Looks Like There’s Hope For This Closing Amarillo Restaurant

Amidst all the restaurant closures that have taken place within the past year, the one that hit me the hardest was the closing of Thai Star. Out of all of the Asian food joints in Amarillo, this humble gem of a restaurant has served some of the most authentic and tasty Thai food that you can find in Amarillo.

Since 1990, husband and wife team, Dow and Brian, have served countless individuals across the Texas Panhandle. And after an excellent 31-year run, the couple decided to hang up their aprons announcing last month that they would be retiring and closing down Thai Star in a Facebook post.

The news sent shockwaves throughout the community in Amarillo, with many commenters on the initial post expressing that they were happy for the couple but sad that the restaurant would be closing.

However, after personally speaking to Dow and Brian it turns out that there's a pretty good chance that their retirement will not be the end of the Thai Star restaurant. According to the couple, they will be passing down the business and its family recipes to their successor, Thein, a current waitress at the restaurant.

Originally Dow and Brian did not plan on leaving Thai Star to continue after their retirement changed their mind when the idea of leaving the restaurant to someone well-suited to carry on the family legacy came about.

Dow and Brian made it clear that they have spent much time passing on their cooking techniques and recipes to their successor and will still be in and out of the kitchen from time to time to ensure that the food meets their standards.

Thein, with approval and support from Dow and Bryan, has expressed her wish to add traditional Vietnamese cuisine to the menu drawing on her Vietnamese heritage. This infusion of flavors promises to bring a fresh twist to Thai Star, blending Thai and Vietnamese delights.

So, as Thai Star bids farewell to Dow and Brian, the legacy will live on with Thein. We wish Dow and Bryan a happy retirement and wish Thein the best of luck with her new ownership of Thai Star.