The Banana Leaf

We are in town for RetroWorld expo at the Hartford convention center in Hartford Connecticut. We have been on a kick for the Asian food in the area and this one did not disappoint. We all ordered something different from the fried rice to the sweet and sour chicken or the pho. Everything was looks good and delicious. Pictures were just right with a good mix of protein. We ended up getting after dinner drinks which would have been the Thai tea and the Thai coffee but I didn't take any pictures cuz we drank them too fast. The melon boba tea was pretty good as well. We ended up closing down the shop and meth when we got the ticket we couldn't believe how cheap it was. If you want to have some good Asian food, definitely stop at this location.

I should have known from the filthy men's room that this place was not going to be great. We had a six person table, reservations at 6:00pm. We ordered the Pho Brisket, Chicken egg rolls, curry puffs, Pad See Ew, Panang Chicken, and Yellow Curry. The fried chicken rolls were pretty decent. But the rest was very problematic. There were a ton of raisins in the curry puffs. The number 2 spice level and the number 3 spice level might as well have been both level 5. One of the servers tried to make the number 2 spicey dish more mild for my MIL, but it didn't really work. The chicken in the Panang chicken was tough and the giant zucchini pieces in the dish were not very palatable. The Pad See Ew came out cold but it tasted good at least. The Banana Leaf offers lots of Pho options so I was very exited to try it. But what a disappointment! The brisket pieces were half fat, half meat. I had to remove the fat with my fingers and try to chew through the very tough brisket in the soup. The broth was not like traditional pho broth. It did not taste right. Worst of all it came out lukewarm. The staff was not present, nobody came to check on us or clear dirty plates. At the very end our water was refilled. Just everything was off. We asked for a pot of jasmine tea, we were brought mugs of some orange looking "tea". I asked for extra jalapenos for the pho, never came. Then when I asked again they brought me an extra plate of basil, bean sprouts and a few extra jalapenos. Even the mango and sticky rice was bad. Looking at the reviews for this place, you would think it would be wonderful. And the pictures look great. We drove an hour to get there and we were all very disappointed. We will not be returning.

This place has to be the best Thai place I’ve had in Connecticut. The Pad Krapow was amazing and the Pad Thai had the perfect taste. The portions were very generous and the owner was very nice. I would also recommend the mango sticky rice for dessert and the Thai iced coffee something on the sweeter side.

One tip I'll have to say is when I've seen reviews from the masses like bland food without flavors. As ranch, gravy, and smokiness is the extent to their pallet of exotic flavors. Asian people need Asian reviews because our taste buds are just way for interesting and complex than most of the world. Definitely a gem coming from an Asian person. I loved how they had the option of Loa or Thai style papaya salad. Also the 5/5 spice level had a very good Asian hot kick. I enjoy Asian food that caters to Asian people and am thankful there are still places like this. Also a dish I would recommend is the peking duck. This one was just made very different as the duck seemed to be deep fried crispy and OMG it was delicious with their season sauce drizzled on top.

Came here for lunch at the recommendation of a friend. We came at an off time and were the only customers at the restaurant. I ordered pork ramen noodles, the food was decent, served hot. The pork was very fatty with not much meat on it. I confirmed it was not pork belly. My mother ordered pad thai. It had a very fishy taste and smell to it making it unappealing to eat. We brought it to the waitresses attention and she said that there was no fish sauce used in it despite us both tasting a very apparent fishy taste. She had the kitchen remake it, gluten free style, which meant no sauces used. It was better the second time around. And “as a courtesy” did not charge us for the second dish – as it should’ve been. The waitresses had a change of shift during our time dining. The second waitress was talking on the phone loudly and not paying any attention to us. We had to get up and get her attention to give us the check after waiting several minutes to hopefully get her attention. And we even brought the payment and check back to her to cash out. The entire time she continued to talk on the phone to whoever she was speaking to. I understand we were the only customers dining at that time but as someone who has worked in a restaurant before it was very unprofessional, rude, and annoying to be dining listening to someone else’s full blown phone conversation.

Wow, the Thai here food was great! I can't wait to go back and try some more dishes.

The food was pretty good. Portion size was good. Prices were reasonable. Lots of selection. I went here while visiting Hartford area. There are lots of Thai places were I live so all the competition raises my level of expectation so I am biased in that regards. Anyway I think it’s a good place to go for people wanting Thai food in the area.

Amazing food! We had the thai fried rice, and the drunken noodle. We also had two thai iced teas! Everything was fresh & delicious!!! Highly recommended this place to anyone looking for some great food!!

Amazing food, bubble tea and service! Pad Thai and drunken noodles were the best I've ever had. Can't wait to go back.

I've had several great meals at The Banana Leaf, both as takeout and eat in. The staff is always friendly, and the kitchen is quick to get your food out. This visit we ordered chicken satay as an appetizer. It came out piping hot, super juicy, and flavorful! Their marinade is just sooo delicious it barely needs any extra sauce. I decided to get Pad Thai for a change because I'm usually a curry or stirfry girlie. It was an enormous portion of delicious noodles! I thought the sweet, salty, sour flavors were really well balanced. My husband had the Veggie Delight stir fry with chicken. It was a perfect simple stirfry with a delicate but flavorful sauce and tons of tender crisp vegetables. Our waitress was super sweet and it's a great casual atmosphere. They're also BYOB and they're more than happy to bring a glass for your beverage. I look forward to our next meal!

Yum!! The Thai food here is delicious! We had the fried dumplings, mixed seafood drunken noodles, Thai fried rice and spicy ramen. Everything was really good. My daughter enjoyed the mango boba drink. It's byob too!

I last reviewed Banana Leaf over 2.5 years ago when I ordered the House Special Pad Thai with Shrimp, Chicken Wontons and Fried Tofu. The Grand Opening sign was still up at the time. This is no joke. A stranger, after reading my review, messaged me on Yelp and said you can't really review a Thai restaurant based on Pad Thai. I didn't respond to that message, but I thought it was a bit silly. The National Dish of Thailand according to most sources? Pad Thai! So you think you really can't do a review based upon a National Dish Dude? In addition, there are multiple things to evaluate in Pad Thai. The texture of the noodles. The flavor of the sauce. Whether the shrimp is tender or overcooked. The colors and textures of the vegetables. When you add chicken wontons and fried tofu to the mix, there's even more to evaluate. In any event, this review update is for you Dude. I ordered a Spicy Eggplant and Pork Stir fry in a spicy Basil sauce by DoorDash. I don't live far from Banana Leaf, but this may have been the quickest delivery I've ever had from DoorDash. Very impressive. The dish was good. A stir fry in a basil sauce is a common Thai order for me. This was an above average version. The pork was well cooked. The vegetables like the green beans and carrots designed to be crispy were cooked through, but crispy. Most of the softer vegetables like bamboo, onion and mushrooms were well managed. I would have preferred my Japanese eggplant a bit less cooked, but it was fine. The sauce had good flavors, was appropriately spicy, and ample enough to coat all the ingredients. This experience was a closer to a 4.5 than a 4, but I have to round down since I can't give 4.5 Star scores. So there you go Dude. An updated review not based entirely on Pad Thai. Hopefully, you're not more of a Curry Guy.

This restaurant is in the spot that has had a thai restaurant for over in a decade. The food is pretty delicious. However the restaurant is byo. I got two of my favorite dishes which were the fresh spring rolls and the 'pho' kaw soi. Generous portions too.

I did a quick take out order from here because I was craving pho and was so satisfied with my experience! It was quick and easy to order over the phone - I got the brisket pho with an egg and I was very impressed! The broth is more clear from other pho i've had but i really enjoyed the flavor, the brisket was very tender and i was stuffed after! The noodles were a bit stuck together but as you continue to add the broth and mix it all together, it started to break up. i would definitely dine in next time and try more menu items because of the first great experience i had!

Their drunken noodles are to die for- I am recently gluten free (not celiac, ok with cross contamination) and this has been a go-to. Beef drunken noodles every time! Be careful with spice level, they don't mess around!

Beware! I recently ordered 2 appetizers by phone, went to pick up, paid at restaurant (gave no tip) and they added a 52% tip ($8.40) for a $16 bill on their own. Lost me as a long time customer

Amazing. Just amazing. Usually at a pho restaurant either the pho is good or the food is good. The banana leaf has amazing pho but the other dishes are amazing as well. The portions are huge and the owner is so so nice. It's like seeing a friend. If you haven't tried this place now is the time. You'll be back. It's become our go to.

Came here for lunch at the recommendation of a friend. We came at an off time and were the only customers at the restaurant. I ordered pork ramen noodles, the food was decent, served hot. The pork was very fatty with not much meat on it. I confirmed it was not pork belly. My mother ordered pad thai. It had a very fishy taste and smell to it making it unappealing to eat. We brought it to the waitresses attention and she said that there was no fish sauce used in it despite us both tasting a very apparent fishy taste. She had the kitchen remake it, gluten free style, which meant no sauces used. It was better the second time around. And "as a courtesy" did not charge us for the second dish - as it should've been. The waitresses had a change of shift during our time dining. The second waitress was talking on the phone loudly and not paying any attention to us. We had to get up and get her attention to give us the check after waiting several minutes to hopefully get her attention. And we even brought the payment and check back to her to cash out. The entire time she continued to talk on the phone to whoever she was speaking to. I understand we were the only customers dining at that time but as someone who has worked in a restaurant before it was very unprofessional, rude, and annoying to be dining listening to someone else's full blown phone conversation.

What a disappointment the change in ownership has been. I've now gone 4 times since the ownership changed and the quality has gone down after the first two visits hard. This is a regular lunch spot for many at my office being a short ride from work. I regularly get the pad Thai, spicy basil rice, some of the apps and the soups on the menu. My last two visits left me not likely to return anytime soon. One visit was the ramen and I have to say that was some of the worst tasting ramen broth I've ever had. It was a milky white and didn't look or taste anywhere close to a classic ramen. The veggies and other items in the ramen were ok but the taste is driven by the broth and it just doesn't work. The most recent trip was an order of the spicy basil rice with chicken. Ugh has that fallen off. The veggies were clearly old and cut badly or shriveled when served. The taste balance was clearly missing. The waitress was also not listening to what was said, took forever to take the order (especially when I walked in and said I already know what I want) and didn't bring me my soda I ordered at the outset until the app had come and gone and the rice dish was out. It wasn't just me as another table waited a solid 15 minutes for her to pick up the check and run their card and yet another was clearly waiting a while for their order to be taken all while I was there. For a smaller footprint, this likely wont work if that is how the service is going to run going forward. This is not the first time this place has gone through a change in ownership where the original owner left. It dropped off when it happened before and she came back to save the place. It seems it's happened again. The interior has not changed at all in years but the quality of the food and the woman running the front end are no where near the same level as before! (Full disclosure, the guy working the front end since the change in ownership is great and does provide good service so your results may vary depending on who you get).

Great find on our drive from Massachusetts to Tennessee! Cute, very clean little restaurant with great food and fantastic service. When our server learned that we had a long drive ahead of us, she even brought us bottled water for the road. Green curry with chicken, spicy basil ginger salmon, chicken egg rolls and tom yum soup were all great.

Love the drunken noodles, wide variety of choices, never disappointed in the food. Quick and sweet tempered service.

I always judge a Thai place by their Drunken Noodles. I got this one to go, and it was the perfect comfort meal! It was filled with flavor, and I thought the noodles were the perfect texture. It was also very affordable. My only wish was that it was spicier because I got it at level 4 out of 5 for spice and it was not spicy enough for me. I will be coming back, though!

This little restaurant has a lot of big flavor. I've already been three times and work surprised us with free lunch from there today. My favorite dishes so far are: Fresh spring rolls. They put this crunchy thing in it that is unique but delicious! The peanut sauce is perfect. I've had both the red and green curry and I've got to say I like the green better. It has more coconut flavor and just tastes amazing. Word of caution - their spice is spicy! A level 1 is like a jalapeño level spice - little kick that lingers but doesn't burn. Level three will have you burning good! The pad Thai is good as well. A bit stickier than I like it but full of flavor! The only thing I wouldn't order again are their fried wonton appetizer. They just weren't the best. Other than that though, everything on the menu so far has been great! Highly recommend!

Great place for a meal, stopped in after seeing the Yelp reviews and I was very impressed with the staff that accommodated me with all my questions lol. The soup and roll are super fresh, made to order. I had a nice experience and they deserve 5 stars

I had dinner from here on a weekday. The place was not too busy. I went with a beef basil fried rice and a chicken currry. Both were very good and flavorful. I ordered medium spicy. But what I got was very spicy. I think they just assumed I can handle very spicy food. Actually I can handle very spicy food, just that I felt like having medium spicy food.

This place is scary similar to the Pho Bar in Berlin, just a speculation but they must have some sort of relation which I would love clarification on as it only helps build their brand! But that's fine because I love that place and I am happy to say that this new Thai restaurant is just as good if not better. It hurts when one of your favorite Thai Restaurants, R.I.P. Puket Cafe ll :( closes down and now you have to rely on other places to make your favorite meal. Mine happens to be Beef Drunken Noodles. So one place down the road changed the noodles they use and now its not up to my standard. The other place I really liked screwed up my last order and for once, I was disappointed eating my favorite meal on this planet. A few other Thai spots make it really good with a special flare to it like cherry tomatoes that explode in your mouth in the best way possible but sometimes, I just want nothing but comfort in my dish without having to alter the chef's recipe. A savory, sweet, spicy, chewy and comforting plate of Beef Drunken Noodles. Well my search for happiness is over as I stumbled upon the softest grand opening I have ever seen here at The Banana Leaf. The only thing I have to say about the Beef Drunken Noodles is that I have found my new favorite place to order it. That's it! As for their Pho, it was identical to the Pho Bar in Berlin. Extra garlicy and you have the same ability to customize it as you did at the Pho Bar. Absolutely no setbacks here, their Pho is as due as their Thai which is an amazing thing when one restaurant offers both. Working backwards here, I started with their Thai Chicken wings which were perfectly cooked, coated evenly to a point where you just knew someone cared while making this and of course, they were delicious. Never been so happy to burn my mouth on some hot chicken wings. Anyways, times are tough especially when people don't even know The Banana Leaf here in Rocky Hill exists. But I am happy to say I fond one of my new favorite Thai restaurants. There is finally some competition for arguably one of the best which is right down the road...

A wonderful place to dine. Food is excellent. Have gone there for years, and have never had a bad meal nor have any of the people that were with me.

If you like authentic Thai food - this is the place to try!! The dishes were outstanding. Each sauce was so flavorful. We could taste the fresh ingredients and herbs in everything that was brought to our table. After our meal, we met the chef and were able to share with her just how much we enjoyed our meal! Banana leaf is definitely a favorite for Thai in the area!!

We loved our meal - from the soup to our entrees...everything was delicious and fresh! It's a great Thai restaurant!

Owner is involved in every aspect. Food was great, a little too spicy for me but great flavors. I would definitely return.

The appetizer I tried was outstanding. I can't remember the exact name or how to pronounce it but shrimp with a sweet chili sauce, wrapped in wonton hit the spot. The pad Thai was very good and it was a generous portion which fed me for lunch the next day. The service was excellent, very friendly and inviting.

I am not sure where these people get off leaving 5 star reviews. This place was horrendous. My tofu was spoiled and sour. My husband's curry was lacking in every facet of what traditional Thai food should taste like. We drove out of the way to try this and needless to say we are going to bed tonight highly disappointed and still hungry...

The food was delicious! I'm new to town and decided to just stop in when I was visiting Ace Hardware. I look forward to having Pho here again with my honey!

Made a big mistake. Ran in here to this new restaurant for a quick bite in between appointments. The food was so food I needed sufficient time to enjoy it. The place was mobbed! I chose the Red Curry special of the day and added Crispy Chicken. So fresh, so tasty and so comforting! All the flavors melded and the amount of rice was perfect; it ended up the perfect. Had the Thai Iced Coffee [without the Boba] and it became my dessert. As I told the owner, I'm coming back with a tent and setting up camp in order to have enough time to order everything on the menu.

Stopped into this great establishment a few weeks ago for dinner with my best friend. I had a delicious drunken noodle and my friend had fried rice and drunken noodles also. There were no complaints and we will be sure to come visit again!

Great tasting food and friendly staff! Clean restaurant too! Amazing spring rolls and pineapple rice

**Northeast travelers** just off Route 91 in CT... must stop... so VERY good!!! Sooooo good!!! Regulars will know when my first review doesn't have pics that the place was too good to wait to eat!! : ) Will take pics next time!! Best Pho EVER!!! I got the simplest version... rice noodles, chicken broth, veggies. OH MY GOD!!! So good. The broth is simply the best thing I've ever put in my mouth. Will buy by the gallon next time! Red Curry - perfectly fresh and flavorful! Veggie Egg Rolls... delish... fresh, crispy, sauce not too sweet! YAY! Pat Thai... cannot go wrong so good!!! And the dumplings.... mmmmmmmmmm might have eaten thsese wtih my fingers while my utensils were in my Pho : ) Will take pics next time : )

I'd show pictures, but we couldn't stop eating our food. It was fantastic. The basil fried rice was perfect. Service was super quick. In fact, I'm not sure how they are doing this level of food so quickly.

I have been to Banana several times and they never disappoint! So glad that they reopened after the previous Thai place had closed. Soooo convenient! Great location, and is very authentic (the chef is the co-owner and wife and is Thai) cooking. Rich the owner is so pleasant to talk with while I waited for the order to be ready for pickup. Menu suggestions: Spicy Basil Fried Rice (add chicken), Chicken Pah Thai, Pho (pronounced Pha) with chicken, Spring Rolls....hungry yet? Stop looking and check them out!

Great family restaurant. Authentic, good portions, good prices. Totally support great folks

I was visiting Rocky Hill on business and craving Thai. I decided to go here and was absolutely delighted...so much so that I went back the next day for lunch. The first evening I ordered the Drunken Noodles and for lunch the next day I had the Veggie Pho. Both dishes were delicious. And the service was excellent. I would certainly go back.

First time and loved it! I ordered 2 apps(chicken rolls and chicken wings) and 3 entrees (Pad Thai, Larb Kai & PadKra pow). As someone who works in the industry I gotta say I'm impressed by how fresh everything tasted! Everything... I admit that the Crispiness in the chicken wings is just insane! That the freshness and flavors in the PadKra Pow and the Larb Kai is exactly what I'm looking for when I order food from any other place but nowadays it's just hard to find! I recall, everything was delicious, it's pretty obvious I have my favorites but in general this is a gem!

My current favorite Thai restaurant around. This place is seriously a hidden gem. The staff are such nice people. It's so lowkey, quick service and man their dumplings are to die for...I have gone there two times now and it will be my designated Thai spot for now on.

First time customer and I can tell I'll be a long time fan. A group of six of us came on a Monday and took a seat in this very clean and charming restaurant. The food is very tasty and fresh. The prices are also quiet reasonable. I had the beef combo pho and it was delish. Others made their own style of pad tai / noodle dishes from the mix and match style menu. Everybody was happy. I would say to definitely check this place out. Pho sure.

The food is great. The service is great. The staff are attentive and friendly. The menu allows you to add your proteins, choose your noodles and create the dish you want. This has become our go-to Thai restaurant!

Kid had the day off from school for an October holiday. The food was just ok. Our fresh rolls fell apart. The kid had pad Thai which was very bland and my drunken noodles had no spice to them at all. If I was in the area I might but honestly wasn't all that to me.

Great Thai food - love the Tom Kum Pho and egg rolls are more like spring rolls which we enjoy - Crispy chicken is put in separate container when added to meal to keep crispy - now a go to place for us

Excellent Pho! I had the brisket in beef broth. Great fresh rolls as well. I will definitely go back.

Excellent food not far off of 91. Service was fast and friendly. Highly recommend! Definitely need to order the Fresh Shrimp Rolls!

Always. Delicious fresh food. Not fancy but great Thai cooking. We are regulars and are nervous dissatisfied

The food was amazing. Unfortunately I ate it all and forgot to take a picture. Our waiter was very attentive. I love what they did with the place. We have the drunken noodle with crispy chicken, green curry with shrimp and the fresh rolls. Everything was perfect. Can't wait to come back.

The food was delicious! We had dinner in the restaurant- it is BYOB (there is a liquor store in the same plaza if needed). Everything we ordered was fresh and cooked perfectly. We're so happy to have such an amazing Thai restaurant so close by!

Delicious, Attractive, Very clean,Friendly, Accommodating and Reasonably priced. I saw the Grand Opening sign and walked up to the window to check out the menu when Rich came out to give me a to go menu. Hint number one that these people care. We decided to give it a try. Then Rich proceeded to explain the menu to us with a little education on Thai food. I like Pad Thai so I had the Wonton Pad Thai. Crispy wontons, shrimp and tofu on rice noodles with fresh bean sprouts and plentiful chopped peanuts. The wontons were crispy, but not at all hard, the rest was only delicious. K had Drunken Noodles with crispy chicken. Assorted veggies and a large amount of nicely flavored breaded chicken over spicy noodles. Everything was fresh and yummy. I'll definitely be back. You should try it too! Say hello to Rich for me.

Was very impressed by the food - have been looking for the best thai in the area and I think they have just made top of the list!

Great Thai restaurant! Fresh food, made to order, lots of veggies and great flavor. Level 2 and 3 was perfect spicy. We'll be back for sure!

Diamond in the rough. I went here on a whim. Had the drunken noodles with grilled chicken and went back two days later to try the fried chicken with Thai noodles. Food was great. Highly recommend this place. Super fresh food. Worth the price.

Had a take out of fried rice and pad Thai. The interior looked very nice, spacious and clean. Both dishes were very delicious and tasted authentic. I'm rather picky with fried rice (yes, how can you mess this up) as it has to have a certain umami and they did!