Review Thai Herbs - Essendon

Their website says 9pm. Very rude staff refused to take an order at 8:03pm on a Saturday night. Long time customer. Will never return. Food has been average and expensive for the quality and stingy serving sizes. Shame they don’t value loyal local clientele. Many years ago this place was great. Try the one down the hill instead. Edit… I appreciate the reply and understand staffing issues. However on my way to your competition that night I walked past your restaurant to see one table with only two customers eating and 2 staff members standing behind the counter. Just tell the truth and say you closed the kitchen for an early night. I wish I was told that over the phone instead of the rude refusal after years of local support.

Thank you, for our team dinner tonight. My google search and all of your outstanding reviews led me to your restaurant tonight. I’m so glad I found you. The food was absolutely delicious! But most of all, your team of staff were kind and attentive. Thank you! You made our night together amazing!

So happy we chose this place for our Saturday night take out. Me and my partner ordered Pad Thai, Green chicken curry and a few entrees and everything was so delicious. Will definitely be coming back.

Delicious Thai food with a good selection of authentic Thai cuisine. Try the fluffy Jasmine rice with Massaman curry beef and Pad Thai pork. Lovely to accompany with vegetable spring rolls and roti bread. Parking is available out front, although Buckley Street can be rather busy so the side streets provides some parking availability. During COVID times pick up of take away is available, but you will have to pickup yourself. No home delivery available, but you can ring your order through prior to collecting.

Visited twice, once dine-in and then take away. It's fine, without being fantastic. Curries, stir-fry dishes and noodles all OK without being "wow". Pretty cramped when dining in, but good service. Still on the hunt for a great Thai local.

1st visit takeaway and i was impressed with the taste of every dish👌🏼I'll be back! Only 4 stars because I thought there could have been more meat in the curry dish.

totally like the food here which taste fine and delish. the entrée taste real great

Best Thai food in Melbourne!!! Such incredible flavour and perfectly cooked. Love this place!!

Food was beautiful, lovely amd warm venue, great service and very clean

One of the best Thai restaurant in Melbourne. Highly recommended

Visited twice, once dine-in and then take away. It's fine, without being fantastic. Curries, stir-fry dishes and noodles all OK without being "wow". Pretty cramped when dining in, but good service. Still on the hunt for a great Thai local.

Ordered in some take away and I am so happy that I have finally had a chance to try Thai Herbs.  We ordered the fish cakes, green curry, pad thai and steamed rice.<br/><br/>The service was great and the food was really delicious, the green curry did taste a little on the sweet side but still enjoyable.<br/><br/>Worth a try and I am keen to order some other items of the menu next time.  Sorry no pics, we jumped in straight away! haha

Tried lots of Thai restaurants in the area, Thai Herbs is by far the best I have eaten. Stir fry beef with cashew nuts is magnificent and their satay sauce is to die for

This is our favourite Thai place and worth the drive. The roti bread with peanut satay sauce is delicious, roti is always crispy. Coconut rice and red curry are our favourites. This restaurant has changed management a couple of times over the years and there has been a decrease in serving size which is a little disappointing given the price of meals.

Not entirely the worst thai food I've ever eaten however, food was extremely standard and the overall ambiance of the place did not reflect the price of the dishes. It has come to my attention that in previous posts, the prices of the menu was significantly cheaper and if I was paying that price, I would change my rating as well. <br/>I came here with group of 8 adults and it was extremely cramped to the point where it was quite uncomfortable. We were basically sitting elbow to elbow and I was eating on the crack between two tables. The cutlery has seen better days and really needs to be updated along with the decor. I'm assuming they're trying to replicate an authentic thai restaurant experience, but it really comes off tacky and cheap. If they were trying to replicate how cramped it would be eating in a busy hawker food-court style environment, they have achieved it. <br/>Now to the food. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great. It was meh. We ordered basically all the different types of curry they had, red, yellow and panang. The Panang curry which is meant to be spicy was completely not spicy. I'm not a huge fan of spice and opted for the red curry thinking it would be milder than the panang and they both basically had the same spice level. The taste was good but it could've been a lot better. <br/>I specifically had the Grilled scallops. Would not recommend at all. I had 6 scallops that didn't seem fresh and cooked sub-par. 6 scallops with a bunch of vegetables and sauce was not worth the price listed in the menu.  The entrees were even more disappointing with tiny spring rolls that were reminiscent of the store bought kind. I've been to many asian restaurants but charging 6-8$ (The prices are different in the menu posted) is obscene. It wasn't a huge bowl and ordering two was not sufficient for 8 adults so ~$20 is just on plain rice. Don't let the photos fool you, although the curry is served in a bowl, it's a small serving fit for one person not shared. ~$20 for a curry WITHOUT rice. <br/> Overall, the food is ok. the staff were friendly but not attentive enough, and the atmosphere and decor of the place is lacking and lastly, the price is ridiculous for the quality of food. Would not recommend coming here, there are far better thai restaurants with better food and cheaper prices.

Note: they have drastically increased the price since the photos on this site were uploaded. (33% increase for my dish)<br/><br/>So entering this place my first thought was that it was very cramped. Tables were too close to other, people sitting back to back had to squeeze in and the chairs would still be touching. Which made it very difficult to get out of the long row. Aside from that we were also cramped on our own table as we were placed 4 people to a side on 3 tables that were meant for one person a side. So I was a bit cramped throughout dinner.<br/>The first thing that struck me was the price, $20 was about the average price for a main here. I had thought that it was the share style of mains, but no it was actually just a single serve. So it was on the very pricey side especially considering rice needed to be purchased separetely for an additional $4 and more than one serve of rice was necessary. Entrees were also on the pricey side, $8 for 4 small pieces of satay chicken/spring rolls/etc.. The entrees were nothing special and nowhere near worth how much charged.<br/><br/>I ordered the Gang Panang but also tried several of the other dishes. The food itself was decently tasting but fairly plain. The dishes barely had any spice at all which is pretty disappointing for thai food. As for my dish I would have preferred a stronger flavour, it was very mellow, not much lime or basil. It definetly could have done with some kick and stronger flavours. I was also disappointed at the lack of ingredients in it, it contained a disappointing amount of chicken and the only vegetable was some capsicum. There could have been a lot more vegetables added to make it more filling and the curry condensed more instead of just having it very soupy as I found I was just filling up on all the rice I had to eat to soak up the curry.<br/><br/>All in all, the food was nice, I am being a bit harsh because the quality of food and venue just doesn't match the amount of money that is being charged. For the same amount of money you can get better quality and/or more quantity in most other places.

Great Thai food. Got a takeaway pad Thai and pad see ew. Pad see ew was definitely a winner. Both meals were really nice and just what you want. Only knock is the price, roughly $17 I think.

Very tasty and fresh food. Green curry was delicious. My only criticism would be the service. Staff were VERY unfriendly and almost seemed bothered by your presence. They also do not include GST on the menu which is highly unusual in Melbourne. The price on the menu should be the price. So just keep that in mind. If the service was better this could be a 5 star review.

We live pretty close to Thai Herbs and have been meaning to try it. We have a couple of Thai places nearby and want to try them all. The restaurant itself is quite small and cosy and there were only a few other diners there.<br/><br/>We started off with some Roti bread and peanut sauce which was fantastic, a side of Goong Hom Pah (marinated king prawns in spring roll pastry) which were also tasty, lacking a little more flavour in the marinade though. The Pad See Ew was great and the Pad Prigpaow was good but after having the Pad Prik Pao at Little Thai Kitchen on the same road our standards were pretty high as that was one of the tastiest beef dishes I've ever eaten. We shared a side of Jasmine rice as well. Overall everything was pretty great with no complaints and our bill only came to $57 and we left very full. I'd happily go again and I definitely want to give some of their other dishes a try.

We got takeaway from here once and have made it our go to Thai restaurant!! Everything I have tried so far has been absolutely delicious and the portions are big enough that you will end up with left overs which is always a plus!!

Good Thai in Essendon. Better than most around.<br/>Generous flavours and not over complicated.<br/>Have been equally impressed with dine in or take away.<br/>If you haven't visited and you like good Thai you won't be disappointed.

Finally got around to trying Thai herb and now I see why it's always so busy. Food here is delicious.<br/><br/>Only downside was our order took a long time to come out. May have been forgotten. But the staff were really sorry and did their best to rectify it.<br/><br/>Will go back for sure. Even just to have 5 full serves of the roti! So good.

We normally love Thai Herbs for dinner and takeout. Not sure what's going on. Have the regular chefs taken off for the summer holidays? Food was so disappointing. Might need to go back to some other local Thai places. <br/>

Been here twice in 2 weeks - food is freshly prepared and very tasty & quite reasonably priced. Friendly and welcoming service with a smile 😉

Went here on the way back home from the airport. Chose this place because of the good ratings and wasn't disappointed. It wasn't cheap but the food is delicious!!

Been here many times & I am always satisfied. Consistent in service & quality of food, friendly & attentive staff with a smile. Clean & close to home which is also why I adore this cozy venue..menu is simple but rich in flavour.

Our go to local Thai restaurant for the last 6 years! It's a cozy little place that's not overly expensive and you know you'll always get a good quality delicious dish. The staff are friendly and welcoming! I would definitely recommend the tom chud soup, the gang dang curry and the pad thai! Always enjoy coming here! <br/><br/>EDIT: 1st November 2016. Recent photos added! Still the best little thai place I go too.

Excellent quality food - very consistent food and good service.<br/>Been many times and never disappointed.<br/>Hard to beat in the area. <br/>Family friendly.

For a small, unassuming place across from a highschool in Essendon, it sure brings in a crowd. Probably the best quality Thai in the area. Food is full of flavour and the servings are large. Come on an empty stomach.

Only eat in on occasion, partly because yes the service is pretty dire, but the food is consistently great, so a semi-regular takeaway it is.

Disappointing service. After waiting for 25 minutes, we had to ask to order.

Nice and fresh. Nice quick service and tasty fresh food, what more could you want!?

Favourite thai in the area. One of the best thai restaurants in the area, food is consistently good and will continue to come back here. Really happy with the experience :)

Good food, lacked service. Food was great, service is just really slow. Been waiting 45 minutes for our main and they still havent brought us water to our table. Would only come back if service improved.

Delicious, reasonably priced, authentic Thai.. This restaurant we found by accident, its was the best accident ever.<br/><br/>Thai Herbs is a busy little hub of walk in, take away and booked tables. As quick as a table empties it fills. I recommend booking in advance.<br/><br/>The food is very fresh and true Thai. They don't tone down the spice and use a range of fresh herbs to add flavor, each dish offers Vegetable, Chicken, Beef and Seafood options. Prices range from $10-20 for a main, and under $10 for appetizers and dessert. <br/><br/>Rice is very fresh and not gluggy at all. I recommend you upgrade to coconut rice for the extra $1.<br/><br/>Its BYO Wine, they sell spirits and soft drinks. NOTE: $3 corkage is not advertised but is added for BYO wine. Don't be afraid to ask for your take-away containers to take your left overs home, they're happy to oblige.<br/><br/>The only negatives I can give for this business is I would have turned down the brightness, just a little bit. With 13 lights in this tiny restaurant it is a bit bright - and glass water jugs instead of the cheap plastic, for a more finished feel.

Dont Bother. Not sure what has happened here, had a table of 7 for Feb 9th, they forgot one of the entrees had no idea who ahd ordered what, three people had finsihed there main before the 7th person got their meal, The Pad Thai was dry and tasteless and 3 of the 7 of us had to have a week off work with gastro after the meal.

Consistency?. Excellent Thai food, aromatic flavours. Good value too.<br/>Yet the service was mediocre! No water was offered until we received our main course.<br/>It was inconsistent and obvious that all customers are not treated equally!<br/>We arrived with our bottle of wine in full view, yet only 3/4 of the way through our meal did we get an ice bucket. This because another obviously regular couple came in and they got an ice bucket straight away after a very warm welcome to them!<br/>We paid the same price so why not the same service?

Great value. Ended the trio of dining out over three nights. took sister and my beloved to this restaurant near sister's house. no booking but very very busy. yet they made the effort to find room for us. despite the crowd, food came out quickly, ingredients fresh, EXCELLENT thai food. Well done on food, freshness and price

Fresh food and heaps of options for vegetarians. Unlike most restaurants, know the difference between flavour and spice.. Will be ordering again!

Great local Thai. If you are looking for a local Thai resturant in the Essendon area, Thai Herbs is worth a visit. We Dined there last night (Thursday), the resturant was full of locals and they were doing a roaring takeaway trade. The food was fresh and tasty, service was a little on the slow side but I think was due to fact it was quiet a busy night. We will definitely visit Thai Herbs again :-)

Come here regularly and never disappointed. Always delish! Great local restaurant

Stay away from Yangs. There was a big group of us so we had a large selection of the entrees to start - which were amazing. Bring on main course though, and the gai yang which is the marinated BBQ chicken was very dry and lacked flavour. The nuer yang which is the BBQ rump steak was DRY and salted (think beef jerky). The Yangs I have had at other Thai restaurants have been amazing but this was not nice at all - we couldn't eat it. When asked how our food was, we mentioned the beef. Nothing was said in reply. We asked for the beef to be taken off the bill - we hadn't eaten it! Nothing was said in reply. They were happy to accept our $300 cash for the bill without offering change though. Although other dishes were nice, will not be going back. Bad service, tough to get a drink, and bad Yangs.

Sneakily Delicious. The other week my girlfriend and I thought we would pop past this place. Little did we know of this hidden treasure. The inside is neat, the food is cheap and absolutely amazing. Especially the tamarind prawns! Consumers will not be disappointed!

Love it!!!. Fantastic food 9/10. Been there once and my meal was sensational and service was great. Will be returning very soon. It gets quiet busy in there and is quiet small so something to take into consideration before booking.

Really really nice. Generous serving sizes, fresh ingredients, lovely taste finished off with excellent surroundings and service. No complaints at all. Will come back again.

Authentic Thai. Yum, tasty green prawn curry, with coconut rice! Top that with the awesome salad!<br/>We had also tried out their roti with peanut sauce as an entree. It was so good, that we had to order a second serving.<br/>For a restaurant that is located in such a quiet area, I didn't expect to get such an authentic Thai dining experience, and to be as busy as it did. Service was excellent from start to end. Total price for two, was ~$100, which I think is a lil pricey, given that many other Thai restaurants in the city offer cheaper dishes with equal authenticity and quality. However since there are not many Thai restaurants around the area, price is ok for the good quality Thai dishes served. Would recommend if you're around the area and don't want to travel into the city.

Authentic and tasty. Thai Herbs is our favourite family Melbourne thai restaurant. Authentic, freshly cooked, tasty and reasonably priced food is served every time with a smile. My husband recently celebrated his birthday with 25 people at Thai Herbs and the staff could not be commended more, even right down to storing a huge cake in their freezer and allowing me to come in early to decorate the table with balloons etc. Our kids love coming to Thai Herbs and that says everything!!

Food is really yummy. I LOVE their garlic pepper chicken. Its the best thai I've had (alongside one in Niddrie) and i've tried alot of Thai restaurants. Thanks for making such great food Thai Herbs!

Tasty food, not too sugary like some local Thai. Nice coconut rice and curry puffs; good vegan options (the pad krapow spicy noodles with green peppercorns is a great twist on pad Thai). I wish they delivered!

Lovely lovely lovely. May I say this restaurant has been here for years and it never misses a beat. Lovely food friendly welcoming service.

Great local Thai. We have dined here a number of times. The meals are always tasty and the chef adds his/her own touch so it doesnt feel like the Thai you get everywhere else.

We love this place. Never disappoints. Staff are very polite and pleasant and menu great

Slightly disappointed in meals and its presentation. Shop front and service decent. Starter and gang panang ok (nothing exciting) but pad thai extremely plain and boring- no flavour, noodles cut into tiny shreds and only 2pieces of capsicum in sight. Restaurant full of caucasions and no asian at all so it caters to those unfamiliar with good thai food.

Great tasting food, service let's them down sometimes but we keep going back! Tiny restaurant can be noisy.

A little pricey, but always good :)

The food was really delicious, and more importantly, tasted fresh and not oily or greasy. Tasted like something a Thai person would cook at home, instead of a restaurant adding stuff to make it taste better. The food wasn't spicy at all, which was a bit disappointing, but still good. The service was the friendliest I've had in Australia, hands down.

The most sensational thai food in Melbourne!! The staff are so friendly and the food is never disappointing.... Love this place!!

Really good food, with great options for us vegetarians. Nice selection for all.