I haven't been to this place since it nearly first opened, but I need to change my review to a 5 star because it knocked everything out of the park. At first, the menu was a bit limited and didn't have Lao staples like jeow som! But their menu has improved a LOT with great bar food versions of Lao dishes. You can't go wrong here with whatever you order (and thank god they kept that Lao hotdog lol), but there are some things you MUST get. It is VERY hard to get nam khao in Austin, but although there is no competition in the area, they still do it right here. It is SO good, perfect crunch, and finally has enough lime! It fixed that craving for me RIGHT up. Good crunchy peanuts and everything. They had a khao piak special as well. Normally I wouldn't really order khao piak because it's such a homey, easy-to-make meal in theory. But for some reason, I can't make it the same way as how they did it here. It was my favorite thing I tried last night. The fried chicken skin was an amazing addition that you'll end up fighting your friends for. Their tam mak hoong is also so legit. 17 chilis to make it, and you know they thum that papaya! The tomatoes were great for a sweeter bite. Although I'm pretty bad with spice, it wasn't the hottest I've ever had, which might be a bit more palatable for others. However, you can customize the level which is really nice for a place that makes smaller portioned food as a bar spot. The place feels like family and I enjoyed seeing such a diverse customer base come in. If you also wanna hear from good Thai music too... perk up LOL! read more

Everything here except the ceviche was delicious. Food: Ceviche - a lil fishy for us Mango sticky rice - delicious Steak skewer - delicious Fried rice - delicious Spring rolls - delicious Crispy prawns - delicious Chicken wings - good read more

Lao’d Bar - Mango sticky rice - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Austin, Texas

I'm always looking for new places to take my car club peeps. Set up the event; on that day horrible traffic on the east side due to the F1 race. Finally arrived to find friends waiting. AND, I blanked they opened up at noon. We're standing in the parking lot at 11am. We hopped in our cars and headed east for some curves. Drove to the outskirts of Bastrop; headed up 71 and cut back over to 969. Perfect diversion to make up the time. Now we're all here and headed into the counter to order. Friendly staff and food came out quickly. I've now literally ordered half the menu. We start off with the pork skins; first time for me if I remember correctly. Good bites and well priced. Next, wonton chips with salsa. Calling a foul here because there wasn't enough sauce provided. Need something bigger that what was provided. Hmmm, even the fried spring rolls were kinda tiny. Bao buns were excellent as was the ceviche served in a half coconut. GF had the chicken wings naked. I did taste one of the hotter sauces on the side and it might be a go to option on the next visit. Peeps now killing the pork skins. FInally, the Lahb or Larb if you're having Thai food. This was a nice dish. Ground chicken, onion, greens, and lime. Ended up using the wonton chips (when the salsa ran out) to make a nacho of sorts. Would love to see some small fixes which could result in a top rating. read more

See all

It's good Laotian food, but it didn't blow me away. I'll come back to try out more items though. I think NY times hyped this place up too much. It's quite empty on a Friday evening. read more

See all

Love Lao'd Bar! Been my go-to place for Lao food when I don't feel like making it myself. The nam khao is one of my favorites, ribeye skewers, mango sticky rice and Laotian sausage. He makes his own fried pork skin and it tastes great with the jeows (salsas) he has. The tropical sambal will be the spiciest he has. Staff are always friendly and service is quick. The bar has garage doors that'll prop open on nice weather days, or air conditioned room on hotter days. This spot is tucked right in front of the Sign Bar. read more

See all

Got chicken wings, papaya salad and lettuce wraps. Everything was delicious. Ordered the medium spice papaya salad and it was pretty spicy. I like a good amount of spice but the hot would've been hard. Just one person working at the bar. A couple tables and a little bar, small place. Looks like they have garage style doors that can be opened in nice weather. read more

I was excited to visit Lao'd Bar and try Laotian food for the first time. The restaurant is nicely decorated making for a pleasant ambience. I didn't realize it is fast casual / counter service, but the staff were helpful and attentive. They had some unique menu items including a Laotian beer which I enjoyed, but was disappointed to see that they didn't have too many traditional authentic dishes. It was very much a fusion forward menu. We ordered the crispy fried rice, smash burger and pork bao bun to share. All items were flavorful and tasty. We enjoyed everything during our dining experience but later that night I was hit with the worst heartburn I've had in years, which I believe is due to the acidity of a vinegar style sauce used, so be wary of that! read more

See all

We went to Lao'd bar for my husband's birthday after he saw it on the NYT top asian restaurants list, and it didn't disappoint! I love the vibe inside, it's fairly small but has a real family-cooking feel to it. The decor is fun, the staff were all super pleasant, and we got a (delicious) surprise birthday dessert! Ordering at the counter was a little different, but the staff were awesome and brought us our drinks even after saying that we should pick them up ourselves. My only small complaint is they were out of a lot of items; I don't know if they are still getting the hang of a brick-and-mortar place or if this is going to be the norm, but next time I'd go for lunch to make sure I get to try items I missed out on this time! The food! We went at 7pm on a Sunday and there were a good number of menu items that were sold out, but I think we tried almost everything that was available lol! I'd love to come back and try some of the sold out items, especially the Lahbs. Coconut Escolar Ceviche- It is on the expensive side for 5-6 pieces of fish, but it was delicious and fun to share. I poured the extra juice and onions on some rice and enjoyed every bit of it! We even snacked on some of the coconut. Lao Sausage/Lao'd Dogg- A very unique sausage that reminds me a lot of Filipino longanisa; it is vinegary and delicious and I really enjoyed both the sausage by itself and as a hot dog (which had a lovely soft bun). Nam Khao/Crispy Fried Rice- This one was a table favorite; flavor is on point and the crunchy bites of rice are super fun and tasty. We eat a lot of Persian tadig so this was a fun comparison! Pork Bao Bun - This bun is chock full of tender juicy pork, definitely recommend. I find bao buns to be pretty bland, so having lots of filling is essential for me and this one hit the spot. Waterfall Ribeye Lahb- Delicious, tender, juicy, great over white rice. The sauce was fresh and tasty, overall not super spicy but I did get some spicy bites of pepper in there. Great to share with the table. Ribeye Steak Skewer- The ribeye was juicy and tender and I enjoyed their unique take on bbq sauce. A small snack especially if shared but I'd get it again. Fried Chicken Wings with Caramel Fish Sauce- Super juicy chicken, some massive drumsticks included, and we really enjoyed the Carmel Fish Sauce. It is definitely salty and fishy, but with a big bite of chicken it's on point. It was great to share but might be a little overwhelming if you were eating all the wings yourself. Surprise Birthday Dessert! The chef brought out a coconut ice with some sort of crispy cookie in it- apparently you cannot order this dessert; it's exclusively for birthday guests lol! It was super tasty, sweet and refreshing and coconutty! I'd order it again if I could, and this made up for them being sold out of mango sticky rice :( The drinks- we tried several of the cocktails, just be aware most of them (except the ranch water) come in a short glass, several without ice. If you are looking for a cocktail that will last a little longer the options are limited. Nam Kham - very good but it comes in a little cup with no ice so it's almost more of a sipping shot than a cocktail! OOO-Bae frozen- very spiced, like others have said it has kind of a horchata vibe. Fun but I don't know that I would drink an entire one myself. There is plenty of parking, and its right next to the Sign Bar so you could bar hop to another cool place if you weren't in a food coma at the end like we were. Food is a bit pricey, but we ended up spending about $65/person which isn't wild for a lot of great food and 2 drinks each. No flies when we were there! read more

Lao’d Bar - Surprise dessert with sparkler! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Austin, Texas

See all

I had this on my list for a while to try and I finally made it out there. The ambience is really cool and surprisingly casual with Laotian decor, and the servers were mostly friendly. One thing to note is that the portions are more like bar food, so we had to order many things to make it a meal, making it quite pricy. Drinks: we had the Miso Lao-d Old Fashioned and Guava-lanche frozen. Both were good. Food: we had the shrimp lahb with rice, taro frites, coconut ceviche escolar, lao'd dogg, and mee ka tee noods. The shrimp lahb and ceviche were the highlights with the former being a flavor explosion with tang and spice and the latter coming in a delicious sweet but tangy coconut broth. However, the escolar only had 6 pieces of fish and I was hoping to eat the coconut meat too but it was too hard. The lao'd dogg was decent and the noods (and side of rice) were basically a necessity to make it more substantial, but the noodles tasted very similar to Thai noodles. The taro frites was the most disappointing and basically seemed like a topping rather than a side though the dipping sauce was good. I would recommend skipping that. Overall, it was an interesting experience to try and check out the sign bar next door but I wouldn't go out of my way to go again. Our bill ended up being over $100 for just two people and it's quite out of the way with nothing else around it. read more

See all

Sadly it's been almost a year since I've been back, but they're still just as Good & Lao'd as I remember. Tonight they hosted the Lao New Year Night Market which had a bunch of local Asian vendors. Lots of people were in attendance, but we were able to try a few different bites and the vibes strong (like their cocktails). Definitely order their wings with a few sauces on the side and grab one of their frozen drinks like the Ube. read more

See all

Really disappointing experience. From the moment we walked in, the staff was rude and short with us because their printer wasn't working. We were understanding about the technical issue, but it felt like their frustration was taken out on customers. After ordering, we waited about 35 minutes for our food only to realize that half of our order had been missed entirely. When we brought it up, we were told it would be another 20 minutes to make the missing items. At that point, after already waiting so long, we decided to leave. Mistakes happen, especially during busy times, but the poor attitude, long wait, and lack of urgency to fix the issue made for a really frustrating experience. read more

THE BIG: Located in far east Austin, in the same plot as Sign Bar. Plenty of parking in the lot and backfill. THE BLACK AND WHITE: I came here with a foodie friend to catch up and I'm glad we did. It was pretty cold outside and initially the main dining area didn't have heating, therefore they had to bring in an outside heater. Service is pay at the front and they'll bring out your dishes afterwards. We got the crackling lettuce rice, steak skewer, lao'd burger, lao hot dog, bone-in chicken curry, and grilled shrimp. Favorite bite were the lao'd burger that had a nice pork flavor. Second favorite bite was the crackling lettuce rice. THE FINAL BAMBOO: Overall for 4 appetizers and 2 entrees, the cost turned out to be around $80. Decent pricing and great flavors. read more

See all

Hot Sunday noon! Came with family but they were about 10 minutes late to opening. Had to try a lot as this place was voted as top five new place to go. 1 in Houston. 1 in San Antonio and 2 in Austin. Not sure if it's a hype but the food was good! Tried the pork bao, pork rinds, fried wonton wrap (the sauce made the difference), the ribeye, and a lot more. The place was hot the ac didn't do it for the crowd. This place is popular. I tried the oobae and it was good! I have to try it again when it's cooler maybe my perception would be better. Not too pricey. Small portions. read more

See all

This place had been on my list for a bit, and I'm glad I finally got to make it out. It's a cute spot that's worth going 15 minutes outside the city, and makes for a great date. The atmosphere was vibrant and nice but casual, with counter service and outdoor seating. The food is interesting and unique, with there not being many Laotian spots around. We got the taro frites, ceviche, skewers, and laub, along with the ube and basil drinks. Everything was quite good, really. I'd say the ube drink was actually a highlight, and would weirdly be the thing having me craving coming back. Its location next to the sign bar completes its ability to serve as a full evening experience. I'll definitely be keeping it in mind moving forward as a solid date spot. read more

Lao’d Bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Austin, Texas

See all

Came back to Lao'd for dinner over the weekend. We opted for smashburgers and the crispy fried rice - which was featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. The smashburgers were great, but the crispy rice certainly stole the show. Very very good! I can see why Guy Fieri said it was the best on the planet. Can't wait to come back and try more dishes!! read more

See all

I was not expecting anything from this place was just very hungry and not feeling the taco truck next door but it was 100/10 the burger is so delicious and the ceviche too! Definitely coming back Service was very good the girl was very nice they play soft music and clean place read more

Lao’d Bar - Ceviche - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Austin, Texas

See all

The crispy rice...oh the crispy rice...what a treat. Good service and friendly people. Love it. Will have to go back again.

Great food for a great price and location! Sticky rice and mango was finger licking. Highly recommend

Lao'd Bar impresses every visit! I usually start with the Guava Lanche (frozen cocktail) regardless of if it's cold or hot outside! Then definitely order the coconut escolar ceviche. It's next level good! Take the coconut shell home and dig into that coconut meat in your personal kitchen (it's messy but so good)! We love the chicken lahb, crispy rice, Lao'd Dogg, ribeye lahb, fried chicken wings and Ava room for the mango sticky rice, but honestly you can't go wrong with whatever you order. Our last visit, Chef Bob made a special noodle soup and it was out of this world and perfect for the chilly weather. He handmakes his noodles and they're a labor of love, so try it! Service is always great. Staff are attentive. You order at the counter but they'll bring the food out to you. The restaurant is gorgeous and reminds me of being somewhere tropical! They added AC indoors in the summer so you don't need to worry about eating in the hot summer air anymore. And they have heaters for the chilly nights and you can enjoy a frozen drink under a heater on the outdoor patio like me! lol! read more

See all

Restaurant is surprisingly pleasant with fun decor and a low-key vibe. We ordered at the counter, and food was then served to us. We were getting antsy waiting for our food. The kind waiter noticed we had been waiting some time - and checked on our food. While the kitchen had forgotten to make our order they were very apologetic and gave us another dish to make up for it. We split the coconut dish and the meat as well as the spicy papaya salad. All were complex flavors that were surprisingly tasty. We finished with the ube drink for dessert. The waitress was very kind and welcoming. I would definitely return to try more dishes! read more

So delicious! It was my first time trying Laotian food and I was pleasantly surprised. I saw this off of Yelp and really liked the interior and how it's an open air countertop and table area. They are relatively new as they opened six months ago. With the weather being cooler, it's a perfect time to have some drinks and food. I was worried that the food would be really small like regular bar appetizers and snacks, but no. The classics we got were really filling! Nam Khao is delicious and has a sour flavor. Lahb (chicken) has a little kick and pairs wonderfully with rice ($2 more). I had a great time here! Can't wait to go back and try more P.S. they are next to Sign Bar read more

See all

Great little bar with some amazing Lao food. I tried the Ribeye Steak Skewer, the Spring Rolls, and the Sticky Rice read more

Lao’d Bar - Ribeye Steak Skewer, Spring Rolls, and Sticky Rice - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Austin, Texas

My dining experience at Lao'd Bar was definitely memorable. We were promptly greeted and grabbed seats at the bar. The cocktail choices were a bit more adventurous than my boyfriend and I are used to, but the owners were so friendly and patient and provided the best recommendations. They made it feel like an intimate guided dining experience and ultimately made our date night very special. The spring rolls were superb, great flavors and not greasy at all. The crispy fried rice was the best I've had and their cured beef nam is to die for (think of spam but a million times tastier). The grilled rib eye melted in my mouth and had a hint of spice that complemented the whole meal. Last but not least, I must mention the smoked pulled pork inside the bao bun. I am not a huge fan of pork, but my boyfriend wanted to try it. The texture of the pork blew my mind. The level of skill required to cook the pork slowly for the meet to be tender and fall apart while still getting a crispy texture and use some of the skin of the pork for extra flavor is a force to reckon with. If you want a five star dining experience at a very affordable price point, look no more. read more

See all

The food and drinks were really good. I'd come back just for the rice and ube drink but also want to try more on the menu. What I would not order again and what they should remove or modify are the pork rinds ($6). I thought these would be unique or small bite size but it was what you'd get from a bag and nothing special. They were good but wouldn't order again. It's also a lot for just one person. More for like 3 people to snack on with drinks if anything. Service was not great at all and a bit of a mess. When my friend and I arrived there were two other tables and it took a while before we got our drinks and before they even remembered to take my order. Once the food came, I was happy. Again, if anything just try the rice and ube drink. Sooo good. read more

Lao’d Bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Austin, Texas

Pretty good food but service could have been a bit more friendly. We also didn't get one our dishes even after waiting for an hour! We ended up just leaving. The ceviche should have been one of the first dishes out. Portion sizes are also very small for the cost read more

It was my first time ever trying Lao Food and although at first i was a bit skeptical but they did not disappoint. This place has a super cute boho atmosphere and it was packed on Saturday night. It's order at bar get your number kind of a spot. Nothing fancy or bouji. The workers were all very nice and attentive. I was limited on what i could eat because I'm 8 months pregnant but whatever we ordered was amazing. My girlfriends absolutely loved the coconut ceviche (i wish i could have tried it ) The angus beef skewer was cooked to perfect, not chewy, not undercooked, just perfect. The fried rice was amazing as well that was my Favorite dish. The spring rolls were good crunchy and flavorful. The taro fries were great, you don't even feel like you're eating anything. Drinks: i got the basil frizz and was so refreshing, and my girlfriends tried the frozen cucumber margaritas and they really enjoyed it. Overall, if I'm ever in the area i will for sure go back and try other menu item . read more

See all

Honestly, a really cool vibe and presentation of food, but not the greatest food experience. They had run out of the original menu item we were going to order (despite it being a slow night), and when we decided to stick around and order two different items it took a while (again despite being a slow night) and ultimately, it wasn't that great. It's quite possible the food itself wasn't palatable to our taste buds. Sausage seemed like it came out of a package and was warmed up, and the ribeye skewer was dry. Again, the ambiance was welcoming and relaxing, and the staff was very nice. read more

Lao’d Bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Austin, Texas

The location is near sign bar. It's very cute and the decorations are lovely. The portion sizes are a little small for what you pay for, but the food is tasty. I got the nam khao, which was good but I wish there was a bit more meat in it. I also liked the ribeye steak skewer. My friend got the lao'd smash burger and she liked it. I would come again for the ambience and for a few light snacks! read more

See all

The NYT gave high praise https://austin.culturemap.com/news/restaurants-bars/nytimes-2025-best-restaurants-laod/ So we went. I have no idea why they got such a distinctive nod from the NYT other than someone knows someone at the paper. Sure the food was good. The kitchen is a food truck parked out back of the dine in restaurant experience, no biggie. But the dine in restaurant experience is a food truck. Paper plates and plastic ware. Meh ambiance. If you're into $14 IPA's and tiny cocktails and not getting all of your order even after multiple tries, this is your place. read more

I came in on a Sunday for a midday brunch with a girlfriend! This place has an open, casual patio concept with a couple of fans to keep you relatively comfortable during hot summer days. The kitchen prepares everything at the counter and brings it to the table when it is ready. So be prepared to order everything you want once you get to the counter. You have to remember that you are next to a bar so I think for "bar food" this is a great option to have in the area. We ordered several different dishes to try out the different flavors that Laos cuisine has to offer. Our meal started with Fried Spring Rolls with a delicious sweet/spicy fish sauce on the side. Crudo came out in a coconut accompanied with chicken Lahb. I've had Lahb at Thai restaurants, and this version is quite different but has a lot of citrus flavor with a slight spice, nothing too crazy. The flavors in the Crudo were probably my favorite. The decent-sized pieces of white fish marinated in a flavorful coconut citrus blend were a great treat on a hot summer day! We ended our meal with chicken wings tossed in a caramel fish sauce; these wings were cooked perfectly but were a bit too salty for both our tastes. The service was really prompt and I believe the owner stopped by to check in on us and give us fried pork grinds to try out! Everyone was super helpful with the menu and providing suggestions. I will definitely be back and am really glad that things are expanding near our neighborhood! read more

Lao’d Bar - Ceviche and lahb - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Austin, Texas

Great casual patio hang for Lao American food! It's all open-air with fans so go on a good weather day. I looooved their beef skewer and chicken wings (spicy garlic). We also ordered the lahb and chicken skewer which were yummy as well! Sadly our order didn't come out in full (and we didn't realize at the time!) so we didn't get to try the ceviche or mango sticky rice. Definitely want to go back for these as I hear they are stand-outs! Besides working out initial kinks, the food was really great and full of flavor. Chef Bob is awesome, super friendly and he has a lot of passion behind what he does. Can't wait to be back to try more of the menu and drinks! read more

See all

Great place with a great staff. Staff are friendly and knowledgeable about the cuisine. They really make you feel at home. Perfect place to relax after work for a lite bite at night. read more

Lao’d Bar - Escolar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Austin, Texas

So this restaurant is located right next-door to the Sign bar. it's right out front, so you cannot miss it. I really liked the ambience because the door, the windows, the patio is open air seating. it's really what this town needs. I ordered their Smashburger. Let me tell you, it's the number one and number two of my best of burgers here in Texas. I think it's a sausage/hamburger Patty. It's very, very good. It doesn't look like much in my photo. It does, however, have a terrific flavor. I couldn't even keep that to myself. Told the server that this was incredible. I am looking upon my next return to try it again. I might have to order two or three.... You know to make sure. read more

Lao’d Bar - Smash burger. Could be the best burger I've had in Austin! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Austin, Texas

See all

Amazing food and atmosphere. Loved the sausage and rice dishes. Drinks were also great. Go and thank me later.

Lao'd bar is located next to Sign Bar and, if you come early enough, there is plenty of parking and seating. It's an airy atmosphere, but unfortunately, the flies thought so too. Between the 3 of us, we basically ordered half the menu. Taro frites - Not to sure what to expect, but this was underwhelming. It was so thin and crispy, it almost felt like it should've been a salad topping and not its own dish. This was more like chips with a pretty good dipping sauce. Lahb - Good flavor and portion, but not that memorable on my palate. Crispy fried rice - Arguably the best dish here. There indeed were crispy pieces of rice. It was a good portion, the meat ratio was on par, and the addition of lettuce added a nice freshness. Ribeye skewer - This was also memorable. It was tender and flavorful on its own, but the sauce added another layer of salty and savory. Chili crisp prawns - Good flavor, but pretty small. Fish sauce wings - This had the most flavor, but was a little too salty for me. It went well with the crispy rice though to balance out the bite overall. Mango sticky rice - I love that they used the purple forbidden rice. It was good, but I wish the rice came warm and had more sauce. Otherwise, it hardened pretty quickly. No ceviche when I went, which was a bummer. The drinks were also a bit underwhelming; the liquid jade tasted only of coconut water. Overall experience was fine, but this was a bit of a drive for me. read more

See all

The lychee cocktail is very tasty. I love their naked wings. The wing inside is tender while outside is crispy and flavorful. read more

See all

This place is cute. It's the restaurant in the sign bar area. They have one vegan option that's the fried rive without beef. I wish they had tofu but at least they had something. The line was decently long but the food came out pretty quickly. The staff were friendly and helpful in answering questions. read more

Lao’d Bar - Vegan fried rice. Order without beef to make it vegan - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Austin, Texas

Had dinner here shortly after opening. Not crowded but plenty of room. Sat on the porch. We had the smash burger and nam khao. Both were good and had a little kick. Nice staff. Several things I still want to try. We did think that the draft beer was over priced. The IPA was more than the burger. read more

Lao’d Bar - Smash burger - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Austin, Texas

See all

Reminded me of the roadside bars in Vietnam. Super colorful, casual, can watch a game and gather with friends. Cocktails were small and overpriced... but yummy. Most of the items were fried. Had the rice dish with crunchy rice clusters. It was alright, but not as flavorful as I had hoped. read more

The food is amazing but the night we rocked up, they had a problem with their gas burners so food that should have taken 20 minutes to make ended up taking over 90 minutes. Also, they had to severely limit their menu because they couldn't cook certain dishes at all. I asked for a refund because some of the dishes I ordered weren't available and the proprietress copped a bit of an attitude, though she did end up processing my refund once I pushed back and said I wouldn't be paying for food I didn't receive or that was going to take hours to make. Listen, if your kitchen is that badly compromised, call it a night and shut down. Don't keep taking orders and make people wait for over an hour and a half for small bites. I'll try the place again because the few dishes we had were flavorful and delicious. Here's hoping they can sort out their back of house issues. read more