Did not know what to expect here as most of the menu items weren't familiar to me... But as a big lover of Thai food, I gave it a shot -- and boy am I glad that I did! I ordered the Guay Tiow Lod, which was like a mix between a soup and a stir fry. It was HEAVEN. I literally ate the whole thing because I couldn't stop myself!! From the sweet, garlicky, soy broth to the combination of ingredients... Just phenomenal! I loved the texture of the fat rice noodles and the mix of tofu and chicken. Literally no complaints! I really want to try more things from this place but I have a feeling I'll be ordering this every single time!! read more

Pestle Rock - Guay Tiow Lod SOOO good!!! - Thai Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I lived in Thailand for two years in my 20s. This is the real deal. All cooks and restaurant owners are Thai - from different regions (Bangkok, Isaan, and the north). Northern specialities like Khao Soi can't be found anywhere else. Please don't go just to get the Phad thai - come on! Live a little and try some delicious local Thai favs. read more

Great Northern Thai food, ku better service! Service went out of its way to make our visit hospitable. Our dishes were brought out of the kitchen instantly. read more

The atmosphere - Warm, cozy, and cute. The service - Fast and Friendly. The food/menu - Lots of dishes that most Thai restaurants do not offer. I had my favorite dish, Khao Soi Gai. It was creamy and packed with rich flavor from coconut milk, yellow curry, and spices. The texture of the thin flat egg noodle and also the flavor of the pickled mustard greens went well with the rich curry sauce. My friend had Guay Tiew Tom Yum. The soup had just right amount of sourness. Very delicious! read more

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I stop by Pestle Rock a couple times a month to grab the Mee Ka Ti. It's insanely delicious and perfectly located on Market St in Ballard. I would recommend just about anything on the menu! read more

Excellent Northern Thai cuisine. Brings back fond memories of my time in Chiang Mai. We were a party of two and ordered quite a few dishes: - Green papaya salad: very good - Seafood Tom Yum: wonderful balance of flavors and had fish, scallops and shrimps - Grilled salmon over a bed of mango salad: yummy. The mango salad is super tangy so it may be too sour for some palates - Crab fried rice: this is tasty but it is a bit bland. Choose this if you don't do spicy food - Khao Soi - Chiang Mai curry noodles. Very good and quite spicy (how I like it). I don't think you could ask for different spice levels on this one. - Dessert: grilled sticky rice with black bean and taro (or there is an option of black bean and banana). I loved this dish. It is not a fancy dessert - rather it is something like what you would find at a street vendor in Thailand. The young coconut water was refreshing but I wish they didn't sweeten it as coconut water already has a sweetness to it. Service was friendly and the food came out within a reasonable amount of time. It is not cheap but I think most of it was worth it. I might skip the crab fried rice for $18 next time. I will definitely be back. Parking is a pain as usual in that popular area of Ballard so plan accordingly. read more

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First isan thai in Seattle??? Similar menu to my Pok Pok? Not having to travel all the way to Portland for authentic Thai food? Yes x 200!! This place has been my fav for a whole month now. They have everything one can get in Thailand. Having visited Thailand less than a year ago, this was a dream come true. Each dish reminds me of all the month long- fun-filled-streetfood-seafood-galore from Bangkok, Chingmai and the thai islands! What more can you ask for? That being said though- one of the dish I want the most hasn't been available for my past few visits. What they do have- Amazing barbecue-thai style Delish noodle dishes Fresh Fish and chicken Get the salads- wings, khao soi, whole fish and lychee drinks! Oh and Alcoholic Thai Ice tea. ( Thats a first) What they DON'T Have- Pad thai!!! ($.30 cents on the streets of Bangkok and ppl really don't eat pad thai there) Countless entrees of chicken/ fried rice and americanized dishes. So skip this if you don't have an open mind, bad taste and don't want to discover the real deal "thai" food. It is already way too crowded. More room for the rest of us. read more

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Food very average. Service is so so. We had to call multiple times for plate, water, food etc. On top, they stacked a 20% gratuity for a party of 7. I am ok, as long as you deserve the mandatory 20% gratuity with your service. Wont return. Dont know how they have such high rating but avoid this place if you want good food. read more

Damn. Good. Thai. Food. WOW. Not your "Americanized" thai fare that you would typically see anywhere else. No. This place is legit authentic. You won't see Pad Thai. You won't see spring rolls. Seriously, be prepared for a different, but awesome menu. Don't ask me to pronounce what I ate. Can't do it. What I can tell you that is that I ordered 2 drinks. A delightful thai iced tea with some liquor involved and a lemongrass martini of sorts. Both refreshing and good. The mango salad we had was excellent. Refreshing. Great citrus sauce on it. The added green beans were nice. My main dish of catfish, veggies, and a plethora of spices was good. Not great, but good. My qualm was that it had WAY too much mint in it. Almost so much that it took away from the other flavors involved. Also, it was noted on the menu that it had a touch of spiciness to it. I did not taste any spice what-so-ever. Almost like they had forgotten to add it. They gave me some lettuce wraps to throw my dish in and it was a nice light meal. All in all I highly recommend Pestle Rock especially if you're wanting to try something a touch out of the ordinary. read more

If you are looking for phad thai, Pestle Rock doesn't have it, but you should still eat here!! PR specializes in northeastern Thai cuisine using all natural ingredients and responsibly sourced meats and seafood. Yes, it is pricey, but as I always say, I don't mind paying a lot when I really enjoy the food. We started off with peek gai tod (chicken wings)--deep fried and moist on the inside, they had a delicious balance of sweet, salty, sour, and spicy. I can see myself getting this every single time, even if it is $9 for 4 wings (1 wing=drum+flat+pointy end). These wings were finger-licking good!!! The winner of the night was the kao soi! After going to 2 other restaurants in search of our Chiang Mai fave, we finally found a place that prepares kao soi the way we like it.... egg noodles swimming in a thick yellow curry with crispy egg noodles and pickled veggies. YUM!! I don't want to share next time!! For dessert, we ordered ice cream som kruang -- two scoops of coconut ice cream sitting on a bed of sticky rice and sweetened potatoes, all with a dusting of toasted coconut. All of the textures in this dessert were amazing... soft, crispy, and chewy. Also it was not too sweet...the flavors were very well balanced. I devoured this in minutes! Last but not least-- such friendly and knowledgeable staff! All around, a great experience! read more

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The food is just delish! Everything is ultra flavorful especially the peanut sauce. Many dishes have vegan options that you can substitute fried tofu into. My Thai iced tea was one of the best that I have had. It's a bit pricey but the food and ambience make it worthwhile. read more

Pestle Rock - Thai iced tea with coconut milk - Thai Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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I fucking love birds. Be sure to ask for the dark Thai drink in the large jars. And get their tom yum. read more

What a gorgeous restaurant! I came here for lunch with a vendor, and we both really enjoyed it. To start, we had the neua yaang (grilled beef) and omg, that was so delicious!!! The meat was so tender and juicy and the sauces were so good. I wish there were more pieces. We both ordered the Isan Barbeque Combo with wild boar collar as our main entree, and I devoured it. The papaya salad was super fresh and probably one of the best tasting that I've had in Seattle. I loved that they served sticky rice in the little basket too. I didn't eat with my hands because it always gets a little too messy, but the option was definitely there. The sweet chili dipping sauces are so addicting. I couldn't help but drown my meat in the sauces before taking a bite because it was so tasty! Parking is always tricky in Ballard, but I hope to be back when I'm craving that fresh papaya salad! read more

This place is a gem. Consistently stellar Thai food can be found here. Tonight I am trying the lamb massaman curry with sticky rice.... An I'm pretty psyched to see what comes out. read more

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Traditional Thai food from both Isahn (Northeastern Thailand) and Chiang Mai (Northern Thailand)... I like their version of Khao Soi a dish from Chiang Mai usually served with a chicken leg their version goes with sliced chicken breast, It's a dish that is not very common outside of Northern Thailand so nice to find it in Ballard of all places... The lunch specials are very good and reasonably priced... The rest of the menu is a bit expensive and when you add on a tiny bowl of Jasmine Rice for $2 (I eat 2), and a Thai Iced Tea for $4 it's way overpriced... So for me I stick to the Lunch Specials and feel quite lucky to have the place situated near where I work... read more

Some of the best Thai food I've ever had and I'm a Thai food amateur who makes Thai dishes at home. I've had a lifelong love of Thai food, and Pestle Rock certainly brings amazingly delicious plates to the table (pun? intended). read more

Pestle Rock is a Thai restaurant with a bright, happy atmosphere with cramped seating and average food and service. I came in with three friends for dinner on 1/15. We were seated at a community picnic table with benches around it where a separate couple was dining on the end. It was a little awkward but we quickly forgot they were there as we got into our conversation. Our waiter didn't understand English very well and neither did the server. We had to repeat our requests several times before they understood what we were asking. We had to ask for refills on our sodas and water. Chipped plates were served to a couple of us. We asked at the beginning for separate checks, and the waiter brought one check to us. I asked him to split it, and he did so but it was painstaking as he didn't remember who ordered what and I had to spell it all out for him. I paid $18 for panang salmon which stated on the menu it came with vegetables. It didn't. It was a decent sized piece of salmon which was cooked well and tasted great, and so did the curry, but there were no vegetables. I asked for vegetables, and they charged me for a side dish of vegetables. Great. I didn't bother arguing about it since the waiter couldn't understand us. They charge extra for rice. I ordered the jasmine rice. One friend got the panang salmon as well. He said that he thought it was just OK and too expensive for what was served. My other friends ordered a noodle soup and a BBQ chicken special with noodles. They said they liked their dishes, and my friend who ordered the chicken raved about hers. The one who ordered the soup ate about half and said it was good but she didn't want the rest. Good ambiance here with Christmas lights strewn across the ceiling, music, bamboo and bright colors. We thought from the reviews that picking this place out we'd get really great food but it was just OK. Maybe it was an off night for them. I hope they throw away the broken dishes - that can cause someone to get hurt. Food: 3 Service: 2.5 Parking: 2 Ambiance: 3 read more

Good food and ambiance. Went her with a bunch of little kids so maybe that's why the service wasn't great: they weren't too pleased to see so many kids but the food is great! read more

Kao soi is all I will get because it's that good. I'm usually an adventurous eater, but I love the kao soi so much that I don't get anything else. read more

Highly recommend. Best Thai food I've ever had (and we eat a lot of thai). 100% natural ingredients brought in from local sources whenever possible, served fresh and delicious. Perfect family style eating. Wonderful atmosphere, gorgeous dinning area, friendly and relaxed service. It was a perfect night out. read more

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The BEST Thai I've ever had by far. I drive over 30 minutes from Burien to eat here. The kao soi is amazing, me ka ti is similar to pad Thai and highly recommended as well. Delicious, authentic food and friendly service! read more

Super delicious! Honestly the food tasted like a whole new cuisine, nothing like what my tastebuds think of when I think of Thai food, and I LOVED IT! I ordered the lamb stew +rice (amazing rich flavors!), curry noodle soup (super tasty but may have tasted better in person than as a take out soup), mee kati rice noodles (like a different variation of phad thai, super tasty!), and lastly the yum kao tod coconut'y rice (this was such an experience eating this dish it was so unique and tasty). To summarize, basically everything was crazy good and I'd order every dish again!! read more

One of the most authentic Thai restaurants in Seattle! The service and environment were great! We ordered on the lunch menu the isarn bbq lunch set of chicken with side of sticky rice and papaya salad, pork with side of sticky rice and papaya salad and namtok which is pork shoulder with onions, chili powder and lime juice. All were fantastic dishes, very flavorful and fresh not to mention affordable! read more

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Food: is usually tasty and well-prepared . They avoid the standard Thai fare in favor of more upscale dishes. Service: varies from friendly to a little impatient. The staff could be more welcoming and patient at times. Ambiance: is nice with Thai music and an interesting interior. It's clean and straight-forward, though a bit cramped. They are located in a hip part of Seattle with much to see and do, though parking can be challenging. Value: could be better. The portions are a bit small and prices high, though they offer good, local ingredients. read more

holy omg... one of the best meals i've had in recent memory... and everyone in our group (skyla, geoff, tracy, jim, mike, and amber) agreed. it's rare that everything is good, but that's pretty much what happened. we family styled a number of dishes including: sai ua (homemade thai sausage) - 5 stars sii khrong muu tod (pork ribs) - 4.5 stars som tum (papaya salad) - 4 stars ba mee hang muutoon (noodles w/ pork belly) - 100 stars yum makheua yao (eggplant w/ flash fried pork) - 5 stars salmon yaang samun phrai (grilled salmon w/ mango salad) - 4.5 stars tua phad kapee (green beans w/ pork) - 4.5 stars it's not just the dishes themselves are delish, but that combined together, it's just freakin' phenomenal. highly highly recommend it! read more

This place had some very good authentic Thai food. If you're ever in the Ballard area, I highly recommend this place. Great atmosphere, wonderful and delicious food. read more

Pestle Rock gets its name from the fact that all the spices used here are hand ground using a pestle and rock. :) They also recommend sharing dishes family style which I love. The Kao Soi is my standard favorite order at this place. It is quite spicy by default, so be careful about the spicy level you request for. We tried the days special one time- I cannot recollect the name to save my life- but it was pork in tumeric coconut curry sauce. Best curry ever! We also ordered the Mee Ka Ti which seemed like a popular dish on the menu, but I found it a bit bland for my taste. Overall this is a Great place for Asian food lovers who want their dose of curry! read more

Pictures can't explain how amazing this place is. The best Northern thai restaurant in Seattle and numerous interesting things on the menu that keeps things interesting. Authentic and layered flavors make every bite as stimulating as the first read more

Pestle Rock - Thai Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Really authentic food and excellent drinks as well! There were plenty of items on the menu that looked delicious so I'm sure I will be going back soon. Of the many Thai restaurants in Seattle, I would have to say this is my favorite so far (out of ~10 or so). We got the grilled beef tapas dish and then the gang gae (lamb massaman curry). Both dishes were awesome and not quite like something I've had before. I would definitely recommend this place and look forward to eating there again! read more

After a year of searching, I've finally found Kao Soi in Seattle that lives up to what's found in Chiang Mai. Absolute creamy, spicy perfection - amazing! Pair it with some of their lemongrass hot tea and an order of their larb, and you'll have a great time. Caution: We weren't asked about spice level, so be warned about the risky one-size-fits-all approach (Thai iced tea helps!). read more

Pestle Rock - kao soi - Thai Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Delicious! Definitely not your typical Thai restaurant that serves pad Thai. Pestle Rock serves traditional northern Thai cuisine and wow it sure was delicious! We ordered the Mee Ka Ti noodles which was super tasty! The noodles were thin and light, it wasn't drowning in sauce or oil like some entrees can be. The Tom Yum Talay soup was perfect for the cold evening. The broth was rich and spicy. The fresh coconut pieces were a tasty treat. I wish there had been more shrimp and scallops (there were only 2 a piece), however there also were pieces of white fish in the dish. Overall both entrees were perfectly seasoned and had just the right amount of spice. Personally I like a bit of spice in my food, however if you are sensitive you may want to ask for less chili oil in either dish. Pestle Rock, I will be seeing you again soon! read more

Folks, this is not your run-of-the-mill Thai joint. Any time I've got visitors in town for their first time in Seattle, this is where I go. Every single time. In all the times I've been here, I honestly cannot think of a single dish I've ordered that I was disappointed with. Mee Ka Ti, Kao Soi, Kana Moo Krob, Mu Yang, Kung Op Won Sen, this one eggplant dish, this one curried noodle dish. Every last one of them, incredible. If you're like me and not an avid reader, the menu can be a bit of a challenge to get through. Lucky for us, there is a large, black chalkboard that they hang up on the wall that tells you what to order every day. It's that simple. Hasn't failed me yet. If you also happen to be risk-averse like me and that doesn't sound like a good time, just ask the wait staff, tell them what you like and don't like and they'll take care of it for you. More likely than not, it'll be delicious. read more

I can't believe it's taken me this long to review Pestle Rock, but it's definitely one of my favorite Thai restaurants in Seattle, if not one of my favorite restaurants period! Even more so, service has always been fast and attentive, even when they are extremely packed. I've tried various things off of their menu and have not been disappointed yet! For those of you who have never been here, don't expect to see typical dishes like Phad Thai or Pad See Ew. However, this is not a reason to be disappointed! The menu is full of unfamiliar dishes and words that I can't pronounce, but nonetheless, every dish I've had is packed FULL of explosive flavor and spice. If you are craving Pad Thai, order the Mee Ka Ti! It's similar in flavor, but MUCH better in my opinion. The only difference is the noodles are thinner and it has a creamier taste due to the coconut milk. Regardless, it is SO freakin' delicious! I'm usually not a fan of thin noodles, but I'm willing to make that sacrifice for this dish :) Of course, another favorite is the Kao Soi. The noodles are have a nice chewy texture and the curry broth is not too heavy. Be careful though if have a low tolerance for spiciness! Pestle Rock doesn't have customizable spice levels, so the dishes marked with a chili pepper on their menu is definitely for those who can handle spicy. Recently, I've tried one of their specials, Ku Na Muu Gyorb, which is crispy pork belly served with chinese broccoli in a nice sweet and soy saucy broth/sauce. Being Vietnamese, of course I love pork belly so I couldn't resist the urge to try it. The sauce complimented perfectly with the crispy pork and broccoli! But you don't get very much pork belly, so I wouldn't count on getting full off of this dish alone. The only downside it's more expensive than your typical Thai restaurant relative to their portion sizes. However, in this case, you do truly get what you pay for, and the higher quality food is worth it! read more

Pestle Rock - Mee ka ti - Thai Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I ordered the yum makheua yao and wow was it disappointing. It was listed under the "tossed" sections of the entrees, but it sure was not the size of an entree but an appetizer. It was poorly crafted in a lot of ways. I don't know if the fact that when it was plated it was almost entirely covered with carrots was to hide the fact that it had a light dusting of "pork" or that the eggplant that was used was also minimal. I had to move the carrots around to even find the pork that was there, but it really was the smallest amount of meat I've ever seen on a plate in my life, which is absurd because it's the first ingredient listed on the dish on the menu. The sauce was overbearingly sweet and might've been okay if I had rice, but after receiving the dish I didn't want to give this place anymore money I was so disappointed. 13$ for a plate full of carrots covered in sauce. You know those times in movies where they order food and they're so hungry afterwards they go somewhere else? That's this place. To top it all off, we put 2 credit cards down to split the bill and they put the whole thing on one card. Why on earth would there be two cards if we wanted it all on one? read more

Delicious! We were there on a Thursday and no wait. Drinks good, food great. Didn't love the special cauliflower dish but the larb, curry, etc was excellent. Portions were not huge. read more

Wut? I have been to Pestle Rock several times and haven't written a review yet? I know the longer my review, I get rewarded with the "Oh yeah! That's how Yelp Elites do it!" message at the bottom of my post while poking away at my keyboard. But, in this case, less is more! Pestle Rock - The BEST Thai food. It is not "Thai" food that is, what is usually a variety of XYZ curries and Pad Thai. This is northern Thai cuisine and everything is FRESH and so g'damn delicious. Every time we go, there are new dishes. I can't begin to pronounce or remember, but it all translates to yummy. That's all you need to know. Service is always excellent. Also, I like the silver plates. Alright, stop reading this right now and go. Now. I'm serious. Even if you die there, everyone will know you died eating the best meal of your life. read more

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This place is insanely good. I've never seen a cleaner kitchen. Love the string lights, I think it adds a cute vibe. Service is always great and the food is delicious. Love the curry's!! read more

excellent. I thought I didn't like Thai food before we tried this place. But I loved everything we ate here. the papaya salad, the grilled pork and the lamb curry are absolutely delicious! especially the lamb curry! locally sourced meat. deep, unique flavors. perfectly spiced. the decor is very inviting and the staff super friendly. read more

Pestle Rock - Thai Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I love noodles, let's just start off with that. The taste here is spot on. The master chef critic in me wants to share that this place does a great job balancing acidity, saltiness, and so many other flavors. The good good: -Ba Mee Hang Muutoon: the pork on here is cooked perfectly and the sauce poured all throughout the dish is phenomenal. I could eat this for the rest of my life. Veggies on here just soak in the sauce making the veggies taste great too :) -Kao Soi: There are egg noodles in this dish and I am a fan. I will say this dish is a bit too salty for my liking....I kind of wish there was more coconut milk, pineapples, something to help balance the saltiness, but I'd eat it again for sure. The eh...: -The service here isn't bad....but it gets too lax for me personally. There were probably only 5 parties of people there and we waited for stick rice to come for what seemed like more than 5 minutes. The staff there talk to each other a lot which is fine if you get your stuff done but I shouldn't be waiting 5 minutes for sticky rice....the staff here are very kind though! Just a bit...chatty. Will definitely come back to try out more things! read more

Favorite Thai restaurant in the Seattle area. Love all of the food I've tried, service is always great.