This excellent northeastern Thai restaurant in El Cerrito is open for takeout for both lunch and dinner (with only the dinner menu available on weekends). Apart from the assorted meat skewers (which comprise most of the “tapas” side of the menu, the focus here is on the food of the Isaan region — Lao food, essentially. The larbs (bright, spicy meat salads) are one of the highlights; another is the assortment of noodle dishes, including an excellent, liver-intensive rendition of Thai boat noodles. For curbside pickup, call 510-524-8988 upon arrival.

Known for its excellent pad Thai (which is quite spicy by default unless you request otherwise) and fried Brussels sprouts (trust us), this relative newcomer in West Berkeley is open for takeout and delivery via Caviar.

The sister restaurant to Berkeley’s popular Imm Thai Street Food specializes in home-style cooking, going beyond the usual pick-your-protein curries (which they also have). This is the spot to seek out harder-to-find dishes like kua gai (fat, stir-fried rice noodles bound together by egg), tom yum omelette rice, and avocado green curry — all available on the to go menu. Cocktails are also on offer as a takeout item. Delivery is through Grubhub or DoorDash.

The team behind the Farmhouse Thai Kitchen mini-chain brings bold Southern Thai flavors to quaint, sleepy Montclair. Daughter Thai’s menu doesn’t shy away from spice or funk — both well represented in the pungent pickled fish stew known as kang tai pla — while the restaurant also serves up crowdpleasers like hat yai fried chicken (served with roti and curry) and slow-braised bone-in beef short rib curry. Shelter-in-place takeout specials include a $25 weekday lunch set (plenty of food for two) and free kids’ meals with orders of $60 or more. Call in or order pickup or delivery via Caviar.

One of the first East Bay restaurants to really popularize Lao food for a mainstream audience, Champa Garden is probably best known for its sampler platter, which features a trio of classics: crispy rice ball salad, fermented Lao sausages, and fried egg rolls. On a chilly night, the funky Lue-style noodle soup will warm you up. You can get all of the Thai takeout standards here as well. Call in for pickup or order delivery via Grubhub or Seamless. Champa’s SF location, out by Ocean Avenue, is also open.

Tucked into a residential neighborhood, Vientian Cafe has the kind of greatest hits menu that spans pho, pad Thai, and every other Southeast Asian standard in between. But it’s a Lao restaurant above all else, and to unlock the restaurant’s true greatness, diners should order exclusively off the separate menu of Lao specialties: nam kao, or crunchy rice ball salad; best-in-class baked Lao sausages; catfish steamed inside banana leaves; and an assortment of delicious noodle soups. The restaurant is currently open for takeout during its regular business hours.

For the first part of shelter in place, Pim Techamuanvivit’s buzzy Japantown restaurant focused only on chilled, cold-packed dishes for customers to reheat at home. Now, Nari is back to serving hot food, with vegetarian and non-vegetarian prix-fixe dinner sets available for pickup Tuesday through Saturday, 4–7 p.m. Order online.

The city’s standard-bearer for everyday takeout and delivery Thai, Lers Ros has a wide-ranging menu, but the stir-fried noodles, the stewed pork leg, and any of the fried rice dishes are especially great. Beyond the original Tenderloin location, there are Hayes Valley and Mission shops, too, so pick the one nearest you before ordering.

This master of faux meats in the Tenderloin is here for all your vegan Thai needs, including meatless versions of familiar favorites like pad see ew and pineapple fried rice, plus convincing simulacrums of things like fried catfish and Thai-style roast chicken. Call in, order online or get delivery via Uber Eats.

This newish spot in the heart of the Tenderloin offers a good variety of lesser-known noodle dishes, from the brothy house “special noodles,” which come with a mix of pork and fish balls, to noodle soups that feature braised duck or a tom yum style soup. Call in or order delivery via almost any of the delivery apps.

This Richmond District staple has a broad menu spanning all the classics, and it should come as no surprise that the noodles — especially the soupy noodle dishes — are its particular strength. Try the flavorful khao soi, with its yellow curry-like coconut base, or the ground pork-studded sukhothai noodle soup, with its spicy and slightly sweet flavor profile. Order directly through the restaurant’s website or get delivery via Caviar or Uber Eats.

James Syhabout might be better known for his two-Michelin-starred fine dining restaurant Commis, but his casual Lao Isaan spot in the Mission is where it’s at if your looking for for bold, fish sauce-forward takeout or delivery fare. Much of the menu travels well, but highlights include the khao mun gai (poached chicken over rice), Isaan pork sausage, blistered green beans, and a rotating daily $15 lunch box. Order delivery via DoorDash. The restaurant is also now open for outdoor seating.