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. Â 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. Â The last straw was when my12 year old son was eating his favorite, chicken satay, when he told us it tasted strange. Â 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.... Â :~{{
Review Source:There IS another restaurant in the USA that makes Som Tom the way I like it...and it is easy to get to in Denver!
Small...OK...it was not crowded...so the 1 waitress kept her tables well-attended. Â Thirty seats by my quick count. Â
I was seated and water along with menu were brought to my table. Â Reading through the menu, I came to appreciate descriptions that were authentic and prices that were very reasonable. Â While the entrees described were enticing, I only had a taste for Som Tom.
Properly prepared, Som Tom combines garlic, either fresh or dried thai chili, tomato, fish sauce and palm sugar along with julienne-shredded green papaya. Â Additions can include julienned carrot, green beans, salt crab and shrimp. Â The combination of sweet, sour, salty and spicy, in combination with the crunch of the green papaya, brings an incredible symphony of flavor.
When Waitress returned, I ordered Som Tom and steamed rice. Â She asked how hot I would like my salad and I advised Thai hot. Â She asked if I was certain I wanted Thai hot. Â I replied that I did and emphasized hotter than ever previously served. Â Waitress nodded and went to the kitchen.
I took advantage of downtime to check in on email and news. Â Signal is decent and as I completed my email and water, about 8 minutes later, Waitress delivered my order to the table. Â She refilled my water and asked if I needed anything. Â I took a taste and was gratified to find the salad was actually what I considered spicy enough.
When I ask for Thai hot, on a scale of 1 to 10, that is 10. Â What I received was 10. Â The grades for the scale are: 5 is hot enough to make my nose run, 8 makes my forehead sweat and 10 makes me cry. Â This wonderful salad, made with fresh thai chili, was about 1 1/2 cup on a cabbage leaf. Â The steamed rice was about the same size, 1 1/2 cups. Â The rice was prepared perfectly and complimented the salad very well. Â
The spice level was so perfect that I savored lunch for nearly 30 minutes. Â Waitress came by occasionally to be sure I had what I wanted. Â
I will be back to Thai Pepper II to experience the rest of the menu...and it will be next time I am in Denver...
WOOHOO!
This was our second visit for dinner using a Groupon tonight. Â When we walked in, I felt like we were disturbing a family meeting. Â The staff and some of their friends were sitting around the tables.
The young server was new. Â He quickly brought us menus and water. Â Service started out excellent and then went down hill as the restaurant was maxed out (7 other parties and about 4 orders to go) with one party waiting for us to leave. Â Four of the parties presented their Groupons.
We ordered Fresh Shrimp Spring Rolls, Â Shrimp Pad Kana Thai Hot, and Chicken Panang Curry Hot. Â The server repeated our order which I liked to confirm accuracy. Â The spring rolls were cold and had been refrigerated, so they were not freshly prepared. Â There were a lot of bean sprouts but only one little piece of shrimp. Â The roll was basically tasteless. Â I loaded up on the chili paste, sweet and sour sauce, and peanut sauce to give it more flavor. Â The Pad Kana had 8 good sized shrimp which was worth the extra $2. Â It was not Thai Hot, not even medium. Â The Panang Curry had good pieces of white meat chicken, but the veggies were slightly overcooked and my husband had to pick out all the wilted Thai basil. Â
We waited over 20 minutes for the bill. Â The Groupon was on the table from the start, but the server did not take off the discount. Â I handed the Groupon to the server and he recalculated the bill. Â A woman came out of the kitchen to clear our empty plates.
The server was very busy answering the phone for take out orders, working the cash register, taking and entering orders. Â He was doing the best he could do. Â This was clearly a management problem not having enough help.
So tonight they lose a star. Â We probably won't be back since there are other Thai restaurants that we like better.
Another one of those places that is right next to where I work, but I never tried for some reason. Well, I finally decided to go for it after a co-worker was eating lunch from here and it looked/smelled absolutely delicious.
So far, I've only had the wonton soup, but I love it. It's a GIANT portion-good enough for lunch and maybe even then some. The broth is delicious as hell, the wontons are nice and juicy, and there's lots of good veggies in there as well.
The staff is super friendly, and already remembering me after just three times in.
Thai Pepper II has great food, and great customer service. I'll be going here a lot more often!
This place is small and the service is slow with only one waitress, but the food is good and the portions are pretty big. We tried the pad thai with tofu and the pineapple fried rice with pork. The pad thai was a little too sweet for my taste, but the pineapple fried rice was the perfect balance of sweet and savory. I would definitely come back here again.
Review Source:I had the Tom Kha soup (coconut milk with lime leaves, lemon grass, mushrooms and onions). Â This is my "go to" dish at Thai restaurants. Â It was not the worst I have ever had, but it was pretty average. Â The soup was on the watery side, as if someone had skimped on the coconut milk. Â The flavors were on the dull side . . . no sour bite, no excitement. Â There were no bad flavors, just a lack of solid taste. Â The mushrooms were nice, the chicken was good (but there was not that much of it). Â The lime leaves, lemon grass, and chunks of ginger were inedible (like tree bark), and it was annoying to have to fish them out of the soup. Â
In conclusion, if you want really good Tom Kha soup, try Wild Ginger or several other Thai restautants in the Denver area.
What I had? Â Veggie egg rolls and Massaman curry
Food review: Â This is a place I used to go to every once in a while as it was near my old place. Â Found a groupon for it a few months ago so thought I'd revisit it one more time. Â My opinion about the place hasn't changed much. Â The massaman curry is decent but nothing to ride home about. Â I was surprised about the veggie egg rolls. Â That ended up being quite tasty (nice and crisp and just right). Â
Service? Really friendly
If you spilled some Panaeng Curry on your shirt, which would be worse: Â the fact that your sporting a stain on the front of your shirt for the rest of the day? or that you wasted one of the best dishes that Thai Pepper has to offer? Â Or was it when you laughed at the COO for doing just that? Â I know Panaeng Curry when I see it, and when I see it on the boss's shirt. Â
I am addicted to this dish, and I need to remember they offer this as a special on Friday's. Â I prefer to order carry out, service hasn't always been the best when I've dined in. Â The dining area is small but decorated with style on a budget, to describe it best. Â A lot less tacky from what I've seen elsewhere. Â The food is a little more expensive and you don't really see a break on any lunch specials but regardless I still have my weakness.
We has a groupon coupon for this and took a chance. Atmosphere was lousy and no music was playing so very stale place. Food was small portions and greasy..too sweet and just plain bland. One waitress for the whole place so service was lousy...these hole in the wall places need to hire friendly people to help them out and communicate to customers if they want to have return business. The only good point is the water has great small ice cubes...even with a coupon the food was overpriced.
Review Source:I am really not sure why people are writing great reviews for this place. Â After driving by this place dozens of times, I decided to buy lunch for my office. Â It ended up being well over ten dollars per person. Â Only two of the five orders were dinner sized. Â My wife and I always like getting dinner portions for lunch for our Thai food so we can make three to four dinners out of it. Â We were very surprised to find out that although we had paid dollars more for our dinner sized portions, they were the same size as the lunch items we ordered. Â I cannily hope that this was a mistake because we did not have much left after lunch!
Despite the small portions and very high price, I was still looking forward to some great Thai food. Â Much to my disappointment, the food was about the worst that that I have had. Â I tasted almost to be leftovers other than having very little sauce and just a bunch of raw nasty green beans in my curry. Â I love green beans, but this was just terrible.
Everyone in my group talked to me during the day to thank me for lunch, but that we should find a new Thai restaurant in the future. Â My wife and I have been to fifty plus Thai restaurants in the past eight years, and this was not even close to any of them for the taste and quality of their food.
This is a good place if you have low or no expectations of what good Thai food is. Â It is also nothing very special and very small if you are dining in.
The food here is great, I haven't found better Thai food in the area than here. Â Thai Basil is just up Havana from this place and it puts Thai Basil to shame. Â The food at Thai Pepper II is full of flavor and you can get it really spicy if you ask for it. Â I always want to try new things on the menu, but I keep coming back to the pad thai, it is very good. Â
I'm rating it 4/5 instead of 5/5 because the actual restaurant is very small and almost all the tables can feel an unwanted rush of cold air from the door when it is opened in the winter. Â
More people tend to come here for lunch or do carry-out for dinner it appears. Â If you like spicy Thai food, come here and at least order your food 'hot' or 'extra hot'.
I must have had high expectations because this place is disappointing. Thai Basil Fried Rice tasted nothing like the basil fried rice you get at most Thai restaurants. Pad Thai mediocre, too saucy; little portions for dinner but high prices. The only tasty item that tasted as it's supposed to was Tom Kha soup. Not very welcoming place.
Review Source:Pretty good place for some quick take out Thai food. I've dined in once. Unfortunately it was really busy and the space is extremely small. It took a bit of time for me to get my food, so I usually just take it to go most of time. It's not like they are always busy, so I'm sure it be fine to sit down every once and a while.
As far as the food goes, I've had better. I am a little biased though because I love Thai food. I've had the pad thai and various curries thus far and all were not anything short of satisfactory.
Overall, pretty good but nothing special. 3 stars. Stay hungry my friends!
Went here for a quick lunch on a friend's recommendation and glad I had.
It's a tiny place and when we met (11:30), it was pretty empty.. but near noon, all the tables were filled (and there aren't that many tables).
We both went for the daily lunch special: Peneng curry (tofu or chicken) + pad thai + rice + egg roll for only 6.50$. The food was pretty good! The curry was sweet (ask for mild, because even then it was pretty hot!), and pad thai is good as well.
Service was fast and good;
A great place near the Parker/i-225 area. The restaurant is in a strip mall. Plentiful parking is available. On the inside, it's cozy. a little cramped, and based on the decor the owners are definitely Thai.
The food is great. I love it spicy! And this place delivers it. I had the pad thai, a staple in thai cuisine. Needless to say, they nailed it. The price is pretty good too. If your around the area, stop by and check it out.
I used to go to thai spice for all my curry cravings but the service and food became more inconsistent, and poor with every visit so I stopped going. Then I found Thai Pepper. I liked it because the food was decent, and the delivery is fast. But I am now bummed because the last time I called they said there was no delivery, something about the person who delivers was not there. More like there is only one person who delivers and it is their day off. Â Ok everybody needs a few days off, but a little more consistency would be nice, and maybe a delivery relief person for those days off! Looks like I am on the hunt once again.
Review Source:I was craving for Pad Thai for 2 days so my husband and I found this place on yelp and decided to try it. The chicken Pad Thai I had was excellent, the best I've had so far in town. The restaurant is very small but clean and neat. Reasonably priced. I was actually impressed with their food presentation and menu design because I didn't expect that from a cheap Asian restaurant. I'll go here from now on for my Pad Thai cravings!
Review Source:Location:
REALLY small location. This is literally a hole in the wall. There are maybe 5 tables available to actually use for dine in. I would suggest carry out.
Food:
Unbelievable thai food. I just cant praise the quality of the food presented enough. levels of "hotness" they offer actually matches up to what you would expect. (usually when you order "burn your face off hot" it comes out a low medium, but not here.) You order Thai hot, and thats what you get which is really appreciated. The veggies and everything come in decent portions and are simply mouth watering no matter what you order.
Presentation:
Someone who either works here, or the owner knows what they are doing when it comes to the presentation. The dishes all match- the food itself is decorated nicely with small add ons like mint and parsley. The rice comes out formed on a plate rather than dumped into a bowl. Even the menus are designed elegantly.
Service:
The service was quick and friendly. The place is so small that they only need one server, but he was very helpful.
Atmosphere:
Although it is a little cramped, for the price, the food is worth every penny. The decor inside is pleasant yet minimal. One thing i found odd was there was no music playing. Thats kinda different from 99% of the places you go these days.
My Final Opinion:
Gotta say, been to quite a few Thai places and this one takes the cake as far as food quality is concerned. Their presentation was great. The levels of "hotness" they offer was fantastic. The location was small, but should not keep you from trying the food. You wont regret it one bit!
Suggested dishes? I'd go with pad thai or their sweet and sour chicken, although with the level of quality, you could probably try anything they have and be satisfied.
Enjoy!~
Another great find! After recently moving down the street into the newly built Broadstone, I was excited to see that there was a Thai place within walking distance. Tucked away in a little strip mall off of Kenton and Dartmouth, Thai Pepper II is an enjoyable place for a quick meal. I have had the chicken pad thai (a very safe choice) and this dish with green beans and chicken, and have to say that both are always very excellent! This is another great find along the way of finding new and exciting places!
Review Source:This place was recommended to me by someone who knows her Thai food, and I'm glad it was. I've been here more than a few times now, and I have been pleased with my experience every time. I usually just get takeout, but I have also enjoyed dining in as well. The emptiness of the place should not be taken as an indication as to how good the food is. The phone seems to ring pretty consistently, an people do tend to trickle in from time to time. I have had my favorite Panang Curry here, as well as their appetizer sampler. The Sweet Rice and Mango is also pretty good. My dining partner had the pad Thai and she really liked it. The staff is always super friendly here. If nothing else, give it a try at least once.
Review Source:My boyfriend was in the mood for Thai and this is one of his favorite places to go so I off we went on this awesome Friday night! It is a TINY place and there were 3 other tables that were occupied. We sat down and immediately I noticed all the different scents that were wafting through the room. I was instantly hungry (and maybe even drooling just a bit). We ordered the spring rolls (or egg rolls) can't remember what they were called and they were great, hot and filled with a nice assortment of veggies. The bf had pad thai with chicken and I had a dish with chicken and green beans, peppers and onions. SO good! I loved the sauce that was with my dish I can't figure out exactly what it was but poured over the rice it was great! I also stole a few sips from the bf's thai iced tea which was great.
You can tell that this is the kind of place that people come to regularly as the hostess/waitress seemed to know the patrons at the other 3 tables. We ended up getting into a conversation with a mom at the table next to us and chatted for a good 15 minutes after we were all done eating. I thought it was awesome! Great Thai food and really friendly people. I will certainly be coming back here!
Don't feel like pizza tonight? Persian just not doing it for you? The sandwiches at the gas station not looking too sharp?
Never fear. Thai Pepper II in Denver (yes, it would seem to be in Aurora, but let's not quibble) gives you a sampling of Siam without having to travel to Bangkok (no, I'm not going to list its full name, or I'll be here all night!)
From zingy Pad Kee Mao (drunken noodles) to ambrosial Mango and Sweet Rice to Po Taek (a huge bowl of seafood soup), they really deliver the goods.
Perhaps you want to decorate your duodenum with one from their palette of colorful curries (rich red! herby green! mellow yellow! peanutty Panang! and so on). Or maybe you came for their Larb - spicy ground meat salad, originating across the border in Laos and kissed with citrus juice. Try it the Laotian way, with a bamboo cylinder of sticky rice!
And don't forget a coconut juice or rich creamy Thai Iced Tea/Coffee to help everything blend together. No matter what, Thai Pepper II is a seriously serene Siamese spot.
And don't forget to stop by the Ivorian-owned market called Dollar + (in the same stripmall) after you're done eating, and browse through their wares!
What a roller coaster ride.
My friend and I ordered take-out from here and were told it would be ready in 20 minutes. Â I got there 20 minutes later and the food wasn't ready. Â I had to sit around inside the empty restaurant, except for one other person, for 15 more minutes before my food was done. Â Nobody came or went the entire time I was there. Â I don't mind waiting 35 minutes for food, but when I'm told 20 and have to wait longer for no apparent reason I get kind of annoyed. Â
I got home and we ate our veggie eggrolls and chicken satay. Â These two appetizers were delicious! Â The wating around for the food was completely made up for on these dishes. Â
We couldn't wait to dig into our rice. Â I had fried rice with chicken. Â My friend had pineapple fried rice. Â Neither topped our expectations, but the pineapple fried rice was just terrible. Â The pineapple was just the rings you get straight out of a can and there was way too much of something. Â It tasted like turmeric and we only managed a few bites of this dish.
The fried rice with chicken had good flavor, but nothing to make me say wow. Â
Remember in elementary school when they served the vegetable medley at lunch? Â Both of these rice dishes had tons of peas and carrots that reminded me of that. Â They looked exactly like what comes from a can and they overtook everything else in the rice. Â
If I come back here it will just be for the appetizers. Â My favorite thai food is the different fried rice and I've experienced much better elsewhere.
This place is OK. Â I go here because it is convenient. Â But I would rather drive for better Thai. Â Basically this place has decent Thai. Â But they really just make the restaurant a pleasant atmosphere. Â Which to me is always second best. Â I come for food not ambiance. Â Don't get me wrong, I love ambiance too. Â But this seems like it is compensating for the small portions and bland flavors. Â Sadly this place seems to be catering to the less authentic crowd. Â Its decent, but I never think of going here other than for its convenient factor.
Review Source:Hubs and I had our late lunch early dinner today at Thai Pepper II. Â When we were there, we are the only patrons, waiting to dine in. Â We were greeted by a lady.
We were seated, given the menu and the lady ask us, what we want for our beverage. Â Hubs ordered the Ice Thai Coffee while I just choose just water.
We ordered the Chicken Satay, Green Apple Salad, Fried Rice with Shrimp, Pad Thai with Chicken and Green Curry with Beef. Â All in all the food are flavorful. Â Not as spicy as we want to, though we opt for THAI HOT. Â Oh well perhaps we will return in the future to try some other dishes. Â Perhaps from there, things can differ.
By the time we were about to finish our meals, many more patrons came in either for take outs or ordered in.
What a very cool little place! David and the others have noted that the Thai Pepper II can't really be know for the decor or the location, (strip mall), but who cares. The food and the staff just make this a can't miss Thai favorite.
With no more than 10 tables inside it's small but cute and intimate. So what if you can hear about someone working all morning long to free the copier of a paper jam or a construction worker scheduling his painters to be at the job site at 2:00PM...the food rocks.
I downed the Green Curry with Chicken and rice ordered at a medium heat level. Big sissy I know, but going for more of the flavor and enjoying my meal than scorching my face off. Fantastic punch, excellent taste and a cool little egg roll to get you started all for $7.99. Also as Troy noted the Thai Iced Tea is tops!
A great full flavor menu with all of your Thai favorites is in place. Take out really gets going at lunch time so be sure to show up just before or just after the lunch rush to enjoy your company and your meal without the constant foot traffic and business talk.
I really enjoyed this place. We did take out, but the store was very clean and nicely decorated. I didn't really focus on the details of the decor, but noticed just enough to get a good vibe from it, that the owners care about appearance, etc.
Our food was excellent. We had the Pad Se Ew, Pad Ka Prao with chicken, Sesame Chicken, Pad Garden Lover with shrimp, and Tom Kha (coconut soup). All were very well maid, fresh, top quality ingredients, and super flavor. The sesame chicken is sort of a fusion between Thai and Cantonese, as the owner himself admitted. It may have been the best I have ever had. As far as authenticity goes, I can't genuinely say one way or another, as I have never been to Thailand. What I CAN say, however, is that I will be returning. It was quality on every level, from how the owner treated us, to the location being well taken care of, to the food itself being delicious and fresh, and giving us a very good amount of food for our money. I'd give it about a 4.25 stars, but they get the extra .75 star because they were great people, and to me that also goes a long way.
After a month in Thailand I was looking for some good ethnic Thai food. I continually asked people here if they knew of any such place and mostly got a "nope, but I know a Chinese place". Â Well, that is not even close. Yesterday I chatted with a parent of one of my First Tee kids, he was from Indonesia. I asked him the same question and his answer was Thai Pepper II without hesitation. Â
On this recommendation I tried the place for lunch today. and I was delighted ! Â The restaurant is in a strip mall, nothing fancy. The menu samples the full range of Thai food and when you order they ask if how spicy to you want the dish, a sign to me that the cook knows what he is doing. I ordered the Pad Kee-Mao, wide rice noodles, prepared with TP II special seasoning, broccoli, carrot, green & red pepper, onion and basil. Ordered it "hot".
It was great, loved every bite of it. Â
Service was friendly, fast and the price was right, Â $7.75 for my dish.
Looking at the menu, I can go there a couple times a week for a few months before I will have sampled everything. And that is just what I intend to do. Then I can go back and have my favorites....ah, what fun.
My highest rating for this fine place, Thai Pepper II, the place for me.
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