What is the best Asian restaurant and best new business in Summit County? Readers chose this restaurant in Frisco.

When Summit Thai co-owner Lance Traylor and his wife visited Summit County looking for a community to share their passion for Thai cuisine with, they felt like this was a perfect fit.

They were searching for the perfect physical showcase to showcase the skills their team had honed in Seattle’s vibrant and competitive culinary scene when they stumbled upon the charm of the mountain town of Summit. Traylor said they knew they wanted to call the valley home, so they waited patiently for the right opportunity.

“For the last couple of years — until earlier this year when we found a spot — we just kept our eyes open,” Traylor said. “It was just kind of like a shot in the dark, hoping something would pop up.”

On April 5, their search officially ended. Summit Thai opened at 842 N. Summit Blvd., Unit 19, in Frisco, and Traylor said business hasn’t stopped since.

Traylor’s suspicions that Summit County was craving more authentic, international cuisine have been confirmed now that readers have voted Summit Thai the Best New Restaurant and Best Asian Restaurant in the 2023 Best of Summit competition.

“The support from the community has been overwhelming,” Traylor said.

He believes the restaurant’s success is due to the recipes he fell in love with when he met his wife in Seattle.

She grew up learning to cook traditional Thai recipes from her grandmothers and eventually became involved in her extended family’s thriving business in Seattle, Traylor said. They later branched out by opening a food truck business in Arkansas before making the jump to the Rocky Mountains with the help of Ekawat Sunti, a cousin of Traylor’s wife who owned restaurants throughout Colorado.

Spicy. Dirty. Sugar. Tasty.

These four flavors come together in Thai dishes, and Traylor said his staff has spent years refining and developing the recipes people will find on the menu.

“It’s so bold — the flavor,” Traylor said. “If you eat Thai food and it’s bland, then it’s not done well.”

From pad thai to larb gai, the menu features a mix of signature dishes and more traditional dishes, some of which feature unique touches influenced by the staff’s experiences across the country.

Entrance fees range from $13 to $19.

The restaurant is open from 11am to 9pm Tuesday to Friday, from noon to 9pm Saturday to Sunday and is closed on Monday.

For more information, visit SummitThaiCO.com.

This article was published in the Best of Summit 2023 Winners Guide. See the full results at SummitDaily.com/best.