Sabieng Thai Cuisine is a fantastic spot in Santa Cruz if you’re looking for authentic Thai food. The restaurant stands out for its warm, welcoming atmosphere and a staff that makes you feel right at home. Every dish I’ve tried here has been fresh, flavorful, and true to traditional Thai recipes.

One of the standout dishes for me is the Samsahai, a perfectly balanced dish that’s rich in flavor and texture. The Yum Woon Sen is another favorite—light, tangy, and refreshing, with just the right amount of heat. And, of course, the Somtum (green papaya salad) is a must-try! It captures the essence of Thai cuisine with its combination of spicy, sour, and savory flavors.

If you’re craving authentic Thai food in Santa Cruz, Sabieng Thai Cuisine is a top choice. Whether you’re a fan of Thai classics or looking to try something new, this place won’t disappoint.

For all the times I have been here and absolutely enjoyed every meal..I am shocked I have not done a review before now.
They always provide wonderful service, great quality food, and a clean environment!

This time, I had the mango fried tilapia (I will say the fish seemed more like pollack because if it's meaty texture, which I enjoyed) and was divine. The mango was perfectly ripe and juicy.
The fried banana did not taste like a banana but had the look and texture of banana. (Tasted more like plantain, and I was glad as I am not a huge fan of banana flavor)

Parking can be a bit challenging on occasion, but it is worth figuring it out.

We got in right as they opened up just in time. They got our orders and even saved us some money with reccomending not getting too much rice. Great and courteous service!!

Usually pad thai is too soft or flavor isn't that good in other places. This restaurant got it spot on. Food was good, prices are lower spectrum of bay area restaurants.

Hole in the wall place, nothing fancy.

Please don't mind thr pictures as they were in the middle of being demolished.

Killer Thai food. Glad we found this place while visiting. Ordered Spring Rolls (Po Piah Sod). So fresh and wonderful dipping sauce. Tom Yum Koong Soup with tofu. Savory and spicy. A meal in itself (bowl). Mango Fish - Deep fried filet of tilapia topped with panang curry, sweet basil, green beans, carrots, zucchini, peas and fresh ripe mango with brown rice. Unbelievable! There was so much food that two of us couldn't finish it. All at a very reasonable price. Can't wait to go back!

I needed to cater a party of 50 last minute. Sabieng came through with vegan, vegetarian, meat, seafood platters, and Thai iced teas with coconut milk in 30 minutes. The food was amazing and I am seriously so thankful.

This is my first time in Santa Cruz and we were craving Thai. I was a little hesitant to come here because the reviews were either stellar or super bad, but I decided to go. I grew up eating Thai food and this place was great. As always the food is slightly different per the taste of the chef or recipe, but over all I thought it was so good. They had a new green tea drink and they let me try it first in case I didn't like it. Lots of people were here so it felt very welcoming and the food was well priced ~12 to 16 a dish

Do not listen to those bad reviews. They either had a one off bad experience or are those customers that cause trouble (you know those types of people I'm talking about)

Food 5/5
Service 5/5
Atmosphere 5/5

This Thai restaurant offers delicious, authentic dishes at a great price. The food is flavorful and well-prepared, with classics like Pad Thai, Somtum, and curries that never disappoint. The portions are generous, and the friendly service adds to the experience. A perfect spot for tasty Thai food without breaking the bank!

Service was excellent. We got Green curry, Pad Ke Mao, Pineapple fried rice and Tom Yum Soup. The soup was amazing. Everything else was good.

Oh, how the mighty have fallen..

Ive lived in the Santa Cruz area for 20 years, and Sabieng had always been a mainstay for great Thai food. Haven’t been there much since moving to Ben Lomond, but just visited today to get a lunch combo for my wife and I. We both got curry (red and green). They were both extremely disappointing, watered down, and the balance of flavors was off. Too much lime and fish sauce in the green curry and the red was so watery, it was more like a broth than a rich curry. The crab delights that came with my combo were possibly the worst I’ve ever had, undercooked and soggy. Sorry Sabieng, this will be our last visit. Thank you for having good food for so many years prior.

I’ve been eating here my entire life and the food is always excellent. I hope they stay open whenever I eat here every time I visit Santa Cruz.

I needed to cater a party of 50 last minute. Sabieng came through with vegan, vegetarian, meat, seafood platters, and Thai iced teas with coconut milk in 30 minutes. The food was amazing and I am seriously so thankful.

Service was fast and polite, dinnerware was clean, food was authentic, although I have had Thai food elsewhere that had more flavor. I would definitely eat here again though.

Food is really good, everything was delicious. We had larb, mango fish, mango sticky rice, pad see ew, and bbq pork. They were super sweet to my son, they let him pick a small gift off the christmas tree, my son was so happy! Great food, great family ran business.

Expensive food that lacks flavor. I do not recommend Sabieng.

We got there at 8pm for my birthday diner and the restaurant closed at 9pm. One of the worst dining experiences I’ve had because the second we got there we were rushed out of the door. We had our baby in a car seat and requested a different table than the one we were presented and the waiter was RUDE saying that the table we wanted was in a “closed section.” We were told that it was last call and the kitchen was closing from the second we sat down. Dinner was unpleasant and rushed. We couldn’t enjoy the meal because all the staff were rushing our order. The location is in a dirty strip mall and the food was not good- poor quality and not authentic flavors.

Delicious food, tons of choices. Their yellow curry has the best tasting yellow curry sauce I've ever tasted.

This Thai restaurant offers delicious, authentic dishes at a great price. The food is flavorful and well-prepared, with classics like Pad Thai, Somtum, and curries that never disappoint. The portions are generous, and the friendly service adds to the experience. A perfect spot for tasty Thai food without breaking the bank!

Sabieng Thai Cuisine is a fantastic spot in Santa Cruz if you’re looking for authentic Thai food. The restaurant stands out for its warm, welcoming atmosphere and a staff that makes you feel right at home. Every dish I’ve tried here has been fresh, flavorful, and true to traditional Thai recipes.

One of the standout dishes for me is the Samsahai, a perfectly balanced dish that’s rich in flavor and texture. The Yum Woon Sen is another favorite—light, tangy, and refreshing, with just the right amount of heat. And, of course, the Somtum (green papaya salad) is a must-try! It captures the essence of Thai cuisine with its combination of spicy, sour, and savory flavors.

If you’re craving authentic Thai food in Santa Cruz, Sabieng Thai Cuisine is a top choice. Whether you’re a fan of Thai classics or looking to try something new, this place won’t disappoint.

Your online ordering system is a real pain. I want to look at the menu to plan what we all want to order. But I can't do that until you open at 5PM. How crazy is that? I just want to see the menu. Why is that not available all the time? I think you selected the wrong supplier for you web software.

This is my first time in Santa Cruz and we were craving Thai. I was a little hesitant to come here because the reviews were either stellar or super bad, but I decided to go. I grew up eating Thai food and this place was great. As always the food is slightly different per the taste of the chef or recipe, but over all I thought it was so good. They had a new green tea drink and they let me try it first in case I didn't like it. Lots of people were here so it felt very welcoming and the food was well priced ~12 to 16 a dish

Do not listen to those bad reviews. They either had a one off bad experience or are those customers that cause trouble (you know those types of people I'm talking about)

Food 5/5
Service 5/5
Atmosphere 5/5

Best food I've had in years

This is the BEST Thai food in Santa Cruz in my book. I love their lunch specials and Thai iced tea. Always a treat.

Excelente lugar, la comida es rica, el servicio es bueno y las personas son amables, definitivamente regresaria y lo recomendaria a amigos y familia, los spring roles son muy buenos con la salsa de mani

Great food and service. Good portions also. Be sure to mention it if you don't like your food too spicy.

Killer Thai food. Glad we found this place while visiting. Ordered Spring Rolls (Po Piah Sod). So fresh and wonderful dipping sauce. Tom Yum Koong Soup with tofu. Savory and spicy. A meal in itself (bowl). Mango Fish - Deep fried filet of tilapia topped with panang curry, sweet basil, green beans, carrots, zucchini, peas and fresh ripe mango with brown rice. Unbelievable! There was so much food that two of us couldn't finish it. All at a very reasonable price. Can't wait to go back!

For all the times I have been here and absolutely enjoyed every meal..I am shocked I have not done a review before now.
They always provide wonderful service, great quality food, and a clean environment!

This time, I had the mango fried tilapia (I will say the fish seemed more like pollack because if it's meaty texture, which I enjoyed) and was divine. The mango was perfectly ripe and juicy.
The fried banana did not taste like a banana but had the look and texture of banana. (Tasted more like plantain, and I was glad as I am not a huge fan of banana flavor)

Parking can be a bit challenging on occasion, but it is worth figuring it out.

Poor quality. Old looking herbs, no care in the food. Would not recommend.

Super fresh food. Rarely I got to taste such food anywhere else

We got in right as they opened up just in time. They got our orders and even saved us some money with reccomending not getting too much rice. Great and courteous service!!

Usually pad thai is too soft or flavor isn't that good in other places. This restaurant got it spot on. Food was good, prices are lower spectrum of bay area restaurants.

Hole in the wall place, nothing fancy.

Please don't mind thr pictures as they were in the middle of being demolished.

From LA - we stopped on our way down going home- food was delicious, the sticky rice with mango- one of the best I’ve has so far ( and I’ve been to many Thai restaurant, I totally recommend you eat here.

I have been visiting the restaurant for the past 16 years for lunch. Employees have changed and plates, silverware too. Food has remained consistent, and prices have increased with time.

Great food great food and great food.

A delicious local spot that I stumbled upon. The Tom kah was so big and flavorful as well as the pad thai. The staff was super nice and I will be back.

Very nice service and food. A bit pricy tho.

Loved everything about Sabieng!

This is one of our regular dining places. The food is flavorful and satisfying, and it’s very consistent. Great for takeout, but comfortable for dining in.

Thai food here is not authentic at all. The pat kra pow was really greasy and not cooked with the right ingredients, wouldn’t recommend it. Not only was the the Thai food horrible, it was very overpriced. Each entree was almost 25 dollars, and they didn’t give a big quantity. When paying, the restaurant automatically added an 18% tip without notifying me. One of the worst Thai restaurants I have ever eaten at. Don’t go there if you want real Thai food.

Delicious. Flavors on POINT.

There is nothing authentic about the Thai dishes. We had chicken laab, nua nam tok, potstickers, and red curry. There is no taste at all. It is similar to eating paper. It appears that whoever wrote these reviews do not have a good understanding of Thai cuisine. REAL AUTHENTIC THAI FOOD should have all the flavors of sweet, sour, salty, and spicy.

I cannot even put into words how good the food was. They give out Tom Yum Soup like it was bread at Olive Garden. The Chicken Fried Rice made my mouth ascend higher than Mother Mary herself. The texture and taste is just...HEVEANLY. Also the waiters were super nice.

I love the Thai food here. It's so yummy! And the service was quick and they were friendly. It was priced the same as other Thai food places I've been to.

I just want to say this place is absolutely astonishing. The service and food. Its authentic and so flavorful. If you are in the are dont make a mistake and go to the chinese resturant next door this place is the one to go 100% guaranteed you wont regret it

Great place it’s got wonderfully staff and delicious food!

Delicious Thai food, comfortable warm restaurant, the servers are wearing tye dye’d garments from Thailand this place is the perfect goto spot for lunch or dinner. Every dish is flavorful, we god a pad Thai with chicken & prawns, pineapple fried rice & their deep fried sweet potatoes in coconut batter. All a must try!

Service was excellent. We got Green curry, Pad Ke Mao, Pineapple fried rice and Tom Yum Soup. The soup was amazing. Everything else was good.

This place is so good. You have to get their Pad Thai! Yum!!

Dine in on a Sunday in August 2023 was great. The food was really very good. Service was fine. Very fast, but not super friendly, though they were polite. Panang curry with shrimp was very good, as well as drunken noodles (called something else).
I had a bad experience a couple months before, where an online order of take out took more than an hour (and I had to sit there waiting) even though it wasn't that busy, and the food ended up being very bland. I'm glad to have tried again and found it was much much better this time. I will return.
Fairly busy on a Sunday in summer but only after 7:30pm.

Delicious food

Very friendly staff and the food was very good.

Visited 3 times in last 4 months. Great and consistent flavor of soups, rice and noodle dishes. Definitely recommend Thai food lovers to try once.

It may not look all that from the outside but the food is extremely flavorful and tasty 😋

We went there on July 4th weekend. A typical Thai cuisine. The vegetables in Tofu Green Curry were fresh and delightful. The seafood combo dish was tasty and complemented the green curry.

I like the yellow chicken curry and spring rolls.

food and service was beyond amazing!

We go there on our weekly rounds to Santa Cruz. They're open Monday, they are friendly, the food is as close to authentic as I've found (my travels to Thailand are in the distant past, but still). Excellent Pad Kee Mao and very fresh fresh spring rolls. You're in and out with tasty veggies in your belly, a singha or green tea, and your wallet's not empty. Thank you Sabieng. *Just had the eggplant special: delicious!

Food was ok, not great. Didn't get an itemized receipt and I felt like I might've gotten overcharged .

Just stopped at the restaurant after looking at google reviews. The restaurant was fully occupied and it took time for us to get a table. The service was quick and good. Tried Shrimp Tempura and Chicken Rice. Tasted good and amazing. Definitely worth trying in Santa Cruz.

Too tasty

My go to Thai place for the yellow curry. Also good soups and larb.

Excellent food and service

Decent Thai food... Be sure to order "medium" hot or it will be pretty bland. The Pad Pik King (dry red chili sauce on meat of choice with green beans and other veggies) was pretty good.

So delicious! Everything full of herbal flavors. And the prices are reasonable.

tried the fried rice. Quite good!

Pretty tasty & vegan friendly! Enjoyed the Tom kha soup with tofu & vegetables, and the pad kee mao with tofu. Also able to remove egg from other dishes to make them vegan. Really good service too! Filled up their tables quickly after opening, even on a Monday evening

Food was high quality. The low prices reflect the smaller, appropriately sized portions. The only complaint was that the spice level and flavors were low for what I would expect from Thai cooking. It was a little americanized that way low on the fish sauce and spice high on the sugar and cornstarch. It was really good though... I'm just nit picking!

Best in town. Gotta love it.

I had a pleasant experience here, however it was not everything I expected it to be for a thai cuisine. The service and staff workers were amazing. The food, not so much. For the amount of price, they only serve small proportions. And the thai food was more americanized here. I dot not recommend for those who want authentic thai food.

This is my staple go-to place to go as a vegan/vegetarian. It’s always a satisfying meal. I’ve tried their curries, Pad Thai, and more. My go to is Tofu Pad Se Ew!

I’ve only gotten take out from this restaurant but the staff are always friendly!

Great food. Loved it We ordered Thai iced tea, green curry and fried rice with tofu and asked them to make it vegetarian. Amazing taste, friendly service. Sticky mango fried rice was cherry on the cake.

Amazing food, awesome service and excellent Thai tea!!

Would love to try out this place but every time I try there’s an issue; this time I got there at 8:32 and they refused to seat us. Offered to pay and order right away and he all said no. Looking around at people who only had drinks and large parties who were clearly talking their time … So yea 1 star.

Super rude, wouldn’t seat us at 8:32 even as we offered to pay and order at the same time. Lame.

The Penang curry is quite good. Service is good and quiet atmosphere.

Food delicious, price medium, service slow.

First time visit for a take out. The portions were about medium and the price was fair at around 13-14 for each noodle item (drunken noodle and pad see ew). The taste was decent and the pice level was on point what was requested. They did forget to pack utensils or napkins for our take out. So perhaps be sure to request when picking up instead of assuming they’ll be included.

This place has the best Pad See Ew that I've ever had.

Tasty, but not authentic.

This is where I’ll come for sit-down Thai on the west side, no question! Great portions, variety on the menu, and pricing is very reasonable. Very nice staff as well.

The fried rice, noodles and appetizers are fine. I was only a bit disappointed with the duck curry. The duck meat was extremely salted which made me wonder if it was direct from fresh meat or canned.

Very good pad thai . The curry was excellent. I will be back.

Very good and interesting dishes. This is on our list of places to frequent when in Santa Cruz

A friend got the pad thai here and out of at least 10 thai food restaurants in Santa Cruz county and even Santa Clara county - it’s the best tasting pad thai!!! We highly recommend. Thx Sabieng!

I’ve been here a few times and everything I’ve tried so far has been SO good! Everyone working there is super nice too!

Great takeout service!

Delicious, great, awesome, rad

The wonton soup was OK, the pad see ew, crystal noodles, shrimp fried rice was fair,,,I came with my husband, my mom, my 9 year old and my 17 months. Since we were 5, they charge us an automatic 18% gratuity (about 19 dollars) on our bill. We were disappointed on this and surprised of this charge. We went to dine in front of the beach but never get charge of this...so warning to everyone,,,I'll try other thai food around and see if this charge is the same,, and hoping for a better food.

Quick and delicious.

Love this place ! Great pad Thai

Wonderful food, fast service.

They have a wide variety of choices. It is good for both dine in and takeout. We always enjoy eating there.

Have ALWAYS enjoyed their food! Usual get to go as it can get loud inside and is usually busy during times I have gone. They have yet to mess up an order in my 10+ years of ordering and I most definitely recommend when suggesting places to eat.

Nice customer service. Good food.

Excellent food and service. I really had a good time there. Thanks, sabieng!

Not bad. Pretty good.
I won't call it very authentic.
But still delicious.
Very friendly staff.

I would eat here again. Good menu.

Hands down THE best place to eat in Santa Cruz. You can order literally anything off of the menu and it’s going to be delicious. It’s warm, cozy, fast, and delicious. You truly cannot beat it for the money. Spend your money here.

Love Sabieng! Curries and mee pad are the best

Tried the panang curry and it was ok but just ok. Maybe I did not order the right thing but I was expecting something better.

So yummy. Love the green curry tofu

delicious 😋

We went for a birthday dinner for my nephew. Food ordered included Pad Thai, drunken noodles, chicken satay, tom yum soup, yellow curry, basil fried rice, boba Thai Ice tea. Everything was delicious. Great service.highly recommend

delicious foods and great service

We ordered Tom kakai soup and chicken pad thai to go. The food was delicious and we went through it very quickly! Great "to go" service. There was no waiting when I went to pick it up and the staff working there are very polite and very very nice!

Tasty Asian dishes at fair prices

It was splendid. Great flavors. Sweet and kind waitress who taught us how to say hello in Thai. Worth the drive!

We ordered the duck. It was deep fried perfectly. You can get it made without the edition of oyster sauce if you have an allergy. Just ask, they are very accommodating. Also the fried banana with coconut ice cream! Very tasty!

Best Thai food in Santa Cruz CA

Delicious, intensely flavorful Thai cuisine. We loved the pumpkin curry. The Pad Thai and pad see ew were also very good.

Good portion size and variety. No water served. Too much sugar in soups and pad thai.

Food was tasty but needed more spice.

Always delicious!

The food is amazing and everyone is super friendly! Will be ordering from here again

Great food, nice people, and excellent pandemic safety. But would you please stop using plastic?

Fresh ingredients, spicy and flavorful.

Some of the best Thai I’ve had. The sticky rice with mango is now a new favorite of mine. They are very efficient and safe in their order/pickup set up during the pandemic as well.

My first time at Sabieng restaurant and I was very disappointed. First off, drinks (water) were not served until after being seated for 15 mins. Mind you, no one else were dining out beside our family of 5. I understand the policy of wearing a mask but we were told to wear our mask even when being sat down while ordering our food. First restaurant that had ever asked us to do so. I ordered a couple of different dishes I was not pleased. I ordered a yellow chicken curry soup and my potato was still hard! Potato’s in the curry soup are suppose to be soft and tender. Unbelievable. I will not be returning back. I rate no star. But because I cannot post without rating, this will be considered a 1 star.

We love this place! The pra ram tofu is our absolute favorite and a must try for vegetarians. Can’t wait until it’s safe to eat in person again!

Good food, nice service. Very accommodating. Little pricy

I love Sabieng but I'm gluten free and have had difficulty getting food that has no gluten containing sauces added to it. Would tred carefully for GF folks unless you don't mind the gluten reaction. If you're not gluten free you'll probably like the food.

Great food, nice people

This place is great and a short drive from West Cliff for a great car picnic with an ocean view!

This is my comfort food spot in Santa Cruz. Try the pad Thai - it is gluten free and absolutely delicious. They can also make the fried rice gluten free upon request.

Wonderful food and a very friendly staff

Nice Thai restaurant. Some interesting menu items, particularly the vegetarian choices.

Spring rolls were good. Both curries that we got were, unfortunately, not particularly very good.

这家服务一般般诶

The best Thai resteraunt in Santa Cruz

Consistently great food, every time

After waiting to be seated for 10 mins, no one took our order for another 10 mins at least, not even drinks. Not great when you have young kids. We tried to flag someone down and were dismissed with a wave. It's a winter Tues night so it's not like they were slammed. We left and got great service down the street at Mission St BBQ

Mediocre Thai food. Almost every curry dish is coconut milk based & much too sweet for my taste. We ordered clear broth soup with chicken & veggies which was bland & unexciting. If you like basil and sugar, you'll probably like it

Must try the fresh spring rolls. Overall very satisfying meals

Always a great meal. Sometimes parking is difficult, but it's well worth it. Delicious Thai food at reasonable prices. I find the servings to be a bit large

Amazing affordable food

Good food, good prices. This was my first Thai food in US and I loved the padthai!

Great food. Friendly service. Low prices.

Excellent Thai food !

Best place for lunch among weekdays, I've tried all the noodles here and they are all very good! Try also bbqs and curries!

Too sweet

So good :)

Amazing food! So fresh and full of flavor! One of the best spots for Thai food in Santa Cruz! Pad See Ew is my favorite!

Delicious food, good service