Ovo
Chinese
Thai
Vietnamese
Non-veg
Serves meat, vegan options available. Thai food menu with also Vietnamese and Chinese dishes. Kitchen will make a dish vegan upon request, such as using seitan or tofu in place of meat in a dish. Lunch buffet on weekdays. Open Tue-Fri 11:00am-2:30pm, Tue-Thu 5:00pm-9:00pm, Fri 5:00pm-10:00pm, Sat-Sun 4:00pm-9:00pm.
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1621 Leonard St NE (at Fuller), Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA, 49505
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- Wheelchair accessible
- Accepts credit cards
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Last update on 30 May 2019 by Guest
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16 Reviews
First Review by grandmabutt
Momof6
Points +291
Delicious! - Edit
My husband and I ate dinner here and loved it! Several different options and very helpful waitress. I got the Drunken Noodles and asked for very little spice and it was so good! My husband got the Red Curry with mild spice and it was pretty spicy, but he loved it.
Read morePros: Lots of options, Helpful waitress
Guest
TurnipForPlants
Points +2598
Best Thai Takeout in Grand Rapids - Edit
Lai Thai Kitchen is a great example of why I love Happy Cow. If it wasn’t for this site I would never have discovered this hidden, hole-in-the-wall goodie. From the moment you walk up to the restaurant, you know you are in for a treat with a sign painted on the window showcasing their many vegan options. I love a store that is proud of its plant-based menu.
Read moreSpeaking of the menu, there is a lot of choices for a plant-based eater. Unfortunately, the physical menus do not clearly label the vegan options, but the online menu does. We ordered a green curry and a sesame tofu. Yes, these are quintessential American-Thai foods and not as traditional, but I wanted to see if the standards held up. And I can say they smash it out of the park.
The tofu is crispy on the outside and springy in the middle. It’s not reminiscent of any specific meat, but I treat tofu as its own remarkable food rather than “fake chicken.” The spiciness level was medium, but we could have gone hot. The sauce was sweet and citric. I have no complaints beyond that the sesame, general tso, and orange tofu are all essentially the same dish with the same sauce. Among those three standards, I recommend the sesame.
The green curry was flavorful in its sweet coconut cream. The heat did not really hit me until I was down to the liquid. The additional of eggplants, green beans, and tofu make this soup like-curry a texture rainbow.
And lastly, the vegan coconut pie is a must order. I love pie. It’s my favorite dessert. And this pie did not disappoint. It is creamy with chucks on coconut in its center with a flaky top and bottom. They are very proud of their coconut pie (as they should be) because they advertise it strongly on their menu.
Overall, Lai Thai Kitchen is a great option for a takeout meal. We dinned in, but its spartan dinning area is not a must see. The server was very friendly, and the whole restaurant gives a welcoming, family vibe. I highly recommend Lai Thai Kitchen.
Updated from previous review on 2024-05-30
Pros: Many vegan options, Friendly staff, Proud of their vegan offerings
Cons: Not entirely vegan, Dinning area barebones
Guest
LVeg4
Points +28
Hidden Gem - Edit
Amazing food, appetizers, entrees, and desserts! The menu is EXTREMELY clear about what is vegan (and gluten free). Great service and atmosphere as well😄🌱
Read morePros: Gluten free AND Vegan options, Great service , Good atmosphere
Guest
MsPocketSand
Points +72
Truly Vegan Friendly - Edit
Lai Thai has a big menu and plenty of options to choose from. The staff was knowledgeable and the food was fast and delicious. The coconut pie is super tasty.
Read moreGuest
tubes
Points +20
Delicious!!! - Edit
Best drunken noodles I've had that I didn't make myself
Read moreGuest
BLDVEG
Points +76
Delicious - Edit
I ordered take out, haven’t dined in. It was very clear and easy to order vegan and know what options there were. The red curry with tofu was so so yummy. I also got veggie rolls which were really good. The food lasted me 3 meals. Will definitely be returning.
Read morePros: Ease of ordering, Large portion, Many options
Guest
jeka34
Points +17
They have many vegan and veggie options! We loved it, can’t wait try more! - Edit
I like that you can choose your protein in most of their dishes. Also choose your dietary preferences with most as well, even give you a heads up for nut allergies.
Read moreGuest
iscloviscool
Points +62
Very yummy and lot of options - Edit
They’ve got Tom kha and Tom yum with no fish sauce which I was really missing, very yummy but it was very sweet for some reason. Also tried the pad Thai and it was good.
Read moreGuest
suzannecg8
Points +242
AMAZING! - Edit
So delicious and fresh!! Lots of options, great service - highly recommend! #Veganuary
Read morePros: Lots of vegan options , Fresh
Guest
VeganBilly
Points +16
Wonderful find - Edit
Great vegan options. Large portion sizes and friendly staff. They are happy to answer any questions. They can make their Thai Doughnuts vegan as well for a dessert - recommend them with some of the Thai peanut sauce. My nonvegan roommate and I drive out of our way to go here.
Read morePros: Lot of vegan options , Large portions, Friendly Staff
Guest
cmyesh
Points +18
Always good! - Edit
Whenever my family orders from here it’s always good. The owners are so friendly and take time for you. There are lots of veg/vegan options.
Read morePros: Large menu, Locally owned, Tofu!
Cons: Limited seating
Guest
KatieMoore
Points +19
Amazing Thai Food! - Edit
Lots of vegan options!
Read morePros: Lots of vegan options
Guest
PlantPoweredRN
Points +83
Very friendly to Vegan options and dietary requests - Edit
When Lai Thai changed ownership, I first was not as happy with my “old favorites”. But as I have been trying new things, I have found many that I really like! I consistently find myself thinking about returning to try more. Give this place a try!
Read moreGuest
thechtothead
Points +36
One of my faves - Edit
I was surprised to see that the only reviews on here were negative, so I thought I'd throw my two cents in.
Read moreMy wife and I have eaten here on a number of occasions and have always left happy, whether it was eating in or taking out (with the exception of the time my wife ordered their fresh spring rolls and was bummed that they weren't deep fried; that's not their fault of course!)
They are very knowledgeable about vegan ingredients and are able to make just about anything on the menu vegan, even the things that aren't listed in their vegan section. My favorite is the Country Curry which, to my ignorant understanding, is a more "authentic" way to get curry and comes without the coconut milk that is typical in most Thai curries around here.
The only thing that I find lacking is the ambiance. As others have noted, it's in a strip mall (which is fine) but it is quite small and often very quiet. I sometimes feel like I need to whisper when talking to my wife so as not to be "that loud person."
That said, in my experience the service has been quite prompt, the food has been tasty, and I've found it a pretty good bang for the buck.
Pros: Vegan-knowledgeable, Can get most anything vegan
Cons: Too quiet
Guest
Herbiv4
Points +1969
Underwhelmed - Edit
I thought I'd give this place a shot since their only review was from a couple of years ago. The staff was friendly and my food actually didn't take too long. However, I paid extra for extra tofu and veggies in the Vegetable Tofu Supreme (please look at the picture I posted) and requested it to be mild as opposed to spicy. Had I not gotten carry-out, I would've requested a refund. I hate to leave a bad review, but not only did I return to my hotel to find that I mainly had a container of sauce but it was liquid fire. I will check my food before leaving establishments in the future and I certainly won't be returning here.
Read moreCons: mild = spicy, paying extra for more is a rip-off, somewhat of a hole-in-the-wall joint
Guest
grandmabutt
Points +56
Not Great - Edit
Casual strip mall setting. Visited on multiple occasions, and every time the service is super slow. The meat eaters at my table had the same amount of tofu in their noodle dishes as mine. I would have expected more. There is better Thai food in GR. I've never eaten from the buffet, but there is a small one with some vegan options I believe.
Read moreGuest
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