I have patronized this restaurant as part of an academic group for more than 10 years. I've also eaten here on many other occasions. Until the last few years many times the party I was with were the only customers. We spent hundreds of dollars with generous tips. Today our group tried to have dinner here. I checked their website to see if they take reservations. The site said no. We arrived at the restaurant to find that all the tables were occupied or reserved. When I noted the website said no reservations the host said Oh yeah you can call. No concern for misleading information. No concern for long- term loyal customers. Etc. We spent and will continue to spend our hundreds of dollars elsewhere. read more

I visited the Library of Congress and as I was walking back to the metro I saw this place & decide to pop in for dinner. I had the Curry Panang & it was pretty good! I enjoyed the quiet & quaintness of this restaurant! I definitely recommend. Although I may have upset the waiter when I was leaving I took a photo of outside to save this place & he followed me but only said thank you goodbye. Nevertheless great place great food! read more

Talay Thai - outside of restaurant with tables and chairs - Thai Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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This is my favorite restaurant in DC. The food, drinks, staff, ownership, and fellow patrons are amazing. If you're looking for a menu recommendation, I'd go for the Chicken Pad Thai, 2 Long Islands, and 5 Miller Lites. read more

Ordered the beef pad thai and crab rangoons. Great portion size, great tasting food. Noodles were delicious and beef was delicious too. Crab Rangoons were among the best I've had read more

Took a small trip to Washington DC over the weekend and the weather was brisk. After a long 4 hour drive, my friends and I wanted something comforting and warm. We found this Thai place behind the street where we parked and the reviews online were outstanding. It is a small restaurant with outdoor dining, where we decided to eat. There were many options on the menu and we ordered fried tofu to share as an appetizer. For my entrée, I ordered fried tofu with garlic sauce. It is a fried tofu tossed in stir-fried pepper, mushrooms, scallions in a light garlic sauce and steamed broccoli as garnish on the side. I expected the fried tofu and sauce to be mixed, but the sauce was simply poured over the top. Hence it wasn't as delicious. The fried tofu itself was excellent and wanted to order more! My friends ordered drunken noodles and pad Thai. The noodles were delicious and the noodles were fresh. Overall, an average restaurant with superb customer service. read more

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Food was good but they put a forced tip of 20% and after we left that placed we started to receive fraud charges on our credit card.

Cute little spot near Capitol Hill with plenty of outdoor seating. We ordered the Musaman curry and the Sweet and Sour, which was a pineapple stir fry. Both dishes were fresh and prepared with care. Portion sizes are also relatively big for the price. The quick, attentive service and the mom & pop ambiance make this place a must try if you're in the mood for fresh Thai food! read more

The greatest little Thai place on the Hill. Great food, cheap drinks, and staff. The staff is very attentive and quick to get you another round or a food order. Will always come back for more. read more

I came here with my mom for a drink and some snacks during happy hour. The food is not exceptionally good, but okay, which was a nice surprise after reading some of the other reviews. Also, we sat inside since it was pretty hot outside, but their outside seating seemed to be popular to the locals. read more

This restaurant is right by my job and I went here with some coworkers for happy hour. It was so much fun! The service is great! The staff is very friendly and our food and drinks came out SPEEDY. The drinks... are STRONG!! I mean one drink will have you lit. The food was really great too! I had the tofu curry and wow! The tofu was so crispy, fried to perfection. The only problem is that my stomach hurt after. read more

We got Lemon Grass vegetable soup, Pad Thai chicken and Green curry with shrimp. The food was delicious and the service was quick

Thoroughly average Thai, for better or worse. It really wasn't memorable. I like that they offer duck, but be warned that some pieces will be mostly skin and/or fat. I asked for my dish "Thai spicy" and it was the most regrettably mild of any supposedly spicy dish I have ever ordered at a Thai restaurant. My girlfriend's green curry was resolutely average with less flavor than I am used to. Unfortunately there are few choices around this area if you are trying to avoid Federal cafeterias or chains. If you see food trucks parked at the corner, I highly recommend you go there instead of here. You won't hate it here, but a 3 star experience is quite likely. EDIT: Tea was out of a bag. Refill consisted of more hot water, which means tea gets weaker. Most restaurants have a hot teapot going at all times. Not Talay. read more

The food was great, the service was kind and fast. The restaurant was clean and organized.

Walking by Talay Thai, the place looks somewhat deserted. Walking into Talay Thai, you realize that you'll be dining alone or with one or two other tables. Eating at Talay Thai, none of that really matters. We met a friend here on a Sunday night a few weeks back. I ordered a glass of wine, and while they only offered a small wine selection, they made up for it with a generous pour! First, we had the Curry Puffs as an appetizer, and they were crispy and not too spicy at all. For the main meal I had sweet and sour chicken with rice. The chicken was covered with the perfect amount of sauce and the veggies were grilled with lots of flavor and spice. I really enjoyed my meal. Overall, everything I ate was delicious Thai food and I'd recommend giving Talay Thai a try! read more

Was on the Hill and googled Thai so we stopped in to find a rued host who discriminated against blacks because there were several white parties seated. The host told us there was 45 minute wait but seated two other white women and handed them menus to immediately order. He said "if you don't want to wait i suggest you go somewhere else." I really was shocked that I was denied service and treated that way. I will be reporting this to Consumer Regulatory Affairs and the BBB. Please don't patronize this app establishment. I won't be going back EVER!! read more

This place is right off Capitol house office building so you get a lot of loud douchebags that think they're more important than they really are. But for the most part I was glad to meet one of the good and down to earth people of the hill (my friend) for dinner there since it was convenient for her to get home from work since she's a new mom. The service is fast and friendly. I was initially sitting outside but the douchebags next to us were too loud so we went inside where it was quieter and we could have a good conversation. The wait staff was great and checked in on how we were doing. We ordered the drunken noodles and green curry and it was nice and spicy. We shared our meal and caught up. It was a nice, quick meal. I'd come back here for the service and quiet inside but no sure about going right after the Hill gets outta work. This place gets three stars. read more

Talay Thai - Menu - Thai Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Full Disclosure: I know absolutely nothing about Thai food. ******************************************************************************* Met a colleague for a late lunch yesterday. Hadn't been to Talay Thai in about a year. Place was packed, but didn't have to wait for a table for two. I forewent soup and went right to entrees with "pad see-ew," which, as everyone but me knows, is rice noodles, steamed broccoli, and a sweet soy sauce. Thai aficionados, connoisseurs of things Siamese, and Bangkok cognoscenti may consider this revealing of my ignorance, but rice "noodles" aren't really noodles at all. They are these one-inch square wafers of mushy, glutinous material. I'm sure that's the way they're supposed to be. I mean there's a huge picture of the His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej on the wall. Buddha knows he likes them that way. And the servers all look very Thai. I can picture them in those ornate golden Khmer-style head pieces. I just like my noodles a little more al dente. That said, the plate came out about ten minutes after the order and was steaming hot. The sauce was really flavorful, and the broccoli was crisp. They didn't chintz on the chicken which had been nicely grilled. Colleague had "drunken noodles," and judging from the fact he cleaned his platter, they must have been good. As we were getting up to leave, the servers were resetting the tables with the little vases with plastic flowers, I'm sure in anticipation of the dinner crowd. What? Lunch patrons don't deserve little plastic flowers? Next time I will try to be brave to sample something with lime juice and chilies. read more

Talay Thai - Talay Thai - Thai Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Serious veggie destination, every entree available with tofu or veg! So if you crave veg drunken noodles, order your pad kee mao exactly like that. Green or red curry, maybe massaman? Yup with tofu or vegetables, your choice. Nothing on tap, but plenty of Singha by the bottle. Cocktails extremely limited, no mixologist here, and a margarita was meh. Don't miss the mango salad, a portion for 2 is just $7, perfect level of heat, salty with crushed peanuts, devoured too fast and set my mouth aflame. Also recommend the crispy spring rolls as an app, yes they're veg too, 3 perfect rolls for $6. Tom yum soup was very good, loaded with mushrooms and seafood, solid, a bit of heat too. Holding Talay Thai back from a fifth star: the kitchen cooked our eggplant entree to mush, dangit. Friendly fast service on the quiet Monday eve when we visited. Vegetarian rating: 5 stars. In addition to the entrees you can get a fried tofu app, mango and papaya salads, or veg tom yum soup. But the tofu soup has chicken, go figure, and all the house specials are meaty too. read more

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By far not my favorite Thai place in the Area but it has things going for it. The food was pretty bland. The curry puffs were aight. They come three to an order. Just to let you know. I ordered the Ginger Lovers because I am a lover of Ginger and it didn't taste too gingery. Underwhelming. The decor was nice and the bathroom was clean. I have no complaints on the service. The tap water did taste very pipelike. That is the bad stuff, now... Location, location, location. Situated cross from the Madison Building of the Library of Congress, which is the building where you can acquire your Reading Room Card. That is a plus. It is also directly across from the Capitol South Metro, so points are given on that. I love that it is near three different parks. Folger, Garfield and the Spirit of Justice Park. I have yet to visit the Spirit of Justice Park but I will. Folger and Garfield Park aren't huge but they are nice green spaces surrounded by admirable architecture. With all that said, I like the area around Talay Thai more than Talay Thai. I guess I could have just reviewed the parks instead. read more

Talay Thai - Tofu Ginger Lovers - Thai Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

An underrated gem in the shadow of the Capitol Building. Having been here many times, it feels homey and neighborhoody - a far cry from many higher concept Thai/fusion restaurants around DC. The food is among the best tasting Thai I've found in the District - not too greasy but consistently flavorful, with a wide array of interesting options alongside the usual Thai favorites. Add to that friendly service with a smile and it constitutes a consistently good experience. Please give them your business, they deserve it! PS: We have ordered take out from this place many times and it has always been fast. read more

Visit Date: 08.13.2010 I don't know why there's all this hate for this place.. I thought the food here was good. Maybe not the best food nor at the best price (it is right next to the Capitol building), but good enough for the area. My party went in at lunchtime and ordered the chicken Pad Thai, tofu Pad See-Ew, tofu eggplant, chicken pineapple fried rice, mixed vegetables, and beef Panang curry. The Pad See-Ew was my favorite. Also, don't be too surprised if you see a Congressman or Congresswoman eating here! read more

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Just stepped off the metro and...what to eat? Immediately we saw a Mexican place and then this one. Frank didn't want to chance DC Mexican (we came from Texas, where good Tex-Mex is more than abundant and therefore plebeian), so Thai it was. The menu is pretty thorough and it took me a minute to settle. I enjoyed my red curry. Deliciously spicy, and the portions more than generous. It came with rice too; I was relieved because they had rice listed as a side. My husband got beef pad Thai and enjoyed it. He also had a ton of leftovers. I got a Thai coffee with my meal, which is strong, sweetened coffee with half and half over ice. Service was very pleasant. It really wasn't that busy in here during lunch, either. read more

First time ordering delivery from this restaurant. Reasonable amount of delivery time, but they left out 1 of the 2 main entrees we ordered. The one received, Kaprow chicken, was terrible. The small portion was fine only b/c the taste was bad. I did not re-order. read more

The food is good and affordable, but the best thing about it is how close to the house buildings it is. They also have a great happy hour and outdoor seating. read more

Delicious food - pad Thai with shrimp and basil fried rice. Very quick service. Easy walk from the Capitol.

Pretty good food. Sometimes the phone number doesn't work or their busy. So you may not be able to call. But the food is tasty. Very busy though. read more

Came here for an early dinner after some meetings in DC. The Thai curry was pretty standard, thin slices of chicken with string beans, tomatoes and potatoes in a thin, liquidy curry sauce. I got it with a glass of Thai iced tea which was also standard. I've had much better Thai food elsewhere. read more

Talay Thai - Red curry and Thai iced tea - Thai Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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the food here is to die for and the service was amazing. highly recommend if you are visiting DC

Fantastic Thai food, great drinks/happy hour, and the best service! This place is a gem and we go here all the time. They have the best Happy Hour and they are always busy, make sure to get there early. read more

Best HH in DC. Great Service and fun atmosphere. Crispy Chicken Krapow is fantastic.

Yummy yummy in my tummy. We came here because it was close and it is cheap. Good choice. I choose the plain ole lo mien but it did not disappoint and my wife choose the garlic chicken. I applaude my wife's garlic chicken and my lo mien was delicious. The spice tray that came along with the meal added appreciate variety of flavors. Word to the wise ...the curry puff might be the most delicious thing that you have never tried. read more

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I see mixed reviews about this restaurant, but I give it a big thumbs up. I am a huge fan of Thai food, and Talay Thai has contributed to that. After a visit to the Library of Congress, as we were walking back through a neighborhood towards our car, arguing about where it was parked, we realized we were hungry. We saw a few restaurants within the neighborhood and settled on the Thai place. The entrance was small and missable. We walked in and saw no one else inside. A kind woman came from the back and seated us next to the window. It was a quaint little place with subtle decor. Previously, when I had gone to Thai restaurants, I had always ordered whatever the family wanted to eat. But this time, since it was just the two of us, we decided to get two plates and try each. I ordered the Drunken Noodles because I had never tried them before and he ordered the Pineapple Chicken Fried Rice. The noodles were amazing! The fried rice was really good as well. We left happy and full! The price was moderate. All in all, I love this place. All drunken noodles will be held to this standard. read more

A staple on the Hill. The food is delicious and light. The service and prices are excellent. 3 stars is ridiculous

I have lived in DC proper for 17 years now and this place has always delivered with quality ingredients, bold spices and great service. I have eaten on location a few times and found the place charming and not too fussy. I have orders from them probably 50-100 times and have always enjoyed my food immensely and had leftovers, as they have good portions sizing. My favorite are the Kaprow, Panang and the simple pad thai. Love this place and sad I haven't reviewed it sooner. read more

I get the sense that this place survives simply because of its location and relative lack of competition. I was recently here for lunch, and my pad thai came with congealed noodles and flavorless shrimp. The service was also incredibly slow, which is not ideal for lunch on Capitol Hill. If you need a quick place to take a meeting, this location is fine especially because it's often empty compared to T-coast and Bullfeathers (for a good reason), but don't come here expecting excellent food. read more

Food was amazing! My parents who don't usually eat thai food loved it. Delivery was timely and I'm sure we'll be regulars :)

Not bad. Talay Thai is an average Americanized Thai places in the district. Their larb chicken appetizer is a standout (spicy and warm and not too heavy). Pad thai chicken was a HUGE portion and pretty decent, but nothing to go seek out. Pad sew ew is consistently good. As mentioned in other reviews, they don't skimp on the meat here., and if you get delivery, the entire box will be full with your entree. Some downers: I found their tom yum to be completely bland and not lemongrassy enough. Also, another negative, they charge extra for beef/pork v. chicken. I understand for seafood, or giving a discount on vegetarian, but pork? Really? I guess with their proximity to the Capitol, I can't really expect much from this place. Also, this place gets slammed post-Nationals game. I guess the secret is out that the District isn't really that big of a place, and that Capitol Hill is easier to get to to avoid the post-game green line ridiculousness. read more

Despite a dozen or so perfectly okay takeout experiences with Talay Thai over the two years I've lived in Navy Yard, I am officially never patronizing this restaurant again based on the astonishingly rude service I just received from a sullen staff member in a yellow shirt who begrudgingly permitted me to pay for my dinner when I came to pick it up. I called in my order around 9:15pm as I was wrapping up a late night at work and when I arrived at 9:45 pm on my way home, the following exchange occurred: Me: Hi, I'm here to pick up an order I called in. Sullen jerk behind the counter: [gives me a sideways glance and shuffles over to register mumbling under his breath] Me: Sorry, what was that? Sullen jerk: [mumble, mumble]...closed out...[scowling] Me: [thinking he's saying he closed out my tab and maybe my order never went through] Is something wrong? I called in around quarter past nine. Sullen jerk: [still not making eye contact] I closed down the computer because you took so long! Me: ...aren't you open until 10pm? Sullen jerk: [now openly glaring at me] You took 45 minutes to get here. Me: No, I called at 9:15. I thought you were open until 10. It's 9:45. Sullen jerk: [does not speak to me for 30 seconds, then barks at me] $31.74! [runs my card and then puts it on the counter with my receipt and food three feet away from me before walking away, clearly furious over having had to endure the 2.5 minutes it took to reboot a computer and swipe a credit card during business hours] Apologetic-looking busboy at the door: Have a nice night [while pushing my receipt and a pen toward me for me to sign]. Just wow. Not that I expect to be anyone's favorite customer 15 minutes before closing, but if you want to shut down your computer and stop working at 9:30, then either don't offer takeout after 9pm or close your f***ing restaurant at a time before which you can manage not to be a terrible human being. Even if I had shown up at 9:59 I would never have expected to be yelled at for "taking so long" while in the process of handing over my money to a business. Are you kidding me? In the interest of fairness I'm adding a second star because I've never had an issue with the delivery service, and the food is fine. However, it's definitely not good enough to make up for what is almost definitely the worst service experience of my life. I don't care if every other employee is normal, I'd rather pay twice as much at Kruba than spend any amount of money at a restaurant that keeps someone like that on payroll to manage the front of house. Let's just hope he's preparing for an audition to reprise the role of the Soup Nazi in a Seinfeld revival. read more

3.25 stars. Like the grand majority of Thai restaurants in DC proper, Talay Thai is a mixed bag. On my premiere visit, I ordered tom yum soup, tofu with eggplant, and green curry chicken. The tom yum soup had a rich tomato flavor similar to the South Indian soup "resam". Quarter slices of tomato and three plump shrimp simmered in a broth flavored mostly with tomato and pepper. I may have detected a minimal lemongrass flavor as well. The tofu with eggplant, generally basted with basil, was easily the best dish. The tofu had nice consistency (firm exterior and not too chewy center) and meshed well with the purple eggplant. The green curry with chicken was disappointing. Green curry paste, green beans, and bamboo shoots all seemed to have come from a can. Why were green beans present anyway? Weird. The spices had not mixed well with the coconut milk base. The chicken was overcooked. The best part was the red bell pepper thrown into the curry. I would avoid this dish on subsequent visits. The individual who took my delivery order was cordial and patient. Food showed up about 30 minutes after I ordered it. If I'm in the mood for vegetarian Thai while I am at home, I would order from here again. read more

Went out to lunch here with a friend who works on the Hill. We dined on a Wednesday afternoon, around 1pm, and found the place not too full - we were able to grab a table inside, though we could have easily opted for an outside seat. After being seated it took a little while for the server to come - we had decided what we wanted to order before we saw someone, and so drinks and food were ordered in one fell swoop. Upon ordering, however, we waited only seconds after our drinks were placed on our table before the food arrived - it really couldn't have been more than ten minutes between ordering and our food showing up! I ordered the Panang curry with chicken, my fear of the two chili peppers on the menu winning out over the enticement of green curry ( two peppers indicating that it was REALLY spicy, as opposed to the one pepper option that the panang curry possesses). It was a decent sized portion - I was famished before lunch and finished everything, though in other circumstances I would have likely required a small to-go bag. The curry really wasn't that spicy, after all, and it consisted basically of chicken and curry sauce/soup atop a really generous bed of lemongrass. I would have liked to have eaten more peppers or other vegetables but the menu rightly explained that there wasn't more to the dish than what I received. My entree was $7.95, and I had a refillable soda for $2 - which, upon reflection, is an awesome deal for lunch on the Hill. Bypass the soft drink and one could easily eat for $10, and Thai food beats the regular sandwich or salad combination anyday. read more