Vientiane Cafe

Had takeout (chicken and beef pad thai) from here tonight - they've raised their prices ($14 for chicken, $15 for beef, when it used to be $11), without changing their portion sizes! Not only did they not tell us the total when we ordered over the phone, they also didn't give us a receipt when we picked up. Super unimpressed.

I have to disagree with the negative posts here. I have been to this restaurant at least 4 times in the past 6 months, and every time has been fabulous. Their lunch special for under $9 includes soup, and appetizer, and an entree, and all are great--perfectly cooked, delicious, flavorful. It's a satisfying amount of food for mid-day. The service has been pretty timely, and the servers are efficient and sweet. I love the simple and relaxing decor, the location right on Baltimore Ave, and the little fruit candies you get with your bill. I wish they were open Sundays too!

Unfortunately mediocre, bland, doesn't try very hard to please. Nice folks though

This place used to be my favorite Thai restaurant in the neighborhood and the city, but I agree with the below reviewer that it seems their chef may have changed, because the food has not been what it used to be. Before it was flavorful and perfectly cooked, whereas recently it has been bland and hit or miss. I'm praying they see these reviews and make the necessary changes, because I'd like to go there regularly again. I would still recommend giving it a try though, as I'd like to see it survive this difficult period of its food quality.

I've lived in the neighborhood 10 years and this used to be one of my favorite Thai restaurants in Philly. It seems like they must have a new cook because the past 4 times I've eaten there over the span of 3 months (yes, I've given them more than a trying chance) the food has been so bland and oily compared to what it used to be, and compared to other Thai restaurants. Even the Thai basil was off-the-chart-bland and that's a dish I think tastes mostly the same wherever you go to. The restaurant still stays packed so the flavors must appeal to some, but when I'm craving Thai food I'm craving fresh, spicy, flavorful sauces and sadly this family-owned neighborhood joint no longer provides.

I've been to Thailand, and while the food here measures up with freshness, real Thai food is much spicier than this. I might actually characterize the food as bland, but good nonetheless. The hippy locals of West Philly must agree as well, because this place can really fill up. I find the hours to be kind of sporadic, so I don't go nearly as often as I would if there wasn't such a long gap between lunch and dinner, or if they were open on Sundays. One huge detractor, and the reason for my rating of 1.0 for "atmosphere", is that it was over 100 degrees today, and they didn't air condition the place despite the fact that it was packed. Good food, but customers should be treated with more regard than that.

One of the most reliable places around for a delicious meal with healthy and fresh ingredients. Sometimes it can seem a little crowded, but the food is always really good.