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Bua Thai Restaurant & Bar

3.5 (326 reviews)
ModerateThai
Open 12:00 pm - 10:00 PM
Updated over 3 months ago

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BUA THAI RESTAURANT & BAR ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Moderate noise
Happy hour specials
Outdoor seating

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The Tom Ka Gai Soup Lunch was amazing i recommend asking for side of white rice in the spicy coconut broth.
frankie m.

It was very good they are very accommodating. You must get a side of rice with a spicy coconut broth..

Veggie dumplings
Khristina S.

Close to where I got a spur-of-the-moment pedicure, my work colleague & I stopped here to catch the last 15 minutes of happy hour and dinner. It was surprising to have to walk upstairs to the dining area, but it was spacious and the small, portable ac unit made the indoor seating comfortable. We ordered an appetizer each (crispy wontons for my friend, veggie dumplings for me), a house salad each, and combo see ew with chicken & beef. We also ordered happy hour beverages. The food was delicious. The peanut sauce on the house salad was tasty but because the lettuce & toppings weren't cut to bite-sized pieces, I used them as dippers for the dressing until the dressing was gone. The veggie dumplings & crispy wontons were both good. I was pleased to have the combo of beef & chicken on the entree. The sauce was tasty and coated everything well without being greasy. My two points of contention were the wait for the check after asking directly and everyone else in the dining area being addressed before us and the bathroom situation. Before leaving the restaurant, my colleague & I both used the bathroom; I noticed feces smeared on the wall in one stall, chipped paint throughout the room, and watered down soap that made its cleansing capabilities questionable. That was a disappointing way to end my dining experience here.

Thai Stick Lunch
Jahaan T.

Accidentally ordered from the wrong Thai place but I wasn't disappointed at all! I tried the Thai stick which were beef skewers. They came still hot and juicy. Very well seasoned and the sauce was good. I tried the red curry with duck. I was a little skeptical because it had pineapples in it and I don't like to mix my sweet with my heat. It surprisingly was very comforting. The duck was sliced a little thick. Although an accident, I was pleased! Also had the Thai iced tea. It was a little too sweet for my taste though.

Balcony views
Doug B.

Ok, this isn't my neighborhood go-to but decided to revisit. I really enjoyed the red curry with chicken. They added grean beans. It was very good! Loved the spice level and multitude of fresh veggies. Love the space, location, and service has always been good. It was a beautiful night and enjoyed the balcony overlooking P St. Let me know what you think?

Pad See Ew Dinner, Bua Duck

AUTHENTIC THAI FOOD WHERE YOU CAN TRULY TASTE THE LOVE. Coming from Indonesia to America I have determined find authentic food that really just hits home. my partner and I were immediately greeted and quickly brought to our tables. We were brought upstairs where it was extremely cozy and I was one step into being home. The menu was absolutely immaculate, prices were affordable and there were an endless amount of options, perfect for everyone. We ordered the bua duck and the pad see ew with beef, my favorite thai dish ever. I am very snobby about my asian food so i was skeptical at first. LET ME TELL YOU. both dishes were brought to our table and under eight minutes, right off the stove. The aromas filled the room and they brought a tray of chili oils and flakes along with it. The duck was phenomenal, the texture was perfect. The sauce wasn't drowning out the taste of the duck, and every bite was phenomenal. finally, it was time to try the pad see ew. I turned my fork, grabbed the perfect amount of noodle versus beef. When I placed it on my tongue, I was transported back home. It was as if I was surrounded by the people I had grown up with. The same people who celebrate everything with food and food holds immense value in our culture. representation is so important and it is not talked about enough within food. Bua Thai has done stellar job at giving everyone the opportunity to experience the culture and beauty of these dishes. The texture of the noodles were perfectly cooked, not overdone, not undercooked the type that just melts in your mouth in the beef was cooked to perfection. they weren't stingey at all with the portions, in all honesty I am still dreaming about that bite, this pad see ew was magical. it was so flavorful, and was even more delicious with some of the chili flakes and white pepper. i genuinely had to stop and reflect. we initially were going to go to Astoria right nearby before we stumbled upon this absolute GEM. besides the beef noodles at Astoria are double the price and taste more on the Panda express side of asian food than authentic. GET THE PAD SEE EW HERE INSTEAD. Bua Thai, prepare to be sick of me, i'll be bringing everyone, I know and love, back here.

Entrance
Sharlene S.

Service- they took good care of us, waters filled and plates removed. Happy hour- they have happy hour 7 days a week from 4-7pm. That's an awesome flex. I repeat, if it says spicy. It's Thai spicy. Not gringo spicy. Hehe. Larb gai was super spicy and drunken noodles had quite the kick. We also got wontons, dumplings, pad see ew, drunken noodles, spring rolls, green curry, larb gai. All food was super flavorful and good portion sizes. Seating- they have a bar, tables upstairs and down, and outdoor seating. Love all the options.

Pad See Ew

Ordered delivery through Uber Eats. Food was good considering it was take out and had been sitting for a short time

Crab fried rice with cucumber garnish
DJ J.

It was a great day the other week for an outdoor lunch. I visited Bua Thai and had the crab fried rice. It was very flavorful, and the presentation was more than I expected. Our service was great and it hit the spot for a nice work lunch. I'll be back!

Khao Soi
Randy L.

Came to Bua Thai to eat after walking around to see the Cherry Blossoms. Overall the food was okay, but left me feeling full. I didn't know what I was getting myself into when ordering the Khao Soi, as the crispy noodles weren't what I was imagining and there wasn't much chicken in my dish. The curry puffs and the Thai iced tea made up for it, as they were both delicious. I would come back just for the Thai tea. We also got the mango sticky rice, fried bananas, and the 3 ice cream deal. Nothing special about any, just refreshing after all that spice. The service was good at the start, I felt our waiter was really attentive and would come back at a good amount of time. However towards the end of our meal, they came out to bring us the check but we told them that we wanted dessert, and their response made it seem like they just wanted us to leave. Note that there is an automatic gratuity added to the bill.

Kee Mao veggie
Sreenivas R.

Very good service. Old classic ambiance. Tasty typical food with sensible portion sizes. Host was also very honest and notified us that we might be ordering too much food for our party. We started with spring rolls that were pretty standard and not too oily. For the mains, we had a Tofu Kee Mao and Todu with basil and spicy sauce. It was comforting and typical Thai American fare. We washed it down with a creamy Thai iced tea.

Tyler C.

Just off DuPont Circle is this friendly and Thai place with excellent food. Started with a bowl of salad with peanut dressing. Salad was crisp and dressing peanuts enough. The crispy duck Panang curry was special! Duck was crispy with meat and skin on every slice. Cooked so that it was still juicy. And the curry was thick and plentiful. I will be coming back for this dish!!!

Kanom jeeb
Katherine S.

TL;DR: Service was very friendly. Food was eh. I hate to write a not so great review about a place that had very good and friendly service. But the food just did not satisfy. We came here with a party of 8 around 7pm on a Saturday night. The place was relatively empty, so we got a table immediately. They do have good happy hour appetizer and drink specials. And the wait staff was very accommodating and friendly, especially since we only had 10 minutes left to order happy hour items. Drinks: White russians, pomegranate mule, margaritas: were all good and the happy hour items were $5. Food: Curry puffs: I did not try one, but everyone else at the table seemed to enjoy it Golden triangles: fried tofu. Actually not too bad. And they give you A LOT Kanom Jeeb: steamed dumplings. Just. No. The texture was hard and stale, and the flavor was bland. Pad thai: I got it spicy. It was decent. 3/5 Pad see ew: The noodles in this dish were a little overcooked, but the worst part was the meat. It was very dry and tough, almost like cardboard. Curry: the people in our party seemed pretty happy with the flavor. But the portion was rather small. Overall, service was so nice, and they were attentive at refilling our drinks/clearing our plates. But the food just wasn't that great.

Khao Soi
Danny K.

This restaurant is quite the disappointment. I came here because they serve Khao Soi for $9.50 during lunch time, which is much cheaper than other Thai restaurants in the area for this specific dish. It's a small restaurant with an outside patio, but the style is old as is the building. The good: The Thai Ice Tea is good and refreshing. Servers are nice and welcoming. The bad: The Khao Soi, which lists on their menu as a Traditional Northern Thai red curry egg noodles soup with chicken, topping with pickled cabbage, red onions, crispy noodles, and scallions, was the worst Khao Soi I've had. The egg noodle texture was the same as eating ramen from a cup noodle, and the crispy noodles were basically fried wonton strips. There is hardly any chicken, and it is thinly sliced pieces of white meat chicken instead of chunks of dark meat chicken or a whole chicken leg. Overall, I was highly disappointed in this restaurant, and the only highlight of the meal is the Thai Ice Tea. Perhaps their other dishes may taste better, but they should remove Khao Soi off their menu if they aren't going to serve it right.

Fried banana and coconut ice cream

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1 month ago

It was okay. I ordered tom kha gai, and panang curry, two stars. It was 1/2 star spicy, at the most. Service was fine.

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Sampannee Thai - Top1 Best Thai Food in DC by yelp!

Sampannee Thai

4.3(244 reviews)
0.5 miDowntown
$$
Family-owned & operated
Large group friendly

Do not sleep on the coconut ice cream!!! The BEST I've ever had!!! The atmosphere was adorable!!…read moreFood was amazing

This Thai place is aboveground in a splendid brick building. I got a seat near the window. The…read morevarious menus I searched through online were a little unclear, but their current one at the time of my visit offered ample detail on vegetarian/vegan items, of which there were plenty. I sampled a crispy rice salad and some drunken noodles, expecting to eat about half of each. The salad was fantastic, with the light texture of the crispy rice allowing the aroma of lime, chili, and various other flavors to percolate through it. I asked them to hit me with the full spice level for my drunken noodles, and they were venomous, even once I had gotten used to them. The people were preparing some spice trays to be used for ad hoc seasoning, but I had no need of any further chili. A Thai iced tea with lychee I thought was going to be a milk tea, as the term Thai iced tea normally connotes, but it was in fact just tea with fruit. Still good though, and it came with one full lychee. Some of the other people eating around me noted that they planned on leftovers and instead ate everything they got, a comment that the portions aren't huge but also that the flavors are captivating. I finished mine too.

Photos
Sampannee Thai - Fried fermented rice salad sampannee

Fried fermented rice salad sampannee

Sampannee Thai - Decor

Decor

Sampannee Thai - Beautiful  Mango Sticky Rice

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Beautiful Mango Sticky Rice

Thip Khao - Fried rice Kua Khao Jaew Bong

Thip Khao

4.4(1.5k reviews)
1.6 miColumbia Heights
$$

Came here for date night after hearing so much about this restaurant and it didn't disappoint!…read moreLaotian food is always a hit. We had major indecision because there's SO many things on the menu we wanted to try but ended up getting: Naem khao: 4/5 probably better with the sour pork, but loved how fresh this was. It was a large portion too, so we got kind of full from finishing it before our mains even arrived. Shrimp pad see ew: 5/5 the best pad see ew I've had in the DMV. So much wok fire flavor. You can really taste the caramelization. And the large shrimp were velveted which was made it extra satisfying to eat. Also a good shareable portion size! Muu Som: 4/5 this was super rich and heavy. Would get this again only to share with a larger group. Loved that it came with sticky rice. Mango sticky rice: 4/5 delicious but in my opinion didn't need the ice cream on top (my boyfriend thinks otherwise though). Very large portion as well. The cocktails were a little pricy ($15) for what they were but I did love the tamarind margarita. Just wish it was a larger drink or a smaller price tag. Service was very attentive!

I'm disappointed I haven't ever stopped in here before. I walk by this restaurant regularly and…read morenever thought to check it out. I actually intended to try out the Trini Vybez restaurant next door, but discovered they're closed but their signage is still up. Anyways, I got a seat at the bar for myself and service was great. I was a bit indecisive as the menu is pretty extensive, and I've never eaten Laotian food before. Luckily, it was happy hour, so I was able to sample a couple of their appetizers and their daiquiri which was quite strong. I had the Tam Sum, papaya salad and that was very good with a hint of spice and lime. Then, I also had Chuenh Peek Gai, which was tamarind glazed wings. Omg they were savory and crispy! I loved these. For the entree, the bartender recommended some great options, but I finally settled on Kee Mao, which is flattened rice noodles with stir fry beef and vegetables. It was also a very savory dish, with a sweetness to it. Laotian food is very similar to Thai food and I love Thai food. I will not sleep on this restaurant and will be back soon!!

Photos
Thip Khao - Restaurant

Restaurant

Thip Khao - Pork belly (@dumplingadventuress)

Pork belly (@dumplingadventuress)

Thip Khao - Papaya salad (@dumplingadventuress)

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Papaya salad (@dumplingadventuress)

Donsak Thai Restaurant  - Donsak Noodle

Donsak Thai Restaurant

4.4(141 reviews)
1.2 miWoodley Park

Good quality Thai food at reasonable prices. The dishes were rich in layer and satisfying…read more Corn Fritter: An equisute and interesting appetizer. Corn coated in a thin layer of tempura batter, fried until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, showcasing its natural sweetness and slightly chewy texture. It was somewhat like a Chinese yumi-lao玉米烙 but more moist. The most surprising thing was that despite being entirely vegetarian food, it has the sweetness and meaty texture of fried shrimp paste. The sweet and sour sauce is similar to the Thai sweet chili sauce commonly found in China, but thinner. Served in a small cup, it looked like a cup of black tea, making it more refreshing. Grilled Pork Neck: Very different from pork neck in Chinese Thai cuisine; it's more like Cantonese char-siu叉燒. The pork neck was very well marinated and grilled to a very tender perfection, with a rich and smooth honey aroma, and a subtle wine aftertaste, but it was slightly too sweet for me. Nam Jin Jaew was primarily composed of the tangy kick of lime and the savory saltiness of fish sauce, complemented by the mild spiciness of bird's eye chili, the special fragrance of cilantro, and the sweetness of palm sugar, with a subtle hint of smokiness. It was refreshing on the whole, and incredibly layered - I fell in love with it instantly. Tom Saab Soup: It looked light, but it was surprisingly spicy and sour! The ribs were very fresh, all marbled with fat and lean meat, stewed until incredibly tender, allowing you to taste the natural aroma of the meat. The sourness was subtle, clear, and mild, with a base of lemongrass fragrance that added even more depth. My friend thoughtfully ordered it mildly spicy, but in the end, it just felt like it lacked a kick. Mango Sticky Rice: The best mango sticky rice I've ever had! The sticky rice was cooked to perfect texture and warmth, absorbing the coconut milk flawlessly - neither too watery nor too dry. The first taste was the fragrance of glutinous rice, followed by the sweetness of coconut milk, and a refreshing, slightly tart mango to cut through the richness. Thai Iced Tea: Too much condensed milk, excessively sweet. My friend said it was much sweeter than the last time she had it. Was this a change in the recipe, or did the quality control need improvement? Donsak is a district in Surat Thani, Thailand, and also the hometown of the restaurant's co-owner and manager, Boom, where she was born and raised. The restaurant's introduction states: "When she left for the US, Boom didn't know she wouldn't get to see her home again for many years - and she still hasn't. Donsak is a way around that." No wonder what truly touches the heart, is indeed the taste of love and home.

Great prices! Especially for DC. Service was very good and the menu is huge! Not the biggest…read morerestaurant but there is outdoor seating when it's nice out. Cocktails: Lemongrass: Like a French 75, I enjoyed this. Passion fruit Marg: Not as passion fruity as I would like, but still enjoyable. Gyoza: Great sauce, good flavor, 5 pieces. Corn fritter: This was interesting and unique. Like healthy sweet popcorn of sorts. Crispy tofu: Not very crispy, I didnt love the flavor of the tofu, sauce was very good. Chive cake: No one enjoyed this. Drunken noodle w/ pork: Solid version with good flavor. Nothing revolutionary, but a good dish. Green curry w/ chicken: I really liked this, quite tasty and a healthy portion of chicken. Nam Kao Tod: Excellent pork dish! Really tasted like Thailand. Som Tam Chaos: Everyone loved this papaya salad. The spice builds up even though it isn't very spicy initaly. One of my favorites. Mango sticky rice: This was devoured quick but I would have liked a little more condensed milk on the rice.

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Donsak Thai Restaurant  - Interior

Interior

Donsak Thai Restaurant  - Panang Curry

Panang Curry

Donsak Thai Restaurant  - Bar

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Bar

The Regent - Mango & sticky rice

The Regent

3.8(530 reviews)
0.5 mi
$$

I'll admit that stopped by here for a late(ish) night feeding because it was the first place that I…read moresaw after leaving another business in the area. That said, I was very happy with my this random result. Upon entering the restaurant, I thought the host/bartender/server was super nice and very friendly. For my dining pleasure, I went with the drunken noodles with chicken. While the meal was pretty tasty, I thought the portion size was a bit small compared to the same dish that I've had at other Thai places in the area. While the portion size was a bit smaller for this dish, I did think the prices in general were pretty reasonable compared to other spots in the area. Interestingly enough, I did place an order to go for my family, and the portions for those dishes were pretty standard. One thing that I have to recommend: the chicken wings with the chili sauce. I'll say that the sweet chili sauce was out of this world amazing. The Regent really should bottle this sauce and sell it, because I would totally use this sauce in my everyday cooking. Actually, I probably appreciated the sweet chili sauce more than the chicken wings. ;) Overall, I cannot really complain about my experience at The Regent. Perhaps, I'll return during another one of my random adventures in that part of town.

Fantastic!!!! The staff was amazing. It was so lovely sitting outside. They even gave me OFF spray…read moreas a precaution which was very nice of them to offer. The Goong Sorong (shrimp) was great. Even the garnish was Yummy. The pork basil fried rice was sooooo good. I even ordered it with extra veggies (extra charge but I didn't mind) and the mango with sticky rice dessert was great! The sticky rice even came with some condensed milk in it. Sooooooo GOOD All of it. Thanks so much. EXCELLENT service which I honestly wasn't expecting. Seems like they tend to get mostly to-go orders which is kinda sad. People should enjoy their restaurant. Thanks again so much. Very much enjoyed.

Photos
The Regent - Takeout! Generous portions and delicious flavor. Pad Thai, drunken noodle, green curry and pad ga prao

Takeout! Generous portions and delicious flavor. Pad Thai, drunken noodle, green curry and pad ga prao

The Regent - Pork basil fried rice w extra veggies

Pork basil fried rice w extra veggies

The Regent - Menu posted outside

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Menu posted outside

Bua Thai Restaurant & Bar - thai - Updated May 2026

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