Orchid's Authentic Thai Cuisine — Restaurant in South Lake Tahoe

While visiting Nevada, we struggled to find any standout dining options. So, we decided to explore a few spots on the California side of Stateline. We came across three Thai restaurants, but what sold me on this one was the fried fish — and it did not disappoint.

Honestly, I’m not sure why this place has lower ratings than the others. It serves authentic Thai cuisine, full of flavor and care. On our first visit, we ordered the fried fish (extra crispy), white rice, papaya salad (Thai style), and Thai tea. (No pictures, unfortunately — we were too excited and hungry, lol.) But I can assure you, not a single bite was left. The fish was cooked beautifully: crispy on the outside, juicy and flavorful on the inside. The rice was perfectly steamed, and the papaya salad was vibrant, fresh, and packed with flavor.

The next day, we couldn’t decide where to eat — so we went back! This time, we tried the Crab Rangoons, Pad Thai with shrimp, Tom Yum soup with shrimp, and Thai tea again. (Yes, we finally took pictures!) Every dish was delicious. The Pad Thai was fresh and tasted almost exactly like what you’d find in Thailand. The Tom Yum was everything my body needed to recharge — warm, comforting, and full of balanced flavors. The tomatoes in the soup stood out in the best way. These are great choices for first-time visitors. And again, the Thai tea was smooth, fresh, and not overly sweet.

We’re already planning to return in the future to try more dishes. Plus, they have a charming little marketplace with Thai goodies available for purchase — a nice bonus!

Keep in mind: the restaurant gets very busy, and there’s often a waitlist. To avoid the rush, I recommend going earlier in the day. The service was excellent both times we visited, and the staff was incredibly friendly and welcoming.

Highly recommend — this spot is a gem for anyone craving real Thai food...

I had a couple frustrating issues with this place.

We were coming in to Tahoe a bit late and wanted to place an order over the phone so that we could take it to go. We called a number of times over the course of 30 minutes and they never picked up their phone. When we arrived, perhaps 10 minutes after we last called, the restaurant had only a few tables full so I doubt they were unable to get to the phone because they were busy. We ended up eating there since their was no wait for a table but it was still kind of annoying.

I had what I think was called the Pink Orchid, which sounded delicious, but which was ultimately pretty dissapointing. For one, although the name might have suggested it, the description didn't indicate that it was in a very artificial pink food coloring broth which was kind of off putting. Second, I was particularly interested in the fish balls which came in it but the waitstaff failed to tell me that they dont use fish balls in it anymore. While it was a decently good dish despite these two things, the waitstaff really should know the menu enough to inform patrons of these issues.

In terms of the quality of the food, I would give them a 3 or a 4 - average to good but they really need to have better knowledge of their menu and attend to...

Orchid's Authentic Thai Cuisine is a Thai restaurant serving delicious and fresh Thai dishes! I've tried the Chicken Satay, Pad Ke Mao, Tom Yum Soup Large with Pork, Chicken Wings and Spicy Stir Fry Crispy Pork Belly. The Chicken Satay was tender, sweet, and when dipped into the peanut sauce twisting it into a buttery, nutty, chicken satay, it is the best chicken satay I've eaten in the US, not overly cooked or dry. The Tom Yum soup has a lot of ingredients, including tomatoes, onions, lemongrass, mushroom, and the meat of your choice (I had pork) and the taste embodied the perfect spiciness for almost anyone to enjoy while being a harmony of sweet, sour, and savory. The Pad Ke Mao had many ingredients but tasted alright (savory and slightly sweet), Stir fry Basil Crispy Pork Belly had an interesting taste (reminded me of tofu, good to me but definitely an acquired taste) was really crispy, not too fatty and the crispy chicken wings had a perfect crunch while being flavorful and juicy. Unfortunately, I could not try their desserts as they were all sold out. Overall, Orchid's Authentic Thai Cuisine was my favorite Thai restaurant at Lake Tahoe and I will revisit it to try new dishes and those seemingly...