Casual, bold-hued restaurant doling out counter-serve Thai food & snacks, plus beer, wine & sake.
Thai Canteen has been one of my favorites since I attended UC Davis over a decade ago. Their pad si ew is one of my favorites, their pad Thai isn’t pad as well as all of their other dishes and drinks! You order and can sit anywhere or take it out and service is quick. They also sell beer and have tons of drinks. I remember hosting one of my graduation dinners here and they were able to accommodate our party without having a reservation but that was years ago. This place is also open pretty late too. Parking can get busy downtown if it’s busy.
Pretty solid, inexpensive Thai food. We visited on a recent Wednesday evening. There was a consistent line to place an order of 3 -5 people around dinner time. The dining room was pretty full. There are several tables as well as a long table to share opposite the front counter. Ordering is done at a counter and food brought within ten minutes.
We had Pad Thai and Yellow Curry along with the fried chicken skins. Both mains were tasty but not spectacular. Definitely plentiful in portion size--the Pad Thai could easily be shared. The curry was zesty and a little thin but with lots of protein (chicken in our case.) The fried skins were yummy though got ordinary after a few.
There really isn't any table service other than bringing your food. The staff was kind and unobtrusive.
Food is bussin! I came here before, but today I was so hungry and I came here at 9:40pm, and they said the kitchen is not taking anymore orders. I walked out sad. Why did they juke me? I thought kitchen would close at 10pm. That’s all. I can’t come back here for another week and a half.
Staff was knowledgeable about Gluten Free items, food was delicious!
Delicious!! Food is always fresh and beautifully presented. Many vegetarian and vegan options. Tofu is cooked perfectly. Happy hour appetizers are cheap, tasty, and of a good portion size.
Pretty solid, inexpensive Thai food. We visited on a recent Wednesday evening. There was a consistent line to place an order of 3 -5 people around dinner time. The dining room was pretty full. There are several tables as well as a long table to share opposite the front counter. Ordering is done at a counter and food brought within ten minutes.
We had Pad Thai and Yellow Curry along with the fried chicken skins. Both mains were tasty but not spectacular. Definitely plentiful in portion size--the Pad Thai could easily be shared. The curry was zesty and a little thin but with lots of protein (chicken in our case.) The fried skins were yummy though got ordinary after a few.
There really isn't any table service other than bringing your food. The staff was kind and unobtrusive.
We ordered Tom Yum, tod mann pla (fish cake), spicy stir fried prawns, and pineapple fried rice. Tom Yum was one of the worst I tasted ever, fish cake was so so only, the spicy stri fried prawn was prepared using sweet chilli thai sauce with extra bird eye chillies to make it more spicy. Pineapple fried rice was lumpy. Overall, it appears that the dishes were made using ready to cook packets available in the supermarket and not freshly made. A big disappointment.
I ordered delivery from the website. Though the tracking says the food was delivered, it never arrived. I would give zero stars if I could.
i was upset because we ordered in doordash and they didn't give us any utensils, but when i tasted their food, OMFG! it was so good. please open a branch in Somoma
Thai Canteen has been one of my favorites since I attended UC Davis over a decade ago. Their pad si ew is one of my favorites, their pad Thai isn’t pad as well as all of their other dishes and drinks! You order and can sit anywhere or take it out and service is quick. They also sell beer and have tons of drinks. I remember hosting one of my graduation dinners here and they were able to accommodate our party without having a reservation but that was years ago. This place is also open pretty late too. Parking can get busy downtown if it’s busy.
Food is bussin! I came here before, but today I was so hungry and I came here at 9:40pm, and they said the kitchen is not taking anymore orders. I walked out sad. Why did they juke me? I thought kitchen would close at 10pm. That’s all. I can’t come back here for another week and a half.
Bad service.
Best food in Davis. High quality food in a casual non fancy (but still nice) atmosphere. Thank you Thai Canteen!
I have been going to the Thai Canteen for ten years and have loved it every time....But after the disgusting behavior I witnessed by the cashier, my family, friends and I won't be going back. I went today with a friend to pick up food ordered by her husband. After waiting in line and reaching the front, the cashier literally ignored my friend. She waited politely and he actually went onto serve other people behind us without acknowledging her! And he saw her and heard her, he just decided to ignore her! When she interrupted him helping ANOTHER customer who had been behind us in line he told her not to interrupt him and then tried to talk to me instead, even though I was standing well away. When she went to help a 3rd person my friend tried again but he just kept ignoring her/ telling her not to interrupt. He only ended up getting the food after I essentially pointed out that he had ignored her in favor of 3 other people and asked him what his problem was. Been then he held it away from her like some school yard bully and told her next time she shouldn't interrupt him. There will be no next time- his behavior was abusive and I won't return to a business who employs bullies and possibly racists. I hope management makes changes.
We ordered vegetarian dishes only. Service was pretty good, however all the dishes were way too oily.
Great curry, server was awesome, highly recommended.
Love the Pad Thai and the spiciness. I go here regularly when I have the chance
The waiter called my husband “ST00PID” over the food ordering phone call.
My husband told him uncooked noodles for gkuay tiew reur and that waiter put down the phone and said stupid like my husband wouldn’t hear it.
They should train all staff to have better manners.
พ่อแม่ไม่สั่งสอนหรอว่าให้พูดกับลูกค้าดีๆ ถ้าไม่มีใจรักบริการ ก็ไม่ต้องสะเออะมาทำงานเวทเน๊าะ สันดานไม่ดี
อย่าไปหาทำนิสัยแบบนี้กับใครอีกนะ
จะพูดอะไรให้ลูกค้าวางก่อนก็ได้มั้ง
มันหักห้ามใจยากมากหรอ?
ถึงต้องทำนิสัยหยาบๆ แบบนี้ต่อหน้าลูกค้าเนี่ย
ไม่ใช่เด็กกันแล้ว เรื่องแค่นี้คิดไม่ได้หรอว่าอะไรควรไม่ควร
ความเป็นมืออาชีพไม่มีเลยยยย
อยากจะด่ามากกว่านี้ แต่เกรงใจหงอกบนหัวคุณ
Horrible service. Cancel my order without any notice
You do not need to known who I am working with, I as a customer place the order from your website, being denied Couple times .that is your fault. Simple.
This was delicious! Loved that we could order for delivery. They forgot our drinks but who cares. Can’t rate atmosphere as we were in our hotel room
Awful service the food pretty bad taste
This is probably one of the most popular restaurants in Davis. If you go at a busy time, there will be a very long wait (40+ minutes) to get your food. But, the food is pretty good. Their spicy scale leans towards the hotter side of things.
I can recommend the Mama Pad Si Ew (stir fried instant noodles.) My only critique is that the chicken didn't have much flavor, like it was boiled without salt and just tossed on top of the noodles right before serving.
They could definitely run the A/C more. What is it with restaurants in this town letting the customers steam cook as much as the food?
Portion sizes have gone down!! I ordered a salad, took two bites and the lettuce was gone. All I had left was so hard pieces of beef that were overcooked. Nothing looks the same as it used to. The fried rice was so dry.
The food was delicious except the Tom yum soup was somewhat sweet.
The food was excellent! Definitely eating there again.
I don't mind waiting long for food, but do not lie about the wait time.
I got a message saying it'll take 10 minutes but it ended up taking 40+.
The woman behind the customers is very rude and she is not intelligent. I asked multiple times for my order and she didn't even bother looking and said they're working on it. When I asked another person he finally gave me my order which was behind him.
Please get rid of unintelligent workers like that, it only makes your restaurant seem unprofessional.
We ordered delivery. It took an hour longer than we were told. We ordered the fried rice with duck and pad Thai, som tum salad all were mild spicy a couple of appetizers. The food was cold, very salty, had no spice and the salad was inedible something was very off. Extremely disappointed
My friends and I had quite a winner dinner! The outdoor entry sign is kind of inconspicuous, but with google maps it's easy to spot. There is open seating; you order at the register. Most tables are for 4, but if it's not busy you can combine them for more space. I ordered the crispy pork belly, and the meat was good! The combination of sauce and rice complemented the meal nicely. But, there were too many veggies (in my opinion).
The Green Curry and the Pad thai are spot on! Love the restaurant
I really enjoyed the crab fried rice. The person at the register was not very friendly or helpful but the food was good.
Food didn't taste good, though some was not too bad.
Well went in after reading reviews for the first time. Poor veggie options. And ordered Tom YumnTofu soup and fried veggie rice.
Taste of Tom yum: 1/10
Taste and amount of rice: no veggies and charged for tofu : 2/10
Free water: 10/10.
I am.not coming again... this was not the thai Taste expected in The Downtown of Davis!
Lastly the waiter couldn't even say thanks when I left ..only 2 people were dining...
Also very expensive with the portion and taste.
Delicious food and very clean space, awesome friendly service. 100% worth it!
They added a $20 tip post me signing my cc slip. This is absolutely unacceptable. Please inform your employees that this is fraud. And action will be taken.
Super long wait (they said they only had one cook working at the time). But the food was delicious!
Good pad thai
推荐 pan thai? 26号的那个,我喜欢吃甜口的就挺喜欢的,有点油不过挺好吃的也不贵,买一次能吃两顿,有花生碎
Food is nothing special - pretty average and comes out a bit slow. The great thing about this place is the location and ambiance. It is the perfect place to meet in downtown or study.
Incredible food! Never had a bad meal here. Service can be a little slow, but I think that's because everyone loves the food and the prices so much. Also the dining room can be a bit loud because of the acoustics. I'd recommend take out or eating outside if you'd like to avoid the loud dining hall. Overall a great place to eat in Davis with reasonable prices.
Quick friendly service. We got the duck fried rice , fried tofu and red curry. Duck was very flavorful and tasty. Tofu wasn’t soft like I’ve had in the past. Had a good texture, the sweet and sour sauce that came with it had a Smokey taste to it. Red curry was good. The portions are HUGE so come here hungry! You will leave happy. Only complaint would be it can get noisy in there especially with the kitchen noise.
Busy and smoky. Take out was a better choice.
Employees who are giving out for pick up orders seem like they are not happy with their job, I see that every time I go there.
Very Delicious. Good vegetarian options.
Amazing, fresh, tasty food. Great service, including help with gluten-free options. Bathroom hallway cluttered.
Always fast, tasty and consistent. Have been eating here since college at Davis and every time I’m driving through!
BRo when i went here, all i gotta say is that it went crazy....... Me and the boys were saying yummy yummy in my tummy the whole time. It is a ritual for me to come every week.
We had a take-out order of Pad Gra Prow and Green Curry, both with Tofu & Vegetables. Order took about 45 mins to be ready, which was good considering it was Valentine's day! Par Gra Prow tasted good, white the green curry was all right. We were a bit disappointed by the size of the portions - they were pretty small. Still, overall a positive experience!
Delish.
The food is excellent! You can tell by how busy it is and the number of take outs flying out of their kitchen. Many vegetarian/vegan options are available. The staff is friendly and curteous. I'm giving 3 stars for the atmosphere because it is not a fine dining restaurant but a diner for a quick bite or a friends get together or a business lunch (if you can find a quiet corner)
Couldn’t answer the phone during business hours???
Loved the spicy peanut sauce.
Good Thai and some Chinese dishes at a fair price. Back of restaurant is a bit noisy,
The food is good
The pad thai here is the best. I usually go for the chicken pad thai and is the thing I always order here. Having tried all other pad thai from other resturants, none have come close to beating Thai Canteen.
If you love spicy, I recommend adding the "fish sauce with red chili pepper" sauce for an extra kick. It hits the spot.
The service is great and the owner is very accommodating. We have host a few fundraiser partnership with Thai Canteen and our student org at UC Davis.
Love this place. The pork belly is literally to die for. Service is polite and respectful.
They had such kind food service and we're very welcoming! Their food was super yummy too!
the staff was friendly and it was clean. The amount of food they give might not be worth the price which is why I’m not giving it a 5 but still definitely recommend👍
Pineapple fried rice 🔥
Get the number 1 or 10. Those are really good
Great food served hot!!!
The food is still great but I have noticed the prices increasing and the portion sizes getting smaller. You will still have a delicious meal but it might not be the best deal around. Definitely order the crispy duck skin whenever it is in stock.
Amazing, best thai food we've had in awhile. Got the papaya salad, shrimp rolls, yellow curry and the garlic fried rice with pork. The fried rice was the real standout (forget the name on the menu), awesome flavor and the pork was awesome. Best part is we ordered everything thai hot and it actually was pretty spicy, which is pretty rare at sacramento thai restaurants.
Wonderfully flavorful Thai dishes prepared fast by welcoming staff. Great mix of flavor profiles and textures.
A little sweeter than Sophia's, but great if you want a quicker meal and not looking for sit-down service.
We have come to expect mediocre food and hit-or-miss flavor. This last order was the last straw... ordered the usual pad king and drunken noodle, both medium spicy. The drunken noodle was a soggy mess, and so overly spiced that no other flavor was discernable. So much for medium. I tried calling to let them know about the problem before reviewing here, but their number seems to be disconnected and I can't message them. So long Thai Canteen, I wish I could say it's been great, but I just can't.
Thai Canteen: I ordered the pad khing ($13) and an iced Thai tea ($4) for take-out. There is ample seating indoors (including bar stools around the counter area) as well as outside in the patio area. Relaxing atmosphere and plenty of seating with large tables, great for friend/family gatherings. Staff were attentive and friendly, they recommended rice dishes and personally came outside the restaurant with my order when it was ready (it took <20 min).
I chose mild as my spice level and I'm glad I did, the pad khing still had a nice kick to it but not to the point of tongue-numbness. The stir-fried chicken, mushrooms, bell peppers, and onions were a bit plain without the sauce and the ginger flavor was not as impactful as I expected. This dish is perhaps best enjoyed immediately when served, before the sauce is greedily soaked up by the rice, leaving the chicken dry. I felt the portion was a bit small for the price but noticed that it's probably due to the size of the container, where portions for dine-in seemed larger. The iced Thai tea has the usual familiar, comforting sweet taste of condensed milk and the price is about the same as elsewhere. Overall, the Thai Canteen offers dishes with great potential and is perhaps best enjoyed by dining in.
Good Thai food, but slightly un-attentive service.
Great food for a good value. The curry is quite good. They mild spice level is very weak for those that can't handle spice while the hot and Thai hot are perfect for those that want closer to authentic spice levels.
No taste and we could taste the tap water...probably one of the worst pad thais I’ve had
Whenever I'm in the mood for Thai this place really hits the spot.
Ate there twice in early December. Had a 5+ star experience and a 3 star one. Service is great but I wonder if the kitchen is inconsistent? The 3 star one gave us a dish I couldn't even identify from the menu.
Food is alright but there's one employee that is extremely rude.
It was a slow day and yet the service was still very slow. Guy at the register had a very rude tone and once he brought my to-go food to me, shoved it right in front of me onto the table. Unnecessary
Ordered Kang Kari with beef and mild spice. I got beef alright, but way too spicy and literally two chunks of potato and two chunks of carrots. If someone orders mild it’s because they don’t WANT spicy food- and if you advertise served with potatoes and carrots, make sure you’re providing enough to be considered a serving! So disappointed.
I dream about their sticky rice with mango sometimes.
I ate here three years ago, approximately 10 times within a two month stay in Davis...I still dream of this place. No other Thai place has come close. They got me hooked and now I'm here in Brooklyn, NY googling if there's a Thai canteen here. I dont review often...really go try their pad med mamuang with tofu.
I would give them 6 stars out of 5. Honestly I eat so much Thai food and this place legit has the best and spiciest Thai fried rice it's just simply delicious. Not only that, I tried their Thai tea cake and oh my god it was so good. Thank you so much Thai canteen for existing, you guys are awesome.
Note that it is to-go only, there's like some public space outside though where one can eat. I guess picking up is a better idea here, because the food is delicious.
Good food. Kind of feels like a cafeteria when dining inside. Better outside for takeout.
Absolutely outrageous how rude the ladies running things are. I feel bad for the cashier. You should quit buddy.
The food is good.
Service seems unorganized, they ask for tip upfront and we tipped well (20%), sadly, when that happens you know that you will get a bad service, but also YOU HAVE TO TIP because you don’t want to risk a bad employee doing something to your food or just not caring to help a client that didn’t tip.
We stated that we ere going to eat there, we decided to eat outside (they asked and they have outside sitting available) we ordered appetizers.
We were hoping to eat in a restaurant. Well, everything came on a togo paper bag, no utensils, no napkins, I had to walk back inside myself to get all this and wait until someone could give them to me. No one ever came check on us. Very disappointed. I really dislike restaurants that ask for tip upfront, a good tip comes after a good service.
Great Thai street food in a pleasant environment.
Our family's favorite spot for thai in davis.
Great food, was ready when I arrived.
I had beef Pad Se Ew and Satay Gai with peanut sauce. Everything was really good and less than $20 for both. Especially liked the sauce on the Pad Se Ew and their peanut sauce.
underseasoned and undersauced, plus they somehow forgot the eggplant in my eggplant stir fry. when i called to get my order corrected, the man on the line took offense to my pointing out the incorrect order, then proceeded to hang up on me. completely rude and unprofessional.
the ramen noodles were pretty fire & excellent with the noodle texture with not actually feeling like slimey worms like other restaurants.
This restaurant was my favorite restaurant in Davis.
The taste was fine, price is still decent and they have Som Tum!
but….
Last time I ordered Pad Si Ew and it was horrible. The wide rice noodles were broken into little bits. I tried to understand them because it was really busy.
Yesterday I ordered again.
Padthai was OMG🤢
Mango sticky rice was not cooked enough
Crispy pork bell was extremely salty even I mentioned low sodium twice when I order.
I forgot to tell them rice on the side so the rice soaked up all the juicy flavour from food and that made it even worse
I used to love this restaurant but I now dislike Thai Canteen in Davis.
Popular eateries for students!
Just about all of the workers upfront are rude, except for the sweet person with the glasses. Please learn some better customer service skills.
We have been a loyal Thai Canteen family for as long as it has been around. The ownership must have changed as the food and service have gone down hill. It has lost its authenticity.
Fantastic proportions, very flavorful and Thai spice is spicy!
Ordered for delivery, pad gra prow with tofu (basil tofu) and pad kee mow with beef (drunken noodles) and it was delicious. Rice fluffy and bountiful and noodles were bouncy and packed full. You can even order the spice on the side.
It is always a pleasure ordering food from Thai Canteen. I am a big fan of the praramsong with calamari, Pad Thai with tofu, and Pad See Ew. Some days I want to order multiple entrees and find that the delivery option is worth a deal. Portions are generous as well.
I am glad that I have been able to support Thai Canteen during this last year with the pandemic going on. This is a good place to place pick up orders or use their own delivery service.
Thai Canteen was my unofficial sponsor of 2020. Food is always delicious, and service is consistent. My favorites are the panang curry and spicy eggplant (a special that isn’t always on the menu). Husband loves the pad se ew. If you order online, you can leave special instructions that have always been followed for my orders. We indicate our spice level, ask for extra chili on the side, and always request no green beans. We normally order medium spicy, and it’s the perfect level 80% of the time (15% is too little spice, 5% it’s too much). You can add extra veggies for $1 and extra protein for ~$2. Entrees are big enough to split between two people, especially if ordering for lunch.
We order delivery often, and their time estimates are always spot on. Order confirmations are quick. Food is always delivered hot. Sometimes, the times estimates on the website are VERY long. Like, an hour+ for delivery and 45 min for pickup. They mean it when they say these times. They are busy. I normally skip Thai Canteen when wait times are that long because I’m hungry and lazy.order at your own risk during these times. If you order before 6:30 on a weeknight, it’s normally super quick. Weekends and prime dinner time can be a wait.
Overall, highly recommend. Is it the absolute best Thai food in the world? Probably not. But, it’s darn delicious, extremely consistent, and a good value for the portion sizes.
Great food and well priced, as always, but I DO NOT recommend requesting their free delivery. We have twice waited more than 30 mins past the projected delivery time (once, it was over an hour). Pick-up only!!
Terrible food and terrible service! The curry was diluted/flavorless and there was a long wait. I recommend not setting a foot in the building due to the horrible staff and the terrible atmosphere. Overall, a treacherous experience.
Tasty food and friendly people.
food was good and the service was fast and fresh.
Good food
#10 pad med mamuang is the absolute best
Horribly long wait times, took just under an hour to receive food (after paying). The food was alright though.
Horribly long wait times. It’s been over 35 minutes and we still haven’t received our food.
Really poor service, the woman working at the counter gave my call in order to someone else and preceded to deny me a refund. She also had her mask pulled all the way down while serving me. Will not be returning.
奶茶和菜都偏甜了,除了管饱,没啥特长的泰国菜
I visited the Thai Canteen with a group of my friends near their closing hour last December. This was after the UC Davis students had left for the semester so there were no other patrons inside. My friends ordered food, but I wanted an ice cream sandwich instead. I went to Insomnia Cookies to get one and then came back to sit with my friends. One of the two employees on duty that day informed me that I would have to stand outside to eat my ice cream, despite the fact that there were no other patrons in the establishment and it was raining and cold outside.
I understand having a store policy against outside food, but reasonable exceptions seem like a basic tenet of customer service. Six of my friends had ordered food and there was nobody else inside meaning I wasn't taking space away from a paying customer.
We were so disappointed with this rude and inflexible service that our group hasn't been back since.
love the pad thai here! the thai tea is also amazing.
Rude as hell.
Fantastic food and service. I've been eating here the past two years and never had a bad experience. Thank you for the clean, efficient process picking up food during these trying times. I will continue to support your business!! Thank you!
Great food at a great price. And their food is actually pretty spicy unlike a lot of other places.
Good Thai food, but very spicy... so try medium hot first!
Really tasty, lots of interesting variety, friendly staff and patrons. Great place to eat often!
Pleasantly surprised by this place. Food was quick and very good. We were also able to sit outside which was really nice.
Got the vegetables in peanut sauce. No tofu in it.
It cost $10 for a small portion with white rice. Not that good but not terrible either just so so.
I was looking for good cheap Thai.
Excellent Thai food with college atmosphere
Good food and a lot of options. The place is a bit small and usually crowded (good sign). Staff is friendly. Order at the counter
- 14 photos
- 200 reviews
- 4.2 Health Rating
- Contact: +1 530-231-5465
- Website: https://thaicanteendavis.com/?utm_source=google
- Location: 117 E St, Davis, CA 95616, United States
- Map: 38.542497999999995, -121.7410692
- Thai restaurant
- Monday: 11 AM–10 PM
- Tuesday: 11 AM–10 PM
- Wednesday: 11 AM–10 PM
- Thursday: 11 AM–10 PM
- Friday: 11 AM–10 PM
- Saturday: 11 AM–10 PM
- Sunday: 11 AM–10 PM
- Outdoor seating: Available
- Kerbside pickup: Available
- No-contact delivery: Available
- Delivery: Available
- Takeaway: Available
- Dine-in: Available
- Fast service: Available
- Great tea selection: Available
- Lunch: Available
- Dinner: Available
- Solo dining: Available
- Wheelchair-accessible entrance: Available
- Wheelchair-accessible seating: Available
- Wheelchair-accessible toilet: Available
- Assistive hearing loop: Available
- Alcohol: Available
- Beer: Available
- Coffee: Available
- Healthy options: Available
- Late-night food: Available
- Quick bite: Available
- Small plates: Available
- Vegetarian options: Available
- Wine: Available
- Lunch: Available
- Dinner: Available
- Dessert: Available
- Seating: Available
- Bar on site: Available
- Toilet: Available
- Wi-Fi: Available
- Wi-Fi: Available
- Casual: Available
- Cosy: Available
- Trendy: Available
- Groups: Available
- University students: Available
- Accepts reservations: Available
- Debit cards: Available
- NFC mobile payments: Available
- Credit cards: Available
- Good for kids: Available
- High chairs: Available
- Free of charge street parking: Available
- Free parking lot: Available
- Parking: Available
- Dogs allowed outside: Available