The Original Sab-E-Lee

Back in college, Sab-E-Lee was the go-to for Thai food and it's great to see how well it's doing still. The last two times I've come, I was seated promptly and service is always friendly. Plenty of parking. Tried the panang curry with chicken at spicy level 2 which wasn't very spicy for me but more creamy. Pretty good. The duck noodles, however, are what I crave from here. I literally never get duck noodles anywhere, nor is it my natural dish of choice but the flavor here is so, so delicious. Level 2 was perfect for me, level 3 last time was burning lol. Come here and try the duck noodles! You won't be disappointed.

This rating is for TO GO only!I've dined in here many times over several years and it never disappoints. Food and service is great, definitely one of my favorite Thai places. I decided to order a green curry with chicken to go, which came out to about $16. Upon picking up, I immediately noticed the container seemed small. I poured out all the ingredients, minus some of the curry broth because there was a lot and the amount was pretty disappointing. For reference, the last time I dined in, 4 of us ordered 5 dishes (2 were apps, 1 was a soup) and we still had 2 servings worth of leftovers. Today, I ate this entire curry with some rice and probably could have eaten more. I have a small appetite too. They did not ask me what spice level I wanted, but whatever the default is - it did have a small kick to it. It otherwise tasted the same as dining in - delicious. I genuinely love the food but the to go portions are just so small! I would have to estimate this was 2/3 the portion you receive when dining in. For that price, I'll know next time to always dine in.

So sad to be giving one of my favorites of all time a low rating...5 years ago I would come to Sab e Lee to destroy my taste buds and internal organs. On a spicy level of 1 to 10, a 2 or 3 would already hurt, and a 4 would mean extended time on the toilet the next day. But the food was so good, it was worth it.In early May this year I came back for dinner with 2 of my spice loving friends and ordered a pad Thai level 2, seafood mix level 3, and red curry level 4. None of them were that spicy. The bean sprouts in the pad Thai were rotten. We ordered a seafood mix that should have included squid but it only had fish. There were no vegetables (such as eggplant or carrot or other common vegetables in curry) in the chicken curry as there used to be, but instead only peas and square carrots that felt like they were from a frozen mix. I don't know if they ran out of ingredients or what.Also, we were the only table of all Asian ethnicity and no chopsticks or water refills were offered to us. I also asked for water without ice but that was not provided.I don't think I will ever come back.

I've been hearing a lot about Sab-E-Lee and finally had a chance to try it. I dined in once and ordered for takeout twice. All instances, the staff were super friendly and food came out quick. I've tried the papaya salad, chicken pad thai, crab noodles, spicy salmon fried rice, fried pork ribs, and nahm tok beef here. I think the portions are a little smaller than other restaurants, but overall it's a solid place for Thai food in the area. Also, a warning, the spicy levels are very spicy here! They have spicy levels 1-10, and 3 is their medium. We got a 3 and it was definitely spicy!

It's been many years since I've last had Sab-E-Lee and omg I fell in love with it all over again, even harder. I visited on a Saturday evening recently with no wait for 2 people, but a pretty full restaurant. We shared the Yellow Curry with Chicken, Tom Yum Soup with Shrimp, Thai Fried Rice with Beef, white rice, and Thai iced tea. Everything tasted great and had a lot of flavor. Service was nice. Will be back real soon!

The spice levels here aren't as spicy as other Thai food places. The mild barely had any spice and the medium was just right. And that's weird for me because I normally can't tolerate spice, so I always go for mild, but I actually wanted some spice. Service was friendly and quick and it was pretty lively for a Saturday night. Their Tom Kha soup is delicious and I want to try their mango sticky rice next!

A solid Thai restaurant with great menu options and family-owned/operated! It seems difficult to find good Asian food generally in northern San Diego-good Thai food in particular. Only been here once, but will definitely be back to try more! So far, I've tried the tom yum soup, duck wonton noodle soup, and red curry.Notes* Owners are from Isaan (Northern Thailand), so specialty dishes and flavors will reflect that! Menu offers a wide range of options.* Tom yum was some of the best I've had in a long time, although it's not served over a flame.* Duck wonton noodle soup was pricey; duck was the star of this dish. Heavy on the noodles. Wontons were OK, it came with 3. Soup was salty as it is a soy sauce base.* Red curry was too sweet for my liking. Next time I'd try a different one.* Food overall was on the sweeter side.* Weirdly, rice is sold separate and costs extra for both steamed and sticky rice.* I don't factor this into my reviews, but service was nice and attentive.Other notes:* Parking is plentiful and easy to find, as it's located in a plaza.Will definitely be back!

papaya salad (5/5)best papaya salad i've ever had, i love how citrus-y it is & how they add dried shrimps. i usually get level 4 or 5, which is pretty spicy grilled pork neck (5/5)one of my favs i always get, super juicy & some parts are fatty but rlly good lol. they will warn you that it tastes a while to cook but it's worth chicken pad thai (5/5)rlly good solid pad thai mango sticky rice (4/5)i prefer my sticky rice to be less moist & to pour the coconut sauce myself but still good & enjoyable. it's huge too fav thai restaurant n i love the staff, they're super nice n fast

Man this place is good. Service is a bit short with you, but the food more than makes up for it. I warn you to be careful on the spice level you request. I'm a big fan of spice and their level 4 had me breathing fire. The drunken noodles are a complete win. The pad Thai is really good too. This place isn't fancy by any means, but clean and has a good energy. I think this is the best Thai place in San Diego.

Paid by card. Sab-E-Lee is located in a plaza and offers plaza parking. I go here frequently for dinner since it's one of my go-to Thai places and it's usually busy, with almost every seat full. There is indoor and outdoor seating and the servers are always nice.Depending on my mood I'll get Tom Yum soup with shrimp, green curry with shrimp, pad see ew with chicken, or something else. Everything is good. I usually go with spice level 2 now for a decent spice without burning too much.I would recommend this place and would go back.