Siam Noodle & Rice Restaurant — Restaurant in Lake View Township

★★★☆☆ | "Not Bad, Not Great, Just...There"

Siam Noodle and Rice is one of those spots that you don’t really need to write a review for—but here I am, doing the lord’s work. It’s not terrible enough to drag through the mud, but let’s not pretend it’s a hidden gem either.

Let’s start with the pros: low prices and generous portions. Clearly, that’s the winning formula behind its popularity. If you're a broke college kid or just looking to stuff yourself silly without emptying your wallet, it’ll do the trick.

We kicked things off with the deep-fried seasoned ground chicken with basil and shredded cabbage, served with their homemade sweet and sour sauce. Honestly? Not bad. Crispy, savory, and the sauce had a nice tangy punch—it’s the kind of appetizer that tricks you into thinking, “Hey, maybe this place is something.”

But then came the fresh cucumber, bean sprout, tofu, and sweet sausage rolls—wrapped in rice flour paper with plum sauce—and the illusion shattered. The whole thing was bland as a Monday morning. The sausage? A blink-and-you-miss-it situation. It was like biting into disappointment wrapped in rice paper.

For mains, we tried the Pad Thai. You know, the dish that’s supposed to be the measuring stick for any Thai restaurant. Well, this one didn’t quite measure up. It was fine, I guess, but lacked that flavor punch that makes Pad Thai sing. Just noodles doing their 9-to-5. The Pad See Ewe, on the other hand, was much better—rich, smoky, and actually tasted like someone in the kitchen gave a damn.

The place itself? Meh. The vibe is more “I came here by accident” than “I can’t wait to come back.” Service? Functional at best. Nobody’s going out of their way to make your day, but you’ll get your food. Eventually.

All in all, Siam Noodle and Rice is the culinary equivalent of background music—there, but not really doing much for the mood. Sure, if you’re in the area and need to eat something that won’t offend your wallet or your taste buds, it’s worth a stop. But seeing this place pop up on “best Thai food” lists makes me wonder what parallel universe those lists are from.

If hype were flavor, maybe it’d actually be worth raving about. But alas,...

We have been coming to Siam for years. This is one of the best Thai restaurants in all of Chicago based on taste, quality portion and the price of their dishes. This is a Northern style Thai restaurant so some of their dishes aren’t the same as other Thai restaurants; nonetheless, they are all very flavorful and very well done. One of their best dishes is the Pek Kee Mao (drunken noodle) with beef. This is the dish I always get and highly recommend to you if you happen to visit and haven’t decided on what to order. This dish combines, a variety of stir fried vegetables including bean sprouts, broccoli, bell peppers and green leaves that is truly unique to this restaurant and of course your choice of protein and their aprecia sauce. This dish isn’t too spicy and you may ask for additional garlic chili sauce (don’t use the siracha on this) if you wish for it to be spicer. This restaurant is popular you may want any to RSVP if you don’t want to wait or have a bigger party 4+. This restaurant is also BYOB which is great as they don’t charge you a bottle fee. Their Thai coffee is very sweet and I personally don’t prefer sugary drinks. Other dishes I recommend is the green curry and the Rama Curry with chicken. The chicken basil is very tasty as well. I highly recommend for you to visit if you enjoy...

I had lunch here today and this has to be my new favorite Thai restaurant in the area. The staff is also super friendly and the food is prepared fast.

Tom Yum: 5 ⭐️ I got the tom yum with chicken, medium spice level. The broth was so flavorful and great proportions of mushroom and chicken. I’m glad I only did the medium because it was spicy enough for me.

Beef Fried Rice: 5 ⭐️ The fried rice had a ton of beef in it. Which is great cause sometimes places skimp on the protein, but this place doesn’t. Loved the chopped green onion, cilantro, egg, and bean sprouts mixed in with it.

Fried Dried Beef: 6 ⭐️ (if I could) This dish is off their “Esaan” menu showcasing their dishes from the Northeastern region. The beef strips are marinated and dried in a way I’ve never had before. They were chewey but not like beef jerky. The texture is similar to a beef satay you’d find at a Chinese restaurant. You can eat them with your fingers and dip them into the spicy garlic sauce. Highly recommend getting as one of your appetizers or side dishes.

Can’t wait to come back and try some more of...