No way! If you eat here and you think this is good Thai food at all you are missing out! I tried the red curry and the pad thai and was extremely disappointed. The worst part? This place is more expensive than any other Thai restaurant I have been to and that is pretty sad. The details... My chicken pad thai was supposed to be 2 stars (had to share it with the kids) and tasted sweet, if anything. I didn't know it was possible to make bland pad thai but Buddha Ruksa pulled it off. It was greasy and oily, the noodles did not soak long enough so chewing them was nearly impossible. The sauce was disgusting. The fish sauce used in pad thai, I have found, is usually a 'special' recipe sort of deal, or at least a good brand. I will almost put money on the idea that this place buys their fish sauce from the safeway down the street (I have tried that, too... yuck!) The chicken had NO flavor, the tofu was small and fried, in some places even black... The red curry was something similar to what you would make at home when first attempting curry (it's not easy!). It was paste-like and extremely lacking in flavor. Once again, chicken had no flavor and that added to the bland-ness. I told them I wanted 4 stars about ten times and the lady did not seem to figure it out and instead gave me 2, then when I informed her that was wrong she gave me a little cup of peppers... If you have a few extra minutes of travel time I HIGHLY recommend Thai Siam in Ballard (15th and 80th) or Thai Tom's in U-Dist. (If you go here, be prepared to wait outside for a bit, but WELL worth it). I had loads of homework, and felt like finding something super close to home and will never do that again, I should have just made a PB&J :( read more

BEWARE: the curry is NOT vegetarian. I've been told multiple times that the curries are vegan. I've eaten here countless times. However, I was just informed that all of their curries have fish sauce in the base and there's no way to take it out (I guess they lied to me in the past when they assured me no fish sauce). I've been a loyal customer but will never go here again. Totally dishonest and misleading. If you don't know what the word vegetarian means don't use that label on your menu! read more

I was craving some Thai food and this was close by! I wanted to call in to make a take out order. I called twice with the message "the mailbox is full", which actually means the phone lines are busy. I just ordered a pad Thai. The lady said 30 minutes but it only took 5 minutes. When I opened it, I was thrown off by the color. It wasn't as "orange" as how other pad Thai looks. The taste was okay... the noodles were really chopped up to about 2 inch pieces - not sure why, maybe it was my batch. That was weird to me. Through the color of the entree and the choppiness I couldn't finish it. Unfortunate because everyone says this place is great. read more

We do not live in Seattle and 20 years ago I had amazing Thai food here so I was excited to be back. Unfortunately the food, at least at this restaurant, is not authentic like it used to be. We were given the choice of 4 hotness levels ordered 3 just in case and it came a 1. The tamarind sauce on one of the dishes was sweet not sour and I believe had pineapple juice as a sweetener which lead me to have a reaction. The only OK dish was the prawns with pumpkin curry. Go to Pok Pok in Portland if you want REAL Thai food. read more

Food is great, but they never answer their phone or it will go straight to a message saying the voicemail is full. This has happened on multiple occasions, over the past several months, so I figured it was time for a 3-star rating. read more

I eat a lot of Thai food, and this is one of my favorite spots. Stellar Phad Thai and very good curries. The Tom Kha soup isn't my favorite (which is one of my staples at a Thai restaurant), but I can let that slide due to the excellent all around food in most other categories. read more

In 34 years, and after eating in Thailand two different times on vacation, I have to say without a doubt this is the WORST food I've ever had in my ENTIRE life, so much so I drove from SHORELINE for the second time to return it. Another milestone, the first time I've EVER RETURNED FOOD. I'm frequently on line, and love, love, love to stumble upon new, exciting food. When I came across the crispy garlic chicken dish and it's description, *especially* the fact many, many people attest to this... I was incredibly intrigued and it made me hungry all week, so much so that I eventually made the 30 minute drive down to purchase it, ordering it on Saturday evening. I ordered the tom yum soup with seafood and the crispy garlic chicken, known as the "crack" chicken... in fact this dish is so infamous with Buddha Ruksa when you google it the search engine quickly finishes the entire sentence and not the one word, indicating it's been looked up a lot. Due to these rave reviews I was tempted to at least sneak a taste of it on the way home I was so excited, but didn't, I waited. And then, the moment of truth. I tasted this supposedly great chicken, and I was thinking... huh... ... ...'the fuck?!?!?! This is awesomely BAD! And not only bad, not even remotely edible on an empty stomach, that fuckin' bad... should I say the word bad again?! Alrighy. that was a total bust... at least I had the tom yum soup with seafood to fall back on, how can one screw up a such common soup like that, right? Well... wrong! Ha! It turned out the soup was way, way, way, WAY worse than the chicken... I discussed the chicken because first because that was the infamous, main course. The soup was beyond terrible, the brothe literally tasted like cleaning cleanser, like they sprinkled comet or 409 in it, I couldn't believe it. I tried it lukewarm and then heated it up, and low and behold, just as awful! Holy ram that big rod in me daddy, Batman! Now, I'm one to give people the benefit of the doubt, and if the food is just mediocre I can at least finish it because to add to it I *was* super hungry, and that will be enough to over ride the situation and I'll eat it anyway, but that wasn't enough, that food was again=AWFUL, and I made a point to drive it back on Sunday evening. As I indicated at the beginning of my review, in 34 years I've been on this planet, and being the foodie I am, I'm just beyond shocked at how unbelievably bad this food was, despite the rave feedback and many 5 star reviews. I'm not one to go out of my way to complain, or give an unflattering review, but these items being passed off for food was and is horrid... I need to get my point across!!!! Two drives down from Shoreline to West Seattle (30 minute each), and two back (another 30 minutes each), translated in to TWO HOURS of wasted time. I returned the food as a matter of principle, not money, I have plenty of it. They reluctantly agreed to give me the refund, and the charge back on my credit card is still pending (it's only been a day). In closing, I have to say something good, they were very friendly, and fairly pleasant about me getting my money back (I arranged it with the manager on the phone first), so I'll give them that. I don't know what the rave reviews are all about, because I'm shocked and miffed that it turned out the way it did when the reviews and popularity of the chicken dish in specific. I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone... in case I didn;t get my point across in my lengthy assessment of this joint, and if you do go despite what I wrote, get something else! read more

I don't get the hype here. I've gone at least three times, and each time I'm disappointed. First time I got my favorites - panang curry and pad thai. The curry was watery and the pad thai tasted burnt. Next time I got the garlic chicken, as recommended by fellow yelpers. Again, disappointed. I don't know why people like this place so much. They surely aren't authentic. They atmosphere is very cool, I agree, but the mediocre food isn't worth it. read more

We have been told that the crispy garlic chicken is the best ever so we had to go. This place is so over rated. The crispy garlic chicken was not very good. The phad thai was gross. read more

So, I ordered togo from here for dinner last night. Not sure what the good reviews are referring to. Because I feel like the pad thai, pad ke mao, and crispy garlic chicken were all lacking flavor and on the bland side. If it takes me to bring food home and STILL have to add more seasoning to modify the flavor then that's not a good sign. It may have been an off day, possibly even a different cook but otherwise it would be safe to say I have had better thai food else where. read more

When we arrived, the place was packed. We were told there's a 45-minute wait. Since we weren't hungry, we decided to wait. We only waited 20 minutes before they showed us to our table. We placed our order for appetizers (fresh spring rolls and fried tofu) and entrees (crispy garlic chicken and beef pineapple fried rice) at the same time. After a few minutes, they served the fresh spring rolls. They were a bit bland but the peanut butter sauce saved it. (I think it was around this time that the table behind us placed their order.) After a few more minutes, they served us fried spring rolls. We told the woman who served it that we didn't order fried spring rolls. We called our server and asked him to check on our fried tofu. He said 'it's coming, it's coming, the kitchen is a little busy.' It finally came after a few more minutes. It's better than most tofu I had. We finished both appetizers and a several minutes later, we saw the next table behind us being served their entrees. When our server came, we asked him to check on our entree. He said 'believe me I put it in.' We said we were just wondering because the table behind us already got their food even if they ordered after us. The server said 'but you ordered 2 appetizers.' We weren't sure what that meant so we asked if we ordered 1 appetizer would our entree be here sooner? He didn't like that question and he said 'it's not about that' and left our table with a scowl on his face. We were more confused than ever! We were just asking and I believe we were being polite. When he finally served our first entree, he was not smiling at all and when my husband said thank you he averted his eyes. We continued to be nice to him and say our thank you'd when he served our second entree and filled our water glass. The crispy garlic chicken was phenomenal. I loved the smaller bits of chicken because they were crispier. The beef pineapple fried rice was just average. We probably won't be coming back here. read more

In my opinion, there are much better Thai restaurants out there. We ordered the garlic crispy chicken and portion was too small and burned. Asked for a dish with shrimp and eggplant (don't remember the name) and was horrible. After I saw the good reviews online I expected something way better than what we got.We went to Buddha Ruksa after so many people recommended, The food was not as good as Thaitan, not fresh, not tasty, smaller portions. They only have better marketing and nice space, but as far as food, Thaitan has such a better food quality, freshness, great taste. The only thumbs up would be the environment, but personally, I don't like paying for it! I rather like having a well prepared food. I tried 3 times Thaitan here in West Seattle, and they were SO MUCH better and cheaper. Overall, I don't recommend this restaurant. Regarding Thaitan, In my opinion, this is the BEST Thai restaurant in West Seattle. Everything you order here is always EXCELLENT! It's a small place, not fancy but since I like paying for good food, I am happy going there. Now we go to Thaitan 2-3 per week. My favorite dishes are: crispy garlic chicken, drunken noodles, chicken with spicy eggplant and fried rice...hummm!!! I love this restaurant! Great place to order to pick up, and have a great meal at home, or at Alki with an awesome view.... read more

Wow! Amazing service and the lemongrass chicken is to die for! Amazing Basil Martini as well...highly recommend!

For the directionally challenged this place can be a bit hard to find but once you find it you'll be happy you did. This is now my favorite Thai in West Seattle their crispy garlic chicken is pretty tasty as well as their Phad Prik Khing, Panang curry, crispy duck, OK everything I've had from here is excellent. I've also have always had good luck ordering off their fresh sheet/daily specials. If you haven't been go but be prepared to wait or order it to go. read more

Best Thai food in Seattle. Best service in Seattle as well. Seattle has a lot of Thai, this is THE BEST! Everything on the menu is amazing, if you're new to Buddha Ruksa try the crispy garlic chicken, "warning" you will be hooked! read more

My friend and I arrived shortly after they open so it was fairly empty. Including us, there were two other parties seated. We came from out of town so navigating to find the place was somewhat confusing as there weren't any visible signs from the road when you're going northbound. When we first walked in from the entrance on the bar side, the bartender, or maybe server, saw us but failed to acknowledge us. Not even a simple "hi" or "we'll be right with you." Instead, she continued with the lady that stood in front of her. Another server came from the main dining room. She prompted us to seat ourselves wherever we liked, which we did. Our server (can't recall his name) was unenthusiastic, but still helpful. We ordered their signature 'crack' chicken, pad khee mow, and panang curry. The food was AMAZING! Despite the mediocre service, I'd definitely return for the food. I suppose, growing up around a diverse group of asians and as an Asian myself, I've learned quality customer service is not integrated in the culture. Oh well, I came for the food anyways. The price was somewhat on the pricy side, but the quality doesn't disappoint. read more

Doesn't look like much from the outside so we were pleasantly surprised to walk in and find such a cute, inviting little restaurant. Loved the decor and the soundtrack and the little window-side table. And I can't help but give 5 stars to an establishment that serves beer in a cold, pre-frosted glass. It's a weakness. Garlic chicken, spicy eggplant, and red pumpkin curry were outstanding and all lived up to their price point. Service was quick and attentive and we left full and happy and only wished that we had more leftovers for lunch the next day. Big, big recommend! read more

This may be my favorite Thai restaurant in the whole world. As other reviewers have pointed out, the crispy duck is really the highlight of the menu. A fair amount of the food (especially our appetizer platter) had clearly spent some time in a deep fryer, however it was not laden with grease like so much fried food, but instead was light and crispy and delicious. The sauces were all superb, and the seafood (shrimp, scallops, and mussels) was tender in ways that stir-fried seafood rarely is. Zero complaints from anyone in my party of five. read more

I love the food here! SOOOOO good. The service is great too. Drinks are a little pricy, but when I got my "Cucumber Counterbalance", it was worth it. read more

Best Thai food ever. Everything is super tasty. But you might have to wait a little long, well because it's busy all the tine

So far this is the best Thai I've had in Seattle. It's super cozy, clean and modern inside. The service is fast and friendly and the food is freakin awesome. This is the first thai place where I ordered the 4 star spiciness and they delivered! It was spicy! I didn't have to add any chili paste. Me and some girlfriends shared the chicken lettuce wraps (sooooooo good), the tofu pad thai and the panaang chicken curry--the spicy creamy sauce melted in my mouth--the best curry I've tasted. I wish this place was closer!! read more

We had coconut curry lamb, crispy garlic chicken and pad thai. All were awesome! Definitely worth a second try!

Looking for a place to satisfy my Thai food cravings before heading to the airport, I consulted my smart phone before deciding on Buddha Ruksa. It was purely on that fact that it was close, and I was in a hurry. And boy am I glad I did! I could smell the delicious spices and aromas of Thai cooking wafting down the street even as I parked a block away. The wait staff was friendly and went above and beyond to accommodate us when we explained that we were in a hurry to catch a flight. Since we couldn't wait for a table, we were seated at the bar, and our bartender-turned waitress was only too happy to take our order. I had my favorite crab fried rice (which only a few Thai restaurants have) and my boyfriend indulged in one of their stir fried noodle creations. Both dishes were phenomenal. While it was prepared hot and spicy just the way I like it, the spices didn't overpower the flavor of the other ingredients in the dish like the crab and veggies as some restaurants tend to do. Mindful of our rush, the check and boxes followed shortly after the food and the whole tantalizing experience took just under 40 minutes. I look forward to returning to this restaurant when I'm back from my travels and thoroughly enjoying the experience! read more

This place was given high praise by friends, so I was very excited to check it out. We waited a long time for a seat even though we had reservations. When my food arrived, the chicken was too dry to eat, and the Phad Thai tasted like it was made with sweet catchup. It was not good at all. I was surprised, because so many people love this place. Maybe it was an off night? Or maybe it was just the Phad Thai? read more

In case you are wondering, yes that is a huge long black hair in our pumpkin curry to go order! We were so disgusted by this we didn't eat the rest of our food that we ordered :( I called to tell them about it & they really didn't even care, mind you it was a week later because we went out of town, but REALLY? They said it was their "policy" to do something for you that night. So unless you call right away I guess you are screwed. She actually wanted me to bring it in to show her as if she didn't even believe me...she can look at the pic! She did eventually give me a free entree after I put up a fuss, but really should I have had too? The truth is I won't even go back free entree or not. The way she (Ann) handled this was terrible & left a bad taste in my mouth. It's too bad because we would order from them all the time. They lost a good customer & all she had to do was make things right! We will be going to Bang Bar for our Thai food from now on! VERY bad service!!! Stay away! read more

Seattle is drowning in run-of-the-mill Thai restaurants but this is not your Thai friend's grandmother's restaurant. It is clean, modern, and cozy. When I ordered the Phad Thai (I know, boring) I was shocked how amazing it was in comparision to any other Thai place I had tried before (with the exception of Tao in Las Vegas.) If you can make some so boring as Phad Thai amazing it's worth trying any of the other dishes. If you are getting take out expect a 10-15 min wait. They are very quick but also very busy. read more

Best Thai food in Seattle! Their Pad See Ew, Pad Kee Mao and Panang curry are absolutely amazing. The staff are super friendly and accommodating, and the restaurant is very cute, traditional and cozy. read more

The food here is good and they are crazy busy. I'm kind of a green and panang curry snob and they make the cut - almost. I remember it being better over the summer. Maybe since they one Seattle's best Thai recently, the quality has gone down. I wouldn't say it's the absolute best but almost, as I said.It's nearly impossible to get through to order ahead on the phone but its worth the wait as the ambiance is good and the bar area is nice. Someone said to try the Basil Martini. I might do that sometime. Their Tom Yum Soup is a healthy choice on a cold winter day and is also yummy -no pun intended. But I would rather have the opportunity to order a small cup portion that was half the $9 price as an appetizer to dinner. Oh well. And I would prefer smaller mushrooms in the soup and not the gigantic floating cheap mushrooms that they put in there. I've been eating Thai food since Thai food became popular in Seattle in the late 80s early 90s. Citywide quality has overall gone down and the abundance of unique ingredients has slowly diminoshed. Buddha Ruska makes it at 75% of perfect for me. read more

Came here for dinner about a week ago with my boyfriend. As we walked in we were lead into the dining room where the ambiance was romantic, comfortable and intimate. The lights dimmed, each table lit with a candle of its own. We were seated promptly next to the window, immediately noticing the small detail of the decor, the tiny buddha statues bordering the edge of the window. We began looking over the menu which was refreshingly versatile but we once again went with classic favorites, two star heat Phad Thai and Fried Rice, along with the crispy garlic chicken which I had heard great things about. The food arrived shortly and it all looked absolutely scrumptious. The Phad Thai not overwhelmingly large but the fried rice plentiful. The chicken looked the tastiest and it lived up to its good looks. The food was all amazing and of course we ended up with plenty of leftovers which our server was happy to box up for us. The service was impeccable as well and they obliged our every request. Overall I was very satisfied and can not wait to return to try some of the other dishes on the menu...and get a second helping of that garlic chicken!!! read more

Uggghhh tried calling about 15 times to place an order for takeout. No answer or straight to voicemail!!! I'm so irritated! The food is great but come on ANSWER YOUR PHONE!!! They lost an order for 4 people tonight. read more

Terrible service. The staff was so rude and unwelcoming. We came here because they were known for their crispy chicken. Well I'm sure it was crispy but since they forgot about our table since we were in no mans land dining closet it was soggy and lukewarm. Then we just sat there for almost 45 minutes without being checked on. Finally I got up to pay and the whole staff was sitting down to their dinner. Bleep that. read more

This place is delicious! My favorite by far is the crispy garlic chicken. They have great curry as well. One tip, they do get busy... So if your feeling impatient I wouldn't suggest going on a popular night, or just call in an order.. Other than that, this place is awesome! read more

Buddha Ruksa is great. My husband and I are going down the menu. One of our favorite dishes is the panning curry with brown rice and of course the garlic chicken. But one of my favorite things at Buddha Ruksa are the COCKTAILS. The bartender there is super talented. They are delicious. I would go as far as saying that they are the best cocktails I've had in West Seattle. I love the atmosphere too. It's a perfect date night with great service, great food, and great drinks. read more

Do not expect any customer service if you order take out. Worst experience in a very very long time. Crispy garlic tofu is delicious but not worth the effort and rude staff. read more

This restaurant has great interior and friendly staff. Parking can be a hassle to find in the street. Here is why I gave it 2 stars. We have been here 3 times. The first time they burnt my friends food. We didn't want to complain but we decided to give them another try. The 2nd and 3rd time the food was very mediocre. For the price, I expect a lot better food. If the entrees were priced around $8 then I would probably give it 3.5 stars. For the price and food you get, 2 stars. read more

I have waited waaaayyy too long to do this. I have been a regular customer here for a few years now-that should say it all. So far they are my favorite Thai food place in West Seattle (for sure) and the rest of Seattle (so far). My review is based on a combination of the following: -quick service even when they are slammed -attentive and friendly -yummy Thai Iced Tea -consistently good food I have tried a variety of their dishes-curry, noodles, etc- and I have been pleased each time. I have only been disappointed twice when the food was too salty, but that was 2 out of many, many visits. It has proven the exception and not the rule. read more

My brother took me there at the busiest time of the evening and with a smooth turn over we were seated in a few minutes into a very full establishment. This was on a typical Thursday. We went for the Crispy Garlic Chicken. He claimed it was the best I would ever eat. I'm pretty fond of my local Thai place and its Crispy Garlic Chicken. But my brother was right. It was some of the best I'd ever eaten, and prepared differently enough from my usual place that I'm planning on taking my wife there so that she can compare. The scallops were cooked perfectly. My suggestion is go with the house favorites. And if you like spicy, they do a one to four rating. I suggest at least three. This is not one of those places that adds another tablespoon of crushed red peppers to increase their heat. They have other spices on the shelf they use. read more

The food is amazing and reasonably priced. I would say this is one of the best Thai places in Seattle to get sautéed dishes, pad kee mao, fried rice. I think it's the best overall Thai place, but not the best Thai curry place. I go to another spot for my curry. read more

I want to love this place. But the flavors are just blah. The Tom Kha (sp?) had a few tiny overcooked shrimp. The Swimming Angles had 5 giant bland hard chunks of tofu. The Phad Thai had almost no flavor. Just sad. read more

Food is amazing here. But success has apparently taken it's toll, the dishes are smaller now, and the service is lacking. Probably burn out and growing pains, the place is always packed. 45 min waits are the norm and the food is worth it. What is not worth it, is the service from the host, I think she is the owner or one of them. Saying she is rude is being kind.. Her tone is condecending and is short with everyone. I started this review 5 months ago but before I completed it, I wanted to make sure these things weren't just bad days and or an anomaly. Hire more people, go on vacation, but don't ruin your business. This is your wake up call. PS We've eaten at Buddha Ruska over 20 times; this isn't just a rant. read more