The food is FIRE! Delicious and authentic. The staff is very friendly too. Warming: The seating is very basic with booths like an old school coffee shop. I go for the food! read more

Went here for a Sunday lunch. The service was very friendly and attentive, and the food came out quickly. The dining area is open to the kitchen so if you like seeing you're food made it's quite a treat. The Prawn Mango Salad was incredible, though was very light on the prawn (just 3 on ours). Tangy, sweet, and the prawn was cooked perfectly. Should really be called the Mango Prawn Salad. The Pad Thai was about as good as Pad Thai gets, maybe even a little too much flavor. Good amount for $16. We were disappointed with the Crying Tiger Beef dish... Unfortunately the beef was a slightly overdone, and the sticky rice had dried out. Not worth the $25 we paid for it. Portion size was okay. We paid $60 for drinks and lunch for two which is great for Piedmont. Overall we enjoyed the experience and would come again. read more

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Service and ambience were great! Loved the prawn mango salad, but the ribeye was a bit dry. The Thai tea was also a bit watery. read more

Charm Thai Bistro - Prawns Mango Salad - Thai Near Me - Oakland, California

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I'm not sure what happened - so many great reviews so we had high hopes and had been wanting to try it after walking by many times, but this was the worst Thai food my partner and I have had together. We did take-out, but the minimal service we did experience was pleasant. The interior looked inviting and clean and was about half full. We had the Pad Phrik Khing Moo Krob, Pad Thai, and Curry Puffs. The Curry Puffs were delicious, comparable to others we'd had but with a better, more delicate, crust. We ordered Pad Thai as a standard item to compare with other restaurants. It was very middle-of-the-road but a bit stingy with the shrimp and tofu and the sauce was a little pungent (vinegar-y?). The PPKMK was nearly inedible. We appreciated that they had a mild option as it was still fairly spicy. The crispy pork belly was the worst either of us had ever had. Hard is not the same as crispy. Both of us were wondering if we'd accidentally gotten a bit of bone or gristle instead of skins until we examined more pieces and ended up having to remove all skin so we could eat it. We've had plenty of pork belly and similar types of dishes so were wondering if it was just that the take-out sat too long; we'd had leftovers and communal food that sat for hours, though, and never experienced this. The flavor wasn't too our taste, but that can be pretty subjective and maybe this just wasn't our thing. It's rare we don't finish our food or our leftovers, but we didn't feel the Pad Thai or PPKMK were worth saving. Ordering online was a mixed experience. Typical experience, but there's no estimated time until after you check out. Once we did, the ETA was 10-30 minutes - a pretty large range. We ended up waiting until getting a notification of food being ready, which was at about the 30 min mark. read more

Recommend this place if you don't have much time for lunch break. I had 30mins to eat and got in and out in that time. Service was quick and food was great! They have all the Thai classics. Thai iced tea was delish as well. Plenty of seating both indoors and outdoors. Love me some booth seating! I'm not sure why it's always so quiet in here but I'm glad I found this restaurant. read more

Charm Thai Bistro - Beef yellow Curry - Thai Near Me - Oakland, California

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Curries, puff pastries, garlic noodles were all so so yummy. Servers were super attentive, and space was perfect for our larger group of 7.

Such a fitting name. Cham Thai Bistro is a very charming little corner restaurant. We enjoyed crying tiger beef and seafood pumpkin curry. Both dishes were so flavorful and delicious. There is one server but you're not left hanging at all. They are very attentive and polite. We look forward to coming back! read more

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The food is exceptional here! Fresh well seasoned food. The menu is extensive. The mango shrimp salad was fantastic! The peanut sauce is so delicious here! Service is excellent and the restaurant is immaculate. Paid parking lot right outside. read more

Charm Thai Bistro - Khao Soi - Northern Style Curry Noodle - Thai Near Me - Oakland, California

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Charm Thai in Oakland's Piedmont neighborhood is truly a local treasure. If you're searching for Thai cuisine that transcends the usual Americanized fare and delivers genuine, complex flavors, look no further. This restaurant manages to pair deeply authentic cooking with an incredibly warm and attentive service experience, making every visit feel special. What sets Charm Thai apart is the authenticity of its kitchen. The dishes here are a masterful showcase of the foundational elements of Thai cooking: the perfect balance of sweet, sour, salty, and spicy. I've consistently been impressed by the depth of flavor in everything, from their vibrant Spicy Fish Curry, which features rich coconut milk and aromatic fresh kaffir lime, to the flawlessly executed Pad See Ew, where the noodles are properly charred with a subtle smoky wok hei. You can tell they use high-quality, traditional ingredients, and the spice levels (when requested) feel genuinely tailored to the Thai palate, not watered down. It's a genuine taste of Thailand, right here in Oakland. The level of service at Charm Thai is just as exceptional as the food. From the moment you walk in, the staff greets you with genuine smiles and hospitality. They are incredibly attentive without ever hovering; water glasses are refilled promptly, and empty plates are cleared discreetly. Our server was knowledgeable about the menu, offering excellent recommendations and happily accommodating minor dietary requests. The pace of the meal is always well-judged, ensuring you feel welcomed and relaxed throughout your dining experience. It's clear the team here takes immense pride in providing top-tier hospitality. For anyone in the East Bay seeking truly authentic Thai food served in a welcoming atmosphere, Charm Thai is a must-visit. The kitchen delivers bold, traditional flavors, and the entire front-of-house staff ensures you have a wonderful time. This is my new go-to spot for the best Thai experience in Oakland. read more

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I called ahead to confirm vegan options were available. I was told all vegetarian items do have fish sauce and oyster sauce in it by default but if you tell them not to add it, then they can omit those on select dishes, but that it must be explicitly stated. I got pad kee now without fish sauce and oyster sauce (explicitly stated and double confirmed) and it was great! The interior of this restaurant is so cute too and the prices seem affordable. I will definitely be back. I recommend double checking anything you get to my fellow vegans and vegetarians at time of ordering. E.g. only yellow curry can be made without fish sauce and oyster sauce out of the curries, so check your items correctly. read more

Charm Thai Bistro - Pad Ke Mao (veganized) - Thai Near Me - Oakland, California

Found this lovely hidden gem nearby. My parents and I came here for dinner and we were not disappointed. We sat outside since we brought the dogs with us. It wasn't too chilly and the food kept us warm. We ordered the cucumber soup, yellow curry w/ beef, red curry w/ duck, chicken Pad Gra Pow (?), and bowls of rice. There was enough food for leftovers and I ate it for lunch the next day. My favorites for this meal were the cucumber soup and the curries. Everything was delicious though! Service was good too! We will be back! read more

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Overall food is good and with very good price. The restaurant was a little bit dark at night. read more

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Excellent fresh veg spring rolls and mango salad. Friendly service. Causal and cute atmosphere.

Great lunch specials Tasty lamb and crab fried rice. Khao soy and curry are solid. Friendly space and cute decor inside. Polite and friendly staff. Have come back 3x during my lunch break read more

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Finallyyy stepped in for a meal after walking by this place on Piedmont Ave so many times! We were drawn in by the cute exterior for the most part, and the outside eating area was also cute. Quick meal, so we opted for an appetizer, the Crab Rangoons, and a Pad Thai with prawns. Food came out pretty quickly, there weren't too many people at 12:45PM on a Friday. Crab Rangoons - 4.5/5. Loaded, yummy sauce to come with, and finished first. Simple as that. Pad Thai - 3.5/5. Not bad, but nothing remarkable. I'd have wanted to try other entrees, but I usually start with Pad Thai at a new Thai restaurant! Taking this as my lesson to expand my options here. Otherwise, decent prices, nice servers/owner, and they had the cutest booth inside for a larger party - Booking for a lunch next time. read more

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Quality thai food at affordable prices. They have plenty of dinner specials and a separate menu for vegetarian food. We really liked their pork belly and they had some great sauce in their curries. Note that rice doesn't come with the entree. We had the chicken wings as an appetizer, and I think that was sadly not as good as I would've hoped. The restaurant interior is quite charming, but they also offer outdoor seating on a small patio. Parking is relatively easy as there is a whole parking lot behind and plenty of street parking. Service is wonderful and they really allow yourself to enjoy the meal without too many interruptions. read more

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People here are very nice and patient with us. We ordered catering for work event and everyone loved the food. It's delicious and well made. Pad Thai was flavorful, good portion. The Egg rolls were crispy and tasty. Mango salad have lots of mangoes in there and it was very ripped. The chicken satay was tender and tasty. We definitely will come back again for our lunch needs. I was planning to take photos but everyone got to the food before i did. Next time. read more

Nice space and great flavors.People working there were efficient and kind.Highly recommend!

Yellow curry chicken had a very deep flavor and the food came out piping hot and fresh. This restaurant is also very cute with lots of nice decor and great service :) Perfect for a date night or a nice lunch with a friend. I would just wish that the portion size was a bit larger for the price. read more

Charm Thai Bistro - Yellow Curry with chicken - Thai Near Me - Oakland, California

Recently I have found Khao Soi, a curry soup with crispy noodle topping and protein of choice, usually chicken or beef. I had errands around Oakland's Piedmont Avenue and found many Thai restaurants along this street. I had arrived at one just short of 12 noon and it was opened so I went to next one down the street which happens to be this one. On my arrival, I received a warm greeting and gave choice of table. Since I had browsed the menu online, I knew what I wanted. It's a matter of currency of the online menus. So I placed my order for khao soi with chicken and Thai ice tea. The khao soi took a short while to be delivered, the slow cooked chicken was the quarter leg which was what I was hoping for. Though for a slow cooked chicken, the meat didn't exactly fall off the bone but nonetheless fairly tender. The curry soup had all the ingredients, noodles, crispy noodles, red pepper, lime, red onions, green onions, bean sprouts. All good stuff. I like a mild yet intense curry broth, this didn't quite achieve it. Though it was enjoyable. The Thai ice tea came very colorful and of course it needed to be properly stirred. It was what a Thai ice tea should be. Wait people came often to refill my water glass. Overall, pleasant dining experience read more

Charm Thai Bistro - Thai ice tea - Thai Near Me - Oakland, California

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The Service was good and the food was delicious. Ambiance was very much a neighborhood bistro. Simple and tasty. read more

Always fresh and flavorful! Food comes out piping hot! I especially love the crispy pork belly and their curries are always delicious read more

I enjoy their curry here and the khao soi, which is mildly spicy. Great place for to-go as their restaurant is small. Love the refreshing, sun-filled restaurant with lots of parking in the adjacent lot. read more

Charm Thai Bistro - Khao soi - Thai Near Me - Oakland, California

I came here for lunch during the week. Got parking in the municipal lot right behind the restaurant. Nice but casual dining. Good service. My pad Thai was fine. I would eat here again. read more

I still love this place. My latest thing to get here is the appetizer - lettuce wraps - you can make that a whole meal. They give you tons of food with that and it is refreshing and delicious. Excellent food here and the people who work here are really nice. I love this place and will always come here! Thank you for the amazing food! read more

I can confidently say that Charm is my favorite restaurants in the Piedmont area! I have returned to this place time and time again for many different reasons. Obviously, the food is fantastic. I have tried multiple dishes, but I'm absolutely obsessed with the crab fried rice. There is also an abundance of vegetarian options. The presentation of the dishes is great, and the serving sizes are generous. I always go home with leftovers (which I enthusiastically look forward to eating the next day). The inside is warm and inviting, and it's a great place for meeting up with friends or a date night. If my friends are visiting from outside the area, this is one of the restaurants I bring them to. The staff members are very friendly, and they really enhance the dining experience. This is definitely the Thai restaurant to visit! read more

The food here is incredible Thai cuisine! Their starters and salads are some of the best appetizers. Lots of interesting takes on classic Thai and Asian dishes. Here's a list of what we tried. Crab Rangoon: A+ Crispy fried rice salad (yum nam kao tod): A+ Pork larb: B+ Crispy pork belly w/ sticky rice: B Duck curry: B Garlic noodle shrimp: B- Basil Fried rice: B+ Service is fantastic and if I lived in Oakland I would come here all the time. read more

I ordered takeout and got the wide noodle dish with shrimp. The flavor was decent, but the portion was disappointing -- they only gave me three shrimp for a $16 dish. For the price, I expected a lot more substance. It really felt like poor value for the money. read more

Order takeout and got Pad ke Mao, tom yum and the fried banana with coconut ice cream. Pad ke Mao was very good, but oily. Tom Yum okay the broth was a little too thick for me. dessert was delicious! the perfect crunch on the fried banana and the ice cream was yummy. I also appreciated the blueberry and almond slices touches. read more

Amazing. Thai. Food. Their curry is really good. The Khao Soi was all of our favorites. It had a deep and flavorful taste that didn't feel too greasy. With a good balance of crispy texture from the fried noodle on top, and acidic from the pickled cabbage and lime. The restaurant is a bit small but cozy. And the service tries as hard as they can to accommodate everyone. One of my fave thai places in Oakland! read more

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Food delicious and service was very nice. Came here after a class nearby. Couldn't figure out what to eat and the place looked inviting. We ordered the asparagus and shrimp salad, shared the green halibut and the pork and eggplant. The salad was very tasty and delicious. Asparagus perfectly cooked and that sauce was amazing with the shrimp. The halibut curry had huge chucks of fish in it and pairs perfectly with the rice. The pork and eggplant was very good too, although a bit spicy for me but has great flavor. Definitely need to come back and try other items on the menu. read more

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We have been dining at Charm since they first opened. Their food has gotten through Covid, many dinners at home and many meals in the restaurant. This review covers ALL our experiences. No one in our family has ever had a disappointing meal. The staff treats my peanut and shellfish allergy with great care. In fact it is the only Thai restaurant I have not experienced cross contamination and the inevitable hives. Personal favorites: pork belly, Tom Kay Gah, chicken, catfish, curry, but their CURRY PUFF PASTRY is to die for. This appetizer is amazing. It's both light and filling. The flavors are perfection and they reheat in the oven beautifully. Let me spend a moment on service. We are always greeted warmly, we often have a large family group with us and they treat everyone well, make a table work for us and bring the food hot and perfectly cooked. We have gone enough though not too often, that they remember us and it feels so special. I find their prices are in line with other quality restaurants in the area and we can always park easily. I enjoy the booths, throw pillows, and general lighting in the restaurant. I have never been too cold nor too hot. It is our go to family restaurant. read more

Heard about the Thai food scene in the "Town". Decided to take mom out to eat and get her out of the "City" for some fresh air. A small little shop. Friendly Thai staffers. Ordered tom yum Gai, crab fried rice, som tum and chicken satay. Everything was super authentic. Even mom said it was really good! (Mom approved). Will definitely double back for more. read more

Very nice contemporary ambiance and wide selection of menu with all the crowd pleasers. The pad thai and crispy rice salad looked quite good, especially noting that the tofu for the pad thai actually looked soft and not overly dry like fried tofu often is. The garden roll was a bit of a let down. Pros: they're visually appealing, especially if you add shrimp that comes topped on each slice, and the shrimp has a nice grilled char to it. The overall size is surprisingly enough to satisfy for a snack-size meal. Cons: The shrimp is $4 extra for 4 pieces sliced lengthwise to fool you at first glance into thinking they may be whole. The garden roll typically does not come with a protein, and the fillings alone are rather lackluster without drowning them in the tamarind and peanut sauces; I used up all of both to get through the meal. Too much cabbage and the herbs did not come through. The end result was not enough to justify the price in my opinion, though if I had tried a different dish, I may have thought differently. read more

Charm Thai Bistro - Garden Roll (shrimp extra) - Thai Near Me - Oakland, California

Walked in for dinner at about 7:15pm on a Wednesday night. Party of 3. The host/server put two small tables together for us. I've had this spot bookmarked since it newly opened on Piedmont Ave and finally got to try it with two friends. We enjoy Thai food and wanted to try a place that none of us have been to. We ordered: Papaya salad, mild Server asked us if medium spice was ok, we wanted mild, but it was no spice at all. I thought the dressing was lime forward and tangy with a bit of sweetness. This was my first time having a papaya salad with mix salad greens underneath it. Overall, just ok. Pad see ew with chicken I tried the noodles only since I don't eat meat to get a taste of the sweet soy sauce flavor. It was definitely more sweet than I'm used to. The noodles did not have a char on them or "wok hei". It didn't have a complex soy sauce flavor if you get what I mean... House curry with beef Server didn't ask us how spicy we wanted this, and we forgot to ask, oops. My friend ordered this and said it was spicy. I tried it and think it was just mild spice level. It came with lots of different veggies and tender beef. Pineapple fried rice with tofu I believe it's a curry fried rice with eggs, pineapple chunks, baby corn, carrots, raisins, cashews, topped with scallions. I always enjoy pineapple fried rice for its curry flavor and all the different textures. I thought this dish lacked savoriness and not that much curry flavor even though the grains of rice were all coated bright yellow. The raisins were sweet and so were the pieces of pineapple. I feel like it would use more umami to balance out the sweet elements. We saw that they have a crispy taro and yam appetizer but didn't order it this time. I feel like not many Thai places have this appetizer. I may come back to try some other dishes but after trying these dishes, I felt a bit unsatisfied. I've had amazing Thai food at other places, but they may just be catering towards people with a mild palette. read more

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I thought the food was fresh and delicious when I shared it with my Daughter she was highly disappointed. She said it wasn't that good for the rave comments I was giving it. The service was very friendly and accommodating. It was busy with patrons as they ate inside, and everyone seemed to be enjoying the friendly atmosphere and good food. read more

Can't believe I'm just now leaving a review - we love CTB! For the last four years or so, it's been our most frequent haunt for all occasions. Takeout or dine-in, it's a win for us every time. The food is incredible - always fresh, flavorful, and comforting. If you dine-in, it's the coziest atmosphere, and people watching on bustling Piedmont Ave is our favorite! They're so friendly and efficient every time. The fresh flowers on the table are a favorite personal touch. It's become such a staple for us that we have it pretty much any time someone visits, because everyone's always happy when we go. This will continue to be our favorite local spot. read more

Charm Thai Bistro - Pad Thai, House Curry with beef, Jasmine White Rice - Thai Near Me - Oakland, California

The lunch special was a good value and very delicious. They also provided enough brown rice to go with the curry. You have a choice of indoor or outdoor seating. I just wish that the outdoor seats were flat rather than angled back, because that's uncomfortable for my back. read more

The service was great! We felt welcomed and were sat pretty quickly (it also wasn't busy when we arrived around 4p). The food was good, it was fresh, and came relatively quick. My favorite thing was the curry puffs, they were fresh, hot, seasoned very well, and overall delicious. The dough was fried crispy and was still buttery, soft and flaky. The fried rices were good but I just wish they were seasoned a bit more. It was borderline bland but we used the sauce for the rolls on top and it made them taste much better. Overall, glad we got to try a new place and would definitely go back. read more

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This review is ONLY for their crab fried rice. It's the BOMB!! The flavors are amazing and the crab portion is generous. I will say that the halibut dish IS NOT HALIBUT!!! I don't care what they tell me at this place about their fish guy or whatever they're charging halibut prices for some kind of cheaper fish but I'm not fooled. read more