I've had their cart food for lunch and thought it was pretty good. After reading all the great reviews, we were even more excited to try the restaurant. Boy were we disappointed! First time we went, the place was deserted (not surprising, this place is a hole in the wall on Dixwell Ave). The fresh spring rolls were great (plump, fresh, tasty), but the Pho noodle soup and Tom yum seafood noodle soup both sucked!! The broth for the Pho was a murky brown and tasted like boiled meat (not fragrant, light, and clear like it's supposed to be). Plus, the beef slices were thick chucks of roughly chopped stir-fry beef and not the thin (sukiyaki thin) beef slices as it's supposed to be. The tom yum noodle soup was awful too - it was way too sweet, not spicy, and not acidic, and most of all didn't have the distinct tom yum flavor; the noodles weren't even the correct kind of rice noodles (they used pad thai noodles instead, and they were half melted in the broth). It was disgusting. We went back tonight for take-out to give them a second try. Well, after coming home, we found a hair in our massaman curry chicken (which had about 2 cups of soupy curry with maybe 5 slices of chicken). The spicy basil chicken was swimming in a red soup that tasted like old tomatoes (I had to pour out all the soup to make the dish even slightly palatable). The drunken noodles with tofu/veggies was barely passable. Gave this place 2 tries, and won't be going back. Any of the other Thai places downtown will be waaaay better. Too bad b/c it's close to our place and the waitress who was there both times we went was nice. read more

If I had to describe this place in one word it would be DISMAL. So shock at these high ratings! Thai Awesome seemed like it was going to be an obvious winner for me; between the fact that it had tremendous reviews, I love thai, and I was starving when I went, this should have been a no-brainer. I ordered the Salmon Garlic ($16.99) described in their menu as fried to perfection and topped with fried garlic, served with fresh vegetable; I also added brown rice to my order (+$1.50). Fried fish and garlic, who could possibly mess that up? Right? WRONG! The poor fish was fried to the point of no return; it was a dry, crunchy, flavorless wreck smeared in garlic. I simply couldn't finish it. To make matters worse, the rice was soggy. To their credit, they were friendly, offering me water while I waited for my take order. But that was no compensation, friendly service does not a good meal make,Thai Awesome was my thai nightmare. read more

Had a Pad Thai itch that had to be scratched. Came in & placed my order and was offered some nice hot tea while waiting, hit the spot since it was cold & windy outside. Very tasty, a bit sweet, came with one slice of lime. Next time I'll ask for a few more slices, but put a little soy sauce on & the dish was gobbled right down, nothing left for lunch tomorrow, sigh. read more

We have been to this thai restaurant twice and loved it both times. The first time was for my son's birthday. The portions were all large and very tasty. I also thought it was very reasonably priced. The wait staff was very friendly. We loved the lemongrass tofu dish. The red curry was extremely spicy and I'm someone that likes spice! The pineapple rice was good, but probably could have been a bit more flavorful. The waitress surprised my son with a free dessert for his birthday which was so sweet! We took friends from out of town the second time. It was equally delicious. The lemongrass tofu was still our favorite, but we also really enjoyed the Bangkok tofu and the massaman curry. We asked for the drunken noodles to be less spicy and they ended up with not much flavor. Getting the spice level right is our only challenge here. The wait staff was again very nice. We will return and will try their food cart - now if only they could get a bigger parking lot! read more

I've gotten take out from Thai Awesome a few time and every time it's been, well, awesome! I've never sat down and eaten in but the inside seems very cozy and comfortable. The girl who takes the orders is super nice and very friendly. I've had a bunch of different items from curry to Pad Thai and everything is delicious! The food is really light and not too greasy which can sometimes be commonplace in Asian food. Thai Awesome proves that you don't have to drive to New Haven to get great Thai food. read more

This place hands down has some of the best thai food ever! It's such a little gem. It may not look like much from the outside but they say don't judge a book by its cover! My friend and I split the Pad Thai and Cashew Chicken. Everything, including the service, was incred. read more

We used to eat here every few weeks (takeaway). However, last time we ordered, which was in early 2010 (to be fair), there was mouse poop in our rice. We've never gone back and never will. read more

I just ordered and picked up some spicy pad thai, my go-to dish for new Thai restaurants as its very simple composition provides a pretty solid baseline for comparing one establishment to another. This is some of the worst pad thai I have ever had. The noodles are greasy, rubbery, and of very low quality. The chicken is in very large pieces, obviously reheated as the noodles were cooked, chewy and largely flavorless. The very few vegetables are too old and were also obviously pre-cooked and reheated for the dish. The crushed peanuts couldn't have filled more than a teaspoon. And the "spice" is practically nonexistent. This bland, unappetizing plate of food will keep me from returning to Thai Awesome at any point in the future. read more

i had driven by here a ton of times and the sign made me chuckle, i thought they must really think a lot of themselves to call their restaurant awesome... and then i saw all the great reviews on here and we decided to check it out while shopping in the area. the yelp sticker on the door was a good sign too! there was snow on the side of the road, so parking on street was impossible - and the parking lot here is super-tiny. it was ok though since we were there at a sort of in-between meal time and there was nobody in the parking lot or restaurant. starting out - the waitress was very nice and quick to take our order, our tofu triangles came up pretty quick - the portion size was pretty large for an appetizer compared to other thai places around, but the tofu wasnt very warm or crisp - and was kind of disappointing. we had a tofu/veg masaman curry that was good - the spice level was a little on the low and subtle side, but was still on the verge of pretty near awesome - the vegetables were nice and fresh and crisp - they really love their wave cutting knives here, all the veg had crinkle cuts.. we also had a tofu/veg rama - nice steamed veg and fried tofu (the same tofu from the triangles app) with a great peanut sauce. overall the curries were very good. i also had a thai iced tea which was super and sweet, as always .. yum. if we are ever back in the area we will stop in again and give some other dishes a shot but i dont see driving much out of my way for thai awesome .. we are lucky to have some thai places near home that exceed this "awesome" .. read more

We've been several times and just haven't enjoyed it- the pad thai has consistently been way too sweet (had been hoping that we first just caught an off night...). The staff have consistently been friendly, though. read more

I had lunch here solo today. Several people came in and picked up take-out and a woman came in solo and dined. That was from 12 to almost 1PM. The place is somewhat small and a big refrigerator hums in the back corner. The ceiling fans are very ornate with carved wooded leaves for blades. It is not a bad atmosphere though, just not real fancy. They had some kind of soft music droning. Reminded me of techno music for Buddhist monks. I ordered a glass of pinot noir. They have a decent but limited wine list and a few beers. I ordered dumplings. These were good, but not unusually so. The menu says shrimp and chicken. These were pork and chicken. The ol' switcheroo! I did not realize this till looking at the to-go menu later. I thought the sauce sweeter than most places. I was not offered any other condiments. I then had Dancing Squid, a hot dish (because it had two asterisks). The waitress asked my if I liked it and if it was too hot. It wasn't. The dish was pretty good. I think the squid could have been fresher. The dish had juliened carrot, which were pretty, bell pepper, onion, mushrooms, green peas and basil leaves on top. The dish was supposed to have scallions and instead it had regular white onion. #2, not per menu. The chili sauce was a little thick and syrupy for my liking. It came with fresh, white rice. The meal was average fare, but the service was very adequate. Lunch was $24. This is on par with Bangkok Garden or the Rice Pot. I might go back, but The Terrace is a block or so away and I consider it much better and the best in the area. read more

Had a great lunch at Thai Awesome! The place is fabulous. The lady and I braved the snow in a zip car and managed to find our way through traffic into the empty little parking lot. The restaurant was deserted but really nicely decorated (and with cheesy but adorable Valentine's Day stuff everywhere). The waitress, the only other person we saw during our time there, was incredibly nice and friendly. And the food was beyond good. We were starving and ordered a ton - the Thai Awesome app sampler, som tum (green papaya salad), veg & tofu panang curry, and the drunken noodle "lunch combo" which came with a green salad, a spring roll, and tom yum soup for like $7. The highlights, for me, were the fish cakes on the app sampler which were well fried and extremely flavourful, the som tum which was fresh and spicy, and the panang curry which was incredibly savory and a good contrast to the sweet sauces that came with the apps. The portions were big, and the best part was that this giant meal for 2 came out to like $30. Wish I had a car so I could go there more often. Highlight recommend, A+++, would lunch again. read more

Yummy lunch. Parking is terrible but worth the hassle. We were the only people in here and the food came out one dish at a time. There were 6 of use and the first one served was almost done by the time the last person's food came out. read more

Super friendly environment! I ordered drunken noodles and chicken pad thai. I love that the noodles were not super oily. Food was extra yummy. Will come again read more

Yum! We moved from San Diego, where they have pretty good thai food, so I was worried about my options in Hamden. Luckily, I work @ yale and tried Thai Awesome for lunch at their cart and loved it. Went back here with the hubby, and it was even better when made fresh. I got the massaman curry, which is excellent. It's like a peanut sauce/curry hybrid. The curry itself isn't too thick, but has great depth of flavor. I also got a side of sticky rice that was tasty, and their thai iced tea is yummy. Great place, and reasonably priced too! read more

I regularly eat at Thai restaurants but this was one of the best choice to go and hangout. I like the place and great ambiance. I have ordered Drunken noodles and path Thai which are so delicious. Great day and awesome food.Love it read more

Visiting from the Bay Area where Thai food is a strength, I consider myself a pretty tough critic. Thai Awesome lived up to its name! The toughest part will be not passing the restaurant if you are driving down Dixwell as it is a total hole in the wall. Don't let me mislead you though... The inside is actually very nice. The service was great and most importantly, the food was fantastic! Me and my friend were both extremely happy with what we had. I went for lunch and the prices were very reasonable - lunch for two with drinks and tip came to $23. Thai Awesome gets 5 stars! read more

I got the yellow curry. Portions were very generous, but the curry was very bland and watery. Tasted more like soup broth than curry.

I don't know what happened but once the name changed, so did their food. It's completely different. My husband and I always got our classic favorites. We got them again in Thai smile and the flavor and ingredients are so odd. Tomatoes in Drunken Noodles? I'm so disappointed. All the good places in Hamden have closed down or turned around. Time to search for a new place unfortunately. read more

Thai Awesome is the best Thai place around the New Haven part of CT. Stellar service and extra yummy food, consistently. The Tom Yum Goong soup is extra tasty with fresh shrimp. We usually get drunken noodles and curry (red or green), both the best we've had around here. read more

If, like me, you divide your time between New York City and Vermont, just eat one meal at Thai Awesome and you will agree with me that this establishment serves as the perfect rest stop meal between these two destinations, the latter of which is sorely lacking when it comes to Thai food. I've only been to Thai Awesome once -- so far -- but liked what I ordered: tom kha soup, summer rolls, pad siew, and panang curry with steamed tofu. Pretty standard order, but far from standard quality. Totally tubular! read more

Great restaurant and food. Price is reasonable. Service is prompt, but we are the only guests in the restaurant, but there were a lot of pick up for take outs. I am not from Thai, so may not know what authentic Thai food tastes, but this place is delicious regardless. read more

Very ordinary. Not a lot of flavor. It is better than another local Thai restaurant I've tried.

So far, So good!! I never got real Thai foods like this before. :-)

Disgusting. Found hairs in my food. Owner didn't seem to care he took 5 hours to return my call. He'd refund my money but I had to come to him. Horrible customer service and unsanitary! Avoid!!!! Update he gave me back my 6 bucks, and offered to give me more of his unsanitary food that had hairs in it. When I said no, but I'd like the money for my trouble he refused. He likes to put hair in your food, not make up for it, and doesn't care if you are inconvenienced. He admitted to that his workers don't wear hair nets. If you don't mind that they don't follow health codes and dish out terrible service with hair then this is the place for you. read more

I was so pleasantly surprised today by the delicious meal I picked up for takeout! I ordered the Garlic vegetables entree with tofu. All the vegetables were so fresh and perfectly cooked. The sauce was light and delicious. So happy that I decided to stop in! I recommend this as the best Thai in Hamden, that's for sure! read more

This is a great little Thai restaurant. The food is delicious and inexpensive. I particularly like their basil fried rice, and my husband loves their red curry. It's quiet and the staff are friendly and unobtrusive. My only real complaint is the lack of parking. There are only about two "spots" in front of the building, and sometimes someone will block you in. Otherwise you have to park on Dixwell Ave or a side street. read more

I love Thai Awesome. The food is consistently good and prices are reasonable. Best to go here on off times though because it is very small inside and there is no parking. In fact, I am only giving it 4 stars because parking here is a nightmare and I have actually given up and gone elsewhere because of the parking situation. read more

Great food. Great service , they are very fast with food. Bad parking. The jungle curry is amazing l.

Thai Awesome is NOT very awesome. Prices are great but service and especially the food has taken a turn for the worse. We use to visit Thai Awesome frequently when we first moved to Hamden 2 years ago but since then the quality of food has declined. We went in for lunch today and the waitress failed to tell us that before 3pm they only serve lunch portions. The chicken smelled so bad like it was old and pulled out of the freezer. We ordered a veg soup which smelled like fish and literally tasted like the waitress strained the fish out of it. After telling her i didn't like it she still charged me for it.. I only took two sips. Needless to say I will not be returning. read more

Stopped here for lunch on the way to Boston last month. Right off the parkway. Parking is an issue, but not awful. It's not fancy or pretentious, just a small place with great food based on an amazingly good (and huge) lunch I had. Soup, salad, vegetable spring roll, and drunken noodles that are second only to those at Somewhere in Bangkok in Southington....a close second. Pleasant surprise! read more

Since I started coming here in my college days I haven't stopped. This spot is always quality and friendly service. A hole in the wall that does it right on many levels. Never had a bad experience. read more

Love the pad Thai! Love the service, even though we always take out. One of our families regular places to go.

I loved this place! its cute, convenient , and super inexpensive! We ordered two apps the spring rolls and the fried tofu and both were great sized portions and delicous! I had the pineapple fried rice and were more than accommodating when i ordered it without egg. It was so good I loved the textures and the sweet and slight spiciness! we ordered the fried ice cream and still had cash left! I would recommend this place for sit down or take out! read more

Friends have been recommending Thai Awesome and I finally went there for lunch last week. The food is delicious and well prepared. The four of us had the "box" lunches which included soup, fresh roll, salad and entree. One of us had red curry, another cashew nuts with chicken and two had pad thai. Everything was great and we will definitely return for lunch and dinner. read more

Always great with fresh, delicious Thai food. This is a small, quaint restaurant with a very nice vibe. Never a rush. Everything I have tried has been terrific but I am a big fan of pad woonsen, glass noodles. Also, their Tom Yum Goong, and especially the Tom Yum Noodle, are amazing. All the curry dishes rock, too. You just can't go wrong here! read more

cashew nut wasn't very good... vegetables were not cooked at all. basically raw. Not much flavor overall.

Very friendly and serving just about the best thai food I have found anywhere. The curry is amazing. I love the pineapple fried rice. It's all great. read more

We are takeout regulars at this little thai restaurant. The food is better than anything else you will have in new haven. You'll be satisfied with the regular items like shrimp pad thai and the drunken noodle. If you want to be a little for adventurous I would suggest on of the whole fish or the Thai beef salad. It is a nice and clean family owed operation. Parking however can be fairly difficult considering that they don't have an actual parking lot. I would definitely tell you though to give this place a try! read more

Terrific Thai. Drunken noodles were excellent and Tofu and Eggplant was very tasty. Very small and hard to park. Go early. Also they have take out. read more