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Sala Thai

4.1 (529 reviews)
ModerateThai, Noodles, Soup
Closed • 11:00 am - 3:00 pm, 4:30 PM - 9:30 PM
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SALA THAI ATMOSPHERE

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

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Recommended Reviews - Sala Thai

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Beef pho
Namtan A.

I'm visiting from San Francisco and was craving a warm bowl of noodles, so I decided to stop by. It's a Thai restaurant, but they also serve pho. Overall, the flavor was pretty good, and the sliced beef was tender. The stewed beef was a little chewy, and the noodles were slightly undercooked for my preference. Still, it was nice to have a comforting bowl of Asian food while traveling. The staff were friendly and the overall experience was pleasant.

Thai tea with coconut milk
Christine J.

Came to Sala Thai on a Friday night around 8:30pm. It was a short walk to the restaurant from the hotel. We were seated right away at a booth. Loved the decorations inside, especially the cute flower lamp shades hanging above seats. Order the Thai Ice Tea and if you don't like half & half like I do, they have coconut milk as an option! We ordered a large Tom Kha with mixed veggies + a side of rice. We got extra mushrooms which is our favorite! would definitely come back if I was craving Thai Food and needed a place for a quick dinner while visiting Santa Cruz.

Tom Yum
Kayson T.

My friend is vegetarian and there were many vegetarian options available here! The food was surprisingly QUITE good (dare I say... best Thai food in the area), coming from someone from LA. Flavor were strong and as a meat lover, I still loved all the vegetarian options they had. Interior is also beautiful and super cozy. Service was very friendly too. I HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend a visit if you're looking for Thai food!

Peanut Dish
Lilith F.

A really cute, reliable local thai spot. This place is an absolute go to in Santa cruz. Their pumpkin curry is amazing, they have a solid collection of stir fry noodle options, mango sticky rice, and even pho. The inside decor is super cute too, with a faux thai roof overhanging part of the seating. Service is always efficient and friendly. Word to the wise: If you get the Papaya Salad, get it with no spice at all! I am a person who can handle spice, even visiting Thailand I got really spicy dishes and enjoyed them, but the medium spicy on the papaya salad was really overpowering, leaning to unpleasant. All in all, absolutely recommend as a date spot with with some XL singhas!

Family style- Pineapple Fried Rice, Tom Yum (Pot), Pad See-Ew, Pad Thai Noodles, Yellow Curry, Papaya Salad
Liann A.

Ordered via DoorDash while staying in Santa Cruz for bachelorette. We under estimated the spice when people wanted medium, I probably should have ordered some mild items. But everything was SO good! We got papaya salad, to yum with prawns, pad se ew with beef, pad Thai with seafood, yellow curry with chicken, pineapple fried rice with mixed vegetables, and a jasmine rice to eat with the curry. We devoured it, our order came fresh, quickly and hot. The flavor was there and pretty authentic. Service was quick as we ordered via DoorDash and it came timely.

"Tom yum"

Everything was terrible. Spring rolls were just flour and water tiny bits of cabbage and carrot. Tom yum was disgusting-not tom yum by any means

The best papaya salad
Vicky C.

Great Thai restaurant with delicious food, a lovely atmosphere, and excellent service!

Pad Kee-Mao with Chicken
Austin S.

Sala Thai was fantastic to dine at! The pad kee mao had the perfect amount of heat and the vegetables in it were very nicely cooked. Highly recommend.

Pad See-Ew Papaya Salad
Serena N.

Loved the ambiance! We got the Pad See-Ew and Papaya Salad and both were delicious :)

Red curry, drunken noodles, iced tea and vegetarian chow noodles
Simran K.

We had a great experience here! As vegetarians, we were happy to find plenty of delicious vegetarian options on the menu. The food was fresh and flavorful, and our server was friendly, attentive, and provided excellent service. We'll definitely be back!

Pad Thai Prawns
Sabrina N.

So good! I ordered the pad Thai with prawns it was delicious. The crab ragoons are so good as well, nice and crispy and a good size. Tried some pangang with salmon curry that was also delicious with the perfect amount of spice. Totally coming back again!

Panang Curry with chicken
Annie T.

Mmmmm mmmmmm good! I mean, mm mm GREAT! I've gotten takeout from Sala Thai numerous times with my teen and adult kids who also love Thai food. And today, we dined in, and we were happily rejoicing in the warm customer service (ie, quick seating, prompt ordering, water refilling, table checking). No one seemed rushed and everyone was courteous, even though there was a CONSTANT STREAM OF CUSTOMERS on a Sunday night, all the way til a few minutes before closing. I was astonished how busy they were, when other food establishments will show a trickle of fewer customers as it gets closer to closing time or close their kitchen an hour early. Not Sala Thai. It was clear people in Santa Cruz County and the vicinity know how good the food is here, like we do! Check out my photos! If only you can taste what we tasted. Our tummies were soooo happy! We hope Sala will stay here for a long time and never change their menu or way of doing business. In terms of ambiance, Sala is more of a cozy, warmly decorated restaurant than a fancy, overly-ornate Thai place like some I've seen. I appreciate the high ceiling and wood beams. The multiple items hanging off the ceiling makes the venue feel like a Thai restaurant in Santa Cruz... which it is. Haha. So it is perfect.

Matt V.

Had a great experience here! Our waiter was super friendly and helpful, making the whole visit feel welcoming from start to finish. The decor is absolutely beautiful--every detail is thoughtfully designed, even up to the intricate ceiling work. Food-wise, the Pad See Ew was delicious. The noodles were perfectly cooked, still had a nice chew while being tender and soft. The meat was a bit on the tougher side, but the flavor made up for it. The roti was quite oily, but the thin, translucent layers gave it that satisfying, flaky texture you want. If you're into heat, be sure to ask for it spicier..this isn't traditional Thai spice level by default, but they can turn it up if you're up for the challenge.

Panang Salmon Curry

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1 month ago

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1 month ago

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29 days ago

Food is good, but inconsistent with flavor. The fried rice and soup is Amazing. The quantity is pretty good as well

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3 months ago

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3 months ago

Love the papaya salad, they had quick service here. The interior of the restaurant was welcoming

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6 months ago

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5 months ago

Love the green house feeling at this place. Good food and service... wish they had boba in Thai tea though.

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6 months ago

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25 days ago

Food is always great here. Very good service every time I come and we really like the atmosphere.

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4 months ago

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3 months ago

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3 months ago

Very good food!! Great if you want Asian food in Santa Cruz :). Service is quick and very nice interior as well.

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Real Thai Kitchen - 27. Seafood Combination Tom Kha Soup

Real Thai Kitchen

3.9(600 reviews)
0.6 mi
•$$

Shouts out to Ratana Bowden, the owner such a sweet and hospitable young lady! She greeted me and…read moremy daughter with open arms. She sat down with us and talked me through some of their specials and about the restaurants history, we happened to stop by on their 14th anniversary! The ambiance is homey, warm and a perfect spot to sit down and dine. Now on to the food, we started with the shrimp rolls and the chicken potstickers. They both held a crispy exterior and a juicy interior and paired well with the sweet chili and soy vinaigrette sauce respectfully and washed that all down with a cold creamy and refreshing Thai iced tea. We then were presented the Grilled Beef salad which was my personal favorite, the beef was seared to perfection, tender and the citrusy, sweet vinaigrette it was tossed in along side the vegetables and herbs gave my tastebuds a memorable experience. The next up the old fashioned Pad Thai, now my ONLY gripe with Pad Thai Is how sweet it can be, what I learned today is the OLD FASHION way is the same ingredients minus the sweetness....ill never order pad Thai the same. It's exactly what my taste buds crave when thinking pad thai...top tier! The Chicken Satay was the perfect combination of smoky and juicy and paired well with the peanut sauce. The tangerine chicken was bright, citrusy and crispy! Whole meal and experience was a 100/10. If you're in the Santa Cruz area and looking for a good sit down home style meal different from the carnival food stop by here! It's a 10 minute drive from the boardwalk.

Had dinner here with my son…read more.. Pros- we were seated pretty fast. There's a parking lot, shared, but still a big lot. They didn't skimp on shrimp for the Phad Thai, 6 decent sized shrimp in the dish. Service was fine. Cons- food was ok. Curry was one color, sauce and ingredients... normally there's carrots in yellow curry, so it's not one dimension, not here. Yellow curry was, yellow! Taste wise, it was the best dish, but I missed the carrots. The grilled beef salad had extremely overcooked beef in it, that was a bummer. Will try other Thai places in Santa Cruz... don't believe we will come back.

Photos
Real Thai Kitchen - Pad 66. Phad See Ew 8. Crab Rangoon 19. Trout In the Jungle Kao Soi

Pad 66. Phad See Ew 8. Crab Rangoon 19. Trout In the Jungle Kao Soi

Real Thai Kitchen - 63. Old Fashioned Phad Thai

63. Old Fashioned Phad Thai

Real Thai Kitchen - Exterior

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Exterior

Thai Basil - Best Thai Spring Roll in town! Deeeelish!!

Thai Basil

4.1(361 reviews)
3.8 mi
•$$

This little family-owned and operated restaurant has some of the best Thai food I've ever had (and…read moreI've had a decent amount)! I've been here a couple of times and have always sat in their outside patio because of my dog. The servers (who I believe are the owner's children) are very kind and hardworking. They check on us often throughout our meal and even offer to bring a bowl of water for my dog. One of the times I've been here was with a large group (about 8-10 people) and although I'm sure we overwhelmed the restaurant with our large party size, they were incredibly accommodating! I've been able to try several different dishes, and they've were all absolutely delicious! They offer all the classic dishes (pad Thai, pad see ew, yellow/green/red curries, fried rice) and even some not as well-known dishes that are definitely worth trying (curry noodle aka khao soi, spicy noodles aka pad kee mao/drunken noodles, mussaman curry). All the food is bursting with flavor, reasonably priced, of good quality, and cooked perfectly. They have signage outside addressing complaints over long wait times which is sad to see because 1) I've never had to wait an unreasonable amount of time for my food even when I went with a large group, 2) they very obviously have a small kitchen and only one chef, and 3) everything is fresh and made to order. I'd be more hesitant and skeptical if my food came out within a few minutes. If you're ever in Capitola/Capitola Beach or even in the Santa Cruz area, this place is worth it!

My cousin and family were visiting from Jalisco Mexico. They never had Thai food, and were nervous…read morewhen I describe the dishes we were going to eat, but once they had the first bite all I hear was mm, mmmm, mm..they also really like the Thai tea. We sat out side cause we had our fur baby Hero in his stroller. It was so hot, but luckily we were able to get roller shades to keep cool. My daughter doesn't eat any meat and this restaurant had veggie dishes. The service was awesome, and the food was 10/10! This restaurant made it possible for my cousins family to now be open to trying new food dishes

Photos
Thai Basil - Ambience

Ambience

Thai Basil - Pineapple curry. Excellent and a must try!

Pineapple curry. Excellent and a must try!

Thai Basil - Crispy Egg Roll and cream cheese wontons.  Win win

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Crispy Egg Roll and cream cheese wontons. Win win

Star of Siam - Eggplant salad

Star of Siam

4.1(352 reviews)
3.5 mi
•$$

It's one of the best feelings to visit a place you remember fondly from so many years ago and find…read morethat it's still just as great. My husband and I opted to have Thai food for dinner after arriving in Santa Cruz and dropping off our stuff at the hotel. Having been to Star of Siam many times when I was in college, I suggested we go there. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the interior had been renovated to be more open and modern, but still maintaining the same homey and charming feeling of a locally owned spot. We ordered red curry and drunken noodles with roti and rice on the side. The service was wonderful, with our orders arriving steaming hot out of the kitchen and smelling incredible! I'm happy to report that everything tasted as good as it looked and smelled. We were absolutely stuffed by the end of the meal, but it was so delicious that we just didn't want to stop eating. I'll always recommend Star of Siam to anyone in the Santa Cruz area! It's great for either dining in or ordering to go.

Star of Siam is a favorite for over 20 years. The recent remodel is great and the food and service…read morehas always been spectacular! The Mango Fish and Chicken Eggplant are my usual go to items. I highly recommend checking out this wonderful restaurant for anyone that have not had an experience. Thanks for the years of birthday celebrations, gatherings with friends and week nights not having to cook at home. Best regards, Darrell T.

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Star of Siam - New Interior

New Interior

Star of Siam - Soupbowl with heat

Soupbowl with heat

Star of Siam - New Interior

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New Interior

Bangkok West - 48. Salmon Fish with Mango Sauce

Bangkok West

4.0(348 reviews)
4.9 mi
•$$

A true neighborhood treasure in Aptos…read more Bangkok West has been our family's go-to kitchen every couple of weeks since we moved here five years ago. Running continuously under the same dedicated owner for over 35 years, this restaurant is a masterclass in culinary consistency, warmth, and resilience. The atmosphere is stunning--adorned with handcrafted gilded Thai woodwork and warm ambient light that instantly makes you feel welcome. The hospitality matches the setting: the owner regularly stops by each table to greet guests, and the staff knows our tastes so well that we often just ask them to surprise us. Every dish is crafted with obvious care. The aromatic hotpot soups, rich and balanced curries, fresh rolls, and savory crispy roasted duck are absolute standouts. Even through recent supply crunches, the team has worked tirelessly to keep quality high and prices fair. Note for diners during the ongoing Highway 1 roadwork: Don't let the ramp closures deter you--it takes just a minute to navigate around the detour, and a meal here is worth every bit of the short detour. Support this incredible family-run gem!

Wahhhhh!!! Thai food is one of my favorite cuisines EVER, and I love supporting a mom and pop…read moreshop. However, the prices have gone up and the exact same dishes I've gotten every time I'm there are inconsistently made that I just can't justify going unfortunately. This recent meal consisted of 2 noodle dishes (one with tofu, one with chicken), a small appetizer, and one tea. There were NO specials, no seafood, no alcohol, no desserts. It was over $70! The worst part wasn't the price. It was that the dishes we ordered didn't taste right. For example, the Pad Thai had the right sauce but had different veggies in it as if it was blended with another dish. And the Pad See Ew noodles were overcooked, thin and limp. My daughter and I usually finish everything, but instead we couldn't eat even a quarter of the dishes. Consistency is important, and so is value, especially in this economy. Sorry, Bangkok West. Your dining room and garden are really cool though.

Photos
Bangkok West - Mood

Mood

Bangkok West - 3. Veggie Fresh Spring Roll

3. Veggie Fresh Spring Roll

Bangkok West - 29. Pineapple Fried Rice

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29. Pineapple Fried Rice

Betty Noodles

Betty Noodles

3.7(190 reviews)
0.4 mi
•$$
Locally owned & operated
Established in 2012

My wife and I have been coming here for awhile. Betty Noodle has its pros and cons. I tend to order…read morethe curry noodle dish, which is amazing, salt n pepper wings are fire. But the soup dumplings stuck to the paper n you lost all the juice and the service is alright... I left I had to flag our server down for everything including to pay. The food and service could be a bit better, but we know what we're getting into when stopping by. Oh and If you're picky about water mark utensils and cups... just expect it might look a bit dirty which is why I use chopsticks and order a canned drink.

We love Betty noodles! They are reasonably priced and delicious! A nice selection of Chinese soups…read moreand dishes keeps us coming back! Some highlights are the schezwan fried tofu, so good! Wok fried tofu triangles are slightly firmer on the outside and softer on the inside, but they hold the consistency drenched is a hot chili oil and onion sauce. The Ma Po tofu chicken dumplings are super tasty. The dumplings are nicely cooked pot sticker style and covered in Ma Po tofu. They are a real treat. Betty's super soup is a must try. A flavorful broth and a nice variety of toppings make this a hearty meal. The super noodle soup also has noodles making it even more filling if that's what you are feeling. Besides tasty food they have an interesting selection of alcoholic (and not) drinks like sakes, soju, and Japanese craft beers! Definitely check these guys out! And look for Simon on the big screen!

Photos
Betty Noodles
Betty Noodles
Betty Noodles

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Sala Thai - thai - Updated October 2026

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