Sawadee (Utah) Thai Restaurant — Restaurant in Salt Lake City

Danny's Review: Brace yourselves, guys! I'm about to shout from the mountaintops my undying love for Sawadee Thai Restaurant in the heart of Salt Lake City, Utah. Without a shadow of doubt, this gem of a restaurant is the gold standard for authentic Thai cuisine in the Beehive State.

Prepare your taste buds for a tantalizing journey. I mean, the Authentic Shrimp Pad Thai? It's an explosion of flavor that leaves you starstruck, questioning everything you've ever known about Thai food. Every bite is like a dance of textures and flavors that'll make you want to stand up and give a standing ovation!

Their dinner service, which kicks off at the magic hour of 7 PM, is an extravaganza of culinary masterpieces that will send your palate on a whirlwind tour of Thailand. Each dish is a symphony of authenticity, basking in its unapologetic messiness and gooey glory. Trust me, folks, you're not just eating food here - you're embarking on an epicurean adventure!

But what really sets Sawadee apart? It's the love and soul they pour into each dish. It's as though you're being wrapped in a warm culinary hug that speaks of distant places and vibrant culture. It's more than a meal – it’s a heartfelt invitation to experience the vibrant culture of Thailand, right here in Utah.

Hats off to Maggie, Matt, and Steven for creating an oasis of taste that welcomes everyone with open arms. Their dedication to the craft of Thai cooking is evident in every mouthful, and their passion for their culture shines through every plate served.

So, if you're yearning for an authentic Thai experience, look no further! Whether it's the wallet-friendly lunch special or the after-dark authentic Thai hours, you're guaranteed a gastronomic delight at Sawadee. It's not just a dining experience, it's a rendezvous with Thai culture that you'll want to revisit time and again.

See you there, everyone! Sawadee, we will meet again soon! -Danny

Levi's Review: I have to say that, though I've tried quite a bit of Thai food, I now know it's always been of the unauthentic variety. I can't quite express the extent of the change that occurred in my perceptions of Thai food after my visit to Sawadee. Every dish became my new favorite; every flavor was perfectly balanced. I could go on and on about the effect this food had on me, but I'll sum it up by saying I had three favorite dishes.

In terms of pure flavor, the steak with sticky rice won out. It was perfectly cooked, and the meat with the sauce was excellent; but when paired with the sticky rice, it elevated to divine.

In terms of emotional response, the Massaman short rib was phenomenal. The comfort food of comfort foods, it made me want to curl up in front of a fire with a good book.

Finally, in terms of overall experience, the Shrimp Pad Thai reigned supreme. I went in with one idea of Pad Thai and left with an entirely different paradigm. The flavors were perfectly complementary, and the textures worked together to create a truly complete sensory experience.

Thank you, Sawadee. I will certainly be...

I've been here once before, and you know what, it was pretty decent. But after today's experience, I'm not coming back.

Meal: Came in for lunch. Ordered two lunch specials with red curry, yellow curry, chicken stir fry, and BBQ chicken.

Service: 1/10. Took 17 minutes to be seated, which normally is fine...but there were 4 other guests eating in the whole restaurant, and we were passed by 3 different servers. Sure, they aren't the host/hostess, but it was slow, and the host was on the (business) phone the whole time, so maybe help each other (and us) out? Then to continue with the charade of service, the red curry and the BBQ chicken were c-o-l-d. Like....nobody did a quality check to make sure the curry was at least warm? There's meat in these dishes? How long have they been sitting out? Anyway, I let the hostess know, because the server was nowhere to be found because he was probably too busy looking at himself in the mirror. She flagged down another server and they took the curry and "heated it up", which I guess is code for "throw it in the microwave for 30 secs and call it good". Ridiculous.

Food: 3/10. The yellow curry looked like the chef measured the tumeric for each dish in kilograms. The yellow curry had so much tumeric in it, I could feel my eyes staining yellow just looking at it. The chicken stir fry (S10) was overly salted with no other flavors, just salt and grease. Red curry we already discussed, cold. And BBQ chicken would have been good, but again, cold. I still wouldn't have called it BBQ chicken. I saw no grill marks, denoting a lack of actual BBQ happening. Call it grilled chicken, or just chicken. No char = no BBQ.

So yeah, this place may have been awarded top of restaurant in Utah, but it's clear they have been trying to get as much milage out of that years-old award and maybe need to stop resting on...

With so many reviews, we knew this was going to be the perfect post tennis dinner. It is located extremely close to 11th Avenue Park,l. Parking is abundant in their private parking lot.

As soon as we sat down, please watch out for the large going to keep near the entrance, as we saw several people both young and elderly completely fall over the legs of the instrument.

The staff are very friendly and fast. It only took about five minutes from ordering until we got our food. We got a chicken satay appetizer, one pad Thai, and one drunken noodle dish.

The satay was incredible. Three giant, moist pieces of grilled chicken were provided with an abundance of a delicious and creamy peanut sauce.

The noodles themselves were also incredible. We asked for it to be spicy, and they delivered. Drunken noodles had so much sweet and savory flavor, and the noodles were cooked perfectly and still chewy. The pad Thai was more saucy than other versions I’ve had, but the sauce was still incredible. An abundance of crispy bean sprouts were placed on top to give an excellent texture contrast throughout the experience.

One of the main reasons this is an easy five out of five is the quantity, quality and price. Each serving of noodles can easily fill to people alone, and at a price of just $17,...