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Best Thai Cuisine

4 star rating
based on 86 reviews

Category: Thai  [Edit]

1735 Spruce St
Riverside, CA 92507
(951) 682-4256
Price Range:
$
Accepts Credit Cards:
No
Parking:
Private Lot
Attire:
Casual
Good for Groups:
No
Good for Kids:
Yes
Takes Reservations:
No
Delivery:
No
Take-out:
Yes
Waiter Service:
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible:
Yes
Outdoor Seating:
No
Good for:
Lunch, Dinner
Alcohol:
None

86 reviews for Best Thai Cuisine

Review Highlights   

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"Pad Thai, Pineapple Fried Rice, Pad See Ew, Angel Wings all soo good here." (in 10 reviews)
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"I ordered a pineapple fried rice, and boy it was delicious." (in 10 reviews)
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"I love the pad thai, it's just the right amount of sweetness." (in 39 reviews)
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Sort by: Yelp Sort | Date | Rating | Elites'
Photo of R D.

 

1

43

R D.

Anaheim, CA

5 star rating
11/20/2009

I love this place! This is the reason why I come and visit the boyfriend. If it weren't for this great little place, the boyfriend would not see me as often as he does (though, in retrospect, I wonder if this is a good thing or a bad thing for him... Hmm).
I love that they have Thai iced coffee and, because of me, the boyfriend is hook on Thai iced tea. I always order the angel wings because they are so amazingly delish and not a lot of Thai places make them.
The entrees can be anything from the curry to the fried rice (depends on the day) but I've tried almost everything here and its all really good.
I still haven't had a Thai salad or soup but it's next on the list.

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Photo of Justin B.

 

2

25

Justin B.

Santa Monica, CA

3 star rating
11/9/2009 1 photo

So I've never had Thai before, and I'm not sure if i enjoyed it enough to go back. I'm more attached to japanese at the moment I think lol

So my friends I went with love the place. They said It's the best around, and like I said I've never had it before so who am I to really judge so soon. I can tell you the details of my encounter with BTC were enjoyable and certainly not bad, and i can include my normal synopsis, but dont make this review the base of your decision :P

We just finished our last day of shooting and after it wrapped we went out here to grab some food. We came in on a Saturday evening around 7pm. It was about half full at the time so our party of 20+ people waited no more than 15minutes for enough people to leave for them to throw a bunch of tables together for us.

Drink orders were taken promptly and for those of us ready to order, food as well. They came out very quickly and water for everyone too. Most people got the Thai Iced Tea, which I might have tried before somewhere, but I didn't order it. It was a coke kinda night for me :) I ordered the Beef Ball Broth and it came out about 5-10 minutes later. I was very pleased with the broth, it had a nice distinct beef broth flavor, and was very good. The slices of beef were alittle tough but good nonetheless. I didn't particularly enjoy the beef balls, and they really did look and have the consistency of... balls............ needless to say I brushed them to the side. the noodles were very tasty and slightly firm. I liked them. After the meal they brought us out complimentary pieces of watermelon.. probably because our party was huge and they just made a boat load lol.

They split the bill by table, (about 3 tables in a row).

So yes, over all i had a nice experience, and I feel comfortable with my rating in my opinion. Not bad, but just ok..

Some other interesting facts about Best Thai:
-Their restroom is actually located through the kitchen. I think I'll hold it..
-The TV they have playing was playing what I can only guess is a famous Thai girl band. Their music videos were of great amusement for our table. They played the same 3 videos over and over, and they seemed like they were 15minutes long each!

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Photo of I I.

 

0

280

I I.

Torrance, CA

4 star rating
10/17/2009

Really tasty Thai food.  We used to go here a lot of times.  Not the best I have ever had, but for the money you spend it is a bargain.

Too bad, they have raised their price over the years, but these are bad times.

I forgot the name of the dish, but they have this really tasty noodle dish, that had tomatos, basil, and ground pork.  Man, been trying to find that dish at other Thai places, but this the only one I have had with it.

One note, the Thai BBQ chicken, may be a bad name.  It is not really BBQ'ed.  It has a curry flavor to it.

It can get really crowded as the place is really small, come at off-times if you want to go to lunch.

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Photo of Betty D.

 

4

83

Betty D.

San Dimas, CA

2 star rating
9/23/2009

I'm feeling a ting of "over-rated"

There is better Thai, and I would only go here if you were not able to get to a better place. If you have ever seen their stock room, it is piled sky high with sugar. Not that it matters what's in their stock room, but when you taste their dishes you know where all that sugar goes to.  Too many of their dishes feel like dessert gone wrong.

Even their spicy or hot dishes are just sweet. Their Thai tea is bland, wayy to much sugar, and lacks depth that makes Thai tea, Thai Tea.

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Photo of Tiffany P.

Elite '09

41

76

Tiffany P.

San Diego, CA

3 star rating
8/9/2009

Honest, up front disclaimer: I'm Thai, and I hold Thai dishes to my mommy's standard!

We needed something quick on a Saturday night and decided to get takeout from here.  I was pleased to see on their website that they offer delivery (but it's $3).  I decided to go in and pick it up, which only took 15 minutes - geez, when I cook Thai food it takes me like half an hour!  Restaurants are really magic.

SERVICE: The man I talked to on the phone as well as the girl at the cashier were very sweet and polite.  Again, I was impressed by the speed of the cooking.  They included utensils and chilies without me even asking =]

FOOD: All right guys, here's where the 3 stars comes in.  Fried rice was a little too sweet (which is a common issue; my parents always tell restaurants to not add too much sugar... I should have done so) and it didn't have quite the right flavor.  It was still decent and the chicken was cooked well.  My boyfriend had the pad kee mow with beef, and while it was also well-cooked, it also lacked the flavors that I was expecting.

I think this place would be really nice for people who don't have high expectations of authenticity; the food is tasty and the service seems like it would be absolutely solid, but as for me, I'm still searching.

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Photo of Laurence L.

 

2

60

Laurence L.

Rowland Heights, CA

4 star rating
8/25/2009

Definitely BEST THAI CUISINE.

I went here with friends once during the school year. GREAT FOOD. I loved it. The spicy beef stuff rock my spicy food loving tastebuds. The sting and stang of the spiciness ignite a euphoric choreography of bliss and blee in my mouth....okay I'll stop. The spicy beef dishes are bomb, hands down.

-1 star because the closing time is like..8:30 or 9. I forgot but it was bad. I mean I know it's probably typical of restaurants, but come on - we're deprived college kids who need our fill! We rushed over once and the lady said they were closing. I cried. :(

Either way, if you are a UCR student I highly highly recommend coming here, esp if you or your friends don't have gay night classes that take up the 8-9pm hour. Riverside doesn't have much for the Asian palate, but Best Thai Cuisine aims to please.

As for the place, it's relatively clean. Looks like a Pho restaurant to me for some reason. The place plays Thai pop music videos. Parking is easy. Service is standard.

You won't regret coming.

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Photo of Denis S.

Elite '09

192

836

Denis S.

Los Angeles, CA

4 star rating
7/8/2009

Came here for dinner with the family.  The food was pretty good, but nothing to rave about.  They do have a pad thai with glass noodles, instead of the regular noodles they use, which is pretty unique and was fairly tasty.  Let's be honest, I'll eat anything with glass noodles.  But overall it was a pretty average experience.  

So I would have given it 3 stars, BUT this area is already starving for good restaurants AND It is cheap !  So I bumped it up one star.

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Photo of Hannah M.

 

6

96

Hannah M.

San Diego, CA

5 star rating
7/29/2009

I still think this place has the best Thai food, based on portions, service, price and being placed right in front of you fresh from the kitchen.

Pad Thai, Pineapple Fried Rice, Pad See Ew, Angel Wings all soo good here. When I eat Pad Thai here the waitresses are nice and hook it up with a bowl of cilantro, I love me some cilantro!

I also have lots of memories here eating with roomies and my UCR visitors while I went to that school, so maybe that makes my review a bit biased. They finally take debit/credit cards last time I came here.

I recommend it to UCR students and anyone passing thru the 215 freeway. It is hidden a little.

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3

14

Stephanie T.

San Jose, CA

4 star rating
8/7/2009

Since Riverside is kinda small, us college kids hit up most of the restaraunts pretty quick. And compared to all the Thai restraunts around school, this was the most affordable and tasty there is!  You should definitely try it.

It's a small place, but with BIG FLAVOR :] and the people are very nice.

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Photo of Jeffrey M.

Elite '09

96

170

Jeffrey M.

Whittier, CA

5 star rating
Updated - 5/31/2009 3 photos

Another visit to Riverside, another satisfying meal from Best Thai Cusine. This time my group of friends and I shared the Massaman Curry, Beef Panang, Pad Thai and 2 orders of Pad See Ew, all of which were great like usual. What more could I say that I haven't said already in my reviews. If you haven't tried it and you're in the area.. JUST GO!

For a more detailed review, just go ahead and read my previous entries.

5 stars.. DONE.

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2 Previous Reviews: Show all »

  • 5 star rating
    3/22/2009

    I just came back from Mt. High and I made a 30+ mile detour to my old stomping grounds in Riverside… Read more »

Photo of Jen H.

 

3

26

Jen H.

Santa Ana, CA

5 star rating
7/13/2009

Their name is true to form, it really is the Best Thai Cuisine. I lived in Riverside for four years and no matter what, I always kept coming back to this place for their pad thai and fried banana dessert. That says a lot.

They also have really good lunch specials. My favorite dishes are the pad thai, the pad see ew, and the pad kee mow. All of the dishes are excellently flavored and seasoned, and are extremely large portions at such a great deal. Prices are extremely affordable, 95% of everything is under $10.

I have since moved away from Riverside for 2 years now, and I still think about how great the food is and how I wish every pad thai I eat now tasted just like BTC's.

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Photo of Ray N.

 

7

44

Ray N.

Riverside, CA

4 star rating
6/2/2009

So I went here like the other week with some friends, and it was pretty good. I ordered a pineapple fried rice, and boy it was delicious! it was flavorful and one of the best pineapple fried rice I have ever had.

However, the place is pretty small with a hidden restroom where you'll have to carry a map in order to find.

Other than that, this place is pretty satisfying considering the fact that my order was fresh, hot, and delicious.

Oh, and my friend's Thai Ice Tea was pretty legit too.

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Photo of Angela D.

 

26

86

Angela D.

Irvine, CA

4 star rating
6/11/2009

Come for the Lunch Specials- its like $6.95
I really like their Green Curry- I like the mix of veggies esp. the bell peppers. You can request the spiciness to be adjusted to whatever you like.
Pad thai is yum!
Definitely a hot spot for the local UCR students. Service is great and attentive.

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Photo of Kathy N.

 

16

40

Kathy N.

Garden Grove, CA

4 star rating
5/2/2009

I went here with a couple of my hall mates. We went here for dinner and the place was pretty packed for a Thursday night. We waited for around 10 minutes or so to get seated. The service there was really friendly. One of the waiters constantly had a smile on his face and whenever he went to our table, he'd always smile and I guess it was nice but at the same time it was kind of creepy. But kudos on service! I ordered pad thai since I was craving for it like a beast and my friends and boyfriend ordered a bowl of beef noodles, fried rice, and green curry.

I got to leech off of some of my boyfriend's green curry and it was delicious! For those of you who don't like the coconut flavor I suggest you not get this dish because you can straight up smell the coconut. It was nice and creamy. My pad thai tasted like ketchup for some reason. Not the best pad thai I've had so if you do go here, order something else. My friend's beef noodles came out in a HUGE bowl. They were so freaking big and they looked pretty loaded too. Most items on the menu ranged from 7-10 dollars which is pretty good for some decent thai food.

If you're in the riverside area, come here if you're craving thai food  : )

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Photo of LEILANIE T.

 

7

27

LEILANIE T.

Fontana, CA

3 star rating
4/30/2009

CON CON: their shrimp tempura are from the box. the ones you can buy at albertsons.

it's not the BEST thai i've ever had. it's mediocre. the pad thai is mediocre, pad kee mao [spellcheck please] is so spicy i can hardly finish it, the shrimp fried rice along with their stuffed drumstick appetizer are alright, not amazing, not memorable.

if you're craving thai food and live near UCR, i guess it's worth a trip. it'll take your craving outta your system. but don't expect to get blown away unless you're in the season of the santa ana winds.

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Photo of Nancy S.

 

0

7

Nancy S.

Riverside, CA

4 star rating
9/14/2009

I love Best Thai! I go here almost every week. The food is amazing and the staff are great. All of the dishes I've had here were excellent. What I don't like is that the tofu costs an extra $2 and that they are always playing loud Thai music videos on the TV. Also, you need to be careful when choosing spiciness using their 1 to 5 scale. Sometimes, I'll say "2" and it will be mild; other times, "2" is super spicy.

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22

144

Brad N.

Westminster, CA

3 star rating
5/24/2009

I wouldn't call it the best Thai food ever, but it was decent.

The pad see ewe was pretty good, but it was way too greasy. 3.5/5

You know what would've gone well with the Thai fried rice? Flavor. 3/5

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Elite '09

85

219

Leslie B.

San Diego, CA

2 star rating
7/27/2009

Certainly not the Best Thai....probably not the Worst Thai, but likely close.  Located in an uninteresting strip mall, it is a totally uninteresting restaurant and the waitstaff appears totally uninterested.  If I were forced to eat there again, I would probably take the food to go, as the dining room has cheesy posters that clutter the less than spottless atmosphere.  Our server was less than enthusiastic as she took our orders.  This is a cash only, alcohol free atmosphere.  We asked about BYOB and were given a big NO....so no Riesling or Thai beer to help savor our meal....well, no problem there since the meal is not much to savor.
The Thai tea and Thai coffee are in huge vats behind the register, which make me wonder about the freshness of the beverages, which is why I didn't order one.  I saw them served with whipped cream on top, but I don't understand why as they typically are served with condensed milk.  We ordered the Tom Yum soup, the beef satay, pad Thai, and Larb chicken salad.  The pad Thai wasn't bad, the Larb was nearly flavorless and the satay was too tough to cut or get off the skewer, much less eat.  The saving grace was the Tom  Yum soup, which was spicey and delicious.
I hear this place gets crowded on the weekends....maybe there is simply nowhere else to get Thai food in Riverside.

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Elite '09

100

229

Ben F.

Los Angeles, CA

2 star rating
2/18/2009

To label yourself as the Best Thai Cuisine, you better be sure you have the Best Thai Cuisine.

Located in Riverside is Best Thai Cuisine. You would never think a Thai food restaurant would exist in this little suite area. The location is just so random! I would have never known there was such a place until the gf told me about it and keep in mind I spent 5 years of my life in Riverside!

The restaurant is a small one, I get claustrophobic at times because I like my space. You get seated in glass topped cloth tables. Smart efficient way of cleaning tables off faster without having to replace the cloth.

I normally order a Thai bbq chicken and a pineapple fried rice. Both are good, but I have had problems with the Thai bbq chicken every now and then.  Whats wrong with the chicken you ask? It is undercooked. We all know what happens when we eat chicken when it is undercooked. Salmonella!!

The pineapple fried rice is delicious. Something about the greasy fried rice that appeals to me, that is different from your typical Chinese fried rice. I guess it could be the different spices that are used, while the spices Chinese people use are MSG, salt, and soy sauce.

The last time I was here, they did not accept credit cards, cash only! Another thing that bothers me. I am against a lot of restaurants who only accept cash! You call yourself the Best Thai Cuisine, you should have enough money to afford using credit card machines!

Best Thai Cuisine? Not even close.

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Photo of Dee H.

 

7

18

Dee H.

Riverside, CA

3 star rating
3/13/2009

I've been here couple times and the food is pretty decent, service is great, and prices are reasonable.

I always get the noodle equivalent to drunken noodles, the spicy noodles, i forgot what they were called and the fried tofu and calamari for appetizers, I had the pad thai and other fried rice dishes here, very decent.

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Photo of Larissa D.

 

0

3

Larissa D.

Riverside, CA

5 star rating
6/25/2009

Boo on the bad reviews!  I love this place and eat here regularly.  Maybe I'm limited on the Thai experience, but this is definitely the best Thai food I've ever eaten.

Their dinner salads are great!  I'm not big on the hard boiled egg that comes on the side, but the crunchies they put on top with the cucumber, tomato, and shredded carrot is great.  But it's the dressing that makes it;  it's a very flavorful, peanut dressing, with real peanut pieces.

I get the spicy mint basil dish and request ground chicken.  The flavor is a taste explosion!  Seriously.  Combine it with white rice and it's a very hearty and filling meal.

An other good dish is the pineapple fried rice, it has large chunks of pineapple as well as cashews for a crunchy, nutty flavor.

I also enjoy their won ton soup, especially if your sick.  It's very soothing.

Lastly, another good dish is their sweet and sour chicken.  It's large pieces of chicken in sweet and sour sauce (not like the fried won ton type you get in Chinese food).  I request it without mushrooms (their mushrooms in that are weird looking to me) and no baby corn.  I don't like that.  But once those two things are removed, I find it very savory.

I'm not into the pad thai, which I think it a very popular dishes when it comes to Thai food.  I do find it a bit greasier than I'd like, but again, very good flavor.

Someone mentioned that they don't take credit cards, which they don't but they have upgraded and now take debit cards, so a plus for that.  Yes, I do agree that space is something of an issue, but I'm close so I usually just do take out.  

I don't think every dish is a winner, but I'm a creature of habit and once I find a dish I like I order it every time!  For me, Best Thai never gets old!

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14

91

Cheryl L.

Inland Empire

4 star rating
2/6/2009

I take out here about twice a month. I work in the area, and trust me, there are few and far between places to eat around the Riverside/Downtown area!

I can't rate more than the pad see ew that I always get, but it is awesome! I get it with beef, and ask for the Thai Chiles on the side. The staff is always so nice!  I've been to quite a few Thai places and most of the time they don't crack a smile.  Best Thai is really great!

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Photo of Vamsee K.

 

13

25

Vamsee K.

San Jose, CA

4 star rating
1/14/2009

Me and my buddies come here often, nice small place that I found word of mouth couple years back.

Red curry, pad kee mow, spicy fried rice, pad thai, thai fried rice, thai ice tea....all are great! and if you want it spicy...they'll make it spicyyyy!

you get a nice sized portion and all you gotta drop is one crisp Hamilton (thats a $10 bill btw...psssh you were prolly gonna google it!)

the server's are very friendly and attentive.

no credit cards = owned. lol another one of those places that you gotta pay by cash....but other than that its def a winner in my book, im glad its near UCR.

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Photo of Phil K.

 

59

72

Phil K.

Los Angeles, CA

4 star rating
3/8/2009

The fam was out in Riverside for a soccer tournament. We pulled in on the late side and were looking for something close and reasonable. The Garmin listed a few restaurants on Spruce Street and we simply choose Thai...and we are all very happy we chose Best Thai.
My oldest daughter had yellow curry and claimed it was a good as she ever gets it. My youngest had Thai BBQ chicken and while not "BBQ'd" in a manner we're accustomed to, she LOVED it. I had beef PaNang and loved the flavors in the sauce but was lukewarm on the quality of meat. The rice was excellent...it had an earthy, warm flavor.
No beer or wine.

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Photo of Doug R.

 

54

71

Doug R.

San Bruno, CA

3 star rating
3/6/2009

Best Thai. Well, it certainly isn't WORST Thai, but I don't think this place is best Thai.

Don't get me wrong, in the vast area of Riverside that serves terrible Asian food around the UC Riverside campus.... Best Thai is an oasis. I think that's why this place suffers from "review inflation". I guess by default since there aren't any other Thai places around... they'd be the Best?

They have a pretty wide assortment of food at reasonable prices. It's not the BEST Thai food I've ever had but its delectable for Riverside by far. I've seen some reviews claim this place has HUGE portions... As a 6'1 rugby playing beer swilling man.. I can tell you these portions are not as generous as I think some people are making it to look out. It is decent sized, but I could definitely kill off two lunch specials myself.

I have a rather high standard for Thai food. I prefer the more authentic spice taste... Best Thai makes their dishes a notch too sweet and not spicy enough. Even the highest spice level was extremely tolerable for me (I'm a spice lover).

Anyway, it's chills.

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Photo of alex y.

 

2

5

alex y.

Riverside, CA

5 star rating
8/24/2009

This place is great. Everytime I come here I get the pad ke mao with everything they have in the spice rack. Pricing is reasonable and they have a good lunch special. Come get some

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Photo of Lisa Z.

 

11

56

Lisa Z.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
2/16/2009

Service: Awesome.  Servers are really nice.

Food: Yay to the Pad See Ew.  Nay to the pad thai.  The fried rice is good too.

My initial reaction to this place: Elephants everywhere!  I'm assuming it's a popular animal in Thai culture.

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Photo of Eileen C.

Elite '09

178

197

Eileen C.

Hacienda Heights, CA

3 star rating
12/10/2008

This place must be really popular, it was practically at max capacity on a Tuesday night. There was only one unoccupied table!

The food is good, the prices reasonable. I don't recall any item on the menu that broke the $10 mark. We ordered Papaya Salad (which is really phenomenal but had me burping whiffs of garlic all night) ,Tom Kha Koong, Massaman Curry, Eggrolls, plus a Yellow Curry to go with 2 Thai Iced Teas for only $45 with leftovers to boot.

The service is just a little inattentive midmeal. At the beginning and end, it was fantastic, but we had to flag someone down to remind them to bring us the rice and eventually the check.

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12

154

Bonnie Y.

Chino, CA

4 star rating
6/4/2009

i wouldn't say it's the 'best', but it's not bad....

their curry (coconut chicken, green or red) are good... fried rices are pretty good too... everything else (pak kee moo) are just so so - average.

but it's riverside, there really isn't much to choose from.. so if i am craving for Thai during weekday at work, this is the place i go. best around the neighborhood i'd say!

it's ALWAYS so crowded though, so better get there either realy early or late during lunch hr...

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Photo of Albie F.

Elite '09

56

326

Albie F.

Hayward, CA

4 star rating
12/29/2008

Looking for a dinner spot to eat during a Riverside business trip and Best Thai Cuisine became my destination of choice.  Of course I had to use Yelp initially to find out the local spots to eat since I've never dined anywhere in Riverside before and Best Thai came up.  Now you really are shooting yourself in the foot if you have the words "Best Thai" in your restaurant name and your food tastes just a tad better than overcooked beef flank.

You've got to really admire the amount of choices they have.  And most run in the $7-$8 range.  There were so many good choices that it took me a good 10 minutes to figure out that I wanted glass noodle pad thai.  How it took me that long considering I was dining by myself....I do not know.  The portions are huge and I can see two people sharing the glass noodle pad thai.  I saw other people's entrees and it didn't look like they were much smaller in quantity.  Definitely best for the combination of price and quantity.

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9

33

Stephanie J.

Little Falls, NJ

4 star rating
1/25/2009

I miss this restaurant :(

My favorite dish: Pad Kee Mow with beef. SO YUMMY! I don't think I could've survived college without this place!
Portions are pretty good and prices are reasonable. Make sure you bring cash though.

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62

94

Anita W.

Monterey Park, CA

4 star rating
12/12/2008

Pad See Ew is awesome. Green curry is nice and creamy. I can't remember what else I've tried..but their food is very authentic.
The service there is pretty good. They gave us free fruit since the dessert we wanted was not in season..which was very nice of them.
Nonetheless, their Thai tea was a bit on the sweet side and wasn't.."dense" enough I guess..or creamy enough I guess.
Food also takes a while..so 4 stars it is!

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Photo of Johnny L.

 

12

138

Johnny L.

Arcadia, CA

3 star rating
12/9/2008

The pad thai here is alright I can get much better back home in the SGV but the place seems nice and the employees are very.

Prices aren't on the cheap side but its not enough to make me a fan.  I'd like to try their curries as that is one of my favorite foods but I'll be graduating from UCR next week so this is the first and only time I will probably eat here.

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Photo of M T.

 

0

34

M T.

Riverside, CA

5 star rating
7/9/2009

The name may seem a little presumptuous, but it actually lives up to it.  As another poster said, it may not be the best place for Thai that there is - but, it most certainly is the best place for Thai in the Inland Empire.  It is fresh, flavorful, tasty, and cheap.  I love that the portion sizes are good size too.  

I have never had anything here that I didn't like.  But, my favorites are the pad thai (although it is is a tad on the sweet side), pad se eew (I am sure I spelled that wrong), basil mint leaf, bamboo shoot chili paste, and the red and yellow curries.  I also looove their peanut dressing for their side salad, as well as their beef salad.  My husband's favorites are the pepper steak, wonton soup, thai fried rice, and egg rolls.  Those are just our favorites though - everything else is delicious too - and, we have tasted most of the menu.  

Oh, they only use white meat chicken in their dishes, which is a major plus.  Also, they recently started serving brown rice and it is quite good.  I usually am not a fan of brown rice, but I ordered it last time I went to try and be healthier.  I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it.  

They have great lunch specials too - for $7, you get a lunch-sized entree, rice, soup or salad, and an egg roll.  It's a great deal.  Because of this, it does tend to get crowded over lunchtime.  If you are able to, try and go for a later lunch when it is a little emptier.  Even if you go during their busy hours, though, the service is still great.  You may have to wait for a table, but once you sit down it'll be fine.

Update: If there are any of you that may have come here a while ago, but not recently - they now accept debit cards (maybe credit too?).  Before it used to only be "cash only" which was a pain.  I was so happy when they started to accept plastic payment.

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15

69

JQ V.

Pittsburg, CA

4 star rating
12/4/2008

Although I don't have much other thai restaurants to compare this to, Best Thai Cuisine is one of the best places to eat in Riverside. Located in a rather obscure place to have a restaurant, the food is really delicious!! I've had the Pad Thai, Pak-E-Mow, Spicy Fried Rice, Lemon Pepper Chicken, and the Masaman Curry, all of which are amazing! The Thai Ice Tea is rather sweet for me, but non the less refreshing, especially when topped with whipped cream! Most of the items on their menu is generally about $7-$8, rather inexpensive for such a large serving!!

The place is a bit small, only about 15 table arrangements that vary in sizes, however, I have yet to experience a long wait to be seated (10 minutes MAX). You can also call in ahead of time to place a take out order.

I believe they currently have a Lunch special where you can order a meal that includes a beverage, soup, and an egg roll for just $6.95 (the regular price of just the meal).

And they do accept Debit/ATM/Credit cards now!

Best Thai is one of my favorite places to eat out in Riverside. I always have left overs!!

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6

Katie M.

Riverside, CA

4 star rating
3/6/2009

I must confess something. I am addicted to Best Thai's Massaman curry with tofu. There, I said it.

I've tried a few other dishes here: green curry, red curry with duck, pineapple fried rice, the ginger delight thing -- and all are tasty, but that Massaman curry.... it's just beyond yummy!

A small, hole-in-the-wall place you would probably never notice, but it has a loyal fan base, good service and decent prices. Best thai in Riverside? Maybe! I'll have to have another serving of that curry to be absolutely sure....

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10

24

Sophya O.

Moreno Valley, CA

4 star rating
4/20/2009

I work very close to Best Thai and am quite thankful for it because overall, the food is consistently good and the service quick.  Even when I go during the busy lunch hour, your food still comes out in record time!

Their lunch specials (available M-F, 11a-2p) come with an soup/salad (LOVE their Tom Yum-- perfect balance of sour and mild heat), an egg roll, rice and your dish.  I usually go for the bamboo shoot with chilli paste and beef because they use shredded bamboo and the finished product has an amazing sauce that's got a good amount of heat mixed with sweet and savory.  Boyfriend always makes fun of me because I'll set up a little assembly station-- scoop up some rice and food with a little of the sauce, topping it with a slice of the green pickled jalapenos and a dollop of the chilli pepper sauce and meticulously make my way through the entire plate!  It is by far, my favorite dish there.

Other dishes that I've tried:
- Thai BBQ chicken--not the best that you can get.  It doesn't have enough of a BBQ flavor for me to qualify it as one.  And the last time I had it (which was quite awhile ago) it wasn't on the bone so it just tasted like a flavorless chicken breast.
- Green Curry-- superb!  They use the shredded bamboo that I will always be partial to.  Not too overpowering in coconut flavor.
- Basil Mint with beef-- uses an ample amount of basil with thinly sliced bell peppers.  Hmmmm.. I love when the bell peppers are slightly charred from the high heat.
- Beef Salad-- they use the same pre-sliced meat as their sauteed and fried dishes that they probably grill or fry.  I was disappointed as I'm used to a grilled cut of meat and sliced to get a nice pink, warm center.  Also, not acidic enough to have a good citrus finish with the onion and cucumber it comes with.
- Pad Thai-- very tasty and well seasoned.  Noodles are always perfectly cooked (I hate when my overcooked noodles clump together!)  However it usually only comes with about 2 shrimps.  And it doesn't come as a lunch combo option-- I always feel cheated when I see my friends with their soup/egg roll so I usually stay away.

I find their thai iced tea and coffee a bit too sweet for my taste.  Then they top it off with whipped cream from the can so I cringe a little as I write this.  The only way I could describe it, is syrupy.  I've actually had to water it down because of this.

Also, it's quite small in there.  I've seen the owner go through the front entrance of the location next door which makes me wonder if they'll expand but they've yet to do so.  Also, because it is so compact in there and the kitchen so close, you end up smelling like your meal!  But I think it's a small price to pay for some good Thai food.

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6

40

Andrew B.

Hyde Park, NY

4 star rating
5/30/2009

Best Thai is a Riverside gem. They are also one of the only rare places that serve Massaman Curry, which I love! After going here over oh, 50 times over my years as a UCR student, I can't remember one bad meal. I recommend this place and their lunch deals are always worth it. Great service, friendly family and the you get to watch Thai music videos, that's always a plus!

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3

19

Paul C.

Riverside, CA

4 star rating
Updated - 12/20/2008

*Best Thai has recently undergone some changes and there are a couple of things worth noting (As of 7/15/08).

1. They now appear to accept ATM/Debit Cards
2. They have raised prices on many of their items.
3. They have expanded their menu.

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1 Previous Review: Show all »

  • 4 star rating
    12/22/2006

    As some of the previous reviewers have mentioned, the food is both addictive and inexpensive! While… Read more »

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1

34

choochoo t.

Spotsylvania, VA

4 star rating
6/13/2009

BEST pepper steak ever!!! Full of flavor. This is my fiance's favorite dish and only dish he orders when we dine here. I am always jealous and eat his left over veggies and sauce from this dish.

Yellow curry is alright. Tastes the same as all the other Thai places in this county.

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