Thai food and dive bars go together like sticky rice and mangos... tacos and street corners... croissants and doughnuts! I'd never been inside Bailey's Sports Bar, but the new Thai place off to the side of the bar with the sign advertising $5.50 lunch specials from 11am-3pm Monday-Friday got me in the door... to pick up a to-go order.
I entered through the patio area which appeared to be the restaurant entrance. The only nice thing I have to say about the dining area is that there's a pool table in the middle of it... definitely recommending this place for takeout or delivery. They will bring curry right to my front door for only a $1 delivery charge, so that's a nice perk. I followed a sign that said food pick-up, but it was just an empty hallway leading to the kitchen. I turned around and found the waitress in the bar area with my food all packed up and ready to go. She was very friendly, and let me know that they stay open late: 11pm most nights and midnight on Friday and Saturday.
My vegetarian panang lunch special was a very generous meal for $5.50: egg drop soup (most places only serve soup when you dine-in, so this was a surprise), a vegetable egg roll, curry, and white rice. The panang included plenty of tofu and had good flavor with a lot of kaffir lime and lemongrass, though it was a bit spicier than I usually enjoy my curries. Their creamy Thai iced tea helped me cool down. $1.25 per cup seems like a pretty good deal for this tasty drink!
It's a dive bar, so you'll find some burgers and hotdogs on the menu. "Fusion" must be the caprese salad and chicken parmesan that also made the lineup. Think of it as Thai food to go (not to be confused with the inexpensive and delicious eastside joint) and check out the lunch specials!