Top 10 Best Thai Food Restaurants in San Francisco

 San Francisco is one of the best cities in the country for dining. There is every type of restaurant that you could possibly want to enjoy and the food at almost all of them is delicious. With so much great food to choose from, it can be difficult to decide which restaurant you want to eat at while you’re visiting San Francisco. The first thing to do is to narrow down the type of cuisine that you want to enjoy. Then you should consider how much cost you want to pay for your meal, what kind of setting you might want to enjoy your meal in and which of San Francisco’s many great neighborhoods is best for you.

For those people who have already decided that San Francisco Thai Food is the way to go (and what a great choice that is!), here are ten terrific San Francisco Thai restaurant suggestions to consider trying out:

1. Bangkok Noodle. This is a very inexpensive Thai restaurant that is conveniently located near Market and Powell Street which is close to Union Square as well as to the BART transportation. Just blocks from San Francisco’s cable car turnaround, you would expect this to be a tourist trap. Instead, it’s a little hole-in-the-wall restaurant that is loved by locals. There are three main reasons that it is one of the best Thai restaurants in San Francisco. First, it’s cheap (but it’s cash only so make sure that you stop at an ATM before you go). Second, it’s open late which is nice when you’re craving Thai after being out at the bars. And finally, it is really delicious. You won’t get a lot of frills in terms of ambience (although foreign music plays overhead) but you’ll get great food at a good price.

2. Best of Thai Noodle. Another hole-in-the-wall cash-only spot that is great for cheap Thai food is this restaurant which is located right on Haight Street. Again, the location of this restaurant could make it such a tourist trap but it’s a place that it’s easy for anyone to stop in and get a bite at. Their noodle soups are particularly good. And the setting is interesting. True to Haight style, there’s a 1960’s music theme going on with posters and wall art that you can pay attention to while you take in your yummy Thai food.

3. Tuk Tuk Thai. People who are interested in enjoying inexpensive Thai food but who don’t want to do the dive restaurant scene may find a great compromise by going to Tuk Tuk Thai which is located in San Francisco’s North Beach neighborhood. The food here is affordable but there’s a little bit more ambience to this Thai restaurant than there is to the hole-in-the-wall spots that locals love. Don’t expect tons of ambience – just a clean setting with some charming wall art and a decent menu.

4. Dupont Thai. If you are looking for something nicer from your Thai Restaurant but you do like the North Beach neighborhood then a great San Francisco Thai restaurant is Dupont Thai which is located on Grant. This is a bit ore upscale and pricey. The ambience is more zen and it’s definitely better than the other places if you’re going on a date. The food is delicious and prepared beautifully. And the portions are huge!

5. Be My Guest Thai. This is an award-winning Thai restaurant that is favored by people who don't mind heading out the the Richond District to enjoy a good dish of Thai Food. The décor of this place is rather unique and it might be worth it to see what it's all about.

6. Osha Thai. Another great choice for people who are seeking something upscale (but still within the real of affordable) is Osha Thai which has several different locations primarily in the SoMA and Financial District areas. It’s a great Thai choice for a nice business lunch or a post-work dinner. The cocktails at this one are great too so if you want a complete night out then Osha is a good San Francisco Thai Restaurant to consider.

7. Rin’s Thai Restaurant. This is a spot located in the increasingly cool neighborhood of Noe Valley. Some would say that it’s not so much Thai food as it is food that’s been inspired by Thai food (or Thai food with a twist). For example, they’ve got some Thai inspired pizzas on the menu. People seeking a mid-range restaurant with a but of charm that’s got a Thai flavor but is also unique can find exactly what they are looking for here.

8. Thai House Express. This Thai restaurant is fairly comparable to the Tuk Tuk Café mentioned above. It’s affordable, it’s clean, it’s cute. It’s got good food at a good price but it’s not a hole-in-the-wall. The main reason that you would choose to go to this restaurant instead of to check out the North Beach restaurant is location – this one is in the Castro and it’s probably one of the better Thai places in that area.

9. Ozone Thai. Polk Street is a really popular street to find yourself on late at night when you’re seeking a snack. There are several Thai spots there but this one is probably the best of the bunch because of the lounge-style ambience that it offers. It’s almost like you are eating your Thai food in a club which is a kind of cool way to experience your San Francisco Thai Meal.

10. Bangkok 16. This is the Thai restaurant that is intended for two types of people. First, it’s intended for people who like the Mission neighborhood since that is where it is located. And second, it is intended for people who want to try Thai often and get something different every time because this San Francisco Thai Restaurant has an ore comprehensive menu than any other place in the city.