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The Pad Thai Stand

4.3 (485 reviews)
ModerateThai
Closed 11:00 am - 2:00 pm, 4:00 PM - 11:00 PM

Order The Pad Thai Stand Takeout or Delivery

The Pad Thai Stand Photos

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THE PAD THAI STAND ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Moderate noise
Dogs allowed
Outdoor seating

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Menu
Nicole M.

Came here recently and got the central flavor and it was delicious! Once everything was mixed together, it was the perfect sauciness and the noodles had a really nice, bouncy texture. I'd love to come here again!

Menu
Ann H.

When a restaurant makes only 1 item, it better be the gosh darn best there is and that is exactly what the Pad Thai here is like. You have to eat it there unless you live really close because it'll become a block of noodles if you wait. The menu is simple- consisting of 4 flavors, proteins and spice levels. The pad Thai is made fresh to order- the order comes piping hot with all the aromas and such a mouthy bite. They normally only have 1, sometimes 2 employees working so it does take a minute to get your order if it's busy. There are about four tables in the seating area (outdoor seating with covered top), first come first served. It's not fancy but definitely the best pad Thai in San Diego.

Southern Style
Noel E.

Food is good! Menu is simple enough, choose style of noodles, spiciness, and protein. I ordered Northern and my wife got Southern. Both were really good . Mine was medium spicy but maybe too spicy for other people. All outdoor seating, approximately 20 people We also got their Iced Tea both were good

Christine B.

With the highly rated reviews we wanted to give this spot a try, but to our surprise, it was quite disappointing. We ordered two pad Thai dishes to try: the Northern style, and the Southern style. As you can see from the picture, both of them lack in color & flavor. The pad Thai noodles stuck together since they were quite dry & not saucey in the slightest. I have definitely had much better pad Thai at other Thai restaurants. I do like the concept of choosing your style of flavor from different regions of Thailand, but I feel that they the missed mark on the actual flavorful of pad Thai.

Southern (Chai-Ya)  Old Style (Boran) Northern (Chiang-Mai)
Linette R.

The Pad Thai here is very decent! With different styles from different parts of Thailand. We got the Southern, Northern and old style. And they were all very good! The service was good but teller ambiance is nice to sit for a bit and then take it to go.

Johnny Q.

Love this place . Had Chang Mai with chicken and vegetables. Very hot . Great food. Highly recommended

Southern (Chai-Ya) with Tofu
Iliana M.

I've been coming here for pad thai for the past 3 years and it always hits the spot! I do think it's best to eat it there when it's fresh. A little hole in the wall with only outdoor seating. The first time I came here the owner happened to be working and helped explain the menu to me! You get to choose from Southern, Northern, Central, or Old Style (Boran), each having a unique different flavor! You can also pick your protein(s) and spice level.

Brian P.

The service was nice and helped me with ordering here for the first time. My order was the central extra spicy. For 15 dollars the serving is pretty nice and will make you full. My only complaint is that the chicken was a bit dry. Would come again to try other styles.

Northern (Chiang-Mai) Chicken Pad Thai
Mia Y.

How has no one mentioned the service... rude to be frank. The girl at the front and who took my order was direct and nice enough however... I got medium spice which is more sweet than spicy and half bean sprouts although we called in and requested for none. Our order was repeated to us too. Chicken is like dry scraps. I'll give it to them for generous portion but it's safe to say I won't be returning

Northern (Chiang-Mai)
Erica C.

It was fine. I remember coming here a couple of years ago and thinking that it was really good, but it was on the bland side today. It was lacking color and I was hoping that it tasted better than it looked, but it just fell flat. I'm not sure if Thursday nights have a different chef compared to weekends but I don't think I'll be coming back. I'll stick to getting my pad thai at Koon Thai probably. Thai tea was nothing special; tastes a little watered down. There is a parking lot and some seating available. Ask the staff if you need to use their restroom.

Central (Bangkok) Style Pad Thai
Cassandra K.

Sometimes, I deliver food with DoorDash in the Clairemont/Kearny Mesa area. One night, I delivered plate after plate of tantalizingly-delicious-smelling Pad Thai from the Pad Thai Stand and thought, "Dang, this place is so popular that I'll have to come back and try it for myself." Today, I finally treated myself to my own order. The Pad Thai Stand is tucked away in suburban Clairemont on Ashford and Beagle. Not only do they embody the "hole-in-the-wall," stereotype, but they are also a shining example of a restaurant only having one dish, but doing it exceptionally well. They have four styles of Pad Thai: Northern (Chiang-Mai), Central (Bangkok), Southern (Chai-Ya), and Old Style (Boran). Each order of Pad Thai can be ordered with chicken, veggies, tofu, or shrimp. For $2 more, you can order the Pad Thai with the vegetarian/vegan ayutthaya sauce. They also appear to have gluten-friendly options on the menu. I opted for the Central (Bangkok) style this time around and ordered it with chicken, peanuts, and scallions. I absolutely DEMOLISHED this plate. Pad Thai sauce is typically made with tamarind, fish sauce, oyster sauce, and brown sugar, but The Pad Thai Stand's sauce has additional layers of umami that leads me to believe that they blend in some dried shrimp as well. The bean sprouts and lime served alongside provide a welcome, bright fresh crunch. This is easily the best, freshest, serving of Pad Thai noodles I've ever had. I can't wait to go back and try the other styles!

Laura M.

Tried this place cause it popped up as the closest to me after class. It literally is just a stand with Pad Thai options of proteins and sauces based on regions. I got the original. It was really good as far as I remembered. The noodles were a little too al dented for me though. But the spice was right on the spot& the sauce was tangy and sour. I think I have to try it again to see if I like it like that. Lol.

Pad Central (Bangkok)
Christine M.

Preface this by saying, we are Pad Thai snobs. LOL My husband is Thai, we owned a Thai restaurant, so I WILL SAY IT PROUD. we are snobs in Thai food lol. We had high hopes for this spot. We have gone back 3 days in a row just to give them a chance/ eat it correctly. Each time has been late night..after 9pm ish, never busy. Do recommend calling in, since they take awhile/it's never quite ready even when you get there. But! more reason to open up that box so it doesn't dry out. First time - we ordered the central (classic/basic) and northern (peanut-y flavor). Both medium spicy. even for my Thai husband. DONT RUIN YOUR TASTEBUDS, stick with MILD or NO SPICE. lol besides being extra spicy, sadly we ate this back at the hotel...which was like 10 mins away? And the color on both pad thais were disappointing. It looked dry and not enough sauce. We definitely recommend getting shrimp and adding dried shrimp and sweet radish. It wasn't badddd, but the noodles clumped up way too quick. second time - decided to give them another try. only ordered the classic pad thai, no spice, shrimp, dried shrimp and radish. MUCH better. we did open it in the car to eat, so that we could try it fresh to see if that made a different. It wasss saucier, a little on the sweeter side, but the lime helped cut it. but much more satisfied, and one of the better pad thais we've had. third time - we decided to give the old style (boran) a try. one of the workers remembered me, LOL and we chatted. I mentioned my last visits, and he made an effort to make this one saucier LOL. and indeed it tasted good. I will say one of the better, best? pad thais we've had ever. We agreed with another review that sometimes it's a gamble. and we gambled 3 times before confirming that they're good. LOL if anything, they're cool folks, who do take suggestions, and if you happen to like your pad thai a certain way, I think you should let them know. a no frills spot, definitely feels like you're in Thailand in a little shop, lol. We recommend it to friends.

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1 month ago

Be prepared for the staff to take their sweet time and make them selves food before they make your order.

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