Thai Tom

I went to Thai Tom last night with two of my girlfriends. We were told the wait would be 20 minutes, to we went across the street to Buffalo Exchange to browse while we waited. 15 minutes later, we went back. Suddenly our wait time was 20 MORE minutes. After those minutes were up... yes, you guessed it... there was another 20 minutes. We realized the host was seating people who hadn't been waiting as long as us, and it was only because of a nice guy's admission of this that we were seated when we were. We ordered the spring rolls, panang curry with tofu, and poorman noodles with tofu. Everything was absolutely delicious, and TOTALLY worth waiting 60 minutes to be seated for. The portions are large and the 2 stars is just right for people who like heat but don't want to catch fire. For those three dishes our total was about 22 dollars. But then came the food poisoning. I'm not sure how they managed this... seeing as we ordered tofu! Not meat. But about 3 hours after eating I was vilely ill and I still feel drained and nauseated. Both my friends got upset stomachs, but neither of them were as sick as I was. In conclusion... It was an okay experience. The food tasted good, but next time I'll pass. It's not worth being doubled over in pain. more

Any time between 5-7, you'll most likely have to wait outside for 10 minutes, but no longer. They'll take your order before you're seated, and your food usually arrives moments after you sit down. Certainly not a place to take a friend or colleague to have a conversation, but a good place to swing by for a quick eat. The portions are large for the low cost, but the quality lacks. Unless you're a Thai expert, however, I doubt you'll notice. They're heavy on the grease and sauce, but hey, it's FILLING! Overall, it's a fun experience - or great takeout (I would estimate over half their business is takeout). Give it a shot for a $10 meal! more

Too crowded, too small, too dirty, too burnt, too spicy, too greasy. No matter how many "stars" you indicate, the food is crunchy with all the red pepper flakes. The main reason I'd want to go is because people worship so loudly. I never saw what the hype was about. It's good, but not nearly as good as people are wetting their pants over. more

Thai Tom is the closest I've come to authentic Thai food in Seattle so far. Definitely not the spot for a leisurely meal, but some of the best tom yum kung I've had in a long time. Sit at the counter if you don't mind some heat. more

So I will start with the good.... this is the best tasting thai resturant in seattle that I have found. I often get cravings for their pad thai, coconut soup, yellow curry. I love how small it is and I will gladly wait the 45 minutes to get seated.... until last week! This is hard for me to say because I love this place so much but.... it would not pass a health inspection. I found not one but two crawling pests. I now know why it's so athentic.... they even have the cockroaches to go with. more

A few years ago, Thai Tom was my favorite restaurant on University Avenue. They still have the same excellent recipes and the food is prepared to almost the same quality of taste. But the service and pizazz that was once present -- the showmanship of the cook, the courteous supermodel hostess, authentic feel of the place -- all have gone. When I was there on April 20, 2006, the bathroom was filthy with a wet floor, the statues and stereo seemed like they hadn't been cleaned in ages, the dishwasher was smoking by an open window at the entrance, the cook was listening to some bad loud music, and the waitresses were quite surly. They didn't ask if I wanted anything to drink or if I wanted dessert. They didn't listen to my grandmother's request for something not spicy without the excessive sauce -- she gave her dinner to a group of homeless kids instead of eating. They coldly refused to ask the cook to turn down the music, which was too loud for my grandmother and I to talk. When my grandmother didn't leave a tip, one of them followed us out of the door to get a tip, and when my grandmother politely told her that they had not done some important things we had asked, she told us, quite publicly, to never come back. My curry was great, but the attitude of those who work there now, which seemed to lack any real concern for the customer as anything but a money bag, is enough for me to stay away. more

I have only been to Thai Tom once and really didn't like what I had. I ordered the Phad Thai and it wasn't really the best I have ever had. My friends agreed that they didn't see what the big deal was when it came to this restaurant. We waited an hour to get seated and once seated we were squished against the wall in the back. I know people who drive up from Tacoma to eat here but really don't understand why. Maybe someone has a better dish that they can recommend to me? more

I'm pretty sure the address is actually 4543 University Way NE, not 4700 block. I popped in for lunch to go (chicken Pad Thai, the dish I start with at any new Thai place) and I was pleasantly surprised. I'd agree with Steve R. that the show in the open kitchen behind the counter is high energy, and I'd also agree with the statements about small space/long wait--I waited 20 minutes for my to-go order, and there weren't that many people there when I first arrived (but by the end, there were people out on the sidewalk waiting for seats). more

Watching the chefs make the food right IN FRONT OF YOUR FACE... is the best part about eating at Thai Tom's. I don't know any other place in Seattle where you can watch the chefs at work in a small (& cheap) atmosphere. The great prices, great food, and fun atmosphere... almost "soup nazi" in style, simply add to the fun & excitement of watching these chefs at work. You can feel the heat of the gas stoves and I almost always think I'm going to get splattered with hot oil...but somehow never do. Lines are long but it's worth the wait and they move folks in and out so fast that you'll probably get in pretty quickly compared to most restaurant lines. The other review on here saying that each meal will feed two people is not accurate, but it's plenty for one average person (or maybe two small people with small appetites). come on, it's like 6 bucks...what can you expect. The pad thai is quite good but try something new... more

This place is worth the wait, worth standing in the rain, worth the cramped seating, and worth WAY more than they charge! I LOVE the Swimming Rama, and I find that one dish is more than enough for two people, or a delicious lunch the next day. LOVE IT! more

Out of all the Thai Restaurants that I have tried this one is my favorite. The place is small, packed with people, and has great food. I like my food spicy and they will make it that way for me. Be warned if you can't handle spice order * not **** It makes a big difference. I must admit that the food is significantly better when Tom himself is working behind the stove. Be prepared for a 15-30 minute wait.... It's worth the wait. more

Agreed--hands-down best thai. Get a seat at the counter and watch one chef with seven burners going full tilt. Great pyrotechnics. more

This place is a "hole in the wall". There are about the 10 items on the menu, and about as many standing in line at the door at the height of lunch. Today I had the Veggie Spring rolls, the spicy noodle dish and some of the hot coconut soup (not the Thai names). There are about 8 spaces at the counter and 5 tables. I sat at the counter and watched the cook/owner just do an amazing dance around about 6 pans of goodness without missing a beat. Every dish is about 5-7 bucks. One dish would feed two people, and if you had water you could get out of the place for $10 with tip. The food is so fresh and tasty I am making myself hungry. The music in the place is of the world hip flavor and only makes the place that much more friendly. Staff and service are amazingly efficient. Try it you'll love it. more

This is simply the best thai food in Seattle. Every dish has been amazing. Plus, Thai Tom isn't a place that will load up an entrée up with spices only to have you burn your mouth. The spices are strong and flavorful yet still allow you to enjoy the great meal. Thai Tom itself is a small, rather cramped restaurant. Unless you go there at an odd time expect to wait about 30 or 45 minutes. It's always busy and for good reason. Thai Tom isn't a good place to go with a bunch of people. More then 2 people in the group will cause issues. It's still a great place though. The food alone makes it worthy of 5-stars. more

If you're looking for a sure bet on some great Thai food, check out Thai Tom. The place is small and gets pretty packed, especially in the evenings. A word of caution: this place seems to turn it up a notch or two when it comes to the spices, so if you usually take a three or four on the spices you may want to tame it down to a one or two. Also, the service is outstanding. more

Thai Tom has a well-deserved reputation for good food on the Ave. Very tough to get in when busy (it is TINY), you'll have to wait, but it's worth it. If you go within an hour of closing and they're busy, they'll probably tell you that you can only order to go. Have a backup if you want to sit and eat somewhere. The food is pretty inexpensive and portions are pretty big. I ordered 1 star and it was pretty spicy for 1, be forewarned! more

Such awesome Thai food. Really good, really fresh, really flavorful. The space is itty bitty super tiny but worth the wait for table because you wont want to miss this place. The little spring rolls are superb with a lovely and fragrant dipping sauce. If you like Thai try this out and you'll be back again and again. more

Thai Tom is a decent Thai place, I wouldn't say it is anything special though. Usually packed during lunch and dinner and of course on the weekends. The service is OK until you pay...I've seen the owners/cooks (whatever) run after customers who have paid but not tipped yelling something along the lines of, "No tip, don't come back" I'm a firm believer that your tip is earned...and things like the owner chasing somebody down really irks me...go somewhere else more

Thai Tom is a great inexpensive thai restaurant near the University of Washington. The food is fantastic but spicy and the portions are not too big and not too small. They do not take reservations and it is quite a small dining room so you tend to have to wait. I would recommend this restaurant to people who like spicy Thai food, however there are many other Thai restaurants in the area for those of you who do not like spicy food. more

Thai Tom is tiny, inexpensive, delicious, and doesn't take reservations. Plan to spend some time on the sidewalk outside waiting for a table, or better yet, a seat at the counter so you can watch the action from the open kitchen.Everything here is good and if you order several stars, you will see them. The food is as spicy as you request it. Vegetarian options, excellent pad Thai and swimming rama, and don't miss the soup. You'll be surrounded by UW students, but even if you're well past graduation it won't matter. The food is reliably tasty, portions are huge, and it's fun to watch the owner, Tom, work his magic over an open flame. This is one of those Thai diners that will keep you coming back. There are more than 300 Thai restaurants in Seattle but I think this is one of the best. Only one complaint: sometimes the Thai tea or Thai iced coffee is a tad weak. It's not perfect, but it's close. more