Chaba Thai Kitchen

This place is so good I’m in love with their khao soi. I come here with friends and tried a bit of everyone else’s stuff (pad see ew, pad thai, pandan curry, tom yum, etc) and everything is incredible. This place is such a hidden gem with incredible staff. They are on the spicier side, which I personally love but just a heads up to everyone, even a 6 is pretty spicy 😮‍💨 I love this place so much, glad I decided to check it out on a whim 🫶 you don’t need to focus on decorations when your food is this good 🔥 if you don’t know what to order I recommend their Khao Soi!! But honestly everything is so tasty you won’t find anything bad here.

Great food and a wonderful service. Be careful what spice level your order because it's pretty spicy. Some very nice lunch specials! The only downside is they don't have beer to go with my spicy Thai.

We were seated quickly and the food was served fast, which we really appreciated. However, the dishes didn’t quite match our taste. The green curry was a bit too salty, and the Pad Thai was a bit too sweet for our liking. On a positive note, they offered a free dessert at the end, which was a nice gesture. Unfortunately, due to the taste of the main dishes, I can't give more stars.

This place is really good! I’m obsessed with their crispy catfish salad. Every time I’m in San Diego. I have to stop by and get it at least once! It’s best if you order it there, but if you get it to go, they keep the sauce on the side so that it doesn’t get soggy. This dish may sound odd if you’ve never tried it, but it is so tangy flavorful and delicious. You can choose your own spice level, but they take spice seriously I typically go with a level three or four. Everyone working there is super sweet and sometimes they’ll give you a free dessert with cantaloupe and creamy Sago. That dessert is so good.

This restaurant has great reviews on Yelp and Google, and it’s clearly popular—my husband said it was packed when he picked up our order. We tried the Tom Yum Soup, Coconut Curry Chicken, and Green Papaya Salad. All three were good, but the standout was the Nyonya Coconut Curry Chicken—slightly sweet, mildly spicy, and perfect over rice. The Tom Yum Soup had large shrimp and a rich, flavorful broth (a bit too rich for me). The Green Papaya Salad was fresh with a nice mix of ingredients, though it could use a bit more fish sauce.

This is one of the best Thai food spots in San Diego. It’s a small, family-owned restaurant with excellent food and great service. The dishes are fresh and not greasy like some other places. Every time I’m in San Diego and craving Thai food, this is my go-to spot. All their food is great, but I especially love the drunken noodles and basil eggplant. Their curries are also amazing. They also have lunch specials for 13.95, which are a great deal. Just a heads-up, the spice level is no joke. On their scale from 1 to 10, I usually stick to a 3, and it’s still plenty spicy. Highly recommend!

Food was so so amazing and service was incredible!! The servers were so sweet and the food tasted incredible with generous sizes. We will be coming here again.

The shrimp spring rolls had a piece of wood in it. I bit down on it and hurt my tooth. I will have to follow up with the dentist to see if there was damage to my teeth as a result of this.

I just discovered this small, family owned Thai place in San Diego...found it by following a local Yelper, and I'm so glad I did. The dishes here are fresh, flavorful, and not greasy... I ordered:Tod Mun (fish cakes) perfectly cooked, very flavorful, not oily...Beef Salad was big portion, delicious, with just the right hint of spice , Pad See Ew with Seafood was so tasty, high quality seafood, full of flavor...Crab Fried Rice not greasy at all, really enjoyable... Service was attentive, the restaurant was clean, though parking is a bit tight...I'll definitely be coming back, especially to try some of the other dishes !

I'll start with the bad -- Parking Lot Sucks, dining room is a little run down and a little "untidy". Good -- Vegetable Pad Thai was delicious!!, Service was very kind and friendly, my to-go portion was large

Very authentic and delicious Thai food at Chaba Thai Kitchen! The service was pretty fast and the ambiance was simple and nice. I really enjoyed the red curry , but the star was the basil eggplant dish, so amazing! They even gave a delicious milk tapioca dessert which was the perfect ending to the meal :) Food: 4.5/5 Service: 4.5/5 Ambiance: 4/5 Value: 4/5 Overall: 4.33/5

One of the most flavorful pad thais in SD! I loved how you can adjust the spice levels

This is the best thai place Ive ever been to! Came after looking at all the great reviews and it did not disappoint. We received such great service and our food came out immediately! The lady that served us was so kind!

Okay one of the best Thai places in town! The seasoning is there and a 2 for the tom kha is perfect!! Honestly the best tom kha I've had in a very long time. The pad Thai and laab was perfectly seasoned and we did for a 2 spicy, could have went up to a 3! I love how you can still taste the spices and the seasonings since the spice doesn't over power anything!! Would come back again and try other menu items, service was quick as we came at a quiet time, and the interior is super cozy -- you know it's the place for locals!

Today i ordered the pad see eww lunch special with tofu. You will be brought a small bowl of soup as you await for your dish. I was unsure of the name of the soup but the broth tasted revitalizing. The dish came out pretty quick and i can see the smoke fuming off the noodles. The aroma that wafted thru the air had an essence of a classic pad see eww dish. The smell of sweet and sour. Dish was great and great flavors. Thank you Naree for serving me today great customer service

Delicious food, great service. The Thai chicken fried rice was amazing, lots of flavor. The spicy noodles were also absolutely amazing. Great location with a good amount of parking.

Chaba Thai Kitchen is a long time eatery in the Kearny Mesa neighborhood near one of the gyms where I exercise so it was convenient for dinner after a recent workout. The suite is in the Mercury Village Shopping Center that seems to always have open parking spaces despite the numerous businesses. The inside had seating for up to 28 customers. The decor was rather plain with a few photo frames hanging on one wall as opposed to some Thai restaurants that have intricate artwork and sculptures representing the motherland. A menu booklet was available, however the business didn't have any to-go menus which I found to be a disservice in this day and age of takeout and deliveries. The choices were plentiful, but I stuck with one of my usual items in the Spicy Basil Noodles (aka Drunken Noodles) with a level two out of ten for spiciness. Stir-fried flat rice noodles were cooked with basil leaves, fresh Thai chiles, onions, and bell peppers. For a protein, I picked the mixed seafood that had calamari, fish, green mussels, and shrimp. My plate was prepared quickly with a portion size that I thought was average for the $20+ price. It didn't seem to be as generous as my fellow reviewers wrote about before the pandemic, but times have changed. There were six calamari rings, two pieces of fish, two mussels, and three shrimp included in the mixed seafood. That amount cost $5 more than the base price which had veggies or tofu as the noodle toppings. The level two heat was mild yet still very noticeable. I wonder what level eight or nine would have tasted like. I gave a three star rating for my meal at Chaba Thai Kitchen.

My husband and I got here whenever we're craving Thai food. We originally stumbled upon it back during the Covid shutdown in 2020 and we love it! Usually we get it to go, but the times that we've eaten in the restaurant, the service has been very friendly. The ambiance isn't necessarily anything special but it's typical for a great hole in the wall like this one.

With the multitude of Thai food establishments in San Diego, there were a few unfortunate missteps that made this experience less than desirable... Although the Spring Rolls were fresh, they did not come with peanut sauce. Instead, we were given this amalgam of plum sauce and chili oil. Also, we ordered beef with the Pad Thai, however there were only a couple of strips of beef to be found in the dish. We understand the minimal margins in the restaurant industry, but this is not a way to garner repeat customers. Overall, an average Thai food experience that was soured by not including the basics.

A casual spot for dine in or takeout Thai food. I ordered takeout and the process went smoothly, the food was hot and on time. We ordered multiple dishes, with the standout being the red curry. It had a nice spice level and was very heavy on the coconut milk, which I loved. The pad see ew was a little bland and could have had more of a charred flavor. The spicy Thai fried rice had a great basil flavor, but could have been spicier. The egg rolls were also a little soggy and had too much dough. Overall it was a convenient spot, but I would only come back for the curry!

This restaurant has great reviews on Yelp and Google, and it's clearly popular--my husband said it was packed when he picked up our order. We tried the Tom Yum Soup, Coconut Curry Chicken, and Green Papaya Salad. All three were good, but the standout was the Nyonya Coconut Curry Chicken--slightly sweet, mildly spicy, and perfect over rice. The Tom Yum Soup had large shrimp and a rich, flavorful broth (a bit too rich for me). The Green Papaya Salad was fresh with a nice mix of ingredients, though it could use a bit more fish sauce.

We were in the area and decided to try this Thai place and we're so glad we did! Take no heed for its lackluster decor, because the food makes up for it. It's located in a busy strip mall, parking lot was pretty full on a Tuesday at around 4pm. It's not a very big place, seating is limited so definitely wouldn't be good for groups. Thankfully, it wasn't busy in the restaurant so we were able to be seated right away. There were good choices on the menu; rice dishes, noodles, curries and such. My brother and I both ordered the panang curry and had sticky rice with mango for dessert. The food was brought out in a timely manner and the lady who served us was friendly and very attentive. The food was absolutely wonderful & delicious! Full flavored and I would have to say one of the best panang curries I've had. The vegetables were crisp and the chicken pieces were cooked well. And good portion of curry to rice given. Then the sticky rice with mango. SO divine! Rice was cooked perfectly with just the right amount of sweetness. And the mango slices were fresh. The restaurant was also in celebration of Chinese New Year so the server also offered and gave us nuts and sweet little treats on the house. She was so sweet! Then when we left, we forgot we had ordered an appetizer to go, but she ran after us to give us the food. Overall, a great experience. Too bad we're not close by or we'd be regulars. Highly recommend!

To go order/uber eats- shrimp spring rolls and pad thai. Lack of ingredients promised via menu. Flavor is editable but disappointing. Could have filled it with more noodles if going cheap or add the mint, etc. iceberg lettuce was not it. same thing with Pad Thai where is even the bean sprouts, peanuts or anything else that wasn't noodles and chicken. It seemed like there was a lack of effort or trying to cut back on things for cost....but the things they were cut back on were the cheaper items. Even the size of pad Thai was the smallest I have ever seen but add the normal expected items and I could have looked over it some. N/a rating going to the restaurant and seeing staff in person. Mostly not gonna order again - not paying ($12ish - have to go back to look at price) that much for just lettuce to only give another shot and happening again.

I went last week with my girlfriend and it was definitely one of my favorite Thai spots I've been to in all of SoCal. Service was just amazing too. I got a pad Thai and a yellow curry. They were both delicious and the pad Thai was not like others with too much fish sauce, or too sweet; the yellow curry was perfect too. Ambiance was just right for enjoying a nice calm meal. They won a recurring customer last week.

Great service here at this small joint! There's only a few tables inside but for a Saturday lunch there were still empty tables. The food was good. I got the chicken drunken noodles/spicy basil noodles but I think the beef was higher quality. The portion size was great though! The server was kind enough to offer us free dessert (tapioca).

I ordered it online and picked it up to go. I got papaya salad, crispy fish, pad see ew, and tom kha soup. It was okay on flavor and the meat was good, but a little overcooked. Other than that, no complaints. They packed it nicely so it didn't leak.

Food was delicious !!!!!!! Really good taste and very big portion all the prices are good and will defiantly come back .. the service was amazing and the place is just perfect .

This is my favorite Thai place in town. But I had to get on here and share one less star. Their food is always delicious and they are always nice, and it is a treat to go there. But the menu on their website said that the item I ordered (pad thai with shrimp) was $15.95. When I picked it up, it cost over $20. The black plastic containers are toxic and I wish they would completely stop using plastic packaging. I wiill stop ordering my food to go until the gross sticky plastic is no longer being used.

Really busy at 8:00pm on a Sunday! We grabbed Togo food and every single table was taken so we took it as a sign that the food is really good. We were impressed! It was pretty good Thai food and they do NOT mess around with the spice level. If you order it extra hot, it will be very very spicy. Yellow curry had a nice flavor but we prefer it just slightly sweeter. The pad Thai was delicious! We would come back.

One of my favorite Thai places in SD. The staff are the friendliest and will make you feel at home. My usual order is beef salad, catfish salad, and pad see ew. -Beef salad: very generous with the amount of beef and well seasoned. I like how much sauce and toppings (cucumbers, tomato, red onion) they give you. -Catfish salad: this is my favorite dish here because it's so unique. The catfish is ground into tiny pieces and fried, so it's a thin crispy layer on top of the salad. The sauce they give is very spicy but so delicious. It's sweet, salty, and sour. -Pad see ew: this is a solid pad see ew. They never skimp on the seasoning. The spice level is no joke here. Level 6-7 can be really spicy for me. I usually stick to level 3. Also sometimes they give a little dessert at the end. They make this coconut tapioca dessert with cateloupe, and it's so refreshing in the summertime. There's usually plenty of parking for this restaurant because it's in a good sized plaza for Convoy.

This was an absolute gem! Chana was super quiet when I came in. I skipped the menu and ordered a Chicken Pad Thai. It came out pretty fast, and it was delicious! The flavors were popping and it was cooked well. The tapioca after the meal was a nice treat. It cleanses the palate well. Great food, great service!

Chaba Thai's interior is very low-key and what I would consider "no frills". It was a tad more expensive than I had expected, but after my food came out, I noticed the portion size was enormous. I was given the option to make it spicy and I asked for a 4 on a scale of 1-10. It was spicier than expected. I also asked for more peanuts for garnish, which seemed to be no problem. When I was done, I was given this refreshing coconut dessert with melon balls at no charge. The lady helping me was very friendly and refilled my water multiple times as I was struggling with the spice. I enjoyed my dining experience a lot.

Yellow chicken Curry is all I can rave about!!! I come here and want to try new things but this is always a hit for me. I tried level 3 recently and wow was it spicy. I suggest level 1 if you don't like spice. The curry is creamy and full of huge veggies. I have yet to find another yellow curry that even comes close.

Update as of 12/27/23: Returned to dine-in after what felt like ages! We chose to start off with a large order of the Potak Seafood Soup, followed by Spicy Drunken Noodles with Beef, Crispy Basil Chicken, Khao Kluk Kapi Fried Rice and Massaman Curry with Chicken. Loved depth of flavor in most of the dishes with the exception of the Crispy Basil Chicken which felt a little too chewy beneath the crispy exterior. We also had 3 Thai Iced Teas and they were so refreshing and delicious. We were so glad to note that CTK continues to serve authentic tasty Thai dishes, we will definitely be repeat customers.

The lunch special I had here was horrible. The potstickers was so burned I couldn't eat it. Decor was terrible and the seating very uncomfortable. I was so hungry that I ate a couple of the stir fried eggplants in my meal and then paid and left almost a full plate. I'm really surprised this place can stay open with an offering this bad.

My favorite Thai food place to grab food before work or with a girlfriend. I use to do grub hub for them years before. And they've been apart of my life since 2016. I love their crispy basil chicken and their koi soy noodle with beef. I wish I made enough money to give them tips every time I see them.

Great place, the service was amazing and the people that own it are super nice. They took care of us super well even though we had a somewhat larger group with kids. The food was excellent and my friend who is from Thailand said it was very authentic and very high-quality. Would definitely come here again and again.

Food is consistently amazing and they always give a complimentary sweet treat (as pictured) What a way to say thank you to their customers! Love this place!

Came as a party of 2 on a Monday at around 12 PM. There was no wait time. Unfortunately very mediocre food for the price point. The staff are very nice but I probably wouldn't come back again as I believe there are better Thai places for a cheaper price. I was very let down by the Khao Mok Kai as I felt like the rice was well seasoned, but chicken was dry and the portion size of the dish is quite small. Khao Mok Kai - 7/10 Pad See Ew - 7/10

Small place. I came here to order take out for lunch the next day. I got their drunken noodles with chicken. I ate it the next day so it could skew the taste... maybe. The noodles were still good and plentiful, chicken pieces weren't much, cut into thinner slices. What bothered me was the sauce was a little too sweet. I barely tasted any of the basil. I don't like sweet noodles or sauce. I still think the best is Bahn Thai drunken noodles. I wouldn't mind trying again, maybe eat there too. Portions were of generous size.

Tom Yum soup was sooo flavorful and delicious. Exactly what I was craving. I wasn't sure how hungry I was since it was only lunchtime, but even after I decided not to order more after my soup, the sweet server me made a yummy dessert of tapioca, melon, and milk. Her service was excellent, kindly walking to me tableside to check on me although the restaurant was empty and quiet (it was a late lunch, after 2pm). It was so refreshing and that was so kind to give when I ordered so little! That was so kind of her!! Now I know where to go when I'm craving that Tom yum yummy I will be back to try more.

I was craving spicy Thai food one day and stumbled upon this gem--now it's my go-to spot for Thai! I've been back numerous times, and everything is consistently amazing. Tom Kha Soup: a velvety broth that's rich and comforting Papaya Salad: perfectly balanced with that signature spicy kick ‍Pad See Ew: features soft noodles with a flavor explosion that I can't get enough of Spicy Eggplant: great heat and depth of flavor And don't miss the Khao Soi--it's an incredible dish full of bold, vibrant flavors. You can pick your spice level, but be careful when the spicy cook is there! If you're looking for delicious, authentic Thai food, Chaba Thai is a must-try!

I go to Chaba about once a month, and it is always fabulous! Highly recommend. Service is quick. Food delicious.

I have been coming here since they opened and they never disappoint. Before Chaba, I never liked Thai food much. We always order the basil eggplant, crispy basil fried chicken, and a curry. The portions are very generous so it provides a lot of meals. The staff are so friendly. I catered a small party with them some years back and it was a hit. They aren't playing around with their spice levels. we used to do level 7 but have settled on 5 now. If you have never tried Chaba, you are really missing out.

I love it here , everyone is super sweet and great with recommendations. We ordered the pad Thai with chicken which was very good, As well as the yellow curry with fried tofu flavorful. And the Thai fried rice with shrimp the spice was nice. Would recommend and will be back :)

The lady that runs the restaurant is very nice. She will give you a real recommendation if you ask for it (not like those who say everything is good & it depends on what you like). The crispy chicken is pretty good. Food portion is tiny. Taste ok, not great. One of the popular spot among college students. Small place. Homey vibe. Free dessert.

This place is always an amazing place to visit. Always give you a deserts at the end of the meals. Tom yum soup change a bit on how they serve it but the flavor is 10/10

Small quaint location. Only 6-8 tables so definitely not good for large groups. But it was perfect for myself and my hubby. Music was quiet not to loud. Service was fantastic. One lady did it all by herself! Took orders, seated guests, cleared the tables, brought the food out and followed up with each customer. Granted there wasn't a lot of tables to take care of when we were there, but she was an awesome multi-tasker! Oh yea...and not to mention to to-go/Door Dash orders she attended to when they came to retrieve them. My Thai tea was so-so. I have had better in other locations. This one was on the sweeter side and smaller then ones I've had from other locations. My yellow curry with chicken was yummy. I am not great with spicy, so I said mild or no spice, but wow my first bite I CALL THAT SPICY. But lol...to anyone else I know it wouldn't be spicy. It was a spice level I was okay to handle eating, but would have preferred it to be less spicier. The chinese broccoli with fried pork was yummy. Wish I had more pork in there, but it was good. We quickly scooped up the pork out of there, so it didn't sit in the sauce to long (it would have gotten soggy/mushy) since it was crunchy. First time here, but we will definitely come back. We actually came to check out the grand opening store next door, but decided to try this Thai food instead. They even gave us a small bowl of coconut milk with tapioca (nice...actually it was a bonus touch!) Because we got dessert here we ended up not going next door.

A hidden gem! Tucked away in a small strip mall is this charming little Thai restaurant. We were greeted right away and seated by friendly staff. Surprisingly, the place was quite full for a late lunch hour! We opted for the lunch specials and were quite pleased by the generous serving sizes. The flavors of the dishes were authentic and absolutely delicious. I really appreciated the amazing flavor without the intense spice. Of course if spice is your thing they will surely add it! I ordered the Pad Prik Thing which was a wonderful balance of of curry, herbs and green beans. My partner had the mixed vegetables medley with chicken which he gobbled up so fast I wasn't able to steal a bite. If you are looking for some authentic Thai flavor this place is a must try!

This has been my go-to spot for Thai food for years, ever since I was in college! Favorite orders are Pad Thai and Drunken Noodle. The servers are always so sweet, the portions are generous, and I love that they give you complimentary dessert if you dine in. Most recently, I came here around 3:30pm on a Wednesday for a late lunch to go. I ordered the Drunken Noodle with beef and the green curry with mixed seafood, both mild. Total was $36 before tip. It was about a 20 minute wait, and the lady offered me a glass of iced water while I waited. I love all the condiments here - dried chili flakes, pickled peppers and chili in lime fish sauce. She gave me plenty of condiments for my to go order, so be sure to ask for them. The drunken noodle was delicious, as usual. It was my first time trying the green curry - it came in one of those to go soup containers and was loaded with seafood and bamboo shoots. It was so much curry; it fed my boyfriend and me for 2 meals. I have introduced so many people to this place over the years because I love this small business and want them to stick around. Definitely give them a try next time you are craving Thai food!!

Authentic Thai food. I had green beans with tofu and drunken noodles. Great flavors, definitely going back for more.

I love Chaba Thai Kitchen. When I'm thinking of place to eat out for dinner, Chaba always comes to mind. The papaya salad (Level 2 Spice) is always a go-to for my family and I. The service is personable and generally quick. It has a family style vibe and I love to support a small business. It's a very comfortable environment and we love the staff. The music is family friendly. "Very yummy" is the general consensus. They're also very good about allergies which is important for us.

Chaba Thai Kitchen is hands down one of the best Thai food restaurants I've had in SD. The service is great, the ladies here are so welcoming and friendly. The food is amazing! This is my go to Thai food spot, it never disappoints!

Everything at Chana Thai Kitchen was wonderful! We had Fresh Rolls and Green Curry (added broccoli!). The service impeccable/ brought us tapioca pudding on house and we also ordered coconut ice cream which was divine! Thai Ice Tea! Our servers explained the green curry spiciness! We cant wait to come back again!

This is our go to Thai place; we usually go for dinner but recently caught the lunch crowd. Small spot with about 6-7 tables. Tasty as always, friendly service and fast as well. The lunch special offers a daily soup and the dinner portion comes with a tapioca dessert in coconut milk with melon. My favorite part.

Food wasn't that good . . Ordered Pad Thai & fish filet in 3 sauces. Service was ok.

This is a staple to go to when visiting San Diego because of the vibes and friendliness that they have when entering the store. They aren't too busy and they are pretty attentive when you need water, napkins and asking how your food is. I got the Mango Chicken Curry and it was such a good choice when you are feeling a soup to warm up your stomach. However, the chicken can a bit dry but the curry is super flavorful so you should eat both together. Another downside is that rice is not included in the curry so you have to order a bowl on the side and I feel like rice made the dish better and more complete.