5517 Manchaca
326-5205
Pepper grinder rating: 0.
Men’s room rating: 2.
Dwight’s comments:
Okay, but not exceptional, Thai food. I wasn’t as blown away by the appetizers as my fellow diners, and the phat thai, while still very edible, tasted a little beefy. (This seems to be a common flaw, in my opinion, of lower-end Thai places.) The larb (I had the pork, +Rich the chicken) also didn’t seem quite as flavorful, and perhaps a little drier, than my standard.
The Tom Yum Goom soup was up to Thai Kitchen standards, though. Service was pretty good, and the prices relatively cheap.
Thai Garden’s biggest problem, I think, is the somewhat limited menu: there are certain “gold standard” dishes I use for testing that they didn’t do, and I wish they had a wider choice of appetizers.
Thai Garden is a place I wouldn’t drive miles out of the way to visit, but it is one I’d keep in mind if I spent a lot of time in the neighborhood.
Lawrence’s comments:
Though Thai Kitchen is still the reigning champion, I think Thai Garden gives it a good run for its money. The Tod Mun (fried, minced fish fritters) was perhaps the most tasty Thai appetizer I’ve ever had, and the Tom Yum Goom soup was good as well. The portions for my Neur Pud Grapow were generous, and my only complaint was that it didn’t come from the kitchen nearly as hot as a I had specified. However, since they brought out a hot condiments tray, this wasn’t a major problem. Definitely worth trying.
As far as I’m concerned, you can never have too many Thai restaurants.