When I'm craving Pad Thai, this is where I go! Now, don't get me wrong, there are a few great spots for Thai food in Buffalo, but Water Lily Cafe stands out as the best in its area. The majority of the time we order ahead to get food to-go. It sometimes takes a little for someone to answer but, to me, that's the sign of a busy, good restaurant! Everyone is always nice, and we've never had our order messed up. Parking is ample and it's easy to find where you need to go to pick up your order. Inside there are a few tables and the decor is simple and cozy. You get A LOT of food for the cost! I always get shrimp Pad Thai and the meal comes with ~7 large, perfectly cooked shrimp. The noodles are perfect, and the sauce has just the right amount of heat. Note: we order "2 spicy", "3" is a little much for us. I'd recommend ordering low if you aren't sure of your tolerance and then get a side of siracha if you need to spice it up! Water Lily Cafe is dependable! I know my meal will be ready when promised, it will be tasty, and I will be full after it! read more

I went inside to order, on a Wed @4:30 pm. I only waited maybe 6minutes total for what seems to be "leftover" food. Hopefully not old, although the shrimp seem so. Taste is lacking. Added crushed red pepper to it. For $45 spent on two shrimp pad thai, as well as two soup ($12/2) not worth it. Food quality and fresh would be wonderful as I recall it use to be many years ago. read more

Water Lily Cafe - Shrimp pad thai - Thai Near Me - Cheektowaga, New York

It's a Tuesday afternoon at lunchtime in this place is closed. It's ridiculous to drive out here based on good reviews and there's nothing happening because it's closed. Contrary to what their website says. Avoid this place. There's much better Vietnamese food. read more

I would eat here at least once a week if I could. Great food, great intimate atmosphere, great service. Large parking lot. Always fresh food. Highly recommend! read more

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Delicious pad Thai! Fast and friendly service. Will be back to try more from the menu.

First time at their new location. Definitely feels like a cafe, there are just a few small tables. In order to view the menu, you had to either look at the wall, or scan the QR code. I didn't have any issues since I'm pretty familiar with Thai food, but I could tell my mom felt lost. I also heard another patron ask for "a menu that has descriptions". For these reasons, I think it would be nice if they had paper menus with descriptions available at least upon request, especially since not everyone has a phone that can read QR codes. I ordered the param long song (peanut sauce on veggies with a side of white rice) with tofu, and an iced jasmine tea. Both were pretty good! Service was good too. read more

Water Lily Cafe - Param Long Song - Thai Near Me - Cheektowaga, New York

With the Yelpies later that night, I decided to grab some takeout from somewhere local to celebrate the virtual awards ceremony. I happened to choose Water Lily Cafe. I called around 4:30pm to place my order for pickup at 5pm on my way home from the office. I ordered sesame gai, which was a chicken sesame dish with broccoli and white rice. I ordered the spice at a 2 out of 5, and I should have went with a 3. I also ordered shrimp spring rolls, which there were 2 in the order, and that came with peanut sauce. The staff are always pleasant and friendly when either on the phone taking your order, or when you arrive to pick your order up. The food was hot when I got it home. The sesame gai dish was very good. It was my first time having it, and is similar to sesame chicken. The spring rolls were good, but each only had one shrimp per roll. The peanut sauce was very good and complimented the spring roll well. read more

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Yes, 5 Stars. Family owned, charming, clean, inviting, warm personable service with a smile and a witty joke or two. Now the food - we started with two appetizers, chicken satay and potstickers. Potstickers were extra crispy and extra flavorful - how did they do that? And the satay was like nothing I've ever had before... it blew all the other satay away, so far away that I now think I never really have had satay until arriving at the Water Lily Cafe. Although the menu is posted on the wall and I'm not truly familiar with all the Thai dishes, I simply picked a dish and what arrived to the table was a melange of wonderful things! Juicy chicken pieces floating in a creamy, moderately spicy curry with the "eggie-est" noodles I've ever tasted. All this was cooked to perfection. We fawned over other diners orders; everything that came out of the kitchen looked tempting! Before we had even finished our appetizers my husband asked if we could come back tomorrow. after dinner we both agreed, it was by far the best Thai food we've had in Buffalo. Dinners were filling, service was excellent. We'll be back soon! read more

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The chicken ginger rice soup was out of this world! My husband was not feeling well so I wanted to get him something for his throat, and this was just what he needed. It was a simple soup of exactly what the title says: chicken broth, fresh ginger, chicken, and rice, but the flavor was extraordinarily tasty. We also got two orders of pad Thai, which were excellent as well, but the soup really made the trip worth it. Highly recommend this restaurant! read more

Place an order and the order went through, but the restaurant is closed ((currently 11:45am).

Service was very slow. We were the only diners, 9 of us, but there were take outs. Still, didn't think we would wait over an hour for our food. Food was ok. I asked for Thai hot on my papaya salad and chicken holy basil, it tasted like medium hot. Had to get extra spice on the side. When the bill came, price on menu was not the same as what they charged. When I brought it up, they said menu prices was cheaper during Covid. I advised they changed it so it won't confused the customers, she just ignored me with even apologizing or acknowledging. read more

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First time here and loved it, my wife has a lot of dietary issues and they were so helpful! The food tasted fresher than anywhere I have ever eaten. Vegetables were cooked perfectly! Can't wait to return and try more on their menu! read more

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Great little Thai spot in Cheektowaga. My girlfriend and I were headed back to Rochester from the Buffalo Airport and craved Thai food. A Yelp search quickly brought us to Water Lily Cafe. Yelp didn't disappoint as we had a wonderfully tasty dinner. The restaurant itself is small, but cozy. Their menu is also focused with maybe 10-15 items. We shared a small Tom yum soup, fried spring rolls, Chicken Pad Thai and a Chicken Pineapple Red Curry. Everything was tasty! The Tom yum had just the right amount of sour, along with generous amounts of mushrooms (which I love). The pad Thai was flavorful and not too sweet, with generous amounts of chicken. The fresh bean sprout garnish offered a nice crispy textural contrast to the soft pad Thai noodles. The pineapple red curry was probably my favorite dish out of the bunch. The rich and creamy coconut blended well with the sweet pineapple flavors. It too was garnished with generous amounts of fresh vegetables - green beans, red peppers and basil. The service was prompt with food coming out quickly. Portions were generous and pricing was fair. I would definitely come back and recommend to anyone with a Thai food craving. read more

This place has the best gluten free Pad Thai in the area. Sadly they are rarely open so trying to get it is limited to never.

Water Lily used to be located on Genesee in Bowmansville, but sadly they closed. I'm glad that they've reopened in a different location. The positives: the inside is cute, chalkboard menu is fun, near the Galleria and easily accessible. The cons: very cold inside when we were there (to dine-in pre-Covid), felt like almost no heat on at all. While a chalkboard menu is fun, it would be nice to have a standard printed menu of some of your "house" or always there items. I started with the veggie spring rolls which were indeed loaded with veggies. However, no thai basil which is a MUST have for spring rolls. No cilantro or mint inside, either, which aren't as difficult to find as thai basil. The sauce they were served with was a bit runny. For my entree, I ordered the house noodles with tofu, medium spicy. They weren't spicy at all, not even a tang, though that wasn't a deal-breaker for me. The tofu was fried until fluffy inside and crispy on the outside which I love. And the dish itself was loaded with veggies. My mother ordered the same thing, though with chicken instead of tofu, and she didn't like the abundance of crushed peanuts on top. I loved it, though I could see how some might find them overwhelming. This is a solid 3 star place, which could definitely get bumped up if they fixed the draft issue in the winter and added descriptions to their menu items for those not familiar with Thai cuisine. read more

Okay So I preferred pork dumplings and beef and chicken spicy house noodle The flavors were good It wasn't spicy though I should have gone for extra spicy or Thai style. Wish it was hotter. And when delivered to a hotel, how about utensils? 6 dumplings for 8 bucks no bueno, not my favorite. Overall for under 40 bucks for 2 items, include utensils, and if ordered spicy, send extra heat, let the customer fix it up if needed Overall I was satisfied Solid 4 stars Thank you read more

Fantastic food and excellent service. Great environment. Little cute restaurant with delicious Asian food read more

Had the pad kee mow with pork, level 3 spicy. Very flavorful and a good spice level. Might need to do level 2 next time but that''s a good thing as some places these days have "hot" that is really medium or even mild. read more

Such a lovely relaxing space in a standard plaza style retail area...food is delicious, authentic, service is friendly, hospitable. A well-edited menu is displayed on a chalkboard wall. This is the brick & mortar source for Thai me up food truck & moved to Cheektowaga from their Lancaster location around early 2019. read more

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Excellent service and cuisine :) We started with the fresh spring roll ... so good! We ordered the Pad Puk Stir Fry and Green Curry. Both were delicious. The restaurant is very small ... the tables were distanced. Why only 4 stars? It was very cold in the restaurant. They appear to have a very good takeout business, but every time someone opens the door the cold air fills the restaurant. read more

Great food pickup set up, friendly staff, super tasty food. Will definitely be ordering from here again!!

Last lunch of 2015 with my "Yelp Lunch Bud" Julie C. We picked this place based on proximity to something else. And it was new for both of us. It's a very cute place. If you are coming for the first time you may pass it if not paying attention. So either use GPS or don't drive down Genesee too fast. Parking is easy and plentiful. Fab. Coming in I was greeted by the owner i think. She was great. Sat me immediately (I was the only one there at that moment) and left me with some water. They have a lunch menu which is what I ate from. I had the Penang Curry with chicken and really enjoyed it. Mine was medium, I'll ask for hot next time. Julie got the Pad Thai, super hot and loved it. We both got some food to bring home. I had an order of Pad Thai and sesame chicken to take home. I am not sure I'd do that again as i don't think they travelled very well. They were well packaged though. Eating in was very nice. Chairs a tad uncomfortable but it was fine. I'd come back here if in the area. It's a nice place for a nice lunch. 2052 read more

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After driving into Buffalo to meet a dear friend and fellow yelper for the "Polish Happy Hour" which was (in our opinion) a royal flop - we needed to decide on a plan of action for our Friday night... Since we were over on the east side, it seemed like a good idea to stay around that area. We pulled up the yelp app and commenced our search. And we decided on Water Lily. I'd never heard of it, but my friend said it was good. And I'm not usually one to say no to any kind of Asian food. We headed to Bowmansville, which really wasn't too far considering we were on Genesee Street near the airport. The drive was short, albeit rainy, and we were there. The restaurant is housed in an unconventional building for a restaurant (in my opinion). It looks like a house, and you might miss it if you're not careful. It had a feel of Georgia with the big open wrap-around porch. I imagine this could be utilized well in the summer. Inside, the craftsman bungalow feel resonates with bright colors. There's a mix of rustic America and colorful Asia. The decor is different, but I really can't complain. It seems to work. Bathrooms are clean. There is plenty of parking in the lot. I started with Thai iced tea which was good. Maybe not the best I've had, but I liked it all the same. The sweetness balanced out the salt and spice of my tomyum soup. I had it with just vegetables. It was not as spicy has I've had elsewhere, but it was flavorful and robust. For my entree I ordered the prig pow. It was delightful. A large sized portion that I felt was generous for the price. I had a side of rice, and I could barely finish my meal. In fact I took it home and enjoyed the rest for a late night snack. There weren't many people here on a Friday evening in January. The weather was gloomy and it was dark early when we went. I wonder how busy it gets when the weather improves? I would definitely be back. I thought it was a nice dinner with a great friend, and the location was actually perfect for me coming from Rochester. read more

Water Lily Cafe - Thai iced tea - Thai Near Me - Cheektowaga, New York

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We had dinner here early on a Saturday evening--it was surprisingly quiet with only a few other tables filled. This place does not look like a Thai restaurant on the outside-it has a very large porch across the front of the building--so you can also eat outside if you wish. Service was prompt and friendly--we were using a Groupon that was used without issue. As they do not have a liquor license, we had a Thai Iced Coffee and a Thai Iced Tea. Both were in pint sized glasses which was appreciated as at other restaurants we have had the same in smaller glasses where it ended up being more ice than drink. Both were a deal at $3 each. While the menu is not huge, there are enough options that should please everyone. Almost all dishes offer the choice of protein (tofu, beef, chicken or shrimp) I had the Pineapple Red Curry with Shrimp ($13) and hubby had the curry with beef and potatoes. Level of heat is adapted to your liking. I was impressed with the quantity of fresh veggies (green beans & zucchini), along with (frozen?) peas and carrots in my curry. There were 6 large shrimp that were quite tasty. We were both quite full after finishing our generous portions. Hubby cleaned his plate but complained about the presence of some fat and grizzle on a few pieces of his beef. This is not the highest quality of beef--it is the pounded very thin steak (?) that you would get in Chinese food. We will return the next time we are craving Thai food! read more

Water Lily Cafe - Thai Iced Tea. Great on a hot day! - Thai Near Me - Cheektowaga, New York

I love Asian Food, the Exotic Spices and the Bold & Unique mixing of Flavors and ingredients that they do. I got to experience food from them firsthand from their Thai Me Up Food Truck at Larkin Square, Fried Dumplings (filled with Chicken) with some Soy Sauce on the Side, (2 Muffin shaped Dumplings) and as you bite into it the Tender Chicken with Spices Coats your Mouth. It was a really flavorful bite of Food, this was one of Restaurant that we keep forgetting to go to (just being a 15 minute Drive from my Grandma's House). We parked in their incredibly Huge parking lot and walked into this place that had Light Green Wall and Asian Knick Knacks all over (especially the Elephant Head perched on the Wall). Once we sat down I glanced over at the Fish Tank (I was hoping to find Nemo or Dory). Our waitress Julia came over to our Table and took our Orders, we started off with some Spring Rolls and Potstickers (that as we took a Bite) you could feel and hear (CRUNCH), Rick got himself a Bowl of Tom Kha Soup (filled with Shrimp with a vibrant Coconut Broth) and Grandma got one of the Specials of the Night, Chicken Ginger Soup (Murky Broth with Big Chunks of Chicken a light taste of Ginger). To be honest she wasn't even that hungry (so she mostly got that). I got the Thai Beef Salad (Rare Beef with Onions, Herbs and Cherry Tomatoes). The flavor was Good, however I thought there was a bit too much amount of Sugar mixed in left a Gritty and unpleasant Mouthfeel (I wasn't gonna Sugarcoat it either). For our Entrees, Rick got the Pork Katsudan (Fried & Breaded Pork Chop over Jasmine Rice). Its not often that I see a Chop without too much Breading, not enough or being Overcooked (It was Tender). I also got a Side of Ripe Green Papaya (Crisp Bite but I thought it to be strong and not Sweet as I expected it to be). I got the Drunken Noodles (Long Noodles that were broken up and tossed with Chicken, Pork, Shrimp, Squid, Scallions and Baby Corn. This was one of the most interesting Surf n Turfs I've ever eaten, All the different Proteins were cooked perfectly and the Corn gave it some Heartiness. Water Lily Café to me like all the other Asian Restaurant I've tried in Buffalo bring something different to the Table. Next visit I will try a Curry or some Pad Thai !!! read more

Love their Pad thai.. specially the spicest one. This restaurant is my go-to place for Pad thai.

We tried the water lily since I heard my sister loved the place . We eat Thai a lot, so I wanted to test this place for its authenticity. They were a little long getting my food about 20 mins late, which isn't terrible but a bit of a letdown considering it wasn't busy. The place is nicely decorated , owners are nice . The food was good , I do have a few gripes . This applies to most Thai restaurants, so I'm not targeting them . Every time I order a pork or chicken dish, it's always a lean cut like breast for chicken and loin for pork, which adds nothing to the dish but dry meat . They should use a thigh meat and a pork butt both would save them money and make a moist succulent dish which people would remember in a positive way. That being said, my dishes ordered were all dry. The seasonings were on point they used kaffir lime leaves , lemongrass and the balance was very good. Heat levels were low for my taste , i asked for Thai hot for Pad kra pow, and I could barely sense chili. The Sai Oua Northern Thai sausage had great flavor and was delicious just a bit dry since the fat percentage was low. The basil used was a good balance in fried rice but a bit low in the pad kra pow. Pad se ew was well balanced just lacked noodles. Overall, I'd say I'd return to try more of their dishes . They offer things that most Thai restuarants don't offer, so for that, I applaud them read more

We went and ordered take out. We had sushi, green curry and pad thai. The food was all light and very flavorful. We sat and had a glass of wine while waiting for the food. Service was lovely. read more

I'll start by saying: the food here is AMAZING. The service stinks. It's a small place, and there were three tables seated. Only one didn't have their food. We watched as that table didn't get their food for forty five minutes, so I guess I should have known what was in store for us! We ordered a pot sticker appetizer which came out cold. Considering we waited 45 minutes for it, you would have thought it would have at least been hot. After another 25 minutes, we asked for our meal to be boxed up to go. We were told it would be right out (at least another ten minutes went by). No "Sorry for the wait" - no one even came over that whole time to refill our drinks! The place was really cold and when we took our food home, it was Luke warm. Overall, disappointing experience. I suggest ordering take out and be prepared to wait! read more

If you haven't been to Water Lily Cafe yet, you need to eat here ASAP! I love Thai food and have been to many restaurants around the area and I will say Water Lily Cafe is one of the best Thai restaurants Buffalo has to offer. I came with my mom for dinner (who had never even had Thai food before- she loved it)! The restaurant is so aesthetically pleasing, the atmosphere is very calm and soothing and has great lighting. It's conveniently located in Cheektowaga near the Galleria Mall. The prices are also phenomenal! And they have take out available!! The menu was amazing and there was so many options to choose from. I had looked at a menu online before entering so I asked at the counter if they had any green curry (my favorite) by chance. The owner came out and chatted with me and said they didn't have any currently made but he agreed to make me some if I didn't mind waiting! I was so thrilled! Talk about service!! The owner expressed his passion for Thai food and proudly talked about his background and Thai heritage. This restaurant is very authentic and simply amazing, I can not say enough good things about it! I can't wait to be back soon!! read more

Had the holy basil chicken, it was amazing. Also recommend the coconut shrimp. Fast service, friendly atmosphere and good prices. Food was tasty and very fresh! read more

Fun place! Tried those yummy fried springs rolls (2) and recommended sauce. It was pleasant. A variety of specials and entrees on the menu. Welcoming staff, met the owners. read more

It was a different kind of Pad Thai with more of a fresh taste, not the traditional sauce, but it was good!

I went to the cafe when it was on Genesee street. Forgot how incredibly delicious the food is. The other night I brought family with me to the new location on Union. Its actually close to my work and closer to where I live so win-win for me. There are quite a few Thai restaurants in Buffalo now. Water Lilly is probably one of my favorites. It is relaxed, cozy, kind of mid century modern inside with the big chalkboard front and center showcasing the weekly menu. Before I discuss food the husband and wife team are wonderful hosts, caring, and truly enjoy sharing good food with strangers. When you leave you feel like part of the family. Now the food. I seriously wanted to bathe in it. It was that good. I had to stop myself from running over there at lunch today to get some red curry and pick up dinner while I was there! We had the spring rolls to start. THE BOMB. So incredibly fresh. I added Thai basil to my spring rolls because I'm addicted to it. For dinner we had the red curry and house noodles with chicken. The red curry perfectly balanced, sweet, spicy and fresh. Served in a large bowl it was to die for. The House noodles were the wide rice noodle, vegetables, scrambled eggs, crushed peanuts, and a thin sauce that I seriously wanted to pick up my plate and slurp. I was a lady and didn't but the thought was there. Including tip it was around $38.00. Worth double that! Run don't walk, you won't be disappointed! read more

One of the best places to go for an innovative take on your standard thai food...the menu is small but that just means more attention to detail, go for any of the fried rice dishes, my favorite is the coconut ginger fried rice w chicken or shrimp, they also have great thai soups and curry, they have a food truck as well... read more

Water Lily Cafe - Coconut ginger fried rice..photo by @phil_eatsfood - Thai Near Me - Cheektowaga, New York

The Thai tea here idk what it was but it was bomb. The best I've tried. I got the sesame chicken and you can chose your spice level but it wasn't amazing. It was definitely good. But not the best. The hours are a little inconvenient. The spring rolls were a little disappointing. But the place is pretty cute inside and the service is awesome. read more

Water Lily Cafe - Sesame chicken Thai tea and fried spring rolls - Thai Near Me - Cheektowaga, New York

Definitely my favorite Thai restaurant. Highly recommend it if you like to try something different. Been to the old location numerous times. Love their foods, staffs were always friendly. The new place is cozy. Not quite the same menu, but a few interesting items on their Wall Menu. Ordered the Spring rolls, Summer Rolls, Beef Salad, House Noodle, Pineapple Cashew Fried Rice, Khao Soi Gai(delicious noodle soup if you like coconut milk) and Mango Sticky Rice as dessert. (Ordered Northern Thai Sausage Bowl last time, which they don't have it today, also was really good!) Not one dish disappoint me. There are a few Thai restaurant near where I live, but they served ordinary boring dishes. I would rather drive a little further to Lily Water. read more

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The Tom Kha soup alone is worth a trip to Water Lily. It was like a delicate cloud from Thai heaven in a bowl. I will always order this when I come to Water Lily. I also ordered the Drunken Noodles, which were outstanding. I took half of my order home but so wanted to eat the whole thing! The sauce was peppery and a bit sweet, and all of the components in the dish were so fresh and yummy. The interior of the space is fresh and clean and very quiet. Calming. I really enjoyed the ambiance here. I was afraid it was going to be too quiet but it was really pleasant. If you love Thai food and find yourself anywhere near here, you must stop and have a delicious meal. I can't wait to come back! More Tom Kha, I say! read more

Water Lily Cafe - Drunken Noodles... DELICIOUS! - Thai Near Me - Cheektowaga, New York

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Finally got my chance to try this restaurant - because every food truck Tuesday - I never get a chance . No excuse now - it's so close to my house. The interior is authentically designed and so quaint .. the outside does not do it justice. The girl at the counter / server was so knowledgeable about all menu items and just happens to be her families restaurant... her step father was from Thailand- and the cooking shows! I had Khao Soi Gai and it was so delicious ! I will definitely be back read more

Water Lily Cafe - khao soi gai - Thai Near Me - Cheektowaga, New York

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My all time favorite thai place I've ever been to. I've yet to find another place with khao soi gai, which is really unfortunate because it's my all time favorite. I wish I was in the area more but whenever I am I make sure to stop here. read more