Diamond in the rough. The food is amazing and I have seen big improvement from the owner regarding his customer service. read more

I like the food here. I've been a customer for the last 10 years and it's consistently good. If you are in the mood for Thai give it a whirl. In my opinion for the suburbs, you won't be disappointed. But hey, that's just my opinion. One thing though, they don't want you to eat in, so don't bother. Really they should just get rid of those tables and call it a day. Just take the food to go and save yourself from the trouble of having to deal with the guy behind the counter more than absolutely necessary. Man, he's a piece of work. Hostile is how another reviewer put it and I think that is a great word for the way he rushes you while ordering... yelling, "mild, mild, MILD!?" I get it! You're sooooooo busy and important. But come on dude. Give us a second to think. I ate there so I got dinner and a show as I saw him treating everyone this way. Maybe it's like his "thing"? Like the Seinfeld soup nazi or something. I don't know. But I wasn't a fan. We asked for the soup to go I was trying to help HIM by asking if maybe he wanted to pour it into the container over the sink so that it wouldn't spill. He said, "I don't want to." Without making eye contact. So I did my best to pour it but ended up spilling all over the freaking place. read more

Usually their food is great but the last few times I've been here they've gotten my order wrong so tonight, after I got home and discovered that there was NO spice in my meal, I called to complain and the only thing they offered was to replace my meal but I had to go back to do it. Guess I need to find a new Thai joint. read more

My friend and I came here after lingering at River City for so long that we became quite hungry. Thai food was the perfect option. This restaurant is family joint, which was clear by the photos of adorable children tacked up on the wall behind the register. The lady working here was friendly and didn't seem to mind our indecisiveness on how spicy to order our food. Mild, medium, and spicy are pretty standard, but Mai Thai does "mild plus" and "medium plus" if you are indecisive. My friend, who has sometimes been known to carry hot sauce in her purse, went with medium. Normally, I'd stick to medium, but that intimidated me so I went with mild plus, but medium would have been okay too. If you dine in, there is chili oil at the counter to add if you need more heat. I ordered the Pad Thai with chicken. It was good, a consistent dish topped with crushed peanuts and bean sprouts. The amount of chicken was a little less than I expected. My friend had the Panang Curry, which looked delicious, she only had regrets about not ordering it as "spicy." The Thai Iced Tea is delicious and refreshing, even on a winter day. I would not necessarily go out of my way to eat here again, but the food is good and it's convenient if you're in downtown Wheaton. read more

Greatest Thai food ever. Go ahead scratch your head, Wheaton? Thai food? OH YEAH! Family owned and operated, Mai Thai is authentic Thai cuisine in a warm atmosphere. The father is the chef, the mother works the counter and the daughter is the waitress (she may have moved on in the world since the last time I've been there). Their Tom Kha Kai (sp?) soup is the best I've ever had, spicy chiles with sweet coconut milk, you can't get any better than this. Then there is the Panang Curry. Another reviewer claimed this is the best in existence, he's right. It is by this dish that I judge all other Thai places. The service is great and the food is made fresh. You can make all sorts of substitutions and add things and take them away from any dish and they always say "no problem". They will make any dish as spicy or not spicy as you want. read more

Our family has made it a tradition to visit Mai Thai when we come through Wheaton to see friends. We've been there several times over the last few years but the last 2 times we been the service has really been bad. One of the young ladies behind the counter - she appears to be the manager - has a really bad temper. Last fall when she was in she got into a shouting match with the young guy behind the counter. Obviously conflicts are going to happen but this place is really small and the kitchen is literally right next to the tables, so when this happens in front of the customers it makes them feel uncomfortable and on edge. Despite the uncomfortable visit we decided to try again because the food is decent. This time however the same young lady with the temper was growling about us - and we were less than 5 feet away from her. Our son (4 yrs old) doesn't care for sauces on anything really, so we usually just ask Asian restaurants for steamed noodles with a side of chicken and vegetables. When our order got put in, we could hear her snapping about how we were going to be charged for a full dinner - insinuating that we were just being cheap, which isn't the case. We also asked for a little sauce on the side so that we could have our son try the sauce. We were told that was fine but as our order was coming out we could hear the same woman snapping about how "we don't give sides of sauce." We did receive a bowl of dumpling dipping sauce but it was obvious this woman didn't want to help. I've also noted that there are more and more signs going up about management restrictions. Don't take Amex, maximum of 2 checks per table, no refunds on plates ordered hot. There is a max 2 checks per table, yet if 4 people came in and ordered 4 take out orders they would obviously have no problem with that. Just doesn't make sense. The basic idea here is that the focus is on what the management wants, not what the customer wants. Obviously we won't be coming back anymore and we're disappointed about that. I'm guessing management could care less though. Sad. read more

I've been to a several Thai restaurants in the suburbs and Mai Thai Cafe is, hands down, the best of the bunch. This small, simple, family owned and operated restaurant dishes up authentic, and deliciously divine, Thai cuisine. Coconut milk, curry, chicken, veggies, and rice? YES PLEASE! I'LL TAKE TWO!!! My favorite item on the menu is their Panang Curry with chicken, it is to die for. My friends get the spicy version, but not me. My mouth has such a low tolerance for spicy foods, so I have to get the mild version, which still has some heat to it, but doesn't destroy my mouth. Don't worry about asking to make adjustments to spiciness, or even requesting additions or substitutions to your dish. Mai Thai Cafe makes there food fresh and are more than willing to accommodate your special requests. They also offer some vegetarian-friendly items for those of you who aren't meatatarians like me. I recommend the Yellow Curry with potato. I've tried it and it definitely gets the official Mr Beautiful stamp of approval. I recommended it to one of my vegetarian friends when I introduced him to this gem in downtown Wheaton and let's just say that he now practically lives at Mai Thai Cafe. Mai Thai is only a few blocks from the Wheaton Metra station, for those of you who find yourselves with an uncontrollable craving for authentic Thai while on the train. If you're like me, and drive everywhere, there's plenty of street parking available. It's a small place, so you might miss it if your hunger begins to mess with ability to see straight. Mai Thai Cafe would get more stars but, unfortunately, I'm only allowed to give it 5 stars. Their food is authentic & made with fresh ingredients and the service is fast & friendly. Oh yeah, and on top of it all, IT'S INEXPENSIVE! Yes, that... is... right! Delicious, authentic, and inexpensive. Mai Thai Cafe has the official Mr Beautiful stamp of approval all over it. Holla!!!™ read more

HOT HOT HOT!!! Things I love at Mai Thai. Pad Khe Mao Beef Spicy Chashew Noodle Chicken Med+ Jungle Curry w/ Beef - When it's only available in "spicy" you've got to try it, if you're a spice lover. Thai Iced Teas - Great flavor. Good ratios. Little on high side for price. Useful for fending off the jungle curry. read more

$16 for one bowl of curry and rice ($2 per bowl) which is causing me great intestinal distress is not how I wanted to spend my Saturday dinner. I was overwhelmed with an intense need to simultaneously throw up and poo out whatever I had just eaten 5 minutes after I left. Ordered a catfish curry. Catfish strips looked like chicken strips that had been in the freezer for 10 years and had just been thrown in the deep fryer. Rice was warm, but stale. White rice only. ($2 for rice of this quality...Jackie Chan would not approve) Waiters were pretty cold. I was told by one of them that "spicy" wasn't bad at all but in reality, "spicy" = so spicy I can't taste my food and I don't want to eat this shit anymore. But hey, it was not a problem because the curry was pretty bland anyways. Disappointed that Wheaton's only Thai place is simply another whitewashed, overpriced, and tasteless joint. To save your butthole and your wallet some pain, I recommend going to the Vietnamese place down the street, which also happens to be overpriced and whitewashed, but nonetheless, is friendlier and slightly better tasting. Trust me, I'm Asian. read more

Good Thai food! 2 parking spots! What more can you ask for in downtown Wheaton! Hubby and I got carryout here, there are very few tables inside. We had crab rangoon, spring rolls, pad thai with shrimp and something really spicy (hubby can't remember the name of it). The crab rangoon wasn't too crunchy and I don't know what was in it, but it was not bland. The spring rolls were ok. My pad thai had lots of shrimp in it and his spicy stuff was great. We just went in there and ordered some stuff, didn't call ahead. It took about 15 minutes. My only complaint is that it seemed kind of expensive for thai food in the 'burbs. The crab rangoon was about $7 and the spring rolls were $3.50 each. read more

A family favorite, I am almost always craving this food. Fantastic flavors combined with true freshness makes this my favorite restaurant in Wheaton. I wish I could take Mai Thai with me to college as I know I will miss it dearly. I definitely recommend the chicken pot stickers and the Thai Tea-- both are great all year round. read more

If I had to choose a final meal on death row, I would call Rosalyn at Mai Thai and have her bring me the mild Panang curry with crispy spring rolls. This is the truth. It's that incredibly good, and the staff is that incredibly nice. Ros is the best waitress in existence. She's remembered my girlfriend and I's names from the beginning. The rest of the staff is beyond friendly and helpful as well. They usually have to refill my water 6 or 7 times, and they do it with a smile. No, Mai Thai doesn't have an upscale interior. But its comfortable, close (almost European), and charming as a local eatery. I wouldn't want the interior to go too upscale. Mai Thai has perfected the Thursday night, out-to-eat feel. Why change that? I'm in love... Though I usually stick with the Panang curry (yellow, coconutty, and sweet but spicy), the friend rice is excellent. My friends also are in love with the Pad Thai, if noodles are your thing. Some people have complained about the bathroom. They whine too much. They've improved the bathroom recently too, and it's now as nice as the one at my house. Go, and go again, then order out, then go again next week. And repeat. I love this place. read more

I was at Mai Thai twice this week (oops!) Their pad thai (I get mine Mild+, which is a step up from mild but not the sweat-inducing medium) cannot be beaten. Portion size is plenty and I can often turn it in to two meals. I've had the spring rolls (the best thing about them is the sauce) and the crab rangoon (the worst thing is the sauce) which are a little heavy on the cream cheese for my taste. I love the cashew chicken, too, but with a smaller portion size (it includes rice), $11.50 for the entree seems just a little but much. I'd happily pay $9 for it. It's reliable, yummy, and never bugs my somewhat sensitive stomach. Take it to go or don't sit by the bathroom! Also- they have the weirdest hours, so it can help to call ahead to see if they're open. read more

Cute little place in downtown Wheaton. Got lunch here with a friend over winter break (she's a regular, I've never been) and it was great. The lunch special is a must, the entree is big enough for leftovers later and comes with a gyoza dumpling. I had the chicken pad see ew and it was delicious. I also recommend the thai iced tea. It was rich and tasted a little bit like chocolate milk! We both had lunch specials and drinks and our bill came out to around 30$. This place is a definite winner for simple, tasty, and cheap eats. read more

Mai Thai is quaint and has a good location in downtown Wheaton, but their food is mediocre. I only go there to get air miles, as they're part of the Mileage Plus Dining program. Portion sizes are huge, but their curries are watery and have all sort of weird ingredients, like corn and jalapenos, neither of which are Thai, and completely change the flavor of the dish into something unrecognizable. There isn't much else vegan-friendly in downtown Wheaton, though, so this is your best bet. read more

Great little restaurant, they have beef noodle soup, a favorite of mine. Excellent good here. Only a few tables, mostly carry out. I've liked everything I've tried here. read more

Mai Thai Cafe - Great place, small and counter service and carry out. Food is excellent! - Thai Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

It's simply the best. The food was amazing, the people were amazing, and everything felt nice. The Pad Thai is one of my favorites and also the fried rice with shrimp. The protein are phenomenal and so are the packing. The food always arrive right on time as well. People say that the food was too spicy and all sorts but THE PEOPLE LITERALLY TELL YOU THAT IT IS VERY SPICY. You are able to choose your own spice level and get mad at the people for serving it to spicy when you chose it. Overall this place was really clean and nice. read more

A few coworkers decided they wanted Thai food for the evening. I actually packed my dinner but I decided on ordering some Tom Yum Tofu Soup. On their website, they don't list sizes, but apparently they come in small and large. Also, they offer their Tom Yum with tofu, chicken, beef, shrimp, or seafood (extra charge for the latter two). The price weas 6.95 on their website, and I assumed that was for the large, which was what I ordered. Unfortunately, the large soup ended up being 8.69!! Holy cow!! Don't get me wrong, the Tom Yum tofu, which featured lemongrass, thai ginger, mushrooms, baby corn, tomatoes, and onion, the hot and sour soup was very tasty. But was it worth that much? Absolutely not! I thought 6 dollars was pushing it... My coworkers got the chicken pad thai and see ew. The to go dishes were served in your typical black carryout dish; they both looked okay. I can't assess them because I didn't have them. They also ordered Crab Rangoon to split; the sweet and sour was homemade and looked tasted, but since I'm not a CR fan, I did not try. Overall, I'm more of a Pad Thai Etc. fan. The restaurant has a nice ambiance compared to here. However, looks could be deceiving me. I will most likely give Mai Thai another try, but I will not be getting soup! read more

Their food is good & authentic, but not consistent. Sometimes when I go, it's absolutely delicious; other times, it takes like Thai food I'd make at home (which is not the greatest). My favorites are the Tom Kha Kai (chicken coconut soup), green curry, and Pad Thai. I wish I could say they've always been good... but I can't. The soup is probably the most consistently delicious; would always recommend that. The service is also pretty decent; not overly friendly, but not rude either. Overall, I like this place, but I'd also like to find something better. read more

On a Wednesday night it was packed - most of the tables were pushed together in the center for a big birthday party. No booze, but they do have wine glasses for BYO. We had Thai iced coffees instead. The woks are behind a big wall off of the dining room, and you can hear the guy cook. Bette had the Red Curry with chicken, medium spice. It was too hot for her, she should have gotten the mild. It had a good flavor, though, and had lots of veggies, including eggplant and tofu cubes. I had the Hot and Spicy Curry, which was hot and spicy with similar veggie loading and beef. I was tearing and my nose was nice and clear. Both the curries were tasty but surprisingly watery. I just had the leftovers today, and it was still good. Fun place, casual, not fancy, dinerish. Good food, fast, fresh. Friendly staff. Reasonable prices ($7-$10 for entrees). Small, so might be a wait. read more

Hands down, the best Panang curry there is... I have eaten here more times then I can count. If you like Spicy food, order any curry and ask for it Extra Spicy, you won't be disappointed! The crab Rangoon is also quite fantastic... I have tried many other thai restaurants, this one is definitely the best one, by far! read more

My family and I went to the Mai Thai Cafe with some friends, a last minute decision. I had never been there before, but everyone who has raved about it. The place is definitely one of the hole-in-the-wall restaurants that because of its location, is easy to miss. There is not a lot of room inside, though the 4 of us (with a baby!) were very comfortable. The menu is quite extensive for such a small establishment. I ordered the small corn stir fry. Afraid of eating something too spicy I requested it mild. I wish I had gotten the "medium spice" because there was no kick at all with the mild spice. The food is great. Very tasty. It came with a large side of white rice. Also, I was pleased that the portions were large. I only ate about half of my dinner, so I guess I'll have lunch for tomorrow. My wife ate about half of hers as well. The price is very reasonable, especially considering the food quality and generous portions. Dinner was a little over $10 each. Not to shabby! Yes, I'd definitely recommend this place to anyone who likes thai food. read more

Truly authentic, absolutely mouthwatering Thai food. Good service too. If I'm buying Thai food, I'm buying Mai Thai. If food burning on it's way out is your thing, ask for your dish 'hot'. Personally, I think it's the only way to go. read more

If you looked at my eye, hair, and skin color, you would assume that my mouth is made to eat boiled potatoes and other not-spicy foods in northern Europe. And you would be correct. What I like about this Thai food is that it has lots of flavor even when I order it mild. Which I do. But Boyfriend-of-the-Fairly-Recent-Past likes hot food, and he was happy with dishes here, too, so it isn't just my patheticly weak taste buds that like it here. Roommates all ordered different dishes tonight, and we were all happy. My favorite was Roommate A's yellow curry with chicken. Coconut milk and curry and general deliciousness. Yum. Roommates B and C both ordered red curry dishes, which were also good. Not sure how authentic it is, but it is tasty, it is cheap, and we each probably have enough left over for at least 1 more meal. I think they need to give the guy filling water glasses something else to do, because he is a little over-attentive, but the staff is friendly and helpful, and I can't really complain. The room is small and a little crowded and the kitchen is semi-open to the dining area, so if you want somewhere quiet and somewhat private for a date, this is not the place, but I actually kind of like the atmosphere in general. And they were open on MLK Day when every other Thai place in the Western suburbs seemed to be closed, so they win. read more

If you really love Thai food and great cheap eats then you may love this local find. Great chicken and basil, and phad thai, Tom Yum Goong soup may be the best you'll find in all of the western suburbs. Thai egg rolls are great and the service tops. Run by a local family who make the dining experience even more enjoyable. Stay with the chicken and shrimp dishes and stir fry dishes here are better than the curry dishes. Pad See Ew is also good. This is the kind of place you'll frequently visit over and over again. read more

Has seating for about 30 Kinda fast food feeling atmosphere. Food was just stir fry and kinda sugary Their were six of us at thee tables pushed togeather. Up front couples asked for seperate checks and waitress indicated no problem When bill came was one total with 18% tip figured in. When I asked why, her response was I cant do that. I assumed the bill patrol was hiding somewhere and left it at that The service was nothing to write home about. We won't be coming back. read more

Just picked up chicken pad Thai and it was excellent. We also had the crab Rangoon and it was also very good. We will certainly be back again. read more

The food is okay if you're not that into Thai food and don't have many places to compare it with. My main complaint is that they seem to choose your spiciness level for you; it doesn't matter if you order something mild, it will always come out significantly different each time you order it, and at times it will be spicy enough to cause intestinal distress. The spiciness level may change depending on the cook (if they have more than one), but this is something to look out for if you don't tolerate spicy very well. The rice also isn't very good, and they charge too much for extra rice (it seems like they make the curry too spicy so that you HAVE to order extra rice). The pad thai and pad see ew can be a little too sweet at times, but it's still not that bad. This is what I typically order anyways. The stir fries aren't very good. From what I've experienced, the service isn't too bad. No one has been entirely unfriendly to me, though there is one younger woman who doesn't know the dishes well (she's not Thai) and asks if we want non-spicy dishes to be mild, medium, or spicy. The first time she did this, I verified with her that I ordered Pad Thai, and she snapped at me and said "I KNOW, mild, medium, or spicy?!". Other than that little thing, the wait staff has been fine. The environment isn't all that great. This place is old, tiny, and doesn't appear to be well-maintained. If the bathroom door is left slightly open the whole restaurant smells like the bathroom and the general appearance makes the restaurant seem like it's not meeting any sanitation requirements. It's absolutely cramped, and though it has sort of a small-town charm to it, for some reason I get worried that I'll get food poisoning from this place at some point (I've never been sick from the food, though). This place is probably best for take-out. Being in the restaurant itself has to be the worst thing about it. read more

Mai Thai makes the Platonic Form of pad Thai. If you want spicy food, they've got you. It's a tiny place, but has been in downtown Wheaton forever. read more

There's many Thai places in Wheaton and they are all great. Mai Thai is good for a quick lunch. The people know what they are cooking, so you can expect an authentic meal. I'll be coming back as long as they are open. The owner is usually there himself so take your order. Not the best in terms of indoor ambience but the food is amazing read more

This place has become my new favorite Thai restaurant. The scared me at first with the whole spicy "no returns, no refund" deal bc I can eat spicy! But glad that they did. My entrees were mild-medium and it was perfect anything spicer would have killed the food. Their Tom Yum soup was delish. Same with the Shrimp Pad Thai. The beef salad though, was ok. Nothing memorable.. Space is small would be hard for a big group. read more

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Came here with a friend for a weekday lunch in the summer time. I probably expected a little more since friends had told me this is probably the best thai place in the area, but i was a little disappointed. Had the pad thai, veggie roll appetizer, and my friend got the penang dish. All were decent, but nothing amazing. The roll was a little disappointing, loaded with mainly of sprouts and carrots. The staff here were very friendly and attentive so it's not a bad place to eat lunch if you want thai. read more

I'm afraid I have to downgrade my rating as my most recent visit (3/1/13) left something to be desired. The Pad See-Ew wasn't as flavorful as I remember it being in the past (even the other times I've ordered it without spice). It wasn't bad by any means but it left me craving the Pad See-Ew from CK Pad Thai even though I don't care for how undercooked their broccoli comes out. My quest for the perfect Pad See-Ew continues... read more

After an interview down the street, I noticed this tiny store. I had the Best Beef Pad Thai ever! The egg rolls were so good too. I wish they were closer. Or hopefully, I'll get to work down the street. read more

Mai Thai Cafe - Lunch portion, beef Pad Thai. - Thai Near Me - Wheaton, Illinois

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This place isn't too bad, it's right down the strip from Luong Loi's. I decided to have lunch there, their food is OK. I got SPICY pad thai. It was my mistake to ask for it to be spicy because it was extremely spicy!! I took maybe 5-6 bites and I had to pack it home. I enjoyed the mushroom shaped ice... I had thai iced tea, it was just right. I would go again if i was desperate for thai food near wheaton. Not the best but not the worst. The place is pretty small, it's good for a two person outing. read more

Thai iced tea- perfect Chicken panang- good, very spicy Tom ka soup- the broth was amazing, the veggies could've used more time cooking The waitress was the sweetest thing. Nice, friendly, and honest. The place itself isn't the prettiest/cleanest looking place, but maybe that's how they keep the prices cheap. read more

This place is small in size but big in taste, value and service. We asked for hot and spicy and we were rewarded with excellent food. read more

My first time eating Thai food and it was delicious! Excellent food! I will definitely be back. Spring rolls were super, the crunchy and soft. read more

I have had thai at many places and NOTHING compares to Mai Thai! Small little place to just sit and enjoy amazing food with friends. The staff are great and the food is amazing! I always get the tofu pad thai and the chicken Pa-nang. Try it and enjoy it! read more

Really good Thai food, especially for a town like Wheaton. My husband and I were wandering around downtown when we spotted this place. They were going to be closing so we just placed our order to go. I ordered the Pad Woon Sen with vegetables. Tons of vegetables, awesome sauce. My husband ordered Pad Kee Mao. The worker asked if he wanted that hot, medium, or mild. My husband, a huge spice fan, obviously responded HOT. The guy asked if he had ever tried their version of hot. Nope, twas our first trip. He let us know there was a no refund or exchange policy on the HOT. What? Can you return other dishes? His noodles were pretty hot, but hardly worth the forewarning by the waiter. Nonetheless, a charming little place. We even sat and waited in our car which was parked in their tiny lot because he said it would be about 15 minutes. When our food was ready the waiter delivered our order right to our car. That's what I call service! read more