A new Thai restaurant in downtown Ann Arbor is aiming to make its mark with bold flavors, late-night hours, and a straightforward mission reflected in its name: Eat Thai.
Located on South Main Street, Eat Thai opened in late 2025 and has quickly become a notable addition to the city’s dining scene. The restaurant serves a wide range of classic Thai dishes—from curries and noodle plates to regional specialties—and stands out for its unusually late hours, welcoming diners well into the early morning on weekends.
The concept is intentionally simple. The name tells you exactly what the restaurant is about: authentic Thai cuisine served in a comfortable downtown setting.
A new restaurant for an experienced owner
The restaurant is owned and operated by Thai-born chef Teerawat “Apple” Pho-On, who has built a small network of Thai eateries across Michigan, including Tuptim Thai in the area. With Eat Thai, Pho-On brought a second restaurant to the area.
His goal was to create a full-service Thai restaurant focused on homestyle cooking rather than quick-service takeout. That means dishes are made to order with traditional ingredients and customizable spice levels.
For diners, the approach means familiar favorites as well as dishes that represent different regions of Thailand. Many items can be prepared with a choice of protein, including chicken, pork, beef, tofu, vegetables or shrimp.
A menu built around Thai classics
Among the most popular on the menu are noodle favorites like pad thai and drunken noodles (pad kee mao), along with a variety of rich coconut curries. Diners can choose from green, red and yellow curry dishes, each with its own balance of herbs, spices and coconut milk.
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Pad Thai remains one of the restaurant’s signature dishes. The well-known stir-fried noodle plate combines rice noodles with egg, bean sprouts, peanuts and tamarind sauce for the sweet-and-savory flavor that has made it one of the most recognizable Thai dishes worldwide.
Drunken noodles offer a spicier alternative, with wide rice noodles stir-fried with basil, chili, vegetables and protein.
Another standout dish on the menu is khao soi, a northern Thai curry noodle soup. The dish features a rich curry broth topped with crispy egg noodles, grilled chicken, pickled mustard greens, red onion, cilantro and lime. The combination of creamy broth and crunchy noodles gives the dish a distinctive texture and depth of flavor.
Other menu options include papaya salad, cashew chicken, mixed vegetable stir-fries, and Thai-style sweet-and-sour dishes that incorporate pineapple, cucumber and tomato.
Customers can also choose their preferred spice level, ranging from mild to what the restaurant describes as “Thai hot.”
We have dined there multiple times and enjoyed their lunch specials, take-out and even dined with a group—and everyone loved their food. Standouts include their green curry dishes, Thai iced tea, lunch specials and strong vegetarian and vegan options.
A rare late-night dining spot
One of Eat Thai’s most distinctive features is its late-night schedule. In a city where many kitchens close well before midnight, the restaurant keeps its doors open much later than most.
On Thursday through Saturday nights, Eat Thai remains open until 4 a.m., while on Sunday nights it closes at 2 a.m. The extended schedule allows diners leaving bars, concerts or late-night study sessions to grab a full meal rather than settling for typical after-hours fare.
For a college town like Ann Arbor, where students from the nearby University of Michigan often seek late-night food options, the timing fills a gap in the downtown dining landscape.
Instead of the usual pizza or fast food, night owls can order a bowl of curry or a plate of noodles long after most restaurants have closed.
Affordable weekday lunch specials
While the restaurant offers a full dinner menu, one of its most attractive options for downtown workers and students is its weekday lunch special.
Available Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., the lunch menu provides a variety of popular dishes at a lower price point than dinner entrees.
Most lunch specials fall between roughly $15 and typically include rice and a small salad, making them a relatively affordable option in downtown Ann Arbor’s increasingly expensive lunch market.
Lunch options include several stir-fry dishes and curries. Diners can choose options such as spicy basil stir-fry, mixed vegetables in oyster sauce, cashew chicken or one of the restaurant’s coconut curries.
Green, red and yellow curries are all available as lunch specials, each with a different flavor profile. Green curry tends to be the spiciest, while yellow curry is generally milder and slightly sweet, often served with potatoes, carrots and onions.
Another popular choice is Rama Garden, which features spinach topped with peanut sauce and a choice of protein.
Pad Thai also appears on the lunch menu, giving diners a chance to enjoy the restaurant’s signature noodle dish at a reduced midday price.
For those who prefer seafood, shrimp can be added to most dishes for an additional charge.
Looking ahead
The owners have indicated that the restaurant may expand its menu in the future. Possible additions could include dishes such as ramen or sushi, broadening the restaurant’s offerings while maintaining its Thai focus.
There are also plans for additional outdoor seating, including a back patio that would allow diners to enjoy their meals outside during the warmer months.
For now, the restaurant’s emphasis remains on serving flavorful Thai dishes in a welcoming environment with hours that cater to both daytime diners and late-night crowds.
Donna Marie Iadipaolo is a writer, journalist, and State of Michigan certified teacher, since 1990. She has written for national publications like The Village Voice, Ear Magazine of New Music, Insurance & Technology, and TheStreet.
She is now writing locally for many publications, including Current Magazine, Ann Arbor Family, and the Ann Arbor Independent. Her undergraduate degree is from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where she graduated with an honors bachelor’s degree and three teacher certificate majors: mathematics, social sciences, English. She also earned three graduate degrees in Master of Science, Master of Arts, and Education Specialist Degree.
