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Last Updated: March 2024
Current Status:
Beau Thai does a good, and reliably good take on Thai. You are lucky if they are in your neighborhood, and if not it might justify a swing out of the way to get some on the ride home. There are two locations, one in Shaw and one in Mt. Pleasant, with both having a continuous stream of delivery drivers coming through.
Started by Aschara Vigsittaboot, the sister of Taw Vigsittaboot of the now-closed, long-beloved Thai X-ing, with investor-partners Ralph Brabham and Drew Porterfield. The dishes are a pretty familiar list of Thai favorites, built on family recipes and using fresh ingredients. Easily spotted are pad Thai, larb gai, chicken satay, and massaman curry, along with dumplings, spring rolls, and noodle bowls. The larb gai of warm chicken over greens has a background spice that builds as you feast. Udom’s curry is a bit sweet with fruit (Tamarind? Tomato?) woven into the sauce. It is named after Vigsittaboot’s mother and derivative of panang curry. The shrimp in garlic has big chunks of ginger in the mix. In fact, while the flavors are often balanced, the kitchen seems to like having large pieces of vegetables or meats or other ingredients as a technique. The house specialty chicken dish is a crisply fried assembly of meat pieces and green beans.
A handful of local beers are on tap, plus cans and bottles. The wine list has a few each of red, rose, and white and includes a left-field choice from time-to-time from owner Porterfield. The bar is well-stocked and N/A version available.
The interlocking family connections are numerous, Aschara’s brother-in-law, Pranote Thongpanchong, was a co-founder of Rice, where she got her start as a server. And there were family connections to the recently closed BKK. Beau Thai’s community links go beyond being a local favorite. Philanthropy is core to the mission. Brabham and Porterfield also are behind the great cocktail bar Jane Jane on 14th Street.
Other Guidance: Both locations are located at street level. GF and Vegetarians can do well, with GF, V and nuts marked on the menu.
Summary:
Cuisine: Thai
Locations:
Shaw: 1550 7th St NW A, Washington, DC 20001
Reservations: Resy
Mt. Pleasant: 3162 Mt Pleasant St NW, Washington, DC 20010
Reservations: Resy
Website: https://www.beauthaidc.com/
Other Critics/Voices:
Washington Post: Tom’s list of excellent take-out spots March 2020. Positive First Bite 2013 for Mt. Pleasant.
Washingtonian: Reader favorite for Thai 2017. Also made the early list for pandemic delivery here. (We had no idea what was coming: “So if you find yourself in self-quarantine (or just feel like hanging out on the couch), here are our food team’s personal favorite DC-area delivery options.”)
Washington City Paper: It is a consistent podium finisher of the readers’ poll.