Banana Leaf Thai Cuisine - (Near Belleville, IL)

5 /5 sutherlandk19: Banana Leaf is a new Thai restaurant in the west end of Belleville, a new staple to the neighborhood.  I went with family on a Friday night before going to see a football game at Belleville West (teachers there are lucky to have such tasty food just down the street) and had the chance to try a bite of everyones dishes.  After reading through the menu, I asked the cashier what the best thing on the menu is.  Josh was so helpful!  He told me the yellow curry is his favorite, the chicken satay appetizer has the best flavor, and the drunken noodle and honey garlic chicken are bestsellers.  I ordered the yellow curry and shared chicken satay with the table.  Out of the four of us dining, we all agreed I had the best dish.  The rest of the family got the drunken noodle, chicken pad Thai, and the honey garlic chicken.  I think the drunken noodle was the least memorable out of all the dishes.  The chicken pad Thai had excellent flavor.  Most Thai restaurants, I ask for lime wedges on the side to squeeze on this dish, but it wasnt close to needing it.  The honey garlic chicken was full of flavor, but a little basic compared to the rest of the table. The restaurant suggests they only offer takeout, but there is limited seating inside and outside.  We even had table service, which was a shock since they specifically advertise takeout only.  I was thoroughly impressed by the price of it all- I think we paid $65 or less for four dinners and an appetizer.  I almost went back the next night for dinner, I am eager for my return visit. Added note: The cucumber (served with the chicken satay) I thought had the best flavor out of everything I tried.

5 /5 Angelizm: Delicious Bangkok noodles with tofu! Similar to the Pad-See-U noodles, but without the soy sauce and it was perfectly seasoned. (It will be my new favorite dish! Thank you Josh for recommending it!) My husband had the fried rice with pork and said it was a little oily. My mom had the wonton soup and described it as “good and flavorful”, as well as it being the perfect portion for her.

5 /5 Lisa Zamfir: If you enjoy Thai food, this is the place to go. My only complaint is that my stomach isn’t bigger. Food is EXCELLENT - made with fresh ingredients and seasoned perfectly. This is my 4th visit. I have stopped frequenting the other 3 Thai restaurants after trying this restaurant. Seating is limited but we have been able to eat at the location when we have wanted.

4 /5 Vinh Nguyen: Visiting the town I grew up in and stopped at this new place on the West end of Belleville. The environment is fast casual (mostly takeout) with some bar table seating and a few tables. This is probably because the building is set up more like a cafe than a full restaurant. I’m not sure if it’s a language barrier or not, but the owner didn’t say a single word to anyone. The guy at the counter was friendly. As a small business, customer relationships are everything (I speak as an owner of a couple restaurants and a cafe). It’s not the end of the world, but it makes a world of difference. I got the tom yum soup and Drunken Noodles (pictured in the review). The flavor of the food was spot on, but the proteins need some help (as has been mentioned by a handful of other reviewers). The chicken in my Drunken noodle was very chewy and dry (a couple small tweaks like slicing thinner or velveting the meat would make the dish outstanding because the flavor is there). The tofu was very dry and rubbery. It was a bit difficult to power through for crispy tofu. It tasted fried and refrigerated and then just heated back in the soup. Again, a simple fix. Small business is hard. I believe more customer interaction, some minor adjustments in the protein preparation, and this place could easily be a staple “go to” in the community. I wish them the best of luck and look forward to trying again the next time we are in town. Give them a chance. They’re still pretty early since opening (August 2025, I believe). A few adjustments and they can be a great quick option.