We were all impressed with Thai Station Restaurant in Carrboro. My parents are from Thailand and settled in North Carolina in the 1970s. My mom, who is well-traveled and has been to her fair share of Thai restaurants over the years, said the pad Thai she had here was the best pad Thai she's had in the States. High praise. Personally, I give Thai Station 4.5 stars rounded up to 5. The House Duck Noodle soup we ordered was too salty. We had to ask for extra broth to dilute the original broth. Other than that, everything was excellent, from the food to the service. Carrboro-Chapel Hill is lucky to have this place. Thai Station opened on February 17, 2020. They took over the space that once belonged to CrossTies Bistro & Beer Garden: https://bit.ly/3mcaQEB. Thai Station operated its dining room for only about a month before having to shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fortunately, they persevered and made it through. The dining rooms are beautiful. The main dining room has an exposed slanted ceiling with slits for natural light to help fill the space. Decor includes handwoven basket light fixtures and hanging plants. The main dining room is surrounded by two train cars that have been repurposed into additional dining spaces. While not an uncommon concept, I always think it's kind of neat to eat in repurposed spaces like this. This is a great date spot. The restaurant also has two dedicated outdoor patios - one is covered and the other is not. We ordered from both the lunch menu and the regular menu. Thai Station offers their lunch menu six days a week. The restaurant is closed on Sunday. Here's what we got: * L4. Massaman Curry with Jasmine Rice, Chicken ($9) - mild tamarind curry, coconut milk, cumin, turmeric, onion, potato, and cashews * SL3. Papaya Salad ($7) - shredded papaya and carrot, string beans, tomato, peanuts, Thai chili-lime dressing, and crispy pork rinds * SL4. Pork Larb ($9) - spicy Thai ground pork salad, chili powder, roasted rice powder, red onion, cilantro, scallions, Asian greens, and Thai chili-lime dressing * N1. Pad Thai, Shrimp ($14) - "old-school" Thai-style sauce (sweet and sour taste), red onion, scallions, bean sprouts, egg, sweet pickle radish, and peanuts * NS4. House Duck Noodle ($15) - Thai street food, Thai spice mix broth, duck, bean sprouts, scallions, cilantro, Chinese broccoli, and roasted garlic * H2. Soft Shell Crab with Spicy Herb Dressing ($19) - green apple, red onion, scallions, cilantro, and cashews; this dish is customizable, more on that below * Thai Iced Tea ($3) Presentation was fantastic, all around. Every dish was plated beautifully. And this was not only in terms of the food arrangements, but in the dishware too. I believe some of the plates, unique in shape and style, came from Thailand. Massaman Curry is one of my favorite dishes to order at Thai restaurants. Thai Station's version was delicious. What set Thai Station's Massaman apart from the competition was its presentation with the curry in a small soup bowl/pot with a cinnamon stick in the middle. I thought the portion size was reasonable, but could have been bigger. I did order this one off the lunch menu, though. The curry was appetizingly rich, creamy, aromatic, and complex. The Papaya Salad and Pork Larb salads were fantastic. Both were fresh, tangy, and packed with flavor. Spicy too, but not too spicy. I believe you can adjust the spice level on any dish here. The Papaya Salad portions were generous. Chicken Larb was one of my favorite dishes growing up, one that my mom made for me a lot. We enjoyed Thai Station's pork rendition. They offer beef and chicken variations too. Most pad Thai served in the US is the Americanized/Westernized, sweet, orange-colored noodle version. Thai Station prepares theirs the "authentic" and traditional way. It's less sweet and more sour. My mom commented that she thinks Thai Station uses real peanuts instead of peanut butter, but I'm not sure what she meant by that. Bottom line is this pad Thai was terrific and different from most other pad Thai you'll find at Thai restaurants in America. To me, it didn't look nor taste as "artificial." As mentioned previously, the House Duck Noodle soup was salty, but when we diluted the broth, it was very good. The duck was roasted/charred and sliced into thin pieces. The noodles had yummy texture and the broth had good umami to it. This soup had all the little extras I like -- cilantro, scallions, and roasted garlic. It also came complete with crunchy, leafy, Chinese broccoli. The Soft Shell Crab with Spicy Herb Dressing came with two fried soft-shell crabs. Everyone liked it. By default, the crabs are served atop a sour green apple salad. However, you can have the crabs served with curry or other sauces like ginger sauce, basil sauce, or cashew sauce. The Thai Iced Tea was tasty and refreshing. Best was our server and she was outstanding. Despite being short-staffed, our entire order came out quick. read more

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Tasty Thai food with average price. We come here for lunch everyday. Every dish is delicious. Staff are wonderful and location is very convenient. Great atmosphere. read more

Love this place. Always incredible food and service. Can't beat their lunch prices and the restaurant is very beautiful.

The ambiance of the restaurant is really cool. Set near train tracks, the theme of the restaurant is really cool. The interior is very pretty and has a little sub-section that leads into a smaller area that resembles a train cart. The drunken noodles were pretty average, nothing stood out to me. The Panang Curry on the other hand was fantastic. The creamy coconut curry and chicken were fantastic. +basil leaves! Other notes: The spice rating is rather conservative, the 2 spicy level is pretty subtle, so if you want an extra kick I would suggest asking for 3 spicy level. read more

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Our first time in this restaurant and the decor definitely blew me away. The interior, and train seating areas are so cute, so if you're looking for a vibe, definitely check this place out. As for the food, I think the only good item was the complementary salad, chips, and drunken noodles. I'm not used to drunken noodles being this sweet, so I can't imagine how sweet their pad-see-ew is. I still thought the noodle texture was good and the highlight of the dish was definitely the fried tofu! I got mild and it wasn't spicy at all so I just asked for extra chili powder and it was perfect. The extra shrimp of $2 more came with 3 shrimps ... lol. The soups that we got were wayyyy too sweet. Definitely won't be ordering it again. The protein was fine and the broth was earthy, but the overly sweet broth was not enjoyable. I would still come back and try other non-noodle soup dishes. Taste: 3/5 Presentation: 4/5 Recommend to a friend?: mehh... for some dishes, but not recommending this place with much enthusiasm. Consistent: 1st time Cost: $$ Parking: there is a huge parking complex but it's very crowded. Best to be patient for a parking spot. read more

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It was a very good meal. The ambience was great. We had our meal in one of the boxcars. They were a little understaffed, but the server put in serious effort to hold it all together. The meal came out quickly and was very tasty. read more

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This was a totally unplanned, unexpected find. I was craving Japanese...yet for some reason, all the Japanese restaurants in the Triangle Park area were closed on Monday...so I decided to try Thai in Carrboro, near Chapel Hill. Well, I was SO lucky that all the Japanese restaurants were closed...'cuz I would have never discovered this true, shining GEM of a restaurant! As the name suggests, the restaurant is somewhat housed inside a train, and surrounded by railroad tracks as well. It must have been a historical location? There was a nice patio area, and even an adjacent gift store of sorts! The restaurant itself is not only One-of-a-Kind, it's truly Gorgeous...from the entrance way, to the cozy, in-train dining set-up! I simply LOVED the ambiance. I will say, however, that they needed to crank up the A/C just a bit. Now the best part. Their food was STELLAR. In fact, I can't remember having Thai food that's THIS good in a long time! Not just delicious, but exquisitely prepped...from its beautiful plating to the decorative food art, using carrots to make this floral display at the center of the Pad See Ew dish! Even the appetizer, the fresh rolls were the best I've had...also with top notch presentation. They even loaded you up with complimentary soup AND these crispy chips. Lastly, their Thai Iced Tea was AMAZING...and plentiful as well. The service was totally on key as well. The waitress herself was quite beautiful...and she was quite attentive and cordial. I was SO in love with this place, I honestly didn't want to leave. MUST return in the future! read more

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Passing through Carrboro and spotted this gem of a restaurant. Such a cute concept, on a real train station and seating inside train cars! My 2 year old son loves trains. We were seating quickly, and our server Patty was simply the best. She enthusiastically brought out every dish for my son. He loved the shrimp chips. We ordered the kids Thai Mac, pad thai, and parang curry. Beautiful presentation and simply delicious. We will definitely be back whenever we are in the area! read more

Thai Station Restaurant - Thai Near Me - Carrboro, North Carolina

The idea of a restaurant in a train car is sooo cool. The servers are so kind and make aure to accommodate to allergens. All of the dishes Ive had have been great but I would steer away from chicken it has a weird texture read more

Thai Station Restaurant - Thai Near Me - Carrboro, North Carolina

This is such a nifty spot. It is in an old train car on some tracks that are now holding the restaurant. We were greeted quickly and seated by a prompt hostess. Vicky was our server and took our orders with the same quick and prompt service. Ordered the Vegetable spring rolls and Pad Thai Chicken extra spicy They came out in good time and were really quite tasty with there dipping sauce. The price was reasonable at luch for sure. I will come back as it was that good and spicy and people who know me know I love spicy!!!! read more

Thai Station Restaurant - Inside thai station - Thai Near Me - Carrboro, North Carolina

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This is a very cute spot in Carrboro decorated nicely for the holidays. The service is extremely prompt. The food is delicious. Will definitely be back. read more

Thai station must be one of the cutest lunch/dinner spot in Chapel hill-Carrboro area! Environment:10/10, I love how the restaurant is made to look like a really train station+train cart that is surrounded by train track!! They even have adorable details like those flipping seats for the waiting area. We sat at the back deck which was embraced by tree shades (unfortunately also means bugs, but very cute nevertheless). We went for lunch but I could only imagine how lovely it would be in the evening when all the string lights on the trees light up! Food:7/10, pleasant thai food (American thai food instead of authentic thai food, so not very spicy and different types of chilis), good portion size with beautiful presentation. Pretty cheap for lunch (the curry was ~$10). Also they offer a free complementary "daily special" side for lunch! Will definitely come back, can't wait to bring all my friends who are craving for Thai food here :) read more

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went to try out their new menu items and they were absolutely great! For the mama ramen they give you a generous portion of various seafoods. the boat noodle was a little too salty for my taste but otherwise pretty decent. wait time can get a little long on the weekends but great ambiance since the restaurant is basically a remodeled train. read more

Thai Station Restaurant - MAMA ramen and boat noodles - Thai Near Me - Carrboro, North Carolina

What a little hidden gem. I think what intrigued me was the parts of the train that creates this restaurant. You feel as though you are actually sitting in a train! The food was fabulous and flavorful. We got a mix of tofu panang curry, soups, stuffed crab spring rolls. Reasonably priced and more importantly it's not often too get good food/ service and ambiance all in one! read more

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Really great spot! Our server was very courteous and the setting is just perfect for lunch. We enjoyed our visit. Food was tasty and warm, and everything was paced well so we didn't feel rushed at all. Pricing is just right for portions. Overall a really nice experience with Carrboro charm- if you haven't been definitely drop by for a visit. read more

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Tl;dr: if you wanna eat Thai food in an old train car, this is it! Visited this restaurant during lunch on a Thursday. Not busy at all and was seated immediately. There is a parking lot adjacent to the restaurant but it's shared between a bar and a shopping center so it may get busy, but we got a spot right in front. We ordered the lunch portion of yellow curry with chicken, and an appetizer of chicken wings. Not too long after the waitress came out with some shrimp chips which was a nice snack while the food was being prepped. The yellow curry was tasty! I like the flavor it had where you can taste the bamboo shoots and the veggies instead of it just being colorful additions. The jasmine rice was fragrant and cooked appropriately. The chicken wings were lackluster, unfortunately. If you've been following my reviews, I often get wings and love them. These wings didn't taste like they were seasoned prior to being breaded and fried. The sweet/sour sauce (maybe tamarind sweet/sour?) was nice since the wings weren't very flavorful inside of the breading. We realized we needed something sweet so we got the mango sticky rice which was very good!! The mango was sliced into wider slices than I prefer, but it was nice to get more mango per bite. Overall, a novelty restaurant with good food. I'd pass on the wings, unfortunately. read more

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I got salmonella food poisoning after I ate their pad Thai with chicken here and ended up in the ER! Do not eat at this restaurant!! I'm very disappointed because it's not hard to clean and cook your chicken properly! read more

Pad Thai was very gummy--overcooked and not good. After two bites, I gave up. The tofu with basil was great as were the salads and soups.

My friends really lile this place, but I honestly didnt think the food was all that special. The broth tasted pretty one-dimensional of hoisin sauce and the salad was okay. I do like the vibe of the train tho read more

Thai Station Restaurant - papaya salad - Thai Near Me - Carrboro, North Carolina

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Mixed feelings here, really good food and affordable prices. Boat noodles were rich and flavorful. Crab spring rolls were a nice open but nothing special. My girlfriend didn't like the pad Thai. The weakness was the service by far. Irregular wine pours, 35 minutes for my appetizer. Dinner came out one at a time (she clearly forgot the order) I think I would like more on second visit. read more

Best Thai food I have had. Super atmosphere and great service. If coconut cake is there it's a must have. Tonight we tried "W"s coconut ice cream. They need to serve by the gallon!!!! KP always takes great care of us. Thank you as always C read more

Thai Station Restaurant offers delicious dishes in generous portions. I love the interior and exterior of this place and will definitely come again. read more

We had friends visiting from upstate NY and wanted to go out for Thai food. My wife and I hadn't been to a local Thai restaurant in years, so we Googled Thai Restaurants in the Chapel Hill -- Durham area.. We hadn't heard of the Thai Station, but the reviews were good so we tried it. It was a week night so not too crowded and no waiting. The waitress was pleasant, helpful, and prompt. We sat in the railcar which was a bit chilly with low lighting but pleasant. The first thing we noted was that the menu was very colorful with many choices, making it hard to choose. Also, they had a good beer list with microbrews, and the cost was much better than most other restaurants. I chose the Pad Thai as I judge a Thai restaurant by this dish since I make it at home and have had it at many restaurants. My wife had the Thai Street Basil sauce dish. We also had fresh rolls. I must say all the food was beautifully presented, tasted great, and was ample in quantity. My friends also loved the food. We definitely will be back again! read more

The food was authentic and very tasty. They have a homemade peanut salad dressing that is to die for. Definitely try one of there flavorable curries. You won't regret it read more

This place never disappoints. Amazing food and a really fun atmosphere. We eat here at least once a week, and always try to sample something different. read more

The staff were very friendly, but they are such short staffed that the wait for anything was incredibly long. The atmosphere is one of a kind but unfortunately that does not make up for the flavor. I've been hesitant to try this place after not hearing great things from others, but decided to give it a try. The salad dressing was incredible but that's where it ended. The pad see ew was off and the flavors just weren't there. The person at the table next to me said it was the worst pad Thai she's ever had. Unfortunately I won't be back based off of the food alone. read more

Super yummy and fun! I loved the decor, the train cars are super fun. The service was good even though they seemed to be understaffed. It was beautiful outside so we brought the pup and sat on the patio. Food was warm and super flavorful. Definitely hit the spot, I recommend it! read more

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This place had great vibes and was so cute inside! I loved the train station all jazzed up with decorations and lights, and the food complimented the space really nicely. The Massaman curry was so yummy! I had never had it before but it was a great blend of spices and cashews, and the potatoes and tofu were so flavorful in the sauce. Loved how much sauce came in our dish, because I love to saturate my rice with sauce when eating curries. The pad kee mao was also great and presented so beautifully with a flower! Tofu goes best with this dish in my opinion - just a great texture of friend tofu with the soft and chewy noodles was incredible! I will be visiting again sometime - a great place to bring friends if you don't know where to eat! read more

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The food was absolutely delicious. I got the pineapple fried rice, which is one of their house specials I believe, and I loved it. The overall place is really cute with the train theme. The only bad part is the service... we went on a Friday night so we waited almost 1.5 hours for our food. It was super understaffed but would come back at another time for the food!! read more

Thai Station Restaurant - Pineapple Fried Rice - Thai Near Me - Carrboro, North Carolina

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Swung by on a weekday for an early dinner at 5pm with a party of 2 right when they opened. I had placed a reservation but it was pretty empty at 5pm. We got the Tom yum cup, chicken satay, pad Thai chicken medium spice and pineapple fried rice medium spice. Ambiance: 5/5 Love love love the whole ambiance. It feels like you are in one of those classic European trains. The decoration and music was western and created an amazing ambiance. Service: 5/5 Waitress was friendly and attentive Food: 4/5 First the portions for the regular entrees are big and we had plenty of leftovers. Presentation and plating was also stellar. The Tom yum cup was good though I wished the shrimp flavor was stronger and integrated with the soup and I wished the soup had a stronger tang like other Tom yum soups. The chicken satay was ok though I liked the peanut sauce. Wished the flavor had permeated e chicken more. The pad Thai was good though it seemed like the spice level was not even throughout- some parts were spicier than others. We also tend to like the pad Thai with mor sauce. The pineapple fried rice was good though I wished it had a stronger curry flavor. read more

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Choo Choo! Or should I say Chew Chew!? Thai Station is so delicious you might forget to Chew Chew! A cool, unique ambiance compliments the exotic flavors. Come Thai it out for yourself! All aboard the Thai Station read more

Thai Station Restaurant - Penang curry with veggies and tofu - Thai Near Me - Carrboro, North Carolina

Very cool interior with the train car setup! It feels very antique and the food is also worth the trip. The shrimp cocktail was unique with its Thai twist and the duck was tender in the curry. The rice was unfortunately undercooked and still had a hard center but that was the only downside to the meal. read more

Thai Station Restaurant - Shrimp cocktail - Thai Near Me - Carrboro, North Carolina

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Panang curry was excellent! Really cool ambiance and all the food we had was great. Will definitely be coming back!

I love this place! The outdoor seating both out front and the beautiful patio out back are wonderful and so cute. The ambiance is cool (it's in an old train car) and relaxing, there are so many different seating areas, they are all very fun. The staff was so friendly and helpful the service was excellent and the food came out quickly. Everything we had was fabulous. I love fresh rolls and these are the bast around! They really know how to make drunken noodles right... so delicious! Spring rolls were made perfectly. The dipping sauces were really really good. They gave us complimentary house salads with most delicious peanut dressing and complementary shrimp crackers. I highly recommend this place especially if you're looking for sit down dining during covid (almost everything is takeout). It's my new lunch spot in Carrboro. read more

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Had lunch with the family today and have been there several times. All our meals, including the spring rolls and salads were very good. The food was delicious, however the service was lacking. Be prepared to spend well over an hour to have lunch. The server said that the kitchen was understaffed. I also noticed that the carpet was quite dirty and needs replacing. read more

Food was good, that is not my issue. The service was not great, the food all came out at different times, my brother's was cold, and my mother's came out once we all had almost finished eating, the wait staff was completely overstretched, and overall made the service slow. The Ambiance was fantastic and the interior designer did a fantastic job. read more

Whimsical atmosphere especially in the train car dining area. I had the satay with chicken. My boss had a vegetarian dish he said he really liked but it took over 30 minutes for a server to take our order. It was lunch on a Tuesday around 12. Maybe they were short staffed. Previous time there was pre-Covid and had no issues then. read more

I love this place. The ambiance is very cute and queen with the train station look and they have such a reliable lunch service where the food is enjoyable and affordable. read more

The menu is not that expansive but the food is pretty good. A little above average. The stand out quality is the ambience and location. It's in a old train station and the booths are in the train! It's great for a date night and still a solid option. read more

The restaurant is so cute! The interior is like the inside of a train (wish I took a picture!) I got the chicken satay and peanut sauce as an appetizer. The two entrees were the pad see ew and pad thai-- chicken on both. The pad thai was delicious but, in my opinion, had too many bean sprouts. A lot of pad thai in the Chapel Hill area is dry, but the pad thai here was not! The pad see ew was amazing, too! I'm a fan of brócoli and loved the amount they put in the pad see ew. The serving sizes are great for dinner. There is also a very outdoor dining space! Highly recommend if you're looking for a nice dining spot in the Chapel Hill Carrboro area. read more

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