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... More

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.
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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. ... 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!
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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... 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.
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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... 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.
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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... 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.
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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... 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.
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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... 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?
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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... 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).
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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... 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...
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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... 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!
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