The Y Eatery

The food is pretty decent for the price I paid. I had their pad Thai shrimp with beef and broccoli on the side, along with a park eggroll. The pad Thai could use more fish sauce or flavor. The other food were fine. I will be coming back to try their curry.

The Y Eatery has decent, if not spicy, cuisine that is a mix between Chinese and Thai. It is adequately cheap, the owner is fantastic and there is usually a freebie, from the owner, thrown onto the meal for coming to eat there. The vegetarian options are great too; I go when I am hungry but do not feel like going too far from campus. I like the «authentically fake» Thai iced coffee here too.

«Yay! I’m a fan.»
In the interest of a sincere and reliable review, let me preface this by saying that this is NOT phenomenal Thai food. You’ll have to get off campus (and out of this town, probably) for that. It is cafeteria-​style with basic dishes like pad thai, curry, and basil chicken. I think it’s good for what the style and resources of this place imply. The food itself is not a compelling reason to come here.
What is a compelling reason is how close it is to the quad. I have a schedule that can keep me near Armory and Wright until 8 or 9pm, so it’s difficult to find a place I can dash in and out of and that serves decent food. Many lunches have been spent inhaling my sad, but delicious, meal bars.
Queue Y Eatery. Y Eatery is a godsend (heh…). It’s right next to my classes, it’s fast, the portions are enough to keep you eating for lunch AND dinner, and the owners are just clearly top-​notch people.
So many times I have never noticed this place because it’s inside the YMCA. It’s kind of a weird place to be located, but oh-​so-​convenient. The owners said that they had a large sign once but it was stolen soon after it was put up. They wanted to know how I had found them since they’re so hidden, and they were really glad to see that word had gotten out.
Something that really affected my experience here, and I want to be clear about this being a factor in my review, was how wonderful the owners are. They are welcoming, funny, and they take care of you. I have never had a dining experience like this. Ever.
A point of clarification: One of the old reviews said that it’s cash only, but it’s currently not.

I like this place, the people serving there are so smiley and sweet. Kind of like the Asian grandparents/​uncles/​aunts that I never had (I’m not Asian, go figure). The pad thai is solid, and it’s very cheap. I’ve never tried anything else, but I will assume it’s like the pad thai. Come hungry cause they give you a lot of food.

This is a strange but very appropriate place for a college campus. There are many eateries to enjoy the «notaburger» here at UIUC. A short walk from the Quad and the Y-​Thai fulfills that yummy request. Daily specials look great. The humbleness of it all puts the emphasis on the food which is great. I enjoyed my shrimp pad Thai and the quiet resolution one gets from sitting in a cafeteria like setting where everyone around you is enjoying the same feeling: good food for a good price.

So this place is interesting in that it has not stayed static, is only open during the academic term, and has the ambience of, well, the Y. I’ve eaten here a bunch of times since I work nearby, and have always enjoyed the food.
At the beginning of 2014 a new group of folks began running Thai at the Y. Low and behold, it’s even better. I’m floored at the graciousness of the gentleman running the place and the food is even better than last semester.
Happily, there is a new Chinese portion of their menu. The food is fresh and good. I’ve enjoyed the crab Rangoon, the chicken fried rice, the General Tso’s Chicken, the pad Thai. Note that the pad Thai is a whole lot spicier than it was in December 2013. Even still, I think it is better.
It’s worth your time to stop.

The food is OK, but their portion is kind of too small even though their lunch special costs under $ 7.

When I worked on campus the Y Eatery, universally known as the Y-​Thai, was a regular place for lunch, Inside the YMCA on Wright Street, you get a tray and go to the counter, tell them what you want (from a menu on the board), and they serve up an ample portion of whatever it is that you request. They will even (sometimes) tell you that something is not up to par today and recommend something else.
You take your tray to a table in one of the other rooms at the Y, and enjoy. To my taste the food is OK. Not spicy enough, even the things that are supposed to be spicy. I suspect others agree, as the chile condiment bowl is almost always empty. (I’d give an extra star if it were filled more often, but then, this is campus town and anything free is likely to vanish quickly). The food is always plentiful and never greasy. If you order tofu or meat pad thai you will find it is very good. More noodles and less cabbage than I like, but tasty and with plenty of meat or tofu or seitan. The basil dishes always use fresh basil even in winter and are a favorite. A lot of rice, tofu, basil, and veggies for about five bucks, a deal that is hard to beat on campus these days.
The staff is always the same and very friendly. Once or twice I’ve seen them tell someone to pay tomorrow when the patron didn’t have enough money. That is something that doesn’t happen on campus! Yes, I’ve seen it in town, where they know their patrons. But this place serves hundreds of students daily. I’m always amazed that they make it feel like a small town diner!
You sometimes end up sharing a table with others, and this is expected. Most of the round tables seat five and the rectangular ones seat eight to ten. Nobody has ever complained when I ask if I can join them. Maybe because it is the Y? This wouldn’t happen at a campus coffee house. But the friendliness of the staff seems to rub off o n the patrons,
I will add that I am not a fan of their egg rolls and spring rolls. Fried spring rolls are not my thing, and the egg roles are the only thing I’ve had that have been a bit greasy. Some friends do like them, so I guess it is a personal preference thing. I don’t know if I’ve tried everything or not, but the egg roles are the only thing I’ve discovered that I didn’t like much. As I said, it is not gourmet and not spicy, but it is very filling, relatively healthy, and about as tasty as food gets on campus.

I was suffering through some pretty mediocre pad Thai the other day, and began to reminisce about better incarnations of said dish that I’ve had in the past. I came to the conclusion that, even though I haven’t been there in eight years, the Y Eatery is definitely my go-​to example of Pad Thai amazingness.
Somehow they strike the perfect balance of everything — it’s not greasy, but the noodles aren’t dry either. It’s spicy enough to be flavorful, but not overwhelming, and the tofu is good quality. It’s super cheap, too!
Seriously, if had a private jet and a staff to do my bidding, there’s a fair chance that I’d send them on a Y-​Thai run now and then. If you are in Champaign, go to the Y Eatery! I’m very jealous.

I love writing reviews about places that are basically right in the middle of the quad on the U of I campus with super fast service so that you can pick it up between class and is super cheap! It’s kind of hidden, but you should be able to find a sign in front with signs to direct inside. Try the curry and bring cash!

This hidden away small eatery has the best Thai food in town. The prices are reasonable and there must be some addictive enzyme they add to the food because I can’t seem to get enough of it. My favorite dish is the turkey/​shrimp pad Thai. Unfortunately it has ruined my eating pad Thai anywhere else since this is the best.

This is a great place to get pad thai on/​near campus. It is also one of the cheapest. One of my labmates recommended the shrimp and turkey pad thai, and that’s pretty much all I get there. And I can’t say I’ve ever been disappointed.
The shrimp are usually nicely cooked and you get a fair amount for the low price. The noodles are oily and delicious and it’s always enough to fill me up. Some days it is a little more spicy than others.
The egg rolls are also cheap and not bad, but the shrimp and turkey pad thai is where it’s at. There’s only one or two other thai places I know of within walking distance from campus (at least, for my lunch break) and they are much more expensive, and I don’t think the food is any better.
Basically, the Y eatery gives you tasty, cheap, fast pad thai with few frills. Absolutely perfect for when you are having a lousy day and need a food pick me-​up, or after teaching a bunch of discussions. and it really is one of the cheapest places anywhere near campus.

Sorry, but the food is pretty awful. The price is right and the people are friendly, but the food leaves a lot to be desired. I’ve eaten at a lot of Thai restaurants, so I know when I have good Thai food. The food is greasy, bland and unappetizing. Only do I eat there if I’m desperate.

Okay, I’m mean to the Y Eatery. And they really are nice people. The food is subpar, but after four hours of classes once a week, I find I need an emergency carb infusion.
Mediocre Thai food helps. And I feel kinda like I’m helping the Y.
And they only take cash, but if you can’t pay that day, they’ll let you pay the next day, most friendly thing ever, Y. I just wish the food were higher quality.

Ok, so they only have one main dish that people get, the shrimp tofu pad thai. And yes, pad thai is probably the most played out of all Thai foods. Most people couldn’t name a Thai dish past this common one.
But damn, is it good from the Y. Really good.
The pricing isn’t too bad, and service is swift. Location is also prime, right next to the quad. Also, if you pick the right day, the Y sometimes has interesting lectures going on where if you go, there’s a deal on the food.
Disclaimer: I heart the University YMCA

Small Thai eatery hidden inside the University YMCA. I never would have guessed it was there, had my colleagues not taken me there for lunch once. It’s really nothing fancy: you get to pick between three or four dishes (pad thai, curry and a couple others), you pay your 5 bucks and that’s it. But: the food is tasty and filling, and the service is friendly. So it seems to draw the crowds, and there was a line the time I went. I’ll be back for sure.

Inside of the University YMCA on the first floor resides the infamous Y Eatery. Monday thru Friday, Mayuree serves 3 – 4 Thai dishes of her choosing, plus the standard Tofu Pad Thai and Shrimp and Turkey Pad Thai. Come earlier in the day to taste the best quality of her entrees, because as it gets later in the day the food begins to suffer. The bottom line is if you’re looking for cheap Thai on campus, this is a pretty good place to go without paying a whole lot.

If you want affordable Thai food. this is the place to go. It’s more cafeteria style. so like previous reviews boast. they make pre-​made entrees and stick it on a plate. I think the pad thai is reasonable here. and it’s on campus… so it’s a winner. (I still think Golden Wok has the best pad thai in town.) I haven’t tried anything else unfortunately.
I don’t like the lack of décor though. You often have to fight for a table. and the surroundings are not so pleasant. It’s at the YMCA after all. Maybe that’s just me though.

You know how sometimes, you are fond of something in your youth, and then you grow up and move away and experience other versions of that thing, and then you return and you wonder why you ever liked the thing you loved in your youth in the first place? This isn’t like that.
This was the first place to serve Thai food in Champaign-​Urbana. The minute they opened, the quality of life there went up about 300%.
This is a great little lunch spot. I don’t know how many hundreds of times I’ve met a friend at «Y Thai» for lunch. It is a sentimental favorite. Even after moving away and not coming in for months on end, I can still count on being greeted with «Hi! How’s your mom? Where’ve you been?»
The Pad Thai is really good. And cheap! Sometimes I order other things, and they are sometimes good, but I always wonder what I was thinking and go back to the Pad Thai.

Clearly I’m not the only one who learned about Thai from the Y. Now that I’ve had a lot more Thai food, I still fondly recall the pad thai from the Y. Great food, wonderful prices, and always fresh. It was so good, so close to home, and so worth the wait in line.