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    Kapow Thai Eatery

    4.2 (241 reviews)
    ModerateThai, Seafood, Noodles
    Closed • 11:00 am - 2:30 pm, 4:00 PM - 9:00 PM

    Kapow Thai Eatery Photos

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    KAPOW THAI EATERY ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Trendy
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Kapow Thai Eatery

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    Bright and cozy interior
    Pallavi P.

    We got here on a Friday night and it was packed. There were groups of people waiting outside and we were informed that they had closed the wait-list! However, they had seats available at the bar. Being a party of 2, we took it. The menu has some interesting and not so common Thai offerings in addition to the usual papaya salad, pad thai, curries and stir fries. We ordered the Lord of the sea - a mixed seafood stir fry served with a side of rice and a BBQ pork and pork belly dish which includes rice. The Lord of the sea was our favorite with the spice level (hot) that absolutely fulfilled my spicy food craving! The pork dish was good too, and suitable for someone who may not want a high spice dish. They were slammed with a steady stream of to go orders and dine-in patrons, and our food took 30+ minutes to arrive. The staff was apologetic, and I could see that they were just super busy. One bite of my food and I knew why this place was so popular and I will look forward to returning to try their other dishes (maybe on a weeknight to avoid the crowds)!

    Kow Soi duck
    Melinda K.

    I took my parents to try modern Thai cuisine since there are good reviews about it. There weren't a lot of people when we arrived before 1 pm on a weekday. It looks fancy inside for a small Thai restaurant. We ordered Pad Thai, Kow Soi Duck, and Sirloin Nam Tok. The Pad Thai had a good balance of sweet and sour. Sirloin Nam Tok was the best, with fresh herbal garnishes and flavorful sauce on juicy sirloin slices. Kow Soi Duck, their popular dish, was the worst at the table because the duck was mostly fat and not flavorful, unlike Chinese-style. It was not worth $28 to dig in due to the deconstructed plating presentation and overcooked egg noodles in a small bowl, but the curry sauce was the best part. The service was nice, despite one waitress serving the tables. A bit pricey, as long as you don't order their popular dishes for now. I should try their appetizers and mango sticky rice on my next visit.

    Cin-Yee S.

    Kapow Thai is the best Thai restaurant in the Tri-City area and saves me from having to drive further up 880 to Berkeley/Oakland/Albany. The crispy pork belly and chive cakes are excellent, along with the tom kha soup, for appetizers. Their rendition of pad see ew is one of my favorites, with the bitterness of the crisp Chinese broccoli (not regular broccoli, thank goodness) providing a nice contrast the sweetness of the sauce. Great wok hei and just a whisper of white pepper. When the restaurant first opened, my experiences there were a little uneven, and I found the curries watery, the crying tiger tough, and the portions on the small side. I've been back more than a half dozen times (both for dine-in and takeout) and the kitchen is hitting its stride and the front of the house has ironed out.any service kinks. Even though it will make it harder for me to get a table, I hope their popularity only continues to grow. It's well earned and deserved.

    Mango Mango with sticky rice
    Kelsy H.

    Kapow Thai Eatery has quickly become one of my favorite Thai spots in the East Bay! My fiancé and I had such a great experience--from the friendly service to the incredible food. Some of our favorites were the Wings of Kapow, which were perfectly crispy with a sweet and spicy glaze, the crispy garlic pork belly, and the Crying Tiger sirloin steak, which was tender, flavorful, and paired perfectly with the dipping sauce. We also couldn't leave without ordering the mango sticky rice, and it was the perfect way to end the meal. Everything tasted fresh, the portions were generous, and you can tell a lot of care goes into each dish. The staff was welcoming and attentive throughout our visit, making the experience even better. If you're looking for delicious Thai food in Union City, I highly recommend checking out Kapow Thai Eatery. We'll definitely be back to try more of the menu!

    Tom Yum with shrimp
    Jessie C.

    Food was good. The crying tiger sirloin steak was a little more charred than I had preferred but the meat was very tender. The scallop zap is refreshing. For the chicken wings they cut them in half so each piece is half a wing which makes it easier to eat. Service was good and they were very nice. The restaurant is small with limited seating so if you have a big party you might want to go early or call ahead.

    Thai green tea
    Leanne C.

    Kapow is our favorite Thai place in the area. Every dish we've had here so far has been a hit and their drinks are also good. We've dined in 4 times now and have enjoyed it every time! Definitely come early or be prepared to wait. I highly recommend the papaya salad, sizzling steak dishes, chicken satay, and tamarind shrimp. The chicken satay is the best I've had - very tender and moist. They have a wide selection of specials that are authentic and unique. The noodle dishes and curries are standard but good as well.

    Thai pink milk
    Jessica H.

    If you want to try some unique Thai dishes then this is a great spot because they have a variety of dishes that you don't typically see at other Thai restaurants. We ordered the Roti Prata, Kow Soi Duck, Ka Pow with Crispy Pork Belly and everything was super delicious. I liked how the coconut curry for the Kow Soi Duck came in a separate container so you can pour in however much you want. We used the coconut curry as a dip for the roti as well because we liked that better than the sauce that came with the roti. I did wish the duck was more tender or that there was an option to swap it with a different protein, but overall we both enjoyed the dish. The Ka Pow with Crispy Pork Belly was also delicious. We opted for medium spice because that was what our server recommended and let me just say that they don't play when it comes with spice! The only critique I have about this dish is that the pork belly could have been crispier, but overall the dish was good. For drinks, we tried the Thai pink milk which I wasn't a fan of. It tasted very artificial, like bubblegum flavored medicine. The space inside is quite small and it gets pretty packed.

    Tom Yum
    Sabrina C.

    Wow is an understatement for this establishment. Everything we ordered was the best I've ever had. The Thai Ice Tea had overly perfect flavor. Both soup and dishes are packed with delicious flavors. We will definitely be back.

    Donna L.

    We came here for dinner and it was amazing. I haven't been to a Thai restaurant in a long long time. But we dropped by and the staff was so pleasant And humble. The menu had a lot of items I haven't had in a long time. Some of the dishes such as crispy pata are Filipino dishes. The 4 of us opted for the scallops, sirloin with basil rice, chicken green curry, Thai papaya salad and garlic crispy pork belly. Every dish was flavorful and excellent. We couldn't be happier. The sirloin was cooked a perfect medium rare on a hot plate. Basil Rice was delicious. The pork belly was so crispy. And the scallop was tender and flavorful. I wish it was an extra large scallop! Perfect with the flying fish eggs and mint leaf! Job well done Kapow!! Half a bottle of Chardonnay was excellent! We shall be back to try the other foods one missed.

    Scallop Zapp
    Alisa B.

    WOWWWW! Some of the best Thai food I have had in a while. Incredibly high quality food. A small restaurant, but worth the wait to get a table! Every item I ordered here was incredible. Truly a hidden gem!!! I will 100% be back to try their other menu items again. + Scallop Zapp (5/5): Possibly some of the best raw scallops I've had outside of omakase! The scallops were fresh and sweet. The mint, masago, sauce, and garlic paired perfectly!!! I ate all 4 spoons by myself hahaha + Kow Soi Duck (4/5): TENDER DUCK! Perfectly cooked. The Khao Soi sauce was rich and decadent. Not spicy, which was perfect for me. My only gripe were the noodles were a little overcooked and difficult to eat. + Crispy Pork Belly (5/5): An expensive appetizer... but holy moly, this pork was cooked so well. So crispy, but juicy, and simply flavorful - even without sauce!!! + Holy Basil Soup (4/5): Really memorable broth! It was light and fragrant, and let the mussels shine! Each mussel was already halved for us and they were pretty big in size! It was also clearly prepped really well. The mussels were clean and did not have any sand/residue.

    Larb wrap
    Sharen H.

    Went here for my birthday and loved their larb and papaya salad! Their non-alcoholic drinks were just okay, but overall, the food was really good. Friendly staff and a nice ambiance too! Free parking if you're able to secure one in the plaza. I highly recommend trying out this place esp if you're around the area :)

    Scallop Zapp
    cadence p.

    Service was really really good. Food on the other hand is pretty mid. We had the scallop zapp, crying sirloin steak and the kasoy duck that everyone seems to get. The kasoy duck was good.. but the kasoy broth was lacking flavor. I had high hopes for this dish as it seems like lots of people get it. But it was the best dish we had between the three we ordered. For the crying sirloin steak, I had expected a much spicier and more sour sauce that came with it. It's just steak with a sweet and sour sauce in my opinion. Scallop zapp was good, just wish they had put more lime juice and I think that would definitely elevated the dish completely. Overall, I think this place is pretty mid. I would rather go to Sala Thai for thai food over this place.

    Kow Soi duck - A must
    Amando B.

    The place is tiny in a tiny plaza! Service is always great every time we eat here but there can be a long wait before you get a table. Get the duck for sure, it's a must. So good!!! Prices are a little bit pricey but it's expected of a Thai restaurants. The price for the food is worth it.

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    Ask the Community - Kapow Thai Eatery

    Do they have a lunch menu?

    There's no specific lunch specials menu (or smaller lunch portion options). It's an all day menu.

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    Lemon Crab - Love the Cajun combo 2 !

    Lemon Crab

    4.4(569 reviews)
    6.2 mi
    •$$$
    Grab-and-go
    Casual dining

    Soooo good! Some of the freshest seafood I've had in seafood boil. I tried king crab, soft shell…read morecrab, dungeoness crab, shrimp, mussel, and clams in the ferry hot lemon crab flavor. Firstly, the sauce was super flavorful and a perfect consistency. Ferry hot packs a kick without being overly hot. None of the seafood was overcooked at all. The clams were so plump and juicy! Also tried the cajun shrimp roll which was super buttery and yum. Garlic noodles and garlic fries were solid not complaints. Got a side of garlic veggies as well as their passionfruit drink which were both refreshing. Great service. It's a small little spot with only a few tables, but a lot of people do take out. Very hole in the wall vibe. Definitely wanna be back! Overall: 4.8/5

    I stopped by Lemon Crab for my birthday and ended up ordering to-go since the place was absolutely…read morepacked with a line out the door -- always a good sign! I ordered the snow crab and shrimp with the Lemon Crab seasoning/sauce, and the flavor was a solid 10/10. The crab meat was incredibly easy to get out of the shell and tasted fresh and delicious. One thing to note is that the snow crab only comes in 1 lb portions, so there isn't an option to order a half pound. I also added corn, potatoes, and sausage, which paired perfectly with the seafood boil and soaked up all that amazing sauce. My order was ready in about 20 minutes, which was impressive considering how busy they were. The only downside was that they forgot to include the tools needed to crack the crab legs, which made eating them a little more challenging once I got home. Overall, I had a great birthday meal and would definitely come back. I'd give Lemon Crab an 8.8/10! Also for reference my order was $68

    Photos
    Lemon Crab - We have another Line. 
You can call and text us at 510-861-0896

    We have another Line. You can call and text us at 510-861-0896

    Lemon Crab - Yes, it comes with 2

    Yes, it comes with 2

    Lemon Crab - All Cajun!

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    All Cajun!

    Backyard Bayou - Soft Shell Crab Po Boy and Shrimp Po Boy

    Backyard Bayou

    3.6(1.5k reviews)
    2.9 mi
    •$$$

    Had a great experience at Backyard Bayou! The food was delicious, especially the lobster fries, but…read morewhat really stood out was the amazing service. Jenalyn and Jeneyah were both fantastic--friendly, attentive, and made us feel so welcome. They were great servers and definitely made our visit even better. We'll be back!

    Cheers to good business, effective communication & great food ultimately. I initially gave this…read moreplace a one star review based on my first introduction to them which was accurate based on the food I got, but they more than made up for it with my in house visit at the actual location. The Owner/Manager Han reached out almost immediately, apologized for the experience then offered a refund or the opportunity for me to come in person for a Do-over. I really wanted to try the food at its best, appreciated the invite so I decided I would go to the establishment and give it another chance. I'm glad I decided to give them another chance as it was a great experience with customer service & the food was delicious! Good seafood isn't always easy to find, but they have it here. I came a week after I'd first had the food here & was told to reach out to the Manager (Pan) when I arrived. Everyone was really nice/personable here and I was seated immediately. I ordered everything I got the first time (2 shrimp baskets, Fried Okra, The red beans/rice with Turkey, but not the cornbread), and also ordered two more items. In addition to my original order I ordered the chicken strip meal and crab fried fries. The shrimp was fried/seasoned to perfection, The crab fries were hella good, the Okra was fried perfectly, and the Chicken strips were well made. The only item I wasn't a fan of was the Red beans/Rice W/Turkey...there was a strong taste of liquid smoke or some overpowering flavor where I couldn't taste the food well. I ordered an IPA, House Margarita and 2 Expresso martinis. I don't believe the martinis were on the menu, but they made them for me anyways. The Martinis were made with good will, but weren't winners...overall this was a great experience with good food and I would return in person, especially for their bottomless Mimosa brunch. My original order was comped, but I insisted on paying for the additional items/drinks one way or another and did so. I appreciate the offer to let me try any & all things at no additional cost, but the service/effort to make things right was so great here I couldn't let it go unnoticed. Cheers all around for my in person experience here. I will be back for sure.

    Photos
    Backyard Bayou - Bar

    Bar

    Backyard Bayou - Soft shell crab po boy

    Soft shell crab po boy

    Backyard Bayou

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    Bar Bay Grill - Grilled mussels

    Bar Bay Grill

    4.0(777 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    •$$

    Arrived on a late Sunday afternoon and was surprised the restaurant was empty! We were very…read moreintrigued by the $1 raw oysters (only on select days and Sunday being one of them). Our server Sam was the best!! He was super sweet and accommodating to our table. He ensured we were well taken care of at all times. Thank you again Sam! Ordering is a little different here! You're given a paper at your table and you mark the items you'd like to order by quantity. Everything is pretty much à la carte. We began with the raw oysters and typically I'm skeptical about cheap seafood because I start to question the quality. However, you can tell upon first glance that these oysters were really fresh! They smelled great and tasted even better. We also ordered a variety of their skewers, pork belly, fried rice and noodles. We were very happy with everything we ordered! Would loveee to come back with a big group as everything is served family style

    Ordered several dishes: Singapore vermicelli noodles:…read moreawesome. Worth going here just for this. The shrimp in this is succulent and awesome. The chicken is bland (like typical thai restaurant chicken). Should substitute this out for shrimp if they allow. Chicken curry toast: this is a qunie item and worth ordering. Had it twice now and liked it on both occasions. Garlic cheese bread: it's fine. Nothing to write home. Lamb chop: sweet in taste. Not so good. Older child finished but did not savor it. Chicken skewer: not good. Daughter did not like it either Hot pot: very fishy (tom yum flavor was good). Did not like any of the meat choices in there (fish ball, fish tofu, Chicken). But flavorful. Awesome service. Fast service. Good ambience with tons of TVs with several options. K-pop was a tad bit loud, but fine.

    Photos
    Bar Bay Grill - Hot pot: very fishy (tom yum flavor was good). Did not like any of the meat choices in there (fish ball, fish tofu, Chicken)

    Hot pot: very fishy (tom yum flavor was good). Did not like any of the meat choices in there (fish ball, fish tofu, Chicken)

    Bar Bay Grill - Bbq beef ribs

    Bbq beef ribs

    Bar Bay Grill - Korean beef bone soup

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    Korean beef bone soup

    Playa Azul - Fresh Chicken, Steak and Shrimp Fajitas

    Playa Azul

    4.6(89 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    •$$

    Playa Azul -- Where Food Meets Genuine Human Connection As…read moresoon as we walked in, we were greeted with warmth and friendliness by Mauricio while we bobbed our heads to Hall and Oates' "Maneater" playing in the background -- followed by "Funky Little Beat" by Connie. We knew immediately this was our vibe. We sat down and read through the menu. A lot of dishes I wasn't familiar with, so naturally I defaulted to what I knew -- quesadilla de camarón. My wife did the smart thing and asked for recommendations. Mauricio suggested three dishes and she chose the last one- I think it was because something about tequila . When it was my turn, I proudly placed my order. Without missing a beat, Mauricio looked at me and said, "Bro, you can get that anywhere -- you should try this." He began describing the dish, then pointed to his dad sitting patiently at a corner table. "That's his invention." No more words needed. I said sold. Our dishes arrived and we immediately moved them to the center of the table so we could share both. I had the seafood fajitas -- shrimp, fish, fajita vegetables, and the most tender, flavorful pulpo I've ever had. All the seafood was cooked perfectly: tender but not falling apart. But the octopus and the sauce were something special. Chef Jose came to check on us and I told him about the pulpo. His eyes lit up as he began describing his preparation process -- then he said, "You want to see?" He walked me right into his kitchen and showed me the octopus being prepared. That moment alone was worth the visit. By the time we returned to our table, the restaurant had started to fill up. We continued enjoying our food, including the handmade soft tortillas that came with my dish -- don't sleep on those. Chef Jose stopped by again, sharing more stories, more passion, more of himself. Before we even finished eating, we were already planning our next visit for happy hour and dinner with the family. This is a perfect example of what Will Guidara calls Unreasonable Hospitality -- unexpected, personalized, and genuinely human. Mauricio and Chef Jose aren't just running a restaurant. They're sharing something they love, and you feel it in every bite and every interaction. Thank you, Mauricio and Jose. We'll be back.

    A neat family-owned spot with authentic tasting Mexican seafood dishes! My mom and I shared two…read moredishes and a free chips and salsa. The Fajitas de Mariscos came with tons of seafood in a savory sauce. It came with rice w/corn and beans. We also had the Camarones Costa Azul which was jumbo shrimp wrapped with bacon in a savory tomato sauce + cheese. Definitely a heavy dish but pretty tasty! I really liked the homemade tortillas here; they were so soft and went well with the shrimp and fajitas. Prices are in the higher end but portions are also huge! There seemed to be just a husband and wife when we dined. They were very welcoming and helpful with explaining the menu. Place was very spacious with lots of seating.

    Photos
    Playa Azul - Best Ever Guacamole.!

    Best Ever Guacamole.!

    Playa Azul - Full Dinner

    Full Dinner

    Playa Azul - Rice and Beans

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    Rice and Beans

    Kapow Thai Eatery - thai - Updated September 2026

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