Star Thai — Restaurant in Lakewood

This is a takeout-only establishment, so the "atmosphere" category doesn’t apply. However, for the "service" category, I’m giving them a full 5-stars. The service was fast, friendly, and efficient with no issues or complaints. They truly excel in this department. The gentleman behind the register was super sweet, nice guy.

Now, let's dive into the food. First, the good news. In terms of taste, the dishes were indeed very flavorful and delicious. The medium heat had a good kick to it, which might be considered "hot" by the standards of other local Asian-cuisine restaurants. The crispy eggrolls (three per order) were among the best veggie eggrolls I've had, far surpassing the usual bland, soggy versions offered elsewhere. Both my dad and brother commented on how soft and fluffy the rice was. So, it's an A+ for the eggrolls and the rice.

Now the bad news. If I were rating solely on taste, I'd award the food 5 stars. Unfortunately, my overall experience falls short, resulting in a 3-star rating. The dinner portion sizes were disappointing, more fitting for a lunchtime serving—chintzy at best. Given the price of the entrees--we tried the Pad Gra Pow (basil stir fry) and Pad Gra Thiem (garlic pepper stir fry), $12.95 each for dinner--I expected at least double the amount of food compared to what was actually served. This was particularly noticeable when compared to other Asian restaurants in Lakewood, which typically provide decent-sized portions.

The Pad Thai was another letdown, surprisingly made with angel hair noodles instead of the thicker, flat Pad Thai noodles that are standard for this dish. It was also quite greasy. While the portion size for this dish was somewhat better than the other stir fry entrees, the amount of chicken included was dismal, hardly qualifying it as a dinner entree.

Given this experience, I’m hesitant to return and risk being short-changed again in the portion department. It's a shame because, as I mentioned, the food was tasty. However, the lack of sufficient portions and the unexpected deviations in standard dishes make it unlikely that I'll be trying this...

A very quaint hole in the wall Thai restaurant. It's a very pleasant change of scenery from the usual hustle and bustle of the surrounding Lakewood area.

I ordered some appetizers on my way home from running errands and was not disappointed. Their Tom Yum is very authentic and was the closest to true Thai hot I've ever had in Colorado. The spring rolls were very flavorful and came with a delicious in house peanut sauce that's much better than your average thai peanut sauce.

The atmosphere is very calming, there are only about 6-7 tables in the restaurant with soft lighting, traditional decoration and a TV. It's quiet and gentle with a vintage and foreign feel to it, like you're almost in another country itself. It's a small mom and pop business and it feels very welcoming because they are very nice.

Like everyone else has said, the prices are cheap, averaging $7/plate, and the portions are relatively sized to the low prices. However, still very filling. I will definitely be coming back soon to try the curry and their other entree dishes in the...

This review is based on a takeaway order, but I will absolutely be going back to sit down. The restaurant doesn't have all the bells and whistles of nicer places, but I'm not here for decor — I want that yummy noodle goodness! Ordered Pad Kee Mao with beef, spicy, and boy was it tasty. I order Pad Kee Mao at every Thai joint I visit, and I'd compare the quality here to the same dish at Suvipa on Federal. I feel like most places in Denver aren't using high enough BTU burners for their woks and end up essentially steaming their dishes instead of stir-frying them. I'm telling you, I eat a lot of food out of a wok at a lot of different places, I have opinions. It's absolutely a "home-cooked" feel, with none of finesse of finer dining, but the flavors are on point.

My only complaint is that I asked for the dinner size order and I think I may have received the lunch, however it was enough food to keep me happy and super affordable. I will be heading back soon to try their Black Rice Pudding...