Stumbled upon this place on a holiday when a lot of restaurants were closed. It is located in a nice neighborhood and definitely feels like a welcoming place to eat or meet up with a friend. I saw a lot of kids walk in and families come in and out, suggesting to me that it really serves the neighborhood or community it is located in. That's a feeling I don't get at restaurants that often and I think is unique to this place because of its location. Enjoyed the flavors of the food much more than I anticipated. I particularly found the popcorn shrimp to be fried well, juicy, and have a lovely yuzu flavor. The rice to protein ratio for the Basil Rice was off but the flavor was delicious. The ramen was pleasant but not outstanding. Overall prices are on the higher side for what they serve. The service was satisfactory. Served well but the staff was not necessarily warm or friendly. Recommend it for a cute, casual date or family friendly spot! read more

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Good food but mid drinks, unfortunately. Friendly employees. Great casual option for Asian food. Cute mural on the wall inside. The strawberry matcha? Was super disappointing and boba wasn't that fresh but the food really is fantastic. read more

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I absolutely LOVE Bowlba and constantly recommend it to people. Bowlba is strategically placed in a neighborhood and can be easily missed if you're not using GPS. There's adequate parking which is nice. Bowlba is cutely decorated with Shiba Inus and boba plushies. It's a comfort cafe for us and I specifically love visiting on rainy days. We've eaten here numerous times and have never had a meal we didn't like. The boba and specialty tea drinks are all delicious, especially the Thai Tea and the Taiwanese Milk Tea! Our favorite go-to dishes are the Pad Thai, Drunken Noodle, Massaman Curry, and the Tom Kha Kai Ramen. Do try the Karaage, Crispy Duck Buns, or the Chashu Buns to start! If you prefer tofu instead of meat, you can request it even though it's not on the menu as an option, no upcharge! There is something for everyone here and you will not be disappointed! read more

Bowlba Cafe - Thai Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Pleasantly surprised by takeout! Our family had a variety of hibachi, Thai, and curry - all were delicious and good serving sizes. 4 stars as the boba tea was just good but not great. Overall - we will be back. read more

Great food especially the curry! The service is friendly and knowledgeable about their menu!

It's hard to find but super cute. They have about 6 tables and 7 solo tops. Staff is super friendly and knowledgeable of the menu. I give the food 7/10. read more

I got the chicken pad thai and it was so fresh, I would definitely come back and get this again. I always try brown sugar bobas wherever I go and this was pretty good. read more

Bowlba Cafe - Pad thai, boba, chicken - Thai Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

We've been here before for drinks and love their oreo milk tea slush and yuzu matcha. we decided to get food and ordered the tonkatsu ramen and tom kha kai ramen. Compared to other ramen restaurants in the area, i would say the portion is a little smaller. I was disappointed that neither ramens came with an egg and seaweed, as that's usually one of my favorite parts of ramen. also there were only 3 thin pieces of pork for the tonkatsu. Not sure if the meal was worth $17 a bowl. otherwise, the ramen was ok but not sure if we would come back for their food. However, we got a yuzu matcha on the way out and it was delicious as always! Highly recommend their drinks. read more

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Hidden gem for sure. Excellent and authentic flavors. It looks like they are mostly known for their teas but the food is fantastic too!

The food was astronomically amazing! We ordered the duck buns, Japanese fried chicken, red curry chicken, chicken cashew and the crispy pork belly bowl. And we ate till busting and took everything back to the hotel for lunch tomorrow!!! A must try for anyone!! read more

We ordered takeout for the first time. I had Bowlba ramen noodles which had pork slices, egg, seaweed and a tasty broth. My husband liked the Thai fried rice with chicken. We will come back. Notice that tbe "front" door is on the courtyard side of the shopping center and not on the street side where I would have expected it to be. read more

Bowlba Cafe - Fried rice with chicken - Thai Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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Food is not authentic and so overpriced! Don't be fooled by pictures, if you get anything with protein in it they give you so little meat and it's so hard and chewy! Would not recommend read more

Good food but be ready for the overhelming spice! If you don't want really, hot, hot, spicy food, tell them "no spice please". Even a 1 star spice is extreme. read more

Very great atmosphere, amazing food, very quality service, I was definitely pleased with my first visit!! read more

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I was searching for either ramen or boba tea and Bowlba popped up - I had no idea it was there! I know there have been a few businesses come and go in this semi hidden area; I hope they do well! It's a quick service style, order then sit down. Very cute, Instagramable for sure. I ordered the Tonkotsu Ramen, Goyza and a Taiwanese Milk Tea with boba. The ramen was quite good! I didn't find it overly salty nor bland. The noodles were well cooked, fresh sprouts and kikurage mushrooms. The goyza was also good, steamed and served with sauce. My friend ordered the Pad Thai and said it was very good. Everything was enjoyable, food came out quick and it's just overall fun. Saw many teens and young ones come in just for a tea. They do offer some soft drinks in cans as well. Even though it's order then sit down, the staff was attentive and kind. Was clean, easily found parking. Certainly worth a visit! read more

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Once we finally made it through the windy neighborhood roads to arrive at Bowlba, we were pleasantly surprised by this adorable location. The food was very fresh and delicious. Nice selection of different choices, really enjoyed the Paf Thai. read more

I'm not impressed. Presentation is all good. But to me personally. it way too salty. I don't think I will come back. I order the Bowlba noodles - presentation is great - with the pork on top, and seaweed sheets - but the soup itself was super salty, w/o noodles i would not be able to eat it. My hubby's and my son's entrees were also very salty. read more

Bowlba Cafe - a man sitting at the counter - Thai Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

We went to have Pho soup. We walked in and she told us immediately they were already closed. She said we close at 8:45. Their SIGN and ON LINE says 9 PM . She then proceeded to tell me it was 846. I said you need to change your sign then we're very disappointed . Her response was "WTF" I would never recommend this place to anyone. The customer service is beyond terrible! They should be embarrassed . read more

One of my favorite places to visit for fast casual Thai food! They are tucked in a residential neighborhood in northeast and there is plenty of parking. The menu is pretty extensive including all your favorite Thai dishes and even boba tea options. My favorite is the Thai fried rice with tofu. They also offer chicken, shrimp, and beef as protein options. You can choose your level of spice--level 2 is always good for me. Not super into spicy food. The food is always fresh and quick when ordering. And the staff are so friendly! The restaurant has plenty of indoor seating and is very casual. Definitely worth the visit if you're in the area! read more

Stumbled upon this place while running errands bits tucked away but the food was fantastic. It's quaint and appears to run by a family. I got the Thai fried rice with chicken and my wife got the chicken pad Thai. The taste reminds me of something our parents would cook at home. I also got the lychee sparkling drink and it was one of the best sodas I've ever had in flavor and carbonation. I would definitely come back and even drive to eat here again(and it's about 25 minutes away) read more

Bowlba Cafe - Thai fried rice with chicken - Thai Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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Ate at Bowlba Cafe yesterday for the first time and I cannot wait to go back! I got the garlic shrimp and it was fantastic!

Fantastic and happening place. So cute and fun in here, with ample parking in front and behind the restaurant. Servers were friendly and the place was small and cozy....but so fun. Cute metal servingware and cups. There were a lot of pickup orders while we ate, with a number of walkins for their bubble teas. We had the fried gyoza and calamari apps. Both dippung sauces were a bit unusual/atypical...but still good. We also had the shrimp pad thai and beef thai froed rice...both were fantastic and you could taste the seasoned wok flavor! This is a must stop! read more

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So, when the best sushi chef in the Triangle (who is Thai) says "this is the best Thai place around," you go check it out. Bird was right. This place is pretty darn good. We stopped in on a Sunday afternoon and all ordered the pad Thai, because that's what Bird said to get. What we got was a deep bowl of beautifully sauced rice noodles- sweet, sour, umami-packed. The garnishes are what always get it for me- crunchy bean sprouts, lightly charred green onions, not-too-many crushed peanuts, and generous protein (we all got the chicken). There's a wide variety of teas and such available in the punch-the-top cup, with plenty of add-one like boba or pudding and such. Service is sweet and attentive, and the homey cafe vibe makes you want to just hang out and people-watch the neighborhood folks who are dropping in and out. read more

Bowlba Cafe - Pad Thai- delicious - Thai Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

This place is near perfect! The menu reflects a diverse Asian fusion selection with an emphasis on Thai. I took my son there for his birthday because he loves anything Asian- especially sweet and fragrant dishes. Bowlba Cafe did not disappoint. We started with Gyoza and Karaage. Both were very good. My son had a Tonkotsu Ramen Bowl and I had the Chicken Massaman Curry with rice. Chris loved his ramen and I was blown away with my meal. The BEST Massaman I've ever eaten. It was rich and sweet and every bite a delight. This is a cozy neighborhood cafe with a warm and inviting vibe to it. The chef came out to check on us - to make sure we enjoyed our food - and the service was wonderful! If you are looking for Ramen, Pho, Hibachi, Curry or just a delightful Boba Tea this your place! read more

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Takeout, the food was very good. It's location really threw me off. I thought my gps on my phone was wrong. I found myself driving through a beautiful neighborhood and saying there's no way there is a Thai restaurant located in the middle of this neighborhood. Well there was and it was located in what I would call a neighborhood micro strip mall. We tried an array of there menu items: chicken pad Thai, massaman curry, red Thai curry, drunken noodles, and some Tom ka. Everything was really great. I can only give 4 stars because I have had some pretty amazing Thai food in my lifetime. I would definitely give this a try and I'll be back. read more

Food was fabulous. Service was attentive. Great artistic ambience. We had the ramen and pad Thai and Bowlba drinks.

The ramen and the salad were a 3, and I would probably avoid the salad next time and try the buns instead! The ramen is what i would consider like another culture cooking japanese ramen to taste like. BUT! The pad Thai here (which I unfortunately did not get a picture of) was the best, if not among the best, pad thai I've had in the triangle. It is entirely unsuspecting but it was perfectly balanced in flavor, it was NOT soggy, but not too dry. It is unfortunately smaller than say twisted noodle, which is my other go-to place for pad Thai/drunken noodles here, but the flavor makes up for it. The service here is otherwise really good and the decor is so cute! read more

Bowlba Cafe - Bowlba ramen - Thai Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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This was our first time (On March 4th) to Bowlba and I am so glad we went. I had never heard of the place. But while waiting at Mama Isha for food, another customer who clearly knew food recommended Bowlba. SHE had had it recommended by a chef who knows the cuisine and said this is his favorite. And now its mine. Back in the day Sawasdee's was our go to. We have been a bit lost since then. This will be the new go to. It is out of the way I guess you could say. You drive thro north west raleigh homes outside of 540. Then you get to a very quiet and small shopping strip. Not many tables but not very crowded either. Service was prompt. Customers were families with kids as you might expect. The Thai fried rice was the winner. The Pad Thai was very good just not quite as flavorful at least for me. Dumpling was EXCELLENT. Sauce was lovely. Ingredients first rate. Dinner for two with appetizer $39+tip. This is our go to Thai place now. read more

Bowlba Cafe - Thai fried rice - Thai Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Service was great! Lovely, cute little place! The brown sugar boba is slightly sweet but overall enjoyable and the Taiwanese milk tea is delicious with the addition of coffee jelly and boba! The chasu bun was delicious and aesthetic as well. Overall a great place! read more

Bowlba Cafe - Chasu bun - Thai Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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The cuisine is fresh and delicious. The selection is broad and tasty. The interior is fun. Parking is a breeze. Big servings so if you can resist you have another meal waiting!! read more

My husband and I got the pad Thai and the Bowlba ramen and both were very very good, some of the best we have had since moving here! They were very kind too. We will come back often! read more

This is our second time eating here. We love it! We live in Falls River so it's a quick drive and we may try a bike ride next time. I tried the Ramen and the spice was perfect and it was excellent. The lumpia as an appetizer is also amazing. Definitely worth driving through bed for it to get to this little hidden gem read more

Love their boba tea and pad Thai. Cute place and a great to go option. Recommend the milk tea.

Delicious food. We came for lunch and had pad Thai and the fried rice with chicken. Both were delicious. The right amount of food for a reasonable price. Service was quick and simple. No complaints with any of the experience. We will absolutely be back, and frequently. I already want to go again tomorrow. read more

Great service, I had the chicken Thai fried rice and it was so flavorful and the chicken was very tender. Better than other places. Big portion too. The brown sugar black milk tea was good too. Very sweet but good. This is my new place I will be going to more often. read more

Great food and wonderful chef! The place is very small but I will be back because it's convenient and fairly well priced! read more

The duck was really good ... the pad Thai was also excellent! Definitely try the Boba tea

Bowlba Café is a small cute little shop that is very kid friendly. Me and my sister go at least 2 times a month. The service amazing and friendly. My personal favorite is the Thai fried rice. Everything about this place is amazing and just great. I've never had a bad experience at Bowlba café and the owners of Bowlba always check in with the costumers. afterwards they give me and my sister candy. read more

Love the Crispy Duck Buns!!! I get them every time. Everything has been delicious and service is very personal.

i will never understand why restaurants say they're open at a certain time when they close TWO HOURS before. i drove all the way from 30 minutes away and got here at 7 and they're closed. supposed to be open until 9. read more