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- Nearest Transit:
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Babcock St - Outbound (Green Line)
Babcock St - Inbound (Green Line)
Commonwealth Ave @ Babcock St (193, 57, 57A)
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11 am - 3 pm
Mon-Thu, Sun 3 pm - 10 pm
Fri-Sat 3 pm - 11 pm
Sat-Sun 12 pm - 3 pm
- Parking:
- Street
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
427 reviews for Brown Sugar Cafe
Review Highlights
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427 reviews in English
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Review from Sarah P.
Boston, MA
Best Thai in Boston, actually one of my favorite restaurants in Boston/Brookline. EXTENSIVE menu, delicious and fresh flavors, great service, and well priced.
The menu itself is several pages and ranges from your traditional Pad Thai (always a solid stand-by) to curry dishes to clean and fresh seafood options. The Pad See Ew is the best I've ever had, with thick flat noodles, chicken and broccoli in a sweet sauce... I always get this and balance it with a spicier dish for a bit of variety. Other favorites include their Green Curry and Tom Kha Gai soup with coconut milk and chicken, both of which can be adjusted to suit your spice preferences. The fried Tofu Triangles with sweet and sour sauce is also delicious; their tofu is smooth and perfectly crispy and can be eaten as a meal in itself or shared with friends for an appetizer.
Portions here are very generous - usually enough for two meals. The wine menu is decent (not as extensive as their food menu but offering a quality selection.) And it doesn't hurt that they serve you on beautifully painted dishes in an atmosphere surrounded by exotic butterflies on the wall and exotic fish in the aquarium. The location is deceptively large - the wait is usually minimal if at all, and service is always prompt and courteous. They're open to adjusting the menu to fit your spice level (even if it's somewhat pitiful like mine.)
I've brought quite a few friends and family here to eat, and we're always impressed with the food and flavors. This is the kind of place you can order anything from their menu and won't be disappointed. -
Review from Camille R.
Somerville, MA
The food is good, but I just can't stand to pay such high prices when I can make my way off of Comm Ave. and find better and cheaper Thai food. It's obnoxious to so blatantly overcharge people like this.
It's always packed, so expect to wait on most nights. -
Review from Helen M.
Boston, MA
This place gets really packed so make sure you come early.
I've been to this place multiple times and I've left happy each time.
The best app is the spareribs. So good! For entrees, I've had their pad thai and a seafood dish and both were delicious.
I love coming here for birthdays because they play the fobbiest happy birthday song and come out with a fried ice cream. Perfect way to embarrass friends. -
Review from Eric S.
Boston, MA
I ordered the Soft Shell Crab Tempura, and the Barbeque Seafood.
The deep fried soft shell crab was amazing, although I didn't realize that the price of $8.95 only included ONE crab and a whole mess of fried vegetables.
The Barbeque Seafood was also amazing. The scallops were huge, there were quite a few shrimp in it, a bit of calamari, and it had a few decent chunks of salmon in it. It also came with slices of orange, grilled onions, grilled broccoli, grilled pineapple chunks, grilled peppers, and grilled tomatoes.
The grilled tomatoes had a really weird texture that didn't really work with the rest of the dish, so I took them out, but everything else went together very well. It was $15.95 which is a bit on the expensive side for what you're getting, but it's VERY good. -
Review from Jacqueline D.
Lansing, MI
Brown Sugar is possibly the best Thai I've ever had. The food comes out fast and hot, and it's perfection. The prices are completely reasonable too.
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Review from Saira K.
What a brilliant use of brown sugar. This is probably one of the best Thai restaurants I've eaten at. I especially love the Shrimp Cashew Nut and the pad thai, although there are lots of great items on the menu.
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Review from Allison L.
Jamaica Plain, MA
I prefer going 2 blocks down the street to Super 88 for Thai food. I'm a vegetarian and I've been underwhelmed by the vegetarian dishes at Brown Sugar--the vegetables are often undercooked and it's nothing special. The dishes at Smile Thai in the Super 88 are bigger, cheaper, and better; and I usually get takeout so I don't care about the dining experience. One thing I do like about Brown Sugar is that they'll happily omit fish sauce and help you make a dish vegan.
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Review from Wendy L.
Boston, MA
My favorite Thai restaurant in Boston. They have a lot of seating but it still gets crowded during weekends... good thing they have delivery, fast delivery too! They are known for their loud birthday song though - must experience at least once.
Food suggestions:
Thai Spring Rolls (chicken) - yumm i love the sauce it comes with.
Green Curry - sweet and a little spicy with a creamy touch
Beef Gaprow - one of the spiciest dishes at BS, flavorful and great with sticky rice
Beef Tender Pepper - feel like having some stir fry with spicy beef? get this!
Duck Noodle Soup - best Thai style duck I've had, big portion too!
4 stars because they don't have the best Drunken Noodles and Tom Yum Soup. I still love a lot of dishes here - especially the curry. The menu is huge and I'll keep coming back to try more. Fast delivery too! -
Review from Rachel L.
Boston, MA
Tonight was my first time at Brown Sugar, and my reaction was that it was only okay.
The restaurant decor was very nice - decorated with Christmas lights for the holidays. The service was also good. They were fairly attentive and the food arrived to the table promptly.
My expectations were high even through the appetizers (which had good presentation and were tasty). Where they fell short was our entrees. The food seemed fairly bland and unexciting. They definitely did not take any risks. I tried a taste of the yellow curry dish and it was only okay. It could have been better if it had a bit of a kick of spiciness. The pad thai was also only mediocre and the noodles seemed slightly overcooked.
Would I go back? Perhaps, but not soon. -
Review from Gabriel U.
ALLSTON, MA
Brown Sugar has some damn fine Thai food.
The menu is huge, the food comes quickly, and the service is friendly.
Also, it's always someone's birthday inside, so if you want to dance to a weird techno-Thai version of "Happy Birthday" under crazy disco lights, this is the place to go.
Only problem is that sometimes it takes awhile before they'll take your order. -
Review from p'raka ..
Brighton, MA
I don't think I've had a bad dish here but my current "usual" is the seafood volcano - veggies and seafood served in some amazing sauce with a side of rice. It does come out flaming (for show).
My only issue with this place is that you can't get through a meal without someone in the restaurant having their birthday. Brown Sugar's Happy Birthday singing is very hard to ignore! It's over quick but after 3 or 4 times in one night you do get sick of it. -
Review from Christina Z.
Winthrop, MA
They now have a PATIO? Be still my heart.
The see you is still delicious. The golden bags are still the weirdest thing on the menu. The $4 lychee juice is absolutely worth it (and diabetic-coma-inducing).
My favorite part is the out-of-place chandelier. Are we trying to be fancier than we are, Brown Sugar?
Been coming here since 2005, freshman year of college, and the pineapple fried rice and masaman curry are still as hearty and sweet as ever. -
Review from Vinny C.
Boston, MA
I simply can't fathom why the people rate this restaurant so high. The decor is very nice, yes. But the food is very bland imo, even by Americanized standards.
Went here a couple of times and ordered family style (multiple entrees and our group would share amongst each other) and the food in general was decent at best. The service was ok and the crowd wasn't bad either.
Overall: We know there are a trillion Thai spots in the Boston area now and I've been to most of them. Brown Sugar Cafe is somewhere in the middle of that pile. -
Review from Jeffrey Y.
Boston, MA
This place has authentic Thai food and great decor and ambiance. Brown Sugar Cafe has great prices and may as well be the best Thai restaurant in all of Boston! You can never be disappointed. Try their basil fried rice --- drool.
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Review from Wai F.
New York, NY
I was hesistant to write this review, but after scanning the list of reviews I saw my dining experience was not a unique one.
Firstly, the menu is vast. I've been in restaurants with big menus before, but this one was over whelming and I had no idea where to start. We got the standard papaya salad, but this one came with a side of sticky rice as well. Cool! Next up was a Tom Yum Goong soup which was delicious.
After the appetizers we were ready for our entrees: pad thai and pad woon sen. The portions were huge and we knew immediately that we were gonna have to take food to go. Probably the most authentic Thai meal we've ever had. I've never dined in Thailand, but my wife has and she claimed it was just like in Thailand. A great thing, right?
Fast forward 6 hours and I am in our hotel room experiencing some of the most painful stomach pain ever known to mankind. I tried to tough it out and let nature do it's thing, but after 8 hours of suffering I had enough and checked myself into the ER at Brigham & Women's Hospital. Strangely enough my wife did not get sick, but she has a stomach of steel. I did note that she did not touch any of the meat in our entrees, so maybe that was the culprit. Regardless, I'm never going back. Sorry. -
Review from S S.
Brighton, MA
This is the best Thai food I've eaten in Boston. The sauces are yummy, spicy and the quantity is just right. The server was friendly and helped us choose our entrees...the menu is pretty long and confusing might I add.
Went there for a birthday party and loved it...some might call the public celebration a bit cheesy..but it's kinda fun! A great place to hang out with your friends..the ambience is perfect for that. Not going anywhere else if I'm having a Thai food craving! -
Review from Amy R.
Waltham, MA
I'll go as far to say that this is probably the best Thai food I've had in years. My boyfriend and I have gone twice in the past month. I have no idea why I never ventured to Brown Sugar during my days @ Simmons College. I was definitely missing out!
The first time I went, I had the Mango Chicken curry. This was extremely good w/ very fresh veggies. My only criticism would be the mango, I couldn't tell if a few pieces were a little past their prime or if they were overcooked. Overall, the flavor won me over and gobbled up most of the dish. The sticky rice was a great bonus to the meal.
My boyfriend had the Pad Thai - the best I've ever tasted. The 2nd time we went, I tried out the Country Pad Thai... was looking for something with a kick to it (it had a 1 pepper rating on the menu). I'd say that it was closer to 2.5 peppers... I felt like I was kicked in the mouth a little bit. But, it was tasty. I'd definitely go for the regular Pad Thai next time we hit up Brown Sugar.
I have to say that the star of the show on both occasions was our appetizer - Na Tang. It's served with 4 crispy jasmine rice cakes and a "dip" that includes baby shrimp, pork, coconut milk, and peanut shavings. You put a scoop of the dip on the rice cake and voila. Heaven on a rice cake. I could eat this all day long!
We also had the Thai Ravioli, which was gyoza'esque, but not really the best I've had.
We'll continue to swing by Brown Sugar before we go to the BU hockey games! -
Review from M W.
I tried the three stooges dish the other night and was blown away! It included sauteed chicken, beef, and shrimp in wonderfully light plum ginger sauce served in a deep-fried tortilla bowl! I just loved it! I ordered sticky rice to mix in.
We tried more apps this time around:
The cozy shrimp had a good flavor but were a bit dry. I drenched mine in chili sauce.
The tofu triangles were ok, but I prefer firmer tofu.
The golden triangles were good (as usual), as were the Thai raviolis (steamed).
The spare ribs had a great flavor but could have been a bit more tender.Listed in: Sea Food ME, The Beauty of Ethnic Foods!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/24/2011
Brown Sugar is pretty good. I will forever avoid the stuffed wings as a starter but I liked the… Read more »
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7/24/2011
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Review from Jennafir O.
Allston, MA
One of the better thai places. The food is good but the wait is insane! I'm glad I ordered out because people were waiting at least 40 minutes to eat there. The pad thai was good, not the best I've had, but good. The spring rolls are tasty. The crab Rangoon wasn't anything to write home about. The decor was cute and it looked like it would be a nice place to go on a date or have lunch with a friend.
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Review from Hoyce M.
Boston, MA
I love this place.
They would have gotten five stars, but every time I'm there the wait staff is kinda rude.
I guess they figure their food is good enough that they don't have to be polite. It would be annoying if it weren't true. -
Review from Amy M.
San Francisco, CA
The BEST Thai food in Boston. The BEST. And I've tried a lot.
It might even be my favorite Thai food...ever? (Lived in San Francisco, LA, and Denver...) The Pad Thai is perfect, the curries are scrumptious, love the Thai Iced teas, and the atmosphere is just how it should be. I lived here in college and after and much after, too.
PLEASE go. You won't be sorry, I promise. -
Review from Lindsay M.
Boston, MA
Favorite Thai food in this area, hands-down.
Everything is always hot, fresh, and delicious. I've tried most of their soups and apps, and I've also sampled quite a lot of the pad-thai dishes and all have been winners.
On my most recent visit with the boyfriend, we shared a massive ball of fried vanilla ice cream which was heavenly. Still haven't fully recovered from that meal, it was just that good. -
Review from Max A.
Cambridge, MA
Went here before a BU hockey game. Plenty of tables an hour before the game. Service was fast, and the food was good. Had the Thai Spring Rolls appetizer, which was as expected. But the Pad Thai that I had for dinner was awesome. The noodles weren't in a big gelatinous lump like you get at so many Thai places around Boston, and the veggies were fresh. I'll definitely head back again before another hockey game at Agganis.
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Review from Celeste C.
Jamaica Plain, MA
We used to always pick up food from the other Brown Sugar location, but since it's closed, we come here now every once in a while. Big restaurant, good food, insane birthday ritual. The last time we went, I ordered a seafood volcano that was set on fire at the table. I was a little afraid I'd die, but I didn't (!) and the seafood curry was great.
I wish the atmosphere were a little less cheesy with the birthdays, but you basically either have to take it or leave it. -
Review from Valerie V.
Boston, MA
Best Thai in Boston, hands down. A little more expensive than your average Thai place but 100% fresh and worth it.
The menu is daunting so be prepared to make a decision. I have tried many things on the menu and haven't been disappointed yet.
Some favorites: Country Style Pad Thai, Old Lady Spicy, Two Bird in Clay Pot, Healthy Tofu, any of the curry dishes. If you are eating in, their Thai Iced Tea is excellent.
Be aware: the delivery will take the full hour to arrive and you have to pay in cash. -
Review from Susan L.
Woodside, NY
Food was good; service was good; portion was big; and price was decent. These are all of the guidelines that makes a restaurant enjoyable. Not to mention, I enjoyed the ambiance and the decor of the place.
I ordered the three stooges, and my friends ordered the thai fried rice, some form of seafood soup dish, chicken satay, and another order of jade noodles. I did enjoy the three stooges except wished that i had ordered a go-to dish like drunken noodles or pad thai. The thai fried rice is exactly what you would expect a good thai fried rice to taste like. The jade noodles wasn't very appetizing and I had much better chicken satay than the satay served at BSC.
I also liked their extensive menu, except it took me an extra five minutes to decide on what to order since everything looked phenomenal (especially on an empty stomach).
I would definitely come here again. :) -
Review from Jennette H.
Boston, MA
I have never had Thai food before ever and I had heard a lot of good things about this restaurant from my co- worker said I said that I would try it out one day during my lunch break. I looked over their menu and saw a few very yummy dishes that sounded like they would cure my hunger pains. They are a little pricey to me but hey once i tasted the dish that i had (Comm Ave Noodles) I was hooked. This is some real good food that they got going on here. When I went to pick up my food the people were friendly and the atmosphere was very relaxing. I didn't eat in although I think I will next time because I just felt like sitting down the moment I walked in the place.
The dish I had was very good and had a lot of veggies (which I like) the one thing that I can say I could've done without is the enourmous amount of mushrooms that were in my dish. I've never been much of a mushroom eater so I had to pick them out of my food. Other than that though I will be making my way back to indulge in their vast selection :) -
Review from Sam H.
Medford, MA
Probably the best Thai food I've had in the Boston area. Amazing curries...
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Review from Jenn A.
Boston, MA
Some of the best Thai food in Boston.
Pros:
-close proximity to BU and BC, plus delivery
-delicious pad thai, a friend of mine claims it is the best in Boston
-a lot of variety on the menu
-the Tom Khar Gai soup is amazing and very inexpensive
Cons:
-over the top disco/birthday celebration you will probably have to endure if you dine in
-pad thai was a little bean sprout-heavy for my taste -
Review from Josephine L.
Boston, MA
Ehhh.....
Nice decor, fair prices (perfect for dates if you're in college/on a budget), friendly service, trippy birthday routine (think strobe lights and loud "Happy Birthday" dance remix), but the food itself is just okay. I probably shouldn't have come here less than a week after having an authentic Thai feast at S&I Thai with two Thai friends, but hey, that's life.
Tom Yum soup: One of my favorite soups in the world, but BSC's was just mediocre. Not spicy enough, not sour enough, a little too sweet in a bowl that's just a wee bit small to be costing almost $4. Disappointing.
Red Curry: I asked for hot. Spicy. I got bland. Not even a hint of spicy. As in, nary a chili flake or seed to be seen. Our waitress actually offered to send it back to make it more spicy, to which I reluctantly agreed (with visions of line cooks spitting in my food dancing in my head). When it came back, it was maybe half a degree spicier than bland. Which is to say, barely noticeable. I gave up. The curry itself was all right. A tad too sweet for me, but nicely seasoned overall. Vegetables and chicken were appropriately crunchy/tender.
Siamese Twins: Think I preferred this because it had more flavors going on. Plus, you can't beat food served in a fruit.
Mango Curry: Fine. Vegan-friendly if that's what you're looking for. Still a tad to sweet for me, and I've grown up with Thai/Malaysian food.
All in all, a good choice if you're in the area and what something filling for not too much, but I wouldn't make a special trip "just cuz". -
Review from Savannah K.
Hoffman Estates, IL
I hate to say this but.. we had very painful food poisoning . . . Very unsanitary kitchen. I honestly don't know how this place is allowed to stay open. I drove around for 30 minutes trying to find parking because they tow your car all around Coolidge corner. Then waited 50 minutes for the dishes to arrive. There are a couple of places in Harvard square that have good Thai food with real fish sauce.. this is the worst Thai in Boston. Have a glance at the kitchen and you will see why. This place is popular with a cult following of friends of the owner who know how to tread through the minefield of menu items that will send you to the clinic when poorly prepared. This place had a burnt smell racing through the dining room that was the first signal that we should have gotten up and left.
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Review from Julie R.
I had been craving drunken noodles for a while and knew I must get them soon. I have always wanted to go to Brown Sugar and thought it was time to try it out.
The Brown Sugar Spareribs we started with were amazing! Fall off the bone, crispy outside, juicy inside. I could of eaten them as a meal. Highly recommend.
The menu was huge, I should of given something else consideration cause the drunken noodles were disappointing. They arrived and I instantly noticed they were dry looking, without much color. The noodles were matted together and they weren't that spicy. Ahhh I wish they were better. The portion size was huge though.
Fiance had a basil duck that he enjoyed. It was mixed with generous peppers and basil with a side of rice. The prices for lunch are very reasonable. You can feed 2 people for around $20.
Service was very prompt. I would return again but get something else.Listed in: My Thai
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Review from Eric S.
North Chelmsford, MA
This is kind of an old review - annoying that Yelp won't let you post from their mobile version... anyway, I had dinner at the Brown Sugar Cafe this summer and the Moo Yang Num Tok (pork) was awesome. It was my first time trying this dish, and I loved the mint and chili sauce. Sticky rice was perfect too. If you're considering ordering, it's on the spicy side.
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Review from Danielle H.
Cambridge, MA
My favorite Thai restaurant in Boston. I have been going here for years, and the food has always been consistent and delicious. Hands down the best Pad Thai (especially the Country Style)- nowhere else has compared. The yellow curry is also super good.
When we went last week, our party of 4 had to wait for 20 min despite it being a weeknight so reservations are definitely recommended. Parking is a pain but if you don't find anything after a few circles around, there's always the super 88 parking lot :)
Note: if the menu says an item is spicy, they mean it so proceed at your own risk! -
Review from Bryan R.
I most frequented their other location, which is now closed and is now another Thai restaurant but definitely not Brown Sugar. Normally I would avoid Commonwealth Avenue but would venture the trip for this location.
I really enjoy their variations on the normally boring and bland Pad Thai, which I am typically embarrassed to order because I don't like ordering the 'safe' item on the menu, I usually like to color outside the lines when it comes to culinary choices. However, these Pad Thai options are great and stand on their own, great options for someone looking for something with perfectly layered flavors, both sweet and spicy.
There is little to no parking, probably the down fall for their other location which we were never able to find parking for. We would drive around for sometimes up to an hour to get a parking spot. For this location usually just as bad, if not worse, even at off hours.
The other dishes are above average but not show stoppers like their Pad Thai's. The drunken noodles and crab fried rice are definitely not the best that I have had. Their 'one trick' pony options are probably why they get such mixed reviews. -
Review from Winston G.
Chicago, IL
Been here probably over 50 times during my years at BU...
Just came back again tonight - the pad see you, the pad thai, and the brown sugar duck are the three dishes I order most. All are delicious.
Lunch menu is the same, but definitely cheaper than the same items for dinner, so if you're looking to save a few bucks on noodles, get lunch here.
Not the cheapest Thai food for dinner, but won't break the bank either. Oh, tootsie rolls on the way out fo sho. -
Review from Hope M.
Cambridge, MA
I really think this is the best Thai in Boston, and I love Thai food, but found many places in Boston a bit bland or different. I used to have Thai all the time with a coworker who was part of a big Thai family, so I feel like I'm not that skewed in my opinion. I love their Jade Noodles, and Comm Ave noodles, which sounds really cheesy, I realize... Their drunken noodle is a bit more spicy then other places, but this place is great. Love it!
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Review from Diane H.
OMG I LOVE THE BIRTHDAY SONG.
i got to hear it twice in one sitting :)
anyways, the atmosphere is very nice..very chatty...kinda dim, not really. the tables are set up nicely, very pleasant appearance. they have a fishtank with nemo and dorey!!
i ordered the crispy chicken pad thai $12.95, delicious...and green tea fried ice cream..mm wish there was another ball and it was bigger though, but we can only wish. $5.95
my friend got this tofu app, i think it's an app, comes with this sweet/sour sauce/thing. it was okay, taste like tofu so dip it in the sauce!!
my other friend got the crispy noodle pad thai and that was very different. i liked it :)
their expresso friend ice cream was a bit strong though...
i can't wait for someone's birthday so i can come back and hear the birthday song!! they legit dedicate a min to singing you the song with dessert and all the lights out. plus they use real candles at the table. -
Review from Nicolas D.
Boston, MA
BSC is a BU staple. The food here is very good and reasonably priced. I feel like this is one of the more authentic Thai restaurants in Boston and does a good job in replicating some of the flavors you find there. Despite this they have all the "classics".
I would recommend the Gaprow and sticky rice, although I haven't had a dish yet that I disliked.
The staff is very friendly and some if not all are Thai, making the place all the more authentic.
This place is awesome for birthdays! The whole restaurant goes dark when its time to get your cake and the reserved decor (walls lined with Thai art and butterflies, a huge tropical fish tank by the entrance) turns into an awesome disco laser show. -
Review from Kelsey P.
Manhattan, NY
Affordable and tasty Thai food. Great place for dinner with friends or a casual date. Just wish they had some additional locations in Boston proper AND that they had better parking options near their existing locations. On the plus side - they do deliver :).
Suggestions:
- Satay Chicken - can't go wrong!
- Great soups - My favorites are Thom Yum or Wonton
- Thai Spring Rolls - available with chicken or vegetarian
- Tempura (shrimp or veggie - you choose)
- Scallion Pancakes
- Pad See Ew - made perfect. They're also open to order modifications as I like mine with chicken and extra egg and broccoli!
Good and fast service each time I've been.
