We ordered takeout I absolutely loved the food! By all means, I have no idea what authentic Thai food tastes like and have always been hesitant to try more Thai restaurants after one bad experience. But Karuna's food really surprised me! My favorite was the Tom Yum soup! The flavor was so complex yet clean, with a nice citrusy kick and nice herbal touch-ups. Both the Pineapple curry and the pad see ew were a bit too sweet for me, but I'm not going to complain because we ordered mild for the spice level. The Yum Woon Sen (glass noodle dish) and the Koo Ch were surprisingly delicious! I thought the glass noodles would be too dry, but they were SO flavorful and refreshing. We didn't dine in, so I can't comment on the service quality, but I would 100% order take out again. read more

Karuna's Thai Plate - Tom yum, Pad See Ew, Pineapple Curry, Koo Ch, Yum Woon Sen - Thai Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

It is difficult to find good authentic Thai food in Tucson. Karunas is the only Thai restaurant that I trust. It has never failed me. The people who work there are extremely kind people and are always welcoming. I have gone here countless amounts of times and every time the food tastes great. This place is consistent and affordable. I recommend!! read more

Amazing Thai Food. Best in Tucson in my opinion. Always coming back for more. Love all the food there but the Pad Thai is my favorite. read more

Karuna's Thai Plate - Thai Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

We moved here 2 years ago. One of our top favorite cuisines is Thai food. Our friend who has lived here 35 years said "there's no good thai in Tucson ". So we didn't even really try and look for Thai food: Too bad we waited two years to find Karuna's! We did take out tonight for the first time and the food was in the top 2-3 Thai restaurants we have eaten at. Fresh lemon grass and Galangal root in the Tom Ka soup was the introduction to an excellent meal! They were extra busy tonight due to the gem show being in town the order took 35 minutes. The young woman who checked us out at the register was so sweet and obviously tired from her busy night. Impressed with her care for customer service even in difficult conditions. If anyone tells you, there's no good thai and Tucson tell them about this restaurant! read more

It's hard to beat the price of this place! Went here on a Friday night and had the place to myself. Staff was friendly and got our order in right away. The salad was good with a little kick of spice in it. The pad Thai was a bit on the sweet side for me but I still enjoyed it. I also got a Thai iced tea which was from a can and not homemade like it says on their menu. But the server did warn me when I ordered that it was from a can. Over all I think I got what I payed for. read more

Karuna's Thai Plate - Salad - Thai Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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Love Karuna's Thai! After a break in 2021, I am often found here with friends for homey Thai food in Tucson. With the closure of 4 Seasons, Karuna's is the only spot left that scratches that itch! I love the Pad See Ew noodles, Green Curry, and the fresh spring rolls. Pad Thai is also an American classic and very good. Wouldn't shy away from trying anything. Service is efficient and attentive. Don't expect lengthy conversations or personalized details. There is always people and usually a line so be warned. Parking is also a bit small for the size of the establishments in the building so you might have to park across the street in the un-signed lot. read more

Love this place! I don't mind sitting inside but usually do take out and the food is just as good! Everyone is friendly and service is usually very quick. read more

Delicious and authentic Thai food which has been a main stay around the University campus. Great service but small family run establishment so expect to wait especially on busy weekends. Recently remodeled interior. Food is always good and a solid Thai choice. read more

We walked in, were told to pick a table. After 25 minutes no one had come over to us (but people who came in after us were getting served). We just walked out. Terrible, terrible service. read more

New LUNCH hours!!! Open 11:30 am Tuesday- Friday. Always a good idea to call first, as with any restaurant. read more

Karuna's Thai Plate - Now OPEN FOR LUNCH!!! Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. - Thai Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

We got shrimp pad Thai and chicken pad see ewe. Both in mild. Both were phenomenal. Great sauces and flavor. Will be going back! read more

Karuna's Thai Plate - shrimp pad Thai and chicken pad see ewe - Thai Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Karuna's has been a log-time favorite of mine, and believe me, we suffered when the truck hit the wall at Grant and Campbell and temporarily closed down the best Thai eatery in Tucson! But that's history now. Their preparation, ingredients and final entrees are spot-on authentic and couldn't be tastier. This is one of Tucson's, soon to be, not-best kept secrets. read more

Omg! Tom Kah Gai (lemongrass coconut Thai soup) is divine!!! They have a bunch of dishes but this here I crave 3 times a week and are the ONLY ones in tucson who does it right. I love it with chicken! Too hot for the summer, nope, the owner keeps the restaurant super cold so you can enjoy soup anytime! Everything is always super fresh! Service is great and never have I been discharged, always precise! If you are looking for super healthy, ditch the rice! Best dish for any diet and health restrictions. read more

Best Pad Thai in Tucson, AZ. Hands down! I would recommend having the Tofu or Chicken Pad Thai and the steamed veggies. read more

Karuna's is a small Thai place right on Campbell and Grant that can easily be missed. They seem to have mixed reviews on Yelp, mostly regarding take out orders and service. Can't comment on the take out, but here's my experience. The space is small and decor nonexistent. Service was really friendly but the food was a bit slow coming out. As for food, I highly recommend the Tom Kha (it's a generous bowl). They have a chicken and a vegetarian version with tofu. It is hands down the best Tom Kha I've ever had and I will return just for the soup. You can see giant chunks of lemon grass and galangal so you know it's legit. Just don't eat them ;) I also tried the pineapple fried rice which was okay. I was not at all impressed by the pad kee mao. It was super sweet and really had no other flavor. So 5++++ stars for the tom kha. Otherwise, it's alright. I will definitely be returning for the soup and may try some other noodle dishes. read more

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Great, amazing food. Clean but tiny. Nice employees. Arrived at opening on Saturday and waited for 50 minutes for food, but it was worth the wait. Parking lot is confusing. read more

Hands down the best Pad Thai in America!!! The owner is the nicest person and so glad they are still open.. I have loved coming here for the last few years. I always drove by but never stopped and glad I eventually tried the place. It's a hidden Gem!! read more

Karuna's Thai Plate - I didn't give myself a chance to take a pic of the Pad Thai.. But snapped my friend's lo mein. - Thai Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

Greatest in Tucson. Food is some of the best that I have found. There is usually seating.

I am so torn leaving this review, but after today, we decided we needed to. We do enjoy the food here - the Pad Thai is some of the best in Tucson. However, the service is particularly poor. More than once, we have shown up and placed an order right when then open only to have several parties who have arrived later be served first solely because they were dining in. For a called-in take out order, sure, I understand the need to triage this way. However, with patrons waiting in person for over forty mins for two entrees, I find this really poorly managed and a disappointing way to treat your customers. Unfortunately, this was not a one-off and has happened on multiple occasions for us. Lesson learned - we'll look for another business to support. read more

Worth the time/gas to drive somewhere else... Here's my honest review and why I'm not going back. I tried to love this place, I really tried, I moved to Tucson while they were closed, had heard great things so I was excited to eat there when they reopened. I've ordered a few different things from the menu over the last year, and I have to say, it was good in the beginning but has really gone down hill quickly . When the wait for a to go order was an hour and a half the food was fantastic, but recently, to go orders only have a 15 minute wait but the foods not very good. As the quality of food and flavor have gone down over the year, the prices have equally gone up and up and up. They have no high chairs so beware if you've got a toddler and are eating in. I've actually gone twice with my toddler who loves mild chicken pad Thai but I did notice she didn't eat much of what we were served yesterday so we took a lot of left overs home. Over the year never have two orders of pad Thai tasted the same, some are spicier some are saltier, some come with very little chicken, and some come with really bad green onion cuts. The noodles are sadder then before and I think they look like they were sitting cooked and in a pot for hours. The sauces have gotten progressively darker with less and less flavor. Their Thai tea is diabetes in a cup. When I order tea with take out I cut it with 50% milk at home before it's drinkable. So on to why yesterday was our last visit, and our last time trying to love a spot that's never really lived up to the hype. So while out and about today I happened to be close by a different shop. I was curious so I ordered the same thing we had last night, and took the order home. Side by side the other shop was 100OX better. The noodles, the flavor, the toppings, the color, the tea, the freshness, the flavor, simply everything was better. So with great sadness we're saying bye to Karunas, and vowing to drive farther away for our monthly pad Thai take out. read more

Karuna's is open again after a year long closure! If you didn't know, last September (2021) a garbage truck crashed into the restaurant, causing their year long closure. As of October 8, 2022, Karuna's was/is accepting cash only, no call in orders. We ordered takeout in person. Our order of three Pad Thai, two spring rolls and one yellow curry took 45 minutes. The long wait and cash only experience were not ideal. The restaurant was packed with dine-in customers and folks ordering takeout. Their pad thai is probably my favorite in Tucson. It's not to sweet or dry. It's just right! I found the yellow curry to be a little too sweet for my personal taste. I ordered it with beef and also did not enjoy the texture of meat. It was on the tough side. I likely will not order the yellow curry again, but will return for the pad thai and to try other dishes for a dine in experience. read more

Called in a to go order, we have eaten here before and the food has been good but always a long wait. This time I called was told 1 hour 10min wait for to go, I assumed it would be a while so I had called ahead. No problem, placed order. Sent my partner to pick it up 1 hour 15minutes later; the food was not ready and told another 10 min wait. Ran to the grocery store to pick up a few items and returned 15 minutes later to be told the food will take another 30 minutes... bringing the wait to 2 hours. After a rude interaction at the counter and hearing from the other customers in line and seated that they had been waiting for over 2 hours we, canceled our food and will not be returning read more

I was recommended this spot from some friends who claimed Karuna's is the best Thai place in Tucson! It did not disappoint. Service was great. Host and server were very friendly. Perfect date night spot. Parking was not the most intuitive for me, I ended up with a short walk which I'm fine with. I enjoyed my dish and I will definitely be back to try more plates. read more

Probably some of the best Thai food here in Tucson! Small spot with some serious big flavors. The prices are right and food portions are spot on! The service was amazing and staff super friendly. Love the vibe of this place - so comfortable to sit and eat while chatting with good company! read more

Very Delicious Thai Cuisine. Recommended for years by friends and family. What a Surprise. My Pad Woon Sen exploded with Flavor. Lots of Vegetarian and Gluten Free Options. My Wife's Yellow Curry was Exceptional! Decor is New and Sanitary. Incredible Service! read more

Love this place...... we get the spring rolls with peanut sauce We get the Tom law (sp) soup with tofu .....medium spice...... occasionally one curry .... Always fresh.... Service ... busy but nice read more

We visited during the gem show week and the dining room is small. They have a thriving business with lots of locals coming in to dine and placing carry out orders. We had a brief wait for a table. Service was fast and the food was really, really good!!! The vegetable spring rolls were to die for and my steak/noodle dish was a white sauce (don't remember the name, sorry) was delicious. This is a great place to eat!!! read more

Karuna's Thai Plate would get six stars from me for the food. It is three and half stars. I had to find out why. One two star review was about the buffet. The other one star rating were about take out. One gave them one start because they did not answer the phone. The other two concerned the demands of the woman at the counter who demanded tips for take-out. All the dishes were well balanced and complex. The coconut soup was hot, but allowed the other flavors to come through. Fried wantons appeared flattened making them easy to eat, and the dough chewy, instead of pasteboard crisp as other Asian eateries would serve them. The red curry was hot, with plenty of bamboo shoots and other vegetables and sauce, which was so flavorful when, put over the moist and steamy rice. Karuna's is hard to spot from the road. The parking lot, when traveling on the same side of the road as the restaurant, comes before the bistro. The bathroom is clean and the service, provided by a young man, was pleasant. Order from the menu, you'll give it six stars. read more

Karuna's Thai Plate - Coconut Soup - Thai Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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I wished I had tried this place sooner. We originally were going to dine in but chose takeout instead. Although they were extremely busy, the lady handling the take out orders was extremely kind and even made jokes. We ordered Crispy Pork Wonton, BBQ Pork with Rice, Chicken Satay, and the Roasted Duck over Rice. We waited 25 minutes, but she warned us ahead of time based on how busy they were and the dishes that we ordered. The depth and the balance of flavors is something I've never experienced with Thai food. The Roasted Duck comes with veggies and its in a broth that is divine. You taste a hint of sweet, the roasted veggies, the duck. I think I did a happy dance with every bite. The food was absolutely delicious, satisfying, and filling. The staff made my visit a memorable one. It is worth any wait time, and perfectly priced for what you get. read more

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Thanks to a dear friend for recommending this amazing spot! Today I enjoyed the $8 lunch buffet. The selection is perfectly diverse, with a variety of curry, fried rice, and noodle options. Meat eaters and vegans will be satisfied alike. Everything is gluten free and there is even a low carb veggie option. Spring rolls, sauces, and fruit tie the meal together. For such a small place there were plenty of open tables as diners came and went. Simple decor with bamboo on each table and a bhuddic statue bring a charming feel to this wonderful Thai restaurant. read more

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Definitely one of my go to favorites! It is usually packed on weekend nights and may take a bit longer to get order, but well worth the wait. I do miss the lunch buffet read more

Best Thai food in town! Everything is amazing. Highly recommend the pad Thai, yellow curry, and soups

This is our favorite Thai in Tucson (after sampling across the city!) Their curries are flavorful and delicious and their pad see ew was also delicious, saucy and full of great ingredients! They're also really nice and orders are ready super fast! read more

Best Thai food in Tucson! I love their curries especially but everything is wonderful.

Cute little hole in the wall and the food was amazing! I had the pad see ew and my husband had pad Thai and we both enjoyed our meals. Looking forward to coming back to try the curry. read more

Best Thai Tea in town. I love Pad Thai but the star of their restaurant is the Pla Chu Chee curry.

When the tables are all full you know it's the place to eat. The food was amazing! I would go back again!

First time here, and I loved the food! Got the fried rice cake appetizer, Pad See Ew, and a Panang Curry. The service was warm and friendly, and they gave some great recommendations for us. the Pad See Ew was definitely my favorite and I already want to go back! read more

My friends and I always pass by this place but never got a chance to try it out until today! Food was amazing and the Tom yum soup made for a great appetizer to start our meal with it's tangy lemongrass and fragrant, mouth watering smell. The curries were also a must try along with the pad thai and pad kee mao which had plenty of veggies! My friend also got their Thai tea and you could really taste the tea in perfect balance with everything else. All in all a great experience for us and we will definitely be coming back with more of our friends!! read more

Karuna's Thai Plate - #29 Pad Thai, #14 Tom Yum soup, #53 Chuchee filet of cod, #35 Pad Kee Mao - Thai Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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Nice Thai place that's hard to spot. It's on a corner, but is overlooked due to the pizza place next door being better marked. I ordered the Pad Gra Prow and a chicken curry soup. These were well prepared, but I was suprised the pad gra dish was ground beef and not sliced beef pieces. I ordered Thai hot and it was hot which was great. My takeout order was well packed to prevent potential spilling. The parking lot is tucked to the east and not as obvious. Overall good Thai food and fast, friendly service. read more

Karuna's Thai Plate - Take out was packed well. - Thai Near Me - Tucson, Arizona

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