Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Lao Thai Kitchen

    4.3 (359 reviews)
    ModerateThai, Laotian
    Closed 4:30 pm - 8:45 PM
    Updated 1 month ago

    Lao Thai Kitchen Photos

    Business Info

    LAO THAI KITCHEN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Quiet
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

    You might also consider

    More like Lao Thai Kitchen

    Recommended Reviews - Lao Thai Kitchen

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Edison H.

    Quick take: small establishment, nice owner, very good wings. Overall good experience here at Lao Thai Kitchen. The owner was really nice. She was concerned whether I can still sleep if I drink their thai iced coffee (yes I was able to lol). The main highlight was honestly their wings. I wasn't sold on the signature sauce, but I really love how they came out. Twiced cook and deep fried is definitely the way.

    Pork Larb
    JP P.

    Service was quick and the food was hot, fresh, and seriously delicious! I'll be back again and will try another dish!

    Fish cakes
    Joyce Z.

    I have passed this spot a few times and knew I wanted to try it someday. That someday came when I was in the area for Formosa Chocolate's Popup and it was a nice stroll to this spot for lunch. It seems to be a popular local's spot as a few customers came in commenting that they were so happy they were back. A first timer myself wasn't sure what that meant only to discover afterwards that they sustained damages due to this year's atmospheric rivers. Can totally relate as my house also sustained some storm related damages as well. Every dish we had was so flavorful and they were so accommodating to dietary restrictions and spice levels. When you are made to feel like family, it is no wonder they have so many repeat customers who care about their well being as well. From the fish cakes (Tod Mun) to the extremely addictive Lao Special Nam Khao of seasoned pork, crispy rice, peanuts, dried red peppers , fresh mint, and cilantro and the Red Curry Salmon that had a perfect amount of kick without it being too spicy, I could not resist getting food to go for my parents as well.

    Inside
    Gerald L.

    I enjoyed my dining experience quite a bit. Came on Saturday for lunch. I think it's the only day they are open for lunch. service is amazing. So friendly and informative. It seems like she really likes her job and the customers. Thai iced coffee was better than the Thai iced tea. Started off with a' Special' appetizer of salmon belly salad. I'm no salad fan but this was good. I like the dressing; forget the salmon belly. Then the wings appetizer... best dish of all of them. Crispy, sweet and just the right tang and spice. Pad see ew is my next favorite. Think stir fried noodles with veggies and beef. Yellow curry with chicken is the good old standby. You can't go wrong. The only dish I did not like was the eggplant and tofu. The eggplant was overbooked which made it fall apart, yet the outer sun was really tough. But I'll be back again to try other new dishes.

    Taylor Z.

    Small family run restaurant but bar none the best Lao food I've had in the bay. Flavors were popping and everything was really good! The best thing was the red curry crispy fish. Really crunchy and paired very well with the rice. Will be back for sure.

    Thai Tea
    Jamie T.

    I would like to start by expressing how kind and likable the restaurant owner is! We enjoyed all her recommendations on the menu and everything was so so so delicious, 10/10. This was my second time dining here and this time I invited my two sisters to join in on the most delicious Lao & Thai food in Albany! Most definitely, dining here whenever I'm in the area. Love their authentic traditional decorations! I think we came extra hungryyyy. We ordering the following items: 4 Thai ice teas (that's a must), thai spicy Level 1 papaya salad, Nam khao, Lao sausages, 2 jeow bong (chili paste), beef Pad Kee Mao, Pineapple Fried Rice, beef Pa Nang Curry, 2 sticky rice, and pork Khao Poon. Everything was phenomenal! Bon Appetite!

    papaya salad lao
    Cuong T.

    Let me preface this by saying that the food was extremely authentic and delicious and the waitress was incredibly kind and helpful and warm. Her service/attitude and the food were the best part of this place. For adventurous folks that don't mind different fishy flavors, I'd recommend the papaya salad. For everyone in general, the lao sausage and pad kee mao were quite good (forgot to take a pic). Beef noodle soup was ok. Duck curry with pineapple was good too. Parking can be found in the neighborhood surrounding the area. My god this place was pricey though for the portions. I'll have to check the bill later but I did feel a little bad knowing how much it was at the end. But what made me truly feel gypped was the fact that they put suggested tipping amounts AFTER tax. Yes, if you paid 100 pre-tax, and then add 10% from CA tax or whatever, then the suggested 20% would be 20% of 110, NOT 100. At the end of the day it's a few dollars but it feels very dishonest so I can't give anything more than 3 stars. Unfortunate. 6/10, would come once in a blue moon and only recommend to a friend who doesn't mind blowing money slightly higher than avg. === The response from the owner was extremely professional and non-aggressive, so I'm bumping this to 4 stars to help with their ratings.

    I thought the food was good, but not amazing. I would recommend the green curry. The lady working here is very kind and attentive

    Kailee M.

    Amazing service and super flavorful food! I got the pad see ew, yellow curry, and of course a thai iced tea and everything was packed with flavor!

    Plate of Thai Green Papaya Salad, Tom Ka Soup and Red Curry with tofu & rice

    See all

    19 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    15 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    18 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    15 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Wendy M.
    160
    138
    10

    15 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    14 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    16 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    15 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of S L.
    68
    417
    711

    13 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    17 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    15 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Memo F.
    3
    17
    20

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Rob L.
    117
    227
    6205

    16 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Lao Thai Kitchen has consistently great food and friendly service. We highly recommend this restaurant.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    18 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Brian L.
    51
    40
    14

    18 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Kate I.
    97
    65
    3

    18 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Stephen L.
    16
    141
    13

    17 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    13 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Delicious Laotian and Thai food. Friendly relaxed ambience. Great service. Reasonable prices. This one is a keeper.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Leo C.
    4
    41
    1

    9 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    Page 5 of 9

    Ask the Community - Lao Thai Kitchen

    Is there outdoor dining or no? Different signals on Yelp vs Google

    No outdoor, indoor dining only.

    View All 2 Questions

    You might also consider

    Lao Garden - Thu Lith's Famous Saikoo: Steamed tapioca balls w/ ground pork, sweet radishes, shallots ($25)

    Lao Garden

    4.5(125 reviews)
    2.1 miWest Berkeley

    The first thing you notice when you enter the restaurant is that you really get the feeling that…read moreyou're in a garden. And the colorful lighting and the things that they have set around the room to represent Leo is really a wonderful first impression. We were quickly seated at a table that we wanted to be at and menus arrived with water almost immediately. I have to say everyone who worked there that we felt very special coming in there, and everyone greeted us. From the kitchen staff to the table servers it was very pleasant. Lao food is similar, but very different from Thai food so when you go there, but don't be expecting it to be a Thai experience. Enjoy the wonderful flavors of all the herbs and spices that go into making the sauces in the broth. And where Thai focuses on peppers and seasonings that are too hot for some people. The Lao food has very soft and vibrant flavors. We shared our plates. So we ordered the Nam Khao, Thu Lith Saikoo, Laab Gal, sticky rice, blue lemonade, and coconut mango with sweet rice. If I tried to pick a fav ... I couldn't because every bite was lovely. We will return and explore new items. The adventure continues. Ty Lao Garden. Until we return.

    3.5 STARS I'm boring…read moreso where did I get my spice? SE AZN food! Opening in February 2025, Lao Garden is sister resto to Rose Garden (Thai) in Oakland. It's hard to find a Laotian resto that isn't clumped in with Thai and/or Khmer cuisine so Lao Garden piqued my interest. Walk-in only. But if you have a party of 5+, rezzies are accepted. Back patio is dog-friendly. F O O D * Nam Khao: Crispy Rice w/ fermented pork sausage, peanuts, lettuce, herbs ($25): https://tinyurl.com/yn97yper Many rave reviews on socials saying this is the best nam khao and worth the price. The crunchy, chewy texture was on-point and they were generous with the naem, fermented pork sausage....but it was oddly bland, like they forgot to dress it with the spicy, punchy acidic dressing. * Thu Lith's Famous Saikoo: Steamed tapioca balls w/ ground pork, sweet radishes, shallots ($25): https://tinyurl.com/5n8xnhsz Saikoo is hard to find so this was a must order on our visit. The saikoo had a nice bouncy QQ chew and is filled with a ground pork mixture. Flavor leaned sweet. If you like Viet bánh bột lọc, this will be your jam. * Mok Pa: Steamed catfish w/ lemongrass, green onions, dill, steamed vegetables, jeow mak len ($22): https://tinyurl.com/yxrvnxjb The catfish was flaky and moist but the flavor was one note: earthy. I wished they used more fish sauce and aromatics (i.e. lemongrass and galangal) for citrusy umami. Served with steamed veggies with a traditional Laotian spicy roasted tomato dip that was not spicy at all. * Grilled Rack of Lamb (3 pc-$32): https://tinyurl.com/57hstz93 - Requested medium rare A touch overcooked but the marbled lamb was forgiving, it was still very tender with a great smoky char from the grill. Served with nam jim jaew that felt diluted as it was missing the bold spicy, tangy, salty, and slightly sweet flavors. * Sticky Rice ($8) Aside from the incredibly steep price for a single serving, they brought this with the apps so by the time our entrees arrived, the sticky rice had cooled and hardened. S E R V I C E Friendly and earnest. We had to flag them down for things but understandable since we were the only ones in the patio. We arrived for an early dinner and were the only customers at the time so it was surprising food service was slow with entrees taking 45+ minutes. A M B I A N C E Spacious and vibrant with faux greenery and flower walls. The back patio is partially covered. P A R K I N G They have a private parking lot in back but can easily be missed; take a right after April Rose Provisions. Overall, I had high hopes for Lao Garden but the flavors were far too mild for my personal taste. When I have Laotian food, I want to be punched in the face with funk, citrus/acid, and heat. Off day?

    Photos
    Lao Garden - Pandan iced tea

    Pandan iced tea

    Lao Garden - Nam Khao: Crispy Rice w/ fermented pork sausage, peanuts, lettuce, herbs ($25)

    Nam Khao: Crispy Rice w/ fermented pork sausage, peanuts, lettuce, herbs ($25)

    Lao Garden - Grilled Rack of Lamb (3 pc-$32) + Sticky Rice ($8)

    See all

    Grilled Rack of Lamb (3 pc-$32) + Sticky Rice ($8)

    Champa Garden - Lue's Noodle Soup

    Champa Garden

    4.1(2.4k reviews)
    6.8 miEast Oakland
    $$

    My friends and I stopped by on a Friday evening at 7:30 p.m. looking for a table for four and the…read morewait was around 45 minutes. Between the four of us, we shared a variety of dishes, including their Champa Wings, Nam Kaow, Lao Sausages, Yum Nom Tok, Champa's Fried Rice and Pad Thai. Of these dishes, my favorite was easily the Nam Kaow. This dish had so many layers of flavors and textures. I could honestly eat a whole plate of this myself and be satisfied. Every grain of crispy rice was fried to perfection and there was a wonderful sour and spicy tang throughout each bite. The other dish I really enjoyed was the Lao sausages. These sausages are packed with so many different herbs and spices. The lemongrass flavor was especially prominent. Like the Nam Kaow, this dish also went really well with the fresh mint and lettuce that's provided on the table. There's a good reason why this unassuming Thai and Lao neighborhood restaurant has a line out the door: the food is absolutely delicious. Definitely one of my favorite meals I've had in 2026 -- I can't wait to stop by again.

    Wow. If you want some good thai food that is good both for takeout and eating in, this is the…read moreplace. Here's everything I've ordered and their rankings. Pad Thai: 8/10 Yellow Curry: 8.5/10 Appetizer Sampler: 9/10 Papaya Salad: 9.5/10 Crab Fried Rice: 10/10 Pad See Ew: 10/10 We love this restaurant so much. They don't skimp out on portions either. We'll be back for sure.

    Photos
    Champa Garden - Interior decor

    Interior decor

    Champa Garden - Khao Soi broth - has thin slices of chicken

    Khao Soi broth - has thin slices of chicken

    Champa Garden - 14. Champa Sampler

    See all

    14. Champa Sampler

    Laos Kitchen - Red Curry

    Laos Kitchen

    4.6(362 reviews)
    14.1 mi
    $$

    I was looking for local Thai food to find a new "go to" locally, and came across this Laos food…read morespot - named Laos. I felt compelled to stop in and try lunch. San Rafael 4th street has a lot to offer - and it's worth checking these spots out. The storefront is inviting and the inside of the restaurant is clean and well organized and appointed. The wine and beer list has few choices - and I would encourage a little more local variety to make it inviting to a wine lover like myself. I was efficiently approached by wait staff and felt welcomed I ordered Pad Woon Sen, which I've never before tried. The food came quickly - a beautiful dish of thin noodles and mushrooms with onions and celery adorned with steak. I finished my plate. Perfect lunch portion. Attentive service. The taste of quality ingredients and pride in their efforts. I will add this to my go-to spots in San Rafael!

    A very popular place. I chose the special plate called Pun Khao Poon--or was so much fun to make my…read moreown lettuce wraps! It included ingredients I've not had before (always a thrill!) including fresh coriander herbs and green-striped skinned Thai eggplant. Also included were delicately-flavored julienned ginger, vermicelli noodles. I also chose grilled salmon. The ambiance was lovely. There were about a half dozen 1-foot spongy squares on the ceiling that usually serve as sound dampeners. I'd recommend a few more to help with the sound level. The light fixtures are lovely--see photos. The patrons are very friendly and will make pleasant comments. Service was pleasant and attentive.

    Photos
    Laos Kitchen - Interior

    Interior

    Laos Kitchen - Calamari Tod - 3/5

    Calamari Tod - 3/5

    Laos Kitchen - Lao Style Papaya Salad

    See all

    Lao Style Papaya Salad

    Sue's Kitchen - Pad thai chicken

    Sue's Kitchen

    4.4(909 reviews)
    6.1 mi
    $$

    Hidden gem in El Sobrante that serves up some of the best Laotian and Thai food in the Bay Area…read more Every time we visit, must-orders are the Nam Khao (crispy rice ball salad with fermented pork sausage and fresh herbs) and Ka Soy (Laotian noodle soup). If you see Nam Khao on the menu of a Laotian/Thai restaurant, that means they know what they are doing just because it's so labor-intensive to make a salad(!) and the fermented pork has to be damn-near perfect for this salad to really shine and round out the fresh herbs and seasonings which includes lime juice, vinegar, and fish sauce. Ka Soy (the noodle soup) is a comfort food enjoyed in Southeast Asia. It's not the Thai-style where it's a curry broth and the noodles are fried, so let's not get it mixed up. Instead, it's bone broth that been simmered for hours and it's somewhat a lighter broth. The noodles are wide rice noodles in a big bowl of hot broth served with a mixture of ground pork cooked down with tomatoes along with fresh bean sprouts, scallions, and cilantro - simply a divine noodle soup that a must-try. It's not overly complex in terms of flavor, but it's a bowl of good ol' noodle soup that is comforting and great-tasting. If you haven't tried Laotian food, give Sue's Kitchen a try. try some new flavors and you may just become a regular (if you aren't already). The owners are friendly too! It's a husband-and-wife team!

    Wife and I had chef special tilapia and roast pork rice plate and it's was great. A local go to…read morespot that you will be happy you tried!

    Photos
    Sue's Kitchen - Restaurant and Specials Board

    Restaurant and Specials Board

    Sue's Kitchen - Yellow Curry & Jasmine Rice

    Yellow Curry & Jasmine Rice

    Sue's Kitchen - Thai Iced Coffee

    See all

    Thai Iced Coffee

    Lao Thai Kitchen - thai - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...