| Address | 1301 U St., Washington, DC 20009 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (202) 462-1333 |
| Fax | (202) 462-8885 |
Great space and great decor, just wish the food was up to par. my papaya salad with shrimp was too tangy and wet for my taste. a friend's noodle dish was done well. a spicy beef dish we ordered seemed over done.
Blandest Thai food I've ever had in my life. Ambience and service were nice, but this is where you take Grandma when she comes into town (if she can handle the gayborhood).
Being married with kids, reliable take-outs are a must. Sala Thai is one of those places I can call on my way home and have great Thai food for dinner. Our standard dishes include, Panang Gai Tofu (peanut curry), Pad See-Ew (rice noodles with sauted chicken), Pad Mah Kua (sauteed eggplant with pork and basil leaves), and Sala Thai Dumpling never disappoint. Overall, the venerable Sala Thai is one of the better Thai restaurants in a city that is overcrowded with a parade of Thai restaurants which try to hard to come up with the latest play on the word "Thai" in their names.
After moving to DC recently and being told how good Sala Thai was, we were very disappointed. Not horrible, but horribly mediocre. I have never been to Thailand, so I'm not an authenticist snob, but I do know good Thai food and this was not it. Our raw spring roll appetizer and Thai iced tea were quite good, but the entrees suffered. Overcooked vegetables, rubbery tofu, the most flavorless and uninspired Thai curry I've ever had, and shrimp that tasted as if it had been left out in the sun for days -- the shrimp was tough, pungent and tasted so close to being rancid that we were worried we might get sick. Thankfully, we did not. I will never try this chain again.
The service was abysmal. We were rushed out due to the restuarant's poor planning as another party was waiting for our table. One of our many servers told us we needed to pay up and head out.
I don't know what they would have done if my friend & I had eaten starters or dessert. Really unacceptable.
Otherwise, their food is good but not distinguished from any other Thai place around. I'll be sticking with the Regent on 18th Street.
Great Thai food. The restaurant is gorgeous although it seems to still be getting itself together. Chilis are hot, ALWAYS, hot hot hot!
