Tonight we enjoyed dinner at Bangkok Garden, located at 417 West 21st Street in the heart of Norfolk. We've dined here many times over the years, and one thing keeps bringing us back--the food is consistently fresh, flavorful, and expertly prepared. We started the evening with an order of Chicken Satay served with a creamy peanut dipping sauce. The chicken arrived perfectly grilled, tender, and piping hot. The peanut sauce had just enough spice to complement the savory flavors without overpowering them. It was an excellent way to begin the meal. For our entrée, we decided to split an order of Chicken Pad Thai. Bangkok Garden offers several spice levels to accommodate every palate, but we kept it simple tonight and chose Level 3. It turned out to be the perfect choice--mild enough to appreciate the balance of flavors, yet with just enough heat to keep things interesting. The rice noodles were cooked perfectly, the chicken was tender, and the combination of eggs, bean sprouts, green onions, garlic, and cabbage created a dish that was both satisfying and full of authentic Thai flavor. A squeeze of fresh lime and a sprinkle of crushed peanuts brought everything together beautifully. If you're a fan of authentic Thai cuisine--or if you've been looking for a great place to experience it for the first time--Bangkok Garden is well worth a visit. Consistently excellent food, generous portions, and friendly service have kept us coming back, and I suspect they'll do the same for you. By supporting restaurants like Bangkok Garden, you're also supporting the local businesses that help make Hampton Roads such a great place to dine. Overall: Highly recommended. read more

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Listen....if you want AUTHENTIC Thai cuisine, look no further! I've visited every Bangkok Garden in the 757 and the food is consistently delicious, fresh, and flavorful every single time at every location 100% of the time. And I've eaten at their locations probably 100+ times in my old age lol Those are difficult odds to come by anymore these days! Their service is always stellar, very humble and accommodating with plenty of smiles! I always get my food quickly and it's always fresh and full of rich flavor. Their locations are beautifully decorated and you really feel like you stepped into another land. The music quietly playing in the background and lovely bronzed statues really set the mood This locations is exceptional because they seem to move crowds very quickly, getting individuals seated and fed very efficiently. Definitely worth a stop in! read more

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I have now ate here twice and I can honestly say the food has been very tasty and good each time. I got the Tom Yum soup both times and both times it was delicious and cooked perfectly. My reason for the loss of one star is how slow the service was when we were one of only three people in the restaurant. The restaurant itself is very nice and seems to be clean. Also I enjoy they don't play loud music etc. read more

Had a good time at Bangkok food was good and they give you a lot of food. The service was good. I would have like more of and explanation since it was my first time. Th place is eclectic lots of woods pretty building could use some repair vinyl in booths were shredded. I would go back for take out. Also the in person menu is cheaper and have lunch specials where it does not on the online menu. read more

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Again in the area so we tried a new place. Loved it. Thai iced with 1 free refill and they do not skimp it was really big cups. And they gave us one to go. We ordered the wings with both sauces and the spring rolls. Both are very good. The sauces are typically what you'd expect. Sweet chili and a siracha style for the wings and peanut sauce for the rolls. I ordered a spicy chicken pad Thai. Plentiful and flavorful. Tasted fresh and spicy and a good combination of flavors. We took home enough for us to eat dinner as well. read more

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Little sub par for a prime location and nice furnishings. I would recommend the food at at least a couple other Thai places before this. Mistakenly ordered ginger chicken, Thai iced tea(which was good), and cinnamon cheesecake(dainty slice) which is better at my local Mexican restaurants. Looking for more recommendations in Ghent from here on out. read more

first time trying, Bangkok was Va beach wings were overdone overpriced Virginia Beach, Virginia thank you

Located on 21st Street in Ghent, Bangkok Garden is located in a nice looking building with a patio. The interior boasts a large bar upon entering and is decorated with gold Thai statues to complete the ambiance. Our server was prompt to greet us and bring water to the table. It was a Saturday evening and she seemed quite busy but worked hard to keep up with our party of 6. We ordered a bottle of or red wine and some beers. They were out of one of the beers requested. There is not a large wine selection as the drink menu just states the typical of wine (such as Cabernet Sauvignon). We all ordered a variety of food selections. Portions are very generous so if you're like me there will be half left on your plate when you are done. I had the Lad Na with chicken. It came with plenty of chicken and broccoli over large egg noddles with sauce . The oyster sauce was congealed in some parts of the dish which made it slightly unappealing at that point. Another friend had the Pad Thai with chicken and commented that it was a bit on the dry side. They bring a condiment server to the table so you can add more flavor/spice as you need. Another had the Pad Thai with Tofu and was very pleased. read more

Received order and this is the second time that plasticware, napkins and sauce for spring rolls were missing.

Wasn't good at all and there was no one else there so that should have been a sign. But I was so hungry I tried to make it work and couldn't. read more

I have been going to this Thai restaurant for almost 10 years and quality has never went down. I ordered two spring rolls, beef pad Thai , and a Thai tea. The spring rolls were fresh and delicious. The Thai tea was humongous and you get one free refill. It was very creamy which I like. Now they have changed the way they prep their dishes. Usually you can select a level of spiciness for your dishes , but when I asked my server for spice level 2 , she said she can just bring me the spice tray. I was a bit stunned because every other Thai restaurant does spice levels and Bangkok used to do them as well. I prefer the levels instead of spicy it myself because it is not the same effect. Nevertheless the pad Thai was delicious. There were a couple of parties in the dining room and the intimate lighting was nice as well. My server was not that attentive but she was nice. I will be backs read more

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What a great find while out of town! Walking distance from my location and the food was delicious!

Venturing out for date night; a place we past often and finally decided to try! Weren't sure if they were open for dine-in, but thankfully they were and there was only one other couple. Quite a lot of people doing take out as well. Kind employees and the menu has many options for veggie + meat eaters. We started off with the Goong Houm Pa (stuffed fried shrimp) and they were soooo good! Could honestly eat a whole plate of those by themselves. We were pretty back and forth on what to eat for dinner since we had an idea of what the food would be, but have never been to a Thai restaurant. We decided on the noodle soup and I believe I got the Pad Kee Mao. Serving sizes? Huge! We immediately knew we would need take home containers. Food was pretty good, though the chicken was a bit dry. I had ordered shrimp with mine (ended up with chicken) so I kind of wish I had corrected them, but I still loved the noddles. Fair prices and great food that you don't come by often. Can't wait to visit the VB location. read more

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The service was great; fast and easy to order. The Chicken Coconut Soup was delicious and I was able to enjoy in a traditional Thai ambiance restaurant. read more

First off, we visited on a Monday lunchtime with very very few people in the building. She sat us right next to another family which was obnoxious since there was room everywhere! Second, I found hair in my food. The Pad Thai was good overall but the noodles tasted like they had been cooked and waiting for a while as well. Third, there was dust and dander on the lights/sconces and walls. The decor was authentic but I questioned the cleanliness. I think because they do a lot of takeout service, that is why there was not as much focus on cleaning the interior. Fourth, we expected to pay $14 for each dish as advertised in the lunch special menu BUT when we were paying, they added $2 for meat. The menu did not state anyway that it was extra for meat so that was a very sneaky move on their part. One of the options was a combo meat which we got and was charged $4 extra for 3 small pieces of chicken and 3 shrimp. Fifth, the service was exceptionally slow, especially when there were less than 8 people dining in the entire building. I do not recommend this place at all. Please look elsewhere for Thai in the greater Norfolk area. read more

As the only Thai restaurant in my Ghent neighborhood, I was hoping for a higher rating. After five visits, I was unable to make it happen. Bangkok Garden is a local franchise that launched its first location at Loehmann's Plaza in Virginia Beach in 1988. There are now 6 locations throughout Hampton Roads. The current Ghent location is on 21st Street with Taste over to its left and Kobros, a new and popular coffee shop to its right. There are designated parking spaces in the adjacent lot. The original Ghent location opened years ago where the Volcano Sushi & Asian Bistro is today. After a long closure, it reopened at its new and current location in 2014. The interior is spacious and attractive. A bar is located at the core of its space. Large Thai statues catch the eye. The walls radiate with warmth from a mix of wood and brick. The lighting is kept low for an intimate feel. In addition to its main dining area, a private dining area was blocked off during my recent visits. An outdoor patio area can seat about 28 diners. I tried the following dishes: TOM YUM GOONG: Savory Traditional Broth with Fresh Shrimp, Lemongrass, Galanga, Straw Mushrooms, Chili Peppers, Onions, Tomato, and Cilantro. Ordered at a spice level of 4 (Thai Hot). The heat level came through, but I was unable to taste the Kaffir Lime Leaves, which are an essential ingredient for a complete version of this soup. Its depth of flavor was weak. My Rating: 2 Stars. TOM KHA GAI: A Famous Aromatic Soup, boiled in Coconut Milk with Chicken, Galangal, Tomato, Scallion, Cilantro, and Lime Juice. Although not a traditionally spicy soup, I still ordered it at a spice level of 4. I had much better luck with this one and ordered it again during my remaining visits. The spice level and flavors of the other ingredients, especially the Galangal, came through nicely. The chicken slices were tender and tasty. The coconut milk broth was not as creamy during one visit, but the others were satisfying. My Overall Rating: 4 Stars. LAAB GAI: Steamed Ground Chicken with Red Onions, Green Onions, Cilantro, Carrot, Lime Juice, and Chili Powder. I ordered the lunch time version at a spice level of 4. Laab is a type of meat salad that is regarded as the unofficial national dish of Laos. It is also popular in the Issan region of Northeastern Thailand, where the majority of the population is of the Lao ethnicity. The spice level fell a bit short. Otherwise, the salad was tasty, refreshing, and delivered a nice cooling sensation. The other flavors, especially the lime, came through well. My Rating: 4 Stars. BANGKOK SOM TOM (PAPAYA SALAD): Shredded Green Papaya infused in Chili Pepper, Tomato, Lime Juice, Green Beans, Peanuts, and Fish Sauce. This one was a mess. There were large and irregular clumps of lettuce not described in the mix. I tasted more lettuce than papaya. I didn't see or taste any peanuts or green beans as described. My Rating: 2 Stars. PAD THAI: Rice Noodles Stir-Fried with Chicken, Ground Peanuts, Eggs, Bean Sprouts, Garlic, and Green Onions. Everything was satisfactory except for a skimpy portion of bean sprouts, an essential ingredient that helps lighten the texture of the noodles. My Rating: 3 Stars. PAD KEE MAO: Chicken Stir-Fried with Large Rice Noodles, Fresh Chili, Basil Leaves, Tomato, Broccoli, Bell Peppers, Garlic, Cilantro, & Onions. I would have preferred Chinese broccoli over American broccoli for a more authentic version. There was only a small portion of basil. The other flavors were satisfactory. My Rating: 3.5 Stars. KANG KHEOW WAN (GREEN CURRY): Green Curry sauteed with Chicken, Coconut Milk, Bell Peppers, and Basil Leaves. Absent was some type of eggplant, such as Thai or pea eggplant, for a more authentic version. This one included an abundance of round green sweet peas instead, with most of them clustered at the bottom of the bowl. The peas from pea eggplant are not the same as regular sweet peas. Pea eggplants are larger and come with short stems. One Thai food expert has written that sweet peas are not used for Green Curry in Thailand, and that they would only "Americanize the dish beyond what most bad Thai restaurants do." The peas completely overpowered the dish, wiping out the more important taste of the basil. My Rating: 2 Stars. PAD KAPAU: Chicken with Sweet Basil Leaves, Onion, Garlic, Bell Peppers, & Chili Peppers. My serving came with absolutely no basil leaves whatsoever. I could neither find nor taste a single one. The red and green bell peppers overwhelmed the entire dish with hardly any flavor. My Rating: 1 Star. My servers were friendly and eager to please, but often displayed signs of inexperience. One server brought out my soup and entree at the exact same time. My average food rating comes out to about a 2.7, and I am rounding up to a weak 3-star overall rating for this review. The Ghent community deserves better for truly authentic Thai cuisine. read more

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This is another case of a Thai restaurant having a really nice interior but coming well short when it comes to food. I came here one afternoon cuz I was in the Ghent area and I had passed by this spot many times in the past but never eaten here. I love Thai food and I think I'm pretty well versed in Thai cuisine, so I admit I am a bit more critical, especially when it comes to the food. I like the interior decor. The space is large and airy, with well spaced tables and a few large booths. They have a nice bar setup with plenty of alcohol options and cocktails and some nice happy hour deals. Though for me, the praise ends there. As for my meal, for drinks, I had a Thai Iced Tea, which came out in a HUGE glass. I should have asked for the condensed milk to be put in a separate glass on the side so I can mix it myself; their's was way too sweet. For apps, I ordered the Siam wings and for entree, I had an order of Pad See-ew with chicken and shrimp (extra $2). After a brief wait, the food came out. Siam wings were decent. The pad see-ew though, the noodles were under-cooked, and the pieces of chicken was dry AF. Few pieces of shrimp scattered around the dish were okay. Definitely not worth the $14 price for the dish. There's definitely better options for Thai food in Norfolk/VA Beach area. I wouldn't recommend this place. read more

Bangkok Garden - Nice bar - Thai Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

Food was good. Spacious and clean Inside. We were greeted upon entering and seated. Staff were friendly. It took me a while to decide what I wanted. Once we ordered, the wait for the food was excessively long. I truly appreciated my friend treating me out. It was delicious! Hopefully, the wait we experienced isn't representative of their typical service. read more

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Place is always so mellow. Haven't ate inside yet but I usually come in and order to go. They are punctual getting your order and accommodating having it ready. If you love Thai food then I would recommend this. Come later during the evening. read more

Good food , service and atmosphere but a little slow when busy, grandkids love it, I don't know what else they want me to say

Pretty disappointed about the service of this place. They don't even look at you to check if you need more service or water, and they're not understaffed here. Got the Lad Na and I cried on the inside of how thin it is. It tastes like beef stir fry. The roasted duck curry was probably the best duck curry I've had as it was thick. Probably would get it to go instead of dining in. They're very slow read more

Bangkok Garden - 50. Lad Na Dinner- the noods were pretty disappointing. Most Thai places have wider noodles. - Thai Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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Great food..Good service. Very nice location. I know Yelp wants me to write a novel,but the food is great. I will leave the long reviews to novelists. read more

Its a beautiful restaurant with great service. There was no host when we went in on a Saturday during the day but didnt take long for someone to notice us. Its not my very favorite thai place in town but its very good! I got the pad thai with chicken. They dont serve liquor here just beer and wine. Worth giving a try! read more

Bangkok Garden - Front area - Thai Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

Bangkok is one of my favorite and most consistent Thai restaurants in the tidewater area. You can find traditional dishes here as well as more modern cuisine. They have a large bar area and beautiful outdoor dining area that is perfect for Covid friendly dining. I continue to go back time after time for their traditional coconut/chicken soup. It. Is. Amazing. read more

Bangkok Garden - Thai Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

Food was good and the restaurant has beautiful decor. My server Brandon was the cherry on top of my experience here, he is top tier , very genuine, and nice. Can't beat it. Highly recommend! read more

Great decor at Bangkok Garden! Their Thai iced tea is awesome, especially with the 1 free refill. The food is pretty good. read more

Bangkok Garden - Thai iced tea in a stein glass! And 1 free refill! Yummy! - Thai Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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Staff is trash , food is super trash. We have found hair in our plates besides that all the orders was wrong and they kick people out before you finish to eat . The food taste like was made days ago. When we asked for the manager they send a busboy as a manager .I got bad heartburn after eating here . Bad bad bad bad bad TRASH TRRASSHHH TRASSSHHHHSSSHS DUMP BASSURA BASSSURA BASSSURAAA LIXO LIXO LIXO LIXO read more

Bangkok Garden - Hair in the food - Thai Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

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Delicious food and friendly customer service. I highly recommend them if you're in the area. Their pumpkin curry is lovely

This is our go-to Thai place for delivery or carryout, and to date we have had all good experiences. We've also eaten in here a number of times, including with out of town guests, and have been pleased. The restaurant is spacious and parking is plentiful; it has a casual vibe but is also nice enough that we took a job candidate to dinner here. I see that others have complaints about slow service, but we haven't experienced that -- sometimes the servers have been less attentive to things like empty water or soda glasses or dishes than I'd like, but no major delays with getting a server or our food. They have a lot more options than the usual "mild, medium, or hot" for spice level, and (to my palate at least) their stuff is pretty hot, so that's good. Favorite dishes are the steamed rolls with shrimp, the fried spring rolls, Pad Kapau, and the Pad Thai Jay. Overall a good little spot! read more

I placed a takeout order on Sunday afternoon, and it was ready in the time I was told it would be ready (a very quick pickup!). I ordered the following items: 1. Bangkok Som Tum (Papaya Sala) -- This is my favorite, and I never go wrong with this salad normally, but this one was disappointing. Too much fish sauce, and it was super salty. The spicy level did NOT disappoint though. 2. Pad Ped Talay (Seafood Combination) -- I didn't have high expectation on this one, but I was pleasantly surprised by the amount and the size of seafood they used for the dish. Many restaurants use small pieces of frozen seafood mix which is a joke, but Bangkok Garden used good-size shrimp and scallops with lots of veggies!! (You know it's good when restaurants use shrimp with its tail still attached). It was nice and spicy too. 3. Shrimp Pad Thai -- Another staple dish, and it was disappointing. Even though they used good-size shrimp, I could not ignore the fact that it was sooo salty and had no nutty flavor that is a signature flavor to the dish. It looked like a brown chunk of goo with only eggs and scallions. No peanuts on the side, no other veggies, and again, salty... There are definitely positives, but I give 3 stars cuz they shouldn't be messing around with the staple dishes like that. read more

Chiming in because I'm picky on Thai food and don't know why Bangkok Garden has only 3 stars. This is GOOD American style (little or no fish sauce). Order the Paneng Curry if you haven't yet. Veggie spring rolls, pad Thai, Thai tea, Tom Kha soup - all as good as I have had anywhere else. Yes they serve drinks in 1 gallon buckets and the interior design could use an update. But folks, the food is amazing and I've never had poor service in 4 years. Sincerely, A Thai food snob read more

pretty good thai, you can't go wrong with the spicy eggplant or the pad kee mow. I like how you have the option of how spicy you'd like your food! some days you just want a little more/less than others. I just wish they gave you the small little salad and egg roll like they do at the portsmouth locations. but still a great experience and great service. read more

Restaurant that exists now looks nice and has its own private parking lot but the food quality and service logistics took a small dip compared to the former Ghent existence. I lunched here today with a coworker after a long hiatus and it proved my point. When we entered, I immediately saw they were slammed but only had 1 server/host. If a table wasn't occupied, it was littered with dirty cups and dishes. Took 3-5 minutes of us standing awkwardly before she greeted us and brought us to a table. To be clear, fault rests on management/ownership not the lone server/host/bus gal. We ordered 2 waters, chicken pad Thai ($10) and Chicken pad prik King ($9). In fairness to our server, she did warn us "wait longer, take 30 minute today. Only 1 chef show up." We consented and waited patiently but because she was grossly outnumbered, our water didn't arrive until 10 min later, thankfully with the salads/egg rolls. Salad was decent; lettuce pretty watery, tomatoes a little iffy, yet all smothered in a healthy amount of delicious dressing. Entrees came 15-20 minutes later, both heat hot and in decent portion sizes for the price. Though hefty on the white rice portion, my Pad Prik King was better than I remembered. The fresh red peppers, string beans and chicken were seasoned beautifully with a flavorful hint of spice in every scrumptious bite. So good, I didn't take a photo (my bad). On the contrary, the chicken pad Thai was just ok; a tad bland with a disproportionate amount of chicken and peanuts to the heap of noodles and bean sprouts. My nostalgic coworker likes this place so we'll probably be back, in the distant future when it's his turn to treat. I'd suggest trying Rama Garden on Granby St for comparison! read more

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So I totally mis read this place from my first encounter 3 yrs ago. Went for lunch with co-workers and I had the red curry, my friends had the panang and the masaman. Everyone loved their dish. My only complaint was the service was slightly slow and the lunch was a bit more expensive than one would expect for lunch. read more

Bangkok Garden - Salad and spring roll with lunch. - Thai Near Me - Norfolk, Virginia

Sat at the bar for 15 min no one said a word to me. When people walked in they would just bark at them 40min wait. It seems like they didn't want any business. read more

The drunken noodles are amazing I came back 3 times in 6 days. Highly recommended. The pad Thai was ok and the salad very refreshing in the beginning. Not a fan of the spring rolls or dumplings but drunken noodles makes up for it. read more

Awful service. When I come in after work each night Bangkok Garden is not staffed to make a proper presentation of food served in a timely fashion. I asked why they dont hire more staff but the waiter just laughs at me. Who ever the owner is clearly no longer cares about the business. I sit and wait at the table while GrubbHub and others come and go with orders. This place needs help read more

Menu is decent and service is not bad. I really love the Thai tea though. They give it to you in a huge glass and then you can get a refill of a to-go cup!! Frickin delicious!!! Yummmm read more

My wife and I came for our 50th anniversary and were not disappointed. Shared pumpkin curry and spring rolls which were delicious. Food and atmosphere were authentic, restaurant was clean, and staff was courteous and took time to make us feel welcome. Prices were not what they used to be but were fair. We can't eat drive-thru burgers for less than $20 anymore either. Restaurants have been through a terrible couple of years and it isn't over yet so places like this need to be supported so they don't disappear. read more

The food was not as good as it use to be or as good as the restaurant in downtown Portsmouth or Churchland. In the past, we got a free salad with our entree. They no longer have these salads or the ginger dressing that went with them. We ordered the steamed shrimp rolls and received the chicken variety. The wait staff changed them out when we brought it to her attention. However I brought the last one home and it had neither shrimp or chicken in it. The coconut soup with shrimp was watery and lacked flavor. This is not the case in Portsmouth or Churchland. The cashew chicken was very good and the chicken was chrunchy as it should be. There were 5 of us, and we won't be returning to this 21st St. Norfolk location. read more