They complete takeout orders before people sitting in the restaurant. Waited over an hour before food came out. Very slow kitchen and no sense of prioritizing orders. And then they force you to pay the 18% included tip. read more

Food is delicious!!! Friendly service! The Tom Kha is amazing!!! Mango Sticky rice is to die for!!!!! It's my first time here with my husband and we will be coming back for sure!!! read more

Sala Thai Restaurant - Mango sticky rice is to die for!!! - Thai Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

GO HERE FOR THAI FOOD IN MADISON! I've traveled around the world and had Thai food throughout Asia and the UK (yes the UK has great Thai food) and Sala Thai (in my opinion) is the most authentic Thai food restaurant Madison has to offer. Yes...it's a dive. It's small and seating is limited, but if can ignore the size of this restaurant, then you will be extremely pleased with the food they have to offer. read more

Today I ordered a curry dish for lunch. They gave it to me in a paper container, so when I got home it had leaked everywhere. And I didn't receive a salad like the menu said I would. Just disappointed. read more

Came here for dinner with some girlfriends. We ordered beef laab, squash curry, pad thai w/tofu and something else I can't seem to recall. The beef laab was my favorite dish, seasoned just right with lime. I asked that the pad thai be a little spicy (like as in a replication of another restaurant's version of its pad thai) but that didn't turn out so well. It looked like they just rolled the tofu in red curry paste. It was way too spicy and just killed the flavors of the dish. So, don't ask for variations. Oh! The 4th dish was the tom yum seafood house special or some sort-very good. The service was good and attentive to refilling water. This isn't my favorite place for Lao/Thai food, but I wouldn't mind coming back. read more

Sala Thai is a hidden gem along the bike path! Although I don't want others to know about my new favorite Thai place, Sala deserves some recognition. I'm shocked that I'm only the second person to give a review. The restaurant itself is small and charming, with a matriarch behind the register who seems to always have something interesting to say. So far I've tried the chicken pad see ew and red tofu curry-both were delicious with lots of fresh veggies and full of flavor! Just remember, they are a cash only business so plan accordingly! read more

The food was good, but it wasn't great. Something about our entrees was just...off. I ordered the yellow chicken curry and my better half ordered the chicken stuffed with pork and shrimp. The food came out in a timly fashion, so I couldn't understand why it wasn't as hot (temperature) wise as I had expected, and my dish was not as spicy as I had hoped either. Surprisingly, the spring rolls we shared were fantastic. Fresh, light, and pretty to look at. My favorite part of the trip to Sala Thai did not come from the food, but rather the patron that left the restaurant, went to their car, and came back in to pay with change from a glass jar. Ohhh the East side. read more

I have driven past this spot roughly 100,000 times, but never been in. Over the years, my family has developed the tradition of eating some kind of Asian food before Christmas Eve services, and our 2019 search brought us here. Super cute place, with interesting decor throughout. The service was friendly, in general and attentive without being overbearing. My spring rolls with shrimp were fantastic - I've never had Vietnamese style without cilantro, so I was worried - but they were excellent and would have made a meal by themselves. I also had pad prik king with beef, and the entree was wonderful. The rice was terrible, sadly - plus I watched the server dish some up, leave it on a side table until my food was (finally) ready, then dump it back into the steamer and scoop some more out - I get that this was to ensure that I had a hot portion, but it was mushy and overcooked. I left it and just ate my entree without. My brother had a curry with three meats and liked it. I forget what my mom ordered, but she said it was terribly salty, to the exclusion of any other flavor. It also took a SUPER long time to get our meals, even though there were only two other tables dining and one was preparing to leave. I'd go back, but I've also had better. read more

The boyfriend and I have been searching for a place like this in Madison for literally years. We ate here for the first time last night and we were both blown away. Hands down the best Thai food in Madison. We have tried every other place and always been disappointed with the lack of authenticity. Sala Thai is to die for. He had C2 on the menu (tamarind beef? I think) and it was to die for. The beef melts in your mouth. I had a vegetarian option which was also very good. We are already planning to go back next weekend for date night. read more

Went here on vacation and loved it. The decor was festive, the tables are spaced far enough apart that you feel like you have space, the wait staff was friendly and attentive, the food was great, and so was the price. The panang curry was exceptional. read more

Been here a couple of times now and I'm a fan. Nothing fancy, just good food, reasonable prices, and fresh ingredients. The veggies in the stir fry dishes are cooked just enough - they retain all of their crispness and flavor. It's a shame that most of the Thai places in town overcook their dishes. The presentation isn't fancy - it feels a little like a home cooked meal, if your mom cooked really tasty Thai food. A great choice if you're looking for an inexpensive meal in a casual restaurant. read more

I've eaten at Sala Thai at least a half dozen times. Each time I very happy with the food. I recommend it to friends and family. A bad sign: They have stopped accepting credit cards. We were told to go to the ATM at the corner gas station. This is a shame as this will most surely hurt their sales. Also, it makes me wonder if they are going out of business. I will continue to eat there as long as they are around. read more

Would probably go there once in awhile if I lived down the block... But I don't... And I won't waste another trip there. Small portions, slow service, and not that great 'Thai' food. Prices weren't that great either. One reviewer complained about the spiciness. I had the opposite experience- warned by the waitress how spicy one dish was supposed to be at which point I said no problem... my 11 year old wouldn't have even thought it was spicy. Interestingly, I ate at Thai Basil later same day (as I didn't get my Thai craving met here), where I asked for extra spicy larb...holy@$##% was that hot!! Took me about 30 min to eat it with my eyes watering and my tongue and lips practically blistered but it tasted awesome. I will go back there again (albeit will remove the 'extra ' word...) read more

Sala Thai is amazing! The food was delicious and incredibly flavorful, the staff was super sweet and responsive, and the atmosphere was well-thought out and interesting. I had the Laotian green papaya salad with grilled chicken and sticky rice, and it was out of this world. Super fresh with the right amount of spice (they didn't hold back, which was appreciated), and very filling with the rice. And the chicken was ridiculously flavorful and very moist for being grilled, with a nice crust on it. I would order it again in a second if I didn't want to try everything else on the menu. Also, there was a pretty good selection of local beers, and for a good price. I would recommend this place to anyone that likes fresh, filling, and healthy food. read more

I had a green curry and tofu pad prik, both were quite good. The Green curry was spicy without being overpowering, or more specifically it was that good cooked in spice rather than just adding more paste. This is a good place. read more

Sala Thai Restaurant - Thai Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

I drive wayyyyyy across town for food from Sala Thai, and it's been my takeout of choice for any and all COVID19-era special occasions - it's just worth the extra effort. Best Thai place in town since SukhoThai closed many years ago. I have liked everything I've tried but the Panang Peek Gai and the Pad Krapow (especially the Sunday Special version) are favorites. I miss the tiny dining room these days, which offers a great little kids' area with toys to keep the littles from running amok. This place is a Madison gem. read more

Sala Thai might be my new spot. I'm a sucker for good, spicy thai, and i have been searching around Madison for my favorite spot. I have had Bahn Thai, Ha-Long Bay, Lao Laan-Xang, Sa-Bai Thong, and Vientiane and i have to say this may be the best bang for your buck as well as the most flavorful. The curry puffs are as good as i have ever had and you get 4 humungous puffs for 2.95. If you like spicy, go with the green curry, probably one of the best curries i have ever had. Overall this place is worth the short (5-10 minute) drive from campus for how inexpensive it is. Most dishes run between 7-8 dollars, with a few above 9. All the appetizers are between 2-4 and you get a significant portion. You could easily come here with 4 people and spend 8 dollars each for a large amount of food. I look forward to returning read more

By far my favorite Thai restaurant in Madison. Cozy, great atmosphere, wonderful owners, and exceptional food.

Bad food, Took an hour for our food, got the order wrong, and forced us to pay 18% tip. Don't go.

This place is a solid four-star eatery, it's not super fancy, the food is very good - not sure what else you would want from a neighborhood place. I do have to 'jab' at a couple of the folks who rated this place 'low' - especially those folks with more than a slightly 'arrogant' streak - children ya know who you is :) I especially loved the reviewer stating he/she was on a 'bad acid trip' - I think this likely - this individual also suggested folks who liked this place - were somehow ignorant of the cuisine and she thought it deserved only a low rating - well each to their own - I'd avoid the acid trips while eating personally read more

I've been eating regularly at Sala Thai since it opened. It is the most authentic Thai restaurant I've eaten at in Madison. I'm not an expert, but I have spent a few months traveling in Thailand and Laos. I know that other people kvetch about the hours and the service, but I just can't complain. The owner and the employees have always been friendly, they remember me when I go in, and even when they're slow, they're so sweet and the food is so good that speed doesn't matter to me. I just factor a little extra time into my dining experience. Honestly, it reminds me of Thailand. I think the food is so much better than other places because the herbs and spices are fresh. The mok pla duke (which I affectionately call "fish jello") is great. The squash curry, larb, squid salad and papaya salad are awesome. And we often stop by just for some tom kha or tom yum. The other Thai restaurants in town just seem bland in comparison; we don't even bother going anywhere else for Thai food. read more

Our absolute favorite Tai food! Pros: Great customer service- always kind and patient with me asking so many questions. As a vegetarian I do tend to ask a lot of questions. The food is wonderful. Its simple. They do a great job with everything on the menu.....so good in fact that my bf eats here at least once a week lol. Good prices and pick up options read more

Thai food was mediocre at best. Not sure why the reviews are so high but I was disappointed. We ordered the pad Thai, green curry, egg rolls, and crab wontons. The pad Thai was seriously dry and tasteless. The curry was ok but they gave us a tiny amount of rice, enough for 2 people (there were 4 of us). The egg rolls were burnt and the dough on the wontons was extremely chewy. Maybe we didn't order the right dishes, but I feel like pad Thai is pretty standard. If you can't get that right, I'm not sure I'm willing to give it a second chance. The icing on the cake though was that we called the order in for pick up and when we got there and pulled our card out, they apologized and said they only accept cash or check. Probably would've been beneficial to know beforehand. Much better Thai food in the area. Don't waste your time. read more

Food is great and authentic as it comes so I'm not sure what all the complaints are about? Cash only is pretty clear and listed at the register in case you miss it coming in. It's kind of frustrating seeing people say that the pad Thai isn't authentic or the food in general isn't. Their pad Thai is different than the Americanized version you typically get these days- it's more sweet as it's listed in the description on the menu... so learn to read before coming here? Everything I've tried here has been delicious and fresh. They do a great job of changing up the "typical" American/mainstream food you eat and I don't have anything but positive things to say. read more

Don't come here when you're already starving, unless you can handle the wait. But once your food arrives you will understand why it really is worth the wait. I've tried several dishes but the Squash Curry will always be my favorite. Ever since moving from Madison to Chicago I practically dream of this place. One really strange thing about Chicago, NO ONE has squash curry. Once you eat at Sala Thai you'll wonder why Squash Curry isn't a staple on all Thai menus. It might not be a traditional Thai restaurant but it's the perfect coming together of two cuisines. I mean, why not put some delicious hearty squash in a rich creamy curry? read more

This was my first time trying the food when visiting family in Madison. We order about 5 main "dishes" and 2 appetizers. For appetizers, the vegetable egg roll was large in size, but for a single order, there was only 1 piece. The fresh vegetable spring roll was large (again only 1 roll cut in 5 pieces). This was tasty, but wouldn't recommend for take out since it's laid on plum sauce, which makes it soggy by the time you eat it. We ordered the red curry (c3) and green curry (c10), at a spice level of 3. The were delicious and my favorite! Both had unique differences in tastes from each other, making them unique than some Thai places. The friend rice #2, at a spice level 3 was spicy but tasty. The other two dishes, which were drunken noodle and veggie pad Thai weren't to my liking, but not the worst that I have had either. I gave them 4 starts because the noodle dishes could have been a bit bigger portion for the size, and perhaps the tofu could have been cooked more prior to putting in the dishes (positive in tofu: wasn't over cooked making it chewy). I would only return to eat the curries and vegetable friend egg roll when in town again. Great find! PS, they only accept cash or check for payment! read more

I came here en route to Chicago. Impressed by the menu & enticed by the Lao menu. Of course, for whatever reason , Lao dishes are always way more than their Thai counterparts despite widely same spices. I digress, food... Thai tea-awesome one of the best I've had, no skimping on the size, 1/2&1/2, sugar or flavor. Excellent!! Gai mok- very excited as I've only had the fish "version" which is amazing. It wasn't steamed long enough and the middle was cold. It was ok, but overall wouldn't get it again. The cold part just turned me off. Laab gai Lao style- was kinda sad they couldn't prepare it as a cold salad (which is how my nephew's Laotian family serves it and how I had it in Thailand) but they tried their best to accommodate although when I asked them to put it in the fridge after prep as it would be take out, I don't think they understood as the waitress said they don't have a fridge. Gai yang (bbq chicken) with papaya salad and sticky rice- outstanding, the chicken was boneless breast, well marinated, delicious, the sticky rice perfect along with a side of papaya salad, pefect, just like you would get in Thailand. Outstanding. Even the table next to me asked what I ordered and commented it looked very good. It was so good, I wanted to share it with him...then I thought that would be weird, so I didn't offer. read more

We recently went to this restaurant because of the good reviews we read here at Yelp. Sadly, we can barely review this restaurant because the door was locked even though their hours said they were open and there was an "open" sign in the window. I tried the door and then noticed that there were people inside hiding behind some tables! What the heck! Not a good way to run a business. read more

Of all the Thai Restaurants in Madison, I think the food here is the best, but parking is a problem and there is a language barrier issue. The bathroom is very clean and amazingly decorated as is the whole restaurant! Just gorgeous. I had ordered something and the waitress did not ask me my choice of meat and brought shrimp. I am deathly allergic to shrimp - tried to explain this and she just didn't understand. To avoid any problems, I reordered and we brought the shrimp dish home, husband ate it. It's a little out of the way and the service is a bit slow but I still feel it is the best Thai food in town. The prices are bit high but as they say, you get what you pay for for. read more

My girlfriend and I went here for dinner on June 5, 2011. The decor was wonderful; however, the "greeting" was cold. It was 6:30 PM when we arrived and only three tables were occupied, which surprised me (based on the reviews I read on this site). We sat down and my girlfriend ordered V4 (Vegetarian dish). I ordered V2 (Vegetarian Dish) and requested chicken with it due to a diet I am on for a medical condition. The server said no. I asked her why I couldn't have chicken in it or on the side, I was expecting to pay extra for it. She gave no reason. I told her about my condition and she went in the back and spoke with someone. Upon returning to our table, she informed me that the dish only came one way. No reason was given. Geez! What was I thinking - that I was at a restaurant? My girlfriend stood up and said we were leaving for another Thai restaurant. read more

This is by far the best Thai restaurant in Madison. Up until I ate at Sala Thai I hadn't found any Thai restaurants in Madison that I liked. The decor is great. Having visited Thailand before it reminded me of my vacation there and made me really want to go back there. The Tom Yum soup was great as was my yellow curry. My SO got the peanut chicken and that was delicious too. I will return there for sure. read more

If you want the BEST yellow chicken curry in Madison,this is the place!! Everything on the menu is delish,recently tried the seafood curry,AMAZING! The decor is so cool and the owners are great! read more

Closes at 9 PM. We got there at 8:30. Door locked. Woman sweeping. I knocked on the door and she opened it. I said "I thought you closed at 9....?". She said something to the cook in another language, the cook replied and then the woman said "We are out of everything" and closed the door. I told my friend who is fond of this place and she said she has seen folks come in and hang around while there is an empty table and nobody makes an effort to clear the table so they can sit so they walk out. Fuggetaboutit. Go to Lao Lang Xang on Willy or Atwood (which is what I did). read more

Good neighborhood restaurant with easy on-street parking. I am a big fan of the curry squash to the point of craving it at times - it is spicy, creamy and delicious, as well as the cucumber salad I tend to avoid noodle dishes there as the noodles always seemed overcook and soggy, and we don't care for the pad thai which is otherwise a staple for the kids when we go to other Thai restaurants. Service is very hit or miss. It can be quiet slow to get service and food even when there are only a few other customers. Once when trying to pick up carry out and waited 20 minutes past the time I was told to pick it up, I was told quite sharply that it was "not ready, go sit down!". Still, that curry is quite yummy .... read more

Great food and atmosphere. Really enjoyed our meal and the service was friendly and warm

I placed a to go order to pick up 40 minutes later. When I arrived, the woman told me they hadn't started my order. I asked why she hadn't called to let me know and she said she had been busy. She did not apologize, just offered to start my order then. I declined. read more

We went here for the first time last week and I have to say it's my new favorite Thai spot!! I loved the spicy cucumber salad and the pad Thai with tofu. The pad Thai was super saucy and delicious. We also ordered the panang curry with chicken which was creamy, spicy and super flavorful. Overall the service and experience was also wonderful :) will be back for sure!!! read more

Rude service, long wait even when you call ahead for pick up. Food is often not what you ordered. Mediocre food at best. I won't be going back. read more

Excellent authentic Thai.. squash curry with chicken excellent , listed as mild but expect spicey. Love mango sticky rice and good price. read more

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Absolutely delightful cuisine, I have never been disappointed in the service or the food here. Flavors are expertly melded to provide an authentic palate. Simple, quiet (during non-rush periods), with easy traditional decor, and friendly faces greeting diners. I recommend this establishment to every single one of my friends who comes to Madison. read more