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The Guide · Where to Eat the Best Thai in St. Paul

Where to Eat the Best Thai in St. Paul (2026)

Twelve restaurants across Minneapolis. Compare neighborhoods, price tiers and what to order, then read the full reviews.

Kou Thao
By Kou Thao Staff Writer · Top of Minneapolis · Updated October 2026 · How the score is built
Where to Eat the Best Thai in St. Paul (2026)
THE MINNEAPOLIS DINING GUIDES 12 restaurants
Compare all 12 restaurantsNeighborhood · price · score · first order
In the same order as the guide. Scores are out of 10; dollar symbols show the listed price tier.
RestaurantNeighborhoodPriceScoreWhat to order
01 Ruam MitSt. Paul$$Pad thai
02 Thai CaféSt. Paul$
03 Krungthep ThaiSt. Paul$$Seafood curry
04 Friends CafeSt. Paul$Pra ka pao
05 Eastside Thai RestaurantSt. Paul$Pad Thai
06 HOT GRAINZ - Thai Street FoodSt. Paul$$Pad thai
07 YaiGuSt. PaulDuck Curry
08 Karen Thai FoodSt. PaulThai style pho
09 Lanna Thai RestaurantSt. PaulPad thai
10 On's KitchenSt. Paul$$Pad see ew
11 Basil CafeSt. Paul$$Spring rolls
12 Coconut Thai on GrandSt. Paul$$Pad Thai

12 restaurants · In guide order

1 Ruam Mit Yelp

Ruam Mit

Thai · St. Paul · $$

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 thaiMango sticky riceFried tofu Call Directions Scored from the full review record 367 Wabasha St N, Saint Paul, MN 55102 · (651) 222-7871
2 Thai Café Yelp

Thai Café

Thai · St. Paul · $

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.

Call Directions Scored from the full review record 371 University Ave W, Saint Paul, MN 55103 · (651) 225-8231
3 Krungthep Thai Yelp

Krungthep Thai

Thai · St. Paul · $$

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 curryPad thaiGreen curry Call Directions Scored from the full review record 1141 Rice St, Saint Paul, MN 55117 · (651) 340-8681
4 Friends Cafe Yelp

Friends Cafe

Thai · St. Paul · $

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 paoCurry dishesPad thai Call Directions Scored from the full review record 1711 Rice St, Roseville, MN 55113 · (651) 487-7696
5 Eastside Thai Restaurant Yelp

Eastside Thai Restaurant

Thai · St. Paul · $

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 ThaiDrunken noodlesCatfish curry Call Directions Scored from the full review record 879 Payne Ave, Saint Paul, MN 55130 · (651) 776-6599
6 HOT GRAINZ - Thai Street Food Yelp

HOT GRAINZ - Thai Street Food

Thai · St. Paul · $$

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 thaiSom tamThai basil chicken Call Directions Scored from the full review record 882 7th St W, Ste 12, Saint Paul, MN 55102 · (651) 400-0126
7 YaiGu Yelp

YaiGu

Thai · St. Paul

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 CurryMango RicePad Thai Directions Scored from the full review record 526 Selby Ave, Saint Paul, MN 55102
8 Karen Thai Food Yelp

Karen Thai Food

Thai · St. Paul

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 phoDrunken noodlesGreen curry Call Directions Scored from the full review record 300 Larpenteur Ave E, Saint Paul, MN 55117 · (651) 771-2078
9 Lanna Thai Restaurant Yelp

Lanna Thai Restaurant

Thai · St. Paul

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 thaiGreen currySom tam Call Directions Scored from the full review record 2295 Como Ave, Saint Paul, MN 55108 · (612) 470-7172
10 On's Kitchen Yelp

On's Kitchen

Thai · St. Paul · $$

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 ewPad thaiGreen curry Call Directions Scored from the full review record 1613 University Ave W, Saint Paul, MN 55104 · (651) 330-9664
11 Basil Cafe Yelp

Basil Cafe

Thai · St. Paul · $$

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 rollsPad thaiGreen curry Call Directions Scored from the full review record 585 University Ave W, St Paul, MN 55103 · (651) 493-2893
12 Coconut Thai on Grand Yelp

Coconut Thai on Grand

Thai · St. Paul · $$

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 ThaiCurryTom yum Call Directions Scored from the full review record 720 Grand Ave, Saint Paul, MN 55105 · (651) 348-7250
What to know before choosing a restaurant

The top picks: Ruam Mit, Thai Café, and Krungthep Thai, with all 12 rooms ranked below.

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.

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 →

About the writer
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.

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