Thai in Dallas

2525 Inwood Rd #123 North Dallas

469-778-0075

Thai, Bakery

Once open for dinner, Ari District is now strictly a breakfast/brunch affair. Fresh breakfast fare and baked goods are prepared daily, and standouts include pork and taro “pup” pies that are as cute as they are delicious, and egg sandwiches and souffle pancakes. Expected Thai dishes such as pad kee maow and pad Thai are also on the menu, as are various curries, noodles and soups along with coffee and tea. The baked goods, however, are really the standout and can sell out fast, so get there early. If the pup pies are all gone, you could do a lot worse than trying one of the black garlic cheesy spinach rolls. Or two.

Ari District

2525 Inwood Rd. Northwest Dallas

469-778-0075

Thai, Brunch

In 2020 Ari District opened, serving Bangkok-style street food mixed with a bit of the small-town flavors found in the chef and owner's native Thailand. Originally open for lunch and dinner, in 2023 they changed up the model and are now open for breakfast and brunch.

The counter displays the sweet and savory pastries that are available and can change daily. Selections can include spinach rolls, cookie butter cinnamon rolls, matcha cream cronuts and maple bacon cinnamon rolls to name just a few. Perhaps the signature pastry is the “pup” pie stuffed with pork and taro or curry which often sell out before closing. (In fact, we had to make two trips in order to get to try one.)

Be sure to try an egg sando with a nice layer of dry shredded pork. Savory dishes like garlic pepper pork and egg are also fantastic.

The banana rice pudding, which was a fitting finale to this brunch affair is not too sweet, with just-ripe bananas and dark-grained rice which made for an attractive display, all topped off with a scoop of a delectable homemade coconut ice cream, some of the best we’ve ever had. Yes and thank you.

Bambu thai Asian Cuisine

1930 N. Coit Rd. #100 Richardson & Vicinity

972-480-8880

Asian, Thai, Best Of

Thai food at Bambu isn't the sloppy affair it sometimes becomes at greasy pad Thai joints: The best dishes at this neighborhood nook are startlingly sophisticated, reflecting a respect for top-notch ingredients and a steady command of the grill. The restaurant hews to the Isaan style of cooking associated with Thailand's northeastern region, and the Laotian influence shows in smoky slivers of beef jerky, bowlfuls of sticky rice and wonderfully marbled beef, grilled and served with a soy-scallion dipping sauce. Don't leave without sampling the fabulous black rice pudding with coconut cream, a two-day ordeal for the kitchen and a boon for comfort-food seekers.

8 articles

Banana Leaf Thai

17370 Preston Rd. #500 Richardson & Vicinity

972-713-0123

Thai, Best Of

This far North Dallas spot is probably more neighborhood than destination, but tasty dishes and charming decor keep it in the game. Fried rice dishes come out quickly, which might raise an eyebrow, but fluffy rice with tasty chunks of pineapple and chicken was a surprise and relief. The grilled chicken smothered in peanut sauce looks bland but recovers with appropriate sweetness amidst jasmine rice and colorful steamed vegetables. Service was fairly attentive with nary a half-empty drink or an open sugar packet on the table, but when the initial order was mistaken, enough time passed for others to be half finished with their plates.

2 articles

Bangkok City

4301 Bryan St. East Dallas & Lakewood

214-824-6200

Thai, Recommended, Readers' Choice

With a no-frills menu of basic Thai options, Bangkok City is one of the most consistent stops for Thai food in the metroplex. It boasts a healthy number of vegetarian options, as well as a hearty variety of chicken and beef dinners. Especially potent are its Imperial Rolls – tofu and shrimp with vegetables wrapped in rice paper – and cold Thai salads. But the crispy duck is the star of the show. A roasted half bird, fried until crisp and served with chili peppers onions and crunchy fried basil leaves, will come as spicy as you like. If four-star “native Thai” isn't hot enough, ignore the menu and order as many stars as you like. One guy ordered 17 stars. He was never heard from again.

9 articles

Bangkok Dee Thai Cuisine

10207 N. Central Expressway Northeast Dallas

214-739-3436

Thai, Recommended

Clean and simple, this strip-mall restaurant offers several dishes on buffet, plus a menu that allows each diner to customize his meal. Basic dishes are listed (red, yellow and green curries, sweet and sour sauce, fried rice and glass and rice noodles) with the option of including chicken, beef, pork, tofu, shrimp, squid, crab or scallop with one price for seafood options and a dollar less for the rest. The tofu pad Thai was bountiful, with noodles heaped high and peanuts and crisp vegetables on the side, and the spring rolls came steaming from the fryer and served with a light sweet and sour sauce.

Bangkok Inn

6033 Oram St. East Dallas & Lakewood

214-821-8979

Thai, Recommended, Best Of

Love for this Thai eatery is multi-generational. For more than 20 years, customers have been passing on their love for the food offered here. Dishes like the green curry, tom kha soup and corn patties fetch high praise. The pad Thai is also popular. Are you surprised? However, don't be afraid to try some of the not-so-familiar authentic Thai fare. The staff will steer you in the right direction. The willingness to customize is probably one of the reasons Bangkok Inn has been a success. If you want your order spiced beyond measure on the Scoville scale, the cooks are happy to oblige. The cheap prices and BYOB policy also contribute.

7 articles

Chan Thai

312 W. 7th St. Oak Cliff/South Dallas

214-948-9956

Thai, Bars and Clubs, Best Of, Menu

Since 2004, this North Oak Cliff Thai food establishment has provided guests a relaxed dining experience with a nightclub ambience. It"s sleek and hip befitting this Bishop Arts District gay-friendly spot. Happy hour (4-7 p.m.) attracts freeloaders. It"s then when guests are offered free appetizers along with bottom-barrel drink specials. The menu reads like an All-Star roster of the Southeast Asian country"s culinary offerings. There is panang curry and pad Thai. There are summer rolls filled with shrimp and crab and pineapple fried rice. There are also the chef"s specials chicken or beef citrus, fried meat swimming in an orange sauce speckled with orange zest. Of course, the kitchen has some more exotic specialties, all of which use seafood to spice up your meal.

1 article

Chow Thai Restaurant

5290 Belt Line Rd. North Dallas

972-960-2999

Asian, Asian Fusion, Sushi, Thai, Recommended

Owners Sam and Vinnie Virasin's initial foray into offering upscale Thai cuisine to the masses has been a hit for more than a decade. The restaurant's success has allowed the Virasins to open Mango Thai, a fast-casual eatery. However, Chow Thai's popularity has hardly waned. The most lauded menu selection offers customers a sampler of the kitchen's offerings, taking its cue from a Japanese lunch form, the bento box. The lunch combos -- because, really, that's what they are -- come with ice cream. The appetizer sampler offers a concise overview of the restaurant's starters, and can be seen on many tables during dinner service. Naturally, pad Thai is a frequently requested entrée, but so is the more authentic white pepper and garlic seafood platter (pan-seared shrimp and scallops with jasmine rice or udon noodles, broccoli and snow peas).

CrushCraft Thai Street Eats

2688 Laclede St. Downtown/Deep Ellum

972-677-7038

Thai, Recommended, Best Of

Uptown needed a place like CrushCraft. The neighborhood is inundated with cookie-cutter bar food, and it's difficult to find a restaurant that cooks with soul. So imagine a Thai restaurant that isn't afraid to use big flavors and a lot of heat. Then imagine a Thai restaurant with cheap prices, a large, open dining room and a kitchen that can turn out a dish in just moments. Now imagine a Thai restaurant that's open till 3 a.m. on weekends so you never have to endure boring drunk food again. You're probably wishing that CrushCraft had landed in your neighborhood, aren't you? The menu is small, but it covers the bases, offering popular dishes like pad Thai and drunken noodles, and more obscure dishes like catfish stir fries that will keep you guessing. Read the menu board carefully if you're sensitive to heat. When it says a dish has a kick, it's no lie.

7 articles

Elephant East

2823 McKinnon St Uptown/Oak Lawn

214-256-4151

Pan-Asian, Vietnamese, Thai, Recommended

Elephant East is a pan-Asian restaurant with a small but very intimate dining room, offering spots for small groups and dates. Start with an order of Bang Bang Shrimp or an umami rich lightly-fried soft-shell crabs covered in a spicy black bean sauce that same crisp napa slaw, which here was blessed with an umami-rich spicy black bean sauce and a sweet chili sauce creating a brilliant menagerie of flavors. Big steamed buns come three to an order for stuffed with saucy cubes of char siu braised pork. These were filling and had that perfectly odd, yet amazing, fluffy dense texture of steamed buns. Finally, end your pan-Asian soirée with a Vietnamese Espresso Martini. It cost more than many of the starters on the menu, but if you're a big fan of Dallas' quintessential drink, then splurge here. Elephant East uses an instant Vietnamese espresso powder, which the bartender said they special order. This gives it a bit more of a chicory flavor, but if there ever was a bow on a meal, this espresso martini here is it.

3 articles

Family Thais Asian Bistro

208 N. Market, Ste. 150 Downtown/Deep Ellum

972-773-9950

Thai, Menu

Ka-Tip Thai Street Food

1011 S. Pearl Expressway, Suite 190 Downtown/Deep Ellum

214-238-2232

Thai, Critics' Pick, Best Of, Essentials

From the minute it opened, Ka-Tip offered probably the best Thai food in Dallas city limits. Nearly everything on Ka-Tip’s tiny menu is sensational, and spicy-sour noodle soups like tom yum are perfect both for takeout and for winter months. Because the kitchen here doesn’t Americanize, sweeten or tone down its flavors and ingredients, each dish is more vivid than the equivalent at many Thai spots around town.

Top pick: If you’re a seafood fan, grab an order of hoi tod, a crispy grilled pancake filled with morsels of shellfish. Otherwise, go for the excellent noodle dishes.

5 articles

Kin Kin Urban Thai

3211 Oak Lawn Ave. Uptown/Oak Lawn

972-925-0006

Thai

Chef Eddy Thretipthuangsin is back, this time with his own new restaurant Kin Kin in Oak Lawn. The first opened in Fort Worth and in the near future four restaurants will be open in the DFW area. The appetizers are good here, with beef jerky, chicken meatballs, pork sate and handmade dumplings all providing the perfect foil for a cold and crisp lager. Main courses offer what you would expect for a casual neighborhood Thai restaurant, including curry by color with your choice of proteins. With two large dining rooms, a patio and other seating area, Kin Kin is a restaurant you can physically get lost in, but you’ll have a hard time getting lost in bold flavors or adventurous cooking here.

4 articles

Ly Food Market

4440 W. Illinois Ave., Suite 400a Oak Cliff/South Dallas

214-330-9616

Thai, Asian, Market, Critics' Pick, Best Of, Menu, Essentials

An Oak Cliff hole-in-the-wall situated behind a potholed strip-mall parking lot is the source of some of Dallas’ best Thai and Lao food, including superbly fiery drunken noodles that might be among the best, and most basil-packed, in the whole state of Texas. If you’re tired of sweet, samey-tasting pad Thai and mild-mannered curries, the Southammavong’s family recipes are a hugely flavorful, brilliantly balanced antidote. Dishes get served from a small window in the back of the market, but customers order at the cash register in the front grocery section. The family that runs Ly Food Market is Laotian, not Thai, in origin, which means menu items like larb have an extra spicy-sour kick.

Top pick: Grab an order of Lao sausages and chop them up for a surprisingly great addition to eggy breakfast tacos.

4 articles

Malai Kitchen

3699 McKinney Avenue, #319 Uptown/Oak Lawn

214-599-7857

Thai, Vietnamese

Located in the heart of Uptown Dallas, Malai Kitchen showcases a different side of Southeast Asian cuisine. Led by husband-and-wife team Braden and Yasmin Wages, the concept was inspired by their extensive travels through Thailand and Vietnam. As a team, the restaurant and bar are committed to sourcing quality ingredients and preparing as much as possible from scratch. The bar program, anchored by three house-brewed, Asian-style beers, features a list of craft cocktails created by barman Jason Kosmas and a thoughtfully curated wine list designed to enhance the bold flavors of the cuisine. Handcrafted light fixtures, sleek bamboo accents, and leafed wood wallpaper come together to create a warm and inviting atmosphere. The end result is an artful blend of both cultures that brings a taste of Southeast Asia to the heart of Dallas. In early 2016, the Wages will expand their restaurant footprint to include a Southlake location. For more information about Malai Kitchen, follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest.

7 articles

Mango Thai

4701 W. Park Blvd. Suite 104 Plano

469-666-4244

Thai, Recommended

Passable Thai cuisine is made more palatable by the friendly service and the amusing retro-futuristic décor, which makes the dining room seem like a vision of 2001 from the vantage point of a bean bag chair in 1975. Cool metal chopsticks, too.

1 article

Naga Thai Kitchen and Bar

665 High Market St. Uptown/Oak Lawn

214-953-0023

Thai, Restaurants, Recommended, Menu, Slideshow

Naga Thai's overcome an apparently cursed location with silken curries and loads of choices. Customers at this well-appointed Thai joint have their pick of sauces, starches and proteins, all designed for mixing and matching. While the sleek dining room and club music soundtrack attest to Naga's commitment to keeping up with its Victory Park neighbors, the menu's best dishes prove the restaurant's no superficial beauty: The tum tip chicken-and-shrimp fritters are an edible master class in fry, and the sweet chili sea bass is expertly crisped.

3 articles

Pakpao Thai Food

1628 Oak Lawn Ave. Downtown/Deep Ellum

214-749-7002

Thai, Critics' Pick, Slideshow

Pakpao brings a little culture to the Design District, where the cuisine of Thailand is presented with bold and spicy flavors. The restaurant takes no reservations, but turns tables relatively quickly, while a small bar area provides beer and cocktails for those who are waiting. When you do get your seat, order aggressively. Many of the plates here are perfect for sharing. If you’re tired of the same old takeout Thai, Pakpao will set you free.

9 articles

Pho Bowl

2807 Commerce St. Downtown/Deep Ellum

Vietnamese, Thai, Asian Fusion

1 article

Red Curry Thai Cuisine

3628 Frankford Rd Suit 255 North Dallas

972-820-7775

Thai

Red Curry Thai Cusine's lunch menu comes with an eggroll and is offered at a discount if you pick it up. We started with some curry puffs, little deep-fried samosa-type things stuffed with minced chicken breast, potatoes, carrots, and onions that come four to an order.

Be sure to go for a perfectly portioned cup of tom kha soup, this being the lovely flavorful lemongrass coconut soup with mushrooms, tomato, cilantro, and green onion and white meat chicken.

The Thai fried rice is prepared with jasmine rice, egg, tomato, yellow onions and scallions. This was light and seasoned perfectly at heat-rating three (out of five).

The pad kee mao was a flat noodle with pork, egg, onion, tomato, bell pepper and fresh basil. It was a healthy serving and seemed spicier than the requested level three. Still, it was very good, and the peppers and tomatoes had a slight char that we always like to see (and taste) in this dish.

The pad see eew was another flat noodle dish with chicken, egg, broccoli and bean sprouts. This was a bit milder three spice, with broccoli that was cooked just enough and with the sprouts provided a nice crunch alongside the delicately and flavorfully sauced wide noodles.

1 article

Royal Thai

5500 Greenville Ave. #608 East Dallas & Lakewood

214-691-3555

Thai, Recommended, Best Of, Readers' Choice

This gem of the Old Town Shopping Center has quite possibly some of the best corn patties this city can offer. The fritters are crisp and not greasy. The accompanying cucumber sauce is tangy and sweet with thinly sliced red onions offering a fine crunch. Other top choices, served by traditionally attired servers, include the classic pad Thai, chicken satay and "spicy noodles" (a savory selection with flat noodles, chicken and basil). Mongolian beef was a surprise hit in the none-too-Thai department. Royal Thai's atmosphere is energetic but homey, and the option of sitting on the patio is a rarity for city Thai joints. Royal Thai has been and probably always will be a favorite among the Central and East Dallas lot.

13 articles

Sakhuu Thai

4801 Bryan St. #100 East Dallas & Lakewood

214-828-9300

Thai, Recommended, Best Of

In a small garden tucked behind Sakhuu Thai in East Dallas, owner Kyla Phomsavanh grows the building blocks for his curries, stir fries and other Thai dishes. Have a seat in the dark-toned dining room and make friends with the staff. They're as warm and welcoming as a steaming bowl of tom kha soup. If you're tired of soggy, oily egg rolls, then give the staple another try here. Everything that emerges from the deep frier is crisp, light and flavorful. The spicy, rich flavors of Phomsavanh’s dishes are perfectly balanced by bold and boozy beers, and Sakhuu is delightfully BYOB.

10 articles

Samui Thai Cuisine

5700 Legacy Dr. Plano

972-398-2807

Thai

1 article

SaWaDiKa Thai Zone

220 W. Campbell Rd. Richardson & Vicinity

972-918-9888

Thai, Restaurants, Recommended, Menu

Richardson has its share of Asian cuisine, but SaWaDiKa Thai Zone stands out for its peppy atmosphere and admirable blend of the traditional and the creative. Basic dishes such as pad Thai and red curry are plated beautifully and taste just as good. Tiger Cry brisket is some of the most well-seasoned in the area. The service is friendly and accommodating. All together, that makes for a wonderful success in Thai dining.

1 article

Si Lom Thai Asian Fusion

3300 Oak Lawn Ave. Uptown/Oak Lawn

214-780-0983

Thai, Recommended, Best Of

The restaurant formerly known as Thai Express on Inwood Road moved to Oak Lawn Avenue and reopened in late 2012 as the considerably swankier Si Lom. The subterranean location is easy to miss if you’re not looking for it (psst: it’s underneath the Goody Goody), but seek it out and you will be rewarded. A warmly decorated interior features white walls, bright orange booths, beaded chandeliers and the occasional Buddha statue or two. The food, of course, is the real draw, and all the Thai classics are well represented: green papaya salad, corn patties, chicken satay, fried rice with head-on shrimp, scallops and crab, plus half a dozen varieties of curries, from yellow to mussaman. There are also more inventive dishes like salmon with pumpkin cream sauce and mango salsa. A limited delivery area and online ordering ensure that even the laziest of Thai food enthusiasts can get their Si Lom on.

2 articles

Spice Thai Cafe

201 E. Bethany Dr. #10, Allen Far North Suburbs

214-383-3366

Thai, Critics' Pick, Essentials

There’s really no doubt about who has the best Thai food in the Dallas area: It’s this tiny cafe in the suburb of Allen, mere feet from the new Watters Creek Convention Center. Ask for the “Thai menu,” a front-and-back sheet separate from the main menu that lists spectacular versions of dishes like tom sap (sour soup with pork intestines), pad cha (spicy stir fried seafood and vegetables), gra pow moo krob (crisply seared pork with green beans and enormous quantities of basil) and hoy tod (a pancake filled with mussels). Spice Thai Cafe is BYOB, too. If you can’t stand some extra heat, exercise more caution with spice levels here than you would elsewhere.

Top pick: As much as we love the light, fluffy fried mussel pancake, so delicate it’s almost like tempura, the real star here is the ultra-herby, fresh-tasting Thai salad of grilled shrimp mixed with lemongrass, lime, cilantro and big thick wedges of chile pepper.

Fun fact: In case it’s not enough to order off the Thai menu, a few items on the main menu can also be made “Thai style” if you ask. Practically, by the way, Thai style means modifications like using freshly chopped hot peppers rather than a powder or spice mix.

Thai Chili

215 Grand Ave., Southlake Grapevine

817-251-6674

Thai, Restaurants, Recommended

Like its parent in Las Colinas, Thai Chili serves some of the cleanest, most balanced Thai dishes you're likely to find in Dallas-Fort Worth. It's tucked in the Southlake Town Center development, a tribute to planned handsomeness.

2 articles

Thai Chili

397 E. Las Colinas Blvd. Irving/Las Colinas

972-831-0797

Thai, Restaurants, Recommended

Thai Chili's flavors struck with a lucidity and balance rarely seen at Dallas Thai restaurants when it first opened. Everything was fresh, vivid and deftly seasoned. No ingredient was given short shrift. And surprisingly, the restaurant has held true to this course through ten years now. The menu rarely changes, but it's difficult to grow tired of anything so well prepared.

2 articles

Thai Frisco Restaurant‎

3311 Preston Rd. Frisco

214-618-9750

Thai, Restaurants, Best Of

Located in a behemoth of a strip mall near shopping mecca Stonebriar Center, Thai Frisco’s location belies its classy interior. Huge windows hung with purple drapes let in lots of natural light, while a crystal chandelier and red hanging lamps add some pizazz to the sleek space. Though the decor may be modern, all the expected Thai classics are here, like corn patties, curries, fried rice, pad Thai and pad see ew. More unusual dishes include the Frisco wings, chicken wings coated with a spicy, sticky red chili glaze accented with tangy kaffir lime, and the seafood udon with fat noodles, squid, scallops and shrimp floating in a spiced broth with seaweed. Finish up with ripe mango slices and sweet sticky rice, or a simple scoop of green tea ice cream topped off with whipped cream and a cherry.

1 article

Thai Lotus Kitchen

3851 Cedar Springs Rd. #100 Uptown/Oak Lawn

214-520-9385

Thai, Recommended, Menu

This friendly restaurant puts the emphasis on service but also prepares well-spiced Thai-style vegetarian and seafood dishes. Lunch specials are offered Monday through Saturday.

1 article

Thai Noodle and Rice

2634 N. Fitzhugh Ave. East Dallas & Lakewood

214-827-5828

Thai, Restaurants, Recommended, Menu

Fairly decent Thai food in a stripped-down, notch-in-the wall, strip-mall space.

Thai Opal

6300 Skillman St. Northeast Dallas

215-553-5956

Thai, Recommended

Try the chicken satay, a tender, curry-marinated chicken strips on skewers served with a rich but not overpowering peanut sauce on the side.

We also like the glass noodle curry, a bed of long, skinny translucent noodles sauced in curry with bean sprouts, onions, egg and beef. On their own, these noodles have a neutral flavor profile. But combined with Thai curry, they burst with flavor.

If you’re looking to satisfy a noodle fix, this is your place. Flat noodles, rice noodles, egg noodles, and even spaghetti noodles are on the menu.

The creamy yellow curry is hard to beat though. Just save room for the sticky rice and mango; the owner, who is often there and likes to chat with patrons, just may insist.

1 article

Thai in Dallas

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