I booked a trip to Roswell, Georgia on a last-minute whim to see a show at Ameris Bank…read moreAmphitheatre, so color me surprised that 45 minutes outside Atlanta sits some of the area's tastiest Thai food. I'm a big foodie and was thrilled to find a well-reviewed spot doing authentic but slightly upscale Thai. I came in solo around 6 pm on a Saturday and got a table with no wait, which was a win. There is a small free parking lot behind the building.
I had an outdoor concert ahead of me on a record-breaking heat day, so I was trying not to overeat before standing and dancing for a few hours. The menu isn't your average Thai restaurant. It's seasonally focused and a little fusion-y without ever tasting Americanized. (I'm still kicking myself for not having room for the chive fries, which looked insanely good.) There are a lot of great seafood options, and it was honestly hard to narrow down what to get. My waiter was great at walking me through the menu and pointing out his favorites. I started with the Not a Big Dill cocktail on his recommendation, then settled on one large entree: the crab fried rice, which comes with prik nam pla, plus got an extra side of chili-lime sauce, also at the waiter's suggestion.
This place clearly prides itself on craft cocktails, but the Not a Big Dill was just not for me. I love dill and was expecting something savory, but instead felt like I was drinking straight sugar syrup. I'm already pretty averse to sweet drinks and had told the waiter before I ordered that I was trying to avoid anything too sweet. I sent the cocktail back to have them tone it down, and it still came back far too sweet. I was too polite to send it back a second time, so I just drank it (probably my fault).
Luckily, the rest of the night proved that this cocktail was just a blip.
The crab fried rice is an ABSOLUTE banger, packed with flavor and fresh lump crab. The chili-lime sauce brought the dish to life with herbaceousness, tang, and heat. The prik nam pla was good but milder than I usually like (a bit shocking as I don't usually go for very spicy things, but the chili-lime sauce was drinkably delicious.) The overall portion was too big for one sitting, so I boxed up the rest, and it made an amazing breakfast the next morning. I didn't have room for dessert, but I did get their espresso martini, made with pandan-infused gin, Thai coffee, and coconut foam. It completely redeemed the bar after that first drink. I make no apologies that I licked the cup clean of the coconut foam, lol. It was that tasty.
Tipsy Thaiger was better than most restaurants I've been to in Atlanta lately. The service was kind, the atmosphere was cozy and small-town, and it was just a really nice evening out. There was one bad drink, but the overall experience negated the one fumble, so I'm willing to overlook it. I'd easily come back to Roswell just to eat here again.