"Down to the banana republics, things aren't as warm as they seem None of the natives are buying any second-hand American dreams" (Jimmy Buffett) Lunch at the Banana Leaf was a real triad of contrasts, as we had very positive reactions to their atmosphere and food but a very different experience with service. First of all, the décor is very pretty, with a thatched roof/tiki bar-like design at their small bar, painted designs and artwork on the walls, pretty light fixtures, sculptures, and Tiffany style glass. There is plenty of room between the tables, so you really have a sense of privacy and are not crowded at all. I love Thai food, and I loved my lunch. I ordered a small Coconut Tom Yum soup ($6), and it was a10/10. It had the coconutty mildly spiced hot and sour flavor I love and was loaded with chicken, A big bowl of just that soup would have been enough for my munch any day of the week. I also ordered their Spicy Eggplant with Squid ($18) stir-fried with bamboo shoot, snow peas, string beans, carrots, bell peppers and basil leaves in spicy basil sauce. It was served with a side of white rice. It was a great example of why I love Thai food because the flavor was fantastic. The portion was big enough that we brought home half for another day. Now, as far as we experienced, the real clunker here was the service. Perfunctory, unsmiling, non-engaging, robotic are words that come to mind. What a shame, because just a little effort really would have made a big difference. read more

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Food is mediocre at best since they changed owners. Service was very good. Prices are moderately high. Ample parking in parking lot. Easy to find in plaza. It is BYOB with a package store in the same plaza. Offers your traditional Thai fare with Laotian dishes as well. It has a mixture of Southeast Asian cuisine (Thai, Laos, Vietnamese). How do I know? Well, I'm Laotian. I may a bit of harsh critic due to eating authentic Lao/Thai food my entire life. Got the beef pho with all the fixings minus the rice noodles. Without the rice noodles it still cost the same so I should've just asked for it on the side. It was okay. 5/10 Chicken laab was decent but lacked authentic bit of flavor. They told us they could make pork laab but if you look at my two photos, they look identical. The "pork laab" tasted like bacon. It seemed like they just cooked the ground chicken in bacon grease and called it pork. I did tell the chef it was greasy and my thoughts and her response was, "It's pork, of course it's greasy." Okay, but you cooked it in bacon grease and tried to fool me. Pork laab 1/10. Chicken 3/10. Papaya salad cones Thai or Lao style. I asked for Lao style because I want the extra fermented fish sauce funk that I love. It had some shredded carrots and medium spice was great for me. They served it with ice berg lettuce wedge but I asked for cabbage (authentic way to eat it). Flavor was good. 6/10 Seafood rad Ma (lad na) was mediocre. Bay scallops and calamari were overcooked. Flavor lacked and was bland, even after I dressed it up. Shrimp was cooked perfectly. I prefer no muscles but there was plenty and only Chinese broccoli as the only vegetable in the dish. It would've been nice to see carrots in it too. 4/10. I ordered two identical dishes of this and I was charged two different prices; $18 & $19. Look at your receipt! The star of the show was the beef jerky and fried chicken wings! They were phenomenal and I'd probably only order the two apps with sticky rice again. 10/10 Ambiance is great. Decor is beautiful as they left it from the previous owners. Clean, average noise level. read more

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Food was mediocre, service was good, and the ambiance was clean. Ordered the veggie rolls, veggie tom yum with coconut milk, pad thai with tofu (no egg), and the eggplant stir fry. The veggie rolls were unremarkable (as most are) but the peanut sauce that came with them was quite tasty. The portion size of the pad thai noodles was enormous. The tofu was well flavoured and moist. The noodles themselves were a bit bland and needed more of a kick (something that one could accomplish with the Sriracha on the table). The eggplant dish was full of veggies, which I appreciated greatly, but was overly oily and underflavored. The rice that came with the stir fry was perfectly cooked. The ambiance was lovely, replete with "lush" vegetation and some bamboo ornaments. The restroom was also clean and well-maintained, sadly uncommon in this part of New England. Service was good. The waitress was pleasant and the food came out quite quickly. Overall, it is highly unlikely that I will return, because there are certainly better restaurants if one were to travel a bit further to Middletown. This is however a good option in the Rocky Hill area. read more

I have long been curious about The Banana Leaf since I am a regular at Sweet B in the same plaza. Recently I have heard foodie friends speak highly of it, too, so last night I decided to finally pick up takeout from them. It was a great first experience. I honestly haven't stopped thinking about it all day. It was the best Thai food I have had in months. When it came to ordering, I couldn't resist trying their spicy basil pad Thai. That just sounded like a brilliant combo, and I opted for level 5/5 for spiciness! While I personally could have handled it being even spicier, it was satisfyingly hot while still having brilliant flavor, and I was extremely impressed with it. Pad Thai is often too heavy and sweet. It can be overly sauced and sometimes almost syrupy. Noodles are often clumped and mushy too. Sure it's common and "standard", but truly good and well done pad Thai is not. I thought this was perfectly balanced, with a perfect balance of tang and sweetness. Neither wet nor dry. Generous with ingredients. I ordered mine with fried tofu, and that was also well prepared. Perfectly cooked so that it had texture and was not bland or watery. I also ordered the crab Rangoon as well, and appreciated that the filling was not completely smooth like it often is. Plenty of filling too, and the sweet/sour dipping sauce was elevated vs your generic or typical version, almost like a cross with Thai chili sauce. The staff was super friendly when I picked it up, and it was ready right at the start of the window I was given. The space was quite nice actually, and I would like to try dining in at some point too. Very welcoming, fairly spacious and nicely decorated. The prices were fantastic. $15 for dinner and $7 for an order of crab Rangoon (5). Pretty much unheard of currently, especially for the quality. I loved it. I can't wait to get it again. This is a definite recommend for me! read more

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Last weekend adventures We wanted something special and decided to try Thai food. So good that even my daughter asked to come back soon. We arrived 1 hr before closing so the rushed food but no rush to leave. The few appetizers we try were really yummy, I was glad to get warm adémame, my favorite. The pho felt to watery though but with good flavor everything else was delicious . .The restaurant was clean and very well decorated. We were very happy with our choice of dining. read more

I've had several great meals at The Banana Leaf, both as takeout and eat in. The staff is always friendly, and the kitchen is quick to get your food out. This visit we ordered chicken satay as an appetizer. It came out piping hot, super juicy, and flavorful! Their marinade is just sooo delicious it barely needs any extra sauce. I decided to get Pad Thai for a change because I'm usually a curry or stirfry girlie. It was an enormous portion of delicious noodles! I thought the sweet, salty, sour flavors were really well balanced. My husband had the Veggie Delight stir fry with chicken. It was a perfect simple stirfry with a delicate but flavorful sauce and tons of tender crisp vegetables. Our waitress was super sweet and it's a great casual atmosphere. They're also BYOB and they're more than happy to bring a glass for your beverage. I look forward to our next meal! read more

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We tried this spot after driving by it so many times. We came for lunch on a weekday and it was pretty empty. We thought it was interesting they were playing country music lol. Our food came out super quickly. The crab rangoons were really good. Our entrees overall were just okay. The pad Thai was more on the sweet side. The pad see ew was mushy and lacked flavor compared to the pad see ew I've had at other restaurants. I might be back to try the other dishes but overall we had an average experience. read more

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Bland. The noodles in my Pad see ew were mushy. The pork seemed like it was boiled. Not good. read more

Was in CT visiting family, stopped by here for a meal. Restaurant was quiet, food was phenomenal.

I last reviewed Banana Leaf over 2.5 years ago when I ordered the House Special Pad Thai with Shrimp, Chicken Wontons and Fried Tofu. The Grand Opening sign was still up at the time. This is no joke. A stranger, after reading my review, messaged me on Yelp and said you can't really review a Thai restaurant based on Pad Thai. I didn't respond to that message, but I thought it was a bit silly. The National Dish of Thailand according to most sources? Pad Thai! So you think you really can't do a review based upon a National Dish Dude? In addition, there are multiple things to evaluate in Pad Thai. The texture of the noodles. The flavor of the sauce. Whether the shrimp is tender or overcooked. The colors and textures of the vegetables. When you add chicken wontons and fried tofu to the mix, there's even more to evaluate. In any event, this review update is for you Dude. I ordered a Spicy Eggplant and Pork Stir fry in a spicy Basil sauce by DoorDash. I don't live far from Banana Leaf, but this may have been the quickest delivery I've ever had from DoorDash. Very impressive. The dish was good. A stir fry in a basil sauce is a common Thai order for me. This was an above average version. The pork was well cooked. The vegetables like the green beans and carrots designed to be crispy were cooked through, but crispy. Most of the softer vegetables like bamboo, onion and mushrooms were well managed. I would have preferred my Japanese eggplant a bit less cooked, but it was fine. The sauce had good flavors, was appropriately spicy, and ample enough to coat all the ingredients. This experience was a closer to a 4.5 than a 4, but I have to round down since I can't give 4.5 Star scores. So there you go Dude. An updated review not based entirely on Pad Thai. Hopefully, you're not more of a Curry Guy. read more

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Yum!! The Thai food here is delicious! We had the fried dumplings, mixed seafood drunken noodles, Thai fried rice and spicy ramen. Everything was really good. My daughter enjoyed the mango boba drink. It's byob too! read more

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This restaurant is in the spot that has had a thai restaurant for over in a decade. The food is pretty delicious. However the restaurant is byo. I got two of my favorite dishes which were the fresh spring rolls and the 'pho' kaw soi. Generous portions too. read more

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I did a quick take out order from here because I was craving pho and was so satisfied with my experience! It was quick and easy to order over the phone - I got the brisket pho with an egg and I was very impressed! The broth is more clear from other pho i've had but i really enjoyed the flavor, the brisket was very tender and i was stuffed after! The noodles were a bit stuck together but as you continue to add the broth and mix it all together, it started to break up. i would definitely dine in next time and try more menu items because of the first great experience i had! read more

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We tried Banana Leaf this week. We ordered the chicken Pad Thai. It was early in the day just before noon. We decided to do take out. The restaurant had a nice ambiance with a few holiday decorations up, but it was very cold temperature wise in the dining area! You would need to wear your winter coat. We were glad that we were doing take out! The ordering process was easy, and the food came out quickly. The chicken was tender and it was spread out through the dish, the sauce had great flavor. But we missed having some vegetables beyond bean sprouts. Had they offered vegetable pad Thai we would have ordered that too and mixed the two together. read more

i had the best hot and sour soup i have ever tried excellent. the owner is a great chef. ALSO Great Thai fried rice. now i want to go back and try everything on her MENU fantastic food and atmosphere read more

Great food and even better people! The staff is always so friendly and welcoming, and the service is excellent every time. The pho and Thai are both SO GOOD...I couldn't decide between them so I got both. One of my favorite places to eat. Highly recommend! read more

Came here for lunch at the recommendation of a friend. We came at an off time and were the only customers at the restaurant. I ordered pork ramen noodles, the food was decent, served hot. The pork was very fatty with not much meat on it. I confirmed it was not pork belly. My mother ordered pad thai. It had a very fishy taste and smell to it making it unappealing to eat. We brought it to the waitresses attention and she said that there was no fish sauce used in it despite us both tasting a very apparent fishy taste. She had the kitchen remake it, gluten free style, which meant no sauces used. It was better the second time around. And "as a courtesy" did not charge us for the second dish - as it should've been. The waitresses had a change of shift during our time dining. The second waitress was talking on the phone loudly and not paying any attention to us. We had to get up and get her attention to give us the check after waiting several minutes to hopefully get her attention. And we even brought the payment and check back to her to cash out. The entire time she continued to talk on the phone to whoever she was speaking to. I understand we were the only customers dining at that time but as someone who has worked in a restaurant before it was very unprofessional, rude, and annoying to be dining listening to someone else's full blown phone conversation. read more

The Banana Leaf - Spicy Miso Ramen - Thai Near Me - Rocky Hill, Connecticut

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Amazing. Just amazing. Usually at a pho restaurant either the pho is good or the food is good. The banana leaf has amazing pho but the other dishes are amazing as well. The portions are huge and the owner is so so nice. It's like seeing a friend. If you haven't tried this place now is the time. You'll be back. It's become our go to. read more

The Banana Leaf - Chicken pho. - Thai Near Me - Rocky Hill, Connecticut

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Their drunken noodles are to die for- I am recently gluten free (not celiac, ok with cross contamination) and this has been a go-to. Beef drunken noodles every time! Be careful with spice level, they don't mess around! read more

Beware! I recently ordered 2 appetizers by phone, went to pick up, paid at restaurant (gave no tip) and they added a 52% tip ($8.40) for a $16 bill on their own. Lost me as a long time customer read more

The Banana Leaf - Purchased 2 apps. by phone. I paid $16.10. On my credit card I saw this. They added a 52% Tip without my permission. - Thai Near Me - Rocky Hill, Connecticut

What a disappointment the change in ownership has been. I've now gone 4 times since the ownership changed and the quality has gone down after the first two visits hard. This is a regular lunch spot for many at my office being a short ride from work. I regularly get the pad Thai, spicy basil rice, some of the apps and the soups on the menu. My last two visits left me not likely to return anytime soon. One visit was the ramen and I have to say that was some of the worst tasting ramen broth I've ever had. It was a milky white and didn't look or taste anywhere close to a classic ramen. The veggies and other items in the ramen were ok but the taste is driven by the broth and it just doesn't work. The most recent trip was an order of the spicy basil rice with chicken. Ugh has that fallen off. The veggies were clearly old and cut badly or shriveled when served. The taste balance was clearly missing. The waitress was also not listening to what was said, took forever to take the order (especially when I walked in and said I already know what I want) and didn't bring me my soda I ordered at the outset until the app had come and gone and the rice dish was out. It wasn't just me as another table waited a solid 15 minutes for her to pick up the check and run their card and yet another was clearly waiting a while for their order to be taken all while I was there. For a smaller footprint, this likely wont work if that is how the service is going to run going forward. This is not the first time this place has gone through a change in ownership where the original owner left. It dropped off when it happened before and she came back to save the place. It seems it's happened again. The interior has not changed at all in years but the quality of the food and the woman running the front end are no where near the same level as before! (Full disclosure, the guy working the front end since the change in ownership is great and does provide good service so your results may vary depending on who you get). read more

I always judge a Thai place by their Drunken Noodles. I got this one to go, and it was the perfect comfort meal! It was filled with flavor, and I thought the noodles were the perfect texture. It was also very affordable. My only wish was that it was spicier because I got it at level 4 out of 5 for spice and it was not spicy enough for me. I will be coming back, though! read more

The Banana Leaf - Drunken Noodles - Thai Near Me - Rocky Hill, Connecticut

This little restaurant has a lot of big flavor. I've already been three times and work surprised us with free lunch from there today. My favorite dishes so far are: Fresh spring rolls. They put this crunchy thing in it that is unique but delicious! The peanut sauce is perfect. I've had both the red and green curry and I've got to say I like the green better. It has more coconut flavor and just tastes amazing. Word of caution - their spice is spicy! A level 1 is like a jalapeño level spice - little kick that lingers but doesn't burn. Level three will have you burning good! The pad Thai is good as well. A bit stickier than I like it but full of flavor! The only thing I wouldn't order again are their fried wonton appetizer. They just weren't the best. Other than that though, everything on the menu so far has been great! Highly recommend! read more

The Banana Leaf - Menu - Thai Near Me - Rocky Hill, Connecticut

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Very fresh fresh rolls. Tasty peanut sauce. Portion size on the chicken satays was good.

Dumplings here were amazing. Definitely recommend and will be coming back. Enjoyed how peaceful the atmosphere was.

This place is scary similar to the Pho Bar in Berlin, just a speculation but they must have some sort of relation which I would love clarification on as it only helps build their brand! But that's fine because I love that place and I am happy to say that this new Thai restaurant is just as good if not better. It hurts when one of your favorite Thai Restaurants, R.I.P. Puket Cafe ll :( closes down and now you have to rely on other places to make your favorite meal. Mine happens to be Beef Drunken Noodles. So one place down the road changed the noodles they use and now its not up to my standard. The other place I really liked screwed up my last order and for once, I was disappointed eating my favorite meal on this planet. A few other Thai spots make it really good with a special flare to it like cherry tomatoes that explode in your mouth in the best way possible but sometimes, I just want nothing but comfort in my dish without having to alter the chef's recipe. A savory, sweet, spicy, chewy and comforting plate of Beef Drunken Noodles. Well my search for happiness is over as I stumbled upon the softest grand opening I have ever seen here at The Banana Leaf. The only thing I have to say about the Beef Drunken Noodles is that I have found my new favorite place to order it. That's it! As for their Pho, it was identical to the Pho Bar in Berlin. Extra garlicy and you have the same ability to customize it as you did at the Pho Bar. Absolutely no setbacks here, their Pho is as due as their Thai which is an amazing thing when one restaurant offers both. Working backwards here, I started with their Thai Chicken wings which were perfectly cooked, coated evenly to a point where you just knew someone cared while making this and of course, they were delicious. Never been so happy to burn my mouth on some hot chicken wings. Anyways, times are tough especially when people don't even know The Banana Leaf here in Rocky Hill exists. But I am happy to say I fond one of my new favorite Thai restaurants. There is finally some competition for arguably one of the best which is right down the road... read more

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Great find on our drive from Massachusetts to Tennessee! Cute, very clean little restaurant with great food and fantastic service. When our server learned that we had a long drive ahead of us, she even brought us bottled water for the road. Green curry with chicken, spicy basil ginger salmon, chicken egg rolls and tom yum soup were all great. read more

I had dinner from here on a weekday. The place was not too busy. I went with a beef basil fried rice and a chicken currry. Both were very good and flavorful. I ordered medium spicy. But what I got was very spicy. I think they just assumed I can handle very spicy food. Actually I can handle very spicy food, just that I felt like having medium spicy food. read more

The Banana Leaf - Beef basil fried rice - Thai Near Me - Rocky Hill, Connecticut

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Amazing food, bubble tea and service! Pad Thai and drunken noodles were the best I've ever had. Can't wait to go back.

The food at the restaurant is flavorful; server was responsive and brought us our food quickly.

Great place for a meal, stopped in after seeing the Yelp reviews and I was very impressed with the staff that accommodated me with all my questions lol. The soup and roll are super fresh, made to order. I had a nice experience and they deserve 5 stars read more

The Banana Leaf - Spicy Shrimp Soup known as Tom Yum was delicious. - Thai Near Me - Rocky Hill, Connecticut

Love the drunken noodles, wide variety of choices, never disappointed in the food. Quick and sweet tempered service.

If you like authentic Thai food - this is the place to try!! The dishes were outstanding. Each sauce was so flavorful. We could taste the fresh ingredients and herbs in everything that was brought to our table. After our meal, we met the chef and were able to share with her just how much we enjoyed our meal! Banana leaf is definitely a favorite for Thai in the area!! read more

The Banana Leaf - Dessert ... Mango sticky rice and fried ice cream. Both are so delicious! - Thai Near Me - Rocky Hill, Connecticut

Made a big mistake. Ran in here to this new restaurant for a quick bite in between appointments. The food was so food I needed sufficient time to enjoy it. The place was mobbed! I chose the Red Curry special of the day and added Crispy Chicken. So fresh, so tasty and so comforting! All the flavors melded and the amount of rice was perfect; it ended up the perfect. Had the Thai Iced Coffee [without the Boba] and it became my dessert. As I told the owner, I'm coming back with a tent and setting up camp in order to have enough time to order everything on the menu. read more

The Banana Leaf - Thai Iced Coffee - Thai Near Me - Rocky Hill, Connecticut

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A wonderful place to dine. Food is excellent. Have gone there for years, and have never had a bad meal nor have any of the people that were with me. read more

We loved our meal - from the soup to our entrees...everything was delicious and fresh! It's a great Thai restaurant!

Owner is involved in every aspect. Food was great, a little too spicy for me but great flavors. I would definitely return.

The appetizer I tried was outstanding. I can't remember the exact name or how to pronounce it but shrimp with a sweet chili sauce, wrapped in wonton hit the spot. The pad Thai was very good and it was a generous portion which fed me for lunch the next day. The service was excellent, very friendly and inviting. read more

Stopped into this great establishment a few weeks ago for dinner with my best friend. I had a delicious drunken noodle and my friend had fried rice and drunken noodles also. There were no complaints and we will be sure to come visit again! read more

I am not sure where these people get off leaving 5 star reviews. This place was horrendous. My tofu was spoiled and sour. My husband's curry was lacking in every facet of what traditional Thai food should taste like. We drove out of the way to try this and needless to say we are going to bed tonight highly disappointed and still hungry... read more