I have seen this restaurant so many times while driving along Whitelock Parkway and decided to finally give it a try. The restaurant is located on the corner of a shopping center. The parking lot had plenty of spots available. I was warmly greeted before being seated to a table along the window. The menu has many options of popular Thai dishes. I thought the RAO's platter was the perfect appetizer to order so I could try multiple dishes at once. I almost always try a rice dish at any Asian restaurant so I chose crab fried rice. At the last minute I decided to add the crying tiger to my order. Especially since the server said it wasn't very spicy. Food arrived without too much of a wait. The platter was delicious and I appreciated three sauce options for different palates. The egg roll was nice and crispy, not too oily. The wonton was yummy. The chicken was fine for a skewer, but the other two were my favorites. The crab fried rice was decent. I would prefer a little more crab because as I am writing this out, I don't remember seeing big pieces of crab meat. The crying tiger was a deliciously prepared NY steak. I was able to request how to have the meat prepared and asked for medium rare. The meat had a nice pink color and was tender. There were some fatty pieces, but that is to be expected. We ordered mango sticky rice and asked that it be brought out at the end of the meal. The dessert was prepared as expected. The mango was sweet and the rice was chewy. I liked that the condensed milk was served on the side so we could add it to our liking. The dining room had beautiful decor and artwork along the walls. I spent some of the time waiting for my food looking around and enjoying the art pieces. read more

Rao Thai Eatery - RAO's Platter - steamed wonton, egg rolls and chicken satay - Thai Near Me - Elk Grove, California

Rao has continued to be one of my go-to spots for Thai food in Elk Grove. The staff is always pretty accommodating, but be patient if the service is a little slow at times -- they can get pretty busy, and the food definitely makes up for it. One of my favorite dishes is the Larb Salmon, especially paired with the Fried Chicken Skin. I also really enjoy their Pad Thai and Nam Khao. Try their Green Thai Tea, it's refreshing with a nice jasmine tea flavor. On my most recent visit with friends, we tried the BBQ Pork. It was okay, but not really my favorite. The Thai Basil Eggplant with chicken was good. I'm still not completely sold on their papaya salad though. It's been a bit hit or miss for me. read more

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We haven't been back here in a few years and I have no idea why! It's just as delicious as I remember. I'm so glad they've survived all this time despite the isolated location. The food is so delicious, the menu has just the right amount of options (not too many and not too little), and the service was fast and friendly. We started off with the Rao's Platter which was a perfect amount of food to serve as an appetizer for us and also as a meal for our toddlers. We also tried the tom yum noodle soup, and I picked beef and she let me pick between slices or ground beef. I chose the latter since it goes well with the tom yum in my opinion! The flavor was really good and I liked the spice level. My husband chose the new menu item, kao moo dang moo krob which is perfect for the protein lovers. It comes with three types of meat and boiled egg over rice and some Chinese broccoli, with the most delicious sauce! All of the meats were good but the sweet Chinese sausage was cooked to perfection. The Thai tea and Thai green tea are a must here, you must pair one with your meal! If you have the stomach space for it, make it a float instead. We finished off with the shaved ice but I wasn't a fan of most of the toppings or the flavor of the pink ice itself so I'd probably pass on it, but I'm glad we tried it out. Next time mango and sticky rice for sure! Will definitely be back sooner rather than later! read more

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Stopped by Rao Thai for lunch while passing through Elk Grove. The decor and ambiance in there is casual and trendy. Very approachable staff. It was pretty busy in there but they were very friendly and checked in on us a few times. Food was delicious! Here they ask how spicy you'd like each dish on a scale of 10, so we were able to customize everything to our liking. We were a group of four and I believe we finished all four entrees. The group especially enjoyed the cashew nut chicken and the noodle dish. I'd recommend plating the oyster shooters in big spoons rather than the shot glasses because the chilis all hit at the end which wasn't the most pleasant. Overall, a very solid meal and if I find myself in Elk Grove again, I would definitely stop by here. read more

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Cute hidden spot in the neighborhood. I'd have to say this is the best authentic Thai food in Elk Grove. First time having the salmon larb and it was delicious. Fried chicken skin is comparable to what we got in Bangkok, Thailand at the night market. Service was slow when it came to seating us, but food came out pretty quick. read more

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Everything was amazing! Came in on a Saturday afternoon for a friend's birthday lunch. They were very accommodating in putting a couple of tables together for the group of roughly 10 people. Very attentive in taking people's orders as they arrived and clearing the table when finished. I got the beef pad see ew with a thai iced tea float. The float was so good with the coconut ice cream on top. The pad see ew was so flavorful with plenty of meat. The birthday boy also ordered a round of oyster shooters for the table and those were great as well, the sauce on the bottom have a spicy kick at the end. The Thai tea float and pad see ew came out to just under $30 before tip. Would come back to try other items on the menu. read more

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Went to eat there yesterday for late Mother's Day and all the food was amazing like always! read more

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My grandma was craving Thai food and I hadn't been here in forever! I am happy to see that Rao Thai is still thriving after all these years. We dined on a Sunday around 5:30pm. There was a huge party of about 15 people and a few other small parties. It was the 3 of us. We got seated right away but unfortunately it took awhile to order. I noticed the table who got seated after us (another party of 3) ordered before us. Not that big of a deal. There seemed to be 1 server running around taking orders and a food runner. Both so nice and patient although I could tell they were a little overwhelmed. We ordered the papaya platter, Thai boat noodles, chicken skin appetizer and the Nam Kao. All pretty good. I especially loved the chicken skin -- crispy, salty and flavorful. My grandma enjoyed her boat noodles -- it was packed with so much meat! The Nam Kao was a bit spicy and the papaya was a bit too sweet for me. They got really busy as we finished our dinner. I really want to try their curries and stir fried dry noodles next time, they all sound so good! Can't wait to be back! read more

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The food here was phenomenal and our experience here was great. I was blown away by the good authentic food and enjoyed that it had fun southeast Asian decor. Not what I was expecting tucked away in a small strip mall in Elk Grove. Our favorites were the: - Pad See Ew - Papaya salad - Tom kha soup with chicken These were all flavorful dishes that we would get again. We also ordered the chicken satay but that was the only appetizer/dish that didn't have as much flavor compared to other chicken satays we've had other places. It was still decent, just not as flavorful. For dessert we got the mango sticky rice and it was really delicious. I ordered the Thai tea which was also tasty. We were checked up on often by our server, so we appreciated that. The space inside is small but fits a good amount of tables for the space they have. Overall, this place exceeded my expectations and for those local to Elk Grove, it would be a must-try. I liked that the crowd inside felt diverse, there was a table also with a beer tower and taking shots on a weekday celebrating a birthday, so that made it feel lively. I would definitely come here again and would take my family here when they visit. Cheers! read more

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The platter I got was their special. It was delicious. The pork belly was crispy, the bbq pork was delicate, and the rice with greens was a good palette cleanser. I also got their Singha beer which was on tap and it was so smooth and easy to drink. The service was great and attentive. The server let us eat and checked in on us exactly when we needed them to. I wanted to try other foods, but the platter was so big I couldn't get myself to purchase anymore. Overall a really good lunch experience. read more

Rao Thai Eatery - Rao's Platter... - Thai Near Me - Elk Grove, California

The food was for the most part too sweet. 10/10 spicy was mediocre and we got their special which was also too sweet. The only thing that was good was the alcohol. I shotgun the beerlao for a bet I had, but in majority, the food was too sweet. They did however had 4 types of spices they brought out which I really appreciated. The spices were dried red pepper, hot oil chili, fish sauce thai chili, and pickled jalepenos. The atmosphere was okay, lots of flies for some reason which was a but irritating. Lastly, the service was good. No complaints. read more

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I've been going here for a while but the last few times made me realize I'm over it. The management and people that usually work there have changed. They are slower, this guy was on his phone when someone was trying to ask him a question. He took forever to get our check. We waited as long as we could before asking. The food was not the best. We ordered the spicy basil eggplant with white rice. The rice was hard and tasted old. The plate was dissatisfying. In the past it was so yummy and my favorite but now it was just salty like straight soy sauce. The meat was hard too - overcooked I guess. And the portion size was so small this time, I used to get a whole plate full but now it was just a little bit! I also ordered the green curry with chicken - medium spice. It was just spice. The green curry flavor wasn't there. It was bland. Bathrooms are interesting, the doorknob handle is on the opposite side haha but maybe that's on purpose? Try at your own risk, I'm over it. read more

Came by for lunch with my family. Lunch opens at 12pm. There was only bench table seating for the 6 of us. I would preferred sitting in a chair but it is what it is. Staff was friendly and answered our questions. We all ordered something different and it was all very tasty and satisfying. -Chicken with rice -Ginger beef with rice -Red curry -Calamari -Beef with drunken noodle -Bbq pork with sticky rice -Fresh shrimp roll read more

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Love walking in this place Great service walked in at the end of lunch They close at 2:30 and reopen at 4. The ambiance is the best part of my experience at the Eatery The pad Thai really lovely presentation, fried egg on the side and included a greens with a ginger dressing that had more flavor then the rest of the meal . read more

Rao Thai Eatery - Pad Thai lunch menu - Thai Near Me - Elk Grove, California

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This was our first time at Rao Thai Eatery and it did not disappoint. The interior decor is cute and the restaurant is a relatively small space which filled up quickly on a Saturday night. We tried all their hits from the Thai sour sausage to the boat noodles with crispy pork belly and a chicken curry everything was delicious and well prepared. The servers were friendly, but just a little bit unorganized as my boat noodles came out before my appetizer which left me waiting for my wife's dish to arrive. The seating wasn't very comfortable, but we brought our own cushions. Other than those two small things we can't wait to return to try more. read more

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To celebrate my son's promotion from grade six, per his request, we searched for a local Thai restaurant (I wish that I was this cultured at his age). Ironically, my wife had recently visited and raved about a restaurant called Rao Thai Eatery; therefore, we needed to look no further! Since we wanted to sit in the comfort of our home and catch up on The Last of Us as we feasted, we chose to place an order for takeout. We ordered the following: Crispy egg rolls (all), Kao Soi Curry (wife), Boat Noodles (son), and Drunken Mama (me). When we arrived at home after picking up our orders, we were shocked to see that every item was hot (as if it literally just came out of the oven). The egg rolls were good (it's hard to mess up egg rolls), my drunken mama noodles were full of flavor and the perfect amount of spice, my wife loved her Kao Soi Curry (this was her second time having it), and my son's boat noodles were so appetizing that he looked annoyed whenever he had to take a pause in eating to answer a question from my wife and I. I'm very grateful that we have a solid Thai food restaurant here in Elk Grove, I no longer need to venture 20-45 minutes away from my home to secure a delicious Thai dish. I look forward to returning with my family in the near future! read more

Rao Thai Eatery - Drunken Mama Noodle...photo definitely doesn't do it justice! - Thai Near Me - Elk Grove, California

I ordered online and it gave me an estimated time of pickup at 2:50 but I decided to go early anyways since I have to pick up my son from school. Arrived at 2:34 and the doors were locked. Someone came to open the door thankfully. I walked in and said Hi, pick up. She didn't greet me and just rolled her eyes. As I was signing the paper, she said to me, "Next time, we close at 2:30!" Sorry lady, there won't be a next time, not with your attitude. I'm sorry I ordered food here, $40 worth. I hope you work on your customer service skill! read more

My coworker and I stopped by Rao Thai Eatery after our shift for a late lunch and it absolutely did not disappoint! This was my second visit, and although the restaurant is a bit of a drive from where I live, I'm so glad I gave it another shot. We arrived during the lull between lunch and dinner, and there was plenty of parking available in the plaza. The restaurant is easy to find, and the interior was clean and welcoming. The space is open and airy, with large windows that let in tons of natural light. There were quite a few tables inside, which is great, though as the dinner hours started there was a bit of a wait for other customers. When we visited, there were only two staff members handling the front of house. They were taking care of everything from seating guests to serving and bussing tables. My coworker, who's a regular, mentioned this is usually the case. Given how much they were juggling, I didn't mind waiting a little longer to be checked on. I know first-hand how stress inducing this could be for them. We ordered family-style and split three dishes, with a bit of leftovers to take home: - Drunken Noodle ($14.75) - Spicy Hot Basil ($14.75) - Moo Ping ($14.95) Every dish was packed with flavor and cooked to perfection. I usually eat these dishes homemade, so I was especially impressed by how authentic everything tasted. We also appreciated being able to choose the spice level for each dish. As a spice lover, the medium heat on the drunken noodles hit just right with the perfect kick. Overall, Rao Thai is a hidden gem with quality food, hardworking staff, and a cozy atmosphere. read more

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Worth the drive! I live in Rancho Cordova and still drive to Elk Grove just to eat at Rao Thai -- that's how good it is. We ordered both noodle dishes, fried chicken skin, spicy noodle salad, and papaya salad. Everything was flavorful and legit Thai. The fried chicken was perfectly crispy (my favorite!), the noodles were comforting, and the salads had that perfect spicy-tangy balance. The food is yummy, the service is friendly, and the owner is seriously cute, fun, and welcoming. Great vibes all around. If you're craving real Thai food, this spot is a must. Will definitely be back! read more

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Food is fresh and very good taste ! The place is clean , and very good customer service! read more

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I was craving some Thai food after hanging out in EG, and it was my first time trying Rai Thai. The restaurant is tucked in the corner of the plaza and the ambiance is really cozy. I ordered the Thai fried rice with pork, Tom yum noodle, Thai tea and lao papaya salad. Our waiter was very attentive and items came out fairly fast! The Thai fried rice was really good and flavorful alongside the tom yum noodle. The lao papaya salad was really salty.. like they doused it in fish sauce, it definitely needed to have more shredded papaya to even it out. The menu is fairly large and everything is reasonable priced, I would come back again :) read more

It was recommended to me as the best Thai restaurant in Elk Grove, and it is! We have a couple Thai restaurants I really like, but they don't compare. Rao Thai really is the best from sticky rice to their Panang fantastic! read more

a solid Thai spot with standout dishes Panang Curry - Creamy, rich, and mildly spicy with that signature panang depth. You could choose the spiciness. Crispy Pork Belly - Super flavorful! Tender inside, crunchy outside.Served with both chili lime and a sweet black sauce. A definite must-try. Pad Thai - Classic, balanced sweet and sour tamarind sauce with chewy rice noodles, egg, and bean sprouts. Pineapple Fried Rice - Honestly, this one was just okay. The base was more like a soy sauce fried rice, and the pineapple didn't really shine through. read more

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Another thai resto i dicovered in tiktok..ambiance was good,love the artworks on the wall ..food was authentic thai .tom yum soup was good , all of it!!!! Come try this place and the servers were amazing ..will come back for sure even if its a drive from natomas read more

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This Thai restaurant is cool spot. Fun art and and design The service was quick and our waiter was very nice and cracked a few jokes As with any establishment that usually serves spicy food, the restaurant is very cold but that is to be expected and embraced when you eat spicy food The food came out fairly quick and was fantastic. We had the drunken noodles and the portions were big. I had to take some leftovers home. We also had this green avocado curry. Took a chance and it didnt disappoint. Creamy curry with a good hint of avocado mixed it. Definitely recommend this place read more

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Ordered at 6:30 with estimated pick up time at 7:06, I waited in the restaurant until 7:50 with nothing to show for. The employee had told me they are working on it originally, but when I asked him 40 minutes later he proceeded to take new orders and do other things, not once did he go check on it. There was another few guests asking for refunds and tons of people waiting. I had to ask for a refund in the end, totally not worth my time coming here again. read more

I love the energy here. The customer service is great and lively. The interior is dark, but it fits the vibe perfectly with the artwork and neon signs. It's giving "night out with the girls", minus the club-just good food and good energy. It's also a cozy spot that brings family and friends together. I've ordered the boat noodles several times, and this is the closest I've found to my favorite spot in Fresno. I've tried many places in Sacramento, but most taste like straight beef paste, which isn't for me. I expect more depth, flavor, and aroma. The broth here is a bit sweet on the first sip, which is ehh, but it's easy to adjust with the spices they have on the side. If you're like me, adding the pickled jalapeño juice is a must. One tip: ask for the pork skin on the side. When it's served on top of the noodles, it ends up feeling stale once it soaks in the broth, which is unusual. Their portions are generous and the food overall is solid. One improvement I'd suggest is for the drunken noodles. When I tried it, it tasted like fried oil, almost like Chinese beef chow fun. The flavor was lacking, or maybe the oil overpowered everything else. Their papaya salad is bomb. We substitute the meatloaf for extra jerky. You can tell the papaya is hand-cut based on the different shapes and sizes. I prefer thinner cuts, but that's just personal preference. read more

Rao Thai Eatery - Laos Papaya Salad and Boat Noodle - Thai Near Me - Elk Grove, California

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Rao Thai Eatery is a great little restaurant with an eclectic feel, deep in Elk Grove. Great service and the food flavors are balanced with the spice. You can also adjust your preferred spice level. Started off with the Oyster Shooters - Fresh oyster in chili lime sauce topped with crispy garlic and onion. I had to order my Thai go-to-dish, Drunken Noodle with chicken - flat noodle, white onion, bell pepper, in spicy garlic sauce and a touch of basil. The Pineapple Curry with chicken was another winner - Pineapple chunks, bell peppers, coconut milk in red curry sauce with touch of basil. If you are in that area, it is definitely a must try. read more

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Really solid place! Green Thai Curry and Pad Thai were great! Portion sizes were more than enough to share and inside decor was very unique. read more

Rao Thai Eatery - Green Curry - Thai Near Me - Elk Grove, California

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I've driven past Rao's Thai Eatery so many times and have always wanted to stop in -- especially after hearing so many good things about their boat noodles. I finally decided to try it today, and I'm so glad I did! The noodle boat was absolutely delicious -- rich, flavorful, and totally lived up to the hype. The portion was generous, and everything tasted fresh and authentic. It definitely did not disappoint! I'm already looking forward to coming back and trying more dishes from the menu. The service was wonderful -- friendly and attentive -- and the cozy ambience made the whole experience even better. If you've been thinking about stopping by, do yourself a favor and go -- you won't regret it! read more

Rao Thai Eatery - Thai Near Me - Elk Grove, California

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Food was terrific! The inside was so cute as well. Ordered the pad Thai and drunken noodle, but really wanted to try the pineapple fried rice, probably save that for next time. The service was exceptional and our server was the sweetest! Highly recommend for cute lunch dates as I did with my homegirl that day. read more

Rao Thai Eatery - Pad See Ew Noodle - Thai Near Me - Elk Grove, California

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Rao is one of my favorite places to eat at when im back in EG. Ive been going here since high school and the food is solid. I haven't been back here in a couple years and the interior was nicely decorated. The restaurant is small and cozy. I ordered the pad thai, level 8 spicy and it was not too spicy which I appreciate. I ordered the pad thai with beef, and wish they included a little more beef and egg. The service was great for a busy Wednesday night and my waitress was attentive and served us as quick as possible. read more

Rao Thai Eatery - Pad Thai Noodle - Thai Near Me - Elk Grove, California

The fried chicken skins are a must. Season well and super crispy! The Thai tea/coffee are also a must try. Sooooo good and refreshing. Perfect for hot weather! The boat noodle soup is one of the best I've had. They had a special of mince meat over rice with eggs and cucumber; I really liked that. We ordered the papaya tray that came with pork rinds, cha lau (Vietnamese pork sausage), egg, cabbage, and the best beef jerky that I have ever had. Price and/to portion is reasonable, service was good and they have their own private parking. read more

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Food was delicious! Got the avocado curry and drunken noodles. Staff was nice and served us quickly. The restaurant was well decorated read more

Rao Thai Eatery - Drunken noodles, avocado curry - Thai Near Me - Elk Grove, California

Good a variety of plates, the curry sauce one had moderate spice levell, sticky rice, entry was warm / inviting and friendly lot of locals eating there that night. Got our food and took out the order. read more

Rao Thai Eatery - Thai Near Me - Elk Grove, California

I live in this neighborhood and used to get their boat noodle often. Unfortunately their prices have gone up and portion size down. I have tried a couple other dishes/plates from here, including the papaya salad and it was only ok. Customer service-wise, they have young people working at the counter often and they are not very friendly. I always call in for a pickup order and I often have to wait 20+ minutes when I get there (even waiting 10-15 before I leave the house) for one order of boat noodle. And when you do bring the order home, you better eat it right away or you would just be eating soup with the noodle chunks that have turned into mush because they crammed the super super SUPER blanched noodle into one of those chinese takeout box. Although I would like to support a neighborhood restaurant, unfortunately I am over it. read more

Dropped by for dinner and this was my first time eating there. I usually take it to go. The place is good sized, with great customer service, and a fun interior. My only concern was the restroom cleanliness. Asides from that everything else was great. We had the drunken noodles, pork belly and wonton soup with glass noodles, and everything was delicious! Rich and flavorful! Highly recommend this place. read more

Rao Thai Eatery - Drunken Noodle and pork belly - Thai Near Me - Elk Grove, California

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This was my second time coming back to Rao Thai Eatery! It was a bit busy for a late Tuesday night dinner and full of other Asian customers, which I think are a pretty good signs. The food still came out quicker than expected and tasted great! Crispy chicken skin with the sauce is a nice snack and the crispy pork was well cooked. The crying tiger steak was a bit tough but the sauce is tasty. I also enjoyed their spicy thai fried rice a lot and would probably order that again. The staff are all nice too and the restaurant has some interesting artwork and decor to look at while you wait a bit. read more

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Super delicious. Ordered the chicken larb and pad see ew. Would say the cabbage given with the larb is rather small finger width pieces that I could not scoop the larb with. Larb and beef pad see ew was delicious nonetheless and would recommend. Spice levels were a little confusing 1-10. Ordered spice level 5 and was around spice level of a hot cheeto but I have a pretty good spice tolerance so results may vary. read more

Good food. The pumpkin curry was a little salty. And wish there was more pumpkin chunks. And The crispy chicken skin was delicious. read more

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