Siam Street Food

Was excited to try a new Thai place in town but wow… it is hands down the best Thai food in Santa Barbara. It’s clearly a family establishment and the authenticity shows! Everything from the delicate and crispy spring rolls to the creamy, perfectly balanced green curry was 11/10. Drunken noodles and Tom kha also amazing. Price is reasonable too. Felt especially called to leave a good review. This spot deserves a proper hype!!

Good Thai food! Fries were more like an Americanized version - guess that's to appeal to locals. Dishes we tried were mostly good; red curry lacked punch and thickness, but it's what they do. Worth a visit if you're in the area. We ordered spicy versions and still ended up dressing up with chilli sauces.

What a lovely restaurant! A short stay at Santa Barbara and really wanted some soup, came across Siam Street Food. The interiors were very cute and clean. There’s Thai food documentaries playing on the TV. I quickly decided that I wanted Kao Soi, which is curry with egg noodles. While waiting for the food, the owner came up and chatted with me. He mentioned that he just started his own business and really wanted to share his passion for Thai street food. Later the food came out, omg, it was so good! The curry soup was very creamy and flavorful, there’s tang from the lime, sweet from the coconut cream, crunch from the fried noodles on top, spicy from curry and fried red pepper, everything tasted fresh and beautifully balanced. Oh and the Thai tea finished up everything well. Keep making great food, chief!

After an initial taste of Siam Street Food over Door Dash, we knew we would have to go try the place out in person as the food could only be more delicious fresh out the kitchen and what an experience it was! The small, cozy restaurant was decorated with festive Christmas trinkets and was warm and welcoming. The servers are friendly and attentive, and you can see the genuine care they have in the business they're running. The Boat Noodle Soup was the best option for the cold, rainy night, and the Drunken Noodles didn't stand a chance of making it to the leftovers container. We were able to order an appetizer, 2 entrees, 2 Thai teas, and a dessert all for a fairly decent price. We left fully satisfied and happy. Looking forward to coming back and trying more delicious items and this cozy kitchen!

We are so lucky to have Siam Street Food! They are serving up the most authentic Thai food that will leave your tastebuds wanting more. Not only that, but everything they use is imported straight from Thailand. I’m so happy to see the lower half of State Street gradually adding new restaurants to this area. It’s much needed! Now, on to the food! I started with spring rolls, chicken gyoza and a refreshing Thai tea. The spring rolls are filled with spring mix and fresh veggies. The perfect little starter that won’t overstuff you. The chicken gyozas are golden pan-fried little pockets of heaven. They are filled with juicy chicken and delicious flavors. I also appreciate that the Thai tea isn’t overly sweet. For my main, I chose the boat noodle. It includes meatballs, sliced ribeye steak, bean sprouts, Chinese broccoli, green onions and cilantro. The presentation is a wow factor! I was so impressed by the serving of the savory, rich broth. It’s served in a golden tea kettle and poured over the bowl to cook the sliced meat. The flavors were on point and the meat was super tender. I highly recommend this and right now through the end of December, it’s 20% off! Take advantage while you can. I also enjoyed the basil chicken. This dish comes with rice and a fried egg. It’s a staple dish in Thailand and I can see why. I would order this everyday if I could! The chicken was full of bold flavors and the best part is the chicken wasn’t dry. I’ve had a similar dish elsewhere and it was dry and lacked flavor. Not here! Trust me when I say you won’t be disappointed. To end my visit, the mango sticky rice was a lovely treat. The mangos weren’t mushy and they were perfectly ripe. I especially enjoyed the coconut sauce that comes with it. Overall, the customer service here is friendly and welcoming. The atmosphere cozy and inviting. I can’t wait to come back here to try more on the menu.

I recently visited Siam Street Food in Santa Barbara with genuine optimism, hoping it might stand apart from the city’s generally mediocre Thai offerings. Unfortunately, the experience fell short of expectations and did little to differentiate itself from the usual lineup. To begin, the recommended egg rolls were a telling first impression. They arrived hot on the outside yet still frozen within, a common issue with mass-produced, pre-packaged rolls rather than anything freshly prepared. Given the restaurant’s name and implied emphasis on authentic "street food," I anticipated something handmade, crisp, and aromatic. Instead, the appetizer felt like an afterthought. For the mains, the server suggested the Pad Kee Mao (drunken noodles) and the Panang curry. The drunken noodles had a pleasant flavor base, but the execution missed the mark. The meat was noticeably overcooked and chewy, and the dish lacked the balance of vegetables, aromatics, and wok-fired texture that typically defines this staple. The Panang curry was similarly underwhelming, thin in consistency, muted in flavor, and sparse in both meat and vegetables. Rather than the rich, fragrant, and concentrated curry characteristic of Thai street fare, this version felt diluted and incomplete. While none of the dishes were inedible, nothing about the meal reflected the vibrancy, depth, or authenticity often associated with true Thai street food. In the end, Siam Street Food proved no more compelling than the other Thai restaurants in town, offering an experience that was serviceable but far from memorable.

Cool new Thai place on State St. downtown. "Street food" felt like a bit of a misnomer; I assumed it would be more casual dining / order-at-the-counter, but it was a sit-down-and-order place (totally fine). Staff was friendly and food was good.