I've had Spice Island Tea House on my radar for months now and finally made it there this past weekend with a friend. It is right next to the pizza place he frequented in college, so we had no trouble finding it even though the sign is a bit faded. We walked in and were immediately greeted and seated by a hostess/server. It wasn't crowded when we arrived (maybe four of the twenty tables were full) but by the time we left the amount of guests had doubled. The decor is adorable, especially the string lights and plants. The place has a clean but worn and comfortable vibe....it's been there since 1995, and it feels like that in a good way.
We took a few minutes to peruse the menus and saw they serve alcohol! Asian food and a nice beer happens to be a favorite combination of mine. Their cocktails look great as well. I'll certainly be back to try the Bangkok mule. For food I went with the Pad Thai, and he had the Thai Red Chili wok fry with chicken. Our food arrived within twenty minutes or so, and we immediately began eating.
I can see why people rave about the Pad Thai here. It's incredibly rich with lots of egg and peanut and a delicious sauce that stands up to the accompaniments very well. I'll get it again but with more spice next time. I didn't specify a spice level when ordering (the waitress never asked and I totally forgot to be honest) so I assume what I received was the mild spice level. I requested Sriracha, which I was generous with, and that added a little kick. My friend loved his wok fry and said it was plenty spicy for him. It looked very flavorful, with a deep red sauce and lots of chilies. The portions of both dishes were quite large for the quality of food we received. I feel like sometimes the nicer Thai-style places give you a bit less for your money. We left full and satisfied with plans to come back very soon!