Thai Chef Café

Delicious! Only problem i had were the prices for what we get. Most places dont charge an extra $ 2 for adding shrimp to their pad thai. And the noodles came out a lil chewy/​undercooked. The lime slices were dry too so i didnt get much juice outta them. Tasted delicious at least. I also ordered their tom something salad with green papaya, carrots, shrimp, and peanuts over romaine lettuce. For $ 9 i wouldve loved more than jist 2 pieces of shrimp. And all the romaine lettuce is mostly the whiter parts, not the greener part. Looked cheap and tasted more plain. The thai tea is well worth it. And wish they offered more napkins.

Fantastic Pad Thai and other dishes! Will allow you to substitute tofu for any meat, which is nice.

Does anybody know, where I can purchase Thai basil, here in El Paso, TX. I need it badly for my Thai and Vietnamese food, but I could not find it anywhere. Even, two of Asian groceries in El Paso, doesn’t sell Thai basil. Only Korean store in El Paso happen to sell it to the owner of Thai restaurant on West side of El Paso, but as wholesale. Is there any place where I can buy a few bunch of Thai basil in this city? I would appreciate any comments that can help. Thank you!:)

I would say Asian Food in general in El Paso is quite average, nothing spectacular, just OK but not impresssive. Heard this place does Thai Food best at EP, but it’s really on par with Tara Thai (I think they’re same owners or related by family) Walked in, not the most scenic Thai restaurant I’ve been to, it was a bit ghetto, some of the sections of the restaurant were closed and there wasn’t anything that screamed ‘Thai’ in terms of décor (fishtanks, two Buddhist looking statues, little to no lights, etc) except for the ‘Singha Beer’ (which is Thai Beer) sign on the wall. Ordered the Nua Yang and the Jungle Curry. Holy Jesus, Jungle Curry is HOTTTT like SPICY HELL HOT especially if you get it Thai Spicy. Even as a Korean used to spicy food, this was too spicy for me to handle. Nua Yang was ok but a bit Skimpy, there were a couple pieces of sliced grilled meat accompanied by an overwhelming bed of Salad (similar to the complimentary one you get in the beginning) and a basket with Sticky Rice and a side of Jaew or Dried Chili Dipping Sauce. To drink, got some Thai Iced Tea and Singha Beer. Food-​wise I would rate it 4.5÷10, Décor is 3/​10, Service-​wise I would rate it ⁷⁄₁₀. Surprisingly it gets busy during lunchtime. People who gave it 5 stars and hyped about it never been to Thailand or had Thai Food in California or NYC. Good for a change though from the overwhelming amount of Fast Food and Mexican restaurants in El Paso

Good food. My favorites are pad Thai shrimp and panang curry beef. The reason I left a star out is because of the small portion sizes.

BEST PAD THAI EVER! This pad Thai is amazing from the few I’ve tried this is the best simple but fresh and tasty! They have so many yummy options on the menu! I also tried the teriyaki noodles and it was also so yummy! I loved that this was simple and nothing extravagant just flavorful pad Thai with chicken!

The quality, quantity, & price is worth it. The staff is friendly and the place is clean. My husband had the Pad Thai hot and it was just that but delicious. I had Tom Yum Gai which is a lime soup it’s mainly broth so if your looking for more I suggest to order something else. I’m happy to return and try more off the menu!

Went for lunch and ordered the pad Thai and Pad see ew both delicious. The pad see ew however is more flavorful and comes with thicker rice noodles. I suggest you ordered dish medium spice and ask for a side of chilli sauce if want more spice. The Thai spice was way too spicy for my liking but still delicious.

Had a couple of gross out factors which caused me to not enjoy my meal as much as I would have otherwise.
The menus were covered in sticky old food, extremely dirty. The bathroom smelled horrendous. Not like someone used it but from the drains, they just smelled of old stagnant water and whiffs of sewer.
The food was ok, I wish the Satay was a real satay but instead just chopped up food on a plate topped with a ton of sauce, it was also missing the charred grilled flavor that normally accompanies a satay.
I ordered the pad Thai to share with my daughter and it was ok. Not sure if we would come running back anytime soon.

Disclaimer:
This review is for the food alone. The reason for this is that Thai Chef Café is unfortunately located on Dyer Street, directly between what looks to be a chop-​shop garage/​used tire «dealer,» and a «Gentleman’s Plush Lounge.» Yes, you read that correctly. The location is so abysmal that, literally, my fiancé found Thai Chef on Unilocal and Urbanspoon, and was so impressed with the ratings, that he got takeout for us one night, but wouldn’t let me come with him to pick it up. So my first experience with their food was, in fact, a blind taste test!
Thai Chef Café lived up to its positive ratings, in every way. The food was ready in a flash, and was piping hot when my fiancé arrived home with the takeout. It was flavorful without being too salty or spicy. In the Pad Thai, the textures of the noodles, peanuts, and extremely fresh vegetables melded perfectly together. The dumplings we got were crispy on the outside, while being so tender and juicy on the inside – I really don’t know how they achieved such a perfect balance! We have gotten takeout from Thai Chef several times now, and each dish we tried seemed to be better than the last! I really cannot recommend their food enough.
Though it looks like a bit of a hole-​in-​the-​wall, Thai Chef has, bar none, some of the best Thai food in El Paso!

Tara Thai was my first introduction to Thai food and ever since then, I was hooked. I was told that the same family members own this one as well, and what I appreciate about this place is its location and the fact that it’s a little less pricey. I’m surprised I don’t see more people when I’m there. The portions are a little small, but, again, you’re also paying less that Tara Thai prices. I’ve had all their curries and want more the next day. Their rice noodle dishes are also the right amount of salty. I wished they utilized the small stage (which you see when you walk in) for live music. Maybe something acoustic since it is a small place, but so many cool things could be done with it and instead, it’s just there. Over all, good, quick service and flavorful food!

Best Thai food in El Paso! They make a great pad thai and their curries are delicious. Had their Tom Kha Gai soup and it was pretty good too. The service has always been great anytime I’ve been here. This restaurant is in an unassuming location on Dyer — you might easily pass it by. The interior is kind of hard to describe. It’s not quite what you would expect — a bit dark and looks like it could become a nightclub in the evenings. Just come here for the food and you won’t be sorry!

Ordered takeout Pad Thai with beef. The flavor has a good balance of tanginess and sweet. The noodles were cooked property not too soggy or hard with generous amount. But there was barely any beef on there ! Like maybe 4 – 5 tiny little pieces of beef … –_​– missing bean sprouts and cilantro. Also I ordered a side of sticky rice for my daughter which was also such a small portion even a little 3 year old couldn’t get full from it. And my daughter doesn’t have a big appetite either…
Another thing was it took longer then it should. The cashier said would take 5 – 10 mins to make but it was like 25−30mins and no they were not busy only one table that was paying out.

If I could give this place NO stars I would. The place was practically empty and we (party of 3) were not allowed to sit by the wall. ONLY the middle tables. I explained to her that having PTSD made it difficult to sit in the middle of the room with potential constant movement around me. The female employee said «If you don’t want those tables I don’t know because that’s how „they“ want us to sit you»

My first time there and the food is delicious! I got the pad see eew and my sibling got the tom Kai gow and it was good.
No lunch specials though, so that’s the sucky part and the prices were a bit steep… Around $ 8.95 for most dishes and the sizes were about medium. We got 2 dishes and we finished 2 both of them.
The restaurant looks like it was an old dance club before the makeover. The waiter looked bored working there but he attended to us.

I love this place! I usually get the beef pad see ew since I’m not really fond of peanut sauces. Every appetizer I have tried is amazing. The place is a bit pricier than average as well. The reason for the four stars is because through take out it seemed like my food was way bland compared to eating in. I think they have 2 or 3 different cooks and whenever I get this one particular cook the food is bad, when usually its amazing.

What used to be the Siam Chit Chat Club on Lower Dyer is now Thai Chef Café. Fans of Tara Thai will rejoice in the similarity between the two restaurants, most likely due to familial owners. You’ll find the same popular green, yellow and red curries, but in a casual setting with slightly lower prices. Meals at Thai Chef begin with a small, complimentary lettuce salad dressed in a sesame-​ginger dressing.
Not noted on the menu is the vegan option for most dishes where tofu is dubbed for meat and fish sauce omitted. I tried the Red Curry and liked it better than Tara Thai, which I swear always has a fishy taste even though I specify veg and no fish sauce. My only complaint is that the portion size of the curries are ridiculously small for the price they’re charging; although, the noodle soup bowls that I saw other customers ordering looked huge. They also serve singha beer here.

Grabbed takeout while here on a work trip. Our group sampled the Pad Thai (ordered mild but not no-​spicy), the Massaman Curry (ordered Medium), and the Satay.
I’m not sure if the spice level for our Curry and Pad Thai got swapped, but the Pad Thai was spicier than the curry. The curry barely had any kick, and the pad thai was solidly over mild, but they were still super tasty. The flavors on both were quite good, and I’d order them again in a heartbeat.
The satay was interesting… when I’ve ordered satay in the past it’s always been on a stick and the peanut sauce has been available for dipping or drizzling over. This place served the satay with onions and cucumbers mixed in, and drenched in peanut sauce. I’m a huge fan of the peanut sauce, so it wasn’t a problem for me, but I can see it being one for some people who want to taste the more subtle flavors of it.

Great food and it’s my first time here! I ordered the chicken wings spicy and they were, but wonderful!
I also ordered the spicy fried rice with chicken. I will be back for more!

Went here for a quick dinner. Big place but only a few tables inside. Looks like a waste of space. Was greeted right away and sat on a table for four but was told we needed to love to a table for two. Not a big deal.
Ordered the following:
— chicken satay– the chicken had great flavor, I can taste the lime and Soy but it was doused in peanut sauce. The peanut sauce was good but it would’ve been better if it was served on the side.
— cashew chicken– had a few slices of chicken and doused with sauce, again. The sauce had lots of flavor. Soy, honey, basil, ginger but the handful of small slices of chicken were swimming in it. Oh and I counted probably 4 pcs of cashew. Maybe consider changing the name?
— padthai– it was light and flavorful but missing some bean sprouts, green onions and cilantro. I did like the balance of sweetness and tanginess but again, I said just a few slices of chicken.
The food has flavor but lacks the meat it needs. We left still feeling hungry!

Dyer is full of those blink and you’ll miss it kind of places. This restaurant was no exception to the rule. However it is worth the stop. My niece and I went there the other day because we were craving Pad Thai. Of course when I go out to eat, I usually don’t get what I originally intend on getting.
We started off by ordering Thai tea. I have to say, this place probably has the strongest Thai tea that I have tried in a very long time, and that is a good thing. It wasn’t too sweet and it was really refreshing on a very hot day. We both thought it odd that if you wanted to order it without ice, it was $ 2 more. $ 5 would be WAY to expensive for that.
While deciding what we wanted I decided to get a bowl of coconut milk soup. The taste was good, however, their spicy was less spicy than most Asian spicy dishes I had. The one thing that I did not like about the soup was the fact that I got a giant chunk of ginger and bit into it. That overwhelming bitterness and heat from from that overwhelmed my taste buds for a while. When I finally got them back the soup was a good contrast of bitter, sweet, heat, and savory!
My niece did end up getting the pad Thai. Like most issues here, it was served with chicken as the protein. This did cause a little bit of a problem when looking at the menu for me since I don’t eat red meat or poultry. However I was able to order the green curry dish and they were able to substitute the chicken for shrimp for a charge, so I was able to order. Although I was offered to remove protein from my dish, based on the menu, I would say this place is not vegetarian friendly.
Her dish was very sweet. Unlike Tara Thai, though, it had more than just that component. It did have the heat and nuttiness that was needed to round the dish out. My green curry was tasty, with the shrimp cooked well. I was expecting to be blown away by the heat level since I ordered the spiciest offering. I must say I was sorely disappointed there. This was a very mild dish.
Both of us agree, we will give this place another shot! Be advised, when you visit, parking on the side of the building is probably better since you are backing out onto a busy main street otherwise!

I have to say, when I first saw the outside of this place and walked in my inner diva was like, «This place is ghettttttto!» However, I decided to not judge a book by it’s cover and I am so glad I didn’t!
Although, it was very dingy and needs a good makeover, it was very clean. This helped to convince me to stay and give it a shot.
I ordered the Pad Thai with shrimp and chicken and an order of the crab cream cheese rangoons. Everything was packed with amazing flavor and spice.
The best thai food I’ve been able to find in El Paso thus far. I’m excited to go back and try the rest of their extensive menu!
Yum!

Had Pad Thai and Green Curry, both were very good. Place was busy for one waiter, who did everything but cook the food. He got the ice from the back room, greeted and sat customers, took, served and bused orders. Closed out the tabs, etc. This guy wasn’t an issue. But the 2 guys in the kitchen were slow. Took 35 mins after my order was placed for the curry and noodles to come out. The place was busy but the orders were staggered and couldn’t overwhelm the kitchen. So minus one star for the slow kitchen.
But the kitchen did good with the food. The perfect amount of spices and heat. Portions were a good size, priced to match. If I wasn’t on a whirlwind tour of exciting El Paso and all of the top rated restaurants, I’d be back. Food was 8 out of 10.