Pam's Place : Home-Style Thai Kitchen

Pam's Place is an amazing gem in Venice. It's tucked into a quiet commercial space off of Venice and Abbot Kinney. But, once you're inside, there is a wonderful aura to the place. It is decorated with beautiful bamboo and candles. There is a terrific outdoor dining area off of the front of the restaurant area. The food is nothing short of phenomenal. Personal favorites are the Tofu in Peanut Sauce, the traditional Pad Thai with Chicken/Shrimp combination, and the Minced Chicken wrapped in lettuce leaves. Pam herself is a beautiful woman who cooks delicately with amazing spices and intoxicating flavor profiles. She is always present in the kitchen and makes rounds in the restaurant to ensure that each and every person is happy with their food. The personal attention at Pam's is wonderful and gives great heart to the place. I often tend to order the same thing there, but there are other great options for vegetarians and meat eaters alike. And, the salads (Green Papaya, for example) are breathtaking. I would add a note that the cooking, and therefore the service, is sometimes slow. Everything is cooked to order from scratch, so I'd advise people to ensure that there is time to savor the meal rather than rushing. It is a dining experience more than an eat-and-run cafe. I'd also recommend enjoying the selection of beers rather than wines. The wine selection is just moderate while there are some great beers to be had at Pam's (unless of course, you have a sweet tooth and order a Thai Iced Tea!). Pam's is a wonderful restaurant with great authentic Thai cooking that is cherished by people in-the-know in Venice. Pros: Fantastic Food, Wonderful Ambience, Delightful Owner Cons: Sometimes Slow Cooking more

We started with chicken satays that were overcooked and then the tom kai gai was sweet with little to no flavor. Lacked depth. The pad thai was sweet again with a syrupy texture. The chicken curry was poor and the chinese brocolli was very salty. Service was awful. I suggest you go elsewhere... not sure how they got such a high rating... must have loaded the reviews. more

My friends and I were impressed with the quality of the food, but the service was SLOW and the portions were tiny. They serve the dishes on platters- family style like most asian restaurants- but each plate was barely enough to serve 1 person, let alone be shared. We're not major fatties either... it's just disappointing. The prices are high for what you get. Pros: tastes good Cons: big prices for small portions... slow service more

While we have never eaten in at Pam's Place, our multiple take out orders have been unimpressive. The food lacks depth of flavor. Spicey: can be, Rich: can be, Bright: rarely, but a harmonious flavor combination has never appeared. After trying several dishes it just seems... blah. Also, with any Thai food one has to expect the use of fish sauce or other non-vegetarian ingredients, but whole shrimp shells in a salad specifically requested as vegetarian? (An obvious mistake) more

This was my first time visiting. The food was good. The service was average and looked at times confused. I enjoyed the vegetarian dishes. I will go again. Pros: Good for vegetarian Cons: slow service more

I can honestly say this is the worst meal I've ever had. Every dish was overcooked and blah, the garlic chicken had the consistancy of beef jerky and the portions were tiny, I mean honestly 20 little 1 inch by 1/8 inch strips of chicken for 10 bucks. We ordered 4 dishes and they were all over cooked and just plain bad. The rice looked and tasted as if it was refrigerated and microwaved from the day before. The fact that there was not one other person in this place at 5:20 should have given it away, but the reviews were great. Well the reviews are most likely from mgt. My family and I left this place upset we just spent 60 bucks on this food. Cons: Horrible Food, totally overcook, worst place ever more

If you don't want to make the trek out to Thai Town, just go to Pam's Place in Venice. The food is amazing and all cooked to order so don't... more

Despite the warning that everything is made to order and some foods require longer preparation times, the wait just seems too ridiculously long. On my last visit I ordered a glass of white wine and waited 20 minutes for it. I'd say the food is about average - not terrible but not great either. But can't take the wait.... Pros: good food Cons: ridiculously long wait more

After a short trip to Bangkok, I decided that I did not get enough Thai food. As soon as I got back to LAX, I called my ride and said: ""We are heading to Pam's!"" Great food, friendly service. Homemade ice cream deserts are fantastic. Definitely worth a visit. Be warned, everything is made to order so it is not speedy. Pros: Great food, friendly service more

The food is not great - the meat was overcooked and tough. Also, it takes a long time to receive your food. However, the saki was good and the coconut dessert is divine! Pam did come out to our table to check on us and make sure everything was ok, which is always very nice touch at a restaurant. I would go back for just drinks and dessert. But, if you want really good Thai food, this is not the place. Pros: dessert Cons: slow service, overcooked food more

The food was fresh and tasty. The servers were friendly. You have to try their roasted chilli dishes, so yummy. Many selections for tofu and vegies dishes,Coconut custard is the best, not to sweet, it is a perfect blend of coconut milk and eggs(I guess). You might have to wait for food a little bit longer than other places but it's worth waiting for. Pros: friendly staff, fresh food more

I ordered delivery on the evening of the Oscars, and I must say that everything an immense disappointment. The Pad Thai with shrimp was dry, seasoned poorly, and was almost inedible. I also ordered spring rolls which were over cooked and dry, and green chick curry. The curry was bland and the chicken was grey. We also had the Thai beef salad meet was overcooked and dry, and again seasoning was totally uninteresting. Finally, we tried coconut milk based soup with chicken. Again, grey meat, and just really bland. Save yourself the time and money and go somewhere else. Cons: Simply not good more

Its not for the scene, its not for ""hipsters"", its not for a quick bite before clubbing. Pam's is for good food. Don't worry about what you are wearing. Come as you are, leave as you are - but full of good food. And trust Pam. She knows what you like. Unless you are diabetic or deathly allergic to coconuts, there is no excuse to NOT try the young coconut dessert - no matter how much you THINK you don't like coconuts. more

I have a skin condition that does not allow me to eat spicy food, but Pam has found a way to let me enjoy Thai food again. Since the food is cooked to order special requests like mine are not a problem. My boyfriend is not a tofu fan, but he adores the flavor and texture of the tofu that Pam makes. We love the laid back atmosphere! Pam's soups are truly magical, the Tom Kum Kai is delicate and buttery with coconut milk and lemongrass. The mee grob is sweet and crunchy with chunks of white meat chicken and a healthy portion of shrimp. Nathan's noodles is another favorite of mine. Soft noodles mingle with crisp vegetables in this vegetarian dish that is a sure hit with anyone who appreciates thai food. Give Pam's a try, you won't be disappointed. Pros: Kind staff, Delicious food, Beautiful setting more

Pam's food is made fresh upon order and with all the ingredients, it can take a little while, but it is so delicious it is worth every minute of the wait. The walls of the restaurant are painted with a serene mural that is pleasant to loose yourself in, if you're dining inside, or you can enjoy the warm evenings outside. Pam is delightful, so I recommend introducing yourself, as she likes to get to know her clientele personally. Best Thai food in Los Angeles. Pros: easy parking, fair prices, excellent food more

I used to work at a studio across the street from Pam's, and there's something to be said that I'm still coming back for Thai food even after having left the studio two years ago. The staff is very friendly (tho a bit light, so service can be slow, especially during crowded times) and the food is amazing! Pam is very nice and when she has the chance, will come out and ask you how you like your meal. I used to order the panang chicken until Pam suggested an alternate dish called Gai Choo Chee, which is very similar but without the bell peppers. Works for me. I know only to come here when I'm not in a hurry. Pros: great food Cons: gets crowded, slow service more

The service was slow, and they forgot our appetizer. When our food finally came (45 mins gone by with nobody checking on us) it tasted horrible. Chicken dish tasted like burnt garlic, and my date's seafood dish was fishy and did not taste fresh. The soup smelled like dirty feet and did not taste much better. Save your time and money and pass on this place! When we complained, the owner was very defensive and rude. Pros: None Cons: Food is not fresh, Service slow, Bad experience overal more

The service was extremely slow and inattentive. We never got our appetizer, and they served my dish first, then brought out my boyfriend's meal 10 minutes later. Right after that, we finally got the appetizer. The food tasted bad and the ingredients were definitely not fresh. My chicken dish tasted like burnt garlic, and my boyfriend's seafood dish was rubbery and fishy. When we complained to the owner, she was rude and defensive. Don't believe the ""good"" reviews posted here, they were definitely misleading. Save your time and money, skip this abysmal place. Cons: bad food, not fresh, slow service, not worth it more

I went there a couple weekends ago and made reservations for 4 several hours in advance. When I got there, the lady told me that she'd given my reservation away, albeit unwittingly, to another party so we ended up sitting at a really bad table with really uncomfortable chairs. She was not at all apologetic until I kept probing, trying to understand why I'd bother to make the reservation (she recommends you do though!). She also mentioned that the food ""takes forever"" so we should quickly order. Boy, she was NOT kidding about that. Pros: inexpensive, good food Cons: takes forever, poor service more

Pam's Place is a breath of fresh air in LA's smoggy restaurant scene. The waitstaff are extremely friendly and helpful. The food is delicious and SO CHEAP! I'm no Thai food expert, but everything I've tried has been good. The restaurant's decor is far from hip- so if you're trying to impress someone by taking them to flashy expensive dinner- go east my friend. Hollywood is the place for you. Pros: cheap, friendly, no hollywood types more