I had dinner here because I was in the mood for some Thai food and I'm not familiar with the area. This place seemed OK and it was just that. I had pad see we, which was flat noodle stir fried with eggs and broccoli. The noodles was a little too wet and the flavor was just OK. The sauce was too sweet. I ordered a "mango with sticky rice" to go. It took them forever to give me the food. It also took another 5 minutes after that to give me the bill, even though the restaurant was not busy. Overall, the experience was mediocre.
(2)
Trang N.
What????? Worst Tara Thai I have ever been to. Initially, I was excited that they were opening up a TT by my parent's house, and that I wouldn't have to make the drive to Rockville or Bethesda, but that excitement was gone the minute I stepped into this location. It is the smallest Tara Thai I've been to in the DMV, the decor was not as extravagant as the others, and we had to wait over an hour... TO GET SEATED BY OURSELVES. That's right! The hostess was wearing a cropped top that showed her belly (unprofessional) and had all the customers buzzing away... what was more annoying was that instead of seating and helping people (with their carryout), she was just sitting at the BAR, texting on her phone! Ridiculous! Food was mediocre. The wait was horrible and not worth it. The amount of professionalism and service here just sucks. Never again!!!
(1)
Jason K.
Very disappointed! Food was bland and even bad, depending on the dish. There were two pieces of packaging bag plastic in one dish. Gross! (This was for take-out). I wish there were more Thai options near me because I don't think I'll ever go here again.
(1)
Nroop B.
I have had better Thai food in the area. Nothing appealed me that can make me go back in near future. Portions were less than average. Location and interior are good, problem with finding a parking though. Chicken was rubbery to me... Average Thai food to me.
(3)
Denelle H.
My go-to Thai restaurant for carry out or dine in. Love the location, though parking at times can be a challenge. Service is good and the portion sizes are great for the price!
(4)
Karria S.
When u go be sure to get a double order of the Mussels...i guarantee you'll want more. The lamb and flounder are really good options. Service is so so but its expected. Very chill with decent food.
(4)
R E.
I've gotten carry out and delivery from this place a couple times only because the only other Thai place near me is flavorless, but I'll give up Thai food if it means never having to eat here again. The food is decent, but not nearly good enough to put up with the terrible service and lying from the manager. It's fine if you're getting carry out but if you get delivery you might as well throw your money in the trash... a huge delivery fee even though it can take up to 2 hours to deliver. But the kicker is that they still make your food when you order it, so it could just be sitting on the counter or in the delivery guy's car for those 2 hours, which is disgusting and I'm sure in violation of health code. And any attempt to remedy the situation is meant with rudeness, as if we're supposed to believe it's ok to be told 1 hour for delivery then have it take 2, and have our food sit out and spoil. Don't bother.
(2)
Sarah S.
Tara Thai is a great restaurant if you're looking for Thai food at a reasonable price that comes in good portions that aren't excessive. I eat here a lot during seasons when I'm eating a vegan diet plus shellfish: if you're an Orthodox Christian, Tara Thai has lots of fast-friendly options. Though I've had better Thai food before, this place has become a standby for me.
(3)
anon h.
Tried to order online - what an f-up! Their online menu is incomplete just fyi - no drinks and not all the items they have on their delivery menu. So I put in my order but with questions. They called me to clarify the questions. So far, so good. Everything seems in order and they tell me it will be 40 minutes. An hour later, they show up, knocking at the wrong door, and with the order completely screwed up. I called the restaurant and the guy I spoke to before starts asking me all the questions again as if we hadn't spent 10 minutes on the phone an hour ago hammering out the details. So lame. Won't make that mistake again.
(1)
Courtney B.
I'm so glad there's a Tara Thai near my house! They have so many gluten free options; I'm addicted to their Tom Ka Hed soup and Pad Pak Jae vegetarian dish. The dining space is a little small, but very clean and cozy. The customer service is great when you dine in, but there is some difficulty when calling in a pick up order. Bonus: It's located in the arts district of Hyattsville, right across from Busboys and Poets, so you can take a stroll through the local shops after you eat.
(4)
Lawana H.
It was...OK. When we walked in no one else was there. That didn't necessarily bother me as it was a weeknight and the presidential debate was going on. The service was really attentive and something I can't complain about at all. As far as the food went, it was...OK. My husband and I had the curry puffs and spring rolls for appetizers and both of us had the Tom Ka Gai soup. For our entrees, he had the Siamese beef and I had green chicken curry. I don't know...my chicken just seemed chewy to me in a not-so-good kind of way. The curry was nice and spicy though. I've had better. I left feeling kind of ambivalent. The fruit punch was good though?
(2)
Cathy B.
I ate here today on the run. I'll be back. I tried their seafood fried rice. Their fried rice is the best I've ever tasted. And I told them that I only wanted the shrimp and scallops in my rice (no squid, no clams). They accommodated my request. For dessert I ordered some coconut ice cream. Delicious. Very enjoyable. I can only speak about their carry out, however.
(4)
Sana J.
This place has THE best drunken noodles! I've had this dish from a number of other restaurants around the DMV area - and this place wins on that dish alone. We also had the pad thai which was not that good but the drunken noodles totally make up for it. We also tried the Thai Ice Tea, which was fantastic, and the curry chicken puffs appetizer which we loved, too. I would definitely go here again, if for nothing else than the drunken noodles.
(4)
Kat L.
Ordered take out here ONCE using Livingsocial's takeout. All I can say is that I will never be ordering from here again. My order consisted of a green curry with rice and wings that were supposed to be stuffed with crabmeat. Upon arriving home, I discovered that the 'wings' consisted of just TWO tiny, shriveled up chicken wings with no crabmeat to be found. Really? This is what you guys are selling for $8? The thai curry was in a tiny little plastic container and the rice was in one of the small chinese carryout containers even though I had ordered a large. Their portions are riciulously small and Tara Thai is making it wayyyy too obvious that they are trying to cheat their customers.
(1)
Lauren L.
This place has terrible customer service! I placed an order for delivery, and apparently the drivers don't knock on doors. I wasn't paying attention to my phone, and saw I had missed calls, so I called the restaurant. They said the driver had come to deliver the order, but nobody ever knocked on my door. They apparently don't knock on doors. A man, who I believe is a manager, said we'd have to wait an hour for the driver to come back and deliver our food. At that point the food would have been sitting in the car for an hour and a half. I said I didn't want food that had been in a car for over an hour, and asked for them to cancel the order. He was very reluctant to cancel the order and give me my money back. After arguing with him, I went to the restaurant and picked up the order. I never received any apology. Never going here again!
So far I've tried two dishes...the drunken noodles with chicken (very spicy!) and the see ean saw idk something like that, basically it's wide noodles and your choice of meat in a brown sauce. DELISH! The food here is great.
(4)
Caroline B.
First, the good. Service from the waitress was outstanding. Not to be mistaken for service from the hostess who I think was having a bad night/life. I must have gotten lucky considering the other reviews that harped on this aspect of dining. My waitress was attentive without being intrusive and genuinely nice. A rarity folks. I'll try to find my receipt and find her name so you can ask for her by name. The bad. It wasn't horrible, but I expected way better Thai food. I'm critical of Asian cuisine because being Asian, I can tell you that staple Asian food (especially Westernized versions) are not hard to prepare. I don't understand how and why you would mess with something that works. Fried tofu appetizer and shrimp bikinis were okay. No seasoning-not even salt or pepper. Thank goodness for the dipping sauce. Hot from the fryer though. Panang curry with chicken was horrible. Why flood the curry base with ground peanuts? It was not spicy at all and all I could taste was peanuts and sweetness. Beef salad was probably the worst. When I took the first bite I looked around to see if I was taking part in a practical joke. The whole dish was covered in granular white pepper. I couldn't even eat it. And I'm pretty forgiving when I'm starving. I'm really disappointed because I've yet to find a Thai restaurant near me that can give me simple, uncomplicated Thai food. I'm almost tempted to say that I would trade awesome service for great Thai food. And I would throw in the nice decor found there to sweeten the deal.
(2)
Erin L.
We ordered the fish, it was just so-so.
(3)
Lynne W.
This Tara Thai definitely needs help. The first time it was just ok, food was good and service was fine. Kind of smallish and not much ambiance. We decided to give it another chance a few months later. BIG MISTAKE. Horrible service (apparently someone didn't show up so the manager was acting as a server-"Acting" being the key word, "cause he definitely does not know what service is). It took almost an hour to be served anything. I still don't understand why we stayed. And it was Mother's Day, too! Lot's of apologies, and a reduced bill do not make for a great dining experience. We will not be returning. It's just not worth it. Manage the restaurant properly and treat customers like you appreciate our patronage!
(2)
Emily M.
I'm happy to know that this place is just around the corner from my house. The food (we had Pad Thai, Panang Curry, Chicken Satay and Bean Curd Triangles) was solidly good, though we skipped a few of the mussles in our curry because they weren't open. The restaurant was lively and fairly full, and the staff was efficient and quick to bring our food. It seems like this restaurant attracts a variety of customers - families, young couples and groups of friends were all there. And the prices were reasonable - $50 for dinner for two with appetizers and drinks. My only complaint was the layout, which is just one big room with no separation of areas that gives it a cafeteria vibe. But that won't prevent me from going back.
(4)
Colin P.
Excited to try this new Thai place in Hyattsville, across the street from Busboys & Poets. It was fine, but I'm afraid I probably won't be rushing to return. Decor is nouveau shower stall -- a noble attempt at creative design, but mostly just one large open room. Sitting in the middle I found the lighting too dim - my wife and I both struggled to read the menu. The waitperson was Thai (good!), but didn't really know what he was doing. Like the decor, the food seemed to have more attention to presentation than to content. We mostly tried some Thai staples for purposes of comparison. My wife's Tom Kha Gai soup came in a very distinctive lopsided bowl, but the soup itself was bland. Her Pad Thai was also ok, but on the bland side. I tried the Papaya Salad, which was very tasty, though a bit too spicy -- I generally really like spicy foods, but this one was a bit too much for me. The Panang Curry w/ seafood had a tasty sauce, but was a bit of a disappointment. Not as good as the panang curry that I get from our other nearby Thai place on Greenbelt Rd, where it's my favorite dish. Overall verdict: not bad, but could try harder on food. Presentation isn't everything.
(3)
Lisa A.
I've only been here once, so take this as you will. Went in a little after 3pm (dinner menu), ordered the lad na (noodles with gravy). It was ok, but there was none of the char I like with my rice noodles. They did bring out the rack of spice jars when I asked for it. The price seemed steep for the size. Maybe I'll try it again for lunch.
(3)
Andrea S.
The food is okay here, but it's not the best Pad Thai I've ever had. The room gets LOUD when the place fills up. I'll stop back in when I'm in the neighborhood and in the mood for Thai, but it's not a place I'd go out of the way for.
(3)
Mikel B.
nice to have Thai in the area. The pad thai was delicious.
(5)
mike s.
I just ordered here once, and the food was okay; nothing out of this world, phenomenal, a revelation of asian cuisine. I got some chicken curry dish and felt they skimped on the entree portion and overcompensated with a sea of rice.
(3)
Bradley H.
Good Thai in Hyattsville! I see that folks have complained about the service, but the wait staff seemed quite competent during my visit. The food is quite tasty - certainly not the best Thai ever, but good enough. I'll be back.
(4)
Elizabeth K.
The food was delicious, but it took almost two hours from getting our table to getting our food--totally unacceptable. No one ever explained or even apologized. We asked to speak to the manager, and the manager never came over. Just a badly run restaurant.
(2)
Charlena B.
Luckily, we went Friday straight from work else we would have been waiting. Started with the Tropical Treasure will not order that again. Curry Puff app was good especially the cucumber relish although not really enough to share. We enjoyed the Poo-Goong OB Woonsen and Chicken Pad See Eaw. Although the meal was good we'll order takeout next time because service needs improvement.
(3)
Pacha P.
The food is pretty good, but I was rather disappointed that it was sort-of bland, even with 3 chili peppers next to the items on the menu. Guess next time I'l ask for it to be prepared extra-spicy. The mango with sticky rice dessert was quite nice, and the way it was arranged on the plate was beautiful. I DID love the Thai iced tea; don't know how authentic it is, but it is super-strong, super-sweet, and very good with it's topping of half-and-half. My server was very attentive but not overbearing. As long as you realize you ARE at a chain restaurant and adjust your expectations accordingly, you can have a decent meal here.
(3)
R S.
Good food... Massaman curry beef was glorious... others were fine. Interior minimal modern clean.
(4)
Sandra W.
Tara Thai is the kind of place that I genuinely want to like. It's located in Hyattsville in the slightly less rundown section of town that we're so desperately trying to call an "arts district." The food seems interesting at first glance: lots of colors and smells the second you walk in the door. The staff seems earnest and eager to please. Unfortunately, the experience of actually eating the food is pretty unsatisfying from the first bite to the last. Seating is minimal. There are three four-top booths and eight or nine tables that can be pushed together if necessary. The restaurant is somewhat clean, but could be a whole lot cleaner. For example, I don't expect my menu to be hermetically sealed prior to my arrival, but my fingers shouldn't be sticky with previous patrons' food (and goodness knows what else) after I place my order. I ordered the Pad Pik Sod (chicken with peppers, onions, and green onions) and my two friends ordered the eggplant with vegetable fried rice and the Siamese Beef. We passed our dishes around the table so each of us could try everything. The vegetable fried rice was the best part of the meal. It wasn't the typical Chinese takeout-style fried rice, with tiny, overcooked veggies that get lost among the oily rice. These vegetables (halved cherry tomatoes, cucumber slices, and cabbage) were cut large and sauteed very lightly, which allowed them to retain their crispness and flavor. Sadly, that's where the praise ends. The Siamese Beef dish was surprisingly boring. The eggplant was . . . eggplant. My chicken dish was extremely bland and hardly contained any onions or peppers. I'm an old-fashioned meat-and-potatoes girl who also happens to love vegetables of all kinds, but when the chicken in my meal ain't right, nothing is right. The portions were pretty bare-bones: barely a cup-and-a-half of food per entree, not including the cup of fairly respectable sticky rice. We asked for a spice tray, which was interesting, but contained nothing that couldn't be found at your local Panda Express. Tara Thai strikes me as the kind of restaurant that would work much better as a strictly takeout/delivery place. The table service adds a level of expectation that Tara Thai simply isn't able to fulfill. I wouldn't return by choice in the future, but if my work friends insist, I'll tag along, stick to the veggies, and yearn for the Chipotle two doors down.
(2)
Neha A.
#Wrong order! #Veg food with meat and egg! # slow service even though we were the only people in the restaurant! Even though we mentioned so clearly that being vegetarians, NO MEAT NO FISH NO SEAFOOD NOTHING THAT MOVES CAN BE IN OUR FOOD, they came with a tofu dish containing oyster sauce Pineapple rice which was under the "Marked Vegetarian" came with Egg after giving them 2 reminders that we want the rice with NO EGG. The person who took the order did not even come out to apologise.. they simply took the food back and never returned with the right dish. Although they did not charge us for the dish, which was obvious, they weren't as courteous. As if this is a regular for them. I do not recommend this place to anyone. The food doesn't taste great too. No wonder this place had bad reviews.
(1)
Sara M.
Very mediocre Thai food. I ordered out of convenience because they delivered via GrubHub, but I'm not sure if I would order again. None of my food was even a little bit spicy, even though the menu indicated spicy items. Next time I would make sure to specify "hot." Panang Curry with chicken was the best part of my order, but it was not spicy at all. Satay chicken was good and it came with a tangy sauce. The lettuce was really gross in the Larb Gai Salad and it had a weird smell. I put the curry sauce on the meat to make it edible. Mango sticky rice was typical, and the mango was fresh. If I ordered again, I'd get the Panang Curry and mango sticky rice but definitely avoid the salad.
(2)
Amber J.
I really won't be returning. I tried this place on a Sunday. Service was slow and no one was around to greet us. Spring rolls were bland and under cooked. I ordered tofu panang and I only ate the rice and sauce. The tofu was rubbery and gross. The chicken panang was ordered by my date and he described it as "boring".
First Thai place since recently moving here. I ordered veggie pad thai, tom ka hed soup and thai tea. Portion of the pad thai was definitely a good size. It lasted me three meals which definitely is nice with my busy schedule. I liked the spice level on my pad thai and I did ask for spicy. The thai tea was definitely amazing as well as the soup. The tom ka hed soup was so tasteful and creamy. Definitely recommend it if you're wanting a good vegetable soup. The only reason I'm giving them 4 stars is because I asked for all veggie + egg in my pad thai but once I got home and started eating I noticed meat. Not sure if it was chicken or pork but since I do eat meat (tho I like the veggies way more in my pad thai) it didn't totally kill my entree. But for anyone that is purely a vegetarian or vegan I'm sure would have been really upset with this place. So just beware if you are a vegetarian. Overall, for me I probably will go back because it's close spice level and portion size. Thanks!
(4)
Vicki L.
Ugh. My DH likes them, so we order from this place a lot. But I really don't think they're very good. I usually get green curry with tofu (sometimes chicken) or pad thai. The pad thai is...whatever. Like a thousand other chain pad thais. It's edible, it tastes fine, but it's not great. If you haven't had good Thai food recently, you'll eat it and be fine with it. If you have, you're like - why is it so sweet? I never finish a container of it - in part cause it's a large serving, but also cause I just get tired of it after a few bites. The green curry is hit or miss between decent and bad. I've never had good green curry there. Sometimes it's really spicy, sometimes it's not at all spicy. Sometimes it's hot, sometimes it's cold. Sometimes it's as thin as water. I would say that most frequently, it's way too thin and not nearly spicy enough. Chicken is usually fairly dry, and when I remember that, I get the tofu. Then I complain cause they're stingy with the tofu and it's also mediocre (but better than the chicken). All in all, I will only order from this place if it is late, I don't feel like cooking, and I can't talk DH into anything else.
(2)
Rita R.
Food is average, but Thai Iced Teas are great! Quick place to pick up food while on study breaks
(3)
Jonathan E.
Service was awful! Absolutely horrendous. I'm always patient and understanding because waiters have a very difficult job and they deal with rude people all the time. I always thank the waiter and let their manager know that they were amazing BUT in all my life this is the worst service ever. We ordered food and waited 50 minutes for the first plate to come out. The restaurant wasn't even busy there was four waiters just siting at the bar. They didn't even offer water or anything until right before the food came out. When they finally brought out the food they brought out only two plates and then took another 30 minutes to bring the rest out and they were super rude. When we got our bill they added 20% gratuity and for extremely rude and bad service. Several of us demanded that the 20% be reduced. We agreed to pay and leave tip just not that high. It quickly escalated and the manager said, "Get the f*** out and stop b******* you probably need the money more than us so just shut up and leave." I was appalled. Absolutely rude service. Never in my life had I experienced this! I hate do this generally all my review are positive.
(1)
Diem N.
The foods and customer services is not meet or compare to other Tara Thai in Rockville or in VA. I always order the same stuffs every time I go to Tara Thai or Tara Asia, but this place the cost is more but quality is less greatness and less fresh. I come in at 10:30am on a Tuesday and it isn't busy but they take long enough to come get my order and taste of each item is not same as other place. Therefore, the coconut Custard is burn and very bitter and I told the waiter, he said ok. Then he bring back a same pie and said he have cut out the burn part and pack in a to go box for me. So my pie is still left with topping burn and little piece of it. I love Tara Thai foods but I don't recommend my friends this one in Beltville. Tara Thai Rockville is much better.
(1)
pomona k.
1 hour and 30 minutes (to the minute! And yes I timed it) for 3 1/2 mile delivery with $4 delivery charge? Unacceptable. It's not like the food is worth the wait or the price, but I tried Tara Thai for the third (and final!) time because it's one of few restaurants that deliver in my area. I am so done. I would rather eat cheap Chinese than try this overpriced and slow-delivery restaurant.
(1)
Polly G.
We used to come here ALL the time. Sometimes we dinned in sometimes we ordered and picked it up. We really enjoyed eating here. I don't know what happened but there have been some pretty major changes for the worse. For one, they have severely downgraded the portion size. The to go container is completely new and only 3/4 of the size of the original and they don't fill it like they used to. Also the food is very bland. They used to be really good with the spice and we specifically order it very very spicy, but they don't like to use peppers and just generally the food doens't have the same flavors it used to. It's a shame because we really liked this place. Must be a new chef but I don't think he choses the portion size, not sure. Anyway, we've tried a couple times since the change but we wont be going back. Such a shame.
(1)
Sheri M.
This place is lifeless. The food is fine. The atmosphere is BORING. I would not bring clients or friends here for anything special. If you are listening TT owners, please make your space more inviting. It is cold and has no cultural appeal. Even the Indian place a few doors down, which is meant to be fast, feels more inviting. Consider Thai realia, warmer fabrics, intimate spaces for small groups, etc. Maybe even a Thai dance performance once in a while. When you are across the street from Busboys you need to step it up a notch! Right now, the place is just meh. Note: I contacted the restaurant in the hopes that they will posts their Yelp reviews. I want this business to succeed, but if they don't it's really their own fault.
(2)
Constance Xinyi W.
I ended up taking out chipotle next door. Do not order Gaeng Ped Yang Curry or Tom Klong Goong Soup. Really weird flavor
(1)
Kiovan W.
Very good food at cheap price. Workers are very nice and food doesn't take long to come out after ordering. Would have given 5 stars but Resturant climate is very boring. Although, a very good place to sit, eat, relax, & clear your mind.
(4)
Nitesh C.
I just love to eat here. My favourite is the wild lamb and prawn roll. You can also try kapao chicken. The ambience is food and also the location of this restaurant.
(5)
H B.
I went to Tara Thai for the first time a little over a year ago--the food was decent enough that I went back a few more times thanks to their vegetarian options. Tonight I ordered the Pad thai Jae, the spring rolls and the veggie fried rice. It was....horrible. I'm not the kind of person to blast an establishment (first review, actually) but I really can't describe how bad the food was. The spring rolls were bland and soggy with almost no filling. The veggie fried was was mushy and tasteless--and the vegetables tasted old. The worst by far was the pad thai jae, which had this overwhelmingly sour taste--I think it may have been spoiled. Had I been in the restaurant I would have sent it back, but as it was delivery...womp womp. Really sad--it was seriously disgusting.
(1)
Cecily G.
The service is excellent, but the food is pretty average. My meal was fine, but I wasn't left with a craving for more food at the end of my dinner. I ordered the seafood fried rice. It does seem like it would be a decent place to grab an appetizer and drinks as their drink menu is fairly extensive and reasonably priced. Otherwise, it wasn't anything special, but if you are hungry it will get the job done.
(3)
Greg S.
I really thought I had received the wrong order when I got home. This was my first time at any Tara Thai and I will not be going back again unless someone I know and trust can vouch for better food at a different location. It used to be my Friday night ritual to order or go in to dine at a Thai restaurant. I have had only the best food and service at various Thai restaurants. Not here. I have had better Chinese delivery food in NYC than from this joint. I ordered the crispy duck which was not appealing or inviting in the way it was plated. It was about an appetizer portion of duck plopped on a bed of crispy noodles with some ginger on the side and a small container of sauce. The ginger was the best thing on the plate. Had it not been for the sauce, I would not have been able to eat the entree which was bland and totally flavorLESS. No flavor at all. How the heck do you make a dish with no flavor, especially at a Thai joint?
(1)
Randelle R.
The Tara Thai in Hyattsville is the epitome of poor customer service. The only reason I think this establishment is able to survive is due to overflow from the other much better restaurants (Busboys, Franklin's...hell, even Spice 6). Their mediocre Thai food does not save them from shoddy service. For example: one evening I ordered and paid for my food online, which according to the website would take 30 minutes to prepare. Given that I only live one block away, I even decided to give them extra time to make my order. I left my house 25 minutes after I ordered, then walked my dog for an additional 15 minutes, after which I tied my dog to a tree outside, thinking that I would be in and out in less than a minute. It was a pretty cold night. When I went in to pick up my food, the hostess insisted I didn't order...even though as I was showing her from the email confirmation I had paid $30+ nearly an hour ago. She continued to argue that I must have ordered from a different Tara Thai. I explained that it made no sense for me to do so, as I lived one block away. Eventually, she went to get the manager, who also claimed I did not order at that location. Perhaps ten minutes of waiting and arguing go by, as I constantly remind them that my dog is waiting outside, they come up with the bright idea to "check the printer in the manager's office." Lo and behold, my order is there along with some others. They swiftly proclaim that it is "Eat24's fault" and not theirs since online orders are handled in that manner. I rumbled back that if they intend to have online ordering, they need to have a system to ensure that it works. They suggested to me, "next time you should call your order in." After all of this malarkey, and more than an hour with no food, I say that they should give me something in return to make up for my bad experience. The manager exclaims that "he cannot do that." I said, for what they've put me through, they could at least give me a beer (which I know a draft beer's actual worth since I worked in the restaurant industry previously) or even an egg roll for my trouble. He refused. I then asked for a discount, and something to drink while I sat and waited for my order outside with the dog. He refused, and responded, perhaps jokingly, that he could give me some of the candy coated courtesy mints that were available to all bar patrons. I angrily told him that the only reason I did not cancel my order at that point was that I prepaid. I also told him as a person who lived in the neighborhood, so close to his restaurant, that I would NEVER order from them again and that I would tell EVERY PERSON I encountered that Tara Thai Hyattsville is a horrible establishment. So once again Tara Thai Hyattsville: f*ck you and your poor service. For anyone reading this review, you have been warned: dine in, carry out or delivery, Tara Thai is terrible!
(1)
J Ryan R.
I'm a fan of this place. The food is good and the servings are generous. I've ordered the wild lamb, the ginger chicken and pad thai. All were great! My favorite of the three is the Wild Lamb. The chili sauce is pretty damn good
(4)
michelle m.
I wish I could give a positive review, but I don't recommend ordering from Tara Thai. On multiple occasions we had to cancel orders because the delivery estimate was well over an hour. Hoping that tonight would be different we gave them another chance-- it wasn't. We placed our order through the Tara Thai website at 7:25 and it didn't arrive until 8:55pm. After waiting for more than an hour I called to find out where our food was. At first the young woman said the food had already left with the driver, but then she said it was leaving in five minutes because they were waiting for another order before sending our food. I had to call about 20 minutes later because the order still hadn't arrived and this time was told by that we were not the only people waiting for food and there were a lot of orders tonight. I asked if I could cancel the order and she said no. I asked if they were going to offer a refund or at least a discount and she said no. I told her this is the last time we would be ordering from Tara Thai. I understand things happen, restaurants get busy, and orders may take longer to arrive than anticipated. In this situation the terrible customer service we received is the reason we won't be going to Tara Thai anymore.
(1)
Asaf B.
We come here a lot and having Kopho chicken and dranken noddles is vary good, I love Singha beer too, nice place, nice Service, not bad bill too!
(4)
Candice W.
If you are white and love being catered to, this is the perfect place to come!!! Welp, I am not, so service was horrible. First, me & my mother watched the server religiously fill glasses of water for white patrons while never once refilling any of the brown patrons glasses. Then, when I asked for a refill, the server gave us attitude, like we were interrupting her. Um, really?? Second, we sat so long waiting to pay the bill that I called the restaurant on my cell phone, FROM MY TABLE, to get a server to over. I noticed that "certain" patrons never had that problem. I felt like it 1964 and I was sitting at a lunch counter in Alabama. The next time I EVER set foot in this restaurant, it will be on ice skates....because that'll be the day that hell freezes over. I'm mad I had to give this place even 1 star. Oh yeah, the food is decent but I'll never be hungry enough to eat there again.
(1)
Sara A.
I came in on a gorgeous Sunday evening. This place was empty while everything else nearby was packed. I really wanted some mango sticky rice so I decided to try it out. The portion size was ridiculous. It was 3 bites of food for $5 or $6. The mango was tiny and the rice was the size of a walnut.
(1)
Truely T.
If I could give zero stars I would. I ordered drunken noodles that tasted like goulash... And on top of that, the service was also poor. Never again!
(1)
Val F.
Waste of money for lousy, sickening food. We've tried this restaurant a few times since it moved in several years ago, and we are ALWAYS disappointed. The food isn't good at all, and clearly isn't fresh (fresh food doesn't make you sick). It's over priced for the quality you are getting. And at least one member of our party inevitably doesn't feel good after eating it. Tonight was no different. We ordered two soups -- one vegetarian, one with chicken. The vegetarian soup is LITERALLY just broth... no vegetables in sight even though they are listed; the soup with chicken had ONE piece of chicken in it... and still no vegetables in sight. So we apparently only paid for broth. AND 30 minutes later, both of us feel sick to the stomach. Reminded us why the last time we ate here was maybe 8 months ago. Still just as bad. Still a waste of money. Still stomach ache inducing. There are better places to try. (p.s. I always ask for no MSG, and that also doesn't happen... just avoid this place. It's horrible.)
(1)
Paris K.
I Absolutely Love Tara Tai!! I always order for pick up. The food is ready quick and exactly how i like it. I order the ginger chicken and add cashews. I also love the appetizers. The springrolls and bikini shrimp yummm! Me and my staff love them.
(5)
Kevin S.
I got takeout at Tara Thai which is right next to Jimmy John's and Busboys. Not only is this place over priced but the portion sizes and quality were laughable. I paid 14 dollars for the honey roasted duck which came with 4 dry and flavorless pieces that were microwaved so it was neither honey nor roasted. I paid 5 dollars for the sticky mango rice which actually had more mango than the rice, about two spoonfuls. Also they told me it would be ready in 15 minutes and when I got the 30 minutes later I was still waiting. Never again. Stay far far far away.
(1)
Travis S.
I have heard ok reviews from this place. I was eying busboys but my colleagues wanted thai. I decided to give it a shot. The place was empty but clean. I didn't understand why it took ten minutes to order if we were the only people but things happen. I ordered shrimp rice with spring rolls. My food was mediocre but the bill was 75.00. I decided to leave a nice tip because the waiter tried but customer service makes businesses.
(3)
Bonita B.
This was my 2nd visit since they opened, the workers were still nice...the spring rolls and shrimp cakes were YUMMY. The shrimp stir fry rice -- there was a HUGE helping of rice and minimal shrimp -- we won't order this dish again. I appreciate them offering gluten-free options. Recommendation: 1) During the slow times, keep tables, seats, and floors clean. Our table (side by the windows) was dusty with some crumbs on it. 2) Less rice OR more shrimp with the shrimp fried rice.
(4)
D. S. N.
My wife and I have become regulars here. The ingredients have always been quite fresh, the staff has been unfailingly polite, and they've always been happy to modify the dishes to fit our requests. In Montgomery County one can find some better Thai restaurants, but this is the best one anywhere in PG County. It's much better, for example, than a place up in Greenbelt that we used to frequent.
(5)
Nichcole A.
My boyfriend and I were out looking for something different in the College Park- Hyattsville area and we discovered Tara Thai. The food was great and the Siamese Beef was to die for. Everything from the appetizers to the entree was extra delicious and not to forget some great Saki.
(4)
Kelly G.
So. I used a day of annual leave. I took it because whenever I fly back from the West Coast, I feel like there is a Wyle E. Coyote anvil sitting on my head the following day. Eventhough I got enough sleep and eventhough I didn't drink wine the whole way back like I usually do, I went through with it and burned the day of annual. By lunchtime, I decided to try to get the dam Thai food that I never could while I was out in CA. So. I hit up the nearby Tara Thai. The food shown in my photos is lunch. And those are lunch prices quoted in the captions. The food was good. I did not have the Simret or the Timir experience but I was quite certain I was not in Phuket. This Thai food is way way Americanized and the chefs or owners or somebody in their management chain thinks they can fool us with weird changes and that we'll just accept it and eat it and pay our good money for it. Fortunately that did not happen with my pad thai shrimp nor the tom young goong. I enjoyed them and the experience. But while I was there, I did witness a couple walking out on the whole experience. I do not get that and I could not hear *everything* that was going on but it did not seem like a happy camper experience. Mine was. I'm a fan of lunch at Tara Thai and will go again. 09/17/12 lunch.
(4)
Tiffany H.
I wondered how long it was going to take before Tara Thai Hyattsville went the way of Tara Thai Rockville and Gaithersburg and it's official....Hyattsville is just as bad. Service is mediocre and the food (pad prik khing) was bland and watery. I'm done.
(1)
Sam M.
Seems to be a lot of hate for this place, but I'm a big fan. Nothing particularly mind blowing, but it is the best delivery option in my neck of the woods. I always get one of the beef dishes. I've ordered delivery from here about 15 times and only had an issue once when the food was abnormally spicy-hot and totally inedible anyone but a spice-masochist.
(4)
Elizabeth L.
Tara thai isn't life-altering thai food by any means, but it IS good. I liked to order from them whenever I was in the mood for thai but too lazy to put pants on and drive there...until the time I ordered their veggie pad thai. I am not a high-maintenance vegetarian. Sometimes a piece of meat will slip in to a dish and whatever, I'll just pick it out and feed it to one of my carnivorous friends. No big deal. What I can't wrap my head around is why they put loads of little pink porky pieces in ALL of their pad thai- even the veggie one- without advertising it on their menu? That's kinda sketchy, Tara. Not everyone enjoys surprise pork bits in their food. No thanks.
(3)
Timir D.
I'm sorry to say that this location is not as good as the other Tara Thai restaurants that I have been to. Service: I had been there once before for dinner and it was crowded so I had chalked up the poor service to their inability to handle the crowd. This time we went for lunch and were maybe one of five occupied tables. Although the service was pleasant, they were not attentive enough, and had to be reminded that we asked for water with no ice. Food: The spring rolls were mediocre, similar to what can be bought in the frozen section of an Asian supermarket. The Num Tok although tasty did not have freshly cooked beef. The Pad Pik King Jae was overloaded with ginger and salt, that was all that you could taste. There was no curry flavor or carrots as the menu had described. The Beef Kapow which is one of my favorite dishes from the Tara Thai in Bethesda was basically unsafe to eat. It lacked any serious flavor and also had been cooked from meat which had been sliced atleast 3 days ago. The meat tasted like it was rotting, and when I complained initially I was told that the meat was delivered fresh every day and that a minute in the microwave would make it taste fine. I didn't buy this story and I told them to take it off the bill and they complied with minimal resistance. I had high hopes for this location. It would take a lot for me to be convinced to return.
(2)
Carolyn M.
I don't know how the various Tara Thai's are related, but this is one of the bad ones. I've been to other Tara Thai's that have a much more extensive menu and better food/service. The food is adequate Thai food - nothing special about any of it. Most the servers do not appear to be happy to have customers - go figure. I've found some other Thai restaurants nearby so I'll probably just go them from now.
(2)
Tt Y.
I have been going to this place for almost 2 years on the regular basis, NOT because Tara Thai is good, just because I love Thai food and there are not many options in the neighborhood. Overall, this place is absolutely HORRIBLE! The food is over priced. The service is terrible. I decided not to go back again from now on, especially after what happened a couple of weeks ago. It was a Sunday. I did not feel like going out to eat, so I called Tara Thai to order delivery The girl who took my order said it would take 45min - 1 hr for delivery. I asked her "are you sure it will only take up to 1hr" she said "yes". The reason i asked that was if it takes over 1 hr, i will just go to pick it up. Anyway, my order was placed at 6:28pm. I did not get my food at 7:30pm, so i called. The same girl who took my order said my delivery was on the way and should be at my place within 10-15 mins. Ok, Fine. I waited patiently, even i was starving already. 8pm: i still did not get my food, so I called again and was told the same thing. Then I asked to speak with the manager, she said the manager was there and she will call the delivery guy to check. 8:30pm: I was already pissed and starving. I decided to just stop by 7-11 to grab something. On my way to 7-11, i called again. They said its on the way. 9:00pm: I called again, because i have not seen my food..guess what they just refunded me and never delivered anything to me. i was glad i went to 7-11 to grab something, otherwise, i would be starving all night long. I told them to have the manager call me next day or whenever she came in..oh well, never got a call from them. Your horrible service will eventually ruin your business. I will NEVER go back again and you just lost a loyal customer and all of my friends are not going EITHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(1)
Paula M.
I just had seafood madness and my friend had vegetable fried rice and an entree of pork in green curry sauce with basil, yum yum. Food great, staff friendly, price affordable. I just don't like bagging my own leftovers however. Made me short the tip by a dollar.
(4)
Chuq Y.
I've driven by this place a bunch, and never went in until last night. I figured, yeah, I've been to other Tara Thai restaurants, so how can this be different? It's not that much different. The food isn't bad. We had the Golden Triangles which actually were pretty filling and tasty. We also got the Tom Ka Gai (coconut milk and chicken soup). The chicken seemed a little overcooked, but I don't think I've had it any differently, so I was fine with it. Entrees were veggie Kee Mao Goong Gai (essentially drunken noodles) and Pad Pik King. The Kee Mao Goong Gai was spot on. Not too greasy and just enough of the smoky flavor that you expect in that dish. If you ask for it spicy, they will bring it out with both sliced green chiles and sliced red chiles, so be prepared. If you want to know what to get, it seems like you can't go wrong with the Mee Mao Goong Gai. The Pad Pik King was satisfactory at best. I got pork, and like the chicken in the Tom Ka Gai, it seemed overcooked. My GF in fact thought it was the same chicken as in the soup. Nothing spectacular about it. It wasn't even 2 peppers spicy like it says it is. I asked for hot sauce or chiles and they brought out a condiment tray with 3 ramekins on: one was crushed red pepper (mix of what looked like cayenne, and crushed red pepper), another was vinegar and sliced green chiles, and the last was awesome. It was fish sauce with sliced red chiles. If you are not happy with a meal, and can deal with spicy, try asking for the pepper tray. The service here was the real loser. They were certainly helpful, and kind, but man, they weren't attentive at all. After we were done with our meal, we had to wait about 10 minutes to get the check, and then another eternity for them to come back with change. There were MAYBE 12 guest in there including the two of us. As far as the decor, the place is very modern. I don't get why there are the really crazy lights on the ceiling. The ones that hang over the tables around the outside are pretty cool. I really like those. Also, they played 80s music the whole time. I love the 80s too. One question that my GF asked was...why don't they have any tables that are for a party that is not 4 people? They don't have any that are pre-setup for 6 or 8 or even 2. Odd huh?
(3)
Kate S.
Tara Thai is like thai food out of a box. It's fine, but nothing amazing. That said, my most recent experience was definitely the best of the three times I've dined there. The first time I had larb gai salad and it was very boring, but this time I ordered papaya salad to start and then veggie and tofu green curry with brown rice. I enjoyed the papaya and curry, but the tofu in the curry was kind of gross and I left it on my plate. It was fried but kind of watery and didn't taste like much. My dining partner had the curry puffs and red curry with chicken and was surprised to find that the latter only had chicken, and no vegetables at all. It probably would have been better with a few carefully selected additional ingredients. The service was alright--our waitress seemed to be new, unsure of what she was doing, and not all that comfortable with English. For example, we asked for a spicy sauce with the curry puffs, to which she nodded enthusiastically, but she didn't bring anything spicy when the appetizer came. It was okay, and we didn't push it further, but it would have been nice. I'll probably go back, if only because I live in College Park and there aren't many Thai options around here (and Thai is my favorite type of cuisine these days!).
(3)
Tim T.
Food is decent, albeit portions have at times been very skimpy. But delivery service always takes an hour or more. Last time was 1 hour 45 minutes.
(2)
Wil W.
I normally have them deliver, but decided to get out of the house this time. I just made it before kitchen close time. They have a small variety of vegetarian items for me to choose from, so it didn't take long to decide. The gentleman that waited on me was very courteous. That always makes for a nice dining experience. The only thing I wasn't keen on was the fact that they started mopping the floor before I finished dinner and it wasn't 10pm yet. Regardless, I will dine there again, just earlier in the evening.
(3)
Agnes E.
This review is based on the delivery and takeout. Before i knew the location was literally down the street i use to order from them. Their food in my opinion is really good. The freshness, the taste the portion are all exceptional. As I was passing by one night i saw the location and decided to go in and carryout. That process however wasn't so smooth The staff was young and had their DVD player at the bar and i had to wait to get their attention. After i did, i placed my order and she went right back to the movie i had to ask for my receipt, my total, wait time, etc. They are a little stingy with the shrimp in the fried rice. My boyfriend had a couple of pieces for a big portion of rice. I love the colors and the ambiance of the place but i didn't dine-in to judge the wait staff or the cleanliness. The staff being young were as attentive and were more intrested in their movie but that doesn't take away from the chef and the food that was prepared. I like this place. If they work out a few kinks it would be phenomenal.
(4)
Katiana A.
My husband and I ordered food to go. He ordered the wild lamb and I ordered the pad thai. The wild lamb was pretty good, though the portion was on the small side. The pad thai was dry, with mostly all noodles some clumped together. There was not nearly enough eggs, peanuts, bean sprouts. I won't be back.
(2)
Simret Z.
Forgive me, you must have misunderstood. I asked for Penang Curry with chicken - not shoe leather swimming in Red Kool Aid.. And - hold on - is that - did you - Motherfucker, is that cabbage and crudites in My Pad Thai?!?
(2)
Ayesha E.
The first time I had the pad thai and drunken noodles, it was ok. The second time I was uhmm not so good. However, this last time that I had the pad thai it tasted sour. I can actually make better pad thai in my own kitchen! Never again!
(1)
Jarrod C.
In comparison to other Thai restaurants that I've experienced (to be Yelped in the near future) this is the worst one to date. The atmosphere resembled that of a sit-down burger establishment with nothing really standing out or flaunting the heritage of Thailand. Some may think that's ok, but personally I prefer a more traditional experience. The service was slow and frigid. If it weren't for the customers I seriously doubt there would be any personality in there at all! Digressing... FOOD ORDERED: Heavenly wings (appetizer) Satay (appetizer) Roasted duck (entree) Green curry (entree) DO NOT ORDER THE HEAVENLY WINGS! It's merely a batter dipped chicken leg stuffed with crab meat. Sadly, this appetizer possessed no taste of chicken and I'm still questioning if they mixed the crab meat stuffing with 90% Stove Top stuffing! Trust me, it's not good. My buddy ate the Satay with no complaints. However, his roasted duck could have used some work - - and when I say 'work' I mean juiciness. It was dry and tasteless...just like the servers! I ordered the Green curry, which was not all that bad. I'm a spicy lover and they definitely delivered the spicy component so I would definitely recommend it to all you heat seekers! I would go back only to try out some other dishes, but not too often and not with the anticipation that they've renovated the atmosphere OR the servers!
(2)
Maggie M.
Placed my order on Livingsocial, which was easy and I could pre-pay. However, after my last botched order where I left a tip before picking up, I won't be doing that again. Arrived on time and my food was ready. Easy peasy. Of course, it was early and there were no customers. My order (Pad Thai) was underwhelming. Not even as good as my homemade version. It was bland and the red tofu chunk things are gross. I will stick with the Drunken Noodles (can't remember the Tara Thai name, but some variation of Kee Mao). I really hope things improve - it's my "go to" neighborhood carryout restaurant.
(2)
Bill P.
14th location I believe and newest one of the Tara empire. I've been to all of them and this one just might be the best. Very nice open area clean lines with outside patio. Bar situated to the right as you enter past the hostess stand. Packed for a Sunday night. I ordered the Wild Lamb and enjoyed thoroughly at home......slices of tender lamb marinated in chili paste, young peppercorn, baby tomatoes, and basil leaves. Nice portion and licked up every last drop of that delicious sauce. Prince George definitely hurtin for more Asian.....Chinese, Korean, and Thai rests so maybe this place will start up a new trend. Keep up the good work!!!!
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Trendy Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes
Jessie F.
I had dinner here because I was in the mood for some Thai food and I'm not familiar with the area. This place seemed OK and it was just that. I had pad see we, which was flat noodle stir fried with eggs and broccoli. The noodles was a little too wet and the flavor was just OK. The sauce was too sweet. I ordered a "mango with sticky rice" to go. It took them forever to give me the food. It also took another 5 minutes after that to give me the bill, even though the restaurant was not busy. Overall, the experience was mediocre.
(2)Trang N.
What????? Worst Tara Thai I have ever been to. Initially, I was excited that they were opening up a TT by my parent's house, and that I wouldn't have to make the drive to Rockville or Bethesda, but that excitement was gone the minute I stepped into this location. It is the smallest Tara Thai I've been to in the DMV, the decor was not as extravagant as the others, and we had to wait over an hour... TO GET SEATED BY OURSELVES. That's right! The hostess was wearing a cropped top that showed her belly (unprofessional) and had all the customers buzzing away... what was more annoying was that instead of seating and helping people (with their carryout), she was just sitting at the BAR, texting on her phone! Ridiculous! Food was mediocre. The wait was horrible and not worth it. The amount of professionalism and service here just sucks. Never again!!!
(1)Jason K.
Very disappointed! Food was bland and even bad, depending on the dish. There were two pieces of packaging bag plastic in one dish. Gross! (This was for take-out). I wish there were more Thai options near me because I don't think I'll ever go here again.
(1)Nroop B.
I have had better Thai food in the area. Nothing appealed me that can make me go back in near future. Portions were less than average. Location and interior are good, problem with finding a parking though. Chicken was rubbery to me... Average Thai food to me.
(3)Denelle H.
My go-to Thai restaurant for carry out or dine in. Love the location, though parking at times can be a challenge. Service is good and the portion sizes are great for the price!
(4)Karria S.
When u go be sure to get a double order of the Mussels...i guarantee you'll want more. The lamb and flounder are really good options. Service is so so but its expected. Very chill with decent food.
(4)R E.
I've gotten carry out and delivery from this place a couple times only because the only other Thai place near me is flavorless, but I'll give up Thai food if it means never having to eat here again. The food is decent, but not nearly good enough to put up with the terrible service and lying from the manager. It's fine if you're getting carry out but if you get delivery you might as well throw your money in the trash... a huge delivery fee even though it can take up to 2 hours to deliver. But the kicker is that they still make your food when you order it, so it could just be sitting on the counter or in the delivery guy's car for those 2 hours, which is disgusting and I'm sure in violation of health code. And any attempt to remedy the situation is meant with rudeness, as if we're supposed to believe it's ok to be told 1 hour for delivery then have it take 2, and have our food sit out and spoil. Don't bother.
(2)Sarah S.
Tara Thai is a great restaurant if you're looking for Thai food at a reasonable price that comes in good portions that aren't excessive. I eat here a lot during seasons when I'm eating a vegan diet plus shellfish: if you're an Orthodox Christian, Tara Thai has lots of fast-friendly options. Though I've had better Thai food before, this place has become a standby for me.
(3)anon h.
Tried to order online - what an f-up! Their online menu is incomplete just fyi - no drinks and not all the items they have on their delivery menu. So I put in my order but with questions. They called me to clarify the questions. So far, so good. Everything seems in order and they tell me it will be 40 minutes. An hour later, they show up, knocking at the wrong door, and with the order completely screwed up. I called the restaurant and the guy I spoke to before starts asking me all the questions again as if we hadn't spent 10 minutes on the phone an hour ago hammering out the details. So lame. Won't make that mistake again.
(1)Courtney B.
I'm so glad there's a Tara Thai near my house! They have so many gluten free options; I'm addicted to their Tom Ka Hed soup and Pad Pak Jae vegetarian dish. The dining space is a little small, but very clean and cozy. The customer service is great when you dine in, but there is some difficulty when calling in a pick up order. Bonus: It's located in the arts district of Hyattsville, right across from Busboys and Poets, so you can take a stroll through the local shops after you eat.
(4)Lawana H.
It was...OK. When we walked in no one else was there. That didn't necessarily bother me as it was a weeknight and the presidential debate was going on. The service was really attentive and something I can't complain about at all. As far as the food went, it was...OK. My husband and I had the curry puffs and spring rolls for appetizers and both of us had the Tom Ka Gai soup. For our entrees, he had the Siamese beef and I had green chicken curry. I don't know...my chicken just seemed chewy to me in a not-so-good kind of way. The curry was nice and spicy though. I've had better. I left feeling kind of ambivalent. The fruit punch was good though?
(2)Cathy B.
I ate here today on the run. I'll be back. I tried their seafood fried rice. Their fried rice is the best I've ever tasted. And I told them that I only wanted the shrimp and scallops in my rice (no squid, no clams). They accommodated my request. For dessert I ordered some coconut ice cream. Delicious. Very enjoyable. I can only speak about their carry out, however.
(4)Sana J.
This place has THE best drunken noodles! I've had this dish from a number of other restaurants around the DMV area - and this place wins on that dish alone. We also had the pad thai which was not that good but the drunken noodles totally make up for it. We also tried the Thai Ice Tea, which was fantastic, and the curry chicken puffs appetizer which we loved, too. I would definitely go here again, if for nothing else than the drunken noodles.
(4)Kat L.
Ordered take out here ONCE using Livingsocial's takeout. All I can say is that I will never be ordering from here again. My order consisted of a green curry with rice and wings that were supposed to be stuffed with crabmeat. Upon arriving home, I discovered that the 'wings' consisted of just TWO tiny, shriveled up chicken wings with no crabmeat to be found. Really? This is what you guys are selling for $8? The thai curry was in a tiny little plastic container and the rice was in one of the small chinese carryout containers even though I had ordered a large. Their portions are riciulously small and Tara Thai is making it wayyyy too obvious that they are trying to cheat their customers.
(1)Lauren L.
This place has terrible customer service! I placed an order for delivery, and apparently the drivers don't knock on doors. I wasn't paying attention to my phone, and saw I had missed calls, so I called the restaurant. They said the driver had come to deliver the order, but nobody ever knocked on my door. They apparently don't knock on doors. A man, who I believe is a manager, said we'd have to wait an hour for the driver to come back and deliver our food. At that point the food would have been sitting in the car for an hour and a half. I said I didn't want food that had been in a car for over an hour, and asked for them to cancel the order. He was very reluctant to cancel the order and give me my money back. After arguing with him, I went to the restaurant and picked up the order. I never received any apology. Never going here again!
(1)Marian P.
I ate here Wednesday, May 7, 2013, a day that will live in infamy. Sorry, I had to say it. Okay, so no more kidding around. The food at this Tara Thai location is just a step below carry out Chinese food. I really mean it, I can get better food at Benny's or Danny's Carry Out. First off, it took about 20 minutes for the waitress to notice me. Then I asked about the heavenly wings, which are anything but heavenly. The waitress had a hard time describing them. Honestly, I should have suspected something but like an idiot I ordered them anyway. The wings are supposed to be stuffed with crabmeat. The so called crabmeat tasted like tuna. They were disgusting! For the an entrée, I got the deep sea, 2 shrimps, 2 scallops and maybe 4 mussels and absolutely NO TASTE! The best thing about the meal was the coffee I ordered. The atmosphere here is austere, it's almost as though the restaurant wasn't quite finished or they ran out of money for decorations. Oh, and the hostess still had her high school uniform on, I mean, really? I think this location needs Willy Diegal from Restaurant Stakout. Anyway, that's it, don't eat here unless you have no taste buds whatsoever or if you really have no clue how Thai food is supposed to taste.
(1)Lynn F.
So far I've tried two dishes...the drunken noodles with chicken (very spicy!) and the see ean saw idk something like that, basically it's wide noodles and your choice of meat in a brown sauce. DELISH! The food here is great.
(4)Caroline B.
First, the good. Service from the waitress was outstanding. Not to be mistaken for service from the hostess who I think was having a bad night/life. I must have gotten lucky considering the other reviews that harped on this aspect of dining. My waitress was attentive without being intrusive and genuinely nice. A rarity folks. I'll try to find my receipt and find her name so you can ask for her by name. The bad. It wasn't horrible, but I expected way better Thai food. I'm critical of Asian cuisine because being Asian, I can tell you that staple Asian food (especially Westernized versions) are not hard to prepare. I don't understand how and why you would mess with something that works. Fried tofu appetizer and shrimp bikinis were okay. No seasoning-not even salt or pepper. Thank goodness for the dipping sauce. Hot from the fryer though. Panang curry with chicken was horrible. Why flood the curry base with ground peanuts? It was not spicy at all and all I could taste was peanuts and sweetness. Beef salad was probably the worst. When I took the first bite I looked around to see if I was taking part in a practical joke. The whole dish was covered in granular white pepper. I couldn't even eat it. And I'm pretty forgiving when I'm starving. I'm really disappointed because I've yet to find a Thai restaurant near me that can give me simple, uncomplicated Thai food. I'm almost tempted to say that I would trade awesome service for great Thai food. And I would throw in the nice decor found there to sweeten the deal.
(2)Erin L.
We ordered the fish, it was just so-so.
(3)Lynne W.
This Tara Thai definitely needs help. The first time it was just ok, food was good and service was fine. Kind of smallish and not much ambiance. We decided to give it another chance a few months later. BIG MISTAKE. Horrible service (apparently someone didn't show up so the manager was acting as a server-"Acting" being the key word, "cause he definitely does not know what service is). It took almost an hour to be served anything. I still don't understand why we stayed. And it was Mother's Day, too! Lot's of apologies, and a reduced bill do not make for a great dining experience. We will not be returning. It's just not worth it. Manage the restaurant properly and treat customers like you appreciate our patronage!
(2)Emily M.
I'm happy to know that this place is just around the corner from my house. The food (we had Pad Thai, Panang Curry, Chicken Satay and Bean Curd Triangles) was solidly good, though we skipped a few of the mussles in our curry because they weren't open. The restaurant was lively and fairly full, and the staff was efficient and quick to bring our food. It seems like this restaurant attracts a variety of customers - families, young couples and groups of friends were all there. And the prices were reasonable - $50 for dinner for two with appetizers and drinks. My only complaint was the layout, which is just one big room with no separation of areas that gives it a cafeteria vibe. But that won't prevent me from going back.
(4)Colin P.
Excited to try this new Thai place in Hyattsville, across the street from Busboys & Poets. It was fine, but I'm afraid I probably won't be rushing to return. Decor is nouveau shower stall -- a noble attempt at creative design, but mostly just one large open room. Sitting in the middle I found the lighting too dim - my wife and I both struggled to read the menu. The waitperson was Thai (good!), but didn't really know what he was doing. Like the decor, the food seemed to have more attention to presentation than to content. We mostly tried some Thai staples for purposes of comparison. My wife's Tom Kha Gai soup came in a very distinctive lopsided bowl, but the soup itself was bland. Her Pad Thai was also ok, but on the bland side. I tried the Papaya Salad, which was very tasty, though a bit too spicy -- I generally really like spicy foods, but this one was a bit too much for me. The Panang Curry w/ seafood had a tasty sauce, but was a bit of a disappointment. Not as good as the panang curry that I get from our other nearby Thai place on Greenbelt Rd, where it's my favorite dish. Overall verdict: not bad, but could try harder on food. Presentation isn't everything.
(3)Lisa A.
I've only been here once, so take this as you will. Went in a little after 3pm (dinner menu), ordered the lad na (noodles with gravy). It was ok, but there was none of the char I like with my rice noodles. They did bring out the rack of spice jars when I asked for it. The price seemed steep for the size. Maybe I'll try it again for lunch.
(3)Andrea S.
The food is okay here, but it's not the best Pad Thai I've ever had. The room gets LOUD when the place fills up. I'll stop back in when I'm in the neighborhood and in the mood for Thai, but it's not a place I'd go out of the way for.
(3)Mikel B.
nice to have Thai in the area. The pad thai was delicious.
(5)mike s.
I just ordered here once, and the food was okay; nothing out of this world, phenomenal, a revelation of asian cuisine. I got some chicken curry dish and felt they skimped on the entree portion and overcompensated with a sea of rice.
(3)Bradley H.
Good Thai in Hyattsville! I see that folks have complained about the service, but the wait staff seemed quite competent during my visit. The food is quite tasty - certainly not the best Thai ever, but good enough. I'll be back.
(4)Elizabeth K.
The food was delicious, but it took almost two hours from getting our table to getting our food--totally unacceptable. No one ever explained or even apologized. We asked to speak to the manager, and the manager never came over. Just a badly run restaurant.
(2)Charlena B.
Luckily, we went Friday straight from work else we would have been waiting. Started with the Tropical Treasure will not order that again. Curry Puff app was good especially the cucumber relish although not really enough to share. We enjoyed the Poo-Goong OB Woonsen and Chicken Pad See Eaw. Although the meal was good we'll order takeout next time because service needs improvement.
(3)Pacha P.
The food is pretty good, but I was rather disappointed that it was sort-of bland, even with 3 chili peppers next to the items on the menu. Guess next time I'l ask for it to be prepared extra-spicy. The mango with sticky rice dessert was quite nice, and the way it was arranged on the plate was beautiful. I DID love the Thai iced tea; don't know how authentic it is, but it is super-strong, super-sweet, and very good with it's topping of half-and-half. My server was very attentive but not overbearing. As long as you realize you ARE at a chain restaurant and adjust your expectations accordingly, you can have a decent meal here.
(3)R S.
Good food... Massaman curry beef was glorious... others were fine. Interior minimal modern clean.
(4)Sandra W.
Tara Thai is the kind of place that I genuinely want to like. It's located in Hyattsville in the slightly less rundown section of town that we're so desperately trying to call an "arts district." The food seems interesting at first glance: lots of colors and smells the second you walk in the door. The staff seems earnest and eager to please. Unfortunately, the experience of actually eating the food is pretty unsatisfying from the first bite to the last. Seating is minimal. There are three four-top booths and eight or nine tables that can be pushed together if necessary. The restaurant is somewhat clean, but could be a whole lot cleaner. For example, I don't expect my menu to be hermetically sealed prior to my arrival, but my fingers shouldn't be sticky with previous patrons' food (and goodness knows what else) after I place my order. I ordered the Pad Pik Sod (chicken with peppers, onions, and green onions) and my two friends ordered the eggplant with vegetable fried rice and the Siamese Beef. We passed our dishes around the table so each of us could try everything. The vegetable fried rice was the best part of the meal. It wasn't the typical Chinese takeout-style fried rice, with tiny, overcooked veggies that get lost among the oily rice. These vegetables (halved cherry tomatoes, cucumber slices, and cabbage) were cut large and sauteed very lightly, which allowed them to retain their crispness and flavor. Sadly, that's where the praise ends. The Siamese Beef dish was surprisingly boring. The eggplant was . . . eggplant. My chicken dish was extremely bland and hardly contained any onions or peppers. I'm an old-fashioned meat-and-potatoes girl who also happens to love vegetables of all kinds, but when the chicken in my meal ain't right, nothing is right. The portions were pretty bare-bones: barely a cup-and-a-half of food per entree, not including the cup of fairly respectable sticky rice. We asked for a spice tray, which was interesting, but contained nothing that couldn't be found at your local Panda Express. Tara Thai strikes me as the kind of restaurant that would work much better as a strictly takeout/delivery place. The table service adds a level of expectation that Tara Thai simply isn't able to fulfill. I wouldn't return by choice in the future, but if my work friends insist, I'll tag along, stick to the veggies, and yearn for the Chipotle two doors down.
(2)Neha A.
#Wrong order! #Veg food with meat and egg! # slow service even though we were the only people in the restaurant! Even though we mentioned so clearly that being vegetarians, NO MEAT NO FISH NO SEAFOOD NOTHING THAT MOVES CAN BE IN OUR FOOD, they came with a tofu dish containing oyster sauce Pineapple rice which was under the "Marked Vegetarian" came with Egg after giving them 2 reminders that we want the rice with NO EGG. The person who took the order did not even come out to apologise.. they simply took the food back and never returned with the right dish. Although they did not charge us for the dish, which was obvious, they weren't as courteous. As if this is a regular for them. I do not recommend this place to anyone. The food doesn't taste great too. No wonder this place had bad reviews.
(1)Sara M.
Very mediocre Thai food. I ordered out of convenience because they delivered via GrubHub, but I'm not sure if I would order again. None of my food was even a little bit spicy, even though the menu indicated spicy items. Next time I would make sure to specify "hot." Panang Curry with chicken was the best part of my order, but it was not spicy at all. Satay chicken was good and it came with a tangy sauce. The lettuce was really gross in the Larb Gai Salad and it had a weird smell. I put the curry sauce on the meat to make it edible. Mango sticky rice was typical, and the mango was fresh. If I ordered again, I'd get the Panang Curry and mango sticky rice but definitely avoid the salad.
(2)Amber J.
I really won't be returning. I tried this place on a Sunday. Service was slow and no one was around to greet us. Spring rolls were bland and under cooked. I ordered tofu panang and I only ate the rice and sauce. The tofu was rubbery and gross. The chicken panang was ordered by my date and he described it as "boring".
(1)Jessica R.
This has been my third time here, and I think it will be my last. My most recent visit was with my family for a weekend lunch. The waitress was very short with us and not very friendly. I asked her to bring us a couple of napkins and she literally only brought us two. We also had to wait a long time for water refills. I ordered the hoi pik pow which was mussels sautéed with basil and chili paste. I told the waitress that I love spicy food and if they could make it a bit hotter. However, when I tasted the mussels they were pretty bland and nowhere near spicy. I've been to the Gaithersburg/Rio location 20+ times and always received excellent service, so I know this Tara Thai could be a lot better.
(2)Shannon D.
First Thai place since recently moving here. I ordered veggie pad thai, tom ka hed soup and thai tea. Portion of the pad thai was definitely a good size. It lasted me three meals which definitely is nice with my busy schedule. I liked the spice level on my pad thai and I did ask for spicy. The thai tea was definitely amazing as well as the soup. The tom ka hed soup was so tasteful and creamy. Definitely recommend it if you're wanting a good vegetable soup. The only reason I'm giving them 4 stars is because I asked for all veggie + egg in my pad thai but once I got home and started eating I noticed meat. Not sure if it was chicken or pork but since I do eat meat (tho I like the veggies way more in my pad thai) it didn't totally kill my entree. But for anyone that is purely a vegetarian or vegan I'm sure would have been really upset with this place. So just beware if you are a vegetarian. Overall, for me I probably will go back because it's close spice level and portion size. Thanks!
(4)Vicki L.
Ugh. My DH likes them, so we order from this place a lot. But I really don't think they're very good. I usually get green curry with tofu (sometimes chicken) or pad thai. The pad thai is...whatever. Like a thousand other chain pad thais. It's edible, it tastes fine, but it's not great. If you haven't had good Thai food recently, you'll eat it and be fine with it. If you have, you're like - why is it so sweet? I never finish a container of it - in part cause it's a large serving, but also cause I just get tired of it after a few bites. The green curry is hit or miss between decent and bad. I've never had good green curry there. Sometimes it's really spicy, sometimes it's not at all spicy. Sometimes it's hot, sometimes it's cold. Sometimes it's as thin as water. I would say that most frequently, it's way too thin and not nearly spicy enough. Chicken is usually fairly dry, and when I remember that, I get the tofu. Then I complain cause they're stingy with the tofu and it's also mediocre (but better than the chicken). All in all, I will only order from this place if it is late, I don't feel like cooking, and I can't talk DH into anything else.
(2)Rita R.
Food is average, but Thai Iced Teas are great! Quick place to pick up food while on study breaks
(3)Jonathan E.
Service was awful! Absolutely horrendous. I'm always patient and understanding because waiters have a very difficult job and they deal with rude people all the time. I always thank the waiter and let their manager know that they were amazing BUT in all my life this is the worst service ever. We ordered food and waited 50 minutes for the first plate to come out. The restaurant wasn't even busy there was four waiters just siting at the bar. They didn't even offer water or anything until right before the food came out. When they finally brought out the food they brought out only two plates and then took another 30 minutes to bring the rest out and they were super rude. When we got our bill they added 20% gratuity and for extremely rude and bad service. Several of us demanded that the 20% be reduced. We agreed to pay and leave tip just not that high. It quickly escalated and the manager said, "Get the f*** out and stop b******* you probably need the money more than us so just shut up and leave." I was appalled. Absolutely rude service. Never in my life had I experienced this! I hate do this generally all my review are positive.
(1)Diem N.
The foods and customer services is not meet or compare to other Tara Thai in Rockville or in VA. I always order the same stuffs every time I go to Tara Thai or Tara Asia, but this place the cost is more but quality is less greatness and less fresh. I come in at 10:30am on a Tuesday and it isn't busy but they take long enough to come get my order and taste of each item is not same as other place. Therefore, the coconut Custard is burn and very bitter and I told the waiter, he said ok. Then he bring back a same pie and said he have cut out the burn part and pack in a to go box for me. So my pie is still left with topping burn and little piece of it. I love Tara Thai foods but I don't recommend my friends this one in Beltville. Tara Thai Rockville is much better.
(1)pomona k.
1 hour and 30 minutes (to the minute! And yes I timed it) for 3 1/2 mile delivery with $4 delivery charge? Unacceptable. It's not like the food is worth the wait or the price, but I tried Tara Thai for the third (and final!) time because it's one of few restaurants that deliver in my area. I am so done. I would rather eat cheap Chinese than try this overpriced and slow-delivery restaurant.
(1)Polly G.
We used to come here ALL the time. Sometimes we dinned in sometimes we ordered and picked it up. We really enjoyed eating here. I don't know what happened but there have been some pretty major changes for the worse. For one, they have severely downgraded the portion size. The to go container is completely new and only 3/4 of the size of the original and they don't fill it like they used to. Also the food is very bland. They used to be really good with the spice and we specifically order it very very spicy, but they don't like to use peppers and just generally the food doens't have the same flavors it used to. It's a shame because we really liked this place. Must be a new chef but I don't think he choses the portion size, not sure. Anyway, we've tried a couple times since the change but we wont be going back. Such a shame.
(1)Sheri M.
This place is lifeless. The food is fine. The atmosphere is BORING. I would not bring clients or friends here for anything special. If you are listening TT owners, please make your space more inviting. It is cold and has no cultural appeal. Even the Indian place a few doors down, which is meant to be fast, feels more inviting. Consider Thai realia, warmer fabrics, intimate spaces for small groups, etc. Maybe even a Thai dance performance once in a while. When you are across the street from Busboys you need to step it up a notch! Right now, the place is just meh. Note: I contacted the restaurant in the hopes that they will posts their Yelp reviews. I want this business to succeed, but if they don't it's really their own fault.
(2)Constance Xinyi W.
I ended up taking out chipotle next door. Do not order Gaeng Ped Yang Curry or Tom Klong Goong Soup. Really weird flavor
(1)Kiovan W.
Very good food at cheap price. Workers are very nice and food doesn't take long to come out after ordering. Would have given 5 stars but Resturant climate is very boring. Although, a very good place to sit, eat, relax, & clear your mind.
(4)Nitesh C.
I just love to eat here. My favourite is the wild lamb and prawn roll. You can also try kapao chicken. The ambience is food and also the location of this restaurant.
(5)H B.
I went to Tara Thai for the first time a little over a year ago--the food was decent enough that I went back a few more times thanks to their vegetarian options. Tonight I ordered the Pad thai Jae, the spring rolls and the veggie fried rice. It was....horrible. I'm not the kind of person to blast an establishment (first review, actually) but I really can't describe how bad the food was. The spring rolls were bland and soggy with almost no filling. The veggie fried was was mushy and tasteless--and the vegetables tasted old. The worst by far was the pad thai jae, which had this overwhelmingly sour taste--I think it may have been spoiled. Had I been in the restaurant I would have sent it back, but as it was delivery...womp womp. Really sad--it was seriously disgusting.
(1)Cecily G.
The service is excellent, but the food is pretty average. My meal was fine, but I wasn't left with a craving for more food at the end of my dinner. I ordered the seafood fried rice. It does seem like it would be a decent place to grab an appetizer and drinks as their drink menu is fairly extensive and reasonably priced. Otherwise, it wasn't anything special, but if you are hungry it will get the job done.
(3)Greg S.
I really thought I had received the wrong order when I got home. This was my first time at any Tara Thai and I will not be going back again unless someone I know and trust can vouch for better food at a different location. It used to be my Friday night ritual to order or go in to dine at a Thai restaurant. I have had only the best food and service at various Thai restaurants. Not here. I have had better Chinese delivery food in NYC than from this joint. I ordered the crispy duck which was not appealing or inviting in the way it was plated. It was about an appetizer portion of duck plopped on a bed of crispy noodles with some ginger on the side and a small container of sauce. The ginger was the best thing on the plate. Had it not been for the sauce, I would not have been able to eat the entree which was bland and totally flavorLESS. No flavor at all. How the heck do you make a dish with no flavor, especially at a Thai joint?
(1)Randelle R.
The Tara Thai in Hyattsville is the epitome of poor customer service. The only reason I think this establishment is able to survive is due to overflow from the other much better restaurants (Busboys, Franklin's...hell, even Spice 6). Their mediocre Thai food does not save them from shoddy service. For example: one evening I ordered and paid for my food online, which according to the website would take 30 minutes to prepare. Given that I only live one block away, I even decided to give them extra time to make my order. I left my house 25 minutes after I ordered, then walked my dog for an additional 15 minutes, after which I tied my dog to a tree outside, thinking that I would be in and out in less than a minute. It was a pretty cold night. When I went in to pick up my food, the hostess insisted I didn't order...even though as I was showing her from the email confirmation I had paid $30+ nearly an hour ago. She continued to argue that I must have ordered from a different Tara Thai. I explained that it made no sense for me to do so, as I lived one block away. Eventually, she went to get the manager, who also claimed I did not order at that location. Perhaps ten minutes of waiting and arguing go by, as I constantly remind them that my dog is waiting outside, they come up with the bright idea to "check the printer in the manager's office." Lo and behold, my order is there along with some others. They swiftly proclaim that it is "Eat24's fault" and not theirs since online orders are handled in that manner. I rumbled back that if they intend to have online ordering, they need to have a system to ensure that it works. They suggested to me, "next time you should call your order in." After all of this malarkey, and more than an hour with no food, I say that they should give me something in return to make up for my bad experience. The manager exclaims that "he cannot do that." I said, for what they've put me through, they could at least give me a beer (which I know a draft beer's actual worth since I worked in the restaurant industry previously) or even an egg roll for my trouble. He refused. I then asked for a discount, and something to drink while I sat and waited for my order outside with the dog. He refused, and responded, perhaps jokingly, that he could give me some of the candy coated courtesy mints that were available to all bar patrons. I angrily told him that the only reason I did not cancel my order at that point was that I prepaid. I also told him as a person who lived in the neighborhood, so close to his restaurant, that I would NEVER order from them again and that I would tell EVERY PERSON I encountered that Tara Thai Hyattsville is a horrible establishment. So once again Tara Thai Hyattsville: f*ck you and your poor service. For anyone reading this review, you have been warned: dine in, carry out or delivery, Tara Thai is terrible!
(1)J Ryan R.
I'm a fan of this place. The food is good and the servings are generous. I've ordered the wild lamb, the ginger chicken and pad thai. All were great! My favorite of the three is the Wild Lamb. The chili sauce is pretty damn good
(4)michelle m.
I wish I could give a positive review, but I don't recommend ordering from Tara Thai. On multiple occasions we had to cancel orders because the delivery estimate was well over an hour. Hoping that tonight would be different we gave them another chance-- it wasn't. We placed our order through the Tara Thai website at 7:25 and it didn't arrive until 8:55pm. After waiting for more than an hour I called to find out where our food was. At first the young woman said the food had already left with the driver, but then she said it was leaving in five minutes because they were waiting for another order before sending our food. I had to call about 20 minutes later because the order still hadn't arrived and this time was told by that we were not the only people waiting for food and there were a lot of orders tonight. I asked if I could cancel the order and she said no. I asked if they were going to offer a refund or at least a discount and she said no. I told her this is the last time we would be ordering from Tara Thai. I understand things happen, restaurants get busy, and orders may take longer to arrive than anticipated. In this situation the terrible customer service we received is the reason we won't be going to Tara Thai anymore.
(1)Asaf B.
We come here a lot and having Kopho chicken and dranken noddles is vary good, I love Singha beer too, nice place, nice Service, not bad bill too!
(4)Candice W.
If you are white and love being catered to, this is the perfect place to come!!! Welp, I am not, so service was horrible. First, me & my mother watched the server religiously fill glasses of water for white patrons while never once refilling any of the brown patrons glasses. Then, when I asked for a refill, the server gave us attitude, like we were interrupting her. Um, really?? Second, we sat so long waiting to pay the bill that I called the restaurant on my cell phone, FROM MY TABLE, to get a server to over. I noticed that "certain" patrons never had that problem. I felt like it 1964 and I was sitting at a lunch counter in Alabama. The next time I EVER set foot in this restaurant, it will be on ice skates....because that'll be the day that hell freezes over. I'm mad I had to give this place even 1 star. Oh yeah, the food is decent but I'll never be hungry enough to eat there again.
(1)Sara A.
I came in on a gorgeous Sunday evening. This place was empty while everything else nearby was packed. I really wanted some mango sticky rice so I decided to try it out. The portion size was ridiculous. It was 3 bites of food for $5 or $6. The mango was tiny and the rice was the size of a walnut.
(1)Truely T.
If I could give zero stars I would. I ordered drunken noodles that tasted like goulash... And on top of that, the service was also poor. Never again!
(1)Val F.
Waste of money for lousy, sickening food. We've tried this restaurant a few times since it moved in several years ago, and we are ALWAYS disappointed. The food isn't good at all, and clearly isn't fresh (fresh food doesn't make you sick). It's over priced for the quality you are getting. And at least one member of our party inevitably doesn't feel good after eating it. Tonight was no different. We ordered two soups -- one vegetarian, one with chicken. The vegetarian soup is LITERALLY just broth... no vegetables in sight even though they are listed; the soup with chicken had ONE piece of chicken in it... and still no vegetables in sight. So we apparently only paid for broth. AND 30 minutes later, both of us feel sick to the stomach. Reminded us why the last time we ate here was maybe 8 months ago. Still just as bad. Still a waste of money. Still stomach ache inducing. There are better places to try. (p.s. I always ask for no MSG, and that also doesn't happen... just avoid this place. It's horrible.)
(1)Paris K.
I Absolutely Love Tara Tai!! I always order for pick up. The food is ready quick and exactly how i like it. I order the ginger chicken and add cashews. I also love the appetizers. The springrolls and bikini shrimp yummm! Me and my staff love them.
(5)Kevin S.
I got takeout at Tara Thai which is right next to Jimmy John's and Busboys. Not only is this place over priced but the portion sizes and quality were laughable. I paid 14 dollars for the honey roasted duck which came with 4 dry and flavorless pieces that were microwaved so it was neither honey nor roasted. I paid 5 dollars for the sticky mango rice which actually had more mango than the rice, about two spoonfuls. Also they told me it would be ready in 15 minutes and when I got the 30 minutes later I was still waiting. Never again. Stay far far far away.
(1)Travis S.
I have heard ok reviews from this place. I was eying busboys but my colleagues wanted thai. I decided to give it a shot. The place was empty but clean. I didn't understand why it took ten minutes to order if we were the only people but things happen. I ordered shrimp rice with spring rolls. My food was mediocre but the bill was 75.00. I decided to leave a nice tip because the waiter tried but customer service makes businesses.
(3)Bonita B.
This was my 2nd visit since they opened, the workers were still nice...the spring rolls and shrimp cakes were YUMMY. The shrimp stir fry rice -- there was a HUGE helping of rice and minimal shrimp -- we won't order this dish again. I appreciate them offering gluten-free options. Recommendation: 1) During the slow times, keep tables, seats, and floors clean. Our table (side by the windows) was dusty with some crumbs on it. 2) Less rice OR more shrimp with the shrimp fried rice.
(4)D. S. N.
My wife and I have become regulars here. The ingredients have always been quite fresh, the staff has been unfailingly polite, and they've always been happy to modify the dishes to fit our requests. In Montgomery County one can find some better Thai restaurants, but this is the best one anywhere in PG County. It's much better, for example, than a place up in Greenbelt that we used to frequent.
(5)Nichcole A.
My boyfriend and I were out looking for something different in the College Park- Hyattsville area and we discovered Tara Thai. The food was great and the Siamese Beef was to die for. Everything from the appetizers to the entree was extra delicious and not to forget some great Saki.
(4)Kelly G.
So. I used a day of annual leave. I took it because whenever I fly back from the West Coast, I feel like there is a Wyle E. Coyote anvil sitting on my head the following day. Eventhough I got enough sleep and eventhough I didn't drink wine the whole way back like I usually do, I went through with it and burned the day of annual. By lunchtime, I decided to try to get the dam Thai food that I never could while I was out in CA. So. I hit up the nearby Tara Thai. The food shown in my photos is lunch. And those are lunch prices quoted in the captions. The food was good. I did not have the Simret or the Timir experience but I was quite certain I was not in Phuket. This Thai food is way way Americanized and the chefs or owners or somebody in their management chain thinks they can fool us with weird changes and that we'll just accept it and eat it and pay our good money for it. Fortunately that did not happen with my pad thai shrimp nor the tom young goong. I enjoyed them and the experience. But while I was there, I did witness a couple walking out on the whole experience. I do not get that and I could not hear *everything* that was going on but it did not seem like a happy camper experience. Mine was. I'm a fan of lunch at Tara Thai and will go again. 09/17/12 lunch.
(4)Tiffany H.
I wondered how long it was going to take before Tara Thai Hyattsville went the way of Tara Thai Rockville and Gaithersburg and it's official....Hyattsville is just as bad. Service is mediocre and the food (pad prik khing) was bland and watery. I'm done.
(1)Sam M.
Seems to be a lot of hate for this place, but I'm a big fan. Nothing particularly mind blowing, but it is the best delivery option in my neck of the woods. I always get one of the beef dishes. I've ordered delivery from here about 15 times and only had an issue once when the food was abnormally spicy-hot and totally inedible anyone but a spice-masochist.
(4)Elizabeth L.
Tara thai isn't life-altering thai food by any means, but it IS good. I liked to order from them whenever I was in the mood for thai but too lazy to put pants on and drive there...until the time I ordered their veggie pad thai. I am not a high-maintenance vegetarian. Sometimes a piece of meat will slip in to a dish and whatever, I'll just pick it out and feed it to one of my carnivorous friends. No big deal. What I can't wrap my head around is why they put loads of little pink porky pieces in ALL of their pad thai- even the veggie one- without advertising it on their menu? That's kinda sketchy, Tara. Not everyone enjoys surprise pork bits in their food. No thanks.
(3)Timir D.
I'm sorry to say that this location is not as good as the other Tara Thai restaurants that I have been to. Service: I had been there once before for dinner and it was crowded so I had chalked up the poor service to their inability to handle the crowd. This time we went for lunch and were maybe one of five occupied tables. Although the service was pleasant, they were not attentive enough, and had to be reminded that we asked for water with no ice. Food: The spring rolls were mediocre, similar to what can be bought in the frozen section of an Asian supermarket. The Num Tok although tasty did not have freshly cooked beef. The Pad Pik King Jae was overloaded with ginger and salt, that was all that you could taste. There was no curry flavor or carrots as the menu had described. The Beef Kapow which is one of my favorite dishes from the Tara Thai in Bethesda was basically unsafe to eat. It lacked any serious flavor and also had been cooked from meat which had been sliced atleast 3 days ago. The meat tasted like it was rotting, and when I complained initially I was told that the meat was delivered fresh every day and that a minute in the microwave would make it taste fine. I didn't buy this story and I told them to take it off the bill and they complied with minimal resistance. I had high hopes for this location. It would take a lot for me to be convinced to return.
(2)Carolyn M.
I don't know how the various Tara Thai's are related, but this is one of the bad ones. I've been to other Tara Thai's that have a much more extensive menu and better food/service. The food is adequate Thai food - nothing special about any of it. Most the servers do not appear to be happy to have customers - go figure. I've found some other Thai restaurants nearby so I'll probably just go them from now.
(2)Tt Y.
I have been going to this place for almost 2 years on the regular basis, NOT because Tara Thai is good, just because I love Thai food and there are not many options in the neighborhood. Overall, this place is absolutely HORRIBLE! The food is over priced. The service is terrible. I decided not to go back again from now on, especially after what happened a couple of weeks ago. It was a Sunday. I did not feel like going out to eat, so I called Tara Thai to order delivery The girl who took my order said it would take 45min - 1 hr for delivery. I asked her "are you sure it will only take up to 1hr" she said "yes". The reason i asked that was if it takes over 1 hr, i will just go to pick it up. Anyway, my order was placed at 6:28pm. I did not get my food at 7:30pm, so i called. The same girl who took my order said my delivery was on the way and should be at my place within 10-15 mins. Ok, Fine. I waited patiently, even i was starving already. 8pm: i still did not get my food, so I called again and was told the same thing. Then I asked to speak with the manager, she said the manager was there and she will call the delivery guy to check. 8:30pm: I was already pissed and starving. I decided to just stop by 7-11 to grab something. On my way to 7-11, i called again. They said its on the way. 9:00pm: I called again, because i have not seen my food..guess what they just refunded me and never delivered anything to me. i was glad i went to 7-11 to grab something, otherwise, i would be starving all night long. I told them to have the manager call me next day or whenever she came in..oh well, never got a call from them. Your horrible service will eventually ruin your business. I will NEVER go back again and you just lost a loyal customer and all of my friends are not going EITHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(1)Paula M.
I just had seafood madness and my friend had vegetable fried rice and an entree of pork in green curry sauce with basil, yum yum. Food great, staff friendly, price affordable. I just don't like bagging my own leftovers however. Made me short the tip by a dollar.
(4)Chuq Y.
I've driven by this place a bunch, and never went in until last night. I figured, yeah, I've been to other Tara Thai restaurants, so how can this be different? It's not that much different. The food isn't bad. We had the Golden Triangles which actually were pretty filling and tasty. We also got the Tom Ka Gai (coconut milk and chicken soup). The chicken seemed a little overcooked, but I don't think I've had it any differently, so I was fine with it. Entrees were veggie Kee Mao Goong Gai (essentially drunken noodles) and Pad Pik King. The Kee Mao Goong Gai was spot on. Not too greasy and just enough of the smoky flavor that you expect in that dish. If you ask for it spicy, they will bring it out with both sliced green chiles and sliced red chiles, so be prepared. If you want to know what to get, it seems like you can't go wrong with the Mee Mao Goong Gai. The Pad Pik King was satisfactory at best. I got pork, and like the chicken in the Tom Ka Gai, it seemed overcooked. My GF in fact thought it was the same chicken as in the soup. Nothing spectacular about it. It wasn't even 2 peppers spicy like it says it is. I asked for hot sauce or chiles and they brought out a condiment tray with 3 ramekins on: one was crushed red pepper (mix of what looked like cayenne, and crushed red pepper), another was vinegar and sliced green chiles, and the last was awesome. It was fish sauce with sliced red chiles. If you are not happy with a meal, and can deal with spicy, try asking for the pepper tray. The service here was the real loser. They were certainly helpful, and kind, but man, they weren't attentive at all. After we were done with our meal, we had to wait about 10 minutes to get the check, and then another eternity for them to come back with change. There were MAYBE 12 guest in there including the two of us. As far as the decor, the place is very modern. I don't get why there are the really crazy lights on the ceiling. The ones that hang over the tables around the outside are pretty cool. I really like those. Also, they played 80s music the whole time. I love the 80s too. One question that my GF asked was...why don't they have any tables that are for a party that is not 4 people? They don't have any that are pre-setup for 6 or 8 or even 2. Odd huh?
(3)Kate S.
Tara Thai is like thai food out of a box. It's fine, but nothing amazing. That said, my most recent experience was definitely the best of the three times I've dined there. The first time I had larb gai salad and it was very boring, but this time I ordered papaya salad to start and then veggie and tofu green curry with brown rice. I enjoyed the papaya and curry, but the tofu in the curry was kind of gross and I left it on my plate. It was fried but kind of watery and didn't taste like much. My dining partner had the curry puffs and red curry with chicken and was surprised to find that the latter only had chicken, and no vegetables at all. It probably would have been better with a few carefully selected additional ingredients. The service was alright--our waitress seemed to be new, unsure of what she was doing, and not all that comfortable with English. For example, we asked for a spicy sauce with the curry puffs, to which she nodded enthusiastically, but she didn't bring anything spicy when the appetizer came. It was okay, and we didn't push it further, but it would have been nice. I'll probably go back, if only because I live in College Park and there aren't many Thai options around here (and Thai is my favorite type of cuisine these days!).
(3)Tim T.
Food is decent, albeit portions have at times been very skimpy. But delivery service always takes an hour or more. Last time was 1 hour 45 minutes.
(2)Wil W.
I normally have them deliver, but decided to get out of the house this time. I just made it before kitchen close time. They have a small variety of vegetarian items for me to choose from, so it didn't take long to decide. The gentleman that waited on me was very courteous. That always makes for a nice dining experience. The only thing I wasn't keen on was the fact that they started mopping the floor before I finished dinner and it wasn't 10pm yet. Regardless, I will dine there again, just earlier in the evening.
(3)Agnes E.
This review is based on the delivery and takeout. Before i knew the location was literally down the street i use to order from them. Their food in my opinion is really good. The freshness, the taste the portion are all exceptional. As I was passing by one night i saw the location and decided to go in and carryout. That process however wasn't so smooth The staff was young and had their DVD player at the bar and i had to wait to get their attention. After i did, i placed my order and she went right back to the movie i had to ask for my receipt, my total, wait time, etc. They are a little stingy with the shrimp in the fried rice. My boyfriend had a couple of pieces for a big portion of rice. I love the colors and the ambiance of the place but i didn't dine-in to judge the wait staff or the cleanliness. The staff being young were as attentive and were more intrested in their movie but that doesn't take away from the chef and the food that was prepared. I like this place. If they work out a few kinks it would be phenomenal.
(4)Katiana A.
My husband and I ordered food to go. He ordered the wild lamb and I ordered the pad thai. The wild lamb was pretty good, though the portion was on the small side. The pad thai was dry, with mostly all noodles some clumped together. There was not nearly enough eggs, peanuts, bean sprouts. I won't be back.
(2)Simret Z.
Forgive me, you must have misunderstood. I asked for Penang Curry with chicken - not shoe leather swimming in Red Kool Aid.. And - hold on - is that - did you - Motherfucker, is that cabbage and crudites in My Pad Thai?!?
(2)Ayesha E.
The first time I had the pad thai and drunken noodles, it was ok. The second time I was uhmm not so good. However, this last time that I had the pad thai it tasted sour. I can actually make better pad thai in my own kitchen! Never again!
(1)Jarrod C.
In comparison to other Thai restaurants that I've experienced (to be Yelped in the near future) this is the worst one to date. The atmosphere resembled that of a sit-down burger establishment with nothing really standing out or flaunting the heritage of Thailand. Some may think that's ok, but personally I prefer a more traditional experience. The service was slow and frigid. If it weren't for the customers I seriously doubt there would be any personality in there at all! Digressing... FOOD ORDERED: Heavenly wings (appetizer) Satay (appetizer) Roasted duck (entree) Green curry (entree) DO NOT ORDER THE HEAVENLY WINGS! It's merely a batter dipped chicken leg stuffed with crab meat. Sadly, this appetizer possessed no taste of chicken and I'm still questioning if they mixed the crab meat stuffing with 90% Stove Top stuffing! Trust me, it's not good. My buddy ate the Satay with no complaints. However, his roasted duck could have used some work - - and when I say 'work' I mean juiciness. It was dry and tasteless...just like the servers! I ordered the Green curry, which was not all that bad. I'm a spicy lover and they definitely delivered the spicy component so I would definitely recommend it to all you heat seekers! I would go back only to try out some other dishes, but not too often and not with the anticipation that they've renovated the atmosphere OR the servers!
(2)Maggie M.
Placed my order on Livingsocial, which was easy and I could pre-pay. However, after my last botched order where I left a tip before picking up, I won't be doing that again. Arrived on time and my food was ready. Easy peasy. Of course, it was early and there were no customers. My order (Pad Thai) was underwhelming. Not even as good as my homemade version. It was bland and the red tofu chunk things are gross. I will stick with the Drunken Noodles (can't remember the Tara Thai name, but some variation of Kee Mao). I really hope things improve - it's my "go to" neighborhood carryout restaurant.
(2)Bill P.
14th location I believe and newest one of the Tara empire. I've been to all of them and this one just might be the best. Very nice open area clean lines with outside patio. Bar situated to the right as you enter past the hostess stand. Packed for a Sunday night. I ordered the Wild Lamb and enjoyed thoroughly at home......slices of tender lamb marinated in chili paste, young peppercorn, baby tomatoes, and basil leaves. Nice portion and licked up every last drop of that delicious sauce. Prince George definitely hurtin for more Asian.....Chinese, Korean, and Thai rests so maybe this place will start up a new trend. Keep up the good work!!!!
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