Is there parking nearby?

Yeah, street parking is plentiful around the spot in Pacific Beach—no paid lot, just find a spot on Cass St or nearby blocks. It's pretty easy unless you're hitting it during peak dinner hours on weekends.

Do I need a reservation or can I just walk in?

They take reservations and definitely recommend it for dinner, especially weekends. Walk-ins work fine for lunch and quieter weeknights, but you might wait 15-20 minutes on busier evenings.

What should I order first?

The Pad Kee Mao (drunken noodles) and Khao Soi are solid bets if you want authentic flavors—just note portions on some dishes run lean, so go in hungry or order extra. Skip the Tom Kha soup if you want bold flavor; it leans mild.

Is this place good for kids?

Totally kid-friendly—it's a neighborhood staple that families love. Fair warning: indoor seating is tight, so if you've got a crew, aim for the outdoor patio where there's more breathing room.

What about vegetarian options?

They've got solid vegetarian choices on the menu, and the kitchen will work with you on modifications. Just be clear about what you want since some dishes come meat-heavy by default.

When's the best time to go to avoid a wait?

Lunch and early weeknights are your sweet spot for a quick bite with minimal fuss. Hit it after 6 p.m. on Friday or Saturday and you're looking at a wait unless you called ahead.

Dogs are welcome on the outdoor patio, which is a solid spot for a casual meal with your pup. Just grab a seat outside and you're good.

Hot or Not Thai — Thai in Pacific Beach, San Diego

“Hot or Not Thai is the only place in PB where you can get proper Khao Soi without leaving the boardwalk orbit.”

While the rest of Pacific Beach centers its food identity around fish tacos, birria, and post-surf burgers, Hot or Not Thai commits to the northern Thai playbook — specifically the kind of curried, coconut-rich dishes you'd find in Chiang Mai, not the Americanized pad thai assembly line that defines most beach-town Thai spots. The **Khao Soi** is the anchor here: egg noodles in a turmeric-laced coconut curry broth, topped with crispy fried noodles and served with lime and pickled mustard greens on the side. It's the dish regulars order on repeat, and the one that keeps this low-key Cass Street corner spot in rotation for locals who've burned out on the Garnet Avenue bar circuit.

The **Pad Kee Mao** (drunken noodles) gets consistent praise for actually delivering heat when you ask for it, and the kitchen uses Chinese broccoli instead of the usual American broccoli stand-in — a detail that matters if you've had the dish done right elsewhere. The **Tom Kha** soup shows up in reviews as solid but not transcendent; some regulars wish for more depth, but it's still a reliable order on a casual weeknight when you want something warm and coconut-forward without committing to a full curry.

Expectations should be calibrated: portions can feel light for the price, especially on protein-heavy dishes like the beef drunken noodles, and consistency wavers depending on the day. But the kitchen uses quality ingredients, and the flavors skew closer to what you'd actually find in Thailand than the sugar-bomb pad thai most American Thai spots default to. Street parking is easy, and the indoor-outdoor setup works for quick lunches or low-key dinners when you want something other than the usual PB rotation.