tldr popular thai takeout restaurant near union square serving up thai classics well friends and i ordered pad see u, pad kee mao, and a panang curry 3.5/5 pad see u was quite sweet and had not traditional veggies in it like broccoli and mini corns (which i think is bamboo?) but portion size was great and noodles were bouncy 4/5 pad kee mao was super flavorful, we ordered medium spice but didn't taste any spice haha they use ground chicken which was interesting as i am used to slices of chicken, noodles were nice and bouncy and i would order this again 4.5/5 their curries flavor are really good including their panang one! we really enjoyed the veggie curry and i would definitely reorder this as it came with a lot of rice and veggies service was friendly but only small critique was staff was going in and out between the seats as the kitchen is in the front while dish washing is in the back . wonder if they can rearrange the seating a bit better so there's more space for staff to move around as it was a bit distracting overall i would come back again! flavors are deep and food is solid for the most part food 3.75/5 service 3.5/5 ambiance 3/5 value 3.5/5 read more

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Came here for lunch and ordered the milky tom yum soup with seafood. I'm not sure if it is just that I had an amazing soup the night before or I had just hyped this place up in my head, but this fell short of expectations. The broth was pretty good, but the server said it was spicy and I told them that I liked it spicy and it wasn't really spicy enough for me. My biggest complaint was that there was a whole variety of seafood in the soup but most of it didn't taste like it was very good quality. The fish balls tasted very fishy. The calamari was so overcooked that I couldn't even bite through it. The white fish tasted a bit musty. I left pretty unimpressed. I would come back since I've heard such great things about the place, but i definitely would not order this particular dish again. read more

The Thonglor - Milky tom yum seafood soup - Thai Near Me - San Francisco, California

The reviews were really good however I thought the fried chicken over rice was mediocre. I've had better fried rice back home. My colleague ordered the Penang curry and he enjoyed it all in all. There is about 8 to 10 tables inside, so it's very small, but service was really fast. (No real ambiance.) The host did a great job keeping us informed of the wait. read more

Really solid Thai food here. We tried the pad see ew, tom yum soup, and the eggplant -- all super flavorful and satisfying. The pad see ew had that great smoky flavor and chewy noodles, and the tom yum soup had just the right amount of sour. The eggplant was probably my favorite -- tender, savory, and packed with flavor. read more

The Thonglor - Pad See Ew, Tom Yum, Eggplants - Thai Near Me - San Francisco, California

Great Thai food across from theater. Fast with takeout orders as well. Lunch or dinner!

Small mom and pop spot for Thai food! I came by for dinner with a party of 9 a few months ago and they had a steady influx of customers. They did their best with seating and pushing out orders efficiently. I thought all the dishes we got were really solid. I would say they were all above average for sure! Prices were also very reasonable for SF. I'd come back if I was in the area. read more

Was very happy that this place was close to our hotel. The only downside is that the place is pretty small. Outside of that the food and service were pretty good. They had the normal thai staples but i decided to go with something I haven't seen on thai menus. The Goy See Mee had the gravy I normal enjoy from Rad Na but with crispy noodles and seafood. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The tom yum noodles were spicy but manageable. The mango sticky rice was the perfect size to end the entire meal. I would come back here again. read more

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in sf solo for a routine dental appointment...too hectic to cross market by car, so parking at the fifth & mission garage to walk...stopping by the thonglor thai restaurant on geary before appointment on post...small and narrow restaurant...open kitchen up front and few tables in the back...busy, but finding a table for 1...browsing menu and taking a thai bbq chicken rice plate $18...water provided and waiting...observing some food going out and noticing a plate of noodles being delivered to a neighboring table...pad thai?...steaming hot...the mountain of noodles smelling and looking delicious...should have ordered that...probably 10 to 15 minutes and rice plate arriving...chicken was likely cooked in advance and reheated before serving...still good and the spicy/sweet sauce was delicious...goes well with the rice...small simple salad was a nice touch...very filling meal for roughly $23 total after tax and tip.. read more

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pad see ew: 8/10 very flavorful and filling. one of the best pad see ew ive had. sole filet: 9/10 perfect amount of crunchiness and softness. very flavorful and filling. overall, service was quick and friendly. it's a small place and there was no wait when we came around 10 pm. it looks like a local small business which i don't mind. would come back again. read more

The Thonglor - Sole Fillet - Thai Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Thonglor has Thai food that comforts the soul. Every time I have been while on the smaller side the staff is incredibly friendly and attentive and the food has consistently been great. The last time I went we decided to order the eggplant veggie stir-fry. The eggplant veggie stirfry was tasty and packed with notes of basil - yum! Can't wait to go back and highly recommend stopping by if you are around Union square! read more

The Thonglor - Roast Duck - Thai Near Me - San Francisco, California

Thonglor on Geary Street in San Francisco is such a cozy little spot! Just a heads up...there's more than one Thonglor in SF, so make sure you double-check the address if you're meeting someone. Don't just go off the name alone! We had a party of 6 and it was perfect, but honestly, I wouldn't bring a group bigger than that. The place only has about 10 tables and most are pretty small, the tables are more for 2-4 people. I ordered the combination beef noodle soup and it was so good..it actually lasted me the meal at the restaurant, and lunch the next day. You can find fried noodle, rice dishes, and curries pretty much anywhere, but good noodle soups are a little harder to come by, so this was a real treat. Prices are pretty average for San Francisco, though a little higher compared to Thai food in San Diego. Overall, everyone in my group loved the food, and I'll definitely swing by again if I'm in the area! read more

Friendly service, reasonable prices considering the neighborhood, very good food, and right across the street from ACT Theater!

Overall A: service, efficient, food so good we have come over the bridge for it: cevice, pad thai, crispy chicken with fried rice, papaya salad. Recommend! read more

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I ordered takeout and from the moment I walked in the staff was so friendly and helpful. My food came out so quickly and was absolutely delicious. This will probably be my go to Thai restaurant whenever I'm in San Francisco. read more

The Thonglor - Green Curry with chicken and Shrimp Pad Thai - Thai Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I ordered dinner from here and got the vegetarian eggplant stir fry with jasmine rice. The order arrived sooner than anticipated, but as I started eating, I noticed the tofu tasted sour and spoiled, and some pieces had specks of blue mold throughout them. I spit out the bite I was chewing and set the rest of the tofu aside and checked if any of the dish were salvageable, but some of the other vegetables, such as the mushrooms and corn, also tasted spoiled, and there were blackish/blue patches of mold on the corn. I spit out a spoiled mushroom, which could be toxic if consumed and didn't eat any of the corn. I honestly don't know how this business is still operating. There is clearly no food quality assurance, so the food is unsafe for consumption, and I am concerned about the risk of food poisoning. I regret ordering from here and advise against anyone else eating food from here. read more

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Reviewers lost their minds. Worst "Thai" food we have ever had. Eggplant stir fried dish with chicken tastes like something from a dingy mall food court focusing on Chinese food for no palate having patrons. Half the entree stir fry container is rice. Thai spots in Boston never do this. Fill the container, and rice should be separate. So stingy. Crab fried rice is bland except for sodium. Chicken pho noodles overcooked. . No utensils provided when sending $100 worth of food.. to a hotel! Obviously we have no utensils or napkins. Stinginess trumps their common sense. No Thai flavor to speak of. No spice. No finesse. read more

I had no idea how small this place was when we decided to come here just before going to a show across the street. I am so glad I didn't know because there were 6 of us and we probably would have decided it would be hard to get in. Instead, we showed up and there was a 15 midway so we decided to wait. The service was spot on. Super nice and polite and quick! The food was phenomenal! We tried a variety of things and all the dishes were really, really amazing! I would come back here in a heartbeat and highly recommend it if you don't care about the ambiance. Only giving it 4 stars because of the seating situation. It should really be 4.5 stars. read more

Absolutely amazing Thai food. If you've been on my profile, you probably had seen I have high expectations for Thai food since I used to work at a Thai restaurant and this restaurant did not disappoint. It's definitely gives off a hole-in-the-wall, mom-and-pop restaurant when you walk in. Small restaurant with limited table/chairs but this actually makes it feel more authentic. The server was very nice. I had their Pad Kee Mao (Drunken Noodles) with chicken (spicy) and it was delicious and brought back fond memories of the same dish at the restaurant I worked at. Absolutely amazing! Highly recommend giving this place a try along with the drunken noodles! read more

The Thonglor - Drunken noodles! - Thai Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Do not believe the hype- this does not taste "authentic" if authentic means you are used to strong flavors (sour, spicy etc) that are common in Thai food. we got the crab fried rice, chicken noodle soup, and pad ma Kuer. All 3 tasted similar to Chinese food- which isn't bad per se ( I'm Chinese so am aware of the flavor profile) but not what you are expecting when this has so many stars on Yelp and is described as authentic on different websites. Another note- if you get a stir fried dish it's pretty much half the portion that you would typically get at any other Thai restaurant. It's like a lunch portion. read more

Overall, enjoyed the food here. We would go back and dine there again. Oh! Had Thai iced tea too which was good. read more

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Fried chicken fried rice combo was mediocre. Chicken was dry! The red curry and fried tofu were pretty good. They seated us quickly and always checked in on us throughout our visit. I wouldn't recommend this place for a group cause of the tight/limited space. Other than that, I'd come by again to try out other foods they offer! read more

got there at 7:30 and it was a 15 ish min wait for a table of 2 food came out rly fast i got the pad kee mao with chicken and it was so good!! read more

The Thonglor - Thai Near Me - San Francisco, California

I would not go back to this place, and neither would the friend I dined with. Food is always most important. I would not call this traditional Thai food. The preparation is very similar to Chinese food, with corn starch based sauces they call "gravy" on the menu. The lack of Thai people working there should have been a tip-off. I always greet people in Thai, but I got blanks stares. Our noodle dish was slimy, reminiscent of oyster sauce. The chicken in the soup was chewy and wrinkly, clearly cooked in advance and added to the soup. When I walked through the prep area to use the (gross) bathroom, there was a prep cook rinsing about 5 pounds of the chicken bits in a colander in a utility sink. The wait time was slow, the cutlery was plastic. We were not given chopsticks or forks or spoons to eat with, but each had to rely on a serving spoon each to get through the meal. You can do better deeper into the Tenderloin. read more

I ordered delivery from The Thonglor on a recent trip to San Francisco and it did not disappoint... I had a green curry dish with tofu + veggies and jasmine rice. Delivery was fast and efficient and they met me in the lobby of my hotel. I would have liked a bit more eggplant in the dish, but it was delicious, affordable, and more than enough food for me. I would absolutely order again and also hope to dine in in the future. read more

Small, unassuming Thai restaurant in the theater district. You enter Thonglor not expecting much but get totally blown away by how tasty the food is. The chicken satay was so moist and delicious. Also loved the spicy crispy chicken wings. The pork Pad Gra Pow was just the right spice and sweetness. Everything was amazing! These folks have got it down. They serve their busy theater folks and tourists who come for a quick meal. I have a feeling everyone leaves happy and satisfied like I do. I used to live up the street and Thonglor takeout was always a staple in my place. Their Tom yum soup, pad Thai and Panang curry are also notables! 5 stars for this Thai gem by Union square. read more

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I was gonna dine in but the wait time was too long so I ended up getting take out and it was still a 25 min wait. The food is delicious and flavorful! What I really like it the spiciness of the dish (not for the faint). I got the level 3 spicy and I was sobbing! read more

The Thonglor - Basil Fried Rice - Thai Near Me - San Francisco, California

Came here on a Saturday night right before catching a comedy show and had to wait about 20 minutes for a table. After we were seated, the waiters were very attentive with filling our water cups and coming by periodically to check in on us. The restaurant itself wasn't the biggest but there was enough space for 4-6 parties to eat comfortably. We all ordered a different protein variation of the pad see ew, which was delicious. It was a bit more oily and heavy than what I'm used to but it hit the spot! We also tried the fried pumpkin appetizer which tasted like sweet potato tempura (as expected). I'm not sure if I would get it again. We also tried the pork scewers which may have been my favorite thing we ordered that night. Overall, everything was reasonably priced and tasty! read more

The Thonglor - Crispy Pumpkin - Thai Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Came by on a weekday night for a quick dinner and were surprised to find this spot packed with people. We our names down and waited for ~15 min to get seated. We ended up sharing the papaya salad and pad thai. I really loved the pad thai which is super flavorful and the chicken was tender as well. The papaya salad was a bit bland even though we got the medium spicy. I do think we could have turned up the heat but overall a good option for a quick meal and the portion sizes are pretty large as well! read more

Ordered the pad kee mao and it was honestly the worst dish I've had from a Thai restaurant... maybe it was because it was late but I would give it a 2/10. The spicy chicken wings were amazing though I would get them again. 7/10. Yellow curry was decent 5/10. All in all I might give this place a try again not sure... read more

The Thonglor - Pad Kee Mao - Thai Near Me - San Francisco, California

Our Go-To Thai Spot in San Francisco! This Thai restaurant is an absolute gem and our go-to spot whenever we're in San Francisco. The food is consistently amazing--bursting with flavor, fresh ingredients, and cooked to perfection. We usually order the Pad Kra Pao and Pad Thai (both are outstanding), but honestly, everything on the menu looks and smells incredible. There's not a ton of seating inside, so we typically do takeout--and it's totally worth it. The quality of the food doesn't suffer at all. Every bite is packed with bold, authentic Thai flavors that make it clear the kitchen knows exactly what it's doing. Highly recommend if you're looking for flavorful, satisfying Thai food in the city. This place never disappoints! read more

The Thonglor - Pad Cashew Nut - Thai Near Me - San Francisco, California

Tiniest hole-in-the-wall. Walked up before a show at the Curran and waited a little bit. Very few tables inside. Would recommend maybe getting takeout if you are a large person as it was a little difficult to navigate, but the food was amazing. Got the Pad Thonglor. read more

Small bit powerful. I had the best Pad kee mao of my life. Service was good and the ambiance was small closet in an upstairs bathroom. The food was the star, although the thai tea was good too. The pork skewers were so good with the sauce. If i was staying i. SF i would go again. read more

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The food is excellent here! My girlfriend and I were super impressed with the service here. And the food comes to you very quickly. The best part of all is there very Vegan friendly here. They were able to tweak the Tom soup with noodles and they put rice noodles instead of egg noodles. The waitress knew all about being vegan and she made sure to ask about no eggs. The ambience is fun. You get to meet your neighbors because you're sitting very close to them all in all some of the best Thai quite some time. read more

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Checked this place out via doordash. I understand that the reviews were somewhat mixed but to me, it is reasonably priced with good portion size Thai food restaurant option to consider when you are nearby. Agree that it's probably not the best out there in terms of tastiness in my honest opinion but I enjoyed it as my late night snack. Consider checking this place out when you are near by:) read more

The Thonglor - Thai Near Me - San Francisco, California

Classic Thai food located in the heart of San Francisco's tourist neighborhood known as Union Square, The Thonglor is the epitome of, let us call it what it is, a "hole-in-the-wall", but one that serves up authentic and quality Thai cuisine. Located on a bustling section of Geary Street across from two live-performing arts theatres that no doubt help to serve up additional customers, The Curran and The Toni Rembe Theatre, The Thonglor has been around for what feels like generations serving everything from traditional Thai salads to curries to noodle dishes. The key to dining at The Thonglor is to get a table as soon as you are able to and order as quickly as possible as they like to turn tables over quickly. A couple of friends and I came for an impromptu dinner on a weekday evening, as we planned to see a show across the street later that evening, and as we entered, their signature line in their slightly narrow hallway that faces the open kitchen which smoke piping out at a rapid clip already was starting to build, as most of their tables seemed filled. I say it seemed that way because everyone in line seemed to arrive at relatively the same time and we all waited for a server, any server to ask if we would like to be served. There was a table available for the three of us to sit at towards the rear of their small dining room, but not a single person asked how many were in our party and if we were dining in or ordering takeout. When it finally became our turn to sit, we were able to sit at the available table that we could have gotten to sit at about ten or so minutes prior. The menu at The Thonglor is rather extensive as it is held together with a spiral at its center, which is impressive as they are a very tiny restaurant to dine at, with roughly eight total tables to enjoy their wide variety of dishes at. The menu at The Thonglor features sections such as Appetizers, Thai Salads, Soups, Thonglor's Noodle Soups, Entrées, Chef's Specials, Curries, Stir Fried Noodles & Fried Rice, Vegetables Vegetarian Vegan, Desserts, Side Orders , Extra, and Beverages, Beers, Wines and Sake. While my dining mates opted to go with the more traditional Thai dishes, including their Pad See Ew, which were your traditional stir-fried flat rice noodles with egg, carrot, American broccoli and gluten free soy-based stir-fry sauce topped with their option of chicken; and their Green Curry which their version of a spicy curry cooked with coconut milk and served with sweet basil, chili, eggplant, string beans, bell pepper and bamboo shoots and an option of chicken and served with a scoop of steamed rice. I decided to order their Guay Tiew Lord which was sautéed shrimp, ground chicken, calamari, fish balls, imitation crab meat and fried tofu with onion and bean sprouts, which was served over flat rice noodles after our server said it was highly recommended. It wouldn't take too long for our food to be delivered to our table, of which we were thankful for as our show was going to start soon across the street. The two dishes that my dining mates ordered were tried and true and highly enjoyable as we have all enjoyed them at other Thai restaurants in the past. But my dish was a real surprise as it highlighted what unique entrées that The Thonglor can serve up when you truly are not expecting it. It was the combination of fresh seafood, minced chicken and heavy gravy layered over the thick flat white noodles that one would normally find in a soup that made the dish for me. Everyone at my table had a sample of my entrée and were all thoroughly impressed. With three entrées and nothing else, our total bill was a hair over 40 dollars before gratuity, tax and the city health mandate were all added into our bill, which still was rather reasonable. I have since returned to Thonglor's website and although ordering on their online menu their prices are up to date the overall menu posted on their website has considerably lower prices, which goes to show that even they are not impervious to raising their prices and considerably so, in recent years. The food at The Thonglor is the real star as you get what you pay for and no matter what you order, you truly can't go wrong with a menu filled with standard and outside the box Thai dishes, with spicy, sweet, and salty flavors all turned up to the max. read more

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I found this place while walking to my hotel. It's a very small spot, but there were always customers coming in. I ordered Tom Yum and liked it, but it was a bit too spicy for me since I can't handle much spice. My family ordered Pad Ka Praw and fried chicken, and they liked their food. read more

The Thonglor - Tom Yum Noodle Soup - Thai Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I wonder why this place got such top reviews. I was at Thonglor last week and the food was just mediocre. No taste no spice nothing special. Its just a touristy place and perhaps the reviews are written by tourists who may have never tasted Thai food earlier. I ordered fried rice, it was bland soggy and hardly any meat in rice. Chili sauce wasn't served not did they ask about spice level. The guy added extra three dollars when I asked for chili flakes. Really? Such a rip off in a tourist place. Avoid and go to better places for real Thai experience read more

Second time to come across this amazing Thai restaurant near Union Sq in SF. It's tiny - only 6 to 8 tables - but the food is great, and service is fast. We shared Tom Kha soup and pad Thai, and didn't make a dent in them! I was so glad I was able to find this restaurant again. We both think this is the best Tom Kha we've had anywhere. Totally recommend!! read more

The Thonglor - Tom Kha - Thai Near Me - San Francisco, California

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TL;DR: solid 3.5 star spot for good service and decent food but not a stand out Thai restaurant amongst all the other better ones in SF Located just a couple steps away from Union Square, I assume this place stays in business despite it's hole in the wall exterior because of the good reviews and proximity for tourists. It was quite busy when we went in for Saturday lunch but there was no wait for a table. It's very cozy inside and service was efficient even though there was really only one server for all the tables and takeout. The menu consists of lots of Thai favorites and has the usual mix of noodle, rice, curry, soup, salad, etc dishes. It was kind of cold out the day we went so we went with more soupy items, but I saw most other tables ordering different types of stir fried dishes. Combination beef noodle soup: I got this with flat rice noodles which was delicious and very comforting. The soup was very rich and slightly sweet, pretty heavily spiced, and had a ton of beef toppings. I thought it might be like boat noodles but I liked what I got. It was a decent sized portion, and the amount of meat made it quite filling. Papaya salad: this was alright. Lightly spicy for a medium, not very heavy on the fish sauce. It didn't have the umami kick I was hoping for. Sour beef soup: can't remember the name of this but it is the only beef soup on the menu and has tamarind in it. We ordered it since I haven't seen this on other Thai menus in the city but might just be unfamiliar with Thai cuisine. This also had a lot of meat and was nice with a spicy, sour finish. It was more sour than I expected but that's not a bad thing. Get this if you're looking for something rich but sour, and want to try something different from Tom yum. All in all, I thought the food was decent but since there are so many great Thai spots in SF, this didn't stand out as much. If I'm craving Thai food and am in the area, I might go back. But I could also walk over to the TL/lower nob hill and another spot isn't very far away. read more

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Came here for dinner on a Friday night with a friend and we were quickly seated! We ordered the Pad Thai with chicken, beef noodle soup with glass noodles, and mango sticky rice. Pad Thai was good, was really well balanced and didn't skimp on the protein or veggies. The broth for the beef noodle soup was addictive! The quality of the beef was good too, we scarfed down everything so fast haha. I knocked a star off for the mango sticky rice, because the inside of one slice was purple- not too sure if it was from the mango being bruised or some sort of bacterial infection. It was only one piece, but the worker was very apologetic and had it remade for us, fortunately. Good thing I kept an eye out!! The redo was great, the mangoes were ripe and juicy and the rice was sweet and salty. Really enjoyable experience here, would come back on my next trip into the city. read more

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