Interior / Exterior
They're located in a tiny strip mall across the street from Cobb Hospital on Austell Rd. (they're next door to McDonald's). Not their fault - but the parking lot in front of their storefront is riddled with huge, deep potholes - so be very careful.
The interior is very VERY small. While I was there a young couple came in and placed an order and sat to wait. The way the 'dining room' is configured - they had to sit - staring forward - at me while I ate - it was very weird. I felt like I was in a performance art piece.
Two coworkers arrived before I finished up and they were seated close enough to me that if I wanted to, I could extend my arm and touch the shoulder of the woman at the next table.
I didn't see the Health Inspection score and I didn't check out the restrooms. (I used my hand sanitizer table-side.) My water glass was a little worse for wear (see pic) but the place seemed fairly clean.
Customer Service
Sasi (pronounced Sossi not Saucy - lol) was very sweet and accommodating but she is the owner, hostess, server, food runner and she takes phone orders. This made her somewhat forgetful.
Food (see pics)
My food was just 'ok.'
My pineapple fried rice with chicken - that I asked to be made 'medium spicy' was mild and had very little chicken. (No stars deducted for this. I've come to accept the fact that ALL restaurants seem to be tightening their proverbial belts and those pre-Covid, gut-busting portions of meat that were good for 2 or more meals are are thing of the past.) Instead of several small pineapple tidbits, there were 4 medium sized pineapple chunks so it was hard to get that 'perfect bite.' Also, in my experience, pineapple fried rice is typically sweet overall. Theirs is not.
My snapper (sauce on the side) was super 'fishy' and tough. Red snapper is typically a mild fish - this was so strong I was not able to enjoy it. And oddly enough - it was cold. I tried it as soon as she brought it to the table and it was cool - as though it had been sitting out for 30 or 40 minutes in very chilly room. Or as though it had been cooked, refrigerated, then pulled from the fridge to remove the chill. Now I'm wondering if they pre-cook the fish, then heat in the sauce, but because I asked for the sauce on the side, the had no way of easily heating my fish? On a positive note, I loved the presentation of this entrée - especially the literally-fish-shaped blue & white platter it was served on - and the vegetables were steamed to the perfect consistency.
Sidenote - I typically ask for sauces on the side everywhere I go, not for any dietary or caloric reasons, but simply because I know I'm not going to be able to eat my meal in its entirety and re-heating my food without the sauce, later, is just so much easier.
My pad see-ew was pretty good - a little mushy - but flavorful.
Value
Since the pandemic - and supply chain issues - everything seems pricier than usual to me. Lol. And I haven't eaten Thai food in a while. I will say that I'm used to Thai restaurants including salad or soup with your entrée and Thai of Austell does not. Also - there is a 3% upcharge for using your debit or credit card which I find really odd in this day and age when hardly anyone still uses cash.
Overall
A few minutes into my dining experience, I remembered that Matthew and I had dined here once, YEARS ago and our experience wasn't great. Now that I've been back a second time - I think it's safe to say that this spot isn't for me. Sasi is lovely but overwhelmed and the food didn't blow me away. And the space is too tiny (bordering on claustrophobic) for anyone to have a normal conversation during peak dining hours. I think they're an ok choice for carryout or delivery - as long as you stick to the basics like pad see-ew. read more