I just moved to this neighborhood and this place is right down the street. My friend said it was really good. Â Since it's downtown, I figured it was an okay place to order beef - not always the smart choice for a Thai place. I ordered Pad Thai with beef - the pad thai was okay tasting, but greasy and the beef was very poor quality.
The inside of the restaurant looked decent enough - cute. The only real positive was that my carry out order was ready in less than 15 mins.
Good food, but they screwed up our order and refused to bring a replacement for the incorrect soup (manager admitted it was his fault). Â When I called to ask for a refund after waiting another 90 minutes, he hung up on me.
If you eat here, pay cash and make sure the order is 100% before delivery.
Convenient Thai restaurant in the heart of a touristy area. My pad see-ew was okay, nothing too special and pretty standard. The only thing I didn't like was that instead of American broccoli, they used Chinese broccoli which just didn't taste well with the noodles. The veggies were slightly bitter too. The other dishes looked pretty good so I'll have to try those if I come again, but for now, 3 stars is just about right.
The ambiance is pretty nice inside. They have regular seating tables as well as more Asian style booths.
This place has some pretty bland Thai food. The worst part is that it's super convenient to get to from my apartment. I've had the Pad Thai and the chicken with peanut sauce and they are both just OK. To be fair, it's a cool looking restaurant and the prices are reasonable for the area.
Review Source:Dao Thai is one of the long standing Thai restaurants in downtown Chicago. Â Near the Mag Mile, this restaurant is a place to go when all other reservations fall through and you don't want to wait. Â Unfortunately, whenever I ask others what they thought, everyone agreed it was an average Thai restaurant. Â There are definitely much better places in the city, but everyone agreed for the cost, size, and location, Dao at least gets an average rating. Â Be careful what you order... nothing is going to be as authentic as you may think and if you don't like raw vegetables stay away from the menu items I show below.
Review Source:A friend of a friend recommended Dao Thai. Â Normally, I would follow up with some research of the place before accepting random recommendations but I happen to be in the city the next day so I figured...why not? Â
Oh my regrets and I found out why not...
I did not like it. Â My friends did not like it. Â I got a chicken curry dish that was just not very flavorful. Â And the noodle dishes other people got did not look appetizing. Â I did not even want to try it based on the way it looked and based on the way they looked when they tasted it. Â One of the noodle dishes was the singapore noodles which is traditionally stir-fry vermicelli with curry and whatever meat the restaurant chooses to use. Â Here it was rice noodles instead of vermicelli with squid and shrimp. Â Plenty of meat for my standard but very pale looking overall and the noodles seemed mushy after the stir-fry. Â The second noodle dish was Pad Thai. Â It looked the part but again, the rice noodles looked mushy. Â
The Goong Hor that we got for the appetizer (deep fried shrimp in egg roll wrapper) was good. Â But not good enough to ever get me to return to this place.
The service was good. Â The wait staff was attentive and friendly. Â But when the food is so bad, I just can't give it another chance. Â Well, I feel mean saying bad here...maybe let's just say..."not good"...
Oh...I should note, there is a "pit" seating in the middle of the restaurant where some may sit on the floor and have their feet dangle in the "pit" for an authentic experience (?) but it was not too appealing to me as it looked dirty.
I've been here a few times now, not because it's the best Thai place, but because it's dirt cheap, great service, and you can always get seated.
It' pretty standard Thai food. On my most recent outing I got the Pad Num Prik Pao (Chicken Supreme) and my friend got the Pad See Eiw. Both were good, but nothing to write home about. Fairly average I'd say. I don't think anyone would ever be disgusted or grossly disappointed with anything they get here.
stopped in last night before the movies.
the gyoza were quite tasty but the dipping sauce tasted like that you might expect a vaguely asian version of pancake syrup would be. i ordered the nue nam mun hoy (oyster beef) i asked if it could be made with chicken and very spicy. what i received was very over cooked chicken a nice gingery sauce without a single bit of spice and CANNED mushrooms! canned? seriously? the only time i have ever been served canned mushrooms at a restaurant was maybe pizza hut as a kid.
gross.
needless to say i ate a plate of white rice for dinner (which cost extra by the way)
Tried this, being that it is close to the hotel I am staying at. After trying 3 different Thai places in the Loop general area, decided to give Dao Thai a try. Tried nothing very challenging, Pad Thai and fried rice. In SF Bay Area there is much better Thai and Viet food in general. Still, this was the best I've tried so far walking around Chicago thus far. I am more partial to the brighter/lighter/fresher tastes of Vietnamese, but this Thai place was tasty enough. I wouldn't travel far out of my way to return, but being just a 5 minute walk from the hotel, I'll be back.
Review Source:My pad see eew obsession moves to Chicago!
My parents and I stopped in here because it was one block from our hotel. The restaurant is adorable, brightly lit with a good mix of people. I ordered my pad see eew with chicken and waited excitedly for my food.
My noodles were just a little bit too sweet, with not enough egg and not enough veggies. There was hardly a hint of garlic, but the noodles themselves were pretty awesome.
Not amazing. But not horrible.
AMAZING Thai. It was a freezing cold Black Friday and we took refuge here, not knowing what to expect. I was so excited when I saw our fried tofu appetizer and my fresh squeezed lemonade make their way over to me. And nothing warms me up better than an asian noodle soup, I picked the shrimp wonton and bbq pork with soup. I couldn't help myself and I also got the lychees on ice--one of my all time favorite desserts.
The decor is really lovely with a touch of ethnic and lots of hand-painted art on the pillars and walls. The restrooms are passable and everything works, well lit. The restaurant's many square sit-in tables are comfy if you don't have two toddlers from the next table over hitting you in the kidneys over and over again -- but gotta love little pink British toddlers, yea?
MMM yum yum yum I will definitely be back if I'm in the neighborhood.
I went here for a friend's birthday.
There were 9 of us and we did not have a reservation and this place still accommodated us!
We had crab rangoon, egg rolls, tofu, chicken and beef pad see ew.
They do not know how to make Long Beach/Long Island Iced Teas, but the drink they made was tasty.
The tables are placed in a sort of cut out box so you can sit on the main area and have your legs inside the box. Â Requires some crawling in and out.
We had a lot of fun and the service was just fine.
Gotta have the Wonton & B.B.Q. Pork: steamed homemade shrimp wonton and bean sprout topped with green onion, cilantro, and B.B.Q. pork (stole the description from the Grubhub menu) with soup. Â I ordered it takeout and brought it back to work with me. Â I added some chili sauce to it, and it was DELICIOUS! Â
I usually order crab rangoon and chicken pad thai, and I have tried a few other items, which are always good, but I was especially happy with the wonton & bbq pork with soup. Â It smelled and tasted amazing, and my co-workers were jealous of my lunch. Â I will definitely be back for more.
Simple and sweet: Try the #22, the Pnang Nue (beef with peanut butter curry sauce) over rice, and your world will change. Sure i've had other things from Dao Thai, but one taste of this dish, and all of the sudden- nothing else matters. The Pnang Nue is worth 20 stars. It may even be worth 20,000 stars. That is all.
Review Source:The ambience was decent, and the servers were super-nice. Â Very accommodating for a toddler.
However, we couldn't get over the food. Â Maybe we're used to the more authentic tastes of Thai food from San Francisco, which are still a far cry from the Thai food in Thailand. Â However, there was something burnt-tasting to their larb, and their pad thai was too sweet and the noodles broke into small pieces. Â Texture is important in Asian cuisine, and the ability to hold that texture together is paramount. Â Imagine broken spaghetti noodles -- Â Chef Boyardee style? Â The sweetness of their pad thai actually got to my tooth, and I had to stop eating the leftovers we took back to the hotel. Â My husband wouldn't touch the larb again.
The tom yum soup was good, but overall, we can't recommend this restaurant.
I give this place not necessarily four stars for the food, but for their service and understanding for a late take out order. We were headed back on Sunday night from riot fest and were starving. As we walked by this place at 9:45 (they were closing at 10) we figured we'd try it and see if they'd let us place a take out order. They were extremely accommodating and set us up with containers of chili sauce, soy sauce, plates and plastic silver wear and to our surprise, FREE fresh spring rolls in addition to our delicious noodle dishes! The meal was very satisfying and customer service like that should be rewarded with return visits in the future!
Review Source:There were pros and cons here. Everything was fine, but nothing really great. I like the weird seats where you dangle your feet, though I'm not sure what function/effect is achieved. It's comfy, though, and unique - definitely the most memorable aspect of the decor.
I had to order my glass of wine twice -- I think they forgot about it. But they were apologetic, at least. I shared an app that was translated to be "shrimps in blankets." The blankets were basically the fried wrappings  you get on spring rolls. Not bad...they were kind of cigar-shaped, one shrimp per.
Entrees: split two and the portions were generous. Yes, the rice is extra, but they have brown rice as an option, which is good. The Rama Chicken was good, albeit pretty sweet/definitely made from peanut butter. The green beef curry, which we were warned was very spicy, was indeed very spicy. Came with peas, eggplant, basil, and green peppers. Tasty, but maybe a little too spicy for me. Usually, I can handle heat, but I was out of my league. Â
If I am in the neighborhood again, I might come back? Â Definitely doesn't compare to Tac Quick or Aroy.
This place is our favorite Thai restaurant, parking may be tricky and if you can take it to go, that's a good option as well. Our favorites are pad Thai chicken, beef pad see ewe, tom yum soup with chicken and Green curry with chicken. The servings are generous and they are very quick with having your tasty order ready for you. I also enjoy sprinkling their hot sauce on all of my food, it's a nice blend of hot and tanginess for some of the sweeter dishes. Before heading back to I-94, we stop by Garrett's popcorn (Right around the block) for a medium blend (cheese and caramel). My fingers are nice and orangey when we get home, perfect timing for Thai food from Dao's. :)
Review Source:I was famished after 6 hours of traveling.... I needed a beer and some food ASAP at 9PM on a Wednesday night when I came across this restaurant.
It had a very casual ambiance- it's nothing fancy, but comfortable. I was greeted and sat right away at a small but clean, simple table.
A server came to drop off the menu. She didn't greet me or try to explain the menu. She left before I could place my drink order. Â She returned when I was on the phone- demanded that I order... I got a beer and pad thai with shrimp.
The beer was dropped by a second server, and my food was delivered by a third server. After 10 minutes, no one came by to see how the food was. The only person that came by was yet a fourth server who wanted to see if he can take my tray of condiments (pepper flakes, soy sauce, mustard, etc).
Pad thai was okay- there were 5 pieces of shrimp. It wasn't very fresh- you can taste the fishiness when you bite in. Â But for $7.95 (+$2 for shrimp), I guess I can't complain too much!
If you want to get in and out and don't care about having a dining "experience", this is a good, cost-effective place to fill up. But if you're looking for good, attentive service or are on a date on a Friday night, I'd suggest that you find another place.
I had the mussaman curry as the menu stated it is one of the best foods and I tell you it did not disappoint. We also had the crab rangoon which were actually sub par. My fiancé had the pad thai (no surprise because she always orders the pad thai) which was simply ok. So why the 4 stars? Seriously the mussaman curry was incredible, the service was quick and kind, the price was spot on. Need some Thai in the city but don't feel like over paying? Check this place out.
Review Source:No, it's not the best Thai food you can get, but I love Dao anyways. Yes, I'm a fan.
I typically only eat from here when my work department goes out for lunch or we order in for a meeting or some such. That's what got me hooked. The food is good, and it's cheap! I also LOVE their Thai iced tea. Nom. The space is nice and I've never really had to worry too much about heavy lunch crowds while at work; we can typically get seated right away. Also, they bring food out fast! I can easily eat out for lunch during work and not have to worry about being late (yay!).
I took my friend here for lunch recently and I finally got to sit in the middle seating section where you can sit on pillows and your legs are hidden in the little box you're stuck in. That's not the best wording I can use to describe it (truthfully, I make it sound a little scary), but trust me, it's awesome.
The service can be iffy at times; sometimes the waitresses are nice and attentive, other times you get the servers who barely talk to you and shove food in your face. Honestly, since it's not a Michelin star restaurant and I'm only there for the cheap Thai food and often quiet atmosphere, I could care less.
Just try it already. I've never had a bad experience here, hence the four stars.
I almost didn't go to this restaurant because it only had 3 stars, and since I'm rarely in Chicago, I only wanted to go to 4-5 star reviewed places. But I had such a strong hankering for Thai that I changed my mind last second while on my way to another restaurant and decided to stop here! I'm so glad I did! My girlfriends and I ordered the mini veggie spring rolls which were delicious. The plum sauce that came on the side wasn't that good, but hey they had sriracha, so we were saved :-)
I ordered the Chicken Pad Ped with white rice for just $8.75! I made the mistake of ordering it medium plus - I needed a fire hydrant for my tongue later! The gravy was  nice and coconut creamy with tons of bamboo shoots which I love and the dish was super meaty, which I also love! Their crab rangoon was wonderfully overstuffed with a really nice crispy deep fried shell.
The service was a little slow but it was a lazy sunday afternoon so they only had one server trying to handle 5-6 tables. But they did turn the AC up when asked instead of ignoring us like some places may lol. So i guess it all evens out :-)
I would definitely recommend this place to Thai lovers in the Chi.
After a long day sightseeing and pretty much being on our feet all day, we headed to Dao Thai for a sustaining meal before going out for the night.
I ordered the Cashew Chicken, and I believe my friend ordered the the Pad Thai. I typically order an item I am familiar with in an unknown restaurant. The cashew chicken was delicious.
Another thing I liked about this restaurant is the seating space. In the middle of the restaurant they have a raised bed, where you can sit on the cushions and have your feet dangling. From the outside, it looks like you are indeed sitting on the floor. It was not only fun, but a relief to take off my shoes, relax my tired, weary feet and enjoy dinner.
The food at Dao is quite good and can be spicy. Â As other reviewers have stated, the food can be a bit plain which is why I typically order the spicier dishes and load up the chili sauce. Â
The last time I was there the service was quite slow for 4 people. Â For it's price and location, it is worth visiting for lunch.
Horrid, whacked, and disgraceful!
I got carry out from here and it was as bad as when my dog takes a doogie on my living room carpet. I had the hot and spicy shrimp and tom yum soup. There was a total of 6 pieces of shrimp in the hot and spicy shrimp. The shrimp was mushy and the only other thing in the dish was bamboo shoots and couple slices of peppers. Is there a fire-sale on bamboo shoots? They're using it like it is going out of style. The dish was watery, overly sweet, and not spicy. Horrid!
The tom yum soup was okay at the moment, but then I got really dehydrated after. It is filled with MSG. Definitely do not recommend this restaurant. There are so many better options in the area for Thai.
Ordered takeaway, and it arrived cold. Even after dumping the container of chili sauce and our own bottle of soy sauce, the food remained flavorless for both of us. It was a pretty disappointing experience, and we ended up resorting to the fridge halfway through our meal.
We had a voucher from seamless; had we paid full price, apathy would have been anger.
My favorite part: tables built into the floor so that you swing your feet in and sit inside a box-like area.
Not so favorite part: the curry made with peanut butter. It was so thick and peanut butter-y that I had to take it home because it was so heavy! We ordered brown rice to go with the curry and I don't think they charged extra for brown vs. white rice which was a plus.
My friend ordered the won ton noodle soup and loved it though. The food did arrive pretty fast and I liked the decor and atmosphere despite the not so great curry.
It might not be the BEST Thai food you can get, but it's an excellent option in the area: cheap, tasty food with good service and booze. I mean, really, what more could you want? ;)
Also, the design of this place sets it apart from other Thai places in the area - the inside is nicely appointed with Thai decorations and the middle of the restaurant has floor-style seating, so if you're looking for a nicer environment than your typical Thai place, this is a good choice.
This was our first time at DAO.
Ambiance is good, loved the tables where it appears you are sitting on the floor! Got seated within 5 mins and it was pretty busy.
Food was good, Pad Thai was awesome.
Service was were it lost stars for me. Appetizers came out fairly quickly but the entrees took a long time. We honestly thought they forgot. We were four people and we got our food 15 mins apart. Otherwise waiters were friendly. And kept coming to refill water.
Probably will go back for Pad Thai and iced coffee!
I agree with most people about this place. Â The Thai food is average. Â However, the restaurant's ambiance combined with its multitude of Thai artifacts, artwork and ornaments makes it a unique place compared to other Thai restaurants I have been to in the U.S. There's even a seating area where you can eat Indian/Asian style, on the floor!!
I ordered the Chicken Gyoza which was good, but it was really the sweet and spicy sauce that came with with it that made this appetizer stand out (4 out of 5).
I also ordered the Thai chicken fried rice. Which was ok, I have had better (3 out of 5).
FInally, the Thai iced coffee, was average, usually the Thai iced coffee is strong, that was weak and lacked a strong coffee flavor that I am used to (3 out of 5).
Overall, if your in downtown Chicago, near the Navy Pier and craving Thai food (like I was) or your looking for an intimate place with a "Thai" style ambiance  or even for a quick business meeting lunch, then go here.  But if you want to eat "GREAT" Thai food in Chicago, do not go here. LOL Â
Additionally, its quite expensive for lunch, considering this place is average for Thai food. Â I ended up paying over $19 for lunch!!!
We came here because they were open on Christmas and cannot deny the opportunity to eat Thai food because nothing in Atlanta has really been impressive. This wasn't that impressive either though.
The service was as good as it could be for having 11 tables of customers and only 2 servers. It took a bit to get an order placed but everything came out in a timely manner and water never went empty, and it's always a plus to not constantly be bothered.
We ordered gyoza to start, and they were really good. I was expecting that we'd get maybe 6, but the plate held a dozen perfectly fried potstickers.
I ordered pad kee mao, and it was decent. I've never been somewhere that serves it with a prawn (although I had two, the menu says one), but I don't like 99% of seafood so I ignored them. The noodles were REALLY broad or had stuck together which made it kind of hard to eat. Â It would have been nice to have the condiment tray because it wasn't as spicy as I'd like.
Thai iced tea was strong and good.
Overall they satisfied our need for food on a holiday well, and the tables in the middle are fun to sit at because it makes other people jealous, and then they want to one.
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,611 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,972 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,318 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,915 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,987 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
