Ruan Thai Restaurant

The food and cleanliness of this establishment needs to improve. Our waitress was kind and attentive but it’s not her fault. It is the fault of the owner or management that needs to address these issues. The bathroom was very atrocious and you could see mouse dropping all around the toilet and sink on the floor. It blends in due to the dark tiles but you can tell that this place has an infestation and needs to be addressed. I wish I hadn’t ate here because of that fact but I had already eaten and I wished I took a photo of the droppings I saw onto this post although I did take a photo of the food. The food didn’t taste fresh either and it’s probably a reflection of unhygienic the restroom is. I would recommend people to dine elsewhere like Thai chef in Bethesda MD or Tiki Thai in Virginia. I will never be dining here again nor will I ever recommend this establishment.

This has been our favorite Thai Restaurant since 2011! We have been here that long, we loved their take on certain thai delicacies. It has changed a few times on the cooking but one of our favorites never changes. It’s the Pork belly with chinese broccoli. It is always very good! I recommend it! I loved their spicy flat noodles as well. They have been there for so long. I love that they are still striving.

Food taste is really great, one of the best Thai places I have been (for the taste); Service, not so much. The place was busy on Monday evening and had only two servers in total. Tried Drunken Noodles and steamed dumplings with chives. Both were really good. The place didn’t have any good ambiance and the restrooms were not clean. Limited parking outside restaurant however there was paid street parking. It was surprisingly loud inside the restaurant. 5/5 for food 3/5 for service 4/5 overall

Incredible! My wife ordered the yellow chicken curry and it was insanely delicious. I ordered a Thai coconut curry chicken and it was tasty but my wife’s curry stole the show. Healthy portions that left us delightfully satiated. We live so far but this is worth a stop!

Good food. It was empty for lunch when we go there. Food was good. Requested medium spicy. It was over the medium spicy levels more like spicyyyy. Parking was not available even tho the restaurant was empty. Has paid parking along the road. Thai tea had a fpod coloring or something that made our tongue colored.

Brought my in-laws here for birthday dinner. My in-laws are the most difficult people from an eating perspective- they are very picky, some are vegetarians, some are vegans, some can't handle spice, etc., etc., etc. They were ALL happy with Ruan Thai! Plenty of different menu options and preparations. The servers were very good at helping people find the right dish and spice level. I definitely recommend Ruan Thai. I can't wait to go there again (this time without the in-laws)!

Food- I and my boy friend ordered pad Thai and deep-fried soft shell crab with house special sauce. The tastes were okay but both of them were too salty for us. Service- It was okay. She frequently asked us about the food or any needs. Atmosphere- It was clean but not a pleasant smell when we entered. It might be due to food.

Some of the best Thai food I’ve ever had. Greg, the manager, and T, the host, were very friendly and down to earth. You’re in great hands with them. They both gave excellent recommendations. Highly recommend the pork bbq skewer with sticky rice. Make sure to get their home made peanut sauce for any meat or rice dishes! I could drink it. The Tom Kha soup was delicious, I should’ve asked for it to be spicier. The Pad Thai was 10/10. Lastly, highly recommend any crispy duck dishes!

Truly, a hidden gem in Wheaton. We tried the rockfish with the chili sauce and basil. It was out of this world. Very flavorful. they give you rice and you put the sauce on it. It was fried perfectly with moist fish in the middle. go with someone who is skilled at deboning a fish as the restaurant does not do this. . We ordered the eggplant with chili sauce. It was great. The drunken noodles had a nice flavor and our favorite is the watercress appetizer with shrimp and calamari. We each got our own so we could take it home. The watercress is flash fried perfectly. I highly recommend going here, it is truly authentic and tasteful. Our WAiter was wonderful and it was pretty busy for a Friday night.

I gave it a second go a long while later to see how I felt about it. This place is consistently outstanding on all levels-from authenticity to pricing. Why it isn't EVERYONE's top choice is mind boggling. I can eat phal curries and not cry during the meal, even if I'm doubled up later during the digestive process so my wife was taking food to go and gave them the speech. Something like, "no really, please make this as hot as you are able" They delivered, and added a side of chilis which I tossed in without even tasting yet. It was legitimately native strength, and the hottest I've ever eaten in an American Thai restaurant. Customer for Life They have something for all folks, and their watercress appetizer is still the best thing in the local area for unusually good dishes that aren't offered in many places. I ALWAYS get that, and the extra hit Penang duck curry. Ressssssspect

I've been coming here for over 10 years. This was my first Thai food experience, I was initially HOOKED. I've told friends about here and even got my job hooked on meals from here..... That said, the food and service have been inconsistent. My most recent visit, I ordered 2 Pad Thai, one spicy other regular. Both tasted like sugar. I tried to call, and they never picked up the phone. Additionally, when I did pick up my order, the (I assume) manager was simply rude. My card wasn't working due to a fraud issue (I didn't know) but she treated me like I was going to steal the food... I immediately regretted ordering and should have just canceled my order and gone home from the treatment alone. I used to LOVE place ....I will never come back.

We have been trying to find a new Thai spot for a while and after getting many recommendations, we finally ordered from Ruan Thai. I ordered online and picked it up. I have been in this parking lot before for Ren's Ramen, and didn't realize Ruan is right next to it. That said, the parking lot is a cluster. There aren't many spots and people constantly double park, so watch out. Picking up the online order was a breeze, it was ready when I arrived. I kept it simple and ordered Pad Thai. It was really flavorful and the sauce was well-balanced. It was also a huge portion so I got two meals out of it. I will definitely order from here again!

This is our local neighborhood Thai restaurant. It's a small restaurant with consistently delicious food! We come her once every few months, usually for lunch. We started with the spring rolls and yum beau yang (sliced steak salad). Both were great! Spring rolls were nice and crispy. The dressing on the steak salad is so good, tangy with a little spice) that I wish they would sell it in bottles! We shared the pad talay and pad sa ew with chicken. The pad sa ew and pad Thai are my go to there, and are both excellent!

Such a hidden gem in the Wheaton area! I just had dinner here with a couple of friends. Here's my review breakdown: - Food: They did not miss on ANYTHING. I had the Tom Yum soup and #14 Yum Woon Sen. The soup was super flavorful and good, everything I expect from the soup. #14 was something new I decided to try. I am so glad I did, it was good and fresh. Definitely recommend that as an appetizer. My friend had the chicken pad Thai and it was perfect! When I say everything HIT, it was all good. - Drink: We ordered Thai teas and this place had the best Thai tea I've EVER had. Doesn't taste artificially or too sugary. I like being able to actually taste the tea. I would travel just for that tea again. Service: Remember it is a mom and pop shop so there was only 1/2 servers it seemed for the entire place. With that being said, they came over frequently and we usually made eye contact when we needed something. If you've made this far, i definitely recommend for you to check this place out!

One of the best Thai restaurants in the area. It's very popular among locals. We have been here many times, always go for our favorite dishes. Typical neighborhood restaurant without much fanfare. The prices were reasonable, the food was great, the service was courteous and efficient. 5*Yum watercress-Deep-fried watercress, shrimp, squid, onion, cilantro, and cashew nut in spicy lime dressing: this is a perfect combination of flavors and textures. This dish alone attracted us back and back again. 4*PLA PAD CHA-deep fried fillet catfish sautéed celery and the garlic in hot chili and social Thai sauce: the sauce was tasty and a bit spicy. The celery was cooked just right with a crunchy texture. 3*PAD THAI-Sautéed Thai thin rice noodle with shrimps, egg, ground peanut, red tofu, bean sprout, and spring onion: typical Thai dish, the portion was generous, but not very flavorful. 4*KHA NAH MOO KORB: Chinese broccoli was cooked perfectly, crispy and crunchy. The sauce was a bit heavy and salty. 3*PAD KHA TIEM PRIK THAI shrimp: cabbage salad with shrimps. The Thai pepper sauce was a bit spicy and addictive.

Leaving review before even tasting food. ordered pickup online and was given a 95min wait time. It's Mother's Day, so I excused it and didn't immediately cancel. I should have because we had to wait another hour on top of that. 2.5 hrs! After all of that, their only compensation was extra egg rolls and some random slices of toast. They should not have accepted an order they could not fulfill in a reasinable time, and they should have compd at least part of the order. To add insult to injury, for the price, the portions are inadequate. Will take my business elsewhere.

Actually, I think my rating is a 3.5 rather than a 4, but I always round up. Based on plenty of feedback from folks in the area, I stopped by Ruan because it was hailed to have some of the best Thai food in the area. While the food wasn't bad, it wasn't that great either. Perhaps, I relied too much on other folks' opinions, but I was expecting a mind-blowing meal. For my dining pleasure, I ordered the Basil Fried Rice (combo style with shrimp, beef, and pork), and I thought the meat (the beef and pork in particular) was bit too chewy (ie old). The dish was about 20 bucks, but you definitely will receive quite a bit of food. I thought the size of the dish was more than enough for two people or one person to eat some in the restaurant and have the rest for leftovers. I'll say that the service was really on point because my waiter constantly checked in to make sure things were well with my meal. Since the food wasn't absolutely terrible, I'll more than likely will dine here again since I live in the area.

I walked in to make my lunch order, it was ready in 10 minutes. Fast, friendly service. Food was very tasty!

We love Ruan Thai and have been frequent visitors over the years (about 10 times a year). Their quality has sustained thru Covid which is great. We dined here a few weeks ago and had another excellent meal as usual and tried some new dishes as well. Service was a little slow given the dinner rush but also because they seemed to have only a couple servers for the whole dining room. They were doing their best to keep up but that's a lot of tables for is it a couple people. Ambiance is low key with fewer tables than pre Covid. Food is the focus here. We ordered takeout recently and were very disappointed to learn their higher priced Penang curry was for a MUCH SMALLER portion - about 50% smaller. I would have never ordered it if I had known. You'll get much more dining in than takeout as you can see in my photos. I'm OK with restaurants increasing prices to keep up with inflation but not OK with both higher prices and much smaller portions. It's still a solid 4 stars overall. We plan to return but never again for takeout.

Went out to dinner tonight with some friends and found the food to be disappointing. Ordered the drunken noodles and found it to basically be tomato sauce with A LOT of sugar in it. So much sugar it boarder lined cheap ketchup. Overall, the food was just okay. This place also seems understaffed as there was only one person working the floor for at least 5 tables, so it seems like they could do with more waitstaff. The big thing I want to stress about this place is what happens with the bill! READ YOUR BILLS WHEN YOU GET THEM! I found when I looked at my recite that you will be charged with a substantial charge: a 20% service charge is included into your bill. Then it will ask you for gratuity (a tip) and the suggested is another 20% which if you're willing to pay almost half of what you've ordered go ahead. I think a tip should be given if the service and quality of food is great, but it's not fair to force people to fork over a substantial part of their bill and then ask for even more. I also just noticed when looking through the photos of my receipts (I'm REALLY glad I took photos of this), your bill has a different set of gratuity suggestions that are LESS expensive than the ones you'll get on the receipt you sign later. These people are literally trying to get you to PAY MORE MONEY for your meal. It's 5 DOLLAR DIFFERENCE. NEVER COMING BACK HERE! THESE PEOLE ARE PLAYING YOU!

This restaurant has been our family go to for birthday dinners for such a long time now. I must say they have been going through some changes throughout the years. The food quality is the same but certain items in the menu disappeared already like pur favorite appetizer its fried squid with lime squeezed into it with cashews and onions and other delicious things. My favorite is the pork belly with Chinese broccoli. It's simply delicious. Second favorite is the spicy flat noodles Third *new*favorite is what my sis in law ordered. It's squid-shrimp deep fried with watercress. It is quiet the same flavor as the appetizer we used to order but now it's an entree. Their papaya salad is okay but i feel like it could have been better. The servers were very attentive to us. There were two of them. They were such good servers even though they are so busy. They made sure all of us are taken care of. I didn't catch their name. I felt bad but i was seated at the very back my family was quiet big. But overall this restaurant will always be a family favorite. My mom really love going here. Especially it was her birthday celebration we celebrated that day.

10 + years that I've been coming here, and I'm now just leaving a review (talk about slacking on my part). Without a doubt, I've yet to have a bad dish. Every single dish I've eaten was delicious, authentic, and just a definition of home cooking. The chef will come out and greet some customers and ask how their food was. Wow! What a service. The waiters and waitresses were always so helpful. Acknowledge you when you come in and immediately sit you down at their tables. I've never felt ignored. They're on top when it came to refilling your drinks. Not much wait for our food either. Top notch service, and it's consistent! They make you feel like family and that you're all taken care of. I love that. Our first couple of dishes were the appetizers. I was honestly not hungry, but my stomach will automatically make room for Ruan Thai (magic, I know). My usual go-to is Chicken Satay. So freakin' delicious! I love the grilled chicken with a slight taste of turmeric (it just has that charcoal, earthy taste), and when I dip my chicken in that tiny peanut sauce it just takes it to another level. Earthy, sweet, peanuty goodness. Then bite into the pickled cucumbers with onions.. what a combination! Crunchy, fresh, tangy, and sweet with a slight hint of fish sauce. You'd finish this alone without realizing it. Don't get me started with Yum Watercress! O M mudda f'n G! This dish will satisfy everything your body craves. Sweet, Salty, Crunchy, Limey. Every bite gives you contrast in texture with the crunchy fried watercress and cashews, the crunchy outer shell of the squid, and the seafood being sweet and fresh. Love the addition of Cilantro and onions. It looks like a naughty salad. Everyone needs a naughty salad. My daughter devoured the spring rolls, and she wouldn't shut up on how good it was. It must be really good since she didn't share it. Our main dish was Lad Nah and Mooh Korb Kha Nah. Let's start with Lad Nah. Lad Nah is a wide rice noodles dish, and you can pick whatever protein you want in it. My mom picked chicken. This dish was so hearty and flavorful. It reminds me of stew because of the brown sauce. The sauce was thick and beefy. My mom mixed it with rice cause she said it was heavy (in a good way, of course), and plus, we're Asian so we eat rice with everything. Then my daughter ordered Mooh Korb Kah Nah. Its pork belly fried to crispy perfection sauted in chinese broccoli and oyster sauce. I love the broccoli and crispy pork belly ratio. Perfectly distributed. This dish tastes fresh with its broccoli, yet you have the salty, fatty, crispy pork belly such a nice contrast. Guys, please try this place out! Trust me, you won't regret it.

We stopped by here due to a recommendation from family. The curries are good, the Tom Ka soup is decent (though a bit too sour from the lemon for me), and everything else we tried was... sub-par. Particularly the crispy pork belly. I would say it was more like pork rind, not pork belly. I probably won't be coming back myself.

Came here on a Tuesday evening and it was actually very busy. With two servers managing the dine in and take out customers, the service was a little slow. I ordered my go to, drunken noodles, but was very underwhelmed by the dish. The noodles were very broken up and rather mushy. The dish was spicy but the tomato paste channeled ketchup flavorings and was unfavorably thick. The thai yea was good, but I got charged an extra fee for a large since they ran out of medium cups which threw me off. I might give this place another try, but it wouldn't be for their drunken noodles.

Delicious and authentic Thai restaurant in Wheaton. I heard a lot of great things about this place, it's well respected within the community. I quickly realized why! The service is great and fast. The tom yum soup was delicious, enjoyed it very much. I also had the chicken pad thai which was very good as well. My friends had the stir fried egg plant and the chicken curry, both of which were amazing as well. Overall this place is awesome and I will def be back!

Amazing basil fried rice if you want to cry and clean your nose. Sites are great. Get it only medium spice to really enjoy it. Lots of seats The people are nice but English is their second language but still ok. 8/10 customer service. These are facts :) -CL

Good Thai food but not great. I got the park chicken and pad Thai and Thai iced coffee. (It's how I judge all Thai restaurants so it's fair and nothing really stood out. Service was slow web though there were open tables. The tables and floors were somehow slippery but sticky at the same time. Nothing at the moment is motivating me to come back.

Ruan Thai is our regular go-to for Thai food in North Kensington. It is not a fancy place but it is clean, comfortable and has fast friendly service. In more than 20 visits over the years, the food has consistently been well prepared, spiced to our taste, and reasonably priced. I love the green chicken curry and spring rolls, and my dining companions have always been happy with their choices.

We have been longtime customers of Ruan Thai - we supported them through the pandemic, and have continued to go there. A few days ago, we ordered online dinner for 3 people, which we planned to pick up at the restaurant. No server or delivery person involved. We received this response: We regret to inform you that your order has been declined with the following reason: add tips for your huge order please , thank you Our order was for THREE people - it was not "huge". Also, we planned to pick up at the restaurant, so we did not think a tip was warranted. Had there been a delivery person or server, we would have tipped. Tips are OPTIONAL, and we've NEVER been refused service at any establishment due to not tipping (even when there WAS a server involved). We will NEVER go to Ruan Thai again - they have lost a long-time customer due to the fact that they expected us to tip for a PICK-UP order. Beware of this - I'd strongly reconsider where you order Thai food in Wheaton. Nava Thai is much better anyway!

Thank you for saving our Valentine's Day!!!! We found Ruan Thai after another restaurant didn't honor our reservation and made us stand in a line outside in the freezing cold. They had plenty of seating available even though it was dinner time on Valentine's Day and everywhere else was booked. The staff seated us right away and the food came out super quickly. Everything was delicious! The soy sauce that came with the dumplings was so good. This restaurant saved our Valentine's Day and we are so grateful for the good food and good service!

We came here for a quick dinner. It's a very large space and there were patrons at two tables. They offer the expected dishes for a Thai restaurant. The service was very quick and the waitress was friendly. The food was, well, revolting. The Massaman curry was missing carrots and peanuts. The panang curry was passable. Another person in the group ordered a veggie soup that tasted like dish soap. The crowning glory was the drunken noodles two of us ordered. We quickly noticed the appearance was not like any drunken noodles we had ever seen before. There were some mushy tomatoes and mushy basil. Once we tasted it we immediately realized the basil was Italian and not Thai basil and the flavor profile was very similar to that of pizza. Then we tasted it again and determined the noodles had been cooked with ketchup. This was the single most disgusting meal I've had for as long as I can remember. Avoid.

*Updated Review* I'm not a fan. Way too many other Thai choices in the area. I came once before and I thought it was ok. This most recent visit, not so much. Got my usual, drunken noodles with chicken but it wasn't good at all. I didn't even finish it and ended up throwing it out! Sigh!! They don't have no lunch specials here!

The food is fantastic, but I can't speak much for the in-house dining because we almost always get carry out. Like many Asian restaurants that focus on the quality of their food, the dining room is dirty or disorganized. It just seems utilitarian like it's main goal is to serve a good meal without a lot of frills.

I've lived minutes from Ruan Thai for years and never tried it. I saw a featured review recently and we decided to do carry out for lunch. Based on the all the reviews we ordered the Yum Watercress and the Chicken Satay plus extra peanut sauce and cucumber. The chicken satay was pretty standard, a little dry and the peanut sauce was way too sweet for my taste. Rich ended up adding a little Sriracha to it. On the other hand the cucumber sauce was fresh and crunchy and tasty. The shrimp and squid in the Yum Watercress were delicious. The shrimp were light and crunchy. If we order again I would skip adding the dressing. I didn't think it added a lot. But those shrimp were pretty addictive. Might try another deep fried dish next time.

Love this place. Food is great. Love their pineapple fried rice. They have another starch noodle dish that used to be cooked in a clay pot that I love. Everything I order from here is always very good. Wish the parking situation was easier, but luckily I can walk here from my home if I have to.

Decent Thai food especially for the price and if you ask for no spicy they will do it!

I've been a patron here for almost 20 years because they're so close to my home. The food is ok. There are better Thai places in Montgomery County. A member of our party sent a dish back to the kitchen because it was too spicy. The replaced dish was just as spicy. For parties of more than 5, they add 20% to the bill. I think 20% is too much tip for how slow the wait staff is. There were patrons at only 3 tables so I don't understand the slow service. I had ordered a couple of items to go, and they charged me 20% tip on those too. Call me old-fashioned, but I believe tips should be earned.

Great tasting dishes. Appetizers and soups are fantastic add ons that are super great to reheat if you find you've ordered more than you can eat in one meal. Numerous delicious entrees - ample servings.

First time ordering to-go from here. Their pad see ew had me hooked from bite one!! Easily my favorite thing. Very dense portion. Great flavors, great texture, great char! The Tom kha soup had the right textures, great portion, but was missing that savory profile to round out the flavor?? And maybe needed more lemongrass aromatic. Still good! The crispy pork mooh korb kha nah was the first I've ever tasted. (Pro tip: shake the box so the sauce coats everything) I was worried that it wouldn't be crispy by the time it got to me but these culinary geniuses put the sauce on the bottom, buffered it with the green beans, and had the pork on top! It was tasty. Only slight hitch- the mild is Thai mild, NOT white person mild. I'm Taiwanese and even I felt this was not mild. The pad woon sen is HEFTY. Filled with a good mix of everything. Not just a sprinkle of veggies and meat over a pound of noodles. TL;DR - great portions for the price, mild is NOT mild, PAD SEE EW!

Discovered this mom and pop shop when looking for local Thai spots! We stopped in during the week for dinner. It was about an hour and a half before close and there were about four tables still ordering/ eating. We decided to order family style and got a few dishes to share amongst our group. We opted for the whole fried flounder, pineapple fried rice, pad Thai, the duck, two appetizers and the green curry. Overall, the food is very good and their sauces are to die for. The duck was not overly fatty they even offered us a discount on the fish since it was smaller than market value. Their dishes are around ~$12-20 depending on the protein. Fairly priced compared to the nearby Thai restaurants. Additionally, they offer beer and wine options, Thai tea and some classic Thai desserts. The restaurant seems very casual in case you were expecting fancy decor and silverware. Dropping one star because they were a bit hasty to get their patrons out on this particular day. Also, they are located in a tiny strip mall which requires you to street park.

A neighborhood gem. Very authentic tasting food. Many options for dine in or take out. We do Carr out from them on a regular basis.

I AM SO SO SO DISAPPOINTED. I actually had high expectations for this place based on people's reviews, so we bought more dishes here than we usually would. We got Pad Thai Chicken, Drunken Noodle Chicken, Green Curry Chicken, Pla Pad Prik Khing, Mooh Korb Pad Prik Khing, and Ped Tod Kob. The Pad Thai was sooo chopped up and the noodles were kinda mushy(?). This was the same for the drunken noodles. It felt like the noodles have sat there in the containers for a long time. These two dishes looked red and tasted very strong of tomato/ketchup. Sad. The fried catfish did not taste like fish. I swear the texture of the dish was like fried/dried tofu........ And then the Crispy Pork Belly, oh noooo-- it was crispy, sure, but like waaaaay over fried kind of crispy. I bit into a piece of the "pork belly," and it was so crunchy with the meat (if there was any) dried as heck. At least the string beans in the dishes tasted good. What's next? Oh yeah, the duck. Two words, flavorless and DRIED. The only dish that we did enjoy was the Green Curry. Good on flavors and tasty at least. All the dishes that were supposed to be fried/crispy were just over fried or something. I don't know if I will come back after such experience. Maybe for dine in... maybe... but definitely not for carry out.

Some of the best Thai food I've ever had. You have got to get the watercress salad. My mother in law still talks about it like a year later. It's delicious. Not a cute spot, but dear lord are they serving delicious food.

We just had a most awesome dinner here! We started with the Yum Watercress - wow! Just so good! A big serving of fried watercress with shrimp, squid, onions & shallots, topped with cashews & tossed with a spicy lime dressing . We paired that with Yum Sam Krob- fried squid with small dried shrimps, cashews & spritzed with lime juice. This was very ! We also ordered Ped Pad Kha Prao - stir fried boneless duck with hot chili, fresh basil leaves and bell pepper. This was our favorite! Scrumptious!!! We added Mooh Korb Kha Nah which was crispy pork belly with Chinese broccoli in oyster sauce- another winner! We wanted noodles so we ordered Pad Sa Ew - wide rice noodles sauteed with Chinese broccoli, soy sauce, egg & we opted to add pork in it. Perfectly delicious! Everything we ordered were well prepared, well seasoned and satisfyingly delectable! My mouth is watering just writing this review This is definitely our go to Thai restaurant from now on. Our server ( I think Greg is his name) was also awesome! Just go and eat there! You can thank me later Be advised, parking can be a problem as this is located in a mini strip mall but there's street parking across the road.

Low quality food. Poor presentation. We ordered the Tom Kan soup which was 80% coconut milk! Didn't eat. We also ordered vegetable pad Thai which had the same frozen bag veggies from the soup. The taste was subpar. We definitely won't be going back.

I've always found Wheaton to be a destination worth traveling to for good oriental food. So to be considered outstanding in the area takes some work. Ryan Thai has a long history: cooking for the King of Thailand when he was in Washington. Bottom line is that the food is good. Spiced a bit more than others. Great smells. Served by hardworking friendly people. Best to call ahead or waits are longer. If you want authentic Thai, it's worth the trip.

The menu is full of wonderful traditional choices as well as some tuned up items that are delish. All the appetizers are great and we've had them as meals several times. The service is efficient and accommodating. Food allergies are not usually an issue. This is a family owned, low keyed, little gem in the heart of Wheaton that is sure to please Thai food lovers. They even have 5 levels of "hot" for every preference.

EVERYTHING was good- no complaints! Service was superb, our waiter was dating the owner of the restaurant and gave great suggestions. The pad see ew had tender noodles. The duck basil was everyone's fave dish. The fried calamari and shrimp dish was unique and we all enjoyed it. The watercress salad is something we would get again and again! Great price points, delicious food.

Went here tonight with a friend for dinner and it felt super safe with Covid protocols. There were only a few tables and masks were required. Luckily, we walked from my house as their parking lot never has spots. The food was yummy! We got chicken skewers and peanut sauce for an appetizer and it was great! Would love to have the peanut sauce on more foods! For my main dish, I got drunken noodles. They were really good and quite spicy which was nice! Sometimes a Thai place will say it's spicy and then it's not so that was awesome. Finally, I got mango sticky rice and that was the perfect ending to the meal. Our waitress was also super attentive and nice; always coming by to check and do refills. I'll definitely be back!

I've been here twice over the years and both experiences were really disappointing. I went this weekend and ordered a Tom kha soup and a veg/tofu panang curry. The soup came out made with just coconut milk. I was confused and thought maybe it was extremely light in flavor, but the waiter said it needed to be mixed and that the sauce was at the bottom. I mixed and mixed and there was nothing but coconut milk. He took the bowl and offered to help, but I said I would just take it off my order, and he later apologized, presumably because there was no flavoring sauce in the soup. Then the panang curry with veg and tofu. I was very hungry, which usually means I'd be happy with any decent meal, but the flavor on the curry was so weak - it was like eating flavored coconut milk. I wondered if maybe it was because I asked for it to be mild, but I've had panang many times from other places, and I always ask for less spice. I left wholly unsatified, and alas will not be back.

I'd been wanting to try this place for a long time, but kind of forgot about it until recently. The food was really good. I had tom kha with shrimp soup, yum tuna salad and Thai iced tea. The soup was flavorful, with spicy and sour flavors. It had several jumbo shrimp and lots of small mushrooms. It cost $7.95 because of the shrimp. The yum tuna was also $7.95. It had flaked tuna, ginger, peanuts, red onion and spicy lime dressing. This is an appetizer, but could be enough for two or your own main meal. I also tried a bite of drunken noodle. It wasn't too oily and full of flavor. The service was quick and attentive. The food arrived under 10 minutes (with another dish, not included). The place was clean and friendly service. Prices are reasonable and portions are good. Order from here if you haven't!

Yum Watercress is a must have appetizer. Had the spicy boneless duck entrée. It wasn't bad, but it didn't blow me away. I understood thanks to some really great advice from the server that the drunken noodles here are slightly different from other places. I noticed many reviews didn't like the drunken noodles perhaps because they have a different recipe. Thankfully the waiter was able to clue me in and send me in the direction of the duck. Overall I was very happy and I would return to try other foods. The service was excellent.

Update - May 2020 Take out only during the Covid19 outbreak. They do offer curbside pick up during slow time periods. We came here to order take out recently. They still offer carry out. Employees here do take precaution such as gloves and masks. Appears to be clean. We ordered their fried Watercrest, Tom Kha soup and pad Thai. Their pad Thai was pretty good. Fresh noodles with tons of toppings. Good portion for two people. Their Tom Kha soup is really good if you like acidic food. Recommend putting rice into the soup. Makes it a better pair. The fried Watercrest is really good as well. Best appetizer on their menu. Be sure to squeeze the given lime wedge into the dish. Also it comes with a sauce on the side too which helps makes the Watercrest softer as it's already deep fried. If you are in need of Thai food, this is a decent option in the Wheaton area. At the moment, only carry out option is available.

This used to be an excellent Thai restaurant, but it must have changed hands (or chefs) in the last year or so because the quality of the dishes has deteriorated markedly. The fried eggplant was a delightful dish but now it is a soggy tasteless mush. Pad Thai was a fragrant, tasty mixture of noodles. Shrimps , etc. Now the shrimps are scarce, the noodles are a tasteless clump, and the wonderful rate is gone.

I love going to Ruan Thai. The service and food is always good. Clean restaurant, and my Pad Thai is always sooo delicious .

This local Thai Restaurant is one of the best !! I order carry out often and try to sit down for dinner when I can. The staff are so friendly and my favorite on their menu is the Yum Watercress and Pad Thai. The portions are generous and my food is always fresh. I think prior food reviews are on point. Parking is a pain but street parking is available. They don't disappoint.

We enjoyed a delicious meal served by staff who were friendly and followed safe COVID rules. The Yum Watercresswas exceptional- variety of textures and flavors Burt into my mouth. Their drunken noodle with shrimp was very good. And their specialty at fish dish is so yummy and very spicy. Highly recommend this family restaurant.

Ruan used to be my favorite Thai restaurant but it's not the same place it used to be. I'll start with the positive, Yum Watercress is delicious and uniquely theirs and never disappoints! The Tom Kha soup used to be the best I had and now it's still creamy but flavorless. My biggest disappointment was the Beef Ka Prao, it was virtually inedible. I'm not one to leave bad reviews but I spent a good amount of money and wish I had known what to expect. My wish is that they return to the wonderful food we always enjoyed before.