I got some food to go at this street fair. They had crab rangoos, pad Thai, Thai ice tea and pineapple fried rice for $5. I wanted pineapple fried rice but it had nuts in it. They offered to make me one without nuts. The crab rangoos were really good and freshly made. A great portion of cream cheese and crab. The pineapple rice was pretty good but needed more seaonsoning/sauce. They skimped on the chicken and pineapple but I get it it was $5. I would be curious to try their full menu one day when we are back in the area! The guy running the stand was very nice. read more

Ban Bamboo - Laotian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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This place has just taken the top spot on my list. This place prepares authentic meals well. Main courses have appropriate costs, but full dinners get expensive. Employees here approached diners with genuine friendliness. I had a memorable time there. read more

Pros: Limited selection of mediocre Laotian dishes. Thai dishes are a bit better. Cons: N/A read more

I had an amazing dinner here tonight! The Thai Fried rice was great, a lot of food - I got full quickly. The chicken pad Thai was great as well! The restaurant was quiet, a little chilly, but overall quiet and intimate. It was in a great location, and the window views are great. read more

Ban Bamboo - Laotian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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I have driven by this place for years and finally decided to go when I was craving soup, and it was the right choice! I got duck noodle soup (with egg noodles) and it was so delicious and hit the spot. It was a little hectic with take out orders, but the staff was very kind and the food came out very timely anyways. I strongly recommend trying this place if you're near by! (Just know ordering for pick up will take some time as it's a small operation) read more

amazing chicken pad thai. been coming here for years, very nice people. great food. close by

Yum! Authentic thai / laos cuisine. We ordered from the thai / laos specialty section and got: Laos Papaya Salad, Laos Sausage and Khao Soi. The laos papaya salad was SPICY but so so so good! And that's coming from someone who can handle spice. There's fermented crab paste in there that makes it unique and so delicious. The laos sausage was perfectly crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside. If you've never had, they're lemongrass-y galanga-y flavor bombs. (My mouth is watering thinking about it). The khao soi was a bit lack luster compared to other ones I've had... but it satisfied a craving. If you enjoy spice and delicious food, this place wont disappoint. read more

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Another COVID-19 "Stay At Home" Take Out Review Only. Specific to COVID-19, I had no concerns with ordering from Ban Bamboo. They clearly kept the restaurant clean and were well organized for the current state of affairs. With the number of shops still open, I recommend giving them your business. I really had no clue what I wanted and was very happy with the conversation in guiding me to options. I ended up settling for some fried crab dumplings and chicken pad thai. The dumplings were good. Each were bite-sized and the order came with a soy based sauce for dipping. Very fair portion for the price, however, I'm not sure I would get them again. On the flip side, loved the pad thai completely and am already craving another. Again, portion was more than fair and not just in size but also the amount of protein included. Good stuff! read more

Ban Bamboo - 14. Crab Dumplings and 29. Pad Thai - Laotian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

AMAZING FOOD EVERYTIME! This is my favorite Thai food spot in Philly! Everything is sooooo good. My go to is the cashew chicken

Ordered take out from here. It tasted fine then I got to my Tom kha gai. Tell me that is not a roach floating in my soup I thought. Sure enough. Really disgusted and disappointed in this place. The delivery service only gave a partial refund. Be forewarned- expect dirty food when you go here I guess. read more

Ban Bamboo - Roach found in my Tom kha gai. - Laotian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

WOW. WOW. WOW. Ban Bamboo is the BEST thai food restaurant you will find in Philadelphia. The flavor and bright color of the food, the exotic decor and friendly service won my 5 stars review. My boyfriend and I were in the neighborhood and we walked in around 8:30, hoping to get a takeout order as the sign showed they close at 9. Soon as we walked in, we were greeted with appetizing aroma from the kitchen. The server offered us a menu with pictures to help with our decision making (everything on the menu looks so good!) We ended up ordering 1. Tom Yum Soup w/ Vegetables $4.95 7. Fried Wonton $5.95 53. Som Tum Gai Yang $17.95 29. Pad Thai w/ Shrimp $15.95 The server was so kind and patient. He took his time to explain the difference between Thai and Laos papaya salad, which comes in Som Tum Gai Yang. ( T is milder and L is spicier w/ more fish sauce taste) He mentioned that the BOH staff only eat what they cook, so their food is just as authentic as what you'll find in their kitchen. (the spiciness is also the same as how they like it) What came to my surprise was, even though they were closing in 15 mins, the server still asked if we'd like to dine in! He checked with the kitchen staff and they had no problem with us staying after closing time. (We did takeout anyway) Needless to say, the food was AMAZING! Soup had a nice balance of sourness and spiciness. Fried wonton was golden and crispy ( they cut out 2 holes on the takeout box so it didn't turn soggy) Som Tum Gai Yang came with a bag of sticky rice, well seasoned roasted chicken and a big portion of papaya salad. Shrimp Pad Thai was delicious and enough for two! I can't wait to go back for dine in and i'd 100% recommend this place for anyone who's a fan of flavor! read more

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Due to labor difficulties it can be hard to get takeout or dine-in at times. But everything that comes out of the kitchen is delicious. It's a great resource for Roxborough. read more

Man, I miss ordering ramen from here! It wasn't elaborate but it had everything you need for a delicious bowl (or two- portion is huge!) of ramen. It was perfect when you wanted to order something warm to bring home on a cold night. I miss living so close to you ban bamboo! read more

On 6/26/22 my first time here My to go order was: three vegetable spring roll and a Tofu pad Thai. I'd definitely return for the latter (nice generous portion; Think I got 3 meals from it) but MOT the former as they were too pricey for what they turned out to be. read more

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Waiting for my order... It's worth it. Tell yourself that! It's been longer than they said, but how great could it be? I wonder! Gee, I hope it's good... sure wish I had something to tell, but it is taking longer than they said. read more

Ban Bamboo - Waiting for my order - Laotian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Arriving at 3:30, I learned Ban Bamboo closed for two hours on Saturday afternoon and reopened at 4. So, I had a little time to wander along Ridge Avenue and take in the beautiful Spring day and the local color. The street scene was active with outdoor seating at the brewery and many open doors allowing the kitchen aromas to waft out to we pedestrians. Definitely created the aura of being a neighborhood. When BB's "Open" sign lit, I went in to discover a small dining area with lovely Buddha shrine front and center, and heavy southeast Asian decor all around. A cafe in Vientiane or Pattaya would look as good. I ordered Tom Kha Soup (veggie), Beef Satay, Red Curry (veggie), Drunken Noodles (chicken), and Kai Soi (beef), to go. It was 40 minutes to readiness, so I continued my exploration of the area while waiting, and thought about what I remembered about Lao and Thai cuisine. While both are very regionalized so that there are many distinctions even in different parts of each country. Still, there are a few generalities that hold true. Where Thai uses coconut milk in many dishes making it sweet, often counterbalanced by the heat of chili peppers and bitterness of lemongrass; Lao kitchens lack coconuts, and use more lime and fermented fish sauces for flavor. Lao is a lot saltier than Thai. So, it was easy to know which was which in my package. The Tom Kha Soup came on strong on sweetness from its coconut milk/galangal base, followed immediately by a lemongrass bite. It could have used more variety of veggies in the bowl, but the taste profile set off a riot in my mouth. The Red Curry was similar in sweetness, but lit a fire from the chili paste used to turn the color crimson. The veggies were still semi firm, adding to the texture, along with the bell pepper, bamboo shoots and Thai basil. The Beef Satay was lean meat with excellent BBQ type sauce, and on the sweeter side. Drunken Noodles were definitely from Thailand in flavor and plenty spicy from roasted chili sauce. Kai Soi, on the other hand, was more a hybrid, using thin sliced beef in a coconut milk broth, mixed with egg noodles, red onion, cabbage and lemon/lime juices. It reminded of Indian curry with its sweet/sour profile. Although travel time neutralized the higher taste amplitudes to reduce the delicate intricacies that exited the kitchen, it was still a wonderfully entertaining meal that is well worth revisiting, along with this Ridge Avenue neighborhood. read more

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TLDR: A solid restaurant, worth seeking for Thai classics. My wife had been searching for a place with good mango sticky rice, and this fulfilled her dreams. It was a great dessert that relied on the sweetness of a fresh mango. The Pad Thai was also commendable, standing the difficult test of standing out with such a classic dish. However, the dish I ordered did not live up to the others. It included only Thai sausage and sticky rice. The Thai-Laos sausage was good and the curry sauce was fresh and delicious, but the rice was dry making the dish lack-luster in the end. My order: Pad Thai, Mango Sticky Rice, Sai Krok Isan Service: No complaints read more

Show up to pick up an order that the restaurant said was ready and had to wait another 35 minutes because it actually wasn't ready. Normally I would say honest mistake but after seeing the same issue in reviews below, plus the other 6 people forced right wait in the restaurant with me, I know that this is just something they do. Either learn how to use your systems or don't take online orders. I was picking this up on the way home from work and wouldn't have ordered had I known. read more

We've passed Ban Bamboo on Ridge dozens of times, and each time we mentioned it as a place we wanted to try. Unfortunately, when we finally got around to it, we were very disappointed. It was slow, the packaging was leaky, and the food was below average. Worst of all was the Thai iced tea, which was actually "sweetened" with salt instead of sugar. Prep Time: We ordered on UberEats, so we were able to track the progress...the order went in at around 5:30, and was supposed to be delivered at 6:20. It wasn't even ready for pickup until 6:50, so we didn't get it until 7; it was very clear the entire time that the delay was with the restaurant, not the delivery driver. It's one thing for them to claim a 45-minute prep/delivery time, but doubling that time without a call or an offer to cancel/refund? Pretty inconsiderate. Food Packaging: The food was packed in pretty standard plastic to-go containers, but neither container (drunken noodles and lad nar) was fully sealed, so the bag was full of sauce and the containers were kind of a mess. Quality: The food itself was so-so at best, and the Thai iced tea was undrinkable. My wife's drunken noodles was very light on chicken, and nothing really stood out; my lad nar was bland (despite a request to make it spicy), very light on beef, and unusually salty. The worst were the Thai iced teas; we both got one ($9 combined), and they were salty! I've had Thai iced tea at many other restaurants, and none of them have ever used salt. This wasn't even a mistake--we could taste some sweetener in there, so they definitely sweetened both of our drinks, and then decided to dump in a few teaspoons of salt in each one. Completely unpalatable, and a major disappointment. Advice for the restaurant: 1) Basic courtesy would dictate calling a customer if there is going to be a major delay beyond the original expected delivery time. Provide an opportunity to cancel/refund the order, rather than hold them hostage with a dinner order that is going to be way later than expected. 2) Thai iced tea is not supposed to include salt. It's just not. read more

Oh, how I hate to write lackluster reviews.... Initially chose to order takeout here based on the few yet pleasant previous reviews. However, unfortunately, I feel like I went to a completely different restaurant than what I'd read about. Strike one: Although I ordered & paid via Grubhub to ensure a smooth & easy transaction, I was disheartened by the cold disposition with which I was greeted when I arrived. Not everyone is warm & fuzzy, and I get that, but the employees didn't even grant eye contact. The brief visit felt transactional and dismissive. Strike two: SMALL SERVINGS. When I got home, I was shocked at how little rice & spicy basil they'd included for a price of $17.95 (to mention there were just 7 shrimp included in the entree). Hate to sound petty, but the amount of food included in a main dish was anemic and underwhelming. Strike three: The food was way less than delicious. At best, each dish (also ordered the vegetable spring rolls & tulip dumplings) was merely ok. I loooooove Thai food (see my Green Basil review for a tasty treat), but have never been so disappointed, and am unlikely to return. read more

Ban Bamboo - Laotian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

This is our favorite place to eat in Philly. Such a banger. Big entree portions. We always get papaya salad, pad Thai, and mango sticky rice

I use to love this place. "Phu fha" Whenever I would visit manayunk I MUST take some with me to go. Took an order yesterday for dinner, the usual veggie pad Thai & beef drunkin noodles. Didn't realize until I went to pick up the food there's a whole new staff. Found out it was new ownership for about 4 months now. Now I'm skeptical of my food. Sad to say, it tasted like nothing before. The pad Thai was just off, not enough tamarind sauce, not seeet enough, not flavorful enough. The drunkin noodle was bland on top of the stench of old old old old beef. Old meat stench was definitely rotten in my mouth, similar to pork that was badly clean before cooking it. Where's the old owner that's been here last 10 years?!? the old cook that made the place so authentic!?!? If I wanted secondary Thai food I could've just stayed in Rittenhouse or a restaurant with pad Thai cooked by Vietnamese . But this was no where even flavorful as rittenhouse wahhhhh. $25 wasted Hey old owner...... if you guys open a new location please let me know where. I'm sad now. 1 star but since beautifully upgraded on decor .... extra star aghhhh probably won't be back ‍‍ read more

Ban Bamboo - Laotian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

We get pad cashew with steam tofu every few weeks. Wonderful food. We love this place!

My husband and I happened to pass Ban Bamboo and decided to stop in. It was just us and another family when we first walked in, but soon the entire restaurant filled up! We started with two Thai iced teas and the fresh spring rolls with shrimp. The order of spring rolls came with two rolls and a delicious dipping sauce with chopped peanuts on top. Those spring rolls were fit to burst with fresh, crunchy veggies, and sweet shrimp. Seriously so refreshing! For our entrees we decided to try foods that we'd never ordered at a Thai restaurant before. We asked the server what was popular on the menu and made our choices from there. We decided to get the chicken Larb and the Kao Siu with chicken. The Larb came with a side of sticky rice (which came out in a pretty little container to hold the steam). If you don't have a taste for spice this dish might be a little bit much for you. My husband and I were just in Thailand this past summer and the taste of this dish took us right back! The meat was ground up, but extremely flavorful with accents of mint, spice, and some kind of zesty acid. Combined with the sticky rice it was perfect! The Kao Siu was also delicious and spicy. The curry they poured over the noodles soaked into the noodles and made the whole dish so warming and yummy. I would definitely order the Thai iced tea to soothe your tongue in between bites. We can't wait to come back again and bring our friends! read more

Out of town and got take out. Very good authentic thai flavors. We got the basics (pad thai, tom kai and fried rice) and it was very good. Nice clean flavors. read more

EXCELLENT FOOD but GrubHub stinks. Last night's PICK UP order was originally scheduled for 8:05 -8:15 and then they changed it to 8:10 - 8:20 but it was ready at 7:55.  This is unacceptable for pick up and is 25 early!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Food was cold by the time we got there. And it was NOT the restaurant's fault! The food was wonderful - even cold. Thai Basil Chicken, Pork Larb, Wonton's, spring rolls, and soup are all excellent! This review would be 5 stars if not for GrubHub and the plastic and styrofoam containers they use. Next time I'll call them directly and I would love it if they would go back to using regular old Chinese food boxes. read more

Go to for Take out! So good and quick for take out! Large menu so there are options for everyone and everything I've ever gotten is great!

I tried Ban Bamboo for the first time and I ordered vegetable pad Thai and vegetable dumplings. The pad Thai was a very large portion and had delicious flavor. The vegetable dumplings were topped with dried onions which threw the flavor off a bit and the dumpling was thin so when picked up it crumpled very quickly. Overall I'll definitely come back. read more

Ban Bamboo - Laotian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Ordered on Ubereats and the food came hot hot hot which is a nice surprise for delivery as food is usually just warm. The portions were a good size for the price and each dish had a generous amount of protein in it. We ordered the pad Thai with chicken, drunken noodles with beef, beef satay, mango sticky rice, and papaya salad. All the food was excellent in taste and high quality. The papaya salad was very spicy, too spicy for me but it was still very tasty. If you like a lot of heat, get the papaya salad. The pad Thai was delicious, I would order from here again just to get the pad Thai. The drunken noodles were very tasty as well and had a good amount of heat. The mango sticky rice was a nice sweet treat, but the only complaint I have is that there wasn't much mango that came with it. Overall, would definitely order here again. These people know what they're doing! read more

I ordered Pad Thai and asked for it to be made "very spicy" and was extremely pleased with the spice level! Pretty much every time I have ordered "very spicy" from other restaurants, I have found that the spice level does not meet expectations. Ban Bamboo; however, exceeded my expectations in the best way. The heat was strong and very spicy; I am so pleased! I will definitely be ordering food from here again and look forward to it! read more

I ordered here yesterday and was highly disappointed. This is my first time trying this restaurant and I did so based on the reviews I had read. Big mistake! I ordered pineapple rice, vegetable pad Thai and vegetable spring rolls. Everything tasted and smelled spoiled!!!! I'm not sure how this place is in business. It seems as though they used old vegetables. Needless to say I will no be back read more

So very yummy! Was craving some authentic Lao food but didn't feel like cooking. We ordered from this place before and were happy and wanted to try again. They didn't disappoint! The Lao papaya salad was flavorful, the beef jerky was like what we had as kids, the nam Khao was on point. We're so happy with the food .. it was like we were living at home w our parents again can't wait to order again or even stop in once covid is gone read more

I have a rule that I have to try every new thai place! Overall this one did not disappoint. We ordered delivery and it was definitely delicious! My boyfriend got Massaman curry, I ordered a cashew stir fry, and we shared steamed dumplings. The curry was both of our favorites! My dish while tasty had lackluster flavor and for the first time I wished my food was more spicy. The dumplings were strangely dry? And I couldn't eat more than one. Won't be ordering those again. I think the winner here is the curry! Portions were generous and delivery was fairly quick. We'll have to dine in soon! read more

I've been living in the area for 2 years and I always drive by this place. I decided to give this place a try today. I ordered three items: chicken pad Thai, chicken tom yum soup, and papaya salad. Chicken pad Thai - 6.5/10. I've had a lot of pad Thai from many Thai restaurants and this pad Thai was very underwhelming. The seasoning was lacking, my chicken and tofu was burnt, and there was a weird aftertaste to the whole dish. I really wanted to love this dish but sadly it didn't meet my expectations. Chicken Tom Yom - 6.5/10. This tom yum soup is comparable to the left over tom yum broth after you've finished eating at an AYCE hot pot restaurant. Papaya salad - 7/10. My salad was drenched in fish sauce so I wasn't able to taste any of the fresh papaya salad. I really wanted to love this place because it's so close to my house and I crave Thai food from time to time. But man, what a shame. read more

We love Ban Bamboo! The food is mouthwatering, especially the veggie fresh rolls and curries. My family has only gotten take out so I cannot comment on the dine-in service, but the takeout process is seamless. The value is also unbeatable! read more

REALLY GOOD! Takes a little bit for the food to be ready but it's totally worth it. You can tell everything is homemade using quality ingredients. Very authentic and just great! read more

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Ordered from here a few times and I love their Pad Thai! It's a good portion size, tasty, and arrives quickly - still hot! My friends also got the Sai Krok Isan, which they enjoyed! Portion size wasn't great for a meal for a guy though. Would order again read more

Top notch! We ordered... Pad See Ew, Drunken Noodle, spring rolls, and chicken dumplings! The service is excellent, the food is authentic.. what more can I ask for. Highly recommended. read more

This is our go-to Thai (ok, Thai-Laotian) place in NW Philly. The usual range of curries and noodles each with your choice of the usual proteins, and great appetizers. We particularly like their red curry, and their pad thai -- neither is really unusual, just very good. Appetizers like fish cakes and dumplings always impress. And the mango sticky rice dessert closes the deal for me (though sometimes, in seasons when the mangoes aren't as fresh, it's less than spectacular). Also, the curries are a little thinner than at some other places, but still very flavorful. That why the Big Gal made rice, ya? One small gripe: when they get busy, it can take an hour to get a take out order. Good news: they tell you that when you order and ask if it's ok so you can decide. And they don't BS you about the time, they tell you when to come and it's ready when they say it will be. Still, if you're in a rush on a given night, keep in mind. Very friendly, fair prices, good portions. We keep going back. read more

Wonderful new Thai and Laotian Restaurant to open up in Roxborough. The new owners have definitely turned around this restaurant into some amazing top quality food. Highly recommend coming in and eating here it was absolutely delicious great portions at a great price. read more

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