7 Best Places For Thai Food In Asheville From Locals
Where can you eat the best Thai food in Asheville? As locals, we love Bee Thai Kitchen, Thai Pearl, Siam, and a North Asheville hidden spot, DTK Thai Kitchen. Think steaming bowls of noodles, spicy curries, and soul-warming soups.
This post may contain affiliate links that earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. If you love these free guides, support Uncorked Asheville with a small tip.
It’s no secret that Asheville has outstanding restaurants, and Tom and I are serious Asheville foodies, eating our way across Asheville even before moving here. We have tons of local food and drink guides. If you are looking for more Asian cuisine, we have “best of” lists for Indian restaurants and sushi spots. We are a part Celiac household, so all of these restaurants have great gluten-free options for us too.
Below, all experiences and photos are our own of what we have ordered over the years. You will see many takeout containers…
Thai Pearl
While all the restaurants on this list are delicious, Thai Pearl is Tom’s *personal* favorite. Who can blame him: For one, Chef May is an absolute gem, training and cooking at The Royal Palace in Bangkok, Thailand. And two, Thai Pearl has the best decor and food.
Select from curries, rice, stir-fry dishes, soups, and Thai salads. The Thai fried onion rings are a must and try the green papaya salad. I love Chef May’s ginger soup and Pad See Ew. You can’t go wrong with any of the restaurants in West AVL.
Thai Pearl | 747 Haywood Road Asheville, NC 28806
Bee Thai Kitchen
Bee Thai Kitchen took over for equally special Little Bee Thai. I’m so glad they did. Located just outside the main downtown restaurant area, catch residents grabbing takeout or dining in. I recommend ordering at the counter and grabbing a seat for their weekday lunch specials. Think one entree and one appetizer for $15+. Great flavor at great prices.
Bee Thai Kitchen’s menu features delicious Thai cuisine – noodles, curries, and mango sticky rice – paired with bevies and local brews. Pad Thai, Pad See Ew, Basil Fried Rice, Wonton Soup, and “Healthy Rolls,” get in my belly!
Bee Thai Kitchen | 45 S French Broad Ave #190, Asheville, NC 28801
Next to Bee Thai Kitchen, head over to one of my favorite Asheville coffee shops, Pollen. Both a florist and coffee shop, enjoy coffee, tea, and vegan goodies from Back Porch Baking Co. Give me anything lavender matcha and a big a$$ cookie the size of my face.
DTK Thai Kitchen
As you can tell from our kitchen island, DTK Thai Kitchen is our go-to takeout spot (usually DoorDash). As one of the more hidden Thai restaurants in Asheville – mostly North Asheville residents like us know about it – this is no-frills, simple Thai food at its best. I cannot eat spicy meals with ulcerative colitis, and they are perfect, feeling just a tad lighter than other restaurants.
Order anything from traditional noodles like Pad Thai, Pad See Ew, Pad Woon Sen, and Drunken Noodles – along with apps, soups, stir-fries, and curries. You cannot beat the convenience and price. Discover all that North Asheville has to offer for foodies.
DTK Thai Kitchen | 535 Merrimon Ave # C, Asheville, NC 28804 | (828) 251-1960
Pad Thai Asheville
Another hidden gem and casual Asheville Thai restaurant, Pad Thai is located near our favorite southwest-area businesses like Apollo Flame and Papas & Beer. Go for the delicious food, lunch specials, and friendly service. Be sure to add a salad and spring roll to your lunch special.
At Pad Thai, order anything from beef and chicken pho and curries to Korean Woks, noodles, and pineapple fried rice. I love the sweet signs and colorful local murals throughout this little house-life business. Tom loves their Pad Thai (but he leaves off the peanuts, which are not gluten-free).
Pad Thai Asheville | 18 Sardis Rd, Asheville, NC 28806
Suwana’s Thai Orchid & Suwana’s Asian Cuisine
Whether you visit or order from Downtown or Tunnel Road, we get Suwana’s takeout Thai in Asheville (there’s one in Waynesville too). I most enjoy Suwana’s Thai fresh roll and will usually order pho or Pad See Ew with fried salmon – trust me on that one. For dessert, I have to have mango sticky rice with coconut milk, which reminds me of living in Indonesia and devouring nasi uduk far too much. We can never resist pineapple fried rice.
For more appetizers, find anything like satay, dumplings, fried tofu, edamame, and spicy chicken wings. Then, select from soup and items like pork, tofu, or catfish stir-fry with basil, ginger, eggplant, cashew chicken, garlic, or sweet and sour sauces. Of course, Suwana’s has traditional curries and noodle dishes. I appreciate Suwana’s large portions for leftovers.
Suwana’s Thai Orchid | 11 Broadway St., Asheville, NC 28801 & Suwana’s Asian Cuisine | 45 Tunnel Rd, Asheville, NC 28805
Siam Thai Asheville
If you are looking for lunch in Asheville, Siam Thai won’t disappoint. It is also another one of our top Thai food restaurants in Asheville for takeout. Located in North Asheville – on the edge of Weaverville – devour home-style authentic Thai food.
We always order a handful of appetizers including tofu, fresh rolls, dumplings, satay, and chicken wings. We pair these apps with delicious Thai noodle dishes like Pad-Thai, Pad Z-Ew, and Pad Woon Sen. Tom likes their orange sesame chicken.
Siam Thai Asheville | 100 Stone Ridge Blvd Asheville, NC 28804
While in this area, know that Weaverville also has stellar restaurants like Stoney Knob Cafe and Soba Sushi.
Bonus Spot: Boon Choo Thai Express (Flat Rock)
We are cheating on this recommendation, but I love Boon Choo Thai Express far too much to leave it off our “best of” Thai food restaurants round-up. Although Flat Rock is about a 45-minute drive for us, I devour Boon Choo’s soups, noodles, and fried rice. Talk about friendly owners/staff. Order at the counter and grab a seat.
Boon Choo also serves wine, beer, and local cider. They have a small kids’ menu with noodles and fried rice. We stop here when visiting the Hendersonville apple orchards or wineries.
Boon Choo Thai Express | 576 Upward Rd, Flat Rock, NC 28731
There are plenty more Thai restaurants in Asheville not on our list, but these are our top picks that Tom and I most frequent. Let us know your favorites and why in the comments.
Christine Frascarelli
Christine (pronouns: she/her) is the owner of Uncorked Asheville. After falling in love with those gorgeous Blue Ridge Mountains, Christine and her husband Tom decided to call Asheville, North Carolina home. When her pointy Italian nose isn’t stuck in a book, Christine is adopting all of the kitties, getting lost in the forest, and drinking an ESB. She has a BA in English and History from Smith College, her MLIS from USF-Tampa, and is a former U.S. Fulbright Scholar - Indonesia. Christine also owns The Uncorked Librarian LLC with books and movies to inspire travel.