4. Restaurants

Tara Thai

9811 Washingtonian Blvd, Gaithersburg, MD, 20878
  • (301) 947-8330
  • Store is closed

Tara Thai Menu

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  • Saurabh D.

    First of all, as soon as you walk in the smell of fish is overwhelming. The decor is a bit dated and kitsch. The food was sub par, we started with the tofu appetizer, which was blank and the sauce was mostly oil. The main dishes, Eggplant and noodles special were not that great. The eggplant was floating in oil and lacked any flavor. The noodles were tasty but didn't contain any spice as asked for. Skip it, we would not go back.

    (1)

  • Wendy B.

    Decor aside, not a bad dining experience. We ordered the heavenly wings as an app & honestly not so heavenly. I wouldn't reorder again in this lifetime. My entree however, was pretty darn tasty!! My go to dish is Kapow (Thai Basil Chicken) & it was perfect as is. The right amount of spice & flavor. The s/o ordered Drunken Noodles (huge dinner portion) & his dish was A-ok too! He didn't like the Thai tea & it didn't appeal to his Southern Sweet Tea Purist taste buds lol! The service was pretty darn good too, would definitely repeat a visit.

    (4)

  • Jennifer B.

    This location is not very good. I have eaten at Tara Thai in Rockville for years and it has always been excellent. However, my experience at this location was less than mediocre. The fish cakes were the highlight of the meal. The papaya salad was decent. My vegetarian drunken noodles were undercooked and in a bath of soy sauce. My husbands thai fried rice was bland. The service was absolutely horrible. One waiter was left to wait on the rather full restaurant while our waitress and another waitress stood around talking to one another and did nothing to help out. I think we will stick to the original Rockville location in the future. What a bummer.

    (1)

  • Weson I.

    I haven't been here in a year and came across the reviews for this place and I was disappointed. This place is pretty great and don't eliminate this place because of a few bad reviews. I don't think some of them are reasonable so give it a shot, try someplace new.

    (4)

  • Sicilian L.

    Great drinks/ fun drinks Great patio seating especially if there is a band playing Great décor Bad food. Name it- not good. I have no clue who is cooking or making these meals but the chicken satay was raw and I swear our duck was pork- duck should not be dry...at all.

    (2)

  • Uzi S.

    The service is okay... Language barrier issues at times but the food and prices are great! Try the Hoi Pik Pao (Mussels)

    (4)

  • Nishat K.

    Two stars, one for the food and one for the service. I grabbed some Kee Mao to go after work and the woman behind the counter was attentive and super sweet. The Kee Mao was...different. Maybe I'm just not used to this type? I opened up the container and thought I was handed the wrong container lol. There was a lot of sauce! Normally, Kee Mao doesn't really come with sauce, but this looked like chicken curry. It tasted okay, but it wasn't my cup of tea. I probably wouldn't order that again here, but I'd like to try other things. The restaurant itself was cute, it has an underwater type theme going on. Pricing was fair as well. I'll be back to try other things!

    (2)

  • Lindsay G.

    Amazing place to eat! I love the delicious food! I take my friends and family here all the time because of their consistency. This is one of two places I can trust in to deliver!

    (5)

  • Samantha L.

    Tara Thai, located in the Washingtonian Center, has Happy Hour from 3-6pm Monday through Friday. The restaurant is decorated with wave shaped walls and scuba diver hanging from the ceiling. You feel like you're under the sea. Today, my mom and I came to Tara Thai for Happy Hour. I liked how the happy hour is available in both the bar and dining area. Current promotions include: buy one entree, get one movie ticket, appetizer platter (consisting of three different types of appetizers, like Tara Thai on Facebook and get $10 off $50 when paying cash, and gift card promotions (e.g., buy $25 get $30, buy $50 get $60, buy $100 get $120). During happy hour, they offer drink specials - $3 beers, $4 sake, and $5 mixed drinks as well as appetizers for $4. For drinks, we had an Andaman Pearl and Strawberry Daiquiri. The Andaman Pearl was blue in color, served over ice, and garnished with an orange wedge and cherry. It consisted of Malibu Rum, Peach Schnapps, Cream De Banana, Blue Curacao, and Pineapple Juice. I couldn't tell I was drinking an alcoholic beverage until the finishing the beverage. The Strawberry Daiquiri was watermelon colored, served frozen in a hurricane glass, and garnished with an orange wedge and cherry. The Strawberry Daiquiri consisted of For snacks, we shared an Appetizer Platter with three crab rolls, eight golden triangles, and two spring rolls. The crab rolls were deep fried, thick coins of crab meat and seafood wrapped in tofu skin served with sweet plum sauce. The golden triangles were deep fried tofu triangles served with sweet and sour sauce. The spring rolls were deep fried, vegetarian friendly (cabbage, carrots), and served with sweet and sour sauce. Other favorites include: Non-Alcoholic Beverages: Thai Iced Tea, Virgin Colada, Virgin Daiquiri Appetizers: Satay Chicken Skewers, Shrimp Cakes Entrees: Ginger Perfect Chicken/Beef, Garlic Shrimp, Honey Roasted Duck, Crispy Whole Flounder in Black Bean, Mushroom and Ginger Sauce Noodles/Rice: Pad Thai, Pad Woon Sen, Pad See Ew, Pineapple Fried Rice Desserts: Mango and Sticky Rice

    (4)

  • Erika E.

    Service is very friendly - the decor a little strange and the food a-ok! My green chicken curry was the right level of spice. The chicken a little dry and tough and the rice a little old. Seems like the type of place where you need to know what to order - I'm not local so I wasn't in the know. The dish I had was ok - but not crave worthy!

    (3)

  • Abby K.

    Very flavorful food! I get Pad see eew every time, it always leaves me happy. I've always ordered over the phone, and haven't yet eaten in the restaurant but they seem to give good portions. Love love love!!!

    (5)

  • Crystal H.

    Stopped in for lunch with a bunch of coworkers and enjoyed my food! I ordered the shrimp fried rice because it was quick. Although it did not come with a lot of shrimp, about 6, it was still very good! I will definitely order again. It was ready to go when we arrived to pick up our food! They were nice and very friendly.

    (4)

  • Sam L.

    The actual website is: tarathai.com A few months ago, I thought this place was average. Nothing about the food, service or the decor excited me (except #49 on the menu, Poo-Goong Ob Woonsen). On a whim, the girlfriend and I decided to come back while we were in the area, and it was a much better experience. We ordered #49 again, and it was still good. The dish can be eaten by itself, or over rice. And also #30, Siamese Beef, which is above average, albeit a bit dry unless you drench the beef in its sauce. For appetizer, we tried #2, Kanom Jeeb, which is basically seafood shumai with sweet vinegar sauce. Again it was decent, but not memorable. Overall I definitely would recommend their dishes that have a distinct description for sauce. Their fried rice was dry. The chicken satay was overcooked and dry, and Siamese Beef was also dry, though it had a little bit of sauce on the bottom to compensate for it. When you mix all of these dishes with rice, you should definitely get a dish with some sort of sauce/gravy.

    (4)

  • Gail R.

    Went here on a Sunday afternoon for lunch. The place had just a few folks in the restaurant. Got seated at a table and given 2 menus, one of which was a Mon-Fri lunch menu - not sure why we got that since we were there on a weekend. To start off our lunch, we got spring rolls - about eight half-pieces with sauce in the middle. One thing I learned about eating these spring rolls is to wait a bit before eating immediately as I burnt my tongue a few times in the process - it was hot with steam. Once it was cooled down, it tasted delicious. I also ordered some Thai Tea and I really tasted the tea (normally I don't taste the actual tea when I have had this at other Thai places). When we were ready to order our meals, I looked at the bigger of the 2 menus and I ordered Pad Cashew with Chicken ($8.95). It comes with onions, cashew nuts and scallions in savory light brown gravy, but I got it without the onions and scallions. For $4 more, you can get the Pad Cashew with Shrimp ($12.95) - lunch prices. It was okay. My friend had Vegetable Fried Rice which I think tasted better than my dish. I will go back one day and check this place out (not when it is busy as it usually is whenever I have passed by it)

    (3)

  • Gaby A.

    Their quality went down the chicken tastes rubbery as if it is not even real meat just disgusting

    (1)

  • Darcy W.

    What in the world... A Thai Restaurant decorated in a goofy underwater world theme? Huh? Well it does not scream come and eat my yummy Thai food at all! If I wasn't craving it I'm not sure I would have had a late lunch here at all?!? Ok I'm done with the fire sale decorating... The satay was excellent! The spring rolls were ok. The Kapow pork was dynamite! Mmmmm! I enjoyed the pad thai with shrimp. The shrimp were super tender! Maybe could use a wee bit more flavor, but overall good. The portions are very large. The beer was cold and hit the spot after a long day of travel. The service was excellent and the bartender was really funny.

    (3)

  • Jen A.

    Great selection of Thai dishes. Personally, I had great service. The chicken I had was great with the green coconut sauce. The prices are fair and the noodles they have is very good too. But you can't go wrong with curry and rice!

    (4)

  • Steven Y.

    Unlike many Thai restaurants, Tara Thai caters to vegans and vegetarians, clearly marking the items that contain fish sauce on their menu and specifically mentioning that eggs are optional on the Pad Thai. That's a great comfort to those of us who look out for such things. I got the Spicy Eggplant, which was deliciously hot. My girlfriend went with the Pad Thai, which wasn't as good as I would have hoped. The decor is ridiculous, but the prices are good.

    (3)

  • Ayana G.

    I love thai food, and Tara Thai surely serves some good thai food. Things here move quite slow but it's a small restaurant with not that many employees in my opinion, but that doesn't stop me from coming back. By far I love the fact that they're good is clearly shown by spice level. I always always get the ka pow chicken because it's spicy enough but it has plenty of flavor! This is a place I'd recommend to anyone wanting to try some good thai food.

    (4)

  • matthew f.

    The context: co-located with a theater and overlooking a large, artificial lake. It seats quite a lot of people with outside dining too. The food: not bad. The green papaya salad was too sweet and not spicy enough. I had the kapow jae with tofu and it was good. Not remarkable, but good. The service: prompt, attentive and friendly.

    (3)

  • Manny D.

    Terrible service alert! The food is okay - typical western-style Thai food. I've been here quite a few times since it's closer to home and been satisfied with the food. But today's service was horrible! I went to grab a quick lunch, but I was told that the "lunch specials" were only available for dine-in. After contemplating to take out from regular menu, I decided again to stay in and dine-in from the "lunch-special." But the attitude of the staff for my change of mind was horrible. They started speaking in their own language in front of me and the rest of the service was just awful. Never came to re-fill the water, never asked how the food was, and didn't even bother to take my plates away till I asked for the bill. Just rude service. The biggest selling factor of this place is the location. I even left a tip since I used the location to eat and do some work, but wrote a note of disappointment on the bill for what it's worth.

    (2)

  • Anisa S.

    I eat a ton of thai food, but this place was not up to par. Immediately when we walked in the smell of fish engulfed us. The image of dead fish hanging from the ceiling put a damper on our appetites as well. The food was extremely fishy and sweet for some reason. And our table was right next to the kitchen which amplified the smell by 10 times. Despite the nice service, I would never return to Tara Thai.

    (2)

  • Billy Joe J.

    I'll be review number 100 for this fabulous restaurant, sure, why not? This is one of THE Best Thai restaurants I have ever dined in. I had one of the BEST soups, I've ever had in my 42 years of living inside this very restaurant: Coconut milk, lemongrass, white chicken meat, just delicious and outstanding and I want some more right now! We had dinner here, and I also really enjoyed the interior and environment of Tara Thai as well! Awesome place!

    (5)

  • Jan F.

    My favorite!! Love the Pad Thai, spring rolls, knob jeeb, soups and my husband likes the pad see wa. I'm getting hungry now!!

    (5)

  • Persepolis N.

    I already see many reviews with various reactions on the decor and non-food related stuff, so I'll keep this focused on the food... The Thai food here has to be the worst Thai food I (we) have ever had. Our first reaction when plates started showing up was that the food appeared to lack the typical colors of Thai food... the reds and greens were just grayish browns here and the flavor was off on everything. Even more simple dishes like the fried rice just tasted "broken" and off. While far from perfect, our tried-and-true Benjarong and Busara provide a much better eating experience if you want to grab Thai, even though they are not perfect either. The big thing this place has going for it is location-location-location. Its great for grabbing a nice drink, sitting by the lake and relaxing. It provides a much quieter experience than Uncle Julio or Copper Canyon. As for service, it was fine- no complaints there. We did also mention the food quality issue to the manager in a polite way (we didn't ask for a refund... we just left the food and offered to pay & leave after we had 2 or 3 bites) The manager was gracious enough to thank us for our feedback and provided us a %20 discount without our asking... We then walked over to Nando and had our real dinner for the night. I think given the location, a good Thai food at Rio would be a great addition to the roster of restaurant choices there... so lets hope the chef or the menu gets a do-over.

    (1)

  • Jerry S.

    My expectations get lowered when an Asian restaurant sets the table with knife and fork rather than chopsticks. That's true here. The nua sawan (dried marinated beef) was like jerky, and benefited greatly from a dunk in the dressing of the tiny ramekin of slaw. The green curry was nicely seasoned but had a layer of oil floating on top of the sauce. Service was friendly and quite prompt considering the packed house, and prices reasonable given the high rent location. I might come again if I was in the neighborhood, but it's still Wheaton for authentic Thai.

    (3)

  • Liv H.

    Love going to Rio, so this is convenient to pick up take out. Had the Pad See Ewe with beef and it was pretty good, but I've had larger portions that costs less at other Thai restaurants. Would go back again to try more dishes.

    (4)

  • Nicky P.

    I love thai food, which is why i gave this place an extra star. However, refuse to eat here ever again. My love for Pad See Ew began to deteriorate after eating it here.

    (2)

  • Sunny S.

    Nice restaurant. Service was prompt. We asked for spicy, they made my next morning in the bathroom really hard! This place was bit pricy though. Note-You will find waiters talking in non english languages and laughing for random reasons that you and me won't understand what is going on.

    (4)

  • Rahul J.

    This is terrible Thai food. We tried a couple of dishes and it was mediocre at best. The spices / Thai herbs that should have popped were absent. The food was lukewarm. My Daiquiri had an inexplicable bitter flavor. The only reason I came here was because I had to meet a vegetarian friend at the Marriott next door. We would have one better at any of the dozen or so places around here. Service was decent but not enough to redeem the food. Skip this place!

    (2)

  • Farah K.

    Thing is, I've been coming to Tara Thai for years now, since it's conveniently close to my work. The good - The lunch sets for $9.95 are aptly portioned and come with a spring roll and a veggie soup. - $4 happy hour apps from 3-6pm The bad - Sometimes the food is way too salty. the worst - going there during lunch rush. I always go at 1:30-2:00, but once I happened to be there at 12:30. It was packed. It took my server ten minutes to get a menu with the specials on it, 15 minutes to take my order and 20 minutes for the app. The server then told me they didn't have the flat noodle for the Lad Na and would need to serve it with thin noodles. I had to pack it to go since I had to get back to work. They did give me a free appetizer card, because I'm a regular and even they knew the service was terrible that day. I'd go there if you didn't want mexican or the general american fare around the area. It's the only asian spot there (there used to be an indian restaurant there on the boardwalk but that abruptly closed. They're opening a Union Jack's there in the spring or fall)

    (3)

  • Chaz C.

    So going here was a big disappointment. With it being packed with tables it was a little hard to get past other tables. When trying to order the waiter had difficulty understanding English. The food was not up to standard of other locations. If you are in a wheelchair or use a seated walker you will have trouble getting around here if impossible, it is very cramped. If you go to see a movie, go to some of the other places in direct walking distance much better.

    (2)

  • Meagan M.

    I've never dined in at Tara Thai but their food is great. The place is never too busy when I order carry-put for lunch but they seem to offer good dine-in specials. The decor might be a little dated but the staff is all very friendly and like I said the food is top notch Thai food.

    (4)

  • Michael F.

    I make trips to Gaithersburg on nearly a monthly basis for work. Luckily for me, staying at the Marriott means quite a few options when it comes to food. I've ventured to Tara Thai on several occasions, alone or with colleagues, and had a chance to sample most of their menu. While nothing blew me away, nothing was overly disappointing. I will say the pad thai was a little bland, but some of their spicy dishes have a nice kick and flavor. Service has always been fair, even when they are busy. And the option to sit outside is a nice plus in the fall and spring. In summary, while I might not classify Tara as top-notch Thai, I will be back on a future trip to Gaithersburg.

    (3)

  • Harris H.

    We went with a party of 7. There was hardly anyone in the restaurant at peak hours, which surprised me. My aunt/uncle did 2 tours in the army over in Thailand and have eaten many Thai dishes. They were extremely satisfied and said the food was outstanding. We all agreed and thoroughly enjoyed our meal. In my case, I was a little disappointed in the service. The waiter was constantly trying to clear dishes while we were eating. Since we were on a back wall, that required either leaning over us, or asking us to pass the dishes during this time, which was annoying. Nobody at our table was asked if we wanted drink refills either. Outside of that, a great experience and we will be going back.

    (4)

  • Joe C.

    Tara Thai is a chain, but I hope that this is the odd-man out as far as atmosphere goes. This location is clearly (or hopefully) in the remnants of some casual dining, tourist friendly restaurant. It felt like many of the tourist/vacation restaurants one might find in many beachfront areas. Except this is a Thai restaurant overlooking the water and sitting at cheap plastic tables and sitting in cheap plastic chairs. Being a chain, you'd expect to find a very Americanized menu. And that's exactly what you'll find. You'll find all those standards that your friend who has only heard of Thai food would be looking for. The surprise, however, was a reasonably impressive sounding mostly-vegetarian portion of the menu. Though, it's kind of improper to call it "vegetarian" when it also denotes that some of the items have fish sauce in them. We stopped in for lunch on a weekend, but the lunch menu is only available on weekdays. The lunch menu isn't any cheaper, but you get a few extra included side items. The prices are a bit expensive for lunch, but we were craving Thai food. We ordered a house salad to start, followed by the honey-roasted duck and the pad pik king jae. Normally, we would also order some unsweetened iced green tea, but they only offered it sweetened. Kind of odd. The house salad was decent, but we were a little surprised to find that the peanut sauce is served hot. It definitely works, but we found it unusual. Also unusual was the thin strips of crispy fried tofu. My wife was pleased with the pad pik king jae, noting that the tofu was particularly good. I was very disappointed with my duck though. Looking at it, my wife was convinced that it was pork, but I've had enough of both meats to know that it was duck. What I wasn't sure about was whether or not this was actually honey-roasted duck. It was served in a red almost-bbq-like sauce. It wasn't necessarily bad, but it wasn't at all what I would expect from something called honey-roasted. There are far better Thai restaurants in the area where you can eat for a lot cheaper, but if you need something a little more friendly for the less adventurous, this is an acceptable place for dinner.

    (2)

  • Ana P.

    Once you move past the fishy smell of the restaurant, they food is pretty good! Since the food and staff take forever to appear I usually order over the phone and either carry out or dine-in. The Drunken Noodles with Chicken are my favorite and they are always good every time I've ordered them. Their Thai iced tea is the reason I love this place, though. It's divine! Sometimes I've ordered just the tea and nothing else! I really want to try their fried fish, maybe next time?

    (3)

  • Fatima H.

    Terrible service the waitress was rude and didn't even come to see if we needed anything and didn't refill our water and the food is spicy !! It wasn't even busy we were the only guest in the restaurant and when I asked another lady for water she ran in the back and brought it with attitude their chicken tastes like rubber literally i bet it's not even real chicken

    (1)

  • Jate P.

    Beautiful manager and restaurant. Great food. Best strong cocktail drinks. If u r nice enough to the bartender she will give u even more stiffer drink OH YAAAA. So don't be cheap on the tip; U will get what u r paying for.

    (5)

  • Mike H.

    Came for happy hour. When I got my check, it was for regular prices, although my drink and appetizer was from the happy hour menu. When I alerted the waitress, she called a manager, who wanted to argue that since I had finished my food, there was nothing she could do. Huh? Lack of training and a very un-Thai lack of graciousness ruined a decent--nothing special--meal.

    (2)

  • Jenn N.

    We were very excited to dine here - we've dined at other Tara Thai in VA when we lived there. However, this was a horrible experience. We decided to go to celebrate my wife's birthday. We ordered two Thai iced teas and were informed we'd have to pay in cash because we had a restaurant.com coupon. When we asked for the nearest ATM, we were sent far far away to one that didn't exist. We ordered the Larb and Satay for appetizers. The Larb had an entire red onion in it! And the chicken skewers were severely undercooked (see pictures). I told the waitress about the chicken and she said she was sorry. It was not taken off the bill. Our food came out and while my wife's Panang chicken was ranked "a little spice" she couldn't eat it because of the spice level. My Shrimp Prik Khing was ranked a two for medium and I have a high tolerance for spice but this was so hot, you could taste nothing as it burnt my taste buds off. We've been in the bathroom on and off all night. Bad, bad dinner :( I do not recommend going.

    (1)

  • Bob J.

    I am very pleased with this restaurant and am disappointed to see some of the other reviews. But when you look closely they are complaints about the heat of the food or about the exigencies of using coupons. This is a great restaurant with a distinctive, if not over-the-top, under-the-sea decor, great Thai food, and intelligent and cheerful wait-staff. I've dined here two nights in a row and cannot say enough about the quality of the delicious food. I really enjoyed the Tom Ka Gai (cocoanut lemongrass soup with chicken), Chicken Satay (with its traditional peanut chile sauce and sweet and sour cucumber and toast points), Pork Kapow (out of this world and yes it was spicy-hot), and a distinctively roasted sesame flavored Mango and sticky rice. Tonight I'm having soft shell crab with a yellow curry sauce. It doesn't get better than this!

    (5)

  • Jeanette T.

    I wish I could give this place a better review. The food was good, the prices are decent. I enjoyed the Thai iced tea I had with my meal. However, the service was lacking, very lacking. There was very obviously not enough staff either on the floor or in the kitchen for the amount of customers they had. Our wait time for food was excessively long and our waiter didn't even check on us after the appetizers were cleared and someone else delivered our food (which isn't unusual in any restaurant these days). We did not hear from our waiter again until we were done eating and THEN he checked if we needed more to drink. I've eaten at this location in the past, though it has been a few years, and I don't recall the service being so bad. I'm not at all certain I will go through the trouble of going again.

    (3)

  • Wesley Y.

    The food here is good, some of the dishes are a bit spicy ask for water or cool the sizzle with a Thai iced tea. The bar is fully stocked. They have a few beers on draft as well. The service is always good and I think this is the better thai restaurant in the area. Better then the other ones in the DMV. They have an awesome outdoor patio can't wait for the weather to get even nicer and they open that up daily.

    (4)

  • Stephen B.

    Been to Tara Thai before and wasn't very impressed then. Had a gift card, so the family went there to sit on the patio and listen to the live band playing at the Rio. I think the ambiance is the reason it gets 3 stars, it is definitely not the food. The Nua Sawan, is okay, but the sauce it came with was absent any flavour, however the meat was prepared to perfection. The Kanom Jeeb was average, again no great taste. My wife ordered the Kao Pad...bland, no spice, no flavour, I could have put some steamed rice in a frying pan at home and added an egg and it would have been the same. My daughter ordered the Lad Na, perfect for her young years, a little sweet and no spice. I had the Kee Mao, a favourite of mine for a long time. The waitress warned me it would be spicy. NOT! I guess they are catering to most Americans. Again, was disappointed in the flavour. Many other great Thai places around Thai House in Gaithersburg and Sabai Sabai in Germantown are much better value and a much better product.

    (3)

  • C S.

    Dirty... Like dont' look to close at the textured walls or really..yeah don't look to close at anything. After you try not to look you'll be treated to some decent thai food at a bit above average price.

    (1)

  • Ash S.

    I went in for drinks and a snack at a random time, like 4pm on a Saturday. I had a curry stuffed pastry, it was fairly disappointing (and I'd had a few at this point, my inner food critic was firmly switched off). Small portion, not great pastry, and filling seemed like it had those frozen mixed vegetables inside it. Just on a tangent WTF is up with various asian restaurants serving frozen mixed veg in various things and assuming customers won't realize? It's incredibly easy to tell a pea or carrot has been frozen, thawed and then cooked and added to something. Or maybe it's not that incredibly easy for most people? The guy sitting next to me at the bar ordered a fish soup. It smelled incredibly fishy from where I was sitting (in a bad way) and after two bites he sent it back saying it had an absolutely overpowering amount of lemongrass (we had a nice chat about whether that could affect the smell as well). Finally, I got the bill for my drink. I had ordered a Harvey Wallbanger (a classic 1950's drink - google it) As I ordered it, it's a screwdriver with a splash (quarter shot) of Galliano, a kind of liqueur. My bartender had kind of a hushed convo with the head bartender/asst manager when I ordered it. My bill had an extra $6.50 charge for a shot of Drambuie, which I hadn't ordered. When asked about it, he explained that Galliano wasn't in their system, and the charge was really for that. I don't blame the barkeep, the asst manager had clearly told him to do it. Well, that's the kind of thing that makes me write off a restaurant or bar for good. Common courtesy would have been to not charge me for a splash. At most they should've charged me for the actual amount used. I don't care if the POS system isn't set up that way. There's a reason human beings are bartenders instead of some kind of robot. It's exactly the same kind of shortsighted BS that makes someone not come back.

    (2)

  • Sanjay C.

    I've been visiting the Tara Thai in Rio a lot more since I got married. Its conveniently located close to home and close to the theaters. The food is consistent, decently priced, but not the best Thai restaurant in the area. Sabai Sabai in Germantown is my favorite. Watch our YouTube review of Tara Thai here: youtube.com/watch?v=7_Li… The Pad Thai is the wild card every time. Sometimes it rocks, other times, its just OK. I prefer vegetable pad thai with tofu. It always has more flavor than the shrimp pad thai. You typically can't go wrong with the panang curry and I always enjoy it here. Definitely recommended. The Tom Ka Gai soup is good, but have had much better (Sabai Sabai again). For appetizers, I've tasted the Larb Gai, Curry Puff, and Gyoza (chicken dumplings). None of them are excellent, but get the job done if you're starving and in a rush. If you need your Thai fix quick - Tara Thai delivers. If you're in Germantown or have time to drive up there - I highly recommend Sabai Sabai. Watch our review of Tara Thai here: youtube.com/watch?v=7_Li…

    (3)

  • Mr. H.

    BAD service trumps GOOD food. I was promptly seated by the only server that seemed to be on the floor at the time. Keep in mind, this was around 2:30 in the afternoon when the vast majority of Asian restaurants temporarily put their CLOSED signs on the door to save electricity costs for a couple of hours. She showed me to my table without saying a word. And she showed up a couple of minutes later...with both hands full of dirty dishes. And walking backwards past my table. Like Linda Blair doing the spider walk in "The Exorcist". "What you wan' driiink?" she asked. "Ready ordah?" I said I needed a few minutes to look at the menu. The very moment I put my menu down, she was right there. Like Samara from The Ring. So I ordered a Diet Coke and Pad Thai with Shrimp. When I said I wanted my Pad Thai with no eggs, she made a confused face. Had to repeat the special order twice. Fortunately, my Pad Thai came perfectly prepared (sans huevos) literally within 5 minutes. It was delicious! Unfortunately, the "prompt" service ended right there. The server and her friends were sitting down at the table right next to the base of the staircase (that leads upstairs to the restrooms) doing their homework (possibly advanced mathematics) and completely ignoring me. The simple fact that I had to get my overworked ass out of my chair to flag somebody down for a soda refill and to get my check and pay it says something about the standards of service at Tara Thai. This is a very small chain so I expect the owner of said chain to be reading Yelp reviews. We make you and break you. Smiley face! :)

    (1)

  • Bill P.

    Fan of setting and outdoor patio on RIO yes food meh..... Got the basic Kanom Jeeb $6.95 and Siamese beef $9.95 and BOTH came out quickly like warmed up in a microwave......the Kanoms kinda rubbery and served in the soy sauce which most people don't prefer sauce on side much better and the meat well tough let's say. I think this locale which does get crowded due to theatre next door and great setting and interior kinda lacks on food end of things as Tara 8 locations is yes dare I say a chain. Tara has been around for 16 years and this location 10+ but I think the cooking here needs an upgrade. $6.95 drink menu looks appealing :)

    (4)

  • Angela A.

    Okay, I know I might get clubbed over the head for giving Tara Thai five stars from some of you "serious" thai food experts but I really enjoyed my meal here. I had read on here years ago about Tara Thai being a chain Thai food place and "not authentic" but we were in the area and the kids were in the mood for some noodles. We ordered the "heavenly wings" ...yummy, crispy and filled with crab meat...we ordered another. Hubby...The Deep Sea meal...perfect spicy level for him (he doesn't like too spicy). Lots of seafood, delicious sauce, very satisfying. Daughter One...Dumplings...perfectly cooked, nicely seasoned, fresh tasting. Would order again. Daughter Two...Wide rice noodles, with beef, broccoli in a sauce, I think it was called lad na or something, it was number 46. She really enjoyed it. Generous portion. I would have liked it with a bit more spice but hey, she's 10! Son...a bowl of white rice (he's a toddler!) Me....Seafood Fried Rice, yummy, yummy, yummy. Rice nicely cooked, perfect balance of salty, sweet, spicy. A generous helping of seafood that was nicely cooked. Not overdone and chewy. My toes were curling when I ate this. Whoever was in the kitchen was doing it right. Prior to going here I tried some of the more "authentic" Thai places and was never really wowed to the point where I "needed" to go back and was somewhat disappointed in one place that got rave reviews in the paper one year. I have to say that there was nothing about the meal that disappointed so that is why I gave it five stars. We sat by the water but my son who loves fish kept wanting to run inside to check out the underwater decor. I had my leftover rice for breakfast and was just thrilled to go to a Thai restaurant and actually have leftovers. It was good and I look forward to going back. I really hope the food is still good and who ever was on duty last night, will be on duty when I go back. Sorry to all of the Thai food experts out there. This novice will be spending her money at Tara Thai when the cravings come and hopefully continuing to enjoy every bite!!! I will update when I go back again.

    (5)

  • Theresa J.

    I have mixed feeling about this place. the first time I ate here, they had exceptional service & the food was amazing; however, I went back with a few friends and we all left very disappointed - poor service, and the Pad Thai did not taste anything like a pad Thai (& I was the one who recommended the restaurant). I do not think that I can recommend this place to friends anymore.

    (2)

  • Rom C.

    Don't set the bar too high for this Pan-Thai restaurant; I never do and thus, I'm never disappointed :) I was only forced into here because we had to use the restroom and this one was the closest from the theater's exit. Since I was already using their facilities, I felt compelled to show them my patronage... Their curries cater to the american palettes; and to get an authentic thai kick, you will have to ask for the undocumented "4 Thai spicy" (it only goes up to 3 peppers in the menu) This time go round- I tried the whole flounder and as just as Nicolas Cage blew in the Season of the Witch, this was not the season of the flounder; I'm still in shock of the $40 price tag of this bland tasting morsel. (4/19) The chilli sauce was not even that aromatic (or pungent for those not used to strong asian scents) The compliment the fish, I also ordered the seafood fried rice and there were no surprises there; your average fried rice with scallops, mussels and shrimp. The rice was more stickey and sweet than originally expected.

    (2)

  • Parul M.

    By far the worse Thai food experience I have ever had. I don't know how they stay in business here?! I came here with my family to use a restaurant.com coupon we had. And boy, we wish we never came. Service: Horrible. The kitchen supposedly closed during our visit. And they were out of "desserts." They also started vacuuming in front of us. Seriously?? Drinks: My sisters ordered two drinks an they came out extremely weak. I don't even drink and tried both of them. They tasted like juice. No joke. Food: Below mediocre. The Kee Mao- Drunken noodles were soggy. I don't know how they messed up this dish but it did not taste good. The pad Thai was plain. Nothing special about it. The typhoon soup was pointless as it didn't have that much taste besides lemongrass. The only decent food here were the egg rolls. We will never be returning.

    (1)

  • Madhu S.

    This is a great restaurant on the waterfront. they have out door seating and its a great option for summer. They are accommodating for large groups and kids so we had a winner. The lychee and mango martinis are good. their pad thai, massaman curry, green and red curries are good and have great options for vegetarians too. skip the dessert and walk over to cold stone around the bend you wont regret it. Overall sold. will go back there if am around.

    (4)

  • Christine E.

    The yellow chicken curry had just the right spice. However, the sauce wasn't as creamy as I would've preferred. This is my favorite dish, so I have pretty high standards for getting it the way I like it! Hubby ordered two soups - the Tom Ka Gai (chick in coconut milk with lemongrass...my other favorite which I'll eventually have to try) and the Tom Klong Goong (black tiger shrimps, shiitake mushrooms and onions in broth). He enjoyed them both and they did wonders for his cold! The staff person who took my order over the phone was very friendly and threw in some extra sticky rice since they had no mango for the mango and sticky rice dessert. Can't beat that! Very thankful that while the menu uses the traditional names for the dishes, the descriptions for each are clear and easy to understand. Could be intimidating at first. I was a bit thrown off when I came in to pick up the food. The interior looks like King Triton's castle and I had "Under the Sea" playing in my head. Hmm...interesting motif for a Thai restaurant. The bar area looked cute though and am curious to check it out during the next happy hour. Good chance I'll be back and experience dining in, and try other dishes. Update on the way...

    (3)

  • Jim L.

    I come here often whether it's with friends or with coworkers since we work in the Rio Complex. There is never a wait for lunch. Service is swift and pleasant. The waitstaff is prompt and courteous. This location has a nice covered patio outside and with the fall coming, is defintely a nice place to eat looking out at the busy sidewalk and lake. I am a creature of habit and often get the "Pad See Ew - with pork". I've had it with chicken and beef before, but they tend to be a tad bit dry. The decor is the same as with the rest of the Tara Thai restaurants. (They must have paid the same person to decorate all of them!) The bar is a small one and not really a place to sit for srinks as all of the Tara Thai's are basically for eating, not for hanging out and drinking..... Good chow for the $$$!

    (4)

  • Shenia J.

    This restaurant came highly recommended so I was expecting a great experience. It was horrible from beginning to end. The hostesses did not want to be bothered and were indifferent. We were meeting another party. They started off sitting outside but we decided to change to an inside seat because it was getting dark and the temperature was dropping. We had a party of 6 including a small child and a baby. When we went to move inside we were going to take the high chair with us. We were quickly admonished by the manager in a condescending tone. She said, "You don't need to do that, wait on me and I will figure it out for you." We ignored that and I went to wash my hands before going to the seat. There is a bathroom upstairs and downstairs. The one downstairs is a single handicapped bathroom located in a treacherous spot just below the final bend in the winding stairs. It was not clean. The door of the bathroom is in the path of the kitchen. There is a men's and lady's room up a winding set of stairs. There were only 2 stalls in the lady's room. They might as well have not had doors because you could see through a gap in the door wide enough to put your arm through. The bathroom overall was a bit small for a restaurant of that size and it needed updating. Once we sat down, we had a problem with making any special orders or asking questions about menu items. We eventually figured out that the waitress was having a problem understanding us because her English was not that good. So, we had to keep asking several times for certain items, i.e. rice on the side for the child, apple juice, steamed dumplings instead of fried dumplings. She brought us the wrong checks at the end of our meal. We kept having to order water, we asked for 4 waters in the beginning. We never, got all four. It was a good thing that we had ordered tea or we would have been parched. The hostesses were apparently annoyed by our presence because the female hostess kept coming and peeping into the booth where we were sitting. That didn't make a whole lot of sense. At anyrate, we ordered the chicken pad thai. Although, the portion size was large, it tasted aweful. We barely ate any and we didn't take any home. How can you mess up pad thai? Among our party of 6, we had an experienced server. She was livid. I can say that the appetizers were good. The dumplings (fried or steamed) and the spring rolls were delicious. That's it. There are too many thai restaurants in this area for this one not to be better. It's too bad because Tara Thai is in a great location at the Rio and a stones throw from the Loews movie theatre. I will not be back.

    (2)

  • Sjoerd C.

    Quite a nice Thai. The duck was very good. Found the choice little limited compared to other Thai I visited in the world.

    (4)

  • D K.

    Based just on the food, I'd give Tara Thai a higher rating, but the cavity-making sweet Thai Iced Tea forced me to bring the rating down a star. I love Thai Iced Tea, and I get disappointed when a place messes up the drink... especially a THAI restaurant. However, the food was decent. I got the Pad Thai, which I had no complaints about. My boyfriend got a curry, which was spicy and flavorful. Good as leftovers. :) Pricing is fair, and the atmosphere is clean and casual. I'm sure there are more authentic Thai restaurants, but I accept Tara Thai and acknowledge it as a pseudo-Thai restaurant.

    (3)

  • Benson Y.

    It's really fun to go out with a large group to a new restaurant when yo're a Yelper. If they're into ordering piles of appetizers, you get to taste quite a few different things and that is the chance I had the other day during a recent business trip. Tara Thai is part of a chain that uses a sea decor including paintings of sea life on the walls and even a mannequin dressed as a diver hanging off the ceiling. I found the whole thing amusing and quite dramatic. This locaiton is in the same building as three other restaurants and a movie thater, making it super convenient. outside the building are various shops including clothing stores and a muffin shop. My group was seated quickly and our initial drinks came quickly. Here is a breakdown of the appetizers I tasted: Larb Gai: Minced chicken with red onion, scallions, cilantro and spices - this dish was fantastic. It had a wonderful aromatic flavor but a bite from the spices that totally rocked the taste buds. Spring rolls - No better or worse than spring rolls I've had in New York City Thai places. It was tasty and crunchy but nothing surprising. Chicken Satay - Perfectly grilled chicken on a stick with a wonderfully sweet peanut sauce that had a good, thick consistancy. This included diced cucmbers in a sweet sauce. Pan fried dumplings - Nice and meaty with a wonderful browning on the flat part of the dumpling, these were a delight. For my entree, I ordered the spicy eggplant. This dish often goes to extremes. It is either way too spicy (to the point where you can't taste the eggplant) to just being so dull you're wondering if you're eating styrofoam. Tara Thai managed to make it perfectly. The eggplant had bite to it and wasn't totally mush. The seranno peppers gave it just the right amount of spice without being overwhelming and the black bean/garlic flavors were wonderful. One odd point, two of us at the table asked for brown rice and they just don't serve it. This was surprising to me, but perhaps I'm spoiled from eating in New York City so often. This is really a 3.5 star review that I'm rounding up, but it would be a solid 4 if they had brown rice. Good food, a convenient location and friendly service make Tara Thai a good place to check out in the area!

    (4)

  • Eric J.

    Great pataya noodles! They do it right! The one in Falls Church, VA is still my favorite.

    (3)

  • Cliff M.

    I came here on a Wednesday night with a friend of mine for dinner. The place was very busy and unfortunately it showed. We got seated in a few minutes. Then unfortunately we waited probably 15 minutes for someone to take our drink order. Naturally we ordered food at the same time. It took a while to come out too. The food itself was not bad. I had yellow curry with prawns which were pretty tasty. My friend had green curry and enjoyed it too. The portions actually were pretty generous: I barely cleaned my plate and she had plenty to take home. The decor is cute, kind of an underwater theme. I don't think the place is bad but I was surprised about the speed of service for a Wednesday. If the service was faster I would give the place three stars.

    (2)

  • Sanjay A.

    Having the Keep Mao Goong-Gai. Maybe because I was dining alone on a busy night, but I had a hard time getting the server's attention. Finished now. It was spicy and flavorful, nice burn still tingling, but not outstanding. It was also a bit cold. Probably the service again.

    (3)

  • Charles W.

    The saying is true...some of the best kept secrets are right around the corner. I am ashamed to say that I have lived close to the Rio for nearly 4 years and have not had the pleasure of experiencing this place until last night. First, of all I was impressed with the Num Tok appetizer! The portion was enough for 2 to share and if they put 2 or 3 chili peppers by the choice...believe them! My mouth was on F-I-R-E!!! But, I like spicy food so it was good. Not to mention the waiter warned me by asking "do you like spicy food" so that was a plus that they won't just surprise you. The entree was excellent as well. My recommendation is the Tiger Prawn garnished with crab meat and chicken (Goong Phuket)....oh so delicious!! The drinks were average..but hey..who goes to a Thai spot for the drinks. I will definitely be coming back for more! I would say this is a good restaurant for a average night on the town. Not too fancy and not "fast food". They are probably due for an upgrade in the decorations in the dining area but other than than it is a quaint spot.

    (4)

  • Rachel H.

    Been to Tara Thai several times and I've never been disappointed. I've taken people to Tara Thai and it's become their to go spot for Thai food. The portions are huge and the prices are very reasonable. I've gotten noodles, rice, and it's always so tasty. I'm giving it a 4 star because of customer service. Some of the servers barely speak English which makes it hard to communicate. but other than that, everything else is great.

    (4)

  • Saurabh K.

    For vegetarian - fried tofu and fried rice are good option. Quantity size also good serving

    (3)

  • Shashi B.

    Always friendly service and even though I have seen the staff change the spirit remains the same. Had a great red curry chicken and a appetizer of larb gai with singha beer. definitely recommend it and in the summer when they open the patio its great to sit there and watch the lake.

    (4)

  • John And Mindy S.

    This is conveniently located next to the Rio movie theater. The food is very good here and the drinks are good. I recommend trying some of the appetizers. the heavenly drum sticks are very good. Also the typhoon soup is amazing. Its spicy and has a lot of seafood in it.

    (4)

  • Chris H.

    Great food, good service, nice atmosphere. Pretty laid back environment. Good for a nice, quiet relaxing meal with some friends, chilling back with a drink, taking the nice weather in. Nothing bad to say.

    (4)

  • Keo D.

    I've always loved coming here because of the Pad See Eaw. Love the ambiance and their drinks menu, perfect for drinks with a group of friends. Love their curry puff in their appetizer menu. The waiters are usually attentive and very nice.

    (4)

  • Jennifer T.

    It's been awhile since I've been to the Tara Thai in Gaithersburg and went with a few friends this past weekend. We were really disappointed in the way the Kee Mao (drunken noodles) came out. They were clumpy and dry, like old noodles were used, and the sauce used to be ... well, saucy, but this time it was watery, flavorless, and not spicy at all. The rest of the food was pretty decent.

    (3)

  • Alex S.

    This Thai restaurant is decent. The interior is done to give you the impression that you're underwater--blueish-green lighting and paint, tables with coral reef decorations on them, hanging fish and scuba diver. Very trendy. The seating areas are very clean, but when you step into the bathroom, it's another world. There are paper towels littered everywhere, the floor is gunky/sticky, the sink is dirty... oh well. The waiters/waitresses there are usually attentive to your needs...although, when it gets a little busy, you may have to wait many minutes before being able to grab your waiter/waitress (or another waiter/waitress) to refill your drinks or ask for your check. The several times I've been here, the food was pretty good. We usually ordered Pad Thai (chicken), Kapow (beef), Deep Sea, and Seafood Fried Rice. We've also switched the Pad Thai with Pad See Eaw (chicken). The Pad Thai is a dish made up of thin rice noodles stir-fried with your choice of chicken or shrimp, bean curd, crushed peanuts, bean sprouts, scallions, carrot, and egg. Whenever I've ordered Pad Thai, it always tastes delicious...no complaints here. The Kapow (beef) is meat sautéed with chili, garlic sauce, and fresh basil leaves. It is VERY spicy (labeled as 3 peppers on the menu) so we always have to ask them to decrease the spiciness to 1 or 2 peppers. The beef is sometimes tender, but is usually chewy...this doesn't fit my taste so I usually don't eat much of it. The Deep Sea is a dish that has shrimp, scallops, squid, and mussels stir-fried with celery, onions, scallions and egg in a curry sauce. This is one of my favorite dishes because of all the seafood and the curry, both of which are very delicious! Sometimes, the curry can get a bit spicy, so make sure you have enough rice, water, or tea to cleanse your palate. I would highly recommend this if you are able to eat seafood or you're okay with eating curry. The Seafood Fried Rice is a mix of seafood stir-fried with rice, basil, and fresh chili. This dish is just like those fried rice dishes at your local Chinese restaurant, but a bit thicker and heavier. I try not to eat too much of the rice portion because I always end up feeling bloated... but the seafood that's in it is very good (mussel, scallop, etc). And now, the Pad See Eaw is a dish containing your choice of meat (chicken, beef, pork, seafood) stir-fried with wide rice noodles, egg, broccoli, and Thai sweet soy sauce. I've recently become a huge fan of wide rice noodles and I think this dish is excellent. For me, this dish is neither too heavy nor too light. The blend of spices is usually very good. Again this is a very decent Thai restaurant. If you are nearby, you should definitely try this place out.

    (4)

  • Sue G.

    This was one of the best meals i've had in a while. My 9 year old daughter and i went there for dinner last night (Sunday). The food was very good. The service was very good and the portion sizes were big. My daughter said we feasted. We had tons left over to bring home. We went because of a Certifikid coupon. Can't wait to go back, coupon or not.

    (5)

  • Jason C.

    While I was visiting DC, I was meeting up with old friends from Ann Arbor, MI. We met up at Tara Thai. I guess they come here when visitors are in town :) The place is located in a building with the Movie Theater on the ground floor. There's two parking lot... left and right side of the theater. Park on the left side, as it'll save you lot of walking time! The color inside is 'BLUE'... yes, I think they were going with the water theme! I met up with friends, who were already there. We ended up ordering four dishes and the plate that I was pleased was their Pad Thai - which I'm not really a fan of. We had this wide noodle and squid dish... it was good, but the fish sauce overwhelmed the food (a.k.a - too fishy), you could smell it next table over! The beef dish we had, it was okay... not the best.. it was more like a Chinese dish than a Thai dish. We also had a red curry with chicken and it was okay as well. I love Thai food, but I wasn't really impressed with the food. Maybe it was the food I had? I don't know... I'm willing to try it again if I'm back in DC and able to visit.. but was not moved by the first visit. Service was okay, it could have been better... and it wasn't that busy. However, if you are in the area, give it a try and judge it for yourself.

    (3)

  • Desmond H.

    Nice view, poor service. CLEANLINESS: 3/5 SERVICE: 1/5 FOOD: 1/5 + Heavenly Wings + Pad Thai with Chicken + Mojito I was excited to get some Thai food after a long day. The location is nice because it's right by the water and the weather was perfect. However, the service was terrible. We waited a good 15 minutes and had to flag a waiter down to get our orders in. After that, the appetizer came first. Then we had to wait over 20 minutes before our main dishes came. The tables who sat down after us even got all of their dishes first before we had to ask about our orders. Once our food came, I wasn't very impressed. For the appetizer, we got the heavenly wings. There wasn't that much meat and the skin was hard. The crab had an overwhelming smell. I would not order this again. My pad thai was just as bad. The noodles were really stiff and dry. Chicken was okay, but very scarce in portions. As for the mojito, it was good. The prices weren't bad, but the service and food was terrible.

    (1)

  • Amani A.

    Don't understand why or how this place even has more than one location. It's the worst Thai food I have ever ate.. The service is good and the ambiance is also nice maybe that's why.

    (2)

  • Liam S.

    Came in just after a splendid time at the movies, right about dinner time. The service was meager but they seemed in a rush so its whatever, Ordered the Typhoon Soup and Yum Talay. (I've got a passion for seafood.) Upon ordering the Yum Talay i requested it "Extra Spicy". It was not any more spicy than the regular version my mother ordered. On-top of that, i had to pick out a few mussels that were under-cooked, This does not make me happy, apart from those tidbits the place is just like the other Tara Thais.

    (3)

  • Linda L.

    The best thing that this place has going for it is its location. It will probably continue to do good business because of location alone. I'll begin with the decor, because in all it's tacky glory, it was actually a welcome distraction from the food. The menu has a special section that calls out the "under water themed art" as if it were some meticulously curated collection designed to enhance your dining experience. There is such a thing as kitsch, and I even have some appreciation for it, but kitsch is easy to take too far. The giant yellow fish printed on the table, the golden waves adorning the booths, and the scuba diver mannequin hanging from the ceiling was all a bit much. My most accurate description of the food would be "edible". Doesn't get the distinction of worst Thai food I've ever eaten, but definitely nowhere close to most delicious or authentic. If only the food preparation showed the same enthusiasm as the decor - I would certainly have preferred more assertive seasoning, and less assertive decorating. I grew up in the area, I have love for MoCo, but Tara Thai, you give the suburbs a bad name!

    (2)

  • Emily N.

    Okay.. Let's just set up a scene here Back in the day, my family and i always went here for GREAT thai food. Until that is, it started going down the drain. Things here used to be really good. Things were cooked with tons of flavor and you could actually taste the Thai in things. Now? It's honestly a poor excuse for Thai food. It's really Americanized which i guess it's good for people that aren't really open for the authentic food. And the funny thing about Tara Thai now is that at the Asian Fest this year, they didn't even have a line at their booth. Goes to show that the real thing is better. Try Benjarong or Nava Thai if you want some real Thai food.

    (2)

  • Kat F.

    I've come here a few times, mostly with friends. The last time I came here was somewhat disappointing though. The first thing was that there was a dead bug in my menu. X_X ughhhhh.....unappetizing. We were in a group of six. Four of us ordered the Thai Tea, which was really good. We decided to dine family style. So we ordered a Green Curry dish (more spicy), a Penang Curry dish (less spicy), Pad See Ew (pork), Kee Mao, and Fried Rice Combo. I didn't try the Green Curry because it's too spicy for me (I know, I know, I'm pretty weak), but my friends seem to have liked it a lot. The Penang Curry was good, but not the best I've ever had. (That title goes to the Thai House, hands down). When the Pad See Ew came out, we could immediately tell that it had been cooked and sitting out for awhile. The pork and the edges of the top layer of the noodles looked hard. The Kee Mao was spicy too, but I did try one piece of chicken (and died a little). Aside from the spicy death in my mouth, the flavors were pretty good and the chicken wasn't dry. The rice was great!! The meat was tender and had a good balance of flavoring...and it wasn't spicy. :) I've previously sat outside, and it's such a nice large area. It's shaded, so the sun won't beam down on you when you eat. The outdoor seating is right on the boardwalk and overlooks the water. Also on weekends, there are sometimes live performances on the boardwalk just outside the seating area, which gives a great relaxing atmosphere.

    (3)

  • A K.

    Went to boardwalk and went to this thai place thinking it will be good and didnt check the yelp reviews this time and looks like made a mistake. Sitting is ample and you can sit outside watching the small lake or inside ...ambience is good i wish the food was also like that. We ordered satay and fried tofu for appetizers..they were ok nothing great. For the entrée we ordered veg/chicken fried rice; pad thai veg; green curry veg. Out of all the veg dishes take the marks the chicken fried rice was the worst i have eaten yet...so please dont order it. I will recommend the veg / nveg pad thai as they were good. In all if you want to skip this place trust me you didnt miss anything. Enjoy.

    (2)

  • Eva O.

    This place screams "first date" with the seats right by the water and movie theater around the corner. And obviously not bursting with authenticity if the first thing you see is a scuba diver hanging off the ceiling. But I'm not judging on that, cause they definitely go for the hip, commercial Thai food thing and it totally works. Call me kiddie, but I was diggin' Scuba Sam and the under the sea theme. Drinks were reasonably priced so I got a Thai iced tea and a Singha. The seafood tom yum was a whole lot of pretty though. It was missing that bold kick, both in spice and flavor. The chicken pad thai seemed pretty solid. Food in general was not remarkable...it's really just the cool blue ambiance that does it.

    (3)

  • Lauren H.

    I work near here so alot of people from my office come here for lunch and they say its pretty good. Sooo, I decided to try it out and where better to get spicy soup than a Thai place? I am getting a cold and I crave spicy soup when I am sick so I got the lunch size Tom Klong Goong. The portion was a bit small if you are going to eat only the soup but the shrimp and shitakes were very fresh. It had a little kick but initially it is very sweet. It tastes like they poured a ton of sugar into it. That being said, I would order it again. Everything else about it was balanced. I will go back another day when I am not sick and actually order an entree and update my review.

    (3)

  • KanKan Y.

    3.5 stars (I am rounding up for this one) This is one of those definite lunch places for me out of the Rio shopping complex. The food is great especially paired with a glass of Thai Iced Tea (don't order it without the ice unless you want to coat your teeth with sugar conconcentrate). The view is nice for the outdoor seating and the service is super friendly. If you're in a hurry, let them know so they don't leave you alone for long periods of time - they tend to do this alot. You get a view of the ducks and the paddle boaters in the summer during the day. It's quite relaxing. In the evenings (during the summer days) they have shows outside so it can be quite loud...but you get a decent seat to the bands if that's what you're going for. I really like the Chicken Pad Thai and the Drunken Noodle (Kee Mao). These are staple thai dishes and they prepare them well. The portions are also quite big here. I don't think the food here is that spicy but my spicy radar is skewed since I have a high tolerance for thai spicy. However, I have seen from my friends that 2 chili peppers is pretty spicy. Anything more may make a grown man cry~ Hopefully this review has been helpful. See ya out there~

    (4)

  • Craig U.

    Thai is my favorite and this place delivers consistently. yes it is a chain, but they produce fresh, tasty dishes to please just about anyone. ive been to this location about 5 times in the last 6 months and have yet to have an unpleasant meal. there is a patio which seems to get a bit crowded on weekend nights...understandable, its nice out there. there are bands that play really close to the patio sometimes, which make it really loud to the point where you are yelling to carry a conversation. other that, no complaints about the seating. the food -- ive tried a ton of items on the menu...and here are my faves: apps -- larb gai (spicy, but awesome flavor), nua sawan (dried beef has great flavor and not too filling) entrees -- kapow, green curry is so good. i get the green curry beef almost every time now...so spicy, but so worth it. i recommend the kapow to people just trying thai for the first time. this place is awesome for thai virgins.

    (4)

  • Nathan Y.

    Cashew chicken was hot and tasty. The sauce was a little thin

    (3)

  • Miki H.

    While I liked their service, I was not impressed with their food. I ordered Lad Na with vegetables. It was so mediocre and lame. Too much sauce and unimprssive texture of noodle. in terms of decoration, I felt strange going into an aquarium like setting when outside temperature was in 50s. I guess I would appreciate it during summer. Overall, it was a disappointment. I need to find better place to eat. I like the location after all.

    (2)

  • Cecilia J.

    This place is awesome if you love spicy food. The service is great and the food even better. Great prices and nice view of the lake in Rio Center.

    (5)

  • Corey I.

    This restaurant is pretty good. The appetizers are tasty & the seafood dishes are fresh & generally very tasty. My favorite dish here is the Mussels with Basil, which tends to be very spicy, so if you try it, you'd best keep a glass of water nearby. :) My squeeze likes the Chicken in Peanut Sauce & the Drunken Noodles, but of course. (See the previous review for an explanation. :) ) And if you aren't as adventurous, their Pad Thai, as well as other versions with the word "Pad" in front of it ;), are pretty darned good. I haven't tried many of their desserts, only the coconut ice cream, which isn't bad, although I've had better elsewhere. As I've made reference to in an earlier review, their service is monumentally slow. So don't go to this restaurant if you're in a hurry to get anywhere afterwards. For that reason, it's probably not ideal for a weekday lunch, unless you happen to be there for a lunch meeting with the boss. :-D If you only have an hour lunch break, which is pretty standard for most workplaces, don't expect to get back to work on time. :) The same goes for if you are planning to catch a movie beforehand; best to go AFTER the movie. :-D All in all, this place is decent. I'd definitely go back there, albeit not when I'm in a rush. :)

    (3)

  • Morgen C.

    I am so disappointed in my second and last visit to Tara Thai. We went on Friday night and it was not crowded at all. It took 10 minutes for the waitress to come take our drink order, when all she was doing was standing at the front desk talking to the other waitresses. We ordered the mussels as an appetizer. They were inedible; smelled horrible and were rubbery-definitely not fresh. The waitress didn't speak english so trying to explain to her that we couldn't eat the mussels was pointless, we just gave up and called it a lose. I ordered the whole crispy tuna, which at $40 you would think would come with a side or salad or something. No, just the fish. Which was just ok, nothing special. The best part was the hot chili sauce on the side. It should of been more like $20. My boyfriend got the duck. It was dry and cold. We were left disappointed and hungry. So after spending $85.00 there on food and a couple of drinks, on one of our rare nights out, we walked over to Uncle Julio's for a couple more drinks and an appetizer, which is where we should of just gone in the first place. So very disappointed...will never go back.

    (1)

  • Esther O.

    Tara Thai is a good solid place, the kind of place I would usually give 3 stars. However, I have to give them another star for consistency - always good food, always good service. I go here frequently, and always leave happy. Plus they have an outdoor patio by the lake, so what could be better! :-) My go to favorite is the Pad See Eaw, and I ask for tofu and veggies instead of any of the meats. Pad Thai is ok. Yesterday I ordered Rama Tofu for the first time after eying it for ages, and it was YUM. And served beautifully, with broccoli arranged in a pretty green circle around the outside of the dish, fried onions sprinkled on top, and fresh perfectly cooked bright green watercress hiding under the tofu.

    (4)

  • Magda B.

    They deliver! I am ecstatic a thai place delivers now :)

    (4)

  • Bella S.

    I have eaten at several Tara Thai restaurants in the MD/DC/VA area and they are just not very good. My husband's panang had way too much lemongrass and basil, very unpleasant. My pad thai was oddly musky and obviously not fresh Go to Thai Tanium and get the chicken w/ cashews extra spicy. Or any of their curries.

    (2)

  • Jennie C.

    The service was exceptional -- no sooner after my party ordered, we got our plates ASAP. Granted, it was a slow night...the food was good. I really like the fact that they have peanuts on the side for their pad thai, and the pad see you was delicious. And they always can customize the spicyness which is great for my habanero-lovin' friend. Strong drinks too, which is a plus. The decor was a little tacky in my opinion, but I think if you can pass the scuba suit and mermaid-esque drawings, you'll be fine.

    (4)

  • Elaine W.

    This is a cool and trendy place from the entrance to the blue-ish bar to the seating. It's ultra modern -- how does the food & service rate? Tasty food if you are up for Pad Thai or any of their food items & combinations. You have an option to tone down the spicyness. Customer Service is not stellar. You may be lucky to get a nice wait staff but I didn't. My waitress was pushy & aggressive & actually paid little attention to me and my friend. Bit of a snooty hoot!! If I want to go again, I think I would go back to Neisha Thai at Tyson's Corner, VA. Excellent service & food is mmmm!!!

    (3)

  • Eunice K.

    I would give this place 4 stars, but their service is very... slow and dysfunctional most of the times. The food itself is pretty decent, I guess. I always eat either the Pad Thai or Pad See Eaw (I might have spelled that wrong). But when I'm in a restaurant, I expect good service. Not too long ago, we had this waiter who, (1) did not bring us water. he forgot. (2) didn't bring us the little plates. (3) never came to check up on us except when asking if we wanted the check. Hah! The location of the restaurant is good though, in RIO in front of the theaters. So, yeah, don't expect a good service, you will be disappointed.

    (3)

  • Evan S.

    I've eaten at this Tara Thai countless times. At least two dozen visits, and probably well more than that. It is the regular Thai restaurant for my wife and I. I've eaten virtually every dish they offer, from appetizer to entree to dessert. It's all top-notch, with spicy, vivid flavors, a lot of variety, and no dumbing-down of any dish. I would especially recommend to adventurous eaters the excellent Kee Mao, the Kapow, and the top-notch Larb and Num Tok. Excellent, attentive service every time. Great atmosphere. Great location, right by the movie theater in the Rio center. This place really gets everything right.

    (5)

  • Tom K.

    Great service and consistently good food. Rama tofu is a winner for vegetarians and carnivores alike! Spring rolls excellent. Need to replace tired carpeting.

    (4)

  • Mark B.

    Green curry shrimp and a Singha beer. Nice outdoor seating - good place to be on a warm summer evening. Nice amount of veggies and shrimp. Would have liked a tad more chilli pepper in the sauce.

    (3)

  • K K.

    Love this place!! There has never been a wait even during peak hours. The ambience is good and the food is great. They have a lot of vegetarian options. By far the best thai food I have eaten.

    (4)

  • Gerri S.

    I had a sixth sense I was going to have Thai food that day and not even due to my uber control freak tendencies for once. My companion suggested a dinner and movie night and Tara Thai is conveniently adjacent to the Loews movie theater with a view of the lake. So perfect what could go wrong with the promise of Thai iced tea in the near future? WRONG! This place is full of the easily beguiled. Cheesy over-the-top decor can be overlooked, a menu missing some Thai staples shows poor judgment but when we settled for our items and found them so bland that they were inedible that is unforgivable! Tara Thai is great Thai food if you think Olive garden is great Italian food or Red Lobster is spectacular seafood in which case you, my friend, are a moron. Get some self-respect and take your time and money elsewhere.

    (1)

  • Nicole L.

    I love this Tara thai- the food is always delicious and made really spicy upon my request. I like a lot of dishes there including the fish cake, the cellophane noodle salad, spring rolls, panang curry, green curry, pad see ew etc. Service is usually very good. They even split checks for you if you asked. Love the outdoor heated sitting and in the summer a nice view of the lake!

    (4)

  • Meg S.

    On the Tara Thai Continuum, I'd place this right in the middle...Rockville Pike is a bit groovier with the ambiance, and the Bethesda Row one is probably an eensy bit more delicious, but Gaithersburg serves up the dishes consistently each time, keeps the iced tea and coffee flowing, and piles the plate high with noodles and mussels and shrimp. I love this place. I want to lick the plate AND the chef after every meal. Rock on, Tara Thai!

    (5)

  • Ryan t.

    When I checked into the nearby Marriott, I was impressed with the amount of development around the area, but the flip side is that in those cases where shopping exists, you end up with mall fare or worse. Needless to say, I was drawn to Tara Thai as it allowed me to stay close to my hotel and avoid eating Macaroni Grille or California Pizza Kitchen. When in DC, why eat some place I can eat in Omaha? The food was incredibly consistent. I went with a group of 8 people, and everyone shared bites of their entrees. Everything was good, and Tara Thai managed to convert one of our party who was a Thai agnostic to born again. The only negative is that they claimed Kirin Ichiban on tap, but their draft beers were all dry. So, I drank two Singha and got over it.

    (4)

  • Sarah D.

    The BEST pad thai in the area! Come here for your pad thai fix! The WORST panang in the area! Go to Benjarong or Thai Pavilion for panang. Only giving this place 4 stars because the place only excels with noodle dishes and the service is not always reliable. Sometimes the service is great, but sometimes its not.

    (4)

  • Anthony B.

    I give this iteration a slight nod over other locations because its near a movie theater and its under the sea theme. Pretty cool. Good food, reasonable prices, good service. I don't downgrade restaurants because "authentic, Thai spicy Thai" or authentic whatever isn't prominently displayed on the menu with 4 stars by it. It is what it is. If you want authentic Thai, you probably already know where to find it or can find it easier than going here, so why complain?

    (4)

  • Alan G.

    The pad Thai is outstanding consistently as are the soft shells. Great modern atmosphere and nice setting on the lake at Rio

    (4)

  • Alisha T.

    I'm only giving 3 stars because, although I love the food. Sometimes the service is a little shabby. And by shabby, I mean scatterbrained. Nonetheless, the food is great, and the pricing isn't too bad either. I'd definitely go back... again.

    (3)

  • Brian C.

    Gaithersburg is not exactly a mecca of great food and certainly not anything too risque or out of the norm. So it's great to find a solid Thai place right in the middle of Rio. Now I'm not saying this place was a magical delight, but ya know it was decent and can certainly get the job done when your in the mood for Americanized Thai. Service was only ok tho, so be careful. The waitress seemed to get really confused and was quite slow on the drinks.

    (3)

  • Vladimir K.

    Came here for lunch with my girlfriend we ordered seafood appetizer(Yum Talay), drunken noodles(Pad See Eaw), and beef and green beans dish(Pad Pik King). The appetizer was awful the shrimp in it were mushy and off tasting, a clear sign that it was not fresh; muscles in the dish were dead when cooked I could tell by the fact that they were not open. We asked for drunken noodles to be prepared not spicy, but the dish was so hot that we were not able to eat it! Our waitress checked on us one time throughout the whole meal, which was right after she dropped off our appetizer and drinks. I could see her serving other tables which were outside on the patio. I don't think it entirely her fault as the restaurant was severely understaffed only 3 servers for the whole place. We got tired of waiting for our server to ask for our check and asked the person who sat us at our table to get either manager or our server. It just happened to be the manager. When she asked us what we needed we explained to her that the food with exception of Pad Pik King was indelible. Immediately after that 'managers' demeanor changed I could instantly tell that she got mad at us for complaining. She snatched the card from my girlfriends hand and said she would ring up the transaction, she didn't even give our receipt for us to see the total. She ended up taking off drunken noodles from our bill, but still charged us for the appetizer. When we asked about the appetizer taken off she acknowledged that the server mentioned to her that we complained about it yet it was still on our bill. Overall really bad dining experience. I wish yelp had a system to allow leaving comments without giving stars, because after customer service that we received even one star seems like too high of a rating!

    (1)

  • Claudya H.

    I am very disappointed with this restaurant. I took my family to experience Thai food for the first time, and this place gave them a very bad impression. Our waitress was unpleasant, rude, and had a very sour face. My favorite dishes were prepared horribly here, from the coconut milk soup to the Pad Thai and Panang curry chicken. I will NEVER eat here again!!

    (1)

  • Maggie N.

    I was disappointed with this the service and the food of this place. First off, when you enter the restaurant, the smell hits you. I think it's cuz of all the fish sauce they use. They add fish sauce to their vegetarian plates so be sure to tell not to add it. I requested that garlic and onions not be added to my meal along with no fish sauce. The waitress wrote it down but when she brought my food out, there was fried garlic on top (or so I thought). She came back to tell me that it wasn't garlic so it was ok since it was onions. I told her I also asked for no onions which prompted her to look at her notes. Doh! There it is! No garlic and no onions. She apologized and offered to bring me a different plate. I refused since I didn't want to waste food and I don't want to take any chances, if you know what I mean. I won't visit this place again if I'm ever in the neighborhood. The dish was okay. It was a little sweet.

    (2)

  • Jen L.

    A solid chain of Thai restaurant that I can depend on for my Pad Thai fix. I have since discovered Thai Pavillion, which makes the Pad Thai slightly more moist and more sauced (the way I like it), but Tara Thai still makes Pad Thai better than almost all of the other Thai restaurants in the area. I am not Thai, so I do not know how authentic this chain. I doubt it's authentic Thai food, but I really don't care. I like their food and that's all that matters to me. The ambiance has a modern cool vibe, which seems to be the trend for Thai restaurants.

    (4)

  • Morris S.

    The food is probably a 3.5; the service a 2. I was surprised that the food was pretty much on the quality level of their Bethesda spot. Not a bad alternative to the Guapo's next door if they are packed.

    (3)

  • Lisa P.

    Huge fan of the Kapow Chicken!

    (4)

  • Chris B.

    Tara Thai has the trifecta going for it. 1. Great location - parking can be busy on a weekend, but once you have a spot your set for the night. You can sit outside and look at the lake, watch people and listen to live music; all at the same time. 2. Great service - attentive wait staff who really know how to serve. Order the whole crispy flounder (I recommend the chili sauce) and your server will expertly remove all the bones for you. 3. Great food - order anything and it will be great. I already mentioned the whole crispy flounder which is nice and crunchy on the outside, but moist and fluffy on the inside. The sauce is mildly spicy, but you can tweak it with the spice tray if you like it hotter. The Nua Sawan appetizer is great, it's like Thai beef jerky but better. Kapow is awesome, and of you get it Thai hot you better be a Thai national. I could go on about almost any of their dishes, but you get the point...everything on the menu Rocks!

    (5)

  • John S.

    Really good thai food at this location. They have many other locations. If you like it hot, ask for more heat. The setting is great. The underwater theme is common for all the restaurants. In the summer, they open up, the dining room to the lake.

    (4)

  • Derryk A.

    It's like going under water and I feel like swimming. Like any theme restaurant it's all about the gimmicks and not the food. For real Thai go to Benjarong or Pana Thai they keep it real. But for that under the sea feel or if you are not accustom to real Thai cuisine then this should suite you just fine. To fiancee and myself it's a bit of a wimpy sellout flavor wise. Until one time we were there and I requested to the waitress(the one with the friendly smile) that I wanted it fix real Thai the way she would eat it and don't hold back after chatting with her she soon understood that we could handle the heat so SPICE US UP. And they actually did much to my surprise. What a difference, they should do this with all of their food. It went from mediocre to very flavorful. When asked how everything was is it to my liking I think she understood when I said yeah this is more like it this is actually really good. She nodded with agreement. I think they have to tame things down here because they get a lot of non silk road patrons here and must cater to those with the delicate blander taste. It's not that they don't know how to they just can't stretch it out like they would back home. I'm not saying that every cook and waitress there would do this for you, but ours was very nice friendly and she understood where we were coming from. So we will continue to stop by here not because the food is extra extra special but every now and then they might do something special just for you. And they do have a nice selection of tropical mixed drinks too boot.

    (3)

  • Lynchbaby L.

    one of my favorite Thai restaurants. I will go here any given day!! I love their Panang Curry and Pad Thai!!

    (4)

  • Nikki G.

    Ordered takeout: Green curry & Kaprow, both with chicken. Portion sizes were good, but the food was not. The green curry was very watery and managed to stay separated into two distinct phases no matter how hard I tried to mix them. I will not return to Tara Thai. Thai Pavilion is much better and its just around the block, similar prices.

    (2)

  • J G.

    Excellent Thai place in my opinion. I get either the Beef Ka Pow or Green Curry Chicken at leat once a month. Their Lad Na and Pad Thai is very good as well.

    (4)

  • Barbee X.

    i been there few times, but ever time all the same! their price for theirs food is too expensive!!! and not too much service....

    (1)

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Map

Opening Hours

  • Mon :11:30 am - 10

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : Yes
    Delivery : No
    Take-out : Yes
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Good For : Lunch, Dinner
    Parking : Garage
    Bike Parking : Yes
    Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
    Good for Kids : Yes
    Good for Groups : Yes
    Attire : Casual
    Ambience : Casual
    Noise Level : Average
    Alcohol : Full Bar
    Outdoor Seating : Yes
    Wi-Fi : No
    Has TV : Yes
    Waiter Service : Yes
    Caters : Yes

Tara Thai

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