One of St. Pete’s most loved spots for authentic Thai cuisine is finally opening its doors back up after two years of being to-go only. Thai Am, located at 6040 4th Street North, is celebrating its Grand Re-Opening, as the dining room will officially be back open beginning Saturday, October 29.

After covid shut down all in-person dining in March of 2020, Thai Am remained delivery and to-go only. The popular Thai restaurant maintained steady business over the last two years in that format, but ownership has been anxiously awaiting the day when they were staffed and prepared to welcome guests back into the restaurant. After all, the flaming chicken (see below) is a dish best served in person.

Thai Am will be open seven days a week, with both lunch and dinner service. Lunch is available Monday-Friday from 11:30 am – 2:30 pm. Dinner is available Sunday-Thursday from 5-9 pm, and Friday-Saturday from 5-10 pm.

“The pandemic has affected Thai Am in many aspects,” the announcement said. “Finally we have recovered and replenished ourselves … and looking forward to having you again in our dining room.”

Thai Am is a St. Pete staple

A 4th Street favorite for over 20 years, Thai Am is home to some of St. Pete’s best and most creative Thai noodles, soups, salads and specialty dishes. The owner and head chef – both natives of Thailand – have put together one of the most expansive Thai menus in the city featuring tons of traditional Thai classics, as well as wickedly delicious twists on authentic recipes.

Open for lunch and dinner, Thai Am’s menu features more than 50 different appetizers, bowls, main courses, sides and desserts, as well as traditional iced Thai teas and coffee. 

As for the favorites on the menu, Thai Am makes a gluten-free pad Thai as good as any noodle plate around (get it Thai hot if you’re feeling dangerous), while the creamy and tangy tom kha shrimp soup is the perfect pairing for any spicy main course. The extensive list of duck dishes is divine, and the new yum crispy duck salad is a light, bright and crunchy adventure all its own. 

Finish the meal off with a traditional plate of fresh mango and sweet sticky rice with coconut drizzled on top and you’re in the best Thai-induced coma this side of the Pacific.

Thai Am excels with creative takes on Thai classics

However, while Thai Am does a phenomenal job with the classics, it’s in the inventive and borderline outlandish dishes that adventurous eaters will discover their true culinary bliss. The unexpected spicy Thai-style salmon and seafood red curry will take diners by surprise with their big flavor, but the stars are still to come.

On an appetizer list with nearly 20 options ranging from mini egg rolls, Thai beef jerky and fried eggplant to krab Rangoon, curry puffs delectable pot stickers, there’s plenty to choose from. But the big draw here is a Thai Am specialty – stuffed chicken wings.

Massive chicken wings are stuffed with cheese, spices and vegetables then wrapped in tempura batter and deep-fried whole, creating a wing experience like none other. Dip it in some chili sauce or just dive right in for hot, juicy goodness.

‘Chicken on Fire’ offers one of St. Pete’s tastiest dishes

When it comes to the entrees, there is a wealth of options between all of Thai Am’s stir fry dishes, noodle bowls, fried rice platters and Thai curries. But the main event here, the dish delivering the biggest flavor is “gai fai,” also known as Chicken on Fire.

A fried chicken breast filet is covered in a spicy Thai chili sauce and laid on a bed of fresh vegetables, before then getting its final touch. A cup full of whiskey is lit on fire and poured on top of the chicken, sending real flames flicking across the chicken and adding even more fire to the flavor. The result is one of the most flavorful forms of chicken and veggies around, a spicy, crunchy and savory delight.

Open seven days a week and featuring a menu big enough to get daily diners through an entire month, Thai Am is one of St. Pete’s oldest Thai restaurants, and to this day it remains one of its best, as well. Located at 6040 4th Street North, Thai Am celebrates its Grand Re-Opening beginning Saturday, October 29.

This article was produced in partnership with Thai Am.