Minneapolis is an unexpected mecca of great Thai food, but it wasn’t always that way. The first Thai restaurants didn’t start appearing in Minnesota until the early 1980s, but now there is a wide selection of quality spots.
Several Thai staples like curry and stir fry grace virtually every menu, yet you can find something new at every restaurant.
Dine-in, pick-up, or delivery—excellent Thai food is never out of reach. Whether you’re a local or visiting from out of town, you’ll want to sample some of these restaurants.
Check out my list of the best Thai restaurants in Minneapolis below!
Khao Hom Thai Restaurant Minneapolis
2411 NE Central Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55418
Phone: 612-788-4000
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Khao Hom Thai Restaurant in Minneapolis is within walking distance from Jackson Square Park. Its proximity to the University of Minnesota makes it popular with students and families alike.
This excellent Thai restaurant has a robust lunch menu with favorites like red and green curry, Pad Thai, and Thai Fried Rice.
Each comes served with rice and is cheap enough to justify a few lunches a week. The dinner menu offers even more delicious Thai dishes, starting with incredible appetizers.
Don’t skip the Thai egg rolls or the Kimchi cream cheese wontons. Khao Hom Thai Restaurant fries both until golden brown and serves them sweet and sour.
Main entrees include the exquisite pumpkin curry, Gang Ped duck, and seafood basil. Finish the meal off with the mango and sweet sticky rice popular in Thailand.
Flamin Thai Cuisine
233 Cedar Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55454
Phone: 612-224-9691
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In the heart of Minneapolis is the incredible Flamin Thai Cuisine. Its location on Cedar Avenue is feet away from several University of Minnesota buildings, within walking distance of the Mississippi River, and a stroll across the bridge places visitors near the Weisman Art Museum.
While Flamin Thai Cuisine has mainly lunch hours, wrapping up service by 8:30 PM at the latest, the menu brings authentic Thai food to Minneapolis.
Flamin Thai Cuisine breaks its menu into three main categories: curries, stir fry, and fried rice. The Massaman Curry is easily the best item on the menu incorporating coconut milk, potatoes, and a real kick-up to “Flamin Hot.”
Another excellent dish is the pineapple fried rice with shrimp, as the pineapple and vegetables work well together and taste divine!
KhunNai Thai Cuisine
2523 Nicollet Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55404
Phone: 612-874-7721
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Near Interstate-35W and East 26th is the incredible restaurant KhunNai Thai Cuisine. The flexibility of ordering for dine-in, pick-up, or delivery makes this Thai restaurant popular in the Whittier neighborhood.
KhunNai Thai Cuisine is a short walk from the Minneapolis Institute of Art and the Hennepin History Museum, making it a perfect stop after a day of museum hopping.
The award-winning menu has Thai classics like Gyo Zaa and Thai pot stickers that come served with either chicken or vegetables and a decadent spicy ginger sauce.
KhunNai Thai Cuisine serves exotic dishes like oxtail noodle soup and Thai staples like Larb Ped, a roast duck Larb.
Plus, there are plenty of soups and salads to choose from for a little bit of everything.
Kindee Thai Restaurant
719 S 2nd St, Minneapolis, MN 55401
Phone: 612-465-8303
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The Kindee Thai Restaurant overlooks the Mississippi River from the corner of Chicago and 2nd. It’s right across the street from Guthrie Theater, Gold Medal Park, and the Mill City Museum.
This delicious Thai restaurant features many classics and is open later than several other Thai restaurants in Minneapolis.
Start off with some pork spareribs or Tamarind wings. Both come slathered in gratifying sauces and start the meal right.
You’ll want to save room for the Potak Seafood Hot Pot that can serve up to four people or the incredibly delicious Ped Pa-Lo.
Duck makes several appearances at Kindee Thai Restaurant, including a Duck confit, roasted duck, and basil duck.
Sawatdee Thai Restaurant – Minneapolis
607 S Washington Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55415
Phone: 612-338-6451
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In the heart of downtown, north of the U.S. Bank Stadium, The Commons, and several big-name hotels sits Sawatdee Thai Restaurant in Minneapolis.
It’s also near Mill Ruins Park and the Mississippi River. Since 1983, Sawatdee has become so popular there are now several locations spread across Minnesota.
Their award-winning menu uses authentic Thai recipes, incorporating sweet, sour, bitter, and savory flavors in unique dishes.
There’s no shortage of delicious foods to choose from, starting with appetizers, soups, and salads. Sawatdee extends its menu with wide curry varieties ranging in spice level from very mild to volcanic hot.
The stir-fry is also worth checking out, with several options to suit every palate. Finish the evening with one of the several mango-themed desserts.
Thai Cuisine Xpress
1517 Como Ave SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414
Phone: 612-354-7782
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Thai Cuisine Xpress is on the east side of the Mississippi River across from Van Cleve Park. Its short distance from the University of Minnesota makes it a hot student spot, but with Thai classics, it’s popular with everyone.
While Thai Cuisine Xpress is closed on Sunday, you can pick up their delicious Thai from noon until 8:30 the rest of the week.
Thai Cuisine Xpress receives overwhelming recommendations from locals and dining in for the first time, you can see why!
The chicken satay is incredible, as are the shrimp rolls, papaya salad, and the Tom Kah Kai. Curries and Pad Thai are also excellent staples at Thai Cuisine Xpress, but the real show stopper is either the Pad Lawn or the steak lettuce wrap; each is to die for!
Naviya’s Thai Kitchen
2812 W 43rd St, Minneapolis, MN 55410
Phone: 612-276-5061
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Hidden from the hustle and bustle of downtown Minneapolis and a short drive from Lake Harriot is Naviya’s Thai Kitchen.
Naviya’s Thai Kitchen is Linden Hills’ take on authentic Thai food, using fresh ingredients, upscale plating, and classic Thai recipes.
To take service to the next level, the restaurant caters to the guest, ensuring all special dietary restrictions are observed before taking orders.
Elegance is the first thing diners will notice when arriving at Naviya’s Thai Kitchen, and it extends to the menu.
Drinks are authentic and delicious, especially the Ice Milky Thai Tea. The Tom Yum Goong, or spicy lemongrass soup, is mouthwatering and well-seasoned.
Locals recommend the stir-fry, which comes with wild cod and duck breast protein options. Naviya’s is classy, yet portions are generous, and the quality is matched by no one.