Small place but big flavors!
Truly delicious, we had some very fresh spring rolls. Some amazing dumplings and a traditional Thai soup that I've never had before. Simply scrumptious. The service is quick and friendly and it's right downtown so it's great place to go for locals and bring your guests. Even my 97-year-old mama loves this place!

While walking around Santa Barbara, my wife wanted her Thai Tea. So I looked on Google map and saw this place. I told her that this place has her Thai Tea and it was near us. When we arrived, the first thing I notice was all the artwork outside and then the authentic setting inside. My wife ordered her Thai Tea and we waited outside. It took a while for our drink to be ready, I had to go back and ask about it and that was when they went to make it. I think they forgot about our order since it was just a drink. We tried to come back at 3pm to actually dine in but they were closed so I was disappointed.

Enjoyed the poor man’s noodles with ground chicken though the medium spice level wasn’t really spicy at all. Service was good. Didn’t love how they brought the check before I’d even drank my tea, but would come back to try another dish.

This was a last minute family dinner. But it turned out amazing. We even asked to see the Chef so we can thank him for such an amazing meal. We had the duck curry, pad Thai, Regular fried rice with chicken, pineapple fried rice and many more items. We asked for a side sauce it was their fish sauce with jalepenos. It was so good! Definitely need to go here if you have ever wanted to have some amazing authentic Thai food.

Dined here on Christmas day since it was one of the few places that was open. The chicken noodle soup was good! You can tell it was authentic broth. The egg rolls were delicious. Pad Thai was good too but I've had better. We ended the meal with a coconut ice cream.

Our server here was so nice! Almost too nice. The food was all very tasty and full of great flavor and texture profiles. We ordered a fried tofu appetizer, Pad Thai, and chili basil vegetable dish. They were very accommodating for vegans which is always much appreciated. No complaints at all. Also, they served our rice in a nice and pointy pyramid shape, very very good, really pushed our dining experience to the next level.

Some of the best Thai food I've had in a while. Flavorful with good spice, excellent ambiance, and wonderful service.

My husband and I went for dinner. I ordered a Thai Iced Tea and Pad Thai. The food is excellent. The only complaint is that the restaurant was FREEZING! We went at 6:45 at night and the temperature outside was around 45 degrees. The door was open the entire time. They had a space heater that was taken entirely by the table behind me once they were seated.

Heerlijk gegeten. De pangang curry was erg lekker. Mijn gezelschap was ook zeer tevreden over het eten!

De wc is de schoonste die wij tegen zijn gekomen tijdens de rondreis, erg fijn!

amazing!!!

Food prices do not match quality and quantity. Spices were nice. When I think of Thai food, I think aroma of lemongrass and basil. That 'touch' was not there.

Very tasty Thai food. Perfect spicing. Such yummy flavors. We had summer rolls and Pad see ewe. I would try anything with confidence.

Really good Tom Kha!

Enjoyed the poor man’s noodles with ground chicken though the medium spice level wasn’t really spicy at all. Service was good. Didn’t love how they brought the check before I’d even drank my tea, but would come back to try another dish.

Update. The soup was literally boiling and yet tasteless with big chunks of lemon grass and pieces of tofu the size of a ring box. The tea was Luke warm SB tap water- not even hot enough to make tea! And the gyoza were flabby and bland. Forget it- this place is awful now🤢in my review a few years ago I said good was in and it’s worse now. Do they really need to charge $13! Roti (rice bread) $4, jasmine tea $3... these are heavy markups for a place with linoleum floors, blue walls, spiderwebby air conditioner and paper napkins. I wouldn’t mind that if the prices were a match, but if you order soup, spinach and bread and tea it shouldn’t cost $40! For $40 I can get a meat lasagna, cloth napkins and wine!

Was very busy with online orders but after ordering food came fast! Best Thai food I’ve ever had!!

The most disappointing takeout I’ve probably ever had. Definitely the worst Thai food. Noodles were absolutely flavorless, the roti soggy and drenched in oil, and the curry watery. Im usually one to disregard one star reviews, but I wish I hadn’t.

First time having food at this restaurant and the food was really good. This is a small place with very few tables. The customer service was good. Ambience nice. Definitely recommend the sticky rice with banana and the coconut ice cream. It was the best. Try any dishes from the menu you will not be disappointed.

Many years ago I had dinner at Zen Yai. The food was OK but the atmosphere was not appealing. THIS HAS ALL CHANGED.
Recently we went back to have dinner at Zen Tai based on a recommendation of a trusted friend. All the items we ordered were fresh and delicious and the interior of the restaurant was greatly improved. I look forward to returning soon!

Some of the best Thai food I've had in a while. Flavorful with good spice, excellent ambiance, and wonderful service.

I've had Thai food across the US, Canada, and Thailand and this was absolutely the worst phad thai I've ever had. 0 spice, it just tasted like tomato sauce. The noodles were soggy, stuck together and just terrible. The Thai tea was amazing though.

Delicious food and super friendly staff. I had the yellow curry with tofu and sticky mango rice (both vegan). Great quality and prices. Highly recommended.

Solid! I’d argue slightly better than Your Place and Tap Thai. Tom Yum and Chicken Fried Rice were delish.

***Beware*** Such a bad experience! We went there and asked for spicy food and they just said we can’t make spicer than this and it was not at all spicy also it’s little pricey and portion size was small. It looks way different in person than in pictures. There was nothing compared to pictures. They should at-least make it little clean and improve on their customer service. Overall not great experience!

Small place but big flavors!
Truly delicious, we had some very fresh spring rolls. Some amazing dumplings and a traditional Thai soup that I've never had before. Simply scrumptious. The service is quick and friendly and it's right downtown so it's great place to go for locals and bring your guests. Even my 97-year-old mama loves this place!

Amazingly good!

Delicious food cooked with integrity and zen✨

The worst green curry I've ever had. The chicken looked/tasted like cold cuts sliced into squares, the curry paste tasted like it was bought from some horrific dollar store off brand. The rice was cheap and disappointing as well. I don't think I'll ever come back here. I can make more authentic tasting Thai food at home and Im white.

I ordered the Pad Thai noodles. My dinner was delicious! The wait staff were very pleasant.

Delicious food in a nice street-side table. Definitely coming back.

The food here is amazing! The coconut curry was so tasty: perfectly creamy, spicy, fresh vegetable with crunch. We will definitely go back here!!

While walking around Santa Barbara, my wife wanted her Thai Tea. So I looked on Google map and saw this place. I told her that this place has her Thai Tea and it was near us. When we arrived, the first thing I notice was all the artwork outside and then the authentic setting inside. My wife ordered her Thai Tea and we waited outside. It took a while for our drink to be ready, I had to go back and ask about it and that was when they went to make it. I think they forgot about our order since it was just a drink. We tried to come back at 3pm to actually dine in but they were closed so I was disappointed.

On our way to Stanford University my family got to have lunch in Santa Barbara at Zen Yai Thai Cuisine - We LOVED the food and the service - Isel was kind and efficient and I highly recommend the Shrimp in a Ginger Pot devine taste - the Red Curry smooth and luscious - the Gai Kua fresh and truly refined flat rice noodles with greens slightly addictive : ) - the Pad Thai eggs bean sprouts your choice of protein that's the dish namely called the king of street food Thai style - and not to miss I recommend starting or finishing with the Vegan Summer Roll - Isel our waitress suggested the sweet chilli sauce in lieu of the classic peanut sauce - It was the perfect family meal - 2 teenage boys and 2 adults - Thank you Zen Yai Santa Barbara 🧡

Decent food, not the best Thai food I've had, but probably the best in this area

Dined here on Christmas day since it was one of the few places that was open. The chicken noodle soup was good! You can tell it was authentic broth. The egg rolls were delicious. Pad Thai was good too but I've had better. We ended the meal with a coconut ice cream.

My husband and I went for dinner. I ordered a Thai Iced Tea and Pad Thai. The food is excellent. The only complaint is that the restaurant was FREEZING! We went at 6:45 at night and the temperature outside was around 45 degrees. The door was open the entire time. They had a space heater that was taken entirely by the table behind me once they were seated.

Decent Thai food on states Street

if you want that Thai food you got to come to this

Although there was a lot of waiting as our food wasn't ready for pick up yet, we weren't dismayed as to the quality of the food. The rolls were made fresh and even the peanut dip was very tasty. The red vegetarian Curry was really good! When they say they are authentic Thai cuisine place, I kinda believe that with the quality of food beng served.

Our server here was so nice! Almost too nice. The food was all very tasty and full of great flavor and texture profiles. We ordered a fried tofu appetizer, Pad Thai, and chili basil vegetable dish. They were very accommodating for vegans which is always much appreciated. No complaints at all. Also, they served our rice in a nice and pointy pyramid shape, very very good, really pushed our dining experience to the next level.

Filthy! Anymore question

Don't get the fried squid. Food was otherwise good.

Best TomKha soup but everything else was ok.

I love this place. I’ve been going there for years and I always can’t wait to go back!

Eh, we can do better!

The food was nothing to write home about. Both Masaman and Yellow curries were flat. Tased like they needed to be cooked longer. Pretty bland. Meat portions in the dishes were frugal. Beef Masaman curry came out to $20 w/ brown rice, so pricy for a regular Thai dish

Atmosphere was just average. Would not come back here. Better Thai places all over

I had a wonderful experience eating here the other evening. They serve delicious, healthy thai food in a beautiful, calm setting. I felt very well after my experience here, and would reccomend it to anyone looking for a calmer restaurant in the busy Santa Barbara night life.

Good food, bad service. Came here to grab a late night bite. Server was inattentive, rude, and did not even give us napinks or ask us if we needed a refill (which we very much did). If it wasn't for the great food, I would have given 1 star for the bad impression I was left with

Food was good, would have been a lot better if they actually included utensils and napkins. First time ordering from them, not impressed. I thought including utensils and napkins would have been common sense, but I guess common sense isn't as common nowadays

So so. Have had better I'm the past.

Yumm

Amazing food, fantastic customer service!

A-mazing thai food! A must if you're in Santa Barbara. Friendly service, shared 3 dishes and every one was phenomenal. Eat here!

Zen Thai is a favorite of mine. Weekly' my girlfriend and I order the pad see ew beef and egg plant with basil. Don't forget the thai ice tea too! Yum!

This a great place. Awesome food. Awesome people. Love this place more than my own children. Great choice of food in santa Barbara.

I had a great meal at this restaurant. The waitress was warm and inviting, and the food was authentic and full of flavor. The outdoor seating area was big enough for a couple large groups, too!

Great outdoor seating! Yummy food and super friendly staff

Came here for my friends 21st birthday. Loved the Crouching Tiger Salad! I received friendly service and my server followed COVID guidelines very well. Outdoor seating was lovely

Very nice, accommodating

This is the 2nd or 3rd time having to do take-out during lockdown and I am so thoroughly impressed each time by Zen Yai. They are so gracious in their portions, they have a great system for picking up, securing your safety and making it easy and pleasant. The food is always absolutely delicious and I always end up wishing I ordered more. I love supporting our local SB restaurants and Zen Yai is definitely one of my favorites to support. Enjoy!

Best Thai food in Santa Bárbara. Location is the best: walking distance to all best bars and beach. Service is outstanding: friendly attentive. Thanks so much for making my experience memorable

Best Thai food in the city!!

Great Pad Thai!

Delicious panang curry. Highly recommend! Best around in downtown.

Cute ambiance and friendly service!

Great service! This place should be packed every night!

This place has the BEST pad thai!

Lunch was excellent! Food was beautifully presented and delicious ~ and service was optimum. Ready to return for another wonderful lunch!

Sehr freundliche Bedienung und sehr frisches und leckeres Essen. Die Hühnersuppe und das Padthai sind sehr zu empfehlen.

Excellent place to eat!

This restaurant has the Best Khao Soi. Small and cozy restaurant with very friendly staff.

Best Khao Soi in town. The savory coconut curry broth was slightly spicy but silky smooth. Can't wait to go back for more.

David! Your Food is the best!! We are from germany, we never ate such an delicious food in US like yours!! You gave us a really welcome feeling! Thank you soo much!

Good food and wonderful service. There are many vegetarian options on the menu and their peanut sauce is so good!

Delicious food! Very warm and welcoming ambience. 😊

David, the owner, was incredible!!! he was so warm and welcoming, and even allowed my party in the building early for dinner. he made an outstanding meal even better!

the female server who attended to us was impeccable! never a dry glass.

the food itself was super tasty! we had a huge variety - curry, pad see ewe, and a few others! definitely ask for the spice sampler. ALSO very affordable.

if i lived in Santa Barbara, this would be a spot for sure.

THIS PLACE IS AMAZING!!!! The food is spectacular and the owner David made my family and I feel like we were right at home. David asked if there were any allergies and preferences, something that rarely happens. This place is a true gem. Not coming here would be a mistake. I love Zenyai and will definitely be back whenever I am in Santa Barbara.

A nice little Thai restaurant right in the heart of Santa Barbara. I had the Pad Thai with Chicken. Very good! Also a yummy Thai Iced Tea. Service was great! Many thanks!

Great Curry dishes

Pretty good food for Santa Barbara. Nothing compared to the food in Thailand though. People there are nice and food was prepared quickly.

I've lived in Santa Barbara for fifteen years now and I've walked past this place countless times. I'd always thought of going in, but never did until now. Don't make the same mistake I did. Go eat there! Panang Curry with chicken was very good, and the chicken satay with the pastry bread stuff was super tasty. The whole experience was a delightful suprise .

Small cozy place with fantastic thai-ish food, well sized portions and comfortably priced. Usually sparsely populated

Yum! Great service, wonderful flavors. The pad Thai was very nice, and the red curry was stunning. I'll go back.

This was a last minute family dinner. But it turned out amazing. We even asked to see the Chef so we can thank him for such an amazing meal. We had the duck curry, pad Thai, Regular fried rice with chicken, pineapple fried rice and many more items. We asked for a side sauce it was their fish sauce with jalepenos. It was so good! Definitely need to go here if you have ever wanted to have some amazing authentic Thai food.

Average food with no smiles. Living off the tourist crowd unfortunately.

Great food. Been here over 100 times. Great for lunch and dinner. Dinner they have some amazing soups.

Great food, seems genuine to me! My son and I enjoyed it all: the duck rolls, the yellow curry, the duck curry, and the excellent Thai tea (both hot and iced). Serving the rice in a pyramid shape on the plate is a fun touch. The service was attentive and kind. We will remember this place for next time.

Great noodles...especially Pad Thai and Poorman Noodles

Interesting setting and good services, but the food is below average Thai.

My wife loves Thai and really enjoyed their Spicy Noodles (drunken noodles). Definitely not a questionable place to eat.

This restaurant's tag line, "reminiscent of things Thai," describes its food very well. Most menu items are recognizable Thai restaurant classics - curries, noodles, seafood dishes - all done well; also listed are also a number of authentic but offbeat-Thai and fusion dishes.

Some of my favorite mains: spicy noodles with tofu; duck curry; pumpkin curry with pork; shrimp paste fried rice; favorite starters: nam sod, larb, egg rolls, calamari. The most unique dish is the country curry: a yellow curry made with no coconut milk and added spices such as a large sprig of juniper - extremely spicy and flavorful!

One good measure of a restaurant is how well it does on the simplest dishes. Let's take the common, humble praram rong song: a protein floating in peanut sauce, usually served on a bed of spinach. At Zenyai this dish uses wilted spinach leaves, not quite raw but still with plenty of structure; the peanut sauce is spicy, savory, and not too sweet, and although there's a gracious amount, there's not enough sauce to drown the spinach. Every bite of praram is enjoyable and the meat is clearly cooked in the sauce, not added at the last minute.

If you want creative, healthy, fresh, original Thai, Zenyai is your choice. If you want sugar- and fish-sauce heavy, restaurant-style classics, you would be better served by one of the other Thai options in town.

Pretty Good Thai Food

Small place with some pretty authentic thai food. Their waiters are quick to take orders and keep your drinks full.

Best Thai food! My favorites are the Zen Yai Online, the Curry Noodles, the spring rolls and the smoked tofu mango salad. Love this place!!

They included the 18% gratuity in the bill and did not bring the itemized receipt, hoping to collect another tip.

best thai food on state

Great Thai restaurant run by a family. Fresh ingredients and flavorful dishes.

Must tries:
Poorman noodles with pork
Yellow curry with chicken
Chili basil with vegetables
Shrimp with ginger
Zen Yai online

Best Thai food in Santa Barbara! The people there are awesome. We have enjoyed Zen Yai since it opened, and try to make it once a month or.

I am really surprised at some of the reviews. This is my favorite Thai place ever and I have tried several Thai places. The flavors are refined and complex. There is almost nothing I haven't liked from the menu.

Delicious food, good service once you can get a table, as it's crowded for dinner, being located on State, the main drag. I like the wide choice of curries, from mild to hotter. We have dined here at least 5 times over the years and it remains an excellent choice for downtown Santa Barbara.

Sadly disappointed by Zenyai -- I heard great things and was excited for my first visit, and found the food lacking flavor. I also made the mistake of looking up while eating and the ceiling had 20+ giant black, flying beetles flying around. At that point, I couldn't eat anymore and decided that I was done with Zenyai.

I don't get the high ratings. Food here is just average, from the curries and the veggies, to the noodles. Flavors are indistinct and certainly don't reflect the sweet, sour or spicy notes of authentic, quality Thai. While the service is friendly, the dining room is dark.

I've eaten here numerous times and think it's the best Thai in Santa Barbara. The place is quaint, the staff friendly, and the food delicious.

Best Thai food in Santa Barbara hands down. Everything is great.

I have been to this little place a couple times over the years. The food is good but not the best in town. Don't order any white wine. I ordered their white wine and they offered two kinds, both were Woodride, which is very cheap and do not recommend anyone. The food could be presented better on the plates in a more appealing way. The staff is nice and make you feel at home, however they could dress up a little more. The atmosphere is lovely and very romantic. We love the decor, colors and lighting and that is is small and quaint, great for a romantic evening with someone special. If there is a wait you are steps away from getting a drink at a bar while you wait! Last time we went we had a fabulous time. It has much more potential to be the best Thai place in town! We will continue to stop by from time to time!