Tiny Thai

Short Version: Food-​wise, this is easily the worst Thai place I’ve ever been to — and my wife and I have been to well over two dozen different places around the Bay Area over the last decade. Their customer service could use an overhaul, too; the owner would only give me a partial refund after two trips back to the restaurant just to settle this mess.
Long Version: We ordered four items last night: fresh rolls, golden crab, pad Thai (medium-​spicy, tofu) and peanut curry noodles (mild-​spicy, prawns) — all for takeout. We had standard expectations of quality and ingredients. When we tried the food at home though, it was honestly awful. The pad Thai was prepared very differently than I’ve ever seen it done and the noodles were overlooked and bland; the spice level was on-​point, at least. Meanwhile, the curry noodles were awful; the curry was extremely bland and unappetizing, and was literally just poured on top of flavorless and overcooked rice noodles, no tossing at all. The fresh rolls were nearly all filler veggie (lettuce, carrots) and barely any avocado or beets were present. The golden crab (crab rangoons) apps were extremely salty and filled with what appeared to be imitation crab, not real crab. Were the chefs having a bad day, or is it always this poorly made? I don’t know the answer to that, but I decided enough was enough. I drove back to the restaurant with all of the food, expecting an apology and a refund.
Instead, the cooks kept asking me questions about what was wrong with the food, and the waitress refused to refund me without manager approval (and she was not around that evening). They insisted that this is how the food is always made, and I responded that if this is true, I will definitely never come back to eat there again. They asked me to come back the next afternoon to speak to the owner.
Today, I drove back to the restaurant to do just that. The owner was apologetic, but refused to refund anything because the food was partially eaten. I explained that we barely ate any of it, and nearly 85% was brought straight back (the other 15% was tasted and thrown away at home) because of how horrible it was. She defended her cooks, insisted it was a small business and they could not afford to eat the costs of refunding me. I told them that refusing to refund me anything after all of the trouble (returning all the badly made food, driving back and forth multiple times, etc.) is a terrible business practice.
After much arguing, she agreed to refund most of my money, without any regard for how much I lost in gas and time just to settle this mess. While a partial refund is hardly reasonable, I decided to take it just to be done with this ridiculous scenario.
I will not come back here again.

Increased their prices, and decrease the portions, done with them and their pad thai wasn’t real pad thai

Dissapointed… if you like bland tasting Pad Thai, bland Drunken Noodles and very bland Panang Curry and suffer from acid reflux, then this place is for you! Read the high reviews for this place and gave it a shot. We are used to Thai food thats very flavorful and tasty; would not eat here again! This place earns just an «OK» rating for Thai food,…thats after you haven’t eaten all day!

Good thai food close to my house. I usually go here for lunch and order the thai basil with chicken, and brown rice. They even have fresh coconuts here which they open for you!

Yummy food! The Cotati Combo is great. The tofu always tastes off though…

The food is simple yet flavorful. I’ve not been disappointed with pumpkin curry, eggplant dishes and pla goong.
It’s becoming a regular for me when I’m in town

Best Thai food in Sonoma County!

Tiny Thai is delicious! Perfect for take out, but be prepared for a bit of a wait — everyone knows that this place is good and (as the name suggests) the kitchen is tiny. I wouldn’t really recommend eating in as it is so small that I would probably feel too tight in the space and you would likely have a wait.

Delicious and convenient.
My friends and I snagged the only table that fits more than 2 people in this restaurant. The restaurant itself is very small, so I would be aware of this if you’re planning on bringing a larger party for dinner. However, it seems like they have a lot of to-​go business, so that’s one way of enjoying their delicious food without having to worry about seating.
I had the dinner combination, which consisted of the curry of the day, pad thai, and rice. It was just enough food and very reasonably priced. The food itself was delicious, and service was fast. The only complaint I have about the location in general is that since it is so small and there is so much to-​go business, the restaurant door opens and closes fairly often, ushering in cold air. It’s not that big of a deal, but it could be rather annoying if that kind of thing bugs you.
Anyway, if I’m near Cotati, I definitely plan on stopping here again. It’s very conveniently located on the highway road so you can’t miss it if you’re passing through Cotati.

Pretty good Thai place!
The name is also pretty accurate. The inside of this place is tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiny, and has about 5 mini tables, each seating 2 or 3 people. There are also two side-​by-​side seats by the window.
It’s in a really cute part of Cotati, so I guess it really fits in with the small-​towny vibe, but it was still pretty busy and there were people coming in and out, both to eat or for pick up orders for the duration of the time I spent with my co-​workers after an exhausting all-​day training (on the weekend!!! why?!?)
Prices were lower than I expected. Nice! All three of us got the Cotati Dinner combo, which came with some Pad Thai, white rice, an egg roll, and a small bowl of the chicken curry of the day, for a little under $ 11. We were all definitely full by the end, and it was nice that I got to try a variety of their dishes.
I don’t really care about egg rolls that much, but the ones here are noticeably fabulous. Really crunchy and full of flavor!
The Pad Thai was pretty sticky-​chewy. An interesting texture and flavor I know some people would really love, but maybe a bit too sweet for me.
The yellow curry we had was pretty good. I think it was a bit thinner than the curries I’m used to, but it had a good mix of vegetables, potatoes, and chicken generously put in there.
In the end, we split the check evenly and it came to about $ 14 a person since one person ordered Thai Iced Tea and there were 2 orders of hot tea.
I think I’d consider coming back to try more of their dishes sometime, so it’s definitely worth checking out if you’re in the area! The only real qualm I had is that they get pretty busy during dinner time, so you should expect a bit of a wait to get your food once you’ve ordered it. This may have been because they had to prepare three different dishes for our combo, though. Everyone working there is very kind :)

First time here. Very good food, excellent service and priced very reasonably.
We got our food very fast. Giant combo was delicious. My favorite was the (not very spicy) chicken curry followed by the pad Thai. I’m not a big fan of peanut sauce and this is the first Thai restaurant I’ve been that offers it as a side dip with the plate. Great idea. I’m looking forward to trying other dishes. I hear the drunken noodles are good.
There was a lot of take out traffic coming and going = People are loving the food. The seating area is «tiny» and was probably half full while we were there. Not a place for groups.

Visited: January 1, 2016. Lunch.
Occasion: After biking adventure meal!
With: My sister, her boyfriend, two of my best friends.
Service: 5 stars! Server was super sweet.
Food: 3.5 stars. Good but not exceptional.
The Good: Combo offerings, good service, cute location
The Not As Good: Small-​er portions, just decent food.
This place is absolutely adorable! When they say tiny, they mean TINY. It’s got maybe five tables in this little corner spot. There is also outdoor seating available. It seems like the space could get overwhelmed with people on a busy day, but on the day we went it was comfortable and cozy with less people.
My sister’s boyfriend got the drunken noodles, the rest of us got Giant Combo’s (which were actually really tiny). All the guys loved the drunken noodles, although none of us have tried them before so not sure with what to compare to. The Giant Combo was cool in that I could have multiple items at once, which was a good for someone who hates deciding like me. It came with two chicken skewers, a spoonful of pad thai, the curry of the day (it was yellow curry this day), rice, and two little rolls. Everything was decent, nothing too out of this world but it did satisfy my craving. Yellow curry had a good mix of ingredients, in sizes that were edible and even (so you can get the right amount of the carrot, potato, and chicken) in each bite. The flavor was simple and alright. No strong flavors to really make it stand out. The peanut sauce that came with the meal was SUPER tiny and hard to dip in, I’m a huge fan of peanut sauce so I would have liked a bigger container.
Overall, the place is a really cute little local spot that would be good to stop if you’re already in the area and looking for Thai food, but I wouldn’t drive out of my way for it.
*First review (and restaurant visit) of 2016!*

I’ve been on the search for some really good Padseeew!
I got it to go. Waited no more than 10 minutes. Super nice lady at the register.
They don’t call it «Tiny» just to be cute. It really is tiny! It’s quite lovely :)

Really yummy! (I think I waited too long to write this review so I can’t recall the details well enough to review on them, but I do recall really enjoying everything we ordered. I guess that just means I need to try it again and update my review later!)

This place was such a disappointment. I ordered a cup of Tum Yum Soup. I was delivered something completely different, the soup had carrots, broccoli and cauliflower in it. Last time I checked these ingredients do not go in this traditional soup. On a positive note the broth had a nice flavor. I then had the duck curry. The sauce was a one note of sweet and the duck was really no where to be found. I found 3 pieces of skin and 4 small pieces of duck which was primarily fat. The «Jasmine» rice was over cooked and was missing the Jasmine side of things… An absolute fail in my book.

As far as I am concerned, adorning the walls with artifacts and knick-​knacks may not be sufficient to replicate an authentic atmosphere. Fortuitously, Tiny Thai by setting sidewalk tables have unwittingly created a priceless aura of authenticity probably unbeknownst to the owners. The din and dust from the traffic, the sweaty and uncomfortable 90 °F heat outside and the pesky flies persistently hovering over the food are perfect portrayals of how things are in Thailand!
The name says it all. Tiny Thai is unabashedly tiny and the interior felt claustrophobic. The dining room was so crammed that my elbows and tokus can easily fall off the rickety tables and chairs!
TT is best described as a warm casual neighborhood eatery that offers decent home style Thai cooking. Don’t expect any gourmet creations or elaborate presentations. Don’t even expect out-​of-​the-​ordinary dishes other than the usual suspects. I wondered whether the cook had a sweet tooth but that wasn’t really the problem. The sweetness was the result of market demands. Most patrons perceive Thai food as sweet. The sweetness was a little over the top as otherwise the food had reasonably good flavors. The spice level too was toned down and not as fiery as Thai food is usually thought of.
I was surprised TT carried some interesting entrees. We ordered Angel Wings ($ 7.95), which were quite a rare find and a Thai delicacy. The chicken wing tips and joints are basically skin and bones with very little meat. The Thais have very cleverly elevated these under-​appreciated winglets to a new level by deboning them and stuffing them with ground meat (possibly pork?), silver noodles, carrots and celery and frying them to a golden brown. The skin left a crispy and fragrant layer that was scrumptious. The sweet and sour dipping sauce that came with it was unfortunately dull and uninspiring. (⁴⁄₅)
Instead of the usual multi-​colored curries, we tried Mussamun Curry ($ 11.99) with prawns for $ 3 extra. History has it that this curry has Muslim roots and pork is usually not an option. Spices to make the curry are a unique mix from Muslim traders and local Thai ingredients. Believe me the curry was thick, rich and full of coconut-​y flavor. The sauce however was overly sweet and the alert server came to our rescue with a jar of Prik-​Nam-​Pla (fresh chili with fish sauce). By adding this magic sauce to the curry, we were able to strike a happy medium by reducing the sweetness and pumping up the heat! (⁴⁄₅)
From my vantage point, I can see the kitchen was cooking sans wok. Had I notice this earlier, I may have ordered differently as the next dishes required an extremely hot wok to get the best stir-​fry fragrance and taste. The first one was akin to a Chinese Eggplant stir-​fry with black bean sauce ($ 9.99). What separated the two was the heavy usage of basil and garlic in Thai cooking. Chicken was the chosen meat (meh!) with green peas and carrots thrown in for good measure (³⁄₅). The last dish was Crab fried rice ($ 11.99), which was different from the Chinese version. Thai uses jasmine rice, soy, sugar and the all-​important fish sauce. The fried rice was platted like a Christmas tree and garnished with cucumber slices. The not-​so-​fresh snow crabmeat had put a damper on the otherwise tasty fried rice. (³⁄₅)
Overall, this is a tiny restaurant with giant potentials. It only takes like 20 people to jam the place. With two ladies that worked the kitchen plus a server, it seemed adequate even when there is a full house. This is a no frills joint with American sensibilities but authentic flavors.

I have to admit… I thought this was going to be a washed out, American Thai place due to the name. Then I walked in and got the joke. This place is literally TINY… Although they have a lovely outdoor seating area on the sidewalk of downtown cotati.
I highly recommend getting the lunch special because it will give you a taste of their chicken curry (they let me sub tofu for the chix), pad Thai, a little spring roll and jasmine rice (sub brown rice for an extra $ 1). Everything was bomb! Tiny Thai is BIG on awesome, authentic flavors and my «7 spicy» was just right. I’m way more of a drunken noodles girl than a pad Thai girl but this pad Thai was some of the best I’ve ever had.
Because I’m a totally fat kid, I also got an order of the «golden crab» appetizer (AKA golden triangle or crab puffs). Best decision ever. These were hands down the best I’ve ever had. Fried to perfection and super creamy inside yet still a good amount of crab.
Reasonably priced, I think the lunch special was $ 8 and the crab deliciousness was $ 7.50. Very sweet waitress and the food came out fast.
I’ll be back Tiny Thai! … Can’t wait to try your drunken noodles!

Very sweet server and the most incredible Thai food that I have ever tasted…
Came on the spare of a moment and soooo happy that we did…

What I ate: Pumpkin curry, pad Thai, Thai iced tea
Visit date: September 7, 2014
First time? Yes.
Tiny Thai gets it’s name from, well, being tiny, really tiny. But this tiny restaurant gets lots of attention with a packed house and to-​go orders being placed at the peak of dinner time. You’d think one server was enough for the place, but the one server was also playing hostess so sometimes it took a while to get a question in, or that bill. But on to the food…
The pumpkin curry was runny, but the vegetables were tender. The pad Thai was ketchupy (not a good thing) and had soft (ahem, over cooked) noodles, but I did appreciate the char on the egg crêpe. Honestly, my favorite part of the experience were in the presentation details — the rice came shaped like a heart and the Thai iced tea straw had a straw wrapper folded into an origami flower. Too cute.

Tiny Thai is one of those small town quaint small (almost hole-​in-​the-​wall) but homestyle cooking type of places. Each dish is made consistently and to order. If you say spicy, know that the spice is often a creeper and won’t seem that spicy at first. I always ask for their hot sauce too if I think I may want to amp it up.
My favorites include the Fresh Rolls, the curries, the soups, the drunken noodles, pad Thai, and my ultimate favorite is the shrimp (cucumber) salad. I always ask for the salad spicy and all the flavors of citrus, mint, basil, and lemongrass still shine through. They will ask YOU if you want it spicy and that choice is yours.
I once tried the stuffed chicken and it is a must! I was so knocked off my feet! So weird and unexpected! If you want something different and love chicken, this may be a good one for you! Kind of reminiscent of how much I like paper/​foil wrapped chicken in Chinese restaurants but with Thai flavors but you get all that nummy crispy skin too! And it looks like an actual unadulterated chicken leg!
The fresh rolls have been my favorite of late as I love the peanut sauce and all the veggies. The addition of julienned beats are surprising and divine. Even if you’re not a vegan or a vegetarian these are also a must try, you’ll be surprised. It’s like a mini flavorful thai salad in a wrapper!
The pineapple fried rice and the baby ribs were mind blowing too! The ribs are so tender, and then … get this, they put some kind of coating on them and lightly fry them. Probably deep fry, but who cares when they’re this good? And trust my advice with how good they are with this unique twist, I win rib competitions for a living!
I’m a sucker for authentic deep fresh layers of flavors and always love the addition of coconut, mango, and pineapple. So this place is a favorite treat. It gets a little expensive sometimes, so I don’t go as much as I’d like … but it’s worth it every time. And it’s totally made me like a kid in a candy store when ordering since my bank’s ATM is literally right next door. Okay, two doors down — but you get it.
The next time you want Thai food like your long lost Thai mother would have made you (come on imagine with me) I suggest you check out your typical Thai favorite dish here. They even do phenomenal roast duck specials.