Very intimate setting/nice family vibe restaurant. For my order I always get the spicy beef Thai fried rice and panag curry. Ive tried most of their appetizers can definitely recommend the angel wings. Other dishes I recommend: 1. Pad Thai 2. Pad Kra pow Food comes out fairly quick and is always consistent. read more

I'm extremely disappointed with the service I received as a repeat customer. Not only was my order incorrect, but when I tried to resolve the issue by calling, the staff hung up on me instead of helping. This level of service is unacceptable, especially for someone who has supported your business multiple times. I expect better attention to detail and basic customer respect. I would appreciate a prompt response and a proper resolution to this situation.If you want, I can adjust the tone (more aggressive, more formal, or adjust your tone. read more

My wife was introduced to Chan Dara through one of her colleagues and loved it. At the earliest opportunity, we went together as I love Thai food. The service at Chan Dara was friendly and prompt. The single waitress was kept busy with quite a number of patrons visiting. I found the menu to be ok, my favorite dish, Ka Prao, a Thai mainstay, noticeably missing. So, I ordered a Thai noodle dish, which arrived hot, with the spice level I ordered, and in abundance, so I could make a left-over dinner of it at home. The ambiance at Chan Dara is typical for a store-front restaurant, not fine dining, but also not just a take-out joint with a few tables. I enjoyed the experience with the carve-outs described above. Pricing was appropriate for the quality of the food and service. read more

Had dinner at Chan Dara last night with my family.....we usually order pretty much the same thing every time we go to Chan Dara...the food is good....the service was good ....and they keep the restaurant itself clean....they have booths and table seating...we sat at a booth...which was comfortable for us. read more

My parents discovered this place recently and took me here to try it out. We arrived a little bit after 5pm in order to beat the dinner rush, and were seated right away. We ordered the Satay Chicken ($9.95 for 4 pieces), Som Tum (Papaya) Salad ($11.95), Tom Yum Shrimp Soup ($8.95), See-Eyew Noodles with Chicken ($14.95), and Pineapple Fried Rice with Pork ($15.95). Both the noodles and the rice were so good, and I would come back for those. Everything just smelled and tasted so aromatic and they tasted just as great the next day. I was not a fan of the papaya salad. It came with this wedge of raw cabbage which I'm assuming is to wrap the papaya in? Personally, I could have done without it. The salad was also marinated with so much vinegar that it was the only flavor in the dish that I could taste. I don't know if the vinegar just wasn't given enough time to marinate into the papaya, but it just tasted like straight vinegar. Service was fine, they only came to take our orders and take the food to our table. I think they only checked up on us once and there were times when we tried to flag them over but they just walked right past us. By the time we were leaving, the place was packed and there was a wait outside. Food here was great so I'll be coming back here whenever I'm craving Thai food. Next time I'll have to try one of their curries as well. read more

See all

Second visit to Chan Dara was just as yummy as the first time! We enjoyed a sampler, which mostly filled us up before our entrees arrived. Service and ambiance are as lovely as the food. I'll continue coming back for more authentic Thai food from Chan Dara. read more

Chan Dara Thai Café - Sampler - Thai Near Me - Escondido, California

See all

I seen and saved this place that I found on Yelp. I wasn't thinking of giving it a try until later until I was going for sushi next door and realized hey that's the Thai place I just saved! So I immediately wanted to try. Located in a large plaza with plenty of parking. Service was straight to the point. As mentioned by many others' reviews, there's 2 ladies working. The older lady who looks to be Thai mixed with Chinese who's very straightforward and seems grumpy but I think that's how she is. There's another younger woman who's much younger and more personable and friendlier. I ordered takeout and the food came out in a reasonable time. I ordered beef spicy noodles and yum beef salad. The nicer lady took my order and asked me for spice levels for both items 1-10. Me not thinking it was going to be spicy like that got an 8 for the salad and 10 for the noodles. The lady was surprised and I assured her I'm Lao and can handle the spice lmaooo man I underestimated their spiciness thinking it wasn't going to be that spicy like other places. And nowhere in these reviews mentioned their spice levels are no joke so let me be the first to tell you lol don't get me wrong it's good spice the way I like it but boy was it spicy!!! My son couldn't eat it but I enjoyed it and it was kicking my butt too lol but I loved it! The flavorings were there for both items. The salad was very flavorful and juicy. The noodles were spicy and flavorful and not bland. Loved it! read more

See all

Super delish! Fast and good service. Place is always clean! We always get tempura vegetables, yellow chicken curry and spicy fried rice! So good. read more

Food and service were great despite them being short handed. It's quiet and unassuming.

I ordered my food takeout via phone and after I ordered, they told me the time for pick up and hungup on me, so I had to call back to get the total. Definitely understand (and love) when a business is busy, but there's no need to rush an order that was 2 dishes and hang up. My food is ready when I get there and I pay upon arrival. Small spot inside with a few tables taken by small groups of people (no outside seating). I ordered 4 veggie spring rolls and a chicken pad thai for $26. Average pricing I guess nowadays but thought that was a little expensive. Spring rolls were super yummy and the peanut sauce was great, wish they were bigger containers but I definitely should've ordered more knowing I love to dip. Chicken pad Thai was kind of dry, not very saucy and lacked flavor. read more

Chan Dara Thai Café - Veggie Spring Rolls & Chicken Pad Thai - Thai Near Me - Escondido, California

Came hungry with a group of 8 golfers after a round at the Welks exec course. We got seated immediately at 6:30 pm with no reservation which was awesome. Our waitress was very friendly and funny. I ordered the pad Thai beef mild. The food came out quickly and was delicious. The noodles were sweet, tangy, and umami although the beef could have been a bit more tender. Word of caution: dress warm if you get cold easily! The AC was strong when we came. Overall this is a solid Thai spot in north San Diego. read more

See all

Food has always been fresh. Tasty. Great service. No issues, no notes. I've eaten there only once and the ambience was chill n nice. I've always called in for pick up and taken our order home- they package everything nice and neat, no spillage and everything is always super tasty. Our fav is the Pra ram with chicken, the mussaman curry with tofu and see -eyew noodles...so yummy! They always ask about your spice level, which is really nice and awesome. Tasty Thai tea too! read more

Amazing Thai food here!!! The yellow curry and drunken noodle is the best-- we take to go but eating in shop is also fabulous time. Best thai in north county for that matter! read more

I have been going to this restaurant for years. It's always been a great meeting spot for lunch with perfect portions and healthier choices. The owner is always sweet. Always remembers me even after years. It's a smaller place but gives a great vibe and good people. Still has the same tasty food. Drunken noodles to the pad Thia. read more

What a gem in Escondido! I usually come here to order the green curry. The star dish! They have one of the best green curries in San Diego. The curry egg noodle was also delicious. It's in between a dry and wet dish. I don't really like their pan fried noodles here as it tasted good but there are not enough noodles ratio to meat/veggies and the noodles are stuck together. I like pan fried noodles at charm Thai Rancho Bernardo. Typically, I also order Tom kha soup, fried rice or spicy pan fried noodle, fried fish w sweet and sour sauce, shrimp salad. Shrimp salad leans on the spicier side so go low on the scale. They are super fast for take out, wait 15-20 min. They do not have beer here. read more

Chan Dara Thai Café - Fish w sweet sour sauce and shrimp salad - Thai Near Me - Escondido, California

Went there for dinner on Saturday night. Have plenty of parking looks like a ghost town, food didn't take that long but waiter just took the order and drop off the food and disappeared, should have checked the water and after drop off the food do we need anything, or how is the food? Food was better than the service, except the egg roll not sure they buy it or make it need the check on the salt. We both felt little too salty. read more

See all

Food is still great and this server is the sweetest little lady that I still enjoy seeing! I believe they may have changed their spice level running because we ordered all of our dishes and level three last night, and there was no spice at all. Maybe I will go for a level 10 next time! Quiet and clean little place to enjoy your food. Please come! read more

My girlfriend and I came here for dinner on a Tuesday evening. It was not busy and we were immediately seated at a booth. I ordered the chicken and string beans (spicy lvl 7 out of 10) and my friend ordered the see-eyew noodles (0 spice). We both enjoyed our dishes. I didn't feel like lvl 7 spice was that spicy but I also like very spicy food. Service was okay. read more

See all

The food was delicious. We got there at a great time because once we ordered, it got super packed with people. I ordered the See eyew noodles. Your spice can range from 1-10. Im not a spicy person so I got zero. I would come back again and eat here. I want try the thai tea with boba for sure and some of the desserts. I cant remember what my friend ordered but she liked it. read more

See all

Hands down best thai in San Diego! I have been coming to Chan Dara regularly for almost 10 years and it's only gotten better over time. You really can't go wrong with any menu items, but definitely recommend their pad thai, massaman curry (if you like peanuts), fresh spring rolls, and their thai tea boba. I typically order takeout, which is usually pretty quick, but the dine-in experience is also pleasant. It's locally owned and the family who runs it is friendly and attentive. Interior is nicely decorated and there is plentiful parking. Definitely a must visit if you're in North County San Diego and craving thai. read more

Chan Dara Thai Café - Pad thai with chicken - Thai Near Me - Escondido, California

Food Service and freindliness of servers. I definitely felt like family. And the Panang curry is the best in all the county of San Diego. You gotta try their fabulous short ribs Thank You for a great experience. read more

Went here because of high ratings and our favorite was closed on Mondays. The spicy (drunken) noodles was what I was craving and it did not hit the spot. Their yellow curry however is one of the best I have had. Ordered a 6 and was not very spicy at all. The service was okay--the server was not nice but straight to the point. We ordered their calamari and it tasted/looked exactly like the frozen ones from Trader Joe's. read more

Quiet little thai restaurant with amazing staff! Our waiter was so sweet and definitely went above and beyond to make my kids happy today. My picky daughter didn't really want to eat her food, and he came to offer her a cookie if she ate her food first. And she happily gobbled up some of her food afterwards! Definitely a super great guy, wish I caught his name. We ordered their tum yum, pad thai, pad see ewe, and khao gra pow. Everything was flavored well and portions were good for the price. We were sharing the dishes with the family, so I was glad the waiter offered to put the spices on the side for us to add it ourselves. I also got a thai tea with a free refill! The tea was strong and not diluted. read more

See all

At long last!!! I have finally found an authentic Thai restaurant in San Diego that prepares ANGEL WINGS!!! YAY!!! I have searched high and low for decades... and I finally found it! And it's good. So good. Start with an Angel Wing, get Pad Thai with the spicy round of spices, wash down with a thai tea ( they have that great chewy ice). The most legit I've had in a long time! Polite and efficient service and plenty of parking. This place is a winner and worth a trip. Il be coming here now that I know it's here. You should come too and try their ANGEL WINGS!!! read more

See all

This place set my palette on fire in a great way. I truly enjoyed the food, service and prices. So delicious and tasty. read more

See all

I've been here a few times and decided to write a review now. The food here is consistently good. Dine-in experience is always good too. I'm a fan of the Angel wings, the Thai tea with boba, the yellow curry, and their rad nah. The gravy is perfectly made. I've also done take out orders of the broccoli, chicken satay, and the red curry, and I've been very happy with everything I ordered from here. A little slice of comfort of Thai food in north county. I'm all for it. read more

Chan Dara Thai Café - My Rad nah, Thai tea with boba, and my husband having yellow curry. - Thai Near Me - Escondido, California

Delicious authentic Thai food in a plain but clean and comfortable environment. I usually get the Green Chile vegetable dish with tofu while my dining companion always opts for pad Thai with chicken. I recently got bold and asked for spicy number 7, but the spice level was not too high. Perfectly cooked, the vegetables were just right. Service is usually pretty fast. It's important to remember that even if the kitchen is slow on a particular day that the restaurant has a big take-out business. Both the servers and kitchen are always busy, not lazy. Yes, the server is sometimes the elderly lady who others have reported as being grouchy. We don't let that bother us and just marvel at her mobility and promptness. Price is comparable to other restaurant's dinner and lunch menus. The lunch special here, seven days a week, is a good deal. We've never had a bad experience over the ten years we have been going to Chan Dara, and guests from out of town we take there for Thai food have complimented the flavors and service. I do recommend. read more

Absolutely Delicious!!!! I'm saying it again.. Absolutely Delicious!!!! I stumbled across this wonderful gem and I'm blown away. I ordered the Pad Thai with chicken and the Thai fried rice with chicken Togo. The service was amazing. As soon as I entered this establishment I was greeted immediately. This establishment was so clean and the vibe so relaxing. I've had Thai food all around San Diego and other neighboring cities and nothing comes close to this place. As soon as I got home I started eating and couldn't put my fork down. To those looking for amazing food, reasonably priced and worth every penny and then some. Look no further. I will be back. read more

Chan Dara Thai Café - Thai fried rice with chicken - Thai Near Me - Escondido, California

We came on a Friday night, for an early dinner. We ordered the sampler appetizer - which could be a persons meal. But we wanted to try everything, and we did!!! The fresh spring rolls are among the best in San Diego County, if not the best all around. The crispy spring rolls, same story. Thru fried tempura vegetables were the perfect blend of fried and cooked perfectly. The chicken satay, two pieces - Yum! I had TallGirl and AdventurousAunt report back on the shrimp (due to my allergy), they both gave thumbs up! For entries, I'm a solid heat level 2, as was TallGirl and AdventurousAunt. We felt that was spiced perfectly for us. With that huge sampler, none of us finished our meals, not for lack of trying. We had Pad Thai, Spicy Noodles and Gai Kua. All were cooked as expected and to our exact liking. I do travel with a service dog, who sees the undersides of a good amount of tables. The under sides of these tables are nice and clean and he didn't have any unexpected snacks. Which is a complete pass in my book. We did have opportunity to hear a completely rude, annoying and mean customer during our visit. During which the staff member, was nothing but kind and professional. She handled the rudeness without flinching. And she went to help other customers and that interaction didn't impact other customers at all. I'd also like to say, in the times we have been here, we have never had rude or surly service from anyone. I'd also like to note that this is a family business, and not every culture communicates in the same way. So, if you are expecting direct eye contact, that may be considered rude in other cultures. And not everyone has English as their first language, as such their speech patterns may be "short" or not as you may expect. The food here, be it take out or dine in is flipping amazing!! Stop here. Leave your preconceived notions and prejudice outside. read more

See all

Great services and delicious foods Pro: - delicious beef salads (little salty) - good pad see ew & pad thai - 1 free thai tea ( good!!) - great services. Servers are very nice and helpful! - spacious free parking spaces Cons: - No alcohol ( no big deal) read more

See all

BEWARE - PRICES ARE DOUBLE WHAT IS SHOWN ONLINE. I was in the area andwas craving Thai food. This showed up on my search, so I pulled up their website, made a selection and called the number listed. When arriving, the total they tried to charge me was double what was listed on the website. When I question them, they said the website hadn't been updated in many years. How would I have known that?! They said if I had told them I was ordering off the website they would have told me the price was now double, and that if I don't like it, I can leave the food. That's exactly what I did. What a shame and what poor customer service. read more

First of all, don't let the outside discourage you. They are located in a pretty run down and empty shopping complex. It looks like the only open shop. We came here around noon on a Saturday. Upon arrival we were greeted by the super friendly lady and seated immediately. The other two tables of customers seemed like they were regular customers that came on a weekly basis. We ordered a couple of basic meals such as the Tom Yom soup and Pad Thai. We have high tolerance to spicy level so we got level 8 for the soup and it was right on. Not too spicy to the extent of not being able to eat it but a great kick to kick the sickness way if you have a cold. It was nice and sour as well. All of their dishes were seasoned on the saltier side so if you are watching your salt intake maybe have some rice on the side. The chicken satay was super juicy and not salty. The peanut sauce went so well and the cucumber was sweet and crunchy. What is also great here is that you get one free refills on Thai ice coffee and Thai tea! That is unheard of. They do come with a lot of ice but with the refill it is totally worth it. Clean restaurant and great service from the staff here. We had a pleasant visit. read more

See all

I really enjoyed Chan Dara Thai. The service was so pleasant even when they got super busy. The server made great suggestions and she was just so sweet. We got the Yellow Curry with Steamed fish and rice. Level 3 for the spice. They have really great sambel....really friggin spicy!!! So if you like it hot, you got it! Curry was good. I will get it again but I will add extra veggies too. We also got the Spicy Noodle with Beef. Tiny bit salty but still really good. That was a suggestion from our server. We will definitely order that again but with another protein. Our last dish was the Eggplant with Thai Basil and Chicken. Now if I'm going to nit pick then I would have wanted more eggplant. Most people like dishes heavy on the protein... I'm weird. I like it heavy on the veg. All of this said.... We had a great meal and wonderful service! I definitely recommend this restaurant read more

This is one of our favorite Thai restaurants in Escondido. The lady, who I think is the owner, is the sweetest! We have only dined in once. We usually order take out, but the food is always great. read more

Got here during one of the busiest time.. which is dinner time.. although this place is small they try to accommodate every customers that walks through their door.. we got seated in a decent time.. before ordering food, they did let us know before hand that the food wait time may take a little longer than expected.. which we are fine with.. as long as we know up front.. I did wished they had brought out our drinks earlier though.. but it's not enough to dock them off a star for that reason.. we ordered 3 Thai tea which didn't come until our food was already out... if you're a dumpling lover, definitely try their dumpling their sauce is something else! a lot different than the dumplings I've had.. their curry never disappoints me.. one of the best of both worlds; mixing the spicy (red) and sweet (yellow) curry together.. their soup is good and great for sharing with others.. which is a plus for us.. definitely will be back to try other entrees they have. read more

See all

Food very good. Host very attentive. Cozy ambiance. Yellow Curry Chicken. Drunken Noodles w BBQ pork. Spicy Fried Rice w BBQ Pork which we ordered twice--so good. read more

Chan Dara Thai Café - Drunken Noodles w BBQ Pork, Spicy Fried Rice w BBQ Pork; Yellow Curry Chicken, egg rolls, iced Thai beverage - Thai Near Me - Escondido, California

Have been coming here past 4-5 years. Smaller business, there is only one person in front for seating, taking order but she is very nice and patience. We try every items on the menu: tom yum soup, yellow curry, pad thai, pad see ew...and Thai tea free refill just for us. The kitchen staffs are friendly and nice. Now every time we come, the owner knows what we like and treat us like family! read more

Good thai food! Everything I didn't eat at the table I definitely took it home and devoured it as leftovers!! Didn't make it as spicy as my dad wanted but I was okay with it! And love the ladies that work there! One is a bubbly happy person and the other is soooo grumpy hahaha but it's quite entertaining read more

Chan Dara Thai Café - Panang curry with chicken - Thai Near Me - Escondido, California

See all

Good yummy food, great service and perfect cozy place. The staff felt like they knew everyone that walked in. If you are in the area then definitely try it. read more

A hidden gem; the food is excellent! The service was friendly, and the portions were just right! We visited on a weekday, and it wasn't very crowded. The ambiance was pleasant. read more