Noi Thai Cuisine — Restaurant in Seattle

We visited Noi Thai after reading some positive reviews, but unfortunately, our experience was quite the opposite. From the start, our server seemed standoffish and unwelcoming. We weren’t handed menus for quite some time and had to wait longer than expected just to place our drink order.

I ordered the $16 “Bangkok Mute” cocktail, which tasted like a watered-down fruit punch—disappointing, especially at that price point. The service throughout the meal was minimal and inattentive. Strangely, another table that arrived after us received their food before we did.

When our food eventually arrived, the server seemed slightly more cordial, but that was short-lived. While we were still eating, she placed the bill on our table without any prompting—an odd and rushed gesture that made us feel pressured to leave. Even worse, while my wife was still mid-bite, the server came over and began clearing her plate without asking or waiting for her to finish. This was not only awkward but frankly disrespectful.

When I chose not to leave a tip—because the service did not warrant one—the server returned to ask if everything was okay. I appreciated the opportunity to provide feedback, but when I honestly explained our concerns, she became extremely defensive. She denied everything I mentioned, rolled her eyes, exclaimed “Oh my God,” and walked away. It was an embarrassing and uncomfortable situation that left us feeling unheard and attacked.

To be clear, I’ve dined at many Thai restaurants, and my experiences have always been warm and welcoming. This was a rare and disappointing exception. The food was just okay, but the lack of service, the attitude, and the awkward confrontation completely overshadowed it.

Tipping is a reflection of service, and when service is poor, it’s within a customer’s right to tip accordingly. We hope the restaurant takes this as constructive feedback and invests in better training and hospitality...

There are two Noi Thai locations in Seattle—one downtown and another in Green Lake.

I first visited the Green Lake location shortly after it opened about 2 or 3 years ago and recently returned with a group of friends. We chose this location because of the available free parking, avoiding the hassle of downtown traffic.

Being a relatively new establishment, the ambiance is excellent. The interior design is impressive, making it a great spot for a romantic date, family dinner, or group gathering.

We ordered five dishes: the Appetizer Sampler, Massaman Lamb Curry, Crab Fried Rice, Mixed Vegetable Deluxe, and Black Noodles (Pad Sei-Iew).

The Appetizer Sampler seemed popular for its presentation, but the finger foods were unremarkable. The Crab Fried Rice was disappointingly salty, with my friends noting that the frozen fried rice from Costco tasted better. The Mixed Vegetable Deluxe was just as expected from the menu picture, not justifying the price. The Black Noodles (Pad Sei-Iew) were excessively salty. Out of all the dishes, the Massaman Lamb Curry stood out as the best.

The major letdown was the food, which is the most crucial aspect. Everything we ordered was too salty, and we had to rinse our mouths several times after dining. The prices are high compared to typical Thai restaurants, so we hoped the food quality would justify the cost, but it did not.

I’m not sure what has happened to this restaurant since my first visit 2 or 3 years ago, but the quality has significantly declined. I haven't been to the downtown location recently, but I hope they have maintained the good taste I used to enjoy.

Overall, I’m giving this place a 3-star rating. My friends and I were disappointed with the food, but the free garage parking and pleasant atmosphere...

I've tried to come to this restaurant twice in the last year. Both times for takeout order. The first experience (Aug 2023) was simple enough until it came to checkout. The total for my order was a flat dollar amount, which I thought was interesting and both employee and I commented on it. 20 minutes later, my phone pinged me for a credit card transaction that was almost twice the total that my order cost. Thankfully I was still waiting for the food, so I showed the employee. She said it must have been a glitch in their computer system, only come to find out a manager was able to see that the employee added a tip to my order after I had closed out. So one attempted theft. The other time I tried (Jan 2024), I placed my order at the front desk, but the employee who was helping me was new and not familiar with the computer system. Totally fine - he grabbed someone else to help. The helper completed my order, and I sat down to wait for things to be prepared. Less than 30 seconds later, literally 30 seconds, the order was brought to me. I was confused with the speed and asked if this was made fresh to which everyone nodded their heads yes. It's physically impossible to prepare and cook a dish, even something like fried rice, in 30 seconds. It was clearly scooped out of a big hotel pan probably made that morning, but they were calling it fresh. This place is just a joke. The food is GROSSLY overpriced, it is mediocre in quality and the staff will either try and steal from you or lie to your face. There is Thai food just about everywhere you look in Seattle. Look elsewhere and I'm sure you'll enjoy the food and experience more...