Thai Canteen: Authentic Flavors and Late-Night Bites in Sacramento

I came here for a late night meal, and was very impressed! It was very busy and the long got quite long after we ordered. We had the pad thai and the spring rolls, and both were a very generous portion and kept us full. The staff were very friendly and accommodating. We loved the indoor decor and the comfortable outdoor seating. They're open late until 1am, so it was nice to enjoy our dinner without feeling rushed.

Well, this place definitely redeemed itself! I have been quite a few times. I can definitely recommend the Kang Kari... Chicken breast meat, carrot, and potato in yellow curry sauce. It's definitely my favorite dish at this place. It's very similar to a Japanese style curry. it has a lot more flavor and is a bit more bold tasting. I just continue to order this every time I go there now. The Tom Kha... (soup) Chicken, lemon grass, kaffir leaf, cilantro, and mushroom in coconut milk broth. It's very good but I wish it had a bit more vegetables in it. It has one of the best broths I've tasted. If you wanna make it a little bit more robust... add some rice to it. Brown rice they have here... is very much a brown wild rice style. Even the white rice is of good quality. One of the biggest selling points is that they're open late. Display tends to be very popular and seating is limited. So, definitely give yourself time to find a seat. It's so worth it!!!

I popped in for lunch recently. It's been a long hot minute since I've dined here, over seven years ago. The place looks exactly the same. The food is pretty tasty but I'm no expert on Thai food. It was quite comical trying to order. The cashier seem to unintentionally speak at the volume of a whisper. They have some odd acoustics in there. We fumbled our way through the ordering process. I still had no idea what she was saying, so I just went on to tell her my order of Panang Nuer at the mildest version they can make it for dine in. She told me the price, but again I couldn't hear her. The Panang Nuer is sliced beef in semi-spicy panang curry. The curry tasted like peanut butter and had a kicky spice level. Ohhh I broke into bit of a sweat. I can take some level of heat. So if you can't handle spicy heat, I don't recommend getting this dish. Also the slices of beef were super thin. There were a few slices of red and green bell peppers. Those slices were also scarce and inconsequential. There was plenty of the liquid curry though. The curry was served with a side of white rice. The price was $16, there were no lunch special pricing. The curry was tasty! Just not hearty enough to fill me up, and it was an entree serving size.

Ordered delivery food on a weeknight. Was delivered hot and delicious. We ordered 3 entrees for 2 people and 2 days later we are still chipping away at the leftovers. Kao pad poo $16.50 Delicious. Not greasy like some fried rice. Came with a mixture of real crab and imitation "krab" which at first seemed kind of deceitful, but I know how expensive crab is and after thinking about it, I was glad they added the imitation because it allowed for more meat. But it is something to consider if you were expecting all real crab. They offer mild, medium, hot, and thai spicy. We went with medium and it was great. Spicy enough that you'd need a beverage, but not hot that it overpowered the seafood. Pad thai $12.25 Stir-fried rice stick noodles with egg, bean sprouts, chive, and peanut. We ordered it with beef. Delicious sauce and tender meat. I'm a sucker for noodles! Also ordered medium spice. Kao pad kiow wan $12.25 Green curry fried rice with bell peppers, basil, and eggplant. Ordered medium spice (always a safe bet, but have a glass of water handy). All 3 entrees were just as tasty the 2nd and 3rd day.

On the hunt to find the best pad Thai in sac! Okay okay been here before and wasn't impressed. Came back tonight for takeout of chicken pad Thai spicy... bomb!!! This time it wasn't greasy. It was amazing! First off the portion size for dinner $16 amazing! So much food, so many leftovers! I ordered takeout over the phone, the person I spoke to was so nice. He asked my spice level and what protein I wanted. I also said no bean sprouts and they accommodated. Inside the restaurant is clean, put together and nice looking! Now the real question is is Thai canteen better than orchard Thai! Support local and try them both!

For late night Thai food, this is a goto after some drinks around downtown. We always stop here for some soup before heading home. We like getting their boat noodles. It's not as authentic as some Thai restaurants, but the base of the flavor is close enough and there. We love the side condiments of chilis they have. Service is quick and fast. It's not your typical dine in restaurant. More of a order and self serve. However they do bring you your food. Fast pace and quick with service. Can get a little loud as so many people come and go. But there's plenty of seating inside and out that you can find a spot to enjoy your meal.

I absolutely LOVE Thai Canteen. I've been coming here for as long as I can remember. You order at the counter, grab a number, and find your own table. The service is pretty quick but the place can get busy, especially at night. Their Pad Thai is my favorite in all of the Sac/Elk Grove area. Random, but I came around Halloween and the guy taking my order could tell how scared my little cousin was of the big spider at the register. He hid the spider and then gave him a piece of candy and I thought that was super sweet haha.