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Restaurants & Bars

Where to Find Superb Thai Food in North Texas

From not-too-sweet pad Thai to fiery coconut curries, see yourself to some of the best Thai in town.
By Nataly Keomoungkhoun and Rosin Saez |
Ka Tip Thai Street Food dish
A dish at Ka-Tip Thai Street Food, one of our all-time favorite Thai restaurants in Dallas. Kevin Marple

When a hankering for Thai food like chile-laced curry or a kick-you-square-in-the-mouth spicy papaya salad arises, we know exactly what to do. We’ve rounded up a list of our favorite Thai restaurants, from low-key neighborhood staples to flavor-defying newcomers, to satisfy those cravings. 

Our Favorites 

Bambu 

Tables fill and refill at Bambu Thai-Asian Cuisine in Richardson, where the menu is broad, encompassing the usual curries, tart-sour soups, and noodles, but specialties come from the northeastern, rice-growing Isaan region of Thailand. These Lao-influenced dishes speak with simple, direct power; look to chalkboard specials or ask a server to steer you. Above all, start with rounds of grilled Isaan-style sausage, studded with sticky rice, aromatic with kaffir lime and lemongrass, and funky from several days curing. 1930 N. Coit Rd., Ste. 100., Richardson. 

Ka-Tip Thai Street Food 

Walking into this unassuming space next to the Dallas Farmers Market, you might think Ka-Tip’s diminutive dining room (oh, just a few tables and room for maybe 20) means small flavor. Nope. Wrong. Big mistake—huge. On their menu full of authentic Thai favorites, George Kaiho and his wife Yuyee Sakpanichkul Kaiho lovingly bombard you with flavor-packed Thai street food. The Tei-An vets serve pork belly so simultaneously crisp and tender that it’ll become your porcine standard bearer. The larb gai (ground chicken salad) isn’t shy on spice and we’re here for it, chile-induced sweats and all. And then khao neow, sticky rice that arrives in its own petite woven rice basket, is the manifestation of doing something so simple, so simply right. 1011 S. Pearl Expy., Ste. 190. 

Too Thai Street Eats 

This restaurant in the heart of Carrollton Koreatown feels like you’re sitting on the streets of Bangkok after hitting vendors at a night market. The menu has a collection of tangy lemongrass-marinated chicken skewers, crispy chicken skin chips, and bowls of hot white rice covered in green curry, bamboo shoots, and Thai eggplant. Come here for the popular tom yum hot pot, a piping hot-and-sour soup broth with bright orange shrimp, mushrooms, and tomatoes bobbing within. 2540 Old Denton Rd., Ste. 138, Carrollton. 

Ly Food Market 

Some of Dallas’ best Lao and Thai food is found in Oak Cliff at Ly Food Market, a no-frills shop where the menu is abundant with sour Lao sausages and browned drunken noodles. Order from the cashier and pick up steaming hot plates of spice-packed pad kee mow and freshly muddled papaya salad from a window in the back of the market.  Dishes are sometimes served on foam or plastic plates, but it’s guaranteed to always be good. 4440 W. Illinois Ave., Ste. 400a. 

Neighborhood Favorites 

Asian Mint 

Asian Mint’s lime green and cream decor is unquestionably stylish. Pad kee mow is done right, with lots of garlic, basil, and chiles. Fried sea bass is prepared with finesse, with a perky basil sauce that seeps into the accompanying jasmine rice. Don’t forget to try the signature green tea ice cream cake. And there are plenty of vegetarian options, as well. Multiple locations.  

Bangkok City 

The corn patties and coconut chicken soup are superb starters, and any protein dredged in fresh ginger sauce nears perfection. The Thai standards, like stir fry and various types of fried rice, are always consistent. 4301 Bryan St., Ste. 101. 

Royal Thai 

A consistently beloved favorite for Greenville Avenue-goers, Royal Thai remains dedicated to preparing straightforward Thai cuisine spiced with plenty of fresh herbs and peppers. If you order a dish “Thai style”—and you should—you had better be ready for it. We give it three fire emojis. 5500 Greenville Ave., Ste. 608. 

Thai Star 

A cozy, island-themed dining room features a menu heavy on spicy proteins, wok-fried noodles, and luscious curries. The jungle curry—green curry simmered with green beans, mushrooms, green pepper, eggplant, baby corn, and sweet Thai basil—always gets people coming back. Another plus: their medium spice level is perfect. 14833 Midway Rd., Ste. 100, Addison. 

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