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    Charm Thai Eatery

    4.1 (726 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 3:00 pm, 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM
    Updated a few days ago

    Order Charm Thai Eatery Takeout or Delivery

    Charm Thai Eatery Photos

    Business Info

    CHARM THAI EATERY ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Charm Thai Eatery

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    Hours
    Amanda M.

    This cute little Thai spot in San Mateo has packs a powerful punch of BIG flavor. As you walk in, you are immediately greeted with the delicious aroma of freshly made Thai food. And although the dinning area is small, it gets filled very quickly... But, don't you worry, the staff is constantly buzzing around to ensure your glass is never empty and all questions are easily and quickly answered if you have any. This place doesn't boast a vast menu but what was listed was truly delicious. I opted for a some traditional Pad Thai and my boyfriend had a delectable red curry dish. Everything came out piping hot and super fresh. All the veggies were perfectly crunchy and both dishes were exceptionally seasoned. I was very impressed with the portion size as well, as I was able to take at least half of my plate home for leftovers. The star of the show for me was really the lychee iced tea though. I'm a lychee lover through and through and never had anything quite like this. It was so refreshing and delicious without being overly sweet. I highly recommend it. All in all, the experience was great and so was the food. Definitely a place worth stopping by again if i'm in the area!

    Chicken Pad Thai
    Sophia M.

    I absolutely loved this place. Very cozy atmosphere, quick service and hot/fresh food. Everything was fantastic and flavorful without trying too hard. I appreciated that they put all the fixings on the side of the pad thai. We also got the yellow coconut curry with a side of rice, but dug in before I could take a picture. Both were incredible. Top thai food in San Mateo easily.

    Menu
    Serena T.

    I'd been searching for a pad Thai that wasn't dry and actually had that rich tamarind flavor, and I finally found it. This one is so juicy and flavorful. The prawns in a blanket were also delicious. Will definitely be back to try more!

    Pad thai with chicken
    Alison V.

    Delicious dishes - my favorites are the pad thai, larb and pad see ew. The servers are lovely and the restaurant is not too loud. I appreciate that take-out orders are processed outside, as it minimizes people coming in and out of the restaurant. I will keep supporting this CHARMing local business

    Pad Thai
    Sharon W.

    We were in the mood for Thai food and went to Charm Thai on a Saturday night. It wasn't busy and we were seated right away next to the only occupied table. Moments later, another group came they were seated next to us so suddenly it became very loud in a nearly empty restaurant. It would have been more pleasant to sit further away from others. The food was good. We ordered pad Thai (nice size order), fried fish (so good), and chicken noodle soup (a bit plain and bland, I always forget this and order it again).

    Pla Pad Cha
    Hope M.

    I've been looking for a Thai spot in San Mateo and decided to try this one out. We ordered the Pad Thai and Pla Pad Cha. The Pad Thai was mainly noodles, didn't have a lot of tofu or chicken and was on the sweeter side. The Pla Pad Cha was flavored amazingly but it was lacking sauce. The fish was fresh and crispy! Servers were nice and the food came quite quick.

    Pad Kee Mao $15.95. Very oily & flavorful, meat 2 oz max. I wasn't super hungry otherwise I would mentioned the lack of meat in the dish.
    Abbie C.

    Service was average. The meat for both dishes I would say was 2 oz maximum each. The meat for both the pad kee mao $15.95 and beef noodle soup $15.50 was tough. It was not tender nor chewy. The beef noodle soup was very basic packed with spice flavors. The pad kee mao had decent flavor, but was very oily. Ambiance is decent with some decor not super crowded tables.

    Sweet Sol
    Irene L.

    I came with my friend because we had a craving for Thai food. The service was good, the server was welcoming. The place is not too big but is decorated in a charming way. We ordered three dishes which was the Chicken Satay, Sweet Sol, Chicken Pad Thai, , and Coconut rice. The Chicken Satay was a bit dry but with the sauce it was still pretty good. The Sweet Sol was fried well and the inside was tender without bones. The last dish we had was the Chicken Pad Thai which is one of my favorites in Thai cuisine. It had the right amount of seasoning and the noodles were just right. The coconut rice was a good accompaniment to the dishes. I have been to this restaurant two times and it is a good find and pretty consistent.

    Charm Thai dining room is aptly named
    Elisa H.

    Charm Thai is aptly named. It is quaint and homey and the dishes coming out of the kitchen are cooked to order, with telltale signs like fresh herbs, tender crisp veggies and proteins that are delectable and taste marinated and cooked quickly at high heat not stewed or slow cooked. My pumpkin chicken red curry had a perfect kick of thai chilis, with milder ingredients like basil, green beans and bell peppers. Chicken and pumpkin portions. were generous. Rice was slightly more sticky and glutinous than I prefer, giving an indication of being prepped and cooked in advance and in bulk- It perfectly complimented the curry adding some appetizing texture and viscosity to the dish. The Prig King Beef that I took to go was amazing reheated the next day. The string beans and beef were the stars, accented by kaffir lime, basil and chili paste. Of course, being me, I have to shout out the service, best illustrated by the way the singular service person hustled amongst the tables despite wearing an orthopedic boot that ought to have slowed him down. He kept my glass full of perfectly brewed lack iced tea. The addition of fresh lime and a tiny sprig of fresh clipped mint spoke to the level of detail that this restaurant goes to enhance customer experience. It's the little details and this tiny eatery does great take out, but the dine in experience is definitely on a five star level and a reasonably priced one, at that.

    shrimp tom yum
    Lilly G.

    Came here on a Saturday around 12pm with a party of 2 and were seated immediately. Service is prompt and food came out fast. Dishes: Tom Yum (Shrimp) - delicious! Tom yum is my favorite thing to order at all Thai restaurants. This iteration is great, I'm a big fan of the large chunks of onion since it's a bit more of a unique take but I liked how the flavor profile worked out. You also get nice big chunks of mushrooms and tomatoes, it really hits the spot. Pumpkin Curry (Chicken) - delicious and filling. The curry has great flavor and pairs really well with chicken as the protein. High recommend Other dishes: * brown jasmine rice (also recommend this - healthy and delicious!) * thai ice coffee * string beans Between two people these dishes were the perfect portions for us. We finished everything, no leftovers.

    Chicken Pad Se-Ew

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    Wonderful food and good service. Our family loves it here. We're thankful it's so close to us in San Mateo.

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    Charm Thai Eatery Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Charm Thai Eatery

    Did this restaurant change hands during covid? Didn't recognize the staff and food seems to taste different, quality inconsistent

    Where is the wifi?

    Take a little break from wifi and enjoy your dining companions and the fresh food.

    Do they do catering?

    Yes they do

    View All 5 Questions

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    Chuan Chim Thai Cuisine - Pumpkin curry with pork belly and white rice

    Chuan Chim Thai Cuisine

    4.3(444 reviews)
    2.7 mi
    $$

    Went to lunch here and ordered off their lunch special menu!…read more The food came out fairly fast! We sat at 11:50 and got the check at 12:55. The portion sizes are decent too, I finished my yellow curry and felt like I ate too much and others took their meal home for dinner! They were really easy going and quick to fill our glasses with water. Their Honey Ginger Lemonade was delicious and their Thai Tea wasn't too sweet! They also have outdoor seating and very nice decorations.

    We've been coming to Chuan Chim Thai Cuisine for several years now, for both lunch and dinner, on…read moreweekdays and weekends. The food has consistently been a level above most Thai restaurants we've tried throughout the Bay Area--and honestly, it's the reason we've been willing to make the drive to come here. The service has also always been very efficient, although I wouldn't necessarily describe it as particularly warm or friendly. Unfortunately, after several recent visits with different friends, we've noticed a recurring pattern with the service that has become difficult to overlook. For some context, today's group happened to include three people with years of experience working in high-end restaurants. We obviously didn't mention that to the staff, but it gave us a particular perspective on some very basic principles of hospitality. We completely understand that a restaurant may have a policy of not seating a party until everyone has arrived. That is perfectly reasonable when the restaurant is busy and tables are in demand. However, when the restaurant is nearly empty, with only one or two tables occupied, it seems unnecessarily rigid to make the first person in a three- or four-person party stand at the entrance and wait for the others to arrive. There's a much better hospitality opportunity here: seat the guest who has arrived, offer them a drink or perhaps an appetizer, and let them get comfortable while they wait. It creates a better guest experience and, not incidentally, gives the restaurant an opportunity to increase the check and potentially the gratuity. Instead, the guest is simply left standing at the door waiting. When the dining room is essentially empty, this comes across as unnecessarily unwelcoming. Another recurring issue is the lack of awareness of the table. Once we're seated and clearly engaged in conversation, there's no need to approach the table every few minutes asking if we're ready to order. Good service should be attentive, but it should also involve reading the room and recognizing when guests are simply enjoying their conversation and need a little more time. The same applies to clearing plates. We absolutely appreciate an efficient dining room and like having the table kept clean. But there have been several occasions recently when staff have attempted to remove a plate or bowl while there is still food remaining--even if it's just a small amount or a single piece of greens. There's a difference between keeping a table tidy and rushing guests through their meal. A little more awareness of whether someone is actually finished would make a significant difference. What makes this particularly disappointing is that these aren't isolated incidents. We've experienced the same types of service issues repeatedly over our last several visits, with different groups of friends. And that's a shame, because the food really is excellent. We've continued coming back despite the distance specifically because we think the food is that good. But at some point, excellent food isn't enough to overcome a consistently poor hospitality experience. This would have easily been a five-star review based on the food alone. Unfortunately, the recurring service issues have changed our overall experience enough that we're giving Chuan Chim Thai Cuisine three stars. It's unfortunate that after enjoying this restaurant for so many years, we've reached the point where we'll likely stop coming--not because of the food, but because of the service. We sincerely hope the restaurant takes this feedback to heart. The food deserves better hospitality, and a few relatively simple changes in how the staff reads and responds to the guests could make a tremendous difference.

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    Thonglor Thai Bistro - Chan Pad Poo, Dungeness crab with egg and Thai noodles

    Thonglor Thai Bistro

    4.2(194 reviews)
    0.8 mi
    $$

    Thonglor Thai Bistro has reached legendary status with our party. We had lunch here and ordered a…read morewide range of food: papaya salad, pad see ew, chicken satay, roasted duck curry, tom yum soup, spicy eggplant, etc. We also asked for it to be spicy, because we like spicy. The food was absolutely delicious! Fresh, flavorful, and definitely spicy. Interestingly, the papaya salad was the spiciest. We devoured everything. What really topped off our experience was the staff. The waitress noticed two members of our party struggling with the spiciness level. She alerted the chef, who came out and gave us a special, non-spicy soup. It rescued our two members and delivered the salvation they needed. When we asked what the soup was - so we could order it again - the waitress said it wasn't on the menu. It was just comfort food that she made for her kids :-D As you can imagine, this is why Thonglor has reached legendary status with us. The fact that the waitress noticed people from our party quietly struggling with spice is one thing. To bring out a custom-made dish to quell their intestinal angst is another. Wow. What fantastic service. If it was possible to give a place 6 stars, I think everyone in our party would do so. Thank you Thonglor!

    Visited for dinner on a Friday! The ambiance felt very casual and authentic with the Thai…read moretelevision program playing on the TV and overall interior decor. Food came to the table quickly. Standouts were the chicken laab and tom yum (with shrimp). The thai papaya salad was also really good. Overall everything could have been a little less salty but we didn't order rice so that could have been more on us for eating methodology. Next time, I'll probably ask for everything to be less salty if I don't plan on ordering rice. Portions were very generous as well!! I'd love to visit again to try more dishes, but this is a great go-to place to cure the thai food itch.

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    Sweet Basil Thai Cuisine - Seafood garlic noodle

    Sweet Basil Thai Cuisine

    3.8(1.9k reviews)
    3.7 mi
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    I've been coming to Sweet Basil Thai Cuisine for years now, and it's honestly become one of those…read morecomfort spots that always delivers. Being right around the corner from my apartment makes it convenient, but the consistency in food and service is what keeps me coming back. The flavors are always vibrant, balanced, and satisfying without feeling overly heavy. Whether I'm stopping in for a casual weeknight dinner or picking up takeout after a long day, the food tastes fresh and thoughtfully prepared every time. Their curries, noodle dishes, and seafood options especially stand out. One thing that says a lot: Me and a few friends chose to have dinner here on New Year's Eve. Out of all the places we could've gone, I wanted something familiar, reliable, and genuinely good. That pretty much sums this place up. The staff has always been welcoming and attentive, and the atmosphere feels cozy without trying too hard. Foster City has some hidden gems, and this is definitely one of them.

    Been coming for years. Used to be better but quality has slipped. The food taste more bland these…read moredays. On top of that, charging 18% gratuity for a party of 4 is wild. That's in addition to their system (hand console used for CC) suggesting 18% without calling that as an optional tip in addition to the tip already built into the bill. PSA to all.

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    Chai Yo Thai Cuisine - Crispy Tofu

    Chai Yo Thai Cuisine

    4.5(116 reviews)
    0.6 mi
    $$

    A small place right in ECR. They've been on my radar for a while and I drive by this place often…read moreenough, but haven't actually stopped to come in until recently. Everything we ordered had been tasty. Prices are reasonable. They even have a whole vegetarian menu. Service was good. Friendly and not overbearing, though our wait staff kind of disappeared for stretches at a time. But not that big of a deal. I'll gladly come back and try other tasty offerings.

    Chai Yo is a very welcoming restaurant with very responsive staff. From outside the restaurant…read moreseems decrepit but the inside was spacious, clean and well lit. When we visited last night they were busy but we were quickly seated, honoring the reservations that we had. Water was on the table in seconds! The waiter took our order in minutes and the appetizer -- crispy spring roll -- was on our table a few minutes. The appetizer lived up to its name: it was hit, crispy and delicious! We ordered volcano beef, chicken pad thai and beef fried rice. The first two items, in a scale from 1 to 5, were at spicy level 3 and the last one at spicy level 2. And boy it was spicy. I cannot imagine how spicy level 5 would be!!! The food was fresh and well cooked. I am not a big fan of Thai food but my family is, so we go for Thai food every so often. I liked the fact that the staff knew which food items has MSG and which didn't making it easier to avoid it.

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    Isarn Garden Thai Cuisine - Goong Op Woon Sen

    Isarn Garden Thai Cuisine

    4.1(479 reviews)
    5.0 mi
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    A friend recommended this place, and I'd actually had their takeout before and remembered really…read moreliking it. So I finally came with my husband and son. We ordered the shrimp pad thai, red curry beef, chicken gra pow, Kaor Moo Yang (pork jowl), garlic rice, and coconut rice. Overall, the food was very flavorful, and we enjoyed the meal. The pad thai was the standout. Great flavor and good shrimp, although the noodles were surprisingly hard. We were told that's how they're supposed to be, but personally I'd prefer them a little more cooked. Still, we happily finished the whole plate. The pork jowl was excellent on its own. I don't care for the sweet sauce on the side at all. The red curry had great flavor, but the beef was a little tough. The gra pow was tasty but saltier than I prefer. The one thing I'd skip is the coconut rice. It was so sweet and gummy that it felt more like dessert than a side dish. Plain jasmine rice next time. Thai iced tea was delicious, and the Thai iced coffee was good but very sweet. We paid about $107 before tip for three people, which feels pretty standard for the Bay Area. Service was generally friendly, although our server was a little dismissive when we mentioned the pad thai noodles. Overall it's a great meal. Will come back to try other dishes for sure!

    I enjoy cooking and eating Thai food having lived in Thailand over 10 yrs…read more Was seated immediately without reservations around 2pm on Mother's Day...due to acoustics... dining room was too noisy for comfortable conversation. Ordered 9 dishes and Thai ice tea. The standouts were the prawns in blanket, tom kha soup, green curry and mango sticky rice. Kaos Moo Yang sauce was spicy and good, but pork was not juicy & succulent. Disappointed by chicken satay and chicken fried rice -chicken was too dry and overcooked for my preference. The fried tofu was not pillowy soft inside and fried crisp outside.

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    Mingalaba

    3.8(2.8k reviews)
    2.4 mi
    $$
    Established in 2008
    Locally owned & operated

    This was literally the most delicious of this kind of food I've ever had, and at rather reasonable…read moreprices! They have a lot of the same dishes you see at American 'Chinese' restaurants but it was cooked and spiced so well as to put it in a completely different category. I visited on a Friday night with my older parents. We were seated after just a few minutes, and the hostess was very courteous with updates. The coconut chicken soup was amazing, very creamy! Rainbow chicken was also very savory. I'd highly recommend the House Special Noodle. Noodles seemed to melt in your mouth, for lack of a better phrase. Just delicious. The staff and even the customers really went above and beyond in terms of courtesy and politeness, too. My mom had recently had a major surgery that required her to use a walker. Everyone was very helpful and kind.

    Check your bill carefully before adding a tip…read more We were a party of three having a regular lunch, and gratuity was automatically added to our bill. No one mentioned it to us. I have absolutely no issue with tipping. What I have an issue with is quietly adding gratuity to a three-person lunch bill without clearly telling the customer. Had I not carefully reviewed the bill, it would have been very easy to add another tip on top of the gratuity already charged. What makes this even stranger is that I have dined here with my husband before and this never happened. This time, without him, gratuity was added automatically. I don't know why we were treated differently, and I won't speculate about the reason--but the inconsistency made me extremely uncomfortable. If automatic gratuity for a party of three is Mingalaba's standard policy, it should be clearly disclosed and consistently applied. If it isn't, then I think customers deserve an explanation for why it was added to our bill. Ladies, especially--check your bill before you tip.

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    Charm Thai Eatery - thai - Updated September 2026

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