All my food sucked, and normally I would give a place like this 1 star, but I just can't because the woman who took my order was super nice. Frankly, Thai Peppers should be happy I walked in to place a carry out order; otherwise, I'd have no issue giving one state. Â
Although I felt like the woman who took my order truly understood I wanted spicy, the person who actually cooked my dish didn't care that I really really really wanted 5 star spicy and that I worked really hard to express that I was aware of the level of spice associated with 5 star spicy. My kee mao (drunken noodles, whatever) had no spice at all. I actually laughed when I took my second bite because I truly wasted my time even trying to express my desire for spicy. I mean if there is anything that truly irks me it's wasting my time, resulting in laughable level annoyance.
So, thanks Thai Pepper for totally not caring enough about what your customers want. Your sign says something like "thai food for american tastes." How about instead you give me thai food as it should be, not this bastardization bland crap.
Voltaire once famously observed that the Holy Roman Empire was not holy, not Roman, and not an empire.
Well, Thai Peppers is neither Thai nor peppery, at least in my first and last foray into its offerings. Â I ordered panang curry at a 3-spice level; not knowing how they gauged spice, I figured shooting for the middle of the 1-5 range would be a good starting point.
What I got was a pile of low-quality steamed vegetables on top of some boiled chicken and coconut milk soup broth that had the texture of water and a faint beige color that tasted like the leftover liquid from a Campbell's soup jar.
Panang curry is nothing if not flavorful. Â We're generally talking things like garlic, curry powder, lemongrass, chiles, and lime leaves, cooked with a red curry paste and mixed with the coconut milk and protein. Â What I tasted lacked any hint of aromatics. Â And my 3-star spice level? Â Not a chile pepper in sight. Â From a place called Thai Peppers, as if they're hogging them all for themselves.
It wasn't a total loss, though. Â I threw the monstrosity they gave me into a pan, added salt, pepper, red chile paste, and about 3 Ts of various spices I had and turned it into something far more edible that more closely resembled Thai food than what they served me. Â Of course, this isn't why I pay for take-out, but it was nice to salvage something. Â Maybe I'll try the whole menu and put out a cookbook.
The thought did cross my mind that they just forgot to add the most important ingredients to a curry, but that result somehow seems worse than them just serving boring, bland crap.
So Springfielders, if you had this and decided you hate Thai food, please give it a try somewhere else (I disagree that it tastes like Chinese food, as I refuse to besmirch Chinese food in such a way). Â If you like this place then, congrats, I guess, you found a restaurant you like.
It's not for me, though, unless I want to try and practice my cooking skills again. Â May have to write off Asian in Springfield altogether.
Very good vegetarian options! Â I'm a spicy food fan, and ordering my food 5 star here has never disappointed me. Â I've had several of their curry dishes, as well as noodle dishes like Pad Thai. Â All of which are clearly marked with meat-free options.
Sure, you will not be instantly transported to Thailand when you walk in the door, but as far as ethnic cuisine in Springfield goes, this place is pretty solid.
Staff has always been friendly, helpful, and fast.
Went with some friends and was afraid to try Thai food. I loved it, I really love meat and really dont like veggies, but they had the perfect balance of the two and had the veggies I love. There was enough sauce on my food, enough rice, and certantly enough food, I had to take food home! I went at dinner time and the price was very good, especially for dinner meals.
Review Source:This is one of my favorite places in Springfield. I ate here a few years ago when I visited, and again when I came looking for a house this summer. Everything I've ever gotten here is really, really good. It comes in large portions. The prices are very reasonable. The people are nice inside and the atmosphere has a authentic feel to it. So overall, a really nice Thai experience.
I see some negative reviews for this place along the side here, a few people saying this isn't Thai food, but Chinese food made with Thai ingredients. I guess I don't get that, as I've had Thai from coast to coast, in NYC and California, and Thai Pepper tastes like Thai food. Maybe I've coincidentally eaten at only Chinese-like Thai restaurants, but I doubt it. This is good stuff!
I do not understand the fascination with the Thai Pepper. Â My son and I ate there, and we left with the same opinion (and he being 15 years old) - it's bland, vaguely Chinese food that bears little resemblance to anything Thai.
It wasn't horrible but it wasn't good either. Â Even trying to judge it as Chinese fare rather than the faux Thai, it was only meh. Â If they were attempting a Thai-Chinese fusion, I can't actually say the failed - but they sure haven't succeeded, either. Â Judging it as Thai food, however, it's pretty boring and far off the mark. Â The reviewer who described it as "Chinese food made with thai-like ingredients" pretty much hit the nail on the head.
The service wasn't all that hot either. Â All in all, give it a pass. Â There are other choices of Thai in town, both of which were better than this.
We usually have a pretty good time at Thai Pepper, living just down the street. However, my husband and I went for lunch today and I was extremely disappointed. Not only was our food terrible (the shrimp in my Jade noodle was not deshelled or deveined and the noodles were still hard), but one of the waitresses' kids was in tow, running around the restaurant and screaming at the top of his lungs, bothering the customers at their tables while they were trying to enjoy their lunch. I watched one patron wait patiently at the cash register for a good ten minutes while the waitresses tried to wrangle this little monster. I understand that this is a family business - but we are paying customers and come to TP for the food and the atmosphere - not to listen to a toddler scream "SHUT UP!" every five minutes. As a loyal costumer, I highly doubt we will be returning any time soon.
Review Source:It's not thai food.. It's more like chinese food made with thai-like ingredients.
I got the pad thai during lunch.... It came with soup, which had a very strong fishy odor to it... Needless to say, I didn't touch it. Â The pad thai had chicken and shrimp in it- the shrimp was not deveiened and not deshelled. It didn't have the distinct pad thai sauce- it tasted more like rice noodles with lomein sauce... Silverware was not clean. Service wasn't very good... Â It was quite a disappointment.
This place is mediocre at best. I am from the West Coast where you can pretty much get a UN variety of food on the regular. Since moving here, I have yet to be impressed with Springfield's "ethnic" fare.
Anyhow, the shrimp in both the cashew and basil dishes were NOT deveined, which is utterly disgusting! They also had a fishy taste to them. The dishes were pretty bland to my standards as well. The Thai iced tea was weak and watered down.
Overall, it will do if you need a Thai fix, otherwise wait until your travels take you to a more metropolitan area...
The food was great, and the waitress was wonderful. We were there with a large group (10 or so) after church with a 2 year old. She was really nice to the 2 year old, and she helped my wife a lot selecting a dish that was gluten and lactose free. The food was excellent, and I would be happy to return.
I like the Pad See Yew better at Bangkok City, and the price seemed a bit high for what it was, so I give it 4 stars. The service was better than Bangkok City, though, so YMMV.
I've been only twice and got carry out both times. Our house is at least 20 minutes from Thai Pepper and both times the food was still very, very hot when we got home. That's a big plus!
Both times I got Drunken Noodles with Tofu and both times it was delicious! I don't like tofu, but I love theirs! I wish I knew how they did it. The vegetables are also wonderful - never overcooked or undercooked which isn't easy when it's such a variety. And it's not too salty which is a very common problem in Springfield restaurants.
This one dish could be improved by adding mushrooms and by somehow making the noodles slightly less spongy in texture. These are the wide, thick noodles and I like them, but they can be just a tiny bit much when it comes to texture.
I'm hoping to go sometime soon when we aren't dead tired from work and just wanting to go home. I'd like to try some of the other dishes on the menu and eat in the restaurant rather than carry out. The staff is SO NICE!
Went in for lunch today. I got the Massaman Curry and Michael got the Green Curry. Our meals came with choice of soup or salad so we both picked the soup. It was like a very VERY weak chicken and rice. The broth was pretty tasteless and the rice was mushy.
The sauce on my curry tasted very nice but it was a little bit too watery to actually coat the veggies and chicken. The meat was tender and tasted good but idk, nothing WOW'd me in the least bit.
Michael's was very sweet, which surprised me cause I was just expected a slightly different flavor. He got the pork option and he agreed that the chicken was a lot better. His sauce was very thinn also.
We were already quite disappointed in our meals and it didnt help that the employee at the cash register didnt say ONE WORD to us and looked grumpy and miserable. Learn some general politeness, people!!!
Don't let the quaint yet seemingly anticlimactic exterior steer you away. Step through the door and the fragrance of steamed rice, dim lighting, and soft Thai music will sway you into an almost trance like state.
This place manages to deliver an intimate and charming setting punctuated with bits of authentic Thailand decor. You can expect quietly friendly and adequate service. In terms of Thai food, this is probably the best place in Springfield. The plates appear before you with unique presentation and eccentricities that will entice and invite the palette. With any dish you order, you can expect a heap of saucy vegetables and protein (in whatever form you selected). The vegetables retain that slightly wok singed crispness and there is always an abundance of sauce that the steamed rice begs to be soaked up in.
I have traversed many aspects of this menu including the curry, stir fry, noodles and fried rice. High notes of my dinning include the pad thai, beef gaprow, honey pork, tamarind stir fry, and the Penang and mango curry. The spring rolls are an inexpensive and excellent way to inaugurate an evening of Thai food dabbling. They offer crisp cabbage, carrots and radishes enveloped in a thin flakey phyllo dough. Alongside these tubular delights, is a unique sweet thai chili sauce for dipping.
The spread of dishes that I have had the pleasure of at Thai Peppers all hit notes of thoughtful preparation and deep rich sauces. The consistency of each dish is remarkable time and time again. The downfalls of Thai Pepper are few and a tad nit picky but will be quietly mentioned. The steamed rice that accompanies many of the dishes sometimes bears a tad dry and worn out texture. Most recently, the tofu that came out with my dish was in the fresh un-fried form. Under normal circumstances this wouldn't exactly be a problem. But in my numerous other Thai Pepper experiences, the precedent was set for fried tofu... and the fresh spongy version was only served upon request. Not a huge deal, but I was a touch disappointed in my lack luster slippery tofu. What can I say? I am a lush for fried foods even amidst a blistering sea of MSG free goodness.
In summary, this place is pretty agreeable for Thai food. For the average dinner, a meal here will likely provide an additional meal in post feast leftovers. The lunch offerings impart smaller portions and cheaper prices for those wanting to experience Thai food in a less comital circumstance.
I always get duck chili with brown rice (sometimes takes a little longer for this reason)... "fresh rolls" when they have them, and thai tea!
Between me and the people I know who've been here, we've never had a complaint (unless there were no fresh rolls that day, lol). Less expensive at lunch and the portions are just as generous.
Thai Pepper is the Thai restaurant that is now in the location that the first Thai restaurant I ever tried was in. Â Awe, the nostalgia... So anyway, my family and I went there the other night to check things out and overall, we were pretty pleased with the visit. Â
The restaurant is nicely decorated so you could bring entertain a casual date or business partner there. Â The food was mostly tasty, but I'd suggest sticking to the menu instead of asking for a special order. Â We ordered the appetizer combo ($9.95), Pad See Ew Noodles ($7.95), (Siamese Twins (? $13), Pad Thai Noodles ($7.95), Green Curry ($7.95), and Spicy Squid Salad (?$12 - not on the menu) and I think we got Penang Curry but I don't remember any duck ($12.95).
Let me first say that, 7 dishes was WAY too much for the 6 of us. Â We couldn't easily gotten away with only 4. Â We had tons of left-overs... which was handy later for midnight snacks after going out though. kekeke
My favorite dishes were the Pad See Ew (nice chicken and veggies with flat noodles), Siamese Twins (the shrimp was crisp and tasty veggies - not a Thai dish I was familiar with though), and the Green Curry (though it could've been spicier). Â The appetizer combo and squid salads were the things I wouldn't reorder... though the satay sticks on the appetizer were good.
The service was nice and the kept our water glasses filled. Â We'd definitely go again but, only when we're in the mood to spend a lil on dinner.
See ya there... next time I'm in town anyway.
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