Siam Cafe

Siam Cafe is a small restaurant in Chicago that has been around for a very long time. If you are visiting the area, this is a restaurant that should be on your list. Although the place is very old-fashioned and has been this way forever, the food and people are great. This place has been a favorite of mine since I was a little kid and I have always received great service from the staff. My favorite dishes include the hot and spicy soup, chicken satay, beef salad, fried rice, and shrimp chili. Not only is their food delicious, but the prices are extremely reasonable. This restaurant is by-far one of my favorite Thai places in the area.

This was one of those random places you stop in because its just there.  First of all, the food is fine.  My noodle dish was a little greasy, but tasty, and my salad was actually very enjoyable.  After the food, you hear a lot of people talking about the look of the place.  Its in extreme need of a revamp.  There is clutter, aka garbage, all around the dining room, its lit by fluorescent lights, and has the overall feel of a church basement.  Now the decor does not make a restaurant, but it makes the experience.  I really believe if they cleaned this place up a bit, invested in some new tables and dining ware, than this would be much more popular and successful as a Thai "cafe" (which the place is enormous on the inside so I don't know where they came up with the cafe part."  I've had worse food in nicer places, but I would still go back to them because the overall the experience was more enjoyable. Also, it was very clear that the owner was my waiter.  His service was poor, and encouraged me not to order what I wanted to order because I should get the pad thai.  I thought this was really weird.  They should have friendly servers working here.  Overall, it was fine for take out, just not a place you go if you're looking for a nice dining experience.

Siam Cafe (not to be confused with Siam Noodles and Rice less than a block South of here) is a silly restaurant.  As the oldest surviving Thai restaurant in the city (opened under the same management in the 1960s), they have a lot of experience doing what they do.  Yet I'm not sure if they've remodeled since they opened their doors several decades ago.

Food is absolutely delicious.  Curries, noodle dishes, rice stir fries... they're all among the best and very authentic.  They also offer one of the best lunch specials that I am aware of with a $6.50 all-you-can-eat buffet that always includes a couple of soups and most importantly their famous pad thai.

Yet in their old age, I feel like the owners have almost gotten bored of doing the same old thing over and over.  They seem to care very little about the physical appearance of their restaurant with outdated decoration and clutter covering tables.  Employees are friendly but not the most attentive.  None of this matters if you're looking for carry out or a casual lunch.

Overall, a great restaurant in addition to being a great piece of Chicago history.  I recommend it with the tiniest grain of salt.