Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Bua Thai Cuisine

    4.3 (223 reviews)
    ModerateThai
    Closed 4:00 pm - 9:00 PM
    Updated 1 month ago

    Bua Thai Cuisine Photos

    Business Info

    BUA THAI CUISINE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Outdoor seating
    Good for kids

    You might also consider

    More like Bua Thai Cuisine

    Recommended Reviews - Bua Thai Cuisine

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos - Bua Thai Cuisine

    Steamed dumplings (comes with 4)
    Latoya S.

    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.

    Inside
    Ami V.

    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!

    F3. Spring Roll
    Glenn G.

    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.

    Bua Pink Drink ($4) IG: michellelieats
    Michelle L.

    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

    L2. Green Curry
    Melissa G.

    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.

    K3. Pineapple Fried Rice with Jumbo Shrimp and chicken
    Rabia A.

    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!

    drunken noodles
    Surika A.

    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).

    Patio
    Diane W.

    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.

    K3. Pineapple Fried Rice with Jumbo Shrimp
    Jason M.

    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!

    K2. Chicken Basil Fried Rice

    See all

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Y L.
    0
    56
    29

    2 years ago

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

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of MJ F.
    0
    46
    6

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Bee A.
    0
    19
    0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Sreez K.
    10
    38
    43

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Favorite Thai spot in the triangle. Food is always delicious and service is always friendly!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 6
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ruby D.
    457
    338
    3322

    7 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Eric K.
    0
    49
    38

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Andi P.
    2
    74
    11

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Bill L.
    0
    17
    37

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Cee C.
    0
    10
    2

    4 years ago

    The best Thai food I have had in Durham. We order takeout from here pretty regularly and have never had a complaint. A+

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Kristen D.
    164
    32
    10

    9 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    The food is great but if you want to eat within an hour of ordering your food, I would pick somewhere else. They are EXTREMELY slow.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    One of the few places with genuinely good options for spicy, whether that means no spice or -legit- spice. I loved the drunken noodles!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of John L.
    4
    52
    112

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Excellent food. Very consistent. Very nice people. Highly recommended. 10 out of 10.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Tanja S.
    16
    15
    76

    8 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 2 of 6

    Bua Thai Cuisine Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Bua Thai Cuisine

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Thai 4,393 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Thai At Main Street

    Thai At Main Street

    3.9
    (231 reviews)
    5.5 mi
    $$

    Reasonably priced, delicious, and generously proportioned! Just about everything on the menu can be…read moremade vegan on request, and I've never had a dish here I didn't enjoy. Of the many restaurants downtown, I especially appreciate Thai At Main Street's flexibility around serving large groups on relatively short notice. We came here on a Friday night (always busy in Durham). We called half an hour in advance for a group of 8 people, and by the time we arrived they had a table ready for us. The inside isn't large, but even though all of the tables were full, the volume was very reasonable. At our table of eight, we had no trouble hearing one another and conversed as a group. Service was prompt (even though the place was packed), and the food came out within 15-20 minutes. I got the Drunken Noodles, which I've had here before & always enjoy. My partner got the Pad See Ew, which was also phenomenal. Two in our party got the pineapple fried rice, which was a big hit (even with my slightly picky younger sister!). Overall, I recommend, especially for short-notice dinners, large groups, or anyone just craving some fresh, flat rice noodles (i can never get enough of those).

    I would say that the red curry was too watery (as opposed to thick and creamy), and the bell…read morepeppers were cut too large. Like, when you're stuffing half a bell pepper in your mouth, is just not very attractive. My daughter did enjoy her Khao Soi, and the presentation was very nice. Our server was rude. She was impatient in taking our order, and other than that, only stopped at our table one other time for about half a second to ask if everything was okay, before she rushed off without waiting for an answer.

    Photos
    Interior
    Interior
    Chicken Satay
    Chicken Satay
    Pad See Ew w/ Beef

    See all

    Pad See Ew w/ Beef
    Thai Spoon

    Thai Spoon

    4.1
    (181 reviews)
    9.6 mi
    $$

    We kept seeing the restaurant and then forgetting it was here. Hubs said... Ibwant savory food,…read morelet's go get Thai... and it triggered the memory. We are now back for a second visit. For appetzera we have had the Fresh Shrimp Basil rolls and Nam Tok. The basil rolls are in rice paper versus fried. They are light and fresh, as is the Nam Tok. The lime in the Nam Tok was my favorite part of the dish I had some with and aome without spice. For dinner we have had the Shrimp and Bomb chicken on the board specials, spicy Basil wiith beef and Spicy Cashew Nut with chucken. The shrimp dish was light, flavorful and spicy. The Bomb Chicken to me was a spin on sweet and sour... only liggtly sweet and a good spicy. The spicy basil and spicy cashew are heartier disher and full of flavor. Our server reccommeded a 3 out of 4 and to add more if not spicy enough. Excellent recommendation. Great family run restaurant and we thoroughly enjoy the great dishes and very generous portions.

    Ventured out for lunch with coworker, not in the immediate area of work but still close enough…read more Opted for a main dish vs something in the lunch menu, since I wanted to try their Drunken Noodles. Massive portion, sauce was saucy and made per request as medium spicy. Thai iced tea a perfect balance. We were the only diners, and wonder if this place does more take out than dine in. Our server was funny friendly, and helpful. Great spot if seeking some solid Thai food. Would definitely return.

    Photos
    Inside Dining
    Inside Dining
    Bomb Chicken Board Special
    Bomb Chicken Board Special
    Bomb Chicken Board Special

    See all

    Bomb Chicken Board Special
    Krill

    Krill

    4.1
    (134 reviews)
    5.2 mi
    $$

    On our anniversary trip, my husband and I wanted to try something exotic and we figured, why not…read moregive Filipino food a try! We were not disappointed! We arrived at 8p on a Friday night to a busy but fun scene in a smaller but chic restaurant. The waitresses and waiters were all very pleasant and sat us quickly. I had a lychee limeade mocktail and my husband had a San Miguel beer. We ordered crispy Brussels sprouts and Lumpiang Shanghai roles.....one word....delicious! Do yourself a favor and order these rolls! For dinner, I had a tofu fried rice and my husband had a chicken stir fry, which both tasted so light and fresh! Definitely worth the visit!! Food quality: 4.5/5 Customer service: 4/5 Value for cost: 4.5/5

    This was a wonderful place to try Philippino food! My first time trying this type of food and what…read moreto pick. My friend is from that area of the world and on her recommendation we tried this new place in downtown Durham. It was terrific, what a find! The restaurant's unique handmade paintings on walls and other Philippino decor was very eclectic and cool. They had a hand painted mural of the famous Chef Anthony Bourdain Which was cool but he's from New York so I'll have to ask the owner about that next time I come back. Lol The place was packed and we were walk ins but the owner was at the reception desk and told us to wait and she might be able to find us a table. We were in luck and she directed us to the back room. The server was extremely knowledgeable about all the dishes. Since I had my Philippino friend along she told us what she liked as well as the helpful server. The food was delicious and had a beautiful presentation. What I ate I can't pronounce so look at my pics of the menu ;) I had a bowl w beef filet, onions, tomatoes, cucumber lining the bowl w Jasmine rice and a fried egg on top. My friend had oxtail and the other had an appetizer of Lumplang Shanghai and entre of Pancit Behon, all food was extraordinary and large portions. No doubt that was why the place was packed! It's a great place in downtown Durham to check out next time you want to have some adventurous dining. Kain Po Tayo! (Enjoy your meal!)

    Photos
    Krill
    Krill
    Krill

    See all

    Thai 55

    Thai 55

    3.9
    (230 reviews)
    2.5 mi
    $$

    My experience was probably a 4.5 but I rounded up as their overall score is too low. This is one of…read morethe better Thai resistant that I have tried in the triangle--period. At least in terms of flavor. I had seen this place before but with a 3.9 I was not that excited. I then heard from two very different people who said it was their favorite around here. I was stunned. So we have it a try. What a treat. We had the seafood pad thai (have never tried that!) and thought the flavor was wonderful. We also had the pad wan sen which was very solid. Both is us were two thumbs up. The price was about what you would expect--maybe a little on the high side for portion size. But welcome to shrinkflation. It was also seafood which is always a bit more it was fair. The food was prepared quickly and was hot on pickup. The parking lot is a little tight and it is easy to miss it if you don't look carefully but it was cute inside. We might have to eat there next time. Worth a trip if you live in the area for sure. It will likely be our new regular spot.

    We are from NY, right above NYC. We ate at Thai 55 every year we come down for work. We are treated…read morelike family and the food is delicious! We ordered pad Thai, Masamen curry with duck--it was amazing. I ordered Thai iced tea and mango with sticky rice. The flavor, the spices used the service were beyond our expectations. Every time we come here we are reminded that there are kind, loving people all over the world and that food is love if you are open to receive it. I love this restaurant and the gentleman that owns it as well as his staff. If we lived here we would go every single week and try everything on his menu! Thank you!!!

    Photos
    Dining room tables
    Dining room tables
    Thai 55
    Thai 55

    See all

    Hope Cafe

    Hope Cafe

    4.5
    (50 reviews)
    1.4 mi

    "Great Thai food in strip mall"…read more Came here at 7pm on a Saturday night-- I had heard this place was good, and I was a little surprised just how small it is-- a little place in a strip mall similar-looking to a lot of strip mall Chinese or Japanese mostly-to-go spots. The restaurant was brightly lit and had maybe 6 tables (though a few were pushed together for a larger family sitting together at the other end). We were greeted quickly and told we could sit wherever we liked. The menu was pretty simple-- choose a noodle style (e.g., pad thai) and pick a protein to go with it. There were a few curries on the back, too. I got the pad see ew, and my girlfriend got the drunken noodles, both with tofu. She also ordered a fancy juice of some sort that I don't remember now. Food came very quickly-- 10 minutes or less. Both the quality and quantity were EXCELLENT. I LOVED my pad see ewe-- very flavorful and not too greasy. The broccoli in it was clearly fresh, too. My girlfriend loved the drunken noodles (it was spicy!). And the juice was excellent. We each finished only half to 2/3 of our food. Service was great-- I got refills quickly, and the server not only checked on us but was pretty friendly/ chatty, asking about our weekend plans and such. The restaurant was also clean, including the restroom. And price was fair-- something like $16 for each dish before tax and tip. Only one complaint-- the temperature was weirdly hot. It felt like it was 80F in the restaurant. I thought it was just me, but my girlfriend mentioned it too as we were leaving. Not sure what the story was with that! Overall, excellent food, great value, and I'd happily come back, though perhaps I'll skip the heat and get take-out. Or maybe come in winter to warm up-- ha ha.

    I got drunken noodles for takeout lunch. The food was prepped quickly…read more The dish was fine but a little one-note flavor-wise, with just a few slices of tomato and basil leaves for veg. I wish there was more vegetables and an egg like they do at Twisted Noodles. It was a pretty hearty portion for $17 (they don't have a lunch menu, as far as I can tell).

    Photos
    Inside Hope Cafe
    Inside Hope Cafe
    Hope Cafe's Chicken Drunken Noodles are a must-try.
    Hope Cafe's Chicken Drunken Noodles are a must-try.
    This salad has fresh glass noodles, shrimp, and a tangy dressing. I recommend it.

    See all

    This salad has fresh glass noodles, shrimp, and a tangy dressing. I recommend it.
    M Kokko

    M Kokko

    4.3
    (581 reviews)
    5.6 mi
    $$

    Honestly my favorite of the (two) M restaurants I have been to so far. The biang biang noodles were…read moreumami and hit all of the notes. Unfortunately the jajamyeon tasted burnt initially (it is wok fried so maybe it was too caramelized and charred for my liking), but the chef remade it and the remake was great! Seating is limited but luckily there was no wait for lunchtime on a Friday.

    My wife and I are local to the RTP area and wanted to try a new place in Durham. Given the reviews…read moreon this place, we were looking forward to try it. However, we were utterly disappointed with our food there. The bao buns had a tender pork in it but the only sauce it included was hoisin which made it too salty. The Korean fried chicken in the 'Spicy' flavor was flavorless. The sauce was extremely bland alongside the chicken meat inside. Don't let the red bright color deceive you, we kept wondering when the 'spice' would kick it (it never did!). We each got a curry udon and added chicken to it. As frequent curry eaters, we wanted the Asian flavors we enjoy however, this udon was bland as well. The chicken we asked to be added felt like it was just chopped and put over the udon with no actual flavor integration into the dish. We left this place feeling like it was a waste of our money. Given their higher prices, I would've expected something A LOT better with some real Asian flavors.

    Photos
    Inside. M Kokko sign just inside entrance.
    Inside. M Kokko sign just inside entrance.
    Spicy Ramen
    Spicy Ramen
    Biang Biang Noodle. $15. Smoked tofu, yu choy, cilantro, crispy shallots, pickled mustard, black vinegar, and chili oil.

    See all

    Biang Biang Noodle. $15. Smoked tofu, yu choy, cilantro, crispy shallots, pickled mustard, black vinegar, and chili oil.

    Bua Thai Cuisine - thai - Updated August 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...