Opa Thai restaurant in Auburn,IL — Restaurant in Auburn

Tonight’s dinner feature was Opa Thai food restaurant in Auburn! They are located in the Jackson st plaza between Price cutters grocery store and Potrillos Mexican restaurant.

This is a brand new gem here in Auburn, and we are all very very blessed to have them. The owner, “Mama Yaya” once thought of owning a restaurant as a dream, and now her dream as become a reality. She prides herself in her authentic Thai dishes, and excellent customer service. She very much cares deeply about her customers, and the experience they have when they dine in, or take it to go.

Currently the wait times are longer than average when dining in, but I PROMISE you it is worth the wait. Take the additional wait time to visit with your family and friends that you are eating with. These moments are precious anyways. Sweet Mama Yaya explained to us tonight after we ate that they had a lot of orders, but only one stove to cook on. They are working super hard to save up to buy that second stove, and they 100% deserve it. So please, if you eat at Opa Thai, please be kind, please be patient. The food is incredible, and everyone who was working tonight was extremely personable and friendly. You can truly tell that they are all very passionate about the restaurant, and quality food and hospitality is their top priority.

The dish I got tonight was the stir fried garlic chicken! I added onions, mushrooms, peppers, and broccoli (some of those things may of already come in it but that’s just how I asked for it) and the spice level I got was a 3. I’m not going to lie, it was pretty hot, but I wouldn’t say “too” hot! Even with the spice being hotter than what I am used to, the dish was still packed with TONS of flavor, good enough to eat every single bite! I would 100% reccomend this dish to anyone who LOVES garlic too, as they are definitely not shy with it. I love that they use fresh garlic, it adds a lot of flavor too. We also got crab Rangoon and mini eggrolls which are not pictured. We ate them so fast that I didn’t have a chance, but I promise they are delish! I am thinking next time I go, I will try the Ba Mee Noodle soup. That is one of my very favorite dishes but I have yet to have it here. Check out their Facebook page linked above for more photos of their phenomenal food!

All in all, despite the wait time, I give Opa Thai a 10/10. The flavorful food and the incredible hospitality made it worth it. Plus it was a good opportunity to visit with my mom. Please, support this wonderful establishment! Let’s help them get that well deserved kitchen equipment to make things easier on them. We all know life is hard right now, and some people know how tough the restaurant industry can be first starting out as well. Give these people some grace, say a prayer for them if that’s your thing, be patient, be kind, and give their food a try!

Welcome to Auburn Mama Yaya...

I have been craving for authentic Thai papaya salad and I couldn't find anywhere in Springfield, IL. It's not in the menu but the owner made it for me when I requested. It was exactly like how I had in Thailand. The owner is very friendly and listens to how you like your food. I also had pad Thai and pad kra prow to go. The flavors were on point! But I would like it a little bit saucy. But probably a little dry because I had it to go too. It is a small restaurant and foods are made fresh. So a little patience...

I had a full course meal here and they served me the best pad Thai I can remember eating! Very authentic. The sticky rice with mango I had for dessert was also delicious, with perfectly ripe mango. Spring rolls were nice and chewy but not rubbery like some restaurants make them. Everything was noticeably fresh. Very friendly people here as well and excellent, fast service. Prices were reasonable for a Thai restaurant, just going off my general recollection. This place is a hidden...