Thai Pepper II

This place looks totally sketch but the food is super fantastic (yes, two adjectives!!) I had a $20 Groupon to burn through and it was one of those cold nights where I didn't want to cook but needed some comfort on a plate so we ventured over to Aurora.....err...I mean Denver and hit up Thai Pepper II. As said before, the strip mall it's located in looks dirty and scuzzy but a Groupon is a Groupon so we hoped for the best and discovered this place is truly a hidden gem.

When we walked in I was taken aback by how small the dining area is--maybe seven tables tops with a few booths in the mix. There is a cashier stand and then a magazine rack (random) and there was one lady working that night. She sat us, greeted us and was on top of her game, much to my surprise after reading the reviews on here about their slow service. I didn't even have to look at the menu to see what I wanted since pad thai is one of my favorite dishes ever and the only thing I can ever order when going out for Thai. But I looked anyways because I had to know how much we were spending so we could hit the $20 and was surprised that a dinner portion was only $8.50--that's way cheap compared to other places I've been to in Denver, they usually run $10+. We ordered and it took the average time to wait-about 10 minutes-and soon our food was in front of us. For $8.50 you get hooked up with a nice portion that could easily be two meals. That was my plan at least but the food was so good I couldn't stop eating it! I ordered it hot and it packed some heat but not enough to take over the peanut sauce. There was a generous amount of chicken and tofu along with it and as soon as I knew it I had that awkward amount of food on my place where you want to take it to go but can't justify getting a box for such a small amount so I ate the rest.....and almost licked the plate. Even though this place isn't near me, I will definitely go back for their budget friendly meals. Snobs need not apply, this place is nothing to look at but it will pleasantly surprise you!

Got a Groupon here. Have had better Thai. We ordered the Pad Thai and a dish with fat noodles. Each dish had their own flavors which was neat, but I wouldn't consider either of them the best I have had...Service was good. Environment wasn't great. Small place with a few booths and maybe 3 or 4 tables.

With the Groupon, it was an okay deal, but probably won't go back since it really wasn't anything special.

We used to be once a month regulars here.  Small family run restaurant. The owner used to know our order from memory. We would just walk in and nod and she would get our meal going. Then on our last two meals here the quality was poor. The Thai iced tea tasted like dish soap. We told the owner and she quickly took away the glasses but did not offer an apology.  The last straw was when my12 year old son was eating his favorite, chicken satay, when he told us it tasted strange.  I tried a bite and to say the chicken was rancid, is being polite. We told the owner and she just took it away. No apology, no explanation and no offer for another batch. Then we had to remind her when the check came that it was bad so that she would remove it from our tab. Too bad, we supported the little mom and pop shop for years and bought gift cards for friends and relatives too. Will not return....  :~{{