This is my favorite minimum-wage-earning-college-student place to go to when I'm feeling a bit frisky with my money. So it is a little bit in the mid-range price area for dining... It is so worth it. Especially for lunch. For a mere 9 or so dollars you can have the best pineapple duck curry that I have had in a long time. Lunch special only though, so be careful when you go because dinner prices are a bit steeper. But I promise you, if you appreciate good duck, or good Thai food, go to Gecko Gecko. I have never been disappointed with a single dish I have gotten there (and lemme tell you, I have ordered items aplenty from this fine establishment). And oh my gosh if you are in the mood for some amazing coconut ice cream and fried bananas, prepare your taste buds. On a side note, the service is great. I think they refilled my water cup like 20 times. That's how you know they are pros.
(5)
Ira S.
Good food! Jazz on radio a bit too frenetic at times but not enough to ask them to turn it down
(4)
Krystal W.
This was a fun little place. We decided to eat here for one very simple reason, there was parking right down the street. But I was very happy to find that we had made a good choice! The meal was delicious! I highly recommend the Spicy Basil Chicken! I couldn't stop eating it and I completely cleaned my plate. I also recommend the Jasmin tea. The tea was particularly good, come to find out they mix the Jasmin with some Thai Tea and it gives it a yummy almost vanilla flavor. For appetizers I recommend the curry puffs and fresh spring rolls. For those of you who like vegetarian spring rolls, try these with a small hint of mango! mmmm I would definitely come here again.
(4)
Karen W.
My friends and I went there on 8/9 and ordered the butternut squash salmon, classic pad thai and ultimate pad thai and all were very good. Ambience was very nice and I looked that the place was right on the corner and easy to find. Parking is not that great but there's a parking lot for $2 per hour a few steps away.
(4)
Natalie W.
had a night out with friends to a show at the Rep. we were seated quickly as we arrived before the dinner rush hour began. we decided to treat this as family style as plates were set on the table and we weren't sure if that was the expectation. Pros: pumpkin curry eggplant dish peanut curry indian curry samosa (or something like that in the app list) thai iced tea - on the sweet side but was good. they served it in a small mason jar so it was actually a good size for the sweetness they put the meat on the side so we could share our dishes with the vegetarian friends Cons: sweet tater fries - they were actually taro, not at all sweet potato. fried in tempura and was soggy pad thai - overly sweet and just off tasting crispy crab wonton - they were ok, not sure if the dipping sauce or the crab was very salty we were seated very quickly but then never saw the waitress again. had to call someone to our table after waiting almost half an hour. we weren't checked on again for the night until we called for the check. while service was lacking, i give the place 3 stars as some of the dishes were tasty and i'd get them again if i am in the area again. it's located across the street from the rep so the location is ideal. i saw smaller groups get faster service than we did so if you go, expect slower service in a large group.
(3)
Liz S.
I almost wish I hadn't started writing this review because now I'm desperately craving the Pad See Ew. I've never had Pad See Ew that I enjoyed more. The flavor is so fresh; the egg in particular tastes like it just fell out of a chicken. The brocolli is also crunchy and fresh, and the noodles are mouthwatering. Unfortunately, I can't vouch for anything else the restaurant serves because I've never been able to order anything else.... but why would you want to??
(5)
Sarah Evan C.
I had a great meal here with friends and this is the sort of place I'd like to return to try different dishes - their menu has a lot to offer!
(4)
Chaney K.
Food is excellent, but during peak times it is so loud that talking is nearly impossible. Check it out when it's not too busy.
(3)
Laci S.
We've only tried this place once, but we liked it good enough. There are so many Thai places around here, but I think Gecko Gecko sets itself apart because its clean, and modern decor. The pumpkin dishes are excellent! We will be coming back for sure!
(4)
Gal S.
I came here with a friend and really enjoyed the place. Can get a little crowded but the service was really efficient and the food was great. Will definitely come back...
(4)
Jose O.
This place is definitely a little more pricey than a lot of the other Thai places I've been to. If you were twisting my arm, I'd say that food is not bad. Nothing has jumped out at me when I've gone here. Had the Tom Yum soup, which is always a staple of mine and it was decent. I'm not a Thai expert so I'm not sure what is meant by Thai California fusion. I think it means they dress up the food more? Anyways, I've seen this place get crazy busy some nights so plan accordingly. Oh, and try the peanut curry.. it's pretty good.
(3)
Jasmine H.
Went for lunch. For the price, I was expecting more food or tastier food, so I found it a little over-priced. Split the green apple salad and the basil eggplant with tofu. The salad was very tasty, but had a lot of sauce. Would not have been filling enough as an entree, but too big/pricey for a side. It was great for splitting though! The eggplant tofu was tasty, but again there was a lot of sauce and it was somewhat oily. The side salad was essentially just coleslaw. If I went again, I'd try another salad (the mango salad looked good!) or maybe one of the pad thais.
(3)
Rich H.
Summary based on 1 lunch: --innovative fusion cuisine; don't expect most Thai classics --attractive food presentation --has both brown and sticky rice in addition to standard jasmine --American broccoli instead of kana if that's an indicator --ok prices --friendly service, kitchen a little slow --usual downtown Berkeley parking issues --no wifi & AT&T service worse than usual
(3)
Corinne C.
My office orders lunch to-go from here every once in a while. Don't come here expecting regular thai food -- it's thai/california fusion, so as long as you don't come looking for "authenticity," you shouldn't be disappointed. Every time we eat here, the food is always very fresh-tasting. Highlights: * Sweet potato fries: they're thick-cut fries in a crispy batter. Tasty and quite filling, so good for sharing. The batter and sweet chili dipping sauce complements the sweet potato well. * Mango duck rolls, smoked salmon rolls: lots of fresh veggies stuffed in the rolls. Most notably, they use a much thicker rice paper to wrap the rolls, so that the rolls never fall apart mid-bite. That has never happened to me before with other rolls. I like it! * Duck & avocado salad: all the flavors meld together well. The duck is not very fatty, so it can be a bit on the dry side, but the dressing moistens everything and goes well with the duck. * Yellow curry: I've never had it, but my coworkers rave about it. My vegan coworker says it's the best yellow curry around. I haven't tried any of their other meat, but the duck tends to be on the dry side because they apparently use the skinniest ducks in the world. Actually, it's probably because they use mostly meat and very little of the fat/skin. This can be a plus or minus depending on personal taste.
(4)
Jen I.
i found myself here with the Palmer on a quiet rainy saturday afternoon for lunch. the restaurant is clean, simple and quite nice. the wait staff was courteous and the food was decent. i had the pad see ew which they called something else on their menu but it was pretty much your standard fat rice noodle in dark soy with broccoli and tofu. Palmer got the country pad thai and she noted it was just ok. i don't know if our dishes were lunch portions but they came with cabbage slaw type salad that i didn't eat since the dressing looked mayo or dairy based. all in all, not bad. not exciting or life changing but not bad.
(3)
Eileen Z.
Setting: Nice and classy interior. Typical Customers: We were pretty much the only Asians eating there on a Saturday night. Service: can't complain. They were nice Price: Near the higher end...but overall not too bad considering the location. Food: no kidding about American/California Fusion but I knew that before eating here so no surprise there. I wasn't hungry so I ordered the satay chicken appetizer and thai iced tea. Love the thai iced tea and the satay chicken was pretty filling- it can be it's own meal... We also shared fried tofu which I think was pretty good! I would definitely like to try something else the next time here.
(4)
Roseann M.
Yummy food, nice people, quick service. Pumpkin curry is my favorite, with tofu (you can get chicken or shrimp too). Close to Berkeley City College, Berkeley Rep and Freight & Salvage so it's great for a quick inexpensive meal. Try the brown rice, and thai hot tea. YUM!
(5)
James K.
I see that i'm in the minority with a lowly 2 star rating but let me explain. First off, i'm not from this area, so it's not like i'll be coming back here anyways but it's a good heads up for others who may eat here First off, the service is what really irked me. I initially asked to be seated at a bigger table (me and my fiancee) but they said that those tables were for parties of 3 or more. Fair enough. We ordered pineapple fried rice with prawns (extra 2 dollar charge), chicken white noodles aka pad see yu, and a grilled flank steak. When the dishes arrived, there was absolutely no room to put all the food. The square sized dishes they serve their entrees on are way too big, at least for a small table. Picture 3 entrees we ordered along with two individual plates to serve our food on. That's 5 plates stacked onto one small sized table. A few of the entrees were literally halfway off the table! I asked if we could simply place our dishes on the vacant table to our left and the lady said they could not b/c once again, there was a reservation at that table and that it was a busy time. It wasn't really busy fyi. What irks me more is that, that table to our left was vacant the entire time we dined. Even if someone would have showed up, all they would have to do is remove the dishes from that table and probably place it on our table but they refused. I was a little annoyed, ate, paid the bill, stiffed them on a bill and left. Also when asking how the flank steak was prepared, I got a simple, "I don't know" from the waitress. Uhh okay? Do you even work here? I was wondering if it was medium, well done or whatever. She looked at me like I was ghost. The food itself was bland. It tasted okay but just on the bland side overall. I will never recommend this place to anyone. If you are with only 2 people and order family style, just be prepared to stack all the dishes onto your crowded table even though there are plenty of other tables that could be used. If you ask why, they'll simply say, "well it's b/c it's busy time now". And when you look around the restaurant, you'll notice multiple empty tables....Sigh...I can't deal with people who lack intelligence.
(2)
Katy O.
Came here because I got a really good deal on a restaurant.com coupon. It was pretty busy for a Sunday night. It's priced a little higher than I'd normally be willing to pay for Thai food considering there are some really great Thai places more reasonably priced around Berkeley, but with the coupon it was a steal. The ambiance and decor is nicer and more contemporary than what I was used to as a Berkeley student, a nice place of respite. The food was decent but factoring in the price of what I would have paid without the coupon, I can't give this place more than 3 stars. The portions aren't that big to begin with. The theme is Thai fusion, not what you would get at a more traditional Thai restaurant. We tried the pumpkin curry -- it was more odd than it was tasty. In addition we got a satay and pad thai, neither of which were particularly memorable or flavorful. I think we ordered one more dish but, again, I guess it wasn't memorable enough to stick with me. Service was adequate, they were understandably overwhelmed by the crowd. They have discounts for students and faculty for Berkeley and for the surrounding high school I think, and they let us take the discount even with the coupon, which was pretty nice of them. I don't think I'd come back though unless I was able to get another outrageous discount somehow.
(3)
Elizabeth S.
Initially, I walked in here for a Thai ice tea on my way to Berkeley City College for the Spring Arts Celebration on Friday. It smelled so good in there and I returned for lunch. Their spring rolls with prawns or tofu were pretty good and the coconut lemon grass soup. I also ordered a cucumber salad which was pretty disappointing. It was excessively sweet and had no other flavors to it. I ordered basil eggplant with duck and rice. It had absolutely no spice like most Thai food does. -so I added my own... No big deal, but maybe they will catch on if they stay open longer. My greatest disappointment was with the service and what I saw during my meal. My mom and I were the only ones there and they took about 45 minutes to serve 2 entrees. She ordered peanut sauce chicken. After our food was served the two waiters were leaning against the front kiosk talking to one of the cooks or chef. I glanced up at one point to look over there and one of them was digging in his nose. -unbelievable... Mediocre food is one thing but seeing the people that serve your food picking their nose in your presence is just disgusting.
(2)
Jennie C.
The people here are so nice! Especially when you get take-out, they package everything so nicely! Ah, I like the people who work here. I feel bad because the location is very hidden - not many people know the place exists. The specials are a good value. At times, I felt that the curry was a little too flavorful. I know some people like it that way though. For some reason I really like their Pad See Ew. It's very fresh and healthy tasting. Try this place out for a healthier Thai food experience.
(4)
Marco M.
I had lunch here and had a very difficult time deciding what to get because so many items sounded wonderful. I finally settled on the small spicy/sour soup with chicken and the combo of chicken sate over curry fried rice with cucumber salad. The atmosphere was very pleasant with lots of window seats and ample room between tables and comfortable chairs. They also had real art on the walls which was nice. The soup came first and was piping hot. the broth was delicious but the boneless breast meat was overcooked and tough so I didn't eat most of it. When the waitress took the dish she noticed and mentioned that I could get vegetarian next time - I told her what the issue was and she said that she would tell the kitchen. The sate was tasty if a tiny bit dry - it could have used some dipping sauce. The cucumber salad was a teeny portion but was good. The rice was delicious but I need to get a curry colored wardrobe so I stop have beautiful yellow blotches on all of my shirts... There was also a portion of a refreshing lettuce cabbage salad. I ordered green tea and it came it a cute pot with a nice ceramic mug and saucer. The food was a solid 4 with potential for 5 stars with minor changes. It is a nice place to be - good atmosphere and lighting and decent service. The food leaned toward the more expensive side but it seemed within range. I definitely will be back.
(4)
Shin J.
This place has a fine atmosphere. It has a very vibrant decor with small cute plants. The service was decent and the food was okay-ish. I ordered the ultimate pad thai and my friend the entree lunch special with peanut chicken and sweet potato fries. The pad thai came with feta cheese... which was quite weird. Overall it was okay :)
(3)
Jenny W.
This place is probably one of my favorite restaurants in the East Bay, at least for thai, though it is thai-californian style so expect something slightly different. My favorite thing here is the virgin pad thai, made with olive oil, though they also do a classic pad thai and an "enlightened" pad thai with lots of extra veggies and feta cheese. I love pad thai so much and find it varies so much from place to place and Gecko Gecko really nails it; light, not too runny, perfect sized noodles. Also, all the produce seems super fresh! The service is very polite and attentive. The walls change featuring different artists and there are always fresh flowers. all of the starters are good, especially the corn fritters and the fresh spring rolls. The curry here is not my favorite because they don't offer a spicy red but do have a pretty good red with pumpkin. The green curry is good but again lacking the heat that I love. The asian eggplant and salmon dish is perfect and has a bit of fire. The salads are tasty especially the papaya. I was excited to see choo chee on the specials menu at one point, good but not the best I've had and a little heavy on the green beans. It is possibly a couple dollars more expensive than other thai restaurants around but well worth it, and they have a very nice presentation to all of their dishes. If you come with a group, family style is a fun idea so everyone can try a variety of dishes.
(5)
Doug V.
This place is definitely good for those looking for a bit more of a health-conscious meal (and portions). I just went for the first time and was really impressed. What I'm not impressed by is the name, sounds stupid to me, "Gecko Gecko?", but whatever. I mean, one Gecko is enough. ;) I ordered their pad see-ew which they call on the menu something like "wide rice noodle something or another". It's pretty well spot on your standard pad see-ew. Nice sauce that was well cooked into the noodles, cabbage, broccoli, and carrots along with the egg. The noodles were just slightly overcooked it seems, but I have a feeling that may have happened while the cook was waiting for the salmon to finish. Yep, for $3 extra, you can get salmon instead of chicken, tofu, etc. I figured low quality salmon chunks mixed in. Instead, to my utter delight, was a perfectly cooked, marinated sizeable filet of salmon sitting on the top of the dish. OMG. It was so good. I tend to not order salmon at thai places as they seem to always overcook it. And secondly, it's usually really crappy salmon. This was some of the best salmon I've had and a fair amount of it! For $3!! That was the highlight. The pad see-ew was definitely tasty. Portions are also health conscious. I definitely could have used a tad more yummy noodles, but was pretty well perfectly full enough by the last bite. The decor is nice, the place is cute. Slightly upscale interior without being pretentious at all. Nice wait staff. Nice place for a date even. Some of the tables are crammed a bit close. When the table next to me sat down, the woman's jacket sleeves almost hit me as she took off her coat. A tad too close, but not too bad.
(5)
Angie M.
While at work, I got a sudden craving for all things thai so I got a friend to agree to go with me to lunch at our "go to quick serve" thai spot. For some reason, I wanted something different so I searched yelp and Gecko Gecko appeared. Its close and seemed like they had enough room to accommadate, so we went there. On yelp, there was a picture of spicy thai basil chicken, so of course I had to order that (with the fried egg). The food was pretty good and a cheap price, service was great, our hostess was super nice and attentive. The mango-nata SO yummy and refreshing, gotta try it if you go. The food had a slight hint of spice, but not too much an average person couldn't handle. Everything tasted really fresh and the atmosphere was super relaxing and chill. Definitely not a must have every week, but I wouldn't mind visiting again to try something new since their menu is pretty diverse.
(4)
Faith A.
Walked in 7pm Friday the weekend of the Berkeley Music Fest, Oakland Art & Soul, and Chinatown Fest - not a soul inside. I found that worrisome but our guests, who are elderly and can't hear well, were delighted. California Fusion Thai, not authentic, down to the serving style (forks only, individual plates, no nam pla prik and other sauces on table). Lovely service; the whole place seems to be run by sweet kids. -Curry good but sweet -Pattaya Firecracker Chicken sickly sweet and no veggies -Lovely presentation of Jammin' Salmon -Have to order rice a la carte; brown rice is actually red/black and very good. Perfect compromise for a vegetarian, pescetarian, and 2 omnivores.
(3)
Brian F.
Best thai food I've ever had. Some of appetizers like the sweet potato fries weren't traditional thai food but they were fantastic nonetheless. The country pad thai and the fried catfish were phenomenal.
(5)
Dora L.
I came here prior to a concert at the Greek Theater and figured a four star rated restaurant would be a safe bet. To be honest I'm a bit surprised it's rated so highly. I was hoping for a meal full of spicy/sour/sweet/salty flavors as Thai food is known for. Ordered the tom yum soup (which is called something generic like hot and sour soup), pad thai and green curry. Everything was ok, but flavors were a bit lacking, the chicken in the curry and pad thai were really dry, some vegetables were tough, and the rice was mushy and did not taste like aromatic Thai jasmine rice. The green curry sauce was flavorful but hardly spicy. I also had a lychee saketini which tasted strange (and I have had my fair share of lychee drinks)! They call themselves "california thai" so I think they steered away from some of the authenticity of thai food in my opinion. Overall, my expectations were higher for this place because of the rating and for the prices.
(3)
David K.
Stopped in here for dinner before a show at Freight and Salvage and was very pleased. We were a bit pressed for time and were happy that they seated us promptly and the server was with us immediately. My friends had the Thai BBQ chicken, my mother had Pad Thai, and I tried the Angel Hair Pasta with squid, mussels, and shrimp. Our meals were served hot and appetizing within 10 minutes, and everyone enjoyed their dishes. My pasta was al dente with a chile, basil, and garlic sauce, with perfect mussels, shrimp, and squid. The bill was very reasonable and they got us in and out in about 30 minutes, just in time for the theater doors to open upon a great show. I don't get to Berkeley often, but I will definitely go back here when I am in the area.
(5)
Howard B.
Truly good Thai food. Ambiance is lacking, but who cares when the taste buds are being tantalized. The avocado salad was amazing! Very well prepared tofu.
(4)
Dee D.
A friend and I decided to check out Berkeley and looked for a Thai spot near the BART station. Yelped Gecko Gecko two blocks away and it seemed like a perfect time to check it out. Walking into the space and we were seated promptly. We were greeted and accomodated with an enthusiastic smile. Granted we were there around 5:30pm on a Saturday afternoon, but there were already a few tables just starting to order. The decor of the place is fairly contemporary. Nothing really stuck out to me, but clean, comfortable and looks fairly popular. The service is very friendly and attentive. That alone made me enjoy my good even more. The menu was fairly contemporary with a couple of specials. The menu did not seem very traditional, so I was curious about the flavors.I opted to go for red curry with asian pumpkin and chicken with brown rice. The curry was very mild, but the sweetness of the pumpkin and the spices of the curry made for some good eats. My friend got the spicy lamb dish with white rice. The lamb dish was not that spicy, but a heaping helping of dried pepper did the trick. The food was good. Not great, but good. They also offer an option to make any of the dishes vegetarian. In my opinion, options are always good. Although I prefer more traditional Thai dishes and flavors, I'll certainly come back here for their contemporary twist on things.
(4)
Lora C.
GREAT FOOD! That said, they do have a bit of a problem with their wait staff getting to the table in less that 10 minutes, and with the timing of food coming out of the kitchen. It takes quite a while for the drinks to get to you, then a while more to have your order taken, then the food comes out in bits and drabs so that one person's order is cold before that last person has their order. But, the food is so good, that we put up with the wonky, quirky service and keep going back. It's become our 'go to' place before Sunday matinees at Berkeley Rep.
(4)
Erica P.
Creative dishes but catfish was fishy and service average. For "ca" Thai prefer soi 4 on college ave
(3)
Bill S.
This is the best Thai Restaurant that we have been to in a long time. Not your typical Thai Restaurant. We arrived right after they opened at 4:30. The food is not heavy, and you can tell all of the ingredients are very bright and fresh! When we ate at GECKO we were the first in the restaurant. You can tell they take care in making the food and the presentation. If it takes a little longer to prepare this is a small price to pay, Our food came quickly, but we were the first in the restaurant. The staff is friendly, and the atmosphere is modern and clean. The fresh spring rolls with prawns which my son had were outstanding. Similar to a fresh lumpia that my wife's mother would make, yum! My wife had the country pad thai with shrimp and it was light and extremely flavorful, she said it was some of the best pad thai she has had. My other son ordered a curry dish. Now I am not a fan of curry flavored dishes, but the sauce on this dish was very good. There is a lot of sauce almost like a Philipino peanut butter stew. My youngest son ordered Garlic Saute. I thought the chicken and the sauce was very good, I may not have liked the sweet potato that was in the dish. I saved the best for last. The classic Green Papaya salad is the best salad I have had in a while. It is spicy, so if you don't want it spicy maybe you can ask for it less hot. I thought it was perfect. We will be going back soon. Maybe not the easiest location to find, but worth the hunt. The dishes we ordered ranged from $7.50 to $8.95. The presentation and cleanliness make it a good restuarant to take a date, or just enjoy great food.
(5)
D S.
The contemporary restaurant in the corner of Milvia and Addison. It about s block away from BART, and half a block from the theaters. It is not that big, it was about 45% full on a Thursday evening; We were a party of 8 among others having dinner before a show. The service was prompt and food was no doubt delicious! Started out with fresh spring rolls, moved to pumpkin curry, Thai curry, grilled salmon and eggplant, and a couple other specials. We ordered with jasmine rice, even though they had options if brown rice, and sticky rice. Though one of our orders, vegetarian pad Thai arrived with shrimp, a tofu vegetarian pad Thai was delivered also promptly to correct the order. Everything on the menu was reasonably priced to top it all. I recommend this place to try. I know I will be back.
(4)
Caitlin J.
Bomb ass duck rolls! Clean, cool ambiance, kind & generous service - everything was perfection! Try the basil eggplant. They'll refill your water everytime you take a sip
(5)
La C.
Thanks to restaurantdotcom for finding this place. Very cute and quaint on a lonely corner on Milvia St. We were a party of five looking for good eats and good times and GG delivered. We were seated in the back in a nice big table with some nice big chairs. We went a bit crazy and ordered: ~Fresh spring roll with prawns ~Spicy and sour soup with tofu ~Mango salad ~Basil chicken ~Seafood Pad Thai ~Pineapple Fried Rice ~A bottle of wine ~Fresh coconut ~Mangos with sweet rice ~Coconut ice cream *I think a couple more items but don't remember right now... Can you say Thai food overload! It was all very good although the portions were a bit on the small side. We pretty much finished it all and had a little to take home. The standouts for me were the Mango salad and Soup, unbelievably awesome, the perfect combinations of sweet/sour/spice. They have 3 levels of spicy and we went with the medium which was pretty hot but I loved it. I highly recommend buying the gift certificate from the website mentioned above and you can save lots and lots of $. The service was also good, courteous and eager to please. Definitely will be back soon.
(4)
Yushan K.
Went here during the last heat wave. Quite unfortunately the AC was not on, so it felt like I was IN Thailand...hot and muggy. All the food was delicious - we ordered about 4 dishes based on other yelpers' reviews and they were all good. The feta cheese that come with one of the dishes didn't get touched, though. An odd addition. Get the restaurant.com gift certificate - makes it a good deal.
(3)
Edi B.
Two-faced Gecko! Went on a Tuesday night and IDK maybe because I was sober this time it didn't seem like all that. The portions were tiny and the service was lame as hell! The basil chicken was still tasty and the pumpkin curry was good but not very hot (temperature hot). There were lots of fruit flies too. Maybe I'll try again but after I had bragged it up to the family I feel double-crossed!
(2)
H W.
Wonderful range of choice on menu, including starters... Very fair pricing, including entrees. Rice is extra, but still overall good value. Attentive and friendly service. Be aware: The one-star (*) "moderately spicy" Salmon with Coconut-Curry Sauce is a bit more than "mild". Perhaps ask for a taste of the sauce before ordering. I loved it, but it was spicier than expected since they rate spiciness with one, two, and three stars and this was the mildest. All ingredients seemed very fresh in all of the dishes that we ordered. Only complaint: on a busy Friday night, the noise level from diners was significant. Lovely spot. Recommended.
(4)
Louis O.
service was great but the food was nowhere near authentic...if you are looking for good, authentic thai food, please go somewhere else...if you are busy and are give only 1hr lunch break, this place is not a bad option.
(3)
rosie m.
Food was pretty darn good -- not quite authentic, but very nice flavors. Enjoyed a dinner of pumpkin curry and mango fried rice. A larger portion would have made it even better -- but, I really shouldn't make such a pig of myself. I just love Thai food so much! I think it's the closest restaurant to Berkeley Rep, so that's a huge advantage. I'm sure I'll go back next time I'm seeing a show at the Rep!
(4)
Delilah B.
I had dinner here recently, and it was delicious. I ordered the Pumpkin Red Curry w/ Tofu, and rice. They dont serve alcohol, so the bill came to a grand total of less than $10.00. The staff were so attentive and sweet and the food was great. The decor is minimalistic yet elegant, with local art displayed on the walls. They close at 9 -- early! But if you can get there, it's worth it.
(4)
Angela S.
I love this place..my office is basically around the corner and I would say I've become a regular......first off the staff is amazing. They're sooooooo NICE! Always courteous especially the guy in the glasses..(I really should get his name)....the food is spot on good..my favorite favorite dish is the basil eggplant with chicken...it's sooo delicious I would say I'm pretty addicted to it...some other dishes to try..chicken larb, coconut milk soup and spicy basil chicken. Make it extra spicy..if you're able to handle the heat..
(5)
Alan W.
Had dinner there tonight with a large group of friends. The service was good, food and atmosphere were good, although it was sometimes hard to hear people more than one seat away. I had the Thai peanut sauce entree, "very spicy" (two spicy stars). One of the others ordered something "Thai (super) spicy" (three spicy stars). We both felt our dishes were one star less spicy than expected; mine was hardly spicy at all. I had Thai iced tea, also good. Out-the-door cost under $18. I would go there again, but I wouldn't go out of my way.
(3)
Anna S.
I like the freshness of the food. I also like the price, I go about my days mostly vegetarian, so I like the array they have to offer. Chicken, salmon, eggplant,salads they're all tasty dishes! The staff seem to be enlightened as if they know they're food rocks and they're just all super friendly people. Hope they stick around.
(5)
Danny T.
This place has pretty good food for a Thai place. Most Thai places I have been at has pretty generic food. I ordered the salmon specialty dish. For example, the peanut / coconut sauce they had on their plate had yogurt. It might not be much, but I taste a slight twinge of creamy flavor I had never tasted before at other places. My companions ordered taro and a duck spring roll. I had a sampling of the duck spring roll, and still pretty good. On every plate, they tried to decorate their foods to look fancy. I appreciate the effort, and I can see it looks pretty nice. The food laid out on the plate are generally at a B+ level, set out looking quite appetizing. They did the decorations on the friend banana/ vanilla ice cream the best (perfect crunchiness and decorations may I add). Thai tea, a common drink where most places overcharge for, is pretty reasonable here. So are the other add-ons. Overall, prices are moderate to moderate high for what you get. I will be back in the future if I am in the area.
(4)
Kira S.
I recently had dinner here with a party of nine (we had reservations) and this was my experience: Pros: - Convenient location - Clean design - Interesting menu Cons: - Servers were rude - Delivery of food spanned 45+ minutes from when the first person was served to the last, plus none of the servers apologized for or even acknowledged the delay - The food was over priced - the curry doesn't come with rice (that's extra), $5 worth of salmon in the curry equates to three small bites, the taste of the food was just ok (I've had a lot better) I'm a big fan of Thai food and was excited to try this place. But after this experience I will not be back.
(2)
Helen T.
(Darn! Wish I knew about the Restaurant.com coupon!!!) Really, their food is 3 stars. Portions were a bit small (as expected), individual rice servings waaaay too small for our group (we're asian!), and definitely skip the Pad Thai (resist it!). Though, I did like the pumpkin curry and Pattaya Firecracker Chicken. This is Thai-CALIFORNIAN restaurant so don't expect anything too authentic. Ah, I was pretty torn between 3 or 4 stars. Food wise, this is a dead 3 stars. But, with the Restaurant.com coupon, I think it would definitely be worth it (an extra dish or appetizer for free!). Our server was really attentive... perhaps because there was only 3 other parties there. Our water was constantly refilled and he gave us a really large rice serving when he noticed we kept on wanting more. It's the little things that count for me so I totally bumped it up. Again, don't come here to be wowed but a pretty decent typical restaurant for lunch/dinner.
(4)
Shirley A.
Spring rolls with salmon and avocado were healthy and yummy. Pumpkin red curry over some brown rice had the perfect bite and the pumpkin was exactly the right texture. Apple saki is sweet but a good accompaniment. Could not resist coconut ice cream. Lovely presentation. Prices are moderate enough that we can go back often. And it is a well designed space visually. Also liked it that they sat tables with space in between each party - made it feel more intimate.
(4)
Gregory G.
Papaya salad is awesome. The pumpkin curry was thick and bland, the chicken overcooked. The firecracker chicken also had the same overcooking problem. I came here for the salad and tried the others which dragged it down.
(3)
C L.
Ultimate Seafood Pad Thai, $14: 0 stars Awful in so many ways: -tiny cube of Salmon: bland, slightly over cooked, but the most decent piece of seafood that came with the dish -squid: luckily there were just two tiny pieces, and the taste was off- slightly powdery, dull in flavor, chewy in the wrong ways ... -mussels: looked dry and stale at presentation... and reminded me of the frozen pre-cooked ones my roommate buys from Ranch 99. I outright refused those, and had the bf eat those. *so far Thai Noodle has my most fav pad thai to date* Sweet corn and taro fritters, $7.50: 3 stars (4 pieces) Overly greasy, and the random beans and dried out corn in the fritters were a little awkward. Taste was really good, taro fluffy and soft, served fresh and hot. Pumpkin red curry, $9: 4 stars Red curry had the right amount of spicyness, yummy (although few) veggies, Asian pumpkin that reminded me of sweet potato, bell pepper. This was my definite favorite of the night, but minus stars for including the nasty inedible STALK of the pumpkin in the curry! Pattaya fire cracker chicken, $9.25: 3 stars Thinly cut chicken in what was supposed to be spicy sweet chilli garlic sauce (but basically light soy sauce, with lots of fish sauce, + chilli flakes), very FEW asparagus (like 1 stalk cut into very small pieces), and random bits of spinach sprinkled around. I liked the taste! But saddened by the limited quantities of asparagus. Had to ration those with the dinner mate. Sticky rice, $2: 0 stars So MEASLEY. I ordered one serving thinking it would at least come in a rice bowl, instead it came wrapped in a piece of foil and was less than 0.5 cups worth! Ridiculous. (Sorry, I'm big on Chinese food where rice is how it should be, PLENTY). The sticky rice was more HARD than sticky since it was old, although it was at least hot. Super sad bears! Overall: Won't be coming here again, although nice to have tried. Luckily 2/3 were decent so not bad, but the pad thai was just sOOOOOO upsetting! If you're used to fresh, great quality seafood, I would try and avoiding such ingredients here and sticking with the meat. And fyi, dinner menu prices are all $1, more than lunch.
(2)
Aaron Z.
After emerging from the BART I uttered words made famous by Abraham Lincoln - "Where's the fuckin' Thai food?" I found said Thai food at Gecko Gecko. There's was no one in the restaurant, but we went anyways. I got a sweet potato curry. It was sexy, as all things sweet potato tend to be. The service was also super-fast, as, like I said, the restaurant was empty. I'll go back if I'm ever Thai-raging in Berkeley again.
(4)
alexey b.
My wife and I are big fans of this place. We've never had a dish we didn't like and the service has has always been beyond expectations and very friendly. It is not a strictly traditional Thai restaurantat all, but Thai -California cuisine kind of place (i.e. emphasis on fresh vegetables, healthy options and nice presentation). For the price I find their food to be exceptional. We particularly like the Thai fried rice (with brown rice!), the salmon with eggplant and shitake mushrooms, and the salmon rolls. If you like Thai food a little healthier than the average place, Gecko Gecko joins Neecha Thai (on Grand Avenue in Oakland) as one of the best choices in the East Bay. And they are so nice.
(5)
Nick G.
I made my visit to Gecko Gecko with a small group of people, among the entrees ordered were the Jammin' Salmon (awesome name!), geckgecko mango fried rice (sounded interesting, though it originally comes with almonds I elected to exclude mine), original Pad Thai, and the Pumpkin Red Curry. Of course we all had a bit of everything, and I have to say it was all pretty tasty. The pumpkin and curry combo sounded interesting, and actually tasted pretty good. The Pad Thai of course was excellent (a must for any decent Thai restaurant), and though the jammin' salmon and the mango fried rice were good, I probably wouldn't order them again. I eat a lot of fried rice, its kind of my thing, and this one was just average. Decent. The mango was an interesting mix, but it was fresh, and I think (and thought when I ordered it) that it would be lightly cooked into the rice which would blend the flavors and textures a bit better. The rice was also jasmine, and not sticky, which makes for less of a wonderful experience. I thought the menu had a lot of interesting combinations, making it hard to choose something because of all the good choices. The overall look of the place was nice as well as the presentation of the food. It was a nice place, the people were friendly, and though I would recommend giving it a try, it falls well short of amazing.
(3)
Nene R.
I will give them a 3 for trying to go the healthy route, but, really a 2.5. Small portions for the price. Green papaya salad was spicey! Not that I mind spicey, just was not warned about the kick to this normally not so spicey item. Soup was good but $5 for a small bowl? $7 for 2 spring rolls and the tiniest amount of peanut sauce you ever saw--made it hard to choke down the dry rolls. One scoop of rice for $1.50? A $13 salmon dish with a 4 inch piece of salmon--really? Fresh veggies were a plus, but... Inconsistant waiters--must have had four different "would you like to order now?" requests.....a little frustrating when trying to talk to your table mate. I shuld also mention you kind are on top of each other table wise...not much room to manuver, let alone have a quiet discussion when it is crowded. I think, in the area, have extra bucks to burn--go for it.....but, there are other Thai places in Berkeley.
(3)
Jessi K.
Oh snap! I did review this place before! Regardless... After going back again...repetitively at this point...I can only add that the spring rolls are the best here out of anywhere else I have ever been! I have had their fish dishes, and they quite possibly serve the BEST fish I've had. (see my review for Banana Blossom if you want to know their closest competitor in awesome fish quality and flavor). I've never been here for dinner, only lunch, and since I don't drive, I have nothing negative to say about the parking other than that it is kind of distracting to watch and hear all the idiot drivers mull about the area. Again....5 stars (I'm glad I gave it the same star review both times...rather, I'm glad they're consistent in their ability to appease the tummy goddess)
(5)
Rena F.
I've eaten here many times. Shared many dishes. The food represents more of a California Thai approach than purely traditional. Everything has been flavorful and well prepared. Vegetables that are never over cooked. Curries that are delightfully spiced. And a terrific sticky rice with mango dessert.
(5)
Carmen M.
Gecko Gecko continues to be one of my favorite places to eat in Berkeley. I've never had anything here that I didn't absolutely love. It's incredibly dangerous because I work just around the corner. The Green Curry with Eggplant is fantastic, the Peanut Curry is amazing, all three variations of Pad Thai are phenomenal, though the Country Pad Thai is my favorite. I also recently tried the Angel Hair Pasta with Shredded Chicken Curry and it was so fantastic I had to resist the urge to lick the plate. I also have shared bits and pieces of my friends' dishes, and everything I've tasted was amazing. Some of the reviewers here complain that this isn't "real Thai". Well, Gecko Gecko identifies itself as "Thai/California fusion", which explains the fantastically inventive, not-quite-standard-Thai dishes that are always executed beautifully. You can't go wrong at Gecko Gecko.
(5)
Bethany P.
I wanted to like it because everything smelled great and looked wonderful, but the wait for our food was ridiculous and ambiance nonexistent. We came before a show at Freight & Salvage and maybe should have come a little bit earlier, but come on, it's Thai food which never takes long, anywhere, so we thought it was a safe bet (parking was difficult until we realized the lot was right there). We ordered the salmon fresh spring rolls, veggie pad Thai and mango salad. The spring rolls were ok- not sure the salmon really worked well with the other flavors but at least everything was fresh. But this is where it all went wrong- from the time we got our app, it was at least 20 minutes until somebody wandered by our table and happened to seem to catch our questioning looks, and after almost just walking away, finally asked us if "everything was ok." No, it wasn't- our water was empty, our drinks were empty, and folks who had come in at about the same time were finishing up, and our meal was nowhere in sight. We asked about our 2 dishes and they said they'd check- another few minutes with no refill on drinks and when they came back, they only had one dish. I told them to just bring the check and leave the- get this- mango salad off. Mango salad? No cooking required, and that's the last thing to come out?!?! I almost felt bad for them- ALMOST- but they honestly seemed clueless about the amount of time that had elapsed. I do realize they were busy- seems that lots of folks had the same idea as us and had to skedaddle to a show, but I expect restaurants near performance venues to recognize when they might have a full house. So, not a good excuse. The pad Thai was tasty, but nothing extraordinary. Not sure I'd go back except if in a pinch.
(2)
Ian A.
Solid Thai food in a sleek atmosphere. We had the fresh rolls, papaya salad with apple, and coconut soup. The salad was a bit tasteless, but the other two were excellent. We shared the special grilled salmon pad thai, which was very good, and the mango sticky rice, which I love. With two glasses of wine, and a restaurant.com coupon (for which they make sure to include the gratuity), the total came to $42 (+$2 for the coupon). There were some nice abstract photographs on the walls. It was a bit loud when we came in, but quieted down after 7:30-8 pm as people left (probably the pre-show crowd). We'll definitely be back.
(4)
Sue U.
I came here to meet up with friends on a week night. Parking was OK because there is a garage right next door for $5. Otherwise you'd be extremely lucky to get a spot in the vicinity. Anway, the food was ok overall . Some dishes were excellent and others were not so great - I loved their brown rice though~ I'd say the service was a little under par but that could have just been an off night. As our meal got under way, we all had a nice time anyway. Bottom line - I'd probably go there again and give it another try because some of the dishes were pretty tasty; however, there are a lot of Thai restaurants in Berkeley so I feel for this place because of the stiff competitioin.
(3)
Claire K.
This used to be a good restaurant, and we always looked forward to having dinner there before the theatre. But last night we discovered it has changed. The hot appetizer was cold--try eating cold deep-fried tasteless "crab dumplings"! The dishes were uniformly tasteless -- they take "mild curry" to mean no curry; the shrimp tasted as if recently defrosted. All in all, the four of us were deeply disappointed. We'll find another pre-theater restaurant.
(1)
Eleanor F.
The word "slop" comes to mind as I think about lunch. OK, I should have known better than to order sweet and sour anything, but salmon was the choice, and although it was cooked perfectly, it was the thinnest piece of salmon I have ever been served. The sauce was as bad as I've ever had, and $12.95 at lunch for that?? We started with a shrimp and mango salad .. three overcooked shrimp of a decent size on some lettuce with maybe one walnut in total scattered around, and a small portion of mango. $7.95, and not very tasty. (Maybe the rent is so high they have to charge a lot, relatively speaking?) Speaking of which, several restaurants have been located in this same space over the last few years, so maybe there's something else going on to thwart success .. Linda P. (another reviewer) got food poisoning and no apology, or compensation? Wrong!!! That's a reason to pay with a credit card, because if there is one good reason to use a credit card, it's that they help you dispute a charge. A restaurant may be forgiven for unwittingly serving bad food, but a good restaurant of any size should offer reimbursement or a coupon for someone who gets tainted food, in case the person is feeling lucky enough to want to go back! There are too many fabulous places in Berkeley to eat to bother with mediocre food, and even the "cheap eats" are usually good. I clearly didn't order well, and accept responsibility for that. Given the plethora of alternatives, I won't be going back for awhile. If I go back, it's only because of Yelp reviewers who have seen another side to this place.
(2)
Angie C.
Inventive menu, fresh food, and nice staff.
(5)
The H.
DELICIOUS! The best Thai food! Creative and inventive. Reasonably priced. Friendly service. I can't complain, I loved this place and will be back soon. People are seriously questioning it's authenticity? It's a Thai fusion restaurant. If you're looking for your run-of-the-mill thai food restaurant with all the classics, don't go here.
(5)
Lum P.
I tried the Enlightened Pad Thai. Interesting. I never would have thought feta cheese could complement pad thai so well. The salty, sour cheese provided a foil for the sweet, spicy noodles, veggies and 4 types of meat. They're generous with the fresh veggies - and they know "veggies" doesn't just mean iceberg lettuce. I've also tried the sweet potato yellow curry (sweet potato made a good salve for my chili-seared tongue), salmon with eggplant (fish cooked with just the right amount of crisp), mango with sticky rice (they usually pick ripe mangos) and the apple & jicama salad (heaping portions!). The presentation is artful. Somebody in the kitchen knows a thing or two about composition and color. While Cha-am is the best classic Thai restaurant in Berkeley, Gecko Gecko is the best place for unconventional Thai (alternative Thai? fusion Thai? Californian Thai?). Caveats: Service is sometimes slow. The chicken was too dry once. Quality has been inconsistent lately. Perhaps the original chef skipped town for the dry season of Thailand (January-March) to escape the rainy season of Berkeley. I'd stick with the seafood dishes until he or she comes back. I hope this place lasts, but good restaurants outside the Gourmet Ghetto rarely do. Students are either too poor or too tasteless to support such establishments. They just want their damn Fat Slice pizza (worst pizza ever - it's bad even for California!).
(4)
Alyssa C.
Everything I ordered here was delicious! Curry Puffs, Salmon Roll, Coconut Soup, Country Pad Thai, Sticky Rice, and Garlic Chicken Saute (I think that's what it's called). Came w/ one other person. The service was good. However when the servers asked if we wanted to order even more food and we politely said no, they kinda got silently pissed off. I mean come on 6 dishes were already plenty of food for 2 people. Other than that we had a good experience and I'd come back. They take restaurant.com gift certificates so don't forget to bring one.
(4)
Marie K.
Once again, my fear of American Thai food is found unfounded. I generally avoid all Thai food, except in Thailand, but was attending a play at the Aurora Theater with a new friend who suggested this place. Ready to face another disappointing meal, I dutifully showed up last night and was more than pleasantly surprised. I had the "jammin' salmon" - something one would not generally see on Thai menu - and it was excellent. It was beautifully plated and had plenty of lightly cooked veggies, spinach, asparagus and broccoli ,with a spicy green curry sauce that, thankfully, lacked the cloying sweetness of many stateside Thai sauces. The salmon was not over-cooked and I liked the initial crunch on the outside with a melting interior. The whole entree came together in a most satisfying way. I ate every bite. I think the key is when Thai food uses local ingredients and vegetables and doesn't pretend to be "authentic" but allows the Thai flavors to highlight and complement what is available here. I got to practice my Thia speaking with our waiter and was pleased he at least pretended he could make out what I was saying so enjoyed the banter and attentive service.
Wow! I've been meaning to eat here since it opened and finally got the chance tonight! Cashew Ginger Saute with Prawns was out of this world. Light and fresh and chock full of julienned ginger, red peppers, onion and mushroom. Bonus is they have brown rice as an option. Gingery goodness. My friend had the peanut curry which was also out of this world. Beautiful ambiance and terrific service. Not very busy tonight which I hope was an exception, I want to see this business succeed, but of course I don't want a crowd when I want to go there. mmmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmm
(5)
Coles H.
Great little place for lunch before a matinee at Zellerbach. Good Thai food with generous proportions.
(3)
Andrew K.
Pumpkin red curry with prawns, little side salad, and rice was addictively yummy -- big basil leaves, sweet and savory sauce. The place is modern, clean and pleasant, service friendly and unobtrusive. I want more pumpkin curry right this second.
(5)
George M.
Stopped here before a show at Freight&Salvage the other night. Food was excellent. Kudos to them for that. However, the ambience left a lot to be desired. I assume, because it's good, that there are more tables shoved into a small space than necessary, but that crowded feeling was pretty strong, as was the noise level. Not from piped in music, but because there are far too many tables for that small space. Guess I have to acept the bad with the good.
(4)
Daniel S.
Had the "country pad thai," which was supposed to be more flavorful than the 2 other versions on the menu. Sadly, it was bland and one-note. The noodles were overcooked, and with too little oil used in their preparation, they had mostly stuck together. The eggs, shrimp, and fried tofu did not integrate well into the flying noodle monster. My friend had grilled salmon, which was perfectly cooked... but there was no additional flavor to it! We had to ask for fish sauce, and they don't keep any bottles anywhere. I know they're Thai, but something is broken here. Maybe out of fairness I'll give it another try, but I can't say I'd be excited to do so. Nice decor, though.
(2)
Jessica G.
Their food is so fresh and has so many flavors, you really can't go wrong with anything you order here. We've ordered almost all the dishes since we eat here several times a month, but mostly the seafood. The fish is always excellent. I particularly love the salmon steamed in a banana leaf with green curry -- and it comes with fresh veggies. Their brown rice is purple, it's super good! Prices are reasonable, especially for lunch and for the amount of fresh food you get. Specials always special. Great for take out or to eat there, simple and clean. Note: their beer/wine liqueur license is yet to come -- that will be the final touch on an ideal meal.
(5)
Aaron K.
Fantastic service and amazing food!!! Try the Thai Peanut Sauce, it's incredible! We live in SF, but make trips to Berkeley JUST to eat at Gecko Gecko.
(5)
Deena L.
We enjoyed a birthday dinner at Gecko Gecko. The service was wonderful, friendly & attentive. I really liked the generous fresh rolls. Their papaya salad was very fresh & full of extra ingredients including hicama & apple. Next time I would ask for more spice/ hot in one of the dishes for variety. By the way, you can tell that the food is prepared with minimal oil & very fresh because the left overs the next day were still delicious & lean. Thank you for locating close to the Berkeley theater district & being affordable with excellent quality. We hope you enjoy great success & stay in this new location.
(5)
Roxanne G.
Really interesting twist on Thai food. They blend traditional Thai flavors with some influences from California cuisine. I really enjoy their Ultimate Pad Thai served with a side of feta cheese. At first I was skeptical but then tried the noodles and cheese together and ended up loving it! My favorite curry is their Massaman, Indian style curry. It's perfect for dinner before a show at the Berkeley Rep or Aurora Theater. Enjoy!
(4)
Angelface O.
Who wants a real-time review of my first experience with Gecko Gecko to go? (In other words, I'm chewing as I type) Backstory: I watched th 49ers get rolled over yesterday and went to bed with a crushed spirit, then to assault my emotions just a bit more, I woke up feeling slightly queasy on this cold, drizzly morning. Prescription: Hot coconut milk soup at the Thai place near my office. Now, I'm no Thai afficianado, but I know my spring roll from my veggie roll, and I'm fluent enough in Thai restaurant speak to know that coconut milk soup may also go by Tom Kha Gai. Anywho, I go over, order the large coconut milk soup with chicken and a sprite (to bring my total up to a whopping $11.58 so I can use my card...credit card minimum is $10 btw or I would have gone with the small). I take my huge container of soup and my clear plastic cup with sprite and hoof it back over to the office. Dig the experience: I sit down, unwrap the plastic bag, unwrap the second plastic bag, wrestle with the cover on the soup and let the steam and smell of coconut milk caress my face. I see my mushrooms floating, sliced at the top...I prefer them whole, but they're still there, floating blissfully on the ivory sea, so, no big deal. I dig a little deeper to see what other surprises are enveloped in my container of happiness, and I see some cilantro, about 5-6 sprigs. Okay, then my spoon hits the bottom, or what I think is the bottom. It's a layer of chicken. By the taste and texture it is a boneless, skinless chicken breast that has been left on the George Foreman grill too long. Verdict: I've been had! There are 4 things in this $10 soup: overly sweetened coconut milk, chicken, cilantro, and about 3 mushrooms sliced up. For shame! I'm glad they called it coconut milk soup, because it doesn't deserve the distinguised title of Tom Kha Gai. I can assume there is galangal broth in here too, but I'm not sure...like I said, I'm no afficienado. My recommendation: Anchalee Thai on San Pablo is FAR better and puts less of a hurting on your wallet. You get an array of veggies in your soup (baby corn, carrots, lemongrass, some weird white thing that I don't think is digestable, but smells good, whole mushrooms), and you don't feel like you are drinking the love child of coconut milk's sordid affair with evaporated milk. I'll update if I try anything else, but I'm not sure if I can set foot in Gecko Gecko again. Fool me once, shame on me, but mess up my coconut milk soup once, you're pretty much dead to me.
(2)
Alexandra D.
I was in the mood for Thai food one night, so I yelped Thai food and came across Gecko Gecko. I walked in on a Tuesday night at around 6:30. We did end up having to wait for about 30 minutes for a table for 3, but I think that just ended up being poor timing for us, as we were the only ones waiting (it is a pretty small restaurant). Either way, they handled the wait very well. Our server was an adorable little guy who was eager to serve us. I had the ginger-cashew with tofu and it was delicious and very fresh. The portion was also appropriate, which I appreciate. It isn't super authentic Thai food, but it is delicious... so it is a keeper in my book and I will definitely be going back :-).
(4)
Jim S.
I am visiting a friend in Berkeley and we went here last night. I must say the service was very good! Attentive but not over done. The restaurant has a very nice feel.. Clean floors and tables and restroom. Very nice decor. The food was outstanding. Had numerous things on the menu. PAD Thai was amazing, the crab appetizer was very good.. BBQ chicken was great. Chicken satay was not overcooked like many places do. And the sake apple martini was fantastic. One more nice thing is that all the ingredients were fresh. I will definitely be back here. They take pride and it shows. Good job!!!
(4)
Katherine L.
Boyfriend and I came here for dinner. We started off with some Thai teas and they weren't creamy enough and also quite sweet. For appetizers we had spring rolls, which were filled with vegetables. We were not fans of the sauce, which was sweet and weird. For entree we had green curry with chicken. There wasn't much chicken in the dish, but was instead filled with a ton of vegetables. The food here is quite over priced and not worth the cost for the amount of food. The good thing is that the service was pretty good. They came by often to fill our waters and to check on us.
(2)
John S.
The food is serviceable. It used to be expensive, but now everything everywhere is expensive, so Gecko Gecko is just about right, as wrong as that is. I don't why the pad see ew is called sauteed wide rice noodle on the menu, but it's pad see ew, and it's what I almost always get. They didn't have tofu last time, so they gave me extra vegetables instead. It would have been nice if they had let me know when I called (I might have canceled my order and gone somewhere else for lunch), but that's really the only time I've had an issue, and I've been here seven or eight times. The woman who usually runs the place around lunchtime is mean to her coworkers/minions, so sitting around waiting for your food can be unpleasant. She's never been mean to me, but she's not the most pleasant person in the world either. I usually call my food in and spend as little time here as possible. Oh, and the benches outside are really cool, as is the gecko climbing up the side of the building. I only wish they had made this gecko animatronic so that it would slowly crawl up the building over the course of the day. Can you imagine having the window right next to this guy? I would be permanently paranoid that someone was hanging around outside my third-story apartment.
(3)
Paula G.
I have been going to Gecko Gecko for many years, usually for a pre-theatre bite for Aurora and Berkeley Rep. The decor is pleasant, the restroom clean, the staff friendly, the food superb, and the rotating art show on the walls makes for a slightly different dining experience each time. To define superb: fresh ingredients well-prepared and attractively presented. Every time. Thankfully they take reservations because by the time I'm leaving for the performance, the place is usually packed and a line is forming.
(5)
Edna C.
I don't know why I was skeptical about the name Gecko Cecko Thai California Eatery. "Thai California" suggests a risk of being a fusion flop, or perhaps my mind subconsciously renamed it ghetto ghetto. In any case, it exceeded my expectations and was neither a flop nor the least bit ghetto, except its location in the gourmet ghetto. It's a little bit pricier for a dinner in Berkeley, but nice ambiance, an extensive menu, and solid food: the menu has a good mix of traditional Southeast Asian and fusion items. (And by fusion, it's not anything bizarre like pad kale.) Like any Thai place they serve Thai iced tea, but here it comes in mason jars which is a plus some people go cray cray over this hipsterware. Because it was popular in the pictures, looked pretty, and sounded delicious, we got the MANGO ROAST DUCK ROLLS (mint, red bell pepper, pear, rice noodles & hoisin wrapped In rice paper with dipping sauce), $10.75. The combination of tangy mango, savory duck with hoisin sauce, and refreshing minty veggies assortment makes this a unique and enticing appetizer. It's just a little difficult to eat though, because it's larger than bite size and the noodles fall out when you do take a bite. For my entree I chose the NORTHERN CRISPY RICE SALAD (with crunchy rice, ground chicken, ginger, scallions, cilantro, onion, carrots & roasted peanuts), $11.50 because I've had Lao crispy rice before at Champa Garden and it was heavenly. Gecko's salad rendition was quite good but spicy is no joke. I was literally crying from the spiciness, though it would not be inaccurate to call it tears of joy.
(5)
Stephanie C.
I love their sticky rice! Although the portion for that is like a teeny tiny fist of rice. The country pad thai was a fairly large portion that tasted well. I also like their spicy basic minced chicken over sticky rice. I'd definitely come back for more. Their thai tea is really, really sweet. No matter how much ice I asked for to water it down, it was very syrupy.
(4)
Sara N.
Quick, flavorful and friendly. Nothing better than that! Came here for lunch on a Sunday with my family and got a few specials and lunch entrees that we all shared. Stray away from the thai iced coffee, that thing was out of this world sweet, in a dissatisfying way. This place would be great for take out if you are a local.
(4)
Adrienne K.
Fresh ingredients used for the Mango Shrimp Salad. Shrimps were not over cooked/dried, which I like :) Dressing was a little overwhelmed and I think if the mango wasn't as ripe may go better with the firm texture of other ingredients in this salad. Mango Duck Rolls, two rolls for $8.50. I expected more on the platting presentation and taste. The duck pieces were dried, cold, and bland. Again, mango was a little too ripe/soggy to be used for rolls. I ordered, food came and was eating for few minutes... Waiter finally came and asked if I would like to have some water... The place wasn't busy during lunch at noon today... Definitely need to spend a little more time on customer service...
(2)
Laura W.
I came here before a show at the Berkeley Rep. The service was quick and friendly, the place had a nice vibe, and the food was really delicious. The curry prices are great if you want chicken or tofu, but I was in the mood for salmon which adds another $5. A little pricey but still worth it. I had green curry with salmon (has a bunch of vegetables like zucchini, carrots, eggplant, and butternut squash) which was medium spicy and flavorful, but still saucy and creamy. This was a great way to get my daily veggies! I also ordered a glass of the house red (cab sauv), which was surprisingly good for under $6, and a side of white rice, which was the same as you get at most Thai restaurants, but on the dry side. I feel like moist and fragrant rice would have earned the fifth star -- it's all in the details! -- but regardless, I will def be coming back next time I'm in Berkeley.
(4)
Berk H.
The food is uneven, the service consistently good. I've had great pad thai here, but the tofu in the dish was inedible this last time. It was rubbery and flavorless, and seemed to have been warmed up (in a microwave??) from some very old stock. I've ordered the sweet potato curry several times, and it's always different: the amount of salmon and of vegetables varies, as does the degree to which the vegetables are cooked. I don't know what to conclude from all this. I still frequent Gecko Gecko, but it always feels like a risk.
(3)
Jenny N.
The service was prompt and courteous! The food was delicious. My friend and I started on the mango roast duck roll. I really liked the mango and duck combination with their sauce. It was bit challenging trying to fit that roll in my mouth, but I did it! we also started with the Crispy cram dumplings. It was a good texture but not for me. The crab/seafood taste was a bit overwhelming for us. My main entree was the Thai BarBeQue Chicken. It was hands down, my favorite chicken so far in the Bay Area. I loved how the chicken was so tender but also had that smoke taste from the grilling. It went really well with the greens and sticky rice. I've got to come back for that chicken! My friend had the pineapple cashew fried rice and he really liked it. I had some and it was seasoned really well. We ended with the mango sticky rice. It wasn't as well as other places but it would do!
(4)
Lydia K.
Food: 4 Stars I've had better Thai food but the Pumpkin curry was delicious and the iced coffees. Service: 1 Star - it took more than 30 minutes for our food to come out What I liked about this place was that the curry came with rice rather than ordering it on the side. My friend and I also got food to go and the crab fried rice was delicious. What I did not like was how long it took to get the food. Being an accounting major numbers is my thing haha so like I definitely timed it when I recognized more than 20 minutes passed. We ordered at like 2:15 and did not get our food until 2:50 ( I remember this because I had to put more money in the parking meter because I thought 1.5 hours would have been enough). They had like only 2 people work and each time we asked they would say the food is about to come out. Either way, get the food to go so you don't have to deal with the slow service.
(2)
Katie M.
Arrived with a party of 2 on a Friday night with reservations but this place was only half full when we get there. Service was excellent - we feel really well attended. The noise level in the restaurant was low and the decorations are simple and clean. We ordered the mango roast duck roll, the ultimate pad thai and the pineapple duck curry, which was an item on the special menu. Both the mango duck roll was an interesting combination but it's doesn't taste as good as I expected from the other reviews. The ultimate pad thai was another interesting item to order: there was cheese on the side served with the pad thai. The pineapple duck curry was really sour - they added were too much pineapples. Personally I really like pineapples, but this dish just doesn't work for me. Also, there were so few pieces of roasted duck in it, I was expecting more given the price of this dish. There were also other fruits, such as, grapes in the curry. Overall, although they have good service and nice ambience, the food is not good enough for me to come again.
(3)
Brian B.
Oddly slow service. The place was less than half full but we had to flag our server down for any attention at all. It was pretty comical since he was standing about 4 feet away. The food was ok. Nothing to write home about but not bad.
(3)
M R.
OK, I love spicy food. I went to Thailand to go to cooking school, and I have Never met a curry I couldn't eat. But I was nearly knocked off my rocker at lunch today when I got the pumpkin curry. It wasn't sweet which I liked. But when I started stirring around the bottom of the bowl, I ran across chopped red thai chilis by the Tablespoon. I'm happy that they actually have fresh chilis, because a lot of places will just add the dry chili condiment to your dish, like thanks dude, I could have done that myself. I had to scoop out as much of the chili as possible, and it was all in one location, so I don't know if they just got carried away, but by the time I was done scooping out chili and rice, I filled the metal container that had the sauce for the spring rolls. It over-floweth. I could handle it, just barely, but that was pretty lethal. Maybe it was just an accident, just be careful when you order. Hot means HOTTER than hell!!
A fresh, innovative take on classic Thai food. If you're looking for the most authentic Thai food in Berkeley, this isn't the place; if you're looking for fresh, tasty and delicious Thai food, this IS the place. I come here for lunch when I'm in DT Berkeley and have never been disappointed. The fresh shrimp spring rolls, the yellow curry with chicken and the ginger cashew chicken are a few of my favorites. Their pad thai, drunken noodles and Thai iced tea are also quite tasty. I normally go before the main lunch crowd gets there, so the service is attentive and friendly. It can get very crowded, though, so don't be surprised if the service isn't super fast. Overall, it's a great Thai place in the heart of downtown Berkeley with a fresh, modern take on Thai food.
(5)
Min Ju L.
Truly underwhelming and overpriced restaurant... the decor is nice, hospitality is on point but given the numerous options available for great Thai food, I'm gonna give this place a pass next time. Mango roast duck roll-- interesting fusion but aside from the fact that most Thai places don't serve mango roast duck spring roll, underwhelming Pumpkin red curry-- average Ultimate pad thai-- interesting. my bf digged it. Overall not amazing enough for us to come back. Gonna stick to the homely mom n pop shops.
(3)
Margaret E.
Delicious and fresh, lunch plates come with a nice little fresh salad. Plenty of vegetarian options. Nice relaxed atmosphere, airy and pleasant. Friendly staff.
(4)
Heather G.
Excellent!! So fresh and delicious! We had the mango salad, mango duck rolls, the ultimate pad Thai and pineapple duck curry! All extremely yummy. Can't wait to come back. Service was great also. They were very attentive, and even though we arrived a little before they close midday for a break, we never felt rushed.
(5)
Kendall M.
THIS is the place for a full flavored value lunch!!! So Much Good yummy food. Attentive service too.
(5)
Samantha B.
I've been a few times. The food is delicious - hence the 4 stars. All the rolls are really good, especially the smoked salmon roll. I can also vouch for their curries and desserts. The sweet sticky rice with mango is made with coconut milk, not sweetened condensed milk, so it should be safe for you vegans out there. However, you'd do your best to avoid the Ultimate Pad Thai. It sounds like it's going to be all sorts of deliciousness piled together, but really, I got like one piece of squash, two extra cucumbers, and one of everything else. PLUS they forgot my cheese, and I didn't even realize it until I came to review and saw the pictures of the dish. It's 2 hours later and I'm hungry already so I'm feeling pretty ripped off on this whole "ultimate" situation. Ultimately, you will be starving later!
(4)
Michelle C.
I've previously dined here and enjoyed the lunch special. One time I ordered dinner entrees to go and they were good. Today, my curry was horrendous and stupidly overpriced. Pumpkin curry lunch special w/ brown rice-$9.50 There were like 8 bits of chicken. 5 chunks of pumpkin which were still undercooked some carrots and a piece of bell pepper. BUT THE CURRY! It was watery :( absolutely awful. And the portion was pathetic. It was an awful meal. The rice was tolerable. My salad was submerged in the water-curry. Mango sticky rice- $6.50 Again, overpriced for a tiny blob of rice covered in condensed milk with sliced mangos. Basically worth $0.50 of supplies and $0.50 of labor, but whatever. Service was lame too. No desire to come back :/ Sad.
(2)
Fressia P.
Oh the pumpkin red curry is amazing! I can never imagine that it's so good to use pumpkin to make curry!!!! I would like to try to make pumpkin curry by myself next time! ( pumpkin, bell, chicken, carrot and red curry!) And I also order half serve of roasted duck roll. Yum!
(5)
Amel A.
I tried their veggie rolls with the sauce its amazing .. I got the classic pad thai and i loved it i just wish they had veggies but other than that its was great. Great portion size
(4)
Mike R.
I loved the quite small arena. Front desk right next to door. They seat you with me u at the ready. Lunch specials available. Decor is ok and does speak lunch joint. Tai food is their thing and they do it well.
(4)
Angela L.
Not bad, but definitely not the best Thai in downtown Berkeley. Came here during my lunch break and had their roasted duck & pineapple curry. The lunch special was about $10, and came with a small bowl of curry, rice, and salad. The serving size was perfect, but there was a serious lack of duck in my curry. Additionally, my curry had good flavor, but was too watery for my liking. Service is nice and attentive, and it's conveniently close to my office so I would come back. However, with places that are much more affordable and flavorful (Tuktuk, Thai Noodle, all the places in Oakland), I wouldn't go out of my way to come here.
(3)
John D.
The food is okay. I really enjoyed my first experience here, but I was able to try more of their dishes here after going a few more times. It's overpriced for so-so food. I don't see myself stopping by here anymore.
(2)
Lisa F.
Arrived with a party of 8 late Saturday night, and we were seated promptly. I ordered the Pumpkin Red Curry, and it was incredibly fresh and delicious. Not as spicy as I would have expected for a "spicy" dish, but the flavors were spot on. A friend of mine ordered the sweet potato yellow curry, which was also delicious. I am a fan of Pad Thai, and their classic was good, but fairly average for what is available in the bay area. I will definitely return.
(4)
Kelly C.
This is my second time to the place and I am really happy with the service and the food. The place seems to be different from other Thai place in town in being more westernized and having better service. I think the food tastes nice, but I'm more impressed by how they lay food out beautifully on the plate, came to refill water frequently, and cared to wipe our table clean before they serve the dessert. These are small things but really made our meal pleasant and smooth. Among the food we tried, I like the classic pad thai with prawns, and the red pumpkin curry most. The pad thai really looked nice and tasted good too. The portion for the pad thai is smaller than other Thai places I have been though. We also had the gecko gecko fried rice, which is a pineapple fried rice with cashew nuts and chicken. That one also tasted good but was a bit moister than what I expected. The mango-roast duck roll looked great but did not taste as impressive to me. Oh yeah we also had the fried banana with ice cream for dessert. Pretty nice!
(4)
Radhika P.
I quite enjoyed my pumpkin red curry, thank you very much. I felt like it was carefully prepared although I do wish the pumpkin was cut a little thinner. I absolutely loved the presentation though and it was just the right spicy quotient for me. I also ordered the pomegranate black tea which was equally delightful although a tad too sweet. It was presented in a mason jar with a handle and for that alone, I would recommend the drink. Next up, the peanut curry with avodaco. That sounds way more fusion.
(4)
Patrick H.
Horrible experience after Sunday's Open Streets Sunday. Horrible. We came in around 4:30 with three friends who just completed playing live music for 2 or so hours. Five people ready to have a few beers and eat. There were six people already seated inside being waited upon. We sat for 15 minutes. No water. No contact after the "hostess" seated us and gave us menus. I walked to the front and asked if we could order? She replied the waiter would help us and walked away into the kitchen. (poof). Never to be seen again. Another five minutes while the other two tables were served...we left and the staff watched us like passing traffic. There are many places to eat and relax in Berkeley. This is not one I can recommend as it is very poorly managed and staffed. There are now five people who will not return. Amazingly indifferent staff.
(1)
Julie Y.
The food was pretty fast and delicious! Had the Salmon Spring Rolls and Ultimate Pad Thai, both yummy. We got a 10% discount as we mentioned that we were going to the theater & later read the back of the tix that said Gecko Gecko is a major sponsor! Kudos to them for supporting the Aurora!
(4)
Don Haedong J.
I simply lovvvvvvvvvvvved it. The main dinner, Pat Thai was very enjoyable and what I liked the most was a crab fried rice. Some can find it's little expensive but I, my self, will strongly recommend to everyone who I know to have some crab rice thing. Also, the sweet potato red curry was great too. I enjoyed a lot in here and it made my Berkeley trip perfect. Wish I can go there soon again~!
(5)
Jeannine M.
The best Thai in town!. Reminds me of NYC. Beautifully presented plates of delicious, fresh, flavorful Thai food. The service is also great! Love my Gecko Gecko!
(5)
B H.
Lunch visit on a Saturday, we had he eggplant green curry with chicken which was delicious, as was basil chicken dish. Skip the fresh spring rolls - no flavor. Friendly service and good people watching on a busy corner. 5 stars for atmosphere and entrees.
(5)
Anat A.
Ordered the Corn and Taro Fritter appetizer. Just got the corn as they were out of taro. On their website menu they list it as $7. When I arrived the price was actually $8.95, plus tax it rang up to be almost $10. Wow, this must be an excellent batch of corn fritters for 10 bucks, right?? No. very average fritters. Kind of just a mushy, flavorless patty with a couple bits of corn stuck in there. No nice golden crunchyness on the outside either. Too expensive for a lunch menu and certainly too expensive for the poor quality : (
(2)
Sarah F.
I got the shrimp mango salad and the shrimp had a strong odor like they weren't washed and sitting out too long. The lettuce had a lot of wilted pieces... They have a really nice menu and just did not live up to it at all. Way overpriced for their quality and service.
(2)
Sheila N.
Definitely "Californian Thai" cuisine; don't get me wrong, I love eating healthy and eating lighter versions of food. I guess I came here with the wrong expectations because the food definitely tasted unauthentic and lighter than other Thai places I've been accustomed to. My bf and I really wanted to try the duck spring rolls but our waiter notified us after we ordered that they were out of duck :( what?? On one of your signature dishes and we were there right when dinner service started! That was a bummer since we came there to try these rolls; forgot what other dishes we ordered but it was decent. Service was nice and friendly but I wish they had told us before we scoped the menu that they were out of duck!
(3)
Wilhelm Y.
I remembered Yelp friend Toni M writing an excellent review for this restaurant awhile back, and I had it on my Yelp bookmarks list of places to try since that time. Recently I finally got to try it. It was a Monday night as it usually is when I'm in Berkeley looking for a dinner spot. I regularly volunteer at Monday Night Playground which is a seasonal theatrical series that takes place at the Berkeley Rep. On this particular night I had left my job quite early and ended up in Berkeley about 90 minutes before my shift was scheduled to begin. Gecko Gecko is located about a half block down from the Berkeley Rep. There was only one couple dining inside when I made my visit. Greeted immediately I was seated at a small table for two near the window. I was handed a menu, and my drink order was taken and quickly brought to me. I got a set of chopsticks colored one red and one green and simply loved the randomness of that. The Mango-Roast Duck Rolls is listed as a specialty item on the menu. I decided to try that since I love duck, fresh vegetables and sweet mango. In addition I had one of those sudden cravings for Pad Thai so I went with the Classic Pad Thai despite it having fried tofu in it something I'm not supposed to have too much of these days. The Mango-Roast Duck Rolls ( yelp.com/biz_photos/geck… ) arrived first. These were hefty sized rolls of chewy rice flour wrappers stuffed with amazing ingredients such as rice noodles, red bell peppers, fresh mint, carrots, cucumbers, mixed greens, and of course mango and boneless, skinless roast duck. The mango that went into this particular roll was super sweet. I found that to be a huge plus, for it meant I wouldn't have to use much of the sweet and sour dipping sauce which accompanied the rolls. Absolutely delicious this in itself could have been an entire meal for me. As I slowly enjoyed the rolls the Classic Pad Thai ( yelp.com/biz_photos/geck… ) arrived. I loved the composition that was set down in front of me. The noodles were cooked nicely, and I enjoyed being given the opportunity to add as much or as little of the ground peanut that I wanted. The overall flavor was quite okay, and again all of the ingredients tasted fresh. The service was friendly and attentive. The food arrived from the kitchen in a very timely manner. As the night wore on the restaurant quickly filled making me happy that I had visited earlier (5:30 PM-ish) rather than later. I will return to this restaurant on future Monday nights.
(4)
Anthony C.
Every day from work I always walk by this place, and I love great pad Thai. What I don't like is having pad Thai taste buds not challenged. So, I make the chance to try out the food. After reading all the reviews I can start to see why so many people love this place. I didn't get the mango spring roll, but I tried the typical pad Thai, add chicken and asked to make it spicy. It was by far the best pad Thai I've had since I moved from Arizona. The place is a great modern look to it. And if they had a bar, it would be by far a great joint to bring a lot friends. Overall experience is pretty cool and the food was really good!
(5)
Devin N.
Went here randomly one night all by myself...forever alone. *tear* In all seriousness though my experience was very pleasant. I was seated right away and ordered the Duck and Avo Salad. It did not disappoint. The duck was cooked perfectly and the dressing blended very well with the veggies. The cilantro added the extra hint of freshness. A lot going on with the dish in terms of flavor and I enjoyed that. Well done Gecko Gecko. (I really liked the name)
(5)
Jason H.
I came here this Saturday afternoon looking for a hearty lunch, and despite the long walk, I was very very glad I came! I ordered the pumpkin red curry and it met and exceeded my expectations - a flavorful blend of pumpkin, chicken, basil, and various other spices in the curry made each bite exciting and made me anticipate the next eagerly. The food also came quickly enough, and the ambiance friendly and casual. Will definitely be returning frequently, and look forward to my next meal!
(5)
Chiara A.
Gecko Gecko. I first learned of Gecko Gecko from the head of the English department at Berkeley City College. The English Dept. Head was dealing with a cold and dispatched me to Gecko Gecko to get some spicy and sour soup. I was advised that this soup is great when one has a cold. The English Dept. Head sure felt good after having the soup. When I had a cold, I traipsed on over to Gecko Gecko for the same spicy and sour soup to take-out. I asked them to put some chicken in it. Mmmm, that was so good. My sinuses cleared up pretty fast. When there was an opportunity, I treated myself to another soup (even though I did not have a cold) and some fresh spring rolls with shrimp wrapped in rice paper. It was almost like having a sushi roll with shrimp and veggies minus the seaweed and the wasabi. I wish I could have stayed in to eat instead of take-out. My order was packed quite securely, I might add. No worries about spillage and dirty plastic take-out bags. It will be a awhile before I can haul myself over to Gecko Gecko. I will get there for lunch and eat in for a long leisurely lunch. I was looking at the customers plates the last time I was there and just viewed the photos. The plating and presentation is quite lovely, I must say. Just for a chuckle: youtube.com/watch?v=acCf… Fresh Yelp Review #90 for 2013 (Whew! Almost there!)
(4)
Kimberly K.
Mango-duck spring rolls: light, flavorful and fresh. Two large spring rolls cut in half, served with a light sauce. Pumpkin Curry: very flavorful but the sauce is light, not pasty. This is a simple, dish done really well Red curry, duck, pineapple: This dish was a special, very similar to the pumpkin curry. It was very good, I wish I got another dish just for the sake of variety The service is excellent: efficient and friendly.
(5)
Nikki P.
My quest for my favorite Thai food has finally come to an end. I love this place. The restaurant is small and clean, and it is obviously a family owned joint. The staff was continuously checking up on us to make sure we had everything we needed. The food was to die for (I had the pineapple duck curry, my bf had the sweet potato yellow curry) both were freaking amazing. You have to order the sides of rice separately, they were a little on the small side (considering how big the curry dishes were) and a little pricey, but it was all worth it. I left feeling full and happy. I'll definitely be coming back.
(4)
Adele F.
As an undergrad, I knew my wallet wasn't ready for fancy places like Gecko Squared. Nevertheless, my friend and I decided to visit. I ordered a dinner special, the GRILLED SALMON WITH SAUTEED FRESH SHIITAKE & ASIAN EGGPLANT with organic celery, bell peppers, and onions in a garlic-ginger sauce for $14.95 ( s3-media2.ak.yelpcdn.com… ). They cooked the salmon to a perfect softness ( s3-media4.ak.yelpcdn.com… ), balancing the mellowness of grilled salmon with the boldness of the curry sauce. I also think they substituted almost all of the vegetables because I was given spinach, broccoli, and asparagus (I actually really liked the crunch and the flavor of the asparagus with the curry). What a misleading menu description, but at least they have a disclaimer on their menu. My friend ordered their THAI PEANUT SAUCE CHICKEN over spinach with carrots, nappa cabbage, and broccoli for $8.95 ( s3-media4.ak.yelpcdn.com… ); however, they also substituted all the vegetables for asparagus. My friend said that her dish was too spicy, which made for an unpleasant dining experience :( Jasmine rice was an additional $1.75 per person, making our total $31. Keep in mind that there is a minimum $7 charge per person! I would come back for the salmon!
(4)
Gorgeous P.
This update is strictly about the takeout. I've ordered takeout twice and both times the food was not good. They go out of their way to give you fresh food and good service in the restaurant, but both times my takeout was not good. The pad Thai did not taste freshly prepared and my sweet potato fries were old and soggy Blech! Don't use takeout orders to get rid of old food or food that has sat around. You should use the same care with takeout as you do with eat in orders. I won't order takeout from here again. I'm disappointed. :(
(2)
P N.
Was super hungry before meeting up with a friend for dinner so I stopped by gecko for spring rolls. Great customer service, spring roll had stronger taste of cabbage than I've ever had, but was good..8$ for just that though
(4)
Alexei A.
Very meh food.
(2)
Adrienne L.
I want to give them 4... but while they had overall great flavors and dishes... (Crispy crab wonton appetizer was very good. Fresh and crispy.. which is why the following really disappointed me): - Fried tofu in the curry wasn't very good- def not a fresh tofu (prob just a frozen one) kinda spongy in texture. (Ordered Peanut curry, good thickness but not spectacular) - Shrimp in mango salad was way overcooked and super dry on the outside (recooked?), otherwise the mango was fresh and sweet and it was well dressed. In general cute decor, cozy feel, decent service.
(3)
Kali D.
Clean, fresh, quality ingredients and excellent service.
(4)
Krystal T.
So parking can be a little bit tough. What the location is really nice it's right on the corner of a somewhat busy area with a lot around to do. Solid food with great service. The serving size of food was about average as were the prices. It was really good....very flavorful and hit the spot. I had a duck curry and the avocado and shrimp salad . They were both really good. We went there kind of late and they were really nice and didn't try to rush us out but we got the hint that they were close to closing lol and eventually made our way out. On a side note the decor was nice it's a cute spot if you're just getting a midweek dinner and would even be nice if you wanted to take someone there on a casual date.
(4)
Leah S.
We went here on Friday night for an early Valentine's. Should have made a reservation, and we know to in the future. It wasn't too bad though, we just walked around berkeley until the estimated time. Once seated, we ordered the Mango Duck Rolls and sake-tinis (I don't know why it says there's no alcohol on Yelp. Maybe they just added it. There's wine and beer as well). My lychee sake-tini was delicious, and the duck rolls were AMAZING! It was my first time having duck, so I didn't have any preset expectations though. Still, my partner agreed. For the main course, I ordered peanut curry, and my partner ordered the pad thai. I thought they were good, but perhaps not good enough for the price (nothing too special). Seemed the same as what I would get at a cheaper place, which is why I'm giving the place four stars instead of five. However, even if just for more Mango Duck Rolls and sake-tinis (which are priced very well btw--cheaper than a bar), I will be back.
(4)
John L.
Oh my god. Aroi mak mak. There is American thai food, and Thai thai food. If you have been to Thailand and fallen in love with Thai food, this is the place.
(5)
Greg M.
Best service I have recieved in a long time. Came in by myself and was greeted by some of the friendliest people i've ever met. The entire meal it was like dining in a close friends restaurant. I will definitely be coming back. Order the basil eggplant, you will thank me.
(5)
Alex L.
Really nice place to come with friends. If you like thai food, keep an open mind in lieu of some of these reviews. All I can say is avoid wearing black dress shirts, or else you'll blend in with the wait-staff.
(4)
Liz Z.
We went here for dinner tonight. It was my second time eating here -- I came once before with a group of colleagues for lunch. I had really enjoyed the lunch, so I told my husband we should go for dinner. We were both really happy with all of the food we ordered and the service. We had the apple/jicama/papaya salad to start, really yummy and fresh. Then we shared two entrees -- the pineapple cashew fried rice with chicken, and the red pumpkin curry with chicken. Both were delicious. Everything tasted really fresh and healthy -- I left with a satisfied palate and a full tummy, but not feeling greasy and bloated. That is a nice feeling!
(5)
Cathy X.
Flavorful and not-too-heavy Thai food! It's hard to go wrong with Thai spices, but Gecko Gecko makes sure to get it right with simple flavor combinations that really hit the spot. The best part about their food is that it is NOT TOO OILY, which it sets it far apart from other Thai restaurants that drown their pad thai in vegetable oil or thicken their coconut curries with heavy additives. So Gecko Gecko is probably not the place to go if you're super hungry on a college budget. But this meal left me feeling not too stuffed, and perfectly satisfied. I ordered the Thai Peanut Sauce ($10.50 for dinner-entree) and asked for it extra spicy. The veggies (nappa cabbage, broccoli, spinach, carrots, and sweet potato) and tofu were nothing to write home about, BUT this sauce was amazing, guys!! Not overwhelmingly peanut-flavored, with a nice kick from chives mixed in. Yummm sooo good... my only complaint was that the veggie broth made the sauce watery at the end. My friends also ordered the steak entree (really fragrant in a bed of ginger sauce) and the red coconut curry (more watery than I've seen it at other places). We were all impressed by how flavorful yet light the meal was. Ambiance was also impeccable: clean, intimate, attentive service. Definitely a clean, modern vibe, and a solid experience.
(4)
Alan Y.
I had the "Ultimate Pad Thai", which was basically a bit of everything. The flavors are not too heavy and the food is not oily at all. In order to compensate, they should have seasoned a bit heavier, but they didn't, leading to a bit more blandness than needed. I was a bit disappointed to find that, although they boasted all sorts of veggies and meats in the Pad Thai, it was basically one of everything. I really would have preferred more, especially for the price.
(2)
Amy G.
I usually get the virgin pad thai, which is just like regular pad thai but made with olives oil and lemon juice added to it. I believe the prices between that and the regular pad thai is the same, so you can try it out if you ever get tired of the regular kind. The servers are very nice and courteous. I've tried some other rice dishes here, but I would say pad thai is definitely one of their specialties.
(4)
Ceil T.
My go-to place before Berkeley Rep events. Spring rolls are perfection.
(4)
David K.
I had what they claim is The Ultimate Pad Thai. They are correct. It is. This is a nice, clean restaurant, and I would recommend it to anyone
(5)
Olivia v.
The ultimate pad Thai was completely flavorless and didn't even come with the chicken or asparagus, the two parts I was most looking forward to. For me that's one test of a Thai restaurant so I was a little sad, given the high yelp reviews. My partner enjoyed his pumpkin curry. The fritters were okay but kind of bland. 2 stars not 1 because service was friendly and prompt.
Been here a half dozen times now and I am never disappointed. The food is fresh, flavorful, and simple - just the way I like it. There are very few places that have excellent Pad Thai - Gecko Gecko is one of them. I always order the Lemongrass Beef. Simple plate with amazing sauce. Perfect! Now, if we can just get this place in Belmont, my life would be complete.
(5)
Anna F.
My roommate and I went here for dinner and both loved it - especially the prices! Definitely recommend this spot. Their wine & beer was affordable ($5 house cab, $6 gnarly head zin, $3-$5beer, and more!) and most menu items are around $11. Try the duck mango spring rolls, too
(5)
Andrew W.
Although I made the mistake of walking to Gecko Gecko from the southwest side of campus, I still enjoyed my lunch and thankful that I found a thai place in Berkeley. So far, I have been wary of trying thai food in Berkeley area because I did not want to be disappointed. But I finally caved and gave way to Gecko Gecko. Although I thought it was unnecessary, I still made a lunch reservation through OpenTable for Gecko Gecko. Turns out I made the right decision because when I arrived there were no tables available for walk-ins. Sat down at a table shoved in a corner and proceed to look at the menu. Gecko Gecko does not have a classic thai menu, closer to fusion but the food is still delicious. I decided to play it safe and ordered the classic pad thai, mango salad, and mango-roast duck rolls. All of the dishes were delicious and flavorful even though their appear bland and tasteless. Highlights was the perfect paring between mango-roast duck rolls and the accompanying dipping sauce, as well as, the pad thai. Gecko Gecko has definitely opened me up to trying more thai places in Berkeley. What I recommend: -- mango-roast duck roll -- pad thai -- lunch combos
(4)
Victoria J.
This is a good date place if you're wanting to go somewhere a bit nicer than your average Thai restaurant. The atmosphere is great. Great decor, great service, and it's not full of the typical UC students. It's a bit of an older crowd--more of a grad student level--which made for a nicer environment. People were having more interesting conversations and the class level was higher than other Thai restaurants. The service was super nice and friendly and my water was refilled whenever the level dropped--always a sign of good service. The food was just okay for me. We had the Papaya Salad, which was pretty standard, not mind-blowing, but still good. We also had the Pumpkin Curry, which was very flavorful, and the Pad See Ew, which was really not good. The noodles weren't stir fried enough for me and the sauce was missing some balance. Although, I do have very high standards for Thai food. I had a great experience with the food over at Cha-Am, but Gecko Gecko was definitely a nicer environment with attentive service.
(3)
Vivienne C.
My new favorite place for Thai in Berkeley! A lighter fresher take on Thai than most places, and very flavorful. The Tom Kha soup is the best I've ever had, the mango duck spring rolls are beyond delicious and the Slammin Salmon is, well, Slammin! My mouth is watering just thinking about it. Wish they delivered, but worth getting dressed to go over for a tasty meal!
(5)
Gina B.
Great place for lunch; always fresh and flavorful.
(4)
Kim D.
Last year, my old roommate and I went in search of the best pad thai in Berkeley, since that was her absolute favorite meal. After trying all the thai restaurants in the area, this place hands down had the best pad thai. Keep in mind it's a thai californian fusion, so some of the dishes may not be truly authentic, but they are still amazing nonetheless. We usually go for lunch, when they have plenty of specials like pumpkin curry with salmon and combination deals where you can pick an entree and side to accompany it. They have 3 different types of pad thai - the 'classic', 'virgin' which has extra olive oil and lemon juice, and my favorite the 'country' which slightly more tangy with a tomato-chili garlic sauce. The sweet potato fries with the sweet chili sauce are a nice accompaniment, and all the dishes are aesthetically pleasing and well-presented. The fresh shrimp spring rolls were also good and filled with extra veggies, but the dipping sauce was a tad bit too fishy for our liking. But gecko gecko is overall a great place to grab lunch or dinner when you're in the area!
(5)
Stella K.
Substitute the white rice for the brown- delicious and healthier!
(4)
Ilse R.
My boyfriend and I usually eat here once a week. It never gets old. He gets the country pad Thai and I get the Jammin Salmon. But I've tried everything in the menu and it's all sooo good. The vibe is great for casual lunch dates, professional work meetings over dinner, and even for lunch time for BHS students. I recommend it to anyone who is looking for great Thai food, someone who wants to enjoy a nice meal but doesn't want to feel over stuffed (not the typical greasy Asian cuisine). It's my favorite restaurant. The owners are great!
(5)
David R.
Had the pumpkin red curry, which was very good. A very nice fusion of flavors. The coconut soup was also fantastic. Food came out quickly and hot and waiters were available. They forgot to bring my wife's drink, however. Nothing catastrophic though. Will definitely try it out again next time we are in town for a show.
(4)
Leilani T.
Pumpkin red curry with chicken on brown rice! So delicious! The food is always good here, the place is always clean and the staff is always friendly.
(5)
Double O S.
Overrated unfortunately. While the menu items look very tasty, none of it had the level of flavor or proportions that we expected from the cost. Mango roast duck roll - mostly noodles, bland mango, not enough roast duck. Smaller than photo looks Taro corn fritters - no taro taste or any taste, which is typically very distinct. 4 medium pucks Firecracker catfish - very basic fried catfish in off the shelf sweet and sour sauce. Gave only like 3 thin filets. Sweet potatoes were only slightly sweet. Total cost $40+6tip. And definitely not worth it
(1)
D B.
What up, grandmas! This is your (grand)boy, Lil' Big Medium DB. yelp.com/user_details_qu… The jazz music wasn't loud. You know what was loud? The face of that one server. Really though, I almost couldn't hear the music over g'ma gossip; it's not like they were talking at a high volume at all. $7.95 Smoked Salmon Rolls: The bomb. I wish more Thai places had this. But they don't, which is why it's a Gecko Gecko specialty. $10.95 Yogurt-Coconut Curry Salmon: Approaching the bomb. The first bite was deeiiiiyyyymm. The asparagus was everything unboiled asparagus should be. I needed another cut or two of salmon for the price. Chili-Lemongrass Lamb or "Still Shave My Cho Cha" Catfish youtu.be/XJR_uX8c2eY?t=3… : Likely what I'll get into on my return visit, because you know one's already in the works. Rounding up to 4 stars. HOURS CORRECTION: Mon-Sun 11:30 am - 3 pm Mon-Sun 4:30 pm - 9 pm Open past 9 on busy nights. yelp.com/user_local_phot…
(4)
Shelley K.
-Service: Waiters are constantly walking around refilling water, replacing napkins, clearing tables, etc. You don't need to sit there waiting for somebody to finally come and answer you. -Food: *Peanut Curry with chicken: REALLY good. At first it almost t
(3)
Karen S.
I was going to order lunch but didn't want to go to the usual places. A co-worker suggest I try here. After browsing the menu online, I called & placed my order. My Virgin pad thai was a nice decent portion. What stood out to me immediately were the random slices of grape that turned out to be warm. The noodles stuck together & the whole dish was excessively sweet. 1 of the 3 prawns was't cleaned all the way so most of the vein (& therefore poop) was still there. ON top of that, there was an after taste that reminded me of really stale noodles or dirty wet towels or dirty Chinese restaurant carpet. Even though what I had was not as satisfying as I wanted it to be, I still appreciate the attempt to lighten up this traditional Thai dish. But for now, I think I will stick with the real thing.
(3)
Daniel R.
Wow such a great meal. We were going to share our food but ended up feasting and forgetting all about it because we were so locked in on our own individual feasts! Defiinitly get the Corn Fritters and the Thai Iced Tea. This place reminded me a lot of my favorite thai spot in LA...'Talesai' on ventura blvd
(5)
Jen N.
Very very good. I really liked the dish I got which included a main entree, a side and salad and rice, which makes you feel like you are really getting a meal. I had the eggplant chicken and I would have licked the bowl if that sort of thing was polite to do. The staff were very friendly and the decor was pretty. I'll definitely go again.
(4)
J M.
I was wandering around Berkeley - a visitor from San Francisco craving a day in the sun...and a craving for some good noodle's struck. This was very unfortunate as many of my previous "find food in Berkeley" experiences led to nothing exciting (admittedly I was near the university). This time, however, I was really happy about what I found. Gecko Gecko was really quite enjoyable. They had 3 different phad thai choices - and the one I got was done just right. Noodles were not a big pile of mush (as is sometimes the case), and there were fresh veggies/tofu in just the right quantities. Definitely my new spot for grabbing a bite when I'm in the east bay and in that area.
(5)
Joyce D.
Oddly, the crowd here was caucasian middle age/seniors. Really not sure why. (10% student discount) The cuisine is thai/ca fusion... hrmmm not quite sure if it works. They have 3 different types of pad thai and I think the 'virgin' one is the spiciest. All of their dishes sound really exotic but the menu looks better than how it tastes. Maybe I just picked a bad/boring dish but I think the general consensus of my table was: not amazing. the restaurant is pretty small, that picture in the photos is the ENTIRE restaurant.
(3)
Catherine R.
Are you kidding? My frozen crab appetizers didn't make it to the table reheated so I sent em back. We live in the bay area, home to plentiful fresh crab.... Just sad the won tons have to be frozen :( The pad thai was just ok. All the staff were milling about playing with their phones and dicking around.There is much better Thai food out there that isn't frozen.
(2)
Heather S.
I LOVE this place! Not only is the food great - especially the yellow curry - but the service is wonderful as well. I called for takeout at 9 on a Friday, just after they'd closed, and the staff still let me order and come get food, then they were incredibly pleasant when I arrived. Quick, tasty, and a local business I'm proud to support.
(5)
Quinn C.
I'm so happy to have found this place. I think I've been about seven times in the last month and I'm actively trying to work through the whole menu. The dishes range from delicious (the pad thai wrap) to transcendently delicious (the masamun curry.) Really reasonable prices too. Go.
(5)
Amber S.
Yay, finally a really good Thai place near my work! I love love love Thai, and this place did not disappoint. It might be my new favorite Thai place, actually - my former being Thai Spice on Polk in the city ( yelp.com/biz/thai-spice-… ). The decor is very modern, light and airy, with plenty of seating. The staff was very friendly, and the service was great. I ordered the pumpkin curry lunch special, with a little extra heat. The special comes with a fresh roll, which was amazing - light and filled with fresh vegetables and shrimp with a spicy peanut sauce for dipping. The curry itself could have been a littler spicier (I like to cry when I eat hot food), but since this was my first time I didn't want to get all crazy with the heat - especially since "Thai hot" means something different at every Thai restaurant. To wash it down I had a pomegranate iced tea - which on the surface sounds "ho-hum" given that it's pretty common, but they make it special here or something because it had such depth to the flavor with hints of cinnamon - I only ordered it after having a sip of my friend's drink, and had to flag the waiter down so I could have my own! My dining mates ordered the mango fried rice and the eggplant entree - both were very good! The food all had wonderful flavors, and were spiced just right. I've had my fair share of Thai food, and this place beat my expectations. I really hope this place does well, because this corner seems to have high turnover. The kabob place that was here before didn't last very long, but their food wasn't exceptional either, so....
(4)
Charles B.
High-quality Thai/Cal fusion. I've never had a bad dish here, and I'm often delighted. Last time here had the virgin pad thai special ($2 extra), pad thai in virgin olive oil instead of that stuff that turns pad thai pink. Not sweet. A few prawns, some chicken (a bit overcooked), veggies and lots of rice noodle in a light but sufficient coating of olive oil. Healthy and very good! I've enjoyed their salmon, their pumpkin curry and various other dishes both alone and with friends. Service is friendly. It's not so much that prices are higher (regular pad thai is about $8 which seems pretty typical) but that they have more higher-price options than the usual Thai place. Low end of moderate.
(4)
Jenn H.
Sorry, but the only thing I recommend is the jasmine rice - perfect and the peanut sauce - average. The shrimp are mushy, the soup bland and all the chicken in each dish was over cooked. How can people like this food? I recommend that you spend a few more dollars for something you might want to eat.
(1)
Christine R.
LOVE love LOVE this place. The food is amazing, the ambiance is awesome and the service is stellar. I had the wide noodles with broccoli and egg today, ate every bite, sipping along with a wonderfully fragrant pot of jasmine tea. When I go there I have a great time and feel welcome, I always ask for wooden chopsticks since they are easier for my little hands to eat with. Today, my server brought them to me without me asking, Yippee! They play jazz at lunch, extra bonus points for that. My favorite Thai restaurant in Berkeley. DO check it out.
(5)
Brian D.
Came in last week right before closing one night. My friend and were hungry and got a late start this particular evening. I'm always impressed when I come in right around closing and still get great service and great food. I got both. Excellent papaya salad. I had the Pad Thai. It was good. I lot of places I've been it's either dry and the noodles are stuck together, or it's goopy and over sauced. This was good and flavorful, and I felt satisfied, and not remorseful after eating it. My friend had a beef dish with Shitake mushrooms, I don't remember the name but it was tasty. I'll definitely be back
(4)
Christopher T.
Nice decor, very modern setting, and the service was good. I ordered the Pad Thai - didn't taste like the traditional, greasy, salty pad thai I'm used to at other Thai restaurants but I learned to appreciate it quickly. They get an extra star for serving up one of the best Thai Iced Tea I've had in a long time. Very potent and tasty!
(4)
G A.
I feel bad writing this review because it isn't going to be super positive and I wish it could be. I've eaten here a lot and I believe that it is starting to go downhill. The style is something like Californian/Thai and reminds me of some of the cool modern style restaurants in Bangkok. Which is a good thing compared to the aging cookie-cutter Thai places you find all around the bay-area. I find the food & flavor combinations interesting and appealing. The salmon rolls and salad for example have a wonderful and surprising combinations of textures and tastes. Three types of pad thai and none of them quite what other Thai restaurants offer. Good fried rice, nice curried vegetables. ok ok you get the point. So what's the problem? Its a little expensive so you expect a little "more". And until recently you did get "more". Up till the end of last year (can't remember when it opened but I was there that week). Everything was wonderful and carefully prepared. Last time I ate here I had the salmon pad thai. The salmon was good but had a strange layer of fat on it that was not so pleasant. The pad thai noodles were a twisted mass that was hard to break up. Since it was so stuck together the sauce didn't really penetrate it and it didn't taste like much. And that wasn't just one bad day. Its been more like that the last several times I've been. Worse, after a little while I started to feel shaky and just generally weird. My wife chalked it up to MSG. I don't know if I have had a reaction to MSG before or if this place uses it now. Maybe it was the salmon, I don't know but the experience left me feeling like I wont be returning very soon.
(3)
Sue K.
I love their "salmon fresh spring roll" . the shop people are really nice. I recommend this place to my friend often.
(5)
Jen K.
Gecko Gecko has the girthiest spring roll I have ever eaten. When it came to our table I felt my eyes bulging out of their sockets. If you have a restaurant.com certificate Gecko squared might be worth checking out but if you want authentic, this is not the place. The dishes lack the punch that we love about real Thai cooking. Every time we drive by it's always crowded so maybe it's just me. But me says, if you wanna play with the big boys Marnee Thai is the way to go.
(3)
Carolyn S.
Went for dinner with a friend. The staff is indeed very friendly. We had the mango-roast duck rolls and sweet potato fries to start. Both very good in my book. For entree, we had the mango-pine nut fried rice and pumpkin curry. Again, two winners. I would definitely order those two dishes again. Not too many diners when we were there, so I'm glad to read in other reviews that the place is busy for lunch. A little out of the way for me, but if I'm in Berkeley and I want Thai, this place is definitely high on the list.
(4)
Jeremy G.
I certainly love Thai food and was excited to try some in an area with a stronger Asian presence. Gecko Gecko has a classy, but not overwhelming interior. The menu has the basics, but a lot of interesting dishes that don't make it onto other Thai menus. I also like that the menu is not a textbook of a cuisine. I went for the country pad thai which came in a tomato-garlic chili sauce instead of the usual tamarind. It was really good and I enjoyed the tofu and huge shrimp that came with the noodles. My only problem is that I ordered my food too spicy. This was totally my fault because I usually don't get spicy enough if I go conservative. That being said, I was still a champ and finished my noodles and even with the massive heat, I still loved them. The prices here are pretty decent and while you don't get gargantuan portions, you really get just enough to fill you up. So definitely check this place out, but be cautious of how spicy you order your dish.
(4)
Laurent C.
Good food, good prices.
(4)
Jess K.
This restaurant is a find! Gecko Gecko is a clean and relaxing restaurant I have been to several times and each meal is served graciously. Sometimes you may have to wait a bit longer, but I just attribute it to fresh food being cooked. The food is delicious and fresh and the flavors are subtle and unique. I have tried multiple seafood and veggie dishes and each is seasoned to compliment, but not overpower the respective dish. The price point is fabulous and certainly is easy on the wallet. This is now our destination restaurant before our theater dates. May Gecko Gecko continue to be successful!
(4)
Olivia O.
Gecko Gecko is currently my favorite Thai place in Berkeley. I go for lunch frequently during the work week. Love the vegetarian fresh rolls, the mango is such a great touch. Also love the sauteed egg plant-- the fried mushrooms are amazing! Service is friendly and I love the natural light that floods through the windows. The only reason that I don't give it five stars is because it is inconsistent. Some days it is absolutely amazing, other days it is just good. Never bad in my experience though! Definitely worth a try!
(4)
Jennifer W.
I like their food a lot, although they are on the pricy side for lunch around here. Nice presentation of the food, delicate, and sweet (but not too sweet). My favorites are the mango duck wrap and pad thai.
(4)
Gabe A.
Had lunch here today with a co-worker. The service was attentive. The food came out with the alacrity you would expect from a good Asian restaurant. The food was very fresh. We ordered the Salmon rolls to appetize us. These were really good, plump and fresh. They had nice sauce served with a tiny spoon for spooning instead of dipping. Nice touch. My colleague ordered the pumpkin curry lunch special and I ordered garlic basil eggplant w/tofu lunch special. Each order came with a choice of fresh roll or corn fritters or sweet potato fries. My colleague got the fresh roll and I got the corn fritters. The fresh roll was pretty much the same as the Salmon roll, only it had tofu. Very good again. The corn fritters were these fried golden corn cakes that had all of the fried goodness you would expect from anything named a "fritter". It also came with a yet another sauce which went very well with it. Later I saw the waiter come out with some of the sweet potato fries for another table and was momentarily jealous that I didn't order them. They looked really good! The eggplant dish we very well done and my colleague really enjoyed his pumpkin curry. I really wanted to see what they had in the way of dessert but we were out of time and I was at 80% anyway, so I thought better of it. I look forward to trying this place again with my wife next time we are running around in Berkeley. The food is fresh and there was a steady stream of diners coming in. I am glad for the owners. Looks like they may have hit a on good formula for this location.
(4)
Chuck W.
I have been here a number of times and the food is consistently high quality. The ingredients are fresh and the flavor is just right, not too salty or too spicy. The ginger cashew saute has good amount of meat and vegetables, in which I could find bell pepper, celery, asparagus, carrot, and pumpkin. I could tell from the crunchness of the vegetables that they are fresh and not overcooked. The sweet potato fries comes with an awesome batter and great sauce to dip with. The pineapple duck curry is also one of my favorites that comes with generous portion of duck meat with little fat. I rarely give out 5 stars but I think this one deserves it.
(5)
Karen Z.
Well-decorated place for Thai food. I went there for lunch and there was quite occupied by people working nearby. The service is good and the price is very reasonable as well. I will definitely take my family there next time!
(5)
Rebekah R.
Yummy! Fresh in all senses of the word. . . . the food, the atmosphere, the twists on classics! Great tastes and friendly staff make this a casual enough yet still a classy place to dine. The smoked salmon spring rolls are delicious!
(4)
Katie Y.
Delicious, innovative, great quality/price/portion ratio. For a restaurant that's reasonably priced enough to go often, delicious enough to want to keep coming back, and with enough great dishes to recommend to visitors/parents/locals who haven't tried it yet, it definitely gets five stars from me. I'd say this is as good as it gets for the "reasonably priced sit down-but-not-grungy fusion food" market in Berkeley :)
(5)
Jennifer G.
chicken satay in peanut sauce, excellent! sauteed wide noodles, excellent! very nice restaurant with excellent food and staff.
(5)
Jessie M.
The food here is SO delicious. I tend to order take-out here, so I don't know about the atmosphere, but it's all about the food. The Virgin Pad Thai is the best "American" pad thai I've had, and the duck curry wraps are amazing, especially for the price. The coconut soup gets more delicious every time I try it -- I think they're still trying out different ingredients in there, and it's better than any coconut soup in town! A little on the pricey side, but everything else is really reasonable. The seasonal dishes on the menu all look intriguing, so I can't wait to keep trying new dishes! I do wish they served alcohol, that might get me to sit down and eat there, but I think it's the best take-out in town.
(5)
Steve S.
Really good thai food. The prices are not bad either, and the place looks kinda fancy (or at least fancier than most thai restaurants that I have been to). I had garlic sautee and my friend had the yellow curry - both were really good. I will come back to try more dishes.
(4)
Sandra H.
I love this place. Learned about it from a guy I used to work with who knew it to be the sister restaurant to Citrus and Spice (San Rafael) another favorite. I always get the Peanut Curry Dish...usually with chicken or last night with tofu. So yummy. Last night I ordered the sticky rice with mango....beautiful and delicious. They do thai food right, there. I usually go on the night of whatever Berkeley Rep performance I have....very convenient...and the service is timely. The food is great and the prices are very good, for Thai food....so I'm giving it a top rating.
(5)
Trisha V.
I love Thai food for their strong, savory flavors that I can't get anywhere else. Yesterday I ordered the mango roast duck rolls and it rocked. The veggies were fresh and colorful, and the sauce was sweet and tangy. The only thing I had to complain about the dish was that it came with only four rolls (two rolls sliced), and it seemed more like an appetizer than a real entree. Quite expensive if you ask me. I get full very easily with a stomach the size of a peanut, and I was not near to being full. Their thai tea was good; one of the cheapest I could find in decent restaurants. Mango and sticky rice dessert was fantastic; though it could be a bit too sweet with my thai tea and all. At the end of the day, I felt like I had sweetness overload. Overall, the food is great; just a tad expensive for the amount you get.
(3)
Jim S.
Gecko Gecko is as reliable a lunch spot as you can find in the downtown Berkeley area. The lunch specials are tasty, though the portion size is a little small. However, this isn't terrible as it means I am less inclined to take a nap after eating. I recommend the coconut soup.
(4)
Jeff B.
Disappointed. After reading all of the positive Yelp reviews, and getting a recommendation from a friend, I dined here on a weekday evening. The location is great, right near the center of Berkeley. The decor is pleasant. The food was pretty good. But the service was really disappointing. The wait staff spent most of their time huddled by the kitchen door, out of sight of the diners. That, of course, made it difficult to get their attention. And that made for an unpleasant experience.
(2)
Mari K.
I am so happy I finally went here - everything was de-lic-ious! (3 people) We ordered: papaya apple and something else salad which was so pretty in the presentation, and we devoured it daikon cakes with tofu, these were amazing you'd never guess the daikon patty things were daikon! vegetable! they had a great, chewy and moist texture- the entire dish was sooo good butternut squash yellow curry - this was by far my favorite because the curry sauce was out of this world good. especially on brown rice (they offer brown or white) their were tomatoes, pieces of squash, broccoli, carrots and i'm sure some other vegetables which all tasted perfect lastly this basil roasted eggplant thing which was really good, a few pieces of eggplant were slightly undercooked maybe? but that didn't really matter they offer lots of vegetarian options and meat options, and always have some sort of daily special i can't wait to go back and try something else!
(5)
Finis E.
So, I'm having lunch here every week or so and I think it deserves 4 stars. Their fresh rolls are terrific and their eggplant green curry is great. Their salads are very fresh and well prepared (I particularly like the papaya salad: it's awesome!) and the guys who work there are super efficient and nice.
(4)
Sai-Kit C.
Went here last night for dinner; it definitely won't be the last. 'Fresh and clean' is the immediate sense you get when you enter the restaurant - it's not huge, but thoughtfully laid out with stools for takeout and enough space between tables that you feel as though you have enough room. The entire area is clean, bright and comfortable feeling, laying the groundwork for a great dining experience. This carries over to their food - they offer the traditional Thai dishes (Pad Thai, an assortment of curries, grilled meats, etc.), each generally available with a California-style twist. Each dish we had was cooked and seasoned excellently, without the abundance of oil that seems to be the trademark of other Thai restaurants in the area. We started with the coconut milk soup: super flavorful, not overly heavy, with generous chunks of mushroom and chicken. I had the curry fried rice with flank steak (on the menu, it's with chicken but they were able to sub the steak with no problems). Again, excellently done, with bite-sized slivers of medium-rare steak accompanied with cucumber-and-chili-garnished Thai fish oil. My friend had the salmon over pad thai - the fish arrived at the table with a perfect golden crust, flaking easily with a cut of the fork. I didn't have a chance to try the pad thai, wanting to have enough room to finish my plate and dessert, but my friend greatly enjoyed it. Dessert was the fried bananas with ice cream. It's hard to go wrong with this, and they didn't disappoint at all. Delicately-fried bananas were served alongside scoops of mango and green tea ice cream, with several different syrups adding a variety of nuanced flavors. Bonus points for the elegant presentation. Service was fantastic - we were made to feel like family here, being greeted immediately at the door. I did not want for water or drink refills, plates were brought out and cleared at a comfortable, efficient pace and everyone we met was friendly and courteous. Prices are more than fair, and portions were generous. I recommend this place without reservation, and look forward to experiencing the whole menu.
(5)
Claudine J.
Music was way too loud this time. Food is still good; we ask for extra sauce and make a dinner out of two dishes easily.
(4)
Emily L.
I was always passing by this place to get to downtown Berkeley. One night, I was starving and Thai food came to mind; that's when I decided to skate on over and get myself take-out. Paid almost $10 for Country Pad Thai and Thai Tea. I know Thai food is pricey, but damnnnn, really? $10? Maybe the price makes me a little more bias, but the food, as beautifully decorated as it was, seemed just alright. Thai tea could've been better. I guess this place isn't as fittingly appropriate for college students. I'd rather make the long trip to Thai Basil.
(2)
liz d.
Everything was delicious. The Country Pad Thai was fresh and interesting. The Peanut Curry with chicken was comforting with a pleasant kick. The service was prompt and very friendly. And although the street parking was ridiculous (never happened, in fact) the garage around the corner was cheap enough. A perfect place for a before The Freight or Rep meal.
(5)
D H.
Can't believe I've passed by this place so many times and never been in. It's my new favorite Thai place in Berkeley (OK Thai/California fusion). Everything was extremely fresh and well-flavored and they made my food low-salt with no fuss. Nice atmo without being snobby. I'll be a regular!
(4)
Elle C.
prices were comparable to the other thai restaurants in the area, but the food is the first I've tasted here that's been WELL WORTH IT. The pumpkin curry was very very delicious and not oily- I ordered to go and there was no nasty separation of oil and curry--and they substituted extra veggies since i couldnt have soy. ill def. be back!
(5)
Sarah S.
gecko gecko is one of my favorite go-to restaurants in berkeley. the food is fresh, the price is fair, the servers are SO friendly. the restaurant is always super clean, which is not something to take for granted in downtown berkeley. i love that the wall art changes periodically; there is always something new to look at. very in-tune with the "Berkeley Art District" neighborhood in which it resides - always a fun stroll. my personal favorite item on the menu has got to be the spring rolls. whether you get the rolls with shrimp, tofu, or fresh salmon, you won't be disappointed. the rolls i had most recently included mango and pear. also mint, i think. soooo good. another favorite of mine is the basil eggplant entree. some of the eggplant is grilled, some is breaded. yum! and the coconut soup. LOVE. as far as sides go, don't miss the sweet potato fries - they are not your typical sweet potato fry. i'm actually not even sure that the sweet potato fries are even made out of sweet potato... taro root, maybe? in any event, try them! i would have to say that the pad thai dishes at GG are not my favorite, but this may be because of the stiff thai competition in berkeley (thai noodle is my favorite). GG has recently really upped their service since they took off - i don't think they were expecting to become so popular! i love the service staff - everyone is so nice (especially Bill). leftovers are always swept back into the kitchen and packaged for you to go. orders called in ahead of time are always ready to go right when you get there. i have been in GG as a part of a couple, i have been in GG as a part of a group of 20+, i have been in with my parents... the staff always greets me with a smile. and they knew my order by visit number 5!
(5)
Betty C.
Beautiful and delicious food. Ultimate Seafood Pad Tai
(5)
julie b.
I try not to write bad reviews but I have to here. I have been to this restaurant twice. After my first dismal experience a few days after they opened I thought I'd give it a while to settle in and go back for another try, since it's right down the street from me. Bad idea. The service was slow. It took 30 mins for my food to arrive. I ordered the lunch special of Mahi Mahi with a yellow curry on top of green beans. The sauce was okay and the green beans were fine but the fish was clearly not fresh or fresh frozen. It was smelly and dry to the core. When the server came by to check on me I told her the fish was dry. When she picked up my plate (well after I was ready), the entire piece of fish was on it with one bite taken out. I thought I could just pay the check and then go, but when she brought the check she pointed out a 10% discount on the fish. They gave me $1 off! I was so insulted. I really would have preferred to pay the whole thing rather than have them imply that they were being fair by this offering. A better way to handle it would have been to offer me something different at the time that I told her the fish was dry. Most would have. So there you have it. One person's experience.
(1)
Bettina H.
Best Thai Iced Tea ever! The curry puffs were amazing and the pad thai was above par. Will definitely visit again.
(5)
Melissa E.
This place is great! And so much better than the other Thai places in Berkeley. We had a company event catered by Gecko Gecko and the food was delivered right on time, was hot, deliciously yummy and we got exactly what we ordered. The staff was very nice when I placed the order over the phone. We ordered dinner for 15 people on less than a week's notice and they were more than happy to fill our order. We ordered 6 different appetizers and 5 different entrees so people could have a little of everything and was still very affordable. It was also the perfect choice to satisfy all the dietary restrictions of my co-workers. We have a vegan, one person who won't eat chicken, one person who won't eat red meat, one person who won't eat shellfish. I'm so glad a really good restaurant opened up in Downtown Berkeley too. Everyone at the office is excited to get them to deliver our future company lunches from now on. Dishes I would highly recommend: Pumpkin Curry, Curry Puffs, Sweet Potato Fries, Mango Duck Rolls or Fresh Rolls, Sweet Potato Yellow Curry, Grilled Mahi Mahi, Yogurt-Coconut Curry Salmon. Oh and the Mango Sticky Rice was a very yummy dessert.
(5)
Maria Elena K.
This place has done it again. So Fresh and Clean and ohh the Flavors! The service is fantastic and the way the meal is presented is gourmet-like for a great price. Last night we had the yogurt curry salmon which was amazing; and I ordered the salmon pad thai. It was the best Pad Thai I have had in the area!
(5)
Rick S.
Dined first time at Gecko last night and were impressed by three essential elements to a satisfying restaurant visit. For the quality of food, Gecko is a bargain. Second, you definitely get the feeling that the staff is taking care of you - that they want you to be a happy gourmand. And most important (as it seems all but the most most picky Yelps agree) the freshness of the food, the presentation, and the taste of each of the entrees we ordered was excellent. Give Gecko a try.
(5)
S R.
This place was really yummy, innovative menu, and the staff was very helpful and attentive. I would come again.
(4)
Fozzie D.
Great place, great flavors. Went during lunch, the place was CROWDED, but service was prompt and organized. Tried many dishes (group of us) and all were spectacular and flavorful. Highly recommend.
(5)
Jeff Z.
Finally tried this restaurant after walking by for some months. Had a lunch special that included appetizer- spring roll was very fresh and huge- delicious, satay chicken a ltiile small on portion size but very flavorful. Restaurant is attractive, very clean with friendly, efficient servers. We will be back.
(5)
Julia B.
I was there last night and ordered something from the dinner special menu--eggplant and salmon with red curry sauce, and a separate order of brown rice. The eggplant with the curry was really, really delicious--the texture of the eggplant was perfect (a little stringy but soft) with a slight roast flavor. The salmon was tasty and fresh but I'm not sure it was a terribly good combination with the eggplant. I think another vegetable, say mushroom, would have been better than the salmon. The brown rice was really tasty also. The entree was beautifully "plated"--and only $9.95! The place was really pretty empty (we got there just before 8:00 p.m.). Loved their menu--so many interesting choices.
(5)
Notmy R.
I found Gecko Gecko disappointing. The main thing to know is that this is not Thai: this seemed more like an Americanized, watered-down version for folks who haven't had Thai and are a little scared of it. Actually, it seemed a bit more like Chinese cooking to me (the names of the dishes were Thai-sounding, but the preparation seemed like standard Americanized Chinese to me). Some comments on a few of the dishes we had: My dining companion absolutely loved the taro-corn fritter (though I thought it was nothing special). The jicama-apple-papaya salad was inoffensive, nicely crunchy, on the bland side. The vegetarian fresh roll was edible but lacking in flavor. The garlic onion beef was OK, I guess, but really nothing special: it was totally non-spicy (despite asking for it to be a bit hotter than medium spicy) and had an odd set of veggies (potatoes, chives, celery, yellow onions) that made it seem more like a Chinese stir-fry. The peanut sauce broccoli-tofu-spinach-bok choi was not great: the broccoli was good, and the peanut sauce was yummy, but the bok choi seemed really lame in a vegetarian dish (who likes bok choi? it's a filler item). In a vegetarian dish, the vegetables really matter a lot, and at a place that advertises itself as Thai-fusion, I would have thought that there'd be a lot of attention to good fresh veggies, but that didn't seem to be the case. Again, the bok choi made me think of Chinese cooking. The service was fine, the ambience was nice, and I liked the decoration. But that doesn't make up for weak food. Overall, I thought there was nothing terribly wrong with the restaurant, but it seemed limp and uninspired. It was not a hit. I probably won't be back. It might be fine for tourists who want to try a safe, unchallenging meal, but not for your foodie friends or for fans of Thai food.
(2)
Tiffany V.
Delicious! Love the red curry w/ pineapples & the peanut curry. Nice staff and a nice atmostphere.
(5)
c p.
WOW! We loved it! Duck Roll appetizer was 4 big halves and wonderful flavor and dipping sauce. I had the spicey Pad Thai and it was not too spicey and excellent flavor with big shrimp. My friend had the one with Tamarin sauce and loved it. The feta cheese complement sprinkled on top was really a nice addition. This is not really a vegetarian restaurant, because they serve seafoold.
(5)
Jim B.
I've had lunch here a couple of times and dinner once (tonight). The food is very fresh and very tasty. I especially like the fact that they don't overcook vegetables. It's right down the street from the Berkeley Rep, so it's a great place to go for a quick bite before a show. And it's cheap, too. Dinner tonight was $26 for two people. My only rap is that they don't have a liquor license so I couldn't have a beer with my spicy food.
(4)
Noor D.
Perfect combo of tastyyyy, cheeeeap, and cloooose to my home. What more could I ask for? Really solid, quality Thai food, with most things priced around $7/8. Their curries are something special... the eggplant green curry was really just oh so delicious... very flavorful and just the right level of spice. They also had some really interesting look salads... next time.
(5)
Elana M.
Their country pad thai is a surprisingly tasty take on the classic dish. I'm excited to try their other food!
(4)
edward w.
i love authentic thai and was suspicious about thai californian, but gecko gecko totally won me over. the "jammin salmon" is a great refreshing green curry dish, with lightly grilled salmon and lots of green veggies. both flavorful and healthy. the service is courteous and attentive, and the ambiance is pleasant. plus, how can you say no to sweet potato fries???
(5)
Sahar A.
It is the best Thai restaurant in Berkele. The coconut soup was excellent. I've been there 6 times in one month very clean and neat place and nice staff. I miss their food.
(5)
Pei Pei T.
This place is mediocre at best.
(2)
Alicia L.
Despite being on the pricey side, Gecko Gecko is really able to deliver. Their pad thai was delicious and their service was great. The way they present the food is also really pretty. Love the restaurant - clean and friendly.
(4)
Svetlana K.
Wow! We were so blown away by this place...everything on the menu looked absolutely amazing. And then when we did got our food it was soooo yummy!!! I can't imagine anything on their menu that wouldn't taste just as incredible. I feel like you have to keep coming back to this place over and over again just to get a chance to try all their menu items. I also found out you can make reservations ahead of time, which makes a lot of sense if you come around dinner time. This place fills up fast!!! Have fun! I wish I could join you!
(5)
Sarah S.
This place is great! I've been going since they opened and am so happy they are doing well. The classic pad Thai is great and the coconut soup is some of the best I've had. The waitstaff is super friendly too!
(4)
Tiffany J.
My boyfriend and I came here on a Tuesday night, and for some reason there were so many people! It took forever to get seated, and even longer (45 minutes!!) for out food to come out after we ordered! My boyfriend ordered the pad see ew (they call it the thick pan-fried noodle or something), and this place made it a little too sweet. I ordered the yogurt curry salmon. It was quite delicious! I loved it! It had the perfect amount of spicy, was not too heavy, but the salmon was a little small. The thai ice tea was also really good-- not too sweet and heavy. Yummy :) I WISH I could give the place 5 stars because the food IS delicious, but -1 for the extremely slow service, and -1 for the price. Our two entrees + rice + thai iced tea came out to about $30, and that's a little too much for thai food in my opinion. The food was great but not worth the twice.
(3)
Julia B.
Love this place! Come here a couple of times a month. Tried several dishes and they all taste amazing and are SO fresh! You have to let them know if you don't want it very spicy, cause it's HOT! Waiters are always nice and helpful, service is fast.
(5)
Shelby P.
Delicious food, helpful and cheery staff, and lovely cultural modern ambience! Definitely a good choice.
(4)
Kelli T.
When friends come to town and want Thai food, I always ask if they want Thai-Thai or California-Thai. Gecko-Gecko is my California Thai place. I almost always get the basil eggplant with tofu or chicken. It has these amazing fried mushrooms in it. I like the sweet potato fries best of the appetizer options for the lunch combo. The som tam (green papaya salad) is basically just like in Thailand. Or at least what they make for obviously white girls in restaurants, spicy enough to have some kick, but not so spicy that you cry the whole meal (and still keep eating it). The Thai iced tea is good, and they usually have fresh coconuts.
(5)
Annaliese D.
Went here for lunch on a Monday. Many of the tables were full, but they weren't overly busy, yet service was a little on the slow side. Not so bad that it was bad service, but if you are looking for a super quick lunch maybe you should let them know. We ordered chicken pad than and pumpkin curry with chicken and the spring roll appetizer. I knocked them down a star because their menu is misleading/confusing when it comes to the pad thai. It is listed under the entrees where it says you have the choice of tofu or chicken and prawns or seafood is extra BUT then in the pad thai description they include prawns. Therefore, if you order chicken pad thai you would expected there to be chicken and prawns...right? NOPE, my boyfriend sadly discovered that there were no prawns in his dish and even after asking the waiter who confirmed that it was just chicken pad thai. So don't be fooled like we were. Otherwise, both dishes were good. There was a little spice to the curry, but it was just a little hotter than what I would consider "mild." The chunks of pumpkin were large (although I prefer them cut smaller) and numerous and the sauce was creamy. Gecko Gecko is a little pricey in terms of Thai food, but we used a restaurant.com coupon and basically the appetizer comes out free. We had enough for leftovers as well. An added bonus is that they pack up the rice separately from the curry so the rice doesn't get soggy. You would think this was the norm, but too many times I've gone home with soggy rice so it is something I make note of.
(3)
Nick B.
Ultimate pad thai!
(5)
Becky S.
When I crave Thai food this place always hits the spot. They are not 100% authentic, but I think they improve on the traditional recipes by making them fresher and more distinct in flavor. I have tried 4 or 5 dishes here and everyone who I bring loves it. Some of the favorites are the salmon and the pumpkin curry. I also got fresh lamb rolls ( like a spring roll) and they were great! Like.. really.. yum. The prices are reasonable and the portions enough to have a fabulous little lunch the next day. I never feel sick or guilty after I stuff my buttons here.
(5)
Abban L.
When I'm in Berkeley and wanting some perfectly done salmon in exciting Thai sauces, I come to Gecko Gecko. This family-owned restaurant gets really creative with their sauces and salmon cooking methods. I've been here 3 times and been delighted with my food every time. The prices are quite reasonable, too. The corner store ambiance is comfortably sleek. Its location, a block away from the downtown Berkeley BART main entrance but tucked away from the busy streets, is ideal for a date, get together with friends, or colleague dinner.
(5)
Akvile H.
Stumbled upon this place while looking for a tasty Thai place to enjoy some lunch at with my husband after a busy day of errand running. The staff was welcoming, seated us right away, and their menu was interesting! Definitely some unique items on their menu such as salmon Pad Thai, but we tried it out! I had a variation of their Phad See Ewe and my husband had their Salmon Pad Thai. Both were delicious and I would have never guessed how tasty salmon would have been on top of the dish. They classify themselves as Thai-Californian, hence the unique variations of dishes, but definitely tasty! The place is small, quaint, full of light from the windows, however it could use a few more pieces of hanging art since the walls are a bit bare. The prices are comparable to other Thai places in the area and staff is very welcoming/friendly. I'd recommend checking them out!
(4)
Jess Y.
Some friends and I chose this restaurant because of its relatively convenient location and good Yelp reviews. We wanted Thai food too and this was one of the many Thai places in Berkeley. We ordered the Mango duck roll, pumpkin curry, Pad Thai, and maybe a rice dish. I'm not usually a fan of duck, but the Mango roll was fresh and delish! The place seemed clean and service was good which is always a plus. I'd come back here again but not often since it's not the cheapest option.
(4)
Kristy K.
I went here with my friend for lunch. We had the crispy rice salad and the country pad thai. Presentation of the food and service was great! The crispy rice salad was interesting. The sauce was spicy but had some freshness because of the mint. And it was warm because of the ground pork. It was okay, but I probably wouldn't order it again. I didn't really know the difference between the country pad thai and the classic. The country had the tangy tomato-chili garlic sauce, but I couldn't really notice the difference. I definitely liked the pad thai better than the salad.
(3)
Jana C.
Great Thai place in the Berkeley area. Will definitely return. Pros: 1. Hip interior 2. Great dishware (I know, weird, but I loved their bowls) 3. Tried 3 curries (yellow, red and green), all delicious Cons: 1. Can be busy 2. Noise level is higher 4. More pricey
(4)
Emmanuel C.
If you order outside of the normal noodles you will get such small portions with barely any meat or veggies(lemongrass steak, salmon rolls). However, ordering from the more normal entrees (pad thai, pad see ew) you will get such mountains of food that one must only wonder wth!
(3)
Kelly H.
After a tiring day of moving furniture into my new apartment, my family decided to eat here. I had heard about the restaurant while at volunteer position at the Japanese American Museum in San Jose... the owner's father was a visitor and he gave me the restaurant's card! We ordered a variety of dishes and opted to just share everything. I got Thai iced tea that comes in a little mug-jar type thing and it's super cute. We got a spring roll appetizer, pad thai (which I never have a problem with anywhere), Thai grilled chicken (super tender and moist), curry (standard), and pad see-ew. There were hardly any leftovers and every dish was delicious. The only (-)'s to this place are that the dining area is a little small (and always filled) and that it's a little far from campus (and kind of hard to find). How am I ever going to get here during the year without a car? :[ :[ I'm definitely coming back! :D
(5)
Stacey V.
We went on Saturday Dec. 14th before our show at Freight & Salvage what a great find. This place has excellent Thai food best I have eaten in California. We had Chicken Satay to start with and I had Peanut Curry with Chicken and my husband had Country Pad Thai. Next time we are going to hear music at Freight & Salvage we will be back for some very tasty thai food!!
(4)
K R.
The Mango Salad was really interesting. Positively recommended.
(4)
Brandon A.
Delicious ingredients and creative meals!
(4)
Michelle W.
Americanized Thai food - a first for me, but definitely won't be the last. Don't expect the traditional dishes. It's Thai cuisine with a twist! The food didn't exactly blow my mind, but the service and cheap menu provided will keep me coming back. Our waiter was extremely attentive, helpful, and didn't even put up a fuss when we exchanged our take out order since it smelled so disgustingly rotten (hopefully just a bad batch and not a normal thing). The prices here are unbelievably affordable, especially since they offer a student discount and even a $25 off $35 gc from restaurant.com . Perfect for the starving college students living nearby. For starters, we ordered the lobster potstickers off the specials menu. Nothing extravagant about them. If anything, I felt that they lacked flavor and meat inside the wrap. Dipping sauce was much needed. I also ordered the spicy basil chicken for my entree, which again, was skimped on the meat. Crumbled chicken bits and chopped green beans would have been much easier to devour in some kind of rice paper or veggie wrapping instead of flying off my chopsticks every few seconds. Perhaps I'm just utensil-challenged, but it was a bitch trying to pick up every little scrap off the plate. Other dishes tried - virgin pad thai and jammin' salmon. I thought the concept of substituting tamarind sauce with olive oil and lemon juice for the pad thai was interesting, but I honestly couldn't taste the difference. Don't be fooled by the single asterisks on the menu. The misrepresentation on levels of spiciness really got us. If one asterisk means a 5 on a range from 1-10, I can't imagine what kind of damage 3 asterisks can do. I won't bother to find out. Parking in this neighborhood is horrendous, so be prepared to make a walk. I'll probably come back to try the curry, but I'll need to buy more restaurant.com certificates first. Thumbs up for offering brown rice that wasn't undercooked.
(4)
Eric G.
I am shocked this place has 4 stars, there are so many things wrong with this place. To start the decor is minimal to the point that i was left asking myself "why did they even try", plain depressing. But the main issue I have is with their menu, 14 dollars for a pad Thai and 13 (12.95 for god sake stop using walmart approach to pricing, just round to dollars) for a tiny duck breast salad (listed as an entree). I think their prices are about 2 dollars off from where they should be. This place is not OSHA Thai by any means, yet their prices are pretty much the same level or a bit more expensive, I cant stop laughing about this comparison because OSHA blows this place out of the water and yet they are cheaper! haha Like I said, I ordered the entree duck breast and avocado salad, it arrived on a 9 inch plate with about 1/4 duck breast (about a 1 to 2 oz serving) and about 1/8 of an avocado chopped up. For 13 dollars in Berkeley I felt like I was robbed. Blah never coming back. There are much better options around.
(2)
Harsha G.
Thai Californian cuisine! yumm! I am all for fusion food at student discounts :) Absolutely love their Asian eggplant green curry. My friend loves her spicy peanut avacado curry. Their green tea is pretty so so. The rice portions are minuscule! Be forewarned that you will have to order for extra rice.
(4)
Rick B.
Gecko Gecko in Berkeley, CA - 3 stars: Tuesday 8/21/12. Very nice self-described Thai-California eatery within walking distance of UC-Berkeley. I had the classic pad thai and my mate had the ultimate pad thai and both were wonderful. Nothing spicy, just nice Thai cuisine served in a utilitarian if not Spartan dining room.
(3)
Kellen F.
Yeah, it's good. We planned on going to this restaurant for a long time but we didn't pull the trigger for a few months. I may have overhyped it in my mind, but that's not to say it was bad: THE GOOD? Plenty of open seating, reasonable ambiance, tasty fresh ingredients... and the price! I was more on the lines of "yeah, so-so" for the restaurant until I got the check and realized that it's actually quite reasonable. THE NOT-SO-GOOD? It's too dang quiet in there. I felt bad talking at any more than a whisper for fear of drowning out the quiet jazz playing in the background. I wish it had a bit more of a bustle to it. Also, some of the dishes were good, but lacked anything "special". We got the spring rolls and they were full of fresh vegetables, but tasted exactly like that: an assortment of raw, fresh vegetables wrapped in a rubbery rice exterior. Ultimately what makes me give it a 4 over a 3 star review is the idea that "you get what you pay for"; that is to say that considering the price, the experience was quite good.
(4)
Betty P.
Are you a healthy FREAK? But want to eat something healthy and tasty? Are you sick of just eating salad and the boring oh bland stuff that doesn't have much taste to it???? Well you are in LUCK! Ding ding ding... I love GECKO! Not the insurance but the GECKO Restaurant. The food is VERY healthy and very tasty.... *grasp for air as I smell the yummy food*. The price is slightly on the higher side but you get the best quality of food and its all ORGANIC. So its not MSG and all that crappy stuff in there. Surprisingly you don't feel heavy and sleepy after a full meal... You feel great and also satisfied. :) So far I've tried the following: - Fresh spring roll with prawns - Mango salad (asked to add on green apples- you wont regret it) - Basil chicken - Seafood Pad Thai - Curry Fried Rice with grilled chicken on the top - Red Snapper Curry with brown rice on the side. - For dessert --- Mangos with sticky sweet rice - Let me tell you! Their mangos are absolutely SWEET. Doesn't matter what season it is, they always seem to find the perfect mango that hits the spot. I haven't had anything on the menu that I didn't like. My new healthy spot to go to. Try it out, you wont regret it.
(5)
Courtney F.
I love to come to this place. They have a great Thai-Asian cuisine. I LOVE the corn fritters they have! Pretty much everything on the menu is great. They do however close in late afternoon for an hour or so. Make sure to check their business hours before going.
(4)
kimberly v.
I hadn't quite gravitated to Gecko Gecko despite its proximity to my work until a colleague suggested it for lunch one day. I've been back a couple of times since, which speaks to the good quality of the food. I'm not sure I would really call it Thai, more like Thai-California fusion- which is how they bill themselves, but everything I've had has been quite tasty. The clear winner is the salmon, in almost every application - the grilled salmon salad, the "jammin salmon" - a clear indicator that it's not country Thai we're talking about, and the one with butternut squash and eggplant. It seems to be consistently perfectly cooked, not overly dry the way most Asian resaurants serve it, but not so very rare that your midwest relatives are afraid they've been led to sushi. I've also had yummy daikon cakes, good if mild curries, and ok Pad Thai and Tom Ka Gai. For my money, I'd probably prefer a more authentic Thai experience, with spicier dishes, but as long as I don't compare, and just evaluate the food on whether it's tasty or not, GG fares very well. It seems like the sort of place you could take a virgin to Thai food and have them like it - it's very clean, and the square plates and decor give it a slightly hipper and more upscale vibe than other Thai places. The relentlessly hard surfaces, however, can make the noise level rise quickly, so if you're losing your mid-range, like me, you may want to take someone you didn't really want to listen to!
(4)
vic f.
I have to agree with previous reviewers. Fusion Thai in Berkeley?!? Why bother when you can get the real thing times 12 within 3 blocks of this place. Don't get me wrong, the food is alright, you might even say tasty. We had the Pad Thai and Mahi Mahi lunch specials and they were good, the portions could use some work. I guess the "fusion" part of the place comes in with jazz musak overhead and the funky square plates, this for 13 bucks a head includestip. What I am saying is keep it real, charge me for the food. Isn't that what a resto is all about?
(3)
Andrea C.
I came here with Papa before checking out a show at Berkeley Rep (just down the street on Addison). We got in at about 615, and our show was at 7. We didn't get our entrees until 647. I was watching the clock with hunger until we got our food. The ambiance of the place is very cute, it is clean, friendly, and crisp looking. There were some breautiful orchids and the menus are well organized. However, this does not make up for the lagging service. Once we were lucky enough to get our food, we were not checked up on once. I got my water refilled a few times, but with no words excanged. We started with the curry puffs, which were too flaky but not the worst I've ever had. My entree (which took it's sweet time) was a chicken satay over fried rice, which was a bit bland. The rice was unimaginative and the chicken was just blah, not tender or juicy, just kind of there. My Papa had the Butternut Squash Salmon, which was gone rather quickly. We both agreed that it was just alright, but uninspiring. It was a whatever, forgetable meal.
(2)
Kenneth C.
The only reason I stepped into this restaurant was because the line at Zabu Zabu was unbearable. It was around 8 PM and the restaurant was completely empty. To be honest, I don't really remember what I ordered, but it definitely didn't stand out. It was just a restaurant, nothing really appealed to me and the waiters were very indifferent towards us.
(3)
Toni M.
We have walked past this place many times on our way to Berkeley Rep or elsewhere. Alan has eaten here once but I hadn't until tonight. We were taking DGD to the Wild Bride at Berkeley Rep (or thought we were...that's a story for another day) and decided to have dinner here beforehand. Ilana wanted a bowl of the Thai spicy and sour soup. We also ordered salmon w/ sauteed shiitake and Asian eggplant, "the ultimate" classic seafood pad thai and lamb w/ green beans, all off the specials menu. We had two orders of brown rice. Ilana had Thai iced tea and I had hot tea. Alan drank water. The soup arrived first. It was a generous bowl for $4.95 and Ilana shared several bites. It was flavorful and full of chunks of chicken and a variety of vegetables. It was an excellent soup. The other three mains arrived shortly after the soup was finished. The lamb was good, w/ al dente green beans and broccoli along w/ other vegetables. It was tasty, but not as flavorful as expected, probably because we asked that it be a little less spicy than medium. The pad thai noodles were finer than I'm used to. The seafood consisted of a piece of salmon, a couple of mussels, some shrimp and some bits of calamari. There were lots of vegetables. It was good, but seemed pricy at $13.95. I've had better, cheaper pad thai at other restaurants in the area. My favorite dish was the salmon, which had a richness and complexity I really liked. I enjoyed all the vegetables in all the dishes and the sauce in each dish was different so there was a good contrast between them. Service was attentive. The restaurant was crowded but dishes came out of the kitchen smoothly and w/o much of a wait. I'd return.
(4)
Alex R.
A Thai restaurant can't compete in Berkeley, unless it's pretty darn good (see Tuk Tuk Thai, Thai Noodle, Plearn, Anchalee, Wat Mongkolratanaram, all which are amongst my top faves in the area). Gecko Gecko now definitely ranks highly in my Thai restaurant faves! Came with a group of 6, did family style ($20 each, including drinks, tax and tip), and walked out very happy. I never give 5 stars unless the service is excellent. I am definitely coming back. Mango-roast duck rolls: a GREAT starter. Filled with mint, fresh veggies, pear, slices of duck, a great balance between sweet and savory. Coconut milk soup: at first I was skeptical, but this ended up being one of my favorites. Again, a great play on sweet and savory, with your choice of chicken or tofu. MUST try! Traditional Green Papaya Salad: SPICY! But, my favorite dish here. I LOVE the spicy kick, comes with prawns, tomatoes and a great sauce. Virgin Pad Thai: a very delish and simple twist on the classic pad thai. The olive oil really makes the dish unique, would be even great for those who are new to Thai food. Peanut curry, Pumpkin red curry, and Chili-lemongrass (free range) Lamb saute were all cooked very well as well. Peanut lovers must try the peanut curry!
(5)
Kris G.
because it's right around the corner from my work, i have been to this place more times than i can count, and usually i very much enjoy the food. but there's one sin i just can't forgive, and gecko gecko has committed it on multiple occasions: cold food. i love their tangy country pad thai, and prefer to get it with salmon, but the last three times i've had it, the noodles were hot but the fish was cold. cold fish on hot noodles is not appetizing. you would think that this major faux-pas would have me lowering their review to 3 stars or even 2, but it's really been their ONLY flaw. the service is speedy and attentive, the rest of the menu is yummy as well, and the pricing is totally reasonable. so despite the fact that they have served me cold fish on more than one occasion, i'm still totally willing to back them with 4 stars. fix the fish, and y'all can go up to 5!!
(4)
Jennifer W.
I'm not sure if I get the appeal of this place, especially since they've converted from super brightly lit white to dim and moody. Pretty contemporary overall, like any other Thai restaurant these days. The service is not bad, but a little slow. The food is decent. It's not that inventive, but pretty reliable dishes. Portions are not large, but filling enough. The sticky rice is dry and becomes a clump. It didn't seem fresh and had a tinge of yellow. The veggies with peanut sauce was like a salad with peanut sauce poured over it. The tofu was not fried, just plain. The pad thai was fine, but what a teeny tiny sliver of lime. Overall, very "Meh. I've experienced better."
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Thea B.
This is my favorite minimum-wage-earning-college-student place to go to when I'm feeling a bit frisky with my money. So it is a little bit in the mid-range price area for dining... It is so worth it. Especially for lunch. For a mere 9 or so dollars you can have the best pineapple duck curry that I have had in a long time. Lunch special only though, so be careful when you go because dinner prices are a bit steeper. But I promise you, if you appreciate good duck, or good Thai food, go to Gecko Gecko. I have never been disappointed with a single dish I have gotten there (and lemme tell you, I have ordered items aplenty from this fine establishment). And oh my gosh if you are in the mood for some amazing coconut ice cream and fried bananas, prepare your taste buds. On a side note, the service is great. I think they refilled my water cup like 20 times. That's how you know they are pros.
(5)Ira S.
Good food! Jazz on radio a bit too frenetic at times but not enough to ask them to turn it down
(4)Krystal W.
This was a fun little place. We decided to eat here for one very simple reason, there was parking right down the street. But I was very happy to find that we had made a good choice! The meal was delicious! I highly recommend the Spicy Basil Chicken! I couldn't stop eating it and I completely cleaned my plate. I also recommend the Jasmin tea. The tea was particularly good, come to find out they mix the Jasmin with some Thai Tea and it gives it a yummy almost vanilla flavor. For appetizers I recommend the curry puffs and fresh spring rolls. For those of you who like vegetarian spring rolls, try these with a small hint of mango! mmmm I would definitely come here again.
(4)Karen W.
My friends and I went there on 8/9 and ordered the butternut squash salmon, classic pad thai and ultimate pad thai and all were very good. Ambience was very nice and I looked that the place was right on the corner and easy to find. Parking is not that great but there's a parking lot for $2 per hour a few steps away.
(4)Natalie W.
had a night out with friends to a show at the Rep. we were seated quickly as we arrived before the dinner rush hour began. we decided to treat this as family style as plates were set on the table and we weren't sure if that was the expectation. Pros: pumpkin curry eggplant dish peanut curry indian curry samosa (or something like that in the app list) thai iced tea - on the sweet side but was good. they served it in a small mason jar so it was actually a good size for the sweetness they put the meat on the side so we could share our dishes with the vegetarian friends Cons: sweet tater fries - they were actually taro, not at all sweet potato. fried in tempura and was soggy pad thai - overly sweet and just off tasting crispy crab wonton - they were ok, not sure if the dipping sauce or the crab was very salty we were seated very quickly but then never saw the waitress again. had to call someone to our table after waiting almost half an hour. we weren't checked on again for the night until we called for the check. while service was lacking, i give the place 3 stars as some of the dishes were tasty and i'd get them again if i am in the area again. it's located across the street from the rep so the location is ideal. i saw smaller groups get faster service than we did so if you go, expect slower service in a large group.
(3)Liz S.
I almost wish I hadn't started writing this review because now I'm desperately craving the Pad See Ew. I've never had Pad See Ew that I enjoyed more. The flavor is so fresh; the egg in particular tastes like it just fell out of a chicken. The brocolli is also crunchy and fresh, and the noodles are mouthwatering. Unfortunately, I can't vouch for anything else the restaurant serves because I've never been able to order anything else.... but why would you want to??
(5)Sarah Evan C.
I had a great meal here with friends and this is the sort of place I'd like to return to try different dishes - their menu has a lot to offer!
(4)Chaney K.
Food is excellent, but during peak times it is so loud that talking is nearly impossible. Check it out when it's not too busy.
(3)Laci S.
We've only tried this place once, but we liked it good enough. There are so many Thai places around here, but I think Gecko Gecko sets itself apart because its clean, and modern decor. The pumpkin dishes are excellent! We will be coming back for sure!
(4)Gal S.
I came here with a friend and really enjoyed the place. Can get a little crowded but the service was really efficient and the food was great. Will definitely come back...
(4)Jose O.
This place is definitely a little more pricey than a lot of the other Thai places I've been to. If you were twisting my arm, I'd say that food is not bad. Nothing has jumped out at me when I've gone here. Had the Tom Yum soup, which is always a staple of mine and it was decent. I'm not a Thai expert so I'm not sure what is meant by Thai California fusion. I think it means they dress up the food more? Anyways, I've seen this place get crazy busy some nights so plan accordingly. Oh, and try the peanut curry.. it's pretty good.
(3)Jasmine H.
Went for lunch. For the price, I was expecting more food or tastier food, so I found it a little over-priced. Split the green apple salad and the basil eggplant with tofu. The salad was very tasty, but had a lot of sauce. Would not have been filling enough as an entree, but too big/pricey for a side. It was great for splitting though! The eggplant tofu was tasty, but again there was a lot of sauce and it was somewhat oily. The side salad was essentially just coleslaw. If I went again, I'd try another salad (the mango salad looked good!) or maybe one of the pad thais.
(3)Rich H.
Summary based on 1 lunch: --innovative fusion cuisine; don't expect most Thai classics --attractive food presentation --has both brown and sticky rice in addition to standard jasmine --American broccoli instead of kana if that's an indicator --ok prices --friendly service, kitchen a little slow --usual downtown Berkeley parking issues --no wifi & AT&T service worse than usual
(3)Corinne C.
My office orders lunch to-go from here every once in a while. Don't come here expecting regular thai food -- it's thai/california fusion, so as long as you don't come looking for "authenticity," you shouldn't be disappointed. Every time we eat here, the food is always very fresh-tasting. Highlights: * Sweet potato fries: they're thick-cut fries in a crispy batter. Tasty and quite filling, so good for sharing. The batter and sweet chili dipping sauce complements the sweet potato well. * Mango duck rolls, smoked salmon rolls: lots of fresh veggies stuffed in the rolls. Most notably, they use a much thicker rice paper to wrap the rolls, so that the rolls never fall apart mid-bite. That has never happened to me before with other rolls. I like it! * Duck & avocado salad: all the flavors meld together well. The duck is not very fatty, so it can be a bit on the dry side, but the dressing moistens everything and goes well with the duck. * Yellow curry: I've never had it, but my coworkers rave about it. My vegan coworker says it's the best yellow curry around. I haven't tried any of their other meat, but the duck tends to be on the dry side because they apparently use the skinniest ducks in the world. Actually, it's probably because they use mostly meat and very little of the fat/skin. This can be a plus or minus depending on personal taste.
(4)Jen I.
i found myself here with the Palmer on a quiet rainy saturday afternoon for lunch. the restaurant is clean, simple and quite nice. the wait staff was courteous and the food was decent. i had the pad see ew which they called something else on their menu but it was pretty much your standard fat rice noodle in dark soy with broccoli and tofu. Palmer got the country pad thai and she noted it was just ok. i don't know if our dishes were lunch portions but they came with cabbage slaw type salad that i didn't eat since the dressing looked mayo or dairy based. all in all, not bad. not exciting or life changing but not bad.
(3)Eileen Z.
Setting: Nice and classy interior. Typical Customers: We were pretty much the only Asians eating there on a Saturday night. Service: can't complain. They were nice Price: Near the higher end...but overall not too bad considering the location. Food: no kidding about American/California Fusion but I knew that before eating here so no surprise there. I wasn't hungry so I ordered the satay chicken appetizer and thai iced tea. Love the thai iced tea and the satay chicken was pretty filling- it can be it's own meal... We also shared fried tofu which I think was pretty good! I would definitely like to try something else the next time here.
(4)Roseann M.
Yummy food, nice people, quick service. Pumpkin curry is my favorite, with tofu (you can get chicken or shrimp too). Close to Berkeley City College, Berkeley Rep and Freight & Salvage so it's great for a quick inexpensive meal. Try the brown rice, and thai hot tea. YUM!
(5)James K.
I see that i'm in the minority with a lowly 2 star rating but let me explain. First off, i'm not from this area, so it's not like i'll be coming back here anyways but it's a good heads up for others who may eat here First off, the service is what really irked me. I initially asked to be seated at a bigger table (me and my fiancee) but they said that those tables were for parties of 3 or more. Fair enough. We ordered pineapple fried rice with prawns (extra 2 dollar charge), chicken white noodles aka pad see yu, and a grilled flank steak. When the dishes arrived, there was absolutely no room to put all the food. The square sized dishes they serve their entrees on are way too big, at least for a small table. Picture 3 entrees we ordered along with two individual plates to serve our food on. That's 5 plates stacked onto one small sized table. A few of the entrees were literally halfway off the table! I asked if we could simply place our dishes on the vacant table to our left and the lady said they could not b/c once again, there was a reservation at that table and that it was a busy time. It wasn't really busy fyi. What irks me more is that, that table to our left was vacant the entire time we dined. Even if someone would have showed up, all they would have to do is remove the dishes from that table and probably place it on our table but they refused. I was a little annoyed, ate, paid the bill, stiffed them on a bill and left. Also when asking how the flank steak was prepared, I got a simple, "I don't know" from the waitress. Uhh okay? Do you even work here? I was wondering if it was medium, well done or whatever. She looked at me like I was ghost. The food itself was bland. It tasted okay but just on the bland side overall. I will never recommend this place to anyone. If you are with only 2 people and order family style, just be prepared to stack all the dishes onto your crowded table even though there are plenty of other tables that could be used. If you ask why, they'll simply say, "well it's b/c it's busy time now". And when you look around the restaurant, you'll notice multiple empty tables....Sigh...I can't deal with people who lack intelligence.
(2)Katy O.
Came here because I got a really good deal on a restaurant.com coupon. It was pretty busy for a Sunday night. It's priced a little higher than I'd normally be willing to pay for Thai food considering there are some really great Thai places more reasonably priced around Berkeley, but with the coupon it was a steal. The ambiance and decor is nicer and more contemporary than what I was used to as a Berkeley student, a nice place of respite. The food was decent but factoring in the price of what I would have paid without the coupon, I can't give this place more than 3 stars. The portions aren't that big to begin with. The theme is Thai fusion, not what you would get at a more traditional Thai restaurant. We tried the pumpkin curry -- it was more odd than it was tasty. In addition we got a satay and pad thai, neither of which were particularly memorable or flavorful. I think we ordered one more dish but, again, I guess it wasn't memorable enough to stick with me. Service was adequate, they were understandably overwhelmed by the crowd. They have discounts for students and faculty for Berkeley and for the surrounding high school I think, and they let us take the discount even with the coupon, which was pretty nice of them. I don't think I'd come back though unless I was able to get another outrageous discount somehow.
(3)Elizabeth S.
Initially, I walked in here for a Thai ice tea on my way to Berkeley City College for the Spring Arts Celebration on Friday. It smelled so good in there and I returned for lunch. Their spring rolls with prawns or tofu were pretty good and the coconut lemon grass soup. I also ordered a cucumber salad which was pretty disappointing. It was excessively sweet and had no other flavors to it. I ordered basil eggplant with duck and rice. It had absolutely no spice like most Thai food does. -so I added my own... No big deal, but maybe they will catch on if they stay open longer. My greatest disappointment was with the service and what I saw during my meal. My mom and I were the only ones there and they took about 45 minutes to serve 2 entrees. She ordered peanut sauce chicken. After our food was served the two waiters were leaning against the front kiosk talking to one of the cooks or chef. I glanced up at one point to look over there and one of them was digging in his nose. -unbelievable... Mediocre food is one thing but seeing the people that serve your food picking their nose in your presence is just disgusting.
(2)Jennie C.
The people here are so nice! Especially when you get take-out, they package everything so nicely! Ah, I like the people who work here. I feel bad because the location is very hidden - not many people know the place exists. The specials are a good value. At times, I felt that the curry was a little too flavorful. I know some people like it that way though. For some reason I really like their Pad See Ew. It's very fresh and healthy tasting. Try this place out for a healthier Thai food experience.
(4)Marco M.
I had lunch here and had a very difficult time deciding what to get because so many items sounded wonderful. I finally settled on the small spicy/sour soup with chicken and the combo of chicken sate over curry fried rice with cucumber salad. The atmosphere was very pleasant with lots of window seats and ample room between tables and comfortable chairs. They also had real art on the walls which was nice. The soup came first and was piping hot. the broth was delicious but the boneless breast meat was overcooked and tough so I didn't eat most of it. When the waitress took the dish she noticed and mentioned that I could get vegetarian next time - I told her what the issue was and she said that she would tell the kitchen. The sate was tasty if a tiny bit dry - it could have used some dipping sauce. The cucumber salad was a teeny portion but was good. The rice was delicious but I need to get a curry colored wardrobe so I stop have beautiful yellow blotches on all of my shirts... There was also a portion of a refreshing lettuce cabbage salad. I ordered green tea and it came it a cute pot with a nice ceramic mug and saucer. The food was a solid 4 with potential for 5 stars with minor changes. It is a nice place to be - good atmosphere and lighting and decent service. The food leaned toward the more expensive side but it seemed within range. I definitely will be back.
(4)Shin J.
This place has a fine atmosphere. It has a very vibrant decor with small cute plants. The service was decent and the food was okay-ish. I ordered the ultimate pad thai and my friend the entree lunch special with peanut chicken and sweet potato fries. The pad thai came with feta cheese... which was quite weird. Overall it was okay :)
(3)Jenny W.
This place is probably one of my favorite restaurants in the East Bay, at least for thai, though it is thai-californian style so expect something slightly different. My favorite thing here is the virgin pad thai, made with olive oil, though they also do a classic pad thai and an "enlightened" pad thai with lots of extra veggies and feta cheese. I love pad thai so much and find it varies so much from place to place and Gecko Gecko really nails it; light, not too runny, perfect sized noodles. Also, all the produce seems super fresh! The service is very polite and attentive. The walls change featuring different artists and there are always fresh flowers. all of the starters are good, especially the corn fritters and the fresh spring rolls. The curry here is not my favorite because they don't offer a spicy red but do have a pretty good red with pumpkin. The green curry is good but again lacking the heat that I love. The asian eggplant and salmon dish is perfect and has a bit of fire. The salads are tasty especially the papaya. I was excited to see choo chee on the specials menu at one point, good but not the best I've had and a little heavy on the green beans. It is possibly a couple dollars more expensive than other thai restaurants around but well worth it, and they have a very nice presentation to all of their dishes. If you come with a group, family style is a fun idea so everyone can try a variety of dishes.
(5)Doug V.
This place is definitely good for those looking for a bit more of a health-conscious meal (and portions). I just went for the first time and was really impressed. What I'm not impressed by is the name, sounds stupid to me, "Gecko Gecko?", but whatever. I mean, one Gecko is enough. ;) I ordered their pad see-ew which they call on the menu something like "wide rice noodle something or another". It's pretty well spot on your standard pad see-ew. Nice sauce that was well cooked into the noodles, cabbage, broccoli, and carrots along with the egg. The noodles were just slightly overcooked it seems, but I have a feeling that may have happened while the cook was waiting for the salmon to finish. Yep, for $3 extra, you can get salmon instead of chicken, tofu, etc. I figured low quality salmon chunks mixed in. Instead, to my utter delight, was a perfectly cooked, marinated sizeable filet of salmon sitting on the top of the dish. OMG. It was so good. I tend to not order salmon at thai places as they seem to always overcook it. And secondly, it's usually really crappy salmon. This was some of the best salmon I've had and a fair amount of it! For $3!! That was the highlight. The pad see-ew was definitely tasty. Portions are also health conscious. I definitely could have used a tad more yummy noodles, but was pretty well perfectly full enough by the last bite. The decor is nice, the place is cute. Slightly upscale interior without being pretentious at all. Nice wait staff. Nice place for a date even. Some of the tables are crammed a bit close. When the table next to me sat down, the woman's jacket sleeves almost hit me as she took off her coat. A tad too close, but not too bad.
(5)Angie M.
While at work, I got a sudden craving for all things thai so I got a friend to agree to go with me to lunch at our "go to quick serve" thai spot. For some reason, I wanted something different so I searched yelp and Gecko Gecko appeared. Its close and seemed like they had enough room to accommadate, so we went there. On yelp, there was a picture of spicy thai basil chicken, so of course I had to order that (with the fried egg). The food was pretty good and a cheap price, service was great, our hostess was super nice and attentive. The mango-nata SO yummy and refreshing, gotta try it if you go. The food had a slight hint of spice, but not too much an average person couldn't handle. Everything tasted really fresh and the atmosphere was super relaxing and chill. Definitely not a must have every week, but I wouldn't mind visiting again to try something new since their menu is pretty diverse.
(4)Faith A.
Walked in 7pm Friday the weekend of the Berkeley Music Fest, Oakland Art & Soul, and Chinatown Fest - not a soul inside. I found that worrisome but our guests, who are elderly and can't hear well, were delighted. California Fusion Thai, not authentic, down to the serving style (forks only, individual plates, no nam pla prik and other sauces on table). Lovely service; the whole place seems to be run by sweet kids. -Curry good but sweet -Pattaya Firecracker Chicken sickly sweet and no veggies -Lovely presentation of Jammin' Salmon -Have to order rice a la carte; brown rice is actually red/black and very good. Perfect compromise for a vegetarian, pescetarian, and 2 omnivores.
(3)Brian F.
Best thai food I've ever had. Some of appetizers like the sweet potato fries weren't traditional thai food but they were fantastic nonetheless. The country pad thai and the fried catfish were phenomenal.
(5)Dora L.
I came here prior to a concert at the Greek Theater and figured a four star rated restaurant would be a safe bet. To be honest I'm a bit surprised it's rated so highly. I was hoping for a meal full of spicy/sour/sweet/salty flavors as Thai food is known for. Ordered the tom yum soup (which is called something generic like hot and sour soup), pad thai and green curry. Everything was ok, but flavors were a bit lacking, the chicken in the curry and pad thai were really dry, some vegetables were tough, and the rice was mushy and did not taste like aromatic Thai jasmine rice. The green curry sauce was flavorful but hardly spicy. I also had a lychee saketini which tasted strange (and I have had my fair share of lychee drinks)! They call themselves "california thai" so I think they steered away from some of the authenticity of thai food in my opinion. Overall, my expectations were higher for this place because of the rating and for the prices.
(3)David K.
Stopped in here for dinner before a show at Freight and Salvage and was very pleased. We were a bit pressed for time and were happy that they seated us promptly and the server was with us immediately. My friends had the Thai BBQ chicken, my mother had Pad Thai, and I tried the Angel Hair Pasta with squid, mussels, and shrimp. Our meals were served hot and appetizing within 10 minutes, and everyone enjoyed their dishes. My pasta was al dente with a chile, basil, and garlic sauce, with perfect mussels, shrimp, and squid. The bill was very reasonable and they got us in and out in about 30 minutes, just in time for the theater doors to open upon a great show. I don't get to Berkeley often, but I will definitely go back here when I am in the area.
(5)Howard B.
Truly good Thai food. Ambiance is lacking, but who cares when the taste buds are being tantalized. The avocado salad was amazing! Very well prepared tofu.
(4)Dee D.
A friend and I decided to check out Berkeley and looked for a Thai spot near the BART station. Yelped Gecko Gecko two blocks away and it seemed like a perfect time to check it out. Walking into the space and we were seated promptly. We were greeted and accomodated with an enthusiastic smile. Granted we were there around 5:30pm on a Saturday afternoon, but there were already a few tables just starting to order. The decor of the place is fairly contemporary. Nothing really stuck out to me, but clean, comfortable and looks fairly popular. The service is very friendly and attentive. That alone made me enjoy my good even more. The menu was fairly contemporary with a couple of specials. The menu did not seem very traditional, so I was curious about the flavors.I opted to go for red curry with asian pumpkin and chicken with brown rice. The curry was very mild, but the sweetness of the pumpkin and the spices of the curry made for some good eats. My friend got the spicy lamb dish with white rice. The lamb dish was not that spicy, but a heaping helping of dried pepper did the trick. The food was good. Not great, but good. They also offer an option to make any of the dishes vegetarian. In my opinion, options are always good. Although I prefer more traditional Thai dishes and flavors, I'll certainly come back here for their contemporary twist on things.
(4)Lora C.
GREAT FOOD! That said, they do have a bit of a problem with their wait staff getting to the table in less that 10 minutes, and with the timing of food coming out of the kitchen. It takes quite a while for the drinks to get to you, then a while more to have your order taken, then the food comes out in bits and drabs so that one person's order is cold before that last person has their order. But, the food is so good, that we put up with the wonky, quirky service and keep going back. It's become our 'go to' place before Sunday matinees at Berkeley Rep.
(4)Erica P.
Creative dishes but catfish was fishy and service average. For "ca" Thai prefer soi 4 on college ave
(3)Bill S.
This is the best Thai Restaurant that we have been to in a long time. Not your typical Thai Restaurant. We arrived right after they opened at 4:30. The food is not heavy, and you can tell all of the ingredients are very bright and fresh! When we ate at GECKO we were the first in the restaurant. You can tell they take care in making the food and the presentation. If it takes a little longer to prepare this is a small price to pay, Our food came quickly, but we were the first in the restaurant. The staff is friendly, and the atmosphere is modern and clean. The fresh spring rolls with prawns which my son had were outstanding. Similar to a fresh lumpia that my wife's mother would make, yum! My wife had the country pad thai with shrimp and it was light and extremely flavorful, she said it was some of the best pad thai she has had. My other son ordered a curry dish. Now I am not a fan of curry flavored dishes, but the sauce on this dish was very good. There is a lot of sauce almost like a Philipino peanut butter stew. My youngest son ordered Garlic Saute. I thought the chicken and the sauce was very good, I may not have liked the sweet potato that was in the dish. I saved the best for last. The classic Green Papaya salad is the best salad I have had in a while. It is spicy, so if you don't want it spicy maybe you can ask for it less hot. I thought it was perfect. We will be going back soon. Maybe not the easiest location to find, but worth the hunt. The dishes we ordered ranged from $7.50 to $8.95. The presentation and cleanliness make it a good restuarant to take a date, or just enjoy great food.
(5)D S.
The contemporary restaurant in the corner of Milvia and Addison. It about s block away from BART, and half a block from the theaters. It is not that big, it was about 45% full on a Thursday evening; We were a party of 8 among others having dinner before a show. The service was prompt and food was no doubt delicious! Started out with fresh spring rolls, moved to pumpkin curry, Thai curry, grilled salmon and eggplant, and a couple other specials. We ordered with jasmine rice, even though they had options if brown rice, and sticky rice. Though one of our orders, vegetarian pad Thai arrived with shrimp, a tofu vegetarian pad Thai was delivered also promptly to correct the order. Everything on the menu was reasonably priced to top it all. I recommend this place to try. I know I will be back.
(4)Caitlin J.
Bomb ass duck rolls! Clean, cool ambiance, kind & generous service - everything was perfection! Try the basil eggplant. They'll refill your water everytime you take a sip
(5)La C.
Thanks to restaurantdotcom for finding this place. Very cute and quaint on a lonely corner on Milvia St. We were a party of five looking for good eats and good times and GG delivered. We were seated in the back in a nice big table with some nice big chairs. We went a bit crazy and ordered: ~Fresh spring roll with prawns ~Spicy and sour soup with tofu ~Mango salad ~Basil chicken ~Seafood Pad Thai ~Pineapple Fried Rice ~A bottle of wine ~Fresh coconut ~Mangos with sweet rice ~Coconut ice cream *I think a couple more items but don't remember right now... Can you say Thai food overload! It was all very good although the portions were a bit on the small side. We pretty much finished it all and had a little to take home. The standouts for me were the Mango salad and Soup, unbelievably awesome, the perfect combinations of sweet/sour/spice. They have 3 levels of spicy and we went with the medium which was pretty hot but I loved it. I highly recommend buying the gift certificate from the website mentioned above and you can save lots and lots of $. The service was also good, courteous and eager to please. Definitely will be back soon.
(4)Yushan K.
Went here during the last heat wave. Quite unfortunately the AC was not on, so it felt like I was IN Thailand...hot and muggy. All the food was delicious - we ordered about 4 dishes based on other yelpers' reviews and they were all good. The feta cheese that come with one of the dishes didn't get touched, though. An odd addition. Get the restaurant.com gift certificate - makes it a good deal.
(3)Edi B.
Two-faced Gecko! Went on a Tuesday night and IDK maybe because I was sober this time it didn't seem like all that. The portions were tiny and the service was lame as hell! The basil chicken was still tasty and the pumpkin curry was good but not very hot (temperature hot). There were lots of fruit flies too. Maybe I'll try again but after I had bragged it up to the family I feel double-crossed!
(2)H W.
Wonderful range of choice on menu, including starters... Very fair pricing, including entrees. Rice is extra, but still overall good value. Attentive and friendly service. Be aware: The one-star (*) "moderately spicy" Salmon with Coconut-Curry Sauce is a bit more than "mild". Perhaps ask for a taste of the sauce before ordering. I loved it, but it was spicier than expected since they rate spiciness with one, two, and three stars and this was the mildest. All ingredients seemed very fresh in all of the dishes that we ordered. Only complaint: on a busy Friday night, the noise level from diners was significant. Lovely spot. Recommended.
(4)Louis O.
service was great but the food was nowhere near authentic...if you are looking for good, authentic thai food, please go somewhere else...if you are busy and are give only 1hr lunch break, this place is not a bad option.
(3)rosie m.
Food was pretty darn good -- not quite authentic, but very nice flavors. Enjoyed a dinner of pumpkin curry and mango fried rice. A larger portion would have made it even better -- but, I really shouldn't make such a pig of myself. I just love Thai food so much! I think it's the closest restaurant to Berkeley Rep, so that's a huge advantage. I'm sure I'll go back next time I'm seeing a show at the Rep!
(4)Delilah B.
I had dinner here recently, and it was delicious. I ordered the Pumpkin Red Curry w/ Tofu, and rice. They dont serve alcohol, so the bill came to a grand total of less than $10.00. The staff were so attentive and sweet and the food was great. The decor is minimalistic yet elegant, with local art displayed on the walls. They close at 9 -- early! But if you can get there, it's worth it.
(4)Angela S.
I love this place..my office is basically around the corner and I would say I've become a regular......first off the staff is amazing. They're sooooooo NICE! Always courteous especially the guy in the glasses..(I really should get his name)....the food is spot on good..my favorite favorite dish is the basil eggplant with chicken...it's sooo delicious I would say I'm pretty addicted to it...some other dishes to try..chicken larb, coconut milk soup and spicy basil chicken. Make it extra spicy..if you're able to handle the heat..
(5)Alan W.
Had dinner there tonight with a large group of friends. The service was good, food and atmosphere were good, although it was sometimes hard to hear people more than one seat away. I had the Thai peanut sauce entree, "very spicy" (two spicy stars). One of the others ordered something "Thai (super) spicy" (three spicy stars). We both felt our dishes were one star less spicy than expected; mine was hardly spicy at all. I had Thai iced tea, also good. Out-the-door cost under $18. I would go there again, but I wouldn't go out of my way.
(3)Anna S.
I like the freshness of the food. I also like the price, I go about my days mostly vegetarian, so I like the array they have to offer. Chicken, salmon, eggplant,salads they're all tasty dishes! The staff seem to be enlightened as if they know they're food rocks and they're just all super friendly people. Hope they stick around.
(5)Danny T.
This place has pretty good food for a Thai place. Most Thai places I have been at has pretty generic food. I ordered the salmon specialty dish. For example, the peanut / coconut sauce they had on their plate had yogurt. It might not be much, but I taste a slight twinge of creamy flavor I had never tasted before at other places. My companions ordered taro and a duck spring roll. I had a sampling of the duck spring roll, and still pretty good. On every plate, they tried to decorate their foods to look fancy. I appreciate the effort, and I can see it looks pretty nice. The food laid out on the plate are generally at a B+ level, set out looking quite appetizing. They did the decorations on the friend banana/ vanilla ice cream the best (perfect crunchiness and decorations may I add). Thai tea, a common drink where most places overcharge for, is pretty reasonable here. So are the other add-ons. Overall, prices are moderate to moderate high for what you get. I will be back in the future if I am in the area.
(4)Kira S.
I recently had dinner here with a party of nine (we had reservations) and this was my experience: Pros: - Convenient location - Clean design - Interesting menu Cons: - Servers were rude - Delivery of food spanned 45+ minutes from when the first person was served to the last, plus none of the servers apologized for or even acknowledged the delay - The food was over priced - the curry doesn't come with rice (that's extra), $5 worth of salmon in the curry equates to three small bites, the taste of the food was just ok (I've had a lot better) I'm a big fan of Thai food and was excited to try this place. But after this experience I will not be back.
(2)Helen T.
(Darn! Wish I knew about the Restaurant.com coupon!!!) Really, their food is 3 stars. Portions were a bit small (as expected), individual rice servings waaaay too small for our group (we're asian!), and definitely skip the Pad Thai (resist it!). Though, I did like the pumpkin curry and Pattaya Firecracker Chicken. This is Thai-CALIFORNIAN restaurant so don't expect anything too authentic. Ah, I was pretty torn between 3 or 4 stars. Food wise, this is a dead 3 stars. But, with the Restaurant.com coupon, I think it would definitely be worth it (an extra dish or appetizer for free!). Our server was really attentive... perhaps because there was only 3 other parties there. Our water was constantly refilled and he gave us a really large rice serving when he noticed we kept on wanting more. It's the little things that count for me so I totally bumped it up. Again, don't come here to be wowed but a pretty decent typical restaurant for lunch/dinner.
(4)Shirley A.
Spring rolls with salmon and avocado were healthy and yummy. Pumpkin red curry over some brown rice had the perfect bite and the pumpkin was exactly the right texture. Apple saki is sweet but a good accompaniment. Could not resist coconut ice cream. Lovely presentation. Prices are moderate enough that we can go back often. And it is a well designed space visually. Also liked it that they sat tables with space in between each party - made it feel more intimate.
(4)Gregory G.
Papaya salad is awesome. The pumpkin curry was thick and bland, the chicken overcooked. The firecracker chicken also had the same overcooking problem. I came here for the salad and tried the others which dragged it down.
(3)C L.
Ultimate Seafood Pad Thai, $14: 0 stars Awful in so many ways: -tiny cube of Salmon: bland, slightly over cooked, but the most decent piece of seafood that came with the dish -squid: luckily there were just two tiny pieces, and the taste was off- slightly powdery, dull in flavor, chewy in the wrong ways ... -mussels: looked dry and stale at presentation... and reminded me of the frozen pre-cooked ones my roommate buys from Ranch 99. I outright refused those, and had the bf eat those. *so far Thai Noodle has my most fav pad thai to date* Sweet corn and taro fritters, $7.50: 3 stars (4 pieces) Overly greasy, and the random beans and dried out corn in the fritters were a little awkward. Taste was really good, taro fluffy and soft, served fresh and hot. Pumpkin red curry, $9: 4 stars Red curry had the right amount of spicyness, yummy (although few) veggies, Asian pumpkin that reminded me of sweet potato, bell pepper. This was my definite favorite of the night, but minus stars for including the nasty inedible STALK of the pumpkin in the curry! Pattaya fire cracker chicken, $9.25: 3 stars Thinly cut chicken in what was supposed to be spicy sweet chilli garlic sauce (but basically light soy sauce, with lots of fish sauce, + chilli flakes), very FEW asparagus (like 1 stalk cut into very small pieces), and random bits of spinach sprinkled around. I liked the taste! But saddened by the limited quantities of asparagus. Had to ration those with the dinner mate. Sticky rice, $2: 0 stars So MEASLEY. I ordered one serving thinking it would at least come in a rice bowl, instead it came wrapped in a piece of foil and was less than 0.5 cups worth! Ridiculous. (Sorry, I'm big on Chinese food where rice is how it should be, PLENTY). The sticky rice was more HARD than sticky since it was old, although it was at least hot. Super sad bears! Overall: Won't be coming here again, although nice to have tried. Luckily 2/3 were decent so not bad, but the pad thai was just sOOOOOO upsetting! If you're used to fresh, great quality seafood, I would try and avoiding such ingredients here and sticking with the meat. And fyi, dinner menu prices are all $1, more than lunch.
(2)Aaron Z.
After emerging from the BART I uttered words made famous by Abraham Lincoln - "Where's the fuckin' Thai food?" I found said Thai food at Gecko Gecko. There's was no one in the restaurant, but we went anyways. I got a sweet potato curry. It was sexy, as all things sweet potato tend to be. The service was also super-fast, as, like I said, the restaurant was empty. I'll go back if I'm ever Thai-raging in Berkeley again.
(4)alexey b.
My wife and I are big fans of this place. We've never had a dish we didn't like and the service has has always been beyond expectations and very friendly. It is not a strictly traditional Thai restaurantat all, but Thai -California cuisine kind of place (i.e. emphasis on fresh vegetables, healthy options and nice presentation). For the price I find their food to be exceptional. We particularly like the Thai fried rice (with brown rice!), the salmon with eggplant and shitake mushrooms, and the salmon rolls. If you like Thai food a little healthier than the average place, Gecko Gecko joins Neecha Thai (on Grand Avenue in Oakland) as one of the best choices in the East Bay. And they are so nice.
(5)Nick G.
I made my visit to Gecko Gecko with a small group of people, among the entrees ordered were the Jammin' Salmon (awesome name!), geckgecko mango fried rice (sounded interesting, though it originally comes with almonds I elected to exclude mine), original Pad Thai, and the Pumpkin Red Curry. Of course we all had a bit of everything, and I have to say it was all pretty tasty. The pumpkin and curry combo sounded interesting, and actually tasted pretty good. The Pad Thai of course was excellent (a must for any decent Thai restaurant), and though the jammin' salmon and the mango fried rice were good, I probably wouldn't order them again. I eat a lot of fried rice, its kind of my thing, and this one was just average. Decent. The mango was an interesting mix, but it was fresh, and I think (and thought when I ordered it) that it would be lightly cooked into the rice which would blend the flavors and textures a bit better. The rice was also jasmine, and not sticky, which makes for less of a wonderful experience. I thought the menu had a lot of interesting combinations, making it hard to choose something because of all the good choices. The overall look of the place was nice as well as the presentation of the food. It was a nice place, the people were friendly, and though I would recommend giving it a try, it falls well short of amazing.
(3)Nene R.
I will give them a 3 for trying to go the healthy route, but, really a 2.5. Small portions for the price. Green papaya salad was spicey! Not that I mind spicey, just was not warned about the kick to this normally not so spicey item. Soup was good but $5 for a small bowl? $7 for 2 spring rolls and the tiniest amount of peanut sauce you ever saw--made it hard to choke down the dry rolls. One scoop of rice for $1.50? A $13 salmon dish with a 4 inch piece of salmon--really? Fresh veggies were a plus, but... Inconsistant waiters--must have had four different "would you like to order now?" requests.....a little frustrating when trying to talk to your table mate. I shuld also mention you kind are on top of each other table wise...not much room to manuver, let alone have a quiet discussion when it is crowded. I think, in the area, have extra bucks to burn--go for it.....but, there are other Thai places in Berkeley.
(3)Jessi K.
Oh snap! I did review this place before! Regardless... After going back again...repetitively at this point...I can only add that the spring rolls are the best here out of anywhere else I have ever been! I have had their fish dishes, and they quite possibly serve the BEST fish I've had. (see my review for Banana Blossom if you want to know their closest competitor in awesome fish quality and flavor). I've never been here for dinner, only lunch, and since I don't drive, I have nothing negative to say about the parking other than that it is kind of distracting to watch and hear all the idiot drivers mull about the area. Again....5 stars (I'm glad I gave it the same star review both times...rather, I'm glad they're consistent in their ability to appease the tummy goddess)
(5)Rena F.
I've eaten here many times. Shared many dishes. The food represents more of a California Thai approach than purely traditional. Everything has been flavorful and well prepared. Vegetables that are never over cooked. Curries that are delightfully spiced. And a terrific sticky rice with mango dessert.
(5)Carmen M.
Gecko Gecko continues to be one of my favorite places to eat in Berkeley. I've never had anything here that I didn't absolutely love. It's incredibly dangerous because I work just around the corner. The Green Curry with Eggplant is fantastic, the Peanut Curry is amazing, all three variations of Pad Thai are phenomenal, though the Country Pad Thai is my favorite. I also recently tried the Angel Hair Pasta with Shredded Chicken Curry and it was so fantastic I had to resist the urge to lick the plate. I also have shared bits and pieces of my friends' dishes, and everything I've tasted was amazing. Some of the reviewers here complain that this isn't "real Thai". Well, Gecko Gecko identifies itself as "Thai/California fusion", which explains the fantastically inventive, not-quite-standard-Thai dishes that are always executed beautifully. You can't go wrong at Gecko Gecko.
(5)Bethany P.
I wanted to like it because everything smelled great and looked wonderful, but the wait for our food was ridiculous and ambiance nonexistent. We came before a show at Freight & Salvage and maybe should have come a little bit earlier, but come on, it's Thai food which never takes long, anywhere, so we thought it was a safe bet (parking was difficult until we realized the lot was right there). We ordered the salmon fresh spring rolls, veggie pad Thai and mango salad. The spring rolls were ok- not sure the salmon really worked well with the other flavors but at least everything was fresh. But this is where it all went wrong- from the time we got our app, it was at least 20 minutes until somebody wandered by our table and happened to seem to catch our questioning looks, and after almost just walking away, finally asked us if "everything was ok." No, it wasn't- our water was empty, our drinks were empty, and folks who had come in at about the same time were finishing up, and our meal was nowhere in sight. We asked about our 2 dishes and they said they'd check- another few minutes with no refill on drinks and when they came back, they only had one dish. I told them to just bring the check and leave the- get this- mango salad off. Mango salad? No cooking required, and that's the last thing to come out?!?! I almost felt bad for them- ALMOST- but they honestly seemed clueless about the amount of time that had elapsed. I do realize they were busy- seems that lots of folks had the same idea as us and had to skedaddle to a show, but I expect restaurants near performance venues to recognize when they might have a full house. So, not a good excuse. The pad Thai was tasty, but nothing extraordinary. Not sure I'd go back except if in a pinch.
(2)Ian A.
Solid Thai food in a sleek atmosphere. We had the fresh rolls, papaya salad with apple, and coconut soup. The salad was a bit tasteless, but the other two were excellent. We shared the special grilled salmon pad thai, which was very good, and the mango sticky rice, which I love. With two glasses of wine, and a restaurant.com coupon (for which they make sure to include the gratuity), the total came to $42 (+$2 for the coupon). There were some nice abstract photographs on the walls. It was a bit loud when we came in, but quieted down after 7:30-8 pm as people left (probably the pre-show crowd). We'll definitely be back.
(4)Sue U.
I came here to meet up with friends on a week night. Parking was OK because there is a garage right next door for $5. Otherwise you'd be extremely lucky to get a spot in the vicinity. Anway, the food was ok overall . Some dishes were excellent and others were not so great - I loved their brown rice though~ I'd say the service was a little under par but that could have just been an off night. As our meal got under way, we all had a nice time anyway. Bottom line - I'd probably go there again and give it another try because some of the dishes were pretty tasty; however, there are a lot of Thai restaurants in Berkeley so I feel for this place because of the stiff competitioin.
(3)Claire K.
This used to be a good restaurant, and we always looked forward to having dinner there before the theatre. But last night we discovered it has changed. The hot appetizer was cold--try eating cold deep-fried tasteless "crab dumplings"! The dishes were uniformly tasteless -- they take "mild curry" to mean no curry; the shrimp tasted as if recently defrosted. All in all, the four of us were deeply disappointed. We'll find another pre-theater restaurant.
(1)Eleanor F.
The word "slop" comes to mind as I think about lunch. OK, I should have known better than to order sweet and sour anything, but salmon was the choice, and although it was cooked perfectly, it was the thinnest piece of salmon I have ever been served. The sauce was as bad as I've ever had, and $12.95 at lunch for that?? We started with a shrimp and mango salad .. three overcooked shrimp of a decent size on some lettuce with maybe one walnut in total scattered around, and a small portion of mango. $7.95, and not very tasty. (Maybe the rent is so high they have to charge a lot, relatively speaking?) Speaking of which, several restaurants have been located in this same space over the last few years, so maybe there's something else going on to thwart success .. Linda P. (another reviewer) got food poisoning and no apology, or compensation? Wrong!!! That's a reason to pay with a credit card, because if there is one good reason to use a credit card, it's that they help you dispute a charge. A restaurant may be forgiven for unwittingly serving bad food, but a good restaurant of any size should offer reimbursement or a coupon for someone who gets tainted food, in case the person is feeling lucky enough to want to go back! There are too many fabulous places in Berkeley to eat to bother with mediocre food, and even the "cheap eats" are usually good. I clearly didn't order well, and accept responsibility for that. Given the plethora of alternatives, I won't be going back for awhile. If I go back, it's only because of Yelp reviewers who have seen another side to this place.
(2)Angie C.
Inventive menu, fresh food, and nice staff.
(5)The H.
DELICIOUS! The best Thai food! Creative and inventive. Reasonably priced. Friendly service. I can't complain, I loved this place and will be back soon. People are seriously questioning it's authenticity? It's a Thai fusion restaurant. If you're looking for your run-of-the-mill thai food restaurant with all the classics, don't go here.
(5)Lum P.
I tried the Enlightened Pad Thai. Interesting. I never would have thought feta cheese could complement pad thai so well. The salty, sour cheese provided a foil for the sweet, spicy noodles, veggies and 4 types of meat. They're generous with the fresh veggies - and they know "veggies" doesn't just mean iceberg lettuce. I've also tried the sweet potato yellow curry (sweet potato made a good salve for my chili-seared tongue), salmon with eggplant (fish cooked with just the right amount of crisp), mango with sticky rice (they usually pick ripe mangos) and the apple & jicama salad (heaping portions!). The presentation is artful. Somebody in the kitchen knows a thing or two about composition and color. While Cha-am is the best classic Thai restaurant in Berkeley, Gecko Gecko is the best place for unconventional Thai (alternative Thai? fusion Thai? Californian Thai?). Caveats: Service is sometimes slow. The chicken was too dry once. Quality has been inconsistent lately. Perhaps the original chef skipped town for the dry season of Thailand (January-March) to escape the rainy season of Berkeley. I'd stick with the seafood dishes until he or she comes back. I hope this place lasts, but good restaurants outside the Gourmet Ghetto rarely do. Students are either too poor or too tasteless to support such establishments. They just want their damn Fat Slice pizza (worst pizza ever - it's bad even for California!).
(4)Alyssa C.
Everything I ordered here was delicious! Curry Puffs, Salmon Roll, Coconut Soup, Country Pad Thai, Sticky Rice, and Garlic Chicken Saute (I think that's what it's called). Came w/ one other person. The service was good. However when the servers asked if we wanted to order even more food and we politely said no, they kinda got silently pissed off. I mean come on 6 dishes were already plenty of food for 2 people. Other than that we had a good experience and I'd come back. They take restaurant.com gift certificates so don't forget to bring one.
(4)Marie K.
Once again, my fear of American Thai food is found unfounded. I generally avoid all Thai food, except in Thailand, but was attending a play at the Aurora Theater with a new friend who suggested this place. Ready to face another disappointing meal, I dutifully showed up last night and was more than pleasantly surprised. I had the "jammin' salmon" - something one would not generally see on Thai menu - and it was excellent. It was beautifully plated and had plenty of lightly cooked veggies, spinach, asparagus and broccoli ,with a spicy green curry sauce that, thankfully, lacked the cloying sweetness of many stateside Thai sauces. The salmon was not over-cooked and I liked the initial crunch on the outside with a melting interior. The whole entree came together in a most satisfying way. I ate every bite. I think the key is when Thai food uses local ingredients and vegetables and doesn't pretend to be "authentic" but allows the Thai flavors to highlight and complement what is available here. I got to practice my Thia speaking with our waiter and was pleased he at least pretended he could make out what I was saying so enjoyed the banter and attentive service.
(4)Tatian G.
I've been here for dinner since my first review and it was very good. Today was a different experience altogether. I went on a Saturday for lunch just before closing and ordered a combo plate with vegetarian fresh roll and chicken ginger sauté. The fresh roll was good -- large, full of mango, rice noodles, tofu, and other good stuff -- but the sauce was unbalanced... too much sesame oil and too much sugar. Unbalanced seemed to be the key word to describe my meal. The ginger sauce would have been good, but it had way too much white pepper. The chicken was horrible. It tasted like it had been boiled and then thrown on the plate with the finished sauté. It had no flavor, other than that of plain boiled chicken. I didn't eat more than one piece of it, and instead asked for a side of stir-fried tofu to add to my dish. The waiter was helpful and brought the side order out quickly. I was a bit surprised, though, that the side of tofu was simply dry deep fried tofu. No sauce or flavoring. No matter, though, I had a little bit of sauce on my plate and used it to flavor the tofu. All in all, quite a disappointment. It almost seemed like the main chef wasn't there. The dinners I've had have been very good. Why the discrepancy?
(2)Daniel L.
Located at a small street corner that is difficult to detect, this fairly new restaurant serves up some exciting Thai dishes. The décor is very clean and modern, and the place tends to get crowded with drive by professionals looking for a cool place to chill. My order of chicken yellow curry lunch special (about $9) was very good. I usually don't like to order yellow curry but the addition of coconut milk was a big plus. It also came with a side order of Thai style coleslaw that was delicious, and the four thick pieces of sweet potato fries with sweet and sour dip was a delectable treat. Service was decent and the food was presented nicely but it could also be cheaper. I would definitely come back again.
(4)Dar V.
Wow! I've been meaning to eat here since it opened and finally got the chance tonight! Cashew Ginger Saute with Prawns was out of this world. Light and fresh and chock full of julienned ginger, red peppers, onion and mushroom. Bonus is they have brown rice as an option. Gingery goodness. My friend had the peanut curry which was also out of this world. Beautiful ambiance and terrific service. Not very busy tonight which I hope was an exception, I want to see this business succeed, but of course I don't want a crowd when I want to go there. mmmmmmmmmmm mmmmmmmmmm
(5)Coles H.
Great little place for lunch before a matinee at Zellerbach. Good Thai food with generous proportions.
(3)Andrew K.
Pumpkin red curry with prawns, little side salad, and rice was addictively yummy -- big basil leaves, sweet and savory sauce. The place is modern, clean and pleasant, service friendly and unobtrusive. I want more pumpkin curry right this second.
(5)George M.
Stopped here before a show at Freight&Salvage the other night. Food was excellent. Kudos to them for that. However, the ambience left a lot to be desired. I assume, because it's good, that there are more tables shoved into a small space than necessary, but that crowded feeling was pretty strong, as was the noise level. Not from piped in music, but because there are far too many tables for that small space. Guess I have to acept the bad with the good.
(4)Daniel S.
Had the "country pad thai," which was supposed to be more flavorful than the 2 other versions on the menu. Sadly, it was bland and one-note. The noodles were overcooked, and with too little oil used in their preparation, they had mostly stuck together. The eggs, shrimp, and fried tofu did not integrate well into the flying noodle monster. My friend had grilled salmon, which was perfectly cooked... but there was no additional flavor to it! We had to ask for fish sauce, and they don't keep any bottles anywhere. I know they're Thai, but something is broken here. Maybe out of fairness I'll give it another try, but I can't say I'd be excited to do so. Nice decor, though.
(2)Jessica G.
Their food is so fresh and has so many flavors, you really can't go wrong with anything you order here. We've ordered almost all the dishes since we eat here several times a month, but mostly the seafood. The fish is always excellent. I particularly love the salmon steamed in a banana leaf with green curry -- and it comes with fresh veggies. Their brown rice is purple, it's super good! Prices are reasonable, especially for lunch and for the amount of fresh food you get. Specials always special. Great for take out or to eat there, simple and clean. Note: their beer/wine liqueur license is yet to come -- that will be the final touch on an ideal meal.
(5)Aaron K.
Fantastic service and amazing food!!! Try the Thai Peanut Sauce, it's incredible! We live in SF, but make trips to Berkeley JUST to eat at Gecko Gecko.
(5)Deena L.
We enjoyed a birthday dinner at Gecko Gecko. The service was wonderful, friendly & attentive. I really liked the generous fresh rolls. Their papaya salad was very fresh & full of extra ingredients including hicama & apple. Next time I would ask for more spice/ hot in one of the dishes for variety. By the way, you can tell that the food is prepared with minimal oil & very fresh because the left overs the next day were still delicious & lean. Thank you for locating close to the Berkeley theater district & being affordable with excellent quality. We hope you enjoy great success & stay in this new location.
(5)Roxanne G.
Really interesting twist on Thai food. They blend traditional Thai flavors with some influences from California cuisine. I really enjoy their Ultimate Pad Thai served with a side of feta cheese. At first I was skeptical but then tried the noodles and cheese together and ended up loving it! My favorite curry is their Massaman, Indian style curry. It's perfect for dinner before a show at the Berkeley Rep or Aurora Theater. Enjoy!
(4)Angelface O.
Who wants a real-time review of my first experience with Gecko Gecko to go? (In other words, I'm chewing as I type) Backstory: I watched th 49ers get rolled over yesterday and went to bed with a crushed spirit, then to assault my emotions just a bit more, I woke up feeling slightly queasy on this cold, drizzly morning. Prescription: Hot coconut milk soup at the Thai place near my office. Now, I'm no Thai afficianado, but I know my spring roll from my veggie roll, and I'm fluent enough in Thai restaurant speak to know that coconut milk soup may also go by Tom Kha Gai. Anywho, I go over, order the large coconut milk soup with chicken and a sprite (to bring my total up to a whopping $11.58 so I can use my card...credit card minimum is $10 btw or I would have gone with the small). I take my huge container of soup and my clear plastic cup with sprite and hoof it back over to the office. Dig the experience: I sit down, unwrap the plastic bag, unwrap the second plastic bag, wrestle with the cover on the soup and let the steam and smell of coconut milk caress my face. I see my mushrooms floating, sliced at the top...I prefer them whole, but they're still there, floating blissfully on the ivory sea, so, no big deal. I dig a little deeper to see what other surprises are enveloped in my container of happiness, and I see some cilantro, about 5-6 sprigs. Okay, then my spoon hits the bottom, or what I think is the bottom. It's a layer of chicken. By the taste and texture it is a boneless, skinless chicken breast that has been left on the George Foreman grill too long. Verdict: I've been had! There are 4 things in this $10 soup: overly sweetened coconut milk, chicken, cilantro, and about 3 mushrooms sliced up. For shame! I'm glad they called it coconut milk soup, because it doesn't deserve the distinguised title of Tom Kha Gai. I can assume there is galangal broth in here too, but I'm not sure...like I said, I'm no afficienado. My recommendation: Anchalee Thai on San Pablo is FAR better and puts less of a hurting on your wallet. You get an array of veggies in your soup (baby corn, carrots, lemongrass, some weird white thing that I don't think is digestable, but smells good, whole mushrooms), and you don't feel like you are drinking the love child of coconut milk's sordid affair with evaporated milk. I'll update if I try anything else, but I'm not sure if I can set foot in Gecko Gecko again. Fool me once, shame on me, but mess up my coconut milk soup once, you're pretty much dead to me.
(2)Alexandra D.
I was in the mood for Thai food one night, so I yelped Thai food and came across Gecko Gecko. I walked in on a Tuesday night at around 6:30. We did end up having to wait for about 30 minutes for a table for 3, but I think that just ended up being poor timing for us, as we were the only ones waiting (it is a pretty small restaurant). Either way, they handled the wait very well. Our server was an adorable little guy who was eager to serve us. I had the ginger-cashew with tofu and it was delicious and very fresh. The portion was also appropriate, which I appreciate. It isn't super authentic Thai food, but it is delicious... so it is a keeper in my book and I will definitely be going back :-).
(4)Jim S.
I am visiting a friend in Berkeley and we went here last night. I must say the service was very good! Attentive but not over done. The restaurant has a very nice feel.. Clean floors and tables and restroom. Very nice decor. The food was outstanding. Had numerous things on the menu. PAD Thai was amazing, the crab appetizer was very good.. BBQ chicken was great. Chicken satay was not overcooked like many places do. And the sake apple martini was fantastic. One more nice thing is that all the ingredients were fresh. I will definitely be back here. They take pride and it shows. Good job!!!
(4)Katherine L.
Boyfriend and I came here for dinner. We started off with some Thai teas and they weren't creamy enough and also quite sweet. For appetizers we had spring rolls, which were filled with vegetables. We were not fans of the sauce, which was sweet and weird. For entree we had green curry with chicken. There wasn't much chicken in the dish, but was instead filled with a ton of vegetables. The food here is quite over priced and not worth the cost for the amount of food. The good thing is that the service was pretty good. They came by often to fill our waters and to check on us.
(2)John S.
The food is serviceable. It used to be expensive, but now everything everywhere is expensive, so Gecko Gecko is just about right, as wrong as that is. I don't why the pad see ew is called sauteed wide rice noodle on the menu, but it's pad see ew, and it's what I almost always get. They didn't have tofu last time, so they gave me extra vegetables instead. It would have been nice if they had let me know when I called (I might have canceled my order and gone somewhere else for lunch), but that's really the only time I've had an issue, and I've been here seven or eight times. The woman who usually runs the place around lunchtime is mean to her coworkers/minions, so sitting around waiting for your food can be unpleasant. She's never been mean to me, but she's not the most pleasant person in the world either. I usually call my food in and spend as little time here as possible. Oh, and the benches outside are really cool, as is the gecko climbing up the side of the building. I only wish they had made this gecko animatronic so that it would slowly crawl up the building over the course of the day. Can you imagine having the window right next to this guy? I would be permanently paranoid that someone was hanging around outside my third-story apartment.
(3)Paula G.
I have been going to Gecko Gecko for many years, usually for a pre-theatre bite for Aurora and Berkeley Rep. The decor is pleasant, the restroom clean, the staff friendly, the food superb, and the rotating art show on the walls makes for a slightly different dining experience each time. To define superb: fresh ingredients well-prepared and attractively presented. Every time. Thankfully they take reservations because by the time I'm leaving for the performance, the place is usually packed and a line is forming.
(5)Edna C.
I don't know why I was skeptical about the name Gecko Cecko Thai California Eatery. "Thai California" suggests a risk of being a fusion flop, or perhaps my mind subconsciously renamed it ghetto ghetto. In any case, it exceeded my expectations and was neither a flop nor the least bit ghetto, except its location in the gourmet ghetto. It's a little bit pricier for a dinner in Berkeley, but nice ambiance, an extensive menu, and solid food: the menu has a good mix of traditional Southeast Asian and fusion items. (And by fusion, it's not anything bizarre like pad kale.) Like any Thai place they serve Thai iced tea, but here it comes in mason jars which is a plus some people go cray cray over this hipsterware. Because it was popular in the pictures, looked pretty, and sounded delicious, we got the MANGO ROAST DUCK ROLLS (mint, red bell pepper, pear, rice noodles & hoisin wrapped In rice paper with dipping sauce), $10.75. The combination of tangy mango, savory duck with hoisin sauce, and refreshing minty veggies assortment makes this a unique and enticing appetizer. It's just a little difficult to eat though, because it's larger than bite size and the noodles fall out when you do take a bite. For my entree I chose the NORTHERN CRISPY RICE SALAD (with crunchy rice, ground chicken, ginger, scallions, cilantro, onion, carrots & roasted peanuts), $11.50 because I've had Lao crispy rice before at Champa Garden and it was heavenly. Gecko's salad rendition was quite good but spicy is no joke. I was literally crying from the spiciness, though it would not be inaccurate to call it tears of joy.
(5)Stephanie C.
I love their sticky rice! Although the portion for that is like a teeny tiny fist of rice. The country pad thai was a fairly large portion that tasted well. I also like their spicy basic minced chicken over sticky rice. I'd definitely come back for more. Their thai tea is really, really sweet. No matter how much ice I asked for to water it down, it was very syrupy.
(4)Sara N.
Quick, flavorful and friendly. Nothing better than that! Came here for lunch on a Sunday with my family and got a few specials and lunch entrees that we all shared. Stray away from the thai iced coffee, that thing was out of this world sweet, in a dissatisfying way. This place would be great for take out if you are a local.
(4)Adrienne K.
Fresh ingredients used for the Mango Shrimp Salad. Shrimps were not over cooked/dried, which I like :) Dressing was a little overwhelmed and I think if the mango wasn't as ripe may go better with the firm texture of other ingredients in this salad. Mango Duck Rolls, two rolls for $8.50. I expected more on the platting presentation and taste. The duck pieces were dried, cold, and bland. Again, mango was a little too ripe/soggy to be used for rolls. I ordered, food came and was eating for few minutes... Waiter finally came and asked if I would like to have some water... The place wasn't busy during lunch at noon today... Definitely need to spend a little more time on customer service...
(2)Laura W.
I came here before a show at the Berkeley Rep. The service was quick and friendly, the place had a nice vibe, and the food was really delicious. The curry prices are great if you want chicken or tofu, but I was in the mood for salmon which adds another $5. A little pricey but still worth it. I had green curry with salmon (has a bunch of vegetables like zucchini, carrots, eggplant, and butternut squash) which was medium spicy and flavorful, but still saucy and creamy. This was a great way to get my daily veggies! I also ordered a glass of the house red (cab sauv), which was surprisingly good for under $6, and a side of white rice, which was the same as you get at most Thai restaurants, but on the dry side. I feel like moist and fragrant rice would have earned the fifth star -- it's all in the details! -- but regardless, I will def be coming back next time I'm in Berkeley.
(4)Berk H.
The food is uneven, the service consistently good. I've had great pad thai here, but the tofu in the dish was inedible this last time. It was rubbery and flavorless, and seemed to have been warmed up (in a microwave??) from some very old stock. I've ordered the sweet potato curry several times, and it's always different: the amount of salmon and of vegetables varies, as does the degree to which the vegetables are cooked. I don't know what to conclude from all this. I still frequent Gecko Gecko, but it always feels like a risk.
(3)Jenny N.
The service was prompt and courteous! The food was delicious. My friend and I started on the mango roast duck roll. I really liked the mango and duck combination with their sauce. It was bit challenging trying to fit that roll in my mouth, but I did it! we also started with the Crispy cram dumplings. It was a good texture but not for me. The crab/seafood taste was a bit overwhelming for us. My main entree was the Thai BarBeQue Chicken. It was hands down, my favorite chicken so far in the Bay Area. I loved how the chicken was so tender but also had that smoke taste from the grilling. It went really well with the greens and sticky rice. I've got to come back for that chicken! My friend had the pineapple cashew fried rice and he really liked it. I had some and it was seasoned really well. We ended with the mango sticky rice. It wasn't as well as other places but it would do!
(4)Lydia K.
Food: 4 Stars I've had better Thai food but the Pumpkin curry was delicious and the iced coffees. Service: 1 Star - it took more than 30 minutes for our food to come out What I liked about this place was that the curry came with rice rather than ordering it on the side. My friend and I also got food to go and the crab fried rice was delicious. What I did not like was how long it took to get the food. Being an accounting major numbers is my thing haha so like I definitely timed it when I recognized more than 20 minutes passed. We ordered at like 2:15 and did not get our food until 2:50 ( I remember this because I had to put more money in the parking meter because I thought 1.5 hours would have been enough). They had like only 2 people work and each time we asked they would say the food is about to come out. Either way, get the food to go so you don't have to deal with the slow service.
(2)Katie M.
Arrived with a party of 2 on a Friday night with reservations but this place was only half full when we get there. Service was excellent - we feel really well attended. The noise level in the restaurant was low and the decorations are simple and clean. We ordered the mango roast duck roll, the ultimate pad thai and the pineapple duck curry, which was an item on the special menu. Both the mango duck roll was an interesting combination but it's doesn't taste as good as I expected from the other reviews. The ultimate pad thai was another interesting item to order: there was cheese on the side served with the pad thai. The pineapple duck curry was really sour - they added were too much pineapples. Personally I really like pineapples, but this dish just doesn't work for me. Also, there were so few pieces of roasted duck in it, I was expecting more given the price of this dish. There were also other fruits, such as, grapes in the curry. Overall, although they have good service and nice ambience, the food is not good enough for me to come again.
(3)Brian B.
Oddly slow service. The place was less than half full but we had to flag our server down for any attention at all. It was pretty comical since he was standing about 4 feet away. The food was ok. Nothing to write home about but not bad.
(3)M R.
OK, I love spicy food. I went to Thailand to go to cooking school, and I have Never met a curry I couldn't eat. But I was nearly knocked off my rocker at lunch today when I got the pumpkin curry. It wasn't sweet which I liked. But when I started stirring around the bottom of the bowl, I ran across chopped red thai chilis by the Tablespoon. I'm happy that they actually have fresh chilis, because a lot of places will just add the dry chili condiment to your dish, like thanks dude, I could have done that myself. I had to scoop out as much of the chili as possible, and it was all in one location, so I don't know if they just got carried away, but by the time I was done scooping out chili and rice, I filled the metal container that had the sauce for the spring rolls. It over-floweth. I could handle it, just barely, but that was pretty lethal. Maybe it was just an accident, just be careful when you order. Hot means HOTTER than hell!!
(4)Michael P.
I went to this restaurant for the first time yesterday fm afternoon and it was nice and peaceful. The people was very polite and our waiter was on point with his service. I order the Coconut Pad Thai. It was on the specials for that day, but the entrée was very delicious and filling.
(4)John W.
A fresh, innovative take on classic Thai food. If you're looking for the most authentic Thai food in Berkeley, this isn't the place; if you're looking for fresh, tasty and delicious Thai food, this IS the place. I come here for lunch when I'm in DT Berkeley and have never been disappointed. The fresh shrimp spring rolls, the yellow curry with chicken and the ginger cashew chicken are a few of my favorites. Their pad thai, drunken noodles and Thai iced tea are also quite tasty. I normally go before the main lunch crowd gets there, so the service is attentive and friendly. It can get very crowded, though, so don't be surprised if the service isn't super fast. Overall, it's a great Thai place in the heart of downtown Berkeley with a fresh, modern take on Thai food.
(5)Min Ju L.
Truly underwhelming and overpriced restaurant... the decor is nice, hospitality is on point but given the numerous options available for great Thai food, I'm gonna give this place a pass next time. Mango roast duck roll-- interesting fusion but aside from the fact that most Thai places don't serve mango roast duck spring roll, underwhelming Pumpkin red curry-- average Ultimate pad thai-- interesting. my bf digged it. Overall not amazing enough for us to come back. Gonna stick to the homely mom n pop shops.
(3)Margaret E.
Delicious and fresh, lunch plates come with a nice little fresh salad. Plenty of vegetarian options. Nice relaxed atmosphere, airy and pleasant. Friendly staff.
(4)Heather G.
Excellent!! So fresh and delicious! We had the mango salad, mango duck rolls, the ultimate pad Thai and pineapple duck curry! All extremely yummy. Can't wait to come back. Service was great also. They were very attentive, and even though we arrived a little before they close midday for a break, we never felt rushed.
(5)Kendall M.
THIS is the place for a full flavored value lunch!!! So Much Good yummy food. Attentive service too.
(5)Samantha B.
I've been a few times. The food is delicious - hence the 4 stars. All the rolls are really good, especially the smoked salmon roll. I can also vouch for their curries and desserts. The sweet sticky rice with mango is made with coconut milk, not sweetened condensed milk, so it should be safe for you vegans out there. However, you'd do your best to avoid the Ultimate Pad Thai. It sounds like it's going to be all sorts of deliciousness piled together, but really, I got like one piece of squash, two extra cucumbers, and one of everything else. PLUS they forgot my cheese, and I didn't even realize it until I came to review and saw the pictures of the dish. It's 2 hours later and I'm hungry already so I'm feeling pretty ripped off on this whole "ultimate" situation. Ultimately, you will be starving later!
(4)Michelle C.
I've previously dined here and enjoyed the lunch special. One time I ordered dinner entrees to go and they were good. Today, my curry was horrendous and stupidly overpriced. Pumpkin curry lunch special w/ brown rice-$9.50 There were like 8 bits of chicken. 5 chunks of pumpkin which were still undercooked some carrots and a piece of bell pepper. BUT THE CURRY! It was watery :( absolutely awful. And the portion was pathetic. It was an awful meal. The rice was tolerable. My salad was submerged in the water-curry. Mango sticky rice- $6.50 Again, overpriced for a tiny blob of rice covered in condensed milk with sliced mangos. Basically worth $0.50 of supplies and $0.50 of labor, but whatever. Service was lame too. No desire to come back :/ Sad.
(2)Fressia P.
Oh the pumpkin red curry is amazing! I can never imagine that it's so good to use pumpkin to make curry!!!! I would like to try to make pumpkin curry by myself next time! ( pumpkin, bell, chicken, carrot and red curry!) And I also order half serve of roasted duck roll. Yum!
(5)Amel A.
I tried their veggie rolls with the sauce its amazing .. I got the classic pad thai and i loved it i just wish they had veggies but other than that its was great. Great portion size
(4)Mike R.
I loved the quite small arena. Front desk right next to door. They seat you with me u at the ready. Lunch specials available. Decor is ok and does speak lunch joint. Tai food is their thing and they do it well.
(4)Angela L.
Not bad, but definitely not the best Thai in downtown Berkeley. Came here during my lunch break and had their roasted duck & pineapple curry. The lunch special was about $10, and came with a small bowl of curry, rice, and salad. The serving size was perfect, but there was a serious lack of duck in my curry. Additionally, my curry had good flavor, but was too watery for my liking. Service is nice and attentive, and it's conveniently close to my office so I would come back. However, with places that are much more affordable and flavorful (Tuktuk, Thai Noodle, all the places in Oakland), I wouldn't go out of my way to come here.
(3)John D.
The food is okay. I really enjoyed my first experience here, but I was able to try more of their dishes here after going a few more times. It's overpriced for so-so food. I don't see myself stopping by here anymore.
(2)Lisa F.
Arrived with a party of 8 late Saturday night, and we were seated promptly. I ordered the Pumpkin Red Curry, and it was incredibly fresh and delicious. Not as spicy as I would have expected for a "spicy" dish, but the flavors were spot on. A friend of mine ordered the sweet potato yellow curry, which was also delicious. I am a fan of Pad Thai, and their classic was good, but fairly average for what is available in the bay area. I will definitely return.
(4)Kelly C.
This is my second time to the place and I am really happy with the service and the food. The place seems to be different from other Thai place in town in being more westernized and having better service. I think the food tastes nice, but I'm more impressed by how they lay food out beautifully on the plate, came to refill water frequently, and cared to wipe our table clean before they serve the dessert. These are small things but really made our meal pleasant and smooth. Among the food we tried, I like the classic pad thai with prawns, and the red pumpkin curry most. The pad thai really looked nice and tasted good too. The portion for the pad thai is smaller than other Thai places I have been though. We also had the gecko gecko fried rice, which is a pineapple fried rice with cashew nuts and chicken. That one also tasted good but was a bit moister than what I expected. The mango-roast duck roll looked great but did not taste as impressive to me. Oh yeah we also had the fried banana with ice cream for dessert. Pretty nice!
(4)Radhika P.
I quite enjoyed my pumpkin red curry, thank you very much. I felt like it was carefully prepared although I do wish the pumpkin was cut a little thinner. I absolutely loved the presentation though and it was just the right spicy quotient for me. I also ordered the pomegranate black tea which was equally delightful although a tad too sweet. It was presented in a mason jar with a handle and for that alone, I would recommend the drink. Next up, the peanut curry with avodaco. That sounds way more fusion.
(4)Patrick H.
Horrible experience after Sunday's Open Streets Sunday. Horrible. We came in around 4:30 with three friends who just completed playing live music for 2 or so hours. Five people ready to have a few beers and eat. There were six people already seated inside being waited upon. We sat for 15 minutes. No water. No contact after the "hostess" seated us and gave us menus. I walked to the front and asked if we could order? She replied the waiter would help us and walked away into the kitchen. (poof). Never to be seen again. Another five minutes while the other two tables were served...we left and the staff watched us like passing traffic. There are many places to eat and relax in Berkeley. This is not one I can recommend as it is very poorly managed and staffed. There are now five people who will not return. Amazingly indifferent staff.
(1)Julie Y.
The food was pretty fast and delicious! Had the Salmon Spring Rolls and Ultimate Pad Thai, both yummy. We got a 10% discount as we mentioned that we were going to the theater & later read the back of the tix that said Gecko Gecko is a major sponsor! Kudos to them for supporting the Aurora!
(4)Don Haedong J.
I simply lovvvvvvvvvvvved it. The main dinner, Pat Thai was very enjoyable and what I liked the most was a crab fried rice. Some can find it's little expensive but I, my self, will strongly recommend to everyone who I know to have some crab rice thing. Also, the sweet potato red curry was great too. I enjoyed a lot in here and it made my Berkeley trip perfect. Wish I can go there soon again~!
(5)Jeannine M.
The best Thai in town!. Reminds me of NYC. Beautifully presented plates of delicious, fresh, flavorful Thai food. The service is also great! Love my Gecko Gecko!
(5)B H.
Lunch visit on a Saturday, we had he eggplant green curry with chicken which was delicious, as was basil chicken dish. Skip the fresh spring rolls - no flavor. Friendly service and good people watching on a busy corner. 5 stars for atmosphere and entrees.
(5)Anat A.
Ordered the Corn and Taro Fritter appetizer. Just got the corn as they were out of taro. On their website menu they list it as $7. When I arrived the price was actually $8.95, plus tax it rang up to be almost $10. Wow, this must be an excellent batch of corn fritters for 10 bucks, right?? No. very average fritters. Kind of just a mushy, flavorless patty with a couple bits of corn stuck in there. No nice golden crunchyness on the outside either. Too expensive for a lunch menu and certainly too expensive for the poor quality : (
(2)Sarah F.
I got the shrimp mango salad and the shrimp had a strong odor like they weren't washed and sitting out too long. The lettuce had a lot of wilted pieces... They have a really nice menu and just did not live up to it at all. Way overpriced for their quality and service.
(2)Sheila N.
Definitely "Californian Thai" cuisine; don't get me wrong, I love eating healthy and eating lighter versions of food. I guess I came here with the wrong expectations because the food definitely tasted unauthentic and lighter than other Thai places I've been accustomed to. My bf and I really wanted to try the duck spring rolls but our waiter notified us after we ordered that they were out of duck :( what?? On one of your signature dishes and we were there right when dinner service started! That was a bummer since we came there to try these rolls; forgot what other dishes we ordered but it was decent. Service was nice and friendly but I wish they had told us before we scoped the menu that they were out of duck!
(3)Wilhelm Y.
I remembered Yelp friend Toni M writing an excellent review for this restaurant awhile back, and I had it on my Yelp bookmarks list of places to try since that time. Recently I finally got to try it. It was a Monday night as it usually is when I'm in Berkeley looking for a dinner spot. I regularly volunteer at Monday Night Playground which is a seasonal theatrical series that takes place at the Berkeley Rep. On this particular night I had left my job quite early and ended up in Berkeley about 90 minutes before my shift was scheduled to begin. Gecko Gecko is located about a half block down from the Berkeley Rep. There was only one couple dining inside when I made my visit. Greeted immediately I was seated at a small table for two near the window. I was handed a menu, and my drink order was taken and quickly brought to me. I got a set of chopsticks colored one red and one green and simply loved the randomness of that. The Mango-Roast Duck Rolls is listed as a specialty item on the menu. I decided to try that since I love duck, fresh vegetables and sweet mango. In addition I had one of those sudden cravings for Pad Thai so I went with the Classic Pad Thai despite it having fried tofu in it something I'm not supposed to have too much of these days. The Mango-Roast Duck Rolls ( yelp.com/biz_photos/geck… ) arrived first. These were hefty sized rolls of chewy rice flour wrappers stuffed with amazing ingredients such as rice noodles, red bell peppers, fresh mint, carrots, cucumbers, mixed greens, and of course mango and boneless, skinless roast duck. The mango that went into this particular roll was super sweet. I found that to be a huge plus, for it meant I wouldn't have to use much of the sweet and sour dipping sauce which accompanied the rolls. Absolutely delicious this in itself could have been an entire meal for me. As I slowly enjoyed the rolls the Classic Pad Thai ( yelp.com/biz_photos/geck… ) arrived. I loved the composition that was set down in front of me. The noodles were cooked nicely, and I enjoyed being given the opportunity to add as much or as little of the ground peanut that I wanted. The overall flavor was quite okay, and again all of the ingredients tasted fresh. The service was friendly and attentive. The food arrived from the kitchen in a very timely manner. As the night wore on the restaurant quickly filled making me happy that I had visited earlier (5:30 PM-ish) rather than later. I will return to this restaurant on future Monday nights.
(4)Anthony C.
Every day from work I always walk by this place, and I love great pad Thai. What I don't like is having pad Thai taste buds not challenged. So, I make the chance to try out the food. After reading all the reviews I can start to see why so many people love this place. I didn't get the mango spring roll, but I tried the typical pad Thai, add chicken and asked to make it spicy. It was by far the best pad Thai I've had since I moved from Arizona. The place is a great modern look to it. And if they had a bar, it would be by far a great joint to bring a lot friends. Overall experience is pretty cool and the food was really good!
(5)Devin N.
Went here randomly one night all by myself...forever alone. *tear* In all seriousness though my experience was very pleasant. I was seated right away and ordered the Duck and Avo Salad. It did not disappoint. The duck was cooked perfectly and the dressing blended very well with the veggies. The cilantro added the extra hint of freshness. A lot going on with the dish in terms of flavor and I enjoyed that. Well done Gecko Gecko. (I really liked the name)
(5)Jason H.
I came here this Saturday afternoon looking for a hearty lunch, and despite the long walk, I was very very glad I came! I ordered the pumpkin red curry and it met and exceeded my expectations - a flavorful blend of pumpkin, chicken, basil, and various other spices in the curry made each bite exciting and made me anticipate the next eagerly. The food also came quickly enough, and the ambiance friendly and casual. Will definitely be returning frequently, and look forward to my next meal!
(5)Chiara A.
Gecko Gecko. I first learned of Gecko Gecko from the head of the English department at Berkeley City College. The English Dept. Head was dealing with a cold and dispatched me to Gecko Gecko to get some spicy and sour soup. I was advised that this soup is great when one has a cold. The English Dept. Head sure felt good after having the soup. When I had a cold, I traipsed on over to Gecko Gecko for the same spicy and sour soup to take-out. I asked them to put some chicken in it. Mmmm, that was so good. My sinuses cleared up pretty fast. When there was an opportunity, I treated myself to another soup (even though I did not have a cold) and some fresh spring rolls with shrimp wrapped in rice paper. It was almost like having a sushi roll with shrimp and veggies minus the seaweed and the wasabi. I wish I could have stayed in to eat instead of take-out. My order was packed quite securely, I might add. No worries about spillage and dirty plastic take-out bags. It will be a awhile before I can haul myself over to Gecko Gecko. I will get there for lunch and eat in for a long leisurely lunch. I was looking at the customers plates the last time I was there and just viewed the photos. The plating and presentation is quite lovely, I must say. Just for a chuckle: youtube.com/watch?v=acCf… Fresh Yelp Review #90 for 2013 (Whew! Almost there!)
(4)Kimberly K.
Mango-duck spring rolls: light, flavorful and fresh. Two large spring rolls cut in half, served with a light sauce. Pumpkin Curry: very flavorful but the sauce is light, not pasty. This is a simple, dish done really well Red curry, duck, pineapple: This dish was a special, very similar to the pumpkin curry. It was very good, I wish I got another dish just for the sake of variety The service is excellent: efficient and friendly.
(5)Nikki P.
My quest for my favorite Thai food has finally come to an end. I love this place. The restaurant is small and clean, and it is obviously a family owned joint. The staff was continuously checking up on us to make sure we had everything we needed. The food was to die for (I had the pineapple duck curry, my bf had the sweet potato yellow curry) both were freaking amazing. You have to order the sides of rice separately, they were a little on the small side (considering how big the curry dishes were) and a little pricey, but it was all worth it. I left feeling full and happy. I'll definitely be coming back.
(4)Adele F.
As an undergrad, I knew my wallet wasn't ready for fancy places like Gecko Squared. Nevertheless, my friend and I decided to visit. I ordered a dinner special, the GRILLED SALMON WITH SAUTEED FRESH SHIITAKE & ASIAN EGGPLANT with organic celery, bell peppers, and onions in a garlic-ginger sauce for $14.95 ( s3-media2.ak.yelpcdn.com… ). They cooked the salmon to a perfect softness ( s3-media4.ak.yelpcdn.com… ), balancing the mellowness of grilled salmon with the boldness of the curry sauce. I also think they substituted almost all of the vegetables because I was given spinach, broccoli, and asparagus (I actually really liked the crunch and the flavor of the asparagus with the curry). What a misleading menu description, but at least they have a disclaimer on their menu. My friend ordered their THAI PEANUT SAUCE CHICKEN over spinach with carrots, nappa cabbage, and broccoli for $8.95 ( s3-media4.ak.yelpcdn.com… ); however, they also substituted all the vegetables for asparagus. My friend said that her dish was too spicy, which made for an unpleasant dining experience :( Jasmine rice was an additional $1.75 per person, making our total $31. Keep in mind that there is a minimum $7 charge per person! I would come back for the salmon!
(4)Gorgeous P.
This update is strictly about the takeout. I've ordered takeout twice and both times the food was not good. They go out of their way to give you fresh food and good service in the restaurant, but both times my takeout was not good. The pad Thai did not taste freshly prepared and my sweet potato fries were old and soggy Blech! Don't use takeout orders to get rid of old food or food that has sat around. You should use the same care with takeout as you do with eat in orders. I won't order takeout from here again. I'm disappointed. :(
(2)P N.
Was super hungry before meeting up with a friend for dinner so I stopped by gecko for spring rolls. Great customer service, spring roll had stronger taste of cabbage than I've ever had, but was good..8$ for just that though
(4)Alexei A.
Very meh food.
(2)Adrienne L.
I want to give them 4... but while they had overall great flavors and dishes... (Crispy crab wonton appetizer was very good. Fresh and crispy.. which is why the following really disappointed me): - Fried tofu in the curry wasn't very good- def not a fresh tofu (prob just a frozen one) kinda spongy in texture. (Ordered Peanut curry, good thickness but not spectacular) - Shrimp in mango salad was way overcooked and super dry on the outside (recooked?), otherwise the mango was fresh and sweet and it was well dressed. In general cute decor, cozy feel, decent service.
(3)Kali D.
Clean, fresh, quality ingredients and excellent service.
(4)Krystal T.
So parking can be a little bit tough. What the location is really nice it's right on the corner of a somewhat busy area with a lot around to do. Solid food with great service. The serving size of food was about average as were the prices. It was really good....very flavorful and hit the spot. I had a duck curry and the avocado and shrimp salad . They were both really good. We went there kind of late and they were really nice and didn't try to rush us out but we got the hint that they were close to closing lol and eventually made our way out. On a side note the decor was nice it's a cute spot if you're just getting a midweek dinner and would even be nice if you wanted to take someone there on a casual date.
(4)Leah S.
We went here on Friday night for an early Valentine's. Should have made a reservation, and we know to in the future. It wasn't too bad though, we just walked around berkeley until the estimated time. Once seated, we ordered the Mango Duck Rolls and sake-tinis (I don't know why it says there's no alcohol on Yelp. Maybe they just added it. There's wine and beer as well). My lychee sake-tini was delicious, and the duck rolls were AMAZING! It was my first time having duck, so I didn't have any preset expectations though. Still, my partner agreed. For the main course, I ordered peanut curry, and my partner ordered the pad thai. I thought they were good, but perhaps not good enough for the price (nothing too special). Seemed the same as what I would get at a cheaper place, which is why I'm giving the place four stars instead of five. However, even if just for more Mango Duck Rolls and sake-tinis (which are priced very well btw--cheaper than a bar), I will be back.
(4)John L.
Oh my god. Aroi mak mak. There is American thai food, and Thai thai food. If you have been to Thailand and fallen in love with Thai food, this is the place.
(5)Greg M.
Best service I have recieved in a long time. Came in by myself and was greeted by some of the friendliest people i've ever met. The entire meal it was like dining in a close friends restaurant. I will definitely be coming back. Order the basil eggplant, you will thank me.
(5)Alex L.
Really nice place to come with friends. If you like thai food, keep an open mind in lieu of some of these reviews. All I can say is avoid wearing black dress shirts, or else you'll blend in with the wait-staff.
(4)Liz Z.
We went here for dinner tonight. It was my second time eating here -- I came once before with a group of colleagues for lunch. I had really enjoyed the lunch, so I told my husband we should go for dinner. We were both really happy with all of the food we ordered and the service. We had the apple/jicama/papaya salad to start, really yummy and fresh. Then we shared two entrees -- the pineapple cashew fried rice with chicken, and the red pumpkin curry with chicken. Both were delicious. Everything tasted really fresh and healthy -- I left with a satisfied palate and a full tummy, but not feeling greasy and bloated. That is a nice feeling!
(5)Cathy X.
Flavorful and not-too-heavy Thai food! It's hard to go wrong with Thai spices, but Gecko Gecko makes sure to get it right with simple flavor combinations that really hit the spot. The best part about their food is that it is NOT TOO OILY, which it sets it far apart from other Thai restaurants that drown their pad thai in vegetable oil or thicken their coconut curries with heavy additives. So Gecko Gecko is probably not the place to go if you're super hungry on a college budget. But this meal left me feeling not too stuffed, and perfectly satisfied. I ordered the Thai Peanut Sauce ($10.50 for dinner-entree) and asked for it extra spicy. The veggies (nappa cabbage, broccoli, spinach, carrots, and sweet potato) and tofu were nothing to write home about, BUT this sauce was amazing, guys!! Not overwhelmingly peanut-flavored, with a nice kick from chives mixed in. Yummm sooo good... my only complaint was that the veggie broth made the sauce watery at the end. My friends also ordered the steak entree (really fragrant in a bed of ginger sauce) and the red coconut curry (more watery than I've seen it at other places). We were all impressed by how flavorful yet light the meal was. Ambiance was also impeccable: clean, intimate, attentive service. Definitely a clean, modern vibe, and a solid experience.
(4)Alan Y.
I had the "Ultimate Pad Thai", which was basically a bit of everything. The flavors are not too heavy and the food is not oily at all. In order to compensate, they should have seasoned a bit heavier, but they didn't, leading to a bit more blandness than needed. I was a bit disappointed to find that, although they boasted all sorts of veggies and meats in the Pad Thai, it was basically one of everything. I really would have preferred more, especially for the price.
(2)Amy G.
I usually get the virgin pad thai, which is just like regular pad thai but made with olives oil and lemon juice added to it. I believe the prices between that and the regular pad thai is the same, so you can try it out if you ever get tired of the regular kind. The servers are very nice and courteous. I've tried some other rice dishes here, but I would say pad thai is definitely one of their specialties.
(4)Ceil T.
My go-to place before Berkeley Rep events. Spring rolls are perfection.
(4)David K.
I had what they claim is The Ultimate Pad Thai. They are correct. It is. This is a nice, clean restaurant, and I would recommend it to anyone
(5)Olivia v.
The ultimate pad Thai was completely flavorless and didn't even come with the chicken or asparagus, the two parts I was most looking forward to. For me that's one test of a Thai restaurant so I was a little sad, given the high yelp reviews. My partner enjoyed his pumpkin curry. The fritters were okay but kind of bland. 2 stars not 1 because service was friendly and prompt.
(2)Kenneth R.
Rachel C. raved about Gecko Gecko, saying that it was her favorite Thai place. Now it's mine as well. I was a big fan of Ruen Pair and still mourn its passing whenever I drive past the building that now houses Potala Organic Cafe. I arranged a lunchtime visit with Rachel, whose consistent order is the salmon pad Thai, prepared extra spicy. Instead of copying her order, I went for one of the lunch specials, namely the choo chee lamb ("sautéed in our spicy choo chee curry sauce, with green beans, chilis & kaffir lime"). The lamb curry was not excessively liquid; the small mound of jasmine rice that was served with it proved up to the task of absorbing the sauce. The flavors were clear and wonderful. The spice level was perfect for me -- I knew that I was eating a very spicy dish but didn't feel overwhelmed by the "heat". The personnel were friendly and helpful. In particular, someone came around to refill my water glass whenever it was less than one-third full. I plan to return a couple of times for lunch to explore the menu further. If I continue to be happy, my Ruen Pair mourning period will come to a close.
(5)Jason M.
Been here a half dozen times now and I am never disappointed. The food is fresh, flavorful, and simple - just the way I like it. There are very few places that have excellent Pad Thai - Gecko Gecko is one of them. I always order the Lemongrass Beef. Simple plate with amazing sauce. Perfect! Now, if we can just get this place in Belmont, my life would be complete.
(5)Anna F.
My roommate and I went here for dinner and both loved it - especially the prices! Definitely recommend this spot. Their wine & beer was affordable ($5 house cab, $6 gnarly head zin, $3-$5beer, and more!) and most menu items are around $11. Try the duck mango spring rolls, too
(5)Andrew W.
Although I made the mistake of walking to Gecko Gecko from the southwest side of campus, I still enjoyed my lunch and thankful that I found a thai place in Berkeley. So far, I have been wary of trying thai food in Berkeley area because I did not want to be disappointed. But I finally caved and gave way to Gecko Gecko. Although I thought it was unnecessary, I still made a lunch reservation through OpenTable for Gecko Gecko. Turns out I made the right decision because when I arrived there were no tables available for walk-ins. Sat down at a table shoved in a corner and proceed to look at the menu. Gecko Gecko does not have a classic thai menu, closer to fusion but the food is still delicious. I decided to play it safe and ordered the classic pad thai, mango salad, and mango-roast duck rolls. All of the dishes were delicious and flavorful even though their appear bland and tasteless. Highlights was the perfect paring between mango-roast duck rolls and the accompanying dipping sauce, as well as, the pad thai. Gecko Gecko has definitely opened me up to trying more thai places in Berkeley. What I recommend: -- mango-roast duck roll -- pad thai -- lunch combos
(4)Victoria J.
This is a good date place if you're wanting to go somewhere a bit nicer than your average Thai restaurant. The atmosphere is great. Great decor, great service, and it's not full of the typical UC students. It's a bit of an older crowd--more of a grad student level--which made for a nicer environment. People were having more interesting conversations and the class level was higher than other Thai restaurants. The service was super nice and friendly and my water was refilled whenever the level dropped--always a sign of good service. The food was just okay for me. We had the Papaya Salad, which was pretty standard, not mind-blowing, but still good. We also had the Pumpkin Curry, which was very flavorful, and the Pad See Ew, which was really not good. The noodles weren't stir fried enough for me and the sauce was missing some balance. Although, I do have very high standards for Thai food. I had a great experience with the food over at Cha-Am, but Gecko Gecko was definitely a nicer environment with attentive service.
(3)Vivienne C.
My new favorite place for Thai in Berkeley! A lighter fresher take on Thai than most places, and very flavorful. The Tom Kha soup is the best I've ever had, the mango duck spring rolls are beyond delicious and the Slammin Salmon is, well, Slammin! My mouth is watering just thinking about it. Wish they delivered, but worth getting dressed to go over for a tasty meal!
(5)Gina B.
Great place for lunch; always fresh and flavorful.
(4)Kim D.
Last year, my old roommate and I went in search of the best pad thai in Berkeley, since that was her absolute favorite meal. After trying all the thai restaurants in the area, this place hands down had the best pad thai. Keep in mind it's a thai californian fusion, so some of the dishes may not be truly authentic, but they are still amazing nonetheless. We usually go for lunch, when they have plenty of specials like pumpkin curry with salmon and combination deals where you can pick an entree and side to accompany it. They have 3 different types of pad thai - the 'classic', 'virgin' which has extra olive oil and lemon juice, and my favorite the 'country' which slightly more tangy with a tomato-chili garlic sauce. The sweet potato fries with the sweet chili sauce are a nice accompaniment, and all the dishes are aesthetically pleasing and well-presented. The fresh shrimp spring rolls were also good and filled with extra veggies, but the dipping sauce was a tad bit too fishy for our liking. But gecko gecko is overall a great place to grab lunch or dinner when you're in the area!
(5)Stella K.
Substitute the white rice for the brown- delicious and healthier!
(4)Ilse R.
My boyfriend and I usually eat here once a week. It never gets old. He gets the country pad Thai and I get the Jammin Salmon. But I've tried everything in the menu and it's all sooo good. The vibe is great for casual lunch dates, professional work meetings over dinner, and even for lunch time for BHS students. I recommend it to anyone who is looking for great Thai food, someone who wants to enjoy a nice meal but doesn't want to feel over stuffed (not the typical greasy Asian cuisine). It's my favorite restaurant. The owners are great!
(5)David R.
Had the pumpkin red curry, which was very good. A very nice fusion of flavors. The coconut soup was also fantastic. Food came out quickly and hot and waiters were available. They forgot to bring my wife's drink, however. Nothing catastrophic though. Will definitely try it out again next time we are in town for a show.
(4)Leilani T.
Pumpkin red curry with chicken on brown rice! So delicious! The food is always good here, the place is always clean and the staff is always friendly.
(5)Double O S.
Overrated unfortunately. While the menu items look very tasty, none of it had the level of flavor or proportions that we expected from the cost. Mango roast duck roll - mostly noodles, bland mango, not enough roast duck. Smaller than photo looks Taro corn fritters - no taro taste or any taste, which is typically very distinct. 4 medium pucks Firecracker catfish - very basic fried catfish in off the shelf sweet and sour sauce. Gave only like 3 thin filets. Sweet potatoes were only slightly sweet. Total cost $40+6tip. And definitely not worth it
(1)D B.
What up, grandmas! This is your (grand)boy, Lil' Big Medium DB. yelp.com/user_details_qu… The jazz music wasn't loud. You know what was loud? The face of that one server. Really though, I almost couldn't hear the music over g'ma gossip; it's not like they were talking at a high volume at all. $7.95 Smoked Salmon Rolls: The bomb. I wish more Thai places had this. But they don't, which is why it's a Gecko Gecko specialty. $10.95 Yogurt-Coconut Curry Salmon: Approaching the bomb. The first bite was deeiiiiyyyymm. The asparagus was everything unboiled asparagus should be. I needed another cut or two of salmon for the price. Chili-Lemongrass Lamb or "Still Shave My Cho Cha" Catfish youtu.be/XJR_uX8c2eY?t=3… : Likely what I'll get into on my return visit, because you know one's already in the works. Rounding up to 4 stars. HOURS CORRECTION: Mon-Sun 11:30 am - 3 pm Mon-Sun 4:30 pm - 9 pm Open past 9 on busy nights. yelp.com/user_local_phot…
(4)Shelley K.
-Service: Waiters are constantly walking around refilling water, replacing napkins, clearing tables, etc. You don't need to sit there waiting for somebody to finally come and answer you. -Food: *Peanut Curry with chicken: REALLY good. At first it almost t
(3)Karen S.
I was going to order lunch but didn't want to go to the usual places. A co-worker suggest I try here. After browsing the menu online, I called & placed my order. My Virgin pad thai was a nice decent portion. What stood out to me immediately were the random slices of grape that turned out to be warm. The noodles stuck together & the whole dish was excessively sweet. 1 of the 3 prawns was't cleaned all the way so most of the vein (& therefore poop) was still there. ON top of that, there was an after taste that reminded me of really stale noodles or dirty wet towels or dirty Chinese restaurant carpet. Even though what I had was not as satisfying as I wanted it to be, I still appreciate the attempt to lighten up this traditional Thai dish. But for now, I think I will stick with the real thing.
(3)Daniel R.
Wow such a great meal. We were going to share our food but ended up feasting and forgetting all about it because we were so locked in on our own individual feasts! Defiinitly get the Corn Fritters and the Thai Iced Tea. This place reminded me a lot of my favorite thai spot in LA...'Talesai' on ventura blvd
(5)Jen N.
Very very good. I really liked the dish I got which included a main entree, a side and salad and rice, which makes you feel like you are really getting a meal. I had the eggplant chicken and I would have licked the bowl if that sort of thing was polite to do. The staff were very friendly and the decor was pretty. I'll definitely go again.
(4)J M.
I was wandering around Berkeley - a visitor from San Francisco craving a day in the sun...and a craving for some good noodle's struck. This was very unfortunate as many of my previous "find food in Berkeley" experiences led to nothing exciting (admittedly I was near the university). This time, however, I was really happy about what I found. Gecko Gecko was really quite enjoyable. They had 3 different phad thai choices - and the one I got was done just right. Noodles were not a big pile of mush (as is sometimes the case), and there were fresh veggies/tofu in just the right quantities. Definitely my new spot for grabbing a bite when I'm in the east bay and in that area.
(5)Joyce D.
Oddly, the crowd here was caucasian middle age/seniors. Really not sure why. (10% student discount) The cuisine is thai/ca fusion... hrmmm not quite sure if it works. They have 3 different types of pad thai and I think the 'virgin' one is the spiciest. All of their dishes sound really exotic but the menu looks better than how it tastes. Maybe I just picked a bad/boring dish but I think the general consensus of my table was: not amazing. the restaurant is pretty small, that picture in the photos is the ENTIRE restaurant.
(3)Catherine R.
Are you kidding? My frozen crab appetizers didn't make it to the table reheated so I sent em back. We live in the bay area, home to plentiful fresh crab.... Just sad the won tons have to be frozen :( The pad thai was just ok. All the staff were milling about playing with their phones and dicking around.There is much better Thai food out there that isn't frozen.
(2)Heather S.
I LOVE this place! Not only is the food great - especially the yellow curry - but the service is wonderful as well. I called for takeout at 9 on a Friday, just after they'd closed, and the staff still let me order and come get food, then they were incredibly pleasant when I arrived. Quick, tasty, and a local business I'm proud to support.
(5)Quinn C.
I'm so happy to have found this place. I think I've been about seven times in the last month and I'm actively trying to work through the whole menu. The dishes range from delicious (the pad thai wrap) to transcendently delicious (the masamun curry.) Really reasonable prices too. Go.
(5)Amber S.
Yay, finally a really good Thai place near my work! I love love love Thai, and this place did not disappoint. It might be my new favorite Thai place, actually - my former being Thai Spice on Polk in the city ( yelp.com/biz/thai-spice-… ). The decor is very modern, light and airy, with plenty of seating. The staff was very friendly, and the service was great. I ordered the pumpkin curry lunch special, with a little extra heat. The special comes with a fresh roll, which was amazing - light and filled with fresh vegetables and shrimp with a spicy peanut sauce for dipping. The curry itself could have been a littler spicier (I like to cry when I eat hot food), but since this was my first time I didn't want to get all crazy with the heat - especially since "Thai hot" means something different at every Thai restaurant. To wash it down I had a pomegranate iced tea - which on the surface sounds "ho-hum" given that it's pretty common, but they make it special here or something because it had such depth to the flavor with hints of cinnamon - I only ordered it after having a sip of my friend's drink, and had to flag the waiter down so I could have my own! My dining mates ordered the mango fried rice and the eggplant entree - both were very good! The food all had wonderful flavors, and were spiced just right. I've had my fair share of Thai food, and this place beat my expectations. I really hope this place does well, because this corner seems to have high turnover. The kabob place that was here before didn't last very long, but their food wasn't exceptional either, so....
(4)Charles B.
High-quality Thai/Cal fusion. I've never had a bad dish here, and I'm often delighted. Last time here had the virgin pad thai special ($2 extra), pad thai in virgin olive oil instead of that stuff that turns pad thai pink. Not sweet. A few prawns, some chicken (a bit overcooked), veggies and lots of rice noodle in a light but sufficient coating of olive oil. Healthy and very good! I've enjoyed their salmon, their pumpkin curry and various other dishes both alone and with friends. Service is friendly. It's not so much that prices are higher (regular pad thai is about $8 which seems pretty typical) but that they have more higher-price options than the usual Thai place. Low end of moderate.
(4)Jenn H.
Sorry, but the only thing I recommend is the jasmine rice - perfect and the peanut sauce - average. The shrimp are mushy, the soup bland and all the chicken in each dish was over cooked. How can people like this food? I recommend that you spend a few more dollars for something you might want to eat.
(1)Christine R.
LOVE love LOVE this place. The food is amazing, the ambiance is awesome and the service is stellar. I had the wide noodles with broccoli and egg today, ate every bite, sipping along with a wonderfully fragrant pot of jasmine tea. When I go there I have a great time and feel welcome, I always ask for wooden chopsticks since they are easier for my little hands to eat with. Today, my server brought them to me without me asking, Yippee! They play jazz at lunch, extra bonus points for that. My favorite Thai restaurant in Berkeley. DO check it out.
(5)Brian D.
Came in last week right before closing one night. My friend and were hungry and got a late start this particular evening. I'm always impressed when I come in right around closing and still get great service and great food. I got both. Excellent papaya salad. I had the Pad Thai. It was good. I lot of places I've been it's either dry and the noodles are stuck together, or it's goopy and over sauced. This was good and flavorful, and I felt satisfied, and not remorseful after eating it. My friend had a beef dish with Shitake mushrooms, I don't remember the name but it was tasty. I'll definitely be back
(4)Christopher T.
Nice decor, very modern setting, and the service was good. I ordered the Pad Thai - didn't taste like the traditional, greasy, salty pad thai I'm used to at other Thai restaurants but I learned to appreciate it quickly. They get an extra star for serving up one of the best Thai Iced Tea I've had in a long time. Very potent and tasty!
(4)G A.
I feel bad writing this review because it isn't going to be super positive and I wish it could be. I've eaten here a lot and I believe that it is starting to go downhill. The style is something like Californian/Thai and reminds me of some of the cool modern style restaurants in Bangkok. Which is a good thing compared to the aging cookie-cutter Thai places you find all around the bay-area. I find the food & flavor combinations interesting and appealing. The salmon rolls and salad for example have a wonderful and surprising combinations of textures and tastes. Three types of pad thai and none of them quite what other Thai restaurants offer. Good fried rice, nice curried vegetables. ok ok you get the point. So what's the problem? Its a little expensive so you expect a little "more". And until recently you did get "more". Up till the end of last year (can't remember when it opened but I was there that week). Everything was wonderful and carefully prepared. Last time I ate here I had the salmon pad thai. The salmon was good but had a strange layer of fat on it that was not so pleasant. The pad thai noodles were a twisted mass that was hard to break up. Since it was so stuck together the sauce didn't really penetrate it and it didn't taste like much. And that wasn't just one bad day. Its been more like that the last several times I've been. Worse, after a little while I started to feel shaky and just generally weird. My wife chalked it up to MSG. I don't know if I have had a reaction to MSG before or if this place uses it now. Maybe it was the salmon, I don't know but the experience left me feeling like I wont be returning very soon.
(3)Sue K.
I love their "salmon fresh spring roll" . the shop people are really nice. I recommend this place to my friend often.
(5)Jen K.
Gecko Gecko has the girthiest spring roll I have ever eaten. When it came to our table I felt my eyes bulging out of their sockets. If you have a restaurant.com certificate Gecko squared might be worth checking out but if you want authentic, this is not the place. The dishes lack the punch that we love about real Thai cooking. Every time we drive by it's always crowded so maybe it's just me. But me says, if you wanna play with the big boys Marnee Thai is the way to go.
(3)Carolyn S.
Went for dinner with a friend. The staff is indeed very friendly. We had the mango-roast duck rolls and sweet potato fries to start. Both very good in my book. For entree, we had the mango-pine nut fried rice and pumpkin curry. Again, two winners. I would definitely order those two dishes again. Not too many diners when we were there, so I'm glad to read in other reviews that the place is busy for lunch. A little out of the way for me, but if I'm in Berkeley and I want Thai, this place is definitely high on the list.
(4)Jeremy G.
I certainly love Thai food and was excited to try some in an area with a stronger Asian presence. Gecko Gecko has a classy, but not overwhelming interior. The menu has the basics, but a lot of interesting dishes that don't make it onto other Thai menus. I also like that the menu is not a textbook of a cuisine. I went for the country pad thai which came in a tomato-garlic chili sauce instead of the usual tamarind. It was really good and I enjoyed the tofu and huge shrimp that came with the noodles. My only problem is that I ordered my food too spicy. This was totally my fault because I usually don't get spicy enough if I go conservative. That being said, I was still a champ and finished my noodles and even with the massive heat, I still loved them. The prices here are pretty decent and while you don't get gargantuan portions, you really get just enough to fill you up. So definitely check this place out, but be cautious of how spicy you order your dish.
(4)Laurent C.
Good food, good prices.
(4)Jess K.
This restaurant is a find! Gecko Gecko is a clean and relaxing restaurant I have been to several times and each meal is served graciously. Sometimes you may have to wait a bit longer, but I just attribute it to fresh food being cooked. The food is delicious and fresh and the flavors are subtle and unique. I have tried multiple seafood and veggie dishes and each is seasoned to compliment, but not overpower the respective dish. The price point is fabulous and certainly is easy on the wallet. This is now our destination restaurant before our theater dates. May Gecko Gecko continue to be successful!
(4)Olivia O.
Gecko Gecko is currently my favorite Thai place in Berkeley. I go for lunch frequently during the work week. Love the vegetarian fresh rolls, the mango is such a great touch. Also love the sauteed egg plant-- the fried mushrooms are amazing! Service is friendly and I love the natural light that floods through the windows. The only reason that I don't give it five stars is because it is inconsistent. Some days it is absolutely amazing, other days it is just good. Never bad in my experience though! Definitely worth a try!
(4)Jennifer W.
I like their food a lot, although they are on the pricy side for lunch around here. Nice presentation of the food, delicate, and sweet (but not too sweet). My favorites are the mango duck wrap and pad thai.
(4)Gabe A.
Had lunch here today with a co-worker. The service was attentive. The food came out with the alacrity you would expect from a good Asian restaurant. The food was very fresh. We ordered the Salmon rolls to appetize us. These were really good, plump and fresh. They had nice sauce served with a tiny spoon for spooning instead of dipping. Nice touch. My colleague ordered the pumpkin curry lunch special and I ordered garlic basil eggplant w/tofu lunch special. Each order came with a choice of fresh roll or corn fritters or sweet potato fries. My colleague got the fresh roll and I got the corn fritters. The fresh roll was pretty much the same as the Salmon roll, only it had tofu. Very good again. The corn fritters were these fried golden corn cakes that had all of the fried goodness you would expect from anything named a "fritter". It also came with a yet another sauce which went very well with it. Later I saw the waiter come out with some of the sweet potato fries for another table and was momentarily jealous that I didn't order them. They looked really good! The eggplant dish we very well done and my colleague really enjoyed his pumpkin curry. I really wanted to see what they had in the way of dessert but we were out of time and I was at 80% anyway, so I thought better of it. I look forward to trying this place again with my wife next time we are running around in Berkeley. The food is fresh and there was a steady stream of diners coming in. I am glad for the owners. Looks like they may have hit a on good formula for this location.
(4)Chuck W.
I have been here a number of times and the food is consistently high quality. The ingredients are fresh and the flavor is just right, not too salty or too spicy. The ginger cashew saute has good amount of meat and vegetables, in which I could find bell pepper, celery, asparagus, carrot, and pumpkin. I could tell from the crunchness of the vegetables that they are fresh and not overcooked. The sweet potato fries comes with an awesome batter and great sauce to dip with. The pineapple duck curry is also one of my favorites that comes with generous portion of duck meat with little fat. I rarely give out 5 stars but I think this one deserves it.
(5)Karen Z.
Well-decorated place for Thai food. I went there for lunch and there was quite occupied by people working nearby. The service is good and the price is very reasonable as well. I will definitely take my family there next time!
(5)Rebekah R.
Yummy! Fresh in all senses of the word. . . . the food, the atmosphere, the twists on classics! Great tastes and friendly staff make this a casual enough yet still a classy place to dine. The smoked salmon spring rolls are delicious!
(4)Katie Y.
Delicious, innovative, great quality/price/portion ratio. For a restaurant that's reasonably priced enough to go often, delicious enough to want to keep coming back, and with enough great dishes to recommend to visitors/parents/locals who haven't tried it yet, it definitely gets five stars from me. I'd say this is as good as it gets for the "reasonably priced sit down-but-not-grungy fusion food" market in Berkeley :)
(5)Jennifer G.
chicken satay in peanut sauce, excellent! sauteed wide noodles, excellent! very nice restaurant with excellent food and staff.
(5)Jessie M.
The food here is SO delicious. I tend to order take-out here, so I don't know about the atmosphere, but it's all about the food. The Virgin Pad Thai is the best "American" pad thai I've had, and the duck curry wraps are amazing, especially for the price. The coconut soup gets more delicious every time I try it -- I think they're still trying out different ingredients in there, and it's better than any coconut soup in town! A little on the pricey side, but everything else is really reasonable. The seasonal dishes on the menu all look intriguing, so I can't wait to keep trying new dishes! I do wish they served alcohol, that might get me to sit down and eat there, but I think it's the best take-out in town.
(5)Steve S.
Really good thai food. The prices are not bad either, and the place looks kinda fancy (or at least fancier than most thai restaurants that I have been to). I had garlic sautee and my friend had the yellow curry - both were really good. I will come back to try more dishes.
(4)Sandra H.
I love this place. Learned about it from a guy I used to work with who knew it to be the sister restaurant to Citrus and Spice (San Rafael) another favorite. I always get the Peanut Curry Dish...usually with chicken or last night with tofu. So yummy. Last night I ordered the sticky rice with mango....beautiful and delicious. They do thai food right, there. I usually go on the night of whatever Berkeley Rep performance I have....very convenient...and the service is timely. The food is great and the prices are very good, for Thai food....so I'm giving it a top rating.
(5)Trisha V.
I love Thai food for their strong, savory flavors that I can't get anywhere else. Yesterday I ordered the mango roast duck rolls and it rocked. The veggies were fresh and colorful, and the sauce was sweet and tangy. The only thing I had to complain about the dish was that it came with only four rolls (two rolls sliced), and it seemed more like an appetizer than a real entree. Quite expensive if you ask me. I get full very easily with a stomach the size of a peanut, and I was not near to being full. Their thai tea was good; one of the cheapest I could find in decent restaurants. Mango and sticky rice dessert was fantastic; though it could be a bit too sweet with my thai tea and all. At the end of the day, I felt like I had sweetness overload. Overall, the food is great; just a tad expensive for the amount you get.
(3)Jim S.
Gecko Gecko is as reliable a lunch spot as you can find in the downtown Berkeley area. The lunch specials are tasty, though the portion size is a little small. However, this isn't terrible as it means I am less inclined to take a nap after eating. I recommend the coconut soup.
(4)Jeff B.
Disappointed. After reading all of the positive Yelp reviews, and getting a recommendation from a friend, I dined here on a weekday evening. The location is great, right near the center of Berkeley. The decor is pleasant. The food was pretty good. But the service was really disappointing. The wait staff spent most of their time huddled by the kitchen door, out of sight of the diners. That, of course, made it difficult to get their attention. And that made for an unpleasant experience.
(2)Mari K.
I am so happy I finally went here - everything was de-lic-ious! (3 people) We ordered: papaya apple and something else salad which was so pretty in the presentation, and we devoured it daikon cakes with tofu, these were amazing you'd never guess the daikon patty things were daikon! vegetable! they had a great, chewy and moist texture- the entire dish was sooo good butternut squash yellow curry - this was by far my favorite because the curry sauce was out of this world good. especially on brown rice (they offer brown or white) their were tomatoes, pieces of squash, broccoli, carrots and i'm sure some other vegetables which all tasted perfect lastly this basil roasted eggplant thing which was really good, a few pieces of eggplant were slightly undercooked maybe? but that didn't really matter they offer lots of vegetarian options and meat options, and always have some sort of daily special i can't wait to go back and try something else!
(5)Finis E.
So, I'm having lunch here every week or so and I think it deserves 4 stars. Their fresh rolls are terrific and their eggplant green curry is great. Their salads are very fresh and well prepared (I particularly like the papaya salad: it's awesome!) and the guys who work there are super efficient and nice.
(4)Sai-Kit C.
Went here last night for dinner; it definitely won't be the last. 'Fresh and clean' is the immediate sense you get when you enter the restaurant - it's not huge, but thoughtfully laid out with stools for takeout and enough space between tables that you feel as though you have enough room. The entire area is clean, bright and comfortable feeling, laying the groundwork for a great dining experience. This carries over to their food - they offer the traditional Thai dishes (Pad Thai, an assortment of curries, grilled meats, etc.), each generally available with a California-style twist. Each dish we had was cooked and seasoned excellently, without the abundance of oil that seems to be the trademark of other Thai restaurants in the area. We started with the coconut milk soup: super flavorful, not overly heavy, with generous chunks of mushroom and chicken. I had the curry fried rice with flank steak (on the menu, it's with chicken but they were able to sub the steak with no problems). Again, excellently done, with bite-sized slivers of medium-rare steak accompanied with cucumber-and-chili-garnished Thai fish oil. My friend had the salmon over pad thai - the fish arrived at the table with a perfect golden crust, flaking easily with a cut of the fork. I didn't have a chance to try the pad thai, wanting to have enough room to finish my plate and dessert, but my friend greatly enjoyed it. Dessert was the fried bananas with ice cream. It's hard to go wrong with this, and they didn't disappoint at all. Delicately-fried bananas were served alongside scoops of mango and green tea ice cream, with several different syrups adding a variety of nuanced flavors. Bonus points for the elegant presentation. Service was fantastic - we were made to feel like family here, being greeted immediately at the door. I did not want for water or drink refills, plates were brought out and cleared at a comfortable, efficient pace and everyone we met was friendly and courteous. Prices are more than fair, and portions were generous. I recommend this place without reservation, and look forward to experiencing the whole menu.
(5)Claudine J.
Music was way too loud this time. Food is still good; we ask for extra sauce and make a dinner out of two dishes easily.
(4)Emily L.
I was always passing by this place to get to downtown Berkeley. One night, I was starving and Thai food came to mind; that's when I decided to skate on over and get myself take-out. Paid almost $10 for Country Pad Thai and Thai Tea. I know Thai food is pricey, but damnnnn, really? $10? Maybe the price makes me a little more bias, but the food, as beautifully decorated as it was, seemed just alright. Thai tea could've been better. I guess this place isn't as fittingly appropriate for college students. I'd rather make the long trip to Thai Basil.
(2)liz d.
Everything was delicious. The Country Pad Thai was fresh and interesting. The Peanut Curry with chicken was comforting with a pleasant kick. The service was prompt and very friendly. And although the street parking was ridiculous (never happened, in fact) the garage around the corner was cheap enough. A perfect place for a before The Freight or Rep meal.
(5)D H.
Can't believe I've passed by this place so many times and never been in. It's my new favorite Thai place in Berkeley (OK Thai/California fusion). Everything was extremely fresh and well-flavored and they made my food low-salt with no fuss. Nice atmo without being snobby. I'll be a regular!
(4)Elle C.
prices were comparable to the other thai restaurants in the area, but the food is the first I've tasted here that's been WELL WORTH IT. The pumpkin curry was very very delicious and not oily- I ordered to go and there was no nasty separation of oil and curry--and they substituted extra veggies since i couldnt have soy. ill def. be back!
(5)Sarah S.
gecko gecko is one of my favorite go-to restaurants in berkeley. the food is fresh, the price is fair, the servers are SO friendly. the restaurant is always super clean, which is not something to take for granted in downtown berkeley. i love that the wall art changes periodically; there is always something new to look at. very in-tune with the "Berkeley Art District" neighborhood in which it resides - always a fun stroll. my personal favorite item on the menu has got to be the spring rolls. whether you get the rolls with shrimp, tofu, or fresh salmon, you won't be disappointed. the rolls i had most recently included mango and pear. also mint, i think. soooo good. another favorite of mine is the basil eggplant entree. some of the eggplant is grilled, some is breaded. yum! and the coconut soup. LOVE. as far as sides go, don't miss the sweet potato fries - they are not your typical sweet potato fry. i'm actually not even sure that the sweet potato fries are even made out of sweet potato... taro root, maybe? in any event, try them! i would have to say that the pad thai dishes at GG are not my favorite, but this may be because of the stiff thai competition in berkeley (thai noodle is my favorite). GG has recently really upped their service since they took off - i don't think they were expecting to become so popular! i love the service staff - everyone is so nice (especially Bill). leftovers are always swept back into the kitchen and packaged for you to go. orders called in ahead of time are always ready to go right when you get there. i have been in GG as a part of a couple, i have been in GG as a part of a group of 20+, i have been in with my parents... the staff always greets me with a smile. and they knew my order by visit number 5!
(5)Betty C.
Beautiful and delicious food. Ultimate Seafood Pad Tai
(5)julie b.
I try not to write bad reviews but I have to here. I have been to this restaurant twice. After my first dismal experience a few days after they opened I thought I'd give it a while to settle in and go back for another try, since it's right down the street from me. Bad idea. The service was slow. It took 30 mins for my food to arrive. I ordered the lunch special of Mahi Mahi with a yellow curry on top of green beans. The sauce was okay and the green beans were fine but the fish was clearly not fresh or fresh frozen. It was smelly and dry to the core. When the server came by to check on me I told her the fish was dry. When she picked up my plate (well after I was ready), the entire piece of fish was on it with one bite taken out. I thought I could just pay the check and then go, but when she brought the check she pointed out a 10% discount on the fish. They gave me $1 off! I was so insulted. I really would have preferred to pay the whole thing rather than have them imply that they were being fair by this offering. A better way to handle it would have been to offer me something different at the time that I told her the fish was dry. Most would have. So there you have it. One person's experience.
(1)Bettina H.
Best Thai Iced Tea ever! The curry puffs were amazing and the pad thai was above par. Will definitely visit again.
(5)Melissa E.
This place is great! And so much better than the other Thai places in Berkeley. We had a company event catered by Gecko Gecko and the food was delivered right on time, was hot, deliciously yummy and we got exactly what we ordered. The staff was very nice when I placed the order over the phone. We ordered dinner for 15 people on less than a week's notice and they were more than happy to fill our order. We ordered 6 different appetizers and 5 different entrees so people could have a little of everything and was still very affordable. It was also the perfect choice to satisfy all the dietary restrictions of my co-workers. We have a vegan, one person who won't eat chicken, one person who won't eat red meat, one person who won't eat shellfish. I'm so glad a really good restaurant opened up in Downtown Berkeley too. Everyone at the office is excited to get them to deliver our future company lunches from now on. Dishes I would highly recommend: Pumpkin Curry, Curry Puffs, Sweet Potato Fries, Mango Duck Rolls or Fresh Rolls, Sweet Potato Yellow Curry, Grilled Mahi Mahi, Yogurt-Coconut Curry Salmon. Oh and the Mango Sticky Rice was a very yummy dessert.
(5)Maria Elena K.
This place has done it again. So Fresh and Clean and ohh the Flavors! The service is fantastic and the way the meal is presented is gourmet-like for a great price. Last night we had the yogurt curry salmon which was amazing; and I ordered the salmon pad thai. It was the best Pad Thai I have had in the area!
(5)Rick S.
Dined first time at Gecko last night and were impressed by three essential elements to a satisfying restaurant visit. For the quality of food, Gecko is a bargain. Second, you definitely get the feeling that the staff is taking care of you - that they want you to be a happy gourmand. And most important (as it seems all but the most most picky Yelps agree) the freshness of the food, the presentation, and the taste of each of the entrees we ordered was excellent. Give Gecko a try.
(5)S R.
This place was really yummy, innovative menu, and the staff was very helpful and attentive. I would come again.
(4)Fozzie D.
Great place, great flavors. Went during lunch, the place was CROWDED, but service was prompt and organized. Tried many dishes (group of us) and all were spectacular and flavorful. Highly recommend.
(5)Jeff Z.
Finally tried this restaurant after walking by for some months. Had a lunch special that included appetizer- spring roll was very fresh and huge- delicious, satay chicken a ltiile small on portion size but very flavorful. Restaurant is attractive, very clean with friendly, efficient servers. We will be back.
(5)Julia B.
I was there last night and ordered something from the dinner special menu--eggplant and salmon with red curry sauce, and a separate order of brown rice. The eggplant with the curry was really, really delicious--the texture of the eggplant was perfect (a little stringy but soft) with a slight roast flavor. The salmon was tasty and fresh but I'm not sure it was a terribly good combination with the eggplant. I think another vegetable, say mushroom, would have been better than the salmon. The brown rice was really tasty also. The entree was beautifully "plated"--and only $9.95! The place was really pretty empty (we got there just before 8:00 p.m.). Loved their menu--so many interesting choices.
(5)Notmy R.
I found Gecko Gecko disappointing. The main thing to know is that this is not Thai: this seemed more like an Americanized, watered-down version for folks who haven't had Thai and are a little scared of it. Actually, it seemed a bit more like Chinese cooking to me (the names of the dishes were Thai-sounding, but the preparation seemed like standard Americanized Chinese to me). Some comments on a few of the dishes we had: My dining companion absolutely loved the taro-corn fritter (though I thought it was nothing special). The jicama-apple-papaya salad was inoffensive, nicely crunchy, on the bland side. The vegetarian fresh roll was edible but lacking in flavor. The garlic onion beef was OK, I guess, but really nothing special: it was totally non-spicy (despite asking for it to be a bit hotter than medium spicy) and had an odd set of veggies (potatoes, chives, celery, yellow onions) that made it seem more like a Chinese stir-fry. The peanut sauce broccoli-tofu-spinach-bok choi was not great: the broccoli was good, and the peanut sauce was yummy, but the bok choi seemed really lame in a vegetarian dish (who likes bok choi? it's a filler item). In a vegetarian dish, the vegetables really matter a lot, and at a place that advertises itself as Thai-fusion, I would have thought that there'd be a lot of attention to good fresh veggies, but that didn't seem to be the case. Again, the bok choi made me think of Chinese cooking. The service was fine, the ambience was nice, and I liked the decoration. But that doesn't make up for weak food. Overall, I thought there was nothing terribly wrong with the restaurant, but it seemed limp and uninspired. It was not a hit. I probably won't be back. It might be fine for tourists who want to try a safe, unchallenging meal, but not for your foodie friends or for fans of Thai food.
(2)Tiffany V.
Delicious! Love the red curry w/ pineapples & the peanut curry. Nice staff and a nice atmostphere.
(5)c p.
WOW! We loved it! Duck Roll appetizer was 4 big halves and wonderful flavor and dipping sauce. I had the spicey Pad Thai and it was not too spicey and excellent flavor with big shrimp. My friend had the one with Tamarin sauce and loved it. The feta cheese complement sprinkled on top was really a nice addition. This is not really a vegetarian restaurant, because they serve seafoold.
(5)Jim B.
I've had lunch here a couple of times and dinner once (tonight). The food is very fresh and very tasty. I especially like the fact that they don't overcook vegetables. It's right down the street from the Berkeley Rep, so it's a great place to go for a quick bite before a show. And it's cheap, too. Dinner tonight was $26 for two people. My only rap is that they don't have a liquor license so I couldn't have a beer with my spicy food.
(4)Noor D.
Perfect combo of tastyyyy, cheeeeap, and cloooose to my home. What more could I ask for? Really solid, quality Thai food, with most things priced around $7/8. Their curries are something special... the eggplant green curry was really just oh so delicious... very flavorful and just the right level of spice. They also had some really interesting look salads... next time.
(5)Elana M.
Their country pad thai is a surprisingly tasty take on the classic dish. I'm excited to try their other food!
(4)edward w.
i love authentic thai and was suspicious about thai californian, but gecko gecko totally won me over. the "jammin salmon" is a great refreshing green curry dish, with lightly grilled salmon and lots of green veggies. both flavorful and healthy. the service is courteous and attentive, and the ambiance is pleasant. plus, how can you say no to sweet potato fries???
(5)Sahar A.
It is the best Thai restaurant in Berkele. The coconut soup was excellent. I've been there 6 times in one month very clean and neat place and nice staff. I miss their food.
(5)Pei Pei T.
This place is mediocre at best.
(2)Alicia L.
Despite being on the pricey side, Gecko Gecko is really able to deliver. Their pad thai was delicious and their service was great. The way they present the food is also really pretty. Love the restaurant - clean and friendly.
(4)Svetlana K.
Wow! We were so blown away by this place...everything on the menu looked absolutely amazing. And then when we did got our food it was soooo yummy!!! I can't imagine anything on their menu that wouldn't taste just as incredible. I feel like you have to keep coming back to this place over and over again just to get a chance to try all their menu items. I also found out you can make reservations ahead of time, which makes a lot of sense if you come around dinner time. This place fills up fast!!! Have fun! I wish I could join you!
(5)Sarah S.
This place is great! I've been going since they opened and am so happy they are doing well. The classic pad Thai is great and the coconut soup is some of the best I've had. The waitstaff is super friendly too!
(4)Tiffany J.
My boyfriend and I came here on a Tuesday night, and for some reason there were so many people! It took forever to get seated, and even longer (45 minutes!!) for out food to come out after we ordered! My boyfriend ordered the pad see ew (they call it the thick pan-fried noodle or something), and this place made it a little too sweet. I ordered the yogurt curry salmon. It was quite delicious! I loved it! It had the perfect amount of spicy, was not too heavy, but the salmon was a little small. The thai ice tea was also really good-- not too sweet and heavy. Yummy :) I WISH I could give the place 5 stars because the food IS delicious, but -1 for the extremely slow service, and -1 for the price. Our two entrees + rice + thai iced tea came out to about $30, and that's a little too much for thai food in my opinion. The food was great but not worth the twice.
(3)Julia B.
Love this place! Come here a couple of times a month. Tried several dishes and they all taste amazing and are SO fresh! You have to let them know if you don't want it very spicy, cause it's HOT! Waiters are always nice and helpful, service is fast.
(5)Shelby P.
Delicious food, helpful and cheery staff, and lovely cultural modern ambience! Definitely a good choice.
(4)Kelli T.
When friends come to town and want Thai food, I always ask if they want Thai-Thai or California-Thai. Gecko-Gecko is my California Thai place. I almost always get the basil eggplant with tofu or chicken. It has these amazing fried mushrooms in it. I like the sweet potato fries best of the appetizer options for the lunch combo. The som tam (green papaya salad) is basically just like in Thailand. Or at least what they make for obviously white girls in restaurants, spicy enough to have some kick, but not so spicy that you cry the whole meal (and still keep eating it). The Thai iced tea is good, and they usually have fresh coconuts.
(5)Annaliese D.
Went here for lunch on a Monday. Many of the tables were full, but they weren't overly busy, yet service was a little on the slow side. Not so bad that it was bad service, but if you are looking for a super quick lunch maybe you should let them know. We ordered chicken pad than and pumpkin curry with chicken and the spring roll appetizer. I knocked them down a star because their menu is misleading/confusing when it comes to the pad thai. It is listed under the entrees where it says you have the choice of tofu or chicken and prawns or seafood is extra BUT then in the pad thai description they include prawns. Therefore, if you order chicken pad thai you would expected there to be chicken and prawns...right? NOPE, my boyfriend sadly discovered that there were no prawns in his dish and even after asking the waiter who confirmed that it was just chicken pad thai. So don't be fooled like we were. Otherwise, both dishes were good. There was a little spice to the curry, but it was just a little hotter than what I would consider "mild." The chunks of pumpkin were large (although I prefer them cut smaller) and numerous and the sauce was creamy. Gecko Gecko is a little pricey in terms of Thai food, but we used a restaurant.com coupon and basically the appetizer comes out free. We had enough for leftovers as well. An added bonus is that they pack up the rice separately from the curry so the rice doesn't get soggy. You would think this was the norm, but too many times I've gone home with soggy rice so it is something I make note of.
(3)Nick B.
Ultimate pad thai!
(5)Becky S.
When I crave Thai food this place always hits the spot. They are not 100% authentic, but I think they improve on the traditional recipes by making them fresher and more distinct in flavor. I have tried 4 or 5 dishes here and everyone who I bring loves it. Some of the favorites are the salmon and the pumpkin curry. I also got fresh lamb rolls ( like a spring roll) and they were great! Like.. really.. yum. The prices are reasonable and the portions enough to have a fabulous little lunch the next day. I never feel sick or guilty after I stuff my buttons here.
(5)Abban L.
When I'm in Berkeley and wanting some perfectly done salmon in exciting Thai sauces, I come to Gecko Gecko. This family-owned restaurant gets really creative with their sauces and salmon cooking methods. I've been here 3 times and been delighted with my food every time. The prices are quite reasonable, too. The corner store ambiance is comfortably sleek. Its location, a block away from the downtown Berkeley BART main entrance but tucked away from the busy streets, is ideal for a date, get together with friends, or colleague dinner.
(5)Akvile H.
Stumbled upon this place while looking for a tasty Thai place to enjoy some lunch at with my husband after a busy day of errand running. The staff was welcoming, seated us right away, and their menu was interesting! Definitely some unique items on their menu such as salmon Pad Thai, but we tried it out! I had a variation of their Phad See Ewe and my husband had their Salmon Pad Thai. Both were delicious and I would have never guessed how tasty salmon would have been on top of the dish. They classify themselves as Thai-Californian, hence the unique variations of dishes, but definitely tasty! The place is small, quaint, full of light from the windows, however it could use a few more pieces of hanging art since the walls are a bit bare. The prices are comparable to other Thai places in the area and staff is very welcoming/friendly. I'd recommend checking them out!
(4)Jess Y.
Some friends and I chose this restaurant because of its relatively convenient location and good Yelp reviews. We wanted Thai food too and this was one of the many Thai places in Berkeley. We ordered the Mango duck roll, pumpkin curry, Pad Thai, and maybe a rice dish. I'm not usually a fan of duck, but the Mango roll was fresh and delish! The place seemed clean and service was good which is always a plus. I'd come back here again but not often since it's not the cheapest option.
(4)Kristy K.
I went here with my friend for lunch. We had the crispy rice salad and the country pad thai. Presentation of the food and service was great! The crispy rice salad was interesting. The sauce was spicy but had some freshness because of the mint. And it was warm because of the ground pork. It was okay, but I probably wouldn't order it again. I didn't really know the difference between the country pad thai and the classic. The country had the tangy tomato-chili garlic sauce, but I couldn't really notice the difference. I definitely liked the pad thai better than the salad.
(3)Jana C.
Great Thai place in the Berkeley area. Will definitely return. Pros: 1. Hip interior 2. Great dishware (I know, weird, but I loved their bowls) 3. Tried 3 curries (yellow, red and green), all delicious Cons: 1. Can be busy 2. Noise level is higher 4. More pricey
(4)Emmanuel C.
If you order outside of the normal noodles you will get such small portions with barely any meat or veggies(lemongrass steak, salmon rolls). However, ordering from the more normal entrees (pad thai, pad see ew) you will get such mountains of food that one must only wonder wth!
(3)Kelly H.
After a tiring day of moving furniture into my new apartment, my family decided to eat here. I had heard about the restaurant while at volunteer position at the Japanese American Museum in San Jose... the owner's father was a visitor and he gave me the restaurant's card! We ordered a variety of dishes and opted to just share everything. I got Thai iced tea that comes in a little mug-jar type thing and it's super cute. We got a spring roll appetizer, pad thai (which I never have a problem with anywhere), Thai grilled chicken (super tender and moist), curry (standard), and pad see-ew. There were hardly any leftovers and every dish was delicious. The only (-)'s to this place are that the dining area is a little small (and always filled) and that it's a little far from campus (and kind of hard to find). How am I ever going to get here during the year without a car? :[ :[ I'm definitely coming back! :D
(5)Stacey V.
We went on Saturday Dec. 14th before our show at Freight & Salvage what a great find. This place has excellent Thai food best I have eaten in California. We had Chicken Satay to start with and I had Peanut Curry with Chicken and my husband had Country Pad Thai. Next time we are going to hear music at Freight & Salvage we will be back for some very tasty thai food!!
(4)K R.
The Mango Salad was really interesting. Positively recommended.
(4)Brandon A.
Delicious ingredients and creative meals!
(4)Michelle W.
Americanized Thai food - a first for me, but definitely won't be the last. Don't expect the traditional dishes. It's Thai cuisine with a twist! The food didn't exactly blow my mind, but the service and cheap menu provided will keep me coming back. Our waiter was extremely attentive, helpful, and didn't even put up a fuss when we exchanged our take out order since it smelled so disgustingly rotten (hopefully just a bad batch and not a normal thing). The prices here are unbelievably affordable, especially since they offer a student discount and even a $25 off $35 gc from restaurant.com . Perfect for the starving college students living nearby. For starters, we ordered the lobster potstickers off the specials menu. Nothing extravagant about them. If anything, I felt that they lacked flavor and meat inside the wrap. Dipping sauce was much needed. I also ordered the spicy basil chicken for my entree, which again, was skimped on the meat. Crumbled chicken bits and chopped green beans would have been much easier to devour in some kind of rice paper or veggie wrapping instead of flying off my chopsticks every few seconds. Perhaps I'm just utensil-challenged, but it was a bitch trying to pick up every little scrap off the plate. Other dishes tried - virgin pad thai and jammin' salmon. I thought the concept of substituting tamarind sauce with olive oil and lemon juice for the pad thai was interesting, but I honestly couldn't taste the difference. Don't be fooled by the single asterisks on the menu. The misrepresentation on levels of spiciness really got us. If one asterisk means a 5 on a range from 1-10, I can't imagine what kind of damage 3 asterisks can do. I won't bother to find out. Parking in this neighborhood is horrendous, so be prepared to make a walk. I'll probably come back to try the curry, but I'll need to buy more restaurant.com certificates first. Thumbs up for offering brown rice that wasn't undercooked.
(4)Eric G.
I am shocked this place has 4 stars, there are so many things wrong with this place. To start the decor is minimal to the point that i was left asking myself "why did they even try", plain depressing. But the main issue I have is with their menu, 14 dollars for a pad Thai and 13 (12.95 for god sake stop using walmart approach to pricing, just round to dollars) for a tiny duck breast salad (listed as an entree). I think their prices are about 2 dollars off from where they should be. This place is not OSHA Thai by any means, yet their prices are pretty much the same level or a bit more expensive, I cant stop laughing about this comparison because OSHA blows this place out of the water and yet they are cheaper! haha Like I said, I ordered the entree duck breast and avocado salad, it arrived on a 9 inch plate with about 1/4 duck breast (about a 1 to 2 oz serving) and about 1/8 of an avocado chopped up. For 13 dollars in Berkeley I felt like I was robbed. Blah never coming back. There are much better options around.
(2)Harsha G.
Thai Californian cuisine! yumm! I am all for fusion food at student discounts :) Absolutely love their Asian eggplant green curry. My friend loves her spicy peanut avacado curry. Their green tea is pretty so so. The rice portions are minuscule! Be forewarned that you will have to order for extra rice.
(4)Rick B.
Gecko Gecko in Berkeley, CA - 3 stars: Tuesday 8/21/12. Very nice self-described Thai-California eatery within walking distance of UC-Berkeley. I had the classic pad thai and my mate had the ultimate pad thai and both were wonderful. Nothing spicy, just nice Thai cuisine served in a utilitarian if not Spartan dining room.
(3)Kellen F.
Yeah, it's good. We planned on going to this restaurant for a long time but we didn't pull the trigger for a few months. I may have overhyped it in my mind, but that's not to say it was bad: THE GOOD? Plenty of open seating, reasonable ambiance, tasty fresh ingredients... and the price! I was more on the lines of "yeah, so-so" for the restaurant until I got the check and realized that it's actually quite reasonable. THE NOT-SO-GOOD? It's too dang quiet in there. I felt bad talking at any more than a whisper for fear of drowning out the quiet jazz playing in the background. I wish it had a bit more of a bustle to it. Also, some of the dishes were good, but lacked anything "special". We got the spring rolls and they were full of fresh vegetables, but tasted exactly like that: an assortment of raw, fresh vegetables wrapped in a rubbery rice exterior. Ultimately what makes me give it a 4 over a 3 star review is the idea that "you get what you pay for"; that is to say that considering the price, the experience was quite good.
(4)Betty P.
Are you a healthy FREAK? But want to eat something healthy and tasty? Are you sick of just eating salad and the boring oh bland stuff that doesn't have much taste to it???? Well you are in LUCK! Ding ding ding... I love GECKO! Not the insurance but the GECKO Restaurant. The food is VERY healthy and very tasty.... *grasp for air as I smell the yummy food*. The price is slightly on the higher side but you get the best quality of food and its all ORGANIC. So its not MSG and all that crappy stuff in there. Surprisingly you don't feel heavy and sleepy after a full meal... You feel great and also satisfied. :) So far I've tried the following: - Fresh spring roll with prawns - Mango salad (asked to add on green apples- you wont regret it) - Basil chicken - Seafood Pad Thai - Curry Fried Rice with grilled chicken on the top - Red Snapper Curry with brown rice on the side. - For dessert --- Mangos with sticky sweet rice - Let me tell you! Their mangos are absolutely SWEET. Doesn't matter what season it is, they always seem to find the perfect mango that hits the spot. I haven't had anything on the menu that I didn't like. My new healthy spot to go to. Try it out, you wont regret it.
(5)Courtney F.
I love to come to this place. They have a great Thai-Asian cuisine. I LOVE the corn fritters they have! Pretty much everything on the menu is great. They do however close in late afternoon for an hour or so. Make sure to check their business hours before going.
(4)kimberly v.
I hadn't quite gravitated to Gecko Gecko despite its proximity to my work until a colleague suggested it for lunch one day. I've been back a couple of times since, which speaks to the good quality of the food. I'm not sure I would really call it Thai, more like Thai-California fusion- which is how they bill themselves, but everything I've had has been quite tasty. The clear winner is the salmon, in almost every application - the grilled salmon salad, the "jammin salmon" - a clear indicator that it's not country Thai we're talking about, and the one with butternut squash and eggplant. It seems to be consistently perfectly cooked, not overly dry the way most Asian resaurants serve it, but not so very rare that your midwest relatives are afraid they've been led to sushi. I've also had yummy daikon cakes, good if mild curries, and ok Pad Thai and Tom Ka Gai. For my money, I'd probably prefer a more authentic Thai experience, with spicier dishes, but as long as I don't compare, and just evaluate the food on whether it's tasty or not, GG fares very well. It seems like the sort of place you could take a virgin to Thai food and have them like it - it's very clean, and the square plates and decor give it a slightly hipper and more upscale vibe than other Thai places. The relentlessly hard surfaces, however, can make the noise level rise quickly, so if you're losing your mid-range, like me, you may want to take someone you didn't really want to listen to!
(4)vic f.
I have to agree with previous reviewers. Fusion Thai in Berkeley?!? Why bother when you can get the real thing times 12 within 3 blocks of this place. Don't get me wrong, the food is alright, you might even say tasty. We had the Pad Thai and Mahi Mahi lunch specials and they were good, the portions could use some work. I guess the "fusion" part of the place comes in with jazz musak overhead and the funky square plates, this for 13 bucks a head includestip. What I am saying is keep it real, charge me for the food. Isn't that what a resto is all about?
(3)Andrea C.
I came here with Papa before checking out a show at Berkeley Rep (just down the street on Addison). We got in at about 615, and our show was at 7. We didn't get our entrees until 647. I was watching the clock with hunger until we got our food. The ambiance of the place is very cute, it is clean, friendly, and crisp looking. There were some breautiful orchids and the menus are well organized. However, this does not make up for the lagging service. Once we were lucky enough to get our food, we were not checked up on once. I got my water refilled a few times, but with no words excanged. We started with the curry puffs, which were too flaky but not the worst I've ever had. My entree (which took it's sweet time) was a chicken satay over fried rice, which was a bit bland. The rice was unimaginative and the chicken was just blah, not tender or juicy, just kind of there. My Papa had the Butternut Squash Salmon, which was gone rather quickly. We both agreed that it was just alright, but uninspiring. It was a whatever, forgetable meal.
(2)Kenneth C.
The only reason I stepped into this restaurant was because the line at Zabu Zabu was unbearable. It was around 8 PM and the restaurant was completely empty. To be honest, I don't really remember what I ordered, but it definitely didn't stand out. It was just a restaurant, nothing really appealed to me and the waiters were very indifferent towards us.
(3)Toni M.
We have walked past this place many times on our way to Berkeley Rep or elsewhere. Alan has eaten here once but I hadn't until tonight. We were taking DGD to the Wild Bride at Berkeley Rep (or thought we were...that's a story for another day) and decided to have dinner here beforehand. Ilana wanted a bowl of the Thai spicy and sour soup. We also ordered salmon w/ sauteed shiitake and Asian eggplant, "the ultimate" classic seafood pad thai and lamb w/ green beans, all off the specials menu. We had two orders of brown rice. Ilana had Thai iced tea and I had hot tea. Alan drank water. The soup arrived first. It was a generous bowl for $4.95 and Ilana shared several bites. It was flavorful and full of chunks of chicken and a variety of vegetables. It was an excellent soup. The other three mains arrived shortly after the soup was finished. The lamb was good, w/ al dente green beans and broccoli along w/ other vegetables. It was tasty, but not as flavorful as expected, probably because we asked that it be a little less spicy than medium. The pad thai noodles were finer than I'm used to. The seafood consisted of a piece of salmon, a couple of mussels, some shrimp and some bits of calamari. There were lots of vegetables. It was good, but seemed pricy at $13.95. I've had better, cheaper pad thai at other restaurants in the area. My favorite dish was the salmon, which had a richness and complexity I really liked. I enjoyed all the vegetables in all the dishes and the sauce in each dish was different so there was a good contrast between them. Service was attentive. The restaurant was crowded but dishes came out of the kitchen smoothly and w/o much of a wait. I'd return.
(4)Alex R.
A Thai restaurant can't compete in Berkeley, unless it's pretty darn good (see Tuk Tuk Thai, Thai Noodle, Plearn, Anchalee, Wat Mongkolratanaram, all which are amongst my top faves in the area). Gecko Gecko now definitely ranks highly in my Thai restaurant faves! Came with a group of 6, did family style ($20 each, including drinks, tax and tip), and walked out very happy. I never give 5 stars unless the service is excellent. I am definitely coming back. Mango-roast duck rolls: a GREAT starter. Filled with mint, fresh veggies, pear, slices of duck, a great balance between sweet and savory. Coconut milk soup: at first I was skeptical, but this ended up being one of my favorites. Again, a great play on sweet and savory, with your choice of chicken or tofu. MUST try! Traditional Green Papaya Salad: SPICY! But, my favorite dish here. I LOVE the spicy kick, comes with prawns, tomatoes and a great sauce. Virgin Pad Thai: a very delish and simple twist on the classic pad thai. The olive oil really makes the dish unique, would be even great for those who are new to Thai food. Peanut curry, Pumpkin red curry, and Chili-lemongrass (free range) Lamb saute were all cooked very well as well. Peanut lovers must try the peanut curry!
(5)Kris G.
because it's right around the corner from my work, i have been to this place more times than i can count, and usually i very much enjoy the food. but there's one sin i just can't forgive, and gecko gecko has committed it on multiple occasions: cold food. i love their tangy country pad thai, and prefer to get it with salmon, but the last three times i've had it, the noodles were hot but the fish was cold. cold fish on hot noodles is not appetizing. you would think that this major faux-pas would have me lowering their review to 3 stars or even 2, but it's really been their ONLY flaw. the service is speedy and attentive, the rest of the menu is yummy as well, and the pricing is totally reasonable. so despite the fact that they have served me cold fish on more than one occasion, i'm still totally willing to back them with 4 stars. fix the fish, and y'all can go up to 5!!
(4)Jennifer W.
I'm not sure if I get the appeal of this place, especially since they've converted from super brightly lit white to dim and moody. Pretty contemporary overall, like any other Thai restaurant these days. The service is not bad, but a little slow. The food is decent. It's not that inventive, but pretty reliable dishes. Portions are not large, but filling enough. The sticky rice is dry and becomes a clump. It didn't seem fresh and had a tinge of yellow. The veggies with peanut sauce was like a salad with peanut sauce poured over it. The tofu was not fried, just plain. The pad thai was fine, but what a teeny tiny sliver of lime. Overall, very "Meh. I've experienced better."
(2)