Ben Thai Cafe

We found Ben Thai Cafe because we were in the area, it seemed interesting to us so we decided to stop by, the service when we arrived was not the friendliest, the gentleman who served us was a bit rude and you feel pressured to order your food. The food was undoubtedly wonderful, the dishes we ordered were very tasty and had a great flavor, we ordered rice with shrimp and pineapple and salmon bathed in coconut milk, I don't remember the names of the dishes but I recommend that you try any of them since apparently none of them will disappoint you, on the other hand at the end to pay the bill they add 15% or 18% which seems like an exaggeration to me 😬 In general the restaurant fulfills the mission of providing delicious food.

I love me a good Thai restaurant, and this was not it. Or maybe it was the dish, I'll go back and try something else. I do give restaurants second chances. I ordered the roasted duck red curry. The duck was mostly skin and fat, which I hate. Flavor was great. Appetizers were great as well as the service. I have to go back and try something else.

Extremely expensive for what it is. Food was good, but not at this price point. I had Pad Kee Mao with chicken and the fried banana with Thai tea ice cream. I do like that they list their gluten free items on the menu.

Our flight attendant recommended we come here! Food was 10/10! I would definitely fly back to the west coast just to eat here. Only complaint is that it took a while for us to get a server after we were seated.

Wonderful, well prepared, and delicious Thai food, fast friendly service, and comfortable inviting surroundings. Lunch specials are an absolute bargain, and the portions are just right for individual meals. The food is served especially fast, so if you're in a hurry, this is a good bet.

Amazing birthday dinner. First time we try Ben Thai even though we leave 5min from there, we will definitely go back. The service, food and ambiance are perfect. My husband ordered a chicken peanut sauce meal and I got the salmon avocado curry. It totally hit the spot, really tasty. The avocado was melting with the sauce and perfectly paired with the salmon. For dessert, we shared their new lava cake with ice cream and strawberries. It comes from U Dessert in the mission and it is absolutely fantastic.

Food was Meh. They used regular broccoli instead of Chinese broccoli pad kee mow was to sweet and not spicy and lack flavor pork or the heavens was good but needed a sour and spicy sauce oxtail soup was pho with veggies

Great food in a nice space. Good came out in a timely manner and staff were helpful answering questions about the food. The curry was excellent. Took off a star because the staff opened all of the doors to make the restaurant very cold to get everyone to leave immediately at closing time.

Food and Service is great! I got the emperor platter which was delicious. Also they had a good range of starters and beers to choose from.

You NEED to come here and try the duck curry. This is quite possibly one of my favorite dishes in SF! The duck is really juicy yet crispy at the same time. The portion size of veggies is great. Would be nicer if it came with rice included since the price is formidable, but it's not too big a deal. I've come here a couple times on weekdays and I've never had to wait. The service is pretty friendly and the restaurant is decorated nicely!

My husband and I stopped by here craving Thai after watching a performance with SF Symphony! My husband and I shared the duck curry, some rice, ordered the mango sticky rice and thai iced tea. We were a little disappointed with the portion sizes and the cost, but that's San Francisco for you. The duck curry was quite tasty, I have no complaints about it! The service was also pretty fast and the food came straight away. The only thing I was questioning was the mango sticky rice was blue! It still tasted good but I've never seen it blue before. The restaurant itself is small and cute with street parking only! Its a great quick bite if you're ever in the mood for some cozy Thai food.

Wow why does this place have raving reviews? We ordered takeout and the chicken wings and heaven pork were WAYYY overcooked. There was barely any meat on the wings. The sauce was not as good as san tung. Maybe i ordered the wrong items but the pad thai was also not that flavorful. there are so many better thai places than this in the city. Unfortunate.

For a single diner, I was seated pretty quickly on V-day. Service was attentive and prompt. My waitress took my order and I got the oxtail soup (as it was cold). I asked if it came with rice, and she quickly said "nothing comes with rice". I understood. The oxtail soup was indeed of meat and veggies, as well as a blend of sweet and savory flavors, which kind of reminds me of Vietnamese pho broth. I added rice to clear the palate and to be able to savor the broth. I ordered a buko ice cream and I liked how sweet and creamy it is. It is a small establishment but I liked the modest decorations and complementary roses on the table in celebration of V-day. I'd wish they offered rice for those who got curries or soup... but rice was "technically" free since i got 50% off my Thai iced tea for checking in. I wouldn't go out of my way to come back here but if you are a SF resident, I would recommend this place.

The sweetest hospitality I've experienced in a very long time. Such kind and attentive service- I can't recommend this eatery enough, if for the simple pleasure of wonderful people taking care of you. They take so much pride in their establishment. It's clean, and well oiled so they have a great flow of seating, orders, food output and turning. The food is excellent. We ordered much more than we could eat, mainly to get a selection of appetizers and entrees to taste. Nothing disappointed!

Fantastic Thai food!! Great neighborhood joint with fast and friendly service. Plenty of seating with nice decor. Make reservations if you can...gets quite packed on weekends.

I do like that they have a different style of food. Thai food from different regions. There was a lot of good sounding food on the menu so I can wait to go back and try some of the other items. I did take out and the food was very good.

Decent food, nice ambient. They have a large menu with a variety of dishes to choose from, which covers Thai food from different regions. Food: 8/10

Ben Thai Cafe, located near the Holiday Inn Golden Gateway in San Francisco, offers standard Thai fare but falls short on a few aspects. The Pad Thai with chicken, priced at $16.50, was average, served with bean sprouts on the side, but unfortunately included peanuts, which caused a mild allergy reaction as they weren't served separately. The Yellow Curry with pork, also $16.50, had a lackluster texture, with the pork slices clumped together. The cafe provides plenty of seating, but the service, while straightforward, lacked warmth. To add to the disappointment, the bowls provided for sharing were not clean. Overall, while the food was standard, the experience was underwhelming, and attention to both food quality and service could be improved.

This is my go-to place for casual Thai food. The Khao Soi is incredible. Egg noodles done just right and flavorful broth with your choice of protein. I also love the mango and sticky rice dessert, which is not too sweet. The interior has a clean & cozy bar vibe. Open until 10pm with quick service!

Visited Ben Thai for the first time as it's been on my to try list forever. They have lunch specials/combos on weekdays from 1130-3pm. Ambiance: On Polk St with other eateries nearby. Parking can be a pain to find. Inside is clean and modern. Small but cozy. Service: service was standard. Waitress was nice. Nothing special.. but I have to give it to them, our food came out SO QUICK! We ordered and our dishes started coming out about 5-7 mins later. Super quick! Food: - Spicy Eggplant with Chicken ($15 - Lunch combo): Chicken was cooked well, eggplant was nice and chewy, had the perfect spice/kick to it. - Papaya Salad ($14.50): One of the best things we ordered. The salad had a generous portion. Flavorful, nice crunch with each bite. Delicious - Chicken Satay ($13): A solid appetizer. Chicken was flavorful, well cooked and the peanut sauce that came with it was the perfect addition to it. - Tom Kha ($14): Added shrimp which was an extra $3. This was good, but with all the other dishes we ordered, this one ranks on the lower end. On the smaller end with portion size. - Pad Thai & Pad See Ew: I didn't try these dishes myself but my friends enjoyed them and didn't hear any negative feedback. Overall, I pleasantly enjoyed Ben Thai. I would definitely come back, especially for their lunch specials. They do have a Happy Hour as well, daily from 5-7pm. $1 off drinks, $1 off bottled beer, $2 off draft beer. We were a party of 5 so gratuity of 18% was automatically included.

This place was meh. The food wasn't good. Service was ok. Some other patron was recording me on his phone. First and last time here.

One of my favorite Thai spots in the city located on Polk Street! It is extremely well-priced for Thai food in the city. It is usually easy to get a spot even when just walking-in, they have a large space with booth and table seating. I ordered the Pad Pra Kao and Papaya salad and both really hit the spot. The stir fry was delicious with fresh veggies. The papaya salad is on the spicier side but still very tasty. The service was very fast, we were seated right away and had our food at our table within 15 minutes.

Well, it's just like - they're people I work with, and our job is being popular and shit. I ordered the Pad Kee Mao w/ chicken Medium Spicy from Ben Thai Cafe, and like the experience was  singular. The flavor profile of this Thai dish was just the right amount of salty, and spice and everything nice drunken noodles should be; was on point, and If I order again it won't be too soon because, like my order arrived within 25 minutes flat, how's that?

Best khao soi in SF. Essentially, it's like yellow curry with noodles and your choice of protein. It has a creamy, coconut milk flavor and is topped with a fried noodle nest for added texture. I recommend asking for a lime wedge and some sambal for additional flavor. Their Thai Tea is also good, just wished they made it a little stronger. My partner ordered the crab fried rice which was delectable.

Really friendly staff. Quick service and lovely restaurant. Absolutely delicious food. Classy bar and dinning area. I look forward to coming back!

We fall for 4 stars+ over 1K review. If you are looking for Thai to die for in San Francisco. This is not it. Pretty mediocre food if you bring someone else to show off best Thai food in SF. We ordered Tom Yum soup (best of all we ordered), papaya salad, chicken satay (for kid) and 2 other dishes I couldn't even recall now- that's how insignificant it is. Service was attentive and great though. Online waitlist was convenience. But, they didn't even check coz it was pretty empty. I love their plant wall though, I guess stars were may be for the ambiance. ‍

My favorite Thai spot in SF! The emperor Khao Soi, Murder Wings, and Calamari are all very solid options! The duck in the Khao Sou complemented the soup. The chicken satay and oxtail in the soup were a plus, both very tender. The wings reminded me of a mix of tom yum and vietnamese wings! It had a unique flavor which I enjoyed -- perfect blend of spice, sweet, and savory. The calamari had thick cuts, and fried perfectly. Pad See Ew could have slightly more flavor, however, nothing a little chili cannot fix. Chill ambiance, perfect for date nights. In terms of service, waiters were also kind to all my requests!

The food was great! Portions were sizable. We ordered the Pad Kee Mao, Khao Soi, and Duck Curry. All were very good. We also checked in on yelp and got a free Thai tea!! The duck portions are on the smaller side for the curry, but still yummy. The noodles were bouncy and fresh. I brought some of the leftovers to my dad and he still talks about how he thought the food from here was really good. Service is great and I was surprised by how empty the restaurant was on a Thursday around 6pm. I would definitely come back here.

The ambiance is nice and the service was good. The food was okay. I got the Gra Prao with tofu and found the rice too overcooked and sticky. I tried the pad kee mao which was very good. And the spring rolls were good as well! Not a bad spot and would go if craving Thai food in the area but wouldn't travel for it.

Best Thai food in SF! We used to frequent a family restaurant not far from here, but it had recently gone downhill. Ben Thai is busy in a good way, but the waitresses are super speedy and helpful. It is a modern Thai restaurant with authentic flavors. It is dark, keeping with the bar ambiance on one side of the restaurant. Restroom is clean. We ordered our usuals: yellow karee, beef pad see ew, with a side of rice. The waitress recommended the Garlic Duo and WOW! did not disappoint! So much flavor in each bite, it is a must-have for seafood lovers. The texture of the squid was unmatched.

I got here around 8-830 in a group of 3 on a Friday night. We were seated almost right away. Strong recommendation to eat the food family style. I got the yellow curry with beef, and the rest of the group got pad see ew with beef, and khao soi with chicken, and the murder wings appetizers. Total came out to be about $87.95 (with tip) for 3 people. Probably could've gone without the starter tbh. Quick breakdown of ranking 1. Khao Soi 2. Pad See Ew 3/4. Murder Wings / Yellow Curry We all agreed that the Khao Soi was the BEST of the 4 things we got. If you're just looking for something good, pick that one. If you know you're coming here for pad see ew, just get it, it won't fail you and it's pretty good here as well. If you're having hesitancy for the Khao Soi, pick this one. The murder wings were all right. I think all of our foods were fairly meat heavy, so a starter that was a little less heavy would've been preferred. Full of spices (not really in the heat way! But the flavorful way) Finally my item the yellow curry was just all right. They asked me to get it with rice on the side, and it was good enough. I'm not upset with my choice, but the other foods tasted better for sure haha. Seated towards the back and seems to a bit of a bar seating towards the front. Nice dim ambiance, good and rowdy enough to feel lively, but quiet enough to have a conversation. Overall, I'd come back here!

We tried to get into Lers Ros but they didn't have any availability so we came here instead. The positives are that the service was great, very friendly and quick. The prices are incredibly affordable, and inside is spacious and the seating is comfortable. The negatives are that the food is not top tier. We had the yellow curry and it was very watery. The pad see ew was flavored almost with beef gravy, which I've never encountered at a Thai restaurant. It was different, but not in a good way. We also had a fried rice, but that was fine. Overall the taste and flavors and preparation was not to my liking.

Quaint little place that is clean and nicely decorated. Came here for lunch today while in SF and tried a couple of their lunch meals - panang curry with chicken, spicy, and the BBQ pork. We also tried the murder wings which had a play of flavor and spices - really yummy and a must try. My son tried the heaven pork and duck soup. Both looked really good!

Yelp checkin for 50% off a drink! My group of 5 came in on a Tuesday around 7pm and got seated immediately. We ordered Pad Thai, House Fried Rice, Khao Soi, and Pad See Ew. All of the dishes were standard Thai dishes and tasted average. Service was also ok. Nothing memorable for me and I wouldn't go out of my way for it.

Food was Meh. Place was nice. They used regular broccoli instead of Chinese broccoli pad kee mow was to sweet and not spicy and lack flavor pork or the heavens was good but needed a sour and spicy sauce oxtail soup was pho with veggies

12/7/24 - Went here to do a little White Elephant lunch with friends and it was a wonderful experience! We all thought the food tasted like a warm home cooked Thai meal! Would definitely come back to try other food! The interior was also so pretty as well! We ordered the combo set for 4 when we had 7 people, but we just added on two other dishes and it was perfect!

Ben Thai is always a pretty solid choice when looking to eat some Thai food. I don't think I have ever had a bad dish here. The service is nice but mostly we do take out. I would say that the last time I call I asked for a recommendation and the lady said she didn't have time to give me a recommendation because they were busy. That I had to decide. Thought it was a little rude but she was probably stressed. That's why I give them 4 stars instead of 5. As we normally do takeout I don't really remember how's the ambiance inside. But again, it's a pretty good and solid place if you are craving Thai.

Where to go when you're buzzed & hungry in the Polk Gulch adjacent neighborhood? In the mood for Thai food? Check out Ben Thai for yummy food! We ended up here after drinking at nearby Blind Pig & ordered chicken satay, pumpkin curry, pad Thai with shrimp, murder wings & papaya salad. My favorites were the chicken satay (tender) & pad Thai. They ran out of sticky rice so I wasn't able to have mango sticky rice as our dessert & we had the fried banana with young coconut ice cream which was pretty good. Service was warm & friendly. Ambiance is casual.

I'm definitely a fan of this restaurant. I've only dined in once and gotten take out a few times. I've been trying to get some of my friends to eat here but once they hear that it's in the TL, they always decline. I've tried the duck curry, khao soi, green curry, pad see ew and chicken satay. Everything is honestly good especially if you order the dishes spicy. I accidentally got the green curry without any spice one time and it wasn't as great. Also, when I ordered the Khao soi dining in, it came out lukewarm which made the dish not as good as when I tried it to go. Service is good only if you dine in. If you're waiting for pick up they tend you ignore you until all the dine in customers are attended to first. And they're not as nice.

O M G!!! I was soo sad the food was gone that's how good it was! So flavorful, cute clean place, great customer service!! I will be back!! Yummmy!

Probably my favorite thai restaurant in SF!! Came here for the first time a few weeks ago, and I am still thinking about the meal. Tried the following items: - duck curry: super flavorful & duck was cooked well and still tender - garlic duo: loved the different textures & flavor matching of salad with the shrimp and calamari - mango sweet sticky rice: rice slightly hard but mangos were surprisingly sweet (usually they're really sour when they're not in season) - brownie matcha lava: probably my group's favorite, lava cake was nice and gooey & the uji matcha & fruits balanced the sweetness of the ice cream, also had nice crunch from the cookies The place is perfect for a group dinner or casual date night. I would recommend putting yourself on the waitlist beforehand or there might be a little wait.

Came here for lunch this time on a Sunday, and it was pretty empty and quiet when we got there, but more people started to trickle in. I came a year ago for dinner and that time was way more packed. There's a good amount of tables and seating at the bar. I believe our server may have been the owner. He was so friendly and cracking jokes with us. One of my friends and I both got the Khao Soi and it was delicious. The broth wasn't too thick but was still packed with flavor. The noodles and all the other toppings were cooked to perfection. My other friend got one of their curries and ordered rice on the side. His portion wasn't as much, but he said the taste was really good.

Small Thai spot on Polk, with a huge menu. They have tons of options for curries, rice/noodle dishes, chef specials, and seafood dishes too. I got the gra-prao fried rice with pork and it was pretty good! The pork was a bit fatty in some pieces but the sunny side up egg was soo good. I almost wish there were two eggs. The rice was flavorful, although I think the onions could have been punchier since they were quite mild. Overall though, great value for the price. We waited about 15 min for a group of 4 at 8pm on a Wednesday, so it gets quite packed even on a weeknight! The space is small. The food comes out incredibly quick which was a nice surprise, and the service was friendly. Water was refilled often which I always appreciate :)

I came in a party of three and we were seated right away. We got a few dishes to share the bbq pork, duck curry with white rice and pineapple fried rice. All dishes were super delicious and reasonably priced. The duck curry had to be my favorite, the flavors were unmatched! I'll definitely be back to try more items in the menu.

Ordered the Pad See Ew and it was quite solid! Very decent portion and the ingredients tasted fresh, and not too oily. I thought it was a bit weird to see broccoli in this dish, but it felt a bit undercooked (too hard) though complemented the dish noodles well. The noodles themselves are quite soft and chewy, my ideal texture It's quite small inside and I was in a party of 6, and we were seated at this rather small wooden booth. I thought it was quite cramped with 6 people, but with 4 it would've been perfect

We got the Pad Thai and Ka-Ree Curry for the main dishes, and both were very tasty! For the Pad Thai, I thought it had a good balance of sweetness and savoriness. The curry was full of flavor and packed with veggies. Do note that it does not come with rice, so you'll need to order that separately! We also got the Fresh Roll w/ Prawns as a starter. The rolls themselves didn't have much shrimp and they were also quite small in size. But I did enjoy the dipping sauces - there was a sweeter one with a consistency you could drizzle over each bite, and the other was thicker with a strong peanut flavor.

We took our family here because we were craving this cuisine after a day out. Immediately we were sat and the service was all very quick. We all tried something different: pumpkin stew with rice, pineapple fried rice, roast duck soup with a side of rice, and Emperor Khao Soi. We also ordered the Ben Thai platter (not pictured) to share, and we all loved it so much we forgot to take a picture of it. It has a little of everything so it was great for the table. I ordered the Emperor Khao Soi, and if you are looking for something RICH IN FLAVOR, this is a hit. It had oxtail, chicken, and duck all in a soup with egg noodles. It was so rich from the fat from the duck and oxtail, I needed a break from eating it and took the rest home. Nothing bad to say about any of the dishes we ordered. It was all good. They have lunch specials and if you check in with Yelp you get 50% off of a non-alcoholic drink. The street parking are all meters, but we didn't have a hard time finding parking in the area.

I never write Yelp reviews, but my recent experience at Ben Thai Cafe, was so unpleasant that I felt compelled to share. Despite the food being quite good, my evening was tainted by the rudeness of the waiter who i think is the owner. Upon arriving, I took my time browsing the menu, a habit of mine, even after placing my order. The waitress, thankfully, was kind enough to let me hold onto the menu. However, things took a downturn when the waiter came to provide us with empty plates for our yet-to-arrive appetizers. As I tried to make room on the table, juggling several menus in the limited space, the waiter abruptly attempted to snatch the menu from my hand. Yes, you read that correctly--snatch. I explained that I was still looking at them, but he insisted, pulling it from my grasp with an unnecessary roughness. His justification? He didn't want food to get on the menus. A fair point if our food had actually arrived, which it hadn't yet. What truly irked me was his condescending tone, as if I were a child incapable of understanding his concern. I chose not to engage further and he walked away. In quiet protest, I opened Yelp on my phone, intentionally leaving Ben Thai's page visible on the table, knowing he would pass by repeatedly. Each time he did, his glare grew noticeably more intense. Our waitress remained a bright spot with her excellent service, but the same cannot be said for him. As we prepared to leave, having paid and packed up our food to go, the waiter returned, receipt in hand, asking for my friend's signature, which we had overlooked. He had aggressively circled the tip section, left blank on purpose, with an air of passive aggression. My friend took the opportunity to add a note expressing our dissatisfaction with his behavior, which we know he saw. As we exited, I looked at him maintaining a straight face, only to be met with his unwavering stare. Even as we walked past the restaurant, he continued to fixate on us, glaring as we receded down the block. In summary, while Ben Thai Cafe's food is undeniably tasty, the experience was soured by this employee's attitude. I recommend trying Victor's down the street instead--delicious pizza and exceptional service await you there. I hope Ben Thai Cafe reconsiders the way they train their staff to engage with customers, as one bad apple can truly spoil the bunch.

Food - ordered online the panang curry ($16.50) and pad se ew with chicken ($16.50). online order came with a 0.25 bag fee. Panang curry - I chose mild but I felt like it had a light hint of spiciness. As you can see from the picture, the container is quite small and it wasn't even filled up to the top. Just filled slightly over half. The top of the lid also had curry on it, so it just felt really messy. Normally my panang curry would come with some potatoes and stuff, but this one was pretty basic with chicken, maybe like 2-3 pieces of brocolli and some cucumbers. Felt a little skimpy on the portion. Pad se ew - tasty and good. Service - ordered online and pickup was easy. Ambiance - It looked kind of busy when I went around lunch time but looked like ample seating.

I like that this place has lunch specials, but while the food was good, it wasn't exceptional, and the portions seemed small even for lunch, although the lunch specials were priced similarly to full-sized entrées elsewhere.

The duck red curry is rich and filling. The duck is cooked for the perfect bite with tasty amount of spice on the curry. Well worth the cost. The calamari has great amount meat in it. Good service and chill ambiance. Nice lunch spot with lunch specials

It was ok! Flavors were fine but the pad thai and fried rice were soggy. The server was kind and attentive.

I recently checked out this Thai place, and wow, it did not disappoint! The Pad Thai was a total hit--perfect balance of tangy, sweet, and just the right amount of spice. The BBQ chicken was equally awesome, juicy and full of flavor, with that nice char that gives it an extra kick. What really stood out was how affordable everything was. You get a ton of food without breaking the bank. Plus, the service was top-notch, super friendly and quick. Definitely a spot I'll be hitting up again!

SERVICE - located on the main road on Polk Street near other restaurants and bars - street parking available nearby - plenty of seating - ambiance good for semi casual or even a date night - servers were prompt even if they did not chat much with diners MENU - typical Thai selection of appetizers and entrees - vegan and gluten free options marked - average price ($17 per entree) FOOD - yellow curry with tofu (8/10): sweet and spicy yellow coconut milk curry with mixed vegetables and fried tofu. This was the only vegan curry option on the menu as the rest contain chicken broth. When served, it was piping hot and well flavored with chili and warming spices. I liked the variety of vegetables with the squash and broccoli. I felt like the tofu was over fried and did not absorb much of the curry flavor. The curry does not come with rice so I ordered brown rice on the side for an additional $3.75. WOULD I GO BACK? Yes! The ambiance is really nice and the food was tasty.

Located in Lower Nob Hill, this restaurant offers a cozy intimate vibe with nicely decorated wooden interior. There is nearby street parking available. My friends and I arrived around 8 pm on a Friday night and we were seated within 10 minutes. We ordered Paradise Wings (7/10), Kar-Ree Curry with tofu (7/10), Khao Soi with chicken (7/10), Pad See Ew with beef (7.25/10), and Thai Iced Tea (7/10). For non-alcoholic drinks, you can get 50% off them if you check in on Yelp! The flavor profile here is fairly average, but I would consider returning to try other menu items, especially the roast duck dishes! Follow @michellehan.guide on Instagram for more!

Food was good. Nothing special. We were seated quickly on a Saturday night around 630p so that was good. Service was just ok.

The Pad Thai and Tom Yum portions are generous. I ordered over the phone, got there in 2 minutes, and the food was ready in just 5! I got the Pad Thai for myself and the Tom Yum for my lady to take to work. While the service was excellent, I found the Pad Thai a bit bland. Giving it 4 stars for now since I haven't tried the Tom Yum yet.