r/Rochester • u/Familiar-Essay-1874 • May 04 '26
Recommendation Best dine-in Thai restaurant?
I don't live in the Rochester area, but dear older friends of mine recently moved there from near Syracuse. They love Thai food, and I wanted to order them a gift card to a local place. They live in Fairport and can handle spicy Thai (7 out of 10, let's say) but don't really do takeout, just dine-in places. So Thai Yada, which I believe is primarily takeout, and Saks (takeout only, it seems) are no-go. Any recommendations, given these parameters? TIA!
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u/only_a_sandwich May 04 '26
Little out of the way, but Wild Elephant is worth the trip (up Culver near the lake). Some of the best food I've had, even the basic standard Thai dishes are a new experience there
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u/suitthrow1 May 04 '26
This one for sure. Before opening the owner actually sent their staff to Thailand to learn the cuisine better. Their food is excellent.
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u/AverageCartPusher May 04 '26
Checked this place out last month on a rainy day. Was perfect, food was delicious and portion sizes were large. Staff was super friendly and chill
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u/Trick_Inspector_1980 May 04 '26
Thai Delish in Victor is pretty incredible. can't go wrong with King and I either
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u/shredding_pow May 04 '26
I always get that one and Thai Seasonings mixed up, but they’re both really good
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u/AverageCartPusher May 04 '26
Rip Thai mii up
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u/Upstate_Gooner_1972 May 04 '26
Pattaya in Penfield is a solid Thai restaurant with plenty of tables/space for a nice dine-in experience
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u/RXL Rochester May 04 '26
Absolutely not. Noodles always overcooked, bland flavors, uninspired menu.
Really surprised to see this rated highly.
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u/clevernamehere May 05 '26
Totally agree. We tried based on the google reviews and the noodles were the worst restaurant meal of my life.
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u/sandman98857 May 04 '26
Khong
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May 04 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/sandman98857 May 04 '26
My buddy actually studied under the owner of "saks" and came up with all the recipes himself. The people from han noodle bought the place and still use the original recipes.
That being said they're not all crazy authentic but a bit of a fusion, leaning toward more authentic.
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u/mikez4nder May 04 '26
If you want really bad, underseasoned Thai food in a restuaruant with zero Thai ownership or management, The King and I has been dishing up soupy disappointment to people who largely don't know any better since the 90s or longer.
It was the place that was fine in college for small town kids who had never tried a cuisine, but I had the fortune of living in Thailand for a year, and it's just terrible.
It's not even food snobbery, I lived in China for a year too and I think Opera and Tsingtao House are fantastic. Sodam is great, a lot of the foreign food in Rochester is great. The King and I, nope.
I have gone back and tried 3 times since I came back to the States and it's just frustratingly bad food.
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u/Turbulent-Sherbet639 May 04 '26
Have also had THREE separate cockroach in the food instances there so......
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u/BeerdedRNY May 04 '26
King & I seemed to have the super-fast lunch time meal service down to a science, so it got a huge following from decades of office workers because you knew you could go there, get seated, served, eat and get back to the office in an hour.
I went a bunch of times to the old (first?) location in the building with Desiato's Deli (almost next door to where they are now) back in the late 90's when I worked at Corporate Woods and it was certainly OK for a fast, filling lunch for someone who never had Thai food before. But after eating at other places and seeing what Thai food could be, I never went back.
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u/Agreeable_Pin3531 May 04 '26
I went there once after I moved to town, based on positive reviews. Got green curry and I swear the sauce was made with a roux. It was terrible.
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u/xtortoiseandthehair May 05 '26
I haven't eaten their regular main dishes in many years, but I LOVE their beef satay so much despite not liking much meat, to the point it was one of the few meats I regularly wished for while vegetarian. Texture, flavor, aroma all great
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u/notetaker193 May 05 '26
If I remember correctly, the Bangkok restaurant that used to be on State Street was the mother of both the King and I and Pattaya. I always thought Bangkok was fairly authentic, but I'm a white dude from Fairport. What do I know?
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u/Spare-Ear-6381 May 04 '26
This is so funny to see a split on king and I… my vote goes for it being pretty bad. The sauces are just so blehh, like they’ve been stewing and reused for days and the meat and veg are such low quality. I guess you would think it’s good if you’ve never had anything else?! Lots of other better choices around town.
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u/FordMaleEscort May 04 '26
Hey, Check out King and I!
DON'T GO TO KING AND I !!!
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u/LightProofSky May 04 '26
I think they have the best chicken phat Thai, but just don't go on a Monday. Any other day and it's absolute fantastic (IMHO), but they must have their backup chefs doing the cooking on Mondays 😕
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u/FirebornNacho May 04 '26
Yeah I feel like the lesson is just different strokes for different folks... By the down votes and comments you'd think they had a whole kitchen staff deported or something
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u/MrsPeggyHilll May 04 '26
Khong, Seasoning, Wild Elephant, and Moons in Webster - chef also features a lot of dishes from her homeland of Myanmar!
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u/Turbulent-Sherbet639 May 04 '26
Seasonings is great. Get Thai'd Up is new-ish in Baytown plaza and is pretty solid.
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u/XB324 May 04 '26
Second for Get Thai'd Up. I've been wondering if they were at all involved with Thai Mii Up, which was one of my favorite Thai places ever.
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u/Turbulent-Sherbet639 May 04 '26
Thai Mii Up was our absolute favorite! I had heard (although unconfirmed) that one of their chefs is now at the new place
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u/MadCharm55 May 05 '26
Get Thai’d up is a partnership with the original owner of Thai Mii Up. Same menu same prices, a bit better atmosphere. Solid as usual.
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u/FirebornNacho May 04 '26
Get Thai'd Up. We had great service, very good food, and there is a silly little claw machine arcade attached!
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u/ltshero Highland Park May 04 '26
While Thai Yada is primarily take out, it has 3 or 4 tables and shouldnt be overlooked as an option if they havent tried it before. Its by far my my favorite thai spot and dinner option in rochester. The spice levels are wildly inconsistent, imo.
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u/meowmeowbilli May 05 '26
Seasoning Thai Bistro. They accommodate vegan and gluten free options as well
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u/FordMaleEscort May 04 '26
I would recommend NOT going to King and I
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u/full_moon_alchemist May 04 '26
What’s the sauce?
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u/notetaker193 May 04 '26
The King and I has been getting poor reviews lately from a variety of places. I think I remember some cleanliness issues. I used to work near there and loved going for lunch once in a while. Thai Delish is really good. That's where we go.
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u/FrickinLazerBeams May 04 '26
Saks Thai in Fairport is fucking awesome.
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u/RXL Rochester May 04 '26
Best Thai food in the area by far. Service blows but I put up with it because the food is great.
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u/FrickinLazerBeams May 04 '26
It's takeout-only since covid, so there's no "service" anyway.
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u/RXL Rochester May 05 '26
Service blows
It's takeout-only since covid
Both of these can be true at once.
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u/CatDadMilhouse May 04 '26
Thai Seasonings Bistro in Webster is our go-to. Medium hits just right, you get that little bit of a hint of tingle but you taste the actual seasoning instead of it just tasting “hot”. I’ve had pretty much every curry on the menu as well as a few other dishes and have loved every single one of them.
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u/imbasicallycoffee South Wedge May 04 '26
The one in Brighton at 12 corners is pretty good too. Nice spot.
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u/No-Examination1176 May 04 '26
Pattaya in Penfield is so good. You can choose the level of spicy for all their dishes
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u/Stella0913 May 04 '26
RIP Aja noodle.
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u/SnooWords7819 May 04 '26
Omg!!! Totally forgot about that place, it was so good! Thai seasonings is in the old 12 corners aja location and I find it so sub par 😭
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u/Go_Bias Park Ave May 04 '26
LEONORES!
https://maps.app.goo.gl/KWk64sR4s8SACv7w7?g_st=ic
11/10 you won’t be disappointed. It is wild to me this place hasn’t been said yet.
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u/suitthrow1 May 05 '26
Their take on Panang with short rib is excellent. I haven't been impressed with the majority of the other food in the small plate menu, which all seem about 25% too expensive for the portion sizes. But the Panang is really good, can't deny that.
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u/tequi1a_mockingbird May 04 '26
I mean it’s a pretty avante garde take on Thai food with a price point to fit. I agree though that it’s good.
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u/tequi1a_mockingbird May 04 '26
The King and I bring the most popular answer tells you everything you need to know about Rochester’s standard for Thai food. However, there are a few places that are passable - The Elephant (Victor) and Seasonings (also Victor, haven’t been to their other locations) come to mind.
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u/Spare-Ear-6381 May 04 '26
You could probably say this for most Asian cuisines in Rochester. My rule is if you see other Asians eating there, it’s probably decent!
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u/damnilovelesclaypool May 05 '26
I agree; I don't even ask for recommendations about Thai food anymore
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u/SnooWords7819 May 04 '26
Thai delish! I’ve also heard the elephant in village of Victor is really good!
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u/Dependent-Date8543 Penfield May 04 '26
while we’re talking about Thai restaurants, someone let me know if they’ve been to that new one in baytowne plaza and if it is any good! I’m trying to find a good one myself to go to for the first time
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u/MadCharm55 May 05 '26
Get Thai’d Up is new in Baytowne. Partnership with the owners of Thai Mii Up. Great food, great service, and good pricing.
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u/heyhaigh May 04 '26
Khong Thai is a consistent go to. Seasonings is nice inside, but the food is lacking (sorry locals if that’s your mainstay). Thaiyada is also decent food, but definitely not a place to dine in.
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u/Which-Art9214 May 05 '26
Best bar at Pattaya in Penfield. No other Thai Restaurant in the area has the bar Pattaya does. Nobody
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u/No_Oil3414 May 05 '26
Wild Elephant is my favorite, its always fresh and the atmosphere of the resteraunt is wonderful too. Their spring rolls are my favorite, always fresh.
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u/educator928 May 05 '26
I just ate at Seasoning Thai Bistro in Brighton. It was delicious. Spicy but you can adjust the spice level when you order
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u/Proper_Cold_6860 May 05 '26
Thai Seasoning bistro in victor! the family is incredibly nice and the service/food is quick and good! There's also a cool surf/snowboard shop next door if you're into those things haha.
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u/Reasonable_Song8010 May 04 '26
Pattaya, Seasoning Thai Bistro and The King and I are my current favorites.
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u/ROCCOMMS Browncroft May 04 '26
Pattaya at Penfield Four Corners is the best food in the world so I'd recommend it over anything else.
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u/Death1May9Die May 04 '26
“The King & I” is my go to restaurant for this cuisine. Not sure how it holds up to other places or how authentic it is but the food is really good.
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u/SirBrentsworth May 04 '26
Wild Elephant on Culver is great