Pinto Thai, Downtown Silver Spring - Closed.

[Gastro888]

FYI

While waiting for my homemade lunch to warm up in the microwave (if you must know, it was HK style fried rice with a steamed entree - chicken wings, shiitake mushrooms, wood ear, lily buds and straw mushrooms in a soy/rice wine au jus ) I stumbled upon a menu for Pinto Thai in Silver Spring.

A fellow co-worker told me they're just remodeled and reopened. Supposedly, they're better than Thai Derm and the prices are extremely reasonable - looking over the menu, there is nothing that costs than $8.95. They have a lunch buffet for $7.25, all you can eat. The owner told my coworker than on Saturdays, the lunch buffet will feature more traditional Thai items.

Pinto Thai

8223 Georgia Ave

Silver Spring, MD 20910

301-585-7200

Lunch: Mon-Sat 11:00-3:00pm

Dinner: Mon-Sat 5:00pm-9:00pm

Closed Sunday

[JeffC]

I have eaten lunch there several times. While not on the level of Ruan Thai, some of the dishes are quite good. And the lunch deals are a steal! You get all you can eat for $7.25. The selection includes tofu-based veg dishes, green curries, red curries, various traditional beef dishes, spring rolls, etc. I think the selection varies each day, with a few staples--the curries--available every day. It's not self-serve, so you really have to stay on top of the guy who serves it to keep the portions managable. I invariably end up with too much food, and have never failed to eat all of it. Most of the dishes are well-spiced, and a few are even fiery.

I'm in Silver Spring a couple days a week around lunch time and it's part of the rotation--Mandalay, La Bamba, Pinto Thai, and Negril. (I like the cheap eats.) Pinto Thai is even more spartan than Ruan Thai--just a few tables, mostly bare walls, and steam tables in the back where you order and pick up your food.

Go ahead and try it. You'll surely find something you like.

[DonRocks]

Pinto Thai is closed, with "For Rent" signs on the window.

[JPW]

Pinto Thai is closed, with "For Rent" signs on the window.

No great loss for the SS lunch crew. In three visits for lunch, I batted about .500 in terms of getting good dishes.