This is a fairly frequent stop for me on my walk home from work (though I'd go more often if it wasn't cash only [though the presence of the ATM now makes it easier]). I like the atmosphere -- it is in fact a nice place to take it easy with some Thai comfort food. The coconut curry is uniformly excellent, whichever main ingredient you get. I was doing the combination curry for a while (beef, chicken), then the seafood curry (shrimp, calamari), then the tofu. It's always a generous portion with tasty sauce, and perfectly cooked green beans & carrots. I also enjoy the Pad See Ew and get it when I want to change things up a little. Their soup is good -- big portions. The appetizers are solid. I'm not a big fan of their particular Pad Thai, though, honestly. If you're stuck on Pad Thai, expand your horizons -- you'll be happier with something else. read more

What can I say about this place... Its somewhat like a fast food joint in a way, where you order up front, pay up front, give you a placard number and have a seat, and they bring the food to you. This place was alot more busier than Davan down the street. Price is reasonable, portion was enough for one person. Environment is very cozy and nice. Lets talk about food. Bf ordered garlic beef, I ordered pad thai & bf's sister ordered chicken curry. Garlic beef: big portions, lots of meat & yet flavorful, fresh veggies, lot of rice. This platter was pretty decent. Pad Thai: It wasn't what I expected (negatively), Each chef from different province have their own style of how they make their pad thai. This style wasn't for me. I ordered it because I was craving for pad thai & alot of recommendation from yelp. The flavor was different in a way where it was a bit more wet & flavorful, spicy (indicate how spicy you want), seafood was fresh. they had mushroom in their pad thai which I thought was odd, since I never had mushroom in my pad thai... let's just say this platter wasn't for me... but someone else might like it. Chicken Curry: the aroma smelled so good, I can taste the coconut milk & the hint of curry ingredient in it, it wasn't too overwhelming, but yet flavorful. they use chicken breast which was fresh, alot of fresh veggies. One thing she didn't like about this is that it was drench over rice... so by the time we got to our office (we ordered togo) the rice has soaked up a big portion of the sauce. She wished they would seperate the curry and rice. Overall, we would come here again for a quick lunch (once in a while, its not all that great for thai food)... totally have alot of variety on their menu, but sadly I didn't see any fried rice menu on there (kind of weird... but oh well). Also, CASH ONLY! read more

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I work nearby and this is one of my favorite lunchtime spots. They know what I mean when I say, "Can you please make it spicy? Not white people spicy, but Thai spicy". Their food is consistent and good, Also quite affordable and well-portioned. The people who work here are so, so nice and I was really sad that a whole wall of their windows got taken out in the riots. I'm going to make a point of eating here more to help as much as I can. They have enough variety on their menu that as many times as I've been here, I've yet to have close to half their offerings. This is good, because I come here on a regular basis. Good stuff. read more

Not a place for customers to take IT easy! Went there for the first time asking for a table for two. Cashier (owner?) in a not so friendly way says we have to order and pay at register before we can grab a seat. He kinda ignores customers until they flash some cash. I guess regulars know the drill. Menu looked good with things like noodle soup so I was excited to try it. Everything ordered and service is a disappointment! The food was a mess. Cheap odd cuts of meats are used. Thai iced tea is watered down and gross. There is no quality control here. Food comes out quickly cooked in haste and not necessarily cooked to order. Spend a few bucks more and go elsewhere. read more

I really wanted to like this place! Prices are so alluring! So I tried a few things to get a feel, and everything is mediocre at best. Dry egg rolls and rubbery noodles in a flavorless pad thai that didn't have egg in it (huh?). Shucks! I may come back to try something else someday. But with so many other options around, it may be a while. :( read more

Great Service, GREAT GREAT food,. The seafood curry dish is SOOOOO good. Great prices, (re cheap) and always great. read more

Excellent food. The customer service is consistantly awesome. The foods is very fresh and flavorful. This is the first thai resturant I have tried, so I assumed all thai food was good and ventured out to other resturants. I have been highly disappointed with other thai resturants they just don't hold up to this place. I recommend the seafood pad thai. soo good! read more

Take It Easy - Seafood pad Thai - Thai Near Me - Oakland, California

Food is okay to edible.... (take a pepto after your meal) Clean ... yeah, I'll give this comment about this place. BUT - Make sure you count your change at the register!!! Been there twice AND TWICE I was SHORT CHANGED!!! Long story short - I'm not ever going back.... Customer Service SUCKS. read more

I like this place a lot. The food is really tasty, the menu is extensive, and they're very fast (food cooked to order usually in 5-10 minutes at the lunch hour crush). I love the fact that it has an open kitchen - - you can see all the ingredients and cooking while you're waiting or even from the sidewalk. Very friendly. Good vegetarian options too. Oh yeah, be careful, I found their "medium" spicy to be pretty hot. I should have went with my initial instinct and gotten mild. I'll be going back! Went a second time, and ate in this time. It's real informal (order at the counter, grab a seat). It's a clean, bright, relatively large space. I had the tofu and vegetables curry, and it was very yummy. We also shared fried rolls with chicken, which were very crispy and surprisingly light. They also handle the lunch crush well. Only advice: consider phoning orders in advance, and grab a table when you see it. read more

This place is my go to for lunch when I am tired of sandwiches. I love the pad thai and pad see ew (sp?). The owner waves to me and my kids when we walk by every day and is super nice. This place is so good, my boyfriend has me order food for him and he picks it up to eat while he is on the road. read more

Take It Easy - Chicken pad thai to go. - Thai Near Me - Oakland, California

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The first time I went I thought it was a 2 star, but Take It Easy has earned its way into my Thai restaurant lunch rotation because of two key words: Jungle Curry. I f---ing love their jungle curry. It's cheap, fast, reasonably healthy and a good sized portion. They can also make it crazy hot. The downsides: cash only, blearg. The owner is not very personable. Not grumpy, but he's not going to come from behind the counter and hug you either. read more

The owner is rude and not customer friendly. My boyfriend and I were having lunch (their busy hour). We were enjoying a nice conversation as I finished my drink after eating. Then out of no where....the owner comes to our table and asks if we were done....we said yes (we were confused as to why he asked) and he walked away without saying anything. He went and told 2 ladies to go ahead and sit at our table while we were still there! I was so angry, left my garbage on the table and walked out before I yelled at him in front of everyone. He basically kicked us out! Needless to say...we never went back after being regular customers...I'm spreading the word....don't go there unless you want be hurried and kicked out! Food isn't that great either. read more

The other reviewers got it right. PROS: Cheap, large portions CONS: Just about everything else. Ironically, I ate here on a recommendation from the girl working at Selix up the street. She said it was the best Thai food she's ever had. I hate to think where else she's been. Oh, and Maynard R: They do have Pra-Ram. I disovered that fact by accident when I ordered the Beef Salad with peanut sauce on a VERY hot afternoon yesterday. I was hoping for something nice and cool and was a little surprised when I received a steaming plate of Pra-Ram. So the good news is, they have it (even if they call it salad), the bad news, it was pretty bland. The tiny chunks of shredded beef were barely discernible from the crushed peanuts, and the entire dish lacked any seasoning. One last thing for the pros list: I love the ice water they serve. The ice was my favorite kind of finely crushed perfect for chewing on goodness. read more

The bizarrely named Take It Easy has a long menu with standard Thai offerings. The portions are huge, so be prepared to eat for two or take home leftovers. I advise this course anyway, because you shouldn't skip their appetizers (even though your food comes out so quickly you won't need something to fend off your hunger while you wait.) It's also a real bargain considering that the dishes run between $5 and $8 and will feed you more than once. Food is decent, but not outstanding. I wouldn't go out of my way to eat here, but it will do if you're in the area. My only concern is that I am deterred from trying some of the noodle dishes because they are described on the menu as "salty." Considering that, when primed with "salty," my word association is an instantaneous "BALLS!" I can't really venture to sample any of them. Balls. read more

If you want a bargain and you like volume. This may be your place. If you like Thai food then maybe you should move along. read more

I've only been there once but the food was definitely not up to par with any Thai food I've had in the past few years. Low quality food. pluses: plenty of seating read more

So I'm not sure what other reviewers' beef is with this place. I went in today and ordered the Tofu Jungle Curry ("extra spicy please") and almost passed out with happiness when my dish arrived. Slices of fried tofu with basil, bamboo shoots and green beans, cooked in a red curry and served atop a full plate of rice. Huge, huge portions - I barely got through a third of my dish and had to stuff the rest of it into the larger of the two two-go boxes (which barely held all that food). And the whole dish was $7! The restaurant is simple, clean and features a lot of wood, which gives the place a nice homey setting. The ladies in the kitchen are amazing to watch as they briskly combine ingredients together at a speed that I, as a dilettante cooking enthusiast, seriously envy. Great place for lunch, and you'll get enough food for another extra meal! Cash only. read more

I've eaten here twice and gotten minor food poisoning both times. I get the veggie Pad see ew. the noodles are oddly cooked causing them to stick together and be either too hard in some spots and too soft in others. The vegetables are basically mush. Cash only, but doesn't tell you that. Fast, dirty, cheap, and semi acceptable food. read more

I really wanted to love it. The pad thai I ordered took a long time because it was being cooked right there in the pan pretty much in front of my eyes. Mmmm. Sadly the flavor was just okay. The noodles tasted really sweet and the flavors didn't come together in a complex way, as they should. I'd maybe try other menu items....there seems to be hundreds LOL read more

Good prices, generous portions, and quick service. The food is OK, but not amazing. But the speed and price make it worthwhile. This is what I imagine Bangkok street vendor food to be like - quick, cheap, and good enough. Both eat in and take out order at the counter. Cash only although there is an ATM. read more

I came in here in a good mood and decided to order a pad thai...and I left saying to myself "well that was a letdown." It took too long for them to prepare my order. Also, when it finally came in, it tasted off. I don't really know how to explain it. In short: food is not that tasty. I wont be back. read more

Looking forward to returning for chicken pad tai. And sweet cold tea. They have been a staple for the downtown lunch crowd from nearby offices. read more

Had the veggie drunken noodles for the first time for lunch today. I liked it - I'm a big basil fan. It could have used a little more flavor, but that's what the condiments are for, right? My friend ordered the same but added tofu, and she said she likes the way they cook the tofu there. It was $6.20 plus tax, and it's cash only. Which caused me great embarrassment with my friend. But next time, and there will be one, it's on me. The place was jam packed when we met up around 12:30. Good on a cold winter day like today was. read more

I liked it. I've had the drunken noodles and the coconut rice bowls before. Love the coconut rice bowls, I'd highly recommend it! Always tool my food to go and it's been pretty quick. I agree with some other reviewers, some dishes are a bit bland. But the price is definitely right. Most dishes are $6-8. read more

I was craving some Thai food so I dropped by for lunch awhile back. The name does not help it sound like a Thai place nor does the interior look like your typical Thai restaurant. It is also super hole-in-the-wall-y. While the food isn't amazing and I have definitely had better elsewhere, but it does the job to satisfy those cravings! Though I'm sure it's also because there aren't too many other Thai places within walking distance. I got their Beef Pad See Ewe. It was alright, the noodles were definitely a lot mushier than I have had at other places but it was decently flavored. The beef wasn't overcooked either, HATE rubbery beef, so that was okay. Also had their Golden Triangles, I've never had these elsewhere before so I'm not sure how legit they are, for all I know they could be the Thai version of orange chicken lol. But they were well-fried dough stuffed with pumpkin. Pretty decent, even though I usually don't eat pumpkin I thought it was alright. Note: They don't take credit cards so be prepared with your cash in hand! read more

I dont really like thai food, but this place has a nice atmosphere. Really, it's got a touch of class that is sorely missing from many other restaurants of the area. And for what it is (thai food) i guess it's not bad. It was spicy and full of flavor. So, comming from a guy who doesnt like thai food, I would recomend this place. :) Not bad pricing either. like 7 bucks for a big plate of food. yay! read more

What I ate: Tofu Coconut Soup - Tofu was gag at best.. The broth seemed okay. About an hour after eating here I was sick. Enough said. read more

As I'm still trying to find new places to eat at around my office building, a co-worker recommended trying Take It Easy, so I gave it a shot. The food was okay. I ordered a Pad See Ew and there wasn't much taste to it. I wanted to add some Sriracha to give it some flavor but they didn't have any hot sauce, just hot oil with hot pepper flakes. What Asian restaurant doesn't have Sriracha or hot sauce? They need to either provide some sort of hot sauce or add more flavoring to it. I think the next time I'm want Thai I'll hit up my go to place down the street, DaVan Thai Cuisine. Their food tastes so much better. ***Also, make sure you have cash as this is a cash only place.*** read more

I would have to agree with the majority of reviews. I had the Pad Kee Mao (Drunken noodles) and wasn't impressed at all. The taste was edible but not flavorful at all! I have had much better definitely! This place can be OK to stop by for a quick lunch or a sit-down as they're space is pretty spacious inside. Pros: Fresh cooking/ your order to cooked to order/ nice big space/ and good portions Con: Food taste read more

Take it easy is where I hold the standard for Thai food !!! I love the Prawns pad see ew, and the tofu pad thai !! This is a popular place to go eat for all of us working in the area !! The guy at the cash register is cool with me, never had a problem with him... You know, you just gotta be nice to the guy who is handing you your food, and he will be nice to you. : ) Take it Easy is sooooooooooo good !! read more

I don't like giving low ratings, so normally would just not rate a place, but I actually said to a friend, "this is the worst Thai ever". I'm really sorry. The man behind the counter was so nice and very friendly, so I would say the service is great. But this is a place where you pay and get your food, so no real service. I tried the Pad See Ew and it had no flavor, more of a bitter taste because of the bitter broccoli, and many of the noodles were clumped together in a large mass. Tasted like paste with bitterness, I thought I'd just pick out the tofu at that point. The tofu actually had a many-times-cooked-over texture and only the outer shell was semi intact, I just couldn't eat it. And I was hungry and decided to stop here since it seemed like fast service. I should note, that I was the only customer there, but this was about 1:30pm, so a pretty late lunch. One other person came in while I was getting ready to leave. The thai iced tea was ok, but left hungry and the plate full. read more

I really hate it----I wish i didn't stumble into this place the other day which then reminded me I had to add my 2 cents about it-----I hate it, because I really don't like giving lukewarm 3 star reviews about a place like this----a mom and pop, a little lamb amongst the jungle that is downtown Oakland----plus the lady cook is always good for a nice warm honest smile----- I went here the other day, and had originally tried this place over 2-3 years ago---I never went back after that intial visit and of course it took the meal the other day to remind me why--- the food here is not bad, it is not great--would I try it again? I saw a dish on the menu which sounded interesting, so yes, my curiosity will probably drive me back here-----but then again, the Jungle Curry I ordered the other day also sounded interesting and I left kinda disappointed. ---so yes, my next visit, I am setting myself up for possible further disappointment. the Jungle Curry is like any Trader Joe's frozen food meal----the description sounds killer, it looks killer in person, but it just doesn't taste all that good-------Yes it is hot, it is God darn hot----but without any sauce, it is like eating scattered bits of stuff around a dry bed of rice-----it really doesn't work, a dish doomed from inception---it really does need something, like a splash of chilli paste/sauce---something to gravy it up----- I do know, that sometime in the near future i will stumble into Take it easy Thai, I just hope next time my selection will blow my socks off- read more

This place is REALLY good. My co-worker and i heard about it from the proplr at Spicy Monkey and tried it out. Inexpensive and good. One thing though is they only take cash. But no worries cause they have a ATM right as you walk in. It really pretty in the seating area and you would never know by looking from the outside. read more

Solid place for decent food and good portions. Right next door to my office so I will go when I'm not in the mood to walk far to get food. That said, if it wasn't right next door I might not go. read more

Take It Easy is one of my lunchtime staples. No, it's not fancy, or particularly haute-cuisine, but it's good, filling, and cheap. If you read my other reviews, you see that my fail-safe test for a Thai restaurant is whether there is a picture of The King and Queen of Thailand prominently displayed. Sure enough, right over the owner's left shoulder when you order are Their Majesties, waving benevolently to the lunch line. Once you've ordered, you can watch the staff frenetically making your food and plating it for presentation to you.Their coconut curries and their jungle curries are my favorites. read more

Came in for lunch yesterday and I have no complaints. I had the Basil Chicken (edium hot) and ordered the Chicken Pad See Eww to go. Basil Chicken was good and Basil just popped like they had just picked the damn things! I had a taste of the Pad See Eww and that was also good (at the time). I got home about 5 hours later and gave my daughter the Pad See Eww I ordered for her and damn was it gross. I guess you just cant take home that dish from here. I had to throw it out. What a waste. This normally doesnt happen at other places so it had me wondering. Had some left over chicken basil and it was just as good. Just only the medium hot turned into hot for some odd reason! read more

So the food was good... which always helps... BUT... the great thing was when I asked for really spicy, the food was actually REALLY spicy!!! I was so happy!!! read more

Ive eaten at Take it Easy 5 times now and have trouble believing some of the other user's negative reviews. The curries prepared here are top notch, spicy, delicious, and good to the last drop. This isnt the best Thai Ive ever had, for sure, but my only real complaint about the dishes Ive had here is that the meat can be dry sometimes, but my overall experience has been great and the place is a candidate for regular visits. The owner has always been polite if not a bit curt towards me, but I have no problems with him at all and do not expect ass kissings and long, engaging conversations about his family and mine. The inside is minimal, well lit, and spacious despite its small overall size and the prices are on the low side for decent Thai. I usually leave for around 7 dollars for just myself, and I usually have leftovers because the portions are large! Overall the place is delicious and priced well, the spice in "extra spicy" generally really means extra spicy here, as opposed to extra warm, and if the heat still isnt enough for you, the tables are stocked with fresh chili flakes and powder. Yummy, quick service, and as an added bonus, Take it Easy is conveniently located only a couple of doors down from the BlueSky cafe! ; ) I enjoy this Thai spot and give it 4 stars. read more

I've frequented this place since 7 years ago when I started working in downtown Oakland. Even when I moved out of state, I stil craved their duck noodle soup with rice noodles, which was my all-time favorite!! I love Thai food and eat at Thai restaurants all the time, but I just couldn't find another Thai restaurant anywhere that made anything like their deliciously sweet, sour, savory, fatty duck noodle soup. Really, in the flavor spectrum, it's got it all. I'm happy to be back in downtown Oakland so that my duck noodle soup and I can be reunited again... Their curries are also very good and they give you huge portions. But I've noticed that their Pad See Ew leaves much to be desired (last time I had it, the rice noodles were like rubber), so I wouldn't recommend that. Also they stopped serving coconut juice with the real pulp in it, instead they sell these tiny little coconut water things for $2 that you can get at Costco for like 10 cents each, so not worth the price. read more

It hurts to give this place one star.. I don't like giving any place that puts food in my face 1 star, but it must be done. I've tried this place twice- I really wanted to like it because it's so close to me and I needed a new Thai restaurant to substitute the one I moved away from in Atlanta (BANGKOK I MISS YOU!!). I just really wasn't impressed- I think I tried both the Pad Thai (which one would think is IMPOSSIBLE to mess up), and a curry dish. Both so disappointing. I knew from the smell that they weren't going o be enjoyable dishes. Perhaps it was a new combination of herbs that I never had with the dish? Maybe they do Thai different here on the west coast? I don't know. All I do know is that I was not pleased, and I will not be back. read more