I wish i could tell you what I had, but since it was all in thai, i have no idea. But what i do know is that it was all delicious. This is not your run of the mill thai restaurant with pad thai and some generic curry. Its regional, authentic, and delicious. Ive never had thai food like this before and it was fantastic. read more

I want to give this place two stars, but I won't. Because, hey, my preference shouldn't really reflectly poorly on an establishment food-wise. We went here last night having seen raving reviews, in short, the best Thai place in Seattle. Maybe I just don't have much of a Thai palate, maybe my idea of Thai is too westernized, I dunno, I was thinking maybe curry or something comforty/delicious. This wasn't it. It was fresh, give it that. We started with soup, spicy enough to induce a coughing fit. First gent tells us very few dishes have soy (one of us is deathly allergic, sure, I mean, Thai wasn't the best choice, I recognize that), but when we order, they let us know all the dishes we choose have soy. Not a big deal. For entrees, we had petite beef and the mango fish salad thing. It was okay. I really don't get why people flip out about this place, but hey, must just be something I don't understand. Like I said, I'd say two for my personal taste. In the words of Hank Hill: "What would you recommend if none of this looks good?" Definitely had the restaurant moment where you really don't see anything that pops out on the menu. Other preference-induced (maybe) annoyances: tons of bay leaves, where you end up chewing them, and not knowing it you can actually swallow and digest. A gingery tasting vegetable that resembles "I can't tell if it's wood or bone" texture, and again, the swallowing issue. I dunno. I guess people love this place. Probably for the same reasons that I didn't like it much. Try it out. You'll probably write a rave review, or just leave it alone. Good luck! Thanks for listening! read more

This place is delicious! Love the atmosphere and the food is fresh and delicious! Thai tea was great as well:)

Pestle Rock brings the heat, flavor, and unique menu of northern Thailand! I was pleasantly surprised because their menu is different than most Thai restaurants here so if you are wanting standard pad Thai I wouldn't recommend. The Lamb Curry was an amazing mix fresh spices that you could tell was made from scratch. Highly recommend getting the kao soi and lamb curry dishes. I have only been once but I look forward to trying this place again in the near future since they always have rotating specials not on the menu! read more

Very good Thai restaurant in Ballard, on the main drag. Crowded and lively, but the staff was efficient and attentive. I ordered Gang Gee and it was excellent. Partner had Guay Tiow Tom Yum, also excellent. Food was spicy but not overwhelming, though my lips were burning a bit by the end. It is also festively decorated. The only downside was that our table was near the door on a cold Seattle evening, this we were treated to arctic blasts of air each time the door opened, which was frequently. read more

AMAZING!!! I wrote a review on fb a while ago to let just my friends know that this place is amazing, but I deactivated fb and I think EVERYONE should know this place makes other Thai places seem like fake Thai places!!! I have had some incredible dishes here. For some reason I always thought if the delivery/appearance of the food is given too much care then the food is not going to be good, but this place makes food that is pretty on the outside AND pretty on the inside! I love the green peppercorns that come on the branch they're so cute and delicious! I think the food here is very healthy, as well, and I'm wanting to go there right this second from writing this. Unique desserts, too, and so incredibly good. I'm telling you for your own good: you need to at least try this place and please save room for dessert, too! (ice cream with carmelized potatoes and OTHER STUFF TOO, WHAT??!!?! SO GOOD!) Now I'm hungry. read more

Food was meh, but the worst part was being lied to about a "reserved table" when half of the restaurant was empty. I have lower back issues and a bench with support helps out a lot. There was an open bench table (the last one) next to the entry. At first we were seated there (a party of three), but then the waiter (tall, dirty-blond, cocky) pulled a "reserved" nameplate out from under the maitre des station with the following statement - "Oh, sorry. I forgot this was a reserved table tonight." - plopping it down on the table in front of us and moving us to another non-booth group of tables. Of course, the "reserved" party failed to show for the entire hour we were sitting (and my lower back was killing me) at the new two-table solution. Again, the food was "meh", but I'll never be back out of principle. I hate being lied to by cocky hosts. read more

We live in the neighborhood and this is our go-to spot for Thai food. The khao soi is our go-to on rainy days and we're never disappointed.

Pestle Rock is very fast becoming my new favorite. Their sausage alone is worth the trip. They sport pestle rock and the word Isan in their logo, referring to northeastern Thailand. Do not expect green coconut curry and pad Thai at Pestle Rock, but expect to have your taste buds tantalized, in a good way. The Thai cooks in the kitchen have a very strong opinion about how Isan food should taste and they're not afraid to show it. Most delicious papaya Salad I had in Seattle! The flavors offered here are so intense and bright. It's definitely worth a visit. My favorite thing on the menu is Massaman Lamb curry. I order it everytime I visit. read more

PROS: Tasty, interesting Thai dishes, fresh ingredients CONS: Serving timing You won't be finding your typical Pad Thai and Pad See Ew on the Pestle Rock menu. I ordered the green papaya salad, which was really tasty and refreshing, and the Mee Ka Ti, which was quite similar to Pad Thai dishes and surprisingly tasty. Overall, this is a solid Thai restaurant with great food. The only complaint would be that our appetizers arrived literally 5 seconds before our entrees... which meant that in order to prevent our entrees from sitting there and becoming cold, we had to start eating our main dishes right away, well before we were done with our appetizers. For such nice restaurant, you'd think that they have the dish timing worked out by now. read more

I just wrote a review on the best Thai food in Ballard, but now I want to take it back. Pestle Rock is truly authentic Thai, and it was SO GOOD. I've never had this type of Thai food before, but it was a welcome change. We walked in at 7 pm on Valentine's Day, and were seated in the cutely-decorated restaurant within 5 minutes. It was busy, but we really lucked out! I ordered Guay Tiow Tom Yum and it was out-of-this-world. Portions were huge, which was fine with me as I took the leftovers home with me. My boyfriend ordered Kao Soi but after receiving it, we realized they didn't make it vegetarian as ordered. They quickly apologized and within 5 minutes the correct dish came out. He said it was "damn good." It's also worth noting that their bartender is very good. I ordered a cucumber mojito and he took his time preparing the drink and personally delivered it to our table. Seriously, everything tasted delicious and I wouldn't have changed anything. read more

Pestle and rock is a must eat in Seattle if you like Thai food. They use very fresh ingredients and do their dishes very well. I haven't been disappointed yet with anything I have had there. Beware though this is not your typical Thai restaurant. They serve much more traditional dishes and you won't be getting any crab wontons or phad Thai here. So come with an open mind and and hungry stomach. I recommend the som tum ( Papaya salad) it is very fresh and done so well here. read more

I love that this isn't like every other conventional Thai place - focusing on regional authentic dishes that aren't over- Americanized. (Yes, I don't think there is Phad Thai on the menu- gasp!). Of course the chicken wings are awesome - a punch of flavor and crisp meat in one small bite! Coconut water with actual coconut in it - yum! The papaya salad was tasty - one of the better ones I have had in Seattle. The bitter melon soup was - bitter (surprise surprise - I was warned, and feeling adventurous). Great and friendly service - hoping Seattle shows some love to a great place offering a a fresh take on Thai as Seattle knows it. read more

Hands down best Thai restaurant I've ever been to! Restaurant Appeal & Seating: It's a simple restaurant design with not too much decor, but just enough to make you feel comfortable. The outside of the restaurant looked a little bare, but I'm assuming that is because it isn't warm enough out to have tables and chairs all the time outside. Keep in mind there isn't much seating, so if they are busy, you may be waiting a while. Service: Our waiter was absolutely amazing! He was so nice to speak with while we asked questions about the menu. He directed us to a 'noodle board' that featured certain dishes as well as a 'specials board' that featured current specials. He also informed us that American Thai uses much more peanut oil, etc in their food, and since Pestle Rock is homestyle Thai food, they used Coconut oil instead. Food: My friend and I ordered the Khao Phad Phu (Crab Fried Rice) and Phad Mee (Chicken w/ noodles). Each dish was absolutely spendid! The Khao Phad Phu has such a wonderful taste. The rice was perfectly cooked, well seasoned and the crab meat was just enough to give you the taste. The Phad Mee was amazing! It had a little kick to it, but not too much that had you reaching for water. The chicken was so well cooked, the noodles were very flavorful - the whole dish was amazing! Both my friend and I agreed it was the best Thai food we had ever had. Price: Price honestly was not bad at all. We both shared the 2 plates of food and total came just a little over $32. I would have liked to see it around $10/plate, but I can see the quality of the food being justified. I highly recommend this to any local or individual traveling to Seattle. Take a small trip around to Ballard and stop by this amazing restaurant. read more

What I learned at Pestle Rock was that I would have a hard time living in Thailand, because I can't handle the heat level. I'm giving the restaurant 4 stars because the food I was able to eat was very good. The chicken was delicious, and I've enjoyed the crab fried rice. Unfortunately for me there are very few options for me on the lunch menu, because not almost every dish had at least 2 peppers (indicating heat/spice) and even some items with no peppers (like the papaya salad) should have been. That's not a criticism of the restaurant, but others who can't handle it should know that at least on the lunch menu there is not a lot to choose from. read more

Vibrant flavors that exude North Eastern Thailand cooking. They even use galangal in lieu of ginger. I know it has already been said, but better than Pok Pok read more

We decided to pop in here for a quick lunch because we were in the Ballard area. I did a quick check on yelp to see how they were rated beforehand and the ratings were pretty good. A quick scan of the reviews turned up even more favorable comments. So, in we went. The atmosphere was nice and not as seemingly traditional as other Thai places I've been. Seeing one of my favorites on the menu, papaya salad, I asked where the papaya was sourced and the server just told me that there was no fish sauce in the dish--which, I hadn't asked about. I realized that he wasn't understanding what I was asking. Smiling, I ordered it anyway. The portion size was good and the flavor was good. It was n't over'y garlic-y like EVERY papaya salad that I've ever had. I was surprised that they were able to make it taste as good without the fish sauce (a serious whoo-hoo for vegetarians!). My one complaint was that it was too sweet--good but really sweet. Thankfully, the spice was there to back it up and help balance it a bit. For lunch I ordered KaNom Jeen Nam Prik - a coconut and peanut curry rice-noodle-salad type of dish. It too, was super-duper sweet! I was a bit taken back. The noodles were also on the mushy side. I decided to ask for some chili paste to spice it up but the server never came back to the table. My dining companion ordered Kao Soi and loved it. I tasted it and also liked it. There was a nice contrast and texture between the cooked noodles and the fried noodles on the top. Overall, the servers were very nice but their lack of attention to us was a bit disappointing. We were not checked on once during our meal but when we were done, two different servers--one after the other--asked if we were ready for the check. The place wasn't busy. Also, the prices were high. We went in before 2pm on a Saturday and taking note of the lunch hours posted on the menu outside, 11-3, I expected to be charged the lunch prices but was charged the dinner rate instead. Maybe they only do "lunch" Monday-Friday? I decided just to pay and leave because I was frustrated and felt a little uneasy about consuming so much sugar--or whatever was in the lunch to make it so sweet. To be totally fair, I tend to avoid processed sugar and use dates and honey in most of my own cooking, so maybe this wouldn't be as sweet to others. read more

Beyond excellent service - very knowledgeable and helpful. They seemed genuinely interested in hearing what we liked from our meal and in making sure we ordered something we'd be happy with. Great flavors, lots of variety, very fresh. We ordered a lot of food, and left full, but not feeling heavy or greasy in any way. It's a different menu selection compared to your standard Thai place - more grilled options, everything from the salad to seafood to curries and noodles had fresh ingredients. The mango salad that came under a fish entree and the sauce for dipping the sticky rice in were stand outs, but everything we tried was above-average and worth getting again. read more

I wish I could give them 10 stars, they were fantastic! I ordered lunch for my company from Pestle Rock and have never received so much praise. Everyone loved the variety of food (BBQ Chicken, Tofu Panang Curry, Chicken Fried Rice and Papaya Salad), but by far the favorite was the dessert: sweet sticky rice with mango. The service was amazing!! The manager and staff were great to work with. I hope to return soon. read more

The Gang Gae was amazing The Gai Phad Prik Gang was good. I really like the menu at this place. It isn't the same old boring Thai menu you see at all the other Seattle Thai restaurants. I will go here again, just to try more of the menu. read more

The food is always fantastic. Great dishes. Clever cocktails as well. I really think that the staff could let our party know that they are given a 20% gratuity. We tipped on top of the grat and did not notice until later. read more

Maybe we ordered the wrong thing? I don't necessarily get what all the hype is about. The coconut peanut curry was good, but not bursting with flavor. The Yum Samun Phrai was definitely not a winner, completely overpowered by lemongrass and mint and lacking in pork. Luckily, the thai iced tea was tasty to get over that powerful flavor. It would also be nice for some of the spicy dishes to come in mild. read more

This is the best Thai food I've ever had and my favorite restaurant due to the food being so amazing. I'm a huge fan of Pad Thai which they don't have on the menu but they have a dish called a Mee Ka Ti which is honestly even better in my opinion and soooo good!! Their yellow curry is also the best curry I've had. HIGHLY RECOMMEND! read more

I have NO IDEA how I have not reviewed this place yet. It is my favorite thai food in all of Seattle! Because of Pestle Rock Isan is my favorite type of thai food. Pestle Rock provides the flavor and excitement in their dishes that 99% of thai restaurants in Seattle can. I think I did not like thai food as much or eat it as much before because of this. Once you have their well prepared dishes you will see why. No bland soggy noodles or flavorless curry, hurray! Eating here in the actual restaurant is a treat too. The restaurant is very comfortably CUTE with a nice view onto Market street for people watching. The service is wonderful and genuine and the food is amazing!! Everything tastes very fresh and well prepared. Go to items are crab fried rice, me ka ti and whatever the special is! Their specials are listed on the blackboard and have been a great resource for picking what I want to eat. read more

Possibly one of the best Thai restaurants in the Seattle area. The food is from Northern Thailand and is not similar to the 95% of the Thai places around. For once, the famous Pad Thai is not even part of their menu. However, what they have to offer is at par or even better. Reminded me of the amazing restaurant in Portland, which serves similar dishes - Pok Pok. We made the dishes non spicy because of some of the guests' preference. We had the Som Tum or papaya salad. The papayas were not shredded finely so it actually gave the dish a better textural contrast, more crunch. The plum sugar and lime dressing had a perfect balance of sweet and sour. I am sure, a little spice would even make the dish better. I just hoped they put more nuts into it. The Ba Mee Hang Muutoon, wide noodle with pork belly was actually cooked well too. It was not very greasy like some of the typical Thai noodles. Even without making the dish spicy, it still packed a lot of flavor. The pork belly was tougher than what I would want. We also had the fried chicken wings - VERY FLAVORFUL! A little sweet but flavorful and tender! Order this definitely. The grilled boar collar, Muu Yaang, was tasty but a little too salty for my preference, and the amount of meat is kinda limited. Finally, the Trout Tod Yum was fantastic. The salad on top of the fried fish with mango can be a dish by itself. The fish was crunchy but because it was deep fried, it took out a little moistness, which is expected of fried fish. I do not know what kind of sauce they put in their dishes but I think the fish sauce was what made me and my girlfriend feel a little thirsty after. This is probably the only thing why I did not rate this place 5 stars. Other than that, Pestle Rock rocks! Service was spot on as well. read more

So good that I want to slap someone just thinking about that food! But that would be rude and inappropriate. The Mee Ka Ti is easily my favorite dish there. I dream about it sometimes. It will fulfill that Pad Thai craving you had when you walked in thinking that this was just like all the other Thai restaurants you've been to before. It's not. Mee Ka Ti is a really flavorful dish with thin noodles and fresh veggies. I've also had the grilled beef appetizer, which is amazing. It's grilled perfectly and comes with this delicious dipping sauce. Heaven. Thank you, Pestle Rock. read more

Very authentic and delicious thai food! The Khao Soi is incredible - just as good as when I had it in Chang Mai. We also got a half order of chicken and the special of green beans mixed with small pieces of pork. Both tasted amazing! Also, the staff was really friendly nice. I enjoyed chatting with the host! read more

I've been here a few times, and this place is always a treat! Really interesting flavors and unique dishes you can't find elsewhere in Seattle. Even when I tried something that wasn't my favorite dish, I couldn't quibble about it's quality and innovation (and it was still great, just not as great as other choices). Definitely worth a try or 2 or 4 or...you get the idea! FYI: They aren't joking about the spice levels. I like spicy, but I keep this in mind when I take my friends who may not like spice here. read more

I loved this place. Totally different than other Thai in the area. The staff were lovely and the food was delicious. The space was comfortable and pleasant. Will definitely be going back and would highly recommend. read more

This place is brilliant! I was here with a group of 18 people and everyone was raving about it. This is not regular THAI! Pros: 1. Super service. The staff was very accommodating 2. Wonderful Drinks. Whiskey Cocktail was mind blowing! 3. Food was mind blowing. I think we ordered almost 80% of items in the menu and it was superb - including vegetarian options. 4, The Desserts were just different and fabulous. I have never ordered desserts multiple times in my life. Cons: 1. Parking might be slightly tricky, but we went on a day of a parade in the are and thats why possibly. 2. For people looking for modern ambiance, this is not the place. (I loved it for what it was). You cannot go wrong with this place if you love food. read more

Omg... LOVE their chicken wings and Thai sausage. The papaya salad was ok. I would definitely come back and try other dishes. Very fresh with lots of flavor. Staff was attentive and nice. read more

Pestle Rock - Chicken Wings - Thai Near Me - Seattle, Washington

It is good. It is spiced well, not too hot but a good heat with proper spice flavor. It is also priced to cater to Ballard tech hipsters, you're paying for ambiance and location at this price. Yum Larb Isan with chicken, otherwise known as Larb Gai everywhere else. It was pretty good, not up to par with my mother-in-laws, but pretty good. The portion was appetizer sized. Kao Soi, decent portion for a single person, lacked enough actual chicken (3 tiny slices) and needed more pickled mustard greens to add the extra sour pop I'd prefer it to have had. Maybe adding a bit more coconut milk too would help. I dunno, it was good but I just prefer a bit more flavor to make it really stand out. Noodles were good, not overcooked. Som Tum, this really was not my favorite of what we ordered. I've had som tum at many 'thai' restaurants and when compared to homemade Lao/Isan, none have really been as good as homemade. I think Pestle Rock needed a bit more fish sauce and honestly they need to use a mortar and pestle to mash in the peppers, sugar, fish sauce and tomato with the papaya and carrot. It was hand tossed together, they really missed the mark on this, partly due to not preparing it as intended. The flavor sits on dish while the substance floated on top of a piece of lettuce, not getting the flavors it should have mashed into it. Overall, they have good food, it's clean and I'd trust them to not get ill, but it's missing too much of what I'd need to come back, even if it was 1/3 the cost. read more

*amazing flavors *spicy indeed be prepared for a nice hot level *i want to eat everything on the menu and they run out of specials which tells me they small batch great dishes read more

So delicious! I wish I found this place sooner. All of my favorite yummy things in every dish, and all of them uniquely different and artistic. Great service, great food, awesome place! I got a daily special called Gong op Won Sen. It had huge prawns, pork belly, cilantro roots, celery, fresh strings of ginger, and delictible bean noodles in sweet&spicy sauce. If your mouth isn't watering, just walk past them. You may accidently end up coming in just for the smell! read more

I'm surprised that this place is rated so well. We found it mediocre. Considering that their portions are on the smaller side and especially since they do not prepare their dishes on a spicy scale. Basically, if you want it spicy...your only option is the spice tray as suggested by the server several times. The problem with this is the spices provided in the tray add a different flavor to your dish. Basically you have to forgo the heat to enjoy your meal with the flavors that is unique to the dish. I ordered the Khan Phad Prik Sod Neua (beef stir fry) and my girlfriend ordered the KaNom Jeen Nam Prik (noodle dish with peanut coconut curry). The beef stir fry was ok. The portion was a little on the small side. the flavor was not bad but sweet - would have been better spicy. I added some red chili powder in the spice tray provided... The noodle dish was served with the peanut curry on the side. The curry was very thick and sweet and was mostly coconut milk. Pretty much think...peanut-y coconut milk on noodles. The result was not that great and only really edible once she added some spice to add balance to the dish. Both our opinion...we will not be back. You can get much better Thai elsewhere. Wasn't bad...just not great. read more

Like most urban-dwelling adults, I've eaten and loved a ton of Thai food. Who doesn't love the comforting, consistent glop of a big bowl of curry, or the always-reliable Pad Thai. This is not that comforting glop, friends. Pestle Rock is so much more. I didn't recognize a single item on the menu, which our server (the owner?) explained in extremely helpful detail. I ended up wishing I had come with more than just one person so that we could have ordered a bunch of dishes family-style and tried more things. The two entrees we did order were amazing. Huge fresh bursts of flavor from the plethora of vegetables and herbs, and just the right amount of heat. I ordered a young coconut juice which was a delightful sweet relief when the peppers got to be a bit much. We're neighbors, so we will definitely be back here again and again. I especially love that they source their meats and seafood sustainably. We were here at noon on Saturday and the place was empty, so here's hoping the rest of Ballard figures out how wonderful this place is and that the restaurant is a great success. read more

I wasn't super impressed. Firstly, this is *not* a "Thai" restaurant as Seattleites may have come to know the term. No Pad Thai on the menu, no familiar dishes at all, actually. This may have something to do with the "Isan" moniker in front of the Thai name (apparently referring to the northeastern region of Thailand). Water was room temperature, which was kinda gross, especially when you're eating spicy food. I ordered ribs and the meat on each one wasn't enough to take a full bite from. Definitely not worth $9. I may have just come on a bad night, but I was not impressed. Not what I expected :( read more

I LOVE Pestle Rock! As I was eating my dinner I was already planning my next trip back before I leave Seattle in a couple days and head back home. It's THAT good to check out more than once on a week-long trip in Seattle. As I arrived I met a couple women who recommended the Yum Samun Phrai, so we went for it and it was amazing! It's a light, simple salad with a delicious sauce and ground pork on it. We also ordered the Kao Soi which was incredible and left me licking my fingers and taking in every last bit of the sauce on the plate. We ended the meal with the Seasonal Special Mango with Sticky Rice, we originally intended to only take a few bites, but since it was SO GOOD we couldn't resist and we finished it all up. I can't wait to go back! If you're in Seattle, definitely check out Pestle Rock! read more

Very fun atmosphere with an inspired menu! Not your run of the mill Thai restaurant. The tamarind margarita was really good

Some of the most delicious Thai food that I've had in a while! I tried it at a catering for our office lunches and it was divine - thai fried rice with a kick, a delectably rich tofu and veggie curry, delicious chicken that was generously seasoned with curries...even the less adventurous people went for it! The real stunner, however, was their sticky rice with mango - a delicious, warm glutinous rice that nearly melts in your mouth, coupled with the delightful tang of mango. Pestle Rock knows how to do it right! Highly recommended. read more