Why come here? Several reasons. The Thai fried rice, the crab Rangoon, papaya salad, and my favorite the waterfall chicken. I wash this down with their mango ice tea. The service is excellent and the menu has depth. Their app is easy and you get points Enjoy! read more

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Unfortunately the food here has not been the same since it first opened. The waterfall crispy chicken that we loved is nowhere near as good, and I don't know if they changed their chef or their meat source but the crispy chicken is now long strips instead of round chunks. It's also not as crispy. The waterfall I received recently also didn't have any sauce! I ordered to go so I understand some of it got absorbed, but the bottom of the pan was literally dry. How am I going to flavor the raw cabbage and lettuce with no sauce? The pad thai was good as well but not as sour as I remembered it. I also got the tom kha which I haven't tried before but it was good, I just wish they removed the inedible bits (I think lemongrass). We've been here another time and I forget if we got the drunken noodle or basil eggplant, but it didn't have the same thai spiced aroma/wok hei flavor that we expected. Overall this spot is still decent and a good price, but unfortunately I think their chef changed or something so we no longer come here often. read more

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I'm honestly a little confused by the way the "lunch combo" is advertised because, in my experience, it didn't really feel like a lunch special. It seemed more like ordering a regular-priced entrée and then paying extra to add a drink and three mini vegetable spring rolls. The spring rolls were an additional $1 with a soda or $3 with Thai tea. I understand that prices have gone up and restaurants have had to adjust their menus, but when I think of a lunch special, I expect there to be some type of value or savings. I would have even been perfectly fine with a smaller portion if that meant having a true lunch-special price. Instead, there were additional charges for the meat, the drink, and the mini spring rolls, which made the overall price feel high for what we received. Unfortunately, the food itself didn't quite make up for the cost. I'm a big fan of Pad See Ew, but this wasn't my favorite. The noodles were overcooked and would break apart easily when I tried to pick them up with my fork. The chicken was also dry and somewhat tough to chew. I ended up eating about a quarter of the dish and took the rest home because I didn't want to simply throw it away near the front counter. The curry had good flavor, although the potatoes were still a little on the hard side. The rice, however, was nice and fluffy and cooked well. The Thai tea was also good. One thing I definitely want to compliment is the service. The staff was incredibly friendly and accommodating. The nice woman at the front was new, but she was genuinely sweet. She forgot our spring rolls as we waited midway between the dinning experience. She was apologetic and made sure we got them after we went back to the counter to inquire about them. The restaurant itself has a nice ambiance. It's small and cozy, but there's enough room for small groups, and I could see it being a nice spot for a more intimate one-on-one dining experience. Overall, I really wanted to love this place, but unfortunately, the Pad See Ew didn't meet my expectations, and the "lunch specials" didn't feel like specials at all. For three lunch meals, the price felt high considering the portions, add-ons, and quality of the food. Would I come back? Probably not. However, I would absolutely give credit where it's due--the service was friendly, welcoming, and accommodating, and that was definitely the highlight of our visit. read more

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I stopped by for dinner. It's a cute place with inspiring quotes. We ordered pad Thai with chicken, drunken noodles with beef, chicken wings, and pork ribs. It happened to be happy hour when we visited. We got a pretty good deal on pork ribs and they were really good. Pad Thai was good but chicken was a bit dry. Drunken noodles and chicken wings were ok. There's plenty of parking. You order and pay at the counter. read more

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This is a small place that most people come through to pick up DoorDash/Uber Eats order. Customer also came by and picked up the order, and we realized if you order through their app, you get $5 discount. Hence forth , why most people did not dine in. Also food was served on paper plates. There were maybe four, 4-tops and 3/4 2-tops seating indoors. We ordered their fresh vegetable rolls (Thai Wraps), Chicken Larb, Drunken Noodle with combo meat (chicken, beef, fish and shrimp), Hawaiian Fried Rice with combo meat, Mango Tea, and Thai Iced Tea. The standout dishes were the Chicken Larb, Hawaiian Fried Rice and Mango Tea. We would definitely order again, but take it to go. Service was ok. The cashier was not the type to greet you. Not rude, just not engaging. She kept getting phone calls for orders and delivery pick up was nonstop. read more

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Really liked the food here. The pineapple fried rice was tasty. They had an interesting pork jerky appetizer. I also ordered a mango sticky rice to go and it was a treat to eat at home. Small indoor seating but we were lucky enough to eat at the restaurant and not feel rushed. Friendly service on top of it all. read more

Gen Thai Street Food - Pineapple fried rice - Thai Near Me - Santee, California

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This was our first time trying Gen Thai Street Food. We arrived on a Friday night at 6:30. We were greeted by a friendly smile and were offered to choose a table of our liking. This is a very casual, and small restaurant. We were handed menus, and then told to come to the register when we were ready to order. Our food was delivered hot, and fairly quick to our table. Side note: food is served on a sturdy paper products and plastic silverware - we didn't mind the "chinet" vibe. We ordered the Hawaiian Fried Rice, which was delicious; we gave it a 5 out of 5. We also tried the Crispy Basil Chicken as well as the Pad See Ew (combo meat), both made with fresh ingredients and yummy, 5 out of 5! All dishes were quite generous in portion size. One disappointing dish brought our review down by 1 point, and that was the Fish Cakes. The texture was rubbery,very tough, all dough - where's the fish? This was not a freshly made fish item, and tasted more like a purchased frozen product that had been deep fried. Doesn't even compare to the level of the other 3 dishes we tried. In my opinion, it shouldn't even be on their menu. The rest of our meal was fresh and delicious! read more

I'd get takeout here again! Got the pad see ew noodles, mango sticky rice, eggrolls, & Tom Ka soup-all tasty! The mango sticky rice was perfectly warm, & not too sweet. The mango was ripe & not sour. The rest was tasty & not salty. Glad we have a good Thai spot in town :) read more

The restaurant was small and modern. Order at the counter and seat yourself type place. The thai iced tea was great! The thai wraps were fresh, and I would return for those. The pad thai was just super bland, hence the three stars. We ordered it spicy which the spice was the right level, but again, just bland. The ladies working were really sweet. Overall, the food was just okay. read more

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Spontaneously decided to check out Gen Thai after shopping at the kids thrift store across the street, and this spot is hella legit!!! This is real Thai street food, not that toned-down stuff. You walk into a nice modern space and options to sit down or to go. I recommend eating the food right away because to go ain't the way to go. The basil crispy chicken with rice goes crazy. Wifey got the tom kha, smooth and comforting, and the kids smashed everything so hard we had to run it back with the kala chicken ....stupid good!! Quick heads up: dine in. This is authentic street food, half-service on purpose to keep prices down. They'll tell you straight up, so don't be trippin if it's not full sit-down service. Paper plates and plastic utensils They just opened last November, and they already dialed in. As a Thai person, I co-sign this heavy. One of the best Thai spots in East County, and honestly this will be one of the best Thai street food gems in San Diego! read more

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This was my first time here. This restaurant is outstanding. Our food was served, fast, hot and full of flavors. I highly recommend the Basil Chicken. The Basil really takes the flyover to another level. The chicken has a light crisp to the bite. The fried pork ribs were a little chewy, but had juicy flavor to it. That Pad Thai was authentic as expected. The egg rolls were crispy and very hot. Very nice appetizer. Everything was made fresh. The employee was very nice and answered all questions. The ambiance is relax and small. So don't expect to take a large group there. I will definitely come back. read more

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Gen Thai Street Food in Santee took over the corner suite that housed a different Thai food restaurant. Directly across the parking lot from Food 4 Less in Santee. We wanted to get some takeout to take home for the Seahawks game on TV. Gen Thai is two-minutes from home, and we both love Thai food. Seemed like an easy decision. Their spice levels run a bit weak for our tastes. We ordered everything at a 5 or 6 and found that nothing was what we would consider spicy. Not even close. Next time we'll go 8-10. Bring the heat! *Fried Pork Ribs $9.95 Marinated fried pork ribs served with traditional tamarind sauce They were good, not great. Could've been a little crispier. They were a tad chewy and dry. The tamarind sauce served with them was excellent. *Egg Rolls (7 Pieces) $7.95 Seasoned cabbage, carrots and crystal noodle wrapped in spring roll paper. Served with a sweet chili sauce Pretty good. Crispy wrapper and flavorful. The veggies inside were kind of mushy though. We wish they offered egg rolls with a protein. Shrimp, pork or chicken would be awesome. Good sweet and sour dipping sauce. *House Fried Rice $12.92 +$1.00 add chicken Jasmine rice stir-fried with an egg, garlic, green onions, peas, carrots, tomatoes and onions Very good friend rice. Not the best we've had, but worth getting again. *Kala's Crispy Chicken $15.95 +$1.50 sub brown rice Crispy chicken stir-fried with garlic, tamarind sauce and topped with chopped green onion. Served with rice. My favorite item that we ordered. Very flavorful, nice and crispy exterior led to juicy chicken. They were little nuggets of chicken bursting with flavor. Really good. Everything was made to order and was hot and fresh. Portion size to price point was decent. It provided a couple of meals worth of leftovers. Ordering on the app was easy and user friendly. Service from the sweet lady at the counter was friendly and efficient. read more

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I enjoyed a nice plate of Drunken Noodles from this Thai eatery. Since it was during lunch hours, I was able to add three egg rolls and a soda for only $1 more. I asked for the drunken noodles with chicken and a level five on the heat scale for $13.95 plus tax. The noodles were very tasty but the heat level was weak for a level five medium. The chicken was tender and tasty. I liked that the green and red peppers still had a good crunch value or texture. The egg rolls were good. They were tasty and crispy but the veggies inside were a little on the mushy side. I do wish they would offer hot chili paste at the tables to enjoy with your meal. The you lady at the counter was nice and helpful with the menu. They offer inside seating only. read more

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I had a delightful dinner tonight at Gen Thai. I am half thai and I approve! The food here is made to order, fresh and vibrant. Everything was balanced and flavored perfectly. I really do appreciate the abundance of fresh herbs. We ate the fried fish fillet with tamarind sauce. The fluffy battered fish was so good! Plus, they also fried shallots with it. 10/10 The waterfall beef salad was also a 10/10. It was tossed in this thai fish sauce vinaigrette and we chased every night with the fresh basil and cabbage. I just really love how everything was hot, fresh and presented beautifully. 10/10 will be dining here again. read more

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BOMMMMB! I feel blessed to have Thai food local to Santee. I hope they stay! The service is so nice and fast, they're really nice. Parking lot is huge with tons of parking. Would recommend! read more

Gen Thai Street Food - Thai Near Me - Santee, California

Really enjoyed my yellow curry and mango sticky rice. 10/10. (And that's how I personally judge a Thai restaurant.) Unfortunately, other people in our to-go order did not have a positive experience. Someone ordered a Waterfall salad with a 9/10 heat and felt like it was a 2/10 heat. Another agreed his was not got enough to be a 5/10. Also, one of our sticky rice orders was well undercooked. Sad. I always try a place twice just in case there were kitchen issues.. so we'll be back and I'll update. read more

Delicious food! Great service! Will definitely be back! The wings were very flavorful, the yellow curry was amazing, and the chicken house fried rice was tasty. Loved how fresh the mango sticky rice was. Lastly the Thai Tea was delicious, lots of flavor as well as I've had bland ones before, this was great! Also week days they have a $3 Thai tea and spring roll combo add on to any entree, totally worth it! Location is a bit of a hidden gem, the decor is very pretty, I love all of the frames with plants in it! Also there is plenty of parking around the area! read more

Gen Thai Street Food - Mango Sweet Sticky Rice With Mango - Thai Near Me - Santee, California

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Had a great experience here! The shrimp Pad Thai was very tasty, and the shrimp tasted fresh and perfectly cooked. The restaurant was very clean inside, which made the whole dining experience even better. Our server was incredibly friendly and attentive. Overall, everything was excellent--will definitely be coming back! read more

Gen Thai Street Food - Thai Near Me - Santee, California

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My wife enjoyed the rice. She liked it the most out of all the Thai places she's ever been to so I do recommend this place cause I enjoy the food too. read more

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I ordered a couple lunch specials online to pick up and walked into an extremely clean,quaint dining room w the most amazing aromas!! There was a very sweet woman behind the counter to greet me. I got home to an amazing meal!! The food was so hot, fresh and spicy! We got exactly what we hoped for! The lunch specials include 3 small fried veg rolls and drink, it's only $2 to upgrade to large Thai Iced tea. The portions were great and we loved the drunken noodles and the Kala crispy chicken!! The chicken had a nice crispiness too it and I was happy it wasn't overly sweet. I'm so happy to have this little east county gem!! 10/10 read more

This place is a hidden gem and once it's discovered... I found this completely by accident as I went there to see the previous occupants of the space. I'm so happy I decided to go in and give this a try. I've been 4 times so far and everything I've tried is really good. Made to order, fresh ingredients and the flavors - wow. I have had their Crispy Basal Chicken Fried Rice and and a few of the Curries and they are fantastic. I highly recommend you try this place and it's one of those local gems that you really need to support to keep it going. read more

Been wanting to try Gen for a while and happy we did. First and foremost don't expect this place to sit you serve you in the traditional way. You go up and order and pay. Everything is served on disposable plates and utensils. Smart as this cuts down on staff and water and energy. This doesn't make the food any less delicious and I'm sure this is why the prices are more reasonable than other places. We ordered the Crab Pad Thai, Crab Omelette over rice and Drunken Noodles with shrimp. The service was quick! We got our food in less than 10 minutes. Everything was so good! I don't know what I was expecting.. maybe bland noodles? Tasteless crab?! Nope! All of it was full of flavor and they didn't water it down. A number 3 was really a number 3. A kick of spice but not overpowering. The wide noodles on the Drunken noodles were perfectly cooked with that wok heat that you expect! The sauce in the pad Thai was especially delicious. It want over sauced or under sauced. It highlighted the crab nicely. The crab omelette was equally as good! Both crab dishes also was filled with crab. It's a tiny place with some seats inside. The counter lady was exceptionally nice! Also got the mango sticky rice and it was amazing and a perfect sweeet treat for a filling lunch! Can't wait bro go back for the curry and the fried fish! read more

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Always delicious. Spice level I choose is always right on. People working are so friendly.

Absolutely phenomenal. The people here are very nice and attentive. The food quality is outstanding, so far the best yellow curry that I have had in San Diego. The service is pretty quick and the small shop makes for a cozy eating experience. read more

4/1/2026 - out first time here. Limited spots to eat inside. Order at the register, sit down, the food is delivered. Throw away items when you leave. Food on paper plates with plastic utensils I assume to keep cost down. Ordered several items, no receipt given. Food was good. Would have been 5 stars but they didn't ring up the tofu and went back to ask what the status of that order was. Register employee pulled it up and didn't charge us, so no harm done. We didn't order the tofu since we thought it was still coming. Suggestion is the register person needs to repeat back what we order and provide a receipt. We actually went there just for the tofu. We would have caught their error to try the tofu. See photos. Not sure if we would go back there. Also, the blinds don't block the sun, direct sunlight hitting most all the tables at open. The Thai Crab Omlette. About 2 eggs over white rice. I was expecting more crab since we went to Thailand and it's about a 3 egg Omlette full of crab in Thailand. Plenty of parking since it is in a Food 4 Less parking lot. Nice and clean inside. read more

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Gen Thai in Santee just opened today, and I think I might have been their very first customer! You'd never know it was their first day, everything was running smoothly, the service was friendly and the food came out hot and perfectly cooked. We tried the Crispy Basil Chicken, Pad See Ew, and Pra Ram with Chicken. All were delicious! Great flavor and spice, perfectly cooked, and really generous portions. The Crispy Basil Chicken was my favorite, crispy, full of basil and spice, and just really well done. The restaurant is clean and has a great vibe. It's awesome to have a quality Thai spot in Santee, and this one's off to a fantastic start. I'll definitely be back soon. read more

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Really delicious Thai food. I spent a couple months in Thailand last year and can honestly say some of the dishes here are equal or better to many I tried over the course of my visit. Panang and phad see ew were delicious. The tom kha soup was possibly the best one I have ever tried. The fresh spring rolls were also massive and really tasty. Will be back and highly recommend! Best Thai food in the area now that Sab E Lee is gone. read more

We ordered three appetizers two salads, three main dishes and mango sticky rice for dessert. For the appetizers, we ordered the crab Rangoon's, we had egg rolls, and we had the Thai spring rolls.... I really enjoyed the amount of crunch that was in the Thai spring rolls.. and since I'm allergic to dairy, I did not touch the crab Rangoon's except my daughter loves them so we always order them. The eggrolls were small but tasty. I get Som Tom salad. And I got it about an eight and I asked them to make it a true eight and not lighten it up and it was a true 8 it was awesome. Greet crispy vegetables, not overly powering with the fish sauce just the right amount of lime. My daughter got the Yum Nuah salad. I tasted it and it was OK. It wasn't anything to write home about. I thought the beef was a little too thick in some cuts . for the main dishes we got pad Thai, drunken noodles, and one of their specials udon kee mao. I really enjoyed the drunken noodles and the special more than the pad Thai however, my daughter thought the pad Thai was just fine... and then we got mango sticky rice of course which was delicious. I also got the lunch special that came with a drink so we got the Thai tea. The service was great. Very helpful when asking for suggestions. It's just a little place with a few tables and chairs. But it was clean and I would go there again. read more

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FOOD : 8/10 ; food was good and full of flavors . Beef was properly seasoned and cooked a long with the egg. Pad Thai was also good and flavorful . Crab Rangoon were not it, tasted as they weren't hand made iyk . Fried pork were the best, super flavorful and delicious SERVICE : 6/10 ; only reason the rate is low is due to the low count of staff and high waiting time to get attended . This place has potential in growing if they would hire more front desk workers and maybe only be take out .. for dine in it seem a little to crowded. AMBIANCE : 6/10 ; Same reasons as service . This place was wonderful and my stomach was thankful for the wonderful food I got to try out but I just couldn't get over the waiting period for anything and everything. To get an order in took 30 minutes then to get any extra accommodations took an extra 15 minutes again due to the low staff (employees) available. read more

Gen Thai Street Food - Thai Iced Tea Mango Iced Tea - Thai Near Me - Santee, California

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This is currently the best Thai food in Santee. I've lived here for many years, and Thai Thai was our go to, but their prices just became way too high, so I started searching. Gen Thai is even better, and their prices are very reasonable in today's climate. I've ordered from here several times and it's all been great. Their noodles are always perfectly cooked, not mushy and overdone like some places. Flavors are complex and just the right amount of heat at a 5. Crab Rangoons, Drunken Noodles, Pad se Ew, Pad Thai, Green Curry, Pad Grapow, Crispy Basil Chicken and Garlic Wings. All are a must try. read more

This is my second time in less than a week ordering food from Gen Thai (if that tells you anything!). Today I ordered (again) pork jerky and, like before, it was excellent. I love their tamarind sauce! I also ordered pad grapow (with pork & extra egg). It was delicious as well. I'm so glad to have found Gen Thai and I look forward to visiting them again. read more

Great new addition to Santee! Owners/staff are welcoming, and warm. The food was delicious...simply outstanding! Specifically the Kai kwa soup was the best I have ever had! Drunken noodles, out of this world. The menu is different than most traditional USA Thai restaurants but in a good way. Highly recommend! read more

Nice little spot, just did a walk in the food was great service was fast and friendly.

The place itself is welled kept. I believe it's fairly new just from going off the vibrancy of the painting of the walls and tables. The cashier was hospitable and prompt. The food itself was good. I can only speak on their Pad See Ew. The noodles for the dish had a nice bite to them but were still able to soak up the flavors from the vegetables and meat. My only critique would be I thought it'd been spicier (which I love) since I told them 8 out of 10 for spice level. Ain't a dealbreaker at all by any means. I'll still head back and check out their other items. read more

We got drunken noodles and pad Thai. Both were good. They have a lot of clearly marked vegetarian and vegan options. I'm interested to try more items. The place looked clean and new and service was friendly. read more

We tried Gen Thai tonight based on all the positive reviews. Sadly, we were not impressed at all. The Fried Tofu was literally tasteless. I ordered the Beef Drunken Noodles and my husband ordered beef Pad Thai. Both dishes lacked flavor and most importantly, the beef was really tough, 80% of it not edible. Dinner with tip was $47 for basically noodles. Service was good and it is clean inside. The ladies were nice. The food quality was just very disappointing. read more

Gen Thai Street Food - Pad Thai, beef also very tough. - Thai Near Me - Santee, California

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FINALLY some good Thai food in Santee. I'm still eating and had to add a review before I ate it all. This is officially our new Thai spot. We will be coming back at least once a week. read more

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Restaurant is small but very clean. Ordered something off a poster and it was really good. The food was fresh and cooked to order. I'm glad I stopped by and can't wait to explore the menu. read more

My favorite Thai restaurant in Santee! The service is always fantastic and the large portions are so fresh and flavorful. I love the chicken pad Thai and we have loved all the curries we've tried. read more

I just went last night and it won't be the last! I enjoyed the casual atmosphere along side with very fine cookin! Prices and servings were on point and the service was genuine. Can't wait to go back! read more

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