Sawaddee Thai Restaurant

I moved to Providence a week ago and wanted to try out some thai food here. After reading the reviews I went to this Sadawee Thai restaurant with a couple of my friends. First of all, its a small and crowded seating room. You are almost sitting few inches away from the next table. Not a good idea if you feel claustrophobic. We ordered our respective dishes. They placed the water on the table in the beginning, however we had to remind them again and again to get the dish as it was 30 mins late. After that started the poor service of the waiters. They did not refill water even after asking thrice. My friend asked for a sauce which they also forgot (The service size was so very small for the price). When we were about to leave the waiter placed the bill on the table and was standing over to see how much tip I was going to add. I added about 12% tip as I was not happy with the service and left. Now the MOST SHOCKING part-- I with my friends had almost walked 1 blck away and the waiter came running after me and asked to increase the tip as the minimum tip should be 20%. I was very shocked and embarrassed in front of my friends. I had to tell him that the service is poor, but he still insisted and argued that 20% tip is minimum in providence and started pointing the bill and pen towards me to modify. I had to increase the tip as I was new in Providence and wasnt sure if it so (I checked online later and found that it wasnt so). I would say that this is the worst restaurant (food + service) that I have ever been to and would never ever go there again!! more

Fantastic takeout. Lacks sufficient seating - but it is worth the wait to eat the food there. I was staying at a nearby hotel and took my meal to go - had pad thai and shrimp appetizer and it was extremely good. Tucked away in the Brown University area, and quite easy to miss. Set the address in the GPS and hope for on street parking outside - another slight drawback. Perfectly portioned and spiced and truly a treat! Pros: perfect portions and price Cons: very small - better for takeout more

I've eaten here a few time, and the food is usually pretty good. I have also gotten take-out which has been ok as well. However, today I ordered take out and received a carton of garlic shrimp. When I opened the box, less than 1/4th of the box actually had food in it. I thought there must be a mistake, and called Sawaddee and was informed that the size was not incorrect (that's just the size it is and that I had received seven shrimp). I told her you can't give a patron seven small shrimp and a couple of strands of vegetable in a sauce in a large container and charge 10 dollars. I asked to speak with someone higher than the hostess and was informed that no one wanted to speak with me. Thanks a lot. You just lost my future business. Pros: usually tastes good Cons: very small take out portion, pricier than Apsaras more

Sawaddee is a lovely little restaurant located conveniently on Hope Street. They have a nice selection of Thai food that is very reasonably priced. The service is plus/minus, but is worth it for the pad thai. Relaxing ambience and diverse lunch crowd make for a positive dining experience. Pros: ambience, food Cons: parking more

My wife took me here for our anniversary. It was our second visit to the restaurant. We ordered the chicken wing appetizer and asked that we have it before the meal. About 15 minutes later the waitress came over to our table and asked if we minded getting the main course (Pad Thai) first because it takes a long time to cook the wings. We said no, we don't want our appetizer during our meal or for dessert. We also asked that they not let the meal sit while we ate the appetizer. Apparently it is not allowed to have your appetizer first here. We got the meal after the appetizer alright. Unfortunately it was cold and dried out. No one asked us how we were doing or how our meal was. Instead, they ignored us until it was time to pay for the meal. And oh, when we complained about the poor service their English suddenly became poor. Zero for customer Pros: The food is good Cons: The sevice is horrible more

Good thai food. Their salads are excellent. The vegetables they use seem juicier and more fresh than other places. Service is excellent and the ambiance is conducive to couple's eating. Always packed on Fri, Sat so arrive early. I recommend it. Affordably priced also. Pros: Good food. Fresh tasting vegetable ingredients. Affordable. Good ambiance. Cons: Crowded during peak hours on peak days. Arrive early. more

Got take out on a Saturday night: Food was average at best. I enjoy Thai food tremendously and this was very average. The tofu was not soft, but more rubbery in texture. The chili and basil chicken was bland and uninspired. The service was slow. The prices were average. Wouldn't return. Pros: Average Price Cons: Food quality more

This is where I want to go for great food without any atitude. It is super cheap, and plus you can bring your own wine or beer. The atmosphere is a bit off-putting at first, but you get used to it, and eventually feel as if you are eating in someone's home. I brought a Thai friend of mine here, and was nervous that he would be critical...and he loved it! I have to eat here once a week or I get withdrawals. more