Be very careful if you have a nut allergy when attending this place! Myself and my kids both have a severe allergic reaction to nuts, but we love Thai food. Usually Thai restaurants are especially careful when you mention you have an allergy to nuts, but this restaurant does not seem to be. We recently ordered a take out dish without nuts. When I went to eat my food, I noticed cashews in the dish. I called the restaurant immediately and the owner apologized and offered to replace it. The second time the dish had cashews in it again. This time when I called and provided feedback the owner said she did not believe me. She said she had spoken to the chef who indicated that no nuts were added to the food. I asked whether a clean pan was used to cook the dish and she was not sure. She said there was nothing she could do and did not believe that there were nuts included in my order. I emailed her pictures of the nuts and the food. She said she would review them and make a decision. The reason why I am writing this review (I never write reviews) is because I want other people to know to be careful in this restaurant. Unfortunately, given my severe allergies and my children's severe allergies, and the carelessness experienced, I doubt we will be able to visit this place in the future. It is unfortunate because it seems like a pretty good restaurant.
(1)
Maz W.
It was ok, but not exceptional. I ordered the massaman curry-- it came missing some ingredients. I didn't realize it until someone else who also ordered it told me. I came on a Saturday night with family. It quickly became obvious that they were overwhelmed and couldn't keep up. The service was slow , and the servers forgot to bring orders, and kitchen staff didn't always pay attention that their dishes are far from complete. We ordered dessert-- Mango and sticky rice-- the mango was inedible. To make matters worse, there was an annoying person at the door when we came in asking everyone if the food was good, and somehow he ended up in the restaurant dining with the owner. He was loud, used the f-word in front of children, and tried to fix their curtains and heat system. He also helped himself to the bar. He ended up outside smoking something and harassing customers. There are a lot of good Thai restaurants in the DC and Baltimore area , and this isn't one of them.
(3)
Clint T.
It's a really good mom and pop joint. The food is very good if the portions are kinda small. The service is great and the ambiance is cute. It's worth a try for sure.
(4)
Danny C.
Best Thai Restaurant that I have been to so far. The weather was scorching hot at the time I came in, and immediately, a wave of cold air just hit my face and made me happy instantly =) . I Ordered a green curry spicy with chicken and a thai ice tea. Out of all the places I had thai ice tea, this was the best. Not too sweet, just perfect. The green curry wasnt that spicy, but the flavor and aroma was fantastic. I ate the curry. The sauce was so good that I ordered another rice, so I can mix em up together and eat it. I was very full, the prices were reasonable, the service was higher than average. Great place!
(5)
M G.
I found this place after searching for a Thai restaurant in the area that I had not yet visited. Upon entering, I did a quick check for pictures of the King and Queen, which were proudly displayed and which assured me Thais run this place. The proprietor was clearly Thai and thrilled to learn I had just returned from spending the lunar New Year in Bangkok. And I was thrilled to discover at least half the patrons in the place were Thai. Food was good-authentic. Service was a bit slow-but then it's a family run place and there were several large parties of Thai folks. This has just become my favorite Thai place in Maryland.
(5)
Steve Y.
Went here with my wife and daughter for weekday lunch. Upon arrival I was a little hesitant about the place. Not many cars were in the parking lot. It was around 12:15 in the afternoon. The waiter welcomed us and we got seated. I have to admit the staff was very friendly. There was only a family of four and two solo patrons in the restaurant. I began to regret coming in but I settled in and ordered Drunken beef rice, shrimp pad thai, lunch special beef with yellow curry, and ?. The waiter brought a salad and chicken soup for the lunch special. The salad was OK, it was fresh. The chicken soup had a fishy after-taste. I didn't enjoy it. The drunken rice was good but the beef was a little rubbery. The shrimp pad thai was good but nothing special. The chicken curry was tasty and was most popular of them all. It was actually pretty good. Overall I give this restaurant: 5 star for service 3 for cleanliness 4 for value 3 for taste 3 for ambiance. Will I go again? Probably not, but if I have a craving for Thai I might go as a last resort because of convenience.
(3)
S B.
Had spicy drunken noodles as takeout, which was delicious. Friendly staff, and so authentic we had a small language barrier issue (which I love). Will definitely visit again while in town. Only downside was a rowdy customer threatening to "beat down" her boyfriend. At least it was entertaining... lol
(4)
Nadia M.
Had to grab a bite to eat before going to meditation and so went across the street not sure what to expect. The food was excellent, great customer service, and cute aquarium with little fishes was a nice touch. Very zenful and happy to have discovered this place. The vegie stirfry was simple yet so delicious. Glad I found a new Tuesday night food for thought place.
(4)
Katie Y.
Had lunch here today and it was fantastic. Great deal for $8.95, main course and choice of soup or spring roll. Portions were huge. Food was absolutely amazing, spicy and authentic, and everything very fresh. Atmosphere always leaves a little to be desired, but I'll trade it any day for such great food. Will come back for lunch again and again.
(4)
Julie H.
You know it's a bad place when you feel the intense need to sign up to a review site to review a restaurant. This place had a rating for 4 stars. FOUR. Not two, not three, but FOUR STARS. No wonder four is a bad number for Chinese people. This place was HORRIBLE. ABSOLUTE HORRIBLE SERVICE. HORRIBLE FOOD. HORRIBLE PEOPLE. Coming into the restaurant, it seemed nice. Nice clean atmosphere, besides the fact that there was a large party there with babies crying and constant chatter that could rival screaming Justin Beiber fan chicks... it was okay. We had to wait 10 minutes for water which we asked for..TWICE. I ordered Pad See Eaw with beef. I mean, it's a simple dish. You can't really mess it up right? OH YEAH YOU CAN. Especially if you make it using spoiled food!!! I could smell the sour spoiled odor right when the server brought it to me. I was thinking... okay, at least take a bite of it. Took a bite of broccoli and it was rock solid hard. I figured maybe they didn't cook it long enough but it was still edible. My boyfriend took a bite of the noodle to try the food and his eyes shot wide open. I took a bite of the noodle and it was absolutely inedible. It was SOUR. Not like soy sauce sour but OVERDUE FOOD SOUR. I didn't even want to try the beef. The waiter took it away and asked if I wanted another meal and I just ended up ordering Green Curry that my boyfriend had. Honestly, I didn't even want another meal because the service was so horrible. They didn't even apologize for the food. The manager didn't even come by to ask how the food was. All they were worrying about was the larger party. These people didn't even deserve the tip. They didn't even say thank you for coming to eat at Bangkok POISON GARDEN. I should tell them thanks...FOR NOT KILLING ME WITH THEIR FOOD. AVOID THIS PLACE. AVOIDDDDD. or...eat and get food poison yourself.
(1)
Eric N.
This was a great gem to find. We found this one in a secret nook in Coulumbia(are most of them hidden?) on a weeknight. They were having a big party, but the service was still great. The four dishes we all ordered were very good, and we are looking to come back for a second visit.
(4)
John S.
We had eaten dinner here before so we decided to return. The food was just as good as the last time we visited. I had the Bangkok Garden calamari and my GF had the chicken and broccoli. They were both very good. My only complaint is that the service was really slow and there were only a few people in the restaurant. Probably just an off day.
(4)
Amy K.
Not pleasant. The reviews seemed good so we thought we'd try it. My husband and I both agreed it was our worst dining experience to date. I had drunken noodles with pork. They were so mushy that they just fell apart. I hardly had any pork in there and it was so oily. My husband said it tasted like soy sauce. He's had drunken noodles many times and said those were awful. He had duck curry. The curry itself had a good flavor but the duck was so horribly dry and chewy. Our kids shared a bowl of wonton soup and it was strictly ok. We drank water and our bill was still over $30. What a waste. Prices seemed steep. We will drive to Catonsville for Thai Heaven from now on.
(2)
Judy R.
Definitely worth navigating to find this restaurant! Delicious authentic (spicy!) food. Curry chicken puffs and shrimp cakes are terrific appetizers. The shrimp pad thai and duck curry are both excellent. The staff is cheerful, pleasant, and helpful.
(5)
la k.
Best Green Curry yet. Panang was also quite good, but there was something extraordinary about the Green. Certainly worthy of a return visit. Must try the duck.
(4)
Anne G.
This is the most authentic Thai food we have had since moving to Howard County. My husband dined here prior to the new ownership 2 yrs ago and his review was average. Based on the reviews on Yelp we decided to return and sooooo glad we did. It is now our go to restaurant for real Thai. What we ordered... Started with Tom-Yum Goong for 2, Yum-Woonsen a delicious cellophane noodle salad with minced chicken, lime, onions and peppers, Pad Thai with shrimp was excellent not wet like the style other restaurants make for the American palate. The owner Nina made us Thai hot minced dry chicken with basil which we haven't been able to find at any other Thai restaurant. We finished with mango and sticky rice...the best we have ever had. We chose these dishes since we like to evaluate each restaurant using the standard dishes we love. Nina and her family are lovely and the staff are all very welcoming. If you want authentic Thai go to Bangkok Garden 9.
(5)
Constance B.
We are traveling and used our GPS to find a Thai restaurant tonight. It came up came with the Bangkok Garden just a mile away. We then went to Yelp and found just one review. What we read concerned us but since the review was a year old we decided to give the Bangkok Garden a try. SO GLAD WE DID - IT IS GREAT!!! We found a cheerful clean dining room with warm service a nice, quiet atmosphere (although they have a small stage and so may have music at times). Best of all we were served marvelously tasty Thai food. Ask for the tasty spice tray to be brought to your table. This little restaurant is a great find. Not to be missed in my estimation. I wish it were in our state of residence!
(5)
Elizabeth C.
For really good "as close as you can get to Thailand" Thai food, this is it!! Perfect blend of spices, and they are very generous with the meat/seafood in their portions.I love the spiciness of their food too. I've never had something that I didn't love!! I haven't eaten in the restaurant in a while, but they are new to Carryoutmenu.com so we've been ordering weekly! It's addictive.
(5)
Rod K.
This is the real deal. I can only say that if you want good, authentic Thai food this is a good place. I travel for a living and eat in many Thai restaurants and I have found this one to be among the best. I've also lived in Thailand and would say that this place serves Isaan style cusine. The food from this region tends to be on the spicier side and full of flavor. Their Larb is great, Som Tom with salted crab (ask for the crab) is as good as it gets. Keep in mind that each region of Thailand prepares foods a bit differently......but all Thai's love Isaan food! This is the 2nd restaurant in the family. So, as for going out of business anytime soon I don't think so. It is hard to find, was a fast food restaurant before but only the outside of the building gives that away. In the summer time they have a nice garden growing around the building with Thai basil, lemon grass, papaya, chili's and so on. Staff is very nice and I have never found it to be dirty or unsanitary. Give it a try and I am sure you won't be let down. Chok dee krup!
(5)
kanling k.
With a cash infusion, BKK garden would have potential. But, I don't think it is going to get one. My prediction is that it will soon be out of business. On a weekend at lunchtime, there were only four customers. The restaurant is nicely decorated and has some great Thai plants all around the outside. But, the place is in a converted fast food building that is falling apart. The old drive through ceiling is falling down. Inside, the place is in serious need of some new chairs, tables, carpeting. The food was only average, and unappetizing because I was doubtful about the cleanliness of the dinnerware. The water, for example, had lots of particles floating in it. I THINK they were actually lemon pulp, but I was not brave enough to try. I drank nothing during the meal and instead got a drink at the nearby Food Lion after I left.
(1)
Deb B.
Delicious food! Very authentic! We started out with the chicken satay, which was tasty and tender. The peanut sauce accompanying it was super delicious! Next, we enjoyed the tom kha with chicken. For the main course, we had pad thai, pad see ew, and yellow curry! All were delicious, especially the pad see ew. For dessert, coconut ice cream and sticky rice with sweet coconut milk over the top! Can't say enough about the delish food! The owners were very nice and took very good care of us (including our 2 crazy kids). Will return again and again!
(5)
Bob B.
So I tried this place for the first time. Evidently they're going through a name change. The current owner (not in because she's in Thailand) bought this place 4 years ago I'm told and in the process of changing/upgrading. Lots of potential. I ordered "to go" Spicy Fried Rice w/ Basil & shrimp. Amazing !!! The best I've had. So flavorful.
(4)
Rhema L.
Flavorful and good but not as good as other places in town. We Tried an assortment of dishes: - the thai coffee and the thai tea were good, -Tom Ka soup was good but way too spicy for a kid to enjoy, -chicken satay, did not care for it too dry and tasteless, - curry puff, veggie it was just alright, not memorable -fried tofu, the fried part was good, the tofu itself was blaaa, -curry panang, good but a tad too sweet, -curry rice was good especially was a side of peanut sauce added to it, -seafood drunken noodle, was the lowest point for all of us, the noodle way too cook and so was the seafood. We could have gone without. -green tea ice cream w/rice pudding was good.
(3)
Mark E.
Four of us came here for an early Friday night dinner in an out-of-the-way shopping area nestled among the amorphous trees and 70s townhouses of East Columbia. We selected Bangkok Garden 9 (one presumes there are at least 8 others) based on menu, convenience to our locational needs and the preponderance of solid Yelp reviews. On the outside, the restaurant looks like it had been a Pizza Hut or perhaps a Lums. The food was very good and on par with the best Thai we have had in recent memory and prices were fair. Our entire party ordered with reasonable adventurousness and enjoyed what they had. I liked the fish special of the day. Some of the dishes were unexpectedly highly spicy; be clear when ordering if the heavy hand with the hots is not pleasing to your palate. Service was polite but uneven given the light crowd early in the evening, which might be an aberration but might also be par for the course here. Other recent reviewers have commented on this; they may be having some measure of a front-of-the-house problem. I'd recommend a table over the booth. The booth seats are very well-worn and if the adjoining booth is also occupied, one easily can feel every body movement of the person behind you which is a tad disconcerting when dining. A table also is more central to the dining room and removed from the sun's glare. We'll be back, but perhaps not until circumstances bring us to this area again. We were satisfied but not wowed; maybe it's not worth the drive all factors considered.
(3)
Ann K.
Lunch special is the best deal. they offer two spring rolls, A Tom yum soup cup, lunch with rice, and fried banana and ice cream. $8.95. They changed the tiny fried banana with ice cream to a itsy tiny bowl of tapioca in coconut milk cream. I miss the ice cream. :(
(4)
D. K.
This was my second time visiting this place. Previously we had a very kind female waitress and food was very good. Today I was waiting for ten minutes to get seated and was completely ignored by the server (guy with tattoos on his arms). He was argumentative, did not apologize for the wait and even ignored me when I got up to pay my bill. Where I work, I would get fired for that. attitude Great chef , tasty food but in case I go back I will get carry out.
(1)
Allison L.
As others have said, the lunch special here is great! For less than $10 I enjoyed a creamy panang curry with rice and two crispy spring rolls. What a deal! My mom tried the soup and my sister tried the pad thai. Everyone loved their dishes, which were spiced just right. The restaurant is clean and spacious, and the service is friendly. This is much better than your average take-out spot!
(4)
Lisa L.
This place is tucked away and a little difficult to find....but the food is excellent....I had the Shrimp Pad-Thia with a Singha beer.....perfect pairing. Highly recommend trying this place for the food alone....service is a little slow but worth the wait.
(5)
Steven H.
I can highly recommend this place. The food was wonderful. We had the mussels to start: big green mussels with a dipping sauce that was delightful. I had the coconut milk soup with shrimp. Outstanding. For the entre i had the drunken noodles. Easily on par with some of the best i have had, spicy but not overwhelming. My wife had number 69, a rice noodle chicken, chinese broccoli mix with egg. Very good but much tamer for the spices.
(5)
Chad B.
This was my third time ever having Thai food, and this restaurant compares well to the others I've tried. It seemed cozy to me - it has a dining room and a small but well-stocked bar. There are large windows with views of the trees outside (it was nice looking at the fall colors). The tables had cool paper seashells under the glass. Our waitress was friendly and did a great job serving our large group. We all got separate bills, and she kept everything straight. I ordered the Pad Thai with Chicken and got a decent-sized portion. It had crunchy fried noodles and a generous amount of bean sprouts. The ground peanuts were a nice touch too. The chicken was cut into small pieces, and it was soft and delicious! Everything on the plate combined well, and the meal was very satisfying. I definitely recommend this place if you like Thai food or are interested in trying it.
(4)
Katherine B.
I don't know what happened here. I heard new management? I have gone about three times before I decided to write this review but I just have to. It's not the same at all. The soups are sweet? Last time was cold. The cucumber relish that comes with the satay is in a corn syrup type liquid ugh. My chicken satay was raw last time and they didn't even discount the check. For the price, the food is just not up to par. I always leave feeling like I was cheated or just unsatisfied. This deeply saddens me bc I used to love this place. Go to Thai aroma on 40. Better food and prices!
(1)
Jen J.
This place has great food. The building itself could use some love. I recommend the larb appetizer.
(4)
D W.
A friend and I went for an early dinner (5:30pm) and we were the ONLY ones there. Must be because everyone is stuck in traffic on 175... I digress... For being the only two patrons, we were surprised that they botched our appetizer... We ordered the BKK Chicken Wings. Never got them; the waiter completely forgot -- if he wrote down the order it wouldn't have been an issue... We ordered a PAD-PAK (Stir-fried mixed vegetables, w/ chicken), SIAM BEEF aka NUA-KA-TA (sizzling beef served on hot plate), and MUSSAMAN CURRY (Mussaman curry in coconut milk, avocado, and peanut, w/ chicken). - The PAD-PAK vegetables came from a bag in the frozen section of Costco, and chicken were a little dry, but I'll give it some credit for the sauce - I think that was the saving grace for the dish. - SIAM BEEF was on a black platter and still sizzling when it came out. Was great for the first few slabs of beef - decent meat/vegetable ratio - however the black plate must have been too hot, or they cooked the beef for too long before bringing it out. The rest of the meat were tough to chew after a few minutes - overcooked on the sizzling platter. - MUSSAMAN CURRY, plenty of chicken and the curry was the right flavor. It had a great creamy consistency, and was not watered down like you could find in some places. - We also ordered two Thai iced teas; they were good. Red tea + evaporated milk, can't go wrong there. Pricing was as high as you would normally find in Arlington or Alexandria... quite surprised for the portion-to-price ratio... Not a lot of food when it comes on individual-portion-plates, not on serving plates. We were not pleased about that. I would come back if I was really craving Thai and not in NoVA or DC, otherwise it is nothing I would rave about.
(2)
Joshua T.
Service is very slow. Price doesn't match the quantity. Wouldn't come back again. Took about 45 mins get food.
(2)
Des W.
Very impressed with the taste. Ordered Panag chicken curry and Red vegetable curry and it was fantastic - both quality and quantity. We usually dine in what we consider the best Thai restaurant in DC metro area:Nava Thai in Silver Spring but this place is right up there. Will be going here again soon.
(4)
Naomi R.
Best Thai in Columbia! Service for both dine in and carry out is courteous and efficient. Flavors are deep and the food is always fresh. They have earned a spot on my call list.
(5)
Holli S.
Love this place.... But I just came here at 5 o'clock and there was a sign on the door saying they won't open back up till 6 then I call and they allow me to get a carry out order but not eat it in.
(3)
James N.
Very good Thai food! Little hidden spots are normally the best. Not crowded at all. The only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 was because the service took a little longer then it should have. Besides that, excellent food!
(4)
Nhu P.
Lord I feel horrible! I thought I reviewed this place already! This is one of my FAVORITE EVERRRRRRRRRR restaurants, not only in Columbia but overall! Their authentic thai food, mixer with good service leaves me always wanting more. They make THE best thai tea! Their drunken noodles ate INCREDIBLE! Got my entire office hooked on it! Green curry, DELISH! Rich, creamy, spicy! Whole crispy flounder with sauce on the side, yummmmmmmmm! Do not pass this place by! They are incredible!!!!
(5)
Tiffany H.
Finally decent Thai food in Columbia, the land of dining mediocrity. Pad Prik Khing and Pad Thai....yum! I couldn't understand why the rice portion that accompanies the dish was soo small and the atmosphere needs work. It got really odd when walking out of the restaurant, there was a stale plate of food outside on the ground, like it was placed there for a roaming animal......strange.
(3)
M R.
This place was pretty good. We ordered takeout from here for my wife's coworkers. Only disappointment was that you can't get the lunch specials as takeout. The food was well spiced. My wife had the drunken noodles, medium spicy and I had the pad ke eaue medium spicy. Hers was definitely spicier than mine. We both enjoyed our meals. My wife's coworkers also enjoyed their meals. I never knew this place existed. I think we will definitely be back when we have another Thai craving.
(4)
B L.
This is my favorite Thai restaurant, as long as I don't order the curry. I think everyone I know loves their curries, but I'm just not a fan. Everything else, though! I love it all. I get this place on takeout but it's one of the few places on the carryout menu I loved enough to go to in person and is one of my go-to restaurants. The service is very nice, but very slow, and usually gets something wrong. You just have to be patient. I haven't eaten here in a few months, though, so I hope based on some of the more recent reviews when I return it is still as good as before.
(4)
Ryan M.
I've only ordered takeout from here but it's delicious. I can't speak for the dining experience, it seems like a nice place but it's off the beaten path and a little hole-in-the-wall-ish. Probably wouldn't come here on a first date, but it does seem like a nice quiet place for conversation or for a family. As far as takeout, it doesn't get much better than this in the area. If you call it in, they are quick and accommodating.
(5)
Alisa M.
My first time at this place. Best Thai restaurant in the Columbia area. Real Thai people cook real Thai food. I had the Pad Ped Pha Tilapia my waitress recommended to try. Loved it alot! Very authentic! Service was great. Will definitely go back for more.
(5)
Sue P.
I've ordered carry out several times and each time it's always delicious. Today was the first time I've dined here & it was excellent. I love this Thai restaurant. Our waitress was great and super friendly. Great food with a lot of flavor .. I'll continue coming here as long as the found is tasty.. I'd definitely recommend this place.
(4)
Paul C.
I've had two meals here before deciding to write this review to make sure that the first visit wasn't a fluke. The food is good and very authentic, perhaps too much so for many who cannot handle the Thai heat (myself included). I travel to Thailand frequently for business and have tried variety of dishes in varying degrees if heat. I would suggest sticking to two stars or less unless you can really handle it. I had the pad prik king with tofu and the traditional green curry with chicken the second time. What a great value it is for lunch!!! You get a cup of tasty soup, a couple of small spring rolls, the entree, and refreshing mango sorbet with a morsel of fried banana for dessert all for $9-10. Thai ice tea was nice and strong and the service was excellent. This is as good as it gets for Thai in Columbia MD aka "the food desert".
(5)
Felicia H.
I love Bangkok Garden! I hadn't been in a while but went for dinner tonight and I wish it hadn't taken me so long to come back! The service was great, our server was very friendly and attentive. We got the pad thai and green curry with thai eggplant instead of Chinese eggplant. The dishes were great. The pad thai wasn't overly sweet like most restaurants, and they gladly made my eggplant swap in the curry dish, which was nice and spicy. The food is authentic, and they even put just a fork and a spoon at each place setting. I'll definitely be back more often!
(5)
Caitlin C.
This is a decent thai restaurant considering other options in the area. I've ordered the Yellow Curry and Pad See Ew, both have been good. Their Tom Ka Gai is also delicious, probably better than the entrees. I've been here with friends many times, and while there are no complaints, there are no "Oohs and Aahs" over the food. Portions are average considering the prices. The service is just fine, and staff members are polite and efficient. I will certainly be going back soon!
Love this place. Great international beer happy hour. I always get drunkin noodles and Panang curry. Delish!!!!!!!!!!!
(4)
Melody T.
I'm back on Yelp after an extended break, and I hate to make this my first review... but I need to 'yelp,' if you catch my drift. This place makes overly sweet grease synonymous with Thai cuisine, and overcooked noodles the vehicle with which to soak it all up. The drunken noodles I ordered were 'drunk' on grease, and were so overcooked I probably didn't need to chew at all. The pad thai I tried was not much better. I was starving... but could only stomach a few bites. On a positive note, we were a rather large group, and our server was very accommodating and courteous.
(2)
Daniel C.
Lets just say I'm happy to live within walking distance of this place. If you like your food spicy, you hit the jackpot at Bangkok Garden. Try the Drunken Noodles, they are awesome.
(5)
Larry H.
In the sea of Thai restaurants available in the Columbia area, this one hits about the middle of the road. The interior decor is pleasing to the eye, it's quiet enough to hear the music, and having lots of booths for a little added privacy is always a plus. The food preparation is always consistent and done well in every dish I've tried here, so no complaints there. But what makes this place just average in my opinion is that instead of the Traditional Thai spice meter, where you get dishes that range from tingle in your mouth mildly spicy, to make you sweat medium spice, all the way to 5-alarm blazingly hot. The cooks/management at Bangkok Garden 9 seem to have opted for making all their dishes "American" spicy... Which translates to dishes that go from no perceptible spice at all, to just mildly hot, (unless you specifically ask for more). This is the first Thai restaurant I've ever encountered where drunken noodles won't have you blowing your nose and looking for a second glass of water half way through the meal. My only advice for Bangkok Garden 9 is that if you want to call yourself a Thai restaurant and not just an Asian fusion restaurant. Stick closer to traditional Thai recipes and let customers that don't really like Thai ask for milder versions, not the other way around.
(3)
Kris S.
Food is always consistently awesome here. Never had problems and if you love spicy food this is the place.
(5)
Yuxue W.
I had the worst experience ever in this restaurant. The owner of this place is very rude and unbelievably emotional. I ordered a dish whose title suggested something completely different from what I was expecting. So I asked the server to ask the manager if I can return it. The owner came out and started yelling at us, asking us to either accept the food as it is, or get out. She even threatened to call the police. I was ok with not returning it, and I just wanted to see if it is possible. Instead of having a normal conversation, the owner had no respect for the guests and was behaving completely inappropriate. That was such a horrible experience that I don't recommend this place to anyone. Many of my friends have already blacklisted this place. I suggest you do the same and avoid being served a plate full of insults.
(1)
Yaka H.
Review about the take-out only. It was a bit hard to find this place, but it's located at the opposite end in the plaza from the Food Lion, tucked behind the Columbia Bank. There isn't a notable sign on the outside, but you'll see a neon "OPEN" sign with 2 golden dragons by the door. I ordered a chicken pad thai and mango sticky rice to go. For take-out, you'll have to order a medium or large portion of soup. They won't do a small portion for take-out. The pad thai portion was huge. It was pretty tasty, however, one side was so heavily salted that I just couldn't finish it. It was just too salty. It was a shame, it was chock full of eggs, chicken, scallions, roast pork, and peanuts. I really loved that they put a helpful portion of peanuts on it. However, the overwhelming saltiness killed it for me. The sticky rice with mango was pretty good. However I thought the portion size was pretty small for the amount I paid. Also, there was a fuzz on one of the mango pieces, which was a bit unpleasant. However, service was nice enough to give me a nice, cold glass of water. It was super hot outside, so it was much appreciated. May be back again if I'm in the area to give this place a second chance.
(2)
C W.
My husband and I normally go to Little Spice for Thai food, but decided to try something new. The restaurant's exterior and decor is a bit dated. The room itself is big, with booth tables along the sides and regular tables in the middle. We were promptly greeted and seated. We ordered: Thai iced tea, chicken curry puffs, papaya salad, and I had tofu pad thai as my entree. The Thai iced tea was good (the glasses are kind of small). The appetizers were okay. You get two curry puffs with the cucumber sauce. The papaya salad wasn't spicy and had a distinct fish sauce taste. The tofu was sweet and crispy and the pad thai was flavorful. Overall, I thought the meal was good. I'm not sure if I'd come back again, only because it's in a shopping center I don't typically go to.
(3)
Milind S.
2 waiters served us. One was nice and she smiled when ever possible- pleasant. The other- probably the guy behind the bar- seemed very impatient. Suddenly a happy laughing table became a quite table just after the waiter guy reminded us in a stern tone that the kitchen was closing in 10 minutes (this was @9:35pm on a Sunday; the listed closing time for the place is 10:30pm which I even had to confirm with the servers after experiencing the impatience). now the food: the others on the table seemed to find the food good. I had the "Penang Curry". It tasted alright but was very greasy and had like 2 table spoons of oil floating on top. Overall, definitely go there if you want to take a chance of dropping your happy mood a few octaves down. Happy customer + impatient/stern servers = unhappy customer
(1)
Ky T.
This used to be one of my favorite places for Thai food but the quality of their dishes has gone down hill :/ The last two times I've stopped in to place take-out orders it has been pretty evident my food was not made fresh. Most importantly is that one dish I have ordered regularly over the passed few years which has no pork in it had large pork bits in it when I got it home so that I had to completely dispose it. I am not sure if they are under new management but the place looks dingy and in need of update inside now and the food is no longer made to order or nearly as tasty as it was before.
(3)
April W.
Fantastic Thai! Was skeptical because I wasn't sure of the neighborhood. Staff was excellent and accommodating to our 4 year old! I had the 68. Delicious
(5)
Jenny H.
I came here for lunch, and me and my hubs were the only patrons in the entire place, and the food came out REALLY quickly. The food was just OK, we ordered their red curry (they forgot to exchange the bamboo shoots for another veggie) which was not that great and drunken noodles (which is always our staple) which was just decent. The REALLY good thing about this restaurant- their DESSERTS!! OMG, outside of Thailand, they have the most unique, AMAZING Thai desserts. We got their SA KOO- tapioca in coconut milk, and their BUA LOY- or tapioca balls, nice and chewy, in this AMAZING warm, sweet coconut milk- YUMMY!! I could have drank a gallon of the bua loy- in fact, I ordered one to go!!! Get their desserts here, especially the Bua Loy- you will not regret it!
(3)
Supraja M.
TL;DR: Atrocious service: over half an hour to order, over an hour before our order was put in, unclear who our waiter was, and unapologetic 'management'. food was fine. *** While I generally like the food here, I was appalled by the service (or lack thereof!) today. My cousin is visiting from out of town and wanted to get Chinese or Thai food today. She suggested PF Changs... seeing as how we were both hungry and PF Changs on a Friday night will have a crazy long wait, and also I don't particularly like PF Changs, I suggested this place instead. We arrived right around 7:00 and were seated promptly. We started looking through the menu. About 10 minutes later, the waiter who seated us brought us water, then ran away before I could order my Thai Iced Tea; we decided on our food within a minute after this and closed our menus, waiting for someone to come take our order. We chatted for a while, and started wondering what was up as time went on. By 7:30 I thought it was ridiculous that no one had come by to ask us even for a drink order and was about to get up and find a waiter so we could order when the guy we thought was our waiter came to the table next to ours. I tried to catch his attention but he refused to make eye contact and ran away again. I tried to get one of the two other waiters in the dining room to come by but again, no eye contact. Finally a waitress came to another table two away from ours and I called out to her to get her attention. She came over, and when I told her we had been waiting 20+ minutes to order she apologized and took down our orders (Drunken Noodles & Thai Iced Tea for me, Stir-Fried Vegetables for my cousin) and we figured ok, they forgot about us once, but we'll get our food quickly. A few minutes later my iced tea showed up (in the hands of the guy I though was the bartender? Except he was delivering food later to other parts of the dining room. I had to ask for a straw). And then we waited. And waited. And waited. Finally, when I realized it had been over an hour since we got to the restaurant. I was about to get up and go cancel our order and just leave and go elsewhere (little caesar's next door? We were STARVING) when I saw the waitress taking to another guy (waiter? bartender? unclear) and pointing at our table, so I figured, ok, our food must be up next, she's telling him where to bring it or something. NOPE. Still a DIFFERENT waiter brought us an order of spring rolls and apologized for the wait. So clearly, they forgot about us AGAIN. We demolished the spring rolls in about 2 minutes, and waited another 10 or 15 minutes for our food. Finally it came with a "sorry about that enjoy" from the first waiter. The food was fine, as usual, though my cousin's Vegetables consisted almost entirely of cabbage. We were so hungry we ate in about 15 minutes. There were 2 tables of 4 and a table of 2 sitting immediately around us who came in just before or even us, ordered drinks, appetizers, and entrees, paid and left before we got our one course of food. When the waitress finally came by again after we were finished eating and had been waiting another 5 or 10 minutes, I asked for a box for my leftovers and to speak to a manager. She replied, "No." then "I am the manager" (which is it, chick?) I told her that I was severely disappointed in the service, that I brought my visitor here because the food and service are usually good and it was clear that they had forgotten about us twice. I hoped for a sincere apology. She nonchalantly told me, they were understaffed, she was the only one 'running', and we had already been given spring rolls on the house. I looked at her with disbelief. The restaurant was near-empty when we came in (4-5 tables total) and at this point was at most 2/3 full, and there were 4 front-of-house people, all running out into the dining room (AND ALL OF WHOM HAD BEEN TO OUR TABLE). She begrudgingly offered 10% off the check and a perfunctory "sorry." We finally left the restaurant at about 8:45. I'm really disappointed--we were hoping for a nice, chill, quick meal and it was a long, drawn-out affair. There's no reason that for our two plates of food, we should have been in that restaurant for nearly 2 hours. I should have left when no one came to take our order for half an hour. I just didn't want to decide on somewhere else while we were already that hungry. They turned me off so badly that I don't anticipate returning.
(1)
Jessica F.
Add this to the list of places I had no clue existed in Columbia. However, my friend was craving Thai food and this came up tops on the Yelp app. We got here on a Sunday morning right as it opened. The service was quick and the food was good. I agree with other reviewers that it wasn't the best Pad Thai I have ever had and I probably should have gone with the curry. I would try them again though and it is nice to have a quality Thai place so close to home.
(3)
CC L.
I've been searching for a good Thai place in the area for some time and I found it. Ka prow, pad thai, drunken noodles all very good.
(5)
M W.
The food and service were fantastic. Everything was cooked fresh and the staff was easy going and polite. The location is a little strange and out of the way but you won't be disappointed. This is by far the best Thai place on Columbia.
(5)
Hana K.
Kinda pricy for the amount they give you. But the food is good. You have to try the flounder. Pad thai is off the hook!!!!!!!!!!! :)
(3)
Nancy E.
OK, I have eaten here before and would have given this restaurant 3 1/2 stars--meaning I like it, but I still wish we had something better. I also think it's on the expensive-side for a Thai restaurant, but tonight, everything was so top notch, we didn't mind the price. Our meal tonight was honestly some of the best Thai food we've had in Maryland -- and I've been looking for the past 25 years. My mom and husband started with the Tom yum shrimp and Tom kha chicken soups and both agreed it was some of the best. The shrimp were plump and not overlooked at all. I had to start with the beef larb because I saw a plate of it passing by as we were seated. We were NOT disappointed. Lean, spicy, limey beef with fresh lettuce, cilantro and mint. An excellent way to start our meal. I ordered the pad ped with chicken and it was fresh, spicy and delicious. While I love vegetables, i was happy to see that this dish was not piled with vegetable fillers frequently found in other Thai restaurants in the area. My husband had the pad Thai and thought it was one of the best he's had. Mom ordered a garlic shrimp dish and she thought it was excellently prepared. We are also fans of the Thai basil fried rice and again, we were not disappointed. Incidentally, this is my first 5-star review.
(5)
Allen G.
Bangkok garden number 9 has the closest to authentic Thai food I've had in the region. Appetizers start at about 5. Dinners start at about 11 and all of it is simply excellent. Don't ask for Thai hot unless you really want it HOT. The authentic recipes and menu make you believe you're actually in Thailand. The Thai beef salad is reason enough to eat there two or three times a week.
(4)
Kimberly P.
loved this place! I am vegan, and there was a lot of food to choose from, even dessert! I liked the atmosphere. It was quiet enough to talk, but if you wanted there were TVs playing none other than Good Eats and Seinfeld. The food was delicious! I would highly recommend the curry puffs appetizer and the mango sticky rice for dessert. Update: Just went their recently and found my drunkin noodles to be really mushy. I will still go to this restaurant, but I will probably not get that dish again.
(4)
Erica F.
My husband I and have enjoyed eating here for years. Food is on point each and every time. I must admit... We have not eaten here in a month or so based on the price. A bit steep lately.
(4)
Juan R.
I do not live in Columbia, MD, but I had been to this restaurant many years ago. So it was a surprise that the place is still is as good as I remember. The food service is fast and the portions are reasonable. The chicken puffs are awesome. We also had the fish cakes for appetizers. The main course was the string beans with chicken and the drunken noodles, my personal favorite. All the food was delicious. We are planning on going again soon.
(4)
Tiffany K.
What is there to say about this amazing place that has not already been said? It is within walking distance to my house, a huge plus for me. I absolutely love everything I have gotten from here. I have gone to eat here many times with friends and relatives and they all comment on the quality of the ingredients and the taste. A great little gem in Columbia.
(5)
Beverly H.
I love Thai food, so having a good, reasonably cheap place nearby is great. I don't recall ever having bad service in the seating area, though I usually get carryout. One thing I especially like here is that they give you realistic wait times when you order. There's also a Food Lion & dry cleaner in this shopping plaza, so you get run errands while waiting. As far as their food is concerned, neither my BF or I have ever gotten anything bad. They have a good selection of veggie dishes, which he prefers. I'm more of a carnivore. They quality of their meat has always been good, no gristle or slimy stuff. I've also never gotten anything that made me wonder about the fate of missing neighborhood pets. Their seasoning can be a bit on the spicy side, so use caution when ordering. In the summer, they grow some of their veggies and herbs just outside the building. You can't get much fresher than that.
(4)
John P.
This is not a bad Thai restaurant. It's typical and on par with most Asian cuisine options in the area. Most of the time it is half empty so there is never a wait. The service there is not really the best but so what. All the food I've ever tried I've been happy with. For any one who likes to get things a little spicier you can tell them to make it "Thai spicy" and that should put it way over the top. Portions are adequate and so are the prices. The mixed drinks don't taste the best mainly because it's all booze. Is that a bad thing? The only thing I wish they would do away with is that gross fish tank you see when you walk in.
(3)
Teddy E.
This was one of the worst meals I've eaten lately. While the restaurant was half empty by the hour I had arrived, half the tables in the restaurant were dirty, and we had to poach napkins/silverware off one of the nearby tables. The menu is poorly written and way too huge. We started with the Tom Kha with shrimp which was quite reasonable. My main course, the pad ped pah (spicy meat [beef] with thai eggplants) was not good. The eggplants were criminally undercooked and they used very low quality tough beef. I also had a nasty case of indigestion the next morning. Even with an empty restaurant, service took forever.
(1)
Dan A.
This is one of my favorite Thai places. It's kind of in the middle of nowhere in what looks to be a converted Wendy's or something. The restaurant here is rarely packed and the servers understand English but cannot speak it well (but know enough to adequately communicate). Yeah, all that may make Bangkok Garden sound a little shady but even in spite of all that, the food here is good and authentic. The Panang curry is consistently good and one of Bangkok Garden's strengths. It's very flavorful with some heat and a strong but not overwhelming coconut flavor. Bangkok Garden's other curries are good as well but if you were to get only one curry, I'd say opt for the Panang. The Southern Duck is also worth a try. The meat is extremely tender while the outer part of the duck has a wonderful crispiness that works well with the sweet and tangy basil-y sauce. The chicken curry puff appetizers are also good. They are similar to samosas and served with this refreshing cucumber jalapeno sauce that provides a perfect balance and contrast with the puff's savoriness. However, the pad thai here is kind of funny. I must have ordered it at least 10 times since I've started coming here. I've noticed it is pretty inconsistent which is a shame because when Bangkok Garden is at the top of their pad thai game, it is among the best pad thais I've ever had. However, other times, it is average. I've been trying to figure out what factors may cause this variation but to no avail. :( However, it is flavorful (though sometimes more subtle than others) and never greasy. I find that Bangkok Garden is probably one of the best Thai restaurants in the Howard County area and far better than most of Baltimore City's offerings (Thai Arroy is pretty solid however). Coming for lunch is a great idea as the dishes are under $10. Despite the cheaper price, some dishes like the pad thai, appear to be almost the same amount they serve for dinner.
(4)
Rhonda S.
I had been sleeping on this place, but I'm glad I woke up. It's actually pretty good. The service is friendly but a tad bit slow. I usually go later in the evening so not too many people are in there. The food is actually really good and comparable to a few other Thai places I've been in Silver Spring. My only complaint is that with the pineapple fried rice, they usually only give you 2 pieces of shrimp which is kind of cheapo on their part. Overall, it's a place that I defintely don't mind coming back to.
(3)
barry b.
We ate there a number of times years ago and found it very bland. We decided to try it again in Oct. 2013. We were told that it changed ownership 3 years ago. Now, it is a first class Thai restaurant. All lunches are $8.95, including soup (delicious) or spring roll (being retired, we usually go out for lunch, not dinner). My drunken noodles were almost as good as they get and plenty hot (picante). My wife rated her mixed vegetables very high. The other couple ordered Pad Thai and rated it very high. I thought the waitress was speaking Thai but my wife assured me that it was English and "translated" for me (I am hard of hearing). The place was almost empty at 1 p.m. (sad because it's a fine restaurant). It's attractive. The noise level was very low. Plenty of parking. We will be frequent patrons.
(4)
paul s.
I give this place 4 stars, although I might have given it 3. If I could give 3 and a half, I would. Overall it was good and I would go back. The service was a little slow -- they took a looooong time to get to us, but friendly enough once they got started. Having read some other reviews, we tried the yum pla grob appetizer, which was very good. It's a salad with crisp sliced vegetables and a spicy, smoky dressing that had that pungent, fish-sauce flavor to it, but in just the right amount. I was a little surprised though, that the fish was of the chewy, dried, fish-jerky variety, since the menu describes it as "crispy fillet fish." It wasn't what I was expecting. But it was good, and the fish jerky gave the dish a nice authenticity. I had duck curry and I asked for four peppers (thai hot) and man it was hot! I consider myself a seasoned veteran and a real fan of spicy food, Thai particularly, and this curry was ALMOST hot enough to have me wishing I hadn't ordered the four peppers. But I stress the word almost, and that's the whole point. This chef took it right to the limit, and that's just what I wanted. There's nothing more disappointing than ordering four peppers and getting meh, and believe me it's happened. My friend's cashew chicken was a little bland, but anything would have seemed bland in comparison to the firestorm on my plate. It came with lots of thai vegetables and good, sticky rice. My only minor beef was that it could have used a little more duck -- they skimped just a little bit, but no big deal. My mouth was on fire and I was happy trying to douse it with swigs of cold Singha, which I practically had to beg my server to bring me a refill of .. I guess she was busy. The ambience is comfortable and casual, but I thought it was really weird that they had a tv in the dining room. It just seemed out of place. So .. four stars for the yum pla grob and the four pepper curry .. three stars for the bland cashew chicken, not quite enough duck, and slowish service.
(4)
Cam W.
I lived in Bangkok for five years. This is the best Thai restaurant I have found in the B/W area The Isan, or Northeast Thai, cuisine is authentic and very delicious. They have mild and moderately spicy options as well as native Thai (eyes watering hot). I sponsor a Thai student here and we went together one time and loved it all, then on another occasion I brought home a carload of dishes for a Superbowl party and everything has been excellent so far. I love the noodle dishes (i.e., pad thai w/ shrimp, pad see ew w/ pork, the masamun curry, larb w/ pork, and the desserts (fried banana with coconut ice cream was great). My new local favorite!
(5)
Roger B.
My friend's dish was prepared wrong (chicken instead of beef) and my dish had a hair on it (which I find disgusting). Neither of us liked this place. Def will not return.
(1)
Helen C.
I really liked their pad thai, and the mango with sticky rice was also very good! Nice find in the middle of nowhere Maryland =)
(4)
Anthony F.
I recommend moo-nam-tok, grilled pork appetizer. Your mouth bursts open when you take your first bite. Good and spicy, savory, all that you can ask for. I also had larb gai. Aka beef salad, this was PACKED full of beef- more so than any other restaurant I've eaten at. My entree was jungle curry. Excellent, QUITE spicy, and more than enough-no coconut milk in this one, so if you want that stick with one of their standard curry dishes as all others have coconut milk. An iced tea on the house finished off the meal. Best thai I've had in awhile. Feels very family-style. Also the management is new so disregard all bad reviews within six months of this review.
(5)
Mara C.
I tried the food once, and found it pretty greasy. Tried again a year later to see if it improved and it hadn't. I only had it "to go" but was definitely not as good as some others have experienced.
(2)
Justin J.
When you ask for "Thai spicy," you get Thai spicy. The food is very authentic, and if you want to challenge your palate, you won't be disappointed. We had the drunken noodles and the Ka Prow and requested "Thai spicy," and did we get it. My dining companion could see through time! The main dish was preceded by delicious Tom Yum and Tom Kha soup, and was followed with delicious coconut ice cream to take the edge off. The staff is very pleasant and sufficiently attentive. Interior could use a coat of paint and a better sound system for the Thai music; but is clean and attractive. Only criticism we have is the drink prices. You eat hot Thai food, you want a beer to wash it down, but $10 a bottle? Um, yeah, we'll just have water. Thanks.
(4)
Samuel C.
Best Thai restaurant ever..! The restaurant is nice and fancy. The waitress is nice and friendly! The food is fresh , hot and delicious. Your mouth bursts open when you take your first bite. Good and spicy! I have KAO-PAD-KRA-POW. I like it so much better than the other Thai restaurant.
(5)
NK B.
Love at first sight! This place has a good menu and lots to choose from. The prices are reasonable. The place looks very neat and good. Try fried banana and ice cream. Its yum! I will definitely recommend this and will go when even i get a chance. An ideal place for Thai food lovers!
(4)
Lisa R.
I went here for the first time last Saturday for dinner. The food was good and fast. The portions were a little smaller than I expected but that might be a good thing ultimately. I had the larb gai and drunken noodles (with tofu). The larb was spicy and very delicious. The drunken noodles (although they warned me) were a little too spicy for my taste (again they warned me so this is my fault). I had to cut them with some sugar from the spice tray. Definitely ask for a spice tray :-) The dish was very tasty though and they were happy to substitute tofu for the meat options listed on the menu. We had no problems with the service- our waiter was very attentive. I've had better thai food before but this was pretty good.
(4)
Jem D.
The food here is really good. I had lemongrass soup and nam tok. Both were spicy (just how I like it). The nam tok was so fresh, all the cilantro and onions and whatever dressing or sauce they used....mm-mm-good. The only bummer is it's kind of drab inside, and it was hard to find at night. They need a better sign, I drove around Food Lion several times because I could not find it. Plentiful parking.
(4)
Ryan C.
Every time I've been to Bangkok Garden, there aren't very many diners present. I can't understand why, because the food is absolutely delicious. I've had the krapow and red curry - extremely spicy because that's how I roll - and both dishes are exquisite. The lunch menu is very reasonably priced at 8.95, and you get a choice of soup or spring roll. I opt for the spring roll, which is marvelous and comes with a sweet and spicy sauce. I also get the Thai iced tea, because it's pretty much the greatest drink ever invented. Dessert, for me, is always Thai rice custard - it's amazing and I can never get enough of it! My waitress was very friendly and prompt. The food came out only a few minutes after I ordered it. I hope my review helps them to get more business, because they deserve it! I always leave here feeling really happy and satisfied.
(5)
Alexander B.
We had a small wedding party here about a month ago and it was great. A couple of days before the date, we went in to pre-order the food and the owner/manager really worked with us to make sure we ordered the right amount of food and a good mix of dishes. She also comped us a couple free plates. The table was decorated for us when we arrived for the event and the food came out quickly. It was all delicious. The fried rice we ordered was way too hot for me but the flavor was good and others in our party loved it. Overall, it was a good experience and would definitely eat here again.
(5)
HowChow B.
Bangkok Garden was sold in early 2011. The old owner and chef appear to have moved to their Bethesda location, and the new owners appear to be folks who owned a Thai restaurant in Virginia. This has been a place that people really like. It may stay that way, but you may want to recognize that old reviews -- good or bad -- are about a restaurant run by different people than today. There is talk that the Columbia location will change its name over the next six months.
(3)
ASH J.
This place is terrible. Each entree item we ordered had little to no meat/seafood in it with the incorrect levels of spiciness for each item. The service was so terrible that we didn't even have a chance to complain about the food we received.
(1)
Good For The Palate R.
This is a great Thai restaurant. They had a nice selection the stand-bys and less common dishes prepared in traditional ways with authentic ingredients. Prices are good, staff is friendly and food is incredible. Wonderful Sauces. They do karoke but weren't at 9pm on a weeknight. Nice quite, calm atmosphere.
(5)
Sinni L.
I am a picky eater when it comes to Thai food. Nothing beats home cooked meals. But with this place I am a fan. My first day in DC my family took me here. Everything I had I liked, the crispy pork with Chinese greens, Thai noodles, stir fried salmon and fish patties.
(4)
M R.
I'm in the Baltimore area on business and I'm CUH-RAVING Thai food. It's funny, as I get older (ahem) I mean BETTER, my palate continues to evolve and suddenly I'm all about some Asian flavor profiles. Weeeeeird, I know. So anyway, I looked on Yelp for a Thai place in Columbia MD and the number one listing was Bangkok Thai. It was a mere six miles from my hotel so I went and boy am I glad I did. My server Harris was as cute as he could be, and just as sweet. I told him my sensitive palate can't tolerate spicy food (so why ya goin' Thai then, dork??) and he assured me that he'd instruct the chef accordingly. Yay for Harris and for my tongue. I started out with Tom Kha Gai (coconut milk soup with chicken) and it was DIVINE. Enough heat to make my nose run a little (in a good way) but not so much that I had to send it back. What I most loved what the very clear ZING of lime that I tasted in the first several bites. It was so fresh! What I had forgotten is that Tom Kha has a bunch of cilantro in it -- blecch. So I soldiered through half the bowl before I realized I could just pull it out and leave it on the plate. That helped a LOT and I polished off the rest of the bowl in a hurry. For my entree, I took Harris' recommendation for the crispy basil duck against my better judgment, (even though I LOVE duck), because I know it can be fatty. He assured me that it was one of the most popular entrees, so I went with it. What the heck. When in Baltimore, do what Harris says. It arrived and looked pretty good -- medallions of crispy fried duck, but it was indeed pretty fatty around the edges. I peeled the layer of fat off each medallion, leaving it lay on my side plate, and I think poor Harris nearly had a stroke. Partly because I was dissecting each piece, but also because I had given up trying to use a spoon and fork and was just eating with my hands. Oh well! He was mortified that I didn't love the dish. I tried to explain that once the fat layer was removed, the duck itself was fine, but he wasn't happy with that. When I had cleared my plate, he insisted on bringing me a dessert on the house (because that's just what my butt needed after a bowl of soup and what seemed like six pounds of fried duck!) Ohhhh allll riiiiight bring me the free dessert IF YOU MUST! He brought me a small blue and white oval plate that could have come from your grandmother's house, and in the center was a similarly oval mound of sticky rice covered with a layer of sliced mango and some uber-crunchy things. Well hellooooo delicious! I could have just finished a Roman food orgy and I wouldn't have turned that plate away. It was ridiculous, and if I had to go back to Bangkok Garden knowing what I know NOW, I'd just opt for the soup and that dessert and skip an entree all together. All in all, I loved my meal, so if you're ever in the Baltimore / Ellicott City / Columbia MD area give it a try.
(4)
Daniela M.
Great Thai restaurant! Their red and green curry are just magnificent, just the right amount of spice!!! The staff is super friendly and efficient. You can never go wrong when you go to Bangkok Garden!
(5)
Mackenzie M.
My coworkers and I come here sometimes. They know how to do spicy. The mussaman curry with avocado chunks is delicious, the best curry I've ever had. I do not recommend delivery from though. Sizing is inconsistent, and in the case of the mussaman, sometimes there are no avocados, only avocado pits. Much better to go in-person.
(4)
keith c.
This is my absolute favorite Thai rest restaurant. It is authentic Thai food and they will sometimes even prepare off menu items when sweet talked. My favorite dishes is the panang with the nam for an appetizer. My wife loves the Pad Thai. We often just order a bunch of stuff and share. My only complaint is that they don't open until 4 on Saturdays and often we go out to eat on Saturdays around 1 or 2 so its either wait or go somewhere else.
(5)
JJ J.
This is my favorite Thai restaurant in Maryland. There are better places in Virginia, but this takes the top spot. Honestly certain dishes are reallly good and certain ones are just okay. I'll lay out 3 dishes you can't go wrong with: 1) Southern Duck (YOU MUST GET THIS, it's amazing...) 2) Panang Curry w/Chicken (This is such an awesome curry and once you eat the chicken and have sauce left, have it over the rice) 3) Heavenly Duck (This is really good too but there isn't as much duck as in the Southern Duck dish, although there are a lotta veggies) I'd get the Drunken Noodles or Pad Thai as well, although they are just solid, rather than extraordinary. Overall, solid place. If you are going to get one dish, get the SOUTHERN DUCK.
(4)
Kelly J.
This place was nice. The staff were friendly and efficient and the food was tasty. I stuck with something mild "Cashew Chicken" but it was a little too mild for my taste buds. However, someone ordered the drunken noodles and they couldn't finish it because it was too hot. I think next time I go I will try something in between that hot range.
(4)
Bryan A.
Have seen the kitchen from doing some refrigeration work, very disgusting, have raw chicken sitting out over night to defrost! Causing bacteria obvs, rotten food in walk in numerous fridges not working they refuse to fix, I've seen people come in and complain numerous times would suggest skipping this meal,
(1)
Ieesha J.
Okay, I rarely give a 1 star for my reviews. However, I'm very disappointed with my order from this place. I can't believe he charged me a dollar plus tax for an extra pepper sauce. Seriously?? I just spent 20 dollars on two items and you're really going to charge me for an extra small container of sauce. Okay the place opens at 4pm on Saturdays, and I placed my order around 5pm. You would think my food would be freshly prepared right? I get home and start to eat my food and the chicken in my Tom Ka Gai was extremely tough, and the shrimp in my friend rice was REALLY chewy. I know that the shrimp wasn't over cooked..it was old. I will not be back...I will stick to my usual spot in Silver Spring!! If you can't get two simple dishes right, then how good is the rest of your menu?
(1)
M G.
I found this place after searching for a Thai restaurant in the area that I had not yet visited. Upon entering, I did a quick check for pictures of the King and Queen, which were proudly displayed and which assured me Thais run this place. The proprietor was clearly Thai and thrilled to learn I had just returned from spending the lunar New Year in Bangkok. And I was thrilled to discover at least half the patrons in the place were Thai. Food was good-authentic. Service was a bit slow-but then it's a family run place and there were several large parties of Thai folks. This has just become my favorite Thai place in Maryland.
(5)
Steve Y.
Went here with my wife and daughter for weekday lunch. Upon arrival I was a little hesitant about the place. Not many cars were in the parking lot. It was around 12:15 in the afternoon. The waiter welcomed us and we got seated. I have to admit the staff was very friendly. There was only a family of four and two solo patrons in the restaurant. I began to regret coming in but I settled in and ordered Drunken beef rice, shrimp pad thai, lunch special beef with yellow curry, and ?. The waiter brought a salad and chicken soup for the lunch special. The salad was OK, it was fresh. The chicken soup had a fishy after-taste. I didn't enjoy it. The drunken rice was good but the beef was a little rubbery. The shrimp pad thai was good but nothing special. The chicken curry was tasty and was most popular of them all. It was actually pretty good. Overall I give this restaurant: 5 star for service 3 for cleanliness 4 for value 3 for taste 3 for ambiance. Will I go again? Probably not, but if I have a craving for Thai I might go as a last resort because of convenience.
(3)
S B.
Had spicy drunken noodles as takeout, which was delicious. Friendly staff, and so authentic we had a small language barrier issue (which I love). Will definitely visit again while in town. Only downside was a rowdy customer threatening to "beat down" her boyfriend. At least it was entertaining... lol
(4)
Nadia M.
Had to grab a bite to eat before going to meditation and so went across the street not sure what to expect. The food was excellent, great customer service, and cute aquarium with little fishes was a nice touch. Very zenful and happy to have discovered this place. The vegie stirfry was simple yet so delicious. Glad I found a new Tuesday night food for thought place.
(4)
Katie Y.
Had lunch here today and it was fantastic. Great deal for $8.95, main course and choice of soup or spring roll. Portions were huge. Food was absolutely amazing, spicy and authentic, and everything very fresh. Atmosphere always leaves a little to be desired, but I'll trade it any day for such great food. Will come back for lunch again and again.
(4)
Julie H.
You know it's a bad place when you feel the intense need to sign up to a review site to review a restaurant. This place had a rating for 4 stars. FOUR. Not two, not three, but FOUR STARS. No wonder four is a bad number for Chinese people. This place was HORRIBLE. ABSOLUTE HORRIBLE SERVICE. HORRIBLE FOOD. HORRIBLE PEOPLE. Coming into the restaurant, it seemed nice. Nice clean atmosphere, besides the fact that there was a large party there with babies crying and constant chatter that could rival screaming Justin Beiber fan chicks... it was okay. We had to wait 10 minutes for water which we asked for..TWICE. I ordered Pad See Eaw with beef. I mean, it's a simple dish. You can't really mess it up right? OH YEAH YOU CAN. Especially if you make it using spoiled food!!! I could smell the sour spoiled odor right when the server brought it to me. I was thinking... okay, at least take a bite of it. Took a bite of broccoli and it was rock solid hard. I figured maybe they didn't cook it long enough but it was still edible. My boyfriend took a bite of the noodle to try the food and his eyes shot wide open. I took a bite of the noodle and it was absolutely inedible. It was SOUR. Not like soy sauce sour but OVERDUE FOOD SOUR. I didn't even want to try the beef. The waiter took it away and asked if I wanted another meal and I just ended up ordering Green Curry that my boyfriend had. Honestly, I didn't even want another meal because the service was so horrible. They didn't even apologize for the food. The manager didn't even come by to ask how the food was. All they were worrying about was the larger party. These people didn't even deserve the tip. They didn't even say thank you for coming to eat at Bangkok POISON GARDEN. I should tell them thanks...FOR NOT KILLING ME WITH THEIR FOOD. AVOID THIS PLACE. AVOIDDDDD. or...eat and get food poison yourself.
(1)
Eric N.
This was a great gem to find. We found this one in a secret nook in Coulumbia(are most of them hidden?) on a weeknight. They were having a big party, but the service was still great. The four dishes we all ordered were very good, and we are looking to come back for a second visit.
(4)
John S.
We had eaten dinner here before so we decided to return. The food was just as good as the last time we visited. I had the Bangkok Garden calamari and my GF had the chicken and broccoli. They were both very good. My only complaint is that the service was really slow and there were only a few people in the restaurant. Probably just an off day.
(4)
Amy K.
Not pleasant. The reviews seemed good so we thought we'd try it. My husband and I both agreed it was our worst dining experience to date. I had drunken noodles with pork. They were so mushy that they just fell apart. I hardly had any pork in there and it was so oily. My husband said it tasted like soy sauce. He's had drunken noodles many times and said those were awful. He had duck curry. The curry itself had a good flavor but the duck was so horribly dry and chewy. Our kids shared a bowl of wonton soup and it was strictly ok. We drank water and our bill was still over $30. What a waste. Prices seemed steep. We will drive to Catonsville for Thai Heaven from now on.
(2)
Judy R.
Definitely worth navigating to find this restaurant! Delicious authentic (spicy!) food. Curry chicken puffs and shrimp cakes are terrific appetizers. The shrimp pad thai and duck curry are both excellent. The staff is cheerful, pleasant, and helpful.
(5)
la k.
Best Green Curry yet. Panang was also quite good, but there was something extraordinary about the Green. Certainly worthy of a return visit. Must try the duck.
(4)
Anne G.
This is the most authentic Thai food we have had since moving to Howard County. My husband dined here prior to the new ownership 2 yrs ago and his review was average. Based on the reviews on Yelp we decided to return and sooooo glad we did. It is now our go to restaurant for real Thai. What we ordered... Started with Tom-Yum Goong for 2, Yum-Woonsen a delicious cellophane noodle salad with minced chicken, lime, onions and peppers, Pad Thai with shrimp was excellent not wet like the style other restaurants make for the American palate. The owner Nina made us Thai hot minced dry chicken with basil which we haven't been able to find at any other Thai restaurant. We finished with mango and sticky rice...the best we have ever had. We chose these dishes since we like to evaluate each restaurant using the standard dishes we love. Nina and her family are lovely and the staff are all very welcoming. If you want authentic Thai go to Bangkok Garden 9.
(5)
Constance B.
We are traveling and used our GPS to find a Thai restaurant tonight. It came up came with the Bangkok Garden just a mile away. We then went to Yelp and found just one review. What we read concerned us but since the review was a year old we decided to give the Bangkok Garden a try. SO GLAD WE DID - IT IS GREAT!!! We found a cheerful clean dining room with warm service a nice, quiet atmosphere (although they have a small stage and so may have music at times). Best of all we were served marvelously tasty Thai food. Ask for the tasty spice tray to be brought to your table. This little restaurant is a great find. Not to be missed in my estimation. I wish it were in our state of residence!
(5)
Elizabeth C.
For really good "as close as you can get to Thailand" Thai food, this is it!! Perfect blend of spices, and they are very generous with the meat/seafood in their portions.I love the spiciness of their food too. I've never had something that I didn't love!! I haven't eaten in the restaurant in a while, but they are new to Carryoutmenu.com so we've been ordering weekly! It's addictive.
(5)
Rod K.
This is the real deal. I can only say that if you want good, authentic Thai food this is a good place. I travel for a living and eat in many Thai restaurants and I have found this one to be among the best. I've also lived in Thailand and would say that this place serves Isaan style cusine. The food from this region tends to be on the spicier side and full of flavor. Their Larb is great, Som Tom with salted crab (ask for the crab) is as good as it gets. Keep in mind that each region of Thailand prepares foods a bit differently......but all Thai's love Isaan food! This is the 2nd restaurant in the family. So, as for going out of business anytime soon I don't think so. It is hard to find, was a fast food restaurant before but only the outside of the building gives that away. In the summer time they have a nice garden growing around the building with Thai basil, lemon grass, papaya, chili's and so on. Staff is very nice and I have never found it to be dirty or unsanitary. Give it a try and I am sure you won't be let down. Chok dee krup!
(5)
kanling k.
With a cash infusion, BKK garden would have potential. But, I don't think it is going to get one. My prediction is that it will soon be out of business. On a weekend at lunchtime, there were only four customers. The restaurant is nicely decorated and has some great Thai plants all around the outside. But, the place is in a converted fast food building that is falling apart. The old drive through ceiling is falling down. Inside, the place is in serious need of some new chairs, tables, carpeting. The food was only average, and unappetizing because I was doubtful about the cleanliness of the dinnerware. The water, for example, had lots of particles floating in it. I THINK they were actually lemon pulp, but I was not brave enough to try. I drank nothing during the meal and instead got a drink at the nearby Food Lion after I left.
(1)
Deb B.
Delicious food! Very authentic! We started out with the chicken satay, which was tasty and tender. The peanut sauce accompanying it was super delicious! Next, we enjoyed the tom kha with chicken. For the main course, we had pad thai, pad see ew, and yellow curry! All were delicious, especially the pad see ew. For dessert, coconut ice cream and sticky rice with sweet coconut milk over the top! Can't say enough about the delish food! The owners were very nice and took very good care of us (including our 2 crazy kids). Will return again and again!
(5)
Bob B.
So I tried this place for the first time. Evidently they're going through a name change. The current owner (not in because she's in Thailand) bought this place 4 years ago I'm told and in the process of changing/upgrading. Lots of potential. I ordered "to go" Spicy Fried Rice w/ Basil & shrimp. Amazing !!! The best I've had. So flavorful.
(4)
Rhema L.
Flavorful and good but not as good as other places in town. We Tried an assortment of dishes: - the thai coffee and the thai tea were good, -Tom Ka soup was good but way too spicy for a kid to enjoy, -chicken satay, did not care for it too dry and tasteless, - curry puff, veggie it was just alright, not memorable -fried tofu, the fried part was good, the tofu itself was blaaa, -curry panang, good but a tad too sweet, -curry rice was good especially was a side of peanut sauce added to it, -seafood drunken noodle, was the lowest point for all of us, the noodle way too cook and so was the seafood. We could have gone without. -green tea ice cream w/rice pudding was good.
(3)
Steven H.
I can highly recommend this place. The food was wonderful. We had the mussels to start: big green mussels with a dipping sauce that was delightful. I had the coconut milk soup with shrimp. Outstanding. For the entre i had the drunken noodles. Easily on par with some of the best i have had, spicy but not overwhelming. My wife had number 69, a rice noodle chicken, chinese broccoli mix with egg. Very good but much tamer for the spices.
(5)
Mark E.
Four of us came here for an early Friday night dinner in an out-of-the-way shopping area nestled among the amorphous trees and 70s townhouses of East Columbia. We selected Bangkok Garden 9 (one presumes there are at least 8 others) based on menu, convenience to our locational needs and the preponderance of solid Yelp reviews. On the outside, the restaurant looks like it had been a Pizza Hut or perhaps a Lums. The food was very good and on par with the best Thai we have had in recent memory and prices were fair. Our entire party ordered with reasonable adventurousness and enjoyed what they had. I liked the fish special of the day. Some of the dishes were unexpectedly highly spicy; be clear when ordering if the heavy hand with the hots is not pleasing to your palate. Service was polite but uneven given the light crowd early in the evening, which might be an aberration but might also be par for the course here. Other recent reviewers have commented on this; they may be having some measure of a front-of-the-house problem. I'd recommend a table over the booth. The booth seats are very well-worn and if the adjoining booth is also occupied, one easily can feel every body movement of the person behind you which is a tad disconcerting when dining. A table also is more central to the dining room and removed from the sun's glare. We'll be back, but perhaps not until circumstances bring us to this area again. We were satisfied but not wowed; maybe it's not worth the drive all factors considered.
(3)
Ann K.
Lunch special is the best deal. they offer two spring rolls, A Tom yum soup cup, lunch with rice, and fried banana and ice cream. $8.95. They changed the tiny fried banana with ice cream to a itsy tiny bowl of tapioca in coconut milk cream. I miss the ice cream. :(
(4)
D. K.
This was my second time visiting this place. Previously we had a very kind female waitress and food was very good. Today I was waiting for ten minutes to get seated and was completely ignored by the server (guy with tattoos on his arms). He was argumentative, did not apologize for the wait and even ignored me when I got up to pay my bill. Where I work, I would get fired for that. attitude Great chef , tasty food but in case I go back I will get carry out.
(1)
Allison L.
As others have said, the lunch special here is great! For less than $10 I enjoyed a creamy panang curry with rice and two crispy spring rolls. What a deal! My mom tried the soup and my sister tried the pad thai. Everyone loved their dishes, which were spiced just right. The restaurant is clean and spacious, and the service is friendly. This is much better than your average take-out spot!
(4)
Lisa L.
This place is tucked away and a little difficult to find....but the food is excellent....I had the Shrimp Pad-Thia with a Singha beer.....perfect pairing. Highly recommend trying this place for the food alone....service is a little slow but worth the wait.
(5)
Chad B.
This was my third time ever having Thai food, and this restaurant compares well to the others I've tried. It seemed cozy to me - it has a dining room and a small but well-stocked bar. There are large windows with views of the trees outside (it was nice looking at the fall colors). The tables had cool paper seashells under the glass. Our waitress was friendly and did a great job serving our large group. We all got separate bills, and she kept everything straight. I ordered the Pad Thai with Chicken and got a decent-sized portion. It had crunchy fried noodles and a generous amount of bean sprouts. The ground peanuts were a nice touch too. The chicken was cut into small pieces, and it was soft and delicious! Everything on the plate combined well, and the meal was very satisfying. I definitely recommend this place if you like Thai food or are interested in trying it.
(4)
Katherine B.
I don't know what happened here. I heard new management? I have gone about three times before I decided to write this review but I just have to. It's not the same at all. The soups are sweet? Last time was cold. The cucumber relish that comes with the satay is in a corn syrup type liquid ugh. My chicken satay was raw last time and they didn't even discount the check. For the price, the food is just not up to par. I always leave feeling like I was cheated or just unsatisfied. This deeply saddens me bc I used to love this place. Go to Thai aroma on 40. Better food and prices!
(1)
Jen J.
This place has great food. The building itself could use some love. I recommend the larb appetizer.
(4)
D W.
A friend and I went for an early dinner (5:30pm) and we were the ONLY ones there. Must be because everyone is stuck in traffic on 175... I digress... For being the only two patrons, we were surprised that they botched our appetizer... We ordered the BKK Chicken Wings. Never got them; the waiter completely forgot -- if he wrote down the order it wouldn't have been an issue... We ordered a PAD-PAK (Stir-fried mixed vegetables, w/ chicken), SIAM BEEF aka NUA-KA-TA (sizzling beef served on hot plate), and MUSSAMAN CURRY (Mussaman curry in coconut milk, avocado, and peanut, w/ chicken). - The PAD-PAK vegetables came from a bag in the frozen section of Costco, and chicken were a little dry, but I'll give it some credit for the sauce - I think that was the saving grace for the dish. - SIAM BEEF was on a black platter and still sizzling when it came out. Was great for the first few slabs of beef - decent meat/vegetable ratio - however the black plate must have been too hot, or they cooked the beef for too long before bringing it out. The rest of the meat were tough to chew after a few minutes - overcooked on the sizzling platter. - MUSSAMAN CURRY, plenty of chicken and the curry was the right flavor. It had a great creamy consistency, and was not watered down like you could find in some places. - We also ordered two Thai iced teas; they were good. Red tea + evaporated milk, can't go wrong there. Pricing was as high as you would normally find in Arlington or Alexandria... quite surprised for the portion-to-price ratio... Not a lot of food when it comes on individual-portion-plates, not on serving plates. We were not pleased about that. I would come back if I was really craving Thai and not in NoVA or DC, otherwise it is nothing I would rave about.
(2)
Joshua T.
Service is very slow. Price doesn't match the quantity. Wouldn't come back again. Took about 45 mins get food.
(2)
Des W.
Very impressed with the taste. Ordered Panag chicken curry and Red vegetable curry and it was fantastic - both quality and quantity. We usually dine in what we consider the best Thai restaurant in DC metro area:Nava Thai in Silver Spring but this place is right up there. Will be going here again soon.
(4)
Naomi R.
Best Thai in Columbia! Service for both dine in and carry out is courteous and efficient. Flavors are deep and the food is always fresh. They have earned a spot on my call list.
(5)
Holli S.
Love this place.... But I just came here at 5 o'clock and there was a sign on the door saying they won't open back up till 6 then I call and they allow me to get a carry out order but not eat it in.
(3)
James N.
Very good Thai food! Little hidden spots are normally the best. Not crowded at all. The only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 was because the service took a little longer then it should have. Besides that, excellent food!
(4)
Nhu P.
Lord I feel horrible! I thought I reviewed this place already! This is one of my FAVORITE EVERRRRRRRRRR restaurants, not only in Columbia but overall! Their authentic thai food, mixer with good service leaves me always wanting more. They make THE best thai tea! Their drunken noodles ate INCREDIBLE! Got my entire office hooked on it! Green curry, DELISH! Rich, creamy, spicy! Whole crispy flounder with sauce on the side, yummmmmmmmm! Do not pass this place by! They are incredible!!!!
(5)
Tiffany H.
Finally decent Thai food in Columbia, the land of dining mediocrity. Pad Prik Khing and Pad Thai....yum! I couldn't understand why the rice portion that accompanies the dish was soo small and the atmosphere needs work. It got really odd when walking out of the restaurant, there was a stale plate of food outside on the ground, like it was placed there for a roaming animal......strange.
(3)
M R.
This place was pretty good. We ordered takeout from here for my wife's coworkers. Only disappointment was that you can't get the lunch specials as takeout. The food was well spiced. My wife had the drunken noodles, medium spicy and I had the pad ke eaue medium spicy. Hers was definitely spicier than mine. We both enjoyed our meals. My wife's coworkers also enjoyed their meals. I never knew this place existed. I think we will definitely be back when we have another Thai craving.
(4)
B L.
This is my favorite Thai restaurant, as long as I don't order the curry. I think everyone I know loves their curries, but I'm just not a fan. Everything else, though! I love it all. I get this place on takeout but it's one of the few places on the carryout menu I loved enough to go to in person and is one of my go-to restaurants. The service is very nice, but very slow, and usually gets something wrong. You just have to be patient. I haven't eaten here in a few months, though, so I hope based on some of the more recent reviews when I return it is still as good as before.
(4)
Ryan M.
I've only ordered takeout from here but it's delicious. I can't speak for the dining experience, it seems like a nice place but it's off the beaten path and a little hole-in-the-wall-ish. Probably wouldn't come here on a first date, but it does seem like a nice quiet place for conversation or for a family. As far as takeout, it doesn't get much better than this in the area. If you call it in, they are quick and accommodating.
(5)
Alisa M.
My first time at this place. Best Thai restaurant in the Columbia area. Real Thai people cook real Thai food. I had the Pad Ped Pha Tilapia my waitress recommended to try. Loved it alot! Very authentic! Service was great. Will definitely go back for more.
(5)
Sue P.
I've ordered carry out several times and each time it's always delicious. Today was the first time I've dined here & it was excellent. I love this Thai restaurant. Our waitress was great and super friendly. Great food with a lot of flavor .. I'll continue coming here as long as the found is tasty.. I'd definitely recommend this place.
(4)
Paul C.
I've had two meals here before deciding to write this review to make sure that the first visit wasn't a fluke. The food is good and very authentic, perhaps too much so for many who cannot handle the Thai heat (myself included). I travel to Thailand frequently for business and have tried variety of dishes in varying degrees if heat. I would suggest sticking to two stars or less unless you can really handle it. I had the pad prik king with tofu and the traditional green curry with chicken the second time. What a great value it is for lunch!!! You get a cup of tasty soup, a couple of small spring rolls, the entree, and refreshing mango sorbet with a morsel of fried banana for dessert all for $9-10. Thai ice tea was nice and strong and the service was excellent. This is as good as it gets for Thai in Columbia MD aka "the food desert".
(5)
Felicia H.
I love Bangkok Garden! I hadn't been in a while but went for dinner tonight and I wish it hadn't taken me so long to come back! The service was great, our server was very friendly and attentive. We got the pad thai and green curry with thai eggplant instead of Chinese eggplant. The dishes were great. The pad thai wasn't overly sweet like most restaurants, and they gladly made my eggplant swap in the curry dish, which was nice and spicy. The food is authentic, and they even put just a fork and a spoon at each place setting. I'll definitely be back more often!
(5)
Caitlin C.
This is a decent thai restaurant considering other options in the area. I've ordered the Yellow Curry and Pad See Ew, both have been good. Their Tom Ka Gai is also delicious, probably better than the entrees. I've been here with friends many times, and while there are no complaints, there are no "Oohs and Aahs" over the food. Portions are average considering the prices. The service is just fine, and staff members are polite and efficient. I will certainly be going back soon!
Love this place. Great international beer happy hour. I always get drunkin noodles and Panang curry. Delish!!!!!!!!!!!
(4)
Melody T.
I'm back on Yelp after an extended break, and I hate to make this my first review... but I need to 'yelp,' if you catch my drift. This place makes overly sweet grease synonymous with Thai cuisine, and overcooked noodles the vehicle with which to soak it all up. The drunken noodles I ordered were 'drunk' on grease, and were so overcooked I probably didn't need to chew at all. The pad thai I tried was not much better. I was starving... but could only stomach a few bites. On a positive note, we were a rather large group, and our server was very accommodating and courteous.
(2)
Daniel C.
Lets just say I'm happy to live within walking distance of this place. If you like your food spicy, you hit the jackpot at Bangkok Garden. Try the Drunken Noodles, they are awesome.
(5)
Larry H.
In the sea of Thai restaurants available in the Columbia area, this one hits about the middle of the road. The interior decor is pleasing to the eye, it's quiet enough to hear the music, and having lots of booths for a little added privacy is always a plus. The food preparation is always consistent and done well in every dish I've tried here, so no complaints there. But what makes this place just average in my opinion is that instead of the Traditional Thai spice meter, where you get dishes that range from tingle in your mouth mildly spicy, to make you sweat medium spice, all the way to 5-alarm blazingly hot. The cooks/management at Bangkok Garden 9 seem to have opted for making all their dishes "American" spicy... Which translates to dishes that go from no perceptible spice at all, to just mildly hot, (unless you specifically ask for more). This is the first Thai restaurant I've ever encountered where drunken noodles won't have you blowing your nose and looking for a second glass of water half way through the meal. My only advice for Bangkok Garden 9 is that if you want to call yourself a Thai restaurant and not just an Asian fusion restaurant. Stick closer to traditional Thai recipes and let customers that don't really like Thai ask for milder versions, not the other way around.
(3)
Kris S.
Food is always consistently awesome here. Never had problems and if you love spicy food this is the place.
(5)
Yuxue W.
I had the worst experience ever in this restaurant. The owner of this place is very rude and unbelievably emotional. I ordered a dish whose title suggested something completely different from what I was expecting. So I asked the server to ask the manager if I can return it. The owner came out and started yelling at us, asking us to either accept the food as it is, or get out. She even threatened to call the police. I was ok with not returning it, and I just wanted to see if it is possible. Instead of having a normal conversation, the owner had no respect for the guests and was behaving completely inappropriate. That was such a horrible experience that I don't recommend this place to anyone. Many of my friends have already blacklisted this place. I suggest you do the same and avoid being served a plate full of insults.
(1)
Yaka H.
Review about the take-out only. It was a bit hard to find this place, but it's located at the opposite end in the plaza from the Food Lion, tucked behind the Columbia Bank. There isn't a notable sign on the outside, but you'll see a neon "OPEN" sign with 2 golden dragons by the door. I ordered a chicken pad thai and mango sticky rice to go. For take-out, you'll have to order a medium or large portion of soup. They won't do a small portion for take-out. The pad thai portion was huge. It was pretty tasty, however, one side was so heavily salted that I just couldn't finish it. It was just too salty. It was a shame, it was chock full of eggs, chicken, scallions, roast pork, and peanuts. I really loved that they put a helpful portion of peanuts on it. However, the overwhelming saltiness killed it for me. The sticky rice with mango was pretty good. However I thought the portion size was pretty small for the amount I paid. Also, there was a fuzz on one of the mango pieces, which was a bit unpleasant. However, service was nice enough to give me a nice, cold glass of water. It was super hot outside, so it was much appreciated. May be back again if I'm in the area to give this place a second chance.
(2)
C W.
My husband and I normally go to Little Spice for Thai food, but decided to try something new. The restaurant's exterior and decor is a bit dated. The room itself is big, with booth tables along the sides and regular tables in the middle. We were promptly greeted and seated. We ordered: Thai iced tea, chicken curry puffs, papaya salad, and I had tofu pad thai as my entree. The Thai iced tea was good (the glasses are kind of small). The appetizers were okay. You get two curry puffs with the cucumber sauce. The papaya salad wasn't spicy and had a distinct fish sauce taste. The tofu was sweet and crispy and the pad thai was flavorful. Overall, I thought the meal was good. I'm not sure if I'd come back again, only because it's in a shopping center I don't typically go to.
(3)
Milind S.
2 waiters served us. One was nice and she smiled when ever possible- pleasant. The other- probably the guy behind the bar- seemed very impatient. Suddenly a happy laughing table became a quite table just after the waiter guy reminded us in a stern tone that the kitchen was closing in 10 minutes (this was @9:35pm on a Sunday; the listed closing time for the place is 10:30pm which I even had to confirm with the servers after experiencing the impatience). now the food: the others on the table seemed to find the food good. I had the "Penang Curry". It tasted alright but was very greasy and had like 2 table spoons of oil floating on top. Overall, definitely go there if you want to take a chance of dropping your happy mood a few octaves down. Happy customer + impatient/stern servers = unhappy customer
(1)
Ky T.
This used to be one of my favorite places for Thai food but the quality of their dishes has gone down hill :/ The last two times I've stopped in to place take-out orders it has been pretty evident my food was not made fresh. Most importantly is that one dish I have ordered regularly over the passed few years which has no pork in it had large pork bits in it when I got it home so that I had to completely dispose it. I am not sure if they are under new management but the place looks dingy and in need of update inside now and the food is no longer made to order or nearly as tasty as it was before.
(3)
April W.
Fantastic Thai! Was skeptical because I wasn't sure of the neighborhood. Staff was excellent and accommodating to our 4 year old! I had the 68. Delicious
(5)
Jenny H.
I came here for lunch, and me and my hubs were the only patrons in the entire place, and the food came out REALLY quickly. The food was just OK, we ordered their red curry (they forgot to exchange the bamboo shoots for another veggie) which was not that great and drunken noodles (which is always our staple) which was just decent. The REALLY good thing about this restaurant- their DESSERTS!! OMG, outside of Thailand, they have the most unique, AMAZING Thai desserts. We got their SA KOO- tapioca in coconut milk, and their BUA LOY- or tapioca balls, nice and chewy, in this AMAZING warm, sweet coconut milk- YUMMY!! I could have drank a gallon of the bua loy- in fact, I ordered one to go!!! Get their desserts here, especially the Bua Loy- you will not regret it!
(3)
Supraja M.
TL;DR: Atrocious service: over half an hour to order, over an hour before our order was put in, unclear who our waiter was, and unapologetic 'management'. food was fine. *** While I generally like the food here, I was appalled by the service (or lack thereof!) today. My cousin is visiting from out of town and wanted to get Chinese or Thai food today. She suggested PF Changs... seeing as how we were both hungry and PF Changs on a Friday night will have a crazy long wait, and also I don't particularly like PF Changs, I suggested this place instead. We arrived right around 7:00 and were seated promptly. We started looking through the menu. About 10 minutes later, the waiter who seated us brought us water, then ran away before I could order my Thai Iced Tea; we decided on our food within a minute after this and closed our menus, waiting for someone to come take our order. We chatted for a while, and started wondering what was up as time went on. By 7:30 I thought it was ridiculous that no one had come by to ask us even for a drink order and was about to get up and find a waiter so we could order when the guy we thought was our waiter came to the table next to ours. I tried to catch his attention but he refused to make eye contact and ran away again. I tried to get one of the two other waiters in the dining room to come by but again, no eye contact. Finally a waitress came to another table two away from ours and I called out to her to get her attention. She came over, and when I told her we had been waiting 20+ minutes to order she apologized and took down our orders (Drunken Noodles & Thai Iced Tea for me, Stir-Fried Vegetables for my cousin) and we figured ok, they forgot about us once, but we'll get our food quickly. A few minutes later my iced tea showed up (in the hands of the guy I though was the bartender? Except he was delivering food later to other parts of the dining room. I had to ask for a straw). And then we waited. And waited. And waited. Finally, when I realized it had been over an hour since we got to the restaurant. I was about to get up and go cancel our order and just leave and go elsewhere (little caesar's next door? We were STARVING) when I saw the waitress taking to another guy (waiter? bartender? unclear) and pointing at our table, so I figured, ok, our food must be up next, she's telling him where to bring it or something. NOPE. Still a DIFFERENT waiter brought us an order of spring rolls and apologized for the wait. So clearly, they forgot about us AGAIN. We demolished the spring rolls in about 2 minutes, and waited another 10 or 15 minutes for our food. Finally it came with a "sorry about that enjoy" from the first waiter. The food was fine, as usual, though my cousin's Vegetables consisted almost entirely of cabbage. We were so hungry we ate in about 15 minutes. There were 2 tables of 4 and a table of 2 sitting immediately around us who came in just before or even us, ordered drinks, appetizers, and entrees, paid and left before we got our one course of food. When the waitress finally came by again after we were finished eating and had been waiting another 5 or 10 minutes, I asked for a box for my leftovers and to speak to a manager. She replied, "No." then "I am the manager" (which is it, chick?) I told her that I was severely disappointed in the service, that I brought my visitor here because the food and service are usually good and it was clear that they had forgotten about us twice. I hoped for a sincere apology. She nonchalantly told me, they were understaffed, she was the only one 'running', and we had already been given spring rolls on the house. I looked at her with disbelief. The restaurant was near-empty when we came in (4-5 tables total) and at this point was at most 2/3 full, and there were 4 front-of-house people, all running out into the dining room (AND ALL OF WHOM HAD BEEN TO OUR TABLE). She begrudgingly offered 10% off the check and a perfunctory "sorry." We finally left the restaurant at about 8:45. I'm really disappointed--we were hoping for a nice, chill, quick meal and it was a long, drawn-out affair. There's no reason that for our two plates of food, we should have been in that restaurant for nearly 2 hours. I should have left when no one came to take our order for half an hour. I just didn't want to decide on somewhere else while we were already that hungry. They turned me off so badly that I don't anticipate returning.
(1)
Jessica F.
Add this to the list of places I had no clue existed in Columbia. However, my friend was craving Thai food and this came up tops on the Yelp app. We got here on a Sunday morning right as it opened. The service was quick and the food was good. I agree with other reviewers that it wasn't the best Pad Thai I have ever had and I probably should have gone with the curry. I would try them again though and it is nice to have a quality Thai place so close to home.
(3)
CC L.
I've been searching for a good Thai place in the area for some time and I found it. Ka prow, pad thai, drunken noodles all very good.
(5)
M W.
The food and service were fantastic. Everything was cooked fresh and the staff was easy going and polite. The location is a little strange and out of the way but you won't be disappointed. This is by far the best Thai place on Columbia.
(5)
Hana K.
Kinda pricy for the amount they give you. But the food is good. You have to try the flounder. Pad thai is off the hook!!!!!!!!!!! :)
(3)
Nancy E.
OK, I have eaten here before and would have given this restaurant 3 1/2 stars--meaning I like it, but I still wish we had something better. I also think it's on the expensive-side for a Thai restaurant, but tonight, everything was so top notch, we didn't mind the price. Our meal tonight was honestly some of the best Thai food we've had in Maryland -- and I've been looking for the past 25 years. My mom and husband started with the Tom yum shrimp and Tom kha chicken soups and both agreed it was some of the best. The shrimp were plump and not overlooked at all. I had to start with the beef larb because I saw a plate of it passing by as we were seated. We were NOT disappointed. Lean, spicy, limey beef with fresh lettuce, cilantro and mint. An excellent way to start our meal. I ordered the pad ped with chicken and it was fresh, spicy and delicious. While I love vegetables, i was happy to see that this dish was not piled with vegetable fillers frequently found in other Thai restaurants in the area. My husband had the pad Thai and thought it was one of the best he's had. Mom ordered a garlic shrimp dish and she thought it was excellently prepared. We are also fans of the Thai basil fried rice and again, we were not disappointed. Incidentally, this is my first 5-star review.
(5)
Allen G.
Bangkok garden number 9 has the closest to authentic Thai food I've had in the region. Appetizers start at about 5. Dinners start at about 11 and all of it is simply excellent. Don't ask for Thai hot unless you really want it HOT. The authentic recipes and menu make you believe you're actually in Thailand. The Thai beef salad is reason enough to eat there two or three times a week.
(4)
Kimberly P.
loved this place! I am vegan, and there was a lot of food to choose from, even dessert! I liked the atmosphere. It was quiet enough to talk, but if you wanted there were TVs playing none other than Good Eats and Seinfeld. The food was delicious! I would highly recommend the curry puffs appetizer and the mango sticky rice for dessert. Update: Just went their recently and found my drunkin noodles to be really mushy. I will still go to this restaurant, but I will probably not get that dish again.
(4)
Erica F.
My husband I and have enjoyed eating here for years. Food is on point each and every time. I must admit... We have not eaten here in a month or so based on the price. A bit steep lately.
(4)
Juan R.
I do not live in Columbia, MD, but I had been to this restaurant many years ago. So it was a surprise that the place is still is as good as I remember. The food service is fast and the portions are reasonable. The chicken puffs are awesome. We also had the fish cakes for appetizers. The main course was the string beans with chicken and the drunken noodles, my personal favorite. All the food was delicious. We are planning on going again soon.
(4)
Tiffany K.
What is there to say about this amazing place that has not already been said? It is within walking distance to my house, a huge plus for me. I absolutely love everything I have gotten from here. I have gone to eat here many times with friends and relatives and they all comment on the quality of the ingredients and the taste. A great little gem in Columbia.
(5)
Beverly H.
I love Thai food, so having a good, reasonably cheap place nearby is great. I don't recall ever having bad service in the seating area, though I usually get carryout. One thing I especially like here is that they give you realistic wait times when you order. There's also a Food Lion & dry cleaner in this shopping plaza, so you get run errands while waiting. As far as their food is concerned, neither my BF or I have ever gotten anything bad. They have a good selection of veggie dishes, which he prefers. I'm more of a carnivore. They quality of their meat has always been good, no gristle or slimy stuff. I've also never gotten anything that made me wonder about the fate of missing neighborhood pets. Their seasoning can be a bit on the spicy side, so use caution when ordering. In the summer, they grow some of their veggies and herbs just outside the building. You can't get much fresher than that.
(4)
John P.
This is not a bad Thai restaurant. It's typical and on par with most Asian cuisine options in the area. Most of the time it is half empty so there is never a wait. The service there is not really the best but so what. All the food I've ever tried I've been happy with. For any one who likes to get things a little spicier you can tell them to make it "Thai spicy" and that should put it way over the top. Portions are adequate and so are the prices. The mixed drinks don't taste the best mainly because it's all booze. Is that a bad thing? The only thing I wish they would do away with is that gross fish tank you see when you walk in.
(3)
Teddy E.
This was one of the worst meals I've eaten lately. While the restaurant was half empty by the hour I had arrived, half the tables in the restaurant were dirty, and we had to poach napkins/silverware off one of the nearby tables. The menu is poorly written and way too huge. We started with the Tom Kha with shrimp which was quite reasonable. My main course, the pad ped pah (spicy meat [beef] with thai eggplants) was not good. The eggplants were criminally undercooked and they used very low quality tough beef. I also had a nasty case of indigestion the next morning. Even with an empty restaurant, service took forever.
(1)
Dan A.
This is one of my favorite Thai places. It's kind of in the middle of nowhere in what looks to be a converted Wendy's or something. The restaurant here is rarely packed and the servers understand English but cannot speak it well (but know enough to adequately communicate). Yeah, all that may make Bangkok Garden sound a little shady but even in spite of all that, the food here is good and authentic. The Panang curry is consistently good and one of Bangkok Garden's strengths. It's very flavorful with some heat and a strong but not overwhelming coconut flavor. Bangkok Garden's other curries are good as well but if you were to get only one curry, I'd say opt for the Panang. The Southern Duck is also worth a try. The meat is extremely tender while the outer part of the duck has a wonderful crispiness that works well with the sweet and tangy basil-y sauce. The chicken curry puff appetizers are also good. They are similar to samosas and served with this refreshing cucumber jalapeno sauce that provides a perfect balance and contrast with the puff's savoriness. However, the pad thai here is kind of funny. I must have ordered it at least 10 times since I've started coming here. I've noticed it is pretty inconsistent which is a shame because when Bangkok Garden is at the top of their pad thai game, it is among the best pad thais I've ever had. However, other times, it is average. I've been trying to figure out what factors may cause this variation but to no avail. :( However, it is flavorful (though sometimes more subtle than others) and never greasy. I find that Bangkok Garden is probably one of the best Thai restaurants in the Howard County area and far better than most of Baltimore City's offerings (Thai Arroy is pretty solid however). Coming for lunch is a great idea as the dishes are under $10. Despite the cheaper price, some dishes like the pad thai, appear to be almost the same amount they serve for dinner.
(4)
Rhonda S.
I had been sleeping on this place, but I'm glad I woke up. It's actually pretty good. The service is friendly but a tad bit slow. I usually go later in the evening so not too many people are in there. The food is actually really good and comparable to a few other Thai places I've been in Silver Spring. My only complaint is that with the pineapple fried rice, they usually only give you 2 pieces of shrimp which is kind of cheapo on their part. Overall, it's a place that I defintely don't mind coming back to.
(3)
barry b.
We ate there a number of times years ago and found it very bland. We decided to try it again in Oct. 2013. We were told that it changed ownership 3 years ago. Now, it is a first class Thai restaurant. All lunches are $8.95, including soup (delicious) or spring roll (being retired, we usually go out for lunch, not dinner). My drunken noodles were almost as good as they get and plenty hot (picante). My wife rated her mixed vegetables very high. The other couple ordered Pad Thai and rated it very high. I thought the waitress was speaking Thai but my wife assured me that it was English and "translated" for me (I am hard of hearing). The place was almost empty at 1 p.m. (sad because it's a fine restaurant). It's attractive. The noise level was very low. Plenty of parking. We will be frequent patrons.
(4)
paul s.
I give this place 4 stars, although I might have given it 3. If I could give 3 and a half, I would. Overall it was good and I would go back. The service was a little slow -- they took a looooong time to get to us, but friendly enough once they got started. Having read some other reviews, we tried the yum pla grob appetizer, which was very good. It's a salad with crisp sliced vegetables and a spicy, smoky dressing that had that pungent, fish-sauce flavor to it, but in just the right amount. I was a little surprised though, that the fish was of the chewy, dried, fish-jerky variety, since the menu describes it as "crispy fillet fish." It wasn't what I was expecting. But it was good, and the fish jerky gave the dish a nice authenticity. I had duck curry and I asked for four peppers (thai hot) and man it was hot! I consider myself a seasoned veteran and a real fan of spicy food, Thai particularly, and this curry was ALMOST hot enough to have me wishing I hadn't ordered the four peppers. But I stress the word almost, and that's the whole point. This chef took it right to the limit, and that's just what I wanted. There's nothing more disappointing than ordering four peppers and getting meh, and believe me it's happened. My friend's cashew chicken was a little bland, but anything would have seemed bland in comparison to the firestorm on my plate. It came with lots of thai vegetables and good, sticky rice. My only minor beef was that it could have used a little more duck -- they skimped just a little bit, but no big deal. My mouth was on fire and I was happy trying to douse it with swigs of cold Singha, which I practically had to beg my server to bring me a refill of .. I guess she was busy. The ambience is comfortable and casual, but I thought it was really weird that they had a tv in the dining room. It just seemed out of place. So .. four stars for the yum pla grob and the four pepper curry .. three stars for the bland cashew chicken, not quite enough duck, and slowish service.
(4)
Cam W.
I lived in Bangkok for five years. This is the best Thai restaurant I have found in the B/W area The Isan, or Northeast Thai, cuisine is authentic and very delicious. They have mild and moderately spicy options as well as native Thai (eyes watering hot). I sponsor a Thai student here and we went together one time and loved it all, then on another occasion I brought home a carload of dishes for a Superbowl party and everything has been excellent so far. I love the noodle dishes (i.e., pad thai w/ shrimp, pad see ew w/ pork, the masamun curry, larb w/ pork, and the desserts (fried banana with coconut ice cream was great). My new local favorite!
(5)
Roger B.
My friend's dish was prepared wrong (chicken instead of beef) and my dish had a hair on it (which I find disgusting). Neither of us liked this place. Def will not return.
(1)
Helen C.
I really liked their pad thai, and the mango with sticky rice was also very good! Nice find in the middle of nowhere Maryland =)
(4)
Anthony F.
I recommend moo-nam-tok, grilled pork appetizer. Your mouth bursts open when you take your first bite. Good and spicy, savory, all that you can ask for. I also had larb gai. Aka beef salad, this was PACKED full of beef- more so than any other restaurant I've eaten at. My entree was jungle curry. Excellent, QUITE spicy, and more than enough-no coconut milk in this one, so if you want that stick with one of their standard curry dishes as all others have coconut milk. An iced tea on the house finished off the meal. Best thai I've had in awhile. Feels very family-style. Also the management is new so disregard all bad reviews within six months of this review.
(5)
Mara C.
I tried the food once, and found it pretty greasy. Tried again a year later to see if it improved and it hadn't. I only had it "to go" but was definitely not as good as some others have experienced.
(2)
Justin J.
When you ask for "Thai spicy," you get Thai spicy. The food is very authentic, and if you want to challenge your palate, you won't be disappointed. We had the drunken noodles and the Ka Prow and requested "Thai spicy," and did we get it. My dining companion could see through time! The main dish was preceded by delicious Tom Yum and Tom Kha soup, and was followed with delicious coconut ice cream to take the edge off. The staff is very pleasant and sufficiently attentive. Interior could use a coat of paint and a better sound system for the Thai music; but is clean and attractive. Only criticism we have is the drink prices. You eat hot Thai food, you want a beer to wash it down, but $10 a bottle? Um, yeah, we'll just have water. Thanks.
(4)
Samuel C.
Best Thai restaurant ever..! The restaurant is nice and fancy. The waitress is nice and friendly! The food is fresh , hot and delicious. Your mouth bursts open when you take your first bite. Good and spicy! I have KAO-PAD-KRA-POW. I like it so much better than the other Thai restaurant.
(5)
NK B.
Love at first sight! This place has a good menu and lots to choose from. The prices are reasonable. The place looks very neat and good. Try fried banana and ice cream. Its yum! I will definitely recommend this and will go when even i get a chance. An ideal place for Thai food lovers!
(4)
Lisa R.
I went here for the first time last Saturday for dinner. The food was good and fast. The portions were a little smaller than I expected but that might be a good thing ultimately. I had the larb gai and drunken noodles (with tofu). The larb was spicy and very delicious. The drunken noodles (although they warned me) were a little too spicy for my taste (again they warned me so this is my fault). I had to cut them with some sugar from the spice tray. Definitely ask for a spice tray :-) The dish was very tasty though and they were happy to substitute tofu for the meat options listed on the menu. We had no problems with the service- our waiter was very attentive. I've had better thai food before but this was pretty good.
(4)
Jem D.
The food here is really good. I had lemongrass soup and nam tok. Both were spicy (just how I like it). The nam tok was so fresh, all the cilantro and onions and whatever dressing or sauce they used....mm-mm-good. The only bummer is it's kind of drab inside, and it was hard to find at night. They need a better sign, I drove around Food Lion several times because I could not find it. Plentiful parking.
(4)
Ryan C.
Every time I've been to Bangkok Garden, there aren't very many diners present. I can't understand why, because the food is absolutely delicious. I've had the krapow and red curry - extremely spicy because that's how I roll - and both dishes are exquisite. The lunch menu is very reasonably priced at 8.95, and you get a choice of soup or spring roll. I opt for the spring roll, which is marvelous and comes with a sweet and spicy sauce. I also get the Thai iced tea, because it's pretty much the greatest drink ever invented. Dessert, for me, is always Thai rice custard - it's amazing and I can never get enough of it! My waitress was very friendly and prompt. The food came out only a few minutes after I ordered it. I hope my review helps them to get more business, because they deserve it! I always leave here feeling really happy and satisfied.
(5)
Alexander B.
We had a small wedding party here about a month ago and it was great. A couple of days before the date, we went in to pre-order the food and the owner/manager really worked with us to make sure we ordered the right amount of food and a good mix of dishes. She also comped us a couple free plates. The table was decorated for us when we arrived for the event and the food came out quickly. It was all delicious. The fried rice we ordered was way too hot for me but the flavor was good and others in our party loved it. Overall, it was a good experience and would definitely eat here again.
(5)
HowChow B.
Bangkok Garden was sold in early 2011. The old owner and chef appear to have moved to their Bethesda location, and the new owners appear to be folks who owned a Thai restaurant in Virginia. This has been a place that people really like. It may stay that way, but you may want to recognize that old reviews -- good or bad -- are about a restaurant run by different people than today. There is talk that the Columbia location will change its name over the next six months.
(3)
ASH J.
This place is terrible. Each entree item we ordered had little to no meat/seafood in it with the incorrect levels of spiciness for each item. The service was so terrible that we didn't even have a chance to complain about the food we received.
(1)
Good For The Palate R.
This is a great Thai restaurant. They had a nice selection the stand-bys and less common dishes prepared in traditional ways with authentic ingredients. Prices are good, staff is friendly and food is incredible. Wonderful Sauces. They do karoke but weren't at 9pm on a weeknight. Nice quite, calm atmosphere.
(5)
Sinni L.
I am a picky eater when it comes to Thai food. Nothing beats home cooked meals. But with this place I am a fan. My first day in DC my family took me here. Everything I had I liked, the crispy pork with Chinese greens, Thai noodles, stir fried salmon and fish patties.
(4)
M R.
I'm in the Baltimore area on business and I'm CUH-RAVING Thai food. It's funny, as I get older (ahem) I mean BETTER, my palate continues to evolve and suddenly I'm all about some Asian flavor profiles. Weeeeeird, I know. So anyway, I looked on Yelp for a Thai place in Columbia MD and the number one listing was Bangkok Thai. It was a mere six miles from my hotel so I went and boy am I glad I did. My server Harris was as cute as he could be, and just as sweet. I told him my sensitive palate can't tolerate spicy food (so why ya goin' Thai then, dork??) and he assured me that he'd instruct the chef accordingly. Yay for Harris and for my tongue. I started out with Tom Kha Gai (coconut milk soup with chicken) and it was DIVINE. Enough heat to make my nose run a little (in a good way) but not so much that I had to send it back. What I most loved what the very clear ZING of lime that I tasted in the first several bites. It was so fresh! What I had forgotten is that Tom Kha has a bunch of cilantro in it -- blecch. So I soldiered through half the bowl before I realized I could just pull it out and leave it on the plate. That helped a LOT and I polished off the rest of the bowl in a hurry. For my entree, I took Harris' recommendation for the crispy basil duck against my better judgment, (even though I LOVE duck), because I know it can be fatty. He assured me that it was one of the most popular entrees, so I went with it. What the heck. When in Baltimore, do what Harris says. It arrived and looked pretty good -- medallions of crispy fried duck, but it was indeed pretty fatty around the edges. I peeled the layer of fat off each medallion, leaving it lay on my side plate, and I think poor Harris nearly had a stroke. Partly because I was dissecting each piece, but also because I had given up trying to use a spoon and fork and was just eating with my hands. Oh well! He was mortified that I didn't love the dish. I tried to explain that once the fat layer was removed, the duck itself was fine, but he wasn't happy with that. When I had cleared my plate, he insisted on bringing me a dessert on the house (because that's just what my butt needed after a bowl of soup and what seemed like six pounds of fried duck!) Ohhhh allll riiiiight bring me the free dessert IF YOU MUST! He brought me a small blue and white oval plate that could have come from your grandmother's house, and in the center was a similarly oval mound of sticky rice covered with a layer of sliced mango and some uber-crunchy things. Well hellooooo delicious! I could have just finished a Roman food orgy and I wouldn't have turned that plate away. It was ridiculous, and if I had to go back to Bangkok Garden knowing what I know NOW, I'd just opt for the soup and that dessert and skip an entree all together. All in all, I loved my meal, so if you're ever in the Baltimore / Ellicott City / Columbia MD area give it a try.
(4)
Daniela M.
Great Thai restaurant! Their red and green curry are just magnificent, just the right amount of spice!!! The staff is super friendly and efficient. You can never go wrong when you go to Bangkok Garden!
(5)
Mackenzie M.
My coworkers and I come here sometimes. They know how to do spicy. The mussaman curry with avocado chunks is delicious, the best curry I've ever had. I do not recommend delivery from though. Sizing is inconsistent, and in the case of the mussaman, sometimes there are no avocados, only avocado pits. Much better to go in-person.
(4)
keith c.
This is my absolute favorite Thai rest restaurant. It is authentic Thai food and they will sometimes even prepare off menu items when sweet talked. My favorite dishes is the panang with the nam for an appetizer. My wife loves the Pad Thai. We often just order a bunch of stuff and share. My only complaint is that they don't open until 4 on Saturdays and often we go out to eat on Saturdays around 1 or 2 so its either wait or go somewhere else.
(5)
JJ J.
This is my favorite Thai restaurant in Maryland. There are better places in Virginia, but this takes the top spot. Honestly certain dishes are reallly good and certain ones are just okay. I'll lay out 3 dishes you can't go wrong with: 1) Southern Duck (YOU MUST GET THIS, it's amazing...) 2) Panang Curry w/Chicken (This is such an awesome curry and once you eat the chicken and have sauce left, have it over the rice) 3) Heavenly Duck (This is really good too but there isn't as much duck as in the Southern Duck dish, although there are a lotta veggies) I'd get the Drunken Noodles or Pad Thai as well, although they are just solid, rather than extraordinary. Overall, solid place. If you are going to get one dish, get the SOUTHERN DUCK.
(4)
Kelly J.
This place was nice. The staff were friendly and efficient and the food was tasty. I stuck with something mild "Cashew Chicken" but it was a little too mild for my taste buds. However, someone ordered the drunken noodles and they couldn't finish it because it was too hot. I think next time I go I will try something in between that hot range.
(4)
Bryan A.
Have seen the kitchen from doing some refrigeration work, very disgusting, have raw chicken sitting out over night to defrost! Causing bacteria obvs, rotten food in walk in numerous fridges not working they refuse to fix, I've seen people come in and complain numerous times would suggest skipping this meal,
(1)
Ieesha J.
Okay, I rarely give a 1 star for my reviews. However, I'm very disappointed with my order from this place. I can't believe he charged me a dollar plus tax for an extra pepper sauce. Seriously?? I just spent 20 dollars on two items and you're really going to charge me for an extra small container of sauce. Okay the place opens at 4pm on Saturdays, and I placed my order around 5pm. You would think my food would be freshly prepared right? I get home and start to eat my food and the chicken in my Tom Ka Gai was extremely tough, and the shrimp in my friend rice was REALLY chewy. I know that the shrimp wasn't over cooked..it was old. I will not be back...I will stick to my usual spot in Silver Spring!! If you can't get two simple dishes right, then how good is the rest of your menu?
(1)
Ren S.
Be very careful if you have a nut allergy when attending this place! Myself and my kids both have a severe allergic reaction to nuts, but we love Thai food. Usually Thai restaurants are especially careful when you mention you have an allergy to nuts, but this restaurant does not seem to be. We recently ordered a take out dish without nuts. When I went to eat my food, I noticed cashews in the dish. I called the restaurant immediately and the owner apologized and offered to replace it. The second time the dish had cashews in it again. This time when I called and provided feedback the owner said she did not believe me. She said she had spoken to the chef who indicated that no nuts were added to the food. I asked whether a clean pan was used to cook the dish and she was not sure. She said there was nothing she could do and did not believe that there were nuts included in my order. I emailed her pictures of the nuts and the food. She said she would review them and make a decision. The reason why I am writing this review (I never write reviews) is because I want other people to know to be careful in this restaurant. Unfortunately, given my severe allergies and my children's severe allergies, and the carelessness experienced, I doubt we will be able to visit this place in the future. It is unfortunate because it seems like a pretty good restaurant.
(1)
Maz W.
It was ok, but not exceptional. I ordered the massaman curry-- it came missing some ingredients. I didn't realize it until someone else who also ordered it told me. I came on a Saturday night with family. It quickly became obvious that they were overwhelmed and couldn't keep up. The service was slow , and the servers forgot to bring orders, and kitchen staff didn't always pay attention that their dishes are far from complete. We ordered dessert-- Mango and sticky rice-- the mango was inedible. To make matters worse, there was an annoying person at the door when we came in asking everyone if the food was good, and somehow he ended up in the restaurant dining with the owner. He was loud, used the f-word in front of children, and tried to fix their curtains and heat system. He also helped himself to the bar. He ended up outside smoking something and harassing customers. There are a lot of good Thai restaurants in the DC and Baltimore area , and this isn't one of them.
(3)
Clint T.
It's a really good mom and pop joint. The food is very good if the portions are kinda small. The service is great and the ambiance is cute. It's worth a try for sure.
(4)
Danny C.
Best Thai Restaurant that I have been to so far. The weather was scorching hot at the time I came in, and immediately, a wave of cold air just hit my face and made me happy instantly =) . I Ordered a green curry spicy with chicken and a thai ice tea. Out of all the places I had thai ice tea, this was the best. Not too sweet, just perfect. The green curry wasnt that spicy, but the flavor and aroma was fantastic. I ate the curry. The sauce was so good that I ordered another rice, so I can mix em up together and eat it. I was very full, the prices were reasonable, the service was higher than average. Great place!
(5)
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Address :5810 Robert Oliver Pl
Columbia, MD, 21045
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Quiet Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Ren S.
Be very careful if you have a nut allergy when attending this place! Myself and my kids both have a severe allergic reaction to nuts, but we love Thai food. Usually Thai restaurants are especially careful when you mention you have an allergy to nuts, but this restaurant does not seem to be. We recently ordered a take out dish without nuts. When I went to eat my food, I noticed cashews in the dish. I called the restaurant immediately and the owner apologized and offered to replace it. The second time the dish had cashews in it again. This time when I called and provided feedback the owner said she did not believe me. She said she had spoken to the chef who indicated that no nuts were added to the food. I asked whether a clean pan was used to cook the dish and she was not sure. She said there was nothing she could do and did not believe that there were nuts included in my order. I emailed her pictures of the nuts and the food. She said she would review them and make a decision. The reason why I am writing this review (I never write reviews) is because I want other people to know to be careful in this restaurant. Unfortunately, given my severe allergies and my children's severe allergies, and the carelessness experienced, I doubt we will be able to visit this place in the future. It is unfortunate because it seems like a pretty good restaurant.
(1)Maz W.
It was ok, but not exceptional. I ordered the massaman curry-- it came missing some ingredients. I didn't realize it until someone else who also ordered it told me. I came on a Saturday night with family. It quickly became obvious that they were overwhelmed and couldn't keep up. The service was slow , and the servers forgot to bring orders, and kitchen staff didn't always pay attention that their dishes are far from complete. We ordered dessert-- Mango and sticky rice-- the mango was inedible. To make matters worse, there was an annoying person at the door when we came in asking everyone if the food was good, and somehow he ended up in the restaurant dining with the owner. He was loud, used the f-word in front of children, and tried to fix their curtains and heat system. He also helped himself to the bar. He ended up outside smoking something and harassing customers. There are a lot of good Thai restaurants in the DC and Baltimore area , and this isn't one of them.
(3)Clint T.
It's a really good mom and pop joint. The food is very good if the portions are kinda small. The service is great and the ambiance is cute. It's worth a try for sure.
(4)Danny C.
Best Thai Restaurant that I have been to so far. The weather was scorching hot at the time I came in, and immediately, a wave of cold air just hit my face and made me happy instantly =) . I Ordered a green curry spicy with chicken and a thai ice tea. Out of all the places I had thai ice tea, this was the best. Not too sweet, just perfect. The green curry wasnt that spicy, but the flavor and aroma was fantastic. I ate the curry. The sauce was so good that I ordered another rice, so I can mix em up together and eat it. I was very full, the prices were reasonable, the service was higher than average. Great place!
(5)M G.
I found this place after searching for a Thai restaurant in the area that I had not yet visited. Upon entering, I did a quick check for pictures of the King and Queen, which were proudly displayed and which assured me Thais run this place. The proprietor was clearly Thai and thrilled to learn I had just returned from spending the lunar New Year in Bangkok. And I was thrilled to discover at least half the patrons in the place were Thai. Food was good-authentic. Service was a bit slow-but then it's a family run place and there were several large parties of Thai folks. This has just become my favorite Thai place in Maryland.
(5)Steve Y.
Went here with my wife and daughter for weekday lunch. Upon arrival I was a little hesitant about the place. Not many cars were in the parking lot. It was around 12:15 in the afternoon. The waiter welcomed us and we got seated. I have to admit the staff was very friendly. There was only a family of four and two solo patrons in the restaurant. I began to regret coming in but I settled in and ordered Drunken beef rice, shrimp pad thai, lunch special beef with yellow curry, and ?. The waiter brought a salad and chicken soup for the lunch special. The salad was OK, it was fresh. The chicken soup had a fishy after-taste. I didn't enjoy it. The drunken rice was good but the beef was a little rubbery. The shrimp pad thai was good but nothing special. The chicken curry was tasty and was most popular of them all. It was actually pretty good. Overall I give this restaurant: 5 star for service 3 for cleanliness 4 for value 3 for taste 3 for ambiance. Will I go again? Probably not, but if I have a craving for Thai I might go as a last resort because of convenience.
(3)S B.
Had spicy drunken noodles as takeout, which was delicious. Friendly staff, and so authentic we had a small language barrier issue (which I love). Will definitely visit again while in town. Only downside was a rowdy customer threatening to "beat down" her boyfriend. At least it was entertaining... lol
(4)Nadia M.
Had to grab a bite to eat before going to meditation and so went across the street not sure what to expect. The food was excellent, great customer service, and cute aquarium with little fishes was a nice touch. Very zenful and happy to have discovered this place. The vegie stirfry was simple yet so delicious. Glad I found a new Tuesday night food for thought place.
(4)Katie Y.
Had lunch here today and it was fantastic. Great deal for $8.95, main course and choice of soup or spring roll. Portions were huge. Food was absolutely amazing, spicy and authentic, and everything very fresh. Atmosphere always leaves a little to be desired, but I'll trade it any day for such great food. Will come back for lunch again and again.
(4)Julie H.
You know it's a bad place when you feel the intense need to sign up to a review site to review a restaurant. This place had a rating for 4 stars. FOUR. Not two, not three, but FOUR STARS. No wonder four is a bad number for Chinese people. This place was HORRIBLE. ABSOLUTE HORRIBLE SERVICE. HORRIBLE FOOD. HORRIBLE PEOPLE. Coming into the restaurant, it seemed nice. Nice clean atmosphere, besides the fact that there was a large party there with babies crying and constant chatter that could rival screaming Justin Beiber fan chicks... it was okay. We had to wait 10 minutes for water which we asked for..TWICE. I ordered Pad See Eaw with beef. I mean, it's a simple dish. You can't really mess it up right? OH YEAH YOU CAN. Especially if you make it using spoiled food!!! I could smell the sour spoiled odor right when the server brought it to me. I was thinking... okay, at least take a bite of it. Took a bite of broccoli and it was rock solid hard. I figured maybe they didn't cook it long enough but it was still edible. My boyfriend took a bite of the noodle to try the food and his eyes shot wide open. I took a bite of the noodle and it was absolutely inedible. It was SOUR. Not like soy sauce sour but OVERDUE FOOD SOUR. I didn't even want to try the beef. The waiter took it away and asked if I wanted another meal and I just ended up ordering Green Curry that my boyfriend had. Honestly, I didn't even want another meal because the service was so horrible. They didn't even apologize for the food. The manager didn't even come by to ask how the food was. All they were worrying about was the larger party. These people didn't even deserve the tip. They didn't even say thank you for coming to eat at Bangkok POISON GARDEN. I should tell them thanks...FOR NOT KILLING ME WITH THEIR FOOD. AVOID THIS PLACE. AVOIDDDDD. or...eat and get food poison yourself.
(1)Eric N.
This was a great gem to find. We found this one in a secret nook in Coulumbia(are most of them hidden?) on a weeknight. They were having a big party, but the service was still great. The four dishes we all ordered were very good, and we are looking to come back for a second visit.
(4)John S.
We had eaten dinner here before so we decided to return. The food was just as good as the last time we visited. I had the Bangkok Garden calamari and my GF had the chicken and broccoli. They were both very good. My only complaint is that the service was really slow and there were only a few people in the restaurant. Probably just an off day.
(4)Amy K.
Not pleasant. The reviews seemed good so we thought we'd try it. My husband and I both agreed it was our worst dining experience to date. I had drunken noodles with pork. They were so mushy that they just fell apart. I hardly had any pork in there and it was so oily. My husband said it tasted like soy sauce. He's had drunken noodles many times and said those were awful. He had duck curry. The curry itself had a good flavor but the duck was so horribly dry and chewy. Our kids shared a bowl of wonton soup and it was strictly ok. We drank water and our bill was still over $30. What a waste. Prices seemed steep. We will drive to Catonsville for Thai Heaven from now on.
(2)Judy R.
Definitely worth navigating to find this restaurant! Delicious authentic (spicy!) food. Curry chicken puffs and shrimp cakes are terrific appetizers. The shrimp pad thai and duck curry are both excellent. The staff is cheerful, pleasant, and helpful.
(5)la k.
Best Green Curry yet. Panang was also quite good, but there was something extraordinary about the Green. Certainly worthy of a return visit. Must try the duck.
(4)Anne G.
This is the most authentic Thai food we have had since moving to Howard County. My husband dined here prior to the new ownership 2 yrs ago and his review was average. Based on the reviews on Yelp we decided to return and sooooo glad we did. It is now our go to restaurant for real Thai. What we ordered... Started with Tom-Yum Goong for 2, Yum-Woonsen a delicious cellophane noodle salad with minced chicken, lime, onions and peppers, Pad Thai with shrimp was excellent not wet like the style other restaurants make for the American palate. The owner Nina made us Thai hot minced dry chicken with basil which we haven't been able to find at any other Thai restaurant. We finished with mango and sticky rice...the best we have ever had. We chose these dishes since we like to evaluate each restaurant using the standard dishes we love. Nina and her family are lovely and the staff are all very welcoming. If you want authentic Thai go to Bangkok Garden 9.
(5)Constance B.
We are traveling and used our GPS to find a Thai restaurant tonight. It came up came with the Bangkok Garden just a mile away. We then went to Yelp and found just one review. What we read concerned us but since the review was a year old we decided to give the Bangkok Garden a try. SO GLAD WE DID - IT IS GREAT!!! We found a cheerful clean dining room with warm service a nice, quiet atmosphere (although they have a small stage and so may have music at times). Best of all we were served marvelously tasty Thai food. Ask for the tasty spice tray to be brought to your table. This little restaurant is a great find. Not to be missed in my estimation. I wish it were in our state of residence!
(5)Elizabeth C.
For really good "as close as you can get to Thailand" Thai food, this is it!! Perfect blend of spices, and they are very generous with the meat/seafood in their portions.I love the spiciness of their food too. I've never had something that I didn't love!! I haven't eaten in the restaurant in a while, but they are new to Carryoutmenu.com so we've been ordering weekly! It's addictive.
(5)Rod K.
This is the real deal. I can only say that if you want good, authentic Thai food this is a good place. I travel for a living and eat in many Thai restaurants and I have found this one to be among the best. I've also lived in Thailand and would say that this place serves Isaan style cusine. The food from this region tends to be on the spicier side and full of flavor. Their Larb is great, Som Tom with salted crab (ask for the crab) is as good as it gets. Keep in mind that each region of Thailand prepares foods a bit differently......but all Thai's love Isaan food! This is the 2nd restaurant in the family. So, as for going out of business anytime soon I don't think so. It is hard to find, was a fast food restaurant before but only the outside of the building gives that away. In the summer time they have a nice garden growing around the building with Thai basil, lemon grass, papaya, chili's and so on. Staff is very nice and I have never found it to be dirty or unsanitary. Give it a try and I am sure you won't be let down. Chok dee krup!
(5)kanling k.
With a cash infusion, BKK garden would have potential. But, I don't think it is going to get one. My prediction is that it will soon be out of business. On a weekend at lunchtime, there were only four customers. The restaurant is nicely decorated and has some great Thai plants all around the outside. But, the place is in a converted fast food building that is falling apart. The old drive through ceiling is falling down. Inside, the place is in serious need of some new chairs, tables, carpeting. The food was only average, and unappetizing because I was doubtful about the cleanliness of the dinnerware. The water, for example, had lots of particles floating in it. I THINK they were actually lemon pulp, but I was not brave enough to try. I drank nothing during the meal and instead got a drink at the nearby Food Lion after I left.
(1)Deb B.
Delicious food! Very authentic! We started out with the chicken satay, which was tasty and tender. The peanut sauce accompanying it was super delicious! Next, we enjoyed the tom kha with chicken. For the main course, we had pad thai, pad see ew, and yellow curry! All were delicious, especially the pad see ew. For dessert, coconut ice cream and sticky rice with sweet coconut milk over the top! Can't say enough about the delish food! The owners were very nice and took very good care of us (including our 2 crazy kids). Will return again and again!
(5)Bob B.
So I tried this place for the first time. Evidently they're going through a name change. The current owner (not in because she's in Thailand) bought this place 4 years ago I'm told and in the process of changing/upgrading. Lots of potential. I ordered "to go" Spicy Fried Rice w/ Basil & shrimp. Amazing !!! The best I've had. So flavorful.
(4)Rhema L.
Flavorful and good but not as good as other places in town. We Tried an assortment of dishes: - the thai coffee and the thai tea were good, -Tom Ka soup was good but way too spicy for a kid to enjoy, -chicken satay, did not care for it too dry and tasteless, - curry puff, veggie it was just alright, not memorable -fried tofu, the fried part was good, the tofu itself was blaaa, -curry panang, good but a tad too sweet, -curry rice was good especially was a side of peanut sauce added to it, -seafood drunken noodle, was the lowest point for all of us, the noodle way too cook and so was the seafood. We could have gone without. -green tea ice cream w/rice pudding was good.
(3)Mark E.
Four of us came here for an early Friday night dinner in an out-of-the-way shopping area nestled among the amorphous trees and 70s townhouses of East Columbia. We selected Bangkok Garden 9 (one presumes there are at least 8 others) based on menu, convenience to our locational needs and the preponderance of solid Yelp reviews. On the outside, the restaurant looks like it had been a Pizza Hut or perhaps a Lums. The food was very good and on par with the best Thai we have had in recent memory and prices were fair. Our entire party ordered with reasonable adventurousness and enjoyed what they had. I liked the fish special of the day. Some of the dishes were unexpectedly highly spicy; be clear when ordering if the heavy hand with the hots is not pleasing to your palate. Service was polite but uneven given the light crowd early in the evening, which might be an aberration but might also be par for the course here. Other recent reviewers have commented on this; they may be having some measure of a front-of-the-house problem. I'd recommend a table over the booth. The booth seats are very well-worn and if the adjoining booth is also occupied, one easily can feel every body movement of the person behind you which is a tad disconcerting when dining. A table also is more central to the dining room and removed from the sun's glare. We'll be back, but perhaps not until circumstances bring us to this area again. We were satisfied but not wowed; maybe it's not worth the drive all factors considered.
(3)Ann K.
Lunch special is the best deal. they offer two spring rolls, A Tom yum soup cup, lunch with rice, and fried banana and ice cream. $8.95. They changed the tiny fried banana with ice cream to a itsy tiny bowl of tapioca in coconut milk cream. I miss the ice cream. :(
(4)D. K.
This was my second time visiting this place. Previously we had a very kind female waitress and food was very good. Today I was waiting for ten minutes to get seated and was completely ignored by the server (guy with tattoos on his arms). He was argumentative, did not apologize for the wait and even ignored me when I got up to pay my bill. Where I work, I would get fired for that. attitude Great chef , tasty food but in case I go back I will get carry out.
(1)Allison L.
As others have said, the lunch special here is great! For less than $10 I enjoyed a creamy panang curry with rice and two crispy spring rolls. What a deal! My mom tried the soup and my sister tried the pad thai. Everyone loved their dishes, which were spiced just right. The restaurant is clean and spacious, and the service is friendly. This is much better than your average take-out spot!
(4)Lisa L.
This place is tucked away and a little difficult to find....but the food is excellent....I had the Shrimp Pad-Thia with a Singha beer.....perfect pairing. Highly recommend trying this place for the food alone....service is a little slow but worth the wait.
(5)Steven H.
I can highly recommend this place. The food was wonderful. We had the mussels to start: big green mussels with a dipping sauce that was delightful. I had the coconut milk soup with shrimp. Outstanding. For the entre i had the drunken noodles. Easily on par with some of the best i have had, spicy but not overwhelming. My wife had number 69, a rice noodle chicken, chinese broccoli mix with egg. Very good but much tamer for the spices.
(5)Chad B.
This was my third time ever having Thai food, and this restaurant compares well to the others I've tried. It seemed cozy to me - it has a dining room and a small but well-stocked bar. There are large windows with views of the trees outside (it was nice looking at the fall colors). The tables had cool paper seashells under the glass. Our waitress was friendly and did a great job serving our large group. We all got separate bills, and she kept everything straight. I ordered the Pad Thai with Chicken and got a decent-sized portion. It had crunchy fried noodles and a generous amount of bean sprouts. The ground peanuts were a nice touch too. The chicken was cut into small pieces, and it was soft and delicious! Everything on the plate combined well, and the meal was very satisfying. I definitely recommend this place if you like Thai food or are interested in trying it.
(4)Katherine B.
I don't know what happened here. I heard new management? I have gone about three times before I decided to write this review but I just have to. It's not the same at all. The soups are sweet? Last time was cold. The cucumber relish that comes with the satay is in a corn syrup type liquid ugh. My chicken satay was raw last time and they didn't even discount the check. For the price, the food is just not up to par. I always leave feeling like I was cheated or just unsatisfied. This deeply saddens me bc I used to love this place. Go to Thai aroma on 40. Better food and prices!
(1)Jen J.
This place has great food. The building itself could use some love. I recommend the larb appetizer.
(4)D W.
A friend and I went for an early dinner (5:30pm) and we were the ONLY ones there. Must be because everyone is stuck in traffic on 175... I digress... For being the only two patrons, we were surprised that they botched our appetizer... We ordered the BKK Chicken Wings. Never got them; the waiter completely forgot -- if he wrote down the order it wouldn't have been an issue... We ordered a PAD-PAK (Stir-fried mixed vegetables, w/ chicken), SIAM BEEF aka NUA-KA-TA (sizzling beef served on hot plate), and MUSSAMAN CURRY (Mussaman curry in coconut milk, avocado, and peanut, w/ chicken). - The PAD-PAK vegetables came from a bag in the frozen section of Costco, and chicken were a little dry, but I'll give it some credit for the sauce - I think that was the saving grace for the dish. - SIAM BEEF was on a black platter and still sizzling when it came out. Was great for the first few slabs of beef - decent meat/vegetable ratio - however the black plate must have been too hot, or they cooked the beef for too long before bringing it out. The rest of the meat were tough to chew after a few minutes - overcooked on the sizzling platter. - MUSSAMAN CURRY, plenty of chicken and the curry was the right flavor. It had a great creamy consistency, and was not watered down like you could find in some places. - We also ordered two Thai iced teas; they were good. Red tea + evaporated milk, can't go wrong there. Pricing was as high as you would normally find in Arlington or Alexandria... quite surprised for the portion-to-price ratio... Not a lot of food when it comes on individual-portion-plates, not on serving plates. We were not pleased about that. I would come back if I was really craving Thai and not in NoVA or DC, otherwise it is nothing I would rave about.
(2)Joshua T.
Service is very slow. Price doesn't match the quantity. Wouldn't come back again. Took about 45 mins get food.
(2)Des W.
Very impressed with the taste. Ordered Panag chicken curry and Red vegetable curry and it was fantastic - both quality and quantity. We usually dine in what we consider the best Thai restaurant in DC metro area:Nava Thai in Silver Spring but this place is right up there. Will be going here again soon.
(4)Naomi R.
Best Thai in Columbia! Service for both dine in and carry out is courteous and efficient. Flavors are deep and the food is always fresh. They have earned a spot on my call list.
(5)Holli S.
Love this place.... But I just came here at 5 o'clock and there was a sign on the door saying they won't open back up till 6 then I call and they allow me to get a carry out order but not eat it in.
(3)James N.
Very good Thai food! Little hidden spots are normally the best. Not crowded at all. The only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 was because the service took a little longer then it should have. Besides that, excellent food!
(4)Nhu P.
Lord I feel horrible! I thought I reviewed this place already! This is one of my FAVORITE EVERRRRRRRRRR restaurants, not only in Columbia but overall! Their authentic thai food, mixer with good service leaves me always wanting more. They make THE best thai tea! Their drunken noodles ate INCREDIBLE! Got my entire office hooked on it! Green curry, DELISH! Rich, creamy, spicy! Whole crispy flounder with sauce on the side, yummmmmmmmm! Do not pass this place by! They are incredible!!!!
(5)Tiffany H.
Finally decent Thai food in Columbia, the land of dining mediocrity. Pad Prik Khing and Pad Thai....yum! I couldn't understand why the rice portion that accompanies the dish was soo small and the atmosphere needs work. It got really odd when walking out of the restaurant, there was a stale plate of food outside on the ground, like it was placed there for a roaming animal......strange.
(3)M R.
This place was pretty good. We ordered takeout from here for my wife's coworkers. Only disappointment was that you can't get the lunch specials as takeout. The food was well spiced. My wife had the drunken noodles, medium spicy and I had the pad ke eaue medium spicy. Hers was definitely spicier than mine. We both enjoyed our meals. My wife's coworkers also enjoyed their meals. I never knew this place existed. I think we will definitely be back when we have another Thai craving.
(4)B L.
This is my favorite Thai restaurant, as long as I don't order the curry. I think everyone I know loves their curries, but I'm just not a fan. Everything else, though! I love it all. I get this place on takeout but it's one of the few places on the carryout menu I loved enough to go to in person and is one of my go-to restaurants. The service is very nice, but very slow, and usually gets something wrong. You just have to be patient. I haven't eaten here in a few months, though, so I hope based on some of the more recent reviews when I return it is still as good as before.
(4)Ryan M.
I've only ordered takeout from here but it's delicious. I can't speak for the dining experience, it seems like a nice place but it's off the beaten path and a little hole-in-the-wall-ish. Probably wouldn't come here on a first date, but it does seem like a nice quiet place for conversation or for a family. As far as takeout, it doesn't get much better than this in the area. If you call it in, they are quick and accommodating.
(5)Alisa M.
My first time at this place. Best Thai restaurant in the Columbia area. Real Thai people cook real Thai food. I had the Pad Ped Pha Tilapia my waitress recommended to try. Loved it alot! Very authentic! Service was great. Will definitely go back for more.
(5)Sue P.
I've ordered carry out several times and each time it's always delicious. Today was the first time I've dined here & it was excellent. I love this Thai restaurant. Our waitress was great and super friendly. Great food with a lot of flavor .. I'll continue coming here as long as the found is tasty.. I'd definitely recommend this place.
(4)Paul C.
I've had two meals here before deciding to write this review to make sure that the first visit wasn't a fluke. The food is good and very authentic, perhaps too much so for many who cannot handle the Thai heat (myself included). I travel to Thailand frequently for business and have tried variety of dishes in varying degrees if heat. I would suggest sticking to two stars or less unless you can really handle it. I had the pad prik king with tofu and the traditional green curry with chicken the second time. What a great value it is for lunch!!! You get a cup of tasty soup, a couple of small spring rolls, the entree, and refreshing mango sorbet with a morsel of fried banana for dessert all for $9-10. Thai ice tea was nice and strong and the service was excellent. This is as good as it gets for Thai in Columbia MD aka "the food desert".
(5)Felicia H.
I love Bangkok Garden! I hadn't been in a while but went for dinner tonight and I wish it hadn't taken me so long to come back! The service was great, our server was very friendly and attentive. We got the pad thai and green curry with thai eggplant instead of Chinese eggplant. The dishes were great. The pad thai wasn't overly sweet like most restaurants, and they gladly made my eggplant swap in the curry dish, which was nice and spicy. The food is authentic, and they even put just a fork and a spoon at each place setting. I'll definitely be back more often!
(5)Caitlin C.
This is a decent thai restaurant considering other options in the area. I've ordered the Yellow Curry and Pad See Ew, both have been good. Their Tom Ka Gai is also delicious, probably better than the entrees. I've been here with friends many times, and while there are no complaints, there are no "Oohs and Aahs" over the food. Portions are average considering the prices. The service is just fine, and staff members are polite and efficient. I will certainly be going back soon!
(3)Tee B.
Food good. Location not good. Layout/décor average.
(3)Maddie F.
Love this place. Great international beer happy hour. I always get drunkin noodles and Panang curry. Delish!!!!!!!!!!!
(4)Melody T.
I'm back on Yelp after an extended break, and I hate to make this my first review... but I need to 'yelp,' if you catch my drift. This place makes overly sweet grease synonymous with Thai cuisine, and overcooked noodles the vehicle with which to soak it all up. The drunken noodles I ordered were 'drunk' on grease, and were so overcooked I probably didn't need to chew at all. The pad thai I tried was not much better. I was starving... but could only stomach a few bites. On a positive note, we were a rather large group, and our server was very accommodating and courteous.
(2)Daniel C.
Lets just say I'm happy to live within walking distance of this place. If you like your food spicy, you hit the jackpot at Bangkok Garden. Try the Drunken Noodles, they are awesome.
(5)Larry H.
In the sea of Thai restaurants available in the Columbia area, this one hits about the middle of the road. The interior decor is pleasing to the eye, it's quiet enough to hear the music, and having lots of booths for a little added privacy is always a plus. The food preparation is always consistent and done well in every dish I've tried here, so no complaints there. But what makes this place just average in my opinion is that instead of the Traditional Thai spice meter, where you get dishes that range from tingle in your mouth mildly spicy, to make you sweat medium spice, all the way to 5-alarm blazingly hot. The cooks/management at Bangkok Garden 9 seem to have opted for making all their dishes "American" spicy... Which translates to dishes that go from no perceptible spice at all, to just mildly hot, (unless you specifically ask for more). This is the first Thai restaurant I've ever encountered where drunken noodles won't have you blowing your nose and looking for a second glass of water half way through the meal. My only advice for Bangkok Garden 9 is that if you want to call yourself a Thai restaurant and not just an Asian fusion restaurant. Stick closer to traditional Thai recipes and let customers that don't really like Thai ask for milder versions, not the other way around.
(3)Kris S.
Food is always consistently awesome here. Never had problems and if you love spicy food this is the place.
(5)Yuxue W.
I had the worst experience ever in this restaurant. The owner of this place is very rude and unbelievably emotional. I ordered a dish whose title suggested something completely different from what I was expecting. So I asked the server to ask the manager if I can return it. The owner came out and started yelling at us, asking us to either accept the food as it is, or get out. She even threatened to call the police. I was ok with not returning it, and I just wanted to see if it is possible. Instead of having a normal conversation, the owner had no respect for the guests and was behaving completely inappropriate. That was such a horrible experience that I don't recommend this place to anyone. Many of my friends have already blacklisted this place. I suggest you do the same and avoid being served a plate full of insults.
(1)Yaka H.
Review about the take-out only. It was a bit hard to find this place, but it's located at the opposite end in the plaza from the Food Lion, tucked behind the Columbia Bank. There isn't a notable sign on the outside, but you'll see a neon "OPEN" sign with 2 golden dragons by the door. I ordered a chicken pad thai and mango sticky rice to go. For take-out, you'll have to order a medium or large portion of soup. They won't do a small portion for take-out. The pad thai portion was huge. It was pretty tasty, however, one side was so heavily salted that I just couldn't finish it. It was just too salty. It was a shame, it was chock full of eggs, chicken, scallions, roast pork, and peanuts. I really loved that they put a helpful portion of peanuts on it. However, the overwhelming saltiness killed it for me. The sticky rice with mango was pretty good. However I thought the portion size was pretty small for the amount I paid. Also, there was a fuzz on one of the mango pieces, which was a bit unpleasant. However, service was nice enough to give me a nice, cold glass of water. It was super hot outside, so it was much appreciated. May be back again if I'm in the area to give this place a second chance.
(2)C W.
My husband and I normally go to Little Spice for Thai food, but decided to try something new. The restaurant's exterior and decor is a bit dated. The room itself is big, with booth tables along the sides and regular tables in the middle. We were promptly greeted and seated. We ordered: Thai iced tea, chicken curry puffs, papaya salad, and I had tofu pad thai as my entree. The Thai iced tea was good (the glasses are kind of small). The appetizers were okay. You get two curry puffs with the cucumber sauce. The papaya salad wasn't spicy and had a distinct fish sauce taste. The tofu was sweet and crispy and the pad thai was flavorful. Overall, I thought the meal was good. I'm not sure if I'd come back again, only because it's in a shopping center I don't typically go to.
(3)Milind S.
2 waiters served us. One was nice and she smiled when ever possible- pleasant. The other- probably the guy behind the bar- seemed very impatient. Suddenly a happy laughing table became a quite table just after the waiter guy reminded us in a stern tone that the kitchen was closing in 10 minutes (this was @9:35pm on a Sunday; the listed closing time for the place is 10:30pm which I even had to confirm with the servers after experiencing the impatience). now the food: the others on the table seemed to find the food good. I had the "Penang Curry". It tasted alright but was very greasy and had like 2 table spoons of oil floating on top. Overall, definitely go there if you want to take a chance of dropping your happy mood a few octaves down. Happy customer + impatient/stern servers = unhappy customer
(1)Ky T.
This used to be one of my favorite places for Thai food but the quality of their dishes has gone down hill :/ The last two times I've stopped in to place take-out orders it has been pretty evident my food was not made fresh. Most importantly is that one dish I have ordered regularly over the passed few years which has no pork in it had large pork bits in it when I got it home so that I had to completely dispose it. I am not sure if they are under new management but the place looks dingy and in need of update inside now and the food is no longer made to order or nearly as tasty as it was before.
(3)April W.
Fantastic Thai! Was skeptical because I wasn't sure of the neighborhood. Staff was excellent and accommodating to our 4 year old! I had the 68. Delicious
(5)Jenny H.
I came here for lunch, and me and my hubs were the only patrons in the entire place, and the food came out REALLY quickly. The food was just OK, we ordered their red curry (they forgot to exchange the bamboo shoots for another veggie) which was not that great and drunken noodles (which is always our staple) which was just decent. The REALLY good thing about this restaurant- their DESSERTS!! OMG, outside of Thailand, they have the most unique, AMAZING Thai desserts. We got their SA KOO- tapioca in coconut milk, and their BUA LOY- or tapioca balls, nice and chewy, in this AMAZING warm, sweet coconut milk- YUMMY!! I could have drank a gallon of the bua loy- in fact, I ordered one to go!!! Get their desserts here, especially the Bua Loy- you will not regret it!
(3)Supraja M.
TL;DR: Atrocious service: over half an hour to order, over an hour before our order was put in, unclear who our waiter was, and unapologetic 'management'. food was fine. *** While I generally like the food here, I was appalled by the service (or lack thereof!) today. My cousin is visiting from out of town and wanted to get Chinese or Thai food today. She suggested PF Changs... seeing as how we were both hungry and PF Changs on a Friday night will have a crazy long wait, and also I don't particularly like PF Changs, I suggested this place instead. We arrived right around 7:00 and were seated promptly. We started looking through the menu. About 10 minutes later, the waiter who seated us brought us water, then ran away before I could order my Thai Iced Tea; we decided on our food within a minute after this and closed our menus, waiting for someone to come take our order. We chatted for a while, and started wondering what was up as time went on. By 7:30 I thought it was ridiculous that no one had come by to ask us even for a drink order and was about to get up and find a waiter so we could order when the guy we thought was our waiter came to the table next to ours. I tried to catch his attention but he refused to make eye contact and ran away again. I tried to get one of the two other waiters in the dining room to come by but again, no eye contact. Finally a waitress came to another table two away from ours and I called out to her to get her attention. She came over, and when I told her we had been waiting 20+ minutes to order she apologized and took down our orders (Drunken Noodles & Thai Iced Tea for me, Stir-Fried Vegetables for my cousin) and we figured ok, they forgot about us once, but we'll get our food quickly. A few minutes later my iced tea showed up (in the hands of the guy I though was the bartender? Except he was delivering food later to other parts of the dining room. I had to ask for a straw). And then we waited. And waited. And waited. Finally, when I realized it had been over an hour since we got to the restaurant. I was about to get up and go cancel our order and just leave and go elsewhere (little caesar's next door? We were STARVING) when I saw the waitress taking to another guy (waiter? bartender? unclear) and pointing at our table, so I figured, ok, our food must be up next, she's telling him where to bring it or something. NOPE. Still a DIFFERENT waiter brought us an order of spring rolls and apologized for the wait. So clearly, they forgot about us AGAIN. We demolished the spring rolls in about 2 minutes, and waited another 10 or 15 minutes for our food. Finally it came with a "sorry about that enjoy" from the first waiter. The food was fine, as usual, though my cousin's Vegetables consisted almost entirely of cabbage. We were so hungry we ate in about 15 minutes. There were 2 tables of 4 and a table of 2 sitting immediately around us who came in just before or even us, ordered drinks, appetizers, and entrees, paid and left before we got our one course of food. When the waitress finally came by again after we were finished eating and had been waiting another 5 or 10 minutes, I asked for a box for my leftovers and to speak to a manager. She replied, "No." then "I am the manager" (which is it, chick?) I told her that I was severely disappointed in the service, that I brought my visitor here because the food and service are usually good and it was clear that they had forgotten about us twice. I hoped for a sincere apology. She nonchalantly told me, they were understaffed, she was the only one 'running', and we had already been given spring rolls on the house. I looked at her with disbelief. The restaurant was near-empty when we came in (4-5 tables total) and at this point was at most 2/3 full, and there were 4 front-of-house people, all running out into the dining room (AND ALL OF WHOM HAD BEEN TO OUR TABLE). She begrudgingly offered 10% off the check and a perfunctory "sorry." We finally left the restaurant at about 8:45. I'm really disappointed--we were hoping for a nice, chill, quick meal and it was a long, drawn-out affair. There's no reason that for our two plates of food, we should have been in that restaurant for nearly 2 hours. I should have left when no one came to take our order for half an hour. I just didn't want to decide on somewhere else while we were already that hungry. They turned me off so badly that I don't anticipate returning.
(1)Jessica F.
Add this to the list of places I had no clue existed in Columbia. However, my friend was craving Thai food and this came up tops on the Yelp app. We got here on a Sunday morning right as it opened. The service was quick and the food was good. I agree with other reviewers that it wasn't the best Pad Thai I have ever had and I probably should have gone with the curry. I would try them again though and it is nice to have a quality Thai place so close to home.
(3)CC L.
I've been searching for a good Thai place in the area for some time and I found it. Ka prow, pad thai, drunken noodles all very good.
(5)M W.
The food and service were fantastic. Everything was cooked fresh and the staff was easy going and polite. The location is a little strange and out of the way but you won't be disappointed. This is by far the best Thai place on Columbia.
(5)Hana K.
Kinda pricy for the amount they give you. But the food is good. You have to try the flounder. Pad thai is off the hook!!!!!!!!!!! :)
(3)Nancy E.
OK, I have eaten here before and would have given this restaurant 3 1/2 stars--meaning I like it, but I still wish we had something better. I also think it's on the expensive-side for a Thai restaurant, but tonight, everything was so top notch, we didn't mind the price. Our meal tonight was honestly some of the best Thai food we've had in Maryland -- and I've been looking for the past 25 years. My mom and husband started with the Tom yum shrimp and Tom kha chicken soups and both agreed it was some of the best. The shrimp were plump and not overlooked at all. I had to start with the beef larb because I saw a plate of it passing by as we were seated. We were NOT disappointed. Lean, spicy, limey beef with fresh lettuce, cilantro and mint. An excellent way to start our meal. I ordered the pad ped with chicken and it was fresh, spicy and delicious. While I love vegetables, i was happy to see that this dish was not piled with vegetable fillers frequently found in other Thai restaurants in the area. My husband had the pad Thai and thought it was one of the best he's had. Mom ordered a garlic shrimp dish and she thought it was excellently prepared. We are also fans of the Thai basil fried rice and again, we were not disappointed. Incidentally, this is my first 5-star review.
(5)Allen G.
Bangkok garden number 9 has the closest to authentic Thai food I've had in the region. Appetizers start at about 5. Dinners start at about 11 and all of it is simply excellent. Don't ask for Thai hot unless you really want it HOT. The authentic recipes and menu make you believe you're actually in Thailand. The Thai beef salad is reason enough to eat there two or three times a week.
(4)Kimberly P.
loved this place! I am vegan, and there was a lot of food to choose from, even dessert! I liked the atmosphere. It was quiet enough to talk, but if you wanted there were TVs playing none other than Good Eats and Seinfeld. The food was delicious! I would highly recommend the curry puffs appetizer and the mango sticky rice for dessert. Update: Just went their recently and found my drunkin noodles to be really mushy. I will still go to this restaurant, but I will probably not get that dish again.
(4)Erica F.
My husband I and have enjoyed eating here for years. Food is on point each and every time. I must admit... We have not eaten here in a month or so based on the price. A bit steep lately.
(4)Juan R.
I do not live in Columbia, MD, but I had been to this restaurant many years ago. So it was a surprise that the place is still is as good as I remember. The food service is fast and the portions are reasonable. The chicken puffs are awesome. We also had the fish cakes for appetizers. The main course was the string beans with chicken and the drunken noodles, my personal favorite. All the food was delicious. We are planning on going again soon.
(4)Tiffany K.
What is there to say about this amazing place that has not already been said? It is within walking distance to my house, a huge plus for me. I absolutely love everything I have gotten from here. I have gone to eat here many times with friends and relatives and they all comment on the quality of the ingredients and the taste. A great little gem in Columbia.
(5)Beverly H.
I love Thai food, so having a good, reasonably cheap place nearby is great. I don't recall ever having bad service in the seating area, though I usually get carryout. One thing I especially like here is that they give you realistic wait times when you order. There's also a Food Lion & dry cleaner in this shopping plaza, so you get run errands while waiting. As far as their food is concerned, neither my BF or I have ever gotten anything bad. They have a good selection of veggie dishes, which he prefers. I'm more of a carnivore. They quality of their meat has always been good, no gristle or slimy stuff. I've also never gotten anything that made me wonder about the fate of missing neighborhood pets. Their seasoning can be a bit on the spicy side, so use caution when ordering. In the summer, they grow some of their veggies and herbs just outside the building. You can't get much fresher than that.
(4)John P.
This is not a bad Thai restaurant. It's typical and on par with most Asian cuisine options in the area. Most of the time it is half empty so there is never a wait. The service there is not really the best but so what. All the food I've ever tried I've been happy with. For any one who likes to get things a little spicier you can tell them to make it "Thai spicy" and that should put it way over the top. Portions are adequate and so are the prices. The mixed drinks don't taste the best mainly because it's all booze. Is that a bad thing? The only thing I wish they would do away with is that gross fish tank you see when you walk in.
(3)Teddy E.
This was one of the worst meals I've eaten lately. While the restaurant was half empty by the hour I had arrived, half the tables in the restaurant were dirty, and we had to poach napkins/silverware off one of the nearby tables. The menu is poorly written and way too huge. We started with the Tom Kha with shrimp which was quite reasonable. My main course, the pad ped pah (spicy meat [beef] with thai eggplants) was not good. The eggplants were criminally undercooked and they used very low quality tough beef. I also had a nasty case of indigestion the next morning. Even with an empty restaurant, service took forever.
(1)Dan A.
This is one of my favorite Thai places. It's kind of in the middle of nowhere in what looks to be a converted Wendy's or something. The restaurant here is rarely packed and the servers understand English but cannot speak it well (but know enough to adequately communicate). Yeah, all that may make Bangkok Garden sound a little shady but even in spite of all that, the food here is good and authentic. The Panang curry is consistently good and one of Bangkok Garden's strengths. It's very flavorful with some heat and a strong but not overwhelming coconut flavor. Bangkok Garden's other curries are good as well but if you were to get only one curry, I'd say opt for the Panang. The Southern Duck is also worth a try. The meat is extremely tender while the outer part of the duck has a wonderful crispiness that works well with the sweet and tangy basil-y sauce. The chicken curry puff appetizers are also good. They are similar to samosas and served with this refreshing cucumber jalapeno sauce that provides a perfect balance and contrast with the puff's savoriness. However, the pad thai here is kind of funny. I must have ordered it at least 10 times since I've started coming here. I've noticed it is pretty inconsistent which is a shame because when Bangkok Garden is at the top of their pad thai game, it is among the best pad thais I've ever had. However, other times, it is average. I've been trying to figure out what factors may cause this variation but to no avail. :( However, it is flavorful (though sometimes more subtle than others) and never greasy. I find that Bangkok Garden is probably one of the best Thai restaurants in the Howard County area and far better than most of Baltimore City's offerings (Thai Arroy is pretty solid however). Coming for lunch is a great idea as the dishes are under $10. Despite the cheaper price, some dishes like the pad thai, appear to be almost the same amount they serve for dinner.
(4)Rhonda S.
I had been sleeping on this place, but I'm glad I woke up. It's actually pretty good. The service is friendly but a tad bit slow. I usually go later in the evening so not too many people are in there. The food is actually really good and comparable to a few other Thai places I've been in Silver Spring. My only complaint is that with the pineapple fried rice, they usually only give you 2 pieces of shrimp which is kind of cheapo on their part. Overall, it's a place that I defintely don't mind coming back to.
(3)barry b.
We ate there a number of times years ago and found it very bland. We decided to try it again in Oct. 2013. We were told that it changed ownership 3 years ago. Now, it is a first class Thai restaurant. All lunches are $8.95, including soup (delicious) or spring roll (being retired, we usually go out for lunch, not dinner). My drunken noodles were almost as good as they get and plenty hot (picante). My wife rated her mixed vegetables very high. The other couple ordered Pad Thai and rated it very high. I thought the waitress was speaking Thai but my wife assured me that it was English and "translated" for me (I am hard of hearing). The place was almost empty at 1 p.m. (sad because it's a fine restaurant). It's attractive. The noise level was very low. Plenty of parking. We will be frequent patrons.
(4)paul s.
I give this place 4 stars, although I might have given it 3. If I could give 3 and a half, I would. Overall it was good and I would go back. The service was a little slow -- they took a looooong time to get to us, but friendly enough once they got started. Having read some other reviews, we tried the yum pla grob appetizer, which was very good. It's a salad with crisp sliced vegetables and a spicy, smoky dressing that had that pungent, fish-sauce flavor to it, but in just the right amount. I was a little surprised though, that the fish was of the chewy, dried, fish-jerky variety, since the menu describes it as "crispy fillet fish." It wasn't what I was expecting. But it was good, and the fish jerky gave the dish a nice authenticity. I had duck curry and I asked for four peppers (thai hot) and man it was hot! I consider myself a seasoned veteran and a real fan of spicy food, Thai particularly, and this curry was ALMOST hot enough to have me wishing I hadn't ordered the four peppers. But I stress the word almost, and that's the whole point. This chef took it right to the limit, and that's just what I wanted. There's nothing more disappointing than ordering four peppers and getting meh, and believe me it's happened. My friend's cashew chicken was a little bland, but anything would have seemed bland in comparison to the firestorm on my plate. It came with lots of thai vegetables and good, sticky rice. My only minor beef was that it could have used a little more duck -- they skimped just a little bit, but no big deal. My mouth was on fire and I was happy trying to douse it with swigs of cold Singha, which I practically had to beg my server to bring me a refill of .. I guess she was busy. The ambience is comfortable and casual, but I thought it was really weird that they had a tv in the dining room. It just seemed out of place. So .. four stars for the yum pla grob and the four pepper curry .. three stars for the bland cashew chicken, not quite enough duck, and slowish service.
(4)Cam W.
I lived in Bangkok for five years. This is the best Thai restaurant I have found in the B/W area The Isan, or Northeast Thai, cuisine is authentic and very delicious. They have mild and moderately spicy options as well as native Thai (eyes watering hot). I sponsor a Thai student here and we went together one time and loved it all, then on another occasion I brought home a carload of dishes for a Superbowl party and everything has been excellent so far. I love the noodle dishes (i.e., pad thai w/ shrimp, pad see ew w/ pork, the masamun curry, larb w/ pork, and the desserts (fried banana with coconut ice cream was great). My new local favorite!
(5)Roger B.
My friend's dish was prepared wrong (chicken instead of beef) and my dish had a hair on it (which I find disgusting). Neither of us liked this place. Def will not return.
(1)Helen C.
I really liked their pad thai, and the mango with sticky rice was also very good! Nice find in the middle of nowhere Maryland =)
(4)Anthony F.
I recommend moo-nam-tok, grilled pork appetizer. Your mouth bursts open when you take your first bite. Good and spicy, savory, all that you can ask for. I also had larb gai. Aka beef salad, this was PACKED full of beef- more so than any other restaurant I've eaten at. My entree was jungle curry. Excellent, QUITE spicy, and more than enough-no coconut milk in this one, so if you want that stick with one of their standard curry dishes as all others have coconut milk. An iced tea on the house finished off the meal. Best thai I've had in awhile. Feels very family-style. Also the management is new so disregard all bad reviews within six months of this review.
(5)Mara C.
I tried the food once, and found it pretty greasy. Tried again a year later to see if it improved and it hadn't. I only had it "to go" but was definitely not as good as some others have experienced.
(2)Justin J.
When you ask for "Thai spicy," you get Thai spicy. The food is very authentic, and if you want to challenge your palate, you won't be disappointed. We had the drunken noodles and the Ka Prow and requested "Thai spicy," and did we get it. My dining companion could see through time! The main dish was preceded by delicious Tom Yum and Tom Kha soup, and was followed with delicious coconut ice cream to take the edge off. The staff is very pleasant and sufficiently attentive. Interior could use a coat of paint and a better sound system for the Thai music; but is clean and attractive. Only criticism we have is the drink prices. You eat hot Thai food, you want a beer to wash it down, but $10 a bottle? Um, yeah, we'll just have water. Thanks.
(4)Samuel C.
Best Thai restaurant ever..! The restaurant is nice and fancy. The waitress is nice and friendly! The food is fresh , hot and delicious. Your mouth bursts open when you take your first bite. Good and spicy! I have KAO-PAD-KRA-POW. I like it so much better than the other Thai restaurant.
(5)NK B.
Love at first sight! This place has a good menu and lots to choose from. The prices are reasonable. The place looks very neat and good. Try fried banana and ice cream. Its yum! I will definitely recommend this and will go when even i get a chance. An ideal place for Thai food lovers!
(4)Lisa R.
I went here for the first time last Saturday for dinner. The food was good and fast. The portions were a little smaller than I expected but that might be a good thing ultimately. I had the larb gai and drunken noodles (with tofu). The larb was spicy and very delicious. The drunken noodles (although they warned me) were a little too spicy for my taste (again they warned me so this is my fault). I had to cut them with some sugar from the spice tray. Definitely ask for a spice tray :-) The dish was very tasty though and they were happy to substitute tofu for the meat options listed on the menu. We had no problems with the service- our waiter was very attentive. I've had better thai food before but this was pretty good.
(4)Jem D.
The food here is really good. I had lemongrass soup and nam tok. Both were spicy (just how I like it). The nam tok was so fresh, all the cilantro and onions and whatever dressing or sauce they used....mm-mm-good. The only bummer is it's kind of drab inside, and it was hard to find at night. They need a better sign, I drove around Food Lion several times because I could not find it. Plentiful parking.
(4)Ryan C.
Every time I've been to Bangkok Garden, there aren't very many diners present. I can't understand why, because the food is absolutely delicious. I've had the krapow and red curry - extremely spicy because that's how I roll - and both dishes are exquisite. The lunch menu is very reasonably priced at 8.95, and you get a choice of soup or spring roll. I opt for the spring roll, which is marvelous and comes with a sweet and spicy sauce. I also get the Thai iced tea, because it's pretty much the greatest drink ever invented. Dessert, for me, is always Thai rice custard - it's amazing and I can never get enough of it! My waitress was very friendly and prompt. The food came out only a few minutes after I ordered it. I hope my review helps them to get more business, because they deserve it! I always leave here feeling really happy and satisfied.
(5)Alexander B.
We had a small wedding party here about a month ago and it was great. A couple of days before the date, we went in to pre-order the food and the owner/manager really worked with us to make sure we ordered the right amount of food and a good mix of dishes. She also comped us a couple free plates. The table was decorated for us when we arrived for the event and the food came out quickly. It was all delicious. The fried rice we ordered was way too hot for me but the flavor was good and others in our party loved it. Overall, it was a good experience and would definitely eat here again.
(5)HowChow B.
Bangkok Garden was sold in early 2011. The old owner and chef appear to have moved to their Bethesda location, and the new owners appear to be folks who owned a Thai restaurant in Virginia. This has been a place that people really like. It may stay that way, but you may want to recognize that old reviews -- good or bad -- are about a restaurant run by different people than today. There is talk that the Columbia location will change its name over the next six months.
(3)ASH J.
This place is terrible. Each entree item we ordered had little to no meat/seafood in it with the incorrect levels of spiciness for each item. The service was so terrible that we didn't even have a chance to complain about the food we received.
(1)Good For The Palate R.
This is a great Thai restaurant. They had a nice selection the stand-bys and less common dishes prepared in traditional ways with authentic ingredients. Prices are good, staff is friendly and food is incredible. Wonderful Sauces. They do karoke but weren't at 9pm on a weeknight. Nice quite, calm atmosphere.
(5)Sinni L.
I am a picky eater when it comes to Thai food. Nothing beats home cooked meals. But with this place I am a fan. My first day in DC my family took me here. Everything I had I liked, the crispy pork with Chinese greens, Thai noodles, stir fried salmon and fish patties.
(4)M R.
I'm in the Baltimore area on business and I'm CUH-RAVING Thai food. It's funny, as I get older (ahem) I mean BETTER, my palate continues to evolve and suddenly I'm all about some Asian flavor profiles. Weeeeeird, I know. So anyway, I looked on Yelp for a Thai place in Columbia MD and the number one listing was Bangkok Thai. It was a mere six miles from my hotel so I went and boy am I glad I did. My server Harris was as cute as he could be, and just as sweet. I told him my sensitive palate can't tolerate spicy food (so why ya goin' Thai then, dork??) and he assured me that he'd instruct the chef accordingly. Yay for Harris and for my tongue. I started out with Tom Kha Gai (coconut milk soup with chicken) and it was DIVINE. Enough heat to make my nose run a little (in a good way) but not so much that I had to send it back. What I most loved what the very clear ZING of lime that I tasted in the first several bites. It was so fresh! What I had forgotten is that Tom Kha has a bunch of cilantro in it -- blecch. So I soldiered through half the bowl before I realized I could just pull it out and leave it on the plate. That helped a LOT and I polished off the rest of the bowl in a hurry. For my entree, I took Harris' recommendation for the crispy basil duck against my better judgment, (even though I LOVE duck), because I know it can be fatty. He assured me that it was one of the most popular entrees, so I went with it. What the heck. When in Baltimore, do what Harris says. It arrived and looked pretty good -- medallions of crispy fried duck, but it was indeed pretty fatty around the edges. I peeled the layer of fat off each medallion, leaving it lay on my side plate, and I think poor Harris nearly had a stroke. Partly because I was dissecting each piece, but also because I had given up trying to use a spoon and fork and was just eating with my hands. Oh well! He was mortified that I didn't love the dish. I tried to explain that once the fat layer was removed, the duck itself was fine, but he wasn't happy with that. When I had cleared my plate, he insisted on bringing me a dessert on the house (because that's just what my butt needed after a bowl of soup and what seemed like six pounds of fried duck!) Ohhhh allll riiiiight bring me the free dessert IF YOU MUST! He brought me a small blue and white oval plate that could have come from your grandmother's house, and in the center was a similarly oval mound of sticky rice covered with a layer of sliced mango and some uber-crunchy things. Well hellooooo delicious! I could have just finished a Roman food orgy and I wouldn't have turned that plate away. It was ridiculous, and if I had to go back to Bangkok Garden knowing what I know NOW, I'd just opt for the soup and that dessert and skip an entree all together. All in all, I loved my meal, so if you're ever in the Baltimore / Ellicott City / Columbia MD area give it a try.
(4)Daniela M.
Great Thai restaurant! Their red and green curry are just magnificent, just the right amount of spice!!! The staff is super friendly and efficient. You can never go wrong when you go to Bangkok Garden!
(5)Mackenzie M.
My coworkers and I come here sometimes. They know how to do spicy. The mussaman curry with avocado chunks is delicious, the best curry I've ever had. I do not recommend delivery from though. Sizing is inconsistent, and in the case of the mussaman, sometimes there are no avocados, only avocado pits. Much better to go in-person.
(4)keith c.
This is my absolute favorite Thai rest restaurant. It is authentic Thai food and they will sometimes even prepare off menu items when sweet talked. My favorite dishes is the panang with the nam for an appetizer. My wife loves the Pad Thai. We often just order a bunch of stuff and share. My only complaint is that they don't open until 4 on Saturdays and often we go out to eat on Saturdays around 1 or 2 so its either wait or go somewhere else.
(5)JJ J.
This is my favorite Thai restaurant in Maryland. There are better places in Virginia, but this takes the top spot. Honestly certain dishes are reallly good and certain ones are just okay. I'll lay out 3 dishes you can't go wrong with: 1) Southern Duck (YOU MUST GET THIS, it's amazing...) 2) Panang Curry w/Chicken (This is such an awesome curry and once you eat the chicken and have sauce left, have it over the rice) 3) Heavenly Duck (This is really good too but there isn't as much duck as in the Southern Duck dish, although there are a lotta veggies) I'd get the Drunken Noodles or Pad Thai as well, although they are just solid, rather than extraordinary. Overall, solid place. If you are going to get one dish, get the SOUTHERN DUCK.
(4)Kelly J.
This place was nice. The staff were friendly and efficient and the food was tasty. I stuck with something mild "Cashew Chicken" but it was a little too mild for my taste buds. However, someone ordered the drunken noodles and they couldn't finish it because it was too hot. I think next time I go I will try something in between that hot range.
(4)Bryan A.
Have seen the kitchen from doing some refrigeration work, very disgusting, have raw chicken sitting out over night to defrost! Causing bacteria obvs, rotten food in walk in numerous fridges not working they refuse to fix, I've seen people come in and complain numerous times would suggest skipping this meal,
(1)Ieesha J.
Okay, I rarely give a 1 star for my reviews. However, I'm very disappointed with my order from this place. I can't believe he charged me a dollar plus tax for an extra pepper sauce. Seriously?? I just spent 20 dollars on two items and you're really going to charge me for an extra small container of sauce. Okay the place opens at 4pm on Saturdays, and I placed my order around 5pm. You would think my food would be freshly prepared right? I get home and start to eat my food and the chicken in my Tom Ka Gai was extremely tough, and the shrimp in my friend rice was REALLY chewy. I know that the shrimp wasn't over cooked..it was old. I will not be back...I will stick to my usual spot in Silver Spring!! If you can't get two simple dishes right, then how good is the rest of your menu?
(1)M G.
I found this place after searching for a Thai restaurant in the area that I had not yet visited. Upon entering, I did a quick check for pictures of the King and Queen, which were proudly displayed and which assured me Thais run this place. The proprietor was clearly Thai and thrilled to learn I had just returned from spending the lunar New Year in Bangkok. And I was thrilled to discover at least half the patrons in the place were Thai. Food was good-authentic. Service was a bit slow-but then it's a family run place and there were several large parties of Thai folks. This has just become my favorite Thai place in Maryland.
(5)Steve Y.
Went here with my wife and daughter for weekday lunch. Upon arrival I was a little hesitant about the place. Not many cars were in the parking lot. It was around 12:15 in the afternoon. The waiter welcomed us and we got seated. I have to admit the staff was very friendly. There was only a family of four and two solo patrons in the restaurant. I began to regret coming in but I settled in and ordered Drunken beef rice, shrimp pad thai, lunch special beef with yellow curry, and ?. The waiter brought a salad and chicken soup for the lunch special. The salad was OK, it was fresh. The chicken soup had a fishy after-taste. I didn't enjoy it. The drunken rice was good but the beef was a little rubbery. The shrimp pad thai was good but nothing special. The chicken curry was tasty and was most popular of them all. It was actually pretty good. Overall I give this restaurant: 5 star for service 3 for cleanliness 4 for value 3 for taste 3 for ambiance. Will I go again? Probably not, but if I have a craving for Thai I might go as a last resort because of convenience.
(3)S B.
Had spicy drunken noodles as takeout, which was delicious. Friendly staff, and so authentic we had a small language barrier issue (which I love). Will definitely visit again while in town. Only downside was a rowdy customer threatening to "beat down" her boyfriend. At least it was entertaining... lol
(4)Nadia M.
Had to grab a bite to eat before going to meditation and so went across the street not sure what to expect. The food was excellent, great customer service, and cute aquarium with little fishes was a nice touch. Very zenful and happy to have discovered this place. The vegie stirfry was simple yet so delicious. Glad I found a new Tuesday night food for thought place.
(4)Katie Y.
Had lunch here today and it was fantastic. Great deal for $8.95, main course and choice of soup or spring roll. Portions were huge. Food was absolutely amazing, spicy and authentic, and everything very fresh. Atmosphere always leaves a little to be desired, but I'll trade it any day for such great food. Will come back for lunch again and again.
(4)Julie H.
You know it's a bad place when you feel the intense need to sign up to a review site to review a restaurant. This place had a rating for 4 stars. FOUR. Not two, not three, but FOUR STARS. No wonder four is a bad number for Chinese people. This place was HORRIBLE. ABSOLUTE HORRIBLE SERVICE. HORRIBLE FOOD. HORRIBLE PEOPLE. Coming into the restaurant, it seemed nice. Nice clean atmosphere, besides the fact that there was a large party there with babies crying and constant chatter that could rival screaming Justin Beiber fan chicks... it was okay. We had to wait 10 minutes for water which we asked for..TWICE. I ordered Pad See Eaw with beef. I mean, it's a simple dish. You can't really mess it up right? OH YEAH YOU CAN. Especially if you make it using spoiled food!!! I could smell the sour spoiled odor right when the server brought it to me. I was thinking... okay, at least take a bite of it. Took a bite of broccoli and it was rock solid hard. I figured maybe they didn't cook it long enough but it was still edible. My boyfriend took a bite of the noodle to try the food and his eyes shot wide open. I took a bite of the noodle and it was absolutely inedible. It was SOUR. Not like soy sauce sour but OVERDUE FOOD SOUR. I didn't even want to try the beef. The waiter took it away and asked if I wanted another meal and I just ended up ordering Green Curry that my boyfriend had. Honestly, I didn't even want another meal because the service was so horrible. They didn't even apologize for the food. The manager didn't even come by to ask how the food was. All they were worrying about was the larger party. These people didn't even deserve the tip. They didn't even say thank you for coming to eat at Bangkok POISON GARDEN. I should tell them thanks...FOR NOT KILLING ME WITH THEIR FOOD. AVOID THIS PLACE. AVOIDDDDD. or...eat and get food poison yourself.
(1)Eric N.
This was a great gem to find. We found this one in a secret nook in Coulumbia(are most of them hidden?) on a weeknight. They were having a big party, but the service was still great. The four dishes we all ordered were very good, and we are looking to come back for a second visit.
(4)John S.
We had eaten dinner here before so we decided to return. The food was just as good as the last time we visited. I had the Bangkok Garden calamari and my GF had the chicken and broccoli. They were both very good. My only complaint is that the service was really slow and there were only a few people in the restaurant. Probably just an off day.
(4)Amy K.
Not pleasant. The reviews seemed good so we thought we'd try it. My husband and I both agreed it was our worst dining experience to date. I had drunken noodles with pork. They were so mushy that they just fell apart. I hardly had any pork in there and it was so oily. My husband said it tasted like soy sauce. He's had drunken noodles many times and said those were awful. He had duck curry. The curry itself had a good flavor but the duck was so horribly dry and chewy. Our kids shared a bowl of wonton soup and it was strictly ok. We drank water and our bill was still over $30. What a waste. Prices seemed steep. We will drive to Catonsville for Thai Heaven from now on.
(2)Judy R.
Definitely worth navigating to find this restaurant! Delicious authentic (spicy!) food. Curry chicken puffs and shrimp cakes are terrific appetizers. The shrimp pad thai and duck curry are both excellent. The staff is cheerful, pleasant, and helpful.
(5)la k.
Best Green Curry yet. Panang was also quite good, but there was something extraordinary about the Green. Certainly worthy of a return visit. Must try the duck.
(4)Anne G.
This is the most authentic Thai food we have had since moving to Howard County. My husband dined here prior to the new ownership 2 yrs ago and his review was average. Based on the reviews on Yelp we decided to return and sooooo glad we did. It is now our go to restaurant for real Thai. What we ordered... Started with Tom-Yum Goong for 2, Yum-Woonsen a delicious cellophane noodle salad with minced chicken, lime, onions and peppers, Pad Thai with shrimp was excellent not wet like the style other restaurants make for the American palate. The owner Nina made us Thai hot minced dry chicken with basil which we haven't been able to find at any other Thai restaurant. We finished with mango and sticky rice...the best we have ever had. We chose these dishes since we like to evaluate each restaurant using the standard dishes we love. Nina and her family are lovely and the staff are all very welcoming. If you want authentic Thai go to Bangkok Garden 9.
(5)Constance B.
We are traveling and used our GPS to find a Thai restaurant tonight. It came up came with the Bangkok Garden just a mile away. We then went to Yelp and found just one review. What we read concerned us but since the review was a year old we decided to give the Bangkok Garden a try. SO GLAD WE DID - IT IS GREAT!!! We found a cheerful clean dining room with warm service a nice, quiet atmosphere (although they have a small stage and so may have music at times). Best of all we were served marvelously tasty Thai food. Ask for the tasty spice tray to be brought to your table. This little restaurant is a great find. Not to be missed in my estimation. I wish it were in our state of residence!
(5)Elizabeth C.
For really good "as close as you can get to Thailand" Thai food, this is it!! Perfect blend of spices, and they are very generous with the meat/seafood in their portions.I love the spiciness of their food too. I've never had something that I didn't love!! I haven't eaten in the restaurant in a while, but they are new to Carryoutmenu.com so we've been ordering weekly! It's addictive.
(5)Rod K.
This is the real deal. I can only say that if you want good, authentic Thai food this is a good place. I travel for a living and eat in many Thai restaurants and I have found this one to be among the best. I've also lived in Thailand and would say that this place serves Isaan style cusine. The food from this region tends to be on the spicier side and full of flavor. Their Larb is great, Som Tom with salted crab (ask for the crab) is as good as it gets. Keep in mind that each region of Thailand prepares foods a bit differently......but all Thai's love Isaan food! This is the 2nd restaurant in the family. So, as for going out of business anytime soon I don't think so. It is hard to find, was a fast food restaurant before but only the outside of the building gives that away. In the summer time they have a nice garden growing around the building with Thai basil, lemon grass, papaya, chili's and so on. Staff is very nice and I have never found it to be dirty or unsanitary. Give it a try and I am sure you won't be let down. Chok dee krup!
(5)kanling k.
With a cash infusion, BKK garden would have potential. But, I don't think it is going to get one. My prediction is that it will soon be out of business. On a weekend at lunchtime, there were only four customers. The restaurant is nicely decorated and has some great Thai plants all around the outside. But, the place is in a converted fast food building that is falling apart. The old drive through ceiling is falling down. Inside, the place is in serious need of some new chairs, tables, carpeting. The food was only average, and unappetizing because I was doubtful about the cleanliness of the dinnerware. The water, for example, had lots of particles floating in it. I THINK they were actually lemon pulp, but I was not brave enough to try. I drank nothing during the meal and instead got a drink at the nearby Food Lion after I left.
(1)Deb B.
Delicious food! Very authentic! We started out with the chicken satay, which was tasty and tender. The peanut sauce accompanying it was super delicious! Next, we enjoyed the tom kha with chicken. For the main course, we had pad thai, pad see ew, and yellow curry! All were delicious, especially the pad see ew. For dessert, coconut ice cream and sticky rice with sweet coconut milk over the top! Can't say enough about the delish food! The owners were very nice and took very good care of us (including our 2 crazy kids). Will return again and again!
(5)Bob B.
So I tried this place for the first time. Evidently they're going through a name change. The current owner (not in because she's in Thailand) bought this place 4 years ago I'm told and in the process of changing/upgrading. Lots of potential. I ordered "to go" Spicy Fried Rice w/ Basil & shrimp. Amazing !!! The best I've had. So flavorful.
(4)Rhema L.
Flavorful and good but not as good as other places in town. We Tried an assortment of dishes: - the thai coffee and the thai tea were good, -Tom Ka soup was good but way too spicy for a kid to enjoy, -chicken satay, did not care for it too dry and tasteless, - curry puff, veggie it was just alright, not memorable -fried tofu, the fried part was good, the tofu itself was blaaa, -curry panang, good but a tad too sweet, -curry rice was good especially was a side of peanut sauce added to it, -seafood drunken noodle, was the lowest point for all of us, the noodle way too cook and so was the seafood. We could have gone without. -green tea ice cream w/rice pudding was good.
(3)Steven H.
I can highly recommend this place. The food was wonderful. We had the mussels to start: big green mussels with a dipping sauce that was delightful. I had the coconut milk soup with shrimp. Outstanding. For the entre i had the drunken noodles. Easily on par with some of the best i have had, spicy but not overwhelming. My wife had number 69, a rice noodle chicken, chinese broccoli mix with egg. Very good but much tamer for the spices.
(5)Mark E.
Four of us came here for an early Friday night dinner in an out-of-the-way shopping area nestled among the amorphous trees and 70s townhouses of East Columbia. We selected Bangkok Garden 9 (one presumes there are at least 8 others) based on menu, convenience to our locational needs and the preponderance of solid Yelp reviews. On the outside, the restaurant looks like it had been a Pizza Hut or perhaps a Lums. The food was very good and on par with the best Thai we have had in recent memory and prices were fair. Our entire party ordered with reasonable adventurousness and enjoyed what they had. I liked the fish special of the day. Some of the dishes were unexpectedly highly spicy; be clear when ordering if the heavy hand with the hots is not pleasing to your palate. Service was polite but uneven given the light crowd early in the evening, which might be an aberration but might also be par for the course here. Other recent reviewers have commented on this; they may be having some measure of a front-of-the-house problem. I'd recommend a table over the booth. The booth seats are very well-worn and if the adjoining booth is also occupied, one easily can feel every body movement of the person behind you which is a tad disconcerting when dining. A table also is more central to the dining room and removed from the sun's glare. We'll be back, but perhaps not until circumstances bring us to this area again. We were satisfied but not wowed; maybe it's not worth the drive all factors considered.
(3)Ann K.
Lunch special is the best deal. they offer two spring rolls, A Tom yum soup cup, lunch with rice, and fried banana and ice cream. $8.95. They changed the tiny fried banana with ice cream to a itsy tiny bowl of tapioca in coconut milk cream. I miss the ice cream. :(
(4)D. K.
This was my second time visiting this place. Previously we had a very kind female waitress and food was very good. Today I was waiting for ten minutes to get seated and was completely ignored by the server (guy with tattoos on his arms). He was argumentative, did not apologize for the wait and even ignored me when I got up to pay my bill. Where I work, I would get fired for that. attitude Great chef , tasty food but in case I go back I will get carry out.
(1)Allison L.
As others have said, the lunch special here is great! For less than $10 I enjoyed a creamy panang curry with rice and two crispy spring rolls. What a deal! My mom tried the soup and my sister tried the pad thai. Everyone loved their dishes, which were spiced just right. The restaurant is clean and spacious, and the service is friendly. This is much better than your average take-out spot!
(4)Lisa L.
This place is tucked away and a little difficult to find....but the food is excellent....I had the Shrimp Pad-Thia with a Singha beer.....perfect pairing. Highly recommend trying this place for the food alone....service is a little slow but worth the wait.
(5)Chad B.
This was my third time ever having Thai food, and this restaurant compares well to the others I've tried. It seemed cozy to me - it has a dining room and a small but well-stocked bar. There are large windows with views of the trees outside (it was nice looking at the fall colors). The tables had cool paper seashells under the glass. Our waitress was friendly and did a great job serving our large group. We all got separate bills, and she kept everything straight. I ordered the Pad Thai with Chicken and got a decent-sized portion. It had crunchy fried noodles and a generous amount of bean sprouts. The ground peanuts were a nice touch too. The chicken was cut into small pieces, and it was soft and delicious! Everything on the plate combined well, and the meal was very satisfying. I definitely recommend this place if you like Thai food or are interested in trying it.
(4)Katherine B.
I don't know what happened here. I heard new management? I have gone about three times before I decided to write this review but I just have to. It's not the same at all. The soups are sweet? Last time was cold. The cucumber relish that comes with the satay is in a corn syrup type liquid ugh. My chicken satay was raw last time and they didn't even discount the check. For the price, the food is just not up to par. I always leave feeling like I was cheated or just unsatisfied. This deeply saddens me bc I used to love this place. Go to Thai aroma on 40. Better food and prices!
(1)Jen J.
This place has great food. The building itself could use some love. I recommend the larb appetizer.
(4)D W.
A friend and I went for an early dinner (5:30pm) and we were the ONLY ones there. Must be because everyone is stuck in traffic on 175... I digress... For being the only two patrons, we were surprised that they botched our appetizer... We ordered the BKK Chicken Wings. Never got them; the waiter completely forgot -- if he wrote down the order it wouldn't have been an issue... We ordered a PAD-PAK (Stir-fried mixed vegetables, w/ chicken), SIAM BEEF aka NUA-KA-TA (sizzling beef served on hot plate), and MUSSAMAN CURRY (Mussaman curry in coconut milk, avocado, and peanut, w/ chicken). - The PAD-PAK vegetables came from a bag in the frozen section of Costco, and chicken were a little dry, but I'll give it some credit for the sauce - I think that was the saving grace for the dish. - SIAM BEEF was on a black platter and still sizzling when it came out. Was great for the first few slabs of beef - decent meat/vegetable ratio - however the black plate must have been too hot, or they cooked the beef for too long before bringing it out. The rest of the meat were tough to chew after a few minutes - overcooked on the sizzling platter. - MUSSAMAN CURRY, plenty of chicken and the curry was the right flavor. It had a great creamy consistency, and was not watered down like you could find in some places. - We also ordered two Thai iced teas; they were good. Red tea + evaporated milk, can't go wrong there. Pricing was as high as you would normally find in Arlington or Alexandria... quite surprised for the portion-to-price ratio... Not a lot of food when it comes on individual-portion-plates, not on serving plates. We were not pleased about that. I would come back if I was really craving Thai and not in NoVA or DC, otherwise it is nothing I would rave about.
(2)Joshua T.
Service is very slow. Price doesn't match the quantity. Wouldn't come back again. Took about 45 mins get food.
(2)Des W.
Very impressed with the taste. Ordered Panag chicken curry and Red vegetable curry and it was fantastic - both quality and quantity. We usually dine in what we consider the best Thai restaurant in DC metro area:Nava Thai in Silver Spring but this place is right up there. Will be going here again soon.
(4)Naomi R.
Best Thai in Columbia! Service for both dine in and carry out is courteous and efficient. Flavors are deep and the food is always fresh. They have earned a spot on my call list.
(5)Holli S.
Love this place.... But I just came here at 5 o'clock and there was a sign on the door saying they won't open back up till 6 then I call and they allow me to get a carry out order but not eat it in.
(3)James N.
Very good Thai food! Little hidden spots are normally the best. Not crowded at all. The only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 was because the service took a little longer then it should have. Besides that, excellent food!
(4)Nhu P.
Lord I feel horrible! I thought I reviewed this place already! This is one of my FAVORITE EVERRRRRRRRRR restaurants, not only in Columbia but overall! Their authentic thai food, mixer with good service leaves me always wanting more. They make THE best thai tea! Their drunken noodles ate INCREDIBLE! Got my entire office hooked on it! Green curry, DELISH! Rich, creamy, spicy! Whole crispy flounder with sauce on the side, yummmmmmmmm! Do not pass this place by! They are incredible!!!!
(5)Tiffany H.
Finally decent Thai food in Columbia, the land of dining mediocrity. Pad Prik Khing and Pad Thai....yum! I couldn't understand why the rice portion that accompanies the dish was soo small and the atmosphere needs work. It got really odd when walking out of the restaurant, there was a stale plate of food outside on the ground, like it was placed there for a roaming animal......strange.
(3)M R.
This place was pretty good. We ordered takeout from here for my wife's coworkers. Only disappointment was that you can't get the lunch specials as takeout. The food was well spiced. My wife had the drunken noodles, medium spicy and I had the pad ke eaue medium spicy. Hers was definitely spicier than mine. We both enjoyed our meals. My wife's coworkers also enjoyed their meals. I never knew this place existed. I think we will definitely be back when we have another Thai craving.
(4)B L.
This is my favorite Thai restaurant, as long as I don't order the curry. I think everyone I know loves their curries, but I'm just not a fan. Everything else, though! I love it all. I get this place on takeout but it's one of the few places on the carryout menu I loved enough to go to in person and is one of my go-to restaurants. The service is very nice, but very slow, and usually gets something wrong. You just have to be patient. I haven't eaten here in a few months, though, so I hope based on some of the more recent reviews when I return it is still as good as before.
(4)Ryan M.
I've only ordered takeout from here but it's delicious. I can't speak for the dining experience, it seems like a nice place but it's off the beaten path and a little hole-in-the-wall-ish. Probably wouldn't come here on a first date, but it does seem like a nice quiet place for conversation or for a family. As far as takeout, it doesn't get much better than this in the area. If you call it in, they are quick and accommodating.
(5)Alisa M.
My first time at this place. Best Thai restaurant in the Columbia area. Real Thai people cook real Thai food. I had the Pad Ped Pha Tilapia my waitress recommended to try. Loved it alot! Very authentic! Service was great. Will definitely go back for more.
(5)Sue P.
I've ordered carry out several times and each time it's always delicious. Today was the first time I've dined here & it was excellent. I love this Thai restaurant. Our waitress was great and super friendly. Great food with a lot of flavor .. I'll continue coming here as long as the found is tasty.. I'd definitely recommend this place.
(4)Paul C.
I've had two meals here before deciding to write this review to make sure that the first visit wasn't a fluke. The food is good and very authentic, perhaps too much so for many who cannot handle the Thai heat (myself included). I travel to Thailand frequently for business and have tried variety of dishes in varying degrees if heat. I would suggest sticking to two stars or less unless you can really handle it. I had the pad prik king with tofu and the traditional green curry with chicken the second time. What a great value it is for lunch!!! You get a cup of tasty soup, a couple of small spring rolls, the entree, and refreshing mango sorbet with a morsel of fried banana for dessert all for $9-10. Thai ice tea was nice and strong and the service was excellent. This is as good as it gets for Thai in Columbia MD aka "the food desert".
(5)Felicia H.
I love Bangkok Garden! I hadn't been in a while but went for dinner tonight and I wish it hadn't taken me so long to come back! The service was great, our server was very friendly and attentive. We got the pad thai and green curry with thai eggplant instead of Chinese eggplant. The dishes were great. The pad thai wasn't overly sweet like most restaurants, and they gladly made my eggplant swap in the curry dish, which was nice and spicy. The food is authentic, and they even put just a fork and a spoon at each place setting. I'll definitely be back more often!
(5)Caitlin C.
This is a decent thai restaurant considering other options in the area. I've ordered the Yellow Curry and Pad See Ew, both have been good. Their Tom Ka Gai is also delicious, probably better than the entrees. I've been here with friends many times, and while there are no complaints, there are no "Oohs and Aahs" over the food. Portions are average considering the prices. The service is just fine, and staff members are polite and efficient. I will certainly be going back soon!
(3)Tee B.
Food good. Location not good. Layout/décor average.
(3)Maddie F.
Love this place. Great international beer happy hour. I always get drunkin noodles and Panang curry. Delish!!!!!!!!!!!
(4)Melody T.
I'm back on Yelp after an extended break, and I hate to make this my first review... but I need to 'yelp,' if you catch my drift. This place makes overly sweet grease synonymous with Thai cuisine, and overcooked noodles the vehicle with which to soak it all up. The drunken noodles I ordered were 'drunk' on grease, and were so overcooked I probably didn't need to chew at all. The pad thai I tried was not much better. I was starving... but could only stomach a few bites. On a positive note, we were a rather large group, and our server was very accommodating and courteous.
(2)Daniel C.
Lets just say I'm happy to live within walking distance of this place. If you like your food spicy, you hit the jackpot at Bangkok Garden. Try the Drunken Noodles, they are awesome.
(5)Larry H.
In the sea of Thai restaurants available in the Columbia area, this one hits about the middle of the road. The interior decor is pleasing to the eye, it's quiet enough to hear the music, and having lots of booths for a little added privacy is always a plus. The food preparation is always consistent and done well in every dish I've tried here, so no complaints there. But what makes this place just average in my opinion is that instead of the Traditional Thai spice meter, where you get dishes that range from tingle in your mouth mildly spicy, to make you sweat medium spice, all the way to 5-alarm blazingly hot. The cooks/management at Bangkok Garden 9 seem to have opted for making all their dishes "American" spicy... Which translates to dishes that go from no perceptible spice at all, to just mildly hot, (unless you specifically ask for more). This is the first Thai restaurant I've ever encountered where drunken noodles won't have you blowing your nose and looking for a second glass of water half way through the meal. My only advice for Bangkok Garden 9 is that if you want to call yourself a Thai restaurant and not just an Asian fusion restaurant. Stick closer to traditional Thai recipes and let customers that don't really like Thai ask for milder versions, not the other way around.
(3)Kris S.
Food is always consistently awesome here. Never had problems and if you love spicy food this is the place.
(5)Yuxue W.
I had the worst experience ever in this restaurant. The owner of this place is very rude and unbelievably emotional. I ordered a dish whose title suggested something completely different from what I was expecting. So I asked the server to ask the manager if I can return it. The owner came out and started yelling at us, asking us to either accept the food as it is, or get out. She even threatened to call the police. I was ok with not returning it, and I just wanted to see if it is possible. Instead of having a normal conversation, the owner had no respect for the guests and was behaving completely inappropriate. That was such a horrible experience that I don't recommend this place to anyone. Many of my friends have already blacklisted this place. I suggest you do the same and avoid being served a plate full of insults.
(1)Yaka H.
Review about the take-out only. It was a bit hard to find this place, but it's located at the opposite end in the plaza from the Food Lion, tucked behind the Columbia Bank. There isn't a notable sign on the outside, but you'll see a neon "OPEN" sign with 2 golden dragons by the door. I ordered a chicken pad thai and mango sticky rice to go. For take-out, you'll have to order a medium or large portion of soup. They won't do a small portion for take-out. The pad thai portion was huge. It was pretty tasty, however, one side was so heavily salted that I just couldn't finish it. It was just too salty. It was a shame, it was chock full of eggs, chicken, scallions, roast pork, and peanuts. I really loved that they put a helpful portion of peanuts on it. However, the overwhelming saltiness killed it for me. The sticky rice with mango was pretty good. However I thought the portion size was pretty small for the amount I paid. Also, there was a fuzz on one of the mango pieces, which was a bit unpleasant. However, service was nice enough to give me a nice, cold glass of water. It was super hot outside, so it was much appreciated. May be back again if I'm in the area to give this place a second chance.
(2)C W.
My husband and I normally go to Little Spice for Thai food, but decided to try something new. The restaurant's exterior and decor is a bit dated. The room itself is big, with booth tables along the sides and regular tables in the middle. We were promptly greeted and seated. We ordered: Thai iced tea, chicken curry puffs, papaya salad, and I had tofu pad thai as my entree. The Thai iced tea was good (the glasses are kind of small). The appetizers were okay. You get two curry puffs with the cucumber sauce. The papaya salad wasn't spicy and had a distinct fish sauce taste. The tofu was sweet and crispy and the pad thai was flavorful. Overall, I thought the meal was good. I'm not sure if I'd come back again, only because it's in a shopping center I don't typically go to.
(3)Milind S.
2 waiters served us. One was nice and she smiled when ever possible- pleasant. The other- probably the guy behind the bar- seemed very impatient. Suddenly a happy laughing table became a quite table just after the waiter guy reminded us in a stern tone that the kitchen was closing in 10 minutes (this was @9:35pm on a Sunday; the listed closing time for the place is 10:30pm which I even had to confirm with the servers after experiencing the impatience). now the food: the others on the table seemed to find the food good. I had the "Penang Curry". It tasted alright but was very greasy and had like 2 table spoons of oil floating on top. Overall, definitely go there if you want to take a chance of dropping your happy mood a few octaves down. Happy customer + impatient/stern servers = unhappy customer
(1)Ky T.
This used to be one of my favorite places for Thai food but the quality of their dishes has gone down hill :/ The last two times I've stopped in to place take-out orders it has been pretty evident my food was not made fresh. Most importantly is that one dish I have ordered regularly over the passed few years which has no pork in it had large pork bits in it when I got it home so that I had to completely dispose it. I am not sure if they are under new management but the place looks dingy and in need of update inside now and the food is no longer made to order or nearly as tasty as it was before.
(3)April W.
Fantastic Thai! Was skeptical because I wasn't sure of the neighborhood. Staff was excellent and accommodating to our 4 year old! I had the 68. Delicious
(5)Jenny H.
I came here for lunch, and me and my hubs were the only patrons in the entire place, and the food came out REALLY quickly. The food was just OK, we ordered their red curry (they forgot to exchange the bamboo shoots for another veggie) which was not that great and drunken noodles (which is always our staple) which was just decent. The REALLY good thing about this restaurant- their DESSERTS!! OMG, outside of Thailand, they have the most unique, AMAZING Thai desserts. We got their SA KOO- tapioca in coconut milk, and their BUA LOY- or tapioca balls, nice and chewy, in this AMAZING warm, sweet coconut milk- YUMMY!! I could have drank a gallon of the bua loy- in fact, I ordered one to go!!! Get their desserts here, especially the Bua Loy- you will not regret it!
(3)Supraja M.
TL;DR: Atrocious service: over half an hour to order, over an hour before our order was put in, unclear who our waiter was, and unapologetic 'management'. food was fine. *** While I generally like the food here, I was appalled by the service (or lack thereof!) today. My cousin is visiting from out of town and wanted to get Chinese or Thai food today. She suggested PF Changs... seeing as how we were both hungry and PF Changs on a Friday night will have a crazy long wait, and also I don't particularly like PF Changs, I suggested this place instead. We arrived right around 7:00 and were seated promptly. We started looking through the menu. About 10 minutes later, the waiter who seated us brought us water, then ran away before I could order my Thai Iced Tea; we decided on our food within a minute after this and closed our menus, waiting for someone to come take our order. We chatted for a while, and started wondering what was up as time went on. By 7:30 I thought it was ridiculous that no one had come by to ask us even for a drink order and was about to get up and find a waiter so we could order when the guy we thought was our waiter came to the table next to ours. I tried to catch his attention but he refused to make eye contact and ran away again. I tried to get one of the two other waiters in the dining room to come by but again, no eye contact. Finally a waitress came to another table two away from ours and I called out to her to get her attention. She came over, and when I told her we had been waiting 20+ minutes to order she apologized and took down our orders (Drunken Noodles & Thai Iced Tea for me, Stir-Fried Vegetables for my cousin) and we figured ok, they forgot about us once, but we'll get our food quickly. A few minutes later my iced tea showed up (in the hands of the guy I though was the bartender? Except he was delivering food later to other parts of the dining room. I had to ask for a straw). And then we waited. And waited. And waited. Finally, when I realized it had been over an hour since we got to the restaurant. I was about to get up and go cancel our order and just leave and go elsewhere (little caesar's next door? We were STARVING) when I saw the waitress taking to another guy (waiter? bartender? unclear) and pointing at our table, so I figured, ok, our food must be up next, she's telling him where to bring it or something. NOPE. Still a DIFFERENT waiter brought us an order of spring rolls and apologized for the wait. So clearly, they forgot about us AGAIN. We demolished the spring rolls in about 2 minutes, and waited another 10 or 15 minutes for our food. Finally it came with a "sorry about that enjoy" from the first waiter. The food was fine, as usual, though my cousin's Vegetables consisted almost entirely of cabbage. We were so hungry we ate in about 15 minutes. There were 2 tables of 4 and a table of 2 sitting immediately around us who came in just before or even us, ordered drinks, appetizers, and entrees, paid and left before we got our one course of food. When the waitress finally came by again after we were finished eating and had been waiting another 5 or 10 minutes, I asked for a box for my leftovers and to speak to a manager. She replied, "No." then "I am the manager" (which is it, chick?) I told her that I was severely disappointed in the service, that I brought my visitor here because the food and service are usually good and it was clear that they had forgotten about us twice. I hoped for a sincere apology. She nonchalantly told me, they were understaffed, she was the only one 'running', and we had already been given spring rolls on the house. I looked at her with disbelief. The restaurant was near-empty when we came in (4-5 tables total) and at this point was at most 2/3 full, and there were 4 front-of-house people, all running out into the dining room (AND ALL OF WHOM HAD BEEN TO OUR TABLE). She begrudgingly offered 10% off the check and a perfunctory "sorry." We finally left the restaurant at about 8:45. I'm really disappointed--we were hoping for a nice, chill, quick meal and it was a long, drawn-out affair. There's no reason that for our two plates of food, we should have been in that restaurant for nearly 2 hours. I should have left when no one came to take our order for half an hour. I just didn't want to decide on somewhere else while we were already that hungry. They turned me off so badly that I don't anticipate returning.
(1)Jessica F.
Add this to the list of places I had no clue existed in Columbia. However, my friend was craving Thai food and this came up tops on the Yelp app. We got here on a Sunday morning right as it opened. The service was quick and the food was good. I agree with other reviewers that it wasn't the best Pad Thai I have ever had and I probably should have gone with the curry. I would try them again though and it is nice to have a quality Thai place so close to home.
(3)CC L.
I've been searching for a good Thai place in the area for some time and I found it. Ka prow, pad thai, drunken noodles all very good.
(5)M W.
The food and service were fantastic. Everything was cooked fresh and the staff was easy going and polite. The location is a little strange and out of the way but you won't be disappointed. This is by far the best Thai place on Columbia.
(5)Hana K.
Kinda pricy for the amount they give you. But the food is good. You have to try the flounder. Pad thai is off the hook!!!!!!!!!!! :)
(3)Nancy E.
OK, I have eaten here before and would have given this restaurant 3 1/2 stars--meaning I like it, but I still wish we had something better. I also think it's on the expensive-side for a Thai restaurant, but tonight, everything was so top notch, we didn't mind the price. Our meal tonight was honestly some of the best Thai food we've had in Maryland -- and I've been looking for the past 25 years. My mom and husband started with the Tom yum shrimp and Tom kha chicken soups and both agreed it was some of the best. The shrimp were plump and not overlooked at all. I had to start with the beef larb because I saw a plate of it passing by as we were seated. We were NOT disappointed. Lean, spicy, limey beef with fresh lettuce, cilantro and mint. An excellent way to start our meal. I ordered the pad ped with chicken and it was fresh, spicy and delicious. While I love vegetables, i was happy to see that this dish was not piled with vegetable fillers frequently found in other Thai restaurants in the area. My husband had the pad Thai and thought it was one of the best he's had. Mom ordered a garlic shrimp dish and she thought it was excellently prepared. We are also fans of the Thai basil fried rice and again, we were not disappointed. Incidentally, this is my first 5-star review.
(5)Allen G.
Bangkok garden number 9 has the closest to authentic Thai food I've had in the region. Appetizers start at about 5. Dinners start at about 11 and all of it is simply excellent. Don't ask for Thai hot unless you really want it HOT. The authentic recipes and menu make you believe you're actually in Thailand. The Thai beef salad is reason enough to eat there two or three times a week.
(4)Kimberly P.
loved this place! I am vegan, and there was a lot of food to choose from, even dessert! I liked the atmosphere. It was quiet enough to talk, but if you wanted there were TVs playing none other than Good Eats and Seinfeld. The food was delicious! I would highly recommend the curry puffs appetizer and the mango sticky rice for dessert. Update: Just went their recently and found my drunkin noodles to be really mushy. I will still go to this restaurant, but I will probably not get that dish again.
(4)Erica F.
My husband I and have enjoyed eating here for years. Food is on point each and every time. I must admit... We have not eaten here in a month or so based on the price. A bit steep lately.
(4)Juan R.
I do not live in Columbia, MD, but I had been to this restaurant many years ago. So it was a surprise that the place is still is as good as I remember. The food service is fast and the portions are reasonable. The chicken puffs are awesome. We also had the fish cakes for appetizers. The main course was the string beans with chicken and the drunken noodles, my personal favorite. All the food was delicious. We are planning on going again soon.
(4)Tiffany K.
What is there to say about this amazing place that has not already been said? It is within walking distance to my house, a huge plus for me. I absolutely love everything I have gotten from here. I have gone to eat here many times with friends and relatives and they all comment on the quality of the ingredients and the taste. A great little gem in Columbia.
(5)Beverly H.
I love Thai food, so having a good, reasonably cheap place nearby is great. I don't recall ever having bad service in the seating area, though I usually get carryout. One thing I especially like here is that they give you realistic wait times when you order. There's also a Food Lion & dry cleaner in this shopping plaza, so you get run errands while waiting. As far as their food is concerned, neither my BF or I have ever gotten anything bad. They have a good selection of veggie dishes, which he prefers. I'm more of a carnivore. They quality of their meat has always been good, no gristle or slimy stuff. I've also never gotten anything that made me wonder about the fate of missing neighborhood pets. Their seasoning can be a bit on the spicy side, so use caution when ordering. In the summer, they grow some of their veggies and herbs just outside the building. You can't get much fresher than that.
(4)John P.
This is not a bad Thai restaurant. It's typical and on par with most Asian cuisine options in the area. Most of the time it is half empty so there is never a wait. The service there is not really the best but so what. All the food I've ever tried I've been happy with. For any one who likes to get things a little spicier you can tell them to make it "Thai spicy" and that should put it way over the top. Portions are adequate and so are the prices. The mixed drinks don't taste the best mainly because it's all booze. Is that a bad thing? The only thing I wish they would do away with is that gross fish tank you see when you walk in.
(3)Teddy E.
This was one of the worst meals I've eaten lately. While the restaurant was half empty by the hour I had arrived, half the tables in the restaurant were dirty, and we had to poach napkins/silverware off one of the nearby tables. The menu is poorly written and way too huge. We started with the Tom Kha with shrimp which was quite reasonable. My main course, the pad ped pah (spicy meat [beef] with thai eggplants) was not good. The eggplants were criminally undercooked and they used very low quality tough beef. I also had a nasty case of indigestion the next morning. Even with an empty restaurant, service took forever.
(1)Dan A.
This is one of my favorite Thai places. It's kind of in the middle of nowhere in what looks to be a converted Wendy's or something. The restaurant here is rarely packed and the servers understand English but cannot speak it well (but know enough to adequately communicate). Yeah, all that may make Bangkok Garden sound a little shady but even in spite of all that, the food here is good and authentic. The Panang curry is consistently good and one of Bangkok Garden's strengths. It's very flavorful with some heat and a strong but not overwhelming coconut flavor. Bangkok Garden's other curries are good as well but if you were to get only one curry, I'd say opt for the Panang. The Southern Duck is also worth a try. The meat is extremely tender while the outer part of the duck has a wonderful crispiness that works well with the sweet and tangy basil-y sauce. The chicken curry puff appetizers are also good. They are similar to samosas and served with this refreshing cucumber jalapeno sauce that provides a perfect balance and contrast with the puff's savoriness. However, the pad thai here is kind of funny. I must have ordered it at least 10 times since I've started coming here. I've noticed it is pretty inconsistent which is a shame because when Bangkok Garden is at the top of their pad thai game, it is among the best pad thais I've ever had. However, other times, it is average. I've been trying to figure out what factors may cause this variation but to no avail. :( However, it is flavorful (though sometimes more subtle than others) and never greasy. I find that Bangkok Garden is probably one of the best Thai restaurants in the Howard County area and far better than most of Baltimore City's offerings (Thai Arroy is pretty solid however). Coming for lunch is a great idea as the dishes are under $10. Despite the cheaper price, some dishes like the pad thai, appear to be almost the same amount they serve for dinner.
(4)Rhonda S.
I had been sleeping on this place, but I'm glad I woke up. It's actually pretty good. The service is friendly but a tad bit slow. I usually go later in the evening so not too many people are in there. The food is actually really good and comparable to a few other Thai places I've been in Silver Spring. My only complaint is that with the pineapple fried rice, they usually only give you 2 pieces of shrimp which is kind of cheapo on their part. Overall, it's a place that I defintely don't mind coming back to.
(3)barry b.
We ate there a number of times years ago and found it very bland. We decided to try it again in Oct. 2013. We were told that it changed ownership 3 years ago. Now, it is a first class Thai restaurant. All lunches are $8.95, including soup (delicious) or spring roll (being retired, we usually go out for lunch, not dinner). My drunken noodles were almost as good as they get and plenty hot (picante). My wife rated her mixed vegetables very high. The other couple ordered Pad Thai and rated it very high. I thought the waitress was speaking Thai but my wife assured me that it was English and "translated" for me (I am hard of hearing). The place was almost empty at 1 p.m. (sad because it's a fine restaurant). It's attractive. The noise level was very low. Plenty of parking. We will be frequent patrons.
(4)paul s.
I give this place 4 stars, although I might have given it 3. If I could give 3 and a half, I would. Overall it was good and I would go back. The service was a little slow -- they took a looooong time to get to us, but friendly enough once they got started. Having read some other reviews, we tried the yum pla grob appetizer, which was very good. It's a salad with crisp sliced vegetables and a spicy, smoky dressing that had that pungent, fish-sauce flavor to it, but in just the right amount. I was a little surprised though, that the fish was of the chewy, dried, fish-jerky variety, since the menu describes it as "crispy fillet fish." It wasn't what I was expecting. But it was good, and the fish jerky gave the dish a nice authenticity. I had duck curry and I asked for four peppers (thai hot) and man it was hot! I consider myself a seasoned veteran and a real fan of spicy food, Thai particularly, and this curry was ALMOST hot enough to have me wishing I hadn't ordered the four peppers. But I stress the word almost, and that's the whole point. This chef took it right to the limit, and that's just what I wanted. There's nothing more disappointing than ordering four peppers and getting meh, and believe me it's happened. My friend's cashew chicken was a little bland, but anything would have seemed bland in comparison to the firestorm on my plate. It came with lots of thai vegetables and good, sticky rice. My only minor beef was that it could have used a little more duck -- they skimped just a little bit, but no big deal. My mouth was on fire and I was happy trying to douse it with swigs of cold Singha, which I practically had to beg my server to bring me a refill of .. I guess she was busy. The ambience is comfortable and casual, but I thought it was really weird that they had a tv in the dining room. It just seemed out of place. So .. four stars for the yum pla grob and the four pepper curry .. three stars for the bland cashew chicken, not quite enough duck, and slowish service.
(4)Cam W.
I lived in Bangkok for five years. This is the best Thai restaurant I have found in the B/W area The Isan, or Northeast Thai, cuisine is authentic and very delicious. They have mild and moderately spicy options as well as native Thai (eyes watering hot). I sponsor a Thai student here and we went together one time and loved it all, then on another occasion I brought home a carload of dishes for a Superbowl party and everything has been excellent so far. I love the noodle dishes (i.e., pad thai w/ shrimp, pad see ew w/ pork, the masamun curry, larb w/ pork, and the desserts (fried banana with coconut ice cream was great). My new local favorite!
(5)Roger B.
My friend's dish was prepared wrong (chicken instead of beef) and my dish had a hair on it (which I find disgusting). Neither of us liked this place. Def will not return.
(1)Helen C.
I really liked their pad thai, and the mango with sticky rice was also very good! Nice find in the middle of nowhere Maryland =)
(4)Anthony F.
I recommend moo-nam-tok, grilled pork appetizer. Your mouth bursts open when you take your first bite. Good and spicy, savory, all that you can ask for. I also had larb gai. Aka beef salad, this was PACKED full of beef- more so than any other restaurant I've eaten at. My entree was jungle curry. Excellent, QUITE spicy, and more than enough-no coconut milk in this one, so if you want that stick with one of their standard curry dishes as all others have coconut milk. An iced tea on the house finished off the meal. Best thai I've had in awhile. Feels very family-style. Also the management is new so disregard all bad reviews within six months of this review.
(5)Mara C.
I tried the food once, and found it pretty greasy. Tried again a year later to see if it improved and it hadn't. I only had it "to go" but was definitely not as good as some others have experienced.
(2)Justin J.
When you ask for "Thai spicy," you get Thai spicy. The food is very authentic, and if you want to challenge your palate, you won't be disappointed. We had the drunken noodles and the Ka Prow and requested "Thai spicy," and did we get it. My dining companion could see through time! The main dish was preceded by delicious Tom Yum and Tom Kha soup, and was followed with delicious coconut ice cream to take the edge off. The staff is very pleasant and sufficiently attentive. Interior could use a coat of paint and a better sound system for the Thai music; but is clean and attractive. Only criticism we have is the drink prices. You eat hot Thai food, you want a beer to wash it down, but $10 a bottle? Um, yeah, we'll just have water. Thanks.
(4)Samuel C.
Best Thai restaurant ever..! The restaurant is nice and fancy. The waitress is nice and friendly! The food is fresh , hot and delicious. Your mouth bursts open when you take your first bite. Good and spicy! I have KAO-PAD-KRA-POW. I like it so much better than the other Thai restaurant.
(5)NK B.
Love at first sight! This place has a good menu and lots to choose from. The prices are reasonable. The place looks very neat and good. Try fried banana and ice cream. Its yum! I will definitely recommend this and will go when even i get a chance. An ideal place for Thai food lovers!
(4)Lisa R.
I went here for the first time last Saturday for dinner. The food was good and fast. The portions were a little smaller than I expected but that might be a good thing ultimately. I had the larb gai and drunken noodles (with tofu). The larb was spicy and very delicious. The drunken noodles (although they warned me) were a little too spicy for my taste (again they warned me so this is my fault). I had to cut them with some sugar from the spice tray. Definitely ask for a spice tray :-) The dish was very tasty though and they were happy to substitute tofu for the meat options listed on the menu. We had no problems with the service- our waiter was very attentive. I've had better thai food before but this was pretty good.
(4)Jem D.
The food here is really good. I had lemongrass soup and nam tok. Both were spicy (just how I like it). The nam tok was so fresh, all the cilantro and onions and whatever dressing or sauce they used....mm-mm-good. The only bummer is it's kind of drab inside, and it was hard to find at night. They need a better sign, I drove around Food Lion several times because I could not find it. Plentiful parking.
(4)Ryan C.
Every time I've been to Bangkok Garden, there aren't very many diners present. I can't understand why, because the food is absolutely delicious. I've had the krapow and red curry - extremely spicy because that's how I roll - and both dishes are exquisite. The lunch menu is very reasonably priced at 8.95, and you get a choice of soup or spring roll. I opt for the spring roll, which is marvelous and comes with a sweet and spicy sauce. I also get the Thai iced tea, because it's pretty much the greatest drink ever invented. Dessert, for me, is always Thai rice custard - it's amazing and I can never get enough of it! My waitress was very friendly and prompt. The food came out only a few minutes after I ordered it. I hope my review helps them to get more business, because they deserve it! I always leave here feeling really happy and satisfied.
(5)Alexander B.
We had a small wedding party here about a month ago and it was great. A couple of days before the date, we went in to pre-order the food and the owner/manager really worked with us to make sure we ordered the right amount of food and a good mix of dishes. She also comped us a couple free plates. The table was decorated for us when we arrived for the event and the food came out quickly. It was all delicious. The fried rice we ordered was way too hot for me but the flavor was good and others in our party loved it. Overall, it was a good experience and would definitely eat here again.
(5)HowChow B.
Bangkok Garden was sold in early 2011. The old owner and chef appear to have moved to their Bethesda location, and the new owners appear to be folks who owned a Thai restaurant in Virginia. This has been a place that people really like. It may stay that way, but you may want to recognize that old reviews -- good or bad -- are about a restaurant run by different people than today. There is talk that the Columbia location will change its name over the next six months.
(3)ASH J.
This place is terrible. Each entree item we ordered had little to no meat/seafood in it with the incorrect levels of spiciness for each item. The service was so terrible that we didn't even have a chance to complain about the food we received.
(1)Good For The Palate R.
This is a great Thai restaurant. They had a nice selection the stand-bys and less common dishes prepared in traditional ways with authentic ingredients. Prices are good, staff is friendly and food is incredible. Wonderful Sauces. They do karoke but weren't at 9pm on a weeknight. Nice quite, calm atmosphere.
(5)Sinni L.
I am a picky eater when it comes to Thai food. Nothing beats home cooked meals. But with this place I am a fan. My first day in DC my family took me here. Everything I had I liked, the crispy pork with Chinese greens, Thai noodles, stir fried salmon and fish patties.
(4)M R.
I'm in the Baltimore area on business and I'm CUH-RAVING Thai food. It's funny, as I get older (ahem) I mean BETTER, my palate continues to evolve and suddenly I'm all about some Asian flavor profiles. Weeeeeird, I know. So anyway, I looked on Yelp for a Thai place in Columbia MD and the number one listing was Bangkok Thai. It was a mere six miles from my hotel so I went and boy am I glad I did. My server Harris was as cute as he could be, and just as sweet. I told him my sensitive palate can't tolerate spicy food (so why ya goin' Thai then, dork??) and he assured me that he'd instruct the chef accordingly. Yay for Harris and for my tongue. I started out with Tom Kha Gai (coconut milk soup with chicken) and it was DIVINE. Enough heat to make my nose run a little (in a good way) but not so much that I had to send it back. What I most loved what the very clear ZING of lime that I tasted in the first several bites. It was so fresh! What I had forgotten is that Tom Kha has a bunch of cilantro in it -- blecch. So I soldiered through half the bowl before I realized I could just pull it out and leave it on the plate. That helped a LOT and I polished off the rest of the bowl in a hurry. For my entree, I took Harris' recommendation for the crispy basil duck against my better judgment, (even though I LOVE duck), because I know it can be fatty. He assured me that it was one of the most popular entrees, so I went with it. What the heck. When in Baltimore, do what Harris says. It arrived and looked pretty good -- medallions of crispy fried duck, but it was indeed pretty fatty around the edges. I peeled the layer of fat off each medallion, leaving it lay on my side plate, and I think poor Harris nearly had a stroke. Partly because I was dissecting each piece, but also because I had given up trying to use a spoon and fork and was just eating with my hands. Oh well! He was mortified that I didn't love the dish. I tried to explain that once the fat layer was removed, the duck itself was fine, but he wasn't happy with that. When I had cleared my plate, he insisted on bringing me a dessert on the house (because that's just what my butt needed after a bowl of soup and what seemed like six pounds of fried duck!) Ohhhh allll riiiiight bring me the free dessert IF YOU MUST! He brought me a small blue and white oval plate that could have come from your grandmother's house, and in the center was a similarly oval mound of sticky rice covered with a layer of sliced mango and some uber-crunchy things. Well hellooooo delicious! I could have just finished a Roman food orgy and I wouldn't have turned that plate away. It was ridiculous, and if I had to go back to Bangkok Garden knowing what I know NOW, I'd just opt for the soup and that dessert and skip an entree all together. All in all, I loved my meal, so if you're ever in the Baltimore / Ellicott City / Columbia MD area give it a try.
(4)Daniela M.
Great Thai restaurant! Their red and green curry are just magnificent, just the right amount of spice!!! The staff is super friendly and efficient. You can never go wrong when you go to Bangkok Garden!
(5)Mackenzie M.
My coworkers and I come here sometimes. They know how to do spicy. The mussaman curry with avocado chunks is delicious, the best curry I've ever had. I do not recommend delivery from though. Sizing is inconsistent, and in the case of the mussaman, sometimes there are no avocados, only avocado pits. Much better to go in-person.
(4)keith c.
This is my absolute favorite Thai rest restaurant. It is authentic Thai food and they will sometimes even prepare off menu items when sweet talked. My favorite dishes is the panang with the nam for an appetizer. My wife loves the Pad Thai. We often just order a bunch of stuff and share. My only complaint is that they don't open until 4 on Saturdays and often we go out to eat on Saturdays around 1 or 2 so its either wait or go somewhere else.
(5)JJ J.
This is my favorite Thai restaurant in Maryland. There are better places in Virginia, but this takes the top spot. Honestly certain dishes are reallly good and certain ones are just okay. I'll lay out 3 dishes you can't go wrong with: 1) Southern Duck (YOU MUST GET THIS, it's amazing...) 2) Panang Curry w/Chicken (This is such an awesome curry and once you eat the chicken and have sauce left, have it over the rice) 3) Heavenly Duck (This is really good too but there isn't as much duck as in the Southern Duck dish, although there are a lotta veggies) I'd get the Drunken Noodles or Pad Thai as well, although they are just solid, rather than extraordinary. Overall, solid place. If you are going to get one dish, get the SOUTHERN DUCK.
(4)Kelly J.
This place was nice. The staff were friendly and efficient and the food was tasty. I stuck with something mild "Cashew Chicken" but it was a little too mild for my taste buds. However, someone ordered the drunken noodles and they couldn't finish it because it was too hot. I think next time I go I will try something in between that hot range.
(4)Bryan A.
Have seen the kitchen from doing some refrigeration work, very disgusting, have raw chicken sitting out over night to defrost! Causing bacteria obvs, rotten food in walk in numerous fridges not working they refuse to fix, I've seen people come in and complain numerous times would suggest skipping this meal,
(1)Ieesha J.
Okay, I rarely give a 1 star for my reviews. However, I'm very disappointed with my order from this place. I can't believe he charged me a dollar plus tax for an extra pepper sauce. Seriously?? I just spent 20 dollars on two items and you're really going to charge me for an extra small container of sauce. Okay the place opens at 4pm on Saturdays, and I placed my order around 5pm. You would think my food would be freshly prepared right? I get home and start to eat my food and the chicken in my Tom Ka Gai was extremely tough, and the shrimp in my friend rice was REALLY chewy. I know that the shrimp wasn't over cooked..it was old. I will not be back...I will stick to my usual spot in Silver Spring!! If you can't get two simple dishes right, then how good is the rest of your menu?
(1)Ren S.
Be very careful if you have a nut allergy when attending this place! Myself and my kids both have a severe allergic reaction to nuts, but we love Thai food. Usually Thai restaurants are especially careful when you mention you have an allergy to nuts, but this restaurant does not seem to be. We recently ordered a take out dish without nuts. When I went to eat my food, I noticed cashews in the dish. I called the restaurant immediately and the owner apologized and offered to replace it. The second time the dish had cashews in it again. This time when I called and provided feedback the owner said she did not believe me. She said she had spoken to the chef who indicated that no nuts were added to the food. I asked whether a clean pan was used to cook the dish and she was not sure. She said there was nothing she could do and did not believe that there were nuts included in my order. I emailed her pictures of the nuts and the food. She said she would review them and make a decision. The reason why I am writing this review (I never write reviews) is because I want other people to know to be careful in this restaurant. Unfortunately, given my severe allergies and my children's severe allergies, and the carelessness experienced, I doubt we will be able to visit this place in the future. It is unfortunate because it seems like a pretty good restaurant.
(1)Maz W.
It was ok, but not exceptional. I ordered the massaman curry-- it came missing some ingredients. I didn't realize it until someone else who also ordered it told me. I came on a Saturday night with family. It quickly became obvious that they were overwhelmed and couldn't keep up. The service was slow , and the servers forgot to bring orders, and kitchen staff didn't always pay attention that their dishes are far from complete. We ordered dessert-- Mango and sticky rice-- the mango was inedible. To make matters worse, there was an annoying person at the door when we came in asking everyone if the food was good, and somehow he ended up in the restaurant dining with the owner. He was loud, used the f-word in front of children, and tried to fix their curtains and heat system. He also helped himself to the bar. He ended up outside smoking something and harassing customers. There are a lot of good Thai restaurants in the DC and Baltimore area , and this isn't one of them.
(3)Clint T.
It's a really good mom and pop joint. The food is very good if the portions are kinda small. The service is great and the ambiance is cute. It's worth a try for sure.
(4)Danny C.
Best Thai Restaurant that I have been to so far. The weather was scorching hot at the time I came in, and immediately, a wave of cold air just hit my face and made me happy instantly =) . I Ordered a green curry spicy with chicken and a thai ice tea. Out of all the places I had thai ice tea, this was the best. Not too sweet, just perfect. The green curry wasnt that spicy, but the flavor and aroma was fantastic. I ate the curry. The sauce was so good that I ordered another rice, so I can mix em up together and eat it. I was very full, the prices were reasonable, the service was higher than average. Great place!
(5)