Snap Thai Fish House — Restaurant in Atlanta

I brought my family for my dad’s birthday dinner and had a bit of high hopes coming into the restaurant, seeing pretty interior and loving thai food. I assumed it was going to be a fusion take on thai food so I was curious as to what to expect.

Atmosphere was pretty nice as expected from pictures. Lovely modern decor, probably aimed for younger and fancier folks, no issues there! We sat at a booth and it was comfortable. Our appointment was around 6:30pm on a Sunday and we were a bit surprised to see nobody else inside the restaurant. We saw a couple more customers on the way out though.

Food was ok. Nothing knocking my socks off, but flavors were there. We ordered half dozen oysters, grouper with masala curry, shrimp and scallops, and lobster pad thai. All tasted good, portion was ok — we added a side order of jasmine rice to have with curry sauces, and I think that was a good choice. Oysters were fresh and plump. Grouper, shrimp, and scallops were cooked well, but the lobster tail on the pad thai was slightly overcooked and chewy. Presentation was a bit rustic than sleek.

We ordered two drinks: one cocktail (haku loha) and drafter lager. They were both expensive for what they were. The draft beer was $9 for not even a pint looking glass. Haku loha was pretty but a bit too sweet and lacking acidity. I think whoever’s in charge of cocktail menu might want to try all drinks and adjust the taste balance, since I see a lot of similar reviews.

Service was eh. Upon entry our server asked for occasion, which we told her it was our father’s birthday. She just said happy birthday to him like three times throughout the dinner. Kind of weird acknowledging the occasion multiple times, only verbally. Other high end restaurants I visit offer desserts on house or even bring literally a plate with a mini candle and a message written in chocolate that I felt cared for as a customer.

We also weren’t given explanation (or markers) on oysters when it was a mix of east/west coast variety, and we had to flag down our server and ask her which were from where.

In general service felt not warm and sparse, especially for the price point. It’s like they wanted to be a high end restaurant, but it didn’t feel like it. We didn’t feel comfortable enough to order desserts by the end of our entrees.

Lastly, when we received the bill, their recommended tips started at 20%. Inflation is hitting tips, I get it, but it’s especially tackier when the pre-calculated tip percentage includes taxes. I think it’s a bit of deceitful practice (and I get this is more a manager/owner’s responsibility than an individual server)

As a summary, these stood out to me as why I couldn’t justify the price it did: no complimentary bread/butter no explanation/description of items being served or ordered sparse and non-warm service even during slow business no acknowledgement of occasion other than verbal message (better to not ask if nothing’s being offered) sketch pre-calculated tips

Food was honestly not bad and I quite liked some dishes, but combined with the above points, I ultimately don’t think Snap Thai is competitive at all with other restaurants at similar price points. There is a lot of room for improvement and I think lack of customers show that. I don’t think I’d return anytime soon, but hopefully with time this restaurant can grow...

We have eaten at Snap Thai twice now during their soft opening, and each time it has been a wonderful and special experience. The ingredients are fresh and of impeccable quality. The Chef prepares the meals in a way that allow that quality shine through. Fish is tricky to work with because it is so perishable, and the flavors are subtle. Many places cover the taste of inferior ingredients with a lot of heavy sauces or spices, but that is definitely not the case at Snap Thai.

The design of the restaurant is breathtaking from the moment you enter, with high ceilings, warm cloth textures, wide open spaces, the expansive window into the kitchen, and the roll-up wall of the bar that expands the restaurant out onto the patio area. If you can't quite put your finger on the restaurant design, it is because it was laid out by a designer from Thailand, not some corporate architect in a US restaurant conglomerate. The space invites you to linger, as if you were in someone's home. It is really well done.

Both times we have been to the restaurant the owners have been there, the staff has been well trained, very capable, and have done an excellent job explaining the menu.

As for specifics, this visit we had the lobster roll, which is a new addition to the menu. It was extremely good, the sauce was not overpowering, the lobster was cooked perfectly, and the sandwich roll was fresh, just like the ones in New England. It may seem a little over the top to rave about the fries that came with it, but the were just perfect. Not much else to say about that. We also ordered the lobster salad, which is essentially a papaya salad with lobster tail meat. It was very good as well.

We finished with the home-made coconut ice cream (thank you Chef!). It was a feast for the eyes and the tummy. Coconut ice cream served on fresh-roasted coconut, with coconut cream swirls, and a special decoration made out of coconut milk. Beautiful, and very good.

TL;DR a great experience, an inspired Chef, fresh ingredients well prepared, warm welcoming decor, pleasant staff and a great desert. What...

It’s an instagram restaurant. Great decor, very very basic, nearly bland food, just okay service. I wouldn’t visit again. I didn’t even take my leftovers to go.

They sat us, took our drink order, then about 10 mins later asked us to get up and move to another table so that they could seat a 4 top. That’s very unprofessional for a place that claims its fine dining. I was annoyed but whatever. Said they’d comp our appetizers for the trouble and did not follow through on their word.

The seating is very very close. You will hear other’s conversation and they will hear yours. Butts will be close to your plates and drinks. Depending on who you’re next to, they may join in your convo. Very communal. I am personally not a fan. Bar seating seems best.

Their food and drinks look nice but all had one note — sweet. Everything is just sweet. The Lychee martini was way too sweet for a martini. I ended up adding water in it. The food was all sweet. No spice, no salt, no herbs, just sweet. The okra was great texture wise but needed some salt. It was surprising to me that they wouldn’t finish off fried food with a pinch of salt. It was non-existent.

I ordered lobster pad thai. Immediately you could tell my dish had been sitting. My noodles were cold and all one big clump and my lobster was lukewarm. Very disappointing. Couldn’t even stir the veggies into the noodles because they were one big clump of cool pasta. To top it off, the pad thai was just sweet. So weird. I only ate the lobster and a few beansprouts. I really tried with the noodles but I just couldn’t.

I spent $93 here and was pretty unsatisfied. I kept an open mind and tried to like something there but was pressed to find it. It is not a place for foodies, Thai food lovers, or the like, it is a place for instagrammies. I got some good photos.

I was hungry for actual Thai when I left so I went to this Thai restaurant in Virginia Highlands directly after to redeem my...