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 with which to share their passion for Thai cuisine, they felt like this was a perfect fit.

They were searching for the perfect brick-and-mortar location to showcase their team’s skills 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 make the valley their home, so they waited patiently for the right opportunity.

“For the last couple of years, until earlier this year when we finally found a place, we just kept our eyes open,” Traylor said. “It was like a shot in the dark, hoping something would come along.”

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 hungry for 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 community support has been tremendous,” 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.

Traylor grew up learning to cook traditional Thai recipes from his grandmothers and eventually became involved in his extended family’s thriving business in Seattle, Traylor said. They later branched out, 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 had restaurants throughout Colorado.

Spicy. Salty. Sweet. Savory.

All four of these 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, that flavor,” Traylor said. “If you eat Thai food and it’s bland, it’s not done right.”

From pad thai to larb gai, the menu features a mix of signature dishes and more traditional favorites, some of which feature unique twists 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, 12pm 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.