Esan Thai

Being that Thai food is my favorite cuisine, I’m a bit nitpicky when it comes to thai restaurants. The food here was exactly as the rating suggests, A-​OK.
Decided to grab lunch here on a Saturday afternoon. As I walked in, I was a little hesitant about staying. It wasn’t what I expected at all in terms of ambiance. There wasn’t much to it. A very cramped space and poorly arranged seating.
Service was interesting. The waitress was a sweetheart but not professional at all. It was kind of like a «sit wherever you want and I’ll bring you the menu» type of situation. Granted it wasn’t busy, but better table service would have been appreciated.
Food was pretty good! I ordered the Red Curry. There are two types but I can’t recall the name of the one I ordered. It was the one with more coconut milk. Very creamy but still able to capture all the essential flavors of a good Red Curry. The one thing the curry can improve on is the amount of actual curry. It kind of felt like the chicken and peppers overpowered the curry part. The ratio could have been better. My date got the Pad Thai and it was also pretty good. Very flavorful but a bit too powerful on the peanut taste. I definitely suggest asking for an extra lime with the Pad Thai if you aren’t a huge peanut person.

TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE. I came here with my wife and we both ordered Chicken Pad Thai. We’ve had numerous dishes of Pad Thai, but my wife’s dish was extremely dry with barely any flavor. We asked the waitress for extra sauce, and she brought a small dish of sauce to us that was different from the Pad Thai sauce. We were told if they had to make it again they would charge us for it, so we sent the same dish back to the kitchen for them to add more of the actual Pad Thai sauce. Two minutes later the waitress brought my wife’s dish back and the plate was drowning in sauce. At least five times as much as you would put in a normal dish. It literally looked like we ordered soup. We felt embarrassed and like the cooks sent it back sarcastically. We will not eat here again. It’s a shame because this place could be better if they were more consistent or cared about the customer.

I’ve been here a handful of times now. I’ve brought friends. I’ve brought dates. So far, not one single person has left disappointed.
I’ve been looking for a decent Thai place in Rochester for a while; this is it. The service can be a little… interesting, but not terrible. It’s not enough to deter me from returning.
I’ve had the pad Thai, Pad See Ew, and the green curry. Pad Thai was a little more sweet than I normally like it, but that’s just personal preference. The green curry is AMAZING. I really enjoyed the Pad See Ew. Very flavorful. I would also recommend the Thai iced tea. One of my favorite treats.
Each time I’ve gone, the restaurant is clean. The food comes out quickly, while it’s hot. Nothing irks me more than being served lukewarm food. The wait staff is attentive but not too much so. I highly recommend Esan if you have that craving for Thai but haven’t found anything else that’s quite right yet.
Tips: they can customize spice level for you if you want it less or more spicy, make sure to tell the wait staff ahead of time that you want separate checks if that’s necessary, they take cards but there is a minimum charge requirement

We ate there once and cannot bring ourselves to go back. It has a good address, but the food is rather tasteless and the décor is blah. I suggest removal from Park Ave.

I was told the food would be the spiciest thai food that I’ve ever had. It appears Esan decided «white people spicy» was just throwing a bunch of habanero peppers into the dish and calling it a day. I was told, when I ordered the «6 star spicy» — the spiciest level at Esan — that I might need to be resuscitated. I was given sideways glances, asked «are you sure?» over and over, and I simply sat there, nodding my head, wondering what the hell everyone was freaking out about.
Do they not know the Pinky can handle his spice? Are they amazed that non-Thai’s can handle spice? I am a big spicy pink gorilla, god damnit. Be amazed, Esan! I have conquered your 6 star spice level and didn’t even break a sweat. Quit playing games with my taste buds. I’ve had spicier bananas than this so-​called-​spicy-​beef-​panang.
God damnit.
I was told that I shouldn’t drink my water after eating the spicy food, it was just going to make it worse. My reply?
«Wake me up when it’s spicy.»
Take that, you spice bandits. Yeah. That’s right.
Fine, the panang was good. It was probably spicy for a normal human. I would return. I am not a normal human. WITNESS ME!

i’m a huge fan of their Panang Beef. The curry is just the right mix of flavours. Very nice folks in the kitchen, service is always good. Outside seating during the warmer months is awesome for people watching.

So I have eaten here a million times! I highly highly recommend the spring rolls and pad Thai noodles. So I can honestly say that I really love the food and service! The service is amazing and it is in the perfect location on park Ave! I can honestly say that this is the best Thai food in Rochester! Having eaten at the king and I and other Thai restaurants I I have been most satisfied with esan!

Esan Thai is a solid option in the Park Ave area. I wouldn’t say it reaches ‘best-​I-​ever-​had’ levels of deliciousness, but the food is good. Sometimes the pad thai I’ve had from them is a bit on the dry side, but for the most part, their noodle dishes are tasty. You can’t go wrong with the Thai iced tea, either.
One of the best parts about this place is that it’s rarely very crowded. If you’re looking for a place in the Park Ave area to go on a Friday or Saturday night that won’t be absolutely packed, this is the place to go. Nice outdoor seating too! Food is served quickly and is always steaming hot and fresh– never seems like it was sitting in a warming tray for hours.

Came here with a small group of friends and got a bunch of items to share. Food was decent, but I wasn’t blown away by anything, and probably wouldn’t come here again unless someone else suggested it.
— Thai Iced Tea: Didn’t have that layer of condensed milk to make it look all pretty. Was already completely mixed together when we got it. Still good.
— Beef Panang: By far the best item we ordered. Beef was super tender. Sauce was not spicy at all and tasted great.
— Shrimp Pad Thai: Noodles were good. A little low on the shrimp though.
— Cashew Chicken: Not my favorite. I thought the chicken was dry and a bit off tasting. When it first came, we looked at it and asked ourselves where the cashews were.

This is a great Thai restaurant in the Park Avenue area, and has quickly turned into one of our goto Thai places in the area. The food is great, the venue perfect for an outdoor summer meal, and the service prompt. And if you like your food spicy, ordering it five star will definitely jog your senses and give your taste buds the roller coaster experience they’ve always dared to experience!

This place is usually amazing but I just got take out and it was just awful like someone decided they just didn’t give a shit today. The fried rice was overcooked and didn’t really even seem fried at all besides having onions in it and some soy. The beef and chicken sate combo was cold and the pieces were literally half the size they are every other time. And the peanut sauce was actually just peanut butter this time. Sorry I had to do this but it was really that bad and I never complain about restaurants.

Esan is the best Thai spot in Rochester. Small hole-​in-​the-​wall restaurant with a family atmosphere and food to DIE for. It is always nice to take advantage of the outdoor seating and enjoy Park avenue. Our usual order is veggie spring rolls, chicken pad Thai, and chicken prighkin (spelling?). Esan also has a good wine selection and very inexpensive. Highly recommended.

There aren’t many notable Thai places in Rochester and the location of esan is pretty great if you want Thai in a fun area. I’m pretty picky so I don’t branch out much when getting Thai and stuck with the pad Thai. It was pretty heavy on the sauce and felt a little greasy but overall fine meal. The group I was with got lots of dishes and shared — this is a great place for that. The portions are rather large so everyone ended up full and very satisfied with their meals. I probably won’t return because I’m so picky but I would consider it if you have a big group and a more expanded Thai food pallet.

Solid food, great prices.
We love Thai food, and we have our favorites: Sak’s and Pattaya. We usually don’t feel the need to venture further, but, after drinks at Roux, we wanted to walk the ave and eat outdoors somewhere, and we are kind of tired of most of the places around there. Thought about walking down to Red Fern, but settled for Esan. Glad we did.
We got drunken noodle and spicy tofu, both delicious. I won’t say the drunken noodle beats either of our two old favorite Thai places, but it was solid, flavorful, and very satisfying. The squid was overcooked and a little chewy, but not enough for me to send it back. If I order this again I’ll just get the vegetarian version. The spicy tofu was very clean and light, though spicy and flavorful. We both thoroughly enjoyed the food.
Service was friendly and prompt.
So far, four stars. Then we got the bill. $ 20. That is a very fair price to pay for some really good food in one of the city’s best locations. There’s your fifth star, Esan. Love Park Ave for people watching. We will definitely be back to try other dishes

Went on a Friday around 630p. Just starting to get super busy then. We had the drunken master noodles, Tom yum soup with chicken and coconut green curry veggies with rice. Wow. The soup was amaze. I love wet noodles so those were fabulous and well wet. The coconut curry sauce was spicy and delicious also! Can’t wait to go back and sit outside soon

I was a first timer for lunch today, brought by a friend who said he’s «never had anything here that was less than killer». We both tried the Drunken noodles, I had the beef and he had the chicken. Both were delicious. The server was so nice and accommodating, hinted to us that if we were really hungry we could order from the dinner menu. «Whatever you want we will make for you,» were his exact words.
Affordable, flavorful, fast, and great service. Can’t wait to go back!

I have never had Thai food before going to esan. I went with a friend who had visited Thailand before and wanted authentic Thai food. The food was delicious filled with a ton of flavor. If you like spicy foods this is the place to go. The service was excellent and super quick. The place is a little small and which didn’t bother me. The man that works there is very friendly and nice. This is the only Thai place I’ve been too so I can’t compare with others.

It breaks my heart to drop their rating as they are some of the nicest people around and always make the food differently (read: with fish sauce) when they know it is me.
Sadly, when Greg orders dinner over the phone, I have noticed the food is on the blander side. The owners are hesitant to use fish sauce due to food being sent back in the past. However, from the popularity of Sak’s, I think even the Park Ave crowd is ready for judicious use of the pungent condiment.
I will keep ordering from here and I hope Esan will start making their dishes more potent in general.

It has been years since the last time I dined at Esan and I haven’t missed much. My only attraction is the outdoor seating at a hot spot, on Park Ave, and the papaya salad.
I found the appetizers to be better than the entrees.
APPS:
The fried squid was battered well and crispy. The ketchup mixed sweet and sour dipping sauce was basic, but worked for the dish.
The one-​star spicy papaya salad was not spicy (I knew I should’ve upped it to two!), but the limey, slightly sweet, fresh, light salad was still good.
The beef satay on small skewers were tender and flavored with ginger and served with a side of creamy coconut milk and mayo mixed dipping sauce, slightly sweet from the coconut and cayenne spicy.
ENTREES:
The hell beef looked similar to sesame chicken, without the sesame, and was spicy with a hint of ginger.
The beef drunken noodle dish was a mix of sliced onions, tomatoes, bean sprouts, shredded carrots, stir fried with wide flat rice noodles in a brown sauce.
Both dishes were well cooked (not over/​underdone), but both were too salty to me.
The food is hit or miss and it’s not my first choice for a Thai restaurant., but they’re in a great location, and service and food are fast.

I can’t believe I’ve never written a review of Esan even though the Unilocal app informs me that I’ve checked in there more than thirty times. Hands down, Esan is my favorite Thai restaurant in Rochester and one of my favorites overall anywhere.
I always get the same thing, #32, Masamaun vegetables, with a side of peanut sauce, and I usually also end up getting an extra side of rice to reach that perfect veggie: Masamaun sauce: peanut sauce: rice ratio in every bite. You can order your desired level of spiciness on a scale from 1 – 5. Personally, I prefer the small kick of three since it gives you spice, but doesn’t overwhelm the other flavors. I’ve also ordered Masamaun chicken, but I like the veggie option better because it gives you a greater variety of vegetables.
The staff here at Esan are wonderful and know my order by heart, even if I haven’t been to Esan in a few months. Sometimes I think of getting something else, but, whenever I do, it’s never quite as good as my familar #32. Likewise, I’ve been known to stray and be a bit unfaithful to Esan, but, whenever I do, I am almost invariably disappointed that I don’t get the regular deliciousness, warm smiles, and delicious lemon-​infused water that I get at Esan.
If you’re dining in the warmer months, eating outside makes for some fantastic people watching on Park Ave.