Ayothaya Thai Cafe
404 E Hwy 260, Payson, AZ, 85541
Ayothaya Thai Cafe Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Payson for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Payson for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
404 E Hwy 260
Payson, AZ, 85541 - Phone (928) 474-1112
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Opening Hours
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Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Kate B.
What a delicious meal. In a vast food desert of sameness Mexican and burger places, there is this oasis. Great wine, beer list, cocktail menu, rocking and stunning Mango Sticky Rice. Toy was our server and she was so fantastic. Thoughtful, quick service, just a beautiful person. We had a great experience - start to finish.
(5)Michelle A.
My favorite Thai place ... and I'm from CA. Anytime I am up here I make sure to stop here. The duck is especially yummy.
(5)Andrew D.
Great food-the flavors are perfect. The atmosphere is nice and the staff is friendly. I highly recommend the rice paper garden rolls with the peanut sauce. They also cooked the tofu very well-not soggy, just the right kind of crispy. They have meat options and also vegetarian options for those looking for something other than BBQ. Delicious. A must stop-in if you're just coming through the area
(5)Tristan L.
Food was good. I'll eat there again. I thought the prices were really high. $17 for shrimp pad thai...? Even making 2 meals out of it, if eating 2 light meals, it's expensive. I'll look for more reasonably priced items and try them again.
(3)Mariah L.
My boyfriend and I were staying in Payson for the weekend and he was craving sushi. We searched restaurants in the area online and this restaurant pulled up. On their website it says that they serve sushi, including a full sushi menu. When we showed up and were ready to order our food we were informed that their sushi chef had moved away. This was a major disappointment and we told them that they should update their menu. I'm sure this is a tactic to bring more customers in. The female server working there urged us to stay and try what they had to offer, which we did and I am glad she suggested it because the food was very good. I had the sizzling chicken and my boyfriend ordered the chicken paradise and a chai tea. There was also a live band playing which was really enjoyable. Our waiter was prompt with our beverages and food but he kept coming over to our table multiple times asking how everything was going when we told him it was great two minutes prior. It felt smothering and I found it difficult to eat and respond with a full mouth. I appreciated the effort to make sure everything was to our liking, I just think he needs to tone it down a few notches.
(2)Dee B.
After 6 hours on the road, we were looking forward to stopping here on our way home. The reviews were a bit mixed but mostly good so we gave it a shot. What's up yelper nation?! We were so disappointed. We ordered the Mongolian fried rice (the safe bet but also a weird one considering my husband IS Mongolian and says, "there's no such thing") and green curry with chicken. The presentation was beautiful but I'm going to assume one of two things based on the flavor... (1) The cook never tasted the curry or (2) the cook is a heavy smoker whose taste buds have DIED. The curry was so salty I couldn't swallow it. The fried rice was... Aight. The waiter was already noticeably annoyed with us (because my hubby ordered a blue moon instead of the suggested Thai beer) and we waited for what seemed like an eternity for him to come back so we could report back on how we (dis)liked the curry. He took the dish back to the kitchen and a few minutes later, reappeared with a "new" curry which was noticeably watered down. So here's where I'd like to leave a note to the cook... You can add hot water to the broth but the vegetables and meat have already absorbed the salt! Nice try though. I tried to eat it but it was a NO GO. Again, waited for our waiter to come back... In the meantime flagged down the nice new gal from CA to bring me some water to help wash away the salt still accosting my "tasters". In the end, they took the curry off our bill. The hubby and I were not impressed though. Crappy service and over salted food. We're giving it two stars - one star for the "Mongolian" fried rice and one star for the water (which was delicious!!!)
(2)Sue C.
Small, local business with an extensive, Thai and Asian menu. I had the $10 lunch special which includes entree, beverage, and soup or salad. I had jasmine tea, a salad with an Asian peanut dressing, and a plate of orange chicken with brown rice. This version of orange chicken was a little different from other versions I've had. The orange sauce was light, not sickening sweet, the sauce had slivered almonds, scallions, small shreds of carrots. The brown rice was moist, but unseasoned and there was a mound of salad greens under the chicken. This is the dish to order here if you want to not eat spicy Thai food--zip heat. The server was very sweet and my order was ready quickly. The restaurant was squeaky clean. There is ample parking, but the handicapped ramp is awfully steep for the mobility impaired or for wheelchairs.
(4)Ka Trina R.
Best restaurant in Payson. Period. They have a really great selection off food; with a full Thai menu and a seperate and equally full sushi menu, what's not to love? I personally LOVE their sushi. In a landlocked state its really hard to find good seafood but Ayothaia has it. There's no strong fishy odor which is a great sign that they keep their seafood as fresh as possible. And they have eel, squid and octopus sushi which in Payson, that's pretty freaking cool! Also the thai food is A MA ZING. Its all well worth the $.
(5)Elizabeth M.
As of this review, Ayothaya has been open less than a month. The building was not a restaurant previously, so all the kitchen stuff and decor is brand spankin' new. It is nicely decorated with Thai themed wall-hangings, statues, and fake flowers. Ok, here is what I think after my first visit. TEMPERATURE: Cold. Bring a hoodie. I know restaurants use the trick of turning the temperature way down to discourage lingering, but this directly conflicts with... SERVICE: Painfully, agonizingly slow. We had heard from several people of this very thing before our visit. While I finished up my food, my dining companion was still waiting for his entree. I was done for a good while before his finally came out, and then was plunked hurriedly in front of him with not a word of apology. The sushi I ordered came out after the main meal, like a dessert, instead of before the meal, as it should have. To be fair, the appetizer he ordered came out in good time. During our wait and meal, we heard surrounding diners say things like "Is my meal on the way?" and "OMG, we were here when they first opened, and there were people in my group that didn't eat for an hour and a half after everyone else, it was ridiculous." THE DISHES: The Thai tea was good. The Crab Puffs appetizer (the one that came out in reasonable time) should be renamed Gray Paste Flats. They came with a citrus-y dipping sauce and actually weren't bad, but they weren't amazing, either. The yellow curry chicken dish I ordered was fantastic. Had a perfect spiciness level, just enough kick without being overwhelming. When my dining companion finally got his Bangkok Combo with Fried Rice, it was delicious. It had a variety of meats, veggies, and fruits, to tantalize the tastebuds, enough so that soy sauce would have just gotten in the way. The sushi was fresh and clean tasting. Nothing warm and fishy here. I'm only a little sad that they don't put avocado on the Philadelphia Roll. The wait staff definitely need more training. We were left standing at the door waiting to be seated for 10 minutes while 5 or 6 staff ran around arguing about things, trying to get bills sorted out, and having pow-wows in the middle of the dining room floor. There was no real greeting or "sorry for the wait". When we asked about a Gluten-free menu, the hostess had never heard of such a thing, and forgot to get back to us about it. We hunted her down 30 minutes later to ask again. They do not have a gluten-free menu, for you Celiacs out there. When they got around to us it was to perfunctorily sit our butts in some seats. The kitchen needs to get their act together as far as timing of the dishes, for sure. Once Ayothaya gets over its growing pains, they should be a great restaurant because the food itself is amazing.
(2)Shawn W.
Ayothaya Thai Food - is a interesting place mostly I think because of poor expectations so people walk out and argue etc. But honestly I can't figure out why yeah the staff is a little inattentive and move very slow. But you have to understand that your in Payson. Nothing moves fast in Payson it's at a totally different speed than the Valley. I have houses in both places and you have to be able to switch mental gears or your gonna be very upset. Unless you order at a drive through window relax and enjoy the weather, because it's not gonna be fast. The food was very good probably excellent but I just don't eat Thai food enough to know. We had the spring rolls, a fried Rice place, Yellow curry chicken and a Thai noodle plate and we ate it family style with all four of us sharing. and every single entree was hot, fresh and very, very good. The service staff were friendly and helpful even in slow motion but like I said that's parsons normal speed. We were there 1 1/2 hours and had great food an great conversation and after dar in Payson that's about all you can ask for it's a place to relax with friends and family if your in a rush stay in the valley
(4)Barry L.
Good Thai food with fresh quality ingredients. Great lunch specials as well. I always hit this place when heading up to or down from the rim. Give it a try.
(4)Jane P.
It's terrible. The place smells. It's not even busy hour with probably 10 people inside but can't cook food right. Don't get the seafood Tom yum, it has one scallop and one shrimp both are freezer burnt! What a waste of money and time. The chicken pad Thai is cold. Why is the chicken cooked separate from the noodles?
(1)Brandy W.
My fiancé and I came in for dinner because every where else had the boxing fight on. The people were very nice and Clara our server was specifically pleasant. They had a special order two entrees and get an appetizer free. We had 74 and 78 with wanton ginger soup. Then the sticky sweet rice with coconut cream and mangos. All was very good. We watched them mop the floor and the soap that they use prevents slippage which then make the floor sticky. Good for workers and customers so no one slips and falls.
(5)Nesto M.
I'm really disappointed to have to downgrade my star rating on this place. It was always one of the bright spots on a weekend in Payson. Apparently, this place went through some personnel restructuring a while ago, and now the cook and wait staff are completely different from the time when I loved it. I have been back at least a dozen times since my original review. The wait time was at times really horrible, and it took us upwards of 2 hours sometimes to eat. But the wait was worth it, because the food was always fantastic. These past two visits, however, it has been a totally different story. I rotate between 3 or 4 dishes that I have really grown to love. One of them is the Massa-Man Curry. When I began coming here, I fell in love with the creamy rich coconut, tamarind, peanut curry full of potatoes and veggies. On our last visit, i discovered pineapple in the dish. What? I am not a fan of pineapple in my curry. It is the specific reason I choose this particular dish. I pointed it out to the waitress, who was great and asked if I wanted the kitchen to remake it. I passed, because it was basically the end of our meal. But I was bummed. We went again last night, I had brought 2 friends for the first time. It had been a few months since the last visit, which I had chalked up to being a fluke and had practically forgotten about. I had raved to my friends about how great the place was. Again, I ordered the Massa-Man. My friends ordered spicy eggplant, orange chicken, and chicken broccoli. When the food arrived, we were deep in conversation. The friend who had been here before, commented to the waiter that there wasn't much eggplant in the dish. The waiter, in response, kind of just put his hands up, as if to suggest "Not my problem, man" wow, ok. The curry was incredibly bad. The comforting creamy goodness that usually greeted me was instead a tart, sweet & sour peanut base. Totally different from the dish I was accustomed to. I took a few bites, but really it was inedible for me. Everyone else ate their food, but other than the good company, I could tell the two friends who had never been there were far from wowed by the food. It seems like whatever staffing issues went on, the previous cook staff took all of their recipes with them, and whoever is in the kitchen now is just half-assing it, trying (not very well) to get by. The one friend who had been there regularly mentioned the same thing. Ingredients were showing up in dishes where they never had before. So, pull it together Ayothaya. You're drunk. We all want to like you again. And you're making us look bad in front of our friends.
(2)Grant S.
Chicken Noodle Soup the Thai way. Fresh great ingredients and attentive service. When traveling through Payson look past all the fast food chains and stop in. Support Local. Located across the street from Safeway.
(4)R R.
REALLY sweet staff, and great food. I *loved* the salad dressing but the rest of my family thought it was too spicy (wimps, LOL). The Pad Thai comes mild enough for anyone to eat, so be sure to specify if you want it spicier. And the Cashew Chicken comes breaded but they can make it without the batter if you want it healthier. They were very accommodating to special requests (like we asked for noodles instead of rice under the orange chicken. They were fine with that). The servings were generous and the server was great. I would definitely return!
(5)Wendy D.
I'm not going to bump the stars, but I wanted to say that we went back for dinner here again, I had a seafood friend rice (I can't remember what this was called) it was really good, like something I would have cooked. Like exactly to my personal preferences of how I like fried rice. I wish I'd made a tally of the names of things we got. My guy got chicken with this very sweet honeied sauce, I didn't like it (Just to sweet for me) but he seemed to like it okay. He got soup too, something coconutty and full of mushrooms (which I am allergic to) he said that was overly sweet as well, but he wasnt complaining, he was trying new things. We also got a few appitizers, chicken satay (they were out last time, so I was happy to get it this time and it was GOOD, if small) We had garden rolls, which were also good, though kind of limp (I mentioned before, they roll these in the morning, so ofcoarse by 7pm they are wilting.) and we had curry puffs, they are like samosas (only smaller), they are curried potato puffs, they were all good. So again it wasn't fantastic but I was more happy with it than last time. The key for me was trying it again and ordering things I wouldnt normally.
(3)Joanne I.
Love this Thai food, consistently have patronized from past to present ownership. I love the curry, the panang, the soups, the thai tea. Friends enjoy as do I and is a fav. Pad Thai always a good intro for those unsure of Thai food. Nice staff, and small town.
(5)Lisa C.
As passerby's do, we yelped restuarants around the area. Unappealed by all the american food, we were craving some asian food. And thats how we found Ayothaya Thai Cafe. And let me tell you, i was pleasently suprised. My duck curry had these pineapples in it and mixed with the curry it tasted sweet and savory. The chicken fried rice and emerald malaysian fried rice was flavorful. Though beware mild spicy is more like a medium spicy. The chicken satay was a good appetizer. Smearing the peanut sauce the drizzling the vinegar onions/cucumbers made the chicken taste yummy! Servers were very kind to us. Checking up on us often.
(4)John B.
Great food, simply excellent service, excellent drinks (Scorpion Stinger) and live entertainment. All at a reasonable price. I requested maximum spices and it came perfectly prepared. What's not to like?
(5)Sharon H.
Excellent green and red curry. One family member got Mongolian fried rice with chicken and also gave it two thumbs up. Clean restaurant. They had a soft jazz band playing when we first arrived, but all music was a reasonable talking environment level. Servers were friendly and fairly timely. Delicious food. I recommend it highly.
(5)Anonymous B.
We used to love this place! Authentic, delicious Thai food with amazing service and atmosphere! It has been a couple years since I have been but when we were passing through town on Friday we decided to stop for lunch. I have to say, this was the worst experience I have ever had here and I will NEVER go back. We ordered the appetizer combo, pretty sure it said it came with Crab Puffs but there weren't any, there were these strange Puffs with frozen mixed veggies in them (peas, carrots and corn) sounds authentic right? Anyways, out of hunger we mustered through it, then we got our entrees which were equally as bad, swimming in too sweet sauce probably bottled, peanut dressing that tasted literally like peanut butter and water and I could go on. We even read yelp reviews while we sat there because we couldn't believe there were actually 5 star reviews! Needless to say, we did ask for a discount and were treated so rudely by the "manger", surely the cook who was offended that even though she discounted our ticket by half, she also fraudulently ran another transaction on my mothers card for the "discounted" amount and a tip on top of it! We had to call back when the night shift was there to get it voided. Horrible horrible service and food, before this owner, the food and service were amazing! Hope they go under and someone else takes over!
(1)William C.
Okay - Full disclosure - I am from Seattle so my expectations when it comes to Thai, well let's just say the bar is high. Our waiter was super bubbly - almost overly so and I felt it could have been ratcheted back just a notch - maybe two. And if he would take some advice from an old food server . . . "Not a Problem" . . . needs to be struck from his patter . . . or at least limited to once per table. Menu - extensive. Perhaps overly so. Fewer items - done really really well would serve the place better. Apps - alas the peanut sauce that came with the Satay could have used some peanuts. The Phad Thai . . . needed either more Phad or more Thai. Not really sure which, but then I am not a chef. Needless to say however, it twas unmemorable. Perhaps the most enjoyable part of the evening was the water. Served in a pint glass my first sip opened my eyes ! I could have sworn that somehow a bottle of whiskey got dropped in the ice machine ! Second sip I detected orange and immediately thought of an Old Fashioned. Relief however when I looked across the room and saw a server pouring from a pitcher with lemon, orange and apple in it. So . . . best glass of ice water I have had in a long long time. Perhaps I should bump my review by a star.
(2)Wes R.
We visit once or twice a year. This one of the better places in town. Thai food was ok in a limited range of ways. Our party was large and received average service time for a friday. Waitress was pleasant and handled our table and others. They had live music. It was country based, a little loud for dinner conversation. Didn't quite fit with Thai theme, but hay we are in the country. Food arrived and was ok. Nothing to write home about. Prices were fair for serving size. Coconut shrimp was good. Chicken satay w as s marginal, peanut sause was not fresh. Angel seafood dish was average, with the lime sauce it was better. Wife had Pad Thai. Again ok, not killer. We had sushi on prior trips. It was decent
(4)Patty B.
Good food, not the best ever but good. Service was very good. Could have done without a live band at dinner- sounded a lot like "the chipmunks do country".
(3)Tom P.
Consistently excellent food at this Thai Cafe. Very comfortable ambiance and live music on the weekends (with room for dancing!). They recently went through a management change which, thankfully, has greatly improved the service speed. I recommend trying the Emerald Fried Rice: delicate flavors with just the right amount of spiciness.
(5)Shirley T.
Have been eating at this restaurant since they opened. Live in the Valley and eat there whenever we are in the Payson area. There has been a change of ownership, but the food is still awesome. Cannot find anything that comes close to it in Phoenix. At our last two visits our waiter was very knowledgeable, friendly and efficient.
(4)Anonymous I.
Went here for mother's day because I was craving some asian food and WOW so freaking good. I haven't eaten here since the sushi chef left because that was my main reason for going. I'm really picky about asian food and I find it hard to get stuff that is made well. My fiance had the crispy duck ka prow and I had the paradise chicken and we had the coconut shrimp as appetizers. The coconut shrimp was beyond amazing, great way to start a meal, it had four fairly large pieces. The entrees were to die for and the portions were huge! We ended up splitting our plates up and sharing our meals because each others dish were so good and plentiful. Everything was cooked to perfection and I'm really glad I decided to give this place a real shot. They have so much to choose from and everything looked and sounded very good. Great big portion sizes are always a plus, we even had a good amount to take home with us. Not going to lie though, the servers were a little all over the place. At one point I even heard one of them say "We don't even know who's doing what table". They all looked super young. Slow to get refills on drinks and they were really kind of stumbling all over themselves. But the food still made it out in good time and it was well worth the less than amazing service. I can't wait to eat here again!
(5)William C.
I stumbled on this Thai restaurant while driving through the city of Payson. At first we were skeptical because this restaurant was the only Thai restaurant we have encountered after many hours of driving. Outside there was a sign saying that it was the best Thai food around. After tasting the food I was very surprised the food was actually very good. It is comparable to the many Thai restaurants that exists in Socal. Overall great find great meal good day.
(5)Michael L.
Travelling from Colorado we decided to skip fast food and torture the kids with asian. Very nice atmosphere and decore but could do without the incense burning. We ordered chix satay box for kids. It comes with a cleverly carved orange, a salad, crab puffs and the chicken. My fussy kid didn't like it because the chicken was different than satay he is used to. We both liked it. Wife had red curry beef and liked it. I had singapore rice with shrimp and crab. The seafood in it was not great. Shrimp was average at best....but everything else in it was fantastic. The table next to us loved their dishes too. (lunch) 4 stars overall considering the location etc. I will go back.
(4)Joseph G.
We are always on the look out for good Asian food. While passing through Pasyson we found this Thai restaurant. It is super delicious. I would recommend it.
(5)Lauren S.
$10 lunch special is amazing and enough for 2 people if you aren't very hungry. Nice people that work there as well!
(5)Stephanie E.
Bowl of Tom Ka Gai----was way delicious. The vegetable sautee in ginger miso was not delicious - stick with the curries and soups here. Really great food ... There seems to be a trend though of sub par service. While I was sitting, I overheard other tables talking about how terrible the service is but they come back because the food is great. I felt bad for the server - sweet kid, but was given the task of tending the entire dining room during lunch. A women even walked out because it took to look for anyone to even talk to her. I was incredibly tempted to hop up... and start taking drink and food orders, getting people sweetener for their teas and seating people. It is too bad that management doesn't realize that by understaffing you are hurting yourself.... customers get annoyed or at minimum only come when they have a ton of time, and also you stress out your staff and they are less able to breathe, smile and interact with guests. Great food - come when you have some time, or right when they open :) Still worth going to , especially since Payson has VERY few options for ethnic food.
(4)Kevin G.
This is by far the worst place I have EVER eaten. It took our party of 4, 10 minutes to take a drink order when this place was dead! The server came up and said "what do you want?" I laughed. We asked him for sweetener multiple times for iced tea and my fiancés dad asked for a Mai Tai and after asking the waiter 3 times where it was, he said the bartender "won't make it". I laughed. The appetizer platter was overcooked and tasted like crap. I ate my Pad Tai but the tofu was chewy. All of the others in our party ordered variations of curry dishes and none of them ate any of it. One was sent back. All decent reviews of this place are either by people that work here or people that live in this area and have never tasted good food.
(1)Mike M.
Lunch special yesterday. First visit. The atmosphere feels 80's vintage. Maybe like a VFW hall. The dining room could use some upgrades from the indoor/outdoor carpet on the perimeter of the room to the golden oak laminate floor in the center. The bar is in the center of the room, and Frank Sinatra sang from start to end. I like Frank; but he's probably never even been to Thailand. Customer service was less than spectacular. I asked to substitute a chicken soup for the tofu soup - - but "No. Substitutions are not permissible." I can (almost) understand that, so I asked if I could have the chicken soup for an upcharge..... "No. Substitutions are not allowed." I was a bit baffled at the answer, and felt like I was on one of those cheap airlines that charges you to use the overhead compartment. But now I understood the rules, so tofu soup it was. The Pad Thai entree was delivered hot and tasty, and worth the slightly longer than expected wait. I'd go again for the only Thai cuisine in Payson; knowing that the dining room is simply a place to sit while you eat, and there will be no particularly outstanding customer appreciation. The two lunch specials set us back $26 with the tax and tip included. Fountain drinks (or iced tea), tofu soup, and entrees for 2.
(3)Monica V.
2 words. Chicken paradise. Yum! Service is hit or miss, but the food has always been DELISH!
(4)Jose M. L.
Mussa-Mun Thai Curry and Jungle Curry (no coconut milk)
(5)Gabriel W.
My first thoughts exactly mimicked Amy D.'s initial comment: A Thai restaurant in Payson? Well, as it turns out...yeah, and a fairly decent one at that. They also have an entire sushi bar and rather extensive sushi menu. The sushi, for me, will have to wait for another day. Im going to start with the good, ie the food and the staff. The staff was friendly and helpful, offering a few suggestions depending on your spice preference and meat preference. We wound up kinda doing our own thing, but the information was appreciated. We started off with two appetizers the Thai toast and curry puffs. The curry puffs were good, albeit a little small with only 4 pieces. The sauce that accompanied them was different from any sweet/sour type sauce I had ever had before, but I really liked it. The toast, on the other hand, was rather large. I can't imagine this dish being even remotely authentic, but it was tasty thats for sure! It came with its own different sweet and sour sauce with crushed peanuts. I really enjoyed this appetizer. For the main meal, I ordered the Ghang Garee as that is the dish by which I take my initial impressions of just about any Thai restaurant. I ordered it medium-hot, and I could have easily ordered it as hot as they make it cause this was not spicy in my book. But that aside, the dish was quite good. A little runnier than I usually like my curry, but it wasnt really watered down either. The flavor was very nice, but didnt have much depth to it--or rather just not as much depth as a lot of other Thai places Ive eaten at. I mean, it IS curry, after all. Anyway, their take on it was unique. Ghang garee usually is chicken, potatoes, and onion. This had all of that plus red and yellow peppers, tomatoes, and a really surprising treat: pineapple! Although it was not at all what I was expecting, I really enjoyed their version. The chicken, I have to say was not only cooked perfectly, but was also bountiful in the dish. Finally, we decided to try a dessert here by ordering the fried banana sundae thing. I would describe this dish as smart more than I would call it a really amazing dessert. Why? Well frying bananas that are not actually plantains is no easy task. They accomplished it here by wrapping it in eggroll wrappers before deep frying. I would not have thought of that, and I think it was clever. The dish was good, not amazing, but was enjoyable. Im holding off on the bad note (pun intended, youll see) to the last minute here, and so Ill go to the decor first. The place looks modern and clean and the sushi bar in the middle adds a kind of sophisticated elegance to the looks of the place. Wood floors, modern light fixtures. Waiters dress in all black. You know the type. If I could end my review here, I would give the place 4-4.5 stars easy. But alas, I cannot. The experience was somewhat ruined by the establishment's choice of entertainment. An older male and female on a small stage to one side of the restaurant played old-timey western and rock classics from behind a casio keyboard and a tambourine turning this hip, modern establishment immediately into a geriatric home. Their rendition of Johnny B. Goode was enough to make me choke on my sticky rice. The man played keys ok, but the crappy keyboard's undeniably fake piano sounds made everything sound corny. Furthermore, he mumbled everything. At first, I thought he just didnt know the words to the songs...no, he just doesnt enunciate. The woman with the tambourine had a less than remarkable voice. The music, in general, was too loud as well. So 4-4.5 stars from me if they had just left the background music on like was playing when we first entered the place. 5 stars if they had gone with something classier like a jazz trio which would have made me ignore the small, shall we call them disagreements?...that I had with their culinary choices, and would have taken my experience above and beyond the norm. This all happened on a Friday night, so I have no idea if this is something they do every night or just fridays, all day or just nights, but I think next time Ill try a Tuesday lunch if I can help it.
(3)Nikki M.
Great service - there was a large group of us without a reservation and they did their best to manage all of our orders! The lunch special is a great deal: entree (selected ones only), drink (iced/hot tea or soda), and either a small soup or salad for $10. I had the pad thai which was too salty for my liking. Overall I enjoyed the experience and would come back if I'm ever in Payson again!
(3)Courtney B.
We ordered a large take out order for a picnic by the creek to treat my Mommy for Mommy day. They were very nice, made recommendations and packed the food up very well. It was good, it was not the best I have ever had, but very enjoyable. I loved the Masaman, the spring rolls, the spicy sweet dipping sauce. The fried rice was ok, the chicken it came with was very good. The Phad Thai wasn't that good. The dumplings were very good, and these deep fried wonton pockets with something good in them were pretty yummy. It was like a minced meat and veggie fillling. Overall, I am glad to have somewhere pretty and yummy to go when I visit the Mama.
(3)Loren A.
We asked for "no spice" on Drunken Noodles because the night before it had been very very spiced. No difference when we requested "no spice". We like this restaurant, but disappointing.
(3)K D.
We were driving through Payson and stopped here on a whim. It was delicious! I had the chicken and noodles, and although a bit on the oily side, it was so good I would definitely order it again. My husband had the Pra Ram Lang Song, which was also wonderful! He had it with a recommended Thai beer that went very well with the dish. The service was fabulous and everyone was friendly, especially since we wandered in at the end of the night. We were greeted like they just opened and they couldn't have been more pleasant! I would go out of my way to come back here. This was the best Thai food we've had and being from a culinary city like Chicago, that's saying a lot.
(5)Kari K.
Service is dismal, food is ok. But hey, they have a monopoly. and as far as Amy comment about Republicans during a restaurant review. Truly shows how pathetic a person you are.
(3)Zhao D.
What a surprise, the food is actually better than most Thai restaurants in Phoenix. They have a menu with lots of variety. I'd love to come back and try more.
(4)Douglas R.
The owner should be proud of the food and very concerned with the service. The staff knows nothing about serving people nor the food people are ordering. I watched as the customers asked about the items on the menu. The explanation was terrible. Three people at a table near us walked out after ordering because the service was so slow. One couple waited ten minutes for change. I had to ask for silverware and rice for our meal. The person that brought the food to the table had no idea of who ordered what. He carried the dishes with his fingers in the food. The person that took our order had dirty hands with grease under his fingernails as though he had changed the oil in his car. The owner needs to wake up. I have been to Thailand many times and know how they value service. No reason not to do better than this.
(3)John B.
i have stopped in twice now and had the same thing both times. I had the drunken noodles and they were very good both times. I was craving sushi and was sad to hear that the sushi chef had moved and they currently did not serve sushi. Both times in i have had immediate and polite service. While I cannot speak for the entire menu, I would definitely recommend the drunken noodles.
(4)Patricia M.
This is an absolute gem located IMHO oddly in the center of Payson. Service: Fantastic, Menu: Very big but descriptions about everything are there for you, Food Quality: Outstanding, delicious particularly the duck dish. Highly Recommend this establishment.
(5)Amy D.
A Thai restaurant in Payson? You betcha! (They are Republicans there. Blech!) It's been open for a few months and I finally got to go. Mom is more adventurous about food, stepdad just made a face and gave us the credit card to go. The service was really friendly and quick to seat us & give us drinks. They even had recommendations on the menu. I got the massaman, because that's what I love at Thai Hut. Started with the chicken satay and we gobbled it up pretty quickly. The massaman had a bit too much tamarind for my taste, but that's not their fault. I find that every Thai restaurant can make the same damn dish taste completely different. It was really rich, like they used the good coconut milk. If I liked tamarind more, I'd be craving it! The spice level, though, was spot-on. I like mine Thai hot. I gotta feel it going out the next day the same way it went in. To cause tears. I'll be back. My parents live in Payson, so when I can tolerate them, I go up.
(4)Sabrina C.
Decided to stop in here today after driving all the way up from the valley (Apache Junction). I went for the sushi, but it was closed. Instead, I had the Rockfish, I believe it was something along the lines of Crunchy Fried Rockfish. It was one of the best fish dinners I've had in a long time. The flavor was great, I wish I knew how to cook it! Everyone with me loved the food. The service however... there was only one waitress and she was way overworked and seemed stressed. We were probably talked to three times, and it took an hour for us to get our food. My friend that was with me got Pad Thai instead of Chicken Broccoli somehow, but he didn't realize it until after he took quite a few bites. I will go back for the food, but I think I will try to go later in the day since I assume there will be more staff on hand.
(3)Arthur Z.
What a gem of a restaurant in Payson. Food was excellent, well prepared and flavorful. Service was wonderful, perhaps they learned from the negative experiences of prior reviewers. The mongollian fried rice was terrific with a hint of 5 spice powder. The cashew chicken was not what I have experienced in the past but was great. Pad Thai was as good as I have had.
(5)Karen F.
Based on the reviews on yelp we decided to try this restaurant. We were driving up from Phoenix to go up to Happyjack and thought we would get takeout. I called to place the order and they told me 15 to 20 minutes. We arrived there in about 20 minutes and were told it would be another 15 to 20 minute wait. We found a shady spot and waited. They said they had been slammed so they were running behind schedule. This was at 2:15 on Friday afternoon so not prime lunch or dinner time. We went back in after about 25 minutes and we're told that our two meals had not even been started. They had our order now for 45 minutes! We told him to forget it and we left. So I guess if you're planning on eating here, Make it a day.
(1)Mark W.
Ayothaya is what I must assume is an oasis of good food in the middle of Payson. To be honest, I haven't tried that many restaurants in Payson and I don't even know if it is in the middle of the city, but it sure was good. There is Thai food, sushi, and a large bar. The green curry sauce was a little thin, but good nonetheless. My wife had some tofu dish, and my daughter had spring rolls and tofu balls. All good. If I ever found myself in Payson again, I would find my way back.
(5)Pamela R.
Just came back from the Ayothaya Cafe. I was skeptical, ya know....Thai in Payson. I'm still full from my meal. It wasn't bad actually. We started off with surprisingly good Chicken Satay which was served with a tasty peanut sauce and "cucumber salad". The Drunken Noodles were a little greasy, and I can live with that, however the saltiness of the noodles bought it down by a star. I probably should've just gone to Jack In The Box.
(3)Mateo C.
we were coming back from a camping trip up at chevelon lake up on the rim and randomly decided to stop in at this place. it is a gem. super reasonable prices and authentically delicious thai food. i am looking forward to camping on the rim again just so we can hit this place on the way home...the tom ka gai is awesome. and cheap.
(5)Aaron C.
Best restaurant in Payson. Food is great but wait staff is the worst, very slow and inattentive. This would be a five star place if it weren't for the service.
(3)Randy R.
I've been to Thailand multiple times so I'm picky. This was good. I'll be back.
(4)Greg I.
Have eaten here several times. The food is consistently very good and the service is consistently extremely slow. Plan on an hour and a half minimum, even if they're not crowded.
(3)F D.
Great food. I agree that it was a little chilly inside and the servers were a little slow, but very friendly. After we received our food, none of that mattered. The food was great .. will definitely eat there again on our way through Payson.
(4)Richard v.
Good food, individual service nice atmosphere. Will come again
(4)Sunny G.
Great food, loved the ambiance. I have had Thai food in many places in Arizona and in other states and this is one of the top three. We went for dinner and ordered ocean tom yum soup, for appetizer - chicken satay & dumpling. They were all delicious. For main course, duck curry and pattaya clay pot. Everything was so good that we went back for lunch the following day. There was live music. There was decent amount of crowd. Even in a busy night, the waitress took time to understand our order, gave us enough time to go through the menu, answered all our questions politely and changed the flavored water immediately when I rather preferred plain water. For lunch the next day, we ordered wonton ginger soup, balloon soup and again they were delicious. Ordered the Ayothaya sampler for appetizer and it was good. For main course we ordered guay thew noodle and another duck dish. I may not order the same noodle again as it didn't have much flavor and vegetables but it was with the description in the menu. Overall very good experience.
(5)Ellen H.
We stopped for lunch today and were surprised at the experience in Payson. We were seated promptly, the service was great, and the food was wonderful. I told the waitress I like Pad Thai but thought I might get one of the fried rice dishes. She recommended the Bangkok Fried Rice. I was so impressed! It was grilled shrimp, chicken, pork and steak surrounding a beautiful presentation of fried rice. The rice had cashews, raisins, pineapple, onion slices, bell peppers and egg. The flavor was heavenly! I might insist on a trip to Payson from Phoenix once in a while just to get a fix. My husband had his favorite, yellow chicken curry. He asked for some chili sauce and was brought a delightful tray of 4 different types of sauce or chili powder. The heat was so easy to adjust - the dishes were mild but we could add the heat to our taste. We've had a favorite Thai restaurant for years in Scottsdale and love the experience there. This restaurant adds a great dining choice on the Mogollon Rim.
(4)