07/31/04

good food

by atexan1d

i am relatively new to the indy area, but have travelled well and eaten at many good thai restaurants, and unfortunately a few not so good ones. this restaurant ranks up there with the good ones when it comes to the quality of the food. the service was fine. the place was a little hard to find, but had ample parking. the dining area is quite small and quaint, but is more than made up for when you taste the food. i like fiery hot food and thai cafe aims to please. try the pad thai with a little sugar and lime juice on the top w/ shrimp and dont ask for any hotter than the 3 chili pepper scale. enjoy!

• Pros: excellent food, quick service, food to go
• Cons: , hard to find

10/12/09

If you like real Thai food, you will be disappointed!

by Mandivola

I'm from the SF Bay Area and lived in the city of Chicago for 7yrs and I was sadly VERY disappointed by this Thai food. If this is the "best Thai that Indy has to offer" then we're in trouble! I have high expectations of Asian food from the amazing restaurants on the W. Coast and Chicago. So if you have never eaten at authentic places, you might like this place.

We ordered standard Thai food - Pad Thai and Green Curry. I swear the owner doesn't eat her own food! NO way! First off, they brought of fried noodles for our soup - yikes! And then no chopsticks...a sign that Asians and foodies don't dine there regularly.

The Pad Thai didn't have fresh lime or fresh basil on the side. The noodles were dry and had little flavor. Hot spice is NOT a substitute for good flavor.

My green curry had FROZEN green beans and tons of "filler" bamboo shoots. What happened the tasty fresh veggies like eggplant, peppers, mushrooms, etc. The beef was dry, fatty, and overcooked. Again, the flavors were masked with the spice instead of complementing.

The one redeeming quality of the food is that they have whole grain red rice.

It was busy on a Tues night, but the food was very disappointing.

• Pros: The owner was friendly and our server was nice and attentive
• Cons: The food was not authentic and had poor ingredients

01/07/09

Worst Thai in Indy

by beths138

My food tasted off and after asking if I could get something else, I was told by the owner that I would have to pay regardless. Later that evening I was sick. After looking at the health dept website, it seems this restaurant had two critical violations last month. Why are they still open?

visit the mchd website to see the full report.

• Pros: none
• Cons: bad food, bad service

08/19/08

Unauthentic

by MalibuDoll

I have been eating at thai restaurants for years now, and have gotten to be a fairly good judge of taste and authenticity. This was by far the worst "thai" place I have ever been to. When I first entered Thai Cafe the ambience had me a little worried. They don't even attempt to make the place look like a thai restaurant. The owner was very pleasant however, and talked to us for a bit which I like. The menu also has a ton of vegetarian/vegan options which was fantastic, but most thai restaurants do and that is why I frequent them. The vegetarian spring rolls were good, but tasted identical to chinese spring rolls and not true thai. I had asked for the massaman curry originally, but they refused to add extra veggies so I got a different dish instead. The mixed vegetable dish I ordered was full of "filler" vegetables (i.e. cheap cafeteria-style stir-fry veggies) and I could not eat it. All other thai restaurants give you tons of broccoli, mushrooms, etc. in their mixed vegetable dishes, but not this place. The sauce also tasted chinese style. If you wish to experience true thai flavors, do not visit this place. If you just want glorified chinese food, then head right here.

• Pros: lots of vegetarian/vegan options
• Cons: ambience, authenticity

08/16/08

Do not eat here.

by jrb822001

This is the worst place I have ever eaten. I love good Thai food, especially Pad Thai.....it brings joy to my life. That's why my wife and I were so excited to read good reviews about this place.Well, the food was so bad I didn't even eat it. I just paid and left. We just moved to Indy, and I hope this is not what passes for good Thai here or I may have to move.

• Pros: I am not required by law to eat here.
• Cons: everything else.

04/20/08

Best Thai food around

by venusrobot

I LOVE this place. I live in Lafayette and regularly travel to Broad Ripple just to eat here. This is the best Thai food I have ever had hands down. The spring rolls are delicious and I love the mixed veggies. I have never had a bad experience here. I just wish I lived closer! The Thai place in Lafayette just cannot compare.

04/18/08

DISREGARD TheodoreEsquire's reveiw of Thai Cafe!!!!!!

by coolbadboy

Again, DISREGARD TheodoreEsquire's review of Thai Cafe!!!!!! Thai Cafe is one of the best places on earth. It is like heaven on earth. The food there is great and the service there is so welcoming and inviting. I go there like everyday almost and the people there are so down to earth. The 16-year-old boy is a great host. He loves his job and he does it well. The boss is always friendly to all that come in and she has a great sense of judgment. By the way, Thai Cafe is a very popular restaurant. They are like always busy and booming with people. That is how popular they are. People love to go there and sometimes the servers are going to be a little swamped but they try to manage it the best they can. As customers, we should be patient and calm because they are doing the best they can. I can tell you that the cooks in the back cook nothing but perfect dishes for the customers. The cook?s foods are the best. They put time and focus into making the food and it is NEVER BAD!!! Maybe TheodoreEsquire and his girlfriend just did not have the money to pay for good food and so they had to find a good excuse to not pay, but apparently, it backfired. To sum up everything I said, Thai Cafe is perfect in every way from the food to the service, they are perfect. Lastly DISREGARD TheodoreEsquire's review of Thai Cafe!!!!!!

• Pros: Everything
• Cons: Nothing

02/09/08

Please Read: Worst Thai Entrees and Service this Century!!!

by TheodoreEsquire

AVOID THIS RESTAURANT AT ALL COSTS!!!

The 16 year old boy who greeted us at the door wasn't sure when a table might open up, but suggested we wait in the cold, windblown entryway for awhile. Once seated, the water arrived quickly enough, but our server took her time greeting us. As we sat waiting, we noticed two separate couples were seated at the same table ahead of a foursome which arrived before them. The other open table was subsequently not offered to them as "a group of six may arrive and that's the only table we have for a group that large."

Our vegetarian spring rolls arrived and were delicious - thank goodness, as it was the bulk of our dinner this evening. When the two Pad Thai dishes arrived (one with Chicken, the other Vegetarian - medium spicy) my girlfriend was concerned regarding the questionable smell of her Chicken. And, after a second bite of chicken, she declared something must be wrong with the food. When I smelled her dish, it caused me to wince in bewildered disgust. Also, my Pad Thai was so spicy my face began to sweat, and I was unable to finish my meal. We sent her Chicken Pad Thai back with the young greeter who finally brought us the check - and we were still charged for the Chicken Pad Thai.

When the server finally came back to our table (after ignoring us all evening) I asked why the chicken dish was still on the bill. She said the owner had tasted the chicken, off my girlfriend's plate, and deemed it healthy and delicious, refusing to take it off our bill - at $32.00 a bit pricey for what we actually received - even if it had been "healthy and delicious. Needless to say, I sit here typing a review while my girlfriend sits on the porcelain throne while her stomach percolates in agonizing pain. I stress, AVOID THIS RESTAURANT AT ALL COSTS!!!

• Pros: Vegetarian Spring Rolls
• Cons: Entrees, Service, Ambiance, Overall Quality

11/24/06

Best Thai food in town. Cute restaurant

by ganthony

This is some of the best Thai food I've ever had; including restaurants in SF and Seattle. The food is terrific, and the service is very friendly. It's also a very good place for take out, when you're looking for a relaxing meal at home

• Pros: tasty dishes, quaint restaurant
• Cons: too small for large groups

04/06/06

Great Food

by yogagirl81

I am a regular and have always found the food to be good and the staff to be helpful. The only complaint that I have is that they close too early in the evening.

• Pros: Good Food, Fast Service, Inexpensive

12/20/05

DEFINATELY THE BEST

by jrichardson17

I am embarrassed to see those from Indianapolis not realize the treasure that they have. I eat thai food in every city I visit. I don't live in Indianapolis, but I visit frequently and on every visit, I eat at the Thai Cafe. Of the approx. 20 some thai restaurants I have eaten at, it is by far the best. So for those that think there is a better alternative to the Thai Cafe anywhere in this nation, I'm happy to hear I won't have to wait behind those undeserving of the best.