Larb Thai Food & Tapas — Restaurant in El Cerrito

UPDATE: June 9th 2025

I CAN NO LONGER RECOMMEND THIS RESTAURANT.

AFTER GIVING THEM ONE OF THEIR FIRST REVIEWS, AND REFERRING DOZENS OF MY FRIENDS, THEY TREATED ME LIKE A STRANGER, AND REFUSED TO LET ME USE THE BATHROOM TODAY DESPITE THE FACT THAT I'VE EATEN HERE OVER A HUNDRED TIMES. I WILL NEVER RETURN.

I CAN NO LONGER RECOMMEND THIS RESTAURANT.

If you'd like to see how I felt about them before this incident please read below.

STILL FANTASTIC! March, 2023 haven't eaten here in years and the food is still off the charts authentic, fresh, and delicious. this is real Thai food made by people who don't change their recipes to suit lowbrow American pallets. I highly recommend the rice ball salad.

Astonishing!

Issan culture: I should probably qualify this review by saying I have a deep fondness for Issan people, food, and culture. (Issan is Thailand's largest region, located on the Khorat Plateau, bordered by the Mekong River (along the border with Laos) to the north and east, by Cambodia to the southeast and the Sankamphaeng Range south of Nakhon Ratchasima.) For those used to Americanized Thai, or even experienced devotees of places like the Thai Temple in Berkeley, this, is a completely new and different experience.

The food: (See my pictures in google pics) Issan food is a fresh herbs and spices, piquant cuisine style, with occasional notes of limes, the often-used melange of lemongrass, galangal, garlic, chilies, and fresh meats and seafood like beef, shrimp, and squid. It may take a moment to figure out where your taste buds are going, and your palate will be exposed to new fresh flavors, unlike any you have tried before, unless you are intimately familiar with Issan Cuisine. It's amazing.

My first visit here, I ordered the beef Larb, it was prepared perfectly with garlic, ginger and lemongrass, fish sauce, sweet chilli sauce and lime juice, tender beef, sauted in rice flour, (Similar in texture to "Al Pastor" for Mexican food lovers) and an occasional chunk of beef liver, something I usually do not like, but enjoyed it here! For my more salad-y type dish I ordered the Issan style Papaya Salad, (Som Tom, in most Thai restaurants) and once again, learned a critical lesson, about what Thai Lao people consider "spicy".

Take note: I ordered my papaya salad "medium spicy" which after eating it, would qualify for "scorched earth" anywhere else, and was so spicy, that the owner herself said she couldn't stand next to the table for too long because the Chilis were "getting to her"

meanwhile I was considering sticking my head in the ice machine, or grabbing a passing pitcher of water, to quell the blazing fire in my mouth! Truly spicy! I finished it, and made a mental note: Don't mess with Thai Lao Issan people when it comes to peppers. Start out "mild" all the time until you are ready! But as spicy as it was it was utterly DELICIOUS!, and I am going back soon.

The area: San Pablo Avenue North of Gilman street is fast becoming an Asian Gourmet ghetto of it's own, I think due to the fact that storefronts are more affordable in this part of town, and the fact that there is a growing Asian and southeast community in the cities of San Pablo, Pinole, and Richmond, and these new international Asian restaurants are a real blessing for those who want authentic Asian Cuisines!

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS RESTAURANT.

Thanks for reading!

Piero Infante Local Food...

My review is for lunch at Larb Thai Food & Tapas.

Overall, the food was tasty and the service was friendly and attentive.

Dishes: Panang Curry - very tender beef chunks served with some veggies (carrots & eggplants, etc) with rice on the side. The beef was VERY tender and the curry was very flavorful. I would definitely order this dish again. I'm not sure if it was a special or part of the normal menu because I don't see it on their website.

Larb - The server recommended the duck larb, but what I got looked more like pork. Maybe all larbs look the same? Anyway, confusion aside, it tasted good regardless. It was my first time having larb, so I was a little confused on how to eat it because it's more of a meat salad (lettuce shavings on the bottom) and didn't come with rice. Think of it more as an asian style chili that's vinaigrette based rather than tomato based.

They also had Brother Thelonious on tap, which was definitely a plus.

Definitely a great Lao/Thai place that serves up more than your typical...

My family and I traveled through both Laos and Thailand last year. We are very acquainted with the food from both of these countries thanks to our travels and cooking classes we took while visiting.

The food is the most authentic we have found in this area. It is the ONLY place I know of where you can find Beer Lao (Which is nearly the only beer you can find in Laos). My sons both love the Larb, as it was one of their favorite dishes while there. I like to get a variety of skewered meats and other things (chicken hearts are my favorite) and the my wife cant pass up duck. Your sticky rice will come in traditional Lao baskets which adds to our dining experience.

The staff is friendly and loves to answer questions. The decor reminds me of many of the street side shacks we ate at and I really love the comic book pictures in...