai I ever ate was from Lemon Grass so maybe that's why it's the standard by which I judge every other Pad Thai, but every time I go back, it does not disappoint. So, I actually can't recommend any of the other entrées on the menu, because honestly I couldn't imagine going to Lemon Grass and getting anything other than the Pad Thai! However, if you're looking for a calorie splurge, the comically-named "golden bags" appetizer is the way to go: tiny fried packages of goodness. The ambiance is the only thing lacking here, so great for take-out or just a more casual experience (wouldn't recommend as a first date or special occasion place). Parking can be kind of a pain if the metered spaces directly out front are taken (try the Busken lot across the street).
(4)Paul K.
Like everyone said, this is a solid Thai restaurant. The place is not big but cozy enough to attract customers. The service was fast and friendly. Our party had Pad Thai with Chicken, Pineapple Fried Rice with Shrimp, and Jungle Curry with Beef (although I don't know why they call it jungle..). We liked them all. But it is true that I was not wowed either. I cannot say the foods are authentic because I don't know.. but all the foods taste good and pretty similar to what I have eaten at other Thai restaurants. Only one complaint from me is the foods were little too salty. My friend who goes here a lot said it was saltier than usual, though. Overall, this restaurnat is pretty good and could be my regular stop for Thai.
(4)Laura V.
I've eaten Pad Thai all over the country, and as strange as it sounds, this clean, friendly little restaurant has the best I've ever eaten. Service is prompt and polite, food is amazing!!!!! I drive from Chicago to visit friends in Cincinnati and this place is a MUST everytime we visit. Keep up the great work Lemon Grass!!
(5)Stacey L.
I have been to Lemongrass several times and never feel the need to go back. The food is pretty standard Thai food. No better or worse than 5 or 6 other Thai restaurants out there. The coconut soup with chicken is good. I also like their Pad Thai and Chicken Thai Spicy. Prices are reasonable and comparable with any other Thai restaurant. My issue with this restaurant is with cleanliness. Specifically with the cleanliness of the bathrooms. It is in serious need of a remodel and a scrub down. This isn't just based on one experience at the restaurant, but on at least three restaurant. It always makes me wonder how clean the kitchen is if the bathrooms look that bad. On the other hand, service is always decent. Parking can be a little bit of an issue. The dining room itself is clean enough, though maybe also in need of some updating. There are too many other places in this city to go to a place that gives me the willies every time I need to use the facilities....
(2)Ed J.
An old favorite - I hadn't been back for a while and needed a place for lunch so I stopped in. Lunch prices are very reasonable - my Swimming Angel and spring roll was $10 with tip included. The chicken was juicy and tender, the peanut/coconut sauce was flavorful and had some heat. Spring roll was warm and crisp and tasted just right. An excellent lunch at an excellent price.
(4)Shane O.
Good quality food, with nice quaint atmosphere , staff is very friendly Pineapple fried rice and crab crispies for life
(5)Vincent K.
I'd have to say I'm really snobby when it comes to Thai, and likely because it's one of my favorite cuisines and I've spent my fair share eating in Thailand. Lemon Grass was "Not" all that spectacular. If your Thai palate is more "Americanized" then you might like this. All the dishes were way too sweet. The Tom yum was- sweet, pad Thai - sweet, Masaman curry - sweet, lemon grass chicken and 7 element beef were a pass. Also they were super stingy on the shrimp, only two pieces in the Tom Yum, and a couple in the Pad Thai.... kinda ridiculous.
(2)Jeremy B.
I absolutely LOVE Thai food. I love how different it is from Chinese food; it's such a nice switch from the heavy stuck you get from those places. The first thing I noticed was how nice Lemon Grass was. It caught me off guard, as I was in a hoodie and shorts, so you may want to dress a little nicer than I did. But when I got to the menu, I wasn't shocked by the prices. There are plenty of delicious sounding options for right around 10 dollars, and I could get these any time I go back, but my first experience, I splurged a bit. I got one of their specialties, the Bangkok Duck, and my goodness was it excellent. For $15 I had some of the best duck I have ever had and I was very satisfied at the end. The only reason I don't rate it perfectly was it was a little cramped, therefore service wasn't impeccable, but by no means did it detract from the experience. I will definitely have to return.
(4)Monika N.
My favorite Thai restaurant in Cincinnati - which says a lot because they have some great competition. I've never had to wait in line to be seated even though the restaurant is small. I love their pad thai. And they have a new (or maybe just new to me) lunch menu that contains perfect portions for around $6 - so reasonable!!!
(5)Sheila M.
This place is cozy (aka cramped). As I reached back to hang my jacket over my chair, I nearly elbowed the guy behind me in the face. Keeping my feet out of my friend's personal space under the table was also a challenge - and no, that's not just cuz I enjoy playing footsie. To avoid further awkwardness, I ended up sitting with all limbs as close to my body as possible. The food was alright, but I've had better. One thing I found hilarious was that the communal rice arrived on a raised, covered silver platter. A lift of the cover revealed a pathetic amount of rice, good enough for maybe one person. We started eating and asked the waiter for more rice when he came back around. "Sure," he said, and to our surprise he brought the remaining rice on our platter with him. When he came back, we saw that he had added just enough to bring it back to the original amount. So on the plus side, if you're trying to be on a diet, portion control is a strength here :D I'd put Lemongrass one step above Wild Ginger. I realize I may have to just stop ordering the Spicy Eggplant though (it was steamed beforehand, chopped, then simmered in the sauce...and absorbed none of the flavor). Go for something safer like the pad thai or one of the many soups on the menu. But when you have to pick and choose what's good and bad - to me, that's the mark of an average restaurant.
(3)Hank M.
I've been coming here for lunch at least once a week for years. The food is superb - fresh ingredients, very well prepared, and consistently excellent. It's family owned-and-operated and it shows - the service is fast, friendly and professional. Prices are consistent with what you find in places with generic quality- in other words, this is a real value. The atmosphere is not fancy, but it's warm and spotlessly maintained.
(5)Ben N.
Although Asian food in the Cincinnati area as a whole is sorely lacking, both in quantity and quality, the East Side of Cincinnati for some reason has about eight Thai restaurants within about a two-mile radius. Alas, none of them is particularly good, and Lemon Grass isn't even the best of those. (Green Papaya and Amarin seem to have the best food of this East Side lot.) So why do we like Lemon Grass? It is more dependable, inviting, friendly, and inexpensive than the local competition. Lemon Grass sometimes lays the flavors on a bit thick, resulting in unbalanced, somewhat off-putting accents in some dishes. But they do pretty well with simple, traditional Thai-restaurant favorites like basil and ginger items and the curries. Some of the seafood dishes on their specials menu are great values at 13 or 14 dollars. We like the atmosphere and feel of the place, too: It's slightly shabby and pleasantly dark, like a favorite neighborhood diner or pub. It seems to attract a crowd that's a little more diverse than the typical East Side eatery. We keep going back even though we know Lemon Grass is never going to knock our socks off.
(4)David B.
I'm used to Thai restaurants at home in California, where they're thick on the ground. Now, Thai restaurants out there usually have a couple of crispy catfish dishes on the menu. Lemon Grass had not just crispy catfish, but also crispy walleye. And that is how I knew I was in the Midwest, where walleye - a fish unheard of out west - is ubiquitous. Even in the Thai restaurants. It was memorable, and worth having again.
(4)Mike W.
What the hell is a lemon grass? I recently have developed an appreciation for thai food, so it was only a matter of time before I found myself visiting this place. From what I've heard it's pretty good, but not life changing. Well, one of my friends claimed it was more the latter rather than the former. She then set in motion an elaborate plot to get me to Rookwood. Her: Hey Weg. Want to go to Lemon Grass? Weg: Kay. It sounded more sinister in my head. We had four in our party, which is apparently kind of a big deal for Lemon Grass. This place is tiny. For all that is holy, please call ahead. One of us did, but upon arrival they told us we had called and cancelled. We definitely did not, but I have many enemies - I cannot rule out foul play. Other than that, the dining experience was pretty unremarkable. The food was good, but I'd say Thai Pepper or Mai Thai is better. Also the portions were a tinge smaller for about the same price. So, meh. I confess I only had the pad thai, so maybe their other stuff stands out. But as for my opinion, it's not bad.
(3)Amanda C.
I live down the street from Lemon Grass, and I love it! My favorite is the mango curry... or wait, maybe the swimming angel (chicken, broccoli and spinach in a delicious peanut sauce). It's too hard to decide, actually. It's easy to get a table here, which both delights and worries me. I've never had a wait, which is nice... but I want Lemon Grass to stick around. So, c'mon, Yelpers, let's help them get a bit busier. Feel free to park at the 24-hour Busken when you come to Lemon Grass for dinner. I'm sure Busken hopes you stop in for a treat, as Lemon Grass doesn't have much in the way of dessert.
(4)Lauren Y.
Very good Thai food. Excellent selection of curries. Good service and clean.
(4)Leisa W.
Soo....Lemon Grass. It was pretty good. Not life-changing, but pretty good. There don't seem to be many Thai restaurants around me, so this is the only Thai place I've been to in Cincinnati. Which makes me sad, I'm thinking of mounting a one-woman campaign to get more Thai nationals here, especially ones who can cook. But until that happens, let me get back to Lemon Grass. Most importantly--their food. They have a 1-10 rating system for their spicyness...which seems like it would be a good thing, but it confuses me. I've been eating Thai food for a long time, and I've never ordered like this before, so I'm not sure what to do. I got pad see ew, which was pretty good (it's my favorite Thai food), and tom ka gai, which was also good. I think I'd prefer to do take-out from this place in the future, as the restaurant itself is kind of old-school and tiny. Parking is a big pain. We went early, so we didn't have much trouble getting a table but figuring out where to park (the street) made it less of a fun experience. So--it wasn't terrible, by any means...but if I could find another thai place, I'd probably go there first.
(3)Monica W.
I come to Lemon Grass with my mom for lunch about once a month. I really love the location on this little Thai place. It is right near Rookwood shopping center. The parking is street parking so bring quarters! I usually order some sort of noodle dish like pad Thai or paht see ew. Lots of tasty authentic dishes to order here. If you are a first timer and don't want to spend much I'd suggest coming in during lunch for the lunch menu. I have never actually been here to eat dinner so I don't have much to say on how dinner is here. I have always been pleased with the food and the atmosphere here.
(4)Dan M.
For some reason, there are a lot of Thai places in Cincy. This is good for us because we don't have to settle for Lemon Grass. The food was ok; the dishes were pretty uninspired. The portions were kind of small for a Thai place, and my 9/10 spicy dish was not spicy. It was far from bad, but it was not the best Thai in the area at this price. I'd recommend heading to Teak. People throw a fit about the parking, but it's worth it for tastier Thai. Bottom Line: With so many Thai options in Cincy, I'll probably never be back here.
(2)David G.
Good Thai food and good service. I love that they have rotating deserts.
(4)Sanjeet G.
One of my favorite thai restaurants in the city! Pros: 1) Absolutely great service! 2) The food is great, I really love their red curry 3) Very reasonably priced Cons: 1) It is an older restaurant and sometimes not the "nicest" place to sit down and have a meal Overall its a great place for take out thai food!
(4)Patrick E.
Fresh food and great service! Even ad they were closing at 3pm we got great service when we arrived at 2:40pm. Being from Chicago, we eat Thai all the time and this place is top five all time. Cool feature: if you say spicy, they ask you to rate your desired slickness on a scale of 1-10. I got a 4 at it was about right -- most other places say mild, medium or hot.
(5)Alexandra K.
I had pretty high expectations of Lemon Grass before I went as my last Thai experience was at this amazing place in Harvard Square. The food was good, but didn't live up to the expectations I had and the food I had a hankering for. However, they still deserve a good review because I enjoyed my meal! The waitress serving us was great, she was very attentive and very sweet. One of the people with me has a taste for spicy things and he ordered the 10 out of a 10 scale of spiciness. The waitress joked about a regular customer she had that ordered a 75 in spice and now orders a 50 because it was too much! So if you really like spice, the 10 may even be too little and they'll let you go higher! I had a wonderful lemon grass soup that had a great perfectly spiced broth. I wish I could describe the flavor but it was something I never had before. The lemon grass was only a highlight. Then I had to be typical and order the pad thai. However on the menu it was spelled paht thai. I had never seen that before. It was good but I've had better. I really like my pad thai to be sweet and peanutty. This lacked a little of the sweetness and had more of a savory flavor. Overall, it was an enjoyable evening. I washed everything down with a REALLY good Thai iced tea.
(4)William G.
Better Thai food for less money, also without the pretentious environment. If good Thai food is our goal then Lemongrass is your place.
(5)Rich T.
A really great Thai restaurant for Cinci. Friendly staff, interesting menu and really reasonable prices. Try something new on your next visit! Too many people go to great Thai restaurants and order Volcano Chicken and Pad Thai. You've got to give your taste buds an adventure at Lemon Grass. Every single item on the menu is delicious and fascinating in its own special way.
(5)Erin B.
Fantastic. My dad discovered this place and the waitresses started remembering his orders after only 2 or 3 visits. So sweet. Great food (get the lunch specials if the dinners look too pricey).
(5)Ben K.
Just returned from dining at Lemon Grass. In one word, terrible. Both my girlfriend and I fail to see why this restaurant has positive ratings. Her catfish dish was simply inedible. The fish may have even been rotten and the sauce was gluey like cheap chain food Chinese. My yellow curry tasted way too much like cilantro and was overly coconutty. The chicken satay quite literally seemed to be chicken mcnuggets stretched out on a skewer. Disgusting. Both of us ordered our food spicy, and neither dish was remotely spicy. Both of us are very familiar with what good Thai food should taste like, and this wasn't it. Avoid. That being said, the service was fine, the atmosphere pleasant, but why go to a restaurant if the food is this bad?
(1)Christopher K.
If you want to know what is a great pad thai, then go here! I love it!
(4)Gavin D.
Lemon Grass is solid, dependable, and makes Sarah's favorite pad thai in town to date. Lately we've been using it as a take out option, but they also have space to dine in. This post has been in draft form for a long minute, so I'm glad it is finally making its way to you! It's a simple one. The Food: As I said above, Sarah loves the pad thai at Lemon Grass (it reminds her of the pad thai she loves best, at her old haunt in Sarasota called Thailand), while my favorite continues to be at Thai Express. And Sarah was out of town when I made this order, so this is a Gavin only review, and I tend to enjoy Lemon Grass' curries the most. I ordered a pad thai, spring rolls, and sesame noodles, although my typical order is curry (I am especially a fan of their massaman). The starter, sesame noodles, was very sweet and covered in a thick peanut sauce. There was a crunch from the scallions and iceburg lettuce at the bottom of the to go container, and small bites of chicken on top. I usually think of sesame noodles as being a round lo mein-style, but theirs are made with a flat egg noodle, and sprinkled with black sesame seeds as garnish. The noodles were a bit overcooked too unfortunately. I had straightforward but good spring rolls and dipping sauce (which is thicker than the sauce at Thai Express), and then ate the pad thai. Lemon Grass' version of this thai standby has quite a bit of egg, and has noodles that I felt were less sticky, but more slimy in texture. Also, their pad thai is not nearly as sweet as at Thai Express. They also use a bit of cilantro, and I've found that I need to go a bit higher on the spicy scale at Lemon Grass then at other spots locally to get something as hot as I like it. The Ingredients: There's nothing on the Lemon Grass menu about local or organic ingredients. I'll have to ask on the next trip. The Story, Setting, & Service: The interior is very simple - no frills, and smells great. It's always calm and quiet inside, and yet there always seem to be people coming through. I've gone many, many times and have never had a wait. The service is straightforward. Maybe most important of all, Lemon Grass is open Sundays and Mondays, making it one of the few options to choose from on both of those days. The Last Bite: Honestly, most of the time we end up at Lemon Grass because it's the only place open - it's become a Sunday dinner option a few times recently. I've never had anything bad at Lemon Grass, and that consistency means something these days. Plus, with reasonable prices and a favorite Thai dish as well in our household, we will certainly be back. Do you have a favorite Thai place we should try? If you enjoyed this review, there's more at Amateur Foodies.
(4)Joe J.
Of the many Thai choices in this area this is my least favorite. It is less authentic, greasier and not a fresh as the other Thai restaurants. (If you are close to Lemon Grass you are very close to Wild Ginger, Green Papaya, Asiana, Blue Elephant, Saki Bomb and Bangkok Bistro....all of which are better than Lemon Grass). It is my opinion that the flavors are simply dumbed down.
(2)Mike F.
Love love love Lemongrass! Food is always great and service is so friendly! One of our favorite restaurants in the city!
(5)Brian H.
Amazing Thai food at low prices. I've eaten Thai from all over the world and this place definitely nails it. Very casual atmosphere with great service. Highly recommended
(5)Isabel Y.
Perfect chicken fried rice. I never actually eat at this restaurant but it's awesome takeout for nights hanging out at home. I don't even live anywhere close to Lemon Grass, but we will drive over there just to pick it up because it's that good. Parking sucks especially on busy nights!
(4)Peter C.
Recently someone tried to become my yelp friend, and when I realized he had over 11,000 friends, I just couldn't do it. It's not my style to be courted by a yelp whore...so I declined...I hope he won't take it personally...it's not you, it's me. On the other hand, when I find myself in a strange city with reputedly good cuisine, looking for the kind of food I want and getting an idea of what's good and what's not...that's what I'm all about. So I was quite pleased when Lemon Grass worked out so well based on three out of four very positive reviews. When you're a traveler, like me, and you don't get to take multiple trips it seems so crass to boil down a restaurant to one visit, but I can say that I liked their Tofu Pad Khee Maw as well as I've liked any I've tried. And for that, they get four stars. I also appreciate a Thai restaurant that gives me a spicy scale of 1-10, but I must be in the midwest because a 7 just barely tickled my taste buds in the way that I like. Next time I'll try an 8 or 9. I might go back tomorrow. Finally, the service was fast and friendly, which was appreciated as tonight, I was in a bit of a hurry. And I have to rebut the lack-of-freshness claimed by Sean B. I can't speak to his experience, but my meal seemed to me to contain very fresh and delicious veggies. So maybe I shouldn't have called that other yelper a whore. Groupie, perhaps? Maybe that's nicer. Maybe I'm missing something. Maybe I don't know what I'm talking about.
(4)Brittany F.
Stopped by here for lunch on our way out of town. Food was good, prices made it even better. Two meals including a spring roll a piece for under $20 with tip. I ordered the Pad See Ew, 8/10 spiciness--which was far from spicy but had good flavor. Would definitely eat here again, especially for a cheap, fast lunch.
(4)M Q.
Ruthai was closed (sign on door says will reopen mid May - forgot the date). I figure with all the positive reviews, this place would do as a substitute. Well, what a disappointment..... maybe what I ordered wasn't the best the restaurant has to offer, but I don't think I'll be back. All I taste is sweet. Got red curry with shrimp... the curry wasn't too tasty (maybe too much coconut cream) and there must have been 5, maybe 6 shrimps in the whole dish for $14. The grill salmon in tamarind sauce (off the specials menu) was also just sweet, and the salmon was bland... texture was like it was poached in the sauce, not grilled and then covered with sauce. Not the best salmon I've had by far, although you do get a big piece of salmon. Bathroom looks scary.
(2)Sarah T.
Their food is fresh and authenticly fun.
(3)Ann S.
I have eaten here several times, but always gotten the same thing (Pad Thai) and it was good. Today I ventured out and ordered the Phat See Ew and it was EXCELLENT. One of the best thai dishes I have ever had. The portion was a little small, but for only $5.50 who can complain. I will definitely order this dish again and again and will also venture out and try new things.
(4)Dan J.
Lemon Grass has good Thai. I was quite surprised at the mediocre to negative reviews of it. I had a great meal there. The spiciness was perfect. I had duck and it was extremely moist and not too tough like duck is notorious for. I also had the lemon grass soup and it was so great. It had a perfect blend of sweet and sour to it. The decor is admittedly less than desirable but I don't go to a restaurant to look, I go to eat. The rest of my party enjoyed their meal. Oakley does have a lot of options for Thai, but you would be perfectly happy choosing Lemon Grass.
(4)Morgan A.
So I visit good ol' Ohio a few times a year and was pleasantly introduced to this place about a year ago. After some rave reviews I had some take-out and loved everything I tried (my favorite entree being the 7 Elements with tofu). I just finished my second and third meals from this place (yep, 2 nights in a row) and still love it. Dining in was fantastic even just before closing; they weren't rushing us out or anything. Its not the best dressed spot in the world, but it does the job. I will always go back when in the 'Nati for reliable Thai food. Note: YOU MUST TRY THE FRIED BANANAS!!!!!!!
(4)Ryan L.
Lemon Grass serves good specials for the lunch crowd at reasonable prices. Parking can be a little tough on Madison, though there is a sign saying parking is available in the lot at Busken across the street. I have not come here yet for dinner, since I usually go to Bangkok Bistro or Wild Ginger. Don't miss the Tom Kha Kai (chicken coconut) soup or the Pad Thai.
(4)Sam K.
Giving out 1 star is rare for me..but man..it just didn't deserve two. I'm quite reluctant to eat at Thai restaurants because it's usually overpriced, but when one craves Thai food and happens to be near one, why not. I stopped by this place after hearing good reviews, and I was disappointed. I find that many Thais never order the usual Thai dishes (Pad Thai, curry or basil etc..), because its easy to make at home, so we order the stuff we're too lazy to make like duck. I ordered the spicy duck and "sweet angel chicken," both at 10 spice level, and I even spoke Thai to the waiter. The duck was moist, but the sauce was overpoweringly (I know its not a word) sweet and salty. The chicken intrigued me because of its name, but it should have been called chicken with a slab of Jiff peanut butter sprinkled with spinach leaves and steamed frozen brocolli (for $8.99). This is NOT a Thai dish, but I suppose they dreamt of it in their dreams and saw angels deliver it to them--hence the name. What made it worst was I didn't even taste the spice. I'm not sure what their Pad Thai or other signature Thai dishes are like, but I can safely say that gourmet Thai food is unavailable here. Lastly, there were plenty of tables where my guest and I could sit parallel to the front entrance, but we were seated in the back...next to the bathrooms...and my guest stared at the back wall for an hour. Though prices were reasonable..not worth my time.
(1)Raymond L.
My quest for good Asian food in Cincinnati led me to Lemon Grass. I should have read some of the posts prior to going but decided against it so that I can write the review without having premonitions going there. I went there for lunch on a Monday and it was half full. The place can fit around 50 comfortably. There were 2 male and 2 women waitstaff on the floor. The waitresses seems the be more friendlier than the waiters (yes guys, smiling is sometimes good since you rely on tips right?) I told my waitress that it was my first time (and probably my last) and if the food is authentic thai ? Of course she said yes. So I go about ordering the chicken pad thai. She asked me what level of spice do I want on it (now real pad thai is not suppose to be spicy but you can add chilies yourself) and she said give her a number from 1 to 10 ? I just can't imagine how the cook can gauge a 1 to 10 scale, maybe 1 to 5 is a more realistic range anyways, I told her 7 (does that mean 7 chilies or 7 hotness?) She asked if I wanted a soup and I asked her about the chicken coconut (tom kah gai) and she said it has mushrooms, chicken, red onions and green shallots. I should've said no after the "red onions" but was curious and ordered it. The ingredients was exactly what I received and the soup was very sweet. I didn't taste or smelled any lemon grass, galanga, etc.. After a few sips I couldn't drink anymore because it was just too sweet. Next came the pad thai. It was a lunch portion (so small). It looked okay with choy suey on the side. I noticed that there was no lime and asked the waitress for some and she said we only have lemon today cause it's Monday?? The lemon she gave me was the thin slices you put on the edge of your drinks not lemon quaters but I didn't want to give them a hard time for a $5.95 pad thai. The pad thai was just ok. It didn't have much flavor (missing dried shrimp, some vinegar, etc) it just tasted spicy that's all. I gave it 2 stars for good stir frying on the pad thai and prob zero stars on the soup. I sat near the washroom so it was hard for the 4 staffers to see me as they were always together by the cash. The only time they would move is to go cleanup the empty tables but those tables don't give any tips it should be the customers who are still there that you should be attending to. I can imagine some people that haven't really had "real thai food" to say it's great but it wasn't for me. I'll probably try the other Thai restos in and around the area.
(2)Mark K.
Great food!! Great lunch menu. We had lunch for less than $20. We both had the Pad Thai (spiced at 8 out of 10)...phenominal!! The egg rolls are crispy and served fresh. Staff are very attentive and the food is served quickly.
(5)Taylor G.
The royal noodle was fantastic. The 1-10 level of spiciness allows for anyone to get what they want. Very diverse menu as well. I contemplated ordering 3 different things at once!
(4)Fuzzysaurus L.
so if i was in a different place, lemongrass probably wouldn't get 4 stars. however - it is 1. asian food i'm willing to eat in cinci and 2. does the trick when comfort food is in need. somehow - they do a good job with the food in a way that makes you miss 'their' particular flavor combinations and makes you want to go back for more. the portion sizes are also great - usually, i have enough for lunch for the next day. service is always fantastic here which makes it a pleasant dining experience. plus - they don't do the silly 'charge extra for white rice' thing that some of the other thai restaurants around here do. i almost always order the steamed tofu pad thai and it always hits the spot. chicken panang curry is also quite good. oh, and the other thing is that their spice levels are consistent! if you order a 2 - it always is a 2 =D
(4)Gusty S.
Fresh ingredients. Friendly service. Plenty of menu options. Overall - decent Thai for reasonable prices.
(4)Marisa D.
The Pad Kee Mao was amazing - smoky & delish. My husband got the green curry which he said was good but not excellent. Beginning to think we will never find excellent Thai in Cincy...
(4)Sean B.
Having lived in several other cities prior to Cincinnati, I have to say that, unfortunately, the Queen City does not have very good Thai food... at least I haven't discovered it yet. Sure it's gonna be tough to touch the pure joy of a 12-course meal at Arun's in Chicago, but isn't there at least a TAC Quick or Spoon? Anyway, one of the keys to delicious Thai is preparing it when ordered with fresh ingredients, but *most* of the Thai I've tried in this town is prepared much the same way you might expect Chinese food to be prepared. It was made earlier in the day in order to prepare for the expected volume of restaurant traffic and they are simply heating up your meal or giving you food that has been simmering for a long time. With a few exceptions, most of the food I've had at Lemongrass smacks of this method. The service is fine, but the food is nothing to write home about. If you are looking for better Thai in Cincinnati, try Green Papaya, right around the corner on Wasson. Or, better yet, Thai Express in Clifton is a tiny little dive of a joint, but you watch them make your food after your order it.
(2)Christopher K.
Best Pad Thai in town! I wish that they had summer roll.
(4)Andy W.
Haven't been in awhile because we moved to the East Coast but this was one of my favorite restaurants in Cincinnati, the Seven Elements with tofu is absolutely incredible, one of my favorite dishes of all time.
(4)Emily G.
Lemon Grass is one of the things I miss about moving out of Cincinnati. I love their food and that they allow you to set the spiciness level of your meal. I always like to get the Swimming Angel with Lemon Grass soup, it's great. The dinning room and restaurant is admittedly small but I think that just adds to it's charm. The wait staff is always very helpful and observant without getting in the way. Next time I come home to visit I will definitely be visiting Lemon Grass.
(4)James S.
Really good thai. Definitely one of the top thai restaurants in Cincinnati. Their spice levels are really good, and the flavors of their dishes is really nice. They're equally good with both rice and noodle dishes, and their appetizers are excellent. Don't listen to the negative reviews - great thai!
(5)Justin K.
Not very good Thai food. Not awful, but not very good. Plus i somehow took offense that none of my food had the fresh and perky lemon grass flavor. The only real consultation was that they will make your food really really spicy if you know how to ask. When we ordered the waitress asked me to name a number of spice I would like. I assumed she meant from 1 to 10 so I asked for an 8, it was reasonably but certainly not overly spicy. Then, after dinner, she said next time I could ask for a number as high as 100. Now that is wicked spicy.
(2)Kevin B.
I want to give it a 5 star review, but don't know if I should because I only ever get their Chicken Fried Rice. But it's so dang good!!
(4)Jennifer H.
This is not just the best Thai food in Cincinnati, it's some of the best Thai food I have ever had, period. The restuarant doesn't have much in the way of ambiance, but it makes up for that with efficient service, cheap prices and insanely delicious food. My mouth is watering just thinking about their pad thai!
(5)Kevin S.
My first Thai restaurant, and still one that others haven't lived up to. Maybe it was the fact that it was the first place I dined out with my future dearest friends Sean and Jenn, but I have only the fondest memories of this place. We tried a lot of dishes and everyone always loved the food here. It's not the chicest place in town but it's a good, high quality dining experience from start to finish and one of the two best Thai places in Cincinnati.
(5)Sandra F.
Paht See Ew and Cashew Chicken are hands down the best dishes on the menu. I'm really picky when it come to Thai food and this place really hits the spot. Very small and intimate. Restaurant clean. Staff very fast and friendly. The only thing I do not like about the restaurant is the location. It is on the busiest road in Hyde Park/Norwood area (On Madison). Parking is very limited and street parking is very hard to find at times.
(4)Ryan S.
Really good food! Hands down the worst service I have ever had at an establishment in my entire life!!!
(1)Sarah B.
I have yet to order something from Lemon Grass that I did not like. I have had take out and ordered in the restaurant. It is usually pretty empty so most of their business must be carry out. I would personally recommend Lemon Grass over Green Papaya although I do not think that is the norm around here. It must depend on what you order since both menus are rather extensive. My favorite dish so far at Lemon Grass is the Paht Khee Mao and the Panang Curry.
(4)Sara W.
Good food, it seems to be a really really popular place for take-out orders which made dining a bit awkward as it's a relatively large restaurant space that only had two tables of patrons when we visited.
(3)Jessica L.
By far my favorite Thai spot in Cincy. With the abundance of 'posh' Thai and sushi joints in Hyde park, it's nice to find a hole in the wall place that cares more about good authentic food than about decor and ornamentation.
(5)Bart L.
Lemongrass has the best phad Thai I have ever had. Period. Ate there today $7.40. Chicken phad Thai. Spring roll. I have spent more at Wendys. The decor is a little beat up, but the waiters are on the ball, you eat on a plate with a table cloth and drink from a glass. Just a great lunch deal for authentic tasty Thai.
(5)Randy B.
My favorite Thai food in Cincinnati. Very reasonably priced (especially for lunch) and super efficient and friendly service (except for the one surly server...always bummed when she is working). The food is quite good. I'm a fan of their pad ki mao and royal noodles, in particular. Much better than Wild Ginger and cheaper, too.
(5)Carrie M.
Fantastic thai food at a great price! This is my favorite Thai restaurant around. The food is reliable and the staff is very friendly. The decor might not be fancy but the food is out of this world.
(5)Chris D.
Sooo...this place seems to get some great reviews and after a long day at the aquarium I was looking forward to some good food. The restaurant looked amazing and the wait staff seemed attentive to needs. Also with the amount of people that were seated and waiting to be seated I was excited. I was however, let down. If you enjoy drinking warm coconut milk with some chicken which is roasted with very little to no seasoning then the coconut chicken soup is for you. My wife had the Phad Thai which was ok but oddly enough tasted very similar to my Singapore noodle, odd. Anyway if you are looking for subpar Thai food that just gets your mouth sorta wet for Thai then you found it. If you are looking for a good Thai place that makes you want to come back just walk by this place and window shop...food is better to look at than to eat.
(2)Andrew F.
Tom ka gai (the coconut chicken soup) is one of my favorite foods, and I'm sorry to say that this place butchered it. It tasted like watered down coconut milk from a can and I couldn't detect any hint of ginger, lime, or curry, all of which should be important ingredients. On the plus side, their massaman curry was actually pretty good, but not enough to make up for the soup, sadly...
(2)Ivan M.
Lunch was good! Not sure why the $$, lunch prices seemed very reasonable! Thai basil chicken was a perfect lunch portion, chicken was moist and not over cooked. Served with plenty of veggies, yum!
(4)A G.
This is my favourite Thai place. Pad Thai is most delicious and Thai iced tea is very nice. Both vegetarian and chicken entrees are good too. I took my mom specially to try Thai food for first time. This place can never disappoint you.
(5)Don A.
Visited Lemon Grass on a Monday night thus it was not very busy. Service was good. Nice selection of dishes on the menu. Spiciness of our dishes varied even though three out of four were suppose to be the same. Tried the sticky rice and mango--the sticky rice was great but the mango was not ripe thus it was tart and difficult to cut.
(3)Natalie F.
My go-to takeout place! Not the best in the city but I live right around the corner and it's pretty awesome-- good curries, cold peanut noodles, and paht kee mao is a favorite of mine. Pretty cheap too.
(4)Alex S.
Lemon Grass is one of my favorite flavors in a food. If you say you've got something in it, I will eat it. So when I learned there was a spot with that name, I had to check it out ... and then it only took me three years to get here. Not sure why I've waited so long. Cute place, cozy atmosphere, friendly staff, good food, what more could you want? This one medium-sized restaurant is very basic with it's decorations. You walk in and get seated at a table, menu in place. I got my favorite Thai meal: Cirspy Pad Thai with vegetables and it was good. Crispy, sweet, just how I liked it. They asked spice level from 1 to10 and I said 7. I should have said a little more, as it has some kick but not a ton of kick (and I like somewhere between some kick and a lot of kick.) I'll know for next time. We also got the golden baskets (or golden something, I can't remember what they are called) as an appetizer, and they were fried wantons with shrimp and veggies in the middle. Very good. I would come back here in a heartbeat. Had a pleasant meal with some good eats.
(4)Catherine C.
I've lived in Cincinnati for three years now and worked near Hyde Park for two, and I can't believe I'd never been to Lemon Grass until last week! It was awesome. The lunch specials are a great deal, and I would highly recommend adding on a spring roll to your meal. The service was great and super fast and the portions were very good. I will definitely be going back in the near future!
(5)Ben D.
I'm a repeat customer at Lemon Grass. They have a variety of dishes, from generic Thai, to chef specialties. The pad thai won't disappoint for those less adventurous. They are quick and it won't take long even if you walk in and order take out. If you want spicy, you'll need to order closer to their extreme heat, but they will deliver! I've never had to wait, and I haven't had a bad experience.
(4)Katie W.
Reasonably priced Thai food. Service was not the best. Decor could use some work, even considering it as a "hole in the wall" restaurant. Decently sized portions, but still comparable to every other local Thai restaurant. I'd go back only because it is close to home and on the cheaper end of Thai in Cincinnati. Takeout from here would be a good future choice!
(3)Mark F.
This is solid good Thai. Casual atmosphere. Fair price. Fair service. Central. Flavors are very good.
(4)Janet L.
I would have never guessed this was such a gem from the exterior. I had the Pad Thai and my friend had a curry dish- it is so delicious; I would recommend going spicier because they seem a bit cautious ;) Highly recommend!
(5)Zack F.
Cozy. I like the display of raw ingredients and spices. The food I had was average. Not bad, but I'm not inspired to rush back here again. Good Thai is very difficult to find in Cincinnati. This did not provide the answer, unfortunately. Vegetarian options. Not terribly sweet which is good.
(3)Kevin B.
A great local Thai place where I can order take out and pick it up in under 10 minutes. I've had the pad thai a few times and I think it is pretty good. I love pot stickers and they do them right (well, in my opinion right). They are slightly crispy by soft on the inside. I've been getting their curries lately and they have become my new favorite items on the menu. At first it doesn't seem like a lot of food, but I can make into two meals sometimes. Great options and a good price and quick service, I'll keep coming back.
(5)Paige M.
Two words: Mango Curry. Four words: Ten kinds of soup. Are you on your way to Lemon Grass yet? My mouth is watering recounting this culinary adventure! For starters, we ordered the Gold Bags. I had no idea what this was, but with a name that awesome, how could I not try it? They were actually pretty similar to crab ragoon, except they contained shrimp and crab, no cream cheese. Served up with a side if sweet sauce, these crispy apps were delicious. Next, I had the coconut vegetable soup. A gigantic bowl arrived with spiral carrots, baby corn, mushrooms, pea pods, and other delightful veggies. The coconut broth was seasoned with cilantro, my favorite herb, and made for an all-around 5-star soup. For my main, I had the mango curry with fried tofu. A platter boat came out with the bright orange, creamy mango sauce, garnished with a variety of veg, including those awesome baby corns. Served up with a side of fluffy white rice, I kept eating this massive amount of curry until I was bursting at the seams. Lemon Grass definitely gives you your money's worth for portions. While I was enthralled with the meal, I had to knock off a star because we had reservations, but for some reason, one of the staff members had cancelled it without our consent. We were left waiting 15 minutes for a table to open up. Parking for Lemon Grass is pretty tricky, as street spaces are limited. There is a lot that customers can use by Busken, but you'll have to play Frogger crossing the traffic on Madison Road. Price per person: $20.00
(4)Ed P.
After having prior dinner plans spoiled due to circumstances beyond our control, my wife and I stumbled into Lemon Grass for dinner. This was the first dinner in a long time without our infant son at our sides. We walked in and asked for a table for two and were led to the back of the restaurant. Upon sitting down my wife and I both realized how dark and dreary it was in the back of this narrow restaurant. We asked our server if we could move toward the front of the restaurant and he directed us toward a table that sat along the front windows. I guess we should have asked for a table up there at the beginning since he seemed more than happy to accommodate our request. I can't find a menu online other than their lunch offerings, but I think what I ordered was called chicken Thai spicy. If that's not right it was some basic dish of chicken with mixed vegetables in a light but spicy sauce. It was served with a side of white rice. Lemon Grass uses the 1-10 spice rating for their dishes and I went with an 8. It was fairly spicy but I could have used just a bit more I think. Other than that the dish was well prepared and tasted good. I would definitely order it again. My wife went with the Paht Thai. The way that the dish was presented was nice in that you could easily leave out some of the ingredients if they were not to your liking. She also ordered an 8 on the spice scale which seemed to be enough for her. I sampled only a small bit of her dish, but it tasted pretty much like Pad Thai should. She agreed that the dish was good and fairly standard, nothing out of this world. With that said I think she would easily order it again on a future visit. Compared to Bangkok Bistro, which I reviewed earlier this year, I would say that the spice scale at Lemon Grass seems to be dumbed down just a bit more than the already weak scale at Bangkok. The serving sizes were a bit larger at Bangkok but I also think that their prices were too. With all of that said I would bet that we will likely return to Lemon Grass in the future and I would recommend it as a place to get a solid Thai meal for a very affordable price.
(4)Bonnie S.
One of my favorite restaurants. Love the waitstaff -very courteous and attentive without being overbearing. Wish I lived next door. Never had a bad meal ~everything delicious.
(5)Jenny L.
Have loved this place for years. Ginger chicken is divine! The chicken is always big chunks of white meat, and the veggies are always crisp and fresh, never overcooked.
(4)