After my first visit to Pestle Rock back in 2023, I knew I had to come back during my visit in 2024. Coming in on a Monday afternoon, the restaurant was empty. I was quickly seated and ordered the nam tuk with beef. The dish came out fast. The flavors were incredibly flavorful but also very spicy. Each bite of beef was tender and offered strong flavors that packed a punch. Pestle Rock is definitely unique in that it doesn't offer typical Thai dishes you'd expect. Instead, they create Isan Thai, or Nothern Thai dishes that aren't as known, but are just as amazing. read more

This was our 1st time here. It's a small place, but we came here on a weekday and didn't have to wait to get a table. A lot of menu items I've never heard of which is due to the fact that they serve Isan Thai here and I have never had that before. There weren't a lot of vegetarian or vegan options. We picked the Guay Tiow Ta Krai and the Ka Nom Jeen Nam Prik, both were delicious! The dishes aren't overly huge, but appropriately portioned, made with fresh ingredients. The restaurant was clean. The service prompt and friendly. I definitely recommend this restaurant! read more

Pestle Rock - Guay Tiow Ta Krai - Thai Near Me - Seattle, Washington

See all

My boyfriend has named this place the best Thai food he has had in Ballard and I agree! Inside is a lot bigger than I thought and I love the lights. The food is fantastic. Their wings were sticky and sweet and spicy. Their spice is actually really Thai spicy. They have pretty authentic Thai dishes as opposed to the usual phad thai (which is good too, but good to have other variety of the cuisine!) We didn't drink when we went besides a Thai tea, but their alcoholic drinks looked very interesting and Thai inspired. I would love to go again just for their drinks! read more

See all

Best Thai in Seattle, hands down. My go to's are Larb, Kao Soi, and the BBQ combo. Staff is fantastic- the same people who run Sen Noodle Bar, which is also fantastic in all ways. Pestle Rock uses local vendors for ingredients, including meats & seafoods, with real actual Thai spices and flavors. They make their own Thai hot sauces and spices- no sriracha here! read more

Pestle Rock is a very different Thai Restaurant than what I've ever tried before and honestly was unimpressed. I ordered the shrimp paste fried rice, Gon ob woodsen, Tom yum talay, kao soi, and the Som tum salad. First, as people mentioned in other comments, the portions are on the smaller side so be prepared to order more. The food was just alright, wasn't that good but didn't taste bad. All I could taste in the som tum was lime so that was disappointing. The Gon Ob Woodsen was on the specials board and it sounded amazing until it arrived, my first impression was "that's it?". It tastes exactly like Korean japchae. The kao soi was very thick and not as much flavor as I expected. The Tom yum talay was probably the best thing out of all of the dishes I ordered. Overall, if you want a different Thai experience and Thai food, Come try this place out but it wasn't for me. read more

See all

Pestle rock is a Thai restaurant that sets itself apart from the rest. At first glance their menu alone will not be like your typical chain Thai restaurant. I often had to find myself looking up on google some of the food items for better visualization, because I believe they were traditional Thai food and I hadn't heard some of the names before. Their most popular food item is the Kao Soi. So so delicious. If you want more texture then I recommend the Guay Tiow Tom Yum. Lots of spices but I enjoyed every bite of it. Can't go wrong with any of the options read more

Pestle Rock - Bottom is Kao Soi Guay Top is Tom Yum - Thai Near Me - Seattle, Washington

One of the best thai restaurants that I have been to. We ordered the som tum (papaya salad), khao soi, talay pad cha, meing plaa, thai iced milk tea and also the mango sticky rice. First off, the meing plaa was amazing. It was tangy, sweet, sour, lil spicy and refreshing as a lettuce wrap which is what I expect from thai cuisine. The khao soi was also phenomenal as the flavors came together very well as it was slightly sweet, coconutty, creamy and had soft rice noodles sitting under with crispy fried strands ontop. The talay pad cha was also cooked very well with the scallops in a slightly sweet sauce with thai eggplant, fish and some other garnishes. The mango sticky rice, a simple classic was also done well here as I really enjoyed the way the rice was served and prepared here (seemed different from the usual rice i get with this dish). The thai iced milk tea had a perfect blend of sweetness and the papaya salad was really nice and refreshing. I would definitely come back here another time to try some of the other dishes and enjoy the khao soi again! read more

See all

We came to Pestle Rock for late dinner on Friday. We liked the flavors of the chicken wings, khao soi -- can be made vegan -- and the special (vermicelli noodles with prawns), and the drinks are fun (lychee flavored), but it was a bit too spicy for me. read more

Pestle Rock - Thai Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Food was authentic & flavorful .. ambiance was so neat, cozy & creative. Service was also very excellent, friendly & attentive

This is the best Thai restaurant, not only in Seattle but in the entire US. Closest Thai food to the food in Thailand

This is an amazing Thai restaurant with decent prices on dishes, great flavors and friendly servers. We had meing plaa, Mee ka ti, special seafood curry and kao soi. Everything was very delicious. It's usually busy on weekends so make reservations and plan accordingly. read more

See all

Was in the area on a nice sunny day and decided to try this highly reviewed Thai that's been on our list for awhile. Oh man this place is delicious all around. We started with the chicken wings and it was a great start. I loved the chicken larb! It was my favorite of all the dishes. The dessert was amazingly good even though I don't like sweets. read more

See all

5/5 overall experience. After getting multiple recommendations from friends and online to come here, I decided I had to try it. I think it is one of the best thai places I've been to in the Seattle area. I got the kao soi and it was super full of flavor (really coconuty) and not too greasy or salty. It wasn't a huge portion but there was a lot of curry & broth, so the waiter was nice enough to box up the leftover broth and pack it to go for me (perfect to eat at home with noodles or rice). The servers were super nice and the food did not take long at all - we were in and out in 45 minutes (on a weekday evening). I love that they close on the later side for the weekends (9:30pm)! Would highly recommend this place to anyone in the Ballard area or looking for a change up from the typical places like Thai Tom. read more

Pestle Rock - Kao Soi - Thai Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Pestle Rock specializes on Isan Thai cuisine and serves some of the best Thai food in Seattle. I tried their most popular dish, the kao soi! I am usually not the biggest fan of curry soup dishes but this one was so good and the coconut curry was packed with flavor. I alo loved the contrast of the different ingredients like the chicken, crispy noodles, and the egg noodle! Also the servers were really friendly and attentive. I will definitely be back, as there are so many things on the menu I want to try! read more

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

I was very pleasantly surprised by this restaurant! It's a small spot that's a bit hidden so you might pass it or assume it doesn't have much to offer but don't be fooled. The food here was AMAZING and I can't wait to try more items. We had the nam tok which is grilled beef with a few spices and herbs. It seems so simple but it was so incredibly flavorful and tender. I could eat it all day!! We also ordered the Gai Phad Prick Gang which was a perfect stirfry and had great spice. The service here is wonderful as well, they are very attentive and welcoming. I can't wait to come back ASAP. read more

Pestle Rock - Thai Near Me - Seattle, Washington

See all

I went to Seattle for mini vacation with my mom and don't know what to eat, I saw a lot of positive reviews about this Thai restaurant so I decided to stop by. The food was soooooo good, especially Yum Larb Esan. I love that they put a lot of roasted ground rice. It was amazing, so I have to order one more to go for later. Especially if you love spicy Thai food, this is a must try. If you don't like spicy not to worry, you can adjusted the spicy level according to your preferences. Another dish that I ordered was Khao pad prik did gung, it is very tasty and not too oily everything is about right. Great for quick lunch. Then it come to my favorite som tum pla ra, I felt like ordered this from Thailand. It was flavorful and spicy that I love and it was not too salty, all flavor mixed together very tasty. After taking about food now let me talk about their service. All servers and very friendly and helpful. They are very attentive. The restaurant decorated simple but represents Thai's way. The restaurant is very clean and well kept. I recommended to everyone who happened to be around the area and who love Thai food. read more

See all

First off, a bit overrated. 4.5 Star avg rating I am expecting it to make me roar over from the Eastside with little hesitation. While good, it doesn't garner the roar screaming drive from Bellevue to here. That being said, personal rating is a good 3.3 Stars. Quaint, clean, with a nice ambiance. A pleasant restaurant and great to bring friends and family. Chicken Larb was unenthusiastic however. Very regular fare larb, 2.8 stars. Meh. Guay Tiow Tom Yum was quite flavorful. Spicy, yet sweet? It was actually a bit confusing. Confusing yet delicious. 3.5 stars. Ba Mee Hang Muutoon was the best of 3 dishes, and actually could be better. Noodles were super al dente. The pork belly could have been better, it didn't have the wow factor but still good. 3.6 stars. Our server was very sweet, attentive. 4 stars. For some reason the taller guy near the kitchen (maybe manager/owner?) did not know how to smile and gave us odd looks for whatever reason? 1 star. Overall a slight dissappointment mainly because of the 4.5 avg rating here. But a 3.3 rating from me is usually most other people's 4+ star. read more

See all

This Thai restaurant is an absolute gem and EONS past any average Thai spot you've had before. They even put a disclaimer at the top of their menu on how they differ with their traditional Thai dishes that are so much beyond a basic pad Thai dish. The service was a 10/10 from all the staff, they were incredibly friendly and attentive to us! I got the kao soi after seeing it was one of the most popular dishes on Yelp, and WOW am I glad I did! It's packed with flavor from the curry and so many textures from the noodles, chicken, and veggies. It was also a massive portion and made a second meal to go for me. This instantly became my favorite Thai restaurant in Seattle and I'll absolutely be taking any visitors from out of town here! Such a lovely experience with the kindest staff, beautiful interior decor that makes you feel like you're eating in Thailand, and of course phenomenal Thai food. read more

Pestle Rock - Kao Soi - Thai Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Great food and service. Their Thai iced tea with great liquors is amazing!! I will come back when I return to Seattle read more

Pestle Rock - The best Thai iced tea EVER! - Thai Near Me - Seattle, Washington

This Thai place was recently recommended to us, and we decided to try it for lunch today. We have walked by this place before, and not realized what we were missing. The service was excellent. This food here is different from the standard thai restaurants, be prepared to try new items when you come here. We started with Peek Gai Tod (chicken wings) and Som Tum (green papaya salad). The chicken was fried perfectly, the green papaya salad so refreshing. We then got Yum Larb Isan, Mee ka Ti, and Gang Muu Yang. We enojyed them all, loved the yum larb isan. We will definitely be back to try other items. read more

See all

So authentic. Favorite is the Khao ka prau gai Khao dao, ground chicken with basil and an egg. Simple yet delicious. Lots of basil flavor. Second favorite, Khao soi, solid. In my opinion, the som tum (papaya salad) and the trout tod yum were just ok. The Tom yum talay, also decent. The space, I like the took. Dark but also brightish. What I felt was food felt authentic, there was a board in front of cash with specials, only 5 serving of each. Staff , also quite nice and personable. I'd go back and try some different items but definitely my faves. read more

Love this place and the interior setting rocks! We started off with the som tum "salad" with papaya, carrot, garlic, cherry tomatos, green beans, and roasted peanuts in a palm sugar lime dressing and this one was yummy! For entrees we had kao soi a Northern Thai curry noodle soup with egg noodles and chicken topped with red onions, pickled mustard greens and crispy noodles and the talay pad cha which was a stir fried seafood dish with scallop, prawns and white fish plus fresh chilies, peppercorn, krachai root, lemongrass, and basil. I'll get the kao soi but the seafood stir fry was a bit small and will skip it next time although was still packed with yumminess. Love the drink selections and we finished off with the seasonal dessert of mango sticky rice with coconut milk. The servers were very attentive and the service was great! The ambiance was lively and you could feel everyone was there for the food. read more

See all

Great food, not too noisy, good pricing. Specials are tasty and unique. The mango sticky rice is the best I've had.

Before a few gripes, it should be noted that the flavors at Pestle Rock are very uniquely Northeastern Thai with plenty of hot, red chili peppers and tangy lime and fish sauce that washes over many of the dishes. The place is adorned with lights like a Thai night street scene and the staff is beyond friendly and helpful. The beef is with the prices (high) and sizes (low) of the dishes. We had three entrees for three people and really could have eaten more. In addition, $3 for a small bowl of jasmine rice seems egregious. But back to the flavors....Pham kha na was absolutely the best dish we tried. Crisp and tender stalks of Chinese broccoli covered in fork friendly bits of fried, crispy pork belly was sensational. Goong ob woonsen featured prawns, lightly seared pork belly (an absolute staple in many dishes, so yea to that!) and bean noodles bathed in a cilantro, garlic ginger sauce was very skimpy on the pork. The noodles were far too gelatinous to render any bite clean. An eggplant forward dish with (uh huh) pork was limey and delicious but suffered from a severe lack of the star eggplant which was velvety and melted in the mouth. Also make sure to sample their house made signature sauce which is a kind of sambal with fish sauce and garlic/cilantro notes. Dumped over rice it was a revelation which should be bottled for purchase. Full bar but again have issues with beers at $7 a pop. Located in the heart of Ballard, think twice about trying on a Sunday when the famous Farmer's Market is in full swing a couple blocks away as parking will be dicier than the clumps of garlic that needs your attention to avoid in every dish. read more

See all

What a wonderful thai experience. My friend and I wanted something warm and to be away from the rain awhile. A very kind gentlemen welcomed us and very helpfully made some menu recommendations to warm us up and provide some crunch (i love crunch). We settled with a soup and a noodle dish with crunchy veggies. Both were spicy and we left there wanting so much more... but atleast we would be warm! Thanks again read more

See all

Good service and size of dishes ! We couldn't finish food and took home the rest of the food ! Liked the lamb curry a bit sweet and spicy interesting combination . read more

Excellent find in Ballard! A real standout! Not your typical Thai (no pad Thai nor drunkman's noodles) but Menu items were all interesting and the 5 dishes that we ordered were all bursting with flavor! Will be back read more

This place is SO good. Pestle Rock isn't your typical expected Thai restaurant with the standard dishes. Instead, their food is more regional. LOCATION & PARKING // The restaurant is medium sized with 10+ tables. It has a low to medium noise level. Located in downtown Ballard, I was nervous about finding parking. I arrived to the area around 6pm and I didn't have an issue finding parking at all a couple of streets down the road. FOOD // The food was AMAZING - even better than I expected. MEE KA TI CHILICHILIGFV $13 Stir-fried Thai rice noodle with chicken, egg, coconut milk, bean sprout and onion. YUM LARB ISAN CHILICHILIGF $14 Ground Carlton Farms pork or Draper Valley chicken, redonion, mint, basil, dried chilies, lime, toasted rice powder, and crispy chili rice. I can't even explain to you how AMAZING this stuff was. We got two sides of rice as well and it was the perfect meal. AMBIANCE // I like it! It does feel authentic in here but also modern and young. It didn't feel over the top. It was the perfect place for two friends to catch up. SERVICE // We were asked twice if we were ready to order (which can be inferred as both good or bad) but they were helpful in answering any questions we had. They refilled out water and were kind throughout our meal. OVERALL // 5.0 stars Honestly, halfway through my meal, I tried to think of when I could return. This is FANTASTIC. read more

Pestle Rock - Thai Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Heard so much about it and finally came here tonight to give it a try. We got papaya salad(which I have been looking for for a while and most Thai places I have been to simply don't have it), chicken stir fry (hmm forgot the name of it), and a vermicelli noodle veggie tofu stir fry dish. Over all it's alright. We weren't too impressed or delighted by this place and you do pay the Ballard market street prime location price. Maybe it's high end Thai? I am not sure. Small portion too. Hmm we probably won't come back. Just nothing special to us. read more

See all

Great atmosphere and friendly staff. I was seated right away around 6 pm on a Thursday evening. Food arrived pretty fast. Good portion and Delicious! read more

Pestle Rock - Thai Near Me - Seattle, Washington

The Kao Soi is a MUST try! It is one of my favorite dishes I've tasted in all of Seattle. It has spices, rich with flavor, delicious noodles, and is perfectly warm. The Khao Phad was just fine. It was exactly what you'd expect. I probably wouldn't get it again. The staff were beyond friendly and helpful. They were also quick with our dishes. They serve and encourage family style eating, which makes the experience much more fun (plus you get to try more!) read more

Pestle Rock - Kao Soi - Thai Near Me - Seattle, Washington

See all

Its a small place with Delicious Thai food in town. We ordered couple of drinks and Kao Soi with Chicken and Fried Tofu, Panang Salmon, Mee ka Ti and ended our tasty meal with Sticky rice and mango dessert. Its a bit of drive from Redmond/ Bellevue but nice place to chill and enjoy weekend dinner with friends. This place is closed by to Seattle downtown and pike market so can take a walk after dinner. I felt tofu was very soft even though it was fried. I Kao Soi - the curry and noodles in a bowl was very tasty and filled with yumminess of veggies. We reserved the table for 8 people and got amazing service with super hot food. We enjoyed our delicious dinner with Thai Iced Tea. read more

See all

Oh my goodness. ..this place was AMAZING!! Service was a little slow but the food makes you forget all about that. We got the Kai Soi with chicken and the Mee Ka Ti. Both dishes are a must try. I usually don't love curry too but the Kao Soi was not too heavy but soooo rich in flavor. read more

See all

Fantastic food, and excellent service. We're so lucky to have this gem in our neighborhood!

I don't know why I have never written a review for my favorite Thai restaurant. This is my family's go-to Thai restaurant, and have gotten it to-go several times during the pandemic. It's not your traditional Thai restaurant as it serves Northern Thai cuisine. The flavors are just beyond delicious. We have been here so many times we must have tried most of their menu. Two must order dishes: Guay Tiow Tom Yum, a spicy and sour noodle soup, and Ba Mee, a egg noodle dish with pork belly (reminds me of similar Chinese wonton noodle dishes). We also love their larb salad, and khao soi. I have enjoyed almost everything on their menu. The only dish not to my taste buds was the lamb dish (gang gae). This place is best to come (or order to go) with a few people so you can try a little bit of everything! read more

I can't believe I forgot to leave a review for Pestle Rock! I came here about 3 months ago with 2 friends. We ordered many dishes to share. Everything was delicious and authentic. I also like that nothing was too spicy. The staff was very accommodating. I recommend this place. The only complaint is that if you sit by the door, it gets really cold when people are going in and out. read more

Pestle Rock - Thai Near Me - Seattle, Washington

See all

Pestle Rock definitely ranks as one of the top Thai restaurants in Seattle. I come here over and over for the Kao Soi, but also enjoy sticking my fork in the crab fried rice and Salmon Yaang. Good service and pleasant environment, if you can get your face out of the food to notice! read more

Best Thai food in Ballard. I've been here before and thought I was ordering the same dish I had last time but I accidentaly ordered the Guay Tiow Tom Yum. I have never been so happy to have ordered the wrong thing. This soup was delicious, great level of spice (one of the few places that when they say its spicy its actually hot) , vegetables were great, I think I tasted some lime juice in the broth which complimented the spice really well. Even on a hot day I was happy to be having hot soup when its this tasty. All the dishes i've had here have been excellent. Cannot recommend this place enough read more

Pestle Rock - Guay Tiow Tom Yum - Thai Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Great Thai food made with local ingredients + prompt service! We were super happy with everything that we ordered. read more

See all

Absolutely loved the coziness of this place, from the food to the interior space to the people. What I ordered: Guay Tiow Tum Yum - really well spiced, perfect for a cold day Gai Phad King - tender chicken with chewy woodear mushrooms, was just such a comforting dish overall read more