This spot offers tasty varieties of pad Thai that's a great casual meal for takeout. I tried the southern style pad Thai, which had a richer coconut flavor. The fried peanuts and shallots also added a great contrast of texture and flavor. It also comes with a good amount of bean sprouts for an added crunch. The spicy level definitely has some heat to it, I think the medium was more than enough for me. The takeout process was smooth and service was great. Portions were generous for the price, it was very full and satisfied after! read more

The Pad Thai Stand - Southern pad Thai with chicken - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

Been coming to Pad Thai Stand for quite a few years now. I really like the simple pad Thai only focused menu. You choose your protein (chicken, shrimp, tofu, etc.) and then your style (Northern, Southern, Central. Etc.). Drink choices are Thai tea or water. Makes things very straightforward. Our favorite flavors are the southern (sweet and tangy) and northern (rich curry flavoring). I highly recommend you eat this right there hot off the wok as the flavors are significantly better while piping hot. Don't expect much for seating however, think more night-market outdoor seating - it's a bit grungy but the food makes up for it. read more

The Pad Thai Stand - Northern (Chiang-Mai) - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

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Our go-to spot for pad Thai. You must eat it when it's freshly made otherwise the noodles come together and it's not as tasty. Generally good although every once in a while, you get a mediocre batch, but of the time it is very delicious. read more

Southern style went pretty hard. Enough food for 2. I wish the tofu were bigger and just more in general. read more

The Pad Thai Stand - Pad thai - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

Super small stand that only sells $15 pad Thai Parking is plentiful. It's next to the Domino's in the Carnival market parking lot. The menu is very simple. You can choose from four flavors that stem from different regions of Thailand. I did not find either one better than the others, despite the menu saying they are vastly different. You can also choose spice level. Hot is spicy but not a normal Thai "hot" spicy level. It's $16 for shrimp or $21 for seafood, which is a new thing. Credit card/apple pay accepted A lot of patrons get to-go Takes 15 minutes to prepare, so I recommend calling ahead or you can walk around the Mexican market No bathroom / order at the window read more

the southern style is so bomb!! want to definitely try the northern style soon, it was so creamy and flavorful and saucy and the noodles were perfectly al dente! owner was so kind and he said his favorite was the southern! read more

I ordered for pick up at this place and the person working the front said the place was infested with roaches and said never to order from here again. I asked for a refund bc it grossed me out but they said sorry can't do. Wtf? read more

I have peanut allergies. Called to see if they had the vegan sauce available. Got answered with "No we don't. Our boss is kind of bad with that". Momentarily after, I called again to see if they could accommodate with people that have peanut allergies (like using a separate wok). Answered my question by saying cross-contamination avoidance cannot be guaranteed. Perfectly fine right? But at the end of the call, she (the same person) says "Also, I don't know if you want to order here. We kinda have roaches in our kitchen". Beyond shocked. I never even set foot in this place and I will not be going here. Take this review as you will. read more

Came here recently and got the central flavor and it was delicious! Once everything was mixed together, it was the perfect sauciness and the noodles had a really nice, bouncy texture. I'd love to come here again! read more

The Pad Thai Stand - Menu - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

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My friend introduced me to this place and spoke very highly of it and it did not disappoint. The restaurant location was around the corner of a beauty salon and it definitely is a hole in the wall place. There is only outdoor covered seating, which was pretty with the string lights at night. You ring a little bell at the ordering window to place the order and I think they had a lot of online orders bc the cashier told us it was a 20min wait for our food. The menu itself is basically 4 options to choose from and then a few options for protein and extra toppings. Portion sizes are good for the price. Northern with chicken, mild spice: 5/5 read more

When a restaurant makes only 1 item, it better be the gosh darn best there is and that is exactly what the Pad Thai here is like. You have to eat it there unless you live really close because it'll become a block of noodles if you wait. The menu is simple- consisting of 4 flavors, proteins and spice levels. The pad Thai is made fresh to order- the order comes piping hot with all the aromas and such a mouthy bite. They normally only have 1, sometimes 2 employees working so it does take a minute to get your order if it's busy. There are about four tables in the seating area (outdoor seating with covered top), first come first served. It's not fancy but definitely the best pad Thai in San Diego. read more

The Pad Thai Stand - Menu - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

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Food is good! Menu is simple enough, choose style of noodles, spiciness, and protein. I ordered Northern and my wife got Southern. Both were really good . Mine was medium spicy but maybe too spicy for other people. All outdoor seating, approximately 20 people We also got their Iced Tea both were good read more

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With the highly rated reviews we wanted to give this spot a try, but to our surprise, it was quite disappointing. We ordered two pad Thai dishes to try: the Northern style, and the Southern style. As you can see from the picture, both of them lack in color & flavor. The pad Thai noodles stuck together since they were quite dry & not saucey in the slightest. I have definitely had much better pad Thai at other Thai restaurants. I do like the concept of choosing your style of flavor from different regions of Thailand, but I feel that they the missed mark on the actual flavorful of pad Thai. read more

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Food: 9/10 Service: 8/10 Ambiance: 7/10 Their pad thai is just so yummy, and that's all i got to say. The noodles do stick together so you got to eat it kinda fast but either way. Just so yummy. A little sad that their prices went up, but what place didn't. read more

I've been coming here for pad thai for the past 3 years and it always hits the spot! I do think it's best to eat it there when it's fresh. A little hole in the wall with only outdoor seating. The first time I came here the owner happened to be working and helped explain the menu to me! You get to choose from Southern, Northern, Central, or Old Style (Boran), each having a unique different flavor! You can also pick your protein(s) and spice level. read more

The Pad Thai Stand - Southern (Chai-Ya) with Tofu - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

The pad thai is overly sweet, not able to eat it. Sweetest pad Thai ever had, not edible. Only able to eat the chicken and egg from it. read more

The Pad Thai Stand - Norther and central pad Thai - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

The Pad Thai here is very decent! With different styles from different parts of Thailand. We got the Southern, Northern and old style. And they were all very good! The service was good but teller ambiance is nice to sit for a bit and then take it to go. read more

The Pad Thai Stand - Southern (Chai-Ya) Old Style (Boran) Northern (Chiang-Mai) - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

How has no one mentioned the service... rude to be frank. The girl at the front and who took my order was direct and nice enough however... I got medium spice which is more sweet than spicy and half bean sprouts although we called in and requested for none. Our order was repeated to us too. Chicken is like dry scraps. I'll give it to them for generous portion but it's safe to say I won't be returning read more

The Pad Thai Stand - Northern (Chiang-Mai) Chicken Pad Thai - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

Love this place . Had Chang Mai with chicken and vegetables. Very hot . Great food. Highly recommended read more

The Pad Thai Stand - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

The service was nice and helped me with ordering here for the first time. My order was the central extra spicy. For 15 dollars the serving is pretty nice and will make you full. My only complaint is that the chicken was a bit dry. Would come again to try other styles. read more

The Pad Thai Stand - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

When I had placed my order, I put a couple bucks in the tip jar and not even a few minutes later, I saw the manager take those dollars. I did not tip for the manager, those tips were for the workers in the kitchen preparing my food. And while I was eating, I had a view of some cockroaches inside the kitchen. The staff were trying to get rid of them, but it was absolutely disgusting to see. If I could, I'd give it a 0 stars. I don't understand the hype about this place. read more

It was fine. I remember coming here a couple of years ago and thinking that it was really good, but it was on the bland side today. It was lacking color and I was hoping that it tasted better than it looked, but it just fell flat. I'm not sure if Thursday nights have a different chef compared to weekends but I don't think I'll be coming back. I'll stick to getting my pad thai at Koon Thai probably. Thai tea was nothing special; tastes a little watered down. There is a parking lot and some seating available. Ask the staff if you need to use their restroom. read more

The Pad Thai Stand - Northern (Chiang-Mai) - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

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Sometimes, I deliver food with DoorDash in the Clairemont/Kearny Mesa area. One night, I delivered plate after plate of tantalizingly-delicious-smelling Pad Thai from the Pad Thai Stand and thought, "Dang, this place is so popular that I'll have to come back and try it for myself." Today, I finally treated myself to my own order. The Pad Thai Stand is tucked away in suburban Clairemont on Ashford and Beagle. Not only do they embody the "hole-in-the-wall," stereotype, but they are also a shining example of a restaurant only having one dish, but doing it exceptionally well. They have four styles of Pad Thai: Northern (Chiang-Mai), Central (Bangkok), Southern (Chai-Ya), and Old Style (Boran). Each order of Pad Thai can be ordered with chicken, veggies, tofu, or shrimp. For $2 more, you can order the Pad Thai with the vegetarian/vegan ayutthaya sauce. They also appear to have gluten-friendly options on the menu. I opted for the Central (Bangkok) style this time around and ordered it with chicken, peanuts, and scallions. I absolutely DEMOLISHED this plate. Pad Thai sauce is typically made with tamarind, fish sauce, oyster sauce, and brown sugar, but The Pad Thai Stand's sauce has additional layers of umami that leads me to believe that they blend in some dried shrimp as well. The bean sprouts and lime served alongside provide a welcome, bright fresh crunch. This is easily the best, freshest, serving of Pad Thai noodles I've ever had. I can't wait to go back and try the other styles! read more

The Pad Thai Stand - Central (Bangkok) Style Pad Thai - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

Tried this place cause it popped up as the closest to me after class. It literally is just a stand with Pad Thai options of proteins and sauces based on regions. I got the original. It was really good as far as I remembered. The noodles were a little too al dented for me though. But the spice was right on the spot& the sauce was tangy and sour. I think I have to try it again to see if I like it like that. Lol. read more

The Pad Thai Stand - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

Preface this by saying, we are Pad Thai snobs. LOL My husband is Thai, we owned a Thai restaurant, so I WILL SAY IT PROUD. we are snobs in Thai food lol. We had high hopes for this spot. We have gone back 3 days in a row just to give them a chance/ eat it correctly. Each time has been late night..after 9pm ish, never busy. Do recommend calling in, since they take awhile/it's never quite ready even when you get there. But! more reason to open up that box so it doesn't dry out. First time - we ordered the central (classic/basic) and northern (peanut-y flavor). Both medium spicy. even for my Thai husband. DONT RUIN YOUR TASTEBUDS, stick with MILD or NO SPICE. lol besides being extra spicy, sadly we ate this back at the hotel...which was like 10 mins away? And the color on both pad thais were disappointing. It looked dry and not enough sauce. We definitely recommend getting shrimp and adding dried shrimp and sweet radish. It wasn't badddd, but the noodles clumped up way too quick. second time - decided to give them another try. only ordered the classic pad thai, no spice, shrimp, dried shrimp and radish. MUCH better. we did open it in the car to eat, so that we could try it fresh to see if that made a different. It wasss saucier, a little on the sweeter side, but the lime helped cut it. but much more satisfied, and one of the better pad thais we've had. third time - we decided to give the old style (boran) a try. one of the workers remembered me, LOL and we chatted. I mentioned my last visits, and he made an effort to make this one saucier LOL. and indeed it tasted good. I will say one of the better, best? pad thais we've had ever. We agreed with another review that sometimes it's a gamble. and we gambled 3 times before confirming that they're good. LOL if anything, they're cool folks, who do take suggestions, and if you happen to like your pad thai a certain way, I think you should let them know. a no frills spot, definitely feels like you're in Thailand in a little shop, lol. We recommend it to friends. read more

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Pretty great late night spot if you're craving pad Thai, especially since there's a lot of options (toppings, region flavors, and spice levels) that you can choose from and you receive a good portion size The only downside is that they cook the noodles over a low temp stovetop instead of a wok which makes the noodles clump pretty fast which is fairly noticeable while eating. read more

The Pad Thai Stand - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

back again ordered same northern and southern next time will get boran even though i think i tried it before, just dont recall how it was. read more

My go to pad Thai spot! Simple menu with delicious options. Just be mindful of the spice level

I've been and coming and going to The Pad Thai Stand for years now. The bad news is it that prices have gone up (but then again, what hasn't gotten more expensive?!) and that quality can be a hit or miss (see other Yelp reviews). The good news? When it's good, it's DAMN good - just like when I picked up tonight. I ordered Northern and Bangkok style and 2 Thai teas. The former is on the sweeter and citrusy side, complimenting the peanut base/sauce. The latter, as described, is the "common" pad thai. If you like it traditional, I suggest the latter. However, if you want more of a punch, 100% Northern style. My parents surprisingly preferred the Bangkok style and claimed my Northern style was "too sweet." But that's OK because more for me, lol. Their Thai tea is a bit too strong for my taste, but it is still good. One order can most definitely be shared between 2 people. In fact, my parents shared one and I have leftovers for my Northern style. Leftovers are only fair considering they cost $15+ for each! To circle back on the "good news"--let me put it this way: when I asked my parents what they thought and their rating, they said they would get it again and that tonight's order was an 8/10. Granted, my parents are both homecooks and I have been so fortunate for this (and for so much more). So, them giving this feedback is HIGH PRAISE, especially since they cook amazing (Filipino) food and are quite the critics (as expected, lol). Look--all I'm saying is, yes, some times the food might not slap as hard, and it is a gamble to spend $20 on just the pad Thai. But like any other Filipino, I'm a gambler so the pay off to me is worth it, haha. Regardless, try them once if you haven't yet. Plus, they're open till late at night and then you can get froyo from Rockies after (they relocated) ! read more

The Pad Thai Stand - Top: Central (Bangkok), Bottom: Northern (Chiang-Mai), Thai Tea - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

I'm not kidding this is the BEST Thai food I had ever had!! I got the tofu "southern" style mild heat. It was perfect. Very impressed! read more

The Pad Thai Stand - Southern tofu - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

I have been a customer for years. They're my favorite pad thai place , but for some reasons I never left them a review so here we go. The northern is my favorite, well-balanced. I think Boran is more like sour that's my impression. Southern is more like creamy. They're all tasty, but what you get is highly inconsistent. I live in OC, so I only come here once in a while. It seems like they change staffs every time I visit, so does the seasoning. Sometimes it's bland, sometimes it's too sour. That's my only complain. On my recent visits it was more like good-okay, but it did not make me go crazy like years ago unfortunately. I always remember that one time I got there when they just closed and I was begging the owner to make me a pad thai and he did LOL. Glad they're expanding the business to other locations. read more

Open late night. Big portions (lots of noodles and protein). Little flavor. I got a Pad Thai Northern Style and it was so bland. The noodles were almost white like they barely used any sauce. That's disappointing for almost $18. I can make my own bland stir fry at home. This was better years ago. Something has changed. read more

I can't express how tasty their pad Thai is! I ordered the Southern and Northern. Both are good but wow the Southern- Chai- Ya was sooooo good and delish. I'll def order it again. No seating but ordered online. You'll get street view and people watching read more

The Pad Thai Stand - Southern Chai- Ya - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

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I love this place. My first impression was that it lives up to its name due to its small space and small menu. While the options were minimal, the flavors were not. My northern style pad thai with spice on the side was so tasty. Prior to visiting this spot, I hadn't seen different types of pad thai on a menu, so I'm happy I chose to get pad thai at this establishment. The service was fast and the person helping me was very friendly. I liked the Thai tea, as it was not overly sweet. I look forward to visiting again with friends! read more

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Omg this place is such a gem. I cannot wait to bring my friends and family here. I got the South Pad Thai with shrimp oil and it was to die for. Please don't walk, run ‍ read more

My cousin recommended this spot for pad Thai. It's small and there's just a little window to order. There's a few seatings outside but it's ultimately a take out spot. I waited about 20 mins for my order. They were busy especially with online orders. There's 4 different styles that you can pick for the pad Thai. I wasn't sure which one to get so I got the southern style. The noodles Didn't have much color but it was really tasty. The noodles were a little over cooked for my preference. I got mild spice. There's a few different options for protein. I got the shrimp. read more

The Pad Thai Stand - Southern (Chai-Ya) - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

I used to really love this place. The owner is friendly, the service was always solid, and the food used to be incredible. The first photo is actually what kept me coming back--the flavor was spot on, and it felt worth every penny. I've probably been here around a dozen times. But lately, things have changed. I gave this place multiple chances, hoping it was just a one-off bad day, but the last three visits were all the same. The noodles were dry, clumpy, and undercooked, and the bean sprouts were actually rotten. I had to take the food home and re-cook it with my own sauce just to make it edible. I even mentioned it to the cashier when I opened the box to make sure I got the right order. They told me the noodles just absorb the sauce quickly, but in my experience there was no sauce at all. Everything was stuck together in thick globs. I haven't been back since, which is really disappointing because this used to be one of my favorite spots. read more

The Pad Thai Stand - Southern vegan pad thai (3rd time in a row it came out dry and sauce-less like this). - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

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Honestly, I don't know how this place keeps in business, because I never see a line and they sell only one food type -- pad Thai. Which I thought was OK. Nothing spectacular, but their portions are sizable. The noodles will get stuck to each other, so I recommend eating fairly soon after getting your food. If in need of a quick lunch, I could see myself ordering from here again. But it's not a go-to... it's kinda just there, so it's convenient. read more

The Pad Thai Stand - Green Curry pad thai - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

Dope! These guys have the formula. Do one thing and do it better everyone else. They offer Pad-Thai 4 ways by region. Traditional Bangkok style, Chiang Mai style with a hint of massaman, Chai-ya style with coconut cream or Boran (old style) with bean paste and black soy. No joke.... Better than what I ate in Thailand. Noodles have the perfect chew and it's sticky and moist (in the right way) at the same time. read more

The Pad Thai Stand - Pad to the Thai - Chang Mai - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

Be prepared for the staff to take their sweet time and make them selves food before they make your order.