Paula's Thai Kitchen

“The food was amazing.”

The food was amazing. Paula is the actual owner and the food was phenomenal.

raphael weaver

Nov 2025

“2nd time here, went for lunch.”

2nd time here, went for lunch. Their lunch specials are about $10 which is great. Good was delicious food. I had the drunken noodles.

Nonye Ononogbu

Sep 2025

“Paula was our server today and she was amazing.”

Paula was our server today and she was amazing. The food is always fresh, hot and very tasteful. It’s paid parking, nice small outdoor space where I ate. Try the Thai noodle soup medium spicy, help me feel better from a cold. Thanks for the wonderful service.

Keyanna Bridges

Sep 2025

“Overall great experience.”

Overall great experience! First time coming in, amazing service, extremely kind staff, DELICIOUS food! The atmosphere was super comfortable- came in on a slower quiet night but still! Highly Recommend

Astoria Ernst

Sep 2025

“Amazing neighborhood gem.”

Amazing neighborhood gem! I have to believe the bad reviews are either used to more Americanized-Thai (pad thai/whatever) or maybe hit off hours? We had a fantastic experience eating at Paula's last night. Our wonderful, friendly server helped recommend local Thai favorites, cute/cozy setting (not fancy Mich-star vibes, more homey, family cooking), delicious and flavorful dishes. We had the papaya salad, beef boat noodles, panang curry, and mango sticky rice and all of them were excellent. We will definitely be back :)

Lexi Davis

Jun 2025

“The creamy chicken soup was full of many types of flavor.”

The creamy chicken soup was full of many types of flavor. I enjoyed shrimp appetizer. Also , the chicken curry hit the spot and helped warm up a cold night. Nice friendly staff.

Edwin Eisenstaedt

Dec 2024

“As a Thai, I think this place is underrated.”

As a Thai, I think this place is underrated. I kind of understand that their food can be too strange of you never try local Thai dishes besides pad thai before. I brought korean and dutch friends there. We ordered papaya salad with crispy pork, tom yam hotpot seafood, grilled squid, and blue crab spicy salad. The korean was very happy because our cuisines are similar. The dutch was confused even he was in thailand before because he was only at tourist spots and ordered only padthai. So no wonders why the score is lower than it supposed to be. I love every dishes we ordered. The blue crab spicy salad is difficult to find in Europe ( I moved to the Netherlands), so I was so happy when I saw it in the menu and they nailed it 5/5. Papaya salad was delicious; my dutch friend loved it 5/5. Tom yam seafood is more like poh tak(โป๊ะแตก) that put holy basil in it, good for cold days 5/5. The squid is a bit chewy tho, perhaps we should have eat it right away when served 4/5. Btw, it can be very spicy that you need to specify the level of your spicy tolerant. I asked two chillies for papaya salad and normal level for tom yam and blue crab salad. It turned out spiciness of papaya salad was right for me and the rest were a bit too spicy (I’m weak in this as a Thai, lol). The ambience was also awesome. It reminded me of Thai street food that its charm is from little details in decorations and lights. It was not as perfect as 5-stars hotel but it gave a homy atmosphere in which I love it very much 5/5. Service is very friendly and helpful. The staff kept checking on us. They gave us only forks as well even though they knew I’m thai. So, don’t get offended if they give you only fork. If you want chopsticks or spoon, you can ask them. I would recommend this place if you love authentic thai food, especially thai or asian people who miss their home. We commuted from the city center, it was like 15 min driving, and it was so worth it. Thank you very much for your food and service! ❤️

Piengnapa Pakuthai

Aug 2024

“Paula’s has consistently been my favorite Thai place in Chicago for a long time, as I could easily...”

Paula’s has consistently been my favorite Thai place in Chicago for a long time, as I could easily recount over 15 visits. What sets it apart is its knack for offering more unique, authentic Thai dishes that you don't find everywhere. One of my go-to dishes every time is their spicy basil preserved eggs - a flavor that I have rarely encountered elsewhere. On our most recent visit, we tried out eggplant & mussels curry, Larb salad, and their spicy squid soup (a personal favorite). As always, every dish hits the right spot. Though, it’s worth noting that the service can be a bit hit or miss, depending on the day. Sometimes they're on top of things, and other times they're a bit aloof. Also, the menu prices have taken a hike over the years (with many menu items being close to $20 currently), which is a bit of a bummer. But for the outstanding Thai food options and flavors, I'll still swing by now and then.

Bill

Aug 2023

“Amazing and tasty Thai food in Chicago!”

Amazing and tasty Thai food in Chicago!! The Tiger Cry is a must have!!, I also loved the Nutty Lamb “Don’t judge a book by its cover” Recommended!

Alberto Pinzon

Jun 2023

“Went here by myself to try it out and loved it.”

Went here by myself to try it out and loved it. Friendly staff! Quick service and even more delicious food! Fresh as can be for a regular night out

Miguel Ceja

Oct 2022

“I came here with a group of my friends on a Tuesday evening and the restaurant wasn’t too busy.”

I came here with a group of my friends on a Tuesday evening and the restaurant wasn’t too busy. The staff offered us to sit outside on the patio but we hesitated because it was a little bit cold. But I’m so glad we did! The patio was heated and there were also some “bonfire pits”, which gave off such home-y & cozy vibes. We ordered papaya salad, tiger cry, and grilled jumbo squid as appetizers; drunken noodle, green curry with beef, and tom yum soup for entrees; sticky rice with mango for dessert & Thai iced tea for drinks. Although we ordered a lot, it was a rather affordable meal. We really liked the tiger cry dish - the meat was cooked just right, it was tender & not dry. I also liked the tom yum soup, it was tangy/sour but not as spicy as I wanted them to be. We stayed & chatted for a long time well after we had paid for the meal because of how relaxing the atmosphere was. The service was really good and the staff kept coming out to check on us even when we were the only table sitting outside. My friends and I are planning to return & feast on the food here again!

ju bouffe

Sep 2022

“Nice patio, the owner was so nice to us.”

Nice patio, the owner was so nice to us! Love their Tom yum soup! The best thai food in town.

Josh M

Mar 2022