Please don't eat here. It was a sanitation nightmare. The food was just meh, so when they offered to box it up to go I said ok. From my vantage point at an incredibly dirty table, I watched the owner grab my leftovers with her BARE HANDS and put them in a to go box. Some food fell on the dirty counter and she proceeded to pick that up with her hands and add it to the box of leftovers. Seriously? Barehanding food in 2024?! I also watched her come in from outside watering the plants and she did not wash her hands before fingering my leftovers. Please save yourself from the food poisoning risk. read more

Most authentic Thai in town. Flavorful, spicy, fresh. Yes, it's a hole in the wall that is run down. The linoleum floor needs to be replaced. The ventilation system is poor. But the place is clean, and if you don't want to eat in, just get takeout. If you're upset that you're waiting a long time for your order, it's because one Thai man is doing all the cooking by himself. His wife (who is not Thai) waits tables. I'm from NYC and have eaten at some of the best Thai restaurants on the east coast. Choochai is not as good, but it makes a respectable substitute. Their "mild" is hot to the average non-Asian palate. Their "spicy" is authentically Thai hot. read more

Great authentic Thai cuisine! Highly recommend for phenomenal flavor and even presentation. Atmosphere is not what you are here for. It's the FOOD! Amazing! read more

Best Thai food in town. We love the Khow Soy, Pad Thai, and Pad See Ew! If you aren't sure where to start, Special A and Special B are a great way to some delicious variety. Heads up - we feel like "mild plus" here matches medium or even hot at other Thai restaurants. We love that every visit comes with a friendly welcome and a chance to watch the magic happen with the bar seating surrounding the kitchen. read more

If you're a fan of Thai food this would be a great place to eat. The service was fast and friendly.

What a wonderful treat after a dog show this weekend Best I have had in years The real deal at a good price read more

Very long wait times (we waited nearly 1 hour for our food and its was to-go) and some customers were prioritized over others. Unless you are a regular who know the people who work here, expect poor customer service. The restaurant also perpetually smells of oil. The food is subpar. The fried rice is dry and the chicken seems to be day old chicken which was added into the dish afterwards. The cost was not worth the food or the wait. For reference the food was $11+ for just fried rice. It would be better to go to Thai Pepper and wait there for good food rather than this place. read more

Choochai - Dry chicken fried rice - Thai Near Me - Lubbock, Texas

Service We arrived a little after 1:30pm. Literally when we arrived, there was only one couple ahead of us in line. There were 4-5 parties that came in after us, yet somehow we were the LAST people to get our food. The entire place was empty by the time we got our to-go order (which was 50 mins later). Environment/parking We only came here because Thai Pepper was very busy. From the outside, definitely looks like a hole-in-the wall. Not much parking. Inside is POORLY ventilated, you can expect your clothes to wreak of oil when you leave. read more

Coming home from colorado, nicest people ever! Best thai food in lubbock by far!!! Will be back every time !!!!!!!!!!! read more

I was working out of town in Lubbock and lost my wallet. When I realized they didn't have tap Renee told me she'd give me an IOU. I told her I was about to leave town in a few days and didn't know when I'd be back. She told me it's ok and just to stop by next time and take care of the bill. She completely caught me by surprise with her kindness, this is unheard of in todays world. I got the chicken coconut soup as a recommendation from a client and was not disappointed. I honestly dont like soup and never order soup at restaurants but this magical delicacy had me wanting to order it again when I went back the next day to repay my IOU. This will be my go-to place whenever I'm in lubbock . Beautiful family owned business that puts love in everything they do. It is easy to see why theyve been around for so long. read more

Best pad Thai in town hands down! Staff is so friendly & I love that their dishes actually have spice to them! read more

Choochai - Shrimp pad thai - Thai Near Me - Lubbock, Texas

Yelp says they close at 8:15 PM, but they in fact close at 7:30 PM. I walked in at 7:23 and when I saw their hours I offered to go elsewhere. I was told sim in the building so I can get food. I ordered the Pad Thai and took it back to my hotel so they could close up. Spicy, delicious and satisfying. Since I do not live in Lubbock I'm glad I got this dish before heading out of town. It's sooo good. read more

I've been to this place at least once a week for the past few weeks and they've never ceased to amaze me. They have so many options and they're very open to customization. I asked if they could sub out the meat for tofu and they even asked me if eggs were still okay! They're conscious and they do take their time but there is always quality food. My coworkers and I (at Wendy's) love it here. I'm so glad I found this place. read more

Choochai - #17 Medium with tofu - Thai Near Me - Lubbock, Texas

Before there were reviews, there was choo chai... before you had a voice, there was choochai... after your voice is irrelevant there is choochai... read more

Me and my best friend stopped by for my lunch break and literally waited for over an hour for our food. 3 other groups came in line after us and all were served before us. I even asked how much longer it would be after 45 minutes had passed and was told only 5 minutes cause he was working on our food but we still waited another 20 minutes. My friend got shrimp friend rice and her rice was very salty and shrimp was very bland and over cooked. Not to mention we sat in the middle table and the lady literally touched my shoulder to move me as she was walking by. I have never had such a horrible experience anywhere as far as customer service goes. very disappointed read more

Tahn is a great chef with Budda like kindness that you can see as he cooks your meal. Of course behind every great man, Renee keeps him alive with her humour. I'm a fan of the coconut soup and rice. Once I had it every week for several months of winter, cause the lemon grass always makes it seem like a tropical spring!! Table seating for breaking bread with friends or make a new friend sitting at the counter in the ChooChai Nation seating section. A funny sign says Good food withOUT covid! Egg rolls are hand made delicious and the green meat on a stick is sooooo good with peanut sause. I like BYOB and always offer a glass of Peach wine to the chef. Greeting of Sah-wah-Dee (means hello) and inquiring about his young mom (90+) shows compassion, IMHO. I'm not sure if the Combo #5 video is funny or not to him, let me know, if you feel mischevious. Being retired I like the late lunch or early dinner times because they are less busy. I know a secret back story if you are interested to read on. The restauraunt is named for the original owner ChooChai, Tahn's dad, who was a famous Thai boxer who, like M.Ali got crosswise with expressing his political views while famous and came to Lubbock as a son was going to Texas Tech. No so secret but what most don't know is Tahn had to register his index finger as a lethal weapon because of the secret one finger knock-out punch he can deliver. Tell them Mark sent you and you get a free bag with your takeout order. Peace. read more

WOOOW!!! Thank you for existing!! I found my go to Thai restaurant. I thought Bangkok was my go to but just wow!! I ordered the pad see ew(#23) spicy with beef and shrimp and it's delicious. Took one bite and definitely had to put my fork down to write a review. I love how they stir fry the chili in with the noodles instead of just sprinkling it on like the other Thai places in Lubbock calling it "spicy". At first I was a little skeptical about this place, thinking it was going to be like the other Thai restaurants but I was wrong. The joint may look a little dirty inside but don't let that stop you from trying their food. You won't be disappointed!! A suggestion though for the cook, you should add more sauce in the noodles because I feel like if I want to eat this later, microwaving it would make it dry. So more sauce next time please. Thank you. read more

Choochai - Pad see ew with beef and shrimp (spicy/hot) - Thai Near Me - Lubbock, Texas

Been a regular since high school. Never disappoints. If you're a sucker for spice like I am, you'll love their heat levels. The staff is always lovely and service is always swift and fresh! read more

Choochai - veggie eggrolls - Thai Near Me - Lubbock, Texas

Literally the best Thai I have ever had (and I eat Thai a lot)! I have lived in 4 different states and it is crazy that the best Khow soy I have ever eaten is from a little town in west Texas! In the two years I lived in Lubbock I probably ate here 35-40 times. I have had almost everything on the menu but my fave is the khow soy (with shrimp), curries, and pad Thai. It's been over a year since I have been here and I can't wait to come back! Love the atmosphere, the owners are about as wonderful as their food, and everything is made to order fresh. Super understanding of diet restrictions (esp. Vegan/vegetarian substitutes). This place is where I would order my last meal from. read more

See all

Yessir, this is the place. Chicken fried rice with a fried egg on top gave me an out of body experience. read more

Choochai - a container of food with a spoon in it - Thai Near Me - Lubbock, Texas

I have been a frequent & loyal customer of Choochai since 1999. By far The Best Thai food in Lubbock! I have tried all of the Thai places there, and Choochai always wins! Tahn & Renee are the owners. Tahn is the one slaving away over the grill, while Renee takes your order and money at the register. Definitely a dive! Tables are usually sticky, but the ONLY Thai place in town where medium is HOT! Never order hot unless you want insane fiery meltdown while eating and the next morning!! We always order the sa-te with extra peanut sauce and a full order of Padd Thai medium spicy. My wife loves it and puts the extra peanut sauce in the Padd Thai. Her order never changes! I branch out more, so I've tried a good percentage of their menu. My 3 favorites are Padd Thai, Khow Soy (yellow curry & coconut with chicken soup) with noodle instead of rice, and Special George (green curry chicken). Tahn named it Choochai after his father who was in Muay Thai Hall of Fame. His father was from Chaeng Mai and his mother from Bangkok. Tahn's cooking is from both of these regions. Very authentic! read more

See all

I had dinner here with family while visiting Lubbock for a weekend event. I've dined at many Thai restaurants in the past years throughout Texas, and this dining experience is at the bottom of the list. The menu pricing is higher than most other Thai restaurants I've been to. The dinner portions are so small & I'm not a big eater. I ordered the Garlic Chicken dish and it seemed like a appetizer size dish. The food quality wasn't satisfactory to my standards. The Thai egg rolls didn't taste like a Thai recipe & tasted more like Indian Food. My family members disliked their meal as well. It was a bad dining choice! The restaurant should upgrade the menu, some recipes, offer bigger portions & dinner plates should include a Thai spring roll. I won't be dining here again when traveling to the Lubbock area! read more

Choochai - Garlic Chicken.. small portion! - Thai Near Me - Lubbock, Texas

Veggie egg roll started off with the green dot on the outside, when we opened both of them they were this grey color. read more

Choochai - Veggie egg roll - Thai Near Me - Lubbock, Texas

Rave reviews noted for this restaurant. Ordered Chicken Pad Thai, a vegetable egg roll and shrimp egg roll. The desk staff is very friendly, and took pride in their menu. I wanted this dive to have excellent food. The Chicken Pad Thai had a vinegary flavor with very few mentioned vegetables as described. The egg rolls were freeze frozen without flavor and the sweet/sour sauce was lackluster. This restaurant needs a complete cleaning and elevated flavors! Nice counter staff won't make their food, aesthetics and flavors appealing. Sorry, but your restaurant is dirty and the food is a 1 star. The second star was for your kind service. read more

Choochai - Thai Near Me - Lubbock, Texas

See all

Fine, but disappointed Today, I decided to try choochai's to determine if it was better than Thai pepper. My friend and I tried egg rolls, medium pad Thai, and the hot and sour soup. Nothing tasted bad, but I also was not impressed enough to return. My main complaints would be that the soup was too greasy (the spoon and our mouths were reddish until cleaned) and the spicy flavor seemed to come from an overuse of hot chili sauce. read more

I love this place so much. it's a local restaurant with the best Thai food I've ever had in Lubbock. This place never disappoints me.

My absolute Go to place for Thai food in the state of Texas! Enjoyed it while attending Tech and now that I moved away- I crave Than's cooking ( nothing compares!) I Go back Home and enjoy it Every time! Renee is so sweet and they make you feel as you never left! read more

This review really should be 3.5 stars, but since I can't do that I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and opportunity to wow me again one day in the future. Consistency is so important to me when it comes to being my go to restaurant or place that I rave about/recommend to others. The first time I went to Choochai, I was extremely satisfied. My pad see ew and my friend's pad thai were delicious. Perfectly seasoned, cooked just right, not greasy at all. The place is small and a bit dark, but the food made it worth the risk of staying around to eat for the first time even though they don't accept card. They are cash only. You don't many restaurants like that in Lubbock! Anyway, first visit was so fantastic. Our cashier and chef were both very sweet. 2nd visit... my pad see ew was beyond disappointing. I actually had to ask them to remake it, and I hate doing that. I almost never do, but I just couldn't eat undercooked and overly salted noodles. The chef was cool about it, but unfortunately even after remaking the plate, the noodles were too sour. They were at least cooked to the right consistency but that awesome flavor that challenged Thai Kitchen for its title of best Thai restaurant in Lubbock according to Tammy N was not there this time. I walked out dejected that day, not knowing if I'd ever come back or just return to Thai Kitchen when I crave Thai food. read more

I've had Choochai a few times before and it's never been bad, but I've always liked other local Thai places more, but today's visit will keep me coming back. I decided I wanted Asian food for lunch and Choochai is one of the closest to where I work. Immediately after ordering, I realized I had forgotten my wallet in my desk. The woman at the counter was super nice and told me I could come back and pay her later. This is awesome customer service! I had the hot & sour soup which had just the right amount of spice and they gave me plenty of wonton chips on the side, I also had an excellent beef egg roll, and foe my entree, I had the # 45 - chicken curry with steamed rice. I asked for medium and it was very hot, which I expected as per the restaurant's reputation for spiciness. Next time, I'll go with mild. Good food, great service, and a nice cozy atmosphere. read more

Choochai is hands down one of the finest dining experiences you can have in Lubbock. Tan and Renee are awesome and the food is next to godly! read more

Pad Thai was made with spaghetti noodles. Dumplings were cold and appeared to be previously frozen. read more

Choochai - Thai Near Me - Lubbock, Texas

See all

There are two reasons to eat here, the food and the people. Tan and crew are fun to talk to most days, they can be a little moody! Sit at the bar and you will likely end up knowing everyone at the bar. They have a regulars that come weekly. Once I met a former US Senator at the lunch counter, so you never know who might be there. The second reason is the food. I don't pretend to be an expert on Thai cuisine, but everything I have had was good. I am fan of the Kal Soy, with its coconutty, creamy, Curry, spicy, chicken soupy, deliciousness. I also go Pad Thai, and love it. Be warned, medium heat is pretty spicy, and Hot is HOOOOOTTTTT! Do not challenge Tan or say anything stupid, like, "I can eat it as hot as you can make it". Tan will light your insides on fire, and laugh at the flames. This is a Lubbock landmark, don't miss it and all its divey awesomeness! CASH ONLY! read more

Outstanding food, best Thai Food in USA. Tahn and Renee have developed a following over the decades of cooking for the LBK crowd and all of the TTU students. We've eaten with them each time we're in LBK and each time the food has been winderful read more

Nice people, gets spicy I'll tell ya what. But with the price like that its hard to compete. College student approved

I used to be a regular here. I've tried just about everything on the menu. The place isn't really that clean to be honest, otherwise I'd give 4 stars. The ceiling tiles above the bar/kitchen are covered in dark grey dust bunnies, clinging on by God knows what. There's just a dinginess to the whole place. I'd always looked past that because the food was good, until I had multiple instances of hair in my soups within a 2 month period. The third hair in my soup was accompanied by a dead fly. It was nearly a year before I would allow myself to go back. Every time since, the pad see ew (beef or chicken) has been perfection. The cleanliness hasn't really improved though, so I don't go that often; I've really got to be craving that particular dish because no one else in town makes it as good as Tahn (the owner and sole cook). I know the owners fairly well from my years of eating there and they're really nice and good people. It's definitely nothing personal. I know they work hard and work a lot, but if they could just hire one more person to do some extra cleaning, the place would drastically improve. Like I said the food is generally really good: Shrimp and chicken egg rolls are good. Steamed wontons & sa te are also great apps. Only place in town with a Thai omelet, which is awesome (get pork & extra sauce), chicken coconut soup, artar, beef salad, nam sode, all good. read more

First time to try this place today and it was amazing!!! We usually always go to Thai pepper but they were closed for awhile and we've been needing some Thai food in our lives. Hands down the best Thai food I've had in Lubbock. Their pad Thai was amazing and just the right spice. The owners are super nice too. All around a great place to eat. read more

This was my first exerience with Thai food having been having been born and raised in West Texas. I fell in love with this place when I moved to Lubbock for grad school. Back then it was just the old man (Choo) and his wife in a converted gas station with about six stools at the counter and two or three tables off to the side. Since that time I have been all over North America &Germany and have found very few that were as good or better. The old man & his wife have passed since that time but I think of them when I think of good Thai food. Apparently, their son & his wife have taken up the mantle & have big shoes to fill -genetics are in their favor - best of luck to them. read more

We've been going here for years and I love it! Same order everytime. Mild plus Pad Thai, a bowl of hot and sour soup (to die for, it's the best thing I've ever eaten) and a shrimp egg roll. Renee knows her loyal customers by name and it just feels like home. "Oh you need some more sweet and sour sauce, here just pour on how much you want! (Hands you an industrial size container of the sublimely delicious liquid gold to pour all over your plate of food)". Try that at Thai Pepper and they'll cut you (along with a death glare for even asking for more). I'll be a regular here until Than can no longer whip up his food! read more

I've been here twice. My visits were a couple of years apart. I had heard from everyone that you need to order a step down in spiciness when ordering at Choochai so the first time I ordered I ordered Pad Thai between mild and medium. If memory serves me correctly I could not taste any level of spiciness. Which was really disappointing because I do enjoy a moderate amount of spice. I was anxious to try again and was invited yesterday with some friends. This time I ordered the same way for fear of ordering medium and being overwhelmed or ordering mild and being underwhelmed. This time it was perfect! The spice was just right. You do have to have cash but there is an ATM on site. We paid about $18 for two Pad Thai's and one Gang Ga Ree (3 waters). I really liked my pad Thai. If I had one complaint it would be that it was a little on the dryer side. My husband said he loved his Gang Ga Ree. I tried it but I am not the biggest curry fan so I don't think my opinion counts. The service was outstanding. Don't be fooled by the homely look of the place. They are very attentive, courteous, and polite. I want to go back based solely on how nice the service was! I would definitely recommend Choochai to friends! read more

Pretty good menu: I tend to get the khow soy (36), pao tag (41), and special Steve green curry soup (40). Easiest to order by number. And a Thai tea of course. I love how you can eat here for right around 11 bucks. I always seem to come when it is closed, though, and that is probably why I go to Thai Pepper more often. But the food is good and it's a great place to go if you have an hour between classes or meetings. I wouldn't come if you are in a hurry. The location looks like it should be condemned and will fall down any minute, but it hasn't yet in the 5 years I have been in town. A strange little set up with limited seating (U-shape) around the ordering counter. There are more seats in the back after you pass the register on the right. read more