Sai Jai Thai

Thai restaurant · Tenderloin

Sai Jai Thai

Thai restaurant · Tenderloin

771 O'Farrell St, San Francisco, CA 94109

Highlights

No-frills restaurant known for its pork shoulder fried rice & other traditional Thai food.

771 O'Farrell St, San Francisco, CA 94109 Get directions

saijaithaisf.com

@saijaithaisf

@eater

"Venture to this humble restaurant in the Tenderloin, allegedly a favorite of movie star Keanu Reeves, for classic and unabashedly spicy Thai cuisine. Per the San Francisco Chronicle, the most famous dish on the menu is the barbecue pork shoulder, which gets coated in a fish sauce marinade before being grilled." - Dianne de Guzman, Eater Staff

11 Thrilling Thai Restaurants in San Francisco

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@infatuation

"You’re at Sai Jai Thai for one reason, and one reason only—the BBQ pork shoulder fried rice. What this Tenderloin spot lacks in seating (there are just a few tables), it makes up for with an extensive round-up of Thai usual suspects, from pad thai to pad kra praw and every curry your heart could desire. But, really, the BBQ pork shoulder fried rice is what makes a trek here worth it. Yes, the rice could be more toasted, but we’re not mad since the pork is perfectly cooked, and their BBQ sauce has an amazing tang we want to bottle up and take with us everywhere. " - julia chen 1, lani conway, ricky rodriguez

The 15 Best Thai Restaurants In San Francisco

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@infatuation

"This casual Thai spot in the Tenderloin serves up a surprise hit with the BBQ pork shoulder fried rice. The pork is thinly sliced and melts in your mouth, but has enough crisp to make you seriously wonder how they managed to find a perfect balance to each piece. But your love for this dish will grow just like the Grinch’s heart when you pour the side of tart, tangy, and slightly spicy house BBQ sauce on top of the lightly fried rice. They also have kao soy, a standard set of curries, and a papaya salad with varying levels of spice. Don’t make our mistake and just say “spicy” (unless you can really handle heat that'll make you sweat like you’re in the Central Valley in mid-July)." - Ricky Rodriguez

Sai Jai Thai - Review - Tenderloin - San Francisco - The Infatuation

View Postcard for Sai Jai Thai

Edison D

Google

We live in the East Bay but will travel to Sai Jai Thai when we can to get number 41 (BBQ Pork Shoulder with Fried Rice) on the menu! The best dish ever! I’ve tried most of the dishes and appetizers here and nothing was ever disappointing. We always finish off our meals with roti dessert topped with ice cream. Wash everything down with their freshly brewed Thai Iced Tea (try it hot w/o the cream and sugar and it’s also delicious and fragrant).

Alison M C

Google

Good sticky rice, laab, and miang kham. Som tam was fine. I never had soda manao Singha before, but I'd skip it. Too sweet, tasted like Sprite. I'd also skip the bik gai tod because I like it dry fried and this one is served with sauce. Super friendly and polite service. Soap in the bathroom. Good dinner before a concert nearby. I'll definitely be back for more meats and salads.

Abe

Google

The bbq pork fried rice is really good. I've been a few times, and on this most recent visit we found not one but two hairs in our food. Perhaps there were more, but we stopped after digging up the second one. This is was unsurprising in hindsight as at least one of the people cooking in the kitchen was not wearing any hair nets. Too bad, but I probably won't go back...

Cedric C

Google

The most authentic Thai food I've seen in California. Prices are reasonable and the service is fine. I love the shrimp paste fried rice and beef noodle soup. It is in the heart of tenderloin so the location can be a problem.

Alice Hou

Google

We recently dined at Sai Jai Thai Restaurant and had a mix of experiences. The Mieng Come appetizer was a burst of flavors with shallot, ginger, peanuts, lime, and dried shrimp, though the chili was notably spicy. The Pad See Ew, while tasty, could have been more flavorful, but the BBQ Pork Shoulder Fried Rice stole the show. The BBQ pork shoulder over egg fried rice with onions was simply delicious. The sauce was a perfect blend of sour and spicy, opening up the appetite, and the fried rice itself was seasoned to perfection.

Joey Katigbak

Google

Been here a few times and was always happy with the experience. A Vietnamese friend introduced me to the place and we always come here for our Thai food fix. We especially like their pork fried rice, crispy fish and pad see ew. Every new thing we try gets added to that list plus all the regular offerings like Pad Thai, etc. It's a small mom and pop shop you wouldn't know was there unless you specifically looked for it. It's clean, albeit can use a fresh coat of paint. But that's not what you would go here for. The service is good and the staff are friendly. I always give them a thumbs up.

Natally Starr

Google

So good! We loved the pork fried rice, very flavorful! The veggie fried rolls were also very good! If you’re looking for flavorful pad Thai though, I will say it was a bit underwhelming in that regard. Otherwise great affordable spot!

Abigail Julia Palis

Google

We walked for 15 minutes just to try their food and it really satisfied our cravings! Tom yum soup is the bomb! Pad Thai tastes incredible! The serving was fast too. Authentic Thai food 😋 Fried rice is not too oily. Just the right asian fried rice. We will surely come back to this place!