How Many Thai Restaurants Are There in the US?
Thai food is quite popular and widespread in America - according to Restaurantji, there are over 10,000 Thai restaurants in the United States. California is a state with the largest number of Thai food businesses - almost one in five Thai restaurants in the country is located in California (17,9%). Following California are Florida (7%), Texas (6,9%), New York (6,6%), Washington (5%), and Oregon (3,7%). At the bottom of the list of red curry lovers and pad thai enjoyers are Montana, Wyoming, Delaware, West Virginia, and both Dakotas - none of these states has more than 20 Thai restaurants.
There are 7 cities in the States with over 100 Thai establishments each: Los Angeles, CA; New York City, NY; Portland, OR; Chicago, IL; Seattle, WA; San Francisco, CA and Las Vegas, NV.
Americans love Thai food not only for its unique combinations of flavor but also for its pricing - 97% of all Thai restaurants are in the $ or $$ price zone, according to Restaurantji.
History of Thai Cuisine in the US
Thai people started coming to the United States after the Vietnam War ended in the 1970s, since Thailand was an ally of America during the war. Around 5,000 Thai immigrants had moved to the US by 1970, bringing their unique food with them.
Los Angeles became a hub for Thai food as many Thai immigrants settled there after Americans got interested in Thai culture in the 1960s. Thai students and restaurant owners flocked to LA. In 1972, the parents of the famous chef Jet Tila opened the first Thai grocery store called Bangkok Market. Before that, Thai cooks had to use Chinese ingredients for traditional dishes like Pad Thai and curries.
Why Thai Food Became Popular in America?
Thai cuisine's popularity greatly grew in the 1980s, partly because the Thai government promoted it worldwide. They trained chefs to open authentic Thai restaurants abroad to match the real flavors from Thailand. Marketing Thai food as an exotic experience with contrasting sweet, sour, salty and spicy tastes also made Americans want to try it as they looked for diverse foods. The Thai grocery in LA provided access to real ingredients. More cultural interactions between Americans and Thailand during the Cold War exposed people to Thai traditions and flavors too. Celebrities endorsing it in Hollywood helped make Thai food popular across the country.
The 4 Main Thai Cuisine Categories and Regions
Traditional Thai dishes fall into 4 main groups:
1. Tom (boiled dishes)
2. Yam (spicy salads)
3. Tam (pounded foods)
4. Kaeng (curries)
Techniques like deep-frying, stir-frying and steaming came from Chinese cuisine.
Thai food also has regional styles: northern, northeastern, central and southern. The north has milder flavors influenced by Burma with a preference for sticky rice. The northeast is very spicy with influence from Laos, often using fermented fish and shrimp. Central Thai food mixes north and south styles with the elaborate royal cuisine from the palaces. The most popular southern style uses lots of coconut milk and seafood.
What Makes Thai Food Unique?
Thai cuisine is known for contrasting hot and cold flavors, pairing spices with sweet citrus like lime and mango. The signature peanut sauce tastes sweet and savory.
Thai meals have many small shared dishes like salads, appetizers, curries, soups and a main dish with seafood, veggies or meat, then dessert. It's relatively healthy using fresh produce, meat and seafood, so it works for diets like vegan and vegetarian.
Most Popular Thai Dishes in the US and Canada
We at Restaurantji took every single positive review on every single Thai restaurant profile and counted which dishes people commend the most:
Red Curry
Red curry is a medium-spicy curry with a bright red color. The red color comes from red chili peppers. It also has garlic, coriander, shallots, cumin, lime leaves, and peppercorns. Like most Thai curries, it has creamy coconut milk, which gives it a sweet taste.
These places pop up the most when talking about a perfect Red curry:
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Thai • Yellow Curry
Yellow curry is the richest and creamiest of the 3 main Thai curries. Coconut cream makes it less spicy, so it is the most popular curry outside of Thailand. Thai yellow curry is very old, from the 1300s. It was first made with beef or chicken and rice. Later, it had seafood, vegetables, and tofu added.
Restaurantji suggests to try Yellow curry here:
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Thai • Green Curry
Green curry gets its flavor from green curry paste. This paste has green chilies, garlic, shrimp paste, shallots, peppercorns, lemongrass, limes, and cumin seeds. The curry is not sweeter than others, but it can be more flavorful than mild red curries.
These restaurants have the most positive comments on their Green curry:
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Thai • Pad Thai
Pad Thai is maybe the most famous Thai dish. Pad Thai has stir-fried noodles, vegetables, and eggs. It often has tofu, chicken, or shrimp plus peanuts, onions, fish sauce, and sprouts. Pad Thai is sweet and sour, not spicy, so most people like it.
According to Restaurantji, the best Pad Thai is served here:
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Thai • Mango Sticky Rice
This is a beloved Thai dessert! Sticky rice is naturally sweet. Restaurants serve it with sweet coconut cream sauce. The key part is fresh mango slices, so it is often seasonal.
The best rated Mango Sticky Rice according to Restaurantji restaurant reviews:
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Thai • Drunken Noodles
This dish is from central Thailand. People debate why it's called "drunken" noodles. Some say it's good with beer, others say it cures hangovers! The main ingredients are wide, flat rice noodles, chicken or beef, onions, garlic, chili peppers, basil, fish sauce, and oyster sauce.
Users recommend these places for the best Drunken Noodles:
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Thai • What is Royal Thai Cuisine?
Royal Thai cuisine follows strict rules with the freshest premium ingredients and perfectly balanced, not extremely spicy, flavors. Historically it used exclusive rare spices, fruits and herbs for the royal court. It originated in the ancient Ayutthaya kingdom and survived political changes, becoming an important diplomatic tradition.
Must-Try Restaurants
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“One of the best Thai food restaurants in this area. Service, food, setting are all great. Highly recommend it”
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“Outstanding flavors, just like if you were in Thailand! Incredibly friendly staff, can't miss!”
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“delicious food (especially their pad thai)! came back a second time during restaurant week.”
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“You've GOT to try the Pad Thai. I took it easy and got the spicy level 2 (out of 5) and it was perfectly hot. Will definitely be stopping here again.”
“Great food and great service. We've been here twice now and this has held true both times.”
Recently Opened Restaurants
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“Authentic Thai food at a reasonable price. I have tried the Pad Thai, the Pad See Ew, and the Yellow Curry. All of the dishes were tasty!”
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“This pace rules!! My current favorite Thai spot in Portland. The drunken noodles are unreal. So good!”
“Gem of a place in Eastern, MT! Great food and authentic tastes. You will not be disappointed.”
“Amazingly authentic Thai food!
My personal favorites are the Thai Dumpling (Appetizer), Green Curry Soup and any one of there Crispy Pork Belly ...”
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Recent Reviews
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“Had lunch here for my very first trip. It was absolutely amazing. The Tofu Satay was fabulous. And the vegan brussel sprout dish was delicious. They ...”
“Absolutely perfect in every way… We will be frequent diners… Ribbon was an exceptional hostess and waitress…”
“Best Thai food in Town love this place highly recommend”
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“We highly recommend Pad Thai and Yellow Curry.”
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“No cashews in the cashew chicken. No spice in spicy eggplant with chicken. All the chicken was overcooked.”
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Recently Updated Menus
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“WOW! We've eaten here almost weekly since moving to Evergreen and have had nothing but amazing meals. Every curry is great, the soups are a can'...”
“DISAPPOINTED! I would’ve given 3 stars because the customer service was GREAT but after receiving and eating I was highly disappointed. The white summer ...”
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Fast service and very authentic ambiance and food, cheerful staff