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    Rai Lay Thai

    4.2 (508 reviews)
    ModerateSushi Bars, Thai, Soup
    Closed 12:00 pm - 9:30 PM

    Order Rai Lay Thai Takeout or Delivery

    Rai Lay Thai Photos

    Business Info

    RAI LAY THAI ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Reviews With Photos

    Kao Soy
    Laura B.

    I really love this Thai restaurant!! I used to go frequently for lunch when I worked in the area. Now it's more of a treat. I think the prices are a bit high for Thai food (and don't think they have a lunch special so it's pricey for a lunch), but the quality is amazing and it's one of the few Thai places where I've found khao Soi. I pretty much always get that since it's my favorite dish on the menu, and it's a huge portion, I usually have enough for a second meal later. The Thai iced tea is great too. The service is always quick and friendly.

    Pad See Ew
    Sofia H.

    This is a little hidden place next to Avena Hair School and I must say I ended up here by accident. I needed to have lunch and I miscalculated how far another restaurant was so I ended up returning to the car and finding this. I had been craving PadSee Ew for a while not because I've had it before but due to a video. So I may not be the best judge for this, but as well made as it was I founded to be too sweet. the price was good for the location. Parking is limited close by but there is plenty of public parking around. It's a bit dark to good for a casual simple dinner date. The decor insinuates that there might have music at night... not sure tho. I must say however, the service was friendly, they worked well as a team, and fast. The smell of the curries was amazing and I will return to try it. My guess this is their best seller. Not bad for a random lunch.

    Pad Thai
    Lesley P.

    I have been craving Thai food forever so I stopped in for lunch. Both the girls serving were very sweet and very attentive. My servers name was Cameron I think and she was very good. My dish came out initially way too spicy for me and Cameron said that she would get me a new one made, and she was very professional and accommodating. I would 100% recommend.

    Wilted, broccoli, and a bowl of coconut milk
    A J.

    Just ordered from your store near Pineville. Rai lay Thai express. The TOMKHA soup was like white coconut water, none of the flavor, profiles, overly sweet and missing the spices and other things expected. Ordered the broccoli with shrimp, and the broccoli was wilted and old and drowning in sauce, I will never order from there again, since they are owned by your store on South Boulevard, which I think is consistently good I thought you needed to know about this, as I am basically going to not be able to eat the food I paid for, beyond disappointed.

    Love roll
    Ike N.

    I came here for dinner because it was close to an event I was attending and it was a great choice. We were able to be sat immediately. The team of waiters were very attentive and checked in pretty frequently to make sure we had everything we needed. The restaurant was pretty big and had a great "outdoor" seating area that was well covered. The food was great! I have to admit I only got the love roll because of the shape but it actually tasted pretty good as well. The highlight of my meal was the Moo Ping though. It as very well seasoned and the teriyaki sauce was great. The only complaint was that the sticky rice seemed a little undercooked. It was dry on some parts and difficult to break apart.

    Massaman curry (chicken), white rice, and a side of peanut sauce. Back: beef and chicken Lo Mein Noodles and a Side of Fried Rice.
    Maddie R.

    I've been here a few times before and have enjoyed it. We walked in for dinner on Friday and we were able to be seated right away. Our server was super friendly and helpful when we placed our orders. We started with the steamed gyoza and Philly steak rolls as our appetizers. Both appetizers were delish. The gyozas came with a nice dipping sauce. For our entrees I split the chicken massaman curry with steamed white rice with my sister. We also ordered the side of steamed vegetables which were actually really good. My boyfriend ordered the lo mein noodles with beef and chicken with a side of fried rice. The peanut sauce on the side was so good too! All of our choices were delish and we will definitely be back soon!

    disappointing Pad See Ew. There's no sauce and spring rolls taste frozen not freshly made.
    Alyssa T.

    This was the most disappointing Pad See Ew. You could taste a slight hint of the sauce they tossed it in, but there was barely any sauce at all the noodles weren't coated, and there was none left in the bowl. The spring rolls were also disappointing; they tasted frozen, not freshly made.‍

    Treba D.

    This was an intimate dining experience located in the Southend. We took advantage of the Thursday $7 cocktail special. I will say I wasn't a fan of the bang bang shrimp. It was a little soggy. However, everything else was delicious. The shrimp curry specifically was very flavorful. Now I know what to order for next time!

    Thanh V.

    A friend and I came on a Sunday night with no reservation and was seated immediately. We ordered the green curry and panang curry. The food came out quick, fresh and delicious! The curry was less thick than I'm used to, but it was still delicious and had all the elements of panang curry that I'm used to. Inside is a little narrow but it is decorated nicely. It will always be a favorite for friends and family to go to!

    Nicole L.

    My favorite Thai food in Charlotte. Love the Pad Thai and spring rolls, super fast service, all the servers are great. Really recommend!

    Thai coffee
    Nicholas S.

    Wanted to try this place for a while now and what better way to start the new year off with a bowl of Tom Kha. When I got to the restaurant I was sat right away and greeted by my server within seconds. I ordered my Tom Kha and a Thai Coffee. I was served the Thai coffee and it was a show stopper, it looks as good as it tastes! A few minutes later I was served my Tom Kha and was delighted that the spice matched the level I ordered (Thai Hot). It was also accompanied by three spices on the side which complimented the soup! This place was amazing and would definitely be back!

    This is the Peach Tea Martini

    I love this place! They have the best food! I won't go to another Thai place. And this Martini is

    Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mao)
    Christopher K.

    Rai Lay is a casual Thai restaurant located on the south end of Charlotte. It is a casual and inexpensive restaurant. Upon entry, you'll notice that the restaurant is cozy and average. The price of the items on the menu are average as well. The hubby and I opted for the spring rolls. They were delicious. I ordered the drunken noodles bowl and added chicken. My hubby decided on the pineapple chicken fried rice. Both dishes were nothing special or spectacular, but they were decent. The service we received was average as well. My rating - The spring rolls - 4/5 Drunken Noodles - 3.5/5 Hubby's rating - Spring Rolls - 4/5 Pineapple fried rice - 3/5. He said the pineapple sauce it comes with was not good. The service - 3.5/5 We would have given a higher rating on service but near the end, our waitress disappeared and we had to waive her down to provide us with our bill and then she disappeared again. We had to give another waitress our payment. Overall Rai Lay gets a 4. I am not sure that I would return, but I would recommend it for a cheap and casual lunch or dinner.

    Drunken Noodles and Green Curry

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    2 months ago

    It's the equivalent of fast food Thai. If you're looking for authentic Thai don't come here.

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    Page 1 of 13

    Ask the Community - Rai Lay Thai

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    Sushi Hana

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    Anytime you stumble across all-you-can-eat sushi , it already feels like a win, but this place…read moremanages to bring much more to the table. The restaurant is stylish, modern, and surprisingly chic , with a great location that makes it easy to add to an evening out. As first-time guests, we especially appreciated our server, who patiently walked us through the process and made sure there were no surprises. The explanation about the charge for uneaten all-you-can-eat sushi that guests want to take home was particularly helpful. Knowing the rules upfront makes all the difference and sets the right expectations from the start. The food was excellent. We worked our way through several rolls , sampled dumplings , and didn't find a miss among them. My Lycheetini was delicious, and after tasting a couple of sakes , I ended up buying a bottle to take home. Zero regrets there. Parking requires a little planning, with a paid lot nearby unless you're fortunate enough to snag a street spot right in front. Overall, I'd happily return and enjoy the entire experience all over again.

    First all you can eat sushi! The ambiance of this place is nice, casual but slightly upscale as…read morewell. For 30 dollars per person, I feel like you get a lot of variety to pick from. I would skip their fried rolls since you can barely taste the actual sushi. Their classic rolls and specificities are good though! Favorite was the black pepper tuna which was so nuanced in terms of flavors. Overall some of the rolls were a miss while others were pretty good. Service was good too!

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    Konnichiwa - Charlotte

    4.3
    (268 reviews)
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    I was coming home after days of traveling and asked my husband to pick a place to eat not too far…read morefrom the airport because I was going to be starving once I touched down. So his choice was here. Google directions suck they took us around the back to the parking garage for the 2nd level and since we have never been here before it took us a few minutes to figure out how to get down to the first level. When we entered there was a waiter taking an order and no one else on the floor so we had a little bit to get seated even though there were only two other parties in the restaurant. We were able to sit wherever we wanted so I sat with a view of the screen with the replay of the Brazil FIFA game on. My husband wanted the unagi don but didn't order because the price seemed high. The table next to us all ordered bowls and the serving size was huge so my husband regretted it. We order takoyaki, spicy wings, and 3 rolls Godzilla, Hadouken, and Master Roshi. The wings had amazing flavor but were not spicy. Takoyaki was flavorful and the perfect temperature. I get a lot of takoyaki that is entirely too hot and have to crack them open to cool before eating them. My husband did not enjoy the Godzilla roll he said the topping was too much and didn't add to the flavor. But enjoyed the other two. I enjoyed all three rolls the flavor was fresh and very little need for soy sauce fine without it. If we are ever in Charlotte with time to eat I would stop here again.

    Had a race this weekend so when I went to pick up my race packet pass by this Lytle restaurant…read morebecause I'm part Japanese, I try to go to some places that might have dishes that I remember fondly from my childhood ordered appetizers, veggie tempura, takoyaki, and cucumber salad. The cucumber salad was nicely, chilled on refreshing the takoyaki delicious the temper was good, had a cocktail it was fine, except very small considering what it cost. . The servers were efficient, friendly, and conscientious. The only thing was the restroom. There were a couple of signs in there that I did not consider appropriate for restaurant of the caliber in any case bye . We'll have to try again another time to see if that makes the reaction not bad but not great either.

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    Indoor seating
    Indoor seating
    Good size portions as you can see
    Good size portions as you can see
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    After a couple hours scrolling on the internet, my friend and I agreed to try this spot. I…read morepersonally have been craving latin food since coming from Honduras. Great location in south end near the light rail. We had a reservation for 6:30 and were seated promptly. The restaurant is gorgeous! I was in amazement walking to my seat. The host was about to sit us at a table, but we requested a booth and were accommodated. Our server was very nice and thoroughly explained the menu. We started off with the empanadas and I ordered my first virgin "pinny yolada" :). The empanadas were mind blowing! They were nice and hot, flavorful, and absolutely a delight! We were so impressed, we decided to order the double fried wings afterwards. The wings were good and had an interested flavor with the tamarind. After the wonderful appetizers, it was time for the entrees. I ordered the short rib yuca gnocchi and my friend the arroz con pollo. On paper the gnocchi sounded sublime, but in actuality it was lacking a lot. The entire dish lacked so much flavor, even with hot sauce, additional salt, and lime it tasted bland. I was very disappointed. The empanadas and service were a saving grace, I ordered two orders of empanadas to go for my family. However they were so expensive. I paid $14 for 3. Even though I loved the empanadas, I probably would not be back.

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    O-Ku

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    We recently came here on a Thursday to celebrate my birthday. Wanting to beat the dinner crowd, I…read moremade a reservation for 5:30 p.m. At 5:00 p.m., I received a text letting me know our table was already ready--a very thoughtful touch. We arrived at 5:17 p.m., were greeted immediately, and seated right away. When I opened my menu, I was pleasantly surprised to see "Happy Birthday" printed across the top. Another thoughtful detail that made the evening feel special. Since we arrived early, the atmosphere was quiet, intimate, and honestly very romantic. We could actually hear each other talk without raising our voices. The lighting was perfectly dim--creating a cozy ambiance without making it difficult to see the menu. The service was equally enjoyable. Our waiter and waitress were attentive, friendly, and never overbearing, allowing us to enjoy our meal at a relaxed pace. As for the food, it was every bit as good as I remembered. The quality hasn't changed at all--fresh, beautifully prepared sushi with consistently excellent flavors. That's exactly why I keep coming back to O-Ku. You can always count on them for outstanding food, attentive service, and an overall dining experience that never disappoints.

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    Black Magic, Salmon Usuzukuri, Cucumber Maki, Top Shelf Roll
    Black Magic, Salmon Usuzukuri, Cucumber Maki, Top Shelf Roll
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    Hello friends, I…read morehonestly didn't expect much judging from the outside. I actually thought this place was closed. But boy was i amazed as soon as I walked in. Very nice looking on the inside. I will not drag this review out be size in site nothing i could add that hasn't been said in multiple reviews. I will come back; although we thought the service was slow considering only 4 other tables were occupied. While all but one table had their food already. No biggie. I heard they have Omakase. I dont know but if they do!!!!!!! +5 MORE points. : ) TTFN

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    Rai Lay Thai - sushi - Updated August 2026

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