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Beautiful interior, good food, and great service. Came on a Saturday night around 630pm and were seated right a way. The sampler appetizer platter was a great start to get a little bit of everything. The fried rice and pad see ew were good as well. Prices are a bit higher than most Thai places in SD, but this restaurant is right in the middle of Gaslamp so it's reasonable for the location. Also bear in mind there's a small (3%?) fee if you pay with card. Overall a nice option if you're looking for something other than bar food in the area.
Fun dinner last night on our walk through the Gaslamp District while on vacation! Beautiful decor and great waitstaff! I got a Singha Beer and my husband had an iced tea. We shared the Veggie Tempura and Drunken Noodles with Tofu. Everything was delicious and hit the spot!!
Had been to convention center and was walking through downtown .. there are so many restaurants around and we chose to taste Thai food .. this had a good review in Google and we had to try the food here . Ambience inside was good... the place was definitely crowded and it took some time for us to get a seat for 3.. Restaurant was big inside . Lots of tables to sit and eat .. service was the big letdown.. for the size of the crowd they should have had more employees helping the customers.. there was one woman running around taking orders and then going inside to the kitchen and comes back late . Took about 10-15 minutes just to get a beer and a menu card. food was good .. We had pad Thai and it tasted good.. my friends tried a few other stuff and they liked it . .. I had drunken noodle and it was average . Could have been more spicy and flavorful. Again.. food wise it was good overall , but for the wait time and the service , I'll give a 3 star .
We had dinner here after visiting a nearby cocktail bar, and this was absolutely perfect! I had the pad see ew with chicken. I ordered it medium spice level and it was flavorful without heat. The flavor was excellent and the noodles were perfect; they were all nicely coated in the sauce and the noodles and other ingredients were nicely combined vs the frequent experience elsewhere of the noodles being kind of clumped together. The food was fresh and came out fast. Prices are extremely reasonable for this area. We arrived around 7:30 and were seated right away; they filled up fast after this time and so we were glad we arrived when we did. Atmosphere is casual and relaxed.
So glad our group chose to have dinner here during Comic Con weekend! Even though the line looked long, it moved faster than expected, we waited about 30 minutes for a table of six during the peak dinner rush. The staff was incredibly friendly and patient, which we really appreciated after a long day at the con with no food. We ordered a variety of dishes like stir-fry noodles, curry, satay, and salad. My chicken pad thai with tofu was flavorful and hit the spot. Everyone cleaned their plates in record time. The service was great, our water glasses were refilled without us asking, and they even split the bill five ways, which is rare for a small restaurant. Gratuity was included for the con weekend, so we didn't have to think twice. Huge thanks to the team at Sab Lai for a great experience, it's officially my go-to spot whenever I'm in the Gaslamp Quarter!
Walked from our hotel, centrally located. got the eggplant and bamboo shoot mock chicken, the texture and taste of mock chicken so gooood. papaya salad delicious. Great broth flavor in tom yum. garlic edamame and pad Thai were also good. friend got chicken yellow curry and said there was not a lot of flavor. Also had thai iced tea which was good and not too sweet. only downside for me was the spice was not spicing. asked for a little under thai spicy or 8/10 spicy and it was more around 4-5/10 spicy (as someone with a high spice tolerance). servers seemed busy possibly working between here and the bar next door. sounds like we came during karaoke (sunday evening). still food and service was great and id come again. Super vegetarian friendly and beautiful space.
This is one of the few Thai places that for lunch they don't do the soup and I really like the soup so I missed that. I got the pad see ew which is a staple for me to try across different restaurants. The lunch plate here had a large variety of things including more salad as a proportion than other places I've been to. They also gave an eggroll which was fresh fried and delicious. The flavors are all really good the noodles really good, but know that even mild has a little bit of spicy chili flakes, but I was totally fine with it. I just wish there were more noodles instead of a lot of salad. My issue, that I admit I didn't notice until partway since I had gone with a group and I was talking to everyone, is that I had ordered it with beef, but I got the dish with chicken. By the time I noticed it was too late to say anything other than put the tiny bit left in a box home. Definitely wasn't worth saying anything about at that point because the flight was good and I ate it most of it already. The ambience was nice that there were a lot of noises and smells from outside. The day we were there there was a very strong smell of pot not sure how much that is some thing that restaurant can control but something for people to be aware of. Even if you're eating inside, you can smell or hear all kinds of things since it's a restaurant downtown.
I went here and ordered the pad Thai with beef and a tom yum soup. The tom yum soup was delicious. But the pad Thai was okay, they didn't provide lime so I had to ask for it and it made it a bit better. Service was okay. Street parking only. Interior was pretty though! I think this place is a bit pricey for some Thai food!
Delicious Pad Thai with chicken. Friendly and courteous customer service. Very comfortable restaurant with nice relaxing music and lighting. A very pleasant experience.
Love Sab Lai. We're here for 4th of July having an early 4pm dinner. It has a pleasant and calm atmosphere where you can actually have a conversation, and the place is spotless clean. The service is excellent, very polite and quick. I got the ginger stirfry and it's wonderful with chicken. Hubby got the drunken noodles with chicken and it's amazing. We totally recommend this place.
I stopped by this location with a co worker of mine, and we were greeted and seated promptly. The ambiance is quiet with nice dim lighting. I ordered a ginger lemonade and it was very refreshing and had a healing kind of energy to it. I also ordered Tom Yom soup as an appetizer and it was warm, delicious, and fresh! Loaded with fresh veggies and lots of flavor. For my main course, I ordered the crab fried rice! This was luscious and decadent! It really brought me a'lot of peace with each and every bite! Yum! Check this spot out!
Pleasantly surprised to find a good Thai restaurant in the Gaslamp. Our waitress was very friendly and checked in on us often, which made the experience even better. We ordered the chicken egg rolls, pad see ew, and Panang curry. Everything was tasty, fresh, and served in generous portions. A little pricey compared to other Thai spots but not surprised due to the location. Would visit again in the future
Stopped in for a late lunch/early dinner. The interior was clean and tastefully decorated. I wasn't too hungry so I started with a cup of wonton noodle soup. It was delicious. Steaming hot with pieces of chicken and chicken wontons. The fresh baby bok choy pieces and little chunks of carrots were slightly crunchy. The clear broth was so well seasoned. I added a six piece plate of chicken wings- fried just right with a side of sweet chili sauce. The friendly server also brought out a carousel of additional sauces. Two downsides: an atypical hot and humid San Diego afternoon should have called for AC but only the front door was left open. I ordered an Arnold Palmer and was billed a surprising $7. Must've been the sprig of mint. In all, a very good visit. I would return. read more
2 months ago
This place still has the same great quality of food and service after my last review. When I'm craving some good Thai food in Downtown, I always end up at this spot. Anyone attending conferences, game, or concert in downtown? This is the spot to go. Everything is good here this restaurant. My favorites are the curry and pad Thai! If you are to thirsty, make sure to drink some refreshing Thai tea! read more
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Virut T.
Hi Michelle, it was our pleasure to have you dine with us tonight.…
After a failed attempt at trying to get Thai food the previous night, we decided to try Sab Lai Thai Kitchen! Service was great - the staff was super attentive and quick. The food was great too - I ordered the Panang Curry with duck and my partner got the yellow curry with chicken! Portions are a bit smaller but flavor was great. The Panang curry has a night little kick to it but it's not too spicy! Will definitely be coming back! read more
Beautiful interior, good food, and great service. Came on a Saturday night around 630pm and were seated right a way. The sampler appetizer platter was a great start to get a little bit of everything. The fried rice and pad see ew were good as well. Prices are a bit higher than most Thai places in SD, but this restaurant is right in the middle of Gaslamp so it's reasonable for the location. Also bear in mind there's a small (3%?) fee if you pay with card. Overall a nice option if you're looking for something other than bar food in the area. read more
Fun dinner last night on our walk through the Gaslamp District while on vacation! Beautiful decor and great waitstaff! I got a Singha Beer and my husband had an iced tea. We shared the Veggie Tempura and Drunken Noodles with Tofu. Everything was delicious and hit the spot!! read more
8 days ago
Had an amazing lunch at San Lai Thai kitchen this afternoon the sweet lady that helped us gave amazing friendly and quick service. It was very clean and beautiful inside. The chicken pad Thai was so fresh and delicious as well as the Thai tea and coffee. Will be back!! read more
Had been to convention center and was walking through downtown .. there are so many restaurants around and we chose to taste Thai food .. this had a good review in Google and we had to try the food here . Ambience inside was good... the place was definitely crowded and it took some time for us to get a seat for 3.. Restaurant was big inside . Lots of tables to sit and eat .. service was the big letdown.. for the size of the crowd they should have had more employees helping the customers.. there was one woman running around taking orders and then going inside to the kitchen and comes back late . Took about 10-15 minutes just to get a beer and a menu card. food was good .. We had pad Thai and it tasted good.. my friends tried a few other stuff and they liked it . .. I had drunken noodle and it was average . Could have been more spicy and flavorful. Again.. food wise it was good overall , but for the wait time and the service , I'll give a 3 star . read more
We had dinner here after visiting a nearby cocktail bar, and this was absolutely perfect! I had the pad see ew with chicken. I ordered it medium spice level and it was flavorful without heat. The flavor was excellent and the noodles were perfect; they were all nicely coated in the sauce and the noodles and other ingredients were nicely combined vs the frequent experience elsewhere of the noodles being kind of clumped together. The food was fresh and came out fast. Prices are extremely reasonable for this area. We arrived around 7:30 and were seated right away; they filled up fast after this time and so we were glad we arrived when we did. Atmosphere is casual and relaxed. read more
So glad our group chose to have dinner here during Comic Con weekend! Even though the line looked long, it moved faster than expected, we waited about 30 minutes for a table of six during the peak dinner rush. The staff was incredibly friendly and patient, which we really appreciated after a long day at the con with no food. We ordered a variety of dishes like stir-fry noodles, curry, satay, and salad. My chicken pad thai with tofu was flavorful and hit the spot. Everyone cleaned their plates in record time. The service was great, our water glasses were refilled without us asking, and they even split the bill five ways, which is rare for a small restaurant. Gratuity was included for the con weekend, so we didn't have to think twice. Huge thanks to the team at Sab Lai for a great experience, it's officially my go-to spot whenever I'm in the Gaslamp Quarter! read more
4 months ago
Walked from our hotel, centrally located. got the eggplant and bamboo shoot mock chicken, the texture and taste of mock chicken so gooood. papaya salad delicious. Great broth flavor in tom yum. garlic edamame and pad Thai were also good. friend got chicken yellow curry and said there was not a lot of flavor. Also had thai iced tea which was good and not too sweet. only downside for me was the spice was not spicing. asked for a little under thai spicy or 8/10 spicy and it was more around 4-5/10 spicy (as someone with a high spice tolerance). servers seemed busy possibly working between here and the bar next door. sounds like we came during karaoke (sunday evening). still food and service was great and id come again. Super vegetarian friendly and beautiful space. read more
This is one of the few Thai places that for lunch they don't do the soup and I really like the soup so I missed that. I got the pad see ew which is a staple for me to try across different restaurants. The lunch plate here had a large variety of things including more salad as a proportion than other places I've been to. They also gave an eggroll which was fresh fried and delicious. The flavors are all really good the noodles really good, but know that even mild has a little bit of spicy chili flakes, but I was totally fine with it. I just wish there were more noodles instead of a lot of salad. My issue, that I admit I didn't notice until partway since I had gone with a group and I was talking to everyone, is that I had ordered it with beef, but I got the dish with chicken. By the time I noticed it was too late to say anything other than put the tiny bit left in a box home. Definitely wasn't worth saying anything about at that point because the flight was good and I ate it most of it already. The ambience was nice that there were a lot of noises and smells from outside. The day we were there there was a very strong smell of pot not sure how much that is some thing that restaurant can control but something for people to be aware of. Even if you're eating inside, you can smell or hear all kinds of things since it's a restaurant downtown. read more
I went here and ordered the pad Thai with beef and a tom yum soup. The tom yum soup was delicious. But the pad Thai was okay, they didn't provide lime so I had to ask for it and it made it a bit better. Service was okay. Street parking only. Interior was pretty though! I think this place is a bit pricey for some Thai food! read more
3 months ago
Delicious Pad Thai with chicken. Friendly and courteous customer service. Very comfortable restaurant with nice relaxing music and lighting. A very pleasant experience. read more
3 months ago
Love Sab Lai. We're here for 4th of July having an early 4pm dinner. It has a pleasant and calm atmosphere where you can actually have a conversation, and the place is spotless clean. The service is excellent, very polite and quick. I got the ginger stirfry and it's wonderful with chicken. Hubby got the drunken noodles with chicken and it's amazing. We totally recommend this place. read more
I stopped by this location with a co worker of mine, and we were greeted and seated promptly. The ambiance is quiet with nice dim lighting. I ordered a ginger lemonade and it was very refreshing and had a healing kind of energy to it. I also ordered Tom Yom soup as an appetizer and it was warm, delicious, and fresh! Loaded with fresh veggies and lots of flavor. For my main course, I ordered the crab fried rice! This was luscious and decadent! It really brought me a'lot of peace with each and every bite! Yum! Check this spot out! read more
Pleasantly surprised to find a good Thai restaurant in the Gaslamp. Our waitress was very friendly and checked in on us often, which made the experience even better. We ordered the chicken egg rolls, pad see ew, and Panang curry. Everything was tasty, fresh, and served in generous portions. A little pricey compared to other Thai spots but not surprised due to the location. Would visit again in the future read more
1 month ago
My friend took us here for lunch on a weekend. It wasn't busy at all and we were seated right away in their beautiful restaurant. Our waitress took great care of our group. We took advantage of their lunch specials. I ordered the vegetarian drunken noodle and it was delicious. Lots of flavor with the right amount of spiciness for me. We would definitely return! read more
I visited Sab Lai Thai Kitchen while attending a conference in the Gaslamp District of San Diego. The Thai food was good and the location is convenient if you're in the area. I had the Pad Ka Pow with mixed seafood. I asked for it spicy, but it only came out medium. I requested prik nam pla on the side, which added the extra heat I wanted. After 6:30 pm, you can order drinks from the Irish pub next door and have them with your meal. Overall, it's a solid option for Thai food downtown. read more
Good ambience, great staff, great menu with options for vegetarians and vegans so it's great for a big crowd and picky eaters with mock chicken and other substitutions available Food is flavorful and portion sizes are good Summer spring roll is nice and fresh and the tom yum soup is very welcoming on a cold evening. read more
3 months ago
10 months ago
10/10 Sab Lai Thai Kitchen is hands down the best lunch special ever. This was my third time coming here, and they are consistently amazing. I ordered the chicken green curry soup, which comes with a green salad, vegetarian spring roll, and jasmine rice. The curry was super rich in flavor, packed with veggies, and had just the right amount of spice -- spicy but perfect. I even added a little extra heat, and it took it to another level. I also had a mango lemonade, which was amazing -- refreshing and full of real mango flavor. On top of that, I ordered a Thai chicken spring roll, and it was absolutely delicious. The staff was amazing and very attentive, making the whole experience even better. Everything about this place is a 10/10 -- food, drinks, and service. I'll definitely keep coming back. read more
Great lunch specials. I especially like their curries served in this stylish spot. Brick walls. Excellent service. The huge chunks of eggplant in the green curry are a highlight. The lunch specials come with a salad, an egg roll, main dish and jasmine rice (brown rice for $1 more). I got pork green curry and my lunch partner got Panang with chicken. And the spice levels were on point! read more
1 month ago
This place was so good we came back again during our trip and got the exact same orders! Staff was so friendly and even during the busy times it wasn't too hard to get a table. The food comes out pretty quickly and the portions are large. The pad Thai is so good! 10/10 recommend and will definitely be back next time I'm in town! read more
Had a pretty solid dinner at Sab Lai. I was in the mood for some thai on Thanksgiving and stumbled across this cozy little spot. The service was superb. The workers were super friendly and attentive. It was wonderful. I had the sweet and sour chicken. The server asked how spicy on 1-10 I wanted it and told her a 7. I appreciated the scale so that way it didn't get too hot, but I do love a good amount of spice. I would've went higher on the scale but did not want to overwhelm myself. the 7 heat level was perfect. The chicken was cooked really well. The spice did a great job of balancing the sweetness of the sauce. The medley of vegetables were also cooked really well. The interior was cozy. A solid, casual date night or solo dinner spot. I would definitely recommend. No qualms with the food. It was solid, a much enjoyed meal! read more
30 days ago
5 months ago
We ordered the red curry and pad Thai. The red curry paste is spicy so if you can't handle spice, don't order this. This entree came with rice. It was very tasty! The pad Thai was good, too. They mandate a 3.5% non-cash fee for credit card payments. They partner with Blarney Stone Pub (next door) so you can order drinks from their menu. read more
The spot was really cute & nicely decorated, there's also a 2nd side setup as a bar so that's cool. We came in the afternoon during comic con & fortunately we got there right in time because they filled up shortly after. The staff was very nice but seemed a bit overwhelmed with the crowd as we had multiple servers that would check on our table & not realize someone else already came to take our order, etc. The Thai tea was pretty good & their lychee lemonade was super refreshing but really sweet, so I'd water it down if you didn't like sweet stuff. Overall their food was good, but could use more flavor on their drunken noodles. read more
2 years ago
First off, customer service is always over the top. Beyond the pleasantries, they typically have a full house. The seating is appropriately spaced so that our costumes, bags, props, and equipment don't get in other patron's way "too much". The Pad See Iw with beef is always delicious. Whether we are in or out of costume, they deliver. The Thai Fried Rice with chicken hits the spot every time. This is our go to spot for Thai when visiting the Gas Lamp District. This is our fourth time visiting this joint since 2015 and they always deliver on flavor and service! read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
Coming here to eat after bar hopping in Gaslamp is a great move. The food comes out quickly, they have little tables outside for you to eat at, and the food tastes amazing. I ordered the Spicy Fried Rice which tasted so fresh and packed with so much flavor. I also might have gotten my spice level too high because my mouth was on fire, but it didn't stop me from enjoying my food. Love this place! read more
2 years ago
Had a nice lunch here, it was mostly empty on a weekday. It was relatively quiet. We were surprised that everything came on the same plate including the spring roll, sauces, and the fruits. It seemed a bit crowded on our plates and we would have preferred separate plates for these sides (specifically the fruit since the rest of the dish was quite oily) Both dishes were delicious but not outstanding. The crispy spring roll was absolutely delicious and came out nice and hot. read more
6 months ago
Pros: -they have a good selection of vegan items here, which is why we chose this location Cons: -although we ordered at the same time, our food came out at such different times. I was done eating my food before someone else in our group even got their order (which we had to check on because it was taking so long). It seemed like they kept bringing out one dish at a time and we had a group of 5. -the service took a very long time. We kept waiting for our check and it seemed like our table kept getting overlooked. Other: -18 percent gratuity automatically included (probably due to our group size) read more
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More info about Sab Lai Thai Kitchen
500 5th Ave
San Diego, CA 92101
Gaslamp
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(619) 232-1801
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http://www.sablaithaikitchen.com
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Pets allowed in outdoor dining?
Yes, on the patio. ! There was a dog there when dined in June.
Do they have gluten free options?
Yes. Please inform your server of any allergy and/or special accommodation. Thank you for choosing Sab Lai.
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