We ordered takeout to eat up the street at Hop Butcher—and we wound up being very pleased with the food! Our order was finished right on time and packed with care. We only asked for chopsticks and napkins no (to avoid plastic forks, etc), and they were included accordingly. The veggies were fresh and we appreciated that they had some different offering from the usual Thai places.

Dishes are fresh and tasty. Service is quick. Pre COVID: This restaurant had a warm feel of decor when dining indoors. The smell of teas and fragrant dishes was always something I looked forward to when visiting. Post COVID: dining indoors is not the best experience. The dining area is no longer cozy as it once was. It’s clear the owners had to adjust the restaurant for take out due to COVID, and perhaps due to staff shortages take out is a better option so my recommendation is to order out, not eat in. Unless you don’t care about ambience for a full dining experience.

Came here for the first time during a study break. Never heard of it, never saw a review and was pleasantly surprised on how good the food was. I had a go-to spot near me that unfortunately the quality of the food and service took a dive, but this one will be my new go-to even if it's a little longer drive. The coconut curry was great! And the tofu satay was crisp with the peanut sauce. I'm coming back.

Had the Royal Catfish. The food was amazing but the service was not!!! Guy who served me was very unwelcoming and there was a few times I praised the food and I got no response. Not sure if he was just a dry person of if he had something against my skin complexion being a little darker than his, but customer service is just as important as the food being served. Doubt if I will spend any more money at this establishment.

So yummy! I’ve been to a hundred different Thai places and this place may be the best I’ve had. The pad Thai has plenty of sauce, little pieces of tofu, and the addition of white and red cabbage add the perfect textural balance and make the dish visually appealing. I also loved the sesame chicken that had little pieces of red pepper and orange sauce along with crispy chicken pieces. I think I have found my new favorite go-to for Thai!

Haven't dined in since before the pandemic, but get takeout all the time. Pad thai is really tasty and the portion is pretty big. Their tom kha is our favorite!

I’m writing this review as I sit here, after only taking one bite of my food. This is the best Thai food I’ve ever had in my entire life.

AMAZING food and flavor! Tried the red curry based on all the reviews and I can’t stop eating it. Highly recommend!

We ordered takeout to eat up the street at Hop Butcher—and we wound up being very pleased with the food! Our order was finished right on time and packed with care. We only asked for chopsticks and napkins no (to avoid plastic forks, etc), and they were included accordingly. The veggies were fresh and we appreciated that they had some different offering from the usual Thai places.

Truly a mystery as to why this place isn’t at 100% capacity all the time. Great restaurants like this are dying in Chicago!

Haven't dined in since before the pandemic, but get takeout all the time. Pad thai is really tasty and the portion is pretty big. Their tom kha is our favorite!

So yummy! I’ve been to a hundred different Thai places and this place may be the best I’ve had. The pad Thai has plenty of sauce, little pieces of tofu, and the addition of white and red cabbage add the perfect textural balance and make the dish visually appealing. I also loved the sesame chicken that had little pieces of red pepper and orange sauce along with crispy chicken pieces. I think I have found my new favorite go-to for Thai!

Just alright
Nothing to write home about. The food I received was I credibly bland and lackluster.

Food is great, but order takeout. The dine-in experience is very bad.

Will caveat that am giving 3 stars on atmosphere because this isn’t really a place where have dined in. One of my favorite Thai places to order in from. Traditional, flavorful and follow instructions when want to make modifications. Appetizers are always tasty, curries are full and flavorful, the noodle dishes are also full of flavor and never dry.

Very tasty

Recommend trying their Panang curry - great presentation and taste

Been coming to this place and agree on what a previous poster said about the ambience for in person dining just not being the same post COVID. That being said this place is hands down the best thai in Chicago at the most reasonable price. I love their chicken satay, panang curry, the Tom Yum is amazing, and ofc Pad Thai. I think everything in their menu is amazing. Oh and also the deserts. Who’d have thought?! The mango sticky rice is amazing. The thai custard is such a unique texture and flavor. This place is bomb dot com.

Ghetto and rude.

Good food. Fast service.

We order lunch for to go, the guy who took the order is ok, but the food is not as good, overall the lil too salty, and the light is dark in the restaurant

Hidden gem!

Panang Curry!

AMAZING food and flavor! Tried the red curry based on all the reviews and I can’t stop eating it. Highly recommend!

Had the Royal Catfish. The food was amazing but the service was not!!! Guy who served me was very unwelcoming and there was a few times I praised the food and I got no response. Not sure if he was just a dry person of if he had something against my skin complexion being a little darker than his, but customer service is just as important as the food being served. Doubt if I will spend any more money at this establishment.

Came here for the first time during a study break. Never heard of it, never saw a review and was pleasantly surprised on how good the food was. I had a go-to spot near me that unfortunately the quality of the food and service took a dive, but this one will be my new go-to even if it's a little longer drive. The coconut curry was great! And the tofu satay was crisp with the peanut sauce. I'm coming back.

Foods mediocre and the service is terrible.

Exelente servicio

Dishes are fresh and tasty. Service is quick. Pre COVID: This restaurant had a warm feel of decor when dining indoors. The smell of teas and fragrant dishes was always something I looked forward to when visiting. Post COVID: dining indoors is not the best experience. The dining area is no longer cozy as it once was. It’s clear the owners had to adjust the restaurant for take out due to COVID, and perhaps due to staff shortages take out is a better option so my recommendation is to order out, not eat in. Unless you don’t care about ambience for a full dining experience.

The people here have AWFUL customer service.

Best food ever!

I got the crispy pad Thai to go, it was very good! I recommend trying that.

Nice little restaurant the food is really good!

Best panang I had while in Chicago!!

I asked to speak to the manager concerning a mistake with my order and I was told that he was too busy. I asked when he would be available and I was told that the person didn’t know. Needless to say, I never got to speak the manager. If your going to have a restaurant make sure the manager can be available to its guest when needed.

Just ok not sure I'll be back.

Food and Service was excellent as usual.

I've tried all the Thai restaurants in the area, and Royal Thai comes out on top, no contest. Everything there tastes fresh and delicious. They even have khao soi which is not so easy to find. Don't waste your time at the other places, just come here.

Excellent customer service experience.

I can't get enough of this place! I've frequented this place for years and can't recall a bad experience. I definitely have my favorites though and would highly recommend their curries, particularly the Panang and the Red Curry, the Basil Noodle, and their peanut sauce spring rolls. Those are the best, in my opinion. I've tried other Thai places over the years, but I always come back to this one. I highly recommend this place to anyone.

Quality, delicious, proper coursing and polite people. 10/10 would recommend the Veggie Egg Rolls, wonton soup, green curry, and pad Thai!

Best Thai food I've had in Chicago. Still doesn't compare to the Thai food I've had in NYC, but scratches the itch.

Food wasn’t fresh. Service very unpleasant. I don’t remember last time I had such a bad experience in a restaurant.

They served us the lobster rice that was not fresh and when we told them about it they said that they will still charge us for the same.

I like the food but pickup is always painfully slow. For some reason, processing each person seems to be a five or ten minute operation.

▶ Food & Services are horrible. This place is one of the worst Thai Restaurant in Chicago ♦ Chicago have a good name for Thai Food for many years way back to 1975 when only a few in Chicago ♦ Today is 2020 all Thai ingredients are everywhere 🔵 But this place don't know how to use the right and the good ingredients ❌ .... 0.1 Star at best ... ❌

♦ This restaurant is a one time meal ♦ ... Food are below par Satay & Todmun are not good. Satay sauce is tiny I don't know what the owner thinking. If give double portion will cost 25 cents or less but will make customer happy and they will be back. Just poor management , very poor. Another surprise ... PLASTIC FORK ...!!!... 🔷 I never see any full services restaurant serve with plastic fork in my life. 🔷 Service is horrible , really bad. We the only 2 customers in the room but we have to wait and wait to order, after place an order we have to ask him for water and my soda ...!!!... We sit on the table for a long times , no water ... NO NOTHING ...!!!
🔵 4.5 Rating is a FAKED and fool me too.
... Food are below standard , services is 0.5 / 10 ...
⏩ .. From Thai Professional Chef .. ⏩

Royal Thai is a cozy little place with great food and courteous wait staff. At 12 noon on a Sunday we were the only party which was nice during the COVID pandemic.

Love this place! Quick service and food out of the world! Love the scallops, all their soups are wonderful!

Delicious food, and great service. I always get the tilapia or the catfish curry

The Best Thai food ever!!! No, seriously! Delicious! Cooked to order!

Hidden gem. I ordered the crispy pad thai w/tofu and mango sticky rice. Soooooo good! Can’t recommend this place enough.

Good flavors and welcoming place but could be better regarding to cleanliness.

I’m writing this review as I sit here, after only taking one bite of my food. This is the best Thai food I’ve ever had in my entire life.

I try something different every time I go and I have not been disappointed.

Always delicious

Beautifully decorated restaurants crabra goons were delicious and Pad thai was great! Follow me on@whatrueatinchicago

Outstanding customer service and thai food that was absolutely to die for.

Never disappointed when I have a craving for Thai food and come here. I tend to always order Tom Kha Kai with Shrimp and Pad Thai. Always delicious. Friendly staff and comfortable atmosphere.

Good Thai food and the waitress was really patient and sweet.

Fresh and good food - I've been going there for years and it's always good.

Gr8 Thai!

Love this place!!

Service can vary night and die. One day I had a fantastic experience, the next day it was terrible. All in all, meh.

Food was fantastic! Everyone who serviced our party of 12 was awsome.

The place was so hot.No air conditioning

Portions are large but not that flavorful.

Food was amazing! Highly recommended. All the dishes are Spicy, but Sweet. Its such a perfect combination

Amazing food amazing people good prices too!

Best Thai food in Lincoln square

Excellent food at a great price.

Best Thai Seafood and Cashew chicken!!

Best thai restaurant ..

4/10/19 just terrible.....

if i recall back in the mid 90's i knew the owner and her kids from my childhood.

Friendly staff, decent food, fair price - very uncomplicated

Cute and friendly with delicious food that is reasonably priced.

This place was delicious. I have not found too many amazing Thai places in Chicago- there are plenty of good ones though, but Royal Thai was delicious.

I come here for the crispy pad thai. New way to enjoy a traditional plate.

Clean please good food,and nice environment.

Love this place. Great food.

The manager lady sucked

Just okay. I got crab Rangoon and red curry with chicken medium spice (more like mild - FYI). The crab Rangoon was pretty good except when I was waiting for my food I saw them pull a bunch of frozen egg rolls out of the freezer to make. So essentially I don’t think a lot of their food is “fresh”. The chicken was over done and dry in my curry. The curry is thicker than most. Which wasn’t terrible but it just wasn’t the best I’ve ever had. Overall mediocre. Probably won’t go back since there are SO many Thai options near here.

The food is excellent!

Very disappointed. I cannot understand why this place has four stars. I ordered papaya salad, yum woon sen and Tom yum soup for take out today and I couldn't finish any of the dishes. I LOVE Thai food and I never pass up on papaya salad (especially) but this place... doesn't taste authentic at all.... I will not be returning again

Good food

Nice interior, polite staff, and the panang curry was delicious and flavorful. Can't wait to try more.

Royal Thai is my favorite place to eat in all of Chicago! Everytime we come from Ohio to visit, it is one of my first stops. And sometimes we go more than once a trip! My favorite is the Chicken with Asparagus and the Chicken Pad Thai. We have tried many dishes and appetizers and have loved everything so far.

Fairly portioned and fairly priced Thai that is done well. The location is small, but that's what I like about it. A lot of take-out customers, so if you're dining in on a cold day, expect the breeze to hit you.

**Edit

My wife and I have been exploring other Thai places around the city. We always compare our experience to Royal Thai. For us, RT is our go to spot.

We've come to realize that they make damn good food - and they are super consistent. We've never had a bad experience in all the times we've dined here.

The the past 2-3 months, we've tried 4-5 other well-rated Thai restaurants on the Northside. RT still holds spot #1.

Great Food , Healthy choices

New ownership. I used to talk to previous owners to make some twists to my food and they did accomodate to my taste. new owners according to waitress don't make any changes to their plates. not coming back

Love the Pad Thai and Crab Rangoon here. Always ready for pickup, cozy eat in area.

My wife and I have tried a lot of Thai places since moving to Chicago and this is our favorite by a long shot. Food and service are both excellent. It's a clean and cozy type of place.

Fantastic Thai food at a very reasonable price.

Delicious Thai food

Stumbled on this place by accident and couldn't agree more with all the other positive reviews. The Pad Thai was fantastic, and the appetizers amazing. I live nowhere near and still saved it to my favorites list.

Very large selection of dishes to choose from. Great size portions at fair prices.

Me and my wife very much enjoyed the food here

Large appetizers and very fresh and delicious food.

The Kow Soy ramen soup is amazing, and so hard to find anywhere else in Chicago!!

My absolute favorite! The panang curry and vegetable pad thai are amazing. Service is always terrific and delivery is often earlier than estimated.

Adorable intimate restaurant with delicious panang curry and the best sweet and sour tofu I've ever had! This is my go-to spot in my neighborhood.

Amazing place! Probably the best Thai spot in the area.

Love the pad thai! By day one of the best in the city! You cam also get it crispy eitherway your tastebuds will be fulfilled! Also honorable mention for their crab rangoons. Cant really comment on other dishes as this is my go to for pad thai.

This place is the best Thai food I've found in Lincoln square, ravenswood and north center. I've never ordered out because the place is so cozy I just love dining in. The food is quick and fresh and delicious. My most recent visit I tried the Thai sweet and spicy soup and I could cry it tasted so good!

Excellent food and service!

My favorite place to eat after guitar lessons at Oldtown School. Their panang curry is to die for. Super friendly service.

Other places can be dry, but Royal gives plenty of delicious sauce in the entrees to dip noodles and rice into.

Best thai food i ever ate seafood was cooked perfect scallops sqiuid shrimp

Very good food, rama noodels with tofu was amazing!

The staff was very friendly. I loved the Pad Thai.

The food is the best Thai in all of Chicago but only for this location only not the other sister restaurants in the city.

Excellent! Truly superb Panang Curry, 10/10 would definitely recommend. Next time I'll be doing the next level of spicy, but even at medium it was very satisfying. Lunch portions are a bit small, but that is prefect for my wife and myself.

The restaurant itself is a small local joint in a nice area. It is nicely decorated with Thai themes, and looks well maintained.

Enjoy the food

Great food, reasonable prices and BYOB.

Awesome food.

My family tried this thai restaurant for the first time this evening. We ordered the Lard Na, Pad Broccoli, Basil Shrimp, and Red Curry. We will NEVER order from Royal Thai again after we found a 1.5 inch SCREW in our order of basil shrimp.
When we called to report the incident, the manager was very rude and defensive, claiming his kitchen staff would never put a screw in our food...an irrelevant and totally unprofessional response. I had to speak with 3 different staff members before I was finally refunded for the basil NAIL shrimp.
Aside from the nail incident, the dinner portions were also very small for the price and if you enjoy spicy food, their "hot" or highest level of spicy was about a 3 out of 10.
Of all the wonderful thai restaurants In Chicago do not waste your time or money on Royal Thai.

Been a Neighborhood favorite for 20 years. Even with changes to the menu the quality of the dishes remains high and out still feels quaint and homey.

delicious and affordable. wouldn't think twice about going here

This is some great thai food. My go to is the panang curry with chicken. Its spicy without being overwhelming, great peanut butter flavor without overpowering the rest of the dish, the vegetables are fresh, the chicken is perfect. Good sized portions. They have some great appetizers too. Nice intimate setting to dine in and parking is reasonable if carrying out.

Honestly, hands down, the best tofu pad thai I have ever had. Their service is excellent as well.

Best Panang, a little sweet and spicy. Everything I've eaten here has been delicious

A medicore thai place. There are several better ones in the area. Their food is bland and not impressive. Their servers are nice but it doesn't make up for the not so good food.

As someone with Celiac disease, eating at restaurants can be a challenge. Even if the cuisine tends to be gluten free, there is always a possibility of cross-contamination if the staff isn't familiar with handling gluten free food.

Royal Thai is one of the few restaurants I can consistently visit and know that my food will be gluten free. Their staff is knowledgable about the ingredients of their food, they can make recommendations and even substitute gluten free noodles in their dishes.

In fact they are so good about looking out for me that when we order takeout, they always make sure to warn my husband that I am absolutely not allowed to try his dish, because it would make me sick. :)

Aside from the gluten issue, the food itself is very good. Their Pad Thai is delicious and their Tom Yum is a great cure for a cold or flu. Overall - highly recommend to anyone.

We go here somewhere between 7 and 10 times a month. I've fallen into a rut of ordering Edamame, Tom Yum soup, and Panang Noodles :)

My GF is gluten-free and these guys really understand what's in their food. She hasn't gotten sick once and they warn me every time that she can't eat what I'm ordering. They really do care about their customers.

If you are on the fence or looking for a place to check out, try this place out.

I'm fairly new to Royal Thai (since 2012) - but already this place has made my list of faves.

I ordered from here a few days ago and it was awesome. Definitely try the beef salad with cilantro and mint and the wonton soup (ask them to add BBQ pork, it works great in the soup). Delivery was fast and food was piping hot which was a nice surprise.