Wonderful food! The new place is now called cousins Asian street food.
Amy Y.
I saw so many reviews for this place and really wanted to try it. My bf came here and tried to order a couple of items but they were out of the items. We ended up getting the Ya ya chicken with garlic noodle and hot and spicy chicken fried rice. Both portions were HUGE! But we didn't find it to have much flavor. The garlic noodle was extremely bland and somewhat soggy. The fried rice also lacked wok hay and was a bit too sticky for my taste. Overall the flavors were missing but portions were huge. Would I recommend? Unfortunately no. It's a bit confusing when you order because you enter from one door and there's no real direction. They have a few tables outside for eating. There was a check in offer for a free iced thai tea and when I asked to redeem it they told me they were out. Then they told me they could make it but I had to wait. I waited for it the whole time while we ate and it was still not ready. Then they told me it could only be a hot thai iced tea, so i said that was fine. After eating we still waited for it and it was still not ready. After about 40 minutes or so since the time I ordered it they finally told me that they couldn't give it to me. It was a pretty bad experience. I'd rather have them just tell me that they didn't have it in the first place. Parking can be hard since it's located on a busy street.
Ruth A.
Long overdue... We were heading to the area for froyo (yep, all the way from Union City just for froyo... right?) since we saw it on TV so we decided to find a spot for dinner. The good ratings lured us in and walked in with a little over an hour before closing. Couple of tables waiting but it seemed empty behind the counter so it took a while for someone to even take our order, and when they did they were out of everything I wanted to order. Stuck with the chicken since that's pretty much what they had left with either rice or garlic noodles. And did I tell you they only had outside seating at the time so we were freezing since the heat lamps were not working since they were out of whatever it is that needs to turn it on, which is not the best situation when there's only one person doing everything, including the cooking. Oh boy... we must've picked the wrong day to come here. Food was nothing to write home about proven by the leftovers, which we opted to box which didn't get consumed either. One of the few times Yelp failed for us, but like I said, could've been wrong timing but still wouldn't go out of my way for a second try.
Austin Tran
Came here during open hours and it was closed with absolutely no explanation or warning.
Victoria L.
They were out of many food options however, both dishes were a MUST TRY! I feel like I am typically picky with food and these both were excellent!
Kyle Santos
Look at these two shrimps. They were the same order but decided to SWAP OUT MY FRIED SHRIMP FOR COCKTAIL SHRIMP AND NOT ASK ME. They charged me for actual garbage cocktail shrimp.
Derrick C.
Food: Ya-Ya Chicken with Garlic Noodles (2.5/5) Overall portion of this was large. Chicken was crispy but tasted a bit dry. Chicken itself didn't have much flavor. Garlic Noodles was 20% saltier and drier than it should have been. Flavor was okay. Service: Staff was friendly but food took a while to make even though there was maybe one group before us.
Heather S.
How have I not gone here before? I totally would've passed by without a second look if I was walking in downtown Berkeley, but I recommend checking it out! With the cutest little outdoor seating and the sweetest servers, I had a pleasant time dining here with a friend. The parking was a bit difficult to find because only street parking is available, but the walk to the restaurant was not too bad at all. There weren't too many people and I feel like this would be such a cute spot for a one-on-one meetup (maybe not the best place for groups though!!). Pro tip: check in on Yelp for a free Thai iced tea:) it was very yummy. -- - Khun Yai Crispy Garlic Pork ($12.95) // The pork itself was slightly tough, but packed with a wide depth of flavors. I really enjoyed eating it with the fried egg and rice. Pretty solid! - Gram's Trio ($13.25)
Samantha W.
Positive first: beautiful outdoor seating with a garden like area, beautiful presentation of food, quick and great service. Negatives: Chicken was extremely dry and sour, food was overpriced for such overcooked and oversalted food!
Stephanie N.
When you're passing by Lucky Bird in downtown Berkeley, it doesn't look like much at first, but if you go past the door through the alley, you'll see a beautiful patio with colorful decor! This restaurant is definitely a hole in the wall. Parking in the area is all street parking, and honestly pretty difficult during peak hours, but don't let that stop you. The first time we tried to come here, they had closed the restaurant 1.5 hours before what was listed as the closing time on Yelp/Google, but the worker explained that it was slow, so he had closed. Disappointed, my friend and I made our way back for Sunday lunch the next day. There's only one worker taking orders, cooking, and serving, so service was understandably a little bit slow, but he was very friendly and clearly hardworking! All the dishes were also served on very ~aesthetic~ bamboo leaves and trays, which my Instagram thanks you for :') What we ordered: - Garlic Chicken Noodle (4/5): Despite the name of the restaurant, I actually enjoyed the garlic noodles a little bit more than the chicken, but the chicken was good as well! It was grilled and flavored well, but just a tiny bit dry. The egg on top was the perfect touch. - Pumpkin Curry (4/5): Pumpkin curry isn't offered at all Thai restaurants, so I like to order it when I do see it on the menu--Lucky Bird did not disappoint! The portion was a little bit small, but the curry was delicious! - Lao Papaya Salad (2/5): My friend and I love papaya salad, and were interested to try Lao-style papaya salad, rather than Thai-style. It was a very strong fishy flavor, which was a bit offputting. It just generally wasn't our taste, but please take that with a grain of salt as everyone has different tastes! - Thai Tea (5/5): This was creamy and delicious, and free with a yelp check in! Overall, you will not regret coming to Lucky Bird--truly a gem of downtown Berkeley and a small Asian-owned business!
NOT in the Gourmet Ghetto - despite what the owners (or Yelp) may think. Was going to try this place for lunch today, but found it interesting that the owners have listed this as the Gourmet Ghetto. Just to be clear: this zone starts, at the furthest South, MAYBE Virginia Street, but really is more from Cedar to Rose Streets on Shattuck. NOT closer to Hearst, where this place is located. If anything, this is Downtown Berkeley, Northwest Gate of Campus, etc. So please, let's get our facts straight, and then perhaps that will warrant a visit to your eatery. Until then...
Margaret W.
Hubby and I came here for dinner on a Sunday, 6:30pm. There was only one other couple there (outside seating only) waiting for their order. Took about 20 mins for our order to arrive. We had: The Chicken (Kyun Yai bbq) with garlic noodles: Presentation was great- they serve on banana leaf on a basket. Sadly- chicken was over cooked and so dry. Noodles were ok but a bit on the greasy side. Hot Spicy chicken fried rice: same presentation. Fried rice was OK - it was made w chunks of cauliflower and broccoli which I didn't expect. The chicken wasn't spicy at all (IMO) and again, overcooked. Sort of reminded me of leftover orange chicken from the Asian fast food take out place. This is our second time here and i really wanted to like this place but it's just not working out. Service was ok. A little slow but he's friendly.
Atiteca S.
I had passed this place by so many times, stopping instead at THAI Noodle (the Noodle) a couple doors down. I guess i just did that because the place is famliar. This was a welcome change. Food is really GOOD, and costs less! Flavor is great, just hot enough, also sweet with coconut, and everything well presented. The only drawback is the chicken was a little dry and chewy, but I'd go back anyway. I would advise them to change the name. "Lucky Bird" does not sound appetizing to me, and also does not make me think they have Thai food. You need to put "Thai cuisine" on the sign, and that gets people's attention. You can sit in the lovely garden in back, and there was no one there at all when I stopped in. It's relaxing. Also, the decor inside is cute, as another reviewer said, with Japanese Maneki Nekos and Thai Buddhas, etc. Makes me feel at home. I am coming back with a group of friends sometime soon to give them some much needed business. Stop by with your friends.
Talaya S.
The food taste good and fresh, but doesn't stand out as particularly special or anything. It's a good go to place for quick lunch.
Valerie C.
I enjoyed my meal at Lucky Bird nice outdoor seating area the staff was very attentive and helpful look forward to trying more unique dishes from this place highly recommend extremely affordable and large portions
Wonderful food! The new place is now called cousins Asian street food.
I saw so many reviews for this place and really wanted to try it. My bf came here and tried to order a couple of items but they were out of the items. We ended up getting the Ya ya chicken with garlic noodle and hot and spicy chicken fried rice. Both portions were HUGE! But we didn't find it to have much flavor. The garlic noodle was extremely bland and somewhat soggy. The fried rice also lacked wok hay and was a bit too sticky for my taste. Overall the flavors were missing but portions were huge. Would I recommend? Unfortunately no. It's a bit confusing when you order because you enter from one door and there's no real direction. They have a few tables outside for eating. There was a check in offer for a free iced thai tea and when I asked to redeem it they told me they were out. Then they told me they could make it but I had to wait. I waited for it the whole time while we ate and it was still not ready. Then they told me it could only be a hot thai iced tea, so i said that was fine. After eating we still waited for it and it was still not ready. After about 40 minutes or so since the time I ordered it they finally told me that they couldn't give it to me. It was a pretty bad experience. I'd rather have them just tell me that they didn't have it in the first place. Parking can be hard since it's located on a busy street.
Long overdue... We were heading to the area for froyo (yep, all the way from Union City just for froyo... right?) since we saw it on TV so we decided to find a spot for dinner. The good ratings lured us in and walked in with a little over an hour before closing. Couple of tables waiting but it seemed empty behind the counter so it took a while for someone to even take our order, and when they did they were out of everything I wanted to order. Stuck with the chicken since that's pretty much what they had left with either rice or garlic noodles. And did I tell you they only had outside seating at the time so we were freezing since the heat lamps were not working since they were out of whatever it is that needs to turn it on, which is not the best situation when there's only one person doing everything, including the cooking. Oh boy... we must've picked the wrong day to come here. Food was nothing to write home about proven by the leftovers, which we opted to box which didn't get consumed either. One of the few times Yelp failed for us, but like I said, could've been wrong timing but still wouldn't go out of my way for a second try.
Came here during open hours and it was closed with absolutely no explanation or warning.
They were out of many food options however, both dishes were a MUST TRY! I feel like I am typically picky with food and these both were excellent!
Look at these two shrimps. They were the same order but decided to SWAP OUT MY FRIED SHRIMP FOR COCKTAIL SHRIMP AND NOT ASK ME. They charged me for actual garbage cocktail shrimp.
Food: Ya-Ya Chicken with Garlic Noodles (2.5/5) Overall portion of this was large. Chicken was crispy but tasted a bit dry. Chicken itself didn't have much flavor. Garlic Noodles was 20% saltier and drier than it should have been. Flavor was okay. Service: Staff was friendly but food took a while to make even though there was maybe one group before us.
How have I not gone here before? I totally would've passed by without a second look if I was walking in downtown Berkeley, but I recommend checking it out! With the cutest little outdoor seating and the sweetest servers, I had a pleasant time dining here with a friend. The parking was a bit difficult to find because only street parking is available, but the walk to the restaurant was not too bad at all. There weren't too many people and I feel like this would be such a cute spot for a one-on-one meetup (maybe not the best place for groups though!!). Pro tip: check in on Yelp for a free Thai iced tea:) it was very yummy. -- - Khun Yai Crispy Garlic Pork ($12.95) // The pork itself was slightly tough, but packed with a wide depth of flavors. I really enjoyed eating it with the fried egg and rice. Pretty solid! - Gram's Trio ($13.25)
Positive first: beautiful outdoor seating with a garden like area, beautiful presentation of food, quick and great service. Negatives: Chicken was extremely dry and sour, food was overpriced for such overcooked and oversalted food!
When you're passing by Lucky Bird in downtown Berkeley, it doesn't look like much at first, but if you go past the door through the alley, you'll see a beautiful patio with colorful decor! This restaurant is definitely a hole in the wall. Parking in the area is all street parking, and honestly pretty difficult during peak hours, but don't let that stop you. The first time we tried to come here, they had closed the restaurant 1.5 hours before what was listed as the closing time on Yelp/Google, but the worker explained that it was slow, so he had closed. Disappointed, my friend and I made our way back for Sunday lunch the next day. There's only one worker taking orders, cooking, and serving, so service was understandably a little bit slow, but he was very friendly and clearly hardworking! All the dishes were also served on very ~aesthetic~ bamboo leaves and trays, which my Instagram thanks you for :') What we ordered: - Garlic Chicken Noodle (4/5): Despite the name of the restaurant, I actually enjoyed the garlic noodles a little bit more than the chicken, but the chicken was good as well! It was grilled and flavored well, but just a tiny bit dry. The egg on top was the perfect touch. - Pumpkin Curry (4/5): Pumpkin curry isn't offered at all Thai restaurants, so I like to order it when I do see it on the menu--Lucky Bird did not disappoint! The portion was a little bit small, but the curry was delicious! - Lao Papaya Salad (2/5): My friend and I love papaya salad, and were interested to try Lao-style papaya salad, rather than Thai-style. It was a very strong fishy flavor, which was a bit offputting. It just generally wasn't our taste, but please take that with a grain of salt as everyone has different tastes! - Thai Tea (5/5): This was creamy and delicious, and free with a yelp check in! Overall, you will not regret coming to Lucky Bird--truly a gem of downtown Berkeley and a small Asian-owned business!
Restaurantji Recommends
NOT in the Gourmet Ghetto - despite what the owners (or Yelp) may think. Was going to try this place for lunch today, but found it interesting that the owners have listed this as the Gourmet Ghetto. Just to be clear: this zone starts, at the furthest South, MAYBE Virginia Street, but really is more from Cedar to Rose Streets on Shattuck. NOT closer to Hearst, where this place is located. If anything, this is Downtown Berkeley, Northwest Gate of Campus, etc. So please, let's get our facts straight, and then perhaps that will warrant a visit to your eatery. Until then...
Hubby and I came here for dinner on a Sunday, 6:30pm. There was only one other couple there (outside seating only) waiting for their order. Took about 20 mins for our order to arrive. We had: The Chicken (Kyun Yai bbq) with garlic noodles: Presentation was great- they serve on banana leaf on a basket. Sadly- chicken was over cooked and so dry. Noodles were ok but a bit on the greasy side. Hot Spicy chicken fried rice: same presentation. Fried rice was OK - it was made w chunks of cauliflower and broccoli which I didn't expect. The chicken wasn't spicy at all (IMO) and again, overcooked. Sort of reminded me of leftover orange chicken from the Asian fast food take out place. This is our second time here and i really wanted to like this place but it's just not working out. Service was ok. A little slow but he's friendly.
I had passed this place by so many times, stopping instead at THAI Noodle (the Noodle) a couple doors down. I guess i just did that because the place is famliar. This was a welcome change. Food is really GOOD, and costs less! Flavor is great, just hot enough, also sweet with coconut, and everything well presented. The only drawback is the chicken was a little dry and chewy, but I'd go back anyway. I would advise them to change the name. "Lucky Bird" does not sound appetizing to me, and also does not make me think they have Thai food. You need to put "Thai cuisine" on the sign, and that gets people's attention. You can sit in the lovely garden in back, and there was no one there at all when I stopped in. It's relaxing. Also, the decor inside is cute, as another reviewer said, with Japanese Maneki Nekos and Thai Buddhas, etc. Makes me feel at home. I am coming back with a group of friends sometime soon to give them some much needed business. Stop by with your friends.
The food taste good and fresh, but doesn't stand out as particularly special or anything. It's a good go to place for quick lunch.
I enjoyed my meal at Lucky Bird nice outdoor seating area the staff was very attentive and helpful look forward to trying more unique dishes from this place highly recommend extremely affordable and large portions