Literally the only Thai spot we'll go to and stating this from being a resident in uptown, Lakeview, River north, River west, and west loop. Note we do still sneak in a stop at pho's spicy thai but this is equal. Freshest vegetables, leanest meats. And heat that finally comes through vs having to dump siracha all over. We order for pick up 1/x a month and the 5 stars are due to the consistency of quality. I love Talay and and hope they continue what they're doin! read more

Really good and really fresh! Both the sushi and the pad Thai were incredible. We ordered delivery and it came under 45 minutes which was great. read more

This place has definitely become one of my top sushi places in Chicago. Each time I've visited they've been extremely consistent. The food is excellent. The service is good. Everything is made fresh to order and they serve you with a sense of promptness. I have had quite a few rolls. However, my favorites are the Philly and the Talay rolls. YUM. Today, I tried some of the plum wine (it's 5pm somewhere) which was pretty good. Sweet ,but, not overwhelming and it paired nicely with the salty soy sauce and the salmon in the Philly. It even went well with the Talay which has a bit of a sweet sauce on it but the two crosses each other out so you were left with a nice flavor. I would recommend this place over and over again. While it isn't the best deal, it's worth the money you spend. Only complaint would be the lack of parking. Hey, even the music selection is always on point. Next time I'll take pictures of my meal so you all can see it. read more

Talay Chicago - Can't beat a menu. - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The Mongolian beef was great. Average maybe a little less than average portion, but the taste was excellent.

Best veggie sushi we've ever had. They always hit the mark every time. Consistent. Fantastic. Can't recommend highly enough. Eat their sushi! read more

The service here during COVID was great. We were able to order the food through yelp, and by the time we drove over, it was ready. There is parking in front of the restaurant that gives you space to wait for your food. It would be nice if they had an in car service, but even without it, they had quick and friendly service. Now the food. The food was delicious. The soup was still warm when we got home. The curry was perfect with the white rice. The noodles were cooked perfectly. An excellent little place for people in Chicago looking for quick bite of Thai food. read more

The ambiance is very cozy but the food itself was lacking. We ordered crab rangoons, shrimp Shumai, pad see ew and the Godzilla roll and we did not finish one item. The noodles had a very weird smell to them- it literally smelled like dog food and everything else was lacking flavor. Even with the table full when we left the server never asked us how everything was tasting or if we liked it read more

My first & favorite Thai/Sushi place in Chicago to order delivery and stop by for a quick lunch right around the corner from my office. Talay waitstaff is extremely friendly and helpful - they always get me in quick and the sushi chef always makes me the most beautiful designs it's almost too pretty to eat! Veggie egg rolls and Miso Soup to start. I enjoy spicy rolls and the Mexico is by far my favorite. Plenty of fish, spicy flavor with the jalapeño, avocado and colorful tobiko. Caterpillar, Volcano, Dragon, Godzilla and Snow White are all great rolls too. The Thai dishes are delicious - veggie/rice plates are my go-to but Talay has really good noodles as well. Never had a bad meal here. read more

Talay Chicago - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I just finished a long work out and I was ready to eat a lot so I checked out Talay, the environment is quaint and I liked the music. They have a good lunch special for two rolls and the pad Thai was delicious. read more

Talay Chicago - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Walking down the street you might walk past it multiple times without knowing how amazing this place is. This is a hidden gem in the neighbourhood & did I mention it is BYOB Ambiance it is very clean, cozy and has perfect lighting for a date night. It is the perfect place to watch a Hawks or Bulls game. Most people in the neighbourhood come in for carry out Staff is always quick to bring an ice bucket and wine glasses. When I couldn't remember what I had previously ordered they told me after I showed them the picture. They are attentive and make sure you have enough water. The food is always so good with beautiful presentation. Every time I order a new combination of sushi dishes I am excited to see how it looks. The sushi is always fresh and every time I order something new I am pleasantly surprised. read more

Talay Chicago - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My go-to, sushi favorite restaurant in Chicago! My fiancé and I literally come or order delivery once a month (maybe even weekly )! It's amazing, flavorful, fresh, affordable, BYOB and has amazing presentation. It's got everything! Stick to the sushi and you won't be disappointed. My new favorites are the Salmon Avocado Maki (salmon is so fresh and it's a good sized portion) and the Snow White Roll (shrimp tempura, Avocado, cucumber and white tuna in a huge roll)! Three rolls is enough to fill up 2 people, but if you wanna overindulge, the Tuna Lover roll and Hot Sea rolls are not to be passed up! read more

Talay Chicago - Middle: Salmon Avocado; Right: Snow White; Top: Godzilla - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Came here for lunch and was impressed with the service. Our waitress was adorable and had a smile from ear to ear whenever she came up to the table. The food came out fast and was presented beautifully. Was not too impressed with the Mongolian Beef, but loved the sushi and bento box. Also- they put caps on their community sauces- that means everything to me!! There is alcohol served here but you can also BYOB read more

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Ordered delivery and was super impressed! Great red curry! Lots of veggies and just the right amount of spice. Was steaming hot when it arrived too! read more

Pad Kee Mao (drunken noodles) were very tasty. Lots of chicken and good flavor profile. Medium spice was not spicy though. Will def try again and order hot. read more

Poor and disrespectful customer service; was served by a small female who looked and acted like a teenager; yelled across the room, "table for two" and got angry when she couldn't hear us; acted like it was an inconvenience for her for us to dine in; probably why service is so slow read more

Delicious food, great service. What's not to love? Thoroughly enjoyed the Tom Yum Veggie soup to start. It was so flavorful and fresh. Then I had the Pad Woon Sen with chicken. Also quite yummy, and they don't skimp you on the chicken. Really nice waitress who didn't mind that I was on a conference call for work while I ate. She kept my water glass full and was smiling during each visit to my table. I love that they have sushi AND cooked entrees/noodle dishes available. There is something for everyone here. This was my first visit here; I'll absolutely be back many times to try other dishes. read more

Came in today for lunch with my girlfriends. Surprised to see that this place wasn't super busy, considering it's perfect location. 3 out of the 4 girls were first timers and it being my first time I was very intrigued with their Thai & Sushi options I couldn't decide! The atmosphere is super laid back, a bit dark - even with the large open windows. One thing I should mention, I loved to over order when it comes to sushi, and being a table of 4 it was pretty tight, ask for a larger table if you know you intend to EAT! We really had to Tetris the hell out of our plates and drinks to get everything on! Half our party was running late and two of us ordered ahead, I went with the Sushi Lunch Special -- you really can't beat that special! I ordered the Asparagus Tempura and the Sweet Potato Tempura Roll, extra spicy mayo! In addition to my Sushi rolls I ordered the Tempura Appetizer. I didn't wait too long for my order to come out and I was pretty excited to dig in! Both my sushi rolls tasted fresh, not too packed with rice, and their spicy mayo was on point! I can say the very same for my Tempura dish, everything tasted fresh - wish it were a bit heftier, I was tempted to order a second one but decided it would be too much. Because My dishes were simple, I am giving Talay 4 stars -- with the intention of returning and having a go with their Thai dishes! Service was pretty great, our server who seemed to be the only one on the floor was very attentive. Our drinks were refilled without asking and we were often asked how things were and if there was anything else we needed. I couldn't have asked for more! Overall my girlfriends and I loved the place, it was a great place to meet and catch up! I definitely have every intention to return to taste their Thai food! One thing that I have to repeat is how great their lunch special is, check it out! Stay tuned! I'll be back for Thai! read more

Talay Chicago - Lunch Special is right on the money! Can't beat it! Asparagus & Sweet Potato Tempura Rolls!! - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This review is for delivery, but I'll be sure to check the restaurant out if i'm in the area! We ordered one Fried Fresh Philly roll which is raw salmon, avocado, and cream cheese flash fried-tasty! Good ration of filling-to-rice and lightly fried so as not to be too heavy. A small order of the Tom Kha Chicken was a delicious lime juice and coconut soup brimming with two kinds of mushrooms and various herbs as well as plenty of chicken. It was tangy and creamy and filling for the size. Finally my SO ordered the Kao Soy which came in a sweet and savory brown sauce, thin rice noodles, crunchy noodles, red and green bell peppers, herbs, and a slice of lime. The chicken in this was plentiful. Very sweet-we added hot sauce, but it was tasty and authentic. Delivery was packaged very well and with care. Solid sushi AND Thai under the same roof and affordable is hard to come by! We will be back. read more

While in the West Loop meeting a friend for dinner before going to a nearby concert venue, Talay Chicago was our meeting point. Nice sized restaurant, albeit empty, it was a good gathering spot. I had a tom yum soup that hit the spot. The baby egg rolls with a side of plum sauce were also good. The winner was the bowl of kow soy. This is not a Thai dish that many Thai restaurants in the Chicago area serve, so getting it at Talay and it being extremely delicious was a huge plus. While it doesn't seem like a lot of people come to dine in, I did notice that they do a lot of pickup. There was a constant flow of customers coming to get carry-out. I shall have to return for a sampling of some other dishes. read more

The only decent Thai Food in the neighborhood. Excellent value, portion and quality. Lunch and Dinner prices are mostly below $10. LUNCH SPECIALS -- about $1 less than regular price plus super sized Thai veggie eggroll. See photos for selections. PAD SEE EW with Chicken ($7.95) -- the most aromatic preparation in Chicago. Shareable. Balanced ingredients with slightly more chicken than noodles. Slightly salty when heated as leftover. THAI ICED TEA ($2.95) -- it's amusing that the price is half of lunch meal. Just right balance of sweetness and ice. Mug seems bigger than others. VENUE -- clean. Simple. Cramp middle tables. The first establishment to have covers on spouts (soy sauce, and sweet n sour sauce). Lids are impeccably clean. SERVICE -- pleasant. Joy's body language initiated the traditional Thai greeting of "wai". Excellent manners. And she said goodbye when I left even though I was trying to sneak out. read more

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Great Thai food - and the vibe is authentic! Big portions and reasonable prices - now my go-to for Thai in the neighborhood.

Great food and very affordable, but for the love of all things awkward they really need to do something about the ambiance. There's barely any music in the background and the restaurant is pretty quiet to begin with so you can hear almost everyone's conversation and they can hear yours. Definitely not an advised location to have a private dialogue. Besides that though everything was excellent. There's sushi and thai,the portions are large and again it's super affordable especially cause it's BYOB. If you're not shy and don't care if others are all up in your business then you have zero problems, but if so you may want to just order take out. read more

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I had never heard of Talay before, but saw it on the listing of establishments participating in sushi week. What won us over was it's BYOB and we love venturing to West Loop for the free parking. Our reservations were at 7:30pm. The place is cute, but we were a little taken aback there was absolutely no one there. That's hard to believe after trying there food....everything was amazing!!! We were there from 7:30pm till close at 10:00 and had the whole restaurant to ourselves. There were many people stopping in for pick up orders though and I believe they also do delivery. It was already a good night cause I got to hang with my "black version" of sex and the city crew :) The service was great! Our waitress was really friendly and fast. We were starving and our meals were prepared fresh and brought out to us moments after ordering. We started with the Crab Rangoon, Shrimp cakes, and Thai rice. I'm not a huge fan of fried food, but it was sooo good! They had some sort of red sauce at the table we paired with the Thai rice and it really brought out the flavor. Now onto the sushi...which I was extremely impressed with the presentation. It looked like a work of art. (Please definitely view pictures). We ordered 3 rolls (Godzilla (1/2 off during sushi week), Black Hawk, and Black Pearl). All three were yummy, but my favorites were a tie between the Godzilla and the Black Pearl. We were stuffed! The rolls are extremely big...totally not complaining. You definitely get your money's worth. I must talk about the price because for this quality of food the price was really affordable. Since it's BYOB your already saving money, but between the four of us for all that food we paid about $17.00 apiece. Sushi week at Talay was a very enjoyable experience and we will be back for more sushi rolls and the excellent service of the staff. read more

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Consistency is key. This place has it down. Food and service seem to be spot on all the time. Finally a place that competes with the other Thai establishment down the street. An easy go-to spot for sushi and Thai cuisine and rifts on traditional Chinese. Talay is tucked away at ground level of a residential building and nearly missed with the current construction on Madison and Racine. The inside is fresh with wood throughout accented with dark chairs and booths. A few TVs are buzzing in the background really go unnoticed. Its a comfortable spot on Sunday evenings. You can get away with dinner for two for around $35-40 without drinks. Typically miso soup, appetizer, and two or three rolls does the trick. Soup is piping hot, rolls are fresh (godzilla roll, spicy crunchy tuna), and the crab rangoon have chunks of faux crab. Chinese entrees are lightly breaded and use chicken breast I believe versus the other fibrous cuts. I generally stick with the traditional Thai noodle dishes but have ventured off a few times. Service is always polite and non-obtrusive. Street parking available. Not a place you would typically drive out of your way for. I gather its serves a majority of the neighborhood crowd. If that's you I would certainly make a stop in or grab carry out. Great value for the price. No longer BYO since they have a wine & beers list. Kind of a bummer but the food keeps me coming back. read more

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FREE STREET PARKING *mic drop*. Seriously, we looked around outside for like 10 minutes for secret hidden parking signs. There were none. Not even a Rahm in sight. There are officially no excuses not to try this restaurant. I love Thai food and I love sushi and I was in the city soooooooo...in comes Talay. I was surprised at how cozy and cute the inside of the restaurant was. I felt very comfortable as soon as I walked in. It is a small place, so I would say it's best for no more than groups of 4. There is also a sushi bar you can sit at. We sat at a table, but I had a great view of the sushi chef expertly sharpening his knives (and I swear he did that the whole time we were there). Our waitress was very friendly and was attentive. I started off with an order of miso soup and summer rolls. The miso soup serving is huge and can easily be shared by two people. You get two of the summer rolls. Both were tasty. My husband and I both ordered noodles. I also got a spicy tuna roll to sample the sushi. The spicy tuna roll was so good-very fresh and the perfect amount of spice! My panang noodles with chicken had a great flavor to it (it's made with peanut butter!)-I only wish it had more meat in it. Ok, if it couldn't have more meat in it, then more noodles please to soak up the delicious sauce. Now I know that if I want Thai or sushi and I'm near the UIC area (which I am quite a bit), then I should drive a bit further to Talay. Deliciousness awaits! read more

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My girlfriend and I order from here atleast once per month and they never disappoint. In my opinion the best sushi place in Chicago. There are cheaper places that have great sushi but you can tell the difference in quality of the fish. My favorites are the black hawk and the black pearl. read more

I was pleasantly surprised by the delightful flavor profiles this Thai place has to offer! For the price (VERY REASONABLE) they manage to produce a variety of very different dishes that hold true to their names. I went with my family, so we ordered a couple dishes and shared. The Ginger Beef was so tasty. It had actual strips of fresh ginger which permeated the rest of the dish and were a nice spicy surprise whenever one snuck into your mouth. The Basil Duck was equally as good, but completely different flavor wise. Crispy fried basil leaves peppered this dish and added a nice peppery potpourri to balance the meatiness of the duck. We also had the Chicken Satay, baby eggrolls, cucumber salad, and mixed stir fried vegetables. Everything we ordered we managed to polish off... because we just could not stop. This will certainly be my go-to Thai place from now on. Can't wait to try something new! read more

Talay Chicago - How nice! Got a free coke with my delivery. Thanks Talay! - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great sushi and authentic Thai food. The ambiance is pretty nice as well. Will definitely be coming back!

5 star casual Thai joint, cozy and great service with a diverse menu of everything you could want. Papaya salad was super fresh and we spiced it up to our liking, otherwise was surprisingly bland in flavor. Usually our Thai food comes pre spiced, but adding chile on our own was a nice way to flavor to our liking. Both got red curry, one with chicken and one with tofu, and absolutely loved it. Great portions and nice amount of veggies in the curry which we loved! Normally places skimp out on the veg. Stellar tofu, nice and soft and nice rice to go with. Will be back! read more

Everything I've had here is really good! The service is friendly and quick. Sake, beer and wine is reasonably priced. Volcano roll is fantastic visually and taste wise and everything is always very fresh (even if picked up/delivered). Been meaning to write this review for awhile. I've had the Crab Rangoon (lots of cream cheese and light, crispy wontons), various sushi, Panang and green curry (don't usually care for curry but loved loved it here), cashew chicken (not slathered in sauce and lots of veggies), Mia soup (the small is still large with lots of tofu and miso) and I can't remember the rest but it was good too read more

this is my absolute favorite Thai place in for sure West Loop if not all of chicago. the drunken noodles and pad thai never miss. I wish they were open for lunch a little earlier tho. ily Talay read more

My bf and I have ordered Talay many times for takeout. We've always enjoyed it so we figured it was about time to actually go there and dine in. Well, two major pluses, BYOB...and free parking on Madison. If that doesn't get you in there alone, then read on... The food is always consistent and portions are quite large. Our favorite apps (that we order every time) are the baby egg rolls and the chive buns. I'm not really sure if that's what they are called but they have chives and are prepared in bun form. Both are delicious! We also usually order the chicken Thai fried rice and the apple salad...yum yum yum. Last night we decided to try the sushi. They have a decent roll list, although I will tell you, most of them consisted of tempura shrimp. Which is not necessarily a bad thing, but if you are a sushi connoisseur, then you might want to try elsewhere. We ordered the black pearl, the Idaho, and the volcano. The presentation was lovely and they were quite tasty as well. The servers at Talay are very friendly and the restaurant itself is quaint and serene. I will say for 7pm on a Saturday night it was pretty dead, although it did pick up a bit as we left. All in all, Talay is a fabulous little west loop gem that will satisfy your sushi/Thai needs. read more

Talay Chicago - The Black Pearl roll - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This is my go-to West Loop Thai place. The staff is friendly, prices reasonable and food flavorful. I get at least one Tom Yum soup every time I'm there. I like 90% of the noodle dishes (I'm not a big fan of peanut sauce, but love other penang sauces). read more

Talay Chicago - Blue crab roll - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

A rare gem! I was expecting simple Sushi and Thai, and pleasantly left with some extraordinary taste. I definitely recommend try before you decide. Also when they say spicy it means spicy hot!! I'm Indian and spicy food is in my taste buds but I had to drink 2 glasses of water to swallow that one.... Over all beautiful ambiance, friendly staff, slow but I didn't mind. read more

Talay Chicago - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

We got the shumai for $5.95. It's bite size. I thought it was really good. The shrimp was perfect. It's steamed well. It's actually a lot better without dipping it into the sauce. I ordered the kra prao gai sup for $11.95. It's ground chicken with basil, onions, green beans, and bell peppers. I got it with pieces of chicken instead of ground which I did not appreciate. I wanted it ground so I can get more of the sauce flavor into the meat. I was really disappointed by that. The pad Thai with chicken is $10.95. I would definitely order this again. It is one of the best pad Thais I've ever had. It has the right amount of sauce but not overbearing. It's flavorful. It's cooked well. The service was great! I really enjoyed it. They were were so nice and accommodating. They are attentive. I would come back again but I definitely would not get the kra prao gai sup ever again. read more

One of the best places in Chicago. Since the moment you walk in, you feel welcome. All the staff is super friendly and caring! We order 3 signature rolls ( we didn't realize how big they were) so our order was taking longer than usual. Our waitress apologized and brought us a complementary roll for the wait. When our rolls arrived it was amazing. They give you 10+ rolls so don't order a lot and the prices are really good! $13 for a signature 13 piece? Yas!!!! They are opening the patio soon so see you there!!!! Talaya signature roll was the best! read more

Talay Chicago - Black Pearl!! Jalapeño is hot! - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place is pretty good! I am so happy to have finally found a go to thai place near where I live. I would call it a bit of a hidden gem of West Loop - it's far enough west that it's out of the way of the crowds. Whenever I try a new Thai place, I try some basic dishes like pad thai and pad see eiw, which are pretty universal and therefore serve as good barometers for how good the restaurant is. Here, the pad thai and pad see eiw both have a good mix of flavors, the noodles are not soggy, the meat is cooked to the right temperature and, most importantly, the sauce is not overly sweet! Tried the baby egg rolls here as well - they are nice and crispy. Will definitely be back. read more

Delivery just made it to my door exactly 10 minutes after I put in the order. That's insane...even if I live a couple blocks down. Sushi and seaweed salad all packed nicely and a big helping of salad. Everything tasted great! read more

Talay Chicago - Delivery thoughtfully labeled with all the rolls. Ten minute delivery is probably a record for me with sushi. - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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pretty mid! the fried rice needed more flavor but the thai iced tea was decent! sake was good read more

Talay Chicago - thai iced tea was decent - Thai Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great sushi and pad tai. Wonderful service! The atmosphere is wonderful and you can byob which is excellent! I strongly recommend. read more