"Great Thai food in strip mall" Came here at 7pm on a Saturday night-- I had heard this place was good, and I was a little surprised just how small it is-- a little place in a strip mall similar-looking to a lot of strip mall Chinese or Japanese mostly-to-go spots. The restaurant was brightly lit and had maybe 6 tables (though a few were pushed together for a larger family sitting together at the other end). We were greeted quickly and told we could sit wherever we liked. The menu was pretty simple-- choose a noodle style (e.g., pad thai) and pick a protein to go with it. There were a few curries on the back, too. I got the pad see ew, and my girlfriend got the drunken noodles, both with tofu. She also ordered a fancy juice of some sort that I don't remember now. Food came very quickly-- 10 minutes or less. Both the quality and quantity were EXCELLENT. I LOVED my pad see ewe-- very flavorful and not too greasy. The broccoli in it was clearly fresh, too. My girlfriend loved the drunken noodles (it was spicy!). And the juice was excellent. We each finished only half to 2/3 of our food. Service was great-- I got refills quickly, and the server not only checked on us but was pretty friendly/ chatty, asking about our weekend plans and such. The restaurant was also clean, including the restroom. And price was fair-- something like $16 for each dish before tax and tip. Only one complaint-- the temperature was weirdly hot. It felt like it was 80F in the restaurant. I thought it was just me, but my girlfriend mentioned it too as we were leaving. Not sure what the story was with that! Overall, excellent food, great value, and I'd happily come back, though perhaps I'll skip the heat and get take-out. Or maybe come in winter to warm up-- ha ha. read more

I got drunken noodles for takeout lunch. The food was prepped quickly. The dish was fine but a little one-note flavor-wise, with just a few slices of tomato and basil leaves for veg. I wish there was more vegetables and an egg like they do at Twisted Noodles. It was a pretty hearty portion for $17 (they don't have a lunch menu, as far as I can tell). read more

Hope Cafe - Drunken noodle with chicken - Noodles Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Their Pad Thai was a harmony of tangy, nutty, and savory, while the Pad See Ew had that perfect char on the noodles. And the Tom Kha Pure comfort... bright, and fragrant. Every dish felt crafted with care, and I'll be back for more! Excellent staff, great service! read more

Great food for takeout. In house dining feels like fast food. Meal is delish to take home and ready fast and hot!

What I recommend: The Tom Yum soup, Tom Kha soup, fried beef balls, and mango sticky rice Hope's Cafe is a small but delicious Thai spot right by AMC Southpoint, and it instantly became one of my favorites. My brother and I tried the Tom Yum and Tom Kha soups, and both were a 10 out of 10. I had just gotten back from Bangkok about three weeks ago, and this is one of the first places that tasted truly authentic. We also had the fried beef balls, which were fantastic, and the mango sticky rice was to die for. I ordered spice level 7, my brother got spice level 5, and both were perfect with a side of rice. The staff was very friendly, the food came out super fast, and you can order to go or dine in. Loved it here and will definitely be back. read more

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Loved that the owner & the staff are super friendly, makes you feel special & welcomed. Food was delicious & yummy. We tried lots of options & I couldn't pick one.. all were awesome! From Thai Curry Noodles, Spring rolls, Thai Pho, Pad See You to Thai Iced Tea - all were great! The only criticism I have is the ambience. It's not that bad, but I think there is some room from improvement. Best part was that everything they served was Halal. I'll definitely return whenever I'm visiting Durham. Also had a nice & small chat with the owner before leaving. read more

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Pad see ew and drunken noodles are great! however the green curry is really watered down. and also they gave noodles instead of rice with it which was kinda weird ? So I'd recommend the other dishes and not the curry read more

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This place is in a fairly small shopping center, but one close to the highway. It is fairly spartan inside, but the staff was communicating in Thai and the menu offered to make things vegan, and that's the combination I look for in a restaurant like this. My drunken noodles were small in portion but resplendent in taste and texture. They didn't come all that spicy, but spice trays were out on the table by default, so I indulged in crushed chili. They didn't have the first flavored tea I asked for, but I landed with taro, which is an easy enough flavor to like. Having spent a decent amount of money, I wasn't quite full after the noodles and wished I'd ordered some spring rolls or something, but instead had to hit the road. read more

Hope Cafe - Taro Milk Tea - Noodles Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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New Thai option in the hope valley area. We got the beef drunken noodles, chicken pad thai, and Thai iced teas. The Thai iced teas were authentic and flavorful. The meat for both noodle dishes was good but the noodles were really where the dishes shined! Both the pad Thai and drunken noodles were very flavorful and had a fairly large portion so we were able to make two meals out of them. read more

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Fantastic lunch today! The place is small, clean, friendly, and unassuming, and we were greeted immediately. The menu, though small, has just enough options and beautiful pictures for you to make a great choice. I decided to go on the lighter side with the Shrimp Salad, which included three large shrimp, ground chicken breast, glass rice noodles, and a tasty lime vinaigrette. It came to the table warm, and the spice level of one (which our server suggested) was perfect for me. It had a spicy kick, but it didn't bruise. At $12, the dish is perfect for lunch or a light dinner. My friend chose Drunken Noodles with chicken from the noodles menu, which gives a choice of several noodle dishes and proteins. He said it was excellent, with lots of chunks of vegetables. He chose a spice level of six (he likes spicy food!). The service was wonderful! Regarding spice level, our server explained that they go from levels zero to ten, and you can request what you want. My suggestion--aim low! Their idea of spicy and my idea of spicy are two different things. They have spices on the table, so you can always add more. read more

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I came here on a Sunday afternoon with a craving for a delicious Thai lunch. I called when I was about 20 minutes out and placed to pick up order. I ordered the veggie spring rolls and drunken noodles with shrimp. When I arrived, my order was hot and ready and I added a soda to my order. The interior is very clean and very simple definitely more of a casual ambience. The service was very friendly and I was thanked multiple times for my business. I took the food to go, but I still ate it immediately as I was driving and it was really good. Piping hot with fresh ingredients. The My only critiques are that the noodles were a bit overcooked, it could've used a few more shrimp and didn't seem to have any egg as drunken noodle typically does. Overall, still a delicious meal and I would definitely return and possibly try something else. It also was a good value for the price. read more

Update: Owner replied to this review, claiming I did not pay for my meal, so I had to check my debit card records, and it shows that I paid on Feb. 13. I've attached a screenshot from my bank to prove. The owner accused me of not paying probably in an effort to discredit my review. | Overview + Easily customize spice levels with available sauces + Chicken in Drunken Noodle is tender + Authentic Thai noodle dishes - Owner claimed that I did not pay - Menu is limited; no Thai curries - Drunken noodle is not worth $16+ in my book - Thai tea is served in cheap glass | Full Review Hope Cafe is a newly-opened mom-and-pop Thai restaurant located in the Woodcroft shopping complex. The owner was super-friendly; we had a good conversation about Thailand. Sadly, I was surprised to see how limited Hope Cafe's menu was - just mostly Thai noodle dishes headlined by Pad Thai and Drunken Noodles. When I asked the owner if they have any Thai curry dishes, he said they are planning to eventually add them, but I was upset that they didn't have them when I went. To me, having at least 2 choices of Thai curry dishes should be a standard in any authentic Thai restaurant, and the best ones I've been to, serve them delightfully. This is the first purely Thai restaurant I've been to that doesn't offer curry dishes. I went during weekday lunch time; there was one other customer there, and I noticed the small ambiance lacked decor; no visuals to remind me of Thailand's rich culture. This restaurant didn't have any lunch specials. I asked the owner his recommendation; he said the Drunken Noodle, so I ordered that with chicken as my protein choice ($16) and a glass of iced Thai tea ($4). Other protein choices for the noodles are beef or shrimp ($17), and mixed vegetable or tofu ($15). * Thai Iced Tea The glass of iced Thai tea arrived to my table right away. I've seen taller glasses with more Thai tea in other restaurants that are worth about the same price; the taste of this one was typical and balanced with the right amount of sweetness and ice. The cheap-looking glass kind of ruined my mood to enjoy one of my favorite drinks. Compare that to Thai Station's slender glass (which I previously reviewed with 5 stars), and it just made me think that Hope Cafe didn't seem to care about the visual details of a customer's dine-in experience. * Drunken Noodle As someone who's tried a good amount of pad thai and drunken noodles from various Thai restaurants, Hope Cafe's version failed to meet my expectations for a $16 noodle dish. The serving amount was surprisingly little; there was no complimentary appetizer or soup, and the taste wasn't special to justify that amount for that price. I liked how the chicken was tender and the flavors were well-balanced. I got more value from a $12+ lamb & chicken over rice from the Tasty Halal food truck (I know totally different types of food but this comparison proves a fair point). The owner placed 4 small sauce containers for me to adjust my Drunken Noodles' taste: chili, chili sauce, vinegar, and sugar. I added a bit of chili sauce, but didn't use any of the other ones. If you really enjoy eating drunken noodles or pad Thai and don't mind the lack of value from Hope Cafe's noodle dishes, you might think this is acceptable, but I'd rather spend that amount in a Thai restaurant that could offer more in terms of both quality, quantity, and menu choices. As much as I wanted to spread the word about a new Thai restaurant in Durham, this one failed to give me hope to return. | Overall Score: 1.2/5 read more

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Cozy restaurant with very tasty Thai food. There's often the dilemma of getting something I have had before, because I know it's good, or try something new. read more

I've been here plenty of times. It's always delicious. They make the food quickly and the service is always kind. My absolute favorite thing is the drunken noodles which is sort of spicy but I've tried other dishes as well. They have all been great! read more

1000000/5 stars. We love Hope Cafe. Delicious food as always. Seriously, always amazing and never disappoints! This place rules! read more

Hope Cafe - Pad Thai Chicken - Noodles Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Cute little spot with all halal menu!! The owner was really nice and the food was good!!

I stopped by Hope Cafe recently and really enjoyed it! It's a casual Thai spot tucked in a shopping center with plenty of parking available. I was greeted by the owner as soon as I walked in, and the service was friendly and quick. I ordered the Drunken Noodles, which you can customize with your choice of protein and spice level. Solid portion and great flavor--definitely a place I'll come back to when I'm craving Thai! read more

Hope Cafe - Drunken Noodles - Noodles Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

I want to love this place because it's within walking distance and I like the idea of having Thai food nearby. Unfortunately, $21 for Pad Thai is something I just can't get behind. The portions are substantial but it's just noodles. Service was fine and so was ambiance but at that price I need better of everything or a more reasonable price. At least offer a lunch special. read more

The food here is really good. Interesting and fun choices and everything is homemade. The baked goods are incredible. Very cute ambiance. The people are absolutely delightful, they are very friendly and helpful. Love this cute little spot! read more

we typically get take out about once/month. No more. ordered drunken noodles with shrimp and pad Thai with shrimp. only 3 shrimp in each dish! specified a 1 for heat for the pad Thai and a 2 for the noodles (out of 10). Both were too hot to eat. wasted two dishes. won't be returning. read more

Hope Cafe is a no-frills, cozy Thai spot run by friendly staff who seem genuinely passionate about the food they serve. The menu is beautifully decorated with photos of every dish, making it easy for even the most indecisive eaters. We started with the chicken potstickers, which sat in a citrusy soy broth and garnished with crispy fried garlic... so simple, so good! For our mains we tried the curry noodle soup and beef pad thai. The soup's broth was on the thinner side, but incredibly flavorful with just a hint of heat. Both dishes were generously portioned and thoughtfully crafted. I appreciated the extra limes, onion, and spice rack with various toppings to adjust the heat to our liking. Excited to come back! read more

Hope Cafe - Pad Thai and Thai Curry Noodle Soup - Noodles Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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I ordered take out. Everything was made to order and fresh. The food was good, but nothing really stood out. I ordered the pad see eew and pad Thai. Will try dine-in next time for the full experience. read more

Hope you're going to have authentic Thai? Hope you're going to have the most delicious meal of your life? Hope your food is going to be fresh, tasty, and so delicious that you don't leave a morsel on your plate or in your bowl? Hope no more!!!!! Fabulous, all the above. Service top notch and efficient . Quiet little spot. Curry was my choice, Pad Ween my husbands. I love curry, eaten it at many restaurants and I rate this #1! Also you can spice it up a bit if you like, Chili paste, chili peppers, ... all on the table. Try Hope Cafe you won't regret it! read more

We live relatively close by and have been to this strip mall often. We saw the sign for Hope Cafe where GG's Fish & Chicken used to be and learned it was a Thai restaurant. We stopped by on a weekday night. It was pretty quiet and definitely a mom-and-pop place. We ordered spring rolls, drunken noodles and pad see ew. Flavors were good and portions were fine -- we ended up taking some home to eat later. We look forward to coming back and trying some of their other dishes. read more

Best Thai food in Durham, hands down. Focuses on stir fried noodles and noodle soups. Highly recommend the drunk noodles. The Valentine's Day soup is also a rare find and the flavor reminded me of Thailand. read more

Brand new Thai noodle and street food place just opened up in the Food Lion plaza, right between domino's and Pulcinellas. I'm going to cut right to the chase; It's better than good, folks. It's great, like Alexander. The place is clean and no nonsense in presentation, and the staff are gracious and welcoming. I got the drunken noodles, and I can say with no exaggeration, it's the best stir fry dish I've had. Period. Ever. The layering of flavor, the sweet savoryness, and that subtle slow spice. My sinuses were doing back flips. It should be illegal to taste this good, but I'm glad it's not. I got a Thai Iced Tea to drink, but they also serve canned, and bottled drinks, and it looks like you can also order boba tea, or ice cream, if you're feeling froggy. Between this place, and Reno's, if you're down in the Valley, pull on up to the table. read more

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Great food every time we go! Pad See Euw and Drunken noodles had that hot pan stir fry taste and wide noodles. read more

Hope Cafe - Drunken Noodle - Noodles Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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First time trying this place, and I thoroughly enjoyed it! We sat outside, and the service was great. The food was delicious. The menu is relatively small, but the food was very good. read more

Hope Cafe - Vegetarian Drunken Noodles - Noodles Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Most authenic Thai food outside of Bangkok. Paul, the manager/owner is delightful and Ray, the chef, excellent. read more

Great service and excellent food. We got the pad ew and drunken noddles. Being vegan we neglected to ask for the pad ew without egg. We called and they happily remade our dish without egg. That's excellent customer service. We will definitely be back! read more

Great menu. Superior service. Attention to detail. Fabulous staff. What a great addition to Hope Valley!!

Mango Sticky Rice will put this restaurant on the map! The rice is green hued due to their freshly processed pandan juice (they put the leaves in a blender and squeeze out the juice!), which also makes the flavor unique and deliciously rich. We tried both the mango and coconut homemade ice creams, which have texture and flavor like no other we'd ever had - again, delicious. And yes, we did eat real food here, too! My husband had Drunken Noodles, I had Pad Woon Sen - both were very flavorful and we each brought home leftovers. As others have said, the ambiance and decor are simple, but this quality of food, on a table cloth in a fancy restaurant, would be twice as expensive. I prefer this comfortable, mom & pop atmosphere where they made us feel appreciated and welcome. I hope this restaurant flourishes - the food and service are wonderful. Be sure to get the sticky rice!! read more

The food here is delicious and good quality. The khao soi is excellent. The chicken wings are the best I have found in the area. This is definitely a favorite for me. read more

2 pieces of shrimp in my Tom Kha. Soup was tasty otherwise. And now I am typing more to get to 85 chars

This is my favorite Thai restaurant. The food was fresh and delicious. The service was fantastic. We loved our experience and will definitely come here again. read more

Hope Cafe - Pink noodle soup and Thai beef salad - Noodles Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Really nice pad Thai. The place was super busy with takeout orders, so service was a little slow, but I'd go there again :)

A great halal option in Durham! The owner, Paul, is an amazing guy and had a wonderful time talking to him. Ordered the drunken noodles, pad see ew, chicken curry, and beef broth noodles and they were all delicious. The coconut ice cream and mango sticky rice were also delicious! Can't wait to come again! read more

Oh my what a treat! Delicious and the ice cream was amazing-you have to go try this place-and the owner is the nicest

The food was so fresh and the noodle dishes are very flavorful. Attentive server that checked on us multiple times even when they were busy. Very cute place and a wonderful experience. read more

Excellent food. Always served hot & fresh. Been several times, they can't miss. Try the fried chicken. ... it's really good.