Very delicious recipes and friendly attentive staff. So notable I wanted to leave a review. I've never had a bad experience so I was surprised to see the low reviews. If anything, they've been listening because my 8/3/2014 visit was a lunch kaeng phed and almost more than I could eat and I'm a big guy. There was background music playing. The hostess was very courteous and attentive. The lunch with a side of spring rolls and a beer as under $12. I'm glad I didn't look at yelp first or I would have missed out on a great lunch!
(4)
Mark R.
I cannot in good conscience recommend this restaurant for a handful of reasons:+ When we arrived with a coupon(scout mob), we presented to our server who immediately responded by saying that as a directive from his boss he was unable to fully honor it and would only be able to discount half of the stated coupon. That was fine. I then placed my order and was told that they were out of a part of the dish and would it be acceptable to recieve without entire advertised ingredients. I said okay, he offered no discount from menu price even though I accepted a dish missing priced-in ingredients--and granted, this was a Friday night (night you would expect a kitchen to prepare and be fully stocked..). And lastly, after placing my food order I inquired about saki. Waiter informed me that owner had let their liquor permit expire and therefore only had beer to serve. This was my first visit to this place and I do not see myself going back. Three strikes in one visit is enough. Not to mention I paid $16 for a dish that in my opinion was worth $10. I will repeat, I cannot in good conscience reommend this restaurant. Only aspect I was impressed with was the decorated walls. Kudos for creating a visually appealing atmosphere, but I think more attention needs to be paid to proper customer-centric restaurant management.
(1)
Peter V.
I decided to come back to grab some Thai food with a friend. It was my birthday and I had a craving. Little did I know that I was about to be in for the worst Thai experience of my life. Being a vegan, I have gotten used to discussing veganizing Thai dishes. I have gotten pad thai at many restaurants with no egg or fish sauce. I ordered that here and they brought out a gross pile of fried rice noodles with no sauce on them, a couple gross looking pieces of tofu on top and a small bowl of peanut pieces on the side. It was a gross sticky pile of white rice noodles. There were no veggies, no bean sprouts, no green onions. None of the things that make Pad Thai delicious. Do they ever put veggies in their Pad Thai? If they don't, that is awful. They expected us to eat it. I asked to send it back. When I asked the server, who was basically incompetent at life, he looked confused. I asked for another dish, Pad Ke Mao, that could be made vegan. When that came out, there was no tofu and it was the most oily noodle dish I have had. We also ordered a Panang curry that was decent, not great but decent. But we did not get plates to split it so we ate off of one plate in the middle of the table (lady and the tramp style). The server didn't bat an eye at this. He was oblivious. Like he had never eaten at a restaurant before. I gave this place 2 chances. first was OK. Second, terrible. I'm over it. Won't be back. It was the plate of dry sticky noodles that ruined it.
(2)
Sonya T.
Great little Thai place. And actually, I'll dare to say the food here is better than Thai Phoo Ket. Fresh ingredients. Their spices taste uncomplicated, yet bright. (and not greasy to boot). Their Tom Ka Kai soup is lovely & delicate. The day waitress is a pro. Courteous and attentive. Their lunch specials are a good deal. The wall murals are very impressive. The owner/manager seems to be super-nice, too. Go try this Thai spot again. It's tucked away in up-and-coming area of Midtown.
(4)
Steve O.
Out of shrimp cakes app. Spring rolls were burned. Green curry was weak. And to top it off, when I finished off my iced tea, I noticed a fly, frozen in to one of the ice cubes. I about threw up. I mean really that made me nauseous. I'm not in Nashville that often, but I'm never going back here. Ever. I should have known when the place was empty on a Thursday night.
(1)
Jessi K.
Yummy Thai! I don't hand out 5 star reviews like candy, I was actually impressed with the food here. I was visiting Nashville for business and one of my partners recommended this place. I'm always a little nervous to try a new Thai place just because of all the bad experiences I've had but they had a lot of parking so I say "why not?" I'm so glad I did. I had the Pad Kra Prao (basil stir fry). It comes with a choice of meat but since I'm a vegetarian they were able to accommodate me and make it with tofu. My server was great. I usually get a dirty look when I try and modify dishes but he was really nice about it which was refreshing. The food itself was mildly spicy and had a generous portion of vegetables. Overall, next time I'm in Nashville I will be returning this diamond in the rough.
I used to come here quite frequently, I would not go back again as the restaurant appears to have changed ownership, for the worse. There is nothing "express" about this place; I placed my order at the counter (that's a change from before), paid on the spot, and then waited 30 minutes for my food to come out. Um... that is not express. Once the food arrived, I was disappointed to find that the quality has declined. The flavors have become more flat, the shrimp more sparse, just wasn't as good as it used to be. So, longer wait + worse food = I'm not coming back. Oh yeah, I think the prices have gone up as well.
(1)
Lauren W.
Royal Thai had a deal on Scout Mob for 50% off so we decided to try it, big mistake. The inside of Royal Thai is pretty cute. They have nice floor-to-ceiling murals and lots of kitsch and character. If you were to judge a place on decor, you would expect this place to be the bee's knees. But this is just another lesson in "don't judge a book by its cover." (Or more precisely, don't judge a Thai Restaurant by its murals.) When we arrived there were 3 other people in the restaurant. By the time we got our menus everyone was gone and we were the only people there. At 7:30 on a Friday night we were the only people in this place. Not a good sign. The worst part was that the place was completely silent. Eerily silent. No background music, no chatter, nothing. Every word I said bounced off the walls and I'm sure our waiter could hear everything (and maybe even the kitchen staff). I was so put-off by the silence that we decided to take matters into our own hands. We opened up Spotify on my phone and started DJing our table. I would normally NEVER EVER do this, but there was no one else there so I was 100% sure that we were not pissing anyone off. We were hungry so we ordered the pork spring rolls. They came to the table fairly quickly which was a plus. The roasted pork inside the spring roll had good flavor, and the dipping sauce was good. Unfortunately the spring roll was mostly lettuce and cabbage and the normal delicious ratio was off. They were also really cold which made me think that they were pre-made and just chilling in the refrigerator. At this point I guess our waiter was totally bored so he decided to take a break. He got his own Thai ice tea and sat down at the table across from us. He took out his cell phone and I guess he was checking facebook/texting/anything that wasn't his actual job. Good to know that the ONE STAFF MEMBER feels totally comfortable to just kick-back on the job. At least go to the kitchen area or something. We ordered the duck curry which was supposed to be roasted duck in red curry. What arrived was not duck curry at all, but a totally different dish, roasted duck. The waiter realized what was wrong and said something like, "yah, that isn't what you ordered...umm...I can take it back." But we were hungry and decided to just eat what they gave him. I would totally pass this off as a normal mistake, but honestly, how?! We were the only people there so they weren't busy. This is just total incompetence. The duck itself tasted like it was made ages ago and defrosted. The brown sauce it was covered in was pretty salty, probably to cover up the freezer burn. I ordered the Pad Woon Sen with beef. The description said it was "Bean Thread Noodles stir fried with our house Soy Base Sauce" but didn't say it came with any vegetables. All of the other noodle dishes on the menu listed the vegetables that were in the dish, so I asked the waiter if it came with veggies because I didn't want noodles only. The waiter was unsure if this dish had vegetables (WTF?) and went to ask the kitchen. He came back and listed off a bunch of good stuff so I went ahead and ordered it. What I received was not Pad Woon Sen, but a pile of mushy brown stuff that was inedible. It was so salty I could feel the salt crystals burning into my lips, cheeks and tongue. This dish was hurting me! So I sat their pouting, feeling really bad. I was upset because I couldn't eat dinner and that our nice date-night out wasn't going as planned. The waiter looked in our direction and noticed that I wasn't eating and asked what was wrong. I told him that the dish was just way too salty and inedible. While he said they could re-make it, I was so pissed off at this point that we just asked for a bunch of to-go boxes. We packed up our food without eating it. While we did get the Scout Mob discount, we got no money off the check and no apology for the quality of the food or our experience. I guess it's a common thing at Royal Thai that patrons immediately leave after their food hits the table. We had dinner #2 at Woodlands. Woodlands is awesome.
(1)
Alan d.
Service was great. Food was greasy and spring roll was simply an eggroll. OK if you want typical chinese but not if expecting healthy thai food.
(2)
Dot G.
I was in midtown for a dr appointment, and just happened to see this place. I am so glad i did. For under $10 I was able to get entree, spring rolls and a drink. I had the red curry, and it was so good. It's actually the best I have had in nashville. The veggies and meat were cooked perfectly in the coconut milk, and the spring rolls were so fresh and delicious. So many curries I've had around town are so watered down, but upon asking, I was told they use only coconut milk. The owner and son served me, and what a treat. I'ts rare to have a stand-out lunch experience, but this was just that.
(5)
Eve P.
I haven't had satisfactory Thai in Nashville since Sala Thai closed, and Royal Thai has been the least impressive. The pad thai was gummy and flavorless, except for an unpleasant aftertaste. On the plus side, I didn't have any of the service issues other folks have talked about here - but admittedly I was the only customer.
(2)
Phil W.
Great service,great cook to your liking, little Thai place for good fresh tasting food at a good price including the beer.Try it out ! I've been told this review is too short,we'll it doesn't need to be long with this place .It is a good place !
(5)
Kayla R.
I love the curry here, and I branched out and tried the duck curry. It was rediculously good. It was loaded with beautifully cooked duck and vegetables. I had mine hot, and it was hot for sure! Through the spice, there was such a rich,and bright flavor. Pineapple is added to this curry, and it paired with the duck very well. I never finish a meal, but I ate every drop.
(5)
Nickie G.
Royal Thai is the Thai place closest to my place of work and for that I have to stop in every once in a while to get my fix. So the ambiance...well...there isn't any. Tables in a room. I can't even tell you if there is any decor in there at all...either it isn't or it is so non-descript I cannot remember it. Not a big deal though, whatever. I will say during the week for lunch it is pretty busy as it is close to Baptist and Centennial, but this Saturday it was DEAD. I was the ONLY PERSON and it was high noon. Weird. They have all the stuff you normally would order at a Thai place. This weekend I got the Tom Yum Goong which was a nice hot and sour soup with shrimp and tomatoes. It helped heal the hungover stomach. I also got the Garlic chicken. My waiter asked if I wanted that or the ginger chicken as the ginger one had more veggies in it. I said ok, sure, but then he came back and the lady cooking said she would just add more to the garlic chicken. Nice to be the only one in there and get made to order dishes eh? The food was good and the hot was not too hot, I would say better go native Thai heat here if you really want to feel the burn. If you are here for lunch they also have an express lunch menu that comes with soup or spring rolls for $8. Just choose your meat! Waitstaff is nice and they are definitely attentive, especially if you are the only one there! Give it a go if you are in the area - decent Thai for decent prices.
(3)
Karla Marie B.
My stomach started aching before I even walked out of the door. The massaman chicken curry was $12 for a lunch sized portion and the only vegetables in it were limited potatoes and onions.
(1)
Jasaiya M.
If you are in the mood for great Thai food, this is definitely a place to go. My dad and I went here on our visit to Nashville. LOVE! My dad and I love supporting family owned businesses which we were happy to find out it was. The restaurant itself is located in Midtown and had its own parking which was a huge plus! The service was truly awesome as everyone was very sweet and attentive. I tried their red curry with chicken which was phenomenal; its made with coconut milk, tons of veggies and great spices that really give great flavor to the dish. My dad really enjoyed his Pad Kee Mao with beef and veggies. He is not a huge Thai fan at all but, he ate every bite of this. This was truly a great experience all around. Thanks again and to all the readers, go if you can!
(5)
Jason B.
The staff at the Hutton hotel in Midtown suggested this restaurant to us. I had the Pad Thai with tofu and it was excellent! The menu offers fantastic array of tantalizing choices and every lunch includes soup or spring rolls, and a drink. Their prices are affordable and the waitress was fast and friendly. I will definitely be returning there soon and would highly recommend.
(5)
Erica M.
Got the Pad Thai, Chicken Satay, and Garden Rolls. Pad Thai was greasy, and looked like a bunch of ingredients shoved into a styrofoam container rather than an actual dish. It also lacked any flavor whatsoever. The Chicken Satay was good, and the peanut sauce was fine. The Garden rolls were fresh tasting, but not really to my liking. All in all it was just a disappointing meal. I wouldn't eat here again.
(2)
Michael S.
royalthai is close to work so I stop in once or twice a week for lunch I usually get a red curry or a pad kra pow for lunch the curry is always nice and thick with a lot of flavor that fills you up and their spice level is always right the medium is pretty hot. The kra pow I would say they probably have the best sauce in town for kra pow you should ask for a fried egg on top if you are really hungry. Well for around 10 I get my entree an egg roll and a drink which for me is quite reasonable for lunch in downtown.
(4)
Marcia M.
I popped into here the other day after a long hiatus (just due to the fact that I know live across town in East Nashville instead of down the street) and my Thai craving enjoyed some S-A-T-I-S-F-A-C-T-I-O-N. Am I pretending to be Mick Jagger for just a moment or two? Maybe so! The staff is always friendly and made note to say that they remembered me too! Gotta love that. I ordered my usual the Phad Keo Mao with tofu and requested extra spicy. This is usually the #805 but if you come between 11am-3pm you can order it off the lunch options (located at the very back of the menu for a very smart $8 which also includes 2 crispy spring rolls too! I owed my friend for lunch and spent under $20 for the both of us including beverages. Royal Thai is very veg-friendly and the menu is easily adaptable for both vegetarians and vegans. This is a fantastic option for carry-out to if you work in the area. I am Royal Thai back to my mix as I just can't get enough! TIP: If you are ordering carryout, the turnaround time is generally around 15-20 minutes depending on your order size! Fast, easy, and inexpensive.
(4)
Carey James B.
this a decent thai place, consistently ok. nothing really special, but is super close to my house so I go every now and then. They are missing a few of the sauces that I like... and the pad thai is a very basic version of the dish (mostly noodles) but I do always eat that or the fried rice combo. the service has always been slow and not so amazing also... its just a good little place if you cant make it out to Jasmine!
(3)
Jermaine W.
One thing I can say is that the Food is consistently okay. However, one waiter during a lunch time rush is just poor management. Bless the poor fella, running all over the restaurant.
(3)
C G.
I love this restaurant! Every time I go there the servers are super nice and they oblige my vegan requests/substitutions. The food is awesome and the best I've had in Nashville yet! Try this place and you won't be disappointed.
(5)
Dustin M.
The owner is so nice. The lady welcomed me with a smile. Their service along with their food exceeded my expectations. I will be back.
(5)
Reina S.
Best Thai food I've had since leaving Los Angeles!!! Not only the food GREAT, they are so friendly, I love going here!!
(5)
Nelle B.
I don't know why I keep bothering to come here. (I do, actually.. It's close to my work, and sometimes I just really want Thai food) I remember that Royal Thai used to be really good... I think maybe an ownership change brought about the "express" and took away the quality. The food is mediocre.. ok at best, and often just not good.. I'm currently sitting over a way too salty bowl of tom yum soup with 5 sad little rubberized shrimp floating in it.. They might have been cooking for days before I saved them from the pot. Service is consistently rude/inattentive and the dining room is always filthy/empty. At this moment, nearly every table needs to be wiped off and the three tables around me need to be cleared. I am the only customer in the restaurant, so it seems like someone could find the time.
(1)
Alex R.
Not bad food - but pretty plain and unmemorable. If you are in the area and craving Thai, don't be afraid of this place, but I would not seek it out.
(2)
Mike J.
The bad reviews could only keep us away for so long, so we tried RT last night for the first time. We arrived around 6:30 PM, and we were to only customers there, and remained so for the duration of our surprisingly good dinner. Service was fine, as we weren't competing with any other tables for the one waiter who was on staff. We started with the standard Tom Ka soup for two. It was rich and well spiced - a solid 4 stars with a point off for value ($8.00 for what was basically a large single serving). Next came the spring rolls. They were freshly made, but a little too "lettucey" and bland for our taste overall 3 of 5. Red curry was next. We asked the waiter to make it "extra thick" and the chef did so. It was creamy and very well prepared. Like the soup, it was properly spiced (we like it native). Portion size was slightly on the small size for an Asian entree, meaning that it was "almost" enough to be split between the two of us. With the spring roll, the soup, and the single order of curry we had plenty to eat and no left overs. The curry rated 3.5 on a 1-5, its lack of complexity in taste (no citrus or sour) and texture holding back an otherwise solid 4. We plan to go back again soon and try some of the noodle dishes. Plenty of parking in the restaurant lot. And, as noted by "Rachel D," the statuettes are festooned with "for sale" signs - we found this to be slightly odd.
(3)
David S.
I got the vegetable Lard Nar yesterday and was very disappointed. They charged me the same price as the dish would have been with meat and didn't add any additional vegetables. Either that or they don't normally add any, I got a couple pieces of broccoli and some sliced carrots. The noodles were heavy and over-cooked, and the generic brown sauce tasted like a stick of butter. I will not be back.
(1)
Ruiqiu K.
The two times I've tried Thai in Nashville, I've ordered non-traditional Thai foods. No wonder I've been disappointed. The first thing I noticed when I came in here were the "for sale" signs on all of the decorations. I didn't know what was going on. I came in a few days before Carson C.'s review, which made some sense as to what may be going on. I don't know if my review will be too late. Apart from a couple seated in the corner, I was the only other patron. During my long-ish wait (about 20 minutes), about 3-4 takeout orders came and went. I didn't look too closely, but they seemed like large orders. I perused the menu to see if they had my favorite duck dish (they didn't). I am hardly in the mood for curries or soups. So, I had (just like at the last Thai restaurant in Nashville), something with chicken and a sweet and sour sauce. I don't know what's wrong with me. It was very, very bland. And it's rare for me to not eat all of the leftovers when it comes to sweet and sour anything. I was intending to stretch the leftovers over 2 meals, but barely ate half of it before throwing it away. The iced coffee was great; the tap water was not filtered and tasted very metallic. Quiet neighborhood. If this place does change over, I will try again. But the way it is managed now, probably not.
(2)
Liz D.
When I walked in, I instantly thought "Where are all the people?". After my dining experience, I realized why they were not here. The service is slow, even when my friend and I were the only ones there. The prices are expensive and the food was mediocre. The food tastes like it's been sitting in the kitchen all day, it was not fresh at all. I ordered curry and the flavors were all off. The vegetables are wilted and the meat is chewy. I wouldn't come here again.
(2)
JD C.
This is passable Thai, and a great spot for takeout. Not the best in town but for me the most convenient. The service is slow and sometimes odd, and on multiple occasions I have waited for 5-10 minutes to be acknowledged when picking up my takeout order. All in all, where the hell else can you go for Thai food in Midtown? Nowhere... Enjoy!
(3)
Katrina V.
Pretty good tasting Thai food place. Portion on pad thai kind of small, but not offensively so. Skip the "vegetarian appetizer"...it's just a bunch of fried vegetables tempura style..including whole mushrooms...like the kind you use in salads. what? weird. not too memorable, but service was OK and I suspect that there aren't tons of good Thai places in Nashville...
(3)
Heather K.
What can I say? I'm a fatso with all of my Thai food experience being in America. I probably wouldn't know "real" Thai food if it bit me on my ass. However, I am a little cray-cray when it comes to spiciness. I want my food to hurt me. I want the hotsauce to feel like it was brewed by Lucifer himself. I want to leave with blisters on my gums. Royal Thai was very accomdating with my desires. Every time I have ordered here, I have not been disappointed. When I tell them I want it EXTREMELY spicy, they shake their heads and act concerned (like I don't know what I'm asking for), but they humor me and I am pleased. The service is slow, but very friendly and helpful. On our most recent visit, the lady gave me 2 kinds of additional hot pepper seasonings : one a type of pepper-paste, and the other a dried peppery powder. Both were sublime. They even remembered my husband's order from last time! I would venture to say that Royal Thai kicks ass with the heat-factor, therefore, Royal Thai kicks ass in my heart. As long as I live nearby, I will be a customer.
(4)
Todd G.
Same as most other reviews: uninspired interior, glacial service in a 1/4 full restaurant, food hit-or-miss. I had a seafood-baked-in-foil - and that was really good. Curries got mixed reviews. Pad Thai - well, I was offered a taste, but couldn't bring myself to try what looked like brown, overcooked glop. Only beer, so buy wine around the corner and down the street at Midtown. Probably ok for lunch if you learn the menu. Otherwise, steer clear.
(2)
Amanda H.
Friends and I all live right in the neighborhood, and Royal Thai is our go-to for quick and great Thai food. The curry dishes are hands-down the best part of their menu, and we can't go without one (or all!) of us getting one of them. Green curry is my favorite, but I've enjoyed them all. They're great about catering to vegetarians. Prices are pretty reasonable. Check out the lunch special for the best deals-- served until 3pm. Great for eat-in or take-out. We've never had a disappointing experience at Royal Thai, despite what some others have said here about their own. It's always been dependable, and we prefer it to the others in the neighborhood.
(4)
Renae M.
I always try to find the good in every experience, so this pains me to write about my first and last visit to Royal Thai... We made reservations for a party of 8 on a Friday night at 7pm. The restaurant was busy, but definitely not slammed. Our entire experience took over 2 hrs! There was only 1 server for the entire place! We waited, and waited, and waited before our drink orders where even taken. Then we waited some more to actually get the drinks. Finally we placed our food orders, and couldn't wait to eat our yummy meals. We had heard mixed reviews about Royal Thai, but we know they were voted "Best Thai" by the Nashville Scene. The service may have been slow, but we were fully expecting the food to make up for it. WRONG! WRONG! WRONG! 5 out of our 8 (including me) ordered the Pad Thai and we were all agreed that it was the WORST Pad Thai ever. It basically was a heaping pile of brown mush...not to mention I had ordered mine medium-hot and there wasn't even an ounce of spice in it! The price was way too high as well. Not to mention that we had to ask our server 3 TIMES FOR OUR CHECK! I will never eat here again.
(1)
Simply S.
I cant say enough good things about this place. If I could give it 6 stars .. I would! It was the first Thai place I was introduced to in Nashville and as long as I have a choice .. it is the only one I like going to. Everything is so fresh and yummy. it's a very small space and every time I've been it's very slow .. so the service is always splendid! However I've heard when they pick up it's a tad slower. I think that is because the staff is really small. But trust me -- any wait is worth it!! The service is great! As a matter a fact .. last time we went .. we left with our fabulous servers phone number! As my man and I walked out the door I told him "Yup, that might be the nicest lady I've ever met in my entire life". She is new .. but all the staff is GREAT. The old server we used to have knew our order. Let me add we aren't THAT regular. Bi-weekly maybe. He wouldn't even had us a menu! He would just ask if we wanted what we usually get! On to the food. I don't know what # it is I get or the name. I've had a few things. But I ALWAYS get the spring rolls. THEY ARE SO GOOD and come with this amazing cashew something dipping deliciousness! I usually get a red curry w/coconut milk base. I get it as spicy as it comes and OMG ... it's heaven! They always keep your drink full and bring out as much rice as you want to finish your meal ... or take with you. After seeing them slow many times, I was very worried they may go out of business. But in my conversation with our server, she said they have several locations and do alot of prep work out of the kitchen at this location. So hopefully they wont' be going anywhere ... ever!
(5)
Sari H.
Not only was this was the absolute worst Thai food I've ever had, it's right up there with the worst food I've ever had. Disgusting, inedible slop. I've had plenty of mediocre Thai food and I can put up with it when I need to, but this place REALLY crossed the line. We had lad na (small, unfried noodles floating with broccoli and cauliflower in plate of soup); panang curry (very bland); pad thai (not bad as in that super-American pad thai... just downright horrendous; slimy; foul flavor). See the photos -- everything was actually even worse than it looked. I noticed the fresh spring rolls were served with sweet chili sauce. That should've served as a warning, I guess.
(1)
Steph H.
Straight up, I'm giving this place an extra star just because of how wonderful the service was. My husband and I came here for lunch and we were really pressed for time. After being seated, it took our waiter about 5 minutes to come over with our waters and take our orders at which point we asked whether we'd be able to be in and out within 30 minutes. Our waiter rightfully pointed out that a bunch of tables had come in around the same time so it might be tight but he would do his best to get our food to us quickly and thought it would be do-able. Our waiter totally came through for us because in under 5 minutes of ordering, he had our spring rolls out to us and another 5 minutes later, our mains were sitting in front of us. He never once seemed flustered, nor did he seem annoyed or aggravated with us mentioning we were in a hurry. He also took care of the bill really quickly when it came time for us to pay, which we really appreciated as well. He managed to be efficient but friendly, which is not always easy to pull off and we both really appreciated it. Bravo! As for the food itself, it's not the best Thai food I've ever had (and seems somewhat "Americanized" to me), but the $8 lunch specials are good value, I think (and apparently if you're really pinching pennies and calories, most of the specials are just $6 if you forego the spring rolls... but why would you do that?!?). My husband ordered the Kao Moo Daeng, which is roasted pork in a sweet BBQ style sauce. It was pretty decent (the pork had a good 5-spice "char siu" flavor), but the one thing I found disappointing is that the dish was literally just pork, sauce and rice. No veggies or anything, which I always hate, because that doesn't seem like a balanced meal to me. I got the red curry with tofu, and I think that was a lot more successful. The broth wasn't as rich as some other places, but it was decent and above all, I appreciated that when I ordered it medium spicy there actually was some spice! Not enough heat to fry my tastebuds, but enough to add an enjoyable zing. Overall, this is a middle of the road Thai place in terms of the food, but the service really made a positive impression on me. I do think that if you're in the area looking for a place where you can have a quick and reasonably priced weekday lunch, it's certainly a strong contender; I'd definitely be open to coming back for lunch!
(4)
Lauren E.
I've enjoyed eating at Royal Thai. It's my favorite place to get Thai food in the area. They also do a great job at take-out, even letting you get Thai Iced Tea to go (which most places don't seem to do). It's not exactly glamorous, especially outside, but it's quite tasty. While you're waiting for your meal (not too long of a wait) you can look at the hand-painted murals on the inside walls. The curries are all spectacular, and like most places they will allow you to tell them how spicy to make it. Many of the rice dishes are great, too. Check out the specials on the menu, they have some interesting combos with rice. The waiters are really great at explaining anything that's confusing. So many great dishes, I don't think I've ever had anything bad there, and I've probably been a dozen times. Unfortunately, they raised their prices a few months ago, which makes it a little more of a commitment to the meal. About $10 per entree.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Quiet Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Mike B.
Very delicious recipes and friendly attentive staff. So notable I wanted to leave a review. I've never had a bad experience so I was surprised to see the low reviews. If anything, they've been listening because my 8/3/2014 visit was a lunch kaeng phed and almost more than I could eat and I'm a big guy. There was background music playing. The hostess was very courteous and attentive. The lunch with a side of spring rolls and a beer as under $12. I'm glad I didn't look at yelp first or I would have missed out on a great lunch!
(4)Mark R.
I cannot in good conscience recommend this restaurant for a handful of reasons:+ When we arrived with a coupon(scout mob), we presented to our server who immediately responded by saying that as a directive from his boss he was unable to fully honor it and would only be able to discount half of the stated coupon. That was fine. I then placed my order and was told that they were out of a part of the dish and would it be acceptable to recieve without entire advertised ingredients. I said okay, he offered no discount from menu price even though I accepted a dish missing priced-in ingredients--and granted, this was a Friday night (night you would expect a kitchen to prepare and be fully stocked..). And lastly, after placing my food order I inquired about saki. Waiter informed me that owner had let their liquor permit expire and therefore only had beer to serve. This was my first visit to this place and I do not see myself going back. Three strikes in one visit is enough. Not to mention I paid $16 for a dish that in my opinion was worth $10. I will repeat, I cannot in good conscience reommend this restaurant. Only aspect I was impressed with was the decorated walls. Kudos for creating a visually appealing atmosphere, but I think more attention needs to be paid to proper customer-centric restaurant management.
(1)Peter V.
I decided to come back to grab some Thai food with a friend. It was my birthday and I had a craving. Little did I know that I was about to be in for the worst Thai experience of my life. Being a vegan, I have gotten used to discussing veganizing Thai dishes. I have gotten pad thai at many restaurants with no egg or fish sauce. I ordered that here and they brought out a gross pile of fried rice noodles with no sauce on them, a couple gross looking pieces of tofu on top and a small bowl of peanut pieces on the side. It was a gross sticky pile of white rice noodles. There were no veggies, no bean sprouts, no green onions. None of the things that make Pad Thai delicious. Do they ever put veggies in their Pad Thai? If they don't, that is awful. They expected us to eat it. I asked to send it back. When I asked the server, who was basically incompetent at life, he looked confused. I asked for another dish, Pad Ke Mao, that could be made vegan. When that came out, there was no tofu and it was the most oily noodle dish I have had. We also ordered a Panang curry that was decent, not great but decent. But we did not get plates to split it so we ate off of one plate in the middle of the table (lady and the tramp style). The server didn't bat an eye at this. He was oblivious. Like he had never eaten at a restaurant before. I gave this place 2 chances. first was OK. Second, terrible. I'm over it. Won't be back. It was the plate of dry sticky noodles that ruined it.
(2)Sonya T.
Great little Thai place. And actually, I'll dare to say the food here is better than Thai Phoo Ket. Fresh ingredients. Their spices taste uncomplicated, yet bright. (and not greasy to boot). Their Tom Ka Kai soup is lovely & delicate. The day waitress is a pro. Courteous and attentive. Their lunch specials are a good deal. The wall murals are very impressive. The owner/manager seems to be super-nice, too. Go try this Thai spot again. It's tucked away in up-and-coming area of Midtown.
(4)Steve O.
Out of shrimp cakes app. Spring rolls were burned. Green curry was weak. And to top it off, when I finished off my iced tea, I noticed a fly, frozen in to one of the ice cubes. I about threw up. I mean really that made me nauseous. I'm not in Nashville that often, but I'm never going back here. Ever. I should have known when the place was empty on a Thursday night.
(1)Jessi K.
Yummy Thai! I don't hand out 5 star reviews like candy, I was actually impressed with the food here. I was visiting Nashville for business and one of my partners recommended this place. I'm always a little nervous to try a new Thai place just because of all the bad experiences I've had but they had a lot of parking so I say "why not?" I'm so glad I did. I had the Pad Kra Prao (basil stir fry). It comes with a choice of meat but since I'm a vegetarian they were able to accommodate me and make it with tofu. My server was great. I usually get a dirty look when I try and modify dishes but he was really nice about it which was refreshing. The food itself was mildly spicy and had a generous portion of vegetables. Overall, next time I'm in Nashville I will be returning this diamond in the rough.
(5)PAUL G.
Let me start out with the positives. We were welcomed with a smile and told we could sit wherever we liked. The seating options were plentiful as we were the only people in there at 7:00 pm. Keeping with the service, the host/server was very kind and truly attentive. Maybe it was just an off night for the food. The Tom Ka Gai was pretty good, but I only ate 1/2 of my entrée of Pad Se Eew because it wasn't all that flavorful. My friend took a couple bites of his Pad Thai and didn't like it all. The good news is that the restaurant didn't charge for the Pad Thai as they could see that he didn't eat hardly any of it. The Thai Iced Tea was a bit weak for my taste, but I like it bold and creamy and that just may not be their style. Like I said, it may be worth if for you to try out ... the service is good and maybe you'll have better luck than we did with the food.
(2)Caitlin D.
I used to come here quite frequently, I would not go back again as the restaurant appears to have changed ownership, for the worse. There is nothing "express" about this place; I placed my order at the counter (that's a change from before), paid on the spot, and then waited 30 minutes for my food to come out. Um... that is not express. Once the food arrived, I was disappointed to find that the quality has declined. The flavors have become more flat, the shrimp more sparse, just wasn't as good as it used to be. So, longer wait + worse food = I'm not coming back. Oh yeah, I think the prices have gone up as well.
(1)Lauren W.
Royal Thai had a deal on Scout Mob for 50% off so we decided to try it, big mistake. The inside of Royal Thai is pretty cute. They have nice floor-to-ceiling murals and lots of kitsch and character. If you were to judge a place on decor, you would expect this place to be the bee's knees. But this is just another lesson in "don't judge a book by its cover." (Or more precisely, don't judge a Thai Restaurant by its murals.) When we arrived there were 3 other people in the restaurant. By the time we got our menus everyone was gone and we were the only people there. At 7:30 on a Friday night we were the only people in this place. Not a good sign. The worst part was that the place was completely silent. Eerily silent. No background music, no chatter, nothing. Every word I said bounced off the walls and I'm sure our waiter could hear everything (and maybe even the kitchen staff). I was so put-off by the silence that we decided to take matters into our own hands. We opened up Spotify on my phone and started DJing our table. I would normally NEVER EVER do this, but there was no one else there so I was 100% sure that we were not pissing anyone off. We were hungry so we ordered the pork spring rolls. They came to the table fairly quickly which was a plus. The roasted pork inside the spring roll had good flavor, and the dipping sauce was good. Unfortunately the spring roll was mostly lettuce and cabbage and the normal delicious ratio was off. They were also really cold which made me think that they were pre-made and just chilling in the refrigerator. At this point I guess our waiter was totally bored so he decided to take a break. He got his own Thai ice tea and sat down at the table across from us. He took out his cell phone and I guess he was checking facebook/texting/anything that wasn't his actual job. Good to know that the ONE STAFF MEMBER feels totally comfortable to just kick-back on the job. At least go to the kitchen area or something. We ordered the duck curry which was supposed to be roasted duck in red curry. What arrived was not duck curry at all, but a totally different dish, roasted duck. The waiter realized what was wrong and said something like, "yah, that isn't what you ordered...umm...I can take it back." But we were hungry and decided to just eat what they gave him. I would totally pass this off as a normal mistake, but honestly, how?! We were the only people there so they weren't busy. This is just total incompetence. The duck itself tasted like it was made ages ago and defrosted. The brown sauce it was covered in was pretty salty, probably to cover up the freezer burn. I ordered the Pad Woon Sen with beef. The description said it was "Bean Thread Noodles stir fried with our house Soy Base Sauce" but didn't say it came with any vegetables. All of the other noodle dishes on the menu listed the vegetables that were in the dish, so I asked the waiter if it came with veggies because I didn't want noodles only. The waiter was unsure if this dish had vegetables (WTF?) and went to ask the kitchen. He came back and listed off a bunch of good stuff so I went ahead and ordered it. What I received was not Pad Woon Sen, but a pile of mushy brown stuff that was inedible. It was so salty I could feel the salt crystals burning into my lips, cheeks and tongue. This dish was hurting me! So I sat their pouting, feeling really bad. I was upset because I couldn't eat dinner and that our nice date-night out wasn't going as planned. The waiter looked in our direction and noticed that I wasn't eating and asked what was wrong. I told him that the dish was just way too salty and inedible. While he said they could re-make it, I was so pissed off at this point that we just asked for a bunch of to-go boxes. We packed up our food without eating it. While we did get the Scout Mob discount, we got no money off the check and no apology for the quality of the food or our experience. I guess it's a common thing at Royal Thai that patrons immediately leave after their food hits the table. We had dinner #2 at Woodlands. Woodlands is awesome.
(1)Alan d.
Service was great. Food was greasy and spring roll was simply an eggroll. OK if you want typical chinese but not if expecting healthy thai food.
(2)Dot G.
I was in midtown for a dr appointment, and just happened to see this place. I am so glad i did. For under $10 I was able to get entree, spring rolls and a drink. I had the red curry, and it was so good. It's actually the best I have had in nashville. The veggies and meat were cooked perfectly in the coconut milk, and the spring rolls were so fresh and delicious. So many curries I've had around town are so watered down, but upon asking, I was told they use only coconut milk. The owner and son served me, and what a treat. I'ts rare to have a stand-out lunch experience, but this was just that.
(5)Eve P.
I haven't had satisfactory Thai in Nashville since Sala Thai closed, and Royal Thai has been the least impressive. The pad thai was gummy and flavorless, except for an unpleasant aftertaste. On the plus side, I didn't have any of the service issues other folks have talked about here - but admittedly I was the only customer.
(2)Phil W.
Great service,great cook to your liking, little Thai place for good fresh tasting food at a good price including the beer.Try it out ! I've been told this review is too short,we'll it doesn't need to be long with this place .It is a good place !
(5)Kayla R.
I love the curry here, and I branched out and tried the duck curry. It was rediculously good. It was loaded with beautifully cooked duck and vegetables. I had mine hot, and it was hot for sure! Through the spice, there was such a rich,and bright flavor. Pineapple is added to this curry, and it paired with the duck very well. I never finish a meal, but I ate every drop.
(5)Nickie G.
Royal Thai is the Thai place closest to my place of work and for that I have to stop in every once in a while to get my fix. So the ambiance...well...there isn't any. Tables in a room. I can't even tell you if there is any decor in there at all...either it isn't or it is so non-descript I cannot remember it. Not a big deal though, whatever. I will say during the week for lunch it is pretty busy as it is close to Baptist and Centennial, but this Saturday it was DEAD. I was the ONLY PERSON and it was high noon. Weird. They have all the stuff you normally would order at a Thai place. This weekend I got the Tom Yum Goong which was a nice hot and sour soup with shrimp and tomatoes. It helped heal the hungover stomach. I also got the Garlic chicken. My waiter asked if I wanted that or the ginger chicken as the ginger one had more veggies in it. I said ok, sure, but then he came back and the lady cooking said she would just add more to the garlic chicken. Nice to be the only one in there and get made to order dishes eh? The food was good and the hot was not too hot, I would say better go native Thai heat here if you really want to feel the burn. If you are here for lunch they also have an express lunch menu that comes with soup or spring rolls for $8. Just choose your meat! Waitstaff is nice and they are definitely attentive, especially if you are the only one there! Give it a go if you are in the area - decent Thai for decent prices.
(3)Karla Marie B.
My stomach started aching before I even walked out of the door. The massaman chicken curry was $12 for a lunch sized portion and the only vegetables in it were limited potatoes and onions.
(1)Jasaiya M.
If you are in the mood for great Thai food, this is definitely a place to go. My dad and I went here on our visit to Nashville. LOVE! My dad and I love supporting family owned businesses which we were happy to find out it was. The restaurant itself is located in Midtown and had its own parking which was a huge plus! The service was truly awesome as everyone was very sweet and attentive. I tried their red curry with chicken which was phenomenal; its made with coconut milk, tons of veggies and great spices that really give great flavor to the dish. My dad really enjoyed his Pad Kee Mao with beef and veggies. He is not a huge Thai fan at all but, he ate every bite of this. This was truly a great experience all around. Thanks again and to all the readers, go if you can!
(5)Jason B.
The staff at the Hutton hotel in Midtown suggested this restaurant to us. I had the Pad Thai with tofu and it was excellent! The menu offers fantastic array of tantalizing choices and every lunch includes soup or spring rolls, and a drink. Their prices are affordable and the waitress was fast and friendly. I will definitely be returning there soon and would highly recommend.
(5)Erica M.
Got the Pad Thai, Chicken Satay, and Garden Rolls. Pad Thai was greasy, and looked like a bunch of ingredients shoved into a styrofoam container rather than an actual dish. It also lacked any flavor whatsoever. The Chicken Satay was good, and the peanut sauce was fine. The Garden rolls were fresh tasting, but not really to my liking. All in all it was just a disappointing meal. I wouldn't eat here again.
(2)Michael S.
royalthai is close to work so I stop in once or twice a week for lunch I usually get a red curry or a pad kra pow for lunch the curry is always nice and thick with a lot of flavor that fills you up and their spice level is always right the medium is pretty hot. The kra pow I would say they probably have the best sauce in town for kra pow you should ask for a fried egg on top if you are really hungry. Well for around 10 I get my entree an egg roll and a drink which for me is quite reasonable for lunch in downtown.
(4)Marcia M.
I popped into here the other day after a long hiatus (just due to the fact that I know live across town in East Nashville instead of down the street) and my Thai craving enjoyed some S-A-T-I-S-F-A-C-T-I-O-N. Am I pretending to be Mick Jagger for just a moment or two? Maybe so! The staff is always friendly and made note to say that they remembered me too! Gotta love that. I ordered my usual the Phad Keo Mao with tofu and requested extra spicy. This is usually the #805 but if you come between 11am-3pm you can order it off the lunch options (located at the very back of the menu for a very smart $8 which also includes 2 crispy spring rolls too! I owed my friend for lunch and spent under $20 for the both of us including beverages. Royal Thai is very veg-friendly and the menu is easily adaptable for both vegetarians and vegans. This is a fantastic option for carry-out to if you work in the area. I am Royal Thai back to my mix as I just can't get enough! TIP: If you are ordering carryout, the turnaround time is generally around 15-20 minutes depending on your order size! Fast, easy, and inexpensive.
(4)Carey James B.
this a decent thai place, consistently ok. nothing really special, but is super close to my house so I go every now and then. They are missing a few of the sauces that I like... and the pad thai is a very basic version of the dish (mostly noodles) but I do always eat that or the fried rice combo. the service has always been slow and not so amazing also... its just a good little place if you cant make it out to Jasmine!
(3)Jermaine W.
One thing I can say is that the Food is consistently okay. However, one waiter during a lunch time rush is just poor management. Bless the poor fella, running all over the restaurant.
(3)C G.
I love this restaurant! Every time I go there the servers are super nice and they oblige my vegan requests/substitutions. The food is awesome and the best I've had in Nashville yet! Try this place and you won't be disappointed.
(5)Dustin M.
The owner is so nice. The lady welcomed me with a smile. Their service along with their food exceeded my expectations. I will be back.
(5)Reina S.
Best Thai food I've had since leaving Los Angeles!!! Not only the food GREAT, they are so friendly, I love going here!!
(5)Nelle B.
I don't know why I keep bothering to come here. (I do, actually.. It's close to my work, and sometimes I just really want Thai food) I remember that Royal Thai used to be really good... I think maybe an ownership change brought about the "express" and took away the quality. The food is mediocre.. ok at best, and often just not good.. I'm currently sitting over a way too salty bowl of tom yum soup with 5 sad little rubberized shrimp floating in it.. They might have been cooking for days before I saved them from the pot. Service is consistently rude/inattentive and the dining room is always filthy/empty. At this moment, nearly every table needs to be wiped off and the three tables around me need to be cleared. I am the only customer in the restaurant, so it seems like someone could find the time.
(1)Alex R.
Not bad food - but pretty plain and unmemorable. If you are in the area and craving Thai, don't be afraid of this place, but I would not seek it out.
(2)Mike J.
The bad reviews could only keep us away for so long, so we tried RT last night for the first time. We arrived around 6:30 PM, and we were to only customers there, and remained so for the duration of our surprisingly good dinner. Service was fine, as we weren't competing with any other tables for the one waiter who was on staff. We started with the standard Tom Ka soup for two. It was rich and well spiced - a solid 4 stars with a point off for value ($8.00 for what was basically a large single serving). Next came the spring rolls. They were freshly made, but a little too "lettucey" and bland for our taste overall 3 of 5. Red curry was next. We asked the waiter to make it "extra thick" and the chef did so. It was creamy and very well prepared. Like the soup, it was properly spiced (we like it native). Portion size was slightly on the small size for an Asian entree, meaning that it was "almost" enough to be split between the two of us. With the spring roll, the soup, and the single order of curry we had plenty to eat and no left overs. The curry rated 3.5 on a 1-5, its lack of complexity in taste (no citrus or sour) and texture holding back an otherwise solid 4. We plan to go back again soon and try some of the noodle dishes. Plenty of parking in the restaurant lot. And, as noted by "Rachel D," the statuettes are festooned with "for sale" signs - we found this to be slightly odd.
(3)David S.
I got the vegetable Lard Nar yesterday and was very disappointed. They charged me the same price as the dish would have been with meat and didn't add any additional vegetables. Either that or they don't normally add any, I got a couple pieces of broccoli and some sliced carrots. The noodles were heavy and over-cooked, and the generic brown sauce tasted like a stick of butter. I will not be back.
(1)Ruiqiu K.
The two times I've tried Thai in Nashville, I've ordered non-traditional Thai foods. No wonder I've been disappointed. The first thing I noticed when I came in here were the "for sale" signs on all of the decorations. I didn't know what was going on. I came in a few days before Carson C.'s review, which made some sense as to what may be going on. I don't know if my review will be too late. Apart from a couple seated in the corner, I was the only other patron. During my long-ish wait (about 20 minutes), about 3-4 takeout orders came and went. I didn't look too closely, but they seemed like large orders. I perused the menu to see if they had my favorite duck dish (they didn't). I am hardly in the mood for curries or soups. So, I had (just like at the last Thai restaurant in Nashville), something with chicken and a sweet and sour sauce. I don't know what's wrong with me. It was very, very bland. And it's rare for me to not eat all of the leftovers when it comes to sweet and sour anything. I was intending to stretch the leftovers over 2 meals, but barely ate half of it before throwing it away. The iced coffee was great; the tap water was not filtered and tasted very metallic. Quiet neighborhood. If this place does change over, I will try again. But the way it is managed now, probably not.
(2)Liz D.
When I walked in, I instantly thought "Where are all the people?". After my dining experience, I realized why they were not here. The service is slow, even when my friend and I were the only ones there. The prices are expensive and the food was mediocre. The food tastes like it's been sitting in the kitchen all day, it was not fresh at all. I ordered curry and the flavors were all off. The vegetables are wilted and the meat is chewy. I wouldn't come here again.
(2)JD C.
This is passable Thai, and a great spot for takeout. Not the best in town but for me the most convenient. The service is slow and sometimes odd, and on multiple occasions I have waited for 5-10 minutes to be acknowledged when picking up my takeout order. All in all, where the hell else can you go for Thai food in Midtown? Nowhere... Enjoy!
(3)Katrina V.
Pretty good tasting Thai food place. Portion on pad thai kind of small, but not offensively so. Skip the "vegetarian appetizer"...it's just a bunch of fried vegetables tempura style..including whole mushrooms...like the kind you use in salads. what? weird. not too memorable, but service was OK and I suspect that there aren't tons of good Thai places in Nashville...
(3)Heather K.
What can I say? I'm a fatso with all of my Thai food experience being in America. I probably wouldn't know "real" Thai food if it bit me on my ass. However, I am a little cray-cray when it comes to spiciness. I want my food to hurt me. I want the hotsauce to feel like it was brewed by Lucifer himself. I want to leave with blisters on my gums. Royal Thai was very accomdating with my desires. Every time I have ordered here, I have not been disappointed. When I tell them I want it EXTREMELY spicy, they shake their heads and act concerned (like I don't know what I'm asking for), but they humor me and I am pleased. The service is slow, but very friendly and helpful. On our most recent visit, the lady gave me 2 kinds of additional hot pepper seasonings : one a type of pepper-paste, and the other a dried peppery powder. Both were sublime. They even remembered my husband's order from last time! I would venture to say that Royal Thai kicks ass with the heat-factor, therefore, Royal Thai kicks ass in my heart. As long as I live nearby, I will be a customer.
(4)Todd G.
Same as most other reviews: uninspired interior, glacial service in a 1/4 full restaurant, food hit-or-miss. I had a seafood-baked-in-foil - and that was really good. Curries got mixed reviews. Pad Thai - well, I was offered a taste, but couldn't bring myself to try what looked like brown, overcooked glop. Only beer, so buy wine around the corner and down the street at Midtown. Probably ok for lunch if you learn the menu. Otherwise, steer clear.
(2)Amanda H.
Friends and I all live right in the neighborhood, and Royal Thai is our go-to for quick and great Thai food. The curry dishes are hands-down the best part of their menu, and we can't go without one (or all!) of us getting one of them. Green curry is my favorite, but I've enjoyed them all. They're great about catering to vegetarians. Prices are pretty reasonable. Check out the lunch special for the best deals-- served until 3pm. Great for eat-in or take-out. We've never had a disappointing experience at Royal Thai, despite what some others have said here about their own. It's always been dependable, and we prefer it to the others in the neighborhood.
(4)Renae M.
I always try to find the good in every experience, so this pains me to write about my first and last visit to Royal Thai... We made reservations for a party of 8 on a Friday night at 7pm. The restaurant was busy, but definitely not slammed. Our entire experience took over 2 hrs! There was only 1 server for the entire place! We waited, and waited, and waited before our drink orders where even taken. Then we waited some more to actually get the drinks. Finally we placed our food orders, and couldn't wait to eat our yummy meals. We had heard mixed reviews about Royal Thai, but we know they were voted "Best Thai" by the Nashville Scene. The service may have been slow, but we were fully expecting the food to make up for it. WRONG! WRONG! WRONG! 5 out of our 8 (including me) ordered the Pad Thai and we were all agreed that it was the WORST Pad Thai ever. It basically was a heaping pile of brown mush...not to mention I had ordered mine medium-hot and there wasn't even an ounce of spice in it! The price was way too high as well. Not to mention that we had to ask our server 3 TIMES FOR OUR CHECK! I will never eat here again.
(1)Simply S.
I cant say enough good things about this place. If I could give it 6 stars .. I would! It was the first Thai place I was introduced to in Nashville and as long as I have a choice .. it is the only one I like going to. Everything is so fresh and yummy. it's a very small space and every time I've been it's very slow .. so the service is always splendid! However I've heard when they pick up it's a tad slower. I think that is because the staff is really small. But trust me -- any wait is worth it!! The service is great! As a matter a fact .. last time we went .. we left with our fabulous servers phone number! As my man and I walked out the door I told him "Yup, that might be the nicest lady I've ever met in my entire life". She is new .. but all the staff is GREAT. The old server we used to have knew our order. Let me add we aren't THAT regular. Bi-weekly maybe. He wouldn't even had us a menu! He would just ask if we wanted what we usually get! On to the food. I don't know what # it is I get or the name. I've had a few things. But I ALWAYS get the spring rolls. THEY ARE SO GOOD and come with this amazing cashew something dipping deliciousness! I usually get a red curry w/coconut milk base. I get it as spicy as it comes and OMG ... it's heaven! They always keep your drink full and bring out as much rice as you want to finish your meal ... or take with you. After seeing them slow many times, I was very worried they may go out of business. But in my conversation with our server, she said they have several locations and do alot of prep work out of the kitchen at this location. So hopefully they wont' be going anywhere ... ever!
(5)Sari H.
Not only was this was the absolute worst Thai food I've ever had, it's right up there with the worst food I've ever had. Disgusting, inedible slop. I've had plenty of mediocre Thai food and I can put up with it when I need to, but this place REALLY crossed the line. We had lad na (small, unfried noodles floating with broccoli and cauliflower in plate of soup); panang curry (very bland); pad thai (not bad as in that super-American pad thai... just downright horrendous; slimy; foul flavor). See the photos -- everything was actually even worse than it looked. I noticed the fresh spring rolls were served with sweet chili sauce. That should've served as a warning, I guess.
(1)Steph H.
Straight up, I'm giving this place an extra star just because of how wonderful the service was. My husband and I came here for lunch and we were really pressed for time. After being seated, it took our waiter about 5 minutes to come over with our waters and take our orders at which point we asked whether we'd be able to be in and out within 30 minutes. Our waiter rightfully pointed out that a bunch of tables had come in around the same time so it might be tight but he would do his best to get our food to us quickly and thought it would be do-able. Our waiter totally came through for us because in under 5 minutes of ordering, he had our spring rolls out to us and another 5 minutes later, our mains were sitting in front of us. He never once seemed flustered, nor did he seem annoyed or aggravated with us mentioning we were in a hurry. He also took care of the bill really quickly when it came time for us to pay, which we really appreciated as well. He managed to be efficient but friendly, which is not always easy to pull off and we both really appreciated it. Bravo! As for the food itself, it's not the best Thai food I've ever had (and seems somewhat "Americanized" to me), but the $8 lunch specials are good value, I think (and apparently if you're really pinching pennies and calories, most of the specials are just $6 if you forego the spring rolls... but why would you do that?!?). My husband ordered the Kao Moo Daeng, which is roasted pork in a sweet BBQ style sauce. It was pretty decent (the pork had a good 5-spice "char siu" flavor), but the one thing I found disappointing is that the dish was literally just pork, sauce and rice. No veggies or anything, which I always hate, because that doesn't seem like a balanced meal to me. I got the red curry with tofu, and I think that was a lot more successful. The broth wasn't as rich as some other places, but it was decent and above all, I appreciated that when I ordered it medium spicy there actually was some spice! Not enough heat to fry my tastebuds, but enough to add an enjoyable zing. Overall, this is a middle of the road Thai place in terms of the food, but the service really made a positive impression on me. I do think that if you're in the area looking for a place where you can have a quick and reasonably priced weekday lunch, it's certainly a strong contender; I'd definitely be open to coming back for lunch!
(4)Lauren E.
I've enjoyed eating at Royal Thai. It's my favorite place to get Thai food in the area. They also do a great job at take-out, even letting you get Thai Iced Tea to go (which most places don't seem to do). It's not exactly glamorous, especially outside, but it's quite tasty. While you're waiting for your meal (not too long of a wait) you can look at the hand-painted murals on the inside walls. The curries are all spectacular, and like most places they will allow you to tell them how spicy to make it. Many of the rice dishes are great, too. Check out the specials on the menu, they have some interesting combos with rice. The waiters are really great at explaining anything that's confusing. So many great dishes, I don't think I've ever had anything bad there, and I've probably been a dozen times. Unfortunately, they raised their prices a few months ago, which makes it a little more of a commitment to the meal. About $10 per entree.
(4)