Pinto Thai Kitchen invites customers to slow down. 

The restaurant’s interior is humble and cozy: Warm, pastel orange walls surround a dozen small tabletops. Large windows flood the dining room with natural light. On the left side of the restaurant, a wood-paneled booth stretches below a hand-painted cartoon mural depicting Central Street’s shops and restaurants. Above the tiny drawing of Pinto Thai, orange and pink cursive letters read, “Spread love.”  

With rich, creamy curries and warm spices, Pinto Thai delivers on that message. 

For over 15 years, Pinto Thai has brought authentic Southeast Asian flavors to Evanston. The restaurant is located at 1931 Central St., a 15-minute walk from the Central CTA stop or a short ride on the Intercampus Shuttle.

Customers can dine in or order for takeout or delivery, perfect for a delicious meal out with friends or study break pick-me-up.

We stopped by Pinto Thai in the afternoon to take advantage of their lunch specials, which are available on weekdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Ranging from $10 to $12, the special includes your choice of appetizer and noodle, rice or curry entree.

We started off with the crab rangoons and cucumber salad. The crab rangoons were delicately fried and filled with a warm, tangy crab and cream cheese mixture that oozed out upon first bite. The salad came with flower-shaped cucumbers and carrots, drowned in a sweet vinegar dressing that refreshed our palettes. 

Each of the 25 different lunch special entrees come with a choice of protein, including chicken, tofu, BBQ pork and shrimp. The entrees include classic Thai recipes, like pad khee mao, a wide noodle stir-fry, and red curry, a spicy and creamy sauce with chili peppers and bamboo shoots. 

For our main dishes, we ordered the pad see eiw with vegetables and panang curry with tofu. 

The pad see eiw comes with flat rice noodles, broccoli, egg and mushrooms in a soy sauce. The noodles were perfectly cooked, and the sauce was both sweet and savory. The broccoli added a little crunch to the soft texture of the noodles, and the mushrooms were a delicious addition to a flavorful meal. 

The panang curry, sweetened with coconut milk, burst with hints of red chili and cumin. The velvety silken tofu cubes melted in our mouths. The dish also came with tri-color bell peppers and basil, which turned tender in the hot curry and added a tanginess to cut through the sugary coconut milk. 

Pinto Thai customers can still order these dishes for dinner or on the weekend, in addition to other hearty entrees like mango chicken and roasted BBQ pork.

With finals season approaching, Pinto Thai’s curries and noodle dishes offer the perfect mid-study treat. But if you have the time or find yourself in Evanston this summer with an inner sense of adventure, we suggest stopping by this cozy, charming restaurant in-person to enjoy a heaping bowl of curry bursting with authentic Thai flavors. 

Email: [email protected]

X: @kunjal_bastola

Email: [email protected]

X: @rschlueter26

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