Sambal Thai & Malay
4 W Main St, Irvington, NY 10533, United States · United States
★ 4.6 on Google · 1,712 reviews · View on Google Maps
Manipulation score
SuspiciousCompleted Jul 25, 2026 · 275 reviews flagged
How this score works
The score estimates how strongly this place's review record matches known manipulation patterns, from 0 (no signs) to 100. Verdicts: Clean below 40, Suspicious from 40, Likely Manipulated from 70; Review Drive when the flags are mostly staff asking customers for named reviews. It rises with the share of reviews flagged and how suspicious each one is.
- Burst
- — an abnormal spike of five-star reviews in a single day compared to the place's usual pace.
- Low activity account
- — the reviewer has almost no other reviews, photos, or Local Guide history; throwaway accounts look like this.
- Duplicate text
- — the wording is nearly identical to another review of the same place.
Verdicts are statistical estimates based on public review patterns, not accusations. Full methodology, signal definitions and known limits →
Case conclusion
What the numbers say
1,000 reviews examined
- Google rating
- 4.6★
- Not-flagged average
- 4.8★
- Flagged
- 28%
- Coverage
- 58%
All reviews shown by Google
725 examined reviews
275 of 1,000
1,000 of 1,712 Google reviews
“Not flagged” means no configured Revdict signal matched; it does not prove a review is genuine. Data fetched Jul 25, 2026.
Review brief
What reviews not flagged by Revdict say
Sambal offers flavorful Thai and Malaysian dishes accompanied by scenic views of the Hudson River and the Tappan Zee Bridge. Reviewers frequently praise the attentive service, cozy ambiance, and popular outdoor deck seating.
+ Repeated strengths
Scenic Waterfront Views
Reviewers highlight the beautiful, relaxing outdoor deck setting and spectacular sunset views over the Hudson River.
3 supporting reviews
5★ · 2025-07-05
My favorite place.to sit is outside.on the.deck. This year a retractable awning was added over the whole deck to protect guests from the elements. Sunset is breathtaking from here.
5★ · 2025-07-04
Very delicious food and above all excellent services
5★ · 2025-07-12
Such a lovely deck with a great view of the river. But that wasn’t the only thing that will get me back. Warm and lively atmosphere, flavorful dishes with layers of flavor, friendly staff. Excellent cocktails that packed the right punc...
Attentive and Friendly Service
Multiple reviewers report welcoming, accommodating staff and specifically praise individual servers like Aldi, Richard, and Sham.
3 supporting reviews
5★ · 2025-07-04
Aldi was our server. He is very professional and helped us a lot. He is also caring! Best hospitality!!!
5★ · 2025-07-04
service was Richard was great!!!
5★ · 2025-07-20
Richard made us feel like family!!
Flavorful Food and Drinks
Reviewers frequently commend the tasty curries, pad Thai, appetizers, and well-crafted cocktails.
2 supporting reviews
5★ · 2025-07-07
Seeing the sunset while eating some amazing pad Thai was an incredible experience. We had the Pad Thai with chicken and the red curry. Both were great, and everything was super clean tasting, however the Pad Thai was the stand out.
5★ · 2025-07-30
Celebrated my sons 30th birthday and had a great time, food & service!
− Repeated complaints
Inconsistent Service and Long Waits
Some reviewers report slow service, inattentive staff, and long delays for food or lost kitchen tickets.
3 supporting reviews
3★ · 2025-07-07
Food was average, service was slow even when there wasn't a crowd, the quantities were tiny, the curry puffs seemed to be store bought frozen ones. Way more expensive than it should be
2★ · 2025-08-10
Nice atmosphere but terrible service and management. I came here around dinner rush and was seated immediately by a hostess that seemed clueless about what she was doing. We were then seated at a table with no settings (plates, cups, or sil...
2★ · 2026-07-11
Waited over an hour for our entrees which never arrived, we were informed our ticket was lost in the kitchen. Appetizers were fine, and the river view was amazing. Service was subpar and we will not be returning.
Food Quality and Saltiness Inconsistencies
A subset of reviewers note that certain dishes can occasionally taste too salty, mediocre, or overly sweet.
3 supporting reviews
3★ · 2026-03-09
Great outdoor deck and service, extremely mediocre food. Every dish was too salty, definitely not authentic Thai or Malay flavors, just an overpowering amount of salt. The mango dessert was again just sickeningly sweet. Maybe the food taste...
2★ · 2026-06-02
Food was extremely salty, couldn’t finish meal, tables very close to each other and slow service.
3★ · 2026-07-06
Unspectacular food.
Holiday Pricing and Fixed Menus
A few reviewers complain about unexpected mandatory prix-fixe or buffet menus and high pricing during holidays.
2 supporting reviews
1★ · 2026-02-15
Bad business practices. Every time there’s a holiday, you can only purchase their expensive pre-fix or buffet menu. They don’t tell you until you sit down that it’s the only option. Now there’s social pressure of looking cheap if you get up...
2★ · 2026-05-10
I honestly hate to do this but I just left Mother’s Day lunch and have to leave a terrible review. Apparently it is “BUFFET ONLY” which wasn’t stated when I reserved and not stated when we checked in. We attempted to order à la carte as t...
Good for
- Date nights and romantic dinners
- Outdoor deck dining with scenic water views
- Group gatherings and birthday celebrations
Avoid if
- You are visiting during holidays and want to order à la carte
- You are sensitive to very slow service during busy times
- You dislike food prepared with heavy salt or sweetness
Review anatomy
Reviews per month
| Month | Reviews | Flagged |
|---|---|---|
| Jun ’25 | 55 | 12 |
| Jul ’25 | 130 | 27 |
| Aug ’25 | 76 | 18 |
| Sep ’25 | 21 | 3 |
| Oct ’25 | 36 | 15 |
| Nov ’25 | 52 | 14 |
| Dec ’25 | 87 | 30 |
| Jan ’26 | 101 | 27 |
| Feb ’26 | 88 | 31 |
| Mar ’26 | 104 | 35 |
| Apr ’26 | 109 | 28 |
| May ’26 | 89 | 16 |
| Jun ’26 | 24 | 7 |
| Jul ’26 | 28 | 12 |
Rating distribution
Evidence
-
burst
7 occurrences — worst: 15 five-star reviews on 2026-02-28 vs avg 2.6/day
weight 1
Show all 7
- 5 five-star reviews on 2025-10-19 vs avg 0.7/day
- 5 five-star reviews on 2025-10-22 vs avg 0.9/day
- 7 five-star reviews on 2025-11-22 vs avg 1.3/day
- 11 five-star reviews on 2025-12-07 vs avg 2.0/day
- 15 five-star reviews on 2026-02-28 vs avg 2.6/day
- 15 five-star reviews on 2026-03-07 vs avg 3.0/day
- 6 five-star reviews on 2026-07-24 vs avg 0.8/day
- low activity account 227 reviews flagged weight 0.8
Flagged reviews
Showing the 10 most suspicious of 275 flagged reviews.
Lori Meyer
1 review
★★★★★
2025-10-22
H G
2 reviews
★★★★★
2025-10-22
Danielle Cox
2 reviews
★★★★★
2025-11-22
Try the Negroni!
PrincessJ9 Aryee
1 review
★★★★★
2025-11-22
People are very nice and the food was amazing
Gabriella Addomah
1 review
★★★★★
2025-11-22
MY FAVORITE RESTAURANT! Everyone is so amazing and nice, super attentive and the food is absolutely phenomenal! 💗
Jada Aryee
1 review
★★★★★
2025-11-22
So yummy and great service!!
kingdomhearts13Axel
1 review
★★★★★
2025-12-07
Love the food and service!
Marcus Brown
2 reviews
★★★★★
2026-02-28
Absolutely delicious food and lovely atmosphere! Got the Penang curry and it was fantastic
Anita Godhwani
2 reviews
★★★★★
2026-02-28
The food was Delicious, a must try place. Beautiful venue. Definitely a place to repeat.
Rajeev Desai
2 reviews
★★★★★
2026-02-28
Food was really good, an service very attentive
Report generated Jul 25, 2026. Reviews change — you can request a fresh investigation.
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