Worth the 30 min drive for the BEST Thai! Got the staples: crispy duck basil, watercress salad- always good all the time. We also tried the soft shell crab with red curry, SO good. I was practically drinking the sauce. We tried to drunken noodles (last time we got pad see ew), but these were not good. All our dishes had a "chili pepper" for spice level, but nothing was that spicy except for the duck. read more

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This truly is my favorite Thai place. The flounder that is fried perfectly with a brown sauce is incredible, we tried a few new things. That's why I'm sharing that the crispy duck with basil with no spice was very good. Also, the clear noodles with shrimp were tasty if you put the fish sauce over it, everything was cooked perfectly. Their watercress appetizer is to die for perfectly seasoned with a great flavor and crunchiness of the watercress with the calamari, you definitely have to come here service was phenomenal. Our waitress was so sweet and provided. Great suggestions. It was not crowded and we were served right away. read more

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This is my second time at Ruan Thai! The employees are always nice, and the atmosphere makes you feel like you're eating at home. I got the Ped Pad Kha Prao which is the boneless duck with hot chili and fresh basil. It is so good but it is spicy, so ask for no spicy even if you can eat a little bit spicy. The beef mussa mun was also good. It reminds me of a Vietnamese dish called bo kho. Keep in mind that they do close for an hour from 3:30-4:30pm, so if you come a little before 3pm you might be cutting it close. read more

Ruan Thai - Ped pad kha prao (boneless duck in hot chili and fresh basil) - Thai Near Me - Wheaton, Maryland

We tried this place recently and it was such a great experience from start to finish. The food was fresh, flavorful, and really well done. We ordered the drunk noodles and they were excellent -- the spice level was just right, enough to give it some kick without being overpowering. The noodles had that perfect texture and the sauce was packed with flavor. We also had the sticky rice, which was simple but so good. It was the kind of dish that makes you want to order it again every time because it complements everything so well. What I really like is how many options there are on the menu -- it's the kind of place where you can tell you'll never get bored. I'm already looking forward to going back and trying more dishes, especially the Penang curry, which I've heard great things about. If it's anything like what we had this time, I know it's going to be a new favorite. Overall, this is definitely a spot I'd recommend if you're looking for flavorful, satisfying Thai food. Great flavors, good portions, and a menu that makes you want to come back again and again. read more

My go to spot for Thai, the service was great. I thought portion sizes were good. The green and red curries were flavorful. The place could use an update and a bit of cleaning. read more

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Another great dining experience. Service is always pleasant. Food is very good. The ambiance is casual. read more

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When I used to live in Wheaton, I went here a few times as it was walking distance. My girlfriend at that time & I went here in 2019-2020 both for dine-in & to go. I really enjoyed the Pad Thai as I tend to not be the most adventuresome eater all the time & not big on too much spice. It's a relatively small place with limited free parking, which could be full, where you might have to find paid street parking. I moved away from Wheaton in November 2020 as I bought my 1st home & no longer a close walk to a lot of restaurants but also not throwing away a lot of money on rent. Since leaving Wheaton, I visited Ruan one time on Thursday, July 20, 2023 with an ex-g/f from that Spring/Summer. I wanted to show her my old neighborhood and reminiscence on a good restaurant. I remembered at that time that I didn't think the server/staff treated us nicely & I overheard them talking about her in a negative way behind our back even though he did nothing bad. They had always been nice to my 2020 ex-g/f & me. However, in 2023 I had this strange impression of racial bias toward her, which wasn't cool. I could be wrong, but it was my gut feeling, and thankfully was the only time I felt that way in the few months we dated. read more

Food is great. But beware, they do not accept Discover cards. My husband and I had to pool our cash to pay the bill. There was no obvious signage about not taking Discover. The management was unsympathetic and inflexible about our situation. Furthermore, parking is difficult as the small lot is always full. We used to be loyal customers, but will no longer go to this restaurant. read more

The staff were patient and polite. There's a great range of variety on the menu. A standout item is the fried watercress seafood salad. It has calamari, shrimp, cashews, onions etc with a sweet/zesty sauce. I would prefer more shrimp than squid in the dish. Italian sizable appetizer for sharing. Parking is horrendous with maybe five parking spaces in a tiny lot that may require maneuvering. If you find street parking, pay the meter even if you just run in to pick up an order. read more

Ruan Thai - Thai Near Me - Wheaton, Maryland

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Food was amazing! Parking, not so much. Updating my post since it's been about 8 years since my experience where the waiter ran after us asking for more tip. Other than that, food and service was good! Definitely changed over the time. read more

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The food here was very tasty and well seasoned. We sat in to dine and had great service as the staff was friendly. I would recommend this spot if you are in the mood for Thai food. read more

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Came here with friends on a whim and was pleasantly surprised. It's a random location and to be honest I didn't know what to expect. The food was great. I order the House Pad Thai and it was very flavorful. You can make it spicy if you like . The service was great and by the time dinner time rolled around it was packed. Definitely a local fav. read more

The food and cleanliness of this establishment needs to improve. Our waitress was kind and attentive but it's not her fault. It is the fault of the owner or management that needs to address these issues. The bathroom was very atrocious and you could see mouse dropping all around the toilet and sink on the floor. It blends in due to the dark tiles but you can tell that this place has an infestation and needs to be addressed. I wish I hadn't ate here because of that fact but I had already eaten and I wished I took a photo of the droppings I saw onto this post although I did take a photo of the food. The food didn't taste fresh either and it's probably a reflection of unhygienic the restroom is. I would recommend people to dine elsewhere like Thai chef in Bethesda MD or Tiki Thai in Virginia. I will never be dining here again nor will I ever recommend this establishment. read more

Ruan Thai - Combination pineapple fried rice - Thai Near Me - Wheaton, Maryland

I got drunken noodles. They were oddly tomato-y. Like tomato paste. And dry. So I called back, after I'd tasted my noodles at home and asked if maybe I'd ordered incorrectly or perhaps something went wrong. No. I was informed that some provinces in Thailand do their drunken noodles this way. I have never in my whooooooole life seen them like this. But ok. The spring rolls were decent. My husband says his Pad Thai was bland. All in all, I'm gonna look for another Thai spot. read more

Been a while since we came here but it recently had a facelift, the restaurant smells much better than it used to and the food is better than ever!!! read more

I really regret writing this review because the food here is great and we have been going here for years , but 3 times in a row, the credit card I used at this restaurant has had unauthorized charges right after I used it at this restaurant. Additionally, one time my bank called because a 100% tip was added to my charge. This time my bank called the same day I ate there to ask about a $2000+ charge on my card that they declined. I will eat there again, but only if I have cash. read more

Such a hidden gem in the Wheaton area! I just had dinner here with a couple of friends. Here's my review breakdown: - Food: They did not miss on ANYTHING. I had the Tom Yum soup and #14 Yum Woon Sen. The soup was super flavorful and good, everything I expect from the soup. #14 was something new I decided to try. I am so glad I did, it was good and fresh. Definitely recommend that as an appetizer. My friend had the chicken pad Thai and it was perfect! When I say everything HIT, it was all good. - Drink: We ordered Thai teas and this place had the best Thai tea I've EVER had. Doesn't taste artificially or too sugary. I like being able to actually taste the tea. I would travel just for that tea again. Service: Remember it is a mom and pop shop so there was only 1/2 servers it seemed for the entire place. With that being said, they came over frequently and we usually made eye contact when we needed something. If you've made this far, i definitely recommend for you to check this place out! read more

Ruan Thai - Chicken Paid Thai - Thai Near Me - Wheaton, Maryland

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Excellent food; great for gluten-free! I did carry-out for lunch, and the food was outstanding with no allergy issues. They will make the food as spicy or mild as you want. Service was quick and they absolutely understand about gluten-free and cross-contamination. I had the Tom Kha Gai (chicken coconut soup) without cilantro and it was excellent. It had much more chicken and mushrooms than other Thai places. The same generous portions applied to the Pad Thai, which I asked for a spice level of 2/5 and they nailed it. They have been there for 31 years and I can see why. Excellence all around. The only negative, and this is not their fault, is the extreme lack of parking. There are three restaurants and a Hispanic social services office in this little strip center. There are perhaps 12 total parking spaces, and two are blocked off for the service center and one is painted "no parking" for no discernible reason. I was lucky and found metered street parking right next door, but at lunch and dinner times parking could be a major issue. read more

I used to go to Ruan Thai years ago when they were very small space, and I remember it was really good. Years later I ordered for pickup drunken noodles and first I thought they gave me the wrong order.... I never had drunken noodles with ketchup like taste with mushy tomato.. I added fish sauce with chili to fix the taste but unfortunately I couldn't finish it.. So maybe this is a different recipe. Maybe if you like sweet side with tomato sauce you might enjoy it. But I warn you this is very different drunken noodles from many places you normally get. read more

Ruan Thai - Drunken noodles - Thai Near Me - Wheaton, Maryland

I literally just ate my first bite 10 min ago and am coming here to write how good it is. The best drunken noodles you will find in the area! read more

Ruan Thai - Drunken Noodles - Thai Near Me - Wheaton, Maryland

Had take out because I had limited time to dine. Food had no favor and was watery. Don't waste your money. Staff was friendly enough read more

Ruan Thai - Pad pak - Thai Near Me - Wheaton, Maryland

I had the pleasure of eating here for the first time with a good friend a month ago. It was delicious, and the wait staff are so friendly and just attentive enough to allow us space yet be on hand when we needed to ask a question. I had the Yum Watercress appetizer, shared the 6 dumplings (Kanum Jeeb), and we both had the Pad Thai (I had the combo meat. Not pictured) DELISH! Then I went by myself just a few days ago for a self-care lunch and repeated the Kanum Jeeb and the Yum Watercress appetizers (pictured). The servings are ample enough that I took a to-go box home! This gem of a restaurant is walking distance from my home. So I get the double benefit of getting my steps in and eating well! My new go-to for comfort food, trying new dishes every visit, and feeling no guilt if I overeat! read more

Ruan Thai - Appetizers as a whole, satisfying lunch! Yum Watercress and Kanum Jeeb (6 chicken dumplins with delicious dipping sauce) 5 stars! - Thai Near Me - Wheaton, Maryland

So we are new to the area and new parents so as my monthly craving for Thai crept up we tried this new Thai place. We had it for take out and I will say it was not as hyped up as some make it to be. We had ordered a curry and noodle dish, the tofu Wasn't cooked well nor was it spice level 4 and 5... I would give it a 2 at best. Also the noodles weren't flavorful. I was really disappointed in the price vs quality of flavor in the food. We ate it- but I hope to find a Thai place we like read more

One of the best Thai restaurants in the area. It's very popular among locals. We have been here many times, always go for our favorite dishes. Typical neighborhood restaurant without much fanfare. The prices were reasonable, the food was great, the service was courteous and efficient. 5*Yum watercress-Deep-fried watercress, shrimp, squid, onion, cilantro, and cashew nut in spicy lime dressing: this is a perfect combination of flavors and textures. This dish alone attracted us back and back again. 4*PLA PAD CHA-deep fried fillet catfish sautéed celery and the garlic in hot chili and social Thai sauce: the sauce was tasty and a bit spicy. The celery was cooked just right with a crunchy texture. 3*PAD THAI-Sautéed Thai thin rice noodle with shrimps, egg, ground peanut, red tofu, bean sprout, and spring onion: typical Thai dish, the portion was generous, but not very flavorful. 4*KHA NAH MOO KORB: Chinese broccoli was cooked perfectly, crispy and crunchy. The sauce was a bit heavy and salty. 3*PAD KHA TIEM PRIK THAI shrimp: cabbage salad with shrimps. The Thai pepper sauce was a bit spicy and addictive. read more

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We love Ruan Thai and have been frequent visitors over the years (about 10 times a year). Their quality has sustained thru Covid which is great. We dined here a few weeks ago and had another excellent meal as usual and tried some new dishes as well. Service was a little slow given the dinner rush but also because they seemed to have only a couple servers for the whole dining room. They were doing their best to keep up but that's a lot of tables for is it a couple people. Ambiance is low key with fewer tables than pre Covid. Food is the focus here. We ordered takeout recently and were very disappointed to learn their higher priced Penang curry was for a MUCH SMALLER portion - about 50% smaller. I would have never ordered it if I had known. You'll get much more dining in than takeout as you can see in my photos. I'm OK with restaurants increasing prices to keep up with inflation but not OK with both higher prices and much smaller portions. It's still a solid 4 stars overall. We plan to return but never again for takeout. read more

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We have been trying to find a new Thai spot for a while and after getting many recommendations, we finally ordered from Ruan Thai. I ordered online and picked it up. I have been in this parking lot before for Ren's Ramen, and didn't realize Ruan is right next to it. That said, the parking lot is a cluster. There aren't many spots and people constantly double park, so watch out. Picking up the online order was a breeze, it was ready when I arrived. I kept it simple and ordered Pad Thai. It was really flavorful and the sauce was well-balanced. It was also a huge portion so I got two meals out of it. I will definitely order from here again! read more

This restaurant has been our family go to for birthday dinners for such a long time now. I must say they have been going through some changes throughout the years. The food quality is the same but certain items in the menu disappeared already like pur favorite appetizer its fried squid with lime squeezed into it with cashews and onions and other delicious things. My favorite is the pork belly with Chinese broccoli. It's simply delicious. Second favorite is the spicy flat noodles Third *new*favorite is what my sis in law ordered. It's squid-shrimp deep fried with watercress. It is quiet the same flavor as the appetizer we used to order but now it's an entree. Their papaya salad is okay but i feel like it could have been better. The servers were very attentive to us. There were two of them. They were such good servers even though they are so busy. They made sure all of us are taken care of. I didn't catch their name. I felt bad but i was seated at the very back my family was quiet big. But overall this restaurant will always be a family favorite. My mom really love going here. Especially it was her birthday celebration we celebrated that day. read more

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This is our local neighborhood Thai restaurant. It's a small restaurant with consistently delicious food! We come her once every few months, usually for lunch. We started with the spring rolls and yum beau yang (sliced steak salad). Both were great! Spring rolls were nice and crispy. The dressing on the steak salad is so good, tangy with a little spice) that I wish they would sell it in bottles! We shared the pad talay and pad sa ew with chicken. The pad sa ew and pad Thai are my go to there, and are both excellent! read more

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My absolute favorite thai restaurant! the portions are always more than enough for me to have left overs. I typically get the pad thai which is fantastic. The satay chicken and their curries are also great! My family has been eating here for years and we adore this place! read more

Actually, I think my rating is a 3.5 rather than a 4, but I always round up. Based on plenty of feedback from folks in the area, I stopped by Ruan because it was hailed to have some of the best Thai food in the area. While the food wasn't bad, it wasn't that great either. Perhaps, I relied too much on other folks' opinions, but I was expecting a mind-blowing meal. For my dining pleasure, I ordered the Basil Fried Rice (combo style with shrimp, beef, and pork), and I thought the meat (the beef and pork in particular) was bit too chewy (ie old). The dish was about 20 bucks, but you definitely will receive quite a bit of food. I thought the size of the dish was more than enough for two people or one person to eat some in the restaurant and have the rest for leftovers. I'll say that the service was really on point because my waiter constantly checked in to make sure things were well with my meal. Since the food wasn't absolutely terrible, I'll more than likely will dine here again since I live in the area. read more

Ruan Thai - Basil Fried Rice with shrimp, pork, and beef. - Thai Near Me - Wheaton, Maryland

*Updated Review* I'm not a fan. Way too many other Thai choices in the area. I came once before and I thought it was ok. This most recent visit, not so much. Got my usual, drunken noodles with chicken but it wasn't good at all. I didn't even finish it and ended up throwing it out! Sigh!! They don't have no lunch specials here! read more

Ruan Thai - Drunken noodles with chicken. Take-out order! - Thai Near Me - Wheaton, Maryland

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Major disappointment. Once on the DC "top 100" list. Apparently both ownership and attentiveness, not only to details but also to basics, has changed. Quantity was clearly prioritized over quality. Dirty men's room. Urinal didn't flush. Lots of red flags. Too many red flags. We went out of our way to eat there. We won't be back. read more

Came here on a Tuesday evening and it was actually very busy. With two servers managing the dine in and take out customers, the service was a little slow. I ordered my go to, drunken noodles, but was very underwhelmed by the dish. The noodles were very broken up and rather mushy. The dish was spicy but the tomato paste channeled ketchup flavorings and was unfavorably thick. The thai yea was good, but I got charged an extra fee for a large since they ran out of medium cups which threw me off. I might give this place another try, but it wouldn't be for their drunken noodles. read more

Ruan Thai - Drunken Noodles - Thai Near Me - Wheaton, Maryland

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Very indifferent service. Tried to arrive ten minutes before opening to order takeout; was told to wait in the car. Chicken with cashews good but quite bland. read more

this has been my go-to place for many years, it has always been top notch food and service. I've referred dozens of people there but the last two visits the food was mediocre. I was very disappointed in the food but the service is still outstanding. they have definitely downgraded, maybe they're under new ownership??? Whatever the problem is, I hope they can return to excellence. read more

This is my favorite Thai place. The way they blend their spices. It's perfect. Everywhere else I go for Thai food, it's okay. Not that good compared to Ruan thai. read more

Good Thai food but not great. I got the park chicken and pad Thai and Thai iced coffee. (It's how I judge all Thai restaurants so it's fair and nothing really stood out. Service was slow web though there were open tables. The tables and floors were somehow slippery but sticky at the same time. Nothing at the moment is motivating me to come back. read more

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First time ordering to-go from here. Their pad see ew had me hooked from bite one!! Easily my favorite thing. Very dense portion. Great flavors, great texture, great char! The Tom kha soup had the right textures, great portion, but was missing that savory profile to round out the flavor?? And maybe needed more lemongrass aromatic. Still good! The crispy pork mooh korb kha nah was the first I've ever tasted. (Pro tip: shake the box so the sauce coats everything) I was worried that it wouldn't be crispy by the time it got to me but these culinary geniuses put the sauce on the bottom, buffered it with the green beans, and had the pork on top! It was tasty. Only slight hitch- the mild is Thai mild, NOT white person mild. I'm Taiwanese and even I felt this was not mild. The pad woon sen is HEFTY. Filled with a good mix of everything. Not just a sprinkle of veggies and meat over a pound of noodles. TL;DR - great portions for the price, mild is NOT mild, PAD SEE EW! read more

Ruan Thai - Tom kha, pad woon sen, pad see ew, mooh korb kha nah - Thai Near Me - Wheaton, Maryland

I ordered take out last Monday (June 9th.) and went to pick it up with a close friend visited us from a business trip in NYC. He lives in Europe. And we traveled in Thailand. I told him the food there was great. And it was very good actually (I would give it 4 stars). Me and my family who live nearby have dined there at least 50 times. Unfortunately this time we had a terrible experience when the hostess (whom I had not seen before) refused to give us more than 3 of those super tiny hot sauce containers (they have 4 kinds). She said it was one per dish. We said we needed more and she said she would not give more in a very unkind way. At one point she said we would have to pay more. I asked if that is how they treat customers who are eating in, pointing at the serving bottles that have plenty of sauce in them, to what she said that it is only for seating customers. We asked for the manager and she said, with an 'I couldn´t care less attitude', the manager wasn´t there. We left fuming and frankly humiliated, and it kind of ruined our dinner despite the good food. It is sad that Ruan Thai does not seem to have competition in the area any more and have started feeling like one has to beg for their service. read more

I AM SO SO SO DISAPPOINTED. I actually had high expectations for this place based on people's reviews, so we bought more dishes here than we usually would. We got Pad Thai Chicken, Drunken Noodle Chicken, Green Curry Chicken, Pla Pad Prik Khing, Mooh Korb Pad Prik Khing, and Ped Tod Kob. The Pad Thai was sooo chopped up and the noodles were kinda mushy(?). This was the same for the drunken noodles. It felt like the noodles have sat there in the containers for a long time. These two dishes looked red and tasted very strong of tomato/ketchup. Sad. The fried catfish did not taste like fish. I swear the texture of the dish was like fried/dried tofu........ And then the Crispy Pork Belly, oh noooo-- it was crispy, sure, but like waaaaay over fried kind of crispy. I bit into a piece of the "pork belly," and it was so crunchy with the meat (if there was any) dried as heck. At least the string beans in the dishes tasted good. What's next? Oh yeah, the duck. Two words, flavorless and DRIED. The only dish that we did enjoy was the Green Curry. Good on flavors and tasty at least. All the dishes that were supposed to be fried/crispy were just over fried or something. I don't know if I will come back after such experience. Maybe for dine in... maybe... but definitely not for carry out. read more

Ruan Thai - The choppy and somewhat mushy Pad Thai. - Thai Near Me - Wheaton, Maryland

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