4. Restaurants

Cha-Am Thai Restaurant

1543 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley, CA, 94709
  • (510) 848-9664
  • Store is closed

Cha-Am Thai Restaurant Menu

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  • Revital C.

    This is the best Thai food I ever ate!!!!! That area full with Thai and Chinese restaurants but none of them as good as cha-am!!!!! I'm driving from my home 25 minutes (at lunch once a week!!!) just to get 'takeaway'... To bad they don't have delivery....

    (5)

  • Erin F.

    Went here for a wedding rehearsal dinner and was not impressed. Vegetarian dishes included shrimp! I went here as part of a group of 20 people and was very disappointed. The major concern I had is that dishes that were supposed to be vegetarian included shrimp! My fiance has an allergy to shellfish, and he was eating the vegetarian dishes because he thought they would be seafood free. Luckily he didn't have a reaction, but it is dangerous to prepare food that way! Additionally, we were eating spring rolls that they said were vegetarian, but they clearly had meat (probably pork)- again, my fiance tries to keep kosher, so this was again a major miss. The groom and half the bridal party were also strict vegetarians, and had chosen this restaurant for vegetarian options, so it's disappointing that this happened. Beyond that, they weren't really prepared for us and there wasn't enough food- I don;t know if that was a result of the people ordering or the restaurant, but it was challenging. On top of that, they didn't bring us any rice for the dishes. Some of the dishes were clearly sauce based, and in my experience would have come with rice, but they wanted us to pay extra to order those. The only good thing about the meal was the eggplant and meat dish- which also came with shrimp for some bizarre reason.

    (1)

  • Andrea W.

    The ambiance is nice, and the food is quite tasty. I got a pad kee mao with tofu, and I enjoyed it. The portions were a bit small for the price though, so -1 star for that. The food has lots of flavor, and there are lots of vegetables in it, which is good. I came here once with 20 people, and they split up each person's check for us. I was pretty impressed by that.

    (4)

  • Manish P.

    Was in the area with a friend and decided to stop by here for dinner. The place is much bigger than it appears from outside - with more than one (?) of group dining areas. We were able to get a table on the street side and it was beautiful! Portion size is good. I thought food was good - not exceptional, but good !! All in all very pleasant dining experience. If I am in the area, I may consider this place again.

    (3)

  • Victoria K.

    restaurant is too busy for the servers to handle...thus, service is poor-non existent. the food (curry chicken) was greasy and luke warm, with only a hint of curry...no spice even though we ordered "thai hot". the hot and sour soup again was luke warm and was full of button mushrooms, lacking the other promised vegetables... I asked for hot tea...server handed me a cup (coffee cup,not a mug) not a pot not a tea choice, not even a saucer. I could go on and on...would not recommend

    (1)

  • Alastair S.

    Pretty decent Thai food. Staff are exceptionally friendly, the interior reminds me of one of those beachside restaurants in Koh Samui. The food uses a tad too much sugar though. Mansfield Score: 6.5/10

    (3)

  • Ankita C.

    This place had never disappointed me so far in 2 years. Service is always good n no one make face if u order one or two meal. They are always happily serving you whatever one needs it. N food is yummy

    (5)

  • Sheila N.

    Pretty decent Thai food in North Berkeley, and after moving up the street from it, its much more convenient now than heading to Bangkok Thai Cuisine on University. My sister and I have shared the yellow curry which was pretty good; our favorite was their dinner special, the salmon red curry, which had a surprisingly random but delicious addition in it: lychee! We were both pleasantly surprised how much the lychee complemented the curry. Portions on the dinner menu are large and can be shared with another person but regular menu items are the perfect size for one. Service is always fast and friendly and I know I'll be coming back every time I crave Thai!

    (4)

  • Hailey Y.

    So good. Yellow curry was heavenly. Red curry had THE BEST pork. Best Thai tea. Love this place

    (5)

  • Yelena K.

    Yet another disappointing Thai experience in Berkeley. The setting is so whimsical and the hostess was friendly, so I started to get a warm tingly feeling that this might be the place to finally break our Thai food dry spell. Our appetizer, the golden triangles, was actually pretty damn delicious. The dough was light and flaky, the filling flavorful and a bit spicy. The meal seemed promising. Then it happened: My curry was shamefully watery and tasted like straight up lime juice. Have you ever had some kind of overflowing container and, in a panic, tried to fix it by hurriedly scooping out the water with a little styrofoam cup? That's how I felt spooning out my curry on top of my rice. And if that wasn't bad enough, the potatoes... potatoes are my one true love -- I always save them for last at the end of every meal. I thought they looked a little sad and defeated swimming in my lime juice bowl, but I hoped for the best and set them aside anyway. I could not have been more wrong. They were obviously the crinkle cut potatoes you can buy in the frozen food section of the grocery store. They had a super weird, mealy, soggy texture and I was truly deeply disappointed. I was having a rough day and was looking forward to my potato solace. All this did was just make me more sad. The noodles my fiancé ordered weren't bad; they had a decent flavor despite being a bit goopy and I gave them virtual props for the baby corn. Cha-Am, your carrots may be cut into cute little shapes (no really, they're super cute), but that won't distract me from your food! Give me a call when you get the basics right.

    (3)

  • Lara W.

    This wooden, tree-house-like restaurant is perched in Berkeley's gourmet ghetto, offering a quiet, casual escape from some of the fancier fare down the block. In this cozy environment you will be greeted, without fail, by some of the friendliest waiters in the town. Their Thai food is authentic, tasty and affordable. I like their pumpkin curry and stick to it because the menu has so much variety, I am overwhelmed by the available choice. The tofu dishes I've had have also been very good.

    (4)

  • Ishara K.

    I always walk into a Thai restaurant with my mouth literally watering in anticipation. Thai food is one of the most delectable foods of the world with influences from India, China, Burma, Vietnam and Cambodia. Just like it's exotic influences, you know it has to be good when it uses a variety of hot, sweet, sour and spicy to make your taste buds dance and pores sweat. With ingredients like lemon grass, chillies, kefir lime, cilantro, thai basil, coconut milk, ginger, garlic and tamarind to name a few - it literally demands your senses to stand on high alert. Sydney Australia has some amazing Thai restaurants outside of Thailand. But here in the bay I am yet to find something great. The mission continues.... The food at Cha-Am was bland and I left disappointed. The service was good and ambiance so so, but I'm looking for great tasting food when I dine, so I'm not likely to come back :(

    (2)

  • Ellen B.

    I was particularly impressed by this place. It was my first time there and I had the red curry with chicken. It was a little bland and not spicy at all. My friend had the friend rice and said that it was ok. I was also surprised at how small the curry portions were. Usually you get twice the amount for that price. The service was good. They were very attentive and fast. Not that I wouldn't go there again but I wasn't impressed.

    (3)

  • Penelope R.

    I dream of this place! Every time I visit my Berkeley friends this place is the first stop! Absolutely delicious!

    (5)

  • Cassie X.

    Four stars for this gem of a place Make a reservation because there's not much space Their lunch combos are a fantastic deal Reasonable price for such a tasty meal I recommend their pad see ew Or be adventurous and order something new Their thai iced tea is a bit too sweet But that being said, it's still quite a treat I love the view and I love the food Just one more comment before I conclude The prices can be a little high But it's still a place you need to try To save some money come at lunch time And understand why I think this place is sublime

    (4)

  • Boning C.

    Costco frozen mini corn and peas and carrots.

    (2)

  • Amy A.

    Catered my wedding! Wedding guests still contact me for their info. My favorite Thai in the East Bay. Their cashew chicken has about 10 different fresh herbs. Each dish has such a complicated flavor profile, delicious food. Their peanut sauce is the best in town. Red curry is excellent. Many of the bad reviews on the yelp page are about service, not food. I've never had bad service when I've dined there, but I also usually get take out. Owner is a love. I really love this place.

    (5)

  • Allen K.

    Excellent customer service! They were very quick and efficient. I ordered the food and within a few minutes? Food was served! Wow! What efficient and quick service. They keep coming back to help us refill water. I would definitely come back again!

    (4)

  • Bobby N.

    Review Cheat Sheet: tasty food, $$, but quality over quantity, soothing atmosphere, perhaps avoid sundays (crying babies). Why. did. I. not. go. here. sooner? I cannot believe that I have missed out all this time. A friend said that I HAD to try this place as it's been around forever! I didn't think that I could dare have a new experience of Thai food that differed from the million other thai restaurants in Berkeley. Cha-Am is the bomb!! I ordered the Healthy Salmon plate, which comprises of mango salad with sunflower seeds and a sweet dressing. You get your choice of brown rice, and a nicely fried yet mouth watering salmon cut. Being from WA state where seafood is our specialty, this salmon steak made me want to do a backflip. BOOOM!! The one thing I didn't like was the $15.95. GOD!!! HELP ME! I was only three quarters full, but it was still worth it. The waitress put us right next to the window where we had an amazing view of north Shattuck ave and....Andronicos. The view isn't that bad. Some quick little annoying aspects were the crying kids in the background and the fact that the waitress appeared to rush us. We stayed an extra 30 minutes for that little move... because my friend and I were in good conversation, of course. Anyway, the lighting and the atmosphere here is really warm. It's nestled nicely behind some bushes and up some stairs, which makes it feel secluded from the hustle and bustle of berkeley but close enough to spectate. My new favorite getaway.

    (4)

  • Mohit C.

    Been coming here regularly for 6 years, its awesome !! Love it !!! Best Location I always sit next to window and enjoy the beautiful berkeley

    (4)

  • Jas H.

    Affordable and tasty. Open late.

    (5)

  • Christina C.

    We walked by this place so many times and finally we decided to try it out. We always like the neon lights & indoor patio kind of look. Wowwwww we were pleased with our Friday night choice. Staff was friendly & attentive/speedy service. We also love the atmosphere. It's clean, yet with a tall tree house kind of feeling. Very unique! I must make a note of this dish, one of the current dinner special, seafood/scallop in red curry! Very authentic, strong herb flavored, man.... the scallops were so tender. our personal best in all the Thai restaurant we had tried. My boys love the chicken satay & crispy shrimp rolls app. If we hadn't gotten so many variety of dishes, I bet you they go with another round on that chicken satay. Another cool dish is the pineapple rice. Give it 5 star with the presentation. it's actually served inside a cut open pineapple. Instead of the usual Thai peanuts, they garnishes the top with whole cashews. Ouuuuu another bonus star from my kids. As a family, we eat out all the time. Simply just like different restaurant experiences and get our kids trained with variety of cuisine choices. I give ChamAm 4 star to start with. We will definitely come back for other dish options soon. What a great find.

    (4)

  • Dhea S.

    When i ordered spicy, it came out too spicy like stupid like there's no state but spicy. I can eat real spicy food but this is just STUPID. Dont eat here. Pad that too was too sweet, no peanut so tasteless.

    (1)

  • David S.

    Although I've walked pass many times to Safeway, the allure of the building, which can almost pass off as a residential home, finally drew me inside to eat here. I came here for an early dinner at 5:30, so the place was kind of empty. The overall decor was not as bright or trendy as I would hope and the tables are covered with plastic cloth, kind of giving it an old school feel. Also there's a running fish tank as well, so the restaurant has a cozy feel. When asked for the recommendations, the waiter didn't hesitate to ask me for my preferences(chicken). On a side note, I'm curious where the name Dara comes from, because that's how the restaurant is advertised on their street signs, if there is an upstairs dining room, and if dining is allowed outside. Food wise, I ordered the stuffed eggplant with my choice of meat (chicken and spice). I really liked how the eggplant was sliced in a slanted manner and it's interesting how they actually went ahead and mashed the chicken to actually give it a stuffing texture. The dish itself was about $9 with an added $1.50 for a bowl of rice (your choice of brown rice, white rice, and another which I forget). Also I appreciated the fact that I was given 3 or 4 spices (a bowl of chiles, a viscous chili sauce, and chinese chili oil) With tax and tip, I ended up with $13.00. Not the most college friendly price, but at least I'm full and the service was on par. About ~7-10 minute walk from the west side of campus or ~20 minute walk from north side of campus.

    (3)

  • Kristy K.

    Don't get confused to which restaurant you want to go to as there are two Thai restaurants right next to each other! The day I went, was a pretty hot day and the server sat us right next to a window, which was nice. For appetizer, I had the Golden Triangles. It was 4 deep fried spring rolls with potato, sweet corn and other things served with a sweet and spicy sauce. They were really crunchy on the outside and rich filling. They were surprisingly filling. The Pad Thai here was pretty good. I loved how it came with fresh bean sprouts. The noodles, tofu, chicken and egg was pretty typical of a pad thai. Compared to its price though, I would just go to another Thai place that offers the same quality food for a lower price.

    (3)

  • Ben H.

    Sometimes I go to a restaurant's yelp page, and I have absolutely no idea why the rating is so out of line with my experience. This is one of them. This was hands-down, the best Thai food that I have ever eaten. The Thai Iced Tea I ordered was the finest I've ever had (not a connoisseur, but I have about once a week at different places around), and the food was delicious. My companion's curry was tasty as well. We also both had plenty, as we came in starving and left sated. No leftovers though. Food: 10/10 In addition to that, you're sitting by a big window, right next to a living tree that grows up through the restaurant, in a fairly intimate setting. Atmosphere: 10/10 Our server was polite, not super-attentive, but came at all the right times. Our food was also ready very quickly. Service: 8/10 Two meals with a drink for $25. Considering how delicious the food was, the wonderful atmosphere, and that $25 is about normal for a Thai meal out, this was the best price to quality ratio I've found at a Thai restaurant in Berkeley. Don't expect leftovers though.

    (5)

  • esther l.

    5 stars for their chicken Tom Yum Soup!! the chicken was NOT dry!!!! I know it's in a soup, but lots of places I've been to... has had dried out chicken in my soup!!! And the flavor of hot and sour??? it was perfect! Loved my dish today!

    (5)

  • Hong N.

    I went to Cha-Am Thai for lunch today per the suggestion of a few friends. I've gone to many Thai restaurants before and I have a pretty good idea as to what the food should be like. Upon arrival, it was difficult to find a parking spot. Once inside, I enjoyed the set up of the restaurant. It looked clean and had several options for seating including tables by a patio-like area and a huge window that overlooked the street. They have a huge menu for lunch and offer a lunch deal where you can order an appetizer and entree (from a specific list) for about 10 bucks. I ordered the Pad Thai with pork and Chicken Satay. The food did not take very long to come out considering my table had a party of 5 people. I thought the Chicken Satay was pretty good. It was nicely flavored and moist. I was pretty disappointed with the Pad Thai though. It had a decent flavor but was too soggy for my taste. No else in my group made much of a comment of their food. Overall, I do not think I will be coming back. At least not until I've made my rounds through the other Thai restaurants in the area.

    (3)

  • Daniel T.

    If I could I wouldn't even give this place 1 star. I wish we could even say we received bad service... Truth is we received NO service. My girlfriend and I came here for a quick dinner after a long day of of running around. We grabbed the menus, sat down, and received some water. After 5 min of looking over the menu I remembered that we left her purse on the front seat. I left my girlfriend to order the food while I got her purse and moved the car. After 15 min,(couldn't find parking) I get back to my girlfriend fumed! She had not been approached by a single waitress while the tables around them were being helped. I've received bad service before, but I've never been in a situation were We've been flat out ignored! We will NEVER be coming here again!

    (1)

  • Ava S.

    It was just okay for me. The restaurant is tucked away in a corner and hidden by all these trees and shrubbery. It was hard to see because the table that I sat at didn't have much lighting, which also made me really sleepy. I ordered the Cha-Am Noodle (steamed thin rice noodles topped with sautéed minced chicken yellow onions, bell peppers, baby corn, sweet basil, chopped green beans, peas and carrots with chili-garlic sauce). I thought this dish had way too much going on. I am a huge veggie fan, but the veggie to noodle ratio was poor. I forgot the dish was even supposed to come with noodles until my friend asked me where they were (there was a very small mound in the center). The taste was just okay, but I did enjoy the basil in it. I wish that they didn't use minced meat; I found myself looking for chunks of meat that didn't exist. Will I be back? Maybe, just because 3 people at my table ordered the Pad Thai and I want to see what's so good about it.

    (3)

  • Diana M.

    Much better than delivery 4 months ago! This restaurant was an old family favorite for years.

    (4)

  • Joseph S.

    I used to go to this place about 20 years ago, all the time. Then, I came back once every few years for many, many years. I think I made my last trip this past weekend. At the very least, this place suffers from the problem of expanding capacity and losing their mojo. But the food just doesn't have that certain kick that it had. It's now just typical Thai. No reason to bother. It's too bad. I really used to like this place. It must have been sold somewhere in there.

    (2)

  • Amanda M.

    Delicious rice dishes and Tom Ka soup. They have fun outdoor seating and our dog was able to sit with us!

    (4)

  • Elizabeth M.

    There are a gazillion Thai restaurants around here but this one is my fave. Fast, friendly service and fresh and authentic food. It really is a notch above other Thai places, sample their pad thai and fresh rolls and you'll see what I mean. It's also a really cute, elevated space where you can sit at the window and look out at the gourmet ghetto. Huge bonus: they are open all day every day (except holidays) and do not close for that 2:30-5:00 stretch like most asian places. I am often not hungry until 2:30 or 3:00 so it is perfect for me. The food is beautifully presented and perfectly prepared.

    (5)

  • Andrew M.

    Ok, so you can take the time to cut a carrot into the shape of a duck, but you resort to frozen crinkle cut fries in a curry? That really tells me all I need to know. The presentation here is nice, the atmosphere on the patio is good, and some of the food is actually kind of delicious, the golden triangles being one example. My pad kee mow was actually OK, even if the vegetables were a smidge crisp and the noodle/vegetable ratio was a bit out of whack (skewed towards too many vegetables, I'd prefer more noodles, YMMV). Where this meal really fell apart was the curry however. Frozen mealy potatoes, an insanely thin curry (thai curries are supposed to be thin, but this was water) that mostly tasted of coconut milk and lime juice and almost nothing of curry paste. It didn't bind to rice at all and just kind of fell through it into a soup that ran around the plate, not enjoyable or satisfying at all. Combine that with waiting just a little too long for the check and I don't think I'll be back, even if some of the other items on the menu looked promising.

    (3)

  • Ram S.

    good food along with a nice and cozy place. Would definitely go back when we are in berkeley

    (4)

  • Kaila U.

    No. I decided to try out Cha'am for a change the other day. My short summary is this: Dishes are several dollars more than the Thai place next door, and portions are smaller. More money, less food. If you want clarification on something on the menu, use google. They don't explain it. I ordered a chicken wing appetizer and when it arrived it was a breaded chicken meatball thing which I couldn't eat because of the breading. They charged us 350.00 dollars. They came to our table apologizing for accidentally charging us 350.00 instead of 35.00, and told us not to worry, and the money would be back in the bank account in a few days. What??? No.

    (1)

  • Aakash A.

    Large portions for a good price, but was pretty bland. Thai tea could've been better as well. Good atmosphere too, but would come here again only for lunch, not dinner.

    (3)

  • Amanda P.

    I love this place. We go here for a sit-down, more upscale experience compared to our favorite Thai place in the Asian Ghetto. The food is tasty--I've had the pak-j and pad kee-mao--and the ambiance is great. Like other reviewers have said, the restaurant is like a treehouse overlooking the street. I actually wish I lived inside this place.

    (4)

  • Anneka H.

    My favorite thai food in the East Bay! We love the Pad Prik #22 with chicken, the Cha-Am Noodle dish and any special they have. Fresh ingredients. Spicy and tasty. Never had a dish we didn't love here. My whole family loves this place and it's our go to place when out-of-towners come looking for something delicious. No one has ever left disappointed. Not sure why some say to make a reservation. We've always found a table, maybe after a short wait. Lunch is cheaper, but we like dinner menu because we get leftovers.

    (5)

  • Min Ju L.

    Solid Thai food. I had their squid salad, and was not disappointed. I also ordered red rice, which came in a plastic wrap (did they microwave it...?) and very, very hard on my teeth. But aside from that, all the other dishes that my large group ordered and shared were delicious. I'd recommend it.

    (4)

  • Akvile H.

    Hands down, THE best Thai food restaurant I have visited in Berkeley yet! I have been to a few now and they were mediocre at best but boy, was I surely impressed last weekend when going to Cha-Am for the first time! I absolutely love the fact that it's build above street level in what feels like a tree house. Warm, welcoming, atmosphere and staff. Almost felt like I was at home with family, they were just so sweet! We got lucky on getting a table right by the window facing the street and didn't have to wait at all since we came during after dinner peak hours. The menu was very extensive, filled with delicious sounding entrees, appetizers, desserts, drinks, and specials. It was difficult to narrow down what sounded best! Wish I could try it all! I ordered some yellow curry and that was fantastic. Flavorful, fresh, prepared quickly, and came with a bowl of fluffy warm brown rice. My husband ordered one of their specials and it was a delicious grilled salmon fillet with vegetables in a sweet and spicy soy like sauce. Everything was delicious that we didn't allow ourselves to bring home leftovers. Couldn't get enough of the flavor packed vegetables, salmon, and chicken. With excellent food, friendly staff, and great service, what more could you ask for? I will recommend this place to all of my friends and I can't wait to return and put their other dishes to my ultimate taste bud test! Order to go, eat in, bring some friends, family, or a date, this place is great!

    (5)

  • Kun L.

    The best Thai food around UC Berkeley! Plus very nice environment~

    (4)

  • Jasmine J.

    GoogledThai restaurants in Berkeley and Chaam came up along with a plethora of others. Given the amount of reviews they have and their average star rating I decided to give them a try and boy am I glad with my decision. They have a beautiful front patio decorated with plants and Thai decorum. I had he pad Thai with shrimp and tofu. Absolutely delicious! My server was super courteous and right on time with my water refill! I didn't have to leave my seat once to inquire about anything. My food was ready in less than fifteen minutes and my Thai iced tea was perfect. No complaints, I'm a satisfied customer across the board !

    (5)

  • Barclay W.

    My friend took me here because she swore that this was her favorite Thai food. She lives in the Gourmet Ghetto of Berkeley so I was like SWEET! I love Thai food so much. The decor was really interesting and there was a fun vibe to the place. I mean you can buy a baby coconut to drink out of. How interesting. I ordered the pad thai which is my usual favorite. When it came it looked so good and I was excited to dig in. When I did I almost cried. I almost cried because there was no flavor. NO FLAVOR! WHAT! This is a Thai place! Flavor should be punching me in the mouth. Sadly it tasted like eating warm bland. I wanted some spice and some texture but nothing was there. I left with my head held low. If my friend offered to take me back I would say no, let us try the place next door. Yes there is a Thai place next to this Thai place.

    (2)

  • Naomi L.

    Okay sorry, I'm about to sound like a snob after spending about 6 weeks in Thailand a few years ago, I think my expectations have changed. This Thai food just wasn't what I think of when I go to a Thai restaurant. I thought it was just what I ordered, but my friend didn't like her pad thai either and we didn't ask our other friend what she thought since she picked the place. However, I did notice that the third friend didn't eat all of her curry and didn't bag the rest to go... Anyhow, the place itself is very cute. I felt like I was sitting in a treehouse. Unfortunately, as such, the seating arrangements are kinda weird because of the layout. There was a large party right by the door that was taking up the majority of room in the restaurant. So they seated us and a few other people around the corner. I thought that would have been more nice since it was around the corner, but that just meant less water refills. Oh, but the hostess was super fast in trying to get us to get out once we finished our meals when it was clear we just wanted to talk for a bit (and it wasn't close to closing time and there weren't other people waiting tables). Upon leaving, the large party was still there talking away with no food to be seen anywhere on their table and the look of being full and pau with dinner. So minus one star for being rushed out when other people were not. I think my green veg curry was a like $9.50. I'm sorry, that was too much to pay for the portion given, which was mostly watery soup base. I tried the pad thai my friend had and the noodles were dry, oily, and kinda just blah. All in all, I would probably not come back here. There are several other Thai places in the area that also look good that I might try next time I swing by the area.

    (2)

  • b w.

    My favorite restaurant in North Berkeley!! I highly recommend the Pumpkin Curry! I get it with soft tofu, and it's always delicious. The staff is extremely helpful and nice.

    (5)

  • Matt S.

    Really good Thai place. Kind of hidden up a flight of stairs. The staff is friendly. I had the minced chicken lunch special which was a good deal. Came with soup and an appy as well. I'll be back.

    (3)

  • Crystal P.

    Came here while visiting - and had a great time. The food was great and I was in love with the Tofu dish I ordered. We also ordered 3 other dishes (mostly meat so I cant review those) but the other noodle dish was okay - nothing amazing. I came back a couple days later and ordered the same spicy tofu dish and it was not as great - which sometimes seems to be the case with Thai places, no matter where I visit - constancy seems to be an issue. Service was great and it's a cute place and the prices are great - most veggie dishes are under $10 - even for dinner - which is great. But to me it is good, but not amazing.

    (3)

  • Rachel W.

    When testing out a new Thai restaurant I almost always go with Pad Thai for two reasons. 1) I love Pad Thai and cannot get enough. 2) It's a great equalizer. If the Pad Thai's not good, it's unlikely the more creative dishes are anything special. I ordered the Pad Thai lunch special with chicken and a side of fried pork spring roll. The sauce for the roll was flavorful, as was the Pad Thai, however I was left a little wanting for some spice and no additional sauces were in sight. I wouldn't say the experience really blew me away, but it was far from bad. The service in general was moving at a pretty leisurely pace, but our food came out relatively quickly and with no mistakes, so no biggie there. Would I go back? Yes, probably. But not before ordering Pad Thai at several of the other Thai options in the area. You know...for benchmarking.

    (3)

  • Sarah R.

    DISCLOSURE: I love soup. I love Asian food. I've been to Thailand and I make my own Tom Yum, so I get that the interpretation of the dish is wide open. ATMOSPHERE: Unique in it's lofted street view, but not exactly a classy joint. Those of you who have travelled to SE Asia will find it feels like an upscale backpacker restaurant. SERVICE: Friendly and fast. Definitely their best quality. FOOD: (Specifically the Tom Yam, as they spell it). Horrible. I've been living in NC and was looking forward to some quality Asian food. Big fail, or for you Northern Californians, hella fail. The broth (usually my favorite part) was far too salty and not remotely spicy. The only 4 recognizable ingredients were green onion, prawn, mint, and plethora of mushrooms. Not the exotic straw mushroom, but plain white mushrooms. Just a school of them floating on top, like dead bodies. I picked out the shrooms and prawns, avoiding as much of the broth as possible, and begrudgingly paid my $11 tab. OVERALL: If the soup is any indication, don't even think about stopping here (but granted I'm judging and entire restaurant on one bowl of very, very, very bad soup).

    (1)

  • Rosh E.

    It's such a cutesy location, no joke. You walk up the stairs and its like a tree house. LOL idk if i described that well enough or if it even sounds cute, but when you go you'll understand what I am talking about. Finding parking is probably the only issue, other than that the price is reasonable and the food is delish (: I love their choice of dishware too haha. the little cups they have for water is super cute too. If you go for dinner its a really intimate setting if you ask me. The service is great too! A must go if youre in Berkley!

    (4)

  • Shalu S.

    Good food and good service! They were open on Christmas Day and it was so nice to get out of the rain and into eating some delish food. I also appreciated that they asked if we were vegetarian so they could not use fish sauce in the cooking. We had Pad Thai (which I didn't like as much but other in my group loved it), we some tofu and vegetable dishes that were great. The veggies were fresh and tofu was fried just right. I also liked that their iced coffee was not as milky as most other places. And the service was really nice for which I will always go back.

    (4)

  • Cammy M.

    So a good measure of quality food in a Thai restaurant is a stand by favorite - pad thai. Cha-Am fails. I ordered this dish and was given a mess of noodles dripping in an overly sweet, runny sauce. the peanuts sprinkled all over did help, nor did the measly few pieces of chopped tofu or the wet sprouts pushed to the side. I was hungry, so I ate it, since for almost 10 dollars I couldn't waste it. I was also given a small side soup with the order. The chicken broth was weak, and didn't taste very good, so I left that over. Someone please tell me a good Thai restaurant in Berkeley, because I will not return to Cha-Am.

    (1)

  • Henry T.

    Food came out pretty quickly and was just okay. It wasn't special nor was it bad. You can get the same tasting Thai food anywhere else in Berkeley. The place is a little overpriced for the quality of food, but the portions are decently sized. Service could be better, but I'm not sure they really cared. One instance, my friend requested for a pair of chopsticks and waited patiently for about 5 minutes. He ended up having to call out for the waitress to get it to him. Her excuse was "sorry I got distracted." Yeah, okay. Anyway, the place is really small, and looks welcoming inside. There are heaters on the side for those cold nights! PS. For you spicy-food lovers out there: I asked them to make my plate spicy, and I was actually able to taste it the spiciness (for those who don't follow my reviews--I LOVE spicy foods!)! Bravo!

    (3)

  • Krista S.

    It's a treehouse!! And I'm not exaggerating either. To get to the restaurant you have to climb these steps that wrap around a big tree and the restaurant sits atop the tree (or so it seems). Very nice place, great ambience and location. Food: We ordered the Pad See Eu, Chicken BBQ, Thai Iced Coffee, Seafood Pad Thai and Duck Curry and they were all delicious. Portions were medium sized, enough to feed one or two people given how hungry you are. Price is affordable and the service was good. Waitresses were attentive and friendly.

    (3)

  • Paul O.

    The food was below par and the place was a little fugly.

    (2)

  • Bill H.

    I had a terrible eating experience at Cha-Am. My date and I split an order of crab with papaya salad, along with a new Thai sake Cha-Am was featuring. The papaya salad was great, but the crab was bad. Really bad. Awful. Fishy, fishy nastiness that eventually spilled over onto the salad. We didn't finish the dish, obviously, but I wish I had turned the dish back to the kitchen to see if this was the exception or the rule. However, that dish was enough of a bad experience to point me at the many, many Thai alternatives in the neighborhood before I go back. Service was reasonable, and it looked like other patrons were enjoying their meals.

    (2)

  • Vanessa K.

    Not a fan. It seems like they just put a combination of soy sauce, fish sauce and msg and voila. Definitely had better Thai food before.

    (1)

  • Jamie F.

    Fresh rolls Chicken satay skewers Pad kee mao Vegetarian pineapple fried rice Vegetarian green curry Some beef and cabbage sauce-y dish Thai iced tea In a word: Meh. I came here on a Monday at 12:30pm to have a little birthday lunch for a few people in our lab group. First thought that went through my head ...why is this place completely empty and silent? Turns out people would start trickling in later. The food was decent, mostly because I feel like you can't really go wrong with Thai food. There was a small hair in one of my dishes =/ but I wasn't completely taken aback, given the overall look of the restaurant. (The walls and chairs and tables and floor looked slightly sticky and not really clean...) I just kind of stopped eating that dish haha. I don't mean to sound all HM, but if their standard is not that high, then neither should be their prices haha...They gave us a bowl of thai tea ice cream with 4 candles in it to share, which was nice. Oh and the thai iced tea was pretty yummy too. My general feeling of Cha Am can quite accurately be described as a resounding Meh. I probably won't come back here again of my own accord. Hate to give 2 stars to a local business that's been here for a while, but I can't make myself inflate their reviews simply for that fact.

    (2)

  • Celia B.

    Not bad, but not rememberable. I don't remember the service being that great, infact we didn't get a single smile and it seemed as though the wait staff were annoyed with us. The food came out quickly, and it was resonably priced. I enjoyed the location and the atmosphere was nice (its pretty inside and theres an area with lots of windows!). Due to the average-ness of the experience, I have no desire to return (but wouldn't be opposed to it if a group had decided to meet here). If you just want some simple thai, nothing extraordinary, then sure, visit Cha-Am.

    (3)

  • Tricia W.

    Came here with a group of friends and was enchanted by the location. Yes- it does look similar to like a "tree house" which is what one "Yelper" called it. Well-described- it's like the Swiss Family Robinson tree-house...a quick get-away from the city and into a relaxing ambiance. However, I did notice they did not play any background music. I would have liked that for white noise purposes:-/! Reasons to come here: 1) Lunch specials are a great deal and there are so many combinations to choose from. 2) Green curry lunch special with brown rice and the fried veggie spring roll. All were very delicious. One of the best green curries I've had. I was very pleased. Service was slightly disappointing. We didn't come at a particularly busy time and it was very difficult to wave down our server. Although she was extremely friendly, it took some time before our orders were taken or refills were provided. This would be the main reason I didn't give this place a 5/5. I definitely would have if the service was better. Otherwise, I was pleased with the entree and would come back to try the Pad Thai since it was so highly rated on Yelp :-).

    (4)

  • Kwang C.

    this is one of my favorite Thai spots... maybe because i been going here for 20 years? everything is good.... love the metal bowls you drink water out of lol. all the curry dishes great... seafood yummy and only bad thing is finding parking and trying to finish up the food so you dont have a bunch of left overs so hey not a bad thing. enjoy

    (4)

  • Ayla P.

    As far as Thai is considered, this place takes the curry. Every time I fly into San Francisco, Cha-Am is my first stop. At first glance you wouldn't think much of the restaurant. It's tucked away and disguised as a little tree house bungalow. The decor inside lacks a little with no background music, randomly placed statues and wall hangings; however, I don't visit the establishment for the decor. I go here for the best Tom Kha Gai that you can get in the bay area. Would you like a little bok choy advice? Add bok choy to everything. While I am a creature of habit and don't stray from my favorite soup, their menu is diverse and will surely accommodate any hungry stomach. So if you ever find yourself in Berkeley be sure to visit this little hidden gem.

    (5)

  • Heather O.

    Indoor covered patio that is cute, but fast food thai. Not memorable, but serviceable. I decide to do a Pad Thai Dish comparison tonight to see how the thai restaurants in my area stack up against each other after a gross dish here. Cha Am does something really strange to their Pad Thai. Their super cheap rice noodles are bright orange, yet nearly flavorless! We could see bean sprouts, onion, egg white dust, and soft tofu - but all flavorless. There were raw green onions for garnish. There was a faint oil, sour, onion flavor. Serviceable, but I like to see veggies and fresh ingredients....ugh. Worse their Pad Thai Dish is more expensive than all the restaurants on this block by one dollar. The noodles were terrible, but if you go in with a fast food attitude and just want to fill your belly it works and the atmosphere and tea is nice. They treat you well too. I went three years ago too and it was exactly the same food and crowd.

    (2)

  • MJ F.

    If you have never been to Thailand, if you can take only mild spicy. It is not bad, but since I am not, I wont go again. Sorry, I am Thai food snob. Seriously, I did not see any green chili in any dish and nothing was spicy. Should I have asked? Is spicy the default in Thai food? Is that something I have to ask!? It is too much to claim that they are authentic. The menu is standard and nothing special, I can tell some people like it, but I am just not. The reason we try here was because Ruen Pair in Albany closed... I miss their Masaman curry. If you are the Thai food lover always go for Pad Thai or anything with peanut sauce, you will probably like it.

    (2)

  • Harley P.

    Great place, great price, and great food. We came from Seattle and stopped by this place. Extremely satisfied. Food was served fast. And very delicious.

    (5)

  • Rohan D.

    Maybe eating there is a lot better than taking to go, but personally my to go experience with them was pretty bad. For $9 a plate, we GOT tiny servings. Like we got a barely a cup of curry and small plate of Fried Rice to go. Everything was ok for thai food, personally I'd rather to go to Thai Basil or something and get more food with about the same quality for cheaper than here. I see no reason to come here unless you want to have a better decor and environment for a special event, but if you just want food go someplace cheaper for same quality food.

    (2)

  • Laci G.

    Love this cosy little joint! Delicious Pad Ga Pao, especially with the seafood. Their curries aren't that grand - kinda hit and miss on the menu, but overall one of my favorite neighborhood Thai joints.

    (4)

  • Caroline S.

    I can only speak for take-out service from Cha-Am, but all of my carryout experiences here have been a great success. A typical take-away order goes something like this: 7:00 pm, call Cha-Am: "Hello, I'd like an order of X, Y, and Z." (at least one of these is a complex dish like a stir-fry noodle dish or a curry) "Okay, that will be fifteen minutes." 7:02 leave the apartment. 7:07 arrive at Cha-Am. 7:08 receive food and make payment. 7:15 arrive home and eat food. So yes, they are correct in that is takes 15 minutes round trip from point A (placing order) to point B (returning home with food). Take-out win! Oh yeah, and the food is good!

    (3)

  • Megan F.

    So, my family and I have been eating at Cha-Am for awhile now. Finally, I'm getting around to writing a review. Cute little "mom n' pop" place in Gourmet Ghetto with friendly service. Excellent, delicious, dependable Thai cuisine. Some of our favorites: -- Veggie Fresh Rolls - lots of veggies, seriously fresh, no noodles, with 2 awesome dipping sauces (great mixed together!) -- Pad See-Ew - the BEST! We usually get it vegetarian with extra veggies, yum. -- Pumpkin Curry - homey & flavorful, could use a few more veggies -- Laab - a weird combo of flavors that totally works, smells a bit like feet but tastes amazing -- Cha-Am Noodle - our new favorite noodle dish, delicious sauce! And, they deliver, too! If you're looking for excellent Thai food in Berkeley, you've found it :-)

    (5)

  • Daniel S.

    "Meh, I've experienced better" sums it up perfectly. Not bad, and probably deserving 2.5 starts, but not very good. Bua Luang and White Lotus in Albany are a lot better, and there are plenty others in Berkeley that I would go to first. Service is nice, but food is just mediocre. Spicing is not very interesting.

    (2)

  • PrincessPeac H.

    This place is gorgeous...but the food is just not so good. Why is it that the places with the best food always have no decorations and rats living in the kitchen? Do the rats do the cooking a la Ratatouille? Anyway, aside from the charming decor and polite waitress, this place had little to offer. The food was weird. When my husband asked, "does the vegetarian tom kha have all the vegetables and stuff," I don't think he meant mushrooms and onions and nothing else. Aside from that...yellow curry is one of my favorite dishes. I love it so much that I once actually took the time to make yellow curry paste from scratch. Their yellow curry made me sad. :( I think that if you're one of those people who doesn't like spicy food and to you spicy == chili then you might like this place.

    (2)

  • Satish M.

    This has to be one of the worst Thai places I have ever eaten at. The one star is for the ambience. They have skylights and seating outdoors on a deck and I like any place that makes use of natural light as much as possible. The food itself was rather weak on taste. We ordered two curries and neither was good. A curry is supposed to be a blend of ingredients with each ingredient taking in some of the flavorsof the others. Their curries seemed like they were prepared by throwing in the ingredients into the serving bowl at the last minute. The appetizer (Tom Ka Gai) soup was OK, nothing to write home about. This is also a bit pricier compared to other Thai places I have been to, considering this is in a campus area.

    (1)

  • Chester R.

    Its better than frozen food. i guess. i'm just pretty picky.

    (2)

  • Nancy H.

    this is THE BEST THAI RESTAURANT of my life and i compare all thai food to this restaurant. Everything tastes good. My favorites include the -pad thai -pad see ew -green curry -duck with the sweet sauce -tom ka gai soup with coconut milk, mushrooms, and chicken (this is SO GOOD) if nothing else, u must try this! One day we wanted to get takeout and I couldn't decide between pad thai and pad see ew so...we just got both and it was definitely the right choice! The small patio room is definitely the place to get a seat, at night it is very pretty.

    (5)

  • Chi L.

    This place has been on a steady slide downhill since the mid 90's. I was truly disappointed that this beacon of good food has degraded into being the nadir of Thai food in the Bay Area. It used to do battle with Plearn every year for best Thai in Berkeley, but, alas, their reputation has gone the way of the Dodo bird. I don't understand how rice can be so poor in a Thai place - WTF, the cuisine is BASED on rice - but it was nearly inedible - it smelled & tasted stale and had both soggy and dry, crispy bits. How anyone can make rice that is BOTH soggy & dry is a feat that is completely beyond my comprehension. My chicken curry had perhaps the driest, most cardboardiest tasting chicken I've ever had and my eggplant dish was coated in what can only be described as a brown oil slick - completely devoid of flavor or aroma. The staff is pleasant and is very efficient and prices have remained quite steady over the years. Sad to say, but my last visit, was my last.

    (2)

  • Lauren J.

    Cha-Am is a nice place for a casual dinner. The dining room is festive, and the service is quick and friendly. You feel like you are in a tree house! The shallow metal water cups and wicker rice containers add a nice touch. I enjoy the thai iced tea, the green curry and the pad thai. I have never been disappointed by a meal here.

    (4)

  • Mr P.

    Good Thai food appears to be hard to find these days. It gets to the point I don't even think about Thai food when I am in the mood to go out. Cha Am was a little surprise. The place was not too busy on a Saturday night, at least not when we first got there around 7:30. By the time we finished ordering and got the food, it was full house. Service was no thrill. You order, you eat, you pay, which is fine with me. I hate these meaningless chit chat at restaurants nowadays. We had the tom ga gai (very good), papaya salad with shrimp (okay, can do without the shrimp which was pretty tasteless), and the chicken with green curry (pretty good). And they made it hot like we requested. Not ready for a 4 star but will go back again.

    (3)

  • Sujit R.

    Mediocrity embodied. Three of us got one large soup (chicken), one order of rolls (crab), one yellow curry (chicken) and one noodle dish (pork). So I think we got a pretty representative sample of what Cha-Am had to offer. And what they had was... just ok. I hope to have a report from next door shortly.

    (2)

  • Liz G.

    I don't find Tobey Maguire attractive. Most of the time, I don't really care whether I find Tobey Maguire attractive. But I just saw (or rather, got dragged to) Spiderman 3 (despite not having seen the previous Spidermen), so I had to spend like 3 hours not really understanding what was going on and hoping somebody attractive would wander onto the movie screen, to no avail. Cha-Am kind of reminds me of Tobey Maguire. I don't understand what everyone else likes about it. The garden surrounding the restaurant is pretty cool, and the service is always pleasant and helpful. Kind of like Tobey Maguire is young, reasonably physically fit, and bearing no immediate physical flaws. But Tobey Maguire isn't very exciting to look at, and the food here isn't very exciting to eat. The last time I ate here, we got an appetizer that, in terms of taste and texture, was not much different from the egg rolls I used to get at the mall (although I'd imagine the ingredients were fresher). The two entrees we ordered were similarly unimpressive. The spicy tofu dish was not particularly spicy (and this is coming from a white girl who grew up on egg rolls from the mall!), and the tuna was dry and overcooked. I did enjoy the green curry with some of the veggies from the tuna dish, which may bode well for other curry entrees on the menu, but my previous memories of the place are lackluster as well. There's better food to be had in this neighborhood, and there's better Thai in Berkeley. AND there are hundreds of better-looking actors out there who could have played Spiderman.

    (3)

  • Wendy B.

    I always love what I order here and go away happily fed. I love the little silver water bowls and (a bit pricey) but great daily specials. This reminds me of the best of what I ate in Thailand when I was there. Not exceptionally spicy, but still full of flavor. The staff has always been friendly and conscientious about answering all my food ingredient questions and taking the time to understand what it is I need to avoid in my food and double checking that it's not in it, which I find a big plus.

    (5)

  • Vic C.

    I'm going out of the country tonight. So what's the first thing on my to-do list? Write a Yelp review. I know, sad. But still, this review's been long due. I've been going to Cha-Am for years. It probably ranks 2nd in my favorite Bezerkeley Thai places (the first honor goes to Ruen Pair ( yelp.com/biz/40HTk_jqKdS… ) if only because it causes me to eat appalling amounts of food. Actually, scratch that. Cha-am does the same. Man, I've managed to horrify the waitresses at two local Thai restaurants by the amount of food I've ordered and consumed. Maybe I have a problem. Or actually, maybe they do. I won't tell you about the time I ate two triple-triples in In-n-Out as my second dinner. I digress. See, Cha-Am's food is really quite tasty. Like bordering 5 star Thai great. But the service blows. Like abandoning you like a red-headed stepchild. Every time, I hope it'll be better. But alas, the little Asian waitresses take eons to take my order, forget something, never refill my water, and then get distracted by the cute little kids at other tables. Damn, next time I eat here, I'm kidnapping a cute little kid to bring with me. Maybe the service will be better.

    (4)

  • dario s.

    Great Thai food. The setting is very cool, and the energy level is high as it's usually quite busy. We have been eating here for many years.

    (4)

  • Joy P.

    I'm giving this 5 stars for the sole fact that I have never had a better vegetarian sweet-and-sour soup ever. Ever. I dream about it. I've only had take-out from here, so I can't comment on atmosphere, etc., but the food quality alone is worth it. Go. Perhaps my judgement is skewed by having recently moved from the Central Valley (Davis) and having a *very* limited exposure to quality vegetarian Asian food- in CA anyway. But I also grew up in D.C., where quality Asian food was also expected. And I now appreciate how significant those miles between the *true* East Bay and the "Far" East Bay really are. Food snot? Perhaps, but I've put my hours in.

    (5)

  • s r.

    3.5 stars, actually 1 STAR tasty and healthy food preparation 1 STAR large variety of menu items (vegetarian included) 1 STAR quaint and charming ambiance 1/2 STAR service I was invited to dinner at Cha-Am Thai over the weekend, and I'm so glad I accepted the invitation. I've passed by this place on so many occasions, wondering how the food was. Now I know and I won't be "passing by" anymore. Rather, I will be stopping in to pick up Thai to go or sitting down for a meal. I ordered # 37, a sweet and spicy prawn dish with green beans. It was so nicely prepared...the green beans ever so slightly sauteed....the prawns were plump and tender...with the addition of perfectly steamed, full-bodied brown rice the dish was enough for 2 to share. Price: $10.95 I'm not sure what my date ordered, aside from a different dish and a plate of steamed veggies. He is a triathlete, with a wicked fast metabolism, and he inhaled his meal before I got a good look at it. Clearly he liked whatever it was. They also offered us a menu of the evenings specials, with most priced around $16.95. The overall dining experience was simple, effortless, and lovely. Service was swift, polite, and neither attentive nor intrusive. The ambiance is charming and quaint. We were seated on what they called the patio, but it was enclosed with windows. Simply put, it was delicious, well-prepared, nutritious food served in a casual and quaint environment. I look forward to my next visit here.

    (4)

  • Wilson C.

    I've only been here once so my review is based on that experience only. First off, I think this place is really just made for the students at UCB. The place is extremely crowded and there's no room to sit. When we were seated, we had a small table for four and one of the girls luckily was small enough so that we were able to move the table closer to the wall for us to fit everyone. I do give it three stars because I liked the food I ordered. I ordered this duck curry which was quite good. I've never had duck curry before. I think I would recommend this place for takeout. Dining in would be okay during slower hours, but if you've eaten around Berkeley you know during "normal" eating times, nothing is really slow.

    (3)

  • Mari C.

    This is a long walk from South Side if you're running on empty. But to me, its well worth it. I've been coming here with my boyfriend for a while now, it's been declared the Tastiest Thai place in Berkeley, which is quite a title. Last night I walked over with a friend and we ordered pad-see-ew (flat egg noodles with sweet soy sauce, chicken, and broccoli) and one of their specials, which was like a shrimp and scallop yellow curry. Both were super duper tasty and well presented. The tea was also good and we ordered a fresh young coconut juice which actually came in the coconut! After we finished the drink, the waitress took it back to get it cut in half so we could eat the meat, too. Ambiance is great; its small and colorful and has lots of orchids. Service wasn't spectacular (the water dishes are extra small and therefore often empty) but the food more than made up for it. One could expect to pay between $8-15 for an entree at dinner time. Lunch is more affordable, obviously, but generally comes with a smaller selection. Soooo tasty, I definitely recommend it.

    (5)

  • Hannah G.

    I love this place, the humbly quaint atmosphere, attentive staff and delicious food! Papaya salad, vegetarian imperial rolls, chicken satay, pad thai, and green curry chicken are my favorites there. I must return ASAP!

    (5)

  • David W.

    I love this restaurant! The ambiance is great (it's in such a cute house, up some stairs above the street, and it's so green!), and the food is really good. It doesn't hurt that it's very reasonably priced. :) This is my favorite Thai in Berkeley.

    (4)

  • Scott A.

    This is my 200th Review and I am happy to have it fall on a positive note. This is the second time I ate here and I have to say that I was most delighted. The meal that I ate was so good I almost cried, and, no not from heat, I like it mild. But rather from such a good flavor. In case you are wondering and want to try it, it was #39 on the menu, Pad-Talay with brown rice, which was above average brown rice, but not the best ever. Service was fast and friendly with allowances made when asked. (I deleted the cilantro from that dish - yucko). I tasted my friend's veggie dish which was also quite tasty. Not anything to complain about. The place was pretty full for a Sunday night. Looks like good food and good service pays off.

    (5)

  • Christopher J.

    No matter how visible the remnants of the MSG insignia that glazed my brown rice and then coated my neural cavities to incite the wretched migraine that i wasn't aware i could aggravate, the waitress here informed me of potential "contamination" from zee poisson sauce. I already made my order along with the various alternate cloying substitutions from scaly snapper armpit to fermented soy chuck. Unfortunately, it meant i could not break apart a simultaneous blend of asparagus and pumpkin fibers drenched in coconut hemoglobin (asparagus is just too damn defined and scarce to put in another dish, apparently). Why frappe fish soul oil in ones broth? Will someone answer my functionless, redundant query? The thai lettuce wraps were ASTOUNDING. Helped me forget that I deployed the patented embarrassment strafe explosive for my companion to grovel in. But hey, when you deliberate over particulars and the person sitting across from you holds steadfast, you realize there is one less advesary in the world. Cha-am fucking taught me this.

    (4)

  • kristen m.

    I had dinner here for the first time about a year ago. I didn't remember loving or hating it, so when my colleague was feeling like Thai for lunch, I suggested Cha-Am. We usually go to the place next door to Taste of the Himalayas but I was a gastrointestinal mess the last time I ate there. I wasn't ready to order when the waitress first came to our table (surprise!) and after sending her away, it took awhile for her to come back, as was the case when paying at the end of the meal. Other than that, service was friendly, attentive and somewhat accomodating. I say somewhat because my colleague wanted to order something that wasn't on the lunch menu--chicken and spinach with peanut sauce over rice. Our server said this wasn't a problem, but when they brought her food out, there was but a pinch of spinach and the rest was bok choy. They also told her rice would be extra. I liked my red tofu curry, but didn't love it. I did appreciate that it had some spice but not so much that I couldn't taste anything. The rice that came with mine was shaped like a star, which i thought was cute. Our veggie pad thai came closest to being finished. Other than the food being so-so, I thought it was a bit overpriced compared to other Thai lunch specials--but given the area, i can see how this flies. Should also note that as we packed up our leftovers, we found a bug buried under the mound of bok choy on my colleague's plate. I know, we eat 'x' amount of bugs per year in our sleep, but still.....

    (3)

  • Elder Z.

    Came here while on vacation and thought it was great. Good atmosphere, good food, and the prices are decent. Servings aren't the biggest, but theyre adequate.

    (4)

  • Julia E.

    This place is awesome. I only ever took take-outs, so I cannot judge the dine-in experience very well, but the take outs are great. I love their Pad Thai Chicken. It comes with extra peanuts and sprouts. Usually it takes only 5-10 minutes after ordering until they have prepared it. Great place!

    (5)

  • Juliana C.

    After sampling a few slices at Cheeseboard (something with potatoes that I wasn't too into), my boyfriend and I decided to have an appetizer or two at Cha-Am. The restaurant is adorable - it's cute, cozy, and warm without being cramped. We ordered the special rolls, pad thai, and young coconut to drink. Immediately, I wished I hadn't had the pizza. The food was delicious and tasted exactly like it was supposed to. Next time, I will go for a full meal.

    (4)

  • Holly F.

    This unique place two stories above Shattuck Ave. near Cedar St. is perfect for dinner before a movie, a lazy night, or when the mood for Thai food strikes in the 94708-94710 area. The service is very sweet, even when it's packed on a Friday night. A waitress takes your order, and like clockwork, brings out cold water in silver cups, and then your drinks. The dishes arrive soon after, and hot. Last Friday, I ordered green curry chicken and Stephen, duck over cabbage. Next time I will ask for the curry to be spicier. But Stephen's duck was delightful, delectable, fatty! Their drinks are fun and look exotic. Stephen ordered coconut milk. It was served in a real coconut. After he finished the juice, he scooped and ate the coconut meat. Wow. Sadly, we were too full for dessert. Next time!

    (4)

  • Bita H.

    Food is good but the service is poor, I still go there for the food!

    (3)

  • Jovi C.

    This is kind of a so-so place to me. I like the ambiance, and I was really jealous over a couple of patrons sipping on young coconut juice (I abstained for the evening so I wouldn't have... erm... restroom issues). I ordered the yellow curry chicken and I was a little disappointed -- I wished the sauce was thicker and more coconutty. The chicken also tasted very tough. My friend ordered the pad see ew and that was much better than my yellow curry chicken. The Thai iced tea was pretty good, though. Not too strong. Overall, I would have to say I've been to better Thai places. I enjoyed myself, but was disappointed with the yellow curry chicken, and the service. We were "rushed" out... I went to the bathroom and came back to find the table totally cleaned and re-set! My friend said they asked if they could have the table back, which I thought was tacky.

    (3)

  • Jaclyn L.

    I came here with my friend on a Wednesday night around 7. Although the food was delicious (I had the sauteed chicken with basil sweet and spicy sauce and he had the red curry), the service was pretty poor. All in all it was super slow - taking our order, bringing out the food, refilling water, giving us the check, bringing the check back... What was the absolute worst was that they brought out my dish and waited a good fifteen minutes before they brought out my friend's curry. We actually thought that they might not have placed the order at all because so much time had elapsed after bringing my dinner. The food is good enough that I would come back and give them another shot, but they should really brush up on their service and consider giving free refills for sodas.

    (3)

  • Becka T.

    My first experience at Cha-Am was on my 22nd birthday. My guy friend and I were the first to arrive out of my party of ten. He really had to tinkle so we decided to check-in before everyone else got there. The restaurant is located above street level so we had to climb a flight of stairs in order to get to the actual building. There were two sets of stairs on opposite sides of the sign reading "Cha-Am Thai." One stairway seemed to lead to an office building while the other was covered in foliage. We decided to take the road less traveled, i.e. the foliage covered stairway. As we ascended to the entrance, the premonitions made it seem like we chose the right stairway. On the left, was a family having dinner in Thai-styled porcelain dishes with the blue and white design and a silver rice pot. On the right, was a sign reading something like "Thai and Laotian home style cooking." We entered the restaurant that was nicely decorated but didn't seem big enough for a party of ten. My guy friend told me to check in while he went to relieve himself in the bathroom. I approached the hostess and told her I had reservations for ten. She looked confusedly at me and went back to her desk to check the reservations book. "For ten?" "Yes" "For what restaurant?" "Cha-Am Thai" "That's next door," in an annoyed voice as she slammed the reservation booklet shut. "Oh..........I'm so sorry..." in an belittled and embarrassed tone. My guy friend was still in the bathroom. I waited outside the bathroom for what seemed like an eternity. He still didn't come out. I tried calling his cell but he didn't pick up. I knocked on the door a few times and he still wouldn't come out. I knocked and whispered, "John, this isn't the right place!" I waited, hoping he heard me and would come out soon so we could finally leave. A few moments later he came out and was ready to go. I repeated, "John, this isn't the right place!" He was like, "huh?" I repeated myself again. "Ohh crap. Haha" and we left. Next door, at Cha-Am Thai we found a restaurant with okay Thai food. The only friendly staff I found was the one I gave my credit card to. A couple of my other friends had the same mishap but they stopped at the sign that apparently read the other restaurant's name. If you come here, make sure you take the stairway on the left of the sign.

    (3)

  • Jill O.

    I've always been allured by the outer appearance of this restaurant: a crooked wooden house-hut set up on a block of concrete, surrounded by a handmade-looking gate and a variety of flamboyant vegetation. The inside is equally interesting and surprisingly big. Aside from cheap linoleum floors and a stained ceiling, the place has personality. The walls are decorated with murals and bamboo wallpaper, the seating is three different rooms: a regular dining area, a sky lit room, and a sunken room for overflow. The food is about $7-$8 a plate and my date and I got a whole liter of wine for just $10! And it was decent-tasting! The food was okay. That is why I docked them a star; I've had better Thai food. It was just a tad bland for my taste buds. I recommend it for a fun, cheap date!

    (4)

  • Lisah H.

    I work in the 'hood and love this place for lunch! The staff knows me by name and preferred beverage.... The lunch specials are incredible and my friend ordered off the menu the last visit and they only charged the lunch rate for something that isn't even on their dinner menu. And, their curries are excellent, although you have to ask for extra spice. I'm sorry to hear that folks have had an uneven experience here. Everyone has an off day, but they are a Berkeley institution -not that Berkeley should be compared to an institution....

    (3)

  • A L.

    Best Thai I've found in the area. My favorites are the Pad See Ew (I love the fat noodles) with tofu or chicken, and Massaman Curry. A lot of dishes at Thai restaurants are just too salty and/or drowned in sauce for me, but this place doesn't over-do it. The vegetables in the dishes are not overcooked, and the portions are a very good size. Service is very quick. Their takeout is very speedy as well. Every time I've been here, I've been able to get a table immediately, no matter what time or day, or how packed it seems.

    (5)

  • Giofreddo W.

    Cha-Am is a Berkeley institution, and is apparently considered a favorite Thai food destination. Unfortunately, the food is relentlessly spotty. The curries are bland and totally unexciting. The chicken in their green curry is dry, tough, super processed, and devoid of flavor. It's so dry that it doesn't absorb the curry and its flavor the way it's supposed to. They will make your curry nice and spicy on request, but what's the point when the curry itself doesn't even taste so great to begin with? Some of the vegetable dishes, like the Pad-Prik-Tofu, are actually pretty good, but not good enough to warrant repeat visits. It's just too bad such a mediocre Thai place occupies such a prime location (in a cool and funky, sprawling old house right smack in the middle of the gourmet ghetto). For my money, the curry (especially the green) at Little Plearn (Shattuck, downtown) is better (much more depth, flavor, etc..). Plearn's Tom Ka Gai is better than any other in at least a 10 mile radius. And if you're willing to trek further, Banana Blossom in Oakland (Park Blvd.), Suriya in SF/Mission, and Royal Thai (in San Rafael) are all profoundly better.

    (2)

  • R C.

    Good, but over-hyped!

    (3)

  • Ellen M.

    My favorite Thai food place, period. Anytime I'm in the area around dinner time this is the first place I think of to go. The restaurant is so cute and I love sitting in the window room so that you can eat with the natural light (assuming it's before the sun goes down). Berkeley has some great food places and this is at the top of my list.

    (5)

  • Richard P.

    Went there with a small group this week and was delighted by the reasonable prices and the quality of the food. The hot and sour soup tasted fresh and the yellow curry had all white meat and very good vegetables. They serve water in these little metal bowls as well, and with the decor and building layout, the place feels authentic.

    (4)

  • Stacy F.

    I've been here twice and got the same thing both times - really consistent to me. Plus the service is really friendly and ambiance super cute. I recommend the tom kha gai (!!!) and any of the meat curries.Sticky rice is good, if you're a fan of that, and last time we had some kind of fish was really good. heh.

    (4)

  • Leigh K.

    I gauge my love of a Thai restaurant on the quality of their Pad Se Ew, and Cha-Am rocked it! Cute place for a quiet dinner, very flavorful food, and a pleasant staff. I'd go back any time.

    (4)

  • Karima S.

    ITS A TREE HOUSE! For any other reason eat at this place because its a tree house. :D Besides that the food was pretty good (Pad Thai, Thai Fried Rice w/ Shrimp) but i agree with some of the other yelpers...their servings are a bit small and so is the dining area...BUT ITS A TREE HOUSE! There were still a few things i wanted to try on the menu...so i wouldn't mind making a second visit.

    (4)

  • Cris L.

    You can tell by the sheer number of reviews that this is a popular place. When I came to Berkeley, this was the first restaurant recommended to me. I know, there's not a single sidewalk in downtown Berkeley from which you can't see a Thai restaurant. You can't pee on the street without splashing on someone's pad thai. With all those choices, this person chose to say "Oooh, you HAVE to go to Cha-Am! It's awesome!". But to me it's just a Thai restaurant. It doesn't stand out except for the location. The service is quirky, sometimes a bit pushy. The food is not exciting. The price is not exciting. And I keep confusing it with the place next door: yelp.com/biz/c8Gs2F_J0vd…

    (3)

  • Evan K.

    This is one of my favorite Thai restaurants. The location is really amazing (you eat up in the trees!) and the restaurant is beautiful. The service is pretty good (but not great), but what you really come here for is the food. The food is fantastic, but I really have had some mixed experiences here, and sometimes it is not that great. This is definitely my favorite Thai restaurant in Berkeley. Beware vegetarians: the complementary soup that they serve to patrons has chicken stock in it. And most of the dishes probably have fish sauce in them (hell, it's a Thai restaurant!) so if you're really strict about that kind of thing, then ask before you order food.

    (5)

  • Brian W.

    After all the hype, I felt very much let down. Hardly the best Thai restaurant in Berkeley, let alone the Bay Area. Basic, average dishes with basic, average flavor. Service was friendly enough, and the setting is unique.

    (2)

  • Jane M.

    Great food and friendly service. The food comes out really fast and tastes fresh. Cha-Am is located in a cute neighborhood in N. Berkeley (Gourmet Ghetto) and I'd definitely recommend it. BF said it was probably the best Thai he's ever had!

    (5)

  • Jaclyn W.

    grossly overrated. If you are in the mood for mediocre thai (at best), go to cha-am, pay a bit too much, and then tell everybody else that you went to this berkeley institution. You will be dissatisfied, but hey, at least you will still fit in.

    (2)

  • Esther K.

    chose this place b/c it had so many good reviews and there's a reason for that: b/c it's good! took a friend out for her birthday and she thoroughly enjoyed her special: dungeness crab with this special, sticky garlic-based sauce that was really good and tasty! also tried their red snapper filet with basil sauce (very good), sea bass with stuffed spinach (a little bland but healthy and fresh) and snapper fish in coconut (tasty). drinks: thai ice tea- not bad, napa creek cabernet - yummy finished off with: vanilla ice cream and bananas....mMm! is all I have to say :) service: excellent and attentive! would go back for sure!

    (5)

  • Mo P.

    4.5 Berkeley stars! I love this place because it is close to home and quick. Great place for groups or a night out with friends while spending $20 per person with drinks. I love all the food I've had. Great curries and grilled dishes. Noodles dishes hit the spot and the larb is good. Some good seafood treats at low prices. Every person I've taken here has enjoyed this place. Did I mention inexpensive?

    (4)

  • Ying W.

    This place used to my favorite place to get Thai food from in Berkeley (probably since I lived 2 blocks away), but I think it has kinda gone downhill in the past 2-3 years. The prices have gone up, portions gone down, and it's just not as good as it used to be. Their curries and stir-fries are solid, but something is amiss in the taste from before. I think it's still a decent place, but I think you can find better thai in Berkeley.

    (3)

  • Nicole M.

    Pad Se Ew - TOFU! So delicious. I live a couple blocks from here and go all the time. It's the best Thai food I've ever had. Granted, I haven't eaten at a ton of Thai places, but I don't feel the need to go anywhere else. My perfect comfort food...plus I've never had to wait for a table.

    (4)

  • Jen X.

    The BBQ pork and chicken are delicious, even if you can sometimes tell most of the flavor is from the seasonings and sauce. The mango and sticky sweet rice is one of my favorite desserts!

    (5)

  • Elissa D.

    So I took some friends from LA and San Francisco here the other night. I had never been, but I'm always in the mood for thai food and this place had so many good reviews. Here's what. Not the greatest I've had. Anyone who chooses this place over Krung Tep in El Cerrito is seriously misinformed. The red curry was not so great, the rice was kind of dry and the water tasted strange...seriously...the water? But that said, the pad thai was delicious as was the coconut soup. The atmosphere was also better than most of the other thai restaurants I've found in the area. I would go back, not too pricey. But I still prefer Krung Tep.

    (3)

  • Ishtar P.

    My favorite restaurant in the whole world. The number 6 lunch special..chop chicken, to die for. Cha am noodles are another fav. Also the number 5 app. Po Pia...yum. There very basic dishes are amazing. The Pad Thai (no tofu) add shirmp..yum there Cashew nut chicken is amazing, the Tom Yum Gai soup (no tofu) add shrimp or just chicken is the best. The have a sweet red curry green bean and shirmp dish that im amazing. I just love everything even the waiters. After years of lunch, and birthday dinners Im on a first name basis. When I walk in its like cheers..."STARRRRRR"

    (5)

  • margarita y.

    Three stars for the memories? Sadly, during Peace Corps I used to salivate thinking about this place. Either my taste buds have done me wrong, or it's really gone downhill over the past few years... Lunch is good, because you get soup along with a regular entree, and the restaurant is often empty. Dinner is usually okay--service is good, but food is average at best [I haven't found a better Thai place in Berkeley, but I can think of a few in Oakland]. I would recommend staying away from the yellow curries, but the Gaeng Tofu is usually good, as are Tom Yum and Tom Kha soups.

    (3)

  • Xo L.

    what can i say? it's thai food. real good thai food. i bring my dates here. i've brought a drag queen here. i've brought my parents here. and they are almost always the same. the same people, the same smile and the same good food. they do sometimes have specials. you might have to ask for them. i usually travel on the safe side and just get the pad thai. ... oh and a thai ice tea or coffee. anytime i've strayed off the set menu, i've not been disappointed. so go ahead and be brave if you want. i've got allergies to shellfish and after a few of those surprises, i've stopped wondering and stayed in my mediocre world of menu choices. three cheers to the staff whenever i ask for chop sticks. it's their look of surprise that a tall white boy having the ability to master two small sticks. i mean, honey ... trust me, i can handle a lot more than two smalls. ... okay? i'm happy with my thai food in a tree house like setting above the gor-ghetto.

    (5)

  • Tiffany M.

    Everything is done right, here, down to the little metal cups for water. It can get quite busy, but you can get a little more privacy for a romantic meal, by sitting in the window tables. I have never had better Thai food, anywhere. Thank you Jessica Cort for bringing me here over a decade ago.

    (5)

  • Emil M.

    This is a great place! It's in the middle of everything, in a safe and comfortable neighborhood... It has great food, the chopped chicken with eggplant is my favorite! Their prices are great, the Thai Iced Tea was really good, and it was quaint and nice inside! Totally recommend it, even for take-out!!!

    (5)

  • May T.

    We keep going back, and it keeps getting better!

    (4)

  • Liz R.

    Some friends took me to Cha-Am on a Saturday evening with some high recommendations. I had the red curry with tofu. It was ok and I left full. The servers were a bit sullen and the place was cold. They also overcharged me, $50 in stead of $15. Luckily I noticed before I signed and sorted out another bill but they still took the 50 from my account, not the 15 that I actually signed for! I am giving one star only because my friends' food looked pretty good and the brown rice was tasty...just not worth $50. I won't be returning, it was not worth the amount of hassle i was left with!

    (1)

  • Alisha F.

    Each Thai foodie has their "prove it" staple dish. You know, the dish that you order on your first visit that forces the spot to prove that they are worth coming back to? Well, for me, that dish is Pad Thai; Cha-Am's including wok-fried rice noodles with tofu, egg, fresh bean sprouts and green onions topped with a generous amount of ground peanuts. For the foodie friend that introduced and accompanied me to Cha-Am last night on my first visit, the prove it dish was a vegetarian Tom-Yam-Gung with hot and sour soup with prawns, mushrooms, lemon grass, onions, coriander, roasted chili, mint and kaffir lime leaves. Now, we did order a third dish; a very non-exciting vegetarian dish which perhaps was too reliant on sauce and small vegetable bits. However, for this review, I am going to pretend that the third, boring dish did not get ordered (so that I can give them a 5-star). My Pad Thai tasted fairly different from other recipes that I had tasted in the area, mostly as it had a lighter noodle texture and sauce. Although it was nearer to closing time when we visited, the dish tasted very fresh. The Tom-Yam-Gung had ZERO of the "old familiar" spice-pain-aftertaste, and was honestly the best version of the soup that I have had to date. (It is fair to note that my foodie friend reports that he has spent his Thai-time finding the perfect soup recipe... he says that Cha-Am is "the one.") Add a Thai Iced Tea (that you get to mix yourself), and my guess is that you may experience the type of happiness that lasts all day.

    (5)

  • Tracy N.

    Definitely a date place, not only because its near the gourmet ghetto, but also because of the quality of the food. Thai places are a dime a dozen in Berkeley, hell, in the Bay Area. It's not rare to find a good thai place that is reasonably priced. In this case, the food is pretty good, and the portions are decently sized so you aren't bloated after the meal. Would I say it's fantastic?! No, just because there are other thai places where the food is phenomenal. Where Cha-Am succeeds is in its central location and quirky restaurant layout.

    (3)

  • Christian C.

    cha am was one of the first thai restaurants i tried when i moved to the east bay. this place has consistently good food for a reasonable price. i am a curry connossieur so i usually get the green curry. it is very well balanced. i think their "normal" spicy level is a little mild for me, so if you like it spicy, you should probably ask for it that way. last time i was there, i got the special which was a heaping serving of green curry with shrimp and scallops and lychees. it was mighty tasty. they have good tom ka gai and spring rolls too. i recommend this place if you are looking for thai restaurants in the gourmet ghetto.

    (4)

  • Cathleya G.

    Solid three and a half stars. I hate to give it three cause it was better than average, and I loved the building! The prices are unbelivably low, and the portions are small, which is nice because you get to try several things and not get stuck with just one or 2 dishes. Service is friendly but not awesome, I had to ask for fish sauce late in the meal because no one came by to ask if we needed anything, and when they served the dishes they rushed off in a blur. The PohPia (Spring rolls) were everything they should be and the sauce that accompanied them was (here it comes....) BETTER than my moms. I didnt like the Tom Yum Goong, but I did like their green curry, it was rich and delicious (a little low on the curry paste but solid nonetheless) and of course the Mango and sweet sticky rice was phenomenal. Yum. Honestly people I dont know why I keep going out for Thai food lately. I get it at home all the time. But this place is definitely worth a try and I'm happy to see it gets good reviews cause it is so damned cute.

    (3)

  • Tiffany H.

    This is based on the pad kee mow and the thai iced tea. DELISH. Best in Berkeley that I've tried so far, Thai Delight comes close, but this is a little tastier. Will have to go back for other items :)

    (4)

  • Aan N.

    The atmosphere is amazing in this cozy little restaurant. Our table got; chicken pad thai which was okay. I wasn't a fan of the chicken but the rest was good. The salad with peanut dressing was good but more like a soup because there was WAY too much peanut dressing. The special of the night was fried rice, chicken, shrimp and pineapple chunks and it was delicious. That should be on their menu daily...it's even served to you in 1/2 a pineapple. For appetizers I recommend the spring rolls and chicken skewers with peanut sauce.

    (4)

  • Laleh E.

    I was very surprised to read some of the other reviews listed after eating at Cha-Am myself. I went with some coworkers for lunchtime, and everything we ordered was amazing, according to myself and reviews from across the table. Now, perhaps we got great (and FAST) service because it was lunchtime, but I came away VERY happy with my dining experience. I loved my pad thai dish, and the cozy and cute decor are very Berkeley, which I love. In all fairness to people that were not satisfied, I should go there during dinnertime when it's busier, and see what I think. And YES, I'll order something different. For now, a very honest two thumbs up!!

    (5)

  • Annie F.

    I like cha-am, but it's always crowded and I feel like I'm content eating at other thai restaurants in the area like your place or thai-delight or thai e sun. I'm never WOWed by the food, but I certainly can't ever remember having a bad dish. It's also a bit on the expensive side, but I do like those silver water cups! I think if you want to impress some people with a cool-looking Berkeley thai spot, I'd take them here.

    (3)

  • A I.

    After I had been crawling around my apt, certain that my stomach had eaten itself, I was rescued and brought to Cha Am. I came with my good friend, we'll call her 'The Expert' (she knows a lot of great things).. We walked in and the place had a home-like feeling to it. My nostrils were very happy and the smells alone had tamed the beast that had grown in my stomach. We were seated almost immediately. The water came in these cups that made me think that I was drinking water from the fountain of youth. Service was great, perfectly timed, and the interior had interesting decorations. We had Curry Chicken and Green Beans with Chicken..and Rice. Everything was so delicious, that I kept feeding my stomach until I had to almost unbutton my pants. but that would have been tacky.. so I stopped eating. The beast is now sleeping.

    (5)

  • chelsea b.

    Cha-Am is so charming I want to give it an extra star just for the hidden jungle house atmosphere and the details in the place settings(One day I may just have to kidnap one of those silver water cups). I've been coming here for a few years now and I came to a realization last night. I never order off the menu. I always order from the specials board which has options like Salmon with Butternut Squash and Green Thai Curry with Lychees. The rest of the food here is your basic Thai fare. I don't think it will knock your socks off, but it's consistently good. My favorite part about coming to Cha-Am is getting sticky rice. I love that they serve it in a little basket which is perfect for keeping it warm throughout your meal. If you're in the area and wanting Thai, Cha-Am is definitely worth droppin' in.

    (3)

  • Debbie T.

    My sister and I were craving Thai food last week and decided to stop in for dinner. We ordered their vegetarian rice paper rolls, a bowl of their tom yum goong, the seafood ginger hot plate special, and masaman chicken curry. The rolls were topped with a bizarre, sweet, mushroom-based sauce. It completely masked the flavors of the fresh vegetables in the roll. We ended up scraping off the sauce. The soup was disappointing. Tom yum should be spicy and sour. This was full-on sweet with a slight tangy aftertaste. It was also served lukewarm. We really enjoyed the seafood hot plate. There was a generous amount of shrimp, scallops, sugar snap peas, basil, and fresh julienned ginger. If you love ginger, this is the dish for you. The masaman curry was standard. At the end of our meal, our tummies were full and our craving had been satiated. The service was fast and friendly. Quality of the food was high, though some of the flavors were perplexing. I'll come here again but I don't think I would repeat anything we ordered that evening.

    (3)

  • Nan H.

    Take it from a Thai girl - this is the worst Thai food I've had in Berkeley. I took my parents there today on the advice of Yelp, and we've now got MSG headaches and dry mouth. The food is infused with sugar, and clearly geared toward Westerners who enjoy Thai food only for its novelty, not for its actual merits. Save yourself the trouble and go next door to Dara.

    (1)

  • david j.

    I was looking forward to eating here but I do not think I will go again for a long time. Reasons: 1. Paid $17 for a salmon fillet that should have cost $12, $13 at most. 2. Pad Thai, which I VERY seldom order anywhere, was very boring. No vegetables at all. Only tofu. Menu promised egg, but I saw none. I might go back just to see what all the hype is about. But this is a 2 star affair for me.

    (2)

  • N G.

    As a Thai, I must admit there curry is done to perfection with a light coconut sauce. Their shrimp salad with tamarind sauce is delicious. Great Thai cooking with a southern Thai influence. The reason I do not return frequently is the unfriendly service. This is so anti Thai hospitality. Often, Thais do not like to serve other Thais. This is a sad reality.

    (3)

  • Francis W.

    One of the best Thai places in the North Berkeley Area. The pad-prik tofu and the red curry are delicious! Soups, mushroom dishes, eggplant, and cashew tofu are great. They also have brown rice. If you don't eat dairy, the curries here are dairy-free. They only use coconut milk, but confirm with the staff just in case they change their recipes.

    (4)

  • Sean B.

    We routinely order take-out from Cha Am (1-2x/month) and dine in maybe 2 or 3 times a year. The food is delicious, the fresh veggies are fresh, and the delivery is prompt (to North Berkeley) , usually around 15 minutes, or at least 10 minutes under the quoted time. Plus, the menu has a pretty outstanding variety.

    (4)

  • Manny H.

    We first visited Cha-Am last night and found it to be a good option for Thai eating in the gourmet ghetto. I personally liked the one next door a bit more, but I can't really complain about Cha-Am.

    (4)

  • Laura R.

    My favorite Thai place and I've been to a lot of Thai places. Of course, you have to ask if you want it spicy. Then, like all Thai places, they never actually believe me. But everything is fresh and has great flavot. Try their specials, especially fish and seafood ones. Great for taking friends, family, lovers and potential lovers. Or for a quiet lunch to treat yourself.

    (4)

  • Matt C.

    I am quite picky when it comes to Thai food and there only a few places in the Bay Area that I like... and this just happens to be one of them! The food is always fresh and so yummy tasting! The service is pretty good and the place is always clean. I have gone here many times and have never been disappointed in the dish I have ordered. That is saying a lot! Everyone I have taken has really enjoyed the food and would go back again...heck my friend over in China can't wait to get back and go have it again! Crazy!!! Try it and I am sure that you will be happy that you did.

    (5)

  • Jen Z.

    When I ate here I was in a rather large group but the service really could have been better. The food was fairly good and the decor was gorgeous. The water cups are authentic silver bowls; very interesting. The prices were quite reasonable. Hopefully next time I will be able to change my review to a higher star count.

    (3)

  • Brooks S.

    This place has fairly standard Thai food. Not breathtaking, but not awful. Dinner prices are very reasonable (most dishes under $10), and the setting is interesting. Had the massaman curry chicken and papaya salad, which were average. I would go back here if I was in the area, but wouldn't make a trip across the bay for it.

    (3)

  • Mimi Z.

    so good i want to give it 4.5 stars the place is cute, the service is good water comes in these cute litle cup things. the first time i went i thought they were finger bowls to clean your hands in, but my friend saw me staring strangely at them and stopped me from sticking my finger in the water... the food is really good, and again almost everything can be made vegetarian. the pad kea moa is sooo good, loaded w/ veges, tofu, noodles are stir fried to perfection my friend had the green curry, it was also delightful prices are good too

    (4)

  • Ping N.

    Charming, cute, cozy. I really like Cha-Am. Definitely much more than its neighbor, Dara. This place has fast and friendly service. The details are really interesting, especially the metal cups and the decor in the place. The food is yummy, although we got the special appetizers, the "Golden Triangle" and was a bit underwhelmed. It was tasty but definitely sounded much better on the menu than it actually looked or tasted. However, the food here tasted very authentic, like home cooked Thai food. With so many "fusion" restaurants out there now, it's comforting just to have good old regular Thai food. Definitely one of my favorite Thai food places around!

    (4)

  • Tim B.

    Best Thai food- Ever! Kid's and adults love this place! Can't live without: #5: The Po-Piah a great pork spring roll...the sauce is addicting. #24: Delicious peanut -sauce over Chicken over steamed spinach - super healthy! #51: Cha-am noodles: So good, definite heat, plus the basil adds a great kick! Definitely try the Thai Iced Coffee! Don't Miss this great gem!

    (5)

  • Kathleen L.

    I'm on a personal quest to find the best Tom Kha Gai in the East Bay. (For Thai soup neophytes, Tom Kha Gai is a delicious coconut milk-based soup with chicken, and every Thai restaurant makes it surprisingly different.) I would give Cha-Am's version an A-, as it didn't completely blow my socks off, but I've had much worse. There was a good amount of spice, but way too many onions. And I'm still unable to find a place in the Bay area that includes the ever-elusive cherry tomato. It's like the Holy Grail of Tom Kha Gai. I also ordered the red curry, which was solid. It could have used more heat, but I definitely devoured it in one sitting, so there can't really be any real complaints. Overall, if you want fairly decent, reasonably-priced, super-fast (ready in ten minutes) Thai take-out, call up Cha-Am.

    (3)

  • Jamie L.

    Eh. Since I only really order one thing ever when I go to Thai restaurants, I had the same experience as I normally do when I eat Pad Thai. Its filling and its good. Came here yesterday which was a really busy Saturday. The service was slow. The food was the same as anywhere I have gone. But the ambiance was nice and just seeing my friends that I haven't seen in awhile was worth it all.

    (3)

  • Susan X.

    I was totally blown away by the food here. It's tucked away up next to another Lao/Thai restaurant, and we were trying to decide which one to go to for dinner so we flipped a coin. The inside of this place is really cute. Unfortunately, the little patio/sunroom area was packed so we sat further inside. Between the 4 of us, we had pad see ew, another noodle dish, and I had to try the squid salad. The pad see ew was very good, but nothing mind-blowing. It's definitely up there in the delicious comfort food region. The squid salad though. Holy crap. It was amazing. I was initially skeptical because some restaurants just don't know how to make mint savory in a good way, but this was fabulous. The squid was very tender and perfectly cooked, the dressing was very tangy, and that mint was just...my mouth is currently watering. Our waitress was very sweet and attentive and the food came out quickly. The only complaint I have is that our check situation was kind of confusing and uncomfortable. We requested separate checks and the woman behind the counter was very unhappy about that. Overall though, the taste of the food will definitely draw me back.

    (4)

  • Gene G.

    I recently moved to within one block of Cha-am, and hadn't gotten a chance to try it because of the many other incredible food options in the neighborhood. My girlfriend and I got delivery tonight, and the result was not pleasant. We ordered the Pad Thai and the Pad See Ew with chicken. The Pad Thai was kind of odd -- the noodles were bright orange for some reason (which I've never seen), and it had a far-too-intense sourness to it. The flavor just wasn't there. The best I can say is that it was not inedible. But I didn't want to eat it, so it ended up in the garbage. You should know: I'm not a picky eater at all. My girlfriend jokes that I'd eat pretty much anything. But this wasn't something I wanted to consume. The pad see ew was not terrible, but we didn't enjoy it. The flavors tasted bland, and there was not nearly enough sauce in it, so it tasted dry. The vegetables were sparce and the chicken was chewy. Again, not inedible, but nothing pleasant. I can tell other people have thought this place is OK, so perhaps they are just inconsistent. Or, maybe they were just not on their A-game for take-out. Still, it won't be a repeat. There's too much good stuff in the Gourmet Ghetto to eat anything except awesome food.

    (2)

  • Jeremy S.

    Quaint little mom-and-pop-ish restaurant in a funny wooden house. Water was served in cereal sized bowls, I was amused/confused and naturally had to ask our waitress whether they were meant for cleaning your hands... silly me! The pad see ew was pretty delicious, but the pad prick pla meuk (squid sauteed with chili and garlic sauce) was too bland, I wouldn't recommend it. Our waitress was sweet and service was generally good. Not a destination spot, but a reasonable and inexpensive option when you're in this part of Berk.

    (3)

  • Sheri C.

    Had lunch here on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. We took advantage of the outdoor seating. The service was very pleasant and the food was good. Not the best Thai food ever, but still it was good. The portions are on the larger side while the prices are very reasonable. Two of use had lunch & appetizers (2 appetizers & 1 large entree) for $31 including tip. Pretty good deal considering this is in the Ghetto Gourmet area. I will try other places in the area since there are so many, however I am sure someday I will be back.

    (3)

  • Jenn C.

    This is another in a series of solid thai places in the East Bay - friendly staff and good service, it feels like you're going into someone's livingroom that they fixed up as a restaurant. The food is consistently delicious and they are great with kids who have particular requests. One of the best options for the budget minded diner in the gourmet ghetto!

    (4)

  • Dave Y.

    I think dinner might be better at this place than lunch. For one, I don't usually like it when the rice and food are served on the same plate cheap Chinese food combo-style, and they do that for lunch here. But the food is quite good here. The restaurant itself is also really fun, kinda feels like a tropical tree house. The staff is also really friendly.

    (4)

  • Sara J.

    I think I found our new favorite Thai place in Berkeley. I've been there twice now and have found the following to be amazing on both occasions: Silver noodles, Thai fried rice, Pad See-Ew and Pad Kee Mao. Quick service and super cute dining complete with sparkly lights.

    (4)

  • Kym B.

    Every time I try a new Thai place in Denver (which is where I now live), I die a little bit inside... I think back to when I used to call Berkeley home And Cha-Am was close by Available And delicious I don't know why Denver Thai sucks so bad Maybe I'm jaded Maybe Cha-Am spoiled me for other Thai forever. It's been years since I've had Cha-Am But I can still taste their complex spices Feel their little metal water bowls in my hand Smell the deliciousness in the air. It's not fair. Dammit, Denver Thai! Stop sucking!!

    (5)

  • Jenny T.

    3.5 stars actually. The first time I came here, I was quite surprised. This restaurant is hidden in a little corner, and I honestly didn't even know that this place existed. Both times I've been here, I've ordered the pad thai. The portions are just about right; not too small and not too much at the same time. It's definitely enough to satisfy your cravings. The thai tea was also good as well. While it's further than the other Thai restaurants around Berkeley, I wouldn't mind coming here again.

    (4)

  • Jennifer W.

    Cha-Am is a charming little restaurant that sits atop a mound of who knows what. The place is real cute, I tell you. For starters, the restroom is clean, though only one stall. The inside is filled with kitschy decor and the outside features old wheelcart tables. I sat outside having dinner around dusk and overlooking the cute flowershop at the corner. My friend and I had a great time coming up with stories for the people who visited the flower shop and analyzing their personality by the flower arrangement they chose. It was a good distraction because... While the nice server gave us some good recommendations, he forgot us most of the time. Our table and two other tables around us were waiting for the check for the longest time. In the end, representatives from all three tables just got up to pay inside. They were understaffed that day and being understaffed is a no-no in my book. The food was good, but they refused to add noodles to the Tom-Yum soup!

    (2)

  • Andrea S.

    I've lived around the corner from this place for awhile now, and after hearing rave reviews from just about everyone I know, I finally had to try it. I went on a Sunday night at about 6:30, right before it started to get busy. We were a little nervous about how service would be since we arrived at the same time as a party of 13, and the place was filling up quickly, but are service was efficient and friendly. I had the fresh spring rolls, which were some of the best I've had at any Thai restaurant. For an entree I had the Gaeng-Tofu, which could have used a bit more of a kick but other than that it was excellent. I could actually taste each of the different flavors. I appreciate that there are dishes such as this that offer fresh tofu, because most place limit vegetarians and vegans to fried tofu which I don't eat. Thank you Cha-Am!

    (4)

  • Vanessa C.

    This is my favorite Thai food in the East Bay, particularly because of their perfect squares of tofu. They're not fancy, I just think they're cute. Cha-Am does all of the classic American-never-been-to-Thailand (I haven't) dishes really well: pad thai, pad see ew, yellow curry, pineapple fried rice and coconut milk soup. I've also liked every side dish and daily special that I've tried. The service is fast and friendly. The restaurant is a bit loud, but only because people know where to get good food. I have nothing bad to say about this place. I take most of my out-of-town guests here, and my mother considers it a special part of visiting. Definitely eat at Cha-Am.

    (5)

  • Airin K.

    Thee food is always great, but to be fair my friend and I like to hang out here for the great ambiance. Wonderful tiny place in Berkeley!

    (5)

  • Alice L.

    The decor was similar to Thai House, high up in a wooden house. Water was served in silver bowls. My family ordered the deep fried pork rolls, appetizer #5, which tasted like regular egg rolls. All the appetizers are $7 which is pretty pricey for the small portions. For entrees, the Panang curry was spicy and really hit the spot which we ate with an order of sticky rice. Rice has to be ordered on the side and you have a choice of white, sticky, or brown rice. The basil eggplant dish was quite fragrant; the meat it came with was rancid. The pineapple fried rice came in a pineapple that was ripe and juicy, but the rice itself was bland. It had lots of components, including cashew, shrimp, chicken, but none of them blended together or added to the flavor. It was a ridiculously small portion of rice for $13. We ordered two pan fried noodles dishes, the Pad Khee Mao #54 and another variation #53 with pickled cabbage. They both tasted bland even though the noodles were nice and chewy. I normally don't notice the tiny strips of meat, but everyone commented on how the pork/beef that we ordered with the two dishes respectively were as tough as nails.

    (2)

  • Katrina A.

    With the boy's dad visiting from San Diego, we thought we grab dinner at Cheeseboard. Unfortunately they were closed, so we spotted this restaurant. His dad loves Thai food, and he said that the Tom Kha soup was really good and that most restaurants can't get it right. The boy had the pad thai, and he said it was good, but I thought the portion was a lot smaller than the Pad See Ew I had. My dish was all right; not the best I've had. I do like that they added some kind of squash in it. My portion was huge...so I ended up taking the leftovers home, which lasted me for 2 servings.

    (3)

  • Rayana M.

    I LOVE this place! This is pretty much the only place I like to go to for Thai and they have a fried fish dish that is to die for. I have brought a few friends here and we all absolutely love this place! I can't recommend it enough.

    (5)

  • Michelle W.

    TAKE OUT POTLUCK #2 10-2008 6th place Dish: Tom Yum & Tom Gai Overall Rating: 3.75 Method: Invite a bunch of freinds over & ask them to bring their favorite take-out & then rate each dish 4 people rated these dishes 4 flavor was good, but Tom Yum a little overly sour and the mildest Thai soup I've ever tasted- where's the heat? 4 yum yum 3 soup = nice flavor 4 GREAT- wonderful flavors without burning me up. (I'm a light weight for heat.)

    (4)

  • Kenneth R.

    I attempted to get up a group to go to Ruen Pair, but we ended up coming here instead because Cha-Am is walkable from the UC campus. Amazingly, this might have been my first time here! Our group of 13 included several veterans of Cha-Am eat-ins and take-outs. The vets advised us to go with the daily specials, which we did: we got the papaya salad with shrimp and all three of the daily (seafood) main-course specials. We also got a couple of curries, and a soup to start. For our large group, we ordered 2 or 3 copies of each dish that came to the table; this gave us the flexibility to order both vegetarian and non-veg versions of the same item. Everything tasted good, but the dishes didn't quite hold up even to the takeout items that I got from Ruen Pair a couple of weeks ago -- that's why I'm laying down only three stars. Further impressions: the people who work here (including the owner) seem to be extremely nice. I liked the physical layout of the restaurant: it's kind of cavernous in there, with nooks and crannies in unexpected places. When we were there for dinner last night, the restaurant was quite busy. I recognized bunches of faces from the campus (both students and non-students) and other and beyond. Cha-Am is somehow both quintessentially Berkeley and vaguely Thai-authentic. I'll be back with another group in the near future.

    (3)

  • Karen F.

    Ooh - how could I have neglected to yelp Cha Am until now? This was our go-to Thai spot when we lived in Berkely/Oakland. The pad thai is terrific - not greasy - and my favorite soup Tom Kha is always terrific. Yum city!!!

    (4)

  • Mari H.

    Celebratory end-of-the-semester dinner with my French class at Cha-Am Thai Restaurant. Very accommodating, we made a reservation beforehand since our group was semi-large. Upon arrival, we were immediately sat, our table was practically waiting for us. Everyone seemed to love the metal ingrained overall interesting looking cups! My first impression: What a cute, quaint, little restaurant, with homey decor, interesting artwork, big windows, etc. hidden inside a treehouse? Win. The service was very spot on, attentive, patient. I ordered the Cha-Am Noodles, which basically consisted of sautéed chopped chicken breast with spicy chili (yum!) and garlic sauce, topped with Thai herbs, sweet Thai basil, sliced green beans, and vegetables, served with steamed rice noodles beneath. This was quite an interesting dish because though it was noodles, it had a very soupy feel/consistency. I liked it! Tasted amazing, had just the right touch of spicy, the baby corn was a great addition, but I wasn't a big fan of the green beans. However, that's no disrespect for the restaurant or the dish, I'm just an overall green beans hater. Great ambiance, great company, great food... Thank you, Cha-Am! I'll definitely be recommending and returning, two essential R's in the Yelp Universe. Four stars, count them, four well-deserved stars!

    (4)

  • Stephanie D.

    I've missed coming to Cha-Am. It reminds me of the good ole days when my family used to venture out once a week for family dinner out. Except nowadays the wait doesn't seem to be ridiculously too long. The food is still consistent and hits the spot every time. A usual on our table is the tom yum soup, papaya salad, green curry and roasted duck. Portions are a little on the small side but that doesn't take away from the great flavor and quality of each dish.

    (4)

  • Mikkel T.

    Wunderful!

    (4)

  • Kathleen W.

    It's been years since I've been here ... but I thought of it today and decided to come here after the gym. For once parking in the area was easy - not as many people out and about on a stormy Tuesday night. We got the chicken pad see ew and the grilled pork chops with a side of sticky rice. Just the right amount of food for 2 hungry climbers. Both dishes were delicious and served up hot and fast. The pork chops were tender and came with a side of very garlicy sweet chili sauce. The chicken pad see ew was very generous with the meat and I even ate the broccoli!! (Yay for me!) You feel like you are eating in a drafty tree house, but a few well placed space heaters made the place reasonably comfortable in this chilly weather. I definitely hope to be back ... and hopefully not years later!

    (4)

  • Stu S.

    I've been going to this restaurant for many years, but maybe only about once a year. My bride and I enjoyed dinner last night, and I remembered why I like this place so much. We had salmon with asparagus and spicy shrimp with spinach and noodles. Both were excellent -- plenty of flavor without being greasy or overly salted. Despite the crowd, service was snappy and cheerful. They even gave us some extra brown rice for our doggy bag.

    (5)

  • Ian P.

    This place is in my top few Thai restaurants in the Bay Area. The curries are flavorful and somewhat spicy. They also have brown rice which is a real treat for a tasty Thai curry. Their fish and seafood is fresh. Their specials are interesting. Service is generally prompt and friendly. No complaints, it's just not outstanding enough to get 5 stars. As a bonus for those of you that get reimbursed for work dinners and have certain rules, they write the bill in Thai. Unless someone knows the Thai word for beer, you're golden :)

    (4)

  • Stephanie J.

    Their spring rolls and dipping sauce is one of my favorite appetizers all around. The service is quick, and so is the delivery of food to your table. All the food is super flavorful and the place is cute. My friend had one fluke experience there where the chicken was still cold but I never ran into that, thank goodness. It's a staple neighborhood joint.

    (4)

  • Neeru S.

    This is still my favorite Thai in the Bay Area and has been for the last 25 years. I've been veering away from the standard ordering of pad thai, green curry chicken, satay and basil chicken and trying more of their daily specials. They just simply amaze me. I wish they didn't have so many steps to climb to get there becuase it's hard on mom to climb them.

    (5)

  • Daniel B.

    The best Thai food in Berkeley. The next best is Thai House. The crowd is mature and cheerful. The atmosphere is intimate, location and view excellent. Try to be seated by the window on the balcony. The service nice and speedy. The food is the best I've had. I took three of my friends there and they all agree. I especially like the appetizer chicken SA-Tay with peanut souse, the coconut soup with chicken and mushrooms (number 15). It's so filling, more like a souse than a soup, and I always only finish only half. I tried the lime beef appetizer, and it's amazing too. Oh, and don't forget their amazing Thai iced tea. One of my top three places at Berkeley, along with Mint Leaf and Gypsies.

    (5)

  • Wendy L.

    Put bluntly: go here over Dara (which is next door)!! The food and service are both much better, and Cha-Am offers much more character and ambiance. I came with 3 of my friends and all of the dishes (2 curries and 2 sautéed entrees) we tried were distinctive and delicious. I hate it when restaurants serve a couple of different ingredients in a different sauce and call it a different dish. Fortunately, this was not the case here. Prices were reasonable and water is served in little silver cups. They also have this one dish served in a pineapple that I've been "pining" (haha?) to try, as well as a coconut drink that is served in a real coconut.

    (4)

  • Lily C.

    I've always loved Thai food and I thought this would be a great place for it just by looking at the decors and stuff. But meh, it's really not that impressive. First of all, no one was there to seat customers. The bf and I had to wait there by the door for quite a while with another group.. Probably cause they were really busy and short-handed. And the food wasn't so good either. We got an eggplant dish and chicken curry and pad thai. The eggplant was a bit too salty to our taste, the chicken was overcooked, and the pad thai was way too soggy. I've definitely had better thai food than that. Don't think I'll go back.

    (2)

  • Shushan T.

    The food isn't that spectacular. The service is horrendous. I went to dine there alone one evening and the servers didn't even care to take my order or give me a water re fill. On another occasion i called in to place an order for a pick up and the person that answered the phone told me that my entree doesn't come with rice. What??? An entree at a thai restaurant that doesn't come with rice?? When i tried to clarify what i just heard; she confirmed her response and said "do you want rice or not" in a very rude manner. I wont be eating at this restaurant ever again. They need to treat their customers better.

    (2)

  • Dreamer K.

    If you think of Thai food as heavy and drowned in too much peanut sauce, you need to get a wake-up call at Cha-Am! The photos on here do not to it justice; I will have to remedy that on my next visit! Their fried rice with chicken is the lightest, airiest, fastest disappearing fried rice I've ever eaten. I often order the Pad-Prik tofu (essentially tofu in a very light sauce with delicious vegetables) and if I'm feeling fancy, I order the salmon (on their specials board)....the salmon is incredibly delicate and fresh, not drowned in anything; the flavors really come through. A must-try. I enjoy sitting in the section overlooking the street; it makes me feel like I could be above a river in a raised hut.

    (4)

  • W G.

    There are a million Thai places in Berkeley, but this is one of my favorites. The outdoor seating is great for groups, especially around sunset when it is absolutely beautiful. The food is also great, the atmosphere is great, I am always happy when I eat here.

    (4)

  • Ruth R.

    My friends and I were looking for a good, more ethnic place for dinner, and my sister mentioned Cha-Am and told us we should try it out. Once we got there I realized that I've passed by the restaurant like more than a thousand times. I ordered the Pad Thai, which i always get, because it's usually always good. It was really good, i ordered it with shrimp and was very satisfied. My friends too seemed very happy with their choices. The price was also pretty reasonable. If i'm in the mood for thai, and in the general area, I will definitely go back.

    (4)

  • Taylor P.

    Absolutely delicious! Such lovely folks and very accommodating to our party's needs. Seriously, every dish we ordered, and we were a party of 8 who ordered a lot, was delicious. And the mango stick rice is delicious!! I will for sure be coming back soon. The enclosed sundeck (sort of an atrium) lets in tons of natural light and really makes the ambiance unique and open to nature.

    (5)

  • Lauren T.

    Seriously good Pad Thai. I'm more of a Pad See Ew kind of girl, but not at Cha-Am. I'm not quite sure what makes their Pad Thai out of this world, but once you take one bite, you'll be hooked. This quaint little house-of-a-restaurant is always bustling with people who know good Thai food. A crowd is always a tell tail sign of delicious food and it certainly rings true here. I've never been disappointed by a dish at Cha-Am. Try the Pad Thai and let me know what you think.

    (4)

  • Melody L.

    After lunch at Thai Purple in Alhambra on New Year's, I was having flashbacks of my pleasant times at Cha-Am when I was an undergrad. Cha-Am was my go-to place for whenever I wanted to eat at a stand up Thai place. I guess Cha-Am was like my happy sit-down place. Just like how Cheeseboard was my happy quick pizza place. Zachary's was my happy end of the week place. And how Sweetheart's was my happy I just had a bad exam place. I love the ambiance in here. It doesn't take itself too seriously. It's crafty. And it's personal. I remember the special's board and how the water comes in a shallow tin bowl. I remember the servers and how the restaurant is partitioned off into three parts. I've come in for both lunch and dinner, but mostly for dinner. Whatever is on the special's board is always a winner. But I often ordered the green bean chicken. Best way to wind down is with any of their deserts and a Thai iced tea too.

    (4)

  • Cori W.

    They've upped their prices, though only a dollar or so but it's unfortunate. I also can't help but feel ripped off that vegetarian dishes are the same price as meat dishes, I know tofu is cheap! Also had really bad service this time. There was only maybe 4 tables in the whole place, and on this hot day our waters were not refilled. It's unacceptable. :end rant:

    (2)

  • Kelly S.

    Stopped here on a rainy Saturday night. We were seated right away, ordered, and the first plate arrived within 5 minutes. The rest of the meal showed up within 5 more minutes, so our big Saturday night dinner out was over in less than an hour. Luckily we had downloaded Fast Times at Ridgemont High, so our evening was still ahead of us. The food was good, fresh, tasty, but a bit too sweet without enough heat. I forgot to tell the server that we can handle the spicy stuff. So for a first try, it was pretty good. Now we know order it spicy, and ask for the food to be served more slowly. The servers were very helpful, so I don't think it will be any trouble.

    (4)

  • Lacy K.

    Matt and I ate here last weekend. Everything we had (stuffed chicken wings, red curry, pineapple fried rice, and pad thai) was AMAZING. The atmosphere is fun, we sat in the window and like other reviewers have said felt like we were in a treehouse. Minus one star for the service. It was extremely busy when we went for dinner on a Sunday night and there were only two waitresses, so aside from bringing us our dishes service was non-existent because they were so busy.

    (4)

  • Lina W.

    Over the years, I've been here numerous times. Such a cutesy looking restaurant in a tree house, and it's Thai food! How can you say no to that combination? Oh, I know....2 words: LARB SALAD. One of my favorite things to get at Thai restaurants is the larb salad. I feel like it's one of those dishes that you can't really mess up. The taste does vary from restaurant to restaurant, but overall, it should have a citrus-y and tangy taste to it. The dish that we got was sweet, grainy, and just plain gross. I'm not sure what the name of the ingredient is, but there's one item in there that turns the whole dish tasting like sand in your mouth. And the whole dish was waaaay too sweet for my liking. The waitress didn't even ask us the spiciness level we wanted! In addition, I tried to redeem my impression of Cha-Am by ordering a rainbow salad. This dish was much better but that's not saying much considering the first dish was a complete waste. And over the years, I've tried their pad kee mao, pad thai, pad see ew, their curries.. and it's not bad.. perhaps 3 stars? But there are so many other delicious Thai places around Berkeley to try, that I wouldn't bother with coming here again. Thanks Larb Salad, I'm done.

    (1)

  • Krystie M.

    After hearing great review from friends, I was very excited to try this place, but unfortunately I was a little disappointed with the food :( ATMOSPHERE This place earns 4-5 stars for atmosphere and ambiance. It's such a cute, cozy, and quaint Thai restaurant hidden in the form of a treehouse! The cute Christmas lights and big windows make it a great date spot (in fact, my friend and I saw a couple on a blind date while we were there). The service was decent; nothing spectacular but not bad either. They serve you water in silver metal cups, which resembled rice bowls. I was very tempted to scoop my rice into the "cups," but refrained from doing so to avoid looking like a tourist. FOOD We tried: 1) Papaya salad with shrimp 2) Beef with eggplant, basil, bell peppers, carrots, and baby corn 3) Red curry with chicken, basil, bell peppers, eggplant, and onions It was my first time trying papaya salad and I thought it was pretty good. It was flavorful (in my opinion) and they weren't skimpy with the shrimp. However, my friend who has more experience with papaya salad said that it was mediocre. I did wish that it was spicier; it actually lacked any spicy factor despite the menu stating that it had "spicy lime vinaigrette." The beef with eggplant dish didn't taste very Thai. It was very soy sauce heavy, which doused the entire dish. There also wasn't enough beef, which was a shame. The red curry wasn't as flavorful as other red curry that I've tried before. The chicken was good, but a little plain and not so tender. I thought the vegetables in the curry were a little too big for the dish and the overall taste of the curry was bland. Overall, this isn't my favorite Thai place in the Bay, and you can definitely find better Thai food in Berkeley for cheaper. The only positive is the cute atmosphere, which can't be found at other Thai places in Berkeley.

    (3)

  • Michael C.

    Everyone needs a favorite, go-to Thai restaurant. Cha-Am is mine (until I try the ever-so-famous King of Thai) This place is delicious, and located in a great part of the Gourmet Ghetto. It's right next to another SE Asian restaurant, called Dara, so make sure you go the right one. Anytime I want good Thai food, this is the place to go. I bring my parents here when they visit, and this is my top recommendation when people ask me for good Thai restaurants. The atmosphere is really great here, and sitting inside the restaurant sort of transports you out of Berkeley. It is colorful and well decorated, and makes for an excellent dining experience. Water is served in these cool silver/metal cups, which makes it that much more awesome. Even the garnishes (carrots, etc.) are cut into novelty shapes; gimmicky, but a nice touch. I love everything on the menu here that I've had. The curries are excellent (esp. the Mussaman) and the Pad Thai is served in a HEAPING portion, compared to many other Thai restaurants. Their drinks are made well (Thai Ice Tea), and appetizers and SOUP (superb) are all very good as well. They have a really amazing pineapple fried rice that I recommend to everyone. In times past, their prices were cheaper than average, but they've raised them since, making them a "regularly priced" Thai place. Also, parking can sometimes be hassle, since it's close to a lot of other good restaurants (read: Chez Panisse). But other than that good food, solid service, great atmosphere. Go here.

    (5)

  • Marco M.

    I've had great meals and really disappointing meals at Cha Am and several of each. Makes me think that there are several cooks and that they aren't evenly trained. The front steps are a bit tricky but I think they may have an elevator for people who can't climb them.

    (3)

  • Tianyi S.

    The food isn't choke-it-down bad, but I've definitely had better Thai food. Even if I hadn't, the curries (red and green) are sour and thin, the chicken in the curry is dry and overcooked, you have to PAY for rice (and an exorbitant price at that) and all of it is exorbitantly expensive. Who pays $13.50 for a half-plate of soupy curry that excludes rice? True, the satay is well-grilled and moist, and the Pad Thai glass noodles have a wonderful texture; true, the tree-house-like atmosphere is inviting and warm, but it still feels like a sham. I've given this place a few chances and I've always left disappointed. Not hungry, but disgruntled.

    (2)

  • Megan K.

    It'd been eons since I went to the Berkeley Cha-Am. During my college years at Cal, it was unquestionably the best Thai food place in Berkeley. I enjoy the SF location as well, but it doesn't hold a candle to this one. So when a friend suggested this place for dinner, I couldn't wait to return. Cha Am did not disappoint. We loved our dishes. It was hard to order b/c there was so many delicious looking things on the menu. I was happy they had brown rice (yes, I'm aware this is less unusual given it's Berkeley, but still). Good sized portions and reasonable prices make it all the more of a draw. Tucked into the foodie frontier, it's a nice mellow alternative to the nearby Cheeseboard or the crowds at the Epicurious Garden. Hooray for old standbys that continue to deliver (pun intended).

    (4)

  • Betty W.

    Overall: Food is okay, thus 3 stars. Service is good. They did mess up on my order and said it was the kitchen's fault. Comes out with my Pad Kee Mao with pork instead of with prawns, and I know they hope that I will just take it anyways (which I did) but did offered to change it. Too reflective silver colored bowls to serve water. Lesson learned: go at night to not blind your eyes. I would suggest Thai Noodle if you want larger portions. Ambiance: There are large windows that overlooks the street and Andronico's for this second-story restaurant. So it is pretty cool when you get window seating. It is a good lunch place because there are not too many people and chances are, you will get window seating. yay. Good eats: - Mango with sticky rice ($4): mango is perfectly soft and sticky rice is perfectly warm (although I wished for a little bit more coconut milk, but that is personal preference) Bad eats: - Pad Kee Mao ($8.25): Please get this if you order a noodle dish and is surprisingly delighted by the fact that 3/4 of the dish is vegetables and only 1/4 is noodles. I hate to dig for noodles when I order a noodle dish. However, the dish was freshly hot (temperature wise) and the noodles were well-cooked.

    (3)

  • Sofi P.

    1.5 stars Mediocre Thai food. Curries were way too watery and bland. The fried ice was too soggy and wet, it did not seem like it was tossed around in a pan at all. The fried banana dessert was weird and instead of being the traditional way of being battered and fried, it was wrapped in the rice paper that are used for egg rolls. Pad thai noodles tasted a bit too sweet. The only saving grace was the chicken satay.

    (1)

  • Alen K.

    I heard about this place for awhile and was eager to try it. At first it looks a bit odd as a house, but the way it was designed made me feel at home. The food was pretty good, although I did not try the entrees since the specials and appetizers looked good and were decent portions for me to be full. The water in the metal cup went bad, just give me a glass of ice water and I'm set.

    (4)

  • Melissa L.

    I hesitate to even write this review because I have always hated Thai food and avoid it like the plague, so I'm a little biased. Bear with me. I personally believe that peanuts just don't belong anywhere other than between my bread and grape jelly, so instead of opting for Pad Thai or anything else on the menu (really I would just be asking for a trip to the bathroom with all the sweet chili sauce), I went with the fried rice. It was pretty decent. And the portions are rather large. I ate at a table with four grown men. I was the only one who cleared my plate. And it's really got nothing to do with the fact that I eat like a half- starved barbarian. The plates really fill you up. Anyway service was pretty good. The waitress always kept an eye out for decreasing water levels and came by to fill us up. Overall good place to eat. And it does have the treehouse-y feel. Makes you feel like Tarzan, or George of the Jungle (aka bad-ass).

    (3)

  • David L.

    Taste: 4 Value: 4 Service: 4 I came here with my gf after walking around Gourmet Ghetto, deciding on a lunch spot. Their specials looked pretty good, but I think we both ordered something from their lunch special menu since neither of us was that hungry. The food was pretty good, and we got a seat overlooking the street, near the outside window. Service was very friendly.

    (4)

  • Darryl P.

    They know their Thai food here! My date and I decided on Thai food today and we decided on Cha Am. You walk up to the restaurant and are welcomed by their steps. They sat us in the front room with a view of the street. The waitress gave us two bowls with water in it and said it's drinking water. Good thing should told us because I thought they were wash bowls at first! LOL! We ordered the stir-fried thick rice noodle with chicken and broccoli, red curry chicken and a papaya salad. The papaya salad came out for us first and it was well made! The crunch of the fresh, under ripe papaya and the acidity of lime with a hint of saltiness and sweet was just well balanced! The curry came out next and was good as well! The spiciness of the curry and the coolness of the coconut milk brought the chicken and eggplant out very well. Lastly we were greeted by the rice noodle dish which was also well made! The rice noodles were nice and soft, but not mushy. We had a wonderful time and the food was excellent!

    (4)

  • Kiki H.

    Why doesn't this place have more stars? No seriously, why not? I am very picky about Thai food, and this is one of my favorite places in the bay area. Its a great location, cute, personable, and fast. The inside is very cozy, and its been a place my family has gone for many years. My favorite things to order (and there are a lot so I'll try to be brief) are their pad thai, large glasses of thai iced tea, chicken fried rice with very fresh veggies, pork egg rolls, spring rolls...and on and on. I love the traditional feel of this place and the food is fantastic!

    (5)

  • Hayley H.

    Let me start of by saying that I am not a fan of thai food, but sometimes I crave Cha-Am's fried rice! They have a large menu and are very friendly people. The restaurant is usually pretty quiet so service is fast.

    (3)

  • Emily C.

    Loved #31 and tea. Mmm.

    (4)

  • Cheryl K.

    Came here with the boyfriend to celebrate his new job! Congrats, baby! We ordered the pad-see-ew with prawns, and the green curry with chicken and bamboo shoots with brown rice, and a Thai iced tea (sans ice) to share. The Thai iced tea was delicious, albeit a little TOO sweet. The green curry and the pad-see-ew both came out piping hot and looked amazing and was equally delicious. In bf's words, it felt decadent yet was healthy as we both didn't feel too weighed down by the meal afterwards. The portions were just right as well. -1 star for the overpriced Thai rolls. Screaming babies aside, service was good, though we were a very low-maintenence table. Would definitely eat here again.

    (4)

  • Jason R.

    I went to Cha-Am a bunch back in the day, when some of my friends went to school at Berkeley. Either I didn't know anything back then, or it's gone a little downhill, and the hype has driven up prices. I wanted to love the place, but $23 for lunch (yeah, I was hungry) is a little steep for one.

    (3)

  • Joon L.

    The food is pretty good and they deliver, so I'm "customer number 2" when ordering. Everything is good, but stay away from their grilled chicken dish. The fried whole fish is great, as are the curries. It's a good neighborhood Thai restaurant, don't expect it to taste like Thai food in Thailand or to be the best Thai food ever.

    (4)

  • Vi N.

    Interesting place, feeling like a tree- house restaurant. Nice view. However, this place is quite expensive for its small portion. The food is just ordinary, the servive is good though.

    (3)

  • Greg H.

    After parking at Shattuck and Virginia, we wandered to the intersection of Shattuck and Euclid. At this point, our friend commented that if he didn't know any better, Berkeley only has one intersection. Why did he say this? Because 4 times out of 5, I end up in that part of town picking a place to eat for lunch. My favorites Gregoire and Cheeseboard Pizza, are right in the neighborhood. I'm also a bit nostalgic for this part of town - it's where I lived as an undergraduate at Berkeley. Anyway, we chose to eat Thai for lunch. With two Thai restaurants juxtaposed we decided on Cha-Am. We sat in their little windowbox, overlooking the intersection, and had a great lunch. Two of us had the lunch special - Red Curry with shrimp, mahi mahi filets, asparagus, and butternut squash. What a dish! It has a little bit of everything and it all tasted great. The third person in our group had a Red Curry with prawns and bamboo shoots. Also very tasty. The two red curries even tasted slightly different... perhaps they make their own? Great, tasty food in our own little treehouse.

    (4)

  • Aaron V.

    This place is money. The Mu Yang (grilled pork) is simply awesome. So are their curries and imperial rolls. Every time I bring friends here they're impressed. Prices are very reasonable. The guy that introduced me to this place many years ago said it was "the best Thai food east of Bangkok". Don't miss out on Cha-Am if you're in the area.

    (5)

  • Donya K.

    I love this place. They have delicious food.

    (5)

  • Sabrina C.

    Shucks! Another Thai restaurant in the Gourmet Ghetto that didn't amaze. My impression of lunch: ingredients tossed together but don't quite complement one another, and many dishes following the same basic formula (onions, green peppers, and basil). Definitely not catered towards the college crowd, rather working adults or families, and delivers in the form of a tree house.

    (2)

  • Andrew K.

    I can't really afford Chez Panisse, but this is close. It's sort of in a treehouse type structure. The food here is solid. I loved the coconut soup, which was filled with tender yummy seafood (which was all good except for mussels that were too chewy).

    (4)

  • Lu W.

    I arrived at Berkeley in pouring rain, stood outside a campus building for 10 minutes just to find out the person who's supposed to meet me has left campus. To say that I'm cranky is an understatement. Called up my buddy Dave for some dinner, and he directed me to a parking lot across the street from Cha-Am. What an accidental discovery. I know some of the food probably falls into "creative Thai" category, but I really enjoyed it. Perched above Oxford, this building makes the otherwise uninspiring surrounding look actually cool. The $2.50 house Burgundy was delicious; buried in layers of various vegetables, the Cha-Am noodles I ordered was simply the best dish rubbery string beans have ever found themselves in. Sometimes there's only a fine line between authenticity and lack of creativity. That's my revelation of the evening - one that admittedly can't match the genius of Special Relativity, but came quite a tad speedier.

    (5)

  • Joyce D.

    The one good thing about this place is that they have Tsingtao beer! The food was at best, all right. Not that great but not too bad either. Portions are on the smaller side and the decor is really cool... in the outdoor-ish area it kind of feels like you're escaping Berkeley for a little bit (okay maybe not really)... Other gripe... you have to walk up like a hill to get up to the restaurant... my. thighs. were. burning. hahaha and then after you're stuffed, you have to walk/fall back down. Think it's a bit overpriced for the quality and amount of food they give you, but if you're more into the decor and feel of a restaurant and are okay with mediocre Thai food, then this place works.

    (2)

  • David N.

    Solid, fresh, and fast classic Thai food with a few creative interpretations sprinkled throughout the menu and the specials list. I agree with some other reviews that the food is a bit bland compared with more bleeding edge Thai places, like in the Mission, but the flavors are right and the ingredients of high quality. The atmosphere, esp. if you can sit in the front porch area on a nice day with the windows open to the street below, is fantastic. Very attentive service, fair prices, and extremely clean and quaint restrooms too.

    (4)

  • Christopher H.

    Great vegetarian options! Best Thai in the gourmet ghetto!

    (4)

  • Daniel A.

    Yelpers should know better than to give this place so much credit. My best guess is that people are so romanced by walking up the stairs and being served water in a metal chalice that they don't notice the food. Which sucks. It's Thai food made with plenty of know-how but not so much talent. Like an athlete that should probably give up playing competitively but could still make it as a referee or a TV commentator. You'll find all the right ingredients in your food... just no magic (the best ingredient). I would be very surprised if the people who work at Ch-Am actually think that theirs is the best Thai food around. *** Quick comparison with the place next door: Prices: roughly the same Ambiance: slightly cooler next door Food: Approximately six times better next door

    (2)

  • Noura K.

    I am really surprised that Cha am only got 3.5 stars! I went there twice, once for dinner, and once for lunch. Fantastic food! I tried the chicken with tamarind sauce ( can't remember the exact name os the dish) and the beef with aubergine. the ice tea was also very good. my only comment was that the food wasn't spicy enough for thai (so that it caters to everyone) but other than that, the sauces were very delicious. can't wait to be back!

    (5)

  • Michelle S.

    Service-Friendly, and felt like I walked into someone's home kitchen :) the aromas were amazing when I opened the door. Service was prompt and food was good. We sat by the window and the atmosphere was very cozy. We ordered: Special #4-red curry with salmon, prawns, pumpkin-the flavors balanced out well and nothing canceled each other out. Red curry with ground chicken-loved the bamboo shoots and massive amounts of basil :) Thai iced tea-perfectly balanced, not too sweet, and just creamy enough. I left a happy girl :)

    (4)

  • Jessica S.

    Hands down worse service of all time. Took almost an hour & a half to get food. We left. I do not recommend this at all!

    (1)

  • Kenneth H.

    can't say i've had better and can't say this place is bad. the price is a little up there and when you order curry, they ask you what kind of rice you want, but what you don't know is that the rice is a separate order. the pad see ew my brother ordered was really good. i ordered a curry with chicken, tamarind sauce, potatoes, onions, and some other stuff. it was okay. next time i'll get the pad see ew.

    (3)

  • Theresa C.

    My favorite Thai place in Berkeley. Though I have to travel my ass over to the North side, the restaurant is a perfect blend between atmosphere and delicious food. The presentation is wonderful yet the single tables are too small to fit more than two dishes. The Thai iced tea is sweet and milky just like it should be at all Thai restaurants. I love to take my boyfriend or a bunch of friends up to this place when I want to show off the "Gourmet Ghetto" side of Berkeley. My favorite is their Pad-See-Ew with choice of meat: chicken! Please come and see the place for yourself. You have to climb tall stairs that wind into an almost always crowded restaurant. I feel like in some cultural ship once inside. And most of all, I love their ornate Thai lightweight metal cups. They are used for water and I just love to stare at them.

    (5)

  • Beetle B.

    I used to like this place a lot. Either it got worse or my tastes changed because now it feels like they must dump half a cup of sugar in every dish. And for dessert we have.... basil chicken!

    (2)

  • Kelly B.

    Climbing the steps into the realm of the trees I take a table in a sunlit room flickering with the shadows of leaves in the wind. With both hands I lift the silver bowl of water to my lips and await my Cha-Am Fresh Roll ($6.5 - tofu, herbs, veggies and rice noodles wrapped in rice paper and served with a spicy tamarind sauce) I then move on to the Gaeng-Tofu ($8.75 - red curry), Ram-Pak ($7.5 - veggie in peanut sauce), or the classic Pad Thai ($7.5 - always served with a huge crunchy pile of bean sprouts). They must have a MFA in balancing spicy, sweet, sour, salty, and bitter; but I have a PH.D. in eating it.

    (4)

  • Leslina S.

    Decent Thai food, not bad and has a better vegetarian selection than other places we've been to. I would go again.

    (3)

  • Vanessa G.

    It's better than most. I don't know what I enjoy most the place itself or the food. If I were to take someone out to eat Thai it would def be here. It has a good balance of tasty food and aesthetic appeal. You can either sit on the mats in the front room or enjoy the street view from what looks like a tree house. I love this place's charm.

    (4)

  • Rachel S.

    Sunset seen from glass-enclosed nook...May i suggest a front of the house seat? "All grown up" now (aka this is nostalgic site of languished undergrad eve w/ Tsingtao soon to go back order ;)-- a worthy "ghost" of decades past. Cha-am shows up w/ quality, vegetable-dense thai food. We were in Berkeley for documentary screening at the Hillside club and stopped for a simple meal. The delicate chicken spinach soup may not be classic thai (no heavy coconut cream nor peanuts to harken Bangkok memoir) but its just what the doc ordered on a breezy eve..

    (4)

  • Paul L.

    Thai food in the Bay Area - now that is a very competitive game to play. Cha-Am does a nice job with some of the details, but when it's time to get down and dirty, the experience is merely average. Yes, I like the metal water bowls, the wood menus, the Cedar and Shattuck ambiance. But the truth is - the tofu can be spongy, the noodles unevenly cooked, and the spices either over bearing or lacking punch. Essential dishes like Chicken gra-pao or Massaman curry are light on meat, and heavy on large-cut vegetables and other filler items (tasty - but still filler). Don't get me wrong, I have had a few good meals at Cha-Am; but in this high-stakes game of world-class Thai food, the experience is middle of the road.

    (3)

  • Elon B.

    This is my favorite Thai restaurant ever! I really like the decor, and the fact that it feels like you're in someone's home, but it's really the food that makes this restaurant my favorite. I've never had a dish I didn't like, and have always felt that the food was fresh, healthy and tasty. I have no idea if it is "authentically" Thai or not, but I don't care. If it's an American version of Thai food, then that must be what I like. ;-)

    (5)

  • Wendy L.

    My friends had a small, intimate wedding, and it was catered by Cha Am. As I remembered from before, the food was delicious and the ladies who were helping out with the Thai food buffet at the wedding reception were wonderful. At the buffet, they served a few different salads (the papaya salad was delicious!), green curry, red curry, pad thai...and all sorts of other stuff. All of the food was fantastic, particularly the curries!! And, Thai food for a wedding reception was a GREAT idea!

    (4)

  • Wayne C.

    An excellent Thai restaurant in Berkeley's "Gourmet Ghetto." The prices are reasonable, and the food is wonderful. When I worked at UCB, we would often take guests of the department there for dinner, and everyone always enjoyed themselves. My favorites include the Tom Kha Gai soup and the Pad Thai noodles. They very good about accommodating vegetarians, but there are few (if any) vegan options.

    (4)

  • Em G.

    Dear Cha-Am, Oh how I miss eating your mouth-watering food on your sunny indoor patio! I wish I could move you down to LA with me. I hope we will see each other soon. Yours truly, E.G.

    (5)

  • Arthur W.

    After trying a ton of Thai restaurants recently and reading reviews I have to come back to this place and it still beats out the other places I've tried. Reason #1. Young coconut juice. I cannot, CANNOT enjoy my meal without young coconut juice. Every time I go to a Thai restaurant and don't see young coconut juice on the menu (and it has to be inside the coconut, not some crappy stuff out of a can), my mind subconsciously subtracts a yelp star, even though I do not post all that often. I actually almost want to stand up in disgust many times when I don't see young coconut juice on the menu. Reason #2. Okay. So this place has young coconut juice. Big deal right? Well it is. Let's fast forward to the dishes. I like the curry here. It's nice and thin as it should be, not thick, mixed with flour or starch or whatever these other restaurants are doing to their curry. I used to eat a lot of their other selections until I realized I have a wheat intolerance, which eliminates many items from consideration. Anyway, from what I remember, their dishes were tasty. I also like the vibe here. I think it's important that any restaurant create a comfortable vibe to eat in. Some Thai restaurants I feel I'm in some place too exotic. I mean it might be a cultural thing of how they set up the restaurant and serve people, but I just want to eat my food and not have to experience what Thai culture is like.

    (4)

  • Maria Z.

    Is it just me, or does everyone search for the city's best pad thai? Well, I didn't find it here. It was just okay. I wish I could have had a great Thai place just around the corner, but still no luck. The search goes on.

    (3)

  • Elisabeth W.

    We got takeout for the first time in a long time and were very disappointed. The meat was gristly, the curries were tasteless and the fried rice was very bland.

    (1)

  • Wayne Q.

    Squeak... Squeak... Squeak... Squeak goes the thingy outside as you wait for your table at Cha Am. I have always loved the specials, and the Padh Thai, Fried Rice, Yellow Chicken Curry and other things that I have no idea why I'm capitalizing makes Cha Am stand above many other Thai places. Although I still like Lao Thai Cuisine on Solano better, Cha Am leans more on the creative side with their specials, and has a nice buzz to it.

    (4)

  • babyroo j.

    The waiter went psychotic on us and began to throw around stuff and slam drawers and mutter curses under his breath when we very discreetly and separately from rest of the diners complained about a hair in the food. We left scared and paranoid and looking over our shoulder. Nuff said? Nuff said.

    (1)

  • Tinny S.

    Ambiance - cute little tree house overlooking Shattuck. They serve water in silvery bowls. The first time I was like...finger bowls? Food - the norm for Thai food. They have specials that are not so special, and substantially more expensive than regular stuff. Tastes and flavors can be described as mediocre. Service is typical. Sometimes you go without water for a while. Whatever you do, JUST SAY NO TO CANNED LYCHEE IN YOUR CURRY!

    (3)

  • Ashley R.

    Oh snap! Have you ever had the feeling that satan was tap-dancing on your tongue with pointy stillettos on fire? Mind you, this is a good thing. My freinds and I all experienced this very same feeling upon our visit to Cha-Am. We came to celebrate a grad. school acceptance. We were riding too high on our feeling of intellectual and cultural superiority and got cocky at the time of ordering. We each looked the server straight in the eye and muttered the fateful words, " As spicy as possible, please." She, in turn, served up the dubious challenge, "you're sure?" And it was on... Our meal began mildly enough. We ordered an appetizer off the specials menu called "The golden trangle." Essentially, they were tiny, deep-fried samosas dipped in warm, sweet and tangy sauce: Heavenly! We also ordered some bland white wine, but no one really cared because we were all so excited about our spicy dishes to come...dun dun dun... My friend's beef dish was certainly fiery but edible enough to be consumed in one sitting. My spicy, peanut chicken was a different story. The chicken was tender and perfectly cooked, the peanut sauce was light and creamy, but the spice kick knocked me back. I could only finish about a quarter of it at dinner. My other friend's tofu dish contained the perfect tofu: crisp and golden on the outside, melt-in-your-mouth on the inside, it was accdompanied by tons of vegetables. But, it was so spicy that after we each tried one bite, we were chugging wine and water until the bill came. We remained undettered in our quest for spice and decided to box up the chicken and tofu for later consumption. My friend ( I'm assuming in a bold act of defiance) attempted to finish it later that night and payed dearly until the morning. I indulged in my love of cold thai food for breakfast and had some chicken in the morning. It was cold, spicy and delicious, but I had to try to quell the fire with three cups of coffee afterwards. If we had not challenged to good chefs at Cha-Am to a spice-off, we probably each would have gobbled up our meals all in one sitting at dinner. It is a really delicious restuarant. I'm definetly returning, but next time I'm only going to ask for it to be "ALMOST as spicy as possible." Moral of the story: Unless your a masochist (which I know many are ;) ) don't do what we did.

    (4)

  • Jonathan D.

    We did the take-out thing here and it was perfectly OK. I have been eating at Cha-am, both take-out and in the restaurant, for 6 years. I always enjoy it and I am never blown away by it. Just perfectly acceptable, consistently decent food. There have been times I would have probably offered up 4 stars and times I would probably offer up 3 stars. I think the 3 star rank generally captures the A-OKness of the overall experience this time. We tried a lot of different dishes: Tom-Yam-Gung - this was a dish that no one in the group had tried before and it was a delicious and refreshing soup Gaeng Ga-Ree Gai - perfectly OK Gaeng Mussaman Gai - perfectly OK Gaeng Ped Gai (super spicy) - NEVER, I mean NEVER share food with a Korean woman who argues with other Asians over whether something is really spicy or not. Just take it for granted that it is too spicy for you. No shame here - my brother's 98 pound wife can handle substantially higher fire quotient than I can - simple truth. Ga-Pao-Sea Food - this was my order and it was good. Except... When I read the description, it reads something like this: "sauteed prawns and scallops with fresh chili and garlic sauce, Thai sweet basil, onion and chopped green bean." It should read something like this: "chopped green bean, sauteed prawns , chopped green bean, scallops, chopped green bean, Thai sweet basil, onion with fresh chili and garlic sauce and a large serving of chopped green bean." There were three comments from around the table that it would have been nice if their were some prawns and scallops in my prawn and scallop dish. My fear is this is foreshadowing of what is to come as restaurants try and figure out how to squeak out a little profit given soaring food costs. There are really only two choices - reduce the dish quality or raise the prices. Cha-am has chosen, it seems, to reduce the quality.

    (3)

  • Alek G.

    My lucky, lucky friends walked me over from their apartment to Cha-Am for a fantastic meal. As folks have noted, Cha-Am and Dara (another Thai restaurant) are literally next door to one another, so make sure you go up the right staircase! The ambience is great -- cozy, oddly laid out dining rooms, great big windows and nice artwork. Not loud but not crypt-quiet. Just... nice. The food was incredible. The highlight for me was the green curry, which, in addition to the standard Thai flavors, included sliced avocado -- obviously not a part of the Thai pantry, but the addition was pure genius. Service was brisk, attentive, friendly. Prices were a little on the high side -- more "gourmet" than 'ghetto", but worth every penny.

    (5)

  • Shariff O.

    We go here a quite a bit at lunch. The food is good, and they accommodate large groups. Generally everyone gets their food at approximately the same time. I've had a couple of experiences where they get my order wrong, but even then I've been tempted to keep the dish they give me because everything smells so tasty. Be careful not to go to the Thai restaurant next door. That's right, there closest competitor is right next door. Also located strangely high above street level. I've heard it isn't as good though.

    (4)

  • Misty W.

    It's a funky and fun little tree-house feel restaurant that served super sweet Thai iced tea with condensed milk, which is actually pretty accurate. My husband and I lived in Thailand for four years. I know authentic Thai food. A lot of my friends were married to locals and most of the diving community is too poor to afford anything more expensive than street food. This place was kind of like that. It reminded me of a good night out, even if it wasn't all that quality. For a start, they didn't use the particular type of peppers that are traditional in such dishes that we ordered. I mean, true enough, there are variations from area to area, but I lived in the south on Koh Samui, in Pattaya in the North, I spent tons of time in Bangkok and we lived on Phuket. Mind you, while we LIVED in these areas, we'd often frequent other islands or areas all the time. I've had a varied selection of Thai food and never had a Larb Laem made with dried and crushed peppers instead of fresh sliced peppers. Fresh Thai peppers are like.. the KEY ingredient in spicy Thai salads. The curries were made to order. We like our food hot and they didn't pussy out on us. The waitress was also attentive and the decor was..well, very Thai. :) I also have a peanut allergy, so needless to say, eating at a Thai restaurant in America is a bit of a risk. They were obviously able to accommodate us because I didn't die. I'd go back in a heart beat if I found myself in Berkeley already, but I wouldn't head that way JUST for this place.

    (4)

  • Amy W.

    This is one of the best thai places in the bay area! staff was friendly and fast. Great thai iced tea. They have a fish dish that was Orgasmic . Some of the prices are on the high side. But the food does make up for it. Sticky rice and the banana desert is the bomb!

    (4)

  • Matt C.

    I just went here for the first time last week and I wish I went to this place while I was still in college. The entrance of the restaurant is up a flight of stairs. The interior of the place is very colorful, all the fuckin walls are painted with different colors and some walls even have like fuckin pictures of mountains/boats/trees etc painted on them, looks fuckin great. The seating is pretty spacious, there is actually 3 separate rooms of seating. And now onto the food, it was fucking great. I ordered the Pad Kee Mao which has just enough kick of spiciness and if you want it to be spicier just add some chili sauce that is at every table. The Pad See Ew was also great, I totally recommend that; its actually pretty sweet as in flavor not in cool factor but I guess it is "sweet" also. The noodles weren't hard or stale either, good flavor, good amount of vegetables in meat in these dishes as WHALE (well). Yes, whale. What I thought was a bit fucking strange was that the water you drink was served in these tin/metal bowls. At first our table thought it was for cleaning your hands but in fact it fuckin wasn't. I actually remember Sagat from Street Fighter II drinking his water out of a bowl before his 3 round fight with Ryu in Thailand, go figure. This place is great, I need to try more dishes next time I come back. Overall: great food, clean, lots of seating, excellent and quick service, clean bathrooms, need I say more? I can't right now cuz I can't think of what to say but, check this place out.

    (4)

  • J B.

    If I could only have 5 dishes for the rest of my life one of them would be the coconut mushroom soup. Pad see-you also amazing. Adorable quaint place with great service.

    (4)

  • Jayne G.

    Oh Cha- Am...what has happened to the once- solid, go-to Thai place that we've been visiting for so many years? We stopped in for dinner at about 8pm tonight, expecting the same quality that we've always enjoyed. Instead, here's what we got: *INCREDIBLY slow and rude service. There were hardly any people in the place. No excuses. *Small, downsized portions. Normally, I would agree with other Yelpers about the generous portions, but not tonight. Perhaps the ever increasing price of everything has forced Cha-Am to cut back on the amount of food they serve. Too bad they haven't cut back on the price of those amounts, as well. *My Tom-Ka-Gai was still decent, but my fiance's yellow curry was thin, flavorless, and basically, there was barely enough to feed only him (we didn't share...he's not a big guy or a particularly big eater) At 8pm on a Saturday night, we shouldn't have been able to get a table without waiting. Instead, we walked right in, and noticed that there were very few people in the restaurant. Perhaps the regular customers have noticed the changes and have opted to go elsewhere?

    (2)

  • Angel S.

    Cha-Am is a quaint and charming establishment that serves delicious - albeit small - thai dishes. I didn't like their chicken satay - I thought it was dry and a little tough. I did like the curries - especially the red curry. I don't think you can go wrong with anything on the menu that starts with "pad." They also have fairly decent service and a lively ambiance - all packaged in a cute tall wooden house in the gourmet ghetto.

    (3)

  • Laura B.

    you know, i wasn't super-impressed with this place. i was expecting more, having read a bunch of favorable yelp reviews. the pad see ew (sp?) was good, but the rest of the food we ordered was just so-so. the fried calamari appetizer was just weird -- the calamari was too tough and chewy, and it was TOO deeply fried (not an oxymoron, contrary to popular belief!). the shrimp/pineapple kabobs were ok, but not spectacular. also, a small gripe -- i asked for cream for my tea and they brought me coffeemate dairy-free creamer in an individual packet. um...where are we, 7-11? anyway, this place was cute-looking and had an interesting vibe, but the food just wasn't superb by any means.

    (2)

  • Angela C.

    I've been here nearly a dozen times and it's always been tasty food. Not as spicey as I would like it (now that I think about it, barely spicey at all, so if you like spicey ask them for REALLY spicey!) but it's consistent in it's curries...the other day I finally had this thai eggplant/chicken dish (that I saw someone eating last time I was there) and it was mighty tasty!!! There specials always seem to be very unique and appetizing. My favorite curry is the green....yum! They always shape your rice into a unique star or something, and it adds a nice touch, presentation is nice compared to other places. There "glass" seating brings in the sun on sunny afternoons and makes you feel like your not in Berkeley.... Yes the service can be a bit lacking sometimes, but I'm no nazi about it, I always get my food in a timely manner and they are trying to be nice :)

    (4)

  • Ezra Justin L.

    I have to say that when I rank any place under 3 stars, it has to be downright kicked-in-the-face horrible. So, please know that 2-star giving in my book is not a usual thing for me. SERVICE: Most of the time is decent. But this last time was incredible. I really can't believe how unkind and rude the service was. It's almost as if the sh*tty service just sucks the flavor or freshness of any good dish. FOOD: The food is usually pretty good and their vegetables seem to be fresher and more generous than most Thai places, which I think, makes it taste better than many other places. Taste-wise, it is quite ok. Sometimes excellent, but the other day, not as much. I brought my two Cha-Am first-timers (virgins, as they say) with me to have lunch here. The fresh/spring roll was decent. Had no shrimp like I expected--not so big of a deal. But it was doused in sweet, sweet sauce. The main courses were fine. Groud chicken with veggies and rice, pad-see-ew, eggplant chicken. (the eggplant had nearly no chicken though, :( ) STORY TIME!: 15 minutes into our meal, the waitresses slams the check down on us among our plates, saying that "please leave the money now." I was a little confused because I thought she was joking. But her brisk walk-away after the slam betrayed no joke. OK, so I'll leave my card down now. Once, she sees my card on the table, she takes the card while we're still eating and not done. Then leaves the receipt next to us while we're still trying to enjoy an annoying-server dinner--to remind us that she wants the money now. I can't believe this lady. I am amazed and incredulous at the horrendous service. We're still not done with our food and she comes over to pick up the check to a lunch that we haven't even finished and interrupts us again to let us know "Oh, you did not leave tip. You know you're supposed to leave tip." I said that I wouldn't give her tip because she was so rude interrupting our dinner with demand of payment 15 minutes into the meal. Obviously she was a little annoyed at this point too, and began bussing our table without asking us if we were done. I was actually still eating. Un-freaking-believable. I can't believe it. I really can't believe it. Maybe I really have lost faith in this place. love ezra

    (2)

  • Thai-Ngan L.

    Best Thai food in Berkeley. Hands down. Great food, lovely people, awesome ambience. I've been here a couple of times and they have yet to disappoint me. I love it when I can see and taste real Thai chili and when I say I want it hella spicy, they gave me hella spicy. Yummmmmmy! My mouth was on fire and I loved it. I had Tom Kha Gai (soup with coconut milk, chicken, mushrooms, onions, and a ton of herbs) as a starter which was awesome! Sweet but not too sweet, milky but not creamy, hot but not too spicy because soup is never good when it's too spicy. Main course: Larb with pork (they only serve chicken on the menu but they said yes to us because we really wanted it). I've been to Thailand before and have had real larb and oh my goodness, I can taste the grainy texture of the ground rice and with fresh cut chilis sprinkled all over! The Pla-Radprik (whole pompano fried crisp and then sauteed in a Thai sauce topped with sauteed mushrooms, baby corn, onions, peas...) It was like heaven in my mouth. The crispiness of the fish was still there underneath the saucy veggies, the belly bones crispy enough to just be a victim under my monstrous chomping, the veggies crisp and fresh, and of course hella mothereffin fresh cut chilis. I'm still burning up as I'm writing this review. I only started with water to drink so the owner swung by and with a green drink in a glas with ice and asked to to try it and it's on the house. Imagine Thai tea, but with the cream on the side (you can add it if you want, I did) and it's bright green like food coloring. So yummmmmmyyyyyyy!!! The mango and sticky rice at the end will top the cake of any kind of dinner. I will definitely be back soon!

    (5)

  • Rich H.

    Summary based on several dinners over years: --I retry this place occasionally to see if it's any better --it *ran out* of Thai peppers so they couldn't provide any of the standard Thai table condiment prik nam pla! --spices pretty toned down, not that it has to be burning hot, just taste like Thai food (sour/sweet/hot, all at once, where appropriate for the dish) A better option is the Lao Thai Kitchen over on Solano.

    (2)

  • Alan T.

    This place is crazy good! The coconut soup rocked my socks off! Pad Thai has some pizaazzz to it unlike other places! I'd come here again!

    (4)

  • Olga S.

    Took my parents here for their first true Thai cuisine experience and was not disappointed. Dad got pineapple fried rice with shrimp, actually came in half a pineapple (not all Thai restaurants do this). I got green curry over brown rice - yum, one of my favorites for sure. Mom got a different type of curry I think, whatever it was it was delicious as well. We got to try the chicken satay and the rolls, everything was fresh and yummy. We sat inside and this was on a Sunday afternoon around 3pm, it was quite empty. One critique is place is a bit too quiet, some ambient music would have been great. Thai iced teas were delicious as well and the service was prompt and friendly. Overall really enjoyed the food and its presentation and would come back here in a heartbeat. Location is stellar as well, North side central - next to all the other awesome restaurants, shops and galleries.

    (4)

  • Luam M.

    Who put the 'ew' in pad se-ew? Cha-Am did. That was established the first time I went there and got a plate of undercooked white noodles which are supposed to be stir fried. There wasn't enough sauce to cover the noodles and broccoli and sadly, noodles sauce broccoli are the only ingredients in pad se-ew. I eat thai food pretty frequently but am not one to complain, especially because I have heard people like the place. I decided, they had a bad day and went last night and decided never to go there EVER EVER again. I'll elaborate: I was told that the chicken at that place is gross but I ordered a chicken soup anyway. The chicken was in fact, hella gross. Some sort of plastic coated putty material was sunk in my soup instead of white meat. The whole mushrooms reminded me that mushrooms were a fungus and I seriously could not eat more than a few bites of the soup. My friend kept complaining about the terrible food he was eating. I decided to end the night positively by ordering sweet sticky rice. My friend and I ordered it with ice cream and my other friend with mango. HOW CAN YOU RUIN STICKY RICE CHA-AM? wtf, that is not hard to make and it is always good, but it made me nauseous. Actually nauseous. And all three of us left half of it on the plate. Tragic! I will say one thing positive though. The service is good, the seating and ambiance are what makes this place popular, but if its good food you are looking for, drive an extra mile to Your Place on University or even Thai Noodle on Shattuck. I joined Yelp! just to deter people away from this place especially after seeing it got good reviews. Don't listen to people. Listen to me.

    (1)

  • Donna K.

    The atmosphere makes it hard to concentrate, but I think that is because we were seated near the door. Seating is very close together and it is easy to bump elbows when you get up or want to head to the restroom. However, the hostess and waiter were apologetic about any commotion and just, generally, extremely courteous. The food tasted really fresh. Their Pad Thai is amazing! It tastes even better if you go crazy on the bean sprouts. We also had one of their potato curry dishes and my only complaint is that I prefer much softer potatoes. I don't mean to sound like a senior citizen already, but they did feel too firm for my teeth. :( I like my potatoes kind of squishy like in stews. If you do get curry, I recommend eating your curry with their sticky rice option. Deeelicious. You won't regret it.

    (4)

  • Dana B.

    3 stars for the atmosphere, even though I wasn't too thrilled with the food. I ordered a barbecue chicken type dish, and when I took my first bite, I was, to say the least, not satisfied. It seemed a bit too dry. It also happened to be somewhat crowded the night I was there...I guess it's a popular stop for dinner before Cal basketball games!

    (3)

  • Louise G.

    We had a nice dinner at Cha-Am. After going next door to Dara ( the restaurant next door) and being snubbed by the waiter for a seat we went next door and were seated immediately even though the kitchen closed in half and hour. We ate one of the specials which was a read curry with mahi-mahi, shrimp and veggies. I like the way they cut the pineapple slices so decoratively. The dish was very good. Very good with the perfectly cooked rice. The appetizer was very nice too. Deep fried thai version of samosa's. The fried banana dessert with coconut ice cream topped it all off. I was stuffed - in a good way and not the way you get when you eat greesy chinese food. The prices were a little higher than the normal Thai place, but they don't throw in cheap ingredients like potatoes. The service was nice and friendly and food was quick. We sat by the window which was a nice nook to sit in with the christmas lights hanging around.

    (4)

  • Michelle N.

    The atmosphere and ambience of this place was nice. The food was decent. I had a curry and a chili basil dish with eggplant. Their thai iced tea and dessert was average, nothing special. It was ok thai food with ok prices. I would have given this place 3 stars instead of 2 but they served us old rice. I make rice at home all of the time and I know when it's old. It smelt like feet! Too bad for that, it makes me think the rest of the food could have been prepared ahead of time and left out for days as well.

    (2)

  • Jack N.

    Like 90% of Thai restaurants, dining in is an okay experience with not great surroundings and mediocre service. There is a plexi glass enclosed porch and cheesy shit on the walls. My favorite are the shirts that they sell which have an embroidered logo on a hawaiian shirt or a button down with thousands of tobasco bottles on it (nothing screams Thai food like a honky shirt!). How this differs from many Thai places is that (1) you get more food in restaurant than take out, (2) you get these awesome metal water glasses that seem to keep the water colder, longer, and (3) uhhhh screw Flanders. But you don't REALLY care about the atmosphere, you wanna know about the food. I think that their curries are fantastic. If you are a fan of Masaman or Green Curry, they make it delicious and hardy. Yet as much as I like the curries, I tend to order the Pad Kee Mao extra spicy with soft tofu almost everytime I go. These are thick, flat rice noodles with basil and seasonable veggies in a spicy, thick sauce, Eating a whole take out order of this with some sticky rice for a mop generally leaves me incapacitated in front of the TV for an hour or two. If you are up for spending a little more and enjoy seafood, I would always recommend asking about and ordering their specials. They are typically seafood based (scallops, soft shell crab, mahi mahi, aquaman) and I have never regretted it. Long story short, they are in my speed dial.

    (4)

  • Chow L.

    2 stars. I came late to a birthday dinner and ate whatever was left. Basil chicken was pretty blah. The friend sole lype fish was pretty good, it had lots of different vegetables on top which was unusual and nice. Chicken curry wasn't very exciting. I don't care for the fried banana in the eggroll style. I like it dipped in the batter and fried. Service was very attentive for our group of 14 and she even turned down the lights in the lower room to light the candles and sing happy birthday. The place was pretty packed with the Berkeley crowd. Food is pretty average, they're very accomodating to large groups. I don't think I'll be back here. It's pretty much one of the many thai restaurants in the area and berkeley with food that lacks any real kick, toned down flavors.

    (2)

  • Ben X.

    Let's start with the good. I had the Pad Kee Mao, now as another reviewer noted, it's very low on the noodles. But it's quite generous on the meat and veggies, and frankly, I wouldn't mind filling up on veggies or meat, since the veggies were fresh and very lightly sauteed, leading to a very clean taste. The beef was flavored well, if a bit on the tough side. Portion sizes are smaller than what you might be used to for a Thai restaurant, but I liked how you got so many veggies, since I frickin' love vegetables. The service was dismal. Seated, waited maybe 10 minutes before our order was taken. Food came out very quickly - but no one ever checked to see how our meal was, NOR was our water ever refilled. After clearing our table, another 5 minutes waiting for them to even suggest bringing a check. If you've ever been to a BJ's, this is WORSE. 4/5 for the food, 2/5 for the service. Well done, you've earned your 3, Cha-Am.

    (3)

  • Charles L.

    Came here on a whim with the roomie after a study session. Prices looked reasonable from the outside ($7-12 per dish), and we were hungry. Upon being seated, we were served our water, which came in these neat, but odd silver cups. They are a bit wide and round, almost like a bowl. I found it intriguing to be drinking water out of these. Service was good to keep refilling these. My roommate got the Thai Fried Rice and I got the Pad Kee-Mao. The portions were just perfect given we were pretty hungry, but would be very generous had we just stopped in with a regular appetite. Thai Fried Rice (choice of chicken, beef, pork, or shrimp) - got the chicken, tossed with cabbage, egg, other assorted vegetables and spices, it was very light and flavorful - different from Chinese fried rice in that it didn't have a soy-sauce taste to it, it came off very clean and delightful Pad Kee-Mao (choice of chicken, beef, pork, or shrimp) - Thai version of chow fun is probably easiest to describe, flat rice noodles, green beans, peppers, pork for me, onions, tossed with a light spicy-garlic sauce, tasted very good and flavorful, not heavy like its Chinese counter-part version Their vegetables are prepared very well. They retain the crispness and flavor without being bland. I'd be willing to try some of their other noodle dishes the next time I come. $16 total for both! I will be coming back for more good eats.

    (4)

  • Eric C.

    Good food but pricey. Came here on a Wed evening at 6pm for a group dinner. Made reservations for 10 but had 14 people; they easily accommodated us by adding an extra table. Food was good, though I prefer Thai Noodle down the street. Almost $300 for a table of 15, with a 5 orders of appetizers and no drinks. Good for groups!

    (3)

  • Amanda H.

    I've tried lots of Thai food and I can honestly say this is my favorite place in the bay and beyond! Some of my favorite things on the menu: pad see yew, pad thai, green curry, a seafood dish (can't remember the name) and their Tom Ka Gai. If you're a fan of Tom Ka Gai get it here, it's the best! They did recently change their menu and raised the prices a little bit, but it's worth it.

    (4)

  • Luna R.

    Nice people, friendly service, very poor food. The shrimp was unapplealing and the soup was flavorless...it tasted as though they had just popped the mushrooms right out of the can.....not good.

    (2)

  • Sara M.

    I'm downgrading my review to 3 stars. The food is definitely decent, but I've been letting my judgment be clouded by my college days spent here. Fine Thai food, but not spectacular.

    (3)

  • Alan D.

    First time coming here I was a bit skeptical about the food. But you know it's hard to find good authentic thai food anywhere. The wife brought me here and let me tell you the food was outstanding! You can taste the freshness and the flavors. I'm more about flavors! Prices were reasonable no complaints. Cha am does tend to get busy so I suggest that anyone who comes plan on getting there early. Parking seems to be a bit tight since there's other restaurants around that area . It is one of those places were you feel like you have to rush so that the next patrons can sit. Myself I like to take my time to eat I hate to be rushed. Will definitely look around for other places so if anyone out there reads this let me know. I'm looking for that tasty Chicken Basil : )

    (4)

  • Ramon E.

    Good service, decent portions, good food, clean bathrooms. I recommend either the green curry or the pad thai, though I seem to remember an appetizer plate that was also excellent.

    (4)

  • Barbara S.

    Yum, yum! Delicious, fresh veggie style Thai Food. Don't be afraid to ask for something extra or something to be removed. They are happy to accomodate. Superior service, great prices, large portions and a taste to die for. I can't wait for them to offer delivery!

    (5)

  • nancy t.

    The ambience is mediocre but solid food trumphs ambience any day for me. My boyfriend and I have order a range of dishes- curries, Pad Thai (always), coconut soups, and a few of the stir fries. All are great! The Pad Thai is our favorite as we order it everytime, even better than 60 bhat pad thai in Thailand. My personal favorite is the basil, garlic, green beans and chicken stir fry. This is the closest thing you can get to good Thai food without being in Thailand.

    (3)

  • Manj P.

    It was pretty disappointing after reading the Yelp reviews to go to this place. The reviews were fairly good but the food was below average. I would not go here again.

    (2)

  • Daniel S.

    Friends don't let friends go to Cha-am. Cha-am sucks, people! Anyone who truly knows Thai food hates Cha-am, and it causes clinical depression in several Thailand-based Peace Corps volunteers I've known. Get it through your heads, people of Berkeley!

    (1)

  • Sarah L.

    Vera D., James E., Jaime K, meagan m., and Shyam P. said it perfectly--this is a tree house! A tree house filled with yummy Thai food and friendly diners and staff. I first went to Cha Am over ten years ago and have gone back many times. I think it was my first Thai food ever, and totally my first Thai iced tea (yum!). They are more of a special occasion Thai place in my book, although it is not particularly fancy, expensive, or anything. It is definitely a few steps up in atmosphere from my local Thai spot--Thai Noodle just south on Shattuck. The rice here is super good, served in cute silver bowls. Just lovely. All the food is presented nicely.

    (4)

  • Niraj P.

    Oooh maan! the only thing I know on that menu by heart is Pad thai. Thats the only thing i ever get at any Thai restaurant. So much for experminting. But the dish last night was quite delicious, not to mention quite a large serving. So they've got a ton of bean sprouts on the plate, but what's mommy told you about eating your vegetables? My friend and I also ordered Tok-Dum, delightful little fish cake appetizers served with cumcumber sauce & a chicken dish starting with P (good luck finding that) liquored in semi-spicy curry sauce. Topped off by good conversation about left-handed people being more creative and a surprisingly light bill, it was a good evening. Times and places like these wish I was still dating that Thai girl...sigh...

    (5)

  • K N.

    We went to Cha Am last night based off my memory of my previous visit, which was 7 years ago. What I remembered was wonderful, tasty Thai food, with fresh veggies and lots of delicious flavor. Last night, it definitely was not the same... We had the lemongrass soup (vegetarian), and I knew it was a bad sign when the most used flavoring in the soup was sugar. (Sidenote: I don't know why so many Thai places sweeten their soups so heavily -- it does not taste good!!) Our main dishes, pad thai and a tofu/vegetable dish, really lacked any flavor. It seemed as if they cooked the food the night before and simply sat it under a heat lamp before serving it to us. The pad thai was really oily -- yuck. The flavor was okay, but after a few bites I couldn't eat any more of it because the slimy texture of the noodles was so overpowering. The tofu/veg dish was also very flavorless. The "broth" that the veggies and tofu sit in was thin and watered down. It seemed like they took some old broth, heated it up with water, and threw some vegetables on top. Aside from the food, there was no wait for a table, the service was good, and the food came out promptly. But good service can not make up for mediocre food...we are definitely not going to Cha-Am again.

    (1)

  • Luke R.

    Nice, small thai restaurant. The restaurant feels perched above Shattuck ave and you walk up stairs to get there.

    (4)

  • Chris O.

    Please pass the Soy Sauce... The irony is that I don't put soy sauce on my Thai food. I felt the immediate need to start doctoring this food up as soon as it came out...and there it was on my table...soy sauce. The Tom Yum soup was really bad. Smothered in mushrooms...which would be good if they were cooked. Totally raw mushrooms in luke warm soup with no herbs, roots to speak of. The water is served in these little "cute" metal...tin, aluminum? cups. The water tastes totally metallic as if you would need to do the master cleanse after one glass. I asked for a real glass. The place was really busy so either A: it was just my food that was bad or B: the other patrons didn't really know good Thai. I haven't actually found any Thai or Vietnamese in Berkeley to write home about so if someone reads this, please send me an email. PS...the PLACE ON THE CORNER, RIGHT NEXT TO THIS PLACE...after a plate of sour, mushy Papaya salad and ants on the plate...I'm not even going to bother to write their one star review. Sorry to be harsh...but.

    (2)

  • Jenn C.

    This place is cute and has great decor. It is a converted house turned into restaurant, but watch out for those who are in wheelchairs. There are stairs and I've not seen a ramp or elevator. The food is very tastey and flavorful. The sauces they use for each dish is just the right amount of blended ingredients. They grill their meats just right too. Prices are right and lunch is even better.

    (4)

  • Adam M.

    I was very pleased with my dining experience at Cha-am. The food was affordable, their menu had nice variety, the dishes seemed authentic, and the atmosphere was pleasant. FOOD: We ordered a green curry chicken dish, Tom-Ka-Gai, Ram-Pak (I think that is what it is called, veggies in spicy peanut sauce), and a beef sauteed dish (#20). All were very good. We capped off our dinner with scoops of coconut and green tea ice cream. Yum!

    (5)

  • Mori Y.

    I grew up on the Thai food at Cha-am, so I am decidedly 5-star biased in my opinion. It's really easy to become a regular here, since the food is so good and the price is right. The appetizers are all done well, especially the Imperial rolls. Entrees are all well balanced, reflecting the freshness of the ingredients. The pad thai is good too; it has a nice deep orange color to it, and the noodles aren't soggy so it has a nice chewy texture. The real star on the menu has to be the curries though; nothing fancy but perfectly balanced (which is hard to do with curry!). For seafood, try any of the specials; they're the more inventive dishes and revolve around seasonal ingredients. The service is good if a bit hectic; the place is so busy all the time that things move really quickly. It's nice to see such a large staff working such a tiny place though. Edit: Also, one of the most overlooked details. The RICE! The jasmine rice here is the fluffiest and most aromatic rice I have ever had in a restaurant.

    (5)

  • Allison L.

    ok....so the food is good. but the service is ALWAYS so slow. they seat you and without fail, you have to wait at least twenty minutes before a waitress even asks what you'd like to have to drink. i wish the service was faster because the food is amazing. oh well. you can't win 'em all.

    (3)

  • Nicole P.

    Great Pad Se Ew. Good yellow curry chicken. Love the fresh coconut drink. I have to have it every time.

    (4)

  • Lauren K.

    Just good thai food. Done.

    (4)

  • Kat C.

    Always good, always. The fish specials are wonderfully tasty.

    (5)

  • James D.

    This place is lofted and next to Dara, which is extremely confusing for me, at least, because I definitely did not like Dara, and was worried I was in for another bad experience. Luckily, the Thai food was pretty good. I like the innovative water cups, and the refreshing soup starter. The curries are tasty, but mild. I just wish the portions were bigger!

    (3)

  • Gwenyth K.

    This is sweet Noberk restaurant. A good stand by, you can totally take a parent or a date here, show up in a dress or flipflops, and always get a seat. It's cute and has enough sense of place to feel like dining out. A dish per person and and a shared appetizer usually yield leftovers for under ten dollars. I recommend the Red Curry.

    (4)

  • James E.

    Overrated, yes it is. Overrated, it's all biz. Cha Am is good. But it's so overrated that I won't go there. Firstly, I don't like the steamy, tree-house you have to eat in. It always feels rushed and crowded. Secondy, their Tom Ka Gai uses regular American brown mushrooms instead of the delicate straw mushroom. It's like fishing bobbers bouncing around in your soup. The other food is good, but there are many other excellent Thai places

    (3)

  • Sandhya R.

    Love Cha'am! Lots of great veggie options. Good place to take people on short notice - you'll get seated quickly. The service is great and the prices are reasonable. Also, it's great for takeout. If you're veg, make sure to try the tofu pad see ew. Really scrumptious.

    (5)

  • Ash B.

    Oh Cha Am, what happened to you? I used to go to Cha Am years ago and loved it. On a recent lunchtime visit, I assumed I would get the yummy Cha Am food I remembered. The ambience is depressing and they put us in a cold, side room. My fork was dirty. The dish I got had the frozen peas, carrots and corn medley from Uncle Ben's. I don't even know if any of the food was fresh. It was just bad. Really bad. But I gave it 2 stars because maybe it was just an off day or the lunches aren't as good as the dinners. But I don't know if I'd ever give it another try with Thai Delight across the street and oh just so much better.

    (2)

  • Tim C.

    I used to work next door to this place and got the Thai fried rice with chicken about twice a week. Occasionally I'd try a saute or grilled dish, but always craved the TFR if I didn't order it. Then my kids got hooked on it...they are consistently good, inventive and original, I think. The only thing I'd say is that the building is not where I'd probably want to be in an earthquake...but hey, if ya gotta die, this place would at least let you die with a smile on your face!

    (5)

  • My N.

    Was just ok. Not really impressed, maybe I didn't order the right dishes? Golden Triangle appetizer (triangle puffs with yams+other-stuff-i-don't-remember and sweet and sour sauce) was good, but the main dishes -- fried fish with ginger & chicken curry -- were ok.

    (3)

  • Shawna R.

    I just didn't think it was very good when compared to other places around. Dara, next door, IS quite good especially if you get the more Lao style dishes and the sticky rice.

    (2)

  • Linh D.

    I love Thai food. I'm often disappointed that Thai food in the US is not as flavorful as that I've had in Thailand. Here the food actually smells and tastes like the ingredients they contain.

    (4)

  • D G.

    Still the best Thai place we've been to... and we've been to 10, albeit in the East Bay. Since we live in the Tri-Valley, when we really want Thai food we will drive to Berkeley. No messin' around with the other places near us. Everytime we've come, we haven't been disappointed. I like that they have optional brown rice, always nice to change it up every once in awhile. The Cha Am Noodles are yummy and the green mango salad is my favorite.

    (4)

  • Krissa S.

    So tasty! Their noodle dishes are excellent, the ginger chicken has amazing flavor, and the brown rice they have is exceptionally good. I also love their Thai iced tea. The atmosphere is cozy and colorful and great for a date or even a large party.

    (4)

  • g. r.

    food was good,service too but the best is the setting outside...

    (4)

  • Shyam P.

    The food is fresh, light and of high quality The restaurant is like a treehouse and definitely adds to the dining experience. Their specials are usually worth a try. I pretty much have liked everything there. Their chicken satay is a great way to start off. Their curries are thick and tasty without being overly spicy. To me, their dishes just taste more fresh and flavorful than some of the other thai places in berkeley. I prefer it much more over plearn.

    (5)

  • C E.

    One of my favorites. They are always super helpful and friendly. And the food comes out so fast. Not to mention how good it tastes. I think it is the best tasting food in Berkeley

    (5)

  • Veljko S.

    Back when I had inheritance money and unlimited leisure time (wait...maybe that was someone else...) I would dare my friends into various quixotic challenges to pass the time. One summer I decided to challenge my doppleganger to eat at every Thai restaurant in Berkeley. The inaugural dinner took place here at the venerable Cha'am Thai. Once a stalwart member of the Berkeley Thai scene, this elf tree-village eaterie has sadly let itself go. The pad Thai appeared a chemical orange, without texture or form. The fish sauce struck a barely audible note, always a worrying development in the life of a thai restaurant. Usually it means the place has decided to cater to more western sensibilities, in the process abandoning the distinctive features of Thai cuisine and turning into a noodle-slurp spot . (On a side note, is it true that only nations with kingdoms and a royal court ever created amazing cuisine? I'm too lazy to think of counter-examples, so please write to me in outrage.) Moving on, the green curry was thin and watery, bereft even of the most modest spiciness. The wateriness comes from cooking the coconut milk too long and letting the oil and milk solids separate so you have watery oily broth instead of thick goodness. Bad form, Cha'am bad form. The meal ended with ice-cream and fried banana, probably still the only part of the meal that hinted at a remnant of the restaurant's former glory. All in all, a disappointing experience. There are many other worthy Thai places in Berkeley. (On another side note, I noticed that one of my fave Thai places in Berkeley, Golden Lotus (Oxford and Bancroft), had closed and had been replaced by some garish new joint with flags on the outside. So sad.)

    (2)

  • Chantie G.

    Good food and excellent ambiance. I love sitting at the very top where they have mats on the floor instead of chairs and it quiet and pretty private. Portions aren't to big and the service is great. Some of the silverware is sliver which gives it great decor. Prices are reasonable. The food is the typical Thai and good. :)

    (4)

  • Stephen H.

    I'm not sure why this place is so popular. Maybe I'm missing what makes it so great, but the food I've had here is about average as far as Thai goes.

    (3)

  • Nick H.

    After eating at just about every Thai restaurant in Berkeley, I've settled on Cha-Am as my first choice. Its certainly not perfect, but the food is always very tasty and thats all I care about when I get Thai food!

    (4)

  • Sandy V.

    When we moved to Berkeley Cha-Am was the first place where we had dinner. I really liked this cosy atmosphere. Also the curry on this day was good. Nothing extraordinary with common ingredients, but tasty. A few months later we went there again and I have to say it was really disappointing. The waitress was really in a hurry and not friendly, the portions smaller than I could remember and the price to expensive. The food was tasty and fresh, but nothing extraordinary again and the coconut drink was yammy! The thing which disappointed me most was that we ordered a papaya salad (and I have to say that I ate more than one papaya salad in my life) which came without Papaya. I asked the waitress where the papaya in this salad is (because I couldn't see and taste it) and she pointed on a white something in the salad. My husband and I tasted this and we both thought that it must be radish. The salad was not untasty, but if I order a Papaya salad I would like to get a Papaya salad and not a radish salad. Maybe the ran out of Papaya but it is not okay to conceal this to the guest. Because of this experience and the not worth expensive prices, I'm not sure if I would go to Cha-Am again.

    (3)

  • Evan D.

    There are so many Thai choices in Berkeley, and this one just came across as a bit overrated for me. It's not a "miss," but is is worth exploring the alternatives.

    (3)

  • Rita N.

    Horrible service. Their food is ok, but I don't like being treated like scum when I'm trying to eat. My friends and I have gone during the winter, and for some reason, the hostess sat us in the portion of the restaurant that was not very insulated. We had to ask her repeatedly to turn on the heat before turning it up ourselves. The heater was this pathetic little box that twirled around and only warmed the areas 6 inches away from it.

    (2)

  • terra d.

    the food here was served promptly and was delicious. it was a bit cold in there, but they brought heaters out and lit candles to warm the place up. they did not rush us out, which is rare for a busy place like this. try: coconut ice cream or mango and sticky rice for dessert!

    (4)

  • ITesh J.

    The coconut milk soup is a "must taste". We also ordered papaya salad "spicy" and my taste buds got killed but it was so worth it. Really good Thai food with good service and ambiance

    (4)

  • l v.

    Everything about this restaurant is average....except the 16 dollar crab plate on the evening special menu. It was a fried med-small crab on a HUGE salad of green beans, snow peas and squash. The fresh veggies and herbs really make a difference but not enough to warrant an overprice plate of green bean salad.

    (3)

  • Lauren G.

    The best pad thai around, and really good, crisp, fresh veggies, too. Plus, who can beat a glass of wine for a couple bucks? Now if only they'd deliver....

    (4)

  • David G.

    Very dissapointed when i went after hearing great things my friends. Cute little place, but very bland sauces. Not very unique at all. Way better thai places in berkeley. A bit on the overpriced side as well. The food was just not that good. Lacked a ton of flavor, just kind of used basil to fill in for lack of other things.

    (2)

  • Burcin T.

    Service sucks, food is good. It took us about 15-20min to get the menus. Once we ordered though everything was fine. We had two different curries: red curry and the one before that with sweet potatoes. Red curry was better. And we finished with a fried banana green tea icecream, it was extremely good. I might go back hoping for a better service.

    (3)

  • Bernard M.

    This is a decent place. Most of the dishes are mediocre. The soup is good. The curry was okay. Nothing to rave about, and remember their tiger prawn special curry is overpriced and sometimes overcooked. I had one of their fish dishes and it was not tasty. If I could, I would give Cha-Am a 2.5.

    (2)

  • Jessica B.

    FAVORITE Thai restaurant ever! I think that just about says how I feel about Cha' Am...this place is so good! Their food is to die for, and I can honestly say I hadn't had good Thai food until I'd gone here. Don't get here much anymore due to the distance, but I am constantly thinking about their food. I would go here to eat everday if I could...if you can...you should!

    (5)

  • Art O.

    i used to come here about once a week back in the day when i lived around the corner. the food was always fresh and it was definitely the best thai food in berkeley. granted, another incentive besides the food was a couple of cute servers my roommate and i admired but it was usually a great dining experience overall. it can get a little tight in there at times, and over the years the service and food were a bit erratic, but you should definitely give it a try if you're in north berkeley.

    (4)

  • Leland H.

    Enjoyable cheap thai. Would get five stars but their Pad Thai is only so-so. Stick to other things on the menu (like the crab roll appetizer) and you'll have a great experience.

    (4)

  • Jerry C.

    Cha Am has been my Thai choice for the last 15 years. I love the decor, the service and the food excellent every time. I love bringing friends who have never been there, the problem is most people I know have been to Cha Am.

    (4)

  • Michael M.

    I used to eat here frequently in 2001 and 2002, when I lived near the Ghourmet Ghetto. I have to admit I haven't been back for years (because I don't live in the East Bay anymore), but they've got damn good Thai food and a damn fine ambience.

    (4)

  • Aaron H.

    I could consider myself an expert on Thai food, and this food is great. Unfortunately they just raised the prices a little, but added a few more menu choices. My standard meal here would include Tom Ka Gai soup, #36 seafood special with white rice, and pad Thai noodles with chicken. You can also go for the Pad See-Yew. The service can be spotty sometimes, but i have never had a bad food experience. Enjoy kids!

    (4)

  • Arun C.

    I like Cha-Am. The regular menu is consistently good and their specials are often great. This restaurant has also got a special place in my memory because it was one of the first places I tried when I first moved to the north Berkeley neighborhood.

    (4)

  • Ruth T.

    My vote for one of the best places to bring an out-of-town guest for dinner. Seriously check out the daily specials, though the everyday curries are wonderful and tasty, and when there's mango and sticky rice for dessert, go for it!

    (5)

  • Jeffrey R.

    This place is a great Thai restaurant. I don't have much else to say about it.

    (4)

  • M G.

    Some of the best Thai I've ever had. Curries are great, fried rice is great, and the seafood special is fabulous (more expensive than the other dishes, which are reasonably priced). Good value and excellent food, and a cool ambiance. There is a back room which is more mellow and regular, and a front greenhouse which is really neat. The wait is never too bad.

    (4)

  • Mollie M.

    Tasty Thai food in a pleasant setting. I went here with a couple of girlfriends the other day for lunch; they had been here before but it was my first time. I love that they bring out a bowl of broth/soup to start you with. It was deliciously simple and a nice way to start the meal. Two of us ordered food of the specials menu. We ordered as an app the crab/chicken fried thingy in tofu skin; tasty but not spectacular. One person got the eggplant dish with chicken; it looked and was reported as being good. My other companion had the special red seafood curry; once again, looked and reported tasty. I absolutely loved what I ordered of the specials board. I forget what it's called, but it was the green papaya salad with roasted marinated chicken and rice lunch combo. The flavor of the chicken was wonderful. The papaya sald was very refreshing, but strangely not spicy at all! If you want it spicy, I guess you have to rquest it that way. Thankfully, I didnt want anything spicy (still pregnant) and had heard that this place lacked heat, so I felt safe in ordering it as is. Presentation of their food is lovely, and I found service fine. Overall my experience was very nice, so 4 stars for now. Perhaps next time I go I'll get a bit more adventurous with the actual food, and I'll need to update.

    (4)

  • Velonda H.

    i am in love with this place the food is out of this world good if your ever in these neck of the wood please stop in, they have some of the best curry dishes i have ever had.

    (5)

  • Scott T.

    I love this place. Great food, great atmosphere, and really nice service. Something has to be said for consistently good food.

    (4)

  • JJ R.

    Many good thai places in berkeley and this is just one of them.

    (3)

  • Trudi S.

    omg this place is so bad... staff rude - esp the guy who works there.. the food is cheap and plentiful but tastes like crap.. the chicken was old and grisly. took us 20 minutes before we got asked to take our order. then took us another 20 minutes to find a waiter to get our check.. I had to go in and find it on the cashiers table and the waiters in the kitchen talking and joking.. I left a 20c tip..

    (1)

  • erin h.

    The building is fun because you are up in the trees. However, the food was bland and the ingredients were not of the best quality. I would rate all three dishes we had as average. We ordered Pad Thai and it was just sweetened rice noodles with some egg and peanut. It lacked fresh lime and quality fish sauce. We also ordered the Fresh Rolls and were not that enthused with the accompanying sauce. Lastly, we ordered red curry - the best dish of the three - but they used canned mushrooms and the eggplants were overcooked.

    (2)

  • Jo L.

    Oh man! This place is good! It's decorated kind of christmasy inside with tinsel and lights. we got a window seat facing shattuck. this place is very cute, it's kind of like eating in a house nestled in the trees. the food is excellent! i wolfed down the pad see um, (noodles with vegetables and beef), brown rice and peanut chicken. everything was hot and very flavorful. better then a lot of other thai places i've eaten. they bring your water in these cool tin bowl-cups. we got a fried banana spring roll and green tea ice cream for dessert. the banana piece was really small but delicious. the server seemed mildly annoyed that we took a long time to order, but she was still nice. it was my first time eating in the "gourmet ghetto" and i like it over there, there's a good feel. oh my friend also got a thai coffee which i took a sip of and it was excellent. too bad they don't have soy milk or i would have got one too!

    (4)

  • Chelsea P.

    Very cute Thai food restaurant! They have this coconut, chicken and mushroom soup that is to die for and these yummy crunchy little rolls. Great noodles too! Smallish portions, but delicious food.

    (5)

  • Nikki c.

    This is one of the BEST Thai places in the bay. Always make sure to try one of the specials on the individual white boards they bring to your table. These have never disappointed me. The Thai iced tea is just right, not too creamy, not to strong, not too sweet, it's the perfect blend of flavors. Parking can be a challenge and there's often a wait, so you may want to drop someone off in front, so they can secure a table while one person looks for parking.

    (5)

  • Inga R.

    The Mu-Yang and Tom-Yum are excellent and they serve a pretty mean thai tea. Very freindly service and great prices make this one of my favorite haunts in the gourmet ghetto.

    (5)

  • A K.

    solid thai for this north berkeley staple... esp at reasonable prices although still not as good as THAI TEMPLE on sunday AM!! good pad se ew and noodles and terrific WHOLE FISH and tom ka Gia soup is solid in the broth ut I've had better as well...would agre they should use the proper mushrooms... service is spotty, at times it's been good other times, glacial would be a better term. Unfortunately, other than on sundays at the Thai temple, there are slim pickin's....Tuk tuk thai is also equally mediocre... oh well

    (3)

  • Herbert S.

    Great thai food.

    (5)

  • Judy K.

    I'd been going to Cha'am for over 20 years and loved it, but it's NOT the same anymore. Our old housekeeper in Bangkok that we had sponsored for immigration to the US had worked here as a cook years ago. She made delicious dishes and this restaurant continued to be excellent long after she had left. Last I went there I walked in expecting to see the usual bustling crowd of happy eaters, but found it nearly empty on a Friday evening. I was instantly suspicious. I noticed the staff had changed. The service had declined. The serving dishes had changed from their charming ornate silver water cups in classic Thai design to plain ol' glasses. Then the food came.... Yikes! It was atrocious in comparison to what it had historically been. The vegetables weren't cooked properly, the flavoring was as bland as it can get...it was about the worst Thai food I have had in the Bay Area. So sad....! The old Cha'am was almost an institution. The new Cha'am is doomed.

    (1)

  • Richard M.

    Just went back for dinner, it's been about 10 years since we've been there, and this place is as EXCELLENT as ever. If you go early it's not crowded. The squid salad is my #1 favorite, followed by the whole fish dishes. This restaurant is the standard by which I measure all other Thai restaurants. I am not sure what is wrong with some of the other reviews -- I think some people online feel they need to vent.

    (4)

  • ginny h.

    The best Pad Thai in the whole bay area.

    (5)

  • Flora B.

    Really tasty Thai food. I recommend the rainbow salad and the chicken with spicy peanut sauce. Also the fried appetizer with pork inside is really good.

    (5)

  • Kathleen M.

    The tom kha gai is served so impressively you get stares from the other tables. More importantly, it's the best I've ever had with a wonderfully sweet and spicy broth.

    (5)

  • chris l.

    I like the food, the atmosphere, and the metal cups.

    (4)

  • megan w.

    This place has never failed me. Housed in a quirky space, the great service and plentiful rice in a silver bowl keeps me coming back to Cha-Am whenever I'm in this part of the world. Red curry of chicken and Tom Ka Gai are reliable favorites, and I dig the Thai iced tea! Not at all expensive.

    (4)

  • Alisa S.

    This place was pretty disappointing. The ambience is so cute, but the food is lacking flavor. The green curry had absolutely no spice to it, I've learned to make it myself and it is much better. I can't believe people have actually recommended going here. How can you screw up thai food so much?

    (2)

  • Ananda Z.

    Its just so darn colorful! I love watching the plates go by, regardless of what I end up choosing to eat... its like a rainbow of food! Its a fun, lively atmosphere and good Thai food at reasonable prices. How can you go wrong! And they do takeout too. So get your movie from the Elephant Pharmacy across the street, and take some home for dinner.

    (5)

  • Barbara C.

    One of my favorite Thai places in the East Bay, and I've come here numerous times. My favorite is their red curry veggie dish, and a couple of their mixed veggie dishes are pretty good bets, too. It's a cute little place, converted from a house. The seating is a little cramped, especially in the window seat area, but it doesn't hinder the experience too much at all. It can get crowded some evenings though.

    (4)

  • Mike S.

    It's the place I learned to love Thai food at, but I haven't gone back in years because, after trying around the menu, I never found something that "grabbed me" when I sat down and looked at the menu.

    (3)

  • stefanie p.

    Water taste like metal. Pad See Ew is great. Restaurant is in a tree house.

    (3)

  • meagan m.

    This is such a cute Thai restaurant, I love the atmosphere - it feels like you're in a tree house in a way. Although the lunch menu only offered tofu and seafood - no chicken, the food was really good, and came out quickly. My lunch was less than $10 which also made me happy! I tried to save room for the mango and sticky rice - but I was just too full...will have to try it next time.

    (4)

  • Debbie Y.

    Good food, but I was expecting fantastic based on the crowds and popularity....it wasn't anything out of the ordinary to me. Personally, I prefer Dara, the restaurant next door.

    (4)

  • Autumn W.

    I've wanted desparately to like it, but both times I've been there, I've gotten that not-so-fresh tummy feeling. Don't think the third time will be a charm, either...

    (1)

  • Vera D.

    I love that this place is like a treehouse. Go for the specials, esp. the fish dishes, and the tom kha gai, when you're here. Sometimes it gets very busy, and the waitstaff can tend to ignore you, but the food makes it worth the extra patience.

    (4)

  • Julie P.

    eh, it was just okay. none of dishes really stood out. maybe that was partly because it was much milder then i like. we were not asked how spicy we wanted our food. maybe it's not an option. also, the wait staff was rather curt during each interaction. so the overall experience was, eh.

    (3)

  • Marcy S.

    this is the next door neighbor to dara and there seems to be this constant battle between those that like dara and those that like cha-am. i don't think that you can eve compare the two. cha-am might have a nicer decor, but the food is only alright at best...

    (3)

  • miriam b.

    Almost went to the Thai restaurant next door thinking that it was Cha-Am. Pad thai, garlic eggplant and red curry. Works for Berkeley Gourmet Ghetto area.

    (3)

  • zoe w.

    a very normal not-so-authentic Thai place with small plate...won't go again

    (2)

  • Jill k.

    there are so many good thai restaurants, but this one definitely ranks way up there... great food, good service, awesome lunch specials! a must if you enjoy delicious and authentic thai food!

    (5)

  • Rob M.

    Funky, funky, funky. An old house that was then added onto and a Thai restaurant appeared in the front yard. Kind of claustrophobic actually with awkward ways in (they wrap the building around a palm tree). Still, get a seat by the window overlooking Shattuck and you'll have a good view. The Pad Thai was great but the Curry Chicken was not my cup of tea. It really just didn't have enough curry sauce into it. The decor though was cool and the prices and speed was also fantastic so I'll be back to try more things. Want to give them 3.5 stars for now but will push them to 4 since I have to say I left feeling good.

    (4)

  • Retired B.

    Food is ok. Service could be better. Prices are reasonable. Always seems to be crowded. Was disappointed with the pad thai... and was not happy with their version of "fried banana and ice cream." It was in an egg roll shell instead of batter... and it had coconut mushed up inside.

    (3)

  • ji k.

    I liked this place!!! Espeically their chickenwing appetizer and bbq pork (my friends thought it was one of the best thai bbq pork...) Location is interesting also. friendly staff. plenty of tables. nice.

    (4)

  • Diego C.

    This place kics ass. truly a cream dream for the price, selection and nice service. I give it a 5. very tasty. youll overeat. Try the drunken noodles.

    (5)

  • Tina B.

    I always look for good pad thai when I go to Thai restaurants, and even though I was disapointed with theirs, everything else is really good. The restaurant itself is really cozy and nice, you almost feel like you're in Thailand. The most amazing thing about this place is the homemade coconut ice cream. If you're a fan of coconut, or even if you're not, you have to try it. It's phenomenal and I constantly crave it, so rich and milky...

    (4)

  • Elizabeth A.

    Reading these reviews, I am struck by how mixed they are. I think the problem is that Cha Am has some really amazing food, and then some really mediocre food. So whether you think it's great or not really depends on whether you hit those special dishes. In particular, I love the coconut soup, and the Salad Yam-J, with cellophane noodles. I crave them. But yes, when I've gotten off the "Pad Thai, coconut soup, and rainbow cellophane salad," track, I've been really disappointed.

    (3)

  • Niko V.

    naah, not worth too many stars. while it is cheap and berkeleyishly eclectic, the food is too oily for my sensitive palate. and a bit bland really. though the water does seem to taste just that little bit colder when served from those oriental pitchers of theirs

    (3)

  • Catherine H.

    good thai food. the appetizer special we got called "golden triangles" was pretty tasty. i enjoyed the massamun (sp?) curry and the grilled pork. cozy environment, felt authentic and efficient. heat lamps inside!

    (4)

  • chenlu h.

    In one of the tour books i have about berkeley, this restaurant is rated the best thai restaurant in berkeley.. it truly is!!!! really cozy environment excellent for a dinner date. Their green papaya salad is certainly a must-have. And the price is pretty cheap too, the average dish is prolly $8, good and fast service as well.

    (5)

  • Hao T.

    Great food. Feels very original...not americanized...Very, very cute restaurant. You walk up stair steps to the restaurant and when you walk into the restaurant it feels like a nice, cozy inviting restaurant. And you sit where there's lots of windows and you can see everything outside. The food is great too! Very tasty and flavorful.

    (5)

  • Caylie C.

    So good. The red curry was very tasty and went nicely with the pork, which was also incredible. Such a nice peaceful spot too!

    (5)

  • Berrin Y.

    If you are going a bit later than a normal dinner hours front of the restaurant is cold because there wont be enough people keep the place worm just with being there. Food is great as always and servers are nice. Just make sure you keep the hot hot food away from your little ones. Some servers don't know about kids at all :)

    (4)

  • Victoria J.

    Downgrade :( No one likes having to downgrade, but my most recent trip to Cha-Am was pretty lackluster in comparison to when I had gone previously. Service was okay--not as attentive and we had to wait a while for our table to be set up even though I had made a reservation. They definitely have the Berkeley charm going for them since it's in such a quirky building; but I hate to say that this time I visited, the food was really lacking. I felt that the portions were small for the price. They gave us about 2/3 of what I expected the portion to be and it wasn't super fresh tasting even though I know they made it right then (maybe a produce issue?). We had several different dishes: Pad Thai, papaya salad, green curry, a seafood dish, and a salmon dish. None of them were that great and I thought (to my non-Thai palate) the seasonings were off. The last time I came, I tried really different dishes, so maybe this is also an issue of ordering.I wouldn't totally write Cha-Am off because I had such a pleasant experience in the past, but I definitely wouldn't order anything again that I tried on my most recent visit.

    (2)

  • Judge F.

    Rice: ~$3.00 for 2 people. WHAT?!?!?!? I ordered a vegetarian dish (~$9). With rice, it would total to $10+. Too pricey. There are better deals at other Thai restaurants. On top of that, the sauce was really salty so it'd be difficult to eat without rice ...as if they were nudging customers to pay more just for rice... Fish was good. Order the fish if you must come here.

    (4)

  • Assface25 X.

    This place is pretty cool, it's like eating in a tree house. We ordered the red curry with beef, seafood Thai spaghetti, and #17 which was marinated chicken. The food was pretty disappointing. The beef curry wasn't anything special, it didn't have a lot of taste. The marinated chicken was good, a little bit on the oily side, and the Thai spaghetti was pretty much sautéed seafood, veggies with spaghetti, something I could make at home. I give it 2 stars for the service and how nice people were.

    (2)

  • Marck N.

    I came here for lunch with my co-workers. Always passing this place when doing my lunch walk, I finally made it inside. It is much larger than what it looks like from the outside. The waitress was very friendly and took our orders quickly. I ordered the grilled marinated chicken with spicy dipping sauce and swapped out the rice for steamed veggies. This proved to be a good choice. The chicken thighs were flavorful and didn't need the spicy sweet dipping sauce. I instead used that for the veggies. It was added the extra garlic flavor to them. I would come back to try their dinner menu, if in the neighborhood and wanted Thai.

    (4)

  • Cheeky S.

    I came here for lunch. Ordered to go. Pretty good lunch special prices. However, I ordered the red curry chicken and the chicken they used was ground chicken? It was tiny crumbles of chicken mixed with HELLA bamboo shoots, peas and red bell peppers. I was disappointed with the veg to chicken ratio and the type of chicken that was used. They satay chicken that came with my lunch special was decent. I don't think I'll be coming back here as I'm a big curried chicken fan with Thai food, and then chicken is not worth it here.

    (2)

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Map

Opening Hours

  • Mon :11:30 am - 9:00pm

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : Yes
    Delivery : No
    Take-out : Yes
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Good For : Dinner
    Parking : Street
    Bike Parking : Yes
    Wheelchair Accessible : No
    Good for Kids : Yes
    Good for Groups : Yes
    Attire : Casual
    Ambience : Casual
    Noise Level : Average
    Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only
    Outdoor Seating : No
    Wi-Fi : No
    Has TV : No
    Waiter Service : Yes
    Caters : Yes

Cha-Am Thai Restaurant

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