ThaiPop — Restaurant in Rochester

I am giving two stars because the food is good, but the place rate should be lower due to the unaccepted way my partner and I were treated there. This first experience I had at this place was fine: the food is tasty, the Thai Tea they serve is great, and the environment is cool. On the cons side, t takes forever to be attended, and if it the place is packed, triple it! Price wise, it isn’t actually cheap, but still on the affordable range, especially because the portion sizes are reasonable. Last Friday my partner really wanted to try another dish because of the pleasant gastronomic experience in our first visit. I arrived at Thai Pop 4:45pm, after work. I ordered my Thai Tea and my partner a coffee. The place was busy, service slow, but the server was very pleasant and helpful. We ordered food, it took about 20 minutes to have it served. We ate, ordered appetizers and drinks. By 5:40 we asked for the Bill and payed it. While we were putting our stuff together to leave, one of the attendants, a tall and stocky woman, came to our table and literally demanded us to leave the place because it was past 5 and the table was reserved. I was astonished, I had never been through anything close to that ever. It was humiliating and we felt extremely embarrassed. Then I decided to talk to a manager. To our surprise I was told by the manager that those were common procedures, especially if we stay longer than 2h. But…we were there for 1 hour, and could’ve been less if the service was not slow. But the point is: asking customers to leave is rude, and unacceptable. I really hope they review their procedures and policies because it is rude and extremely un-American.

• • • • EDITED TO RESPOND THE OWNER - - - - -

I asked to talk to the manager, and a person (woman) came talk to us. If we didn’t actually talk to the manager, then one more flaw. I am not sure if I will want to go back. It was a horrible experience to us, we both felt extremely unwelcome. I hope this doesn’t happen to other people. We wish all the best for the business,...

Immediately upon walking in I was greeted by a host. As I often do I chose to sit at the bar. They have a beautiful long bar where I was able to see employees juicing fresh fruit and preparing cocktails.

The service was outstanding. That perfect mix where you could get someone's attention at any moment, yet you didn't feel bothered.

For food I started with the Esan Papaya Salad. This is where the authenticity really showed up. Esan/Isan is a region of Thailand in the Northeast. This Papaya Salad recipe came from that region brining some specific sauces and flavors. Everything in the salad was fresh and the taste brought me right back to Thailand. So did the spice. As a hot pepper fan I'm usually let down by restaurants that say something will be spicy and it comes out bland. The spice is for real here. I could feel a really nice heat from the salad. The presentation was very nice. They go beyond simply bringing you the food. They prepare it visually as well.

My second dish was Chicken Basil Stir Fry. The portion was large and came with a large side of rice. This dish also had wonderful flavors and a nice heat.

The portions of everything I ordered were large. Perfect to order a few items to share and experience the different dishes.

They have Thai drinks and beer available as well as a mix of local breweries on tap.

One thing I missed out on was the whole fried fish. I could only eat so much. I'll return for a dinner and order one next time.

The atmosphere had a lot of thought and energy put into it. There must be over 100 live plants large and small perfectly decorating the entire place. There was some background music playing which kept a great energy in the restaurant. The bathroom was very clean and they use washable cloths vs paper towels which I thought was a nice touch.

Can't wait to...

I live in the Twin Cities and the food here was phenomenal and comparable to some of the best Thai food there! We got takeout and were very impressed with everything we got. The presentation was amazing even in the takeout boxes.

We got the Khao Soi with beef brisket which was a creamy coconut milk based noodle soup with cabbage, crispy noodles, cilantro, onions, and spices. It was phenomenal. Loved the flavors and they didn't skimp on the spice. Definitely made my nose run and I loved it. The beef was super tender and there was a LOT of it! The portion was huge as well so my husband and I easily split and we were full from our split portions alone.

We were recommended yum yum chicken wings by a friend and they did not disappoint. Wow. Some of the BEST wings I've ever had! We don't usually go for wings at restaurants but this one is so worth getting. First of all, the breading on these wings were amazing. Crispy, thick, and sweet and tangy all at the same time. Not sure what sauce they used but it was incredible. The chicken was very juicy as well.

I love trying mocktails so I had my husband get a mocktail from the bar to-go. Unfortunately they don't allow you to order them in advance from the takeout menu but he easily ordered when he picked up the rest of the items. The mocktail we ordered was the Island Hopper. It's a pomegranate based drink. Very delicious, perfectly sweet and it paired well with what we ordered.

Overall had a pretty amazing experience with takeout. Hoping to visit again in person once the COVID situation gets more...