| Address | 2340 Wisconsin Ave., Washington, DC 20007 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (202) 337-2340 |
| Fax | (202) 333-1364 |
Satisfying Thai food in a 1980s-feel decor that is odd but not a turn-off--more just funnily quirky. Similar to so many of my experiences in Thai restaurants, it's easy to get a table, the staff is friendly and swift, and the food is mercifully affordable with copious vegetarian options, meaning lots of opportunities to feel like you're eating healthily even if you probably aren't.
They did up a fine Thai iced tea, I might add.
The food at Busara is Americanized Thai. Service is attentive and pleasant in the restaurant. Consider eating in the bar area, though, which has several comfortable tables for two. The bartenders pour strong drinks, although one profane bartender seems to have unresolved anger issues and the other is, well, usually inebriated. That aside, I like to go with my girlfriends because there's a "cute" discount: that is, youngish women get a nice break, which is appreciated by this first-job-out-of-school professional.
The garden remains a delightful place to eat on a pleasant evening. However, the quality of the food seems to have declined somewhat. In particular, the "a la mode" (an ice cream, fruit and pudding dessert) has changed and neither the pudding nor the ice cream are of the former quality.
Busara serves excellent Thai food and is a good value. The decor is cheesy and the tables are a little too close together, but the service is pleasant and efficient and the food is well worth the sacrifice in ambience.
The ambience was great! We sat outside on the patio and did not have to wait for a table. The service was a little slow. The waitress was new and somewhat timid. I waited 20 minutes for a glass of wine and when she returned, she stated that the bartender was taking too long once an order was placed. The small bar area was not busy and it should have not taken that long to get a drink. The food was very good and they gratiously accomodated my diet needs.
I often have a problem with Thai food -- I only like it if it is really, really good. I can't take mid-range or mediocre Thai (unlike, say, with Chinese or pizza). Busara fixes that problem, because it is absolutely top of the line. The decor is completely inauthentic -- neon, plastic, ultra modern. The first time I went there, they were playing the Pet Shop Boys' greatest hits. But the food is absolutely perfect. You can't go wrong with any item.
We sat out in the garden and it just added to how wonderful and flavorful the food is!
This is the best Thai food in the city, bar none. the atmosphere is 80s neon and loud, but what good Thai restaurant isn't like that? The variety of dishes and the quality of the incredients are both excellent. Ask for "Thai spicy" versions of spicy dishes if you like spicy food. It helps that there's usually valet parking because street parking in Glover Park is difficult to find. The sister restaurant in Tyson's Corner is not as good, so don't judge the downtown DC restaurant by the quality/ambience of the Tyson's restaurant.
