(Note: I write Facebook reviews for residents of Turner's Crossing, a new development in Buda, as…read morewe all learn about good places to dine in Austin.) ------------- it took us two years to return to one of the eateries most convenient to Turner's Crossing, but we finally made it today. I bet you have all passed this place numerous times. Looking at the notes I took back in 2023, I'm wondering why on earth wife Karen and I waited this long to pay a second visit. It might be the ambience, or rather the lack of usual restaurant atmosphere, that we found offputting. But our second visit today reaffirmed our belief that the food is worth stopping for. Or at least remembering this place when you want carry-out Im Thai is a nondescript little place, primarily a carry-out, with a couple dozen seats at tables and a counter, at Main Street and Old San Antonio Trail in Buda. It's clean and the padded seats are comfortable, but the view is mostly a picture window onto the parking lot of the small strip mall. Not exactly elegant dining, but who gives a flying fig when the food is really good. The place is run by a delightful, chatty woman at the counter in the middle of the big room. She also functions as waitress. In a curtained area behind her works a cook with everything needed to crank out some mighty tasty food. The menu has a huge assortment of dishes, from appetizers to soups to salads to curries to specialties to stir-fried items. There are noodle creations and fried rice concoctions. Many have photographs with the listings, plus plenty of explanation about what's going into each dish. On some of the items you can pick the protein, such as chicken, shrimp, pork or beef, and even super-size that ingredient for a bit extra. Karen and I are not knowledgeable about Thai cuisine so we depended on the descriptions in the menu and the suggestions by our waitress. I also wouldn't know the difference between authentic Thai food and imitation Thai food, whatever in blazes that might be. We were certainly happy with the Pad Thai we had for dinner. Neither of us had ever tried this iconic Thai dish, but figured it was time we give it a shot. After an appetizer of two crab Rangoon rolls ($7.49), filled with a creamy crab and cream cheese mixture, we split an order of Pad Thai ($15.95) with pork. The plate of stir-fred rice noodles, pork, onions, and crushed peanuts on the side was delicious. It was plenty filling for both of us. The only other time Karen and I were there was in October, 2023, when we stopped after passing it several dozen times. That time we asked the waitress to make recommendations and we were not disappointed. We had a vermicelli noodle dish with pork for me and a fried rice dish with pineapple, cashews and pork for Karen. Both were truly good, but we had no clue that the portions would be so large. Hers was easily enough for three big meals, so a large carryout box full came home with us. We spent a little more time poring over the menu today and noted a number of dishes that piqued our interest, so there will be other visits in the future for us. We both like to try something new occasionally, and there's enough on that menu to keep us experimenting for a while. If we have doubts about anything, the friendly staff can always steer us in the right direction. Note: Im Thai is out of servce daily from 3 to 4 p.m, when it reopens. It closes most days at 9.p.m., but 9:30 Fridays and Saturdays.

We are locals to Buda and this place is decent for a quick thai craving. We usually order the pad…read morethai and panang curry which are always great however, not the best we have had. Service is always great as it is a small place with down to earth small business. The dining area is every small though so it is usually better to do take out and it's not as clean.

SO GOOD. But oh my gosh it's pretty spicy. But worth every bite…read more We got the American Pad Thai. SO good

Gotji has some creative fusion dishes that sound very intriguing so we definitely need to come back…read moreto explore more of what they have to offer! The Best Pad Thai ($18): Thai-style stir-fried rice noodles with egg, dried sweet radish, chili, garlic, crab meat, bean sprouts, and chives, topped with fried tempura shrimp, crispy shallots, tobiko, peanuts, and lime. I love pad thai, and this version delivered! The flavors were quite concentrated, so I recommend mixing the noodles thoroughly before eating. While the shrimp tempura was crunchy with a nice batter, I personally prefer the traditional proteins -- beef, chicken, pork, or tofu. BBQ Brisket Clay Pot ($19.50): A Thai-Chinese style clay pot featuring garlic, ginger, smoky brisket, onion, mushroom, Thai jasmine rice, green onion, sweet soy sauce, and chili garlic sauce. The combination didn't quite work for me and I wasn't a fan of the flavors, though my husband absolutely loved it. It's not as flavorful as the pad thai so we had to use the sauce they provided.

I really enjoy the food here. My wife and I always have had great service and it is a nice place…read morefor a lowkey date night without going up to Austin.

This place is OK but way too expensive for what you get. They wait on you promptly but what is…read moredisgusting is when you ask for an extra serving of silverware you'll stand there and count the number of people at the table and the number of serving Ware that is already on the table. If you have more than they think you need, they'll walk away. For what they charge it should be no problem to give you an extra step when you have a two-year-old like to drop stuff. Like I said, the Thai food is OK nothing to ride home about or go out of the way for There are too many other places that offer more food for less costs.

Gotta to go was very good Was package great…read moreNot expensive fresh Good quality, and The Stuff for very friendly and helpful New to restauran

Ordered to-go via Uber Eats so can't speak on ambience or service but the pad thai was horrendous…read more No flavor and undercooked noodles. Don't know that I'd try in person.

This restaurant has the best Pad Thai I have every had! One of my favorite restaurantsread more

I've been to Rosa's Kitchen a few times now, mostly because it's super convenient to home. I gather…read morethis is the first brick-and-mortar installment of a popular food truck in Manchaca. The food here has always been pretty solid--fairly legit Thai, tasty, and something I'd normally give about 4 stars. Nothing that totally blows me away, but definitely good. Unfortunately, our most recent attempt to eat here was just annoying. Their posted closing time is 9pm. We walked in around 8:20 and asked for a table for two. The hostess/server came over and said, "I'm so sorry, our kitchen is closing soon." Full stop. Ellipsis. I kind of stood there waiting for the rest of the sentence. Like does that mean the kitchen's already done taking dine-in orders? Do we need to order within the next 5 minutes? Can we only get takeout? Are you asking us to leave? Finally I actually asked, "So are you asking us to leave?" She said, "Um, hold on," turned around to the kitchen and asked if they could still do a takeout order. They said yes, so she told us we could order to go if we wanted. At that point I was irritated enough that I just said no thanks and left. I understand that restaurants sometimes close their kitchens before the posted restaurant closing time, especially small places. But 8:20 is a full 40 minutes before your posted closing time, and apparently the kitchen wasn't even closed yet--it was "closing soon." So... when? Is there an actual policy? It was weird to watch the employee have to ask the kitchen on the spot whether they were willing to make us food. We actually still wanted Thai that night and ended up ordering Uber Eats from another Thai restaurant farther away, waiting considerably longer for it, and paying for delivery rather than just getting takeout from the restaurant we were already standing inside. That's how off-putting the interaction was. I'm sure I'll eventually get over it and go back, mostly because it's so close to home and the food is good enough. I guess I'll just have to call ahead next time to find out what time they actually stop taking orders.

Criminal that they don't have a 5 star…read more I've been all over- tried the known spots in LA when I lived there for years Had Thai food elsewhere including NY straight up the best I've ever had is this stuff

It was time for dinner, and I decided to try Luv Thai. I wish I had loved it. Unfortunately, I did…read morenot. I ordered the pineapple fried rice, egg rolls, and Tom Yum soup to go and I was looking forward to trying it. The pineapple fried rice was dry, with very little chicken, no extra sauce, and no spice. The egg rolls had a thick, soggy wrapper. I put them in the air fryer when I got home and was able to crisp them up, but the wrapper itself was still thick and unpleasant to eat. The filling also wasn't particularly well seasoned. The Tom Yum soup was more sweet than sour and lacked the seasoning and bold flavor I expected. Overall, it was a disappointing meal.

The food was absolutely great. I got pad Thai and a spicy Tom Kha soup I think. I will definitely…read morebe returning for more. The employees were very nice and made sure to ask what level spiciness I wanted. Sadly they were out of ingredients for their coconut smoothie though :'(

Incredible Thai food that is a great price and a nice portion. I ordered the pad Thai, pad see ew,…read moreegg rolls and crab Rangoons and can recommend everything! The rangoons and spring rolls each came with a yummy dipping sauce. They can customize the level of spice you are looking for too which is nice. We ordered at the window and the food came fairly quick. The owner was working at the window and she was exceptional, so friendly and helpful! It recently opened in the waysouth food truck lot so there are lots of food/beverage options, picnic tables, heat lamps, fire pit, playground and games. The area is perfect! You can take your items to go or enjoy the ambiance as it is family friendly. I already can't wait to come back and try the rest of the menu!!

11/10 One of the…read morebest Pad Thai dishes I've had in Austin! I ordered the Pad Thai at spice level 3, and it was the perfect amount of heat. I definitely wouldn't have wanted it any spicier, so if you're sensitive to spice, I'd recommend sticking with level 3 or below. The food tasted incredibly fresh, the chicken was juicy and full of flavor, and everything came out quickly. The service was just as impressive. The staff checked on me several times to make sure I had everything I needed, and everyone was so friendly and attentive. The great reviews definitely live up to the hype. I highly recommend giving this place a try!

Khao soi was fantastic- it blew me away. Pad se ew was…read moreunfortunately the opposite with chewy overcooked beef and bland noodles. Mango sticky rice was just okay! Note that door dash doesn't include a spice level option, so you have to add a note and pray it gets seen! Had I only gotten the khao soi, it would've been a 5!

I love days that i happen to be near the airport bc that means I get to stop by this yummy little…read moreThai spot. Everything here is really authentic and delicious

This is a family-owned and run restaurant. It's situated in a double-wide trailer home, and it's…read moreroomy and good for a gathering or a quick lunch. Be careful when ordering hot dishes; they're mild. It's still spicy, but it was perfect for me. The staff was very accommodating and friendly. They offer a complimentary soup to begin your course meal, which, if you're not really hungry, will fill you up. On several occasions we had to took our meals to go because they were super busy, and we were short on time, but it was really well packed for us.

Loved the Drunken Noodles (Pad Kee Mow) I (thought I) have…read morea high spice tolerance and asked for level 5 (comes in levels 4 and 5) and boy was it spicy! The flavors really came through though, despite the spice. Will definitely be coming back for the curries and the Pad Thai. Quick and friendly service. Nice ambience. Was busy on a Friday evening. It is located in a plaza so finding parking should not be a problem.

Titaya's Thai Cuisine we got from off of a list of recommended restaurants at the hotel we were…read morestaying at that was nearby during our trip to Austin. We came early, just before they opened and there was several customers waiting also which can kind of give the hint that you're at a good place. And indeed it was. I got their Pad Thai, a dish I don't often get as I often got the route of Drunken Noodles but I wanted to revisit Pad Thai so that was the direction I took foe this meal. It was very, very good ! The ingredients were fresh, the sauce and noodles were great! It was a decent sized meal which I appreciated as we had a very busy day ahead of us with shopping and being tourists and this meal was one of virtually all of the meals in Austin to be great to outstanding!