On a lightly rainy night, we stopped in at the Maya Thai Laos Cafe on Santa Clara Ave in Alameda. Having just watched, Song Sung Blue at the Alameda Theatre around the corner, our appetites were whetted for Thai food. The boutique café hosted by Atom and Nuey, his chef godmother, was warm, fragrant and welcoming. Each dish had enhanced flavor and special touches. For example, the standard Mango and Sticky Rice dessert was tinted blue by pea blossom flower, with a mango most sweet and mint-strawberry garnish. Thom Ka Gai, the coconut chicken soup, was uplifted with fresh tomato. The Chicken Satay, beautifully grilled large skewers, had peanut sauce with a hint of tamarind and cucumber pickles with red onion and carrot slivers. My taste buds were singing. Authentic, but new, as I compare all Thai restaurants with memories of teaching music in Chiang Mai. Our New Favorite Thai Place! read more

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First time here for lunch on a Wednesday at noon. The restaurant was empty so the service was good. Everything came out quickly. The fried appetizer was good to share. The tofu pumpkin curry wasn't too spicy but good flavor. The tofu pad Thai wasn't too sweet and good portion. Parking lot in back and street parking. read more

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Finally got to try this place and 10/10 would recommend! Food was good definitely say try the Khao Piak the best thing I tried on the menu. For the appetizer I do recommend the Maya Combo to try everything out! The place is hidden gem. Will be back soon and service was great! read more

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My husband and I came here after trying to go to another Thai spot that ended up being closed today. We were so glad we came here! The food was absolutely delicious!!! We got the Khao Soy noodles ( we got 1 Thai and 1 Lao style) and the Lao style papaya salad. If you like Khao Soy, this place will hit the spot! Their Laos Khao Soy tastes so flavorful, the meat was tender, and packed with some many garnishes! My husband said the Thai style Khao Soy was great too. Maya Thai Laos Cafe will be my new go to!!! read more

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I ordered Khao Piak and Nam Khao for to go on Thursday 3.12 during late lunch. We didn't eat until 4:45pm. The Nam Khao was super tasty and very flavorful. They are the ONLY restaurant I know that would put the all the fixings, noodle and broth in one container. The noodles soaked up all the broth and this is what my mom was left eating the dish which is really disappointing. read more

Maya Thai Laos Cafe - Laotian Near Me - Alameda, California

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Food was really good! Enjoyed khao piak the most. Ask for the spice tray, I enjoy adding a bit of chili to the noodles. The pumpkin tofu curry was just ok. The curry felt more runny than what I usually prefer. Mango sticky rice was good, and the spicy basil was good too. Would recommend trying if you're in the area. read more

Maya Thai Laos Cafe - Mango with Sticky Rice - Laotian Near Me - Alameda, California

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Ordered Pad Kee Mao, Fresh Rolls, and Tom Yum Soup Everything was DELICIOUS! Service is amazing. Their peanut sauce and home made chili oil is 10/10! read more

Maya Thai Laos Cafe - Tom Yum (Medium Size), Fresh Roll Tofu, Drunken Noodle / Pad Kee Mao - Laotian Near Me - Alameda, California

A place to go for some hearty Thai food or their Khao Tom (pork broth porridge). The restaurant tends to be on the quiet end since we usually go before lunch hours with two toddlers. Overall the food is generally not spicy compared to other Thai places, so if you want it with a good pick, make sure to let them know accordingly. Yellow curry with chicken was alright. Only thing that needs a little improvement is the potato texture. Potatoes needed a little more time to cook since it was on the hard side. read more

Maya Thai Laos Cafe - Yellow Curry - Laotian Near Me - Alameda, California

I loved the Delicious and healthy food. Great service and prices are good. I will return soon.

We've been wanting to try this new Thai restaurant, just down the street from our place. The restaurant was empty except for a couple at a table when we walked in. The restaurant had a tv and a counter for take out and pickup. We were greeted by a nice lady and told us to sit anywhere. She came and brought menus and 2 glasses of water. We ordered the fried veggie rolls, pad see ew and shrimp fried rice. The veggie rolls were good, the pad see ew was on the salty side, but good flavors and the shrimp fried rice was pretty average. The shrimp was overcooked and portion is on the smaller side. It was overall just good in general. We'll come back and try other dishes since it's pretty close to home. The service was great and food came out pretty quickly. They also serve breakfast and lunch. read more

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This is my new favorite Thai spot in Alameda! The owner was so sweet and helpful, and the food was delicious and the presentation was so cute! read more

Maya Thai Laos Cafe - Tom Yum Noodle Soup - Laotian Near Me - Alameda, California

Best Thai/Lao I've found on island. Depth of flavor is great. Staff and chef are super friendly and really flexible in accommodating food allergies and a gluten free diet requirement. They said curries are always GF, but they were also able to make some of the Lao dishes GF too and those were incredible! read more

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Came here for lunch, we ordered 2 basic dishes: papaya salad and pad thai. This is clearly a family run spot, nothing fancy, but food met expectation and fair quality/quantity for price. There is parking out front and because it's not on the main street, you can test your luck. read more

Yes, we finally made it, 3rd time a charm. Our first two visits in early April of this year, you were closed... Quality/Quantity - Today we ordered the following: Curry Puff Chicken - A hit with both my wife and daughter. My wife would have preferred slightly larger puffs. Chicken Pad See Ew - This was good. Pork Pad Thai - My favorite of all the dishes. Mango with Sticky Rice - Our least favorite of all the dishes. The mango was not ripe enough and the sticky rice was not flavorful enough, not even sweet. It was cool that it was blue. Atmosphere - Small local restaurant. One clean unisex restroom. Indoor seating only. Metered street parking. And of course, today was Tuesday street cleaning from 11am to 1pm so we parked really far for parking, lol. Open 6 days a week on Monday to Thursday from 9am to 4pm and on Friday and Saturday from 9am to 8pm. They are closed Sundays. Service - 5 stars. The owner was very friendly and nice. They currently do not offer delivery. Price - $61 + tip. Owner Comments - Congrats on your success since early this year, we have been trying to visit since April and are glad we finally got a chance to support. read more

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Hidden little Thai & Lao spot by park street. I've been wanting to come by to try out this spot. It's tucked behind CVS but at least it isn't directly on Park street area which tends to be hectic and chaotic on busy times. There is a city parking garage just on the other side of CVS if you can't find parking on the street. We came around 4pm right when they just opened so it was just us. I don't know why I didn't order anything off the happy hour menu but they do have one from 4-6 PM! The food was great. Pad Thai had a more tangy taste but that's how I like it and the noodles were perfectly al dente. Pad se ew was good, no complaints there. We also tried the shrimp tempura and it was nicely plated with what I think is a sweet and sour sauce. The cheese Rangoon was good, a little on the small side but it was shaped really pretty Last but not least the Thai tea was a little too sweet for my taste but some may say it's just right. I did really enjoyed the Thai iced coffee from here. The folks here were really kind and attentive. I plan to come again since I notice they had some pretty sweet lunch specials and I really want to try some Thai breakfast that they offer here! read more

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We ordered Thai papaya salad at the medium spicy level. I would have liked more of that fishy taste so I think maybe next time I'll try the Laos papaya salad. I still liked it. I might even try the spiciest level next time. We also got the Pad Kee Mao and I liked the quality of the noodles because sometimes they're all clumpy but their noodle quality was good! We got it with tofu and they were smaller than I expected. The plate is smaller compared to other places I've been to but if you're sharing with others, it is a good amount. It did taste a bit salty to me but I cannot tell if that's because I ate the papaya salad before tasting it (since papaya salad is supposed to be salty). We got the lunch special - chicken yellow curry that comes with rice. It seems small but can fill you up as it comes with that bowl of rice. I liked the flavor. The mango sticky rice was really pretty! You can either get one for yourself or share if there's two of you. The mango is ripe and delicious. The sticky rice is a nice pretty blue color. They cut two slices of strawberries to be heart shape. The waitress is really friendly and responsive if you need anything. Just a heads up - most of the tables are for 2 people. The table looks small but honestly held three dishes of food for us to share and the waitress was pretty attentive in clearing dishes as we finished. If you have a big party, I think you should be fine but you may need to wait if there's people occupying the two bigger tables. Food came quickly so that was great because we were really hungry! There are Thai music videos or clips playing on a TV in the cafe so that was nice to hear and watch. We are definitely coming back! read more

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Date: 6/14/2024 Time: 2:40 PM 65° Sunny I was going to get some lunch from Hang Ten Broiler before heading to my brother's home in Oakland Chinatown. Then I was curious whether or not a restaurant has opened at the old Johnathan's Chicken and BBQ. Maya Thai Lao Cafe is located where the above mentioned used to be. The sandwich board signage sure looked inviting, especially the avocado spinach dip toast and the stir fry eggplant chicken. Illustration of some the menu items and the menu itself were in a window display. Breakfast is served all day. Selections are Lao/Thai breakfast, pancake and omelette. Appetizers consist of fresh spring rolls and curry puffs. Check out the lunch specials. Other lunch items are salad, soup, rice plates, pan fried noodles and fried rice and American lunch (hamburger, cheeseburger, chicken sandwich, grilled cheese and fish & chips. French fries are included.) They also have dessert and beverages. Eats: Pad Grapow Chicken, a rice plate dish of ground chicken with red and green bell peppers, topped with a fried egg (sunny side up) and jasmine rice. I started eating it without the rice. It was delicious and spicy. Adding the rice cut down some of the spiciness. I enjoyed it even more. Service was quick and I didn't wait long. The young lady handling the front counter was pleasant. Hip hop music softly playing on the sound system. The restaurant is small and my guesstimate is the seating capacity is about 15 to 20 people. Future visits: Yes, for breakfast, pad see we and the curry puffs. Who knows? The next visit might be with my sister since she lives in town. read more

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Maya Thai Lao Cafe opened where Jonathan's Chicken & BBQ was. Interior transformed into a small eatery with a few tables & minimal decor on walls. Hip hop music in background. Offerings: desserts, breakfast, apps, breakfast, coffee, tea, pan fried noodles/rice, lunch specials, soups, salads, omelettes, pancakes, lao/thai breakfast... Despite an Yuge menu, only a few were Lao dishes. Only 2 struck my interest-ones perceived to have Lao fermented fish sauce. Food came out within 10 minutes of ordering. Eats: Lao style papaya salad-spicy (12.95) -innocent looking papaya schreds, sliced cabbage, tomatoes, green beans, carrots shreds all fresh & tasty mixed with lime, chilis, crab paste AND house made fermented fish sauce. The later can be really pungent when served in abundance. Even in moderation it got me coughly madly temporarily. LOVED IT! More were available in condiment jar nearby. *got introduced to this recently. Got a sample lst. Had to give ok. It was too strong. Now I'm used to it. Khao Poon (soup) medium . 14.95 -laotian version with creamy coconut which sooths the fish sauce some, red curry, vermicelli noodles. Garnished with meat, carrots, cilantro, shredded cabbage. I alternated between this & salad to lessen punch of fish sauce. Maybe a spicier version than Thai. -added some fermented fish sauce to spice this up. *Laos fermented fish sauce is an acquired taste like durian fruit, mala chili sauce, stinky tofu. YMMV **saved 1/2 of salad for later as a percaution. Probable repeat. May is Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage Month. read more

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The food was okay, but the portion size was shockingly small. The entrée took up only half of a small box, with a very thin layer of rice on the other half of the box. read more

Dined at Maya Thai Lao Cafe as I was in the area. This Asian-fusion of American breakfast, Thai and Lao fare seems to be a common format of Thai restaurants these days. I'm not complaining, just very noticeable since the "Farmhouse" started the trend years ago. Fortunately, Maya Thai Lao Cafe does a good job! Dined with sister and we tried a variety of dishes: ** 4 - 4.5 rating for items below: ** :: CURRY PUFF - option of chicken or taro - delicious, buttery, flaky exterior and flavorful filling. Accompanied with diced, dressed cucumbers, carrots and red onions - 5 stars :: NAM KHAO (Lao rice ball salad) - crispy rice, ground pork, roasted peanuts and coconut with lettuce, cilantro, lime juice and fish sauce. Delicious as not oily with great texture and flavors. :: BASIL CHICKEN (Pad Grapow) - this was a LUNCH SPECIAL - ground chicken - topped with fried egg served with eggroll and rice - good but sauce was a bit too sweet for me, but sister really liked it I wouldn't usually order desserts but heck, we tried: :: MANGO STICKY RICE - great flavor, texture and great presentation :: FRIED BANANA with mango ice cream - panko crusted banana pieces were light and not overly battered. Mmmm Service was friendly, attentive. Nothing fancy with the interior (8 tables), signage outside simple that you could easily miss this spot. Street parking available and a block off Park Street Pricing comparable to similar spots with dishes averaging: $16 - $17 read more

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This place is a quaint joint in a cute neighborhood. The service was great and the food was solid. read more

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Stopped for lunch with a friend today. We looked forward to having some local Thai. They had a substantial breakfast menu- served all day, followed by Thai options. The restaurant was open and empty, but the wait staff was friendly and efficient. We ordered the yellow chicken curry and the BBQ pork plate with vegetables. The curry was fantastic, but the pork was chewy and a bit of a challenge to eat. I would try something different if I came again. I have to say the overall experience was pretty average in terms of food and ambiance. read more

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Love this place. Great food & great service. It was great to eat some good traditional Lao food. read more

Maya Thai Laos Cafe - Lao style chicken noodle soup (Khao Piak) - Laotian Near Me - Alameda, California

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Stumbled upon this place while walking with my kid. The lunch special sign caught my eye, so we decided to give it a shot. The lady at the counter was super sweet. The place has a chill vibe. We ordered the lunch special, which seemed like it was made for the high schoolers nearby. My son rated the food: Fries: 7/10 Fried Chicken Wings: 8.5/10 Thai Tea: 8.5/10 read more

Maya Thai Laos Cafe - Lunch special - fried chicken wings and fries, forgot to snap a picture of the Thai Iced Tea that came with this lunch combo. - Laotian Near Me - Alameda, California

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Modest little restaurant in downtown Alameda. Primarily street parking with a large municipal parking structure a block away. Good food, great service. I'd eat here again read more

We enjoyed our brunch at this cute and friendly mom & pop style Lao and Thai place! Great savory/spicy breakfast alternative to western sweet breakfast places! Loved the old school chinatown-style decor and the karaoke style covers of pop songs playing Maya the owner took our orders and was super sweet with our toddler We ordered and really loved the Khao Thom (rice porridge with ground chicken/bone broth and egg), Pad Grapow Chicken (Krapow Gai) and our kid got two pancakes (syrup and jelly at the table- wish it came with butter though!). Also at the table were 4 types of homemade chili oil / spicy vinegars! They're in the process of finding what hours work best, so currently they're open from 10a-6pm M-Th, 9am to 8pm Fri-Sat, closed Sunday. They also will occasionally close from 4 to 5pm for dinner prep! read more

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I wish more people know this spot, old Jonathan sandwich place, curry noodle soup are my favs. Clean spot and excellent foods and services! read more

Maya Thai Laos Cafe - Khao Poon - Laotian Near Me - Alameda, California

I went here on a weekend for brunch and tried their delicious Thai brunch items, like Roti with condensed milk (that comes with a cup of coffee), a delicious porridge, and an omelet with handmade sausage. Everything was wonderful, and service was friendly and helpful. The vibe was comfortable, like a diner experience, and I am excited to go back and have lunch and dinner sometime soon! read more

I love Asian cuisine, including Thai food. However, for lunch ,on this particular day, I wasn't very unimpressed with the menu and the actual entree that I ordered. The menu is typical Thai food, but nothing special or house specialty stood out. I have something very simple, which was shrimp with veggies and some brown rice. My yunger was fulfilled, but my taste buds were underwhelmed . The shrimp was very tough, maybe cooked and rewarmed- hard to say. The atmosphere was fair as it seemed like a neat and tidy little place, very homey feeling. The server seemed nice very much a family-owned restaurant, and I wish them the best. Who says I wouldn't come back again in a year and see where we're at. read more

Maya Thai Laos Cafe - Laotian Near Me - Alameda, California

Decent food at affordable prices. Sausage and bacon not too greasy, crisp hash browns. Service was friendly and attentive. Nice decor with Thai inspired wall hangings. Homey feeling like you're eating at a friend's house. read more

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This very humble, no-frills cafe provides an inexpensive breakfast/lunch with quick and kind service. With American, Thai, Laotian options this is a decent spot for people in the mood for different things. There's a little something for everybody! I tried the build your own omelette and my partner tried the BBQ pork plate. Both were very good! While simple, these have that home-made feel that is very comforting. I look forward to coming back the next time I need a quick bite and am short on time! read more

Everything was so good! My favorite was the Laos papaya salad. If you love the salted crab, they have that too!!! Just ask! Service was amazing! The hospitality is great! read more

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We went in as a group of 3. We were 5 minutes early of their opening at 10 am. The chef let us in. We sat down and started looking at menu 2 of us had the Khao Piak and one ordered the Spinach Omelette with home fries. Food came out, and we got our food. A little shocked. Khao Piak came out in a huge bowl, here's the kicker, it was barely 1/2 capacity of the bowl for $14.99 a bowl. Now dug into the bowl, BLAND. Requested for the hot sauce, came out cold. Added it to the soup, helped. The omelette looked better but the toast was rock hard, Spinach omelette was burnt. But the potatoes was nice. They had coffee (2) and I had the Thai Iced Coffee. It worked. Water was good but they never refilled?!? Paid the bill and talked, place was quiet. Left for home. About an hour my friend let it out and for me 1 hour and 15 minutes. Omg what happened. I've been there 2 times and both times EXCELLENT. Omg toilet time to the max after eating today. WILL NEVER EAT THERE AGAIN! read more

I ordered take out and am really disappointed with the portion size here. The stir fry duck entree did not even fill up to half the takeout box and had about five small pieces of duck -- this was a $25 dish plus tax. It was also very greasy (even considering how fatty duck skin can be) and over salted. The veggie stir fry entree came with a surprising amount of rice, presumably cheap filler to skimp on actual veggies. (This was not a lunch special). The Tom Yum soup came in a container that is half the size of what I would get from other Thai restaurants, along with a much smaller thing of rice. Would I have gotten more food if I dined in? Maybe I should not have ordered the entrees. Looks like others had better experience with the more popular choices. read more

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Extra spicy Lao papaya salad was super spicy and delicious. Crab fried rice is amazing just needed chili fish sauce and some sliced limes on top. First time takeout. Will be back. Tasted just like home. read more

Maya Thai Laos Cafe - Lao Style Papaya Salad - Laotian Near Me - Alameda, California

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Love it food was amazing packed with flavor, menu items are limited with Lao and breakfast items. read more

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I came to this spot looking for a good cup of coffee and I left with a container filled with delicious mango stick rice. The owner, Maya, is so sweet and welcoming. I didn't have to wait too long for the food. Lastly, I'll definitely be coming back to try more things of their menu! read more

Maya Thai Laos Cafe - Mango with Sticky Rice - Laotian Near Me - Alameda, California

Within Alameda you sometimes stumble upon a shop that wasn't there prior. You'll decide to try it out and discover a lovely host and delicious food. Pros: Flavor of the bbq pork. Be aware that the veggies beneath the pork is flavored by the sauce glistening off of it so initially there was a broccoli lacking that sazón. Comparing it to other places in Alameda around the price point this gets 5 stars because I would return to try out another dish. read more

Maya Thai Laos Cafe - Bbq pork lunch plate - Laotian Near Me - Alameda, California

The wife was craving for some Thai food. I was planning to take her to the one in El Sobrante but they're closed on Tuesday's. Luckily this popped up when I search for the name. Everything is so delicious!! Especially the drunken noodles!! read more

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We got the pad Thai and fried rice. Very flavorful and fresh food. You can choose how spicy you want the noodles. Overall, recommend checking out this place and super kind staff. Also their mango sticky rice is solid for dessert! read more

Maya Thai Laos Cafe - Pad Thai - Laotian Near Me - Alameda, California

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