St. Paul's Thai kitchens run from Rice Street strip malls to Grand Avenue storefronts, and the city's Lao and Karen cooks share the same lane without ever getting mistaken for each other. This guide sorts the made-to-order pad thai from the reheated version, and names the corner every time.
№ 01
Ruam Mit
St. Paul $$
367 Wabasha St N, Saint Paul, MN 55102 · +16512227871
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Ruam Mit cooks Thai and Lao dishes to order rather than off a steam line, and the pad thai sauce shows the difference. Fried tofu comes crisp on the outside, and mango sticky rice closes the meal right. The kitchen keeps portions generous enough that two people can split a plate and still leave full.
What to orderpad thai, mango sticky rice, fried tofu
№ 02
Thai Café
St. Paul $
371 University Ave W, Saint Paul, MN 55103 · +16512258231
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Thai Café keeps a short, no-frills menu and a low price point that fits a quick lunch stop in St. Paul. The room runs simple, without a wait for a table or a long menu to sort through. It rewards regulars who already know what they want.
№ 03
Krungthep Thai
St. Paul $$
1141 Rice St, Saint Paul, MN 55117 · +16513408681
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Krungthep Thai turns tables fast even on a full night, with booths and friendly service that keep a group moving. The seafood curry stands out for depth of flavor among St. Paul's Thai rooms, and the menu runs wide enough to satisfy a table of picky eaters without a single complaint.
What to orderseafood curry, pad thai, green curry
№ 04
Friends Cafe
St. Paul $
1711 Rice St, Roseville, MN 55113 · +16514877696
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Friends Cafe runs a fast counter built for takeout after work, and the curry line changes daily without losing consistency. Pra ka pao arrives properly spicy, not softened for a general audience. The strip-mall room stays unpretentious and busy through the lunch rush, family run and reasonably priced.
What to orderpra ka pao, curry dishes, pad thai
№ 05
Eastside Thai Restaurant
St. Paul $
879 Payne Ave, Saint Paul, MN 55130 · +16517766599
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Eastside Thai Restaurant serves Hmong and Thai dishes side by side, and its pad Thai and drunken noodles have made it a default choice for East Side regulars. Portions run large, service moves quickly, and the catfish curry draws its own following. Street parking makes it an easy stop on a weeknight.
What to orderpad Thai, drunken noodles, catfish curry
№ 06
HOT GRAINZ - Thai Street Food
St. Paul $$
882 7th St W, Ste 12, Saint Paul, MN 55102 · +16514000126
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HOT GRAINZ built its name on Thai street food and a lounge seating area near the entrance of its newer location. Som tam and Thai basil chicken headline the menu, though the room's popularity online has outpaced what some visits deliver at the table. It remains a casual, no-pressure stop for group orders.
What to orderpad thai, som tam, thai basil chicken
№ 07
YaiGu
St. Paul
526 Selby Ave, Saint Paul, MN 55102
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YaiGu's duck curry breaks from the standard red curry formula, built instead with sweet notes from pineapple and rambutan. Mango rice and pad thai round out a menu that moves quickly even with a full table. Service stays attentive, and orders come out fast enough for a group meal on a weeknight.
What to orderDuck Curry, Mango Rice, Pad Thai
№ 08
Karen Thai Food
St. Paul
300 Larpenteur Ave E, Saint Paul, MN 55117 · +16517712078
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Karen Thai Food serves a Thai style pho alongside drunken noodles and green curry in a small storefront room. The pho draws particular praise for its broth, though the room's small size and inconsistent execution on some nights have drawn mixed reactions. Service leans friendly when the kitchen is on.
What to orderThai style pho, drunken noodles, green curry
№ 09
Lanna Thai Restaurant
St. Paul
2295 Como Ave, Saint Paul, MN 55108 · +16124707172
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Lanna Thai Restaurant sits in the Saint Anthony Park area of St. Paul with a menu deeper than the standard pad thai and green curry lineup. Som tam and a broad list of proteins give regulars room to build their own plate. The room stays compact, and service runs attentive even on busy nights.
What to orderpad thai, green curry, som tam
№ 10
On's Kitchen
St. Paul $$
1613 University Ave W, Saint Paul, MN 55104 · +16513309664
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On's Kitchen has built a steady following through repeat delivery and takeout orders as much as dine-in visits. Pad see ew comes out consistently well made, and the wider menu holds up across dozens of orders rather than one good night. Service runs prompt, and the room stays comfortable without crowding.
What to orderpad see ew, pad thai, green curry
№ 11
Basil Cafe
St. Paul $$
585 University Ave W, St Paul, MN 55103 · +16514932893
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Basil Cafe draws steady weekday and weekend crowds, with waits forming at peak dinner hours in its St. Paul room. Spring rolls open the meal well, and pad thai and green curry anchor a menu built for group orders. Plants and warm lighting fill out a room that stays busy well into the evening.
What to orderspring rolls, pad thai, green curry
№ 12
Coconut Thai on Grand
St. Paul $$
720 Grand Ave, Saint Paul, MN 55105 · +16513487250
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Coconut Thai on Grand serves the familiar trio of pad Thai, curry, and tom yum on St. Paul's Grand Avenue, with a sister location in Edina drawing comparisons from regulars who rate the flavor differently between the two. Execution swings from strong to underwhelming depending on the visit, so expectations should stay tempered.
What to orderpad Thai, curry, tom yum
Frequently asked
What is the best Thai restaurant near me in St. Paul?
It depends on the neighborhood. This guide covers St. Paul rooms from the East Side to Grand Avenue to Saint Anthony Park, each ranked by an Insider Score built from the public review record. No restaurant pays to be listed or to rank higher.
Which St. Paul Thai spot also serves Lao or Karen food?
Ruam Mit cooks Thai and Lao dishes side by side, Eastside Thai Restaurant blends Hmong and Thai comfort food, and Karen Thai Food serves a Thai style pho alongside standard Thai curry dishes. Each community's food is distinct even where menus overlap.
Are any of these restaurants suburban rather than in St. Paul proper?
All twelve rooms in this guide are in St. Paul. Coconut Thai on Grand has a second location in Edina, a separate suburb, but the entry here covers the Grand Avenue room only.
How is the Insider Score calculated for these Thai restaurants?
The Insider Score comes from an analysis of the public review record for each restaurant, not from paid placement or self-submitted claims. It weighs consistency and volume of praise for specific dishes rather than a single rating.
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The data first, then the verdict
We start with the review record, not a press release. Every room here is a real kitchen with a strong rating across a meaningful number of reviews, ranked on our 10-point Insider Score. We weight consistency over time and the rooms locals return to, not the ones tourists pass through once. The list updates as the data does. How we work →
Kou Thao
Staff Writer · Top of Minneapolis
Kou Thao is the St. Paul & Corridors Editor at Top of Minneapolis. Born in St. Paul and raised in Frogtown, he grew up working the family egg-roll stand at Hmongtown Marketplace. He covers the marketplaces, University Avenue, the East Side and West Side, and every corridor counter worth the trip across the river.
