Taste of Thai

Located at 1500 Mill Street off Westover Terrace in Greensboro, Taste of Thai is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week. A buffet is offered during lunch hours, and specials rotate regularly.

As previously mentioned, Greensboro offers quite the diverse array of southeastern Asian cuisine. On one end of the spectrum, you have something like the Bangkok Café, a tiny, hole-in-the wall family establishment that offers nothing in the way of presentation but satisfies with relatively cheap authentic cuisine. Taste of Thai is the antithesis of that: the restaurant is inviting and well-appointed, but the flavors can’t compete.

In all fairness, however, “authenticity” isn’t a game that Taste of Thai professes to play. The slightly daunting multi-sectioned menu does include Thai staples (Pad Thai and various curries), but you can also find Chinese-inspired dishes and even an Italian-accented special or two. This Thai fusion approach may alienate purists, but it does offer a wealth of interesting options. They won’t come as strongly seasoned as they would at say Thai Corner Kitchen, but they are prepared with care, and a judicious application of condiments can restore some of the missing heat.

No matter what you opt for, Taste of Thai represents a good value. The lunch buffet is all you can eat for under $10. On a recent visit, a pair of $12 specials (“two way” chicken and a lamb dish with black bean sauce) each came with salads (with addictively delicious peanut dressing) and a sweet potato dessert.

Service at Taste of Thai is professional and courteous but not exactly fleet-footed. If you aren’t pressed for time, you can take in the music (usually calm and soothing but not around the holidays) and admire the art (clichéd Asian but classy nonetheless) on the walls. Otherwise, prepare for a bit of a wait to get your food (unless, of course, you do the buffet).

Taste of Thai is many things: an enticing lunch destination, a safe bet for Thai newbies, a chance to try some creative cooking, an eminently reasonable dinner spot, and so on. The best Thai restaurant in Greensboro, however, it is not.

7.75/10