I've visited this affordable restaurant 3 times now, and every meal in their casual atmosphere has been so good. On my most recent visit, I had the salmon martini appetizer and previously I had the tuna version and both were amazing - very fresh and beautifully presented! One of our party had the green curry soup, and the portion was massive -- perfect for a hearty meal. My picky eater of a daughter loved her fried rice and even went so far as to eat her leftovers the next day, which is rare! The icing on the cake (literally!) was when they surprised me with a complimentary chocolate lava cake with a candle for my birthday. Such a thoughtful touch and the cake was the perfect end to an already good meal. They made me feel special. I'll definitely be back! read more

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Great place for sushi. We come here regularly and enjoy different items on the menu. We have never been disappointed. read more

Rai Lay Blakeney - Menu - Asian Fusion Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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One of my favorite lunch spots in Blakeney. Great spot to go with a group, me and my coworkers have come here multpiple times for team lunch. You can have most of the items on their menu made vegetarian. I will note they do not serve brown rice, only white rice and fried rice. Nonetheless, I have never had a bad meal here! read more

Rai Lay Blakeney - Teriyaki chicken - Asian Fusion Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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OMG!! This place was such a mouth watering joy to dine at. Friends invited me to have dinner with them here. While I've seen this place for years, I've always just driven by and never stopped for a meal. Arrived at 6:30 and was seated immediately. The restaurant isn't big at more of a cute intimate spot. We tried a lot of different food entrees and appetizers as my friends had been here before, and said everything g was good! The food as soooo good! Full of flavor in r ry bite. Now the service was slow. They kept brining our entrees about every 7 mins instead of bringing everything together. Some were finished eating while others were just getting their food. Aside from that, I definitely recommend trying the food. read more

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I love authentic Thai food. The spice and flavor profile is amazing. Hint of lime, heat, seafood, etc. I always grab 2 things: Tim Yum & Pad Kra Pow. This wasn't even close to being authentic. It was mid at best. The flavor profile feel flat. The soup was filled with large veggies and the Thai basi was dismal. I was very underwhelmed. Maybe I should try something else but I was a bit weary. It was clean, our waitress was sweet and the menu was vast but the food wasn't exactly authentic. read more

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Decided to give this spot another try since it is so close to my house but spoiler alert, unfortunately it is no better than the last time I tried it which was when it first opened here in Blakeney a couple of years back. Checked out the specials and saw "Lunch special Buy any specialty roll and get one classic roll (from specified list) free", so I figured why not give this a shot. Not a ton of non-cooked specialty roll options which is understandable as most sushi places in the local area cater to the audience which apparently loves cooked and deep fried "sushi", but hey, can't blame a place for meeting their customers where they are, so no issues with that. The list of specialty rolls to choose from all pretty much priced between 14.95-16.95 (does not include Rai Lay Favorites) and the list of free classic roll options all priced at 6.95. Does not include rolls like spicy scallop or any eel rolls. In terms of the food, there was a solid amount of fish in each piece, which was a welcome change from some of the other places in town which have reduced portion sizes while increasing price points. Given that the food was solid, they will avoid the dreaded 1-star review, but 2 is the ceiling because... Unfortunately, service is where this place went off a cliff, as first of all they failed miserably when it came to the water refill test, as my water glass sat empty for 5+ minutes with no server in sight. In fact, I actually finished my meal and never had a server come by for any reason at any time after my food was dropped off by someone else. No checking to see how the food was, no asking if I needed anything (water maybe?), and never even came by to give me my chance until I started to get up and go up to the hostess stand to ask for my bill. Then lo and behold, the case of the disappearing server was solved as she magically appeared as I was standing up (sigh). She dropped off the bill, then left again to wherever who knows. Given that I didn't have another endless amount of time in my life to waste, I just left cash on the table and left, and as I was walking out I noticed she was leaning against the wall doing nothing. How fitting... No more then 3-4 customers in the restaurant while I was there, so it wasn't busy at all. This was a case in my opinion of apathy, mediocrity or just plain not caring at all, which of course is the right of any restauant employee, just like it is my right to call out horrible service and choosing to spend my hard earned dollars elsewhere, which I will be doing, as I have given them multiple chances and based on how each experience has gone, it tells me they don't care if I come back or not, which is unfortunate, given how close it is to me, but proximity does not excuse mediocrity, so I will simply wish them the best in their future endeavours. read more

Rai Lay Blakeney - Asian Fusion Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

This is my go to favorite thai restuarant in charlotte. They have a casual and small cute ambiance. The service is always fast and friendly. I have tried most of their menu and everything is delicious. My favorite is red curry chicken and they have one of the best lunch specials ive seen in the city. You can eat a full meal with soup and drink for $15 for lunch. Most of their best sellers are in the lunch special. read more

This was our first time to try Rai Lay (not sure why that is the case). We had read the reviews, most of which were very positive. We ordered sushi and were very pleased with the food, service and atmosphere. We stated with edamames and spring roll, I had the Rock n Roll and my wife had California and an asparagus roll. We enjoyed the great service, sat out side (in the shade) and will definitely be back. read more

I ordered Door Dash from Rai Lay the other day. The papaya salad and Basil Chicken Lunch were really great. Definitely would order again. The rice was cooked beautifully. I am still thinking about it after a week. The Hot and Sour soup was not a win for me. The flavor was a bit off and not something I enjoyed. I have had others in the area a lot better than this one. read more

Rai Lay Blakeney - Basil Chicken (Pad Kra Praw) Lunch Combo - Asian Fusion Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Rai Lay Ballantyne Bang bang shrimp, crispy calamari, beef pad Thai and coconut chicken soup. The seafood is definitely fresh. I wished that the bang bang shrimp had been a little more crispy, but it was a good flavor. The calamari would've been so much better if the breading had been lighter and they had not used so much salt and pepper on one portion of the dish. The calamari rings were large, thick, good texture. Pad Thai was excellent, I really enjoyed the soup. If they could crisp up the shrimp and calamari and go a little lighter on the breading, easy on the pepper - they'd have a winning combination with that dish. I would definitely go back and try something else. Service was very good, price fair for portions. read more

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I wish there was a 3.5 star rating. It's decent but doesn't rock my socks. I'm content with what I get... some is better than others. read more

Rai Lay Blakeney - Cherry Blossom and Super Nova Roll - Asian Fusion Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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The food here is reasonably priced and fresh! I highly recommend trying their basil chicken, spicy chicken, and basil fried rice. The lunch special comes in huge portions and a spring roll. Carryout meals can fill you up and feed you a second time later. The atmosphere is welcoming and the service is friendly and good. read more

Rai Lay Blakeney - Basil chicken - Asian Fusion Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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Food was delicious; the service great and the ambiance is beautiful. I've. I've been to 4 locations and they're all just as amazing! Thanks Sofía! read more

Rai Lay Blakeney - Amazing Pad Thai ... the Tom Yum soup was very good as well - Asian Fusion Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Insipid food, dry as a bone, no flavor. Not going back ever. Not a clue about Thai food. Waste of money!

There are bugs ALL over this lettuce. I don't visibly see any INSIDE my food, but if the restaurant allows bugs to roam on lettuce, I'm sure there was. If I could rate a zero I would...disgusting. read more

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Despite its less than stellar Yelp reviews, my wife and I decided to give this joint a try for lunch (not without a coupon however.) Regena provided friendly and attentive service. The dining area was comfortable and clean. Most importantly, the food portions were huge, almost dinner-sized. My wife went with the Basil Chicken, which was delicious. I ordered the Chicken & Broccoli; however, the broccoli was overcooked - a major faux pas when it comes to Thai food. Still, at this point, we were pretty happy. It wasn't until our way out that we noticed the sushi chef on his cell phone. Anyone who reads my reviews knows how disgusting I find that. What could have been 4 stars suddenly became 2. We won't return. read more

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Foods delcious! Comes out quick and service is alright. The mango sticky rice is outstanding. You can taste the quality in everything, from the thai tea to the sushi rolls. Huge bar with some seating. Booths are comfy. read more

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My boyfriend and I moved to Charlotte about a year ago and we have recently been doing regular date nights on Mondays. We had never been to Rai Lay before so we decided to give it a try since it's close to where we live and there seem to be many other restaurants in the area but they are closed on Mondays. The restaurant dining area was smaller than expected so all of the tables are pretty close together. We were sat at a tiny two-top in the middle of the floor. The service was okay and a bit lacking. Our server was nice but she failed on two occasions to bring me the lemon I requested for my water. We decided on steamed dumplings which the server said were very good. They were average, nothing soe. The sushi was very good in terms of serving size and flavor, but a bit overpriced in my opinion. When comparing to other sushi spots that I have visited, I would choose to go to the others over this one because their sushi is just as good and less expensive. Overall, we had a good experience but it's not somewhere that makes the list of top favorites for me. read more

Rai Lay Blakeney - Asian Fusion Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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Seriously, beyond delicious food and great customer service and environment. I love this place.

Take out is probably not the best first impression of an establishment but Rai Lay was pretty good! It hit the sushi craving. I like how close it is to my neighborhood and the sushi rolls were reasonably priced. The nigiri was fresh and melted in my mouth. I tasted my husband's chicken pad thai - it was bland and forgettable. I definitely would not order the pad thai. Next time, we'll dine in to get a real feel of everything. They seem to have a pretty large menu offering several noodle dishes as well as sushi. read more

Rai Lay Blakeney - Chicken pad Thai - Asian Fusion Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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First timer, stumbled on this spot while leaving Pet Smart. Cute ambiance - outdoor seating is available. I cannot speak on service as I placed my order to-go. I ordered: - Shrimp Pad Thai ($12.95) - Spicy Crabstick Roll ($6.95) - Thai Tea ($4) The Thai Tea is on the sweeter side, also tasted watered down. Wasn't a fan of the sushi - however I'd visit again to try something else off the menu. Pad Tahi was delicious. read more

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Pretty decent, but also unremarkable . I feel like a fair sub nation would be to say that it's good, but not great. The Thai tea was yummy even though there was a lot of ice, and it was served in a Styrofoam cup. I had Tom Kha, and the flavor was nice, but not very intense. Many people will enjoy that, but I like a lot of flavor. One thing that I found the off putting was spices that were not chewable/edible. I had to strain out several stalk and rough pieces of what looked like ginger & were impossible to be chewed... it was OK and I would try it again, but would not make this my go to spot. read more

Rai Lay Blakeney - Thai tea takeout - Asian Fusion Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Wonderful restaurant, always a nice experience. The staff is so friendly, it's clean, and the food never disappoints.

Did carry out. Was ready quickly. Disappointed in the food. The Sesame chicken looked unlike other review photos. Instead of being in a brown sauce it was orange. It was indistinguishable in flavor or appearance from the General Tso chicken. Except it had sesame seeds on top. Egg rolls were good but the entrees were why this review is low. Popcorn Chicken had a good flavor but was dry. I think that item could be worth a second chance. read more

Rai Lay Blakeney - General Tso (bottom) and Popcorn Chicken (top) - Asian Fusion Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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I love this place! Amazing and fresh sushi and delicious hot dinners. Such a gem. All the food is made with lots of love. I'm so glad I gave this place a leap of faith and tried it. Had sushi one visit and a hot dish the next. Very delicious. read more

I guess my long review a week ago did not post somehow! I'll start over-cause this place deserves it For 4 months I've been looking for some great food of the Vietnam/Thailand -Asian Fusion type food. It's one of my favorites and as with Mexican food, here in NC I've had a hard time finding something to really impress me in either type of food - I've been to these countries Enter Rai Lay - I stumbled across it- was next to a manicure shop I was going to Yahoo I've had two great meals here ... But let me first say it's a really nice ambiance, larger and more upscale than you might expect And having the same waiter twice - I must say she is very awesome. Really it doesn't get much better than her service! Not intrusive- but very intuitive My last meal was green curry with chicken ... YUM FANTASTIC !!! Served perfectly -separate rice and curry bowls The heat was JUST like I like it : makes my nose run but doesn't burn my mouth off! Flavors were perfect Chicken pieces were small and plentiful-thank you ! I can thankfully quit looking and stick with this great spot... it took me 7 tries to find one I loved - but so glad I was successful Try it -I believe if you like more GENUINE tasting Asian Fusion food - you'll love it read more

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The food was good. Our waiter was nice and friendly. The place smelt good and the surrounding was friendly. read more

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Came here for an early dinner so there was no wait. I tried the Green Curry Bowl with shrimp (rice vermicelli, purple eggplant, basil, bean sprouts, green beans, and pickled green mustard, $18.95). A good number of the items on the menu are marked as spicy, but this one was not, so I asked the waitress if it was spicy because usually green curry is and I was surprised that it was not indicated as spicy. I like green curry, but if it is too spicy, I simply cannot enjoy it. The waitress said, "just a little bit." I was skeptical, but I wanted to believe her because I really wanted curry and yellow curry was not an option available on the menu, so I ordered it anyway. Turns out, it's definitely spicy and should be marked as such on the menu. It tasted great, but it was difficult for me to fully enjoy and finish because it was too spicy for my taste. Also, it ended up giving me the runs. My husband had my leftover curry, and it also upset his stomach, so something was not right about it. Otherwise, it was a large portion for the curry, but I wish there was more noodle to balance out the curry. Dinner prices here are also pricey. Maybe come for their lunch specials instead. read more

So glad another Rai Lay location is open in Charlotte now. Service was pretty good for our first visit to this location off Rae Rd. Drinks were great, sushi roll was amazingly fresh, and the drunken noodles were delish. Minus one star since I asked for Thai hot as my spice level and I could barely feel any spice, but they brought me extra chili oil on the side lol. Other than that we will be back soon! read more

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Food was good. Had to ask for a second glass of wine because the first one was an old bottle. It was happily replaced. Waitstaff needs to have better of the menu and the items read more

Rai Lay Blakeney - Tom yum soup, miso soup, eel roll and salmon roll with a glass of Malbec - Asian Fusion Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

First time here and I'm really surprised this place wasn't busy at all. The server was sweet and perfectly attentive. The sushi I ordered and the spring rolls were for sure a 10/10. Definitely would make a cute date night spot! read more

Rai Lay Blakeney - Rainbow roll on the left & supernova roll on the right with two spring rolls - Asian Fusion Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

This was a take out order. Sushi was fine but there are better options close by. I will keep typing as Yelp says I have to so review will post. read more

Giving this place the credit it deserves! Just tried it for the for time tonight (take-out). I got the Volcano roll and the Heat the Night roll. Holy amazing. I have been so incredibly let down the last few years by sushi places around Ballantyne/Fort Mill. They aren't consistent and it's just not good. This is the best sushi I've had in years. Heat the Night was my favorite but both were great. It's got a very unique flame torched taste on the salmon. So so so SO GOOD. This is my new takeout spot! read more

Rai Lay Blakeney - Heat The Night and Volcano Roll - Asian Fusion Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Absolutely amazing! Rai Lay NEVER disappoints and this red curry was no exception. Was in the area and stopped by for lunch and to kill some time. The food was phenomenal and the service was right there with it. I can't recommend this place enough! You have to check it out. Sushi is usually amazing, but I went on a Monday this time and it's not available Mondays. read more

Rai Lay Blakeney - Red Curry (spice level 3) Lunch - Asian Fusion Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

ordered green curry. sauce was good but not one piec3 of eggplant present. the dish is literally meat, eggplant and peppers. so 1/3 of the ingredients were missing read more

Ordered door dash tonight of green curry with shrimp, pad Thai with chicken, drunken noodles with beef, Singapore noodles and fresh spring rolls with shrimp. The green curry had no vegetables, none. Small shrimp. It was all coconut curry sauce and was lousy. The pad Thai was bland, no veggies. Same with the Singapore noodles. The drunken noodles had a couple veggies. Lousy food for 120. If I had it at the restaurant I would have sent it all back but I door dashed it. I'm quite upset and will not be ordering again. read more

Had good experience here in the past. Nothing wrong with the service there in my opinion. I always order takeout. I always order the red curry with white rice Last couple times the curry was watered down and full of sugar in place of actual curry sauce. They either changed recipe to save money or they had a change of kitchen staff. Either of which not good. read more

Came here on a Monday night service and food were all great! We had sashimi Martini appetizer and calamari appetizer and the spicy eggplant with tofu. Next time I will order one of their sushi rolls as they looked amazing. Nice bar too. I'm read more

I was so excited when I saw Railay Thai was coming to South Charlotte because it is one of my favorite restaurants. The restaurant took over where 18 Asian was and they did a little upgrade inside but still has torn seats and not much decor. I ordered the Pad Thai and it wasn't at all like the one I had at Railay Thai uptown, very sweet and over saucy. Even the menus didn't look the same. I asked if it was the same restaurant and was told no, same owners as 18 Asian. :( I was so disappointed to hear this. I tried one more time after and it was just ok. Sorry no pics. read more

Rai Lay Blakeney is a decent restaurant for the Ballantyne/Blakeney area. Food is tasty and reasonably priced. While likely not the top sushi place around, it does a decent job with rolls. Have been really happy with the thai cevechi, dumplings, and all of the noodle dishes. This is not a special night out type of place but rather a solid regular go to place close to home. read more