Chao Thai Cuisine

ATMOSPHERE: Good location right by Lake Merrit and Grand Theater, right across the street from the saturday farmers market. Great activity nearby, lively. A few outdoor tables available in the long corridor leading up to the restaurant entrance, not much sunlight but can be pleasant if warm. SERVICE: I usually don't write about service, but it was in particular bad. There are some things that are somewhat expected with the food, like utensils, napkins, etc. We kind of had to ask for everything piecemeal, while eating our appetizers with our fingers until we had the opportunity to ask (still had no napkins). FOOD: Standard Thai food. I saw an earlier mention that some of the meats were on the chewier side, which I agree with. The chicken in the green curry was a bit on the unexpectedly tough side. The green curry overall was decent, on par with any thai place. The Pad See Ew was actually very very good, very saucy, with chewy noodles. The shrimp deep fried spring rolls were also good, especially with the sauce.

I got duck curry and crab fried rice. It was VERY flavorful. We ate at one of the tables outside, which had a peaceful atmosphere and a view of people walking near Lake Merritt. I also tried a Thai beer: forgot what it was called but I liked it and it went well with the meal. Looking forward to eating here again.

Visiting from San Diego. Ordered shrimp Panang Curry, delish! The level of spices was perfect for my taste... Place is small, had difficulty finding it, it was hiding.. Their sign is not as attracted and visible. Thank goodness our GPS helped us ;D ...we had a great server and shes very sweet, friendly and fast. Food was wonderful! ..Most of all, we were pleased that we were able to sit outside with my bff furr baby. Definitely recommend this place!😁👍🏼💜🌻🌺

We had just watched Bohemian Rhapsody at the Grand Lake theater and wanted something yummy for dinner. I saw the sign for Chao and remember it being good years ago. The place inside is homey and mellow. I had the chicken pad Thai . Full of flavor and lots of crispy veggies this dish is great. We had fried veggie spring rolls and that was good. It came with tasty sauce. I want to try their soups next time. Come to this restaurant....now.