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    The Vulcan Cafe

    3.2 (356 reviews)
    InexpensiveThai, Cafes
    Open 10:00 am - 12:00 AM (Next day)
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Order The Vulcan Cafe Takeout or Delivery

    The Vulcan Cafe Photos

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    THE VULCAN CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Quiet
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - The Vulcan Cafe

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    Claudia S.

    Everything we ordered was yummie! We had some chicken skewers, pad thai and even a vegetarian dish with Tofu. I would definitely recommend you to try it, dont let the location fool you

    Yum Voon Sen Salad
    Loriell L.

    First of y'all... the 1 star reviews are TRIPPIN. Certain restaurant's have their strengths and weakness dishes and you just gotta know how to order ‍ Just because certain items aren't good doesn't mean ALL the food is bad or terrible. I ordered the salad attached & the hot n sour Thai soup. I've had better but for being open so late to my convenience it still satisfied the craving. The salad however did it for me and will be returning for the salad alone. I didn't try any pan friend noodle dishes or entrees but will give it a try the next go around!

    Pad Thai with shrimp
    Mindy L.

    Pretty underwhelming. But like someone said, for being open til midnight it satisfies the craving. Crab fried rice - small amount of crab on top of regular rice and tiny bits of egg. Definitely not fried rice. Pad Thai - very okay. Had a tiny bit of cabbage and peanuts, but no fresh bean sprouts which is needed to balance to noodles Green curry - not spicy at all. Good flavor and veggies were cooked well though

    Robbie R.

    I'm down here in the East Bay visiting a friend and he wanted to take me to an unusual Thai restaurant called the Vulcan Cafe. No, the servers didn't have pointy ears, but I guess Vulcan refers to an industrial area here in Oakland that had a foundry named that. I will say the location is quite unusual, located in a totally industrial area of Oakland down a dead end street with artist lofts and the like all around. Then you come across a That restaurant! The Vulcan has been here open for like 35 years! That's gotta say something that people love coming here, since there really no food traffic like a busy street to get customers. Parking can be tricky, but do pay attention to the No Parking signs in front of other businesses. You go up a few rickety steps and into the cafe. It's a little industrial looking, but does have a Thai flavor to the decor. The menu has all the basic Thai dishes we've come to expect, from colored Thai curries, pad Thai noodles and coconut soups. Once inside, you kinda forget you're on a dead end street in the middle of industrial Oakland. We were here for lunch, it might be a little scary down here at night! Service was very cordial and efficient. We choose a standby of Pad Thai and a special that day of Thai Roast duck. We also had Thai Iced Tea to drink. There were quite a few other people in the restaurant while we had lunch, proving the popularity of this really out of the way place. Our food arrives and it looks delicious. The pad Thai was done just right with the right amount to sauce balanced with the wok fried noodles. The duck was scrumptious as well. The meat was flavorful and yes a little fatty, which is a good thing when it comes to duck! The meat just melts in your mouth contrasting with the crispy skin. We had a wonderful lunch here and I'd return for sure, though I don't get down to the Bay Area too often, cause traffic totally sucks! But places like the Vulcan Cage make it worth it.

    I ate ONE. Only ONE!!!! This is really awful
    Veronica W.

    Likes: open late Delivers Thai food lol Dislikes: Small portions (not understanding how I paid 6.95 plus tax for 6 small pieces of tofu.... So they are a dollar a piece? Last time I checked a square of tofu is 3 bucks at the most... definitely feels like they are ripping people off. If you want to sell less make sure the customer knows how many pieces they are getting. I would NEVER charge someone this much for a few pieces of tofu...

    fried tofu
    Aleanna S.

    I felt the need to satisfy my Thai craving but I hate to say I was disappointed. The pad see ew lacked flavor in my opinion. Definitely could've used more sauce. The noodles felt a little over cooked yet the veggies still had a slight undercooked crunch to them. The tofu had a weird taste even the peanut sauce couldn't mask. They were dry too.

    Pad - Thai
    Anna L.

    I was craving some late night munch and was happy to find a Thai place open so late that also delivers. I ordered the shrimp fresh rolls and classic pad Thai with chicken. The pad Thai is decent, good enough for night time cravings. I prefer my pad Thai more spicy and saucy but the flavors are all there and that's good enough in my book. However the spring rolls were disappointing. There was only shrimp in about 3 of the pieces, and even then it was a really small amount. I thought it was the wrong order at first until I broke one of the sections apart and found a small piece of shrimp. I didn't really care for the complimentary sauce either. Good thing I ordered peanut sauce on the side.

    Crab Meat Fried Rice  + 4 Thai Spring Rolls
    Adrienne D.

    Today, I ordered Thai Spring Rolls(vegetarian), crab meat fried rice, and Thai iced tea from Vulcan Cafe. The order was placed using UberEats. Honestly, the food fell short of my expectations. The rice weighed down the quality of the meal. While the rice was cooked properly, there were crab shell fragments in my rice that made eating it a minefield. The flavor of the rice was sufficient but I've definitely eaten more flavorful Thai meals than this. It was very one-dimensional on my palate. Onto the spring rolls, those were good. The sauce that accompanied it was very nice and refreshing. The only downside is that mine were slightly over-cooked & a wee oily. Onto the Thai Iced Tea, thankfully, this was constructed beautifully. I truly enjoyed the beverage. It helped knock a few of the shell fragments down my throat. Not too bitter, not too sweet. Overall, I would likely eat here again if I just really wanted some Thai food out of convenience. But, if there was a better location selling Thai dishes, then I'd try that place first.

    Pad Thai
    Ahnye I.

    The Vulcan Cafe is such an hidden gem! Located right across from the BART, surrounded by trendy lofts and almost artist like buildings, I honestly can't get enough of this place! The food is so tasty and the Thai Iced Tea is delicious and super refreshing. I can dine here in the afternoon, evening, and even for dinner thats how great the food is. The service is always wonderful and the food is always fresh. The decor is very traditional, with outside and inside seating, very spacious! Please note that the area is very industrial like, a positive for some, and negative for others. Parking is minimal and can almost seem "sketchy" if you are not familiar with the area. I recommend not ordering online through food delivery services, as the place may be hard to find and the food may take long to arrive. This is a definitely a place where you place an in person order!

    Pad Khi Mao

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    9 years ago

    Food came so late when we ordered a couple months back. Taste very light and not very fulfilling. Not sure if we'd order from them again.

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    10 years ago

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    13 years ago

    Ordered the Red Curry with Chicken, asked for "Thai Hot" spicyness. Was absolutely perfect.

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    10 years ago

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    17 years ago

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    12 years ago

    Not life changing food. but it's yummy, fast, fresh, and cheap. Win!

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    10 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    17 years ago

    really expensive best thing they have is the mango sticky rice but i wouldnt go here normally even though its so close to where i live

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    Page 9 of 9

    Ask the Community - The Vulcan Cafe

    Haven't been here since the new owner took over is the food still good quality?

    No, Run! I've ordered food from here and it tasted like shit! Even worse, I received food that was overdue and smelled like dumpster juice! Not Thai food but dumpster !

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    Pintoh Thai

    Pintoh Thai

    4.3
    (509 reviews)
    3.8 mi
    $$

    Came here on Saturday evening around 7pm ish, party of 6. It was walking distance from an escape…read moreroom near 19th street so we stumbled upon it from convenience. We all split all the specialty cocktails and I got the Khao Pad Kang Kiew (rice with eggplant and chicken topped with a fried egg). Dishes are $20-23 ish each. We were seated at the 6 person table in the back of the restaurant near the bathroom. My favorite drinks were their take on a hard thai iced tea, the lavender mojito, a take on an espresso martini. There was also this spicy drink that had thai chilis in it that is VERY spicy lol. Pros: - the rice dish was DELICIOUS and also huge haha. Came with cucumbers to cut the peppery flavor if needed. - All the cocktails were pretty different and it was fun to try all of them. They were all beautiful to look at and tasty (lots of coconut and Thai inspiration). - Service was pretty good - Has "typical" thai dishes like pad thai and pad see ew, and also more rare ones that are hard to find - Close to many bars and other establishments, so perfect if you want to eat here as a first, second, or third location of your outing haha Cons: - The air flow in the back wasn't amazing so I did feel like it got stuffy/hot - Parking can be tough in this area so I recommend BARTing Another reason to love Oakland!

    I originally planned on rating Pintoh Thai 5 stars for their finger licking good pad kemao, but the…read morelast time I visited, the servers literally forgot about my table multiple times. We had to re-place our orders because they were never sent to the kitchen and lost, we had to flag down servers otherwise we were sitting there confused for 20+ minutes as they hustled and bustled around us, it was just bizarre. And it was a bit embarrassing as I'd lauded this place to my guest and we proceeded to get snubbed by every server during dinner time. Alas, the pad kemao was still delicious but I don't know if I'd suffer that kind of service again for a meal. And no, nothing was comped or discounted. Ambiance-wise, the restaurant is cute and near a busy area of downtown Oakland so it's easy to get to by BART or by car. I might give them another chance if I'm ever in the area already, but I won't be going out of my way to visit again.

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    Somtum Tod
    Somtum Tod
    Lycheetini

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    Lycheetini
    Rose Garden Uptown

    Rose Garden Uptown

    4.6
    (102 reviews)
    4.2 mi

    Banger and it hits every time!…read more This is my go to spot for pad see ew. All of my noodles are coated in the sauce, and the sauce is seasoned perfectly. The tofu is a little crispy on the outside yet soft and so flavorful. Nothing about this plate is bland, and I order it maybe every two weeks. Yellow curry and fried pumpkin are good too! The fried pumpkin is the right amount of sweetness, and I eat it without the sauce they include. Highly recommend if you're in the uptown area and craving Thai!

    When: Friday evening, 5:45pm, restaurant was pretty empty…read moreexcept some occasional food takeouts. By 6:30, more people coming in to eat in. But it was not full throughout the time we were at the restaurants. Experience: Food came out pretty fast and it was hot(!). Overall, service was good and they checked in on us a few times to make sure all is good. Food: - Nam Khao was fantastic. Crispy rice, the mixed minced vegetables, and the cooked sausage. Together with the lime that you can squeeze to preference, it was delicious! Haven't had Nam Khao this delicious in a while! - Pad See Ew with pork was alright. It was cooked well and a little on the sweeter side rather than savory, but missing the smoky flavor "wok hei" that would take this to the next level that I love. - Fried Sweet Fish was alright too. Fish is fried with a very thin batter but it had black pepper which my kids doesn't want as they're sensitive to anything spicy. The fish had a light fishy taste to it (fresh water fish) which would be better if they even use a little ginger to cut the fishy taste for a better taste. - Guay Tiew is very similar to Pad See Ew with the exception that it had a fried egg on the top and had seafood (shrimp and squid). - Vientiane Crispy Roll is different from regular egg rolls. Made with rice paper roll so it was crispy but also chewy, which is different and may not be what everyone is used to. Will return to try out other dishes.

    Photos
    Rose Garden Uptown
    13. Papaya Saiad Thai style
    13. Papaya Saiad Thai style
    Pork belly with Chinese Broccoli

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    Pork belly with Chinese Broccoli
    Farmhouse Kitchen Thai Cuisine

    Farmhouse Kitchen Thai Cuisine

    4.2
    (2.4k reviews)
    3.7 mi
    $$$

    I haven't had Thai food since my parents passed away and found this spot after another favorite…read morerestaurant nearby was taken over my new owners and a totally different menu but still wanted to find a nice waterfront place to meet up with a long time friend I haven't seen in 20 years. I missed photos of the main entrees enjoying our time and honestly not sure what we ordered as we paid with a kiosk and didn't get a printed receipt even thought I typed in my email.. so that's frustrating with technology. If you want a receipt have it printed before you leave. My friend had a spicy eggplant dish and I had a tofu dish with rice and no fish sauce. Wish I could be more descriptive but can't say without an itemized receipt.. doesn't matter though, was all amazing flavors for both my friend (who travels and has worldly palette, and my self with a broad pallet only within the US) Flavors were amazing and service was on par. I did have an issue at first with the first server saying Pad Thai could be done with tofu and no fish sauce so I was excited, but then the next server said it was already mixed and not able to accommodate, but did find me an alternative I found flavorful with veggies, though missed having the peanuts in my dish. I had Pad See You instead without meat or fish sauce. Service overall was wonderful, attentive and didn't have to wait for anything. They did close and allowed us to stay on the patio visiting long after. Would be happy to return again.. I didn't ask about validating my parking and then they closed, so that was a bummer but my bad.. do check when you arrive and see if they can validate to help with a hefty parking cost $20 for us but hung out longer than most..

    I stumbled upon Farmhouse Kitchen while browsing the Jack London Square directory, which lately…read morefeels like a rotating cast of restaurants auditioning for survival. It looked promising enough -- though had I checked the reviews first, I might've shown up wearing emotional armor and maybe a helmet. Their OpenTable rules read like they were drafted by a team of lawyers who really, really love boundaries. The "2‑hour limit for parties of 5+" stood out. Cute foreshadowing, as it turns out. Our group of six arrived on time and were greeted by a hostess who seemed to be filling every role except chef. She seated us outside with a lovely estuary view -- honestly, the scenery and cocktails were doing most of the hospitality heavy lifting. The food? Excellent. Truly. The Little Lao Platter, Pad Thai, Fried Rice -- all winners. I'd tell you what I paid, but I never received a receipt, so let's just call it "a mystery donation." Service, however, took a nosedive. My plate was whisked away mid‑bite like I'd failed to meet some secret speed‑eating quota. Then we watched the table across from us get a full birthday serenade while our celebration -- clearly noted on the reservation -- got the silent treatment. And finally, at exactly 1.5 hours (not the advertised 2), we were politely but firmly asked to vacate. Nothing says "happy birthday" like being evicted from your table. The surprise service charge at the end was the final plot twist. Apparently it's "common practice," though mysteriously absent from their very thorough reservation rules. Impressive attention to detail -- except for the part where it matters. Great food, beautiful view, and service that feels like you're on a timer in an escape room. If you go, enjoy the meal... and maybe bring a stopwatch.

    Photos
    Panang Neua:  Slow braised bone in Short Rib in a Panang curry Grilled broccolini, bell pepper, onion, and fried basil. Blue Rice
    Panang Neua: Slow braised bone in Short Rib in a Panang curry Grilled broccolini, bell pepper, onion, and fried basil. Blue Rice
    Pink Party
    Pink Party
    Volcano Cup

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    Volcano Cup
    Bhan Mae Vane

    Bhan Mae Vane

    4.5
    (781 reviews)
    3.3 mi
    $$

    For my birthday dinner, I requested Bhan Mae Vane. I had heard wonderful things, and as a fan of…read moreLaotian food, I wanted to come with my family to see the hype. We came on a weekday evening, and it was packed! The sound travels here so that it can get really loud and busy. The inside is super casual with seating for large or smaller groups. The service by the staff was good. Our food came out quickly, and everyone was friendly and checked in on us. We ordered the Tom Kha, Nam Khao, Fried Clear Rice Paper Roll Wraps, Pineapple Khao Pad, and Geng Ka Ree. Everything was fabulous! Lots of great flavors and spices. The portion sizes were spot on. My favorite was the Nam Khao and the Fried Clear Rice Paper Roll Wraps. I love the bite-sized and sharing family-style. My companion and family also enjoyed it. If you like Laotian food, Bhan Mae Vane is a must-try in the East Bay! Find them off Webster Street with street and neighborhood parking. I look forward to going back!

    August 2026 Wow even…read morebefore they opened there were people waiting outside. On this strip of abandoned and sad restaurants this is a gem. Really good Thai food with good service. Really enjoyed my eggplant calamari and my coworker liked their garlic noodles. FYI: Thai Iced Tea etc is expensive at $6 for a small glass, and there's a list to write your name to check in. Seems like a big place, but they fill up quickly.

    Photos
    More decor
    More decor
    Seen Lod (Lao Sausage) $20 | Spicy herb pork sausage served w Laotian tomato sauce.
    Seen Lod (Lao Sausage) $20 | Spicy herb pork sausage served w Laotian tomato sauce.
    Crispy Pork Belly

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    Crispy Pork Belly
    Thai Taste Kitchen

    Thai Taste Kitchen

    4.3
    (309 reviews)
    4.3 mi
    $$

    Definitely check out Thai Taste Kitchen! We were walking around the area when we stumbled upon this…read morerestaurant, and we're so glad we did. As soon as we walked in, the staff greeted us with such a warm welcome. The restaurant has plenty of seating, and the cozy atmosphere made it feel like we were dining in someone's home. We ordered family-style and got the roti, crab fried rice, Pad Thai, Pad See Ew, yellow curry, and mango sticky rice. Every single dish was delicious as we cleaned every plate! We were honestly surprised by how empty the restaurant was because the food and service were amazing. My friends and I definitely found a hidden gem, and we'll absolutely be coming back!

    Whether it's Khao Mun Ghai or Hainan Chicken Rice, I'm always on the hunt for the best plate of…read morechicken rice, whether the poultry is poached or steamed. I'm serious about my search because I've reviewed over 90 places where I've had it (Collection: https://yelp.to/vmnzRUQkWv). That's why I was surprised I had overlooked this spot. After getting my haircut nearby, I decided to stop by for lunch. Their menu is quite robust with most of the popular Thai dishes you'd expect to see.and some lesser known ones like crab fried rice. It all looked promising, but I was here for one item at the end of the menu, the $18.95 Khao Mun Ghai (Photo 8). Their version consisted of slices of a steamed chicken breast over garlic ginger rice. Along with their housemade sauce and a cup with chicken broth. It looked promising, but the meat was unfortunately dry as if it was left in the steamer too long. To offset this hazard, I prefer either a dark meat option or a mix of both white and dark. There was no dark meat on my plate. I thought the rice and broth were closer to my expectation with the sauce fairly middling in flavor. I'd still come back here for the other Thai dishes, but I'll probably skip this dish. FOOD - 3 stars..dry chicken was a bummer AMBIANCE - 3 stars...hidden away, couldn't see much from my seat SERVICE - 3 stars...pretty quiet TOTAL - 3 stars...should probably try other dishes RELATED - Exploring Piedmont Avenue and Temescal? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/QBKUVLaJVG

    Photos
    Thai Taste Kitchen
    Khao soy
    Khao soy
    Chicken, rice & papaya salad

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    Chicken, rice & papaya salad

    The Vulcan Cafe - thai - Updated August 2026

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