Rice & Oak

Oak-smoked, charcoal-wok, and built on a decade of food-truck trust

Rice & Oak opened in downtown Dripping Springs this past January, turning a decade-old food truck following into a real dining room on Cannon Drive. If you've been chasing down Aroi Thai's truck in Belterra for years, this is where that chef landed — brick, mortar, and a proper kitchen.

The story. After almost a decade of operating Aroi Thai, owner Siwaphan Sampaotong closed the food truck to transition to a brick and mortar: Rice and Oak Thai Texas Grill Kitchen. Sampaotong operated the Aroi Thai food truck in Belterra from 2014 until December 2025 before making the leap. The new spot opened Jan. 2 at 1025 Cannon Dr, Ste. 105, Dripping Springs. It's the kind of opening locals had been tracking for a while — the buzz around town was real when the doors finally opened.

The vibe. The name tells you the pitch: a Texas–Thai grill experience built on oak-smoked and charcoal-wok cooking. On its own site, Rice & Oak describes itself simply as bringing together the bold flavors of Thailand and the warmth of Texas hospitality, with fresh ingredients, fire-grilled techniques, and recipes designed to be shared and enjoyed. Reviewers have picked up on that fusion too — one Apple Maps review called it "incredible food - fusion between brisket and Thai dishes was done incredibly well," adding the service was "spot on" and the environment "a decent, modern look." It's a small downtown storefront, casual enough for a weeknight dinner, dressed up enough to work for a birthday.

What to order. The brisket is the hook, and it shows up across the menu in different forms. The smoked brisket fried rice is the headline dish — on the menu it's listed as Oak Smoke Brisket Fried Rice, made with jasmine rice, smoked brisket, egg, scallion, cucumber, lime, and prik nam pla. Beyond that, the kitchen turns out a Brisket Massaman Curry, Thai Basil Brisket & Crispy Egg (wok-fired brisket with garlic, chili, sweet onions, red bell peppers, and Thai basil, served over jasmine rice with a crispy fried egg and Thai chili fish sauce — listed at $17.50), Chicken Satay Skewers (charcoal-grilled Thai marinated chicken skewers, served with creamy peanut sauce and cucumber relish — $9.00), and Mango Sticky Rice for dessert. To drink, there's Thai ice tea, hot Thai tea, hot coffee, and house-made tamarind sparkling soda.

Good to know. The menu features woks, curries, rice bowls, shareables, soups and desserts. The restaurant also does catering and private events, and online ordering runs through its own Square site — though the kitchen notes that during busy stretches, "online and to-go orders are available on a limited basis" and some dishes may not show up for takeout. Reviews are mixed but trending warm: Yelp has it at 3.8 stars with comments ranging from raves about the veggie curry to notes that popular items can sell out on busy nights.