I love Thai Time! I was so happy when I found this little amazing nugget in a random shopping center. I recently moved to El Cajon and I was missing my Thai Food places that were readily available in North Park until I came across this gem. The spicy level is incredible! I loved the Thai Ice Tea that was not too sweet. The price was reasonable, and I really liked the portions. Totally worth a trip! Everyone was very friendly! The parking is super easy too. The food is well worth it, and if you like spicy food you are in the right place! read more

Place was busy but we got there before the crowd and long wait. Food was good and not over priced. The wait staff attentive and quick. Waiter got our appetizer order wrong but fixed it right away. read more

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Amazing restaurant!! It was our 1st time here!!! And its amazing!!! Amazing flavor and spices!! Love this place!! This is our new favorite restaurant!! read more

Thai Time - Amazing!! - Thai Near Me - El Cajon, California

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How have I not written a review about this place yet? LOVE IT HERE! I was always a little sad when I lived closer to the beach because I couldn't frequent this place as much but now I live within delivery distance?? Let's sum it up quick and easy - Food Amazing. I haven't had a bad dish yet. Pretty sure I won't have one, either. Customer Service Awesome. They are always so nice and (not surprisingly) remember me for being a regular. Even the cooks in the back always welcome you with a smile. Dine-In Only complaint is I wish it was bigger. I hope that if one of their neighbors goes away, they will expand. Delivery Surprisingly quick for being a place so small. Super sweet delivery driver too! Eat here, you will not be disappointed. read more

Extremely small space for dinner or for waiting for takeout which is what I did. Very nice people running the place. The food was excellent. Authentic. Be aware of the spiciness. I said I wanted it a little spicy. Let's just say their "a little" and mine are vastly different. On fire! But good. Going back for sure. read more

Tried this place for the first time cause its close too home . Everything tastes the same. The yellow curry, Penang curry was super oily on the top a ton of red oil and super watery. Tofu appetizer was very dry. Beef dish.... same veggies. Not that hot and spicy for an 8. I so dislike giving a bad review. I will give it one More chance and hopefully change stars than. read more

Tried this place twice. The first time I ordered four Pad Thai for a party my friends were hosting. We all loved it and the whole tray was gone. I should have bought more. The biggest highlight was when the lady at the counter had told me that they made Som Tum Lao Style. For those not familiar, its the papaya salad made with fermented crab, shrimp and fish to give it a pungent taste. It's much different from the tradition thai style Som Tum and not a lot of restaurants make it. I would assume because not everyone is accustomed to the fish taste. I give four stars only because I asked for medium spicy and the Som Tum wasn't very spicy. I had to add three small thai chilis I have at home to the dish. :) Thai Tea was amazing. Very sweet! read more

I found this gem of a restaurant by chance, & have since then been a faithful customer! The portions are awesome, and the food tastes even better. What's even better is that they deliver! By far my fav thai place around. P.s. I recommend the seafood pad ped! It's phenomenal!! read more

Food was amazing. We had spicy noodle, green curry, hit basil. All were perfect and even the beef was tender for 38.80. Minor gripes. Please get a soda machine and remove the tails of shrimp. Why do restaurants do that?!?! read more

My girlfriend and I has been going here for atleast 3 years now... It has consistently impressed and satisfied!!! She gets the Spicy Noodles (#9 hot level), and it truly is HOT!!!! Some places claim that their food is "Hot", but this place DELIVERS!!!! Amazing food, pretty good service (they could keep up on their drink refills), food comes out extremely fast, and an exceptional value for the price. Come Mon-Fri for their lunch specials... High-Five Thai Time, keep up the GREAT work!!!!! read more

Very good food and very expensive the wait staff is rude but it's worth it, it's also very cramped space so hope u don't have claustrophobia. read more

Found myself on the way home from the airport in El Cajon with a Thai craving. After checking for Thai on my route, Thai Time was my choice. I arrived about 12:15 PM to a 3/4 full house. Folks were enjoying themselves, their food and conversation. Seated before the door was shut and water and menu presented within 10 seconds... Placed my order, lunch special Pad Thai, soup, salad and spring rolls. I asked if the lunch salad could be replaced with Som Tom, and was told that was not an offering, but I could add a regular order of Som Tom for $5.95, a dollar off the regular price. Color me impressed, I added the Som Tom at 11 spicy (5 makes my nose run, 8 makes my forehead sweat and 10 brings tears to my eyes) and asked if it could be served before the lunch special. Decor is nothing remarkable. Clean tables, floors, and the artwork must be dusted regularly. Overall, good enough. Som Tom arrived. It was a 3 for spicy, so I asked the waiter for some chile and a lime wedge. Both appeared quickly. Portion was decently sized, about a cup, Someone in the kitchen apparently mis-read my order, because I was presented with Pad See Iew. I let the waiter know, he looked at the check, and apologized for the mistake. He asked if I wanted to send it back and wait for the Pad Thai. I said I would enjoy the Pad Thai next time. The soup was very nice, a small bit of warmth to start with a fair sprinkling of diced vegetables. The spring rolls were very fresh, appealing in that they seemed to be prepared fresh, not cooked from frozen. The house salad, because of the Som Tom, was nothing out of the ordinary. As for the Pad See Iew, the vegetables (broccoli, carrots and garlic) were cooked to perfection. The noodles, though, were just to the point of over-cooked; rubbery, and as they started to cool, getting more so. Maybe the challenge was that I ordered a full salad before my lunch? Flavors were quite nice...just have to adjust the timing to enjoy everything at its best. 4.5 if I could... read more

This was my first Thai Time. The food was really tasty. I selected the PANAG curry with Mock Chicken (Tofu) and a spice level of 3. The Lunch plate consisted of a veggy soup, wonton, spring-role, and salad. What a great deal for 6.95 plus tax. Overall, the place is small but it is inviting. The staff was very friendly. I received service without wait at 12 Noon. Definitely come back here again. I ask if they could make the curry with portobello mushrooms which would add a bit more taste than the mock chicken. Apparently, this is possible and I will try it again. Good Job. Joe read more

I did enjoy the atmosphere, very nice dining room. Food was OK and presentation was really nice. I was a bit taken back that they did not ask about spice level so therefore there was no spice at all. The biggest reason I give a two instead of a 3 is because once the we signed for our bill the waitress turned immediately back to us and asked "if there was something wrong since there was no tip left ". (We were paying cash) BUT SERIOUSLY??? Asking for a tip is absolutely class-less and for this reason we won't be back, read more

Worst fried rice I've ever had. Totally over cooked rice which made the whole dish soggy and there was no scrambled egg.. The red curry was super runny and had an off putting smell. There are better Thai spots in El Cajon, will not return. read more

Low meh. The noodles were over cocked to a point they melted in your mouth. The yellow curry wasn't that flavorful as expected. The duck was very dry although recommended by the waiter. The Thai tea was too milky and the coconut ice cream was hard as a rock (too cold) and kind of tasteless after letting it thaw a little. Prices are OK, service was friendly. Nope, not a 4.5 stars restaurant ... far from that. My two stars are a bit severe (maybe a three) but really, no hype. I have not found a decent restaurant East of La Mesa (of any kind, in three years!) even if Yelpers rave about some. I guess the restaurant reviews must be weighted by the location ... it would make the process more accurate! read more

Ordered the pad Thai. Bad flavor. Paid $15 for lunch, apparently you have to say you want the lunch portion If you order even if it's lunch time, maybe ask Which portion we are ordering vs assuming we want the bigger more expensive plate that I didn't even finish. :( totally disappointed. What a waste of money read more

This is my go to place for Thai food! The place may be small, but the service is above and beyond the normal. The staff are very friendly and make you feel at home. The food is excellent and worth the price. If you don't feel like leaving the house.....they deliver! read more

I used to love this place, and living in El Cajon it was the spot for Thai food. Sadly, the customer service has been lacking. Just yesterday I called in an order to pick up on my way to work, and was given an estimated time between 10-15 min, so i decided to wait the 15 minutes then left. I live about 10 minutes from here, so by the time I arrive it's been about 25 minutes. Instead of telling me my order is not ready, they tell me it will be a few moments, so I pay and begin to wait. After about another 10 minutes, I unfortunately had to ask them for my money back, while they continue to tell me it's almost done. I don't mind if it get's busy and the order can't get completed, but to lie to me and cause me to be late to work and on an empty stomach is just disrespectful in my opinion. I will be taking my business elsewhere in the future. read more

Good Thai food. First time to order the pad see ew. Loved it. Spicy level 3. Good enough for me.

Excellent food. Friendly wait staff and delicious thai food. The tapioca dessert was a sweet surprise I wasn't expecting.

Pros: Plenty of menu items, very delicios food, friendly staff. Cons: Long wait time. I visited this restaurant for the first time on a monday afternoon. The restaurant itself is very small with a lot of beautiful gold decor. The restaurant didnt seem to busy at this time, there were 3 tables waiting for their order. Waitress took our orders and brought our drinks quickly and seemed very friendly. We ordered the spring rolls and spicy fried rice w/chicken. Orders took a while to come out, it seemed as if they were bombarded with phone orders they received.However it was worth the wait because the food was delicious!The food was definetly fresh, it came out steaming hot, and it was plated beautifully. We were a little dissapointed because our food came out seprately and it was taking too long to wait for the other plate to eat it all together, therefore we were done with our rolls by the time we received our rice. I would definetly try this place out again, they had many other options on the menu I would like to try!! read more

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Best Thai place in East County hands down. My family has been going here for years, and always great, consistent food. Get the mango rice for dessert! read more

I love this place because the food was delicious and fresh . Shop clean and look nice for Thai style . I happy and will come back

This is by far the BEST thai restaurant i've ever had. That is a huge statement coming from me since i adore thai food. I've previously worked at a thai restaurant for about two years, and have tried almost every thai restaurant i've ever lived around. Thai Time in el cajon has the most delicious food overall. At most places, i can find a particular dish or type of dish that they're particularly great at, but every dish i've tried here is mouth watering. The soft shell crab curry is amazing, it is literally three whole soft shell crabs covered in curry sauce with onions, broccoli and carrots. The spicy noodles or the pad see ew are both just delicious with roast duck and the bbq chicken is my best friend's favorite dish hands down. The service is the best around. The owner is the nicest lady and she's there serving every day (that i've eaten there) so you know you're getting the best service. They always have a variety of beer and good thai tea. I usually order the sticky rice and mango, but i prefer sticky rice with coconut ice cream (personal thing), and since i've requested it a few times the owner is picking up some thai coconut ice cream for my visit this week. I live in the clairemont area so it's not a super close drive for me, but it's always worth it to make a drive to el cajon for thai time. The only negative thing i can think of is that they're closed on sundays, they should be open every day of the week! read more

I love this place! First time coming here couple months ago and I took my mom and grandma with me who never had thai food. I love their service...very friendly. I ordered Pad Thai Noodles, Tofu Fried Rice, Satay? Chicken, and Salad. I would say it's Top4 on my ThaiFood Resto list. My mom and grandma loved the noodles and satay chicken. :)) I also took two of my friends who never had Thai food and they definitely loved it!!! We're actually going back today for lunch! Lol. The only problem I see is how narrow the place is...need bigger space so more people can dine in. :) read more

Not but favorite but has worked for me when others are closed or when I'm to far from them except for tonight . I order one of the speciality plates 25min before it was about to close, bad choice ..Could be my fault but the plate was not cooked and I lemongrass sticks just thrown in my roasted duck #43.. I wish I just went to taco shop or subway I should of known the order would be rushed .. funny thing was my boyfriend wanted jack in the box so I had to go there after I grabbed my food .. I love 5min away I called my order in and arrived in let's say 6mi. The order was already ready ...! FAST I thought now as I order from jack I noticed this was taking longer then it took to get my meal. When my meal was a actually meal and not fast food .. I'm convinced my boyfriend food was more fresh and put together then mines .. shit happens just stick to what you know and don't order late ! read more

My favorite East County Asian restaurant!! I can't wait until we can sit down to eat our meals, but the takeout is very good too. I am particularly fond of the papaya salad and the fresh rolls. The garlic pepper pork belly s quite tasty and the two salmon dishes are also good. read more

I like their timely service. The good was good the spicy noodles at first were a ni go but my husban loves them so I gave them a second try and needless to say it was worth the chance read more

I love this place! I eat here every week or two and it's always great. Let's face it, most Thai places in San Diego have similar tasting curries, varying only in the content and amount of vegetables. The curries at Thai Time come loaded with yummy veggies. You won't go wrong with either yellow, massamam, or panang curry. The true stars however are the garlic pepper shrimp and the praram. The shrimp comes spicy, hot, and sweet, and served in a savory sauce over cabbage. The praram looks like a gooey mess of peanut sauce, and it is, but man is it delicious. For the adventurous eater, the crystal noodle salad is an experience to be remembered; mint, chili, lime, and prawns...awesome. The salmon cashew is also worthwhile. Lastly, all the soups are made with a vegetable broth; so veggie types can enjoy them too. The restaurant is run by a cute Thai lady who will remember you if you come by often enough. Enjoy! read more

Loved this place!!! When we don't have time to cook, we sometimes order from this place for take out. Their portion for their price point is excellent. You got tons of stuff. They could use more meat in the dishes instead of tons of veggies. But we love their sauces, and especially, their papaya salad! Depends on your spicy index, it could burn which is what we like! Overall, great food!!! This is the only thai food take out place we have been ordering from for the last 2.5 years. read more

This place was great! I got the lunch special yellow curry with chicken. It was well seasoned and came with a cream cheese wonton, egg roll, steamed rice and little simple iceberg salad with a peanut dressing. The wonton was very crisp and light, not oily at all and tasted great. I also ordered an iced Thai tea with boba and it was perfect. I will be coming back for sure! The place was also very clean, the restroom was immaculate. read more

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my FAVORITE place to get food in el cajon The chicken pad thai is to die for, don't go for higher than a 5 for spiciness, get extra on the side or add your own siracha at home! The staff is very nice and the portions are huge(i could eat 2 though) I'm obsessed with this place. If you go here for lunch the lunch special brings you a huge portion, an eggroll, and a rangoon. The only downfall is if you take it to go you don't get as much as you would if you ate in, but then again its about a dollar cheaper! Drunken noodles are good too! read more

Able to accommodate my gluten free needs, very friendly service, lovely decor. Will certainly return! read more

Thai Time - Gluten free pad see iew - Thai Near Me - El Cajon, California

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This place is amazing . No need for a long speech food is great and the owners are wonderful.... Aneisa read more

So delicious. Friendly service. Very clean. Highly recommend. Love it! Will continue having dinner or lunch.

Their website offers free delivery within 2 mile radius on orders more than $20 but after placing an order they told me only dine in or pick up. I ordered a Large Tom Kha soup with Shrimp and am disappointed to come home to have chicken. read more

I have never gotten anything from them that wasn't good. Literally the best Thai restaurant around. The flavor is consistent every time.

Love their pad Thai , summer rolls, Tom kha soul-it's al very delicious. They are a small and cozy restaurant with great food and service!

My mom and I found this delicious little Thai place. Lunch and spring rolls are way too much food. It will be dinner also. I recommend!