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Laguna Thai By the Sea
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11 am - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
67 reviews for Laguna Thai By the Sea
Review Highlights
"best thai food i have had in oc so far."
(in 6 reviews)
"The very best Pad Thai I've ever had."
(in 19 reviews)
"The meat in the Crying Tiger was so soft and cooked just..."
(in 4 reviews)
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67 reviews in English
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Review from Kimberly K.
Los Angeles, CA
9/22/2011
Dad: Kimberly you need to eat.
Me: No I don't I'm not going to I don't feel good
Dad: You'll feel better once you eat.
Me: No I won't I just want to go home and go to bed.
Enter Laguna Thai...
Green Jasmine Tea first drink it and I felt better instantly... Naturally dad ordered 20 or so bags for us to go... We ordered chicken pad thai and some other chicken plate both dinners were pretty extravagant in terms of portions and felt healthy and great for sharing. The music was a bit dramatic and added tremendous character to what is a pretty small space, a bit of a hidden gem... although it is small I hope they don't change anything about the character and very subtle charm. -
Review from Sandy P.
Mission Viejo, CA
Updated - 1/22/2012 1 photo
So I find this restaurant absolutely amazing, hence my prior review.
I have tried twice in the last 8 weeks to stop in and have lunch only to find that the restaurant is not open. Once I tried on a Sunday at 1:00 pm and yesterday at 12:00 pm. Have the hours changed? Are they still in business? Do they not care about customers that drive 15 miles just to have lunch at their establishmet only to find it closed?
Hmmmmmm.......one may never know.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/27/2011
How do you say Nirvana in Thai??? That is the only word that can describe my experience with Laguna… Read more »
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Review from Linda Y.
1/14/2012
While spending a romantic weekend in Laguna, we decided to get Thai food since it seemed like the best nearby place to eat some good food without a long wait on a Saturday night. This place is very small with limited seating. We were happily greeted and seated immediately. Wow, they have quite the wine selection!
We started off with the fried tofu which I... hated. It really was terrible. Don't get it! The flavor of the salmon curry was good, but the salmon was overcooked and a little tough. The drunken noodles were more vegetables than noodles. I guess it's better for my health, but it's disappointing when you order a noodle dish and get more vegetables than noodles. Not to mention that the vegetables used in the drunken noodles were the same vegetables used in the salmon curry. We basically ate two plates of the same vegetables with a different sauce! Disappointing, but I can see why the locals go here. There's a great wine selection and great service. -
Review from Kellie G.
Corona del Mar, CA
11/23/2011
great place, excellent food, big portion worth sharing and a killer wine and beer list.
Service is always friendly, sometimes a long wait for your meal but who really cares.
Drawback, its small sometimes long wait but if you show after 8 pm the crowd dissipates. -
Review from Micah B.
Utah, UT
1/21/2012
Delicious Thai food. They were out of beef though and we had to wait over an hour for our take out order to be ready :(
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Review from Emily R.
Laguna Beach, CA
12/27/2011
Amazing Thai. It's my go to when ordering out. Especially for a good group of people. You can find anything for everyone and they are great and
making changes. I've probably had just about everything on the menu and never had any complaints! Best thai food I have ever had. -
Review from Dave K.
Irvine, CA
1/14/2012
Worst Thai food I've had in California. Awful and over-priced. I'd eat a box of napkins before going back here again.
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Review from andrew w.
8/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
As Sara B mentioned, very short staffed. The food was yum, but the failure to ask about spice level, come to table at reasonable intervals, provide napkins/chopsticks/etc, was definitely the product of a busy busy server.
Will be happy to go again! -
Review from Sara B.
8/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
You must have patience to come here! It is run by one person waiting tables and one person cooking. So time should not be a factor for your party.
Ordered the green chicken curry, tofu pad thai and the salmon red curry. The salmon was OUTSTANDING!
everything else was pretty decent. The curry wasn't as spicy as I am used to and I was surprised when they didn't ask how hot we wanted our dishes.
If you have the time to enjoy this place, I would go...if you are in a rush...well, pre-order and pick it up. -
Review from Douglas L.
Pomona, CA
9/2/2011
How can a place that is so small be so good? The wife and I arrived on a Friday evening, just prior to the crowd. Got a nice table by the window. Ordered some very fresh, very tasty and perfectly prepared "Por Pia" (egg rolls) which had nice chunks of tofu along with the usual fresh veggies. I ordered the Pad See Iew with pork, she ordered Pad Himapan with chicken. Both very generous portions with absolutely wonderful flavors. As for mine, I kept telling my wife - 'rarely am I still interested in my food as I get to the last bites' -- but I finished the plate with joy!
Serving staff kept the ice water flowing (nicely served in stainless steel mugs) and were super friendly.
Would I go back? Oh yeah. Without a doubt.
I noticed that Sara B mentioned that the restaurant was short staffed. Not true for tonight -- four servers plus cooks. -
Review from Jennifer Y.
Laguna Beach, CA
10/18/2011
The Yum Gai Salad is delicious! Go to-go last night and everything was very yummy :)
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Review from Vanessa H.
Aliso Viejo, CA
I heard about this place through regular old word-of-mouth and saw that it had decent reviews, so I took my Mom for lunch here over the weekend.
They have a couple of reserved spots for Laguna Thai next to the structure (down a slight incline off of PCH) and that's big points in Laguna. The place really is a hole-in-the-wall but the food is very good.
The Highs
- Great quality meat. Chicken was well-prepared and very clearly all-white-meat. That goes a long way at many Asian places!
- Friendly service
- Good yellow curry (probably a 7.5 out of 10 on my scale)
The Lows
- No Thai Iced Coffee (they did have Thai Iced Tea, but it's very unusual for a Thai restaurant to not have Iced Coffee too)
- No Amex (shouldn't be surprising for a small place like this)
- No large bills
Overall I would be open to coming back, but at someone else's suggestion. But Thai Bros up PCH is next on my list of Thai places in Laguna to try.Listed in: Thai Food in OC
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Review from Lucy M.
Laguna Beach, CA
10/13/2011
The place is really too small and cramped for me, and the service isn't generally good. The only time I enjoyed the ambience was once at lunch when we were able to snag a table on the miniscule patio. BUT the food, for the most part, is quite yummy.
SO...the perfect solution is takeout. They also pack many of the dishes in great takeout containers, recyclable, reusable plastic. I don't buy plastic containers for food storage anymore; these do the trick. After we eat up the tasty morsels. -
Review from James T.
5/7/2011
I will be eternally thankful for the the many daring and courageous Asian immigrant entrepreneurs, who have brought to our shores, so many wonderful flavors, styles, and experiences.
This is one of those places which elicit my thanks. The food, well, it's Thai; so you really can't go wrong, but it is certainly better than most. They offer a Thai Tea that ushers you into other realms and their Pad Kra Prow can make you believe in a food deity.
Parking is the only downside. However, if you look at it as a special challenge that can enhance your vehicular navigation skills, you will be in for a real treat.
Service was above average, the place is kept clean, and the environment is mighty cozy. -
Review from Heather J.
Laguna Beach, CA
12/17/2010
Really good Thai food in South Laguna! We usually get the Chicken Satay & the Tom Kha soup which is my fave! So yummy!
Nice service but just really small inside, but thats why I like it :) -
Review from Larry K.
Mentone, CA
6/30/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Very small restaurant serving some of the best and freshest Thai food I've found. The quality of the ingredients is excellent. As are the prices. Casual atmosphere with a large wine list. About 10 tables or so don't be suprised to find a little bit of a wait. You won't be disappointed. Always a must go when we are in Laguna Beach.
Larry K: -
Review from Leigh R.
Tulare, CA
9/28/2011
Perfect..... Just as I remember it from younger years.....a comfort food for sure.... This place definitely has the most authentic taste I've had outside of a Thai home:)
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Review from Leddy Renwick R.
Laguna Beach, CA
3/23/2011
I can walk here. That is nice.
They make a mean tofu and veggies thai basil dish. The gravy or brown sauce is quite delicious.
I need to add spice, and they definitely cater to a less spice loving palate, but their great flavored dishes and the fact that they are generous with the amount of veggies they put in Pad Thai, a dish I normally avoid due to its being so starchy and not having any or very few veggies.
All around a great little place- I miss the Village Deli, but, Love Laguna Thai by the Sea. -
Review from Guy D.
Orange, CA
Excellent Thai food. I eat lunch here whenever I am in the area. Their chili lime dressing is so damn good. The perfect combo of sweet / tangy / hot. I always get the salad with the steak on it. Something cool about a big pile of fresh veggies with a steak on it. The steak is great. It all works together well.
I will be coming back for dinner. -
Review from James H.
8/8/2011
Best Thai in Laguna Beach! It's a tiny place with very few seats so you should expect to wait if you dine in. It's good to take it to go and enjoy the food on the beach. Try the curry dishes, they are all delicious.
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Review from Stacey A.
Laguna Beach, CA
8/27/2011
Very authentic Thai experience! Great location, yummy dishes and pleasant service. If you're looking to eat on the run, you might want to look elsewhere. This is not fast food, and each dish is prepared fresh and one at a time. Also good for takeout. Parking is available in the back of the restaurant.
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Review from Heidi M.
11/15/2010
All around good - nice service, Gyosa appetizer and sauce, very good. My Thai rice though, was lacking in flavor - perhaps next time I would ask for spicy.
Everyone else's food had the right amount of flavor - nice portions! -
Review from Ben M.
Denver, CO
8/25/2010
All and all excellent food.
Everything here was very good - outside of the small language barrier. When I ordered my food - I asked for it very hot, as in spicy. This was interpreted as "last time I was here, my food was cold." We had several different people come up to us and apologize for the cold food, and we were assured this time it would be very hot (I tried over and over again to explain that I had never been there - and I was sure the food would be plenty hot.) When the food came... it was piping hot! It wasn't spicy though :( -
Review from Sanj B.
Irvine, CA
7/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
You walk in to a small little joint after expecting your typical Thai place, but it's cozy, intimate, and downright amazing. The service didn't skip a beat even as the line built out the door, no rushing out guests. The meal was splendid: Tom Kha soup followed by pad see ew and red curry. Definitely the best Thai in south OC!
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Review from Matt R.
Los Angeles, CA
7/7/2011
This place is so good. Best thai food in the area for sure. Everything that I have tried was amazing and is reasonably priced. The staff is incredibly nice as well. Some highlights on the menu are the shrimp and avocado egg rolls, the pad see iew, and the green curry. This place is definitely a must visit spot.
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Review from Kat N.
Los Angeles, CA
12/12/2007
Wow, what a difference a few years makes. But first, OK, yes I realize I cannot realistically get authentic Thai fare in Laguna Beach, but I had a special affinity with this tiny shoebox of an eatery because I used to live two blocks away and spent many an evening ordering affordable takeout (uh, one order of chicken satay) on my lowly salary as a cub reporter.
I recently went back and ordered my usual tom yum and had to do a double take when I saw slices of yellow squash, green beans and carrots in the soup. What is this, vegetable soup? And while there was a trace of fish sauce, I detected a really weird, artificial citrus flavor, as if it came from those plastic limes at the grocery store. Didn't see any lemongrass or kaffir lime leaves either. The taste was just really off. The tom kha ga, coconut milk soup, fared a bit better but barely passed muster.
The Crying Tiger salad couldn't elicit a whimper if it tried, no heat at all. I thought it was very telling that they served all the dishes super mild, as if that's what they're accustomed to making for their customers. Once I tried asking for medium hot and it still tasted mild.
To see how a basic dish like Pad Thai would stack up, we ordered that and again, the dish presented before me was curious. I literally had to pick through the bean sprouts to look for the noodles, they were so sparse. The taste was average, nothing to crow about.
Laguna Thai presents the ever-typical problem of ethnic eateries in mainstream communities. I understand they have to cater to their patrons (mostly Gringo in this case) but at the same time, there's something to be said that if you dilute the flavors so much, you rob the customer out of what could have been a truly authentic experience. And worse, you train that customer to think of the watered down fare as authentic so that when they do eat it the way Thais eat it, they'll likely think it too foreign to appreciate. -
Review from Visvamitra L.
Pomona, CA
9/16/2009
Apparently very much favored by the locals...based on what I read and heard as I was sitting outside waiting for my takeout order.
They had an interesting selection of obscure beers, sake, wines and non alcoholic drinks. I was very tempted.
A very cute cozy place.
My one main complaint in their food is their over use of sugar. Everything tasted a little too sweet for me. My family liked it quite a bit, but I felt that pretty much all of the six dishes I ordered, except for two (friend rice and a fish appetizer) were too sweet. I think Thai should be balanced between sweet and savory, but they tended to tip it too much into the sweet side to me.
Secondly, I found green beans, grape tomatoes, and yellow summer squash in their Tom Yum soup....which I feel is inauthentic.
Other than that, things were pretty good. The service was good and attentive, food came out in 15 mins as promised, and nicely wrapped up for me.
I suppose I would go back.
--Anthony -
Review from Ricardo C.
CORONA DL MAR, CA
11/1/2011
Best Thai food I have ever had. Even in Thailand. Seriously! Total mom and pop place. Por pia and pad himapan are the best! Its all about the magnificant sauce.
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Review from Anthony A.
Rancho Santa Margarita, CA
1/21/2010
It's not my favorite Thai place ever, but this is the only place that is guaranteed my business when I'm in Laguna Beach. Of the 3 Thai places in town, this one has the best food. The interior is a little cramped; the tables are small and a little too close together for my tastes. If you're unlucky enough to be seated next to some fauxhawk-sporting hipster who's had one too many Heinekens then your meal can easily turn into a nightmare situation. But that's only happened to me once or twice.
The staff is really friendly. Actually, almost every Thai place I go to has a great staff - I guess they're just a really friendly people. I always start off with the beef or chicken satay with peanut sauce. It's not only frikkin' delicious, but it's a great appetizer while you await the main course. Sometimes they take a little long to get your food to you, so this cuts that time down considerably. The entrees are overflowing on the plate and full of flavor. They know how to spice the dishes just right. You get a burst of Thai spices and sauces with each bite, but they never overpower the flavor of the meat and veg.
Pricing is in line with just about every other Thai restaurant - around $10/person. Parking here is a bitch since they have no lot and they're located right off of PCH, so I suggest you park across the street and up the hill near the gas station.Listed in: Laguna Beach, Thai This
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Review from Kevan M.
12/31/2007
This is a small & quaint restaurant near the coast. My dining companions and I agreed that their strengths are the fresh ingredients they use and tasty spiced food. Every dish we ordered was delicious and didn't weigh our stomaches down. They had a remarkable beer selection with some tasty brew.
A couple things prevent me from giving this a fifth star:
- We were crammed in a corner table that smelled like mothballs
- The service was adequate but not outstanding -
Review from Robert J.
Dana Point, CA
1/31/2009
I LOVE thai food. It is one of my favorite cuisines. Renu Nakorn in Norwalk off Rosecrans was the best of the best.... But then I tried this place.. After careful consideration I must revoke my 5 star review of Renu Nakorn.. Laguna Thai by the Sea is the BEST THAI RESTAURANT EVER! In my experience with thai food it for the most part always tastes good but rarely has great presentation and it doesn't really look pretty. However, at this restaurant this was not compromised. Now, sometimes you may think well with good presentation food quality is compromised.. Not at this place. Also, to this day this place has the BEST THAI ICED I have had to date! Also, They had the best drinks ever!
Bottom Line: The best thai food for the cheapest price combined with a great atmosphere and presentation and great beverages equals the best thai food there is... -
Review from Turbo G.
Walnut, CA
11/24/2009
Amazing Thai food in Orange County.
The food is very authentic. Favorite dish is the chicken curry...
Will definitely go again! -
Review from Robert M.
Laguna Hills, CA
9/25/2010
This is a neat, tiny little South Laguna neighborhood Thai place that is indeed right by the sea. It has mostly neighborhood clients and the food here tastes better than most other restaurants in Laguna Beach.
However, since my gold standard is a fish market in Bangkok and a very good Thai place we frequented a decade ago in Bethesda, Maryland I have to give it a 3 (which in my rating system means pretty good). -
Review from Dina K.
San Clemente, CA
4/18/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Hidden little place you wouldn't even know it's there unless you're looking for it. Not really what I expected at first when I entered as it was very small but cozy place. Total whole in the wall but the food was amazing and they had a good presentation. Very clean food and meats and lighter than most other Thai places. I'll defiantly recommend this place. I ordered the drunken noodles and my husband got the Crying Tiger both were awesome. The meat in the Crying Tiger was so soft and cooked just right. Seems like this place has different take than most Thai places but I welcome the different take on the food.
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Review from Crystal I.
Laguna Beach, CA
4/8/2011
My husband says this place is #1, "doesn't get better than this".
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Review from Peter Y.
Laguna Niguel, CA
1/18/2009
I have been coming here for years. It is one of my favorite places for Thai food in OC. I specially enjoy their lunch specials.
It is somewhat difficult to find along busy traffic (PCH) and the place is quite small. The taste of food has been changed somewhat over the years (less exotic ingredients and spiciness) but still tasty to me.
Cheers, -
Review from Andrew F.
Irvine, CA
9/29/2009
Whenever I get a craving for Thai food I don't mind driving 30 minutes to get to South Laguna for Laguna Thai. I love the Tofu Pad Thai.
Everything I've ordered there has been pretty satisfying. I've ordered take out from them pretty late (which I felt bad about since they were about to close) but they didn't give me any attitude or anything. They were very nice about it. And they're always friendly whenever I eat there.
I mostly love how it's this tiny restaurant that's kind of tucked away on PCH. I would have never known about it if my friends hadn't discovered it in college. When it comes to local hole in the wall restaurants, Laguna Thai is high on my list! -
Review from Albert B.
Irvine, CA
6/22/2010
This place has awesome service and awesome food!
We started out with the chicken satay with peanut sauce. It was soooooooooo good, but only got 1 strip of chicken each for $5 bucks. But I guess that isn't so bad since it is an appetizer.
I ordered the pad thai and my friend ordered the some type of minced chicken with white rice. It actually was a lot better than mine. I always go for something different, but I should go with my first instinct next time.
We shared a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc and the coverage fee was pretty cheap too.
I love this place. -
Review from Donna C.
Garrett Park, MD
6/27/2010
I'm really not sure why the reviews of this restaurant are on balance so glowing. We found it adequate, totally average. Maybe the other Thai options in the area aren't good at all?
We had
1. Pad Thai - fine, but the chicken was a bit overcooked
2. Mixed vegetables in red curry sauce - The vegetables were crisp and fresh. But the sauce was very bland and the veggies were not what you'd expect - green beans cabbage and peppers dominated...more things that come as accompaniments than as an entree
3. Drunken noodles - this was the worst dish. The components were fine and fresh but the sauce was too spicy without integration. Here's what a i mean - I love spicy food, but only if the spice is well integrated into the other spices and flavors of the rest of the dish. Sometimes you get a dish where it seems like they just dumped "spicy" on top without balancing the flavors. That's what this was like.
Started with some spring rolls, which were pretty standard.
The other thing that was kinda weird about this place is that it has a massive and impressive wine list. I know it's Laguna, but really? a $100 of Cabernet with Thai food? And the beer selection - while including Thai beer (singha) was mostly belgian and german beers. Maybe those go with the UK football banners hanging from the ceiling. Eclectic to be sure.
Sorry, not going back. -
Review from Ner M.
Dana Point, CA
2/27/2010 1 Check-in Here
Small space that has tons of flavor & portions. Love the dragon beef & yellow curry.
FYI: dinner time here can be busy given the small space. Lunch time hours are better and they have lunch specials.
