In Covington, finding authentic Thai food is easy. Finding a spot where the pad thai tastes like Bangkok and the atmosphere makes you forget you’re in Louisiana? That’s the real challenge. After months of taste-testing curries and questioning servers about spice levels, we’ve discovered the places that deliver both. Here are the 10 restaurants that actually get it right.
Pad Thai
$ | (985) 845-1888 | WEBSITE
At the end of the day, Thai food always satisfies. And when you need a place with flavors that will keep everyone at the table happy, Pad Thai is your spot. The small space right on Highway 22 can admittedly become crowded on weekends, but weeknights are far more relaxed (and you can actually get a table). Dishes aren’t cheap, but no one cares because the pad thai is perfectly balanced and the fried rice does that thing where it hits every craving for like the entire meal.
Don’t be tempted to skip the pad see ew – it’s the standout dish everyone recommends.
Rakong Thai restaurant
$ | (985) 888-1417 | WEBSITE
Rakong Thai Restaurant opened as a casual neighborhood spot in Covington and has quickly morphed into the de facto lunchtime takeout destination for everyone who works nearby. This isn’t where you go to impress someone with your restaurant-finding skills – this is where you go after a long morning of mediocre meetings to pick up the reliably excellent Pad Thai with Steamed Tofu that’s only there for the generous portions and great prices.
Baan Thai – Sala Thai Covington
$ | (985) 377-3154 | WEBSITE
Baan Thai – Sala Thai Covington is the most authentic Thai restaurant in Covington. Visit any day of the week and you’ll find a very welcoming dining room full of very happy families actually eating all of the food that’s in front of them. But if you use Baan Thai to grab some pad thai on a Tuesday and enjoy friendly conversation with the owner who knows you’ll be coming back for the same noodles in three weeks, then you’ll walk away satisfied enough.
If you do get adventurous, the Chiang Mai noodles are excellent and don’t have any dairy in them. We promise.
Ploy’s Kitchen Thai Cafe
$ | (985) 778-0627 | WEBSITE
If you haven’t heard about Ploy’s Kitchen Thai Cafe by now, you probably shouldn’t have moved to Covington in the first place. This beloved spot has pretty much been the epicenter of all things delicious Thai food since it opened, and its takeout counter is a full-on flavor convention. The food is amazing and the egg rolls are as addictive as the crab Rangoon you’re ordering right now, but it doesn’t matter. That’s steaming hot Drunken Noodles right over there and that tastes good.
Green Leaf
$ | (985) 900-2282 | WEBSITE
We can’t endorse the food here, but this very cozy and very authentic Thai spot in Covington is exactly where you want to be eating with that one friend from your cooking class who keeps mentioning she wants to introduce you to her favorite dishes. The chicken panang is excellent (get the sweet black pepper chicken) and the dining area is one of the warmest in town.
It’s also spacious enough that you and her (and hopefully her appetite) can have some peace and quiet amongst the consistent excellence that surrounds you.
The Charm Thai Bistro
$ | (985) 327-5286 | WEBSITE
Is this unassuming spot in a Covington strip center entirely basic, completely simple, and a straightforward dining experience from start to finish? Yes. But it’s also full of genuinely fresh Thai flavors and you didn’t come all the way to Louisiana to settle for mediocre takeout. The Pad Thai—which they’ll gladly make spicier if you ask—arrives perfectly balanced, while the spring rolls and dumplings showcase that standout peanut sauce everyone raves about.
Red Curry and green curry deliver exactly what you want, and the mango sticky rice finishes things on a sweet note. Service stays attentive and friendly throughout, even when the HVAC system occasionally reminds you it exists. At around $15-20 per entree, it’s reasonably priced for food this consistently delicious. The clean, quiet space—no TVs blaring—makes it ideal for date nights or catching up with friends.
So while the atmosphere won’t win any design awards, the kitchen absolutely earns its praise.
Full Moon Bar and Grill / Thai Chili
$$ | (985) 234-9515 | WEBSITE
If you spend any time in Covington, you’ve heard of Full Moon Bar and Grill, the Thai spot of choice for almost every local food lover. So when your cousin’s old college friend/current food blogger finally visits from out of town, this is where you’ll take them.
It feels a bit more like a backyard barbecue than a restaurant out here (that massive buffet spread is definitely calling your name), and the Thai buffet is generous enough to ease your mind that you’re treating someone to the best crawfish and crab legs around.
Red Apple Restaurant
$ | (985) 626-3373 | WEBSITE
Red Apple Restaurant is one of the more convenient spots in Covington, and it’s filled with people who like to talk about their lunch specials. That might be predictable, but it also means there are plenty of regulars looking for their next favorite dish, so go take advantage of the $8.99 lunch combo while you wait for that steaming plate of Chicken Lo Mein to come out to you.
Thai Spice
$ | (985) 888-1035 | WEBSITE
Thai Spice is one of those rare places you could take your family for a relaxed dinner, meet a friend for lunch specials, or have a casual business lunch with a colleague who’s visiting the north shore and wants to try authentic Thai. This restaurant’s sole purpose in life is to provide a space for people to enjoy exceptional cuisine in a relaxing atmosphere. With flavorful dishes, attentive service, and vegetarian options for when you need something versatile, it delivers.
Thai Pepper
$ | (985) 674-8588 | WEBSITE
Thai Pepper is a Covington staple, where you go with your family every time someone casually suggests grabbing takeout on a busy weeknight. The family-owned restaurant is filled with loyal regulars picking up their usual orders, but welcome to real Thai comfort food. We usually recommend the veggie or chicken pad Thai, but DO NOT SHARE THE STUFFED CHICKEN WINGS WITH ANYONE WHO WON’T APPRECIATE THEM.