| Location |
| 223 G Street |
| Hours |
| Sunday: 12PM-12AM |
|
Monday-Wednesday: 5PM-12AM |
| Thursday: 5PM-3AM |
| Friday-Saturday: 12PM-3AM |
| Phone |
| (530)758-RED8 |
| Website |
| http://www.red88noodlebar.com/ |
| Owners |
| Yungvanitsait family |
| Established |
| October 1, 2009 |
| Price range |
| Drinks and appetizers $4-$6 |
| Entrees $7-$9 |
| Happy Hour |
| 4-7pm $1 off Appetizers & Specialty Cocktails, $5 Top Shelf Liquor |
| Payment Methods |
| Cash, ATM available. Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover for orders over $20. |
| Non Food Features |
| Outlets and Wi-Fi available, Study friendly service |
[[After Thai 2K closed and the owners opened KetMoRee across the street, they eventually opened Red 88 Noodle Bar in the old location. Their liquor license was issued 2009-09-16. They were mentioned in the Davis Enterprise column ''Comings and Goings'' by Wendy Weitzel on 2009-10-04.
Lunch and Dinner
Red88 Noodle Bar serves a variety of noodle soups, noodle dishes, rice plates, and appetizers during all hours of operation, even until 3AM Thursday through Saturday. Prices start at $5.95 for a Crispy Tofu appetizer up to $9 for Duck Soup or Spicy Lamb over Rice. There are also rotating specials on the chalkboard outside and the neon sign behind the bar. Most of the vegetarian options listed are also vegan. Most items in an entree may be substituted to accommodate vegetarian and vegan options, as well as allergies. During the daily 5pm-7pm Happy Hour, all appetizers are $1 off.
The Bar
On draft are $4 Coor Lt., Blue Moon, & Boont Amber Ale pints, $14 for a pitcher. $4 wells, and 10pm-12am they will do a double of one of the wells for $5 (Only $1 more). There is also a full bar with a few options for a variety of different types of liquor. Red 88 also has their own cocktail menu with drinks not available anywhere else. During the daily happy hour of 5-7pm there is $1 off all specialty cocktails and $5 top shelf.
Delivery
Red88 offers delivery with online ordering. There is a $3.99 delivery charge with a $20 minimum order. Similar to their restaurant hours, dinner is available Monday to Thursday while both lunch and dinner is available Friday to Sunday. They accept delivery orders until 12AM Sunday to Wednesday and until 2AM Thursday to Saturday.
A Recent Addition
Red 88 has recently gotten several Singha Beer Towers, which holds 8 beers, and is only $25, which is perfect for a group of people.
All day Wednesday (12PM-1:30AM) there are $5 "FML" cocktails.
Red88 offers stamp cards which grants a stamp for every $10 spent, whether it is on food or alcohol. On weekends free cover passes for KetMoRee's nightclub may also be given out for every $10 spent.
2009-10-09 21:39:55 I saw "Cocktails" on the very tip-top of their menu posted on the window and ran away. Besides, it looked AND sounded kind of trendy and I'm not very trendy. Perhaps I'll be braver another day, especially once reviews come in that talk about 1) quality of food and 2) quantity of food for the price. Okay, ya'll, get to dining! —RyanMikulovsky
2009-10-11 12:50:44 We went there for dinner last night. I had the duck noodles, and my husband had a soup. Both were very good, and the prices were quite reasonable ($7-9). Service was friendly and fast, and the owner came over and gave us her recommendations. It does have a limited menu, which made it hard to understand why our server hadn't tried the food yet and couldn't help us choose between two of the dishes we were looking at. —KaraU
2009-10-11 16:13:39 Went for lunch today with a small group of friends. There was only one other table being occupied in the entire restaurant, which made us wonder why it took so long for the waiter to come take our orders and for our food to come out (at least a 25 minute wait for the food). When we first saw the food, we were disappointed by the portion size, but in the end we were surprised that the food filled us up. The Thai iced tea is refillable and delicious, but I had to dilute it with water because it was way too sweet. I had the duck noodle with soup, which was pretty good but the soup was lukewarm and sweet, which I was not expecting. Service was a bit slow, but very attentive...but then again there were only two tables being used during the time. Prices are a little too high. I hope they expand the menu. All in all, it a pleasant experience...not a good one, but certainly not bad. —BenLee
2009-10-12 20:12:23 I had dinner here tonight and it was really good. I had thai iced tea and the roast duck soup, both really good. The appetizers were $2 off with order of an entree, so we had the crab and cream cheese wontons which were also really good. I'd definitely go here again, but the menu is pretty limited. —NickSchmalenberger
2009-10-16 16:24:47 Had their spicy pork noodles for lunch (not the soup) and was rather disappointed. It was a small clump of egg noodles with a sprinkle of chopped pork and other garnishes. It was a rather dry dish needing more seasoning. I'm willing to try their duck noodles from what I've read here but won't be ordering these pork noodles again. —GeorgeScheer
2009-10-19 20:31:37 The food is actually pretty good, though a bit overpriced for what you get in my opinion. THe Mayan calendar predicts the world will end in the year 2011. Well if you want to sing out, sing out. —red88fan
Not that this has anything to do with this restaurant, but the Mayan calendar actually does not say the world will end in 2011, nor 2012.
2009-10-21 14:23:02 First well seasoned spicy food I've had in Davis. They don't simply overpower it with loads of one spicy food such a jalapeno, and succeed in making a spicy dish without an overpowering single spice. Both of the "spicy noodles" they have on the menu are quite good (or at least, better then anywhere else in Davis for spicy food), and while I really like the spicy pork, I agree with GeorgeScheer that it is a tad dry and the pork doesn't have much flavor in itself. The noodles are quite delicious, and the peanut sauce is too. Service is slightly slow, but very friendly and food is tasty for reasonable price.
I'd recommend. —William42
2009-10-27 19:42:01 Went there the other night and was quite impressed. As far as noodle dishes go, this place puts the other places to shame. Had the chicken chow mein and it was the best noodle dish I have ever had anywhere. I found the prices to be reasonable as well. —RossHanstad
2009-10-29 18:54:21 Nothing special, tasted soso. Got brocolli stems, and we wanted really brocolli! super little portion and overpriced. The service was sub-par. No lunch special, shouldVe gone somewhere else. 2 stars out of 5. —emptyricepot
"2010-01-20 15:31:" I am sorry that our servers abilities were not up to your standards. We are working on our lunch specials but have not yet finalized our menu. We do not currently serve American Broccoli and I understand how someone who is not familiar with Chinese Broccoli would mistake it for American Broccoli stems.
It is unfortunate that your experience with us was so negative. I would appreciate it if you gave us another chance. We have taken some steps to improve our service and keep our portions consistent with what we think is a fair value. —Red88
2009-10-31 22:22:37 3 out of 5 — The duck noodle soup was rather tasty and surprisingly filling despite the deceptively small bowl it was served in. This place has a lot of potential as a social lounge that also happens to serve noodle soup, but they need find ways to get people through the door first and then keep them there.
I've always been a sucker for restaurants with good ambiance and half a dozen flatscreen TVs. My boyfriend and I decided to give this place a try after passing by it and getting a sample of their spicy (popcorn?) chicken appetizer. Aside from two parties finishing up and a couple of what seemed to be restaurant regulars having a conversation with staff at the bar, we were the only ones seated. The menu is limited, with only a handful of appetizers, entrees, and desserts to choose from (but many more drinks). We bother ordered a duck noodle soup which, despite being only moderately warm upon arriving, was still pretty flavorful. My boyfriend approved of the 88 sauce, which he described as tangy and a little spicy. I'm allergic to the color green and chartreuse, so I'll have to take his word for it.
Serving sizes were adequate, despite the seemingly small bowls they were served it in (tip to owners: try using bowls that look bigger so passersby will be impressed). However, if you're really starving for something, one bowl of noodles probably won't fill you up and you'll feel like you overpaid. The service was relatively slow compared to other noodle places like Noodle City— we were the only party ordering something from the kitchen and it still took about 15 minutes to get our food. Given the simplicity of preparing a noodle soup, I was a little put-off by the delay.
Overall, I would consider coming back here if I ever have a hankering for duck noodle soup. However, I can't say I would strongly recommend this place to my friends (unless, of course, they're looking for duck noodle soup). —AbbYu
2009-11-02 17:41:53 Red 88 Noodle Bar has a very small menu. 5 meat-filled appetizers, 3 vegetarian appetizers, 5 meat soups, 5 low meat noodle dishes, and 3 vegetarian dishes (2 soups, 1 veggie chow mein). Cash only, ATM avaiable in house. Okay for lunch or simple dinner. Prices for appetizers are $6-8; soups & noodes are $7-9. Nice decor, but a lot of hard benches available ... easy to find a chair. Noone seems to know they're open yet. Nice waiter who was also manning the bar. Free wi-fi.
The shrimp dumplings (tiny) are wonderful, the spicey pork noodle was completely not worth the effort due to the lack of meat & veg, the roasted duck noodle was great with added spicey sauce from the shrimp dumplings. I would try their soups next and the pork dumplings, but the shrimp ones were really good. Looks like a full bar.
KetMoRee much better, but this is less expensive and fine for a quick bite. I picked up their take-out menu. If someone can tell me how to post a pdf of their menu, I'll do that.
2009-11-03 17:49:40 I just went there today and was very pleased. I had the spicy noodles; all the spices they bring out to add to your dishes are quite good and have very different tastes. The service was very quick and we did not have to wait long for our food or for our refills of Thai iced-tea. According to the Aggie they plan on expanding their menu as they become more popular. The fact that they only take cash is quite annoying (just as in Crepeville) but I am glad they stay open past 2am half of the week which is a great idea and I hope the small space can accommodate the amount of patrons they will probably have especially since G-St Pub is right across the street. —LolaTorney
2009-11-04 22:12:45 Red 88 Noodle Bar is very disappointing.
1. They said that the spices that are given on the side are very spicy, but it's not at all. I dont think they even tried the spices, to begin with. It just looks very very red, but it has a roasted taste to it.
2. They give very little soup for their noodle soup dishes. it seems that the noodles sucked up the soup when they give it to you.
3. and the dish is not even hot, it's lukewarm.
4. I asked for salt&pepper, because it wasnt very flavorful, and they came back saying they didnt have any. how is that possible?
5. Another thing, i do not understand is why they cannot substitute the noodles. I dont like udon noodles, so instead i asked for thin noodles and they said that's not possible. I mean, you have both noodles, it shouldnt be hard. I would understand if the restaurant was very busy and filled with customers, but it was only me and my friends, and another table of 4 ppl.
6. my friend ordered the wings for appetizer and when the food came out, they didnt even cook the meat all the way. had to ask to re-cook it.
7. i agree with the other reviews about the wait.
Please note that: I usually do not complain about my food. i'm not a very picky eater, but this place made me seem like the pickiest eater ever. I gave this place several tries. i'm not just writing this review after one visit.
I worry about this restaurant. —anonymon
2009-11-06 12:12:17 This place is a joke. Food is overpriced and underserved, not to mention the shady quality. Take the "wonton" they have for example; a small piece of shrimp/meat wrapped in wonton paper. I've had microwaved wontons that taste better than theirs. —Col
2009-11-06 14:45:50 I've actually been to this restaurant on 3 occasions now. I actually have gone twice with anonymon. Here is my experience with Noodle 88.
Service
- The one server with the goatee is very nice. He is very patient and takes his time to take your orders. He is very helpful, he is actually the best server Noodle 88 has. Aside from him, all the other servers have been very rude.
- The one man who seems to be a shift leader from KetMoRee is very very rude. He rushed us while we were ordering our food. He refused to allow us a simple noodle substitution that anonymon requested, which she was allowed the first time we went, but this server rudely told us that we cannot substitute things. He basically yelled at us and said that we should not be asking for substitutions or special requests.
- If you want things like salt, pepper, or other staples I suggest you do not ask. The servers will tell you that they are not allowed to give you those kinds of things and they seem to get pretty annoyed when people ask for them.
- Even when we have gone to this restaurant during slow times the food takes at least 20-25 minutes to be served.
Food
- Noodle dishes come in a small bowl that can hardly fit anything. They overstuff the bowl with noodles, and give you hardly any broth. In terms of meats, they really short you. They give you like 5 or so little pieces of meat that do not satiate one's hunger.
- The food overall is very bland. The chicken noodle soup lacks any flavor. Some of the other dishes we have tried were also very very bland (thai boat noodle soup, curry chicken).
- The spices they serve are not really spicey. The servers tell you they are really spicey, you can put tons of chili into your soup and it still tastes very bland.
Pricing
- Pricing is reasonable for the basic items like the chicken noodle soup. Any of the items that around the $9 range are extremely small in proportions in terms of what you pay. —ThUn
2009-11-19 03:55:36 If they had half-off prices for appetizers after midnight, I'd totally be there. But if not, what is the point of being open until 3am? —SunjeetBaadkar
2009-12-06 03:49:49 I was somewhat disappointed. Right after I sat down, I had a feeling the food wasn't going to be that great already. The service was good, however, waiters were attentive and humble. I had the duck noodle soup since everybody seemed to say that was the best thing they had. My first impression when they handed me the small bowl was not a very good one. I waited 15 minutes for a dish that takes 5 minutes to prepare. Although the soup wasn't hot, it was tasty, nothing special though. For 9 dollars, I felt like I didn't get what I paid for, but who does nowadays? The duck noodle soup came with 5 small pieces of duck and the amount of noodles equivalent to a bag of ramen. I felt like I was eating a kimchi bowl with a few pieces of leftover roast duck from chinatown.
3 out of 5 —betabeta
2009-12-07 23:10:42 Duck noodle soup is pretty good, though a bit overpriced. Thai Iced Tea was WAYYYYY too sweet. Sugar overload. Asked if they could add more tea... they said that they couldn't do that, but could add more ice so it'd eventually dilute it. Diluting anything with milk/cream in it already is never a good idea.... It ended up tasting like milky sugar water. Bleh. —JenniferGiang
2009-12-10 15:30:32 ONE OF MY FAVORITE RESTAURANTS IN DAVIS! Get the cream cheese wontons or curry chicken soup! Amazing. Loved it! —Lexie
2009-12-12 01:19:10 1. The spicy pork noodles were entirely too spicy. Ridiculously spicy. 2. There was one waitress/hostess for the full restaurant, and needless to say she was about to lose it. 3. Cash only.
Glad I tried it, and I'll probably try it again, but that was definitely $10 I wish I hadn't parted with... —Shiva
2009-12-12 07:04:32 Went here for the first time this week to warm up with some soup, and liked it fairly well. It may sound odd to point out that everything in the duck soup tastes a lot like duck, but I usually prefer a more subtle broth. It also could have used some veggies. But these are small complaints. The pork dumpling appetizers were yummy too, and came with 3 or 4 different spicy sauces which were delicious. —EdHenn
2009-12-13 11:40:02 Warning to all vegetarians/ vegans: Their "Vegetarian" menu options are any thing but, there is chicken broth in both of the vegetarian soups so the only dish that is vegetarian is the chow mein which I tried and left me wanting in flavor, portion, and over all quality. I also had the spring rolls which were good, but big whoop, you can get those any where. For better and actual vegetarian Chinese food I'm going to stick to Ding How in north Davis! —amber15
"2010-01-20 15:41 I am not sure where you are getting your information from. We have 1 vegetarian/vegan soup option (Veggie Soup), 1 vegetarian noodle option (Veggie Chow Mein), 1 vegan noodle option (Tofu Rad Nar), 2 vegetarian appetizer options (Veggie Spring Rolls and Corn Cakes), and 1 vegan appetizer option (Crispy Tofu).
None of our Vegetarian options have Chicken stock or broth in them. None of our Vegan options are made with any animal products. We are currently adding more dishes which will increase our number of options available for customers with special dietary needs. —Red88
2009-12-18 15:33:30 Just got back from lunch. Basically OK, but doubt we will be going back. Some of the low points: 1) WAAAAAY too much sweetened condensed milk in the Thai Iced Tea - the ratio seemed to be like 4:1 condensed milk to tea, sickeningly sweet. 2) Vegetarian options pretty uninspired. 3) Server spent several seconds sort of absently-mindedly stirring the sauces while he gave semi-coherent description warning us about how hot the were - sort of off-putting and confusing, in the end the sauces were not all that hot as others have noted. 4) Too much black pepper in the Tofu Rad Nar, and I really like black pepper, but it really overwhelmed whatever other flavors were in there (which admittedly didn't seem to be much beyond pretty intensely salty/sweet).
Upon leaving the restaurant a passerby asked us about the food. "Fine but not great," I said. That basically sums it up. —neilk
2010-01-14 16:24:58 I haven't tried the food, but my boyfriend and I went in on a Friday night around 11 or so (pretty early) and sat at the bar. The service at the bar was great. The bartenders got us what we wanted promptly and offered us food throughout our stay, though we had already eaten. They even gave my boyfriend two free birthday drinks, both of which he really enjoyed. It seemed pretty slow, so I can see how at other times the service might not be up to par, but based on my own experience, I would recommend Red 88 on its service alone. —emmaleanne
2010-01-20 15:09:03 Let me take this opportunity to thank all of you who have written in your thoughts, concerns, criticisms, and yes even a little praise about our little restaurant in Downtown Davis. My name is Dante and I am the current manager of Red 88 Noodle Bar. This is my first real effort to participate in the world of Wiki.
I have always found Wiki to be a great way to see points of view other than my own. These points of view are especially welcome in my line of work. Although I spend a large amount of my waking life at Red 88, it seems that there are many things that I have been unaware of. I would like to let all the Red 88 Noodle Bar Davis Wiki participants know that I will try my best to address the issues that are brought up on this page.
I will also be trying to do more with Wiki as I learn how. —Red88
2010-01-30 18:54:01 Just had lunch there today. I was absolutely satiated by the end. I had the thai iced tea, which was delicious and i love the free refills. It was not as sweet as other thai teas that i've had in davis and was one of the better tasting ones for sure. I also ordered crab cream cheese wontons which were delicious. i love that they are super crispy and not all soft and greasy. the sweet tasting sauce that comes with them is also super delish! We asked our waiter and she said it was a plum sauce. she also said that none of their food is frozen before cooking, which i could taste. everything tasted fresh. I ordered the thai boat soup as my main course and it was delicious. it had just the right amount of broth and lots of noodles to fill you up. the beef was really tasty and extra tender, not chewy and tough at all.
I loved my meal there and have been recommending red88 to friends. the service was pleasant and fast, and extra helpful.
I would like an expanded menu, although everything i've had so far (chicken chow mein was super good and tasted fresh and not greasy at all) has been tasty. also, it seems as if every dish on the menu has different ingredients, so at least they are all very different. —AlexandraEllis
2010-02-03 20:42:25 I had the duck noodle soup. Barf. The broth was too strong and there was really barely any duck, but more duck skin floating around. Not impressed. —JamieParker
2010-02-19 12:24:27 Anyone can give a good approximation of what kind of cuisine Red 88's food falls under? I am stumped. Anyways, food is basically edible - with slightly below average flavor. Would only opt to eat here late at night when no other options are available since they are open so late. Spiciness is completely subjective, but for me no dish that Red 88 serves is anywhere near spicy. You could pile on the various spicy toppings that are provided but those too will do little to enhance your soup's spiciness. Prices are slightly high in relation to portions.
As already duly noted by others, the Thai Tea is unnecessarily SWEET. Seriously, the thing is basically swirling with sugar. I reckon that if you were to boil Red 88's Thai Tea a bunch of sugar clumps would gather at the bottom! Knock a few refills down and you may start feeling noxious - good thing you have the often lukewarm and unsavory soup to keep you afloat! —blastoff
2010-02-22 19:46:57 They had a happy hour from 8-11 on saturday night. It was pretty cool, a pitcher of blue moon for $11! I would really appreciate it if Manager Dante posted his happy hour times on the wiki (hint, hint). —FloridianPlywood
2010-04-03 11:21:28 I appreciate how the prices on the menu are simply the dollar values, it makes the menu very simplistic. I have been to this restaurant twice now and both times I have left happy. I have only purchased the Duck Noodle Soup on both occasions, I was satisfied with the service (pretty quick, especially late at night/morning). My only wish is that they would put more duck in the soup. Other than that, I enjoy going here after a night around town. They definitely had the right idea to keep this place open until 3:00 AM after last call at the bars. —IdealParadigm
2010-04-05 15:18:20 The menu is much too limited. I've been to noodle places in San Francisco which have a much wider variety of meats and veggies that they can add to the noodles. I ordered the Veggie Noodle Soup and it was quite unremarkable - bland and boring, even. I had to force myself to finish it. Service was s....l.....o....w...... and I was the only person in the restaurant at the time. I won't be going back. —NotSure
2010-05-31 11:09:03 Their Spicy Silver Noodle is THE BEST. Nor is it for wimps. I don't eat pork so I had them put Tofu in it; the waiter was nice enough to warn me it was made with Oyster sauce, which isn't a problem for me but it was good that he mentioned it. Food came out in minutes and was absolutely beautiful.
Sorry, I don't understand the culture of "dumbing down" spicy foods. If it says spicy, it should be SPICY, and Red 88 delivers as promises. I haven't tried anything else because the Silver Noodle is so, so good. At $7 I think it's worth it; when I'm not hungry I simply save a portion and it's pretty good the next day.
I like the simple menu and it seems they are willing to put in other meats or switch them out for tofu in the dishes. This is my favorite spicy noodle place in Davis. —lunelectronique
2010-06-30 13:53:10 This place is simply AMAZING!
2010-07-18 11:36:56 COMPLETELY GROSS, HERE'S WHY: 4 of the 7 dishes were too salty to eat. 1 dish never arrived. 2 dishes had wires in them, presumably from the kitchen scouring pad? It's also cash only, so when I got up to get cash from the ATM they have in the back, the hallway wreaked of pot. The wait staff was rude, impatient, and considering how gross everything was, they should have comped us our entire meal rather than having us pay for drinks and appetizers. It's not the money I care about but the principle in this case. Also, their wait staff should have communicated with one another a bit better—after our several complaints, another waitress came to our table to ask us if we wanted a "frequent diner" punch card. Wow. Big pass on that, thanks. —NothingHere
- I actually was there when this happened, I just want to say that the hallway did not smell like pot. I heard you were complaining to the waitress so I walked into the hall way myself and I had no idea what you were talking about because I didn't smell anything and neither did the waitress. Also, you can't give out alcohol for free by law. You consumed all the beer and therefore you pay for the beer.—nu1985
2010-07-18 13:38:45 red 88 was not that bad, but didn't shine. Still it's a latenight game so it get's points. —StevenDaubert
2010-07-20 08:21:07 It's a small menu and cash-only, but I have enjoyed both my times eating there. Sometimes, simple is just fine, and they post the menu and pictures on the door. In that situation, I don't think you can complain about the menu—it either suits your fancy or you can move along to the next place (which likely won't have its menu posted). —ScottLay
2010-07-23 11:17:37 I've been here a few times now and very much like it. I wouldn't say it pops in my head as a place to go to when hungry, but it is good for a change. I always seem to go when there is little to no crowd, so the wait staff is overly attentive (which is nice sometimes). The food itself is fairly good but I guess it is personal taste. I have ordered the soups and never thought they were too salty. My only quibble with the noodle soups is that there are just so many noodles I can never finish it all and sorta feel bad. The popcorn chicken is very tasty and spiced just right to go along with any of their sauces (the red 88 sauce is probably my favorite). I have yet to have a bad experience here and have in fact had quite a few memorable ones because of the staff (where else would they recommend a shot of whiskey before having a particular dish and they were actually right?). I'd recommend people try this place a couple times because it does seem to have a level of inconsistency (but sometimes places are worth the inconsistency). —SunjeetBaadkar
2010-07-26 22:25:37 Ordered the Lamb Rad Nar tonight to go. The portion matched the price and they gave three different types of spicy sauce to spicen my meal. My order was ready in 10 minutes, so service was fast. The food tasted great—not too salty and definitely tasted like lamb (as all lamb dishes should be). I would most definitely go here again. —AndrewTran
2010-08-15 20:43:32 I have come here a few times to pick up some food and the guy who works the bar/register on Friday nights seems really conscientious, always cleaning and making drinks with care. So far I have liked every dish I have tried and will probably be back to try other things as well. —hankim
2010-09-24 23:16:06 The first time I went to Red 88 was the LAST time. When I went I ordered Thai Iced Tea (one of my favorite drinks which I have has served many different ways) and it was the WORST I've ever had. There was nearly no tea in the drink; It was so sweet I couldn't drink it at all. I asked the waiter if he wouldn't mind adding a bit more tea for me because of the sweetness, and he has the audacity to tell me that "actually, the tea is the sweetest part, adding more will only make it sweeter." Sorry, but since when has the tea in Thai Iced Tea been the SWEET part, isn't that typically the job of the sweetened condensed milk (or milk/cream in some recipes)?? I asked him if he was sure, and he tells me that he is, and if I want the drink less sweet I should just "let the ice melt to water it down." I gave in and let the ice melt, and what did i have in the end? A drink that tasted like sugary, milky water. Brilliant idea. Basically I wasted the $2.50 or so, on the drink that I got about one sip of. Besides the lack of correct information and the gross Thai Tea, my actual food was subpar as well. I cannot remember the name of the dish i ordered, but it was something along the lines of pad Thai meets red curry. When I got the dish however, I realized that it was nothing more than overpriced spaghetti with marinara (and a hint of turmeric) over rice noodles.
Needless to say I was disappointed with the quality of the food/drinks as well as the waiter that I had, and the food was too expensive for the quality.
My recommendation: Skip Red 88, and head over to Sophia's Thai Kitchen instead. It's pretty average, but for the same price as Red 88, you'll get better quality food. —AshleyMatson
The Tea is the sweetest part of the tea, just so you know. Most places add half-n-half or milk/soymilk whatever, to make it less sweet. —anonymon
2011-01-03 13:34:25 Went here for the first time today and had the Tofu Rad Nar, it was awesome! I am vegan and there were three vegan choices for me. I will be returning. —Nancycat
2011-02-27 22:55:45 I am in love with Red 88. I have tried a good portion of the menu now and I haven't had anything I dont' like. The Karee chicken soup is so delicious and the lamb spaghetti will blow your mind. The service is very friendly and attentive. I am definitely a huge fan. Keep up the great work!!! —ddavis
2011-03-09 23:25:49 Went to Red88 for the third time in as many weeks, and tonight was the first time for dinner. My girlfriend and I chatted with a super awesome bartender/waitress Rose who was really friendly (as was every employee I've met there so far). Food came out quickly and it was pretty good. Happy hour has 2 buck bud lights and dollar off of appetizers. It's generally pretty empty and quiet even on weekend nights, which is a nice change from the more crowded/loud places (eg. Vitos, Sophia's). I think I've found a new bar to grab drinks at! Also, and most importantly, awesome sink in the bathroom! —AndrewWalker
2011-03-22 07:50:31 This is one of new my favorite places! The food is very good quality. The chicken chow mein is amazing! There are pieces of meat in it that you can recognize as coming from a real chicken, and vegetables that you can imagine were actually part of a plant not too long ago. Still crispy and full of life! I don't know about you, but I find that very rare when it comes to chow mein. The Karee Chicken Soup is excellent too. The Asian Style Fries are strange but oddly satisfying if you are in the mood for something of that nature. I love Thai and Asian food in general and I think I am pretty picky but this place rocks. The service has been very good every time I have been there. They always seem to be slow and quiet, which is nice for customers who enjoy it but I hope more people will begin to appreciate this little gem. Note: Red88 is no longer completely cash only, they allow you to use a card for orders over $20.00. As far as prices go, it's about 7-9 bucks for a main dish and 5-6 for an appetizer. Pretty good portions, not huge but large enough. They also have specials and happy hour deals. The only tiny gripe I have is that I wish they put a little more broth and a few less noodles in their soups, but hey it's a noodle bar, so what can you expect?—WikiChiki
2011-03-24 13:47:42 The noodle soups are delicious! They usually have a 'special of the day' up too, which is just an item from the menu, but cheaper. It's worth going to! —Ravyn
2011-04-11 17:00:16 This page seems rather misleading with some of the earlier comments (now that I'm reading them), as the owner seems to have fixed a lot of the problems (small dishes, limited menu, slow service, etc). I come here quite a lot (either by myself or in a big group), and the servers have always seemed incredibly nice and patient. A lot of times being part of a big group chatting animatedly (plus background noise), it's hard for the waiters to get everyone's attention to get drink or dish orders, but they're very understanding and polite about it.
The service is pretty quick nowadays, and they're diligent about refilling water, which is nice.
I'm also quite pleased by their appetizers, I really like the cream cheese wontons which comes with some sweet honey? sauce, and the thai style wings (which isn't all that spicy, but is flavorful and quite tasty! I can't handle really spicy foods anyway, so it works out for me.)
Also, they now have some card-stamp thing where you get $10 off a meal if you fill up 10 stamps (I forget how much each stamp is though, maybe $10?) —Ravyn
2011-05-24 01:32:26 rudest service ever. the waiter never brought water and took a long time to take our order. He obvioiusly was having a bad night and took it out on his costumer. Food was mediocre at best. Overpriced and poor food quality. This place only exists to scam to the drunk college students. Only accepts cards over $20, but points you to the ATM machine. Restaurant, owned by KetMoRee is in place for the $$, not to serve quality food.
2011-06-08 11:49:48 I'm returning here for another review. I do love this place and I have a new favorite, the Ka-ree Chicken soup. It is just the right about of spice and sweet from the cocount milk, and I love the flavors and texture. I am disturbed by one thing though. On their drink menu they have the "BANGKOK TRAFFICKER." I'm sure they mean it as a joke, and probably in reference to animals, but it can be sorely misinterpreted and it's just not funny. When you look at the state of Human Trafficking and what happens behind it—child prostitution, rape, etc. that's not something anyone would drink to. They should really change the name, it's just inappropriate. —lunelectronique
2011-07-19 22:09:38 The free Thai Ice Tea refills are nice, $3 each! —txwong
2011-09-03 19:42:14 Definitely my favorite bar in Davis. My good buddy and I are regulars and we've filled up 2 or 3 stamp cards already (yes, they're $10/stamp). My favorite drink is the Red Rocket which tastes exactly like the popsicle I loved as a child. Their Long Island is especially good, nowhere else does one as well as they do. Supposedly their best seller is the FML "the wiki's daddy" which is incredibly strong at a low price for the alcohol content, but I personally don't like it. For food: Duck noodles. Every time. —MasonMurray
2011-09-17 16:23:17 I went there yesterday and got the crab wontons. They tasted like frozen pizza rolls with some nasty sauce injected in them. I have to say I have given this place a fighting chance and they never seem to come through. I have tried lunch, and after hours; both the food and service was horrible. If you are going with a group, AVOID this place, they don't do split checks. Avoid this place is you want to take your date there because many of the staff members have attitudes (Owner Included). Avoid this place after hours AT ALL COSTS, you will be glad you did. Just to go Burger's and Brew they have better everything. RED88 should takes some notes from B&B, every time I drive past that place its always slammed. (NO I DON'T WORK THERE). RED 88 gets 1 out of 5 stars. I give it a 1 because I feel sorry for the owner. —Glen,Tanner
2011-11-07 22:41:07 Do not go here unless you want to be urinated on, exposed to a drunk customer's genitalia, and receive horrible service. Saturday night, I was waiting in line behind two men to use the restroom. They both entered the single bathroom when it opened up. Suddenly, a bouncer ran in and dragged one of the guys out (he was peeing in the sink). I got a full frontal view of his dangling penis, which was still in the process of urinating because the bouncer didn’t give him time to zip up. Some of this urine splashed on my dress, as the guy was still trickling while the bouncer dragged him into the hallway. I only received a casual apology from the bouncer when I confronted him, which I felt was not adequate, so asked for a manager. The owner (who runs both Red88 and KetMoRee) came to my table where I was sitting with a group of friends. Her apology was also tepid. Not only that, she defended the bouncer, who she had brought over. My friends and I got upset and began to yell at two of them. The owner then asked if I wanted to have the customer, who urinated on me, apologize. She pointed out that "clearly, the man was drunk and could not control himself". The bouncer in turn got aggressive and told me "what do you want me to do, get down on my knees and ask for your forgiveness?" In my heat of anger, I poured a glass of water onto the floor (I guess my symbolism of urinating) and stormed out of the restaurant knocking a chair down on my way out. I was restrained by another bouncer, but let go.
I went by to KetMoRee the next morning to try and speak to the owner. She called me and left a message, so I returned the call. But she put a manager on the line even though she was present. Not only is this horrible business practice, it's cowardly. In response to my comment about being urinated on, manager basically replied "well, you know, people are quite drunk at that time and things happen."
So, Red 88/KetMoRee, are you saying that having individuals urinating in places other than in your restroom is not a big deal during hours when the majority of the people there are intoxicated?
Let’s now discuss your bouncers and their clear lack of cognitive ability and over saturation of testosterone. If the bouncer had any sense, he would have waited until the customer was finished relieving himself before kicking him out. Instead, he tried to make a heroic scene of dragging the bad guy with his dick flopping everywhere out of the restaurant, humiliating a customer who had to see a random individual's penis while getting pissed on in the process. His lack of rationale caused not only an indecent exposure, but most likely violated a health code when he dragged a urinating individual in the vicinity of dining customers. Clearly, the bouncers are NOT doing their job if they are allowing over-intoxicated people into the establishment.
The least Red 88/KetMoRee should do is fire the bouncer. I was also shocked to discover the owner had such poor customer-service skills. I strongly believe these two restaurants are still in business because the majority of the clientele are students, and thus the turn over is quick and the circulation of horrible events such as this is minimal. In the end, what did I get? A half-assed apology and a urine stained dress. Thanks, Red 88/KetMoRee. I'm never coming back. Ever. —YumikoH
this (exact) comment was written on Yelp as well, and a Manager replied to this comment on the Yelp, if you wish to see the Managers comment, please visit Red 88 Noodle Bars Yelp page (http://www.yelp.com/biz/red-88-noodle-bar-davis)
2012-02-12 22:23:10 Took our family of five here tonight. We all chose something different, and everyone was pleased with their meal. The service was fast and friendly. Great on a cold night when you want a big bowl of noodle soup, great comfort food. —Ginahowey
2012-05-19 22:03:21 Just been there for a second time. Both times the food was great as well as the service. The sauces they serve with dinner are delicious and I love the Lamb Rad Nar. The Thai Iced Coffee is better at Thai Canteen, but that doesn't really matter so much. This time I had the Crispy Rad Nar; it was great and my boyfriend had the Chicken Chow Mein, which was delicious. Haven't really eaten a bad thing there so far! —OpticalOut
2012-08-01 12:28:00 My friend was bragging a while back about Red 88's Chicken Kai Ree Soup and how delicious it is. So being a Pho lover and not really finding a good Pho fix in Davis has me craving a great soup on a cold day. So I ventured in and ordered the Vegetarian Kai Ree soup and the love affair began. Out came a gigantic bowl of the most beautiful soup I have ever had. I loaded it up with all those lovely sauces they provide with your meal. Oh My Goodness!!! This soup makes me feel better about life. It now doesn't matter if it's 50 degrees or over 105 outside, I'm in it to win it. One of Davis' hidden gems. Please give it a try today. —krissyp
2013-02-27 18:58:37 I really like the duck noodle soup - it has decent chunks of duck meat in it, and the broth is wonderful. The crab wontons are also good. The chicken chow mein was alright, wasn't greasy or anything. I've only gotten takeout so far, but it's always been reasonably fast to pick things up. Overall, I would say the stand-out item is definitely the duck soup - I recommend trying that! —KelleyPaugh
2013-03-12 23:42:48 AWFUL!!! Bad food etiquette. I'm a strict vegetarian and found chicken in my veggie chow mien. The owner is so incompetent she doesn't see the problem in using the same cooking utensils used on raw chicken to spoon my vegetarian dish in a box. She had nothing to say for herself or the cook. Don't eat here I'm sick to my stomach by their lack of respect for vegetarians and probably raw meat their food handling comes from that of a food truck it's crap don't eat here. I will be reporting red 88 to the better business bureau because their food practices are unsanitary. —ChristinaC
2013-08-24 08:04:18 I really like the staff here, and the drinks are yummy, so I usually come out. All the cocktails are basically delicious, but the Red rocket is dangerous since it doesn't taste like alcohol. and I don't mean "doesn't taste like alcohol but there's still that burn," i mean it tastes like candy. I don't really eat here aside from appetizers, and even then it's just the fries for me. I've had a few of the noodles and they were good and I love the additional spice rack, though I think it would be wise to invest in more so the servers don't have to constantly be moving them back and forth. Service can be slow on busy nights but I've never been displeased here I think. —HannahToru
2014-01-11 19:41:30 Hello Davis! Good news Red 88 has an open position for a front of house employee. So hurry on down and fill out an application, we will be conducting interviews for noteworthy applicants as soon as possible. Come join our team! We are located at 223 G St.
Red 88 Management —DanielleHarter
2014-08-02 15:54:52 Mr. Sandeep Dahal broke my Bank of America debit card, verbally harassed me and said he didn't know why he did it....... Very bad experience at this establishment due to Mr. Sandeep Dahal. He is listed on the Better Business Bureau as the bar Manager for KetMoRee. I was visiting Davis on a Saturday, July 26th. I was with a group of about 20 people. We had stopped by at KetMoRee nearly 15 minutes before they closed. They were still charging a cover fee to get in so we decided to go somewhere else. I did not see Mr. Sandeep Dahal until a little later that night when my group had decided to go to Red 88. I got in line just like everyone else. Mr. Sandeep Dahal allowed everyone in front of me entrance into the restaurant. When it was my turn I smiled but he immediately put his hand up to my chest and stopped me. He asked me "what do you want?" I said we were all together and we were getting some food. He said I needed to order something and pay for it before he could let me in. I didn't have a menu yet so he pointed to the small pictures of the plates posted on the windows. I pointed to a number 3 and I handed him my Bank of America debit card. My debit card has the San Francisco Giants logo on it. I waited outside as he walked inside the restaurant with my card. I, along with the rest of my friends waiting outside were very confused. As I waited, a friend that had been allowed to enter before us came out and informed me that "that guy just broke your card." I walked inside to where he was and told him I wanted to cancel my order. Mr. Sandeep Dahal returned my card in two pieces and said "your money is no good here. Get out." I asked him why he did that and he responded with "Because you're a ****ing ***hole and the Giants ****ing suck!" I informed Mr. Dahal that he does not know me and I do not know him. I'm not even from Davis. He asked what I wanted once again. He asked if I wanted money. I said I didn't want any money, I just wanted to know why he did that and I wanted an apology. Instead, he continued to verbally harass me about the logo on the debit card along with calling me an ***hole. At this point we were outside. I had my hands behind my back and against the wall as not to appear threatening to Mr. Dahal as he was very agitated. I asked him to calm down and he told me to shut up. Some other employees, including Mr. Dahal's brother came outside. Shortly after, Mr. Sandeep Dahal noticed the owner's son approaching us. (I know this to be the owner's son from witnesses) Mr. Dahal immediately walked over to him and told him not to listen to us and that we were just drunk. (Which was not true Mr. Dahal!)They walked back across the street to KetMoRee without acknowledging us any further. I attempted to call the restaurant the next day. He was not available. I left my name and phone number. To this day I have not received a call. I paid $5 for a new debit card. I'm still waiting for it to arrive. I have talked to my bank about the situation. I will also be filing a complaint with Mastercard as a merchant violation. Never again will I, nor my friends, step foot inside of Red 88 or KetMoRee. I don't know why Mr. Sandeep Dahal became upset with me. —MartinB
2015-06-07 19:23:09 I like the food here and the servers are very nice. What I don't get though is the real relationship between it, the venue's former owners, and KetMoRee. We've had multiple servers imply that they've been sent to the equivalent of Siberia from KetMoRee, having to go to Red88. Is it because checks tend to be lower so servers don't make as much? Several other restaurant owners in the area seem to have had a pleasant relationship with the 2KThai store that was there previously. And the thing that REALLY pissed us off was that they charge $2 to cook tofu. I wonder if they charge to cook shrimp or chicken? Super weird- has anyone heard of a restaurant doing this? —JaneBF
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