Karen Thai Food — Restaurant in Saint Paul

Went in on a Monday at around 1pm for a pick up order and the seating area was packed. Like, no seats. Love trying new spots and did a Google search for best Thai in the Twin Cities. To my surprise found Karen Thai which I've seen 10,000 times getting gas on Larpenture on my way home from work. Tucked between a gas station and a Subway - it hadn't caught my eye as a spot to stop for lunch. So today I happily swung in during a sudden rain storm - but thankfully had placed my to go order before leaving work. Quick order time, under 15 minutes. I was in and out, polite and fast. I have to say, I've been missing out all these years and this is my new favorite spot. Here's what I got- Veggie Fried rice for my picky son @ a level 3 spice (not spicy in my opinion, was actually sweet) 9/10. A lot of veggies, not a fan of the tomatoes but that's a taste preference. Flavor was on point and the rice was just the right consistency. Tons of onion, just my style! The Pad Se Ew level 4 spice (Spicy! Much more elevated than 3, and I almost did 5!) 12/10. Phenomenal. Noodles were just the right texture - not overdone, sauce was full of spice and Thai flavor cooked down to the perfect color and consistency. Just enough crunch to the veggies and let's not forget to mention the thinly sliced chicken that absorbed the sauce perfectly. Not too chicken-y chicken, if you get me? I'm weird about chicken - so I was pleasantly surprised but even more so impressed. If you haven't, go. I can't wait to order again. Boat...

The best meal I've had in recent history. One of my favorite restaurants! It's a hole-in-the-wall (in the best way). The food is fresh, authentic, and bursting with delicious flavor. Very reasonable prices.

We had the Tom Yum soup with chicken (you can choose your protein, including tofu as an option), and the fish, #20. Both were excellent. The fish was out of this world; seriously one of the best dishes I've ever had. The broth was incredibly flavorful, so of course we couldn't let any go to waste and put it on the rice. It's a whole fried tilapia - if you aren't used to eating whole fish, be prepared to remove the bones as you go (very easy once you get the hang of it). It was smothered with red and green bell peppers and onions, and some of the most delicuous broth I've ever tasted. I've also had their pad thai in the past, also very good.

They ask how spicy you want your food, and since this place seems very authentic, we erred on the side of "mildly spicy," which was perfect. They also have chili oil and pepper flakes on the table if you want to add more spice.

I want to try every dish on their menu, but I don't think anything could be better than the fish. I'll probably dream about it!

You can dine in or do takeout. The restaurant is small - humble but cozy. Note that they don't have a bathroom, but the waiter said patrons can go next door to Subway to use theirs. Overall, Karen Thai...

Food: In my opinion the food is okay. I heard a lot of great things about their boat noodle so I came here to try it out with high expectations. I was not really impressed. I ordered food within half an hour of opening. The flavor of boat noodles was mild and didn’t pack a hearty beefy punch like I thought it would. I am a huge boat noodle fan so the experience was disappointing.

Setting: The restaurant is quite small and is not ideal for groups or family. It is located in a high traffic business plaza just off the highway and next to a gas station. Seating is limited.

Pricing: Food prices are not stated clearly on the menu (only on appetizer items) so ask questions before you order. Each dish will run you about $16-18 which is surprising to me because this is a super casual restaurant. My bill was just over $80 and with tax. We did not get appetizers or anything special to drink.

Service: Wait service doesn’t really exist here but the owner and other employees are nice. They take your order and bring out your food. After that, they don’t check up on you anymore. When you’re done eating you pay...