This review is much overdue as Chai Thai Noodles has earned its spot into our Bay Area restaurant rotation--usually our go to spot for the basic Thai food. My partner and I usually come for the basic comfort items like Pad Thai, Pad Se Ew, Lao Sausage, and/or their sampler. Occasionally we'd get their papaya salad, Tom Yum soup, or other entrees to share, but I do feel that they don't execute those dishes as well as the basics we frequently return for. I may be critiquing them harder than others on their papaya salad and Nam Khao because my mom does it best (no bias...). However, their portions are large and the flavors are great all around. I think they do some items better than others, but I have yet to be disappointed by any of their food. It's always great to try something new on the menu and be pleasantly surprised. But aside from the food, the customer service and ambiance encourages us to come back every time. They're kind, patient, and attentive all around. Whether we're just picking up food, dining in at peak times or during the quiet hours, they always deliver a great experience. Their dining room is fairly large and they have a softer lighting that compliments that TLC decor well. Through and through, Chai Thai is consistent and reliable. read more

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Always good here! Yellow curry Pad Thai Nam kao Fast service and great quality of food! read more

Food - I've never had a bad dish from here. From Pad Thai that everyone knows and loves to my favorite Lao noodles - Kao Piek. All so good! Service - Our server was so sweet and funny. Ambiance - You know the food is going to be good when the restaurant is located in a sketchy area. Street parking available (if you're lucky). read more

Chai Thai Noodles Hayward - Appetizer Sampler - Thai Near Me - Hayward, California

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Amazing thai food!! On par with Must be thai in SJ! Man it so hard to find really good thai places in NorCal. So happy my friend suggested this spot. We picked up food to go. Pad see ew: 5/5 excellent and not too sweet. Pad thai: 3/5 just ok Chicken larb: 4/5 pretty good and has a nice kick to it Papaya salad: 5/5 really refreshing! Pad kee mao: 4/5 yum Green curry: 5/5 excellent!!! Pineapple fried rice: 4/5 good I will be spreading the word! Open one in the South Bay please! read more

Chai Thai Noodles Hayward - Sooo much goodness!!! - Thai Near Me - Hayward, California

We found Chai Thai Noodles on yelp and decided to pass by while in town. We ordered the nam khao, beef noodle soup and pad thai. Everything was delicious! The staff were very friendly and their recommendations on dishes were helpful. The place is clean and welcoming. read more

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Had dinner here on a Friday nite (on Mother's Day weekend) and made reservations for a big group the day of. Was surprised they could accommodate a group of 13 (adults and children) on short notice. I had already tried this place a few times in the past but never left a review. Food was good but the portions were smaller than other Thai places I've been to. So it was kind of expensive for the amount of food we got. We had 2 pad Thai, 2 pad see ew, 1 pad mee kao, 2 fried shrimps (very little for the price), 1 crab fried rice, 1 pineapple fried rice, 1 eggplant dish, and a seafood salad. I liked the seafood salad, crab fried rice and pad see ew the best. Good food but just small portions. read more

Chai Thai Noodles Hayward - Thai Near Me - Hayward, California

My favorite Thai restaurants had a fire so had to look for other options in the area and came across this. They allowed us to come in 25 mins before closing and service was really nice. Restaurant was very well decorated as well. We got the vegetable rolls with shrimp (rice paper rolls) which were tasty on its own but the real hero of the dish was the peanut sauce that came with it and it was made really well. We decided to try the kaopoon which was a red curry noodle soup. I did like the curry, but it really needed to be hotter (temperature wise) and I'm not a fan of thin noodles either so I didn't like that. Would try other entree if I come back here again. read more

Chai Thai Noodles Hayward - Kao Poon - Thai Near Me - Hayward, California

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This is a Hayward Thai food spot that I love coming back to. Love catching up with my friends here. I usually park on the street around the corner or sometimes if I'm lucky I get princess parking right out front. I usually get seated right away and everything I have tried here is absolutely delicious. If you like spicy Thai food, this is the spot you have to try. When I say it is spicy, trust me and just know that your food will definitely be spicy so if you have a low tolerance, just keep that in mind when you are ordering your food. We came in a little after 1 PM and ordered fresh shrimp rolls, pad sew ew with shrimp, and the papaya salad with shrimp. Everything was soooo delicious & came out quickly. The papaya had the perfect balance of the shredded papaya, vermicelli, and other veggies and sauce. I am still thinking about how refreshing the papaya salad with shrimp was. The portions were generous enough to share between two people & then I took home leftovers to enjoy for dinner. One of my favorite things to order from here aka one of my fave local Thai spot in the hayward east bay area, is the green curry so if you stop by and don't know what to try but like spicy, creamy, and just deliciousness, try this dish out with shrimp or protein of choice & a side of rice. I didn't order it this visit but plan on it next time. The restaurant has a cute cozy vibe inside, everything is clean and with plenty of seating. The staff has always been nice, been coming here for years and look forward to my visit every time. Can't wait to return!! read more

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Tucked away on a side street from downtown Hayward, this spot is easy to drive past. There's no dedicated parking lot but the one across the street works. But the food and the service are what keep regular patrons (and their friends) coming back. They have the usual Thai dishes such as the red, green and yellow curries and pad Thai etc. and also some others such as pig's neck and fried sausage. We went here on a Friday evening and the place was busy. We got the chicken soup noodles - a flavor coconut based broth with ground chicken and chicken slices, noodles, bean sprouts and mint, and the beef noodle soup where you can choose the type of noodles you'd like. Both our dishes were delicious. We will definitely be back to sample their other offerings! read more

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Here we are again at chai Thai noodles. We went on Saturday night. It wasn't pack when we arrived thanks to daylight saving lol. It was actually somewhere past 5:30 pm. We were promptly greeted and seated. One of the young guy server and gal server were alternating attended our table. We ordered total of 4 dishes for 4 people not including the sticky rice on the side which was a must. The papaya salad was really good. The chicken larb was ok. We asked for more sour taste in our dishes but we didn't get none; however the servers brought more lemons to us as we asked which made the ALL our salad dishes much better. The table is a bit cramped but manageable. The price is reasonable. Overall, it is still one of our best to-go for Thai food. Keep up the good work there!! Thanks for all your services both on the floor and in the kitchen. read more

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Thai food is my favorite cuisine, and I've been to Thailand many times. I've eaten Thai food all over the Bay Area, and this is hands down my favorite spot for lunch specials. A lot of Thai restaurants don't offer lunch specials anymore, and if they do, they're usually very limited. Often it's just one entrée with rice, and no soup or salad. My all-time favorite lunch special used to be at Siam Thai in Cupertino, where you'd get soup, salad, an appetizer, and your choice of entrée. Everything was always delicious and a great value. After moving to the East Bay, I've been on the hunt for something comparable, and I'm happy to say I finally found it. At Chai Thai, the lunch special comes with two entrée choices, rice, and your choice of soup or salad for $17.95. For the portion size, this is an absolute steal. I ordered the green curry with beef and the stir-fried green beans (prig king) with chicken, and I chose soup instead of salad. The soup was very flavorful and had tofu in it. The green curry was thick and rich, exactly how I like it. Too many places make curry watery, but this one wasn't at all. It also had a great variety of vegetables. The prig king was excellent as well, nicely cooked and full of flavor. I asked for both dishes spicy, and they delivered. Everything was well balanced and paired perfectly with the white rice. I also recommend asking for the side of spicy condiments. The pickled jalapeños were so good. You can add Thai iced tea for just $2 more, which is totally worth it. Service was great, and they were playing R&B music, which was a nice touch. The only downside is parking since it's on a busy street, but that won't stop me from coming back. Highly recommend, especially if you love a good lunch special. read more

Chai Thai Noodles Hayward - $17.95 lunch special. Green curry w/beef, prig king (green beans), and soup w/tofu - Thai Near Me - Hayward, California

The pad see ew had no flavor it was dry and the beef was a little stiff, some veggies were cold (broccoli specifically). It tasted and the texture felt like it was already sitting there and then just reheated and boxed. The sweet sticky rice with mango was decent not that much of the coconut milk either. The good thing about my whole order was the Diet Coke was nice and cold. I would not order from here again (I ordered through Uber Eats) read more

Chai Thai Noodles Hayward - Sweet Sticky Rice with Mango - Thai Near Me - Hayward, California

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Surprisingly not a lot of Thai spots on this side of East Bay, so I was happy to find this place. Lots of seating inside and the staff are nice. Here's what I ordered: Khao Pad Nham (3/5): Simple. This was a decent fried rice, but I had never seen Nham cooked before! So this was more like a sour spam than the the typical cured pork I'm used to in Nam Khao Tod. Yum Ruam Mit Talay (4.5/5): I love a good Seafood Salad and this was the perfect salad dressing for me! I just wish it had more lettuce. It was way more seafood than veggies. The squid, mussels, and shrimp were delicious though! read more

Chai Thai Noodles Hayward - Kao Pad Nham (Perserved Pork) - Thai Near Me - Hayward, California

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Been going here for years now. It's a nice quaint spot decorated nicely. Service is always prompt and courteous! Doesn't matter who helps you, you'll be taken care of properly! There are SO many good things to order! Our usual is the catfish, eggplant, basil, pad thai w/shrimp, and fresh spring rolls. We've gotten other things like the larb and the BBQ chicken, etc. You just can't go wrong! Whatever you urge is, it'll be filled here! Best Thai spot in the area easily! Parking can be a little challenging, but it's doable! If you haven't been here, get here! read more

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I pre-ordered on Grubhub which said my order was ready when I arrived. I asked waitress if I could have my meal at the restaurant instead of to go. She wasn't sure. I waited at the restaurant for 20 minutes and no one came to check in with me. After 20 minutes I called a waiter over. He said they couldn't make my food even though others had been served. I want informed until I asked about any issues. No alternative was offered and no solution was given even though others picked up to go orders. I asked for a manager and they said no man's was on duty read more

As you can see from my photo I must have liked it lol. Went with Pad Kee Mao, full vegetarian, tofu with no fish sauce. Flavor was solid! First time there, decor provides good vibes, service was great! Super caring and on top of it. My friend went with lunch special and I was like, whoa!! Enough food for lunch and dinner, lol. Solid spot will def go back when I'm in the area again. read more

Chai Thai Noodles Hayward - Thai Near Me - Hayward, California

Always nice to go back to Chai Thai for some comfort Thai food! Been here many times, love the workers, they are always so kind and friendly. The space is well decorated too. My must order is always the Khao Soy (Thai style) and Pad Thai. I asked for some extra veggies for my pad Thai this time, still very flavorful but just slightly saucy. The khao soy was perfect, love the curry base and crispy noodles! Tried the Laos Sausage for the first time here, nice and crispy. If you can take the spicy I would suggest eating with the pepper as well, don't forget to squeeze the lemon too! Forgot to order a Thai tea this time, but I always do! read more

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Came in on a Sunday morning right around opening. No street parking, but there is a lot near by. Service was pretty good, although it did seem like they were short staffed because they told us to order soon since they only had 1 server on. Food came out pretty quick and they even brought over the spice rack for us. The yellow curry tastes so good. I highly recommend this if you're in the area. I wish the portion size for the pad kee Mao was a little bit bigger since it definitely was not as filling as the curry. There is a button on the wall to call the server over, but I'm not sure if it works all that well. We pressed it just once so they could bring over the bill, but no one showed up until they were waved over. Not a big deal though. I give it a 4.5/5 for now, rounded up to a 5. I hope they continue to higher more staff members as this place has a lot of potential. read more

Chai Thai Noodles Hayward - Chaing Mai Noodles (Kao Soy Thai) - Thai Near Me - Hayward, California

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Okay can I just say, that this is one of the few places in the Bay Area I've come across where I feel like this place is severely underrated for how delicious their food is and how excellent the service is too!!! I was surprised it wasn't packed on a sunday after 12 pm. The pad kee mao is one of the most delicious wide noodle meals I've ever had... it was cooked to perfection!! If you like it really hot/spicy, you may want to request to make it spicier. Love their fried rice dishes! This is my 2nd fried rice dish and both have been phenomenal. The pineapple and raisin combo in fried rice is so unique and so good. We requested to add crab so we didn't miss out. The fried wings were good as well, but wouldn't say it beats Chinese salt and pepper wings. Still enjoyed it nonetheless. Place feels very clean and ambiance is ample. There was a giant tv screen playing football if you don't want to miss out on the Sunday football action. Both times I've been I've had this server, a young man who is super nice and attentive, I was shocked to see him working there again and was pleased to have him again, please keep up the good work! Much love! Raquel read more

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There is not a lot of parking, there is a parking lot in the back I believe for the employees. I used a restroom and it was super cold, there was a hole in the window causing a breeze. The inside is very spacious, however there's not enough parking. read more

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My husband and I love coming here. It's our go to spot for my pad Thai cravings :) Chicken satay. Green curry. Roti. Everything I've tried is delicious. I knock them down a star because they could be bit more attentive to the take out orders. We've ordered to go a bunch of times and oftentimes realize something minor is wrong with our order once we're home. read more

I loved Chai Thai in Oakland, and I missed it so much ever since I moved to San Leandro. After I saw this location on DoorDash, I had to give it a try. My usual is their Chan Pan Poo (Mild) , Thai Tea, and their Mango Sticky Rice! Delivery was delicious ; I had a feeling in person would be even better and I was right! Today I ordered their Chan Pan Poo and Thai Tea! The waiter, Diane , recommended their Wintermelon Milk Tea with Boba, so I tried that as well. Everything was super delicious! Diane was very friendly and attentive; she made sure my order was correct and good! I'm looking forward to coming back to this location to try more dishes :) read more

Chai Thai Noodles Hayward - Chan Pad Poo (Spicy Dungeness Crab) - Thai Near Me - Hayward, California

I was really curious about Chai Thai Noodles as they are a popular Thai destination in this part of the east bay, and they seem to emphasize noodles and have different varieties than usual. Established originally in 2008 in Oakland, Chai Thai Noodles serves both Thai and Lao cuisine at two locations - here in Hayward, and a second location in Berkeley. The Laos menu influence comes from the founding mother, and Thai from the founding father. It's basically street parking next to a somewhat busy street, but we were able to find it no problem. Be a little wary of the neighborhood. - Koo Ruk (Fried Shrimp and Calamari) I thought the combination of shrimp and calamari would be interesting, but I found myself wishing it was just calamari with more pieces. The pieces were humongous, fresh, crispy, and bouncy, and it came with sweet chili sauce. - Khaknom Jin Nam Ngiao This is like some Thai version of bun rieu! I really enjoyed this because it was a soothing and savory tomato broth with pops of chili and cherry tomatoes. I like how porky it was as well, with actual pork pieces and peanuts floating around. I was asked if I wanted condiments for the noodle soup specifically, and I love the little basket of spices and pickles! They all tasted fresh and homemade, and I enjoyed eating my noodle soup with the extra variety of spicy and sour flavors. - Pad Thai (beef, no bean sprouts) We have our favorite spots for pad thai, and their rendition was solid with a good amount of noodles, chew, and tanginess. It could have perhaps used more protein and had a bit less sauciness than what we typically like. If I came here again, I'd still get this. - Thai Tea with boba Strong creamy Thai tea with well sweetened condensed milk. A little on the sweeter side, especially with boba that was alright but unnecessary. It makes sense that this is a local staple spot for Thai cuisine. Everything is flavored just right, their menu is pretty unique compared to other Thai restaurants, and they do noodles quite well. If I lived closer, I'd come for the weekday lunch specials! read more

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Really love the Kao poon here. It's a Very creamy and sweet red curry with a nice heat. Attentive and fast service when I visited. Parking sucks because it's on the main road. Thank you! read more

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This is my all time favorite Thai restaurant! I usually order on Doordash but today my coworkers and I came for lunch and it was amazing! They have great lunch special deals, good portion size and nice presentation! Food tastes just as good as it looks! The service is on point, really cool down to earth guys that served us. They were very attentive and patient! The papaya salad is one of my favorite dishes here and my favorite place for papaya salad in general. Love the yellow curry and the tom kha was super tasty! I enjoyed every dish I have had here! This is officially my go to Thai restaurant! read more

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Came back here with family after coming a few months ago and an amazing time to a horrible time here this time around. Food was good but the service and hospitality was horrible and is a clear representation of the establishment as both workers (inside and outside were on the same level of rude based on their lack of customer service). Yelling at customers? Slamming things on tables out of anger? Taking longer on drinks because the order was wrong? Not coming over when called? Ignoring "excuse me ma'am's" ...all because drinks weren't made properly? Or spice level requests weren't met? Absolutely embarrassing and not right...I've heard of bad days but not like this!! read more

Chai Thai Noodles Hayward - Thai Near Me - Hayward, California

Excellent service and lovable spot to spend time with your loved ones for an authentic food .

Food is mediocre and feels overpriced for what you get. They have parking around back so that was nice. Staff was friendly and attentive.

Really good !! I loved the fast service . Parking is tough like you low key risk your life during high traffic haha , but it's worth it ! Everyone is kind and like I mentioned everything we ate met our expectations read more

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We came on a Friday night and they were able to seat us right away. The staff were very friendly and attentive. We placed our order and our food was coming out fast! Everything was so flavorful. The portions were good compared to the price as well. The mango sticky rice is a must have for dessert! This place is located on a busy boulevard. There is only street parking available which usually gets taken. read more

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Was craving Pad Thai and looked for a good Thai place in the area-- found Chai Thai! The food was comforting and pad Thai and yellow curry were the stars of the show. The chai fried rice we should have got the barbecue chicken instead of the fried chicken-- this dish was more like a lunch combination. The whole fish was beautifully presented with plenty of veggies. Thai tea not pictured is also a much, with various flavors like lychee Thai tea and coconut Thai tea. I just I wish there was more parking, as this restaurant is on a Main Street and there is only street parking. Staff was friendly and the food was good! This restaurant is small, so I would come before dinner crowd to get a table! Definitely will come back again. read more

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I was feeling like having some noodles. Maybe ramen. Came across this and the menu looked good. It was near where I was staying so I opted to give it a try. There's only street parking so you may need to walk a bit. But it's really easy to get to. My friend adored the decor upon walking in. Especially a set of large wooden pictures on the wall. While not a huge place, it did have enough seating. It was lunch time and quite empty. I was a bit surprised. While browsing through the menu it was difficult to decide on what to order. All of the pictures and their descriptions looked and sounded good. We decided on sharing a nice bowl of Kao Poon. Coconut called out to me and this dish did not disappoint. It had just the right amount of spice. I liked how the chicken were small pieces as you got a little bit of chicken with each spoonful. Gosh I would get that again, but I know I have to try something else on the menu. We could not leave without having their mango sticky rice. It was perfect for 2 people. It was all good. Almost too good. And the young lady that waited on us was super nice. tbh I'm surprised it was not more busy during a weekday lunch. This place is great! read more

Chai Thai Noodles Hayward - Menu cover - Thai Near Me - Hayward, California

Nice interior. The service is really friendly and attentive. Thai food is great quality. read more

Chai Thai Noodles Hayward - Chicken Pad thai - Thai Near Me - Hayward, California

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Tried this place on a whim and it did not disappoint!!! The eggplant chicken was so yummy the sauce was amazing. The yellow curry was also delish!!! The service was great, fast and friendly. Too bad we didn't live closer otherwise this would be our go to restaurant. read more

Service went downhill.... Water never got refilled, co checking back after food delivered and the spices has been changed. I always ordered mild but this time their MILD has changed to much spicier.... Only 3 tables at the time but we had to wait almost 20 minutes to get our check and no one came by. I had to go get them, then had to wait for them to pick up the payment.... Not to mention, so much trash on the floor and no one care to pick them up So sad that people are not aware that there are more competitors. No matter how good the food is... service is much more important to us! read more

Chai Thai Noodles Hayward - This is their mild now... watch out if you cannot eat spicy. - Thai Near Me - Hayward, California

When I got takeout today, I remembered to take a photo before eating. I especially like their pineapple fried rice and Tom Yum Kung rice noodles, and their curry dishes are pretty good too. Overall, the food tastes great, with generous portions and quality ingredients. The restaurant has a clean and comfortable environment. For parking, you'll need to park on the street or use the parking spaces at the plaza across the road. I highly recommend this restaurant! 今天外帶的時候，我記得在吃以前給大家拍了照片。我尤其喜歡他們家的鳳梨炒飯和冬陰功河粉，咖哩系列的餐點也不差。整體味道很不錯，料多又實在。店內環境很乾淨舒適；停車的話，必須停在路邊，或是停到馬路對面的Plaza停車格。我推薦這間餐廳。 read more

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Solid Thai food with plenty of options. We decided to venture out and find some good Thai food and found Chai Thai on Yelp. Service was quick as well. read more

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Came in for my birthday dinner on a Sunday with a party of ten. We made a reservation beforehand. The space is not that big so consider that when bringing large groups. Parking around here is tight so consider that when planning as well. I got the pineapple fried rice this time with crab and no nuts. It comes with pineapple, raisins, and veggies. The portion is plenty. Food came out fast for most of us. Two of the orders were incorrect so had to go back; also one dish had nuts when it was requested to leave those off. For this our order was adjusted and other than these incidents service was good. Birthday treat was a sticky coconut rice with mangoes. For drink I got the mango fruit tea with lychee. It was too sweet for my taste. Overall this is still one of my fave spots and will return! read more

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We were in the area and wanted to eat some Thai food. This was our first time here. Service was just ok. We ordered beef larb salad, beef noodle soup and chicken pad Thai noodles. The pad Thai was good, but just a little too dry for my liking. I like my noodles with much more sauce than allotted. The larb salad was my least favorite item since it had this overwhelming bitter taste. I was expecting it to have some sort of crunchy texture, but it did not. I actually could make this item at home to be honest . My husband ordered the noddle soup and it was kinda bland. He had to add so much spice to make it taste better. Overall I would not recommend this place to anyone. read more

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Was really impressed with the spice level of the pad kee mao. Usually when I ask for spicy, it's not that spicy. But here, they showed my Caucasian friend what's up. Lol! The Chiang mai noodles were really good. I highly recommend it!! It's like a combo of yellow curry and a noodle dish! The crispy noodles on top adds the perfect crunch too. Was a little disappointed with the milk tea because it was too sweet for me, but their boba was well done and chewy, not over cooked. Came in for lunch on a Monday, and there was no wait and we got served quickly. Would come back again! read more

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