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    Chan Dara Thai Café

    4.4 (835 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Chan Dara Thai Café Photos

    Business Info

    CHAN DARA THAI CAFÉ ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Quiet
    Casual
    Good for groups
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Chan Dara Thai Café

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    Chicken Satay
    Jenny T.

    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.

    Sampler
    Felina V.

    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.

    LINA M.

    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!

    Veggie Spring Rolls & Chicken Pad Thai
    Savannah B.

    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.

    Pad Thai Beef Mild spice
    Justin C.

    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.

    Fish w sweet sour sauce and shrimp salad
    Amy K.

    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.

    Jakaria A.

    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.

    Front
    Amanda J.

    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.

    Appetizers and soup
    May Beth B.

    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.

    Pad thai with chicken
    Kylie P.

    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.

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

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    Chan Dara Thai Café Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Chan Dara Thai Café

    Are their curries made with fish sauce or are they vegetarian?

    Is their pad Thai (without egg or meat) vegan?

    You can request no egg, and choose veggies or tofu rather than meat. They are very vegan/vegetarian friendly.

    Is there anything that is gluten free or can be made that way?

    Pad Thai and massaman curry are usually safe bets but if you ask them they will help you.. they know what gluten free is and will be happy to give you options :)

    View All 4 Questions

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    Panya Thai Kitchen - Duck Mixed Vegetables with oyster sauce (just ok)

    Panya Thai Kitchen

    4.0(786 reviews)
    1.5 mi
    $$

    I've only gone here for lunch and am happy with their specials. They remind of a spot i used to go…read moreto several years ago in SD. With your dish choice you get a small soup and salad along with egg rolls and wontons. The service is quick and attentive.

    Deceptive business practices or terrible business acumen?…read more Panya Thai Kitchen is/was our favorite Thai restaurant in Escondido until it came time to pay. We were a group of six diners. We asked that four of the orders be on one check and the other two orders on a separate check; no problem. My issues arose once the bill (1st photo) arrived. The bill included a 20% Service Charge. This fee wouldn't have been a concern had this Service Charge policy been noted on the menu or somewhere diners could be made aware. We usually tip a minimum of 20% + depending on the service. The lack of transparency could be an oversight. My second, and more concerning, issue was when we received the bill (2nd photo) to sign for the CC charge. This bill showed the amount owed including the service charge all in one total, not itemized. My concern was that on the bottom of this ticket was an area that showed how much a 18%, 20%, 22% tip would be even though a tip was already included in the total. If a diner wasn't paying attention to the first bill they wouldn't realize a tip was already given and another tip might be paid. All I ask is for transparency!

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    Panya Thai Kitchen - Inside

    Inside

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    L - Eggplant dish served with rice and complimentary mini side dishes (soup, salad, egg rolls, wontons)

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    Kinaly Lao and Thai Food - Basil Fried Rice

    Kinaly Lao and Thai Food

    3.4(13 reviews)
    4.0 mi

    Food is still delicious. Now, it is a little overpriced. I find myself spending $30/person every…read moretime. Drinks and appetizers are like the price of an entree. I wanted to eat there, but they packed my entrees in a to-go container. Not sure if that is very environmentally conscious. The water is still great! No obvious tap taste! The neutral gendered bathroom is clean. There's always a drain fly though. The hand soap was watered down. I didn't like that. There's usually no customers when I go. I really hope their other locations are doing well.

    I was in the area and was craving Thai food. Found this spot on Yelp and stopped by with about an…read morehour to go on a Monday. Customer service was great as the employee made me feel welcome while taking my order. The dining room is simply decorated but still done professionally unlike some other restaurants in the area. Music wasn't too loud and lighting isn't too bright or too dim. I ordered pineapple curry with chicken, and proceeded to devour it. The curry had decent kick but was also rich in flavor. Rice was nice and fluffy despite being late in the evening right before closing. Next time I visit, I will definitely try out the Lao cuisine as I haven't tried it before. I didn't order a drink this visit but I intend to next time just to see how their Thai tea or boba is. I would definitely recommend this place if you're in the area. Parking is free and easy enough, but the donut shop in front of the restaurant has a flickering light which may irritate some people's eyes. Thai food is almost everywhere in San Diego now but not every shop has fantastic flavor. This place is worth revisiting though.

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    Kinaly Lao and Thai Food - Cream Cheese WONton

    Cream Cheese WONton

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    Darunee Thai Cuisine

    Darunee Thai Cuisine

    4.2(389 reviews)
    6.9 mi
    $$

    A little gem! So happy I finally got to try this place. I went during lunch and ordered to go…read more Walking in the restaurant is small but there are tables for people to eat there both inside and outside as well. The cashier was friendly and I only waited about 10 mins max for my food to be ready. Their lunch specials are amazing! I ordered the yellow curry, which so far is the best yellow curry I've had! The special comes with a soup and an egg roll. I also ordered a Thai tea, so yummy! I'll definitely be coming back to try their noodles and explore more of the lunch menu. Would recommend if you're looking for authentic Thai cuisine.

    I think I found my new thai restaurant in north county ! It's a small shop with maybe about 6…read moretables but to me that means it's going to be really good food because they can focus more on a smaller group. We got sat right away and they gave us sometime to look through the menu but when we were ready, I order them fried chicken rice plate and the sweet chili sauce was really delicious. We also had the tom yum soup, I would recommend letting the soup keep a bit as it took sometime to heat up and our food started to cook after a few minutes. The soup was really good, we got a spice level 5 and it had a good kick to it. I think it went well with the fried chicken and rice. My wife has the pad thai and we got a 4, the spice level was good for that and the one thing I did really like the sauce on the pad thai wasn't overly sweet like some other places. I will be for sure coming back to try other items !

    Photos
    Darunee Thai Cuisine
    Darunee Thai Cuisine
    Darunee Thai Cuisine

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    Chan Dara Thai Café - thai - Updated May 2026

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