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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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
1 year ago
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
10 months ago
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
11 months ago
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
1 year ago
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
3 months ago
3 months ago
5 months ago
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
1 year ago
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
1 year ago
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
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
7 months ago
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
1 year ago
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
2 years ago
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
10 months ago
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
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
7 months ago
2 years ago
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
2 years ago
3 years ago
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
2 years ago
The food was good. Our waiter was nice and friendly. The place smelt good and the surrounding was friendly. read more
2 years ago
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
2 years ago
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
3 years ago
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
3 years ago
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
1 year ago
2 years ago
2 years ago
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
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More info about Rai Lay Blakeney
9935 Rea Rd
Charlotte, NC 28277
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(704) 845-1801
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http://railayblakeney.com
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