Cancel

Open app

Search

Cha Baa Thai

4.1 (161 reviews)
ModerateThai
Closed 12:00 pm - 9:00 PM

Order Cha Baa Thai Takeout or Delivery

Cha Baa Thai Photos

Business Info

CHA BAA THAI ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Classy
Good for groups

You might also consider

Recommended Reviews - Cha Baa Thai

Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
Yelp app icon
Browse more easily on the app
Review Feed Illustration

Reviews With Photos

Chicken Pad Thai & Massaman Curry with Beef
Michelle H.

Solid 4.5 stars. We went there on a whim while exploring downtown Halifax for the first time and were seated pretty promptly. I appreciated the social distancing and COVID safety/hygiene protocols. Chicken Pad Thai (4/5) - Flavourful, both sweet and savoury, generous portion size. I like that it has both tofu and chicken. My only nit is that it was a tad salty for my liking. Beef Massaman Curry, extra spicy (5/5) - Super flavourful, a really pleasant kick, and a very generous portion size (with enough filling too)! It's not the same as other massaman curries I've had, but it was pleasantly unique! I enjoyed it very much! Just beware that you have to order rice separately when ordering curry dishes.

a person dipping a piece of food
Basia S.

After visiting for the first time, we have mixed feelings about this place. The reviews are great but I suppose there aren't too many authentic options Downtown. The spring rolls were great and the pad Thai was just alright. The portion was quite big for the price. Curry salmon was a little disappointing but was also a decent sized portion. It doesn't come with anything so we ordered a side of rice. While the portion was big, it's the quality of the salmon that was the turn off. Not sure where it came from but it wasn't meaty at all. It was quite thin and just looked unhealthy and cheap so we didn't finish it and I wouldn't recommend it. There wasn't much spice to it at all either. Service was friendly so no complaints there but we came for lunch as a couple. One of us got our meals while the other waited another 10 mins so that was quite a turn off. When you come for lunch together, it's expected you'd want to eat together. It was quite odd to have meals come out separately. The place is clean and there's a small drink list so while this place may be good for appetizers, I'm not likely to go back for a full meal. The place isn't 100% accessible and despite having a lift, washrooms are located awkwardly in the basement. Overall, disappointing as we trusted many of the reviews and were bummed that it really wasn't anything special.

Pineapple fried rice
Erin S.

Great food! Haven't had Kao Pad Sapparod (Thai Pineapple Fried Rice) in years and finally found a place that has it! :) Just as good as I remember. Lots of food! Only complaint would be that the ToGo order didn't have any cutlery or utensils, which I didn't notice until I got back to the hotel. I didn't specifically ask for them but that's cause I figured it would be automatically included.

Gavin T.

Food was middling. Service was very poor. "What kind of soda's do you have?" "Perrier" :| Do you really crave a Pad Thai and can't find one closer?

Tina C.

Really good Thai food! I ordered the chicken massaman curry to go. Good thing I read the reviews prior to ordering or else I wouldn't know that the curries do not come with rice! The curry was sweet and they were generous with the chicken. I found the chicken to be a bit over cooked but not a big deal since the sauce made up for it. It is also my first time having sweet potato in my curry! I would recommend this Thai place!

The dining room.
Murray W.

During the days before and after my birthday this year, there was much indulgence of both liquid and food forms. On my birthday itself, this is where I chose to go with my girlfriend to have some more of the latter. It was a Monday, so things were fairly quiet, with just a couple other tables being occupied in their mid-sized dining room. It's very open and welcoming with easy going greens and browns dominating the colour palette. We were quickly seated and after a quick glance at the drink menu, I ordered a Tsingtao beer while my other half stuck with pop. As with any restaurant of eastern Asian origins, the menu is pretty sizable. With sections for apps, soups, the various proteins, and a few other things, it takes some time to decide what you actually want. Eventually we settled on the intriguing sounding bird's nest appetizer, which comes with stir fried ground pork, onion, carrot, broccoli, red pepper, black mushroom and cilantro, all in a fried "nest" of noodles I assumed. For our mains we went with the Pad See Ew and basil chicken. I was tempted by their pad Thai, as I've heard great things, but the thing with pad Thai is that it's basically the pizza of Thai food - even a "bad" pad Thai is still pad Thai - so I wanted to branch out a bit and save the pad Thai for when I needed something familiar and dependable. After a short wait our plate of bird's nests came. Six wonderful looking cups of fried noodles with the pork filling and an artfully crafted carrot flower made this choice a winner before even having a bite. Once we dug in, we were glad that it was able to live up to the visual hype. There's a great mix of flavours from the pork and veggies and a good contrast of textures from the soft pork mixture and the crunchy nests. Since neither of us are big cilantro fans, we picked that garnish off and added the roasted basil leaves that decorated the plate. The six eye- and belly-pleasing nests seemed like a steal at $11. We were done our nests just in time to make room on the table for the mains. Pad See Ew was comprised of flat noodles like pad Thai, and a rich, slightly sweet sauce, chicken, fried egg, rapini, carrots and onion. It was a solid dish, with a nice balance of flavours, although I always wish that noodles weren't chopped up in these sorts of dishes. I guess that at heart, I'm just a kid who likes playing with his long noodles! The basil chicken was a good dish as well, although neither main really met the high bar set by our bird's nests. With slices of chicken, onions, large chunks of what seemed like fresh pineapple, chiles, garlic and basil, there's not much to not like in this dish. The sauce had a bit of heat from the chile's, just enough to make me sip my beer a bit more, but not to have me worried about my face being burnt off or post-digestion issues. The veggies were cooked to a perfect tender crisp, showing that the cooks aren't slacking off on a slow night. Prices were quite reasonable, with two mains, an app and drinks coming to just over $50 taxes in, with enough for leftovers for a very hearty meal for the next day. Timely, friendly service throughout the meal was an added bonus as well. I was glad to scratch another restaurant off my 'to eat at' list, and even more so that it turned out so well, and I look forward to stopping by for their pizza, er, pad Thai, one of these days.

Chicken Panang Curry
Sharon L.

Was craving some asian food after a few days of indulging in various seafood restaurants. This was the first thai resto that came on the list with the best ratings and it sure did not lie. The moment we walked into the restaurant, we noticed takeout orders going out every 5 minutes! The restaurant was massive for a Thai place and fairly busy for a Sunday night. The service was pretty friendly and efficient and all the servers knew how to speak fluent english so was thinking to myself how authentic is this place. But I must mention that the service was overall pretty top notch because they actually have a mini handicap elevator where the server actually helped a patron get to the lower level where the entrance was. This is something you wouldn't normally see in an Asian restaurant. So my bf and I ordered the fried spring rolls, chicken panang curry and the spicy seafood noodle. All 3 dishes were so fresh and delicious. Having tried many panang dishes back in Toronto, this place might been one of the best. The curry was well balanced and was bursting with flavour. The spicy seafood noodle was also a surprise - it had a unique taste to it (different than that of pad thai) and had tons of seafood in it. The portions were massive for both dishes, they definitely didn't cheap out on the "meat" of both. The only thing that was different is that they charged $3.00 for a bowl of rice which normally comes with any thai curry dish. Pretty pricey just for a bowl so make sure you try to eat most of it! Overall, a hidden gem in Halifax and would totally come back here again if i'm in the city.

Cashew chicken lunch special and a Thai iced tea
Vanessa J.

Alright, Cha Baa Thai, you've been upgraded to 5 stars. Why? Because of your delivery skills! Yes, you charge $5, but as I found out last night, it was so worth it. From the time I picked up the phone, until the time the bag of yummy foods was sitting on my counter was 18 minutes! Most times, my food sitting down at restaurants doesn't come that fast. The best part of the speedy delivery (besides the fact that I was super hungry) was that the quality of the food didn't diminish. The red curry chicken and cashew vegetables were pipping hot and full of hot spicy flavour. And the spring rolls, oh man the spring rolls. Generally I skip spring rolls in Asian restaurants because I find them bland and too filling. But these ones are amazing, full of textures and flavours, I could have made a meal on these alone. The fast delivery meant they were still crispy, not soggy like a typical take out roll.

Red Curry, steamed rice, and a spring roll.
Melanie M.

I heart Thai food. And Cha Baa Thai does it well. It is conveniently located just off Spring Garden Road, in a fairly roomy, airy space. I've always had attentive and friendly service here. Though on a couple of occasions I've dined solo here, and this did seem to throw them off slightly. Red Curry is my favourite, and Cha Baa does not disappoint. Their red curry has the perfect combination of heat and flavour. I've also tried a few other dishes including Cashew Chicken and Pad Thai. Delish. And IMO Cha Baa has the best spring rolls in the city - so crispy and tasty. Portion sizes are perfect for sharing, or for doggy bagging if you'd rather not share!

Jenny C.

I'm not sure where all the positive review came from but their pad Thai is definitely one of the worst I've ever had . I had to trash it after few bites. It's just way too salty ! The Thai ice tea was bad too !

Spicy Thai Noodles
Jobin B.

Loved the food. Started off with some excellent Chicken Satay abd moved on to some spicy Thai noodles and chicken fried rice. Waitress offered the hot sauce which turned out to be pretty good. Guess I'll be going back again!

Spicy Noodles

See all

4 years ago

Helpful 30
Thanks 1
Love this 30
Oh no 0

7 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1

4 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

8 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Basia S.
10
326
944

4 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1

4 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

5 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Lisa X.
52
41
6

4 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of Erin S.
135
58
4

5 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Gavin T.
26
40
22

7 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

9 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

12 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

10 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

15 years ago

Helpful 4
Thanks 0
Love this 4
Oh no 0

15 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of Jenny C.
421
24
21

7 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Jobin B.
18
21
114

12 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

3 years ago

The best Thai food in HRM by a long shot. Their pad thai is amazing (chicken or shrimp) as is the cashew chicken.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of May Z.
0
25
28

7 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

9 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Lacey H.
44
505
550

16 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

9 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

9 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Adam B.
13
256
16

16 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Ruth D.
30
274
411

16 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

9 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 1

13 years ago

Helpful 5
Thanks 0
Love this 7
Oh no 0
Photo of Ben B.
942
801
1960

15 years ago

Helpful 5
Thanks 0
Love this 6
Oh no 0

15 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 4
Oh no 0

14 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

14 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

11 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

Page 1 of 5

Verify this business for free

People searched for Thai 288 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

Verify this business

Talay Thai Restaurant - Thai fried rice

Talay Thai Restaurant

(110 reviews)

$$

South End

Talay Thai is my go-to when I want something quick, comforting, and won't require a second…read moremortgage. I'm systematically eating my way through the menu, and so far everything has been consistently good--not mind-blowing, but definitely better than average. The soup situation: You've got two choices--Tom Yum or Tom Kha. Go with the Tom Yum (also listed as Tom Yam). Their Tom Kha is way too sweet. The Tom Yum though? Nice spice level, great flavor. Is $8-9 for a small bowl a little steep? Sure. Do I order it every single time anyway? Absolutely. The mains: I've tried a bunch of options, including the ginger chicken, basil chicken, sea bass with mango chili sauce, pad kee mow, glass noodles--all winners. Veggies stay crunchy, meat is tender, and the spice levels are approachable (spice enthusiasts can request chili oil on the side). The menu is fairly limited--basically the same six stir-fry options with different proteins--but honestly, I respect the "do fewer things well" approach. Portions are generous and meant for sharing. My only gripe? The side of jasmine rice never seems proportionate to the number of people, so I always end up asking for more. Pro tip: Their wine pours are generous. Excellent value compared to most Halifax spots. Bottom line: This isn't going to revolutionize your Thai food experience, but it does exactly what good Thai food should--be a little sweet, a little spicy, and deeply comforting.

Great service and excellent food-- Talay still shines among Halifax's Thai spots. Pad Thai, Currys…read moreand spring rolls were all excellent

Blue Elephant - Pad Thai with chicken $14.95

Blue Elephant

(28 reviews)

$$

Bedford

The best bang for your buck lunch spot by far. Definitely authentic and great tasting. $14.50 for…read morethe lunch penang came with rice and a salad roll along with a generous sided portion of dipping sauce. Great food and ambiance with so many plants all over the entire restaurant. While I was happy with the food and price, service is definitely lacking. We didn't get water the entire time we were in the restaurant and the lunch meals took way longer than it should have for it being 2 in the afternoon on a Monday with only two other tables occupied. The lunch took about 40 minutes to arrive which was quite brutal and the beer glasses that were brought out were just filthy so I opted to drink right out of the bottle like an animal. Definitely great food but not sure I'd sit in again for the amount of time it took and the filthy glass. It was odd because the rest of the place looked clean and the water glasses were spotless. If not for the really slow service, we'd have given 5 stars. I think I'd opt for take out next time and save myself the wait.

We were tired of eating seafood every day while on vacation in Halifax, so we were excited to…read morediscover this Thai restaurant that looked promising based on the reviews. We decided to get take-out and called in our order. The lady said it'd take 20-25 min, and it was ready when hubby picked it up. I ordered the black pepper beef for $14.95 and a side of rice for $4. I thought the price of the rice was a bit much. I requested less red & green peppers and more mushrooms, and they obliged. The taste of the dish itself was just okay. It didn't taste like traditional Thai food to me, or at least not like the kind I'm used to eating. Hubby ordered the Pad Thai with chicken for $14.95 and said there was too much soy sauce or something in it. He didn't really care for it. The price of the dishes were reasonable, thus the 3 stars instead of 2, and the portions were a decent size.

Thai Ivory Cuisine - 1/2 the bowl watered down sauce

Thai Ivory Cuisine

(48 reviews)

$$

Bedford

My favourite Asian-styled cuisine!…read more I will shamelessly admit that my boyfriend and I have come here at least once a month over the past 5 years - whether it's for a light lunch or a date night - we adore this place. Firstly, I'd like to address the decor: it is gorgeous! Unlike many other Thai restaurants in Halifax (many of which have plain, blank walls, and minimal decor), this entire restaurant is filled with beautiful figurines, mini waterfalls, and flowers. The place is decked out in gorgeous Thai-themed objects, prints, and designs. For some who may not have a taste for culturally unfamiliar interior decor, this may come across as "tacky" - but for me, the decor is everything! Second, the food: The menu is ENDLESS. There is something for everyone. If you think Thai food isn't for you, or don't necessarily have a taste for Asian cruisine, don't worry! For their "Americanized" dishes, they have familiar dishes such as deep-fried chicken wings (and BBQ chicken), french fries, nuggets, calamari, stirfry, spring rolls, and a variation of soups and salads. If this is your first time, I strongly recommend you try the pad thai. It has certainly been the Thai dish that has stolen the hearts of many first-timers - including myself! Recently, the curry dishes have been top notch! Definitely would recommend. Also: portion sizes are plentiful so you never leave with a dissatisfied stomach! Last but not least, the staff: It appears to me that this is a family-run establishment. The staff are always enthusiastic, polite, and most certainly generous. Ordering a wine that they are almost out of? Don't worry! They'll run to the store to buy more within seconds (even if you insist on accepting a different wine!!!). If you ever have questions regarding the menu - or anything at all - they do not hesitate to answer with full honesty and interest! Needless to say, dining at Thai Ivory is without doubt an experience. The only negative I must say is that I was heartbroken after the closing of the Quinpool location (though I believe driving to the Bedford highway for a bowl of curry is well worth it). They do not get enough business for what they deserve! This may partly be because of the location - or that Thai cuisine may not be the most current food trend on everyone's minds. Regardless, I believe this establishment deserves a successful future.

Best Thai food ever, every dish is excellent. If you are a soup lover try the Hot and Sour Soup,…read moreit's the best, with an excellent balance of hot and sour. The curry dishes are delicious and the staff are allways friendly, knowledgeable and efficient! Thanks, you're our favourite place to dine for Thai!

Pho Maniac - Grilled pork banh mi

Pho Maniac

(11 reviews)

South End

After days of lobster rolls and lobster everything, I was ready to throw myself into the ocean just…read moreto feel something spicy. Halifax is beautiful, no doubt--but if you're someone who needs a kick of chili in your food (and your soul), the city can feel like a spice desert. Enter Pho Maniac. We spotted it thanks to the red chili-laced photos plastered on the window. That alone was enough to pull us in. And thank god we did--because this place delivers on heat. Not the mild, tamed-down-for-tourists kind either. Real spice. Actual flavor. The food scene in Halifax is trying to grow, but let's be honest--it's mostly tailored for white folks and cruise ship passersby. If your palate grew up on sambal, Sichuan, or scotch bonnets, most of this city will leave you unbothered and unsalted. But Pho Maniac? A mirage turned real. The place was packed with Asian diners and the one off-white wanderer who knew what's up. That's always a good sign. The broth? Deep, rich, and fiery. It hits the spot you forgot Halifax had. I still couldn't see myself living here long-term--because spicy food is non-negotiable--but at least Pho Maniac made the week feel less bland. In a city of boiled lobster and beige seasoning, this little joint reminded me my taste buds were still alive.

It's funny returning to Halifax and seeing new restaurants replace old faves, as is the case of Pho…read moreManiac in the space formerly occupied by New Asia. One day at work, I was looking for lunch and Pho Maniac came up in a scan of nearby spots. While they're a pho place, I didn't want to get the inevitable soup splashes on my work clothes, so I went with the banh mi for takeout. Taking my spoils back the office, I unfurled the sandwich bag to see what was inside. Wrapped tightly in plastic, the banh mi seemed a bit narrow, but it was longer than the sort of banh mi you get at specialty shops for a few bucks each (at least in pre-pandemic pricing) in bigger cities. It was very meat-heavy, loaded with strips of grilled pork (they also have beef and chicken). The pork had a nice flavour from the grill and a bit of fish sauce funk, balanced out by a hint of sweetness from the pickled carrots. Some Thai basil and green onion added pops of vegetal freshness. It was hard to get a good feel for the bun, as the heat of the pork and the plastic wrap steamed it, so the trademark crispness of a banh mi bun was lost. A paper wrap would definitely be an improvement. A return visit had me rolling the dice on pho splashes, going with tender beef and flank pho. I'm not sure what cut "tender beef" is, as tenderloin isn't typically found in pho, but I would guess brisket, which is much more common. I got it as takeout and assembled it in a bowl I had at work, but you could easily use the one they give you. Said bowl comes with the noodles, beef and toppings (bean sprouts, lime, Thai basil, hoisin and chili sauces) in it, while a second container had the broth. The flank and (likely) brisket weren't particularly discernible from one another, but both were nice and tender, and reasonably portioned. The many accoutrements added layers of flavour to the already tasty pho. The broth was beef-forward, with hints of star anise and other spices, and had a pleasant viscosity that suggested that Pho Maniac is likely boiling bones to make their own broth. It was good enough for me to straight up drink the broth that remained unused for the noodles after I had finished those! My regular-sized pho was a good portion for a satisfying, but not heavy, lunch. While I'm sad that New Asia has moved on, Pho Maniac is a solid spot in its own right, and I look forward to many work lunches to come!

Cha Baa Thai - thai - Updated May 2026

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...