The Pad Thai Stand

Always a treat! This is our favorite place to go after dance class. The best pad Thai we’ve ever had. My personal favorite is the boran old style

While visiting friends, we needed a quick lunch before heading home. Thank goodness there was The Pad Thai Stand. Oh num, num, num!! I got the Southern Flavor which is roasted coconut cream with crispy shallots and peanuts. Paired with their vegetarian Pad Thai sauce, I had a perfect balance of sweet/spicy and creamy/crunchy. I got both egg and tofu which topped it all off beautifully and filled me up. Highly recommend!! You'll be happy you did!

Best pad Thai in San Diego and the most impressive vegan pad Thai I've ever had. Most spots won't do vegan because the sauce has fish sauce already. My husband really likes the flavors of the Northern Thai version. Medium is a solid heat and hot can really get you. I don't suggest you order hot unless you enjoy hot at koon Thai. They are great about making the food close to the time you set for best flavor.

Ive always wanted a good Pad Thai and finally found the place and its just by my neighborhood! This place is very cute and small but their pad thai is amazingly delicious! It is one of the authentic Pad Thai Ive had! You got to try their special sauce from northern cuisine.

Delicious pad thai! Always super flavorful and never disappoints. No other Thai place can compare! I usually get the Southern style but the vegetarian one is great too.

Omg this is a little slice of Thai food heaven! They have the world's best pad Thai served here and maybe even the world's best Thai tea. So many different ways to have the dish prepared to your taste. This is a must go if you know anything about food!

Errmahgad...it's almost like they imported the pad Thai straight from the motherland! Best pad Thai I've ever had, trust me. Also a plus when the employees are literally the most kindest people on earth. You're missing out if you don't come here and if you do, you can thank me for recommending such a solid spot to you

Super quaint and cute spot. Memorably delicious. Simple menu and great explanations for different styles of pad thai. Spice on the side was a good idea for me. Small spot but implied in the name. Kind of chilly in the shade, as is common in San Diego. Decent space for free parking. Highly recommend.

Great, authentic pad Thai! We ordered the lobster pad Thai northern style and the seafood (shrimp, scallops, mussels, calamari) pad Thai southern style. Everything tasted great, with lots of love. We also got a Thai tea which was very tasty. Extremely nice and sweet staff and the food came out quickly. Dog friendly patio as well. Definitely recommend!

Casual and tasty spot to try out several regional variations of Pad Thai. Most people have had the Bangkok version, with eggs, peanuts, etc. But this place features unique ingredients such as curry paste, pork rinds, and more. I recommend the Northern or Old-Style versions for something new and delicious. Portions are more than fair and the service has been friendly each time I've visited. Try and take out order from here some time and I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

This place is a gem is a gem of san diego! A totally unique concept where you pick the region of thailand you want your pad thai to be — the southern is my absolute favorite ! The only have pad thai and their pad thai is one of the best in san diego! It is a small buisness and the owner is often at the locations ! It’s clean and you can tell he really loves his buisness and pad thai and it comes out in the amazing flavor and quality ! Support this small buisness — I promise you will not regret it **I already ate quite a bit of the pad thai in the photo — the quantity is way more !

Highly recommend this place to anyone unsure like I was! They only serve pad Thai here, but 4 different types, northern, central, southern, and old style. I always thought there was only one type of pad Thai in life, but I was verrry wrong. We got the Northern and Southern and they were absolutely DELICIOUS. After years of eating Pad Thai, my standards for Pad Thai have been raised! Plenty of sauce, perfectly cooked noodles, and a good mix of veggies. Mid meal, the chef/owner came out and we chatted with him and he was so genuine and passionate about his food and future plans! It made the food and experience that much better. Storefront: 2/5 (an actual hole in the wall. I was nervous at first tbh; food health grade is an A though! And it is called the pad thai STAND) Seating: 4/5 (limited and mismatched seating but had fire pit table and cute string lights that gave it a cozy date night vibe) Food: 10/5 it really was that good. Made to order, truly crafted to perfection by a very kind chef/owner, great prices, great portions. We plan to be regulars!

Went there today. Was a little nervous about some of the reviews saying not much food and that the attitude of the employees was bad. The employees were all very nice and helpful and answered all tge questions I had very nicely. I ordered the Northern Veggie pad thai medium heat. As somebody else had noted a medium heat is closer to a 7 at other places. The girl at the counter had offered to make it low heat and give me more pepper to add myself. However, I chose medium. It's a good portion size, and the food is good. Being gluten-free is an added bonus. Veggies were u der tge noodles as another reviewer had stated that their chicken was under the noodles. It was bot a problem to stir it myself to mix everything up. It may have even helped to cool it down since it was served very warm. I'm looking forward to going there next week since I'm working in the area to try all the other variations of Pad Thai. I paid $15 and that price is very average for the amount of food from other places.

This is hands down the best pad Thai I’ve had! It’s definitely a big portion, super flavorful, great quality and a good protein portion! The costumer service is wonderful. So kind, attentive, friendly and helpful!

I'm glad I discovered this hidden gem. Delicious food, sizeable portions, and fair prices. The staff is friendly and helpful. I don't eat Pad Thai often and the gentleman at the counter graciously explained all of the options to me.

Okay, let's talk about this awesome little Thai place. It's not fancy – you'll find it tucked into a strip mall, and honestly, the trash bins out front isn't winning any awards. But trust me, the food is something special. This isn't your average Thai takeout joint. They've got dishes from four different regions of Thailand, which is pretty cool. I went for something from Northern Thailand, and even though I asked for "just a touch" of spice, it was still pretty fiery! But in a good way, you know? The flavors were amazing – sweet, sour, salty, all balanced perfectly. And let's talk about the chicken. It was so tender and juicy, not dry like you get at some places. The pad thai was a step above the usual, with an incredible peanut sauce that I could have eaten with a spoon. The staff were super friendly, too. The cashier was really helpful in explaining the menu and making recommendations. Just a heads up: the place itself is nothing fancy. You'll probably want to get your food to go. But hey, who cares when the food is this good? So, if you're looking for authentic Thai food with amazing flavors, this is the place. Don't be put off by the location – this place is a hidden gem!

This was the best Pad Thai I have ever eaten!!! Located on North Parks farmers market (every thursday), Nat and his awesome colleague were so fun and entertaining while preparing the food. You can choose between different types of pad thai with your preferred spice level. I ate a vegetarian one with mushrooms & beans in the northern pad thai style. I can definitely recommend this place. Nat has also a restaurant in Ashford St). Thanks a lot for the great and very authentic food adventure.

Casual place that serves pad thai in four different ways, each for a different region of Thailand. I love places that have limited menus like this place, because that indicates that they have perfected their craft. Very flavourful and portioning that’s worth the price ($15). Would recommend to pad thai lovers.

Mary Kang

Super quaint and cute spot. Memorably delicious. Simple menu and great explanations for different styles of pad thai. Spice on the side was a good idea for me. Small spot but implied in the name. Kind of chilly in the shade, as is common in San Diego. Decent space for free parking. Highly recommend.

Wandering in Paradise

Great, authentic pad Thai! We ordered the lobster pad Thai northern style and the seafood (shrimp, scallops, mussels, calamari) pad Thai southern style. Everything tasted great, with lots of love. We also got a Thai tea which was very tasty. Extremely nice and sweet staff and the food came out quickly. Dog friendly patio as well. Definitely recommend!

Michael Hammer

Okay, let's talk about this awesome little Thai place. It's not fancy – you'll find it tucked into a strip mall, and honestly, the trash bins out front isn't winning any awards. But trust me, the food is something special. This isn't your average Thai takeout joint. They've got dishes from four different regions of Thailand, which is pretty cool. I went for something from Northern Thailand, and even though I asked for "just a touch" of spice, it was still pretty fiery! But in a good way, you know? The flavors were amazing – sweet, sour, salty, all balanced perfectly. And let's talk about the chicken. It was so tender and juicy, not dry like you get at some places. The pad thai was a step above the usual, with an incredible peanut sauce that I could have eaten with a spoon. The staff were super friendly, too. The cashier was really helpful in explaining the menu and making recommendations. Just a heads up: the place itself is nothing fancy. You'll probably want to get your food to go. But hey, who cares when the food is this good? So, if you're looking for authentic Thai food with amazing flavors, this is the place. Don't be put off by the location – this place is a hidden gem!

NyjinSD

Casual and tasty spot to try out several regional variations of Pad Thai. Most people have had the Bangkok version, with eggs, peanuts, etc. But this place features unique ingredients such as curry paste, pork rinds, and more. I recommend the Northern or Old-Style versions for something new and delicious. Portions are more than fair and the service has been friendly each time I've visited. Try and take out order from here some time and I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

Grace nixon

This place is a gem is a gem of san diego! A totally unique concept where you pick the region of thailand you want your pad thai to be — the southern is my absolute favorite ! The only have pad thai and their pad thai is one of the best in san diego! It is a small buisness and the owner is often at the locations ! It’s clean and you can tell he really loves his buisness and pad thai and it comes out in the amazing flavor and quality ! Support this small buisness — I promise you will not regret it **I already ate quite a bit of the pad thai in the photo — the quantity is way more !

Ashley adams

Always a treat! This is our favorite place to go after dance class. The best pad Thai we’ve ever had. My personal favorite is the boran old style

Khuyen Nguyen

Highly recommend this place to anyone unsure like I was! They only serve pad Thai here, but 4 different types, northern, central, southern, and old style. I always thought there was only one type of pad Thai in life, but I was verrry wrong. We got the Northern and Southern and they were absolutely DELICIOUS. After years of eating Pad Thai, my standards for Pad Thai have been raised! Plenty of sauce, perfectly cooked noodles, and a good mix of veggies. Mid meal, the chef/owner came out and we chatted with him and he was so genuine and passionate about his food and future plans! It made the food and experience that much better. Storefront: 2/5 (an actual hole in the wall. I was nervous at first tbh; food health grade is an A though! And it is called the pad thai STAND) Seating: 4/5 (limited and mismatched seating but had fire pit table and cute string lights that gave it a cozy date night vibe) Food: 10/5 it really was that good. Made to order, truly crafted to perfection by a very kind chef/owner, great prices, great portions. We plan to be regulars!

Shawn Davis

Went there today. Was a little nervous about some of the reviews saying not much food and that the attitude of the employees was bad. The employees were all very nice and helpful and answered all tge questions I had very nicely. I ordered the Northern Veggie pad thai medium heat. As somebody else had noted a medium heat is closer to a 7 at other places. The girl at the counter had offered to make it low heat and give me more pepper to add myself. However, I chose medium. It's a good portion size, and the food is good. Being gluten-free is an added bonus. Veggies were u der tge noodles as another reviewer had stated that their chicken was under the noodles. It was bot a problem to stir it myself to mix everything up. It may have even helped to cool it down since it was served very warm. I'm looking forward to going there next week since I'm working in the area to try all the other variations of Pad Thai. I paid $15 and that price is very average for the amount of food from other places.

Celyn Durrani

This is hands down the best pad Thai I’ve had! It’s definitely a big portion, super flavorful, great quality and a good protein portion! The costumer service is wonderful. So kind, attentive, friendly and helpful!

Andrew Marshall

I'm glad I discovered this hidden gem. Delicious food, sizeable portions, and fair prices. The staff is friendly and helpful. I don't eat Pad Thai often and the gentleman at the counter graciously explained all of the options to me.

Jana Lebensverliebt

This was the best Pad Thai I have ever eaten!!! Located on North Parks farmers market (every thursday), Nat and his awesome colleague were so fun and entertaining while preparing the food. You can choose between different types of pad thai with your preferred spice level. I ate a vegetarian one with mushrooms & beans in the northern pad thai style. I can definitely recommend this place. Nat has also a restaurant in Ashford St). Thanks a lot for the great and very authentic food adventure.

Without a doubt the best Pad Thai in America. Everyone I know (including myself), every thai person I know and EVERYONE who has actually been to Thailand, allllll agree, This is the ONLY place in all of America where the Pad Thai is just as good if not better then the best you can find in Thailand Any not so good review I promise to is because their food pallet is trash and you wouldn’t ever want to hear their recommendation. I’m a food critic who is extremely harsh. But this is a 1 in a million spots. No where in America is half as authentic , fresh, or tasty. Make sure you go, And if you don’t agree, then you don’t have the taste pallet to review food even in Google….

Probably the coolest popup I've seen! It's a literal Pad Thai pop up. Who knew there were so many regional variants of Pad Thai - great place to come grab some piping hot noodles and enjoy a delicious takeout meal!

I’ve been here quite a few times and I’m finally leaving a review because today it was PHENOMENAL. Whoever the cook was today, Saturday December 6th around 8pm seriously deserves a raise. I’d give this place 5 stars on a normal day but today it seriously exceeded expectations. I got the Southern style pad Thai, mild, with chicken. It was perfectly seasoned, the sauce was incredibly flavorful, and the cook on the noodles was perfect. 10/10

Zack Zack

Without a doubt the best Pad Thai in America. Everyone I know (including myself), every thai person I know and EVERYONE who has actually been to Thailand, allllll agree, This is the ONLY place in all of America where the Pad Thai is just as good if not better then the best you can find in Thailand Any not so good review I promise to is because their food pallet is trash and you wouldn’t ever want to hear their recommendation. I’m a food critic who is extremely harsh. But this is a 1 in a million spots. No where in America is half as authentic , fresh, or tasty. Make sure you go, And if you don’t agree, then you don’t have the taste pallet to review food even in Google….

Angie Veliz

I’ve been here quite a few times and I’m finally leaving a review because today it was PHENOMENAL. Whoever the cook was today, Saturday December 6th around 8pm seriously deserves a raise. I’d give this place 5 stars on a normal day but today it seriously exceeded expectations. I got the Southern style pad Thai, mild, with chicken. It was perfectly seasoned, the sauce was incredibly flavorful, and the cook on the noodles was perfect. 10/10

Open late and the person taking orders was very nice. He took the time to explain how to order and what he recommends. Small little restaurant with a limited menu. They have one large table and a couple of small tables. Counter order and takeout only. Food orders are made to order and can take awhile.

I had high expectations to find a pad thai stand similar to the ones I enjoyed in Thailand. This Pad Thai Stand unfortunately didn't hit that spot. I don't understand why use pho noodles to make pad thai. The texture of the noodle is not the same. The menu is kinda confusing. Best to stick with traditional pad thai, the regional flavor was a surprise, but not in a wowing kind of way. Three star review for the potentials for improvement.

The food here is only really good when the older staff members are on duty. I don't know their names but I recognize them. They're nice and the food is always well-seasoned and spicy enough. However, whenever it's the younger kids that work there that are on, the food is always either underseasoned or incorrect, and sometimes they seem so high out of their minds that they can't place my order correctly. This last time I ordered, the younger staff was working and I asked for a 3/3 spice level on my pad thai and it came out barely seasoned, barely spicy. It's the second time they do this. This place could easily be 5 stars if they addressed these staffing problems.

Update: we total visited three times so far, taste is consistently good but the portion is very inconsistent. One time the portion is so small and only had very little portion of protein both my partner and I are still hungry after we finished our own order, while the other two times have a generous amount of noodles and more protein, we both have leftovers for the next day. — We ordered chicken Pad Thai in both southern and northern style, we personally love southern style more. Food is delicious, but the price for it $15 is a bit expensive considering the amount of meat, no other sides, environment and cost additional $2 to complete all ingredients.

M T

Update: we total visited three times so far, taste is consistently good but the portion is very inconsistent. One time the portion is so small and only had very little portion of protein both my partner and I are still hungry after we finished our own order, while the other two times have a generous amount of noodles and more protein, we both have leftovers for the next day. — We ordered chicken Pad Thai in both southern and northern style, we personally love southern style more. Food is delicious, but the price for it $15 is a bit expensive considering the amount of meat, no other sides, environment and cost additional $2 to complete all ingredients.

Noodles were…fine. Taste was okay. Barely any chicken considering the price. The pad thai at most Thai restaurants is better, but judging from other reviews it sounds like this place can be good, just inconsistent. I probably won’t return. The Thai iced tea was solid, however.

Ian

Noodles were…fine. Taste was okay. Barely any chicken considering the price. The pad thai at most Thai restaurants is better, but judging from other reviews it sounds like this place can be good, just inconsistent. I probably won’t return. The Thai iced tea was solid, however.

Photos looked nice, but in reality it’s like a food truck in the old mall, pad thai was probably the worst we had in SD, tasteless with a few tiny pieces of chicken and the worst part it looked nothing like the picture, no Masaman curry or even nuts, it was cooked by a guy who looked like teenager with AirPods in the back of the place, does not look sanitary.

Ordered a Northern Pad Thai and a Southern Pad Thai, both with chicken, for take out on Sunday evening. The noodles came in a big block (they were all stuck together) and they weren't very flavorful. (The Northern one was better than the Southern one.) The chicken was all at the bottom, not mixed in with the noodles. Maybe it wasn't very flavorful because we got mild spicy? (Mild was not very spicy at all.) Spent ~$30. We will probably not try this restaurant again. It was worth a try - I don't know if we got a bad batch or caught the restaurant on a bad day, but it was just a disappointing experience.

Missing key ingredients that were specifically asked for on the order. While this restaurant offers gluten free options - the hot was not all that spicy and lacked general flavor. Will likely pass in the future on this establishment.

We got the northern style pad thai and holy cow this was way to sweet. We expected this to have more of a peanut flavor but it was just sweet. With this restaurant completely focusing on pad thai I expected way better food!

Normally good, but today I got my usual southern style order to-go and it was the blandest lightest pad thai I've ever had. What's happening in the kitchen?

Unfortunately, I should have trusted the review below about there being no flavor. But I was craving something not Mexican at 11:30PM and The Pad Thai Stand was an option. I was so excited. Upon opening the box and seeing the color of the noodles, I already knew. Large portions though, I'll give it that.

Charlene Cheung

Unfortunately, I should have trusted the review below about there being no flavor. But I was craving something not Mexican at 11:30PM and The Pad Thai Stand was an option. I was so excited. Upon opening the box and seeing the color of the noodles, I already knew. Large portions though, I'll give it that.

Man just like other negative reviews on here. I absolutely love this place when they are on their game! Quality is good, flavor is good, honestly best pad Thai I have had outside of Thailand! The service and attention to details is getting as here. Please take this as a healthy critique and fix the issues because this location has a bunch of irresponsible people working here consistently. I just got a northern pad Thai earlier with a coconut cream Thai tea but they said the tea had spoiled. I can respect that fully that they didn’t serve me something that would make me sick and thank them for that. Maybe they should make another batch so they can accommodate customers and not lose profit? So I call before they reopen for the day and they said they have Thai tea but then I get there and the kid working the register didn’t know about it and just kinda laughed it off and said “oh sorry I didn’t know about it”. That lack of customer service and disrespect at the register just lost a long time happy customer until things get better! If the owner reads this, please hire better staff rather than a bunch of kids who don’t care about your business.

The interior is extremely dirty. One doesn't know how to talk to customers, the other cooks with a lollipop in his mouth. Hygiene is zero, communication with customers is zero. The restaurant needs to be tested on hygiene. I will never go back.

I decided to try this place for the first time, and I got bad food poisoning. Not recommended. Edit: It's been 3 days since I ate here, and I'm still suffering from the food poisoning these guys gave me. I don't know how they're still in business, but someone from the health department needs to check them out ASAP. DEFINITELY NOT RECOMMENDED.

Ordered to go, found a long strand of black hair & called to ask for a refund. Two orders were placed, and I only requested for one to be fair (the other seemed fine). My hair is very short and red. Workers said that they were unable to do so, boss was out of town... not well receptive on helping with follow-up on the issue either. Overheard them complaining about my request in the background as well. Not professional mannerism for a mistake that is on their part... update: hair found in other dish, as well as an eggshell remnant 😐

So sorry to have to post such a negative review. We've been wanting to try this place out for several months. Tonight I was hungry for Pad Thai. I called for pick up of 2 shrimp Southern Region pad Thai dishes. I was asked if I wanted all the fixings that go with it (radishes, bean sprouts etc.) I said absolutely and was promised it would also come" with a lot of Love" I ordered at 5:00 and was told 15 min. We got there at 5:20 and it was just coming out of the kitchen. Came home so excited only to find two boxes of clumped pad thai noodles. NO SAUCE, DRY DRY and shrimp? Well so very tiny I finally found 2!! I called back to let them know how disappointed I was and that instead of "love" I wished I had some sauce with my food🥺 I got the standard. " Sorry bout that." There are so many other excellent Thai food places here in SD, I would not go back or ever recommend this place.

One of the worst Thai spots . Went here thinking it was good after looking at reviews. Option very limited. Flavors horrible. I asked for a Thai with peanuts and light shallot and creamy. Ended up getting Thai from a reused pot from other customers orders. I literally sat there watching them cook the food in the same pots and I’m assuming it a family ran business and they made a comment about mom making that food earlier. I spend 20 buck for something that was edibles. I asked for the lowest spice level and my food Felt like it was the highest of heat level. Go somewhere else trust me. Not worth it. Horrible experience. My stomach is still hurting midday after eating that junk. I literally ate 3 bites and wanted to be fair. If there was a zero rating i would’ve given that

I feel like the past 2-3 times I've ordered have been a waste of money. There's literally no sauce, just bland noodles. I wish I could say this is the first time but I kept trying it again. I think it's time to find a new place. Guys I'm not even exaggerating, there's no sauce at all and the bean sprouts smelled and tasted so old ˙◠˙ For over $15/plate, I expected so much more

Roberto Lopez

One of the worst Thai spots . Went here thinking it was good after looking at reviews. Option very limited. Flavors horrible. I asked for a Thai with peanuts and light shallot and creamy. Ended up getting Thai from a reused pot from other customers orders. I literally sat there watching them cook the food in the same pots and I’m assuming it a family ran business and they made a comment about mom making that food earlier. I spend 20 buck for something that was edibles. I asked for the lowest spice level and my food Felt like it was the highest of heat level. Go somewhere else trust me. Not worth it. Horrible experience. My stomach is still hurting midday after eating that junk. I literally ate 3 bites and wanted to be fair. If there was a zero rating i would’ve given that

Nikita Patel

I feel like the past 2-3 times I've ordered have been a waste of money. There's literally no sauce, just bland noodles. I wish I could say this is the first time but I kept trying it again. I think it's time to find a new place. Guys I'm not even exaggerating, there's no sauce at all and the bean sprouts smelled and tasted so old ˙◠˙ For over $15/plate, I expected so much more

Angelina Truong

Ordered to go, found a long strand of black hair & called to ask for a refund. Two orders were placed, and I only requested for one to be fair (the other seemed fine). My hair is very short and red. Workers said that they were unable to do so, boss was out of town... not well receptive on helping with follow-up on the issue either. Overheard them complaining about my request in the background as well. Not professional mannerism for a mistake that is on their part... update: hair found in other dish, as well as an eggshell remnant 😐

Disappointing Food + Poor Customer Service + Messy Outdoor Dining Area We visited this place few years back because their menu offered multiple Pad Thai flavor options, and we wanted to understand the differences. When we asked the owner for more details about the ingredients and how each flavor was prepared, she told us that one of the flavors used fish sauce as the main ingredient and described it as a “sweet, sweet dish.” Since fish sauce is traditionally savory, we asked for clarification, but the owner responded in a sarcastic way, insisting that “all fish sauce is sweet”. When our order arrived, the Pad Thai came out all glued together like a single block and extremely sticky, making it difficult to mix or enjoy properly. The outdoor dining area was also quite messy and didn’t feel well-maintained, which added to the overall disappointment. After our visit, my partner left an honest review describing what happened. Instead of taking the feedback constructively, the owner accused us of trying to ruin a local business—something we found surprising, since we were simply sharing our real experience from that day. Based on the service, the food quality, and how the situation was handled, we would not recommend returning. This review is here to share our experience and help others make an informed decision.

777

Disappointing Food + Poor Customer Service + Messy Outdoor Dining Area We visited this place few years back because their menu offered multiple Pad Thai flavor options, and we wanted to understand the differences. When we asked the owner for more details about the ingredients and how each flavor was prepared, she told us that one of the flavors used fish sauce as the main ingredient and described it as a “sweet, sweet dish.” Since fish sauce is traditionally savory, we asked for clarification, but the owner responded in a sarcastic way, insisting that “all fish sauce is sweet”. When our order arrived, the Pad Thai came out all glued together like a single block and extremely sticky, making it difficult to mix or enjoy properly. The outdoor dining area was also quite messy and didn’t feel well-maintained, which added to the overall disappointment. After our visit, my partner left an honest review describing what happened. Instead of taking the feedback constructively, the owner accused us of trying to ruin a local business—something we found surprising, since we were simply sharing our real experience from that day. Based on the service, the food quality, and how the situation was handled, we would not recommend returning. This review is here to share our experience and help others make an informed decision.