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    Sai Jai Thai Restaurant

    3.9 (1k reviews)
    ModerateThai, Desserts, Seafood
    Open • 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

    Order Sai Jai Thai Restaurant Takeout or Delivery

    Sai Jai Thai Restaurant Photos

    Business Info

    SAI JAI THAI RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Classy
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Sai Jai Thai Restaurant

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    Steamed Tilapia Grilled Pork Shoulders Tom Yum Soup Tray- Papaya Salad Lao Style (Poo Pla Rah) Raw shrimp salad
    Kay Khine K.

    Overall, I'd give this place 4/5 for the food. I really enjoyed the Steamed Tilapia (4.5/5), which was fresh and flavorful, and the Grilled Pork Shoulder (4/5) was tender and well-seasoned. The Lao-style Papaya Salad with Poo Pla Rah was definitely my favorite at 5/5 that is bold, authentic, and packed with flavor. The Raw Shrimp Salad was also fresh and delicious (4/5), while the Tom Yum Soup (3/5) was just okay and could have had a stronger flavor. The interior is pretty simple, so I'd give it 3/5, but I mainly come here for the food. My biggest concern is the parking, which can be very difficult, and the surrounding area has quite a few people experiencing homelessness, so I personally didn't feel very comfortable walking around outside, especially at night. Overall, the food is worth trying, especially the Lao-style papaya salad, and I'd come back for the dishes I enjoyed most.

    Pad Thai, barbecue pork shoulder over fried rice, tom saap
    SY C.

    TL;DR: come for the pork shoulder fried rice I was craving some pad Thai, so after a quick Yelp search, settled on this spot so I could also try the famous (it's in every review it seems) pork shoulder fried rice. The neighborhood is... As you might expect. The restaurant itself is pretty basic and service is efficient and friendly. Nothing to complain about, and we were only one of two tables at lunch time. I saw a few takeout orders but it was pretty quiet. On to the food! Tom Saap: got the sour pork rib soup since we really like the version at Saap Ver. I think the Saap Ver one is still better but this had a generous amount of pork ribs and had a good enough sour flavor. Pad Thai: pretty good, not too sweet, not too wet which was a plus! I got this with chicken and it hit the spot. I don't think there's a pad Thai specialist anywhere this side of the Pacific (except LA) so this was acceptable. Pork shoulder fried rice: ordered this out of curiosity and now I get the hype. The fried rice had good wok hei from the hot wok and was very tasty, although slightly on the salty side for my palate. The pork shoulder was tender and delicious, and came with this great chili dipping sauce that was not too spicy. Definitely get this fried rice, it was still good as leftovers the next day. Overall this was an inexpensive lunch by SF standards.

    Their signature pork dish
    Helen L.

    I have this craving for pad Thai. 5o I got the tofu pad thai. A bit ketchupy, sour with cabbage, broccoli, bean sprouts, carrots, peanuts, and tofu with egg. Comes with a very fragrant lime slice. I'll give it 6 out of 10. It was satisfying. I'm going on an adventure of finding the right pad thai. I guess I wish there was more eggs, less redness in this one. Portion size was good. This place is still my go- to place.

    Fried Pork Egg Rolls ($10.95)
    Elena N.

    Date: Sunday December 8th, 2024 Party of: 2 Meal: Late Lunch / Early Dinner Delivery Time Ordered: around 3:15pm Time Arrived: about 45 mins later Ordered via: DoorDash Delivered to: Outer Richmond *Papaya Salad Lao Style - Poo Pla Rah ($16.95): Extra Hot *Pad Kra Praow ($16.95): Chicken, Extra Hot *Tom Sapp - Spicy & Sour Pork Rib Soup ($16.95): Extra Hot *Steamed Tilapia ($19.95): Extra Hot *Fried Pork Egg Rolls ($10.95) I was craving Thai food. The hubby and I have a usual Thai spot in our neighborhood, but I wanted to try something different. Plus they have lao style papaya salad which I adore. After looking around, I decided to check out Sai Jai. The hubs always gets the ground chicken and basil dish. He actually liked this one better than our go to spot. It was more flavorful and had more heat. I also loved the papaya salad. I find most lao versions I get are too sweet, but this one was fishy and spicy in all the right ways. We used to get a pork tom yum type soup long ago from a place that's now gone. This was one of the hubs favorite soups. The version here was actually pretty close - tangy and porky. Tho I may add shrimp or something next time we order. I missed the seafood aspect of it. I was craving fish, so decided to get the tilapia. Sooo good! A lil over due to transit, bit the texture was still tender and smooth. The hubs wanted the egg rolls. I thought they were fine. Your standard eggs rolls. So glad I decided to change it up and explore a new spot. I think the hubs and I have found a new favorite Thai resto. REVIEW #3640

    Kym S.

    The food was pretty to look at, but disappointing. Spent $81 and I felt like I got robbed. Seafood noodle soup was thick with the same starch water they used to soften the noodles and the rice noodle was old because he was broken in small 3/4 inch instead of the long long strands of rice stick noodles. Also, I was expecting a clear chicken broth and it was not. Had to add lots of condiments for it to be edible. The pad kra pao ground chicken basil was salty. Less oyster sauce would have helped, flavor there, but the salt too heavy. The woo sen noodle salad was warm and it tasted like warm plastic washed in hot water. It almost tasted like they didn't rinse the glass noodle after boiling it. I love to cook and I can tell when someone took the easy way out. Disappointed. I will not be going back. With thousands of Thai restaurants in the Bay Area, you can afford to pass on this one. That's my opinion. Every taste bud is different. It's your money so spend it your way.

    Old school cover inside resturant
    Dan M.

    A local spot in the TL serving Thai food. I came here first for the Kao soi but the true winner is the pork shoulder fried rice. A taste of the fried rice you already know she wasn't playing around. There was a good flavor on the fried rice and the pork shoulder was thinly sliced with this sweet sticky glaze that was accompanied with this homemade crack sauce. This store is a local family restaurant with great service that serves delicious food. The area is sketchy outside which makes parking a breeze.

    pad thai
    Katherine L.

    solid thai for SF. can't speak to service nor ambiance since i got delivery. bbq pork was very tasty and went well with the sauce. fried rice was fine but worked as a vehicle for the pork. pad thai noodles aren't overcooked and overly sauced which is harder to find than you would expect.

    Unreasonably large *uncooked* hunks of potato in curry dish.
    Chapstiq G.

    UNCOOKED potato & cabbage in the curry (the potatoes were unforgivable since they were cut in large hunks, made up the bulk of the dish & had a tart unfresh scent.) The dish wasn't cheap so I'd expect for food to be cooked through at the bare minimum. They coulda just told me it wasn't ready/available instead of just warming it in a pot & calling it a day. -- the lingering taste of msg also wasn't ideal.

    #29 Pad Kra Praon $14/$12  So tasty. I ordered extra spicy  so good!
    Jenny J.

    This is a hands down best pork shoulder fried rice spot that I've been eating since I was a kid. This is a Family owned business in the TL district. I'm here for the food and not for the service but the service is great! lol Try their pandan jelly too. It's yummy. Hole in the wall vibe! Definitely a GEM in TL! Add me if you like my vibe!

    Chicken Bones
    Charlotte H.

    A must go for when my mom visits town. I used to live a block away and it was a must when I wanted fried fish. My mom and I love getting the chicken bones to go so that we can watch a movie and chow down, insanely delicious but a messy eat. The neighborhood is getting more dangerous so I would keep that in mind if planning to visit. However, this doesn't stop people from coming. The tables are always full and to-go orders are always flowing out.

    Pineapple fried rice

    LOVE the BBQ pork shoulder but everything else tastes like they reheated the food in BURNT oil. The egg rolls were over fried , pineapple fried rice had pieces of burnt cashews and the tofu on the pad sew ew was un masticable. See photos.

    BBQ pork shoulder fried rice
    Miranda L.

    A Thai restaurant I find myself going back to in person or ordering from, always ALWAYS for the BBQ pork shoulder fried rice. Recently, I went around lunch time on a Sunday and got a table immediately. The restaurant is pretty spacious and clean inside. Staff was attentive in giving us everything we needed and the dishes came out immediately one after another. Our meal was so affordable, coming out to around 48 dollars without tip. Tom Kha - The soup had a lot of the mushroom and chicken ingredients in it. It was a warm comforting soup with good spices. BBQ pork shoulder fried rice - What they are most known for and highly recommend getting. The fried rice is the right amount of saltiness and works well with the soft bbq shoulder meat and the sauce, which is honestly a star of the dish. It is a sweet and spicy sauce that adds most of the flavor and is so well balanced. Pla Rad Prik (Deep Fried Whole Tilapia with mixed veggie sauce) - First time trying this and it did not disappoint. The fish was crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. It was easy for us to remove the fish meat from the bones (we love that) and the sauce was sweet, sour and spicy. It packed a nice punch for the medium level spice we got. Highly recommend it if you're in the area for a quick bite or feel like ordering some delicious Thai food (the Pad Thai and appetizers are good too!!).

    Grilled tilapia, Pork shoulder fried rice, pad Makeur chicken
    Chris W.

    Used to absolutely love their pork shoulder fried rice back in the days, and unfortunately haven't given it a try since Covid. We got take out recently of the following: - Pork shoulder fried rice: Greasier than what I remember, the pork itself was thinly cut and tasty with the side sauce. 4/5 - Pad Makeur Chicken: Very oily, bland. Not like our favorite pad Makeur from Sue's kitchen in El Sobrante. Eggplants we're cooked nicely. 3/5 - Grilled whole tilapia: Love the garlic sauce in this, fish was a bit on the drier side. 4/5 Portions were generous, recommend also trying their stuffed Angel wings and other curry dishes. Glad they survived the pandemic!

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    The food was amazing, the service was fast, they were friendly, and it wasn't busy. Also very clean and peaceful.

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    Page 1 of 26

    Sai Jai Thai Restaurant Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Sai Jai Thai Restaurant

    Do you deliver to Noe Valley?

    Hi Lyn! We deliver 2 miles radius from the restaurant! However, we are now partnered with DoorDash!

    You mention you have a 2mile delivery. We are in the mission 1.8 miles out, yet every time we call you guys say we're outside of the delivery zone?

    Sorry for the inconvenience! Yes! Our delivery limits 2 miles radius from our restaurant. Our… 

    Hi, are you open New Year's day 1-1-22?

    Indeed we are open!

    Do you deliver to Outer Richmond?

    Sorry, but we do not deliver to the outer Richmond.

    Can you deliver to benioff children hospital?

    Hey Tom! Please give us a call at 4156735774 with your address and our staff will be able to assist. Thanks!

    Do you deliver to the mission? 16th& Guerrero?

    Yes, we do deliver to that area. We do have some limitations though. Please give us a call for more information about our delivery.

    Is the catfish mango salad on the menu?

    yes, it is deep-fried crispy catfish

    Hi. Is any of your food/meats halal?

    Sorry, we do not have that option. Sorry for the inconvenience.

    Is there a debit card minimum?

    Hi Amy, We do have a minimum of $15 for cards, however, we currently are not accepting card… 

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    A Buttercup Dessert House

    4.3(248 reviews)
    2.2 mi•Mission
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    Although they don't serve variations of buttercups, A Buttercup is one of the few dessert houses…read moreoffering Taiwanese-style treats like Bingsoo, Milk Bread Toast, and other Asian fusion creations. I'm always hunting for spots like this because I have a weakness for those over-the-top, Instagram-worthy desserts that look like diabetes in a dish. Like most places in this genre, A Buttercup is small, modern, and minimalist with limited seating. If you plan to go, aim for off-hours unless you enjoy waiting in line for sugar. The decor is cute and trendy, perfect for photos if that's part of your dessert ritual. As they say, "you eat with your eyes first," and when it comes to presentation, this place definitely gets an A+. The desserts look stunning and set high expectations. Unfortunately, that's where things started to crumble. It's like going to see your favorite artist live. You've watched the videos, memorized the songs, and paid for the experience. But instead of the electric performance you imagined, you get someone lip-syncing and barely connecting with the crowd. That was this place in dessert form. We ordered the Mango Bingsoo on our first visit, and when it arrived, we were surprised by how small the portion was. The guy next to us even looked over and said, "Whatever that is, I'm getting that next time." He shouldn't have. The Bingsoo looked great but was bland, and the "snow" was more chunky ice than soft shave. The Thai Tea Roti was also not what I expected. It came with Thai tea ice cream and sauce alongside a roti that was fried to a crunch. Interesting idea, just not the best execution. The sauce and ice cream needed a stronger Thai tea flavor to balance the crispy roti, and the flavors never quite came together. Overall, A Buttercup nails the aesthetics but misses the flavor. If you're here for the photos, you'll be happy. If you're here for the taste, you'll leave with a full camera roll and an unsatisfied sweet tooth.

    We got the pandan roti, which was fantastic! The roti itself was super flaky and crispy, and I…read moreloved the combo of the roti + spoonful of ice cream with a bit of the pandan drizzle. The coconut strips were also the perfect addition. Super decadent and overall the perfect sweet treat I agree with the other reviews that portions + presentation are a bit disappointing, but it was still undeniably tasty food

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    Milkbomb Ice Cream - ube & banana rocky road ice cream in ube pandesal

    Milkbomb Ice Cream

    4.7(924 reviews)
    1.7 mi•Potrero Hill
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    A friend used to live in Portreo Hill, so we'd frequent this Milkbomb location. They used to have…read moresporadic hours of operation, and don't do samples - yet I'd still keep coming back! Between the creative flavors and the high sugar content (like the ice cream sandwiches using donuts or the toasted marshmallow, yum!), there's nothing quite like it in the city. Their flavors change based on availability, so your favorites might not always be there. My personal favorites are the coffee, ube, and biscoff. There'd be more of a cult following (like Salt & Straw) if they were in a more optimal location... They also usually only have 1-2 employees at a time, so from order to pick up, there's a bit of a wait. The plaza they're located in is very small, but there's a park nearby if you want somewhere scenic to eat your ice cream.

    Pretty expensive for essentially what is an ice cream sandwich. While they do have a lot of unique…read moreand cool flavors, unfortunately they do not let you do any taste tests. We came during opening but a lot of the breads were sold out already. We ordered the ube ice cream and the chocolate caramel ice cream with the ube pandesal. While the ice cream flavors we chose were delicious, I felt like the bread to ice cream ratios were a bit off and the bread to me felt a little stale and I would much rather eat the bread fresh and warm.

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    Milkbomb Ice Cream - Thai tea+ube in an ube pandesal and matchavocado+ube in a glazed donut

    Thai tea+ube in an ube pandesal and matchavocado+ube in a glazed donut

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    NaYa Dessert Cafe

    NaYa Dessert Cafe

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    I went into Naya with my partner for dessert after a Friday night dinner/cocktail at nearby…read moreAbsinthe. We looked it up online, saw the good reviews, and decided to give it a try since we both love thai foods and desserts. What a great place we discovered! We were asked if we were comfortable sitting outside or if we preferred to wait for an inside table. We chose to wait as it was a pretty chilly evening, but we were only outside for a few minutes before our table was ready. We were given water glasses and a pitcher and then left to look at the menu for a moment. The place was quite busy but it wasn't long before they came back to us. Our waitress was very knowledgeable and friendly and took the time to explain to us what she recommended (the mango sticky rice in the picture). I've ordered mango sticky rice at thai restaurants before, this one was the best I've ever had. My only complaint would be that the booth side to the table we were sitting at was well worn, and little peices of the leather were peeling off. But the quality food and service more than made up for it.

    Been wanting to try this FOREVER and finally got a chance to. I heard lots about the mango tango…read moreand honestly thought the mango would be the main part of the dish that I'd like but WOW that ice was top tier did not know it can be so good. Also did not expect to like the sticky rice but that too was a hit. They said they were out of the big size so they gave us the smaller one which is good for two people. Definitely coming back and honestly will try other stuff here too next time.

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    NaYa Dessert Cafe
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    Golden Gate Bakery - Happiness is a fresh, warm dan tat from Golden Gate bakery

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    4.3(3.7k reviews)
    1.0 mi•Chinatown
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    3.29.26 Piping hot! Got my egg tart dozen yesterday. Delicious. $45 a dozen…read more GGB Lady told me they'll be on vacation for 3 weeks starting Monday 3.30.26.

    Golden Gate Bakery - 1029 Grant Ave, SF…read more This small, charming Chinese bakery is absolutely worth a visit--if you're willing to be bullied by the staff and experience some seriously nasty customer service! It's mooncake season, and the big day is 9/25/26! Yes, there's almost always a line, but don't let that discourage you--the staff definitely knows how to keep things interesting. You may get yelled at, screamed at, or told to "F off" if you decide not to buy. Somehow, it makes the wait even more intense and memorable! Tip for mooncake lovers: CALL and order a day or two in advance. But be prepared--you may still receive the same warm welcome: nasty customer service! Thankfully, the mooncakes make up for it! Their freshly made bánh trung thu are incredibly delicious! The mooncakes are soft, smooth, delicate, and packed with flavorful mixed nuts, salty egg yolk, and winter melon, all wrapped in a soft, golden-brown crust. Every bite is heavenly! My personal favorite is #3 Ham Mixed Nuts. It's tender, flavorful, and absolutely delicious. For the best experience, enjoy them while they're still warm--fresh out of the oven, they're even better! Cash only No seating inside No regular entrance--orders and pickups are done through the outside metal sliding gate. And be careful not to stick your face too close...you never know when that gate might come sliding toward you! If you're a mooncake lover, Golden Gate Bakery is definitely a must-visit in SF Chinatown. We highly recommend the mooncakes, but unfortunately, we can't give 5 stars because of the hostile customer-service environment. Delicious mooncakes Customer service Overall Worth the attitude for the mooncakes! Go NYU! Go Violets!

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    Sai Jai Thai Restaurant - thai - Updated September 2026

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