Siam Cafe
316 Mccall St, Nashville, TN, 37211
Siam Cafe Menu
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Appetizers
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Soups
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Salads
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Siam Specialties
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Homemade Dessert
Healthy Meal suggestions for Siam Cafe
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Appetizers
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Soups
-
Salads
-
Siam Specialties
-
Homemade Dessert
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Address :
316 Mccall St
Nashville, TN, 37211 - Phone (615) 834-3181
- Website https://sites.google.com/site/siamcafenashville/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 10
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : No
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Quiet
Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
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Lex H.
This place is perfect! all the way from the built in hide-a-way floor seating and no air conditioning to the lunch time buffet line and a plate full of the best duck you didnt order! The English can be rough and in the summer its more a sweat lodge than a dinner on the town but all of this and more is worth the last little dribble down your chopstick! Ive been eating at Siam since the early 90's and the food has been heavenly every single time. Favorites: Nam Sod, Mee Krab and the Pla Lard Prig is devine!
(5)Robert B.
Love this place! Best Kee Mao in town! Get it "native thai hot" (if you can handle it). They pretty much have great everything though. I would also recommend the red or green curry. It will literally light your a** on fire. If you are a fan of the "hot and spicy" like I am, then get the waitstaff to bring you a small bowl of peppers with fish sauce. If your food is not spicy enough, then adding some of those peppers will change that in a hurry. The place looks completely ghetto on the outside but it actually has a pretty decent interior. So I would say it's a nice quiet atmosphere on the inside. A good place to take a date. Also, I must say the prices are quite reasonable, and the service is always excellent.
(5)Stefanie P.
Went there for lunch with a co-worker. No lunch specials! But I got the Red Curry and it was awesome, yummy, spicy and warm! The spring rolls were good but the shrimp inside tasted rubbery. A bit of dim lighting and worn chairs but probably because each seat is full, and sat on alot. Service was so so - only 2 women working the lunch rush. Parking can be limited and alot of people park on the shoulder of the road. I'll be back the food make all those other small issues go away.
(4)Jamie A.
Green curry heaven! This is by far my favorite spot in Nashville for Thai. Anytime the craving hits, we head over to this South Nashville gem. I am so in love with the green curry w/ beef (hot) that I can't speak too much to the other entrees. I tried a bite of my boyfriend's red curry (native) which was very good, but a little too hot for my taste. I always have to get the fried bananas for dessert, even if I am stuffed... Another note is they have a very inexpensive, though limited, wine list. You can get a decent bottle for less than $20.
(5)C S.
When I go back to Nashville there are only a few places that I insist on going and this is one of them. The only thing Ive really ever had here is the tofu green curry and I am more than ok with this. I love this meal and this is one of those hidden gems in Nashville. If your into trying any of the curry items, here is a tip that me and my girlfriend at the time use to do on togo orders: get just one order of curry which comes with a large side of rice and then order another side rice for 99 cents (free if you dine-in) and its plenty of food. The servings are big and last night when I order some I tried to eat it all and though I nearly did, I couldn't. This meal that feed two nicely cost about right at 10 bucks. Its really hard to beat that. parking has always sucked here but, I noticed last night they now are using the parking lot across the street which is a huge difference. I cant speak for the buffet they have or nearly any other meal besides the other curry options but, I have eaten at numerous other Thai places in Nashville and I can say its the best curry in town and many people on and off of Yelp agree.
(4)Jamie W.
best thai food in nashville!
(5)Elle A.
I am a Thai food fanatic. I consider Nolensville a gem of a road (despite popular belief - ever been to Las Cansuelos or International Market?) so I was excited to be hungry about the time I got flashed by nearby prostitute (not kidding) and realized I'd never been there before. My "vegetarian friend" and I were seated and a little excited by the 70s-ish time travel dining room. For starters, I got the hot and sour, and she the Tom Kha. My friend "forgets" to make sure that dishes are meatless (I've seen her surprised several times when eating out), so of course hers had chicken in it and mine only shrimp so we swapped. I must say I am a huge fan of the hot and sour (over Tom Kha). The Tom Kha was very, very sweet to me and "real coconutty." Instead of an entree, we got salads. I'm not sure what the name of the one she ordered (but the fried tofu in it was the best I've had) and I got my favorite Thai salad, tiger tear. I was excited when she offered me rice, which makes it more of a complete meal, and it ended up only being a dollar extra. I ordered "hot" which it wasn't... I must be getting accustomed to Thai spice because I would rank it as mild. The meat was great but not as good as my favorite tiger tear restaurant, Golden Thai on White Bridge. We found out from a guy working there that it is the first Thai restaurant which is a plus for me. Be careful pulling out of the parking lot (it was packed when we left) and watch out for flashers!!
(3)Mr Mrs J.
I've been here a couple times, last time I brought my sales team to eat lunch here. Everyone liked it. It wasn't too busy and the food was pretty good according to everybody. My garlic shrimp actually was just okay, but everyone else (there were 8 of us) liked their food. Someone had the red curry duck and I tried it, it was delicious, I should've gotten that dish. The 2 times I've been here it seems I keep ordering the mediocre dishes while everyone else ordered the right ones. Ohh well, I wouldn't knock it, if you want decent authentic thai food. Eat in the restaurant part and order from the menu. I still prefer Thai Taste on Haywood, but this would be 2nd choice of the 2 for lunch near my office. The lady servers are very nice and accommodating.
(3)Deepak B.
The food is decent and prices are reasonable. Service was way too slow and inconsistent. The food came cold and flagged waiter seven times during dinner. Got annoying...
(2)Glaiza B.
Living and growing up in Southern California, I had the privilege of having all kinds of ethnic foods at my fingertips and one of them being Thai food. I moved to Nashville and stumbled upon this restaurant. At first, I was a little scared to go inside because the place looked really weird outside, but decided WTH. I had no expectations, but that's a good thing. I ordered my favorite dishes (panang curry, tam yum, and pad thai) and to my surprise I was impressed! Their food was delicious! My husband who is a picky eater enjoyed this place too! Their staff was very nice. I will definitely come back here again. It looks a little sketchy outside, but the inside isn't bad at all plus the food is great!
(4)Joel M.
Being a creature of habit, I most often order the same thing at Thai restaurants, however, after doing some research, I decided I wanted to try some Issan-style Thai so I asked the lovely lady who seated us if they had a special "Thai" menu. She enthusiastically pointed to the menu on the table. I think she misunderstood and I said, "what I mean is a special menu from which Thais order" and she again pointed to the same menu. So, I further asked her if they did any Issan specialties that are not on the menu. She said "Laab" so that is what I ordered. "Laab" (sometimes "Larb") is an Issan-style meat salad, very pungent, usually spicy. My dining companion and I ordered the Tom Yum Kai (not on the menu), Laab (not on the menu), Som Tum, Pad See Ew (not on the menu) and Red Curry with Chicken, all ordered at native Thai spice level. I explained that we like our Thai really hot (native Thai hot). It was very, very hot and lovely, but not the incendiary spice-level for which we were looking. The Tom Yum Kai was exquisite and redolent with lemongrass and Kaffir lime leaf; the Som Tum, pungently sour with fish sauce, lime juice and dried Shrimp, and shredded green papaya. It was the perfect foil for the blazing Laab (ground chicken, lime juice, Thai bird chiles, red onions, cilantro on a bed of lettuce). The Pad See Ew was quite delicious, as was the Red Curry. Unfortunately, the red curry came topped with some of the ground chile powder instead of chopped Thai Bird chiles (which are truly incendiary). The taste, though, was fantastic. This is, without a doubt, the best Thai in Nashville.
(4)Jason S.
Don't be thrown off from the outside (or the decor of the inside), this place is a Thai food Mecca. Came here first on the recommendation of my ol' buddy Brian R., who used to eat here multiple times a week. Great location to stop at for lunch or dinner if you are out at the zoo. I find myself craving their Tom Ka Kai soup at the most inopportune times. Really awesome comfort food. Never tried the buffet, I am kind of averse to them in general, and I like things extra spicy, so I've always ordered off the menu. I especially love the Disco Chicken - try it if you haven't. Very affordable and has stuff that satisfies the vegetarians, too!
(4)Megan T.
I always order the green curry with either shrimp or chicken, but my husband is much more adventurous. One time we got a whole fish- eyeballs an everything!- it was baked with a clear sauce and vegetables on top. It was pretty good though for something that looked so scary, that thing had teeth! It was very large, I believe it could feed 3-4 people. When my husband isn't deployed, this is one of our top places to get Thai food, they not only have the traditional dishes but also some unique and very different entrees; if you want to try something new, this is the place for you!
(4)Becca G.
Suprisingly enough there are numerous Thai restaurants here in Nashville, however the quality and value of these joints is all over the place. I am always a little nervous when I try a new Thai place because they tend to hit my wallet harder than most "ethnic" cuisine in town, but Siam Cafe proved to be good food for a good value. I ordered the Tom Kha Gai soup and the Beef Panaeng which were both awesome. I like my food hot and this place definitely didn't dissapoint. At other Thai and Indian places I think the servers fear that "the gringa" can't handle spicy and when I say hot I often get medium instead. The dishes here definitely had some yummy burn and tingle. My bf ordered the Pad Thai which was not so good and drenched in mysterious red oil. I think their dishes are hit or miss, so maybe go first with a big group to try it all? Overall the food was good, the prices were very reasonable, and we had attentive, polite service. I won't say this is the best Thai in the world, but pretty good quality for Nashville. If they could get all their dishes on point and be less "hit-or-miss" then they would definitely bump up a star in my book.
(3)Douglas B.
Siam Cafe was ONCE a decent Thai restaurant, albeit overrated by its loyal patrons (which used to number us among them). Our last two visits confirm that SC has declined from its mediocre heights. Service has always been iffy, but tonight it was dreadful. We waited 45 minutes for dishes that usually take 20 minutes to receive after ordering. And the steamed seafood curry was a watery, tasteless mess. We have switched our allegiance to Thai Ginger. It has wonderful authentic Thai dishes and excellent service.
(1)John G.
I'm sorry, but I just don't drink the Cool-Aid when it comes to Siam Cafe. My co-workers told me this was one of the great Thai food places in town and so I let them take me here one day for lunch. While they seemed to like it, I thought it was really bad. The service was just down right TERRIBLE! Two ladies attempted to work the entire dining room, getting food and drink orders completely mixed up the entire time. When the food trickled out to the table it was cold, wrong or both. Anyway, a week later I took my co-workers to International Market by Belmont, and nobody has been back to Siam since.
(2)Zac S.
This is definitely my favourite spot for Thai food in all of Nashville. I will gladly drive off the East side (a feat for many an East Nashvillian) past a couple of other popular Thai restaurants just to enjoy Siam Cafe. As its been mentioned, the aesthetic is not necessarily on the cutting edge of restaurant interior design. Frankly, so what. If you're worried about matching decor you can always stand in line at a Pei Wei. I have always found the service to be exceptionally friendly, prompt and accurate. Most importantly, the food is excellent! The curries are all delicious and filling, but don't leave you feeling stuffed. The duck dish is fantastic, probably a new favourite. Most of all their Pad Thai is bang on. When trying out a new Thai restaurant, Pad Thai is the gold standard by which I judge the establishment. Like I said, bang on. I love Siam Cafe, if there were a tee shirt that said so, I would wear it.
(4)Rose W.
The only Thai restaurant that understands the word "mild"
(5)Kim Y.
First off - looks can be deceiving. The interior of this place is like a tricked out 70's den that the owners have spruced up with asian restaurant fare. You can sit on little pillows at your table at some seats, but thats about it for ambiance. Do NOT let that sad looking mostly typical chinese buffet up front upset you - do not order from it. Order from the menu. I am an omnivore through and through, but I like to get classic thai dishes here (curries and yummy gingery or peanut-y noodles) made with the tofu, they do tofu right here! Crispy and soft on the inside, not too greasy either. The Thai tea is pretty standard and they could work on getting things out a little quicker when you eat in-house, but other than that my neighborhood joint will keep getting my thai food craving love.
(3)Paul K.
I'm not much of an expert when it comes to Thai foods. For a vegetarian in Nashville there're usually 2 or 3 choices at the places I go, and very little reminds me of the delicious fiery death of the vegetarian Thai food I had while in the Philippines that I was convinced was going to put me into a hospital, nor the peanutty goodness of the San Fran veggie Thai places I used to visit. Siam Cafe does not remind me much of the other Thai I have had, but that may be because they only have 3 entrees that are veggie. What they do have they do quite well and should be remembered for it. Their spring rolls are delicious. It pains me that they serve them at a temperature more befitting a funeral pyre than a foodstuff, which necessitates waiting for them to cool to a more reasonable temperature. Waiting is the hardest part. Keeping your 2 rolls safe from your compatriots falls a close second. The 2 veggie entrees they have are delicious. The one with noodles (would sure help if I wrote the name down here wouldn't it) reminds me a little bit more of Chinese food than Thai. On our last visit the wife and I ordered all the veggie foods they had (3 things?) sans salads. We both had ordered them hot (the levels of heat as I recall are mild (ketchup), medium (a jalapeno touched this), hot (I can handle a pepper or two) and Thai Native (which if it's anything like I had overseas I am not going to touch without money on the line) Hers came back at what we both considered on the mild side of medium, mine came back on what I would call the milder side of hot. Which was just enough heat to clear the sinuses, but not enough to switch into pain / begging for water or milk. We're not sure if they downed the heat on hers thinking she could not handle it, or if mine just absorbed more heat, but it's fair to note that heat levels may not be what you think they will be. Finding the place, it will help if you street view on google maps first. It's up a bit on the corner, sort of pushed back from easy viewing on a street that's not an obvious god restaurant down here street. parking is tight, so plan to carpool.
(4)Allison B.
This is my happy food! The outside of the building and interior are nothing special, but don't let that throw you off. The food in incredible. I have eaten in and had take out from the steam table. Both are very good, but I agree with Brian R try the Hung ray curry and the disco chicken are not to be missed. The staff is very friendly and attentive. The prices are also very reasonable.
(5)Anna A.
Siam cafe is one of those places that you might pass up on appearances. This is hands down my favorite Thai place in town!! However, I have never been impressed by the entrees. I have tried a few of them and they don't rock my world. Why do I give it four stars then? Because and this is a HUGE because, the Tom Ka Kai is something I crave in my dreams, when I am sick, when it's hot, when I am thirsty, when I happy, get the picture? I have had a few different versions of Tom Ka Kai in other cities and restaurants and I feel Siam makes a wonderfully rich coconut concoction with just the right subtle hints of lime, ginger, chili's that just make my taste buds sing. My husband and I order the large and it comes in a large metal donut shaped bowl with flame in the middle with a side of sticky white rice. This really is enough for two people as a meal. Now, the other wonderful thing I LOVE here is the steamed dumplings. I horde these things like an alcoholic hordes his boos. I don't even let my kids smell them for fear I might have to share. I have never tasted anything like them but sometimes I think I could write epic tales worthy of Homer after having eaten them. Take my advice, stick with the soup and dumplings and you will leave a happy camper.
(4)Nadine D.
Thai food is my absolute favorite, and Siam Cafe is definitely the best I have ever had in all of the many places I have lived. There are several thai restaurants within a couple miles of my apartment, but the 20 minute drive to Siam Cafe is worth it!!! The place itself is quaint and comfortable, always with friendly service. I always order the chicken satay and I am amazed every time at the peanut sauce. I don't know what they put in it (maybe applesauce?) but it is addictive. I also love their Massaman Curry...definitely the best ever. It is the perfect combination of creamy and spicy, with tender chicken and perfectly cooked potatoes. I am salivating just thinking about it. Though this place is kind of out of the way, and not in the best part of town, I wind up there at least once a month.
(5)Johnny N.
Cozy and down to earth vibe with great food.
(5)Jennifer E.
Best Thai in the world ! When I first moved to Nashville six years ago , my best friend introduced me to this place . I always get Tiger Tear and chai Tea . You simply can't imagine how good this beautiful food is ! The atmosphere is amazing . It really feels like you're in the culture. Owners are amazing & it's simply a five star for me :)
(5)Nicole F.
I can't get past the red curry with shrimp. It's so crazy delicious. It has lots of good sized shrimp, fresh crispy vegetables (and lots of them), just the right balance of spicy and sweet. It's just to die for. This time I ordered the steamed dumplings as well, intending to share, but yeah, that didn't happen. They were also superb.
(5)Meg S.
The food was excellent! We had squid salad, crab rolls, dumplings, pad Thai, and lad ma and every bite was delicious! While the outside of this restaurant doesn't look like much, the sit-down portion of the restaurant is beautifully decorated and comfortable. What struck me most about my visit there yesterday was how fantastic the staff was! I went with a group that included my mom, who sometimes has trouble seeing and getting around easily. The waitress took my mother's arm and led her to the table as if it were her own mother. The wait staff was attentive and kept our drinks full, and one waiter dropped by a couple times to make some jokes with us. What a fantastic restaurant!!
(5)Sarah C.
Oh my gosh! I love this place! Their curry is awesome. And they have delectable, fresh made peanut sauce. Their decor is tasteful and authentic.
(5)Shruthi L.
We usually stick to two dishes that we know are good: green curry + veggies or chicken and panang curry. We tried to branch out on the menu once and honestly, we weren't impressed. King Market (see my review) is our first love so it's tough competition. We live super close to this place, the owners/staff are always more than friendly & it's a great default for something quick with more flexible hours than KM. Therefore, Salmon Panang, Level 4. That's really all you need to know. K, bye.
(4)Emma C.
I have consisting eaten at this restaurant at least once a week for three years. One of the best restaurants with the best service. Fresh food with fresh ingredients!
(5)Sagar P.
I am a regular at Siam Cafe and love visting this place. The lad nah and pad thai are my favorite dishes here. the soups are great as well. I live the fact that it is a small restaurant and gives off a very homely vibe. The servers know me so i feel very warm when i enter. It is one of my go to places everytime we think of eating out, Love the place.
(5)LA M.
This is my absolute favorite thai restaurant in Nashville. An employee introduced me to Siam and I was hooked from day one. Their food is great, and their service is even better. I give them my money as often as my stomach can handle it.
(5)Tim A.
From the day I've come to Nashville, I've heard Thai Phooket this, Smiling Elephant that. Those are both okay destinations, I suppose. However, it is evident to me that neither of these constitutes Nashville's best Thai option. Thus far, I have to hand that trophy to Siam Cafe, whose rich flavors and quality ingredients have come the closest to reminding me of what I can get back in my native CA. One product that I've had a tought time finding in Nashville is a really good flat noodle. However, Siam's Pad Kee Mao indicates that at least one place knows how to make them right. Furthermore, I was really impressed with this place's intuition on spice level. I wanted something medium-highish and this place knew right where to go. Perhaps the most special thing, though, was their squid. I loves me some fresh squid, and it was one of those rare times in Nashville where it didn't taste like it had been frozen for three months after having washed up on shore after Deepwater Horizon. Room for improvement? The service was unattentive...waiting for water when you're burning up on Thai chilis isn't the most pleasant experience. Also, the onions were cooked a bit sloppily...I was getting occasional whiffs of undercooked onion which I personally don't enjoy. Above all, though, Siam Cafe is my new go-to spot for Thai in Nashville until someone can demonstrate that there is a better option.
(4)Jessica S.
Howwwwwwww does this place have such good reviews?! We wanted good Thai food and decided to eat here based off the Yelp reviews - big mistake on our part! We ordered two orders of pad thai (one extra spicy) and some spring rolls. The spring rolls were good - that's the only reason this place is getting stars. The pad thai was disgusting. It tasted like styrofoam, was cold, and there was really no sauce on it. It honestly tasted like it had been sitting out for hours. I understand that restaurants cannot always make fresh entrees - but this was straight up disappointing/disgusting. Ugh.
(2)Leslie H.
I felt terrible walking in at 925pm but I had a craving I had to get tackled. They welcomed me in without problem! Soup- Tom Kha Gai- tasted like the used instant paste for the flavor. Idk but it was too sour, not enough coconut milk for my taste. I love thai for the 3 flavor balance (hot, sour, sweet).
(3)Alicia U.
Very solid choice for Thai Food. Staff is very friendly and they stay open till 10pm. Som Tom (green papaya salad) was really yummy! Ordered medium spicy and it had just a hint of hotness. This is a savory salad of shredded green papaya, slivers of carrot, tomato all marinated in a sour, briny, and tad sweet dressing. One if my fav salads and this one is just as good as the som toms in Los Angeles. Soy Sauce Noodles (pad see ew) were good too. Scrambled eggs with broccoli, chicken and flat rice noodles stir fried in a sweet soy sauce. Their pad see ew is a little more gravy like reminiscent of lad na. I prefer a little darker soy sauce flavor and slightly drier noodle. If you can't take spicy, try this noodle dish. You will like it :)
(4)Kyle C.
Wow this food was soooooo good. Got an amazing soup and chicken dish. The owner and wait staff were wonderfully friendly. All of my tablemates raved about how good their food was too!!! Highly highly reccomend!
(5)Cheryl H.
We had the Tiger Tear salad, panang curry with chicken, and disco chicken. Everything was fantastic, only two suggestions: One, the Tiger Tear salad was SO good and SO spicy! But it's a salad! Not a chunk of meat with lettuce sprinkled it in. Love the amount of beef, but give me some lettuce too! We actually popped this in the fridge and I'm making a larger salad with the leftover beef tonight. The panang curry (my personal favorite Thai dish of all time) was DELICIOUS but it needed some veggies. Put some carrots, green peppers, etc. into it. Not just shredded cabbage/lettuce. My husband fully enjoyed his disco chicken and there were generous portions. Seriously, don't be turned off by the appearance, it was really great! Do it!
(4)Jay G.
One of the best Thai places I have ever eaten at. They have excellent Thai tea. The best curry, and their pad Thai is phenomenal. Everything they make is fresh and cooked to perfection. I have never eaten a bad meal so they are extremely consistent. Also they are reasonably cheap. Great food, service, and great prices = five stars!
(5)Jennifer P.
I love Thai food, especially Pad Thai, so when we went here for Supper Club I was really excited. I enjoyed what I had for dinner (for the most part), but it ended up making me really sick. My friend was fine though. I might try it one more time to see if it was me or the place itself, but it definitely gave me a mixed first impression.
(3)Lauren S.
I've been eating here since I was two years old! I learned how to use chopsticks here and I've seen the staff all grow up along with me. This place is by far the best Thai food I've ever had (and I've been to Simply Thai, Dusit Thai, Smiling Elephant and all those other places). For appetizers, the tiger tear salad, chicken satay, and tom yung koon are the bomb dot com and I never leave without having one of them. They have the best pad thai and chicken panang, so be sure to try it sometime. The seafood curry, while pricey, is worth it for the large medley of seafood you get. Stay away from ordering native Thai hot unless you want a red ring in the morning! Please don't pass this hole in the wall up. You'll love every bite of whatever you decide to order. I've never had something I didn't like.
(5)Blair S.
My first trip to Siam Cafe was a few years ago with a bunch of Thai friends. We tried a mix of menu items and Thai dishes not on the menu. Now that I'm often in the area, this makes a great lunch stop. The servers are friendly and funny, and the food comes out fast. The tom kha kai is something I got addicted to in Thailand and Siam Cafe always hits the spot. The seafood is OK, the curries are great, and the basil stir fries are good. Ask for a spice tray to get the spice level right.
(4)Micheal P.
Siam Cafe is my favorite Thai place in Nashville because it features the lesser known Namsod salad - a blend of minced pork, ginger, peanuts, purple onions, and magic thai flavors (read: fish sauce). Besides that, Siam does all your thai favorites - pad thai, pad see ew, tom yum and tom kha extremely well. It's worth the trip to that little corner of Nolensville road.
(4)Jerry R.
My wife and I have come to enjoy Thai food within the last year-and-a-half and have explored several Thai restaurants. Siam Cafe is pretty good for service and friendliness. The menu is fairly good for non-vegetarians. For us vegetarians, the selection is limited to about 5 items. My wife had the stir fried vegetables with tofu and I had the green curry with tofu. Both were excellent with copious amounts of food. The fried spring rolls were light and delicately delicious. Refills on our iced tea were attended to quickly. Parking looks to be limited to about 11 spaces unless there's more that I didn't see.
(4)Meredith W.
This was one of the worst Thai restaurants I've been too and I've been to a lot. I had the panang curry and it was flavorless. My husband had the duck. It was dry and overcooked. Would not recommend.
(1)Brittney D.
Loved this place. It looks a little sketchy outside but the inside is cute with lots of decor. The booths may offer very little back support, as they're basically benches with little cushions, but they up the decor. Anyway, on to the food. We ordered some spring rolls and I got the spicy noodles with chicken while he ordered a red curry with chicken. The spring rolls were good and obviously fresh. My food was sadly not quite what I expected after reading the description on the menu but was still seasoned and cooked perfectly. If you like basil, definitely order the spicy noodles. My boyfriend kept asking to trade with me he liked it so much. His curry, we agreed, was probably the best we've eaten in Nashville. It was so creamy and flavorful. The chicken and vegetables were cooked well but man the broth was the star of the whole meal. My only complaint might be that my food wasn't quite as spicy as I wanted. We both ordered hot (the options being: mild, medium, hot and native Thai) and mine came pretty mild while his was perfect. I'll go for native next time. Definitely going back!
(5)Riley M.
I came here in 2011 and loved everything I had from the duck to the sweet and sour chicken. I revisited Nov of 2012 and very disappointed with the quality of the food for the price. I'm leaving 3 stars because the staff are friendly and helpful, just the food isn't for me Won't be back, just not for me anymore.
(3)Andi D.
Ohhhhh the green curry. I could drink it! (And try too if I finish the vegetables before the sauce). I always want to try other things, but the green curry is so good it's hard for me to stray from it. Good service, the Thai tea is awesome, and the food is yummy.
(4)Mark M.
My favorite Thai place in the city. It's right off Nolensville Road right next to the aptly named "Latino Tire". The parking is tight, but the food inside is so good. Nice cute little dining area. Absolutely great Thai food. Of course I dont know the names of any of the dishes, but the chicken in coconut milk soup (tom cat ka?) is great. As is the chicken with cashew, and a number of other chicken dishes. Definitely not a boring thai place. And great service. Good prices. Really enjoying my culinary excursions up and down Nolensville Road.
(5)Tara S.
This place is so amazingly good! I'm fairly new to Thai food so before this experience, I had nothing to compare it to. My husband and I did an urbanquest one day and it led us to Thai Phooket. After eating at Siam, I'm going to have to lower the stars on Thai Phooket. I ordered the steam dumplings with peanut sauce, Tom Yum Koong (is that right? I'm going by memory here) and green curry. It was all fantastic! So flavorful without being over-powering. The customer service we got as soon as we walked in the door was amazing. I told the lady behind the counter that it was our first time there and she explained it all to us. There was a buffet or you could order off the menu (for those giving Siam a low score based off their buffet - I recommend you go back and order off the menu. The buffet is very basic with fried rice, noodles and a meat. I wouldn't even try the buffet). The place is small-ish but they have it separated where one side is for the buffet and the other side for dinner patrons. It has a very cozy feeling and some of the tables have a little pillow thing where the back rest is. Our waitress was great. We never had to ask for our drink to be re-filled. I actually stuck with the water instead of ordering another drink. Normally when we go out and I order water it ends up tasting like it came from the tap. Their water was actually really good which is a big deal for me. Speaking of water, I ended up drinking a lot of it because of how spicy my meal was BUT that was a good thing! I asked for hot and my server said, "How hot? Hot or good hot?" I said, "Good hot." Call me crazy but I like it hot enough that it makes me produce tears and gives me the light sniffles and they gave me what I wanted. My new fave Thai place!
(5)Mike J.
This is still our favorite Thai place in Nashville, but we are dropping them down a notch to 4 stars. The last few times we've been the flavor had been slighlty off - less delicate - and on some nights there is only one, dramatically overworked, server for the entire dining area, so service is slow. Come on Siam, step it back up!
(4)Kenny D.
I am mildly obsessed with the Siam duck.
(5)Bridget S.
Hidden gem! The curry and appetizer platter wonderful....the atmosphere nice for a plaza setting..wonderful service...will return..
(4)Tim W.
Hands down THE best Thai place in Nashville. It looks like a bit of a hole in the wall from the outside so I was sceptical at first put I am so glad I got past that and went inside. The atmosphere is good and the seating includes some nice authentic Thai pillows that go behind your back as you sit the down. The service was very good, the people genuine and friendly, and the food was absolutely incredible!!
(5)Thomas L.
This place is really really good. I come here on occasion to grab my own lunch and lunch for my co-workers. I've also been by here once for dinner. They have a good assortment of things on their lunch line. The women serving are so friendly and very courteous. Prices for lunch items are great! Their sweet tea is heavy on the lemon which took some getting used to but now I like it. Their crab rangoon and cream cheese wontons are both very good. Their egg drop soup can get a little old and not as good. The curry is another go-to on the lunch line. Overall this is one of our favorites places to grab lunch at work. Dinner is served in a separate area that's very quaint and has much more Asian type seating. The dinner menu is very extensive and what I've had off of it has been on par or better than similar Thai that can be found in this area.
(5)David M.
Not a Thai food regular but loved this place. Had the chicken basil. Others had spicy noodles and they were fabulous! Staff were friendly.
(5)Amanda M.
Cannot... bring myself... to like... Siam. Sigh. I've tried. Really. My friends love it here and I'm not a picky eater, so I tag along. Maybe it's because I usually go at lunch and we usually end up getting something from the buffet. In which case, I feel like a two-star "meh" says it all. On the whole, I love Thai food, but this buffet is your standard Asian fare per mall food courts. You know the kind: glazey, breaded chicken... sometimes sprinkled with sesame seeds; fried rice; soupy broccoli with chunks of beef; chewy eggrolls. It's not the kind of food one should necessarily be excited about. Perhaps ordering from the menu is different. I'm kind of hoping it is. Also, lesson learned. No matter how delicious your friends tell you the Thai tea is, do not order it unless you can handle the sweetness in a 5lb bag of sugar. I couldn't finish mine and ended up wasting the $2.50. Free refills on soda though! There's a plus. As others have mentioned, the parking situation is EXTREMELY limited. In the case you can't find a spot, take this as a sign from the universe and park across the street for lunch at the blue-roofed Kebab Gyro instead.
(2)Aubrey D.
This is delicious Thai food! I especially love the green curry served with perfectly cooked, pillowy rice. I also appreciate that you can order a bowl of Tom Ka Kai soup for $2. On this last visit, we also had the "fresh" spring rolls which were very good. I also recommend ordering the fried bananas with coconut ice cream for dessert. It's worth traveling to a seedy part of town. (When we went last night someone had recently broken in and the windows were boarded up!) I like sitting on the little pillow chairs but they also have standard tables. Service is efficient and prompt. My only complaint is that the mushrooms need to be cooked more before adding to the soup. Other than that, a perfect Thai meal!
(4)Mark M.
Best thai food in town. Hand down! Great and friendly service. Great selection and great atmosphere. Great veggie options. Highly recommended!!!
(5)Jonathan M.
This place is the real deal! It doesn't look like much from the outside, in fact it looks like a trashy place to be honest. If you can get past that - the good is... the waitress we had was a load of fun and kept us laughing the whole time. As far as the food goes, I believe it was very authentic. The reason I give it a 5 is because I have never been to a place that when they say something is spicy it actually means it is spicy. Although, I greatly regretted it later, I ordered the "native spiciness" which is the hottest and a step up from "hot". WOW, it almost brought tears to my eyes. Doesn't get much better than that... I had the traditional Pad Thai and was very impressed. I can confidently recommend this place.
(5)Michelle N.
Beware of what you eat!! This is one of the most unpleasant thai restaurant I ever been. I was petrified from this and have gotten sick for the rest of the day. I came with my boyfriend to eat lunch, and obtained noodles from the food stand. Unknowingly, I heard a loud CRUNCH when I was chewing on it, and revealed that it was a cockroach. I alarmed the manager about this and she was apologetic. Then she offered me a second plate of noodles, and this time, I discovered a tangled piece of hair in it. The lady apologize again and offered to give our money back, however, I was nice enough to let them keep it. As a result, I and my boyfriend left and never coming back again.
(1)Patrick R.
I haven't had a lot of Thai food, but since I love Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese, I figured this place would probably be up my alley. I was right. The dining room at Siam Cafe is pretty sizable, and there are several neat little booths with pillows and cushions perfect for lounging during a casual meal. Our server was quite a character, and she checked on us and made small talk regularly. I ordered the Pad Thai, which my friend informed me is a relatively simple, traditional dish. It was quite delicious, and the portions are pretty huge, especially considering the less exotic entrees only cost around $7-$10. Fancier items (especially anything containing squid) are quite a bit pricier. My dish had chicken and shrimp (though the shrimp-to-chicken ratio was a little weak) seasoned with a really tasty peanut oil. The atmosphere and staff at Siam Cafe are very friendly and informal. It's a nice spot to go with a friend or two, though I wouldn't necessarily recommend it for large parties. As far as Thai goes, it's probably the best I've had. I'll definitely go back, and I recommend it to anyone with a penchant for Asian food.
(4)Melissa L.
This is my favorite place for Thai, hands down. I think it was the first Thai restaurant and I think the best. The place has real character and the staff is fun and know ther regulars and that makes a real difference. I've tried a lot of things here and never had a bad dish. Pad Thai, Soy Sauce Noodles, Lad Nah, Fresh Sprng Rolls, Mee Krob, Tom Yum Koong, Spicy Noodles, Noodle Soup w/Beef & meatballs - it's all good. I've never eaten off the buffet on the 'other' side of the wall though at lunch I see plenty of people that do. The biggest draw back to this place is the parking - it's tight to say the least. But this old hole in the wall is the best and most fun.
(4)Manj B.
So I went to visit my cousin who was based in Ft. Campbell. They picked me up from the airport in TN and we yelped a good Thai place to eat. After reading good reviews of Siam Cafe, we decided to try it out. And I'm so glad we did. We got the steamed dumpling appetizer, which was good. But then everything else blew me away. The Siam Duck was truly a sweet and spicy delight. I could not have enough of it - and I'm not that big of a duck person. The spicy noodles and chicken basil were delicious too. Very flavorful and the right amount of spicy. And reasonably priced with really friendly people too! I definitely would go back if it wasn't so far away! If I lived in the area, it would probably become my go to Thai place.
(5)Ferdinand H.
Oh goodness, I'm following around Emily Y. Wait... I went here with Emily Y. :) Rustic Thai, home styled cooking with decorations laden with country style thai accents. The obligate portrait of the King is present, as well as bamboo structures recalling another time and place. The food that we enjoyed on our visit were competently executed, but without any striking highlights. I fear that my palate is becoming increasingly jaded... and nowadays, I'm still looking for that epicurean epiphany of flavour. None here... but I left sated nonetheless. 4/5 particularly with attention to context.
(4)Brett M.
So I've been to Siam Cafe around 6-7 times now and I've been waiting to write a review. Last night I took my wife there for Valentines Day and it really served to seal the deal. So I'll start by telling you what we ordered because every single thing was delicious and the price is spot on. I recommend anyone new to thai or this restaurant, if you don't know what you like, try the following items. We had: Starters: Fried Spring Rolls, Steamed Dumplings, and a large pot of Tom Ka Kai Main Course - Red Curry Beef(spicy red curry with an assortment of mixed vegetables) Desert - Fried Bananas(bananas wrapped in won-ton skins deep fried soooo crispy and laced with honey and sesame seeds) We shared everything(which is the only way to do Chinese and Thai imo). Warning: DO NOT SKIP THE TOM KA KAI. I've had it at so many places but never as good as this. Its probably one of the best soups I've ever tasted in general. Try a little chili oil in it! I've also had Green Curry Chicken, Panang Beef, and the Disco Chicken all of which were very good, but the curries are my favorite for sure and they do them right. What did all this food come out to? 26 bucks! Atmosphere: Call me wierd but this place looks like a converted laundromat and I LOVE IT. Its homey and not trying to be something its not like your typical asian restaurant. I've seen staff family members running around the place on numerous occasions. Call me crazy, but at night time its well lit and comfortable. Great place to share dishes with whomever you are with. Finally, the lady up front and who serves sometimes is fricking hilarious. She might catch you off guard joking around but she's really funny. I could complain about the parking, but its a small family owned Thai place. Cmon, its about the food!
(4)Benson C.
From the outside of the Cafe, you don't really expect the inside to be that great. But to my surprise, it was greatly decorated in Thai decor. I liked the ambience and feel to it, because it kind of made me feel like it was an exotic escape especially from the surrounding neighborhood. There was plenty of seating which was great. Most Thai restaurants I've visited have been a little smaller and more intimate, and this place gives you enough breathing room. Coming from Chicago, my favorite place near the UIC Campus was Thai Bowl on Taylor St. Cheap and good Thai food with a student discount and delivers to the dorms. The food was great, and having a Thai friend order food that I wasn't familiar with was all the better. I'm more of an "eat what you know" type of person, and sometimes I'm scared to venture out. But the Tom Kha (sp?) - Coconut (Milk) Soup was delicious. I have to say I'm not a fan of either mushrooms or coconut, but I have to say it was a great combination. Now to my usual order of Pad See Ew, I wasn't too impressed. It seems like this place, along with Smiling Elephant and Royal Thai, all make their Pad See Ew with thinner (almost transparent) noodles. I enjoy having my Pad See Ew with thicker noodles, that's basically my only complaint. The service was great because I went during a less busy time (I'd say mid-afternoon). I'm definitely coming back here again. This place beats Royal Thai. And I would probably choose this place over Smiling Elephant because Siam Cafe has more seating available.
(4)Mariela C.
I love Thai food and though Nashville doesn't offer the best assortment of it I think Siam Cuisine is actually a pretty good deal. Let me start by saying that having spent 3 weeks in Thailand I'm a total Pad Thai snob so I won't say that Siam's is great but it's a good for Nashville. I do, however, love their spring rolls. Their décor is a little cheese ball, but I like cheese ball so dig their attempt at looking Thai. I think one thing that stands out about Siam is their service, every time I have been there that have been efficient and prompt, and I can't think of a time I have had to wait more than 2 minutes to get seated.
(3)Emily Y.
Great Thai food. Go to the Siam Cafe on McCall street. There's another in town (near/on Whitebridge), but this one is cheaper, and more authentic (same ownership). Our favorite dishes: duck salad, tiger tears, green curry, spicy eggplant, pad thai, lad na.
(4)Meredith W.
This was one of the worst Thai restaurants I've been too and I've been to a lot. I had the panang curry and it was flavorless. My husband had the duck. It was dry and overcooked. Would not recommend.
(1)Brittney D.
Loved this place. It looks a little sketchy outside but the inside is cute with lots of decor. The booths may offer very little back support, as they're basically benches with little cushions, but they up the decor. Anyway, on to the food. We ordered some spring rolls and I got the spicy noodles with chicken while he ordered a red curry with chicken. The spring rolls were good and obviously fresh. My food was sadly not quite what I expected after reading the description on the menu but was still seasoned and cooked perfectly. If you like basil, definitely order the spicy noodles. My boyfriend kept asking to trade with me he liked it so much. His curry, we agreed, was probably the best we've eaten in Nashville. It was so creamy and flavorful. The chicken and vegetables were cooked well but man the broth was the star of the whole meal. My only complaint might be that my food wasn't quite as spicy as I wanted. We both ordered hot (the options being: mild, medium, hot and native Thai) and mine came pretty mild while his was perfect. I'll go for native next time. Definitely going back!
(5)Riley M.
I came here in 2011 and loved everything I had from the duck to the sweet and sour chicken. I revisited Nov of 2012 and very disappointed with the quality of the food for the price. I'm leaving 3 stars because the staff are friendly and helpful, just the food isn't for me Won't be back, just not for me anymore.
(3)Andi D.
Ohhhhh the green curry. I could drink it! (And try too if I finish the vegetables before the sauce). I always want to try other things, but the green curry is so good it's hard for me to stray from it. Good service, the Thai tea is awesome, and the food is yummy.
(4)Mark M.
My favorite Thai place in the city. It's right off Nolensville Road right next to the aptly named "Latino Tire". The parking is tight, but the food inside is so good. Nice cute little dining area. Absolutely great Thai food. Of course I dont know the names of any of the dishes, but the chicken in coconut milk soup (tom cat ka?) is great. As is the chicken with cashew, and a number of other chicken dishes. Definitely not a boring thai place. And great service. Good prices. Really enjoying my culinary excursions up and down Nolensville Road.
(5)Allison B.
This is my happy food! The outside of the building and interior are nothing special, but don't let that throw you off. The food in incredible. I have eaten in and had take out from the steam table. Both are very good, but I agree with Brian R try the Hung ray curry and the disco chicken are not to be missed. The staff is very friendly and attentive. The prices are also very reasonable.
(5)Alicia U.
Very solid choice for Thai Food. Staff is very friendly and they stay open till 10pm. Som Tom (green papaya salad) was really yummy! Ordered medium spicy and it had just a hint of hotness. This is a savory salad of shredded green papaya, slivers of carrot, tomato all marinated in a sour, briny, and tad sweet dressing. One if my fav salads and this one is just as good as the som toms in Los Angeles. Soy Sauce Noodles (pad see ew) were good too. Scrambled eggs with broccoli, chicken and flat rice noodles stir fried in a sweet soy sauce. Their pad see ew is a little more gravy like reminiscent of lad na. I prefer a little darker soy sauce flavor and slightly drier noodle. If you can't take spicy, try this noodle dish. You will like it :)
(4)Benson C.
From the outside of the Cafe, you don't really expect the inside to be that great. But to my surprise, it was greatly decorated in Thai decor. I liked the ambience and feel to it, because it kind of made me feel like it was an exotic escape especially from the surrounding neighborhood. There was plenty of seating which was great. Most Thai restaurants I've visited have been a little smaller and more intimate, and this place gives you enough breathing room. Coming from Chicago, my favorite place near the UIC Campus was Thai Bowl on Taylor St. Cheap and good Thai food with a student discount and delivers to the dorms. The food was great, and having a Thai friend order food that I wasn't familiar with was all the better. I'm more of an "eat what you know" type of person, and sometimes I'm scared to venture out. But the Tom Kha (sp?) - Coconut (Milk) Soup was delicious. I have to say I'm not a fan of either mushrooms or coconut, but I have to say it was a great combination. Now to my usual order of Pad See Ew, I wasn't too impressed. It seems like this place, along with Smiling Elephant and Royal Thai, all make their Pad See Ew with thinner (almost transparent) noodles. I enjoy having my Pad See Ew with thicker noodles, that's basically my only complaint. The service was great because I went during a less busy time (I'd say mid-afternoon). I'm definitely coming back here again. This place beats Royal Thai. And I would probably choose this place over Smiling Elephant because Siam Cafe has more seating available.
(4)Tara S.
This place is so amazingly good! I'm fairly new to Thai food so before this experience, I had nothing to compare it to. My husband and I did an urbanquest one day and it led us to Thai Phooket. After eating at Siam, I'm going to have to lower the stars on Thai Phooket. I ordered the steam dumplings with peanut sauce, Tom Yum Koong (is that right? I'm going by memory here) and green curry. It was all fantastic! So flavorful without being over-powering. The customer service we got as soon as we walked in the door was amazing. I told the lady behind the counter that it was our first time there and she explained it all to us. There was a buffet or you could order off the menu (for those giving Siam a low score based off their buffet - I recommend you go back and order off the menu. The buffet is very basic with fried rice, noodles and a meat. I wouldn't even try the buffet). The place is small-ish but they have it separated where one side is for the buffet and the other side for dinner patrons. It has a very cozy feeling and some of the tables have a little pillow thing where the back rest is. Our waitress was great. We never had to ask for our drink to be re-filled. I actually stuck with the water instead of ordering another drink. Normally when we go out and I order water it ends up tasting like it came from the tap. Their water was actually really good which is a big deal for me. Speaking of water, I ended up drinking a lot of it because of how spicy my meal was BUT that was a good thing! I asked for hot and my server said, "How hot? Hot or good hot?" I said, "Good hot." Call me crazy but I like it hot enough that it makes me produce tears and gives me the light sniffles and they gave me what I wanted. My new fave Thai place!
(5)Kenny D.
I am mildly obsessed with the Siam duck.
(5)Mike J.
This is still our favorite Thai place in Nashville, but we are dropping them down a notch to 4 stars. The last few times we've been the flavor had been slighlty off - less delicate - and on some nights there is only one, dramatically overworked, server for the entire dining area, so service is slow. Come on Siam, step it back up!
(4)Jennifer E.
Best Thai in the world ! When I first moved to Nashville six years ago , my best friend introduced me to this place . I always get Tiger Tear and chai Tea . You simply can't imagine how good this beautiful food is ! The atmosphere is amazing . It really feels like you're in the culture. Owners are amazing & it's simply a five star for me :)
(5)Nicole F.
I can't get past the red curry with shrimp. It's so crazy delicious. It has lots of good sized shrimp, fresh crispy vegetables (and lots of them), just the right balance of spicy and sweet. It's just to die for. This time I ordered the steamed dumplings as well, intending to share, but yeah, that didn't happen. They were also superb.
(5)Meg S.
The food was excellent! We had squid salad, crab rolls, dumplings, pad Thai, and lad ma and every bite was delicious! While the outside of this restaurant doesn't look like much, the sit-down portion of the restaurant is beautifully decorated and comfortable. What struck me most about my visit there yesterday was how fantastic the staff was! I went with a group that included my mom, who sometimes has trouble seeing and getting around easily. The waitress took my mother's arm and led her to the table as if it were her own mother. The wait staff was attentive and kept our drinks full, and one waiter dropped by a couple times to make some jokes with us. What a fantastic restaurant!!
(5)Sarah C.
Oh my gosh! I love this place! Their curry is awesome. And they have delectable, fresh made peanut sauce. Their decor is tasteful and authentic.
(5)Shruthi L.
We usually stick to two dishes that we know are good: green curry + veggies or chicken and panang curry. We tried to branch out on the menu once and honestly, we weren't impressed. King Market (see my review) is our first love so it's tough competition. We live super close to this place, the owners/staff are always more than friendly & it's a great default for something quick with more flexible hours than KM. Therefore, Salmon Panang, Level 4. That's really all you need to know. K, bye.
(4)Emma C.
I have consisting eaten at this restaurant at least once a week for three years. One of the best restaurants with the best service. Fresh food with fresh ingredients!
(5)Sagar P.
I am a regular at Siam Cafe and love visting this place. The lad nah and pad thai are my favorite dishes here. the soups are great as well. I live the fact that it is a small restaurant and gives off a very homely vibe. The servers know me so i feel very warm when i enter. It is one of my go to places everytime we think of eating out, Love the place.
(5)LA M.
This is my absolute favorite thai restaurant in Nashville. An employee introduced me to Siam and I was hooked from day one. Their food is great, and their service is even better. I give them my money as often as my stomach can handle it.
(5)Tim A.
From the day I've come to Nashville, I've heard Thai Phooket this, Smiling Elephant that. Those are both okay destinations, I suppose. However, it is evident to me that neither of these constitutes Nashville's best Thai option. Thus far, I have to hand that trophy to Siam Cafe, whose rich flavors and quality ingredients have come the closest to reminding me of what I can get back in my native CA. One product that I've had a tought time finding in Nashville is a really good flat noodle. However, Siam's Pad Kee Mao indicates that at least one place knows how to make them right. Furthermore, I was really impressed with this place's intuition on spice level. I wanted something medium-highish and this place knew right where to go. Perhaps the most special thing, though, was their squid. I loves me some fresh squid, and it was one of those rare times in Nashville where it didn't taste like it had been frozen for three months after having washed up on shore after Deepwater Horizon. Room for improvement? The service was unattentive...waiting for water when you're burning up on Thai chilis isn't the most pleasant experience. Also, the onions were cooked a bit sloppily...I was getting occasional whiffs of undercooked onion which I personally don't enjoy. Above all, though, Siam Cafe is my new go-to spot for Thai in Nashville until someone can demonstrate that there is a better option.
(4)Jessica S.
Howwwwwwww does this place have such good reviews?! We wanted good Thai food and decided to eat here based off the Yelp reviews - big mistake on our part! We ordered two orders of pad thai (one extra spicy) and some spring rolls. The spring rolls were good - that's the only reason this place is getting stars. The pad thai was disgusting. It tasted like styrofoam, was cold, and there was really no sauce on it. It honestly tasted like it had been sitting out for hours. I understand that restaurants cannot always make fresh entrees - but this was straight up disappointing/disgusting. Ugh.
(2)Leslie H.
I felt terrible walking in at 925pm but I had a craving I had to get tackled. They welcomed me in without problem! Soup- Tom Kha Gai- tasted like the used instant paste for the flavor. Idk but it was too sour, not enough coconut milk for my taste. I love thai for the 3 flavor balance (hot, sour, sweet).
(3)Jay G.
One of the best Thai places I have ever eaten at. They have excellent Thai tea. The best curry, and their pad Thai is phenomenal. Everything they make is fresh and cooked to perfection. I have never eaten a bad meal so they are extremely consistent. Also they are reasonably cheap. Great food, service, and great prices = five stars!
(5)Jennifer P.
I love Thai food, especially Pad Thai, so when we went here for Supper Club I was really excited. I enjoyed what I had for dinner (for the most part), but it ended up making me really sick. My friend was fine though. I might try it one more time to see if it was me or the place itself, but it definitely gave me a mixed first impression.
(3)Kyle C.
Wow this food was soooooo good. Got an amazing soup and chicken dish. The owner and wait staff were wonderfully friendly. All of my tablemates raved about how good their food was too!!! Highly highly reccomend!
(5)Cheryl H.
We had the Tiger Tear salad, panang curry with chicken, and disco chicken. Everything was fantastic, only two suggestions: One, the Tiger Tear salad was SO good and SO spicy! But it's a salad! Not a chunk of meat with lettuce sprinkled it in. Love the amount of beef, but give me some lettuce too! We actually popped this in the fridge and I'm making a larger salad with the leftover beef tonight. The panang curry (my personal favorite Thai dish of all time) was DELICIOUS but it needed some veggies. Put some carrots, green peppers, etc. into it. Not just shredded cabbage/lettuce. My husband fully enjoyed his disco chicken and there were generous portions. Seriously, don't be turned off by the appearance, it was really great! Do it!
(4)Lauren S.
I've been eating here since I was two years old! I learned how to use chopsticks here and I've seen the staff all grow up along with me. This place is by far the best Thai food I've ever had (and I've been to Simply Thai, Dusit Thai, Smiling Elephant and all those other places). For appetizers, the tiger tear salad, chicken satay, and tom yung koon are the bomb dot com and I never leave without having one of them. They have the best pad thai and chicken panang, so be sure to try it sometime. The seafood curry, while pricey, is worth it for the large medley of seafood you get. Stay away from ordering native Thai hot unless you want a red ring in the morning! Please don't pass this hole in the wall up. You'll love every bite of whatever you decide to order. I've never had something I didn't like.
(5)Blair S.
My first trip to Siam Cafe was a few years ago with a bunch of Thai friends. We tried a mix of menu items and Thai dishes not on the menu. Now that I'm often in the area, this makes a great lunch stop. The servers are friendly and funny, and the food comes out fast. The tom kha kai is something I got addicted to in Thailand and Siam Cafe always hits the spot. The seafood is OK, the curries are great, and the basil stir fries are good. Ask for a spice tray to get the spice level right.
(4)Micheal P.
Siam Cafe is my favorite Thai place in Nashville because it features the lesser known Namsod salad - a blend of minced pork, ginger, peanuts, purple onions, and magic thai flavors (read: fish sauce). Besides that, Siam does all your thai favorites - pad thai, pad see ew, tom yum and tom kha extremely well. It's worth the trip to that little corner of Nolensville road.
(4)Jerry R.
My wife and I have come to enjoy Thai food within the last year-and-a-half and have explored several Thai restaurants. Siam Cafe is pretty good for service and friendliness. The menu is fairly good for non-vegetarians. For us vegetarians, the selection is limited to about 5 items. My wife had the stir fried vegetables with tofu and I had the green curry with tofu. Both were excellent with copious amounts of food. The fried spring rolls were light and delicately delicious. Refills on our iced tea were attended to quickly. Parking looks to be limited to about 11 spaces unless there's more that I didn't see.
(4)Becca G.
Suprisingly enough there are numerous Thai restaurants here in Nashville, however the quality and value of these joints is all over the place. I am always a little nervous when I try a new Thai place because they tend to hit my wallet harder than most "ethnic" cuisine in town, but Siam Cafe proved to be good food for a good value. I ordered the Tom Kha Gai soup and the Beef Panaeng which were both awesome. I like my food hot and this place definitely didn't dissapoint. At other Thai and Indian places I think the servers fear that "the gringa" can't handle spicy and when I say hot I often get medium instead. The dishes here definitely had some yummy burn and tingle. My bf ordered the Pad Thai which was not so good and drenched in mysterious red oil. I think their dishes are hit or miss, so maybe go first with a big group to try it all? Overall the food was good, the prices were very reasonable, and we had attentive, polite service. I won't say this is the best Thai in the world, but pretty good quality for Nashville. If they could get all their dishes on point and be less "hit-or-miss" then they would definitely bump up a star in my book.
(3)Douglas B.
Siam Cafe was ONCE a decent Thai restaurant, albeit overrated by its loyal patrons (which used to number us among them). Our last two visits confirm that SC has declined from its mediocre heights. Service has always been iffy, but tonight it was dreadful. We waited 45 minutes for dishes that usually take 20 minutes to receive after ordering. And the steamed seafood curry was a watery, tasteless mess. We have switched our allegiance to Thai Ginger. It has wonderful authentic Thai dishes and excellent service.
(1)John G.
I'm sorry, but I just don't drink the Cool-Aid when it comes to Siam Cafe. My co-workers told me this was one of the great Thai food places in town and so I let them take me here one day for lunch. While they seemed to like it, I thought it was really bad. The service was just down right TERRIBLE! Two ladies attempted to work the entire dining room, getting food and drink orders completely mixed up the entire time. When the food trickled out to the table it was cold, wrong or both. Anyway, a week later I took my co-workers to International Market by Belmont, and nobody has been back to Siam since.
(2)Zac S.
This is definitely my favourite spot for Thai food in all of Nashville. I will gladly drive off the East side (a feat for many an East Nashvillian) past a couple of other popular Thai restaurants just to enjoy Siam Cafe. As its been mentioned, the aesthetic is not necessarily on the cutting edge of restaurant interior design. Frankly, so what. If you're worried about matching decor you can always stand in line at a Pei Wei. I have always found the service to be exceptionally friendly, prompt and accurate. Most importantly, the food is excellent! The curries are all delicious and filling, but don't leave you feeling stuffed. The duck dish is fantastic, probably a new favourite. Most of all their Pad Thai is bang on. When trying out a new Thai restaurant, Pad Thai is the gold standard by which I judge the establishment. Like I said, bang on. I love Siam Cafe, if there were a tee shirt that said so, I would wear it.
(4)Rose W.
The only Thai restaurant that understands the word "mild"
(5)Jason S.
Don't be thrown off from the outside (or the decor of the inside), this place is a Thai food Mecca. Came here first on the recommendation of my ol' buddy Brian R., who used to eat here multiple times a week. Great location to stop at for lunch or dinner if you are out at the zoo. I find myself craving their Tom Ka Kai soup at the most inopportune times. Really awesome comfort food. Never tried the buffet, I am kind of averse to them in general, and I like things extra spicy, so I've always ordered off the menu. I especially love the Disco Chicken - try it if you haven't. Very affordable and has stuff that satisfies the vegetarians, too!
(4)Bridget S.
Hidden gem! The curry and appetizer platter wonderful....the atmosphere nice for a plaza setting..wonderful service...will return..
(4)Kim Y.
First off - looks can be deceiving. The interior of this place is like a tricked out 70's den that the owners have spruced up with asian restaurant fare. You can sit on little pillows at your table at some seats, but thats about it for ambiance. Do NOT let that sad looking mostly typical chinese buffet up front upset you - do not order from it. Order from the menu. I am an omnivore through and through, but I like to get classic thai dishes here (curries and yummy gingery or peanut-y noodles) made with the tofu, they do tofu right here! Crispy and soft on the inside, not too greasy either. The Thai tea is pretty standard and they could work on getting things out a little quicker when you eat in-house, but other than that my neighborhood joint will keep getting my thai food craving love.
(3)Paul K.
I'm not much of an expert when it comes to Thai foods. For a vegetarian in Nashville there're usually 2 or 3 choices at the places I go, and very little reminds me of the delicious fiery death of the vegetarian Thai food I had while in the Philippines that I was convinced was going to put me into a hospital, nor the peanutty goodness of the San Fran veggie Thai places I used to visit. Siam Cafe does not remind me much of the other Thai I have had, but that may be because they only have 3 entrees that are veggie. What they do have they do quite well and should be remembered for it. Their spring rolls are delicious. It pains me that they serve them at a temperature more befitting a funeral pyre than a foodstuff, which necessitates waiting for them to cool to a more reasonable temperature. Waiting is the hardest part. Keeping your 2 rolls safe from your compatriots falls a close second. The 2 veggie entrees they have are delicious. The one with noodles (would sure help if I wrote the name down here wouldn't it) reminds me a little bit more of Chinese food than Thai. On our last visit the wife and I ordered all the veggie foods they had (3 things?) sans salads. We both had ordered them hot (the levels of heat as I recall are mild (ketchup), medium (a jalapeno touched this), hot (I can handle a pepper or two) and Thai Native (which if it's anything like I had overseas I am not going to touch without money on the line) Hers came back at what we both considered on the mild side of medium, mine came back on what I would call the milder side of hot. Which was just enough heat to clear the sinuses, but not enough to switch into pain / begging for water or milk. We're not sure if they downed the heat on hers thinking she could not handle it, or if mine just absorbed more heat, but it's fair to note that heat levels may not be what you think they will be. Finding the place, it will help if you street view on google maps first. It's up a bit on the corner, sort of pushed back from easy viewing on a street that's not an obvious god restaurant down here street. parking is tight, so plan to carpool.
(4)Megan T.
I always order the green curry with either shrimp or chicken, but my husband is much more adventurous. One time we got a whole fish- eyeballs an everything!- it was baked with a clear sauce and vegetables on top. It was pretty good though for something that looked so scary, that thing had teeth! It was very large, I believe it could feed 3-4 people. When my husband isn't deployed, this is one of our top places to get Thai food, they not only have the traditional dishes but also some unique and very different entrees; if you want to try something new, this is the place for you!
(4)Tim W.
Hands down THE best Thai place in Nashville. It looks like a bit of a hole in the wall from the outside so I was sceptical at first put I am so glad I got past that and went inside. The atmosphere is good and the seating includes some nice authentic Thai pillows that go behind your back as you sit the down. The service was very good, the people genuine and friendly, and the food was absolutely incredible!!
(5)Thomas L.
This place is really really good. I come here on occasion to grab my own lunch and lunch for my co-workers. I've also been by here once for dinner. They have a good assortment of things on their lunch line. The women serving are so friendly and very courteous. Prices for lunch items are great! Their sweet tea is heavy on the lemon which took some getting used to but now I like it. Their crab rangoon and cream cheese wontons are both very good. Their egg drop soup can get a little old and not as good. The curry is another go-to on the lunch line. Overall this is one of our favorites places to grab lunch at work. Dinner is served in a separate area that's very quaint and has much more Asian type seating. The dinner menu is very extensive and what I've had off of it has been on par or better than similar Thai that can be found in this area.
(5)Robert B.
Love this place! Best Kee Mao in town! Get it "native thai hot" (if you can handle it). They pretty much have great everything though. I would also recommend the red or green curry. It will literally light your a** on fire. If you are a fan of the "hot and spicy" like I am, then get the waitstaff to bring you a small bowl of peppers with fish sauce. If your food is not spicy enough, then adding some of those peppers will change that in a hurry. The place looks completely ghetto on the outside but it actually has a pretty decent interior. So I would say it's a nice quiet atmosphere on the inside. A good place to take a date. Also, I must say the prices are quite reasonable, and the service is always excellent.
(5)Glaiza B.
Living and growing up in Southern California, I had the privilege of having all kinds of ethnic foods at my fingertips and one of them being Thai food. I moved to Nashville and stumbled upon this restaurant. At first, I was a little scared to go inside because the place looked really weird outside, but decided WTH. I had no expectations, but that's a good thing. I ordered my favorite dishes (panang curry, tam yum, and pad thai) and to my surprise I was impressed! Their food was delicious! My husband who is a picky eater enjoyed this place too! Their staff was very nice. I will definitely come back here again. It looks a little sketchy outside, but the inside isn't bad at all plus the food is great!
(4)Stefanie P.
Went there for lunch with a co-worker. No lunch specials! But I got the Red Curry and it was awesome, yummy, spicy and warm! The spring rolls were good but the shrimp inside tasted rubbery. A bit of dim lighting and worn chairs but probably because each seat is full, and sat on alot. Service was so so - only 2 women working the lunch rush. Parking can be limited and alot of people park on the shoulder of the road. I'll be back the food make all those other small issues go away.
(4)Jamie A.
Green curry heaven! This is by far my favorite spot in Nashville for Thai. Anytime the craving hits, we head over to this South Nashville gem. I am so in love with the green curry w/ beef (hot) that I can't speak too much to the other entrees. I tried a bite of my boyfriend's red curry (native) which was very good, but a little too hot for my taste. I always have to get the fried bananas for dessert, even if I am stuffed... Another note is they have a very inexpensive, though limited, wine list. You can get a decent bottle for less than $20.
(5)Joel M.
Being a creature of habit, I most often order the same thing at Thai restaurants, however, after doing some research, I decided I wanted to try some Issan-style Thai so I asked the lovely lady who seated us if they had a special "Thai" menu. She enthusiastically pointed to the menu on the table. I think she misunderstood and I said, "what I mean is a special menu from which Thais order" and she again pointed to the same menu. So, I further asked her if they did any Issan specialties that are not on the menu. She said "Laab" so that is what I ordered. "Laab" (sometimes "Larb") is an Issan-style meat salad, very pungent, usually spicy. My dining companion and I ordered the Tom Yum Kai (not on the menu), Laab (not on the menu), Som Tum, Pad See Ew (not on the menu) and Red Curry with Chicken, all ordered at native Thai spice level. I explained that we like our Thai really hot (native Thai hot). It was very, very hot and lovely, but not the incendiary spice-level for which we were looking. The Tom Yum Kai was exquisite and redolent with lemongrass and Kaffir lime leaf; the Som Tum, pungently sour with fish sauce, lime juice and dried Shrimp, and shredded green papaya. It was the perfect foil for the blazing Laab (ground chicken, lime juice, Thai bird chiles, red onions, cilantro on a bed of lettuce). The Pad See Ew was quite delicious, as was the Red Curry. Unfortunately, the red curry came topped with some of the ground chile powder instead of chopped Thai Bird chiles (which are truly incendiary). The taste, though, was fantastic. This is, without a doubt, the best Thai in Nashville.
(4)David M.
Not a Thai food regular but loved this place. Had the chicken basil. Others had spicy noodles and they were fabulous! Staff were friendly.
(5)Lex H.
This place is perfect! all the way from the built in hide-a-way floor seating and no air conditioning to the lunch time buffet line and a plate full of the best duck you didnt order! The English can be rough and in the summer its more a sweat lodge than a dinner on the town but all of this and more is worth the last little dribble down your chopstick! Ive been eating at Siam since the early 90's and the food has been heavenly every single time. Favorites: Nam Sod, Mee Krab and the Pla Lard Prig is devine!
(5)Amanda M.
Cannot... bring myself... to like... Siam. Sigh. I've tried. Really. My friends love it here and I'm not a picky eater, so I tag along. Maybe it's because I usually go at lunch and we usually end up getting something from the buffet. In which case, I feel like a two-star "meh" says it all. On the whole, I love Thai food, but this buffet is your standard Asian fare per mall food courts. You know the kind: glazey, breaded chicken... sometimes sprinkled with sesame seeds; fried rice; soupy broccoli with chunks of beef; chewy eggrolls. It's not the kind of food one should necessarily be excited about. Perhaps ordering from the menu is different. I'm kind of hoping it is. Also, lesson learned. No matter how delicious your friends tell you the Thai tea is, do not order it unless you can handle the sweetness in a 5lb bag of sugar. I couldn't finish mine and ended up wasting the $2.50. Free refills on soda though! There's a plus. As others have mentioned, the parking situation is EXTREMELY limited. In the case you can't find a spot, take this as a sign from the universe and park across the street for lunch at the blue-roofed Kebab Gyro instead.
(2)Jonathan M.
This place is the real deal! It doesn't look like much from the outside, in fact it looks like a trashy place to be honest. If you can get past that - the good is... the waitress we had was a load of fun and kept us laughing the whole time. As far as the food goes, I believe it was very authentic. The reason I give it a 5 is because I have never been to a place that when they say something is spicy it actually means it is spicy. Although, I greatly regretted it later, I ordered the "native spiciness" which is the hottest and a step up from "hot". WOW, it almost brought tears to my eyes. Doesn't get much better than that... I had the traditional Pad Thai and was very impressed. I can confidently recommend this place.
(5)Michelle N.
Beware of what you eat!! This is one of the most unpleasant thai restaurant I ever been. I was petrified from this and have gotten sick for the rest of the day. I came with my boyfriend to eat lunch, and obtained noodles from the food stand. Unknowingly, I heard a loud CRUNCH when I was chewing on it, and revealed that it was a cockroach. I alarmed the manager about this and she was apologetic. Then she offered me a second plate of noodles, and this time, I discovered a tangled piece of hair in it. The lady apologize again and offered to give our money back, however, I was nice enough to let them keep it. As a result, I and my boyfriend left and never coming back again.
(1)Brett M.
So I've been to Siam Cafe around 6-7 times now and I've been waiting to write a review. Last night I took my wife there for Valentines Day and it really served to seal the deal. So I'll start by telling you what we ordered because every single thing was delicious and the price is spot on. I recommend anyone new to thai or this restaurant, if you don't know what you like, try the following items. We had: Starters: Fried Spring Rolls, Steamed Dumplings, and a large pot of Tom Ka Kai Main Course - Red Curry Beef(spicy red curry with an assortment of mixed vegetables) Desert - Fried Bananas(bananas wrapped in won-ton skins deep fried soooo crispy and laced with honey and sesame seeds) We shared everything(which is the only way to do Chinese and Thai imo). Warning: DO NOT SKIP THE TOM KA KAI. I've had it at so many places but never as good as this. Its probably one of the best soups I've ever tasted in general. Try a little chili oil in it! I've also had Green Curry Chicken, Panang Beef, and the Disco Chicken all of which were very good, but the curries are my favorite for sure and they do them right. What did all this food come out to? 26 bucks! Atmosphere: Call me wierd but this place looks like a converted laundromat and I LOVE IT. Its homey and not trying to be something its not like your typical asian restaurant. I've seen staff family members running around the place on numerous occasions. Call me crazy, but at night time its well lit and comfortable. Great place to share dishes with whomever you are with. Finally, the lady up front and who serves sometimes is fricking hilarious. She might catch you off guard joking around but she's really funny. I could complain about the parking, but its a small family owned Thai place. Cmon, its about the food!
(4)Aubrey D.
This is delicious Thai food! I especially love the green curry served with perfectly cooked, pillowy rice. I also appreciate that you can order a bowl of Tom Ka Kai soup for $2. On this last visit, we also had the "fresh" spring rolls which were very good. I also recommend ordering the fried bananas with coconut ice cream for dessert. It's worth traveling to a seedy part of town. (When we went last night someone had recently broken in and the windows were boarded up!) I like sitting on the little pillow chairs but they also have standard tables. Service is efficient and prompt. My only complaint is that the mushrooms need to be cooked more before adding to the soup. Other than that, a perfect Thai meal!
(4)Mark M.
Best thai food in town. Hand down! Great and friendly service. Great selection and great atmosphere. Great veggie options. Highly recommended!!!
(5)Patrick R.
I haven't had a lot of Thai food, but since I love Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese, I figured this place would probably be up my alley. I was right. The dining room at Siam Cafe is pretty sizable, and there are several neat little booths with pillows and cushions perfect for lounging during a casual meal. Our server was quite a character, and she checked on us and made small talk regularly. I ordered the Pad Thai, which my friend informed me is a relatively simple, traditional dish. It was quite delicious, and the portions are pretty huge, especially considering the less exotic entrees only cost around $7-$10. Fancier items (especially anything containing squid) are quite a bit pricier. My dish had chicken and shrimp (though the shrimp-to-chicken ratio was a little weak) seasoned with a really tasty peanut oil. The atmosphere and staff at Siam Cafe are very friendly and informal. It's a nice spot to go with a friend or two, though I wouldn't necessarily recommend it for large parties. As far as Thai goes, it's probably the best I've had. I'll definitely go back, and I recommend it to anyone with a penchant for Asian food.
(4)Melissa L.
This is my favorite place for Thai, hands down. I think it was the first Thai restaurant and I think the best. The place has real character and the staff is fun and know ther regulars and that makes a real difference. I've tried a lot of things here and never had a bad dish. Pad Thai, Soy Sauce Noodles, Lad Nah, Fresh Sprng Rolls, Mee Krob, Tom Yum Koong, Spicy Noodles, Noodle Soup w/Beef & meatballs - it's all good. I've never eaten off the buffet on the 'other' side of the wall though at lunch I see plenty of people that do. The biggest draw back to this place is the parking - it's tight to say the least. But this old hole in the wall is the best and most fun.
(4)Manj B.
So I went to visit my cousin who was based in Ft. Campbell. They picked me up from the airport in TN and we yelped a good Thai place to eat. After reading good reviews of Siam Cafe, we decided to try it out. And I'm so glad we did. We got the steamed dumpling appetizer, which was good. But then everything else blew me away. The Siam Duck was truly a sweet and spicy delight. I could not have enough of it - and I'm not that big of a duck person. The spicy noodles and chicken basil were delicious too. Very flavorful and the right amount of spicy. And reasonably priced with really friendly people too! I definitely would go back if it wasn't so far away! If I lived in the area, it would probably become my go to Thai place.
(5)Ferdinand H.
Oh goodness, I'm following around Emily Y. Wait... I went here with Emily Y. :) Rustic Thai, home styled cooking with decorations laden with country style thai accents. The obligate portrait of the King is present, as well as bamboo structures recalling another time and place. The food that we enjoyed on our visit were competently executed, but without any striking highlights. I fear that my palate is becoming increasingly jaded... and nowadays, I'm still looking for that epicurean epiphany of flavour. None here... but I left sated nonetheless. 4/5 particularly with attention to context.
(4)Elle A.
I am a Thai food fanatic. I consider Nolensville a gem of a road (despite popular belief - ever been to Las Cansuelos or International Market?) so I was excited to be hungry about the time I got flashed by nearby prostitute (not kidding) and realized I'd never been there before. My "vegetarian friend" and I were seated and a little excited by the 70s-ish time travel dining room. For starters, I got the hot and sour, and she the Tom Kha. My friend "forgets" to make sure that dishes are meatless (I've seen her surprised several times when eating out), so of course hers had chicken in it and mine only shrimp so we swapped. I must say I am a huge fan of the hot and sour (over Tom Kha). The Tom Kha was very, very sweet to me and "real coconutty." Instead of an entree, we got salads. I'm not sure what the name of the one she ordered (but the fried tofu in it was the best I've had) and I got my favorite Thai salad, tiger tear. I was excited when she offered me rice, which makes it more of a complete meal, and it ended up only being a dollar extra. I ordered "hot" which it wasn't... I must be getting accustomed to Thai spice because I would rank it as mild. The meat was great but not as good as my favorite tiger tear restaurant, Golden Thai on White Bridge. We found out from a guy working there that it is the first Thai restaurant which is a plus for me. Be careful pulling out of the parking lot (it was packed when we left) and watch out for flashers!!
(3)Mr Mrs J.
I've been here a couple times, last time I brought my sales team to eat lunch here. Everyone liked it. It wasn't too busy and the food was pretty good according to everybody. My garlic shrimp actually was just okay, but everyone else (there were 8 of us) liked their food. Someone had the red curry duck and I tried it, it was delicious, I should've gotten that dish. The 2 times I've been here it seems I keep ordering the mediocre dishes while everyone else ordered the right ones. Ohh well, I wouldn't knock it, if you want decent authentic thai food. Eat in the restaurant part and order from the menu. I still prefer Thai Taste on Haywood, but this would be 2nd choice of the 2 for lunch near my office. The lady servers are very nice and accommodating.
(3)Deepak B.
The food is decent and prices are reasonable. Service was way too slow and inconsistent. The food came cold and flagged waiter seven times during dinner. Got annoying...
(2)Anna A.
Siam cafe is one of those places that you might pass up on appearances. This is hands down my favorite Thai place in town!! However, I have never been impressed by the entrees. I have tried a few of them and they don't rock my world. Why do I give it four stars then? Because and this is a HUGE because, the Tom Ka Kai is something I crave in my dreams, when I am sick, when it's hot, when I am thirsty, when I happy, get the picture? I have had a few different versions of Tom Ka Kai in other cities and restaurants and I feel Siam makes a wonderfully rich coconut concoction with just the right subtle hints of lime, ginger, chili's that just make my taste buds sing. My husband and I order the large and it comes in a large metal donut shaped bowl with flame in the middle with a side of sticky white rice. This really is enough for two people as a meal. Now, the other wonderful thing I LOVE here is the steamed dumplings. I horde these things like an alcoholic hordes his boos. I don't even let my kids smell them for fear I might have to share. I have never tasted anything like them but sometimes I think I could write epic tales worthy of Homer after having eaten them. Take my advice, stick with the soup and dumplings and you will leave a happy camper.
(4)Nadine D.
Thai food is my absolute favorite, and Siam Cafe is definitely the best I have ever had in all of the many places I have lived. There are several thai restaurants within a couple miles of my apartment, but the 20 minute drive to Siam Cafe is worth it!!! The place itself is quaint and comfortable, always with friendly service. I always order the chicken satay and I am amazed every time at the peanut sauce. I don't know what they put in it (maybe applesauce?) but it is addictive. I also love their Massaman Curry...definitely the best ever. It is the perfect combination of creamy and spicy, with tender chicken and perfectly cooked potatoes. I am salivating just thinking about it. Though this place is kind of out of the way, and not in the best part of town, I wind up there at least once a month.
(5)Johnny N.
Cozy and down to earth vibe with great food.
(5)C S.
When I go back to Nashville there are only a few places that I insist on going and this is one of them. The only thing Ive really ever had here is the tofu green curry and I am more than ok with this. I love this meal and this is one of those hidden gems in Nashville. If your into trying any of the curry items, here is a tip that me and my girlfriend at the time use to do on togo orders: get just one order of curry which comes with a large side of rice and then order another side rice for 99 cents (free if you dine-in) and its plenty of food. The servings are big and last night when I order some I tried to eat it all and though I nearly did, I couldn't. This meal that feed two nicely cost about right at 10 bucks. Its really hard to beat that. parking has always sucked here but, I noticed last night they now are using the parking lot across the street which is a huge difference. I cant speak for the buffet they have or nearly any other meal besides the other curry options but, I have eaten at numerous other Thai places in Nashville and I can say its the best curry in town and many people on and off of Yelp agree.
(4)Jamie W.
best thai food in nashville!
(5)Mariela C.
I love Thai food and though Nashville doesn't offer the best assortment of it I think Siam Cuisine is actually a pretty good deal. Let me start by saying that having spent 3 weeks in Thailand I'm a total Pad Thai snob so I won't say that Siam's is great but it's a good for Nashville. I do, however, love their spring rolls. Their décor is a little cheese ball, but I like cheese ball so dig their attempt at looking Thai. I think one thing that stands out about Siam is their service, every time I have been there that have been efficient and prompt, and I can't think of a time I have had to wait more than 2 minutes to get seated.
(3)Emily Y.
Great Thai food. Go to the Siam Cafe on McCall street. There's another in town (near/on Whitebridge), but this one is cheaper, and more authentic (same ownership). Our favorite dishes: duck salad, tiger tears, green curry, spicy eggplant, pad thai, lad na.
(4)Tim W.
Hands down THE best Thai place in Nashville. It looks like a bit of a hole in the wall from the outside so I was sceptical at first put I am so glad I got past that and went inside. The atmosphere is good and the seating includes some nice authentic Thai pillows that go behind your back as you sit the down. The service was very good, the people genuine and friendly, and the food was absolutely incredible!!
(5)Thomas L.
This place is really really good. I come here on occasion to grab my own lunch and lunch for my co-workers. I've also been by here once for dinner. They have a good assortment of things on their lunch line. The women serving are so friendly and very courteous. Prices for lunch items are great! Their sweet tea is heavy on the lemon which took some getting used to but now I like it. Their crab rangoon and cream cheese wontons are both very good. Their egg drop soup can get a little old and not as good. The curry is another go-to on the lunch line. Overall this is one of our favorites places to grab lunch at work. Dinner is served in a separate area that's very quaint and has much more Asian type seating. The dinner menu is very extensive and what I've had off of it has been on par or better than similar Thai that can be found in this area.
(5)David M.
Not a Thai food regular but loved this place. Had the chicken basil. Others had spicy noodles and they were fabulous! Staff were friendly.
(5)Robert B.
Love this place! Best Kee Mao in town! Get it "native thai hot" (if you can handle it). They pretty much have great everything though. I would also recommend the red or green curry. It will literally light your a** on fire. If you are a fan of the "hot and spicy" like I am, then get the waitstaff to bring you a small bowl of peppers with fish sauce. If your food is not spicy enough, then adding some of those peppers will change that in a hurry. The place looks completely ghetto on the outside but it actually has a pretty decent interior. So I would say it's a nice quiet atmosphere on the inside. A good place to take a date. Also, I must say the prices are quite reasonable, and the service is always excellent.
(5)Lex H.
This place is perfect! all the way from the built in hide-a-way floor seating and no air conditioning to the lunch time buffet line and a plate full of the best duck you didnt order! The English can be rough and in the summer its more a sweat lodge than a dinner on the town but all of this and more is worth the last little dribble down your chopstick! Ive been eating at Siam since the early 90's and the food has been heavenly every single time. Favorites: Nam Sod, Mee Krab and the Pla Lard Prig is devine!
(5)Kenny D.
I am mildly obsessed with the Siam duck.
(5)Meg S.
The food was excellent! We had squid salad, crab rolls, dumplings, pad Thai, and lad ma and every bite was delicious! While the outside of this restaurant doesn't look like much, the sit-down portion of the restaurant is beautifully decorated and comfortable. What struck me most about my visit there yesterday was how fantastic the staff was! I went with a group that included my mom, who sometimes has trouble seeing and getting around easily. The waitress took my mother's arm and led her to the table as if it were her own mother. The wait staff was attentive and kept our drinks full, and one waiter dropped by a couple times to make some jokes with us. What a fantastic restaurant!!
(5)Sarah C.
Oh my gosh! I love this place! Their curry is awesome. And they have delectable, fresh made peanut sauce. Their decor is tasteful and authentic.
(5)Shruthi L.
We usually stick to two dishes that we know are good: green curry + veggies or chicken and panang curry. We tried to branch out on the menu once and honestly, we weren't impressed. King Market (see my review) is our first love so it's tough competition. We live super close to this place, the owners/staff are always more than friendly & it's a great default for something quick with more flexible hours than KM. Therefore, Salmon Panang, Level 4. That's really all you need to know. K, bye.
(4)Tim A.
From the day I've come to Nashville, I've heard Thai Phooket this, Smiling Elephant that. Those are both okay destinations, I suppose. However, it is evident to me that neither of these constitutes Nashville's best Thai option. Thus far, I have to hand that trophy to Siam Cafe, whose rich flavors and quality ingredients have come the closest to reminding me of what I can get back in my native CA. One product that I've had a tought time finding in Nashville is a really good flat noodle. However, Siam's Pad Kee Mao indicates that at least one place knows how to make them right. Furthermore, I was really impressed with this place's intuition on spice level. I wanted something medium-highish and this place knew right where to go. Perhaps the most special thing, though, was their squid. I loves me some fresh squid, and it was one of those rare times in Nashville where it didn't taste like it had been frozen for three months after having washed up on shore after Deepwater Horizon. Room for improvement? The service was unattentive...waiting for water when you're burning up on Thai chilis isn't the most pleasant experience. Also, the onions were cooked a bit sloppily...I was getting occasional whiffs of undercooked onion which I personally don't enjoy. Above all, though, Siam Cafe is my new go-to spot for Thai in Nashville until someone can demonstrate that there is a better option.
(4)Jessica S.
Howwwwwwww does this place have such good reviews?! We wanted good Thai food and decided to eat here based off the Yelp reviews - big mistake on our part! We ordered two orders of pad thai (one extra spicy) and some spring rolls. The spring rolls were good - that's the only reason this place is getting stars. The pad thai was disgusting. It tasted like styrofoam, was cold, and there was really no sauce on it. It honestly tasted like it had been sitting out for hours. I understand that restaurants cannot always make fresh entrees - but this was straight up disappointing/disgusting. Ugh.
(2)Leslie H.
I felt terrible walking in at 925pm but I had a craving I had to get tackled. They welcomed me in without problem! Soup- Tom Kha Gai- tasted like the used instant paste for the flavor. Idk but it was too sour, not enough coconut milk for my taste. I love thai for the 3 flavor balance (hot, sour, sweet).
(3)Alicia U.
Very solid choice for Thai Food. Staff is very friendly and they stay open till 10pm. Som Tom (green papaya salad) was really yummy! Ordered medium spicy and it had just a hint of hotness. This is a savory salad of shredded green papaya, slivers of carrot, tomato all marinated in a sour, briny, and tad sweet dressing. One if my fav salads and this one is just as good as the som toms in Los Angeles. Soy Sauce Noodles (pad see ew) were good too. Scrambled eggs with broccoli, chicken and flat rice noodles stir fried in a sweet soy sauce. Their pad see ew is a little more gravy like reminiscent of lad na. I prefer a little darker soy sauce flavor and slightly drier noodle. If you can't take spicy, try this noodle dish. You will like it :)
(4)Kyle C.
Wow this food was soooooo good. Got an amazing soup and chicken dish. The owner and wait staff were wonderfully friendly. All of my tablemates raved about how good their food was too!!! Highly highly reccomend!
(5)Jennifer E.
Best Thai in the world ! When I first moved to Nashville six years ago , my best friend introduced me to this place . I always get Tiger Tear and chai Tea . You simply can't imagine how good this beautiful food is ! The atmosphere is amazing . It really feels like you're in the culture. Owners are amazing & it's simply a five star for me :)
(5)Nicole F.
I can't get past the red curry with shrimp. It's so crazy delicious. It has lots of good sized shrimp, fresh crispy vegetables (and lots of them), just the right balance of spicy and sweet. It's just to die for. This time I ordered the steamed dumplings as well, intending to share, but yeah, that didn't happen. They were also superb.
(5)Cheryl H.
We had the Tiger Tear salad, panang curry with chicken, and disco chicken. Everything was fantastic, only two suggestions: One, the Tiger Tear salad was SO good and SO spicy! But it's a salad! Not a chunk of meat with lettuce sprinkled it in. Love the amount of beef, but give me some lettuce too! We actually popped this in the fridge and I'm making a larger salad with the leftover beef tonight. The panang curry (my personal favorite Thai dish of all time) was DELICIOUS but it needed some veggies. Put some carrots, green peppers, etc. into it. Not just shredded cabbage/lettuce. My husband fully enjoyed his disco chicken and there were generous portions. Seriously, don't be turned off by the appearance, it was really great! Do it!
(4)Jay G.
One of the best Thai places I have ever eaten at. They have excellent Thai tea. The best curry, and their pad Thai is phenomenal. Everything they make is fresh and cooked to perfection. I have never eaten a bad meal so they are extremely consistent. Also they are reasonably cheap. Great food, service, and great prices = five stars!
(5)Jennifer P.
I love Thai food, especially Pad Thai, so when we went here for Supper Club I was really excited. I enjoyed what I had for dinner (for the most part), but it ended up making me really sick. My friend was fine though. I might try it one more time to see if it was me or the place itself, but it definitely gave me a mixed first impression.
(3)Lauren S.
I've been eating here since I was two years old! I learned how to use chopsticks here and I've seen the staff all grow up along with me. This place is by far the best Thai food I've ever had (and I've been to Simply Thai, Dusit Thai, Smiling Elephant and all those other places). For appetizers, the tiger tear salad, chicken satay, and tom yung koon are the bomb dot com and I never leave without having one of them. They have the best pad thai and chicken panang, so be sure to try it sometime. The seafood curry, while pricey, is worth it for the large medley of seafood you get. Stay away from ordering native Thai hot unless you want a red ring in the morning! Please don't pass this hole in the wall up. You'll love every bite of whatever you decide to order. I've never had something I didn't like.
(5)Blair S.
My first trip to Siam Cafe was a few years ago with a bunch of Thai friends. We tried a mix of menu items and Thai dishes not on the menu. Now that I'm often in the area, this makes a great lunch stop. The servers are friendly and funny, and the food comes out fast. The tom kha kai is something I got addicted to in Thailand and Siam Cafe always hits the spot. The seafood is OK, the curries are great, and the basil stir fries are good. Ask for a spice tray to get the spice level right.
(4)Micheal P.
Siam Cafe is my favorite Thai place in Nashville because it features the lesser known Namsod salad - a blend of minced pork, ginger, peanuts, purple onions, and magic thai flavors (read: fish sauce). Besides that, Siam does all your thai favorites - pad thai, pad see ew, tom yum and tom kha extremely well. It's worth the trip to that little corner of Nolensville road.
(4)Emma C.
I have consisting eaten at this restaurant at least once a week for three years. One of the best restaurants with the best service. Fresh food with fresh ingredients!
(5)Sagar P.
I am a regular at Siam Cafe and love visting this place. The lad nah and pad thai are my favorite dishes here. the soups are great as well. I live the fact that it is a small restaurant and gives off a very homely vibe. The servers know me so i feel very warm when i enter. It is one of my go to places everytime we think of eating out, Love the place.
(5)LA M.
This is my absolute favorite thai restaurant in Nashville. An employee introduced me to Siam and I was hooked from day one. Their food is great, and their service is even better. I give them my money as often as my stomach can handle it.
(5)Jerry R.
My wife and I have come to enjoy Thai food within the last year-and-a-half and have explored several Thai restaurants. Siam Cafe is pretty good for service and friendliness. The menu is fairly good for non-vegetarians. For us vegetarians, the selection is limited to about 5 items. My wife had the stir fried vegetables with tofu and I had the green curry with tofu. Both were excellent with copious amounts of food. The fried spring rolls were light and delicately delicious. Refills on our iced tea were attended to quickly. Parking looks to be limited to about 11 spaces unless there's more that I didn't see.
(4)Meredith W.
This was one of the worst Thai restaurants I've been too and I've been to a lot. I had the panang curry and it was flavorless. My husband had the duck. It was dry and overcooked. Would not recommend.
(1)Brittney D.
Loved this place. It looks a little sketchy outside but the inside is cute with lots of decor. The booths may offer very little back support, as they're basically benches with little cushions, but they up the decor. Anyway, on to the food. We ordered some spring rolls and I got the spicy noodles with chicken while he ordered a red curry with chicken. The spring rolls were good and obviously fresh. My food was sadly not quite what I expected after reading the description on the menu but was still seasoned and cooked perfectly. If you like basil, definitely order the spicy noodles. My boyfriend kept asking to trade with me he liked it so much. His curry, we agreed, was probably the best we've eaten in Nashville. It was so creamy and flavorful. The chicken and vegetables were cooked well but man the broth was the star of the whole meal. My only complaint might be that my food wasn't quite as spicy as I wanted. We both ordered hot (the options being: mild, medium, hot and native Thai) and mine came pretty mild while his was perfect. I'll go for native next time. Definitely going back!
(5)Riley M.
I came here in 2011 and loved everything I had from the duck to the sweet and sour chicken. I revisited Nov of 2012 and very disappointed with the quality of the food for the price. I'm leaving 3 stars because the staff are friendly and helpful, just the food isn't for me Won't be back, just not for me anymore.
(3)Tara S.
This place is so amazingly good! I'm fairly new to Thai food so before this experience, I had nothing to compare it to. My husband and I did an urbanquest one day and it led us to Thai Phooket. After eating at Siam, I'm going to have to lower the stars on Thai Phooket. I ordered the steam dumplings with peanut sauce, Tom Yum Koong (is that right? I'm going by memory here) and green curry. It was all fantastic! So flavorful without being over-powering. The customer service we got as soon as we walked in the door was amazing. I told the lady behind the counter that it was our first time there and she explained it all to us. There was a buffet or you could order off the menu (for those giving Siam a low score based off their buffet - I recommend you go back and order off the menu. The buffet is very basic with fried rice, noodles and a meat. I wouldn't even try the buffet). The place is small-ish but they have it separated where one side is for the buffet and the other side for dinner patrons. It has a very cozy feeling and some of the tables have a little pillow thing where the back rest is. Our waitress was great. We never had to ask for our drink to be re-filled. I actually stuck with the water instead of ordering another drink. Normally when we go out and I order water it ends up tasting like it came from the tap. Their water was actually really good which is a big deal for me. Speaking of water, I ended up drinking a lot of it because of how spicy my meal was BUT that was a good thing! I asked for hot and my server said, "How hot? Hot or good hot?" I said, "Good hot." Call me crazy but I like it hot enough that it makes me produce tears and gives me the light sniffles and they gave me what I wanted. My new fave Thai place!
(5)Mike J.
This is still our favorite Thai place in Nashville, but we are dropping them down a notch to 4 stars. The last few times we've been the flavor had been slighlty off - less delicate - and on some nights there is only one, dramatically overworked, server for the entire dining area, so service is slow. Come on Siam, step it back up!
(4)Bridget S.
Hidden gem! The curry and appetizer platter wonderful....the atmosphere nice for a plaza setting..wonderful service...will return..
(4)Kim Y.
First off - looks can be deceiving. The interior of this place is like a tricked out 70's den that the owners have spruced up with asian restaurant fare. You can sit on little pillows at your table at some seats, but thats about it for ambiance. Do NOT let that sad looking mostly typical chinese buffet up front upset you - do not order from it. Order from the menu. I am an omnivore through and through, but I like to get classic thai dishes here (curries and yummy gingery or peanut-y noodles) made with the tofu, they do tofu right here! Crispy and soft on the inside, not too greasy either. The Thai tea is pretty standard and they could work on getting things out a little quicker when you eat in-house, but other than that my neighborhood joint will keep getting my thai food craving love.
(3)Paul K.
I'm not much of an expert when it comes to Thai foods. For a vegetarian in Nashville there're usually 2 or 3 choices at the places I go, and very little reminds me of the delicious fiery death of the vegetarian Thai food I had while in the Philippines that I was convinced was going to put me into a hospital, nor the peanutty goodness of the San Fran veggie Thai places I used to visit. Siam Cafe does not remind me much of the other Thai I have had, but that may be because they only have 3 entrees that are veggie. What they do have they do quite well and should be remembered for it. Their spring rolls are delicious. It pains me that they serve them at a temperature more befitting a funeral pyre than a foodstuff, which necessitates waiting for them to cool to a more reasonable temperature. Waiting is the hardest part. Keeping your 2 rolls safe from your compatriots falls a close second. The 2 veggie entrees they have are delicious. The one with noodles (would sure help if I wrote the name down here wouldn't it) reminds me a little bit more of Chinese food than Thai. On our last visit the wife and I ordered all the veggie foods they had (3 things?) sans salads. We both had ordered them hot (the levels of heat as I recall are mild (ketchup), medium (a jalapeno touched this), hot (I can handle a pepper or two) and Thai Native (which if it's anything like I had overseas I am not going to touch without money on the line) Hers came back at what we both considered on the mild side of medium, mine came back on what I would call the milder side of hot. Which was just enough heat to clear the sinuses, but not enough to switch into pain / begging for water or milk. We're not sure if they downed the heat on hers thinking she could not handle it, or if mine just absorbed more heat, but it's fair to note that heat levels may not be what you think they will be. Finding the place, it will help if you street view on google maps first. It's up a bit on the corner, sort of pushed back from easy viewing on a street that's not an obvious god restaurant down here street. parking is tight, so plan to carpool.
(4)Allison B.
This is my happy food! The outside of the building and interior are nothing special, but don't let that throw you off. The food in incredible. I have eaten in and had take out from the steam table. Both are very good, but I agree with Brian R try the Hung ray curry and the disco chicken are not to be missed. The staff is very friendly and attentive. The prices are also very reasonable.
(5)Glaiza B.
Living and growing up in Southern California, I had the privilege of having all kinds of ethnic foods at my fingertips and one of them being Thai food. I moved to Nashville and stumbled upon this restaurant. At first, I was a little scared to go inside because the place looked really weird outside, but decided WTH. I had no expectations, but that's a good thing. I ordered my favorite dishes (panang curry, tam yum, and pad thai) and to my surprise I was impressed! Their food was delicious! My husband who is a picky eater enjoyed this place too! Their staff was very nice. I will definitely come back here again. It looks a little sketchy outside, but the inside isn't bad at all plus the food is great!
(4)Joel M.
Being a creature of habit, I most often order the same thing at Thai restaurants, however, after doing some research, I decided I wanted to try some Issan-style Thai so I asked the lovely lady who seated us if they had a special "Thai" menu. She enthusiastically pointed to the menu on the table. I think she misunderstood and I said, "what I mean is a special menu from which Thais order" and she again pointed to the same menu. So, I further asked her if they did any Issan specialties that are not on the menu. She said "Laab" so that is what I ordered. "Laab" (sometimes "Larb") is an Issan-style meat salad, very pungent, usually spicy. My dining companion and I ordered the Tom Yum Kai (not on the menu), Laab (not on the menu), Som Tum, Pad See Ew (not on the menu) and Red Curry with Chicken, all ordered at native Thai spice level. I explained that we like our Thai really hot (native Thai hot). It was very, very hot and lovely, but not the incendiary spice-level for which we were looking. The Tom Yum Kai was exquisite and redolent with lemongrass and Kaffir lime leaf; the Som Tum, pungently sour with fish sauce, lime juice and dried Shrimp, and shredded green papaya. It was the perfect foil for the blazing Laab (ground chicken, lime juice, Thai bird chiles, red onions, cilantro on a bed of lettuce). The Pad See Ew was quite delicious, as was the Red Curry. Unfortunately, the red curry came topped with some of the ground chile powder instead of chopped Thai Bird chiles (which are truly incendiary). The taste, though, was fantastic. This is, without a doubt, the best Thai in Nashville.
(4)Jason S.
Don't be thrown off from the outside (or the decor of the inside), this place is a Thai food Mecca. Came here first on the recommendation of my ol' buddy Brian R., who used to eat here multiple times a week. Great location to stop at for lunch or dinner if you are out at the zoo. I find myself craving their Tom Ka Kai soup at the most inopportune times. Really awesome comfort food. Never tried the buffet, I am kind of averse to them in general, and I like things extra spicy, so I've always ordered off the menu. I especially love the Disco Chicken - try it if you haven't. Very affordable and has stuff that satisfies the vegetarians, too!
(4)Megan T.
I always order the green curry with either shrimp or chicken, but my husband is much more adventurous. One time we got a whole fish- eyeballs an everything!- it was baked with a clear sauce and vegetables on top. It was pretty good though for something that looked so scary, that thing had teeth! It was very large, I believe it could feed 3-4 people. When my husband isn't deployed, this is one of our top places to get Thai food, they not only have the traditional dishes but also some unique and very different entrees; if you want to try something new, this is the place for you!
(4)Stefanie P.
Went there for lunch with a co-worker. No lunch specials! But I got the Red Curry and it was awesome, yummy, spicy and warm! The spring rolls were good but the shrimp inside tasted rubbery. A bit of dim lighting and worn chairs but probably because each seat is full, and sat on alot. Service was so so - only 2 women working the lunch rush. Parking can be limited and alot of people park on the shoulder of the road. I'll be back the food make all those other small issues go away.
(4)Johnny N.
Cozy and down to earth vibe with great food.
(5)Jamie A.
Green curry heaven! This is by far my favorite spot in Nashville for Thai. Anytime the craving hits, we head over to this South Nashville gem. I am so in love with the green curry w/ beef (hot) that I can't speak too much to the other entrees. I tried a bite of my boyfriend's red curry (native) which was very good, but a little too hot for my taste. I always have to get the fried bananas for dessert, even if I am stuffed... Another note is they have a very inexpensive, though limited, wine list. You can get a decent bottle for less than $20.
(5)Brett M.
So I've been to Siam Cafe around 6-7 times now and I've been waiting to write a review. Last night I took my wife there for Valentines Day and it really served to seal the deal. So I'll start by telling you what we ordered because every single thing was delicious and the price is spot on. I recommend anyone new to thai or this restaurant, if you don't know what you like, try the following items. We had: Starters: Fried Spring Rolls, Steamed Dumplings, and a large pot of Tom Ka Kai Main Course - Red Curry Beef(spicy red curry with an assortment of mixed vegetables) Desert - Fried Bananas(bananas wrapped in won-ton skins deep fried soooo crispy and laced with honey and sesame seeds) We shared everything(which is the only way to do Chinese and Thai imo). Warning: DO NOT SKIP THE TOM KA KAI. I've had it at so many places but never as good as this. Its probably one of the best soups I've ever tasted in general. Try a little chili oil in it! I've also had Green Curry Chicken, Panang Beef, and the Disco Chicken all of which were very good, but the curries are my favorite for sure and they do them right. What did all this food come out to? 26 bucks! Atmosphere: Call me wierd but this place looks like a converted laundromat and I LOVE IT. Its homey and not trying to be something its not like your typical asian restaurant. I've seen staff family members running around the place on numerous occasions. Call me crazy, but at night time its well lit and comfortable. Great place to share dishes with whomever you are with. Finally, the lady up front and who serves sometimes is fricking hilarious. She might catch you off guard joking around but she's really funny. I could complain about the parking, but its a small family owned Thai place. Cmon, its about the food!
(4)John G.
I'm sorry, but I just don't drink the Cool-Aid when it comes to Siam Cafe. My co-workers told me this was one of the great Thai food places in town and so I let them take me here one day for lunch. While they seemed to like it, I thought it was really bad. The service was just down right TERRIBLE! Two ladies attempted to work the entire dining room, getting food and drink orders completely mixed up the entire time. When the food trickled out to the table it was cold, wrong or both. Anyway, a week later I took my co-workers to International Market by Belmont, and nobody has been back to Siam since.
(2)Amanda M.
Cannot... bring myself... to like... Siam. Sigh. I've tried. Really. My friends love it here and I'm not a picky eater, so I tag along. Maybe it's because I usually go at lunch and we usually end up getting something from the buffet. In which case, I feel like a two-star "meh" says it all. On the whole, I love Thai food, but this buffet is your standard Asian fare per mall food courts. You know the kind: glazey, breaded chicken... sometimes sprinkled with sesame seeds; fried rice; soupy broccoli with chunks of beef; chewy eggrolls. It's not the kind of food one should necessarily be excited about. Perhaps ordering from the menu is different. I'm kind of hoping it is. Also, lesson learned. No matter how delicious your friends tell you the Thai tea is, do not order it unless you can handle the sweetness in a 5lb bag of sugar. I couldn't finish mine and ended up wasting the $2.50. Free refills on soda though! There's a plus. As others have mentioned, the parking situation is EXTREMELY limited. In the case you can't find a spot, take this as a sign from the universe and park across the street for lunch at the blue-roofed Kebab Gyro instead.
(2)Aubrey D.
This is delicious Thai food! I especially love the green curry served with perfectly cooked, pillowy rice. I also appreciate that you can order a bowl of Tom Ka Kai soup for $2. On this last visit, we also had the "fresh" spring rolls which were very good. I also recommend ordering the fried bananas with coconut ice cream for dessert. It's worth traveling to a seedy part of town. (When we went last night someone had recently broken in and the windows were boarded up!) I like sitting on the little pillow chairs but they also have standard tables. Service is efficient and prompt. My only complaint is that the mushrooms need to be cooked more before adding to the soup. Other than that, a perfect Thai meal!
(4)Mark M.
Best thai food in town. Hand down! Great and friendly service. Great selection and great atmosphere. Great veggie options. Highly recommended!!!
(5)Jonathan M.
This place is the real deal! It doesn't look like much from the outside, in fact it looks like a trashy place to be honest. If you can get past that - the good is... the waitress we had was a load of fun and kept us laughing the whole time. As far as the food goes, I believe it was very authentic. The reason I give it a 5 is because I have never been to a place that when they say something is spicy it actually means it is spicy. Although, I greatly regretted it later, I ordered the "native spiciness" which is the hottest and a step up from "hot". WOW, it almost brought tears to my eyes. Doesn't get much better than that... I had the traditional Pad Thai and was very impressed. I can confidently recommend this place.
(5)Michelle N.
Beware of what you eat!! This is one of the most unpleasant thai restaurant I ever been. I was petrified from this and have gotten sick for the rest of the day. I came with my boyfriend to eat lunch, and obtained noodles from the food stand. Unknowingly, I heard a loud CRUNCH when I was chewing on it, and revealed that it was a cockroach. I alarmed the manager about this and she was apologetic. Then she offered me a second plate of noodles, and this time, I discovered a tangled piece of hair in it. The lady apologize again and offered to give our money back, however, I was nice enough to let them keep it. As a result, I and my boyfriend left and never coming back again.
(1)Benson C.
From the outside of the Cafe, you don't really expect the inside to be that great. But to my surprise, it was greatly decorated in Thai decor. I liked the ambience and feel to it, because it kind of made me feel like it was an exotic escape especially from the surrounding neighborhood. There was plenty of seating which was great. Most Thai restaurants I've visited have been a little smaller and more intimate, and this place gives you enough breathing room. Coming from Chicago, my favorite place near the UIC Campus was Thai Bowl on Taylor St. Cheap and good Thai food with a student discount and delivers to the dorms. The food was great, and having a Thai friend order food that I wasn't familiar with was all the better. I'm more of an "eat what you know" type of person, and sometimes I'm scared to venture out. But the Tom Kha (sp?) - Coconut (Milk) Soup was delicious. I have to say I'm not a fan of either mushrooms or coconut, but I have to say it was a great combination. Now to my usual order of Pad See Ew, I wasn't too impressed. It seems like this place, along with Smiling Elephant and Royal Thai, all make their Pad See Ew with thinner (almost transparent) noodles. I enjoy having my Pad See Ew with thicker noodles, that's basically my only complaint. The service was great because I went during a less busy time (I'd say mid-afternoon). I'm definitely coming back here again. This place beats Royal Thai. And I would probably choose this place over Smiling Elephant because Siam Cafe has more seating available.
(4)Patrick R.
I haven't had a lot of Thai food, but since I love Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese, I figured this place would probably be up my alley. I was right. The dining room at Siam Cafe is pretty sizable, and there are several neat little booths with pillows and cushions perfect for lounging during a casual meal. Our server was quite a character, and she checked on us and made small talk regularly. I ordered the Pad Thai, which my friend informed me is a relatively simple, traditional dish. It was quite delicious, and the portions are pretty huge, especially considering the less exotic entrees only cost around $7-$10. Fancier items (especially anything containing squid) are quite a bit pricier. My dish had chicken and shrimp (though the shrimp-to-chicken ratio was a little weak) seasoned with a really tasty peanut oil. The atmosphere and staff at Siam Cafe are very friendly and informal. It's a nice spot to go with a friend or two, though I wouldn't necessarily recommend it for large parties. As far as Thai goes, it's probably the best I've had. I'll definitely go back, and I recommend it to anyone with a penchant for Asian food.
(4)Melissa L.
This is my favorite place for Thai, hands down. I think it was the first Thai restaurant and I think the best. The place has real character and the staff is fun and know ther regulars and that makes a real difference. I've tried a lot of things here and never had a bad dish. Pad Thai, Soy Sauce Noodles, Lad Nah, Fresh Sprng Rolls, Mee Krob, Tom Yum Koong, Spicy Noodles, Noodle Soup w/Beef & meatballs - it's all good. I've never eaten off the buffet on the 'other' side of the wall though at lunch I see plenty of people that do. The biggest draw back to this place is the parking - it's tight to say the least. But this old hole in the wall is the best and most fun.
(4)Jamie W.
best thai food in nashville!
(5)Manj B.
So I went to visit my cousin who was based in Ft. Campbell. They picked me up from the airport in TN and we yelped a good Thai place to eat. After reading good reviews of Siam Cafe, we decided to try it out. And I'm so glad we did. We got the steamed dumpling appetizer, which was good. But then everything else blew me away. The Siam Duck was truly a sweet and spicy delight. I could not have enough of it - and I'm not that big of a duck person. The spicy noodles and chicken basil were delicious too. Very flavorful and the right amount of spicy. And reasonably priced with really friendly people too! I definitely would go back if it wasn't so far away! If I lived in the area, it would probably become my go to Thai place.
(5)Ferdinand H.
Oh goodness, I'm following around Emily Y. Wait... I went here with Emily Y. :) Rustic Thai, home styled cooking with decorations laden with country style thai accents. The obligate portrait of the King is present, as well as bamboo structures recalling another time and place. The food that we enjoyed on our visit were competently executed, but without any striking highlights. I fear that my palate is becoming increasingly jaded... and nowadays, I'm still looking for that epicurean epiphany of flavour. None here... but I left sated nonetheless. 4/5 particularly with attention to context.
(4)Becca G.
Suprisingly enough there are numerous Thai restaurants here in Nashville, however the quality and value of these joints is all over the place. I am always a little nervous when I try a new Thai place because they tend to hit my wallet harder than most "ethnic" cuisine in town, but Siam Cafe proved to be good food for a good value. I ordered the Tom Kha Gai soup and the Beef Panaeng which were both awesome. I like my food hot and this place definitely didn't dissapoint. At other Thai and Indian places I think the servers fear that "the gringa" can't handle spicy and when I say hot I often get medium instead. The dishes here definitely had some yummy burn and tingle. My bf ordered the Pad Thai which was not so good and drenched in mysterious red oil. I think their dishes are hit or miss, so maybe go first with a big group to try it all? Overall the food was good, the prices were very reasonable, and we had attentive, polite service. I won't say this is the best Thai in the world, but pretty good quality for Nashville. If they could get all their dishes on point and be less "hit-or-miss" then they would definitely bump up a star in my book.
(3)Douglas B.
Siam Cafe was ONCE a decent Thai restaurant, albeit overrated by its loyal patrons (which used to number us among them). Our last two visits confirm that SC has declined from its mediocre heights. Service has always been iffy, but tonight it was dreadful. We waited 45 minutes for dishes that usually take 20 minutes to receive after ordering. And the steamed seafood curry was a watery, tasteless mess. We have switched our allegiance to Thai Ginger. It has wonderful authentic Thai dishes and excellent service.
(1)Zac S.
This is definitely my favourite spot for Thai food in all of Nashville. I will gladly drive off the East side (a feat for many an East Nashvillian) past a couple of other popular Thai restaurants just to enjoy Siam Cafe. As its been mentioned, the aesthetic is not necessarily on the cutting edge of restaurant interior design. Frankly, so what. If you're worried about matching decor you can always stand in line at a Pei Wei. I have always found the service to be exceptionally friendly, prompt and accurate. Most importantly, the food is excellent! The curries are all delicious and filling, but don't leave you feeling stuffed. The duck dish is fantastic, probably a new favourite. Most of all their Pad Thai is bang on. When trying out a new Thai restaurant, Pad Thai is the gold standard by which I judge the establishment. Like I said, bang on. I love Siam Cafe, if there were a tee shirt that said so, I would wear it.
(4)Rose W.
The only Thai restaurant that understands the word "mild"
(5)Andi D.
Ohhhhh the green curry. I could drink it! (And try too if I finish the vegetables before the sauce). I always want to try other things, but the green curry is so good it's hard for me to stray from it. Good service, the Thai tea is awesome, and the food is yummy.
(4)Anna A.
Siam cafe is one of those places that you might pass up on appearances. This is hands down my favorite Thai place in town!! However, I have never been impressed by the entrees. I have tried a few of them and they don't rock my world. Why do I give it four stars then? Because and this is a HUGE because, the Tom Ka Kai is something I crave in my dreams, when I am sick, when it's hot, when I am thirsty, when I happy, get the picture? I have had a few different versions of Tom Ka Kai in other cities and restaurants and I feel Siam makes a wonderfully rich coconut concoction with just the right subtle hints of lime, ginger, chili's that just make my taste buds sing. My husband and I order the large and it comes in a large metal donut shaped bowl with flame in the middle with a side of sticky white rice. This really is enough for two people as a meal. Now, the other wonderful thing I LOVE here is the steamed dumplings. I horde these things like an alcoholic hordes his boos. I don't even let my kids smell them for fear I might have to share. I have never tasted anything like them but sometimes I think I could write epic tales worthy of Homer after having eaten them. Take my advice, stick with the soup and dumplings and you will leave a happy camper.
(4)Nadine D.
Thai food is my absolute favorite, and Siam Cafe is definitely the best I have ever had in all of the many places I have lived. There are several thai restaurants within a couple miles of my apartment, but the 20 minute drive to Siam Cafe is worth it!!! The place itself is quaint and comfortable, always with friendly service. I always order the chicken satay and I am amazed every time at the peanut sauce. I don't know what they put in it (maybe applesauce?) but it is addictive. I also love their Massaman Curry...definitely the best ever. It is the perfect combination of creamy and spicy, with tender chicken and perfectly cooked potatoes. I am salivating just thinking about it. Though this place is kind of out of the way, and not in the best part of town, I wind up there at least once a month.
(5)C S.
When I go back to Nashville there are only a few places that I insist on going and this is one of them. The only thing Ive really ever had here is the tofu green curry and I am more than ok with this. I love this meal and this is one of those hidden gems in Nashville. If your into trying any of the curry items, here is a tip that me and my girlfriend at the time use to do on togo orders: get just one order of curry which comes with a large side of rice and then order another side rice for 99 cents (free if you dine-in) and its plenty of food. The servings are big and last night when I order some I tried to eat it all and though I nearly did, I couldn't. This meal that feed two nicely cost about right at 10 bucks. Its really hard to beat that. parking has always sucked here but, I noticed last night they now are using the parking lot across the street which is a huge difference. I cant speak for the buffet they have or nearly any other meal besides the other curry options but, I have eaten at numerous other Thai places in Nashville and I can say its the best curry in town and many people on and off of Yelp agree.
(4)Mark M.
My favorite Thai place in the city. It's right off Nolensville Road right next to the aptly named "Latino Tire". The parking is tight, but the food inside is so good. Nice cute little dining area. Absolutely great Thai food. Of course I dont know the names of any of the dishes, but the chicken in coconut milk soup (tom cat ka?) is great. As is the chicken with cashew, and a number of other chicken dishes. Definitely not a boring thai place. And great service. Good prices. Really enjoying my culinary excursions up and down Nolensville Road.
(5)Elle A.
I am a Thai food fanatic. I consider Nolensville a gem of a road (despite popular belief - ever been to Las Cansuelos or International Market?) so I was excited to be hungry about the time I got flashed by nearby prostitute (not kidding) and realized I'd never been there before. My "vegetarian friend" and I were seated and a little excited by the 70s-ish time travel dining room. For starters, I got the hot and sour, and she the Tom Kha. My friend "forgets" to make sure that dishes are meatless (I've seen her surprised several times when eating out), so of course hers had chicken in it and mine only shrimp so we swapped. I must say I am a huge fan of the hot and sour (over Tom Kha). The Tom Kha was very, very sweet to me and "real coconutty." Instead of an entree, we got salads. I'm not sure what the name of the one she ordered (but the fried tofu in it was the best I've had) and I got my favorite Thai salad, tiger tear. I was excited when she offered me rice, which makes it more of a complete meal, and it ended up only being a dollar extra. I ordered "hot" which it wasn't... I must be getting accustomed to Thai spice because I would rank it as mild. The meat was great but not as good as my favorite tiger tear restaurant, Golden Thai on White Bridge. We found out from a guy working there that it is the first Thai restaurant which is a plus for me. Be careful pulling out of the parking lot (it was packed when we left) and watch out for flashers!!
(3)Mr Mrs J.
I've been here a couple times, last time I brought my sales team to eat lunch here. Everyone liked it. It wasn't too busy and the food was pretty good according to everybody. My garlic shrimp actually was just okay, but everyone else (there were 8 of us) liked their food. Someone had the red curry duck and I tried it, it was delicious, I should've gotten that dish. The 2 times I've been here it seems I keep ordering the mediocre dishes while everyone else ordered the right ones. Ohh well, I wouldn't knock it, if you want decent authentic thai food. Eat in the restaurant part and order from the menu. I still prefer Thai Taste on Haywood, but this would be 2nd choice of the 2 for lunch near my office. The lady servers are very nice and accommodating.
(3)Deepak B.
The food is decent and prices are reasonable. Service was way too slow and inconsistent. The food came cold and flagged waiter seven times during dinner. Got annoying...
(2)Mariela C.
I love Thai food and though Nashville doesn't offer the best assortment of it I think Siam Cuisine is actually a pretty good deal. Let me start by saying that having spent 3 weeks in Thailand I'm a total Pad Thai snob so I won't say that Siam's is great but it's a good for Nashville. I do, however, love their spring rolls. Their décor is a little cheese ball, but I like cheese ball so dig their attempt at looking Thai. I think one thing that stands out about Siam is their service, every time I have been there that have been efficient and prompt, and I can't think of a time I have had to wait more than 2 minutes to get seated.
(3)Emily Y.
Great Thai food. Go to the Siam Cafe on McCall street. There's another in town (near/on Whitebridge), but this one is cheaper, and more authentic (same ownership). Our favorite dishes: duck salad, tiger tears, green curry, spicy eggplant, pad thai, lad na.
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