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Viet Thai Restaurant
Rating Details »
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good for:
- Lunch, Dinner
15 reviews for Viet Thai Restaurant
Here's the thing about Viet Thai. The food is pretty typical of Thai joints, the service ranging from very friendly to lackluster while the selections a little boring. But overall, hands down, it's the best I had to work with in Centre County.
The pho is uninventive with suitably tasting broth and healthy, fresh veggies while the rice noodle platters were flavourful and cooked to order. The pad thai was also quite good: I've never tasted overcooked or tough noodles and the sauce was really tasty. Spring rolls are def an A all the way while the curry I also found was consistently made well.
The decor and atmosphere is cozy, quiet and cute although during some days I found it was packed, while others, not so much. We would usually order takeout with no serious food mixups or issues. The prices were very reasonable- for about 12 bucks I could grab my fav dish, a small appetizer and a Thai iced tea. Yum yum.
Overall, there really aren't any major surprises or stand out dishes to be found but it provides the basics made well and affordable. I wasn't knocked out of my socks for the pho but I didn't cringe in disgust either. Maybe I'm just food spoiled or maybe a little picky but either way, out of all the local Thai places, this was hands down my favourite: we would seriously order once a week on Saturdays.
What can I say? I'm a bit disappointed in Viet Thai. I have no idea what the Centre County Viet/Thai scene is since I'm just a student, but I refuse to believe that there is no better place to get Pad Thai. In fact, Cozy Thai on College Ave has better Pad Thai by FAR. I ordered Chicken Pad Thai here and it was soooooo bland. The noodles were overcooked and mushy, the chicken was dry and flavorless, and the sauce barely tastes like anything. What a disappointment, Viet Thai!
Also, I ordered the Vietnamese spring rolls, and instead got fresh shrimp rolls. While the only difference between the 2 is that the Vietnamese one has an ADDITIONAL ingredient: pork. However, the shrimp roll was miraculously more expensive..? Let me just tell you how awful these rolls were. I have had my fair share of vietnamese spring rolls wrapped in rice paper and this was by far the worst. There were 3 (THREE) shrimp per roll (2 rolls are $5) and, the other ingredients? Shredded iceberg lettuce, mostly vermicelli, and a single mint leaf running through...it was pathetic. As an added bonus, one was ripped from poor rolling. I give up on this place...maybe their Pho is good but I think they blew their chance with me.
Also...the server Brian enjoys talking to himself a lot while he is alone so stay on his good side...he may go postal.
I was pretty bummed to learn that despite the positive reviews, Viet Thai just doesn't do it for me. It's like Thai food that's been watered down or something.
I haven't had the Pho yet, so I can't comment on that, but I can say that the rice noodle platters were pretty lame. The spicier dishes were like a watered-down version of Thai food: totally lacking spice and flavor depth. I was actually really disappointed with the vegetarian meals; I ordered the veggie Pad Thai and ended up with a dish that had hints of tomato and an strong garlic flavor that left me with some serious agita (gave me a strange reminiscence of a family recipe from the Italian side, totally NOT what I was expecting here). The fresh veggie rolls weren't so hot either; the wrapper was really gummy and the veggies didn't seem to be the flavorful fresh stuff you'd expect from such a dish.
Overall, I just felt that the food was really lacking flavor. If you're new to Thai food, this might be a good choice, but if you like Thai and/or are looking to try out a good, flavorful dish, I have to say Cosi Thai is a MUCH better option.
As far as Thai food goes, this is the best I think you'll find in central PA. The food is just all right, prices are a little steep for average platters and it takes forever to get your order. I've never eaten in but have attempted their take-out about 15 times because it's the only game in town, and it's one hell of a slow game. Literally, allow at least an hour for your order to be ready for pick-up (I suggest stopping by Boots for a quick snack while you wait it out); but if it's curry you crave, Viet Thai is the place.
Viet-Thai has the best Thai food in town. Their green and red curries are delectable with high-grade baked tofu and fresh vegetables. Also try the sauteed Chinese broccoli or the chili stir-fry, both of which can be made with tofu. The lemongrass chili tofu is also excellent with hints of Indian flavors and a nice dash of peanuts.
In general, their food is unusual and extremely tasty. The service is prompt and friendly and the place is never crowded. Their hours are a bit troublesome, as they close early in the evening and also shut down in the middle of the day.
The decor and ambience are sorely lacking, but the quality of their food makes up for that. Highly recommended.
The food was exceptional. I had their shrimp steamed egg rolls (not fried) and they were excellent with a (I think!) peanut sweet sauce. Very tasty and refreshing. For the main course I had a shrimp curry that was also very good.
The only down side to eating here is that they are not quick. 3 of us went here for lunch and we did not make it out of here in under 1 hour. I think they're a little slow only because everything is made fresh per order, which is a good thing.
For dinner, this is a great place to go. For a quicker lunch, I wouldn't recommend going here purely on the time it takes to receive the good food.
Excellent food and an improving atmosphere. They recently remodeled the place so it is much nicer than it once was. I typically get their Chicken Panang Curry and it is very good. Spiciness varies, but is never too hot to the taste. They have great fried spring rolls and their won ton soup is also very good.
If the place is crowded be prepared to wait. I almost always get there around 11:30 so I can beat the rush. Well worth the trip!
I'm at this place a lot. More out of convenience than anything else. The food is pretty decent. They've got pho and pad thai, which are the two dishes I order most. The spring rolls are pretty decent as well. The restaurant's outside doesn't look like much. More like a church than anything else. The wait staff is friendly, but the wait is really long. They get really busy sometimes out of the blue. I once ordered takeout and was told to wait half an hour. Half an hour later, I arrived to pick up my food as waited another 40 minutes! Other than that, no real complaints. Prices are a bit high compared with what I'm used to for Vietnamese and/or Thai food.
I went to Viet Thai with such high expectations, and left with one word on my mind -- disappointment. I was there on a weekday for lunch, and the atmosphere was downright depressing. I think there was only one person working in the whole restaurant, and he didn't say more than 5 words to me. The food was mediocre at best. I had the spring rolls, and they were greasy. And the Panang Curry, which is my favorite Thai dish, was a bit spicy (which is good) but totally lacked flavor.
I will have to try Cozy Thai soon, because I need to find good Thai food in State College.
Since State College is cold most of the year, I use to stop on by to grab a nice hot bowl oh Pho. Last time I went the service and prices were pretty good.
Best Thai/Vietnamese in State College. I think it is only one of two Thai places, actually. Coming from a family with some excellent Lao cooks, I am very picky about food from these regions... and I have to say Viet Thai is great. Their iced coffees / Thai tea are like the ones we make at home. The curries are spicy AND flavorful, something that I don't always find! The place looks like a small church, the inside is not particularly pretty or artful, but at least it doesn't feel commercialized. I prefer my Asian restaurants a little dingy and authentic.
Also, this seems to be the only spot to get pho. Never too busy, but don't try to go on Monday, they are closed! A little pricey for what you get, but if you gotta have Thai...
Viet Thai became a bi-weekly affair for me in my last year at Penn State. In terms of Thai cuisine in State College, it's far better fare than Cozy Thai on College Avenue, although the decor isn't as glitz and commercial. The location might weed out a lot of potential customers, but it's convenient for people on the other side of Atherton Street. The service (particularly Brian, whom my girlfriend and I had nearly every time we went and he became a sort of Viet Thai mascot) was excellent, much better than the rival Cozy Thai. Never an empty water glass.
I highly, HIGHLY recommend trying the Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls. The fresh mint, steamed shrimp, sliced carrots, and vermicilli noodles inside are complimented perfectly with the hoisin-esque dipping sauce that comes with them. I'd order them from San Francisco if I could. You can find better Miso soup at Say Sushi, but the Chicken Satay is the best in town.
For the main course, their Pad Thai is consistently good, probably the best you'd find in town, but being in San Francisco now, it might not be in the same league. Still good. The red curry (maybe Panang?) - mild - with chicken is a staple, and great over their steamed rice.
Decently priced, I recommend it.
Viet Thai is an interesting monster. They have Vietnamese and Thai selections on their menu (surprise!).
Service is generally spotty but the last time I was there, our server (Brian) was fine.
The last time I was at Viet Thai I had some liquidy curry - the consistency was all wrong but it was spicy as requested. Another time I was there, two of us ordered pad thai (which was fine) and one of us got it spicy - it was decently spicy, unusual for pad thai preparation. The rolls we've gotten have been tasty and the prices for food in general are what you would expect to pay at a suburban incarnation of a Vietnamese place (higher than in an urban area).
If you remember what it is, where it is, it's worth a try if you haven't gone yet.
Very good thai food. Decor was not the greatest, not the worst. The green curry was memorable, with lots of fresh veggies and very fresh tasting chicken breast. Pho was great as well, and the fried spring rolls very tasty. Prices were high for thai, but I think the quality was very good.
I used to go there so often! By the time I left college, they still served the BEST NOODLE in State College, I can say that for sure. Of course I'm talking about pho, pronounced [foo] in Vietnamese.... :)
Their curries are good, spring rolls are tasty as well. Actually I still miss their taste even after I moved to San Francisco, where Vietnamese restaurants are so common...
