Tuk Tuk Thai Isan Street Food — Restaurant in Lake View Township

Tuk Tuk is genuinely special. I have come back again and again, its delicious every time, and just feels so unique. I genuinely feel like I can't get the food I eat here anywhere else. I know other people feel the same way because I never come and it's not been full or nearly full- expect to wait in line. The vibe inside is vibrant and can be loud.

But the food- oh the food. My recommendations (should be pictures for all):

Laab Moo Tod- This is probably my favorite dish in the world right now. They are these small, extremely crispy meatballs. The flavor is out of this world, so intense. They are pretty spicy, but it's part of the experience- you need to try them.

Ka Prow Moo Krob- This is my go to entree. It's super crispy pork belly in a delicious sauce with basil and onions, so good. If you want it hot, they can make it hot (trust me). But honestly I would eat this one with zero spice, the flavor is just so good on its own. Also good with a fried egg.

Talay Pad Pong Karee- I genuinely don’t know how to describe this dish. They bring you out this huge plate of seafood with some sauce on it- but it is delicious. The shrimp and squid are really good and the sauce is so good, quite sweet, not spicy (unless you want it to).

Pla Rad Prik- Tried this one for the first time tonight and was very satisfied. It's the most expensive item on the menu but stands up to the price. A full snapper, skin scored for maximum crispiness, deep fried then covered in an insanely delicious sauce. Usually ordering whole fish is not the best experience, but I had no issue getting all of the meat off of the bones. It was insanely crispy and so flavorful.

I love it here so much,...

First and foremost, the food at this restaurant is excellent. However, the service is absolutely unacceptable.

This is now the third time I’ve had issues with takeout orders. The first two times, my food was missing when ordering through third-party delivery apps. So today, I decided to learn my lesson and personally drive 25 minutes to pick up my order—only to face yet another frustrating experience.

Upon arrival, I discovered that the item I ordered was sold out, and no one bothered to inform me in advance. Their excuse? "I tried to call you back, but the number you gave was wrong." Really? If my number was "wrong," how did they manage to CALL ME to say the order was ready for pickup? They said that they had tried to contact me and could not find the phone number because WE GAVE IT WRONG. Even more suspicious, the number they claimed to have used wasn’t even mine—it was my girlfriend’s, and she has never dined in or ordered from this restaurant before. So don't even tell me that they can find this number under THAT NAME in the system. This was a blatant lie and an insult to my intelligence. It was almost 9:35 and I'm not playing with my time.

But it doesn’t stop there. My girlfriend, who knows Thai, overheard staff members making disrespectful remarks while she was trying to pay. And to top it all off, the so-called "apology" was delivered with a smirk, followed by the staff laughing amongst themselves. Who apologizes while mocking the customer right after?

So, after a 25-minute drive, I leave with no food, blatant disrespect, and a complete lack of professionalism? Unacceptable. This restaurant needs to seriously reconsider how they treat paying...

The ambiance of this Thai restaurant was nice, but unfortunately, my overall experience was disappointing.

First off, the service was poor. When we asked the waitress for a table, she didn’t address us properly, which set the tone for the rest of the meal. We were seated at a table facing the kitchen and the bathroom, which felt uncomfortable from the start. I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was intentional, and it made us feel unwelcomed.

To make things worse, the person at the bill counter in the kitchen kept staring at us throughout our meal, which was quite off-putting and made both my friend and I uncomfortable.

The most unpleasant part, however, was when a customer left the bathroom door open after exiting. Our table was directly outside the bathroom, and the waitress, who was standing right in front of us, didn’t even make an effort to close the door. My friend had to get up and close it herself, and even then, the waitress didn’t apologize or acknowledge the situation. This lack of basic courtesy was surprising and frustrating.

As for the food, it was okay but not great. The “Kai Tod” was very salty, so we had to send it back. The signature Pad Thai was overly sweet (5/10), while the Tom Yum soup was decent (8/10). The mango sticky rice was good but way too expensive for a dessert at $13, so I’d rate it 8/10.

Overall, while the food was fine, the service and overall experience were disappointing. I’m unsure if I’ll return based on...