Pattaya Cafe Thai Cuisine — Restaurant in Citrus Heights

This place has amazing thai food BUT...ITS NOT WHAT IT USED TO BE.....If you're new to the area, eat here you'll love it. Great flavors...still SOME of the best thai food in sac...but not the best anymore. The new chef lied to me and say the recipes havent been altered from the originals but they have been obviously...I eat the Tom yum goong. Flavor is good but it's like eating a tree. . So many leaves... the restaurant is ran by the kids of the original owners and it shows because things have changed.....theres less content more filler in the dishes now ( to save money I'm sure, but I can only review what I know)...this a a different kind of review, its personal for me. This is Rafael, got a 80 dollar order today pad see ew and Tom yum.....I cant eat the Tom yum without spitting leaves out and the pad see ew lacks the potent sauces (whatever they may be, soy sauces?) I've been eating food from here since I was in 5th grade. I'm 31 now. The food is good. Dont get me wrong. But it's not the same it used to be. Theve gone to cheaper ingredients (shrimp herbs and such, which I can't blame them, we live in cali) and it shows thru, " for the ones that know" the recipes lack the flavor they used to have, but everything is still good, they still have flavor, I'm just used to the way things were, the way they used to be. NO SHORTCUTS, when it wasnt broken but someone decided to "fix it". Still some of the best thai food in sac but changes in leadership over the years have decreased the expectancy level of a phenomenal product from 10 years ago. YOU SHOULD EAT HERE. I'm just sad so many things have changed. It was perfect thai food but I'm sure economics will ruin this place if things dont change. Reverse all recent decisions and take it back to the old recipes. Not these altered ones. I do not feel I got my fair share of food...

This is a great place, I don't know what the "bad review" person is talking about.

anyone who has been to Thailand will love this place. Most thai resturants in the US tend to americanize their food a bit, but not this place. The food was reminded me of the night vendors you see pushing food service carts all over thailand or those sidewalk resturants that use lawn furniture for tables and chairs (which is the REAL food of thailand) Pattaya cafe even had home made Chai yen(thai milk tea)

cons: there is a bit of a lack of the use Thai ingredients, which is of course related to the diffaculty of getting the "real stuff" in the states. for example i had the spicy chicken with basil, and there was not much basil as there usally is in thailand. also it is common the rice is served along side this dish, for you to mix with the chicken and basil (gai ka pow) yourself, but this was the first thai place i've been to where rice and Gai ka pow on seperate plates/bowl. makeing mixing akward. none of these cons have a negative impact on the taste or flavors.

things good to know: they have the traditional thai spices, but they're not kept on the table, you'll have to ask for it. The menu is in thai and english (for those married to THN) the cooks are thai born and the ABT(s) speak thai fluently as well as the cooks.

My wife is a THN who is an excellent cook, Pattaya Cafe is a well priced and on point with the home cooked Thai cuisine taste I expect from a thai resturant.

I will be eating there again ,and anytime i visit sacramento...

Listen, I've been going here since 1991. It's changed hands once between family members. The food has been consistently great all these years.

My usual is the lunch special #1. And they give enough to rival a Chinese restaurant's lunch special.

I've tried most of the offerings on the menu and the best for me us their Tom Yung Goon. I may have misspelled that. Anyway, that's the shrimp sour soup. Hands down, feet down, all limbs down, whatever- NO other Thai restaurant makes it like they do!! I've tasted many others throughout the years around the Sacramento area. All the others are see through broths and may taste close to one of those packaged soup broths you can buy. Pattaya Cafe's soup has some secret ingredient(s) that separate it from the others in taste and appearance.

May they keep going and never change their recipes! Yes, their prices have increased- but you can't get away from that anywhere you go. They may be in a hole in the wall location, but I dont come there for any upper class ambiance experience. Yes, they may be located in a rough neighborhood, just bring friends, especially, if they look intimidating. Yes, it may be hard trying to get a good parking space in that small area, just don't bring your Mercedes or your Chevy Suburban.

So go and enjoy great Thai food. Try the Tom Yung Goon, the lunch special #1, the beef hot plate, their beef larb, etc. And if you are really brave, order the papaya...