On Thursday me and my mom went to Emmanuel. It was a very nice place. We had shrimp and chicken dumplings and also a red curry chicken. They were very good. The rice was very good had to order an extra side. Carrots were really good too. I give this place a five star. In the future I will return with my sister, want her to try everything I had. My mom wants to try some of the fried rices, as well as the drunken noodles and pad Thai. This looks like it may become a regular spot for us. The waitress was attentive but also gave us the respected space to enjoy the meal. At one point a man came out the kitchen and we were sure to tell him how we enjoyed it. It was quiet when we came in but restaurants can be like that during off times but eventually more customers came in and there were quite a handful of take outs. Definitely a five star. I am still one day later thinking about those dumplings! read more

Food came out quick. Great for a quick lunch. I ordered the red curry with eggplant and it was great. The Tom Yum soup was great as well.

I enjoyed my lunch here in this eclectic restaurant off of James street on a delightful cobblestone road in the heart of downtown Albany. Service was friendly and efficient. My Thai iced tea was refreshing without being overly sweet. I wasn't a fan of the crab Rangoon. I was hungry for pad Thai and it didn't disappoint- as other reviewers have mentioned it was on the sweet side. The music playing was old love songs - think Celine Dion's "My heart will go on" and Dolly Parton/Whitney Houston "I will always love you" - which seemed out of place for the setting. read more

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Wanted something other than hotel food and this place was right across the street. Braved the cold and walked over. Small quaint place. I ordered chicken red curry with no veggies. Enjoyed the flavor, tasted nice and not too hot. Staff was nice. I will be back for sure when I am back in town. read more

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Food was quick to order; had an issue with my lunch provided by work so this was a speedy backup. Good price for a lunch pad thai. On the sweeter end of pad Thai I've had but i enjoyed it! Did not eat in restaurant but the ambiance was quaint and fairly basic. read more

Food is always amazing! The massaman is the best I ever had ! If you are looking for a small local place with a great family running the place it's here ! read more

Emmanuel Thai Restaurant - Dumplings - Thai Near Me - Albany, New York

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We had an amazing experience at Emmanuel Thai restaurant! The food was delicious - I had Masaman curry with vegetables, and my daughter had chicken satay and papaya salad. Our waitress was friendly and attentive and the ambience was warm and welcoming! The restaurant was nicely decorated and comfortable. We will definitely be back and thank you! read more

Great food every time I am there, one of my favorite spots. Best tom Yum soup in the area. Peanut salad also delicious

I really wanted to like this place but the Tom Yum soup was just sooo bad! No spice at all and had a strange sweetness to it. I even requested "extra spicy" but it just fell flat. Needless to say I wont be ordering here again. read more

Emmanuel Thai Restaurant - Tom Yum - Thai Near Me - Albany, New York

The taste was fine. The cashier was very friendly. The volume and the price was a bit imbalanced compared to average Thai food restaurants I must say. Rice also could be more compared to other Thai restaurants I ve been to. The location is on a backstreet where I felt an old stone road back in 1800. I like that. read more

I've been getting food for years and have seen the amount of food go down and costs raise. I still go there occasionally because of this but hadn't in a few months. I went earlier this week and paid $15 for 4 tiny pieces of chicken and a few veggies. This was unacceptable. I understand prices and food costs going up but this was maybe $5 worth of food. read more

Emmanuel Thai Restaurant - Thai Near Me - Albany, New York

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This place is tucked away on a side street which is easily accessible from the main road. The restaurant is clean and tidy but the food isn't good. I ordered the basic Chicken grapow and it was just salty. It's suppose to have basils but there were literally 2 tiny basil leaves in the whole dish. The service was mediocre at best, I asked for an iced tea and the server had no idea what that was but brought out some tea with milk which wasn't even close to what I asked for. I won't be coming back. read more

A truly fabulous and authentic restaurant. We had a day off on the UB40 USA tour and opted for lunch at Emmanuel Thai. Wonderful flavours and service. 5 Thank you. read more

On the way to Albany Med to visit my dying grandfather, my grandmother, after many minutes of silence, out of nowhere asked, "Hey, we should get some Chinese food soon. Perhaps this is because we recently had Indian food and she was thus in an ethnic mood. My response was, "Maybe. We'll see." After several hours at the hospital, neither of us had eaten all day. So while waiting for the valet, I whipped out yelp and typed 'Thai restaurants'. Mind you, the Chinese food she's use to is the Americanized, msg laden "food," certainly not authentic Thai. The first restaurant that came up was this one, Emmanuel. Without reading a review or looking at the menu, I knew this was the place we were going to. So when we got in the car I started giving her instructions, "Take a right here. Keep going straight. Narrow is the path. Etc." After a few minutes she asked, "What're you taking me on a wild goose chase?" I said, "It's a surprise." Before we arrived at the restaurant she made a few comments like, "I have no idea where I am. I could never find this place on my own. Etc." The restaurant is off on a little side street. The best way to describe it is an upper class alley way. We found a parking spot, and while walking to the restaurant (which was still out of sight), I asked, "What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the book Emmanuel in the Bible?" Without hesitation, she said, "That God is always with us." Fast forward. The server just took our order (papaya salad, mango curry, pineapple fried rice--all are excellent), and before she walked away I said, "Hey. What does the restaurant name mean, specifically Emmanuel?" She said, "Well, God is always with us." I made eye contact with gram whose eyes were big and said, "Yanno, I asked her the same question on the way in, and she said word for word what you just said." The discussion continued and when the server walked away, gram started crying. Synchronicities like this happen every day, continuously, especially if we are in tune when it comes to spiritual sensitivity. The food is very tasty, the ambiance is nice, and the service is marvelous. The server gave us honest suggestions and basically picked our order. She also recommended fried vanilla ice cream and mango sticky rice for dessert, which were both super. All in all, for what it's worth, I highly recommend this place. I've eaten at several Thai restaurants and this is tied with Thai Sushi Aroy Dee for number one. p.s. sorry I forgot to take pictures. I think this is the first review without them, but I had to tell this story. read more

Definitely one of the best Thai restaurants in this area. It's tucked away but I've been here a handful of times for a quick lunch. The food is always hot, well prepared, and delicious. The service is fast and the staff have always been friendly and helpful. The ambiance is also quiet and relaxing. Would surely recommend for a lunch or dinner spot! read more

Emmanuel Thai Restaurant - Chicken Pad Thai, Vegetable Spring Roll - Thai Near Me - Albany, New York

Went here for dinner during our visit to Albany NY. Felt like more of a take out place than a dine in restaurant, but there was ample seating. Food was very good. Service was okay. We were the only dining in customers, so you would have thought it would have been better. Good value for the money. We would go back. read more

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We found this place while on a walking tour hosted by Discover Albany and Historic Albany Foundation. It's tucked away down a cobblestone street off of State Street and is a gem! The portions were huge and the prices were fair. The staff was friendly and service was quick. The food was good and we loved having some leftovers for the next day. What an absolute hidden gem! We will be back! read more

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Located on a brick street downtown Albany. The restaurant was quiet with nice decor. I stopped here with my wife for dinner and we both enjoyed the food. The waitress was friendly and the food tasted fresh. read more

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Delicious pad Thai and mango curry along with some very crispy and lovely vegetable spring rolls. Limited drink selection. read more

Emmanuel Thai Restaurant - Spring rolls - Thai Near Me - Albany, New York

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I loved the quality of the ingredients. The Crab Rangoon was missing some cream cheese for texture and taste; I preferred the sauce in the bottom of sauce dish. The shrimp pineapple fried rice had a slight nod to a curry and I liked it even though fried rice doesn't typically come with curry seasoning. read more

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Great Thai food downtown. Highly recommend. Lots to take out. Yum yum. Great chef. Most ppl carry out but dining in is fine too. Great service read more

So awesome!!! Good amazing and so quick. We were on way to a concert and very close to MVP arena (aka the Knick!). Got food and ate within in 40 min. Delish and got a late night take out read more

Excellent Thai! We came in with friends and were impressed with everything. It got a nice vibe. The seating area is clean and inviting. The service was very good and the food was excellent. Between the 4 of us we all had different style meals and everyone was very pleased. With all of this going in their favor - they're reasonably priced too. They check all the boxes you'd want. Highly recommend. read more

The food is amazing. Nothing else needs to be said! It doesn't get better regarding the Thai flavor profile! read more

Not a bad place to grab a quick lunch but for my taste it wasn't much to write home about (excuse me as I continue to write home). The server was pretty inattentive despite the place being nearly empty and even though I ordered a spicy red curry, I was never offered water at all. Once I was able to flag her down for a few sips of water by the last few bites, the damage was already done. Overall the curry was tasty enough, but the veggies didn't feel fully cooked and most of the carrots had more crunch than they needed. There were some pretty lovely smells ruminating thru the place so it may be worth another visit to see if there was some better choices on the menu, but sadly I won't be making that trip. read more

Emmanuel Thai Restaurant - Red Curry Lunch - Thai Near Me - Albany, New York

Excellent Thai food located down a cobblestone street just behind the Hilton Hotel. Reasonable prices and excellent food. We enjoyed edamame, spring rolls cashews and mushroom and vegetables with tofu. Great service, relaxing music after a long day of travel. If you are visiting Albany and looking for a relaxing dinner, give Emmanuel a try. Note: I don't think they serve alcohol but the have soft drinks and specialty Thai drinks. They do a steady take out business as well. read more

Emmanuel Thai Restaurant - Street view - Thai Near Me - Albany, New York

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Emmanuel is a fairly new Thai restaurant that's a bit off the beaten path in downtown Albany. We chatted with the owner for a bit since it was quiet and he shared that lunchtime is much busier due to the location. Totally makes sense. But, we did see lots of people coming in to grab takeout orders. The space is small, clean and bright. They don't have a liquor license but they are already thinking about opening up a second location in a more central area (like Western Ave. or Wolf Rd.). I hope they do! The food is wonderful. Since we've been to Thailand and had green curry all over the place, that's one of our tests when we try a new Thai restaurant. This version of green curry was almost exactly like my favorite that we found in a remote area of Thailand. It's a bit thicker than some of the local restaurants with perfect flavors...completely addictive. Emmanuel doesn't do it as spicy as I like it, but I'm sure that you can ask for the levels to be kicked up a notch or two. The Tom Yum soup is one of the best I've ever had. This is another dish that absolutely has some form of crack in it. Completely addictive. I would go out of my way to visit Emmanuel just based on the curry and soup experiences. We also shared the chicken satay and the Ga Gapow. Wonderful! The Ga gapow was prepared differently based on a soy allergy/sensitivity at the table. The flavors were still great - even with the modifications. We really appreciated the chef's flexibility. Consider grabbing dinner here if you are in the area for a Palace Show, Times Union Center event or a Live at Five concert. read more

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This place is definitely worth a try. The decor is very confused and surreal but f not whimsical -- blue led lights, bucolic paintings, a frame with an elephant head with a 3D tusk. Whoever decorated this place was on a trip that i would love to embark on. The service was underwhelming. No alcohol Is served, water was only served when I realized I was not going to get any, and I had to walk to the cashier to pay my bill. The waitress did her best to be present, but this is the type of family-run restaurant in which her kid was sitting at the back playing with his phone while mom worked. So who am I to be critical when you have to run a restaurant and be a mom at the same time. All the power to her! Being a family-run business, I strongly encourage you to try it. And yes, the food will not disappoint. I was intoxicated from a dinner the night before and wanted something light and revitalizing. I went for the Tom Yum Shrimp soup and the mango and pineapple curry with vegetables. I would have never ordered a vegetarian curry under the right conditions of temperature and pressure, but I was not in a good state. The Tom Yum soup immediately brought me back to my normal self. Probably one of the best I have had. This soup can often be too sour, but by the cloudiness of the broth, it was clear that they added something to break the sourness (a touch of coconut milk?). A must have. The curry was fresh and delivered the expected sweetness of a mango and pineapple curry. I wish they had sticky rice to go with the curry. Thai restaurants without sticky rice should do a deep soul search and answer the why question: why don't you serve it. It is not that difficult to make!! And here is my framework for rating restaurants: - [ ] Does the food tickle the brain? The food is great but does not affect brain tickling powers. - [ ] Did I learn something new (I love to cook, did I learn something I would want to replicate at home?) Sure. The mango pineapple curry is something I will try to replicate at home. - [ ] Is the food beyond my skill level? The food seemed very straightforward. - [ ] Does the food make me happy? It was a satisfying and well done meal. read more

There are so many reasons I love this place. First, it's a two minute walk from my apartment so the convenience is unbeatable. Then there's the food, which is always so fresh and so yummy. Basically anything can be made vegetarian and for that I'm so thankful because Emmanuel really has so much to offer. I am obsessed with their curries, specifically the Penang and the Massaman -- deep rich flavor with just the right amount of spice (for me, they can make them hotter) and perfectly cooked veggies. Their Golden Triangles are fried to perfection and the potato and onion filling eats like the most flavorful mashed potato you've ever had. With the addition of the creamy plum dipping sauce, I would go to Emmanuel just to eat those alone. The service is always super friendly and efficient, and the restaurant is always clean and neat as a pin. I am so thankful to have Emmanuel Thai in the neighborhood! read more

Emmanuel Thai Restaurant - Massaman curry, Drunken noodles, Golden triangles - Thai Near Me - Albany, New York

Delicious food and great atmosphere. The Phat Thai, Spring Rolls and Soup was flavorful

I usually choose Thai and Indian food when I'm traveling because these foods are usually consistent from state to state. I made a grave mistake with this restaurant. I ordered for pickup through Door dash because Emmanuel was right by my hotel. I ordered Tom yum soup and veggie pad see ew, pretty basic Thai food. The Tom yum was very salty and didn't even contain coconut milk. The pad see ew sauce was very sweet and watery and not spicy as I requested. I spent almost $30 on this meal, only to throw it away. I eat Thai food very often and I can only say that this place has so many good reviews because people haven't had authentic Thai food. On the bright side my food was ready before the promised time. read more

The appetizers were very good. We got the spring rolls and the golden triangles. I got the Pad Thai thinking it was a safe option but it was on the sweet side as the sauce was a bit thick. I wasn't able to finish it. The drunken noodles were good but not as smokey as other dishes else where we've had. The staff was nice and the food was served quickly. The place was small but comfortable. read more

Emmanuel Thai Restaurant - Golden Triangles and Spring Rolls - Thai Near Me - Albany, New York

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Good food, no wait on a Friday night where every other place seems to close at 8PM. Nice calm atmosphere. We had chicken satay, dumplings, edamame, and chicken pad Thai. Everything was very good read more

The food I ordered was excellent! I ordered the cashew nut with white rice .I will try it again if I'm in the area.

We ordered exactly what we didn't know we needed & we'll be back again! Thoroughly enjoyed the 15th annual Albany restaurant week at our neighborhood eatery. Great service & management of the seated crowd, deliveries heading out & folks picking-up orders. Our food was ready quick, hot & tasty. Favor & unique spice are top notch. Their large portions are perfect for sharing our new dinner choices. We ordered from the restaurant week menu: vegetable spring rolls & pad Thai for me, pot stickers & drunken noodles (medium) for John. Dessert was fried banana with honey. My meal was certainly peanut forward & I use lime for citrus & extra punch. John's was a great combo of peppered spice, chewy noodles & tofu & crisp peppers "drunk" in sauce & onions. With no alcohol options, we had their Thai iced tea - black tea infused with anise, spice, sugar & cream. It's sweet & similar taste to chai. Recommend water with it, as it's a little overwhelming like a yankee candle. Classical music, darkened room with some neon lights with wooden table & chairs aren't necessarily inviting but more so encourage a deep conversation with your company... & we did just that, an enjoyable experience. read more

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First place I ate at when I moved here and last place when I leave. Flavor, service, ambiance, you got it. read more

I thought I updated my review of this restaurant, but I don't see it anywhere on Yelp. Happily, this restaurant has undergone dramatic improvement. I was reluctant to go back at first, but at my husband's urging, we returned several months ago. The most noticeable change was the lunchtime service. There has been some turnover with the wait staff. Our server was very attentive. She walked over to our table with an open pad and a pencil. She carefully wrote down the orders. There were no mistakes this time. She was very efficient, polite and friendly. The meal was prepared quickly and it was very good. The restaurant was clean. The decor was inviting. There was a decent lunchtime crowd. The staff seemed to get everyone served in a reasonably short amount of time. Thank you, Emmanuel restaurant, for making our last visit a really nice dining experience. When the pandemic is over, we look forward to returning. read more

I work in downtown Albany so if I order from here, it's lunchtime, during the week. I've learned to call in my order ahead of time as the restaurant can become quite busy during this peak hour. The restaurant is very cute and always welcoming. There are tables for people to sit and have food. I have never seen a line of people waiting to be seated. Staff is friendly, but again I've never had my food "for here" so I can't say anything about the service in house. There is a good selection of food on the menu and they have lunch specials (which I always get). I've tried to try different plates and I do not have a lot of experience with Thai food. The dishes I have tried have all been good. There is a good mixture of spices and it has all come together well. Prices are as expected for downtown and the servings are average. When I get the craving, Emmanuel Thai is my go-to in downtown Albany. read more

This place ROCKS! As in, excellent food. You yelpers know what you're talking about...I ordered the chicken satay for an appetizer, a Thai Iced tea, and their panang curry that came with the white rice and I have to say - the food is excellent! The portions are generous enough for 2 women, although I could have eaten it all...I have to say this...Albany is the city that SLEEPS! It seems that most cafes & bakeries are closed by 3:00, and if you're looking to eat for dinner, most places close by 8:00...so annoying! Hubby and I are just getting the party started! (Actually, he works till 7:00;)...Catch this place if you can. It's quiet, no one was here (ah, yes). Just me, my fork and I. Peace out. read more

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Since traveling to Albany NY for work, I have had the chance to find local restaurants near my office for lunch and dinner being the foodie that I am, and this hole in the wall establishment definitely is a gem to find. While staying downtown, I came across this Thai restaurant off of the Main Street downtown and on a side street with cobble stones that resembled China town in San Francisco. It's amazing that every time I have gone into the restaurant, it is not crowded at all and the staff still are on top of their game and provide efficient and quick service. I'm not sure how long they have been open, but I can tell by having their food, it has been around for quite some time. The chicken pad Thai is incredible and the dumplings are terrific . Their version of hot and sour soup is to die for. The people are very friendly and provide great customer service. I think if downtown Albany did have a Chinatown area like San Francisco, this restaurant would be packed on a nightly basis. A true find in downtown Albany! read more

Emmanuel Thai Restaurant - Pad thai with chicken - Thai Near Me - Albany, New York