Thai Lotus

Thai Lotus has had a recent overhaul with their service, and it is EXCELLENT! My family and I have been dining at Thai Lotus for 12 years. The past couple of years their service had become slow, but their wonderful food was worth the wait. Now, with the changes they have made, the food arrives quickly and is extremely delicious! The servers are very attentive and refill your drinks quickly. Thai Lotus is our favorite place for Thai (the Pad Thai is the best in Columbia) and their sushi is always fresh and wonderful! more

My wife and I really love this restaraunt. The Sushi is excellent and the Thai food is always amazing. I am not sure about the comments about slow service, since we have never experienced this. However, we usually arrive at slow times for them. The prices can be a tad on the high side, but you get what you pay for. This place is not for every day. We go about once a month. IN the past year they have really worked on the aging infrastructure (bathrooms, ceiling, etc) so things continue to improve. They have also worked on the menu a bit. The chefs are definitely creative and meticulous in their work, and the presentations are beautiful. The staff is super friendly and I strongly recommend that anyone go there more

I have been to Thailand and I have eaten everywhere from nice resturants to street vendors. The food at Thai Lotus Columbia, SC is great, and though others say it is expensive, it is not, when compared to other Thai resturants in the USA. Pros: Excellent food and atmosphere. Cons: Far from where I live more

Authentic, Excellent, Great Experience. Pros: Great Place to Share Dishes, have a large party Cons: Pricing, Paying at Register more

I have been to Thailand many times, and have traveled all over that country, sampling food from all the different regions. Thai Lotus is the only Thai restaurant I've been to in America that really makes it feel like I'm in Thailand. The carved wood tables are amazing. Everything about the place just feels Thai. The menu is very extensive, offering both Thai and Japanese cuisine, including sushi. I've only eaten Thai food there, so I can't speak for the Japanese food. The Thai food is very authentic, if a little pricey. My favorites are the Rama Duck, and Pad Kee Maow (drunken noodles). My wife, who is from Thailand, usually gets Papaya Salad if they have papayas available. If you've never had Thai food and want to try it, Pad Thai is the standard Thai dish that most people start out with. The Pad Thai here is pretty good, but I've had better. Most any stir-fry dish you order will be delicious. You can order most dishes ""not spicy"" so don't let the legends of how spicy Thai food is scare you away. For drink, try the Thai Iced Tea (Cha Yen). It is a milky tea that's very sweet and tastes much different (and better, I think) than the tea you're probably used to. It's also really good at putting out the fire if you eat something too spicy. The portions are usually large enough that you'll be able to eat half, and take the rest home for another meal. If you're there with a group, I recommend ordering a few dishes and sharing all of it. That is the way Thai people eat at restaurants, and it's good because it lets you try many different dishes at once. If you go there, be prepared for somewhat slow service if there are more than a few tables full. It's not for lack of effort, they just don't have enough servers to take care of a full restaurant in a timely manner. I've never seen the servers stop moving, they really do try their hardest, but just be prepared for a little wait if they're busy. Even with the sometimes slow service, I'm still giving it 5 stars because of the great food and decor. It's a shame they're not always busy, because I'm sure they'd be able to hire a few more hands if they were, and it's definitely the best Thai food around. Pros: Extensive menu, great decorations, authentic taste Cons: Sometimes slow service, can be a little pricey more

This Thai restaurant is a gem in Columbia. Owned and operated by a Thai family. It's been around Columbia since I was doing my undergrad in 1999. You have to try the papaya salad. It's not on the menu. You just have to ask. They do a pretty good lunch buffet and very cheap! Their basil duck is fantastic!! Try some of their mango sticky rice. It's usually only offered during the summer time but well worth it!! They also have excellent chicken or beef satay where you kind of grill it yourself on a little burner. Also get the Tom ka kai soup--Large pot--which is boiled right at your table. This is truly the best Thai Columbia has to offer. And no one knows about it. And it's all through world of mouth. That's how I found it! Pros: You have to try their squid salad, or papaya salad. more

This place has the most interesting tables I have ever seen. The table tops are craved wood that depicts thai art ranging from elephants to thai princesses. You have to see it to believe it! As far as the food goes, they do have the best squid salad, papaya salad, Tom kai ka soup, and mango sticky rice if you ever want to eat the REAL thai food. Very spicy and tasty! They do have a buffet during lunch time that is pretty decent. Pros: papaya salad is good and spicy! more

The food is wonderful! The spring rolls and chicken wings are awesome. I love the beautiful tables and the live acts! Pros: food, ambience Cons: Some items on the menu can be pricey more

I've seen some reviews must have been made by the restaurant's employees because I've seen the exact same broken English in reviews of this restaurant on other sites... Pros: Great seafood. Beautifully furnished Cons: Weak curries. Buffet pretty sparse in both selections and taste. more

I alway eat at thai lotus because that many menu for choose. pad thai and sushi are delicious. this restaurant is clean and food are decorate beautiful, waiter are friendly if her not busy. more

The menu is fantastic loads of stuff to choose from. The restaurant is alway very clean and the people there are great very friendly. Highly recommend ! Pros: Fantastic Food Cons: Slow Service more

Was a regular for their Sunday Buffet. more

I have tried sushi at other places in Columbia, but Thai Lotus is the best. My friends and I go to Thai Lotus at least once a week to eat sushi. If you go to Thai Lotus, you must try the Celebration Roll, it is absolutely amazing! The staff knows us as soon as we walk in the door (or call on the phone for a to go order) and give us the best service that they can. Definatly a must in Columbia for sushi lovers. Pros: Thai Lotus has the freshest sushi in town. Cons: The food is a little bit pricey, but worth it. more

This is a favorite of mine. The menu is extensive with both Thai and Japanese cuisine. Being a vegetarian in Columbia is a little difficult but I can always find something here. There is a full page on the menu of tofu dishes and mmmm..... they are all so yummy. The service is a little slow but that gives you plenty of time to admire the decor. If you are lucky you will get seated at one of the carved tables. Pros: Weekend buffet, great decor, super yummy food Cons: Slow service, sometimes difficult to understand the waitresses, pricey more