Jim L.

OK, why do I give this place 5 stars? Is it really that good? The food, mainly the pad thai or pad see ew are very good. The appetizers are decent, nothing spectacular. I mainly give the 5 stars for the service. Being a somewhat-regular, I am always greeted warmly as I enter and I see that they do the same for others as well. Water glasses are refilled promptly as well as the sodas which are all-you-can drink. I have been coming here for over 15 years and they haven't skipped a beat. Although it is a small chain, you feel like it is an individually owned place.
(5)
Tansy Y.

I only can here because I got the voucher from Living Social. Thank God I didn't pay full price because my dining experience here was the worst I've had in a very long time. First of all, the waitress gave me a dirty plate for my appetizer and when I asked for a clean one she just took the dirty one and sat behind the bar. After 5 minutes, I had to go ask her for a plate. Secondly, the food is below average. We ordered the chef's special and a King Pad with chicken. The chef's special was super super spicy and not even flavorful and the chicken in the Pad King was dry as hell. The rice that came with these dishes tasted like the rice from cheap Chinese takeouts. There's a great Thai restaurant called Thai Arroy in Baltimore. The prices are about 50% lower and the taste is heavenly compared to this. They give you soup or salad with an entree or lunch as well. So, back to this place. During checkout, I gave the waitress my phone with the voucher on it and a credit card. After she gave me the receipt I circled the tip and was ready to leave. She stopped me saying that I haven't paid. Apparently she didn't charge the rest of my bill on my credit card and said that the minimum for using a credit card was $10. Ok. Can you do anything right? It's not like the restaurant was busy. There were only three other tables of customers. That's it. Not coming back.
(1)
Kathryn L.

Headed out for a quick drink & saw the "Live Jazz Music" sign in the window, so I popped in. I wasn't expecting the Hostesses to tell me there weren't any tables available due to previous reservations being made. After a few seconds of banter in trying to get her to tell me yes or no that reservations was necessary, I left. I came back to grab a Take Out Menu & she said she had a table for me...ok, round two. I sat by the window right next to the 2 Person Band & enjoyed the music for a few minutes before TiTi my server arrived. She was full of energy & with fast service. As quick as I ordered my wine, she was back with it & asked if I wanted to order my entree. Told her no, I wanted to start off the Veggie Spring Rolls. They came pretty fast too & were very fresh & cooked well. Not greasy or flaky & the veggies were crisp. TiTi was on me like every 5 minutes to see if I was ready for my entree. & after a few more "not yet's" I was ready to order & TiTi was no where to be found, classic, LOL! I had the basic...Veggie Pad Thai w/o the peanuts & didn't have a long wait for it to come out. Great preparation of fresh veggies & sauce with a pretty good portion. Nice little outing with live music & tasty/quick Thai food for an early Saturday night bite to eat that hit the mark.
(3)
Kat F.

This place is quite convenient to my new apartment, so we stopped in, ravenous, after moving all day. A group of teenage boys were coming out as we were going in, and warned us not to get the incredibly spicy drunken noodles. We heeded their advice and got the chicken pad thai, which wasn't bad. I got some kind of mango martini, and I don't know what was in it, or why, but there were strings of what I assume to be pulp, but they tasted like pieces of fuzz or hair. It was almost impossible to drink because I felt like I was ingesting fur. I didn't say anything, and just drank it but I wouldn't get that again. A mediocre place that isn't terrible but isn't great either.
(3)
B N.

Consistently great food and good service for dine in, carry out or delivery. This is one of the best neighborhood restaurants in downtown Bethesda.
(4)
Angela P.

This place is fantastic for the food, service, and entertainment. A delightful place for a Friday or Saturday night date. Jea, our sweet and attentive server, made excellent recommendations when we were debating between two dishes and kept our drinks filled all night. Our food came quickly and was hot & delicious. For dinner, we took a yelp recommendation of Mai Fah. Delicious rice noodles stir fried with shredded black fungi, pork, and egg. Perfectly cooked and flavorful. The profile of this dish is similar to how fried rice would taste, but with rice noodles. We also ordered the hot and spicy catfish and duck. The duck turned out to be mostly fatty bits and skin which we won't order again, but the catfish was fantastic. Perfectly fried filets; no breading just the way I like it coated in a lovely, flavorful red sauce. An abundant amount of sliced hot peppers hit the pan and added texture, freshness, and heat to the dish. Beautifully decorated with peppercorn and basil leaves. We ended the meal by enjoying music from the Jazz band. A very nice touch to our Friday night!
(4)
Julie D.

This establishment is opened at 11:30am, not 11am as indicated on yelp and google.I've had better, but I've had worst. Based on past yelp reviews, I decided to try the tofu pad se ew and vegetarian green curry today. The noodles and vegetable were cooked perfectly in the pad se ew. I had initially chosen to adding some heat to this dish; however decided against it since the server insisted that the dish would lose it's flavor with the addition to any spice. I dreadfully regretted this decision after trying this dish--any addition would have saved this miserably bland, flavorless dish. The vegetarian green curry was "good", but nothing to rave about. I ordered this meal "spicy" but believe it was mildly spicy at most. The green curry was a good effort in trying to mimic the better curries I've had; however, it also lacked depth in it's flavor. Otherwise the variety in vegetable was good (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, string beans). All in all, the staff was courteous and the establishment has a good atmosphere; however the food is mediocre at best (eatable and acceptable; however far from being great).
(2)
Lilly H.

Delicious food and great service especially for a vegetarian. Not to mention how beautiful and romantic the place is.
(5)
Tina H.

I went here a while back to order to go. I was happy to know there's a Thai restaurant right down the street from where I work, but was disappointed after I placed my order. This was around late afternoon. I ordered pad thai with beef and a thai coffee to go. It took them literally 20 minutes to get me my pad Thai. Now, if the place was busy I'd understand, but it was not. AT ALL! The pad Thai was super salty and watery, I could not finish half of it. The coffee? It was the WORST Thai coffee I ever had. It was super sour!!! I don't know if they made it wrong or it was rotten. Either way it was gross! I have not been back since and will not be back.
(2)
Bonnie W.

Not a busy place on a Tuesday night at 7, we enjoyed our Living Social voucher with good service and excellent food. Parked across the street. The dumplings were wonderful - 5 generous portions to share. The Mai Fhi was great with the silver noodles and chicken Panang had some nice heat. Plenty left over for lunch the next day. Experimented with a pink coconut drink and a coconut flan, tasty, but will stick to ice tea and maybe the green tea ice cream instead.
(4)
Nicole L.

It may not be a good sign when there were only a few tables at dinner hours. I ordered the tom kha with shrimps the broth was very bland lacks fish sauce/acid and too much coconut milk. I wondered who was in the kitchen? The shrimps though were fresh. I made a request for the green curry with squid the server was not sure and had to check it was nice she came back with a Yes. The green curry was good had a spicy kick and l loved the julienned bamboo shoots. My hubby had the vegetarian garden roll it was dry i has tried a small piece. The pad thai was average. The sticky rice with mango was decent wish there was more coconut milk. Overall the thai food here was below average compared to most.
(3)
Swatee G.

I do not like places that assume that I will like spicy food, given that I am Indian! Seriously people - ASK ME! So this woman serving me does not ask me what kind of spice I like, and I end up with Drunken Noodles that make me feel like the crying tiger!! Not a fan! I also had the minced chicken soup - a little on the sweeter side, due to the sweet corn, but it was enjoyable regardless. I tried a bit of the panang curry and it was ok, the larb gai was not half as flavorful as it should have been!! I saw the server very rudely tell a couple who walked in 10 min prior to closing that they could only do take out - why they were seated and served water BEFORE she let them know - I have NO clue! Will i be back? Not unless i have the "living social" deal that the hostile/ fake-polite server told me I needed buy 48 hours in advance of coming there!! bleh!
(3)
Kate S.

To be fair, we went here on New Year's Day and they were busy. Not slammed, but definitely busy and under-staffed. We waited for about 20 minutes before anyone acknowledged us at our table. The restaurant was dark and cold. The service was practically non-existent. The food was, eh, not offensive but completely unmemorable. We don't have a ton of other great Thai options in the area, but this isn't one I'd likely try again.
(1)
Lisa S.

I've gotten takeout from Sala Thai a few times now, because it's pretty close to my apartment. Each time, I've called in my order and picked up within 15-20 minutes. I've never had to wait- my food has always been ready when I've gotten there! They also do online ordering through GrubHub, although I've never used it. First things first: the chicken pad thai rocks ($8.95 lunch, $10.95 dinner). It's basically what I order every time, and it's always exactly what I expect. For appetizers, I've tried their chicken satay ($6.95) and thai curry puff ($7.25), and wasn't blown away by either. They also have a great selection of vegetarian entrees. My friend ordered the vegetarian kee mao ($7.95 lunch, $8.95 dinner) and she said it was tasty (and spicy!). Overall, a solid Thai place. Nothing too amazing, but there are some tasty dishes on the menu.
(4)
Helen L.

Had the june lunch special - pad thai chicken..came with a house salad which the dressing was great but sloppy chopping job. Cucumbers were sliced too thick, iceberg lettuce not in the most bite friendly sizes.. came with a soda or tea all for $12.95. pad thai wasn't bad but I don't like their selection for noodles. It's not the typical thin noodles but its much much thinner than that. Prob just personal preference. Food came out fast. Not too noisy. Service was friendly. Not bad at all, but I had better.
(3)
Dana M.

Great thai food in bethesda, and not too expensive! Our table had: chicken lettuce wraps (really good, light and fresh) chicken pineapple (highly recommend! stir-fried with rice and fresh ginger, comes IN a pineapple!), pad thai (also amazing), and the wild chic (chicken sauteed in curry sauce with snow peas - just spicy enough, and there were lots of vegetables!). I had the Pad Pak with chicken (light garlic sauce with vegetables - it wasn't too flavorful or spicy. I'd get something with more heat next time!) I'd definitely order any of these dishes again. We also split the mango coconut sticky rice for dessert. GET IT. you know you want to. Warm, coconutty, and just sweet enough with the mango. Though if you had a lot of rice or noodles with dinner, you may need to make a little room. Or order one to take home! Still want to try: hot and sour coconut soup, nu kra ting tone (spicy beef with onion, garlic & parsley sauce), and the wild chic! I think the last time I was here I had the Pannang Gai, chicken with curry peanut sauce - and I remember it being REALLY good. So I'd go back to try that again. Service was a little slow again. But the food was worth it.
(4)
Natasha B.

I eat Thai food often and this place was pretty bad. Their space and location is good. I stopped by tonight to get takeout. I got the veggie kee mao and spring rolls. The people that worked there were not friendly. I said I wanted to get food to go and the lady dropped a menu on the bar and walked away. I had to wait for her to take three calls before I could order. Delivery times were 1.5 hours apparently. Once my food was ready another less than friendly lady rung me up... I probably could have left without paying since they pushed my food at me and ignored me. My food was very greasy, boring, and tasted dirty. I will not be eating there again.
(2)
Anuj B.

This is my favorite Thai place. Whenever I and my wife have to swing our car for the most delicious Thai stuff, this is the place. Not too expensive and the curries are pretty good as well. Thai drunken noodles, red curry and green curry are worth trying. Their soups are all great, I like the chicken lemongrass soup the best. You don't have to wait too long if you are dining or picking up. Worth trying if you are up in that area.
(4)
Janice V.

I have been here several times thanks to Groupon. The food is always decent, icy ice-loaded thai ice tea, pad thai, good, papaya and beef salad always good. The white rice, done right, and the curry fried rice blew me out of the water. Curry is always good, red, brown, green, yellow, all colors are good. Nothing extradordinary, just decent thai food in a good location.
(4)
Jeffrey T.

After much traveling and trying pad see ew on the east and west coast I can honestly say that this is the best, espcially considering the price. I love the curry puffs and the spring rolls. WIld pork is also phenomenal. Best happpy hour prices and they literally every couple weeks have livingsocial deals for $40 for $20. I can't even count how many times I have been to this place. I should also add that the staff is super efficient and effective. Exaclty what I want in a restuarant.
(5)
Madhuvika M.

Not exemplary but decent food.. Nice place .
(3)
Gregory B.

Solid Thai food, not outstanding, but serviceable. Restaurant is big, open and full of light being situated or a corner lot in downtown Bethesda. I was promptly greeted by someone working behind the bar and escorted to a 2 top right by the window. Great for people watching. Reasonable selection of beers, I ordered a Singha (Thai) beer to keep the experience consistent. There is a small wine list as well, but I didn't pay much attention to it. For my meal, I ordered off the "specials" menu. For starters a "Yummy Eggplant", and for entree a "red curry basil soft shell crab". The eggplant starter didn't have much eggplant. Pretty much ground chicken, lots of red onion, cucumber,and lettuce on 2 very small pieces of eggplant. The number of onions made it almost impossible to taste the eggplant, this could have been just about anything. The soft shell crab was overdone. It had been deep fried to oblivion and served with some non-description veggies and a little bowl of rice. The star of the show was the curry, served in a separate bowl. It was perfectly made, spices, but not overwhelming. Without it, the dish was inedible, but with it a nice entree. Service was solid, but the place was relatively empty at 6:15 pm. A couple of larger parties came in during my meal, but attention to my party of one was not affected. A previous reviewer had complained about their seating with children, but I observed a husband and wife with an infant seated in the main dining room near me, so maybe they got the message. Hard for me to compare to other local Thai restaurants as I'm just visiting, but I had a pleasant meal, and would go back if I had a hankering for Thai food, although it wasn't outstanding enough to stop me from trying other places in this neighborhood full of restaurants.
(3)
John B.

It's well-located, one of the closest things to NIH and Walter Reed, as well as being walkable from downtown Bethesda. It's a very nice space, large, well-decorated and full of light. As to the food...it's spicy. They have a good-sized vegetarian section. Portions are fairly small. If you're looking to get out of NIH for a meal, it'll do.
(3)
Brian O.

I always enjoy going to Sala Thai. We must have been there at least 8 times over the past few years. They often have a Groupon or LivingSocial deal. Service is always good and food always comes out very fast. My favorite meal is the pineapple chicken. It's even served in half of a pineapple. The non-alcoholic fruity drinks are really good, especially the coconut punch. The desserts are okay and small. I have noticed that the the entree portions seem like they have been getting smaller since when we first started going.
(5)
Jess A.

So good. Came here with my family and everyone absolutely loved their dishes. They have a good range of dishes--not everything is super spicy (but they have that, too, if you want it.)
(5)
Na L.

Went here for lunch. Wished the lunch special ($12.95 for appetizer, entree and drink) had more options than 3 not to famous thai dishes. Service is a little slow but I still love Thai food and they have decent food here.
(3)
Pallabi G.

My boyfriend's favorite cuisine is Thai, so we've been all over the DMV looking for good restaurants and this place is in our top five. That actually works out really great for us because this place often has a groupon or living social deal going on AND it's only 2 blocks from his apartment so we often use the groupon to get take out. They are pretty good at all the standard Thai dishes but they are the best at noodles. The portions are very generous given the price, which is supremely affordable. Green curry (3/5) : Pretty standard green curry. The taste is great but I expected a little more variety in the vegetables. Normally green curry comes with eggplant or beans but this just had bamboo shoots. Tom Yum Goong (3/5) : This soup was ok. When something is sour at Sala Thai, it's really sour so that was a little off setting. Also the portion was a bit paltry. Yum Woon Sen (3/5) : This would have been really good if it wasn't *really* sour. Drunken noodles (5/5) : These were great. Big fat wide noodles that are really soft and great flavor that is not too greasy. Pad Thai (5/5) : My boyfriend loved this dish and he has had pad Thai from many different restaurants. In addition to whatever protein that you get, they put in egg, tofu and sprouts. The spice level is just perfect and the flavor is great. Fried ice cream (3/5): Definitely not the worst I've had but not that great either. The shell should have been a lot crispier. Drinks (4/5) : Pretty good! I was surprised. The Bangkok sunset made me feel like I was on a beach in Cancun again. Their margarita is not too shabby either. Great place to have nearby!
(4)
Janet L.

I visit this restaurant pretty often, mostly because it's really close to where I live. I can't imagine going out of my way to come to this restaurant. They do tend to have groupons/living social deals and so those are worth it if you see one! The experience (combine from about 8 different trips) - *Food - The Drunken Noodle dish is very flavorful and so is the Tom Kha (soup) ... the fried banana is delicious, however, each spring roll is tiny... like the size of my thumb!! As far as the other dishes go, I agree with the other reviewers, they can tend to come out on the bland side (for instance, dishes I normally enjoy such as Panang or Pad Thai turned out to be lacking some flavor/kick to it). *Service - I think they are frequently understaff (at least on weekends), so it tends to be slow... not so much the waiter/waitresses fault. *Atmosphere - The atmosphere is nice: live, jazz band on weekends... however, if you get a table right next to the music, it can be very frustrating. It was difficult to hear my own voice let alone the conversation at the table. If you sit far away from it, it's a nice sort of relaxed feel.... so I guess it can go either way. So if you're in the area and you enjoy Thai food and are hungry, I would suggest this place. Otherwise, I'm sure there are better places. ----- They do have a private dining area upstairs if you have a large party, so the option is available.. however, I've never been upstairs, so I can't comment.
(3)
Alexandra B.

My boyfriend and I came to Sala Thai for date night on a busy Saturday evening and thoroughly enjoyed our experience here. Since it was a Saturday, there was a live jazz band playing, which was a huge plus for us--just loud enough to be enjoyed by all but not so loud that it distracted from our conversation. Sala Thai drew me in to their restaurant in the first place by having a large, separate section of their menu for vegetarian dishes. I was stoked to see a Thai restaurant with such diverse options for us veggies! The environment is nice and open with lots of windows to the outside and an inviting feel to it. The special drinks seemed to be a pretty reasonable price for the area ($8 each), so we decided to try some. I had the Sala Thai Iced Tea and he had the Bangkok Sunset with coconut, pineapple, and rum. Both were different from most drinks we've ever had before (e.g., an alcoholic iced tea with actual tea in it, which was kind of fun). They were also extremely strong, so go in expecting to only order one drink unless you can really, really hold your liquor. One thing that was odd was that the drinks took longer to make than our appetizers, but we were willing to let it slide since we clearly got such a good bang for our buck. Unfortunately, they were out of the garden rolls, which was a huge bummer as that was the one thing I wanted to try above everything else. So, for appetizers I decided to go with the Tofu Tod instead, which was pretty basic (fried tofu with a sweet and sour peanut sauce) but still enjoyable. My boyfriend ordered the calamari (he's really into calamari....) and enjoyed it but was disappointed to see that they didn't give any tentacles. We both ended up with the same dipping sauce, but at least it had a good flavor and nice kick to it. As for entrees, we had both been on a long run the day we were there and so both found ourselves suddenly craving noodles. To get something different from the standard pad thai, he ordered the drunken noodles with shrimp and tofu, and I had the Pad See Ew for vegetarians. We agreed quite well on how balanced our dishes were, with both of us feeling that they brought a spice level that was noticeable but not overwhelming. Everything was really well-prepared, the portion sizes were perfect, and the sauces had great flavor. And on top of that, my entree was under $10 and his was not much more. Not bad for Bethesda.... Overall, we had a really nice evening at Sala Thai. The few stumbling blocks we did encounter were minor in comparison to all of the good things we experienced there. I'm glad we found this restaurant and we will definitely be back again soon!
(4)
Wesley Y.

Bought the Living social for the coconut milk penang gai It was carry out, I actually bought it twice. They didn't put chopsticks fork or napkin. They have signs for happy hour 3-6
(3)
Boris S.

#34 Mai Fah $10 (5/5 NOMs). Amazing!! My new favorite order at this restaurant. Dish was relatively light even though there is so much in it. Clear noodles tasted very nomnom and was perfect mix pork, shrimp, egg, and black mushroom served with white rice. By the way they have live jaz band here on Friday and Saturday
(5)
M. P.

2.5 stars. There is better thai out there but this isn't the worst either. Great Pad Thai, good Pad See Ew, rice is always dry, etc. Place itself is a bit....weird? I don't know but I just feel like I'm in an old basement kind of.
(2)
Heather J.

I have been here several times, and have never been disappointed. Usually I get some noodle dish, but tonight we branched out and got NO noodles! It's a miracle! Anyway, we got the chicken satay, which I always get. The chicken is tender and the peanut sauce is great. And I love the sweet cucumber salad that comes with it - a little chicken, a little cucumber, and a little peanut sauce is a really nice bite. I also got a Thai iced tea, which was yummy - your standard. For our entrees, we got an eggplant and mushroom stir fry, which was delicious. Our other entree was really a standout, I think. We got a pork dish with veggies in a sweet and sour sauce. The sauce was delicious, the pork was tender, and there was a really nice variety of veggies. Now, for dessert, I wanted mango sticky rice, and they didn't have any! Why, you ask? Because mango is out of season, and they're unwilling to serve unripe mango = props to them. Instead of serving something less than perfect, they don't serve it at all. I respect them for that. So I got fried bananas with vanilla ice cream....yum! I expected tempura bananas, but they were actually little banana egg rolls, drizzled with honey, and served around a lovely scoop of vanilla ice cream. Delicious. The prices are reasonable, the service is good, the restaurant is clean and well-decorated, and the food is great. I will be back to Sala Thai!
(4)
Thea B.

Great food and amazing service. Would come back in a heart beat. Great Pad Thai. This place went through a great renovation and we love it
(5)
Regina H.

We only came here because I purchased the Groupon deal and I think it's safe to say we will not be returning. There is no one to greet you at the door, so someone actually asked a patron at a table near the entrance to seat their party because they assumed he worked there. Our utensils were dirty and so was my napkin! We ordered the spring rolls, larb gai, pad see ew and pad thai. They gave us four tiny spring rolls that barely had any filling. I did like the larb gai, which was well seasoned. The pad thai was watery, while the pad see ew noodles were extremely mushy. The highlight of our meal was the mango and sticky rice dessert. They didn't give us much mango, but it was still delicious. The sticky rice was also topped with shredded coconut. All in all, a very underwhelming dining experience. With the Groupon, it was good value, but I would never pay full price for this place. 1 star for mostly lackluster food and unsanitary conditions.
(1)
Irina K.

I find it odd that I keep coming here, every visit is worse than the previous. The food is bland, and waitstaff is utterly clueless. The food is greasy, the vegetables aren't fresh and the last two times I have been my order was wrong in someway- fried egg roll when I asked for a spring roll, and wrong soup ect. There are dozens of better restaurants within a 5 minute walk, choose something better than Sala Thai.
(2)
Vima G.

This is my first visit at this location and I'm very impressed with the excellent service, the food and the refreshing list of cocktails. The waitress was friendly and was very helpful with making great suggestions for cocktails and dessert. The roasted duck curry was good, a little bit lack flavor however, the mango mojitos were absolutely amaaaazing, specially for just 7.99 (kudos to the bartender!) I was thrilled to have yummy and surprisingly inexpensive mango mojitos here after enduring horribly made $17 strawberry mojitos accompanied by the a bartender with a nasty attitude at neighboring restaurant. they are also quiet generous with their Thai iced tea portions. the coconut dessert was delish. The jazz band playing also created a happy atmosphere which is nice, specially on a rainy day. Negatives? There aren't really any...I left a very camper! My only suggestion would probably be better decore and larger rice portions since those tiny tea cup portions aren't enough! Even though another cup is only a $1 extra up charge, it's better to maybe up the price of the entrees as a whole by a dollar, because asking for more rice because the sauce to rice portion doesn't match is unnecessary :) Otherwise, 5 heart shape stars, specially for the value and convenience in location :)
(5)
Jeannine M.

We ventured out on a rare date night, clutching our $40 living social coupon. At the front of the restaurant, a sign advertised $6 pitchers of beer with small script saying this happy hour offering couldn't be combined with other coupons or discounts. When we asked to order and pay for the beer separately from the food we ordered with the coupon, the waitress and then the store manager were told it was against the store policy. What about my husband paying for the beer on his check and I'll pay for the food on my check, I suggested? No go. This random policy harshed my chill. Had we been treated hospitably, we would come there again, which is the point of the living social /groupon specials. By saving a few cents on beer, they ensured that we'll find another restaurant to patronize. That said, the garden rolls were fresh and yummy, the pud thai with pork was a bit bland but edible and the stir fried squid with red chili paste sauce and baby corn was yummy but a very small portion for $15. Our total bill, with two beers, was $50. Minus the $40 coupon, it came to $10. I tipped $10, not wanting the wait staff to suffer from the restaurant's arbitrary policy.
(2)
Emily M.

Too many good places around to waste your time here. Pad Thai was terrible. Over cooked, and only tasted of fish and old oil. Pretty disappointed.
(1)
Dennis P.

My wife and I were in Bethesda last night for a Halloween party at the Double Tree Hotel across the street from Sala Thai. We saw it out of our hotel window and decided to give it a try, heck, it's convenient and we're spontaneous when were out. My wife got chicken with peanut sauce and I got a seafood platter. Well, my wife said her chicken smelled and tasted funny, so she only had a few bites. My mussels were no better with 3 of them tasting and smelling foul, I spat them out. By then, I had already eaten all the shrimp and about 4 mussels. When the waitress came over, we told her about the food and she offered to get us something else, we refused. We asked for the check. She wound up taking 15% off of our check. I got sick when I got back to our room and my wife has felt sick all day today. I would not recommend this place to anyone.
(1)
Eric D.

If you're allergic to MSG or passive agression you might want to find another Thai food place in Bethesda. We used to order Thai lunch quite often from this place, however recently it seems like the customer service has seriously been slipping. Just today we received the wrong soup (tom yum with shrimp rather than chicken). I called them up looking for nothing more than an apology, instead the woman on the phone basically yelled at me, and when I calmly explained that not only did I DEFINITELY say Tom Yum with Chicken (overheard by a co-worker) she blew a gasket and just started screaming. I thought the Soup Nazi was a fictional character from Sinefeld, turns out she's actually from Thailand. I wouldn't be writing a negative review over this one incident alone, but there have been multiple other customer service related issues ordering food for delivery during lunch. Once they charged us for all dinner entree's at lunch time and then said "well, just eat it", another time they said "we don't deliver, we never have" and hung up the phone. I'm giving this place 2 stars because the food is actually decent. Maybe next time I'll just go ahead and call my EX and have her deliver Thai food to me at work. Overall the experience might be more pleasant.
(2)
Dave H.

In a town and on a street saturated with good restaurants, Sala Thai simply isn't worth visiting. The food was mediocre, service lackadaisical, atmosphere not particularly pleasant, and there are simply a half dozen better options within a hundred yards of the front door. We came for early dinner on a Friday night several weeks ago with our two well-behaved daughters (aged 1 and 4). People who have rated this restaurant as "kid friendly" must define that as "will grudgingly allow you to bring children into the restaurant" because they certainly were NOT pleased to have children. Despite the restaurant having the capacity to seat well over 100, the two other families with children there at the time (out of 4 total groups dining) were crammed together in the back corner of the restaurant. To my surprise, we were escorted past dozens of empty tables and seated between the other families and a pile of boxes. When I inquired about the numerous other 4-top tables in the front of the restaurant I was told "this is the family section." I had half a mind to leave then, and I'm sorry I didn't. Despite being seated 8 feet from the bar, our drinks took 20 minutes to arrive and my wife's was incorrect (requested Thai iced tea, received iced coffee). The spicy beef salad was tasty and pad seuw was appropriately prepared for a family with children, but other dishes we ordered for the adults were not prepared as we requested (asked for very spicy, result was bland). We requested a second round of drinks which never arrived (fortunately was not on the bill). For most of the meal, we could see our waitress standing behind the bar (again, mere feet away) watching the TV but mysteriously when we needed something (drinks, check, etc) she couldn't see us or vanished into the kitchen. In summary, the restaurant is not family-friendly, the service is sloppy and indifferent, and the food is mediocre. There are better Thai options (Red Ginger comes to mind) and a plethora of better dinner options for any manner of dining party within a 2-block radius.
(2)
James F.

This review is for delivery. The food is good. Fresh ingredients. Spicy but not overpowering. Good portions. The delivery took over an hour and a half. Plan accordingly. More troubling, however, is the 5.99 delivery charge, a 3.40 "convenience fee" (convenient for who?), then MD tax, plus a 15% tip for the driver... and your $25 dinner is already over 40. I'm not sure if this is their fault or delivery.com , but I won't order delivery from here again until they switch to a different service or handle deliveries in-house. An extra $10.39 off the top is a full entree, and that's pretty outrageous. And, as I said, delivery wasn't even quick for all that cash; there was a full 35 minutes between when I was alerted my food left the store and arrived at my door, and I live four blocks away. I may eat here in person or do takeout (by phone), but I'd advise against online delivery until they change their policies.
(3)
Nicole G.

I went here for lunch with a bunch of coworkers with a groupon. Our group of 4 was seated immediately and our waitress was attentive and answered our menu questions. The food was good all around. I got the tofu panang which was delicious, I just wish I got chicken instead! The portions were generous and the atmosphere was nice. With my groupon it was a great value, but I'm sure I'd go without one as well.
(4)
Durga S.

Our food was ok, but over priced for the quality and amount we received. The waiter made snarky remarks about our drink selection. Pretty disappointed with this restaurant Won't be going back.
(3)
Jason C.

Every time I drive into Bethesda to grab a bite or drink I pass by this place..and today was the day I finally went and tried this out. The restaurant hosts a Jazz performance every Friday night and today was Karen Gray, Pete Chauvette, Hugh Johnson. I thought it was odd to see a jazz+thai restaurant combo..but apparently this isn't random and there is an interesting story behind this. The king of Thailand is a fan of jazz and blues and because of him the nation "adopted" the music overnight once it became known he is a fan. How interesting. This explains why so many Thai restaurants host a "jazz, blues night". Anyway I digress. I had the larb-ga for my appetizer, pad pak (beef with veggies), and....oh most importantly, two singha beers :) The larb-ga was flavorful, but not overwhelmingly powerful. The seasoning was a bit off, and I felt it lacked the appropriate amount of lime juice that is required to add complexity to this dish. The pad pak...what can I say... The dish was overly sweet and lacked the spice that I requested when I ordered. This restaurant falls below my gold standards for Thai food in the area (Thai House and Nava Thai). However, I have to say that the jazz music on Fridays is a plus (despite not being able to hear it well from 1/2 of the restaurant seats due to distance). Just make sure you sit close by. They won't blast away your eardrums because it's not that loud. 3.25 stars.
(3)
Citana P.

My boyfriend is a huge fan of chicken green curry, so we went here after purchasing a groupon deal. The restaurant was pretty clean, lighting a bit much for our taste but who cares about lighting when the food is so delicious. Our waitress was very friendly, and continuously checked to make sure we were comfortable and having an enjoyable experience so that was appreciated. The food was awesome, well seasoned and presented, however I could have used a bigger serving of rice to accompany my chicken green curry. We ordered the fried bananas with vanilla ice cream for dessert and that was truly a delicious treat. Overall everything was good, the food was well made and we had a great time. Would definitely recommend Sala Thai to anyone who loves Thai food. Cheers!
(4)
Ino-chi R.

Still staying at Double Tree. Location is convenient and food is good. However, their service is very poor. I've been here a few timers before and the service just continues to get worse. If bad service is not a problem, then go in for the food. The food is good.....but service is lousy!
(3)
Jackie L.

I was visiting a friend who lives right around the corner. I must say if I lived in Bethesda, this would be a restaurant that I visit often. A perfect place for a quick, not fancy meal. I ordered a run of the mill Thai dish; basil chicken and added veggies. It was delicious! The spices were perfect and I ate every bit of it! My friend ordered pad thai which was also fantastic!
(4)
Bryan M.

Nice casual restaurant however the Thai food is far from original and taste. I only gave two stars as the service was good, but the food is a 1.5.
(2)
Michelle W.

I walked over here with some of my colleagues for lunch the other day and it was pretty good. The service was a bit on the slower side, so you might not want to come in here if you're in a hurry I had 81. KAPROW TOFU* Fried tofu sautÃ©ed with string beans in hot chili, garlic and basil leaves. The tofu was over cooked, and the green beans were under cooked. However, the flavors were really good & it had some kick to it that was good. It was a little oily as well... The 5 other people I was with also enjoyed their meals. Its likely I might wash in here again if I have a few other long lunch breaks while I'm here.
(3)
Lenny S.

Good food, average service, loud music. Came here for dinner on a Saturday night and was seated right away. Unfortunately it was right next to the jazz players. They were very loud and made it impossible to talk. Would most likely have had a better time on the other side of the resturant. Food was good but nothing amazing. Seemed overpriced for the amount of food we got. With so many better Thai places in the area not much of a reason to go here without a groupon.
(3)
mj richards r.

Save your money and time and go to a good rest. We were ripped off here when ordered which was described by the waitress as a meduim size fish for 28.85. Well the fish arrived and it was a tiny fish , maybe 8 tiny pieces. We complained to the manager and she did nothing. . I wish i could post the size of this tiny fish which they also failed to clean well. I wont go back!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(1)
Benjamin P.

We went there with a group of 9 adults and children, stopping by on a Saturday without reservations. Luckily it was nearly empty. The staff were very friendly and accommodating, and gave excellent-fast service. We ordered a variety of dishes - including spicy stir-fried duck, a few noodle dishes, shrimp curry, green curry - and all were really nice. The ones marked "spicy" on the menu are really quite spicy - more spice than one usually gets in the US - so beware if you are not into spicy food (which I am). But the mild dishes were good as well. Prices are reasonable, most entries between $12-15.
(4)
Nikhil P.

Decent food. Average decor. Below par service. I'd heard good stuff about this place from a couple friends so decided to check it out last saturday. To my surprise, the restaurant was mostly empty for dinner service on a saturday night. The food was pretty decent but I didn't feel it was value for money given the average ambience and the below-par service.
(2)
C K.

Good thing I didn't have high expectation going in (due to mixed reviews on yelp). First impression, their entrance door was old, cheap looking, and not too clean. Inside was little better. We were there for Saturday dinner. Went there little before 6 and about 4 other tables occupied. Some reviews mentioned limited number of staffs and how slow the service was but that wasn't the case when we went. Actually, there were 4-5 servers just standing around doing pretty much nothing. We were seated and given menus promptly. One thing I thought pretty odd was that they listed regular Tom Yum soup and Vegetable Tom Yum soup on different pages. This was a first. Most menus would list it together and just have different choices you can have for the same soup. Anyways, I only looked at the Soup section and ordered TOM YUM GOONG (which had shrimp and mushroom). About 2 minutes later, I realized there is another section for Vegetable Tom Yum soup so I asked our waitress if I could change it. She said "No, I already put in the order". Seriously? It's the same soup!! Just don't put the shrimp and put more mushroom. That's all I wanted. This lack of customer service attitude left a bad taste in my mouth even before any food was delivered to the table. Then the food started coming. First of all, I like my soup really hot. I mean you're ordering a hot soup so why shouldn't I expect it to be hot, right. Wrong! The soups we got was just little better than lukewarm. As if they let it sit there while waiting for other foods to be ready. Second, 2 small (i mean maybe half of your palm) Curry Puff and about 4-5 strips of beef in Passion Beef Salad for $7.95 each . Wow. I read a lot of Yelpers complain about how small the portions are for the price you pay. This proved it. Both appetizers weren't worth $7.95 at all. Third, what's up with all this grease in the food. Drunken Noodles and Fried Rice were super greasy. Also, "Spicy" Fried Rice was NOT spicy at all. They should just call it "Sweet" Fried Rice because it was pretty sugary. Red Curry was just mediocre. Nothing special. Overall, it was not a good dinner experience at all. I would not recommend this place to anyone. I'm so glad at least we didn't have to pay the full price (we had Living Social coupon). There are so many other decent Thai restaurants in DC area. I'd suggest you not waste your money here.
(2)
Izzat A.

Decor is fantastic. Service was pretty good. Prices aren't bad. Food was just okay. I asked them to make it as spicy as possible and it was still alright. Wouldn't want to taste their definition of regular spicy. Update: Had this again today and the food was much better quality. Got chicken drunked noodles and they gave a huge portion for lunch and it was spicy. Will definitely come back here again.
(4)
Angela S.

Reducing my rating after a take-out experience. The food didn't taste very "thai". Had the house salad with peanut sauce. While it was fine, the peanut sauce didn't have that sweet/spicy juxtaposition that makes peanut sauce so awesome. It pretty much just tasted like peanuts. I also had the vegetarian pad thai. It was bland and lacking that "thai" flavor...and missing the eggs. You know, those things that make it pad thai. It was ok but I don't go to restaurants for "ok" food. At least the prices are better (and better atmosphere) than their competition down the road.
(3)
Ben S.

SO DISHONEST. Vegetarians beware! We've been told for YEARS that curries could be made vegetarian. Now we are told they've never been vegetarian and that we've been misled all along. I am going to ask for a refund for every meal I've eaten at this place in the last three years (think statute of limitations).
(1)
Lucy B.

Yummy! Everything was delicious! As was the frozen mango margarita! So delish!
(5)
Merida F.

My friend came for an early dinner because we had a Living social coupon ($20 for $40). We must have been really early because no one else was there yet! Service was great. I was really thirsty because it had been so hot outside and needed my water to be refilled several times, and never had to ask. I love that! I hate having to track someone down to refill my water glass. I am embarrassed to say that I had the fried rice, I couldn't decide and the waitress said it was a really good choice, and it was wonderful. The rice was freshly cooked, fresh vegetables, great seasoning, and the chicken was cooked well. I know it probably wasn't, but because the food was so fresh, I felt healthier just eating it ;)
(4)
Harmony H.

The entrÃ©es are pretty good but nothing special. DO NOT ORDER THE SOUPS or APPS! They are awful. The service is always really good and the prices are as well
(3)
Luma L.

This is a good place for a quick-fix for Thai food! The ambience is good and the restaurant is fairly quiet on weekends.. They have live music some weekends, although the noise level at that point was pretty high.. Overall, 3.5 stars!
(4)
Miss R.

A few of the first nights back in town, getting cozy around Rockville & Bethesda, my boyfriend took me out to dinner, quickest - first thing we see on the corner, they're open pretty late - cozy place as you walk-in, we were seated by the window, couldn't see much, but it was a rainy night, it was a-ok for a first-timer.. Servings were reasonable, price I believe was just right! :) Yes, I would definitely suggest this, if you're up for just a SIMPLE DINNER (get through the night-fill up my tummy), if you aren't the picky-type that is!
(2)
George P.

Went here on a Thursday evening after finding a deal on LivingSocial ($20 off a meal $40 and up) and thought it'd be worth a try. Plus, if you've read my review on Thai Landing (Baltimore), I've been on a neverending conquest to find a comparable plate of Drunken Noodles. First off, place was packed. Considering it was a weekday, it looked like this place gets a lot of customers on a daily basis. I'm not sure if it was because of this or that they were understaffed, but service was TERRIBLE. Waitress took forever to take our order and never stopped by once to refill our drink or ask how our meal was. I understand when you're busy, you're busy...but some customer service would have been appreciated. It was one of those nights where you have your credit card in hand when you ask for the check so you can just hand it off and get your bill taken care of right away. As for the food, nothing really blew me away, but it wasn't bad either. Ordered the Drunken Noodles which were not bad, but actually tasted better the day after being re-heated. Not too spicy, but somewhat greasy. Also got the Pad Thai with tofu and shrimp which was very good and probably the best dish of the night. Third entree we ordered was some chicken and curry dish. Sweet and tasty. Went very well with the rice. Enjoyed a Thai Iced Tea with our meal which was very good as well. Prices were very reasonable - was the reason we had to order three entrees just to get over $40. Overall, I may come back here, but the service hurt the experience, I'm sorry to say. A 30-35 minute dinner turned into an hour and 20 because of understaffing. Reading other postings, this may have just been an anomaly or a bad night. A solid Thai restaurant in the heart of Bethesda.
(2)
Kim S.

Have ordered delivery 2 times in the 5 years I've lived here. The original experience was poor but I decided to give it another shot. Food is a OK but DO NOT order delivery. Though the website indicated 1 hour for delivery....pause 1 hour...at 1 hour when I called it was "on its way." 30 min later (for the 1 minute drive) my lukewarm food arrived. 1.5 hours for food is not OK plus the way the food was transported did not bode well for the sanitation of the food. While I was able to proceed through life as normal, my dining companion had issues the next day.
(1)
Carmen D.

The appetizer were pretty good but the chicken Pad Thai wasn't delicious like most people say. Not a lot of flavor and dry, it had no bean sprout, scallions weren't chopped up and the chicken was flavorless. If people think that's the best Pad Thai they're really missing out.
(2)
Adrienne L.

My coworkers and I chipped in to get Living Social deal for Sala Thai, and we did not regret it. Everyone enjoyed their food, which came out with lightning speed, and the price was right -- even if we didn't have the LS deal. I asked for my pad thai to be spicy, and it definitely wasn't -- but I know the Thai restaurants in the D.C. area make things unspicy for the normal palate here. It took me awhile to convince the place by my house that I could handle it the way they eat it, so I understand the hesitation.
(3)
Joanna R.

I sampled 3 vegetarian dishes from Sala Thai: The Garden Roll, The Vegetable Tempura and Tom Ka Pak tofu soup. The garden roll is appropriately named - I felt like I was eating basil straight from the garden! I couldn't really taste anything other than basil, so it was slightly disappointing, but quite refreshing. The tempura veggies were not good. They may not have been cooked long enough or at a high enough temperature, because all I could taste was flour. The soup, however, was delightful. I enjoyed every last slurp! I would order the soup again.
(2)
Kate R.

The food is really good. The service is excellent. The pad thai dish with shrimp is super yummy! However, I actually find the live music annoying. You really cannot enjoy your meal peacefully or have a nice conversation because the music is actually too loud. This is unfortunate because the bossa nova/jazzy band is quite good and so is the female vocalist, but still, I'm not there for a concert. You go to a restaurant for a nice meal and hopefully a good conversation with friends. The conversation is pretty much not happening, if you go in on a Friday night because other people try to talk over the music. Now I usually go there for lunch on Sundays. Much quieter and nicer then. BTW, if you ever order a drink (like a martini), always order it straight up, never on the rocks, or you will end up paying $8 for ice.
(4)
Jonjie S.

Tried for the first time since we were nearby and there was a groupon deal. Food is ordinary at best. Spice level a little underwhelming. Service staff is aloof and not very friendly. Missing/incomplete cutlery at our table. My wife commented on the mismatched cutlery; I didn't notice at first but agree it detracts from the experience.
(2)
Brooke H.

Dear Sala Thai, Delivering food to the gate of NIH that is one-half mile from my office, does NOT mean you deliver to NIH. -Brooke Okay, I must admit, the food was quite good, but the delivery thing almost ruined it. I called and asked if they deliver to NIH and they said "yes". I said I'd call back. When I called to place my order, I gave the address, an the woman asked if I could come down stairs to the lobby of the building to meet the delivery person. This is fairly standard practice for deliver folks around here, so I said yes. Several minutes later I get a call saying asking if I would come to the front gate because they didn't want to drive onto campus. If I had the time or desire to walk a mile round trip to get my lunch, I wouldn't be getting delivery. I said no, this wasn't acceptable, and suggested they cancel my order. After all, I've gotten food from Thai Cafe, which is on the same street as Sala Thai, delivered before with no problem! They didn't want to cancel the order and said they would come. When the driver got to campus, he proceeded to lecture me about how they don't normally come onto campus. I think he wanted extra tip...I was VERY tempted to not give him any tip, but I refrained and gave him the same 15 percent tip I would have given him if he wasn't treating me like I'd done something wrong by purchasing food from them. There are too many restaurants in Bethesda to put up with this kind of nonsense. Not only will I not be calling here again, but I will not be visiting either.
(2)
Fina A.

Love the place! Cozy though a little small, but definitely love the live music performance. The curry, of course as I expected, really good. Overall, would def come again.
(3)
l g.

after riding a rented bike around the Potomac River Basin during cherry blossom season and walking my butt off around DC, I end up at Sala Thai for dinner after 8pm, parched and exhausted. I start off with a Mango martini which certainly hit the spot and was delicious. Then I decide on the Sala Thai crab cake and a papaya salad with shrimp for dinner. The crab cake, deep fried with a rice paper wrap and served with the traditional sweet dip was excellent, especially with the (I asked for HOT) papaya salad. And I thought it was quite hot. papaya salad with shrimp means 2 shrimp on the salad, but it was only $1 more. It was a marriage made in heaven, washed down with mango martini. the salad size was very generous and the entire meal was relaxing and enjoyable. I even got a nice window seat and zoned out while I waited for my food.
(4)
John L.

We ordered delivery which took 1 hour 15 minutes so if you are hungry be prepared to wait. We had dumplings which were gross and tasted funny. The chicken Satay was tiny and bland. The seafood fried rice had two shrimp, a couple scallops and a lot of calamari in it. Just blah! OVER PRICED TOO! Will not go back. Hope that helps.
(1)
Eric S.

Disclaimer: I've only ever had takeout, and only from this location. Read on from here as you will. Sala Thai is quickly becoming my favorite Thai place in the area. They have all the standard dishes, some harder to find dishes, and a few that I haven't seen elsewhere. I don't think I've had anything from there I don't like, and there's a couple items I will only get there from now on. There's also a fair amount of pork and lamb dishes that aren't always an option at other Thai restaurants, which generally only have chicken, beef and seafood. Case in point -- this is the only Thai place where the ka prow is seasoned with fresh peppercorns instead of dried red chiles. I have no idea what's authentic, and generally am happy with the red peppers, but there's just something awesome about a whole bunch of pepper cherries sitting in the container with stir fry. This is NOT your average black pepper from the grocery store. It's like looking a little grapes that make your mouth tingle. The service on the phone and when I pickup is generally fast and courteous. I'd really be happy to actually sit down here and have dinner if the occasion comes up, instead of ordering for takeout. I'm sure they'd have the same level of service. Also, it seems like some evenings they have live music from local musicians. I'll definitely have to check that out. Oh yeah, and one last thing -- they generally comply when you order something spicy, and often you don't have to ask. Nothing makes me angrier than bland food at a Thai place, and I've never had an issue with them.
(4)
Jennifer T.

My coworker is in love with this place, so I end up coming here a lot on lunch breaks. She always orders the Pad See Ew with chicken. I'm a huge Pad See Ew fan, but I'm picky about how it's made. This place adds black beans, which I've seen other places do as well to kick up the flavor of this usually somewhat bland (I prefer "subtle") dish. I prefer without the beans, so I get the Panang Curry with tofu instead. The Panang here is also different than I've had at a lot of other places, but that's not a bad thing in this case! It has a very rich, sweet, peanutty flavor. Serving sizes are fairly large, which is why I get the tofu (it reheats best out of all the options, in my opinion). It's good enough that I crave it at least once a week! Sometimes I add eggplant (mixed with a bit of other veggies) for a couple dollars more. The people that work there are very friendly. They recognize us when we come in, and always get the food out very quickly. And their Thai Tea is pretty good, too :)
(4)
Pete D.

I thought this was a good restaurant but I must have caught them on a really bad day. The food was cold and not very spicy...to top it all off the server was rude. Really disappointed....I will try again at some point because the reviews are decent...but this visit was a waste of money.
(1)
John D.

Pretty easy-going atmosphere. Good for a group of friends or just going out with you and the significant other. The girls that work there are all fairly attractive, yet quiet which is a plus compared to many American restaurants where the server is loud and boisterous. On Friday (maybe Sat. too) they have live jazz music starting around 8-9pm which is fairly decent. Oddly enough they have great ice cream! And Japanese beer on draft so thats a + in my book.
(4)
Amy B.

terrible service, poor food, loud music We waited 10 min before someone even wrote down our name. After a long wait we were again ignored for over 10 minutes after we were seated. Again a long wait for the order to be taken. Papaya salad borderline inedible with overly heavy handed red-pepper, yet the red pepper shrimp was bland. Lad Na with beef was ok - but the noodles were too hot(temperature) to eat and the beef just wam. And to top it all off, after the bill was delivered it took over 20 min to get out the door - because we were again ignored - how hard could it be to bring packaged leftover's back to the table. Went there with a Groupon - will never return.
(1)
Sasha N.

I went there last night, the last night to use a group-on so it was pretty crowded. Food was good and on a week night, I was able to find meters to park in on the street. Service was slow and really terrible. Not sure if I will go back due to the ridiculously slow service. Even when we paid, it took about 20 minutes for them to bring back the check. One person did apologize for taking so long to bring the food.
(3)
Bill P.

OKAY I'm back......hadn't been to Sala Thai RIGHT BEHIND my office and I pass it 2, 4 times per day since last June. I stopped in for dinner Saturday night and place packed with blues musicians with harmonicas to boot. Dumplings $6.95 Pla Lad Kaprow spicy crispy salmon special $15.95 and THE BEST thai dessert I've eaver had $5 fried bananas with vanilla bean ice cream YUM ME!!!!! This would have been a $8 $9 dessert in a downtown DC restaurant.....NO JOKE!!!!! Server JeaB was great and atmosphere was wonderful.....
(5)
Chris B.

eh just so so, average, mediocre we got the boring standards, pad Thai, drunken noodles, and green curry chicken. while none were bad the dishes lacked punch, spice, and heat. we also got a seafood mix appetizer and spring rolls. once again very average, tasted like it came from a grocery store freezer pack. since Bethesda seems to have no good Thai i will definitely make the trek to benjerong or Thai house.
(3)
Brian S.

This place has potential. The design of the restaurant is cool and it was right across the street from the hotel I was staying in (double tree). The menu has a lot of things on it, but the sampling of four dishes I had didn't impress me. I didn't get sick or anything, it just wasn't memorable. I tried a hot and sour soup, pad thai with shrimp, salmon, and red beef and green chicken curries. The best of the four main dishes was the green curry chicken over white rice. Service could be improved. The servers seemed to not understand everything we said, they put our spoons after we ate the soup on the table and expected us to reuse them. Atmosphere was very laid back and it wouldn't be a bad place to hang out if you lived nearby and feel like some OK thai.
(2)
Erin D.

If I were reviewing based on the food alone, I would give their pad thai a solid four stars - better than most pad thai I've had. However, I have to knock then down a full two stars due to their service - it was not bad, but terrible! Being a Wednesday night, it was not that busy, but it took us at least half an hour to get our food after we ordered, and when it got there they forgot my friend's rice (which was not an extra part of the order - it was supposed to be served with this dish). It took us asking two people three different times for them to bring it out. I hate to review this low when the food was good, but I don't want to see what service is like on a busy night if they did so poorly on a slower night.
(2)
Sarah K.

Bought a Living Social coupon and checked out Yelp reviews and didn't have high hopes.However, I was pleasantly surprised I ordered the spring rolls, which weren't that great but my entree, the Pad See Yew (could totally be spelling that wrong) was delicious and a huge portion. Plenty left over to take home.
(3)
Mahsa K.

Excellent spicy basil noodles and fresh garden rolls. A little oily but that's the way I like it. Fast service and good prices for Entrees and portions. Appetizers are a little small for what they're priced at.
(4)
Jeffrey A.

I apparently have a different take on Sala Thai than the rest of the reviewers. I thought this place was average at best. While the restaurant itself is nicely decorated, and well staffed, the food is just completely lacking in flavor. Thai food is generally subtle hints of many flavors that kind of explode when down right, or at least that's how it has been at the better ones. This place produced dishes that were kind of like boiled meat in kind of a blah brown sauce...that was similar in the multiple dishes that arrived at the table. The spring rolls were good, but I'm really not sure what was in them. The really awesome thing for my dining experience were the two dead flies. 1 was in my water glass, and the other was just lying lifeless on the windowsill next to my table. Nothing makes me want to dig in more than a sampling of dead insects around my table. Check please...I'm out.
(2)
Roxanne H.

Three of us ordered take-out and LOVED our red and green chicken curries and the red duck curry with jasmine rice. The green curry was pretty spicy but still flavorful without absolutely burning your mouth. The duck was a bit fattier than we expected but still really good. We had no complaints about our meal. It was ready for us in twenty minutes too.
(4)
U K.

Good food. We did spot a roach and so did the folks at the table adjacent to our's. We got 20% discount on our check. We were told the restaurant was recently treated for pests and roaches were not frequent visitors there. Overall their service and food were both good.
(4)
Thugnificent M.

I hate Thai food but I love coming here. Food is good enough for me even though I have a disposition against the cuisine. The place is setup pretty nice. It's the corner building at an intersection. You have a cool view out the window even though all you see is the street. The place would be really nice for a lounge or a mini club. They have live music all the time. Not what you expect to see in a Thai restaurant. Jazz and blues. Alot like how ESL used to be.
(4)
Angela M.

I am a one-time patron of Sala Thai, so take my review with a drop of chili oil.... So, hubbs and I went here because we passed it a couple of times to and fro through Bethesda and thought, "Pad See Eew!" Sounds like a contradictory name with "eew..." in it, but delish! We stop in at, say our usual dinner time these days, 9-9:30pm and there's a decent crowd there. "This is good," I think in my mind. That's never really a safe thought now is it? How many times have we gone into a place that was crowded, thought, "Excellent!!" and left thinking, "WTF is wrong with all those people?!?" Other people - how important is Pad Thai at a Thai restaurant? I think it's up there in importance, no? Anyway, I had this serious craving for Pad Thai due to a previously botched Pad Thai meal (aka nasty frozen meal, ICK!) and needed something to redeem Pad Thai and fast! The hubby got chicken Pad See Eew which tasted on par with others I have had, but we both knew it was much better at Old Siam off of 8th St in DC. I got the Pad Thai (as you guessed with all that build-up) and it did not manage to save the bad image of Pad Thai I had dancing in my head. I was disappointed - it was kind of fishy, crabby, salty, unlike I think how Pad Thai should taste, so I did what any other self-respecting girl from Tejas would do - I smothered it with chili oil! Anything that burns my mouth makes me happy!! So, I felt better and took the rest as leftovers after dousing it in the fiery stuff. I will go back to Old Siam to fuel my Pad Thai cravings since it's been over two weeks later and still no salvation! I gave it 3 stars because 50% of the meals were pretty good - that being hubby's and I did eat it for leftovers the next day. I wasn't really looking forward to it, well, maybe the mouth-on-fire part I did, but it was food and that meant I didn't have to pack my lunch. Thanks Sala Thai!
(3)
Olia B.

(Before today, I ordered take out, delivery and was pleased with the two entrees I ordered.) NOTHING EXCITING ABOUT THIS PLACE. The restaurant is poorly run. The place is SAD. Appears to be run down. Not a good place for a quality time with a friend, more of a grab something if you are starving and get out kind of a place. A lot of inconsistencies across the board and we were made to feel like an inconvenience by dropping by, to an almost empty restaurant, on a bright Saturday day. Pricey for the quality we received. Today, with a Living Social deal I thought I scored a good deal. But to my surprise the wonderful lunch with a friend I had planned turned out to be a sub-par experience. We were looking forward to freshly cooked Thai food, instead we received so-so meals with a so-so service in a so-so place. QUALITY The white plates looked all beat-up and dark at the corners. Not sure if this has anything to do with our visit being on a Saturday, but quality was definitely missing. Food looked like it was not cooked by someone with a lot of passion for food nor experience. In one of our meals some of the veggies smelled and tasted like old de-frosted food. They were the cubed carrots, bad, and why would they add cubed carrots along with round-fancy-sliced carrots, well I guess to get rid of the old frozen ones? The way the appetizers were served was a bit confusing. The salmon on a skewer tasted good but with a questionable freshness. The peanut dip was delicious, but the diced veggies on a side that were meant to be put on top of the salmon skewers were difficult to attach, no spoon was give to load them on, nor could we just dip into them so they can attach to the sauce because there were floating in a watery liquid. The spring rolls, both, fresh and the deep fried version were as expected, but the sliced veggies on a side were looking spent and dried out, and even if they were meant to be consumed they were not easy to grab to eat. The fried banana ice cream was okay, but banana was wrapped in a deep-fried wrap similar to spring rolls but tiny. Lousy banana size and deep-fried instead of fried, not what I would expect from an authentic Thai place, but tasted okay. Ultimate margarita was anything but ultimate, something I would mix at home on first try. I didn't order any wine but looking at their bar was also a sad sight, lots of same looking bottles. SERVICE The staff do not seem pleased with working here. They were decent but not very professional. We felt like they were just waiting until we leave so that they could go back to chatting and wait until it's finally time to go home. At times they just watched us eat, but then when we needed something they took forever to get to us. We asked about the spices used on the salmon appetizer and all we got was an "I don't know" instead of "let me check on that for you." Overall, a meh experience and I am not sure I am coming back. Perhaps their cook is sick today? Not sure why we even gave a 22% tip, oh well, we tend to always do around 20% regardless of service.
(2)
Val V.

Went there last Saturday and the place looks good. Was seated beside the window and had the street view of all people passing by Woodmont Ave, which is not bad. A jazz band started to play around 7pm. Service in general was good. Ordered the Calamari for starters and was perfectly made. For the main dish, ordered the Pad thai, and it is certainly one of their specialties. Good portion, and very tasty. Also ordered the Pad Pak with Pork and it was a bit bland. For dessert, we ordered the Key Lime pie (just ordinary). All in all not a bad place to dine but since I used Groupon all the better. Will likely go if I see another Groupon offering.
(3)
Aaron W.

A Yelp 3 stars is kind of like anyone else's 2 stars. Sala Thai is one of the older Thai chains in the area, and the food is, well, it's pretty boring. Same goes for Tara Thai, BTW. It's the kind of place that you'd like if you like your Italian tomatoey and devoid of most herbs; it's the type of place you'd enjoy if you wake up in the morning craving Wendy's hamburgers. Neither of those two things are bad, but it's not what gets me to go out to dinner. I can make those things at home, thanks. On the plus side, this might be a good way to get kids into Thai food, because it's just so dull. If you're in Bethesda and you must have Thai food, I'd probably go with Bangkok Garden.
(2)
Allan W.

Came here with my cousin before heading to the airport and leaving for my trip back home to Los Angeles. The pros: the food was delicious - loved the pang thai shrimp and the pinneaple chicken. The con: Cousin who had some leftovers wanted to take it home and was charged 5 cents for the takeout bag :-( Aren't plastic bags supposed to be free? :-\
(4)
Melissa B.

This was my second visit to Sala Thai. The Chicken Lemongrass was still tasty, it just wasn't very hot when they brought it out. In fact, it was lukewarm. The customer service here is not the best either. We walked in saying we had a party of 10 and they asked if we had reservations - mind you, the place was COMPLETELY empty, so we looked a bit confused when asked about reservations. As they were rearranging the tables, they made a comment that they have another large party coming and that "they made reservations." What's funny is that "party" never showed up, LOL. I, personally, will not make the choice to go back there. I've had better Thai food elsewhere.
(3)
C K.

I've been to this place over a dozen times over the past few years and like it a lot. Their classic pad thai is very good and is even better when you get it spicy (if you like your food spicy). I also am a big fan of their drunken noodle and spicy fried rice with chicken. I've had some of their curries as well and also seem to be tasty. But by far, my favorite dish from this place is an appetizer- thai curry puff! it is delicious and hope more people eat it and love it too :)
(4)
James P.

I ordered the whole flounder, and it came out over fried with hardly any meat on the fish. Sauce was good, and other dishes we had were tasty. Overall, it's an average Thai restaurant, but they failed miserably on the fish.
(3)
Helen C.

I came here for dinner on Friday night, and there was a live band and a jazz singer, which was great. However, the decor could be better, and the pad thai was not very good.
(2)
Mark L.

I'm never coming back again. I ordered a tom yum soup and a green curry chicken. Boy both were terrible. I took no more than two sips and a couple of bites and then left. The curry was disgusting. Both in taste and in presentation. The curry was this luke warm stew concoction. They must have they just laddled it from a pre-made vat because it came out in just a few minutes. The service was terrible as well. The staff were standing behind the bar looking indifferent or playing on ipads most of the time. better options can be found elsewhere that blows this place away. It's ironic this place markets itself as 'authentic thai'.
(1)
Christina P.

I got some VERY tasty pad thai delivered which made me feel a little better about watching the Phillies lose while I ate it... Anyway, it was a ridiculous portion and was topped with 5 or 6 good sized shrimp. I asked for it spicy, and it wasn't, but I think that's because they think most people can't handle it. Next time i'll go for 'thai spicy'. The spring rolls we ordered were a disappointment, at $5 you got 4 tiny rolls that tasted like they were frozen for a long time, and a dipping sauce that was sickeningly sweet.
(4)
Valentina P.

The food here is not bad, portions are small for the price. The bf & I have frequented here only when we have time to just relax and a coupon! Service is awful. It takes 40 minutes to get chicken fried rice and pad kee mow? It was just our table and another table with a party of four. I really think they have one cook in the kitchen and he/she does all the prepping, cooking, and cleaning. Because at home, that would have taken me 40 minutes to do that with what we ordered. The servers seemed more occupied with something else on their minds instead of the customers that are present We'd rather opt for Tara Thai down on 355 instead if we wanted Thai or if I don't have the energy to cook. Tara Thai's service is fast and friendly and the atmosphere there is more upbeat.
(2)
Bob M.

Sala Thai has great food and is very conveniently located in Bethesda. I love the drunken noodle and the pad see ew. Service is always prompt and attentive and the live jazz on fri and sat is a bonus. Only negatives: soda sometimes tastes weak, and the drunken noodle can be a bit too spicy for more sensitive palettes, even if you ask them to take it down a notch. Great place overall though.
(4)
Bejoy T.

One of the better Thai Restaurants I have been to since I moved this area. There Tamarind Lamb is definitely my favorite dish there. The consistently makes regular specials that are actually very good. There staff is friendly. I would definitely go back.
(4)
Brandi K.

This is my favorite Thai restaurant, and I've tried all of them in Bethesda. The food is outstanding, and lots of vegetarian options. My favorites are the Kee Mao J (vegetarian drunken noodle) and the Panang Tofu. The green curry veggies are also delicious. The eggplant with basil in black bean sauce is also very good. I've never ordered carry-out or delivery, but the lunch service is always great. They are very fast--you can get in and out in a reasonable amount of time for a lunch break from work.
(5)
Totally I.

Kinda BLAH! Salty, really salty. Thai food can be so great, it's horrible to see a place that brings it down and allows people to think it's anything but fresh and exotic. As much as I hate walking out of a bar full of greasy regret, the only thing worse is walking out full of greasy regret after finishing a meal at someplace I thought I was safe from such a destiny.
(2)
Spencer C.

I've been to this restaurant a few times before and it's typically an ok experience. Visiting last night around 8:00 p.m. was one of the worst experiences I've had anywhere. I don't know if they were understaffed or what, but the waitresses were running around like they were expecting a grenade to explode any second! They barely took a minute to get your order, answer questions or anything. It would have been an ok experience if they had simply slowed down and stopped trying to rush you through your meal and out of the door! The other issue I have is that I purchased a Groupon for this location and even though the body of the Groupon said specifically that it could be redeemed at the Bethesda location and one other location, the waitress pointed out that it said "M Street" at the top and wouldn't honor it. I'm working this out with Groupon, but as for the restaurant, it's inexcusable for service to be that crazy, especially when the place was only moderately full.
(2)
Dave C.

This was the first Sala Thai I'd tried in the area and it definitely encouraged me to visit more of them. The food is great -- not exceptional but with a clear commitment to quality, taste, and balance between flavors. Some reviewers have criticized the chef for using too much salt; I haven't experienced this (and usually am the first to jump on over-seasoning any place I see it) but a little does go a very long way in Asian cooking. One of the most appreciated aspects of Sala Thai is the service: it's incredibly efficient. If you need a fast lunch, this should be your first stop. On the other hand, if you want to linger or spread yourself out across multiple courses, the wait staff are happy to oblige. Not sure what it's like for dinner as I've only experienced lunch over multiple visits and months, but I should imagine it would be quite intimate.
(4)
Yu Z.

OK, actually. Good price and soooo average taste~~~
(3)
Darcey R.

Thank you Sala Thai! I needed somewhere for a large group (16 of us) on a Saturday evening with only a few days notice coming in from out of town no less. Based on yelp reviews I called Sala Thai. They were very accomodating - took my reservation - seated us right away when we came in (not all at the same time) and even moved a few seats when 2 people called as we were walking in to cancel. The food was very good accross the board. Highlights were the rice paper rolls, the lamb and the Tom Kai soup. Our group was from Florida, California, Ohio, Oregon and two miles up Wisconsin Avenue - but we'll all come back to Sala Thai.
(4)
T R.

Eh sort of forgettable food. But tasty Basil Gimlet, great cocktail for thai food.
(3)
Hula H.

I came here on a Groupon so it wasn't that the food was not good, it was just not great. The Pad Thai was actually really good, noodles were cooked well, but super sweet, I had to douse it in lime to even it out. The tom yum soup was horrible,bland, not spicy,and very much like tomato soup,which has nothing to do with tom yum.The spring rolls which are my favorite because of the sauce were not that great, almost like they were frozen but I dont know. The sauce sucked bad and made me sad, it was soo vinegery(sp). The dumplings(like shu mai) were also of the frozen variety,very dissapointing.The Panang beef was made with the lowest grade of quality beef, super super chewy, not soft and succulent like it should be. The sauce was pretty bland as well and we asked for it spicy 2 star, and it was not at all, my 5 year old kid could have eaten it. The one thing that was excellent was the mango and sticky rice and a very generous portion like half a mango.One other thing that completely turned me off and I just have to add is that the cheap hand soap in the bathroom had the most offensive smell that was super strong and I was truly nauseous from smelling it on my hands as I was eating. I really feel bad for people who are sensitive to smells.The staff were very nice and attentive but I wouldnt come back here.They have a full bar and the bartender was dressed very provacative, I didnt care, but it just looked odd like she was out of place. So I love love LOVE Thai and this just doesn't make the cut for me.
(2)
Suzanne G.

we've been going here since its prior name (Thai Place) in same location -- dunno whether some of the chefs were retained, but overall it's one of the best Thai restaurants in DC area. My veggie Pad Thai is consistently good, with fresh vegetables and tofu. My husband and teenagers like the spicier options and have been pleased. Youngest child likes the pad see ew, wide noodles with beef (mild, a little sweet). Husband also likes the tamarind lamb which is available at dinner only. The waitstaff is very friendly and efficient, and the food arrives hot so occasionally one or two dishes arrive a few minutes after the others, but that explains why I feel the food is particularly fresh. Don't expect this to be a light meal as Thai food relies heavily on oil. Prices are very reasonable for Bethesda, e.g., $7.95 for generous veggie Pad Thai at lunch and $8.95 at dinner. Even fancier options at dinner don't exceed $16 (tamarind lamb, for instance)
(4)
Chip Z.

I love this place, although I should note I am writing about the delivery option and ONLY the Bethesda location. I seldom eat in the restaurant because the delivery is so fast. I'm a white guy -- never been to Thailand (sorry to say) -- so maybe this is not authentic Thai food. But I think it's great. Brown curry peanut chicken. Oh my. Anything chicken, actually. Anything with onion, ginger, all their curries. Delish. And the chicken is always very fresh. I have it brought in for company and have taken friends there--they always seem happy, eating a lot, etc. Attractive restaurant inside, but I've never been there during the live music. GREAT delivery service....food always hot, only 1 mistake in probably 30 deliveries, and they corrected it lightning-fast. Note: Some vegetarians think there are not enough non-fried veg options. Very fair prices. Good size portions. Clean.
(5)
Tom D.

3.5 stars In my mind (and stomach), Sala Thai leads Tara Thai for best Thai chain -- the flavors just tend to be richer and have more spice. My sweet Thai Square, you have nothing to fear. You are still the love of my Thai life..... I like most of the things on the menu, though the spring rolls are nothing to write about (though I am writing) -- speaking of which, Thai Sqaures are not very good either. Why must you withhold your spring roll love? Is this area without amazing spring rolls? I think the vietnamese spring rolls at 4 Sisters are without equal -- any other suggestions? Reasonable prices too -- so this probably is the best Thai in the Bethesda area. The results: 1) Sala Thai 2) Tara Thai 3) 4) Thai Basil 5) Bangkok Garden Restaurant
(3)
Anna Y.

Don't order delivery here. Over 25 minutes late on the delivery.
(1)
Norma R.

Went here with a friend for lunch. We both loved our meals. I had the Panang Gai with shrimp. It was heavenly!!! My friend had the red curry chicken and raved about it too. We both thought the portions were just right. Not sure why others have complained about service because we had no problem whatsoever. I would definitely go again. We're not from the area and only visit, but this will be one place we will hit every time.
(4)
Madeleine S.

Food was pretty greasy, nothing special- I had the veggie pad see ew. The service when I picked it up was good- they were attentive and pleasant. There was live jazz that night and every Friday and Saturday night. Free delivery within 2 miles for orders $16+.
(3)
Becky T.

It's basic Thai fare, made pretty well. I liked their Pad Prik King which is the fried catfish with chilis. Whenever I go with a large group of people, they have always been friendly with quick service. It's a pretty spacious restaurant and they even have upstairs seating for large parties. On certain nights they have a Jazz band, which is sort of interesting considering it's a Thai restaurant.
(3)
Raymond W.

Came here on a week night with a visiting friend looking to get a good meal after a hard day at the office. The restaurant was a little oddly organized in a circular space providing a wide open dining atmosphere that was pretty convenient for when they have live music. My friend got the pad thai and I got the pad se ew, nothing adventurous or exotic. My friend's thai iced tea got ok reviews, but was a little on the pricier side. Portions were large enough to stuff us by the end of the meal. The pad se ew at Sala was decent. The thing that stuck out most about this dish in particular was how fluffy the noodles were. Typically, the noodles are more heavy and tend to clump together while Sala's noodles were extremely light and fluffy. A welcome change of pace. I certainly wouldn't mind eating here again, but know that there are so many other choices, it will be awhile beore I return for somethign more adventurous.
(3)
Alexis G.

This Sala Thai is bigger than most of the other ones, and occupies a corner on the outskirts of Bethesda's downtown. The restaurant is circular, offering tons of seating room near the windows. One great thing about this location is how fast they are when you need to pick up lunch on the fly. Their prices are reasonable, too -- you can find something great for around $12. As with Sala Thai's other locations, this one has vegan options for most of the items on the menu. I really suggest trying the panang chicken/tofu or the kaprow chicken/tofu. I could eat those all day, every day.
(4)

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Address : 4828 Cordell Ave
Bethesda, MD, 20814
Phone (301) 654-4676
Website https://www.salathaidc.com
Click To Get Directions

Opening Hours

Mon :11:00 am - 10

Specialities

Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : Yes
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch, Dinner
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : 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 : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes

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Sala Thai

4828 Cordell Ave, Bethesda, MD, 20814

Sala Thai Menu

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