Vegetarian Pad Thai from Thai Spice on 19th StreetMatt and I love Thai food. In fact, it's probably tied for second (with Indian food), right behind Mexican.
When we lived in Montrose, we ate at Nit Noi all the time. Now that the Rice Village location is temporarily closed and we live in The Heights, we've made the switch to Thai Spice.
First, we love the convenient location on 19th St. and Nicholson. Since we live near Studewood and 20th Street, we just pop on our bikes and head on over. During the blazing heat of Houston summers (and the drought-like conditions!), I find that it's actually more enjoyable to jump on a bike and create an automatic breeze, as opposed to getting in my oven-of-a-car.
Once we arrive, the atmosphere is great. We usually opt for the patio, which faces Collina's patio, but we have also sat inside. Regardless, the surroundings are aesthetically pleasing, and the staff is incredibly welcoming.
Plus, Matt and I are suckers for free pre-food (as I mentioned in my review of Chicago Pizza). At Thai Spice, we enjoy the very odd--yet tasty--puffed rice things. Fortunately, we never have to wait long for our meals because the service is fast and we know exactly what we want: pad thai with tofu (and depending upon how hungry we are, we sometimes add soft spring rolls and/or thai iced-teas). If you've never had a thai iced-tea, I highly recommend it! It's a yummy tea served with milk or cream over ice. Delicious!
Free pre-food (puffed rice things)The food is not my favorite Thai food of all time, but with the convenient location, comfortable ambiance, fast and friendly staff, and free pre-food, I can't complain. I would say their pad thai and spring rolls are about an 8 on a 10-point scale, and the prices are very reasonable: $8.50 for a large portion of pad thai and $3.50 for two soft spring rolls. I've also heard their curry is really good.
Two orders of soft spring rolls (with one piece already devoured!)There are seven locations throughout Houston, and the owner says, "In my eyes, the recipe for true success is Thai food culture combined with hospitality to create an authentic Thai ambiance, that reflects the land of smiles."
This restaurant leaves me smiling, indeed.
What's your opinion of Thai Spice on 19th Street?
It's the standard Thai food made for Americans.
ReplyDeleteStandard and for Americans, you're probably right but it's good, tasty food. I really enjoy Thai Spice. The BYOB policy doesn't hurt, either. At least once a week I call for carry out on my way home.
ReplyDeleteI frequented this great thai restuarant in baton rouge -- authentic, made-to-order, walk from home, etc. Even with all these benefits I still love the food at thai spice! American or not, great food and nice staff.
ReplyDeleteSOrry to say I ate there once and it was pretty awful. A slight step up from mall court food. I would suggest you try Asian Market on Calvacade for great Thai.
ReplyDeletedon't give all the secret delectable, authentic restaurants away-- even though the asian market on calvacade is awesome doesn't mean everyone should eat there, it takes long enough to get your food there as is-- this is a place for people to 'discover' as they explore the heights and surrounding region
ReplyDeleteThe "strange puffed up rice things" are known as prawn crackers. Pretty common in Thai/Chinese/Indonesian cuisine.
ReplyDelete