Several Thai takeout places have occupied the space on 7th Ave that currently houses Pinto Express. When I first saw the sign for Pinto, I assumed it was a Tex-Mex place. Several months later I found out it was, in fact, a Thai restaurant. I wonder if Pinto has some other meaning in Thai, or they are just unaware of the existence of pinto beans? In any case I stopped by on the way home from a long day and ordered some vegetarian food (helpfully labeled with a V on the menu). I wanted to try something I’d never seen on a Thai menu before, in this case Mushroom Crunch. The sesame crusted mushrooms were pretty bad — full of a gross liquid when you bit through the outer crust. On the other hand the Green Curry with tofu was quite good (not surprising when you learn that Pinto makes their curries in house fresh every day), extremely flavorful and full of fresh vegetables. I’d definitely get the curry again, but avoid the Mushroom Crunch like the plaque.
Pinto Express — 447 7th Ave
