Spices Thai Café

Spices Thai Café has three locations in San Diego: Carmel Valley, Rancho Bernardo, and Mira Mesa. All offer a delicious meal at an affordable price. Entrees are very large and cost around $10. Appetizers and dessert are usually $5-7. They also have lunch specials that serve a soup, entrée, and drink for a very affordable price.

The décor in the Mira Mesa location is a little more polished: The walls are painted in pleasing natural tones, there are display cases with some beautiful artworks and crafts from Thailand, and there are several large statues of deities. In Carmel Valley, the inside has no special qualities. There are flowers on the tables and table clothes, and some painting, but the overall appearance is pretty blasé. They do have outdoor dining, particularly nice for a lunch when the sun is shining.

However, I don’t recommend Spices for the ambiance, I recommend it for the food. For the past three years I have considered Spices to be the best Thai restaurant in San Diego, and this was in large part because of their fresh spring rolls and peanut sauce. The peanut sauce comes warmed, and the spring rolls are made fresh with carrots, lettuce, sprouts, tofu or shrimp, basil, and mint.

Occasionally there must be someone different in the kitchen because once in a blue moon the carrots will be large cuts instead of shredded, and this is the completely wrong texture. Instead of a light, puff of deliciousness coated in peanut sauce, you have to crunch into a giant chunk of dense carrot. On top of that the large slice of carrot will cut the rice paper wrapping, causing the whole thing to fall apart in your hands. It is disappointing when this happens, but I can only remember one time when I had this experience.

The spring rolls are a must order, regardless of the slight risk of poorly cut carrots. Other favorites include their soups and noodle bowls. In particular I recommend the Yen Ta Fo noodles, a steaming bowl of spicy, thick tomato broth with a heaping pile of rice noodles, loads of fresh spinach, and large diced vegetables like zucchini, carrot, celery, and baby corn. But be careful when you order. They ask you how spicy you want it, on a scale of one to ten. I personally love spicy food, but I almost always order a “five,” and more often than not it makes my nose run and eyes water. And I enjoy every last drop of the dish.

Spices Thai Café
Mon -Fri 11:00am- 3:00pm
Mon -Fri 5:00pm-10:00pm
Sat -Sun 11:00am-10:00pm

6785 Mira Mesa Blvd. Ste. 143
San Diego, CA 92121
Tel: (858) 552-8845

3810 Valley Centre Dr Suite 903
San Diego, CA 92130
Tel: (858) 259-0889

16441 Bernardo Center Dr.
San Diego, CA 92128
Tel: (858) 674-4665