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Mon-Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 1:30 a.m.
"4.5 stars - Yummy Angel Wings - Fast Service - Accepts Credit Cards - Long wait - Crampy Everyone who is acquainted with me knows that I…" read more »
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Ive been coming to this place since high school, there was this one time where Linda and I had lunch here and she got thai ice tea on her sandals. When tony and I used to be buds and we would come here to eat some fried chicken over fried rice. Or even ordering it to go and walking back home to eat it with mimi.
As time went on, my friends and I would still come here. Patrick ordered from here and we would have beers and thai food at his place.
A couple weeks ago took my cousins here for dinner. This place feels like it hasnt really changed and I kind of like that about this place. I dont really like thai food all that much but I sure did come here a lot.
Oh and you are wondering about the food? well its good, nothing spectacular I usually order the fried chicken over fried rice cause thats what i like..pad thai is nice but ive had better elsewhere. Their curry's are not bad either. Its not gourmet thai food, lets just leave it at that.
Yay... another late-night joint that's tasty and cheap. These seem to be harder to find in SF than you'd think so I have to give super props for it being open after 10... it's even open until 1am!
That being said, we ordered squid salad and shrimp in garlic sauce with steamed rice. Both were prepared very fast and were fresh and tasty upon arrival. There was lot's of garlic!! I love garlic... I also liked the cilantro and my dish had a good amount of crisp shrimp. I was worried since it was almost midnight but all was good.
We'll definitely be back. It's a lil better tan average Thai because of the combination of taste, price and being open late-night.
See ya there.
After all these years, King of Thai is pretty much the same as it's been when I first went back in high school. Nothing truly spectacular, yet nothing truly awful...just a plate of consistent food you can rely on.
Yellow Curry, Fried Chicken Fried Rice, Crab Fried Rice, Pad Thai, Pad See Eww, Pad Kee Mao...rather average, but they are decent and on the cheap! Everything on this menu is pretty light on the wallet, and it all tastes that much better with a nice, cold Thai Iced Tea in hand.
Plus, turnover is rather high, so there's always been a table available. Service is pretty prompt, and adequate for what you would hope/expect...and they get the food out to you that much faster. Honestly, they are probably the perfect example of a three star restaurant: okay and middle of the road, and reliably consistent, so you pretty know exactly what you are going to get from beginning to end.
Fun Fact: So that explains why the theme of this restaurant is so set on the color purple...it being the name 'King of Thai'. Purple is associated with nobility & royalty.
On the other hand, it reminded me of a fast food joint ie. Red uniforms at McDonalds (or Jolibee); black/white striped referee shirts at TGIF's; Blue shirts for Domino's pizza.
And now...purple alligator shirts for king of Thai
King of thai definitely covered the fast-food qualities of a chain. Why?
1. there's available seating most of the time (because patrons come & go)
2. Our food came within 10 mins (something tells me that they've got pre-cooked ingredients for my meal in order for it to be ready in little time)
3. Value meals (Just kidding)
So I chowed down on the Pad Thai which consisted of stir fried small rice noodles, shrimps, dry shrimps, egg, tofu and bean sprouts without the crushed peanuts. The bean sprouts...fresh & crunchy. On the other hand, the tofu could've stayed in the fryer for a couple more minutes to add the crunch to the meal
My friend had the Kao Pad Gai Tod deep fried boneless chicken breast over fried rice with egg served with sweet and sour sauce....tasty and very crunchy golden fried chicken breast
It's a good place to go if you're looking for something that's reasonably priced and to fill your stomach with comfort food
[M]ona: 3 Stars
[W]ayne: 3 Stars
Average: 3 Stars
+ Fast Service
- Cash Only
- Small Portions
[W] I liked the pad see ew here. It taste just like any other King of Thai which doesn't really differentiate themselves from the others. They have fast service which was good because they can manage a full dining room with only 2 servers. Ive been to places where the dining room was half the size but service was crappy.
The ambiance of the restaurant is kind of dark for my liking. We usually go for dinner here and it always seem a little cold there even when their kitchen is next to us. I recommend sitting away from the doors or bring a jacket.
the food is okay. definitely nothing special, but it's cooked up really fast. i'm weary of the cleanliness of this place. on halloween, one of the cooks had make up all over his face which was melting off from his sweat and steam from the pots and pans. luckily, he wasn't making my order. my chef was being prepared by a long, blonde, spike-haired asian dude. sometimes, hair nets should be mandatory.
even if you're not eating in, they'll seat you, give you a full menu and then give you your bill on a small plate so that if seems like did. the bill even has space for the tip amount, which under the slight confusion, i almost did. and if they don't get you that way, there's a large "take out tips" jar right by the exit. bull poop.
You know me right? I mean we go back, right? YOU totally let me date your sister, and then your brother in the same week and you didn't really say anything, so I have to assume that you think me to know whats up. While I was busy dating half your family, I needed some gurbbin. I ran down the block to the only restaurant open until 1:30 to grab a quick nosh and It didn't go well. I don't want to be a bad guy here. Seriously. But this particular location is notsomuchgood. Every other location Ive tried of theirs has been perfect, this one is like a stale fart on a crowded bus, Ugh, I feel so guilty... But you know me, we've established that, and I'm an honest guy. Well honest until your sister tells me shes pregnant, then I ain't never seen that beytch before. Just sayin'.
It's crazy how much this location differs from the one on Clement. The menu is also more limited. I got some take out last night (Tom Som and Pad Thai) and it just wasn't right. The noodles were dry and flavorless. I probably won't go back to this location again. It's totally worth it to cross the park and order from Clement Street.
One of the many King of Thai restaurants in the S.F.
I really like the light purple color of the restaurant when I walked in. I did notice that they had the football playing on their 22in television all the way on the other side of the restaurant wall. It was such a tease, I can barely make out the score from where I was sitting.
I believe my order was Goon Thiew Lord and it was delicious. It had sauteed shrimps, ground chicken, tofu, black mushroom stir fried over noodles and sweet black soy sauce. After mixing some of the spicy hot sauce on the side, it was really good. Of course, it was still delicious without it.
The waitress came by frequently to fill our water glass and our food came very fast, too fast if you ask me. Felt like the food was pre-cooked or something, but it didn't taste pre-cooked.
Good, cheap, and fast service. My go to thai place in SF
*Grrr* I hate to do this.
While I enjoy coming here for quick and cheap Thai food, I must publicize the fact that this place produced a sanitation NO NO for me.
I arrived for a late lunch at around 2pm a few days ago. Must have been break time for the cooks as well as 2 of them were standing outside smoking a cigarette.
I quickly ordered as I always order the same thing when here: Fried Chicken Over Fried Rice. My dining companion for the afternoon ordered Yellow Curry. Also one of my favorites.
However, after putting my order in, I saw the two cooks come back into the restaurant. I was praying to myself that I would see them wash their hands before preparing my lunch. "Please wash your hands, please wash your hands."
DAMMIT! Went straight to making my lunch! Okay, now I know that cooking foods in high temperature will kill almost all bacteria, but that's hardly the point here.
The kitchen here at King of Thai is open, you would think these idiots would have some more common sense.
*Gagging* As a gal whose family owns a restaurant here in S.F., I know just how important sanitation is. Makes me wonder what else they do before preparing food if they can smoke a cigarette, and open the dirty door handle on their way back into the restaurant. Clearly this particular King of Thai location doesn't give a hoot.
My questions have been answered as to how King of Thai is able to get food on the table so quickly after folks order:
Mission Solved....
THEY DON'T WASH THEIR HANDS.
This place is consistent. They are quick with getting food out to you, but servers are slow,… Read more »
This is the whole-in-the wall thai food I like. Of course I am a fan of the one on 5th btwn Market/Mission so I'm going to love this place.
CASH ONLY. Remember that. We got stuck with the bill once when we forgot to bring cash. I had to run to the ATM down the block! So ya, bring cash!
What to eat: Wonton soup (great broth), Chicken over Fried Rice (heart attack waiting), Green/Yellow or Red Curry, Pad See Ewe, Pad Prik - I might be saying that one wrong, but it's a beef (or whatever meat you want) dish with bell peppers, basil and a kick in the butt spice! I love it.
There was a time when I really craved King of Thai Noodle.. maybe I was naive back then. It really irks me that I just rated a McDonalds 4 stars in some random city in CA while I'm giving this place 3 stars. But hey, you gotta compare apples to apples. For a Thai Noodle place, this place really sucks.. but since they are open late I gotta give them 3 stars.
Compared to all Thai food in the city, I'd rate this restaurant 2 stars. However, if you need something other than fast food late at night (as they open until 1:30 AM), this is worth heading to.
The food here is cool. I always get th crab fried rice, I just had it again haha. The only real downside is that it's cash only. The first time I came here I was "uh-oh"..... my bf walked up and down and there was not a working ATM anywhere near *sigh*
Now I just remember to bring cash LOL.
The food is ok, and it's reasonably priced. My crab fried rice is about $8 and I finished the whole thing. It's a cool place to go to just to grab a quick meal and you don't want fast food.
I'll be going here and there, when I feel like some convenient cheap Thai food. =)
Pros:
Roast duck fried rice
Chicken satay w/ peanut sauce
Cons:
Sitting and eating your food with the waitstaff! Minus 2 stars!!
Came here on Friday night, me and the bf wanted to try something new.
There were about 5 different young waitresses, all miling about. Service and food was fast...BUT as soon as we got all our food, all the waitresses convened at the table right next to us, and they were pretty close, so that made us a little uncomfortable.
My bf didn't enjoy his food as much because he felt like he was being stared at by the waitresses sitting only inches from us.
If it weren't for that , I'd give it a solid 4 stars for the food and how fast it was served...
the roast duck fried rice is a new favorite for me..but the service SUCKED!
Was not my cup of tea , the soup and meal were too spicy too my liking even though I specifically asked for "least spicy". A very average place that seems to have a large clientele ordering take out.
This place is in my neighborhood and it's fresh and good. The people are always friendly. Any dish with their fresh noodles is a pleaser - Pad Kee Mao, Pad See Lew. Get any of their soups, add fresh noodles for $1 and it makes a hearty meal. The spicyness level depends on the cook so tell them what you like.I ask for no MSG.
You want late night thai food. Come Here! The Chicken over Fried Rice is my favorite. Chicken satay and curries are good too.
This is a hole in the wall, but its one of my favorite hole in the walls after a late night out drinking and/or clubbing with friends.
Note: This place is cash only.
I made my way here after eating a t-bone steak at home. I don't know why because I wasn't even hungry. This location looked like a hole in the wall. But, you know what they all say about hole in walls.
Thai Iced Tea is not free.. well not for us? I always order this at every Thai restaurant.
This night I did not order my usual, Pad Thai because I was stuffed. Instead I ordered the Tom Yum Kha?? spicy, coconut soup with lemon grass, chicken, and mushroom.
I noticed the entrees at our table were significantly smaller in portion compared to what I am used to at other Thai restaurants in Socal. Mind you this is my first time eating Thai food in San Francisco.
My soup came out last. I guess this means it was made fresh and not just heated up? or could it be that it came out last with the idea it was made fresh? *shrug
I really didn't feel like eating it so I got a few small bowls and shared it with the table. I left some in my bowl so I can taste it. I thought it was very flavorful and consistent to what I have tried elsewhere. Plenty of chicken and mushroom. Tangy..just the way I like it. No one at the table has tried this soup previously. At first taste, they thought it was different, weird at first, but really enjoyed every last sip.
Average price per dish is $7-8. Parking sucks.
Props to this location for:
*My first King of Thai experience in high school. I love you.
*Staying open late.
*Again, lightening quick, friendly service.
Because this was the first one I went to, here I will share my favs at KoT -
(hope these menu item #s still apply!)
#15 - Pad See Lew - was my first dish and still a go-to
#21 - Spicy Basil Chicken over rice - my 2nd dish ever
#17 - Pad Kee Mao - basically #21 with flat rice noodles
Yellow, red or green curry - CAN'T GO WRONG
Tom Yum - this one is a kicker!
Tom Ka - tangy, lemongrassy, coconutty deliciousness (either plain or with flat rice noodles to make a heartier meal)
Cashew Chicken over rice - crispy, sweet bits of chicken cooked with bell peppers
Shrimp fried rice - wonderfully thai
Pad Thai - awesome
Papaya Salad - man, oh man! ask for spicy and they will GIVE IT TO YOU!
Love that there are so many options concerning the protein of choice - chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, or tofu (with veggies)
KoT - so reliable, so delicious, so many locations, so great!
This place is a "diamond in the rough."
Yeah... this place is kind of dirty. But the food is good. Another Thai place worth going to. Their soup/noodle bowls are huge and cheap. What more can you want, right? Their spring roll is delicious too. If you want cheap food and don't care for ambiance, go here.
This place wasn't bad when I went but because I'm not particularly impressed by it so I am giving it 3 stars. The three star rating comes from the relatively small (in comparison to most Thai places) menu as well as the fact that service was a little slow on a normal night when the place wasn't packed to the brim.
The Thai food has good flavor, but it isn't anything amazing that you should drop everything and go, but it's not a bad spot to stop by for dinner or to go in the city if you happen to be around the area.
I can't say that the food is nasty here, it's just not very good. My boyfriend and I ate here the other night. I had the fried rice with chicken, etc. and he had curried pork and a side dish, tea, and both were a disappointment. Cash only too.
If I were giving this review a few years ago, this place would have had 5 stars.
I used to go to this place ALL the time when I lived up in North Bay for college. My friends and I would run to the car and drive 40 miles south to the city JUST to enjoy their delicious dishes at all hours of the day and night.
However I moved a few years ago (after graduating) and upon going back last week I was a bit taken aback that they had made a few changes, including the menu.
Luckily I found my favorite dish, #16 (that is what I know it by) and it was almost as good as I remember.
My friend, who always came with me when we craved thai food, got her usual (I think it's #33) and said it tasted great too.
My girlfriend, who had never been there before, got the pad see ew with chicken and ate it so fast I barely got a bite before it was all gone.
All in all, this place is amazingly delicious! It's great, it's fast, AND it's pretty darn cheap! The service is quick and friendly too!
Just make sure you have cash because they don't take anything else! :)
I heart King of Thai.
While it is not oozing in ambiance, unlike most typical Asian places, at least they painted it a different color, and in this case, a light lavender. Anyways, typical Asian decor, basic, minimalist and all that but it's neat and clean though somewhat sticky. But if you ever eat Asian on a regular basis you know this already and how to deal.
The food is good and hearty and fills you up and does so with flavor and without hurting your wallet. While it's not the best Thai food I've ever had it is definitely without a doubt great bang for my buck. Also it was ready for pickup quickly, and for under $40, I was able to order, 6 different dishes and fed 3 hungry men with a variety of differing tastes from the experienced Thai eater, to the whitey that thinks he doesn't like Thai food or at least thinks he doesn't like it (that would be my fiance) to the Chinese girl that has eaten at most every Asian place in SF (that would be me)- and everyone was satisfied.
Every dish we order gets rave reviews from at least one person in the group. Personally, I don't love everything we order but at least someone in the group does so who am I to talk sh*t about a dish? My personal favorite is the fried rice if that tells you anything.
All this and within 4 blocks of this house means that the number to this place is now programmed into my phone on speed dial, I kid you not.
Big portions and good green curry, we did takeout and portions were quite large and tasty. The curry is kinda runny, as I find true in most places. My friends red curry was good, not very spicy. My dish was vegetarian and had tiny chunks of tofu and eggplant. I love eggplant and love restaurants that get it crispy before they add it to the curry, but mine was cooked in and was a bit mushy and tasteless. May be a moot point since the spiciness and taste of the green curry takes over anyways.
Service was quick to-go. Order and 15 minutes later, we were able to pick up. Good, strong containers for the curry and thick paper boxes for the other entrees.
Prices are dirt cheap for SF, enjoy a cheap, filling dinner for 8 bucks. Can't beat the price.
Growing up in LA, I was able to stuff myself with the best Thai food at all the good hole in the wall restaurants. They only had 2 Thai restaurants in Davis when I was going to school, and they didn't serve the dishes that I usually ate back home. One day, after partying in SF, my friends took me to King of Thai. I took a look at the menu, and I thought I had died and gone to heaven. They had all the good noodle soups that I could only find when I went back home.
My favorite is #4 under their noodle soups...Guay Tiew Ruar Ruam....or in English...combination beef noodle soup. I've had this at other restaurants in SF, but I still think King of Thai makes it the best!
Here are some other dishes that I like there:
-Guay Tiew Yen Ta Fo...seafood noodle soup with a red bean sauce
-Guay Tiew Ped Yang...duck noodle soup
-Rad Nar...Thai version of chow fun with gravy
-Pad Kee Mao...spicy pan fried noodle
-Pad Thai
-Som Tum...papaya salad...I'll buy it when I'm too lazy to make it at home
-Kao Pad Ped....duck fried rice
Even though this is a chain, its still so much better than any of the fancy shmancy Thai restaurants out there. I love it because its actually authentic, and doesn't taste like some of the Americanized Thai restaurants I've been to. The prices are really reasonable and the portions are big.
Just make sure you go to the ATM first. Most King of Thai's are cash only.
Your food comes out within five minutes of ordering when it's not so busy, and yes, the food is fresh. This location also has pumpkin curry.
JONASAPPROVED!
This place use to be a lot better.
It's still okay when you are hungry and craving Thai at a late night. The Pad See Yew and the Pad Kee Mao is what I order, it's decent but it has a slight burnt taste, like they overcooked it.
But for the price you pay it's good!
I think now, they give you Thai Ice Tea for free, it's like the recession special they have.
For fast food Thai, this place is good. Out of all of the King of Thai locations, this is probably my favorite one. I like to order their Pad Kee Mao and Yen Tha Fo. Mmm...yummy!
When I used to live a couple blocks away from this location, I would frequently take out Thai food. Fast forward a couple years and boy have things gone downhill at this location.
I was in the mood for Thai food and was in the area, so I stopped in for some take out. I was surprised when they offered a table to sit out while browsing the menu and even offered complimentary tea. I ordered my dishes which arrived promptly and off I went.
When I got home the first thing I noticed is that their portions have significantly shrunk. Oh well I thought, at least it will be descent... boy was I wrong. In my first bite I was surprised to find a staple! Yikes. That ruined the rest of my experience as I had to verify each bite before eating it.
I really hope that all the locations are not this bad as I used to enjoy King of Thai but now I am starting to think that they are falling off. . . .I doubt I will return to the Taraval location again.
Even though this place might seem like a hole in the wall I can honestly say that this place isn't bad at all. I've been coming here for years and I have never had any problems with the food or staff. Parking might be a little troublesome but manageable overall.
The food itself is great. There are always 3 plates that I always seem to order no matter what, the first being the Kao Pad Gai Tod which includes boneless fried chicken over a bed of fried rice. It's quite refreshing to know that there is a side of cucumbers and tomatoes that are included as well to offset any unhealthy aspects to the dish. The chicken was cooked perfectly and the rice never too greasy. Another dish is Pad Kee Mao which is my personal favorite. Stir fried noodles and your choice with green long bean, bell pepper, thai chili and basil makes for an amazing experience. Never too spicy or greasy this is a dish for the adventurist at heart. A good blend of meat along with a little bit of a kick. The last dish is the Pad Bee Law which is similar to the last dish which has stir fried pas rice noodles but without the spices. It's more of your typical dish that has your choice with egg, cheese broccoli in sweet black soy sauce. Combine this with a thai ice tea or coffee and your good to go! Go hear of your tired of trying to find some late nice eateries around!
My friends and I came here looking for some real food after a disappointing meal of oysters.
I was surprised at how clean the place was for a hole in the wall restaurant. The walls were purple, giving it somewhat of a fobby look, but hey, its a late night Thai restaurant.
We were greeted and seated promptly, but it took a while for them to finally get our orders in. My friends and I shared the pad Thai and the pad see ew. I was impressed. The pad thai was sweeter than I normally like it, but had pretty good flavor. The pad see ew was slightly on the burned side (you could smell the carcinogenic goodness) but tasted really good. They skimped on the beef, but the combination of eggs and noodles were just right. The portions were pretty generous, so we all left full and remained that way for the next 6 hours or so.
All in all, not a bad place for a late night meal. They don't take card, but the dishes aren't pricey at all... averaged about $10 per person.
Looking for lunch in the Inner Sunset can be a difficult task given the many selections on almost any street. My local friend suggested I check out King of Thai Noodles so I could compare some casual Thai food to the more formal experience most of us are used to.
While they're known for their noodle soups, I craved some power food so I ordered the pineapple fried rice. Full of chicken, shrimp, pineapple, and cashews, this medley was extremely satisfying on this chilly winter day. The portion size was also impressive for less than $9 too.
Considering their late hours, large selection, reasonable prices, and casual attitude, it's no wonder that This noodle house is king. There is something on the menu to satisfy every craving, all night long. Ok, well, everything but "that".
Food: 8/10
Service: 7/10
Price: $
Atmosphere: 6/10
ONLY the Pat SEE lew is 5star worthy.
Get NOTHING ELSE. cucumber salad okay.
Theyre fast, but so are all the other king of thais.
Dont get thai ice tea unless you want a cup full of ice and a sip of T.I.T.
THIS IS THE ONLY PLACE THAT MAKES pat see lew good, I guess each location has their own specialty.
The lavender walls remind me of my friend growing up who periodically french-kissed her cousin at co-ed slumber parties. She always reserved the bottom half of her bunk-bed for her mangy stuffed animals - forcing me to share the guest room with twenty inbred yorkie dogs.
Hmm.
I brought my roommates $40 of Thai food the other day to NOT seem as self-centered as my childhood friend. I think it worked, but I'm not positive, since I spent the entire meal talking about myself.
Not only is this place open until 1:30 am, but they serve up some great tofu pad see ew.
On my quest for weight loss, I ordered the guay tiew moo dang. I'm not entirely sure what it is, or how to pronounce it... It's some sort of clear broth, duck meat, noodle, lotsa veggies concoction. Correct me if I'm wrong (actually, don't) but this is one of the most veggie-filled items on the menu.
Having learned from my friend Rhonda, I recommend that you share your dishes family style and wait until after dinner to kiss your cousins.
My parents had to lock the junk food cabinet to keep me from becoming a chubby family embarrassment.… Read more »
My home away from home. I could live on this stuff. Not the cleanest place in the world (hence the four stars), but the food is always fresh and tasty.
This was my first Thai in SF area, 2nd meal period. I think we at here after midnight so it was pretty empty.
The first thing I noticed is that the menu was very different from what I am used to on the east coast (Miami, New York)
I was happy the prices were cheap, even duck was like $8
I later discovered that almost all Asian food is cheap in SF, I'm so JEALOUS!
I forgot the name of what I ordered, but I got the duck that came with white rice.
Service was fast, unlike where I come from where even fast food comes served slowly.
It was really good and I was happy!
King of Thai rocks the house. When i first came up from Palm Springs, CA this was my first authentic Thai experience. There weren't alot of good Thai restaurants in the desert when i lived there but i know of one that has opened since my departure from the Coachella valley. This particular location is my favorite in the city although i have been to the one on clement, the one on Haight, and the one on sloat. The king of thai here was always the best for some reason.
I got hooked on curry for a good 6 month period. Yellow curry with chicken specifically. I would call them at 12:30 at night and say i would like the yellow curry, im across the street be there in 5. I would show up and it would already be ready. Bam im out into the foggy night as the L train passes me by before i get to my apartment next to a former rug store now turned toy store? I remember drinking the last bit of curry and it warmed my stomach so much it calmed me down and i went so sleep. yeah i may have had some weird dreams, but the curry tasted excellent!
I got off the curry wagon and I usually get the Pad Kee Mao with ground beef which is spicy thick noodles with hamburger-like meat. it's the bomb! trust me i've had the pad kee mao with the chicken, and it's better with the beef because the noodles sop of some more flavor from the beef.
There are many upscale Thai restaurants in the city that may be better for more money, but this is the flagship Thai restaurant throughout the city and they do a damn good job.
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Neighborhood: Outer Sunset
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Neighborhood: Nob Hill
San Francisco, CA
Category: Thai
Neighborhood: Outer Sunset
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