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    Sabai

    3.9 (642 reviews)
    ModerateBars, Thai
    Closed 4:00 pm - 2:00 am (Next day)
    Updated over 3 months ago

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    Business Info

    SABAI ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Hipster
    Casual
    Trendy
    Moderate noise

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    Recommended Reviews - Sabai

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    Reviews With Photos

    Mixed vegetable Pad Se Ew
    Hannah S.

    Absolutely 10/10. Every bite I ordered at Sabai was delicious. My group got taro, papaya salad, cauliflower and more. For my entree, a mixed veggie pad se ew. The portion was impressive. I truthfully was so full from the appetizers that I could only take a few bites but am so excited to finish my meal later. For some notes: make a reservation for weekend nights. It was busy & you will enjoy your time in between courses. The service for drinks was a bit slow. Another thing to note: certain tables are on swinging benches. If you -- like me -- have a tendency to get motion sick, opt for a regular table.

    Mak Muang Hin Maktan
    Casey S.

    My friend and I went to Sabai for the first time and loved it! It was highly recommended to us by some friends when we were looking for a Thai restaurant to go to and now I see why. It's kind of a hidden gem in Scott's Addition. It has a tropical vibe from the outside and inside it has really fun and unique wooden seating arrangements. She loved her order of Chicken Pad Thai and I looked my order of Mak Muang Hin Maktan. It was so flavorful and fresh! The servings were generous but we were hungry enough to get all of our food. If you love Thai food, this is definitely a place to go asap!

    Thai tea
    chelsea d.

    Wow! I am in love. I got an early reservation for 4 PM so they had just opened but the aesthetic of this place was everything. Our server was so sweet very helpful. She checked inappropriately. And the food not only did it come out quick, but it tasted absolutely delicious like wow I will definitely be back.

    Gang Massaman
    An N.

    When we arrived, it was pretty crowded inside. We were not able to get a table, but we were able to sit at the bar immediately and order food. After ordering, we waited for quite a bit before our food came out, however the taste of the food more than made up for the wait. We ordered the pad thai and massaman curry. The portions were pretty large and fair for the pricing. There was a good amount of spice for both dishes and both were very flavorful. Definitely would recommend this place if you are ever in the area!

    Po-Pia Thot
    Nikki J.

    I'd been wanting to try Sabai for the longest, but every time I tried there was always a long wait. Finally got to check it out with no wait on a Sat night surprisingly. Alessandra was our server/bartender and she was so nice. Everything I had was good. Some of the portions are pretty big, so bring an appetite or someone to share with.

    Thai basil chicken
    Stephanie B.

    Had a tasty late dinner a couple weeks ago. Sat at the bar where Shelby provided excellent service. Food came fast, had the Thai basil chicken. Wasn't too crowded around 10 on a Saturday. Only reason I gave 4 instead of 5 start is because they got rid of all of their plants! Was a solid urban jungle type of vibe and is now so cold in there. Minimal to no decor.

    Tim L.

    Excellent Thai food in a modern industrial funky restaurant. Excellent bar with very creative drinks. We had a great time and it wasn't too loud.

    Neua Dad Deo
    Joey W.

    Came here for dinner after a coworker recommended this place. There is a small parking lot next to it so that was convenient. Neua Dad Deo -the beef was tender and flavorful. The spicy chili lime sauce was very good and made the beef feel a little less heavy. Satay Gai - the chicken surprisingly was very tender. The peanut sauce was a lot stickier and sweeter than I was used to but it was still very good. It also came with chili fish sauce that was spicy and tangy. Pad Kee Mao - the pad kee mao was more saucy than what I've had at other places. It was also more sweet. I didn't really taste any spice. This dish was my least favorite. Kao Pad Ki Maew with pork belly - the pork belly was very good. I didn't really have any expectations since I haven't had this dish at other Thai spots, but this was very good. Mango sticky rice - the mango wasn't ripe but I didn't mind because I like my mangos tart too. The sticky rice was very very sweet so we only had a few bites. Overall, we definitely liked the appetizers more than the entrees and dessert. It's a great spot to come if you wanna order a variety of appetizers and make it more of a tapas style dinner.

    Bar
    K P.

    The outside gives authenticity and inside is beautiful. The tables with the swings as seats would give me great anxiety if I had more than one beverage. The staff was helpful and at 5pm it was nit packed even though it is their happy hour. I ordered takeout for someone else. While I waited, I decided to try one of their Happy Hour specials. They have seasonal or classic daiquiris. This season's flavor is passion fruit. It is refreshing and delicious. I only had one, but trust me, I wanted another. I will definitely be back for food and more Hapoy Hour treats. The order of food was for their Red Curry with chicken (Gang Dang with Chicken). I was told that it was AWESOME.

    Pad Kee Mao
    Amy H.

    Came here for lunch with a friend and we got the Kalam Tod (tempura cauliflower), Som Tum (papaya salad), Pad Kee Mao (drunken noods), and the Koa Pad Sapparot (pineapple fried rice). To drink - I got the passion fruit daquiri on HH special. Quality/taste: Everything was delicious!! My favorites were the tempura cauliflower and the Pad Kee Mao. The tempura had great seasoning to it and it had 2 different sauces that came with it and it was a great compliment to the dish. The Pad Kee Mao had great flavor and spice. The sauce was not too overpowering. I got the level 3 spice (which was a level above their normal spice level) and it wasn't super spicy but definitely had a nice kick to it. I LOVED that the portions were so big while not compromising the quality of the dish. The drinks were tasty and strong - we enjoyed them very much!! Service: My only complaint about my visit was the experience with the host. I came in and was confused on where the host was because the host stand wasn't immediately at the entrance so I waited at the only stand I saw to the right and the host almost ignored me standing there. I asked for a 4 top table but wasn't given it since my party was only a size of 2. Which is understandable I guess, but the restaurant was mostly empty at the time so I was hoping they would have just given it to me. He sat me at a dirty table, and I didn't say anything but then he came back immediately to wipe the table down right after I sat down. On the other hand, the server was very attentive and friendly. She was easy to talk to and order with. She made us feel comfortable the whole time. Environment: Clean inside. Spacious seating/dining area. A bit dark inside though but it was during lunch time so it was okay. They had nice decor around the restaurant and it was nice to look at. Price: Very reasonably priced. We happened to be there during happy hour (3-6pm) unintentionaly and took advantage of the deals! The HH specials were definitely good. $3 off apps and the drinks were no more than $5! The drinks were strong for $5!! Highly recommend! Definitely get the tempura cauliflower and the pad kee mao. I recommend going during HH (its everyday from 3-6pm, including weekends) for the best deals!

    Keturah E.

    This place was SO cute. I didn't even know it existed until a friend recommended it. The food was really good! We opted to eat outside because the inside was crowded which meant it would more than likely be a little loud. The downside to eating outside was that this summer there were SO many ants. They decided they wanted to have dinner at the same table as us. We ended up moving inside and the staff had no problem helping us move all of the items we ordered. I would have rather stayed outside due to the noise level, but we got to sit by the window which was close enough to being outdoors. I will have to visit again with a larger party so I can sit at the bench swing table.

    Marci F.

    We were looking for something different for a birthday dinner, but we want to hang out on the couch so we did take away. Maybe that didn't fairly represent the food and his best environment. We had the pork belly curry that we're not sure we would call a curry had a nice taste, but had no spice and didn't seem to be really a curry, left to desire. We quite liked the chicken large and we think that was probably the best dish of the night. It was bright and had good flavor. It was quite yummy. The satay came with no sauce. We will give it another try because maybe take away is not the best of environment , but we were not overly impressed.

    Mango sticky rice - would highly recommend you get this as your dessert!
    Ashley K.

    Overall a great experience! This was a nice, hidden spot my husband and I fell upon in RVA. Upon entrance, we had the option to sit at the enclosed patio or the wall bar, and we chose the patio. It was a little chilly when we went out there (it was a little after 5pm, so it was starting to get darker out) but decided to stick it out with our jackets. Atmosphere was chill - seemed like a good, versatile spot for people to come as they are, come a little dressed up for a cocktail night out, or even come for a date. Our waitress was solid and food + drinks came out promptly. We had the khanom jeeb, pad kee mao with pork belly, and then mango sticky rice for dessert. All three dishes came together to make a very satisfying and satiating meal. The pad kee mao had a nice level of spice to it as well (in their spice ranking, it'd be at a 2-star level). Pricing was fair for the most part! My only slight, personal complaint was that the khanom jeeb portion was a little smaller than expected for the price, but the flavor/ overall taste was great. Would recommend to others and would visit again when we're back in RVA!

    Bone that was in pad thai

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    4 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    2 years ago

    I love that nerd ass bartender Ryan. He makes such good drinks and gives awesome service

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    5 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    2 years ago

    I've been here several times. The managers are incredibly nice but the servers are extremely rude. For the price I expect better service.

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    4 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Loved the ambiance, the food was very filling and there was so much left over. Our server provided great service.

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

    I found out about this restaurant from other members that left a review. My grandson and I visited

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    3 years ago

    Wow, look no more, fresh flavor, fresh food, the delightful smellaromas when driving up makes you even hungrier lol... mouth watering...

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    2 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Top 5 restaurants in the city! Great food and service. Plenty of food for the prices. The plants inside are beautiful, too!

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    8 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    3 years ago

    So good every time! Great service & fun atmosphere. We Love their patio & fun drinks!

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    2 years ago

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    Page 3 of 17

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    Ask the Community - Sabai

    Do they take reservations?

    Do they charge extra for chili flakes at the restaurant? They charged me for chili flakes on take out orders. Thank you.

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