Jai Thai Restaurant — Restaurant in Seattle

Before the pandemic, it was perfectly normal to walk into a new restaurant, get a table and settle in for a meal.But in these times you have to consider other things. My girlfriend and I were in Ballard, a few hours from home, when we got hungry. We are vaccinated and wear masks, but eating out is still a risk - two friends recently got covid despite being vaccinated and only meeting people outside. We got out our phones and searched for a takeout place. We were more hungry than picky, so we took a suggestion near the top of the list - Jai Thai. We drove past Waiting for the Interurban and spotted it on our left. There was a parking spot right around the corner. Things were looking good. The dining room was nearly empty. Pre-pandemic, that would have been a red flag. We decided it was because people were being as cautious as us. In our tired hungry state, we opted.to take advantage of the empty space and got a table. The menu looked good. They had all the usual Thai dishes - Phad Thai, Tom Gom soup, Satays, curries... Plus a few lunch specials and house dishes. We chose the number 6 lunch - stir fried pork with Phad Thai and Thai iced tea. I went to the men's room. It was clean and properly supplied - a good sign. The food came quickly - a bad sign. The food was just piled on the plate without any attention to presentation. The rice was over cooked. The phad Thai noodles were clumped together and perhaps the worst sin - my 3 star meal had no spice at all. In fact all the flavors were weak. We were hungry, so we are it, then raced out of there disappointed that the food was not even close to being worth the risk of eating out. It's...

Came here on a Monday night with some friends after the wait for Kin Len across the street was over an hour. This a solid alternative if they’re too full. Overall, the food is solid, prices are average, atmosphere is awesome, and service is mediocre.

We got the Pad See Ew and Masaman curry with tofu. Both were good! The Pad See Ew had really delicious, chewy and thick noodles, and the napa cabbage, broccoli and carrots were cooked very well. The sauce, while tasty, was a bit on the salty side. However, the tofu was not good at all - chewy, tough, and seemed like it had been frozen and reheated in a microwave. Maybe the chicken is better.

The masaman curry was delicious, with softer tofu and thick potatoes. The sauce had full flavor and was quite good. The only complaint here was, the white rice was cooked with too much water and was a bit mushy.

Service was a bit slow, and the staff didn’t seem all that happy we were there, but no big complaints.

Overall, a solid place with good flavors and a nice atmosphere. Maybe just a little more attention to detail on their...

I found this place by accident as I was looking for a different restaurant La Petite Cochon nearby but it was closed so I came in here. There were a few people sitting down and just two ladies waiting tables which made me a little weary at first but I must say they hustled with the utmost efficiency. They made drinks, answered phone calls, served the food, cleaned and still were friendly and timely with everything. There were many to go orders and that didn't seem to slow them down either. Now on to the food: menu was easy to understand and I got the emerald garlic dish with pork medium (2/4) spicy with rice. Delicious with just enough garlic and spice, crunchy vegetables and a generous amount of sauce. I also had a lemon grass gimlet which was so good I got another. Overall it was a truly memorable experience, by far one of the best places I have been to in Seattle. I have never seen two people work with such a level of efficiency while maintaining a friendly demeanor in my life and that is what ultimately made it without question worth 5 stars beyond the good...