Honestly, the quality has gone down a lot in recent years, in spite of the fact that they've given the interior a face lift. I think I've always been particular about thai food, especially since there's a lot of thai food in the area, so I've gotten to be pretty discerning. The flavor profile is alright on most dishes, but the price is what offsets it. I can get into what I like and dislike about each dish, but I think it's just easier for you to go further out to get better thai food. If you're local and you need a quick fix , this place will do though ( I spent a lot of time getting their boat noodle and uh yeah it disappointed me the last time i went) read more

I've only ever been to Racha's for student group banquets, so this is the first time that I came to sit it and eat as a normal customer. There's ample seating room, so big parties without reservations can definitely be accommodated; if you have parties larger than 20 and want a private space, you can ask to rent their back room! My party of 2 was seated immediately and given a few minutes to look at the menu; the prices are actually fairer than I had realized! My friend got their vegetarian pad Thai with extra noodles, while I got their papaya salad (Thai spicy!) and BBQ chicken over fried rice. Our total came out to be $35 after tip, which is pretty solid for the amount of food we got! My friend's pad Thai came with SOOO much noodle, it was basically 2.5x the original size. She said it was totally worth it and that she'd do it again. My papaya salad was a little on the sour side (I prefer mine a little sweet) and not spicy enough, although I did see a lot of chopped Thai chili peppers. I wonder why though; kinda bummed they didn't actually give me Thai spicy because I love spicy food and my parents had a Thai restaurant when I was growing up so I definitely know how spicy Thai food can get. The BBQ chicken was definitely a good deal: there was a lot of sauce, the fried rice had lots of vegetables, and the entire dish was very aromatic. I really enjoyed eating this, but having both this and the papaya was too much, so I ended up taking the dishes to go. Leftovers mean lunch for tomorrow! read more

Racha Café - Thai Near Me - Berkeley, California

This place was a great spot to get in a quick solid meal after walking around town. Service was good and attentive. The chicken satay is tasty with or without the peanut sauce of course. The Pad Thai was sweet but not as sweet and horrible as others I've tried. The sweetness factor is exceptional. The pineapple fried rice was slightly bland could've used some more flavors but it was cooked perfectly. They have a big menu for a small place and I'll like to come back to venture out here more often. So till next time. read more

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I ordered beef pad Thai and there was so much tofu and little beef I thought I had the wrong order at first. But I know they didn't get my order wrong because when they asked me what I ordered, I said "pad Thai" and they were like "oh, beef pad Thai?" Some of the beef in the pad thai tasted like the meats been out for too long (but the other ones tasted fine). In sum, wouldn't recommend their pad Thai. read more

TL;DR Average Thai food, great for large parties! Racha is a great Thai restaurant to go to if you have a large party. They have a good amount of large tables, up to 8. During the school year, they have a very college town vibe like all the other restaurants on telegraph. The service was good, they were speedy and nice. I got a pad see ew, which was pretty average, nothing spectacular, but it had everything a pad see ew should have. I tried my friend's eggplant dish, and it was so good! If I came here again, I would order the eggplant dish. Also, the curries take a bit longer to make than noodle dishes, so if you're hungry, get something that's not curry! read more

Racha Café - Chicken pad see ew - Thai Near Me - Berkeley, California

I have singlehandedly tried every pad kee Mao and Thai tea around UCB... this takes the cake in price, consistency, portion size, and service. It is the BEST and can compare to the Thai food in Thailand. Def head there! read more

I came here with a friend when I was two years ago and had some amazing dishes that I have to be quite honest I don't remember their names but I would completely be back! read more

We ordered take out from here and it was really flavorful and delicious. We got the fried chicken with rice, gra pow, sticky rice with mango, and pad thai. Everything was super good and piping hot even when we walked home 15 minutes later! I wanted to try the khao soi but it wasn't on the yelp take out menu. I def am going to come back just to get that because I LOVE that. Can't believe this place is like walking distance from my apartment and we just tried it now. I haven't tried their other items on the menu but considering we ordered more popularized/"americanized" thai food dishes, they were super flavorful and delicious. There was still a good amount of heat with the gra pow that was super addicting but it didn't overpower the flavor. I'm honestly surprised this is 3.5 stars, should be a solid 4-star joint maybe even 5 when I try the khao soi. Can't wait to come back! read more

Great price, tasty food most of the time, and good for groups and takeout. I came here with my roommate to grab some takeout as a break from cleaning out our apartment. We came in at 11am when they opened ordered our food (pad thai and pad see ew) and were pleasantly surprised at how quickly they made the food. Our bill came out to about 8.70 per person which isn't bad! When we got to the apartment and opened our foods it was steaming hot and there was a generous portion. The flavor was really tasty. I've been to Racha's a few times over the past 2 years and my first experience was a so-so one, however every time after that was pretty good. This place is also really nice if you have larger groups of friends, they are able to move the tables around to accommodate. read more

Racha Café - Thai Near Me - Berkeley, California

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My favorite Thai place in Berkeley! The interior is very cozy and clean and the service is always lovely. They have the best Pad Kee Mao I've ever had. The spice level is always perfect! The Thai Boat Noodle with flat rice noodles is my go-to on a cold day. The beef and broth are SO flavorful and comforting. It tastes similar to a pho in my opinion but with a stronger beef flavor. Everyone I know who has tried this dish loves it! Their mango sticky rice is a perfect end to a meal. No dish I've had here has disappointed me. Try it out :) read more

Came here for Berkeley graduation; wasn't crowded when I came in but the place filled up really quick. The portion of the dishes are small. My favorite dish is the fried chicken over fried rice, just wish it has a bigger portion the fried chicken and fried rice are both pipping hot when it first came out so I know they just made it and it's fresh! pad see ew is ok, not as good as I expected, tasted slightly different from the majority of the Thai restaurants - which I don't like. The boat noodle's portion is decently appropriate. It has a sour broth base which is good but it's not a good combination with the pork blood. The drinks are really good, highly recommend to get the Thai iced tea since the Thai iced coffee is too sweet in my opinion. read more

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I'm a Berkeley student and after trying it for the first time I had to come back! My go to is the Thai bbq chicken! It's the perfect blend of sweet and savory-- kind of like a Chinese chicken bbq. I loveeeee that it comes w the fried rice and it complements the chicken so well. Not only that, the presentation of the food was aesthetically pleasing and clean. I have very high standards for Asian food and I must say this sufficed my craving. I will be coming back again and again. read more

Racha Café - Thai BBQ Chicken Fried Rice - Thai Near Me - Berkeley, California

A good place if you're looking for Thai food close to campus! Racha's has consistently been a great place for clubs and meetings, as they have a large room in the back and are able to create larger platters. The service was wonderful, and the atmosphere is perfect for catching up with friends. I wouldn't recommend going to Racha's for a date though. There are several tables around the restaurant, and take out service is available upon request. Normally I tend to get either the spicy pad kee mao or pad se ew with crispy tofu, but today, I got the Teaw Talae noodle soup with the flat rice noodles, extra spicy, with the recommendation of my friend. I've never experienced a better Thai dish, and I am really quite pleasant. The noodles and seafood were all cooked to perfection, and the broth was not too spicy and lemony! I'd highly recommend if you're looking for a filling, hearty dish that's sure to last you for two meals. read more

Racha Café - Teaw Talae noodle soup; extra spicy; flat rice noodles! - Thai Near Me - Berkeley, California

Racha has been around a long time. Even after moving out of Berkeley over 10 years ago it's still our favorite Thai restaurant. We make a point of visiting anytime we're back in the neighborhood. Their Penang curry is our very favorite, but everything is good. read more

Omg red pumpkin curry is my new favorite. HIGHLY RECOMMEND! Aside from yellow curry-yellow curry will always have my heart. I really wanted pumpkin in my curry and they were able to make my red curry mild, thankfully! I'm weak when it comes to spice! The curry was flavorful and delicious. The portion size was perfect-I finished everything, although I wish there was a little bit more chicken. The rice was also cooked just right! My friend had the pad thai-I tried a bite and let me just say, I've never had a pad thai so flavorful before! Whatever sauce they use does the trick! Next time I'll order one to myself. Prices are very affordable and cater perfectly towards the college student! Service was spotty. There were only two people waiting on the entire restaurant (taking orders, delivering food and checks). The food came out quick, though, and we were seated right away! read more

Racha Café - Red curry with chicken and pumpkin (asked for it mild) - Thai Near Me - Berkeley, California

A true hole-in-the-wall feel with crazy fast service, particularly large portand shockingly reasonable prices. Its actually a pretty great date spot. It won't cost ya much, the food is pretty solid, and it wasn't too crowded when we went, so we didn't feel alone but also had some privacy. The beef pad se ew spicy was on par with other very good Thai places and actually had some kick to It which I appreciated. The noodles really take on that deep see ew flavor profile, and its a total steal for under $10. The fried rice was pretty standard, except the tofu in it was nearly indelible. Probably not the right dish for tofu since it's sponginess demands a sauce to inherit. The Papaya salad appetizer was massive, light and had a mini punch to it as well. read more

Racha Café - Beef pad see ew - Thai Near Me - Berkeley, California

3.5 stars This won't be the best Thai food your mouth has come into contact with, but if you're looking for decent Thai on this side of Telegraph close to campus, come here. Entrees are priced right to serve the mostly student clientele and service wasn't the brightest since they only had 2 servers with a packed house. You'll find familiar staples like Tom Yum soup and Pad See Ew are good, but the shrimp with garlic sauce (special dish that night) was mostly veggies. I mean, this girl loves her veggies, but come on! Casual atmosphere, minimal Thai decor with bright fluorescent lighting. Bring someone you're comfortable with, definitely not advised for first dates. :p read more

Racha Café - Pad see ew - Thai Near Me - Berkeley, California

Very poor experience. Would not recommend. - The waitress was very unprofessional, wearing iPod earbuds the entire time. This is my main reason for giving 1 star. Not only this, but she butchered one order in my party and didn't act professionally when she was told they made the wrong dish. - The food is fairly expensive compared to other Thai restaurants. $7.95 for al la carte dishes (meaning you get no rice, but a tiny bit more of what you're ordering) considering the size of the dish. - The restaurant's atmosphere is pretty bad: it's completely empty, and there's only two people working in the restaurant so service is slow - In a party of 6 or more, get ready to get GOUGED by tax + tip. Red Pumpkin Curry with Beef: you get three small penny size cuts of beef. A bit too oily too. They do not cook this fresh. You can tell because the pumpkin pulp breaks down into the curry if it sits around too long and this was definitely the case. Pad Thai: Too soggy, not flavorful enough, and bean sprouts cooked in weren't cooked thoroughly Pad See Ew: Too soggy and not flavorful enough Fried Chicken over Fried Rice: Breading was soggy and flavorless. Rice was bland. read more

Racha Café - Red Pumpkin Curry - Thai Near Me - Berkeley, California

Very little protein given. Pad see ew didnt have much taste. Crispy pork tasted good but very little pork mostly veggies.

As a person who enjoys Thai food and has been to Thailand, what a disappointment. I feel like there's very little good Thai food in Berkeley and this just reinforces that notion. I usually get vegetarian food when I eat Thai because they just make amazing vegetarian fried rice and noodles and curries. I had a group of 8 and we were hunting for some dinner at around 7 pm on a Thursday. We went to around 5 restaurants yet all were full. Except racha. And I can see why. First, it takes forever for our orders to be taken and forever for our food to come out. Seriously, we waiting about 10 minutes without our orders being taken and another good 15 before our food came out. Not cool. All of us either ordered curry, fried rice, or the drunken noodles. This was based on my recommendation since those dishes are my favorite Thai dishes to order in a restaurant. It was just okay. The food wasn't horrible, but the portions were a little small for the price and the food wasn't mind blowing. After waiting a good 20 or more minutes. Boo. I wouldn't come back. I guess I'll have to hunt for other delicious Thai food in Berkeley. *sigh* read more

Racha Café - Thai Near Me - Berkeley, California

Can't believe I hadn't tried this place till junior year, but it was so good! I get the Khao Soi almost every time, which is an amazing curry noodle soup with vegetables and tofu. It's also a great size, so I always have plenty to take home. I've also tried the Tom Kha and fried rice here too, both of which are so good! Would definitely recommend trying this hidden gem in Berkeley. read more

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I love the food here! So far, I have tried the curry noodle and the beef noodle soup. Both, were superb. The curry is just so tasty and has the right amount of heat. Plus, I like that there is some crunchy noodle on the top for you to mix with and it goes really well with everything. The beef noodle was also very yummy, with nice and tender meat and beef balls. Another plus is that the servers are quite friendly and service is pretty fast. This place is definitely one of the best Thai restaurants in Berkeley:) read more

Racha Café - Curry noodles, pad mee kow - Thai Near Me - Berkeley, California

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HANDS DOWN BEST THAI FOOD IN BERKELEY. Even after graduating and moving away, this was still my go to. I would drive from east Oakland for this. Couldn't find anything like it. Now that I'm out of the bay, makes me a bit sad that I won't be able to go anymore. Loyal customer of 7 years, will def come back when I'm in town. read more

Food was very good and the service was wonderful. Will certainly order from Racha Cafe again

There are many good Thai restaurants in Berkeley, but Racha is my favorite. The service is quick and friendly, and the food is always top quality. My favorites are the Thai barbecue chicken fried rice and any of the noodle dishes. I've never had to wait for service here, and the takeout option is always quite easy. I highly recommend! read more

Racha Café - Thai BBQ Chicken Fried Rice - Thai Near Me - Berkeley, California

10/10 would recommend pad Thai + Thai tea. the service was great and fast. It was also a clean and nice place, go get you some pad Thai after those finals, go bears read more

Racha Café - Pad Thai Pan Fried Noodle - Thai Near Me - Berkeley, California

very yummy home-y thai place in berkeley! we got the pad kee mao, duck curry, and pad krapow gai and they were all very solid! pad kee mao is a drunken noodles dish on the spicier side with basil and peppers. the duck curry was something different from other thai restaurants in the area and had pineapples in it! i did not try the pad krapow gai but it was devoured within mins so it must've been good! thai iced tea was average nothing special but solid nonetheless! overall good experience and very much reminds me of your hometown local thai spot. read more

Racha Café - a neon sign in the window - Thai Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I LOVE THIS PLACE!!! Best Thai in berkeley, and I've tried it all. Only contender w taste and service is Imm Thai. Also amazing prices.

Honestly the best thai foods I've ever had. Still miss the place living in San francisco and have not found any better thai restaurants

Love this food. Been eating here for over 35 years and it's as good as it was back in the day. Keep up the good work.

Rachas is sandwiched between several shops and can be easily overlooked. The restaurant isn't too big but there is plenty of seating. I had never had to wait for a table in the last few times that I had been here. [ Tom Yum Noodles ] I got this with egg noodles. Don't let the redness of the dish scare you. The soup was slightly sour and minimally spicy, unlike any noodle soup I've had before. I loved the texture of the egg noodles. The pork slices were easy to chew and tasted amazing with the soup. The bean sprouts and greens balanced out the dish perfectly. read more

I gave this place 4 stars because it can be expensive for a college student's budget, but this is one of my favorite Thai places to go to! I like the decor of the place and it's very spacious! Their pad see ew and curry dishes are all amazing. Even the red curry isn't too spicy. The flavor here is really good quality and the service is very quick; all of the plates are ready for you when you walk in and the waittresses are easy to flag down. I highly recommend this place for Thai food! read more

Racha Café - curry dish and a pad see ew dish - Thai Near Me - Berkeley, California

Ambiance: Came here right when it opened and there were 3 other groups of people already in here! Wow! Boy was I gladly surprised that I chose to come try out this restaurant! A non-empty restaurant at opening is always a good sign! I also loved how they folded their napkins! Cute and fancy at the same time. (Check out my photo of it!) Service: Fast, efficient, and friendly! :) They made sure that our water cups were filled all the time. Food came out fast. They checked up on us at just the right pace. Not too much and not too little. My friend forgot her sunglasses and the waiter came out chasing us just to give it back to her. COOLEST WAITER EVER!! How can I not give five stars just for that?!?! XD Food: - Papaya Salad: BEST PAPAYA SALAD EVER! Sweet and tangy and oh soooo yummy! It was a filling portion for just $6! Light and refreshing. I would definitely order this again and I highly recommend it to everyone. Full of flavor and light on your wallet. What a deal! - Breaded Chicken over Fried Rice: Very flavorful and tasty! Lots of onions! Yum! :) Price: ~$6 for papaya salad & ~$8 for fried rice Tip: - GET THE PAPAYA SALAD! - Service here is epic! :) Conclusion: I will be back for sure! :) Can't wait to try everything else on their menu! read more

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Thee best Thai restaurant ever! I come here about once a month and they never disappoint! Really popular Thai restaurant in the southside of Berkeley. Consistent and delicious are the best words I can describe this place. There's only three things I order here: 1) Papaya salad, which is shredded papaya, lettuce, cherry tomatoes, and spices. This order has a good kick of spiciness to it, but also a healthy option. 2) Pad thai - really good noodle and flavor with the right amount of tamarin. Wish the tofu was more soft. If it's your first time here, this is a definite must try! 3) Pineapple fried rice. Just how can you go wrong with this order?! There's really a lot of great selection of cuisines here and you can't go wrong with any! Always and forever my go-to Thai restaurant to take family and friends! read more

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Nice little cafe, green curry was delicious and not runny, there was a little substance to it which i like!! i'll be back

Great food and service. We had the northern Thai dish Khao Soi, spring rolls, and another dish.

I've been going to Racha for about 6 years now. And I have enjoyed the food, even though their portion sizes are relatively smaller than other thai restaurants around. That's why this review isn't 1 star. However, recently I have been very disappointed by their service. I asked for a thai iced tea with light ice, because I didn't want the ice to melt during the commute. And what I got was a 12 oz cup that was only 2/3 filled. This is such cheap behavior. The cost of living (food & rent) is already so high in this area, especially for students who don't have a full time income. So Racha should at least fill up their 12 oz cup of thai iced tea that costs $3+. read more

Let's be real, Berkeley has a lot of Thai options but for me one of my favorites is Racha! Racha isn't usually as busy as the others since they're a bit farther from campus which makes it great to grab lunch with friends. My favorite dishes are the pad see ew, barbecue chicken with fried rice, and teow lord. Both the pad see ew and teow lord are great noodle options. They use just the right amount of seasonings and sauce that makes there dishes memorable and yummy. I love their marinade for the barbecue chicken and one cannot go wrong with fried rice. Some other great options to go with your meal is their Thai tea and Thai iced coffee. Both are a bit on the sweeter end so you won't have to feel bad including these as your desert. read more

Racha Cafe has the good Thai food in Berkeley. It's a casual place, and it's good for groups. The restaurant is pretty busy and the time we had dinner in this place, they were only two staff running around taking orders. They gave us a table for two the table wasn't clean, I felt like they were rushing us to give our orders in. We didn't wait that long for our food to be served it was fast actually. But after our food got served, I had to ask the staff to give us plates, pork, napkins and drinks. read more

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First time trying Khao Soi and it was delicious! Big portion of noodles and red curry. I liked the addition of the crispy noodle on top. Their menu does seem a bit limited but would return to try their other noodle dishes. Interior is much more spacious than it looks on the outside. read more

Racha Café - Thai Near Me - Berkeley, California