This is a fantastic spot for Thai that serves both well-known dishes and an exciting array of dishes that were new to me! The menu is laid out by geographic regions, which I thought was a really neat way to showcase the many different cuisines. We started with summer rolls and calamari, both of which were excellent. The summer rolls were fresh and bright, with a delicious peanut sauce that was among the best my sister (a self-described "Peanut Sauce Snob") and I had ever had. The large pieces of calamari were expertly cooked, still very tender even after frying. There was a hint of spice in the calamari dipping sauce that I quite enjoyed. For entrees, we got Pad Thai, Pad See You, and Panang Curry -- all favorites we've had many places (despite the many alluring new-to-me options, I admit we all defaulted to known quantities) -- and we were impressed across the board. Everything was flavorful, had just the right amount of spice, and came out steaming hot. We really enjoyed the cozy atmosphere of this restaurant, which felt lively and friendly. It was very busy, with a line out the door by the time we left, so reservations are a good idea! read more

See all

This is the best Thai I've had and I stop at Thai restaurants a lot. Pad Thai, Pad Kee Mao, Tom Yum soup and their Papaya Salad are all my favorite things to order. The spring rolls are really good too. I'd skip on the Thai Tea, but that's just coming from a tea snob. The wait is long but you can add yourself to the waitlist on Yelp. The restaurant is tiny and not many seats. The seats aren't comfortable and the tables are very close to eachother. The service is okay, sometimes its really good and other times its just alright. They do get busy and it can get overwhelming. I also pick it up to go when I don't feel like waiting for a table. But its frustrating sometimes because they dont always answer their phone. I always come back because, well, its the best Thai Food in town! read more

Went here for happy hour. The HH is every day from 3pm-6pm every day. The food selection is pretty good. We ordered the Pad Thai which was very tasty and authentic. The Hat Yai Fried Chicken was really good especially with the sweet chili sauce. The cucumber slices and spring mix was a good garnish. Unfortunately we didn't really like the Crispy Mala Chicken. The spicy taste left out palattes tasting different. Needed lots of water to get the taste out. Audrey our waitress was very friendly and gave us great options of food for when we come back. We really enjoyed her service. We had the pleasure of sitting in the patio on a nice weekday. The inside decor had a nice modern ambiance. Definitely will be coming back to try Audrey's suggestions. read more

See all

The first time we came here, we didn't know you could set up a reservation via I! Definitely a game changer! Lol we waited about 30 minutes to eat, but it was packed and everyone's food smelled delicious so we figured it was worth the wait! I love being a foodie, but I have food at allergies too monosodium glutamate/MSG. It's lovely because that's my own cultures food since I'm part Japanese! Lol. I was surprised to see that they actually added MSG to a lot of the sauces here. There was no way to not have the sauce prepared without MSG because the sauces were made ahead of time. So that made me a little sad. Yet the dishes we ordered did not have any added MSG so we got * spicy calamari *Summer roll *Tom Yum soup *Pad Thai with chicken and shrimp Fried Tom, Yum rice All the dishes were delicious and had a really good spice! So spicy I actually had to order a glass of white wine with The southern pad Thai version with a smoked spice. It was too much for me, but my boyfriend could handle it. Lol. Once I ordered the white wine, I didn't realize it would take so long. It was Duckhorn Sauvignon Blanc, so a great bottle, but I should've just ordered a Thai beer since that was on tap. The server came back and apologized and said she was having trouble getting the cork off. Lol. I love the murals and the environment here it really reminds me of pictures that I've seen of Thailand! My friends have traveled there, and I love their food and the fact that it's Asian without MSG. There's a beautiful mural along the backside of the wall and a really cute mirror in the bathroom as well. I would love to come back here and eat more dishes!! But next time I will definitely order a Thai beer!! Hee. read more

See all

The food always flavorful, although it's also too salty for my liking. But they have some great dishes that not every Thai place has, and the staff is super nice. Some portions are teeny tiny, some are okay. Their Tom Kha soup and Penang curry are sooo good! And try the tom yum fried rice. All the salads are delish, too. Definitely salty, but good. Spicy is like a medium at an authentic Thai place, so if you like heat, you can totally choose the Spicy level. For an Asian place, they have decent wine. Put your name down on Yelp waitlist ahead of time, especially if you're dining around 6 or 7. It can get busy! read more

See all

MUST BE THAI is a fantastic spot for authentic Thai street food. The menu has a great variety of interesting dishes, the service was fast and friendly, and the location is convenient with plenty of free parking. It was the perfect place to relax and recharge after a long flight. I only got to visit during a short vacation in California, but I wish I lived nearby so I could come back often. If I'm ever in California again, MUST BE THAI will definitely be on my must-visit list! read more

See all

My family and I loved Must Be Thai so much we came right back for a 2nd visit within a matter of days. Unfortunately, this most recent visit left a bad taste in our mouths- literally & figuratively!! Our party of 3 came here during the lunch rush and lucked out with being seated pretty quickly. Menus were provided but weren't needed because we essentially ordered the same exact dishes we did from our first visit. I kid you not, we were legitimately hooked! Order: Prawn Pad Thai x2 Green Curry [medium spice] w/ Chicken Thai Iced Tea Anchan Lemonade (Butterfly Pea Flower) The young gentleman took our order and repeated everything back. My sister requested to have our drinks brought out in take out cups as opposed to the glasses & our server said he could make it happen. We wait and wait and wait and wait. Food took a bit of time to come out but because our visit was in the peak of lunch rush, we expected that. What we didn't anticipate was such a long wait for our drinks. We wait and wait some more before speaking to 3 separate staff members confirming that our drinks were put in. Each and every time, the staff confirms the drinks were ordered and we were told they would be coming soon. Fast forward: Our food comes out and still no drinks. Mind you there aren't any alcoholic beverages or anything that should take too long to concoct. Again, we ask our initial server about the drinks @ this point, the young man remembers and immediately gets to working on the drinks. Drinks finally come out [not in take out cups] and while the Thai tea tasted good, my lemonade was far from that. This young man seemed new and I was trying really hard to be patient. I told him the drink was not right and he immediately takes the cup back to add some lemon. The drink now comes back with a lighter hue on top and yet it still tasted like trash. The server offered to remake it and while I thanked him, I requested that he just remove the drink completely from our tab. It was 100% clear that he didn't know how to make the infamous lemonade. Things continued to go downhill when we had to repeatedly request for the chili assortment. It took one too many pleas for that to even happen. The lady at the neighboring table got the sudden urge/craving for Thai tea once she noticed our cup. She places an order with the Asian lady with long hair and the lady happens to bring the drink to our table. We politely explain that the drink was not ours and she immediately gets defensive telling us that we had just placed the order with her. Her tone and all of the many hiccups that had already been going on set my sister off who responded firmly. She immediately corrected her [noting the drink was ordered through the adjacent table, not us]. I'm so sad this 2nd visit was so disastrous. I never would have imagined a 5 star review would drop within a matter of days! For a restaurant who regularly deals with long lines of patrons, the establishment seemed to resemble a chicken with its head cut off. The only person so did their job to a T was the chef's in the kitchen. read more

See all

This place is delicious! Came here for a late Fathers Day lunch and everything was delicious. The wings were so good, we ended up ordering 2. We got the Tom Kha soup, Pad see Yew, a peanut chick dish and basil chicken. SOOOOO GOOD!!! We will be back read more

See all

This place popped up in my search on Yelp and its interior looked interesting so I resolved to try it A good decision. They have a variety of dishes from different parts of the nation. So I'd rather than have pad Thai I decided to have their southern version of pad Thai. Honestly, it did not seem much different from the usual version in terms of ingredients. Shrimp and scrambled egg. They told me it would be spicy, but it wasn't too spicy . In fact, those of you who read my reviews will know that I always ask if they have the "four condiments" as I like to call them. And they do! So I added a little helping of Thai chilies and fish sauce to my meal. Yum! I also got an order of tofu summer rolls to go. I'll be having those tomorrow! read more

See all

Solid Thai food tbh but everything was pretty salty I appreciate that they had papaya salad because I don't find it in many Thai places. I liked the flavor, but again very salty The pad see ew was solid but nothing super special. I liked the veggies that it came with. The panang curry was my favorite but I wish it was less salty so i could eat more Came at an off time (2:30pm) so there wasn't any wait :) read more

See all

While I do think quality has gone down a bit recently it is still enjoyable. Their thai menu offers dishes from all regions of Thailand. Most dishes I have had did not disappoint and the staff always makes sure to bring the dishes out quick for everything to be eaten together. Sad to see quality has gone down a bit. read more

Must be Thai - Thai Near Me - San Jose, California

Came back with my extended family this time around. My key takeaways this time- *Prices are high especially given that it's a small strip mall restaurant without much of an ambiance. *Portion sizes are tiny given the entrees are ~$25. *Shrimp was over cooked across the dishes we ordered especially in the soup and spring roll. *One of the dishes came with rice and the blob of hot rice came wrapped in plastic. I think it's a common practice in Thailand to use so much plastic for food but I think it's high time people start becoming cognizant to the ill effects of plastic and micro plastic leeching especially when used with hot food. read more

See all

One of my friends recommended this place for thai food and it was very funny considering I bumped into a different friend here. We ordered three dishes and it was more than enough for me. We got the pixel wings, tom kha, and the pad see you. The wings were pretty good and I don't love wings. I wish the tom kha was a bit tangier, it fell flat for me. And the pad see you was also pretty standard. I didn't completely understand the rave for this place. I thought it was good, but not great. Everything was super affordable though, which was a plus. read more

See all

One of my new favorite Thai spots in the South Bay. What sets it apart is the regional variety, east, central, south, you can actually explore beyond the standard menu most places stop at. I couldn't find a single miss. I'd push anyone who comes here to order outside their comfort zone and skip the usual pad thai, pad see ew, yellow curry rotation. That said I couldn't help myself and got the pad thai anyway. Cooked perfectly and had sooo much depth to it. Dishes are on the pricier side but the ambiance and service back it up. I'll def be back. read more

See all

Had the Thai iced tea, spicy pad kee mow and basil fried rice. Though the basil fried rice was not on the menu they accommodated our request. The food and service were exceptional. The drink was a little too sweet for me personally. As for the ambiance, it could have been better, the metal seat that I had was broken and rusted. read more

Must be Thai - Spicy Thai basil fried rice - Thai Near Me - San Jose, California

See all

Came here on a Wednesday around 6PM and it wasn't busy! We were able to get seated right away. I ordered the panaeng curry w crispy pork and white rice along with thai tea and my friend got the vegetable pad thai. The panaeng curry was flavorful and heavy. It looked small but made me full quite fast. I had to take leftovers. The pork itself was okay it was a bit overcooked :o The thai tea was alright i've had better and it was a bit warm. The vegetable pad thai was perfect. Noodles were chewy and very saucy. I would definitely come back to get this and add a bit more spice as well. read more

See all

This place is really popular, so maybe I need to come back and order other dishes. For our visit, it wasn't quite to my taste. They'll seat you once the entire party arrives. I think we only *just* beat the rush. We got the menus and it was our first time there. I think the menu organization is a bit confusing. You have to read every single item to try to find a dish you might want to eat because it's sorted by region instead of by protein type. I think it would have been more helpful to have a menu organized by protein or dish type (e.g., chicken or noodles), with symbols for regions or just noting the region in color coded text next to the dish. Honestly, other way around would have been fine too, flag the protein or dish type with text next to it so if you don't eat certain things, you can scan for these right away. The pixie wings appetizer was the best dish when I went, but sadly went downhill from there. The hang leh curry was too sweet and the meat was tough. The panang curry was okay. Ambiance was cozy but a pesky gnat kept hovering around our food. The menu looked so promising with all the regional choices that lent it an air authenticity. I do feel I hold Asian restaurants in a more Asian area to a slightly higher bar. But tough meat is tough meat. I wouldn't mind coming back only because they have such a huge menu that I'm hoping something else tastes as good and our orders were just misses. read more

See all

This is a place which looks great and might be, but not impressive for my vegetarian folks. 4- 5 vegetarian options only. Green curry tasted good but unusually thick; pad kee mao was good. No one asked about our preference for spice levels. I was surprised the summer rolls were not made with basil leaves. So we skipped that. Service was not upto the mark! No serving spoons provided. No preferences asked. So i will not return unless they improve service and more vegetarian options. Again, might be great for non-veg options. read more

Must be Thai - Thai Near Me - San Jose, California

See all

YUM! Must Be Thai was great and lived up to the ratings and reviews. I must have been feeling adventurous as I took both my picky child/teen and my picky Asian parents at the same time. Well the risk paid off as all my picky family members enjoyed EVERY dish. Admittedly I am pretty shocked. We ordered: Crispy Fried Calamari: deep fried, chunky tender pieces of calamari that was perfectly portioned for our smaller group Tom Yum Fried Rice: fragrantly fried with a good lemongrass flavor Hat Yai Fried Chicken: light crisp outside and oh so tender and not dry on the inside. Southern Pad Thai: ok Must Be Thai. You get us. This is the first place to live up to my family's level of spice. There is a reason it is marked "SS" on the menu representing "Seriously Spicy". Kiddo and I loved it. NSFCP (Not Safe for Canto Parents) however lol. Overall, we really loved the variety of the regional Thai dishes, flavors, and textures. Can't wait to go back. Hoag Me: read more

See all

Must Be Thai was excellent--one of my new favorite Thai spots in the greater South Bay! We went for an early lunch on a Saturday and I was surprised how packed it was, but I think that's speaks for how great this spot is. We ordered the pad see you with chicken, pad prik moo krob (pork belly), and the tom yum fried rice with shrimp and calamari. First, these were pretty big portions; three main dishes was great to share because we didn't eat breakfast and were starving, but it's certainly not necessary. Second, I thought the proportions of protein in the dish were sufficient (sometimes I feel like places skimp on the added chicken, for example). And third, everything was so flavorful! I particularly loved the fried rice, but even my boyfriend, who doesn't love pork belly, really enjoyed the pad prik moo krob. There was a good balance of spice in each dish too--you could feel the heat but not too much. As far as ambiance, the restaurant was small and quite busy when we went, but not uncomfortable. It's definitely more casual for a lunch or weeknight dinner than a date night, in my opinion. The food was out quick and the service was attentive, but they also didn't need to do a whole lot other than take our order once and bring out the food. Lastly, I like the variety of regions represented on the menu. Definitely want to come back to try other plates! read more

Must be Thai - Pad See You - Thai Near Me - San Jose, California

See all

I'm surprised there is no review from me for Must Be Thai! I have been bringing the family here for at least 2 years. I'm like totally flabbergasted, rn! Frfr! Nevertheless, let's get into it. First and ultimately, I love a business that makes iT their business to cater to the community they're in! We normally visit for Happy Hour and enjoy their pixel wings and shrimp spring rolls, both a great value. Our go to that is not part of Happy Hour is the Tom Yum soup, always fresh, always delicious, and also a very good price. The service is always fast and efficient. I love the interior decor. It's a bit tight, but very intimate. read more

See all

4.5 One of my new fav Thai restaurants now!! The Penang curry was excellent!! The sauce was creamy and thick with super thin chicken breast slices in it. Definitely a must have if you like Thai curry. The beef Pad kee meo was excellent also. Noodles were cooked perfectly and beef was super thin sliced as well. The Tom yum soup was meh for me. Only because it was really tomato flavored. Every Thai place makes it differently and they chose to go heavy on the tomato flavor. It was good, but not what i want in a Tom yum soup. The saving grace was that it was extremely reasonably priced. It was eight dollars and enough for 4 people to have a bowl each with some left over. I also got the Phad fuqthong. This was excellent. The ingredients were fresh and the dish was perfectly seasoned. Overall, the service was good and the environment was lively. Will definitely go back. read more

See all

Great food! Cute little place in a strip mall. Service is good. Food never disappoints! read more

See all

While we enjoy the food here, the waitlist especially the yelp estimate is totally off. We put our name on the waitlist before we got to the restaurant- wait time was 16-30 minutes. We were given a time when we would be seated. 45 minutes later we are still waiting to be seated and the restaurant is closing in 30 minutes! I had checked in with the staff and they assured me that we would be seated and served. This is the second time we've been here where the estimated wait time was way off!! Finally got seated and we ordered our food. Felt rushed to finish as the restaurant was closing. My husband has had it with the wait times and swears that this is the last time we dine here. The food is good but the wait time and service makes it unbearable unfortunately. Will only be ordering to go going forward. read more

Food 10/10 Very clean Quick polite service Food was incredibly fast and we cleaned them up even faster read more

Must be Thai - Mango sticky rice - Thai Near Me - San Jose, California

Flavor town with reasonable prices so it's a 5/5 from me :) I came for lunch on a Friday and there was a little wait. I heard from friends this place can get quite busy on the weekend. Taste: The pad thai was tangy and chewy. The tom yum was delicious and sour. Parking: They have plaza parking Service: You go up to the front to check in. Despite being busy, they were quick. read more

Must be Thai - tom yum soup with vegetables - Thai Near Me - San Jose, California

See all

I came here for lunch around 12:30pm and was seated right away. They have indoor and outdoor seating. The servers were very friendly and checked on us regularly. The food was very delicious and came out within 20 minutes ! We ordered Tom Yum soup, chicken pad Thai, and fried calamari. The pad Thai was so good we ordered one to go! I highly recommend eating here!! The restaurant is very clean and inviting. read more

See all

This place is delicious, i really get the kick of the name. Must be Thai, i guess so! We were on the way home from Santa Cruz and found this spot on yelp. The food is amazing, the Tom Yum Fried rice is a must, very delicious and flavorful. The Pad Thai, with pork bbq was another level compared to the regular shrimp, it was amazing, the waiter recommended it. The fried chicken reminded me of some of the flavor back home in Indonesia, so good. I didn't take a picture of the Tom Yum Soup, that was gone so quickly. Service was quick, checked on us a few times and the ambiance is relaxing. We will come back again. read more

See all

To go order: vegetarian pad Thai, beef pad see ew, Panang curry chicken, white sticky rice. Entrees were very good. I ordered spicy and I like and can tolerate a bit of heat. I did find it on the higher side of spicy for my tolerance, but still tasted pretty good. Would likely order a level down next time. The one thing that was a bit disappointing was that the rice was kind of solid in the center. It was also strange that it came inside a plastic bag and then placed in the bowl. When I took the rice out of the bag it stayed in one solid piece. I couldn't even cut it with my fork. I get that it is sticky rice, but it kind of became like a paste. Overall, I would recommend this restaurant but don't order rice in to go orders. read more

Must be Thai - White sticky rice - Thai Near Me - San Jose, California

We came on a Thurs evening, got pad kee Mao & green curry. Great food (tho pad kee Mao was a touch too oily), attentive service, modern & pleasant dining room. However... - $4 for a small bowl of white rice is robbery. - kitchen's slow. Food took forever to get out. Even tho the food was good, not sure I'd be back. Waiting that long (didn't time it, but I'd guess about 45 min) about killed me after work. read more

Must be Thai - Pad Kee Mao - Thai Near Me - San Jose, California

See all

Food: we've tried this place multiple times before and after they update the menu. Their tom yum fried rice amazed us for sure; definitely our favorite of all. Service: they get very busy so it's always better to get on the waitlist earlier. Their price is definitely more up there compared to other Thai restaurants in Bay Area. Ambiance: vibey and cozy. Small party are more suitable. read more

See all

Came here for a late lunch on a weekday and we were seated immediately. The server was very kind and attentive. We ordered the pad thai ($24) and panang curry ($19). The food was absolutely delicious! My friend thinks it was the best pad thai ever. I'm not completely sold since I think it is a bit pricy, but will be back to try again read more

Must be Thai - Thai Near Me - San Jose, California

A favorite for both lunch and dinner. Anticipated a wait during dinner but the waitlist moves quickly. It's a casual restaurant and expect surrounding chatter, but the standout food makes it a regular date spot for us. We particularly enjoyed the rockfish for a stunning presentation and the fact that it's already been filleted. (I admit I'm not a huge fan of picking out fish bones.) The curry and pad kee mao are also my usual favorites, but I switched it up with the phad fuqthong and was pleasantly surprised! Recommend if you're a fan of kabocha squash. read more

See all

I especially liked the seafood based items here, but overall I think for Thai food, I have other favorites. Their noodles and curries don't quite stand out to me in flavor. Restaurant is small so anticipate a wait if coming for peak lunch or dinner. TIP: Get on the Yelp waitlist! ETA is variable but better to have a spot than not. I waited maybe 20 additional minutes while idling at 1st in line. RECS: + Tom yum fried rice ($24.25) is exactly as you'd expect, with an addictive tom yum flavor + Crispy fried calamari ($14.10) was DELICIOUS. The batter was perfectly crisp and well seasoned, and the squid was so plump. I loved the dipping sauce which reminded me a lot of nuoc cham! PASS: + Hat yai fried chicken ($18.95) had good pieces of chicken but I should've gotten an appetizer for fried chicken wings instead. The sticky rice that came with this was incredibly dry + Green curry ($18.95) could be better for the price, it's pretty washed out by the coconut milk read more

Must be Thai - Pad See Ew ($18.95), Crispy Fried Calamari ($14.10), Hat Yai Fried Chicken ($18.95) - Thai Near Me - San Jose, California

More like a 3.5! Went at 6pm on a Sunday and there was a wait. A popular spot near the mall. There weren't that many toppings on the tom yum noodle soup. The noodles were over cooked. The pad see you was good though. Decent flavor and good texture. The papaya salad was refreshing. Good app read more

See all

This may be a late review, but better late than never. In 2024, I visited a friend (whom I haven't seen in years) who was visiting her father in Saratoga. We were looking for a Thai place nearby and ended up going here. The restaurant is fair-sized, clean, unpretentious, modern and welcoming. Service was fast and friendly since we were the only customers at that time. Food was okay, I was expecting it to be sensational because of the price. We ordered the following (though I forgot the name of the last one that's in the picture, it looks like a larb salad): Tom Yum: 3/5 It was a bit on the sweet side. I prefer my Tom Yums savory. Pad Thai: 3/5 Pad Thai was okay. Larb Salad (if it was called that): 5/5 I loved this salad. Mango with blue sticky rice dessert (sorry, I forgot the name): 5/5 My friend's father loved it. read more

See all

Best thai I've had in South Bay! My friends and I ordered the Chicken Pad thai, Panang Chicken Curry, Beef Pad See Ew, and Tom yum fried rice. So much flavor in all the dishes! My favorite was the tom yum fried rice with huge chunks of seafood. Honestly everything was a hit here! No notes aside from the fact that the portions seem small for what you're paying. I mean, $4 for a small bowl of rice on the side bumped my panang chicken curry meal to roughly $23. No leftovers either! Service was pretty quick and they were nice. The place itself was packed on a wednesday around 7PM. Decent amount of seats with wooden benches as seating (be careful we almost tipped the entire bench over). Overall, definitely my favorite Thai restaurant in the South Bay so far! read more

Must be Thai - Panang Chicken Curry ($18.95) + Jasmine Rice ($4) - Thai Near Me - San Jose, California

I was in business complex and decided to try this restaurant. It was a lunch hour and the restaurant was quite busy a sign of good place to try. The menu was extensive categorize regional favorite's from street food, northern, southern and coastal areas of Thailand. I decided to go with the Bamee Moodang Hang, a classic street food. For the drink, I went with Purple lemonade (butterfly pea) since they ran out of Ginger Honey Hot Tea. Food came fresh from the kitchen and took a bit time. It was savory and delicious but a bit too salty to my liking. It could use a less Sauce. The reason I gave 3 is because I was so disappointed that they ran out or don't have the Ginger Honey Hot tea an easy one to make, unless the kitchen ran out of ginger or honey. Will try other offering they next time. Overall not bad place to try Thai Food. read more

Must be Thai - Bamee Moodaeng Hang - Thai Near Me - San Jose, California

Came for lunch and got the pad kee mao. It was decidedly medium. The tofu was very chewy, but not pleasantly chewy, more like "fried 2 days ago" chewy. Half of the tomatoes were sliced and half were whole cherry which was an interesting and inconsistent choice. The rest of the veggies and noodles were fine. The concept is cute with the menu parsed out by region, but it's not quite must be, more like may be Thai. read more

The food is yummy. Not your traditional Thai fair of stir fry and dishes with rice. Lots of interesting combinations. Put yourself on the waitlist - it took us with the list 45 mins but we got a table outside. There was a huge line of people outside Friday at 7. Will come back. read more