Prik Nam Pla - San Marcos

This is a wonderful local combination of an Asian market and Thai restaurant. I can find my Thai ingredients there at reasonable prices. Don’t expect it to be as large as H-Mart. I enjoy all the Thai dishes they offer; they are very authentic. The crazy fish balls are a must-try. The staff is very friendly and has a great service attitude.

We’ve introduced many friends and family to the Prik Nam Pla, and it’s become a regular request whenever they visit. It’s so popular in our group that within just nine days, my parents wanted us to order it, then a friend stopped by and ordered it a few days later, and finally, my wife’s parents visited the following weekend and requested it too! Today, I went to pick up lunch and inadvertently left my food on the counter (thanks to some caffeine brain fog). John came rushing after me just as I was pulling out of the parking lot to hand me my order. Such wonderful people! Fantastic food! Plus, the market has an incredible selection of hard-to-find food items!

The food here is excellent, with a great selection of fresh ingredients. My only concern is that I enjoy my Thai food quite spicy, and their cooking style doesn’t quite cater to that. However, their Tom Yum soup is a must-try—absolutely delicious! Additionally, they have a small mini-mart inside that offers a fantastic variety of both food and non-food items. You can find everything from teas and soups to sauces, noodles, and seaweed wraps. They also have some really stylish shirts and comfortable summer pants available. I highly recommend browsing while you wait!

Pretty good Thai food! Pictured is the pad prik gaeng (left) and shrimp basil fried rice. Both excellent. We've also had pad Thai, Tom kha soup, and pad woon sen. As an aside the way the market selection is surprisingly robust for the size. The times I've gone in for select Asian ingredients they've had it including dried shitake, kelp, and golden mountain sauce.

This is the best Thai food in San Marcos! Be sure to try the Pad Thai or the green curry with chicken. They also have a charming little shop filled with goodies. I absolutely love the sesame salad dressing, the chewy octopus snacks, and the packaged soups. The food is fantastic! I've returned many times.