Sala Thai Restaurant

Monday lunch, 90s pop playlist in the background. Summer rolls were crisp and well complemented with the sauce. Main course sautéed eggplant with chicken was delicious. Staff is a bit shy but attentive on demand. A nice lunch experience overall. Tip is included with the meal.

I got the Sala Thai Siam. It was minced chicken and shrimp with basil leaves and peppers. I got it Thai hot and it was pretty spicy (which I loved). The service was quick and attentive, I would totally go back. Cutest spice rack I ever seen.

Group of friends enjoyed a tasty lunch. The spring rolls appetizer was served hot and crisp and filled with shredded veggies. The cellophane noodles salad with 2 large shrimp and plenty of minced chicken in a chili lime sauce included enough spice to make a tasty but not overheated dish. Others reported the papaya salad and the pork pad Thai were tasty down to the last bite.

We had Basil fried rice and Thai tea for dinner and the portion was good. Food is 7/10 had more of sweet flavor instead of spicy when we asked for spicy 🌶️ We couldn’t finish the meal so we did take away the rest Staff was nice and treated us well had enough seating It’s a clean pleasant restaurant Location is good but must find Street parking around

The food was good and so were the drinks but I’d describe the overall experience as unremarkable. The pricing was a bit high but their portions are great. While the servers were somewhat attentive, it took a while for us to order. Another group was seated and ordered before they came back to us. It wasn’t that busy so it was a bit frustrating. Even while ordering our waitress tried walking away before we were done. It felt as if they were prioritizing the online orders, which was not ideal. I was happy to leave. If you want to eat here, order pickup or delivery.

This was my first time visiting this restaurant after hearing so many great things from a friend who praised their food. Unfortunately, my experience was the complete opposite of what I expected. When my friend and I arrived, the staff’s attitude immediately set the wrong tone. The restaurant closes at 3 p.m. and reopens at 4, so we waited patiently — only to be greeted with rude stares, unwelcoming energy, and dismissive service from the three servers on duty. The woman who unlocked the door didn’t even hold it open for us, which was my first red flag. Throughout our visit, we were ignored and treated as if we didn’t belong there. The final straw was when our waiter slammed the check clipboard on the table, as if assuming we wouldn’t tip — despite the poor service and disrespect we’d already experienced. Why would you expect a tip for poor service anyway? You deserved that $1.47 tip for the terrible treatment and behavior you displayed. The food wasn’t impressive either, but the service alone made it impossible to enjoy the meal. I will not be visiting this place ever again. SHAME ON YOU. At this point, you might as well put a sign on the door that says, “No colors allowed,” because that’s exactly how we were made to feel.

rarely ever leave reviews, but my experience at Sala Thai Bethesda was so awful that I couldn’t stay silent. My friend and I came here for dinner, expecting a peaceful night and good food — instead, we were met with pure rudeness and complete lack of respect. From the start, the servers barely acknowledged us. No greeting, no warmth — just cold energy that made us feel like we didn’t belong there. I paid for our meal in cash instead of my card like I normally do, and it’s as if that automatically made them assume I wouldn’t tip. Without even giving me the courtesy or time to finish my payment, the waiter slammed my change down on the table and demanded that I leave a higher tip. The audacity was unbelievable. When I tried to ask what the issue was, I was ignored completely. The server, Lan, even sucked her teeth and walked away like I wasn’t worth a response. I was embarrassed — not because of the money, but because of the way I was treated in front of my guest. I brought my friend there for the first time, and it turned into one of the most uncomfortable dining experiences I’ve ever had. What should have been a nice evening turned into a moment of humiliation and disgust. No customer deserves to be treated that way — especially when they’ve done nothing but show up respectfully and pay for their meal. Sala Thai Bethesda needs to do better. Customer service is about respect, not assumptions

I've been a regular at this place since I moved to the area two years ago. The staff are incredibly friendly and welcoming, the food is delicious, and there's live music from locals on Fridays, which is just an absolute joy. They've also been experimenting with some changes to their lunch offerings, and let me tell you, it's left me full enough that I wasn't hungry for dinner -- and that's despite having enough left over for carryout! My go-to dishes are pad prik king with chicken, pad see ew with chicken, spicy fried rice, and pad thai. I've also tried a few of the lunch offerings, and they're quite good. I also owe a slight apology to the kitchen -- I know I kept asking for "as spicy as you can make it", but that's the equivalent of pepper spraying yourself in there, so... sorry about that!~

A friend and I lunched here, our first time at this restaurant. I ordered #6 on the menu, a rice noodle dish with chicken that was served with a side of crisp lettuce. My dish was plentiful and full of flavor. Very friendly and attentive servers. Obviously quite popular for lunch, and I look forward to returning for dinner. Highly recommended!

The food here was ok. I liked the dumplings. The red curry with pork wasn't great. The curry itself had a nice flavor but the pork wasn't good quality since it was hard and chewy throughout. If you have the choice of a protein I would recommend either going with the beef or chicken. It wasn't the best Thai food I've had but it's one of the few Thai options in Bethesda. However, the service was good and the waitress was friendly and helpful. There is a lot of seating inside and the place has a casual vibe.

2.5 stars if I could. It's just kind of bland for Thai food. I've ordered twice and don't think I'll ever return. Cute atmosphere though and nice service!

Upon entering the front door, the staff was ready to greet us - all three of them in the front were gracious. The calamari appetizer was serviced with a light panko dusting and a mild sweet vinegary fish sauce. A perfect blend. The fried red snapper went well with the ginger sauce. Dessert was fried banana and coconut ice cream, a delectable Thai treat.

This is a review for takeout, we did not dine in, and so I can't really speak much for the service or the ambience. The food however was pretty delicious. We got the Pad Thai, Pad See Ew and the Panang Curry. Overall the food was delicious. My only complaint is they give you a very small rice side for all that curry, and it honestly isn't enough given how much curry sauce comes with it. I loved that the food wasn't overly salty, I've been other places where the Pad See Ew sauce was so salty that I could barely eat the dish, but that wasn't the case here! We would definitely order from here again!

Fantastic food! I came to this place two days in a row! I had drunken noodles to go the first time. Very authentic, healthy portions. The service was super fast and the food comes out hot. Very on the menu is a great price!

The food was wonderful and delightful. The service was nice and the staff where extremely friendly and nice. The place is a nice place where it isn't too loud and nice for family dinning.

This review is for take-out. Easily the worst Thai food I've had, we ordered three dishes and all were bad in different ways. The Pad King was the best of the bunch but had overcooked vegetables and did not come with rice. The Khao Soi was flavorless except for spice and had noodles that seemed more Italian and Asian. The Pad See Ew had incredibly gummy noodles that our toddler choked on (this is his go-to favorite dish usually) and the shrimp in it tasted off, a little dirty and flavorless. Avoid at all costs.

So me and my co worker decided to try something new, we got our hopes up tooo much the total was $40 not worth it for carry out, I saw mayflower is worth it, this chicken and broccoli looks like soup looks like they didn't even try I can literally do better at home and my co worker didn't even enjoy his food either it was so depressing looks depressing as well first and last time trying this place I wish I can get my money back, the service was nice, however I did see the cook smoking outside and I'm pretty sure he made our food yeah not the place to go it even tasted like rubbed and it felt so rubbery yeah never again....

A lovely little spot. Not fancy, just comfortable with a nice bar set up. We sat in a booth by the window on a very nice day. We each had a lunch special. Pork and small bits of fried chicken with white rice. Chicken dish had a veggie lime sauce. I tasted the pork too. Delicious. For apps we shared spring roles and chicken satay. Each had a special sauce that made the dishes all the more tasty. We each had tea. We loved the big mugs and choice of tea. We had jasmine and oolong. Each came with a small container of honey. Very nice touch. Attentive server. Lunch specials are reasonably priced at around $12.00. Finally, they feature a jazz trio on the first Friday of the month. I recommend this place. We will return.

I ordered for delivery kaprow chicken and salathal wonton soup. The soup was wonderful. A light chicken broth with spring onions, bok Choy and very dense chicken wontons. I thought the flavors, textures, wontons and spices were a perfect combination. Truly a five rating for this soup. The Kaprow chicken would have been a five rating if not, for the fact that the chicken was overcooked and tough. On the positive side, the sauce was outstanding. I asked for a higher spice level, but still found not very much heat. The basil was wonderful, red peppers were sautéed extremely well, and the beans were crisp and tasty. If only the chicken had been better, this would've been a fabulous dish. Five rating for the soup, three rating for the chicken

Mild Thai spice should not mean without flavor. I had the crispy duck which was over steamed vegetables and am still searching for the flavor. The duck (not certain it was duck) was battered and fried which masks the flavor of this meat. The sauce was not rich and I really couldn't appreciate the basil. I didn't finish it. My appetizer was the steamed dumplings which were also nothing exceptional. I'm not Asian so don't pretend to be an expert but I have had Thai food all over the world. This doesn't rank very highly. Service was very good quick and friendly. This spot in Bethesda has been a Thai restaurant for decades. It is not the same.

Ordered takeout. Red & massaman curry, Pad Thai, soups, shrimp & brocolli All dishes were very good,by everyone.

Takeout review!!! This was delicious! I can't believe I waited so long to try it.. very large portion of spicy fried rice, great flavor, perfect chicken, they added extra broccoli for me with no added charge. The spring rolls were delicious too!! I also highly recommend the Thai tea, it was tasty, ice cold, and also very good portion size. All in all great first experience and definitely will be back :)

Delicious food with a very generous military discount. The pad Thai was fantastic! I will be coming back!! Can't wait to try the curry.

Food is alright. Our spring rolls were served kind of cold. Our curry dish was very watery and our seafood pad Thai never arrived on time so we cancelled it. They boxed it to go for us. Slow service and unprofessional in kitchen.

I ordered via Uber eats last week. I started with the yum nua which is steak salad with thin onion and citrus dressing. It was excellent! I thought the portion was a little small, but very tasty. I also had the pad see ew with chicken and extra broccoli. It could have used a little more sauce / moisture, but was very flavorful. Chicken was delicious. I look forward to trying more of the menu!

I have been to Thailand many times and love the food there. I have been to Sala Thai twice and ordered the shreded beef Ka Prao both times and it was excellent. Prices are quite reasonable.

An OK Thai restaurant. Have had better. There were a lot of flavor and seasoning missing from the entrees. We ordered Tom Yum Soup, Kana Peas, Papaya Salad, Chicken Larb Gai, Broccoli and Chicken in garlic sauce, Drunken Noodles, Veggie and Tofu dish, and Tilapia fried fish. The spice level was just OK. The Broccoli and chicken dish was missing chili since the garlic sauce was too bland. The Tom Yum Soup had a weird flavor and missing a seasoning as well. Papaya Salad wasn't as spicy as we expected and a little sour. The veggie dish didn't come with grilled chicken like we had asked, so we had to order a side of chicken skewers. Really liked the Drunken Noodles, though. Service was alright. Prefer a different Thai joint than this one...

I normally get the Penang curry, sometimes it's a little too spicy, so this time I got chicken pad Thai, it had a strange sour vinegary flavor, My wife returned hers, but I soldiered on, I make it a point of never returning food especially when I'm in the only party in the restaurant, Will they retaliate on my food? There were many online orders flying out the door. I can't wait to live music Returns.

They have 3 dishes that I really like. The crispy duck which is called the Sala Thai Duck. It is a deep fried duck that is reminiscent of popcorn chicken, but with duck meat. I'm not sure how well it goes with the vegetables that it comes with and I wish there was a good dipping sauce to accompany it, but on its own, it's still really good. For appetizers, their dumplings are like meats in a dumpling wrap. Very tasty on their own. Pineapples fried rice. I get this with chicken added and it's delicious. The pineapples (from my experience in July and August) are fresh, ripe, and cooked. Everything was savory or sweet that I ordered. The staff was super helpful, plus they were supportive in working around allergies. I already recommend them to friends and family and I have ordered from them at least twice. Are they 5 star spectacular? Maybe not. But they do a lot right, the food I've had is good, 4.5 stars isn't a thing, and 4 stars didn't feel right either. Plus I have plans to go back here for dinner next week with friends.

Everything was pleasant and on point service was excellent the food was terrific loved the duck

I have seen roaches and I have seen rats in this place. I have seen the neon sign fall down from the window on top of a customers head while mid meal. I have seen the sludge and grease caked on thick in the kitchen and appliances. I have seen desserts left in the freezer with no cover and serve to a customer without a second thought. In terms of authentic Thai food there's a lot of places that you could find much better than this, if you were looking for the bare minimum and half assed Thai food, this is your place.

Order through Door dash was not complete. Refused to deliver the missing items. Unacceptable resolution.

We ordered pod Thai which had been premade the noodles were all soft and broken up and we also ordered Kapow chicken which was supposed to be ground with basil and it was thin chicken slices with string beans and it didn't taste like anything I was really disappointed and I will never ever go back there again

My whole family loves this restaurant. Consistently quality and delicious authentic Thai dishes. Excellent service.

The pad Thai here is to die for. I've gotten it dozens of times and it is very consistent. I also love the spring rolls and dumplings. Can't go wrong with the fried rice either. Mom loves the wonton soup and pad see ew. I would give this place 6 stars for the pad Thai if I could! Servers are super friendly. Ambiance is fine but that's not important to me.

Great pork pad Thai. Love the food but not sure how healthy it is? Anyways, a good place to hang out with friends and have a good time.

I'm not sure why the reviews on here are so bad, this is the best thai food that we've had in the area. Would have given this five stars but haven't had enough of the menu yet. Started with pad thai and pad see ew and it was excellent. So much flavor and such a great portion. Will absolutely be back!

Spicy Thai cuisine. Lots of choice. Nice corner location. Music on Friday nights.

Ordered from Uber eats and came to our dooo piping hot. We got the pad Thai and drunken noodle. The drunken noodle was better than the pad Thai except that the noodles were gummier than usual. The price was very reasonable tho, and because it's so conveniently close we will most likely be going back. Huge portion sizes with take out too.

Food was poor quality, specifically the meat was nearly inedible. Ordered multiple entrees and was not satisfied by any. Service was also left to be desired. If your after good Thai try somewhere else.

We order takeout from here a lot. Their panaeng curry is some of the best in Bethesda. They don't offer the Thai spicy option, it's always still mild even though I ask for "extra extra spicy". Regardless if the lack of heat, they use crushed peanuts in the curry sauce which is delightful. I've gotten the pad Thai from here too and it's pretty on point with others in the neighborhood such as Bangkok Garden. Fun fact: they are the first restaurant I've seen that shrink wraps their containers so the delivery driver won't spill sauce everywhere. It also keeps the food piping hot.

Check out their Groupon offer when in the area. Solid 3-star location with easygoing friendly folks. We've had our fair share of their menu options for years. From past work lunches to random casual dinners, their kitchen is pretty steady. Their dishes tend to be on the sweeter side though. But I guess that's their cooking style. For those who prefer sweet pad thai, come on over. To each their own regarding flavor. Personally I like spices over sugar. No big whoop, I just add heat then it'll do. Still a par dish that's familiar to most. We habitually share our standard starter which is the papaya salad since it produces good lingering moderate heat for us. Once more, to each their own. Plus we enjoy shredded green papaya. Next time I'll choose the chicken yellow curry fried rice. There're just a few dishes I haven't tried yet and that's one of them.

This a cute corner store resteraunt. The staff is very sweet, they start u off with a water and have both a drinks and dinner menu. Their tai tea is probably one of the best I've had in Bethesda thus far. It's not too expensive ^ this can be a cute place to eat with friends

Got takeout on a moderately busy Thursday night. Service was quick and friendly, and the food was great but pricey. We ordered the larb gai, green curry chicken, ka prow, and spicy eggplant. My favorite was the ka prow chicken because it was spicy and sweet. The portion sizes were also fair and the right amount. Everything came with rice. I loved dipping my rice in my stir fry sauce!

Ordered Thai food. What was delivered was watered down Chinese food. Just terrible.

I'm not sure how this place has low reviews. It's the best Thai place in Bethesda. I'm not sure I'd give it 5-stars in NYC. But in Bethesda it's the best place and is 5 stars. Everything is always good. We've ordered from everywhere and this one wins. Our most frequent order is their pad see ew.

This has been one of my fave thai spots for years. They're usually friendly with good service but today that changed for me. About a month ago, I stopped in to purchase the broth only to their woon sen soup. The young man that helped me was very understanding and accommodated me after I explained that I was on doctor's orders for a liquid only diet for the next few weeks. He explained that when I return, just call and they'll help me. Fast forward to today, I call since I'm in the area and tried to explain to the woman that answered what I ordered nearly a month ago. There was a language barrier and she ended up quoting me one price and I was okay with that until I asked if I could get two orders (equivalent to 4 containers of broth) then she put me on hold and came back w/an entirely different price and upcharged me! I would have purchased at the first price but to change the price to gain a profit on someone dealing w/an illness post surgery was not cool and very disappointing to me. I explained what I was charged the last time but she argued with me that the young man wasn't supposed to do that even though I told her that he went to the back to speak with someone before selling it to me. After a five minute call of going back and forth w/the woman, I decided to cancel all together and take my business to another thai restaurant closer to my home in Arlington. Needless to say, after nearly 7 years of patronizing Sala Thai, I won't be back!

Three stars and change. I prefer dining in for extra lunch specials-- service is fine, spice levels are customizable, and their spring rolls are okay. Pricing has gone up almost every year, and any year the prices stayed the same resulted in the takeout containers getting smaller. I've tried most things on their menu, and the duck curry and eggplant dishes are probably my favorite go-to's. Chicken here tends to be drier than the pork, so consider yourself warned if you're trying for a cheaper protein than the beef. I've only gotten stale rice once or twice out of many batches.

Nice waiter terrible food So much salt I feel like i had a whole bunch of sea water Don't come here Save yourself

We had a very nice dinner at Sala Thai while working in Bethesda. We really had a hard time picking a place to eat because there are so many options, but we are glad we picked here. It was a cold night and we came in after walking the capital mall and taking the Metro back to Bethesda. We were chili, but when we walked in there was live jazz music, an inviting atmosphere, and a welcoming staff. I started with the Tom Kah soup to warm up. The soup had great flavor and had all the right ingredients in it to make it authentic. Make with lemongrass and kafir lime leaves, this was a great way to start our meal. The group of people I was with, was not into eating family style like I normally do so I had the drunken noodles because they are also so pleasing and fulfilling. These noodles were perfect, great flavor, nice spice, and not over sauced. I enjoyed them very much. I also had a chance to try a daily special which was a pumpkin curry which also was delicious. We had a great meal and the staff was helpful and friendly. A great experience overall.

I had a fantastic time at Sala Thai. Ordered the Tom Kha Pak Tofu and Drunken Noodles. The ambiance was great with live music and entertainment. The wait staff was quick and efficient! Price was reasonable for Bethesda! Will come back again.

This is our go-to spot for Thai food in Bethesda. Always prompt service, good quality and fresh taste. Once we are done with COVID-19 , I highly recommend checking out their happy hour. Great deals on drinks and apps!

Cold - you have to keep your jacket on. Service - great for Uber eats, and grub hub customers Have to beg for drinks, and wait 15+ minutes for any service. Not somewhere to take anyone you want to impress. Unfortunately because I have loved the chain for 6+ years, but feels more of a delivery restaurant- makes sense... so this is for those hoping for the old school way of eating and enjoying a night out.

Headed out for a quick drink & saw the "Live Jazz Music" sign in the window, so I popped in. I wasn't expecting the Hostesses to tell me there weren't any tables available due to previous reservations being made. After a few seconds of banter in trying to get her to tell me yes or no that reservations was necessary, I left. I came back to grab a Take Out Menu & she said she had a table for me...ok, round two. I sat by the window right next to the 2 Person Band & enjoyed the music for a few minutes before TiTi my server arrived. She was full of energy & with fast service. As quick as I ordered my wine, she was back with it & asked if I wanted to order my entree. Told her no, I wanted to start off the Veggie Spring Rolls. They came pretty fast too & were very fresh & cooked well. Not greasy or flaky & the veggies were crisp. TiTi was on me like every 5 minutes to see if I was ready for my entree. & after a few more "not yet's" I was ready to order & TiTi was no where to be found, classic, LOL! I had the basic...Veggie Pad Thai w/o the peanuts & didn't have a long wait for it to come out. Great preparation of fresh veggies & sauce with a pretty good portion. Nice little outing with live music & tasty/quick Thai food for an early Saturday night bite to eat that hit the mark.

Very average food with very strange service... I should've read all the negative reviews here before entering that place! Tom Yum Soup was indeed too salty, first waiter (older woman) was unfriendly and looking with some arrogance at the clients. Second waiter (younger girl) was a bit friendlier but she was obviously discussing the clients with the older women in Thai language! Food very very average! Wouldn't recommend this place.

Nice Thai restaurant, the staff is friendly and the atmosphere is good. The food was made very fast and the portion is good, not too big or too small.

Sala Thai is my favorite local Thai restaurant. The food is consistently good with fresh, bright flavors and the menu is varied, but manageable. In particular, the Pad Mah Kuah J (eggplant with basil and black bean sauce) and this month's special Pumpkin and Tofu Panang are to die for! During the day, the location is perfect for people watching amid the hustle and bustle of downtown Bethesda. The dining room looks very nice at night, but a bit shabby in daylight. I would give five stars if the dining room were cleaner and the damaged upholstery repaired.

Very disappointing. Reminds me of the 2nd rate Chinese places I quit patronizing decades ago.