I would rather rate the Thai Kitchen with 4.5 stars if that were an option, but I love the food and ambiance there so much I'll go with the 5 stars! My biggest problem with this place is that I love their Thai Curry with Spaghetti Noodles so much that I can never talk myself into trying any other main course. Same with the dessert. I adore the mango sticky rice (which in fact finally inspired me to learn how to make it myself at home -- and I even went so far as to visit the Asian market and buy special cookware made especially for making sticky rice but which is also great for steaming large amounts of just about anything!) The Thai Tea on ice is Decadent with a capital D for all the sugar and caffeine, but is so delicious I let myself order it at least once every other year. Last but not least, considering how great the food is, the prices are really A-okay. Oh -- and I forgot to say that one of the things I love about this place is the HOT stuff. I LOOOOOOOOOOOVE hot stuff...!!! (Don't get the Thai Curry Spaghetti Noodles unless you really like hot stuff, okay? Okay!!) read more

Okay okay okay. Yo. All of my friends know, and I mean ALL of them know, this this is one of my FAVORITE places to eat in Austin. I mean, every time I come to Austin, I have to come here and get their noodle soup. It's like crack-- an addiction just waiting to happen. They have this bomb ass lunch special (even on the weekends!) that come with the soup of the day, and some entree. I never get the lunch special though. I usually get the yen toe-fu (#15 in the soup) and freakin' good. The soup is very citrusy and they give you a lot of seafood. You have to let your noodles soak in the soup to retain the flavor. I think my other favorite dish is #10, the ba mi num soup with duck. I can't even describe it, but I swear if you try it you'll fall in love too. Oh, and their coconut soup with chicken? Omgsh, it's SO good. If they put noodles in that soup, I would get it every time. 4 stars because as much as I love this place, sometimes the noodles are not as flavorful as I wish, but still, I love this place and come here every time I'm in town. read more

Thai Kitchen Haiku Better than Madam Mams food Try the green curry read more

It was as hot coming out as it was going in. My fiancée can hanlde hot food but this place made that Simpsons Chilli episode look like a joke. I tasted the chilli fish and as soon as I smelt it my phincter trembled in fear. I tasted the fish piece of tasty dish but as my tounge touched the inferno water streamed from my eyes, nose and gums. I sweated while a soft groan came from my arse - and I new I was in trouble. I still ate it, as I am a man. Fact. But JMJ when I woke up I knew the travel time from throat to freckle wouldn't be long. I strategically placed the toilet paper in the freezer and thank god I did. If felt like Satan was blowing chilli flames on my arse - not even Greek yogurt could fix it! Amazing food tho. Just don't test yourself. read more

We had a hankering for Thai food and new that Thai Kitchen was with a mixed reputation. However, it was late one Sunday afternoon and we didn't want to drive around finding a place to eat. Because of their location near UT, our expectation was that it would be a bit dingy, but the place looked dilapidated and the bathroom was worse. The staff was attentive for the most part, but given that we and one other group were the only ones there, that is to be expected. About every fourth time we eat out, we eat at an off hour, that time of day when you aren't quite sure if the person is the kitchen is the regular cook. Or, completely tapped out of energy. Overall, it was a miss because every item was just not made well. The BF ordered the chicken Pad Thai and crispy spring rolls and I ordered the Thom Yum Gai (chicken, lemongrass, and veggies) along with white rice. The Pad Thai didn't look that impressive and the sauce was goopey, like it had been sitting for too long and wasn't fresh. The crispy spring rolls were ok, but too greasy. My Thom Yum Gai was good at first, when it came out it was hot and so the aroma and taste were enticing. However, after several bites, I started to experience tomato overload. They really needed to balance the ingredients. Thai food is my favorite and so I do tend to be picky. I prefer fresh and diverse ingredients, lots of flavor, and a kick of spice. Since Thai Kitchen can't pull that off, I won't return. read more

THIS PLACE HAS HORRIBLE SERVICE. I've dined in twice and both times I honestly don't understand what the staff is doing. The first time I went with a party of 5, all the tables were pretty full and there was one guy ahead of us by himself. Then a bench table opened which was the only ideal seating for a larger group for a while since all the other tables were 4 people sized. There were 2 tables of 2 that were about to leave but there was no way they couldve combined those for a larger party. Anyways, they decided to put the ONE GUY at the big table. Honestly, they need to use their brain and seat people properly. Second time dining in....I asked one of the workers to order and he told me someone else would come. There were a total of 4 people walking around but ONLY ONE would take orders. When she finally did show up, I asked her what size the kebabs were and she flat out said "I don't know". Seriously?? If it weren't for the fact that their food tastes good, I would flat out never come back. My tip: Just order to go or get delivery. Dining in will just make your meal unenjoyable. read more

Best Pad Thai in Austin! Sure, the parking can be a little difficult at peak hours, but there's plenty more down 30th St - not a walk that's worth whining about. The Gatee Tom Yum Gai soup is great, as is the Musaman Curry. I've branched out to a few other things as well, and while I keep coming to my favorite pad thai and curry, everything I've had there is really good. Love the sticky rice desserts, too! They're open later than most places in Austin - fantastic late-night food when you get tired of Kerbey. read more

Let's just say before I ate here, I liked Thai food. After I ate here, I acquired an uncontrollable obsession for trying all things Thai. It is DELICIOUS!! They have the absolute best curries I have ever tried, and for the lovers of spicy, they don't shy away from making things as hot as what I'm sure the traditional recipes were meant to be. They have a dinner specials menu, full of five pepper spicy items, and they will make you cry and crave more at the same time-some of the most flavorful dishes ever. Order a Thai tea with anything off of this menu, you will need it! Their sticky rice and coconut ice cream is also divine, it's a perfect contrast of hot and cold, with a variety of textures that is unbeatable. Overall, this is undoubtedly the best Thai food in Austin-you will not be disappointed! read more

I received the worst service here! I went here on my birthday with a two friends. We were here for about twenty minutes and each ordered a plate. The food was fine, the service was ok. I paid using my visa card and left zero tip on the bill. I intended to leave tip cash. Why not right? But before I could pull out the cash, the waitress stopped me and said, "what's wrong with this bill?" I was certainly confused. "I don't know." She says, "there's no tip, that's what's wrong with it!" She then DEMANDS that her tip is written on the bill even though I told her that I would leave her tip in cash. I will never return here again. My money and time is better spent elsewhere. The food was decent, not above and beyond. read more

In a city packed to the brim with a diverse selection of Thai food, Thai Kitchen simply doesn't emerge from the pack. With it's popularity in Austin, I feel like it's viewed through rose-colored glasses, but at the end of the day Titaya's, Thai Tara, and Thai Passion all offer more in atmosphere and taste. Thai Kitchen's food is timid and particularly oily compared to the aforementioned restaurants. Granted, it has an excellent location and serves as a convenient lunch place, but I can't provide too many compliments outside of that. For the starving U. of Texas student, I would recommend Madam Mam's along the drag. It's not that Thai Kitchen is uniquely disappointing: it's a quaint building with authentic, tasty dishes. The curry is capable and the pad thai is on par. It's just that Thai Kitchen is in a competitive Thai market that is saturated with restaurants that taste so much better, while Thai Kitchen's food seems more saturated in oil read more

Cheap & cheerful. Cheap interior in a diner style. Big flat screen TV on the wall - why? This isn't a sports bar! I tried the massamun beef curry and was underwhelmed. Good Thai food should have a delicate balance between spicy heat, citrus and sweetness. The curry here was really sweet, with no citrus or real spice to balance it. With the wealth of other offerings, I probably won't get around to going here again anytime soon. read more

Very consistent. Fast service. A favorite of Silver St. Cloud. read more

Updated reviews were handled differently by Yelp in the past. I've left several reviews for this place, over the years. It's gone through lots of changes. You can get a feel for that if you scroll through my many reviews. A 2-Star review I left is not the one that appears with that rating. read more

I love Thai Kitchen. I've been going to this location as well as others for years. The food can vary quite a bit from time to time... but most of the time it's pretty solid and pretty tasty. I really like their hot and sour soup, as well as the coconut milk lemongrass soup with tofu. The Phat Thai is pretty standard, but tasty. They have some deceptively hot chilies in some dishes. watch out for the little green ones. Some of the hottest food I've ever eaten. The family that runs this location are always very nice, and sometimes quite amusing. I remember once I was there with a friend, and she asked the lady what she'd recommend...what she likes to eat... and the lady said: I don't know... I don't eat this stuff... :) Also, it's BYOB.. which is pretty awesome. The location right off of I-35 used to have Thai dim sum years ago... Was some of the most awesome stuff ever!! I'd really love it if they'd bring it back. read more

This central place was delicious for lunch. Yesterday was my first time going there and I'm quite disappointed I didn't know about it before. I ordered a dish called pepper pork. It was infused with flavor that seasoned my white rice. Their beef soup was the best I've had in a long time (comes with lunch) + egg roll. The service was great, too! I'll be back to try more from the menu, but they have a HUGE lunch menu. Stop by if you're in the area. read more

It's true that Thai Kitchen has terrible service. It's also true that the waiters are snobby. However, service isn't one of my biggest concerns. The food and the late hours are fantastic. I've lived the past few years of my life as a Peace Corps volunteer in Thailand, and this restaurant has a few Isan dishes you can't find elsewhere. I've read a few reviews claiming that the food isn't authentic. Ignore them. I speak Thai, and I've lived in rural Thailand for a few years. Their dishes are accurate and consistent with regional variations, e.g., in the South they sometimes add coconut into their Tom Yum Gung or in Pak Glang you will sometimes find clear broth Tom Yum Gung. If you're looking for authentic Thai, this place is great. read more

Picture, if you will a scene from my recent life. It's Midnight on a Wednesday and you are right in the middle of writing a critical paper for your American Literature class and you realize you haven't stopped writing -let alone eaten- since 10 in the morning. You are suddenly spiraling into a depressing hole of starvation. You are now considering all kinds of crazy things to eat. Whataburger? Big Bite? That half of a four day old Chipotle burrito that is sitting in your mini fridge? Wendy's!?!?!??! Surely you cannot be that desperate. Surely there is another option- Wait! Isn't Thai Kitchen open during the haunting hour? They are! You're saved! In a flurry of excitement you mount your bicycle and pedal as fast as your little legs can pedal. When you arrive you are greeted by the cheerily painted walls and the ever-helpful employees. You float over to your booth on a wave of amazing smells. You pick up the menu and are surprised by how you cannot pick what to eat despite your emaciated state. Tofu curry? Seafood soup? The ever mysterious "Tears but joy"? You finally settle on the dish entitled "Love Connection". And the name adequately describes your feelings for Thai Kitchen. Not only have they saved your meager life in the middle of the night, they have also restored your faith in Thai food. read more

THAI KITCHEN LUNCH SPECIAL!!! Lots of food for a good price, and it's pretty tasty. I really like everything I've tried here. The waiters and waitresses are friendly too! Only downside: parking is tight and virtually impossible during peak hours. But that goes for just about anything in this crowded area around UT campus... read more

I love this place. I especially love the Thai Spaghetti!!! It's small and it gets crowded, but the service is good. The only drawback is the parking. read more

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This place is disgusting from the outside. You can usually smell the garbage from the parking lot and it doesn't smell nice. Then you walk inside, and the booths have damage to them. The glass doesn't properly fit the table-tops. The paint is hideous, and there is water damage from years of problems all over the drop-ceiling tiles. You may be wondering why I'm giving this place 4 stars. Well, these are the reasons I didn't give it 5 stars. The food is outstanding. I know there are lots of new places every year that pop up in Austin, food trailers among them. But I have been living in Austin for 10 years, and this place is hands-down the best Thai food in town. They have reasonably-priced lunch specials, and the dinner portions are hug. Some people are taken aback by the prices (most dinner plates start around $13), but I assure you it is worth. Try the steamed pork dumplings, they are to die for. They'll pretty much cook things any way you want. You want extra veggies, you got it. Add onions, no problem. Theses cooks are legit. Service sucks. You have to constantly get the attention of one of the waiters to come help you, but if you don't mind doing that, you'll be great. Just don't expect to be treated like royalty. There's a reason this place has been around as long as it has. It's been voted best in Austin for over 13 years, I think. read more

If you like spicy, this is the place. You are definitely going here just for the food, the ambiance is not that great. Bums are often hanging out in the parking lot, which smells like any other downtown parking lot with a dumpster on it. The people who work there are totally friendly. The owner chatted us up about how to eat spicy food the right way and how not everyone can handle the spicy. If you are going to order off of the super spicy page (the one with 4 peppers on the top) try doing this: Order some tea, it will help protect your tongue from being scorched. Get something sweet on the side in case you can't handle the heat. The sweet will cut the spicy. Eat the spicy with the rice so as to not be overwhelmed. They are quick with the water so you wont be hurting for it. One spicy dish will cost you around 12 bucks a dish which is worth what you get from it. You might even be able to take it home and get another meal from it. You can get cheaper stuff and get plenty out of it, I am sure it will be tasty. I suggest giving it a shot at least once if Thai is your thing. read more

I love Thai Kitchen! The service is pretty good, the food is delicious and the prices are very moderate. I've been there quite a few times now and have never been disappointed. My favorite is 5D (Thai Hot Fried Rice with Indian Curry). Delicious, delicious, delicious .....I'm beginning to drool as I write this :-). Their green curry and other vegetable dishes are pretty good too. Dishes taste very authentic. The only downside is finding a parking spot in their private lot (but you can always find a spot in the neighboring Super-Cuts lots :-D). read more

I pass this place twice a day on the bus to and from campus and always think to myself, "One of these days, I'm going to try that little kitchen!" Usually, that translates into me never trying something, and it eventually going out of business. Fortunately, I was able to stop in and try their pad thai. It was pretty good, and came with a bowl of hot and sour soup. Both the pad thai and the soup had good flavor, but it was an average dining experience. It's kind of a hike from my office, and parking can be tricky since they "share" a parking lot with Changos, but in the end, I'm definitely going to stop in again. They have quite a variety of items on their menu and I'd like to try some of their non-pad-thai items. read more

The decor is pretty lackluster and the menus are literally falling apart. It would be nice if the owners saw fit to invest a little bit of money in the upkeep of their restaurant. I had a mussman curry that was similarly good to those I've had else where except that the curry only contained beef, potatoes, and tomatoes. The tomatoes are a little weird. Usually I would expect carrots. My fellow diner, however, got the "sriracha noodles" which tasted pretty awesome but were just noodles and chicken without any veggies. That dish has a lot of potential. read more

Curry is amazing and so is everything else. Staff is good and atmosphere is ok.

I am a little surprised by the high ratings for Thai Kitchen. I thought the atmosphere was actually pretty bland. The lemongrass chicken soup was overzealous with lemon, and the curry dish I had was lacking pop. Parking was also really difficult - ended up parking a couple blocks away and walking over. All in all, quite forgettable. read more

Indian Noodle Soup! This soup will cure a cold better than mom's chicken noodle. Or have it when you're well and go from good to better. I crave it. I dream of it. Indian Noodle Soup is #12 under Noodles on the menu. (You won't find it under Soups.) I order it with chicken, but tofu can be substituted. Although I've been known to eat the entire portion in one sitting, it is easily two great meals. [Tip: It's packed to go with the noodles separate from the rest. As soon as possible, mix it all together, or the noodles will turn into a blob that never comes apart. To make it easier to eat, cut up the noodles before adding the soup. Once it's mixed, it refrigerates and reheats perfectly.] I've been a fan of this family-run establishment since the late 80's, when we used to drive all the way out to the only location, at the time - William Cannon - to sit at picnic tables under horrible fluorescent lighting because the food was sooo good we didn't care. Maybe it's my age, but today I'm less forgiving about poor ambiance. So I avoid eating in, although its not as bad as other reviewers make it seem. The service is good. Parking can suck at times. Every dish is not as delicious as the Indian Noodle Soup. read more

NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE NEVER AGAIN I used to love this place but I will be eating here no more!!! Ordered my usual Tom Kha soup and took the leftovers home cause I didn't finish it. When I got home and reheated it for the next day, I found a LITTLE ROACH IN THE SOUP- ANTENNAS, NASTY LITTLE LEGS, AND ALL. Holy crap I poured that crap down the sink and turned on the food grinder so fast and went to brush my teeth and rinse my mouth. That is DISGUSTING. I couldn't even wait to take a picture and complain because I was sick to my stomach holy crap. SHAME ON YOU THAI KITCHEN!!!! PUKE. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. read more

Came here for dinner with friends, who called this place their favorite Thai restaurant in town. Should have realized I was being setup for disappointment, but I decided it was worth a shot anyway. The Gand Gar Lee Gai was pretty flat. The curry had little flavor of its own, and the dish as a whole was bland except for the cucumber and the crushed peanut bits that were sprinkled on top. Disappointment Achieved! Maybe I just chose one of their weaker dishes. I'll give them that. But when Madam Mam's just a few blocks down Guadalupe does this dish better, and Titaya's not that far of a drive from either of them, I strongly doubt whether I'd ever step foot in Thai Kitchen again (unless someone else is paying). read more

I was so excited - my friend that took me to Thai Kitchen said that this is his favorite Thai restaurant in Austin. I have been on the hunt for good Thai food, and again I am disappointed. The food itself was mediocre but what really makes this a 2-star is the fact that it smelled like bathroom in the restaurant. Nothing is appetizing if it smells like sewage + Lysol. I'm cringing just thinking about it. Andrew ordered a pad thai and said the portion size was much smaller than it used to be. I ordered Thom Yum vegetables with tofu. Decent food and the rice is soft, but I cannot get over the smell. Yuuuuck. I need to find a good Thai restaurant!! read more

Here's how I define my rating system: 5 Star - I will cut myself if this place closes 4 Star - Really good, you should go 3 Star - Good but forgettable 2 Star - Only in good company 1 Star - Never again I pass judgement on Thai places by their coconut curries and Pad Thai, which might not be a fair assessment, but there it is. Their Pad Thai is good but a little too sweet. Their curries are nice and spicy, particularly the green curry, and I pay for it the next morning. Refrigerating the toilet paper really helps. The panang curry might be the best. Peanut sauce is always delicious, they should just sell that. An overall negative is that the portion sizes are a little small and I'm talking about the dinner menu. read more

I honestly can't take some people who write reviews. The locations not good, it wasn't spicy enough. It's just snobby bs from people who move to Austin and think they're entitled to writing negative about everything. If you want it to be spicier, ask for it. I'm pretty sure they can't read minds... But people who were actually born here will tell you this is top notch Thai Food. Because I'm lazy, I'm writing for both this and the Westlake location. If you want something good, make sure it has curry in it to get the ultimate Thai experience. read more

Deserves 0 stars. The worst meal, bar none, that I've had in Austin since moving here in August. I used to go to the Thai Kitchen 20 years ago (when it was delicious) and so thought I'd revisit an old favorite. What a disappointment. First we ordered crunchy pork spring rolls and shrimp egg rolls. The egg rolls arrived without any sauces, and were so bread-y and flavorless none of us could eat them. The pork rolls were only slightly better than terrible, and we didn't finish those either. We also ordered the Seafood Soup, which used to be one of my favorite things to get there--pungent and spicy, with complex flavors of fresh lemongrass and cilantro. This arrived with a bunch of HEB mushrooms floating whole on top, with tomatoes in it. Tomatoes? It did taste of lemongrass, but it was also so salty that I couldn't eat it. None of us could. My son ordered the Spicy Chicken Wings, which looked great--I thought we were saved!--until we bit into them and came away with a mouthful of BLOODY UNDERCOOKED CHICKEN. I wish I had taken pictures of this disgusting mess so that more innocent patrons would be spared the experience. Needless to say, we hope we don't all have food poisoning, and we won't be back. read more

I chose the plate Khow Lard Na Gai with Indian Curry and it looked a little plain and lacking vegetables but as soon as I dug in, it was amazing and a nice kick of flavors in my mouth! It's a chicken dish with coconut milk, indian curry, garlic and thai seasoning and some cilantro (it came with a couple slices of cucumber but I personally do not care much for them). (note: this review was never posted when it was written a year ago) read more

This place is ok. The tom ka is supposed to be spicy and sour soup but it only tastes like coconut milk and lemongrass, just very plain. The som tum malakor was delicious, but seemed a little too spicy, and we like spicy. All in all it was just ok and seems a little pricey for what you receive. read more

2.5 stars This was one of the original Thai joints in Austin. In the mid-90's, it was THE Thai restaurant to go to. I went once and didn't really see what the hype was all about. It was decently okay, and that's coming from my eager, young, much more easily satisfied palate back then. I hate to think what my palate thinks of it now. read more

The gf & I tried TK's food once. Yum. Definitely props for modest/quaint atmosphere, nice service (though it took 'em a while to get to us after seating us), and good prices. Still, not the best Thai food I've ever had in my life, but pretty good! Next time in Austin I'll come back. Aroy-maht! read more

Thai Kitchen is an authentic and humble little restaurant. The inside decor leaves much to be desired (purple and pink walls, reminiscent of a 5 year old girl's room) but the food is decent. My first visit was during dinnertime and I got the chicken yellow curry. Flavor was okay, but the portion was smaller than the price implied, and the vegetables were way too undercooked. I left quite unsatisfied. (2.0) My second visit was during lunchtime, and this experience was much better. The lunch specials are a good deal--$7.99 for everything which includes the entree + rice (unless you get noodles), an egg roll, and a soup of the day or salad. I got some sort of chicken cooked in coconut milk with Indian curry. Great flavor, tender chicken, just the right amount of spice. Rice was fluffy and soft, egg roll was alright but a little soggy. The soup of the day was a Tom Kha Chicken (Chicken with Coconut Milk) soup. Sour + sweet + spicy + creamy. Flavor explosion. Not the best that I've had, but it was OK. (3.5) Their Pad Thai was one of the best Pad Thais I've tried in Austin, so I'll probably get that if I go back again. A little more on the sweet side, so if you don't like the sweetness of Thai food, might not be your cuppa tea. (4.0) Bottom line: Food is alright. Atmosphere isn't great but feels authentic. A little on the pricey side, but not too bad. Close to campus, less oily than Madam Mam's. Definitely worth a try if you want some Thai food in your belly. Tip: Extra bowl of rice is 50 cents. read more

The first time I came here was a couple years ago, and it was my first Thai food experience. So of course I ordered something that was rice with chicken and it was bland and boring. Now that I'm a more experience thai eater, it was much more enjoyable! It was pretty late at night, and I wanted a place I could sit in a booth in the corner alone and eat while I studied. Score! My server was just attentive enough. She saw that I was reading and gave me plenty of time, as I was obviously not in a hurry, but she was on the spot the minute I needed something. I wanted to be brave and order something off the specials menu because I love spicy food, but it was almost 10:00pm, so I passed and went with a two-pepper rated dish. It was delicious! And massive! I don't remember what it was called, but it was stir fried chicken with onions, thai basil, thai peppers and red peppers. It was pretty hot, but not overwhelming, perfect for me actually! The sauce was amazing and there were enough veggies that soaked up the sauce so you could taste it with the chicken. I'm pretty sure this may be the same (slightly spicier) dish I ordered at Tatiya's a couple weeks ago that I was less than impressed with. It was all chicken and the sauce didn't stick. This place did it right. Plenty of rice to go with and I have lunch or dinner tomorrow! Yum! read more

This place is so amazing. I love the special spicy menu. I've ordered everything off the specialty spicy menu and have loved every single item. No joke! My favorite menu item is don't cry now. I'd put this Thai place up against any other place in the country. read more