Only been here once on a Sunday afternoon, but I already know I'll be back again. Got here with my mom around 1:30, and was immediately greeted by friendly staff and given our choice of seating. There was only one other couple dining, and we were promptly approached for our drink orders. I had a coupon for a half off 2nd entree (with one entree and two drink orders) that has been in recent 2015 Eagle Magazine issues but the coupon had an exp. date of 12/2014. Server had no problem honoring it. It basically paid for the tip-- nice! Decor was pleasing, nice lighting and wall murals and I noticed a well-stocked bar with basic whiskeys that hubby would approve of, so I'm looking forward to going here with him, too. The food was fresh, and meat was plentiful. Also, love that the dishes aren't oily! I ordered the Pad Kra Pao with chicken. Mom ordered the Sesame Lover with chicken. We had a lot of leftover brown rice between us -- more than half that we left behind. Servings were generous. House wine is Salmon Creek, just like our beloved Merc at Hidden Springs, and Mom loves a good White Zin. that is not always easy to find in a house wine or even offered at all. Our server checked on us perfectly throughout to see if we needed anything. It's easy to see why they're celebrating 10 yrs in business. A great experience!
(5)
Randy W.
Really nice food! It's location was a bit off putting, but occasionally you find a really good place in a strip mall. The wine list was lacking but the service and food were outstanding and at the end of the day that's what really counts. We shared the pork larb salad, and then we both had curry. She has chicken curry and I had the seafood curry. Very nice, on both accounts. Healthy, tested great and friendly service. We'll definitely be back!
(4)
Jeff M.
I was disapointed in Sa-Wad-Dee dishes compared to some of the other Thai restaurants in Boise. Food was just so so and the 3 star hot sauce was not even 1 star
(2)
Bob L.
I love Summer Rolls with peanut sauce. Too bad they didn't offer them. I love Panang Curry but not Panang Curry soup with what looked like a can of peas and carrots thrown in. House prepared carrots don't come in perfectly shaped little cubes. I never had peas or broccoli thrown into Panang Curry either. I'd rather see a fish tank than a flock of flies but sometimes I am disappointed. And while I'm whining so loudly, why does a Thai restaurant have Sushi? Hey, pick a cuisine and do it right! This is the third Thai restaurant I've tried in the Boise area and I'm still looking for one that I would go back to a second time.
(2)
Rick R.
Once again I have to come here for work and Sa Waa Dee is my place of choice. Awesome, authentic Thai food!!!!
(5)
Megan S.
I have been to slot of Thai places in the area this is on the top 2 of my list. The food is excellent!
(5)
Doug H.
First, a digression. Veteran Yelpies have undoubtedly trod this road before, but since Yelp evidently doesn't encourage reviews of itself, let me just say this: I WANT HALF STARS. In an era when all children are above average and shopping mall food court Chinese is "awesome," we need a little more room for nuance. According to the guidelines, 3 stars means "A-OK," which to me seems pretty good, not great, while 4 stars is "Yay, I'm a fan (exclamations deleted)," which starts to approach Michelin territory in my book. This is nowhere more applicable than a restaurant like Sa-Wa-Dee. It virtually screams 3.5 stars. It's not SWD's fault that we live in a homogeneous area ethnically and that an authentic Thai restaurant might be a hard sell, resulting in a generic pan-Asian menu tailored to American palettes. So they lose no stars from me for the cop-out, and if you can get over that part, it's really a pretty good restaurant. This is a sister establishment to Rice in Eagle, and there are culinary similarities. The food is well-prepared, reflecting a kitchen that pays attention to details. We've eaten in both places several times and have yet to taste anything the slightest bit greasy, reheated, or past its prime. SWD is at least as good as other Thai restaurants we've found in the area, and compared to the generally miserable lineup of Chinese restaurants, it is a shining star. The bar is low, but at least SWD isn't below it. The fresh rolls, satay, and dumplings are standouts among the starters, and you can put together a satisfying meal from just this part of the menu. Among the entrees, the fried rice is fluffy and light, and the stir-fries like al dente asparagus and mushrooms with chicken or shrimp are winners. So what's the problem? Nothing major really, but there are minor things that add up. The space is small, as are the tables, and during busy times it feels cramped and stuffy. In terms of decor, they've probably done the best they can to dress up a strip-mall location wedged between a Subway and title loan emporium. The servers are unfailingly pleasant and efficient, but please stop trying to take away my plate if I set the fork down for 2 seconds. On our last visit this happened so many times I finally surrendered, sure go ahead if it means that much to you. And do you really need constant affirmation that everything is okay? My biggest complaint with the food is that, like a lot of Asian restaurants in the area, many of the items are really sugary. Some entrees taste more like dessert.(This is true at Rice as well.) I like sweet sauce...on pancakes or ice cream. The servers are generally helpful in avoiding these items but you have to ask, as the menu offers no clues. It is fairly pricey for this category. The house wines available for the happy hour discount are pretty mediocre, while the other offerings are a bit better though expensive. The beer selection is fine. We paid $80-something for two, though next time we'll skip the $10 by-the-glass selections and stick with the beer. (But whatever happened to hot tea?) Bottom line here, we'll go back from time to time but we won't stop looking. (And maybe I'll update this review with 3 stars so I can get my 3.5!)
(4)
Lana V.
I absolutely love this place! Great service and the staff is so friendly. I used to live in Boise and moved to LA. I've been here for three years and I've had some of the best/terrible sushi, Sa Wa Dee rocks! I can't wait to come back.
(5)
Charlie P.
The food is OK. Not bad but nothing special. A little on the pricey side for what you get. The service is terrible. We recently moved to the area and have gotten food there twice. The first time was delivery, which they charge a $6.00 fee for! The second time I ordered for pickup. I was told it would be 30 minutes. I gave them the benefit and didn't show up for 45 minutes. When I arrived, there was a family of 5 waiting for dine in. There were plenty of tables, but they weren't being seated. Meanwhile, I was completely ignored. The topper was someone else came in for a pickup, and the served them first! The last straw was, I just called for a pickup order, and was told they aren't taking pickup orders tonight. So I'm willing to pay for a meal that requires no service, and no delivery, just cooking, and they don't want my business. Three strikes and your out.
(1)
Brandon B.
Great service, food is mediocre. Their menu spice goes to 5, but you can get up to 10 off menu. I got the 10 and it was not very spicy. The veggies are good, the brown rice is good. The meat is terrible. I had beef, my girlfriend got spicy chicken Pad Thai. Both meats were awful. It tastes like they boiled the meats, which removes all flavor and gives them a bad texture. Thai iced tea is always good. The service was fantastic though. We never complain but the waitress made it a great first impression. That saved the day. Our waitress even offered us free ice cream since it was our first time. I would have given less stars without the over-the-top service. Very calm atmosphere. I don't know if we would return based on the meat alone. That usually doesn't does not change and having to choke it down was unpleasant. EVERYTHING else was so good, it sucks to see it all spoiled by terrible meat. Also, if you are going to offer off-menu "very spicy", at least try to make it spicy... The 10 was laughable as it was Tabasco hot. I'll pay top dollar for good, spicy Thai.
(3)
Dani L.
Awesome Thai place! Super friendly staff! We live just down the street and took us about four years to check it out and now regret we waited so long to try it! Super yummy pad Thai and angry fried rice! Sushi is really good too!
(4)
Sean C.
Chicken Satay was OK. Felt it was a little dry, but that is me. Had chilli noodles as well and did not think it really stood out taste wise.
(3)
Elisha A.
This place has excellent service and fabulous food. I have had thai food from a lot of places and this is still the go to for our family! Fresh ingredients!!! Wonderful drinks and desserts!!!
(5)
Kristen H.
Very good service. Wouldn't recommend the sweet and sour entree. Coconut ice cream was amazing.
(4)
Patrick W.
For Boise area this is as good as it will get with Thai food. Traveled all over and have had better but like I said this is as good as it will get for boise.
(4)
Phillip D.
I dont get the opportunity very often to eat anything other than normal American. So I was excited when my wife said that she was willing to try Thia. It was a toss up between the newer Thai Basil and this place. I decided on this place because they looked they had a more authentic Thai based menu. Thai Basil's menu is more of a cross between Thai and Chinese. In all my years in Boise and Meridian, I have never been to Sa-Wad-Dee The old saying is that you never get a 2nd chance to make a 1st impression. This saying stands as true just as much for restaurants as for people. Standing outside of Sa-Wad-Dee getting ready to go in, I had my initial impression. It was of a run down restaurant that had not curb appeal what-so ever. It suspect that it looked like it looked many years ago when it 1st opened up. It could be any business. Just a drab store front type location on the outside. Then my wife and I walked inside. The inside is small, but not that bad. After all, sometimes good things do come in small packages, so I kept an open mind. The waitress sat as at a very small table. There were just 2 of us, but this table barely had room for us both. I was not impressed. It made me feel claustrophobic. Like If I leaned just a bit too far to the left, I would fall off. My wife and I watch a lot of Restaurant Impossible. The show with Robert Irvine in which he tries to fix failing restaurants. Restaurants that are failing due to neglect and bad food. So when we walked into Sa-Wad-Dee, the 1st thing we did is looked around. When a restaurant has a dirty and unkempt dining room, its always a sure sign that the kitchen is dirty and unkempt as well. This is of course only logical. Why would a restaurant keep their kitchen clean if they cant do this in their dining room, and vice versa? The answer is that they dont. If any restaurant has a dirty dining room, you can just about guarantee that the kitchen is no different. When we looked at the dining room of Sa-Wad_Dee, we saw ceiling tiles that were dirty and had those nasty looking drop down ceilings. The ones that usually conceal lots and lots more dirt along with dead rats and other such nastiness once the ceiling tile is lifted up. Once my wife and I saw thins, we lost our appetite. But we ordered anyway. I had the SWD fried chicken. On a side note, what in the world does SWD mean? The Chicken tasted like it either had been frozen or cooked much much earlier. It was a dish that was similar to Sweet and Sour Chicken minus the sour. So the chicken dish was nothing but sweet, and not a good sweet either. My wife had the Yakosoba. It did not look appetizing at all, so neither my wife or I could bring ourselves to try it. The only real nice things I have to add to this review was our server, the menu and the box they used for the check. Our server was very nice. And they all looked Asian. I hate eating at Asian restaurants where all the staff is white. Speaking of the serve staff, there were a lot of them. There were only 3 or 4 tables that were full of people eating. So I have no idea why there were so many staff. They all just stood up at the front behind the counter like a police line up. The menu had a wood cover with a large image oh a Hindu god. As a Christian, I was not pleased to be presented with this, but it did make the menu look like what Id expect in a Thai Restaurant. When we were done with our meal, or lack thereof, we were presented with a box with our ticket. Like a cigar box, but not as thick. The box also had this Hindu gods image on it. After this experience, I doubt that my wife will let me take her to another adventurous place. This was an adventure, but not a good one. We were happy to leave this place and will not be back.
(1)
David S.
Seriously? This place got four and five stars? I was disappointed, seemed like it was just so so as for food quality. The environmentalist was terrible, extremely loud, seemed like the seating was entirely too tight, and worst of all the server seemed to preoccupied with the table that had the rude and obnoxious group to even notice that our drinks weren't full. Some people go out of their way to keep customers happy "that's what customer service is about" some people rely on their friends writing great reviews and then snub their real customers, and still yet some don't seem overly concerned either way, the staff at this place seemed a mix of the last two.
(1)
Sandy S.
Wow. Simply the best. Great place, wish you were in Tucson. Very nice presentation and eelicious food. Thanks
(5)
Lisa J.
Food is always great here, but on the expensive side. I usually go to Thai Basil if I'm craving Thai food, but their food didn't live up to their usual greatness last month which is why we ended up here. Menu is huge- everything from sushi to Thai to Chinese, some Indian, and even an attempt at Japanese. They need to trim the menu down to help trim down their costs.
(4)
Jackie S.
Very tasty. Atmosphere not great but food and service fantastic. Shrimp curry ...yum. Healthy and fresh ingredients. Too bad building has a strip mall feel.
(4)
Rakshit K.
I love this place! As a vegetarian, Very very good food. WARNING: Don't mess around with spiciness ratings! If you don't know what to pick, just go with 2/5. 4/5 wasn't a very pleasant experience for me :P Also, the litchi ice cream is a must try.
(4)
Dustin B.
I have gone here over 20 times and I love this restaurant. I do not eat the sushi, so I cannot comment on that menu, but I do eat the Thai food and I find it very tasty. The restaurant is small, but not cramped. The decorations are tasteful and elegant which makes for a great date night. As far as the curry's, I'm not an expert of food, so I can't say it's "authentic" because I don't know. However, it tastes good and there are a lot of options. For most meals you can get chicken, beef, pork, or tofu. I tend to get the tofu. They also have brown rice. I like to order extra veggies with my dish. The food has good spices, but it's not overwhelming. You can get different levels of spiciness depending on your preference.
(5)
Stephan F.
My wife and I went there for sushi after a recommendation from a stranger at our favorite breakfast place. We went there for happy hour and asked for the most popular specialty roll and a rainbow roll. The rainbow roll...delicious. The big expensive roll? A fried pile of goupy mess!! Two small beers, one hit saki, and two rolls during happy hour...guess how much? 50 bucks with tip!! And the insult to injury was this horrible flute elevator music that just repeated over and over again. The service was great. The food, ambiance and prices?? Pretty bad. We won't be back.
(2)
Emilee D.
I am a huge fan of Thai food (and I'm from Seattle where the Thai is usually top-notch), and this place has yet to disappoint me in my probably 30 visits. The Panang Curry is absolutely to die for. The service is always great, and tonight was no exception even though they were packed. Our waters were refilled constantly and our waitress was back frequently to check on us. I love that they offer both steamed and fried tofu in the dishes, as some places only serve it fried, which I'm not a huge fan of. The food is always fresh, the dishes are seasoned well, and the menu selection is immense (lunch less so, but it's still good for me). The portions are plentiful, and orders are served quickly. Worth the trek to Meridian to eat here!
(5)
Crystal N Colin G.
My husband and I have been eating here for years and love it. I've tried most of the Thai places in town and most are pretty good, but this is where we almost always choose because it's the best. Huge menu, friendly staff, delicious meals. The fried spring rolls are a must!
(5)
Jessica M.
I have driven by here plenty of times and paid no mind. We were looking for something local and decided to try Sa Wah Dee. We walked in and was ignored for about 5 minutes and then finally seated. We didn't get service for about 10 minutes. We were ready for drink but she only brought us water and said she'll be right back. Another 10 minutes and then we ordered drinks. We were ready to order but she again needed to come back. We ordered the friend Green Beans, they were the best part of the meal. I ordered the orange chicken and that's what is was, soggy breaded chewy chicken in an orange sauce. It was too sweet! My bf ordered the Ginger Filet. He asked the spice rating and she said you can get it a 1 or 2. He can handle spice but still got the 1. IT WAS SOOOOO SPICY! We told the waitress and she just smiled so we asked for more rice, still too spicy. He couldn't eat it at all! So after spending $65, we were highly disappointed. I called the next day and asked for the manager. A woman took my number and I still haven't heard back. Very disappointing!
(2)
Craig S.
Absolutely awful. You know your not getting good food when the microwave in the back is going off with machine gun rapidity. Food cold, poorly cooked, greasy, and all around bad. No idea who wrote the good reviews. I understand they have a super cheap happy hour. Just sayin.
(1)
Gabe E.
Great food and service. I had the vegetable plate with chicken and brown rice. The flavors were fantastic, the chicken not over cooked and the vegetables were fresh. My only slight complaint was that the rice was not warm. I will be back to try other dishes.
(4)
Brandon M.
This restaurant gets 5 stars because it's in the greater Boise area. If it were in a coastal city with more high quality selections of Asian dining, it would get 3 or 4 stars. As far as Boise is concerned, this is the best Thai food around. And it's good stuff. Most of the negative reviews you see for SWD are regarding the non-Thai options they serve. Who goes to a Thai restaurant and orders Sushi or Fried Chicken? I can't comment on the quality of the Sushi or Fried Chicken (didn't even know the latter was an option) but let the first experience you have here be the Thai food. Because it's awesome. If you're not very adventurous, Pad Thai is always a great option for people new to Thai food. And SWD makes a great Pad Thai. As for those complaining about the quality of the restaurant, it's pretty typical quality for a more authentic foreign dining experience. It's not dirty, but things are a little more packed in. All in all, I have zero complaints about the restaurant itself. If you want good, authentic Thai food in Boise, this is the only option. If you want Americanized places that at best you could call "Thai influenced", look elsewhere. If you want spotless ceilings, Christian values, and fried chicken like some reviewers apparently were... why on Earth would you think a Thai restaurant was the place to go?
(5)
Ryan R.
Had a long day at work, and decided to stop in late tonight for dinner. Was greeted promptly by Said. From the moment I walked in to the moment I left both Said and the other male waiter ensured it was a pleasant experience. The food speaks for itself, as I enjoyed an order of the fresh rolls, and spicy cashew nut with chicken. Very delightful presentation, and the taste was phenomenonal.
(5)
Donna D.
First time out to try this restaurant. We were recommended to try it out by a friend. We thought it was solid but not the best we've ever had!~
(3)
Alyssa M.
This is some of the best Thai food in the Boise area!! Everything about this little gem is great...I cannot say enough good things about it. I've been here numerous times with my boyfriend because he always said it was his favorite place to get Thai and it's now becoming one of mine. Sometimes I get the sushi, sometimes the Thai, but they are both equally as good. The presentation is beautiful, the menu has some tasty, unique options, and the service is awesome. The servers are always so sweet and give great service. They also have a unique cocktail menu including a delicious chocolate martini! At Sa-Wad-Dee it surely seems like they pay attention to every detail including the beautiful decor...it's so serene and sticks to the Thai tradition...makes you feel warm and cozy. The icing on the cake was ordering the Curry Noodles tonight....absolutely delicious!! I'd recommend this place to anyone looking for good Thai or sushi, and living in Boise it is definitely worth the drive.
(5)
Johnnie M.
Wonderful atmosphere. Friendly and attentive staff. I love the decor. I've had many different Thai iced tea and curries across all of southern California and come to Boise, Idaho to find a superior Thai iced tea! Keep it up, Sawadee!
(4)
Michael S.
Finally a Thai restaurant in the Treasure Valley that I enjoy. I didn't eat here this evening but I wanted to make sure I gave Sa-Wad-Dee its well-deserved review. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because I've had the real deal at home (parent's cooking) and in Thailand. The Pad Thai doesn't quite use the right type of noodles but is the best in the area so far. As our waitress informed us, the dish has more of a southern influence, and I am used to the type served in Bangkok (also what I have experienced at the majority of Thai restaurants in NV and CA). My only complaint is that the pieces of chicken on the chicken satay and in the Pad Thai were a bit too large/thick. It feels as if you are eating chunks of chicken. The chicken larb was spot on, so if you like lettuce wraps this is what you should get. What I was most impressed by was that our waitress Brie (sp) spoke Thai, and very well. This wasn't something I had expected from a non-Thai, let alone non-Asian, person. Overall the service was also wonderful. I will be returning to fulfill my Thai cuisine cravings!
(4)
Lonnie S.
So sad to see a really good restaurant go down hill. This use to be my favorite place to go but after the last 3 trips I have made and 2 separate trips my daughter did I won't go again. Thai tea was so bad that my the people across the table warned me to stop drinking before it got to my mouth. Not only was it rancid but it stuck to the straw! Still we loved the place so we tried the Chili Fried Rice. Again disappointed. Hard kernels of rice from drying all through the dish. I won't be coming back. EVER!
This is truly the beat thia food in the treasure valley. All of their food is fresh and made from scratch each and every day. They also have amazing sushi with a chef who knows what he is doing. The staff they have is always helpful and really know the menu by heart. Always very fun to talk to and even remember what i had last time. If your looking for amazing food for a good price then this is the spot.
(5)
Maureen K.
Only been here once on a Sunday afternoon, but I already know I'll be back again. Got here with my mom around 1:30, and was immediately greeted by friendly staff and given our choice of seating. There was only one other couple dining, and we were promptly approached for our drink orders. I had a coupon for a half off 2nd entree (with one entree and two drink orders) that has been in recent 2015 Eagle Magazine issues but the coupon had an exp. date of 12/2014. Server had no problem honoring it. It basically paid for the tip-- nice! Decor was pleasing, nice lighting and wall murals and I noticed a well-stocked bar with basic whiskeys that hubby would approve of, so I'm looking forward to going here with him, too. The food was fresh, and meat was plentiful. Also, love that the dishes aren't oily! I ordered the Pad Kra Pao with chicken. Mom ordered the Sesame Lover with chicken. We had a lot of leftover brown rice between us -- more than half that we left behind. Servings were generous. House wine is Salmon Creek, just like our beloved Merc at Hidden Springs, and Mom loves a good White Zin. that is not always easy to find in a house wine or even offered at all. Our server checked on us perfectly throughout to see if we needed anything. It's easy to see why they're celebrating 10 yrs in business. A great experience!
(5)
Nani V.
OMG! I've never been to a Thai restaurant, until this past August. I went to visit my sister and her family in Meridian, ID. We all went to dinner at Sa-Wad-Dee. I wasn't too excited at first, because I wasn't sure what to order. The only thing I've ever eaten that was Thai, was Pad-Thai. We ordered quite a few dishes, I forgot what they were, but they were all yummy! Will definantly have to try more Thai dishes now.
(4)
Emile L.
I have eaten here several times. The last one was at a business meeting about a week ago. We had sushi as appetizers and it was very, very goo. Mmm, makes my mouth water to think about it. Then I had the most delicious entre. I don't recall the name but it had noodles, beef, and delicious sauce. Recommend and I will be back.
(4)
BoiseFoodie A.
Horrible service and mediocre food. There are several other good Thai restaurants in Boise area so we don't bother going back to this one.
(1)
Janie P.
The depth of flavors here is worth the wait!!!
(4)
Bob F.
There is no way to hide the awful taste of frozen peas and carrots. Thai food is one of my favorites. This place sucks! Soy sauce is not traditionally used in Thai food. Here they opt to use soy in the pad thai. I let the wife try hers before I told her what I thought. She agreed, "Worst Pad Thai ever!"
(1)
Beauford W.
This is a great Thai restaurant with all of the classic dishes. The wait is never long and the staff is very friendly. I recommend most of the coconut curry dishes except the Beef Massamun Curry. The potatoes make it far too bland. The Tom Kha soup is very good. I'm no Thai food expert but the food here is delicious.
(4)
Shagen M.
I really wanted to LOVE this place because of the other reviews I read on here. I feel like I came in with high expectations because of what I read here. However, I felt like the meal was just ok. I don't think it was authentic at all. It seemed more like Americanized Thai food. The atmosphere was nice but also felt a little claustrophobic to me. Also, they have a scale of like 1-10 for spiciness on their dishes. I really love extremely spicy food and asked for a 10. My dish was hardly spicy at all so I had to ask for additional chilies to spice it up more. At a real Thai place that wouldn't have been an issue. Overall it was good but not great. Sorry!
(3)
Janessa C.
I love love Sa-Wad-Dee! I usually order the Beef Massamun Curry, but I love their Pad Thai and the Swimming Rama - they have great spinach with this. The golden tofu is always perfectly crunchy/tender and the salads are delicious too. It's far better than over-priced places like Mai Thai.
(5)
Randy W.
Really nice food! It's location was a bit off putting, but occasionally you find a really good place in a strip mall. The wine list was lacking but the service and food were outstanding and at the end of the day that's what really counts. We shared the pork larb salad, and then we both had curry. She has chicken curry and I had the seafood curry. Very nice, on both accounts. Healthy, tested great and friendly service. We'll definitely be back!
(4)
Jeff M.
I was disapointed in Sa-Wad-Dee dishes compared to some of the other Thai restaurants in Boise. Food was just so so and the 3 star hot sauce was not even 1 star
(2)
Bob L.
I love Summer Rolls with peanut sauce. Too bad they didn't offer them. I love Panang Curry but not Panang Curry soup with what looked like a can of peas and carrots thrown in. House prepared carrots don't come in perfectly shaped little cubes. I never had peas or broccoli thrown into Panang Curry either. I'd rather see a fish tank than a flock of flies but sometimes I am disappointed. And while I'm whining so loudly, why does a Thai restaurant have Sushi? Hey, pick a cuisine and do it right! This is the third Thai restaurant I've tried in the Boise area and I'm still looking for one that I would go back to a second time.
(2)
Charlie P.
The food is OK. Not bad but nothing special. A little on the pricey side for what you get. The service is terrible. We recently moved to the area and have gotten food there twice. The first time was delivery, which they charge a $6.00 fee for! The second time I ordered for pickup. I was told it would be 30 minutes. I gave them the benefit and didn't show up for 45 minutes. When I arrived, there was a family of 5 waiting for dine in. There were plenty of tables, but they weren't being seated. Meanwhile, I was completely ignored. The topper was someone else came in for a pickup, and the served them first! The last straw was, I just called for a pickup order, and was told they aren't taking pickup orders tonight. So I'm willing to pay for a meal that requires no service, and no delivery, just cooking, and they don't want my business. Three strikes and your out.
(1)
Brandon B.
Great service, food is mediocre. Their menu spice goes to 5, but you can get up to 10 off menu. I got the 10 and it was not very spicy. The veggies are good, the brown rice is good. The meat is terrible. I had beef, my girlfriend got spicy chicken Pad Thai. Both meats were awful. It tastes like they boiled the meats, which removes all flavor and gives them a bad texture. Thai iced tea is always good. The service was fantastic though. We never complain but the waitress made it a great first impression. That saved the day. Our waitress even offered us free ice cream since it was our first time. I would have given less stars without the over-the-top service. Very calm atmosphere. I don't know if we would return based on the meat alone. That usually doesn't does not change and having to choke it down was unpleasant. EVERYTHING else was so good, it sucks to see it all spoiled by terrible meat. Also, if you are going to offer off-menu "very spicy", at least try to make it spicy... The 10 was laughable as it was Tabasco hot. I'll pay top dollar for good, spicy Thai.
(3)
Elisha A.
This place has excellent service and fabulous food. I have had thai food from a lot of places and this is still the go to for our family! Fresh ingredients!!! Wonderful drinks and desserts!!!
(5)
Kristen H.
Very good service. Wouldn't recommend the sweet and sour entree. Coconut ice cream was amazing.
(4)
Patrick W.
For Boise area this is as good as it will get with Thai food. Traveled all over and have had better but like I said this is as good as it will get for boise.
(4)
Doug H.
First, a digression. Veteran Yelpies have undoubtedly trod this road before, but since Yelp evidently doesn't encourage reviews of itself, let me just say this: I WANT HALF STARS. In an era when all children are above average and shopping mall food court Chinese is "awesome," we need a little more room for nuance. According to the guidelines, 3 stars means "A-OK," which to me seems pretty good, not great, while 4 stars is "Yay, I'm a fan (exclamations deleted)," which starts to approach Michelin territory in my book. This is nowhere more applicable than a restaurant like Sa-Wa-Dee. It virtually screams 3.5 stars. It's not SWD's fault that we live in a homogeneous area ethnically and that an authentic Thai restaurant might be a hard sell, resulting in a generic pan-Asian menu tailored to American palettes. So they lose no stars from me for the cop-out, and if you can get over that part, it's really a pretty good restaurant. This is a sister establishment to Rice in Eagle, and there are culinary similarities. The food is well-prepared, reflecting a kitchen that pays attention to details. We've eaten in both places several times and have yet to taste anything the slightest bit greasy, reheated, or past its prime. SWD is at least as good as other Thai restaurants we've found in the area, and compared to the generally miserable lineup of Chinese restaurants, it is a shining star. The bar is low, but at least SWD isn't below it. The fresh rolls, satay, and dumplings are standouts among the starters, and you can put together a satisfying meal from just this part of the menu. Among the entrees, the fried rice is fluffy and light, and the stir-fries like al dente asparagus and mushrooms with chicken or shrimp are winners. So what's the problem? Nothing major really, but there are minor things that add up. The space is small, as are the tables, and during busy times it feels cramped and stuffy. In terms of decor, they've probably done the best they can to dress up a strip-mall location wedged between a Subway and title loan emporium. The servers are unfailingly pleasant and efficient, but please stop trying to take away my plate if I set the fork down for 2 seconds. On our last visit this happened so many times I finally surrendered, sure go ahead if it means that much to you. And do you really need constant affirmation that everything is okay? My biggest complaint with the food is that, like a lot of Asian restaurants in the area, many of the items are really sugary. Some entrees taste more like dessert.(This is true at Rice as well.) I like sweet sauce...on pancakes or ice cream. The servers are generally helpful in avoiding these items but you have to ask, as the menu offers no clues. It is fairly pricey for this category. The house wines available for the happy hour discount are pretty mediocre, while the other offerings are a bit better though expensive. The beer selection is fine. We paid $80-something for two, though next time we'll skip the $10 by-the-glass selections and stick with the beer. (But whatever happened to hot tea?) Bottom line here, we'll go back from time to time but we won't stop looking. (And maybe I'll update this review with 3 stars so I can get my 3.5!)
(4)
Dani L.
Awesome Thai place! Super friendly staff! We live just down the street and took us about four years to check it out and now regret we waited so long to try it! Super yummy pad Thai and angry fried rice! Sushi is really good too!
(4)
Sean C.
Chicken Satay was OK. Felt it was a little dry, but that is me. Had chilli noodles as well and did not think it really stood out taste wise.
(3)
Rick R.
Once again I have to come here for work and Sa Waa Dee is my place of choice. Awesome, authentic Thai food!!!!
(5)
Megan S.
I have been to slot of Thai places in the area this is on the top 2 of my list. The food is excellent!
(5)
David S.
Seriously? This place got four and five stars? I was disappointed, seemed like it was just so so as for food quality. The environmentalist was terrible, extremely loud, seemed like the seating was entirely too tight, and worst of all the server seemed to preoccupied with the table that had the rude and obnoxious group to even notice that our drinks weren't full. Some people go out of their way to keep customers happy "that's what customer service is about" some people rely on their friends writing great reviews and then snub their real customers, and still yet some don't seem overly concerned either way, the staff at this place seemed a mix of the last two.
(1)
Sandy S.
Wow. Simply the best. Great place, wish you were in Tucson. Very nice presentation and eelicious food. Thanks
(5)
Lisa J.
Food is always great here, but on the expensive side. I usually go to Thai Basil if I'm craving Thai food, but their food didn't live up to their usual greatness last month which is why we ended up here. Menu is huge- everything from sushi to Thai to Chinese, some Indian, and even an attempt at Japanese. They need to trim the menu down to help trim down their costs.
(4)
Jackie S.
Very tasty. Atmosphere not great but food and service fantastic. Shrimp curry ...yum. Healthy and fresh ingredients. Too bad building has a strip mall feel.
(4)
Rakshit K.
I love this place! As a vegetarian, Very very good food. WARNING: Don't mess around with spiciness ratings! If you don't know what to pick, just go with 2/5. 4/5 wasn't a very pleasant experience for me :P Also, the litchi ice cream is a must try.
(4)
Dustin B.
I have gone here over 20 times and I love this restaurant. I do not eat the sushi, so I cannot comment on that menu, but I do eat the Thai food and I find it very tasty. The restaurant is small, but not cramped. The decorations are tasteful and elegant which makes for a great date night. As far as the curry's, I'm not an expert of food, so I can't say it's "authentic" because I don't know. However, it tastes good and there are a lot of options. For most meals you can get chicken, beef, pork, or tofu. I tend to get the tofu. They also have brown rice. I like to order extra veggies with my dish. The food has good spices, but it's not overwhelming. You can get different levels of spiciness depending on your preference.
(5)
Phillip D.
I dont get the opportunity very often to eat anything other than normal American. So I was excited when my wife said that she was willing to try Thia. It was a toss up between the newer Thai Basil and this place. I decided on this place because they looked they had a more authentic Thai based menu. Thai Basil's menu is more of a cross between Thai and Chinese. In all my years in Boise and Meridian, I have never been to Sa-Wad-Dee The old saying is that you never get a 2nd chance to make a 1st impression. This saying stands as true just as much for restaurants as for people. Standing outside of Sa-Wad-Dee getting ready to go in, I had my initial impression. It was of a run down restaurant that had not curb appeal what-so ever. It suspect that it looked like it looked many years ago when it 1st opened up. It could be any business. Just a drab store front type location on the outside. Then my wife and I walked inside. The inside is small, but not that bad. After all, sometimes good things do come in small packages, so I kept an open mind. The waitress sat as at a very small table. There were just 2 of us, but this table barely had room for us both. I was not impressed. It made me feel claustrophobic. Like If I leaned just a bit too far to the left, I would fall off. My wife and I watch a lot of Restaurant Impossible. The show with Robert Irvine in which he tries to fix failing restaurants. Restaurants that are failing due to neglect and bad food. So when we walked into Sa-Wad-Dee, the 1st thing we did is looked around. When a restaurant has a dirty and unkempt dining room, its always a sure sign that the kitchen is dirty and unkempt as well. This is of course only logical. Why would a restaurant keep their kitchen clean if they cant do this in their dining room, and vice versa? The answer is that they dont. If any restaurant has a dirty dining room, you can just about guarantee that the kitchen is no different. When we looked at the dining room of Sa-Wad_Dee, we saw ceiling tiles that were dirty and had those nasty looking drop down ceilings. The ones that usually conceal lots and lots more dirt along with dead rats and other such nastiness once the ceiling tile is lifted up. Once my wife and I saw thins, we lost our appetite. But we ordered anyway. I had the SWD fried chicken. On a side note, what in the world does SWD mean? The Chicken tasted like it either had been frozen or cooked much much earlier. It was a dish that was similar to Sweet and Sour Chicken minus the sour. So the chicken dish was nothing but sweet, and not a good sweet either. My wife had the Yakosoba. It did not look appetizing at all, so neither my wife or I could bring ourselves to try it. The only real nice things I have to add to this review was our server, the menu and the box they used for the check. Our server was very nice. And they all looked Asian. I hate eating at Asian restaurants where all the staff is white. Speaking of the serve staff, there were a lot of them. There were only 3 or 4 tables that were full of people eating. So I have no idea why there were so many staff. They all just stood up at the front behind the counter like a police line up. The menu had a wood cover with a large image oh a Hindu god. As a Christian, I was not pleased to be presented with this, but it did make the menu look like what Id expect in a Thai Restaurant. When we were done with our meal, or lack thereof, we were presented with a box with our ticket. Like a cigar box, but not as thick. The box also had this Hindu gods image on it. After this experience, I doubt that my wife will let me take her to another adventurous place. This was an adventure, but not a good one. We were happy to leave this place and will not be back.
(1)
Stephan F.
My wife and I went there for sushi after a recommendation from a stranger at our favorite breakfast place. We went there for happy hour and asked for the most popular specialty roll and a rainbow roll. The rainbow roll...delicious. The big expensive roll? A fried pile of goupy mess!! Two small beers, one hit saki, and two rolls during happy hour...guess how much? 50 bucks with tip!! And the insult to injury was this horrible flute elevator music that just repeated over and over again. The service was great. The food, ambiance and prices?? Pretty bad. We won't be back.
(2)
Lana V.
I absolutely love this place! Great service and the staff is so friendly. I used to live in Boise and moved to LA. I've been here for three years and I've had some of the best/terrible sushi, Sa Wa Dee rocks! I can't wait to come back.
(5)
Emilee D.
I am a huge fan of Thai food (and I'm from Seattle where the Thai is usually top-notch), and this place has yet to disappoint me in my probably 30 visits. The Panang Curry is absolutely to die for. The service is always great, and tonight was no exception even though they were packed. Our waters were refilled constantly and our waitress was back frequently to check on us. I love that they offer both steamed and fried tofu in the dishes, as some places only serve it fried, which I'm not a huge fan of. The food is always fresh, the dishes are seasoned well, and the menu selection is immense (lunch less so, but it's still good for me). The portions are plentiful, and orders are served quickly. Worth the trek to Meridian to eat here!
(5)
Crystal N Colin G.
My husband and I have been eating here for years and love it. I've tried most of the Thai places in town and most are pretty good, but this is where we almost always choose because it's the best. Huge menu, friendly staff, delicious meals. The fried spring rolls are a must!
(5)
Donna D.
First time out to try this restaurant. We were recommended to try it out by a friend. We thought it was solid but not the best we've ever had!~
(3)
Alyssa M.
This is some of the best Thai food in the Boise area!! Everything about this little gem is great...I cannot say enough good things about it. I've been here numerous times with my boyfriend because he always said it was his favorite place to get Thai and it's now becoming one of mine. Sometimes I get the sushi, sometimes the Thai, but they are both equally as good. The presentation is beautiful, the menu has some tasty, unique options, and the service is awesome. The servers are always so sweet and give great service. They also have a unique cocktail menu including a delicious chocolate martini! At Sa-Wad-Dee it surely seems like they pay attention to every detail including the beautiful decor...it's so serene and sticks to the Thai tradition...makes you feel warm and cozy. The icing on the cake was ordering the Curry Noodles tonight....absolutely delicious!! I'd recommend this place to anyone looking for good Thai or sushi, and living in Boise it is definitely worth the drive.
(5)
Johnnie M.
Wonderful atmosphere. Friendly and attentive staff. I love the decor. I've had many different Thai iced tea and curries across all of southern California and come to Boise, Idaho to find a superior Thai iced tea! Keep it up, Sawadee!
(4)
Michael S.
Finally a Thai restaurant in the Treasure Valley that I enjoy. I didn't eat here this evening but I wanted to make sure I gave Sa-Wad-Dee its well-deserved review. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because I've had the real deal at home (parent's cooking) and in Thailand. The Pad Thai doesn't quite use the right type of noodles but is the best in the area so far. As our waitress informed us, the dish has more of a southern influence, and I am used to the type served in Bangkok (also what I have experienced at the majority of Thai restaurants in NV and CA). My only complaint is that the pieces of chicken on the chicken satay and in the Pad Thai were a bit too large/thick. It feels as if you are eating chunks of chicken. The chicken larb was spot on, so if you like lettuce wraps this is what you should get. What I was most impressed by was that our waitress Brie (sp) spoke Thai, and very well. This wasn't something I had expected from a non-Thai, let alone non-Asian, person. Overall the service was also wonderful. I will be returning to fulfill my Thai cuisine cravings!
(4)
Lonnie S.
So sad to see a really good restaurant go down hill. This use to be my favorite place to go but after the last 3 trips I have made and 2 separate trips my daughter did I won't go again. Thai tea was so bad that my the people across the table warned me to stop drinking before it got to my mouth. Not only was it rancid but it stuck to the straw! Still we loved the place so we tried the Chili Fried Rice. Again disappointed. Hard kernels of rice from drying all through the dish. I won't be coming back. EVER!
This is truly the beat thia food in the treasure valley. All of their food is fresh and made from scratch each and every day. They also have amazing sushi with a chef who knows what he is doing. The staff they have is always helpful and really know the menu by heart. Always very fun to talk to and even remember what i had last time. If your looking for amazing food for a good price then this is the spot.
(5)
Kevin Q.
This place is killer. I've always come in for traditional Thai food. Tonight I came in during Happy Hour and learned of the great drink and sushi specials. Delish.. I had spicy Salmon, spicy Snapper, Salmon and some sweet tempura shrimp roll - along with two beers. 16$. Seriously? I know where I'll be spending more dinners on the way home from work. The sushi was awesome. Some of the best I've had in town.
(5)
Kim R.
Dad & I tried Sa Wad Dee today and we really enjoyed it. We'll definitely be back! Our server, Brianna, was an absolute delight. We'll be asking for her next time. If I owned a restaurant, I'd try to hire her away. Food came very quickly and our water/soda was refilled efficiently. I really like Pad Woonsen (clear glass noodles) and order it whenever I try a new Thai place. It was very good! The beef was tender and the vegetables were cooked just enough. The Asparagus Delight that my Dad had was very good, too. (See the photo I uploaded -- there was an orchid atop it!) Nice big shrimp and pieces of tender chicken accompanied the al dente asparagus and a generous amount of sauce. There was enough of this for leftovers. :) The sushi was fresh and had a very good rice-to-filling ratio. Pretty presentation. A woman sitting at the table next to us had a large bowl of noodles, meat and broth. We asked Brianna about it, and she said it was Tom kha. It'll likely make its way onto my table next time we visit.
(4)
Matt S.
Okay, so I've tried this place a few times, have resisted reviewing because everyone I talk to always has good things to say...after a few times though, I'm ready to call it with 2 stars... Food today was OK at best...started with the fried spring rolls. They were greasy and lukewarm at best...not very appetizing at all. I got Pad See Ew with chicken. First off, I don't think noodle dishes are suppose to come with rice so my initial impression was that they were giving you less noodles and more rice to increase the profit margin of the dish. Next time was the rice was actually COLD...not lukewarm, but COLD. The noodles themselves weren't really much warmer than lukewarm. Again, greasy and not really very flavorful at all. My wife had spicy chicken which did have better flavor but again COLD rice and still somewhat greasy. So after several attempts and several so-so experiences, I am ready to say there are much better Thai places in the area so I will choose to go to those in the future.
(2)
Leigh Ann D.
I hate to admit it - but this MERIDIAN restaurant is the best Thai food in the greater Boise area. I will drive ALL THE WAY FROM DOWNTOWN BOISE to eat here. I usually get a traditional Thai dish, and haven't tried their extensive cocktail menu because of the driving - but everything looks impressive. Service is friendly and accommodating, and prices are affordable for what you get. Everyone who lives west of Eagle Road should be thanking their lucky stars for this place!
(4)
M H.
I have been here a few times, and this place has never failed to impress me. The service is good, the atmosphere is great, the drinks are delicious and the good is top-notch. I've had different noodle dishes, most recently the pad thai. I've also had the lettuce wraps as an appetizer, which are good.
(5)
Lisa M.
Sushi at a Thai resturant.... Very, very, very good. I was so happy that I tried the Hero roll. It was wonderfull.
(5)
Steve E.
Will never eat sushi at this place again, EVER!!!!! I ordered a tuna roll and a yellowtail roll, the tuna was not even close to the dark red color you would look for, the taste was horrible. The yellowtail was far worse, it tasted very fishy and made my skin crawl. Avoid at all cost!!!!
(1)
Frank A.
We came here for lunch and were underwhelmed by the lunch menu. I had trouble selecting what I wanted from the limited menu. The server was very polite and friendly. The dressing on the little salad was exquisite. My pad prik king was ordered with medium heat and was dead on. Overall it was very fresh and on the sweet side. Nothing the Singh Ha couldn't fix. We will be back!
(3)
Jim J.
Great ambiance, authentic thai staff, smells of vibrant thai seasonings, and of course tasty food. Been to Thailand twice and this is the most authentic thai food I've had in the treasure valley. We even did a Christmas dinner hear and had a blast with the live music that night... Next to buying a ticket to Thailand, this stop is A1 if you gotcha a cravin for Thai... Recomended newbies start with the Pad Thai and have a Thai sweet tea to perk u up:)
(4)
Jessica M.
I have driven by here plenty of times and paid no mind. We were looking for something local and decided to try Sa Wah Dee. We walked in and was ignored for about 5 minutes and then finally seated. We didn't get service for about 10 minutes. We were ready for drink but she only brought us water and said she'll be right back. Another 10 minutes and then we ordered drinks. We were ready to order but she again needed to come back. We ordered the friend Green Beans, they were the best part of the meal. I ordered the orange chicken and that's what is was, soggy breaded chewy chicken in an orange sauce. It was too sweet! My bf ordered the Ginger Filet. He asked the spice rating and she said you can get it a 1 or 2. He can handle spice but still got the 1. IT WAS SOOOOO SPICY! We told the waitress and she just smiled so we asked for more rice, still too spicy. He couldn't eat it at all! So after spending $65, we were highly disappointed. I called the next day and asked for the manager. A woman took my number and I still haven't heard back. Very disappointing!
(2)
Craig S.
Absolutely awful. You know your not getting good food when the microwave in the back is going off with machine gun rapidity. Food cold, poorly cooked, greasy, and all around bad. No idea who wrote the good reviews. I understand they have a super cheap happy hour. Just sayin.
(1)
Gabe E.
Great food and service. I had the vegetable plate with chicken and brown rice. The flavors were fantastic, the chicken not over cooked and the vegetables were fresh. My only slight complaint was that the rice was not warm. I will be back to try other dishes.
(4)
Brandon M.
This restaurant gets 5 stars because it's in the greater Boise area. If it were in a coastal city with more high quality selections of Asian dining, it would get 3 or 4 stars. As far as Boise is concerned, this is the best Thai food around. And it's good stuff. Most of the negative reviews you see for SWD are regarding the non-Thai options they serve. Who goes to a Thai restaurant and orders Sushi or Fried Chicken? I can't comment on the quality of the Sushi or Fried Chicken (didn't even know the latter was an option) but let the first experience you have here be the Thai food. Because it's awesome. If you're not very adventurous, Pad Thai is always a great option for people new to Thai food. And SWD makes a great Pad Thai. As for those complaining about the quality of the restaurant, it's pretty typical quality for a more authentic foreign dining experience. It's not dirty, but things are a little more packed in. All in all, I have zero complaints about the restaurant itself. If you want good, authentic Thai food in Boise, this is the only option. If you want Americanized places that at best you could call "Thai influenced", look elsewhere. If you want spotless ceilings, Christian values, and fried chicken like some reviewers apparently were... why on Earth would you think a Thai restaurant was the place to go?
(5)
Ryan R.
Had a long day at work, and decided to stop in late tonight for dinner. Was greeted promptly by Said. From the moment I walked in to the moment I left both Said and the other male waiter ensured it was a pleasant experience. The food speaks for itself, as I enjoyed an order of the fresh rolls, and spicy cashew nut with chicken. Very delightful presentation, and the taste was phenomenonal.
(5)
Sarah B.
The first time I went here I didn't have a good experience so I haven't back for years. Food: sushi, husband had seafood rice dish, very good! Atmoshere: it's 3/5 floor was sticky Service: very good and prompt, no wait (sat night) yet the restaurant was busy. Price: Two adults/ 1 Sake, 2 entree, 1 appetizer, 1 dessert +tip ~$50
(4)
Greg L.
There are a few Thai options in Boise but Sa-Wad-Dee is my fav. Prices are reasonable and selections are plenty. Service has always been very courteous and prompt. Overall very pleased with Sa-Wad-Dee. Note: for a Thai joint they have a pretty good selection of Sushi that is pretty decent.
(4)
Andrew H.
I live in Boise and have tried just about every Thai restaurant in town. Decided to expand the search and heard good things about this place. Definitely glad I took the drive. Food was great. My Thai sweet and sour was just right, crispy vegetables and the sauce was just the right amount of sweet. We had a tempura vegetable appetizer which was a good match with the sweet chili sauce. Our server was friendly and attentive. The restaurant is small so it does have a tendency to be busy. If you're in the area and want some great thai food at a good price I recommend it, I will definitely make the drive again in the near future.
(4)
Scott H.
Great food. Enjoyed both sushi and thai. Good happy hour prices on sushi. definitely recommended.
(4)
Todd C.
I love me some Thai food. "There's a Thai place nearby!" my sister enthused, after having moved to Meridian, Idaho, from Nevada a little over a year ago. "We'll have to try it out when you get up here." I'd been wanting Thai food forever. And, once I moved to Idaho, we decided to try Sa Wad Dee. I'm still wanting for Thai food. Because... I don't think what I was served was actually Thai. Don't get me wrong; I think some Thai people were working there. I didn't check their papers. I'm just saying they could've been Thai. They were Asian. And they were friendly. That explains the two-star rating. Without the friendly staff and the excellent service, one star might've been pushing it. I ordered the Pad Thai. One of my favoritest meals ever. I've often cited it as my favorite. Depends on time and mood. That day, I was in the mood. So I ordered. And got something that wasn't much better than a barely-cooked package of ramen noodles I could've purchased myself at Albertson's for 13¢ and a paltry covering of- Stuff. Seriously, I could've made this in my dorm room in college and it would've pissed off my roommate and he'd have shat on my toothbrush while I was out. The jasmine sticky rice was good. And the tea. As a nice, unsolicited touch, they brought a plate of rice for my great-niece molded into the shape of a Teddy bear after having bestowed upon her a set of crayons and a coloring book. She enjoyed drinking tea with her grandmother and the staff doted on her. For desert, we ordered plate of fried bananas with coconut ice cream to share. What we got was a mix. The plate was too small for sharing. That's not the establishment's fault. But it was priced too high for what we got - for what a single customer would've gotten - and, really, there wasn't much there for a single customer to enjoy. The desert was a small scoop of house-made coconut ice cream - which was outstanding - ringed by fried bananas and the plate was drizzled in chocolate on one side and another sauce on the other. The sauces were tasty... The fried bananas were not. I'd recommend a dish of the coconut ice cream if that's what might be on your mind if finding yourself there... But... It's a disappointing series of hoops to go through for ice cream.
(2)
Nicole D.
Favorite Thai restaurant in the Treasure Valley area. Don't let the strip mall facade fool you, the food here is great. Restaurant is clean with good ambiance. We usually get to-go but the table service is pretty good (has been a bit slow when they get busy). Sa-Wad-Dee accomodates gluten free requests (my favorite is Thai Chili Fried Rice) but they can do many other dishes gf as well. Try this place if you are in Meridian!
(4)
David L.
Most people review this place at: yelp.com/biz/sa-wad-dee-… Suggest you read those.
(3)
Jen J.
Have no idea how this place gets such great ratings. Went on a couples date and only one of us enjoyed our food. Very pricey for what you get and flavors are horrid. I couldn't even eat what I ordered and we had to stop at a fast food place on the way home to get me something to eat.
(1)
Kimber S.
My friend and I popped in here for a quick dinner after a long day of traveling. This place is located in a strip mall but it's decorated so cute with colorful lights hanging in the windows and some cute bistro sets on the front porch for dining al fresco in better weather. I had the old stand-by, Pad Thai, which was good but a little heavy on the noodles and light on the veggies and meat. My friend had the Garlic Noodles which I think I probably ate the majority of. It was delicious! The prices were decent for Thai food (around $10 an entree) and beers were buy 2 get one free on Wednesday night. The only gripe I have is that there was a trio of musicians playing bluegrass music (non-stop) in the restaurant and it just didn't seem to enhance the Thai vibe.
(3)
Beth S.
My husband and I love this place! He always gets the pineapple rice which is delicious, I stick with the curry. The chicken satees (sp?) are a yummy appetizer, love the peanut sauce. They deliver as well, which I love on a lazy movie night!
(5)
Gerryl K.
We love this place! I crave this place. I love everything. Food, Service- everything!! We come to Boise area about 2 times a year for several weeks. We eat here every time we are in the area. I wish we had this kind of Thai food in Frisco TX. This is one of my favorite places for good food. Ambiance is nice not what you would expect from the Strip Center place. This is a GEM of a place and the family that runs the place obviously takes pride in the place.
(5)
Olivia O.
So, now that my fiance and I found this place we can't help but go there at least once a week. Everything that we've had there has been super yummy. The presentation is off the hook and the decor is wonderful. I love all the attention to detail that the owners put into developing this resteraunt. My fav dishes are the Larb chicken salad, the Crunchy Flowers, their sushi is fantastic, Thai Iced Tea, Pad Thai....etc... You'll definitely be satisfied eating here!
(4)
ILove Foo D.
I cannot believe that I have been driving by this little gem for years and it has taken me this long to partake of such wonderful thai food! Don't let the location fool you! Even though it is nestled between a subway sandwich shop and a dry cleaner that are plopped right next to a grocery store and gas station, this place shines! The ambiance is relaxing yet energetic with the music and conversation that bounces off the walls of this tiny restaurant with a bar and small sushi bar. You can tell that many people are "regulars" here by their interaction with the servers/hosts which are as friendly as can be. My hubby and I went on a friday night and were told it would be about a 15-20 minute wait, but within 5 minutes they offered us a bar table which was a little small but the stool was comfy. We were blown away by the menus: one for sushi and one for non-sushi with a huge assortment and a picture next to EVERY dish (loved that!). Needless to say, it took us a while to order due to being entranced by the menus but we started off with the House Platter. The chicken satay was delicious, the tempura vegetables perfect and the sweet chili sauce served with the appetizer was so good I could drink the stuff! For dinner my husband got the Salmon in the jungle (the green curry is hot and delicious, the salmon cooked perfect) and I got sushi: the Meridian roll and Dynamite roll. Miso soup came with my rolls and I wish I had tasted that first due to my tongue was already burning a bit from the Dynamite roll when I got to it. Of course the hubby and I shared food and it was nice enjoying the food while eating it slow with chopsticks while also enjoying the atmosphere. Meanwhile I remember our glasses only being close to empty once and at least 4 different servers refilled them throughout the night. It was hopping the whole time we were there with numerous to-go pick ups and I now understand why this little diamond in the rough has stayed in business for so long. Our server was super sweet and invited us to come back on wednesday nights when their happy hour consists of bogo drinks...she had me at that because they do have a nice drink list as well that I would like to check off a few :) There's several more menu items I would like to check off as well so, yes, we will return! So glad to have found such a delightful place so near to home!
(4)
Mallorie G.
I moved up here from southern CA and had practically lost all faith in finding decent Thai food here. Ignoring the obsession this place seems to have with putting restaurants in strip malls, I tried this place. AMAZING! The food is super good...and you get the desired spice you ask for. Unlike a lot of restaurants here where a 5 is really a 1 or 2. The portions are decent, but I rated it a four because it seems a bit on the pricey side. The menu can be a little overwhelming since there are so many dishes to choose from. I've been to every Thai place I could find here and this is the closest to authentic Thai as I've been able to find. Fresh ingredients, decent sized portions, great usage of spice, perfectly cooked food...I haven't had a problem there yet.
(4)
Dave L.
I'm a huge fan of Thai food and I've been eating at Sa Wad Dee since they opened. This is simply the best Thai food you can get in the Treasure valley. The food is incredibly fresh, always served cooked to perfection, available in all variations of spice and the portions are large. The staff is always ready to help you select a dish if you haven't tried something yet and their menu is exhaustive in the selection. I have two favorites that I order over and over again, the Spicy Cashew Nuts and the Yellow Curry, both phenomenal. The food here is far superior to the larger competitors in the area and the intimate atmosphere makes dining feel like a family affair. The staff knows your name and what you like most after a couple of visits and they always welcome you as friends. I really can't say enough good about Sa Wad Dee. If I have any criticism at all it is that they don't have a children's menu but that is easily solved with an order of Chicken Satay and Crab Rangoons. Eat here as soon as you can, you'll be a customer for life!
(5)
Amanda S.
I visited this restaurant the night before Valentine's day, and it was packed. We ended up spending 2 hours here, mostly in waiting for our meals, but I don't think that's typical. The atmosphere is lovely; not overly tacky and garish like many Asian restaurants can be, but done tastefully. Still, it helps evoke a Thai spirit. I'm a vegetarian as was my dining partner, and we started with veggie spring rolls. Unfortunately the server brought shrimp spring rolls, but it had taken so long and we were so hungry, we set them aside. I ordered the mixed veggies with tofu, which was fantastic. It arrived hot, and in a light garlic sauce. The veggies were perfectly al dente, the fried tofu had great texture and flavor, and the sauce wasn't too heavy to cover up the flavors of the vegetables. My guest had the green curry with tofu, which was also wonderful. It had large pieces of lemongrass along with fried tofu and several vegetables in a slightly spicy sauce. My guest nearly licked her plate clean. The green tea was also good, and served in individual elephant tea pots, which was a nice touch. Food was also presented well, and all meals came with rice. The waitress was incredibly friendly and eager-to-please. No service issues other than the extremely long wait, but that seemed to be an aberration. I highly suggest this restaurant.
(5)
Robert B.
Overall a great choice. If you like Thai, give it a try.
(4)
Amanda S.
I visited this restaurant the night before Valentine's day, and it was packed. We ended up spending 2 hours here, mostly in waiting for our meals, but I don't think that's typical. The atmosphere is lovely; not overly tacky and garish like many Asian restaurants can be, but done tastefully. Still, it helps evoke a Thai spirit. I'm a vegetarian as was my dining partner, and we started with veggie spring rolls. Unfortunately the server brought shrimp spring rolls, but it had taken so long and we were so hungry, we set them aside. I ordered the mixed veggies with tofu, which was fantastic. It arrived hot, and in a light garlic sauce. The veggies were perfectly al dente, the fried tofu had great texture and flavor, and the sauce wasn't too heavy to cover up the flavors of the vegetables. My guest had the green curry with tofu, which was also wonderful. It had large pieces of lemongrass along with fried tofu and several vegetables in a slightly spicy sauce. My guest nearly licked her plate clean. The green tea was also good, and served in individual elephant tea pots, which was a nice touch. Food was also presented well, and all meals came with rice. The waitress was incredibly friendly and eager-to-please. No service issues other than the extremely long wait, but that seemed to be an aberration. I highly suggest this restaurant.
(5)
Robert B.
Overall a great choice. If you like Thai, give it a try.
(4)
Mike L.
This restaurant is absolutely superb and you never know what style the plate will be when it is brought out. The prices are really reasonable too. We like the yakisoba and hot curry dinners. Give them a try. You will not regret it.
(5)
David J.
We have eaten here for many years and love everything we've ever eaten - enjoy!! The menu is huge and you can always find something you're in the mood for. (Save room for the sticky mango rice coconut dessert!)
(5)
David H.
I have eaten here many times and have never had a bad experience. The staff is nice, the decor is appropriate, and the owners well lets just say know what they are doing. Keep in mind that most people that rate restaurants only do so when they are not happy, and when dealing with the mass amount of people this restaurant does you can not help but have one or two here and there. Give them a try you will not be unhappy!
(5)
Jim S.
Awesome Food... Took our daughter there after she returned from living in Far East for 3 years. "The Best Thai food I have had since returning to the US!" That pretty much sums it up.... Tom Yum Soup is my personal favorite.... But the Volcano is something to "light up" too.
(4)
Brent S.
I spent 12 days in Thailand on vacation. I got back, and for one day, I was sick of thai food. Then over the next week there were 3 times (in San Francisco and Seattle) when I decided I wanted thai food again, but I wasn't yet ready for the inevitable disappointment. Then after a week I found myself in Meridian, Idaho for work, and decided to go for it, since I knew my first thai meal would be disappointing anyway and Idaho thai food was already going to be bad, obviously (offensive). It turns out both of those assumptions were incorrect. I left quite happy. The decor is very comforting and inviting. It holds together well. They have a big menu. I got an eggplant basil dish, pad see ew, and green tea, which came served in a ceramic elephant. I prefer drinking my green tea out of the trunk of a live elephant, but I was nonetheless satisfied. Both dishes came out relatively quickly, with great presentation. Delicious. The service was very nice, and if my server wasn't Thai, she was more Thai than your average server at, say, the Subway next door. For dessert I would have ordered the rambutan stuffed with pineapple (impressive that they actually have rambutan, eh?), but I was too full. In a good way. Overall I definitely recommend it. One idea for improvement would be to have an available selection of spicy things on the table. In conclusion, some highlights of the soundtrack to my meal included muzak versions of Killing Me Softly, Don't You Want Somebody To Love, Imagine, Is This Love, and Isn't She Lovely.
(4)
David J.
We have eaten here for many years and love everything we've ever eaten - enjoy!! The menu is huge and you can always find something you're in the mood for. (Save room for the sticky mango rice coconut dessert!)
(5)
David H.
I have eaten here many times and have never had a bad experience. The staff is nice, the decor is appropriate, and the owners well lets just say know what they are doing. Keep in mind that most people that rate restaurants only do so when they are not happy, and when dealing with the mass amount of people this restaurant does you can not help but have one or two here and there. Give them a try you will not be unhappy!
(5)
Mike L.
This restaurant is absolutely superb and you never know what style the plate will be when it is brought out. The prices are really reasonable too. We like the yakisoba and hot curry dinners. Give them a try. You will not regret it.
(5)
Jim S.
Awesome Food... Took our daughter there after she returned from living in Far East for 3 years. "The Best Thai food I have had since returning to the US!" That pretty much sums it up.... Tom Yum Soup is my personal favorite.... But the Volcano is something to "light up" too.
(4)
Holly H.
I love Thai food. I have to say I am shocked at all the high ratings on the quality of the food served here. My husband and I have been to some fabulous Thai places in Portland, Oregon. We were told to check this place out - not impressed. The Pad Thai was not like any Pad Thai I have ever had - they even used some stringy little noodle not the thicker rice-like noodles -it was actually pretty greasy too. We ordered another dish with chicken and asparagus. It was good but nothing to write home about. We will continue to look for a good Thai restaurant in Boise.
(2)
Nani V.
OMG! I've never been to a Thai restaurant, until this past August. I went to visit my sister and her family in Meridian, ID. We all went to dinner at Sa-Wad-Dee. I wasn't too excited at first, because I wasn't sure what to order. The only thing I've ever eaten that was Thai, was Pad-Thai. We ordered quite a few dishes, I forgot what they were, but they were all yummy! Will definantly have to try more Thai dishes now.
(4)
Emile L.
I have eaten here several times. The last one was at a business meeting about a week ago. We had sushi as appetizers and it was very, very goo. Mmm, makes my mouth water to think about it. Then I had the most delicious entre. I don't recall the name but it had noodles, beef, and delicious sauce. Recommend and I will be back.
(4)
Kevin Q.
This place is killer. I've always come in for traditional Thai food. Tonight I came in during Happy Hour and learned of the great drink and sushi specials. Delish.. I had spicy Salmon, spicy Snapper, Salmon and some sweet tempura shrimp roll - along with two beers. 16$. Seriously? I know where I'll be spending more dinners on the way home from work. The sushi was awesome. Some of the best I've had in town.
(5)
Steve E.
Will never eat sushi at this place again, EVER!!!!! I ordered a tuna roll and a yellowtail roll, the tuna was not even close to the dark red color you would look for, the taste was horrible. The yellowtail was far worse, it tasted very fishy and made my skin crawl. Avoid at all cost!!!!
(1)
Kim R.
Dad & I tried Sa Wad Dee today and we really enjoyed it. We'll definitely be back! Our server, Brianna, was an absolute delight. We'll be asking for her next time. If I owned a restaurant, I'd try to hire her away. Food came very quickly and our water/soda was refilled efficiently. I really like Pad Woonsen (clear glass noodles) and order it whenever I try a new Thai place. It was very good! The beef was tender and the vegetables were cooked just enough. The Asparagus Delight that my Dad had was very good, too. (See the photo I uploaded -- there was an orchid atop it!) Nice big shrimp and pieces of tender chicken accompanied the al dente asparagus and a generous amount of sauce. There was enough of this for leftovers. :) The sushi was fresh and had a very good rice-to-filling ratio. Pretty presentation. A woman sitting at the table next to us had a large bowl of noodles, meat and broth. We asked Brianna about it, and she said it was Tom kha. It'll likely make its way onto my table next time we visit.
(4)
Matt S.
Okay, so I've tried this place a few times, have resisted reviewing because everyone I talk to always has good things to say...after a few times though, I'm ready to call it with 2 stars... Food today was OK at best...started with the fried spring rolls. They were greasy and lukewarm at best...not very appetizing at all. I got Pad See Ew with chicken. First off, I don't think noodle dishes are suppose to come with rice so my initial impression was that they were giving you less noodles and more rice to increase the profit margin of the dish. Next time was the rice was actually COLD...not lukewarm, but COLD. The noodles themselves weren't really much warmer than lukewarm. Again, greasy and not really very flavorful at all. My wife had spicy chicken which did have better flavor but again COLD rice and still somewhat greasy. So after several attempts and several so-so experiences, I am ready to say there are much better Thai places in the area so I will choose to go to those in the future.
(2)
Leigh Ann D.
I hate to admit it - but this MERIDIAN restaurant is the best Thai food in the greater Boise area. I will drive ALL THE WAY FROM DOWNTOWN BOISE to eat here. I usually get a traditional Thai dish, and haven't tried their extensive cocktail menu because of the driving - but everything looks impressive. Service is friendly and accommodating, and prices are affordable for what you get. Everyone who lives west of Eagle Road should be thanking their lucky stars for this place!
(4)
M H.
I have been here a few times, and this place has never failed to impress me. The service is good, the atmosphere is great, the drinks are delicious and the good is top-notch. I've had different noodle dishes, most recently the pad thai. I've also had the lettuce wraps as an appetizer, which are good.
(5)
Lisa M.
Sushi at a Thai resturant.... Very, very, very good. I was so happy that I tried the Hero roll. It was wonderfull.
(5)
Frank A.
We came here for lunch and were underwhelmed by the lunch menu. I had trouble selecting what I wanted from the limited menu. The server was very polite and friendly. The dressing on the little salad was exquisite. My pad prik king was ordered with medium heat and was dead on. Overall it was very fresh and on the sweet side. Nothing the Singh Ha couldn't fix. We will be back!
(3)
Jim J.
Great ambiance, authentic thai staff, smells of vibrant thai seasonings, and of course tasty food. Been to Thailand twice and this is the most authentic thai food I've had in the treasure valley. We even did a Christmas dinner hear and had a blast with the live music that night... Next to buying a ticket to Thailand, this stop is A1 if you gotcha a cravin for Thai... Recomended newbies start with the Pad Thai and have a Thai sweet tea to perk u up:)
(4)
Andrew H.
I live in Boise and have tried just about every Thai restaurant in town. Decided to expand the search and heard good things about this place. Definitely glad I took the drive. Food was great. My Thai sweet and sour was just right, crispy vegetables and the sauce was just the right amount of sweet. We had a tempura vegetable appetizer which was a good match with the sweet chili sauce. Our server was friendly and attentive. The restaurant is small so it does have a tendency to be busy. If you're in the area and want some great thai food at a good price I recommend it, I will definitely make the drive again in the near future.
(4)
Scott H.
Great food. Enjoyed both sushi and thai. Good happy hour prices on sushi. definitely recommended.
(4)
Sarah B.
The first time I went here I didn't have a good experience so I haven't back for years. Food: sushi, husband had seafood rice dish, very good! Atmoshere: it's 3/5 floor was sticky Service: very good and prompt, no wait (sat night) yet the restaurant was busy. Price: Two adults/ 1 Sake, 2 entree, 1 appetizer, 1 dessert +tip ~$50
(4)
Greg L.
There are a few Thai options in Boise but Sa-Wad-Dee is my fav. Prices are reasonable and selections are plenty. Service has always been very courteous and prompt. Overall very pleased with Sa-Wad-Dee. Note: for a Thai joint they have a pretty good selection of Sushi that is pretty decent.
(4)
Kimber S.
My friend and I popped in here for a quick dinner after a long day of traveling. This place is located in a strip mall but it's decorated so cute with colorful lights hanging in the windows and some cute bistro sets on the front porch for dining al fresco in better weather. I had the old stand-by, Pad Thai, which was good but a little heavy on the noodles and light on the veggies and meat. My friend had the Garlic Noodles which I think I probably ate the majority of. It was delicious! The prices were decent for Thai food (around $10 an entree) and beers were buy 2 get one free on Wednesday night. The only gripe I have is that there was a trio of musicians playing bluegrass music (non-stop) in the restaurant and it just didn't seem to enhance the Thai vibe.
(3)
Gerryl K.
We love this place! I crave this place. I love everything. Food, Service- everything!! We come to Boise area about 2 times a year for several weeks. We eat here every time we are in the area. I wish we had this kind of Thai food in Frisco TX. This is one of my favorite places for good food. Ambiance is nice not what you would expect from the Strip Center place. This is a GEM of a place and the family that runs the place obviously takes pride in the place.
(5)
Todd C.
I love me some Thai food. "There's a Thai place nearby!" my sister enthused, after having moved to Meridian, Idaho, from Nevada a little over a year ago. "We'll have to try it out when you get up here." I'd been wanting Thai food forever. And, once I moved to Idaho, we decided to try Sa Wad Dee. I'm still wanting for Thai food. Because... I don't think what I was served was actually Thai. Don't get me wrong; I think some Thai people were working there. I didn't check their papers. I'm just saying they could've been Thai. They were Asian. And they were friendly. That explains the two-star rating. Without the friendly staff and the excellent service, one star might've been pushing it. I ordered the Pad Thai. One of my favoritest meals ever. I've often cited it as my favorite. Depends on time and mood. That day, I was in the mood. So I ordered. And got something that wasn't much better than a barely-cooked package of ramen noodles I could've purchased myself at Albertson's for 13¢ and a paltry covering of- Stuff. Seriously, I could've made this in my dorm room in college and it would've pissed off my roommate and he'd have shat on my toothbrush while I was out. The jasmine sticky rice was good. And the tea. As a nice, unsolicited touch, they brought a plate of rice for my great-niece molded into the shape of a Teddy bear after having bestowed upon her a set of crayons and a coloring book. She enjoyed drinking tea with her grandmother and the staff doted on her. For desert, we ordered plate of fried bananas with coconut ice cream to share. What we got was a mix. The plate was too small for sharing. That's not the establishment's fault. But it was priced too high for what we got - for what a single customer would've gotten - and, really, there wasn't much there for a single customer to enjoy. The desert was a small scoop of house-made coconut ice cream - which was outstanding - ringed by fried bananas and the plate was drizzled in chocolate on one side and another sauce on the other. The sauces were tasty... The fried bananas were not. I'd recommend a dish of the coconut ice cream if that's what might be on your mind if finding yourself there... But... It's a disappointing series of hoops to go through for ice cream.
(2)
Nicole D.
Favorite Thai restaurant in the Treasure Valley area. Don't let the strip mall facade fool you, the food here is great. Restaurant is clean with good ambiance. We usually get to-go but the table service is pretty good (has been a bit slow when they get busy). Sa-Wad-Dee accomodates gluten free requests (my favorite is Thai Chili Fried Rice) but they can do many other dishes gf as well. Try this place if you are in Meridian!
(4)
David L.
Most people review this place at: yelp.com/biz/sa-wad-dee-… Suggest you read those.
(3)
Jen J.
Have no idea how this place gets such great ratings. Went on a couples date and only one of us enjoyed our food. Very pricey for what you get and flavors are horrid. I couldn't even eat what I ordered and we had to stop at a fast food place on the way home to get me something to eat.
(1)
Beth S.
My husband and I love this place! He always gets the pineapple rice which is delicious, I stick with the curry. The chicken satees (sp?) are a yummy appetizer, love the peanut sauce. They deliver as well, which I love on a lazy movie night!
(5)
Olivia O.
So, now that my fiance and I found this place we can't help but go there at least once a week. Everything that we've had there has been super yummy. The presentation is off the hook and the decor is wonderful. I love all the attention to detail that the owners put into developing this resteraunt. My fav dishes are the Larb chicken salad, the Crunchy Flowers, their sushi is fantastic, Thai Iced Tea, Pad Thai....etc... You'll definitely be satisfied eating here!
(4)
Dave L.
I'm a huge fan of Thai food and I've been eating at Sa Wad Dee since they opened. This is simply the best Thai food you can get in the Treasure valley. The food is incredibly fresh, always served cooked to perfection, available in all variations of spice and the portions are large. The staff is always ready to help you select a dish if you haven't tried something yet and their menu is exhaustive in the selection. I have two favorites that I order over and over again, the Spicy Cashew Nuts and the Yellow Curry, both phenomenal. The food here is far superior to the larger competitors in the area and the intimate atmosphere makes dining feel like a family affair. The staff knows your name and what you like most after a couple of visits and they always welcome you as friends. I really can't say enough good about Sa Wad Dee. If I have any criticism at all it is that they don't have a children's menu but that is easily solved with an order of Chicken Satay and Crab Rangoons. Eat here as soon as you can, you'll be a customer for life!
(5)
Holly H.
I love Thai food. I have to say I am shocked at all the high ratings on the quality of the food served here. My husband and I have been to some fabulous Thai places in Portland, Oregon. We were told to check this place out - not impressed. The Pad Thai was not like any Pad Thai I have ever had - they even used some stringy little noodle not the thicker rice-like noodles -it was actually pretty greasy too. We ordered another dish with chicken and asparagus. It was good but nothing to write home about. We will continue to look for a good Thai restaurant in Boise.
(2)
BoiseFoodie A.
Horrible service and mediocre food. There are several other good Thai restaurants in Boise area so we don't bother going back to this one.
(1)
Janie P.
The depth of flavors here is worth the wait!!!
(4)
Bob F.
There is no way to hide the awful taste of frozen peas and carrots. Thai food is one of my favorites. This place sucks! Soy sauce is not traditionally used in Thai food. Here they opt to use soy in the pad thai. I let the wife try hers before I told her what I thought. She agreed, "Worst Pad Thai ever!"
(1)
Beauford W.
This is a great Thai restaurant with all of the classic dishes. The wait is never long and the staff is very friendly. I recommend most of the coconut curry dishes except the Beef Massamun Curry. The potatoes make it far too bland. The Tom Kha soup is very good. I'm no Thai food expert but the food here is delicious.
(4)
Shagen M.
I really wanted to LOVE this place because of the other reviews I read on here. I feel like I came in with high expectations because of what I read here. However, I felt like the meal was just ok. I don't think it was authentic at all. It seemed more like Americanized Thai food. The atmosphere was nice but also felt a little claustrophobic to me. Also, they have a scale of like 1-10 for spiciness on their dishes. I really love extremely spicy food and asked for a 10. My dish was hardly spicy at all so I had to ask for additional chilies to spice it up more. At a real Thai place that wouldn't have been an issue. Overall it was good but not great. Sorry!
(3)
Janessa C.
I love love Sa-Wad-Dee! I usually order the Beef Massamun Curry, but I love their Pad Thai and the Swimming Rama - they have great spinach with this. The golden tofu is always perfectly crunchy/tender and the salads are delicious too. It's far better than over-priced places like Mai Thai.
(5)
Brent S.
I spent 12 days in Thailand on vacation. I got back, and for one day, I was sick of thai food. Then over the next week there were 3 times (in San Francisco and Seattle) when I decided I wanted thai food again, but I wasn't yet ready for the inevitable disappointment. Then after a week I found myself in Meridian, Idaho for work, and decided to go for it, since I knew my first thai meal would be disappointing anyway and Idaho thai food was already going to be bad, obviously (offensive). It turns out both of those assumptions were incorrect. I left quite happy. The decor is very comforting and inviting. It holds together well. They have a big menu. I got an eggplant basil dish, pad see ew, and green tea, which came served in a ceramic elephant. I prefer drinking my green tea out of the trunk of a live elephant, but I was nonetheless satisfied. Both dishes came out relatively quickly, with great presentation. Delicious. The service was very nice, and if my server wasn't Thai, she was more Thai than your average server at, say, the Subway next door. For dessert I would have ordered the rambutan stuffed with pineapple (impressive that they actually have rambutan, eh?), but I was too full. In a good way. Overall I definitely recommend it. One idea for improvement would be to have an available selection of spicy things on the table. In conclusion, some highlights of the soundtrack to my meal included muzak versions of Killing Me Softly, Don't You Want Somebody To Love, Imagine, Is This Love, and Isn't She Lovely.
(4)
ILove Foo D.
I cannot believe that I have been driving by this little gem for years and it has taken me this long to partake of such wonderful thai food! Don't let the location fool you! Even though it is nestled between a subway sandwich shop and a dry cleaner that are plopped right next to a grocery store and gas station, this place shines! The ambiance is relaxing yet energetic with the music and conversation that bounces off the walls of this tiny restaurant with a bar and small sushi bar. You can tell that many people are "regulars" here by their interaction with the servers/hosts which are as friendly as can be. My hubby and I went on a friday night and were told it would be about a 15-20 minute wait, but within 5 minutes they offered us a bar table which was a little small but the stool was comfy. We were blown away by the menus: one for sushi and one for non-sushi with a huge assortment and a picture next to EVERY dish (loved that!). Needless to say, it took us a while to order due to being entranced by the menus but we started off with the House Platter. The chicken satay was delicious, the tempura vegetables perfect and the sweet chili sauce served with the appetizer was so good I could drink the stuff! For dinner my husband got the Salmon in the jungle (the green curry is hot and delicious, the salmon cooked perfect) and I got sushi: the Meridian roll and Dynamite roll. Miso soup came with my rolls and I wish I had tasted that first due to my tongue was already burning a bit from the Dynamite roll when I got to it. Of course the hubby and I shared food and it was nice enjoying the food while eating it slow with chopsticks while also enjoying the atmosphere. Meanwhile I remember our glasses only being close to empty once and at least 4 different servers refilled them throughout the night. It was hopping the whole time we were there with numerous to-go pick ups and I now understand why this little diamond in the rough has stayed in business for so long. Our server was super sweet and invited us to come back on wednesday nights when their happy hour consists of bogo drinks...she had me at that because they do have a nice drink list as well that I would like to check off a few :) There's several more menu items I would like to check off as well so, yes, we will return! So glad to have found such a delightful place so near to home!
(4)
Mallorie G.
I moved up here from southern CA and had practically lost all faith in finding decent Thai food here. Ignoring the obsession this place seems to have with putting restaurants in strip malls, I tried this place. AMAZING! The food is super good...and you get the desired spice you ask for. Unlike a lot of restaurants here where a 5 is really a 1 or 2. The portions are decent, but I rated it a four because it seems a bit on the pricey side. The menu can be a little overwhelming since there are so many dishes to choose from. I've been to every Thai place I could find here and this is the closest to authentic Thai as I've been able to find. Fresh ingredients, decent sized portions, great usage of spice, perfectly cooked food...I haven't had a problem there yet.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : No Dogs Allowed : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Maureen K.
Only been here once on a Sunday afternoon, but I already know I'll be back again. Got here with my mom around 1:30, and was immediately greeted by friendly staff and given our choice of seating. There was only one other couple dining, and we were promptly approached for our drink orders. I had a coupon for a half off 2nd entree (with one entree and two drink orders) that has been in recent 2015 Eagle Magazine issues but the coupon had an exp. date of 12/2014. Server had no problem honoring it. It basically paid for the tip-- nice! Decor was pleasing, nice lighting and wall murals and I noticed a well-stocked bar with basic whiskeys that hubby would approve of, so I'm looking forward to going here with him, too. The food was fresh, and meat was plentiful. Also, love that the dishes aren't oily! I ordered the Pad Kra Pao with chicken. Mom ordered the Sesame Lover with chicken. We had a lot of leftover brown rice between us -- more than half that we left behind. Servings were generous. House wine is Salmon Creek, just like our beloved Merc at Hidden Springs, and Mom loves a good White Zin. that is not always easy to find in a house wine or even offered at all. Our server checked on us perfectly throughout to see if we needed anything. It's easy to see why they're celebrating 10 yrs in business. A great experience!
(5)Randy W.
Really nice food! It's location was a bit off putting, but occasionally you find a really good place in a strip mall. The wine list was lacking but the service and food were outstanding and at the end of the day that's what really counts. We shared the pork larb salad, and then we both had curry. She has chicken curry and I had the seafood curry. Very nice, on both accounts. Healthy, tested great and friendly service. We'll definitely be back!
(4)Jeff M.
I was disapointed in Sa-Wad-Dee dishes compared to some of the other Thai restaurants in Boise. Food was just so so and the 3 star hot sauce was not even 1 star
(2)Bob L.
I love Summer Rolls with peanut sauce. Too bad they didn't offer them. I love Panang Curry but not Panang Curry soup with what looked like a can of peas and carrots thrown in. House prepared carrots don't come in perfectly shaped little cubes. I never had peas or broccoli thrown into Panang Curry either. I'd rather see a fish tank than a flock of flies but sometimes I am disappointed. And while I'm whining so loudly, why does a Thai restaurant have Sushi? Hey, pick a cuisine and do it right! This is the third Thai restaurant I've tried in the Boise area and I'm still looking for one that I would go back to a second time.
(2)Rick R.
Once again I have to come here for work and Sa Waa Dee is my place of choice. Awesome, authentic Thai food!!!!
(5)Megan S.
I have been to slot of Thai places in the area this is on the top 2 of my list. The food is excellent!
(5)Doug H.
First, a digression. Veteran Yelpies have undoubtedly trod this road before, but since Yelp evidently doesn't encourage reviews of itself, let me just say this: I WANT HALF STARS. In an era when all children are above average and shopping mall food court Chinese is "awesome," we need a little more room for nuance. According to the guidelines, 3 stars means "A-OK," which to me seems pretty good, not great, while 4 stars is "Yay, I'm a fan (exclamations deleted)," which starts to approach Michelin territory in my book. This is nowhere more applicable than a restaurant like Sa-Wa-Dee. It virtually screams 3.5 stars. It's not SWD's fault that we live in a homogeneous area ethnically and that an authentic Thai restaurant might be a hard sell, resulting in a generic pan-Asian menu tailored to American palettes. So they lose no stars from me for the cop-out, and if you can get over that part, it's really a pretty good restaurant. This is a sister establishment to Rice in Eagle, and there are culinary similarities. The food is well-prepared, reflecting a kitchen that pays attention to details. We've eaten in both places several times and have yet to taste anything the slightest bit greasy, reheated, or past its prime. SWD is at least as good as other Thai restaurants we've found in the area, and compared to the generally miserable lineup of Chinese restaurants, it is a shining star. The bar is low, but at least SWD isn't below it. The fresh rolls, satay, and dumplings are standouts among the starters, and you can put together a satisfying meal from just this part of the menu. Among the entrees, the fried rice is fluffy and light, and the stir-fries like al dente asparagus and mushrooms with chicken or shrimp are winners. So what's the problem? Nothing major really, but there are minor things that add up. The space is small, as are the tables, and during busy times it feels cramped and stuffy. In terms of decor, they've probably done the best they can to dress up a strip-mall location wedged between a Subway and title loan emporium. The servers are unfailingly pleasant and efficient, but please stop trying to take away my plate if I set the fork down for 2 seconds. On our last visit this happened so many times I finally surrendered, sure go ahead if it means that much to you. And do you really need constant affirmation that everything is okay? My biggest complaint with the food is that, like a lot of Asian restaurants in the area, many of the items are really sugary. Some entrees taste more like dessert.(This is true at Rice as well.) I like sweet sauce...on pancakes or ice cream. The servers are generally helpful in avoiding these items but you have to ask, as the menu offers no clues. It is fairly pricey for this category. The house wines available for the happy hour discount are pretty mediocre, while the other offerings are a bit better though expensive. The beer selection is fine. We paid $80-something for two, though next time we'll skip the $10 by-the-glass selections and stick with the beer. (But whatever happened to hot tea?) Bottom line here, we'll go back from time to time but we won't stop looking. (And maybe I'll update this review with 3 stars so I can get my 3.5!)
(4)Lana V.
I absolutely love this place! Great service and the staff is so friendly. I used to live in Boise and moved to LA. I've been here for three years and I've had some of the best/terrible sushi, Sa Wa Dee rocks! I can't wait to come back.
(5)Charlie P.
The food is OK. Not bad but nothing special. A little on the pricey side for what you get. The service is terrible. We recently moved to the area and have gotten food there twice. The first time was delivery, which they charge a $6.00 fee for! The second time I ordered for pickup. I was told it would be 30 minutes. I gave them the benefit and didn't show up for 45 minutes. When I arrived, there was a family of 5 waiting for dine in. There were plenty of tables, but they weren't being seated. Meanwhile, I was completely ignored. The topper was someone else came in for a pickup, and the served them first! The last straw was, I just called for a pickup order, and was told they aren't taking pickup orders tonight. So I'm willing to pay for a meal that requires no service, and no delivery, just cooking, and they don't want my business. Three strikes and your out.
(1)Brandon B.
Great service, food is mediocre. Their menu spice goes to 5, but you can get up to 10 off menu. I got the 10 and it was not very spicy. The veggies are good, the brown rice is good. The meat is terrible. I had beef, my girlfriend got spicy chicken Pad Thai. Both meats were awful. It tastes like they boiled the meats, which removes all flavor and gives them a bad texture. Thai iced tea is always good. The service was fantastic though. We never complain but the waitress made it a great first impression. That saved the day. Our waitress even offered us free ice cream since it was our first time. I would have given less stars without the over-the-top service. Very calm atmosphere. I don't know if we would return based on the meat alone. That usually doesn't does not change and having to choke it down was unpleasant. EVERYTHING else was so good, it sucks to see it all spoiled by terrible meat. Also, if you are going to offer off-menu "very spicy", at least try to make it spicy... The 10 was laughable as it was Tabasco hot. I'll pay top dollar for good, spicy Thai.
(3)Dani L.
Awesome Thai place! Super friendly staff! We live just down the street and took us about four years to check it out and now regret we waited so long to try it! Super yummy pad Thai and angry fried rice! Sushi is really good too!
(4)Sean C.
Chicken Satay was OK. Felt it was a little dry, but that is me. Had chilli noodles as well and did not think it really stood out taste wise.
(3)Elisha A.
This place has excellent service and fabulous food. I have had thai food from a lot of places and this is still the go to for our family! Fresh ingredients!!! Wonderful drinks and desserts!!!
(5)Kristen H.
Very good service. Wouldn't recommend the sweet and sour entree. Coconut ice cream was amazing.
(4)Patrick W.
For Boise area this is as good as it will get with Thai food. Traveled all over and have had better but like I said this is as good as it will get for boise.
(4)Phillip D.
I dont get the opportunity very often to eat anything other than normal American. So I was excited when my wife said that she was willing to try Thia. It was a toss up between the newer Thai Basil and this place. I decided on this place because they looked they had a more authentic Thai based menu. Thai Basil's menu is more of a cross between Thai and Chinese. In all my years in Boise and Meridian, I have never been to Sa-Wad-Dee The old saying is that you never get a 2nd chance to make a 1st impression. This saying stands as true just as much for restaurants as for people. Standing outside of Sa-Wad-Dee getting ready to go in, I had my initial impression. It was of a run down restaurant that had not curb appeal what-so ever. It suspect that it looked like it looked many years ago when it 1st opened up. It could be any business. Just a drab store front type location on the outside. Then my wife and I walked inside. The inside is small, but not that bad. After all, sometimes good things do come in small packages, so I kept an open mind. The waitress sat as at a very small table. There were just 2 of us, but this table barely had room for us both. I was not impressed. It made me feel claustrophobic. Like If I leaned just a bit too far to the left, I would fall off. My wife and I watch a lot of Restaurant Impossible. The show with Robert Irvine in which he tries to fix failing restaurants. Restaurants that are failing due to neglect and bad food. So when we walked into Sa-Wad-Dee, the 1st thing we did is looked around. When a restaurant has a dirty and unkempt dining room, its always a sure sign that the kitchen is dirty and unkempt as well. This is of course only logical. Why would a restaurant keep their kitchen clean if they cant do this in their dining room, and vice versa? The answer is that they dont. If any restaurant has a dirty dining room, you can just about guarantee that the kitchen is no different. When we looked at the dining room of Sa-Wad_Dee, we saw ceiling tiles that were dirty and had those nasty looking drop down ceilings. The ones that usually conceal lots and lots more dirt along with dead rats and other such nastiness once the ceiling tile is lifted up. Once my wife and I saw thins, we lost our appetite. But we ordered anyway. I had the SWD fried chicken. On a side note, what in the world does SWD mean? The Chicken tasted like it either had been frozen or cooked much much earlier. It was a dish that was similar to Sweet and Sour Chicken minus the sour. So the chicken dish was nothing but sweet, and not a good sweet either. My wife had the Yakosoba. It did not look appetizing at all, so neither my wife or I could bring ourselves to try it. The only real nice things I have to add to this review was our server, the menu and the box they used for the check. Our server was very nice. And they all looked Asian. I hate eating at Asian restaurants where all the staff is white. Speaking of the serve staff, there were a lot of them. There were only 3 or 4 tables that were full of people eating. So I have no idea why there were so many staff. They all just stood up at the front behind the counter like a police line up. The menu had a wood cover with a large image oh a Hindu god. As a Christian, I was not pleased to be presented with this, but it did make the menu look like what Id expect in a Thai Restaurant. When we were done with our meal, or lack thereof, we were presented with a box with our ticket. Like a cigar box, but not as thick. The box also had this Hindu gods image on it. After this experience, I doubt that my wife will let me take her to another adventurous place. This was an adventure, but not a good one. We were happy to leave this place and will not be back.
(1)David S.
Seriously? This place got four and five stars? I was disappointed, seemed like it was just so so as for food quality. The environmentalist was terrible, extremely loud, seemed like the seating was entirely too tight, and worst of all the server seemed to preoccupied with the table that had the rude and obnoxious group to even notice that our drinks weren't full. Some people go out of their way to keep customers happy "that's what customer service is about" some people rely on their friends writing great reviews and then snub their real customers, and still yet some don't seem overly concerned either way, the staff at this place seemed a mix of the last two.
(1)Sandy S.
Wow. Simply the best. Great place, wish you were in Tucson. Very nice presentation and eelicious food. Thanks
(5)Lisa J.
Food is always great here, but on the expensive side. I usually go to Thai Basil if I'm craving Thai food, but their food didn't live up to their usual greatness last month which is why we ended up here. Menu is huge- everything from sushi to Thai to Chinese, some Indian, and even an attempt at Japanese. They need to trim the menu down to help trim down their costs.
(4)Jackie S.
Very tasty. Atmosphere not great but food and service fantastic. Shrimp curry ...yum. Healthy and fresh ingredients. Too bad building has a strip mall feel.
(4)Rakshit K.
I love this place! As a vegetarian, Very very good food. WARNING: Don't mess around with spiciness ratings! If you don't know what to pick, just go with 2/5. 4/5 wasn't a very pleasant experience for me :P Also, the litchi ice cream is a must try.
(4)Dustin B.
I have gone here over 20 times and I love this restaurant. I do not eat the sushi, so I cannot comment on that menu, but I do eat the Thai food and I find it very tasty. The restaurant is small, but not cramped. The decorations are tasteful and elegant which makes for a great date night. As far as the curry's, I'm not an expert of food, so I can't say it's "authentic" because I don't know. However, it tastes good and there are a lot of options. For most meals you can get chicken, beef, pork, or tofu. I tend to get the tofu. They also have brown rice. I like to order extra veggies with my dish. The food has good spices, but it's not overwhelming. You can get different levels of spiciness depending on your preference.
(5)Stephan F.
My wife and I went there for sushi after a recommendation from a stranger at our favorite breakfast place. We went there for happy hour and asked for the most popular specialty roll and a rainbow roll. The rainbow roll...delicious. The big expensive roll? A fried pile of goupy mess!! Two small beers, one hit saki, and two rolls during happy hour...guess how much? 50 bucks with tip!! And the insult to injury was this horrible flute elevator music that just repeated over and over again. The service was great. The food, ambiance and prices?? Pretty bad. We won't be back.
(2)Emilee D.
I am a huge fan of Thai food (and I'm from Seattle where the Thai is usually top-notch), and this place has yet to disappoint me in my probably 30 visits. The Panang Curry is absolutely to die for. The service is always great, and tonight was no exception even though they were packed. Our waters were refilled constantly and our waitress was back frequently to check on us. I love that they offer both steamed and fried tofu in the dishes, as some places only serve it fried, which I'm not a huge fan of. The food is always fresh, the dishes are seasoned well, and the menu selection is immense (lunch less so, but it's still good for me). The portions are plentiful, and orders are served quickly. Worth the trek to Meridian to eat here!
(5)Crystal N Colin G.
My husband and I have been eating here for years and love it. I've tried most of the Thai places in town and most are pretty good, but this is where we almost always choose because it's the best. Huge menu, friendly staff, delicious meals. The fried spring rolls are a must!
(5)Jessica M.
I have driven by here plenty of times and paid no mind. We were looking for something local and decided to try Sa Wah Dee. We walked in and was ignored for about 5 minutes and then finally seated. We didn't get service for about 10 minutes. We were ready for drink but she only brought us water and said she'll be right back. Another 10 minutes and then we ordered drinks. We were ready to order but she again needed to come back. We ordered the friend Green Beans, they were the best part of the meal. I ordered the orange chicken and that's what is was, soggy breaded chewy chicken in an orange sauce. It was too sweet! My bf ordered the Ginger Filet. He asked the spice rating and she said you can get it a 1 or 2. He can handle spice but still got the 1. IT WAS SOOOOO SPICY! We told the waitress and she just smiled so we asked for more rice, still too spicy. He couldn't eat it at all! So after spending $65, we were highly disappointed. I called the next day and asked for the manager. A woman took my number and I still haven't heard back. Very disappointing!
(2)Craig S.
Absolutely awful. You know your not getting good food when the microwave in the back is going off with machine gun rapidity. Food cold, poorly cooked, greasy, and all around bad. No idea who wrote the good reviews. I understand they have a super cheap happy hour. Just sayin.
(1)Gabe E.
Great food and service. I had the vegetable plate with chicken and brown rice. The flavors were fantastic, the chicken not over cooked and the vegetables were fresh. My only slight complaint was that the rice was not warm. I will be back to try other dishes.
(4)Brandon M.
This restaurant gets 5 stars because it's in the greater Boise area. If it were in a coastal city with more high quality selections of Asian dining, it would get 3 or 4 stars. As far as Boise is concerned, this is the best Thai food around. And it's good stuff. Most of the negative reviews you see for SWD are regarding the non-Thai options they serve. Who goes to a Thai restaurant and orders Sushi or Fried Chicken? I can't comment on the quality of the Sushi or Fried Chicken (didn't even know the latter was an option) but let the first experience you have here be the Thai food. Because it's awesome. If you're not very adventurous, Pad Thai is always a great option for people new to Thai food. And SWD makes a great Pad Thai. As for those complaining about the quality of the restaurant, it's pretty typical quality for a more authentic foreign dining experience. It's not dirty, but things are a little more packed in. All in all, I have zero complaints about the restaurant itself. If you want good, authentic Thai food in Boise, this is the only option. If you want Americanized places that at best you could call "Thai influenced", look elsewhere. If you want spotless ceilings, Christian values, and fried chicken like some reviewers apparently were... why on Earth would you think a Thai restaurant was the place to go?
(5)Ryan R.
Had a long day at work, and decided to stop in late tonight for dinner. Was greeted promptly by Said. From the moment I walked in to the moment I left both Said and the other male waiter ensured it was a pleasant experience. The food speaks for itself, as I enjoyed an order of the fresh rolls, and spicy cashew nut with chicken. Very delightful presentation, and the taste was phenomenonal.
(5)Donna D.
First time out to try this restaurant. We were recommended to try it out by a friend. We thought it was solid but not the best we've ever had!~
(3)Alyssa M.
This is some of the best Thai food in the Boise area!! Everything about this little gem is great...I cannot say enough good things about it. I've been here numerous times with my boyfriend because he always said it was his favorite place to get Thai and it's now becoming one of mine. Sometimes I get the sushi, sometimes the Thai, but they are both equally as good. The presentation is beautiful, the menu has some tasty, unique options, and the service is awesome. The servers are always so sweet and give great service. They also have a unique cocktail menu including a delicious chocolate martini! At Sa-Wad-Dee it surely seems like they pay attention to every detail including the beautiful decor...it's so serene and sticks to the Thai tradition...makes you feel warm and cozy. The icing on the cake was ordering the Curry Noodles tonight....absolutely delicious!! I'd recommend this place to anyone looking for good Thai or sushi, and living in Boise it is definitely worth the drive.
(5)Johnnie M.
Wonderful atmosphere. Friendly and attentive staff. I love the decor. I've had many different Thai iced tea and curries across all of southern California and come to Boise, Idaho to find a superior Thai iced tea! Keep it up, Sawadee!
(4)Michael S.
Finally a Thai restaurant in the Treasure Valley that I enjoy. I didn't eat here this evening but I wanted to make sure I gave Sa-Wad-Dee its well-deserved review. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because I've had the real deal at home (parent's cooking) and in Thailand. The Pad Thai doesn't quite use the right type of noodles but is the best in the area so far. As our waitress informed us, the dish has more of a southern influence, and I am used to the type served in Bangkok (also what I have experienced at the majority of Thai restaurants in NV and CA). My only complaint is that the pieces of chicken on the chicken satay and in the Pad Thai were a bit too large/thick. It feels as if you are eating chunks of chicken. The chicken larb was spot on, so if you like lettuce wraps this is what you should get. What I was most impressed by was that our waitress Brie (sp) spoke Thai, and very well. This wasn't something I had expected from a non-Thai, let alone non-Asian, person. Overall the service was also wonderful. I will be returning to fulfill my Thai cuisine cravings!
(4)Lonnie S.
So sad to see a really good restaurant go down hill. This use to be my favorite place to go but after the last 3 trips I have made and 2 separate trips my daughter did I won't go again. Thai tea was so bad that my the people across the table warned me to stop drinking before it got to my mouth. Not only was it rancid but it stuck to the straw! Still we loved the place so we tried the Chili Fried Rice. Again disappointed. Hard kernels of rice from drying all through the dish. I won't be coming back. EVER!
(2)Amanda S.
went here for the first time with my fiancé a couple days ago. one word: AMAZING! he ordered the Alaska roll and the queen roll. he raved all nite about how unbelievably fresh the salmon in the Alaska roll was. I wanted the Fairview roll, but with a twist. I nixed the avocado because I think I may have an allergy, and added instead tempura shrimp. the flavors in this roll were out of this world! a perfect mix of sweet and tangy, just exploding with flavor! the service was excellent! it was a Friday nite and they were hosting a birthday party so they were busy. but our waitress was very diligent and checked in often. even the manager came over and said I had created a great roll and suggested naming it after me. of course, I knew they wouldn't actually do that but it was a very nice thing to say nonetheless. the only reason I didn't give 5 stars is because my parents really wanted to try it but my mom has a gluten allergy and it would've been cool to have some gluten free options but they really don't so she won't get to taste the amazing food. other than that, the entire experience was outstanding!
(4)Kyle M.
This is truly the beat thia food in the treasure valley. All of their food is fresh and made from scratch each and every day. They also have amazing sushi with a chef who knows what he is doing. The staff they have is always helpful and really know the menu by heart. Always very fun to talk to and even remember what i had last time. If your looking for amazing food for a good price then this is the spot.
(5)Maureen K.
Only been here once on a Sunday afternoon, but I already know I'll be back again. Got here with my mom around 1:30, and was immediately greeted by friendly staff and given our choice of seating. There was only one other couple dining, and we were promptly approached for our drink orders. I had a coupon for a half off 2nd entree (with one entree and two drink orders) that has been in recent 2015 Eagle Magazine issues but the coupon had an exp. date of 12/2014. Server had no problem honoring it. It basically paid for the tip-- nice! Decor was pleasing, nice lighting and wall murals and I noticed a well-stocked bar with basic whiskeys that hubby would approve of, so I'm looking forward to going here with him, too. The food was fresh, and meat was plentiful. Also, love that the dishes aren't oily! I ordered the Pad Kra Pao with chicken. Mom ordered the Sesame Lover with chicken. We had a lot of leftover brown rice between us -- more than half that we left behind. Servings were generous. House wine is Salmon Creek, just like our beloved Merc at Hidden Springs, and Mom loves a good White Zin. that is not always easy to find in a house wine or even offered at all. Our server checked on us perfectly throughout to see if we needed anything. It's easy to see why they're celebrating 10 yrs in business. A great experience!
(5)Nani V.
OMG! I've never been to a Thai restaurant, until this past August. I went to visit my sister and her family in Meridian, ID. We all went to dinner at Sa-Wad-Dee. I wasn't too excited at first, because I wasn't sure what to order. The only thing I've ever eaten that was Thai, was Pad-Thai. We ordered quite a few dishes, I forgot what they were, but they were all yummy! Will definantly have to try more Thai dishes now.
(4)Emile L.
I have eaten here several times. The last one was at a business meeting about a week ago. We had sushi as appetizers and it was very, very goo. Mmm, makes my mouth water to think about it. Then I had the most delicious entre. I don't recall the name but it had noodles, beef, and delicious sauce. Recommend and I will be back.
(4)BoiseFoodie A.
Horrible service and mediocre food. There are several other good Thai restaurants in Boise area so we don't bother going back to this one.
(1)Janie P.
The depth of flavors here is worth the wait!!!
(4)Bob F.
There is no way to hide the awful taste of frozen peas and carrots. Thai food is one of my favorites. This place sucks! Soy sauce is not traditionally used in Thai food. Here they opt to use soy in the pad thai. I let the wife try hers before I told her what I thought. She agreed, "Worst Pad Thai ever!"
(1)Beauford W.
This is a great Thai restaurant with all of the classic dishes. The wait is never long and the staff is very friendly. I recommend most of the coconut curry dishes except the Beef Massamun Curry. The potatoes make it far too bland. The Tom Kha soup is very good. I'm no Thai food expert but the food here is delicious.
(4)Shagen M.
I really wanted to LOVE this place because of the other reviews I read on here. I feel like I came in with high expectations because of what I read here. However, I felt like the meal was just ok. I don't think it was authentic at all. It seemed more like Americanized Thai food. The atmosphere was nice but also felt a little claustrophobic to me. Also, they have a scale of like 1-10 for spiciness on their dishes. I really love extremely spicy food and asked for a 10. My dish was hardly spicy at all so I had to ask for additional chilies to spice it up more. At a real Thai place that wouldn't have been an issue. Overall it was good but not great. Sorry!
(3)Janessa C.
I love love Sa-Wad-Dee! I usually order the Beef Massamun Curry, but I love their Pad Thai and the Swimming Rama - they have great spinach with this. The golden tofu is always perfectly crunchy/tender and the salads are delicious too. It's far better than over-priced places like Mai Thai.
(5)Randy W.
Really nice food! It's location was a bit off putting, but occasionally you find a really good place in a strip mall. The wine list was lacking but the service and food were outstanding and at the end of the day that's what really counts. We shared the pork larb salad, and then we both had curry. She has chicken curry and I had the seafood curry. Very nice, on both accounts. Healthy, tested great and friendly service. We'll definitely be back!
(4)Jeff M.
I was disapointed in Sa-Wad-Dee dishes compared to some of the other Thai restaurants in Boise. Food was just so so and the 3 star hot sauce was not even 1 star
(2)Bob L.
I love Summer Rolls with peanut sauce. Too bad they didn't offer them. I love Panang Curry but not Panang Curry soup with what looked like a can of peas and carrots thrown in. House prepared carrots don't come in perfectly shaped little cubes. I never had peas or broccoli thrown into Panang Curry either. I'd rather see a fish tank than a flock of flies but sometimes I am disappointed. And while I'm whining so loudly, why does a Thai restaurant have Sushi? Hey, pick a cuisine and do it right! This is the third Thai restaurant I've tried in the Boise area and I'm still looking for one that I would go back to a second time.
(2)Charlie P.
The food is OK. Not bad but nothing special. A little on the pricey side for what you get. The service is terrible. We recently moved to the area and have gotten food there twice. The first time was delivery, which they charge a $6.00 fee for! The second time I ordered for pickup. I was told it would be 30 minutes. I gave them the benefit and didn't show up for 45 minutes. When I arrived, there was a family of 5 waiting for dine in. There were plenty of tables, but they weren't being seated. Meanwhile, I was completely ignored. The topper was someone else came in for a pickup, and the served them first! The last straw was, I just called for a pickup order, and was told they aren't taking pickup orders tonight. So I'm willing to pay for a meal that requires no service, and no delivery, just cooking, and they don't want my business. Three strikes and your out.
(1)Brandon B.
Great service, food is mediocre. Their menu spice goes to 5, but you can get up to 10 off menu. I got the 10 and it was not very spicy. The veggies are good, the brown rice is good. The meat is terrible. I had beef, my girlfriend got spicy chicken Pad Thai. Both meats were awful. It tastes like they boiled the meats, which removes all flavor and gives them a bad texture. Thai iced tea is always good. The service was fantastic though. We never complain but the waitress made it a great first impression. That saved the day. Our waitress even offered us free ice cream since it was our first time. I would have given less stars without the over-the-top service. Very calm atmosphere. I don't know if we would return based on the meat alone. That usually doesn't does not change and having to choke it down was unpleasant. EVERYTHING else was so good, it sucks to see it all spoiled by terrible meat. Also, if you are going to offer off-menu "very spicy", at least try to make it spicy... The 10 was laughable as it was Tabasco hot. I'll pay top dollar for good, spicy Thai.
(3)Elisha A.
This place has excellent service and fabulous food. I have had thai food from a lot of places and this is still the go to for our family! Fresh ingredients!!! Wonderful drinks and desserts!!!
(5)Kristen H.
Very good service. Wouldn't recommend the sweet and sour entree. Coconut ice cream was amazing.
(4)Patrick W.
For Boise area this is as good as it will get with Thai food. Traveled all over and have had better but like I said this is as good as it will get for boise.
(4)Doug H.
First, a digression. Veteran Yelpies have undoubtedly trod this road before, but since Yelp evidently doesn't encourage reviews of itself, let me just say this: I WANT HALF STARS. In an era when all children are above average and shopping mall food court Chinese is "awesome," we need a little more room for nuance. According to the guidelines, 3 stars means "A-OK," which to me seems pretty good, not great, while 4 stars is "Yay, I'm a fan (exclamations deleted)," which starts to approach Michelin territory in my book. This is nowhere more applicable than a restaurant like Sa-Wa-Dee. It virtually screams 3.5 stars. It's not SWD's fault that we live in a homogeneous area ethnically and that an authentic Thai restaurant might be a hard sell, resulting in a generic pan-Asian menu tailored to American palettes. So they lose no stars from me for the cop-out, and if you can get over that part, it's really a pretty good restaurant. This is a sister establishment to Rice in Eagle, and there are culinary similarities. The food is well-prepared, reflecting a kitchen that pays attention to details. We've eaten in both places several times and have yet to taste anything the slightest bit greasy, reheated, or past its prime. SWD is at least as good as other Thai restaurants we've found in the area, and compared to the generally miserable lineup of Chinese restaurants, it is a shining star. The bar is low, but at least SWD isn't below it. The fresh rolls, satay, and dumplings are standouts among the starters, and you can put together a satisfying meal from just this part of the menu. Among the entrees, the fried rice is fluffy and light, and the stir-fries like al dente asparagus and mushrooms with chicken or shrimp are winners. So what's the problem? Nothing major really, but there are minor things that add up. The space is small, as are the tables, and during busy times it feels cramped and stuffy. In terms of decor, they've probably done the best they can to dress up a strip-mall location wedged between a Subway and title loan emporium. The servers are unfailingly pleasant and efficient, but please stop trying to take away my plate if I set the fork down for 2 seconds. On our last visit this happened so many times I finally surrendered, sure go ahead if it means that much to you. And do you really need constant affirmation that everything is okay? My biggest complaint with the food is that, like a lot of Asian restaurants in the area, many of the items are really sugary. Some entrees taste more like dessert.(This is true at Rice as well.) I like sweet sauce...on pancakes or ice cream. The servers are generally helpful in avoiding these items but you have to ask, as the menu offers no clues. It is fairly pricey for this category. The house wines available for the happy hour discount are pretty mediocre, while the other offerings are a bit better though expensive. The beer selection is fine. We paid $80-something for two, though next time we'll skip the $10 by-the-glass selections and stick with the beer. (But whatever happened to hot tea?) Bottom line here, we'll go back from time to time but we won't stop looking. (And maybe I'll update this review with 3 stars so I can get my 3.5!)
(4)Dani L.
Awesome Thai place! Super friendly staff! We live just down the street and took us about four years to check it out and now regret we waited so long to try it! Super yummy pad Thai and angry fried rice! Sushi is really good too!
(4)Sean C.
Chicken Satay was OK. Felt it was a little dry, but that is me. Had chilli noodles as well and did not think it really stood out taste wise.
(3)Rick R.
Once again I have to come here for work and Sa Waa Dee is my place of choice. Awesome, authentic Thai food!!!!
(5)Megan S.
I have been to slot of Thai places in the area this is on the top 2 of my list. The food is excellent!
(5)David S.
Seriously? This place got four and five stars? I was disappointed, seemed like it was just so so as for food quality. The environmentalist was terrible, extremely loud, seemed like the seating was entirely too tight, and worst of all the server seemed to preoccupied with the table that had the rude and obnoxious group to even notice that our drinks weren't full. Some people go out of their way to keep customers happy "that's what customer service is about" some people rely on their friends writing great reviews and then snub their real customers, and still yet some don't seem overly concerned either way, the staff at this place seemed a mix of the last two.
(1)Sandy S.
Wow. Simply the best. Great place, wish you were in Tucson. Very nice presentation and eelicious food. Thanks
(5)Lisa J.
Food is always great here, but on the expensive side. I usually go to Thai Basil if I'm craving Thai food, but their food didn't live up to their usual greatness last month which is why we ended up here. Menu is huge- everything from sushi to Thai to Chinese, some Indian, and even an attempt at Japanese. They need to trim the menu down to help trim down their costs.
(4)Jackie S.
Very tasty. Atmosphere not great but food and service fantastic. Shrimp curry ...yum. Healthy and fresh ingredients. Too bad building has a strip mall feel.
(4)Rakshit K.
I love this place! As a vegetarian, Very very good food. WARNING: Don't mess around with spiciness ratings! If you don't know what to pick, just go with 2/5. 4/5 wasn't a very pleasant experience for me :P Also, the litchi ice cream is a must try.
(4)Dustin B.
I have gone here over 20 times and I love this restaurant. I do not eat the sushi, so I cannot comment on that menu, but I do eat the Thai food and I find it very tasty. The restaurant is small, but not cramped. The decorations are tasteful and elegant which makes for a great date night. As far as the curry's, I'm not an expert of food, so I can't say it's "authentic" because I don't know. However, it tastes good and there are a lot of options. For most meals you can get chicken, beef, pork, or tofu. I tend to get the tofu. They also have brown rice. I like to order extra veggies with my dish. The food has good spices, but it's not overwhelming. You can get different levels of spiciness depending on your preference.
(5)Phillip D.
I dont get the opportunity very often to eat anything other than normal American. So I was excited when my wife said that she was willing to try Thia. It was a toss up between the newer Thai Basil and this place. I decided on this place because they looked they had a more authentic Thai based menu. Thai Basil's menu is more of a cross between Thai and Chinese. In all my years in Boise and Meridian, I have never been to Sa-Wad-Dee The old saying is that you never get a 2nd chance to make a 1st impression. This saying stands as true just as much for restaurants as for people. Standing outside of Sa-Wad-Dee getting ready to go in, I had my initial impression. It was of a run down restaurant that had not curb appeal what-so ever. It suspect that it looked like it looked many years ago when it 1st opened up. It could be any business. Just a drab store front type location on the outside. Then my wife and I walked inside. The inside is small, but not that bad. After all, sometimes good things do come in small packages, so I kept an open mind. The waitress sat as at a very small table. There were just 2 of us, but this table barely had room for us both. I was not impressed. It made me feel claustrophobic. Like If I leaned just a bit too far to the left, I would fall off. My wife and I watch a lot of Restaurant Impossible. The show with Robert Irvine in which he tries to fix failing restaurants. Restaurants that are failing due to neglect and bad food. So when we walked into Sa-Wad-Dee, the 1st thing we did is looked around. When a restaurant has a dirty and unkempt dining room, its always a sure sign that the kitchen is dirty and unkempt as well. This is of course only logical. Why would a restaurant keep their kitchen clean if they cant do this in their dining room, and vice versa? The answer is that they dont. If any restaurant has a dirty dining room, you can just about guarantee that the kitchen is no different. When we looked at the dining room of Sa-Wad_Dee, we saw ceiling tiles that were dirty and had those nasty looking drop down ceilings. The ones that usually conceal lots and lots more dirt along with dead rats and other such nastiness once the ceiling tile is lifted up. Once my wife and I saw thins, we lost our appetite. But we ordered anyway. I had the SWD fried chicken. On a side note, what in the world does SWD mean? The Chicken tasted like it either had been frozen or cooked much much earlier. It was a dish that was similar to Sweet and Sour Chicken minus the sour. So the chicken dish was nothing but sweet, and not a good sweet either. My wife had the Yakosoba. It did not look appetizing at all, so neither my wife or I could bring ourselves to try it. The only real nice things I have to add to this review was our server, the menu and the box they used for the check. Our server was very nice. And they all looked Asian. I hate eating at Asian restaurants where all the staff is white. Speaking of the serve staff, there were a lot of them. There were only 3 or 4 tables that were full of people eating. So I have no idea why there were so many staff. They all just stood up at the front behind the counter like a police line up. The menu had a wood cover with a large image oh a Hindu god. As a Christian, I was not pleased to be presented with this, but it did make the menu look like what Id expect in a Thai Restaurant. When we were done with our meal, or lack thereof, we were presented with a box with our ticket. Like a cigar box, but not as thick. The box also had this Hindu gods image on it. After this experience, I doubt that my wife will let me take her to another adventurous place. This was an adventure, but not a good one. We were happy to leave this place and will not be back.
(1)Stephan F.
My wife and I went there for sushi after a recommendation from a stranger at our favorite breakfast place. We went there for happy hour and asked for the most popular specialty roll and a rainbow roll. The rainbow roll...delicious. The big expensive roll? A fried pile of goupy mess!! Two small beers, one hit saki, and two rolls during happy hour...guess how much? 50 bucks with tip!! And the insult to injury was this horrible flute elevator music that just repeated over and over again. The service was great. The food, ambiance and prices?? Pretty bad. We won't be back.
(2)Lana V.
I absolutely love this place! Great service and the staff is so friendly. I used to live in Boise and moved to LA. I've been here for three years and I've had some of the best/terrible sushi, Sa Wa Dee rocks! I can't wait to come back.
(5)Emilee D.
I am a huge fan of Thai food (and I'm from Seattle where the Thai is usually top-notch), and this place has yet to disappoint me in my probably 30 visits. The Panang Curry is absolutely to die for. The service is always great, and tonight was no exception even though they were packed. Our waters were refilled constantly and our waitress was back frequently to check on us. I love that they offer both steamed and fried tofu in the dishes, as some places only serve it fried, which I'm not a huge fan of. The food is always fresh, the dishes are seasoned well, and the menu selection is immense (lunch less so, but it's still good for me). The portions are plentiful, and orders are served quickly. Worth the trek to Meridian to eat here!
(5)Crystal N Colin G.
My husband and I have been eating here for years and love it. I've tried most of the Thai places in town and most are pretty good, but this is where we almost always choose because it's the best. Huge menu, friendly staff, delicious meals. The fried spring rolls are a must!
(5)Donna D.
First time out to try this restaurant. We were recommended to try it out by a friend. We thought it was solid but not the best we've ever had!~
(3)Alyssa M.
This is some of the best Thai food in the Boise area!! Everything about this little gem is great...I cannot say enough good things about it. I've been here numerous times with my boyfriend because he always said it was his favorite place to get Thai and it's now becoming one of mine. Sometimes I get the sushi, sometimes the Thai, but they are both equally as good. The presentation is beautiful, the menu has some tasty, unique options, and the service is awesome. The servers are always so sweet and give great service. They also have a unique cocktail menu including a delicious chocolate martini! At Sa-Wad-Dee it surely seems like they pay attention to every detail including the beautiful decor...it's so serene and sticks to the Thai tradition...makes you feel warm and cozy. The icing on the cake was ordering the Curry Noodles tonight....absolutely delicious!! I'd recommend this place to anyone looking for good Thai or sushi, and living in Boise it is definitely worth the drive.
(5)Johnnie M.
Wonderful atmosphere. Friendly and attentive staff. I love the decor. I've had many different Thai iced tea and curries across all of southern California and come to Boise, Idaho to find a superior Thai iced tea! Keep it up, Sawadee!
(4)Michael S.
Finally a Thai restaurant in the Treasure Valley that I enjoy. I didn't eat here this evening but I wanted to make sure I gave Sa-Wad-Dee its well-deserved review. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is because I've had the real deal at home (parent's cooking) and in Thailand. The Pad Thai doesn't quite use the right type of noodles but is the best in the area so far. As our waitress informed us, the dish has more of a southern influence, and I am used to the type served in Bangkok (also what I have experienced at the majority of Thai restaurants in NV and CA). My only complaint is that the pieces of chicken on the chicken satay and in the Pad Thai were a bit too large/thick. It feels as if you are eating chunks of chicken. The chicken larb was spot on, so if you like lettuce wraps this is what you should get. What I was most impressed by was that our waitress Brie (sp) spoke Thai, and very well. This wasn't something I had expected from a non-Thai, let alone non-Asian, person. Overall the service was also wonderful. I will be returning to fulfill my Thai cuisine cravings!
(4)Lonnie S.
So sad to see a really good restaurant go down hill. This use to be my favorite place to go but after the last 3 trips I have made and 2 separate trips my daughter did I won't go again. Thai tea was so bad that my the people across the table warned me to stop drinking before it got to my mouth. Not only was it rancid but it stuck to the straw! Still we loved the place so we tried the Chili Fried Rice. Again disappointed. Hard kernels of rice from drying all through the dish. I won't be coming back. EVER!
(2)Amanda S.
went here for the first time with my fiancé a couple days ago. one word: AMAZING! he ordered the Alaska roll and the queen roll. he raved all nite about how unbelievably fresh the salmon in the Alaska roll was. I wanted the Fairview roll, but with a twist. I nixed the avocado because I think I may have an allergy, and added instead tempura shrimp. the flavors in this roll were out of this world! a perfect mix of sweet and tangy, just exploding with flavor! the service was excellent! it was a Friday nite and they were hosting a birthday party so they were busy. but our waitress was very diligent and checked in often. even the manager came over and said I had created a great roll and suggested naming it after me. of course, I knew they wouldn't actually do that but it was a very nice thing to say nonetheless. the only reason I didn't give 5 stars is because my parents really wanted to try it but my mom has a gluten allergy and it would've been cool to have some gluten free options but they really don't so she won't get to taste the amazing food. other than that, the entire experience was outstanding!
(4)Kyle M.
This is truly the beat thia food in the treasure valley. All of their food is fresh and made from scratch each and every day. They also have amazing sushi with a chef who knows what he is doing. The staff they have is always helpful and really know the menu by heart. Always very fun to talk to and even remember what i had last time. If your looking for amazing food for a good price then this is the spot.
(5)Kevin Q.
This place is killer. I've always come in for traditional Thai food. Tonight I came in during Happy Hour and learned of the great drink and sushi specials. Delish.. I had spicy Salmon, spicy Snapper, Salmon and some sweet tempura shrimp roll - along with two beers. 16$. Seriously? I know where I'll be spending more dinners on the way home from work. The sushi was awesome. Some of the best I've had in town.
(5)Kim R.
Dad & I tried Sa Wad Dee today and we really enjoyed it. We'll definitely be back! Our server, Brianna, was an absolute delight. We'll be asking for her next time. If I owned a restaurant, I'd try to hire her away. Food came very quickly and our water/soda was refilled efficiently. I really like Pad Woonsen (clear glass noodles) and order it whenever I try a new Thai place. It was very good! The beef was tender and the vegetables were cooked just enough. The Asparagus Delight that my Dad had was very good, too. (See the photo I uploaded -- there was an orchid atop it!) Nice big shrimp and pieces of tender chicken accompanied the al dente asparagus and a generous amount of sauce. There was enough of this for leftovers. :) The sushi was fresh and had a very good rice-to-filling ratio. Pretty presentation. A woman sitting at the table next to us had a large bowl of noodles, meat and broth. We asked Brianna about it, and she said it was Tom kha. It'll likely make its way onto my table next time we visit.
(4)Matt S.
Okay, so I've tried this place a few times, have resisted reviewing because everyone I talk to always has good things to say...after a few times though, I'm ready to call it with 2 stars... Food today was OK at best...started with the fried spring rolls. They were greasy and lukewarm at best...not very appetizing at all. I got Pad See Ew with chicken. First off, I don't think noodle dishes are suppose to come with rice so my initial impression was that they were giving you less noodles and more rice to increase the profit margin of the dish. Next time was the rice was actually COLD...not lukewarm, but COLD. The noodles themselves weren't really much warmer than lukewarm. Again, greasy and not really very flavorful at all. My wife had spicy chicken which did have better flavor but again COLD rice and still somewhat greasy. So after several attempts and several so-so experiences, I am ready to say there are much better Thai places in the area so I will choose to go to those in the future.
(2)Leigh Ann D.
I hate to admit it - but this MERIDIAN restaurant is the best Thai food in the greater Boise area. I will drive ALL THE WAY FROM DOWNTOWN BOISE to eat here. I usually get a traditional Thai dish, and haven't tried their extensive cocktail menu because of the driving - but everything looks impressive. Service is friendly and accommodating, and prices are affordable for what you get. Everyone who lives west of Eagle Road should be thanking their lucky stars for this place!
(4)M H.
I have been here a few times, and this place has never failed to impress me. The service is good, the atmosphere is great, the drinks are delicious and the good is top-notch. I've had different noodle dishes, most recently the pad thai. I've also had the lettuce wraps as an appetizer, which are good.
(5)Lisa M.
Sushi at a Thai resturant.... Very, very, very good. I was so happy that I tried the Hero roll. It was wonderfull.
(5)Steve E.
Will never eat sushi at this place again, EVER!!!!! I ordered a tuna roll and a yellowtail roll, the tuna was not even close to the dark red color you would look for, the taste was horrible. The yellowtail was far worse, it tasted very fishy and made my skin crawl. Avoid at all cost!!!!
(1)Frank A.
We came here for lunch and were underwhelmed by the lunch menu. I had trouble selecting what I wanted from the limited menu. The server was very polite and friendly. The dressing on the little salad was exquisite. My pad prik king was ordered with medium heat and was dead on. Overall it was very fresh and on the sweet side. Nothing the Singh Ha couldn't fix. We will be back!
(3)Jim J.
Great ambiance, authentic thai staff, smells of vibrant thai seasonings, and of course tasty food. Been to Thailand twice and this is the most authentic thai food I've had in the treasure valley. We even did a Christmas dinner hear and had a blast with the live music that night... Next to buying a ticket to Thailand, this stop is A1 if you gotcha a cravin for Thai... Recomended newbies start with the Pad Thai and have a Thai sweet tea to perk u up:)
(4)Jessica M.
I have driven by here plenty of times and paid no mind. We were looking for something local and decided to try Sa Wah Dee. We walked in and was ignored for about 5 minutes and then finally seated. We didn't get service for about 10 minutes. We were ready for drink but she only brought us water and said she'll be right back. Another 10 minutes and then we ordered drinks. We were ready to order but she again needed to come back. We ordered the friend Green Beans, they were the best part of the meal. I ordered the orange chicken and that's what is was, soggy breaded chewy chicken in an orange sauce. It was too sweet! My bf ordered the Ginger Filet. He asked the spice rating and she said you can get it a 1 or 2. He can handle spice but still got the 1. IT WAS SOOOOO SPICY! We told the waitress and she just smiled so we asked for more rice, still too spicy. He couldn't eat it at all! So after spending $65, we were highly disappointed. I called the next day and asked for the manager. A woman took my number and I still haven't heard back. Very disappointing!
(2)Craig S.
Absolutely awful. You know your not getting good food when the microwave in the back is going off with machine gun rapidity. Food cold, poorly cooked, greasy, and all around bad. No idea who wrote the good reviews. I understand they have a super cheap happy hour. Just sayin.
(1)Gabe E.
Great food and service. I had the vegetable plate with chicken and brown rice. The flavors were fantastic, the chicken not over cooked and the vegetables were fresh. My only slight complaint was that the rice was not warm. I will be back to try other dishes.
(4)Brandon M.
This restaurant gets 5 stars because it's in the greater Boise area. If it were in a coastal city with more high quality selections of Asian dining, it would get 3 or 4 stars. As far as Boise is concerned, this is the best Thai food around. And it's good stuff. Most of the negative reviews you see for SWD are regarding the non-Thai options they serve. Who goes to a Thai restaurant and orders Sushi or Fried Chicken? I can't comment on the quality of the Sushi or Fried Chicken (didn't even know the latter was an option) but let the first experience you have here be the Thai food. Because it's awesome. If you're not very adventurous, Pad Thai is always a great option for people new to Thai food. And SWD makes a great Pad Thai. As for those complaining about the quality of the restaurant, it's pretty typical quality for a more authentic foreign dining experience. It's not dirty, but things are a little more packed in. All in all, I have zero complaints about the restaurant itself. If you want good, authentic Thai food in Boise, this is the only option. If you want Americanized places that at best you could call "Thai influenced", look elsewhere. If you want spotless ceilings, Christian values, and fried chicken like some reviewers apparently were... why on Earth would you think a Thai restaurant was the place to go?
(5)Ryan R.
Had a long day at work, and decided to stop in late tonight for dinner. Was greeted promptly by Said. From the moment I walked in to the moment I left both Said and the other male waiter ensured it was a pleasant experience. The food speaks for itself, as I enjoyed an order of the fresh rolls, and spicy cashew nut with chicken. Very delightful presentation, and the taste was phenomenonal.
(5)Sarah B.
The first time I went here I didn't have a good experience so I haven't back for years. Food: sushi, husband had seafood rice dish, very good! Atmoshere: it's 3/5 floor was sticky Service: very good and prompt, no wait (sat night) yet the restaurant was busy. Price: Two adults/ 1 Sake, 2 entree, 1 appetizer, 1 dessert +tip ~$50
(4)Greg L.
There are a few Thai options in Boise but Sa-Wad-Dee is my fav. Prices are reasonable and selections are plenty. Service has always been very courteous and prompt. Overall very pleased with Sa-Wad-Dee. Note: for a Thai joint they have a pretty good selection of Sushi that is pretty decent.
(4)Andrew H.
I live in Boise and have tried just about every Thai restaurant in town. Decided to expand the search and heard good things about this place. Definitely glad I took the drive. Food was great. My Thai sweet and sour was just right, crispy vegetables and the sauce was just the right amount of sweet. We had a tempura vegetable appetizer which was a good match with the sweet chili sauce. Our server was friendly and attentive. The restaurant is small so it does have a tendency to be busy. If you're in the area and want some great thai food at a good price I recommend it, I will definitely make the drive again in the near future.
(4)Scott H.
Great food. Enjoyed both sushi and thai. Good happy hour prices on sushi. definitely recommended.
(4)Todd C.
I love me some Thai food. "There's a Thai place nearby!" my sister enthused, after having moved to Meridian, Idaho, from Nevada a little over a year ago. "We'll have to try it out when you get up here." I'd been wanting Thai food forever. And, once I moved to Idaho, we decided to try Sa Wad Dee. I'm still wanting for Thai food. Because... I don't think what I was served was actually Thai. Don't get me wrong; I think some Thai people were working there. I didn't check their papers. I'm just saying they could've been Thai. They were Asian. And they were friendly. That explains the two-star rating. Without the friendly staff and the excellent service, one star might've been pushing it. I ordered the Pad Thai. One of my favoritest meals ever. I've often cited it as my favorite. Depends on time and mood. That day, I was in the mood. So I ordered. And got something that wasn't much better than a barely-cooked package of ramen noodles I could've purchased myself at Albertson's for 13¢ and a paltry covering of- Stuff. Seriously, I could've made this in my dorm room in college and it would've pissed off my roommate and he'd have shat on my toothbrush while I was out. The jasmine sticky rice was good. And the tea. As a nice, unsolicited touch, they brought a plate of rice for my great-niece molded into the shape of a Teddy bear after having bestowed upon her a set of crayons and a coloring book. She enjoyed drinking tea with her grandmother and the staff doted on her. For desert, we ordered plate of fried bananas with coconut ice cream to share. What we got was a mix. The plate was too small for sharing. That's not the establishment's fault. But it was priced too high for what we got - for what a single customer would've gotten - and, really, there wasn't much there for a single customer to enjoy. The desert was a small scoop of house-made coconut ice cream - which was outstanding - ringed by fried bananas and the plate was drizzled in chocolate on one side and another sauce on the other. The sauces were tasty... The fried bananas were not. I'd recommend a dish of the coconut ice cream if that's what might be on your mind if finding yourself there... But... It's a disappointing series of hoops to go through for ice cream.
(2)Nicole D.
Favorite Thai restaurant in the Treasure Valley area. Don't let the strip mall facade fool you, the food here is great. Restaurant is clean with good ambiance. We usually get to-go but the table service is pretty good (has been a bit slow when they get busy). Sa-Wad-Dee accomodates gluten free requests (my favorite is Thai Chili Fried Rice) but they can do many other dishes gf as well. Try this place if you are in Meridian!
(4)David L.
Most people review this place at: yelp.com/biz/sa-wad-dee-… Suggest you read those.
(3)Jen J.
Have no idea how this place gets such great ratings. Went on a couples date and only one of us enjoyed our food. Very pricey for what you get and flavors are horrid. I couldn't even eat what I ordered and we had to stop at a fast food place on the way home to get me something to eat.
(1)Kimber S.
My friend and I popped in here for a quick dinner after a long day of traveling. This place is located in a strip mall but it's decorated so cute with colorful lights hanging in the windows and some cute bistro sets on the front porch for dining al fresco in better weather. I had the old stand-by, Pad Thai, which was good but a little heavy on the noodles and light on the veggies and meat. My friend had the Garlic Noodles which I think I probably ate the majority of. It was delicious! The prices were decent for Thai food (around $10 an entree) and beers were buy 2 get one free on Wednesday night. The only gripe I have is that there was a trio of musicians playing bluegrass music (non-stop) in the restaurant and it just didn't seem to enhance the Thai vibe.
(3)Beth S.
My husband and I love this place! He always gets the pineapple rice which is delicious, I stick with the curry. The chicken satees (sp?) are a yummy appetizer, love the peanut sauce. They deliver as well, which I love on a lazy movie night!
(5)Gerryl K.
We love this place! I crave this place. I love everything. Food, Service- everything!! We come to Boise area about 2 times a year for several weeks. We eat here every time we are in the area. I wish we had this kind of Thai food in Frisco TX. This is one of my favorite places for good food. Ambiance is nice not what you would expect from the Strip Center place. This is a GEM of a place and the family that runs the place obviously takes pride in the place.
(5)Olivia O.
So, now that my fiance and I found this place we can't help but go there at least once a week. Everything that we've had there has been super yummy. The presentation is off the hook and the decor is wonderful. I love all the attention to detail that the owners put into developing this resteraunt. My fav dishes are the Larb chicken salad, the Crunchy Flowers, their sushi is fantastic, Thai Iced Tea, Pad Thai....etc... You'll definitely be satisfied eating here!
(4)ILove Foo D.
I cannot believe that I have been driving by this little gem for years and it has taken me this long to partake of such wonderful thai food! Don't let the location fool you! Even though it is nestled between a subway sandwich shop and a dry cleaner that are plopped right next to a grocery store and gas station, this place shines! The ambiance is relaxing yet energetic with the music and conversation that bounces off the walls of this tiny restaurant with a bar and small sushi bar. You can tell that many people are "regulars" here by their interaction with the servers/hosts which are as friendly as can be. My hubby and I went on a friday night and were told it would be about a 15-20 minute wait, but within 5 minutes they offered us a bar table which was a little small but the stool was comfy. We were blown away by the menus: one for sushi and one for non-sushi with a huge assortment and a picture next to EVERY dish (loved that!). Needless to say, it took us a while to order due to being entranced by the menus but we started off with the House Platter. The chicken satay was delicious, the tempura vegetables perfect and the sweet chili sauce served with the appetizer was so good I could drink the stuff! For dinner my husband got the Salmon in the jungle (the green curry is hot and delicious, the salmon cooked perfect) and I got sushi: the Meridian roll and Dynamite roll. Miso soup came with my rolls and I wish I had tasted that first due to my tongue was already burning a bit from the Dynamite roll when I got to it. Of course the hubby and I shared food and it was nice enjoying the food while eating it slow with chopsticks while also enjoying the atmosphere. Meanwhile I remember our glasses only being close to empty once and at least 4 different servers refilled them throughout the night. It was hopping the whole time we were there with numerous to-go pick ups and I now understand why this little diamond in the rough has stayed in business for so long. Our server was super sweet and invited us to come back on wednesday nights when their happy hour consists of bogo drinks...she had me at that because they do have a nice drink list as well that I would like to check off a few :) There's several more menu items I would like to check off as well so, yes, we will return! So glad to have found such a delightful place so near to home!
(4)Mallorie G.
I moved up here from southern CA and had practically lost all faith in finding decent Thai food here. Ignoring the obsession this place seems to have with putting restaurants in strip malls, I tried this place. AMAZING! The food is super good...and you get the desired spice you ask for. Unlike a lot of restaurants here where a 5 is really a 1 or 2. The portions are decent, but I rated it a four because it seems a bit on the pricey side. The menu can be a little overwhelming since there are so many dishes to choose from. I've been to every Thai place I could find here and this is the closest to authentic Thai as I've been able to find. Fresh ingredients, decent sized portions, great usage of spice, perfectly cooked food...I haven't had a problem there yet.
(4)Dave L.
I'm a huge fan of Thai food and I've been eating at Sa Wad Dee since they opened. This is simply the best Thai food you can get in the Treasure valley. The food is incredibly fresh, always served cooked to perfection, available in all variations of spice and the portions are large. The staff is always ready to help you select a dish if you haven't tried something yet and their menu is exhaustive in the selection. I have two favorites that I order over and over again, the Spicy Cashew Nuts and the Yellow Curry, both phenomenal. The food here is far superior to the larger competitors in the area and the intimate atmosphere makes dining feel like a family affair. The staff knows your name and what you like most after a couple of visits and they always welcome you as friends. I really can't say enough good about Sa Wad Dee. If I have any criticism at all it is that they don't have a children's menu but that is easily solved with an order of Chicken Satay and Crab Rangoons. Eat here as soon as you can, you'll be a customer for life!
(5)Amanda S.
I visited this restaurant the night before Valentine's day, and it was packed. We ended up spending 2 hours here, mostly in waiting for our meals, but I don't think that's typical. The atmosphere is lovely; not overly tacky and garish like many Asian restaurants can be, but done tastefully. Still, it helps evoke a Thai spirit. I'm a vegetarian as was my dining partner, and we started with veggie spring rolls. Unfortunately the server brought shrimp spring rolls, but it had taken so long and we were so hungry, we set them aside. I ordered the mixed veggies with tofu, which was fantastic. It arrived hot, and in a light garlic sauce. The veggies were perfectly al dente, the fried tofu had great texture and flavor, and the sauce wasn't too heavy to cover up the flavors of the vegetables. My guest had the green curry with tofu, which was also wonderful. It had large pieces of lemongrass along with fried tofu and several vegetables in a slightly spicy sauce. My guest nearly licked her plate clean. The green tea was also good, and served in individual elephant tea pots, which was a nice touch. Food was also presented well, and all meals came with rice. The waitress was incredibly friendly and eager-to-please. No service issues other than the extremely long wait, but that seemed to be an aberration. I highly suggest this restaurant.
(5)Robert B.
Overall a great choice. If you like Thai, give it a try.
(4)Amanda S.
I visited this restaurant the night before Valentine's day, and it was packed. We ended up spending 2 hours here, mostly in waiting for our meals, but I don't think that's typical. The atmosphere is lovely; not overly tacky and garish like many Asian restaurants can be, but done tastefully. Still, it helps evoke a Thai spirit. I'm a vegetarian as was my dining partner, and we started with veggie spring rolls. Unfortunately the server brought shrimp spring rolls, but it had taken so long and we were so hungry, we set them aside. I ordered the mixed veggies with tofu, which was fantastic. It arrived hot, and in a light garlic sauce. The veggies were perfectly al dente, the fried tofu had great texture and flavor, and the sauce wasn't too heavy to cover up the flavors of the vegetables. My guest had the green curry with tofu, which was also wonderful. It had large pieces of lemongrass along with fried tofu and several vegetables in a slightly spicy sauce. My guest nearly licked her plate clean. The green tea was also good, and served in individual elephant tea pots, which was a nice touch. Food was also presented well, and all meals came with rice. The waitress was incredibly friendly and eager-to-please. No service issues other than the extremely long wait, but that seemed to be an aberration. I highly suggest this restaurant.
(5)Robert B.
Overall a great choice. If you like Thai, give it a try.
(4)Mike L.
This restaurant is absolutely superb and you never know what style the plate will be when it is brought out. The prices are really reasonable too. We like the yakisoba and hot curry dinners. Give them a try. You will not regret it.
(5)David J.
We have eaten here for many years and love everything we've ever eaten - enjoy!! The menu is huge and you can always find something you're in the mood for. (Save room for the sticky mango rice coconut dessert!)
(5)David H.
I have eaten here many times and have never had a bad experience. The staff is nice, the decor is appropriate, and the owners well lets just say know what they are doing. Keep in mind that most people that rate restaurants only do so when they are not happy, and when dealing with the mass amount of people this restaurant does you can not help but have one or two here and there. Give them a try you will not be unhappy!
(5)Jim S.
Awesome Food... Took our daughter there after she returned from living in Far East for 3 years. "The Best Thai food I have had since returning to the US!" That pretty much sums it up.... Tom Yum Soup is my personal favorite.... But the Volcano is something to "light up" too.
(4)Brent S.
I spent 12 days in Thailand on vacation. I got back, and for one day, I was sick of thai food. Then over the next week there were 3 times (in San Francisco and Seattle) when I decided I wanted thai food again, but I wasn't yet ready for the inevitable disappointment. Then after a week I found myself in Meridian, Idaho for work, and decided to go for it, since I knew my first thai meal would be disappointing anyway and Idaho thai food was already going to be bad, obviously (offensive). It turns out both of those assumptions were incorrect. I left quite happy. The decor is very comforting and inviting. It holds together well. They have a big menu. I got an eggplant basil dish, pad see ew, and green tea, which came served in a ceramic elephant. I prefer drinking my green tea out of the trunk of a live elephant, but I was nonetheless satisfied. Both dishes came out relatively quickly, with great presentation. Delicious. The service was very nice, and if my server wasn't Thai, she was more Thai than your average server at, say, the Subway next door. For dessert I would have ordered the rambutan stuffed with pineapple (impressive that they actually have rambutan, eh?), but I was too full. In a good way. Overall I definitely recommend it. One idea for improvement would be to have an available selection of spicy things on the table. In conclusion, some highlights of the soundtrack to my meal included muzak versions of Killing Me Softly, Don't You Want Somebody To Love, Imagine, Is This Love, and Isn't She Lovely.
(4)David J.
We have eaten here for many years and love everything we've ever eaten - enjoy!! The menu is huge and you can always find something you're in the mood for. (Save room for the sticky mango rice coconut dessert!)
(5)David H.
I have eaten here many times and have never had a bad experience. The staff is nice, the decor is appropriate, and the owners well lets just say know what they are doing. Keep in mind that most people that rate restaurants only do so when they are not happy, and when dealing with the mass amount of people this restaurant does you can not help but have one or two here and there. Give them a try you will not be unhappy!
(5)Mike L.
This restaurant is absolutely superb and you never know what style the plate will be when it is brought out. The prices are really reasonable too. We like the yakisoba and hot curry dinners. Give them a try. You will not regret it.
(5)Jim S.
Awesome Food... Took our daughter there after she returned from living in Far East for 3 years. "The Best Thai food I have had since returning to the US!" That pretty much sums it up.... Tom Yum Soup is my personal favorite.... But the Volcano is something to "light up" too.
(4)Holly H.
I love Thai food. I have to say I am shocked at all the high ratings on the quality of the food served here. My husband and I have been to some fabulous Thai places in Portland, Oregon. We were told to check this place out - not impressed. The Pad Thai was not like any Pad Thai I have ever had - they even used some stringy little noodle not the thicker rice-like noodles -it was actually pretty greasy too. We ordered another dish with chicken and asparagus. It was good but nothing to write home about. We will continue to look for a good Thai restaurant in Boise.
(2)Nani V.
OMG! I've never been to a Thai restaurant, until this past August. I went to visit my sister and her family in Meridian, ID. We all went to dinner at Sa-Wad-Dee. I wasn't too excited at first, because I wasn't sure what to order. The only thing I've ever eaten that was Thai, was Pad-Thai. We ordered quite a few dishes, I forgot what they were, but they were all yummy! Will definantly have to try more Thai dishes now.
(4)Emile L.
I have eaten here several times. The last one was at a business meeting about a week ago. We had sushi as appetizers and it was very, very goo. Mmm, makes my mouth water to think about it. Then I had the most delicious entre. I don't recall the name but it had noodles, beef, and delicious sauce. Recommend and I will be back.
(4)Kevin Q.
This place is killer. I've always come in for traditional Thai food. Tonight I came in during Happy Hour and learned of the great drink and sushi specials. Delish.. I had spicy Salmon, spicy Snapper, Salmon and some sweet tempura shrimp roll - along with two beers. 16$. Seriously? I know where I'll be spending more dinners on the way home from work. The sushi was awesome. Some of the best I've had in town.
(5)Steve E.
Will never eat sushi at this place again, EVER!!!!! I ordered a tuna roll and a yellowtail roll, the tuna was not even close to the dark red color you would look for, the taste was horrible. The yellowtail was far worse, it tasted very fishy and made my skin crawl. Avoid at all cost!!!!
(1)Kim R.
Dad & I tried Sa Wad Dee today and we really enjoyed it. We'll definitely be back! Our server, Brianna, was an absolute delight. We'll be asking for her next time. If I owned a restaurant, I'd try to hire her away. Food came very quickly and our water/soda was refilled efficiently. I really like Pad Woonsen (clear glass noodles) and order it whenever I try a new Thai place. It was very good! The beef was tender and the vegetables were cooked just enough. The Asparagus Delight that my Dad had was very good, too. (See the photo I uploaded -- there was an orchid atop it!) Nice big shrimp and pieces of tender chicken accompanied the al dente asparagus and a generous amount of sauce. There was enough of this for leftovers. :) The sushi was fresh and had a very good rice-to-filling ratio. Pretty presentation. A woman sitting at the table next to us had a large bowl of noodles, meat and broth. We asked Brianna about it, and she said it was Tom kha. It'll likely make its way onto my table next time we visit.
(4)Matt S.
Okay, so I've tried this place a few times, have resisted reviewing because everyone I talk to always has good things to say...after a few times though, I'm ready to call it with 2 stars... Food today was OK at best...started with the fried spring rolls. They were greasy and lukewarm at best...not very appetizing at all. I got Pad See Ew with chicken. First off, I don't think noodle dishes are suppose to come with rice so my initial impression was that they were giving you less noodles and more rice to increase the profit margin of the dish. Next time was the rice was actually COLD...not lukewarm, but COLD. The noodles themselves weren't really much warmer than lukewarm. Again, greasy and not really very flavorful at all. My wife had spicy chicken which did have better flavor but again COLD rice and still somewhat greasy. So after several attempts and several so-so experiences, I am ready to say there are much better Thai places in the area so I will choose to go to those in the future.
(2)Leigh Ann D.
I hate to admit it - but this MERIDIAN restaurant is the best Thai food in the greater Boise area. I will drive ALL THE WAY FROM DOWNTOWN BOISE to eat here. I usually get a traditional Thai dish, and haven't tried their extensive cocktail menu because of the driving - but everything looks impressive. Service is friendly and accommodating, and prices are affordable for what you get. Everyone who lives west of Eagle Road should be thanking their lucky stars for this place!
(4)M H.
I have been here a few times, and this place has never failed to impress me. The service is good, the atmosphere is great, the drinks are delicious and the good is top-notch. I've had different noodle dishes, most recently the pad thai. I've also had the lettuce wraps as an appetizer, which are good.
(5)Lisa M.
Sushi at a Thai resturant.... Very, very, very good. I was so happy that I tried the Hero roll. It was wonderfull.
(5)Frank A.
We came here for lunch and were underwhelmed by the lunch menu. I had trouble selecting what I wanted from the limited menu. The server was very polite and friendly. The dressing on the little salad was exquisite. My pad prik king was ordered with medium heat and was dead on. Overall it was very fresh and on the sweet side. Nothing the Singh Ha couldn't fix. We will be back!
(3)Jim J.
Great ambiance, authentic thai staff, smells of vibrant thai seasonings, and of course tasty food. Been to Thailand twice and this is the most authentic thai food I've had in the treasure valley. We even did a Christmas dinner hear and had a blast with the live music that night... Next to buying a ticket to Thailand, this stop is A1 if you gotcha a cravin for Thai... Recomended newbies start with the Pad Thai and have a Thai sweet tea to perk u up:)
(4)Andrew H.
I live in Boise and have tried just about every Thai restaurant in town. Decided to expand the search and heard good things about this place. Definitely glad I took the drive. Food was great. My Thai sweet and sour was just right, crispy vegetables and the sauce was just the right amount of sweet. We had a tempura vegetable appetizer which was a good match with the sweet chili sauce. Our server was friendly and attentive. The restaurant is small so it does have a tendency to be busy. If you're in the area and want some great thai food at a good price I recommend it, I will definitely make the drive again in the near future.
(4)Scott H.
Great food. Enjoyed both sushi and thai. Good happy hour prices on sushi. definitely recommended.
(4)Sarah B.
The first time I went here I didn't have a good experience so I haven't back for years. Food: sushi, husband had seafood rice dish, very good! Atmoshere: it's 3/5 floor was sticky Service: very good and prompt, no wait (sat night) yet the restaurant was busy. Price: Two adults/ 1 Sake, 2 entree, 1 appetizer, 1 dessert +tip ~$50
(4)Greg L.
There are a few Thai options in Boise but Sa-Wad-Dee is my fav. Prices are reasonable and selections are plenty. Service has always been very courteous and prompt. Overall very pleased with Sa-Wad-Dee. Note: for a Thai joint they have a pretty good selection of Sushi that is pretty decent.
(4)Kimber S.
My friend and I popped in here for a quick dinner after a long day of traveling. This place is located in a strip mall but it's decorated so cute with colorful lights hanging in the windows and some cute bistro sets on the front porch for dining al fresco in better weather. I had the old stand-by, Pad Thai, which was good but a little heavy on the noodles and light on the veggies and meat. My friend had the Garlic Noodles which I think I probably ate the majority of. It was delicious! The prices were decent for Thai food (around $10 an entree) and beers were buy 2 get one free on Wednesday night. The only gripe I have is that there was a trio of musicians playing bluegrass music (non-stop) in the restaurant and it just didn't seem to enhance the Thai vibe.
(3)Gerryl K.
We love this place! I crave this place. I love everything. Food, Service- everything!! We come to Boise area about 2 times a year for several weeks. We eat here every time we are in the area. I wish we had this kind of Thai food in Frisco TX. This is one of my favorite places for good food. Ambiance is nice not what you would expect from the Strip Center place. This is a GEM of a place and the family that runs the place obviously takes pride in the place.
(5)Todd C.
I love me some Thai food. "There's a Thai place nearby!" my sister enthused, after having moved to Meridian, Idaho, from Nevada a little over a year ago. "We'll have to try it out when you get up here." I'd been wanting Thai food forever. And, once I moved to Idaho, we decided to try Sa Wad Dee. I'm still wanting for Thai food. Because... I don't think what I was served was actually Thai. Don't get me wrong; I think some Thai people were working there. I didn't check their papers. I'm just saying they could've been Thai. They were Asian. And they were friendly. That explains the two-star rating. Without the friendly staff and the excellent service, one star might've been pushing it. I ordered the Pad Thai. One of my favoritest meals ever. I've often cited it as my favorite. Depends on time and mood. That day, I was in the mood. So I ordered. And got something that wasn't much better than a barely-cooked package of ramen noodles I could've purchased myself at Albertson's for 13¢ and a paltry covering of- Stuff. Seriously, I could've made this in my dorm room in college and it would've pissed off my roommate and he'd have shat on my toothbrush while I was out. The jasmine sticky rice was good. And the tea. As a nice, unsolicited touch, they brought a plate of rice for my great-niece molded into the shape of a Teddy bear after having bestowed upon her a set of crayons and a coloring book. She enjoyed drinking tea with her grandmother and the staff doted on her. For desert, we ordered plate of fried bananas with coconut ice cream to share. What we got was a mix. The plate was too small for sharing. That's not the establishment's fault. But it was priced too high for what we got - for what a single customer would've gotten - and, really, there wasn't much there for a single customer to enjoy. The desert was a small scoop of house-made coconut ice cream - which was outstanding - ringed by fried bananas and the plate was drizzled in chocolate on one side and another sauce on the other. The sauces were tasty... The fried bananas were not. I'd recommend a dish of the coconut ice cream if that's what might be on your mind if finding yourself there... But... It's a disappointing series of hoops to go through for ice cream.
(2)Nicole D.
Favorite Thai restaurant in the Treasure Valley area. Don't let the strip mall facade fool you, the food here is great. Restaurant is clean with good ambiance. We usually get to-go but the table service is pretty good (has been a bit slow when they get busy). Sa-Wad-Dee accomodates gluten free requests (my favorite is Thai Chili Fried Rice) but they can do many other dishes gf as well. Try this place if you are in Meridian!
(4)David L.
Most people review this place at: yelp.com/biz/sa-wad-dee-… Suggest you read those.
(3)Jen J.
Have no idea how this place gets such great ratings. Went on a couples date and only one of us enjoyed our food. Very pricey for what you get and flavors are horrid. I couldn't even eat what I ordered and we had to stop at a fast food place on the way home to get me something to eat.
(1)Beth S.
My husband and I love this place! He always gets the pineapple rice which is delicious, I stick with the curry. The chicken satees (sp?) are a yummy appetizer, love the peanut sauce. They deliver as well, which I love on a lazy movie night!
(5)Olivia O.
So, now that my fiance and I found this place we can't help but go there at least once a week. Everything that we've had there has been super yummy. The presentation is off the hook and the decor is wonderful. I love all the attention to detail that the owners put into developing this resteraunt. My fav dishes are the Larb chicken salad, the Crunchy Flowers, their sushi is fantastic, Thai Iced Tea, Pad Thai....etc... You'll definitely be satisfied eating here!
(4)Dave L.
I'm a huge fan of Thai food and I've been eating at Sa Wad Dee since they opened. This is simply the best Thai food you can get in the Treasure valley. The food is incredibly fresh, always served cooked to perfection, available in all variations of spice and the portions are large. The staff is always ready to help you select a dish if you haven't tried something yet and their menu is exhaustive in the selection. I have two favorites that I order over and over again, the Spicy Cashew Nuts and the Yellow Curry, both phenomenal. The food here is far superior to the larger competitors in the area and the intimate atmosphere makes dining feel like a family affair. The staff knows your name and what you like most after a couple of visits and they always welcome you as friends. I really can't say enough good about Sa Wad Dee. If I have any criticism at all it is that they don't have a children's menu but that is easily solved with an order of Chicken Satay and Crab Rangoons. Eat here as soon as you can, you'll be a customer for life!
(5)Holly H.
I love Thai food. I have to say I am shocked at all the high ratings on the quality of the food served here. My husband and I have been to some fabulous Thai places in Portland, Oregon. We were told to check this place out - not impressed. The Pad Thai was not like any Pad Thai I have ever had - they even used some stringy little noodle not the thicker rice-like noodles -it was actually pretty greasy too. We ordered another dish with chicken and asparagus. It was good but nothing to write home about. We will continue to look for a good Thai restaurant in Boise.
(2)BoiseFoodie A.
Horrible service and mediocre food. There are several other good Thai restaurants in Boise area so we don't bother going back to this one.
(1)Janie P.
The depth of flavors here is worth the wait!!!
(4)Bob F.
There is no way to hide the awful taste of frozen peas and carrots. Thai food is one of my favorites. This place sucks! Soy sauce is not traditionally used in Thai food. Here they opt to use soy in the pad thai. I let the wife try hers before I told her what I thought. She agreed, "Worst Pad Thai ever!"
(1)Beauford W.
This is a great Thai restaurant with all of the classic dishes. The wait is never long and the staff is very friendly. I recommend most of the coconut curry dishes except the Beef Massamun Curry. The potatoes make it far too bland. The Tom Kha soup is very good. I'm no Thai food expert but the food here is delicious.
(4)Shagen M.
I really wanted to LOVE this place because of the other reviews I read on here. I feel like I came in with high expectations because of what I read here. However, I felt like the meal was just ok. I don't think it was authentic at all. It seemed more like Americanized Thai food. The atmosphere was nice but also felt a little claustrophobic to me. Also, they have a scale of like 1-10 for spiciness on their dishes. I really love extremely spicy food and asked for a 10. My dish was hardly spicy at all so I had to ask for additional chilies to spice it up more. At a real Thai place that wouldn't have been an issue. Overall it was good but not great. Sorry!
(3)Janessa C.
I love love Sa-Wad-Dee! I usually order the Beef Massamun Curry, but I love their Pad Thai and the Swimming Rama - they have great spinach with this. The golden tofu is always perfectly crunchy/tender and the salads are delicious too. It's far better than over-priced places like Mai Thai.
(5)Brent S.
I spent 12 days in Thailand on vacation. I got back, and for one day, I was sick of thai food. Then over the next week there were 3 times (in San Francisco and Seattle) when I decided I wanted thai food again, but I wasn't yet ready for the inevitable disappointment. Then after a week I found myself in Meridian, Idaho for work, and decided to go for it, since I knew my first thai meal would be disappointing anyway and Idaho thai food was already going to be bad, obviously (offensive). It turns out both of those assumptions were incorrect. I left quite happy. The decor is very comforting and inviting. It holds together well. They have a big menu. I got an eggplant basil dish, pad see ew, and green tea, which came served in a ceramic elephant. I prefer drinking my green tea out of the trunk of a live elephant, but I was nonetheless satisfied. Both dishes came out relatively quickly, with great presentation. Delicious. The service was very nice, and if my server wasn't Thai, she was more Thai than your average server at, say, the Subway next door. For dessert I would have ordered the rambutan stuffed with pineapple (impressive that they actually have rambutan, eh?), but I was too full. In a good way. Overall I definitely recommend it. One idea for improvement would be to have an available selection of spicy things on the table. In conclusion, some highlights of the soundtrack to my meal included muzak versions of Killing Me Softly, Don't You Want Somebody To Love, Imagine, Is This Love, and Isn't She Lovely.
(4)ILove Foo D.
I cannot believe that I have been driving by this little gem for years and it has taken me this long to partake of such wonderful thai food! Don't let the location fool you! Even though it is nestled between a subway sandwich shop and a dry cleaner that are plopped right next to a grocery store and gas station, this place shines! The ambiance is relaxing yet energetic with the music and conversation that bounces off the walls of this tiny restaurant with a bar and small sushi bar. You can tell that many people are "regulars" here by their interaction with the servers/hosts which are as friendly as can be. My hubby and I went on a friday night and were told it would be about a 15-20 minute wait, but within 5 minutes they offered us a bar table which was a little small but the stool was comfy. We were blown away by the menus: one for sushi and one for non-sushi with a huge assortment and a picture next to EVERY dish (loved that!). Needless to say, it took us a while to order due to being entranced by the menus but we started off with the House Platter. The chicken satay was delicious, the tempura vegetables perfect and the sweet chili sauce served with the appetizer was so good I could drink the stuff! For dinner my husband got the Salmon in the jungle (the green curry is hot and delicious, the salmon cooked perfect) and I got sushi: the Meridian roll and Dynamite roll. Miso soup came with my rolls and I wish I had tasted that first due to my tongue was already burning a bit from the Dynamite roll when I got to it. Of course the hubby and I shared food and it was nice enjoying the food while eating it slow with chopsticks while also enjoying the atmosphere. Meanwhile I remember our glasses only being close to empty once and at least 4 different servers refilled them throughout the night. It was hopping the whole time we were there with numerous to-go pick ups and I now understand why this little diamond in the rough has stayed in business for so long. Our server was super sweet and invited us to come back on wednesday nights when their happy hour consists of bogo drinks...she had me at that because they do have a nice drink list as well that I would like to check off a few :) There's several more menu items I would like to check off as well so, yes, we will return! So glad to have found such a delightful place so near to home!
(4)Mallorie G.
I moved up here from southern CA and had practically lost all faith in finding decent Thai food here. Ignoring the obsession this place seems to have with putting restaurants in strip malls, I tried this place. AMAZING! The food is super good...and you get the desired spice you ask for. Unlike a lot of restaurants here where a 5 is really a 1 or 2. The portions are decent, but I rated it a four because it seems a bit on the pricey side. The menu can be a little overwhelming since there are so many dishes to choose from. I've been to every Thai place I could find here and this is the closest to authentic Thai as I've been able to find. Fresh ingredients, decent sized portions, great usage of spice, perfectly cooked food...I haven't had a problem there yet.
(4)