"My mom and I decided to have a lunch date after Mass, and she wanted to revisit California Thai Cafe, which she hadn’t been to in a while. Since I had never been there before, I thought it would be a great idea. The restaurant was relatively empty, so we were seated promptly.
We ordered Seafood Pad Thai for my mom and the Crying Tiger for myself, along with a side of spring rolls to share. The spring rolls were decent, accompanied by a tasty peanut sauce. My mom’s Pad Thai was excellent—though it leaned more towards a fish version, the deep-fried fish fillet was substantial and flavorful.
Unfortunately, the Crying Tiger didn't meet my expectations. I’ve had this dish before, and it typically comes out sizzling hot, but the beef was cold and lacked spice. I had requested a mild spice level, but this was too mild for my taste.
The service was attentive, and the restaurant was clean, but there was a bit of confusion regarding the free drink offer from checking in on the Yelp app. They initially told us that the coupon wasn’t valid anymore, but they kindly gave me a Thai iced tea on the house.
Also, I noticed that sodas are served in chilled cans with no refills, which was a bit disappointing. Despite my dissatisfaction with the Crying Tiger, California Thai Cafe does offer fried calamari and chicken wings, and I’m looking forward to trying their Pad See Ew in the future. I might return for another visit after work to see if my experience improves."
