Had to post about this GEM on MacArthur @Jo's Modern Thai restaurant. I FINALLY went in after a Mani/Pedi next door and was too pleased. They have a back patio and cocktails made with fresh ingredients & not watered down. The staff is a whole vibe! I ordered the Dressed Oysters on dry ice (2), Fried Rice, and Drunken Noodles w/ BBQ Brisket. Also try their Wok Fried Rock Fish if you're really hungry (a lot of food). Sat at the bar with Chef and regulars & had a great time. Ask for James @ the bar & tell her I sent you (her Caddy Margarita was on point). ?? #JosModernThai #OaklandEats
Place aesthetics: 10/10Ambience: 10/10Drinks: 10/10Food: 7/10 Taste: 7/10 - Drunken Noodles, Boozy Thai Tea, and the Mango Sticky rice were our TOP choices out of everything we ordered.Quality for Value: 5/10Service: 8/10Parking: street parallel available
My husband and I went to #josmodernthai yesterday for a late dinner. We arrived without a reservation and the place was busy. So the host generously took down our phone number and name and told us the wait was 30 minutes. She was very friendly.We walked around for 30 minutes. Most of the shops on the street were closed and there were barely any one around. Then we finally got a table right at the time that was mentioned. The expectation was very on point. ❤️We sat down and the service was quick. Our server's name was Andrew, I think. He was very nice. He gave us the menus and told us the specials. We also got water too. I was extra thirsty last night and so host and the server came back multiple times to refill the water. I really appreciated that because I think I downed like 2 jugs ?The server came back and took our order. Honestly we didn't feel like we waited long at all. The food came out fast and it was fresh. We ordered the rock fish, papaya, green curry, and wings. And 3 Thai tea. Honestly, I must say that everything was very flavorful and tasted well. Towards at the bottom of the curry, it got a little bit too salty. And the Thai ice tea was thicker than the ones I've tasted before, which is not a bad thing. For my taste it was a little bit too sweet so I let the ice melt to dilute it a little. My husband loved the green curry, he ate the whole thing and I liked the chicken in it because it was so tender. My husband orders a 3rd Thai tea and asked for 4 ice cubes. He literally got 4 ice cubes. So I love the fact that the instructions were followed and whomever made the drinks were on point. ?the rock fish was amazing. I have a habit of eating the crunchy fins and everything. I knew it was thoroughly fried because I could chew the fins and that satisfied my need for the crunch. Then meat of the fish was extremely flavorful and meaty. This Rock fish could feed a whole family. It's a big dish. The wings were to die for! I loved the sauces. It was perfect. The papaya salad was at the perfect crunch level for me and it was not soggy. It had flavor without all the liquids sitting at the bottom of the bowl. That was great. Spice was so good.
We ordered takeout, but live close by so we managed to get boxes open within 10 minutes of our order. We ordered several things, including the massaman curry, the catfish salad, drunken noodle, pork belly curry, and party wings. I was excited by the modern take and “substitutions” made in classic dishes - like a ramen-style noodle in the drunk noodle dish compared to a traditional flat rice noodle. Despite the unconventional display, the textures were there and the flavors weren’t lacking. Some of the proteins were overcooked and starches dry, but I’ll come back once we have a chance to sit inside and see if there’s a difference.
If I could give this place 10 stars I would. I went two nights in a row it was so good. First night I dined out on the awesome patio, food was excellent and service was great. Tonight got takeout, super delicious and fresh. Best Thai I have had in the East Bay, hands down. Go and get the shrimp toast. Now. Like, go now.
wow, just wow... I was taken here by a friend a few weeks ago and was blown away by the food. One thing I love about the SF Bay Area is the AMAZING restaurants that we are blessed with and this one is no exception. We did have to go with a late reservation but it was for sure worth the wait. The service, food, and drinks were delightful. I would highly recommend checking out Jo's and I will definitely be back in the future!!!
Went on a Saturday evening, reservation is a must! Many walk-ins were turned away, it may be reservation only.The servers were attentive and helpful. The cocktail list was very fun with lots of different flavor options. We tried the Spill the Tea (Thai tea flavor), Paying Homage (whisky and fruity with a red wine float), and Makrut Three Ways (fruity and spicy, unique flavor).Started with the party wings which were excellent. They were super crispy and the sauces added great flavor, topped with fried garlic and cilantro. The plates are intended for sharing style. We shared 2 entrees. Drunken noodles (medium spice was fairly spicy) the brisket on the noodles was tender and yummy! The lobster pad Thai was a fun choice. Came with a whole lobster tail split into 2 parts, perfect for sharing. It came with spice on the side to create your own heat level. We never order pad Thai, but we would order this again.Would recommend if you're in Oakland!
I came here in November 2021. This place is super cute on the inside. The food also didn’t disappoint. Cute for dinner date or a cute time out with your girls. I’d recommend.
Everything here is so delicious. The cocktails are perfect and every dish I’ve tried was amazing- the coconut cakes are particularly delightful.They just changed their opening time from 4 to 5 and I hope they change it back because the outdoor patio is perfect for an early happy hour.
The cocktails were good, the service was good, but the food was really not impressive. Specifically the pad Thai was so overspiced that you could not taste the lobster. The reason this only gets two stars is because they add a 20% gratuity without any disclosure. This is simply fraud. You cannot put one price on your menu and then charge 20% extra without saying that you will ahead of time.