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California Thai

3.9 (215 reviews)
ModerateThai

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Fried Tilapia in red curry sauce. The sauce was good but I wish they used fresh fish instead of frozen from the box.
Sathphon R.

We went to the restaurant for the first time this week. It's a small restaurant and we were the only two in it. The service was slow but the owner was wonderful. The food is OK and could be a little more flavorful. However, the curry chicken was excellent. We would try it again and order different dishes.

38. Pad Thai
Justin R.

Very quaint spot right on the El Sobrante main strip. Good customer service and the portions were large. Any time I go to a new Thai restaurant, I order the Pad Thai. If you mess that up, then we can't move forward in life! The Pad Thai was solid and I'll definitely be returning some day. Also had the fresh spring rolls and they were very tasty w/ their peanut sauce.

Papaya salad  yum
Miguel M.

I can't stop talking about that papaya salad man I reminds Literally close my eyes on the first bite and brought me back to the first time I try that salad at my friends house made by her mom so come on we all know ms are the best in the kitchen and I feel in love with it , tried it many places before but this one so far the best after my friends mom salad of course that was a delicious meal we had I highly recommend this place -I'll be back .Terminator ...,.

yellow curry
Kathy V.

The only reason I decided to give this place a shot was because my friend recommended the food was good and his judgment is on point lol Anywho, who would ever thought to put a Thai restaurant in the city of El Sobrante? Gives the city more variety. This small restaurants capacity fits around a seating of 26 people. The atmosphere feels like your right at home in front of your television. Looking at their lunch menu, the prices were reasonable for Thai food. I ordered their Fried shrimp rolls, Chicken curry and Pad see ew. RESULTS: *I was actually WOW'd out about my food* *Service was GREAT* *All flavors were in tact* * Happy Customer* Out of all the Thai restaurant around my area, this definitely hits the spot. I can't wait to go back. Ohya don't let the Restaurant name fool you (CALIFORNIA THAI) to think this is Americanized food, because it is not! Not at all like PF Changs. =P

Vinkin Ken T.

We dined in at this place for dinner last week for the 1st time and 2 days later, we ordered take out. This place is REALLY GOOD! Yes, the place is small, but when we go, there's plenty of parking (either behind the restaurant or street parking in front), and the place is not full during the 8-10pm hour. Don't know about earliar though. Service was quick, actually, the fastest service we've ever gotten at a Thai restaurant on both occasions. The waitstaff is very friendly and is always smiling : ) Actually, I've just came back from Bangkok last month and got to try out my thai with them : ) Food is delicious! We had the chicken satay, the curry puffs, the fried catfish with vegies, pad thai, thai ice tea, chicken massam curry and fried banana ice cream. No complaints there, 5 stars for the food. Will be back for more!

The super salty mystery soup I got.
Cynthia C.

First time ordering from this restaurant. I ordered Jungle Curry, but instead got some sort of soup that is way too salty and.doesbt have much flavor otherwise. Won't order again.

Deep Fried Bananas w/ Coconut Ice Cream

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4 years ago

I've tried it twice and was not impressed by food but the people are lovely. Perhaps I give them another try soon.

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Their food is really great. The owners are very nice and welcoming. I have yet to try their pad Thai but the curry is spot on.

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9 years ago

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Page 1 of 6

Ask the Community - California Thai

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Thai Lao Restaurant - 25. Pad Thai with shrimp

Thai Lao Restaurant

4.2(172 reviews)
3.9 mi
•$$

I've never tried Lao food before until now. My team invited me to try the new Lao restaurant, and…read morethe food was more flavorful than I expected! I recommend the nam khao and pad kee mao. They're really flavorful with a nice spice! I'd love to order the Lao food! The rice sticker with mango is great and sweet! Reminds me of the Vietnamese dessert. The service is sweet and great! They have a deaf daughter. They speak English, Lao, and use some ASL. They cook the Lao food with heart. Please support their business! The interior is full of cherry blossoms and paintings of Laos and Thailand. They beautifully display Lao and Thai culture.

This area of Hercules is a hidden gem no doubt. Tucked away in a shopping center, there are so many…read moregood eats including Thai Lao. It's so aesthetically pleasing inside (see pics and video). The owner was there when we entered, and we were able to chat about Thailand and the Lao culture. So friendly and welcoming! Service was quick, efficient, and portions were ample for the lunch specials. We ordered chicken satay to start (comes with a nice helping of peanut sauce and cucumber salad), a pad Thai for the table with tofu, and a few lunch plates including the yellow curry, pad krapow, and spicy eggplant. Everything was packed full of flavor, and they bring a spice/sauce tray out to the table if you need to bring your dish up a notch. The lunch special comes also with a 2-piece appetizer like potstickers, egg rolls, and curry puffs which I thought was a nice touch. Plenty of shopping center adjacent (and free) parking, and wallet friendly. They serve Thai/Laos beer, wine, and a nice dessert menu. Would love to come back and try the Lao's menu including the papaya salad and larb.

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Thai Lao Restaurant
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Sue's Kitchen - Pad thai chicken

Sue's Kitchen

4.4(921 reviews)
1.3 mi
•$$

Amazing staff. Friendly very warm and Welcoming!!'…read moreSon and mom greeted me and offered me a menu. I Already knew what I wanted. Been coming here since they opened. Never met the owners though. Since I was ordering to go, I went ahead and made my order. Kao soy and Nam Khao. It was Sunday so it was quiet. Only two people eating inside at the time. Usually it's full!!! I spoke with the mom and son and we had a great conversation. Made me feel as if I was family. I loved that! Lovely intimate setting. Great for large party's or by your self as well. Great date spot for two! I highly recommend coming here for the food is really delicious! You'll be in Heaven

It's been at least 5 years since my last visit to Sue's Kitchen, so I'm glad to find that my fave…read moreThai spot in the East Bay is still open for business. While some of the dishes hit the sweet spot for me, others left me wishing for something different. Our group ordered 6 different menu items to share and everything came out in quick succession: Nam Khao, Yum Pla Muek, Khao Soi, Pad Thai, Som Tum Gai Yang, and Massamun chicken curry. Of these dishes, the star was the Nam Khao. I loved the crunchy little grains of rice and the fermented pork added a nice tangy flavor profile to each bite. It would've been great if the dish had more pork pieces in it though. Yum Pla Muek (squid salad) had a spectacular sweet and sour dynamics overall, but ratio of protein to veggies needed an improvement. Despite the name, the dish felt more like a scavenger hunt for squid pieces hidden inside the sea of cabbage. Khao Soi was great in that the broth leaned more on the clear side rather than being overwhelmingly drowned in coconut milk. Flavor-wise, it was delicious but a bit oversalted for my taste. Pad Thai is pretty decent. The sweet and tangy mix was definitely present and the noodles were cooked to perfection. Somehow, I felt like it was missing something within its aromatics profile. Perhaps the green onions should've been lightly tossed with the noodles at the end rather than sprinkled on top as a garnish. Som Tum was dissappointing in my opinion. Judging from the appearance of the papaya shreds, the preparation process might've skipped the authentic "tum" (pounded) part in the goold ol' stone mortar and pestle. The flavor was also a bit bland and the usual basic ingredients like peanuts, green beans, and dried shrimps, were nowhere to be found. Gai Yang (grilled chicken) pieces were pretty good. However, instead of steamed rice, they really shoul've included sticky rice to keep the dish's authenticity. I wouldn't recommend this dish if you're a die-hard fan of the original version. Massamun chicken curry was a bit too thin in the curry part. I didn't personally try this dish, but the general comments from those who did was that it was just mid. Overall, there's no doubt I'll be hitting Sue's Kitchen up again soon. Service there was quick, attentive, and efficient. Their price-point is also very reasonable for the portion size of the food. I'd recommend this place for anyone who wants quick and delicious Thai-Laotian food in a more quaint neighborhood of East Bay.

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Sue's Kitchen - Restaurant and Specials Board

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Sue's Kitchen - Yellow Curry & Jasmine Rice

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Sue's Kitchen - Veggie spring rolls

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Thai Spice

Thai Spice

3.7(556 reviews)
2.6 mi
•$$

Favorite Thai Restaurant in the Bay! I've been to Thailand…read moreand let me tell you this is so close to the homeland's famous dishes. Please try everything you crave on the menu, all dishes are soooo good. My favorite are the prawns, their Pad See Ew with Beef, and Fried Bananas are the sweet treat you need!

We went there on a Friday afternoon about 45min after opening so it was a bit empty. It was quiet…read moreand with a few people. It felt embarrassing when my son would scream, but he's a baby. We were greeted and asked if we needed a high chair for my son which we said yes, and where told to sit anywhere. After our water was brought, we ordered. I order pad thai, fried chicken with fried rice and drunken noodles. The food in itself was okay. It wasn't out of this world so to speak. Thennnnnn comes the best part. I am packing our left over food and my husband went to pay. As he came back and waiting standung next to me, an older woman who brought us our food- not our waitress, asks me the service was good. Confused I say "of course it was good! Thank you so much". And she goes "if the service was good why didn't you leave a tip?" Confused, because I didn't pay. My husband says "I didn't know tipping was mandatory". To which she says "if you dine in you're supposed to tip because we brought you your food but if you do take out you don't." And she adds, "just leave anything". I look at my husband and asked if he had cash. Which he didn't. And I left a tip. To say, this would be the last time we go.

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Thai Spice - Inside restaurant

Inside restaurant

Thai Spice
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Taste of Lao Thai - Pad Kee Mao Beef

Taste of Lao Thai

4.5(49 reviews)
3.9 mi

My family and I have been coming to Taste of Lao Thai for several years now. It's one of my…read morefavorite spots in Hercules. They have a menu that features both Lao and Thai food. The interior has a ton of things to look at including two giant murals of Laos and Thailand. In the front there is a bench for you to take pictures at in front of a wall of greenery and flowers. Stopped by this week for a late birthday celebration. The food: Recommended without reservation - Nam Khao - my favorite dish in Hercules. It's one of those dishes that has everything - chewy crunch from crispy rice, fresh crunch from lettuce wrap, herby cilantro and mint, crunch from peanuts, chewy from pork, sweet, salty, sour, umami, and slightly spicy. Somehow it all comes together in one of the tastiest, albeit messiest, wraps in this world. Tilapia Rad Prik - tilapia, fried whole until crispy and slathered in a sweet chili garlic sauce. This is a sweet and slightly tangy flavor bomb. A little bit hard to navigate the bones, but it's worth it. Recommended - Thai Papaya Salad - fresh, not too sweet or spicy. This one generally the whole family will eat. Mom and dad liked the Lao one but I think it was a bit too fishy for some of the family members. Mango with Sticky Rice - I think it's a solid version here. Rice is a little on the softer side of ideal. Red Curry - solid. Reasonable amount of meat and veggies (green beans, bell peppers, bamboo shoots) The other dishes - Thai Laos Fried Rice - missing that sear flavor and a bit on the wet side. Beef was kind of chewy, so we're probably sticking to chicken or pork next time. Rad Nah - we ordered this dish with chicken. It comes with wide rice noodles, broccoli, and carrots. This is just a bit too saucy for me. Sauce is quite sweet with nothing to balance it. I wish the noodles were stir fried a little before going into the sauce. Overall, this restaurant has some fantastic dishes that keep us coming back.

My husband and I tried this for dinner last night. We were immediately greeted by a young man who…read moresaid to pick our table. We chose a table for two by the window, and a couple of times we were kindly asked if we would like a larger table. I got the impression this is a family run restaurant, and they were very friendly. The place is on the small side but comfortable and cozy. There are interesting murals of Laos on one wall and Thailand on the other side. The most important part, the food, was basically perfect! My husband had the salmon curry and said it might be the best salmon he's ever eaten, which is high praise considering salmon is his go to dish. I tasted it and found it very succulent in a flavorful sauce. There was a good amount of perfectly cooked broccoli with it. The restaurant caters to all spice levels. I had eggplant and veggies with tofu and it was perfectly cooked. Not soaking in oil like often happens with eggplant. We saw other things on the menu we will definitely come back to try. Highly recommend! P.s. This restaurant is also listed under the name Thai Lao for some reason, so see that for further reviews.

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Taste of Lao Thai - Cherry blossom decor

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Taste of Lao Thai - Delicious Lao khao soy

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Pakaoma Thai-Lao Diner - Pad Thai w/ Shrimp & Chicken | 08.17.2025

Pakaoma Thai-Lao Diner

4.5(118 reviews)
2.5 mi
•$$

Stopped by an hour before closing but they still treated us very well. Food was super hot and fresh…read moreas well as tasty. Chicken wings were so crispy and juicy! sauces were so good as well. Will definetly go back, atmosphere was very nice as well. Recommend going at night!

===TL;DR=== - Tom yum soup (size small) with shrimp…read more - Yum woon sen salad - Jung goh sizzling (under specialties) - Thai iced coffee - Mango sticky rice ===TMI=== Loving this mix of Thai and Lao cuisine combo. You get the best of both spices in one! They got the type of atmosphere that I love for dinner time -- dim lit for that cozy, intimate, and moody vibe mix with their cultural decors. I appreciate their intentional design with their lightings. Tables toward the wall get a mini lit candle per table, the middle row gets table lights, and then towards the back with banquette seatings, they get the overhead lamps. The server was super helpful with food choices and recommendations. Every dish was superb and divine. Tom yum soup - looks basic as they didn't serve it in those traditional fire pot but the flavors were vibrant. Not too sour and not too spicy, executed just with the right balance. Yum woon sen salad - one of my favorite Thai dish I get at most Thai restaurants. Their spicy chili lime dressing was sooooo appetizing, you just don't want to stop. It's light yet refreshing and you just want to drink the sauce afterwards. Jung goh sizzling plate - amazing flavors so get your rice ready. The dish itself wasn't saucy but it's almost like the sauce got soaked into every beef bite, coating it well. This was a great recommendation from the server! Thai iced tea - as you can tell my the photo, looks like sweetness took over haha. This was on the sweeter side imo compared to the coffee ratio. If you like a sweeter coffee, this is your choice. Mango sticky rice - at this point, we literally devoured all the dishes we've ordered BUT how can we leave this one behind? When it came, I thought the mango color looked underripe so inner me was like naurrrrrrr. But by surprise, it was super ripe and the sticky rice had just the right amount of sweetness. So again, devoured. Everything was amazing. Would definitely come back and try more dishes!

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Pakaoma Thai-Lao Diner - High tops and regular tables

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California Thai - thai - Updated October 2026

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