If you’ve been missing the wild thrill of torching your tastebuds with dishes like Khao Soi Nuer, Khao Moo Kaki, and Nam Prik Korad, you’re in luck–beloved Carroll Gardens Thai restaurant Ugly Baby is officially rising from the dead.
When it first opened in 2017, Ugly Baby quickly became a NYC sensation, building a cult following for its unapologetically spicy, deeply regional Thai cooking. The lines were long, the wait times were high, and the heat levels were absolutely no joke.
So when the team announced they’d be shutting their doors for good in December 2024, after chef Sirichai Sreparplarn shared he wanted to “focus on other projects like a cookbook,” New Yorkers understandably entered their ugly cry era. But guess who’s back…
According to the Instagram account Yes Williamsburg, Sreparplarn and the original Ugly Baby team have signed a lease for a new space at 364 Grand Street in Williamsburg, right between Havemeyer Street and Marcy Avenue.
The 2,500-square-foot spot previously housed Detroit-style pizza favorite Emmy Squared, and Sreparplarn told Eater that diners can expect a new menu, a much larger dining room, and, for the first time ever, a full bar. While the “fundamental concept” will stay true to the spirit of Ugly Baby, Sreparplarn says he’s excited to debut “a new wild take” he’s been wanting to share “for a long time.”
If all goes to plan, the team is aiming for a February opening.
Until then, you can still satisfy your Thai cravings at the original Ugly Baby location (407 Smith Street), which was reimagined earlier this year by former staff as Hungry Thirsty.