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    Hope Cafe

    4.4 (53 reviews)
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    Updated 1 month ago

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    Drunken noodle with chicken
    Rosa L.

    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).

    Tom Kha Tofu
    Kassim C.

    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.

    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.

    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

    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.

    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.

    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.

    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 Chicken
    Rachel L.

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

    Pad Thai and Thai Curry Noodle Soup

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    2 years ago

    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

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    1 year ago

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    1 year ago

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

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    1 year ago

    So happy to have this close by! I have been searching for the best Pad Woon Sen in Durham, and this is it.

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

    The menu was limited and the food bland. I had a lot of hope for this place. It lacked standard Thai curries!

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    1 year 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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    Went here today celebrate closing on a house. Kids specifically requested Thai and after a bit of…read moresearching we determined this was the best bet for something authentic. We live in Knightdale so this was a trek for the dinner hour but I stand by my decision. This place is right downtown off of Magnum so there's parking garages nearby. Don't be fooled by the facade. Apparently this place used to be Dos Perros, and the logo is still in the glass Inside you immediately walk into the front bar area and hostess stand. They were busy so it took a while for someone to address us. We grabbed a high top in the bar area. They have like a dozen AC units throughout the dining space, so temperature control was a priority. (Appreciated). Food wise we grabbed the calamari, some spicy wings and some steamed dumplings to start. Dumplings were decent. Calamari was pale and could have been fried harder. Also, it was a weird cut....long flat pieces instead of the circular cuts I'm used to. My kids loved it, but def not the best I've had. The wing sauce was a highlight. We asked for hot, but as a table if west Indian people, the heat level was mild. The wings were also slightly less done than I like. They were drowning in a plate of sauce though. I'm wishing i would have taken the sauce to go and refired some wings at home and put em under the broiler so the sauce would have caramelized on the meat. They had all the elements, but that would have def improved the flavor and texture there. For entrees, we got a Chicken Pad Thai (my son called it a spiritual experience) , two orders of pad see ew with crispy tofu and one Drunken Noodle with Pork. I didn't taste the pad Thai so can't cosign my son's review. The sauce on the pad see ew was the highlight. The tofu was under done (not crispy), and the Drunken noodles were decent. For the Triangle, this was great Thai. Comparing to all the other Thai I've had in life, this was ok. But if they want to seel their sauces on the side, I would def grab some of those and chef it up at home. Staff was friendly and attentive. Felt like family owned - no pretense, just helpful people.

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    Thai Spoon - Spicy Cashew Chicken

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    M Kokko - Spicy Ramen

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    Hope Cafe - noodles - Updated September 2026

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