Met up with a friend who was visiting. He wanted Thai food and I told him where to meet me. This would be the first time eating at the location because I usually get take out. The staff is always friendly! Ordered the crispy spring rolls which are consistently good! Just wait a bit before eating them because they are volcano hot...LOL! The pad thai with chicken is always a sold choice! The drunken noodles are delicious! I have been ordering the garlic beef stirfry which is really good! I order it with brown rice and it comes with broccoli. Plates, napkins, and utensils are provided if you ask. [[HIGHLIGHT]]It's really pleasant sitting outside on their patio! Especially in this late summer heat[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]. [[HIGHLIGHT]]They have a couple of fans blowing which help![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] And of course.... Cako Approves! read more

I stopped by Bahn Thai on 5th Avenue in Hillcrest yesterday to grab some takeout, and I was thoroughly impressed. The food was absolutely fantastic--fresh, flavorful, and some of the best Thai food I've had. The owner is one of the nicest people you'll meet, and the entire staff goes above and beyond to make you feel welcome. Their customer service is truly outstanding. The prices are very reasonable, especially considering the generous portion sizes. Each meal comes with plenty of food, and I had enough left over to enjoy another meal later. They also have a great variety of dishes, with spice levels ranging from mild (0) to extremely spicy, so there's something for everyone no matter your heat preference. If you're looking for great Thai food in Hillcrest, Bahn Thai is at the top of my list. Excellent food, generous portions, fair prices, and exceptional service--I highly recommend it! read more

If you're looking for traditional, high-quality Thai food, come here!! Don't question it, just do it! I'm incredibly picky when it comes to Thai food, and this place exceeded every expectation. NY never quite hits the thai spot for my tummy. But here?! San Diego takes the cake! Every dish was fresh, vibrant, and bursting with flavor. You can truly taste the quality. The staff is genuinely warm and welcoming, creating the kind of family atmosphere that makes you feel right at home. I only wish I had taken photos, but the food did not make it that long read more

This place holds beautiful memories. People are great here. It's the best I've had hands down. Something about the late night street food vibes that makes this taste even better. The flavor is authentic and the noodles aren't soggy or too over cooked. This place is always on my list to go places when I visit home in San Diego. Its in University Heights so there's alot of waking and cute little stores from food to coffee, shopping. Fulfills my drunken noodle craving every time. read more

Best for if you're getting the food to-go as everything comes in to-go containers and paper plates. Very MID. I don't think I'll come back. Gave my friend the shits. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Tables are super small.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

The food is always satisfying. It has a lot of flavor and the quality is great. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The new location is inviting and it's very clean.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The employees are very attentive to the store and customers. We have been loyal chain customers, we can't find anything like this. I got ground chicken and the portion is insane. I took a picture to show that it's worth the price and purchase. Thank you for an amazing meal today. I would've added an extra egg if I get another level 4 spicy. read more

Bahn Thai - Bai Grapow - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

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I have been a loyal Bahn Thai customer for years, which is why this experience was so disappointing and upsetting. My partner and I arrived at the Hillcrest location about 15 minutes before opening and waited in the parking lot because we intended to order food. We were customers waiting to support a business we had supported before--we did not arrive looking for conflict. Around 10:50 AM, a man approached our car window and told us they needed the parking space to go in and out. I explained that we were simply waiting for the restaurant to open so we could order. Instead of just explaining the situation, he questioned us in a way that felt confrontational. When I asked why he was approaching us like that before the restaurant was even open, my partner rolled up the window and the man walked away. Shortly after, someone from inside came out, knocked on our window, told us they could take our order, and then walked away. At that point, we decided to go inside because we wanted to speak with the owner or manager and address what had just happened. When we asked who the man was who approached us, he admitted he was not the owner or manager. We explained that we did not want to speak with him and wanted to speak with someone in charge. The employee at the register told us we would meet the owner, and we agreed. When the owner came out, we attempted to have a conversation and resolve the situation professionally. However, the contractor repeatedly interrupted the conversation and inserted himself even after we made it clear we wanted to speak with the owner. At one point, I even told my partner to stop talking so I could listen and have a productive conversation with the owner. My partner respected that and stayed quiet. The owner spoke, and I waited until he finished. When I began explaining my side, the contractor interrupted me again. I told him I was not finished speaking and asked him not to talk over me. Instead of stepping away, he continued making comments and inserting himself into a conversation that was not with him. That is when another contractor came from behind us yelling because I told his coworker to stop interrupting. He approached me aggressively with his fist raised. My partner stepped in and told him not to charge at women. I stepped back, put my hands behind my back, and tried to communicate that I was not a threat and that he needed to learn not to approach women that way. Despite that, he continued yelling in my face and raised his fist again. My partner stepped behind me and challenged him not to act that way, and the man backed off and said the police were coming. As we were leaving, the first contractor confronted my partner. During that interaction, he pushed my partner. When I stepped in, he grabbed me by my shoulders. By that point, multiple employees had come outside and were recording the incident. I looked at them and said I was glad they were recording because what was happening needed to be seen. The most disturbing part of this entire experience is that the owner was present throughout this situation and witnessed these contractors--who were not restaurant employees--inserting themselves into a customer interaction and escalating it into a physical confrontation. One of these men stated that he built the restaurant. This location was designed by Lahaina Architects, a firm associated with the Bahn Thai Hillcrest project. The fact that individuals working on this property could become involved with customers in this way is deeply concerning. We were not asking for anything unreasonable. We wanted acknowledgment that contractors working on the property crossed a serious line by involving themselves in a customer interaction and escalating it to the point of physical contact. There were witnesses. There were employees recording. If anyone questions what happened, I encourage the owners and employees who recorded the incident to release the footage so the public can see exactly what occurred. This is not about food or service. This is about customer safety, accountability, and the responsibility a business has to ensure that customers are not physically confronted by people working on the property. As a queer woman in Hillcrest, I expected to feel safe and respected at a business in this community. Instead, I experienced being physically confronted while the owner was present. I will be pressing charges and pursuing legal action regarding what happened. I hope Bahn Thai takes this seriously, preserves all available footage, reviews what occurred, and makes sure no other customer ever experiences something like this again. read more

Bahn Thai - Lahaina Architects's Bahn Thai project - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

Yum yum yum. Stopped by this "newly" opened location in Hilcrest after being an occasional visitor of their much smaller store near north park. What a difference. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The place is huge, clean, modern and well lit with several outdoor and indoor seating areas including a patio on the side of the building.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Food is ordered in one location of the restaurant and they text you when it's ready for pickup in a slightly different spot. Even though we said we wanted to dine in, the food came packaged to take away. Not a biggy. The meals were delicious. We ordered drunken noodle with chicken and Yum Nuea to share, both level 3 spicy which turned out to be the perfect amount of heat and we like it spicy! Overall a great place to stop by if hungry for Thai and plenty of parking nearby makes it convenient. read more

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I'm so happy this place is back open. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Bahn Thai has a nice outdoor patio, perfect for the San Diego sunny weather, with great food.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Their CRAB RANGOON, with the crispy wanton outside and creamy krab filling, are great for sharing (or to enjoy on your own). Their curries are also fragrant and packed with flavor. The MASSAMAN CURRY is my favorite to go along with the TOM KHA SOUP. They lean on the togo style (everything is in a togo container) so you order up front, pick up your food and either sit your self or take it togo and since you order up front there isn't a lot of interaction with the staff. They also have a sprinkle of vegan options. read more

This is definitely more of an Americanized Thai food spot. I ordered the eggplant basil stir fry and asked for mild spice, but there was basically no spice at all. I also added duck, but there were maybe only three small pieces, and the rest of the dish was mostly rice with a few bits of eggplant. It felt more like a rice plate than an actual stir fry. It also lacked flavor. My friend got the basil fried rice with beef and had the same issue. Barely any beef, even though we paid extra for it. Parking was horrible and hard to find. For the price and how little protein you actually get, it just doesn't feel worth it. There are way better Thai places nearby, so I wouldn't come back or recommend it. Food: 6/10 read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Food and ambience were great.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Service was virtually nonexistent. You had to order using the QR code at the table. Food is delivered in to go containers. My request for plates to share our dishes took so long that I had to go get them myself and was told by the "server" that she was planning to bring them when the second dish was ready to bring out. In the meantime she was engaged in a conversation with 2 other employees inside. Not once did they ask how things were, or if we wanted anything else. They delivered food in to go containers and that was the last we saw them. We might as well be dealing with robots! It would have been more fun. Didn't get any sense that they cared that we were there. I'm very disappointed that it's come to this. I wish I could take back the tip I gave when I ordered online. read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Absolutely love the redesigned layout of this location![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] You order and pay first, then they will text you to go pickup your food when it's ready. Their noodle entrees like pad see ew is a go to for me, but I also really enjoy grabbing a quick bite for a business lunch or catch up with friends. [[HIGHLIGHT]]One of my favorite aesthetic Thai restaurants in SD, it's comforting and filling.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

I'm a bit shocked at the ratings here. This has to be the worst Thai food I have ever had. I ordered the yellow curry with chicken. The curry was creamy and off putting. The texture of the sauce was almost like cake batter, and the potatoes were quite undercooked. I also had the wings. Despite asking for them to be crispy, they were very mushy. I couldn't even finish them. At the very least, the calamari was passable. Maybe it was a bad day, or the wrong cooks were there, but I would not go back. read more

Best Thai food ever.. you know it's good if the nurses on your unit reorder from here over and over again. I love their yellow curry, drunken noodles and crab fried rice. Service is great and the food is delicious., my go to place for Thai food in all of SoCal read more

Thai is my favorite cuisine so I find my standards to be high for what I would consider a "good" Thai dish. I got the Bai Grapow medium spicy with ground chicken and delicious is an understatement. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Very good food, nice easy vibe and friendly staff.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Bahn Thai - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

I ordered drunken noodles heat level number three and crab Rangoon's. The drunken noodles were good, but basil was just laid on top. It wasn't mixed in with the noodles and there wasn't a lot of basil heat level for number three was pretty hot. I like hot though so it's OK with me crab Rangoon's I would not order again absolutely zero crab, zero imitation crab, zero crab flavoring so you're just kidding basically fried cream cheese. read more

The food was great! We arrived about 30 minutes before closing and still received excellent service. The staff was friendly, [[HIGHLIGHT]]the place was very clean,[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] and the overall experience was wonderful. Definitely a great spot to visit, and I highly recommend it!" read more

Love love love!! It's one of our regular spots - the food is consistently good, the portions are very reasonable, and the wait time is very fair. Highly recommend their pad see ew and yellow curry! The mango sticky rice is also a must read more

As a Thai food connoisseur, I've been to many Thai restaurants and I can say with confidence that this place is very impressive. I ordered pad see ew with beef and the yellow curry chicken and both were phenomenal. The flavors and textures were amazing. I was practically drooling over my food the whole time and could not stop eating until it was all gone . The staff is also very friendly and professional and [[HIGHLIGHT]]the interior is super cute.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]They have not one, but three patios where you can sit outside and enjoy your delicious food.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] It's a perfect spot for date night or catching up with friends :) I will be back! read more

Bahn Thai - Yellow curry - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

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Delicious! Friendly! Fresh! Healthy! Great options! [[HIGHLIGHT]]Calm ambiance![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I remember when it was Babycakes - now the fond memories can continue with this delightful place read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Re-opened after months of closure and all seating is outside.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]I'd choose the side door or back door option as the bigger parties as we experienced was very loud.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The food had options for mild all the way to fire! The menu showed options for gluten free, vegetarian and favorite items. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Keep personal pets home, none allowed in restaurant or ordering area which was set up for takeout mostly.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] All food was packaged to go with cutlery, napkins, and boxes vented and all wrapped in a bag! I didn't take photos this time. The Tom Kha had lots of tomato and chicken chunks and mushrooms with no lemongrass at all, broth was very tasty! Loved the two sauces of dip for my fried tofu, one mild and one spicy! read more

I was very excited to order their signature dish Pad Thai with shrimp and a mango sticky rice. Been missing this place since they closed due to kitchen fire years ago only to be disappointed by what I tasted. The dish was very sweet, and very soggy. Felt like I was eating dessert, then I tried the mango sticky rice. The mango was ripe, but the rice was well undercooked. How the heck can you mess up rice for an Asian restaurant? I was totally disgusted by my order, i was left feeling eating diabetes instead of a meal that used to bring me joy. $38 dollars for the order and just chucked it in the trash. I'll be awhile before I return most likely. read more

I don't recommend the Drunken Noodles with duck. The common meats would've been a better choice. The Massaman Curry was a tad sweet for me. Good option for take out read more

Excellent food, prompt friendly service, [[HIGHLIGHT]]appreciate the eye for the decorating and making it feel new and fresh[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Spacious areas with a Thailand feel[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]. read more

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This place is awesome and now open. Very good food and [[HIGHLIGHT]]nice atmosphere[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The kitchen is very clean[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] as well read more

Flavors bold and bright Spices build, then linger long Waking up the mind Packed with care (and heat) Aromas sealed, travels well Freshness holds its place Parking takes some luck But a quick stop does the trick Worth it every time read more

Finally!! A good Thai place! We both thoroughly enjoyed this place as well as the friendly service. The pad Thai was delicious, the yellow curry was super flavorful w/ properly cooked potatoes, the Tom kha was tasty. The chicken satay was not bad but the sauce was good. We will most definitely be back. read more

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TL;DR: no frills, tasty Thai dishes served quickly in takeout containers - great for quick bites and lazy-cooking days Order: - Choo Chee fish curry (3.5/5): This was a really flavorful red curry. That said, we were a little disappointed in how little fish actually came with the curry - ymmv. - Drunken Noodles (3/5): some of the noodles tasted a bit undercooked but still a good carb base Overall, happy with how quick and efficient the ordering process was to get the food to us asap. Will be back for the quick Thai fix Cheers, Bahn Thai read more

Bahn Thai - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

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I love the original Bahn Thai so I was excited to see this second location nearby where I was getting my nails done. I knew I had to pick up lunch here and my pad see ew was just as good as I expected it to be. I was bummed when I heard this location was temporarily closed due to a fire, but I'm relieved to see that it's scheduled to reopen again. We all need more Bahn Thai in our lives. Now if only they'd expand to other neighborhoods in San Diego, like Mira Mesa (hint, hint!). read more

Finally found a place that has the perfect about of *SPICY* heat to add to a dish. Never could find a spot that would make their dishes hot enough when asking to make it spicy, but look no longer!! I'll easily be coming back here! Ordered for pick up the shrimp pad Thai for lunch, spicy (level 3) and it was perfect! Walked over and was ready within 15 mins. The women who rang me up was also very kind and welcoming. Can't wait to try out more dishes at an even hotter level! read more

Bahn Thai - Shrimp pad Thai, level 3 spicy - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

WHY WE WENT HERE: - cousin lunch THE LOOK (FROM THE OUTSIDE): - located on Fifth Ave in Hillcrest in between Robinson Ave and Evans Pl - shaded outdoor seating THE LOOK (FROM THE INSIDE): - some barstool seating - water cooler tower available to self-serve yourself water - I like how you order first at the cashier THE MENU: - directions: 1) Select Entree; 2) Select Spice Level; 3) Select Protein - entrees - specialties - starters - extras WHAT WE ORDERED: - pad see ew; mild; beef - Thai fried rice; mild; pork - panang curry; mild; chicken - sweet chili wings, mild - mango sticky rice - Thai iced tea THE TASTE: - everything was great! made to order, fresh, delicious - more than enough food to have leftovers CUSTOMER SERVICE: - cut and dry; order from the cash register and seat yourself until your order is ready for dine in or takeout read more

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Best Thai food in SD! Remember to ask for extra chili oil. Great staff easy pickup when I call it in.

Food (5/5 stars): Highs - loved their Pad Thai. It was very flavorful and had the perfect amount of sauce. Highly recommend! Lows - none! Experience (4/5 stars): * Price: reasonable * Wait Time: minimal wait on a Saturday at 11:30am * Service: good * Parking: street parking can be difficult * Ambiance: very nice and modern outdoor seating area read more

Bahn Thai - Pad Thai - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

Love the Tom Ka soup, the lemongrass chicken, the panang curry, the crab ragoons. Everything here is so delicious! This is our absolute favorite Thai place ever! read more

Green Curry with Tofu, Pad See Ew with Chicken, Crab Fried Rice, and Roasted Duck Curry Everything was perfect and wonderfully flavorful. Green curry here is my favorite thing, and I'm not even much of a curry person. Entire family loved all the dishes, so glad this place is so close to work! read more

Bahn Thai - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

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Delicious! *Finally* found the perfect pad thai. I used to love the pad thai at Bangkok Spice but the food really went down the drain. I order pad thai, spring rolls, crab fried rice and firecracker chicken and everything was so good. When I was in thailand i ate pad thai every single day and this tastes exactly like it. so tempted to reorder today. read more

The food here is amazing. The flavors are popping and the portions are perfect. Each of our dishes were cooked to perfection. We had to wait over 30 minutes to get our food and there are only a few (about 4) small tables outside. It's first come first served, so we had to stand like vultures to get a table after a family finished their meal. You order inside and either take it home or wait for an available spot outside. For ambiance, it's small inside with no seating. The food is excellent. I have 4 stars because of how challenging it was to sit and eat. read more

Bahn Thai - Pad kee mao - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

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This restaurant has a large menu with bold colors and a clean and modern feel. You can smell the chili oil and Lemongrass as you approach the front door.. thats how you know you came to the right place. I came at the end of June 2022 and there were still covid policies in place, such as only serving food in take out containers. I'm a creature of comfort/habit at Thai restaurants and usually stick to 2-3 different dishes, but I decided to try something new this time: Bomber Eggs - ground chicken stir fry with veggies and sweet brown sauce over THREE fried eggs! (I'm a sucker for any type of egg in my meal) The dish was large, hot, and used fresh ingredients. Unfortunately I realized that I'm not a sweet brown sauce fan, so I didn't really enjoy it until I poured the broth of my Tom Ka Soup in there to cut down on the sweetness! I added some of their signature chili oil and transformed it into something tasty. Despite me not liking my dish, I would still gladly eat here and try something else. The portions are big (it lasted me 3 meals), and the ingredients are fresh and well prepared. read more

Bahn Thai - Bomber Eggs - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

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I love Bahn Thai, and this location even more! I gave the other Bahn a five star as well, but this location is better in my opinion. The food is fire, like the other spot, but Hillcrest has better parking and the interior is far more nice. It's VERY nice! I took my food to-go, but I would love to dine in. Hihgly recommend anything on the menu, specifically the noodle dishes (pad Thai is fire), and the tom kha soup. I will undoubtedly be back here repeatedly. read more

This is actually the best Thai restaurant I've had in recent memory. I even prefer it to Sala Thai, our favorite in the Bay Area. Normally pad Thai is something we feel obligated to get because it's such a Thai cuisine staple, but most pad Thai dishes aren't very memorable and all kind of .. taste the same? Bahn Thai's pad Thai was flavor packed, and the duck was juicy and paired perfectly with the noodles and crunchy peanuts. We demolished this dish. I even liked it better than the pad see ew, which is normally my favorite dish. Bahn Thai's pad see ew is also very yummy, but the pad Thai was my favorite. We also got the Thai Basil eggplant, which was excellent, and the pineapple fried rice. My daughter loves pineapple fried rice and gobbled theirs up. I'm personally not much of a fried rice person, but still enjoyed this one. Wish we had a place like this in the Bay but I'll be back the next time we're visiting San Diego. read more