This is a great place to go if you're not looking for anything fancy, but just want some excellent food that isn't your typical burger and fries. It's BYOB, too. It is a family owned restaurant, and everyone that works there is super friendly and personable. Menu picks: basil chicken, beef satay, coconut soup, sticky rice with mango, thai iced tea. But everything is delicious. I've never met anyone who didn't love what they ordered.
(5)
Kate R.
My favorite place this side of Thailand. I have friends from all over that insist on eating here every time they are here. California, Texas, ILL, Hawaii! Get the coconut soup! You will feel like home...bring your favorite bottle of wine with you!
(5)
Ben K.
This is great food and an even bettter enviroment. Family owned business, friendly service, and a fair prices. Couldn't ask for more. Why would anyone in York eat Chinese when you could have this food for basically the same prices? Its so much healthier and not even comparable.
(5)
Maggie L.
Great Food - terrific Thai. Service is slow and the dining area is limited so be prepared to linger, but get there early. Well worth the minor inconvienances for the terrific quality of the food. Recently renovated, with a georgeous mural on the wall.
(5)
Dan G.
Simple but great thai food, The first thai resturant in york, a nice family operation. Prices are reasonable for the food, and its a place that you feel like you are in their dining room.
(3)
May D.
After reading some of the other reviews, I wonder if I walked into a completely different restaurant! I really wanted to like this place, since I love Vietnamese and Thai food, and was used to having an abundance of both when I lived in Seattle and Philly. A friend and I decided to try this place and right away I was concerned. The menu, though extensive, had a number of Thai and Chinese dishes, but save the "noodle soup" and spring roll, I was hard-pressed to find a Vietnamese dish anywhere on the menu. Did I miss the point of the name of this place? The food unfortunately was not much better. We ordered take-out and my Thai curry was so oil-laden, that a thick oily film actually floated over the entire dish by the time we got it home. Every dish (we ordered veg that day) had deep fried tofu instead of steamed, and tasted like it had been thrown in at the last second, instead of being integrated into the dish. In general the dishes lacked flavor, the fried tofu visually resembled pork rinds and threatened to chip a tooth. For food alone, I probably would have given one star, but they were friendly and nice, and accommodated a take-out order 10 minutes before closing. I'm hoping that this might explain their less-than-stellar dishes, but I won't be rushing back to find out any time soon.
(2)
Kristine F.
I've eaten here a few times. There really aren't many Vietnamese offerings on the menu compared to the Thai ones and I'm not a fan of Thai food. Food was OK each time, wait service is nice. Nothing was bad, but nothing was great.
(3)
Michelle J.
My entire family loves this restaurant! It has a diner type feel with easy to handle prices and a wonderful staff. The appetizers, especially the vegetarinan tofu rolls with dipping sauce and the fried tofu with peanut butter sauce are to die for. We dream of the spicy peanut butter sauce! We generally order from the vegetarian menu --they are very accomodating as far as dietary needs are concerned. My husband asks them to withhold the fish sauce on his entrees. We have never chosen anything that we didn't like! The pad tai is a nice introduction to Thai food if you have never had it. I really like the chicken satay with rice--yellow rice with peanut butter sauce--on the meat side of the menu. I like the idea that it is BYOB. It does get busy because it has a small seating area. Lots of regulars here! We do take out often as do many others. I have taken six different friends here and everyone enjoyed it very much and have found their way back with other friends and family. You need to try them!
(5)
Vanessa W.
I went to school in York and miss this little place terribly! They have great food, and reasonable prices. A great place when you're looking for something a little different. Casual, but not like your typical asian place.
(5)
Rohish S.
Amazing food.. we ordered keng pek n thai curry fried rice.. spicy n tasty.. service is impeccable.. neat and clean place.
(5)
Pete S.
We really like Thai and Vietnamese food. We talked our friends into trying it. They were very skeptical. Never had it before. We came here because of the good reviews. Three of us had Jumbo Shrimp Curry Pad Thai. One had Singapore noodles w/chicken. Wife & I like spicy. Our friends don't like spicy. All of our meals were really good. Ours just right spicy and theirs not spicy. To top it off we had the fried cheesecake w/gingered strawberries and ice cream. We all split it. It was great. The store was clean and the service was good. We would return.
(4)
Em W.
Food has always been delicious and fresh! I LOVE it here. I'm a huge fan of the Mussuman curry and summer rolls! Don't forget the coconut soup! Damn! Staff is notably attentive, even during the insanity when it's a full house. My entourage always asks for our dishes to be extra spicy, and they don't hold back. :) I only wish the seating was a little more comfortable. Very intimate.
(5)
Keith E.
I've been coming here since they opened, and they've rounded me for any other Thai food. Love the summer roll. Absolutely adore the shrimp and scallops over rice noodles. My wife and daughter just call the place "Coconut Soup" because that's what they think of any time it comes up. It's a small space, and when it's packed it can get pretty loud. But they do takeout, so that's no reason not to try them
(5)
JB A.
Wow what a find! We set out to look for an Indian restaurant in York, Pa. No luck, the nearest one was 20+ miles so... We looked on yelp and found Viet Thai Cafe. Immediately we were enthusiastically greeted and sat at a great table. They've been here for 19 years and had a solid dinner crowd on a Wednesday at 6:30. Our server, Ivy, was knowledgeable, honest and dead-on! She knew her menu. And effortlessly managed the dining room almost solo. I had red curry fried rice with tofu and vegetables. My companion had eggplant in black bean sauce. Both were delicious. But the star was the veggie roll appetizer. Fresh and flavorful. And cheap! Go here hungry and enjoy.
(4)
Ai D.
We came here after reading the reviews on Yelp. It was Friday Night and the place was PACKED!! It'd be a good idea to make a reservation on Friday/Saturday nights. I tried the Musaman Curry with chicken & steamed rice. It was PERFECTLY COOKED. Although the place was busy as hell not one of the staff showed any sign of frustration. They all were smiling & working as a team to help the customers. We had a great time. Great food. Great service. Great atmosphere. A MUST VISIT for Thai Food lovers.
(5)
Sara B.
Always tasty, always inexpensive! I've ordered all kinds of items here as well as to-go/take-out and I've never been disappointed. The tom yum soup is spicy (although they don't use straw mushrooms) and always packed with shrimp. They don't skimp on the ingredients or portion size.
(5)
Dawn E.
I have been here twice and plan to make it a regular stop for takeout on my way home from work. We first had the shrimp pad Thai, which wasn't the best we've had but it was still very good and you will not beat the price for it anywhere. The second time we tried the Bird's Nest which was delicious and a lot of food for the money. It ended up being dinner and lunch the next day. This will continue being a takeout stop due to the small, claustrophobic atmosphere.
(4)
Dawn C.
Food is very bland - very disappointing! Had the coconut soup - no flavor. Green curry was really runny and had next to no flavor as well. They don't even have jasmine rice? Even the Pad Thai was bland. Not coming back and do not recommend!
(1)
Tonna V.
Delicious fresh food, with an authentic taste. Small location on Market.. I got the Thai iced tea and jumbo shrimp curry pad Thai- very tasted. My picky husband even enjoyed his meal. We'll be returning soon
(5)
Brian M.
First off, this not one of those "fancy-smancy" restaurants. It has been my experience while traveling all around the world, that these restaurants can be the best. That would be the case with MARKET STREET VIET THAI restaurant. I like the fact that it is a BYOB restaurant. The savings on beer/alcoholic drinks is huge. The wait staff is friendly and efficient. But the best attribute is the food. It is some of the best Vietnamese food that I have ever had. I would truly recommend this restaurant for a pleasant dining experience.
(5)
Tim D.
We accidentally found this place on our way up from Baltimore to PA and New Hampshire and hit it on our way back down. It is a cute intimate place with amazing food. We were there over 6 times while we lived up there and made sure we stopped by every time any time we could.
(5)
Lisa W.
Excellent all around. Lots of choices for vegetarians, and they made the meals to the exact spiciness we asked for. We asked for hot, and agreed to a 10 on the heat scale. That was perfect for us, really spicy, but not so spicy that I couldn't taste my well-prepared food. My eyes watered just a little about halfway through the meal, just right. We completely enjoyed the bean curd in coconut milk and vegetables and tofu in spicy chili sauce. I highly recommend finishing with sticky rice with mango, very sweet, very savory, very satisfying. And bring your own wine, glasses are happily provided. We included vegetable dumplings as appetizer, and the whole meal was hardly over $30 for two of us, with extras for tomorrow's lunch.
(5)
Tim H.
This place has undoubtedly the best pho I have had in Pennsylvania so far. The broth is tasty and flavorful and the noodles aren't over cooked or undercooked. The meat however is not served raw but rather already sliced and cooked. That's okay though, I will deal with that since the pho is so good. The menu does not call it pho so when ordering or looking for it, it's called Beef Noodle Soup. It comes in a large and small bowl. The small is really small so if you are looking for this to be your meal, get the large since the small is as big as a side of rice. The summer rolls and the spring rolls are good too. The Thai dishes are tasty as well. I liked the flat noodles with beef. If you are looking for good pho and a place to get Thai and Vietnamese food under the same roof, then give this place a try. I would recommend it to anyone who is serious about eating good Vietnamese and Thai food. It gets a little tight and cramped when there is a crowd since there are not a whole lot of tables or space. Get there early if you are going for lunch in order to beat the work week lunch rush. Thanks for reading my review. This review is based on my personal point of view.
(4)
Courtney B.
. . . .
(5)
Marcella A.
When I lived in the area, this was my absolute favorite place to get Thai. The family that runs the place is very nice and friendly. All of the dishes I tried were amazing. My favorite order was crispy egg rolls, yellow chicken curry, and Thai iced tea or a limeade.
(5)
Ryan E.
Another Great Meal at Viet Thai Market Cafe. Tonight I had the Malaysian Fried Rice for the first time. It was AWESOME Fried Rice, Pineapples, Cashews and Raisins!! Crazy right? I know but it's great!! Spicy Sweet Perfect Heat! My wife got her classic Chicken Pad Thai, her favorite dish at Viet Tai Cafe. The staff are always friendly and truly care about the food they serve. Highly Recommend if your in York, Pa. and need your Thai Food fix!!
(5)
Dietrich D.
My favorite restaurant. I've been eating here almost since they first opened and rarely go longer than a week without a visit. Some dishes that look familiar on the menu may be a little different than what you'd get elsewhere. This isn't "textbook" Thai, but you can get that any number of places. The vegetarian menu is very good but vegetarians should ask about ingredients if they stray from the vegetarian page. They're very accomodating to vegans, vegetarians, and people with allergies. Seating can be a problem at peak hours, but it's always worth the wait.
(5)
Philip G.
Basil chicken, basil chicken. Mmmm. Market Street Cafe is the long standing Thai champion in York. Even with recent newcomers like Esaan (also good), vietthai has held it's following and continues to put out tasty dishes. I don't agree that the menu is lacking, as someone beneath me said, as much as it is selective. They only put on things they enjoy, and things that make them happy. That's how it should be.
(5)
Steve P.
My wife, friend and myself heard that this place was a great stop for lunch and decided to see if the rumors were true. We got there 1:30 on a Monday and the dining area was just about full. There was only 1 girl doing all the serving and she had one speed, fast. It took us a few minutes to peruse the menu since it has a good number of items that sound good. Service time was 20 minutes which was a little long, but I'm not counting it against them since the whole place was full. The food looked fantastic and smelled even better. After we admired it for a few seconds our stomachs overrode our brains and we dug in. There were no complaints heard, I ordered the birds nest and a Thai tea which were good. The prices were reasonable with the bill coming to 28 dollars for the 3 of us, not bad. I'll give this place another go if I'm ever around again.
(4)
emily f.
this is my FAVORITE restaurant in york! home style cooking at it's finest! i come here probably once a month, if not more. this is the place i always bring friends/family that are visiting or new to the area. it is byob as well. i've never had a bad meal here. my favorites include the tofu with silver noodles, pad thai, malaysian rice, seafood paella...try their coconut custard for dessert. it's a small serving, just enough to satisfy the "i want something sweet" craving. my boyfriend loves the massaman curry and tilapia. TIP: sometimes we will do "family style" so everyone can get a taste of everything...just let them know up front and they will bring out extra plates and serving spoons, big bowls of rice, etc. the family that owns and runs the restaurant is amazing, super friendly, and will help you pick out what you like. jenny and joey make sure you are well taken care of. another tip: be prepared to wait for a table if you go during a busy time, usually fri/sat nights. the restaurant is small and it's a "see a table go sit at it and make your own room" sort of place. there is no lobby to wait in, so i suppose if you didn't like tight spaces it could be a bit awkward. i know you can call ahead and make reservations, but i personally haven't done it. the food is so good and the staff is so charming, it's worth the wait.
(5)
Rebecca G.
Great coconut soup and delicious teas. I have visited this small viet diner a few times and have always had friendly service and excellent food. If it was in a nicer part of town, I think it would definitely be a hot spot.
(4)
Erin C.
One of my favorites in York. First you can't beat the friendly factor - the young couple who work the front of the house could not be more welcoming and quickly learn the usual orders of their repeat customers (of which there are many). This is a fabulous "cheap eats" option - the menu is large and while there are certain items that are just ok, there are multiple things that are just excellent - for me red curry chicken fried rice and lemongrass soup are staples along with the limeade - best limeade ever. This is one of the spots that out-of-town family wants to go back to every time they visit.
(4)
Tom W.
Usually we don't venture past George Street to the East side. Most of the places we enjoy are on the West side. However, my brother-in-law chose this restaurant for his birthday meal and I'm glad he did. I love Thai food but it is difficult to find a solid location that doesn't cater to the gluttonous crowd with a low-quality, high volume buffet setup. We went on the Friday before Easter at 4pm. My bro-in-law and father-in-law were leaving for a trip, hence the early dinner time. It worked out well because by 6pm, the place was slammed with a few groups waiting for a table to open. First, the restaurant is BYOB. I love that. Some people criticize Pennsylvania for its "puritanical liquor laws". But tell me, would you rather pick up a bottle of wine for $10 or have a restaurant serve you the same bottle for $30. Seems like a no-brainer to me. We started with some appetizers, mine being a summer roll and my wife having a lemongrass soup. The summer roll itself was good but the sweet plum sauce is soy with a touch of some sort of sweetener. Not too good. My wife's soup was good, she really liked it. It was too lemony for me. Ok, so I'm not keen on their apps. However, my father-in-law ordered the Yum Shrimp and Squid salad. The price is a little shocking at $15.95 but it is awesome!! Next time I come here, I'm ordering that as my meal. It is big and delicious. My wife ordered the Red Curry Noodles with Chicken and Basil. She said it was ok, I thought it was pretty good. I ordered the Shrimp and Onion Satay. Good call. This meal is fantastic. It could have used some more cilantro but that is a very minor criticism. A few people at the table ordered desserts. They were good, but I'm not much of a dessert person. They do have mango sticky rice which I love but I didn't get it. When we went, there was one waitress (a member of the family) and a young man that was delivering plates, water, etc. She was moving at light speed. Because she was the only server, the service was a little slow. However, they were busy. Good food takes time to prepare. I don't have a problem waiting if the food is delicious. In this case, it was. I don't know how Yelp can say the noise level of this place is "Quiet". When it is full, it is very loud. Off-street parking is a HUGE plus.
(4)
Richard K.
Been coming here since I was lìttle and not a lot changed about the restaurant but my knowledge of vietnamese food has grown since I came back. I used to work in a vietnamese restaurant in New Jersey. Pho located in Philadelphia and New Jersey far beat any pho sold in york by both taste and size for price. My gripe with the pho in Viet Cafe is the size isn't large for a "large" and the taste is ok. Also when ordered for take out the noodles is stored with the soup so by tbe time it arrives home the pho is SOGGY. Yuck. Best to eat the pho at the Cafe. Today I had Lemon Grass Beef for take out and it was fantastic! Big order of food for cheap price and tasted wonderful, lots of meat and noodles. Next time I will order it with rice. The summer rolls are good and great iced coffee. Friendly staff as well. Lots of familiar faces which is nice. Never going back to Pho Bistro, will be coming back to Viet Cafe soon.
(5)
Matt N.
I was hungry for some spice and my wife offered to pick up something from here for me -I think she said it was 'pad pet' but I may be wrong. The thing that detracts slightly is not the flavor or what it is I got. I was slightly disappointed because I instructed her to get me the hottest thing on the menu and she asked for that, but the green curry that I received was pretty mild to my taste.
(4)
Conor M.
This is by far the best Thai restaurant in the Central Pennsylvania area, both in terms of food quality and service. Their lunch buffet offers ample selections for both traditional Thai food lovers, and for the most hesitant of newcomers. The restaurant itself is always in nigh pristine condition and while it is not as elegant or glitzy as a higher dollar place, it nonetheless has a very inviting mood. All of the servers are polite and do not hesitate to make your eating experience as enjoyable as possible. I would gladly have given this restaurant five stars based on my personal experience, but as I have only ever chosen the buffet, I cannot attest to the quality of the menu items. In addition to that, my only complaint with the buffet itself is on rather frequent occasion, the food is not replaced often enough, and it will intermittently run out before a new dish is ready. I am typically a huge fan of buffets, yet all of the times I have come here, both the food and the service have been nothing short of stellar. For any Thai food fan or just for those of you who are looking for a welcomed departure from western cuisine, Thai Cafe is a must eat.
(4)
Robert G.
Enjoyed my red curry here, a little spicier than some and vegies not as fresh as others, but was deliciouso
(4)
Wayne H.
I have been here several times and the food has always been very good. There are some mild dishes but off course with this type of cuisine hot and spicy is the norm. My absolute favorite is the lemon-grass chicken with a limeade....to die for. They have a pretty good selection of Asian food, whether it's Thai, Vietnamese or Chinese, they have something for even the most endearing tongue. This restaurant is definitely worth a try.
(4)
Becky F.
Went back a second time and got the lemongrass & Beef dish. It was the best lemongrass I've ever had. Hands down. We recently tried Esaan in downtown York, but Viet Thai Cafe beats them hands down!!! Still one of the best dining establishments I've been to in York.
(4)
Jason E.
Found the menu to be lacking. Found the menu items not to be as consistent with what I am used too. Perhaps I'm spoiled having lived in New Haven, CT where we had 5 Thai restaurants in a 2-block area. But I ordered two regulars for me. Drunken Noodle and Coconut soup. What I got was more like spicy Pad Thai. And the coconut soup had basic rice noodles in it and not much more. I was severely disappointed. Having just moved into the area, and Thai being one of my favorites. I've found better Thai out in Lancaster. To VietThai, I'd like to like you - please consider an better menu selection.
(2)
Anu S.
My husband and I were visiting York for business and were hoping to spend a nice evening together with good food. We came to Viet Thai, because we saw all the rave reviews and because we were craving Thai food. What a terrible mistake. Let me start by saying I am not a fussy eater at all - I like all kinds of food and am willing to eat sub standard food - but this place takes the cake. This food was awful!! Usually Thai food cant go wrong with the dishes we order - but this was bad! We ordered Chicken Satay - this was 4 sticks of dry tough chicken with a sorry excuse for a peanut sauce - it was literally spicy peanut butter. I could not eat it! my entree was Spicy Bai Kapow: Sauteed Shrimp or Chicken with Pineapple and Spicy Chili Basil Sauce. I skipped the pineapple in this dish because in an authentic thai dish there is no pineapple. I have eaten this dish in NUMEROUS restaurants. This was not Spicy Bai Kapow ! believe me. The dish my husband ordered was Kung Pao Chicken.- cant go wrong with that right? WRONG - this was NO kung pao chicken for sure. I am not sure what kind of Cuisine this is - maybe it is more vietnamese than thai - but then they should not claim that they are Viet Thai. They ruined our evening! We ordered EXTRA EXTRA EXTRA - thai spicy - but at best it was spicy. If you are looking for Thai food - do NOT go here. Not to mention - this meal put me our of $32.00 for one appetizer and 2 entrees. This is NOT a high grade restaurant. Its a diner at best - WAY TOO EXPENSIVE especially given that the food is terrible. To top off - quanitity is VERY VERY small. We had to go out again and get fast food so that my husband did not go hungry. Bad choice!! never again. All I can say is that the poeple who gave good reviews to this restaurant have never eaten authentic Thai food. Very misleading! Very disappointing indeed!
(1)
Angela H.
Best spring rolls in town! Great food by a great family. The one waitress in particular is very sweet and friendly. The food is amazing so order anything with confidence but recommend the pad thai. The atmosphere is like eating in someone's living room. The one downside is it's in a sketchy neighborhood and couple times we've come and they were not open but hey everyone needs a day off.
(5)
Sean B.
I regret that because this restaurant is in York, they've had to compromise on the menu and make it more boring than it would be elsewhere. I haven't been a fan of the dishes here, but when I'm visiting family in York it's easier than driving up to Harrisburg for more authentic Vietnamese food. The family who owns is it actually Laosian, and very sweet... so I like to return to support them and their efforts to bring a little culture and diversity into downtown York.
(3)
Colleen S.
Okay, I am rating this place like a diner because really it is. Diner in the good sense of the word. Extremely friendly staff, this was my first visit and the owner treated me like I was a regularer. Just very sweet, gives great suggestions on dishes and smiles from ear to ear. Decent food, packed with regulars and great staff. I had the chicken in a green curry, great portion, spicy and had loads of veggies (including eggplant which was a nice surpise), the summer roll was also tasty. My summary: Small. busy cafe with cafe style food cooked up fast and with a smile. I like the local feel and it seems to have quite a honest following. I spoke with the owner woman and she did note that the place serves up thai/vet and general asian as they "cook it at home". It reminds me of the little fry up cafe's I am used to in England so it too us back to enjoy a nice lunch there. I will be back. If I want fancy panty thai dinner dining I will dress up and go elsewhere, if I want a city side lunch then I will head here :)
(3)
dave w.
Went in for lunch and service was slow, only two other tables in restaurant and food very slow coming out. Ordered tofu with eggplant in a black bean sauce, not very good and I'm a fan of black bean sauce. Too salty and lacking in flavor. Eggroll was good and iced coffee was delightful. Overall not impressed with menu offerings.
(2)
Tommy_n_Loretta C.
I stopped in for a vegetarian pad thai with tofo and a veggie egg roll. My meal with tip was only $12! WOW! The pad thai was very good. I definitely would recommend trying this place. By the way, bring your own beer or wine as they don't serve alcohol.
(5)
Eric N.
I'll give it a four for service and atmosphere. The employees and even the customers were all very friendly. The food wasn't quite what I was used to the west coast, but it was good.
(4)
Liz L.
Friendly service. Fair price. Food that makes you want to come back for more!!! Enough said!
(5)
Amy E.
While there food isn't as traditional as most viet/thai food places, my husband and I can't get enough. The staff is super friendly and the food is always good. A great addition to York, PA!!! There is even a nice lot to park in.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : No Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Quiet Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Allison G.
This is a great place to go if you're not looking for anything fancy, but just want some excellent food that isn't your typical burger and fries. It's BYOB, too. It is a family owned restaurant, and everyone that works there is super friendly and personable. Menu picks: basil chicken, beef satay, coconut soup, sticky rice with mango, thai iced tea. But everything is delicious. I've never met anyone who didn't love what they ordered.
(5)Kate R.
My favorite place this side of Thailand. I have friends from all over that insist on eating here every time they are here. California, Texas, ILL, Hawaii! Get the coconut soup! You will feel like home...bring your favorite bottle of wine with you!
(5)Ben K.
This is great food and an even bettter enviroment. Family owned business, friendly service, and a fair prices. Couldn't ask for more. Why would anyone in York eat Chinese when you could have this food for basically the same prices? Its so much healthier and not even comparable.
(5)Maggie L.
Great Food - terrific Thai. Service is slow and the dining area is limited so be prepared to linger, but get there early. Well worth the minor inconvienances for the terrific quality of the food. Recently renovated, with a georgeous mural on the wall.
(5)Dan G.
Simple but great thai food, The first thai resturant in york, a nice family operation. Prices are reasonable for the food, and its a place that you feel like you are in their dining room.
(3)May D.
After reading some of the other reviews, I wonder if I walked into a completely different restaurant! I really wanted to like this place, since I love Vietnamese and Thai food, and was used to having an abundance of both when I lived in Seattle and Philly. A friend and I decided to try this place and right away I was concerned. The menu, though extensive, had a number of Thai and Chinese dishes, but save the "noodle soup" and spring roll, I was hard-pressed to find a Vietnamese dish anywhere on the menu. Did I miss the point of the name of this place? The food unfortunately was not much better. We ordered take-out and my Thai curry was so oil-laden, that a thick oily film actually floated over the entire dish by the time we got it home. Every dish (we ordered veg that day) had deep fried tofu instead of steamed, and tasted like it had been thrown in at the last second, instead of being integrated into the dish. In general the dishes lacked flavor, the fried tofu visually resembled pork rinds and threatened to chip a tooth. For food alone, I probably would have given one star, but they were friendly and nice, and accommodated a take-out order 10 minutes before closing. I'm hoping that this might explain their less-than-stellar dishes, but I won't be rushing back to find out any time soon.
(2)Kristine F.
I've eaten here a few times. There really aren't many Vietnamese offerings on the menu compared to the Thai ones and I'm not a fan of Thai food. Food was OK each time, wait service is nice. Nothing was bad, but nothing was great.
(3)Michelle J.
My entire family loves this restaurant! It has a diner type feel with easy to handle prices and a wonderful staff. The appetizers, especially the vegetarinan tofu rolls with dipping sauce and the fried tofu with peanut butter sauce are to die for. We dream of the spicy peanut butter sauce! We generally order from the vegetarian menu --they are very accomodating as far as dietary needs are concerned. My husband asks them to withhold the fish sauce on his entrees. We have never chosen anything that we didn't like! The pad tai is a nice introduction to Thai food if you have never had it. I really like the chicken satay with rice--yellow rice with peanut butter sauce--on the meat side of the menu. I like the idea that it is BYOB. It does get busy because it has a small seating area. Lots of regulars here! We do take out often as do many others. I have taken six different friends here and everyone enjoyed it very much and have found their way back with other friends and family. You need to try them!
(5)Vanessa W.
I went to school in York and miss this little place terribly! They have great food, and reasonable prices. A great place when you're looking for something a little different. Casual, but not like your typical asian place.
(5)Rohish S.
Amazing food.. we ordered keng pek n thai curry fried rice.. spicy n tasty.. service is impeccable.. neat and clean place.
(5)Pete S.
We really like Thai and Vietnamese food. We talked our friends into trying it. They were very skeptical. Never had it before. We came here because of the good reviews. Three of us had Jumbo Shrimp Curry Pad Thai. One had Singapore noodles w/chicken. Wife & I like spicy. Our friends don't like spicy. All of our meals were really good. Ours just right spicy and theirs not spicy. To top it off we had the fried cheesecake w/gingered strawberries and ice cream. We all split it. It was great. The store was clean and the service was good. We would return.
(4)Em W.
Food has always been delicious and fresh! I LOVE it here. I'm a huge fan of the Mussuman curry and summer rolls! Don't forget the coconut soup! Damn! Staff is notably attentive, even during the insanity when it's a full house. My entourage always asks for our dishes to be extra spicy, and they don't hold back. :) I only wish the seating was a little more comfortable. Very intimate.
(5)Keith E.
I've been coming here since they opened, and they've rounded me for any other Thai food. Love the summer roll. Absolutely adore the shrimp and scallops over rice noodles. My wife and daughter just call the place "Coconut Soup" because that's what they think of any time it comes up. It's a small space, and when it's packed it can get pretty loud. But they do takeout, so that's no reason not to try them
(5)JB A.
Wow what a find! We set out to look for an Indian restaurant in York, Pa. No luck, the nearest one was 20+ miles so... We looked on yelp and found Viet Thai Cafe. Immediately we were enthusiastically greeted and sat at a great table. They've been here for 19 years and had a solid dinner crowd on a Wednesday at 6:30. Our server, Ivy, was knowledgeable, honest and dead-on! She knew her menu. And effortlessly managed the dining room almost solo. I had red curry fried rice with tofu and vegetables. My companion had eggplant in black bean sauce. Both were delicious. But the star was the veggie roll appetizer. Fresh and flavorful. And cheap! Go here hungry and enjoy.
(4)Ai D.
We came here after reading the reviews on Yelp. It was Friday Night and the place was PACKED!! It'd be a good idea to make a reservation on Friday/Saturday nights. I tried the Musaman Curry with chicken & steamed rice. It was PERFECTLY COOKED. Although the place was busy as hell not one of the staff showed any sign of frustration. They all were smiling & working as a team to help the customers. We had a great time. Great food. Great service. Great atmosphere. A MUST VISIT for Thai Food lovers.
(5)Sara B.
Always tasty, always inexpensive! I've ordered all kinds of items here as well as to-go/take-out and I've never been disappointed. The tom yum soup is spicy (although they don't use straw mushrooms) and always packed with shrimp. They don't skimp on the ingredients or portion size.
(5)Dawn E.
I have been here twice and plan to make it a regular stop for takeout on my way home from work. We first had the shrimp pad Thai, which wasn't the best we've had but it was still very good and you will not beat the price for it anywhere. The second time we tried the Bird's Nest which was delicious and a lot of food for the money. It ended up being dinner and lunch the next day. This will continue being a takeout stop due to the small, claustrophobic atmosphere.
(4)Dawn C.
Food is very bland - very disappointing! Had the coconut soup - no flavor. Green curry was really runny and had next to no flavor as well. They don't even have jasmine rice? Even the Pad Thai was bland. Not coming back and do not recommend!
(1)Tonna V.
Delicious fresh food, with an authentic taste. Small location on Market.. I got the Thai iced tea and jumbo shrimp curry pad Thai- very tasted. My picky husband even enjoyed his meal. We'll be returning soon
(5)Brian M.
First off, this not one of those "fancy-smancy" restaurants. It has been my experience while traveling all around the world, that these restaurants can be the best. That would be the case with MARKET STREET VIET THAI restaurant. I like the fact that it is a BYOB restaurant. The savings on beer/alcoholic drinks is huge. The wait staff is friendly and efficient. But the best attribute is the food. It is some of the best Vietnamese food that I have ever had. I would truly recommend this restaurant for a pleasant dining experience.
(5)Tim D.
We accidentally found this place on our way up from Baltimore to PA and New Hampshire and hit it on our way back down. It is a cute intimate place with amazing food. We were there over 6 times while we lived up there and made sure we stopped by every time any time we could.
(5)Lisa W.
Excellent all around. Lots of choices for vegetarians, and they made the meals to the exact spiciness we asked for. We asked for hot, and agreed to a 10 on the heat scale. That was perfect for us, really spicy, but not so spicy that I couldn't taste my well-prepared food. My eyes watered just a little about halfway through the meal, just right. We completely enjoyed the bean curd in coconut milk and vegetables and tofu in spicy chili sauce. I highly recommend finishing with sticky rice with mango, very sweet, very savory, very satisfying. And bring your own wine, glasses are happily provided. We included vegetable dumplings as appetizer, and the whole meal was hardly over $30 for two of us, with extras for tomorrow's lunch.
(5)Tim H.
This place has undoubtedly the best pho I have had in Pennsylvania so far. The broth is tasty and flavorful and the noodles aren't over cooked or undercooked. The meat however is not served raw but rather already sliced and cooked. That's okay though, I will deal with that since the pho is so good. The menu does not call it pho so when ordering or looking for it, it's called Beef Noodle Soup. It comes in a large and small bowl. The small is really small so if you are looking for this to be your meal, get the large since the small is as big as a side of rice. The summer rolls and the spring rolls are good too. The Thai dishes are tasty as well. I liked the flat noodles with beef. If you are looking for good pho and a place to get Thai and Vietnamese food under the same roof, then give this place a try. I would recommend it to anyone who is serious about eating good Vietnamese and Thai food. It gets a little tight and cramped when there is a crowd since there are not a whole lot of tables or space. Get there early if you are going for lunch in order to beat the work week lunch rush. Thanks for reading my review. This review is based on my personal point of view.
(4)Courtney B.
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(5)Marcella A.
When I lived in the area, this was my absolute favorite place to get Thai. The family that runs the place is very nice and friendly. All of the dishes I tried were amazing. My favorite order was crispy egg rolls, yellow chicken curry, and Thai iced tea or a limeade.
(5)Ryan E.
Another Great Meal at Viet Thai Market Cafe. Tonight I had the Malaysian Fried Rice for the first time. It was AWESOME Fried Rice, Pineapples, Cashews and Raisins!! Crazy right? I know but it's great!! Spicy Sweet Perfect Heat! My wife got her classic Chicken Pad Thai, her favorite dish at Viet Tai Cafe. The staff are always friendly and truly care about the food they serve. Highly Recommend if your in York, Pa. and need your Thai Food fix!!
(5)Dietrich D.
My favorite restaurant. I've been eating here almost since they first opened and rarely go longer than a week without a visit. Some dishes that look familiar on the menu may be a little different than what you'd get elsewhere. This isn't "textbook" Thai, but you can get that any number of places. The vegetarian menu is very good but vegetarians should ask about ingredients if they stray from the vegetarian page. They're very accomodating to vegans, vegetarians, and people with allergies. Seating can be a problem at peak hours, but it's always worth the wait.
(5)Philip G.
Basil chicken, basil chicken. Mmmm. Market Street Cafe is the long standing Thai champion in York. Even with recent newcomers like Esaan (also good), vietthai has held it's following and continues to put out tasty dishes. I don't agree that the menu is lacking, as someone beneath me said, as much as it is selective. They only put on things they enjoy, and things that make them happy. That's how it should be.
(5)Steve P.
My wife, friend and myself heard that this place was a great stop for lunch and decided to see if the rumors were true. We got there 1:30 on a Monday and the dining area was just about full. There was only 1 girl doing all the serving and she had one speed, fast. It took us a few minutes to peruse the menu since it has a good number of items that sound good. Service time was 20 minutes which was a little long, but I'm not counting it against them since the whole place was full. The food looked fantastic and smelled even better. After we admired it for a few seconds our stomachs overrode our brains and we dug in. There were no complaints heard, I ordered the birds nest and a Thai tea which were good. The prices were reasonable with the bill coming to 28 dollars for the 3 of us, not bad. I'll give this place another go if I'm ever around again.
(4)emily f.
this is my FAVORITE restaurant in york! home style cooking at it's finest! i come here probably once a month, if not more. this is the place i always bring friends/family that are visiting or new to the area. it is byob as well. i've never had a bad meal here. my favorites include the tofu with silver noodles, pad thai, malaysian rice, seafood paella...try their coconut custard for dessert. it's a small serving, just enough to satisfy the "i want something sweet" craving. my boyfriend loves the massaman curry and tilapia. TIP: sometimes we will do "family style" so everyone can get a taste of everything...just let them know up front and they will bring out extra plates and serving spoons, big bowls of rice, etc. the family that owns and runs the restaurant is amazing, super friendly, and will help you pick out what you like. jenny and joey make sure you are well taken care of. another tip: be prepared to wait for a table if you go during a busy time, usually fri/sat nights. the restaurant is small and it's a "see a table go sit at it and make your own room" sort of place. there is no lobby to wait in, so i suppose if you didn't like tight spaces it could be a bit awkward. i know you can call ahead and make reservations, but i personally haven't done it. the food is so good and the staff is so charming, it's worth the wait.
(5)Rebecca G.
Great coconut soup and delicious teas. I have visited this small viet diner a few times and have always had friendly service and excellent food. If it was in a nicer part of town, I think it would definitely be a hot spot.
(4)Erin C.
One of my favorites in York. First you can't beat the friendly factor - the young couple who work the front of the house could not be more welcoming and quickly learn the usual orders of their repeat customers (of which there are many). This is a fabulous "cheap eats" option - the menu is large and while there are certain items that are just ok, there are multiple things that are just excellent - for me red curry chicken fried rice and lemongrass soup are staples along with the limeade - best limeade ever. This is one of the spots that out-of-town family wants to go back to every time they visit.
(4)Tom W.
Usually we don't venture past George Street to the East side. Most of the places we enjoy are on the West side. However, my brother-in-law chose this restaurant for his birthday meal and I'm glad he did. I love Thai food but it is difficult to find a solid location that doesn't cater to the gluttonous crowd with a low-quality, high volume buffet setup. We went on the Friday before Easter at 4pm. My bro-in-law and father-in-law were leaving for a trip, hence the early dinner time. It worked out well because by 6pm, the place was slammed with a few groups waiting for a table to open. First, the restaurant is BYOB. I love that. Some people criticize Pennsylvania for its "puritanical liquor laws". But tell me, would you rather pick up a bottle of wine for $10 or have a restaurant serve you the same bottle for $30. Seems like a no-brainer to me. We started with some appetizers, mine being a summer roll and my wife having a lemongrass soup. The summer roll itself was good but the sweet plum sauce is soy with a touch of some sort of sweetener. Not too good. My wife's soup was good, she really liked it. It was too lemony for me. Ok, so I'm not keen on their apps. However, my father-in-law ordered the Yum Shrimp and Squid salad. The price is a little shocking at $15.95 but it is awesome!! Next time I come here, I'm ordering that as my meal. It is big and delicious. My wife ordered the Red Curry Noodles with Chicken and Basil. She said it was ok, I thought it was pretty good. I ordered the Shrimp and Onion Satay. Good call. This meal is fantastic. It could have used some more cilantro but that is a very minor criticism. A few people at the table ordered desserts. They were good, but I'm not much of a dessert person. They do have mango sticky rice which I love but I didn't get it. When we went, there was one waitress (a member of the family) and a young man that was delivering plates, water, etc. She was moving at light speed. Because she was the only server, the service was a little slow. However, they were busy. Good food takes time to prepare. I don't have a problem waiting if the food is delicious. In this case, it was. I don't know how Yelp can say the noise level of this place is "Quiet". When it is full, it is very loud. Off-street parking is a HUGE plus.
(4)Richard K.
Been coming here since I was lìttle and not a lot changed about the restaurant but my knowledge of vietnamese food has grown since I came back. I used to work in a vietnamese restaurant in New Jersey. Pho located in Philadelphia and New Jersey far beat any pho sold in york by both taste and size for price. My gripe with the pho in Viet Cafe is the size isn't large for a "large" and the taste is ok. Also when ordered for take out the noodles is stored with the soup so by tbe time it arrives home the pho is SOGGY. Yuck. Best to eat the pho at the Cafe. Today I had Lemon Grass Beef for take out and it was fantastic! Big order of food for cheap price and tasted wonderful, lots of meat and noodles. Next time I will order it with rice. The summer rolls are good and great iced coffee. Friendly staff as well. Lots of familiar faces which is nice. Never going back to Pho Bistro, will be coming back to Viet Cafe soon.
(5)Matt N.
I was hungry for some spice and my wife offered to pick up something from here for me -I think she said it was 'pad pet' but I may be wrong. The thing that detracts slightly is not the flavor or what it is I got. I was slightly disappointed because I instructed her to get me the hottest thing on the menu and she asked for that, but the green curry that I received was pretty mild to my taste.
(4)Conor M.
This is by far the best Thai restaurant in the Central Pennsylvania area, both in terms of food quality and service. Their lunch buffet offers ample selections for both traditional Thai food lovers, and for the most hesitant of newcomers. The restaurant itself is always in nigh pristine condition and while it is not as elegant or glitzy as a higher dollar place, it nonetheless has a very inviting mood. All of the servers are polite and do not hesitate to make your eating experience as enjoyable as possible. I would gladly have given this restaurant five stars based on my personal experience, but as I have only ever chosen the buffet, I cannot attest to the quality of the menu items. In addition to that, my only complaint with the buffet itself is on rather frequent occasion, the food is not replaced often enough, and it will intermittently run out before a new dish is ready. I am typically a huge fan of buffets, yet all of the times I have come here, both the food and the service have been nothing short of stellar. For any Thai food fan or just for those of you who are looking for a welcomed departure from western cuisine, Thai Cafe is a must eat.
(4)Robert G.
Enjoyed my red curry here, a little spicier than some and vegies not as fresh as others, but was deliciouso
(4)Wayne H.
I have been here several times and the food has always been very good. There are some mild dishes but off course with this type of cuisine hot and spicy is the norm. My absolute favorite is the lemon-grass chicken with a limeade....to die for. They have a pretty good selection of Asian food, whether it's Thai, Vietnamese or Chinese, they have something for even the most endearing tongue. This restaurant is definitely worth a try.
(4)Becky F.
Went back a second time and got the lemongrass & Beef dish. It was the best lemongrass I've ever had. Hands down. We recently tried Esaan in downtown York, but Viet Thai Cafe beats them hands down!!! Still one of the best dining establishments I've been to in York.
(4)Jason E.
Found the menu to be lacking. Found the menu items not to be as consistent with what I am used too. Perhaps I'm spoiled having lived in New Haven, CT where we had 5 Thai restaurants in a 2-block area. But I ordered two regulars for me. Drunken Noodle and Coconut soup. What I got was more like spicy Pad Thai. And the coconut soup had basic rice noodles in it and not much more. I was severely disappointed. Having just moved into the area, and Thai being one of my favorites. I've found better Thai out in Lancaster. To VietThai, I'd like to like you - please consider an better menu selection.
(2)Anu S.
My husband and I were visiting York for business and were hoping to spend a nice evening together with good food. We came to Viet Thai, because we saw all the rave reviews and because we were craving Thai food. What a terrible mistake. Let me start by saying I am not a fussy eater at all - I like all kinds of food and am willing to eat sub standard food - but this place takes the cake. This food was awful!! Usually Thai food cant go wrong with the dishes we order - but this was bad! We ordered Chicken Satay - this was 4 sticks of dry tough chicken with a sorry excuse for a peanut sauce - it was literally spicy peanut butter. I could not eat it! my entree was Spicy Bai Kapow: Sauteed Shrimp or Chicken with Pineapple and Spicy Chili Basil Sauce. I skipped the pineapple in this dish because in an authentic thai dish there is no pineapple. I have eaten this dish in NUMEROUS restaurants. This was not Spicy Bai Kapow ! believe me. The dish my husband ordered was Kung Pao Chicken.- cant go wrong with that right? WRONG - this was NO kung pao chicken for sure. I am not sure what kind of Cuisine this is - maybe it is more vietnamese than thai - but then they should not claim that they are Viet Thai. They ruined our evening! We ordered EXTRA EXTRA EXTRA - thai spicy - but at best it was spicy. If you are looking for Thai food - do NOT go here. Not to mention - this meal put me our of $32.00 for one appetizer and 2 entrees. This is NOT a high grade restaurant. Its a diner at best - WAY TOO EXPENSIVE especially given that the food is terrible. To top off - quanitity is VERY VERY small. We had to go out again and get fast food so that my husband did not go hungry. Bad choice!! never again. All I can say is that the poeple who gave good reviews to this restaurant have never eaten authentic Thai food. Very misleading! Very disappointing indeed!
(1)Angela H.
Best spring rolls in town! Great food by a great family. The one waitress in particular is very sweet and friendly. The food is amazing so order anything with confidence but recommend the pad thai. The atmosphere is like eating in someone's living room. The one downside is it's in a sketchy neighborhood and couple times we've come and they were not open but hey everyone needs a day off.
(5)Sean B.
I regret that because this restaurant is in York, they've had to compromise on the menu and make it more boring than it would be elsewhere. I haven't been a fan of the dishes here, but when I'm visiting family in York it's easier than driving up to Harrisburg for more authentic Vietnamese food. The family who owns is it actually Laosian, and very sweet... so I like to return to support them and their efforts to bring a little culture and diversity into downtown York.
(3)Colleen S.
Okay, I am rating this place like a diner because really it is. Diner in the good sense of the word. Extremely friendly staff, this was my first visit and the owner treated me like I was a regularer. Just very sweet, gives great suggestions on dishes and smiles from ear to ear. Decent food, packed with regulars and great staff. I had the chicken in a green curry, great portion, spicy and had loads of veggies (including eggplant which was a nice surpise), the summer roll was also tasty. My summary: Small. busy cafe with cafe style food cooked up fast and with a smile. I like the local feel and it seems to have quite a honest following. I spoke with the owner woman and she did note that the place serves up thai/vet and general asian as they "cook it at home". It reminds me of the little fry up cafe's I am used to in England so it too us back to enjoy a nice lunch there. I will be back. If I want fancy panty thai dinner dining I will dress up and go elsewhere, if I want a city side lunch then I will head here :)
(3)dave w.
Went in for lunch and service was slow, only two other tables in restaurant and food very slow coming out. Ordered tofu with eggplant in a black bean sauce, not very good and I'm a fan of black bean sauce. Too salty and lacking in flavor. Eggroll was good and iced coffee was delightful. Overall not impressed with menu offerings.
(2)Tommy_n_Loretta C.
I stopped in for a vegetarian pad thai with tofo and a veggie egg roll. My meal with tip was only $12! WOW! The pad thai was very good. I definitely would recommend trying this place. By the way, bring your own beer or wine as they don't serve alcohol.
(5)Eric N.
I'll give it a four for service and atmosphere. The employees and even the customers were all very friendly. The food wasn't quite what I was used to the west coast, but it was good.
(4)Liz L.
Friendly service. Fair price. Food that makes you want to come back for more!!! Enough said!
(5)Amy E.
While there food isn't as traditional as most viet/thai food places, my husband and I can't get enough. The staff is super friendly and the food is always good. A great addition to York, PA!!! There is even a nice lot to park in.
(5)