Let me start my review off by referring to someone else's post from 2010: "Quite a few people have posted their glowing reviews of this particular restaurant, and I can't help but wonder if I'm on a bad acid trip or these people have never been outside of their special box." I absolutely love this restaurant, and I am part Thai and have been to Thailand several times to visit my family, so perhaps you are the one inside a 'special box' because this restaurant is as authentic as Thai-Isaan gets.
Ever since my mother passed in 2012, I have been looking for a Thai place that could cook genuine Thai-Isaan food. Sala Thai has been the only place I have found in Madison that makes their dishes almost like my Mom's. The food is superb and I would recommend it for anyone wanting to try Thai (and Isaan) for the first time.
My only two complaints (which is why I have given it 4 out of 5 stars) is that they do not take debit or credit and that the wait for drink and food orders can take a long time. However, they stay pretty busy so the latter is understandable.