I'm alway down for Thai food, as long as it's worth it. This is my second time here and another wonderful meal was had. There plenty of Thai places but not all Thai is the same...lol... I've been to a few which you think they'll be good but it was a little disappointing. Alway hunting for amazing Thai food... My second time here and it's good. Of course with this heat wave, it's so hot to sit outside which the patio tends to be pretty off limit in the heat. Unless you prefer it. We came for dinner which was still pretty early. There's two main entrance, the front and the side/back where the patio is. And two dining area, front and back. Well we walked in, it was a little daunting as we were the only one there. That does have an effect of do we stay or leave. Anyways, we stayed as we enjoyed our meal last time. It did pick up during our meal. Service was great with our waiter. Constantly refilling our waiter without us having to mentioned it. Menu wise, a good amount of Thai dishes that you would be familiar with. The only downfall, they don't have noodle soup which is a favorite for me. If a restaurant has it, that's a plus. Well they don't carry it. Also there's a bar so that's good as well. Honestly it doesn't matter to me with Thai food if they bring out starters before or with the meal. I'm going to enjoy it regardless. Food, we had the chicken larb. Minced meat with Thai spices and a nice sour sauce. So good and had it with a side of rice. That's normally served with cabbage but this time it's with Napa cabbage. Never had it that way but it was still good. Entrees, the spicy noodles. So many different names for them but all the same. Thin rice noodle with whatever protein and slice veggies all tossed together with a nice sauce on top of lettuce. Some places add that while others don't. Lastly the massaman curry, with carrots, potatoes and peanuts in a rich curry sauce. The food was good and very tasty. Portion wise was plentiful and perfect for a main or à la carte with friends. I'm alway on the hunt for amazing Thai food and this place is quite nice. read more

See all

I would give this a zero if that was an option. Our server took our drink and appetizer order and then disappeared for 20 minutes. After THE WORST chicken skewers I have had in my life we paid and left. How were they bad? Well dear reader let me list the ways. Thought and flavorless meat, yup! How about JIF flavored dripping sauce, they have that overly sweet lack of flavor perfected. read more

Desert Thai - Horrible chicken skewers. - Thai Near Me - Cathedral City, California

Great food Great service Owners are very friendly and keep your drink full and service is attentive and if you need to get in and out for lunch they can really speed things up if you need it. Everything I've had has been great and the flavors are amazing. New bar and booth area is very nice and comfortable. read more

We were seated quickly, great seating. Ordered the Pad Thai Chicken (level 2). 2 wasn't spicy. But the dish was still delicious. The servers were on the ball and professional. There are two rooms. Both comfortable and quaint. We had a nice dinner here and will be back. read more

I love good Thai food and we were asking around in Palm Springs if there were any good options. We were told by several people to give Desert Thai a try even though it is in the neighboring city of Cathedral City. They have a lot of different options including a great vegetarian section. The food was amazing. My son had the Pad See Ew with beef, my daughter had the chicken dumplings, my wife at broccoli with fried tofu and I had the spicy peanut tofu. Everything came out fast and very fresh and tasted very authentic. The people were so friendly too and very helpful and accommodating. The restaurant has been around for a while but this was our first but certainly not last time visiting. It is in a strip mall and looks a little bit like a hole in the wall from an ambiance's perspective but don't be fooled this place rocks! read more

Desert Thai - Sunset from front of restaurant - Thai Near Me - Cathedral City, California

See all

Yuck. Bland. Boring. No flavor and very oily. Sad. Inauthentic Ordered Door dash. Egg rolls mostly dough. read more

Desert Thai - Bland boring without flavor. Yuck. Ordered door dash. - Thai Near Me - Cathedral City, California

Got it delivered so I can't say much about the ambiance! They had my order confirmed and ready really fast, it actually came within the earlier times uber eats gave (which is usually never the case!) It's not spicy at all, I should've done the hottest but then that probably would've been an insane spice level jump. It came hot which is always nice bjt that's also my driver being awesome. I'd go in person and honestly it's probably even better fresh. 4.5 stars! too bad yelp can't give half stars on ratings. read more

Desert Thai - Pad Thai - Thai Near Me - Cathedral City, California

Desert Thai is definitely a good time. This Cathedral City must is on the corner of Palm Canyon/Monty Hall Drive, next door to Brunch 101, The Roost and many gems. As well as directly in front of the Mary Pickford Theatre. Easy parking in many places, however Fridays are extremely busy for dinner in the area. I'd passed by DT a few times but this was my first time enjoying, and enjoying them with a friend. We noticed the nice patio in front, but since most people were dinning inside, we decided to as well. They have two rooms with booths and tables, including a room toward the side when you first come in that's more spacious, and even has a bar area with bar seating. Nobody was behind the bar, but it was nicely set up with lots of beer, wine, cocktails and beverage options to choice from #FullBar We had great service and follow up the entire time. My friend Marcus had Fried Rice with a side of French Fries, which initially came out with cocktail sauce as a side... But they were able to replace it with ketchup pretty much as soon as we asked. They were apologetic. Some people do enjoy cocktail sauce as a dip. I had the Tofu Pad Thai and a side of Brown Rice, really nice flavors, portions and presentation. We had a few more things to do after dinner so we didn't indulge in any drinks, however they have some great white wine options as well as rosé that would pair well with a lot of dishes here. Lighting, decor and overall feel is nice here. When we left the place was pretty filled up including the patio with it's heat lamps. Definitely would come back and try more from their vegan friendly Vegetarian section of the menu. But depending on your foodie lifestyle, restrictions and needs they have quite a bit to choose from. Stellar Lunch Specials, plus happy hour menu: Mixed Vegetable dish, Vegetable Dumplings and Vegetable Spring Rolls are definitely among them and calling me back to enjoy next time. Stop in to Desert Thai from 11:30AM til 9:30PM daily and give this very nice slice of family owned eats a try. read more

See all

Flavors were off (too sweet). I had the chicken pot stickers (steamed). The pot stickers were good, but the sauce that came with them was not a traditional pot sticker dipping sauce; it tasted like a sweet bbq sauce mixed with oysters sauce. I also tried the Tom Yum Soup. It was lacking in lemon grass flavor and was slightly sweet. The chicken was over-cooked and rubbery. It came with fresh white button mushrooms tossed in just before serving, so not really cooked it the soup. For my main dish I had the Pad Thai with chicken and shrimp. It arrived very saucy. The shrimps and chicken were over cooked, rubbery. The sauce was very sweet. I asked the server after what made it sweet and she said the cook adds sugar to the dish. I've never had it that way before. The service was fast and friendly. The ambiance was casual and clean. I've eaten here before. I do not recall it being this bad. Not sure I'll be back though. read more

See all

This is the best Thai food I've ever had! I'm not the most knowledgable about Thai, but I do eat a fair amount of it. I've some great, good, meh, and yikes! But Desert Thai is a real standout. Not the fanciest place, (which is actually good in my mind), the it's clean and the service was top notch. Never once had to wonder where our waitperson sent off too, perfect blend of available but not bothersome. We ordered the traditional test dish Pad Thai, very good. The Prik King, also very good. Both were on the lunch specials which included rice and soup or salad on each. The soup, Tom yum. Both the soup and salad were spot on. Anxious to go back with a larger group than two to try more dishes! read more

One of my go to thai places in the desert! We ordered take out, customer service is always nice. I ordered the tofu delight, I had forgotten how spicy it was but still very good! Also ordered the chicken scewers for the kids but they didnt really like them. They looked very dry and husband said they didnt really taste like anything. My husband got the spicy peanut with chicken, he really liked his. The thing we hate about ordering take out is that since its located in a busy center theres usually never close by parking to just go grab the good. Wish they had a curbside pick up parking spot or something! read more

Desert Thai - Tofu delight - Thai Near Me - Cathedral City, California

While on the road, we were searching for a Thai restaurant which would approximate our local favorites and, and we certainly found one in Desert Thai. Close to our vacation home, with ample parking, a colorful place with a friendly welcoming. We were given a choice of the daily lunch specials or the all day menu. The lunch specials come with some extras, but with a smaller serving of the entree. We chose the larger portion, mainly so we would have leftovers to take out. We were welcomed with some jasmine ice tea, and I am not usually a fan of iced tea but this one was tasty. We ordered a dish referred to as hot eggplant and a tofu pad Thai. Both were bountiful and scrumptious. Prices were consistent with the current restaurant scene and we will certainly return when we are in town. read more

See all

Ordered the Hot Squid w/steamed rice. I enjoyed the flavor & you can order the heat level on the spice , but I was expecting more from the order which I thought would be a bit more. read more

I cannot believe that I have lived in the CV for a year and have never written a review for this wonderful restaurant! My visits have always been during lunch, where they have a specifically priced menu. All of my greetings at the door have been prompt and very friendly. The kitchen does an awesome job in preparation and the entrees come out quickly and piping hot. Your server will gladly guide you on the spice level which for me is necessary and well heeded. This is a very related atmosphere offering indoor and outdoor tables along with deep seating booths for a slightly more intimate feel. TVs are on the inside walls if you are looking for something other than conversation! I was looking for a replacement for a place I was very fond of in LA and Desert Thai definitely meets that challenge. read more

Omg!!! So delicious! My friend told me about this place, looks like they're remodeling one side, we were greeted & seated politely & quickly.. always a +; couple people came by to see how we were doing, the gentleman that took our order was super friendly & kept checking on us, turns out he was the owners' son. The good was so tasty! Cannot wait to go back! read more

See all

This place reminds me of the green curry at Palm Thai restaurant in Hollywood. Decent value for the early bird menu/ happy hour ask for it. Service was decent and it looked really nice inside. read more

Despite a few scathing negative reviews of Desert Thai there were plenty of positive ones so I figured chances were good. I am a good home chef and Thai is one of my specialties so I don't go out to dinner often and it was pre-Covid the last time I actually ate at a restaurant, which by chance was Thai. But I was on a date with someone I just met so thought dinner and a movie would be a nice treat for both of us and turned out we both love Thai food and Desert Thai is right near the movie theater we picked so decided on that. I don't know about the negative reviews but I thought the food was fantastic. I started with chicken coconut soup which was delicious and my entree Pad Thai with chicken and shrimp and my date ordered sweet and sour chicken. The food presentation on both of our dishes was neat, visually appealing and very appetizing and the portions were big enough that despite me being a big man with an always big appetite I only finished half my plate [and my date not even half], of course the soup took up some of that space but I only had a cup size portion and one beverage. In hindsight we could have ordered one entree with a side of rice and been plenty. I never think to notice names but our server, a petite young lady, was friendly, attentive and checked on us regularly as did other staff passing by despite the place being busy, only one empty table when we entered, which was ours as we made reservations. The ambiance is typical modern southern California outdoor mall style more reminiscent of a sports bar with lots of TV's playing sports but that doesn't bother me as I like sports. But the premises was clean and comfortable which is always my main concern. I found myself as I was eating contemplating my next visit because there is so much on the menu that I like and would like to try. If there were any reason to give Desert Thai less than 5 stars it would only be nit picking such as the interior could have been any kind of restaurant. I like when ethnic restaurant interiors make you feel like "you are there" with decor and traditional music playing but that's just a personal quirk and has nothing to do with the food and service. read more

Amazing food and even better service. My sister... in her words... wanted to lick the plate. All the staff was very attentive and food came out perfect in a timely manner. We both got Pad See Eww, egg rolls and Thai Tea. read more

Desert Thai - Pad see eww - Thai Near Me - Cathedral City, California

Ive never had bland Thai. Until today. I should have known, at point of order no one was asked their spice level desires. Never seen that. My minced lettuce wraps were made with shredded chicken not minced. Meh. Great service. Overly bright fluorescent lighting. read more

Desert Thai - Thai Near Me - Cathedral City, California

I ordered the sweet pork, chicken pad Thai, beef pad see ew, yellow chicken curry, and both the chicken and vegetable spring rolls. The food is just okay. I also thought most of the dishes were too salty. read more

Giving 5 stars for our first takeout order. It won't be the last! Our order was taken over the phone by friendly staff and it was ready very quickly. 100% correct. Loved everything: Pad Thai, Red Curry (a bit of a kick, in a good way), Ginger Chicken, Pepper Chicken (those 2 are similar), Thai Coconut Soup (perfect, in my opinion) and Thai Iced Tea. I have the confidence to try other menu items now -- and we definitely will. My mom had told me this place was great and she was right! read more

Really great service with zero ambiance. Food was good. It was our first time here. We stopped in for the lunch specials. In general, they run about $15.95 & come with soup or salad & a complimentary tea that they kept refilling for us. We'll be back. Lunch specials are daily until 3:30! read more

See all

I was in the area and stopped by for lunch. The inside is very spacious and the restaurant also has seating available on the outside for those nice warm summer days. I asked for one of my favorite dishes, Prik King with Tofu. It came with white rice (brown rice available), a salad (soup available), and an iced tea for 14.95. The Prik King was so flavorful. I loved that the green beans still had some crunch to them. Their Thai Chili sauce in the sauce tray was my favorite. I also really enjoyed the salad dressing. It was peanut based. The waiter was friendly and checked on me to ensure everything was tasting great. Overall, it was a good experience and I would stop by again when I'm in the area. read more

Desert Thai - Prik King with Tofu - Thai Near Me - Cathedral City, California

See all

Our hotel staff recommended this restaurant, saying the food was authentic Thai food. Our server, Jocelyn, was awesome, but honestly, the food didn't wow us. The place itself was nice and clean, but the food just didn't live up to the ratings. read more

See all

I ordered hot scallops and shrimps for takeout. Upon arrival to my hotel, I saw that there were no scallops. I called and was told I could receive a new order and did not have to bring the dish back OR a credit. While on my way, the restaurant called to tell me to bring the dish. Annoyed at the situation, I asked for a credit. They refused to credit me. The chef claimed that he put scallops in my order but we did not have a single scallop. Now I have to dispute the transaction with my bank. read more

Finally came out to try this place & had a great lunch with the wife. The servers were great & all the workers were super friendly!. I had the inferno noodles with chicken & I really enjoyed them! They had a great flavor & kick!. I also had the spring roll with my lunch special along with the complementary ice t oh & the tom yum soup! which overall all the food was delicious!. The ambiance was nice & clean. I would definitely come back! read more

See all

This is the best Thai food in the valley, hands down. I can't count the number of times we have been here, and we are never disappointed. Everything from their appetizers, to the salads, to the soups, to the curries, to the noodles, to the traditional dishes are just amazing. We searched for good Thai food in the valley and kept being disappointed until we finally found Desert Thai. Their flavors are just incredible, and the quality of all of the produce is top tier. You cannot go wrong with ANYTHING on this menu. read more

Today I was craving Thai food and I said to myself this try this place in Cathedral City called Desert Thai.... OMG !!! It was unbelievable. The food was the best. I thought that the other place in Palm Springs was better. Took a surprise and no is so good. Not only that but the service. It's a family. owned own restaurant. Unbelievable service, unbelievable food. You guys have to try this. You guys would love it. read more

This place has great food especially their panang chicken curry! It's the best I've ever had! Service is good. However the restaurant is laid out weird (customers walk through the open kitchen.) and it's pretty messy, and unappealing to see that. Cleanliness needs some real attention inside. Floors dirty. More pleasant to sit outside. I'd love to see this place clean up the atmosphere. read more

We went to Desert Thai for the first time on the recommendation of friends who described it as having "authentic" Thai food. It was a disappointing experience overall. The food was mediocre at best. For example, the pad Thai was made with noodles that were chopped into small pieces. It was more like a noodle salad with a bare hint of peanut sauce. The stir-fried eggplant was passable, though the eggplant itself was in large chunks and too firm. The cocktails were worse than the food. For example, the dry gin martinis had some sort of floral sweetener that was hard to describe. We had them made over again, only to have watery gin. The service was friendly and agreeable. The ambiance is functional and not much to speak of. read more

Some of the best Thai I've ever had. We went twice the weekend we were there it was so good.

This is the worst Thai restaurant I have ever been to. The food had been pre cooked. They brought us the wrong dish with chicken and came back 3 minutes later with a chicken and vegetable dish. It is not possible to cook chicken and vegetables in under 3 minutes. The food tasted old and no Thai seasoning was used. Even the Thai chili sauce didn't taste good. I was sick with stomach issues for several days after eating here. I do not believe the current owners know how to cook Thai food. read more

The food was large portions , good pricing , good flavor, good service. Overall 4 stars. The best things were the pad see ew and eggrolls our least favorite was the fried rice. Ambiance gets 1 star! Exposed plywood, wires hanging from wire basket overhead. Unfinished walls with crude iron welding, and small holes in wall behind makeshift shelves for alcohol. In need of major TLC for the atmosphere. If I return in will be in the winter so I can sit outside. Because the original side could use some tlc as well. I was told that they took over a place next store and got a liquor license and then they are remodeling slowly. I saw a picture of the place before they ripped out the grill and vent above. It looked nice and should have left it as it was until,they could remodel all at once. read more

See all

Wanted Thai but wanted try something other than Thai smile in PS. Thankfully it was very nice and cool inside and we got started off with complimentary iced teas that helped. We initially looked at the regular menu and it looked like your typical Thai offerings and on par prices with majority of Thai places including from OC. But after looking at the lunch deal we decided on that and it came with rice and soup, on top of your meal which was a great portion. We ended up eating everything except the appetizer which was great as well but took it with us. We enjoyed the food so much and the lunch deal that we took some orders to go to bring back to the family. After talking with the owner and other employees we were complimented with a coffee brûlée which hit the spot after our meals. The place itself is great and of course great location next to the movie theater and other entertainment and food locations. After knowing it's been here for years I can imagine how busy it gets once the weather cools down and everyone comes back to the desert. They have a nice patio which I'm sure it gets busy come cooldown season. Plus they have a bar area and tvs around so you have stuff to watch while enjoying your meal and cooling down from the heat. Definitely recommend and is now my #1 spot for Thai in the Desert. read more

See all

We ordered Thai food for delivery for a batch party and the service was quick and the food was delicious. We ordered salads, rangoons, rolls, and noodles (pad Thai, pad se ew, spicy noodles). Everything was tasty! Perfect for a night in. read more

Don't be fooled my the Mexican staff and owner. Every thing was delicious. I had the Kung poa chicken and my husband had the pad Thai. We shared the lettuce wraps ( these were just okay to me. The owner was very nice. Walked around making sure his guests were satisfied. Wait staff were nice , too. Our server even put our leftovers in the container for us! read more

Desert Thai - PAD THAI - Thai Near Me - Cathedral City, California

See all

Food was full of flavor! Great prices and great service! I ordered my food to go and it was ready pretty fast.

Ambiance was okay, crowd was mixed with different ethnicities, but honestly they're not that welcoming. Our server/waiter was knowledgeable with their menu & food variations, he was kind. Prices were a bit high. We ordered yellow chicken curry & probably only got 6-7 pieces of chicken. We had combination fried rice no shrimp, yellow curry and noodles. They have complimentary iced Jasmine tea. Restroom: they do not have changing table for baby. read more

See all

Well what a nice surprise we have last Sunday. We when to see the new movie "Michael ". And we have a time to eat something. We walk and find desert Thai restaurant. And I tell you. Super good food much better than others Thai food in the valley. The service was excellent, i will return again and highly recommend this place. read more

The wait was so long! The servers were nice but a way too long of a wait to be seated and served. The food was bland, lukewarm and the rice was undercooked. Maybe not a good day. read more