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The Rice Barn
Rating Details »
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
13 reviews for The Rice Barn
Although I was a bit trepidacious at first after seeing the web site with the rather chique decor (I tend to favor family-style high-value places), I gotta say that my meal at the Rice Barn is the best Thai food I can remember. My previous favorites, the King and I and the Amarin, are both very good (and perhaps a slightly better value), but for sheer quality the Rice Barn is tops.
The ambiance is clean and elegant. The Thai Spring rolls were hot, crispy, and very, very fresh tasting. The Pad Thai was rich, with layered flavors. Chicken slightly grilled. A good size portion too. My wife's Jungle Tofu was spicy, with wonderfully fresh basil flavors. Even the Thai iced tea was excellent - the tea flavor was not lost in the condensed milk.
The only downside is that quality comes with prices about 40% higher than other Thai restaurants. Sometimes it's worth paying extra.
Good food. Stupid name. It's like a hot chick named Gertrude or Ethel.
Appetizers were tasty and creatively presented. Didn't care for the "flower cups" though, which were rather flavorless and served in some kind of garden tool apparatus. Salmon entrees were generous and looked yummy. My boyfriend's mom got the Alaskan butterfish. Blue Ginger is the only other place I know that serves butterfish, and I think the Rice Barn's was better. Boyfriend and I split the yellow curry. Should have asked for it mild. I felt like I was having hot flashes.
I'll be back, Gertrude.
My sis got the crab cake salad--which was good, but a little weird. My brother got a noodle dish. I got the duck noodle soup, which was very good. We also split an order of basil fried rice--just the right spicy, also very good.
Service was good--they were quick on refills and bringing our order to the table. I'd recommend and would return.
This is an unexpected find in Needham! I enjoyed the duck curry, and service was super friendly. Portions were very generous when I was there. I also love the decor; it definitely has a sophisticated, "city, " feel. I would go back again.
I have only gotten take out so I have not experienced the restaurant side. It looks like it's easy to get a table.
Onto the food - Prices change from lunch to dinner but portions stay the same so that's my only finicky point.
My faves:
-Chicken Satay
-Roti Canai (good portions)
-Pineapple Fried Rice
-Salmon Basil (so good with this thick spicy jam)
-Pad See-ew (my go to lunch choice)
-and of course - Pad Thai
Food is ready in about 10 minutes and will be true to your order if you want the food really hot or wimpy.
Here we are in Needham, party of 8 (two of which under 4 years old) to eat dinner. The 3 year old chose Rice Barn over Stone Hearth and the Indian Place. Let me say he chose well. It was definitely a child friendly place as they gave the children drinks w/o asking and provided their food well before we were even ready for ours.
The menu was extensive and satisfied all my taste buds. May I also mention this was my fiance and my celebratory engagement dinner with my new in-laws. We did order their only bottle of champagne.
I ordered the Saigon Fresh Rolls, very tasty, but completely raw veggies. I didn't want to like the crepes and duck but they were so delicious. Then my mushroom wrap with grilled portobello mushrooms, and (again the same ensemble of raw veggies), rice noodles, etc. to roll on my own was very sticky but tasty.
I sampled the chicken satay, fried rice, and one of the noodle bowls I was thoroughly impressed with all of the food even the raw veggies. My friend who ordered the butter fish loved her meal and referred back to it numerous times over the course of the weekend.
I loved the simple decor and excellent, friendly service. Our first dinner as an engaged couple was user friendly as I like it. I would go back even if we weren't engaged.
Horrible name, great food, small-ish portions. Loved my drunken basil noodles, and my pal's curry was great, too. Upper scale atmosphere and clean bathroom. Yummy!
Update: Downgrading to 2 stars. The fast few times I've eaten from her, I haven't felt well after. Are they using MSG? Does my body not react well to MSG? Hubby still loves their food, though.
The decor: very cool, modern vibe. Extremely clean.
The food: entrees are good (especially the Chinatown Street Noodle and Spicy Basil Tofu). The apps (only ever tried the dumplings & rolls) are only OK.
The services: you never need to wait for a table, the food comes out quick, but the waitresses are otherwise inattentive. Hard to get more water / refill your drink.
Prices are reasonable (well, except for the wines) and this has become one of our default places to go in Needham for a quick, good and affordable bite to eat.
Place is great, if badly named. All the lunch boxes are good, love the masaman curry and the spicy basil noodles. Get the gyoza as well, good stuff.
This was my first time visiting this restaurant and I have to say it was amazing. I see myself coming back many times. The food was nicely prepared, with healthy portions and utmost attention to the little details (placement, style, decor). I found the wait-staff to be very attentive, ensuring the table was satisfied. When you ask to be seated you can sit near the bar which is secluded or you can choose to sit in the open dining area for a more group appeal.
The prices are very reasonable for the quality of food you receive and the full bar makes for a great dining experience for all that attend.
I highly recommend the satay as an appetizer and according to my friend you can't go wrong with the thai spring rolls. For an entree I had the rice barn ribs which were elegantly prepared with a house honey and lightly spiced BBQ sauce. As a dessert I had the fried bananas with chocolate basil ice cream which was an excellent way to end the dining experience at The Rice Barn.
Overall I highly recommend this restaurant, a bonus for my party was the call ahead reservations since this location seems to be very popular. The restaurant is located in downtown Needham where you will find lots of little shops, boutiques and plenty of parking.
I have ordered out from The Rice Barn twice - once Pad Thai and once the "Vegetarian Lunch Box". Both meals were amazing. So good, perfect flavors, balance of spices but not too hot. Also, when I ordered the Pad Thai, I was on a very restricted diet and they were perfectly willing to accommodate me. They are very friendly and the food is ready very quickly. And also, although I haven't eaten in the restaurant, while I was waiting for my food, I was noticing how tasteful the decor was - really nice atmosphere.
Best Thai in Needham...well, ok, I think it is the only Thai in Needham, but it is pretty good. Tofu Pad Thai is good, not to oily (some places use too much oil), pineapple fried rice is nice as well. I really like the Chicken Panang Curry. I have only had takeout, so I can't say anything about the service, but the food is pretty good. For those in the Needham area, it's a better choice than China Sky in Wellesley.
They presented our food in a really cute way, so if that's your kind of thing...I have a vague recollection that the service wasn't fantastic, but I enjoyed the food a lot. Mainly, we felt let down because Sweet Basil doesn't take reservations and is ALWAYS crowded...but not a bad econd alternative, I thought.
