Mango Thai

this place is no longer in business!!!

I had never been here and decided to use a coupon from
and check it out. I pulled up into the parking lot and realized it was in a strip mall and there were only about 3 other cars total parked there. I wasn’t sure if it was open. As I walked inside, I was still unsure. My husband and I were the only ones there in the entire restaurant (besides the 1 waitress). Eventually a few more people showed up. The place needs some tlc. Its very outdated and worn. There was plenty of items from the menu that sounded appetizing and I was hoping this place was just a hidden gem. I ordered a sampler of egg rolls, fried crab cheese, fried tofu and chicken satay. Half of it came out burnt. However, the thai iced tea was very good, and mine and my husband’s main course came out hot and tasted fine. Also, we were able to customize the spiciness of our food. The waitress was friendly and I believe either a cook or the owner, unsure, came out to ask how everything was. Overall, I wasn’t overly impressed, probably won’t come back. I felt a little sorry for the place. I can tell they try.

We were going out on a date night in the area and we both love Thai food so decided to stop by here before going out. The empty parking lot on a Saturday night should have warned us before hand. We were the only 2 people in there the entire time. I’m constantly surprised by Thai restaurants ability to decorate their interior no matter how hole in the wall their exterior looks. This place did not live up to that stereotype, and the hole in the wall exterior extended to the interior with dirty fish tanks, but I did like the turtle tank so I gave it a 1 instead of a 0.
The waitress was ok, no real complaints about her, but what was amazing to me is that I ordered Lemon Grass soup and my wife ordered chicken curry. About 10+ mins after we ordered the waitress comes out and says «We don’t have any mushrooms for the soup can we substitute shrimp instead?» To which I agreed. A couple minutes later she comes back out and to my wife says «Oh we don’t have any potatoes either do you want broccoli in your curry?» My wife declined and I suggested they put an extra handful of chicken in it to which the waitress agreed. Then it dawned on us don’t potatoes take the longest to cook? How is 15 mins since we ordered and you’re JUST now realizing that you don’t have potatoes. Also shouldn’t potatoes and especially mushrooms be pretty standard items in a Thai restaurant to have on a Saturday night? I mean if your out by Saturday where are you going to go to get your supply for the rest of the weekend?
When the food finally came out it was a little off. My wife described the lemon grass soup as licking a lemon flavored hand wipe, and the Yellow chicken curry didn’t taste right to me either. Maybe the potatoes didn’t absorb whatever they were supposed to and made it taste off, not sure but it just wasn’t that good. A few minutes into the meal a sweaty women wearing a stained t-​shirt comes out and asks how the food was. (Sort of like the well dressed managers/​owners in ties do at good restaurants only the exact opposite). I murmur that it was good and she says «Oh too spicy for you?» no it was not it just wasn’t good. Again my wife and I were the only people in the restaurant the entire time we were there so I don’t understand why she came out dripping sweat like she had been slaving away preparing a meal for a full restaurant.
A few minutes later a man comes out of the kitchen in stained T-​shirt, headed to the bathroom, and just looked over-​all dirty with very dirty hands/​forearms like he had been out back picking the basil leaves himself for the soup (which would have been awesome if that was the case, but I suspected it was not and it was just disgusting instead). I mentioned to my wife «There is not a single person working here tonight that I would want preparing or touching my food.» Oh and the shrimp they substituted for mushrooms? I got 2. My wife and I left the restaurant with half eaten meals and feeling a bit nauseated.

After taking the Valley Metro Limo to Mesa (outside my normal zone), the little «Gotta have THAI» gnome popped up on my shoulder. Checking my handy Unilocal mobile app showed me that Mango Thai was on my path home, with only 2 blocks’ walk from my Limo route. I called ahead to be sure Som Tom was on the menu, and when the person on the phone asked about how long it would be before I arrived, I advised 20 minutes.
I arrived at the restaurant at 12:30 pm. It is located in the middle of a strip mall, with nothing more than a handmade sandwich board sign that says Thai Food to indicate the restaurant from the street. The door has the name on it, and the hours the place is open. I opened the door, walked in and approached the wait station. Seconds later, hostess/​waitress greeted me. I let her know my name and that I had called in my order. She seated me and let me know she would be back in a moment with my lunch.
Looking around, I saw 12 booths and 4 tables, seating and space for about 60. While the place was a bit dark, everything looked clean. The fans above were a bit wobbly as they kept the interior comfortable. While only one other patron was seated, the phone rang constantly and I saw a pretty steady flow of folks coming in to pick up their orders.
Waitress returned with my lunch, Som Tom and steamed rice. She asked what I would like to drink and returned with water quickly.
A properly prepared Som Tom is an artwork that brings flavors of sweet, sour, salty and spicy together in a harmonious combination that allows each to sing. There should be clearly definable notes of lime, fish sauce and garlic in the mixture, with the sweet coming from tomato and palm sugar in the salad. I got notes of everything, but the spice was not quite there.
When I placed my order, I asked for Thai Hot. Sometimes, it works and sometimes it does not. On my initial sampling of the salad, I evaluated the spice level at about 4 (5 makes my nose run, 8 makes my forehead sweat and 10 brings a tear to my eyes). The waitress looked my way and I waved her over, requesting more chili. She returned to the kitchen and quickly brought fresh chopped Thai chile. I doctored the salad and continuted to enjoy.
Portion size on the salad was about 1 ¼ cups, reasonable for the price. Normally, Som Tom is served either on a cabbage leaf or with a wedge of cabbage. This version was served with an accompaniment of spring greens. The choice was visually appealing, though it offered no real benefit to the papaya.
Steamed rice, which I order to enjoy the dressing from the salad with, was nearly overdone… as if too much water had been used. Pouring the dressing from the salad over the rice just did not deliver the sensation I enjoy, as the rice was just too soft.
The steady stream of lunch patrons picking up food tells me they have a following, and the somewhat hidden location is not suffering. I will return to try other options on their menu.

I was very impressed.
A sweet waitress with a winning smile greeted me as soon as I walked in, seated me immediately, gave me time to read my menu since it was my first time here, and brought my glass of water right away.
I asked for a recommendation and was told the Basil Chicken was one of the more popular dishes. I decided to get it and requested it mild. My plate arrived expeditiously and was absolutely delicious. The ingredients were good quality and fresh, it was very well-​prepared and perfectly seasoned.
Everything around me looked and felt clean. By felt, I mean it was a joy to rest my elbows on a tabletop that didn’t feel all sticky like so many places.
The décor is not fancy but very simple with pretty flowers at each table. Both the tables and table service look appealing when you walk in and the silverware and plates weren’t totally cheap quality like in so many places.
This was one if those meals where it tasted so good I couldn’t stop taking «just one more bite» (repeat till plate is empty).
Would I go back? Well, let’s just say I asked to see their lunch menu and was already plotting what I would try the next time I came in. Since it is only about a block from my motel I’m sure to be back!
Update: A couple weeks after the first visit I felt like I was coming down with s bad cold and just wanted soup. Since I couldn’t find any Jewish Deli in the area I opted to come in here and ordered the Tom Yum Soup. I wondered why it was $ 8.99 – till I saw it. It was in a huge metal tureen with a fire lit under it and it was delicious. It was extremely hot, as in spicy, even though I had ordered it at a level two. But it sure cleaned out my sinuses, haha! I are till I was full and got a container to bring the rest back to my motel, where I finished it later that night. Man it was good.
An older lady was my server this time and she was extremely nice, even offered to take the soup back to add more broth to cut the spiciness. I told her that wasn’t necessary. Now, what shall I have next time???

We went with high hopes. We were seated and waited 20 minutes (no exaggeration) without anyone coming to our table. We tried to get the attention of the waitress as she passed and she actually looked the other way. I We ended up leaving without even being able to try it.

Unfortunately I can’t give this place a 5 because of the horrible condition of the restaurant both inside and out. There was a pile of trash in front of the door, not in a trash bag, just piled across from the door. The interior was extremely dated and only partially decorated. We would have left before even ordering if we weren’t craving thai food so badly.
We ordered the crab wontons to start and they looked horrible, but tasted delicious. I ordered the Drunken Noodle and my husband ordered the Mango Curry. We shared and both were absolutely delicious. I loved the fact that when I asked for it extremely spicy, they listened. I would never want to sit in this place and eat again, unless they completely remodeled, but I would definitely place an order to go. If you like curry, the Mango Curry is an absolute must!

Wish i could give ZERO stars
I took the previous Unilocalers advice and scored a groupon for this place for dinner tonight
From the second we walked in the door I know this was not going to be a good experience. We walked in and there was no staff in sight, we decided to seat ourselves. 5 minutes later the girl came over with some water, with no ice, and said she would be right back. no hello and she didnt even bother to ask us if we wanted anything else to drink besides water. 10 mins later she finally came back over and took our order.
it took 14 minutes from the time we ordered for us to receive our crab wontons which came out extremely greasy and seemed to be missing the crab.
22 minutes after ordering my drunken noodles came out, and after having to ask for silverware to eat i noticed they were seriously lacking some veggies…
the worst part of this meal is probably the fact that my boyfriends green curry did not come out until 14 minutes after i had received my entrée! i was almost done eating when it did come out! then to top everything off, the eggrolls we had ordered came out LAST, 42 minutes after first placing the order… and were full of grease and burnt to a crisp!
now if all that wasnt bad enough, this next part is what really gets me…
i used a $ 30 groupon tonight… everything we had totaled to around $ 30… then she comes over with a bill saying we still owe $ 8 for gratuity. I tell her I’m not paying a penny more than that groupon and tell her that if i hadnt had that groupon, which was only good tonight, i wouldnt have even bothered staying for the whole meal. She even tried to get the ONLY other customer in the place involved in our argument! then she proceeds to follow us out the door, screaming at me telling me im cheap, and throws the dish with the sweet and sour sauce out the door in front of me!
i will NEVER be back and will be telling everyone i know about this horrific and somewhat comical experience…
No wonder this place has to offer groupons all the time, they wouldnt have ANY customers anywise!
AFTER POSTING THIS REVIEW I RECEIVED THESE MESSAGES FROM THEM:
«i \you horrible cheap person… you know we are busy and you not kindness we have all night nice people, except you if you don t want to wait just go, e kewewwwwww
why you dont tell everyone how you cheap e kkkk»
and
«i will put your pic. in front my door and tell everyone you not pay money ok»
super professional!

I placed an order online. Pick up in 10 to 20 minutes. 12 minutes later I arrive. 18 minutes later the owner comes walking up with two bags of ice. She asked if I placed an order online. I said yes. She just got the order. The place is still locked up. Do I want to pick it up? It has not been started. That was 18 minutes into a 10 – 20 minute order. No thanks.

Don’t let the décor fool you. This is really an unpolished gem in a corner just like a typical Thai restaurant. The food is far superior than many places that I’ve been to and the service can’t be friendlier. They offer great specials on Groupon,
, as well as online takeout special with discount card given there. The lunch goes from $ 4.95−6.95 with generous portion and dinner runs from $ 8.50−13 for seafood. The Thai owner works there and she is a fabulous cook with great knife skills plus superb expertise on seasoning. Don’t miss the papaya salad, Pad Thai, Curry dishes, as well as Spicy chicken with Bamboo shoots. I have returned many times and had wonderful meal each and every time. She never failed to check in with you and make sure you absolutely love it. I tend to like my food with a spicy kick and she can really deliver – just like the way I’ve had it in Thailand.

Samurai Pad Thai, you are so delicious! I would eat you everyday.
We purchased a «Groupon Now» for this place tonight — $ 15 for $ 30 worth of food. I’m so glad we tried it out. This is the 3^rd Thai place we’ve tried since moving to this part of town and I’ve had Pad Thai and all three and this was the best. The portion was just right, the shrimp was actually delicious I loved that I received a yummy chilli sauce on the side.
My bf had the Samurai Shrimp Curry and was quite pleased with his dish as well.
Great flavors, great spice, nice presentation, yummy smoothies and decent prices. The service was a tad slow but that really didn’t bother us at all. It wasn’t that bad.
We will be back.

A little off putting at first, look, location, etc. The staff was VERY friendly, and there were overall good reviews, so we gave it a shot. Ordered the spring rolls… not so good. We also ordered Panang and Yellow curry. By far the best yellow curry I’ve ever had. The panang was awesome too! The owner replaced our spring rolls for egg rolls. Great service. Mango sticky rice was great! Price was very reasonable. I’d definitely go back again!

I found myself in the middle of a strange city (Mesa), I was down the street shopping, hungry, and armed with the Unilocal app on my iphone. I saw a Unilocal $ 12 for $ 24, a groupon $ 15 for $ 30, and a Unilocal check in offer. Decisions, which deal to choose. Most of their meals are anywhere from $ 10-​$ 12 with tax, so choose accordingly.
We walked in saturday at 6:00 pm, and there was no one else here. My initial thought was that everyone else *might* just know something I don’t; perhaps I should find another spot I eat. I reluctantly decided to stay, then ordered the green curry and yellow curry.
A few moments into our meal another couple came in to eat also, which made me feel better, if not just for the restaraunt operator, but for myself also. I’m normally a bit leary of a restaraunt with no customers. Maybe this is just how it is in middle of Mesa, I’m not really an authority on that particular subject though. I usually hang in and around the Phoenix mid-​town area.
The food was great! Though I did like the yellow curry better than the green; which is what I would suggest if your looking for curry. Go ahead and order it spicy, it was good. They brought the bill and there was a discrepancy. The Unilocal check-​in offer was clearly $ 15 and they adjusted the check for 15%. I think the check in offer is SUPPOSED to be 15% and not $ 15, but they still honored it. I felt obliged and gave them a bigger tip than I ever do; an extra 10% on top of my usual.
Over all a nice spot to calm your inner Thai-​ger. Happy dining all you Unilocalers!

Came here with my 3 yr old on a groupon. Didn’t know what to expect but for a discounted $ 3 coupon I got $ 15 worth so def worth it. The fried rice was excellent along with my other dish i ordered. The Thai tea was very good as well. The dessert we ordered was fried banana and ice cream. Excellent all around. Don’t let the shady strip mall scare you away. Good and not so pricey. Will come back soon!

Enjoyed lunch here today on our way to Bookman’s with a friend who had never tried Thai food. We ate every last bit of the panang the server/​cook/​hostess brought. This leads to my only gripe: she was so busy in the kitchen that arriving guests were ignored until they trekked into the kitchen to find her. They definitely need a bell on the door! That said, Mango Thai is reasonable and delicious — worth the hunt.

I wish I lived in Mesa so I could eat here every day! Everything was cooked to perfection and the service was excellent.

Great for vegetarians! Good for Thai food fans. Mango Thai is not very pretty. It is in a strip mall and the inside is plain and empty. The food, on the other hand, was very tasty and plentiful. They have many veggie options on the menu, as well as a large all-​veg menu. I had panang curry tofu and was quite pleased. They got the spice absolutely perfect. The meal came with a vegetarian eggroll and a vegetable soup. I enjoyed both.
It wasn’t the best Thai restaurant I’ve been to, but it was good and the price was right. I would advise Mango Thai to drastically decrease the offerings. There was way too much on the menu for me to go through.
I will be back.

I had high hopes for this place. We were drawn in by the vegan and vegetarian signs. There are tons of signs. On the other hand, we came in at dinner time on a saturday and the place was empty; literally. We were handed menus and were shocked to see it was a regular restaurant with small vegetarian section. We were about to leave and told them we thought it was a veggie restaurant and then we were handed veggie menus.
We ordered soy beef noodle soup and the waitresses was gonna put in an order for real beef. We had to tell her four times. Needless to say we were very worried. The cook came out and double checked our order and assured us we ordered vegetarian dishes.
The soup was good. However after our meal, their credit card machine was down and someone had to call in the card number over the phone. The cook (owner??) seemed really nice and she said she was veggie and was transitioning the restaurant. In my opinion this place could benefit from going 100% veg and advertising.

I judge all Thai places by their Pad Thai. It’s a staple of the Thai cuisine. Unfortunately, Mango Thai’s version is poorly executed. The noodles were drenched in a dark red sauce that reminded me of marinara. The dish was heavy, and sweeter than it should have been.
I was with a large group of seven people. The restaurant only has one cook, and our food came out in staggered waves. I might not have minded the wait so much, had I not seen two other restaurant employees sitting at a table talking. Why weren’t they helping in the kitchen? No wonder the chef was overwhelmed!!! I got my food first, the last dish came out about 20 minutes later.
Surprisingly, our waitress was the same woman who served me and my husband on a previous dinner at Jasmine Café in Gilbert (see my other review). She was better this time around, but still not as attentive or helpful as I would have liked.

Don’t be fooled by the outside plaza, this place is good. Really good stuff. It has a mom and pop kind of a feel coming inside. Totally family owned. Fresh and great ingredients. There is a spice factor multiplier here. I usually an handle my spiciness, but after coming here it definitely brought my A-​game to a whole new level. If you feel like a «4» on the spicy level. go with a 3! The food does take awhile to get prepared, so plan out your time accordingly. Pad Thai is great!