About a month ago, my friend and I visited Kook Kai’s for dinner around 6:45 PM (not busy) on a very cold and windy evening. While the welcoming hostess and prompt seating started the experience on a positive note, things quickly went downhill.
The server brought us two small glasses filled with a bright orange drink and ice. The drink was overly sweet and too cold for the weather.
No vegetarian soups.
Then the dishes came. My friend ordered the Drunken noodles. He said the noodles were overcooked and the dish was too oily. He said his stomach was hurting later in the evening. I chose Pad Thai with Shrimp. I also found it too sweet: the sweetness overpowered everything except the shrimp which tasted frozen. My friend also had a ginger tea which he also said was too sweet. The food was inedible and neither of us ate even half of the food. And at $40, that’s awful. I think they definitely need to cut down on the sugar/sweetness.
The service was not great. The server was nice but appeared overwhelmed. And it was not busy. I asked for no scallions and I got scallions.
To make matters worse, there were flies in the dining area, and one landed on my food. I couldn’t help but wonder why there are flies in the cold winter??
Additionally, the tables were cleaned with what smelled like PineSol, which made it unappetizing to eat with the strong odor lingering in the air.
Overall, while the initial greeting was pleasant, the overly sweet food, poor service, and unsanitary environment made this an experience I wouldn’t want to repeat.
I truly don’t know how they have these high reviews.
The third picture on the right shows the fly on the bean sprouts if you enlarge.

Really good! The food was delicious, especially the pad thai and it is such a hidden gem. I hope more people try it out, there's construction going on that I feel like is affecting them though which sucks because they're so great. Food and service 10/10

We were in this restaurant with friends: two families with two 7 year old girls. All the food we ordered was good, especially spicy eggplant with seafood, crispy duck basil, chicken skewers. However, the most amazing thing was how staff went far and beyond to accommodate us and make sure our kids were happy. We brought our wine (which they didn't mind), and our water brought some juice that looked like wine for kids, so they could feel included. When our kids were done with food, but we were still eating and talking, the stuff put TV on in the lobby, so the girls could watch an animated movie. We all had great time, felt welcomed, and wanted to come back soon.

The owner is very friendly. They sometimes recommend their specialities not on the menu and give you free soft drink. Love the service.

A hidden gem! Small owned business. Staff always smiling with amazing service. Attentive service. On top of EXTREMELY tasty food. Clean all around & every table includes hand sanitizer. Definitely worth a try on a chill Sunday for lunch or dinner. Plates are definitely worth their price.

Super late in posting - but I had my birthday dinner here and the service along with the food made it most memorable! The manager and waitress were super helpful and kept my birthday cake in the fridge (given earlier by a family member) and took it out with candles and singing for dessert - it was a great surprise!

As for the food.... Exceptional! We had a variety of dishes, I managed taking pics of the first few before I gave up and just dug in. Everything was delicious and not one dish has a similar taste to another. Will def be coming again!

The food was fantastic! My Bangkok wings were so tender the meat was just falling off the bone. I also had the Chicken Curry Puffs, which had a delicate flakey exterior and delicious stuffing. My entree was the Thai Ginger with Pork and Mildly hot. Also delicious. I've only been here once but I'll definitely try to come back!

The owners, Mr Raori and Ms. Bee, are the friendliest people i have ever seen. My dad has stomach issues while eating spicy food, so i asked Mr Raori if the sauce could be changed for the tilapia dish, and he happily changed it.
The second time, I did the same thing, and he even gave me the official dish on the menu free of charge just for me to try, and I didn't even know about it until I got home.

This place LOVESSS DOGS. I took Archie, my beagle, the second time, and the owners loved playing with him and even offered him many, many treats.

Every time I go there, Mr Raori offers me thai beverages while I wait for my takeout order.

Love this family establishment, and I hadn't even heard of them before February 2025.

The owners, Mr Raori and Ms. Bee, are the friendliest people i have ever seen. My dad has stomach issues while eating spicy food, so i asked Mr Raori if the sauce could be changed for the tilapia dish, and he happily changed it.
The second time, I did the same thing, and he even gave me the official dish on the menu free of charge just for me to try, and I didn't even know about it until I got home.

This place LOVESSS DOGS. I took Archie, my beagle, the second time, and the owners loved playing with him and even offered him many, many treats.

Every time I go there, Mr Raori offers me thai beverages while I wait for my takeout order.

Love this family establishment, and I hadn't even heard of them before February 2025.

We were in this restaurant with friends: two families with two 7 year old girls. All the food we ordered was good, especially spicy eggplant with seafood, crispy duck basil, chicken skewers. However, the most amazing thing was how staff went far and beyond to accommodate us and make sure our kids were happy. We brought our wine (which they didn't mind), and our water brought some juice that looked like wine for kids, so they could feel included. When our kids were done with food, but we were still eating and talking, the stuff put TV on in the lobby, so the girls could watch an animated movie. We all had great time, felt welcomed, and wanted to come back soon.

The owner is very friendly. They sometimes recommend their specialities not on the menu and give you free soft drink. Love the service.

I had dinner from Kook Kai via delivery. The Panang curry was very bland and the tofu was overcooked. The food really wasn’t good.

About a month ago, my friend and I visited Kook Kai’s for dinner around 6:45 PM (not busy) on a very cold and windy evening. While the welcoming hostess and prompt seating started the experience on a positive note, things quickly went downhill.
The server brought us two small glasses filled with a bright orange drink and ice. The drink was overly sweet and too cold for the weather.
No vegetarian soups.
Then the dishes came. My friend ordered the Drunken noodles. He said the noodles were overcooked and the dish was too oily. He said his stomach was hurting later in the evening. I chose Pad Thai with Shrimp. I also found it too sweet: the sweetness overpowered everything except the shrimp which tasted frozen. My friend also had a ginger tea which he also said was too sweet. The food was inedible and neither of us ate even half of the food. And at $40, that’s awful. I think they definitely need to cut down on the sugar/sweetness.
The service was not great. The server was nice but appeared overwhelmed. And it was not busy. I asked for no scallions and I got scallions.
To make matters worse, there were flies in the dining area, and one landed on my food. I couldn’t help but wonder why there are flies in the cold winter??
Additionally, the tables were cleaned with what smelled like PineSol, which made it unappetizing to eat with the strong odor lingering in the air.
Overall, while the initial greeting was pleasant, the overly sweet food, poor service, and unsanitary environment made this an experience I wouldn’t want to repeat.
I truly don’t know how they have these high reviews.
The third picture on the right shows the fly on the bean sprouts if you enlarge.

My go to take out place in Silver Spring

Love their pad Thai. Excellent customer service!

Really good! The food was delicious, especially the pad thai and it is such a hidden gem. I hope more people try it out, there's construction going on that I feel like is affecting them though which sucks because they're so great. Food and service 10/10

Cozy place! We came just before closing time and they were very generous to allow us in and gave us time to order.

We ordered shrimp pad thai and spicy chicken drunken noodles. The shrimp was very fresh, the pad thai one of the best I have ever had. The spice level on drunken noodles hit the right spot.

Honestly an extremely underrated spot with very reasonable prices. If you are in the area this place is a must visit

My wife loved the food. But writing this review so that y’all will hopefully lend your support. I have never seen a business more harmed by construction. Just moved into the area and walked over to pick up pad thai. The temporary walkway going from Georgia down Bonifant stops two doors before theirs. From Fenton, you can’t get up there at all, so the only way to access is through an alley just across from the Wayne Street parking garage. I had time and was curious, so I figured it out but not sure how you would manage to get to the restaurant if you were in a hurry without jumping construction barricades. It’s a shame because the food is really good. If you see this, hopefully you are willing to walk the extra two blocks to go. And if you order delivery, maybe understand that it might take a little longer.

Food was so tasty! We got the drunken noodles and basil crispy duck. For dessert the mango sticky rice. Everything was really good.

I am beyond disappointed with my recent experience. First, the delivery took over an hour, which is unacceptable. When the food finally arrived, it was stone cold and barely edible. To make matters worse, the portion sizes were ridiculously small – a total rip-off for the price. I tried calling the store for support since I ordered directly from their website, but the person who answered was absolutely useless. His limited English made it nearly impossible to get any help or understand what he was saying. Overall, this was one of the worst delivery experiences I’ve ever had. Avoid this place if you value your time and money.

Very demure very mindful

Good services , Thanks

Ordered delivery:
Veg spring rolls, grapaw chicken and green curry vegetable.
Food is not Thai at All. Lacks flavor totally. Consistency of the gravy was very watery with no flavor. Spring roll are horrible… filling of veggies is absolutely raw and these are chewy.
Chicken was chewy and had a soy sauce based gravy/ sauce which is not a Grapaw base .. looks like some Chinese sauce gone wrong. Don’t know why would they have 4 starts for this kind of food.

Wonderful hidden gem right in Silver Spring

Owners were extremely rude and entitled and there was mice running around the floor

Very tasty and great restaurant experience. Highly recommend the papaya salad, Tom kha soup, mussaman curry, and pad thai.

First time here, decided to give it a try at lunch. Drunken noodles were amazing and so was the Thai iced tea, although the portion for drunken noodles is medium to small and not good value for the cost. Mamasan curry was watery and had some foam on top, like some powder was just reconstituted in water. Service was friendly and attentive. However, they only get two stars overall, mostly because of the poor quality of the curry, which was too sweet even for Thai food and no flavor. I will not be going back…. I had such high hopes.

This place gets a 10 out of 10 for the food. You should come closer to College Park 😆. We just happened to be in the area and stopped by. The food guys, it amazing. We order different dishes and shared. Asian style 😀 Great job!!!

We live nearby and order regularly from this restaurant (and have done so despite them change the name at least twice in the past few years). Love the food—duck curry, masaman curry etc. Just stick to the Thai items on the menu.

best thai food i've ever had!! truly a hidden gem - all the flavors were on point!

The drunken noodle is really good

Best Thai in Silver Spring

Food was spectacular and service was fast and friendly. Definitely a hidden gem!

Very kind & warm staff. Food was fantastic. Must tries : Basil fried rice & massaman curry..

Kook Kai’s is my new go to for Thai Fried rice. It’s a great price compared to the price for other fried rice dishes at some places. I enjoy the atmosphere in the place and the employees and owners are very fast and efficient when not busy taking orders and delivering them.
I enjoy that they always greet people when they enter even if they are picking up food

I wound up her by accident when a place across the street was closed. Ordered the spicy eggplant with chicken which was one of the best dishes I can recall having in recent memory. The servers were very friendly and warm. The food was incredible and the service welcoming. Will definitely come back if in Silver Spring again.

I had a wonderful meal outdoors in this cozy place. The curry puffs we ordered were incredible! As a vegetarian this was a rare treat.
The staff was very friendly and accommodating, it was great to chat with them! I’d highly recommend the crazy fish gone wild, it was so flavorful and spiced so well!

If you would like to try something great then try anything on the menu. Cheap beers too.

Some of the best Thai food I've ever had. Super tasty food, and very kind staff.

This place is a little tricky to find but worth it. I tried the Thai noodle soup with chicken. The broth was savory and aromatic, the thin noodles had a nice chewy texture and the chicken was plentiful. I also loved the service and cleanliness of this place. I highly recommend this place!

A hidden gem! Small owned business. Staff always smiling with amazing service. Attentive service. On top of EXTREMELY tasty food. Clean all around & every table includes hand sanitizer. Definitely worth a try on a chill Sunday for lunch or dinner. Plates are definitely worth their price.

The never make take out delivery fast.

While they have done a nice job with the renovations the food was not good at all. The fried tofu was very dry with no taste at all. The masaman and red curries were very thin as if they skimed on the coconut milk and the flavoring was not good. Finally, the coconut soup had way too much Salt in it. To add to that the service was slow and not good. I will not return to this place!!

Takeout was disgusting 🤢

Best Thai in the area. Sooooooo good. Super flavorful and delicious

The food was delicious and reasonably priced. Most importantly, when I asked for spicy food, I got it spicy (I'm white and in some Thai restaurants they gave me mild even though I asked for spicy 🙈). That's why this restaurant is great ❤️

Friendly service with only 1 staff member working the whole front on a weeknight. There were a couple tables other than us. Food was good. We got drunken noodles and basil fried rice. And while they were both good I think this place actually specializes in Thai soup noodles and Thai ramen. I would come back to try those.

Delicious food, reasonable prices. Quick and such sweet hospitality, I ordered pickup and ended up eating outside and the chef brought me water. Really like this place ❤️

Food was okay. The food was overly sweet, and seemed like a lot of corn syrup was put in, to the point where it's over bearing. Other authentic Thai places I've been to does not put this much sugar/sweetener into their dishes. Other than that the flavor was ok.

Love their fried Cat Fish dish, and their Pad See Ew noodles. Their Thai Coffee is yummy! 😋

Our go to Thai place each week. Consistently good food. Highly recommend!

The food was fantastic! My Bangkok wings were so tender the meat was just falling off the bone. I also had the Chicken Curry Puffs, which had a delicate flakey exterior and delicious stuffing. My entree was the Thai Ginger with Pork and Mildly hot. Also delicious. I've only been here once but I'll definitely try to come back!

The BEST Thai in the DC area!!! No doubt!! Don’t hesitate to go here for amazing Thai ♥️

Small but quaint. Like you stepped into someones home. Super tasty food. I highly reccomend the curry.

I tried curry puffs for the first time with their Veggie Curry Puffs - super light and flaky. They had a nice touch of sweetness that made them really tasty.

I also had their Sesame chicken with steamed broccoli and white rice. The dish showcased an impeccable balance of flavors between sweet and savory. The steamed broccoli was cooked to perfection, retaining its vibrant color and crispness. The atmosphere was inviting, and the staff's dedication to ensuring a pleasant visit was evident.

The flavors are awesome, and I can't wait to go back for more of their tasty food.

TIP: Due to construction you cannot turn to Bonifant St. off Fenton St. - You need to go to Georgia Ave, then turn onto Bonifant St.

I had a very relaxing lunch here. The Pad Thai was delicious, as was the Thai Iced Coffee.

Ordered tofu fried rice and shrimp fried rice . Food was great and the price was very reasonable

Good Thai food in a small restaurant. It’s a little hard to find but there’s a parking lot across the street.

Place seems nice was kinda humid so it made me feel like I was in Thailand. Service was good. Food was kind of bland. Dishes didn’t have much proteins. Oh well

They have one of the best Thai fried rice in town

The Sticky Mango Rice was AMAZINGGGGGGG. Learned the color comes from the Butterfly Pea Flower which is linked to increased weight loss, better blood sugar control, and improvements in hair and skin health.The Seafood Drunken Noodle was good. Our server Pair was THE BESTTTT !!!!!

Kook Kai's Thai place is a hidden gem! Loved the amazing chicken satay appetizer with delicious dipping sauce. The moist chicken and flavorful charm fried rice were outstanding. Took some home and enjoyed it right away. Will be back soon! The takeout via Uber Eats is always delicious, with good specials and generous portions. Highly recommended!

Great place and food! Mussaman curry and crab fried rice were delicious! Delicious food

After reading several reviews of various restaurants in the area we decided upon this place. Traveling from out of town looking for good cuisine, we walked a mile from our hotel for take out. I can’t tell you how wonderful of an experience we had! The staff/family were wonderful and helpful in choosing extra spice to our dishes and they were very patient with our orders. I recommend this place with 10 stars! The food was fantastic 10 out of 10 recommended! If you don’t know what you want exactly, just ask.
They are kind and wonderful in every regard.

Super friendly folks, great space to have a meal

Tasty food in a homey environment. We didn't have any wait for a table on Saturday evening.

Kook Kai’s is a bit kooky in a fun way with a personalized note on the delivery bag and faces on the rice containers! The food was yummy too: pad see ew, panang curry, mango sticky rice, green curry…

I love this place. The food is very fresh. Congratulations

I recently visited this Thai restaurant and was incredibly disappointed with the overall experience. From the moment I walked in, it was clear that the staff lacked passion and enthusiasm for their work. The service was slow, disinterested, and overall quite poor.

Unfortunately, the lack of passion extended to the food as well. The dishes we ordered were bland and lacked the bold flavors and spices that are characteristic of Thai cuisine. It was clear that little care had been taken in the preparation and presentation of the food.

Overall, I would not recommend this restaurant. The poor service and lackluster food make for a thoroughly unenjoyable dining experience. If you're in the mood for Thai food, I would suggest looking elsewhere. There are plenty of other Thai restaurants in the area that offer much better quality food and service.

I love this place. I’ve gotten delivery a couple of times, and the drawings they put on their bags are SO CUTE! I love massaman curry but most Thai takeout places taste the same; there’s something different and fresher about their’s, and it’s so delicious.

Everything is delicious!!! First pad Thai I’ve had in a looong time that isn’t bland or dry. Their curry puffs are incredible with a croissant like exterior.

Amazing and delicious food! The seating area is very cozy and charming. Entrées were great and be sure to order a dessert (I got 2!)

Not only is the food amazing....their customer service is amazing. When is the last time you received custom drawings on your to go packaging! Amazing and made me smile!

Simply the best Thai food I had in a long time. The drunken noodles are the best. We also had the Crispy Duck, Crazy Fish and crab fried rice - all dishes were excellent!!

The appetizers were delicious (shrimp rolls, curry puffs, steamed dumplings) and the mango sticky rice was delectable. I had Pad Thai for my entree and it was a little oilier than I would have liked, but had tasted good nonetheless!!

Still a favorite!!

I ordered delivery when I had COVID on Thanksgiving. Getting this made me feel a little better while I was stuck at home.

Food was terrible! I order my food on Dec 9 shrimp pineapple rice, fish nuggets, and crab wontons! The rice was plain no pineapples, tasteless and horrible. The fish nuggets were chewy and the crab wontons only had cream cheese! It was a complete over priced and tasteless Thai food I ever had in my life!!! I lived all over the world and this was by far the worst experience for Thai food and very American!

Really cute place, great service, and the food was fantastic! Drunken noodles were perfectly spicy and tasty. Highly recommend!

The food is awesome. Great cozy place for Thai. The staff are very friendly .

Located right in downtown Silver Spring. Must visit this place when you are in town.

Passable but not good.

Very cozy dining area and most excellent food from all over Thailand

amazing restaurant with tasty food, a beautiful and comfortable ambience, and nice and welcoming workers. Would 10/10 come here again!

We had the worst Thai food experience with kook kai unfortunately, the food was so bad we had to throw everything away. It was our first order on grub hub and we got refunded luckily. The major problem was the meat, it didn't test fresh at all, and the whole thing was messy.

Super late in posting - but I had my birthday dinner here and the service along with the food made it most memorable! The manager and waitress were super helpful and kept my birthday cake in the fridge (given earlier by a family member) and took it out with candles and singing for dessert - it was a great surprise!

As for the food.... Exceptional! We had a variety of dishes, I managed taking pics of the first few before I gave up and just dug in. Everything was delicious and not one dish has a similar taste to another. Will def be coming again!

Great Thai tea !! Awesome service great dumplings freshly made and fresh spring rolls nice and fresh and crunchy. Def will be coming back to try more dishes !!!

My favorite Thai restaurant. So cozy, service is incredible, food is cooked perfectly and I just feel at home every time I eat here. 10/10 recommend

It was delicious and a good vibe! The service was really nice too!

We came here Sunday afternoon. It is a nice place with kind staff. I love their food. Request mine to be spicy and it is spicy, love it!

This is the best restaurant in Maryland!!!The food quality is impeccable and soo delicious. Try the thai basil fried rice you will absolutely fall in love trust me!!!!! I order on doordash most times. They make the experience europhic. I always feel welcomed and special with the handwritten notes on the bag ughh so sweet💕Take all my money @pepper thai’s kitchen!!!

Delicious! Got take out today - pineapple fried rice and drunken noodle. Both were flavorful, fresh, and not greasy! The staff were really kind too.

I love this place. I bring my family here. Today I went alone. I ordered the Thai iced tea, it was so delicious. For appetizer I ordered the Satay, the cucumber sauce is so freaking amazing. Then for entree I ordered the Panang Curry, it had the coconut flavor and a good mix of peanut butter. I love, love, love. Went home happy. Everyone working there was kind and on top of things. 10 out of 10

Best Pad Thai I’ve ever had. Tasted great with chicken!

Great food, customer service, and esthetics! I had the pad Thai and it was very flavorful!

Wonderful food, unique offerings and friendly service.

A hidden gem in Silver Spring. Delicious food, great service, and the Thai iced tea is incredible. Highly recommend.

What a great find in downtown Silver Spring! Authentic Thai food and great customer service. The menu shows where the inspiration came for each dish. Fun and shows that there is a passion for serving food that is sure to delight. The owners are super-friendly and can accommodate gluten-free needs. We want to come back soon!!

Three of us went here for lunch and we all loved the meals we got! The Basil Fried Rice, Green Curry, and Pad Thai were all amazing. We just moved to the area and are looking forward to this being our new go-to spot for bringing family and friends out for a meal. Very cozy place with good food and service.

The Ka Prow and Drunken Noodles were spicy and excellent.

This place is situated where Thai Derm used to be and they had the best lunch specials. The new place is more modern but has all the traditional Thai offerings. I went with the Pad Thai with beef though I normally get it with shrimp. It was tasty and the host/waiters was very kind. The magi and sticky rice looked good and they have all the popular drinks including Thai iced tea & coffee.

Food and service were great! We had 'Thai Boat Noodles', which was very difficult to find in typical Thai restaurants here, and 'catfish gone wild'. Both were tasty. Very clean and pleasant inside environment.

This placess is EXCELLENT. Customer service and prices GREAT. Chefs kiss!!! Although they do not have sweet and sour chicken the rest of their place ae good. I recommed "Tasty Lomein" with the spices on the side

I loved the wanton soup and broad noodle dish. Place was lovely and staff attentive. Their version of Arnold palmer is especially good. I have brought company there and everyone has been happy.

Ordered through Doordash. Spring rolls were not tasty. The panang curry only had flavor in the sauce, not the vegetables or tofu. The pad see ew also was light on the shrimp and veggies. The portions were small.

This little place is great. Nice and cozy, very welcoming and friendly! It's a bit difficult to find at night because of construction on the street, but trust me, it's worth it! There are only about 6 or 7 tables in this quaint restaurant which made the atmosphere very intimate. The food looks as good as it tastes! It was so delicious that I didn't even get a chance to take a picture. We started with the vegetable spring rolls (4) with a sweet chili sauce. The sauce was on the sweeter end which was unique. For dinner, I had the pad see ew with shrimp which was extremely flavorful and tasty! They also didn't skimp on the shrimp. I think I had about 6 or 7 large shrimp in my dish, which was perfect. My friend had the spicy basil fried rice (2 chili peppers) which they thought was pretty spicy, but also delicious. We washed it down with a sweet yet creamy Thai tea. It was such a great dinner!

The best part of the whole dinner, however, was the service. We spoke with Pair, our server, who was as friendly and kind as ever!!! They did a great job with attentiveness without being overbearing. Again, extremely friendly and lovely place! I would absolutely recommend this place for anyone who wants authentic, flavorful, and bold Thai food. It was phenomenal! I can't wait to go back and try more!!

Had a really great experience here! We sat outside (numerous tables available) and it was a little chilly, so the waitress offered to bring out a heater. She was also very attentive and kind throughout the meal.

We got the curry puffs, chive dumplings, drunken noodles, crispy duck basil, and fried bananas, and I would recommend every single one of them! The food came out fairly quickly but was also very fresh.

I walked (beauty of Silver Spring), but my dinner companion drove, and there's a decent amount of street parking out front. If you don't have luck with that, Lot 38 (public parking) is right across the street.

Great service and great food and reasonable prices - would definitely recommend and will be coming back here.

As a side note, they have a loyalty program/punch card system.

My first visit to this establishment was 2/18/22. I just happened to come upon it by chance and it’s a good thing I stopped in for an early dinner. The staff is very congenial, the atmosphere is welcoming, service is prompt, and the food is delicious as well as reasonably priced.

I’ve been coming to this restaurant for over 30 years (it’s changed ownership a few times). This used to be one of the places my picky Thai mom would actually go to.
I was excited to try the new place, but let down when I got there because A LOT of the items on the menu were not available. I was bummed that a few of my favorite traditional Thai dishes weren’t offered. (No Thai noodle soup and no Lard Nar, but they serve Ramen. Japanese Ramen. -_- ).

I ordered Larb Gai and Drunken Noodles. The Larb was really bad. Super dry and really sweet.I took a bite and pushed it aside because there was no way I was wasting my calories on it. Le yuck.
The Drunken Noodles were excellent. Full of flavor and exactly what I expected.
The mango & sticky rice was just ok. The rice was REALLY sweet and didn’t have the typical sticky rice flavor I’m accustomed to. And the mango was dry and tart. I thought that might balance itself out, but it didn’t.

The server was very nice, but not attentive. There was only one other patron, who showed up halfway through my meal. But the server was MIA most of the time. I’m assuming she was tending to Door Dash orders or something. But I was let down by her lack of mindfulness. I had to eventually go to the front counter to pay because I was tired of waiting for my check.

I’m hopeful that the food and service will be better the next time I try them out.

Nice place- could easily have been 5 star experience.

Highlights:

1. Clean
2. Nice atmosphere and employees
3. Good variety (and spring rolls are outstanding!)
4. Reasonable prices for the area in 2022.

Opportunities:

1. Below average service (very slow to get to me and get drinks out) while no other patrons were dining in and restaurant staffed with ample help (main reason for 4 stars over 5)

2. Sesame chicken seemed to be candied— this is okay, but a bit unusual in my experience. Think Panda Express’ version, but more candied.

3. Food was brought out with appetizer (I approved so it would be hot) but the temperature was only luke warm.

It's not very often that I am compelled to post a review but after trying the pepper thai kitchen on a whim and a strong craving for papaya salad, i am overjoyed we picked up food here.

What we got:
Dumplings/kanom jeeb
Curry puffs (perfectly flaky)
Crabmeat friedrice (so flavorful!)
Padthai (kids loved it!)
Papaya Salad (crunchy, fresh, and flavorful)

All off them, top-notch! We asked for curbside pick up and we parked in the back while we waited. They brought us our food to our car. Warm and delicious, with a smile.

We will definitely come back and order from the pepper thai again!

(Loved) the pad Thai. Funny thing is that the review that was listed above mine was placed three months prior and the patron complained that there was not enough sauce. 😅I guess the owners are very responsive happy to please and now are throwing a boatload of sauce on the noodles. I don’t want a boatload of sauce I just want just the right amount . Most importantly it tastes bottled not homemade it’s very sugary yet tasty.
Even so I prefer when they make the sauce themselves. The noodles were chewy😬. The chicken was charred😳. I still ate at least half of it.
____________________________
The food was made timely and fresh. Service was great would come again.

The Drunken Noodles and Red Curry were incredible!

Excellent service, very kind people! The outside dining area is a nice place to enjoy your meal. I would certainly go back!

The food was very tasty and the portions were perfect. Also, the food came out very quickly! I’ll definitely be back.

Great, cozy Thai place! Pad thai and coconut soup were very tasty and our server was kind.

I had a craving for some dessert sticky rice, and I found this restaurant nearby on the Doordash app. I ordered the attached photos.
The spring rolls were PERFECTLY cooked, crispy on the outside, but not burned! I really enjoyed the spices they used to flavor the spring rolls. The sweet and sour sauce that comes with it was clearly freshly made and NOT from a packet or bottle. The freshness made a HUGE difference in flavor for me.
I really enjoyed the Taro ball with coconut cream, it is a sweet dish. I'd like it to tapioca? Or gelatin but not super chewy. So good!
The two sticky rices came with natural sweeteners (as told to me by the chef ;) ) one was pandan leaf colored (green) and the other was beetroot colored (pink). VERY delicious! And the mango was perfect.
I did note that parking was a bit scarce AT the restaurant, however there a several garages in the area. And the owner told me if you order ahead like i did and call, they will come curbside to you. :)
Super friendly people and very welcoming decor. I will definitely be returning! Thanks for the great experience and the yummy food!

I ordered from The Pepper on Saturday and loved it so much I ordered again tonight! The food is so fresh and flavorful—I love the catfish chef’s special—and the little notes on the bag are a nice touch. I’ll be back!

Love this place! Basil fried duck was super tasty, just beware- when they say spicy, they really mean it!!🥵😂

If you’re looking for a hole in the wall with incredible Thai food, this is it! More than fair pricing, and Friendly staff to boot! Will recommend the beef panang!

Very tasty food. I would recommend

Don't sleep on Pepper Thai.

Service was really friendly.

I personally love the interior. The color gives a comfortable feeling. Foods are good, and service is friendly.

Really tasty Pad Thai and Duck Curry. Service was phenomenal and quick. For dessert we had the Taro Balls in Coconut milk and it was a fantastic way to cap off a nice evening.

I really love the food and the service here. Also, the restaurant’s decorated in a cozy modern style which is really nice! You won’t get disappointed choosing this place for a date night or gathering with friends.

Recent order was such a disappointment. Very stingy on all dishes ordered, not true before. Summer rolls have thin pieces of shrimp and smallest amount peanut sauce possible. Pad Thai noodles were all smashed together and there was little to no sauce. Fried banana dessert has turned into these teeny tiny wrapped things with very little banana. So sad, guess I have to scratch another restaurant off my *go to" list.

Favorite thai in downtown SS

It's the old Thai Derm, after that Ruang Khao - pretty much the same kitchen and menu. Good rice based dishes except beef, nice fish. I would skip duck (but YMMV) and shrimp is for the debate - I would go instead with fish, especially full one. Soups are the best.

I came back for the second time since this restaurant has been renovated. The dining area is lovely! I really enjoyed the ambiance, and the food and service were great. I highly recommend this place if you are craving for some delicious thai food.

Pro:
1. Food is superb! We tried pepper's signature duck, Penang curry and satray. All of them are beyond expectation. Especially the latter two dishes, they reminds me of the authentic Thai food I tasted in Singapore.
2. Staff is friendly. The young lady always speak to us with a warm smile. Feel super welcomed here
3. Nice environment. A small restaurant but clean and nice

Con:
The waiting time for pepper's signature duck was more than 40min for us. Plus, the restaurant was not busy(there were only us in the restaurant at that time). I could understand that this is a dish which should take longer time that curry or satray. However, it would be better that I was reminded of the long waiting time when ordering it

The best crabmeat fried rice in Silver Spring

Nice Staff. I like the steam dumplings and satay. Hope to go back and try something else soon

I have been here for several times since they renovated. The food is always great as well as the service. I oftentimes order shrimp fried rice, but this time I just wanted to check out the different dishes. I had Nam Tok and Pad Woonsen with jasmine rice and they were tasty. Price was reasonable, too.

Great service plus friendly staff. Had their crab fried rice with a side of shrimp tom yum soup , perfect combo!! Tastes authentic nice and spicy, will definitely be back .

New renovated Thai spot in downtown Silver Spring. I had a chance to check this place out since they changed to the new name. I was so impressed by the interior that was completely different from the old place. Inside the restaurant was cozy and beautiful. I ordered my favorite peanut curry (panang) with tofu, and pad woonsen with chicken. The food was delicious like I expected. The only thing I wish is that they would serve alcohol drinks, which would make my dinner more complete.

I m glad I found The Pepper Thai right before my birthday party. They provided us a perfect catering. food was arrived on time with very resonable price.
We will be back for sure

Absolutely love the food and people! 10/10 recommend to anyone in the area. Lovely seating inside and aesthetics! Very delicious

Excellent meal, reasonably priced. Nice atmosphere. Parking leaves a lot to be desired.

We were excited to visit this place , as it has such high reviews. The food was absolutely horrible and lacking any flavor or authenticity. My girlfriend is vegan and had to send back her dish as she is certain it had animal product in it. She had lived in Thailand and is very familiar with the cuisine. I myself have dined on Thai food many times , this was unfortunately my worst Thai food experience. Our waitress was not accommodating when told that my girlfriend’s dish was tasting of meat , she was abrupt and dismissive. The entire experience only gets two stars because of the gentleman that came out to try to understand what was wrong with the dish . We will not be returning to this establishment .

People there were so friendly. They were so helpful trying to recommend some of their signature dishes to us. I ordered the pineapple fried rice and my husband had their crispy duck. Everything was satisfied and we will go back again next time.

I gave this restaurant 3 stars because while the customer service was great, I believe the food was not that good. I ordered the chicken pad see ew and the crispy shrimp rolls yesterday (April 6, 2021) using Uber. The crispy shrimp roll consisted of very small shrimp and I think $7 is too expensive. I felt the chicken pad see ew was too watery. There was too much sauce or some sort of liquid, but despite this liquid, there was also not much flavor. It was very odd to eat. To myself, the pad see ew just had some spice but no flavor.

I am not saying to not give this restaurant a chance, the people working there are kind. For myself, I just did not like the quality and taste of the food I received yesterday. It's unfortunate, because this restaurant is rated very highly.

Oh my goodness I have been looking for really good quality Thai food that delivers and I’ve finally found it. I’m gonna be ordering many many times. And it arrived so quickly!!

Good food reasonable price. Nice people

I had never experienced being treated the way my friend and I were treated by the waitress. From the start she looked at us up and down like we were not welcomed. Ignoring me, I regretted going there big time. I would not recommend anyone to go to this restaurant and have a horrible experience like the one we had. I feel like we shouldn't pay.

Chris, the owner, contacted me about my recent experience at his restaurant and has offered to make our experience right. He will be preparing a new meal for me and my family. I really appreciate his concern about pleasing a new customer. I will update my experience with The Pepper Thai Kitchen. It is my hope that we can make this our new "go to" for Thai food in Silver Spring MD.

Certainly, The pepper cant get anything below 5 stars.
I and my niece went there for a quick lunch. Their lunch special is the best in town. Drunken noodle is very rich on flavor, atmosphere is very cozy.
Bottom line is no one can beat their $8.95 lunch special in Silver Spring!

I ordered carryout tonight and it was delivered quickly. The food tasted great and I was pleasantly surprised at the flavor of the pad thai. I think I'll order it again tomorrow!! I recommend giving this place a try!

Amazing food and staff! Their crab fried rice and pad thai are my favorites.

Ate there once. Dishes seemed to range from "meh" to good. 1-star penalty b/c they seriously over boiled a serving of rice to the point that it was basically mush.

Response to response from the owner : I'll reach out by e-mail.

I went to the Pepper today for lunch, and was very surprised at how clean and nice looking it was inside. The place has a totally different feel then before, and the food was great! I will absolutely go back, and you really should check out how it looks inside!

My wife and I love this place. We come here so many times and always love the food and the services .

Wow. I'm in love with this place.
Lovely, Cozy, comfortable atmosphere. The food was delicious, the customer service was on point.
We had Bangkok wing, Pad Thai , Num Tok and Papaya salad, They were so testy and Authentic. Also reasonable price. Highly recommended this place. I’ll definitely going back again and again 👍🏻.

I had their pad Thai and it was good.

It is much better now! Come see it!! We will miss you all!

Ordered from Uber Eats. Two of three dishes ordered were less than satisfactory. Mangoes in sticky rice were brown and rancid. No one should serve fruit that looks this way. Pumpkin was hard and under cooked. When I called to inquire, the person who answered was rude and defensive about their food. There is no pride taken with the food or customer service. There are so many other Thai choices in Silver Spring where you can spend your money and be respected.

I came here with my friends and had a great time with very nice warm place and greeted warmly by the staff. Very chic and cozy place to eat. We ordered Num took, Papaya salad,Roti kannai, Bangkok wing, Pad Thai shrimp, and crispy duck basil.We are Thai and we were very impress with the food because the price was reasonable and flavor of the food like authentic Thai. Definitely going back!