Lemon Grass Thai Restaurant Menu

  • Appetizers
  • Salads
  • Soups
  • Grilled Entrees
  • Chef's Suggestion
  • Customer's Favorite
  • Sauteed Entrees
  • Curry Entrees
  • Seafood Entrees
  • Noodle and Fried Rice
  • Vegetarian Appetizers
  • Vegetarian Salads
  • Vegetarian Soups
  • Vegetaroan & Tofu Entrees
  • Side Orders
  • Desserts

Healthy Meal suggestions for Lemon Grass Thai Restaurant

  • Appetizers
  • Salads
  • Soups
  • Grilled Entrees
  • Chef's Suggestion
  • Customer's Favorite
  • Sauteed Entrees
  • Curry Entrees
  • Seafood Entrees
  • Noodle and Fried Rice
  • Vegetarian Appetizers
  • Vegetarian Salads
  • Vegetarian Soups
  • Vegetaroan & Tofu Entrees
  • Side Orders
  • Desserts

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  • Caitlyn H.

    Called for delivery, they accepted my order, 40 minutes later they called and cancelled because "my street was closed". Definitely not closed at all. Horrible customer service.

    (1)
  • Ashleigh S.

    Really yummy Panang Curry!! I'm a sucker for coconut curry and this met all of my expectations. They were also very nice and accommodating for our large group (~12) so it was a pleasant evening. Did not check on us very often but I think that was best since we were taking our sweet time and enjoying dinner. Would have been nice to get the check without having to ask. Definitely will come here again when looking for a BYOB.

    (4)
  • Banana B.

    All I know is someone needs to gimme a syringe so I can slam some of that green curry! Stat! it's delicious...

    (4)
  • Carey D.

    This place so taste! I love to eating here! Many fun times and awesome delicious! No problem! So happy!

    (5)
  • Leigh O.

    I cannot lie when I say I threw up after eating here. I can't say what I contributed it to exactly. It was all good until it wasn't. So, with that being said I'm only going to review on the basis of the quality and flavor of the food - not my tummy that day. I really enjoy Thai food and I was excited that this location was in good distance to my place so I decided to try several things here. I got the lemon grass soup, tulip dumplings, shrimp pad thai and I also tried the Thai tea. I've since come to the conclusion that I don't care for any type of pad Thai and will never order it from here or anywhere else. Since I've confirmed I don't like it at all I won't comment on the quality because it wouldn't be a valuable contribution. Besides that, the lemongrass soup was not strong at all and the broth unfortunately tasted strongly to water than anything. I did not like the dumplings either. They included a sauce but the dumplings were super dry and the sauce couldn't save them. The Thai tea was my least favorite I've ever had as it was not as sweet compared to what I'm used to. It's very rare that I can order from a place and not enjoy ANYTHING I order. In my opinion, there are way too many other Thai places in this city to settle for mediocre food. While they are the only ones that deliver to my apartment, the delivery was at SNAIL pace and the quality and taste is just not worth it. This right here is a miss for me. I will not be returning or recommending!

    (2)
  • Su W.

    This place is okay for a quick fix of Thai. The food is made fast and hot. There's nothing special about the food. The service is great as well, the waitresses are attentive and refill drinks on the dot. This place was really quiet and laid back when I went. So it was pretty easy to have a conversation without the need to shout across the table.

    (3)
  • Vadim Z.

    I was disappointed by this restaurant. Lunch menu is very limited. They do not even have my favorite Pad See Ew by which I measure the quality of a new thai restaurant I visit. Vegetarian coconut soup was watery and tasteless. Egg roll was huge but soaked in oil and sweet sauce so you can barely taste the food. Pad Thai was OK and the portion was generous. When I asked for hot sauce they brought me a bottle of Sriracha! The Chinese painting on the wall does not add authenticity unless you are ignorant enough to consider Chinese and Thai to be the same.

    (2)
  • Cat N.

    In my quest for the perfect Thai delivery place we tried Lemon Grass last night. Buddha dumplings were really not very good at all. Doughy and not a lot of filling. I ordered the basil salmon, which was WAY overpriced ($16 for a ~5 oz portion of salmon, white rice, a few tiny veggies, and sauce), and the sauce was weirdly non-Asian... cream based? Separated. Not attractive (although didn't taste horrible). Pad thai with shrimp was meh. Delivery (via GrubHub) was fast, but that won't get a return order from me.

    (2)
  • Nazee Z.

    I lived down the street from Lemongrass for quite some time but never got a chance to try it. Finally ordered some take out from here last night, and enjoyed what I got! I tried the lemongrass soup with chicken. I really enjoyed the spicy sour-ness of this soup. My boyfriend has been obsessed with pho lately, so it was nice to get a similar flavor but with different ingredients. The soup was loaded with basil, chicken, onions, carrots and was quite tasty. Just a tadddd bit cold. I was hoping for some steaming soup :) We also ordered the drunken noodles which I really loved. My boyfriend complained that they didn't get him drunk so they didn't work, but that's ok ;) Tons of veggies, lots of flavor, and really tender chicken. Quite a fan! In addition, we got the evil jungle princess--cause who doesn't want to eat a dish called evil jungle princess? I was again very pleased when I had this! Loaded with snow peas, onions, carrots, broccoli, chicken, tofu, and other things. The red curry was subtle and tasty, although, I would preferred it to be a bit spicier. But everything was very flavorful and delicious. Prices were moderate and delivery time was shorter than grubhub estimated--so great service! Would order from here again

    (4)
  • Fam B.

    This place has great lunch specials--appetizer, soup, and entree for $8.95! The chicken satay, dumplings, and egg roll appetizers never disappointment. I really enjoy the lemongrass soup--it's the perfect combination of sour and spice. My friends really like the coconut soup if you can't handle spice. For the main entree, I love getting the Pad Thai spicy. Without asking for "spicy," it can be a little sweet for people who don't enjoy that. You also can't go wrong with Drunken Noodle, Thai basil chicken, or curry. My friends have also enjoyed the evil jungle princess. The portions are just right. This is a "go-to" for those of us who work in the area.

    (4)
  • Jonny R.

    Inexpensive lunch special comes with soup, app, and main. Perfect amount of food for lunch and tastes pretty authentic. Recommended. I got the pork dumplings (a little too sweet), a vegetable soup with a clear and delicious broth, and the panang curry. Good choices, decent service, great price.

    (3)
  • Vidushi B.

    I came here with a large group of people (20+) for a BYOB group dinner, and overall had a good experience. The restaurant was very accommodating of our group, and gave us a room to ourselves and didn't mind us walking around and drinking box wine. I ordered the Himmapan, which was essentially stir-fried vegetables, chicken, and shrimp. It definitely wasn't amazing, but it was pretty good, and I was satisfied. The experience here for me definitely wasn't about the food, but the restaurant had a nice ambiance and very good service. I definitely recommend coming here with large groups for BYOB events.

    (4)
  • Kelly P.

    It's been about 4 years, I think it's time to update my review! Just had another very nice visit to Lemon Grass for dinner. The chicken Pad Thai, while a little on the sweet side, was excellent. Chicken Thai basil was spicy like I requested. The ingredients in both dishes were very fresh and flavorful. The staff was friendly enough and they were very quick to bring out our food, fill our glasses and clear our plates.

    (4)
  • Olga R.

    I go here at least once a month for lunch. They have a fix lunch and for 8.95 it is not bad. The food is fresh and delish.

    (4)
  • Reinaldo F.

    The food was ok but the reason that this restaurant received a one star rating is because one person in my party found a baby roach in their dessert. Enough said.

    (1)
  • Esther C.

    I really enjoy the food from Lemon Grass. However, I don't order from there as much because their delivery hours appear to be inconsistent. Nonetheless, all of their food is absolutely delicious!

    (4)
  • Dan S.

    I ordered from here for delivery last night. Delivery: Super fast. The driver also followed my instructions and made it to my 5th floor apartment without a problem. He was very nice. Food: I ordered the Golden Rings and the Pad Thai. The Golden Rings, or fried calamari, were very disappointing. I maybe received 7 pieces of soggy calamari that tasted like nothing. The pad thai was actually very good and came with fresh shrimp, tofu, and egg. I might try them again though it seems like a hit or miss.

    (3)
  • Tommy M.

    I'm giving this place 4 stars simply for the Red Curry, which is the best I've had in years. I've only ever gotten takeout from Lemon Grass, so I cannot speak to the waitstaff or ambiance, but the food is great! Ordered from here last night - I got the Red Curry (with deep fried tofu), my "friend" got the Pad See Ew (with tofu as well), and we shared the Thai Dumplings. My food was amazing, but I was unimpressed with the Dumplings (too greasy) and the Pad See Ew (literally no sauce and seemingly no spice). However, I've had the Red Curry several times in the past and zero complaints. The other items were underwhelming, but I will definitely be ordering takeout (the Red Curry) in the future!

    (4)
  • Sridhar P.

    Pad thai not good. Stinks. Tastes weird. Left after taking 5 bites.

    (1)
  • Mary K.

    The Thai Dumplings are AMAZING. The classic Pad Thai with chicken is to die for, and has just the right balance of peanut, noodles and alfalfa.

    (5)
  • Alex M.

    I've had a lot of good Thai food in my day. This is pretty good. Not the greatest, but pretty good. Also, solidly pleasant on the wallet. A beer, a noodle dish and a cup of soup is only gonna set you back like $15. This area is hurting for new bars and restaurants but I'm glad that Lemon Grass is here.

    (3)
  • Brian N.

    It was a nice location to hold a birthday dinner for my boss. It's a BYO so that's a plus. The atmosphere is definitely very cozy for a small gathering. There's not much room to move around inside the restaurant though. Food was alright, it took a while to come out too. For appetizer, I ordered the shrimp papaya salad like I always do at every Thai restaurant. I was a bit disappointed it came out on a plate instead of a cocktail glass like I saw in one of the pictures here on Yelp. For the main course, I went with the "young girl on fire" which is basically a dish where the waiter/waitress sets a hen on fire to cook right in front of you. It came out a little bit burned and there's not much flavor in the meat. However, it definitely got the attention of all my friends and they all agreed that I ordered the coolest dish of the night.

    (3)
  • Emily T.

    Cute interior. Fast service, even for take out. Buddha dumplings are delicious! Corn cakes are strange and not tasty. All soups and noodle dishes are excellent.

    (4)
  • Jordan B.

    Lemongrass is one of our go-to spots at work. Their lunch special is a great deal -- for $8.95, you can pick one appetizer, one soup, and one entree (or, if you're like my boss, two appetizers and one entree. They're pretty flexible.). I'd recommend their Lemon grass soup (of course), as well as their Evil Jungle Princess if you eat meat and their Vegetarian Green Curry if you don't. I ordered their Seafood Lover once, and it lives up to its name. It was a bit too much meat for me with not enough vegetables, but if that's your thing, go for it! It's pretty easy to take smaller groups here (maybe 6 people max), although we've never tried with larger groups. It might be hard to get in and out under an hour, but under 90 minutes is doable.

    (4)
  • Reva S.

    Cheap lunch special, three courses for ~$9. Try the coconut soup and the drunken noodles. Curries are also good. Can't vouch for anything else.

    (4)
  • Sudo N.

    I've been coming here intermittently since the 1990's, and have been generally happy in the past, but on my most recent visit, the food was bad. They still have a 3-course lunch special; it now costs $8.95. I got three chicken dishes, and all of them the chicken was overcooked. Two chicken satay skewers were tough and leathery, served with a runny pink sauce. Coconut milk soup was all right, but would have been better if it had omitted the same tough chicken. And my pad thai was bad. The noodles were tough and rubbery, but also sticky and too sweet, with an undertone of slightly rancid oil.

    (2)
  • Valerie I.

    This was a good restaurant. I loved the decorations and ambiance. I got the coconut shrimp soup, which was absolutely delicious, though not the best I have ever had. My boyfriend assured me that he has had much better coconut soup there! The chicken, crab, and shrimp dumplings were tasty and sweet, though I wasn't a fan of the crunchy cabbage in it. The waitress was attentive without being overbearing.

    (4)
  • Laura A.

    perfectly cromulent thai food. one of the few thai places that delivers to me, so it kind of forced my hand, but i think it's pretty tasty. they have some more interesting salads and my husband and i both love the drunken noodle (veg or not veg varieties).

    (4)
  • Gabby M.

    The tulip dumplings and accompanying sauce are so delicious and flavorful! They are definitely worth going here if that's all you get. However, the Pad Thai is also pretty tasty, though it is somewhat inconsistent between orders. Be careful with the spice level because that also varies greatly each time. I also recommend the curries; they are packed with flavor! Overall, good Thai place.

    (4)
  • Brian T.

    Quality - 4 stars (Normal) Price - $$ (Fair) Taste - fresh ingredient and traditional Tai Recommend - Seafood Madness. Atmosphere is the key! and Lemon Grass restaurant grabbed it! As one of the Tai oriental restaurant at University City, Lemon Grass really has a good set up for dining or date. Seating next to their big glass wall at night, watching cars pass by, the dining atmosphere is settle and romantic similar to Woody Allen movie scene in New York City. Besides the set up, they also served good food. Some Asian restaurant tend to change food flavor to fit American customers, but Lemon Grass seen to find a good point balance between Tai tradition or American. Their success should come with their food selection. Their seafood such as scallop, shrimp and etc taste fresh. Their meal proton also big. The attitude they run the restaurant is good. So the restaurant has it's quality. In all meal they serve, I think their seafood meals such as seafood madness is great. Seafood lover is spicy, so if you don't eat spicy, stay with the madness. Also try their Lemon Grass soup and Coconut Milk soup, you will taste something intriguing to your tongue.

    (4)
  • Ari K.

    I ordered delivery, so my review is entirely about the food, which wasn't that good. I got the Massaman Curry, which is one of my favorite foods. Unfortunately, the curry was thin and had very little flavor. The tofu was not cooked before it was plopped into the dish, which is disappointing. I also ordered the Buddha Dumplings, which were okay, if a bit doughy. I thought the sauce was way too sweet.

    (2)
  • Linda H.

    Great lunch menu - three courses (soup, appetizer, main entree) and very affordable. Plenty of food and consistently tasty. One of my favorite lunch spots in West Philadelphia/UCity.

    (4)
  • Susanna L.

    Pleasant. Came here with my gals during opening. We were seated quickly. The decor is wonderful here, very modern, very thai feeling. The menu is very diverse and the names are quite creative. I got the Evil Jungle princess and an island platter to share. They ran out of certain icecream so I just got the mango sticky rice. Good thing I did. It was great. Yummy Yummy meal. Come here for a thai dinner :)

    (4)
  • Shereen C.

    Noodles were tasty It's pretty good comfort food Not stellar, not bad.

    (3)
  • Juno G.

    Food is not bad, but I think it's overpriced. I was still hungry after a whole lunch special thing. Pad Thai is a bit too sweet. Good environment, very proper for a group of people.

    (3)
  • David G.

    Usually, I order Thai from Pattaya, but they were closed and so I decided to try Lemon Grass Thai Restaurant. I doubt I'll do that again. I ordered two appetizers and a main course. The first appetizer was the chicken satay. This was lukewarm and bland, and the peanut sauce was a little more watery than I expected. The quantity was reasonable, but there wasn't a lot of flavor. The second appetizer was 'Between the Sheets', minced shrimp and crab covered by thin crusts. Again, the food was lukewarm, and it wasn't very flavorful. Last was my main course, beef fried rice. The rice was way overcooked, to the point where it was often clumped into mushy blocks. Like everything else, it wasn't hot. Additionally, the rice was almost entirely flavorless. Only the beef really had flavor, so any bites without beef just tasted like bland mush. They might be a good sit down restaurant, I don't know, but in terms of ordering out, I would recommend against. Next time, I'll stick to Pattaya.

    (1)
  • Chelsea B.

    Some coworkers and I stopped in at Lemon Grass for lunch with a party of five last Friday. We had the place to ourselves for a few minutes, but we seemed to usher in the lunch crowd and they filled up crazy fast. They do a pretty great lunch special for $8.95 which includes a soup, an appetizer, and an entree with a pretty wide selection of choices for each. I started with the Lemon Grass Soup (with chicken) and it was divine. This was my first time trying lemon grass soup and the flavor is really unlike anything I've had before. Best part of the meal hands down. The Thai Dumplings were average (and, surprisingly, fried) but served over a nice sweet pepper sauce. My entree was the Panang Curry, which was served soup-style with a plate of white rice and had a nice curry-meets-coconut flavor. The Chicken Satay, Chicken Thai Basil, and Thai BBQ Chicken were the best-looking standouts of what my coworkers ordered. One weird thing is that the food came out, to steal a phrase from Jimmy John's, freaky fast. We no sooner got our drinks when the soup and appetizers arrived, and they were quickly followed by the entrees. The arrival of the food was where the speedy service ended, though, and after the place filled up we had a hard time getting noticed to nab our check. I understand that it's the lunch rush, but I do agree with the other reviewers who commented that quick table turns were the staff's obvious focus. That being said, the food was good and I'm sure I'll be back.

    (3)
  • Tiffany H.

    For real, y'all, why are we even talking about this place that has: * Horrible Service - Waitress was very inattentive * Horrible Food - Basil chicken should have been called Basil Chicken Soup

    (1)
  • Fransisca M.

    I went here with friends to celebrate the end of Summer term (yes, you know which neighboring institution we go to) during lunch hour. I had the lunch combo of tom yum soup, papaya salad, and pad thai. Food is mediocre. I've had better Thai food in other places. But for the price, it was all worth it.

    (3)
  • Karen M.

    This has to be the worst Thai food I've ever had. The green curry dish with chicken was tasteless and bland and hardly any vegetables, the eggplant stinger was swimming in grease, and the dessert of sticky rice was all congealed together and the mango wasn't ripe. It was a 35.00 dinner not worthy of 5.00. Unless your desperate for Thai, look elsewhere. I should have been paid to eat their food.

    (1)
  • SOominn K.

    They never pick up the phone calls; why do they even have the delivery as an option? When you go in for a pick-up, they say they are too busy to answer the phone when the restaurant is half-empty. Horrible service. This is my last meal and never coming back here again.

    (1)
  • Michael F.

    A friend and I hit up Lemon Grass for a late dinner on a Friday. I was surprised with how empty the restaurant was that evening. Even with a empty restaurant, service was disappointingly slow. It was like the servers didn't want to be there, which set a bit of a negative tone to our meal. Luckily, the food more than made up for their lack of enthusiasm. The prices were on par for the portions provided. Overall, why it wasn't the best meal of my life, it satisfied enough that I'd consider a return if I find myself in the area.

    (3)
  • M W.

    I've been going to lemon grass a couple times a month for probably 9 years now, and pretty much i'm disappointed any time i go to any other thai place. Get the corn cakes. Just do it. I;ve only been to one other thai place in Philadelphia with them and they we sad compared to the crispy deliciousness of lemon grass The lunch special is awesome, fast (you can be in and out in 20 minutes with 3 courses) and more then enough food for $9. I work most nights so I maybe went there for dinner once which I can't really remember but recently started delivery which is great for late dinners while i'm stuck at work.

    (5)
  • Yannes I.

    We ordered chicken satay, crispy roll, royal vegetable and pad thai. I liked the chicken satay but my boyfriend didn't like the sauce (taste too much like peanuts, very obvious). It's overpriced regarding it only has 3 small pieces of chicken on sticks for 6 dollars. I would recommend pad thai (strong peanut flavor) with shrimp. royal vegetable was normal. portions are quite small for the 31 dollars. original was 36 but 5 dollars off using grubhub. it was not bad as we ate everything, but our own dessert was needed to fill our belly's...Was not spicy at all.

    (3)
  • InSong K.

    mediocre at best. Pad thai had no flavor what so ever. Crispy roll was the only star out of everything. tasty but small. Sea food coconut soup was just terrible. mango sticky rice had a nasty aftertaste. food is going downhill last time i came here. wish them luck

    (2)
  • Lenny Z.

    Lemon Grass is a good spot. I went there with some coworkers for lunch. All five of us really enjoyed our meal. Now, I will get to the food, but first I must address the service. It's fast, but not attentive. I felt a little bit like a dollar sign the way our server swooped in, took our orders, and swooped out. On two occasions, we tried getting her attention as they took off like a bullet. On both occasions, we failed to get her to notice we still needed her attention. I almost wondered if this was a strategy to get customers out, open tables, and get new ones in. Now, that aside, the food is really good and the price is right. For less than nine bucks, they give you an app, soup, and entree for lunch. I had fried dumplings. They were in a pool of sweet and tangy duck sauce. And, they were yummy to the core. Next up was the wanton soup. The first thing I noticed was the broth was clear as the clearest water I have ever seen. How they got it to look like that and have flavor is beyond me. But it was a little light on the flavor. Also, the one small wanton was a disappointment. I would have liked a little more packed into my soup bowl. For the entree, I got this dish called Evil Jungle Princess. I just lol-ed at the name. But beyond the name, it had the looks of a very good dish. It had a nice mix of veggies, chicken, and tofu. Now, I am not a tofu type of guy, but the sauce had enough punch in it that the tofu even was tasty. It was a bit sweet, a bit tangy, and a bit of a spicy kick. All in all, very good food, very good price, but a bit of a rushed service experience.

    (3)
  • Caroline E.

    Yeah, this wasn't any good, really. Spent $36 on an appetizer (tulip dumplings) and two entrees (drunken noodles and Thai BBQ chicken), and I was disappointed on all fronts. The dumplings were just funky. If there wasn't a sauce to dip them in, it'd be pretty nasty eating them. The drunken noodles had hardly any flavor and the chicken was overcooked. The Thai BBQ chicken was not good. Overcooked, the sauce that came with it was basically spring roll sauce, and the slaw that came on the side was funky, as well. I spit it out, actually. Couldn't stomach it. Definitely would take Circles over this. I went with this because it was cheaper, but only slightly. Won't make that mistake again.

    (1)
  • Payal P.

    i believe this is the original location. i used to go to the one in KoP all the time but then out of nowhere it closed. KoP was better food with the same blah waitresses. philly lemongrass, good food, lightening fast, the lunch special rocks and is filling. same blahhh waitresses. def still worth a trip in if you are ever in the neighborhood around lunch. really more like a 3.5 star place.

    (3)
  • W. A.

    We love Lemon Grass! It's our favorite Thai food in Philly. Everything we've ordered here is delicious, and the delivery person is outstanding and very friendly. My boyfriend always orders Chicken Panang and I mostly order drunken noodles, coconut milk soup with rice, or green curry. All have been excellent. Would also recommend the chicken satay. We have tried many other Thai places, and Circles is our number 2 choice. We love you Lemon Grass!

    (4)
  • Patricia S.

    Hmm, not that good. The sevice is hurried, but slow somehow. The golden rings (fried calamari) was actually pretty good, just a bit too much breading. The Drunken Noodle was pretty awful - overcooked noodles and extremely greasy, but at least there were some good veg involved. My friend's shrimp basil was pretty tasty. The highlight of the meal was desert (which is never the highlight for me) - mango sticky rice. Yummy. Sweet sticky rice, fresh and soft mango, and a slightly salty topping. Really good.

    (3)
  • Teresa R.

    Drunken noodles. Do it. Staff is so friendly and always accommodating. Love this place . You won't be disappointed. Went with my girlfriend whose vegetarian and they had plenty of dishes for those who are non meat eaters!

    (5)
  • Di P.

    come here for lunch. PERIOD. It's like under ten bucks for appetizer, soup and a pretty large main dish. Fantastic. Some of my favs to get is: lemon grass soup, chicken satay, and the royal noodles!

    (3)
  • Tom I.

    Lemon Grass Thai is one of our go-to lunch places near work. I'm not one to usually point our prices as I am more inclined to focus on the food itself, but I have to say that they have one of the best lunch deals. For under $9, they have a fixed price lunch that includes soup, an appetizer and an entree. They have a wide range of options with a nice selection of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian choices. Despite all the options, I tend to order some of the same dishes that quickly became favorites. I normally start with either the lemongrass or wonton soup and then usually have the corn cakes appetizer. The soups are both on the light and brothy side and quite tasty. The corn cakes are delicious and come with a sweet pepper and cucumber sauce. My favorite entrees are the Royal Noodles (rice noodles with sliced chicken breast & vegetables seasoned with fresh basil, onions, garlic, bell peppers and chilly paste) and the Evil Jungle Princess (chicken and vegetable medley in a spiced tropical sauce). Occasionally, the Royal Noodles can be on the greasy side but normally it is nicely prepared. I have a soft spot for wide rice noodles and have a hard time resisting. I've had the Pad Thai a couple of times as well and found it good if not outstanding. Varying from the fixed menu is discouraged, but given the wide array of selection, it would be hard to find something that wouldn't satisfy. This isn't the best Thai food but everything has been reliably enjoyable. The service is very efficient if not particularly friendly.

    (3)
  • Gib B.

    Love papaya salad and mango sticky rice here. :) Thai ice tea is another thing you should have a try.

    (4)
  • Dan N.

    Their lunch special is one of the best deals you can get. $9 for a soup, appetizer, and entree! Some of their must tries are the pad thai, drunken noodles, lemongrass soup, and thai dumplings. The servers are very fast and attentive in taking away finished plates and refilling your water too. Overall a must try!

    (4)
  • Aynna R.

    Came here tonight on a whim, didn't realize it wasn't a kid friendly restaurant, but kind of got that once we got in there. I was pleased. The prices were good, although $10 for chicken fried rice is a little steep. My Mussaman Curry was good, although the potatoes were undercooked, but $10 for that was a very good price. Had the crispy roll appetizer and that was absolutely amazing! I will go again but next time no kids.

    (4)
  • Philly C.

    Hands down, this is the best Thai food in the city!!! I really like Thai food, so I have tried several places and no other Thai spot can even compare. The pad thai is extra awesome along with veggie mussaman and veggie lemongrass soup. Everything is seasoned to perfection. They really ruined it for other Thai spots, because I am always comparing them to Lemongrass. I love the fact that they have an ultra cheap lunch special for only $8.95!!! You can't beat that. If you have the time go check out the lunch, you will not be disappointed.

    (5)
  • Sierra F.

    So delicious and reasonable with lunch specials. You definitely have to try the Royal Noodles. They are amazing! You can get an appetizer, soup, and an entree for like $10. The staff isn't that friendly, but the food makes up for it!

    (4)
  • Chris M.

    What can I say about Lemon Grass? It's the perfect option for lunch when you want three courses for $9 and a waitress who hates you a little bit (not too much, though). I was here recently for a birthday lunch for a good friend. She got the Evil Jungle Princess, which I hear is very good, and I got the Royal Noodles. They were plentiful and delicious, big flat noodles with chicken and assorted vegetables. Each of our meals also came with a soup and an appetizer. I made the poor choice of selecting the wonton soup (note: someone should have a Valentine's Day special where they serve *wanton* soup--get it? ok. sorry.) Don't make the same mistake I did: get the coconut soup. The service was relatively prompt, and there was only one semi-uncomfortable moment where two of the waitresses either got into an argument or decided to sing a duet--it wasn't clear which. All in all, I will almost definitely be back here for the cheap, decent food and the mild disdain from the staff. I suggest you do the same.

    (3)
  • Ilana R.

    Went there for the third or fourth time in the past year - and must say, sadly, that this place gets worse every time and I am never going back! last time it was the service, but somehow the food was passable - this time we order things and they were tasteless or drenched in sauce (ie pad thai). Anyhow - only good thing about it was that it was out of the center city district and it was easier to park

    (1)
  • Victoria L.

    Lemon Grass is everything you need in a University City Thai place. First and foremost, it is a convenient location on Drexel's campus. Decent food for a decent price, and a decent alcohol selection. I like spicy food, so I always ask for more chili peppers with my curry. Theirs is more on the sweet/coconut side. My friend loooves their crispy spring rolls too, yum.

    (3)
  • Dave H.

    Lemon Grass is part of a chain of Thai (surprise!) restaurants consisting of four locations: three are located around/in Philadelphia and one in Lancaster, PA. Arriving a little after 6 PM, seating was quick. This quaint place wasn't very crowded. Service was all right - they failed to refill our water in a timely fashion but our server came quickly, bringing out our food and the check when needed (credit cards accepted). I had a weekly special, the "spicy duck curry", the perfect example in false advertising: the dish was as spicy as breast milk, the pineapples without tang, the duck dry as a bone, and the curry lacking consistency and coming out lukewarm to boot! (I got shafted for $18.) On the bright side, it looked delectable. Luckily, the starters were tasty -- corn cakes and Thai pork dumplings at $7 each -- and made up for my abysmal dish. The good company I was with didn't hurt either. Lemon Grass isn't anything to write home about but if you must go, go to their Lancaster location, easily their best. If you live in Philadelphia, do better and try Thai Orchid (Blue Bell, PA), Thai Pepper (Ardmore, PA) or Singha (University City, PA).

    (2)
  • Vishal S.

    Hands down the best thai food in Philly. And the service is blazing fast. The portions are really great and the food is top quality. Try anything from their menu and you wont be disappointed. Specially penang curry, lemongrass soup, thai green curry and the chicken fried rice.

    (4)
  • Erica M.

    Lemon Grass is around the corner from school, so I'm shocked I haven't tried it before. Guess that's because I am buried in the law school library. I digress. Anyway, I tried it for the first time the other day and it was delish! The price was great ($8.99 for soup, salad or appetizer, and entree). The pad thai was really, really good. Not too sweet, not too peanuty. Just right! The chicken was cooked well. Why not 5 stars? Our service was the grouchiest, most miserable server I have ever encountered. She basically threw my soup on the table and it spilled and she didn't even stop to wipe it up. Food was excellent, but service was terrible. Oh well, I'll still go back!

    (4)
  • Liz C.

    Lemongrass is great for a quick, filling, lunch. A coworker suggested that we take a short fieldtrip off campus for lunch and we strolled up to Lemongrass. The service, while slightly brusk, was exceptionally quick. The food was good (if slightly greasy) and the portion sizes were lunch appropriate, but definitely left me feeling full (with a little pad thai to take home!) The next time that I need a quick asian food fix for lunch (and don't want to pay Pod prices), I think that Lemongrass will be in the mix.

    (3)
  • Dung H.

    I really wanted to like this place because it would be so convenient to have a good thai place around here! Thai Singha is probably one of the better ones in the University City area but I'm too lazy to walk to 40th-ish. Anyway, Lemon Grass does not have Pad See Eew. What the heck?? Its one of my favorite thai dishes and a very typical item on any thai menu..... except here. Pad Thai is plain, not tamarind-y enough, and not worth the money. Also, the penang curry was blandddd, which is weird since curry is usually a powerful taste. No complex flavors, just blah. I would come back to give some of the other specialty dishes a chance. and because it's a couple of blocks from me.

    (2)
  • Abhishek Y.

    Good food, downright terrible service. However, the rating here is for the food, which is extremely good (I'd do takeout any day from this place). Without a doubt, their food is the reason to go here and brave the terrible service. This is honestly the king of the situation where the waiters/waitresses make you feel like you're doing them a favor. They are extremely rude, have horrible attitudes, and have deteriorated their service quality sharply in the last 6-8 months. I don't know if the management gave them a pay cut or something, but they must really not value their jobs too much to be this way. However, the food makes up for it. Is it the best Thai food I've ever eaten? No. (Incidentally, that honor goes to Origins French-Thai Fusion Restaurant in Somerville, NJ). However, for this area of Philadelphia, it is one of the few eateries with an element of class and distinction in their fare. The food is good, the prices are reasonable (take advantage of the under 15$ lunch special - it's a good deal). For a student, it is slightly on the pricier end as compared to the usual dingy pizzeria fare, but still not by too much. The pad thai is very nice, the drunken noodles are very good, and the soups/appetizers are fantastic. I have personally been there 4-5 times (dine in) and 10-15 times (take-out). When I go there to eat with some of my department folk (twice for lunch), they literally act as if we are invisible for the 1.5-2 hours that we are there, and the few times that they come over, they literally look like they're ready to spew venom at me. I asked for a water refill once (after the glass had been empty for upwards of 10 minutes), and the waitress gave me a look that made her look like she had the worst case of constipation ever. I genuinely feel bad for them, because there must be a cause for this recent change in attitude (it most certainly was not this way in early 2010). I hope that this turns around, but for the time being, the cuisine is enough to keep me around. Ambiance is nice, and the bar selection seems to be good (cannot comment personally). All in all, try it once and see what you think, although I would highly recommend doing take-out if possible. Good eats!

    (4)
  • Regina F.

    Lemon Grass is perfect for itself. It doesn't pretend to be some pretentious, upscale Thai culinary experience that caters to ultra-refined palates of Geoffery Zakarian proteges. The food at Lemon Grass is fine for a good, quick lunch with enough flavor to satisfy that noon o'clock "I don't wanna eat cafeteria food for the 5th time this week" jonesing. Everything is fine. You won't be disappointed. You won't be enthralled. Your wallet will only be $9 lighter while your stomach will be 3 courses heavier.

    (3)
  • Filomena I.

    One of my husband's favorite restaurants in University City. We started going here when we were Drexel students because of the great food and reasonable prices. The staff is always friendly and the service is quick. My husband always orders the Pad Thai w/chicken (Stir-fried thin rice noodles with bean curd, bean sprouts, scallions, egg and ground peanut.). I like to try something new each time. Tonight I ordered the Seafood Lover dish. It's a combination of squid, scallops, shrimp & mussels with lemon grass, basil, onions, garlic, red peppers in a spicy sauce. It's served with white rice. The dish was DELICIOUS! If you go, make sure to order the Thai Iced Tea - it's sweet and creamy and I always wish they would offer a larger serving!

    (5)
  • Sue C.

    Horrible Service and food. This is a worst Thai restaurant I have had never seen before.

    (2)
  • Claire O.

    This place is definitely one of University City's hidden gems, located on a Lancaster Ave street corner across from some gritty-looking pizza places. Moderately sized, Lemon Grass Thai seems to be a good choice for quiet nights out, as most of the other diners I've seen on my visits here were couples enjoying a cozy meal. While I'm not a connoisseur of Thai food, I really enjoyed the dishes here, especially the drunken noodles because they've got an awesome kick. You should definitely shell out be extra $2 for the shrimp, too - you get a good amount and they're not those wimpy floppy pieces that you find swimming in lo mein dishes either. I've tried the seafood coconut soup and the musaman curry, and they were both yummy and full of flavor. The broth is delightful. The chicken in the curry didn't do much for the dish, maybe shrimp would have been a better choice. I also asked for hot peppers to throw in to both, just because I like it spicy. This is quickly becoming one of my go-to places whenever I'm hanging around my alma mater. Bonus points for having a heater in the bathroom!!

    (4)
  • Lindsay R.

    If you're looking for a fast, cheap and delicious 3-course thai lunch Lemon Grass is the place to go! You get your pick of an appetizer, soup and main dish for $8.95. The corn cakes were very tasty, the lemon grass soup was just so-so, but the veggie pad thai was delicious. It was a lot of food for $9. The service was super fast because of the lunchtime rush which is great if you need to get back to work in a timely fashion. They have a lot of vegetarian options and they don't use fish oil or cilantro! Which was a huge plus for me! I can't wait to go back in the near future!

    (4)
  • Michelle C.

    I really do enjoy coming here, especially for lunch because the specials are amazing, but the service sucks. I mean, really sucks. Aside from the fact that the main waitress is the most consistently unpleasant woman I've ever encountered in food service setting, she's not good at her job. The last time I went, I didn't receive water until the appetizers came. I ordered a Thai iced tea and it didn't show up until the end of the meal. And the waitress didn't even bring it because I never saw her again, I had to ask the poor timid food runner who was basically doing the server's job including bringing us the bill. The food is mostly good, although I had the tulip dumplings the other day and they lacked sauce and were falling apart. The BBQ chicken was decent, however the cole slaw they served with it was pretty bizarre. My favorite is the gargantuan pile of seafood, the corn cakes, and the coconut soup. And get the Thai iced tea/coffee--even if it ends up serving as dessert.

    (3)
  • Jim M.

    I went here for lunch on a blustery cold day. It's located close to Powelton Pizza and Zocalo on Lancaster just off of 36th St. It was hopping when I first came in and it took a little while to get seated The waitress gave me the menu and was back in literally a minute to ask what I wanted. Since I wasn't aware it was rapid fire ordering, I hadn't settled quickly on one item so I had to take some time to sort through. They have a fixed price lunch, where you can get one soup, one appetizer, and one entree for 8.95. I ended up getting the lemongrass soup, thai pork dumpling, and the Royal Noodles. The lemongrass soup was pretty good, with plenty of vegetables and it was pretty flavorful, as well as being a little spicy. The thai pork dumpling was actually two small dumplings with a sauce. They were good. The Royal Noodles, however, was a disappointment. The vegetables were really fresh, but the chicken was overcooked. The noodles were so overcooked that they were gloppy. Service wasn't that great. It took a long time to get my order placed and it took a long time to get my check. They really need another person working lunch, because they were definitely short staffed. I might go back to try something else.

    (2)
  • Lynda Z.

    I now live in NJ but when I want to completely satisfy my Thai craving, I cross that bridge and head up to University City in Philly. Lemon Grass is the most consistent Thai restaurant that I've ever been to. The lunch menu is great. For $9 you get soup, and appetizer and a main dish. The lunch portion seems as large as the dinner portions also. I usually get the won ton soup which is simple, but flavorful, the Chicken Sate which is served with peanut sauce and cucumber relish and the Basil Chicken which is delicious. It's got just a hint of heat. I clean my plate every time. The food is always great, the waiting time is minimal and the servers are fast. Street parking is always available too.

    (4)
  • Fujiko D.

    Delicious and cheap! The best of both worlds. Seriously the food here is pretty tasty. Most of the things that I have ordered have the sweet/savory kick to it. My favorite was the Evil Jungle Princess followed closely by the Pad Thai. The Princess dish is a creamy coconut based dish filled with my favorite veggies. I've only eaten here for lunch when you get an appetizer, soup, and main dish for about $10 so I can't comment about dinner options. My favorite appetizer was the tulip dumplings, but they were all pretty good. The lemon grass soup was my go to soup. I did feel a rushed most of the time. It's fast service, but the servers are always lurking to grab the empty plates ASAP. They're on a limited schedule for the lunch rush since they close at 2:00, so they try to get you in and out quickly. It's not known for it's customer service, but none of the employees have ever been rude. It's $10 for delicious food as you sit for a limited amount of time. I suppose you could linger, but I've never tried, and I am guessing the servers will glare. Intensely. They have a vegetarian menu, if you're into that. I'm kinda wishing I looked into ordering from that menu when I had the chance to. I bet it would have been delicious. P.S. Don't do take out. My co-worker was charged a lot more when she opted to pick up her lunch order instead of eating in.

    (4)
  • Thomas C.

    Went there tonight, nice atmosphere, but food wasn't as flavorful as we were expecting. Service was good, Thai iced tea was correctly made, sweetened milk, not half and half. Appetizer was good, just disappointed with the entre.

    (4)
  • Christine H.

    I would actually give this place a 3.5 stars if I could. By normal Thai food standards, it's more like average. However, in West Philly, this would be better than average Thai food. I would recommend their noodle dishes. They are a decent sized portion and quite flavorful. I wish they were able to make their dishes a bit spicier though. Their curry dishes are okay. The curry itself is great and they give you a good deal of it. However, the meats and vegetables are a bit below average. The chicken that I had was a bit overcooked. It also tasted a little bit like chicken that was in the freezer for too long. The portions of rice could also be improved, but they were happy to bring out another bowl of rice upon request that was in a much more decent-sized bowl. Their desserts were great! I went with three other people, and we ordered two desserts between the four of us. We got one dessert with delicious coconut ice cream that was paired with fried bananas. My friends did not really like the fried bananas. They said it was a bit tart, and the texture was odd underneath the fried batter, but anything fried is good in my book. Besides, the hot-cold combination was good. The other dessert was the Chocolate Fantasy, which comprised of chocolate cake and some fruit. It was pretty good from what I heard.

    (3)
  • Christa B.

    All-in-all, a disappointment. Although this is the only Thai food I've had thus far in Philly, surprisingly it was not nearly as good as what I've had in the burbs. For starters, the dishes that I ordered for the lunch special all came out within minutes of each other; I hadn't even finished my (tiny) bowl of soup before my appetizer and entree were on the table. I decided to put my soup aside, and eat my entree first. It was already cold--not exactly pleasant. Despite the fact that it was a chicken dish, there were about 2 small pieces of chicken in it. The sauce was visibly swimming in oil, and not as well flavored/spiced as if I've had elsewhere for the same dish. The som-tum was drenched in a sugary syrup, and would've been fine had it not been so. The soup was fine, (actually hot!), and had some flavor and kick to it, and probably the same amount of chicken in it's little cup as my entire entree had. The restaurant was more crowded than I had anticipated, yet not crowded enough to justify the rushed delivery of my meal. Hopefully I'll find a more suitable, spicy, and delicious Thai restaurant around school, for Lemongrass was a disappointment. Atmosphere-wise, the restaurant was decorated with Thai accents and the like--it was a surprisingly larger space than I had expected, but has a fairly nice presentation. I am giving Lemongrass two stars; it's price is great, but the coldness of my dishes made the low price even too much--had it been warm, the food would have been three stars.

    (2)
  • Autumn E.

    I came here again for the lunch special, bought for two. My boyfriend was apprehensive about thai food, but was pleased to find they had a few of their lunch options that sounded totally tame, like spicy chicken or something. (sorry, that's vague, I forget, I was more interested in Evil Jungle Princess versus the Seafood madness dish.) In hindsight, for a fixed price, I should have gotten the seafood. The problem with getting thai a lot is that you can get bored with coconut milk and curry combination after a while. I also got the steamed dumplings as my appetizer, and the lemongrass soup. The lemongrass soup never lets me down, nor did it let down y picky companion. Service is quick as usual, and more attentive the earlier you get there in the shift. The lunch special is (I think) 11-2. We also each got a yummy drink, I opted for their Pink Lemonade this time, and he got a Thai beer. One of my favorites is the Green (Mint) Dragon, a creamy creme de menthe. Look out for ordering too many dishes for a small table, or you'll lack some elbow room! Dishes are almost always too much for me to finish, especially when I get the lunch special.

    (4)
  • j s.

    Live right on top of this place. Grabbed their pad thai a few times. Nothing to really complain about other than the slightly pricey cost for some basic thai food. The overall taste is what you would expect from a middle range thai restaurant. If you are in the mood for something other than a pizza shop around drexel, this can def fill the need. It attempts to be a nicer thai restaurant in an area that doesn't have much offering for nicer sit down dining. So drexel folks and others seem to use Lemon Grass pretty regularly for a closer date spot and such. All in all, this place does the job.

    (3)
  • Erin M.

    This is my go-to place in Philly for Thai food. My typical order, for lunch which is a steal at 8.95: chicken coconut milk soup which is super flavorful, the yummy corn cake appetizer, and vegetable pad thai which they call Siam Noodles. This is also the only Thai restaurant where I've been able to order my favorite Thai appetizer: corn cakes. They are tasty and paired with a spicy fresh cucumber sauce. If I have room for dessert, I will spring for the mango with sticky rice. The orders come out exceedingly quickly, which makes it possible to hit this place for a work lunch outing, even though I work a good 20 minute walk away in University City. They can also accomodate large parties here which is another nice reason to hit it with your work crew.

    (5)
  • Kimberly H.

    It used to be better, but it's still pretty darn good. Don't pass up the lunch special. $12(?) for a three course meal can't be beat. I highly recommend the tulip dumplings and the chuchee (excuse my spelling) duck. Also the glass noodle salad is freaking awesome, but don't eat it if you're allergic to peanuts. This is a great place to bring a date or your parents, as it's pretty quiet and really pretty inside. The staff is always really nice, though not always the fastest. But you can over look that with a nice cold Singha in your hand.

    (4)
  • Holly T.

    This is one of my lunch favorites near Drexel, and we usually end up here once a week or so. You really can't beat the prix fixe lunch deal for $8.95, which includes your choice of appetizer, soup, and entree. If I were judging this against all the great Thai food I've had in other cities, frankly it would be rather average at best. But, judging it against lunch options in this area, regardless of type of cuisine, it's pretty delicious. I'm especially a fan of their royal noodles and their sweet corn cake. Nothing's terribly spicy, so again, not the greatest compared to other Thai places, but perfectly acceptable for a workday lunch. There are plenty of vegetarian options, which is really nice when you're in the mood for something on the healthy side, and there's really no soup, appetizer, or entree I've tried so far that I wouldn't get again. The service is a bit perfunctory, but the upside of that is that you can get in and out pretty quickly when you need to get back to work.

    (3)
  • Elliott D.

    Great Thai food (at least for the East Coast), but this place is home to the WWE (WORST WAITRESS EVER). This woman must be related to the owners since she is always there despite her terrible attitude and off-putting brusqueness. Anyway, showed up for lunch once at 1:35 (the sign says lunch is from 11 to 2) and she essentially pushed us out of the restaurant "No! Lunch is OVER!" On another occasion, we were seated and then found out another friend was in the area and wanted to join us-- WWE wasn't having it, sighing impatiently when we asked for a few more minutes to look at the menu. Then she mixed up our order with another table's and when we pointed out the error she just rolled her eyes and yanked the tray away. Good luck getting your water refilled... this is a terrible place to enjoy a leisurely lunch, since the waitstaff seems concerned with little more than swiping your credit card and getting you out as soon as possible. Thailand may be the "Land of Smiles", but you'd never get that impression from coming to this restaurant.

    (2)
  • Molly C.

    I love this place. Having had several different options off of the menu my experience has always been great. Appetizers, entrees, desserts, the whole experience is lovely. I'm surprised to read about the service being bad. I've never had a problem. They certainly do not linger when they bring food or check up on you, but in a restaurant that is usually crowded I don't really expect that. Of the appetizers, the tulip dumpling, spring roll, and satay are all good choices. The coconut soup is delicious, although it could always be a bit more generous in terms of veg and chicken versus broth. The drunken noodles are delicious, green and red curries yummy, and the pad thai is everything you would look for. One other thing to note is that they carry traditional thai beer as well as other cocktails, which is lovely. They will also happily pack a beer with the take out order, another nice touch. Note: They are sometimes closed at odd hours, so definitely check before going.

    (4)
  • Anthony L.

    I can't remember exactly what we ate last week, but I can remember that the food was above average for thai, and that the service was courteous, efficient and smart. I would not hesitate to return!

    (4)
  • Erica S.

    I went today and the "main" waitress was SO unpleasant and unprofessional that I feel compelled to update my review. Lunch ends at 2pm. We walked in at 1:40pm and she looked at her watch pointedly and looked exasperated. She said "You have to order now." Before she had even seated us. I said "It's not 2pm." She didn't care. We were so irritated by the completely unwelcome atmosphere that we debated just leaving, but were too hungry and out of options. So we stuck it out, expecting her to get worse. There was a very keen "get the hell out of here asap" atmosphere, which does not provide for an enjoyable lunch. They have even asked us to pay our bill in the middle of our dining experience. I am put off of Lemongrass for a good, long while.

    (2)
  • Tom D.

    Another place that happens to be close to my office and therefore is a regular lunch stop for my coworkers and me. We each have our regular picks, too. My boss loves the panang curry. My coworker lives on the pad thai. I vacillate between two dishes: beef basil and seafood madmess (which must be a typo). The food is nothing to sneeze at. The lunch special is pretty awesome. You pay 10 bucks for a soup and an appetizer and your entree. But get there early, between the school next door, and the colleges in University City, this place gets crowded by quarter after noon.

    (4)
  • Sarah M.

    When I went to Lemongrass over my lunch break, I was looking for 3 things: 1. Good Food 2. Good Price 3. Fast Service Last time I checked, 3/3 = 100% (or in Yelp terms- 5 stars!) We came in smack dab in the heart of lunch time, there were plenty of people enjoying their lunches with their friends, but we were still (amazingly) seated right away! The lunch special there is a steal- less than $10 and you get a soup, (small) appetizer, and an entree. I got the chicken satay, lemongrass soup, and pad thai (I will never stray from Pad Thai...) and they were all delicious. You know how sometimes you get to a restaurant and you are so hungry that you fill up on whatever the first thing is that they put in front of you? Okay, maybe not the silverware or napkins, but you know- the bread, the chips, etc. Lemongrass gives you the food you want, promptly, in the sizes you need to avoid filling up before you get your entree. We were not rushed one bit, but the service was so fast, we didn't have to worry about flagging down the server so we could grab the check and b-line it back to the office *phew*. We had plenty of time to stroll back and get to work *sigh* I'll definitely come back again!

    (5)
  • erika d.

    I've been going for years. I love the food and the selections, especially the dessert options that many other local Thai restaurants don't offer. My favorite is the mango sticky rice! HOWEVER, don't go if you don't have thick skin and/or being treated kindly is a priority for you. There is one particular waitress who is always there and is the WORST!! I've learned to tolerate her, I guess. She just about throws your plate at you. My son and I have learned to laugh and make jokes about it. Silver lining: Save on the tip!!

    (4)
  • pracheta t.

    i've been coming here for the past 9 years (sometimes every other day for months at a time). best thai food. heavy - but i love it. i won't go anywhere else.

    (5)
  • Jakarta N.

    Just had dinner here tonight! I must say thanks to all the Yelpers out there helping me to decide on this place! I don't understand what the fuss was about with the waitstaff because they were on point today! Our waitress came and checked on us every 10 minutes or so and filled our glasses with water. She wasn't at all intrusive, just doing her job. I ordered the recommended Drunken Noodles and was very pleasantly surprised, I loved it! A bit greasy, but hey that never hurt anyone. The thai iced tea was also authentic which I enjoyed thoroughly because outside of Chinatown you can't really find it and trust me, I know my teas. Next time I'm definitely going back for the lunch special which I've heard is also very good. Has anyone tried the Ginger Tilapia or Golden Tilapia? I forgot what it was called but it sounded fantastic.

    (4)
  • Mallory P.

    I'm disappointed that the website doesn't work (!?) because I'd like to take another look at the menu and see if what I had was a lunch special or not. Either way, it was special! $8.98 gets you soup, an appetizer, and an entree. We were a little nervous about overeating, but the portions were perfect. Not enough food to ration off doggy bag portions, but enough to make you pleasantly plump for the rest of the afternoon. The food is good quality, flavorful, and brought to you quickly. The place is really cute, too. The location is great because it attracts customers from University City, but it's not in such a populated place that you have a long wait.

    (4)
  • Terry C.

    This place is very convenient and quick! It's a great place to get away from the office and enjoy some really good Thai food. They have this awesome lunch special for $9 per person - it includes your choice of an appetizer, soup, and entree! Here's my favorite combination: Appetizer - Tulip Dumplings (crab and chicken steamed in a tulip shaped dumpling) Soup - Coconut Milk Soup Entree - Pad Thai or Evil Jungle Princess It's amazing! If your entree is not a noodle dish, it comes with jasmine scented rice. And they make an amazing Thai Ice Tea!

    (4)
  • Amanda N.

    My boyfriend and I are obsessed with this place. Even though we moved from Powelton Village to Northern Liberties we still come back frequently. The beef mussaman is my favorite dish, although their pad thai is great too. Cheeeeeeeeap alcohol. The service is fine- it's quick. The staff all seem to hate their jobs/lives but whatever- they're not rude... they're just not friendly.

    (4)
  • K b.

    I used to live right above this place so I ate there when I was to lazy to cook. Over the last few years their prices have slowly increased to be pretty pricey for Thai Food. Even the Vegetarian dishes are pretty expensive. The food was good, I always enjoyed the Vegetarian Lovers and the Yellow Curry but never thought it was anything special. THE SERVICE IS TERRIBLE - Seriously awful. Many times they never answered the phone to take an order. Rude service, long waits, just go somewhere else if there is the option. Though the food is decent dealing with the people who work there isnt worth it.

    (2)
  • Kelly V.

    Coworkers of mine raved about the portions and the dishes at Lemongrass, so I knew I had to give it a try. Went yesterday, got the lunch special for $8.95. Apparently the portion size has decreased, but the flavors were still delicious (so say my coworkers). I'm used to takeout Thai lunch specials with huge containers of soup and styrofoam takeout boxes filled to the brim with an entree, so when my tiny bowl of lemongrass soup arrived, I was taken aback. Having eaten the whole meal, I'll say that it was the perfect amount for a starter. Enough to whet the appetite and not fill you up. Flavorwise, it was a nice balance of hot and sour. The chicken satay was lovely and my pad thai was as delicious today as leftovers as it was yesterday when I ordered it. Plus, my coworkers and I were able to walk there, order, eat and walk back in just about an hour, so it fits nicely in a lunchbreak!

    (4)
  • Jillian G.

    Best Thai takeout in West Philly. They do the basics very well...especially compared to other atrocities I've experienced in the west philly thai food arena. My only complaint is the papaya salad, which usually has a light lime type of dressing on it, has a very strange ketchup flavored sauce here that leaves a weird aftertaste...

    (4)
  • Nathan S.

    Lemongrass was my first Thai experience years ago on a pre-student visit to Drexel. The food here is fantastic and a great place to share with your uncultured friends or family when they visit you at Drexel/Philly. The lunch special here can't be beat by ANYWHERE in University City: you get an appetizer, soup, and an entree for just $9! The only con is that their lunch hours only run from 11:30AM - 2PM. The Evil Jungle Princess is probably my favorite dish. The curry is really bitey and gets your sweat on if you aren't used to it. Like most of their other dishes, the flavors are expansive yet well-balanced. For the non-Thai oriented, the Pad Thai and Fried Rice are safe dishes that still show their Thai "zing" that boring take-out Chinese can't replicate. The service, while not blatantly rude as other reviewers have indicated, wouldn't classify as top-notch in my book, but not a detractor either. The place is somewhat tiny and odd-shaped, so if you're taking a group of more than four, I'd make a reservation. Hit it up for Lunch or UC Dining Days!

    (4)
  • Tina B.

    I love this place! The service is kinda rushed but the food is absolutely amazing. I brought my parent here and we started off with the Paradise Island appetizer . I like this because it had a sample of a few good appetizers that were listed on the menu such as the corncakes(amazing) and the chicken sa-tay(so good). We then had the traditional shrimp lemongrass soup. So light and tasty I could of eaten more of it. I definitely recommend this place. The atmosphere is nice, & the food is delicious.

    (4)
  • Emilia M.

    I went today for the lunch special. Pros: The service is quick, the food is tasty and its very cheap for what you get. Cons: The other Thai places on Chestnut street give you more food and our waitresses bordered on being rude. Lovely if you don't want to be bothered by waitstaff. Horrible if you drink more than one glass of water with your meal.

    (3)
  • Danan R.

    This is a chain with some pretty good appetizers but just okay entrees. The seafood between the sheets is nicely executed and the perfect blend of shrimp and crab with the crispiness of a spring roll wrapper. The tulip dumplings are decent but that's only because I prefer to eat mine without the sauce. Like Anna Marie mentioned, the sauce could use some work. The seafood and beef salads were nicely seasoned and I thoroughly enjoyed them. The pad thai wasn't amazing but edible enough. I have had more tender cornish game hens than the girl on fire and the tutti fruity duck is better at Thai Orchid (sauce was a bit too sweet for my taste and could have used a little less starch). I did like the mango with sticky rice dessert at the end. Service is decent, but can be a bit negligent. It's a decent enough chain with okay food. If you're stuck in the city, it's either here or Thai Singha.

    (3)
  • Matthew M.

    I LOVE this place. Several of us used to go once every week or so for lunch when I worked at Drexel. I've probably been there 50 times. Their lunch special is amazing. 8.99 for Soup, appetizer and entree. I've never had something on the menu that I didn't like. There service is decent too. There is this one waitress who comes off really curt/busy but she is a good waitress who gets you your food quickly all the time.

    (5)
  • Anna Marie C.

    i miss chicago cheap thai food terribly (a good pad thai costs about $7). i have now come to the conclusion that it does not exist in philadelphia. several people i know absolutely rave about this place. and i haven't been here since i moved here almost 2 years ago..until tonight. the tom yum soup? meh. the mushrooms were still not very cooked, and the three shrimp didn't make up for pieces of veggies that were way too crudely chopped (no, i really did just write that). the tulip dumpling did not match its description at all...the sauce was just not tasty. so moving onto my main course: evil jungle princess. alright, so i partly ordered this dish based on the name. it wasn't bad--its like their version of red curry--only with way too many different vegetables with only 1-2 pieces of each. and not enough curry to go with my rice. my friend's pad thai was fairly tasty--but i've definitely had better. dear people who own tasty thai restaurants, please move to philly. i am desperate.

    (3)
  • Jenny M.

    If you don't like friendly service with a smile, you might want to avoid coming here. No one will make you feel welcome. They will rush you so don't bother sticking around too long. Oh and if they forget your thai iced tea and bring you the check, don't be surprised if they take back your bill, make your iced tea and then bring you a check with the iced tea on there. My favorite dish here is their desert: mango sticky rice... yum. Sometimes their food can be a bit greasy, but over all ilt's a decent place. Not my favorite (Chaaba Thai in Manayunk), but still decent.)

    (3)
  • Marianna V.

    Really solid choice for pretty much any occasion. Their soups are divine and everything I've ever ordered was perfectly spiced every time. Their seafood is always rich, fresh, and really satisfying. Really reasonably priced- I can even afford it on my college bank account.

    (4)
  • Adam C.

    I like to preface my little reviews so you know where I'm coming from. I'm not really experienced with ethnic food. I tend to be a picky eater, a creature of habit, and have a poor memory for words that sound the same. So I never know quite what to order, and I tend to just grab some pizza or whatnot when it's up to me. But my friends, like most people, like eating a variety of foods, and I'm game. This time, it was Thai. You could tell it was authentic based on the comically incorrect syntax found in the menu descriptions. What was great, though, was that there were extensive descriptions, so you really knew what you were getting into. What was even more greater, however, was that all the dishes looked really good. And had hysterical names. My one friend ordered the, 'Tutti-Frutti Duck'. It tasted like a duck that had been cooked in raspberry jam. But in a really good way. My other friend had the Sensual Salmon. Salmon, covered in crab, as well as a cream sauce. It was absolutely fantastic. Finally, I had the Young Girl on Fire. Now, the name at first, I wasn't too sure about. Considering it's an Asian restaurant, it had me thinking of that famous image of the poor little naked Vietnamese girl covered in napalm, which is neither humorous nor appetizing. On the other hand, it was a Cornish hen, stuffed with raisins and pineapple (???) tenderly marinated in loving herbs and spices, and whiskey flamed at the table. Well, that settled it. The other dishes came out, followed by all of our generous bowls of sticky rice. Then, the waiter brought out a canister and set it on the table. You know those little devices used to glaze a creme brule? Yeah, this wasn't one of those. This was more like what you'd use to weld something in metal shop. Then, the waiter comes back out with my tiny chicken, and stands several feet from the table. He pours a significant amount of whiskey on it, and, with the whole restaurant now paying attention, lights it on fire. It burns for, no joke, like 35seconds. When it finally dies out, he walks it over, places it in front of me, and in a small and polite voice proclaims, 'Young Girl on Fire". There was laughter and applause. And this thing was DELICIOUS. Unbelievable. I even ventured to try the bizarre fruit & dried fruit stuffing. What's even more amazing was the price - usually when someplace is going to light your food on fire, or perform some other gesture that makes it more like 'dinner and a show', it seriously ups the cost. My young girl on fire cost me the same as the other entrees - most things seemed to be in the $15-$20 range. Want to mention something else cool - there were $4 cocktails. Now, we didn't partake in them this visit, so I can't comment on volume or quality, but it bears mentioning - $4 cocktails! And, they were color coded, much like the terror alert system. That way, when you get drunk enough, you can just say - 'Gimmie the Blue!' or "My young girl on fire set my Green aflame!' So, for those of you that haven't bothered to read everything, but want a quick informative recap, here's what this place has: 1) Reasonable Prices 2) Great Food 3) Humorous Dish Names 4) Flaming Entrees 5) Polychromatic Potables I cant recommend this place highly enough. Everything on the menu looks great, everything I tried was great... but you'll be disappointed if you don't make sure someone in your party orders the Young Girl On Fire.

    (5)
  • Alex F.

    I have been to lemongrass several times and have been pleased with the food and the service everytime. This time was quite the opposite. My girlfriend and I decided to take our friend there to impress him and it went horribly wrong. The service was terrible- the waitress seemed incredibly impatient as she came to the table to ask for our order 3 times in about 2 mins when we were clearly not ready to order. The dumplings we ordered smelled and tasted very funky too- they had a fishy stink to them. To top it all off in the middle of our dinner we saw a COCKROACH crawling on the wall next to us! As a "courtesy" to us, they took off 2 glasses of wine from the bill (though there were 3 of us eating, which made no sense). Needless to say after the events of last night, we will NOT be back again. There is better thai food around U City where roaches dont exist.

    (2)
  • PRETTY D.

    I can always count on this place to get good thai food! please make reservations as this place is tiny...parking is always a problem. They have good choices for veg and non veg...my reocs: Appetizers & Soup: Buddha's Dumplings, Lemon Grass Soup, Snow White Soup (if u like coconut milk) Entrees: You can customize any entree to be veggies, Jack & Sue, Mussaman. For non veg: Sweet Surrender, Himmapan, Garlic Fantasy, Evil Jungle princess and Seafood lover.. Prices are decent, place gets crowded very fast, service is good.

    (5)
  • kathy t.

    Given the premise that there is no very good (read: genuinely flavorful while on fire hot) Thai food available in Philadelphia, Lemon Grass is an adequate stand in. I've been here about a dozen times due to proximity to work, and tried most selections on the lunch special menu. The food is neither terrific or bad- it can be slightly greasy for stir fried noodles (ie drunken/royal noodles), the curries (red/yellow/green) are mild and pleasant, the seafood madness curry comes with a smattering of oysters, shrimp and fish, the tulip dumplings are pleasant, deep fried items are hot and crispy, the soups are warm and soothing... Service can be less than good, especially during the lunch rush, and they have been willing to accommodate our groups of ~12.

    (3)
  • Jaesi G.

    I love lemon grass. the lunch special rocks and after years of going here i know exactly what to expect. the waitress are very effiencent but not always friendly, but hey years of busy lunches with everyone paying 9 bucks for 3 courses willl probably leave you that way, i understand. also I won't try ordering a drink during lunch. period. you won't get it. i accept that. what you will get is the fastest lunch ever, with more then enough to bring home. they never get my order wrong either when i normally go in with a vegatrain friend and i order a veggie app but a meal with chicken. night service is much more relaxed, and i've never had a problem getting a beer or cocktail in a timely manner.

    (4)
  • Totally I.

    Philly isn't exactly the spot to for Thai... And with a 4 or so Thai (plus a couple of vietnamese) places in (inner) west Philly alone that's sad. But as others have said, the food, prices, and comfort level at Lemon Grass are alright. I'd put it above the other thai places for food (hence the 4 stars), but below Vientiane for atmosphere and coziness.

    (4)
  • James M.

    I think Lemon Grass is pretty darn good. Lunch special: Lemon Grass soup, Crispy Roll, and Royal Noodle combo is my fav. Though you can mix and match from a variety. Funny dish names... There's a dish called "Jungle Princess" You are what you eat, ya know....

    (4)
  • A S.

    Decent Thai food and great prices. The service here is better than other Thai restaurants around University City but it could be cleaner. The location is great and I can always find parking around there. We've been there a few times for lunch and their fried dumplings are really good. Their curry is also good. To be honest, if this was the only Thai restaurant in the area, I would have given it a better rating but Thai Singha is just simply the best. Bottom line, we'll keep going there. The location is good and the food is good.

    (3)
  • Teresa K.

    This is our go to Thai restaurant in Philly for lunch. The food is really great. They have a lunch special where you get soup, and appetizer and an entree for like 8.95. The atmosphere isn't great. Service is quick and not very friendly, but the food more than makes up for it. We had a Christmas lunch here once and I think my boss was horrified at how quickly all the food came out. They don't wait until you are done one course before they bring out another. However, considering we normally take the trolley from center city to get here, for us, that's usually a good thing. (My boss has never joined us on return visits.) If there is a better Thai restaurant close to center city, someone please let me know. Until then, this is my favorite one.

    (4)
  • Ashley H.

    I've passed by this restaurant many a times and decided to give it a try. My friend and I ordered an appetizer and two entrees. As someone who often travels to Thailand, the Thai food here is worst than subpar. It is just too greasy. After dinner, we both didn't feel too well, especially since we had to get ready to go out. I would say, I'd only go to this restaurant once in a while and not make it a habit because the food is not good for anyones health.

    (1)
  • John B.

    mediocre food. I've been here only once. We ordered phad kee mao (my favorite dish) and spicy crispy whole fish. The noodles were overcooked and the fish wasn't crispy. Also the flavor of the dishes weren't pungent enough (maybe lacking basil and tamarind?) for our likings.

    (2)
  • idurtp -.

    I really enjoy Lemon Grass. I've been there a few times now and haven't ever been disappointed. Service isn't lightening or anything, but I'm never in a rush for a meal so it doesn't bother me. I'm not usually a dessert person, but I really enjoy the various desserts here.

    (4)
  • Jill K.

    Nice decor, Zagat rated (ooooh, foofy-pants!), mildly snippy service. Super-good Thai iced tea, lame tom kha gai, fair glass noodle salad (not enough chicken for me). Drunken noodles got a high rating from my pal Brian, and the pad thai also got good marks. The corn cakes (appetizer) were tasty, and had the added benefit of making us snicker like 5th graders because it has the word "corn" in it. Mystery of the day: Their som tom (on the "vegetarian salads" menu) is made with cabbage. *BZZT! Wrong answer!* But in another spot on the menu they offer a "shrimp salad" that is basically som tom (this time made with shredded green papaya) with a few jumbo shrimps on top. WTF? Since I am a som tom fanatic (but only if it's made with papaya), I ordered that and let my friend eat the shrimp. Glad I did. Lastly: They have a dish called "Young Girl on Fire." Insert joke of your choice here.

    (3)
  • Gamecockjd2013 E.

    The lunch specials are amazing, yet the service is terrible. I have been to lemongrass like five times, everytime i get the same waitress and everytime she is rude as ever. Now I like Thai as much as the next person, but not enough to endure bad service. The waitress refused to take more than 1 credit card to pay for the meal, pour water so harshly it spilled on a colleagues meal. Hot mess.

    (2)
  • ZZ T.

    The quick review - food good, service bad I've been here dozens of times and generally enjoy my meals. The service, however, leaves much to be desired. When I ate there earlier this week the server poured my water with so much aggression that she splashed me all over my face. And no dessert menu was offered. We're a table of women! Still, it's decent Thai and it's nearby, so I'll go back....with a water balloon.

    (4)
  • Cliff C.

    Service is not so good , I felt that I was a number or they were just to busy to look at faces, The BBQ Chicken is dry and I mean flat dry the house soup was veggies in water and the Satay chix was average plus....Bangkok City is better and way cheaper. The only toque I can give is the Fried rice is a little bit Paellaish or Gumboish (on the slimey side)not good to see but it was good to eat. My wife took me here because she said it was authentic Thai true they had better interior design than Bangkok City but the service and taste Bangkok City whips em 5 stars to 2..........Hit 295 and exit to Voorhees skip Powelton Village for Thai.

    (2)
  • James H.

    Probably my favorite Thai place in Philadelphia... it helped that a lot of my friends have come and gone working through this restaurant, but you can't get much more authentic then this spot. Everything I've had has been pretty damn good, but my personal favorites are the Eggplant stinger with chicken and the final fantasy dessert. Also try the tulip dumplings that come with a maple syrup type of dipping sauce. Classic dishes like the pad thai and lemongrass soup (tom yum) are also as good as I've ever had.

    (4)
  • Steph H.

    Loves me some lemon grass. I'm not a HUGE thai fan, but I like the occasional pad-thai (shut up!). Service was prompt and friendly. Cocktails were equally prompt and fun. Would totally come here again or bring friends here!

    (4)
  • Malaika V.

    Best Thai I've ever had!! We are driving across Pa and after bar food and gas stations for days,we needed something on the healthier side! We started with Between the Sheets app. So good (not healthy). Then we split the Evil jungle Girl and PadThai. Delicious!!!! Cheap, service good and totally off the beaten path. Try it! You'll love it!!:)

    (5)
  • Bethany W.

    I am so stuffed that it might be hard for me to write this review. I went here for dinner with my organization (getting paid to eat Thai food!) and thought it was really great. We all split three appetizers: Buddha Dumplings, corn cakes, and "Between the Sheets" which was chicken and shrimp between layers of some sort of crunchy dough thing. I have to work on my food descriptions a little bit. all were excellent, though Between the Sheets was a little fishy. I had the Pad Thai with shrimp because I am Adventurous with a capital A and thought it was excellent; everyone else got an assortment of curries and chicken dishes and all very much enjoyed their meals. We split desserts - mango and coconut ice cream and fried bananas. Once again, all excellent. Totally recommended!

    (4)
  • Jessie J.

    This is the one of the best thai restaurant that's in Philadelphia, in my humble opinion. I haven't been to many thai places in old city, but it's surely the best in university city/west Philadelphia. The dish "Jack and Sue" is delicious! I've tried a couple of other dishes and I would also recommend trying a curry dish. If you haven't already figured it out, you will have a high chance of having terrible service, however they are very willing to accommodate large parties in their small dining room.

    (5)
  • michelle p.

    This was a pretty decent meal. My friend and I went here last Saturday night and they put us at a nice table that was oddly romantic. They probably thought we were on a date, ha. Anyway, we ordered veggie delight soup and veggie rolls. They were both flavorful and delicious. My friend proclaimed them to be the best veggie rolls she's ever had. Onto the main course, I ordered the Royal Bath which was amazing. Protein and iron packed, it was spinach drenched in peanut sauce with tofu on top. Yum. My friend ordered some curry, she liked it alot. Then, we contemplated dessert, to add to the date aspect we ordered one dessert and split it. It was the Jungle Fever, which my friend really didn't want to request but she did. It was incredibly rich chocolate cake with cream, I would recommend sharing. We also had some tea which was nice, the guy brought a suitcase like tea box out for us to pick what we wanted. All in all, it was a good experience, the service and food were pretty good. We did, however, have a table of five annoying college girls seated next to us. It's hard not to eavesdrop.

    (4)
  • Mike S.

    Great for lunch. Have not been there for dinner. Good sized portions (not too big) and the staff are nice. Great Pad Thai.

    (4)
  • veronika p.

    Lemongrass is my favorite Thai restaurant in Philadelphia. The place is really small and intimate, and the decor isn't over the top. I've always had good service, and the food is out of the kitchen amazingly fast. The masaman curry is really good, and you can pick between a bunch of different kinds of meat, as well as a veggie option. The coconut soup is good too, not overly sweet. The prices are totally reasonable - I'd say the average entree is about 11 bucks.

    (4)
  • Lindsay H.

    This place wasn't bad, maybe a 3.5 star. The pad thai pretty good, but had no veggies (other than the bean sprouts). I really like their lunch menu - $8.95 fixed-price three-course lunch (appetizer, soup, entree), equally large regular and vegetarian selections. I liked the appetizers we got (chicken skewers and thai dumplings), but the lemon grass soup was so-so. The service was a bit brusque in the beginning, but nicer later. The food comes out really fast.

    (3)
  • Lesley P.

    Consistently good and a good dollar value. We crave the dishes at this place.

    (5)
  • J P.

    Decent Thai at super fair prices. Check it for lunch. They'll serve you up some Curry super fast. Try the tofu satay.

    (3)
  • victoria g.

    this used to be a regular date spot for me when i was a freshman at drexel. the food here is fantastic and with names like "young girl on fire" and "evil jungle princess", you know these entrees are going to be creative! i also loved the beef satay and the mango dessert. this spot is certainly not known for the service, but when you're just in the mood for some good food, it's worth the trip. especially for the price.

    (4)
  • Marian R.

    ok, the food is improving, but not too quickly. the service is still what it is. :)

    (2)
  • Lane S.

    Great find! My wife and I love Thai, but have had limited success with finding good Thai food in Philly. There are a handful of good spots, and we'll add this one to our list. We had the Sa Tay appetizer, (chick skewers with a great salsa and peanut sauce), and split the Pad Thai. I liked the Pad Thai more than my wife, but we both agreed that it was a solid contender to most others that we've had in the city. She liked it once we added more spice. As others have mentioned, the service isn't the most friendly crowd. We got everything that we asked for promptly, just with a little attitude. Overall, a good find. We'll be going back.

    (4)
  • Lisa F.

    The food is great (I love their pad thai), but I have been there many times and their waitresses are incredibly rude. I also tried to go there once with three other people, and we were completely ignored after walking in for about 10 minutes..at which point, we just decided to leave and eat at Zocalo down the street.

    (3)
  • shilpa p.

    love this place. great service. great food. i recommend the chu chee duck and the thai basil. their chicken satay is great too.

    (5)
  • Kap N.

    good spot. shilpa actually got me hooked. good food, quick service.

    (5)

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Map

Opening Hours

  • Mon :11:30 am - 2:00pm

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : Yes
    Delivery : Yes
    Take-out : Yes
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Good For : Lunch
    Parking : Street
    Bike Parking : Yes
    Wheelchair Accessible : No
    Good for Kids : Yes
    Good for Groups : Yes
    Attire : Casual
    Ambience : Casual
    Noise Level : Average
    Alcohol : Full Bar
    Outdoor Seating : No
    Wi-Fi : No
    Has TV : No
    Waiter Service : Yes
    Caters : No

Lemon Grass Thai Restaurant

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