I love this place. I just moved into the area and Siam cafe has become my go to! Portions are excellent, staff is very friendly, food is really rather good! I've gotten take out and dined in several times, each experience has been without a single issue. Drinks selection is nothing to write home about, but the food more than makes up for it.
(5)
Liz C.
While I've heard great things about Siam Cafe, I unfortunately did not have the experience I was hopeful of. The food was subpar at best as I had ordered the General Tso's chicken which is advertised as spicy; however, it was far from it. When I saw that there were chili peppers on top of the chicken I was expecting much more of a kick than I had received. As someone who can barely handle heat I was a bit confused as to the lack of spice. Aside from that, the curry rice was delicious along with the broccoli that was served with my meal. Service was decent, nothing much to report on that. If possible I'd give it a 2.5 rating. I'm willing to try it again and probably for dinner.
(2)
J. L.
I had a horrible experience there with my family. It was pretty packed on a weekend day for dinner, so we put in our order and waited 30 minutes patiently, expecting that to be a reasonable wait time. After 40 minutes, we asked them to check on our food, and our food had not arrived after almost an hour! We suspect that they forgot our order and put it in only when we asked them to check, although they did NOT admit this. What was worse was that when we confronted the waiter who had taken our order, he asked us, "Do you know who took your order?" WOW. No apology, no compensation, and not even an explanation was offered. After an hour, ONE out of four dishes we ordered came out with a vague promise that the others were on their way, so we just left, upset and frustrated. This is really unexcusable. I've come here several times before, and while service is usually better than this experience, the food here is just NOT worth the wait. If you're craving Chinese, go to Wonton Gourmet or Szechuan Gourmet just down the road!!
(1)
Calvin C.
Really decent Chinese food in Cleveland. My wife and I come here whenever we come to Cleveland to get some Chinese-made seafood and bubble tea. The restaurant is usually quite crowded on weekends so you may want to go early or be prepared to wait a little bit. This time, we ordered the salt/pepper pork chops and ginger/scallion lobster. The lobster was quite fresh and was excellently prepared. As most Chinese restaurants, you get quite a lot for your money. And the food is comparable to anything that I might get in California. So its a great place to go when we get cravings for authentic Chinese food. The only issue this time was that we were in a part of the restaurant where it was difficult to get the attention of the wait staff.
(4)
Hank K.
Excellent food, fair prices and usually fine service. I wish this place was closer to home but it's worth the drive. Worth noting I've seen the same people there for years as they have a loyal following. Two dishes to try: Spicy Beef Noodle Soup and the Salt Baked Pork Chop.
(5)
Delia O.
Best place for chinese food when in Cleveland. Friendly staff. Get the dinner deal for 4 for only $62. It has 7 dishes and includes rice, chicken, pork, beef, vegetables, shrimp and even a dessert. What a bargain! That would have cost over $100 in LA
(5)
Jason W.
My family has been going here for years for family get togethers. The have quiet a diverse menu of Chinese, Thai, and Vietnamese dishes. Portions are large and the food is very consistent. Service is always great and the place is really packed on weekends. They have fresh, live tilapia, flounder, crab, and lobster in the tanks in the dining room. We typically order the family style Chinese dinners which come with soup, an assortment of entrees that you can pick from, and sweet taro tapioca for dessert. If you don't like any of the family dinner menu choices, substitutions are no problem! My family really likes their Pad Thai, fried whole chicken, the Beef Tenderloin with Asian Greens. The fried tofu squares and Walnut Shrimp are really good too! The also have a nice bubble tea selection. Stop in for some tasty and fairly authentic Asian fusion nomz! Nomnomnom!
(4)
Juliet Y.
Of the handful of Chinese restaurants in Cleveland, this one seems to be the most mediocre. It's redeemed by the large menu and wide variety of cuisines, including some Vietnamese and Thai dishes. However, much of the food could probably be fresher and the Chinese dishes are not very authentic.
A very interesting place. They have a very very very long menu and had my expectation on the authenticity of the food. I was glad that I was wrong. The menu ranged from authentic Chinese, Thai, and Vietnamese to the americanized Chinese food and they are all quite delicious. The portions are huge and the pricing was spot on. Great wait staff as well. If you can't decide between Thai or Chinese food, why have to decide when you can come here and have both.
(4)
Debra S.
We have been loving this place for many, many years! The food is always delicious and the owners are always supervising to assure our meal and service are top notch. In addition to their extensive menu, they were happy to improvise a special dish for my daughter (west coast version of basil chicken) and my mother (steamed diet and plain blah) on 2 different occasions. The most gracious service anywhere. They truly make you feel welcome and valued as a diner.
(5)
Martin R.
Stopped in to Siam Cafe one lazy Friday in late June for lunch. It was a bit early (11:30) so there were only a few tables taken. I ordered the shrimp with lobster sauce with curried rice. Service was prompt and the portion was nice and big, with lots of shrimp. It wasn't the greatest meal I've ever had, but it was good, and definitely a good value for the price. I will be back to try some of the other items on the extensive menu. A little side note, a popped in to Siam Cafe a couple weeks later to grab a carry-out menu, again during lunch but this time about 1:15, and it was packed, I mean all but maybe 2 tables were taken. For me, this is a good sign.
(4)
Jonah W.
I love this place ... it's one of the only places in metro Cleveland that is open after 10 pm on a weeknight, and the food isn't bad either. Actually they're open til midnight every night, and allegedly, they don't close on any holiday. You often see large tables of Asian clientele, and I think that says something. My partner is Chinese and he's pretty picky about the cuisine of his people, and while there isn't any Chinese restaurant here in Cleveland that he thinks is excellent, this place and Wonton Gourmet are his favorites. They have all the sticky, sweet things that the white people like to eat, and they have a whole range of stuff that caters to the Chinese palate too. We often see people getting dishes that we can't find on the menu. My favorites stand-bys are the crispy pan-fried noodles, the beef & tendon casserole stew, the fried tofu and the braised tofu. I also like their General Tso's Chicken, but as any Asian knows, that not real Chinese food. Their prices are very reasonable as well. Four people can eat for $40 dollars and leave quite full. Again, I really like this place and I'm giving it four stars, but - DISCLAIMER - they are four Cleveland-ranked stars.
(4)
Tim M.
I was in town for Eater and my mom said she made a reservation here. First of all I'm leery of Pan-Asian restaurants, and In Cleveland?! But this place was fantastic. My son and I split the chicken satay and I have to say it was the best I've ever had (even in Thailand). It was perfect in every way. Next I had the shrimp & scallops in black bean sauce hot plate, which comes to the table sizzling. It said it was spicy, but it was not too spicy but was very tasty. I also had the snow pea pod shoots with garlic which was great as well. Everyone in my family enjoyed their dishes. The manager/owner? dropped by our table a couple of time. He's from Canton (China, not Ohio) and is quite funny and personable All in all a great find!
(5)
Alicia M.
Any place that serves bubble tea is alright in my book! This is one of the very few places in Cleveland that serves bubble tea (also called boba as my west coast friends remind me). If you've never had bubble tea, you don't know what your missing, unless of course your one of those people that aren't big into textured things. Essentially bubble tea is a creamy, beverage with black tapioca balls (or pearls) resting on the bottom. Think melted milkshake type flavor with flavors ranging from coconut to almond tea to taro, which is my personal favorite. As for the food, Siam has the best pad thai in Cleveland hands down. I haven't had Pad Thai this good since my travels to Thailand several years ago. It is an absolute must to squeeze the fresh lime wedge onto the dish, which compliments the flavors perfectly. I have also tried the Chicken Summer Roll and Veggie Summer Rolls which are both flavorful and fresh and make for a tasty light appetizer and the dipping sauce is delish. The menu is quite extensive and has many different options to suit everyone from the carnivore to the vegetarian. The service is usually excellent although if you go on a day in which they have a full house it seems as though sometimes you get lost in the mix. The ambiance is quite different from other Thai restaurants I've been to with minimal being the name of the game here. They have a fish tank and thankfully, I've yet to witness them trying to catch someone's meal! And don't forget to try the bubble tea!
(4)
Nina B.
The food was 5 star. We had 3 soups, 3 appetizers, 4 entrees, and 3 desserts. In terms of taste, freshness, portion size, and price--we loved everything--for days --because we brought most of it home. The service gets 3.5 stars. There was an ick factor because of the tablecloth. They cover a starched white linen tablecloth with fresh white paper there, but the part of the cloth that was uncovered had seen better days. Ick--but we'll definitely be back there because of the great food.
(4)
Helen M.
MAJOR SANITATION ISSUE, BAD ATTITUDE, TERRIBLE SERVICE Went to Siam Cafe and got their signature spicy beef pho noodle. First the noodle came with half of the soup being heavy red oil, which the waitress had no clue what to do about. Had to ask 2 different people to get more soup added. The worst thing happened when upon close to finishing, we found a GIANT DEAD FLY inside the soup noodle. Completed disgusted, I notified the waitress, who just said "well that's embarrassing" and took it back. Not only did no one come by to apologize but the Manager/Hostess came by only because our waiter couldn't figure out how to split our bill. NOT ONLY DID SHE NOT APOLOGIZE, she blamed us for the bill issue and when we brought up the fly, she brushed us off with annoyance and said well we took it off the bill, okay? The sanitation is EXTREMELY QUESTIONABLE and worse, the attitude toward customers is ABOMINABLE. Our family will not be coming back and I hope you won't either. People who run establishments like this do not deserve business. I would give no stars but that's not an option.
(1)
Amy C.
Siam Cafe is where my Chinese parents always end up wanting to go to get Chinese food when they come visit me in Cleveland. The food is tasty, albeit a little more expensive than other Chinese establishments in the area. They also have a large variety of options to choose from, very few of which have been disappointing. One of my favorites is their ham (Ti pang), which is large enough to serve 4-6 people and is quite delicious. Overall, my parents and I have always gone to Siam cafe and left satisfied.
(4)
Carol P.
I've been twice now to Siam and had very nice meals both times. I've become a fan of Jelly Fish! It is so good. Both times, my meals were consistently good. The menu, for my taste, is too big - it makes choosing overwhelming. I had a wonderful friend as my companion both times however and she (being a fan of the Siam) knew exactly what to order. The wait staff and pleasant and friendly. The overall atmosphere is comforting and family feeling.
(4)
Sheph D.
Everything I had here was awesome. Their lunch specials are affordable.
(5)
jim k.
Average cuisine similar to what you'd find in a strip mall restaurant. Lunch meal for both me and wife was bland. Even spring roll was bland and small. Not impressed at all. Go across the street to Bo Lang for dim sum and flavorful food. I'm not sure where the great reviews are coming from for this place? Maybe I was there on a bad day?
(2)
Ahmad H.
Siam is paradise to me. I never bother to flip through their encyclopedia menu because I've been ordering exactly what my Chinese friends ordered during my very first visit in 2007. When I walk through Siam's doors, it's very routine: I'm greeted and promptly seated. I tell the server that I do not need a menu and would like to order the mayonnaise shrimp with candied walnuts, chicken/shrimp pad thai, and sesame chicken. In no more than 15 minutes, all three dishes are sitting piping hot before me. Let's start with my absolute favorite dish: mayonnaise shrimp with candied walnuts (it's funny how so many people are turned off by the simple fact that there's "mayonnaise;" you'll be absolutely shocked at how off your judgmental assumption was). About eight or so jumbo shrimp are perfectly fried, tossed in a tangy, creamy, and exotic mayonnaise-based sauce, laid on a bed of broccoli, and then topped with walnuts that have been cooked in sugar. It comes with a complimentary bowl of steamed white rice. I tried a popular recipe for this dish at home last week and it embarrassingly paled in comparison. This is one of their more expensive offerings ($15) but it is worth every cent considering its taste and the market-price of jumbo shrimp. It's always on my mind, and yes--I've accepted the fact that I'm an addict. The pad thai is around 10 bucks and you get a very generous portion. I've never had it better anywhere else than at Siam. With some fresh lime, peanuts, and sriracha, you're in for one hell of a tasty treat. Same goes for the sesame chicken ($10)--chunky, crispy hunks of fried boneless chicken covered in a sweet, rich sauce and sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds. This place is always busy and full, but I somehow manage to wait for only about a minute to get a table. The servers are polite, hospitable, and clean. The venue is also clean, authentically decorated, and comfortable. The massive fish and lobster tanks add on to the great ambiance. Food, service, and big portions have been consistent for the 5 years that I've been here and I'll continue to be a Siam regular for a VERY long time!
(5)
Sheri T.
Nice selection on vegan options and for a self posed temporary vegan like myself you can try the tofu pot (c4) with shrimp stuffing, shitake mushroom, Chinese sausage and the sweet broth of chicken. I ate all the veg part and had my friends ate all the non-veg. Worked out great! The chicken soup can sure warm you up. My friends also mentioned the claypot #1 with beef brisket is one of the best they've had and trust me they r both picky eaters who've had meals in Chinatown everywhere.
(4)
Meeko P.
My favorite all purpose Asian restaurant to go to in the Cleveland area. It has a very large menu reasonably priced with a good of mix of Chinese, Thai, and Vietnamese food. It is open 365 day a year and serving food late every night. When I bring people here for the first time it becomes one of there favorites instantly. Some of my favorites are the Siam Wings (stuffed chicken wings), Vietnamese Hot and Sour Shrimp Soup, Hot Basil Chicken, Beef Chow Fun, Lobster or Crab (Thai Style) and any of the vegetables or noodle soup dishes. Crab and fish, fresh out of the water tanks when you order them.
(4)
Alexander Y.
This is literally the only restaurant I have ever eaten at in the Cleveland area. It wasn't in the nicest part of town. It wasn't the nicest looking restaurant. It wasn't the nicest ambiance (in fact the elevator music was downright annoying). But that which matters most, the food, was delicious and satisfying. Siam Cafe bills itself as a seafood restaurant and the menu certainly has plenty of options from fish, shrimp, and lobster to more exotic (and authentic) fare like jellyfish and frog. There is also the full range of more familiar Americanized dishes. We had a very Thom Yum soup, then a delicious peppered beef and sweet and sour chicken (nicely done without the often excessive amount of breading). The friendly and attentive staff cemented my feeling that should I ever return to Cleveland, I would gladly eat here again.
(4)
Alison W.
Best Authentic Chinese Food In Cleveland! All of the Chinese students and friends I know including myself who spent 22 years in China agree that Siam cafe has the best Chinese food in Cleveland. Recommend Basil Chicken, a little spicy but it's an unique dish that I can't find anywhere else, many of my friends make it a must-order dish at Siam cafe. Try Black pepper beef, seafood dish and Japanese toufu, or anything that's authentic Chinese dishes (no general Tsao's chicken, that's not real Chinese food!) They also have Chinese hotpotand other off-menu items. Price is very fair, most dishes are priced at $10-15, we always have leftover cause the dish portion is so large, Siam cafe also provide free rice and dessert soup, which is also a plus. Cons: The only dishes that disappoint me is the Singapore fried rice noodles, too oily and heavy curry flavor for me, well it's not really Chinese dish so that doesn't change the fact that Siam cafe has the best Chinese food in Cleveland!!!
(5)
Joel E.
Hands down the best damn Pan-Asian food in all of Cleveland! I enjoy Asian cuisine and have tried many "authentic" restaurants around the country. I'd even venture to say that Siam ranks as one of the best in the nation. The place is not much for ambiance, but the food is GREAT! The variety is amazing! And everything is delicious. My family and I are frequent diners here and we know the staff well. I've tried just about everything on their menu and while I have my favorites, there is nothing that I haven't liked. The Pho is good, and if you aren't feeling too conscious about your health... try what I consider to be some Asian comfort food, which is anything fried. My favorites include the spicy salt-baked squid , shrimp or scallops.
(5)
Allison G.
Don't go for ambiance, don't go for Thai food. Order your typical americanized Chinese dish, enjoy the usually fast but impersonal service, and be glad that a city like the Cleve has an Asiatown in an area that is otherwise kinda ghetto. they have a big menu but this is simply not the kind of place I'm ordering seafood, despite the countless selections. And if you get bored at this place, head over to Payne Avenue's Wonton Gourmet for a change of pace and perhaps slightly more authentic fare (slightly). My go-to "Chinese" restaurant.
(3)
Lenza M.
I decided to forgo my usually scheduled stop at Hunan Coventry I was a bit thrown off by the wide variety and sheer number of items on the menu. I figured that this would be a jack-of-all-trades-but-master-of-none type experience. But each of the dishes we ordered was very well executed. I would like to highlight the tamarind fish as being particularly delicious. I might decide to make this place a new tradition.
(4)
Wayne W.
For fantastic authentic Chinese food in the Cleveland area, it's hard to beat Siam Cafe! I've been enjoying the many dishes on their menu since they opened more than a dozen years ago, focusing more on the Chinese elements although they do serve some vietnamese and thai dishes also. The restaurant has large tanks of fresh live seafood cooked to order and can prepare Asian specialty drinks like bubble tea. Citing all the dishes I enjoy at Siam Cafe is like repeating most of their menu - but some favorites include crispy chicken, salt baked shrimp and squid, Japanese tofu, egg plant with garlic sauce, double lobster, steamed whole fish, beef caserole, fried oysters, many delicious noodles, and lots of Chinese vegetables. They do serve alcohol, but I usually get Thai iced tea, iced coffee with condensed milk, taro bubble tea, mango bubble tea... and the list goes on. The restaurant is best enjoyed with large groups eating family style so multiple entres can be shared. I have also gotten very large to-go party orders (~20 people) from Siam and they always do a great job with carry-out. For those that are use to "Americanized" Chinese foods, they have that also -- but I highly recommend you try something more authentic or ask the friendly wait staff for recommendations. Mmm... I'm ready to go there again! :)
This by bar is one of Cleveland's best kept secrets........Being a long time food critic and a native of new york, my pallet for great food is keener than the average. I chose this Asian/Thai restaurant because I was impressed by the details that former patrons wrote about their dishes and their over all rave reviews. This place has surpassed every expectation that I had. Driving through the Cleveland's china district was culturally refreshing. It is not as large as the china district in new york but it is a place that you must experience here in the city. The restaurant for one is very clean, two I have not experienced service this great accept for extremely prestigious 5 stars restaurants. Lastly, the food here is impeccable for the price$$$$$$$. I came here with an open mind willing to try different dishes. I order spring rolls and stuffed fried chicken as appetizers, both were to die for however, if you could only pick one I recommend the stuff chicken wings!!!!!!! The entree that I chose was the Hot basil with grounded chicken, you can order this dish with the option of chicken, pork, or beef. I though it was cooked to perfection with the right amount of spices. I'm all good for a nice dish with a kick of spice to it and this was the perfect balance. My friend order the fried pork chops with spicy salt, It was so impressive, crunchy seasoned and the portions could feed three people!!!!!!!!!! They cut up the pork chops in little neat pieces and deep fry them. Again, you will not find a restaurant with this quality of food, service and the portion size for the price !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I definitely will eat here again and deem this restaurant Cleveland's best kept secret for Asian/Thai cuisines and confidently rate it 5 stars for the quality, price and service. P.S The shrimp will be my next dish here!!!
(5)
Ha T.
This place is ehh... I suppose I'd eat here again one day. Only because I was told I didn't order the 'right dishes'. We ordered Siam wings (so-so), coconut milk tom yum soup (blak), spicy pork chop (eww), and watercrest with garlic (bland). We went on a Friday night, and this place is pretty happening. People around seemed to enjoy the food. The portions are big, prices are small. The service was very good--very attentive and happy to serve. Updated review..to be continued..
(3)
Jason Y.
Siam Cafe is the most authentic Asian restaurant in the Cleveland area. The food comes out hot and the service is very good. It can get busy on weekends but the wait is worth it (and usually no longer than 20 mins). They have both authentic Asian food or more americanized Asian food. Their dinner for 4, 8, or 12 is very well priced and their portions are large.
(4)
Ann m.
This place was just okay, some items were great but some, like the lobster was subpar. We ate dinner here and were seated after a short wait. The owner was attentive as we looked at the menu, but it was 25 minutes before we got water and the waitress took our order. Highlights here were the egg drop soup, the green beans and the E- fu noodles with tofu added. 2 at our table got the lobster and neither was tender or sweet. The black bean sauce was tastier then the garlic sauce. For us not worth the long drive into town.
(3)
John D.
This is quite a nice Thai restaurant that appears to be run by Chinese. We had chicken curry noodle, pho & stuffed chicken wings. All were very good, as was the service. Ambiance was okay.
(4)
Ashley N.
I ordered a grilled pork chop and a bubble green tea when I got my pork chop it was bredded and deep fried. I specifically ordered a grilled chop because I don't like to eat alot of fried food so when it came out I immediately asked the waiter about it she said that they always fry it, on the menu it says grilled to perfection not fried to perfection and by the time we got our check my drink that I ordered when I sat down finally came would never go back
(1)
Karen W.
Siam Cafe has an extensive array of foods, but for me it's either hit or miss. Their hot pot is pretty good, and some of their dishes and appetizers are superb, like their stuffed chicken wings or their deep fried tofu dishes. I had pho here once though and while it did satisfy my craving for pho, it's better at Pho Hoa. In addition, we ordered some hot basil chicken, and while the dish itself tasted good, I didn't really taste much basil, nor was it very hot/spicy. They serve bubble tea as well, which is a big plus for me (as a bubble tea addict). The prices are very reasonable and the portions are fairly large, for an added bonus.
(4)
Sharon L.
I just moved to Cleveland, and was not expecting to find any decent Asian food. A lady at an Asian market recommended this place to my parents, and oh my god. So delicious, probably the best Asian food I've had in the states for a good few years. We ordered the braised pork hock, and it was bigger than my head!! They bring it out on this huge plate and cut it up in front of you. The skin portion is so tender and juicy, and the meat literally just falls apart as you pick it up with your chopsticks. We also got black pepper sauce spare ribs, which were cooked very nicely. The flavor was not too salty like a lot of places do. The fried soft shell crab was pretty tasty too. This place was an amazing surprise. I'll definitely be coming back to get my fix of Chinese food!
(5)
Denise Y.
Siam Cafe probably has the most authentic Cantonese Chinese food that you can find in Ohio that's not required to special order. My parents will request that we go to Siam Cafe whenever they come visit me from Columbus. Most of the food is usually spot on, i've never had a bad meal here, except that sometimes when I order a dish it'll be different (meaning sweeter and too much sauce) that how it's usually prepared Cantonese style, and it's mainly vegetable dishes that i've had this problem with. Be adventurous and go with the non-americanized dishes please!
(5)
Connie L.
I love this place. GOOD: * Huge menu with a variety of traditional Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese-style food: the basil chicken (spicy-style) is one of my favorite dishes. * Big, raucous place with round tables, ideal for big groups * A diverse clientele, lots of families, large groups of local students * Lightning fast takeout (they prepared 4 dishes for me last night in 15 minutes) * Very reasonable prices (last night's meal of basic chicken, Singapore noodles, baby snow pea greens and Pad Thai was $37.00. This fed four of us with plenty of leftovers.) * Friendly staff BAD: * Well... parking is sometimes a little iffy when it gets busy on the weekends. But there's plenty of street parking Across the street is Bo Loong; head over there for karaoke after eating at Siam Cafe. Just some advice - if you ask them to prepare a several course meal, be sure to specify that you'd like the food to be served over a period of time - otherwise, the food comes out all at once. It's a little overwhelming.
(4)
Anne H.
I like this place. I've had really good tofu dishes here, and I always order the tom kah gai soup. it's better here than I've had at a lot of restaurants in a lot of different cities. The pad Thai is pretty good too.
(4)
Tiffany W.
I've really enjoyed Siam Cafe every time I've dined here. My choices have varied from the pad thai (good but different, I don't think they specialize in Thai cuisine) to some standard Chinese dishes of combined meat and vegetables. The service is always prompt and polite, and the prices are extremely reasonable for the portions and quality.
(3)
Kan K.
Me and my friend had been eating there regular for years. We didn't even need the menu to order and knew the bosses and servers. Food was just average, but the quality was consistent. One time, my friends ordered the seafood noodle soups and both them were sicked and got Gastroenteritis (vomit and diarrhea). I will not go there again.
(1)
Mike M.
This is the best Chinese- Vietnamese Food in Cleveland...IF you know what to order. DO NOT order "American food" IE: fried rice of any type. Beef and broccoli, Generals anything, Orange or pork fried anything. Sweet and Sour anything! LOL A really experienced and mature cook team creates very authentic seafood dishes and Chinese, Vietnamese staples in the "high " style Try the goi con ( Vietnamese spring rolls, best in the city), Crab stuffed fried tofu ( oh man..w/ perfect ginger sauce), and any seafood and PHO'. The duck is good, but not produced on site. Don't order the fried noodles; very oily. True quality Asian food...nice casual dining..cute dining room w/ fresh fish swimming in multiple very clean tanks, waiting to be someones dinner!. Very crowded on weekends, bad neighborhood, but private parking.
(5)
Rosa K.
I ate out there a couple of times with friends and family. The dishes there are good, but not excellent in taste. I'd say that most of the dishes here are on the Americanized side because the Asian American Communities are on the small side. I guess this is what you would expect when you go to an Asian Resturant in Cleveland, Ohio.
(3)
Em L.
The BEST place in Cleveland for authentic Cantonese food! I moved away years ago but still crave their stuffed tofu! Every time I am in town, I make a point of eating here.
(5)
Sheila F.
I always enjoy a trip to Siam Cafe! Although I tend to typically move towards "Americanized" Chinese food, I am blessed enough to have an abundance of Chinese and Taiwanese friends who have recommended some great dishes at Siam. The authentic dishes and the Americanized ones are all delicious, and the waitstaff is very attentive. I recommend the cocktails as well - great blends and really affordable!
(5)
John w.
I love this place. It is the best out of all the other chinese / thai restaurants around asia town. Huge menu, thai chinese vietnamese. Good prices, great quality and friendly service. I go thewre all the time. Relative to everywhere around for asian dining. they are the best so that is why they get 5 stars.
(5)
Ben T.
Been here twice on both trips to Cleveland since it is my girlfriends mothers favorite. They have really great chinese food and it is pretty affordable. They give you A LOT of food and everything that I have had is really good. If you like traditional chinese and american chinese I recommend it
(4)
Michael C.
This place is great if you go with a large party (5+) and want to share a bunch of tasty dishers. Definately some of the best asian food you'll get in Cleveland. Price is good for the portions.
(5)
liz w.
no frills. excellent food! staff very nice and answers questions. LOVE!
(5)
Brent W.
I'll tell you why the low rating. When you go to a restaurant like this you want a complete experience, that means your food and the atmosphere as well as the service. This place has great food, no doubt about that, but man do they lack in the area of service, not only lack, they don't have a clue. Every time I've been there they've treated me like I was invisible, and that I was a complete inconvenience showing up there to eat. I surely hope it's not because I happen to not be Asian, but that is the feeling I'm starting to get because I don't notice this behavior and lack of service with the Asian customers I am dining with. If that's the case, then it's a very sad commentary on this restaurant. We ordered some simple lunches today, and after taking our order our waitress vanished and the only time she returned was to drop off our drinks to us after we had started our meal, and NEVER bothered to inquire if we wanted a refill, how our food was, nothing, simply vanished. Then when she returned with the check and asked us if everything was okay, I told her they weren't, that it would have been nice to see her once or twice after the food had been served and her reply to me was that she was busy with other customers. This is the main reason I feel as if we're not welcomed here because we're not Asian because about 95% of the customers were Asian, so what does that tell me, that she was busy with other customers. Oh well, it's a shame because like I said, they do have good food, but they simply don't get the fact that dining is more than just taking an order, throwing a plate on the table and collecting money.
(1)
Carl C.
So far, this place is closest to authentic chinese food I've found in cleveland (I'm from t.o.). The portions are pretty generous and the prices are reasonable. There are some more americanized food, but that's fine since there's a lot of variety. The service is usually really good (friendly and fast). The only complain is that one time the waiter recommended the fish and it was pretty bad (and relatively expensive). 5 stars for being in cleveland.
(5)
C.J. S.
Wow, I thought Bo loongs was good (which is across the street), Siam Cafe is AMAZING. The food there is great, I always get the same dish since I started going there (general tso chicken). the service is wonderful, the food is great, and the portions are always huge. for Chinese food, I'm going here from now on...well worth the drive!!!
(5)
Boner J.
Here's whatcha need to know. It's a big restaurant with lots of tables, but it's not loud. Big menu, most of which seems of fair-poor quality and loaded with sugary or over-salted sauces. The pho is terrible. BUT, the vietnamese rice dishes make the trip worth it, they are huge and cheap and always excellent. So, uneven dish selection but the atmosphere and a few of the dishes make it worth it.
(4)
Bye Y.
Oh wow, I couldn't BELIEVE there was a Thai place this good in Cleveland. They have quality food and pile on the fresh ingredients. The texture and seasonings were spot on. The House fried rice with pineapple is absolutely SUPERB. My fiance finally found a Tom Young Goong that stood up to being categorized as his favorite dish. It's a shame I only ate here three times before moving back to Seattle. I MISS IT!
(5)
Patrick T.
$55 for 4 plates. ong choi-no flavor and yucky, lots of quantity mabo tofu-whoever made this that night really screwed up because it tasted like burnt tofu and smoked sauce wtf. seafood double pan fried noodles- seafood had too strong of a taste and sauce flavor was lacking, so i added lots of sriracha sea bass-this was probably the best dish there, but the sauce it came with was relatively weak. entrees included rice and dessert. service was pretty poor, too many people too little servers. however this place was pretty crowded and they have vietnamese and thai dishes, so its not really "chinese" even though the servers and owner were; and if it was, it would be the absolute worst ive had in my whole life, but perhaps by poor chance we just ordered the wrong things. but those things are what i always get and i must have high expectations being from CA order with caution.
(2)
Cheryl K.
My husband and I have eaten here sporadically over several years. While the food here is very good, the decor is indeed "long in the tooth" and the service is dysfunctional, making me question whether we will ever return. When a table of four and another table of eight are seated after you but exit long before you do, in spite of mentioning the lack of service to the manager, something is very wrong. If the food hadn't been brought to the table by runners it's hard to say how long it would have taken to get it. Unfortunately, this is not our first experience with poor service here and the good food just can't make up for this bad experience.
(2)
B C.
Authentic Chinese food in Cleveland! Great food and great service. What a pleasant surprise!
(4)
Damian P.
I first discovered this place about 15 years ago and the food today is just as amazing as it is today. The environment is great for geoup parties, dates with that special someone, or as a spot for downtown business meetings. I highly recommend the Chicken Cashew with an order of spring rolls on the side! I'm hungry just thinking about it! -- Also, the service is great and the staff is very attentive. Although parking can be an issue at times, the fill up because the place is very popular. It is also open every day until around 10 or 11 PM.
(5)
mary m.
Siam Cafe! They are open all the time. They have a liquor license. They offer the usual "American Chinese" fare for the Caucasians, especially at lunch (General Tso's chicken, fried rice, noodles, and so on). There is plenty of seating. But what about the really great, hidden secrets about the Siam? Well, there's the friendly greeting. Then, there is the fact that they have round tables for larger groups. You can take over a table and make it your own. Play dice, cards, whatever. They won't mind. But what about the food? Please do yourself a favor and take a gander at the dinner menu (they will serve any dinner items at lunch, too) and wander outside the realm of familiarity. I started to do this about a year ago. Every time I go in there (about once a week) I make a point to order something I've never had before. We took a group for lunch/dinner on Sunday at 1:00 (they start serving alcohol then.) We ordered a whole fresh fish (taken out of the tank and cooked right then) with black bean sauce. WONDERFUL! We ordered the fantastic "side pork braised with taro" (or it comes with preserved vegetable). I can testify that if you like pork, you will die and go to heaven over this dish prepared either way. It is essentially a side of bacon that is seasoned and braised and interspersed with taro (a potato-like root vegetable that's more delicious than a potato) or preserved vegetable (crunchy who-knows-what and good!) and it was a HUGE hit with my group of unadventurous eaters. They transcended their expectations and raved like madmen about how we have to go every Sunday from now on! Then, the leftovers I used the next day by sauteeing the bacon with fresh shallots until crispy and adding a huge pile of fresh watercress and arugula. WOW! What a great leftover. I must highly recommend this dish. The server tried VERY hard to dissuade me from ordering it. She said "Caucasians no like!" But I persisted. I have had some other really wonderful things there. They run the gamut between Cambodian, Thai, Vietnamese, and Chinese. Highly recommend most of the soups. The corn soup and the fish maw soup are Chinese style and cornstarch-based; very mild, bland flavor for unadventurous eaters. Try the other soups instead. Their salads are stellar. One features romaine, lemon grass, and seared-medium rare marinated flank steak. FANTASTIC! You can also get that one with grilled shrimp. Resist the temptation to just order the regular Chinese stuff. Go outside your normal inclinations and order the tofu dishes, the eggplant dishes, or anything soft-shell-crab. The crab with green onion and ginger is delectable. Salt-baked soft shell crab was fantastic. They also have a huge tank with Dungeness crabs and they will snag one out and cook it however you want. What a treat! We really love Siam Cafe. Don't go to SC expecting it to be like a Chinese restaurant. It's not that. It's more than that. Update! Feb. Super bowl Sunday. Escaping from football.This is the place! Super crowded because the New Year (Rat?) starts this week. We had 8 people. We got the last table. Here's what we had: stuffed chicken wings. GOOD. Always good. Tom yum goong soup. Emphasis on yum. Spicy, brothy, shrimp, mushrooms. Then Pad Thai, classic preparation. Vegetable lo mein. Great, with fresh shiitakes and Chinese broccoli. A good basic. A whole large mouth bass from the tank, prepared with black bean sauce and lots of onions and ginger and peppers and fresh cilantro. If you dig the whole fish (bones, skin, etc) it is GREAT. Also, a whole braised pork hock. GrrrmmmmmmmmmGOOD STUFF. Brontosaurus bone, skin, bones, soft and yummy meat. A true caveman's paradise. Had some other stuff, too. We ate and drank ourselves silly and left a great tip for $30 a person. Then we came home, ate some more, and sent home leftovers. Three delightful meals and (copious) drinks, $10 per person averaged out per meal, friendly and sincere service, and delightful vittles. The usual. Highly recommend. UPDATE: Did I mention the Oyster, scallion and ginger in pot? WOW!!! The salt and pepper spicy whole shrimp? Assorted meats and tofu in pot? Curry vermicelli noodles with chicken? Duck Choo Chee? Massaman curry anything?
(5)
T W.
Siam Cafe is the best place for Chinese food. Very wide variety menu and the seafood is very fresh. I like the spicy chicken dishes. If you go in the weekend, its tends to be very busy. Many downtown workers go there for lunch, so it won't be alone like some other restaurants. They serve some Vietnamese and Thai dishes.
(4)
Chung S.
For Ohio, this place should be 5 stars for asian food but since I grew up out in Cali, its tough to compare this place to everything else. I relied heavily on this place to get my asian fix when I lived there. I usually got the squid with spicy salt, chinese broccoli with oyster sauce, beef tenderloin, and beef pan friend noodles. The owners are super nice and the staff is generally very on top of things. I still think this is the best place in cleveland for asian food =)
(3)
Peter W.
The best chinese restaurant in Cleveland for me(well, basically there're only Cantonese restaurant...
(4)
Joyce H.
Review update. I think that since I last reviewed siam, there are plenty of other great Chinese food options in Cleveland, or even Asiatown. It's still a decent go-to, especially for huge groups of people, but we have been frequenting it less and less. Their banquet menu really is a steal though. Ask for the "family dinners" if you have a group of 8-10. We usually go with the family dinner for 6. If you have 8-10 people, it comes down to $10-12/person. In addition to the family dinner, I would order the pork hock (in the pictures) because it is so tender and flavorful. It's a dish unique to the other Chinese restaurants here (I think) and that's the one thing I would definitely come for in the future.
(3)
Paola V.
I really like this place. The food is very authentic and the flavor is phenomenal. I love the house fried rice and the beef with ginger and chives. Best Asian restaurant in Cleveland.
(4)
Paul W.
Open late and everything that we wanted at 1130pm after work. What more can you ask for?
(5)
Corneilus W.
No other Asian restaurant will do after you eat here. Meat and seafood with winter melon soup is delicious, it's like egg drop with pork, shrimp, and small pieces of zucchini. I've tried lamb, beef, chicken, and seafood dishes here. My favorite has to be the Seafood Curry, lots of shrimp, mussels, scallops, and squid in a delicious curry sauce. Great place to go if you can get over the location.
(5)
Jon O.
Went to Siam last night (and many times in the past) and it was surprisingly slow, which was fine by us. The food was on point as usual. The service is very good. We've never tried their thai food, but the Chinese is our favorite in the city. The sichuan fish (flounder?) is amazing. Eric's favorite and the pan fried noodles are also superb.
(5)
Winnie W.
With a large birthday party entourage, Siam cafe did everything they could to accommodate our larger party. The waiter was courteous and fun, we spoke in our native tongue Cantonese but he was very helpful in general. He made great suggestions that made our tummy's extremely happy as well as had the food out and ready in a short amount of time. Everything was delicious and reminded me of sweet home cooking. Prices were fair and my favorites include fried salt and pepper shrimp, watercrest, cold platter, the seafood soup was delicious and hot as well. Accommodating large parties is a huge plus for this place and great service add to this. Would I go here every day, probably not because there does seem to be intense seasoning but I would recommend this place once in a while to asian food cravers. I've also come here for lunch and had wide noodles with beef- not bad and I'm a huge stickler on this dish. I wish they had put a bit more of green onions though!!
(4)
Mike S.
Food is good but service is horrible! Our server cannot speak a lick of English and when he took our order we had to point to the menu what we wanted, we ordered the half deep fried chicken and never got it, the owner even came to the table to check on us and we told him about the chicken and never came back! We will never be back here!
(1)
Jocelyn W.
i really like siam cafe. My delightful chinese friend took me there. I always get the green beans with black bean sauce which might actualoly be called with garlic sauce idk. The sauce is so delciious! They are always nice. :)
(5)
Gina M.
The pad Thai is a large amount for a small price, but it's not that good. It's not spicy, it has a lemon lime sweet sour taste. It's not disgusting, I just won't get it again. The Vietnamese spring rolls were awesome.
(3)
Rachel W.
I am hoping I can come back here and have a better experience next time. My boyfriend and I visited on New Years day. It was kind of busy but not packed or anything. Our server was friendly, and got our drink and food order pretty quickly. I ordered well done beef soup. It is pho with well done meat. I also ordered pea shoots. My boyfriend ordered soup to start and a short ribs dish. He thought his food was some of the best. I was not impressed. My pho was very greasy and salty, and the beef was really fatty. I like lean beef in my pho. My pea shoots didn't arrive until well after I was finished with my pho. I consider that to be a side dish, not dessert. I wanted to try bubble tea, but after waiting a really long time to speak to our waitress, she brought our check without asking if we wanted any dessert or anything else. I know my boyfriend is going to drag me back here because he liked it. Maybe I will get a more attentive server and find something I like.
(2)
Michelle W.
Love this place. Been going to this place for years. Fast service, friendly and the food is always on point! I really enjoy their Thai beef basil, beef pad Thai and yum na (steak) salad.
(5)
Molida K.
I'm confused why it's called Siam Cafe when the basis of their food is traditional Chinese fare. Anyway, my friends and I were on the hunt for a good late night Saturday spot and came here. We arrived at 11pm and ordered before the 11:30 kitchen cutoff time. 7 girls= 8 plates of heaping food with plenty of leftovers. We had: General Tao's chicken, sauteed water spinach, salted spicy seafood, salted spicy scallops, chicken pad thai, sizzling beef and peppers, shredded beef with basil, and shrimp with black bean sauce. It all came out pretty quickly. The service was friendly, quick, and efficient. The food was delicious. The ambiance was quiet (due to us coming in close to closing time). I would love to come here again the next time I'm in Cleveland.
(4)
Jeff B.
I have to drop the star level, the food has been a little off lately. The food is always good, but the last few times the service has been annoying. They forgot one of my dishes and it seemed like an act of god to get some cilantro. The soup we ordered was luke warm, leaving the shrimp partially cooked, it was brought back a bit warmer but not very spicy.when your nose is as stuffed as mine you need it really spicy.
(4)
Steve L.
This place was cool, little kids run wild, as they should. My friend and I both agreed kids shouldn't be subject to sitting in one spot. Id rather have them run around then sit and scream at the top of their lungs. Asians really know how to keep a sense of family anywhere they settle, one of the many reasons I love the culture as a whole. I had the Siam Pineapple Fried Rice, it was a lot of food. It was not amazing, but it was good enough for me to go back and try something else. The menu was huge, Vietnamese, Chinese, Thai. They serve family style too, with a huge rotating plate placed on the table where everyone shares. You don't get that at Applebee's.
(4)
渴伊
Fantastic lobster and Minglu roast duck! My favorite Chinese restaurant until now in Cleveland!
(5)
Sophie Z.
This place is very delicious and extremely authentic. I always get the thai eggplant everytime I'm in. There's shrimp, minced meat and eggplant. So delicious! But my favorite thing in the place is the free dessert taro soup that they bring out at the end of the meal! Be sure to ask them for it if they don't bring it immediately. It's the perfect bit of sweetness for after dinner. The service is very good and you can come with a lot of people even on short notice. The prices are fair and the portions are large. The waiters are always very considerate to check if you need anything. I suppose speaking Chinese may help you with your transaction, but in general, they are very good. Definitely a go to place (but beware if you're intolerant of MSG...there's definitely some lurking in some of the dishes).
(4)
Ba Chomp Ba Chomp Ba Chewy Chomp P.
Good lunch place. Soup and salads. The service is prompt, staff is very courteous and the place is immaculate.
(4)
Randy T.
The best Asian restaurant in Cleveland for large groups in my opinion in Cleveland. There are other restaurants with more big tables, but the food is not as good. Other Asian restaurants have much better dishes, but at dinnertime rush it may be tough to seat a party of 8. Not to say that the food is mediocre. Siam Cafe serves a large variety of Asian dishes. There are mostly Thai dishes and Chinese dishes. I'm a huge fan of their basil beef/basil chicken dishes. Other dishes that I order often are the sauteed fish filet with vegetable, the minced beef and egg drop soup, and the beef short ribs with black pepper sauce. The hot plates and dishes served in clay pots are also very good. I recently ordered the stir fried beef and vegetable over rice noodles and was pleased to see that the portion size was enough for two meals. Siam Cafe tries to do a lot of dishes. If you go to an Asian restaurant that specializes more in a particular regional Chinese cuisine (Cantonese, Szechuan), you will probably enjoy the respective dishes there more. But if you want to enjoy a huge variety of Asian dishes with a lot of your friends, this is a great restaurant to go to.
(4)
Lisa C.
I have been coming to Siam for years. This place is a hit or miss. I noticed the food quality can decrease when the restaurant is at full capacity. Even with that said, this probably is one of the few good quality Chinese restaurants in "Chinatown". I actually have not dined at Siam for a few months, so when a group of friends wanted to meet up for dinner, I was looking forward to the meal. We had a group of 9, so we thought it was easier and more economical to order from the already prepared family style dinner menu. It was a good combination of pork, chicken, seafood and beef. The simple noodle dish had stir fry thin noodles and some bean sprouts. Yum. I enjoyed the seafood the most. Seafood included a soup, lobster and a seafood hot pot. Dessert was tapioca with taro, unfortunately my bowl lacked the taro. Dessert is normally free, but sometimes you have to ask for it! My other all time favorite dishes is the snow pea pods, clams with black bean sauce, beef with wide rice noodles and the ground basil chicken. Come with a group of friends, so you can enjoy a little of everything! :)
(4)
Megs T.
I was flabbergasted by the cheap prices of the food and drinks here. Then I was blown away by the service--friendly, professional, attentive--and the food! Quite good, fresh, humongous portions. My only gripe is that I ordered one of the beef entrees and requested it to be very spicy. The dish already had a "spicy" denoter next to it and I made sure to tell them I wanted it hot, hot, hot! (I eat lots of Thai and West Indian food and have a steel palate...) NO spice whatsoever to my beef:( Although it was very tasty:) I would return here, especially if one of those days I'm looking to eat well on a dime!
(4)
Jeanne L.
This place is good overall. Most of the dishes are well cooked and well flavored. However, nothing here is particularly interesting or memorable. If you're looking for a decent meal, this is worth going to.
(4)
Neal E.
I'm always a bit cautious when I come across Asian restaurants that try to serve multiple Asian cuisines - more often than not, they don't end up doing any of them really well. From the Yelp reviews - there are a number of folks that really like this place - which drew me to it. When I entered, I immediately noted a lot of folks with Asian ancestry - which to my mind is a good sign - that the food is good enough that it attracts a fan base of folks from those countries of origin. But I also noticed an odd funky, unpleasant smell - my guess is that it is the carpeting. If I was running the restaurant, I rip out the carpet and replace it with some sort of durable tile that does not adsorb or emanate odors. I came in for dinner - in a Thai kind of mood. I was curious to see what they had in the way of Thai offerings. Turns out - not as much as I had hoped for. I immediately spotted the Tom Yum soup - they serve it with shrimp, which was fine. I was also looking for Som Tom (Papaya Salad) and Kee Mao Gai (Kai?) - basically Drunken Noodles. They offered neither. My first waitress did not understand what I was asking about - so they sent over someone more experienced - she advised they offered neither of those dishes. So I went with the Tom Yum soup - I ordered a large, extra spicy. I asked how large a large was - turns out, it was waaayyyyy larger than I was expecting. They brought out this massive bowl full of soup (larger than a large bowl of Pho Ga for reference) - with a ladle, and a small cup to ladle the soup into. This bowl of soup would be something a group would order - and then share. The soup was very average and bland. It was not extra spicy. I added some Sriracha sauce to each small bowl to give it a bit of zip. The shrimp in the soup were cooked perfectly - tender and not overdone. I have to say this is some of the most mediocre Som Tum I have ever eaten. In any case, the service was good.
(2)
Alan L.
Ordered the Tom yum soup. Seems as though the soup was concocted in the kitchen by adding ingredients as required. It was ok but the ingredients didn't have a chance to marry. I shrimp and mushrooms, Chili paste and either vegetable broth or chicken broth. Next got the pad Tai and fried fish with bean sauce. One person said the fish was flounder. Another said it was grouper. It was ok but I wouldn't order again. Pad Tai was fair. All in all our dishes were somewhat low spice to bland. Stick with the chow dun or fried rice to be safe. Food isn't bad but would try something else next time.
(3)
David R.
I really wish I could figure out how this restaurant gets such good reviews. But what completely flips my french fries is the huge number of Asians who frequent Siam Cafe! Every time I go in there it's packed with Asians! In any other situation, this would be a Very Good Thing. Here, I can't figure it out, unless they get served something different from the rest of us. Anyway, on with the review... I've been to Siam Cafe three times over the past 3 years. The first time my wife and I went to try it. Didn't like it. Vowed not to go back. About a year later some friends of ours invited us to the "best Asian restaurant in Cleveland". They raved about it. When we arrived and realized it was Siam Cafe we were disappointed, but figured we'd give it another shot...maybe we just caught them on a bad day. Another substandard meal. The food is on par with what you'd get at one of those "picture-on-the-wall places in a strip center, you know, sandwiched between the Subway and the dry cleaner. Our friends were from Paynesville so we figured they probably didn't get out much... Fast forward to a week ago. A coworker asked me if I liked Asian food. When I said yes, he offered me a gift certificate for some "restaurant on the east side". It was about to expire after it sat in his desk drawer for a year, so he offered it to me. Imagine my dismay to see "Siam Cafe" on it. Driving out from the far west side, my wife and I actually discussed tossing the certificate in the trash and going to nearby Wonton Gourmet instead (where we've eaten once and which totally rocked our world), THAT'S how much we don't like Siam Cafe....we were ready to bin a FREE PAIR OF DINNERS there and PAY to eat someplace else. However, our native frugality betrayed us and we found ourselves sitting in Siam Cafe. The previous times we've been there we ordered some average Asian staples...Tom Ka soup (tasted like coconut-flavored water), Kung Pao chicken (no spice at all and not much in the way of flavor, either), etc. This time my wife ordered ground basil chicken and Tom Yum soup. Her soup and ground basil chicken arrived at the same time. Great, so she can watch her entree get cold while she eats her appetizer? She asked the waitress for something to cover up her entree while she ate her appetizer and after many blank looks, received a pan lid. Since none of my stuff was on the table yet, I snuck a forkful of her ground basil chicken, which looked pretty good. What the hell? It didn't taste like basil OR chicken. The closest I can approximate is that it tasted like....turkey sausage. Poorly made turkey sausage, at that. Hardly any flavor at all. I asked how her Tom Yum soup was, and she said it was meh, so no change there. My food arrived. I ordered something based entirely on a picture in the menu. I couldn't even tell what it was, it just LOOKED amazing. It turned out to be flounder with green onions and lots and lots of chili peppers. On the menu it actually had three chili's next to it (all the other hot entrees had ONE). It was almost a soup....it had about the same ratio of stuff to liquid that pho would have, except this was supposed to be eaten over rice. I dug in. This is going to sound really bizarre, but bear with me....after 4-5 mouthfuls, this stuff started giving me the weirdest sensations. My lips and tongue felt like they were....BUZZING! I told my wife it felt like I had millions of tiny ants crawling around on my lips! To clarify, it wasn't HOT (spicy). I mean, there was a little heat there, but I like insanely hot food. My lips weren't burning, they were HUMMING! And the flavor? My taste buds were completely overpowered...it was like I'd bitten into a giant chili-flavored boullion cube! I'd drink some water to wash the taste out and as soon as I put the first forkful back in my mouth I'd get the same sensations. Now, the flavor wasn't....bad. It was just impossible to eat, in the same way chewing a handful boullion cubes would be. I mean, I like the flavor of beef, but I couldn't chew up and swallow a jar of boullion cubes, you know? I don't know if it was insanely salty or what, but I gave up after maybe a third of it. (We took it home and the next day threw the leftovers in 5 cups of white rice we made, and it was STILL too salty. I poured out all the liquid and ate what was left and it was actually not bad). Atmosphere? We sat next to an emergency exit, which was opened 5-6 times during our stay; it was 30F outside, which was pleasant. I saw they had a guest wifi so I asked for the password. "So sorry, manager not give us the password." So, never again. Even IF someone gives us a free gift certicate.
(2)
Huei C.
I at least visit Siam cafe once a month. There are variety of food here. Their food is quite authentic. Not only you can choose American Chinese food from the menu but also authentic Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese food. The waiter and waitress are very friendly also. Especially love their operational time. Which Asian restaurant beside Chinese take out opened this late. I personally hope they can open 24 hr. Casino is not far away from Siam cafe. They can have late night business. I think it is the top 10 best Chinese restaurant in Cleveland. I didn't give 5 stars for a reason. I hope they can change their carpet. It's a little bit old and dark.
(4)
Yuanjia Z.
this is probably the most legit Chinese restaurant in Cleveland. why? because they have freaking real seafood like lobsters and steamed flounders! my friends and I went there right after Chinese new year and this place was packed. we waited for 45 minutes even with a reservation. the service was pretty good, albeit their busy schedule. they may not be as busy during other times tho. food recommended: lobster with ginger and scallions - pretty good, no other comment. one small lobster is prob 24 bucks and one large one is prob 50+. hot basil chicken - this is not really a Chinese dish but it was really really good!! steamed flounder - you have to order a steamed fish dish there because there is no where else in Cleveland as far as I know that has this kind of dish, very authentic. pork shank- this baby is huge! I thought the flavor was pretty close to the ones I had in China but I think the skin could be a littleee more fried and the color could be darker. the sauteed squid or spare ribs were both pretty meh - not recommended. the sour and spicy potato slices is a pretty Chinese dish that I didn't see anywhere else in Cleveland, highly recommended! walnut shrimp - this is not a mainland dish I suppose, maybe a Taiwanese thing? but it was ok its kinda cold. beef noodle chao niu he - this is a really Chinese dish as well, pretty well done! as you can tell, this restaurant is pretty much like a real restaurant that can survive in China. It is also not very MSG charged, unlike Szechuan and wonton, which showed their confidence in their dishes. thumbs up!
(5)
P W.
I have been to Siam Cafe a few times now and have only sampled a small number of dishes from their giant menu. The service has always been good. I have everything that I have ordered so far. The menu is broken down by the type of meat and not cuisine. I don't know if that is helpful or not. Siam is a good place to go if you would just like to try something on a whim. I am sure some things on the menu are better than others but... I will quote Prodigy from Mobb Deep even though it barely applies: Life is a gamble, we scramble for money. I might crack a smile but ain't a damn thing funny.
How does this restaurant have a 4 star rating???? This food is unbelievably bland and tasteless! This is among the worst Chinese food I have ever had. The dumplings were doughy and tasteless. The wonton soup was hot broth and dough. The Gen Tso chicken was raw and tasteless. Avoid this restaurant at all cost!
(1)
Xun W.
great place for authentic Chinese food! The price is good too!
(5)
S H.
This saddens me.....not sure when my palate turned the proverbial corner on this place but it was right before we watched a waiter bring a huge vat-o-soup to a neighboring table and watched him serve (ladle) scoop fulls of hot bun bo hue to eagerly awaiting customers. He slightly nodded and wished them..in my estimation, bon appetite! Our mouths watered with anticipation for the same presentation. Much to our surprise, the same waiter brought the same soup to our table....sat it down...placed the serving ladle in the vat-o-bun bo hue and walked away without spriceless. a äº«å— (enjoy). We shared a silent "wtf" amongst our table guest. I shrugged off feelings of embarrassment as I had bragged about this place to friends and family and chalked it up to "must be an off night? Fast forward to the dish I'd ordered each visit....crispy fried whole fish. Our table mates entrees arrived slowly.. which is unusual, but my crispy fried fish arrived when everyone was finished. it was the worst ever.stale, old and over cooked. I should have known by the side way glances from the wait staff that something was amiss. Usually the owner visits each table, but we were avoided that night. sad to say we have not returned since that night. when I do suggest Siam,I am met with this reminder: seriously? in this economy, second chances are priceless.
(3)
Karan P.
It's a good Chinese restaurant. That is as far as it goes. I have heard so much about this place, I was eager to try it out, but I should say I was disappointed with the service when I got there. It was busy for a weekday night. The food was good but not extraordinary. Very less options for vegetarians. I ordered a curry and wanted cashews to be added in it (not included in the menu item). I was charged $2 for adding cashews, but they were not added! I wanted to substitute the white rice with fried rice, but apparently that had to be a whole order of fried rice as it's made to order. All in all, I was charged more than the menu price for the add-ons which I never got.
(3)
Rochelle W.
My all time favorite restaurant! My family has been coming to this restaurant for 20 years! We used to come just for the spring rolls, which are the best. I've had many different items from here and I've loved everything I've tasted. I love the staff, they are attentive and cry friendly. They know my family and have watched my children grow up. I would, and have recommend this place to everyone I know. People keep telling me about the restaurant across the street but every time I plan to try it I always go to Siam Cafe.
(5)
Arun M.
It was a very pleasant surprise to find this place through some chinese friends I work with. They were very happy that we could not a chance to eat at a local american buffet! It is actually a very decent place for being so far away from downtown. And they were full at lunch time. I had ordered some vegetarian food and it was delicious. The wait staff was very delightful and attentive. It was one of the best chinese food I had in long time. I am sure I am going to make many more trips to this place in the future looking for the delicious food.
Amazingly big portions. Good food! Good prices. Has Vietnamese/Chinese/Thai food. Range of options but they do it well. Nice ambience. Very clean. Good wait staff. Quick to bring out the food. Only negatives are they should have a small soup or something while we wait for the food. And charging for tea in an Asian place is a bit weird? But I guess if Americans can do it, I guess Asians can too? But dericious! 4.5 star rating. But will bump it up to 5 stars cause it's very good Asian food in the midwest!
(5)
Geordie E.
You can get Thai, Vietnamese and Chinese dishes at this Chinese run restaurant. Pretty good for all the basic stuff.
(3)
Beki I.
Delish!!
(4)
Lisa H.
This was a great place! They had a great variety of dishes! The spring rolls were amazing. The service was good and it was nice to see a lot of Asian families there. The bubble tea was great! We will be back to try some different dishes.
(4)
John C.
I have come to Siam Cafe off and on over the last 14 years. I enjoy it. I'm not a food expert, much less an Asian food expert, but I like the food here. I also like that I see a lot of Asian people eating here. And I've seen Fred Griffith here, and Dennis Kucinich. They have many different kinds of food, from several regions of Asia. They also have "weird" Asian food, like jellyfish and live frog, which I have never tried. I seriously doubt I could eat a live frog, or even a dead one that I killed. I enjoy several dishes including Bun Bo Chao (sp) and Stir-Fried Beef with Vermicelli. I also like the Stuffed Chicken Wings, Spring Rolls and Fried Rice. The service here is almost always great, but occasionally inconsistent. I had once been away for a year and the head waiter remembered me and what I had eaten the last time I was there. He is really excellent. Also, they are open late which is a plus. Overall, I enjoy the service and the food. That is what makes a good restaurant in my opinion.
(4)
Cindy H.
I was concerned about working in Ohio for 3 weeks....mainly because I assumed there wasn't any good asian food here. Haha. My friend that lives out here told me about Siam Cafe and how great it is. I had to make the venture out to the GHETTO of eastside cleveland and check this place out. Holy crap, every asian person in Ohio was eating at Siam when I arrived. The place was packed on a Sunday night. That's always a good sign. The food was delicious! The menu is extensive and a bit confusing at first because they have a lot of Chinese dishes and then you see Pad Thai and Tom Yum Soup. I've never been to a restaurant with a mix of Chinese, Vietnamese and Thai food. But, let me tell you what I ordered: * Seafood, Tofu and Vegetable Soup. So comforting & delicious! * Chef's special, Live Flounder Fish Fried. Comes out with a sweet black sauce that you pour over it. It was perfectly cooked and had the right amount of seasoning. * Pad Thai was pretty stinking good and I've had a lot of pad thai! * Honey Walnut Shrimp. These shrimps were a good size. Juicy. * Mango Bubble Tea. Wish I got an extra order of this to go as a roadie. I would definitely recommend Siam Cafe if you're in the Cleveland area. You won't be disappointed!
(4)
Jessi N.
While there are other Chinese restuarants I would choose to go to before Siam cafe, they do have some decently good dishes. The few times I've come here are with people who absolutely love Siam cafe and thus, know what to order. My friend wrote on the paper on the table each of the dishes we wanted and the waitress just wrote those down and put in our order. All the dishes we ordered are really good. My favorite is probably the basil chicken (I've had it twice now and it was just as good both times). The garlic onchoy (I think, some form of greens) was also really good. I can't remember everything else we had but it was all yums. Again, go with someone who knows what to order or take recommendations from some yelpers :) Service was decent, although we'd have to flag down waiters to get refills on water/rice/tea but that's kind of normal for Chinese restaurants. It's usually pretty crowded but they serve pretty quickly and I've never had to wait for a long time for a table. I also love that you get dessert at the end, soo yummy.
Siam Cafe has become one of my dedicated food haunts, especially for late-night munchies (a girl needs more than Bier Markt pizza and burgers sometimes). The food here will probably not razzle-dazzle you (not that any Chinese restaurant in Cleveland can really hold that distinction), but it's consistent and quite tasty. That said, a number of dishes are excellent: the Pad Thai, the Thai Basil Chicken, the Salt Baked Squid, and my new favorite, the Vietnamese Pork Chops. Moreover, the waitstaff is extremely friendly and courteous. Siam Cafe is definitely one of the best Chinese restaurants in town, and I certainly prefer it over Li Wah and even Wonton Gourmet (both very inconsistent, and their food doesn't taste particularly fresh or clean to me).
(4)
Stefanie F.
Yelp won't leave me alone until I write this review. (Back up off me, Yelp!) First, I'll say this. The only reason we went to Siam Cafe was because Wonton BBQ was closed. Sorry, truth. BUT!!!!!.... I'm not sad about it. Siam was very good. My family and I were the only non-Asians in the whole place. Very good sign. The menu is overwhelming. One of the only things I didn't like, but that's to be expected at a place that offers so many different types of authentic Asian noms. Everything was supremely fresh. They even have fish in tanks that you'll later see on your plate! Tons of fish. Lobsters and frogs, too. Oh, I'm sorry. Did that make you squeamish? Muahahaha! Too bad. Portions are out of control huge. I went with four family members and we all ordered an entree and had boxes and boxes of leftovers to take home. Plus, we got a few appetizers and soups, too. We're all fat but that was way too much even for us chubbies. Service was wonderful. They really catered to my bratty child and brought out his pho almost right away. And they didn't mind that he insisted on standing by the fish tanks for a big chunk of the time we were there. I'm trying to get back soon to try more of their rotund menu.
(4)
Joan H.
Another disappointing Chinese restaurant in Cleveland. We ordered 3 dishes and 1 beef noodle soup. The noodle resembles instant noodle, and my husband who usually loves the noodle soup ate less than half. Thai basil ground chicken is the most flavorful dish, but surely salty. The Japanese egg tofu tastes ok. The worse dish is the eggplant pot and seafood/fish in the dish is NOT fresh and tastes gross. The service was so slow. All the dishes were brought in different time, and we had to wait long time between dishes.
(2)
Anne H.
I've been eating at Siam Cafe since I was a child. This restaurant is (in my opinion) the best for Asian Cuisine in Cleveland. The staff is fast and friendly. The food is delicious. The prices are reasonable. I've lived in Columbus, Chicago, New York and I still crave my favorite dishes from Siam. For large parties, I highly recommended their dinner packages. I'm now a vegetarian but the meat dishes in those packages were truly AMAZING. My favorite dishes in those packages were the beef, stir-fried noodle (veggie), and pork. Since I've been a vegetarian, I've also explored their veggies options. They have a braised tofu that is great! Siam Cafe has provided me with some of my best family memories! I hope this restaurant never closes.
(5)
Kenny Y.
I've had mixed experiences at this restaurant. I've gone with friends and thought the food was quite tasty. The place does attract a decent Asian clientele, though not as much as Wonton Gourmet. On the other hand... - We ordered a tofu dish and a fish dish once, and when they came out, we realized that the fish dish was prepared in a virtually identical fashion as the tofu dish (except for the few pieces of fish, of course). Yes, they were in two different parts of the menu and had very different names. No, they did not warn us when we ordered it. - I went once with my parents and ordered a whole fish. The fish came out in about 5 minutes, and the middle of the fish was cold. When we complained, the waitstaff refused to believe that they could possibly undercook the fish, and started arguing with us. My parents got extremely annoyed and forced them to send the dish back. They ignored us for the rest of the time we were there and never apologized. I guess you could be lucky, or not.
(2)
Rick M.
Expected this place to be great based on the reviews. It is very possible that I ordered the wrong thing. The waiter I had was very aloof. He was looking over my head while I ordered. I asked for Thai hot and what I got was fairly bland. I would of asked for some chili oil but I didn't see him again until I got the check a half hour later. I guess someone dining alone is ignored if you aren't a regular.
(2)
Marvin M.
One of my favorite Asian restaurants in Cleveland. A pretty aggressive menu and while not fully authentic certainly not a suburban strip mall Asian spot. Portions are large and reasonably priced. Dishes are perfect for sharing. Decor needs to be updated but I guess that and the location keep the prices down. Just don't expect a fancy joint. I have been to Siam's countless times and have never been disappointed. My favorite dishes are the Baby Bok Choy, Cumin Lamb, duck choo Chee and ground basil chicken. Tried the Bubble Tea yesterday for the first time which was some of the best I have had! This place always has a decent crowd no matter the time or date and is worth a visit!
(4)
Alan S.
One of the most frustrating things a diner can experience is inconsistency. Do you think it's an accident people love going (often) to places like Players, Lolita, Fahrenheit, etc? It's because they pretty much know their meal is going to fall somewhere between damn good and holy crap. So, how did I know not to review Siam Cafe after my first visit? Well, kind of an educated guess in that 1) the place itself is huge, and 2) the menu is hugh-er. Very often that combo guarantees things are going to be all over the board. And, so, they were. Had I reviewed Siam after my first visit three weeks ago it would have been a five star no-brainer. Ordered the beef short ribs with "Chef's Special Sauce" and it was pretty much off-the-charts amazing. But I waited. Second visit two weeks ago and ordered the same thing. It was very good but totally different than the first time. How does that happen? I imagine they have many people cooking in a place that size and they all do things a bit different. But I didn't want different, I wanted the dream dish from visit one. Nope. Wifey didn't join me the first two visits so we decided to go last Saturday after seeing the Rembrandt show (if you missed it, oops, it was great). So, we ordered the beef satay which was solid, and I made the mistake of ordering a shrimp dish without asking how much it was ($25,00) and wifey ordered a chicken dish which had less flavor than, well, any chicken dish either of us ever had. And my shrimp dish was considerably below average. Hell, I would have kissed average on the lips. This sucked. So, does that mean we won't go back? Well, my wife won't, and I may not either. I've been to Wonton Gourmet once (it was great) but holding off a review until another visit. No, it's NOWHERE near the size of Siam but just thought I should try it once more. Do I suggest you don't go to Siam? Of course not. My guess is with a menu that gigundous there are going to be plenty of wonderful dishes and a few clunkers. Finding the good ones could be a challenge but it could be fun, too. Maybe. Kinda of. But, please, don't be a googootz and order something without a price and NOT ASK. That dish will be worth $25.00 when I grow my hair back. Which I'm not. Ever.
(2)
Kim T.
I know, the menu is HUGE, right? They can't possibly specialize in so many different kinds of cuisine. Somehow they manage it all, perfectly. To other reviewers that have talked about this location or other restaurants in the Asia Town area, this isn't the ghetto. Isn't just east of downtown with a lot of lofts, art buildings, printing/industrial buildings, and a nice racial diversity. Ok, anyways... I live for Siam. Everything here is amazing. i don't order anything that the mall food court offers, because frankly, they are going to cater to that American suburbian palate. Pad thai, Pla Red Pik, Green Curry, Crab, Short Ribs, Beef Tenderloin, I could go on and on. I've been eating here for years and I will never eat my way through the entire menu. I will also say that I know that Superior Pho gets all the attention for a bowl of pho in Cleveland, but I think that Siam Cafe has, what could be the best bowl of pho in the area. One sip of that wonderful broth and I think that you might be converted.
(5)
Jane P.
Such a pleasant surprise! We have only been here once, but we are coming back, hopefully soon! We were invited to a "tiny wedding" (which I just loved how it was presented that way... an exchanging of vows by two friends outside at the Cleveland Museum of Art. We met up with them at a small gathering at Siam Cafe. The food was delicious. First, whatever you have, you must include an order of the Green Beans. They were as perfect as this dish can ever be!! Always a FAVorite for me. I had Pad Thai and I will want that again and again. The menu is extensive, with creative dishes that brave souls other than me will be ordering. Our lovely large round table sported a spinning center, so the abundance of food was easily passed in circles if you wanted to try anothers... that is, if you could let go of your plate and share!! Siam Cafe proves, you can grow up in Greater Cleveland, but you can never know every single place you need to try out! I would not hesitate to recommend this restaurant to a couple or a large group.
(5)
David H.
Consistently good food. Atmosphere is much to be desired - little plain, neighborhood not great, but the food is always good, large portions, flavorful, fresh/hot. Favorite is the Pad Thai. Moved away from the area about 13 years ago, and return to see family annually, so I am always comparing Pad Thai to other restaurants, and none can compare. Great noodles, right proportion of eggs, scallion, shrimp, chicken, nuts and sauce. Beijing Pork Chop is another great choice, sort of sweet and sour dish, but pork on segments of bone. Fried pork twisted and holds sauce well, better than nugget dishes. Siam Cafe is a great choice in Cleveland, and competes well if not better w/ similar places we have tried in New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts.
(4)
Rob S.
Certainly the best Asian food I've had in the Cleveland area, but I've mainly been frequenting the "All You Can Eat Heart Exploder" places. Seriously, this place has the largest and most expansive menu that I've seen outside of San Francisco. I went there on a Sunday afternoon during the brunch rush but still had no problem getting a table quickly. Service was good, but the first sign that things were going to get wacky was when one of my friends was served a bowl of wonton soup about twice the size of her head. The serving sizes only got bigger from there. The crazy portions of garlic chicken lo mein and random fried rice we all shared were miles away from your normal sodium-soaked strip-mall fare.
(4)
Rachael N.
Meh. Very....meh. My parents really wanted to try this restaurant, after talking to the cashier at the AsiaTown store. I just nodded my head and took them over to Siam Cafe. It was surprisingly...empty for 11am on a Saturday. Perhaps it was because there was a Moon Festival event later that day? Maybe everyone was out of town? I'm not sure. Anyways, we ordered some singapore noodles and beef noodles to go. I...was not too impressed. It lacked flavor and it was oily. I mean, if you have a craving, definitely go, but... it's not somewhere where I would be like, "omg, this is AMAZING." It was more like.... "umm... this is okay. It's the midwest, what do you expect." Perhaps I need to try more items off the menu....?
(3)
Richard H.
This place has quite the reputation. Unfortunately that was before the owner moved out of the country. We went on the advice of friends and found it to nasty. We ordered 2 dinners and a few mins later they delivered this seafood soup. We thought.. Ok maybe it comes with the meal.. I took a spoonful and really didn't care for it ... the waiter then comes back 15 mins and asks for it back, walks 4 tables over and delivers it to another table! This was truly a WTF moment. I informed him that we had eaten some of the soup and all of the sudden he could speak English and walked away. We decided that we wouldn't let this ruin our experience and focused our attention on the main entrees being delivered. The Pad Thai grew real old after the 4th or 5th bite and neither of us even wanted to finish or meals. The staff was either disinterested in taking care of us or didnt speak English and avoided us. There was no chance in even hoping for a beverage refill.. The worst part, we were seated so we could see Bo Loong across the street and several times found ourselves feeling cheated. The fact that there are so many positive reviews for this place is proof positive that people in Cleveland are desperate for a good place to eat, so much so .. that they will eat ANYTHING! When you have Bo Loong across the street, there is no reason to ever even need to pull in to the parking lot of this place. I hear it used to be fantastic and i wish i had eaten there "when". However, at present... I wouldn't recommend it.
(1)
Jazz J.
For me this place is more often a miss than hit. When I come with a group of 5 or more the food and service is decent to very good. When I come with my wife the service is horrible. We've been forgotten or ignored by the wait staff, waiting on tea, water, and to place an order as much as 20 min. On two occasion the food was under cooked. Once the food had a rotted odor. The waitress seemed upset because we dared to complain. They do offer a wide selection and seem to be a staple for Cleveland folks but after living here for 13 years I can say this place is over rated. I have not been there for 2 years in a group or alone. If you crave inconsistency this is the place. There are at least 3 restaurants on Payne that serve tasty fresh food consistently.
(1)
Laura C.
Best Asian cuisine in the city! You have got to try the stuffed chicken wings. It seems to defy the laws of physics, the way they hold together. You will feel like you are in that KFC commercial- "I ate the bones!" Also, the ginger tea rocks!!!!
(5)
Rick W.
Tom Yum was good, the jelly fish was ok, little rubbery. Pickled veggies were good. Pad Thai was very good , but wasn't impressed with the chicken cabbage salad. Would like to go back again and try something different.
(3)
Danny D.
It really hurts me to rate them so low. Their food is okay. I went on a weekday night and the service is terrible. We waited a half hour for tea and my meal was lacking roughly half of the food.
(1)
Treavor E.
Excellent food and extensive menu. They have a full bar offering. The host and staff were welcoming, courteous and prompt. From the conversations overheard, this place has a lot of regular customers. The location is industrial, but their is ample parking in the lot. It's about 1 mile south of downtown, a couple of blocks west of lakeshore drive. Siam Cafe was an excellent choice while we were in town.
(4)
Christine Y.
Oohhh another spot I've been coming to for years...not as long as I remember but close enough. Almost every family dinner I have at a restaurant ends up at this place!!! If you come here for lunch, they have pretty good specials. Well actually I haven't come here for lunch in a bit, but when I did...this is what I ordered... The pho is pretty decent here, hard to find good pho (was a pho place nearby but I believe closed now), and the bun dit nuong (vermicelli rice noodle salad) too. Sometimes I order the pad thai and other dishes, but generally I go for the 2 mentioned first. For dinner, you should order more traditional Chinese stuff. My entire family always comes here for big meals (that's at least 10 people minumum and goes up to 17) and anytime there's something to celebrate. Not all the dishes are spectacular, but all are pretty darn good. My family is Chinese so they would know, even my grandma doesn't complain (or at least I don't hear it). They even make things without any msg too, which is sometimes quite hard for certain dishes, but they'll do it. Sometimes it needs to be requested though. Well, I guess the ambience isn't anything special and neither is the decor. Just usual functional style. Service is always good, as expected from a place in Chinatown. If a buncha people who originated from China eat here, I'd say its a good place to eat.
(5)
Y C.
Cons: - Expensive - Very basic seasoning and sloppy presentation. Many dishes tasted similar even though they were named completely differently (Ie: basil beef vs. fish with tofu). Pros: - Friendly service - Homely atmosphere - Open on Christmas eve and day
(2)
Amy C.
Bad greasy noodles for the Vietnamese soup noodles (like pho). Thick meat that was really fatty and near impossible for me to eat. Soup had no flavor and seemed like just MSG water...did I mention the layer of fat/grease on top? Service is always fine though they are slow with the water refills, but that's pretty standard for Asian restaurants. Very disappointed overall.
(2)
Wenyu Z.
Dined there once and was not so impressed. Perhaps I'm just so used to spicy Chinese food already.
(3)
Keith W.
I got carryout from here last week after reading all the good reviews on Yelp. Very unimpressed. I don't know, maybe I got the wrong thing. I decided to go with something pretty simple, chicken lo mein. I thought, chicken and noodles, how could that be bad. In short, way too greasy, very bland tasting chicken, soggy vegetables, noodles clumped together in one big mass. It was somewhat palatable, but not enough for me to finish the dish. The one upside was that it was a very generous serving. Perhaps I will go back someday and try something different on the menu. After all, I don't claim to be an expert on Chinese and Asian cuisine. It is quite probable that I just the wrong thing here. For now, though, I will have to try out some of the other Chinese restaurants in Cleveland.
(2)
Joseph M.
Out of all the restaurants that serve Calamari, I would say Siam Cafe serves the best! I have been to many Thai restaurants in CA, and across the U.S., but nothing can compare to their crunchy-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside, very tasty Calamari! Of course, the rest of the menu is just as good! I highly recommend this place!
(5)
Ferdinand H.
Siam cafe's decor is looking a bit long in the tooth... the architecture is from an era past, and the colours are a tad weary. On the way in to meet a friend, I did hear a pair speaking in Japanese. I almost turned around to ask them where they were from... but decided against it. (Yes, there are really _that_ few japanese in CLE) Instead, I decided to sit down with my friend John and try the place out. The menu selection is largely cantonese. There's a tiny bit of Thai and moderate amount of Vietnamese. My guess is that the founders are Viet-Chinese. Who owns/runs the place now is beyond me. We had Mapo Tofu (I"ve been craving food from North of Guangzhou since coming back to the 'States), a Tendinous beef steam-pot thingee, and a vietnamese style pork cutlets. The Vietnamese Pork was the highlight getting a 4 from me. Texture could have been a bit better, and the salt factor was just a tad high... but the taste was good -- especially spruced up with a bit of Sriracha. The Tendinous Beef and tofu skin pot was also pretty good 3-4. Texture good, flavour deep yet mellow. Rice was adequate, nothing stunning, but good consistency. They served ice water, no tea. That kindov hurt. The Mapo tofu was not what I wanted. I'd actually asked the waitress if the cooks were southerners (Chinese), and she said yes. I turned to my friend and said that I didn't want Mapo tofu if they were cantonese... My experience is that Canto interpretation of Mapo tofu is typically off. I commented also that their use of peppercorn typically left a lot to be desired. We got it anyway because the waitress assured us that it was alright. I'm not ever getting it again. :/ Numerous peppercorns of 0 potency do not make for numbing-tufu. Mapo tofu needs to NUMB THE TONGUE! The confucian concept of the Rectification of Names demands it! Instead, the numerous emasculated peppercorns merely clutter the sauce with bits of rigidity that add nothing to flavour, and everything to inedibility. Sigh. Despite my intensely negative reaction to the tofu, the other fare wasn't nearly so poorly received. In due time, perhaps I'll sample more of their work... in the mean time, I might venture elsewhere...
(3)
Viet P.
on par with cleveland asian cuisine. rather bland seasoning. fine place for brunch/lunch. pad thai was sweet/sour not spicy as it traditionally should be.
(3)
Bob O.
Ordered emperors chicken, my wife chose the cashew chicken. Both were very good. The service was awful, waited to place the order, the spring tools arrived reasonably fast the meals not so much. We waited over a half hour for the cashew chicken and over 50 minutes for the emperor chicken. We split the cashew chicken, and we're finished by the time the emperor chicken arrived. Then we waited for the check, which we paid promptly, but the waitress decided to have a rather long conversation at the register, I had to go get the check to sign it after 15 minutes,
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, Dinner Parking : Private Lot 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 : Yes
The popularity of Chinese food in America can be adjudicated by the appearance of China Town in many major cities in the United State of America. The popular trend of ordering or opting for Chinese take away food isn't unknown in America. Chinese take away food comes to rescue when you're too tired from work or too exhausted to cook. No one can resist the temptation of eating spicy noodles, shrimp, chicken, beef or pork cooked in the sweet and spicy sauce. The cooking method of authentic Chinese food is a lot different compared to what is served in America.
Generally, Chinese use dark meat small bones and organs to cook dishes but this changes when you are eating American-Chinese fusion food prepared using white boneless meat cooked with broccoli, carrots and onions. Back in China, the food is less spicy and oily as they favor steaming and braising method for cooking the most popular dishes. So, if you have a taste for authentic Chinese food, then try finding a real Chinese restaurant in the city. You can also try the most popular fusion Chinese food like Pecking Duck, Chicken Feet, Hot Pot, Shrimp Dumpling Soup, Mapo Tofu, Wontons, Chop Suey, Egg Rolls and not to forget Fortune Cookies.
There are not many restaurants in America serving authentic Chinese food. A little research on Restaurant Listings directory can help you locate the best Chinese restaurants in the city. Chinese cuisine is continuously evolving, and you can find a variety of dishes categorized as the food for lactose intolerant, gluten intolerant, vegan, vegetarian, and diabetic friendly. So, if you have a group of friends with different taste patterns, save the hassle and visit the nearest Chinese restaurant in your city.
Quite C.
I love this place. I just moved into the area and Siam cafe has become my go to! Portions are excellent, staff is very friendly, food is really rather good! I've gotten take out and dined in several times, each experience has been without a single issue. Drinks selection is nothing to write home about, but the food more than makes up for it.
(5)Liz C.
While I've heard great things about Siam Cafe, I unfortunately did not have the experience I was hopeful of. The food was subpar at best as I had ordered the General Tso's chicken which is advertised as spicy; however, it was far from it. When I saw that there were chili peppers on top of the chicken I was expecting much more of a kick than I had received. As someone who can barely handle heat I was a bit confused as to the lack of spice. Aside from that, the curry rice was delicious along with the broccoli that was served with my meal. Service was decent, nothing much to report on that. If possible I'd give it a 2.5 rating. I'm willing to try it again and probably for dinner.
(2)J. L.
I had a horrible experience there with my family. It was pretty packed on a weekend day for dinner, so we put in our order and waited 30 minutes patiently, expecting that to be a reasonable wait time. After 40 minutes, we asked them to check on our food, and our food had not arrived after almost an hour! We suspect that they forgot our order and put it in only when we asked them to check, although they did NOT admit this. What was worse was that when we confronted the waiter who had taken our order, he asked us, "Do you know who took your order?" WOW. No apology, no compensation, and not even an explanation was offered. After an hour, ONE out of four dishes we ordered came out with a vague promise that the others were on their way, so we just left, upset and frustrated. This is really unexcusable. I've come here several times before, and while service is usually better than this experience, the food here is just NOT worth the wait. If you're craving Chinese, go to Wonton Gourmet or Szechuan Gourmet just down the road!!
(1)Calvin C.
Really decent Chinese food in Cleveland. My wife and I come here whenever we come to Cleveland to get some Chinese-made seafood and bubble tea. The restaurant is usually quite crowded on weekends so you may want to go early or be prepared to wait a little bit. This time, we ordered the salt/pepper pork chops and ginger/scallion lobster. The lobster was quite fresh and was excellently prepared. As most Chinese restaurants, you get quite a lot for your money. And the food is comparable to anything that I might get in California. So its a great place to go when we get cravings for authentic Chinese food. The only issue this time was that we were in a part of the restaurant where it was difficult to get the attention of the wait staff.
(4)Hank K.
Excellent food, fair prices and usually fine service. I wish this place was closer to home but it's worth the drive. Worth noting I've seen the same people there for years as they have a loyal following. Two dishes to try: Spicy Beef Noodle Soup and the Salt Baked Pork Chop.
(5)Delia O.
Best place for chinese food when in Cleveland. Friendly staff. Get the dinner deal for 4 for only $62. It has 7 dishes and includes rice, chicken, pork, beef, vegetables, shrimp and even a dessert. What a bargain! That would have cost over $100 in LA
(5)Jason W.
My family has been going here for years for family get togethers. The have quiet a diverse menu of Chinese, Thai, and Vietnamese dishes. Portions are large and the food is very consistent. Service is always great and the place is really packed on weekends. They have fresh, live tilapia, flounder, crab, and lobster in the tanks in the dining room. We typically order the family style Chinese dinners which come with soup, an assortment of entrees that you can pick from, and sweet taro tapioca for dessert. If you don't like any of the family dinner menu choices, substitutions are no problem! My family really likes their Pad Thai, fried whole chicken, the Beef Tenderloin with Asian Greens. The fried tofu squares and Walnut Shrimp are really good too! The also have a nice bubble tea selection. Stop in for some tasty and fairly authentic Asian fusion nomz! Nomnomnom!
(4)Juliet Y.
Of the handful of Chinese restaurants in Cleveland, this one seems to be the most mediocre. It's redeemed by the large menu and wide variety of cuisines, including some Vietnamese and Thai dishes. However, much of the food could probably be fresher and the Chinese dishes are not very authentic.
(3)David T.
In reading these reviews, I feel like it's my duty to champion the Siam Café. We've had a very intimate relationship over the years. Many sit-ups were done in the name of the Siam Cafe. When it is my birthday, when I come into town, when it's Mother's or Father's Day, after church when all the other places are closed, when I got dumped, when at the stage of a relationship and I wanted to see the unnatural limits of how much a human body could consume, I went to the Siam Café. There are multiple waiters that I have seen come and go, but there is only one that you will ever want. He's a tall Asian man with the skinniest looking, drawn in moustache you'll ever see. The man is a matradee. Don't order fried rice, noodles, lo mein, or anything that you have ever ordered at a Panda Express. If that's what you want, stay there, but here in the Siam Café, be bold and take chances with your diet: the clams in black bean sauce, the boiled chicken, seafood platter, the wonton soup, and the beef tenderloin. I won't argue that the place will get busy, but like others said, they are catering to parties of ten or more. Don't be shy here. Raise your hand or yell out for a waiter. If the staff doesn't get to you, the hostess or host will find you. Rarely do I ever see anyone simply standing around here. "Long in the tooth?" An expression that is such a telling statement on itself. The place was a converted family restaurant and not too much has changed but I don't go there for the atmosphere. I go there for the food. It's my hopes that anyone who goes there goes for that single purpose. The Siam Café is the place to take your loved ones and if you have love great food. If you ever need a recommendation here, feel free to message me. I am the Siam Café's People's Champ. But if I get back into town, you might have to treat me.
(5)Tam V.
A very interesting place. They have a very very very long menu and had my expectation on the authenticity of the food. I was glad that I was wrong. The menu ranged from authentic Chinese, Thai, and Vietnamese to the americanized Chinese food and they are all quite delicious. The portions are huge and the pricing was spot on. Great wait staff as well. If you can't decide between Thai or Chinese food, why have to decide when you can come here and have both.
(4)Debra S.
We have been loving this place for many, many years! The food is always delicious and the owners are always supervising to assure our meal and service are top notch. In addition to their extensive menu, they were happy to improvise a special dish for my daughter (west coast version of basil chicken) and my mother (steamed diet and plain blah) on 2 different occasions. The most gracious service anywhere. They truly make you feel welcome and valued as a diner.
(5)Martin R.
Stopped in to Siam Cafe one lazy Friday in late June for lunch. It was a bit early (11:30) so there were only a few tables taken. I ordered the shrimp with lobster sauce with curried rice. Service was prompt and the portion was nice and big, with lots of shrimp. It wasn't the greatest meal I've ever had, but it was good, and definitely a good value for the price. I will be back to try some of the other items on the extensive menu. A little side note, a popped in to Siam Cafe a couple weeks later to grab a carry-out menu, again during lunch but this time about 1:15, and it was packed, I mean all but maybe 2 tables were taken. For me, this is a good sign.
(4)Jonah W.
I love this place ... it's one of the only places in metro Cleveland that is open after 10 pm on a weeknight, and the food isn't bad either. Actually they're open til midnight every night, and allegedly, they don't close on any holiday. You often see large tables of Asian clientele, and I think that says something. My partner is Chinese and he's pretty picky about the cuisine of his people, and while there isn't any Chinese restaurant here in Cleveland that he thinks is excellent, this place and Wonton Gourmet are his favorites. They have all the sticky, sweet things that the white people like to eat, and they have a whole range of stuff that caters to the Chinese palate too. We often see people getting dishes that we can't find on the menu. My favorites stand-bys are the crispy pan-fried noodles, the beef & tendon casserole stew, the fried tofu and the braised tofu. I also like their General Tso's Chicken, but as any Asian knows, that not real Chinese food. Their prices are very reasonable as well. Four people can eat for $40 dollars and leave quite full. Again, I really like this place and I'm giving it four stars, but - DISCLAIMER - they are four Cleveland-ranked stars.
(4)Tim M.
I was in town for Eater and my mom said she made a reservation here. First of all I'm leery of Pan-Asian restaurants, and In Cleveland?! But this place was fantastic. My son and I split the chicken satay and I have to say it was the best I've ever had (even in Thailand). It was perfect in every way. Next I had the shrimp & scallops in black bean sauce hot plate, which comes to the table sizzling. It said it was spicy, but it was not too spicy but was very tasty. I also had the snow pea pod shoots with garlic which was great as well. Everyone in my family enjoyed their dishes. The manager/owner? dropped by our table a couple of time. He's from Canton (China, not Ohio) and is quite funny and personable All in all a great find!
(5)Alicia M.
Any place that serves bubble tea is alright in my book! This is one of the very few places in Cleveland that serves bubble tea (also called boba as my west coast friends remind me). If you've never had bubble tea, you don't know what your missing, unless of course your one of those people that aren't big into textured things. Essentially bubble tea is a creamy, beverage with black tapioca balls (or pearls) resting on the bottom. Think melted milkshake type flavor with flavors ranging from coconut to almond tea to taro, which is my personal favorite. As for the food, Siam has the best pad thai in Cleveland hands down. I haven't had Pad Thai this good since my travels to Thailand several years ago. It is an absolute must to squeeze the fresh lime wedge onto the dish, which compliments the flavors perfectly. I have also tried the Chicken Summer Roll and Veggie Summer Rolls which are both flavorful and fresh and make for a tasty light appetizer and the dipping sauce is delish. The menu is quite extensive and has many different options to suit everyone from the carnivore to the vegetarian. The service is usually excellent although if you go on a day in which they have a full house it seems as though sometimes you get lost in the mix. The ambiance is quite different from other Thai restaurants I've been to with minimal being the name of the game here. They have a fish tank and thankfully, I've yet to witness them trying to catch someone's meal! And don't forget to try the bubble tea!
(4)Nina B.
The food was 5 star. We had 3 soups, 3 appetizers, 4 entrees, and 3 desserts. In terms of taste, freshness, portion size, and price--we loved everything--for days --because we brought most of it home. The service gets 3.5 stars. There was an ick factor because of the tablecloth. They cover a starched white linen tablecloth with fresh white paper there, but the part of the cloth that was uncovered had seen better days. Ick--but we'll definitely be back there because of the great food.
(4)Helen M.
MAJOR SANITATION ISSUE, BAD ATTITUDE, TERRIBLE SERVICE Went to Siam Cafe and got their signature spicy beef pho noodle. First the noodle came with half of the soup being heavy red oil, which the waitress had no clue what to do about. Had to ask 2 different people to get more soup added. The worst thing happened when upon close to finishing, we found a GIANT DEAD FLY inside the soup noodle. Completed disgusted, I notified the waitress, who just said "well that's embarrassing" and took it back. Not only did no one come by to apologize but the Manager/Hostess came by only because our waiter couldn't figure out how to split our bill. NOT ONLY DID SHE NOT APOLOGIZE, she blamed us for the bill issue and when we brought up the fly, she brushed us off with annoyance and said well we took it off the bill, okay? The sanitation is EXTREMELY QUESTIONABLE and worse, the attitude toward customers is ABOMINABLE. Our family will not be coming back and I hope you won't either. People who run establishments like this do not deserve business. I would give no stars but that's not an option.
(1)Amy C.
Siam Cafe is where my Chinese parents always end up wanting to go to get Chinese food when they come visit me in Cleveland. The food is tasty, albeit a little more expensive than other Chinese establishments in the area. They also have a large variety of options to choose from, very few of which have been disappointing. One of my favorites is their ham (Ti pang), which is large enough to serve 4-6 people and is quite delicious. Overall, my parents and I have always gone to Siam cafe and left satisfied.
(4)Carol P.
I've been twice now to Siam and had very nice meals both times. I've become a fan of Jelly Fish! It is so good. Both times, my meals were consistently good. The menu, for my taste, is too big - it makes choosing overwhelming. I had a wonderful friend as my companion both times however and she (being a fan of the Siam) knew exactly what to order. The wait staff and pleasant and friendly. The overall atmosphere is comforting and family feeling.
(4)Sheph D.
Everything I had here was awesome. Their lunch specials are affordable.
(5)jim k.
Average cuisine similar to what you'd find in a strip mall restaurant. Lunch meal for both me and wife was bland. Even spring roll was bland and small. Not impressed at all. Go across the street to Bo Lang for dim sum and flavorful food. I'm not sure where the great reviews are coming from for this place? Maybe I was there on a bad day?
(2)Ahmad H.
Siam is paradise to me. I never bother to flip through their encyclopedia menu because I've been ordering exactly what my Chinese friends ordered during my very first visit in 2007. When I walk through Siam's doors, it's very routine: I'm greeted and promptly seated. I tell the server that I do not need a menu and would like to order the mayonnaise shrimp with candied walnuts, chicken/shrimp pad thai, and sesame chicken. In no more than 15 minutes, all three dishes are sitting piping hot before me. Let's start with my absolute favorite dish: mayonnaise shrimp with candied walnuts (it's funny how so many people are turned off by the simple fact that there's "mayonnaise;" you'll be absolutely shocked at how off your judgmental assumption was). About eight or so jumbo shrimp are perfectly fried, tossed in a tangy, creamy, and exotic mayonnaise-based sauce, laid on a bed of broccoli, and then topped with walnuts that have been cooked in sugar. It comes with a complimentary bowl of steamed white rice. I tried a popular recipe for this dish at home last week and it embarrassingly paled in comparison. This is one of their more expensive offerings ($15) but it is worth every cent considering its taste and the market-price of jumbo shrimp. It's always on my mind, and yes--I've accepted the fact that I'm an addict. The pad thai is around 10 bucks and you get a very generous portion. I've never had it better anywhere else than at Siam. With some fresh lime, peanuts, and sriracha, you're in for one hell of a tasty treat. Same goes for the sesame chicken ($10)--chunky, crispy hunks of fried boneless chicken covered in a sweet, rich sauce and sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds. This place is always busy and full, but I somehow manage to wait for only about a minute to get a table. The servers are polite, hospitable, and clean. The venue is also clean, authentically decorated, and comfortable. The massive fish and lobster tanks add on to the great ambiance. Food, service, and big portions have been consistent for the 5 years that I've been here and I'll continue to be a Siam regular for a VERY long time!
(5)Sheri T.
Nice selection on vegan options and for a self posed temporary vegan like myself you can try the tofu pot (c4) with shrimp stuffing, shitake mushroom, Chinese sausage and the sweet broth of chicken. I ate all the veg part and had my friends ate all the non-veg. Worked out great! The chicken soup can sure warm you up. My friends also mentioned the claypot #1 with beef brisket is one of the best they've had and trust me they r both picky eaters who've had meals in Chinatown everywhere.
(4)Meeko P.
My favorite all purpose Asian restaurant to go to in the Cleveland area. It has a very large menu reasonably priced with a good of mix of Chinese, Thai, and Vietnamese food. It is open 365 day a year and serving food late every night. When I bring people here for the first time it becomes one of there favorites instantly. Some of my favorites are the Siam Wings (stuffed chicken wings), Vietnamese Hot and Sour Shrimp Soup, Hot Basil Chicken, Beef Chow Fun, Lobster or Crab (Thai Style) and any of the vegetables or noodle soup dishes. Crab and fish, fresh out of the water tanks when you order them.
(4)Alexander Y.
This is literally the only restaurant I have ever eaten at in the Cleveland area. It wasn't in the nicest part of town. It wasn't the nicest looking restaurant. It wasn't the nicest ambiance (in fact the elevator music was downright annoying). But that which matters most, the food, was delicious and satisfying. Siam Cafe bills itself as a seafood restaurant and the menu certainly has plenty of options from fish, shrimp, and lobster to more exotic (and authentic) fare like jellyfish and frog. There is also the full range of more familiar Americanized dishes. We had a very Thom Yum soup, then a delicious peppered beef and sweet and sour chicken (nicely done without the often excessive amount of breading). The friendly and attentive staff cemented my feeling that should I ever return to Cleveland, I would gladly eat here again.
(4)Alison W.
Best Authentic Chinese Food In Cleveland! All of the Chinese students and friends I know including myself who spent 22 years in China agree that Siam cafe has the best Chinese food in Cleveland. Recommend Basil Chicken, a little spicy but it's an unique dish that I can't find anywhere else, many of my friends make it a must-order dish at Siam cafe. Try Black pepper beef, seafood dish and Japanese toufu, or anything that's authentic Chinese dishes (no general Tsao's chicken, that's not real Chinese food!) They also have Chinese hotpotand other off-menu items. Price is very fair, most dishes are priced at $10-15, we always have leftover cause the dish portion is so large, Siam cafe also provide free rice and dessert soup, which is also a plus. Cons: The only dishes that disappoint me is the Singapore fried rice noodles, too oily and heavy curry flavor for me, well it's not really Chinese dish so that doesn't change the fact that Siam cafe has the best Chinese food in Cleveland!!!
(5)Joel E.
Hands down the best damn Pan-Asian food in all of Cleveland! I enjoy Asian cuisine and have tried many "authentic" restaurants around the country. I'd even venture to say that Siam ranks as one of the best in the nation. The place is not much for ambiance, but the food is GREAT! The variety is amazing! And everything is delicious. My family and I are frequent diners here and we know the staff well. I've tried just about everything on their menu and while I have my favorites, there is nothing that I haven't liked. The Pho is good, and if you aren't feeling too conscious about your health... try what I consider to be some Asian comfort food, which is anything fried. My favorites include the spicy salt-baked squid , shrimp or scallops.
(5)Allison G.
Don't go for ambiance, don't go for Thai food. Order your typical americanized Chinese dish, enjoy the usually fast but impersonal service, and be glad that a city like the Cleve has an Asiatown in an area that is otherwise kinda ghetto. they have a big menu but this is simply not the kind of place I'm ordering seafood, despite the countless selections. And if you get bored at this place, head over to Payne Avenue's Wonton Gourmet for a change of pace and perhaps slightly more authentic fare (slightly). My go-to "Chinese" restaurant.
(3)Lenza M.
I decided to forgo my usually scheduled stop at Hunan Coventry I was a bit thrown off by the wide variety and sheer number of items on the menu. I figured that this would be a jack-of-all-trades-but-master-of-none type experience. But each of the dishes we ordered was very well executed. I would like to highlight the tamarind fish as being particularly delicious. I might decide to make this place a new tradition.
(4)Wayne W.
For fantastic authentic Chinese food in the Cleveland area, it's hard to beat Siam Cafe! I've been enjoying the many dishes on their menu since they opened more than a dozen years ago, focusing more on the Chinese elements although they do serve some vietnamese and thai dishes also. The restaurant has large tanks of fresh live seafood cooked to order and can prepare Asian specialty drinks like bubble tea. Citing all the dishes I enjoy at Siam Cafe is like repeating most of their menu - but some favorites include crispy chicken, salt baked shrimp and squid, Japanese tofu, egg plant with garlic sauce, double lobster, steamed whole fish, beef caserole, fried oysters, many delicious noodles, and lots of Chinese vegetables. They do serve alcohol, but I usually get Thai iced tea, iced coffee with condensed milk, taro bubble tea, mango bubble tea... and the list goes on. The restaurant is best enjoyed with large groups eating family style so multiple entres can be shared. I have also gotten very large to-go party orders (~20 people) from Siam and they always do a great job with carry-out. For those that are use to "Americanized" Chinese foods, they have that also -- but I highly recommend you try something more authentic or ask the friendly wait staff for recommendations. Mmm... I'm ready to go there again! :)
(5)Jessica I.
I adore Chinese food. Authentic or oily and Americanized, it's all good to me. For authentic Cantonese food, I defy you to find better in Cleveland. As some of the reviews here indicate, this is a poorly named restaurant. It should probably be called Guangzhou Café, since the owners are not Thai, and I'm guessing that the entire staff is Chinese. They would do well to focus their menu on their strengths. If you stick to the authentic dishes on the menu, you're likely to love this place. The a la carte vegetables, for example, are divine - Chinese broccoli, pea greens and garlic, etc. The tank-fresh seafood is spectacular and reasonably priced. The entire Cantonese menu, in fact, is great. Everything else is mediocre. There are many places in town that do better Thai, Vietnamese, and American-style Chinese. The poor reviews indicate that disappointment, but those reviewers missed the great stuff hiding in plain sight - the authentic dishes. This is a great place for a big group to have a massive family-style dinner that lets you sample a bit of everything for very little money. Siam Café is a pretty bad Southeast Asian restaurant and a really fabulous Chinese restaurant.
(4)Jay C.
This by bar is one of Cleveland's best kept secrets........Being a long time food critic and a native of new york, my pallet for great food is keener than the average. I chose this Asian/Thai restaurant because I was impressed by the details that former patrons wrote about their dishes and their over all rave reviews. This place has surpassed every expectation that I had. Driving through the Cleveland's china district was culturally refreshing. It is not as large as the china district in new york but it is a place that you must experience here in the city. The restaurant for one is very clean, two I have not experienced service this great accept for extremely prestigious 5 stars restaurants. Lastly, the food here is impeccable for the price$$$$$$$. I came here with an open mind willing to try different dishes. I order spring rolls and stuffed fried chicken as appetizers, both were to die for however, if you could only pick one I recommend the stuff chicken wings!!!!!!! The entree that I chose was the Hot basil with grounded chicken, you can order this dish with the option of chicken, pork, or beef. I though it was cooked to perfection with the right amount of spices. I'm all good for a nice dish with a kick of spice to it and this was the perfect balance. My friend order the fried pork chops with spicy salt, It was so impressive, crunchy seasoned and the portions could feed three people!!!!!!!!!! They cut up the pork chops in little neat pieces and deep fry them. Again, you will not find a restaurant with this quality of food, service and the portion size for the price !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I definitely will eat here again and deem this restaurant Cleveland's best kept secret for Asian/Thai cuisines and confidently rate it 5 stars for the quality, price and service. P.S The shrimp will be my next dish here!!!
(5)Ha T.
This place is ehh... I suppose I'd eat here again one day. Only because I was told I didn't order the 'right dishes'. We ordered Siam wings (so-so), coconut milk tom yum soup (blak), spicy pork chop (eww), and watercrest with garlic (bland). We went on a Friday night, and this place is pretty happening. People around seemed to enjoy the food. The portions are big, prices are small. The service was very good--very attentive and happy to serve. Updated review..to be continued..
(3)Jason Y.
Siam Cafe is the most authentic Asian restaurant in the Cleveland area. The food comes out hot and the service is very good. It can get busy on weekends but the wait is worth it (and usually no longer than 20 mins). They have both authentic Asian food or more americanized Asian food. Their dinner for 4, 8, or 12 is very well priced and their portions are large.
(4)Ann m.
This place was just okay, some items were great but some, like the lobster was subpar. We ate dinner here and were seated after a short wait. The owner was attentive as we looked at the menu, but it was 25 minutes before we got water and the waitress took our order. Highlights here were the egg drop soup, the green beans and the E- fu noodles with tofu added. 2 at our table got the lobster and neither was tender or sweet. The black bean sauce was tastier then the garlic sauce. For us not worth the long drive into town.
(3)John D.
This is quite a nice Thai restaurant that appears to be run by Chinese. We had chicken curry noodle, pho & stuffed chicken wings. All were very good, as was the service. Ambiance was okay.
(4)Ashley N.
I ordered a grilled pork chop and a bubble green tea when I got my pork chop it was bredded and deep fried. I specifically ordered a grilled chop because I don't like to eat alot of fried food so when it came out I immediately asked the waiter about it she said that they always fry it, on the menu it says grilled to perfection not fried to perfection and by the time we got our check my drink that I ordered when I sat down finally came would never go back
(1)Karen W.
Siam Cafe has an extensive array of foods, but for me it's either hit or miss. Their hot pot is pretty good, and some of their dishes and appetizers are superb, like their stuffed chicken wings or their deep fried tofu dishes. I had pho here once though and while it did satisfy my craving for pho, it's better at Pho Hoa. In addition, we ordered some hot basil chicken, and while the dish itself tasted good, I didn't really taste much basil, nor was it very hot/spicy. They serve bubble tea as well, which is a big plus for me (as a bubble tea addict). The prices are very reasonable and the portions are fairly large, for an added bonus.
(4)Sharon L.
I just moved to Cleveland, and was not expecting to find any decent Asian food. A lady at an Asian market recommended this place to my parents, and oh my god. So delicious, probably the best Asian food I've had in the states for a good few years. We ordered the braised pork hock, and it was bigger than my head!! They bring it out on this huge plate and cut it up in front of you. The skin portion is so tender and juicy, and the meat literally just falls apart as you pick it up with your chopsticks. We also got black pepper sauce spare ribs, which were cooked very nicely. The flavor was not too salty like a lot of places do. The fried soft shell crab was pretty tasty too. This place was an amazing surprise. I'll definitely be coming back to get my fix of Chinese food!
(5)Denise Y.
Siam Cafe probably has the most authentic Cantonese Chinese food that you can find in Ohio that's not required to special order. My parents will request that we go to Siam Cafe whenever they come visit me from Columbus. Most of the food is usually spot on, i've never had a bad meal here, except that sometimes when I order a dish it'll be different (meaning sweeter and too much sauce) that how it's usually prepared Cantonese style, and it's mainly vegetable dishes that i've had this problem with. Be adventurous and go with the non-americanized dishes please!
(5)Connie L.
I love this place. GOOD: * Huge menu with a variety of traditional Chinese, Thai and Vietnamese-style food: the basil chicken (spicy-style) is one of my favorite dishes. * Big, raucous place with round tables, ideal for big groups * A diverse clientele, lots of families, large groups of local students * Lightning fast takeout (they prepared 4 dishes for me last night in 15 minutes) * Very reasonable prices (last night's meal of basic chicken, Singapore noodles, baby snow pea greens and Pad Thai was $37.00. This fed four of us with plenty of leftovers.) * Friendly staff BAD: * Well... parking is sometimes a little iffy when it gets busy on the weekends. But there's plenty of street parking Across the street is Bo Loong; head over there for karaoke after eating at Siam Cafe. Just some advice - if you ask them to prepare a several course meal, be sure to specify that you'd like the food to be served over a period of time - otherwise, the food comes out all at once. It's a little overwhelming.
(4)Anne H.
I like this place. I've had really good tofu dishes here, and I always order the tom kah gai soup. it's better here than I've had at a lot of restaurants in a lot of different cities. The pad Thai is pretty good too.
(4)Tiffany W.
I've really enjoyed Siam Cafe every time I've dined here. My choices have varied from the pad thai (good but different, I don't think they specialize in Thai cuisine) to some standard Chinese dishes of combined meat and vegetables. The service is always prompt and polite, and the prices are extremely reasonable for the portions and quality.
(3)Kan K.
Me and my friend had been eating there regular for years. We didn't even need the menu to order and knew the bosses and servers. Food was just average, but the quality was consistent. One time, my friends ordered the seafood noodle soups and both them were sicked and got Gastroenteritis (vomit and diarrhea). I will not go there again.
(1)Mike M.
This is the best Chinese- Vietnamese Food in Cleveland...IF you know what to order. DO NOT order "American food" IE: fried rice of any type. Beef and broccoli, Generals anything, Orange or pork fried anything. Sweet and Sour anything! LOL A really experienced and mature cook team creates very authentic seafood dishes and Chinese, Vietnamese staples in the "high " style Try the goi con ( Vietnamese spring rolls, best in the city), Crab stuffed fried tofu ( oh man..w/ perfect ginger sauce), and any seafood and PHO'. The duck is good, but not produced on site. Don't order the fried noodles; very oily. True quality Asian food...nice casual dining..cute dining room w/ fresh fish swimming in multiple very clean tanks, waiting to be someones dinner!. Very crowded on weekends, bad neighborhood, but private parking.
(5)Rosa K.
I ate out there a couple of times with friends and family. The dishes there are good, but not excellent in taste. I'd say that most of the dishes here are on the Americanized side because the Asian American Communities are on the small side. I guess this is what you would expect when you go to an Asian Resturant in Cleveland, Ohio.
(3)Em L.
The BEST place in Cleveland for authentic Cantonese food! I moved away years ago but still crave their stuffed tofu! Every time I am in town, I make a point of eating here.
(5)Sheila F.
I always enjoy a trip to Siam Cafe! Although I tend to typically move towards "Americanized" Chinese food, I am blessed enough to have an abundance of Chinese and Taiwanese friends who have recommended some great dishes at Siam. The authentic dishes and the Americanized ones are all delicious, and the waitstaff is very attentive. I recommend the cocktails as well - great blends and really affordable!
(5)John w.
I love this place. It is the best out of all the other chinese / thai restaurants around asia town. Huge menu, thai chinese vietnamese. Good prices, great quality and friendly service. I go thewre all the time. Relative to everywhere around for asian dining. they are the best so that is why they get 5 stars.
(5)Ben T.
Been here twice on both trips to Cleveland since it is my girlfriends mothers favorite. They have really great chinese food and it is pretty affordable. They give you A LOT of food and everything that I have had is really good. If you like traditional chinese and american chinese I recommend it
(4)Michael C.
This place is great if you go with a large party (5+) and want to share a bunch of tasty dishers. Definately some of the best asian food you'll get in Cleveland. Price is good for the portions.
(5)liz w.
no frills. excellent food! staff very nice and answers questions. LOVE!
(5)Brent W.
I'll tell you why the low rating. When you go to a restaurant like this you want a complete experience, that means your food and the atmosphere as well as the service. This place has great food, no doubt about that, but man do they lack in the area of service, not only lack, they don't have a clue. Every time I've been there they've treated me like I was invisible, and that I was a complete inconvenience showing up there to eat. I surely hope it's not because I happen to not be Asian, but that is the feeling I'm starting to get because I don't notice this behavior and lack of service with the Asian customers I am dining with. If that's the case, then it's a very sad commentary on this restaurant. We ordered some simple lunches today, and after taking our order our waitress vanished and the only time she returned was to drop off our drinks to us after we had started our meal, and NEVER bothered to inquire if we wanted a refill, how our food was, nothing, simply vanished. Then when she returned with the check and asked us if everything was okay, I told her they weren't, that it would have been nice to see her once or twice after the food had been served and her reply to me was that she was busy with other customers. This is the main reason I feel as if we're not welcomed here because we're not Asian because about 95% of the customers were Asian, so what does that tell me, that she was busy with other customers. Oh well, it's a shame because like I said, they do have good food, but they simply don't get the fact that dining is more than just taking an order, throwing a plate on the table and collecting money.
(1)Carl C.
So far, this place is closest to authentic chinese food I've found in cleveland (I'm from t.o.). The portions are pretty generous and the prices are reasonable. There are some more americanized food, but that's fine since there's a lot of variety. The service is usually really good (friendly and fast). The only complain is that one time the waiter recommended the fish and it was pretty bad (and relatively expensive). 5 stars for being in cleveland.
(5)C.J. S.
Wow, I thought Bo loongs was good (which is across the street), Siam Cafe is AMAZING. The food there is great, I always get the same dish since I started going there (general tso chicken). the service is wonderful, the food is great, and the portions are always huge. for Chinese food, I'm going here from now on...well worth the drive!!!
(5)Boner J.
Here's whatcha need to know. It's a big restaurant with lots of tables, but it's not loud. Big menu, most of which seems of fair-poor quality and loaded with sugary or over-salted sauces. The pho is terrible. BUT, the vietnamese rice dishes make the trip worth it, they are huge and cheap and always excellent. So, uneven dish selection but the atmosphere and a few of the dishes make it worth it.
(4)Bye Y.
Oh wow, I couldn't BELIEVE there was a Thai place this good in Cleveland. They have quality food and pile on the fresh ingredients. The texture and seasonings were spot on. The House fried rice with pineapple is absolutely SUPERB. My fiance finally found a Tom Young Goong that stood up to being categorized as his favorite dish. It's a shame I only ate here three times before moving back to Seattle. I MISS IT!
(5)Patrick T.
$55 for 4 plates. ong choi-no flavor and yucky, lots of quantity mabo tofu-whoever made this that night really screwed up because it tasted like burnt tofu and smoked sauce wtf. seafood double pan fried noodles- seafood had too strong of a taste and sauce flavor was lacking, so i added lots of sriracha sea bass-this was probably the best dish there, but the sauce it came with was relatively weak. entrees included rice and dessert. service was pretty poor, too many people too little servers. however this place was pretty crowded and they have vietnamese and thai dishes, so its not really "chinese" even though the servers and owner were; and if it was, it would be the absolute worst ive had in my whole life, but perhaps by poor chance we just ordered the wrong things. but those things are what i always get and i must have high expectations being from CA order with caution.
(2)Cheryl K.
My husband and I have eaten here sporadically over several years. While the food here is very good, the decor is indeed "long in the tooth" and the service is dysfunctional, making me question whether we will ever return. When a table of four and another table of eight are seated after you but exit long before you do, in spite of mentioning the lack of service to the manager, something is very wrong. If the food hadn't been brought to the table by runners it's hard to say how long it would have taken to get it. Unfortunately, this is not our first experience with poor service here and the good food just can't make up for this bad experience.
(2)B C.
Authentic Chinese food in Cleveland! Great food and great service. What a pleasant surprise!
(4)Damian P.
I first discovered this place about 15 years ago and the food today is just as amazing as it is today. The environment is great for geoup parties, dates with that special someone, or as a spot for downtown business meetings. I highly recommend the Chicken Cashew with an order of spring rolls on the side! I'm hungry just thinking about it! -- Also, the service is great and the staff is very attentive. Although parking can be an issue at times, the fill up because the place is very popular. It is also open every day until around 10 or 11 PM.
(5)mary m.
Siam Cafe! They are open all the time. They have a liquor license. They offer the usual "American Chinese" fare for the Caucasians, especially at lunch (General Tso's chicken, fried rice, noodles, and so on). There is plenty of seating. But what about the really great, hidden secrets about the Siam? Well, there's the friendly greeting. Then, there is the fact that they have round tables for larger groups. You can take over a table and make it your own. Play dice, cards, whatever. They won't mind. But what about the food? Please do yourself a favor and take a gander at the dinner menu (they will serve any dinner items at lunch, too) and wander outside the realm of familiarity. I started to do this about a year ago. Every time I go in there (about once a week) I make a point to order something I've never had before. We took a group for lunch/dinner on Sunday at 1:00 (they start serving alcohol then.) We ordered a whole fresh fish (taken out of the tank and cooked right then) with black bean sauce. WONDERFUL! We ordered the fantastic "side pork braised with taro" (or it comes with preserved vegetable). I can testify that if you like pork, you will die and go to heaven over this dish prepared either way. It is essentially a side of bacon that is seasoned and braised and interspersed with taro (a potato-like root vegetable that's more delicious than a potato) or preserved vegetable (crunchy who-knows-what and good!) and it was a HUGE hit with my group of unadventurous eaters. They transcended their expectations and raved like madmen about how we have to go every Sunday from now on! Then, the leftovers I used the next day by sauteeing the bacon with fresh shallots until crispy and adding a huge pile of fresh watercress and arugula. WOW! What a great leftover. I must highly recommend this dish. The server tried VERY hard to dissuade me from ordering it. She said "Caucasians no like!" But I persisted. I have had some other really wonderful things there. They run the gamut between Cambodian, Thai, Vietnamese, and Chinese. Highly recommend most of the soups. The corn soup and the fish maw soup are Chinese style and cornstarch-based; very mild, bland flavor for unadventurous eaters. Try the other soups instead. Their salads are stellar. One features romaine, lemon grass, and seared-medium rare marinated flank steak. FANTASTIC! You can also get that one with grilled shrimp. Resist the temptation to just order the regular Chinese stuff. Go outside your normal inclinations and order the tofu dishes, the eggplant dishes, or anything soft-shell-crab. The crab with green onion and ginger is delectable. Salt-baked soft shell crab was fantastic. They also have a huge tank with Dungeness crabs and they will snag one out and cook it however you want. What a treat! We really love Siam Cafe. Don't go to SC expecting it to be like a Chinese restaurant. It's not that. It's more than that. Update! Feb. Super bowl Sunday. Escaping from football.This is the place! Super crowded because the New Year (Rat?) starts this week. We had 8 people. We got the last table. Here's what we had: stuffed chicken wings. GOOD. Always good. Tom yum goong soup. Emphasis on yum. Spicy, brothy, shrimp, mushrooms. Then Pad Thai, classic preparation. Vegetable lo mein. Great, with fresh shiitakes and Chinese broccoli. A good basic. A whole large mouth bass from the tank, prepared with black bean sauce and lots of onions and ginger and peppers and fresh cilantro. If you dig the whole fish (bones, skin, etc) it is GREAT. Also, a whole braised pork hock. GrrrmmmmmmmmmGOOD STUFF. Brontosaurus bone, skin, bones, soft and yummy meat. A true caveman's paradise. Had some other stuff, too. We ate and drank ourselves silly and left a great tip for $30 a person. Then we came home, ate some more, and sent home leftovers. Three delightful meals and (copious) drinks, $10 per person averaged out per meal, friendly and sincere service, and delightful vittles. The usual. Highly recommend. UPDATE: Did I mention the Oyster, scallion and ginger in pot? WOW!!! The salt and pepper spicy whole shrimp? Assorted meats and tofu in pot? Curry vermicelli noodles with chicken? Duck Choo Chee? Massaman curry anything?
(5)T W.
Siam Cafe is the best place for Chinese food. Very wide variety menu and the seafood is very fresh. I like the spicy chicken dishes. If you go in the weekend, its tends to be very busy. Many downtown workers go there for lunch, so it won't be alone like some other restaurants. They serve some Vietnamese and Thai dishes.
(4)Chung S.
For Ohio, this place should be 5 stars for asian food but since I grew up out in Cali, its tough to compare this place to everything else. I relied heavily on this place to get my asian fix when I lived there. I usually got the squid with spicy salt, chinese broccoli with oyster sauce, beef tenderloin, and beef pan friend noodles. The owners are super nice and the staff is generally very on top of things. I still think this is the best place in cleveland for asian food =)
(3)Peter W.
The best chinese restaurant in Cleveland for me(well, basically there're only Cantonese restaurant...
(4)Joyce H.
Review update. I think that since I last reviewed siam, there are plenty of other great Chinese food options in Cleveland, or even Asiatown. It's still a decent go-to, especially for huge groups of people, but we have been frequenting it less and less. Their banquet menu really is a steal though. Ask for the "family dinners" if you have a group of 8-10. We usually go with the family dinner for 6. If you have 8-10 people, it comes down to $10-12/person. In addition to the family dinner, I would order the pork hock (in the pictures) because it is so tender and flavorful. It's a dish unique to the other Chinese restaurants here (I think) and that's the one thing I would definitely come for in the future.
(3)Paola V.
I really like this place. The food is very authentic and the flavor is phenomenal. I love the house fried rice and the beef with ginger and chives. Best Asian restaurant in Cleveland.
(4)Paul W.
Open late and everything that we wanted at 1130pm after work. What more can you ask for?
(5)Corneilus W.
No other Asian restaurant will do after you eat here. Meat and seafood with winter melon soup is delicious, it's like egg drop with pork, shrimp, and small pieces of zucchini. I've tried lamb, beef, chicken, and seafood dishes here. My favorite has to be the Seafood Curry, lots of shrimp, mussels, scallops, and squid in a delicious curry sauce. Great place to go if you can get over the location.
(5)Jon O.
Went to Siam last night (and many times in the past) and it was surprisingly slow, which was fine by us. The food was on point as usual. The service is very good. We've never tried their thai food, but the Chinese is our favorite in the city. The sichuan fish (flounder?) is amazing. Eric's favorite and the pan fried noodles are also superb.
(5)Winnie W.
With a large birthday party entourage, Siam cafe did everything they could to accommodate our larger party. The waiter was courteous and fun, we spoke in our native tongue Cantonese but he was very helpful in general. He made great suggestions that made our tummy's extremely happy as well as had the food out and ready in a short amount of time. Everything was delicious and reminded me of sweet home cooking. Prices were fair and my favorites include fried salt and pepper shrimp, watercrest, cold platter, the seafood soup was delicious and hot as well. Accommodating large parties is a huge plus for this place and great service add to this. Would I go here every day, probably not because there does seem to be intense seasoning but I would recommend this place once in a while to asian food cravers. I've also come here for lunch and had wide noodles with beef- not bad and I'm a huge stickler on this dish. I wish they had put a bit more of green onions though!!
(4)Mike S.
Food is good but service is horrible! Our server cannot speak a lick of English and when he took our order we had to point to the menu what we wanted, we ordered the half deep fried chicken and never got it, the owner even came to the table to check on us and we told him about the chicken and never came back! We will never be back here!
(1)Jocelyn W.
i really like siam cafe. My delightful chinese friend took me there. I always get the green beans with black bean sauce which might actualoly be called with garlic sauce idk. The sauce is so delciious! They are always nice. :)
(5)Gina M.
The pad Thai is a large amount for a small price, but it's not that good. It's not spicy, it has a lemon lime sweet sour taste. It's not disgusting, I just won't get it again. The Vietnamese spring rolls were awesome.
(3)Rachel W.
I am hoping I can come back here and have a better experience next time. My boyfriend and I visited on New Years day. It was kind of busy but not packed or anything. Our server was friendly, and got our drink and food order pretty quickly. I ordered well done beef soup. It is pho with well done meat. I also ordered pea shoots. My boyfriend ordered soup to start and a short ribs dish. He thought his food was some of the best. I was not impressed. My pho was very greasy and salty, and the beef was really fatty. I like lean beef in my pho. My pea shoots didn't arrive until well after I was finished with my pho. I consider that to be a side dish, not dessert. I wanted to try bubble tea, but after waiting a really long time to speak to our waitress, she brought our check without asking if we wanted any dessert or anything else. I know my boyfriend is going to drag me back here because he liked it. Maybe I will get a more attentive server and find something I like.
(2)Michelle W.
Love this place. Been going to this place for years. Fast service, friendly and the food is always on point! I really enjoy their Thai beef basil, beef pad Thai and yum na (steak) salad.
(5)Molida K.
I'm confused why it's called Siam Cafe when the basis of their food is traditional Chinese fare. Anyway, my friends and I were on the hunt for a good late night Saturday spot and came here. We arrived at 11pm and ordered before the 11:30 kitchen cutoff time. 7 girls= 8 plates of heaping food with plenty of leftovers. We had: General Tao's chicken, sauteed water spinach, salted spicy seafood, salted spicy scallops, chicken pad thai, sizzling beef and peppers, shredded beef with basil, and shrimp with black bean sauce. It all came out pretty quickly. The service was friendly, quick, and efficient. The food was delicious. The ambiance was quiet (due to us coming in close to closing time). I would love to come here again the next time I'm in Cleveland.
(4)Jeff B.
I have to drop the star level, the food has been a little off lately. The food is always good, but the last few times the service has been annoying. They forgot one of my dishes and it seemed like an act of god to get some cilantro. The soup we ordered was luke warm, leaving the shrimp partially cooked, it was brought back a bit warmer but not very spicy.when your nose is as stuffed as mine you need it really spicy.
(4)Steve L.
This place was cool, little kids run wild, as they should. My friend and I both agreed kids shouldn't be subject to sitting in one spot. Id rather have them run around then sit and scream at the top of their lungs. Asians really know how to keep a sense of family anywhere they settle, one of the many reasons I love the culture as a whole. I had the Siam Pineapple Fried Rice, it was a lot of food. It was not amazing, but it was good enough for me to go back and try something else. The menu was huge, Vietnamese, Chinese, Thai. They serve family style too, with a huge rotating plate placed on the table where everyone shares. You don't get that at Applebee's.
(4)渴伊
Fantastic lobster and Minglu roast duck! My favorite Chinese restaurant until now in Cleveland!
(5)Sophie Z.
This place is very delicious and extremely authentic. I always get the thai eggplant everytime I'm in. There's shrimp, minced meat and eggplant. So delicious! But my favorite thing in the place is the free dessert taro soup that they bring out at the end of the meal! Be sure to ask them for it if they don't bring it immediately. It's the perfect bit of sweetness for after dinner. The service is very good and you can come with a lot of people even on short notice. The prices are fair and the portions are large. The waiters are always very considerate to check if you need anything. I suppose speaking Chinese may help you with your transaction, but in general, they are very good. Definitely a go to place (but beware if you're intolerant of MSG...there's definitely some lurking in some of the dishes).
(4)Ba Chomp Ba Chomp Ba Chewy Chomp P.
Good lunch place. Soup and salads. The service is prompt, staff is very courteous and the place is immaculate.
(4)Randy T.
The best Asian restaurant in Cleveland for large groups in my opinion in Cleveland. There are other restaurants with more big tables, but the food is not as good. Other Asian restaurants have much better dishes, but at dinnertime rush it may be tough to seat a party of 8. Not to say that the food is mediocre. Siam Cafe serves a large variety of Asian dishes. There are mostly Thai dishes and Chinese dishes. I'm a huge fan of their basil beef/basil chicken dishes. Other dishes that I order often are the sauteed fish filet with vegetable, the minced beef and egg drop soup, and the beef short ribs with black pepper sauce. The hot plates and dishes served in clay pots are also very good. I recently ordered the stir fried beef and vegetable over rice noodles and was pleased to see that the portion size was enough for two meals. Siam Cafe tries to do a lot of dishes. If you go to an Asian restaurant that specializes more in a particular regional Chinese cuisine (Cantonese, Szechuan), you will probably enjoy the respective dishes there more. But if you want to enjoy a huge variety of Asian dishes with a lot of your friends, this is a great restaurant to go to.
(4)Lisa C.
I have been coming to Siam for years. This place is a hit or miss. I noticed the food quality can decrease when the restaurant is at full capacity. Even with that said, this probably is one of the few good quality Chinese restaurants in "Chinatown". I actually have not dined at Siam for a few months, so when a group of friends wanted to meet up for dinner, I was looking forward to the meal. We had a group of 9, so we thought it was easier and more economical to order from the already prepared family style dinner menu. It was a good combination of pork, chicken, seafood and beef. The simple noodle dish had stir fry thin noodles and some bean sprouts. Yum. I enjoyed the seafood the most. Seafood included a soup, lobster and a seafood hot pot. Dessert was tapioca with taro, unfortunately my bowl lacked the taro. Dessert is normally free, but sometimes you have to ask for it! My other all time favorite dishes is the snow pea pods, clams with black bean sauce, beef with wide rice noodles and the ground basil chicken. Come with a group of friends, so you can enjoy a little of everything! :)
(4)Megs T.
I was flabbergasted by the cheap prices of the food and drinks here. Then I was blown away by the service--friendly, professional, attentive--and the food! Quite good, fresh, humongous portions. My only gripe is that I ordered one of the beef entrees and requested it to be very spicy. The dish already had a "spicy" denoter next to it and I made sure to tell them I wanted it hot, hot, hot! (I eat lots of Thai and West Indian food and have a steel palate...) NO spice whatsoever to my beef:( Although it was very tasty:) I would return here, especially if one of those days I'm looking to eat well on a dime!
(4)Jeanne L.
This place is good overall. Most of the dishes are well cooked and well flavored. However, nothing here is particularly interesting or memorable. If you're looking for a decent meal, this is worth going to.
(4)Neal E.
I'm always a bit cautious when I come across Asian restaurants that try to serve multiple Asian cuisines - more often than not, they don't end up doing any of them really well. From the Yelp reviews - there are a number of folks that really like this place - which drew me to it. When I entered, I immediately noted a lot of folks with Asian ancestry - which to my mind is a good sign - that the food is good enough that it attracts a fan base of folks from those countries of origin. But I also noticed an odd funky, unpleasant smell - my guess is that it is the carpeting. If I was running the restaurant, I rip out the carpet and replace it with some sort of durable tile that does not adsorb or emanate odors. I came in for dinner - in a Thai kind of mood. I was curious to see what they had in the way of Thai offerings. Turns out - not as much as I had hoped for. I immediately spotted the Tom Yum soup - they serve it with shrimp, which was fine. I was also looking for Som Tom (Papaya Salad) and Kee Mao Gai (Kai?) - basically Drunken Noodles. They offered neither. My first waitress did not understand what I was asking about - so they sent over someone more experienced - she advised they offered neither of those dishes. So I went with the Tom Yum soup - I ordered a large, extra spicy. I asked how large a large was - turns out, it was waaayyyyy larger than I was expecting. They brought out this massive bowl full of soup (larger than a large bowl of Pho Ga for reference) - with a ladle, and a small cup to ladle the soup into. This bowl of soup would be something a group would order - and then share. The soup was very average and bland. It was not extra spicy. I added some Sriracha sauce to each small bowl to give it a bit of zip. The shrimp in the soup were cooked perfectly - tender and not overdone. I have to say this is some of the most mediocre Som Tum I have ever eaten. In any case, the service was good.
(2)Alan L.
Ordered the Tom yum soup. Seems as though the soup was concocted in the kitchen by adding ingredients as required. It was ok but the ingredients didn't have a chance to marry. I shrimp and mushrooms, Chili paste and either vegetable broth or chicken broth. Next got the pad Tai and fried fish with bean sauce. One person said the fish was flounder. Another said it was grouper. It was ok but I wouldn't order again. Pad Tai was fair. All in all our dishes were somewhat low spice to bland. Stick with the chow dun or fried rice to be safe. Food isn't bad but would try something else next time.
(3)David R.
I really wish I could figure out how this restaurant gets such good reviews. But what completely flips my french fries is the huge number of Asians who frequent Siam Cafe! Every time I go in there it's packed with Asians! In any other situation, this would be a Very Good Thing. Here, I can't figure it out, unless they get served something different from the rest of us. Anyway, on with the review... I've been to Siam Cafe three times over the past 3 years. The first time my wife and I went to try it. Didn't like it. Vowed not to go back. About a year later some friends of ours invited us to the "best Asian restaurant in Cleveland". They raved about it. When we arrived and realized it was Siam Cafe we were disappointed, but figured we'd give it another shot...maybe we just caught them on a bad day. Another substandard meal. The food is on par with what you'd get at one of those "picture-on-the-wall places in a strip center, you know, sandwiched between the Subway and the dry cleaner. Our friends were from Paynesville so we figured they probably didn't get out much... Fast forward to a week ago. A coworker asked me if I liked Asian food. When I said yes, he offered me a gift certificate for some "restaurant on the east side". It was about to expire after it sat in his desk drawer for a year, so he offered it to me. Imagine my dismay to see "Siam Cafe" on it. Driving out from the far west side, my wife and I actually discussed tossing the certificate in the trash and going to nearby Wonton Gourmet instead (where we've eaten once and which totally rocked our world), THAT'S how much we don't like Siam Cafe....we were ready to bin a FREE PAIR OF DINNERS there and PAY to eat someplace else. However, our native frugality betrayed us and we found ourselves sitting in Siam Cafe. The previous times we've been there we ordered some average Asian staples...Tom Ka soup (tasted like coconut-flavored water), Kung Pao chicken (no spice at all and not much in the way of flavor, either), etc. This time my wife ordered ground basil chicken and Tom Yum soup. Her soup and ground basil chicken arrived at the same time. Great, so she can watch her entree get cold while she eats her appetizer? She asked the waitress for something to cover up her entree while she ate her appetizer and after many blank looks, received a pan lid. Since none of my stuff was on the table yet, I snuck a forkful of her ground basil chicken, which looked pretty good. What the hell? It didn't taste like basil OR chicken. The closest I can approximate is that it tasted like....turkey sausage. Poorly made turkey sausage, at that. Hardly any flavor at all. I asked how her Tom Yum soup was, and she said it was meh, so no change there. My food arrived. I ordered something based entirely on a picture in the menu. I couldn't even tell what it was, it just LOOKED amazing. It turned out to be flounder with green onions and lots and lots of chili peppers. On the menu it actually had three chili's next to it (all the other hot entrees had ONE). It was almost a soup....it had about the same ratio of stuff to liquid that pho would have, except this was supposed to be eaten over rice. I dug in. This is going to sound really bizarre, but bear with me....after 4-5 mouthfuls, this stuff started giving me the weirdest sensations. My lips and tongue felt like they were....BUZZING! I told my wife it felt like I had millions of tiny ants crawling around on my lips! To clarify, it wasn't HOT (spicy). I mean, there was a little heat there, but I like insanely hot food. My lips weren't burning, they were HUMMING! And the flavor? My taste buds were completely overpowered...it was like I'd bitten into a giant chili-flavored boullion cube! I'd drink some water to wash the taste out and as soon as I put the first forkful back in my mouth I'd get the same sensations. Now, the flavor wasn't....bad. It was just impossible to eat, in the same way chewing a handful boullion cubes would be. I mean, I like the flavor of beef, but I couldn't chew up and swallow a jar of boullion cubes, you know? I don't know if it was insanely salty or what, but I gave up after maybe a third of it. (We took it home and the next day threw the leftovers in 5 cups of white rice we made, and it was STILL too salty. I poured out all the liquid and ate what was left and it was actually not bad). Atmosphere? We sat next to an emergency exit, which was opened 5-6 times during our stay; it was 30F outside, which was pleasant. I saw they had a guest wifi so I asked for the password. "So sorry, manager not give us the password." So, never again. Even IF someone gives us a free gift certicate.
(2)Huei C.
I at least visit Siam cafe once a month. There are variety of food here. Their food is quite authentic. Not only you can choose American Chinese food from the menu but also authentic Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese food. The waiter and waitress are very friendly also. Especially love their operational time. Which Asian restaurant beside Chinese take out opened this late. I personally hope they can open 24 hr. Casino is not far away from Siam cafe. They can have late night business. I think it is the top 10 best Chinese restaurant in Cleveland. I didn't give 5 stars for a reason. I hope they can change their carpet. It's a little bit old and dark.
(4)Yuanjia Z.
this is probably the most legit Chinese restaurant in Cleveland. why? because they have freaking real seafood like lobsters and steamed flounders! my friends and I went there right after Chinese new year and this place was packed. we waited for 45 minutes even with a reservation. the service was pretty good, albeit their busy schedule. they may not be as busy during other times tho. food recommended: lobster with ginger and scallions - pretty good, no other comment. one small lobster is prob 24 bucks and one large one is prob 50+. hot basil chicken - this is not really a Chinese dish but it was really really good!! steamed flounder - you have to order a steamed fish dish there because there is no where else in Cleveland as far as I know that has this kind of dish, very authentic. pork shank- this baby is huge! I thought the flavor was pretty close to the ones I had in China but I think the skin could be a littleee more fried and the color could be darker. the sauteed squid or spare ribs were both pretty meh - not recommended. the sour and spicy potato slices is a pretty Chinese dish that I didn't see anywhere else in Cleveland, highly recommended! walnut shrimp - this is not a mainland dish I suppose, maybe a Taiwanese thing? but it was ok its kinda cold. beef noodle chao niu he - this is a really Chinese dish as well, pretty well done! as you can tell, this restaurant is pretty much like a real restaurant that can survive in China. It is also not very MSG charged, unlike Szechuan and wonton, which showed their confidence in their dishes. thumbs up!
(5)P W.
I have been to Siam Cafe a few times now and have only sampled a small number of dishes from their giant menu. The service has always been good. I have everything that I have ordered so far. The menu is broken down by the type of meat and not cuisine. I don't know if that is helpful or not. Siam is a good place to go if you would just like to try something on a whim. I am sure some things on the menu are better than others but... I will quote Prodigy from Mobb Deep even though it barely applies: Life is a gamble, we scramble for money. I might crack a smile but ain't a damn thing funny.
(4)Chantha N.
My fiancé and I come here about twice a month. Good food. Good portions, staff are nice. Only thing is, sometimes they don't always have everything on the menu other than that we love it here.
(5)Scott A.
How does this restaurant have a 4 star rating???? This food is unbelievably bland and tasteless! This is among the worst Chinese food I have ever had. The dumplings were doughy and tasteless. The wonton soup was hot broth and dough. The Gen Tso chicken was raw and tasteless. Avoid this restaurant at all cost!
(1)Xun W.
great place for authentic Chinese food! The price is good too!
(5)S H.
This saddens me.....not sure when my palate turned the proverbial corner on this place but it was right before we watched a waiter bring a huge vat-o-soup to a neighboring table and watched him serve (ladle) scoop fulls of hot bun bo hue to eagerly awaiting customers. He slightly nodded and wished them..in my estimation, bon appetite! Our mouths watered with anticipation for the same presentation. Much to our surprise, the same waiter brought the same soup to our table....sat it down...placed the serving ladle in the vat-o-bun bo hue and walked away without spriceless. a äº«å— (enjoy). We shared a silent "wtf" amongst our table guest. I shrugged off feelings of embarrassment as I had bragged about this place to friends and family and chalked it up to "must be an off night? Fast forward to the dish I'd ordered each visit....crispy fried whole fish. Our table mates entrees arrived slowly.. which is unusual, but my crispy fried fish arrived when everyone was finished. it was the worst ever.stale, old and over cooked. I should have known by the side way glances from the wait staff that something was amiss. Usually the owner visits each table, but we were avoided that night. sad to say we have not returned since that night. when I do suggest Siam,I am met with this reminder: seriously? in this economy, second chances are priceless.
(3)Karan P.
It's a good Chinese restaurant. That is as far as it goes. I have heard so much about this place, I was eager to try it out, but I should say I was disappointed with the service when I got there. It was busy for a weekday night. The food was good but not extraordinary. Very less options for vegetarians. I ordered a curry and wanted cashews to be added in it (not included in the menu item). I was charged $2 for adding cashews, but they were not added! I wanted to substitute the white rice with fried rice, but apparently that had to be a whole order of fried rice as it's made to order. All in all, I was charged more than the menu price for the add-ons which I never got.
(3)Rochelle W.
My all time favorite restaurant! My family has been coming to this restaurant for 20 years! We used to come just for the spring rolls, which are the best. I've had many different items from here and I've loved everything I've tasted. I love the staff, they are attentive and cry friendly. They know my family and have watched my children grow up. I would, and have recommend this place to everyone I know. People keep telling me about the restaurant across the street but every time I plan to try it I always go to Siam Cafe.
(5)Arun M.
It was a very pleasant surprise to find this place through some chinese friends I work with. They were very happy that we could not a chance to eat at a local american buffet! It is actually a very decent place for being so far away from downtown. And they were full at lunch time. I had ordered some vegetarian food and it was delicious. The wait staff was very delightful and attentive. It was one of the best chinese food I had in long time. I am sure I am going to make many more trips to this place in the future looking for the delicious food.
(5)Olga S.
My heart is bleeding to do this but here you go, three stars down...The place definitely has a potential and good food but apparently between all the deliciousness brooding in the kitchen and your table there is an abyss of bad customer service. First, nobody notices us for good 10 minutes. By nobody I mean: not even water was offered. Then absolutely non-English speaking waiter appears and rubs his ear and smiles when we ask him about the complicated dishes on the menu. After a very long process of ordering food (which reminded me running under the water) we got wonton soup which was tepid at the most and for whatever reason not so tasty. My friends politely asked to take the soups back ( they literally tried couple of spoons), and the middle-aged waitress started shaming them for not wanting the soup as if they were preschoolers wanting dessert instead of dinner. - Did you know what you were ordering? - Yes, we did. but the taste was disappointing. - What was wrong? - Well the dumplings.. - What's wrong with the dumplings? You did know there are shrimp in them? My ears almost started to bleed listening to this conversation which should have never taken a place in a first place. Golden rule: if customer barely touched the meal and did not like it, customer has a right to return in to the kitchen. Period. Even if you happen to serve the most unbelievable Won ton with mushy dumplings. I felt thoroughly embarrassed and somewhat angry. Then main course arrived. My guests got their fried rice with shrimp first, and then I got mine pad thai..10 minutes later. 10 minutes may be not a long time in terms of waiting when it comes to anything else but two hungry men who finished their meals almost in 5 minutes. My dish was not even tepid, it was cold. I was scared to send it back to be reheated because I was sure that the waitress was already cursing us out in the kitchen. But the most unexpected happened already home: the splitting headache followed by the waves of nausea. So here you go, Siam's café: it's not me, it's you. Good bye forever, my beloved oriental star. I think I should start seeing other restaurants.
(2)J D.
best chinese in cleveland. hands down.
(4)Michael D.
Amazingly big portions. Good food! Good prices. Has Vietnamese/Chinese/Thai food. Range of options but they do it well. Nice ambience. Very clean. Good wait staff. Quick to bring out the food. Only negatives are they should have a small soup or something while we wait for the food. And charging for tea in an Asian place is a bit weird? But I guess if Americans can do it, I guess Asians can too? But dericious! 4.5 star rating. But will bump it up to 5 stars cause it's very good Asian food in the midwest!
(5)Geordie E.
You can get Thai, Vietnamese and Chinese dishes at this Chinese run restaurant. Pretty good for all the basic stuff.
(3)Beki I.
Delish!!
(4)Lisa H.
This was a great place! They had a great variety of dishes! The spring rolls were amazing. The service was good and it was nice to see a lot of Asian families there. The bubble tea was great! We will be back to try some different dishes.
(4)John C.
I have come to Siam Cafe off and on over the last 14 years. I enjoy it. I'm not a food expert, much less an Asian food expert, but I like the food here. I also like that I see a lot of Asian people eating here. And I've seen Fred Griffith here, and Dennis Kucinich. They have many different kinds of food, from several regions of Asia. They also have "weird" Asian food, like jellyfish and live frog, which I have never tried. I seriously doubt I could eat a live frog, or even a dead one that I killed. I enjoy several dishes including Bun Bo Chao (sp) and Stir-Fried Beef with Vermicelli. I also like the Stuffed Chicken Wings, Spring Rolls and Fried Rice. The service here is almost always great, but occasionally inconsistent. I had once been away for a year and the head waiter remembered me and what I had eaten the last time I was there. He is really excellent. Also, they are open late which is a plus. Overall, I enjoy the service and the food. That is what makes a good restaurant in my opinion.
(4)Cindy H.
I was concerned about working in Ohio for 3 weeks....mainly because I assumed there wasn't any good asian food here. Haha. My friend that lives out here told me about Siam Cafe and how great it is. I had to make the venture out to the GHETTO of eastside cleveland and check this place out. Holy crap, every asian person in Ohio was eating at Siam when I arrived. The place was packed on a Sunday night. That's always a good sign. The food was delicious! The menu is extensive and a bit confusing at first because they have a lot of Chinese dishes and then you see Pad Thai and Tom Yum Soup. I've never been to a restaurant with a mix of Chinese, Vietnamese and Thai food. But, let me tell you what I ordered: * Seafood, Tofu and Vegetable Soup. So comforting & delicious! * Chef's special, Live Flounder Fish Fried. Comes out with a sweet black sauce that you pour over it. It was perfectly cooked and had the right amount of seasoning. * Pad Thai was pretty stinking good and I've had a lot of pad thai! * Honey Walnut Shrimp. These shrimps were a good size. Juicy. * Mango Bubble Tea. Wish I got an extra order of this to go as a roadie. I would definitely recommend Siam Cafe if you're in the Cleveland area. You won't be disappointed!
(4)Jessi N.
While there are other Chinese restuarants I would choose to go to before Siam cafe, they do have some decently good dishes. The few times I've come here are with people who absolutely love Siam cafe and thus, know what to order. My friend wrote on the paper on the table each of the dishes we wanted and the waitress just wrote those down and put in our order. All the dishes we ordered are really good. My favorite is probably the basil chicken (I've had it twice now and it was just as good both times). The garlic onchoy (I think, some form of greens) was also really good. I can't remember everything else we had but it was all yums. Again, go with someone who knows what to order or take recommendations from some yelpers :) Service was decent, although we'd have to flag down waiters to get refills on water/rice/tea but that's kind of normal for Chinese restaurants. It's usually pretty crowded but they serve pretty quickly and I've never had to wait for a long time for a table. I also love that you get dessert at the end, soo yummy.
(4)Shane M.
This is one of my Family's favorite places to go; Nestled on a corner deep within Cleveland's Asia Town. The food here is always excellent, even when ordering something unknown and new. It just always seems to be top notch. I first knew this place was great when realizing there were more Asians here than any other ethnicity. That should tell you something about the authenticity of the food. Tables filled with families drinking, being loud and joyful. The service is what you would expect in Asia Town, attentive and to the point. The food though, for me personally is quite exceptional. The seafood is always fresh which I appreciate, and they always keep the tea coming. Nostalgia runs high for me personally at Siam Café, but I would never let that detour me from honesty. With that being said, this place is awesome on so many levels and I highly recommend it.
(4)Teri W.
Siam Cafe has become one of my dedicated food haunts, especially for late-night munchies (a girl needs more than Bier Markt pizza and burgers sometimes). The food here will probably not razzle-dazzle you (not that any Chinese restaurant in Cleveland can really hold that distinction), but it's consistent and quite tasty. That said, a number of dishes are excellent: the Pad Thai, the Thai Basil Chicken, the Salt Baked Squid, and my new favorite, the Vietnamese Pork Chops. Moreover, the waitstaff is extremely friendly and courteous. Siam Cafe is definitely one of the best Chinese restaurants in town, and I certainly prefer it over Li Wah and even Wonton Gourmet (both very inconsistent, and their food doesn't taste particularly fresh or clean to me).
(4)Stefanie F.
Yelp won't leave me alone until I write this review. (Back up off me, Yelp!) First, I'll say this. The only reason we went to Siam Cafe was because Wonton BBQ was closed. Sorry, truth. BUT!!!!!.... I'm not sad about it. Siam was very good. My family and I were the only non-Asians in the whole place. Very good sign. The menu is overwhelming. One of the only things I didn't like, but that's to be expected at a place that offers so many different types of authentic Asian noms. Everything was supremely fresh. They even have fish in tanks that you'll later see on your plate! Tons of fish. Lobsters and frogs, too. Oh, I'm sorry. Did that make you squeamish? Muahahaha! Too bad. Portions are out of control huge. I went with four family members and we all ordered an entree and had boxes and boxes of leftovers to take home. Plus, we got a few appetizers and soups, too. We're all fat but that was way too much even for us chubbies. Service was wonderful. They really catered to my bratty child and brought out his pho almost right away. And they didn't mind that he insisted on standing by the fish tanks for a big chunk of the time we were there. I'm trying to get back soon to try more of their rotund menu.
(4)Joan H.
Another disappointing Chinese restaurant in Cleveland. We ordered 3 dishes and 1 beef noodle soup. The noodle resembles instant noodle, and my husband who usually loves the noodle soup ate less than half. Thai basil ground chicken is the most flavorful dish, but surely salty. The Japanese egg tofu tastes ok. The worse dish is the eggplant pot and seafood/fish in the dish is NOT fresh and tastes gross. The service was so slow. All the dishes were brought in different time, and we had to wait long time between dishes.
(2)Anne H.
I've been eating at Siam Cafe since I was a child. This restaurant is (in my opinion) the best for Asian Cuisine in Cleveland. The staff is fast and friendly. The food is delicious. The prices are reasonable. I've lived in Columbus, Chicago, New York and I still crave my favorite dishes from Siam. For large parties, I highly recommended their dinner packages. I'm now a vegetarian but the meat dishes in those packages were truly AMAZING. My favorite dishes in those packages were the beef, stir-fried noodle (veggie), and pork. Since I've been a vegetarian, I've also explored their veggies options. They have a braised tofu that is great! Siam Cafe has provided me with some of my best family memories! I hope this restaurant never closes.
(5)Kenny Y.
I've had mixed experiences at this restaurant. I've gone with friends and thought the food was quite tasty. The place does attract a decent Asian clientele, though not as much as Wonton Gourmet. On the other hand... - We ordered a tofu dish and a fish dish once, and when they came out, we realized that the fish dish was prepared in a virtually identical fashion as the tofu dish (except for the few pieces of fish, of course). Yes, they were in two different parts of the menu and had very different names. No, they did not warn us when we ordered it. - I went once with my parents and ordered a whole fish. The fish came out in about 5 minutes, and the middle of the fish was cold. When we complained, the waitstaff refused to believe that they could possibly undercook the fish, and started arguing with us. My parents got extremely annoyed and forced them to send the dish back. They ignored us for the rest of the time we were there and never apologized. I guess you could be lucky, or not.
(2)Rick M.
Expected this place to be great based on the reviews. It is very possible that I ordered the wrong thing. The waiter I had was very aloof. He was looking over my head while I ordered. I asked for Thai hot and what I got was fairly bland. I would of asked for some chili oil but I didn't see him again until I got the check a half hour later. I guess someone dining alone is ignored if you aren't a regular.
(2)Marvin M.
One of my favorite Asian restaurants in Cleveland. A pretty aggressive menu and while not fully authentic certainly not a suburban strip mall Asian spot. Portions are large and reasonably priced. Dishes are perfect for sharing. Decor needs to be updated but I guess that and the location keep the prices down. Just don't expect a fancy joint. I have been to Siam's countless times and have never been disappointed. My favorite dishes are the Baby Bok Choy, Cumin Lamb, duck choo Chee and ground basil chicken. Tried the Bubble Tea yesterday for the first time which was some of the best I have had! This place always has a decent crowd no matter the time or date and is worth a visit!
(4)Alan S.
One of the most frustrating things a diner can experience is inconsistency. Do you think it's an accident people love going (often) to places like Players, Lolita, Fahrenheit, etc? It's because they pretty much know their meal is going to fall somewhere between damn good and holy crap. So, how did I know not to review Siam Cafe after my first visit? Well, kind of an educated guess in that 1) the place itself is huge, and 2) the menu is hugh-er. Very often that combo guarantees things are going to be all over the board. And, so, they were. Had I reviewed Siam after my first visit three weeks ago it would have been a five star no-brainer. Ordered the beef short ribs with "Chef's Special Sauce" and it was pretty much off-the-charts amazing. But I waited. Second visit two weeks ago and ordered the same thing. It was very good but totally different than the first time. How does that happen? I imagine they have many people cooking in a place that size and they all do things a bit different. But I didn't want different, I wanted the dream dish from visit one. Nope. Wifey didn't join me the first two visits so we decided to go last Saturday after seeing the Rembrandt show (if you missed it, oops, it was great). So, we ordered the beef satay which was solid, and I made the mistake of ordering a shrimp dish without asking how much it was ($25,00) and wifey ordered a chicken dish which had less flavor than, well, any chicken dish either of us ever had. And my shrimp dish was considerably below average. Hell, I would have kissed average on the lips. This sucked. So, does that mean we won't go back? Well, my wife won't, and I may not either. I've been to Wonton Gourmet once (it was great) but holding off a review until another visit. No, it's NOWHERE near the size of Siam but just thought I should try it once more. Do I suggest you don't go to Siam? Of course not. My guess is with a menu that gigundous there are going to be plenty of wonderful dishes and a few clunkers. Finding the good ones could be a challenge but it could be fun, too. Maybe. Kinda of. But, please, don't be a googootz and order something without a price and NOT ASK. That dish will be worth $25.00 when I grow my hair back. Which I'm not. Ever.
(2)Kim T.
I know, the menu is HUGE, right? They can't possibly specialize in so many different kinds of cuisine. Somehow they manage it all, perfectly. To other reviewers that have talked about this location or other restaurants in the Asia Town area, this isn't the ghetto. Isn't just east of downtown with a lot of lofts, art buildings, printing/industrial buildings, and a nice racial diversity. Ok, anyways... I live for Siam. Everything here is amazing. i don't order anything that the mall food court offers, because frankly, they are going to cater to that American suburbian palate. Pad thai, Pla Red Pik, Green Curry, Crab, Short Ribs, Beef Tenderloin, I could go on and on. I've been eating here for years and I will never eat my way through the entire menu. I will also say that I know that Superior Pho gets all the attention for a bowl of pho in Cleveland, but I think that Siam Cafe has, what could be the best bowl of pho in the area. One sip of that wonderful broth and I think that you might be converted.
(5)Jane P.
Such a pleasant surprise! We have only been here once, but we are coming back, hopefully soon! We were invited to a "tiny wedding" (which I just loved how it was presented that way... an exchanging of vows by two friends outside at the Cleveland Museum of Art. We met up with them at a small gathering at Siam Cafe. The food was delicious. First, whatever you have, you must include an order of the Green Beans. They were as perfect as this dish can ever be!! Always a FAVorite for me. I had Pad Thai and I will want that again and again. The menu is extensive, with creative dishes that brave souls other than me will be ordering. Our lovely large round table sported a spinning center, so the abundance of food was easily passed in circles if you wanted to try anothers... that is, if you could let go of your plate and share!! Siam Cafe proves, you can grow up in Greater Cleveland, but you can never know every single place you need to try out! I would not hesitate to recommend this restaurant to a couple or a large group.
(5)David H.
Consistently good food. Atmosphere is much to be desired - little plain, neighborhood not great, but the food is always good, large portions, flavorful, fresh/hot. Favorite is the Pad Thai. Moved away from the area about 13 years ago, and return to see family annually, so I am always comparing Pad Thai to other restaurants, and none can compare. Great noodles, right proportion of eggs, scallion, shrimp, chicken, nuts and sauce. Beijing Pork Chop is another great choice, sort of sweet and sour dish, but pork on segments of bone. Fried pork twisted and holds sauce well, better than nugget dishes. Siam Cafe is a great choice in Cleveland, and competes well if not better w/ similar places we have tried in New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts.
(4)Rob S.
Certainly the best Asian food I've had in the Cleveland area, but I've mainly been frequenting the "All You Can Eat Heart Exploder" places. Seriously, this place has the largest and most expansive menu that I've seen outside of San Francisco. I went there on a Sunday afternoon during the brunch rush but still had no problem getting a table quickly. Service was good, but the first sign that things were going to get wacky was when one of my friends was served a bowl of wonton soup about twice the size of her head. The serving sizes only got bigger from there. The crazy portions of garlic chicken lo mein and random fried rice we all shared were miles away from your normal sodium-soaked strip-mall fare.
(4)Rachael N.
Meh. Very....meh. My parents really wanted to try this restaurant, after talking to the cashier at the AsiaTown store. I just nodded my head and took them over to Siam Cafe. It was surprisingly...empty for 11am on a Saturday. Perhaps it was because there was a Moon Festival event later that day? Maybe everyone was out of town? I'm not sure. Anyways, we ordered some singapore noodles and beef noodles to go. I...was not too impressed. It lacked flavor and it was oily. I mean, if you have a craving, definitely go, but... it's not somewhere where I would be like, "omg, this is AMAZING." It was more like.... "umm... this is okay. It's the midwest, what do you expect." Perhaps I need to try more items off the menu....?
(3)Richard H.
This place has quite the reputation. Unfortunately that was before the owner moved out of the country. We went on the advice of friends and found it to nasty. We ordered 2 dinners and a few mins later they delivered this seafood soup. We thought.. Ok maybe it comes with the meal.. I took a spoonful and really didn't care for it ... the waiter then comes back 15 mins and asks for it back, walks 4 tables over and delivers it to another table! This was truly a WTF moment. I informed him that we had eaten some of the soup and all of the sudden he could speak English and walked away. We decided that we wouldn't let this ruin our experience and focused our attention on the main entrees being delivered. The Pad Thai grew real old after the 4th or 5th bite and neither of us even wanted to finish or meals. The staff was either disinterested in taking care of us or didnt speak English and avoided us. There was no chance in even hoping for a beverage refill.. The worst part, we were seated so we could see Bo Loong across the street and several times found ourselves feeling cheated. The fact that there are so many positive reviews for this place is proof positive that people in Cleveland are desperate for a good place to eat, so much so .. that they will eat ANYTHING! When you have Bo Loong across the street, there is no reason to ever even need to pull in to the parking lot of this place. I hear it used to be fantastic and i wish i had eaten there "when". However, at present... I wouldn't recommend it.
(1)Jazz J.
For me this place is more often a miss than hit. When I come with a group of 5 or more the food and service is decent to very good. When I come with my wife the service is horrible. We've been forgotten or ignored by the wait staff, waiting on tea, water, and to place an order as much as 20 min. On two occasion the food was under cooked. Once the food had a rotted odor. The waitress seemed upset because we dared to complain. They do offer a wide selection and seem to be a staple for Cleveland folks but after living here for 13 years I can say this place is over rated. I have not been there for 2 years in a group or alone. If you crave inconsistency this is the place. There are at least 3 restaurants on Payne that serve tasty fresh food consistently.
(1)Laura C.
Best Asian cuisine in the city! You have got to try the stuffed chicken wings. It seems to defy the laws of physics, the way they hold together. You will feel like you are in that KFC commercial- "I ate the bones!" Also, the ginger tea rocks!!!!
(5)Rick W.
Tom Yum was good, the jelly fish was ok, little rubbery. Pickled veggies were good. Pad Thai was very good , but wasn't impressed with the chicken cabbage salad. Would like to go back again and try something different.
(3)Danny D.
It really hurts me to rate them so low. Their food is okay. I went on a weekday night and the service is terrible. We waited a half hour for tea and my meal was lacking roughly half of the food.
(1)Treavor E.
Excellent food and extensive menu. They have a full bar offering. The host and staff were welcoming, courteous and prompt. From the conversations overheard, this place has a lot of regular customers. The location is industrial, but their is ample parking in the lot. It's about 1 mile south of downtown, a couple of blocks west of lakeshore drive. Siam Cafe was an excellent choice while we were in town.
(4)Christine Y.
Oohhh another spot I've been coming to for years...not as long as I remember but close enough. Almost every family dinner I have at a restaurant ends up at this place!!! If you come here for lunch, they have pretty good specials. Well actually I haven't come here for lunch in a bit, but when I did...this is what I ordered... The pho is pretty decent here, hard to find good pho (was a pho place nearby but I believe closed now), and the bun dit nuong (vermicelli rice noodle salad) too. Sometimes I order the pad thai and other dishes, but generally I go for the 2 mentioned first. For dinner, you should order more traditional Chinese stuff. My entire family always comes here for big meals (that's at least 10 people minumum and goes up to 17) and anytime there's something to celebrate. Not all the dishes are spectacular, but all are pretty darn good. My family is Chinese so they would know, even my grandma doesn't complain (or at least I don't hear it). They even make things without any msg too, which is sometimes quite hard for certain dishes, but they'll do it. Sometimes it needs to be requested though. Well, I guess the ambience isn't anything special and neither is the decor. Just usual functional style. Service is always good, as expected from a place in Chinatown. If a buncha people who originated from China eat here, I'd say its a good place to eat.
(5)Y C.
Cons: - Expensive - Very basic seasoning and sloppy presentation. Many dishes tasted similar even though they were named completely differently (Ie: basil beef vs. fish with tofu). Pros: - Friendly service - Homely atmosphere - Open on Christmas eve and day
(2)Amy C.
Bad greasy noodles for the Vietnamese soup noodles (like pho). Thick meat that was really fatty and near impossible for me to eat. Soup had no flavor and seemed like just MSG water...did I mention the layer of fat/grease on top? Service is always fine though they are slow with the water refills, but that's pretty standard for Asian restaurants. Very disappointed overall.
(2)Wenyu Z.
Dined there once and was not so impressed. Perhaps I'm just so used to spicy Chinese food already.
(3)Keith W.
I got carryout from here last week after reading all the good reviews on Yelp. Very unimpressed. I don't know, maybe I got the wrong thing. I decided to go with something pretty simple, chicken lo mein. I thought, chicken and noodles, how could that be bad. In short, way too greasy, very bland tasting chicken, soggy vegetables, noodles clumped together in one big mass. It was somewhat palatable, but not enough for me to finish the dish. The one upside was that it was a very generous serving. Perhaps I will go back someday and try something different on the menu. After all, I don't claim to be an expert on Chinese and Asian cuisine. It is quite probable that I just the wrong thing here. For now, though, I will have to try out some of the other Chinese restaurants in Cleveland.
(2)Joseph M.
Out of all the restaurants that serve Calamari, I would say Siam Cafe serves the best! I have been to many Thai restaurants in CA, and across the U.S., but nothing can compare to their crunchy-on-the-outside, tender-on-the-inside, very tasty Calamari! Of course, the rest of the menu is just as good! I highly recommend this place!
(5)Ferdinand H.
Siam cafe's decor is looking a bit long in the tooth... the architecture is from an era past, and the colours are a tad weary. On the way in to meet a friend, I did hear a pair speaking in Japanese. I almost turned around to ask them where they were from... but decided against it. (Yes, there are really _that_ few japanese in CLE) Instead, I decided to sit down with my friend John and try the place out. The menu selection is largely cantonese. There's a tiny bit of Thai and moderate amount of Vietnamese. My guess is that the founders are Viet-Chinese. Who owns/runs the place now is beyond me. We had Mapo Tofu (I"ve been craving food from North of Guangzhou since coming back to the 'States), a Tendinous beef steam-pot thingee, and a vietnamese style pork cutlets. The Vietnamese Pork was the highlight getting a 4 from me. Texture could have been a bit better, and the salt factor was just a tad high... but the taste was good -- especially spruced up with a bit of Sriracha. The Tendinous Beef and tofu skin pot was also pretty good 3-4. Texture good, flavour deep yet mellow. Rice was adequate, nothing stunning, but good consistency. They served ice water, no tea. That kindov hurt. The Mapo tofu was not what I wanted. I'd actually asked the waitress if the cooks were southerners (Chinese), and she said yes. I turned to my friend and said that I didn't want Mapo tofu if they were cantonese... My experience is that Canto interpretation of Mapo tofu is typically off. I commented also that their use of peppercorn typically left a lot to be desired. We got it anyway because the waitress assured us that it was alright. I'm not ever getting it again. :/ Numerous peppercorns of 0 potency do not make for numbing-tufu. Mapo tofu needs to NUMB THE TONGUE! The confucian concept of the Rectification of Names demands it! Instead, the numerous emasculated peppercorns merely clutter the sauce with bits of rigidity that add nothing to flavour, and everything to inedibility. Sigh. Despite my intensely negative reaction to the tofu, the other fare wasn't nearly so poorly received. In due time, perhaps I'll sample more of their work... in the mean time, I might venture elsewhere...
(3)Viet P.
on par with cleveland asian cuisine. rather bland seasoning. fine place for brunch/lunch. pad thai was sweet/sour not spicy as it traditionally should be.
(3)Bob O.
Ordered emperors chicken, my wife chose the cashew chicken. Both were very good. The service was awful, waited to place the order, the spring tools arrived reasonably fast the meals not so much. We waited over a half hour for the cashew chicken and over 50 minutes for the emperor chicken. We split the cashew chicken, and we're finished by the time the emperor chicken arrived. Then we waited for the check, which we paid promptly, but the waitress decided to have a rather long conversation at the register, I had to go get the check to sign it after 15 minutes,
(3)