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    Hope Cafe

    4.5 (46 reviews)
    Closed 11:30 am - 8:30 pm

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    Recommended Reviews - Hope Cafe

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    Tova B.

    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

    Syed M.

    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.

    Taro Milk Tea
    John B.

    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.

    Mary Z.

    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.

    Beef drunken noodle
    Kevin J.

    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.

    Pad Thai Chicken
    Rachel L.

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

    Thai tea
    Jake V.

    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

    Drunken Noodles
    Kristine N.

    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!

    Pad Thai and Thai Curry Noodle Soup
    Anna C.

    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!

    Drunken Noodle

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

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    10 months ago

    peak food it taste great if you are a foodie eat here great customer service the fried beef balls are good I was full for the next 2 days

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    1 year ago

    great customer service. greeted us nicely and love the space. food was also great, we'll be sure to come back too

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    Ask the Community - Hope Cafe

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    Hope Cafe - noodles - Updated May 2026

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