When walking down the streets in the West Village, its so easy to walk right by this little inexpensive hidden Thai gem because of its small stature. Don’t be fooled by its subdued exterior this place is bursting with bold traditional Thai flavor and spices. It’s tiny and super dark and there aren’t many seats so you can always go the take out option if this place is full. They do have about 13 small tables, banquette seating on one side, and a teensy tiny full liquor bar right at the restaurant entrance.
When we say this may be the best deal in New York, we’re not playing around. If you go there for lunch they offer a fresh delicious 3 course meal for 8 bucks. Yup, we said 8 bucks. They also offer a sunset menu for 15 bucks, which is one appetizer, one entrée, plus a drink. Where in New York City can you get that deal? The lunch deal includes a green salad with a lime vinaigrette, then you can choose from about 6 appetizers, my favorite of which is the Thai papaya salad. After your appetizer, you then get to select your main course. They have noodle dishes, curry dishes, and basil and garlic sauce dishes you can throw any of their protein options into at no extra charge (you can pick from chicken, beef, shrimp or organic tofu.). The crowd pleaser of entrees seems to be the PCU noodles, though. This dish is a rice noodle with a light and dark soy sauce and bok choy. It’s pretty unbelievable. Any protein you add to these dishes are antibiotic free, hormone free and grass fed (how can they do this for $8?!). Whatever the case may be, its delicious and so budget friendly. Speaking of budget, this place is so inexpensive that you can splurge on a drink or a Thai iced tea. The presentation of the Thai iced tea is pretty Thai-riffic! It’s not your average tea in a glass, its a special iced tea mixed with condensed milk and simple syrup. They bring it to your table and let you do the mixing yourself. So right and oh so wrong.
This is one of the best deals we’ve found in New York and it’s totally worth the stop. They don’t take reservations and the attire is super casual. You will probably spend more on the taxi getting to the restaurant then you will on the actual meal. Get on over to Pinto, have a fantastic meal and save some serious cash along the way.
Hi! I’m Davina and I have an unquenchable passion for all things food, drink and real estate! I love practical jokes, coffee and my two pups. Follow me on instagram!
