Sticky Rice

I can’t believe that I found baby roaches in my silverware and on my food! This is why I rather go eat at the Thai room next door! Then instead of trying to solve the problem they literally blame it on the outside! When totally was all on my silverware and in my food!

One of my favorite spots in Chicago. I work right around the corner so I’ve been here dozens of times over the past 8 years with guests from all over the world and everyone loves it. I’ve tried almost everything on the menu as well. Such a great spot. Plus it’s byob!

Sticky Rice is a clean, bright, authentic, no-​nonsense Northern Thai restaurant. This is absolutely NOT the place where you can expect to be waited on hand-​and-​foot. You get a very real-​world, non-​Westerner level of service here. But what else are you expectin’, huh? The menu provided is beyond massive, and, at 12 or so plus, small-​printed pages, their menu is a bonafide tome of both standard, pretty typical Thai cuisine like Tom Yum soup, Pad Thai, and Pad See Ew and then the adventurous and fun stuff (aka Northern Thai food).
Do yourself a dang favor and get fun! Be adventurous! Do you want the real deal? Do you want to try traditional, yet flavorful foods? Then please, for the love of food, honestly, do try the Northern Thai-​centric menu. Sure. Sure. Sure. You can go safe and go the Pad Thai route (which — truth be told — I tend to go that way myself). But why deny yourself a potentially grand adventure? Try something different.
Let me break it down for you in a 3 Step Plan:
1. For your first dunk into the Northern Thai menu, go dip your toe lightly into the shallow end and try the Northern Thai sausage -$ 3 a piece. It is a mild, red curry accented pork sausage with pork skin and spicy herbs and served with slivered red cabbage, ginger, and minced cilantro. In short, it is the perfect introductory appetizer for any newbies.
2. Next, for those feeling braver, may I suggest the Nam Prik Ong -$ 8.95– and a side of sticky rice -$ 1.75. The Nam Prik Ong is a traditional Northern Thai, bit viscous, chili-​based, pork and tomato dip that is served with chopped broccoli, carrots, green beans, and cabbage leaves. Sticky Rice describes it as a «Northern Thai version of bolognese»… And guess what??? It totally was like a Thai bolognese. Using your hands to shape a small round of sticky rice, you scoop up some of the Nam Prik Ong. And experience a totally addictive, tomato-​y, porky, delicate, yet smoky whisper of spice. Not at all overwhelmingly so. Eat. This. Now.
3. When you’re ready to leave the shallow end, go plunge to the deep end. Seriously, submerge yourself. And try the Nam Crispy Rice — $ 8.50. The Nam Crispy Rice (i.e. Naem Khao Thawt or Nam Kao Tod) is a Thai salad that consists of crumbled, crispy, curried rice croquettes, fermented pork sausage (naem), slivered pork skin, dried chilies, shallots, cilantro, shredded carrot and ginger, and peanuts scattered over a bed of red lettuce. And, man, oh, man, is it the best damn salad ever. The tang of the fermented pork sausage + the freshness of the cilantro + the soft bite of the ginger + the gentle heat of the chilies + the beautiful interplay of textures from the crispy rice croquettes and everything else = pure, unadulterated food bliss.
Once you forego the standard fare and try the fun side of Northern Thai cuisine, you won’t want to go back. I promise.

My favorite Thai food in the city. While every dish I’ve had was delicious, their spare ribs in garlic sauce is one of the best things I’ve ever tasted. Period. The garlic sauce is umami heaven every time, and the ribs are tender and full of the crunchy cartilage I crave.
The Pad Woon Sen, Green Been Basil, and Garlic Chicken are also stellar. I’m working my way through their impressive menu and want to try their more authentic offerings as well.

I love this place but finding a small friend in my order tonight, I really felt sad. I’m posting to make the food world a safer place. This is the third item I have found in my orders over the years, first was metal from the wok cleaner. Second was egg shells. Now this. Please we can do better for our customers.

Where have you been for the 35 years of my life in Chicago? I consider myself well versed in Thai cuisine and I have never been able to find a go to Thai spot in Chicago land. So happy to have been turned on to you, looking forward to eating here for the next 35 yrs+

We ordered the Lad Nar with Tofu and chicken fried rice. Both very tasty. Definitely coming back. Love this place!

Seems as if they like to present a «kind customer service» image but they definitely came across as wanting to just fill tables of 3 – 4 or more people and not really care to respectfully accommodate to «couples» when it comes to seating… If the customer is not satisfied with the seating offered than accommodate and offer another.
If people go because the food is so good than Stick Rice really should humble themselves… A little drive further north (before Lawrence) seems like a better choice.
It should be clear… When it comes to Thai restaurants in that area of Western Ave. if one doesn’t accommodate than another will. It is not hard to know or find out who the «Tiger Cry» leader (not Sticky Rice) is of Western Ave. and they’re still the top choice for many.
Sticky Rice… Don’t get ahead of yourself!
This place seems over hyped.
Maybe a trendies nest.

I would definitely recommend Sticky Rice as a dine in option only. Even though I enjoy their food I’m giving them a 3 star review because of the following:
They compromise the quality of their food by using third party delivery companies. Twice I’ve had to wait 1.5 to 2 hours to finally get my food. Yesterday I got my food lukewarm and my rice was clearly old. The rice had a yellowish/​brown accompanied by a layer of hard rice on top. A slight stench of decay was noticed shortly after I tried to mix the rice up. Kinda ruins your appetite.

We came to have lunch at this Northern Thai restaurant based on a recommendation from a good friend. During our visit, the atmosphere of this small establishment was quiet and unassuming. The décor included bright colored walls and a number of cultural artifacts. There were plenty of tables closely stacked, and enough sunlight to keep the place vibrant and well lit.
For appetizer, the Basil Pork Salapao ($ 1.75) and the Panang Beef Salapao ($ 1.75) were flat out delicious. The buns were freshly made, not too thick, and doughy enough to render a good chew. There was plenty of basil pork stuffing that came with a flagrant basil aroma. Equally addictive was the beef rendition with a sharp, complex curry flavor. I could have eaten a few more of these, and can’t wait to return to try their BBQ Pork Salapao.
The Northern Thai Larb ($ 8.95) came with stir-​fried ground pork, pork intestine, fried shallots, and Thai spicy herb serve with fresh veggies. The spicy savory profile was explosive, and nicely accompanied by a good number of fresh veggies. It was a heavier dish than expected, but the range of textures and flavors nicely contrasted our serving of Sticky Rice ($ 1.75).
The Gang Hung Lay ($ 9.50) was cooked with pork, garlic, ginger, and northern style hung lay chili paste. There was a good amount of pork cooked in a range of rich, sharp, and complex ingredients. In particular, the hung lay curry flavor was spicy and complex, and nicely embedded in the pork which was thick cut and easy to chew.
Service was patient, friendly, and attentive. Overall, I thought the dishes were authentically executed, and spicy enough that we didn’t have to use the side of prik nam pla. I would be very interested in returning to try the rest of the Northern Thai dishes, including the Sausages, Spicy Noodle Salad, Ap Pla, and Kow Soy.

I came to this Thai restaurant as recommended by my cousin. This place is small but has adequate seating options! The noise level of this place might be due to the fact that its BYOB… We tried the Crab Rangoon, and Beef Pad Thai. I really liked the Pork pad see ewe, Chicken panang curry medium spice level, and Beef Thai fried rice with fried egg! Service was good and food came quick even though it seemed pretty busy on a Sunday night… Another thing I’d like to acknowledge is their prices are reasonable for the generous portions of their dishes;however, they ought to be more attentive to giving more than just 1 small bowl of plain rice for all the dishes we ordered…

My favorite Thai restaurant in the city. I came back from 9 days in Thailand and made a bee-​line to Sticky Rice. They’re very authentic, BYOB and also a great value.
I try to get something new every time but am usually seduced by the Yum Woon Sen, Larb, Papaya Salad, and especially the Kow Soy… so I end up getting several things and happily have plenty of leftovers.
Typically, I get the Pad Kee Mow at any old neighborhood Thai restaurant, but this place is so good, I’m willing to order outside the lines. :)

Been coming to Sticky Rice for years, and it remains one of top Thai restaurants in the city.
Two things make Sticky Rice stand out from the crowd, especially in the neighborhood with the highest density of Thai restaurants in Chicago: the sheer number and scope of menu items, and the focus on Northern Thai cuisine. Yes, you’ll find pad thai, lard nar, and panang curry here. You’ll also find several different types of larb, pad hed poa (my personal fave), and more than one type of insect, to name just a few. The menu is extensive, with new and creative dishes showing up every time I visit.
I’m very pleased to see an increase in places offering or focusing on more authentic, Northern Thai, or Thai street food, but Sticky Rice deserves credit for doing it first, and doing it well.

All in all, Sticky Rice was a decent precursor to an evening of bowling and heavy beer drinking. However, I wouldn’t say it was worth the trip to North Center when the Thai restaurants in my neighborhood are as good, if not better.
Unfortunately, the food went from great to lackluster as the dishes kept coming out from the kitchen. We started with the Thai sausage, which was incredible! I never knew the northern Thai people even had a sausage specialty; now it’s one of my favorite sausages! If only Hot Doug’s had done this when they were in business… My entrée, the gang hung lay pork dish, was decent. The sauce had some great flavors — tamarind, ginger, curry — but wasn’t most satisfying portion. The mediocre portion sizes led everyone in my group to order the pineapple fried rice to share, since we were all still a bit hungry. This dish was sadly disappointing. They seem to oversalt/​season the dish, yet serve it with the sweet pineapple. Not a good flavor balance. Also, the pineapple itself seemed to really obscure the size of the dish, as the serving isn’t nearly as large as it looks when served. It would also have been nice to have more than FOUR SHRIMPS in the entire dish, too.
Come for the sausage appetizer, not necessarily for anything else.

I’m updating my review and still am giving them two stars, but really want to give more… What happened to you guys? I live close so I still find myself ordering from here, but continue to be disappointed. I just ordered again last night. I had the sole fish with lime sauce, wonton soup and papaya salad. The fish was okay, but much better the last time I ordered. Btw, the lime sauce was spilled all over in the delivery bag. The wonton soup was pretty good, but the shrimp in the soup was old, not real fresh? The papaya salad was okay, but the peanuts were stale. Again, I want to like this place more, just can’t, as I don’t think they use very good raw ingredients, which is the main issue.
My other big complaint is they can’t seem to consistently put out the same dish at the same spice level. I usually order medium spicy, or 4 out 5 stars heat wise. Sometimes the food is crazy spicy, but most of the time it’s not spicy enough. It’s all over the place. I’ve asked multi-​times, while ordering, why is this? The response is that they have six cooks who all cook different so she can’t promise how it will come out? That’s the craziest response I’ve ever heard! Train your cooks to understand and cook at the same spice level, period.
I think I need to consider stop ordering from here, as it’s so hit or miss on quality!

First time in the windy city and we had friends take us here. I love this place!
The sticky rice is really good, their staff was great and some thai dishes that my sister and I didn’t know about and willing ordered and tried. I can’t wait to fly back to Chicago and go back!

Great Northern Thai food! Good service and super busy little restaurant, Som Tum Papaya Salad spicy like you would not believe! Northern sausage absolutely delicious and crispy pork with Chinese broccoli amazing! BYOB here. Friendly waitstaff.
The prices are so inexpensive and everything is great value. The menu is really extensive with loads to choose from. Can’t wait to return and try lots of other menu items when we move in a couple of weeks.
Very authentic Northern Thai food!

I came here again on a late afternoon and luckily there was only another group of people there so we were seated right away.
We ordered pretty quickly the Thai noodle salad extra spicy, turmeric chicken, deep fried tamarind fish, and fried Thai chicken. I’m not sure what’s so appealing about this restaurant but my be and I always over order. It is completely unnecessary for 2 people to order 4 dishes. It’s just that everything looks so good that I can’t help but want to try everything.
The fried chicken came out first, it is a dry fried chicken, so no breading, the chicken itself was already super flavorful so it didn’t need that much sauce with it. The Thai noodle salad is one of my faves here the noodles are always super fresh, and delightfully spicy .
I would definitely order the deep fried tamarind fish again, it is a huge portion for the price. The turmeric chicken was a bit too sweet for me, but if you like sweeter foods you would definitely enjoy the turmeric chicken. Service is always friendly here, and you can tell they appreciate your business because they are so attentive. Next time I come I will probably end up ordering different items as well, I am usually the type of person to stick to my tried and true but at this restaurant you can do no wrong trying different things.

Don’t understand how anyone could give this place less than a 5. I was recommended to this place by a couple Thai friends, so had high expectations going into it. And normally when there are expectations, the actual experience falls short. But, not for Sticky Rice. The menu is enormous, which was overwhelming. We flipped through pages of items, and i wanted 10 of the dishes we browsed through. We were so hungry and eager to order that i forgot to order my friend’s recommendation which was the green curry in coconut… another reason to go back for sure.
We ordered:
Shrimp Pad Thai — just right
Crispy pork with green beans — the greens beans were naturally sweet and the pork was fried perfectly. This was my fav dish. I didnt even know this was a Thai dish before.
Tom Yum noodle soup — my other fav.
Papaya salad — hit the spot but how do you mess up on papaya salad? So it’s fair with other places.
Mango sticky rice — mango was ripe and sweet but the rice was a tad too sweet
Thai iced tea — perfect!
Needless to say, i will certainly be going back and trying that green curry in coconut. I’m already thinking about my return even though i’m still working on the leftovers.
BYOB!
Warning: there’s nothing to gripe about since everything was delightful. Service was great. We were seated right away on a Sunday night. Prices were affordable and diverse in choices.

I had wanted to try Sticky Rice for quite some time. When I finally did, I was totally let down. People seem to love Sticky Rice toting it the best Thai in the city. Ehhhh, I disagree strongly.
The Chicken Pad Thai did not impress my dining partner or myself. Pad Thai is one of those staple Thai dishes that people of my translucent coloring flock for and it’s a dish I feel like I can easily use to compare Thai places. With Sticky Rice’s dish being subpar, it just sets the tone for the whole meal. The Chicken Pad See Ewe is one of my go tos and it was decent though not the best I’ve had. The dish was not as mind blowing as I had expected. The chicken curry was another mediocre dish and my partner wasn’t even interested in finishing it.
Everything was fine and we ate most of it… but there are just so many better Thai spots in the city! Don’t buy into the hype and try somewhere else for yummy Thai.