This was our second time coming here and once again the food did not disappoint. The pork belly was perfectly cooked and the papaya salad was so refreshing. Everything tasted amazing. I’ve seen some people complain about the restaurant being small or the parking being tight, but honestly, if that’s your biggest concern, maybe dining out isn’t for you. You come for the food and it’s absolutely worth it. If you’re that worried, just order takeout, problem solved. Nothing is ever perfect, but this place comes pretty close when it comes to flavor and quality. My husband, our four kids, and I all enjoyed our meal and had no complaints at all.
First time trying this restaurant, and wow—the service and attention to customers were phenomenal. I honestly feel like we don’t see this often anymore at family-owned restaurants. Our waiter, Chimeng, was very kind and attentive. He was also really apologetic since the restaurant was busy and we had to wait, but I had no problem with that—if there’s a line, it usually means the food is great, and it definitely was! I really enjoyed the Pad Thai, pork belly, and spring rolls. Thank you for providing great food and service. We will be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Julie V
My boyfriend and I arrived around lunch and it was quite busy. However, we got seated right away. We ordered spring rolls, special pho, and pork belly pad kra pao. Building was cold, prepare to keep your coat on when dining in during colder weather.
Spring rolls: loved it! It was nicely and tightly wrapped. They did not skip out on any fillings. 5/5
Special pho: clear broth and not as beefy. Beef bone was not fork tender but it wasn’t too bad. I love jalapeños and unfortunately, there was no jalapeños added or provided on the side. There was a lot of pho noodles. Light amount of meat provided but I assumed it was because I got the beef bone. 3/5
Pork belly pad kra pao: this was the main dish we really look forward too. However, it was a little disappointing. More on the sweet side, pork belly slices were chopped pretty big, and fatty. The crunch was still there which was a plus. They didn’t have any holy basil which was noted on their fb page but would had been nice to be aware of it when placing the order because not everyone is able to look or search on their fb page, if that is a ingredient that customers are expecting to have in their dish. 3.5/5
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 4
Seng Vang
This place is awesome! The food is delicious and it comes out fast. The customer service is top notch, the staff and owner interacts with their customers and always goes above and beyond.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Thai Boat, Crispy Pork Belly, Thai Style Papaya Salad, Steamed Fish, Crispy Fish, Pad Kra Pao
Mefree Lee
A true hidden gem in St. Paul!! Za Teng the owner is a kind and dedicated owner in mastering his craft of cooking authentic Thai food!! This is a must for all that want quality food and welcoming hospitality! Perhaps the best pork belly in the Twin Cities or in Minnesota!! You guys definitely go pay him a visit!! Tell him Running Free sent you!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Anuson Yang
Bad location. Bad parking. Ordered online once as to not deal with parking and still had to unfortunately find parking to go inside and pick up.
Thomas Moua
Boat noodles are the best!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kab Npauj Lee
Nothing hits the spot like authentic Thai food from Thai Boat 89! We had their crispy pork belly, Pad Ka Pao, and fresh spring rolls — every bite was perfection 😋🔥 Definitely a must-try if you love bold flavors and that perfect balance of sweet, spicy, and savory!
Ebube Ogbonna
True to price, definitely a hidden gem. Amazing service and delicious food ☺️
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Chiadoua Vang
We were very satisfied with all the food we ordered! My favorite was the eggrolls— they were crispy, flavorful, and had a good amount of meat inside. The pork belly was fresh and perfectly crispy. Both the Thai boat and combo pho were perfectly flavored. On top of that, the owners provided excellent service and were very friendly. Highly recommended!
Love this place, especially thier thai boat noodle. This is the only place I will get my Thai boat noodles from, yet their crispy pork belly is good too, fresh and crispy.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
dxiong015
This spot serves some of the most authentic Thai food you'll find in the Twin Cities, backed by genuinely excellent customer service. The owner is so welcoming and clearly passionate about their cuisine. I specifically wanted to try a dish exactly as the chef intended, without any customizations, and the owner was happy to guide me, explaining the traditional way to eat it. This level of dedication—to both their cooking craft and educating customers—is rare. If you're looking for an authentic Thai experience, this is the place to go!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Thai Boat, Pad Thai, Pad Kra Pao, Pad See EW, Thai Style Papaya Salad, Fried Fish, Chicken Wings
rae soulz
The food was really really good I been craving some Thai boat noodle and I had tried it the first time. Glad to say filled my cravings! Papaya was also good but I would love if they had green beans in it too! Drinks were also yummy I had gotten green Thai tea. Service was not bad overall I recommend this place! Will definitely come again!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Kathy Vue
Great customer service and friendly people. So many great dishes to choose from. I love eating Pho and Thai boat noodles.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Neng Yang
I’ve been to this place several times. Many dishes to choose from. The food there are delicious my favorite is Vietnamese Pho, boat noodle, raw beef labb and papaya salad. Good customer and the owner is really nice and humble.
This was our second time coming here and once again the food did not disappoint. The pork belly was perfectly cooked and the papaya salad was so refreshing. Everything tasted amazing. I’ve seen some people complain about the restaurant being small or the parking being tight, but honestly, if that’s your biggest concern, maybe dining out isn’t for you. You come for the food and it’s absolutely worth it. If you’re that worried, just order takeout, problem solved. Nothing is ever perfect, but this place comes pretty close when it comes to flavor and quality. My husband, our four kids, and I all enjoyed our meal and had no complaints at all.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Crispy Pork Belly, Thai Style Papaya Salad, 4 X Cream Cheese Wontons, Chicken Wings, Sticky Rice
First time trying this restaurant, and wow—the service and attention to customers were phenomenal. I honestly feel like we don’t see this often anymore at family-owned restaurants. Our waiter, Chimeng, was very kind and attentive. He was also really apologetic since the restaurant was busy and we had to wait, but I had no problem with that—if there’s a line, it usually means the food is great, and it definitely was! I really enjoyed the Pad Thai, pork belly, and spring rolls. Thank you for providing great food and service. We will be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
My boyfriend and I arrived around lunch and it was quite busy. However, we got seated right away. We ordered spring rolls, special pho, and pork belly pad kra pao. Building was cold, prepare to keep your coat on when dining in during colder weather.
Spring rolls: loved it! It was nicely and tightly wrapped. They did not skip out on any fillings. 5/5
Special pho: clear broth and not as beefy. Beef bone was not fork tender but it wasn’t too bad. I love jalapeños and unfortunately, there was no jalapeños added or provided on the side. There was a lot of pho noodles. Light amount of meat provided but I assumed it was because I got the beef bone. 3/5
Pork belly pad kra pao: this was the main dish we really look forward too. However, it was a little disappointing. More on the sweet side, pork belly slices were chopped pretty big, and fatty. The crunch was still there which was a plus. They didn’t have any holy basil which was noted on their fb page but would had been nice to be aware of it when placing the order because not everyone is able to look or search on their fb page, if that is a ingredient that customers are expecting to have in their dish. 3.5/5
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 4
This place is awesome! The food is delicious and it comes out fast. The customer service is top notch, the staff and owner interacts with their customers and always goes above and beyond.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Thai Boat, Crispy Pork Belly, Thai Style Papaya Salad, Steamed Fish, Crispy Fish, Pad Kra Pao
A true hidden gem in St. Paul!! Za Teng the owner is a kind and dedicated owner in mastering his craft of cooking authentic Thai food!! This is a must for all that want quality food and welcoming hospitality! Perhaps the best pork belly in the Twin Cities or in Minnesota!! You guys definitely go pay him a visit!! Tell him Running Free sent you!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Bad location. Bad parking.
Ordered online once as to not deal with parking and still had to unfortunately find parking to go inside and pick up.
Boat noodles are the best!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Nothing hits the spot like authentic Thai food from Thai Boat 89! We had their crispy pork belly, Pad Ka Pao, and fresh spring rolls — every bite was perfection 😋🔥 Definitely a must-try if you love bold flavors and that perfect balance of sweet, spicy, and savory!
True to price, definitely a hidden gem. Amazing service and delicious food ☺️
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We were very satisfied with all the food we ordered! My favorite was the eggrolls— they were crispy, flavorful, and had a good amount of meat inside. The pork belly was fresh and perfectly crispy. Both the Thai boat and combo pho were perfectly flavored. On top of that, the owners provided excellent service and were very friendly. Highly recommended!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Thai Boat
Restaurantji Recommends
Love this place, especially thier thai boat noodle. This is the only place I will get my Thai boat noodles from, yet their crispy pork belly is good too, fresh and crispy.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This spot serves some of the most authentic Thai food you'll find in the Twin Cities, backed by genuinely excellent customer service. The owner is so welcoming and clearly passionate about their cuisine. I specifically wanted to try a dish exactly as the chef intended, without any customizations, and the owner was happy to guide me, explaining the traditional way to eat it. This level of dedication—to both their cooking craft and educating customers—is rare. If you're looking for an authentic Thai experience, this is the place to go!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Thai Boat, Pad Thai, Pad Kra Pao, Pad See EW, Thai Style Papaya Salad, Fried Fish, Chicken Wings
The food was really really good I been craving some Thai boat noodle and I had tried it the first time. Glad to say filled my cravings! Papaya was also good but I would love if they had green beans in it too! Drinks were also yummy I had gotten green Thai tea. Service was not bad overall I recommend this place! Will definitely come again!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Great customer service and friendly people. So many great dishes to choose from. I love eating Pho and Thai boat noodles.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I’ve been to this place several times. Many dishes to choose from. The food there are delicious my favorite is Vietnamese Pho, boat noodle, raw beef labb and papaya salad. Good customer and the owner is really nice and humble.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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