Even among the blaze of the Sunshine State, sometimes a hot dish of pad Thai is irresistible.
Across the region’s restaurants, Floridians balance escaping the heat with a craving for spice. They dine in and taste the savory fish sauce and crunch of roasted peanuts that accent a traditional bowl of the Thai staple. Or, they order takeout to complement a night in.
Do you have a favorite Thai go-to that we missed? Leave us your recommendation in the comments below.
Sila Thai & Sushi Restaurant
The St. Petersburg restaurant offers a duo of authentic Thai dishes and Japanese sushi. Lunch and dinner menus differ in selections; the latter offers more variety while lunch comes with better bargains. For lunch, customers can get traditional pad Thai for $11.99 or opt for wonton, shrimp and chicken soups for $5.99. Complementing the Thai cuisine is a range of sushi and Japanese appetizers, including $14.99 tuna nachos, where tuna and avocado are served atop crispy wonton chips. For dessert, pick from mango sweet sticky rice or fried Thai donuts. After her January 2020 visit, Times food and dining critic Helen Freund recommended the khao mun gai, orange plum duck and khao soi egg noodle soup.
3828 49th St. N., St. Petersburg, 727-498-8560, silathaiandsushifl.com.
The Thai curry puff at Patti’s Kitchen wraps chicken breast, potato and onion in a pastry shell.
Patti’s Kitchen
For a Tampa taste of Thai street food, Patti’s Kitchen specializes in authentic Bangkok-style street noodles. Its popular $15.50 tew nam tok, or Thai boat noodles, features thick marinated pork, pork meatballs and water spinach in a thick pork broth and is served with a side of pork rind. Thai barbecue pork and homemade pork wontons anchor its keaw nam, starting at $13.50. Other noodle soups include yen ta fo, often called “pink noodle soup” for its distinct pink broth. The unique color pairs with shrimp, fish balls, squid and a homemade sauce. Freund visited the spot in September 2020 and highlighted the Thai curry puffs and Patti’s Kitchen’s duck noodle soup, tew ped toon.
6527 Park Blvd., Pinellas Park, 727-289-4153, bitecheap.com/pattiskitchenthai.
Kao Thai Kitchen
Thai classics share the menu with regional specials at Kao Thai. Its kao soi is a favorite among those looking for an authentic-tasting take on the northern Thailand signature. Can’t decide between Thai or sushi? The menu’s sushi rolls and Japanese starters, like tuna tataki or sunomono, a Japanese cucumber salad, offer a fusion of the cuisines. Order the $15.60 pad Thai with your choice of chicken, pork or vegetables and customize the spice level from not spicy to Thai hot. Customers can also get five Tom Yum Wings for $13.55 to taste the fan-favorite jumbo fried wing infused with the hot-and-sour flavors of the famous Thai soup.
7199 66th St. N., Pinellas Park, 727-350-3722, kaothaikitchenfl.com.
Royal Thai in Tampa offers take-out and select delivery options, as well as in-person dining.
Royal Thai
The strip mall stop transports customers’ palates across Thailand’s regions. Cooking styles, including the use of more spices, citrus, and fish sauce, are characteristic of northeastern cuisine. For traditional eats, its curry, starting at $17.90, ranges from creamy and rich Panang to green curry with a little more of a kick. Coconut flavoring is infused throughout the selection, creating a creamy texture that can help balance heat. Speaking of spice, the restaurant is known for packing the heat — even at a level three on its five-level spice scale, dishes can push the palates of even the most ambitious, Freund warns. The senior food and dining critic recommends the sashimi shrimp, crispy rice salad or the $15.90 spicy eggplant.
5011 W. Hillsborough Ave., Suite A, Tampa, 813-392-2080, royalthaitampa.com.
Thai AM
The St. Petersburg restaurant expanded its operations in June 2026, opening a new Clearwater location. Serving classic dishes, the family-owned spot often offers a rotation of deals. Guests looking for grab-and-go favorites can order online and opt in for specials like 20% off when they spend $50 or more. Its weekday dine-in lunch combos include a range of Thai entrees — pad Thai or pad see ew or Panang curry, for example — paired with salad and soup of the day, starting at $11. Add $4.95 fried spring rolls to your order for a crispy complement. Looking for some heat? Try Thai AM’s Chicken on Fire, a fried chicken breast filet marinated in Thai chili sauce and finished with flaming whiskey.
6040 Fourth St. N., St. Petersburg, 727-525-4876, 1840 Drew St., Clearwater, 727-238-3559, thaiamrestaurant.com.
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