Surin West
1918 11th Ave S, Birmingham, AL, 35205
Surin West Menu
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Appetizers
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Salads
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Soups Bowls
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Specials Entrees
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Desserts - Cheesecakes
Healthy Meal suggestions for Surin West
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Appetizers
-
Salads
-
Soups Bowls
-
Specials Entrees
-
Desserts - Cheesecakes
Visit below restaurant in Birmingham for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Birmingham for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
1918 11th Ave S
Birmingham, AL, 35205 - Phone (205) 324-1928
- Website https://www.surinwest.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 2:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No
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Porsche P.
*Delayed Entry* lol Born and Raised in Alabama, I felt it only right to come and review one of my most absolute favorite stops when I'm visiting home! I will drive through hail and rain just to make my usual visit to this place. The food here is delish! I dont' recall ever ordering something and not being happy with it! I love the Thai Noodle bowls, but rarely do I order just one thing...Yep, I'm that person there with a huge bowl, a platter, and 2 plates of sushi AND a martini or two :) The only complaint I have with this place is that the service is sub-par and it hasn't changed over the previous years. I can't even say that it's intentional because it doesn't matter WHAT ethnicity or gender our server happened to be on any trip they are consistently slower (than I'm used to) and not very attentive. I have yet to have one with a "nasty attitude" so I usually don't hold it against them....Probably the "southern girl" in me. lol... However, I do think management should take any reviews that mention issues seriously because the servers do always seem kinda "lost" when it comes to friendliness, attentiveness and efficiency. They CAN happen at the same time :) I love this place, I really do. I think with a little tweaking of training for servers it could become a national hot spot... again, maybe I'm biased :)
(4)Herb L.
Surin. Well it's what it is. I eat there but I don't consider them to be 'real' Asian food. Lunch, it's a great value. Dinner, meh. Their Pad Thai which is the first dish I try when I goto a Thai restaurant and theirs is on the bottom of my list. But in Birmingham, almost all the Thai place I've been to I rank towards the bottom.
(3)J S.
Surin has an afforadable lunch special, a nice atmosphere, and great food. you will crave the coconut soup for years afterward. the pad thai rules. the sushi is delicious. the problem. the service. the waitstaff are typically horrible. inattentive, slow, sometimes forgetful. i've received the wrong dish there too many times.
(2)Jessica M.
Favorite Thai food in town. Whether it's this location or Surin 280, this is a go-to for my husband and I when we want to grab dinner out. I've tried just about all of the entree dinners. We also love to go for lunch because any of the lunch entrees come with their tofu coconut soup...it's worth getting of the office for! My favorite is either the Pad Thai or the Masaman Chicken.
(4)Nathan W.
Great food but consistently amongst the worst service of any restaurant in the city. If you want great egg rolls and don't mind a server, staff and management that doesn't care at all about your dining experience then this place is for you. Expect to wait for at least 10 minutes after being seated for your drink order to be taken and then probably another 15 before you get to give your main order. Next, expect at least one portion of your order to be wrong and when you call it to their attention, don't expect them to immediately take action to correct the error. The server will probably finish bussing another couple of tables or complete a bit of side work before taking care of it. It's a wonder that this place has been opened as long as it has been with the level of service as poor as it is. Within seconds of entering the restaurant you will be overwhelmed by the apathy of the staff. I've been eating at this restaurant on and off for the past 10 years because the food is generally good despite the horrible services. Given the choice and it is convenient, Do yourself a favor and try their locations on Highway 280 or in Mountain Brooke.
(2)Isaiah G.
Surin is amazing!
(5)Julia M.
I love Thai food and was really excited when someone in our group suggested we go to Surin West for dinner. They assured me it was an excellent Thai restaurant. So, the place had a nice atmosphere and our service was pretty good. They had good prices on wines-by the glass. I had Tuna Sashimi as an appetizer and it was quite good. (Never had a suhsi appetizer at a Thai restuarant before, but what the heck, I love tuna sashimi.) However, the "Thai" food itself was disappointing. I ordered the Penang Curry which is normally one of my favorites. But this one was not spicy or flavorful enough for my taste. After dinner we were going to order dessert and I asked if they could make Mango Sticky Rice (which is one of my favorite desserts at traditional Thai places) and the server just looked confused as if she had never heard of such a thing. That's just sad. :-( I think they Americanized it too much so it would suit local tastes. I also thought they try too hard to be all things to everybody... too many dishes that are generic Asian. And is this place a sushi bar or a Thai restaurant? I think that if they advertised themselves as simply an "Asian-Inspired" resturant, then I wouldn't have walked away so disappointed.
(3)Matthew K.
One of my favorite places to eat around the Southside area. The atmosphere is lovely for a date and the food is delicious. I usually order the roasted duck with curry which is wonderful but the sushi is great here as well. The bartender during the day is always nice and prompt and the servers have always been pleasant. Be sure to come during lunch if you dont want to break the bank too much.
(5)Lauren K.
Surin West is one of my fall backs for lunch because I know what to expect. It is not the best food I have had in this category but the prices are reasonable and I found a couple of dishes that are consistent. Spicy Beef Salad Crab Angles Egg Rolls The staff is mostly college students so you definitely get the 'I'm only here because I have to be vibe from some of them', although they are always friendly. I like the food and it will remain a solid lunch choice but I would not go for a dinner out. If I am looking for the complete experience, I would go elsewhere.
(3)C. D.
I've been eating at this restaurant consistently for the past 12 years. There are only a few items on the menu that I don't care for but not because it's a bad dish, just not my preference in taste. A few of my favorites are: appetizers - crab angels, spring rolls, Surin baskets. Sushi - Kaboom Maki, super crunch, zwai gani. Entrees - Chicken massaman, Thai noodle (but with no peanuts), spicy beef salad (it's not the same since one of main chefs left Surin and went to stix so if you're looking for the "original" taste of this entree it's now at Stix), and Thai BBQ chicken. The service is up and down depending on what waiter you get, sometimes they're quiet or seem in a bad mood but that's life, I've never had "terrible" service... there are a handful of staff that have been there for over 10 years. This is by far one of my favorite restaurants in Birmingham and the ONLY Thai restaurant that I enjoy eating at in the entire country, and I've been to nearly all 50 states...
(4)Bryan Z.
Completely unimpressed. Made the mistake ordering the super crunch--that's a signature roll? Terrible. I had a simple veggie stir fry with chicken, the plate was served as though it was a soup. The stir fry was sitting a plate of watery liquid with basically no taste. The service was incredibly horrendous. The tables on either side of us struggled mightily to get apps, silverware and their food. Luckily we didn't have any service issues other than the server was frantic the entire time, really curt and kind of rude. I spent more than 10 yrs. working in the restaurant industry and have never left under 20% on a tip but this dinner took every ounce of my restraint not to take it out on him with a poor tip. If anyone has ever deserved it, this was the one. We definitely won't be giving this place another chance.
(1)Brad H.
Two words: Thai noodle. Well, two more words: coconut soup. These are the things I get at Surin. I love the Thai noodle dish so much that I branched out once and tried something else, and immediately went back to ole faithful and haven't looked back since. I hear other stuff is good too, I just associate Surin with that dish and that's fine by me.
(4)Liz F.
Great food, service and prices. Spicy chicken coconut soup and sushi were so so yummy! Def recommend it.
(4)Joe L.
The Yum Yum salad, Thai noodle & crispy squid was delicious. Good Martinis. Most it menu items travel well the way Surin packs them to go.
(4)Kendra G.
Visiting UAB on a business trip. This place is in a very convenient area, right near campus. I'm always one to ask for recommendations & our waitress recommended the Duck & Panang Chicken Curry. I went with the Panang Chicken Curry & I wasn't disappointed. It was great. Had a nice kick that was calmed by the coconut milk in the sauce. However, this dish could be improved if it had less sauce. Skip the sushi if you can. I tried the Wasabi roll and it tasted a bit fishy. I would not eat here again if sushi was all they had. Overall, if you stick to the Thai and stay away from the sushi, you wont be disappointed.
(3)Andrew S.
Food was mediocre. Seriously unimpressed by the service. Seating was close together, and nearly all the dishes we had were cold.
(2)Amy C.
I received a coupon for Surin in the mail for a "buy one get one free" entree. I read the coupon front and back, or so I thought, and went to the 280 location to use it. The waiter let us know that it was for this location at five points. We thought it'd be worth the drive since we would be saving at least $17 (so we thought) so we decided to leave and go to this location to use it. After waiting 20 minutes and being seated we were told it is more like a $10 coupon. The worth of it was only for a $10 meal, and unfortunately there were no $10 meals I was interested in. Since we drove all the way we decided to stay and have some sushi since I had heard this location was better than the 280 one. Boy was I wrong. The sushi was clearly left out for a while, and since we waited for about 30 minutes to get our food it was obvious that our waiter had just left it sitting out. He was rushing with us and it took also took forever for him to take our order. Compared to the 280 location the fish was really "fishy". Overall it just was not a pleasant experience. I understand that print marketing has to be somewhat deceiving to pull customers in, but when its to the point that the customer is jumping through hoops to try to get a deal at one of their favorite restaurants and it turns out that no one can bend the rules a bit to let them use a little coupon, you have completely ruined that relationship with the customer. I used to love Surin 280 but will never eat at any Surin location again because of this horrible experience. It doesn't matter how good of a duck curry you make, but unless someone fixes this situation for me I will never invest a dime in this business again.
(1)Sarah J.
My favorite restaurant. I've tried sushi in several cities around the US and they have the best, by far. You cannot beat the super crunch. Also, try the spicy beef salad and coconut soup.
(5)Tameka J.
lamb chops were yummy, they were almost overcooked but not quite. The lamb chops were served with fried rice, veggies and some type of sauce. Overall the dish was flavorful. In terms of the service, our server was very inattentive. there were 6 of us, but somehow only 5 of use received dinner?!?!? the server never noticed; we finally asked him were the missing plate was, he never apologized he just disappeared. as we were preparing to leave he appeared with the missing dish, by that time we'd all shared our food with the neglected diner and she no longer wanted the food.
(3)Jim H.
I was excited for some good thai. Surin in downtown is good for lunch so I expected better dinner and made my way to five points south. I should have figured that a restaurant that avoids the Thai menu names used across the country and features spicy spaghetti would be a letdown. The service was pathetic at best from beginning to end. Why do I feel guilted into leaving a decent tip even when the service really is pitiful? Anyway, my spicy noodles were anything but. They were extremely bland and uninteresting. My mother's chop suey that came out of a can in the sixties was more exciting than this food, and at least I got crunchy noodles to go with it. I can't find anything to recommend this place except that the portion was large, but who needs a large portion of food you don't want to eat? BORING!!
(2)Jennifer D.
Great food. The service is not always the best but you won't find better Thai food in Birmingham! Get the Spicy Beef Salad and the coconut soup. The Catfish is also good (only available at lunch) and was rated highly by Southern Living Magazine years ago!
(4)David G.
Loved it. Loved it. Just ate there tonight. Thai chicken curry fantastic. Food served fast. Waiter Stephen great give him a raise now.
(5)Meg J.
Good Thai food for Birmingham! I had a to go order and got the chicken pad seu, wonton soup, and chicken skewer appetizer. Reasonably priced, so much food it fed two of us. My favorite of what we got was the pad seu.
(4)Heidi S.
I live in Nashville and have a lot of friends from Birmingham who have spoken highly about this place. When I was in Birmingham visiting last I finally got to try it out. It had a nice atmosphere and it seemed to be pretty busy. Parking was hard to find, but there is a lot around back that is free for the restaurant. The food was good, but it wasn't the best Thai I had ever had. I would definitely go back though.
(3)Nancy H.
Pleasantly surprised! After reading some of the reviews about poor service, I was a little worried about taking my dad there. However, we really enjoyed it and both the hostess who seated us and our waiter were very friendly. And we really liked the food. Had the crab angels, spicy thai beef salad, fried rice, and chicken panang (can't remember the actual dish names but something like that). The chicken panang was our favorite, with a peanut sauce that was not too thick and was very flavorful. Yum!! We will definitely be going back.
(4)Byoung Kyu S.
Since Yelp doesn't allow zero-stars, one-star it is. I guess some places don't need the extra business. After a long day of work and working out, I was ready for a huge dinner. It's a short walk from the Residence Inn, but due to the rain, I had to drive and find street parking. The hostess sat us down, handed us menus, then left. Looked over the menu while waiting for someone to wait on us. Looked over the menu and still waited for someone to come to our table. Stared at food after food came to other tables, and still no one. Read through every dish on the menu and the details and still waited and waited. When I looked over at the hostess, she was sitting somewhere doing who knows what. Decided this was ridiculous so we left to to get some sushi at a Japanese joint across the street. People here should do dine at Highlands or Chez Fonfon and take lessons on how to run a restaurant and treat customers.
(1)Danielle G.
I'm a regular here. The food is very good and flavorful. I love their Thia iced tea and spicy chicken coconut soup so much that I get that every time I go! Nice place great service!
(4)Sue F.
I recently had the pleasure of visiting Surin West again, and it is still one of my top "loves"! Although there are technically four locations, the one on Southside offers the best food and dining experience. I went for lunch and when you order a dinner, you get their amazing tofu coconut curry soup...I could indulge in a gallon of this stuff! We shared an order of Basil Rolls (very good, with a tasty, spicy, sauce), and their addictive little Surin Baskets (minced chicken and shrimp with corn, cilantro and some other goodies all tucked inside of a mini pastry bowl, with a sweet sauce to top it off). For the entreé we got the Chicken Noodle Bowl, another reason we went for lunch, as it isn't offered during dinner. It is just creamy, velvety, yummy heaven. Noodles enrobed in a rich coconut-lemongrass-curry sauce, with grilled chicken strips, and garnished with lettuce and bean sprouts. I'm not ashamed to say that I cut it all up together (I know...terrible etiquette) and eat it with my saved soup spoon, so that I can indulge in every spec of that amazing sauce! I've been eating at this Surin for years and have enjoyed many of their menu selections. I can honestly say that I have never gotten anything that wasn't good. There are some things that I have liked better than others, but that's just a taste thing. I would highly recommend THIS Surin for anyone who loves Thai food; to any who like to try new foods (they have mild to very spicy choices); or those that like to go and have an appetizer meal, as they have enough tasty treats in that section to fill you up, as well. The atmosphere is eclectic and enjoyable, and the staff is pleasant and efficient.
(5)Kaylyn A.
Love this close-to-authentic Thai food! I'm Thai myself and I thoroughly enjoy this place. I prefer it to the 280 location; however, my parents disagree. A lot of food snobs will try to hate on it, but they can never fully back it up. Come here for $7 lunch specials. Super crunch is the classic sushi roll, but if you can handle the spice then I strongly recommend the wasabi maki. For an entree Thai BBQ chicken, Thai noodle, and spicy beef salad are my favorites. Side it with some coconut soup (complimentary bowl during lunch), sweet/sticky rice, or/and Thai ice tea. Obviously...I'm a huge fan.
(5)Fergie F.
Love the food. It would get five stars if the servers had better attitudes. The owner is awesome. Too bad the wait staff doesn't have his customer service.
(4)Gary W.
Always good
(4)Christopher N.
A delightful restaurant that maybe tries to be too overreaching. The menu is too vast to need to try to be a Japanese Sushi Bar too. The Thai specialties were good, but the spicing was a little muddy, that is it wasn't as clearly defined as I am used to. But I enjoyed in none-the-less. I had the soft-shelled crab and asparagus, which was spiced somewhere between Massaman and Panang curries. I contemplated the Num Tok, but they wanted $18 for it and I am used to an appetizer portion for $7 at my normal Thai Lotus at home. Just as well, the person at the next table ordered it and his eighteen dollar dinner WAS my $7 appetizer. The meals come with rice and some pro forma carrot slice decorations only. For my meal, I got to take some home. The poor fellow at the next table with the Num Tok wasn't so lucky.
(3)Jill S.
Ok Yelpers, give Surin West a break...we are talking about Birmingham, my hometown, the city I love, but couldn't get a job in so living and loving in the ATL...so understandably, there won't be many options for "authentic" Thai food. Surin West does an OK job in its attempt to get Bham outside of the fastfood/club Ruby Tuesdays box! My first visit was a couple months ago, on the recommendation from my dear baby sister (another college graduate looking for permanent employment - yea, that's another rant) and a BOGO coupon. I can't remember the exact name of the dish, but it was the Lamb chops entrée. The meat had just the right spice and flavor that I didn't need the extra sauce I usually request at Thai restaurants. We ordered a bottle of Reisling, which had a twist off top, so wasn't impressed there. Second visit was this past Saturday. We weren't as hungry this time, so we tried out the sushi and soup items. The sushi combos #3 & #4 were pretty fresh and the Shrimp Tempura selections within the combo were flash fried perfectly, not greasy at all. I ordered the Wonton Soup. It was actually good to the last drop. We again ordered a bottle of wine, a Pinot Grigio...again, with a screw off cap. Waiter poured about half a glass for me to try first lol...I'm like dude, it's a screw off cap and you pretty much filled the glass to the top...we'll just take it haha. I will say that the 2 male waiters I had were not the greatest. Both were in a rush to either take our plate or provide the bill, but slow on bringing extra napkins or spicy mayo for the sushi (oh yea, its not really a white table cloth type of estab!) Overall, I would recommend Surin West, and make sure you sit by the window facing 11ave to enjoy the characters that walk or stumble by.
(4)Vicki B.
A great find. Wonderful sushi...even the coconut milk soup was good...I don't like coconut! Very reasonably priced. Very fresh food. I had one if the best lamb dishes ever. The service was as great as the food. Next time I am in town I will return. F
(5)Linda R.
This place is in a cool little neighborhood in Birmingham and I kinda wished I had eaten some place else. I went with a group of folks who love this place so I got to taste all their favorite dishes and this place just doesn't stack up. The coconut soup is given in a generous portion with lovely shrimp and a bit of spice but the lime flavor from the kafir lime leaf was missing. Some one ordered crunchy sushi for the table and I had never had anything like it before. Certainly not authentic but tasty with an interesting texture. The Pad Thai which they call Thai noodles was again off balance. The only good thing I can say about them was that the noodles were perfectly cooked but the salty, sweet, citrus was not there. I ordered one of my favorites spicy basil stir fry. I really love this dish with duck but they didn't offer it so I settled for pork. It was nice and spicy but I don't think they used Thai basil because that assertive licorice flavor was missing. I guess if you really are craving Thai you can give it a go but don't expect any transcendental Thai experience.
(2)David G.
Below average Thai restaurant. I've had several of the dishes and find them all lacking any degree of spiciness or flavor I associate with decent Thai food. The prices are great, especially the lunch menu. On the plus side, service is usually good, even when the restaurant is packed.
(2)Dax B.
Duck dish was good with less spice than I wanted but I did not ask for pet-pet. The spicy beef salad is excellent and does have some heat if you request it pet-pet/Thai hot. I don't really eat Pad Thai as I think it's mostly boring. Who gets sushi at a Thai restaurant?
(3)Jamie B.
I was in town for work and heard this place was awesome! What I got when I arrived was the exact opposite! The food is not "true Thai" food, the service is horrible and the food I ate was just "ok". I don't understand why so many locals recommend this place, it must be the lack of options!!
(1)Tyler A.
Delicious Thai food in downtown Birmingham. They have plenty of good dishes, but their coconut soup, super crunch roll, and Thai noodle can't be beaten.
(4)Kimberly H.
I've been here twice on two different business trips and haven't been let down. Surprisingly this "thai" restaurant has great sushi! I have also enjoyed the spicy chicken coconut soup (NOT spicy).
(4)Alan B.
Surin has been a staple for me since I was first introduced in Middle School. I have enjoyed many meals at Surin and still do. They quality of their Thai is good, maybe not totally 4 stars but because I have eaten here for years it is to me. In my travels I have had better but in the Birmingham area you will be hard pressed to find another restaurant that does it like this. Favorite dishes include Pad See-U which I get with Tofu and Beef, go figure, Chicken Noodle Bowl and the Super Crunch Roll. With four locations in the Birmingham area there is sure to be one near you. Surin is a great casual place to go for Thai and Sushi. If you haven't tried it take the plunge and enjoy what is a staple in not only my life but is for many in this area. For the best service and quality check out their location in Crestline Village. The location in Five Points can sometimes have mediocre service and parking there is horrible.
(4)Lauren B.
Better for lunch than dinner. At lunch, the Chicken Noodle Bowl is on the menu: Noodles in a coconut cream sauce with chicken, green onions, and shaved peanuts. For sushi, try the Super Crunch Roll. The waitstaff is slow and not very informed. Martinis are good and food is always fresh and tasty.
(4)Shay A.
Love this place.
(5)Tita P.
People always ask me what I miss most about Birmingham. I miss SURIN WEST!! This is the place where I met friends, dates, dined alone. I knew the bartender and he would tell me funny stories. I miss the nam tok beef I just miss Surin West. When I head to Birmingham ALL of my friends know where I want to go. I Love Surin West!!!
(3)Brooke A.
Terrible food
(1)Roll T.
I thought it was funny how every single law firm in Birmingham would take me to Surin West for lunch when I interviewed with them. Was there no Indian restaurant in the downtown area? :) Surin West serves rather standard Thai food. The dishes are quite unremarkable except for a decent duck curry.
(3)ally r.
I was excited to find a Thai restaurant in Birmingham and sad to find it a little less exciting than most Thai restaurants I've been too. The food was weak in authenticity- seemed like an American chef making Thai food though it is Thai owned. The atmosphere of the place was alright- lots of light and large photos of Thailand on the walls. I'm annoyed by paper over a cloth table cloth, but that's just me. I think for some of their atmosphere the prices could have been lower but I see that it really is probably a fancy place for that part of town so okay. I was also cold here- oi- I hate being cold and then getting ice in my water. Don't let my temperature dilemma sour you though, I'm willing to admit it might just have been me but I have a special dread for temperature problems in a place where I'm wanting to focus on the meal. I would go back, but because it's a good place for variety and not because I was crazy about it. Service was very friendly. Seems to be in a district where there are some interesting shops nearby. My friends and I visited a nearby Sikh grocery store afterwards.
(2)Holly B.
I'll start with the good stuff. The atmosphere is very nice, I went there for dinner with a date, and it was good for that. Candles on the tables, not too loud despite being packed. The location is good for meandering around the area after dinner. The wait service was forgettable, nothing terrible or amazing. Price-wise, I thought everything was pretty standard, but wine by the glass was a little cheaper than I would expect. You have to park at meters, there is no parking lot. So you may need to drive around for a bit if the area is busy that night. Here is what I didn't like. It was a really generic menu. It was a big mash-up of Asian food. There was sushi, Thai, Japanese, and more. I personally like places that select a particular cuisine to specialize in, instead of having a billion different dishes that are OK. Actually, until I read these other reviews, I thought it was suppose to be a sushi place...
(3)Christi R.
Ok...I am a sushi fanatic and this place started it all! The flavors, the service, and restaurant is impeccable! The drinks are good and strong and their jasmine tea is delightful. I probably had 1 bad experience, but it was because the server was kinda rude...but one bad apple isn't gonna stop me from going! For sushi choices-beginner-California Roll or Spicy Tuna.. Entrees- the best is the Pad Prik..the best appetizer is the Surin Basket! You have got to go there and try it yourself!
(5)Sheri P.
No, I do not like Surin. If I had to go to one it would be this location. That is one positive for this place. I have friends that work here and I am glad people like the food otherwise they would not have a job. I guess its not too bad if you know you are getting American-Thai fusion and not authentic Thai food. But regardless, I do NOT recommend this place.
(1)L T.
Surin isn't a bad place to go, especially for the inexpensive prices, but something just doesn't add up for me. I ordered one of my favorite Thai dishes, massaman curry, and the dish was really stripped down. The sauce was lovely, but there were no veggies in the curry (usually a standard), so the dish was just chicken and rice... and let's be honest, I can do that at home. There were some avocados in the dish, but they're so mild you could hardly taste them underneath the curry, and it seemed like an odd pairing anyway - it's not usually part of Thai cuisine.
(2)Jessica G.
I like this restaurant because it has so many different types of food. I particularly like their chicken noodle bowl. The wait staff here is good. The one downtown is a bit difficult to get in and out of since the front entrance is congested. I don't really like the location though. If you don't find a parking spot on the road then you have to park kinda far away and that is a pain. I feel the food here is really good if you are looking for some ethnic eats. My husband lived in Guam and he says that this place makes some of the same foods that he ate when he lived there. He really likes their sushi menu also.
(3)Betty B.
My absolute favorite restaurant of BIRMINGHAM, AL. If you're visiting the area or live in the bham area this casual dining place is a MUST. I would recommend the tofu coconut soup, egg rolls, chicken satay or pot stickers for an appetizer. The lunch and dinner menus differ but you can't go wrong with anything off their menus. My favorite dish would have to be the chicken noodle bowl. But I also love the pad prik with Pork, catfish, bbq chicken, and the thai noodle with shrimp and chicken. They also serve a really rich piece of strawberry cheesecake at the southside location. Oh by the way, the pad-see-u is also delicious. Fairly cheap place for great food.
(5)Patrick K.
It's the best Thai food or sushi that you'll find for the price anywhere.
(4)Melissa T.
The restaurant is spacious, so they can accommodate large parties. We stopped by for a quick lunch, the food here was pretty average. The portions are generous. The large random photographs hung around the restaurants are a bit weird. Other than that, the experience was not very memorable.
(3)Aisha H.
This is a Birmingham standard. Good for a date, work meeting or a night with your friends. Good food (spicy coconut soup and chicken panang), good sushi (super crunch) and yummy martinis! The downside, everyone and their uncle goes especially if they are new to trying Thai food so (ooo how adventurous). The food is good but not knock you off your feet, and when it is really crowded the service suffers as does the atmosphere (loud). All in all, I do recommend it and I go there often.
(3)Ken P.
I have eaten at Surin West several times for lunch. The food is consistent. The wait staff not as consistent... The one dish I can recommend is the Chicken Noodle Bowl; very tasty.
(3)Louay B.
An average Thai restaurant, if found in another city. Their is nothing special about the food, it seems it's more Chinese than Thai. The Pad Thai or Thai noodle as they call it, is the best thing on the menu. I suggest ordering it without sprouts because the seem to over do it. Service is sub par. Be prepared to wait 5-10 minutes for anything from the bar. Sushi is even worse, the rice seems too mushy and fish doesn't truly taste too fresh. The place is clean and trying to find parking is harder than the MCAT.
(2)Randy W.
Seriously? This is the Birmingham version of Thai food? Overly sweet, not nearly spicy enough and it felt like was heavily Americanized. Maybe I'm spoiled by other Thai restaurants in other cities, but I really feel like this place is pasable. Even the sushi is a little below average.
(2)Brian M.
Definitely one of the better food choices in Birmingham. The Thai food is solid, although maybe nothing remarkably different than you'd find in most Thai restaurants. The atmosphere is ideal for an evening date or for hanging out with some friends. The prices are reasonable and there's a good variety of food that should appeal to most people's tastes.
(5)Meghan P.
Bottom line- if you want Thai food, don't go here. If you like slightly overpriced Americanized Chinese, or decent sushi, then it's pretty good. I do like their tiramisu. The waiters are alright, the place is always clean, and the ambiance is nice. There is a high probability of a long wait.
(2)Peggy K.
Solid drinks :) Pretty good maki. Nice servers.
(4)Marissa M.
Will not be going back here. The food is definitely NOT authentic. Don't waste your money on this place....
(1)barbi d.
Excellent sushi, the rest is so/so... some tasty dishes, although not quite as authentic as I like.
(3)Meena N.
Working at UAB, Surin is a nice spot when wanting something a little more than a sandwich for lunch. The lunch specials are super reasonable (and come with that amazing coconut tofu soup), and portions are decent sized. Service can be a bit slow (especially around noon), so build in some wait time for a table. My one star subtraction is for parking. There's just not enough of it, and I'm sure some folks that park behind Surin aren't there for the restaurant. We spent 15 minutes trying to find a spot!
(4)Will B.
Surin is one of my standard places in Birmingham. They are genuinely the restaurant that made me LOVE sushi. All locations are different from one another. But this is the fanciest of the three. So the roll that made me a sushi obsessor is the Super Crunch. It is INCREDIBLE. So good that you have to try it with anything you get. But I have seriously never had anything bad here. The Basil rolls are a good soft noodle roll. The Pad Thai is some of the best I have had. That is a great common dish that my wife and I can share. The lunch special is one of the best deals in town. You get a dish, plus some of the coconut-tofu soup. Note: I hate coconut. I hate tofu. But this soup is the bomb.com/incredibleness . One of my favorite in town. The only reason I tried it was because of the lunch special. And I had a friend I trust highly recommend it. Now when I go for dinner where the soup doesn't come with entrees, I still order it by the mass quantity. For the lunch along with this great soup I LOVE the chicken noodle bowl. It is a little spicy, but that is up my alley. A great place to take out of town guests, yourself, and anyone you know.
(5)Kayla L.
This is my PI's favorite restaurant in Birmingham, so when he wants to take the lab out to lunch this is where we head. We always order Thai teas basically before we sit down, and I highly recommend you do the same. Apps: crispy squid is on point in terms of an appetizer. There's a lot on the plate, and it's cooked well. The dumplings, oh man. They are my favorite appetizer there. Such a cliche thing to get, but totally worth it. The spring rolls are spring rolls, nothing too special, but still good. Sushi: Surin doesn't have my favorite sushi, but I've never had a bad roll here. I usually go for any roll with tempura flakes, and they have some good options. Entree: Spicy Beef Salad, and that is all you need to know. Everyone who isn't a vegetarian in my lab gets this for the entree, which is usually like 9 people. I also recommend the Thai noodles (their version of Pad Thai). Other honorable mentions include pineapple shrimp, and chicken masaman. If you're feeling adventurous go for the garlic scallops. They're literally the biggest scallops I've ever seen, and at $22 you should expect them to be good as well. Service: The wait staff is always a little reluctant with our big group, but if you go with a group of 4 (as opposed to our 12) you will get good service! I know this review is a little long-winded, but I go so often that I have to mention all of the good things you can try!
(4)Caleigh R.
I'm so bummed to make this review!! Surin has always been one of my favorites. I've been coming here for years and love telling people about my fav restaurant! Unfortunately, the service has never been something to rave about. Today's waiter was really...not good. Not very friendly and good at avoiding eye contact when he knew we were trying to get his attention. We ordered crab angels, but had to remind him we had ordered them, although he wouldn't admit he had forgotten them. Flavors of food were slightly off, but maybe that was just my taste buds not working! Service is really important when paying more to dine out. This experience reminds me why I prefer take out from Surin. Food is one of my favs in Bham and I'll always have a craving for it sometime in the year!
(3)Jeremy E.
The sushi here is pretty good, while definitely not my favorite. I love their Thai dishes though. Most of the entrees are easily big enough to split. I also LOVE their martinis!! They may seem expensive at first...but they are equivalent to a couple of drinks at most places ;) It can get a bit loud inside when it is crowded, and service can be hit or miss, but has definitely improved as of late.
(4)Derek B.
My long time go-to Thai place in Birmingham. I usually just go for the Thai Noodle which is their version of Pad Thai. I've never been disappointed.
(4)Joe M.
The food was fairly good, as well as the ambiance, but their attitude sucks! I walk into the foyer, and the first thing I hear is this old, male host barking at me with complete arrogance, "Sir, this is Surin West!" Sounds simple enough without the intonation, but if you heard him, it sounded charged with some sense of superiority, total arrogance. Why not, "Welcome to Surin West"? He sat guest after guest before us, then when the place was almost closed and the coast was clear, he finally seated us. He never told us the specials, just sneered with total contempt. I don't recommend this place to anyone who has any sense of self-respect. Jerk!!!
(2)Thomas C.
With few Asian options, good reviews, and Thai being my favorite cuisine, coming here seemed a no-brainer. The food simply isn't good. Food: I ordered tofu pad kee mao (aka drunken noodles). The noodles themselves were ok. The rest of it was far too sweet and not spicy at all. The vegetables were not particularly fresh. The dish on the whole was also incredibly oily (when compared to other Thai restaurants in the country but perhaps on par with restaurants on the south?). As I recall they also had a variety of non-Thai options so don't expect authenticity. Prices seem high to me particularly for what you get. Service: All phases of service were slow for my taste particularly for lunch. I don't know if Yelp is less accurate in Alabama or if I'm not yet accustomed to southern taste but I will not return.
(2)Karus M.
One of my Top 5 places to eat in Birmingham. Great sushi and appetizers! My usual order is Surin Baskets, Crab Angels, Egg Rolls, and the Chicken Larb just to get started. The entrees are just as good. I'm not sure I've ever had a bad dish here and I've been going to Surin West for years!
(5)Preeyam P.
Sushi here is not my favorite. Even though I have tried a few times to like it. The coconut soup is always amazing. lunch proportions are very large. there are some lunch entrees that are not offered during dinner (that never makes sense to me). Some servers have a HUGE attitude and are not very accommodating. Although this place is always busy the lunch service always takes FOREVER. Pad thai noodle is pretty good and my favorite is Pad Prik Pork. Look for the coupons in the Kaleidoscope newspaper to get a better value.
(3)Amber K.
I absolutely love Surin West. We ate here on a Saturday night recently and at least one out of every 3 tables were full; needless to say it was packed! Drew was an incredible server, 86 short mins after we ordered he asked us what we had ordered and then within 15 mins brought it to us! Despite the fact that everyone in the kitchen was new and the restaurant, having been open for years, had also recently just opened, Drew made it happen despite the sea of incompetence around him!!!! After asking twice if we needed a to-go box we were on our way, with only the memory of a perfect restaurant experience to tide us over until our next visit! I think he was an atheist....
(1)Christian S.
As usual, the food (sushi) was excellent, especially the wasabi, there's just never enough. Service from our waitress Megan, was fast, courteous, & just plain perfect.
(5)Filipe F.
Ok service, Pad Thai not too impressive. Especially if you are taking to go. The food was all crammed up on a Chinese to go box. The noodles were nice and moist, plenty of sauce. The basil roll( summer roll) not enough ingredients, lettuce ice noodles and basil! What a shame!! The pad Thai had good sauce to noodles ratio however the spiciness was al powder on the top of the foood. I tried twice now, If back here will try different dishes, because the rolls and the pad thai are not my favorite at this place. The parking is a headache, so unless the rest of the thai food and/or the sushi is good, I will return to this place.
(3)Lucy T.
Super crunch sushi is my favorite, but the coconut soup tastes like melted cough drops lol.
(3)Tushar R.
Surin West is consistently a great place to eat. They recently upped their prices across the board but it's definitely worth it. I recommend the eggplant noodle and the pad prik. If you come for lunch you get the coconut soup with whatever you order. 5/5
(5)Alex P.
Tender duck in some of the most delicious red curry I've tasted. Spicy and tangy, but not overwhelmingly so. It's just right.. Come here for lunch, dinner is much pricier and portions are about the same, if not smaller.
(5)David C.
This place was packed, but I have no idea why. Maybe because it was in a trendy area or near the university. It was not due to the hostess who was cold and rude. And it was not due to the food. After much deliberation, I ordered the thai noodles, the "traditional dish of thailand". It was supposed to have scallion in it. It had one, one-inch piece of scallion. Otherwise it had some chicken and two....count them....two shrimp. And about 20 bean sprouts. I asked for it hot. Their way of making it hot was to dump a pile of some thai chili powder on it. The sauce was way too sweet and the meal was just kind of blah. I might give them another try sometime and get a different dish. No pad thai and no thai fried rice on the menu. Overall very poor experience. Other than the waiter. He was nice.
(1)Massimo F.
The worst Thai food in town, served by the most rude and unprofessional waiters (while waitresses are always great!). If there was a book chapter on how to repel valuable customers... this business would write the introduction and conclusion paragraphs. I didn't want to go back there anymore but a colleague's of mine had a coupon he wanted to use so I joined with good faith. The result was a Thai noddle that was a solid bulk of something tasting like hand soap. The waiter was the apotheosis of "I don't give a sh**, just give me your money". I won't EVER go back, was this the last restaurant on the planet
(1)Kristi R.
Went here with some friends and was not looking forward to it but enjoyed it! The coconut soup was wonderful, so was the surin baskets. Don't know what was in them but they were delicious!! Had the barbecue chicken and it was delicious also. Would definitely go back:)
(5)Sherry H.
DELISH !! From the fresh perfect eggrolls, to the amazing coconut,shrimp soup ;P , then , sushi for me, it was very good ( I cannot remember the name of the rolls ) my husband got the duck curry, and it was yummo ! then I had creme brûlée for dessert !! I think it may have been the best I've ever had !! and heres the kicker, I have diet issues, and I am PICKY , and I travel all over the world !! and the whole meal was around $50ish ...I will go back every chance I get...
(5)Bryan H.
Staff congenial. Sadly, out of four colorful dishes ordered, chicken larb was the best but nothing exciting taste-wise. Mercifully dry appetizers were on sale. Chicken Satay had odd texture and full-price shrimp in curry dish was rubbery and tasteless. Nice rice.
(1)Miranda C.
Went for a Friday business lunch- Rainbow Roll and salmon nigiri were delicious. Service was great. Took away a star because I had to park 2 blocks away, but that's expected in Five Points South.
(4)Ben G.
Surin has THE best food! We also had THE best waitress! Her name is Brittany and she stole my heart. I secretly took a picture of her when she wasn't looking and sent it to my mom to see if she approved...she did! Long story short you should come here and eat, just don't try to ask my girl out...she's taken.
(5)S F.
Food was ok, service could have been better. I ordered food for carry out and was told my order would be ready in 20 min. Thirty five min later, I'm still waiting by the bar for the bartender to get my food. There isn't a sense of urgency or regard for the customer or their time.
(2)Kathryn D.
As a UAB grad student staple this place is best known to me for its lunch specials. I prefer the Spicy Beef Salad or the Chicken Masaman Curry... both well-portioned and tasty. Having lived in Thailand for a year, most Thai restaurants I visit can't hope to measure up to authentic Thai cuisine (my own bias, I realize) but Surin offers approachable, Americanized lunch items that are budget friendly. My major qualms are that service is usually terrible and that the food quality can be somewhat inconsistent.
(3)Stephanie F.
We've been dining here for years. It's consistent, good food with a good vibe and good service. Not too expensive which is always a plus. Basil rolls and egg rolls are fantastic. The chicken larb makes for joy only a great appetizer but a great meal. I am not a fan of sushi but I know for a fact lots of folks come here just for the sushi. After dinner walk across the street for dessert at insomnia cookies!
(5)Kelly P.
Solid. Good but not great thai. Tons of vegetarian options. Good service. It doesn't say so on the menu, but the curries can be made with tofu to be vegetarian. I would recommend the panang curry.
(3)Schuyler R.
Get a big bowl of Tofu Coconut Soup!
(4)Will L.
When folks are visiting from out of town, Surin West is always at the top of my "places to take them" list. Since it's located in Five Points, I can kill two birds with one stone and let them see this area of town, while enjoying a great meal. I usually start out with the crispy squid, crab angels, or some light sushi. All of these are great. For my main course, my favorites are Thai barbecue chicken, the spicy beef salad, spicy beef noodle, or sushi. If you like spice, the salad is the hottest thing on the menu. It's much spicier than its cousin, the noodle dish. I've heard people complain about the sushi. I'll admit that I'm no connoisseur, but it's always been great for me.
(4)Kimberly N.
Coconut soup is delightfully amazing and it's complimentary during lunch! Service is nice and consistent.
(5)Mick D.
We didn't try the Sushi. The Panang with chicken was as good as anywhere I've ever tried it. Excellent flavor and perfect-for-me heat. The yellow curry with chicken was flavorless. We ordered the Masaman with beef. The beef itself was very good - big chunks cooked tender. The masaman was strange - I mean it was not a flavor of any masaman I have ever had. I didn't especially dislike it, but it wasn't great. The Pad Thai was blah and too sweet, for sure too sweet, and the portion size was skimpy. Ambiance was nice, but a little on the dark side for my liking. Service was great!
(3)Joe B.
I don't get why people eat here. They've always had the worst service in town. The food is about as close to Thai as a bowl of spaghetti.
(1)Jessica M.
Surin's coconut soup alone is worth the trip downtown. I also love their pad Thai. I've had their sushi and it was good, but nothing that you can't get anywhere else. The last time I went there with my family I thought I might have to complain to the manager, though because our server was pretty incompetent. I am not sure if he was new or what, but he kind of upset my parents because he was complaining about our group being too large for him to handle. We were only 5 people!
(4)Sarah K.
The sushi at this location is consistently worse than at the Crestline store. Given the option, drive an extra 7 minutes over the mountain
(3)Whitney B.
For some reason, this Surin just does not seem to have very good service. The man and I had lunch here today, he ordered the cashew new tofu and I the massaman chicken. Of course, the coconut soup that comes before the meal was delicious. His tofu was good as usual. I had never had massaman before, but apparently I do not like it. It smells funny and tastes funny. Maybe it is the fish sauce. But i took one bite and almost barfed. I pushed my plate away and didn't touch it again. Our server, could have made a few extra bucks for the restaurant, seeing as how we had a coupon for a free meal. I would have gladly ordered something else. But we never saw the server again until he asked me if I wanted a box. But, considering he didn't even ask us if we wanted anything to drink, I am not surprised. Everything else I have tried, I do like. But I won't be ordering any massanothin ever again.
(3)T D.
Delicious thai food. My group all had lunch specials. The bbq chicken fell off the bone, it was so tender. Wait staff was somewhat wanting. For example, there were no knives and we had to scrounge some from another table.
(4)ashraf a.
Just got done eating lunch where I got raw chicken and manager Curtis lack of ecnoledgement sent me in to a reage I had kids with me whom I was feeding this chicken to and he had no manners to come to the table to say anything apologize or anything I will never go to ur locations and rest asure that none of my family community or church member will be coming the food was bad the service was not the best and then the manager Curtis was a jurk I have been to many establishments and this was the worst no customer service can't pay me to go back all
(1)Gordon K.
We had Thai BBQ chicken with fried rice for lunch around 2:00 P.M. Restaurant had very few patrons and those it did have looked a bit off-putting. The restaurant is in an old building and the interior doesn't look inviting. However, it seemed clean enough. Parking on the street at that time was easy. Our waiter was certainly not friendly, but he wasn't rude, either. The chicken was tender, although it is not BBQ in the sense that we are used to. Accompanying dipping sauce and fried rice were good. There were no off odors or tastes, although I could not pick out any discernible flavors, either. It was good and freshly cooked. I should mention the coconut/tofu soup served before your meal here. It is very tasty and the kind of thing you would not make at home just so you could have a small bowl before your meal. I mention this as it is one of the areas where restaurants beat eating at home. The fare is mediocre; not exciting, but not bad. I will admit that I need to get something that would give me a better taste of Thai cuisine the next time I go.
(3)Imani L.
I love Surin! Their sushi is cheap and fresh! They have a specialty roll with scallops and onions that is to die for! Their Thai food is also very tasty. Surin is one of my favorite spots in Birmingham. The wait staff is so so but the food makes it worth the trip. It's also a very large restaurant so it would be good for groups!
(4)John C.
The Asian restaurant in Birmingham.
(5)Lacy W.
One of my favorite places to eat here in "The Ham." I get the same thing pretty much every time and have been doing so for the past 10 years. The Crab Angels are my favorite appetizer in the city. No lie. I sometimes get the Coconut Soup with chicken also. I get The Chicken Penang for my main. It comes with rice. It's a bit spicy, but I love it. Get the peanut butter pie for dessert. Fantastic meal! Nice place to go on a date.
(5)Mav G.
Food is ok, the review is more about service. I'd like to echo other poster's comments - some servers have a HUGE attitude problem, and come across as condescending. I generally don't jump and review on one bad experience. This poor service has been consistent last 3 times. Management wake up!! Learn proper etiquette and right way to address your guests. I will probably avoid this place.
(1)Laura M.
Great food and service is good. Make it your stop!
(4)Ee Vonn Y.
Delicious coconut tofu soup, delicious pad thai all for $7. It's way too much for one person but you get your money's worth. The environment is quiet, calm, peaceful, and intimate. The large windows and good service really helps.
(4)HooverGal Y.
I've been there a few times, and I've never had a stellar experience. The food is mediocre. It's very much American Thai. I've see roaches on the bar. Over lunch, the entrees have been cold. The staff is nice enough, but I don't find the restaurant impressive.
(2)Natasha S.
Sushi decent (I've had better), food not so great! I have been to several different locations and this has to be the worst. The service and food quality has deteriorated over time. I have given this location several tries, but it fails to impress.
(2)Sid S.
I am sadly addicted to the super crunch. It keeps me coming back for more. This place is not too uptight or too laid back. It maintains a nice middle ground atmosphere. The staff are people who aren't too friendly, but I don't like chit chat so that's fine with me. The food is usually prepared pretty quickly and often tastes great. Prices are reasonable and it is located in an area near lots of other venues.
(4)