Bangkok or koh Samui is a little further to go for a Thai meal but the magic kitchen gives your average American a taste bonanza , the interior is clean and tidy ok so not as tidy or clean as McDonald's but acceptable, the pad Thai was ok not greasy, the pork green curry had a good flavor but the rice was stodgy . The thai ice coffee is better left alone, the service was friendly and staff were playing to a full house. Who knows perhaps this little outpost of culinary delight will help educate the American public that there are other foods than burgers or wings ? Aussie Ted read more

Magic Kitchen has the best Thai in Springfield - huge portions at a good price - and this location lets you BYOB!

I've been to many Thai restaurants and this is by far the worst 'Thai' food I'ever had. More like a disgrace to the cuisine. The cashew chicken was so salty. I asked for a new dish and the Pad See Ew was even worse. Whoever thinks this place is great should get out of Springfield and get a life. I would feel terrible feeding this to my chihuahua. Big waste of money and big waste of time. Go somewhere else if you know what's good for you. read more

This restaurant deserves no stars. The food was the worst I have had in quite some time, disappointing and expensive. I had lemon grass soup which had big chunks of ginger and lime leaves thrown in, both inedible items. The other plate we ordered had a huge amount of rice noodles in a big pile with what looked like pre-cut beef in oyster sauce strewn on top. No flavor what so ever, best way to describe it was glop. There was absolutely no thought or care for quality here. I have been here a few times on the recommendation of others. Each time worse than the other. I will NEVER go back. read more

it's just wrong that springfield, illinois has a thai restaurant better than any in portland or seattle. it's actually kind of infuriating, especially considering that in the pacific northwest there's a thai restaurant on every block, and NONE of them can match the quality of some little midwestern hole in the wall on the side of a highway. so just go. go to the magic kitchen and enjoy what i can't enjoy. order anything on the menu. ANYTHING. you can even make it into a game if you like - throw darts, flip coins, spin the menu in circles and order whatever your finger lands on. have no fear - every single dish is a guaranteed orgasmic mouth-party. i'm seriously trying to get my mother to ship me their peanut sauce. they really do sell it in quarts, in case you were wondering. i know people ship cookies and human livers across the country, so there has to be some way to get this magical peanutty god-sauce out of the cornfield and into my mouth. sigh. read more

Glorified Chinese.... This is by no standards Thai food... I love that and often eat at Thai places in New York, Chicago, Caly... for those living close, try Thai Cuisine in Bloomington, IL... This food is average at best.... read more

ok, so i'm from chicago and i was in springfield to do some sight-seeing and to get away from the so-called hustle and bustle of the city.. so me and my boyfriend were looking for a nice restaurant to have a lovely dinner and saw that the magic kitchen had some great reviews.. but when we actually got to this place i was unpleasantly surprised.. its a really small place with no kind of atmosphere.. i was displeased by their poor service, but maybe it was because we went on a saturday night.. so anyway, they don't take credit cards and the nearest atm is 2 miles away! so we ordered: crab rangoon (which is my favorite), wonton soup, chicken pad thai, and i got the garlic salmon. the crab rangoon had little bits of chewy rubbery meat that they called crab. the wonton soup had NO DUMPLINGS.. what kind of wonton soup has no dumplings?? the chicken pad thai was decent according to my boyfriend --i'm not that into that so i can't give you my opinion.. in the description the garlic salmon is fried in garlic --i wasn't aware that it was DEEP-FRIED. it was a disgrace to salmon. it was just so disappointing. if it wasn't for that tiny slice of pie i decided to take home, i would've given the restaurant 1 star but the chocolate creme pie was AMAZING.. it almost made up for the crappy dinner i forced myself to eat.. but yeah, thats it --oh, and as far as the one person goes-- whoever said that i could point at anything and it would be amazing was definitely WRONG WRONG WRONG. my boyfriend said that we might be tainted by the much more satisfying restaurants of chicago.. but who knows.. the end read more

Best Thai restaurant in town! Best dishes: egg rolls, chili paste, basil. So delicious!

We have been going here for years when we get back to Springfield. It's a hole in the wall but hey those are the best. BYOB option is sweet. Hard to pick a favorite meal since I really haven't had a bad one. Chicken Satay, egg rolls, basil chicken, pad se u. All very good. read more

My husband and I frequent this place. We don't go for the atmosphere as it isn't the reason. We go for good Thai food. It's authentic. The owner travels to Thailand to bring back the spices to use in the dishes. There are several dishes we love from Thai Chili Paste to Pad Se Eiu. (sp)...really love the Bume Noodle Soup. We use to get together in big groups, bring our own booze and hang out. Not sure if they still do this but at one point you could call a few days or so ahead and order a turkey pan of crab legs and we would get 3 and then order dishes to share from the menu. The sticky ice cream is also good! Love the jackfruit they put in it! The locations aren't fancy place but it doesn't have to be enjoy the food and have a good time. Every restaurant has bad moments but this place has good consistent food and the owners are almost always there! read more

for those who are complaining about this is not an authentic thai food place i agree with you BUT there is no thai food restaurant in San Francisco that can beat their green/red curry. Not even close. Me and my friends who used to live in Illinois sometimes fantasize about bringing magic kitchen cooks to san francisco and train locals to open a magic kitchen style restaurant WHEN we win the lottery. The place is the bomb. I strongly recommend their red or green curry. Note: dont be too cocky and order hot instead of medium or mild. You'll see what im i talking about if you do. read more

I order the Pad Se Euiy and the portions was small. Noodles were from a frozen meal. Order banana cream pie which was frozen. Small portions. Expensive. Has an old diner feel. read more

This was one of our favorite restaurants when we lived in Springfield in the 1990's so our return to Magic Kitchen was met with high excitement and anticipation. Sadly we were greatly disappointed and will likely never return. Look, I know I sound like crotchety old guy comparing something today to how it was 25 years ago, but there is good and there is not good, and this was not good. I ordered my favorite dish from days of yore - fried won ton radnah - and it consisted of won ton chips in some sort of brown gravy with hunks of celery, cauliflower, and a few shrimp thrown in. What used to be a spicy delight now tasted like something dumped out of a can of La Choy. My wife's dish was much the same, a bland conglomerate of chicken, bean sprouts, and the inevitable cauliflower. How the mighty have fallen. read more

TERRIBLE! The place smells bad and the food is basically whatever heat you choose over cauliflower. I had high hopes for this place, but it is a dump with bad food. Only plus is the BYOB. read more

A friend turned me on to this place. I was excited to find out it was BYOB, but nervous when I saw the outside. All nerves went away the minute I took my first bite. WOW. Amazing Thai food. I have had Thai food all over the country and this is right up there with the best. The spices are perfect with just the right hint of sweet. I have ordered the medium but usually stick with mild +. We always go and eat family style because we can never decide what we want. Asparagus beef (Mild +) and ginger chicken are my favorites. But the pad thai with chicken is awesome too. You need to get here early, or you will be tailgating in the parking lot waiting for a table (p.s. tailgating not allowed by law, but I won't tell if you don't.) It is packed because of the great food and the bring your own beverages. I can't tell you how many times I have been back. And will keep going back. read more

All my friends love this place, but I just don't get it. The restaurant is old and dingy. The appetizers are awful. I ordered summer rolls and the rice paper was overcooked and gummy with no flavor on the inside. The sauce served with it look like a cat puked in a bowl of water. I have had curry here which was just mediocre and basil chicken that didn't have much flavor either. I guess the draw to this place is the BYOB deal. Maybe they want people to get wasted so they don't realize how underwhelming the food actually is. Little Saigon is a much better place to get Thai food in Springfield! read more

HORRIBLE SERVICE. Definitely agree with the other reviews regarding poor customer service. Our waiter just threw the menus on the table at us. He acted annoyed that we were there. Was very rude when taking our order. Never going back. read more

First, love BYOB! Second, the food is awesome! I love the asparagus chicken, tons of each over white rice...almost too much to eat in one sitting! The heat can be from mild to melt your face, so be careful. The only downfall here is dessert as in the beginning the pies used to be homemade and DELICIOUS, but aren't anymore, but are advertised like they are...go for the thai, skip the pie. read more

Quite possibly the best thai food i have ever found. As mentioned in the first review, what the place lacks in ambiance it more than makes up for in satisfying your taste buds. I have never had a dish I did not like. The pad thai is amazing, the pad see eww amazing, the stir fried veggies amazing. The spring rolls are a must. Skinny, fried, delicious little egg rolls with the house peanut sauce. Do yourself a favor and save room for dessert. This place is known for their pies-strange yes-but oh my god. The strawberry rhubarb is a house favorite! Yum! Get it a-la-mode. The wait can be a couple of hours on a weekend night, but everyone brings a cooler-so please do yourself a favor and do the same-it makes the time fly by. read more

It is really good. Best pad thai I've ever had. I think I've had everything on the menu at least once and its all good

It's not good. Please people get out of central Illinois. Plus there is even better in Springfield. And the place is disgusting. The worst meal I've had in my entire life. If we have something bad somewhere else it's not the joke we refer to. read more

I like this place. BYOB is nice too. I love spicy food so I tell them extra-hot and damn do they punish me. It's great.

Love this restaurant. Food is soooo good and you can bring your own wine or beer it's a bit odd how it works but its delious food and a experience. 5 stars for me. read more

TLDR: Hole-in-the-wall, BYOB, really delicious entrees, average appetizer + beverages, skip the dessert. Very competent staff. Cash or local checks only!!! Best Thai food I've found in Springfield thus far. This place is an interesting, family-owned, local spot. It's located in a converted house, and the ambience is hole-in-the-wall, but clean and mostly tidy. Very casual -- waitresses were in jeans and hoodies. It's BYOB and on a Saturday night, was full of locals drinking Natty Light and white wine with their meals. This made for a cheerful atmosphere, but I felt slightly weird being the only WASP couple in the whole place. We had a bit of a wait, but there's a big waiting area, and staff were organized in seating parties. Our waitress was friendly, competent, and fast, beyond an initial wait to order drinks. The food itself was SURPRISINGLY good, especially after reading mixed reviews and, well, being located in Springfield. The pad thai was actually some of the best I've ever had, and that's my go to-dish. Mild + was just enough heat for my sensitive palate that nevertheless appreciates some spice. My husband had the crab-fried rice and it was delicious, if a little too greasy. Would absolutely go back for both of those dishes. We both had thai iced tea (happily slurped down, but needed more cream). Our crab rangoon appetizers were just average, with the ubiquitous neon red sauce. Fine if you're craving them, but if not, skip. The sticky rice dessert wasn't quite what I expected...a LOT of ice cream and some slivers of lychee (?) and mango over a small cake of very chewy, green-dyed sticky rice). I was hoping for more pudding-like rice and fruit, with less ice cream. Oddly, they had a very large assortment of pie for dessert, and I think I'll be trying that instead next time. read more

The best Tai food in town (and has been for many years). BYOB adds to the fun. This is a funky place... Don't bring an expectation of clinical perfection... The "waiting area" doubles as a drinking area, as does the parking lot on nice evenings. Seating large goups can be a problem (it's a small place) so bring your patience and a couple extra beers. read more

The best place to eat Thai in Springfield, hands down!

I never had a bad experience at a Thai restaurant until I visited this establishment Based on the cars parked in the lot I had visions of a great meal. I thought it was a bit unusual that people were tailgating in the lot. Once seated. I quickly noticed it was a BYOB place based on the number of coolers rolling in. Folks usually went to the indoor large in door waiting room for Pregame/dinner drinking. We ordered several appetizers including chicken satay. The satay can be described as over fried KFC on a stick. I never ate fried Satay at any of the numerous Thai restraints that I have visited throughout our great country. In addition, the peanut sauce had a consistency of water. My second mistake , besides coming here, was not attempting to cancel the main entrees. I had cashew chicken. I had a few bites and it had an oily taste that I cannot describe. My daughter and wife tried Chicken Pad Thai. Wife and daughter thought it tasted burnt. I had my chopsticks full and did not wish to try. Our other quests had some sort of chicken dish that looked like dog food. Based on the amount he ate, I wondered if my dogs at home would enjoy. If you would like to experience Thai food for the first time or any time, avoid Magic Kitchen. The food served here does not represent Thai cuisine. read more

Best thai in town! It's a hole in the wall place, but you have to check it out if you're in the area. Really like the duck curry and the spring rolls are good! read more

There's a reason this smaller and more beat up Magic Kitchen is better rated than its newer bigger and cleaner brother, these guys have the real cooks! I've eaten at both and while the other is still great the food doesn't seem to have the same spice and flavor, probably from older woks with lots of years of seasoning on them. Oh i have a secret for you though, the noodles they sell for like 8 dollars a bowl, are a pack of asian top quality raman that can be bought from international stores in town for about 50cents a pack. read more

If I could give this place a negative 1 star, I would. This is not "Thai" cuisine, it's just more local garbage. A few months ago I ordered my favorite Thai dish "Gra-Prow" (translation, fresh basil) with chicken.....why did the chicken look like it was curded?!?! Chicken breast meat is supposed to be smooth in texture not look like an old sweater covered in fuzz balls. This dish is also supposed to have peppers in it bell and chili/jalopeno. This restaurant provided what was supposed to be pad thai at a multicultural event at the local college and it just looked like swill, hot garbage. The people who rave about this place need to leave this town if they want to experience real Thai cuisine. A few suggestions: Bangkok City in east Dallas, Archie's (yes! Archie's) Thai kitchen in Las Vegas, Bua Thai Cuisine in Washington DC, Thai Flavor in Waldorf Maryland - GO ANYWHERE BUT THIS PLACE! read more

Very good reliable food, really good for a rainy day. Warning the hot is very very hot.

An unassuming little shack on the outskirts of Springfield (on highway 56, less than half a mile southwest of Dirksen Pkwy) is quite possibly the last place you'd expect to find VERY BEST Thai food known to man. And yet, there it is. The family who owns and runs the Magic Kitchen doesn't have a liquor license, but the byo policy is more requirement than recommendation. Don't show up without a sixpack (for once, wine is not the right answer). If you can't find Singha, whose light perfumy lager accents the spicy, pungent flavors of its national cuisine so well, opt for a lime-seeking Mexican wheat beer or a bitter American ale like Goose Island's Blonde or Bell's Third Coast. The waiting room is almost as large as the dining area and frequently packed with friendly crowds who bond over their beer and anticipation. Everything on the menu is incredible. There are five levels of spicyness, and if you look white, good luck getting them to make your food level 5. Fortunately, it shouldn't be necessary--levels 4 and even 3 can still elicit delicious tears of pain. Cool your tongue afterward with the ice cream served over sticky rice with tropical fruit and please remember to drive safely when you're ready to return to a less magical world. read more

This place is legit! I'm a huge Thai fan and I can be pretty picky with it because I grew up in a town that had a phenomenal Thai restaurant. However Magic Kitchen might be even better, the coconut duck curry sub noodles is beyond amazing and the pad woonsen is freaking out of this world. The reason why I gave it a 4 star instead of a 5 is one time I got their pad Thai and it was sub par it was literally not even the correct type of noodles and had nothing but small pieces of chicken and no veggies or anything I feel for being a Thai restaurant your pad Thai should always be on point that should be your signature dish. Maybe it was a new or bad cook, to be on the safe side I wouldn't order it read more

As a local and a longtime customer, obviously I like Magic Kitchen. this review is just to add context to some of the other reviewers who complain that this isn't good Thai food, or authentic Thai food. The original owners who developed the recipes used at both locations were Laotian. So yes, there are differences between their interpretation of dishes and the "typical" thai versions. That doesn't make them better or worse, just different. To the person who ordered salmon, all I can say is why would you order salmon at a Thai restaurant? Or a wonton soup? Yes, the service is spotty but again, not a Michelin restaurant. It's a hole in the wall, but that is part of the fun. read more

Yelpers were right again. We were in Springfield on a little overnight getaway and were in the mood for Thai. Turns out this little (and I do mean little) place on the side of a highway north of Springfield had the highest ratings among yelpers of all restaurants in Springfield, and rightly so! The flavors in both dishes we tried (one thin noodle and one soup) were very authentic and perfectly delivered. The meats were also flavorful, but definitely overcooked. But then again, it's pretty rare to get properly cooked meats at a Thai place. Overall, a great find for us! read more

Best Thai food I have had hands down! Please is BYOB and I recommend bringing a nice Viognier to pair with their Pad Thai.

This is OK - I found it bland for Thai food. If you want more flavor and hot spicy go to Thai Kitchen 2 on Monroe and Chatham MUCH BETTER and less expensive for the same things. read more

We live nearby and have been coming here for 30 years! The most delicious Thai food and nice ownership. Our LPGA golfer from Scotland and her husband her caddie came to magic kitchen for years with us and declared that even though they had eaten all over the world this was in the top 5!!! Seriously. read more

Some of the best food in the area! Try the Pad Thai, any of the Curry dishes (especially the Red Duck Curry Special with coconut milk), the Stir Fried Chili paste with beef and mushrooms or Bumme Noodle wet with shrimp or chicken is something even the kids love . You won't be disappointed. Thai iced tea with cream is also great. Enjoy! read more

The shrimp pad thai medium is my go to meal here. The spice can be variable, so be careful.