Tuk’s Thai Kitchen

This is the best Thai food we’ve found in Milwaukee. My co-​workers and I love sharing it family style so we can sample a couple of different dishes. The food’s always fresh and cooked perfectly, and delivery is fast. I’ve liked all sorts of the main dishes, but I have to get the papaya salad every time.

Another Gem in Riverwest!
This place only does carry out or delivery, so just be mindful of that in case you wanted a sit down experience. I was tempted to give it a 5 but I have had better Thai food before (in Madison) so I have to keep it real. Also, I’m starting to knock down places a star if they still use styrofoam.
I discovered Tuk’s about 3 months ago and now it is my go to for Thai. Prior to Tuk’s it was Thainamite. I can walk there since it is only 3 blocks from my house which saves money. I try not to do delivery since most places charge a fee and then you have to tip the driver so I’m lucky that I have this proximity and can skip those extra costs.
And speaking of costs, I found that the prices for the entrees, soups, etc. were slightly lower than other Thai places in this general area. And the quantity is a good size too.
I have ordered 4 things from Tuk’s so far and the only thing that I wasn’t impressed with were the fresh Spring Rolls. I’m a huge snob about fresh spring rolls cause I have been making them at home for over 10 years and I’ve mastered them. The Coconut Soup (Tom Ka, I think) is delicious (my favorite) and I asked for mixed vegetables instead of tofu or meat. They gave me a nice variety and the vegetables looked fresh cut, not frozen, which is a HUGE plus. I can taste the strong aroma of the lemongrass, the galangal, and the lime. Perfectly balanced. The Pad Thai noodles are really good and you get quite a large portion. I order the tofu and it is $ 7.50. I just wished they added a bit more of the crushed peanuts and more lemon slices though, maybe even some cilantro? Their Coconut Curry (green) was also really good and I requested the same thing as the soup, please add a variety of vegetables, and they did. I love me some broccoli!
I can handle very spicy food but I usually will say medium/​hot just in case and I like this level of heat from Tuk’s. It suits me. Another thing that is great about Tuk’s is that vegans and vegetarians will be very pleased as they make most things from scratch and can accommodate your diet.

My girlfriend and I got Tuk’s one lazy sunday when we didn’t feel like cooking or even getting off the couch for that matter, so we needed some good food delivered to our door. We always enjoy Thai food, and Tuk’s was no different. We had the pad thai with pork and the green curry with chicken. The pad thai was okay, but the green curry was quite delicious. It’s nice having a reliable thai restaurant just down the street.

I am saddened to give a 2 star review. Really, it would be 2.49, but that’s not an option and unfortunately I just can’t justify 3 stars. Old taste, unapproachably hot. But a more affordable price.
First, I like spicy food. But I want to be able to taste some flavors other than flames dancing maliciously on my tongue and lips, stabbing me with needles.
We ordered the Pad-​Kee-​Mao with tofu and the green curry with tofu. They were kind enough to honor our request and sub in some veggies instead of eggplant and bell peppers (yuck!). I appreciated this.
The Pad-​Kee-​Mao was so unbelievably hot. We went through a pint of half and half mixed with milk just to be able to eat about ¹⁄₃ of the dish (between two of us). I think we came close to the gallon challenge. Very disappointing. We ended up throwing it away. Again, we like spicy food. I regularly cook with hot thai chilies (the kind you have to use a glove when prepping or your fingers burn all day). We could tell through the flames blasting from our mouths that there was overall an old (musty even?) taste to the dish.
The green curry was more approachable than the Pad-​Kee-​Mao, perhaps 3 stars. Less radically spicy, still very hot but edible. The problem here was the overwhelming fishiness and general «old» taste. Also of note, the portion size is about half that of Thainamite or Jow Nai.
I really wanted to like this place, and I am sorry to have to give a less than stellar review. It was just too hot, and worse, the underlying taste was not good. Neither dish had any complexity of flavor, just old covered by lots of heat. I have never had more milk in one sitting than I did tonight, not even at Herb Kohl’s milk house.

Initially I thought this restaurant has seating, but that was my bad for not checking the deets. This place is solely for delivery or take out. I ordered the red curry and a Thai iced tea to go, and thankfully, the food was done in five minutes. So speedy! The staff were quite nice. I really liked speaking to them. Once I got home, I ate the food, and it was good enough. It’s not the best Thai I’ve ever had. I did like that it was spicier than most Thai I’ve had in Milwaukee (you’ve been warned!), but I was not blown away by the meal. Maybe it was just the selection I chose, so decide for yourself. :)

This place is excellent. Please eat here more so that they stay in business. My favorite dishes are the Pad see Ew, Panang curry and fresh spring rolls. Everything is delicious. Great friendly mom and pop Thai place. Sooooo good!

Not only is the food amazing. the owners are top notch humans. I hope to see this place stay in the neighborhood

Food delivery guy spilled everything everywhere, so half the soup I ordered wasn’t edible– and soaked in a brown paper bag

Loved it! I always get the sweet green curry when I get Thai food and though this wasn’t the best I’ve ever had, it was the best I’ve had in Milwaukee. The veggie spring rolls were not at all what I was expecting, but quite delicious nonetheless. After one visit this is my default Thai restaurant now.

Order the Pad Se-​ew. It is the go-​to dish for comfort food. Sweet sticky noodles and just crisp veggies. Papaya salad and Larb Gai are great if you like heat.
Regarding Pad Thai — well, recipes vary so much. Theirs could use more tartness and kick, I think. Their menu has so much beyond Pad Thai though.
Yes, it’s takeout and delivery only. Great for eating out of containers on your coffee table while binge-​watching Netflix. The owners offered to walk our order to our house one night when we were delayed by a toddler’s later-​than-​usual bedtime. They have my vote.

This is our new favorite Thai spot! They have the best homemade peanut sauce. The fried rice is fresh and not over sauced or salted. I like the red curry best. It’s ultra convenient, call in your order and it’s ready in under 20 minutes. Seriously, we get take our from Tuk’s at least once a week! It’s that good.

I’ve been to Tuk’s now twice. One time was a week after it opened and once this past weekend. I ordered the same two dishes both times to share with someone else because I wanted to see if it was consistent. It was. With that said, read on…
Chicken Pad Thai — I’ve had Pad Thai in a number of restaurants throughout the US. It’s always my go-​to because it’s a dish that’s pretty hard to mess up. After having it twice at Tuk’s, I have to say that it is very bland in regards to spices and very sweet. To me Pad Thai should have some spice and a bit of a kick to it and Tuk’s is just kind of a bland, sweet, dry taste. I would say that anyone who likes this dish at Tuk’s probably doesn’t actually like Thai food. In terms of Pad Thai I would give this dish ²⁄₅ stars.
Pineapple Fried Rice w/​Chicken — This is on the menu as pineapple fried rice but they happily added chicken to it for me. I will say that the flavor is excellent, big chunks of fresh pineapple, big pieces of chicken, lots of cashew’s. I could easily eat this dish once a week. Tuk’s has this dish down 100%.
I want to love Tuk’s and I do love the pineapple fried rice. I am eager to try other dishes but I definitely won’t try the pad thai again. If the pad thai was the only thing I had ordered there then I would never go back. I will solely eat there because of the fried rice.

We walked over to Tuk’s for some takeout one evening, and were very happy with what we got. Mine was spicier than I expected, but duh, me, it’s Thai food. I love the convenient location

I’m really surprised to see some comments calling the food bland. We ate here for the first time yesterday and were hugely impressed. This is some of the best Thai food I’ve eaten in Milwaukee, a city whose Thai restaurants consistently over-​sugar their dishes and cook their veggies to mush. The food we had was delicious and very flavorful, but not at all too sweet (which I am SO thankful for). The red curry was delightful — very fresh, all the veggies were crisp-​tender and delicious, and the chicken was plentiful, tender and very flavorful. The green papaya salad was crispy and very well flavored, and the beef salad was also perfectly flavored, loaded with red onion (just the way I like it) and the meat was very tender. My one complaint — the green papaya salad is advertised as having prawns, but these were just medium sized, watery-​tasting shrimp — please bring a better shrimp game, Tuk! Your otherwise delicious salad deserves better!
In sum, this is definitely better than a lot of the «best of» Milwaukee Thai restaurants, and I’m so glad to have this addition to our neighborhood. I’ll be a regular customer from now on.

In my experience, restaurants with an amazing location often don’t have great food. To find the best food, it’s often necessary to venture off the beaten path a little. Tuk’s holds true to that. No, there’s presently no dine in option. And yes, there’s still a pizza sign hanging above the corner. However, if you love food, come here.
I moved to Milwaukee a couple years ago and tried almost every Thai place in the city… I ended up finding the Asian market instead and learning how to make my own. With the arrival of Tuk’s, I can go back to getting my beloved Thai take out again. My boyfriend and I have tried a couple of the different appetizers and entrees and everything is amazing.
The spring rolls are the best spring rolls I’ve ever had since they add flavorful mushrooms. The Pad Gra Pow is made with the freshest vegetables, and a tasty, but not overwhelming sauce. The hotness has varied on the couple occasions we’ve had it, but always been within the realm of delicious. The yellow curry has the fresh taste of coconut milk and spices and was so good, my boyfriend actually ordered it for lunch again the day after he first had it for dinner.
So, if you live in the Milwaukee area, I highly recommend making this a monthly, weekly, or daily take out spot for some fresh, delicious Thai food. A legible menu and delivery is available here:
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I stopped in for the first time yesterday evening. It doesn’t seem to be set up much nicer than the 3 or 4 pizza places that have occupied this address within the last four years. I would definitely suggest moving the window to make it a kitchen window where food can be put up for servers to take to the tables in their small dining room. Of course, at this point, the dining room do not currently exist. This place is take out only.
I had the Pad Thai, a dish that is probably the most commonly ordered Thai dish across the United States. I personally have had Pad Thai hundreds of times in my life. Though it is not, y favorite ThaI dish, it is a really good barometer for the food at the restaurant. The barometer for this place read that the food was okay. It wasn’t great. It wasn’t even all too palatable, but it was okay. I did eat it all.
I will be back to try other dishes, but it would sure be nice to sit in a small dining room.

Until I arrived, I didn’t know that Tuk’s Thai Kitchen is take-​out/​delivery only. Typically, I prefer dine-​in establishments. But, I absolutely love Thai food so I was willing to make an exception. The place looks clean and the menu, while somewhat small, includes a few of my favorites (green curry, pad thai). Tuk’s offers appetizers, soups, curries, rice and noodles as well as vegetarian options.
We ordered green curry with chicken and pad kee mao with pork. Tried to order the Thai iced tea but was told they were out. Plan B was Thai iced coffee and they were out of that as well. However, as our food was being prepared, my dining partner spotted a large pitcher of iced tea and a carton of half and half in the fridge within view of the counter. Strange. Our order was prepared within about ten minutes. Before leaving, I opened the bag to double-​check that our order was correct. Nope, we received pad gra prow (rice dish) instead of the pad kee mao (noodle dish) we ordered. We brought it to the attention of the person who took our order. He apologized and admitted it was his error. We accepted the order as is. Just an honest mistake. No worries, we’re flexible people. Still, it would have been nice of him to have offered to correct the error. The mistake was not due to any language barrier. The individual who took our order was a white male who spoke fluent English.
The green curry was bland in flavor and while there were many green beans and enough eggplant and bell peppers, the other ingredients (chicken, bamboo shoots and basil) seemed somewhat scarce. The pad gra prow is described as «spicy» on the menu. However, we felt the need to add our own hot sauce. I’m a lightweight when it comes to spicy food. So, you know it is mild if I’m game for adding hot sauce.
I realize the restaurant is new and may go through some growing pains before they improve. However, I don’t plan to return since I don’t typically like take-​out and there are other solid options for Thai food in town.

I’m so excited to have a new Thai restaurant right in my neighborhood! Saturday night (July 26^th), my old man and I decided that we couldn’t possibly cook after the adventure that was the RW24 (if you don’t know about it, look it up). So, since we knew that Tuk’s had opened a week or so ago, we walked over and placed our order for carry-​out.
We were greeted immediately by Tim (a Milwaukee native who’d lived in California for years), who was incredibly nice. He and his wife, Tuk, are the proprietors. From what I could see, it’s only the two of them — no other staff.
I liked that the menu was relatively small. One of the issues I have with many restaurants is that their menus are too large — too much information to read leads to confusion, bad choices and sometimes, non-​consistent food preparation. In this case, the menu may be small because they’re just starting out & they want to see what works. But I digress…
We started with the Vegetable Spring Rolls — so, so yummy — filled with mushrooms, carrots, taro, cabbage & tofu, fried to a delicate crispiness and golden brown. The sweet & sour sauce on the side was the perfect accompaniment.
I ordered the Pad Se-​Ew with tofu (I’m not a vegetarian, but I like to go meatless now and again).The flat rice noodles were cooked perfectly & the veggies (broccoli and carrots) were crisp-​tender. My only issue is that I felt it was a bit too oily, but the flavors beyond that were delicious — it had a sweet soy sauce glaze, I guess you’d call it, and it worked nicely with the tofu, egg and veggies.
My old man ordered two entrees. Yes. You read that correctly. He ordered the Red Curry with pork, but a few minutes later, decided he wanted the Pad Thai, too. I’m not complaining, since Thai leftovers are always a good thing.
The Red Curry was delicious — it had eggplant, matchstick-​sliced bamboo shoots, peppers, herbs and an extremely flavorful sauce — creamy, spicy & sweet. This was my favorite entrée.
The Pad Thai (also with pork) was lovely, too — it didn’t look exactly like the Pad That I’m used to — it didn’t have that vaguely orange-​y color. But, the flavor! Mildly spicy and sweet with green onion, bean sprouts and crushed peanuts. My old man was left wanting it to be spicier, but I thought it was just right.
The prices are easy on the pocketbook, and they do offer delivery.
I’m looking forward to our next visit — definitely going to try the green curry and the fresh rolls.

I’m so glad I gave this place a try! Tried the pad Thai with tofu and it was delicious, so close to perfection. My only quibble was that the sauce was a bit too sweet, which was easily fixed at home with a little red pepper, soy sauce, and a squeeze of lime. Portions were huge and prices are downright cheap! Will definitely be going back.

Let’s get this party started! Tuk’s just opened and I was the proud third customer! The owners are incredibly nice, coming back home to WI after a couple decades in San Francisco. I chose a safe opener — Pad Thai and the chef, Tuk, gave me some of her Fresh Rolls to try. Both were fantastic! Everything is really fresh and well balanced.
Now, I’ll say this, there are no crab rangoons on the menu YET. When I mentioned my love for them, Tuk said she could make them. They’re starting out with a small menu for now until they get a sense for how much business they’ll be getting. Well, from me, A LOT. Even though the menu is small, by Thai restaurant standards, it has wonderful variety and all of the greatest hits. Many dishes can even be made vegan!
We got to chatting about «spice levels» in dishes. I said that most places here want to know how spicy you like everything. The co-​owner, Tim, explained that most places buy a bunch of dried Thai pepper flakes and add it accordingly: one scoop for 1, two scoops for 2, etc., which is what I expected and that’s fine. Tim explained that if something is spicier then that will be due to a spicier sauce already made by Tuk. This means a nicely blended, more flavorful sauce. Sign me up. What it also means is one word: thoughtful. If my first impression is that the food and menu are thoughtful, I know it’s going to be great. Even if you don’t want a dish made vegan, the fact that it’s an option means they care and every ingredient is chosen for a reason.
It’s just delivery and takeout for now. I feel lucky to have this place so nearby and it’s a wonderful addition to Riverwest. I cannot WAIT to go back and try more things from the menu.