Thai Spice

Nice Thai food and good service. I have had better; but for the small town of Albemarle, this is very good food. We had the California roll and Stir Fry cashew. Both good and fresh. Restaurant is small but clean.

I travel as a sales rep covering 3 states and low & behold the Best Sushi in North Carolina is found in Albemarle NC. This is truly a hidden gem, great Pad Thai, wonderful curries. Order your Sushi & eat it first, you may not have room for your entrée. Their sushi rolls are large!

I absolutely love Thai spice! I’m from Albemarle and when I’m visiting, I always make sure to get at least a lunch or dinner here. You can’t go wrong with anything! My favorites are the panang curry, drunken noodles, and spicy Thai fried rice with shrimp. The sushi is always fresh. I’ve tried almost every roll, but my favorite is the Beauty and the Beast. Basically, this place has ruined all other Thai restaurants for me. I haven’t found one that is on the same level as Thai Spice yet. Definitely try this place out if you’re visiting or want to try something new.

Came here today after a hike and canoe session at Morrow Mountain park which left me starving. I chose it because of the high reviews but was a little skeptical about Thai food in Albemarle (hate to sound like a snob but let’s face it: ethnic food in small towns is rarely good). As I suspected, the 4.5 stars this place has is overly generous. However, I wouldnt say this place is bad either. Just ok.
I got the pork dumplings as an appetizer and those were good. My entrée, however, was solidly in the «just ok» range. I got the panang curry and tofu and requested five star spicy. The curry wasnt bad and the coconut milk came through nicely but it wasnt even close to spicy. My friend, who had also ordered her dish five star spicy had the same problem so we requested that extra spices be brought to our table. The waitress brought us both a chili sauce and a chili oil and told us the chili oil was «really hot». It wasnt. On the plus side, the portions here are huge. Im planning on adding some fresh chilies to my leftovers to see if I can at least have the remainder of my food the way I like it.
People who dont care about their food being spicy may like this place just fine. I dont have any complaints aside from the spice level but for me, thats enough to negatively affect the experience. I might would come here again in a situation like today when Im so hungry that I cant do the two hour drive back home without eating. In any other sitiation though, id prefer to go to a place where the food is more flavorful and where the staff understands what five star spicy means.

Little shack but the food is crack. I would never usually stop here but it was really good. Plenty of food to choose from. Friendly staff.

I’d like to begin by explaining that I am a culinary student, I’ve worked in fine dining restaurants including but not limited to Charlotte’s «Bistro la Bön» and Walt Disney World’s «Hollywood Brown Derby.» I know good food, and I can say with the utmost certainty that I have never enjoyed food more than I do at Albemarle’s favorite hidden gem. My family has had property in Albemarle for about fifteen years. Every time we made the trip for fourteen years, we passed by this little broken down looking restaurant. I’ll admit (Penny don’t hate me), I used to make jokes about getting sick just from walking in the door. The first time I decided to go in, I had the best Pad Thai of my life. It was absolutely fantastic, and not containing the catsup like Americanized sauce commonly found in pad thai in the states. Perhaps more nerve racking than the pad thai was the first time I ate their sushi. Again i was proven a fool. I have eaten at more than thirty sushi restaurants in seven states and I can honestly say that Thai Spice sushi is hands down the best sushi I have ever had. The staff (Annette, Ashley, Penny, Samantha, Christian, etc) are extremely friendly, and have become friends of ours over the past year. Penny (the sushi chef) and Christian (his protégé better known as «grasshopper») are absolutely fantastic. For the quality of sushi you get at Thai Spice for $ 6-​$ 12, you would have to pay at least double if not triple that to get even close in Charlotte. Thai Spice deserves these five stars more than any other restaurant I’ve been to.

I’d recommend it and wouldn’t hesitate to eat here again.
I stopped in here for dinner while doing some business in the area. I was starving and this place was the best rated Thai and one of most heavily reviewed places in Albemarle, so I gave it a shot. The service was great too.
Actually, I rode by three times looking for another place I had enjoyed in the past. I really hesitated going in because from the outside it was obviously an old gas station and I just don’t like fast food. It’s not fast food… it was a nice sit down restaurant with great Thai food (one of my favorite cuisines).
I had the Tom Yum with shrimp which ranked among the best I’ve had. For my main entrée I had the red curry with chicken. The combination of flavors was fantastic, light and just the right amount of spicy with a hint of nutmeg (I think). Everything was fresh and cooked just right. I wanted to try the sushi, but I was just too full — next time for sure.

We eat here weekly. Excellent selection of sushi and oriental dishes — and everything we’ve ordered has been excellent, fresh and tasty. It’s not fancy inside, but clean and comfortable. Even when it’s busy, we have never waited for a table. Only a couple larger tables so probably not ideal for a large group. Definitely a good spot to eat in town.

Looking for a place to meet my college roommate equidistant from Charlotte and Whispering Pines. Fortunately found Thai Spice right in Albemarle. Don’t be deterred by the outside, it is very nice on the inside and food was delicious! I live in Charlotte and my friend in San Francisco and we were wowed by the food and service. We spent 3 hours there visiting and had a delightful time. I highly recommend it!

Although I’m not from the area, I would have to say that this place is a hidden gem in the town of Albermarle. I had the Philadelphia roll. It was prepared fast, tasted fresh and prices are very reasonable.
The restaurant itself is pretty small inside. There is a little bar area, but has that casual lunch-​time vibe going on with the table set-​up. I didn’t notice any booths. Staff was efficient and friendly. Cool décor. The lot is small & has the potential to be congested (unlikely, it’s Albemarle).
I won’t say it’s the best sushi that I have ever had (but i only tried one roll) however, it’s definitely good enough to satisfy a craving and certainly worthy of a return visit.

Wow! Albemarle had a fabulous Thai restaurant. I just enjoyed a delicious chicken Pad Thai. Service was fast. Food was hot. Presentation was excellent. Sanitation grade: A 99. The curb appeal is limited; however, the meal was excellent and a solid value. I look forward to my next visit.

This is a long overdue review.
I moved down to NC from New England when they first opened this restaurant, and I was so happy! Being from the northeast I was able to get a variety of food in NYC to Boston. When I moved to the south, I was a little homesick because the food there wasn’t the same. Asian food for them was quick Chinese or hibachi restaurants. I wanted something more authentic, and with that being said… Thai spice is as close as you can get! The sushi isn’t going to be as fresh as the west coast or northeast but the sushi chefs there sure can fool me. The Thai/​Lao food is great! Very flavorful and authentic. My favorite was the beef noodle soup since I prefer Lao style phở more than Vietnamese phở. I’m glad that the co-​owners are from CT because it brings the flavor I’m similar to to the south.
The restaurant looks small but when you go inside, the décor is nice. You feel like you’re in a Thai home back in the motherland.
The staff back then was obviously great (since I was one of their staff) but hey it’s southern hospitality. Everyone is nice.
So, if you’re ever driving through the area… this is a must try. Even if you don’t think you’ll like thai food or sushi… you can get something simple such as their fried rice or stir fries. I have no complaints about any of their dishes.
If I were down south still, I would eat there every day.

The staff was friendly, but the food was a complete and utter disappointment. Half-​assed sushi and bland pad thai.
Don’t know why this place is so highly rated. Like my tagline says, «Don’t believe the hype.»

Woohoo! As good as it gets says it all! Beautiful atmosphere, friendly service, delicious Thai Food… food so you good you might want to refrain from licking the plate! Really! All of the sushi choices are delicious… it’s some of the most beautiful food art… so pretty you almost don’t want to eat it. The chicken drunken noodles are soooooo mouth watering… basil, tomatoes, peppers, spicy noodles… I dreamt of it for two weeks and finally gave in to get more. Pad Thai is always good… made super spicy to my liking always. Everything on the menu is delicious and you CANNOT beat the prices. Thanks for being such a great Thai restaurant in such a small town. I don’t ever have to drive far for high quality Thai food again.

Stopped in here for lunch today while doing some business in the area. I was starving and this place, with 8 reviews, was the most heavily reviewed place in Albemarle so I gave it a shot.
I had the Summer rolls which were fresh and full of crispy lettuce, carrots, basil, and shrimp. The accompanying peanut sauce was rich and delicious.
Then I had chicken Pad Thai which ranked among the best I’ve had. It wasn’t too saucy and actually had rather light flavors. I added liberal doses of both the dry rub and oiled peppers.
Even though I chose conservatively I’d recommend it and wouldn’t hesitate to eat here again.
Stopped in here for lunch today while doing some business in the area. I was starving and this place, with 8 reviews, was the most heavily reviewed place in Albemarle so I gave it a shot.
I had the Summer rolls which were fresh and full of crispy lettuce, carrots, basil, and shrimp. The accompanying peanut sauce was rich and delicious.
Then I had chicken Pad Thai which ranked among the best I’ve had. It wasn’t too saucy and actually had rather light flavors. I added liberal doses of both the dry rub and oiled peppers.
Even though I chose conservatively I’d recommend it and wouldn’t hesitate to eat here again.

What a pleasant surprise! We found this spot on a rural drive from Raleigh to Charlotte and decided to «give it a whirl» despite our usual misgivings about small Asian restaurants in small towns.
And thank heavens we did. The service was perfect. My pad thai was as good as any $ 30 entrée I’ve had at frufru big-​city Thai restaurants. And the atmosphere just felt «right» — casual enough that we were comfortable in jeans and T-​shirts, but hip enough to make it feel like a «destination» and not just a place to refuel.

Definitely the BEST and only place to go for sushi in Albemarle. Their Thai food is also really good. If you like soft shell crab, you must try the Muay Thai roll, it’s SO good! Their phở is a little on the sweet side but still very tasty if you’re in the mood for a super aromatic bowl of noodle soup. I love the fact that the sushi chef takes special order requests. I now have my own «tuna special» appetizer ;) Thanks Smith!

It’s good. Eat it.
The Mee Duck soup is a marvel of flavor. Sometimes I dream about it.
Love the Thai fried rice and the Pad Wun Sen, too.

My brother told me about this place a few weeks back and I had serious doubts. But once I tried their sushi, I was hooked. I’ll definitely be a regular there.

You wouldn’t think that there is actually good Thai food and good sushi in Albemarle … But There Is!
We waited a long time for the sushi because there was only one guy rolling — it was worth the wait. The sushi was awesome. We also ordered the typical Pad Thai dish with chicken. A little sweeter than I normally get it elsewhere but still rockin good. I definitely want to go back again and again. Remember though you may have to wait for your sushi!