Elmhurst, Queens may be one of the most ethnically diverse neighborhoods on Earth — and for Thai food specifically, it is the undisputed capital of New York City. Long before Midtown got its first passable pad see ew, Thai immigrants from northeastern Thailand (the Isan region) settled along Woodside Avenue and turned a stretch of Queens into what is now officially known as Little Thailand. Street signs along the avenue say so.
If you have only been eating Thai food in Manhattan, you have been doing it wrong. Here is your guide to Elmhurst’s Thai food scene — the Michelin stars, the cash-only legends, the regional specialists, and the market worth hitting on your way in.
Quick Bites: The Elmhurst Thai Cheat Sheet
- Zaab Zaab (76-04 Woodside Ave) — Michelin Bib Gourmand, Isan specialist, the NYT 3-star that put this street on the map
- Ayada Thai (77-08 Woodside Ave) — A 2008 original and neighborhood anchor, NYT Top 100
- SaRanRom Thai (81-10 Broadway) — Multi-year Michelin Bib Gourmand, dishes from all across Thailand
- Chao Thai (85-03 Whitney Ave) — Cash only, BYOB, one of NYC’s longest-running Thai legends
- Hug Esan (77-16 Woodside Ave) — Small, women-owned, cash/Venmo only, ferocious Isan cooking
- Spicy Shallot (77-01 Woodside Ave) — Neighborhood workhorse since 2005, open daily until 11pm
Getting There
Take the M or R train to Elmhurst Ave or the 7 train to 82nd Street-Jackson Heights and walk south. The heart of Little Thailand is concentrated along Woodside Avenue between 76th and 78th Streets, with SaRanRom a few blocks down Broadway. You can hit four or five restaurants in an afternoon without moving your car — or even flagging a cab.
The Heavy Hitters
Zaab Zaab — 76-04 Woodside Ave, Elmhurst, NY 11373
Start here. Zaab Zaab is the restaurant that put Elmhurst’s Isan cuisine firmly on the national food media radar when Pete Wells of The New York Times awarded it three stars and a place on the paper’s 100 Best Restaurants list. It has held its Michelin Bib Gourmand status and the lines have not gotten any shorter.
The food is specifically northeastern Thai (Isan) — which means funky, herbaceous, fiery, and fermented in ways that might surprise you if your only Thai reference is a pad thai from a midtown lunch spot. Order the larb ped udon (duck breast and fried duck skin over noodles), the rotisserie chicken marinated in coriander and lemongrass, and the Zaab Zaab wings. The hot pots are worth coming back for.
Hours: Mon–Fri 11:30am–3:30pm and 4:30pm–11pm; Sat 9am–11pm; Sun 9am–9:30pm
Ayada Thai — 77-08 Woodside Ave, Elmhurst, NY 11373
Ayada opened in 2008 under chef Duangja “Kitty” Thammasat, who named the restaurant after her daughter, and it has been a neighborhood anchor ever since. The menu is expansive in a way that rewards adventurous ordering — the New York Times specifically called out the fish basil (a whole fried red snapper in basil sauce with long hot chili and mushroom), the rib-eye with drunk noodles, and the crispy duck panang curry. Regulars will tell you to ignore the first page of the menu and go straight to the specials board.
Ayada has expanded to Chelsea Market in recent years, but the Elmhurst original is the one you want. The noise level is part of the experience.
Hours: Mon–Fri 11:30am–10pm; Sat–Sun 11am–10pm | Phone: (718) 424-0844
The Michelin Dark Horse
SaRanRom Thai — 81-10 Broadway, Elmhurst, NY 11373
While Zaab Zaab gets the press, SaRanRom has quietly maintained its Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition year after year — 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025 — making it one of the most consistent bargain-Michelin addresses in the entire city. The menu spans all of Thailand rather than focusing on one region, which makes it a great choice if you are eating with people who are newer to the cuisine. The boat noodle soup is consistently cited as among the city’s best.
Hours: Daily 11:30am–10pm | Phone: (347) 808-0545
The Cult Classics
Chao Thai — 85-03 Whitney Ave, Elmhurst, NY 11373
Chao Thai has been doing this longer than most of the newer spots on this list combined. Cash only. BYOB. Service that is more focused on getting you fed than making you feel welcome — and once you eat here, you will understand why people keep coming back despite (or because of) all of that. The kitchen specializes in dishes you will not find on a standard Thai menu anywhere, and the heat level is non-negotiable. Bring cash, bring your own beer, and bring an appetite.
Hours: Mon–Fri 11am–10pm | Phone: (718) 424-4999 | Cash only, BYOB
Hug Esan — 77-16 Woodside Ave, Elmhurst, NY 11373
Next door to the Zaab Zaab and Ayada cluster, Hug Esan is smaller, more personal, and fiercely regional. This is a family and women-owned restaurant specializing in Isan cuisine from northeastern Thailand — papaya salads, grilled meats, and fermented flavors that hit differently than central Thai food. The portions are generous and the prices are gentle. Come hungry. Also: cash or Venmo only, and closed Thursdays.
Hours: Mon–Wed, Fri–Sun 12pm–3:30pm and 4:30pm–9pm | Closed Thursdays | Cash/Venmo only
Spicy Shallot — 77-01 Woodside Ave, Elmhurst, NY 11373
The neighborhood workhorse. Spicy Shallot opened in 2005, making it one of the oldest restaurants on the strip, and it has remained a reliable go-to for authentic home-style Thai with late hours (open until 11pm daily). The menu is broad, the prices are fair, and it takes no reservations — just walk in and eat. An unusual addition: they also have a Japanese sushi bar, which sounds odd but somehow works as a neighborhood multi-purpose spot.
Hours: Daily 11:30am–11pm | Phone: (718) 672-5266
Before or After: Pata Market
Before you sit down anywhere on the strip, stop by Pata Market, one of the small Thai grocery stores that anchor the Little Thailand neighborhood. They carry a rotating selection of prepared salads, stir fries, and Thai desserts to go, plus a wide range of imported Thai pantry staples. It is a great way to taste things at low stakes before you commit to a full sit-down meal — or a way to bring some of the neighborhood home with you.
The Big Picture: Why Elmhurst Thai Is Different
Thai food in NYC outside of Elmhurst tends to be softened: less fermented fish sauce, dialed-back heat, familiar dishes done competently for a broad audience. What makes Elmhurst different is that the primary audience here is the Thai community itself. The restaurants were not opened to introduce Thai food to New Yorkers — they were opened to feed Thai New Yorkers. That distinction runs through everything: the ingredient sourcing, the preparation, the parts of the pig that make it onto the menu, the default spice level.
If you are used to midtown Thai, expect to recalibrate.
If you are already a regular out here, you already know. Tell a friend.
Looking for more Queens food? Our guide to Filipino food in Woodside covers the neighborhood right next door, and our cheap eats under $15 guide has Queens well represented throughout.
