Amazing food, very flavorful tom kha (coconut spicy and sour soup), pumpkin curry with nicely fried salmon, and spicy basil noodles (pad kee mao). The hor mok (steamed cod with red curry sauce and veg) were amazing as well. I recommend medium spicy if you can take the heat (you can ask for mild as well). Their lunch specials are great and they have great meat options (cod, salmon are my favorites) and rice options (white, brown, coconut, fried rice for extra). The food comes out fast and the service is great and attentive. Best authentic Thai food on Cal Ave! read more

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I had the green curry here before, and it was decent, so I decided to order takeout and try a couple of other dishes: the vegetarian Thai fried rice and the chicken Pad See Ew. The fried rice was good but nothing particularly memorable. Unfortunately, the Pad See Ew was disappointing. It was dry, the noodles were clumped together, and the chicken was tough and difficult to chew. Overall, it didn't taste very fresh. My order was ready for pickup in about 15 minutes, so the service was quick. The woman who helped me was polite and even stepped away while I paid so I didn't feel hovered over, which I appreciated. I've never dined inside, but the restaurant looked clean and inviting. There is also outdoor seating, which seemed to be where most people were eating. Overall, I was pretty underwhelmed by the food. While the service was pleasant and efficient, the quality of the meal didn't meet my expectations, and I don't plan to return. read more

decent thai place in a super cute area! i ordered for pick up and ate at home. the pad see ew was dry in my opinion, it came with normal broccoli instead of chinese broccoli. there was not much flavor. the pad thai was actually very flavorful and delicious! still on the dry side but this was the preferable dish! i got chicken for both and it was pretty dry. also, both dishes came with raw bean sprouts -- i don't quite understand the reasoning behind that for a to-go order since it's not getting cooked with the rest of the dish. also, i thought the price was a bit high for the quality & amount. each dish was $20. overall, i think there's some room for improvement but still a good spot. read more

Lotus Thai Bistro - pad see ew chicken - Thai Near Me - Palo Alto, California

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We recently got takeout from here after our old neighborhood spot, Siam fine Thai, closed down. We got chicken pad see ew, chicken yellow curry, fresh rolls, and Thai fried rice. We loved all of it except the fresh rolls and thought the portion size was great too. We will definitely be back! read more

Tried out Lotus Thai bistro with my son- was pleasantly surprised. All three dishes tasted very fresh, good flavor, not greasy. Sat outside . The service was great. read more

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I got the Pad See Ew for lunch. After tip and tax, it came out to about $22. It was actually one of the better Pad See Ew noodles I've had. The noodles themselves were seasoned really well, and they offered tasty chili sauce for a little more kick. The noodles were also a really good texture maintaining a good firmness. The sauce was spread very evenly across all surfaces of the noodles. For one person, it was very filling. Service: The server was very friendly, responsive and refilled waters often. The food came out quickly. Great place for lunch. read more

Lotus Thai Bistro - Pad See-Ew - Thai Near Me - Palo Alto, California

I came here one day for lunch and got their lunch special. I got their pumpkin curry with chicken. The order was made quickly even though they were busy taking and preparing orders. The pumpkin curry had a nice red curry flavor with good amount of pumpkin. I opted in to add in chicken as well which was a good addition. Overall, I will come back again to try more dishes. read more

Very tasty food! I'm convinced this is the place I used to get a spicy catfish lunch special when I worked near.. they don't have it any longer, but what we got was great! Try new things see if you can find it here.. read more

Lotus Thai Bistro - Mango spring roll with tamarind like sauce? Very tasty and fresh! - Thai Near Me - Palo Alto, California

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got the pad thai to go, portion size was great for the price, flavor was okay, but probably wouldnt get this dish again, as it definitely wasnt one of the best pad thai's that ive had in the bay area. the chunks of chicken were a good size & tender. would come back & but would try ordering something different next time read more

Lotus Thai Bistro - Pad Thai - Thai Near Me - Palo Alto, California

The food here was satisfying but not super memorable. The yellow curry was decent. The coconut rice was tasty. Pad see ew was standard and the omelette was good. Service was fairly quick and friendly. read more

I'd had take-out a couple of times here during the pandemic, but came back to give it another try. It was not good. Some dishes were fine: the pad thai was decently good. The chicken satay skewers were fine, but the portions somewhat small. The popcorn chicken was a good size, but the excess sauce made them a little soggy. The fried rice, however, was incredibly soggy, so much so that I do not think it can actually be called "fried". Yet somehow, the meat in that dish was dry instead! The massaman curry was the biggest disappointment. It was noticeably sour, and it seemed to be cooked with the same beef slices that go into every other beef dish. If a restaurant does not prep beef cubes/chunks, it should not have massaman curry on the menu. read more

Lotus Thai Bistro - Massaman curry, fried rice, pad thai, popcorn chicken - Thai Near Me - Palo Alto, California

Ordered take out pad thai and red curry and the portions were amazing! The red curry portion was probably almost twice as large as other thai restaurants I've gotten take out at. Great value and felt happy with the meal. read more

Good flavors good food good portion size! Service was good Ordered the eggplant chicken, pad see ew, papaya salad, chicken khao soi. All were great! read more

Lotus Thai Bistro - Eggplant chicken - Thai Near Me - Palo Alto, California

Great spot for Thai food in Palo Alto! Prices are very reasonable compared to the other restaurants on this street and portion sizes are generous. Very friendly and attentive service and cozy restaurant ambiance. Came with a group and tried: - Chicken satay - Thai BBQ pork - Pad curry kee mow with chicken- my favorite dish of the meal, super flavorful and unique dish! - Spicy fried rice with pork Got medium spicy for the latter two dishes and thought it was a good spice level read more

Lotus Thai Bistro - Starting from left, going clockwise: chicken satay, Thai BBQ pork, pad curry kee mow with chicken, spicy fried rice with pork - Thai Near Me - Palo Alto, California

I am someone who prefers burgers and fast food over any sit down but for some odd reason I wanted Thai food that day. So glad that I did. The food was incredible and it came out within 10 minutes of ordering!!! I ordered the pad see ew with beef, crispy spring rolls, and mango rice desert with tea. I would give everything a 12/10. And it was the BEST Thai tea I've ever had. I cannot wait to come back. read more

Lotus Thai Bistro - 5. Fried Spring Roll - Thai Near Me - Palo Alto, California

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Ordered their Kao Soi with fried tofu instead of chicken. The flavor was nice and price was decent. However my partner ordered their noodles and immediately felt sick afterwards and definitely got food poisoning. Further his noodles were just OK and nothing to rave about, so unlikely will be coming back. read more

Lotus Thai Bistro - Thai Near Me - Palo Alto, California

spring rolls: really fresh tasting spring rolls! There are lots of fruits and veggies inside, like apples, mangoes, carrot and cucumber. The flavors go together really well, and it pairs amazingly with the savory peanut sauce. sticky rice with mango: super fresh and silky mango complimented the sticky rice really well. The rice itself had a mild coconut flavor but paired with the sweet mango it was super delicious. great service :) read more

Lotus Thai Bistro - Sweet Sticky Rice with Mango - Thai Near Me - Palo Alto, California

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I came here for a late lunch on a Monday afternoon. It worked out perfectly since we were able to avoid the lunch crowd. I ordered Thai Chow Mein with beef. It was really good, ingredients were so fresh and perfect seasoning. The service was prompt from seating us, taking our order, bringing our food and making sure that everything turned out well. Prices are reasonable especially considering that this location is on California Ave. No parking directly in front of the restaurant since the street is closed for traffic but there is a parking garage on the street behind. Depending on the time you come, you can also find street parking nearby. The place is pretty small, but they also have outdoor seating. read more

Lotus Thai Bistro - Thai chow mein beef - Thai Near Me - Palo Alto, California

I'm pretty stunned by the mid reviews. I really enjoyed this place! It feels more authentic than a fusionized Thai place. It's a straight forward casual restaurant with no frills. They aren't trying to upscale. They bring you cozy Thai food. Service was fine, nothing spectacular but they're friendly. Chicken satay - one of the best chicken satay I've had in a long time. Chicken was flavorful and moist. Chicken eggplant stir fry - it was good, nice flavor profile. Khao poon - my fave! Love khao poon! Rich flavor and nice blend of curry taste. I highly recommend getting this! read more

Lotus Thai Bistro - Thai Near Me - Palo Alto, California

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Wandered into this restaurant on a Friday night. They have a lot of options on their menu and everything sounded super good! I ended up ordering chicken fried rice with mild spice. That was already a little spicy, but definitely tolerable. I had better Thai food, but this was a great quick fix for a Thai food craving. The server checked in maybe 1-2 times and refilled our water. Most of the time they leave you alone. I thought it was thoughtful of them to provide tape for the to-go containers to hold the food in the box better! Great local restaurant, will probably try more of their options if I end up coming back! read more

Lotus Thai Bistro - Thai Near Me - Palo Alto, California

Got the yellow curry with chicken which was decent but the chicken needed more flavor. Have definitely had better Thai food in this area. The service was really sweet, but we were seated in an area really close to the back, and as they were opening the door had dirty/used napkins flying on to my table and seat. My stomach hurt after my meal here and it felt a bit insanitary. read more

Ordered the lunch spicy noodles with a side portion of fish cake and it was so fresh and delicious. My favorite Thai restaurant in Palo Alto/MV area. Workers are friendly, service is prompt and food is always amazing. Frequent my lunch breaks here and will continue to return. read more

Lotus Thai Bistro - 35. Lunch Spicy Noodle - Thai Near Me - Palo Alto, California

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I went to this restaurant on Saturday, March 9 for dinner. I ordered the tofu pad Thai which I enjoyed eating! The service and the ambience was reasonable. I recommend this place to others. read more

Lotus Thai Bistro - 49. Pad Thai Dinner - Thai Near Me - Palo Alto, California

The best Thai food in Palo Alto. So delicious. I am in Pad See Ew heaven again. Delicious every time. Get the Pad See Ew with Chicken and medium spice. So good. Love this place! read more

+++++++++++++++++++ F O O D +++++++++++++++++++ {+} Pad See Ew with Beef, Mild Spicy Level This was a decent portion, but the beef was just a LITTLE tough but still tasty. It came on a bamboo plate with a leaf and our noodles on top. It was a little on the sweet side, so I wish I got the Medium Spicy Level. * Note, my portion was noticeably smaller than my friend who ordered Pad See Ew with Pork hahaha. I thought this was funny. +++++++++++++++++++ S E R V I C E +++++++++++++++++++ The service was okay. They serve you and mostly leave you alone unless your water is super low or you want the check, so it makes for nice time to talk with your friends. +++++++++++++++++++ A M B I A N C E +++++++++++++++++++ This place is the definition of a hole in the wall. And it is tiny! It seriously is one long hall way with one row of tables. There is also some outdoor seating. The menus are sticky and there's sketchy hand sanitizer on the table. And the cups are these hug plastic beer mugs hahaha. It's close to Stanford graduate student housing. So for the poor hungry graduate student it is less than a mile away so its a nice walk to go grab food filling cheap food. +++++++++++++++++++ O V E R A L L +++++++++++++++++++ Get takeout here, sitting here isn't the most comfortable because it is cramped. But the food is decent and cheap. Great for that long day you don't want to make food. read more

Lotus Thai Bistro - Pad See-ew Dinner - Thai Near Me - Palo Alto, California

We ordered Lotus Thai via DoorDash and my friends tried Thai Spicy. It is no joke! If you want heat definitely get Thai Spicy. My friends (they love spicy food) actually thought that level was too spicy so next time they will go one level down. Yellow curry is still tasty, still one of the better yellow curries I've had in the area. I love the fat carrots and potatoes and the sauce is very rich. The red curry is also not bad as well. Pad Thai is also fine and what I expect of Pad Thai (I just don't really like this dish in general so I don't get this normally). read more

Lotus Thai Bistro - 23. Lunch Yellow Curry - Thai Near Me - Palo Alto, California

I've ordered from Lotus Thai before for an on-campus event, and thought they did a fantastic job with catering and delivery: the pad see-ew was particularly good, as were the green beans. The samosas were standout. When I came here again with a few friends for dinner, we thought the food was good, but not great. I ordered the tom yum noodle soup with tofu: I wasn't a fan of the boiled mushrooms, broccoli, and carrots it arrived with, but I enjoyed the tartness of the soup. The portion sizes are good for the cost (my noodles cost ~$11), and the service is prompt. I would recommend it if you're craving Thai and want a relatively affordable option in Palo Alto! read more

Lotus Thai Bistro - tom yum noodle soup - Thai Near Me - Palo Alto, California

Every single thing we tried was amazing!!! Sooo flavorful. Will definitely be eating here again :) read more

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Ordered takeout. Portions were substantial and the food was great. Particularly the fresh rolls were so fun and delicious. Also - they actually do the modifications (ex. No oyster sauce) you request, which I've found frequently doesn't happen on takeout orders. The store looked clean and I will definitely eat here again. read more

Pretty, pretty salty. Very, very salty. Unfortunately for me, that is not the main flavor profile I seek in Thai food.

Best Thai in the area make a point to come and try it. Eggplant and tofu with the pumpkin curry and chicken. Amazing

Glad we stopped by this restaurant after finding a long line at the original place I wanted to go. I had the beef pad curry kee-mow. It is very different from other pad kee-mows I have had. Think of this as pad Thai x curry fried rice. I really enjoyed the noodles but the beef was a little tough and hard to chew. My coworker ordered bbq chicken and it was flavorful and juicy. The portions are very reasonable. Heard another party praising their popcorn chicken. Will have to come back again and give that a try. read more

Lotus Thai Bistro - 34. Lunch Pad Curry Kee-mow - Thai Near Me - Palo Alto, California

Quick take: COVID-19 pad thai Yelp kit What a great idea! Loving the options for Yelp kit purchases in the Peninsula. I started off with a chicken pad thai kit from Lotus Thai Bistro. Super cute shop on California Ave. I should have taken a picture of the front of the restaurant. A small section of California Ave is closed off to cars for outdoor dining. I parked on Cambridge (next street over) and walked to LTB. First off, very friendly service once I checked in at the front door. Yes, all staff was following COVID-19 safety precautions. The kitchen is visible upon arrival. I arrived a tad bit early but my kit was ready to go. I asked if I could pay extra to order some extra fried tofu. It was a $2 add-on and the staff was happy to add an order of tofu. I was also given extra pad thai sauce. Brought everything home and followed the provided directions. The staff at the restaurant told me to call them if I had any questions on how to cook the dish. :) Paid by credit card upon arrival and added a tip. The pad thai is delicious! Can't give myself all the credit though. Thank you everyone at LTB, Yelp, CM Paolo (woot woot)! I encourage everyone to try out a Yelp kit. Support our local businesses, cook something new, and share some pics. read more

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Very solid Thai place. I like the green curry with chicken more than the kang pa curry, which had a tad too much peppercorn for me. To go orders were packed well. read more

Lotus Thai Bistro - 21. Lunch Green Curry - Thai Near Me - Palo Alto, California

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This is one of the best hidden treasures of Palo Alto. I have been coming here for years. My top choice for business dinners, family meals or a casual outing with friends. The service is efficient and welcoming. Highly recommend. read more

This is a tiny place and It reminded me of alot of the eateries you might find in Manhattan. Narrow and you walk past the open kitchen to be seated. The service was friendly and they seem to understand that lunch is about getting you fed and on your way which was perfect for us. For Palo Alto the prices were really good and its a bit of a bargain compared to its peers The Food: Complementary soup: Ugggg this was rough. Basically boiled cabbage and little else. Chicken Satay: This one was really good. The chicken was moist and tender and the peanut sauce had a hint of curry in it and played perfectly with the chicken. The spiral cut cumber salad was not dressed and while novel, it was a single spiral so you have to either eat it all or cut it. Chicken Basil Style: Never heard of Thai Hot and took it as a challenge. Yep it was hot. Just on the upper range of what I can handle. The chicken and sauce were flavorful. The garlic was just right and the peppers were cooked but still crunchy. Pad Thai with Chicken: this one was a letdown. It had a sour taste and the noodles were a bit lifeless. IT was bland and all we got out of it was the heat. Thai Iced Tea: It was a generous size with just the right mix of turmeric, milk and tea. I could have had like 8 Had we not had the Pad Thai I may have flirted with a 4th star. As with most places in that location since most parking spots are blocked for the construction of the parking tower its rough finding a spot. But once built that should eliminate the issue read more

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My review is solely on my lunch takeout order today, October 15, 2021 ~12/1PM. I was in the strip running errands so I decided to stop by Lotus Thai Bistro to grab lunch for takeout. I was helped by a very friendly waitress. She gave me a menu, took my order, and settled my check. It was about a 10 minute wait so not bad at all considering there were about 6 tables seated outside. No indoor seating that I noticed. Lunch Special: I ordered the Thai BBQ entree for $10.99 which comes with choice of protein, rice, lettuce and steamed broccoli and carrots. I chose chicken and opted for fried rice which was an extra $3.99. What can I say? The chicken was pretty dry and flavorless even with the curry-like sauce it was covered in. Every bite was tough meat. The fried rice included onions and eggs. It was good but I was expecting a hair more of a portion considering the up charge. It was a sub-par lunch to say the least. I plan on returning to give this cuisine another try and explore other popular options on the menu. read more

Lotus Thai is a women owned, family run business and our favorite local Thai food place! Please help support them as they navigate through these strange times. They also launched a street food menu last year! Our go tos are - Chicken pumpkin curry (delicious and portion is ) - Tofu pad thai (or their pad thai pancake ) - Stir fry eggplant - Brown rice And if we are feeling indulgent and splurge-y - Mango and sticky rice (summer time only) - banana roti They have the sweetest staff, and we always enjoy our dining (or takeout) experience with them. Highly recommend giving them a try if you're craving thai food! Next time I'll be sure to take pics. read more

Got takeout on a Saturday night. I really hope this was a one off because of the great reviews. To start with the positives, the service was quick and food was made right on time for pickup! The price is pretty affordable for the area. The ratio between meat and lettuce in the beef larb salad was way off: too many pieces of over cooked and tough beef and a little lettuce that was a bit too sour. Maybe it was because I got it non spicy but I think they should be able to account for that to prevent it from being too tangy. The pad see ew's meat was also overcooked. The flavor was okay but definitely had better pad see ew before. I would try this place again but avoid getting the larb salad. read more

very nice service and generous portions. ordered fresh rolls that were ready within 5 minutes! read more

Lotus Thai Bistro - 7. Fresh Rolls - Thai Near Me - Palo Alto, California