Krua Thai is by no small margin my favorite restaurant in the Monterey area. When I first moved here I was amazed at how mediocre the food was at many restaurants, but Krua Thai has never disappointed. I've been to the restaurant many times and sampled a good portion of their menu and loved every single dish. My favorites are the panang and mussaman curries as well as the golden chicken fried rice. They have specials these days too, usually a dish called Khao Soi, and it is delicious as well. The servers are always attentive to us and make sure everything is good even though we have never had an issue or made a complaint. They treat us like friends and are happy to see us every time. Also, the prices are reasonable for the quality and portion sizes as well. It's not a cheap, budget meal, but you more than get what you pay for. I've read a few other reviews about the staff being rude which I have never seen if you're calm and reasonable with them. Their "rudeness" is more like they don't tolerate entitlement and mistreatment of their employees, so if you treat them like people rather than servants you should be fine. read more

I know it that guy will give ( my friend and I was there ) this review We was there right front of the door, which means we get the last table they available. We heard all the conversations, he told them very friendly we are full house and we don't have a table for 45 minutes. Wife of the guy stars to talk very rude to hime and guess what you get when you're rude with people. We did enjoy our food, it was great service they few times checked on us to be make sure we are ok. If you looking for very good and delicious Thai food this is the place. Remember just be kind with people. read more

so good, I tried to go back but it was a Sunday and they were closed. still thinking about the crab cheese with plum sauce. service was a little slow but didnt notice as much being in good company. they also forgot my side of rice. read more

Best Thai food in Monterey. We have had Thai in major places like Silicon Valley, New York and Seattle. This is the best in quality and flavor. read more

Coastal driving from LA to San Francisco today. We haven't eating yet, until we reached the Monterey area. As you enter, you're asked to use the hand sanitizer and not to remove your mask until the food is served. Our service helper was Ms. Pavi. She's been very helpful and able to address our needs in a timely manner. Food was great! We ordered two soups, Pad Thai, fried rice with chicken, and beef salad. The beef salad though was a little salty. But, overall , everything was perfect! Thai tea was a plus. I just hope they have boba. Restroom was located outside with the code. Ample parking for everyone. I highly recommend this place. read more

See all

My family and I have been coming here for years, and each time, I fall in love with their food over and over again. The service is stellar, and the owner is a delight. I recommend this place with no hesitation. read more

Went for a friend's birthday had a very large group of 25. Staff was extremely attentive not only to us but the rest of a the very busy restaurant. Best Thai food Ive had locally in a very long time. They have all the classics, some of their own signature dishes, menu is not too overwhelming and big, and the food is delicious, fresh and reasonably priced. Great location, plenty of parking, not a very big place but plenty of tables. Get there early or plan to wait. Not sure if they take reservations. They have a really nice website and menu online which I love. I always like to look ahead to decide what I want! Will definately be back! read more

Loved the sticky rice Mango! Mango was so fresh and sweet! The rice and the coconut cream was amazing and delicious as well!!

Pretty mid now. The recipes and everything about this place has changed. Just another ordinary Thai place these days. Not going any more here. read more

Always good. Many choices for the family. Try the soup. Friendly service. Relaxed atmosphere. A must try place.

Medium spicy drunken noodle and papaya salad (Laos style) were hands down the BEST!! I used to go here while in business school. I still go back a few times a year and as always, this would be my go to for Thai food. Best place in the peninsula ! read more

Very delicious food! Best Thai food in the area. Quick service, clean facilities, extremely pleasant dining experience.

This is where I am getting my Thai food fix from now on. I got the spicy chicken pad se ew with a few modifications. I got it spicy with extra egg and veggies added. It was delicious!!!. read more

Krua Thai Restaurant - Spicy Pad Se Ew w/ extra egg + veggies - Thai Near Me - Monterey, California

I've lived in Monterey area for over 25 years and, in my opinion, this is the best Thai Restaurant in the area. I always enjoy the food and have never had a problem with the service or the attitudes of the servers. There have been occasions when they are busy and, typically, they apologize for the wait. I also appreciate the cleanliness of the premises. There are several Thai restaurants closer to me but this one's worth the extra few minutes traveling. read more

The green curry was truly the best I've ever had and Thai food is a favorite. Their take on a mild level of spice was perfect and the owner was lovely. I think part of a problem they have is that they're a bit of a hidden gem. Otherwise- perfect. It was nice to have a quiet dinner, though with only 6 tables full. All patrons seemed happy! read more

We came for dinner to a full restaurant. The server was super rude. Told me and my kids to wait outside because he needed to concentrate and we couldn't stand in the waiting area. We were not very loud but apparently having kids was not appreciated. So rude. read more

Pros: fresh food Cons: food was insipid / not very welcoming place, mediocre service / expensive read more

Happened to see this restaurant as I was driving by. Checked out the past reviews and decided to come back for dinner. Wasn't that hungry so I only ordered apetitizers. The chicken satay was very good - juicy and not overcooked (as so often happens). The Tom Kha Gai (coconut chicken) soup was very flavorful. All the staff was very friendly and accommodating. The older man (I believe the owner) went out of his way to be appreciative for the business. I highly recommend if you need a Thai food fix. BTW, I'm always amused by those diners who ask for chopsticks at Thai restaurants, wanting to show they are cool because they are eating "authentically". If they ever visited Thailand, they'd find that the fork and spoon at the table are the authentic Thai utensils, not chopsticks! Rather than looking cool by asking for chopsticks, they just look smug and pretentious. read more

Krua Thai Restaurant - Tom Kha Gai (coconut chicken) soup - Thai Near Me - Monterey, California

See all

Great local Thai food. I love the chu chee trout. Lovely location with plenty of natural light. Friendly staff.

Really appreciated the hospitality from the staff. spice can be added on the side if you aren't sure of the heat level given but it's on a 1-5 scale (5 being the spiciest). To give you an idea, I usually add hot sauce, chili, etc to my meals and can handle the medium spice level. I got a spice level 3 for my chicken panang curry and was able to eat it without a problem - kinda wish I pushed it to a 4! Flavor for the chicken pad see ew was good. You can really taste the sweetness added to the savory dish. Vegetables tasted extremely fresh. The cup size for soups are good for an individual, and bowl size are good for two - per the staff Tom kha gai soup was delicious and flavorful with a strong coconut hint to it. The place is small so I wasn't sure if the Seating inside looked at capacity for the pandemic or if that's how it usually is but the tables were distanced definitely worth a go if you're in the Monterey area and craving Thai food read more

See all

Everything was amazing! Party of 6 and they seated us quickly even though they were busy. They explained everything patiently and were super nice! The food was flavorful and the side of chili was the right amount of heat! Everything was freshly made! The owner checked in on us (and every other table) and was super friendly! 10/10! We highly recommend this place! We forgot to take picture of our food! It was too good not to dig into it right away! read more

Simply fantastic. I travel to Monterey for a trade show annually, and this is the second year in a row my crew has come here multiple nights in a row because it's delicious. The staff is friendly, welcoming, and the food is great. What more do you need? read more

This place is fantastic! Not only was the food superb but the service was impeccable. Hats off to the owner/chef and owner/manager. They have a wonderful restaurant that's quite the find if you already like excellent Thai food or if you want to try it for the first time. You can't go wrong with anything you order. The pineapple fried rice I ordered was amazing. I added shrimp and there was enough shrimp for every bite. It had just the right amount of curry and was so full of flavor. We started out with egg rolls and wontons. Both appetizers were perfect. The meals my friends ordered (chow mein with shrimp and a dish with tofu that I can't remember the name of) looked just as fabulous as mine and we all enjoyed every bite. The owner/manager checked on us throughout the evening to make sure we loved our dining experience and was extremely charming. We were made to feel very welcome and our server Kim made sure everything was to our liking. I can't say enough great things about Krua Thai. I'm definitely going back several more times while I'm town. read more

We ordered lunch takeout since we were staying across the street at Casa Munras hotel for our short road trip. I ordered via phone, one pad kee mao with chicken medium spicy, and husband got pad thai with tofu, mild. Total came out to ~$30+ and about 20min wait. The portions and prices were standard, very comparable to what most Thai places are charging nowadays. The ease of ordering and wait time is a solid 4 stars, but we were left underwhelmed with the foods. I have high standards being Thai and I cook Thai/Laos foods at home, we had a feeling the foods would be catered to the American demographics in the area. The pad kee mao did not have a wok hei taste to it - it tasted and looked like it was just sautee in the pan. It was soggy, with wet liquid remaining, a bit soupy at the end. Very odd, when I make pad kee mao the sauces usually get glazed with the sugar, leaving no liquid behind. The noodles also tasted REALLY sweet, with lack of flavoring from any sauces (tasted a small hint of fish sauce) but it was just overly sweet for my taste. The spicy level was OK, had a bit of a kick. We got a side of hot sauce - it was good but I think they mixed the chili garlic sauce with sweet chili sauce. Or at least that's what it tasted like. I was hoping it'd be fish sauce with thai peppers (authentic way most Thai/Laos folks eat hot sauce). My husband's pad thai was much worse than my dish - it tasted nothing like pad thai. I couldn't taste any tamarind... it tasted more like Chinese stir fry noodles thats overly sweet? We were confused what it was supposed to be. I was left embarrassed with the meal since it was my idea to grab Thai food to go. If you want Americanized version of Thai foods that's more on the sweeter side, definitely come here. read more

This was by FAR the WORST dining experience I've ever had. This is an absolute joke! They **FORCED** us to tip--can you believe that?! I've never seen such an outrageous, disrespectful policy in all my years of dining out. Tipping is supposed to be based on service, not some mandatory fee slapped on without any regard for the customer's choice. The nerve of this place is unreal. It ruined the entire meal, and frankly, I'm still fuming. You can't just bully people into tipping--especially when the service wasn't even worth it! I've never felt so ripped off and disrespected in a restaurant. Do yourself a favor and stay FAR away from this place. I wouldn't step foot in here again if they paid me! read more

After walking around Cannery Row on a chilly day, having Thai food at Krua Thai really warmed us right up! We came to visit our friends who just moved to Monterey and we just love Asian food, so I'm glad we found this place thanks to Yelp! Krua Thai is just a short drive from Cannery Row and has its own private parking lot. It's nicely decorated inside with many elephant artworks. They checked our temperature and seated us right away. We loved everything that we ordered: - Tom yum noodle soup with shrimp - rad nah with tofu - kee mao noodles with beef - fried tofu appetizer - chicken satay appetizer They asked us how spicy we wanted for each dish and we decided a 2 or 3 is spicy enough out of a spice level of 10. Our rad nah was a 3 and it had a good kick of spice already, I can't imagine what 10 would be. If you don't usually eat spicy foods, stick with a 1 or 2. The food was delicious and authentic. We ate it family style and shared everything. It was the perfect meal on a cold day. I'd highly recommend! read more

From our roadtrip from LA up to Big Sur, our first meal in Monterey was here. I was excited because I saw all the positive reviews about this place. LA has thai food places left, right so I had higher expectations. We got the pad see ew, pad kra pao, and beef noodle soup. Personally, I liked the beef pad see ew! It was tasty and was slightly/decently spicy with medium level spicy. My family and I weren't a fan of the chicken pad kra pao and the beef noodle soup. Also, the food portions were on the smaller side. I did really like their thai iced tea though. For everything covid, they had indoor and outdoor seating (but that day was extra chilly so we went for indoor). They checked your temperature before you were seated, which is nice. Also, they don't allow more than 5 people seated at one table. They provide hand sanitizer! Their service was A1 amazing! They were so friendly, welcoming, and attentive. I wish all restaurant employees were this great! read more

I grabbed takeout here while traveling for work in Monterey, intrigued by the pumpkin curry on their menu. A coworker had recommended it to me saying "it's different from the Curry we have in Indiana." Since I was staying nearby, I went to the restaurant and placed my order onsite. They were very accommodating to do so. They told me a quick 15 minute wait so I walked around a few nearby blocks to pass the time. When I got back, they were kind enough to ask if I was staying in a hotel. When I said yes, they gave me a bowl and a few things in my bag to make eating the curry a little easier. The pumpkin was delicious! I ordered medium hot and it was the right level of spice and every bite was packed with flavor. The rice was perfectly cooked. And it was a good serving that I got two meals from. I will definitely return next time in Monterey. read more

Solid Thai spot. I've only had the curry and dessert, haven't tried the noodle dishes yet. It seems rare to find a Thai restaurant that does both noodles and curries well - stay tuned, I'll be back soon and try a noodle dish. Fingers crossed this is one of those gems - if so I'll upgrade to 5 stars :-) read more

Service was good, food was super tasty and very fresh. Best Thai food I have had! Definitely coming back !!

On a cooler damp day in late august.... (It's Monterey weather) my friends and I decided to seek out some comfort food at Krua Thai. It's an easy walking distance from the hotels by the water. We got in at 7ish trying to get there and seated with time before the normal kitchen close at 8. First up was some Tom gai soup that hit the spot and warmed up my chill. My friend enjoyed her cucumber salad (it's large - and good for a next day leftovers meal). Next we had curries, I went for the pumpkin since it's not something I see on the menu often and I'm glad I did. And thankfully the kitchen didn't wash my spice level (I ordered a 3, I'm not out to die with Thai hot 5, but I like more kick than most basic folks) , so my curry was warm and spicy savory. Made with the red curry base it's a lovely heartwarming and comforting dish. My friend enjoyed her duck curry as well. The restaurant was clean, the host was helpful, and while there was a mix up on our third party members soup as entree that caused a wait, we were stuffed and satisfied. This will be our return to spot for dinner next time we are in the area. read more

Krua Thai Restaurant - Pumpkin Curry - Thai Near Me - Monterey, California

Phenomenal food. Great service . The owners are very nice people they do their best to make you feel welcome. I've been coming here since 4 years and no other Thai food comes close read more

Krua Thai Restaurant - Pad Thai Noodles - Thai Near Me - Monterey, California

This place has really good pad Thai. I would recommend. The staff was nice and food came out very quick.

The best Thai on the Monterey Peninsula! We dined enjoying appetizers, soup, several entrees including curry, noodles,, vegetables and Thai beer. Delicious food and good service. read more

We were pretty skeptical about trying Krua Thai, but a friend mentioned the food was delicious so we thought to give it a try. We ordered for take out on a Saturday night and were told that our food would be ready in 35-45 minutes, but if ready sooner then we'd get a call. I didn't think that'd be something they'd pay close enough attention to, but contrary to what I thought, they did and called me because my food was ready early. The restaurant seemed quite busy, but overall really energetic, bright and clean. We ordered the panang curry, chicken satay and pad thai, which were all great. The first bite of pad thai I had seemed quite bland, but the container just needed to be mixed around a little bit to disperse all the flavor. We'll definitely be returning! read more

Love eating here! The portions are big so me and my classmates used to cons here after class and split meals! Ordering the tom kha soup to share is the best! Service is nice and there are large tables to sit in big groups! read more

The food is average. The decor and the plating is good but the staff need to be more customer friendly. We waited for 25 min before someone could take our order . The only good food here was the mango sticky rice . I would try other Thai restaurants for better food quality read more

We're in Monteray for 5 days each year. We always end up eating here twice. Delicious food and incredibly nice and considerate staff. Support this place! Smaller dining room, but very comfortable. read more

Food was fresh and good. Salad rolls have a unique tamarind sauce, papaya salad was delicious and had just the right amount of spice. Pad Thai is more of a tamarind base as well with a thin, square noodle. It's not my favorite type of pad Thai but it tasted very good. I added some lime and spice to it. Cute space close to downtown Monterey. read more

See all

Shared 2 lunch specials ($10 each, plus $1 each for brown instead of white rice): Pumpkin Curry with chicken, and Pad Ka Paow (bamboo shoots, carrots, onions, and bell peppers in a chili basil sauce), also with chicken. The lunch came with soup or salad. We tried one each. The salad was good, but the soup was even better. We ordered both as a 4 on their 1-5 spice level, but the waitress kept confusing 4 with 3 (Medium), and that's what ended up on order ticket. Both dishes were great, very flavorful and tasty, so even though we might have liked a bit more heat (the level felt more like 'mild' than even 'medium'), we both enjoyed the food too much to care. Service was fast and friendly. Couldn't ask for better, really. Very good experience overall. read more

See all