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Zen Thai

4.3 (381 reviews)
Open 10:30 am - 8:30 pm

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ZEN THAI ATMOSPHERE

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

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Recommended Reviews - Zen Thai

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Large menu
Steve A.

4 stars (really 3+ rounded up). Want to know the real scoop? Read on... **Communication: Wanted to make a reservation, called six times over two days, left voicemails, even texted. No response, ever. We went anyway for a birthday dinner and fortunately found only 2-3 other tables occupied, no reservation needed. Found street parking nearby, but you'll need to feed the meter for a couple hours even on weekends. Score: 2 out of 10 (additional reason for this score in the UPDATE below) **Atmosphere: Comfortable and relaxed inside, a bit dark and cold, some fun and slightly kitschy Thai décor. Booths are cozy, and the couch-style seating looked inviting. Check out my posted photos to get a feel for it. Score: 7 out of 10 **Food & Drinks: We shared three appetizers (Super Summer Rolls, potstickers, and crispy veggie rolls), all fresh, flavorful, and nicely plated. Accompanying sauces were very good. Unfortunately, they were all pricey, approaching the price of entrees. Appetizer Score: 8 out of 10. - Drinks were a letdown. We tried four different drinks from their $10 special list, and none impressed, they weren't good: the Long Island Thai Iced Tea was strong but harsh tasting, no curated flavor; the Thai Tea Espresso Martini was the best of the bunch but still not great, bland; the Lychee and Green Apple martinis were both overly sweet and syrupy. Drink Score: 2 out of 10. - Entrée taste redeemed the night. Red curry with chicken was rich, creamy, and perfectly spiced, a little spicy, yum. Pad Thai was balanced and satisfying with good bouncy, slightly chewy noodles. Pad Se-iew was excellent, smoky, savory, and our favorite dish. None were large portions, they were adequate size. Fortunately we had three appetizers ($35) or the three entrees ($17.50 each) wouldn't have been enough for four people to share. Score: 8 out of 10. **Service: Friendly and attentive. The second gentleman seemed like an owner, knowledgeable and engaged. The host was pleasant but couldn't explain why no one answers the phone for reservations, takeout, general info, nothing. Service Score: 8 out of 10. **Value: $140 before tip that included four not-good drinks, three apps, and three entrées: fair for the food quality and decent service, not for the cocktails and communication. With tip and parking, around $175 - $185 for four people who took no food home and left none on the table. **Overall: - Communication = poor - Atmosphere = pretty good - Drinks = not good - Apps = good - Entrées = very good - Service = very good in restaurant, worse with owner response and sharing their number is listed incorrectly online **Final: 3.25 stars, rounded up to 4 to give the benefit of the doubt. Great entrées, good food choices, friendly service, and okay ambiance, but skip the cocktails and don't bother calling their posted number ahead. Photos posted! ------UPDATE-------- The owner claims she "never received communication from me." My review history speaks for itself, thorough, fair, and honest. I called the search engine listed number (480-420-8424) three times and texted it. After reading her response, I researched further and found the number is incorrect, something the restaurant clearly knows. I even kindly called to advise it is listed incorrectly online, and their reply was, "we only use Google." What? That's not how you thank someone trying to help improve your business and correct your contact information. The wrong number appears multiple times in search listings (see attached photo). Rather than acknowledge or fix it, they deflected. More poor communication from Zen Thai. Should update rating to 3 stars to reflect the true "level of service."

Long Island Thai tea
Jamie W.

Pad see ew portions were great, and they came out quickly after ordering. The medium spice was a true medium and perfect for me. We were also there during happy hour where they have cocktails for 6.50! I tried the Long Island Thai tea, which as warned was very strong. I should have asked for lighter alcohol and more Thai tea to dilute it. But overall very convenient location to the convention center and arena downtown, and authentic Thai food. We also liked sitting on the couches which were comfortable.

Pad kee mao
Kelie E.

Literally best pad kee mao I've ever had in my entire life. I will forever be comparing Thai food to this place! It was small but very comfy and decorated cute. The staff were so great with my allergies and helped me feel safe eating Thai food (which is really very hard with peanut, sesame, and coconut allergies.)

Jie G.

We stayed in a nearby hotel and decided to give this a try. Did not disappoint! Pad Thai has decent portion and great taste. Vegetable delight (stir fried veggies) were also decent with a flavorful soy based sauce, but I wish portions could be bigger.

Pad Thai

Cute restaurant, Servers were friendly and service was quick. Thai Tea was pretty good. Shrimp Pad Thai was in need of some more shrimp but flavor was good. Pork Laab! Disappointed, skip that one. It was just sweet and sour - missing roasted rice powder, barely any herbs. Sticky Rice was robbery $3.50 for a barely a first size didn't even fill up a sauce bowl.

Ameena A.

Visited this delicious spot while in town for a conference! The only reason I have 4 and not 5 stars is only related to being a gluten free folk- if you are not gluten free, consider this restaurant 5/5 stars! I thought the ambiance of the place was super cute (even though I took my food to go), I thought the portion size of my curry was great, and it was extremely delicious. Service was also very kind. The only reason I have docked a star is because there was some back and forth about whether my dish was gluten free among the staff, so, I took a risk by eating it (even though they ultimately all agreed it was GF, it made me nervous). I would suggest a simple edit on the menu, because they said a lot of their stuff is naturally GF! It would make it easier for us, and more accessible in general for those with dietary needs :)

blanca g.

I did a google review stating I had a bad experience here. Zen Thai responded asking me to show proof the Hawaiian Fried rice is supposed to have chicken AND shrimps as I complained I only got chicken. Here you go.

Chicken drunken noodles
Petra V.

The tom yum soup is my favorite. Whenever I want something warm and comforting this is my place. It always feels warm and inviting in the restaurant and the servers are all soooo nice. The food has so much flavor and it is super good.

Noodle bowl
Jaleebi S.

I'm a fan for sure. And a regular! Zen Thai offers delicious Thai cuisine at reasonable prices right on the light rail line. I'm always greeted and seated promptly and the service is very efficient. I love the fried shrimp rolls and today I had a bowl of noodle soup that exceeded my expectations and put many of the local ramen places to shame. I love the decor! Authenticity, great food served fast and hot: downtown delivers again.

Drunken noodles
Christa M.

This placed whipped us up yummy Thai food for dinner. I ate here with my mom and sister after seeing a show nearby. We were quickly greeted, seated, and menus were given to us to look over. We ordered three entrees and one dessert. We ordered: One order of drunken noodles One order of combo fried rice One won ton soup One mango with sticky fried rice The food was all served hot. The drunken noodles were cooked perfectly and had so much flavor, they were our favorite. We also really enjoyed the mango sticky rice, it was sooooooo good. All three servers were friendly and attentive. Will be back!

Joe K.

Tasty food conveniently located within a few blocks of the convention center. Thats a good combination worth trying.

Latrice J.

I was meeting a friend who was visiting from out of town and she was staying downtown. We decided to go for a walk and found the Zen Thai Cafe! It was an early afternoon and there wasn't a crowd there which was good. We ordered Thai coffee to drink and Thai wing apps which were so good and crispy and for our entrees we ordered drunken noodles. We also ordered dessert the Fried Banana with Coconut Pineapple Ice Cream and it didn't disappoint it was sooo good. The Zen Thai Cafe was cute and cozy and I will definitely return when I'm in need of my Thai fix!

Green tea
Tia T.

We came here for lunch at 11:40 am on a Monday and they are definitely the spot for lunch. The sweet potato was really good with this peanut dipping sauce. The food came out quickly and the servers were kind. The decor is very Thai themed with the red and black influence. I love it. My drunken noodle wasn't too heavy, very flavorful and hit the spot. I will definitely be back for dinner

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2 months ago

I come here every so often never disappointed ! Their thai tea and chicken teriyaki are my favorites

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2 days ago

Excellent food and service authentic Thai with cook doing this for years. I highly recommend this Thai restaurant

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1 year ago

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20 days ago

Great food and a very nice environment. My wife who is on a clean food journey raved about her steak Thai salad. My pad see ew rocked!

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Zen Thai Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Zen Thai

Are there gluten-free options other than curry?

Yes I've had pad Thai and pad see iew here before both gluten free. I just specify when I order.

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The Sicilian Baker - Espresso & sweet ricotta in dark choc pistachio shell

The Sicilian Baker

(280 reviews)

$$

After a wonderful meal next door at The Sicilian Butcher, our waiter suggested some dessert, but…read morelittle did I know they had a whole bakery connected to the restaurant. I can't speak on the customer service as we never left our table and our waited just walked over and got what we needed. We were pretty stuffed from our massive meal, but we decided on sharing a cup of gelato just to satisfy our sweet tooth. I peeked inside as our table was right at a little walkway from the restaurant to the bakery. Gelato is just one of many things they serve here. They also have all your typical Italian desserts. Cakes like tiramisu, pastries like Italian flag cookies, cookies like Italian wedding cookies, cannolis of different varieties, and of course gelato. What was suggested to us if we wanted gelato was the hazelnut flavor. I was expecting a little cup for the 6 of us just to get a taste, but what he brought over was a massive serving. I don't know how many scoops it was or even how much we even paid, but we all got plenty with some even left behind. Now this gelato was life changing. Probably the best I've had in the states. I know it's gotta be way better in Italy, but I'll take what I can when I can. Think of a Ferrero Rocher but in gelato form. It was delicious and I couldn't get enough of it. It wasn't overly sweet and it had a little crunch with bits of chocolate and hazelnuts. My sweet tooth was extremely satisfied after having dessert here. I have literally been thinking about that gelato since I left Phoenix. Luckily this company has locations in Texas so I will definitely be seeking out this gelato soon.

As a born and raised New Yorker, I take food very seriously... and Italian pastries even more so…read more Just before Christmas, I was traveling from New Yawk (visiting my parents) back to Phoenix to attend a family dinner at my partner's parent's home in Scottsdale. While I was still in NYC with my family on XMas eve eve, it hit me... I need to bring something besides wine everytime I go to their home. Nor a Southern dish. I wanted something unapologetically New Yaek. And what's more New Yawk than a box of classic Italian cookies? After asking a few Yelp friends where to find the best Italian cookies in Phoenix, The Sicilian Baker kept coming up. I called them last minute on Christmas Eve eve, having never been there before, totally sight unseen. First of all, their voicemail is hilarious. Truly. If you do nothing else, call just to hear it. It will instantly make you want to order something. Once I reached a real person, I explained my situation, that I wouldn't be able to come in beforehand, I needed a beautiful cookie tray for about 14-16 people, and I had a few must have preferences. Without hesitation, they said, "We got you." I was assured it would be ready when I landed on Xmas eve. Sure enough, after my partner picked me up from the airport, we headed straight to The Sicilian Baker. Parking right out front, a huge plus. As soon as you pull in, you're greeted with Frank Sinatra playing, not just inside, but even in the parking lot. It sets the tone immediately. We walked in, gave my name, and within minutes a lovely young person brought out my tray. Ten minutes later, we were on our way. Easy. Efficient. Warm service that made me actually grab a small box of cookies to drop my besties home on the way outta there. I didn't even realize at first that there's a sit down restaurant next door where you can relax and enjoy something. Great to know for next time ;) . Now, let's talk about the cookies. Yes, they are on the pricier side, but every single dollar was worth it. The tray was robust. Classic Italian pastries across the board like lobster tails, tri-colored almond cakes, cannolis, and all the favorites you hope for when you're trying to impress a room full of potential inlaws. And impress it did. The moment I walked in with that tray, it was a hit. People were already claiming which pastries they wanted, plotting what they'd take home, and hovering before dinner was even finished. There was more than enough for 16 people, grand is the only word for it, which is my style 1,000%. To this day, they're still talking about those cookies which makes me phenomenally proud (and humbled). I say this in all my reviews, "I hate almost everything. I'm discerning. I'm critical. And when something truly represents what I stand for - quality, authenticity, and heart, I will shout it from the rooftops". The Sicilian Baker delivered New York level excellence in Phoenix! Do not walk, runswiftly to this place if you need a gift, a show stopping dessert, or simply want to treat yourself. I cannot wait to go back. Highly, highly recommended.

Banham’s Cheesecake - Oreo cheesecake.

Banham’s Cheesecake

(395 reviews)

$$

First time here. Saw it on Fox 10 and have wanted to stop in…read more Omg... such a cute lace and so many choices. We were offered samples. Decided on 4 different pieces. They sell them per slice. Love that idea!! You can KRW order a whole cheesecake 2 days in advance( minimum). Everyone was so nice and friendly!! Can't wait to return!!

Let's start with what they absolutely nailed, the cheesecake. This is the reason people keep coming…read moreback. It's smooth, rich without being too heavy, and the flavor actually develops as you eat it instead of just being one-note sweet. You can tell they take this part seriously. Leave it outside the fridge for an hour and watch that cheesecake melt on your tongue crystals (if you have the patience for that) Their rotating monthly flavors keeps things interesting, and you're not just stuck with the same lineup every time. Out of what I tried, the banana pudding one was easily a standout--super nostalgic, creamy, and just done right without being overly sweet. The coconut one was also up there, more subtle but still really clean and flavorful. Love me some coconut! They also have a punch card system--buy 9 slices, get the 10th free--which is a nice touch. It lowkey turns into a mission because once you've tried one flavor, you kinda want to work your way through all of them anyway. Now...the downside. The customer service just isn't great. It's not aggressive or anything, just noticeably lacking. There's not much warmth or engagement--it feels pretty transactional. For a place that clearly puts effort into their product, you'd expect at least a baseline level of hospitality, and it's just not really there. So overall, if you're going to Banhams, go for the cheesecake. The rotating flavors keep it fresh, the quality is legit, and it's definitely worth trying. Just don't expect much from the service side, and you'll enjoy it a lot more.

The Yard Milkshake Bar - Salted Caramel Cheesecake

The Yard Milkshake Bar

(351 reviews)

$$

I was So excited to try this place out!! They are known for…read moretheir fun innovative ice cream We walked in to some fun flavors and sins amazing looking pictures of what they offer! There's so much to choose from! I got the Dubai chocolate ice cream cup. It was amazing. It came with pistachio ice cream, milk, chocolate, ice cream, whipped cream, pistachio drizzle and chocolate drizzle absolutely delicious! My husband gone butter, pecan with brownies and whipped cream, which was very tasty as well! Honestly the ice cream was good.. But for being such a fun looking ice cream shop and for being downtown Phoenix. I expected the vibe in there to be a little bit more inviting a little bit more fun and upbeat! I mean, at least some music playing! Once the other customers left, it was just my husband and I was sitting there the employees were nowhere in sight there's no music no entertainment at all inside. and outside, you can see the hustle and bustle of the nightlife which was nice! To be honest with you going to the restroom, there was music in that hall that was inviting, and there was music in the restroom that was more inviting than the actual ice cream shop! To go in get your ice cream and leave would be great. But if you want to eat inside it's just very bland very plain and very uninviting for as cool and fun as their ice cream options are I just expected the place to be a little bit more fun going. It lacked in that area for sure, but the taste of the ice cream was delicious.

My mom and I literally stumbled into this adorable little ice cream spot in downtown Phoenix while…read morehunting for a sweet treat on vacation, and OMG... destiny!! Not only was it super cute inside, but they had an entire gluten-free menu for me to choose from. Like--an actual GF wonderland. I nearly cried. The guy working the counter was ridiculously nice and let us sample basically the whole store. Unlimited samples?? Don't threaten me with a good time. We were out here tasting flavors like we were on "The Bachelor: Ice Cream Edition." Now let's talk about the 'Strawberry Frappe'.I can't even describe the flavor because my brain still short-circuits when I think about it. Just trust me--it's different, it's magical, it's what Strawberry Shortcake would drink on her day off. I wanted two flavors SO badly, but the two-scoop cup was basically the size of my head. They should let people do a mini cup with two flavors... buuuut I asked nicely (with big doe eyes) and got away with it. Hehe They also had a chalkboard wall where we could sign our names, so of course we doodled like we were famous artists. Honestly, I'm expecting MoMA to call any day now. If you're visiting downtown Phoenix,go check out this ice cream spot!! Like... run. Don't walk. I'm still dreaming about it.

Olla Olla

Olla Olla

(74 reviews)

The best meal and drink I've had all year ...really! I had the bacon and egg crepe with a…read morestrawberry orchard and my wife had the suitable crepe with a pumpkin for haha. Just west of the circle k...a little difficult to find but soooo good!!!

Changing my review immediately, Olla Olla hosted a charity event, demanded all of the money from…read morethe bands performing, did not pay any bands for their time, travel or any other expenses. The owners pocketed all the money raised, even demanded additional funds from bands merchandise sales. Absolute disgrace to the community. They put on the face of someone helping the community when in reality they are greedy conniving individuals taking advantage of the youths desire to perform and display their creative music with one another. Phenomenal crepes, horchata and more. This place is like a hidden little secret. They have many different delicious crepe options that are made when you order them so they are always fresh, hot and tasty. There are so many freshly made drinks to choose from Horchatas, Shakes, Lemonades in a variety of flavors that come in Mason jars you can take home. They offer catering, make cakes for you special events, host special events for the local youth. They open their doors and allow the local youth community to put on small music shows to show their support of their hard work and support their passion for their love of music. They offer painting classes and even cake decorating classes. This truly is a small hidden gem that shouldn't get passed by. If you are ever in the area stop by for a bit to eat or to enjoy a delicious drink.

Zen Thai - thai - Updated May 2026

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