Papa's Thai Cafe — Restaurant in San Luis Obispo

This will be the most authentic review regarding Papa's Thai Cafe.

Let's start with the food: VERY, very good if you want authentic Thai—fresh ingredients, piping hot. However, the service is filled with attitude and straight disrespect, and the atmosphere is dull and filled with negativity from employees.

Now, by the slightest chance, you MAY NOT like your food; this is where the problem occurs.

Personal experience: I’ve had Penang curry at multiple renowned restaurants and felt as if the one I ordered here had too much coconut milk and less flavor. As I didn’t initially read, there was no refund and no consideration, which is interesting in the first place that was listed on their digital screens above, I was told in short by the man, “no refunds or remakes, sorry” after stating “We felt as if the dish had a little too much of a milky taste as opposed to any of the other flavors” then as I walked away heard the wife of the business mumble and made comments as such “what do they expect, it’s Penang’s curry it has coconut milk” imagine even saying that out loud for the chance of a customer to hear? We were so kind and were simply curious, but to listen to that? Incredible. Along with that, we were treated with multiple up-down stares by the woman and a disgusted face the entire night. She also routinely does this no matter what.

On my first visit to them, I asked the man upfront who runs the orders to tell me what the "banned list" in the back left wall was, and that was the first red flag. It was a list of banned customers with their respective receipts from orders. He explained it were times in which “customers disrespected my wife and I” Now, while I can sympathize with that, their attitude and lack of being able to take criticism may have absolutely played a role here, as I saw on display time and time again walking into the establishment. I have never ever seen a list as such as a food critic. It was concerning for them to feel the need to scare customers as such and is alarming for any new customers to see.

Consistently throughout your night at Papa’s enjoying good food, you’ll hear the owners fighting and arguing and making comments and odd stares at all guests, mainly by the woman upfront who is the man’s wife. She even talks to him very badly. The primary debate that takes place in my mind to go there or not is to suck up the terrible vibes to eat good hot food as opposed to getting carried out by them, but it’s clear as to why their carry-out runs so well. NO ONE wants to sit in there. The chef seems to notice the disrespect as well, making eye contact with me and nodding and shaking his head in disappointment when he catches the woman saying certain things out loud that are rude and disrespectful.

Here’s the deal: great food, indeed, but horrible in every other regard. It's pretty uncomfortable even to sit down and eat without having the woman up front make a disgusted face at you. From my own experiences, I didn’t even want to support this business for the way they treat customers, but I have found myself going back from time to time because of how good the food is compared to any other nearby spots. There’s this weird sense of unhappiness and projection that comes from all of them. The customer shouldn’t be able to feel that you’ve had a long day or that you’re frustrated, yet you absolutely feel that as SOON as you walk in, and that’s just not welcoming.

Take this all into consideration...

Emery Frink Papa Google Maps Reviews 14 Dec 2024 My Review - Papa’s Thai Cafe Papa’s Thai Cafe is the best place I’ve been in my entire life. There is nothing more fulfilling to the heart, soul, and mind than the overjoyous experience of consuming absolutely any menu item from Papa’s Thai Cafe. I enter Papa’s Thai Cafe and they ask me what I want and I say anything. Anything Papa gives me I know will be exceptional and I have unwavering faith in this. Papa is a man who prides himself on having an establishment worthy of the highest praise - an Emery Frink Google Maps review. I don’t review just any place, and I especially don’t review just any Thai restaurant. Ever since the Thai government scheme came out about establishing a global cultural foothold through the insidious scheme of delicious pad thai restaurants, I can’t look at the cuisine the same. Papa’s Thai Cafe is well above an Elephant Jump-tier Thai restaurant, but not so ostentatious as to be a Golden Leaf - no, Papa’s Thai Cafe is the coolest basil you will find in San Luis Obispo California - perhaps anywhere. I cannot stop thinking about the Thai restaurant scheme. It runs deeper than you could ever imagine and Papa I have much respect for you but I have to question how complicit you are. Do the diplomats from the Thai government stop by yearly and ensure that your quality is up to Federal standards. Do you report back to the government regularly with business updates. Who are you really. Just kidding Papa I would never ask you that. Sometimes I would rather live in ignorance about your complacence in the slow cultural creep of Thai cuisine and your motives behind the Cafe. I’m sure you have nothing to hide. Why don’t I just turn off my concern and live in the unending bliss of Papa’s Thai Cafe Drunken Noodle And Sprite From The Soda Fountain. That’s my favorite menu item - if I could even pick one :P visit Papa’s Thai Cafe if you know what’s...

STAY AWAY! CRAZY OWENRES!!! We came for a weekend and stopped by to grub lunch, after we ordered the food we sat outside, the woman came with the food and instead of bringing pad thai with fried tofu she brought only fried tofu, I told her I meant together, she started screaming at me that it's my fault that I got them confused! I was VERY shocked by her but wasn't planning to let it destroy our day, so I said ok and went inside to order a new dish. I went to the man in the front and told him, "So it looks like I'll be ordering pad thai with fried tofu this time with, a smile. he said ok, and then I asked him if he's the owner, and he said he is. I told him that he needed to know that his employee had an attitude. Then he told me that this employee is his fiancee, and he is not going to serve me anymore and that im not supposed to say things like that. I told him that as a business owner you will want to know things like that, and left. My friends outside already started to eat and was planning to order some more food, take away, for our families, I told them what happened and that I'm not staying and left the restaurant. My friend went inside to talk to the owner and tell him that it's ridiculous to treat his customers like that. Then the fiancee started to scream in the middle of the restaurant like a lunatic!! Unfortunately, I missed this part... but seriously, do yourself a favor, find a different Thai restaurant, SLO is amazing, and so many nice places! We end up going to Delight thai, it's in the next street, amazing food and amazing customer service, and their Panang Cury is highly...