Cafe Thai — Restaurant in Southfield

I really liked Thai Cafe up until yesterday. I always order the same shrimp fried rice for my children, they love it. Yesterday we got all the way home, ready to eat. My six year old daughter took a bite and immediately ran to get water. “Mom, it’s so spicy! My mouth is burning!” were her words. My initial thought was she was exaggerating, we’ve never had an issue. I tasted it myself and couldn’t believe it. It was very spicy. I tasted my order and it was fine (my kids don’t like what I order but both were ordered mild, the way we always order)

I called the restaurant to let them know there was a mix up and that the food was inedible for my kids and myself. The owner proceeded to let me know that (and I quote) “ you should know better than to order Thai food for your kids because sometimes it’s spicy” she then let me know that the spice levels are inconsistent because some of her cooks have “a heavy hand”.

I asked what was the solution and She told me all she could do was offer me 15% off my next order. That didn’t seem sufficient so I asked her could I get my money back, I lived 30 minutes away, had just got off of work and didn’t want to make the drive back that evening. I was told No Refunds, and if I couldn’t come back today I would forfeit my meal”.

I responded Fine, remake it please… I’m on my way. Upon arrival I was not greeted nor offered an apology or anything. She took the bag, inspected the food and went to the back.

Long story short, I was given my same food back. They did not remake my meal though they did reheat it. They took our eaten off food and reheated in the back then returned it to me in a new bag. I will never patronize this establishment again. They don’t value their customers, they don’t keep their word, and they made things unnecessarily difficult for a mom just trying to feed her children.

Needless to say, my daughter couldn’t eat the food and money was wasted. Very...

Great food... I have a standing nail appointment next door at 6 and get off at 5. After hearing the nail techs refer many of their clients there, one day I get carryout and eat in my car as I wait for my appt. The food was really good so I keep that as my routine before nail appts for a long while.

Bad service... Once I decide to eat inside and the food was really salty. I ask for it to be remade and she tells me it's not salty and says they won't remake it. I ask for plain rice to soak it up and is rude when I later dispute that she's charged me for the plain rice. But the food is good so I decide not to eat inside for a while. I eat inside again and the service was good until my leftovers are given to me in the cardboard container (last time it was in the plastic ones) she says they don't give out those anymore on dinein orders and charge me $1 for the plastic container...which I took out of her tip. Any other server would have eaten that cost and I would have graciously tipped extra because if it. I'm disappointed at this especially because I frequently carry out there and see her all the time. I even tell her I'm a regular. This happened last year and I haven't eaten there since. I notice my nail salon's phone has gone straight to vmail all day and call the restaurant to ask if they can notify them. The lady says they can't do that because they're really busy. Too busy for a kind gesture for your neighbors who are also Asian business owners and consistently refer you business? But they'd knowingly let their neighbors business suffer? I'd secretly hoped she was pleasant to justify me returning to eat there but I just can't support them...I don't care if the food is good. If they don't care about their own they definitely don't care about...

Great Pad Thai, but the dine-in experience needs work

We recently moved our office to a new location near Northwestern Highway, so I’ve been on a mission to find new go-to lunch spots. Café Thai came up when I searched “Thai food near me” and as someone who loves all kinds of food—especially a good chicken Pad Thai, medium spice—I had to give it a shot.

First off, the food itself was excellent. The Pad Thai was packed with flavor, had just the right amount of heat, and came with a generous amount of chicken. Portion size was great too—definitely worth the price.

Now for the not-so-great part: the ordering process feels more like a fast-food spot. You order at the counter, pay immediately, and the card reader asks for a tip before you’ve even tasted the food or received any service. That’s always a little awkward. I also told them I was dining in, but my food came in a to-go container with a flimsy plastic fork and knife. Eating noodles with utensils that bend under pressure is not ideal.

Also, I like to treat myself to a Coke now and then, but whatever was coming out of their soda machine definitely wasn’t Coke. Hopefully they can fix that.

All that said, the food was solid enough that I’ll definitely be back—just next time I’ll order ahead and take it to-go so I can eat it with proper silverware back at the office. Café Thai is a great lunch option if you’re nearby, just be prepared for a more casual, carry-out...