I honestly didn't know Thai food could be this bad. I've had plenty of cheap Thai in my life (good thai, too) and my expectations were low - this place was exceedingly poor. The spicy beef salad, which is typically a thinly slice limey charred beef, was like slow cooked pot roast on a pile of cabbage. As soon as I saw it I knew we were in trouble. The hot pepper noodles were undercooked and tiny noodle chunks, no ribbons of noodles. Curry was mostly chopped tomatoes. We were all home sick and just craving some Thai noodles - unfortunately this was truly inedible and ended up in the trash. It also arrived cold which is weird as our delivery driver was very prompt - almost like the food wasn't hot when they put it in containers. Don't go here - it makes Thai Inbox or Dowize Bistro look worthy of a Michelin star.
Beth Brickel
Only rating the food since we ordered for delivery. We ordered seemingly traditional dishes in pad Thai and pad se ew and both were inedible. The pad se ew was sweet, no hint of soy flavor and I could only take a couple bites and had to toss the rest. The pad Thai has zero flavor. We also ordered ramen for our daughter and she said the broth had no flavor. If you are anti-flavor or can’t handle spice of any kind, you might want to check it out.
Food: 1
Service: 3
Midge M
Dishes are delicious and so reasonably priced. Thai Ravioli is extraordinary, every time, never disappoints. Love this place, it rocks! Highly recommend!
Erica S.
I have been going to PNS for several years, especially b/c they offer gluten-less customization. Unfortunately, now 3 or 4 separate times we have received food that was not what we ordered - meaning we ordered gluten-free fried rice w/o soy sauce (which they offer on their menu), and get home with our order only to find out it has soy sauce in it. One of the times I called to ask if it might be gluten-free soy sauce, which they said it was. Based on my daughter's intestinal reaction, it most definitely was not. They flat out lied. If it happened once, I could consider it an error or miscommunication. Now that it has happened multiple times, we can no longer patronize a place we used to like and would caution others with gluten sensitivities to avoid this place as well. Too bad, they used to respect the order but don't seem to anymore. Just sloppy; makes me wonder what else they might be sloppy about.
Andrew B.
This place is most underrated in Winnetka in my opinion. The spicy chicken rice and gyoza is amazing.
Katie C.
I love PNS! I've been coming to this location for years and it always hits the spot. I am a big fan of the Vegetarian Bowl with tofu - it's light and healthy but delicious. I've also tried a few appetizers and I've enjoyed everything. I usually call in my orders and they're quick to fulfill and orders are easy to pick up. I hope this store never closes in Northfield!
Lia C.
Had the pad Thai and gyoza today. It was awesome! I used to frequent Penny's in the city. I forgot there was a Northfield location. What serendipity to find PNS! Super nostalgic. I will definitely be coming back.
christy m.
What happened to the old Penny's Noodle Shop??? The original that started in Chicago on Roscoe Ave and on Diversey Avenue. I don't know if the ownership changed hands or what but this place is not the same and it's truly sad. Penny's Noodle Shop used to be so popular in the city and this one in Northfield used to be pretty much the same as the downtown locations. Now they've changed their menu and the dishes that were on the old menu are not the same. Flavor and freshness is lacking and whatever seasoning they are doing tastes off. I've dined in and ordered delivery and it's been overall poor. Don't waste your time ordering from here thinking you're going to get the old Penny's because sadly that's no longer here. I know I won't be wasting my time and money here anymore.
Lee F.
We wanted to order in something different and were pleasantly surprised tonight. Usually stir fry makes me feel heavy and gross...this was wonderful. It was not overly salty (perhaps why some say bland) or greasy but the vegetables were fresh, the proteins well flavored and the portions generous. If you're looking for gross overly Americanized salt bombs, this ain't it, but its very good Asian food with quality ingredients.
A little small compared to the Chicago Penny's, but would go again. We got the Lad Nar, Roasted Pork, and Vietnamese Spring Rolls. So good!!!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: BBQ Pork, Thai Spring Roll
Andrea R.
We used to order from PNS all the time and then somehow forgot about it, but recently have been keeping them busy. It's one of the few restaurants that all 3 of my kids can agree on when it comes to delivery. The pad thai, edaname, chicken satay and plain rice noodles seem to be their personal favorites.I've tried many items on the menu as well and have enjoyed all of the above + their gyoza. It's tasty, reasonably priced and can also always count on a fast delivery. A great food delivery option for those in the area!
Livy
I’m giving this place 3 stars because I feel Penny’s isn’t the same anymore. I went in on a Saturday, it was dead. They were playing Hispanic music which I thought was odd being an Asian restaurant. The server gave me an attitude because I asked if they were able to make the hot pepper noodle dish mild. For a min she argued with me that it’s not spicy at all..an that they can’t adjust anything. Then a min later she tells me ok we can make it mild. Just rude. Unprofessional in my opinion. I’ve been eating the same hot pepper noodle dish since they had their old location downtown. I don’t think I’ll be back.. or at least to this location.
Tyler Williams
Perfect as always! Nicest waitresses, best lad nar ever.
Barack Hussein Obama
Perfect as always! Nicest waitresses, best lad nar ever.
Our g-to for Asian Food in the NorthShore
I honestly didn't know Thai food could be this bad. I've had plenty of cheap Thai in my life (good thai, too) and my expectations were low - this place was exceedingly poor. The spicy beef salad, which is typically a thinly slice limey charred beef, was like slow cooked pot roast on a pile of cabbage. As soon as I saw it I knew we were in trouble. The hot pepper noodles were undercooked and tiny noodle chunks, no ribbons of noodles. Curry was mostly chopped tomatoes. We were all home sick and just craving some Thai noodles - unfortunately this was truly inedible and ended up in the trash. It also arrived cold which is weird as our delivery driver was very prompt - almost like the food wasn't hot when they put it in containers. Don't go here - it makes Thai Inbox or Dowize Bistro look worthy of a Michelin star.
Only rating the food since we ordered for delivery. We ordered seemingly traditional dishes in pad Thai and pad se ew and both were inedible. The pad se ew was sweet, no hint of soy flavor and I could only take a couple bites and had to toss the rest. The pad Thai has zero flavor. We also ordered ramen for our daughter and she said the broth had no flavor. If you are anti-flavor or can’t handle spice of any kind, you might want to check it out.
Food: 1
Service: 3
Dishes are delicious and so reasonably priced. Thai Ravioli is extraordinary, every time, never disappoints. Love this place, it rocks! Highly recommend!
I have been going to PNS for several years, especially b/c they offer gluten-less customization. Unfortunately, now 3 or 4 separate times we have received food that was not what we ordered - meaning we ordered gluten-free fried rice w/o soy sauce (which they offer on their menu), and get home with our order only to find out it has soy sauce in it. One of the times I called to ask if it might be gluten-free soy sauce, which they said it was. Based on my daughter's intestinal reaction, it most definitely was not. They flat out lied. If it happened once, I could consider it an error or miscommunication. Now that it has happened multiple times, we can no longer patronize a place we used to like and would caution others with gluten sensitivities to avoid this place as well. Too bad, they used to respect the order but don't seem to anymore. Just sloppy; makes me wonder what else they might be sloppy about.
This place is most underrated in Winnetka in my opinion. The spicy chicken rice and gyoza is amazing.
I love PNS! I've been coming to this location for years and it always hits the spot. I am a big fan of the Vegetarian Bowl with tofu - it's light and healthy but delicious. I've also tried a few appetizers and I've enjoyed everything. I usually call in my orders and they're quick to fulfill and orders are easy to pick up. I hope this store never closes in Northfield!
Had the pad Thai and gyoza today. It was awesome! I used to frequent Penny's in the city. I forgot there was a Northfield location. What serendipity to find PNS! Super nostalgic. I will definitely be coming back.
What happened to the old Penny's Noodle Shop??? The original that started in Chicago on Roscoe Ave and on Diversey Avenue. I don't know if the ownership changed hands or what but this place is not the same and it's truly sad. Penny's Noodle Shop used to be so popular in the city and this one in Northfield used to be pretty much the same as the downtown locations. Now they've changed their menu and the dishes that were on the old menu are not the same. Flavor and freshness is lacking and whatever seasoning they are doing tastes off. I've dined in and ordered delivery and it's been overall poor. Don't waste your time ordering from here thinking you're going to get the old Penny's because sadly that's no longer here. I know I won't be wasting my time and money here anymore.
We wanted to order in something different and were pleasantly surprised tonight. Usually stir fry makes me feel heavy and gross...this was wonderful. It was not overly salty (perhaps why some say bland) or greasy but the vegetables were fresh, the proteins well flavored and the portions generous. If you're looking for gross overly Americanized salt bombs, this ain't it, but its very good Asian food with quality ingredients.
Restaurantji Recommends
A little small compared to the Chicago Penny's, but would go again. We got the Lad Nar, Roasted Pork, and Vietnamese Spring Rolls. So good!!!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: BBQ Pork, Thai Spring Roll
We used to order from PNS all the time and then somehow forgot about it, but recently have been keeping them busy. It's one of the few restaurants that all 3 of my kids can agree on when it comes to delivery. The pad thai, edaname, chicken satay and plain rice noodles seem to be their personal favorites.I've tried many items on the menu as well and have enjoyed all of the above + their gyoza. It's tasty, reasonably priced and can also always count on a fast delivery. A great food delivery option for those in the area!
I’m giving this place 3 stars because I feel Penny’s isn’t the same anymore. I went in on a Saturday, it was dead. They were playing Hispanic music which I thought was odd being an Asian restaurant. The server gave me an attitude because I asked if they were able to make the hot pepper noodle dish mild. For a min she argued with me that it’s not spicy at all..an that they can’t adjust anything. Then a min later she tells me ok we can make it mild. Just rude. Unprofessional in my opinion. I’ve been eating the same hot pepper noodle dish since they had their old location downtown. I don’t think I’ll be back.. or at least to this location.
Perfect as always! Nicest waitresses, best lad nar ever.
Perfect as always! Nicest waitresses, best lad nar ever.