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    Kao Thai

    3.6 (352 reviews)
    ModerateThai
    Open 11:00 am - 3:30 pm, 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM

    Order Kao Thai Takeout or Delivery

    Kao Thai Photos

    KAO THAI ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Kao Thai

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    Not impressed. The rice is kind of soggy and I'm not use to carrots and peas in this fried rice. I don't think it was executed well. I ordered to go and it only took 15 minutes so the wait wasn't too bad.

    29. Pad Kaprow Dinner
    Abonie B.

    The food was super tasty and came out really quick! The service was great and attentive. Me and my mom always sit at the booth near the window and the big mirror. Love it here!

    Crab rolls.
    Kwame S.

    I stopped by Kao Thai for lunch, and I thought the food was pretty decent. I have to admit that I stopped by the restaurant because it was right across the street from the bus stop. It was not the best Thai food, but it wasn't the worst. For my lunch, I went with the Crispy Crab Roll and Drunken Noodles with beef. The portion sizes of the dishes were great, and I thought the pricing was in line with other restaurants in the area. My food arrived to the table very hot, which is an A+ in my book. Overall, I thought my dishes were tasty; however, the beef (IMO) was a bit tougher than what I have experienced in other Thai restaurants. While my service was pretty efficient, I found my waitress/server to be a bit cold (bordering on rude). Who knows, maybe it's just her personality. First, I felt like I was being rushed to order. Ok, I could (somewhat) understand this IF the restaurant was busy/crowded, but there were only two other customers in the restaurant. *Perhaps, the restaurant was overwhelmed with a lot of take out/delivery orders.* Second, the restaurant uses handheld payment terminals, which is not a problem. However, the waitress seemed hesitant in letting me hold the device to ensure that I was being charged the correct amount. Since the food was not terrible, I'm more than willing to give Kao another shot. Perhaps, the waitress was having a bad day.

    Ginger Duck
    Kenneth K.

    I have picked up from Sweeteria next door that my wife and I loved which some of the Kao Thai staff started, so we have been intending to try this place. I am so glad that my wife and I finally came here a couple of weeks ago before a comedy performance across the street at the Black Box Theater. To eat we started off with the Roti Kanai with Yellow Curry Chicken. We then had Mango Curry Beef and Ginger Duck for our main course. We then we're still hungry despite the big portions so we ordered Drunken Noodles with Beef. The drink selection was good but they were out of some stuff such as Singha so we had a Plumtini, Kirin Ichiban, and Sapporo. We were still hungry for dessert so we ordered the Fried Banana with Ice Cream. The atmosphere and service were great as well. It is one the couple top Thai restaurants in a neighborhood of several of them including Amina a couple doors down, Thai at Silver Spring a block east upstairs in the mall as well as Charm, Lamoon, and Kook Kai's Thai Noodles (which changed their name a couple times) closer to our apartment south of the mall. We look forward to returning and trying out new dishes as well as our favorites we ordered.

    Crab spring rolls
    Kristen H.

    This is one of my new favorite Thai places in Silver Spring. I have a sensitive gut and onion and garlic can be a problem for me. So it was great to see that this restaurant has options to make many of their dishes in the jae style (which avoids these vegetables). Not to mention that their Panang curry was out of this world! So glad to find a place that I can eat at without worry that is also delicious. I want to go back a few more times before I commit to giving this place five stars, but I might be able to get there!

    Crispy Crab Rolls
    Zack B.

    Honestly, really wanna do this review to hopefully bring the average back up. It's a shame the couple of bad reviews brought this place down (regardless if it was from take-out or dine in orders) because that's gonna make people hesitant. Here's the thing, those reviews are valid. That said, if you want good, flavorful Thai food--be it before a show at the Fillmore or honestly if you're in the area--check out Kao. Alright, so food wise we ordered the Curry Puffs chicken, Crispy Crab Rolls, Dragon Noodles (with chicken) and Panang Curry (Jae style). First off, my partner has some sensitivities to garlic and onion, so the Jae style, which was completely new to us, was great to see and really didn't take anything away from her Panang Curry. Getting the currys Jae style does mean you'll get tofu though, as a heads up. We loved her curry, both agreeing the base was some of the best we've had and was so flavorful. The Dragon Noodles, an in house riff on Drunken Noodles, were super good too and not too spicy. They say on the menu they serve all their dishes medium spicy. I'm a bit of a baby with spice and the level they serve it at was perfect for me and consistent throughout. But if you're sensitive to that, there is a "mild" and a "no spice" option. You can also order things spicier, so i'm not sure why people had issues with the spice level. The curry puffs were also great and we enjoyed the Crispy Crab Rolls effectively being spring rolls. Everything was flavorful and delicious. Very good portion sizes too. We ended our meal with the lovely and indulgent Roti Sai Kai. Highly recommend it. Service was prompt, kind and nice. Vibes were warm and nice. My only real nitpick is that we were put at a table between a group of 5 and a group of 4 so that made things a bit loud during our dinner. As we left, i noticed the other two parties of two who'd come in after us were at the front of the same room or in the much quieter front room, which was mostly empty. Just a bit odd, that's all. I could still hear my partner well, but it seemed like the noise level by us made it hard for the male server we had to hear us. *shrugs* We'll be back for sure.

    Drunken noodles with chicken - extra spicy #takeout
    Donyiel C.

    *Updated Review* Still a solid thai choice in Silver Spring! Did dine in a few days ago before a concert at the Fillmore. Was my first time. I'm so used to take-out. Sitting down in the restaurant was a welcomed change! Got my usual drunken noodles with chicken extra spicy. Also did a glass of wine. Service was great!

    Thai Iced Tea-- so yummy!
    Maria L.

    This spot may not look super extravagant, but don't let that fool you. Flavors are still delicious. My friend and I enjoyed the chicken satay with some sauce on it beside the peanut sauce on the side and these cute lil mini crab egg rolls in a basket! I loved my steamed tofu and veggie panang curry dish. This has a lighter taste not heavy. Sauce is wonderful. If I weren't going on a bunch of other errands, I would have kept the sauce to use at home! Also, the Thai iced tea is delightful. :) This is a great spot that is right next to the Fillmore so you can enjoy your show right after you eat well!! It's also a quick walk from the metro!

    Victoria N.

    Stumbled upon this place after a movie screening preview was overbooked! I am honestly glad that I was able to find this restaurant. I had ordered mango curry, and it was one of the best curries I have ever had! I was stunned to see that combination of something that I'd think would be more of a savory dish mixed with a fruit. This combination is something that I'd definitely love to learn how to cook myself. When I took my first bite, there was a burst of mango flavor that quickly went away and just became a regular sweeter curry. That burst of mango flavor was my highlight of the meal. There were bell peppers, chicken, coconut milk, and a bowl of rice (on the side) as part of the dish. It was flavorful. Not spicy but was satisfying. It wasn't the most aesthetically pleasing food visually since it was all a mainly yellow-brown-orange color; however, the taste is 5/5. My +1 had their Pad Kaprow -- spiciest level. It wasn't that spicy and the flavors were a little lacking. It needed more salt or something that could provide that boost in flavor. The vegetables in the dish were crunchy but very bland. Probably would not order this again. Overall, I highly recommend ordering the mango curry.

    Gang Pa Curry
    Anon B.

    Super sweet local owner. Food is the best in town I've ever had here. Nice 'n clean restaurant. We'll be back for sure

    Seafood fried rice
    Peedee B.

    Seafood pad Thai fried rice tastes delicious!! You must try this out! The spring rolls are also delicious!

    Outside
    Russell J.

    We stopped in on a Saturday evening before a show at the Fillmore next door. Was greeted and seated promptly. Ordered the Drunken Noodles and Spicy Tilapia. All were great!

    The INCREDIBLE wonton soup!
    Sara W.

    Recently grabbed takeout from Kao Thai - which I hadn't been to since before the pandemic. They still got it! My favorite item I ordered was the won ton soup - which they put their own spin on and make it something you've never tasted before - but need to. It's perfectly spicy. (and I typically hate spicy). The cabbage in it is perfect, and it had visible chunks of garlic. Best soup I can remember eating....seriously. I also loved the spring rolls and pad sew eaw. The sauce on the pad sew eau is better than any sauce I've had at a Thai restaurant. One star lost because there were two dishes I didn't care for. The yum woon sen, which is typically my fave at Thai restaurants was super gritty and unpleasant. The shrimp were also not deveined - which I can't handle. The poopy shrimp also made an appearance in the summer rolls I ordered - which were bland with too much carrot. Lastly, I ordered a canned soda - which they didn't include with my order. Other than these few missteps - a great meal. I'd go back just for the soup.

    36. Thai Spicy Bamboo Dinner 53. Dragon Noodles Dinner 5. Golden Spring Roll 7. Curry Puffs

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    3 years ago

    Drunken noodles were very mediocre. Much worse than other places in the area. Won't be ordering again.

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    6 years ago

    There's a bunch of Thai restaurants in Silver Spring, this is the place I always come back to! It never disappoints. Highly recommend!

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    Page 2 of 9

    Ask the Community - Kao Thai

    Is this place BYOB? Can you bring your own beer or bottle of wine?

    No. This is not byob

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    Amina Thai - Pad Thai

    Amina Thai

    4.0(271 reviews)
    0.0 mi
    $$

    It's been quite some time since I've been to Amina Thai and was in the mood so...here we are…read more We decided on Pad Thai (chicken), Drunken noodles (Shrimp), and samosas...wow. Delicious. You can adjust the heat (we chose medium) and the portions are generous. Keep in mind that Thai food can be extremely spicy, so choose wisely :D I can't get over how exceptional everything tasted. I remember it being good but not like this. The chicken tasted CLEAN (this requires a full-blown conversation to explain) and had the perfect bite. If you're ordering takeout then make sure to mix the noodles before eating. The samosas were PERFECT. Is it pricier than other places? Yes. Does the taste match the price? Also yes. Keep in mind that sometimes it's because of the ingredient quality and where it comes from. Some are simply more expensive than others. My attitude towards Thai food is a bit of a love/hate situation, but Amina just might put me back on the love wagon. Some places have this overwhelming fishy taste in everything, which I truly hate. From the depths of my soul. Oh yes, and it's also Halal. Bonus :D Order some takeout or dine in, whatever tickles your fancy, and enjoy!

    Its great! I love the food!!! We ordered for my family and they gave us free thai tea. The…read moreatmosphere is great. Me and my family used to always go so it gave me nostalgia! Service is amazing they all of the staff are super amazing and kind. As a muslim theres even a place to pray! Would lovee to go again

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    Kao Thai - thai - Updated May 2026

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