🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026
When people think of food in Sa Kaeo, a lot of them picture punchy Isan dishes and border-market eats — but one side that out-of-towners often miss is the freshwater fish along the reservoirs. The province has several big bodies of water, including Phra Prong reservoir in Wattana Nakhon and Tha Krabak reservoir just past Pang Sida National Park. Around them you'll find grilled-fish places, lakeside som tam stalls and jungle-food restaurants serving snakehead, giant catfish, sheatfish and the small shrimp caught in these waters.
This list is drawn from real reviews and restaurants that are still open, focusing on lakeside spots and fish places that Sa Kaeo locals and nature-minded travellers stop at often. The prices here are rough ranges and can shift with the size of the fish and what's fresh that day. It's worth calling ahead before you set out, since many lakeside places close early and some days they sell out fast.
Freshwater fish & river shrimp spots worth a stop
Sompong Grilled Fish (by Phra Prong reservoir)
The most word-of-mouth Isan spot among the lakeside fish places along Phra Prong. Seating is in open salas right by the water, with a cool breeze and a wide reservoir view. Standout dishes are pla chon lui suan (crispy snakehead with herb salad), garlic-fried sheatfish, and a hot-and-sour tom khlong sheatfish. Great for a group ordering lots of plates to share.
Pla Chon Wiset
A long-running snakehead spot on Suwannason Road, on the way out from the Aranyaprathet side. It started as a small shack and grew into a big restaurant. The draw is firm, naturally sweet snakehead meat done several ways — snakehead tom yum, sun-dried snakehead, and pla ra bong. An easy roadside stop to break up the drive.
Phirom Phon
A countryside-feel restaurant with seating split across separate salas, so it never feels cramped. The dish people order most is clear-broth snakehead tom yum — sharp, sour and spicy but balanced, with a whole basin full of fish. Good for families or larger groups.
Lakeside restaurants at Tha Krabak beach
Along the shore of Tha Krabak reservoir there's a row of Isan som tam and grilled-chicken stalls. In the late afternoon people come to wade in the water and settle in for a long meal — grilled fish, som tam, grilled chicken and shrimp salad, with a view of the reservoir against the Pang Sida hills. It's a laid-back, no-frills hangout the locals love.
Grilled fish & giant catfish — Por Pla Kang-Koong Ten (Eastern Thailand chain)
An Eastern Thailand giant-catfish and koong ten brand that freshwater-fish lovers know well. The menu runs a full page — giant catfish tom yum, fried giant catfish, koong ten, and crispy fried river shrimp. If you're driving the eastern route it's worth stopping for the big, chewy catfish. For anyone heading to Sa Kaeo along this road, it's a dependable freshwater-fish option.
Som tam & grilled fish stalls around Phra Prong
Besides Sompong, there are several other small som tam and grilled-fish stalls dotted around Phra Prong reservoir, doing salt-crusted grilled fish, tam lao, tam pu pla ra and fried river shrimp. Handy for a stop after a reservoir raft cruise or some fishing — easy to order, easy on the wallet, a chill lakeside lunch.
Jungle-food & sheatfish places around Wattana Nakhon
Over on the Wattana Nakhon and Ta Phraya side there are jungle-food restaurants that do sheatfish especially well. The flesh is soft with few bones — garlic-fried, or in tom khlong with young tamarind leaves for a sour, fragrant kick — paired with hot sticky rice. It's a plate the locals order again and again.
Koong ten & river shrimp spots, Sa Kaeo town market
In Sa Kaeo town there are som tam and laab places that do koong ten and river shrimp as regular menu items — tiny shrimp tossed with chilli, lime and toasted rice for a sharp, sour hit. If you want to try the local thing without leaving town, these are your spots. We'd suggest ordering it cooked rather than the raw koong ten, which is safer.
A straight word on raw koong ten
Raw koong ten (live river shrimp) is a local favourite for a lot of people, but raw freshwater shrimp carries a real risk of parasites and gut infections. If you're not sure of the source, ordering it blanched-cooked or as crispy fried river shrimp is the easier call — it's just as punchy in flavour.
Want to taste deeper? Try a Sa Kaeo food tour or cooking class
Half a day with a local who knows the lanes — or cooking a dish yourself — teaches you more than just eating. Book ahead on Klook or GetYourGuide.
Freshwater fish dishes worth trying at least once
- Salt-grilled fish — snakehead or tilapia packed in salt and grilled over low heat, the flesh sweet and juicy, pulled apart and eaten with a tart seafood dipping sauce. The star of the lakeside spots.
- Snakehead tom yum / sheatfish tom khlong — clear broth, sour and spicy, with fresh firm fish, best sipped hot in the late afternoon by the water.
- Pla chon lui suan — fried snakehead topped with a sour-spicy herb-and-vegetable dressing, a dish the fish places in Sa Kaeo do well.
- Fried giant catfish / giant catfish tom yum — rich, chewy catfish, fried crisp outside and soft inside, or dropped into a big tom yum pot.
- Crispy fried river shrimp — tiny shrimp battered and fried with fragrant curry paste, good as a snack or with rice porridge.
- Koong ten (we suggest the cooked version) — river shrimp tossed with chilli, lime, toasted rice and shallots, sharp and punchy in the Isan style.
Timing and tips for going to eat
Most lakeside places are open from midday to evening, and many close around 6pm — fresh items like big whole fish can sell out before evening on busy days. The best window is lunch through late afternoon, when you get both a bright reservoir view and the full menu. On long weekends locals come out to eat by the water in numbers, so if you're a big group it's safer to call and reserve a sala ahead.
- Carry cash — many lakeside and jungle-food places only take cash or bank transfer, and the signal is weak in some spots.
- Come by car — Phra Prong and Tha Krabak reservoirs are outside town and hard to reach by public transport; driving or renting a car is by far the easiest.
- Allow time for the fish — grilled fish and big whole fish take 20–40 minutes, so order some snacks to tide you over.
- Check water levels in the dry season — late in the dry season the reservoir water can drop enough to change the view, and some places shift their seating, so call ahead to get the scene you're hoping for.
Pair the lakeside meal with the nature around it
The nice thing about eating freshwater fish in Sa Kaeo is that it's usually close to nature, so a lakeside fish meal pairs neatly with sightseeing. Eat at Tha Krabak and swing by Pang Sida National Park for waterfalls and butterflies, or eat at Phra Prong and take a raft cruise on the reservoir, go fishing, or watch waterbirds — an easy, chilled-out half-day trip by the water.
Phra Prong reservoir route
Take a raft cruise on the reservoir, fish, watch waterbirds, then cap it off with grilled fish at Sompong or one of the som tam stalls around the lake.
Tha Krabak reservoir route
Settle in for som tam and grilled chicken by the shore, wade in the water, then carry on into nearby Pang Sida National Park.
Plan a full Sa Kaeo food trip — local eats, cafés and nature all in one
See the Sa Kaeo travel guide →