When you are looking for something you like to have but is a bit different than before, it is best to take a look and consider a new place to explore. For us, we were talking to an artist in the Torpedo Art Studio in Old Town Alexandria, admiring the work he did. It got then we started talking about lunch as he was from Hong Kong. He mentioned we go across the street and try something he liked as it was something he would have back home. So, taking his advice we walked across the street and went to Mai Thai. It was a good suggestion. We went in and had a seat. Our waitress (a wonderful woman from Guam) gave some advice and we to some time to think. In the end we decided to start with Spring Rolls. This is the freshest sliced roll of crispy veggie combinations of lettuce, celery, mixed veggies wrapped in a thin wrap and served with a sweet and sour dipping sauce. It was truly fresh and tasty. The dipping sauce was unique and made this worth a meal by itself. Then, being a cold day outside, soup seemed to be a good thing for lunch. We selected some traditional bowls of soup. First was TOM KA. It was a combination of vegetables and tofu in a coconut broth with mushrooms and fresh herbs. The soup had a tint of white. It was light and tasty. It was at a room temperature which is the way you have soup in Thailand. It was refreshing and light. Next we had TOM YUM. This is a combination made from slices of chicken in a lemongrass soup with fresh mushrooms, cilantro, scallions, galangal, kaffir-lime leaves, and Thai spices. The broth was light and traditional. If you wanted more spice our hostess brought it to you. Again, this was the way I had it when I was working in the rural areas of Thailand. Nothing fancy. Nothing simple. It was true home cooking that was served to you in a method truly Thai. The lunch was simple, but the way you would eat in Thailand. The taste and flavor was what to expect. The team is wonderful and friendly. The price was fine. It was good to find Mai Thai. And maybe being told about it from an artists does make it true to say that "Art is in the eye (and mouth) of the beholder." read more

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Food was not bad and they cut their portion size to half .I understand the current cost increase but customer service is horrible I will give 0 star . read more

Not gonna lie, I usually don't mess with fruit in my food but this mango salad and papaya salad were so fresh and hit way harder than I expected. Calamari was ok -- could've been fried a little harder, but still good. Service was okay, nothing crazy, but the ambiance made up for it -- chill and refreshing. We sat outside and it was a nice. read more

Mai Thai - 17. Mango Salad 10. Fried Calamari 16. Papaya Salad Lunch - Thai Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Horrible customer service. I order a cocktail and I didn't like it. I asked politely if I could the drink for a different one. The waiter asked me if I tried and I say yes but didn't like it. When the bill came he charge for the drink and told because I tasted had to pay for it. I never in my life heard that before. I refused to pay for the drink especially for the server attitude. And manager said ok not to pay for a drink I didn't have one time exception. Really?? HORRIBLE SERVICE. Never again going to that restaurant. read more

I'm torn .. this could be a 3.5. The service was fast and nice. The view of the river from upstairs is awesome. I enjoyed they had coconut water as a drink...rare! We started with spring rolls and crab rangoon. Both were average. I have never seen rice noodles part of the spring roll filling. It seemed like a waste of space. Then we each ordered different dishes. Me .. I am a peanut lover so the peanut chicken was a must. It was super tasty and served with rice an broccoli!!! The others had shrimp fried rice and spicy ginger with chicken. Both were average at best. One asked for super spicy and did not get it. read more

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Wanted to grab dinner down near the water and this was the perfect switch up from a lot of the American fare that you get in Alexandria! We ordered drinks and they came out very quick! The menu had a lot of different options and I'm someone who is always going to ask the server for their personal favorites & I'm glad I did because I always love a good drunken noodle and that's exactly what they recommended! And boy were they right, the food was delicious and hot, I will say however it said it was a level 3 spicy and I'm no spice sommelier (if that's a thing) but they definitely could've turned it up a bit! But overall the food was temperature-wise hot and very flavorful! We also enjoyed the decoration and will definitely be adding this to the Thai restaurant rotation! read more

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We were the first party to come in on a Sunday around 12noon. The waiter was very personable. He seated us upstairs which has phenomenal views of the waterfront. Great for people / dog watching! We ordered a good amount of food: two soups, three noodles, a curry, and an appetizer. Appetizer: Larb gai: I absolutely love this dish no matter where I go. Though this wasn't the best Larb gai I've had, it still encapsulates the flavors of Thailand Soups: Tom Yum: I've been trying Tom yum koong at every Thai restaurant I go to. This one wasn't my favorite as it seemed a little light in flavor and didn't use the typical tiny mushrooms. Tom Ka: is the first time I've tried Tom Ka and I think I may be choosing this one over Tom yum from now on! I loved the creaminess from the coconut milk, and the spices and slices of chicken warm the soul Noodles: Pad Thai: very typical, but light on flavor. A little disappointed but was still worth eating Drunken noodle: this one was our favorite. Probably the most seasoned noodle dish. Pad see ew: same noodles as the drunken noodles, but less flavored than the drunken noodles. There's a lot more focus on the veggies used here than the drunken noodles. Curry: Green curry: curry dishes come with rice! This was my first time trying green curry. Wasn't my favorite as it was more acidic than what I was used to. Again, there was more emphasis on the veggies used than the actual curry base. Portion sizes are great for the price. Service was relatively fast. The ambiance and the views can't be beat. It's not the "best" Thai food I've ever had in the area, but most certainly not the worst. I'd definitely come back if I were trying to show friends and family around the waterfront and if we were craving Thai, without wanting to drive any further out. read more

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If you are in the mood for Thai Food, this place at the Old Town Waterfront is a good place if you want to eat near the nice views of the Potomac River. I came here a bit late one evening after a night at the Cat Cafe up the street and was looking for something good to eat for dinner. Mai Thai was one of the places I frequented a few times visiting the area so it was no shock that I'd go back to a place that I remember from long ago. We got sat promptly upstairs and were handed waters and our menus. In minutes since we already looked at the menu ahead of time, we flagged down our waiter and proceeded with our orders. I got Chicken Satay with Peanut and Cucumber sauce, truly one of my favorite things to get at Thai resturants and the Cashew Chicken served with Jasmine Rice. The Chicken Satay is clearly good at any place as long as they can grill chicken skewers well. I am convinced that I had no bad experiences with the dish so far. The Cashew Chicken is full of it; the stir fried flavors coming from the chicken, the crunchy texture coming from cashews and just the fluffiest yet delicate bites of the Jasmine rice mixed with everything. It was a delight to eat and it was a delicious dinner. read more

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Came here on NYE, definitely reserve ahead of time if you're planning to come on a holiday because it gets EXTREMELY crowded and busy! Since we had a reservation, we got seated immediately. We had Chicken Satay for appetizers, which was decent, and the chicken was juicy. The Crab Wontons were also very crispy and hot inside, which I loved! The Drunken Noodles were not that spicy in my opinion, but still flavorful overall. I do think the chicken was a bit dry in that dish. The Basil Fried Rice was good! All of the food options were fairly large in quantity. For drinks, we got the Old Town Manhattan which was strong yet a good winter drink, and the Thai Tiger which was not strong at all, but neutral tasting. The Coconut Ice Cream w/ Fried Bananas was really tasty! I enjoyed that combo a lot. The restaurant was cute inside, and had a second floor with more seating as well. I think if you came here on a normal day, it would be a better experience. However, the quality of food did not suffer even on a busy day! read more

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It said that you can judge a good Thai restaurant by its Pad Thai. Mai Thai restaurant is a big desapoinment. The food is bad, the drinks watery ( do not try the margarita), the service is average to poor. The only saving grace is the location. Parking is very difficult and they do not validate. I had high hopes given some of reviews but unfortunately it was a big disappointment. There are much better restaurant near by in old town. Do not waste your time coming here. read more

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I ordered a tofu and veggie pad Thai from this place. There was a CRAZY amount of sugar in it. I prefer a savory pad Thai, and this was almost dessert-like. I couldn't finish it. They get two stars because they had a nice variety of veggies in it, but they were unfortunately unpalatable. Please, Mai Thai, would you consider dialing down the sugar? read more

The view from upstairs dining was cool. Service was fast. We started with tom yum which they did not have in a pot but was served individually. Panang curry had an overpowering peanut taste for me. Pad thais was good. Pineapple fried rice was really good and shrimps were big. We also wanted the cruspy flounder but was sold out so we opted for the crispy sea bass with chili sauce and it was good. read more

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Mai Thai is located in a premium spot in Old Town at the end of King Street right at the King Street Park overlooking the Potomac River. With two-story indoor seating and outdoor seating when the weather is good, they have a lot going for their ambiance. Sadly, the food and service both leave much to be desired. I went in a party of two on a weeknight and there were maybe four other parties in the restaurant at the time. The hostess seemed completely disinterested when we walked up and gave us nothing more than a second glance to seat us. The wait staff were friendlier, however, they were unattentive when it came to taking our order and bringing us the check. I'm used to flagging folks down at traditional Vietnamese and Chinese restaurants, but it was a struggle to get them to look in our general direction. The food was really the straw that broke the camel's back. We ordered tom yum, roasted duck salad, and masaman curry. The tom yum lacked any flavor and the chicken was severely overcooked AKA tough. The roasted duck salad was piled high, but the duck too lacked flavor and was overcooked. Lastly, the masaman curry followed the same script and also lacked flavor. Overall, I would not recommend Mai Thai. read more

Made my night! And they will make yours too!! ;) I couldn't take photos this time! But have photos from another visit I called them at 8:30 pm tonight Saturday and asked them if they could accommodate us and they didn't just accommodate us but they gave us one of the best spots upstairs near the water! I really loved that! The food was good , a bit of a small portion to keep the price reasonable . I really loved the view and the customer service! I'll definitely go there again and again and again and again and again and again!! lol Try it, vote for the review , message me, or compliment me with any comment or question, and don't forget to ... Pray for me ;) read more

Wow. I love the fresh food here. I love all the vegetables. I love the flavors of all the foods. My "go to" is the Penang Chicken - delicious. Today I had red curry vegetables - also delicious. Husband usually orders the KaPow Chicken - spicy. We had the spring rolls for appetizer, a true fresh treat. And we will have the crispy banana with ice cream for desert, yum We love the prices and the value for an entertaining delicious meat in super Old Town Alexandria. We have been coming here for years, for family celebrations, lunch or dinner with friends and for client lunches. We love the Potomac River views through the large windows. The restaurant is comfortable and the Thai decor is fun. Staff are usually Thai, and always attentive. Now that they have outdoor seating, it's super for summertime too. read more

Mai Thai - Thai Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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Came to old town to go to another restaurant but it had a two hour wait, so we came here! Glad we did. First, I somehow never come out to Old Town because of the drive. However, this was just a 30 min Uber ride from Maryland, not bad. Let's talk about the crab fried rice. Did you look at the picture? It was amazing! The spring rolls were a bit greasy but were good. The pineapple fried rice was super delicious too. Parking: I ubered and glad I did. Parking is free after 9 pm on the street and there are parking lots near the restaurant. Customer service: Staff was great. Super accommodating, Ambiance: This is a low key place to come eat. Paper napkins wrapped over the flatware type of restaurant. Overall, great food! Will definitely come back. read more

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First time here, gorgeous evening so we sat outside. The service was great, food delicious and hustle of the visitors and music made the experience. I had curry noodles with chicken-definitely a go to, moist chicken and vegetables were the best. The hubby had honey chicken-I thought it was ok. Started with meatballs for $9.99 for six small very lean meatballs. Another skewer or two would make it worth it. Both meals $17.99 decent and a soft drink $3.99 high $55. For a nice dinner, wonderful service and a nice people watching and listening to the DJ by the water. read more

Mai Thai - 18. Honey Chicken - Thai Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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Food was awful, service even worse. My green curry was watery like soup with uncooked eggplant. Tom yum literally smelled like feet. Massaman curry was so sweet - it tasted like someone dumped a pound of sugar into the bowl. Thai tea tasted awful too. Server screwed up our order and didn't apologize. All staff were rude and seemed like they could care less if you live or die. read more

Used to be my go-to place. Went recently and food lacked taste and presentation. Will need to find another place. Spring rolls come out almost burnt. This has happened twice on two separate occasions. Service has declined too. I'm very disappointed. read more

seating upstairs was great the view and ambiance was nice. Our server was good but we struggled with the menu being Gluten free, we usually are able to eat many Thai dishes but the options for GF were very minimal. Everyone else did pretty good the starters options were a bit odd to share as well and I do think they didn't bring out eating utensils things were a bit clunky. Maybe we just came after a big rush so everyone was tired not sure read more

Man, I'm really disappointed in this place. I so badly want to like it -- I have lots of fond memories here from years ago and the location (overlooking the waterfront) is great. But unfortunately I don't think I'll be back for a while, if at all. My friend and I went for dinner. We (okay, mostly I) had some misgivings about the food to begin with, but I remember thinking, "I mean, can't go wrong with Thai food, I'm sure it'll be fine" since I couldn't quite remember what I disliked in the past. Well, sad to report I wasn't a big fan of anything I had. We started with some garden rolls, and those just left a lot to be desired. The peanut sauce wasn't very good, and the rolls themselves lacked flavor. I had one and felt like I was done, despite being hungry otherwise. I also got chicken green curry, which was probably the most palatable, but nothing to write home about. And we ended the meal with some mango sticky rice, which I truly didn't expect could go awry (it's like impossible to dislike, right?). But the coconut sauce on the sticky rice had such a strange aftertaste that my usual sweet tooth was curbed; I didn't overeat one bit. Good thing for me I guess, but not a good sign for the restaurant! The service was also a bit wonky; when we first got there, we were expected to order immediately after being seated (we sensed a good bit of impatience on part of the waitstaff). But after ordering, it was a feat to try and get the staff's attention for anything. Not a great complement to the subpar food! I'll probably only return if I have to as part of a group or for an event. read more

Mai Thai - Mango sticky rice - Thai Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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I'll be honest, the food here is really good and delicious. The homemade drinks are okay. Unfortunately, the service is very bad. The staff is the worst I've experienced. The manager looked confused and overwhelmed while most of the servers were making mistake after another. Our server was a thin guy wearing a black shirt and black pants. His attitude frustrated many customers. He ignored people and at the same time tried too hard to act nice. He took our hot sauce from the table while I was still using it and pouring it on my food. He did this twice, which made me talk to the manager. When I spoke to the manager, they already seemed tired of all the problems happening.This is not the first time I've had a bad experience here. Before this, I had a bad experience with a female server who was also working that day, and her behavior felt racist. read more

Beautiful waterfront view from the table . Peaceful and relaxing. Great food menu to choose from . Excellent customer service. Will surely be returning. read more

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This is my second time enjoying this restaurant. It's located in an excellent position right next to the waterfront in old town. It's got an open and modern feel to it. The staff is attentive and polite. The spring rolls are exactly what you would expect, nothing fancy, but consistently delicious. My favorite was the pad Thai with chicken. I've never had a bad meal here in the last two times I've eaten here and I will absolutely return. We got there early, but by the time we left, it was full of people eating inside and outside both downstairs and upstairs - speaks volumes about the popularity of the location and the food quality. read more

Mai Thai - 48. Pad Thai - Thai Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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I'm giving this place 2 stars because it USED to offer great food. A month ago, however, I took my gf here for dinner after talking it up only to be really disappointed with the service, food and drinks. There was only one server for dinner, who did not understand English. After being seated, we waited about 30 minutes to place our order. My gf ordered a wine which tasted like vinegar. After asking if the bottle had been open for a while, the server laughed and acknowledged it had been. Almost like "oops, you caught us." While my dinner was OK, my gf's dinner was really bland. The server later said she should have requested it be prepped a different way, as though it was the customer's fault the food was subpar. With that in mind, unfortunately, there's no way I could convince my gf to return to this place, and this will likely be my last trip as well. I'm not sure if they were having an awful night, or this is a sign that the establishment is in serious decline. read more

Great little spot near the waterfront. Service was good. Food was delicious. I had the shrimp pad see eww. Flavoring was great. 10 out of 10. I was there was more! Hubs got the cashew chicken. Flavoring was amazing! Super good. He felt like it was definitely a shareable dish. 10 out 10 read more

Mai Thai - Shrimp 51. Pad See Eew - Thai Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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I came here for a birthday dinner with my family and was truly disappointed with the experience. We made a reservation for 7pm and arrived early at 6:30pm. We waited in line for 20 mins just to check in since the front area was packed. Once we got to the front of the line, we were told that we would have to wait longer even if we had a reservation. We asked for an estimate and the hostess just said "a long time". Our family and other groups in line decided to leave since we didn't know how longer the wait would be and the restaurant seemed packed. I didn't understand the point of making a reservation if the restaurant can't honor it. It was unfortunate that most of the groups in line had a similar experience to my family tonight. There should be a better system in place for reservations. read more

Was in old town last week and decided to stop by with a friend to give it a try. The food was delicious, food was brought out quick and service was good. read more

Mai Thai - Drunken Noodles - Thai Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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Not our first visit. I agree with recent thoughts about the Drunken Noodles. This dish can be pretty spicy, but they can back it off a bit. It is fabulous w/ pork. Pad Thai is amazing as well, and you must have their Larb. Service and attention was wonderful this Sunday, and it was pretty busy. A great spot for people-watching too. Five stars twice in a row. ....We'll try fit three. And oh yes, Gluten free is clearly marked on menus, and there is plenty to choose from. read more

Very satisfied after eating here! I loved the big windows and the really interesting structure on the ceiling. Not gonna lie, the beginning had me a little concerned. For the first 19 minutes of being seated, we didn't get any service other than water. However, after we put in our orders, service improved and the food came out so fast. We agreed on one appetizer and one entree to share. The crab shrimp spring rolls were perfectly crispy and flavorful. We loved the honey chicken which came with lots of veggies, cashews, and rice. Another great touch was the lettuce, shredded beats, and carrots that came with each order. After those, we were still a little hungry and curious to see what other options would be just as good as what we already had. We put in an order of steamed dumplings and the sweet soy sauce that came with it was paired perfectly. Our meal here was satisfying and tasty. They provided perfectly balanced and flavorful meals. We'll definitely consider coming back when we're in the area again. read more

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I went this place more than 5 times. Food is good and service is good as well. Especially the view is great! You should be there for the seat next to the window. read more

Service was great! Food and drinks came quick, water glass was consistently getting refilled. Food was very good and hot! I ordered the tofu and broccoli and peanut sauce; it came with rice. It was great. I've had better tasting peanut sauce but this was still very good. The spring rolls were a perfect appetizer. I prefer them not cut like sushi but they were fresh and the sauce was delicious. My boyfriend ordered the Shrimp and Asparagus and really enjoyed it. His glass of Chardonnay was ok. My lemon drop Martini was excellent. The restaurants decor is okay. The lighting is nice. The service really stood out. If I lived here, I'd return! read more

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Step up and step out. Mai Thai does that when it comes to the food. We always sit on the second floor. Great view if you of the Potomac if you sit by the window. Service is always great. Never had a dish I did not like. Definitely a location if you're in town to stop by and visit. read more

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I spoke with the manager, Mr. Nui, who confirmed my table's reservation, apologized for Mod's poor behavior and comped my table 20%. Upon arrival we were promptly seated and had a waiter who was professional and polite. Our food came out in a timely manner. I ordered the Panang curry which was flavorful but a bit too thin / runny for my taste. Our Thai iced teas were perfect. Service throughout our meal was prompt. Our waiter and other staff was attentive to our needs and there were no issues with our order. We appreciate management making things right. read more

Save yourself the trip, papaya salad was very bland, green curry was very soupy not much flavor, calamari looked like onion rings. Waitress never greeted us didn't even know her name. Didn't say one thing about the menu, no thank you for visiting us. Put her hands under her chin and stared at us eating.Mean scroll definitely not a place for service. Waitress never cleared one plate from the table and nobody was there. Empty dining room could hear a pin drop. A terrible dining experience. read more

The service is fast, polite, and professional! The meal I enjoyed, a green curry with shrimp, eggplant, and other vegetables over rice, was absolutely delicious! The meal was served hot and was perfectly spiced. The shrimp were huge and plentiful; two people could share the meal and be satisfied. I come to Alexandria every summer and I always enjoy a meal here. Highly recommended! read more

Very great service and delicious food, servers always nice and welcoming. Drinks are very good and plates always look 10/10

We were the only ones in the lower level of the restaurant. As soon as we were seated we were literally asked what we wanted to eat. We weren't even sitting for a second! When the food came, it was delicious! Through the dinner we felt very rushed to order, eat and drink our food and beverages. Yet again, we seemed like we were the only people eating there at the time we were there. read more

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I'm giving a 3 star because I ordered the seafood paradise and expected it to be a little more larger than it was based off what the waitress told me. I was undecided between the Volcano which included flank steak, shrimp, asparagus and mushrooms in a brown sauce, and the seafood paradise which included shrimp , scallops in a chili paste garlic sauce.I really wish I would have went with the Volcano. ( I will definitely go back to try that dish out) The seafood paradise was tasty but not enough for me. The atmosphere and scenery was a plus, the waitress and staff was super friendly. This restaurant sit on the waterfront so it's definitely a nice spot overall. The drinks are reasonable in pricing. read more

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This was the best pad see eew I've ever had! I got it with tofu and veggies. The noodles in it were incredible. The drink pictured is the Caribbean Sea. It was super sweet and I couldn't taste the alcohol at all! read more

Mai Thai - Cocktails - Thai Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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