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    Sam Phao Thai Cuisine

    3.9 (346 reviews)
    ModerateThai, Bars, Noodles
    Open 11:30 am - 9:15 pm

    Order Sam Phao Thai Cuisine Takeout or Delivery

    Sam Phao Thai Cuisine Photos

    Business Info

    SAM PHAO THAI CUISINE ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Recommended Reviews - Sam Phao Thai Cuisine

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    Yellow Curry with chicken
    Don D.

    Sam Phao is a must try. The red curry w/chicken was amazing. Medium spice with plenty of chicken, there is no reason to get extra meat. Our waiter was nice as she ensured we had drinks and answered questions about the food. However, the ice ran out and there was no ask for any more ice. The coke was provided in a can. The ambiance of the restaurant was basic. It should be remodeled to be more modernized as well as the restroom. Be prepared because the restaurant is very small allowing an intimate experience.

    Massaman Curry
    Jess S.

    Great food, great service. We found this spot on a food delivery app and stopped by for takeout. And we kept coming back. The Massaman and Panang curries are delicious. DC - you're spoiled. It is hard to find Thai this good. Even though they'd be closed by the time our food was ready, they took the time to make it for us. There's a reason this is a Door Dash favorite. The team is great, works fast, and takes care of you. Definitely worth a try, especially if you are vegan or have food allergies.

    DON C.

    Came here on a whim for a quick bite to eat, during a short lunch break....and received a surprise of unexpected goodness! Sam Rhao Thai is an unassuming and small but the service is fantastic and everything I ordered taste authentic, full of flavor. The menu is full and has great variety, including your standards like Pad Thai, Pad See Ew and a selection of curry dishes. The ambiance is small, quaint and inviting. There is a bar and they have a great drink selection as well. Not to mention the portions were good and the price point is on the lower-end for typical or similar Asian fare in the Old Town Alexandria -- which can be expensive. During my stop here, I tried the: * Poh Tak ($7.99) - Super delicious lemongrass broth, with a combination seafood shrimp, squid, and mussel cooked in Thai style spicy broth. The sour lemongrass broth along with basil leaves, and Thai herbs elevated this dish with a nice kick and punch. * Sleepy Shrimp ($8.95) - Memorable appetizer of shrimp seasoned with Thai spices and ginger, wrapped with spring roll skins, and crispy fried. Served with sweet and sour sauce. It was pretty good. Pad Pak ($12.50) - Definitely a thumbs up! The entire dish was delicious and the portions was more than enough to share. Sautéed with mixed vegetables napa cabbage, broccoli, carrot, and baby corn in light brown sauce....the flavors and spices were all up in there! I ordered it "Thai Spicy" with beef & shrimp....and the kitchen did not disappoint. Overall, I definitely recommend. The service was great and the food is delicious. Where most Thai restaurants serve mild to bland flavored dishes even when you asked for a spicy, this is it the case at Sam Rhao Thai. My mouth and tastebuds were in "Inferno Bliss" with each bite. lol I would come back without hesitation. Great place!

    Tom Kar Pad Thai with Chicken and Thai tea
    Sarah Z.

    First time came here for dinner. We were working around the town and saw this restaurant. The price wasn't too pricey not like other Thai restaurants that is near to the river. The food is big enough for 1 person it was more than other restaurants. The service was very nice. We just have to wait for few mins longer. There was only one server on that day. She was very nice and friendly. It was nice atmosphere. Food and drinks are great. If you go visit Old Town Alexandria I think this is best place for Thai food.

    Spring rolls
    Natalie E.

    Delicious Thai place in Old Town! Affordable and very tasty. The green and the panang curries were perfectly balanced...bright yet indulgently rich with coconut milk. Tender chicken and beef, fresh Thai basil. The spring rolls were fried to a golden brown and came out hot but not greasy. Very tasty filling as well. Yum. The service was excellent! Friendly, prompt, and accurate.

    two plates of food
    Billy R.

    Amazing Thai! They really have authentic Thai with friendly service. Nested in a gorgeous city outside of DC what a great price for amazing Thai food.

    Calamari
    Agnes D.

    Calamari was very tasty, the batter they use was good. I must say it's on my top list as far as calamari. The green curry was really good as well! The sauce wasn't thick which was my preference. It definitely has a kick to it but highly recommended. Service was just ok, our food came out kinda slow....

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    5 months ago

    Food was excellent, service was friendly and quick. Especially loved the yellow curry. Good prices as well. Will definitely come again

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    6 months ago

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    1 year ago

    Wonderful Thai food. Really enjoyed our delicious lunch. Two levels. Very old-school.

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    3 years ago

    The portions of the food were great. It was very delicious and worth the money. The ambience is nice and they serve the food pretty fast

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    Page 1 of 9

    Ask the Community - Sam Phao Thai Cuisine

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    3.5(715 reviews)
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    Very great service and delicious food, servers always nice and welcoming. Drinks are very good and…read moreplates always look 10/10

    When you are looking for something you like to have but is a bit different than before, it is best…read moreto take a look and consider a new place to explore. For us, we were talking to an artist in the Torpedo Art Studio in Old Town Alexandria, admiring the work he did. It got then we started talking about lunch as he was from Hong Kong. He mentioned we go across the street and try something he liked as it was something he would have back home. So, taking his advice we walked across the street and went to Mai Thai. It was a good suggestion. We went in and had a seat. Our waitress (a wonderful woman from Guam) gave some advice and we to some time to think. In the end we decided to start with Spring Rolls. This is the freshest sliced roll of crispy veggie combinations of lettuce, celery, mixed veggies wrapped in a thin wrap and served with a sweet and sour dipping sauce. It was truly fresh and tasty. The dipping sauce was unique and made this worth a meal by itself. Then, being a cold day outside, soup seemed to be a good thing for lunch. We selected some traditional bowls of soup. First was TOM KA. It was a combination of vegetables and tofu in a coconut broth with mushrooms and fresh herbs. The soup had a tint of white. It was light and tasty. It was at a room temperature which is the way you have soup in Thailand. It was refreshing and light. Next we had TOM YUM. This is a combination made from slices of chicken in a lemongrass soup with fresh mushrooms, cilantro, scallions, galangal, kaffir-lime leaves, and Thai spices. The broth was light and traditional. If you wanted more spice our hostess brought it to you. Again, this was the way I had it when I was working in the rural areas of Thailand. Nothing fancy. Nothing simple. It was true home cooking that was served to you in a method truly Thai. The lunch was simple, but the way you would eat in Thailand. The taste and flavor was what to expect. The team is wonderful and friendly. The price was fine. It was good to find Mai Thai. And maybe being told about it from an artists does make it true to say that "Art is in the eye (and mouth) of the beholder."

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    Union Sandwich - It's peanut butter and jelly for Bill Lewis of Vero Beach, Florida.

    Union Sandwich

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    A fantastic sandwich location. I love a good sandwich!…read more I was able to place an order for pick up just before I got on the train to head back. Brilliant! I will definitely for this again on my next trip. I ordered a BLT on multigrain, and a PBJ w/honey drizzle on sourdough. The PBJ is off the kids menu. I'll ask for extra peanut butter and jelly so it's to my liking. I couldn't tell if there was honey on it, it could have been. The BLT was fantastic. I loved that it was not oiled high with all the ingredients. A simple sandwich. It fit the bill and didn't over fill me. A true classic. The multi grain bread was the best! I need to find out where that is from. It was that good. I hope I'm able to try the tuna fish and the egg salad sandwiches sometime they look delish! The staff were quiet, but got the job done. There is a small bar like area to eat in, and outdoor tables in a covered area to enjoy your sandwich.

    Great little sandwich shop!…read more It's very popular at noontime. I took a break from my 4 hour long painting class upstairs in the Torpedo Factory to snag a bite. My timing was good, because I arrived right before a work group of maybe 10 people or so came into place their orders. In addition to a substantive sandwich menu, which includes both hot and cold sandwiches, there's plenty of beverage (including wine) and snack selections. Wearing an oil paint-smudged apron (FYI: the reality is that you're still going to get paint on your clothes even wearing an apron), I aptly ordered the Torpedo Artist. The Torpedo Artist is a hot Panini-like sandwich. You can select your type of meat, cheese and toppings. By default it includes lettuce, sweet peppers and deli oil. My sandwich was well-crafted with plenty of turkey and Swiss cheese. However, I didn't especially like this sandwich. I wish I had asked them to hold the deli oil because it was overly pungent with oregano. All I could taste in my sandwich was oregano. But older and wiser now, I know in the future that if I have them hold the deli oil, I'll end up with a great and tasty sandwich.

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    Sam Phao Thai Cuisine - thai - Updated May 2026

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