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Aroma Thai
Category: Restaurants Thai Thai [Edit]
757 Seacoast Dr(between Dahlia Ave & Donax Ave)
Imperial Beach, CA 91932
Neighborhood: Imperial Beach
(619) 941-1656
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11 am - 9 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
69 reviews for Aroma Thai
Review Highlights
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"All in all a very nice experience tucked away in IB." In 14 reviews -
"The green curry is great through." In 5 reviews -
"Daaaaaaaaaaamnnnnn good spicy noodles." In 4 reviews
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69 reviews in English
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Review from Frank R.
Imperial Beach, CA
2/27/2012 3 Check-ins Here
I saw 4 stars with over 50 reviews and thought this could be a nice little place in IB, and it was.
My wife and I ordered for pick up cause that place was packed on a Friday night.
We had the green curry with chicken and the chicken pad Thai. Both were very good and for $19 it was a steal. The pa thai wasn't the best I ever had but it was nice. I think this is the only Thai place in IB do it's probably the best!
The curry was a little watery but good none the less. All and all this place is legit. If your in the Neighborhood, give it a try. -
Review from D W.
San Diego, CA
4/30/2012
Aroma has a list of ten top menu choices outside the restaurant, & maybe it is best to stick with those. My friend had the eggflower soup which was served very hot (may want to let it cool) which was flavored Thai and not Chinese at all, which was delicious. He also had orange chicken.
I had the Yum Neah (spicy beef) salad & Thai iced coffee. The salad was less flavorful than at Indra in Glendale, CA. It was a combination of less fish sauce, cilantro, less variety of spices, less tomato. They should chop the red onions and tomatoes into a salsa like style. The beef was a little marinated but more flavor would be nice. Their medium was accurate in level of spicy hotness.
I'm grateful to have a Thai restaurant in IB in any case, & will try the Panang salmon next time I go. There was a noisy 1-year-old there last night, but overall, it was a quiet place, bungalow-type small place, with flower-y nicely decorated bathroom. -
Review from Johana T.
San Diego, CA
sucky, sucky , sucky!
I don't see what people are ranting and raving about... if you have ever been to any thai restaurant, I assure you that that place is 100x better then this one! Food was so flavorless and pretty pricey for the circumstances.
GO TO CELEDON INSTEAD! :) -
Review from Mindy B.
Imperial Beach, CA
4/19/2012
Good authentic food! Been many times always satisfied. Clean, friendly and convenient. They make the best Thai tea period!
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Review from Dennis L.
Tucson, AZ
5/4/2012
We've eaten there four times. Everything we've ordered has been good or very good. We've eaten in many Thai restaurants from Florida to San Francisco to Bangkok. Aroma Thai is about as good as any.
Try everything. -
Review from Keyser S.
Imperial Beach, CA
5/2/2012
Outstanding!
I've lived all over the United States, and I've been to Thai restaurants in every location where I've lived. There's only one place I've been so far that I enjoy as much as this one, and it's in Seattle...and it's a Vegetarian Thai Restaurant called Araya's
The entire staff is as friendly as can be, always welcomes you with a smile, and calls you by your first name. The food is absolutely perfect, I haven't been disappointed with a single thing on the menu.. Not once have I had a bad meal here. I get take-out regularly, and have dined in a few times as well. If you enjoy Thai, there's no question this will become one of your favorite places to indulge. -
Review from Adam H.
San Diego, CA
12/28/2011
I have eaten here about three times over the past two years, always good service and good food.
Last night the food and service was also good however about 3 hours after I became very ill and vomited no less than 20 times. I got no sleep that night. I reported to medical at work (navy) and they took my condition pretty seriously, giving me an IV another bag, and sent me home after about two hours. They confirmed that this was food poisoning from dinner.
BLAH
service was good but somebody messed up. I had red curry with chicken btw (I thought a safe bet!) -
Review from S R.
San Diego, CA
2/5/2012 2 photos
I work in Imperial Beach and order the fresh spring rolls (vegetarian, with tofu) almost every single day -- sometimes TWO orders!
The menu lists the spring rolls as stuffed with tofu, carrot, and wrapped in rice wrapper. There is also lettuce and vermicelli noodles, and *occasionally* they throw mint leaves in there -- YUM!
Anyone can make spring rolls, but Aroma Thai takes the cake for their AMAZING "aroma sauce." I wish I knew what was in it, then I wouldn't spend so much money!
The staff are really nice, their Thai Tea is delicious (but a little overpriced), and most of all, I love that I can call in my order and pick it up within 10-15 minutes. -
Review from Derrek S.
Otay Mesa, San Diego, CA
3/15/2012
The food is really good but the last time I went there really killed it for me because one of the waitresses was really slow and didn't give good service so we gave her a low tip. Then what killed it even more was that she chased after us with an attitude and shoved the tip back in my friends face. Yeah I don't think I'll be back anytime soon.
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Review from Mike C.
Coronado, CA
1/7/2012
My better half & I stopped in on a Friday for lunch - she works for a local paper and so was out taking pictures of the monster surf we've been having this week. We're both fans of Thai food (meaning "Thai food like you get in the US", I have no idea what food in Thailand is like), so we were glad to see Aroma right there on Seacoast Drive. A small joint, very simply decorated, very welcoming staff. We ordered from the lunch menu - I got calamari in a pecan sauce, and Kel got the chicken in a spicy basil sauce. They start you off with a small bowl of soup - very fragrant, full of vegetables. It was a little like Manhattan clam chowder (without the clams) - pretty satisfying little bowl. Main courses were really good - mine was loaded with calamari, but despite having the little "chili pepper" symbol, it wasn't terribly spicy. Fortunately, we got a set of condiments which kicked it up a couple notches for me. Kel, on the other hand, got the spicy - hers also had the chili pepper symbol, and her main course was really good & loaded with red chili - she told me that if it had even a little more, she'd have been unable to eat it. We both agreed after mutual tastes that both dishes were well-made, tasty, fresh - just that hers was spicier (to be fair, hers is called "SPICY Basil" on the menu, so it's not a complaint). A little eggroll, a wonton filled with, uh, squash puree? Not sure, but it was pretty good too, and a wedge of orange (I think this was the dessert). We'd def go back here.
And as people living in a tourist town, I have to say that Aroma Thai is the kind of restaurant you don't expect to see across the street from the beach - the focus is clearly on great Thai food, not on fleecing tourists. We'd definitely go back, even drive to IB just for the pleasure of another meal here. -
Review from Vincent C.
Imperial Beach, CA
8/18/2011
It's time to review this place. I've been here countless times... with friends and family. I love this place. Thank goodness to being an IB local.
They have great service (although it tends to be slow sometimes)... a lot of them likes smiling a lot, and it does give you great vibes. The ambiance is great here in Aroma Thai, by the beach... what more could you ask for?
I get only one thing here... PAD THAI. Combination Pad Thai. You might get confused the first time you go here, but basically you pick the meat/protein/vegetables you want (that's where the price is based on) and then you pick how you want it cooked (type of dish). Combination Pad Thai is all of their meats (chicken, pork, beef, shrimp and calamari) cooked with stir fried fresh rice noodles with bean sprout, tofu, egg, and ground peanut. MMM. Just typing those words makes me salivate.
My sister loves their pineapple fried rice. Friends like their yellow curry.
They give okay amount of serving, sometimes it's not consistent... I go there one time and I get a lot of noodles, sometimes, it's like 3/4ths of what I got the last time.
I suggest going M-F lunch time when they have their lunch special, basically you can pick from the same menu, for lower cost and you also get their tamarind-based soup, small piece of fried wonton, and a veggie roll. All of them are good, so I try to go during their lunch special hours--the serving for the main dish is usually the same.
Let me reiterate this... I love their Pad Thai. Try it. (You might not like it if you have a totally different palette, but all of the people I've brought there liked it) ;)
I've never really been to other Thai places... but I don't think I can exchange this place for another.
I'm just happy to go to this place. Hope you like it.
Pricing? Well, it's a bit on the steep side, but it's okay. Combination Pad Thai costs regularly 11.95 and 8.95 during their lunch specials. -
Review from Joey G.
Imperial Beach, CA
1/19/2012
Good food and a great location. If your not familiar with Thai food and you want to play it safe, order coconut soup. It's good and different and not at all spicy.
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Review from Vic A.
Imperial Beach, CA
7/17/2011
Always drove/walked by this joint numerous times and never gave it a second look...WRONG! I've always searched for good Thai in places like North Park or Mira Mesa, and never realized there was a great place in my own backyard....wasted many liters of petrol driving to those other places.
If your in the area try this place you can't miss. -
Review from summer s.
Knoxville, TN
12/15/2011
Very good service. Had lunch special pad thai ($8) and panang salmon ($9). Came with soup, spring role, and fried wonton, all very tasty. Pad Thai was a bit dry but had a good taste. Salmon was outstanding. Good portion.
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Review from Jim B.
Imperial Beach, CA
5/2/2011
Best Thai food in all of IB!
Which is probably because it's the only Thai place in IB. Great if you're crippled or too young to drive, otherwise you'll probably be better off finding somewhere within driving distance... -
Review from Claudia B.
San Diego, CA
10/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
Meh, their lunch specials are great but their Pad Thai was just okay. There were flies inside of the restaurant, gross. The waiters were attentive and they serve alcohol. I guess we should be grateful for having a Thai restaurant in IB but it could be better.
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Review from Joann C.
San Diego, CA
10/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
there is better Thai restaurants in San Diego, but if you live in the South Bay and do not feel like driving in the Linda Vista area, then this is the best place for Thai food.
I like the papaya salad, but I was not impressed with the sweet and sour Salmon. The service was good, and the ambiance was a bit divey. -
Review from John B.
San Diego, CA
2/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
My girlfriend and I traveled about an hour out from La Jolla to Imperial Beach to check out the board shop across the street from Aroma Thai but they closed when we got there. Pissed that we drove an hour out for nothing, we got hungry and saw Aroma Thai across the street. Ended up being one of the better Thai places we've eaten since we moved down to San Diego. We were spoiled with Bangkok Cuisine (Reno, NV) and this place is very comparable.
Daaaaaaaaaaamnnnnn good spicy noodles. -
Review from Jessica C.
San Diego, CA
5/13/2011
As a recently new fan of Thai food, I was on a search to find a place close to my neighborhood. I found this place in Imperial Beach and decided to go with my sister. The restaurant sits on the corner of Seacoast Drive and Donax Ave. They have ample parking in their lot right behind the bldg and lots of street parking around there.
I love the decor inside...very cozy. The staff is very attentive to drink refills and any other needs.
I've had the Spicy Noodles with chicken, the Crab Angels, the friend Spring Rolls, and for dessert...the mango with sweet rice. The food is really good, all made fresh to order. -
Review from Danielle E.
Imperial Beach, CA
8/27/2011
Oh their Thai Iced tea is soooo good. If you could taste a drink distilled from a lovely misty raincloud, this would be it. I know that sounds odd but thats what it makes me think of! if you've never had Thai iced tea before, make sure you stir it with your straw when you get it, so the flavors are infused throughout.
Our favorite menu items are the baked duck (my husband and I split it and ask for brown rice instead of white). The duck is baked in some kind of plum/ cherry type sauce which we really love... and we also really like their chicken soup and the potsticker appetizer. -
Review from Ann N.
11/10/2010 1 Check-in Here
I'm torn between 3 and 4 stars (and there are no half stars on Yelp!). Rounding up today.
Aroma Thai is a cute place right by the waterfront in IB. The decor is cute and somehow manages to combine Thai and SD seafront in a way that works. Sunny, cheerful, exotic, and saltsprayed.
I went for lunch--the lunch special menu covers a broad sampling of favorites from the regular menu (I had Pad See Ew) accompanied by a soup, fried spring roll, and fried won ton. One may select any of the available proteins (including several vegetarian protein choices) for each of the dishes; prices differ nominally between the different proteins. Prices are reasonable (downright close to being a bargain) for large portions.
The food was attractively presented and flavorful. Pad See Ew is a non-spicy dish, so no comment on the hotness of the different levels, but the noodles, shrimp, veggies, and sauce provided lovely layering and contrast.
The drawbacks:
My food arrived lukewarm. Always a disappointment. Others at my table had piping hot food, leading me to believe my plate was prepared first and set aside while the rest were completed.
Service was pretty slow. I didn't have to get anywhere, but my dining companions are military personnel and had to get back to work. Luckily, they had some flexibility on this particular day. -
Review from Eric H.
7/31/2010
I've been by this place hundreds of times then I finally decided to try it for lunch.
Fairly small inside, "one" table seating outside. Super friendly service, the servers look like they're brother and sister.
Tried their lunch menu items, Pad Thai with tofu and Vegetarian Red Curry.
Ample sizes for a lunch special, food was very tasty, a word of warning though, their spicy rating from one to ten is higher than most places.
I usually order my food a a seven, but their seven is more towards a traditional nine.
Other than that, it's a nice little Thai bistro. One of the better choices in the area.
Will probably make it onto the regular rotation. -
Review from J G.
San Diego, CA
1/30/2011
Beautiful interior: three walls of windows, sunlight pouring in, across from the beach, cheerful colors, pale yellow walls, colorful tables and chairs, chair cushions and colorful throw pillows, hardwood floors, beautiful Thai music playing. Clean, attractive bathroom, too.
Friendly service. They bring me a pot of tea when I request it! Yay! (a lot of places won't bring a pot even if you request it.) Good food, I have never been disappointed. I am never rushed. Reasonable lunch specials, but the portions are small if you're starving. -
Review from Teresita C.
Seattle, WA
5/28/2008
After spending over 10 years in what I consider the home of amazing Thai delights (Seattle, WA) I believe that my standards run a little high. I've visited many places in San Diego that people rave about and feel that they are woefully overrated and overpriced.
Little Aroma Thai, located in the charming squalor of Imperial Beach isn't going to be the place that changes my opinion but it's decent, well-priced and clean.
My spicy basil veggie dish with mock chicken was well-seasoned and fresh and served with rice, a tiny cup of interesting broth, and a wee spring roll for a measly $6.95. A Thai coffee for $2 and I had a nice lunch well outside the confines of any box for around $12.
The reason I couldn't give this nugget more stars was the Pad Thai. TOO SWEET.
Me no likey, please stop making Pad Thai a dessert! Please?
On a completely unrelated and unimportant note the ladies room is a delight. Someone sniffed an entire tube of craft glue then went bananas in a Michael's and lo and behold, the Aroma Thai toilet.
Did I mention how clean it was? -
Review from Jennifer S.
Boulder, CO
2/19/2008
On one hand I'm surprised this place hasn't been reviewed yet, but on the other it makes sense. This great Thai restaurant is located right on the beach, and yet every time I've been there it's mostly deserted. They were closed for a while for redecoration and just recently reopened. I'm not really sure if Southern Country Kitchen decor screams Thai food, but whatever makes them happy, I guess....
Either way, definitely check this place out if you're in the south bay/Coronado area and want some good Thai food. -
Review from Midori R.
Las Vegas, NV
5/2/2009
Aroma Thai has always treated me well. The last thing I tried was spicy basil with pork and tofu. Delicious! All of the appetizers and desserts are good as well. The place usually isn't too crowded, which is why I like Imperial Beach in general.
After you eat you can walk along the beach and not be around a crowd of annoying people like at other beaches! -
Review from Sal R.
San Diego, CA
1/8/2010
Okay, having traveled internationally a great deal for work, I am somewhat of an international cuisine snob since I've had most cuisine's in the native land (most don't appeal to American taste :-&)...
That being said, I really try to assess these joints based on the local spin.
I have lived in South San Diego for over a decade and can't be more thrilled ANY Thai restaurant would open down here but even better one is in IB!
Based on their location, I'm giving them another star simply for making my all-time favorite cuisine available sans a 15 mile drive.
Their staff is extremely friendly, accommodating and attentive.
I have specific favorites off their menu and tend to not vary outside a restaurant's specialties too far.
The Thai Drunken Noodles are absolutely SCREAMIN' and served with plenty of grilled white meat chicken & fresh basil. I always ask for my Thai food "Thai hot" (translating to a 8 or 9 on a 10 scale), and unlike most places, they DO understand what this means. Very nice.
The curried rice and pretty much anything with their green curry is outstanding.
Their Vietnamese spring rolls are excellent!
They are about 40% more than I pay anywhere else for my Thai food but given the elimination of a 15+ mile drive, it's worth it.
Overall, they're not Thai House (Kearney Mesa), who used to and whose family still run a restaurant in Pattaya but they are the best thing south of the 54 thus far and I will be back. -
Review from Angelica A.
Chula Vista, CA
12/30/2010
Spicy noodles are pretty good with beef
aroma basket is yummy
the spicy eggplant is a smaller serving but pretty good maybe it was because I got vegetarian
thats all I can remember. Portions are decent.
Experienced strange customer service the last time I went because my sister-in-law ask if they used sweet and sour sauce and the waitress said "no" but did not specify what they DID use and apparently they use tamarind sauce which is sweet and a little sour so she ordered spicy noodles instead...this time she said she wanted a 2 level spicy yet it was wayyyy spicier than my brother's 5 level spicy noodles... she wasn't charged for the pad thai but she didnt even eat much...
other times i've had good service but I'll give it another chance before I personally say I have had bad service. -
Review from Cheryl C.
San Diego, CA
7/16/2010
3.5 stars.
We finally decided to try this place out since we love Thai food and it's close to home. Location is good, and they even have their own parking lot in the back.
The restaurant itself is small and inviting. The staff was very friendly and attentive. We ordered off the lunch menu - Pad Thai with tofu and the vegetarian Panang Curry, both at 7's. They aren't kidding with their heat! I was sweating most of the meal but it was really delicious! The meal started out with a small bowl of soup that comes with the lunch specials. It had carrots and cucumber in it. The carrots were crunchy and the broth itself was sweet and spicy - very tasty!
The price was reasonable. The booth seat was really low and the table was sticky, something I really hate. Other than that I'll definitely come back to try the rest of the menu - probably at a 5 =) -
Review from Hannah M.
San Diego, CA
I.B and Thai cusine don't seem to go togther, but there is a place folks! Only Thai restaurant on Seacoast Dr. which is mainly populated with pizza, bar/grill food and Mexican food joints.
Been there about three times and tried their tom kha gah soup (tasty, chicken a little overcooked), yellow curry (good), thai chicken salad (plain, not worth it), pad thai noodles (good), mango sticky rice (yum, very craveable).
The restaurant itself is cute and cozy. It's like a beach bungalow, colorful bathroom, staff is friendly. -
Review from Jeff S.
Humble, TX
6/28/2009
We are staying right across from this restaurant and I love Thai. It was definitely not the best but it hit the spot. The interior is simple and nice and the wait staff was attentive and friendly.
It by far had the best fresh Vietnamese spring rolls I've ever had. Large and made with fresh rice paper, inside, was shrimp, basil, carrot, lettuce, mint and cilantro. Ask for the chili sauces to spice up the peanut sauce and mmmm good.
We also had the Roasted duck curry with Pineapple which was tasty although the duck was a little over cooked in my opinion. The Cut up Catfish was good but not the best I've ever had, we also tried the curry dumplings which were a first for all of us but they were good also. Overall I would go back again to ease the Thai bug. -
Review from Nadiyah S.
Imperial Beach, CA
11/2/2009
Greek, Vietnamese, Japanese...now a Thai place! It keeps getting better for I.B.!
I'm just happy that Imperial Beach is now getting a wider array of flavors and options. I always hated having to drive half way across San Diego just to give my taste buds a tease of different flavors every now and then. When I first walked in I was pretty confused because the ambiance does not match the food at all. The decor is very American bread and breakfast with spring colors, flowers, and full dinner settings on every table.
I love Thai food and this place isn't too bad. The pad thai was decent but the pad see-ew was even better. I wouldn't waste my time getting the fried spring rolls/egg rolls, because well, they're just not that good. The green curry is great through. You can't go wrong there. They also offer really good lunch specials during the week so go check that out. The people that work there are very nice and kind. I encourage people to go there and try it out! -
Review from karen j.
Imperial Beach, CA
8/17/2011
Never tried Thai until Aroma Thai...
I've been there 3 times recently and always the food is fresh, delicate and the service is simple but superb. So happy to see them in Imperial Beach. -
Review from Lucy E.
Imperial Beach, CA
7/1/2011
Very close to home, the appetizers were delicious. I'm giving them a 4 only because my yellow curry was blend. My husband said his pad thai noodles were a bit soggy but eatable. Definetly need to try this for lunch or dinner.
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Review from Aileen D.
San Diego, CA
5/7/2011
I ordered the green curry with chicken and was afraid they may make it too hot after I explained what I wanted (let's be honest here.... The 1-10 system works differently for each restaurant). They made it with just the right amount of spice so that you could taste the curry without burning your stomach. The Thai iced coffee also comes in a cute glass that allows you to stir the cream and coffee together without spilling half your drink (a huge plus for clumsy me). Although this may not be the best Thai food I've ever had, it's still pretty good. I LOVE the location and may return within the month!
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Review from Anthony B.
San Diego, CA
5/1/2011
I have been here twice to eat and both times were very delicious. the highest price dish is about 12.95 which is not bad at all. Inside it has a nice relaxing feel to it, so that makes eating more enjoyable. Another good thing about Aroma is the spicy levels. I really enjoy spicy foods, and here you can taste the heat which i like. I give Aroma my approval to try out you wont be disappointed.
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Review from Nelly G.
Los Angeles, CA
1/30/2011
Oh I really like this place. Been here twice but the food is great. I like.
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Review from Joan F.
Chula Vista, CA
1/12/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Best pad Thai I've ever had. Perfect consistency: not too chewy but not too mushy
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Review from elle l.
Imperial Beach, CA
10/4/2010 1 photo
Everytime I eat here it's wonderful. How did IB get so lucky? Be warned however: they give you a spicy scale to choose from when ordering. 1 thru 10. I like spice A LOT. 7 was a mouth rape but still delicious.
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Review from Carlene B.
San Diego, CA
Updated - 10/6/2010
After coming here more than once, I have come to realize that it is better to come here for lunch because it is hardly ever busy and the service is better. Plus, it saves me a dollar. I know it is only a dollar, but heck I'm still saving, right? They only give you one fried wonton and one spring roll. The soup is meh. Personally, it has too much broth and not enough cucumber and parley.
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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9/19/2010
Yesterday, my boyfriend, his sister, and I experienced the worst customer service.
We were seated… Read more »
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