Saffron Thai

Service was nice, but I didn’t realize this was a chain-y place and not regular authentic thai. They gave me absurdly unripe mangos with my mango sticky rice and it cost me $11 after tip. So disappointing!!! omg.

We've eaten here for years. It's a great place to stop if you've just landed at the airport and want to grab a quick bite on the way home. The food is fresh and flavorful. We both had the special, Panang Beef curry. Delicious and lots of beef in the curry. This dish came with rice and a side of stir fried green vegetables - green beans, broccoli, onion, mushroom and garlic. I would order this dish again.

The food was really good, I had the Drunken noodles they were really good and 2 of my siblings had pad tie sorry I don't know how to spell it but they loved it so much I had some and it was amazing. My grandparents loved theirs but I don't remember what they got. We had a little disappointment when I couldn't get something and my mom couldn't get something but it was an hour before closing so they could make a bunch of stuff but overall it was amazing and the people were so nice.

I like the vibe and the outdoor seating, so I gave it a try. The drunken noodles were perhaps the worst I have had. I guess in an effort to be interesting, they added zucchini, which totally threw off the taste. The sauce was flavorless except for the chili spice and way too much ginger. The beef was tough like an IHOP breakfast steak. Not surprising, since I saw no Thai people on site. For the high price, I expected so much better.

Ordered the Vietnamese noodles, it was okay as a big portioned meal. Felt like something was missing. Big chunks of chicken that didn’t complement the noodle well. Dry. The cups of sauce served with the carry-out box tasted alright. I definitely want to try something different next visit. Parking sucks.

Wow I am very impressed with the food, the staff and the atmosphere

Been coming here for years. It’s a little pricey now but still good.

Visited Saffron on a recommendation from my San Diego host; it did not disappoint. The Thai cashew stir fry was delicious as was the Cambodian salad. Clean, fresh, friendly. I'll be back.

Woo! The Saffron Whole Chicken was scrumptious! Make sure to smother your chicken with sweet chili sauce. Don't forget to get the chicken egg roll as an appetizer, definitely recommend. Food came out fast and hot. Best chicken in all of San Diego. Also had a Friendly environment.

So I have been gone for 10 years up in LA and just moved back. I used to go here all the time and the drunken noodles were other-worldly. Things have really changed. We ordered the drunken noodles, massaman curry chicken, and fried rice. NONE of them were good. The drunken noodles had very little flavor and none of the sweetness that it used to have years ago. The curry chicken was flavorless, and the chicken fried rice was average at best. Needless to say I won't be returning. It's so sad too - this place used to be awesome...

So sad how far Saffron has fallen. I first began coming to Saffron about 20 years ago and was told they business has changed hands several times now. After an issue I brought to the attention of the counter employee, I was told they have no control over how dry and over cooked the chicken is. Dismissive, uninterested employees could care less. Speaking in Spanish with another employee about my complaint, I almost wanted to explain that I speak Spanish and understand your lack of concern.

Great GF options! Everything is delicious! I love the spicy mushroom & Shrimp soup - that's an older menu picture; love you can substitute red rice or 1/2 red/1/2 white)l. Spicy & very satisfying! The shrimp are always perfectly cooked (not rubbery like some places). Even better the second day. Order take-out ahead as parking can be dicey on India Street.

Had lunch here few weeks ago. Ordering was easy, a few staff members were available and food came out quickly. Starting with our appetizer the Eggroll, my wife spits it out coz there's lots of crushed black pepper on it . Our Drunken noodles , i never encountered so many ingredients that were not necessary to be added that made the Drunken noodles not taste good. The yellow Curry chicken was okay but it had more Potatoes than meats. The only good part of our experience here was the Soup. A few added salt and it's perfect. The staff at the front who took the orders and delivered the food were friendly. But food is a no for me here.

Love the slogan, Food for the Mind, Body & Soul. It's great because all that creates balance and harmony. And boy was I feeling great after chowing down on the chicken spring rolls and Thai style cashew chicken. The food was fresh and the staff very kind. Some what Zen like. The staff was very calm yet hustled to get the orders prepared. I highly recommend Saffron Thai.

A solid 3. Quick, tasty, but not cooked to order. It's kinda like Thai food...I've clearly been spoiled by Thai restaurants that cook your food after you've ordered it so that it arrives freshly prepared. The egg rolls are kept in a warmer and you can't adjust heat/spice levels.

Got their healthful cleansing soup while I had a sore throat. It was just bland enough to not upset my stomach but had good flavor to still be enjoyable. Would definitely get this again.

Yummy!!! This place has always been one of my faves since moving here in 1997. You cannot go wrong with their fabulous chicken egg roll. Best in town. I usually get it with a side of stir fried broccoli. It makes for a healthy and delicious meal. Plenty of indoor and outdoor seating so it is pup friendly!! Service is usually quick and friendly!!

So unfortunate that I have had to come to making a public warning about one of my favorite places. I had a friend visiting from out of town and I as a frequent customer of saffron wanted to rave about a local Thai restaurant that I've been going to for years. That said I ordered what I usually do; chicken pad-Thai noodles and dirty rice with chicken. My friend from out of town is allergic to soybean and had told the cashier that she couldn't consume anything that may contain soybean. Come to find some tiny chopped soybean tofu in our CHICKEN pad-Thai. Luckily we were sharing both meals and I had been splitting both plates when we noticed. Genuinely just distraught at the fact that the staff was specifically made aware of the allergen and there were no measure made to prevent this. As a BOH and FOH worker there should be some communication and accountability for what is being rung in and served to customers. Hopefully this does not happen to anyone else and was a genuine mistake. If I hadn't been sharing with her let alone maybe another regular client. The situation could have been worse for saffron.

It's been ten years since my last visit, having moved to the central Coast. Absolutely everything is as spectacular as it was years ago. We had to go even though we had a very short schedule. But we made time to visit our friend Marcia. She was so pleased. From the Chicken sate to the cucumber salad ending with Mango Coconut rice for dessert.

I love saffrons. Maybe I'm biased because I've been coming for over 10 years but this place has never let me down. My favorite item is the salad rolls and the peanut sauce is to die for. I sunset is beautiful from the place and it's always nice and clean. This is my favorite restaurant!!

What happened to this place? I haven't been here in years but had a facial up the road with my son so decided to come here for dinner. I used to go here in the early 2000s and it was fantastic, food was great, and I believe the owner was a Thai chef who used to work for Martha Stewart? Something like that. Anyway, 20 years later, it's pretty terrible. The veg rolls I ordered was tasteless and soggy. Soup was flavorless and way overpriced which I get for the location but man, make the food good. Plus, they have Mexican music blasting which I don't mind in a Mexican place but this is a Thai place. Must have been bought by a Mexican owner that have no idea what Thai food should be? I'm just so disappointed.

I had the Kung Pao Chicken for lunch and couldn't finish more then two bites. The chicken is bizarre and clearly extremely low quality. Years ago, I used to come this restaurant about once a week and LOVED it and now I am totally shocked at how bad it was. Literally, my meal was disgusting and I walked out of the restaurant because I am on my lunch break and don't have time to explain how chicken should taste and what texture it should be. So disappointing. $18 down the drain and never coming back.

The food here is delicious and they have some great healthy options. Service is average and I did not feel like it was a very welcoming environment but regardless enjoyed the food each time I've come here

This place had quick service, that was the highlight. Unfortunately the speed comes at expense of flavor. Everything seems to have been cooked separately and in advance, and you assemble your meal. We had a papaya salad with chicken. The chicken was absolutely flavorless, with the sauce served in a cup on the side so that you can flavor it yourself. It seems the chicken is pre-cooked so that it can be added to a noodle dish or thrown into a curry. We also got a noodle dish-the noodles were lacking in flavor and rubbery, as thought they've been sitting around for a while. Dishes had the main ingredients of Thai cuisine-but lacked that spice and depth of flavor found at other places. Saffron gets 2 stars because the food is not bad-just exceptionally bland. They prioritize speed over flavor. When your food comes out sooner than the group behind you can finish placing their order, there is going to be some corners cut.

I've eaten here several times over years, and each time the experience has been progressively worse. They call themselves a Thai restaurant, specializing in authentic Thai cuisine. It is more like a fast food joint. Truth is, they offer hot gruel, served with some bamboo sprouts and a twist of lime. And while it is served reasonably quick, it is way over-priced. And the only thing Thai about it will be your tongue, as in you will be tongue-tied as to why this crap costs so much. The good news, they do provide fresh drinking water at no charge.

Food is delicious. The service was ok, looks like a a few young people were in the front counter, with not too much customer service experience, but they were polite and friendly with order taking. The ambiance is also nice, the decor is not too impressive but since there is outdoor seating it makes it a nice feature for variation.

As good as I remember it from the early 90s, this is an offbeat and affordable Thai-inspired "quick food" community institution. Great any time and on rainy days they make Rainy Day Soup! Not to be missed Try the grilled chicken with peanut sauce, as well as the drunken noodles, and you won't be sorry.

Just ordered a chicken combo plate with an extra sweet pepper sauce ($1) and get home to find they did not give me the extra sauce paid for. This is the second time this has happened - always check before getting take out. Robert

This restaurant seemed too good to be true and it was. I ordered from them yesterday and got the chicken breast and jasmine rice. The breast was good until i got near the bone. To my horror the meat was raw near the bone. Pass.

Been wanting to try this place for a while now and it did not disappoint food was soo tasty chicken so succulent Got lucky wit parking since we came during an off time

This is NOT a Thai place at all!!! I tried the Pad-Thai, It was nooddles with chicken, an omelette on top, no peanuts or veggie on sight with some "spicy enchilada sauce". BAD BAD BAD Not even a hint of at least "Asian" flavors. Also, I had a salad roll with peanut sauce, but instead, it was cumin and some other flavors not peanut at all. VERY DISAPPOINTED!!

Place looks great from the outside and I was told it was one of the best Thai food places in SD. So you order at the door then take a seat to be served. Seating area inside is a bit snug but worst is the chairs are uncomfortable and our table was wabbly. Upon ordering we asked for hot sauce and we're disappointed we had to pay extra for hot sauce which is whack because Thai food is meant to be eaten with spice so why isn't it included as a free condiment! Ordered several dishes since their menu is pretty extensive, it took us a minute to decide and finally went with drunken noodles as our first option and it was good flavor, a bit on the greasy side though. noodle soup broth was tasteful and cashew chicken had veggies cooked to perfection. Food came out fairly quickly I think I waited longer for the restroom to be free than for my food to come out. I felt staff could have been a bit more attentive since I did ask several times what the hold up was with the restroom. If it wasn't for the cleaning crew man who took the initiative to get the spare key to open up the restroom I would be giving this place a 1 star review. Overall food was obviously edible and acceptable but the accompanying details of this establishment is what will set it back.

Really wish I would have checked yelp before coming. I got the drunken noodles, but I'd call them drunken veggies. Picked through the 10 oz of sprouts to get the very few noodles. After picking out the noddles, my container is still half full with veggies. Got my friend the chicken curry masala. I didn't really they had masala soup I picked up takeout. The staff were nice. But I will never return.

Disappointed Had their pad Thai it was the worst food ever. It didn't taste like pad Thai at all but more like random sauce with a pound of sugar, I tried to put 4 pc of lime still super sweet. Waste of money and not eatable

The noodle dishes and fresh spring rolls (shrimp or tofu only) are delicious with the sweet sauce. The peanut sauce was not tasty. Do not order the chicken yellow curry. There are other Thai places that have much better yellow curry dishes than this place. The chicken was dry, no onions and a few potatoes. Great portion of rice which I re-used the next day with a fried egg. There was barely any broth from the yellow curry left since there was really none to begin with. I was happy with most of my dishes!

This is probably one of the worst Pad Thai I had. There noodles were dry and tasteless.

Nice little place closer to the Old San Diego. Not very pricey either. I was there with my wife and a friend. It wasn't very busy even though it was the Labor Day weekend. Staff were polite. Service was prompt. Food was good. Had to drive around a couple of blocks a couple if time to find the parking. But that's okay. Good place to grab quick lunch meal. Worth a try. Actually, more than worth a try. I don't think anyone will be disappointed. Well, I wasn't!

My favorite places to visit when I'm in the area. The yellow curry with potatoes is a must try one of my favorites. Always a pleasant experience with staff that are so friendly and efficient. I literally walk in to place an order and 2min later it was ready to go. I notice a lot of new staff lately at this location and they are all top level. They also sell fresh coconut highly recommended especially during this summer. They have ton of healthy options and substitutions available that I love since I have a special diet. Overall a positive experience highly recommend a visit.

I used to go here when it was owned by the previous owner. The food isn't the same. The peanut sauce was lacking. For the price, I wouldn't recommend it. 28.00 was way too expensive for the quality if the food.

Really not understanding the bad reviews here. I've been here a few times and it was amazing each time. It's clean, has good service, and the food is cooked and seasoned perfectly.

I ordered pad Thai no bean sprout he brought me pad see ew. I told him I order pad Thai he said I ordered had see ew. I am embarrassed bc I knew he's wrong but I don't know what else to say so I just order it again. While my second order of pad Thai is being made he comes back outside and ensures it's no bean sprout la in my pad Thai, which I only ordered the first time lol. Pad see ew doesn't come w bean sprouts anyways. Then I see him laughing with the cook. I didn't feel comfortable eating food from them after this so I just left after spending $40 and getting nothing that I ordered.

What an iconic and awesome Thai restaurant to enjoy! I am a big lover of Asian food and especially Thai food. When I first arrived in San Diego I used to grab this delectable and tantalizing food! So, I am happy to say I am still immensely enjoying this place! It has great memories for me! I am so happy I am still able to indulge in the flavorful, spiced just right food in this present day! I like how you get high-quality Thai food in a clean and casual setting! I don't have to wait that long to be served then be on my way or even "TO GO" food is quick. The Thai Iced Teas are my favorite beverage! The staff is helpful and friendly too which does count and matter to me like many! LOVE IT HERE! What are you waiting for? Just GO ALREADY!

Finger Food review- Salad roll- 1 shrimp 1 chicken Peanut dipping sauce The shrimp salad roll was my favorite of the 2. Fresh taste and the peanut sauce is incredible. No heat. Very flavorful. You will follow me and lick it clean! The chicken salad roll was still good. But for some reason the shrimp was better IMO, for my taste buds. I came here over 30 years ago and it's still amazing!

Pretty disappointed tbh. Got the "chicken sate skewer" (they were out of legs and breasts which was a little less) to go and it was just chicken wrapped in foil under a huge bed of white rice. For over 15 bucks! No greens or anything. Like wtf. I could've made this exact meal for like 2 dollars and could've made it tastier too.. no kitchen access at the moment so I guess you're paying an extra $13 for it to be served to you hot.. ridiculous how expensive food has gotten. Like yeah sure you conned me one time but I won't be coming back and I advise you to look elsewhere because I've had way better for 15 bucks. They should absolutely lower their prices because this dinner was very pathetic. Had it cost less, I guess I wouldn't be bothered but I was tired of looking for an affordable dinner in the area after a 2 hour search and everything was closing. Have had better meals at Panda Express for under $10. Could've had steak and fried rice for $11.. basically just not worth it for what you get.

The food was super watery and had no flavor it was like it wasn't even Thai food. DO NOT EAT HERR

Got some items to eat family-style with friends and we all really enjoyed it. I didn't tell them it was healthy Thai food, and the people who never eat healthy were pleasantly surprised that they liked it. None of us had ever had red rice before, but we got the Healthy Beef Fried Rice to try it. The dish itself could have used more beef and more flavor. We got the Chicken Pad-Thai Noodles medium spicy, but there was no spice whatsoever. My girlfriend is sensitive to spice and even she couldn't taste it. It was a great dish, though, even without the spiciness, but I think it would've been better with some. The Kung Pao Cauliflower, on the other hand, had a nice soft kick to it. It was my favorite dish we got. Eating it together with the red rice was a perfect pairing. For dessert, we got the Sweet Sticky Rice with Mango. The two people who enjoy mango said it was absolutely delicious and next time they aren't going to be splitting one. Needless to say, this place was definitely an overall success and we will all be back to try some more dishes!

I have been going to Saffron ever since I was very young. It was the first Thai restaurant I've ever been to and really inspired my love of Southeast Asian cuisine so it has a special place in my heart. I always love how healthy I feel after a big meal here and the variety of vibrant flavors of spices. I do have some constructive feedback, I noticed the food quality has decreased a bit. Ten years ago my order would take 30+ minutes to be prepared, and now the food comes out almost instantly. Because of this I think there is less time being put into preparing the food fresh. It would be great if less items were precooked in the future as I really care about this restaurant. I noticed the restaurant was purchased by a restaurant group and I think the home cooked vibes have changed. Our chicken sate meals were super dry. That being said, I do think it's worth trying Saffron. I think if small improvements were made Saffron can return to its original glory!

Went here expecting to get a decent pad Thai and was sorely mistaken. It tasted like Mexican food, which I'm ok with if I was eating at a Mexican restaurant. The noodles were also very dry and clumped up together. Wouldn't recommend this place to my worst enemy.

I have been coming to Saffron for over a decade and although the food is good, the attention to detail is slipping. I always get the healthful soup. It is simple. However, the last time I got it the cilantro had sand/dirt all over it, ending up with all of that in my soup. This tells me the produce is not properly cleaned. One time I got it prior to this last purchase I requested no chicken and when I got it there was chicken in it. I let the first incident slide but now I have to put this out there.

Back in the old days I remember a squeaky old screen door that kept the flies out.  Scent of Thai spices filled the air.  Inside was cramped and you could see the well worn kitchen that served decades worth of meals.  Now the place has a modern look like new fast casual spots.  I ordered a whole chicken to go.  Skin was nice and crispy and had delicious flavor from the Thai spices.  Chicken was a bit overcooked as non of the pieces were juicy.  Also the meat without skin was light on flavor.  They don't pump their chickens full of salt like Costco.  There was a variety of sauces available for purchase but non of them tempted me.  I also added a small white rice to my order.  Loved the light jasmine flavor.  I would prefer my rice a bit more moist.  The apocalypse is a good time to visit as there were parking spots right in front.  Usually they are all filled.   Back in the old days I remember the chicken having more flavor and being closer to juicy.

This place is not authentic Thai. The drunken noodles come with green beans, and zucchini ... ILL TAKE A HARD PASS! Food did not taste like anything. Not spicy, not sweet, not savory. I rarely give out such reviews but this is a disgrace to Thai food. Two stars because service at front was adequate and facility seemed clean and COIVD neutral. Take a pass Yelpers! Take a pass

I left a couple of very negative reviews on saffron Thai because of an entrée. I ordered chicken with green curry and explaining that I was not receiving any kind of feedback from the managers I want to reverse all of that dialogue. I did receive a call from the managers there they were very, very concerned about my experience, wanting to make sure that they made things right, they provided a full credit for me and their overall tone was genuinely one of concern for their customers so I take back everything I said! I highly recommend them!!

Due to the pandemic, I like most people have been doing take-out although I haven't had much from their menu the few items I got were delicious. Number 1 on my favorite list are the Vegetable Egg Rolls with tofu super yummy next the Tofu Salad Rolls and then the Heathful Cleansing Soup with tofu. The food great parking can be tough but it's worth it.

Parking is horrendoussssssss. Came here on Monday afternoon. When we walked in there were about 8 people waiting in line. The cashier was running the show, seriously she was on her A game, kudos for her. I ordered one chicken egg roll, which by the way was HUGE...but it was delicious and I liked the crunchy exterior. The drunken beef noodles could have been a bit spicier. I saw that they sell shrimp chips up front by the cashier, I think I will buy some next time.

Issabell the cashier was very sweet. Great customer service! Food was good. Nice place to sit and eat a quick meal

It's been a minute since I last visited Saffron Thai. I grew up nearby and have also brought my family and kids in over the years. They've loved all the dishes here including the shrimp spring rolls, soups and fried rice. On this cold wintery eve, I found myself craving some warm comfort food. Saffron Thai hit the mark! It's a casual walk up and order at the counter and grab a seat establishment. As I looked up at the menu, not much has changed over the years, although I'm sure they've added a few items along the way. They have the standard Thai fare, pad Thai, various stir fry options, etc. something that caught my eye tonight was the anti-inflammatory stir fry and the healthful cleansing soup. I've had some minor injuries recently and at least the names of the dishes sounded appropriate enough. The stir fry cane with broccoli, mushrooms and red peppers. I added tofu. There were also some small bits of spicy peppers, not sure how much or what type, but just enough to add a little heat. The soup was very soothing. Sort of Asian homey soup if you will. Glass noodles, cilantro and I believe spinach and maybe Napa cabbage stalks. It added a nice crunch to the soup. The flavors of both dishes were mouthwatering good! Over the years, they've also done some remodeling. The food has always been spot on. But the restrooms were another story. Kind of nasty to be honest. However with the remodel, rest assured, they're super clean and nice! A great place to go for some healthy Thai food! Keep on Yelp'n!

I don't see this restaurant succeeding in the future. The prices have skyrocketed so high that only the elite will be able to buy from this establishment. They have priced me out. I refuse to pay $14.30 for 3 spring rolls and really that's the only thing I like here. Maybe it's greed maybe it's necessity on their part but I'm done.