A small place with less than 20 seats. Since I'm not Thai, I don't know how authentic the flavors are. My group tried the TomYum soup and thought it was very sour (more than other places). I enjoyed the chicken satay and pork larb. We also had shrimp pad Thai and fried soft shell crab. I didn't try the crab but others said it was their favorite. read more

Chao Thai - Menu - Thai Near Me - Elmhurst, New York

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Quick service and good food. Went for lunch on a Tuesday afternoon, so not crowded. Got a variety of items to try, all very tasty. read more

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Chao Thai deserves all the accolades from all sides. I was introduced to this small hole in the wall wonder ages ago when we were all young, dumb, and kind of numb. It may be the best Thai food outside of Bangkok neighborhood night markets and all of Thailand non-tourist cuisine destinations. The Thai native kitchens and restaurants I tried several years ago would put Chao Thai right on par. Though nothing beats the ambiance off the back of a bike or tuktuk on a hot Bangkok night. My go-to items to order: Pad kee maw with beef - mild, be willing to sacrifice if you go over mild here. Green curry with soft shell crab (yes it's extra) Coconut rice I hope you'll make the trip out to Elmhurst just to try this place (call me). The seashells under the tables and tiny window into the kitchen are my favorite parts of the decor. Service is very nice, straight to the point. Specials are on the board, but I've had a few times when they were not available. Allow Chao Thai to change your world. - KOY read more

Obsessed with this place for lunch. Delicious, great value, always on time or early. Have turned my colleagues onto it. I only wish they delivered to my home as well. read more

Absolutely loved it. I'm on a diet so even though their menu had a lot of things I wanted but I had to stick to a salad. Needless to say I got the lime pork salad and it was to die for. The meat was juicy and the sauce was absolutely amazing even though it was on the spicy side. Service was pretty quick and the lady behind the counter was extremely nice she was telling me about some places to visit on my upcoming trip to Thailand. I'm def coming back to try out more things. read more

Chao Thai - Lemon A33. Pork Skin Salad - Thai Near Me - Elmhurst, New York

It's not much to look at, but Chao Thai has been a gem that has never let me down. It is definitely a mom-n-pop operation and exudes all the local dingy vibes one could want in a place like this. They're a bit off the beaten path from Elmhurst's Chinatown on Whitney Ave, offering bangin' Thai cuisine at affordable prices with zero pretense. The interior space is going to be tight and big groups stand almost zero chance in here. I think 15 people here might be a full house, but I could be wrong. Takeout and delivery have been a big part of their business, but barring any kind of long wait, it's worth coming in here and eating the food in its most optimal environment: in-house. Any of their noodles, be it pad see yu, drunken noodles, are going to be fire all around. With the pad see yu, each noodle has a wok-hei like char to it and is full of flavor with every bite. Pad thai lovers will love their simple and savory portion and their khao soi is also delicious. The curries are outstanding, the green curry has some serious depth of flavor and the massman is downright hearty. Their noodle soups, stir fried options have also been excellent. The salted fish fried rice is flavorful despite being mad funky and their crab fried rice is among the better ones I've had in the area. The fried small shrimp appetizer is like a crispy pancake that I've not seen in other Thai establishments. In fact a good portion of their menu focuses on regional specialties that are not typical in this neighborhood. Service is usually fast and furious. They're a small crew but they get the job done with crowd management, takeout orders, and serving folks inside. I'm extremely happy they've made it through the worst parts of the pandemic. They are strictly cash only still and are one of my favorite sleeper Thai spots in the borough. read more

TLDR: Chao Thai is one of those places you go when you just want tasty Thai food. Nothing fancy, just straight tasty. Papaya Salad, get a larb for sure and definitely grab a drunken noodle a/k/a pad kee mao. FYI, this place can get spicy. Finally visited after being recommended by multiple folks. Chao Thai is on Whitney right off of Broadway across from all the Viet spots in Elmhurst. The place is small so def try to come on the earlier side. We got the papaya salad, the pork larb, a side of sticky rice, the pad kee mao with chicken and the fish fillet with basil sauce. The papaya was so crisp and perfectly tender. Super refreshing, the peanuts were especially good. The larb. At first this didn't seem spicy but when you get to the bottom with the juice - this wlll light you up. In a good way though. Get a side of sticky rice to help soak up the flavor and soften the heat. Pad Kee Mao with chicken. Probably one of the better versions I've had. Savory, spicy, a tad bit sweet but not too much. I thoroughly enjoyed this dish. This was fully eaten almost as soon as it got to our table. Fish fillet with Basil Sauce. Not bad, it was fried well but a bit salty I thought. Probably my least favorite out of everything we had. We will definitely be back to Chao Thai when we want to hit up a spot for solid Thai. PS - cash only. read more

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This is a hole in the wall pace that you can just pass by if you skip this part of Elmhurst. They have indoor seating, but I don't recommend coming here with a large group as that wouldn't work. They have a wide variety of items here to please any palate. I decided on a medium spice level noodle soup with pork inside of it called Tom Yum. It does have a kick to it, so be careful. It was very flavorful. There is a bathroom downstairs, so if you need to use it, just know that it's accessible to the public. There's only 1 person manning the cash register, taking orders, cleaning and serving. read more

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I haven't been to Chao Thai in over 5 years! Why? Mostly because they're a tiny restaurant and do NOT take reservations. But on this Tuesday evening my party of 8 arrived super early at 5:30pm and scored a table, which took up half of their restaurant. I wouldn't recommend this restaurant for large groups, unless you can get there very early. I'm so glad we revisited Chao Thai because the food is just fab. So flavorful! Service and hospitality is very welcoming and friendly. It is a one woman operation at the front of house, and she does an excellent job! Here is our menu (shared by 4 ppl): -- Crispy Morning Glory Salad w.Seafood ($16.95): Hands Down, my fave dish of the night. I could have eaten this whole dish and nothing else, and I would have been happy & satisfied! Get This!!! -- Curry Powder w.Beef  Stir-Fry ($15.95): I've never had this dish before and this was good! Very flavorful; with a good amount of beef. --  Raw Shrimp in Spicy Fish Sauce ($13.95): This is a typical Thai dish but somehow not typically found in NY Thai restaurants. The fish sauce was terrific, as well as the huge amounts of raw garlic included! -- Fish Filet w.Pla Basil Sauce ($19.95): Another very flavorful dish; my 2nd fave dish of the night. The Fish Filet is fried and delish. -- Massaman Curry w.Chicken ($13.95): Don't expect this to be like the Indian Massaman Curry (which I love). This dish is lighted in flavor; albeit still very good. Just not like the thick Massaman Indian Curries. -- Jasmine Rice: complimentary with each entree (not with salads). The bowl of rice is pretty large! If you want extra rice, it will be an additional $2.50/bowl. Looking forward to a return visit to try other menu items (along with the Morning Glory Salad!). read more

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The chicken pad thai here was excellent! Generous portions, with delicious garnish and toppings. Everything was prepared promptly and accurately, and my meal was ready with enough time to finish before I had to get to my shift. read more

The Young Jackfruit salad was so good. The taste was like an original northern Thai dish. read more

Chao Thai - Young Jackfruit salad - Thai Near Me - Elmhurst, New York

Likes - delicious foods - great service - simple decor - close to the train Dislike - soft shell crab chu chee a bit salty read more

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A hole in the wall. If you like Fried Chicken this is the spot. The crunch the skin had was out of this world! The spring rolls are top tier. The rice has curry in it so let that be a warning if you don't like curry. The service is great. They do not receive card payments. Only cash or Zelle ! read more

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Anyone know what happened to the previous owners ? This place used to be a hidden gem amongst the more popular Thai restaurants in the area, when the previous owners were there, short sweet lady in the back cooking was the owner. read more

I have seen this restaurant a lot of times while walking into the train station. So, I decided to give it a shoot and have dinner here with a friend. I share a few appetizers with my friend. Num Tok Beef a salad that has grilled beef with onion, chili, lime juice and roasted rice with a touch of medium spiciest, be careful they don't play around went they talked about spicy food, although my palate could handle the degree of spices, it was spicier than I was expected, the beef was very juicy the lime gives it a great taste I recommend getting this to share because the portion is just perfect to share. Grilled Pork another great appetizer to share with a party which is served with tamarind sauce, pork was cooked perfectly the sauce was a great way to dip the pork to give that extra taste. For my main disk, I had the Drunken Noodles chicken I notice there was not a lot of protein on my plate, but the noddle was not bad but like the salad was spicier than I was expected. But overall was not bad. The place is pretty small so is kind of difficult to get a table. Another bad thing about the restaurant is that is only cash so no debit or credit card accepted. read more

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Really happy with delivery from Chao Thai -- these were the most delicious Kee Mao noodles of any of the Thai restaurants I've tried in Jackson Heights and Elmhurst. They really get some nice char in the noodles which makes a big difference, the noodles aren't a goopy blob. And the sauce is full of flavor. Medium was on the edge of being too spicy for me but still enjoyable. The Moo Ping pork skewers were also intensely flavored and had a good char. I seem to remember that Chao Thai is famous for their larb salads -- excited to try those next, but what we got was also excellent. read more

A taste of Thailand in the heart of queens. My boyfriend and I were visiting our buddy in the neighborhood and our buddy recommended this place. What we ordered - minced meat with a side of sunny side up eggs ~ tasted like street food in Thailand. - Thai tea - good balance of sweet. - fish cakes - fried seafood salad ~ nice and crispy. - spicy jungle curry Service: friendly and attentive. My friend here's frequently and has never had a bad experience. - cash only read more

Chao Thai - Fish cakes - Thai Near Me - Elmhurst, New York

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They need to improve their workers skills in restaurant industry. They can't complete the job well many times. Either got orders or missing items almost every time I ordered. Call back to ask them to get things correct but seems they don't have enough skills to deal with even just a simple things. Food was good but seems overpriced now. read more

This is a hole in a wall place but serves authentic thai food. I am basic and I love shrimp pad thai. It was so good! We also got the papaya salad with salted egg yolk. Not sure what that is in thai but was good! read more

Chao Thai - N12. Pad Thai - Thai Near Me - Elmhurst, New York

PAD SUKI WITH TOFU: Pad suki with tofu (extra spicy level) was excellent for anyone who loves spicy noodle dishes, bursting with salty, tangy and sour flavors with just a hint of sweetness. To be honest I don't have a lot of knowledge of Thai food outside of what's popular in US restaurants, but if you like pad kee mao, the pad suki completely different but is a good transition to something with even more flavor, sauce, and fresh ingredients, plus glass noodles are delicious when cooked right. It's always a risk that when you get noodles to-go, they'll get stuck together and not taste as good, but the combination of sauce and the silky glass noodles kept the food perfect for eating. Tofu had a great level of crispy/chewiness and absorbed the flavor well, complimented by the green onions. Carrots were crunchy and well-seasoned; along with the mushrooms (and maybe some other veggies?), it was a good way to include healthy, tasty ingredients. I think it also included egg whites? I always love the bouncy and salty taste of egg whites more than the yolk, so that was a nice surprise to see. As to the spice level, I saw some reviews saying the food here is really spicy and was a little nervous to ask for super spicy (but my partner did for me when she ordered because she knows I'm stubborn and love spicy food even if it's painful), it was a nice level of heat, but nothing unbearable to the point that all you taste is hot. Portion was very generous and tightly packed into a rectangular takeout box, I estimate having 2 servings for leftovers. THAI ICED TEA: Very sweet and creamy with a strong and high quality tea flavor. Sipping on this was a great way to cool my mouth down from the spicy food, so refreshing! If you prefer your Thai iced tea on the sweeter side, this place is for you. Overall, all the good reviews of this place are accurate and the food was delicious. I can't wait to come back here and try new dishes! read more

Chao Thai - Pad Suki with Tofu - Thai Near Me - Elmhurst, New York

A small hidden place in Elmhurst, we ordered chicken pad Thai, chicken larb and mango sticky rice for dessert, Padthai came and we digged in! Was great until we found a blue rubber band in the dish. We thought... it's okay, just a mistake. Chicken larb was great, very sour and spicy! Then our mango sticky rice came, we're enjoying it until we see a long metal... aluminum.. in it. We called the server over and told her everything is fine but just wanted her to know that there are metals and rubber in the food. Server asked what do we want, I told her nothing because we had already finished the food and that I'm telling her only so they can be more careful next time as it is a health violation. Also, this is an only cash place but still charges tax.. not a great look. read more

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Chao Thai has been in our bucket list for months due to Michelin recommendation and we finally got a chance to try. Their decor is really old school and they don't have many tables but it wasn't crowded since most of people do take out or delivery. Their food is quite authentic and delicious. We ordered Thai Salad, Pattaya mussels pan fried, pineapple and duck red curry and black egg with basil. All dishes were amazingly great and our favorite dish was red curry, the duck in the curry was soft but with crispy skin, we loved red curry with peanut. Their service was welcoming and friendly. They served everything quickly even there were lots of orders. Our only complaints are Cash Only and they will automatically add tips on the check. read more

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Great authentic Thai food in Queens. The price is reasonable and the food are tasty and a wide variety of dishes to choose from, especially the spicy dishes like som tum, Tom yum, are wonderful read more

Chao Thai is a tiny Thai restaurant in Elmhurst. The food is excellent, the service was great and the ambience was casual. The décor was bright and 80ish. The tables had carvings on the bottom layer with sparkly paint and/or seashells inside and sealed on top with clear pane of glass. The servers were mostly from Northern Thailand. Families or friends meeting up for a tasty casual dinner that Sunday night. We came to have a Sunday night dinner. The three of us ordered: Khao soi- this was a spicy, less sweet version of other versions of Khao Soy. I really liked it! There were cooked egg noodles in the curry, the noodles were topped with cilantro, onions, pickles and crunchy egg noodles! It was curried refreshing aromatic dish instead of the sweeter coconut-creamier Khao Soys that we have had this month. Sour sausage- this was my favorite dish! Slightly sour pickled/fermented pork sausage with freshly shaved red onions, cilantro, and crispy bits of rice. It was so addictive! I think I ate most of this dish myself. The crispy rice bits were so good! It was crunchy, chewy, sweet, sour, citrusy and slightly spicy. I have to order this next time! Tom Yum Gooong soup- this was recommended by our server. The clear soup was hearty and spicy and sour. It was wonderful for a fall evening. It had lime, lemongrass hints and generous portions of fish sauce. I've never had this either but it was so good! Pumpkin sago dessert- This was wonderfully warm, not too sweet and very satisfying. Although we were stuffed, we managed to share this sweet dessert. It was a wonderful dinner with two new dishes. I would definitely return! instagram.com/snackchatnyc read more

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Solid place for all thing Thai. Have yet to try their curries but they have yet to fail me. I believe they're zagat rated and on the Michelin list. Ordered the salted fish fried rice and it had excellent fishiness and spiciness. Keep up the good job! read more

Chao Thai - Salted fish fried rice - Thai Near Me - Elmhurst, New York

Hands down, the best Pad See Eiw in the city. Incredible char flavor. Amazing! Also staffed by a wonderfully kind woman who has served us for years. We love Chao Thai! read more

Chao Thai - N16. Pad See Eiw - Thai Near Me - Elmhurst, New York

Not what I expected I had the congee fish and the fish wasn't that fresh. The food was just ok not bad or not too good

The serving is too small for the price!!! We ordered 2 Crispy Pork with Chinese Broccoli. My friend has a lot of meat, but mine was 4 small pieces. All Broccoli and 4 small pieces of crispy pork. I complained, but the server and the cook were arguing in the kitchen. She just took the plate to the kitchen and brought it back, they didn't add any meat on it. She just brought back the same plate. VERY POOR SERVICE!!! I lost my appetite, I didn't even eat the food I ordered. I will NEVER COME BACK to this lousy place. I will NOT spend my hard earned here. read more

Chao Thai - Crispy Pork Broccoli - Thai Near Me - Elmhurst, New York

A small thai place right in the heart of elmhurst, this place generally doesnt stick out untill youve noticed all the accolades they so proudly present on their store front windows. Came here and i ordered pork skewers and nom tok beef salad to start. The grilled pork was done very well with an interesting sourish sweet fish sauce combo to dip, the num pok beef salad was really spicy! Defintely had to drink alot of water to cool down the heat of that dish. Next i ordered the basil beef with a friend egg on top. The dish barely had any protein in it and consisted mostly of rice, tasted like a beef friend rice imo, but a well done one. The quality is there in this place, would just need to come back and order different things though ti give it a more indepth review read more

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Not one thing we had that wasn't good! The clams maybe next time we don't get it was kind of sandy. The pad thai was really good almost as good as the street vendor in Thailand. I like it saucy and not dry so this was bomb! Legit not one thing was bad here. Place isn't the nicest in decor but it's a gem when it comes to food! there was only one person as waitress, cashier, and food packer. She did it all but it works because shop was small. We waited patiently because we see her hustling. I came here on a Wednesday and back on Friday lol that's how much I liked it!! Definitely recommend!!! Price tag on item was average $10-$19 each. So not the cheapest but for good food like this you shut up enjoy and pay for it. read more

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Highly recommend for soup lover! Continue came here for dinner 2 days for their noodle soup! Staff was friendly and kind even during busy time. Small place for fast eating but foods are flavorful! read more

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One of the best Thai spot for me! I have been here for so many years for small dinner. Had their pad woon sen, pad Thai etc... This small restaurant location in elmhurst The pork blood soup, Tod Mun is their highlight! The service was ok Price is acceptable One of my favorite soup in queens! read more

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This is my favorite Thai restaurant in NYC. The food is very tasteful and delicious! The spices are awesome and I cant find that taste elsewhere. Especially, the northern Thai food!!!!! You nailed it !!!!! read more

I've been coming here for years but this is my first time back since Covid. My family let me choose a place for Mother's Day and I was dying to come back. We ordered spring rolls, sate, morning glory salad, mock duck with basil, Pad see Yu, Thai iced tea, and we finished it off with mango sticky rice. Everything tasted wonderful. My only gripe today was that It smells like my great grandmothers house in here to put it kindly. Nothing wrong with the food or service but it's difficult to eat and enjoy your food when the smell is overwhelming . I'm hoping it was something coming from the basement which was out of their control for the day as I'd like to come back again and have a more enjoyable experience. read more

Chao Thai - My sweeties taking me out for Mother's Day - Thai Near Me - Elmhurst, New York

Man oh Man! First and foremost, this place been rockin for mad long already and I'm finally (shamefully) getting to eat here. I'm almost reluctant to do a review because I don't want this GEM of place to get overly exposed. But in all reality this in-the-cutt restaurant reminds me of home grown Thai cooking. 100% !! I'm Thai so I know. DEF IYKYK kinda place. The menu u could pick at randomly and you'll get something extremely authentic, delicious and made with that care and love you'd expect at your aunties or grandmas house. Pro-TIP: Okay so you're f#£king up if you're not getting the Crispy Water spinach salad with seafood! The real real real down lo sleeper is the crispy pork-lings they sell for $5 at the front. Criddack! They are good on everything. Go get that ! read more

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This was some really tasty Thai food! I ordered the grilled pork appetizer, crispy morning glory salad with seafood, and the num tok beef. The pork was perfectly tender. The beef was very flavorful. I ordered it medium spicy and that was pretty spicy. The meat is on the fattier side, but I prefer that. The crispy salad was surprisingly my favorite. The flavor of the papaya salad and seafood with the crunchy texture was sooo good! I ordered it mild, but it still had a nice kick to it. Can't wait to try their other dishes! read more

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A hidden gem and better than all the thai food around (looking at you boon chu, kin sen, and saranrom thai). The soft shell crab is meaty and delicious. The pad see ew had incredible wok hei and char which gives it tons of flavor. The chicken is amongst the most flavorful and tender I've had in a thai noodle dish. My partner consistently orders their seafood pad thai, and she doesn't even love seafood. Have your food with a thai iced tea or a coconut water. Both are equally sweet and satisfying. read more

OK, this is an update to a spot I used to love, and have frequented for 20 years and thus have reviewed here in glowing terms. HOWEVER, please be warned: I was there on Tuesday, June 4, 2024 with my wife and son, who we were sending off on a long trip the next day. AND l and behold, on the next day all three of us woke up with diarrhea and feeling vaguely nauseous. Right after we dropped my son at JFK, my wife opened the car window and barfed her brains out on the Belt Parkway. When we got home she went right to bed and I, without using my brains and thinking I have a steel stomach, had lunch even though my stomach was rumbling and I'd woken up with diarrhea. That evening I began what would be 8 days (that's EIGHT DAYS) of absolutely watery diarrhea. I ate nothing but bread, light soup, and Coca Cola for a week. 10 days later I could tolerate dairy and fruits again. But the very thought of going back to Chai Thai leaves me sick. We ordered many things, but when the Crispy Morning Glory salad arrived we all said, "hmmmm...something seems off with some of the seafood here." But we persevered, and I ate most of it. I just avoided those put-together fish ball things that tasted spoiled. My wife thought it was the mussels that were old. In any case, all three of us got dog sick by old/rotten seafood at Chai Tha in June of 2024. We have been going there for two decades, prior to the current owners' buying the business. And NEVER EVER felt even the mildest stomach upset. We must have eaten the Crispy Morning Glory Salad hundreds of times, loving it on each occasion. In addition to the spoiled Morning Glory salad, on that Tuesday we had sauteed morning glory, chicken prad prik kking, slow cook pork leg, and Pad Kra Pao. I don't know what to say, except that I'm angry and disappointed that the current owners would serve spoiled food to the public. Be VERY, VERY careful if you go to Chao Thai. I really wish, on so many levels including personal suffering, that I didn't have to write this negative review. read more

Queens is the melting pot of the world when it comes to different cuisines. This place is truly authentic. My favorite is N1 on their menu Guay Jub which I can't get the same anywhere else. The noodle soup is hearty and healthy. Super iron and protein rich roup. Prices are being reasonable. I love this place and always bring anyone who wants Authentic Thai food there. read more

Made the trek here specifically for a single dish I saw on Instagram and Yelp that haunted my inner food nerd for a month. Sour sausage with shaved red onions, crispy brown rice, peanuts and hot peppers. Was it worth the 1,250+ miles from my door in the midwest to a table at Chao Thai? Absolutely. The searing heat of my "medium" order, the crunch of the crispy and savory rice, the pungent red onion slices, the slightly acerbic sausage providing a protein blast, the red peppers and occasional slice of tomato to cool the fire, the salt and lingering taste of the fish sauce, the coolness of lettuce which served as the bottom layer for visual (and for eating of course) wrapped around a few bits at the end were especially delightful. A plate worthy of my highest admiration. Service was prompt, friendly and courteous and I asked for the specific dish which I never saw on the menu. Good reason: it's a special barely visible on a small chalkboard. If you're doing Thai in this area of town you'd better be on your game. Competition is very stiff. I counted a half dozen places within a few blocks which I've dined at over the years and all are fine. For my money and taste buds this was a delightful stop and one I'll long remember. Rarely when you build up a dish so long does it truly deliver in the end. If you come: easy access from the M or R train. Take the far south exit heading south and you're almost right on top of the restaurant. Cash only, no liquor. Your menus will likely be sticky and needing wiped down. Decor is casual, dated. Bathrooms are down the stairs. read more

Chao Thai - Sour sausage and red onion with crispy rice - Thai Near Me - Elmhurst, New York