Not a drop in and have a meal. Limited hours. Reservations only 5 course menu. Extremely disappointed to not eat!!!

I enjoy eating thai food, and after going to another thai food place in York, my friend and I decided to try this place out based on the reviews. We were left extremely disappointed. I ordered the pad kee mao, which was also named drunken noodles on the website. When I got the dish, it was flavorless, with a brownish gray cornstarch slurry type of sauce. We called the restaurant, since this was a takeout dish. Upon talking to someone working there, she started arguing and explaining that the restaurant was open 10 years and the recipe was fine and that we should have specified Bangkok noodles instead. Every single thai restaurant I have ever been to, from the east coast to the west coast, makes a reddish colored drunken noodle dish they call pad see mao. I have never received anything that looks like it is made with a cornstarch and soy sauce slurry or tastes this bland, even ordered with their normal spice level. We were met with hostility during this call. Not once were we asked if we would be able to come in and have our dish remade. Instead, the woman insisted we were wrong and implied our palates were off. I would never go back here and wouldn't recommend any of my friends go here either. The food itself would have gotten 2 stars, but this interaction is what is driving the 1 star review. Edit: looking at pictures posted by people of their pad see mao, mine looks completely different and clearly wasn't made correctly. I guess whoever picked up the phone was so convinced that they gave the right dish that they didn't care to listen to our complaints. read more

Esaan Thai - a close up of a plate of food - Thai Near Me - York, Pennsylvania

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First thing, parking is the worst. Meter parking one side of the street. Kinda sucks. I ordered the Thom talay soup, very good. Lots of fresh veggies and the coconut milk really makes this dish. I had the Thai spring rolls, wasn't too impressed. They were good but not what I expected. I'm use to Vietnamese spring rolls so they didn't compare. Myain dish was chicken in red curry sauce, again a homerun. Loaded with fresh veggies and chicken. The red milky sauxewas excellent. I had to take it home. Oh Yea there's an ice cream shop by the front door. I thought I was in the wrong place. Looked good didn't try it. Give it a go. Let me know how it was. Enjoy read more

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I wanted to like this place; I really did. My family (local) goes here regularly, and they all love it to death. I was skeptical... you see... I live a few miles outside of Thai Town in Los Angeles, a city with a population of about 80,000 Thai Americans.I'm a total foodie. And I'm dating a Thai dancer who is, among other things, an amazing chef. To say that the bar was raised high is quite the understatement. But I went in with an open mind. Sometimes uncompromising chefs end up in unlikely locations and choose to maintain the integrity of their art despite limitations of local produce, ingredients, and tastes. First impression was positive. It's a nice location, it's a reasonably decent aesthetic. The menu was fairly diverse and the vibe was mellow. Second impression; not so much. I overheard a server telling a group of customers that he'd "never had Thai food before starting to work here recently", which I'm sure is true... but for me, I like to think that my server is a bit of an expert (even if that's an illusion), and he lost credibility with me be essentially admitting a lack of knowledge on the only subject I really need him to be conversant in. Third impression; we ordered and waited so long that another table entered, was seated, ordered, received their food, ate their food, and had their leftovers packed up to leave before we received our entrees. A thirty minute lag between our completion of the appetizer course and the arrival of our main dishes, without explanation or apology, was not good form. A member of our party with a small child gave up and left, realizing that his patience would not outlast the length of the meal. The food was not very good. The summer rolls were decent, as were the spring rolls, and the chicken satay was serviceable. My sisters and mother enjoyed their drunken noodles, and I tasted them, they were tasty. My papaya salad was a mess though. It was very obvious that it was prepared in advance, and not fresh. My favorite thing about the dish is that it's (when done correctly) cold, fresh, crunchy, spicy and sour, with a variety of strong, distinct flavors. This version was room temperature, soggy, bland, and the flavors all ran together. Then my panang curry came. It was mostly bamboo shoots and sauce, very little texture and also flavorless compared to literally a dozen other varieties I've had at other Thai restaurants. Bottom line: I can't help but suspect that the chef is forced to pander to local tastes, which are less traditional. That's disappointing, but at the same time, I get it. However... the server who was discussing his lack of familiarity with Thai cuisine, the slow service, the lack of freshness in some dishes and the lack of flavor in others... just not okay. It's a cute little place and the people working there were perfectly pleasant... but they have to get their act together. At the very least, inquire of your guests if they want milder or spicier flavors. I've had plain yogurt with more kick than my dinner tonight. read more

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Food here is okay. I wouldn't say it's the best Thai food. I felt like everything I ate was a tad bland. We got the papaya salad, duck spring rolls, pad thai, and drunken noodles. The best thing we got was the pad thai. It was the most flavorful dish. The papaya salad was good, but I wished it had more fish sauce for a bit more tang. The drunken noodles were a tad bland too. It needed more spice or something. Also, the duck spring rolls did not have enough duck in it. I couldn't taste it at all. All in all, service was quick and they were nice, but wish the food was more flavorful. read more

Oh my, spicy fried brussels sprouts. I would have eaten a giant plate of these as my entree. We visited during Restaurant Week, and these were part of a $10 lunch deal. They are vegan, btw, if you are avoiding the egg and fish sauce in so many Thai dishes. The server was well-versed in what else was and steered me toward the Pad Panang, a coconut-milk stir-fry with great flavor and the right amount of spice. There are creative drinks to which you can add your own alcohol, although we did not. We did not realize the gelato is vegan too. None of the curries are, nor are the empanadas. I was so jealous and hope they might add vegan empanadas to their menu. Downtown York has more going on than I expected. Nicely done. You can walk around the downtown for shopping and dining, which isn't possible in many smaller cities which are fading. read more

Esaan Thai - Thai Near Me - York, Pennsylvania

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Best Thai in the area! Great place, but small and because of there smaller kitchen it does take a few extra minutes for them to get out the food. But that is one of the thing that make Esaan great! It's almost like they are making each dish from scratch and putting there personal touch on each dish. Great place! read more

Incredible Thai Iced Tea - get it with coconut milk! Also, extremely friendly staff. Support this great local business!

This has been my favorite Thai place in York for a long time. I love their fried rice with pineapple. They have the option of making things spicy. You can choose on a scale of 1-10 how spicy you want your food to be. Word of advice: don't go over a 3. You won't be able to taste anything because the only thing you'll be "tasting" is heat. It's a very good Thai restaurant. They have amazing house made gelato available for dessert (a rare combo). Definitely plan on ordering dessert if you go here. read more

This place has the most amazing pad panang! Whenever I come back to york I always stop here!

If you're looking for some quality Thai food in York, this is the place to be. Essan is right in the heart of the city, and they have a solid selection of traditional Thai dishes that are absolutely delicious. Typically I order the Pad See-Yew or the Pad Panang, however I tried the Green Curry for the first time on my last visit and it was excellent. The pricing is fair, and the portion sizes are surprisingly large. It's a smaller location, so reservations are a must, especially on the weekends. It's an awesome spot if you're looking to have a quiet meal, or to take someone on a date. They have a small outdoor seating area for the nicer days, and it's BYOB so feel free to bring your favorite bottle of wine. For dessert, you have to try some of the gelato. It is phenomenal -- creamy and flavorful. The owner of the restaurant makes it himself, and takes pride in his work (he's typically there and loves to talk about it and give samples of whichever flavor you like). My only complaint is that on a few of my visits, the service was a little slower. There is typically only one or two servers on the floor and at the register, which I can only assume can be hectic at times. If you're in a hurry, I highly recommend placing a takeout order rather than dining in. read more

Esaan Thai - Green Curry with Jasmine Rice. Yum. - Thai Near Me - York, Pennsylvania

Had a wonderful dinner at Esaan! The food and service were top notch and we like the fact that it BYOB. If you like Thai and you have not tried Esaan... you are missing out. Open Thursday, Friday and Saturday as of this past week. read more

So upset to have to write such a negative review. After reviewing the menu I had high hopes. I loved the fact that they had tapas. I love trying a little bit of everything. Service was great and the food was a complete disappointment. Nothing at all tasted fresh. We started with the tapas- pot stickers which were VERY hard as if they were reheated, steamed dumplings which didn't have much flavor and crispy spring roll which was good. We also go Tom Yum and Tom Kha both were good. The fried rice didn't taste fresh and very little flavor ( pictures in the back), chicken satay were almost inedible, it had nice grill marks but tasted burnt, never tasted something so charred tasting before. The grilled chicken with sticky rice had the same burnt taste, just a very unappetizing taste. Maybe we came on an off day or didn't order what they're known for but I can't say I would be willing to give them a second try. read more

Esaan Thai - Thai Tapas - Thai Near Me - York, Pennsylvania

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I cant help but like this place. It's a nice clean establishment. A nice basic menu. And how can you not love a place that serves gelato, and exotic flavors at that?! On the down side, I thought the food service was a little slower than it should've been. But when i went, there was a person at the front counter waiting to greet customers and take orders. When I first walked in, I felt like I had walked into a mini gelato store, because the dining area is separated by a wall and doorway. but all the windows make it feel nice an roomy enough. The food... I'll have to go back to sample more dishes. The pad siew (broad flat rice noodles sauted in a sweet sauce with a meat & veggies) was a little lacking in flavor. More than anything, it tasted like the veggies in the dish, fresh with sweet flavors, and a hint of the rice noodle taste. Normally, pad siew would have a bit more sauce and you would taste the sauce more than the noodles themselves or the veggies. But I really liked the fried rice! It had a sweet flavor too, and had a bit of a thai taste too it! And the tofu was nice and chunky!! And a bit of egg... and the white onion pieces were big enough to remove (and not too plentiful) for people who have an aversion to such things. The gentleman was really nice and apologized for any delays. I'll definitely have to go back again, try a few more exotic dishes and the gelato. and i would make a point to go when i have a bit of time to spend and sit and relax. They're also part of Carryout Courier too!! :o) read more

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Being an avid Thai food lover myself, I've been to many Thai restaurants. Esaan Thai has an awesome menu. The ambience of the restaurant would make any couple want to dine there. We tried their Red Curry with Chicken & steamed rice and an order of Drunken Noodles. They were both good. Although I'm forced to mention here that I've tasted these same dishes that were better cooked at other Thai restaurants (in other states). On the other hand however - Sam, the owner, was a very jolly down-to-earth elderly gentleman. He walked over to our table & introduced himself. He took his time & we talked to him quite a bit. He told us some things about the restaurant which makes us want to come back - Everyone in the kitchen staff is from Thailand. They source all of their vegetables locally from the Farmers Market and he does most of the shopping himself! All the ingredients are fresh & their gelato is freshly made in-house. The service from the wait staff was immaculate. For desert we tried the Chocolate Hazelnut & Cookies 'n Cream gelato. I must admit here that I've never tried gelato anywhere else where it was this fresh or where it tasted this GOOD! I'm sure we're coming back! read more

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#RWYORK had to wait to be seated and to be served so lunch for the working folks won't work. The food was definitely worth the wait! yellow curry beef with quinoa and roasted Brussel sprouts yes please. Parking at lunchtime during restaurant week was actually not that bad parked by mudhook! There's a tip! read more

Esaan Thai - Waiting to order after waiting minutes to be acknowledged then minutes to be seated for lunch Insufficient staff for #RW ? - Thai Near Me - York, Pennsylvania

We had a take-out meal here tonight. Everyone is always so polite and welcoming when you enter. We had some Yellow Curry and a few other dishes and they did not let us down. Great Thai flavors. We will definitely be back! Thanks! read more

I love picking up Thai food from here. Always friendly service. Their panang curry is the best I've had in a long time, highly recommend!

Good spot for a Vegan lunch! The gelato was fabulous too. We stopped on our way through town on our way North from Virginia to the Lehigh Valley read more

A very nice little Thai spot in downtown York. My daughter had eaten here a few times and wanted to introduce me to Esaan's tasty goodness. I had Fresh Spring Rolls (very fresh) as an appetizer and chicken Green Curry (flavor was perfect and chicken tasted high quality) as my entre. I would have liked my curry a bit spicier. Next time I'll give instructions to add some extra heat. Historically my wife has not been a fan of Thai food but the server gave her some good advice toward the Pad Panang Stir Fry. She thought it was yummy (a big win). My daughter had her favorite, Spicy Thai Basil Stir Fry. I had a taste of her dish and thought it was delicious. We had Esaan's gelato for dessert. I tried a wacky combination of Pan Dan (tastes like a waffle cone) and Salted Peanut gelato. Crazy but good. Great service too. Super helpful server who made our visit an enjoyable one. Small dining room. I'm sure this place gets very busy at times. Give Esaan a try, I think you'll have a happy tummy after your visit read more

Very good Thai restaurant, we ordered all of our staples that we usually would at our normal Thai place and each dish was very impressive. Afterwards we tried mango and pineapple sticky rice and they allowed us to sample the amazing Gelato they make ! Great place, definitely worth a try read more

Esaan is a great addition to the downtown York food scene. The atmosphere is casual yet well designed. Lunch is order at the counter and sit and then food is brought out to you. Dinner is full service. The couple who own this restaurant are so friendly and really take the time to know their patrons and make sure their experience is enjoyable. The menu is simple yet consistently good and not intimidating to the non-ethnic food eater. I love Thai and this is one of my favorite go-to spots. I love the stir frys (ginger and basil) and the spicy soups. They have outdoor seating on Beaver St which is perfect for people watching in nice weather. And for dessert - homemade gelato - yum! read more

Just went for the first time yesterday. It was fabulous! The decor is very simple and elegant, very comfy inside, they even have a few tables on the sidewalk outside. We met the owners, super nice people. I'm vegetarian and rather than order one of the already vegetarian dishes (like the Vegetarian Stir Fry which I will try next time, or the Green Curry with Tofu, which is delicious!) I order something with chicken, but substituted tofu. They kept coming out to ask do I want more vegitables, do I want the tofu seasoned, etc, they went above and beyond to make that dish just how I wanted. And it turned out amazing! Served over greens with sticky rice and Chili Sauce, my meal was perfect. Then we ended it with some of their grapefruit gelato. Tasted like I was eating a grapefruit, sooooo yummy! The entire experience was great. Our server was so pleasant and accomodating, and when we got the check it wasn't even $25.00 for two people: two sodas, two meals and desert. We are definitely going back to Esaan! read more

I'm so torn on this place. I was in the area for a business trip and went here based on recommendations of a good thai/asian restaurant. The shrimp spring rolls were great, as was my Spicey Thai Basil stir fry. But the service was severely lackluster. While the owner and his waitresses were very nice people, it took 2 hours for me, by myself, to get the meal and finish it. In a half full restaurant. I'm not sure what was going on to cause such huge delays in the kitchen. Great food, but I hope that kind of service is just an off-night. read more

Having eaten Thai for over 20 years, and in the past reviewed for Zagat's as well as graduated from a top three culinary school, I cannot explain why this is one of the most expensive restaurants in York: a two person meal without drinks cost over 70 dollars. I just want to explain to the good people of York that yes, although most of the food is fairly fresh it should not be as costly. At the average Thai restaurant in New York or D.C. a main dish costs no more than about in the 12 to 14 dollar range. I am not sure why they serve gelato- unsure of the connection between Thailand and Italy. After about 3pm most days when the streets roll up here, one needs to be prepared to pay above 20 dollars per person or eat at Subway; this city is a divide between haves and have-nots, of which the former evidently like to dine here, too see and be seen, either not realizing or caring that they're paying too much and eating food with contradiction- and they'll frown on you if they suspect your not having a good time. I begrudgingly give it 2 stars with the wish that I was given 20 dollars off. read more

Really good chicken coconut soup, best chicken satay, hearty bowls are awesome. You can't go wrong here everything is delicious!

My wife has been wanting to stop here for some time. On a whim, we decided to check it out on a lazy Saturday afternoon. Very nice experience. First, it's a little confusing when you walk in. I thought we had entered the wrong building and were instead inside an ice cream shop. Turns out, this is the ever-popular Thai cuisine/Italian gelato combo. Locations popping up everywhere...just kidding. We were lead into a very nice, inviting dining room that consists of about 8 tables. I had the Spicy Stir Fry with chicken. My wife ordered a #7 spicy Drunken noodles. Both were excellent. My wife's had some serious heat so if that's not your bag, you may not want to order the #7 or higher. For dessert we tasted some gelatos before I decided on the Salty Peanut. DELICIOUS! My wife had a Donatello and Stocciatorre(sp?). Outstanding. Bill, with tip was $30. This was lunch. Portions were big for lunch but mine was so good, I ate all of it. My wife took half of her's home. I can see why people complain about the speed of service. We were in no hurry and from the time we entered to the time we left took a little over 1 hour. If we had been in a hurry, it may have been a little dicey. Overall, great food. Great atmosphere. Friendly service. Just a wee bit slow. We will be back. read more

Holy cow. What a terrible experience. I travel for a living. I have been to 48 of the 50 states so I go out to eat a lot. This was the first time in my life I have left a restaurant with refusing to pay. 1. Food below average 2. Waited an hour and a half before ANY food arrived. 3. Worst and rudest waitress ever. Unbelievable, honestly, how someone who works in a service industry could've been so terrible. They were not even busy. Shame on her for ruining our evening. Do not waste your time, this place is a definite no-go. read more

My sister and her friends went here a while back and loved it. With more great reviews on here, and a mention in a local mags favorite things, couple with First Friday events we were so there. The food was really great. Pretty awesome actually, but a major downer was the service. We waited WAY too long for our food. Best guesstimation was 45 minutes. A couple sat down after us, ordered and left before we got our food - that's a problem. What's worse is our waitress seemed to forget about us - she rarely checked on us and didn't offer an apology or time line - common when the kitchen is backed up anywhere. I would go back but only during a less busy time period as it is clear they can't handle a larger crowd. read more

Esaan is a great little spot to go for a nice, intimate meal in a peaceful environment. The food is very fresh and there are several healthy options to choose from. One of my favorite dishes is the Thai Basil Stir Fry, portions are decent and flavors/seasoning are perfect. Another plus is that this is a BYOB restaurant. The absolute best thing about this place is the Gelato, OMG...this stuff is addictive. I always get the Donatella (tastes like Nutella) and Roasted Almond mixed together, it is worth the price and is that one indulgence I always look forward to whenever I head downtown. The only downside of this place is the size, there are only a handful of tables so plan to get there early or you may be waiting a while. read more

I've never had a bad meal at Esaan. I've lived in Pittsburgh, DC, & now currently San Diego, but when I come home to visit family my fiance and I always make the drive here. I highly recommend the Massaman curry! The atmosphere is very inviting and is a great date spot. read more

Extremely long wait. 30 minutes after ordering appetizers we get word that they're out of what was ordered. Main course took more than an hour to come out. Not worth it. Bill also incorrectly included the appetizer they were out of and didn't serve us. This place is a mess. read more

My wife, Laura, and I celebrated our 18th year wedding anniversary with lunch at Esaan's. It was our first time there. All of the food was tasty and delicious from the appetizer to the main course to the desert. The service was good. We strongly recommend Esaan's for very well prepared Thai food. read more

Got shrimp pad Thai, sautéed veggies and sticky rice with mango! Had all intentions of halving it to eat for another meal and ate the entire thing!!! Such great food, will order again and again!!! read more

Gelato = 5/5. Food = 1/5 The gelato here is nearly flawless and wonderful contrast to the food. Unfortunately, the food itself has a certain Pennsylvania dutch blandness that has no business being near excellent Thai cuisine. The food is made with local ingredients, the chef is Thai, is seems fresh... So how is it not excellent? I just don't know. The flavors just aren't there. What I do know is that there are at least four restaurants in York that serve more delicious Thai food, which says it all. When I eat here with friends my salvation are the spring and summer rolls. They are both quite good. However, the classic entres of pad thai, curry, and the Thai soups - I avoid. read more

Esaan is one of my favorite restaurants in York! !!!! It's conveniently located in Historic Downtown York. It's family owned and operated. It has a great atmosphere located in a historic building with furniture that was custom built by the Owner. The food is authentic, delicious, and individually prepared so it can take a little time, but well worth the wait. I'll be back again, and again, and again.... P.S. Their homemade Gelato is killer which is available at the counter even if you're not eating dinner there! Yum. read more

What a great find! Esaan is a small restaurant but very authentic. The things that stood out--great service and great food. I have been to Thailand, and I was pleasantly surprised to find an authenticity about the food. The 'laab' (often seen as 'larb gai') was tasty, as were the crispy spring rolls. The pad Thai, which was new to my mom, was just the right heat level (I like some heat, and 'medium' was just that), although perhaps a bit sweeter than I'm used to. The service--so often overlooked by restaurants--was perfection. Even if the food was so-so (and clearly it was far better!), I would have returned for the great service. Esaan is also known for its gelato... If I hadn't been so full, I would have indulged! The staff let us sample (for free), however, so I got a great idea of the quality, and I will definitely come back! Try the guava sorbetto... Unbelievable! And yes, I have sampled the best gelato/sorbetto in Italy and Austria, and Esaan is right up there! Esaan is Definitely a gem in the heart of York. read more

Very delicious usually, however today my Pad King was mealy and dry. Also ordered spicy pad Thai for my relative... very mediocre food overall today:( Many times before we have had GREAT food here, worth giving one more shot another time. read more

Jai is great in the kitchen. All the food that comes out is not only flavorful but authentic Thai. The various Pad Thai's are great as are the various daily specials. read more

Four and half stars?! REALLY?! This was ABSOLUTELY the worst experience I've had at a restaurant. We decided to try Esaan Thai Restaurant for the first time yesterday. My sister had been there before for lunch and it had taken awhile to get her food but she thought it was maybe just the lunch hour rush. Unfortunately not. We got there at 6:05 and didn't receive our meal until 7:20. The one lady was very snippy with us when we politely told her we were STILL waiting on our meal and had a show to get to by 7:30. Had we realized it would take over an hour to get three entrees (one being soup), we never would have gone there. The male waiter we had seemed flustered and but was still very nice, but very forgetful. It took 25 minutes for us just to receive our drink orders. I understand that businesses get busy, however, this service was atrocious. We were later told that they only had a few working burners. NOW, that aside, the food. The food wasn't terrible, unfortunately, we had to scarf it down so quickly that we couldn't really enjoy it. The soup I had was the Spicy Lemongrass soup with the noodles. The broth was tasty but there were big pieces of something that tasted like and had the texture of bark? Not sure if that was SUPPOSED to be in there, but it didn't taste edible to me. The shrimp were rubbery and the onions were undercooked. My sister got the Pineapple Curry and I think when we had complained that we hadn't received our meal, they decided to just throw it together and give it to us uncooked. The celery, carrots and onions were all completely crunchy and undercooked. The broth tasted okay, but it didn't take away from the fact that the rest of the food was uncooked. Her husband got the spicy beef stir fry and there weren't too many complaints on his end. Overall, I absolutely would not return. The rudeness of the one woman that worked there was completely uncalled for. I rarely complain at restaurants, but we were all nearly on the verge of leaving $20 on the table and just heading out before we even got the food. Also, where our table was, there was a side room I guess where the kept the dirty dishes or something, and we noticed that all the plates this one waitress was taking back there and putting in the bins all had nearly full plates of food on it. I don't think it was because the food was bad, I think it was because the service took too long when people had made plans and they had barely enough time to eat a few bites and then head out to whatever plans they had made. We left two nearly full plates of food on the table and FINALLY were out the door at 7:35. Anyway, I hope this helps anyone and I see that they have a pretty high rating, so maybe they were just having a really awful night. Had the waitstaff been a little nicer and maybe communicated to us that they were really backed up or had burners go out instead of acting mad when we inquired when our meal would be out, I would give them a second chance. The poor service on top of the undercooked food made this a big NO-NO on my list. We saw two other people complain that their meals hadn't come out yet. When I go to a restaurant, I don't think I should have to ask for my food after over an hour of waiting. read more