Cheap Eats 2007: Thai Square

Reviewed by Cynthia Hacinli , Michele Kayal , Todd Kliman , Ann Limpert , Don Rockwell

Thai Square

3217 Columbia Pike
Arlington, VA 22204
Phone: 703.685.7040
Fax: 703.685.0071

Cuisines:
Thai

Opening Hours:

Wheelchair Accessible:
Yes

Nearby Metro Stops:
Pentagon City

Price Range:
Inexpensive

Dress:
Informal

Noise Level:
N/A

Reservations:
Not needed

Special Features:
Delivery, Kid Friendly

Website:
Click here to open in new window.

Best Dishes
Kanom jeeb; pig’s-knuckle stew; honey-roasted duck; stir-fry of catfish, eggplant, and rhizome.

Price Details:
Appetizers $3.50 to $9.50, entrées $8.95 to $12.95.


Tiny little Thai Square—the area’s best Thai restaurant—isn’t much to look at but what shows up on your plate will make you forget the industrial carpeting.

To appreciate how good the cooking is, try a full range of dishes. You might not think to mix catfish, duck, and pig knuckle, but Pad Ped Pla Dook (catfish in a spicy chili paste with Thai eggplant and rhizome), Crispy Honey Roasted Duck With Basil, and slow-cooked Pig Knuckle Stew are an excellent combination, the spice in the catfish complementing the sweetness of the duck and the aromatic stew. Even simple-sounding dishes like green curry, red curry, or sautéed assorted vegetables are remarkable for their depth of flavor. The food is neither sugary nor overly spicy but rather is marked by nuance and elegant saucing.

Thai Square fills up early, especially on weekends. There’s no bar area, so if you want to enjoy a Singha beer before dinner, arrive early and grab a table.

Open daily for lunch and dinner.