We ordered a late dinner last night, around 8 pm. Our food arrived quickly and was hot and steamy. We ordered the appetizer eggrolls, crab pad Thai and pineapple chicken curry. We ordered through Uber eats and the menu showed 5 eggrols, 7 arrived in our order, (THANK YOU HUG THAI'!) the egg rolls were delicious. My partner order the crab pad Thai. This dish is really good, the crab is shredded and we think, cooked with egg, it's absolutely delicious! I ordered the pineapple curry which is delectable!!! The curry has big chucks of eggplant that were the highlight of the dish:) everything was very flavorful, inexpensive, and showed up hot and ready to eat. Highly recommend Hug Thai! read more

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This place was highly recommended on Yelp so I had to check it out for myself! I was surprised with the space as I didn't expect it to me so small but i absolutely loved the vibe and ambiance. The customer service was excellent and when we chose to eat there the plate presentation was top notch!! The food was so so good and I definitely understand the hype behind this place, will be adding it to my favorites for sure!! read more

Hug Thai Express - Chicken Pad Thai - Thai Near Me - La Mesa, California

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Hug Thai Express is a solid option if you're looking for good Thai food in La Mesa. Both the Pad See Ew and Drunken Noodles have been good. The tofu are flavorful and even the bell pepper is pretty good, even though I generally don't care for them. It's not too salty or oily which is always a plus in my book. Both noodles are similar (same noodle), but the drunken noodle seem to be a little less sweet in my opinion. The Thai tea is pretty good! Sweet but not overwhelmingly so like in some Thai places. Overall, it's a reliable spot for Thai comfort food. Nothing fancy, but the food is tasty and the service is good. read more

Hug Thai Express - Pad See Ew with chicken, Drunken noodle with tofu, Thai Iced Tea - Thai Near Me - La Mesa, California

This place is a hidden gem in La Mesa. I've ordered from there several times on Uber Eats. The deep fried pork ribs are soooo good! I actually had lunch there yesterday and had Kala's chicken, which is deep fried chicken pieces in tamarind sauce and garlic. It was quick, fresh and a huge portion with a huge portion of rice and slices of fresh cut cucumber. It came with complementary spring rolls that I couldn't eat bc I wanted to finish the chicken, which I couldn't. The restaurant is small with 4-5, 2 seat tables inside and 1-2 tables outside. Give it a try! read more

they have decent noodles, sauce, and okay meat. level 2 spicier than average. id get level one.

Pad Thai PAD SEE EW with beef Quick service Friendly staff Basil fried rice with chicken Level 7 spice Love this place :) such a gem! read more

Hug Thai Express - Thai Near Me - La Mesa, California

I have never had thai food with crinkle french fry type potatoes and carrots in it. The eggrolls were stingy on the shrimp, as well.

This time I got to try their cashew nut tofu curry and it was so tasty! There were tons of veggies and the tofu was nicely seated and flavorful. I also got a refreshing Thai tea since it was a warm day. The service is always friendly and I enjoyed sitting outdoors since the sun was out. I will be sure to come back again soon. read more

Hug Thai Express - Drunken noodles with beef - Thai Near Me - La Mesa, California

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I eat here about every two weeks, they are a resturant i will never be tired of. I plan to try every dish at least once. Service is efficient and friendly. The place is well managed, clean, and cozy. The are a must try in La Mesa. read more

Every time I call in an order at Hug Thai, including tonight, it's the same woman answering the phone and she is genuinely one of the kindest people. The food is always amazing, but honestly her attitude and warmth are a huge reason I keep coming back. You can tell she truly cares about customers and it makes such a difference. Great food and great people. Highly recommend! read more

I've tried this place twice on DoorDash and this is my first time coming in. They never disappoint !! The food is always fresh and amazing. The decor inside is soo cute!! Every time I have ordered from them the quality is always on point. I've also tried the Thai ice tea and mango ice tea and both hit the spot. Fav Thai place in La Mesa, which thank goodness because my other two places went downhill sadly. Note: The parking lot is not very big but we got parking right out front. read more

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Hands down one of, if not the best Thai food I've had in the San Diego area . I had the crab pad thai the crab omelette. read more

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I've never been more glad to have discovered a place like Hug Thai Express!!! Me and my partner ordered off Doordash and the whole experience was just as great. They wrote the cutest words on the packaging, which already started off our meal on a good note! The prices were pretty reasonable, which I feel is very hard to find these days. I ordered the Hawaiian Fried Rice and it was absolutely worth the $18! It was the tastiest fried rice and they filled the container up to the brim; me and my partner were so shocked when we grabbed the container and noticed how hefty it was. I also ordered myself the Thai Tea. If you're somebody that prefers stronger tea flavors in your Thai Tea, this is definitely up your alley. I love my Thai tea to have some of that bitterness from the tea leaves and their Thai tea hit the spot! I'll definitely order from them again, and I'd love to come in-person! Definitely recommend read more

Walked in and was attended very politely and quickly The food was amazing I ordered the pad Thai chicken plate and was not disappointed that number 10 spice is no joke not to mention the lunch special they have going on very good deal. I'll def be coming back read more

Every dish we ordered was bursting with authentic Thai flavors. The Yellow Curry was rich, creamy, and had just the right amount of spice. You could tell the ingredients were fresh and high-quality. Honestly, this is some of the best Thai food I've had in a while. The combination of genuinely delicious dishes and attentive, friendly service makes Hug Thai a real gem. I highly recommend checking them out - you won't be disappointed! We'll definitely be back. read more

Best crab fried rice!! We always go back for it. It's our go to Thai food in La mesa. :)

While on vacation with the family, we came here to get our Thai fix. Our family is half Thai, so we come in knowing what the flavors should be like (and having unreasonable expectations as well, of course. The restaurant is a small operating in the previous location of a Mexican restaurant. There are only about four tables inside that can seat two people each, so this isn't a place I would come with a large group for a meal. But the flavors and quality are spot-on. Their specialty seems to be street noodle (Pad Thai, Pad See-Yu), which are all excellent. The shrimp Pad Thai had four shrimp in an order which is already two more than most places deign to include, and everything is amazingly fresh. There are other menu items as well-- for a small place, I was surprised to see Som Tom and Larb on the menus; since this was our first visit, we opted to try the chef's specialties instead, but we did venture into the appetizer menu and order perhaps the best garlic chicken wings I've ever eaten at a Thai restaurant. These are seriously good and well made-- crispy, but with a bit of sweetness and a perfect amount of garlic (there's more in the box if you need to ward off your neighborhood vampire...) The place is extremely clean and the staff are incredibly friendly-- so much so that they write the cutest inspirational and appreciative messages on each container of food for their customers. Go out of your way to try this place out and have a great meal with friends. A nice beer would give the experience six stars! read more

Hug Thai Express - Their containers have the best messages! - Thai Near Me - La Mesa, California

Great service, always greeted with a smile and the food is amazing and fresh but they gave close to no meat. Pretty expensive for mostly noodles and vegetables panang Was mostly vegetable with minimal chicken And pad Thai had little beef read more

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Got take out from here. The restaurant is very clean and the food smelled good. The taro with boba was okay. The ribs were pretty dry, it was as dry as the jerky. I'd pass on the jerky and ribs next time. Pad see ew was good and spicy. The spring rolls were good and taste super fresh. read more

Hug Thai Express - Thai Near Me - La Mesa, California

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The best Thai food in all of San Diego. Hands down. Amazing curries and pad Thai. Sauces are great and proteins are clean.

The ambiance of this place is so fun like a cafe, the food is great but my favorites are the pad Thai salad plain without spice, the mango sticky rice and the pad Thai. They are all so light and good. read more

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I've heard about this place and it gets really good reviews so I decided to call in for a pick up order of red curry. And well yes the reviews are spot on... The flavors were fantastic! It was loaded with veggies and was thick and creamy. I had curry from another place last week and I was disappointed because it was very thin and watery and did not have that many veggies. Don't change a thing! Hug Thai! I will definitely be back for more can't wait to try some of your other dishes. read more

After a long day at sesame place... my husband, two daughters, and myself were looking for a good place to eat to end our night with a happy and fully belly. We are not from around here... so I searched on yelp and found this gem! We ordered crab fried rice, panang curry, Kala's crispy chicken, and the garlic chicken wings. Everything was AMAZING!!!! So good we even ordered an additional order of garlic wings. The flavors were on point with every dish. The food was made to order and steaming hot coming to the table. When we are in the area we would definitely come here again!!! Delicious!! read more

Forgot to snap pics but picked up Hug Thai last week for the first time. I always see it when I'm swinging by the taco shop or on my way to froyo. I was very impressed with the level of service we received. The packages had cute messages written on the outside, the lady ringing me up was super friendly and so happy. We ordered crab Rangoon which were delicate deep fried wontons loaded with cream cheese, crab, and served with a sweet chili sauce. I ordered the yellow curry with tofu at a level 3. The curry was flavorful and I had enough leftover to munch on the next day. The potatoes could've been cut a bit smaller but no big deal. I don't handle heat very well, so I'd get a 2 next time. My husband had the pad Thai with chicken. It was saucy and delicious. The chicken, egg, and bean sprouts gave a nice texture to the noodles. I'll definitely be back, knowing it's a 10-minute drive from my house, so an easy night out to bring dinner back home. read more

I have been to Hug Thai twice now as it is near my office, quick, and very convenient for lunch. Thus far, I have tried the Pad Thai with tofu and the green curry with chicken, two of my go-to Thai dishes. The restaurant is small with about four, or so tables inside. There is a window to order and pick up food. As it is a very small restaurant, I see it as more of a take-away place, which is what I have done both times. However, if you do choose to dine inside it does have a crowded, but cute interior. Both times, my food was ready quickly, and it was packed between the time of my phone call and my arrival. The people are friendly and the food is fresh and delicious. I do wish they had some lunch specials. I looked, but did not see any on the menu. The helpings are large, and for lunch, it would be nice to have a smaller serving, but perhaps with a small spring roll and soup. Anyway, this is a great place to stop by to pick up a quick Thai lunch! read more

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I walked in at 1:30 PM. The place was empty. I ordered my food and the woman at the counter asked, "For here or to go?" I said "For here." Then she looked at the time and said she was going to pack it to go because they were "closing soon to prepare for dinner at 3 PM." It was 1:30. That's an hour and a half before "dinner." Makes no sense. Because she wouldn't let me sit, I had to eat in my car. The curry spilled everywhere -- all over my seat, my clothes, everything. Total mess. If you're going to ask if someone wants to dine in, then refuse to let them, what's the point? Completely unprofessional and lazy. If you don't want to serve customers, don't open a restaurant. Food wasn't good enough to justify this kind of treatment. Trash service. Not worth your time or money. read more

Grabbed a quick lunch at Hug Thai Express and although the shop is more so for takeout orders, there are tables that are inviting for dining in. I ordered my favorites at any Thai restaurant and got cream cheese rangoons, Tom Kha soup, and drunken noodles. The cup portion for the soup was plentiful and although the soup was more on the thin side, I still liked the flavor. It has red onion, tomato, mushrooms, cilantro, and we got chicken as the protein. The drunken noodles were great in flavor but a lot of our noodle pieces were more broken. I did enjoy our meal and can safely assume that locals come here for authentic Thai food takeout. They also have pretty neat weekend deals where they discount some of their appetizers! read more

Hug Thai Express - Thai Near Me - La Mesa, California

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Food is very good and the employees are extremely nice and very attentive. I came an eat here at 3 times per month.

Great little Thai restaurant near Lake Murray. Though it's an express place with lots of take out orders, there are some small tables to dine inside or on the patio. The Tom Kha was so good with the coconut milk and the perfect hint of sour. We also ordered the Pad Thai and enjoyed the texture and flavor of the noodles. My mom ordered the Thai crab omelette and was happy with her meal, as you can actually taste the flavor of the crab. Really fast service, with dine in and to go orders ready in under 10 minutes. Great, reasonable prices for the dishes. read more

Hug Thai Express - Pad Thai - Thai Near Me - La Mesa, California

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This place is disgusting. The food is all sitting in a cup of oil and it has no flavor. Huge mistake ordering from here

Best Thai food in San Diego. The pad Thai and pad see ew is delicious! Love that this is so close to my house an a great addition to the neighborhood read more

Absolutely love this restaurant. The food is excellent. There isn't a dish that we have tried that wasn't fantastic. Highly recommend. In addition many of the dishes can safely be made gluten free! read more

Hug Thai Express handles an impressive line of take-out orders. When I had dined in, there wasn't a slow moment, phone calls constantly ringing with requests. Perhaps I should have followed suit as opposed to settling for a mediocre in person experience. Parking lot was very small and shared with two other restaurants and a liquor store. After squeezing into a spot, we waited for an additional 15 minutes to place our order due to the lengthy line out the door. We got our food within 15 minutes while those who had just place take-out orders were given an estimated 30 minutes. Unfortunately the table was still dirty since the hostess used only a dry towel to wipe off the crumbs, leaving some residual orange markings. =FOOD= Utensils and water weren't given until we received our soup. *Tom Yum: selected chicken. Came out lukewarm. However, the flavors were a good balance between sweet and sour. Wished there was more vegetables and chicken for the large portion though. Even though I can't handle spice, I would have increased this to 4-5 to taste it. *Sweet Rice with Mango: rice was fantastic. Excellent gooey texture, smothered in coconut sauce. Mango was a bit unripe and sour but the rice really shined. *Hug Thai Combo Express: selected marinated beef. Sticky rice wasn't given until later--perhaps was still being heated up despite the food coming out. Papaya salad was average, sweet and crisp. The meat was incredibly chewy and salty. Maybe the garlic wings or pork jerky would have fared better but I wouldn't pick the beef option. Perhaps I won't challenge the express element next time and choose take-out instead for a better experience. While the dishes were average, the pricing was fair so I can see why people choose this as an affordable dinner. However, Hug Thai Express didn't blow me away except for being a convenient Thai option in La Mesa. read more

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Got takeout twice already and so far so good. Better than 2 other spots I tried in La Mesa. My husband picked it up so no comment about location itself. We've enjoyed the pad thai, pad see ew, papaya salad, panang curry, and tom kah soup. Soup was loaded with veggies and tofu which was great. Portions of entres are fine but a little smaller than some other Thai spots. They did mess up my last order by giving me chicken instead of beef in my pad see ew. read more

First, I just want to say they have outstanding service. Small place, but they make everything work. Just one person taking orders, answering phone calls, and making the drinks. Fast-paced environment and little wait time when I had dined in. While waiting I also noticed the decorations. I mean how can you not, they're everywhere. I really enjoyed how they decorated with the spiders and webs very photo worthy spot. When everything arrived, just wow. Didn't do much talking just because how good everything was. Pad Grapow could've had more rice, but maybe I should've mixed it, nonetheless delicious. Veggies also added great texture with a crunch. Pad See Ew was actually really good, not basic. I enjoyed how the sauce wasn't really overwhelming and was it pleasant to eat. Not too much oil, pretty much a good combination. I want to see how this place looks every holiday. read more

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The food is amazing! Another hidden of mines, Hug Thai, has received Yelp's The People Love Us Award. Devin and I always get the Crispy Basil Chicken ( Spicy level 10 ). The flavorful chicken is so crunchy you can actually hear yourself or the person next you, chewing all the crunch. Every single crispy chicken has a lovely crunch. The Crispy Basil Chicken comes with bell peppers, onions, and crispy Thai Basil. read more

Hug Thai Express - Thai Near Me - La Mesa, California

Great service and delicious food! We got the beef tom yum soup, egg rolls, and beef pad grapow (no veggies). Highly recommend! read more

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This place is pretty amazing! They have awesome customer service and they're so friendly when placing a phone order. My sister and I ordered food yesterday and we both got Panang curry. My sister got a spice level five while I went with a four and we were both very satisfied! The restaurant itself is very tiny and it's located next to a convenient store, but they had plenty of parking nearby. Would definitely come again! read more

Coming in with another review. This time on Hug Thai's Thai Tea and Pad Thai. I have to admit this is one of my favorite tasting Thai Tea's and I should have know the pad thai would be delicious. They don't make a sauce heavy noodle, but it's the flavor of the dish that makes it so good. My consistent go to: Drunken Noodles level 4 spice Also delicious: Pad Thai level 2 spice Favorite item: MANGO STICKY RICE :) read more

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The gteen curry is spectacular! Amazing flavor, diversity, fresh herbaceous vegetables. The service is so warm and welcoming, like you are in somebody's home. Definitely will be back :) read more