Go! Sy Thai, located on the ground floor of The Albert, in Capitol Park, this nondescript, express, sayeth go!, version of their more dining forward suburban parent, Sy Thai, is breaking the norm of what thai food has been in the Greater Downtown region.

This little fast casual joint, plastered in Thai movie posters, isn’t necessarily the most traditional of recipes, as they still are catering towards the American market, but what they may lack in pure authenticity they’ve certainly gained in approachability, affordability and flavor.

Thai Peanut |Julién Godman

With an average meal price of $8.00, and some honestly delicious food offerings, it is no surprise that their midtown location was a huge success, and by the looks of it their downtown location, opened in January 2017, is an instant hit too.

Besides their offerings, which notably many are vegan and vegetarian friendly, they’ve situated themselves as a different sort of Thai place then some of their nearby competitors such as Sala Thai in Eastern Market, Bai Mai Thai in Lafayette Park, Orchid Thai and Bangkok Crossing both in Downtown.

Thai Movie Posters |Julién Godman

Trending in Downtown

The first difference is that they are more on-the-go friendly, with most orders being filled for walk-ins in about 10 minutes, plus they have delivery through Grubhub. Added bonus? – No Styrofoam.

Second, they are way more hip, with a design that, though in need of some fine tuning, is much more edgy than all of their competitors, some of which have had the same torn up chairs and gray drop ceilings since they opened.

Third, and this one may sound a little cavalier, there are no greasy menus, no sticky counters and no fingerprints on knobs and windows. They keep it pretty clean, which in all reality is a bigger deal than some would think.

Fourth, they are all about the sauces, they allow substitutions, and they don’t skimp. Another mentionable, they offer brown rice for just a dollar more. A popular favorite is the Thai Peanut, which comes in a rich and creamy peanut sauce accompanied with peapods, baby corn, carrots, broccoli, chestnuts, cabbage, option of a protein, and a dollop of white rice.

In 2013, on the onset of the first Midtown location, owner Cedric Lee, told Huffpost that “its like Sy Thai meets Qdoba” – a rightly estimate at the time, and one that, now five years later, is certainly true.

Sitting downtown, gazing out the big windows, one really gets a sense of that big city feeling, with the many Griswold changes happening year after year – it’s no wonder places like this are bustling with new customers. Next downtown, check out all the wholesome offerings Go! Sy Thai has to offer.