Cafe Chili
"Instead of waiting for a table at Joya tune out the crowds and house music and head a few blocks north. I'm no Joya hater as I think the place is a value and the food is pretty good but Cafe Chili definitely takes more risks with their menu and the dishes are good to great across the board," says Yelper Ryan P.
Chowhound MShapiro found Cafe Chili's service more pleasant than the food: "We picked up some pad-thai to go and it was OK, nothing special... While waiting, I do remember the staff being especially nice, offering me a beverage, a seat and updating me as to when my food will be ready to go. I found their attentiveness atypical for the neighborhood and because of that will probably try them again."
Eat It: The Brooklyn Food Blog isn't a fan at all: "Cafe Chili used to be Siam Garden which was a lovely spot my family and I used to dine at when I was in high school. It underwent a radical change a few years ago, and I have to say that I was sorely disappointed with my meal." Is Cafe Chili a worthy Joya alternative, or what?
Reviews (9)
BH76 wrote a review on September 4, 2009 12:17 PM
We were long-time Siam Garden goers too. It was a staple before all the other restaurants came. We went here once. It was okay but not inexpensive and there was no reason to ever return with better alterantives available. Still miss the old Siam Garden.
There shouldbe a value of "not worth it." Very overpriced is the same as total rip-off.
duckumu wrote a review on September 4, 2009 12:53 PM
This place is awful and has terrible service. When sitting in the garden we were literally forgotten by our waitress -- we had to go back into the restaurant and fetch her to ask for more water... and then ask for dessert... and then ask for our check.
The food was not worth it.
There are better Thai options, including one very nearby -- Lemongrass on Court btw Amity and Pacific is my choice in the area.
westernnygirl wrote a review on September 4, 2009 2:42 PM
I beg to differ with preceding reviews. This is my favorite Thai restaurant in the nabe, and my daughter's favorite restaurant, period. Always tasty food at reasonable prices, attractive decor, much more relaxing atmosphere than the frenetic Joya and service is perhaps the friendliest around. Sure the food isn't swoon worthy, but it's good and reasonably priced, placing it high on the list on frequently visited.
RaginCajun wrote a review on September 4, 2009 2:47 PM
Anyone praising Siam Garden shouldn't be allowed to comment on Thai food. Two words for Siam Garden: "frozen peas." Outside of nostalgia, Siam had nothing to offer. Lemongrass has more authentic food than that. And Lemongrass is the Tutta Pasta of Thai restaurants.
I think Cafe Chili definitely a decent alternative to Joya. Not as cheap, no, but if you want a quiet dinner with good service and don't feel like shouting to be heard, it's a good place. I think it does lack in some Thai dishes I'm used to at Joya or at home -- hard to tell as they've gone with the Americanization of the menu, rather than with Thai names.
But it's also really consistent -- which Joya isn't.
Of course, one could always head up to Em or Ghang Thai on Smith.
dash wrote a review on September 5, 2009 12:13 PM
We love Cafe Chili. It's one of our favorite places to go when we need to pick up some things at Trader Joe's or the other markets in the area.
Maybe people who live in the area have more options to compare it to. We live in Bed-Stuy, which of course has a shortage of both restaurants and good food markets. It's nice for us to be able to hop on the bus and get dinner and groceries in one trip.
I'm surprised at the low ratings. We've always found the food, service, prices and atmosphere to be excellent. And we both lived in L.A. where Thai food is great, as well as trying Thai restaurants all around the city.
bococaloca wrote a review on September 7, 2009 6:12 PM
I can't believe people think of Cafe Chili as a Joya alternative. I found Cafe Chili by far the most mediocre of the many Thai options in the vicinity. When you get turned off by the lines or noise at Joya, you're far better off heading over to Smith Street and going to Gaang, which has a nice, quiet ambiance and excellent foods (with smaller--albeit adequate--portion sizes than Joya).
bococaloca wrote a review on September 7, 2009 6:13 PM
I can't believe people think of Cafe Chili as a Joya alternative. I found Cafe Chili by far the most mediocre of the many Thai options in the vicinity. When you get turned off by the lines or noise at Joya, you're far better off heading over to Smith Street and going to Gaang, which has a nice, quiet ambiance and excellent foods (with smaller--albeit adequate--portion sizes than Joya).
mhill9 wrote a review on September 21, 2009 9:38 AM
I can't understand all the haterade being poured on Cafe Chili. It's so much better than the previous Siam GArden. Service is great, and the food is really good. This is the ONLY Thai restaurant my family and I will eat at in the neighborhood. May I suggest you try their lightly fried calamari, dumplings, and their drunken noodle dish. For us, these are some of the standouts on the menu. The thai fried rice is also quite good. For me Joya is like an assembly line for Thai food. The dishes at Cafe Chili are made w/ lots of yummy for the tummy spices thrown in. Plus isn't nice to be able to dine in an establishment where you don't have to yell to be heard. Mangia
MT
Cobblehillbaby wrote a review on October 25, 2009 4:21 PM
I think this place sucks! The appetizers are ok, but the entrees were not good overall. The fish was off, but I will give their duck credit. Everyone I know who has had it, does say it's exellent. But what do I know, I grew up on Siam Garden and loved it!
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