An amazing meal, from start to finish! I loved the fresh made noodles, spring rolls, egg rolls, pad Thai, and the soup appetizer (can't remember the name but it was a cream base with tomato, mushroom, and more). No complaints at all! read more

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They were very sweet. Lovely place and great service. Flavor wise I don't think it was flavorful enough for my palette. I gave it four stars for the wonderful service. The food wasn't bad it just needed more spices to meet what I like. I had the pad see ew and it was ok. I cleaned my dish I was starving but it was missing the msg in accustomed too. I had the spring rolls or wrap. It was also ok. The dipping sauce was just hoisin sauce but Missing some peanut butter. It was just plain hoisin sauce for dipping. Again I think I'm just used to what I have had. That being said, Their peach margarita was delicious though!! read more

Charming Elephant - Pad See Ew was ok not bad. - Laotian Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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Great place serving food from Lao in Canton! The server helped us pick quite a few things from the menu, and overall everything was good! read more

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This is an unassuming little place on a busy street in Canton. Inside was quiet with low lighting and lots of wooden accents. There weren't any other diners inside when I walked in, so my service was fast and fantastic. My server was also a bartender and was extremely attentive, friendly, and nice. Honestly, I was a little surprised that there weren't more Laotian options on the menu and that there were so many familiar Thai dishes, but I was excited and hungry either way! I ordered the skewered meatballs and pad kaprow. The meatballs tasted nice, but I felt they were a bit hard and had been over cooked or over baked slightly. The pad kaprow was tasty, but wasn't very seasoned. I read a few reviews where they mentioned the food seemed under seasoned and didn't pack a punch like people were expecting, but I also know Americans are notorious for asking for "spicy" and then complaining about how spicy it is after, so maybe that's how Charming Elephant battles that. Despite those critiques, I enjoyed my dinner and would love to update my review with different dishes - and I'll definitely be ordering only Laotian dishes for my next meal read more

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I popped by the Charming Elephant because I happened to be in the neighborhood. I had the most delicious iced coffee (even though the restaurant is Thai, the coffee was decidedly Vietnamese). The food was good, although I didn't have anything that blew me away. We tried quite a few things that seemed more authentic (the savanh jerky, which the menu describes as "glazed beef jerky with sesame seeds," for example) but nothing really hit me as being particularly spicy or flavorful, which is how I've experienced Thai food before in the US and my limited travel to Thailand. That's not to say that this isn't authentic, just that Thailand is a super diverse and incredible country and that maybe this is just representative of an area I've not been to and thus not what I was anticipating. If I lived in the area, this would definitely be a staple in my take-out/dining out repertoire. The service DID blow me away--super attentive and friendly, the staff really made this place feel warm and wonderful and like a place I'd want to go back to. read more

Charming Elephant - Iced coffee in the sun - Laotian Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

So incredibly flavorful! Everything was what you wanted: spicy, sour, umami, and just bursting with herbs and spices. The crispy pork belly and the Khao piak was a perfect lunch for a snowy day. So happy that we've found our new takeout spot. read more

I have been wanting to try this place. I will start with the positive the food was fresh, flavorful, and quick. We got the spring rolls, drunken noodles, kapoon. The spring rolls were ok. But the drunken noodles & kapoon were outstanding. The place was not busy and our server was not really around very much. We had to go to the bar and ask for the check after 15 mins of waiting after we finished food and beverages. They had TVs that were playing some questionable shows that might not be appropriate in a restaurant. I would order carry out in the future as the ambiance was just ok and didn't really add to our experience. read more

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Had a Saturday Lunch here with a friend and her daughter. We had papaya salad, crying tiger steak, and chicken pad krapow. Her daughter ate a side of fries and the fried chicken (6 wings). Honestly it was a bit pricey for what it was but it was delicious and the service was very accommodating of making things for a picky kid. read more

TLDR: Excellent Laotian food, mediocre Thai. Highlights were the Lao sausage, Lao Pho and Savanh Jerky. Don't bother with the drunken noodles or banh mi. Go at happy hour for cheap drinks and apps! Vibe: 4/5. Went on a Thursday night and we were the only table in the entire restaurant. There were several 4 tops and a small bar seating area. Decor is pretty basic with the exception of the large elephant logo painted on a brick wall in the main dining room. Service: 5/5. There was only 1 person working both the bar and restaurant, however he did a fantastic job. Orders were taken quickly and did a great job filling cocktail orders as well as running our food. On top of that, he was also manning any phone orders that came in throughout our entire meal. Talk about efficient multitasking! Food: 4/5. The Laos portion of the menu is what shined the brightest during our meal. This was our first time dining, so our group of 5 ordered almost the entire menu. We ordered fried meatballs, egg rolls, savanh jerky, nahm khao, Lao sausage, Lao banh mi, Lao pho, drunken noodles, pad Thai and green mango sticky rice for dessert. The Lao sausage was by far the best thing on the table. The unique seasoning in the sausage was perfectly balanced, especially when dipped in the spicy jaew bong sauce that accompanied it. The biggest loser unfortunately was the drunken noodles. The noodles were overcooked to the point of disintegrating into the sauce, giving the dish an odd gelatinous texture. read more

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Edited to add--I'm now obsessed with the Lao sausage. You must try!!!! I got delivery and had the eggplant and basil curry with chicken as well as the sausage. I definitely enjoyed the sausage more with the mint and cilantro red sauce that came with it. Very unique. The curry was missing something. Couldn't put my finger on it but it was just okay. I would consider returning to try some of the other offerings. read more

Charming Elephant - Basil and Eggplant Curry - Laotian Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

The reviews for this place are amazing, so I was really excited to come here. After we ate, I was bummed to not have an experience similar to other reviewers. Maybe it was an off night? We came in on a Saturday around 7, and only 2 other groups were inside. It's a cute spot with some fun flowers on the wall. Our server was very kind and attentive. We tried: Kua Mee--kind of like a sweet noodle stir-fry, really enjoyed the concept but thought more could be done on execution as it ate fairly one dimensional. Sinh Lod--this is the jerky with the sweet glaze. We tried to find a way to describe it and could only come up with "bbq". It was worth a try for something new. Pad See Ew--standard, my friend ordered is spicy so I couldn't eat much. read more

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This place did not disappoint! Came here a few days ago and I still think about the Lao sausage paired with the jeow sauce, yum! It's what the Gen Z would say, "BUSSIN'!" Definitely was my favorite dish. Sticky rice was a little hard tho. Pad Thai and egg rolls were great, but the papaya salad - exceptional! It was so refreshing, even with the fish sauce base. Would love to try the jerky next! Service was on point and food came out fast! Would probably do takeout tho because I hate parallel parking ;) read more

Charming Elephant - Pad Thai, Lao Sausage, Sticky Rice and Dip, Papaya Salad, Egg Rolls - Laotian Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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Kind staff, delicious food (though I prefer the traditional Thai/laotian flavors but I get that they probably have to Americanize it for Baltimore). Very clean and colorful. read more

Have passed this spot a few times and finally had a chance to try them out. First time trying Loatian so we weren't sure what to order-pictures and descriptions saved the day! You walk into the bar area which has a couple of tables and the main dining area has plenty of space between tables. We picked up in the afternoon so it was quite. Started with some appetizers which were great for sharing. Nam Khao (Crispy Rice Salad)-crunchy from the rice and salty from the sausage with the lettuce balancing it out-excellent! Fried Meatballs-tasted more like beef than pork & they were okay-come sliced in half so you get 4-5. Egg Rolls-lightly fried with a good amount of veggies/pork -excellent with their dipping sauce. Street food- Lao Sausage with Jae Bong-like no other sausage we've tasted. Distinct and complex flavors (lime, garlic to name a few) Perfect with the sweet/savory dipping sauce and sticky rice! Basil & Eggplant Curry (with Chicken)-this one was a revelation. Rich curry flavors paired with Jasmine rice and tasted even better the next day-must try! Laap Sein-we ordered this one "spicy" and when they say spicy believe them. Minced meat with a sneak up heat flavor with the lettuce wrap and cucumbers to cool/balance it out-loved it! Noodles- The Drunken Noodles (with Shrimp) were just right spicy and some of the best we've ever had. Pickup was seamless and our order was ready on time. What a find! Don't miss this Boston St. gem! read more

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Ate dinner with my friend at Charming Elephant. I am so happy to find another woman owned business in Baltimore. The restaurant is large and is decorated with a feeling that you are in Laos. Our server Dylan was amazing. He was engaging, patient and answered all of our questions. He was dressed in traditional Laotian clothing. This is the first time my friend had Laotian food. I had Laotian food in DC awhile ago and the menu was very different. We asked Dylan what he recommended on the menu. We started with drinks. I had the butterfly pea flower margarita and my friend had the lychee mojito. We started with the papaya salad as an appetizer. Dylan asked us what spice level and recommended medium. I've had papaya salad at a Thai restaurant but learned a few things by talking to Dylan. The papaya salad was amazing. My friend enjoyed the spiciness of the salad. I can't eat too much spice but thought the salad was full of flavor. We also ordered the La Goo, which is the beef stew, Lao sausage, Kua mee which is the noodle dish. The Lao sausage came with sticky rice and Dylan explained to us how to eat it. You take the rice and roll it in your hands and then take the sausage, put it on top of the rice and dip it in the sauce. The Lao sausage was phenomenal and Dylan mentioned that it was his father's recipe. All of the food we ordered was amazing and had leftovers to take home. We saved room for dessert and I ordered the butterfly pea flower mango sticky rice and my friend ordered the green mango sticky rice. I pretty much inhaled mine, it was so good! If you have never had Laotian food, I highly recommend that you check out Charming Elephant. They have an extensive menu and happy hour and I am pretty sure you can't go wrong with anything on the menu. I was happy that my friend and I are adventurous, enjoy trying new restaurants and ethnic food and that we picked this restaurant to dine. read more

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So glad I finally made a trip to Charming Elephant . Went in for Sunday dinner . It was quiet . I hope this place gets busier and sticks around . We need more Asian food in this city . We started off with the egg rolls and garden wrap rolls . They were both delicious . The garden wrap was super fresh . The egg rolls were good too . Bit of a different flavor but still very tasty . For dinner, my fiancé got the Laap Sein . It was good! I think my eggplant curry beat the laap sein out of the water though . The curry is a must try. My fiancé even liked my plate better than his own ! His came with sticky rice which he wasn't a big fan of because he's not use to that so if you aren't either I would sub it for regular white rice . I didn't mind it because I love sticky rice and use to that being from an Asian background ! But the curry was to die for . Best curry in Baltimore city for sure . Had a very unique flavor to it! I also got the Thai tea which was very tasty as well :) The only thing that was a letdown is that they promote the 4-7 happy hour on their social media / menu, however when we got there - there was no bartender and my fiancé was looking forward to that :( . They also had no Laos beer in stock so we ended Im having a coors light . This didn't break the experience for us though- the food was still so delicious ! read more

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What a lovely restaurant in Canton. The food is excellent. We tried the Lao Sausage Banh Mi, Chicken Wings, and Fried Pork Belly pad kapow. Every item was so flavorful and cooked to perfection. The restaurant is very cozy and the seating was spaced out so we were able to enjoy an intimate meal. Lastly, the service was excellent. Shout out to Scarlett! This was my first time over here so if this is your first time visiting, the only issue you might have is trying to find parking. read more

Charming Elephant - Perfume of Fairies - Laotian Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Absolutely obsessed!! Came to Baltimore for the first time to visit a good friend and she brought me here. We got the Lao sausage with sticky rice and dip, Moo grob (crispy pork belly), pad Thai, and Tom yum soup. The Lao sausage was really nicely flavored, lots of seasoning and spices mixed in to the meat. It paired really well with the rice and dip. However my friend noted that she liked the Lao sausage with the moo grob dip better. Moo grob was amazingly good. Think of the crispiest pork belly you've had. This is crispier. I've never had a more crispy or better seasoned pork belly. It was nicely flavored yet there was never an issue with fat dripping because it's soooo crispy. You honestly don't even need the dip because it's so good by itself but the dip adds a nice elevation to the taste. It's slightly sweet but light - complements the pork belly nicely. The pad Thai had a light flavor. Most places that have pad Thai serve a really sweet dish. This one was not extremely sweet. It was slightly sweet and also had a slight vinegar taste. Very refreshing! The Tom yum is what I was excited about. I'm a soup person, I always love soup and this one did not disappoint. It was so nicely spiced, and not overly sour like I've had at other places. I was immediately obsessed. So much so that I made my friend come back the next day so I could get more. I'm still thinking about it. This is definitely a favorite spot of mine, and every time I am in the area I will be sure to visit. read more

Charming Elephant - Left to right: Lao Sausage, Sticky Rice and Dip | Moo Grob (FRIED PORK BELLY) | Pad Thai Front: Tom yum - Laotian Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

I love Lao food and am so excited that Baltimore finally has one! Walking into the restaurant, I was so excited about the yummy smells coming from the restaurant! The nahm khao appetizer was delicious and huge. The lettuce wraps were refreshing and super flavorful. I could eat that all day! I also got some of the ribs that were on the menu while I was there. Super yummy ribs and the portion was generous! I can't wait to try more here! read more

Charming Elephant - Spare Grilled Ribs - Laotian Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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This is such a hidden gem!! I've never had Laotian food before and this blew me away. We tried a a bunch of things for restaurant week. Flavor was incredible. The service is impeccable- everyone kept checking in on us. Huge portions with a lot of leftovers to eat - couldn't even wait for lunch, ate them for breakfast! Will definitely be going back! read more

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The food was delicious until I noticed a fly in my soup! The customer service was awful, they did not even come over and ask me did I want more water! I should have not paid for my entire meal! They just took the soup off! Please don't go to this place! I fly in my soup, glad I noticed it. We paid for our food!!! As you can see the business owner saying the customer is lying, I showed the waitress the fly. That why she took it off thd check, not sure where the fly came from but it was in my soup! We left the other food on table after we paid, and the water was not full she never came back! I paid for my order and I will not be returning! read more

If you're in Baltimore stop by this place !! This place is so cute inside and the FOOD WAS SO GOOD. we ordered the lemongrass sausage, the larb, the crispy pork, tum yum soup and more ! I will definitely be back here :) read more

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I would give this place 3 stars for food, but 5 stars for service! i came here w my friend on a Friday night and it was not packed at all! they have happy hour from 4-7 everyday so we went at about 6 and were the only ones there for a bit until a few others came in later. the waitress was extremely nice and patient and came to check on us a few times. we ordered the fried chicken wings from the happy hour menu, which were pretty good! had a good flavor and the meat was juicy. we also ordered thai tea shots which were v unique and although they didn't taste too much like thai tea (bc the fireball overpowered the drink) they were still sweet and fun to drink! our main dishes were p disappointing tho. I ordered the khao piek which did not come w meatballs (as stated in the menu), the chicken was dry, and the broth was v bland. I don't think it was horrible, but not something I would order again. my friend ordered the drunken noodles with chicken and gave it a 7.5/10 overall, we liked the ambiance and would probably come back for their apps and drinks! read more

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Lao food right in Baltimore, how special! It was my first time trying Lao food and it was fun to learn about all the new dishes (their Instagram does a good job of teaching the public about their dishes). We got the kapoon (red curry w vermicelli noodles) and Lao sausage. The sausage was nothing like what we had before- in a good way! It was herb/seasoning forward and paired well with the tomato based sauce (jaew mak lin). The egg roll tasted like crispy goodness. They were nice enough to give us a free plate of meatballs, which ended up being my favorite! Portions of the food was good here. Our waiter was personable and friendly. They also have a really cute hand painted mural for pictures. Street parking can be hard to find. We were there right when they opened and were lucky enough to snag parking right out front. A point off because I did find it slightly expensive for the quantity of food. But I would honestly come back for the uniqueness. read more

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by far my favorite Laotian restaurant in the DMV. and even better, THE FIRST IN BALTIMORE! it's family-owned, provides friendly-service and of course, great food. my favorite are the Lao Pho and Laap Fried Chicken for more, follow @mealwithmj on IG! read more

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I ordered the basil eggplant curry, and I was pretty disappointed. First off the portion was extremely small & second the taste was really bland. I specifically said "mild" and the only thing that it was, was spicy. The eggplant portion was extremely small and it honestly was just an extreme amount of curry with some tofu and red and green pepper. There was no basil and it wasn't a typical dish. Not well prepared and not happy. read more

I have religiously been eating food from Charming Elephant for two years. Their food is unique, flavorful, and satisfying. This place is consistently great. Some of my favorites on their menu are the Lao sausage, lab gai, shrimp egg rolls, savanh jerky, and the grilled pork ribs. You can't go with anything on the menu! read more

Well I had very high hopes for this establishment but it went downhill very quickly. My daughter and I arrived this evening for a quick bite to eat. I've been hearing about this place for a while now and was eager to experience it. Our waitress Vanessa greeted us immediately when we arrived which was a plus. She started off being very polite and attentive but that was short lived. We immediately gave Vanessa our orders and thought we were good to go. Unbeknownst to us she seems to have short term memory loss. We ordered Tom Kai with rice noodles, Lao chicken fried rice, Savanh jerky, shrimp egg rolls and the crying tiger steak with a passion fruit margarita. Needless to say only partial of our order was received! The Tom Kai showed up without the requested noodles, Lao fried rice without the chicken and most importantly I NEVER received my entree which was the crying tiger steak. We brushed off the noodles being missed from the Tom Kai but we immediately brought up that not only was that missing my entire meal was missing. Vanessa nonchalantly said oops I forgot and that was it. She didn't offer any alternative to fix her error. Needless to say I ended up leaving and had to go to another establishment to fill my belly. We will not be returning. read more

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Service was quite lovely and attentive. For food, the restaurant had a wide variety of selection. Ambiance was cute and collective. Try it out sometime :) read more

Charming Elephant - My lady and the waitress - Laotian Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Quick visit into the city I wanted to dine at a "mom-pops non-chain-non-traditional American" sit down. Yelp popped this on my radar just a few miles from my downtown location-in and in the Canton area Street parking-it was a Sunday late afternoon and I got lucky to park-free, less than half block away Quaint location, one could easily pass by and not notice it "squeezed between" two other businesses. Walked in, two patrons at the bar (entrance) and a group of 3 departing from the sit-down restaurant side on the right. Looks to seat about 40, comfortably set apart. By the time I settled in, I was the lone person seated in the area. The waitress came immediately and was very helpful with explaining the Tao menu-tradition, and the barkeep even came round to assist. (Oops. I thought I finished this review months ago and didn't) I don't recall the details anymore But I can say that it was a great experience, I enjoyed the food, the atmosphere was homey and welcoming and I recommend! Will return!! read more

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Refreshing yet filling Laotian food with a Yelp check-in freebie? Say Laos. I went to Charming Elephant in Canton on a rainy Saturday on an empty stomach and enjoyed some Southeast Asian cuisine with friends. We were seated immediately with no reservations, and the restaurant hovered around half full. With a bar on one end of the converted double rowhouse, a Kpop Youtube playlist blasting, and colorful murals on the exposed brick, the spacious restaurant was open and inviting. I didn't know beforehand, but once I checked in, I received a coupon for a free Thai tea for immediate use. So, let this be your reminder to check in everywhere you go! Besides tea, I ordered Tom Khem, a bowl of braised porkbelly in broth with a boiled egg with steamed rice. I'm not normally a soup girly, but this dish was so warm and tasty, I'm drooling just thinking about it! My friends enjoyed a Lao Porkbelly Banh Mi with colorful shrimp chips, and Lao Sausage and Goi Pa, which was a cooked tilapia salad. This was my first time trying Laotian food, and I'm a big fan! read more

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So to begin getting to the restaurant is easy. However, parking was a little confusing. Ended up parking around the corner. The restaurant itself is in a nice area but the route there is in an up and coming type of neighborhood. Entering the store the man at the counter and the waitress were super friendly when I came in to pick up my order. I also ordered a Thai iced coffee which was good. For food, I wanted to try a little bit of a few things since I recently relocated to the east coast and have been on the hunt for authentic Lao food. I ordered: Lao sausage with jeow mak Len and jeow bong, Khao poon, papaya salad Lao spicy(next time I'll ask for extra spicy), and khao piak. Overall, I give the food rating a 4/5. Individually, I'd say the papaya salad was a 4/5, it wasn't as spicy as I thought it would be but the taste was good. The Lao sausage was also a 4/5, had a small kick to it. However, it was a very little amount for $15. Khao piak was good, I enjoyed it the most. The khao poon was a bit sweeter than I imagined and definitely different than how my family makes it(3/5). Just didn't hit the mark for me personally. Nonetheless, it all satisfied my cravings. Would definitely come back when I'm in the area to try a few other of their items. Side note: I read a lot of people comparing this Lao restaurant to Thai food/restaurants. Although, Thai and Laos are similar there are definitely some difference within our foods. Lao papaya salad is made with fermented fish sauce, while Thai style is just made with regular fish sauce and is more sour. So Lao style papaya salad is definitely a bit stronger in the fishy taste sense. Some may say a bit "funky" but in a good way. If you aren't adapted to it, it may throw you for a loop. I am Lao, so I personally love the taste. However, if you aren't a fan. Try asking for Thai style. Try coming here with an open mind in the taste aspect rather than thinking of it as just Thai food. read more

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I came here for lunch on a Friday afternoon. I already had lunch earlier so I was looking for snack break during the long drive back to NYC. We ordered the papaya salad and the mango sticky rice dessert. The papaya salad was fresh and different from a typical Thai papaya salad. There were pork rinds and dried shrimp. The fish sauce was strong and even though we ordered mild, it was still pretty spicy. I like how there's various levels: mild, medium, hot, and Laotian hot haha. The mango was ripe and sweet. The sticky rice was super hot which made it very difficult to eat. It wasn't too sweet though. Service was fast and friendly. I would come back to try other dishes if I'm ever back in Baltimore. read more

Charming Elephant - Papaya Salad - Laotian Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Food are sweet :/ I was little disappointed. I was hoping that is going to be very authentic but it doesn't. However the sausage one very good, great spice feel authentic-Great job. Papaya salad-sweet not authentic. Sin tod(deep fry beef jerky) sweet but alright (8/10) Sticky rice kinda dry. Since it is one look good in 2 miles radius, when you order just tell them not sweet, do not put sugar in papaya salad. I love their service. I grade from what I order, they might do other dish that tasty. read more

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Lao food in Baltimore! Authentic and nice location! Full menu and full bar! Great for gatherings and date night! Staff is nice and friendly! They have Khao poon (curry noodle soup) to pho. But the Thum mak Hoong is fire with sticky rice and meats! Don't forget to get it spicy and the Laap! ProTip and fun fact: Baltimore has a huge Laotian community. Just tell the staff you want the food Lao Style to get authentic food! read more

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Came for happy hour and had boba and apps. It's a cute restaurant and boba was good. Beef jerky was ok. It tasted as if it was deep fried which made it too oily for my taste. My husband enjoyed it. The bathroom is why I took one star off. The door was higher than the toilet. When you sit down it feels as if everyone outside can see (see photo). read more

Charming Elephant - Spiked boba - Laotian Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

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Had a great dinner and great service. We enjoyed the pad see ew, kapoon, drunken noodles, papaya salad, egg rolls, pad thai, Laad and everything was delicious. Medium spicy is just right. Papaya salad was very spicy but so good so drink that water. The decorations are really cute. read more

Charming Elephant - Laotian Near Me - Baltimore, Maryland

Yummy, interesting food and great cocktails. Can't wait to go back and try more of the menu.

Food is overall really good! Last week, I dined in and I was impressed by the excellent service and the food comes out so fast. The Pad Thai and garden wrap app were both very good. The Drunken Noodle flavor was pretty good, but the noodles were extremely large and not the chewy texture I usually prefer. Tonight, I did take out. I enjoyed my food as usual, but my biggest criticism are the noodles in the noodle soup were a little more soggy than I would have liked. I think this is due to the noodles and broth being combined during transit and not separated, allowing them to overcook. Overall, I really enjoy this restaurant and I am glad to have a Laoatian restaurant so close to where I live. I will be back and would recommend others to give this restaurant a try! read more

ordered via uber eats! crab ragoon is NOT crab it carrotts and cream cheese and some other weird stuff. ordered pad thai that came dry and with raw chicken. read more