We love this place. Run by two brothers, they make food with so much love, care, and creativity. The menu shifts each week but they keep the website updated. A few parking spots in front and more around the back. Usually if you get there by 5, 5:30 you can get a table. 6, 6:30 is more dicey since their seating is so limited
Charlie Walters
I don't say this lightly: Baan Sawan is one of the best kept secrets in Columbia. Service, food, and atmosphere are 10/10.
My son and I visited tonight to order take out and browse used books. We left with the best takeout I've had in years and a box of books from one of the most thoughtfully curated collections I've ever seen. Dine in, take out... just don't miss this gem of a restaurant.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Rick T
A true gem 💎 located near five points in Columbia SC with only two dinner services weekly. Friday and Saturday only with a set menu of their choosing at least for now. I’ve come to love Thai food and this place got me hooked many years ago I found the place. The restaurant also doubles as a used book store. They also have wine clubs or memberships. Parking is free and they open at 5:00PM with bar seats or a few tables to eat dinner. Great spot !
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Red Curry, Chicken Pad Thai, Green Curry, Curry Duck
anna Harper
Beautiful atmosphere, delicious food and excellent service! I had the ginger tofu and my sister had the lamb meatballs. They were both so good!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Danielle Robinson
One of my favorite restaurants in Columbia. Great food, stellar wine and beer list, great service. Highly recommended! Update 2024: They made it through Covid and are open again. The hours are different, check Facebook and Instagram posts for the weekly menu and open tines. Food is Friday-Saturday 5 to 8. No reservations, as a walk in 630 seems to be the magic time. Current seating doesn't allow for large parties. The last week of the month they extend the hours for bar service and books only. It's still a very special place for my family and I. We love them!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
M. Stichter
Uh, considering I'm reviewing Thai restaurants and all they show are pictures of the dishes with no adequate discretion, and no prices, I won't eat here!
Penny Dupre
You had me at Thai + used book store. We were only in the area for a couple nights and I am always looking for unique things to try and this place kept popping up on my radar. It's tiny, only open 2 nights a week, and has a rotating menu that you can see online. What's on the menu is what they have so if you don't see it, it's probably not available. It was a little bit of a challenge to feed our sometimes picky kids but my husband and I enjoyed it immensely. The kids were entertained with the assortment of board games available and the bookshop. Perfect service.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
paul pizzo
Fantastic food
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lam Nguyen
It pains me to write a critical review of my once favorite Thai fine dining options in town. I loved this bistro when they were completely focused on the dining part, and had full table service, but perhaps this isn't what their vision is anymore. I am reviewing specifically the bistro component, less so the used books part.The service is fantastic, never any complaints, everything came out in reasonable time, and everyone was extremely cordial.The criticism comes to the food, where for the price point of the restaurant it's reasonable to expect the food to be elevated past another fast Thai food restaurant. But I think the food here fell short of that unfortunately. Each of the dishes were quite unfortunate in their flavor profiles while reasonable plated for my rib dish.The meat was braised, and the texture was not something to particularly envy. It was quite tender, I do give it that, however the flavor profile just felt flat. The salad was fine, yet was overly dressed with what I would determine to be fish sauce, making it too salty. The tofu vegetarian curry dish was also unfortunate because it had near no flavor except for a component of spice from some pepper. As another insult, the rice was not cooked well. I felt that the rice was overly dry.I would love to give you guys another chance. I recall fondly of a sous-vide duck curry and your other chicken curry you served 3-4 years prior, which were divine. I have been wanting to come ever since, and this time was quite disappointing.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 5
Des gh
I had high hopes for this place but unfortunately it didn't meet expectations. I had a tofu basil dish. It was very much 1 note and didn't pack flavor like other thai dishes. I did appreciate the amount of tofu and veggies. I finished it but wasn't satisfied. I should have driven to Mai Thai or Lotus Thai. I hate to say this but it kind of tasted like Dukes Pad Thai quality for a much higher price point. So sad to say this about a local family restaurant. The other dishes people had looked tasty though. I would give it another try if someone else was paying.
We love this place. Run by two brothers, they make food with so much love, care, and creativity. The menu shifts each week but they keep the website updated. A few parking spots in front and more around the back. Usually if you get there by 5, 5:30 you can get a table. 6, 6:30 is more dicey since their seating is so limited
I don't say this lightly: Baan Sawan is one of the best kept secrets in Columbia. Service, food, and atmosphere are 10/10.
My son and I visited tonight to order take out and browse used books. We left with the best takeout I've had in years and a box of books from one of the most thoughtfully curated collections I've ever seen. Dine in, take out... just don't miss this gem of a restaurant.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
A true gem 💎 located near five points in Columbia SC with only two dinner services weekly. Friday and Saturday only with a set menu of their choosing at least for now. I’ve come to love Thai food and this place got me hooked many years ago I found the place. The restaurant also doubles as a used book store. They also have wine clubs or memberships. Parking is free and they open at 5:00PM with bar seats or a few tables to eat dinner. Great spot !
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Red Curry, Chicken Pad Thai, Green Curry, Curry Duck
Beautiful atmosphere, delicious food and excellent service! I had the ginger tofu and my sister had the lamb meatballs. They were both so good!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
One of my favorite restaurants in Columbia. Great food, stellar wine and beer list, great service. Highly recommended!
Update 2024: They made it through Covid and are open again. The hours are different, check Facebook and Instagram posts for the weekly menu and open tines. Food is Friday-Saturday 5 to 8. No reservations, as a walk in 630 seems to be the magic time. Current seating doesn't allow for large parties.
The last week of the month they extend the hours for bar service and books only. It's still a very special place for my family and I. We love them!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Uh, considering I'm reviewing Thai restaurants and all they show are pictures of the dishes with no adequate discretion, and no prices, I won't eat here!
You had me at Thai + used book store. We were only in the area for a couple nights and I am always looking for unique things to try and this place kept popping up on my radar. It's tiny, only open 2 nights a week, and has a rotating menu that you can see online. What's on the menu is what they have so if you don't see it, it's probably not available. It was a little bit of a challenge to feed our sometimes picky kids but my husband and I enjoyed it immensely. The kids were entertained with the assortment of board games available and the bookshop. Perfect service.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Fantastic food
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
It pains me to write a critical review of my once favorite Thai fine dining options in town. I loved this bistro when they were completely focused on the dining part, and had full table service, but perhaps this isn't what their vision is anymore. I am reviewing specifically the bistro component, less so the used books part.The service is fantastic, never any complaints, everything came out in reasonable time, and everyone was extremely cordial.The criticism comes to the food, where for the price point of the restaurant it's reasonable to expect the food to be elevated past another fast Thai food restaurant. But I think the food here fell short of that unfortunately. Each of the dishes were quite unfortunate in their flavor profiles while reasonable plated for my rib dish.The meat was braised, and the texture was not something to particularly envy. It was quite tender, I do give it that, however the flavor profile just felt flat. The salad was fine, yet was overly dressed with what I would determine to be fish sauce, making it too salty. The tofu vegetarian curry dish was also unfortunate because it had near no flavor except for a component of spice from some pepper. As another insult, the rice was not cooked well. I felt that the rice was overly dry.I would love to give you guys another chance. I recall fondly of a sous-vide duck curry and your other chicken curry you served 3-4 years prior, which were divine. I have been wanting to come ever since, and this time was quite disappointing.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 5
I had high hopes for this place but unfortunately it didn't meet expectations. I had a tofu basil dish. It was very much 1 note and didn't pack flavor like other thai dishes. I did appreciate the amount of tofu and veggies. I finished it but wasn't satisfied. I should have driven to Mai Thai or Lotus Thai. I hate to say this but it kind of tasted like Dukes Pad Thai quality for a much higher price point. So sad to say this about a local family restaurant. The other dishes people had looked tasty though. I would give it another try if someone else was paying.
Restaurantji Recommends
awesome, cozy place! wonderful vegan food
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Amazing meal everything was great, best matzah ball soup in town!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This is one of my favorite restaurants in Columbia and I want it back so bad
D.e.l.i.c.i.o.u.s. thai food in a restaurant with great ambience. Staff is always amazing, friendly, and attentive.
Exquisite works of art meals every single time.
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