Thai Restaurants in Milwaukee
EE Sane Thai Cuisine
1806 N. Farwell Avenue
Milwaukee WI 53202
414-224-8284
Tucked into an unremarkable and deserted-looking storefront on Milwaukee’s East Side, EE Sane does not exactly welcome customers with visual appeal from the exterior or ambience on their interior. In fact, with one look inside the blinds, passerby might mistake this Thai food hideout for a low-quality Chinese buffet. But as we know, appearances can be deceiving, and EE Sane is a classic example of a hole-in-the-wall restaurant with phenomenal food.
Serving both Thai dishes and some Lao cuisine, EE Sane serves the best Thai food in Milwaukee. Though its atmosphere is sorely lacking compared to its downtown peers, the quality and value at EE Sane are unmatched in Milwaukee. Portions are notably large, and patrons end up toting leftovers home.
EE Sane won’t tone down your Thai unless you ask for it. The food is spicy by nature, and you’ll have to tell them what your taste buds can handle, on a scale of 1 to 10. Recommended dishes include the volcano chicken (with a savory brown sauce), curry squash (a favourite among vegetarians), and koi beef (actually a Lao dish). I tried a “Level 6” for a curry dish and couldn’t imagine anything higher without crying.
Popular with vegetarians due to its robust menu and many meat-free options, EE Sane is a great place to take a group who can’t agree on food. They have so many entrees that it can take forever to decide on your order, which is convenient because the service is slow and inattentive. Unlike some small owner-operated ethnic restaurants with stellar service, the servers at EE Sane are usually preoccupied or invisible.
Despite its utter lack of atmosphere and the low-quality service, I must stand by my assertion that the food is first-rate. Perhaps the best way to enjoy EE Sane’s cuisine is to order it to go. If you live anywhere on the East Side of Milwaukee, you’ll be home in time to enjoy a dish that’s hot in more ways than one.
The King and I
823 N. 2nd Street
Milwaukee, WI 53203
414-276-4181
A (relatively) regal establishment in downtown Milwaukee, The King and I is the Thai restaurant that hotel staff and convention planners often recommend to the city’s visitors, though you’d have to wonder if they’ve ever eaten there. It suffers from the opposite problem as EE Sane: the atmosphere is pleasant, the service is superior, and the food is sorely lackluster.
While you’re enjoying the wall art and other attractive furnishings, you might develop a high expectation for the food based on the context. But I’ve encountered numerous taste snafus at the King and I, the most notable being a greasy, oil-laden curry and a volcano chicken so dry and bland that it must have originated in an extinct crater. A fellow diner also received pad thai that was, at best, tepid in temperature.
As if the poor cuisine is not disappointing enough, the tab is higher than you’ll find at any other Thai restaurant in Milwaukee. I’d recommend skipping The King and I altogether, but if you’re insistent on trying it, go for lunch and not dinner.
Thai Palace
838 N. Old World Third Street
Milwaukee, WI 53203
414-224-7076
Just a short walk from The King and I is a far better choice: Thai Palace. Smaller and unassuming, Thai Palace will delight with quality food served quickly. Of the three Milwaukee Thai establishments reviewed here, Thai Palace is the most balanced, serving entrees that will flare your nostrils and try your taste buds in a well-kept setting.
Ginger-seasoned pork dishes, as well as garlic chicken and shrimp, are recommended. Instead of EE Sane’s 1 to 10 scale, your friendly Thai Palace server will ask if you want your meal “Thai Style,” meaning with the most punch they’ll produce for a guest. Being somewhat of a volcano chicken connoisseur, I opted to make this dish strong and spicy, ending up with something equivalent to a 5 o 6 at EE Sane.
Prices are more reasonable here than at The King and I, with many entrees under $10. If you’re in downtown Milwaukee for the theatre or the symphony, part ways with the exiting crowd and opt for Thai Palace. For lunch, you’ll find that Thai Palace’s specials are popular with the downtown business crowd.
