Sab-Lai Thai Kitchen Reviews

Like the other restaurants during my business trip, I found this one by walking around and I was not disappointed. I was in the mood for a lighter meal. The 2 sauces for the fresh basil rolls were yummy. I wanted to lick the containers they came in. The coconut soup had the right combination of spices and. The sticky rice was a nice fishing touch to my "light" dinner :-).

The food was delicious and the service was great. I have a food allergy and really appreciated the care and kindness that went into making a delicious dinner (with dessert!) that I could eat! My husband and I enjoyed eating there so much we went two nights in a row for dinner during our visit to San Diego. Wish we lived closer so we could eat there all the time!

Delicious Pad Thai and curry. Waitress was very attentive. We had a very nice time there. The sampler appetizer was the best

Early lunch in the Gaslight district. Restaurant has interesting interior, very fresh with neat LED fixtures, etc. Menu pretty standard Thai. We had lunch riceplates. Good, but nothing too special. Small egg roll, salad with Thai dressing, and my hot chicken basil was OK, but not very spicy or distinctive. Just needed more flavor. A little extra salt and some hot pepper helped, but did not really make this the complex dish it can bebecanbe. Price

Excellent Tom Kha soup (spicy coconut). We also had the green curry and the ka pow vegetables. All very good. Reasonable prices, beautiful contemporary interior design, located in the middle of bustling 5th avenue.

Fresh and tasty food. Good menu selections. Price tag was more than reasonable. $65 for bottle of wine, an appetizer, two dinners and some spring rolls. Service was friendly but had some timing issues. Food more than made up for anything. Wish I had this place closer to me!

We chose this restaurant due to price and its extensive vegan options for our daughter. They also had several gluten free options. We arrived at 6:30pm on a Thursday and were told they were only serving bottled Thai beer. When I explained I was gluten free and requested wine, they initially told me the bar was closed. Then our server came back and said, "The old lady could pour me a wine." I ordered a sauvignon blanc, but the server said they didn't have it and I could get pinot grigio from the old lady." I did get my wine, and out of curiosity went to the bathroom to see if I could see this old lady. Sure enough, there is an adjacent bar and an older lady was behind it. The food was good. We had a vegan pad thai, chicken pad thai, red curry, potstickers and avocado/cheese rangoon.

We were wandering around Gaslamp Quarter and found this gem, we were hungry and greeted right away with a smile. The place is so cozy with calming background musics. The wood, brick and warm tone of color make this place is romantic. I LOVE IT! We were suggested to try the lunch special since it was lunch time. It comes with salad, entry of ur choice and fresh fruit. Honestly not a bad deal. I ordered Thai basil with chicken and my partner ordered Beef pad thai, it was delicious! Verdict: I WILL COME BACK!

Very few customers at the Thai place, and the Irish bar next door was totally empty. The restroom is in the Irish place and the bored bartender looked sad as we walked through to use the facilities. Apparently there was a pest trap in the men's room, but according to my husband's account, no pest occupant at the time of his visit. We asked for a drink menu and were given the Irish restaurant's menu. Not sure, but we might have been able to order food from next door along with our drinks. Thai food was underwhelming. Bland. I guess the most interesting aspect was the weird relationship with the neighboring establishment. Not a reason to go back.

Spent Easter long weekend in San Diego and had dinner here. Came here because I had a great experience in October as well. Food is great and prices are good. It's a little odd that they share the same kitchen as the Irish Pub next door, but nevertheless, the décor is authentic and so is the food. Would go here again.

I was alone, searching for a quiet lunch meal in the Gaslamp District of San Diego on a hot day. All the restaurants along the streets had hosts/hostesses beckoning people to come in. I literally stumbled upon this Thai restaurant - no one was outside. I stepped inside and was greeted by a waiter telling me I could sit anywhere. I was handed a lunch menu - entrees were $9.95 (beef and shrimp entrees were $11.95). I had trouble choosing...so many options! I settled on Kang Panang with Chicken (yellow curry). A cup of delicious broth was brought with my beverage of choice (ice water). The entree arrived as I finished my soup. My curry was served with rice on the side, along with a small, dressed salad, spring roll, and a wedge of watermelon and an orange slice. Delightful presentation for a delicious meal. The curry wasn't too spicy & the spring roll didn't spurt hot oil - a painless Thai meal!

High quality, reasonably priced, clean, fast service. Food was delicious! We had pumpkin curry and crispy duck ! Highly recommend.

The restaurant is great. Try the duck. You'll love it. The Naked Shrimp salad is also a good choice. And if you like sweet non-alcoholic drinks, the Thai Iced Tea was made for you.

Located in the historic Gaslamp district. We tried the lunch special. At $15-$16 it is a good bargain at todays prices plenty of food. The meal includes the entree, rice, salad and a bit of fruit. We tried the green curry with pork and cashew chicken. Both were delicious.

in the centre of the gaslamp district. on a busy night outside there were not too many customers in that restaurant but having arrived late we wanted a quick asian fix. The noodle dishes were ok but nothing special. There was a huge amount of garlic in bith dishes somehow overpowering. However it was value for money if you are not interested in a typical thai dish ok to go there

Our food tasted warmed up rather than freshly prepared. All five dishes we ordered were disappointing. Beverage delivered halfway through second course by unsmiling waitress. This place was a drag.

Very nicely decorated restaurant. Reasonable service and size dishes but flavors could be sharpen with more spices and flavors

My friend and I chose this restaurant because it was close to The Great Escape event we were going to. We went on a Sunday right before noon and it was not busy at all. We were promptly seated. The decor was nice and relaxing and the staff was very attentive. We have been to pretty good Thai food places in our day and this one was up to par on taste. Most of the stars go for location, decor, and the relaxing environment and staff.

I loved this restaurant. They have a special vegan menu and their mock chicken made of soy is incredible. My husband is not vegan and loved that place too. I definitely recommend having lunch there

This Thai restaurant is quite busy both lunch and dinner till late night on period of my visit.we had lunch here and its food was so yummy and taste was the same as original Thai cuisine.we ordered Kaeng Phed Beef( roasted duck) with rice , taste was so wonderful. Green chicken curry was also thumbed up.

Looking for a good place for dinner in the Gaslamp Quarter. Very happy to have found this place! Nelly was our attendant...did an excellent job! We has the Thai Spring Rolls (very excellent!) and the Kang Led (also, very excellent!) I will definitely go back again.

Located in the gas lamp district, but very average food. I would venture outside. Food with very little flavor and limited bar

A couple of colleagues and I were walking up 5th Avenue, unable to agree on any of the restaurants. One of us finally suggested "that Thai place over there" which looked pretty slow on a Thursday night. We headed over and were seated outside right away. I personally didn't care for the outdoor tables, as the table/chair height was kind of awkward and it's set on a small slope away from the building towards the street. We all opted for the $20 dinner special, which included an appetizer, soup, an entree and desert, from a selected portion of the menu. I ordered the spring rolls, veggie soup, and garlic beef. The spring rolls were great - nice and crispy on the outside and tasty on the inside, without shooting hot oil at me like spring rolls sometimes can. I hadn't really wanted the soup, but as it came with the dinner special, I gave it a shot. It was ok, but the two people I was with did both like their soups, and finished them. The entrees. I'd ordered garlic beef, but received garlic chicken. The person who brought the food offered to fix it, but honestly, I'd been undecided between chicken and beef anyway, and was hungry, so I said it was no trouble. I did not regret this, it was very good! The flavor was excellent, it was moist, and there was some extra sauce to put on the rice. I kept eating after I was full (something I don't typically do), because I was really enjoying the taste. More than once I told myself, 'just one more piece.' My colleagues also cleaned their plates, even the woman I'd barely seen eat more than a half sandwich at once all week. I don't remember what the desert was, but it was the one thing we didn't have a choice on, and involved banana, and I think coconut ice cream. It was good, but unremarkable. Overall, I'm pleased that we managed to agree on this place, and if I'm back in San Diego, I'd certainly go there again. The service wasn't super-fast, but was at an acceptable rate. One odd thing is that on the inside, it's connected to the Blarney Stone pub next door, which gets not so great reviews. The bathroom for the Sab-Lai Thai Kitchen is actually the Blarney Stone's bathroom, which is kind of strange. I don't think it would be too terrible inside unless you were near the arched connecting spot between the two, and maybe there was a game going on that people were cheering about in the pub.

Sab-Lao Thai kitchen has a variety of vegetarian options including veggy meat. Inside is clean and quite, but parking is a challenge downtown. Prices are mid-range for a moderate amount of food.

Wow! Loved dining here, once an obnoxiously noisy customer left shortly after our arrival. Great staff. Delicious and very good prices. Everything so tasty! Highly recommend. Decor very pleasing too. Wonderful fresh beer brought to our table from connecting pub added to the superb experience.

My go to place for lunch in the Gas Lamp. Been going here when they were across the street when they were called Royal Thai. Great lunch specials, new place is smaller yet much nicer.

I've been to many Thai restaurants in the SF Bay Area and traveled to Thailand several times. The foods are not impressive. The portions are small. Made the mistake of coming by on Christmas Day, the service was rushed and unfriendly. I would not recommend this place.

We ate here twice during our stay in San Diego. The food was excellent, with ample vegetarian choice, and prompt efficient service. One unusual feature is that it is connected to the adjacent Irish bar, allowing diners to utilise the space when the restaurant is busy, and drawing on the available drinks there. The arrangement appears to work well. We would thoroughly recommend this restaurant, and will certainly eat here again if we are back in the city.

With family and friends, they accommodated us right away. Food was great and the servers were nice and polite. Great experience.

Tom Tum Soup one of the best i ever had. Crab fried rice - so tasty! Staff was really friendly and polite. Service is so fast! Very neat restaurant. Not so pricey but quality was really good. Short walk from the convention center.

We came for lunch and the lunch specials for 10.99 were available and seem as good value. However we ordered from the regular menu. The coconut soup, Pad Thai and Vegetable Tempura were just average, and both the soup and pad thai were bland. Otherwise the decor is really nice, modern and staff were attentive.

The three course dinner meal is a good deal. The appetizer (spring roll) was good, entree (a chicken dish) was a bit too salty and too sweet, I like the dessert which is quite unique. Server was nice and efficient. The food is average. I guess it's also depend on what you order.

Best part our picky two year old had the soup for first time and loved his noodles! The lunch comes with a salad which was nice too.

We were at Gaslamp district and hungry. It was around 3 30 pm, and they were open for lunch! We ordered the Soup ( Tom Kha) , chicken Basil, and Spicy Seafood. All of these dishes were excellent. The portion was just right, price was good, and staff were friendly. I would definitely go back.

Gratuity is included... which is a good thing for them unless they wouldn't get much... Service is catastrophic. Food is... ok. Not more than ok. Would not recommend it to a friend.

I love green curry, and there are a lot of places that do it well, and a lot of places that don't. Sab-Lai is one of those places that totally killed it with the curry. I was super impressed how delicious it was. The restaurant is very pleasantly decorated, looks nice, and is a great place for dinner.

My husband and I visited this restaurant last night and we were extremely disappointed. The restaurant was almost full with only two servers. Two rounds of drinks didn't turn up..... we had to repeatedly ask for water. The staff were overworked and this affected the service. The chicken satay was great as was the honey duck. The rest of the food (crying tiger in particular) was more about quantity and not quality. Unfortunately I wouldn't return here.

It’s hard to find any positives about our experience at Sab Lai Kitchen. We chose it because it had looked busy the night before, and we thought that was a good sign. We now realise it was perhaps because the Padres were playing and everything else was packed. Anyway, we received a warm greeting (that’s a positive!) and chose a table. We were handed menus in a grotty plastic sleeve with drinks by the glass (and no prices) listed on it. Long story short, we decided on the banquet, and asked for a bottle of wine. We had to go to the adjoining Blarney Stone pub/bar and it took ages to ascertain if we (a) could buy a bottle and (b) how much it was and (c) wait for it to be opened. We had to pay separately as it was a different establishment. After all that the bar maid was annoyed, the wine was very average and well overpriced, but by then we were not surprised! We moved tables in the restaurant as the singer in the bar fired up and it was too noisy to talk, then the food arrived. If the food had been great, it would have been good value. Alas, it was not. The starters were greasy spring rolls, fishy smelling deep fried prawns in wonton pastry, satays (they were OK), and a salad perched on a small plate so that bits fell off when you stuck a fork kind of it. The fried tofu on top was completely devoid of moisture and unpleasant. The mains were similarly disappointing. The pad Thai was mushy, the cashew nut with shrimp was too sweet (but generous with the prawns), leaving the chicken red curry that was the best of the three. There was also a deep fried fish that was good if you took off some of the thick batter. As no one cleared our plates once we’d finished, so we stacked them on the empty table next to us. This was not a good experience or value for money.

We were walking around the Gaslight area, got hungry and decided to try this place for dinner. There are many options on the menu from mild to spicy. It was not busy and we had privacy. The food was satisfying for all involved. They give you lots of rice with your meal. The Thai iced tea and Mango lemonade were delicious.

We went there two times during our trip in San Diego. This is a place where everyone feels welcome and at home. Very friendly waiters. Food was very good. Fresh ingredients and strong flavour. I ordered one of curries and my boyfriend noodles. Both dishes were very tasty. Prices are more than reasonable.

Exceptional Thai food. Sooooooooo Good. Excellent and very quick service. Folks working there were very nice. Just a very pleasant experience all round, Thank you

What can you say about a Thai Restaurant with Irish Roots? Sab-Lai Thai shares some real estate as well as management with the nearby Blarney Stone Pub. There is even a note on your check explaining that your credit card statement may show purchases from the Irish pub rather than the Thai place. In any case, the cozy eatery is convenient to the Convention Center and attracts a fair crowd of walk by traffic on busy Fifth Avenue in the Gaslamp Quarter. You will find all of the standard Thai stand-bys on the menu. Flavorings tend to be tourist oriented rather than authentic Thai. Service is fast and efficient. Presentations are pleasing and the food is fresh. There are many vegetarian options for those so inclined. Lunch specials add a salad and egg roll. Not bad in a pinch if you are in the area.

What a delightful find! We are in from out of town and we found this restaurant through Trip Advisor. I ordered Panang Curry (7 out of 10 spice) and it exceeded my expectations. The depth of flavor and vegetables in the dish were absolutely delicious. My husband ordered the Spicy Fried Rice with Shrimp and it was equally impressive. He had at least 10 medium sized shrimp along with a plethora of vegetables. He also ordered a 7 out of 10 spice and it was just perfect. We would definitely eat here again and also recommend to anyone looking for a clean, delicious Thai restaurant with a classy ambience. The wait staff were kind and professional. 5 Stars!!!

Was here for dinner. They serve authentic thai food and loved it. They have a good option for veg lovers. Good ambience.

The food here was very tasty. I have no issue with my meal, yet it was the service that ruined the dinner. For back story, I was a part of a party of four who were really hungry at the end of the day of going to a conference. It was about 9 when we started walking along 5th Street to find a place to dine. We didn't think things out and none of us did any research for dinner. We thought that we'd walk along 5th Street and something would stand out. After realizing that most of the restaurants on the two blocks of 5th were overpriced because we were in the tourist area, we ended up agreeing on Thai. We all liked Thai food and we all could find something on the menu that we could eat. The restaurant appears to be the other half of the Blarney Stone Pub & Grill, since the drink menu was that of the Irish Bar. The beer choices weren't too exciting, but they had Sculpin IPA. The service was poor and erratic. We were seated by the host and were given menus. We quickly decided what we wanted to have and we closed our menus to give a clear sign to whomever our waiter would be that we were ready to order. Several times servers passed us by and after 10 minutes of this we finally got someone's attention by waving him down. He nodded and after a pregnant pause, a waitress came to our table and took our order. We had two questions about food cross-contamination since one in our party was allergic to shrimp. This may have confused our server since another in our party wanted to shrimp dish but the server tried to confirm the order with chicken. We politely corrected the order back to shrimp. As erratic as trying to get the attention of a server, so was the delivered of our food. Appetizers came out without being coordinated with each other; the last appetizer came our with the entrees. As you can assume, the shrimp dish that was confused as a chicken dish came out as a chicken dish. To be frank, the evening had gone so late and we were just so exhausted that we didn't want to ask for a corrected dish. So we all ate our food and loved it, but we were tired from all the waiting. If they get their act together, this could be such a great spot in the Gaslamp District.

We went there with 2 other couples for a reunion dinner, we were specifically looking for a restaurant which could accommodate vegetarians which this one does. The place was fairly quiet for a Friday night, which was a bit surprising. The decor and atmosphere were fine, as the service. The food was acceptable but not the punchy flavours that we expected in a Thai restaurant. This would be a really good place to eat if they just brought the food up a notch.

Food was tasty. The wait staff seemed untrained, and unsure of themselves. This is a low cost operation but the prices were good.

The place has a very good design, good service, but the food tasted not good. Had a pad thai with meat.

Budget friendly pricing and good service. I had the Pad Woon Sen with beef and edamame. The portions of both are generous. The veggies were tasty, crisp and fresh. The what I liked best about this dish is that it also cane with a generous portion of glass noodles. Some restaurants can be stingy with the noodles. I came between lunch and dinner so there was no wait for the food. It appears to be a family run restaurant. All were friendly. It’s a good choice for casual dining. Not much to look at from the outside but the inside was ornate enough to provide a pleasing eating experience. Nothing fancy but it fits the bill with good food that will fill you up and won’t break the bank I rated 4 stars maybe just shy of very good and yet above average.

We had been on a 2 hour walking tour downtown and wanted something different for lunch. We were in the Gaslamp area so we decided to have some Thai food. We came in around 11:30 and at the time only two tables were occupied. We ordered the Sab-Lai sampler and it had 4 different Thai foods and it was very good.

This was a nice find for us didn’t expect anything so turned out to be great ! The service was fine the food was amazing so fresh a lot of vegetables !! Loved it !

I went for lunch and it was a chill, laid-laid back vibe. I ate outside to do some people watching. The won ton soup broth was the <<bomb>> and the spicy basil chicken was really good. Service was casual and friendly. The food was very reasonably priced, especially considering where it is located.

This restaurant has a beautiful, dark, quiet interior that is restful coming off of a somewhat boisterous street scene. The food is excellent (the original location was across the street for about 30 years and they have great cooks). They will customize to your taste. They have a chilled green coconut with fresh juice and meat that is really nice.

We just love this little restaurant and come here every time we come to San Diego. My wife and I look this place up and make sure we get here on our trips to the gas lamp district

Very good Pad Thai. Good price. Large portions. The spring rolls were huge. We got ours to go, so cannot rate the restaurant itself.

Delicious food. Nice atmosphere and very friendly staff. Green curry and yellow curry both excellent. Value for your money!

There are a lot of Thai restaurants in San Diego. This one is OK. Ingredients were good, but nothing was particularly tasty, and I always think that varied and bold taste is why you eat Thai. Service was ok, food was OK, but nothing stands out to cause me to return.

Disclaimer - haven't been but was going to go. Along with 50 other people! Evidently the owner got pissed off at the sales person when she showed him our request, and they were requests. I clearly said "let me know if this is too much, if I need to scratch an item, etc." They cancelled on me the other night - 2 weeks prior to the dinner! Via e-mail! The owner also wanted full payment in advance. I asked if my work credit card could be used for a deposit as we always pay cash and they said no - 100% in advance or nothing. I've been arranging this dinner once a year for a decade in San Diego, DC, Boston, Philadelphia, Orlando, Montreal, Vancouver, etc. and have never had a restaurant ask for 100% payment in advance. And evidently the owner yelled at the sales person in front of the manager and other staff. I won't be going when I'm in San Diego in 2 weeks.

1. Worst Tom Yum noodle soup ever had in my life 2. Pay close attention to bill/invoice, some items are marked up higher than menu listed prices 3. For some reason, all servers there have very unhappy faces

Wonderful service, lovely ambience, delicious food! My favourite dish was the Massaman Curry made mild. It’s a touch sweet and the peanuts are a perfect addition.

Sab-Lai Tai Kitchen has become our go-to Thai restaurant in San Diego. You might be turned off by the outside and its patio connection to an Irish bar/restaurant next door, but the inside is a pleasant surprise. Located in the heart of the Gaslamp where many restaurants are loud, overpriced, and don't serve San Diego's best food, Sab-Lai is a refreshing change. The food is fresh, well prepared, and attractively served. The service is good but not yet flawless. Lunches with soup, salad, egg roll, and main dish with chicken or tofu are priced at $9.95 –– slightly more for shrimp or beef. We tend to order the Pad Thai, Drunken Noodles, or Mixed Vegetables with chicken. Unlike many Thai restaurants, the chicken is tender and delicious. Sag-Lai is attractively and interestingly designed, minimalist, and especially appealing at night with soft lighting. There is no kitsch. Although everyone has personal taste preferences in Thai sauces, Sab-Lai is a perfect match for ours and many others given how its clientele is growing.

Went here because we enjoy Thai food and it was close to our hotel. We generally like to share dishes and at home take left-overs with us. Since we were leaving SD the next day we were wary of ordering too much. Our waiter suggested ordering the appie sampler (pot of gold, naked shrimp, satays, and spring roll) and one entree. We ordered shrimp pad thai, and that was plenty for the two of us. Food was well prepared and the appetizers a good mix. The pad thai had lots of shrimp. They also had a good beer selection - may have something to do with sharing a building with an Irish pub.

While walking the Gaslamp District, we found the Sab-Lai Thai Kitchen. Having last eaten Thai food in Sydney, I was anxious to try a West Coast version. I ordered the Hot Thai Chicken. The lunch special came with a salad, white rice and an egg roll. The very friendly waitress suggested that I order a 5 (out of 10) for hotness. What a great recommendation! The food was outstanding! The service was incredibly fast. The lunch price was very reasonable. This restaurant offers a true example of Thai food. Not to be missed! PS: if you see a retired veteran in San Diego dining alone in Sab-Lai, pick up the tab and thank him or her for the service to our country.

They have a 4 rating here so, maybe I caught them on a bad night. We were wandering for the first night in SD and not sure what/where to eat, then came across this place as it was fairly close to our hotel. There seemed to be busy enough to suggest it would be okay. We waited for what would definitely be, an unacceptable amount of time, for a server to come to the table. The chicken spring rolls were okay (you can't usually go wrong with that staple in a thai place) and the Wonton soup was just okay. Didn't really feel like ordering anything else...I actually wanted to walk out after we sait (because of the extensive wait) and normally I would have but I really didn't feel like wandering around downtown trying to decide on something else (and I didn't have a chance to do any online research beforehand). And of course I waited quite a while before I could flag down a server to get my cheque. In any case...it just wasn't a welcoming experience and the overall customer service left a lot to be desired.

Good Duck, good entrie soup, pad Thai noodles not recommended they have peanut butter. Good drunk noodles.

OMG, Sab-Lai Thai Kitchen has one of the best tasting Chicken Tom Kha soups I've ever tasted. The taste was so rich; which makes you want more and more. I also ordered the Chicken Thai Fried Rice which is aaaaaamazing. I even ordered it again the next day before my flight. I really enjoyed this place and will be ordering from this place when I arrive in town. I'll post pics. Enjoy!

In this lively neighborhood in the evening, it was by chance that we chose this restaurant with its interesting interior decoration! Then a very attractive, original and very copious menu Served with kindness and a smile

Excellent Cuisine, Welcoming and impeccable services, the setting is very nice. Everything was perfect! Recommended address for a good evening.

We visited last week, great food, very poor service staff seemed very rushed. We waited for ages for our order to be taken and then to get our (very good)food. We signed the bill for 66 euros and gave a small tip as very poor service, on arrival back to Spain we found that 10 dollars had been added to the bill without our signature!!! Beware of this and pay cash if visiting, we are going to report this incident to Visa as luckily we kept our signed copy of the bill.

Delicious curry. Excellent and hospitable service. Cheerful and knowledgeable waiter. Bathrooms shared with next door saloon.

My and family I went to this Restaurant after having a very bad experience at a Nearby restaurant. We were immediately greeted very pleasantly. Ambiance is nice. Food was delicious. Specially the Tom Yum shrimp soup! It was Delicious. Though the time was a bit longer then we expected but it was sure worth it. Friendly Staff, clean Place:)

If you are in SD looking for good Thai food, check out this restaurant in the Gaslamp district. We were there for dinner and really liked some dishes. The Tom kha veggie version was really good but they forgot to add the tofu for the veggie version. My husband felt his chicken dish wasn't as spicy as he wanted it - he asked for it to be extra spicy. We like the red veggie curry.

I’ve had Thai all over the country this place is average at best. Was rated as one of the top restaurants in San Diego at near my hotel. Quality and portion was solid, I just didn’t get the typically amazing Thai flavors. Ordered Thai chili basil with chicken and brown rice. Solid 3 stars.

We were in Gaslamp Quarter for a convention. Short walk from the Convention Center and was not busy for a Saturday night. No wait for a table and service was quick and attentive. Menu with good variety, level of spice can be adjusted to taste and heat tolerance. We had the usual pad thai, pad see ewe, won ton soup, eggplant and tofu, beef curry. All were good portions and tasty. They have lunch and dinner specials and are open late. Not sure about the Irish pub next door but they seem to be connected some how. Check your bill as they automatically added a tip to our total. Would go back again.

I last visited Thai Kitchen five years back and complimented them on their mock duck. Unfortunately this isn’t on the menu any more, and they seem to have added a whole lot of vegan dishes. I opted for the vegetarian delight, which was slightly disappointing, being somewhat watery. However, my colleague who came with me seemed very pleased. The service is good, and we had ample opportunity to talk in a relaxed environment, with no pressure to vacate the table.

Went their for lunch. Nice ambiance, good seating arrangement. Service from wait staff was average. When food arrived, it was definitely a pleasant surprise. Excellent location within Gas-lamp district, good flavorful nice taste of Thai food. Lunch special came with salad, spring roll and entree. Quality and quantity of food was good. Despite good quality food for the right price, surprisingly, I did not see very many patrons at the restaurant. This was just an observation and not a negative comment about the place. I will definitely visit this restaurant again.

This was a perfect choice for lunch. The ginger tea was really good. They even provided fresh ginger to add to it which was amazing. I ordered the Tom Kha soup with shrimp. I've never had it with as many vegetables before but it was really good. I ordered the Sab Lai Sampler and swapped out the spring rolls for pot stickers. Everything was really good and the sampler was the right amount of food.

Walking around the Gaslamp District looking for someplace to eat and decided on Thai. It seemed busy but we got seated right away. Service was slow, like they were missing some waiters/servers. It was NY day and maybe they weren't expecting a crowd. Food was delicious. We ordered the Pad Thai w/tofu, cashew chicken, pineapple fried rice, chicken satay and wonton soup. My husband noticed some customers ordering beer which wasn't on the menu so he asked. Right next door is an Irish Pub and they must share the same kitchen & staff. They gave us the beer & food menu from next door and he ordered a beer with dinner. The dining room was full and when people walked in they said they could order but they would have to sit in the pub next door since there was no seats in the restaurants. The decor is modern but the tables were small, lucky we ordered only a few items because there was no more room on the table with our plates when our food was served. Overall the food was filling and they staff was doing the best they could to keep up with the crowd.

Whenever I attend Convention at SDCC, I won’t forget to have lunch or dinner at this restaurant. It is on the 5th street just a few blocks from SDCC. Overall The food tasted good and was authentic Thai although the price was a little high in my opinion. This time I had convention during 1-4 Dec. and had both lunch and dinner. I like satay chicken and fried tofu. The restaurant was well decorated. I will come here again for the convention.

Got there late, the food was excellent especially good value. BBQ chicken was great, it is on the spicy side (authentically Thai) but they can dumb it down if you don't like it hot. Steamed jasmine rice was so good. Large portions.

Great place great price tasty Thai food. Five min walk from San Diego Convention Center. Good ambience. Quick service. Tasty food. Special deal / price for Lunch. Can't beat the price. Love basil 🌿 chicken. Enjoyed the taste .

$9.99 lunch special is a fantastic amount of good food for the price. Adjacent to irish pub that offers additional libations.

In town for a convention, we wanted to go a little bit out of the way to avoid the crowds during break and found this gem. Party of five. Wonderful experience, highly recommend.

Excellent Thai food in Gaslamp area if San Diego. Staff are very attentive- exceptional food and service. We ordered drunken noodles and Pad Ka Pow as well as chicken spring rolls - all three were delicious. Highly recommend.

Trip Advisor San Diego Hyde Park Suites, Bayswater 3* Rather depressing. It would have benefited from better decoration, although it was clean and had all the facilities that I needed. A picture or two would have helped to brighten the room up. It is all one single room. Ideal for Bayswater tube station, with Paddington and the Heathrow Express as the next stop. For roughly the same price I stayed at a very upmarket suite of rooms (2 large rooms, plus washroom and bathroom) with room service and all hotel facilities. But I guess that’s London for you! Vala Restaurant, Hilton Byatt 2* I’d have given this a 5* for the food, which was excellent and well presented. However, we had an inordinate wait for the food – 40 minutes before our order arrived. These should have been fairly quick items: single course soups and salads. Customers who came in later got served before us (although not much quicker than us), and they seemed to have ordered much the same. The restaurant was quiet, so we don’t know why it took so long. There was no explanation, although the waiter did apologise. We were at an all-day business meeting, using the hotel facilities, so time was precious. Since the hotel specialises in providing conference facilities, the restaurant should realise that their clientele does not want to spend unnecessary time waiting. Great Khan, Horton Plaza 3*, This is part of an open-air outlet in San Diego’s downtown Horton Plaza. The food is Mongolian, and in characteristically Mongolian style you select your own ingredients and then they are stir-fried on a large hotplate. There was ample vegetarian selection, and a good choice of beer to go with it. The polythene containers slightly spoiled the experience: the food would have been much better presented on proper plates, but I guess this may not be feasible, given that the outlet wanted to offer fast food. Part of the dining area is out in the open – not quite so good when it’s raining, and I wasn’t too keen on seeing the odd pigeon strutting around! Toscana Cafe and Wine Bar 4* I came here with a colleague on the first evening of a large conference. We were looking for a place that would serve good food fairly promptly, since we had limited time. This venue served its purpose well. The atmosphere was good, and we will able to sit outdoors. It was not too noisy, enabling conversation. The service was reasonably prompt, although we did need to mention that time was precious. The appetisers were excellent, but there was only one vegetarian dish on offer as the main course. However, the pasta was well prepared and tasted good. There are lots of eating places in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter, where this restaurant is situated. I would recommend it, among other very good places in this area. Osteria Panevino The restaurant looks somewhat unpretentious from the exterior, but don’t judge by initial appearances! I came here with some colleagues who were attending a conference at the Convention Center, and we were very impressed by the choice of menu and the promptness and friendliness of service. There was a good choice of vegetarian items on the menu – but you shouldn’t forget to look at the special items on the board. The one I chose was a very interesting pizza, which included olives, gherkins and chilli, made with fig jam. There is a good choice of beer to accompany it. The atmosphere was good – not too noisy, enabling conversation. Well worth a visit! Declan Suites The Declan Suites are situated to the north of San Diego’s Downtown area. I was attending an event at the Convention Center, and it was a 25-minute walk to get there and back. It was an interesting walk, however, through the Gaslamp area, and good exercise. The rooms I occupied were quite spacious, with a large bedroom and a lounge area with settee and a desk and table. There were ample power points, and complimentary wifi. There were excellent views of the north of San Diego from my bedroom, including the airport. I had expected coffee-making facilities, but did not find these on arrival. On asking at the reception desk I was told that guests normally used a coffee area near reception, but since I was staying for a number of nights they would bring a cafetière and a small fridge at no additional charge. This arrangement worked well, since I like to have coffee first thing in the morning. There was a quiet bar and restaurant area near Reception. I would have welcomed more vegetarian items on the menu, but I guess this is America! Two of the starters were vegetarian – a salad and a hummus dish – and both of these were excellent, and served promptly. I enjoyed the local San Diego beers too, a variety of which were on offer. Staff are friendly and helpful, and I was particularly grateful to one of the bar staff who rescued my jacket which I had inadvertently left there, complete with money, credit cards and passport! Very many thanks for saving my life! Thai Kitchen Irish-Thai relationships For reasons that are not obvious, the Thai Kitchen and the adjacent Blarney Stone Pub appear to be the same business. Toilets are situated in the pub, and my receipt came with the pub’s name on it. However, this did not prevent the Thai Kitchen from serving superb mock duck in authentic Thai style, and Thai beer rather than Guinness! The restaurant was quiet, since 10,000 attendees at the recent Convention Center Event had just departed, and service was friendly and prompt. The helping was generous – probably because I had selected the item from the à la carte menu, rather than the set business lunch, and I would have willingly settled for less. For vegetarians, there is an excellent range to choose from. Long may good Irish-Thai relationships continue!

The service was prompt. Nice green curry sauce. .not starchy at all. The egg plant is well done, soaking up the essence of the curry. Friendly staff.

Seasoned traveler both domestic and abroad as well as a true lover of Thai cuisine. Ambience was perfect and conducive to a delightful and peaceful evening repaste. We were given 100% of the staff's efficient attention. The food (especially the yellow curry dishes) are stellar! More than enough food for a very fair price. Loved it!

Good and swift service, good food. Lovely location and warm ambience with very pleasant staff. We walked in around 9.45pm and whilst it was late they were happy to receive us. Vegetable spring roles excellent as was the tom yum soup and thai fried rice. Soft drinks from the machine were flat and when we mentioned ot to the staff they gave us drinks from the can. Very polite.

In San Diego for a conference and walked by this place. I’m vegan so pleased with the variety of vegan options. I opted for the green curry extra spicy. It was perfect. Fresh veggies and spice to order. Large portions. My husband is a carnivore and equally enjoyed his meal of noodles with beef.

This is an absolutely fantastic place for Thai food, the waitress was really friendly and polite. The food was delicious Chicken Satay Skewers were delicious and the Yellow Curry mmmmm !!!

Sab-Lai is a great experience. The staff are very welcoming and efficient, always a smile. The food is really delicious and is served in generous portions. The decor is simple and calming. A local treasure.

With just two wait staff, they seemed overwhelmed, even though it was early for dinner and there were only four tables occupied for most of the time we were there. It took a very long time for our food to arrive, and when it did, it was disappointing, not much better than you'd find in the frozen food department. Things seemed much more lively and capable in the adjoining Irish bar.

I visited San Diego for the 2025 SHRM conference in July. Hungry, I began strolling through the Gaslamp District and happened upon this restaurant. I ventured in was shown a table by a less than friendly older female server. Within 5-10 minutes the same server returned to take my order. I was undecided between two dishes and she suggested my first choice - eggplant, bamboo shoots, and carrots. My choice of meat was shrimp with spice level at 7 of 10. This was the best decision. Served with white rice, the taste was delicious. I savored every bite. The vegetables were cooked to perfection and everything was nicely paired. The serving size was on point. Frankly, two persons could have been satisfied with the serving size. Since I did not order an appetizer, I enjoyed the dish alone and ate every bite. The ambiance is nothing to write home about as it’s just a standard restaurant. The surroundings appeared clean and seemed to comfortably serve 30-34 people. The bathroom was not anything spectacular but it was not dirty either. I ate there twice more for the week I was there. Tip - If you order beef with this dish as I did my last time, be sure to ask them to cook a bit more if you like your beef well done.

Looking for lunch while waiting for the wife to get out of her conference and decided Thai was the cuisine of the day. The Mrs. Isn't much for spicy food so this was my chance to indulge myself a bit. Chose it primarily on proximity and so glad I did. Was thinking the yellow curry the whole way, but after perusing the lunch special (excellent by the way), the Shrimp and Pad Thai caught my eye. Well pleased. Nice day so I sat outside, service was fantastic. Actually took an order of spring rolls back to the hotel for the wife. Ambience and service top notch, food as well.

We found this restaurant when walking. Nice place to eat the food was delicious. Pad Thai, Garlic & Pepper chicken and shrimp. Beef Broccoli. We all loved the Thai Spring rolls. If you like Thai food highly recommend.

Ok........average. Chicken red curry to go, Yellow rice cup 3/4 full, not packed. Lot of fixings, not a ton of chicken. Average.....as mentioned throughout these reviews.

We called in here with little expectations and had meals from the lunch special. It was however excellent food, tasty and very good value. The service was also very good. Highly recommended.

Visited twice for lunch. Reasonably quick, business like service. The food was good enough for Thai patrons, as well as for us, and we were able to try Thai restaurants all over the world, including Paris and London. If you are interested is nice and spicy food at reasonable prices, here is a good place to visit.

If you are walking around the gaslamp area and looking for something different and in the mood for Thai food, this is the place to be. The portions are big and the prices are reasonable. The drunken noodle is extremely tasty.

Service and presentation of lunch specials was good. Flavors of the 2 entrees were not to our liking. May be more us than quality of food. Place was moderately busy with locals so that tells me something. $10 special was cup of weak soup (not very warm) and a plate with green salad with a good dressing, a spring roll (factory made) rice and choice of about 20 entrees. The odd flavor of the sweet and sour sauce on the pork was much different than any I had ever eaten. The chicken cashew dish lacked any flavor. Again perhaps its us and not the cooks.

I just had lunch at Sab-Lai Thai. A pretty restaurant in a very good location. The service was friendly and attentive (there were only 3 tables occupied). I ordered a soup and salad with a tea. They were good, made with fresh ingredients but my seafood salad had very little seafood. My lunch cost $24 and for that price, the food should have been excellent. So an average score...

Food was flavorful and authentic. Great atmosphere. Wonderful service. If you’re spicy but 5 out of 10 was very spicy but still amazingly delicious!

We saw this place and as we love a Thai gave it a whirl, the starters were delicious but the main courses both Curry tasted like sugar had been added. The staff were very friendly and welcoming though.

I don't eat Thai food so I am basing this review on my husbands experience, however all the staff we encountered were so friendly and nice and quite understanding that that I just wanted to sit with him and have a glass of water. He had a set lunch which had plenty of choice and he was thrilled with the beef dish he chose and said it was good value for money. The restaurant was busy, clean and nicely maintained, service a little slow but it was very busy with nearly every table taken.

My wife and I visited this restaurant after walking the streets of San Diego for a few hours. I love Thai food, or at least the US version and was very excited to stumble across this place. Upon walking in, a lady who didn't speak very good English (good indicator?) walked us to a corner table. The décor was really nice, and I was fascinated with the rope art that connected the wall to the ceiling...very cool. Our waiter came out, dirty apron and all, and we started to ask a couple of questions about the menu.....he didn't know really much of anything about the food so I'm thinking he may have been new? He went back to the kitchen twice during our attempts at ordering, and both times he came back after a few minutes, and seemingly knew less than when he left. We were exhausted and quite hungry so my wife thought going with the Wonton Soup would be safe.....she was right. It was good and she enjoyed it. I on the other hand, had the Kang Ped Curry (with Tofu)....I asked for it to be extra hot. When it came out, it was really watery, not a lot of veggies, the Tofu was o.k., but the most puzzling thing was I was eating and there were sliced jalapenos.......no, I'm not mistaking them for another pepper.....JALAPENOS! All the while, our waiter was taking his meal break. He sat two tables over, had a bowl of some kind of noodles....he would have a bunch of noodles, hold them high over the bowl and blow on them repeatedly....and loudly. It was actually comical...my wife and I were very confused...it was funny, and gross all at the same time. To make it even better, he pulled out his phone (the size of a small television) and began watching a cartoon....Sponge Bob Square Pants to be precise. How do we know? Well, the phone was quite large, and he listened to the show...because he didn't have head phones. NOT KIDDING!!!! again, bordering comical! I'm not being petty, but being in the hospitality industry, the dining room is usually reserved for customers. I would have a heart attack if one of my associates were to sit in the dining room (much less in uniform that was dirty) and eat next to paying customers. Finally, the Irish pub next door....that's where the restrooms are. Gross and smelly. AND not sure how, but our statement came from the "Blarney Stone Irish Pub" so they're either owned by the same people (which I assume) or the Thai restaurant is sharing the plumbing and fiber optics for the credit card terminal. Very, very weird. Needless to say, I don't think we'll be back. I gave the restaurant a 2 only because the décor was really nice.

I had high expectation of this restaurant based on its location. The food was average, just like any regular Thai restaurant. It scores 5/5 on ambiance though