Thai Island is a hidden gem in my opinion! While it's located in Columbia district by all the office buildings, I feel it's sometimes overlooked due to the other many restaurants on 6th. It's a cozy restaurant with a friendly family feel with both indoor and outdoor seating (and dog-friendly). The menu isn't extensive but all of the dishes they make are fresh, great quality and delicious. Not to mention their prices are very decent and service is quick. This is on my go-to lunch spots list! read more

Thai Island - Pad see ew chicken - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

Stopped by last night for quick thai food. We decided to dine in for the full experience. Thai Island has been servicing San Diego downtown for 26 years and is family owned and operated. I believe owner (?) Lita was our server last night. She assured to check in on us at every point during our dinner. You can feel like how time stopped at this restaurant and they operate as they used to back in 2000s. Menus are very simple with very limited dishes but the most popular ones - you can get your pad thai, curries and some basic appetizers there. It also looks like the menus were typed in simple word document and just printed out. Simplicity is the key there. Restaurant does not accept tap to pay and you need to have your physical card, Zelle or cash to pay for your meal. Your check will be handwritten too! read more

2nd time here, and we decided to dine in ordering their infamous island fried rice and tom Kha. Both were amazing. My boyfriend and I were saying "yum" at every bite. We shared both dishes which was more than enough. Definitely coming back again, and again, and again. read more

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The food was good and well seasoned. I do taste the authenticity compared to other places. The seating is a bit tight so recommend to call ahead and check. We sat outside on the patio and it was a bit windy. Parking is strictly street and can be limited. The service was decent. read more

Great food and service, for sure! Very affordable authentic Thai food in the area! See updated menu as of 06.25.2026. read more

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This place is so good and so affordable!! If you're downtown, I highly recommend giving them a visit. Support local!

This place was amazing. Wonderful food, wonderful service, and just all around great. Our friend order level 10 and the spice was good, but could have been spicer, and so the server brought out more chilis and made him even happier. read more

Thai Island is the best Thai restaurant in all of San Diego. Their food is made to the highest quality and their authentic flavors are unmatched. Even with their amazing food, the prices at Thai Island are very reasonable and won't break the bank. Their curry is addicting! You can't go wrong between the red, green, or yellow curry. My wife loves their pork fried rice too. Also, they are REALLY consistent with their spice levels, we never get a randomly hot or mild dish when we order our standard 7/10 and 5/10 spiciness. The service is also always great. The restaurant is ran by a husband and wife; he does the cooking and she takes the orders and serves it! You won't be disappointed and you'll want to come back. read more

Thai Island - Green curry and pork pad see eew - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

Quality of food, portion sizes, and customer are unbeatable! The owner is super sweet and this is hands down my favorite lunch spot!

This place is so wonderful. Every time I eat there I want to go eat there again. I hav had nothing bad and I'm a Thai food loving gal from LA and OC so I know my Thai. Ma and Pa owner/operators are sweet, the prices are great for this area, like, by a lot. The quality is wonderful, it's just honey, if that makes sense. Come one come all. read more

Very yummy and generous portions for a great price! My friends got pad thai and the breaded chicken--yummy pad thai, and the breaded chicken was super crispy and flavorful, and had this amazing slightly sweet soy sauce glaze. I got the island fried rice with seafood which had a generous amount of shrimp and crab and stuff, and was super yummy! Everything was well-seasoned and service was very quick and excellent. I wish I lived closer downtown so I could get this more often. Yummy! read more

Thai Island - Yummy island fried rice - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

Small restaurant downtown SD within walking distance where we staying. Great little find as it was super reasonable pricing for the location. The owner was super sweet and friendly; she been running this restaurant for a quarter of century. We got the Tom Ka soup, Pad See Eww, Pad Thai and Sesame Chicken. All delicious, freshly made and come out in a timely manner. I thought it was so well price and delicious; we came back the next day for the lunch as to go order. I would recommend and will come back. Parking can be a challenge since it's downtown. read more

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Absolutely the best Thai food in downtown, and maybe all of San Diego? I've been everywhere and Thai Island is more delicious and affordable than the others, and the owners are so friendly and welcoming! Will come back weekly and not only because I live so close read more

We have been ordering from Thai Island for the past 4 years. The service is always exceptional ... not once has there been an error with an order And the food... Some of the best Thai food we've ever had. Tonight's order was just absolutely delicious. We had the spring rolls, green curry with chicken, and the island fried rice. Everything was perfect, and the spice level was exactly as we ordered. They never disappoint!! read more

Thai Island - Island fried rice and spring rolls. - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

All four of our entrees were delicious! And the salad was large enough to share among all four of us. A nice quiet space. Defintely recommend! read more

This place is 10 out of 10 wonderful. The food was some of the best Thai I've had anywhere in San Diego. I've been living the downtown for 10 years and I am just now finding out about this spot but it's been around for 25 years (I think she said). I met one of the owners who was very kind and told me about the restaurant, and made sure I had everything I needed before I left with my takeout. She seemed to really care about her customers asking if I had been there before, do I live close by, etc... We got chicken pad thai, drunken noodles, and yellow curry and honestly all the dishes were delicious. We got medium spicy (5) but you can go up to 10. This place doesn't taste like an average Thai place, but instead a secret recipes kind of place. The portions are big and prices are literally the best in all the area. This will be my go to Thai spot from now on even tho we live by little Italy. read more

Thai Island - Chicken Yellow Curry (spicy level 5), Chicken Drunken Noodles (SL 5), Chicken Pad Thai - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

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I've been to San Diego three times in the last month for work. I come to Thai Island every time. It's an unassuming small place with the greatest food. The prices are great and the food is fresh and delicious. read more

Best Thai food in town, ran by a husband and wife. Just know that when you walk through those doors, they're gonna take good care of you. The food is high quality, delicious, authentic, and served in generous portions. Despite how good the food is, the prices are very reasonable! The spice levels are also very consistent. My husband and I always get 7/10 and 5/10 spicy, and it's always perfect. Never randomly too hot or too mild. The restaurant is cozy with an authentic style. The service and the atmosphere will make you feel welcome! read more

The best pad Thai ever!!! So delicious and they are so nice They do close during the middle of the day heads up read more

This spot is owned and operated by husband and wife. If it's busy- it takes a j by it longer to get seated, but it's well worth it! The flavors are fabulous, and the prices are even better. They no longer have a lunch special, but their prices are so affordable that it doesn't matter. read more

Thai Island - Pad Se Ew and Gyoza. Half now and half for lunch tomorrow. - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

Looking for a restaurant near our hotel ran into Thai Island. Looks like at one time it was vibrant and popular but things appeared a bit dated. One other issue was while service was good, it seemed off no condiments were on the table. Our meal was freshly prepared and very tasty. Again, nice place but more old school. read more

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The food here is so fresh and delicious & the service was perfect! We had a great time, we'll be back soon!

Ordered door dash. Food came fast. Loved everything we tried at this spot! The red curry was rich, creamy, and had the perfect amount of heat. The veggie delight with chicken was super fresh and flavorful, with perfectly cooked veggies. And the chicken pad see ew? So good--savory, a little sweet, and packed with that classic wok-charred flavor. Great portions and everything tasted freshly made. read more

I've been coming to this fun little joint for years now. They have phenomenal food at such reasonable prices that it is a must have on anyone's "go to" list of fun eats. Their lunch specials are enormous and packed with exceptional flavour which is consistent from visit to visit. One this particular day I order chicken Pad Thai. Their sushi rolls are also a great value considering the quantity and quality of fish included. The restaurant is a cozy little gem on 7th Ave. There are 4 tables inside and 2 patio tables outside. For a dine-in visit you'll have to weave through the grid of the Gas Lamp to find a coveted parking spot. But it's worth the effort IMO. Tip: they also offer the option of calling in a pick-order and bringing your food to your car if you pull up for brief moment out front. You must stay in your car. Do not park there or you will be ticketed. read more

Thai Island - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

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Family owned business downtown. Nice Thai decor but small. Good portion sizes. Dishes tried were pad Thai, fried rice and yellow curry. All were very good. Prices were reasonable. read more

Vegan options as well. Service is great for a little restaurant. Spicy chicken fried rice was perfect. read more

Thai Island - Vegan Curry with white rice - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

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Always fantastic service hot fresh food. Get it every time I come to town. Not sure some of the other negative reviews, but this place is one of my favorite in the region. read more

The food was fairly good and service was decent. Overall a fairly decent time and meal. I left satisfied overall. I'd give it a 7.8/10 idk lol, I'm not great at ratings. Anyway, flavorful food. read more

Food is great. Service is unfriendly. If you can stomach the poor attitude of the hostess, go - and tip accordingly. read more

Thai Island - Green curry lunch special - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

Food was very good. Fried rice and green curry, both with chicken and medium heat. Owner is a cool lady, knows her business and her menu.

Wow wow!!! We live around the corner and have walked by many times. Finally tried it tonight and my goodness this place is a GEM!!! My husband literally couldn't stop raving about his Shrimp Pad See Ew while he was eating it! It was his first time trying it and boy it did not disappoint! I had Pork Pad Thai and it was sooooo good! Usually I'll have left overs but nope! Ate it all!!! Menu isn't super extensive and it doesn't need to be as this place is a small mom and pop type of place that has been there 25 years. The owner was our server and she was super nice! The value for the food vs the prices vs the taste makes this place our new favorite place in downtown!!!!! Soo glad we live 2 blocks away cause we're going back at least 2-3 times a month!!!! Id give 10 stars if I could!!! read more

Easily my favorite restaurant in San diego. I've been coming here for 15 years and have never been disappointed. Some of the kindest people, best bites, and chillest atmosphere around. Do yourself a favor and eat here three to four times a week. read more

This place is a hidden gem. The wife and I were visiting SD on a quick trip to Cali, and we found this place by chance. Its a small place run literally by a mom N pop, and they fed us some of the best Thai food we've ever had. The owner told us that business wasn't so great after COVID, so if you are in the area, and feel like some authentic Thai food, and want to help out a local, small business, go here!. You won't be disappointed. The food is excellent. read more

This 20+ year old local Thai restaurant in Downtown SD is definitely well worth your time, taste buds, and pennies! Not only is the service impeccable, but the food was out of this world DELICIOUS and inexpensive! This spot a local family business that a wife and husband operate now and I can't recommend it enough! We WILL be back! read more

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Little mom and pop shop, It's simple and usually very affordable, but their flavors are not for everyone in my opinion. I love that their lunch special is still so much food for under $12. read more

Always here for lunch! The lady and I believe her husband are always quick to have my order ready and it's always so good!! Support this business, you won't be disappointed read more

Yes, just YES! They have been around for 20+ years, same location, and for good reason. First, the hospitality shared by the purveyors of this fine establishment is so warm and wonderful. It's as if they're welcoming you into their home and sharing their favorite things with you. Second, the food. If you've never tried Thai food before, this is a good place to start. For one they know how to prepare the food well, and from my experience they are not afraid to ask questions and make recommendations. The menu isn't scary, and it has a really nice mix of favorites - though I was a little sad when I couldn't get fresh rolls...next time, you will be mine, oh yes, you will be mine. We had a sampling of sushi, along with Penang curry. The sushi was good, flavorful, and very well-priced. The curry was so yummy, and even though I elected for "Thai spicy" (10/10), it didn't light me up or make me feel as if I needed to drown the burn with copious amounts of water/rice/milk/whatever-is-available. Overall, this will be a go-to when the "what sounds good for dinner (but I don't wanna cook)" inevitably comes around again. read more

Aside from being extremely salty, the food was not great. I would equate it to being below Panda Express. at least Panda Express is edible. We probably had a few bites and couldn't get through the rest. Even the ice tea wasn't good. I guess I should've tapered my expectations of decent Thai food in a somewhat touristy area. read more

First time here with some coworkers. Right after the holiday, it was empty at lunch hour. From my coworkers' comments, it's usually packed at noon. I enjoyed my lunch a lot. The menu is expansive and very very inexpensive. My lunch was $8 that came with complimentary miso soup. It definitely was a large portion. I took some home and had lunch again the next day. House fried rice with chicken and rolls were delicious. I hope to go soon and update this to give stars. I'd like to go again when it's busy and try some noodles. read more

Thai Island - House fried rice from lunch menu - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

Best little Thai place in downtown, ran by the nicest couple in the world. They have all the regular dishes you'd expect. My favorites are the regular favorites of everyone, but their Panang curry is amazing read more