Ordered two appetizers, the veggie spring rolls which were gummy from being previously frozen and the curry puffs that had no flavor other than being sweet. We tried three entrees including the red pumpkin curry with tofu. I felt jipped with the lack of ingredients and the pumpkin was undercooked. The Pad Thai was awful due to the shrimp being so gross I had to spit it out. They were so mushy from being either waterlogged after defrosting and/or cooked too long. I swear you could have spread them on toast! I'm giving two stars for the ground chicken with green beans and.. the rice. With the amount I spent, it was suppose to be a treat but instead it was a big disappointment :(
Max D.
Wow I have never had such a bad experience here! I ordered the pad pak with prawns and it arrived as a soggy mess of overcooked food. Everything has the same mushy consistency including the shrimp which seem to be severely undercooked. Not going to eat this...
Saahil S.
Really nice owner, good food, and reasonably priced. I came here recently on a Sunday ~7p and there were a few people but we were able to be seated immediately. Place is small but nice. I decided to go with the classic Khao Mun Gai, which was a good experience and the food was definitely prepared well. It's just a relatively flavorless dish, and felt like a bit of an empty plate compared to the Khao Mun Gai Sam Yang lunch special for example. Not any fault of the preparation, but definitely something to consider for bringing up the dimensionality of the dish in a dinner setting. Still enjoyed it and my overall experience here. Would recommend.
Elliot Cohen
Great food, particularly love the yellow curry and pad Thai. Sweet waiter too
Nepeta L.
So cute!! Very comfortable inside with smooth music and nice lighting. General very nice ambience and neat architecture. Cute and colorful decorations. Very kind staff and service. Food was really good! Delicious!!! The curry puffs really were a delight and the pad see ew with beef and tofu was very simple but enjoyable in its own way. Also ordered the pad Thai which was great! Very glad will return!!
Rachel L.
I've always passed by this establishment when walking by on College, and have always wanted to try. Gai Barn is nestled in between stationary shops and an assortment of stores that sell knick-knacks! The storefront is easy to miss, however this restaurant is not one that should be overlooked. We came in around noontime on a Saturday, and we were seated almost immediately. The workers check for a vaccination proof, but aren't too stringent, as in they don't require ID, and just a picture suffices. In the pictures attached, we ordered the chicken and rice (which is one of their most popular items) as well as a Pad ke Mao lunch! One thing to note is that the prices are slightly cheaper (a couple dollars) for lunch compared to dinner. I was expecting the chicken and rice plate to taste like the Hainan Chicken plates I know and love. However, this plate was mediocre at best. The rice was flavorful, however the chicken was largely dry and a little bit tough. I will say that the peanut sauce was unique and flavorful, but I found myself having to douse each chicken piece into the sauce in order for it to be enjoyable. And the soup was pretty salty, but I guess sodium is what's necessary for it to taste good. The Pad Ke Mao, on the other hand, was a solid 8/10. The menu advertised this plate as spicy, and maybe my spice tolerance is just through the roof, but I didn't think it was spicy enough. In fact, this dish is unique in that, compared to other establishment's Pad Ke Mao dishes, Gai Barn's almost tasted like a crossover between Pad See Ew and Pad Ke Mao. The noodles were delightfully dressed with the sauce, and there were ample veggies! Would consider ordering this again. I will also add that the dishes were lukewarm, and would have tasted better if steaming hot. However, the dishes did come out relatively quickly after we had ordered. Overall, the thai food offering was decent, and the staff were quick and attentive! If you're in the area and craving some noodles, check Gai Barn out!
Nathan G.
Absolutely amazing Thai Food, my favorite spot in Berkeley. Great for vegans too, the server is really knowledgeable about what is and isn't vegan, and can make changes to make dishes vegan. He's also super friendly, nice, and makes the experience better. The Pad Kee Mao with tofu is so ridiculously good I will get it twice in one day some times. Highly recommend, this place deserves success and more.
Tyler Zhu
I’ve walked by this place and been impressed by the vibes and it’s setup many times, so I thought I’d check it out today. All of your standard Thai fare is served here, with lunch combos to boot. I got the Thai Iced Tea w/ Coconut Milk (which was incredible, a game changer for me), as well the Khao Mun Gai (which they advertise as somewhat of a special dish). The Khao Mun Gai had good flavor, the chicken broth was super rich and the chicken with the rice (especially soaked in broth) was a great combo. Reminds me of Singaporean chicken + rice! Chicken however wasn’t dry but wasn’t juicy, still good but left some to be desired. Service was absolutely great, left feeling like a valued customer. Solid recommendation overall however; definitely get the tea!
Kenneth Yong
Authentic Thai restaurant on busy College Ave. The food is delicious - must try Red curry chicken or tofu!!!
Shesh A.
Excellent service when I came around 8pm on a weekday. Seated and brought me water. Had Tom Kha soup and yellow curry. Was surprised rice had to be separately! But overall giving stars for good service and good food.
I spent $99 on a dinner that should have been ample to feed our group of 3 adults. We got Pad Thai (was okay but had to really search for the tiny pieces of tofu and we fought over the four shrimps in the order), the "3 way chicken" which offered literally 3 small strips of each kind of chicken; only flavorful because of the sauces, which tasted straight out of a bottle, the papaya salad which was strangely flavorless until I realized they had not put ANY fish sauce in it (I mean, really? Som Tum with NO FISH SAUCE????) and some Pra ram which was again okay but very skimpy portion for the price. I will not order from them again and am amazed that they received high reviews from others.
Sarah D.
Tried this place for the first time today. And OMFG it did not disappoint. Puff Pastry appetizer was unbelievable. Yellow curry with prawns were also delicious. I will be adding this place to my favorite restaurants in heavy rotation.
Jeanie N.
Gai barn is some of the best Thai food that can be found in the Berkeley area! The chicken and rice is totally delicious and filling - love that there's sort of a sampler platter situation where you can try their three different types of chicken and sauces with rice. Very much appreciate how their rice isn't just white rice you can make at home but it was more interesting like tea leaf rice (it's colored yellow and has a nice umami to it) Their pad Thai is also chefs kiss one hundo p yums I go to gai barn probs once a week and would go more if it was closer to me! Highly recommend for take out. No outdoor seating unfortunately but there may be some grassy areas nearby to picnic
Alexandre Takamatsu
Simple, but delicious food. Affordable price. Recommend Thai tea with coconut milk.
Tina Liao
I had to review so folks don’t make a bad decision. Cold, reheated, not fresh, but most of all, it shouldn’t be called Thai food. Nothing close to Thai. No lime, fish sauce, lemongrass, spice, nothing but sugar? Maybe it’s like mediocre Thai resort food.
Ordered two appetizers, the veggie spring rolls which were gummy from being previously frozen and the curry puffs that had no flavor other than being sweet. We tried three entrees including the red pumpkin curry with tofu. I felt jipped with the lack of ingredients and the pumpkin was undercooked. The Pad Thai was awful due to the shrimp being so gross I had to spit it out. They were so mushy from being either waterlogged after defrosting and/or cooked too long. I swear you could have spread them on toast! I'm giving two stars for the ground chicken with green beans and.. the rice. With the amount I spent, it was suppose to be a treat but instead it was a big disappointment :(
Wow I have never had such a bad experience here! I ordered the pad pak with prawns and it arrived as a soggy mess of overcooked food. Everything has the same mushy consistency including the shrimp which seem to be severely undercooked. Not going to eat this...
Really nice owner, good food, and reasonably priced. I came here recently on a Sunday ~7p and there were a few people but we were able to be seated immediately. Place is small but nice. I decided to go with the classic Khao Mun Gai, which was a good experience and the food was definitely prepared well. It's just a relatively flavorless dish, and felt like a bit of an empty plate compared to the Khao Mun Gai Sam Yang lunch special for example. Not any fault of the preparation, but definitely something to consider for bringing up the dimensionality of the dish in a dinner setting. Still enjoyed it and my overall experience here. Would recommend.
Great food, particularly love the yellow curry and pad Thai. Sweet waiter too
So cute!! Very comfortable inside with smooth music and nice lighting. General very nice ambience and neat architecture. Cute and colorful decorations. Very kind staff and service. Food was really good! Delicious!!! The curry puffs really were a delight and the pad see ew with beef and tofu was very simple but enjoyable in its own way. Also ordered the pad Thai which was great! Very glad will return!!
I've always passed by this establishment when walking by on College, and have always wanted to try. Gai Barn is nestled in between stationary shops and an assortment of stores that sell knick-knacks! The storefront is easy to miss, however this restaurant is not one that should be overlooked. We came in around noontime on a Saturday, and we were seated almost immediately. The workers check for a vaccination proof, but aren't too stringent, as in they don't require ID, and just a picture suffices. In the pictures attached, we ordered the chicken and rice (which is one of their most popular items) as well as a Pad ke Mao lunch! One thing to note is that the prices are slightly cheaper (a couple dollars) for lunch compared to dinner. I was expecting the chicken and rice plate to taste like the Hainan Chicken plates I know and love. However, this plate was mediocre at best. The rice was flavorful, however the chicken was largely dry and a little bit tough. I will say that the peanut sauce was unique and flavorful, but I found myself having to douse each chicken piece into the sauce in order for it to be enjoyable. And the soup was pretty salty, but I guess sodium is what's necessary for it to taste good. The Pad Ke Mao, on the other hand, was a solid 8/10. The menu advertised this plate as spicy, and maybe my spice tolerance is just through the roof, but I didn't think it was spicy enough. In fact, this dish is unique in that, compared to other establishment's Pad Ke Mao dishes, Gai Barn's almost tasted like a crossover between Pad See Ew and Pad Ke Mao. The noodles were delightfully dressed with the sauce, and there were ample veggies! Would consider ordering this again. I will also add that the dishes were lukewarm, and would have tasted better if steaming hot. However, the dishes did come out relatively quickly after we had ordered. Overall, the thai food offering was decent, and the staff were quick and attentive! If you're in the area and craving some noodles, check Gai Barn out!
Absolutely amazing Thai Food, my favorite spot in Berkeley. Great for vegans too, the server is really knowledgeable about what is and isn't vegan, and can make changes to make dishes vegan. He's also super friendly, nice, and makes the experience better. The Pad Kee Mao with tofu is so ridiculously good I will get it twice in one day some times. Highly recommend, this place deserves success and more.
I’ve walked by this place and been impressed by the vibes and it’s setup many times, so I thought I’d check it out today. All of your standard Thai fare is served here, with lunch combos to boot. I got the Thai Iced Tea w/ Coconut Milk (which was incredible, a game changer for me), as well the Khao Mun Gai (which they advertise as somewhat of a special dish). The Khao Mun Gai had good flavor, the chicken broth was super rich and the chicken with the rice (especially soaked in broth) was a great combo. Reminds me of Singaporean chicken + rice! Chicken however wasn’t dry but wasn’t juicy, still good but left some to be desired. Service was absolutely great, left feeling like a valued customer. Solid recommendation overall however; definitely get the tea!
Authentic Thai restaurant on busy College Ave. The food is delicious - must try Red curry chicken or tofu!!!
Excellent service when I came around 8pm on a weekday. Seated and brought me water. Had Tom Kha soup and yellow curry. Was surprised rice had to be separately! But overall giving stars for good service and good food.
Restaurantji Recommends
I spent $99 on a dinner that should have been ample to feed our group of 3 adults. We got Pad Thai (was okay but had to really search for the tiny pieces of tofu and we fought over the four shrimps in the order), the "3 way chicken" which offered literally 3 small strips of each kind of chicken; only flavorful because of the sauces, which tasted straight out of a bottle, the papaya salad which was strangely flavorless until I realized they had not put ANY fish sauce in it (I mean, really? Som Tum with NO FISH SAUCE????) and some Pra ram which was again okay but very skimpy portion for the price. I will not order from them again and am amazed that they received high reviews from others.
Tried this place for the first time today. And OMFG it did not disappoint. Puff Pastry appetizer was unbelievable. Yellow curry with prawns were also delicious. I will be adding this place to my favorite restaurants in heavy rotation.
Gai barn is some of the best Thai food that can be found in the Berkeley area! The chicken and rice is totally delicious and filling - love that there's sort of a sampler platter situation where you can try their three different types of chicken and sauces with rice. Very much appreciate how their rice isn't just white rice you can make at home but it was more interesting like tea leaf rice (it's colored yellow and has a nice umami to it) Their pad Thai is also chefs kiss one hundo p yums I go to gai barn probs once a week and would go more if it was closer to me! Highly recommend for take out. No outdoor seating unfortunately but there may be some grassy areas nearby to picnic
Simple, but delicious food. Affordable price. Recommend Thai tea with coconut milk.
I had to review so folks don’t make a bad decision. Cold, reheated, not fresh, but most of all, it shouldn’t be called Thai food. Nothing close to Thai. No lime, fish sauce, lemongrass, spice, nothing but sugar? Maybe it’s like mediocre Thai resort food.