Why do my wife and I keep returning to Bua Thai in Durham? The Thai cuisine is great! e.g. the spicy green curry is great. The "drunken noodles" (chicken and vegetables for us) are wonderful too (and usually less spicy). The restaurant is beautiful inside and out. The parking is easy once you know your way around. The neighborhood and the restaurant are quiet. The staff are friendly and helpful. They will help you get the spiciness level right. All of the above tends to make happy customers. So it is a happy place. Lastly: The prices are reasonable (and often we have leftovers). We have always eaten there, but tonight I look forward to "take out." Look up "bua flower." I gather "bua" is the Thai word for the lotus flower. It defines the vibe and beautiful cuisine. read more

Located in a quiet plaza, Bua Thai looks like a nice quiet place to enjoy dinner. The restaurant wasn't particularly busy on a weeknight. The restaurant is definitely themed but doesn't feel particularly fancy due to the wait staff and their attire/composure. The prices are typical of other Thai restaurants in the area. The thing to praise is definitely the flavor, temperature, and cook of the dishes. The proteins were cooked perfectly and the flavors were spot on. Would visit again! read more

Bua Thai Cuisine - C2. Pad Thai - Thai Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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The basil fried rice hit the spot, with a large serving that lasted three meals for me. The basil was sparse, despite being a basil fried rice. My friend got the drunken noodles, which were also spot on. Reasonably priced for the meals. Service was quick. It felt a little quiet, though--it was a mid-week night. read more

The ambiance of this restaurant establishment needs an overhaul and upgrade. The place has customers or patrons rather, but not many. Decided to dine in for a change with the family and all I can say is, BIG mistake!! The service was EXTREMELY slow as we waited a very long time for our food. Asked one of the servers how much longer it would be as 30 minutes had already gone by and the response was "I don't know it's been really busy" and that was it. During the entire waiting time, there was NO communication whatsoever (or apology) for the slowness or delay. The communication from the servers and staff was poor and unprofessional to say the least. Coming from a family owned restaurant, this place is lacking some basic skills for running this place. And the excuse for being understaffed is ridiculous and has not changed or improved in over 4yrs... which back then was the first time we ate in. Now I know why we stopped. Also, while waiting, we ordered the wings and the were a HUGE disappointment as they were tiny and overcooked AND OVERPRICED. Definitely not worth the money. I would not recommend ordering appetizers. The Pad Thai was delicious but I would recommend ordering to go if you want this dish or anything else for that matter. Order ahead, give yourself time and plan for the wait. read more

Great menu choices ab, all dishes I saw coming out were good portions. I tried their Pineapple Fried Rice with Chicken and Shrimp and some hot tea. It was busy for a Tuesday night. There was a sign on the door that they don't accept Apple Pay / Tap to Pay, just a warning in case that it's important to you. Each member of the staff acknowledged me if they made eye contact. They have their stuff together here! read more

Bua Thai Cuisine - Pineapple Fried Rice w Chicken and Shrimp, enough for 3 people. That is not a miniature pineapple, it's an average sized. - Thai Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

We tried all of the fried rice options and they were all very unique and delicious ! Service was quick and the servers were very knowledgeable about the different menu options. Can't wait to come back ! read more

Incredible flavors, the best panang curry I've had in this area. We ordered a papaya salad (made vegetarian) which felt like I was eating it off the streets in Bangkok. The panang curry had a touch of spice but not overwhelming and we ate the whole bowl in a few minutes. My only regret is not ordering more dishes and we will definitely be coming back to try more curries and noodles. We had a time constraint and they were able to serve us efficiently without compromising on the quality of food. The restaurant is big, has a great ambiance and feels family-oriented. I cannot wait to go back! read more

This was our first visit so still need to go back and try the curries, but so far they seem to be hitting the mark on flavors. Classics like drunken noodles and pineapple fried rice are wonderfully flavored (but be careful on the medium spice level with the drunken noodles... it was alot spicier than I expected but I couldn't stop eating it because it tasted so good ). Portions are huge on the pineapple fried rice so you can easily split that one between two adults. We also ordered the steamed dumplings which were shaped like shumai and were super tasty with a flavorful dipping sauce. Everyone working there was super friendly, service was quick, everything was very clean and it's definitely a family friendly restaurant. We will be returning. read more

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Good good good parking. Friendly staff I enjoyed my meal and have told folks about this restaurant

Food was great! I'm still working my way into eating more thai so I got the fried rice, medium spicy. This is one of the only places I've tried that gets medium spicy right. Friend got the red curry and she liked it as well- wished that there were some more veggies overall she'd give it a 4/5 I'd give the fried rice a 5/5 The service was quick and the waitress was very nice, the inside was clean and tidy I'll definitely come back and try something else! read more

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Best pad Thai I've ever had! Very helpful staff. Beautiful place. Can't wait to go back! read more

Even though this place has been open for a while, we finally stopped in on a weekday night after deciding to go out for Thai. For some reason, I thought they were a more upscale Thai restaurant since they had a bar. Maybe that was pre-COVID or they changed their model, but it's pretty much a regular Thai restaurant now with casually dressed servers. We enjoyed spring rolls and my wife enjoyed her papaya salad. I was in the mood for soup and ordered the beef noodle soup, which if I'm honest, was more like a watered down pho. I was hoping for something with more a Thai flavor profile. It wasn't bad, just not what I was expecting. Next time I'll order something else. read more

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Every other place I wanted to go to was busy on a Friday night except for this one!! We arrived at almost 8:30 PM (close to closing time) but they were very nice and still served us! We ordered: Amazon Soft Shell Crab ($22) - The most aesthetic dish (looks better in person). Deep fried soft shell crab with green mango salad Spring rolls ($8) - Crispy Curry ($14) - Very filling and heavy Pad Thai ($10) - Pretty flavorful and huge serving size! Had low expectations but this place is so much better than Thai at Main St! Bua Pink Drink ($4): I liked the Thai tea drink that my friend got better, since this one kind of tasted like medicine but they tried their best read more

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Every time I have Bua Thai, it's the highlight of my day. Everything is so good. The Pad Kee Mao (and See Ew / just all the thick noodle goodness), the Green Curry (I don't know how they get their chicken in this to be so tender), their veggie dishes... and their Thai hot is so spicy and so good. Dine in and order out is amazing. read more

This place is hidden on side of this building conglomerate so don't give up if you don't see it right away. It was also pretty empty so I hope they're able to stay open. They seemed to have a lot of take out though. The server was great at suggesting what to order and she was encouraging us to try something other than the standard. All the dishes were great, but my dish, drunken noodle, was the best of all three entrees. I'd come come back here to eat, but I'd probably get take out. read more

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This place has turned into a staple in my household. What keeps us coming back is not only the deliciousness of the food and friendly staff but also their consistency in spice level! Thai hot is my go to and it is always the perfect amount of heat. Little nose sniffle and the perfect burn! We love the pad kee mow, pad see ew, pad prik king, pineapple fried rice, Tom yum soup....I mean you really can't go wrong here. We even had friends come visit from NYC and they mentioned this spot rivals their favorite NYC Thai joint! Can't get any higher praise in my opinion! read more

We ordered Chicken Pad Thai and Shrimp Pad Thai for takeout. Food was just so-so. We should have probably asked for them to make the dishes a bit spicy to add a little more flavor. Portion sizes were very generous. I ordered over the phone and felt a bit confused as if I had to ask a bunch of questions. For example, they were not planning to take my credit card information over the phone until I specifically asked to pay over the phone. I also wanted to leave a tip but they said I would have to do that when I picked up food. There also seemed to be some confusion when I said I wanted to do curbside pickup. Maybe I should have just done the online system, and that part would have been smoother? COVID-19 Safety - Their website addresses some of the things they are doing, however, I was confused that not all pickup orders are automatically curbside if that's an option right now. I also didn't love how I had to have a receipt handed to me to sign and add tip when many restaurants these days allow full payment over the phone to avoid any touch points during takeout. And finally, while the employee was wearing a mask, this was probably the very first restaurant I have picked up takeout from that their employee was not wearing gloves. If you are comfortable dining in, it did look like they had every other booth closed off (I could actually see this from the car). I have been very picky about my takeout choices during COVID-19, and to be honest I didn't love the system here, so I don't think I'll be comfortable visiting again during the pandemic. Happy to try them again when I feel it's a bit safer to do so. read more

Let me just start out by the saying the portions are HUGE!!! But so damn good! lol They checked our temperature when we first got in..it seemed like we had the whole restaurant to ourselves. It was kinda nice! The Pineapple fried rice! Comes in a pineapple! The pineapple was sweet but so good with the rice! It was a huge portion! I ended up taking it home because that's how much was in it! But it was perfect! My husband got the drunken noodles which were actually really good! The flavors in it were perfection! I highly recommend this place but would probably recommend sharing because the portions as kinda big! read more

Bua Thai Cuisine - K3. Pineapple Fried Rice with Jumbo Shrimp and chicken - Thai Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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I had high hopes for this place but the dishes were fairly average. The drunken noodles (pad keemao) was pretty good, but the pad thai was not that good. The noodles for the pad thai were very chewy. The tofu was cooked well though. The thai tea was also a bit too sweet and creamy but in a more whipped cream sort of taste/way (I also didn't get mine with whipped cream). read more

Bua Thai Cuisine - drunken noodles - Thai Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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I loooove Thai food so we had to check out this cute spot. June loved the dog friendly patio! The Thai tea was super yummy. The pad Thai was great though it was more saucy than I'm used to. My boyfriend loved the pineapple fried rice. It was very flavorful and it was served in a pineapple! Service was great, they brought out a dog bowl for June. We will definitely be back. read more

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I'm upset we haven't been here sooner. The food was absolutely delicious. I'm not a huge Thai fan, I like it just don't love it. This place has me rethinking this. Like I wasn't expecting to write a review so only took a picture of the pineapple fried rice with shrimp (OMG yum). Had the Tom Yum soup (best I've ever had), chicken drunken noodles (really solid) and as aforementioned the pineapple fried rice. Service was friendly and efficient. Listen, why you still reading? Go eat! read more

Bua Thai Cuisine - K3. Pineapple Fried Rice with Jumbo Shrimp - Thai Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Delicious and decent serving size. Would be five stars but they forgot to include rice in my takeout order. Ended up making some rice at home. Check your takeout orders before leaving the store, even if they tied the bag tight! read more

The restaurant was very cold. Folks were sitting with hoodies and coats on. The waitperson was "very nice" and accommodating. We chose to only get an appetizer due to the chilliness. The dumplings were nothing special but, a bit expensive for 4. Overall, we decided not to stay due to the restaurant temp and appetizer "eh". Not worth freezing to experience more "eh" food. Again, our server was "Fabulous". A good (not always perfect) practice when shopping for a restaurant... read the most up to date restaurant reviews. We drove 45 minutes to try the Bua Thai cuisine.. only to leave very disappointed and hungry. Our mistake for not doing the research... Bua Thai we really wanted to love your food! read more

More people need to know about Bua Thai, this place is SO. GOOD. These dishes have it all - mouthwatering flavor, monster portion sizes, and beautiful plating. The chicken basil fried rice is dangerous: with juicy chicken, crunchy cucumber, charred peppers, and basil-infused rice, each mouthful is pure bliss. However, do not underestimate their spice levels, I ordered thai hot and was gulping water (despite having a high spice tolerance). I would recommend starting with mild hot before leveling up :) My boyfriend ordered the Nam Tok beef and thoroughly enjoyed it as well. Recently, we ordered takeout Pineapple Jumbo Shrimp Fried Rice and Chicken Pad Keemow (Drunken Noodles). Heeding my own advice, I only ordered medium hot this time and it was perfect. As somebody who's used to veggies, egg, and meat in my fried rice, I was surprised at how cashews and pineapples elevate the traditional dish. If you're looking to splurge, I recommend trying the jumbo shrimp - it was fresh and cooked perfectly. The fried rice came out to be ~$20, seems pricey but I mean, look at the bowl - I could feed a family of 3/4 with this entree alone! The Pad Keemow didn't disappoint either. I'll definitely be back read more

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Excellent food. Nice atmosphere. Good service. In a nice area. Was visiting from out of town. Recommend.

Went here for lunch and I was disappointed. Although the service was great, the food was just so so except for the papaya salad which was tasty. I really wanted to like this place but I doubt I will return read more

We are all entitled to our own opinions, right? Well here's mine: Parking: 4 Location: 4 Decor/ambiance: 4 Customer Service: 5 Stopped by here for lunch with a few coworkers. They were all stoked to try this Thai place. Decent location, parking was a challenge but we found a spot. The decor is 'ok'. The place wasn't filled with a bunch of people on this particular Friday we went. I ordered the veggie fried rice. Nothing spectacular but it was good. Great service from nice smiling faces. I would have loved to have given this spot 5 stars but I wasn't super impressed. Maybe I ordered the wrong dish. It wasn't bad at all... just now BANG BANGGGG experience that 'wowed' me. read more

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Very sweet place and authentic Thai food! I got the drunken noodles medium spice and if you think black pepper is spicy, go with mild! I love spicy food so it was perfect! I asked for chili paste and lime on the side which added a beautiful touch! Big fan! read more

Came here tonight and the restaurant was surprisingly empty. At least we were seated quickly and the food served quickly as well. Tom Yum Soup: A bit different from the usual Tom Yums I have had but I liked it! We got ours with shrimp and it came with two jumbo shrimp and plenty of mushrooms. It reminded me of a sweet version of kimchi jigae. Would order again, but also have heard good things of their Tom Kha. Pad See-Ew with Chicken: I know, a bit boring considering the menu is so extensive. However, this dish was very delicious, despite how simple it is. The portion was huge for the price of $13, the chicken very soft, and the sauce very flavorful. Might try Pad Thai or Pad Keemow next time, as I like other stuff than just broccoli. Neua Yang Grilled Rib-Eye Steak with Papaya Salad and Sticky Rice (M3): This dish was a mixed bag. Right after we ordered, and the waiter was leaving, I flagged him real quick to add in medium rare to the request, so make sure to ask for it if you are particular about your steak. As a result, the steak came out beautifully. Unfortunately, it was a little bit bland, even though it said it was marinated. It did come with a sauce on the side which I tried, but it was quite... "fragrant"? Might have been too much fish sauce. The papaya salad was excellent as well as the sticky rice. I would recommend, but I will try M1 next time to try something new. Overall, an excellent meal. If I could give half stars, I would give 4.5 stars. However, the sauce and the underseasoning of the steak was just a small dent and why I could not give a perfect score. Don't get me wrong though, this place had awesome food and I will definitely be coming here again. read more

Bua Thai Cuisine - Very nicely cooked steak. - Thai Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

We have ordered takeout several times during COVID and have really grown to love the food from Bua Thai Cuisine. Some recent additions to our list of favorites: - basil sauce (with chicken): fantastic basil flavored curry that comes with white rice. Can't recommend enough. - papaya salad: an appetizer with green papaya pieces, carrots, peanuts and a tangy/sour/sweet/spicy dressing We have found the spicy levels to be more consistent over our past few orders compared to when we left the original review. read more

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Absolutely outstanding food, service, and ambiance! I bought dinner here recently and it was so good that I bought another. The Tom Yum and Pad Thai were fantastic! read more

This place has a pretty varied selection of items that I don't see on other local Thai spots and I think their spice level and flavors are more closely resembling that which you would find in Thailand. What we had was delicious though a bit pricey. I was disappointed that my order did not come with the papaya salad that it was supposed to come with. Also, I'm not sure why the sticky rice is such a big deal. It tasted just like plain rice but is (big surprise) sticky. read more

Bua Thai Cuisine - Tham kha, Nam Tok beef and jasmine rice. Sticky rice in tinfoil. - Thai Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Love this place! I order the red curry with chicken and my daughter ordered the same but with tofu every single time we go there. The servers are friendly, and the prices are reasonable. You won't be disappointed. read more

Service was good, food was mediocre. Soup was good but I got shrimp in it and there were 3 total boring overcooked shrimp in it and it was super hot. The pad Thai was also super hot (temperature) and the veggies just didn't taste really fresh, and the noodles were a little gummy. I feel like there are better Thai restaurants in Durham. read more

Bua Thai Cuisine - Pad Thai - Thai Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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The Good: Food is just great! Been visiting this place for over 4 years now and haven't been disappointed once. Great portion sizes for both lunch and dinner. The food is flavorful and not fiery. The location is convenient with ton of parking space. The staff has always been friendly and giving great suggestions. I was pleased how my server accurately advised me on the portion sizes. The Bad: Nothing TBH, a consistent good dining experience. Surely one of my top 3 Thai restaurants in Durham, NC. read more

Cute Thai place with really nice owners and servers. My boyfriend and I dined here last week late on a weekday night. It was pretty close to when they were about to close, so I was surprised they still seated us rather than just making us order takeout. We had the pad see ew and pineapple fried rice. The pad see ew was tasty (might have been a little sweeter than your average pad see ew) and the pineapple fried rice was also enjoyable. I must say that even though I'm not much of a shrimp person, the shrimp that came with the pineapple fried rice was excellent and not overcooked like it sometimes is. Will be back! Taste | 4 Atmosphere | 4 Presentation | 3.5 Service | 5 OVERALL | 4 read more

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Mediocre food and terrible service. The first time I ate at the Bua Thai Cuisine the food was very underwhelming i.e. needed more seasoning and love. The most recent experience never happened. I was put on hold for 40 minutes and when someone finally picked up they told me the kitchen was closed. I guess good service is hard to come by these days. I just wanted some takeout. O well read more

Bua Thai Cuisine - My dinner - Thai Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

food was so good it was to die for the people leaving bad reviews are LYING to you. food did take a while but I don't care because it was worth it. the service was fine, had a nice conversation with one of the waiters, and overall great. read more

What to order: - drunken noodle (better than most Thai places) - spicy beef with sticky rice (you should definitely try this at some point if you like spice!) - Tom yum (always welcoming) Food: - great. You can tell they care about the presentation, food presented with care - love how there is only a one page menu, not complicated, easy to order - they can make food with varying levels of spice Service: - great, super nice people, get seated quick Location: - Not the most obvious location, but plenty of parking. Right near southpoint but not walking distance away. Plenty of desert places walking distance away read more

Bua Thai Cuisine - M1. Nam Tok Beef (Spicy Beef) with Sticky Rice and Fresh Green - Thai Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

We enjoyed the papaya salad, golden triangles (fried tofu), pad seew, and beef skewers.