JJ Thai Street Food

“I genuinely regret not trying JJ Thai sooner.”

I genuinely regret not trying JJ Thai sooner. We’ve lived in this neighborhood for 1.5 years, walked past it countless times, and only ate here for the first time last week. The food was so good that we’ve already been back three times. Highly recommend trying the Tiger Cry, Crab Fried Rice, Shrimp Fried Rice, Beef Salad, Papaya Salad — honestly, order anything and it’ll be delicious (at least in my experience). The staff is incredibly warm and welcoming, and the best part? It’s BYOB. If you haven’t checked out this spot yet, you’re truly missing out. Whether you dine in or grab takeout, you’ll love it.

Valentine Correia

Nov 2025

“I think the biggest mistake of my Chicago trip was getting takeout from JJ, as opposed to dining in.”

I think the biggest mistake of my Chicago trip was getting takeout from JJ, as opposed to dining in. Don't get me wrong, the beef kra pow, dumplings, and papaya salad I got were all phenomenal, but as I scanned the doordash menu with my feet on the couch, I noticed there was no pad thai or americanized Thai food. It looked authentic as hell. My fomo began to run rampant. I knew this is the kind of restaurant that will have you looking up flights to Thailand right when you get home. I imagine it is what Kalaya in Philly is like, which happens to be one of my favorite restaurants in the US. I know if I dined in, I would have got the best recommendations to try things I never even knew existed. Some of it I would have loved, some of it I wouldn't have. But that's what life is all about to me. I would have got some of the idiosyncrasies of the culture, and why a certain dish is made this way and what region of Thailand it comes from. These authentic restaurants are like traveling when you can't travel. Maybe I'm just romanticizing JJ, but I think I have a pretty good gauge on these things at this point. I'll be back to dine-in next time... also that Papaya salad went NUTTTYYYYY!!! IG @johnny.novo Tiktok @jnov__ Substack @johnnynovo

Johnny Novo

Nov 2025

“This place is absolutely delicious.”

This place is absolutely delicious! The service was great and didn’t take too long. High quality food and excellent textures. We had the Tom yum shrimp noodles and the basil chicken rice

Michelle Lopez

Nov 2025

“Alright, so the food is very tasty.”

Alright, so the food is very tasty! We got the fried tofu and the BBQ pork noodles, both of which tasted quite nice - I especially appreciated how the noodles were this delightful sweet and savory flavor. However, the wait was insane. Granted, this was made worse by the rain (outdoor seating was no longer feasible), but their initial estimate of 25 minutes quickly doubled for the three of us. Good food, but prepare for a wait

Zachary Zhu

Oct 2025

“Food is super delicious the staffs so nice I love Khao kha moo (pork), and thai dessert so yummy 💖.”

Ged'nipa Arssana

Sep 2025

“I always visit JJ when I’m in Chicago.”

I always visit JJ when I’m in Chicago. Delicious and authentic Thai dishes- street food styles. You can ask for spiciness of all dishes. The restrooms is spotless- a big plus for my mom.

Rei Alexandra Aoyama

Aug 2025

“First time having dinner at JJ Thai street food and wow.”

First time having dinner at JJ Thai street food and wow! What a wonderful neighborhood restaurant. From the moment we walked in immediately greeted by kind people! Service was great as was the food! Thought the stainless steel water glasses were awesome. Loved the fresh coconut water. We unfortunately didn’t make it to dessert but hopefully next time. Dishes that are in the pictures: SP8 Grilled pork with sticky rice, A9 Pan fried chive dumplings, A2 chicken wings, SP1 Crab fried rice, E1 grilled beef salad, & E4 tiger cry

Denise

Aug 2025

“So glad we found this spot.”

So glad we found this spot! This is not your typical Thai restaurant or what I call a cookie cutter Thai restaurant. Very authentic regional dishes packed with the flavors we know and love. I made the mistake of telling them to make the papaya salad mild so I think they held back on that but everything else was amazing! Can’t wait to come back!

Vongsa Phetsomphou

Aug 2025

“A charming Thai spot with energetic service and a menu full of unique flavors.”

A charming Thai spot with energetic service and a menu full of unique flavors. The king mushroom salad was vibrant and refreshing, while the basil seafood rice was bold and with a great spice kick, though the portion felt a bit rice-heavy and on the smaller side for the price. Nonetheless, an overall great spot for Thai dishes that go beyond the usual offerings.

Bill

Jul 2025

“Everything was so good.”

Everything was so good. We ordered delivery again the next day lol . Their food is very authentic and with acceptable spiciness. Medium spicy was okay for us. My partner and I have traveled to Thailand many times and this is one of the authentic Thai foods we've tried in Chicago. Highly recommended!! 💯

Blake Cheng

Jul 2025

“อร่อยจะตาย 😻 Honestly, five stars is not enough for a place that I’ve thought about nonstop for...”

อร่อยจะตาย 😻 Honestly, five stars is not enough for a place that I’ve thought about nonstop for four days after eating here. My family lived in rural Thailand for five years and I would say this is some of the best Thai food I’ve ever had. They take all the tastes of Thai favorites and add in American preferences- like American choices for cuts of meat, for example. They do not dumb down the flavors for Americans. It’s 110%. They even have Isaan favorites like som tom pala 🐠 It is a wonderful place for a date night that feels a little fun and a little special but will leave you so content and thinking about how yummy it was. Also the staff are just wonderful folks. They made us feel so welcome and I know they’d help you pick some food choices if you didn’t have an idea of what you wanted! But the lime steak salad is divine. So is the crunchy basil chicken. 🤯🤯

Maggy Smith

Mar 2025

“Echo many of the other reviews to say that the food was terrific and authentic, service was...”

Echo many of the other reviews to say that the food was terrific and authentic, service was friendly and prompt, and prices were very reasonable. I had the basil rice with seafood, which is pictured and reminded me of actual southeast Asian street food in all the best ways. I took a chance on coconut pudding since someone else on here recommended it, and that was the perfect way to end my meal. Can't wait to come back.

Josh Friedman

Mar 2025