Royal Palace Thai
811 S Howard Ave, Tampa, FL, 33606
Royal Palace Thai Menu
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Address :
811 S Howard Ave
Tampa, FL, 33606 - Phone (813) 327-4936
- Website https://www.sohorestaurantstampa.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Tue
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Susan P.
Visiting friends in Tampa and they wanted to bring me here to satisfy my Thai addiction. The place is super cute with nice Thai decorations and a fabulous fish tank. Curry Puffs are something I must have at any Thai restaurant that has them on their menu. Royal Palace has this tasty treat, so I tried them. They are fried in wonton wrappers, I prefer spring roll wrappers, but they were mighty good! The vegetarian spring rolls were average, tasting like any other spring roll. Their Pad Thai was a small portion, priced right and tasted really good too. The order comes with chicken and shrimp for only $10.95, not bad at all. My friend ordered the Super Roll and said it was really fresh, she would order it again for sure. We ordered only water for beverages and the staff was always on top of keeping them full, which is a good thing when enjoying Thai with hot sauce! The prices are decent and the food is really good, try it if you're in the area!
(4)Alex T.
Great Service, very prompt and helpful. The menu isn't to large so you aren't overwhelmed with options. The food was overall great! spring rolls were fresh, the Tom Khar soup was AMAZING with a perfect balance of spice
(4)Benny K.
Royal Palace is one of the best Thai restaurants in Tampa. I would render five stars for this fact but for the parking lot with its undersized spaces, sure to deliver dings from the adjacent cars, the small portions and the higher-than-market prices. But let's get back to the good stuff - the food. It is rare to find a restaurant where EVERY dish is off-the-chart fantastic, but that's the way it is at Royal Palace. In particular, this restaurant has a dish called "Spicy Noodles." While you might find a dish with this name on the menus at other Thai restaurants, none will resemble what you'll find here. Spicy Noodles with chicken is tremendous. Because it's so good (and because the portions are small), you may wish you ordered two of these. Highly recommended.
(4)Jay Y.
The appetizers were great and the service is excellent. I tried the Shrimp Pad Thai and it was good but was served in a fairly small portion. This place has a great location but the parking lot is tiny and getting in and out of often causes traffic backups on Howard Ave too...
(3)Paul W.
I have been coming to Royal Thai Palace for about 13 years. The Shrimp or Chicken in Basil Sauce is fantastic! Love the Phad Thai! The parking is sometimes an issue and they are closed on Mondays, but the food is consistently very good. If you are looking for very good quality Thai food, but understand that one serving is one serving, unlike a lot of local Chinese restaurants that give you mountain size portions of poor quality food.
(5)J W.
Why this place? Because my flight landed at 9:40pm and I didn't want to eat fast food. This was opened until 10:30, so it gave me time to get into the rental car and get here for some takeout. I ordered three things: Thai Iced Tea - Tastes like all Thai Iced Teas I've had before. So it's good! Royal Combo - Couldn't decide what I wanted for an app, so I ordered the sampler to try a bit of everything. All very mediocre. Everything was over fried. Wontons filled with meat - The wonton wrapper was hard as a rock. Crab Rangoons - curry flavored cream cheese. Cream cheese was a bit too thick for my liking. The curry flavor was overpowering. Spring rolls - decent Hoi Jar - tastiest item in the Combo. Pad Thai - Had the Chicken and Shrimp version with a 4 out of 5 on the hotness scale. It was tasty and the spiciness was perfect. My gripe is that it was an extremely tiny portion. It was like a child's portion. Take a look at the picture I took with a hotel room key as a reference. You shouldn't charge $11 for that. I've had $6 lunch specials that had more noodle than that.
(3)Dawn D.
Excellent curry!
(4)Mark S.
Had lunch at at Soho's Thai food anchor today, the Royal Place Restaurant on S. Howard Avenue. This is the 3rd time I've gone with friends or for a business lunch at their suggestion - and I just don't get it. The food was just okay, I had the Spicy Noodles with Tofu this time, and the prices are okay, meal for 2 was under $30, but that's it. The service was perfunctory and rather infrequent. They came and took the unoccupied chairs away one at a time...without asking. And the portions were pretty small. But the place was packed! With so many great choices in this area I just don't understand what draws people.
(2)Joe S.
This is a serious 3.5er. The food was very very good (I had Pad See Ew, with beef, 3/5 on the spicey (which wasn't really a 3, it was pretty mild)), the portion was not very very good. The photo by J W is very accurate. The portions are just not large. It's not more expensive than the standard Thai place, but I feel there is less food given for the price. Anyway, my PSE with beef was very well prepared, the noodles were well cooked and not too greasy. The egg bits were tasty, and the combo of carrots and broccoli was a good compliment. In the end I just wanted more. So obviously it's good when you want more of something, but bad when you have to want more of something. So 3.5 stars... but since my Sister loves this place, I'll round up to a 4.
(4)Dacia M.
After seeing Royal Palace on the News a few years ago, I couldn't wait to get in and try it. The food was prepared fresh, the kitchen was clean and the service looked up to my standards. Upon my first visit, I wasn't disappointed. The Tom Khar soup is a great way to start the meal. A zesty combination of coconut, lime, lemongrass and chicken that is FULL of flavor without being so filling that you aren't looking forward to an entrée. My favorite dinner selection is the chicken yellow curry. The best part about this place is that you tell them on a scale from 0-5 exactly how spicy you want your food... and they actually follow it! I really don't appreciate when people assume that everyone loves food on fire like they do. If I say 0, no spicy, it comes out flavorful, delicious and just the way I like it. The veggies are fresh and crisp, the rice is perfect. I just LOVE the food!!! Do not leave this place without the Royal Cobo Ice Cream. Fried bananas on your choice of ice cream with honey and sesame seeds. Seriously my mouth is watering just typing it. Which ice cream you ask? It doesn't matter, they are all awesome! My only boo on this place is the parking, but it's South Tampa so I'm not going to ding them a star for that.
(5)Tara B.
I'm giving it three stars mostly because our server was really kind and quick, and their mai-tai drinks were delicious. Other than that, the food was mediocre. My spicy noodles were decent, a little too oily for my tastes. I did love my tofu/peanut sauce appetizer though. Two of my coworkers' dishes smelled like feet and old socks-seriously. If you're used to fresh and/or authentic Thai food, I wouldn't say this fits the bill. A great place to go to escape the drunken masses of Gasparilla though! :)
(3)Nancy B.
The spring rolls were the best - very thin wrap and so crispy, hot and fresh. Since there were 3 in our party, the server helpfully suggested a 1 1/2 order. Chicken Sa Tae was served with a very appealing table top brazier. Entrées were all very good, and served with a spice tray. We especially enjoyed the outdoor seating on a lovely September evening. Service was attentive and friendly. So far my favorite Thai restaurant in Tampa - we will be back!
(5)Stephanie W.
I have eaten here twice since moving to Tampa. The service is kind of 'iffy'. The waitresses seem to not really know what is going on at most times..... But they are quick to serve you. It is kind of a rare appetizer, but this place has Meekrob and it is actually not too bad. The reason i wanted to go back a second time was the home made coconut ice cream. Their thai food is good.. but it is not out of this world.
(3)Fran B.
Mediocre food and bad service. We went there as a group (about 9 people) and it took forever for the waitress to get our orders, get the food to the table and even to get our bills (it took 20 minutes from when we ask her to bring the check and she finally showed up with the bill, another 20 minutes to come back with the credit card slip). Food was watered down Thai, more like something you will get at an Asian kiosk at the food court.
(1)Larry H.
The lobster was chewy. The soup was bland. The pad Thai was good. The pork fried rice was OK. Service was a little slow, but generally good. The patio was nice.
(2)Mike C.
Im selecting the 3 stars, but when I think of this place I can't help but think the caption that comes with the 2 stars- "Meh, I've experienced better". As with many other reviews ive read, the serving sizes are quite small for what you pay. I say this because I've had beef pad thai elsewhere and paid slightly less for a larger portion. There wasn't anything particularly special about the food here and as usual, their highest level of Hot (level 5) was "American Hot" meaning not hot at all haha.That isn't something im holding against them I just thought it was funny. Despite what may seem like a gloomy report on this restaurant, the food was actually pretty good. As my girlfriend pointed out to me, maybe the sizes are only considered smaller cuz "Americans like to have everything big and thats why we have such high obesity rates." Well that shut me right up, and I enjoyed my food and the feeling of not being stuffed afterwards :). Id say check it out, but don't come starving.
(3)Melody M.
I have friends that love this place, but after my first time here - it's just average. I had spicy yellow curry with chicken. Boyfriend had it with rice. Neither were spicy and too watered down with coconut milk. The meat was good though. Just reading through the reviews it seems the noodle dishes would be better.
(3)Karin E.
Simply the best Thai Place in Tampa. I will go out of my way for this place. The food is fresh and authentic. Absolutely love it!
(5)Albert G.
Average meals but not much Thai-ness to them. My noodle dish was neither spicy or complex. The "amazing" chicken was just ok. In a pinch in the Hyde Park area, the Palace will do, but this is not destination dining.
(3)Matt O.
Not a huge fan. I was following the hype from Yelp when I picked this place out. Granted I was sleepy and not that hungry when I went in....however, I was not a fan. I feel like the food is high quality but the menu is not that great.
(3)Jim H.
I had a dinner here with my family. I called and made reservations a week in advance, but when a member of my party arrived there a little ahead of time, the receptionist had no clue of my reservation for it was never written down. Luckily this member showed up early, or we would have waited a long time for a table because the place was packed and a queue for tables had formed when we showed up on time for our reservations. I must note, I love Thai food and I would have say that I eat more Thai food than any other type of food (out locally, while traveling for business a few times a month and homemade Thai my wonderful wife skillfully and loving makes). Not being Thai myself, I have to almost considered myself as a semi Thai food expert. My 22 year old son was raised on Thai food as a baby. I love the Thai people, their culture and their passion for the food and experience. I have to say, I have really never had a bad dinner at a Thai restaurant, just different levels of good to great Thai. This place is just a "good Thai" restaurant, not very good or great, just good. If you eat here, you'll be happy with the food I am sure and I liked it too. The prices are higher then average, but that is a given for the location in a high-end area like SoHo / Hyde Park Tampa. But the portions are very small for the price. Not typical to most Thai places nationwide to a big city. No greeting and welcome to the place. The service was poor, slow and rushed. Always hurried and rushed on everything they did with our service (they were not rude to us, nor us to them) . We had one menu for the four of us (the one given to the early arrival in my party), we had to ask twice or three times (specie tray, lemons, refills on water, desserts menus) for about everything we needed. We waited over 30 minutes (which we placed 3 orders right away) for our appetizer (Crab Rangoon...it was ok, just good) and waited over an hour total for the meal. We had 2 Thia coffees, three appetizers, 4 meals, 4 desserts, no liquor) This is not the norm for Thai restaurants. I tell all my friend I introduce to Thai food (seems like a lot of people are afraid of Thai food for some reason, if un familiar with Thai food), that the Thai's are all about the art of perpetration, quality and the experience. This place was not the Thai norm in this case. I am sure that a better customer experience would help their ratings. A restaurant with good food can overcome higher prices and smaller portions with great or even good and friendly, welcoming service. This is a place that has "good Thai" food, as a higher price and fair to poor service. They restaurant had a typical and nice, clean Thai wood décor. They may not be able to change their food and the cost, but I hope they get better at the service and customer experience. I want them to do well and succeed for the along haul.
(3)ryan w.
I found the food to be pretty average for Thai, maybe in Tampa it gets 3.5 starts. Service was a little on the slow side for a place that was not too busy, but it wasn't horrible enough to totally keep me away.
(3)Jason R.
The food is pretty good. Try the Crab Ragoon as an appetizer and the Spicy Noodles.
(3)Brian G.
Food here is second to none! Pad Thai and wonton soup are the best you will find in Tampa. The amazing chicken is just as described! Amazing. Service is good and the staff is very friendly! One of my favorite places to go in Tampa. Best Thai in Tampa hands down!
(5)Baily H.
Go for lunch - you get the same portions (full of great food might I add) for a cheaper price. The service is fantastic, and the food is even better.
(5)Chris C.
For a Thai restaurant, it was very good. Service was pretty good too. I wish my date I was with (who told me about the place) would have been as good as the restaurant.
(4)Thomas C K.
Have visited three times but after our last visit in June 2008 we will not be back. The food is good (but not extraordinary) and consistent albeit a bit expensive for what the portions are. The problem is the service or lack thereof. The staff generally has a somewhat surly attitude and we have never felt welcome. Yesterday, I waited at the counter to be seated but even though waiters came by us numerous times, nobody acknowledged our presence. Finally someone at the cash register simply said "wait a minute and I will be with you" - no hello or apology. People that were seated after us did receive their drink order before ours arrived and the same happened with the food - even though we both had the same waitress. Nobody came to inquire whether we wanted more rice etc. All in all, we were not impressed and given that there are so many other good restaurants will take our business somewhere else.
(2)Michael B.
A quick dinner between shows led me to Royal Palace Thai restaurant. Lothari is right...screened patio is very nice. I can't say I've experienced different Thai in tampa, but as far as my thai food experience overall goes, this place gave me an okay experience. Very good service (I was drinking water like a horse and the glass was always filled) and the food was pretty standard. I'll probably revisit and update my review, but for now it was pretty good. For sure try it out.
(3)Jesse B.
The best Pad Thai in the world! The other dishes are above average for Thai food, but you can find better. The decor is very nice with lots of little nooks and rooms. A consistently good restaurant in South Tampa.
(5)Rommie J.
I used to live nearby, so I frequented Royal Palace for several years and always found meals there to be a relaxing and pleasurable experience. Since moving, I hadn't been back for quite a while, but stopped by for lunch today and found things were exactly as I'd left them. I've always been a fan of their traditional Thai dishes, such as Pad See Ew, Khao Pad and Pad Thai, as well as the Amazing Chicken, which definitely lives up to its name. Today, in the mood for something light, I just ordered the Nam Sod salad. Royal Palace makes theirs with chicken (typically it's done with pork), mixed with onions, peanuts, ginger, lettuce and lime juice. To eat, you scoop it all up with crisp cabbage leaves -- and you'll definitely want to eat every last bite, because when all the juices settle at the bottom of the plate they blend into something far greater than the sum of its parts. Royal Palace may not be Tampa's best Thai restaurant, but it's consistently good -- and has been for years -- and the outdoor patio is beautiful this time of year. It's worth checking out. (3/10/2009)
(3)Anonymous P.
One of the better Thai restaurants in Tampa. The best feature is the screened patio. Good food, not great.
(3)Michael A.
I don't recommend this place. This is my third time coming here over two years. Meal size is tiny and overpriced (at least for the portion of food that you get). I'd give only one star, but the decor inside looked nice. The outside looks bad though. Ate dinner here around 5:45 p.m., and it was almost empty! The older lady asked me if I was there to pick up an order, and I was like, no, are you open? I'd like to eat here. Didn't seem friendly. I ordered the Pad Thai with beef and was disappointed. The size of the meal ($12.95) was so very small. It was served on a square plate, and the size of the dinner meal was that of a small saucer plate. Although it tasted good, I DO NOT Recommend eating here if you want to be almost the only one in the restaraunt or if you have a normal appetite. Now I'll have to go somewhere else to get something to eat to satisfy my hunger. I surely wasn't going to order more at this place seeing how small their serving size is.
(2)Sarah F.
Went later on a Friday night and restaurant was busy causing the staff to seem overwhelmed. Overall authentic atmosphere with low lighting and small tables. Would not suggest coming here with a large group as I feel it would take them awhile to accommodate. The menu is typical for a thai restaurant with a minimal sushi list that is not always available. We started with the Tom Kai soup which was flavorful but slightly over salted. We also had an order of the the spicy noodle and the red curry. My boyfriend is a fan of the drunken noodles found at most thai restaurants, and although the waitress confirmed this was their version, the flavor was more of a sweeter version of pad Thai. Good flavor overall however. The red curry was the highlight of the meal. Rich flavors, plentiful fresh vegetables, and provided ample sauce to make the dish worthy of returning. Overall, a good experience. We would return if really craving thai in a pinch in South Tampa but not worthy of the South Tampa prices over other establishments in close proximity.
(3)Cece C.
This was one of the first restaurants I visited in Tampa, when I was accepted to USF grad school and visiting to make my decision. The whole group liked it- who doesn't like Thai food after all? It's delicious. Recently I visited again with a friend who was a vegetarian. Luckily they had veg options for her (panang) and chicken pad thai for me. The food was good and the service was quick. I would return next time I'm in the area since the location is so great and the food is predictably decent. Perhaps I'll branch out from my normal staple next time too.
(4)Lisa L.
This is still, by far, the best Thai in So Tampa. I say that because I've been a customer for many years and have tried the competition. They manage to make a Pad Thai which is NOT overliy fishy tasting. I also love their Panang Curry, Green Curry and the Amazing Chicken. I wish the portion sizes were a bit larger based on price points. Also, not sure what's going on with the signage, the website and the new menu - very busy and confusing. Less is more. Stick with one idea and do it well. Glad they kept the old favorites on the menu!
(4)michelle l.
I tried out Royal Palace because I wanted to try their SoHo Hawkers menu. I love Asian street food, and the thought of getting it in SoHo was tempting. Royal Palace has definitely seen better days. The outside looks run down, honestly, I thought the place had closed down because it looked so shabby. However, it seems like they are trying to get into the south Tampa spin of things. They have a very extensive cocktail menu, including a large section of frozen drinks mixed with Everclear. Eek. Back to the food. We tried the lumpia, which is basically just the spring rolls, but smaller (we ordered the spring rolls to compare). They were good, but sort of pointless. I wanted to try the lechon kawali, but they waiter forgot to put in the order (that's my peeve about waiters who don't write down the order). The Hong Kong Noodle Soup came with the option of chicken or beef. I love Cantonese beef soup, but this was clearly not what I'm used to. It tasted very Thai (I know, I know, I was at a "Thai" restaurant), not like the rich beef broth I'm used to. And I tried the pork belly banh mi. It was heavy on mayo, and not very good. My husband stuck to the pad see ew, and it was fine. Nothing was bad here, but I didn't love anything enough to feel compelled to return.
(3)Min W.
Disappointing. We received a recommendation for this place. Shortly thereafter we happened to walk past it while looking for a quiet place to enjoy a dinner with friends. When we walked in there was a significant bad odor, perhaps from the fish tank. We only stayed because of the recommendation and it was getting quite late. My husband and I ordered two basic "test" dishes which we usually order at all Thai restaurants, Pad See Ew noodles and Panang curry. They were both ok, but the noodles were bland and the panang curry sauce was waterier than it should have been. While we were happy to have found a place within walking distance that was quiet enough for discussion....but the food was bland and inauthentic.
(3)Ashley C.
Ate dinner here and it was delicious! I had Royal Palace Duck and my wife had Sweet and Sour Chicken. Both were awesome and very fresh. The duck was crispy and the portion was huge! Definitely worth the price. The Sweet and Sour chicken was a very unique and tasty sauce, I think I'll try that next time with pork. We got a spice rating of 2 (they have 0-5) and it had some heat to it but it didn't take anything away from the flavor. I'm kind of a wimp with spicy food and the 2 was about as hot as I can handle it. I also ordered a Moscow Mule (not on the menu but I ordered the Gin Gin Mule and replaced the gin with vodka) cocktail and it was perfection! I'm incredibly picky about my vodka and cocktails and they did not disappoint. We will definitely be eating here again in the future!
(5)Lee L.
Excellent, cozy Thai restaurant with outdoor seating. The staff is incredibly friendly and helpful, and we were served very quickly. The food was fantastic; my only regret is that we can't eat like this in DC! Definitely give the sweet potato curry puffs a try - I don't even like sweet potatoes but they were amazing. Seriously you can't go wrong with anything on the menu. Everything we had was phenomenal and authentic.
(5)Chris W.
This place is run by a group of sisters. Some of them are always present working hard to make sure you get a good meal. This is a fantastic Thai restaurant. I really like that before your lunch entree you are given soup. It will either be vegetable pieces in broth (so-so), chicken and rice (yum!), or wonton soup (the best!). I'm really partial to their noodle dishes (pad ba me or pad see ew). They are delicious. They're always good about asking about how spicy you want your food. I love Thai food but hate spicy food (say what?) so that's something that I always have appreciated. If you like Sushi they have a Sushi bar and there's also a large selection of alcohol and spirits you can choose from. If the weather is decent it's nice to sit out on the porch and watch South Tampa in action. I can't get enough of their food. The parking situation is dreadful, but that's South Tampa for you and not their fault.
(5)Mallory W.
My husband and I dined here on a Friday night and June and I was surprised by how empty the restaurant was (Especially after the meal was over and I learned how delicious the food was). I've been driving by Royal Palace Thai for years and finally decided to give it a shot . We started with the spring rolls - they were great. Next I had the Tom Khar soup and my husband the Tom Yum. I really loved the Tom Khar and he loved his too. I know these probably are difficult dishes to mess up, but I was impressed nonetheless.We asked the sweet server to help us order our next dishes - we asked her to describe some of the most traditional thai dishes on the menu and we settled on splitting the pad thai. Diners choose spice level from 0-5 (5 being the spiciest). We told her we like medium, and she recommended going with a 2. 2 was spicier than I expected it to be, but was exactly what I was looking for. We also split a spicy siam sushi roll in case we weren't yet full from the pad thai. It topped off our meal perfectly
(4)Keith B.
Mostly Great We enjoyed a very nice dinner at Royal Thai Palace. We were there a bit early since we had a show to go to. It seemed a bit quiet but soon filled up. I had a very nice Lychee Martini, not too sweet. We then shared a Tom Kha Gai soup. So often the chicken in this soup is tough, but here it was wonderfully tender and so tasty. Next we shared the Bahn Mi Sliders off of the street food menu. They were absolutely wonderful. For our main courses we got the garlic shrimp over rice and the Pad Thai with shrimp. The garlic shrimp was really good with a terrific sauce. I'm a sucker for Pad Thai and this one was just OK. The shrimp were few and small. Overall, the food was really good and I would enjoy a return visit.
(4)Brian M.
Voted best Thai restaurant for many years & there is no mystery why! You will see the restaurants many award plaques when you walk in. I highly recommend the pad Thai shrimp, cashew nut chicken, and red curry chicken. You can request spiciness by #/5. I usually get 3/5 woth extra spices on the side. The portion sizes have been recently increased for all those that have been complaining. The parking lot for this place is tiny with tight spots. You may have to find parking elsewhere if it gets busy here. This is a small restaurant not suitable for large parties of 6 or more. Decor is traditional Thai with an impressive classy gold deer, modern sushi bar, and a cool aquarium with a puffer fish which will keep your attention if you have to wait to be seated. However, I rarely have to wait to be seated. Service is always quick and courteous. :)
(5)Kim P.
We ate there for lunch. I was bummed to learn that they only serve sushi at night. They did not have many frozen drinks to choose from. We chose the hangover with blueberry and raspberry flavoring and a shot of everclear! One drink was pretty strong. They were generous with the alcohol. We had the satay, which was good. I had the steamed snapper with ginger sauce. It was delicious! My friend had the fried chicken in peanut sauce, which was excellent!!
(5)Steve E.
Royal Palace Thai is an interesting mix of an authentic Thai restaurant and sushi bar located in South Tampa on Howard just below Swann Avenue. I had the pleasure of meeting my Yelp partner-in-crime, Michelle M. at RPT for our monthly South Tampa luncheon outing. From the outside, the restaurant has a dark wood façade with a nice covered deck with outdoor seating. There is a small parking lot that fills quickly at lunch time -- but then again, this is South Tampa, so parking is always at a premium. Inside the restaurant you'll feel as though you've stepped into an authentic temple with intricately-carved wooden accents, Thai statuaries and artwork. The servers were dressed in lovely outfits and very welcoming. We ordered from RPT's lunch menu and both selected one of their entrée specials which came with a cup of a chicken & rice soup in a miso broth and a side of steamed white rice. I had the garlic shrimp which was sautéed shrimp in a garlic sauce with a medley of broccoli, carrots, celery, zucchini and cabbage. Based on Michelle's recommendation, I ordered a level 3 on their Heat Scale of 0 - 5. 0 is considered mild with no special seasonings. 3 is middle-of-the-road which meant there was a nice hot pepper tingle on my tongue, but nothing outrageous. 5 is considered Thai hot and that means coughing, choking, watery eyes, and runny sinuses followed by general intestinal failure. Royal Palace Thai's lunch menu has these traditional yummy Thai dishes along with red, yellow, or Panang curries, Pad Thai, Pad See Ew and other noddle dishes, and various fried rice entrees. You can order most anything with chicken, pork, beef, tofu, vegetarian, shrimp, squid, or Chinese sausage for the added protein kick. That gives you the opportunity to invite all over your friends for lunch and know that everyone will be able to find something to eat. For dinner they have a full sushi menu plus many more Chef's specials, curries, noodle dishes, and entrée specials of duck and fish. Lots of appetizers, soups, and salads as well. The food was delicious, and the lunch portion is enough to allow you to clear your plate without racing back to the office for that 2:30 nap. Prices were certainly reasonable.
(4)Jaima S.
Royal Thai has been a staple in my south Tampa diet for years, as I do love to support local restaurants. I stopped in tonight with friends after about 2 months away. Thursday night is pretty slow, which is good since parking is at a premium. Tonight I had the tofu pad thai and my husband had the chicken fried rice adding broccoli. I like that Royal Thai lets you order items to your spice level liking, basically not spicy at all to Thai Hot (5). My tofu pad thai was good. It is a pretty small portion, but a has a decent amount of triangles of pan fried tofu over the pad thai noodles. The flavor is always good. My husband's chicken fried rice had very little chicken tonight and he was charged two dollars for adding broccoli, which seemed ok as it was a lot of broccoli. The servers are attentive, as my water glass was always full. I gave this 3 stars because I am never thrilled with my meal here, but I am never disappointed either. I also wish that they would stop putting groups directly next to each other in a practically empty restaurant. Finally, I seem to remember the portions being larger and felt that 11.95 for my portion was a little pricey compared to some other places in Tampa. PS-I recommend the Amazing chicken, but ask that they give you broiled chicken not fried chicken unless that is what you prefer. It comes with mixed vegetables and peanut sauce over rice.
(3)Mariana R.
The coconut milk soup is the best I've tried!!... It is just delicious!!.. The pad Thai is great! The panang curry is too spice for my taste... The Thai tea is really good!
(4)Luke H.
I used to think this place was 4 star, but now the portions have become to small to share. The food is still good, and the rat sightings have been minimal. It is expensive for what you get. $12 for a curry dish with chicken. $16+ for curry dishes with seafood. Neither of these dishes are big enough for leftovers or sharing.
(3)Richard L.
Love the Thai Salad, it's a meal in and of itslef. The Pad Thai is very good too
(4)Larissa S.
It is fair to assume that if a place is on Howard it is probably good, right? Wrong. So wrong. I felt awful but my boyfriend and I on our many attempts to try out all the joints around town, went out on a date and wanted some thai. As soon as I walked in I wanted to leave. The place is trying so very hard. It is kind of run down, menus are coming apart, table setting was a mess. He insisted we stayed and gave it a chance, so I agreed. Their menu was kind of a build your own Fried Rice (which is Chinese by the way), or curry. They charged the same price for chicken, beef, or vegetables which threw me off. I didn't even look at the shrimp squid, Chinese sausage or scallops because there was no way in heck I was ordering any of those. Many people were calling in to order, which made more sense. This place should be a to-go thai more than a sit in restaurant. I built a curry which was... what's the word... "blahh." The Mr. had the duch which had to have been pre-cooked for how fast it came out. So disappointed. Staff was nice.
(1)Joe C.
The food here is wonderful and consistent. I agree with other saying the plates are small and at a high price. Let me add that the service is also slow. With all this being said why the 4 stars? I really enjoy the food and isn't that the real reason we go out to eat...
(4)Pilar P.
The spring rolls were fantastic. The staff was very friendly and very attentive to our large group. The Pad See Ew was... not anything great. It was pretty bland, and the noodles didn't seem super fresh.
(2)Kurt R.
Easily and consistently the best Thai food in South Tampa. The Royal Palace Duck is soft, with a perfect crisp skin, and savory. The Amazing Chicken is rich and sweet. The seasonings and spices awaken all the senses. Give it a shot!
(5)Eddie L.
DISAPPOINTING! Came in for lunch this past weekend and it couldn't have been worse. First off, couldn't order sushi because they ran out of sushi rice from night before--it was near 1pm the next day ??? Then, my son struck out 3 times trying to order something that they ALSO had run out of, but didn't advise of when they handed us the menus. Then, to top it off, what we did order was ridiculous on different extremes. We ordered one of the most of expensive shrimp plates and got a whopping THREE shrimp, for a dinner portion with dinner prices !!! Then, we were told when we came in they could make lo-mein noodles for my 6-yr old, which he loves--and he did. Problem? They charged us $13 for a full adult order of noodles !!! Having been all over town and to this place a few times before, WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT! Service was horrible and there were only 2 other tables in the resturant so it was a very light lunch crowd for a weekend. Not worth it!
(1)Krystle M.
Either this place has gone downhill or they have new staff - or both. I was there this past weekend with two friends after having been there and ordered take-out on numerous occasions. We came on a Saturday night at 8:30 p.m. It wasn't busy at all which was a pleasant surprise. We were seated by the fishtank, which I absolutely ADORE. They have very unique fish which offer quite the unique ambiance. For food, Chicken Panang - can't go wrong. I get it every time (except when they mess up and I end up with Cashew Nut Chicken - which they remedied the following time I ordered take-out by giving me my meal half-off). As usual, Chicken panang was awesome - though I was charged $2.00 for additional rice, which I didn't appreciate and still do not find appropriate. In most Thai restaurants, the rice is served complimentary with the entree. I doubt that I am breaking the bank by asking for a small additional portion of it. Spring rolls were only served in portions of two, and while there were three of us, it didn't make sense to place two orders, thus spending $8.50 on spring rolls. Sort of expensive for vegetarian spring rolls. Anywho...food was good. Here is where they lose the remainder of the stars. Upon being seated and receiving our waters, I asked the server for the house Cabernet to drink. She looked at me funny and said "What is that? I don't know alcohol at all" My friend quickly chimed in by asking for a drink menu. I thought aloud, "Hmm good idea". After scoping the wine list and pricing, I pointed to the Sterling Merlot. She literally had to copy down every word within the wine listing before going to get it. She said that she was unfamiliar with wine, so I can appreciate wanting to get it right. Well the wine came....AND IT WAS AWFUL. Anyone who drinks red wine knows what red wine tastes like after being uncorked for days. After my nose curled, I passed it around to my two friends to taste, just to ensure that I wasn't being a snob about it. They barely had their nose to it and could smell the vinegar seeping out. This wine was old. Very old. Upon our server's return, I politely asked her if the bottle was old (which I should NOT have done). She went back with the wine to ask someone, comes back with the same glass and places it in front of me and says that it has only been open for a few days. I said, "Well I don't think this is good wine, I would like something else." She (clearly aggravated) huffs and puffs and brings the beverage menu back. I was already feeling sour about her arguing with me about the wine which she was not even familiar with. I point to the Pinot Noir. She brings it...also didn't taste very good. She made some snide remark about finding a wine to "suit" me. I told her, "Honestly, just bring me a glass of any red wine that comes from a bottle opened within the past day or two." At that point, I risked receiving the $17 glass because she brought me a third sample without identifying the type of wine. It was delicious yet she didn't bother to tell me which one I was drinking...however, I failed to care at that point. After ordering our meals I expressed my satisfaction with the wine and hoped to obtain the name of the wine to ensure that I wasn't drinking something comparable in price to Silver Oak. I asked her what wine I was drinking and she flippantly replied with, "I don't know but 'they' know." I accepted that response and mentally braced myself for the bill. I was sure this wine (being so much more delicious than the others) was the expensive one. Come to find out, upon receiving my check (which was all screwed up with the other two people that I dined with), it was the house cabernet ($5 a pop - which is incredibly fair). Despite the quality of the food, however, our server's inability to provide adequate, friendly service affected my opinion of their establishment entirely and is now reflected in their Yelp rating. Improve your service Royal Palace Thai.
(2)Michelle M.
Royal Palace Thai is nearby my office so my coworkers and I order take-out from here frequently. I usually order the Green Curry with chicken. This dish is so fragrant and flavorful and contains green curry paste sautéed with coconut milk, bell peppers, vegetables and bamboo shoots. I also like the Red Curry, Pad Thai, and Basil Chicken. All of these dishes are so good that I keep ordering them over and over again! I most recently tried the Yum Beef Salad: very yummy! The spicy chili dressing is amazing and makes the dish feel so much more exotic than salad. I like that so many of the dishes at Royal Palace Thai are on the healthier side, but the meals are still flavorful from all of the herbs and spices the chef cooks with. The restaurant uses fresh herbs and produce from local farmers markets when possible. The house soup is made from scratch every morning and it shows; this is some of the best soup! The mother-daughter duo that run the restaurant are always really nice and friendly. They must keep track of orders because they always know what I ordered last time. The parking lot is very small so you may have to park across the street during the lunch or dinner rush.
(4)Josiah G.
I used to come here pretty regularly, and I still like to pop in from time to time, but I feel the portions have always been kinda small and they seemed even smaller this past weekend. The flavor is great and the food always seems of good quality, but I have had to order two entrees before to have enough food. Their spicy noodle dish is one of my all-time favorites, but I wish I got more in a serving. Rouen Thai and Kombo Kitchen make larger portions and aren't that far away.
(3)Jane E.
This was recommended by some friends, so I decided to try it. Big mistake. The food was extremely salty and had this bitterness taste to it. I think the bitterness was due to too much fish sauce. We ordered a appetizer, which was delicious but the noodle dishes were awful. There are many other great Thai places around, so I don't know if I will go again to this location. The ambiance is nice. Parking is tricky as they are quite popular. The outside seating is great. I may go again just to give it another shot, but so far not impressed.
(2)Corie L.
I went here for lunch with a girlfriend a couple of weeks ago. It just happened to be the weekday lunch crowd rush but I somehow got lucky and managed to find a parking spot in the small lot and we were seated within about 5 minutes... Then we waited about 10 minutes before anyone even acknowledged us. We finally flagged someone down and were able to put in our drink and food order. I was a fan of the little bowl of chicken and rice soup they bring you when you order an entree. It was warm, tasty and a nice touch. I ordered the Chicken in garlic sauce (a simple, favorite dish of mine). It was good but not the best I've ever had. I wish they cut their vegetables larger and added more into the dish. I also wish they had the option for brown rice. The sauce was pretty good and the chicken was tender and plenty. My friend ordered the pad thai which she said was her favorite around. Next time, I will probably try the curry. This place also has nice portion sizes. I finished everything but a little rice and felt good and full but not stuffed.
(3)Michele D.
Ate dinner here a few weeks ago... Food is good and service was OK. What makes this place special is the location.. If your in the area...crave spicy thai... Swing by... You won't be disappointed.
(4)Aaron M.
Fast and friendly but nothing outstanding. Nothing bad. Portions a bit small. Appetizers were mostly fried which was my mistake in ordering. A bit just a bit pricey as compared to portions. Either charge a $1 less or give me a little more please.
(3)Justine B.
I was pleasantly surprised by Royal Palace Thai. Being on Howard, I wasn't sure if it was a Thai place in the same way that some of the others are "sushi places" - i.e., not really much of one. I'm a huge fan of Thai food, so I had my fingers crossed. Happily, as soon as I smelled the food in our to-go order, I knew it was going to be good. The spicy rice and noodle dishes with chicken, pad see ew, and spring rolls with delicious dipping sauce were part of my first order. Sort of basic, but now I'm excited to go back, dine in, and try a curry dish. Also excited that another reviewer mentioned the soup is tasty - I am a biiig soup fan. One small criticism might be that there was not nearly enough of the yummy spring roll dipping sauce. Can't speak to the service, but to-go was prompt and the decor and ambiance suggested that it would be a nice place to go for lunch in the future. Also, prices are reasonable.
(4)Stephanie G.
My favorite Thai place in all of Florida. Fantastic Pad Thai and Curries. Great service and ambiance. Love to meet a girlfriend here for lunch or take the husband out for a quiet dinner without the kids.
(4)Amanda S.
Meh.
(3)Julia S.
I am so disappointed with my recent experience that I doubt I will ever go back. I like their curry and have ordered it several times before for take out. This time when I got it home, I saw the containers were only half full. I called because I was sure this was a simple mistake but when I explained what had happened, I was told that's how much they normally give. This has not ever been my experience with them before. She said she was the owner and that was the portion they have and will continue to serve. This is the most overpriced sorry excuse for a portion I have every seen!!!!!!
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