Thai Town Cafe — Restaurant in Rapids City

Best way to describe this place and our experience at Thai Town Cafe?

Home Away From Home. Or, in other words, a staycation with a destination of flavors.

After hearing WONDERFUL stories from local Quad Citians about this special spot, I had to convince my hubby to have our little family check it out, especially with the weather being as nice as it was this evening.

Sure, we had a drive to make, but, in all honesty, it couldn't have been more gorgeous, as my hubby came from rich Iowan country-farm roots and there was green as far as the eye could see.

Anxious to reach our destination, we weren't completely sure if we made it to the right place, but once we noticed the line of cars parked outside the residential home and the near 'famous' blue food truck stand, we knew we were in the right place.

Knowing what I typically order at Thai restaurants was what I intended to get, Pad Kee Mao was on the menu, as long with a sampling of appetizers, Garlic Pepper Beef for my husband, and a couple of soda cans - cause who doesn't drink orange soda when eating Asian food, am I right? Perfect combo.

Having a waiting period of over an hour to receive our food, we saw the situation as a great opportunity to kick back, relax, soak up some sun, and take advantage of the restaurants' unique venue space. Rustic, homey, we felt like we were at a friend's backyard, similar to an outdoor potluck or barbecue. Had plenty of seating, spaced enough away from other tables for social distancing purposes, and yet...flexible enough for improvisation, with a big yard space to enjoy and use to one's discretion.

Also wanted to note, if you have a child of any age, you know how difficult it is to bring them into any restaurant, no matter how well-behaved they can be at a table. You might also know how difficult it is to keep them preoccupied and happy, no matter how many books, toys, snacks, and weird faces you might bring with you to your dinner table, especially when you are told you have to wait...an hour. Well, folks. This is the place for you! Plenty of yard space to run around, a playset to use, and simple but fun toys available to play with. Now, I'm not saying you shouldn't bring your own set of items to bring for your littles to play with, if and when you have a wait if you get here, especially for sanitary purposes, but this place is super family-friendly, evident from the owner and staff members' dispositions upon our arrival, duration of our dining/waiting experience, and departure.

Oh, and did I forget to mention the food? SO good, and definitely worth the wait. Sure, we have some pretty good Thai restaurants close to where we live, but this place is something extra special. Following the words of the restaurant's slogan, "Love to Cook, Cook to Live," at Thai Town Cafe, the food is truly made with love and you can taste it. With a menu of a variety of different mouthwatering selections, I am looking forward to our next visit so I can try more items with my family, and next time, we might just have to bring others with us next time to give the place a try. Definitely a gem of a find! And a gem this good makes sense that it has an hour wait to get food! It IS worth the wait.

Travel for the food. Stay for the...

This is my first time leaving a review for a restaurant, and unfortunately, it's not a positive one. We decided to stop by this restaurant during a road trip based on its good reviews online. What a disappointment that turned out to be.

Upon arrival at 7 pm, the restaurant appeared small and understaffed, with just one server managing both front-of-house duties and handling takeout orders as well. Despite there being multiple chefs in the kitchen, the service was painfully slow. One table was still waiting for their food, while another hadn't even managed to place their order yet. We sat down along with two other tables, all of us waiting to order.

It took a frustrating 20 minutes just to have our order taken, during which time three different people came in for takeaway orders ahead of us, further delaying our service. The waiter seemed overwhelmed and had to manage the dining area also. At 8:30 pm that our food was finally served in carryout boxes. Never saw that in a dine-in order.

To make matters worse, the food itself was a letdown. The dish I ordered was excessively salty, completely overwhelming any other flavors the dishes might have had.

Throughout the evening, we had to repeatedly inquire about the status of our meal, feeling neglected and increasingly dissatisfied with the entire experience. We contemplated leaving, but the assurance that our food was being prepared kept us waiting reluctantly.

Overall, this was undeniably the worst dining experience I've encountered in a restaurant. The combination of poor service, extensive wait times, and disappointing food quality overshadowed any initial positive expectations we had. Regrettably, I cannot recommend this restaurant based on my visit. While we appreciate the importance of supporting local businesses, this restaurant seemed to struggle with staffing and maintaining the level of culinary skill needed to provide a satisfactory...

Sorry (@ontheveofwarr) for your unfortunate experience. I am one of Thai Town Fan. The taste of the food are extremely authentic. Not everyone is perfect 💯% of the time. As much as I eat there, I never had such experience. As for parking, there are plenty of parking right in front of the building. I was told they can get fine from the police if found customer park on the curve or the back of the food truck. Just a though: Lack of tastes and smell something as strong as garlic is a Definite sign OF COVID-19. You might want to get tested or at least isolate yourself from the public for 14 days.Thank goodness Thai Town is very strict about having their customers wear masks approaching the window to order or pick up. As for the long wait, it is a Thai food truck, not American fast food. They don't cook anything head. Just to let you know, they only have one chef cooking on 2 burners. My TIP: call at least 1-2 hours ahead for when you want to pick up. Give them another try. Sorry for my rant. I don't like people to exaggerate their complaint about my favorite food places. Your pinky must be very big to say that the rolls are small. The soup is cup size. Asian soups in such size is usually serve for broth flavor not the chunks of proteins or anything else. Everytime I bring home my to-go order and put on a 12" plate, it over flow. I think I got my opinion off my chest. Feeling better...