They set a very high bar for Kaphrao for sure. My 1st experience here I tried the custom Kaphrao bowl and it was the best Thai dish I had in a long time. It was new for me even though I have been going to Thai for many years. I have went back to a few previous favorite spots and tried their version, NOPE. This is the BEST for sure. I like with ground chicken or ground pork, I love that I can add several greens to my bowl and when you say medium spice its on FIRE (In a great way) I always have some left overs too so dinner is a bonus. I wish they had more indoor seating, this chef should have his own place for sure. They added some and it works but Id love to see more. My wife gets the shrimp usually and jumbo is an understatement, HUGE shrimp and also makes an amazing bowl. Just wanted to add one more review and my vote for top Thai spot in CM and surrounding. HB used to be the king, but this spot is shaking things up. read more

Found this spot because it was offering a bogo deal on Uber Eats. I ordered the chicken Kaphrao bowl and Thai tea. I ordered the bowl "LA Spicy" which I thought would be a little bit spicier than mild but it ended up being very spicy! It was hard to eat and I drank my whole Thai tea by the time I made it halfway through my bowl. This was a fine spot to stop at since it had a deal, but I'm not rushing back. read more

Kaphrao Express - Ground Chicken Kaphrao (Real Thai Holy Basil) Over Rice with Thai Fried Egg and a Thai tea - Thai Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Wow pleasantly surprised. I was just looking on DoorDash and these rice bowl caught my eye. I love pork jowl, basic, and a good fried egg. This hit all of those marks. Rice wasn't dry, pork jowl was so tender and flavorful, lot of basil flavor, fish sauce for dipping was super delicious. Egg was cooked perfectly with it being crispy on outside and runny on inside. This was even after getting it delivered. It's rare that I give 5 stars but for this "fast" food this deserves it. I want to try all the other bowls now read more

Kaphrao Express - Thai Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Stopped in after being recommended this spot by a friend. This is a tiny spot that is more geared for takeout vs dine in. There is a row of high bar tables along the side wall that would allow for maybe 10 people. They have an order kiosk which is always nice, I love that their system shows the estimated time to make each item which sets the expectation. The downside with the kiosk is they do not have a payment terminal set up so you add all your items and when it asks you to pay you have to go to the cashier to submit the payment, there was no sign explaining this which led to some confusion. I ordered the pad Thai with crispy pork and pork egg rolls. Both were a 10/10 and I would gladly get them again! If in the area stop by this spot read more

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Do NOT sleep on this place! A friend treated me to lunch here and it was by far the best Thai street food style I've enjoyed since moving back to OC. Everything looks and sounds delicious on their menu. I've yet to travel to Thailand (but lived in Europe and Indonesia/Bali so I feel somewhat savvy on street foods) Can't wait to try one of everything! I'm not even a fan of crispy pork, but even that one looks delicious and worth a try. Keeping an open mind to try some more of these popular street food flavors. read more

Kaphrao Express - 9/2026 - Thai Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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I ordered the #2 Kaphrao (Thai Basil) Fried Rice with ground chicken and felt the portion size was good for the price ($15). The menu is very customizable; after choosing the base, you select what type of protein you'd like and also the spice level, levels 0-3. The staff was very friendly when taking the order. I believe everything is made fresh, and the wait time was about 15 minutes after ordering. Seating is limited, with only bar-style seating, but overall it was a nice experience! read more

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New to the area and have been trying out different spots, and this Thai place is by far my favorite! I tried Kaphrao #1 for the first time and ended up loving it. The dish is full of flavors and is sharable because of its generous portions. I got mine with shrimp, noodles, egg, and veggies. Definitely makes the place stand out since I haven't seen it at other Thai places. It was recommended by a guy named Neil. He gave me a rundown of the menu, giving me great suggestions, and was super accommodating. They cater to your spice level and have a lot of options for protein. I also got a classic Thai iced tea, which had the right balance of sweetness and cream. Love that it's made fresh to go, considering the service was quick! Could not recommend this place more, shoutout to Neil for making my takeout visit. Will be coming back! read more

Kaphrao Express - Kaphrao #1 - Thai Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Ummmmm... AMAZING!! So happy I stopped by to try this new thai spot! So freakin' good!!! Very tasty and flavorful! Did not expect to be blown away. The cashier was super helpful in helping me choose from their food options. Staff is the sweetest, they even offered to help walk me out to the car with my food since I had my baby with me. Great service, great food! I will definitely be coming back! read more

Kaphrao Express - Thai Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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I have to start off and say I love Thai food. It's one of my wife's and my favorites. I happen to find this place because my son went there and told me about it. I also then tried it and have been there 4 or 5 times and loved it. It was one of our favorite go to places for takeout. I went there the other day on Labor Day and was so happy that they were open. I ended up ordering on the phone a pad Thai with chicken and broccoli and to make sure it is very mild. After the first few times of going there and ordering it mild, it was too spicy then we ordered no spice and that had really no flavor so that's why I ordered very mild. I stressed three times very mild two times chicken as well as broccoli a couple of times. I was told the order will be ready in 10 minutes. My wife started to eat it and said this is too hot for us. I tried it myself and agreed. I called up and talked to the owner who has always been very nice and cordial and friendly to me. He apologized because he said he thought the order was supposed to be spicy. I said one of the problems is when I called the music was on so loud the girl cannot hear me taking my order so that's why I had to repeat myself over and over he said come back and I'll give you another one if I wanted, which I did. When I was there just before they put the lid on I noticed there was no broccoli. I mentioned it to the girl assembling it and she told the owner and he said he forgot but prepared a batch of broccoli for me when I got home, I noticed there were two boxes, one for the pad, Thai and one for the broccoli which is a disaster. The broccoli was not mixed in with the pad Thai, so it had none of the spices and flavors so it was pretty bland. The pad Thai was stuck together some parts had flavor, but most of it was not some parts were very spicy. Most of it was not. Needless I won't be returning. read more

We wanted thai so we tried this new place since it's close by. We were super excited because the menu was extensive and they had good reviews. We ordered through DoorDash, chicken thai basil, fried rice, chicken pad tha and chicken gyozas. I could not eat my meal (chicken thai basil) because it was entirely too salty, I tried to eat just the rice without meat but it did taste like Thai at all not even any basil. My husband ate his pad thai but said it wasn't that good. I liked the vegetable variety that you're allowed to pick for fried rice dishes but was too disappointed with my thai basil that only ended up eating the gyozas. I requested a refund for the Thai basil through DoorDash but it denied my request....so lesson learned at least we now know we tried it. read more

The food was so good! The menu is very simple. Six dishes that can be made with different proteins. Great flavor, good size portions, fresh ingredients and very delicious. We met the owner Jacob who said he has 4 other restaurants in Bangkok so you know the food is authentic. With that said, the space itself needs attention. If you have low expectations on ambience, this place delivers the five stars I have given it. I will definitely be going back. read more

Pretty fast, food is good, price is affordable, would come again. Location is pretty convenient

We were starving after moving our son all day and stopped in late Sunday night, around 8pm. We had Pad Thai & Pad See Ew with Shrimp and it was ALL AMAZING! My husband was especially pleased bc they assured him it was gluten free, as he has Celiac and can't get contaminated by gluten. Everyone there was very friendly. The ambience is good but very little places to sit, as it seems to be a local take-out spot. If we lived closer to our son, we'd be there weekly. LOL We very much appreciated the amazing late Sunday night dinner. Can't wait to return the next time we visit our son. read more

Amazing authentic Thai food. I love the smokinesss of their noodles and they always give juicy large pieces of meat!! My fav is the pad see we chicken but honestly all are good. read more

My pork belly with noodles was a well balanced meal. Love how you get the option to include countless amounts of veggies. read more

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Call me basic but I will always order pad Thai when I get Thai food- and this place may just have the best one I've had in a long time. Theirs is what I imagine the pad Thai would be if I had it in the streets of BKK. Perfect balance of sweet & savory, not greasy, and they do not skimp on the portion. The restaurant itself is small but very clean and the owners are super friendly! Will def be coming back to try everything else on their menu. read more

Kaphrao Express - Shrimp Pad Thai and ground beef kaphrao with duck egg- both delicious. - Thai Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

L-E-G-I-T!!! There is a lot of good Thai food in the area and I'm convinced that the team at Kaphrao is already upper decile. Super authentic flavors and great portion sizes - I'm excited to try more of the menu! read more

Came in for lunch earlier today and got the Kaphrao dish, the #1. Neil helped me out and made a good recommendation for the meat and veggies AND he cooked it afterwards too. Wow! Great food and service. The menu is a little confusing and overwhelming with all the pictures on the walls, but very helpful staff to answer questions and help you order. Will definitely come back and try another dish soon! read more

The food was delicious! Totally recommend. The portions are perfect and price justifies it. We ordered chicken pad Thai and beef pad see ew. We even had leftovers. We will definitely be back again! read more

I am Thai and very picky when it comes to Thai food. This place specializes in kaphrao this is a dish that we all grew up on. In Thailand this dish is more popular than Pad Thai. It is so hard to find a place that makes this authenticity and this place is it! We ordered the minced chicken and minced beef. Very tasty will be back. read more

Kaphrao Express - Ground Beef Kaphrao (Real Thai Holy Basil) Over Rice with Thai Fried Egg - Thai Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Staff was friendly and attentive. Price point is fair. However I didn't find it stand out or better than other Thai places in the area. Noticeably less vegetables in both of our dishes. The Thai basil dish and pad kee mow. Lots of rice and noodles. Moderate meat. Too few veggies. Very few onions. I love vegetables so it's a bummer we can't add more. Did take out and didn't get a receipt or napkins. Probably won't come back. Maybe I should've got my usual Pad Thai or Pad see ew. Oh well. Also- they do not have curry, just worth mentioning. read more

Wanted to try this place and find some good Thai, was disappointed. Walked in and they were cutting raw chicken right next to the serving station and cash register, not very appetizing or sanitary. Picked out the food subway style, not my favorite fine, then had it cooked. What came out was dripping in oil., maybe the flavor was ok but so oily impossible to tell. The seating in this place suck it seems like it's for Doordashing only? They don't even have a trash can inside to self buss your food? Overal not impressed. I won't be back. read more

The food here is too good and a great value. I have eaten almost everything on the menu. My favorite so far is the number 3. You can add the protein you like, but choose the chicken on this. Must try. Nothing fancy, but reminds me of the food I had in Thailand Freshly cooked natural ingredients. Come check it out! read more

Kaphrao Express - Coconut Water - Thai Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Came in earlier today and was helped by Neil, who gave great service and a great recommendation for the pad kee mao dish, which was amazing. It was cooked well and the flavors were wonderful. Definitely will be back again! read more

This is the best Thai food I've had since I moved to the US from Asia! The Kaphrao has the right flavours and can be legitimately spicy. This is for sure going to be in our weekly rotation. Staff is the sweetest and the place is extremely clean as well. read more

The food was authentic Thai food. The service was very good. They gave very good recommendations. The place was clean and comfortable. Price was reasonable and fast service. read more

Kaphrao Express - Ground Beef Kaphrao (Basil) white rice with egg - Thai Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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Came to the restaurant it's nice and clean with Thai street vibe. Ordered pad see eaw with jumbo crab level 2 spicy. Flavor is very good the noodle is moist with the right amount of spice! Will def come back n try other dishes read more

Kaphrao Express - Pad see eaw with jumbo crab! - Thai Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Yummm. The ground beef kaphrao tasted delicious. Never had kaphrao before, but I'm a fan now! This is a little shop, but great service. Food is cooked fresh. Would come back. read more

Kaphrao Express - Ground Beef Kaphrao (Real Thai Holy Basil) Over Rice with Thai Fried Egg - Thai Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Food was delicious and the serving size was quite big too. Look at the eggs in this picture. Definitely coming back again soon. read more

Kaphrao Express - Beef Steak Kaphrao with Triple Dao Soles on Top - Thai Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Tried out a new Thai spot that just opened and wanted to share a quick review! Chicken Pad Thai (added shrimp): The shrimp were a 10/10 -- large pieces, cooked well, and very tasty. Unfortunately the chicken itself was not great. I'd rate the chicken about 1/5. It had very little flavor and the texture was a bit odd -- kind of slippery/almost slimy when you bite into it. They do give you a good amount of meat, but I'd personally skip the chicken next time and just stick with shrimp. The Pad Thai overall leaned more on the dry side, not super saucy, so I ended up squeezing extra lime on it which helped bring the flavors together. Spicy Basil Chicken (spice level 1): This one was good. The ground chicken had much better flavor and texture than the chicken in the Pad Thai. I ordered it with a fried egg on top and mixing the egg into the rice definitely made the dish better. Like the Pad Thai, it was also a little on the dryer side, but still enjoyable. Egg Rolls: Pretty basic egg rolls. They didn't come with a dipping sauce, so when I got home I dipped them in some sweet chili sauce and that definitely improved them. Service & Overall: The staff was friendly and the service was quick, which is always a plus. Overall, I'd definitely go back again and try some of their other menu options! read more

Kaphrao Express - Thai Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

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I walked in and the staff was on a phone call with their phone out on the counter where the food is prepped. They go to wash their hands before helping me and only washes with water. I also don't know how I feel about the raw meat being out on the line like that, at subway the meat is deli meat and cooked, here the raw pork/chicken/etc were all out and uncovered. I still got my chicken fried rice and tried it because I love Thai food and want to find a place near me, and the food is good. The impression the place left though, I'm not sure I'll come back. read more

Couldn't give this place a higher rating! The owner Jacob was super kind and very nice to talk to over our meal. The inside is super clean and had great decor aswell. We got the number 1 level 2 spice, pad Thai level 2 spice, and the Pad see ew level 1 spice. Everything was FRESH and hot. The level two spice was perfect for spice lovers lol! I am amazed at the quality of food and will definitely return to try their steak pad Thai. Please come out and support them for some real Thai food! read more

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The food was amazing and came piping hot from the wok. I don't know how they make the food so good, but the umami hit different, making it so satisfying. Only 8 places to sit and you face the wall, though. Also, they dont serve ice water, which is weird. 5 stars for the food. read more

Had the thai basil and it was delicious. Good amount of food too and lots of options for protein and veggies. Delicious. Not much seating and no tables, just chairs against a wall. Great spot read more

Ordered the Moo Crispy Fried Pork Belly Kaphrao Over Rice with Fried Egg. So tasty, fresh, delicious and well-done. Would absolutely try again and will order the other bowls as well! I was in Thailand last year and this food felt as authentic as the street food style with amazingly fresh ingredients and flavor. The owner and staff are so nice and welcoming. Highly recommend this place !! read more

Kaphrao Express - Moo Crispy Fried Pork Belly Kaphrao Over Rice with Fried Egg - Thai Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

Came in earlier today and Neil helped me out. He was very accommodating and walked me through the whole process of ordering and made a great recommendation. Great service and great flavors. I got the #1, Kaphrao dish and it was amazing. Definitely recommend this place if you have a Thai craving! read more

Love the food!!! I ordered the beef kaphrao and chicken pad thai (haven't eaten this yet) but I had to leave a review. This is the best kaphrao I've had, and I will 100% be coming back if I'm ever in the area. The bowls are also a surprisingly decent size, as they fill it up with your choice of 3 veggies, your protein, rice, and an egg on top. read more

Kaphrao Express - Beef Kaphrao (Basil) Fried Rice - Thai Near Me - Costa Mesa, California

I'm Thai and super picky with real authentic Thai food. I usually have to go to LA Thai town to get some authentic Thai. But this spot? Hands down one of the most authentic Thai spots in OC. Only small complaint is the owner didn't make it spicy enough even though I spoke Thai to him and told him if it ain't spicy I'm not eating it but in summary, super bomb ass Thai food. Excellent job and highly recommended read more

Won't be going here anymore because the entire indoors is covered with AI flyers for their food. Looks so bad and feels so lazy. Such a shame because the food is good but the AI slop all over the restaurant really sucks. read more

Affordable, great portion size, tastes great-- happy to find an easy to order thai spot in Costa Mesa! Everywhere started skimping on portion size so im so happy this was a full and heavy box of noodles! Got the pad kaphrao with rice noodle, egg and chx, came out to $15. Easily shared by 2 ppl if you wanted. Would def come back. read more

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