This restaurant is very special to me because my parents owned a restaurant at this exact location in 1995-1999: when I was age 2-7. It was called Cracovia and it was a Polish buffet. We lived above the restaurant during that time period. My dad was the chef and my mom ran the restaurant. I love Real Thai because the food is fresh, flavorful, and authentic. Everything that we ate was delicious, especially the fried mussel pancake! I usually only order pad Thai at Thai restaurants, but I decided to branch out and order the pancake...and I'm so glad I did! It was crispy and even my 4 year old liked it. Service was attentive and the food came out quickly. We will definitely be back here again...both for the nostalgia and for the delicious food. read more

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Always enjoy our meals there. Not sure how people can deal with hot level 5 Love how fast pickup orders are ready. read more

My review is based on my experience of having eaten here more than 5 times (carry out/take out). I have never eaten inside the restaurant. I have ordered shrimp pad thai. Their pad thai without any meat is $14.50 but if you add any protein it will cost $2 to $3.50 more (depending on protein choice). I like the chicken pad thai better than shrimp. I have had "hit or miss" experiences with shrimp pad thai. On a few occasions, the shrimp was overcooked, so it was not tender. I have also tried the Tom Yum soup ($7.95) and won ton soup ($8.25), which are both pretty good. I usually pour hot water in my won ton soup to dilute the broth since it is too salty for MY taste. I have also tried the real thai rolls made with fresh rice paper and filled with shrimp, REAL crab meat, spring mixed greens, mint leaves and a delicious homemade sauce (this is a very good starter as an appetizer and they are large rolls that can be cut in half and shared with 4 people). These are $8.75 for 2 large rolls. I don't go here very often due to the higher price points of other thai food restaurants I have frequented. It can easily cost 2 people anywhere from $40 to $60; I order from this restaurant twice a year. It's not my "go to" thai food restaurant since I find it rather pricey. I like ordering online, paying online, driving to the restaurant and picking up my food. It is not easy to spot this joint from the street. It is located on the south side of Irving Park Rd a few doors away from an auto shop. It is street parking only, but there is a tiny business next door to the restaurant. When the small business is closed, one can park there to pick up/carry out food. The restaurant itself does NOT have a parking lot. Parking on the street is FREE though. My 4-star review is based on my own experiences having had their food more than 5 times over the last several years. A few weeks ago I ordered 1 shrimp pad thai, 1 chicken pad thai and 1 thai rolls and it was $40.75 (excluding tax). I ordered "to go" so I do NOT tip if I am going to pick it up myself. It easily came close to almost $45 read more

It's safe to say that I've finally found my go-to neighborhood thai spot! Stuck with the basics just to get a feel for the place. Ordered delivery directly from their website and you can get 10% off with the code "realthai"! I ended up ordering the papaya salad, beef pad Thai, and of course a thai ice tea. I got spicy level 2 for both. The papaya salad was SPICY but delicious and light. The pad thai was pretty solid too. The thai ice tea was perfect!! Will be ordering again in the future :) read more

Real Thai Restaurant - Pad Thai - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Consistently good. Never had a bad experience or meal. Staff is polite and welcoming. Food is fantastic. If you have a taste for Thai food, this is the spot. read more

Pleasantly surprised by how good this was. Purchased via GrubHub Pad Thai with Tofu wasn't salty and there's a good amount. I think the flavors are authentic too. Grilled pork with spicy sauce with sticky rice was good. The spicy sauce is very unique and light :) My 2.5yo enjoyed both of them. I also ordered a Thai iced Tea and they did so well packaging for the drive. The cup was in a bag that was securely tied and then in a to-go box too. read more

From the street, the entrance does not exactly pull you in, but the moment we stepped inside with Jonathan the vibe shifted. Warm lighting and a soft buzz made the space feel instantly comfortable. The room is long and narrow with tables along the sides and a few toward the center, cozy and inviting. The food was truly delicious, and I would happily come back the next time we are in the neighborhood. Prices are a bit high for the portion sizes, and there was just one person taking orders and serving, so we waited a little. I am not sure if that is the norm, but the flavors made the visit worthwhile, and I think it is worth stopping in to see what you think. read more

Everything I've ever tried from here was delicious. My fave is their spicy wonton tom yum soup! Don't forget the spicy chicken wings as a starter! read more

Real Thai Restaurant - Spicy Wonton tom yum soupwonton - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Was there Saturday. Sad to say it needs a Good cleaning The windows are disgustingly dirty. Floor sticky. Please fix it was good. Smells inside read more

This is one of my mother-in-law's favorite Thai restaurants. Not sure if it's because it's near her home or because the staff recognizes her and greets her warmly. The food was pretty good and we will probably return. It wasn't too crowded, which is a bonus. read more

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Great food overall. The best crab rangoon I have tasted. The food is very spicy so be careful how you order.

My brother and I went here for dinner. My brother has really been wanting to try Thai food and found this spot not to far from his house. We walked in and was seated immediately. The servers were very nice and welcoming. We started off with potstickers and grilled king oyster mushrooms for appetizers my brother had a wonton soup for his appetizer. The king oyster mushrooms were fantastic. I am a big fan of mushrooms. The potstickers were great. The wonton soup had to be some of the best wonton soup I've ever had. Anytime I eat Thai food I order the pad see ewe. That was very good. My brother has the 3 seasoned fish. Very good as well. The place was very clean and energy was great. I will definitely come back. read more

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I can only speak to their food quality because I do take out but they hit the mark for all the Thai standards like Pad Thai, spring rolls, and Tiger Cry. The restaurant looks quaint and the staff are helpful. read more

This place is a hidden gem! The food is delicious and so reasonably priced! It's our go to Thai restaurant.

such a hidden gem! on my list for top thai restaurants in chicago all the food was super flavorful and we loved all three dishes. the papaya salad with crab paste was very authentic and strong in flavor that we loved. the pad kee mao and three flavor deep fried fish were super tasty in its own way. we got a spice 3 and thought it was perfect if you like spicier food. i think any higher would've been overkill for us. overall, it might be on the saltier side, but i didn't mind too much service was good and for a thursday night it was packed. truly so excited to come back next time to try other dishes and get the papaya salad again! read more

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Basil fried rice was really good. I highly recommend it. Service was attentive also. I'll be going back to Real Thai Restaurant. read more

We came here for an early weekday dinner after arriving from O'hare Airport. The drive wasn't as quick as we hoped because of a lot of traffic and red lights on the local roads on the way. Service was good as the waitress was attentive and helpful with suggestions. We ordered vegetarian spring rolls, Pad See Ew and Northeastern curry. The first two items were excellent. The curry, however, was more like a soup (with a lot of broth) and packed with fresh dill that overpowered the dish. My wife hated it and I wouldn't get it again. The dining room was pleasant but not terribly exciting and the rack of maneki-neko were a bit much. I got tired of watching the gold things waving at me. Prices were comparable to other restaurants in the area as were portion sizes. I would definitely come here again and avoid sitting near the cats. read more

This is a really authentic Thai restaurant (I'm Thai) that specializes in Northern Thai Issan type of cooking. Best bet is their Larb Gai (chicken salad), jungle curry, and Papaya salad (they have around 3 versions). I would rank this in the top 3 Thai restaurants in Chicago. The other 2 being Thai Tuk Tuk on Clark and Ghin Khao in the Pilsen area parking sucks though and it's by O'Hare suburb read more

I LOVE this place, words cant describe how much I love it. The ambiance is so beautiful and cozy. It feels like I am on vacation. Now dont get me started on how delicious the pad thai is The only place where I can get good pad thai! So yummy and just the service is quick and fast while efficient. 100/10 recommended read more

This place is truly delicious and and authentic. I've tried soooo many Thai places and nothing beats this restaurant. The ambiance is truly cozy, service is great and food is top tier. Amazing food for good price and portion. If I can-- I never get my Thai food from anywhere else but here. Didn't get the squid appetizer this time but I'd highly recommend cause it's DELISHH read more

Real Thai Restaurant - Pad Thai - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Enjoyed the Chx Pad Thai and it was delicious. Looking forward to try more dishes in the near future.

The food is fresh & wonderful! When I go there (which is every week) my friend and I feel that we are treated graciously by the personable and attentive Owner and wait staff. I am working my way through the entire mouthwatering menu and plan on starting over again once I achieve this goal! The ambiance of the space is great, and I luv to watch a particular food expert that is on a tv showing great Thai food delights some of which are in the restaurants menu! Can't wait until warmer weather to experience their outdoor space too! read more

My love and I were in the area to take care of business, and we decided to have an early midweek dinner at Real Thai Restaurant on Irving Park Road. I immediately did not notice the déjà vu, but later I realize that we had dined at this location a few years ago when it was Caponie's serving Italian food. Now we came here to enjoy some Thai food. Service was pleasant, and we had plenty of water to drink. The water came in handy when I was gasping from swallowing a pungent peppercorn from my Pad Kee Mao dish. You can choose your level of spiciness, so I went with mild as our server mentioned that medium was still pretty spicy. Indeed my dish with chicken, bell peppers, green beans and baby corn had a nearly sweet flavor which I liked, and I avoided one pepper that looked spicy though the peppercorn tricked me. I decided to ask for crispy noodles for a dollar upcharge - I have never had these large flat noodles served crispy at any Thai restaurant. Alas the noodles came out extra crunchy, almost like hard tortilla chips. The flavor was good overall, but I won't do crispy style flat noodles again. My love ordered crab fried rice, and she had enough for lunch the next day. She thought the crab was a bit light, but the cucumber slices were good. The Real Thai menu has a "secret" section of special Thai dishes, but they may be a bit too "real" for our taste buds. read more

It was AMAZING, flavorful food. The service was excellent as well. Everything that was ordered between the five people in our party was just excellent. read more

Every time I walk out of this restaurant I always want to go back in for another entree! I have always enjoyed their food, very tasty. I have tried many Thai restaurants in the Chicago area and always feels Real Thai is the best. The ambiance is nothing to speak of but the food is great. Service is attentive. Give it a try, you won't be disappointed read more

The food is as good as Thai gets in the US. Unassuming location, great dining surprise the ratings are real. Most interesting service. read more

My cousin lived in the area and we ordered takeout. Some of the best Thai food ever. It's been a few years now I am a huge regular best Thai food I've ever had in my life, including their secret menu. Huge family style portions if you eat there. The most amazing flavors. The service is always friendly and attentive. The location is on the smaller side so you don't have to fight huge crowds. Hands-down, the best Thai food I've had in Chicago. read more

Craving for some good Thai food, esp som tum ! Yelp came to rescue! Real Thai proved to be worth the drive! We got everything from their Thai menu, the one thing I forgot to order was the sticky rice for my crab som tum! Husband ordered the Northeastern Thai curry, which was the star of the night, surprisingly! They recommended going with all vegetables (ie no protein), and the dish was really delightful and refreshingly spicy. I know what I would get next time! read more

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One of the best authentic thai food in Chicago!!! This place is a must try! Really loved how their menu is staying true to thai food. Wife approves! 5 star authentic restaurant. Fried whole fish is a must try! Pad thai is very good too! (One of the best in Chicago) not overly sweet, just enough wok/smoky taste, not too orange!!! Papaya Salad - it's good and spicy! Nice blend of flavors though, and we cant stop eating it even though our mouths were on fire!! Chitterlings - these are grilled instestines and its good, especially if you grew up eating exotic/bizarre foods! Thai Iced Tea - please order this! You won't regret. Perfect blend. Not too sweet, not too bitter! It's good and perfect with spicy food! Service: Great! Nice and welcoming. Food came out HOT (both temperature and spice Haha!)!!! Ambiance: normal authentic restaurant vibe. You are not coming here for the vibe. Come here for the FOOD! Parking can be difficult, on street parking only. read more

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We must have caught them on an off day, because we truly didn't feel the food we had was the best Thai we've ever had. The curry was easily the most flavorful dish, and although the serving was small, was the one we would reorder. The pad Thai just wasn't as flavorful as are used to, and the fried rice was a little under fried, and actually borderline soggy. The crab Rangoons were decent; not at all greasy. Everything was totally fine, we would just prefer our local Thai spot instead since nothing was mind blowing here. read more

The food is expensive, sickening sweet, and not well prepared. I can't imagine going back. Even Jess Café, which isn't a Thai restaurant has better Thai cuisine. We generally go to places on Broadway for authentic Thai food, but thought we'd try this. I know it has lots of good reviews, but I'm betting those people have never had real Thai food. read more

Thai food is my absolute favorite food ever! And Real Thai Restaurant in Chicago has been the best Thai food I have had up to date. This place is very authentic, they put the real in real Thai Food lol!!! I've been getting so lucky with all the restaurant I have been trying lately. The service was great, everyone was so kind! What we ordered: 1. Pad Thai (chicken) 10/10 I love that this isn't dry! It was perfect! Pad Thai is my go to all the time. Pad Thai has tamarind in it, so it's sour, sweet, can be citrusy and spicy at the same time too. 2. Pad See Ew (chicken) 10/10 Not dry either, noodles and flavor were on point! Pad See Ew is less sweet than Pad Thai and more of a soy sauce stir fry! 3. Grilled Squid 10/10 Sauce is the perfect match! 4. Shrimp in a blanket 10/10 Great appetizer! 5. Classic Crispy Chicken Wings 10/10 Very crispy, kids go to so I have heard! 6. Three Flavored Deep Fried Fish 10/10 Demolished within 5 minutes! 8. Fried Tofu 10/10 Crispy, they really do an amazing job with sauce pairing! 7. Classic Papaya Salad 10/10 This is spicy! I have a high spice tolerance and it def has a kick, others in our party were not big fans of the spice! So if you have a high tolerance you will enjoy this! 9. Panang Curry (chicken) 10/10 Tastes amazing, however it only had all chicken, wish they added some vegetables in there too! 10. Crispy Fried Muscle Pancake 10/10 Please try this if you have never had it! Crispy, not sure what it's made with. I'm assuming it has eggs in it. It's laid on top of bean sprouts and a sauce I never had either! It's a must try! 11. Iced Lemon Grass Tea 10/10 Never had anything like this! This is a must!!! Very refreshing, it's a sweet lemon grass tea. Normally I don't like drinking and eating at the same time yet every sip in between spicy and other flavors in thai food was incredible! We came with a party of 7 people. If we came with a large group, I would order all of this all over again. However next time I come here and it's only me and one other person this is what I would order: - Pad See Ew - Papaya Salad - Crispy Fried Muscle Pancake - Iced LemonGrass Tea Thank you again Real Thai, we all were very happy and full! I can't wait to come back when I visit Chicago again! read more

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Will not be returning. Real Thai Rolls missed the mark. Need a microscope to find the crab meat. Didn't taste freshly made. Worst chicken sate ever. Dry, chewy, tasteless. Didn't even taste like chicken. Plus, unpleasant odor... plumbing problems? read more

I am in love with their food! Go there very often that I almost know everyone there now Food is amazing, restaurant is clean, service is wonderful. Best Thai restaurant in town. And again I'm Thai and I guarantee you that their food is authentic read more

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Food is always fresh and tasty. Great staff interaction and amazing customer service from the order taker to the delivery person. Highly recommended. read more

Food here is 5 plus. The taste is just like in Thailand, especially the Lao food. There's also a special Thai menu. We ordered Somtam, Tom zap, chicken wings, grilled pork, tiger cry, and chicken satay. All were very tasty and reasonably priced. read more

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Unfortunately chicken satay was extremely dry this time around, that shrimp rolls lacked flavor. Will be awhile until we order again. Maybe they were having an off night. read more

Finally tried this place out. Opted for a to-go order of Chicken Pad Thai and Fish Cakes (tod mun). Five fishcakes to the order - larger than most I've seen - maybe a little pricier than what I've experienced on average. Nicely cooked - the cucumber sauce that came with them was pretty good too. I asked for a medium spicy chicken pad thai order and it was about right. I've come to learn thatwhen I order "medium spicy" at most Thai places, it comes out with heat that pushes the envelope for me. Just barely tolerable, but not so hot that I couldn't enjoy the dish and everything else within it. Was told 15 minute wait - I'd say it was less than 10 minutes, so they scored on that front! I'll go back again at some point! read more

This place was just the way those yelpers rated it, DELECTABLE . I enjoyed my meal & I left full & happy. I have the classic papaya salad a try & it came with the usual heat that sneaks up on you. Whew the heat on that papaya salad just kept coming, but I loved it. It was tasty & my finally dish was the classic chicken fried rice. You can't go wrong with a good chicken fried rice. I'll have to come back to try those wangz. Give them a try. read more

Real Thai Restaurant - Classic Papaya Salad - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Staff is very kind and the food is excellent quality for the price! Absolutely recommend. read more

Real Thai Restaurant - Shrimp Shumai - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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