Sacramento’s most underrated Thai food can be found at this homey gem, readers say

Benjy Egel
·1 min read

Inside Look is a Sacramento Bee series where we take readers behind the scenes at restaurants, new businesses, local landmarks and news stories.

The Coconut on T’s modest digs keep it off some people’s radars. Most who have been, though, keep coming back for hearty pad Thai and soul-warming curries.

The Sacramento Bee’s readers voted the Southside Park staple as the region’s most underrated Thai restaurant in a recent poll.

Founded in 2016 at 1110 T St., The Coconut on T’s menu is virtually identical to that at sister restaurants The Coconut Elk Grove, The Coconut River Park, The Coconut Fulton and Drunken Noodle in midtown Sacramento. Yet through some combination of charm, relative longevity (only Drunken Noodle predates it) and Southside Park’s scattered restaurant scene, it’s become the flagship of the bunch.

Various Thai dishes and drinks are served at Coconut on T Street in Sacramento earlier this month.
Various Thai dishes and drinks are served at Coconut on T Street in Sacramento earlier this month.

Owner Nan Pangpanga also plans to open a more fusion-friendly cafe called The Coco at 2005 11th St. around the corner from The Coconut on T, where soul food favorite South formerly was.

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Cameron Park favorite Thai House was the first runner-up in The Bee’s poll, amassing 12% of the vote to The Coconut on T’s 29%. East Sacramento’s The House of Authentic Ingredients (THAI), midtown’s Kin Thai Street Eatery and Pocket’s Sai Varee tied for third place with 9.7% of the vote.

Voters selected the region’s most underrated Thai restaurants from list of previous reader nominees. Voting is currently underway for Sacramento County’s slept-on Vietnamese restaurants.

Mango shrimp salad is ready to serve at Coconut on T Street in Sacramento earlier this month.
Mango shrimp salad is ready to serve at Coconut on T Street in Sacramento earlier this month.
Farheen Afzal and Javairia Rizwan share a meal at Coconut on T Street in Sacramento earlier this month. The two are new customers who recently discovered the restaurant.
Farheen Afzal and Javairia Rizwan share a meal at Coconut on T Street in Sacramento earlier this month. The two are new customers who recently discovered the restaurant.
A fresh roll of carrots, cilantro, cucumber, organic tofu and romaine lettuce wrapped in rice paper is ready to serve at Coconut on T Street in Sacramento earlier this month.
A fresh roll of carrots, cilantro, cucumber, organic tofu and romaine lettuce wrapped in rice paper is ready to serve at Coconut on T Street in Sacramento earlier this month.