for those who are complaining about this is not an authentic thai food place i agree with you BUT there is no thai food restaurant in San Francisco that can beat their green/red curry. Not even close. Me and my friends who used to live in Illinois sometimes fantasize about bringing magic kitchen cooks to san francisco and train locals to open a magic kitchen style restaurant WHEN we win the lottery. The place is the bomb. I strongly recommend their red or green curry. Note: dont be too cocky and order hot instead of medium or mild. You'll see what im i talking about if you do.
Review Source:If I could give this place a negative 1 star, I would. Â This is not "Thai" cuisine, it's just more local garbage. Â A few months ago I ordered my favorite Thai dish "Gra-Prow" (translation, fresh basil) with chicken.....why did the chicken look like it was curded?!?! Â Chicken breast meat is supposed to be smooth in texture not look like an old sweater covered in fuzz balls. Â This dish is also supposed to have peppers in it bell and chili/jalopeno. Â This restaurant provided what was supposed to be pad thai at a multicultural event at the local college and it just looked like swill, hot garbage. Â The people who rave about this place need to leave this town if they want to experience real Thai cuisine. Â A few suggestions: Â Bangkok City in east Dallas, Archie's (yes! Archie's) Thai kitchen in Las Vegas, Bua Thai Cuisine in Washington DC, Thai Flavor in Waldorf Maryland - GO ANYWHERE BUT THIS PLACE!
Review Source:Okay, have these people ever had good thai food? 'Cause this isn't it. Â First we ordered a Thai staple of chicken satay for an appetizer. Â It actually arrived after our entrees were delivered. But worse than the timing was that the chicken was fried! Â Are you kidding me? Â Never before have I ever seen chicken satay fried. Â And the peanut sauce only tasted vaguely of peanuts. Â The woon sen soup that I had for my entree was spiced at a good level, mild plus but really had no flavor other than the spicy burn. My husband did enjoy his mild spiced bume noodle soup with red pork.
The service was mediocre at best. Â We hate when the server disappears just when you are ready to pay the check
I've come to this place 3 times now, each time when I come to visit Springfield. Their pie is phenomenal, however their food is pretty hit or miss for me.
For all 3 visits we had to wait for a table, which I didn't mind. The last time I was there I ordered the pad thai. Sadly I found it to be pretty bland and depressing. Their spring rolls are good, but I have had way better.
Their pie was the only thing in the restaurant that I truly loved and looked forward to. Â I have yet to find any other pie in NYC that compares to their ice cream cookies and cream pie. So get the pie!!!!
First, love BYOB! Â Second, the food is awesome! Â I love the asparagus chicken, tons of each over white rice...almost too much to eat in one sitting! Â The heat can be from mild to melt your face, so be careful. Â The only downfall here is dessert as in the beginning the pies used to be homemade and DELICIOUS, but aren't anymore, but are advertised like they are...go for the thai, skip the pie.
Review Source:My taste buds rejoiced at this little dive. Don't let the outside fool you, there really is magic inside. I ordered the green curry with shrimp at 'mild plus' heat. Wow, it was flavorful and spicy... better than Thai I've eaten in Chicago, and at a very reasonable price. My company ordered many appetizers, all of which were good, especially the accompanying sauces. My advice: Bring cash (no CC's accepted), wear a sweatshirt for gluttonous comfort and don't forget your booze of choice, you lush, you.
Review Source:This place is hands down the best thai food I have ever eaten. Â I have been to many, many thai restaurants in cities large and small all across the country, and springfield, illinois of all places has the best one by far. Â This place fed me at least 1-2 times a week while I was in medical school. Â Whenever I am back in Springfield visiting family, I ALWAYS make a point of getting my thai fix. Â For those who like it spicy, when they say spicy they MEAN it, and it is awesome. Â The BYOB policy at the Peoria Rd location is fun, you can enjoy some beer or wine with good friends while you wait. Â If you are a wine person I would recommend a semi-sweet Riesling to offset the heat. Â I personally like the red curry with tofu and the rice noodle soup extra spicy. Â Be prepared to wait on weekends, but that is some of the charm that comes with this place. My only regret is that there is not a MAGIC KITCHEN in Portland, Oregon!
Review Source:Before you come here, you should know that this place is a dump. It's tiny. There will probably be a wait. Actually, you'll likely see parties waiting with not just a six pack at this little cash only BYOB but, with an entire wheely cooler full of drinks. It's not a destination place. Are your expectations sufficiently lowered?
Good, now let's get to the food. The food is awesome. The flavors are spot on - nothing innovative, just standards done really well. In fact, it's quality and consistency of what comes out of this tiny kitchen are what makes this place a local gem. I usually get the lemongrass soup which is pure spicy, tangy perfection but, I've also tried many of the noodle & rice dishes over the years and haven't been disappointed. And as long as you have a good idea about what you're getting into - you won't either.
We came here on a Friday night, and the place was packed. Â After waiting outside in the neigh-90-degree-heat for 30 minutes, we were ushered into the neigh-90-degree inside. Â The inside of this place is pretty much a sty, they should use the money they seem to be making hand over fist to renovate the outside and inside.
I wish I could say that the food blew me away. Â I mean, it was decent enough thai, but no better or worse than I have gotten at places that take credit cards and have well-working air conditioners.
Other important things to note include the BYOB policy, soda comes in cans, and cash only policy.
I would recommend this locale for take-out only, I just can't bring myself to approving this place for a sit-down meal.
The original location has been one of my FAVORITES for years, and every time I visit Springfield my tastebuds beckon me to dine there.
The prices are very reasonable and the thai coffee is amazing! The best part is that even though you might have to wait for a table, it is BYOB so you'll have a festive time with friends while hanging out in the waiting room.
This restaurant is a hole-in-the-wall but it holds a special place in my heart!
Yelpers were right again. We were in Springfield on a little overnight getaway and were in the mood for Thai. Turns out this little (and I do mean little) place on the side of a highway north of Springfield had the highest ratings among yelpers of all restaurants in Springfield, and rightly so! The flavors in both dishes we tried (one thin noodle and one soup) were very authentic and perfectly delivered. The meats were also flavorful, but definitely overcooked. But then again, it's pretty rare to get properly cooked meats at a Thai place. Overall, a great find for us!
Review Source:Genuine Class.
No, not Alec Guinness... I'm talking about Magic Kitchen!
A timeless classic for excellent Thai food... and in Springfield, IL of all places. If you're in town and not already stuffed yourself with horseshoes and corndogs, then stop on by and get your far-east fix.
It's byob! The wait might take a little while but it's worth it. I love the bumi chicken (dry) and sticky rice for dessert.
Mmm.
Is this the best Thai food I have ever had? Not really.
Does this satisfy my craving for a nice spicy thai dinner? Sure.
They have pretty decent spring rolls and crab rangoon (particularly since I am not a huge fan of rangoon). Also, the pad thai, veggies and tofu, and ginger chicken are all good choices...and typically the ones that I go with. The food here does run a little hot for my palette so I would recommend going Medium...if you like a little spice in your life but not prepared to stick your head in the kitchen sink.
This place is BYOB, which actually I don't mind since you end up saving money and it is easy to have a few refreshments while you wait. Also the restaurant is a little small and sometimes making a reservation has been helpful and my group and I have been seated almost right away, other times, well, even with the reservation we have waited 20-30 minutes, but with my drinks and my friends by my side I haven't really mind...although i can see how others might.
The best Tai food in town (and has been for many years). Â BYOB adds to the fun. Â This is a funky place... Don't bring an expectation of clinical perfection... Â The "waiting area" doubles as a drinking area, as does the parking lot on nice evenings. Â Seating large goups can be a problem (it's a small place) so bring your patience and a couple extra beers.
Review Source:I LOVE the Magic Kitchen. My parents have been bringing me here since I was a wee little one. It's BYOB which is awesome, and the pad thai is soooo yummy! I also love their fried tofu. Even though it's BYOB, I still order their jasmine iced tea which is amazing and very flavorful.
If you like ethnic food and you aren't a picky eater, you will love it!
Oh yeah-and they serve pie for dessert! Random, but neat too.
Echoes of Jenny Z's review, except I didn't eat here in high school. I ate here yesterday.
Wow. Best pad thai ever. The spring roll was delicious.
Decor: what's with the juxtaposition of a beautiful picture of a Thai food market hanging opposite a huge Budweiser logo?
Delicious and tacky.
We were visiting Springfield from Chicago, and went to the Magic Kitchen on Lewis Street. We eat a LOT of Thai food in Chicago.
Food: 4*'s, and reasonably priced. Totally recommended for the food.
Service: 2*'s (would be 1*, but she provided us with entertainment). She showed us the beer list, and we asked which ones were on draft. She asked 'what does draft mean?'. She didn't know. (FYI - they're all in bottles). We asked about some of the food items, and she'd never eaten them, couldn't describe them, but said 'lots of people order that'.
So - if you know what to order at a Thai place, go here. Good value. Bring your sense of humor for the service...
ok, so i'm from chicago and i was in springfield to do some sight-seeing and to get away from the so-called hustle and bustle of the city.. so me and my boyfriend were looking for a nice restaurant to have a lovely dinner and saw that the magic kitchen had some great reviews.. but when we actually got to this place i was unpleasantly surprised.. its a really small place with no kind of atmosphere.. i was displeased by their poor service, but maybe it was because we went on a saturday night.. so anyway, they don't take credit cards and the nearest atm is 2 miles away!
so we ordered: crab rangoon (which is my favorite), wonton soup, chicken pad thai, and i got the garlic salmon. the crab rangoon had little bits of chewy rubbery meat that they called crab. the wonton soup had NO DUMPLINGS.. what kind of wonton soup has no dumplings?? the chicken pad thai was decent according to my boyfriend --i'm not that into that so i can't give you my opinion.. in the description the garlic salmon is fried in garlic --i wasn't aware that it was DEEP-FRIED. it was a disgrace to salmon. it was just so disappointing.
if it wasn't for that tiny slice of pie i decided to take home, i would've given the restaurant 1 star but the chocolate creme pie was AMAZING.. it almost made up for the crappy dinner i forced myself to eat..
but yeah, thats it --oh, and as far as the one person goes-- whoever said that i could point at anything and it would be amazing was definitely WRONG WRONG WRONG. my boyfriend said that we might be tainted by the much more satisfying restaurants of chicago.. but who knows..
the end
When I think of my grad school days in Springfield, I think of Magic Kitchen. The pad thai is wonderful. No other pad thai compares to their pad thai. The ginger chicken is also awesome.
I like going to the original Magic Kitchen on the outskirts of Springfield, rather than the one that's on Lewis Street. The original always tastes better.
it's just wrong that springfield, illinois has a thai restaurant better than any in portland or seattle. it's actually kind of infuriating, especially considering that in the pacific northwest there's a thai restaurant on every block, and NONE of them can match the quality of some little midwestern hole in the wall on the side of a highway.
so just go. go to the magic kitchen and enjoy what i can't enjoy. order anything on the menu. ANYTHING. you can even make it into a game if you like - throw darts, flip coins, spin the menu in circles and order whatever your finger lands on. have no fear - every single dish is a guaranteed orgasmic mouth-party.
i'm seriously trying to get my mother to ship me their peanut sauce. they really do sell it in quarts, in case you were wondering. i know people ship cookies and human livers across the country, so there has to be some way to get this magical peanutty god-sauce out of the cornfield and into my mouth. sigh.
I love this place. I only wish I could go more often. (It seems like they are often closed when I'm in town and thinking about food.)
I don't think I've ever been disappointed with a dish at the Magic Kitchen. I've found other Pad Thais that I like as much or possibly more, but overall I'd choose Magic Kitchen.
My faves are all the curries and the bume noodle soup.
Always great service, food is ok-good.
I've been to a lot of Thai places, and I'm not sure what all the hype is about. Â The services is definitely great, with a smile... ok, except for this one lady who never ever smiles and always looks like she's in a rush, but the food is ok to good at best.
Ive tried probably about 6-7 different dishes and overall I think its local or home-style version of Thai, since some of the dishes seem to have its own style which is different from anywhere else I've been. Â
The best dishes are probably their curry dishes. Â The duck curry and panang curry are actually very good. Â And they have really good Thai-iced-tea. Â But I was disappointed with the Pad-Se-Ew since its uses a thin rice noodle versus a wide noodle. Â There also wasn't a lot of flavor with that dish either. Â I just wished there was a wider variety of flavors overall.
The atmosphere is like a hamburger diner turned into a Thai restaurant, so if fine dining is what you are looking for I would check some other place out.
But if you're looking for just a place to relax, and get some crazy spicy food, its definitely worth checking out. Â
Oh and going there for some duck curry and Thai iced tea alone is definitely worth checking out. Â I just wouldn't go expecting a wide variety of taste.
I spent high school and some change living in a suburb of Springfield, IL. Â Of all the places I've lived, this is by far the least inspiring. Â However, there are bright spots everywhere, and the Magic Kitchen has a definite glow. Â Here's why:
1) The food is yummy. Â I generally had the green curry (spicy! and, unusually, made without coconut milk) and the thai iced coffee. Â Curiously enough, their decidedly un-Thai pies are fantastic as well.
2) The chances of a good Thai restaurant appearing in Springfield in the mid-90s were next to nothing. The fact that they were ahead of the game and managed to do it well gives the place major bonus points.
3) The Magic Kitchen is literally a shack in the middle of nowhere, yet it's always packed. Â I once went there in a full-on blizzard on a Tuesday, and still had to wait for a table.
4) The BYOB policy (not common in Springfield) gives the place a cozy feel. Â It also gives you something to take the edge off waiting for upwards of an hour on any given night.
If you live in Springfield, you've undoubtedly been here. Â If you don't, and for some reason find yourself in this corner of Central Illinois, do not leave without going to the Magic Kitchen. Â Just be sure to bring a map, and prepare to get lost.
I eat a LOT of Thai food and this place is still my favorite by far. Â
Grab some booze,get there early, reserve a slice of your favorite pie upon walking in the door, and start eating. Â Eggrolls are the best I've ever had, as is the peanut sauce that goes with them. Â Bume noodle soup (dry or as a soup) is also a standout. Â Frankly, I don't think I've ever had anything bad here.
BTW, they are not kidding about the heat ratings - in high school when we couldn't get beer, we'd come out here, order our food extra hot and practically get high off of the food. Â INCREDIBLE. Â Oh yeah, and it's cheap as hell too.....It just can't be beat.
Quite possibly the best thai food i have ever found. As mentioned in the first review, what the place lacks in ambiance it more than makes up for in satisfying your taste buds. I have never had a dish I did not like. The pad thai is amazing, the pad see eww amazing, the stir fried veggies amazing. The spring rolls are a must. Skinny, fried, delicious little egg rolls with the house peanut sauce. Do yourself a favor and save room for dessert. This place is known for their pies-strange yes-but oh my god. The strawberry rhubarb is a house favorite! Yum! Get it a-la-mode. The wait can be a couple of hours on a weekend night, but everyone brings a cooler-so please do yourself a favor and do the same-it makes the time fly by.
Review Source:An unassuming little shack on the outskirts of Springfield (on highway 56, less than half a mile southwest of Dirksen Pkwy) is quite possibly the last place you'd expect to find VERY BEST Thai food known to man. Â And yet, there it is. Â The family who owns and runs the Magic Kitchen doesn't have a liquor license, Â but the byo policy is more requirement than recommendation. Â Don't show up without a sixpack (for once, wine is not the right answer). Â If you can't find Singha, whose light perfumy lager accents the spicy, pungent flavors of its national cuisine so well, opt for a lime-seeking Mexican wheat beer or a bitter American ale like Goose Island's Blonde or Bell's Third Coast. Â The waiting room is almost as large as the dining area and frequently packed with friendly crowds who bond over their beer and anticipation. Â Everything on the menu is incredible. Â There are five levels of spicyness, and if you look white, good luck getting them to make your food level 5. Â Fortunately, it shouldn't be necessary--levels 4 and even 3 can still elicit delicious tears of pain. Â Cool your tongue afterward with the ice cream served over sticky rice with tropical fruit and please remember to drive safely when you're ready to return to a less magical world.
Review Source:
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