The Twin Cities have an absolutely incredible selection of delicious Thai food.
Maybe it’s just our location in the middle of all those Thai options, but Sean and I are complete Thai food addicts. We’ve been known to order Pad Thai, Fried Rice, Penang Curry, and Wontons and/or Eggrolls at nearly every Thai restaurant across the entire Twin Cities.
(In fact, we’ve stopped ordering Thai when we travel, because nothing seems to live up to our many Twin Cities favorites.)
Here are our votes for the 9 best places to get Thai food in Minneapolis and St. Paul.
Twin Cities Map of the Best Thai Food in Minneapolis & St. Paul
The 5 Best Thai Food Restaurants in St. Paul
St. Paul actually has a denser Hmong population than Minneapolis, so it’s not surprising that Saint Paul is probably the Twin Cities champ when it comes to the Thai food scene.
1. Ruam Mit Thai (Downtown St. Paul)
When we heard Ruam Mit Thai had changed owners in 2019, we almost had a heart attack. Thankfully, those new owners kept the same amazing recipes, instead only changing cosmetic touches, like setting up a functioning website and finally getting a sign that worked at night.
This unassuming spot in the middle of downtown St. Paul, located next to an abandoned Domino’s pizza, is the epitome of delicious hole in the wall.
Sure, like any true hole in the wall, the service can be hit or miss. And similarly, their spice scale seems to be all over the place. (Occasionally, the medium needs a dousing of extra chili pepper flakes, and sometimes it will blow you right out of the water.)
But you’re not coming here for the service. You’re coming here for that fall-off-the-bone tender Chicken Curry or the massively popular fan favorite Pha Ram Long Song.
We’re also partial to their deeply flavored Pad Thai or Thai Fried Rice. And at this point, why not throw a shout out to their Special Egg Rolls, which are some of the thickest, crunchiest pieces of heaven we’ve found in the cities.
- Address: 475 St Peter St, St Paul, MN 55102
- Website: Raum Mit Thai
2. Phi Chay (West 7th)
This spot took over the longtime fan-favorite Supatra’s Thai (RIP). Thankfully, Phi Chay doesn’t skip a beat, because they’re turning out their own authentic takes on all the Thai classics.
We especially love the noodle dishes at Phi Chay. The Pad Thai might be the most perfectly balanced, authentic Pad Thai we’ve found anywhere in the cities. I don’t know why, but I find myself craving that dish more than any other.
The Pad Kee Mao (Drunken Noodles) seems to be a fan favorite as well. For an appetizer, their Som Tum Papaya Salad can’t be beat. Lastly, you know a place is authentic when it has a perfectly simple Khao Man Gai on the menu.
- Address: 967 7th St W, St Paul, MN 55102
- Website: Phi Chay
3. Thai Garden (University)
With a restaurant location right on University Avenue, Thai Garden sits in the heart of St. Paul’s thriving Hmong community. In an area packed with popular Thai restaurants, Thai Garden gets our vote for the area’s best.
Why? The incredible Thai food, of course!
If you’re looking for extra saucy Pad Thai, Thai Garden’s fits the bill. I love this type of Pad Thai, so for me, it’s perfection that makes putting down the chopsticks almost impossible.
Thai Garden also has my personal favorite Thai Fried Rice in the Twin Cities. It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what makes their Fried Rice so fantastic, but I think it has something to do with that that deep, wok charred flavor, mixed with a perfect balance of saltiness and sweetness.
- Address: 432 University Ave W, St Paul, MN 55103
- Website: Thai Garden
4. Eastside Thai (East St. Paul)
You know when a Thai dish comes out with that deep, dark coloring that signals you’re about to bite into a world of flavor? That’s what you’ll get at Eastside Thai, every time.
Maybe nothing signifies this more than their Drunken Noodles, which arrive as a delicious, soppy mess… in all the right ways. It’s the kind of dish that you bury your head into and don’t come up for air until it’s all gone. Their Pad Thai and Fried Rice are both similar… deep, massive flavor that you’ll find yourself dreaming about for days.
Located in the slowly revitalizing Payne-Phalen neighborhood on St. Paul’s east side, Eastside Thai is definitely one of the best choices in the cities.
- Address: 879 Payne Ave, St Paul, MN 55130
- Website: Eastside Thai
5. Thai Pepper (West Saint Paul)
Wait a minute… drive-through Thai food??
Our newest favorite in the St. Paul Thai food scene brings a unique spin. Located in an absolutely tiny hut on Robert Street in West Saint Paul, Thai Pepper has no indoor seating. Instead, it’s drive-through only.
With a short menu limited to just a few select entrees, you can be sure that Thai Pepper is filled with winners. In our experience, they’re best at the Penang Curry or Stir-fry Thai Basil, whereas the Pad Thai here isn’t my personal favorite.
- Address: 1307 S Robert St, West St Paul, MN 55118
- Website: Thai Pepper
The 3 Best Thai Food Restaurants in Minneapolis
While we personally find ourselves getting more Thai food in St. Paul, we’ve still managed to find some stars in the big city of Minneapolis.
1. Sen Yai Sen Lek (Northeast Minneapolis)
Sen Yai Sen Lek is arguably the most popular Thai restaurant in Minneapolis’s Northeast neighborhood, and for good reason.
From their cozy location, this restaurant offers all the Thai classics, plus some unique Thai street food options that have developed a bit of a cult following. Most popular is the Khao Soi, a skinny noodle dish doused in a mild yet boldly flavored curry sauce. This restaurant is also also unique in being one of the only Twin Cities Thai spots that also has vegan and wheat free section of the menu.
- Address: Lorem
- Website: Sen Yai Sen Lek
2. Khun Nai Thai Cuisine (Uptown)
Located on Minneapolis’s famous “Eat Street,” this popular Nicolette Ave location definitely has some of the best Thai in Minneapolis.
Here, you’ll find a comfortable interior space that churns out some of the best Pad See Ew in the Twin Cities.
- Address: 2523 Nicollet Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55404
- Website: Khun Nai
3. Coconut Thai (Edina, MN)
Technically juuust outside Minneapolis limits, this delicious Thai option right near Lake Harriet counts for us!
With a nice indoor space along with an outdoor patio to boot, Coconut Thai does a great job at all the usual Thai staples. That said, we’ve got to throw a shout out to some unique dishes, like their delicious Squash Curry or their Pineapple Fried Rice, which is fittingly served with a whole pineapple at its plate!
- Address: 3948 W 50th St, Edina, MN 55424
- Website: Coconut Thai
The Best Thai Food in the Twin Cities Suburbs
Spice Thai Cuisine (Savage, MN)
Would we drive 35 minutes just to pick up Thai food? Yes, yes we would. And we have. Many times.
That’s thanks to Spice Thai Cuisine, all the way out in Burnsville. When we’re craving the city’s best Penang Curry, we make the drive. Their version is extra thick and creamy and absolutely packed with flavor.
We also love their unique Ka Ree Fried Rice. It’s basically a fried rice cooked in a yellow curry, for crazy flavor.
- Address: Lorem
- Website: Spice Thai
