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EE-Sane Thai Cuisine
Category: Restaurants Thai Thai [Edit]
1806 N Farwell AveMilwaukee, WI 53202
Neighborhood: Lower East Side
(414) 224-8284
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11:30 am - 9 pm
Fri 11:30 am - 10 pm
Sat 12 pm - 10 pm
Sun 4 pm - 9 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
85 reviews for EE-Sane Thai Cuisine
Review Highlights
"I could eat Volcano Tofu for dinner everyday."
(in 4 reviews)
"Spiciness scale=Awesome Idea."
(in 8 reviews)
"EE- Sane is the best thai food I've had in this city so far."
(in 8 reviews)
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85 reviews in English
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Review from Taco V.
Milwaukee, WI
2/6/2012
Best Thai take-out, in MKE. Do not dine-in, and mute your experience.
Order the yellow curry. (Round down for heat.) Add an order of spring rolls (No. 13).
Be sure to have a six-pack of a decent pilsner.
Kismet. -
Review from Ariel W.
Beaver Dam, WI
2/5/2012 3 photos
Went he with my brother, his girlfriend and my sister on a Monday night. This is my brother's go to Thai/take-out restaurant. I really like Thai/Viet/Leo's cuisines so i was excited to try out this place.
There is much of an ambiance. Just white walls with some art work, but the food makes up for that. The service was average. A girl greeted us right away. Took our orders. Se checked on us doing eating to make sure everything was fine. Not very talkative but friendly. Did forgot to give us chopsticks but nothing major. She did offer more rice to take home with left overs. I like that thought.
The food was delicious. This was my first time having Pad Thai. I got it with 4 on the spice level. Could of gone higher like 6 but it had enough heat heat to have my nose running. Hugh potion and very flavorful. The bean spouts gave it a nice crunch. It came with a lime wedge. I liked to squeeze a few drops with each bit or so. The acid complemented the sauce nicely. Also got the Papaya Salad 1. It looked like a really big potion, but it's sitting on a bed of cabbage. Don't really under stand that. Other places just have a huge lettuce leaf under it. Got that also at level 4 but with that couldn't really get any heat. Had a sip of my brother's girlfriend's Tom Yum Kai soup. Really flavorful. Would be good if I needed warming up or had a cold. Had a taste of my brother's Mussamun Curry which he got at 6 that was perfect. That had a really nice sweet/spice curry flavor that I thought was different then other curries.
Will be back to try the Volcano Chicken that i saw a lot of other diners having and were raving about. One diner had it at 10 the highest spice.He was red and seating. He said it's the only way to have it. I don't know, thats just not me. -
Review from Sarah P.
Updated - 12/20/2011
Ya know, I just don't like EE-Sane.
Ordered the Thai iced tea, yellow curry, tom yum, and chicken laarb.
I could write the exact same review as I did before.
I think they are more Lao Thai, and I just don't have the right taste-buds.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/18/2011
Went to EE-Sane because it is close to our apartment. It was packed, and the wait was about 30… Read more »
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Review from Merete M.
Franklin, WI
12/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
A cozy place with great food, Ee-sanes is the place to go for Thai cuisine. Their decor is nothing fancy, but the mouth-watering menu transports you to an Asian kitchen in one bite.
A vegetarian-friendly menu is full of options, like curried squash. I am not a vegetarian, but I fantasized about learning to make this dish for weeks after having it. I've also had the rice noodle soup (commonly referred to as "pho", but not here). Some of the meat was a little tough, but the broth is divine. If you're ever feeling under the weather, I recommend this in lieu of boring, old, chicken noodle. They also have fantastic Thai iced tea!
My husband had the volcano chicken tonight, and sang its praises all the way home!
Though the place is relatively small, seating has never been a problem.
My only complaint is I always leave feeling so darn full. -
Review from Elizabeth H.
Milwaukee, WI
Updated - 12/8/2011
I was foolish to pass down the unfair punishment of deleting a star, but tofu is so important to me. I have restored the star after EE Sane's ultimate redemption yesterday evening.
Last night my brother-in-law was getting tattooed, and it is tradition to order Thai for dinner when he is here. We get the usual; hot pot of Tom Kar Gai, 2 curries (one vegetarian!), Shu Mai, egg rolls, and spring rolls. After I placed the order over the phone, I remembered that they owed me an order of Shu Mai from the last time we ordered that was forgotten, but I wasn't going to say anything because, whatever, no big deal. I went to pick up the food, and after the girl working read me the bill, she said, "did we ever give you the Shu Mai that we forgot?" and I replied, "no, but don't worry about it." She proceeded to cross it off the bill. AWESOME! But the most AWESOMEST (I know, not a word, but effective!) part is that we hadn't been there in 6 WEEKS and she remembered!
That is the most amazing memory and customer service I think I have ever received.
To top it off, there was TOFU in my curry!
Sweet, sweet redemption!2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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10/28/2011
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE TOFU? I ordered vegetarian yellow curry last night and there was no tofu in it.… Read more »
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Review from James B.
Riverwest, Milwaukee, WI
11/13/2011
Easily the best Thai restaurant in the city.
I had the good fortune to grow up in Chicago within easy transportation distance of hundreds of great Thai restaurants, but Ee-Sane blows them all out of the water.
Absolutely everything here is of top quality and I include the service in that. Of course, the fact that I eat there at least twice a week and am on a first name basis with most of the staff may contribute to my good service experiences. But hey, make yourself a regular anywhere and the service is bound to improve, amirite?
At any rate, anyone who goes simply must try the curry squash. Ee-Sanes curry squash is, in my opinion, the absolute best dish in any restaurant of any type in the world. Complete perfection in a dish.
A word of warning, Ee-Sane is seriously spicy. Not mexican taco truck quasi-spicey., but actual real "OhmygodIcantFeelMyFace" spicey.
Serious business. Ee-Sane works on a 1-10 level spice scale. I consistently find myself at an eight which is almost painful for me, but almost everyone else I know won't venture past four. Don't underestimate it. A four at Ee-Sane is equal to a two or three at Thai a Kitchen or Maharajah. It's just bloody hot.
That said, I recommend every single thing on the menu.
It's all amazing.
If I were ordering for you, it would have to be Curry Squash w/ Chicken, Ee-sane Rolls, and thai tea.
You can't go wrong. -
Review from Laura F.
Milwaukee, WI
10/17/2011
After referencing Yelp for 'Asian restaurants' on the Eastside... I could not belive that I had not tried this supposedly fabolous Thai restaurant in my neighborhood. I've been to the other two - Thainamyte and Mai Thai - wasn't impressed, so I guess I gave up. Since then, we trekked to King and I when we were craving Thai.
Unfortunately, we didn't heed the advice of other Yelpers on spiciness. We thought that they must not be that into spicy food, not true. We found out that a 5/10 for Pad Thai is REALLY REALLY spicy. However, the volcano tofu at 5/10 was perfect - must be a sweeter sauce. We also got the EE Sane rolls, which were tasty.
We will be back, but will probably ask for Pad Thai at a 3. -
Review from Melanie B.
Milwaukee, WI
8/23/2011
So, the service at EE-Sane is kind of like the honey badger....they just don't give a sh*t. (Ref: you tube video.)
However, I love their food so much that I don't really mind the fact that the service is poor or sometimes downright rude---I am not there to make best friends w/ the waitstaff, I'm there to grub-on. Hard.
So, the food is always amaze but I will comment on my most recent experience. Tom Yum Soup (FAB!) Tom Yum Khr (Great!), Veggie Coconut Curry, Squash Curry, and the other two dishes the table got were all VERY GOOD. I love their tempura veggies too- lightly fried sweet potato = WINNING! Thai Tea was also VERY good--I am a *huge*Thai Tea lover.
My criticism though lies in the consistency of the cooking in terms of the spiciness level. My husband has ordered Level 6 in the past and it was SOOOO hot you couldn't eat it. Last time, he ordered a 5 and he couldn't even taste the spice? So, I think their spiciness scale could be more consistent. -
Review from Jai M.
Germantown, WI
11/17/2011
Now what can I say about this EE-Sane that hasn't already been said by the parade of people who've reviewed this place? I guess mine will be more in response to all the good, bad, and okay reviews. So like always, lets get this thing rolling.
First of all, I must agree with the gen pop of people on here about EE-Sane having one of the best Thai food in Milwaukee. I've tried basically all the others (with exception to a few newer ones that have opened just recently who friends and family have advised me to steer clear of) and by far, none have come close to what EE-Sane has to offer as far as taste and menu items. And I just wanted to bring this up, for those who are comparing EE-Sane (located in Milwaukee) to other Thai Restaurants located in another city 70-100+ miles away, that's like comparing apples to oranges, two completely different locations. So I find that most of the reviews that praise EE-Sane about being the best Thai Restaurant in Milwaukee are pretty spot on, cause I myself can't name another one in Milwaukee that is better.
But back to the subject at hand and that is EE-Sane. I haven't tried everything on the menu but with the things I have tried, I have yet to be disappointed. Their curries are great, their pad thai is also great and my wife ABSOLUTELY LOVES IT and ALWAYS orders it every time we go. Also, we love to get the Pho, you can never go wrong with a good bowl of pho. We also love their Papaya Salad, very tasty and full of flavor. I however, go there for the VOLCANO CHICKEN. Yeah, I said it... VOLCANO CHICKEN. I don't know about anyone else but the Volcano Chicken there is THE BEST I've had, and no where else can I remember has served anything better. I do agree about the veggies that come along, I wish it were more cabbage and carrots but I don't mind having a little variety of veggies, it's still great. Their drinks are pretty good, their Thai Tea is spot on but for some odd reason, about 50% of the time it's never available.... at least for me whenever I go.
The only bad thing I can really say about EE-Sane is that it seems as if their portions have dwindled down a bit. Their Papaya Salad is about $8 dollars and when they bring it out, it looks like a lot but after digging through, it's just sitting on a ton of cabbage, although the idea is to use the cabbage to pick up and eat with the Papaya Salad, I just wished more Papaya and less cabbage. Also, their pho portions aren't as big as I remember, and for what your paying for, it's a little steep for what they offer. Another item on the menu is the Volcano Chicken sauce. I don't know if it's just me but seems like they've cut down a little on the sauce but it's still adequate enough. But I think it's safe to apply that saying here, "you get what you pay for" and although EE-Sane is a little more expensive and the portions are a little smaller, the quality of food is well worth it. And I would rather eat less food that taste great vs. having a ton a food that taste horrible and is just sitting there in front of me.
I never get into too much about how a restaurant looks, as to me, if it's just your casual dining out, then the decor is the last thing of my concern. But that's not to say that I won't comment on decor if i end up going to a place that is rat/bug infested with dirty stains everywhere. My take on EE-Sane, it's not the best looking place but it won't deter me from going there. Yeah, it's not the most classy and most ambient looking restaurant but the purpose is to go and enjoy the food and I've always put that first. Besides, every time I've went it's been nothing but clean and enjoyable anyways.
Last but not least, the SPICE METER. Now I've never been one to really eat spicy foods although I do enjoy a little kick here and there. My wife on the other hand, can handle a little bit more then me so I must say, unless you eat habanero peppers or ghost chili peppers on the regular, do avoid ordering high on the spice meter. Me and my wife ordered a 5/10 on a Papaya Salad once and could not take it down without a glass of water after every 2-3 bits. Let's just say we packed it up and my wife readjusted the flavor at home to be more of our liking (Papaya Salad is actually something we make at home quite a lot so it was not a problem for my wife to fix). But besides that, the spice meter has been pretty spot on as far as hotness.
Overall I give EE-Sane:
5.0/5.0 rating.
Great place with great Thai Food, hasn't disappointed me yet. I don't give out 5's much but I am comparing this to other Thai restaurants and EE-Sane is TOP NOTCH so it gets a 5 from me. -
Review from Chad F.
Oak Creek, WI
7/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
This may not be the fanciest Thai restaurant, but it's my favorite so far. I usually go here for lunch, and it's usually very easy to get seating right away. It doesn't look like much when you walk in, but after you order, you'll know why it's so good.
Some of my favorite things about this Thai compared to others are the serving size, quality, and spicy scale (1-10). If you're not into spicy food then you can get a 1 or 2 and they'll be fine, but if you like your food spicy, then they can definitely help you with that as well. I'm usually at a 5 or 6, and that's pretty comfortable for me. -
Review from Erik A.
Milwaukee, WI
7/27/2011
The deliciousness that is EE Sane can be found at 1806 N Farwell, just down the block from the east-side staple Zaffiro's pizza and half mile south of the Whole Foods Market. While the décor is lackluster, EE Sane is clean, service is efficient, and food is served piping hot (temperature-wise). In terms of spice, you order on a scale of 1-10. As someone who enjoys spicy food, I personally find that at level 3 I'm maxing out and at level 4 I can scarcely taste my food.
Some of my favorite items include Cashew Delight (if you like fresh ginger, always ask for extra!), Pad Prik King, Larb, as well as the Spring Rolls and EE Sane Rolls. Their Yellow Curry is good if you're a curry fan because it doesn't knock you over with curry flavor, but has lots of coconut milk sauce and brings together savory and sweet flavors, making it a unique dish. They allow you to select your choice of meat, shrimp, or a vegetarian option with most dishes, and I'd suggest asking for pork with most dishes.
At any price, EE Sane's Tea has to be some of the best in Milwaukee, but luckily their tea is just $1 and includes refills--if you're getting a meal with friends, they'll usually leave a pot on your table. It is an red-clay color and full of earthy flavors. EE Sane is worth visiting for the tea alone!
On the near east side, two additional Thai food places (Mai Thai at 1230 E. Brady St. and, a bit further west, Thainamite at 932 E. Brady St.) are also worth visiting, but EE Sane takes the cake for quality, value, and consistently outstanding Thai cuisine! -
Review from Josh S.
Milwaukee, WI
6/10/2011
EE-Sane's curry fried rice is one of my favorite dishes in Milwaukee. Highly recommended. I've tried to recreate it at home and haven't come close to doing it justice.
More generally, this is great place with a huge menu and a super-cheap lunch menu. The comments about the surly service are, I think, a little off -- the servers aren't so much surly as they are terse, which I like, but probably isn't for everyone. -
Review from Shane H.
4/28/2011
Thai me a river! Pun! Done.
I love EE-Sane. They do it right. The menu options are, as expected, overwhelming, but you just have to put on your asian-restaurant-thinking-cap! Many of the menu items are essentially the same, but just switched out with one or two different ingredients. I usually go for the red curry with beef, but you can also choose from such things as duck, chicken, shrimp, eagle, moose, giraffe, vegetarian, three-toed sloth or hamburger! (some of those might not really be options).
Another great feature at EE-Sane is you get to request how spicy you'd like your meal, on a scale of 1 to 10, I believe. I usually go for a 4 and that suits me pretty well. I don't know exactly how they measure that, but I was with someone who got an 8 once, having never been there, and they were not able to finish their meal.
One thing about this place though, that I still don't understand, is that it is very often creepily quiet. All you hear is the clinking of silverware and mumbled conversation. I would be much more comfortable with some ambient, or blaring, asian music. I don't like to hear myself eating.
I very highly recommend this place, and be prepared for leftovers! -
Review from Emily T.
Milwaukee, WI
6/13/2011
I LOVE the food. My favorite is the Ee-sane noodle at a #7 (vegetarian). I also like the yellow curry. Easily the best Thai in town. Why rate it a 4 then you ask? The service has MUCH to be desired. EE-sane is so busy most nights and the few girls working couldn't care less if you were there or not, also there is not much here for seating. Even though I am a fairly regular customer, I never go in if I am in any kind of hurry and allow an extra 10-15 minutes extra for carry out. Also the parking situation is rough on Friday and Saturday nights. I would recommend for a small group on a weeknight.
Best Thai in town:) -
Review from Juan B.
Milwaukee, WI
4/18/2011
Hey,
Allow me to start by saying that the reason that I gave EE-Sane five stars is simply because I think they are the best Thai restaurant that Milwaukee has to offer.
Everybody that has been there knows that the wait staff will not have a fake smile or will kiss your ass, but hey, now days it seems that fake friendliness is required for god service. The food will be on time (Milwaukee standard for about 15 minutes), and they will provide you with what you might need. Regardless of the service, my main reason for going there is the food.
Some people also complain about the interior, but for me, since I always have company that is very enjoyable (girlfriend, daughter, mom, friends, or myself) it is always good to eat in there.
Their lunch specials are awesome, about $6.50 will include an appetizer which will be an egg roll or the sup of day (coconut milk and mushroom, my favorite), and a main meal with rise, you can't beat that.
My favorite meal is the curry roast duck, spice level #5, it will have also a side of rise, and to drink, Thai iced tea, to have something refreshing and sweet to balance the medium spice. I also enjoy the yellow curry and the paneng. Dessert is not amazing, but I can always have it somewhere else that offers a better one.
Also, I'm not a huge fan of the beer Newcastle, but it usually goes well with curry according to me. Just to think about all of this is getting me hungry, but since I'm at home wearing my pajamas, I will have chocolate mint ice cream, and hopefully one of this days I'll go back to EE-Sane for a good lunch. -
Review from Rachael G.
Milwaukee, WI
9/21/2011
This one gets a big Om NOM NOM from me!
I'm ashamed to admit this, but I had yet to try Thai food until this year! Crazy cause I was missing out on delish food!
My go to at Thai restaurants is a dish called Pad See Ew. And boy does EE Sane make a crazy tasty Pad See Ew! And the portion size was MORE than generous!
One fault I had was we ordered Fresh Spring rolls which were supposed to have pork in them, but we found very little. It was mostly cabbage/lettuce and was unfufilling. -
Review from Marshall S.
Milwaukee, WI
6/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
Nothing fancy about this place, but delicious and authentic!
Tons of choices on the menu.
We had the dumplings as an app and...awesome.
We both had curries which were delicious, but I have to downgrade because of the heat.
WORD OF CAUTION - their curries are HOT! You order on a scale from 1-10. I ordered a "2" and was sweating. OK, call me a wuss. However, my wife (who can handle much more spice than me) ordered a "4" and was flush after 3 bites. Neither of us could finish simply because our mouths were on fire. I think a 10 would literally kill you. -
Review from Brad B.
3/17/2011
For all the haters and wanna be Tony Bourdain's. Remember you are eating Thai food in Milwaukee and temper your whinging with that fun fact.
Nuf said about that.
EE is really, really yummy. Never actually ate there, but the carry out has been brilliant both times. The Duck Curry is one of my fav's - the Tom Yum (chicken) soup (or whatever its called) is chock-full-o-yum, and chicken....and veg.....its a meal in itself, really.
I've delved into the specialties of the house and while I think they might be a bit sweet (dumbed down for American and local tastes) but, none-the-less are very good.
Park illegally. Wander in. Order your carry out. Drink a beer while you wait. A lovely experience.
*the heat index. I started at a 6-7 and it was too spicy for any real degree of enjoyment. I had Defcon 4 last night and it was just about right for this yelptard. -
Review from Mike L.
Phoenix, AZ
12/31/2010
This place is the truth! The "King and I" is for SE Asian culinary phonies.
EE- Sane does not stick to a particular spot in Asia, rather pulls its menu from several SE Asian locales - Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, etc. The menu is filled with luxurious street food flavors portioned out for patrons with empty stomachs. Having spent significant time in SE Asia, I would say that this little eatery does a fine job of giving visitors a taste of the region. Though not always authentic (Volcano Duck does not exist anywhere in Asia) the food is unquestionably delicious.
I brought many friends to this little gem during my stay in Milwaukee, and I would gladly return and bring more. -
Review from Pero J.
Milwaukee, WI
6/28/2011
I've been eating at EE-Sane for 12 years, so I am a huge fan, and I have eaten nearly everything on the menu. Some items are decent but most of everything will knock your socks off. (This depends on your taste - you have to like a variety of flavors and herbs. If you are not into exotic/ ethnic foods, then this is not for you, and beware, just because you like American Chinese food doesn't mean you are gonna like Authentic Thai) If you are a spice and heat fanatic, like myself, then you are going to love this place. Some reviews here were written by people who have formed a negative opinion because of one dish or experience they didn't like. I feel that these reviews are not complete if they didn't list what they do like.
Items that are exceptional:
Tom Kar Soup (Coconut milk and chicken broth soup) I have to order a hot pot everytime. Its perfect for 2-4.
Spicy Sausage Salad (iceberg lettuce, pineapple, mint, sausage with a palm sugar and lime dressing) it's awesome
Seafood salad, Yum Tulay, Similar to the sausage salad, but with Imitation Crab, Shrimp, and Squid.
EE-Sane Spring Rolls, nice plum sauce on top that makes the dish
Singapore Noodles, Thin rice noodles w/ BBQ pork and Shrimp, one of my fav's
Volcano Chicken, Steak, and tofu all are really good.
Crispy Duck and Curry Duck are Superb. Don't which I like better.
Larb, Larb Sok Lak, Kio Beef, and Numtok are great if you like lettuce wraps. The differences are beef or chicken, and grilled pieces or diced meat.
Geng boneless catfish (not breaded) in curry
Ginger Catfish (breaded in a thick ginger sauce)
Seafood Curry (yellow curry) or Seafood Comb. in Chilli sauce if you don't like curry. The crab leg is real crab meat.
Curry Scallops (Med. size scallops in a yellow curry)
All of the curries are good, try the Paneng, and I never had a stir fry I didn't like. Many people like the fried rice (I'm just not big on fried rice) if you are, you'll probably like it.
Another plus is that you get tons of water at your table right away. I hate it when servers don't bring or ask me if I want water. That should just come automatically.
What I don't like:
Nothing on the menu is bad; however, some things are not as good. Like the Tom Yum soup one woman wrote about. it is sour, but not horrible. The rice noodle soups (Pho) are decent, but better elsewhere. Try Phang Garden on National for this.
EE-Sane noodle is not recommended, but the rest of the noodle dishes are great.
The Siver Pomfret fish is not for timid eaters. It is a crispy fried whole fish (head, tail and bones). After frying, the small bones become very soft. As there are too many to remove, the way to eat it is to dive right in and chew the meat with the bones. This is a great dish if you can deal with the bones.
The service can be slow at times. Keep in mind, this is a family-run business that is very popular, and does a lot of carry out orders. The kitchen tends to get slammed from time to time. I would say that it can get slow, but never horribly unpleasant. In order to avoid the rush, try to get there Monday through Wednesday.
I hope this review helps. Go to EE-Sane and be open to trying new food items. -
Review from Nick K.
6/7/2011
Best thai in Milwaukee. I walked across the street (from my work) for lunch today, ordered the chicken curry to go, spice level four, yes weak, but perfect for me. Three minutes later it was done and cooked to perfection. THREE MINUTES. May not have the best service for dine-in but in my opinion the food is worth it!
Listed in: My Favorite Places
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Review from Meinard C.
Milwaukee, WI
12/3/2010
The burning sensation still linger on my lips as I write this review, each lick makes me yearn for more of EE-Sane's delicious red curry. I am no stranger to heat so when the waitress asked me how hot I wanted the red beef curry to be, I reply "as hot as you can make it." I expected normal people hot, as in jalapeno hot and what I got was birds eye hot. Making a curry spicy is easy, but making a spicy curry delicious is an art and that's what we have here. I can't wait to try out their other menu items.
Price is on the higher end of the spectrum of what I've had, but the flavor is also on the higher end. This place is going to be my standard Thai restaurant, unless that other Thai restaurant on Brady manages to topple it. -
Review from Smiling P.
Milwaukee, WI
3/19/2011
Your smart option is takeout at this place as the dine-in service is dodgy at best. Don't blame the surly waitstaff - you'd be upset too if you had to work in that dumpy interior.
The food is undeniably good though there is some inconsistency in spice level and quality at times. Try and venture away from white people standard fare like green & yellow curry & pad thai (good but tad on the sweet side) and you may like the place even better. The larb, fish and duck dishes are wonderful and if you like heat with flavor, stick to the 6, 7, 8 region.
BTW every now and then the place shuts down without warning for weeks on end but everyone forgives them and keeps coming back because the food is so good. -
Review from MARISA M.
Salinas, CA
7/5/2011
Went here with a friend when we were visitng Milwaukee for a conference. We weren't sure where to eat (anywhere but the hotel lobby!) so we jumped on Yelp for some guidance, and to be sure, we are not disappointed! We wanted thai, and this one came up as highly recommended. It is a funky, non-fancy place with paper placemats and chairs and tables that seemed to come from someone's garage sale. But I am not rating them on their décor! The food is the reason we went back 3 times in a one week period. Lets see: the pad thai, the crab Rangoon, the various sauces served for extra dipping, the spring rolls, all highly recommended, and there are lotsa vegetarian options for those who swing that way. All way inexpensive too! If I ever find myself haunting Milwaukee again, I have bookmarked this place!
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Review from Chad C.
9/20/2010
I live on the same block as this restaurant and have eaten here many, many times. The stories are true... the service can sometimes be bad. I think they like to keep the business in the family and refuse to hire additional employees... so sometimes when it's busy they just don't have the staff to handle it.
Anyway, the food is good. The duck is exceptional and I would recommend that, but their curries and spring rolls are also good. I like the volcano chicken okay, but I don't like that it uses onions and broccoli in it. I'd prefer just a lot of cabbage and carrots, personally - and that's what everyone else in the city uses in this dish. They also use a 1-10 scale for spice... and they are the most consistent of any restaurant as far as this goes. I like a lot of spice and I've found that a 6 is a sure thing for me... I occasionally get burned by a 7. I would recommend getting a level or two lower than you think you can handle just to be on the safe side.
The food is good, the service is very spotty. If you call to make a take-out order, they may not answer the phone the first two or three calls. My worst experience was during a blizzard when I walked in to pick up my take-out order, walked home, and opened my food to discover I only got one container of rice when I should've gotten two. I walked back (still in the blizzard) and let them know I only got one rice - and the girl gave me an attitude about it and said something along the lines of "I really thought I put one in there". She basically said it in a way that accused me of lying to get an extra free rice. While I am not a millionaire, I also do not need to steal rice from a local restaurant. The fact that I had to walk twice in the horrible weather to attain the rice that was rightfully mine made me very bitter, as you can tell.
Once again, good food, very hit-or-miss service. It's no King and I, but it's very decent - especially if you don't care about the service.Listed in: Thai Thai Thai
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Review from Kip G.
Milwaukee, WI
10/1/2010
http://expressmilwauke... had rated this the best Thai restaurant in the city, so my expectations were high when I first dined here. I was a little disappointed with the greasiness of the rangoons and wontons, but had an overall decent experience. The service wasn't nearly as bad as some made it out to be. The prices were decent. Definitely not a good place to go on a first date as the decor was completely uninviting.
A few weeks later (and a few more Thai restaurants under my belt) I returned and had no issues with the rangoons or wontons and found the squash curry that I had to be one of my favorite curries served in the city. -
Review from BRIAN P.
Milwaukee, WI
1/5/2012
I've been going to EE-SANE for 9 years with my wife, a long-time Milwaukee resident. the food is ALWAYS plentiful and superlative. Usually, we go during the day where the smalliest, frowniest woman I've ever seen turns out to be the nicest and best waitress ever. She should smile more. Anyway, after countless great meals with great service, we stopped in early last Friday night (December 30). It took us 50 minutes to get our food, and after the initial water/tea delivery and order-taking, our waitress avoided us like lepers. We couldn't get anything except ignored. There were two waitresses working that night, and we had the young, college-age girl. When I finally got the chance to complain- when our food was finally delivered- her excuse was that "there's a big table up front and a lot of take-out that we had to take care of first". Really? Yes, the food was great as usual, but after service like that I really didn't want to eat it. We weren't offered a single comp or reduction, just that lame-ass excuse. I refused to tip the girl, but my wife, kind-hearted as she is, left her 10% out of her own purse. When it came time to load up the leftovers and leave, it was the OTHER waitress that got us the carry-out boxes. Ironically, I'm eating those leftovers as I type this. Understand, when I was younger I did the restaurant thing and was everything from a back-room cleaner/fry-cook to very successful waiter and bartender, and occassional manager as well. I have a lot of understanding for what can go wrong and how it can go wrong; I have a lot of tolerance for less-than-perfect service. However, I cannot forgive a server ignoring her guests and avoiding her station. Sure, I 'll go back- but only during the day, or for take-out.
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Review from Kelsey J.
Milwaukee, WI
5/6/2011
EE- Sane is the best thai food I've had in this city so far. I've tried about 6 different places thus far. I almost always order the same things, vegetarian spring rolls, (the peanut sauce is great, the rice paper is NEVER dry and chewy) Panang Curry with chicken and Pad thai. I generally order mine at 4 on the spice scale, over a 5 in my opinion is just crazy. I've never had a problem with the waitstaff, yes at times they are a bit slow, but I've never encountered them to be rude. The ambiance is lacking, but if that's super important then get take out. oh and beer is cheap.
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Review from Monique C.
Skokie, IL
My boyfriend and I went to visit my brother in Milwaukee and we went here for dinner. I've read my brother's review about this place and wondered if it really was as good as he made it sound, and it IS.
I ordered the squid pad prik and enjoyed it , my brother ordered pho and said it had to be one of the best tasting pho he's ever had, and my brother ordered singapore noodles extra hot (basically a 10/10 on the spicy level). I tried some of it and it's basically one of those food that it hurts sooo good to eat! It was super spicy, but I found that I couldn't stop eating it because all the flavors/spices blended together perfectly! -
Review from Meli S.
Grafton, WI
6/21/2011
Love, love, love the Curry Squash! Atmosphere is ok, service is ok. I've never had an issue but I'm sure parking could be difficult in this area. Wish they had a full bar.
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Review from Leon F.
Chicago, IL
Updated - 7/10/2011
The last few times I've been back here have been disappointing. Maybe my horizons have expanded. Maybe they just started cutting corners with ingredients and prep all the while raising prices. No longer a place I would tout but would still eat at if in the hood and desperate for thai. There are better options in MKE.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/28/2009
I love to come here when I'm back home for a visit. Definitely some of the best thai in the city.… Read more »
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Review from Jeff S.
West Bend, WI
3/5/2011
Ive been eating at EE-Sane for several years. I would recommend the restaurant to anyone. My favorite meal is their Curry Squash. For those of you who never eat squash give this dish a try as I normally can not stand it myself, but upon a friends recommendation I gave it a shot and am not hooked. I can not speak for their whole menu but I have tried several other dishes and all have been flavorful and quite good.
The atmosphere of the place leaves much to be desired if you are looking for a fashionable eatery as this is not it! If the setting is not important to you, give this place a try. The place is often rather busy on Fridays and Saturday evenings so be prepared to wait. -
Review from stephen l.
Milwaukee, WI
1/21/2011
Full disclosure: we order the same thing every time regardless of the thai place. 1 Pad Siew with chicken and beef. 1 Pad Thai chicken.
While I'm not sure I've ever had "bad thai" per se. This is definitely "real good thai". I mean they've got a heat index from 1 to 10 for christ's sake. I like heat. The lady can't take it. She freaks at 3. My mouth is left very satisfactorily heated at 6, forced to drink too much water at 7 and bordering on pain at 8.
Only downsides are 1. no delivery and 2. however long they tell you for pickup it's always an extra 5 minutes. Otherwise, awesome. -
Review from Nelson S.
7/14/2010
Food here is definitely amazing. HUGE menu, so you know there is always a reason to get something new.
Mainly 2 waitresses: the nice one and the one who barely speaks (you'll know what I mean). Spice scale is real. 1-10 and 3 is a medium. I'm a glutton for punishment and the waitresses know I get a 10 each time, but unless you're nuts, i'd go with maybe a 5 or 6.
All in all, decent prices, love the service (lol), and the food is amazing. My favorite restaurant for awhile now. -
Review from Lindsay P.
Brookfield, WI
7/21/2011
FANTASTIC yellow shrimp curry!! I got a level 4 just to be safe, and it was perfect. Realize I could've taken hotter, but decided to work my way up. Service could be better, but I'd rather just eat all their delicous food!
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Review from Justin N.
7/20/2009
While eating some really crappy Thai food the other day, I thought to myself "Gee, what was the name of that awesome place in the Mil where I used to rock Thai like 4 times a week?" Yes, four times a week, and that place was EE-Sane.
I'm vegetarian and their take-out menu setup works so easily. It's a dish and then you just say if you want meat or tofu. I don't have to hunt for the fricken one paragraph veg section or ask if something could be made sans the chunks'o'meat, I just simply order whatever I want and say "with tofu". Easy. Spicy scale of 0-10, a four makes me cry with both delight and seared taste buds. Add their lunch special in the mix and that's why I'd eat here four times a week, although if I recall my body fat percentage was unamused at my coconut milk intake. Woops.
They'll never hit 5 stars for me until they get their hours together though. There have been multiple days where I'd roll over for some curry lovin' just to find them closed during normal business hours. Sometimes just closed for a week, no sign, no nothing. I've seen the fam over at Potawatomi so maybe they're getting their gamble on, who knows. And yes, even in the 21st century they still did not have a voicemail box or even a awesome 1985 tape answering machine to have a message.
Go buy one, they're at Target for like $10, and slap a message on there that says "Yea, we're closed on vacation for a week or losing wads of your cash at Potawatomi, sorry suckas." -
Review from Ian G.
1/19/2010
I really want to give this place five stars but it lacks ambience. Besides that it ROCKS.
Spiciness scale=Awesome Idea
Volcano Tofu is a must and since Meena V. is marrying the Squash Curry I call the VT. Vows being written.
Seriously this is a must go if you are vegetarian or like thai or both. -
Review from ryan h.
11/11/2009
I just walked in the door from this place and could not wait to review them...
i am a thai food freak, anything spicy holds a place close to my heart. the first time i go to a new thai place i almost always check out their pad thai cuz i think it is a pretty good gauge for how everything else will be.
needless to say the pad thai was amazing, i went with a 6 out of ten on the spicy scale, i think that was just perfect for me but i recommend lower for pretty much anyone else. great portion sizes, and even better flavor. i lived in nyc for 5 yrs and had thai food at at least 25 different places and this would be in my top three pad thai's ever.
the service was good as well, she kept our water full, which is necessary when im eating spicy food. the food came out about 5 minutes after we ordered. even their thai iced tea was amazing. the only thing sad about the experience is that i know its much better going in than it is coming out. -
Review from Rich H.
Updated - 2/4/2011
Fan of Thai, not fan of fat. I thought my pork panang was gristly. The sauce was bland despite the spice. You can tell when medicocre ingredients are being disguised by chili peppers. I'm sad to say I don't like this place cuz so many people speak so highly of it. Not my cup of (thai) tea.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/2/2010
went there for the first time and ordered my usual litmus test for rating thai quisine: panang… Read more »
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Review from Michael H.
Milwaukee, WI
8/22/2009
The only regrettable part of my dinner last night was ordering the "number 10" on the spicy scale.
Check your ego at the door and go a bit milder.
My Pad Thai was a very deep, dark red and although it was very tasty, it hurt then and it still hurts now. Could have used more than 1 lime wedge and a bit more bean sprouts, but a very good sized portion and decent price.
Best Thai in Milwaukee.
