We happened to walk by Lao Thai while visiting Carpinteria, and honestly, we feel so lucky that we did -- what a hidden gem! We brought our puppy so we sit at the patio. It's great for us to have the outdoor option. We had never tried Lao food before, so we weren't quite sure what to expect. We ordered the pho and Khao Soi, and we were pleasantly surprised by how much we loved both. The pho was definitely different from the Vietnamese pho we're used to, but in the best way. The flavors were bold, rich, and incredibly aromatic, while still feeling fresh and refreshing. It was something completely new to us, and we really enjoyed it. This was also our first time trying Khao Soi, so we don't have anything to compare it to, but we absolutely loved it. It was flavorful, comforting, and something we would happily order again. Such a wonderful unexpected find during our trip to Carpinteria. We came in not knowing much about Lao food and left already excited to try more. read more

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We were just passing through and found this place. We had some great soups. We enjoyed the atmosphere, cleanliness and friendly service. read more

I've heard great things about this place but never tried it until today. Food is exceptional! Do yourself a favor and give it a try. Looking forward to my next visit. read more

First off, the older lady who took our take-out order was incredibly rude. We asked if we can sit indoors with our dog, and she said no. Which is absolutely fine, but she gave us a dirty look and asked us why we even brought her in the first place. It was just mean. The food didn't justify the mediocre customer service. The only highlight of the night was the golden tofu. Everything else was incredibly mid. I wouldn't recommend. read more

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For the parents with furry children, there are 2 outside tables. We liked the food. The Golden Spring Rolls were fresh. The Kai Kua Noodles were simple but solid. Hubby had Rad Nar which came with a generous amount of vegetables. The Thai Ice Tea passed the test. Service was good. The lady, presumably the owner, was friendly & attentive. If given the chance, we will return. read more

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First of all I use to love this place been going there for the pass few years whenever we stopped in town. Let me tell you. I ordered a stale soup. It smelled soured and older lady waitress insisted it was the lemon or spicy sauce I added... she stood there contradicting my complaint. replace it for garlic chicken lunch special. Bad choice the chicken tasted like rubber !! Horrible food!! Then she tried being slick charging us for the stale soup!! NOT GOING THERE AGAIN !! You lost a customer.!! So many other restaurants with great service not overcharging for stale food! read more

Right off the freeway, the best and most fresh Thai food in our area. Super sweet, family run. But, the food is the reason to visit. Tonight was Prik King Beef and Cashew Nut Chicken. read more

Lao Thai Restaurant - Thai Near Me - Carpinteria, California

Great lunch special! Got the pineapple curry lunch special with chicken and soup. Also ordered pad see ew with beef. Pineapple curry was very tasty. Nice amount of spice to it and the sauce wasn't too runny or thick! I would have preferred more vegetables, but was overall a pretty good balance of meat and veggies. It was nice that the lunch special came with rice. Their pad see ew was really good! I loved the noodles, they seemed really fresh. Loved the broccoli and carrots that were mixed in. Great flavor overall. The lunch special also came with a fried wonton and soup. I liked the sweetness to the soup. Nice spacious restaurant with a big parking lot. Workers here are also very nice! read more

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Stopped in for lunch and was blown away! I ordered the Pad Thai, which came with the most delicious coconut soup I've ever had, perfectly cooked rice, and a refreshing Thai iced tea. Every bite was full of flavor and felt fresh. My friend got the chicken and basil dish, which looked (and smelled) amazing. The portions were generous, and the whole meal was only around $24 -- totally worth it. Cozy atmosphere, friendly service, and authentic flavors. Can't wait to come back soon! read more

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YUM! I was traveling and stopped here for dinner. I had DELICIOUS vegan pad see ew and spring rolls. So tasty. The vibe was super friendly and helpful. Highly recommend if you're in the area. Great vegan options and a great place overall ! read more

Such a cute spot. Delicious food and very kind staff. We were hoping for Lao sausage and asked our waitress if it was available. She said only at home, since not enough customers want to eat it. Hope they add it to the menu someday!! read more

My family enjoyed a late night meal here, and had a great experience. Staff members were very friendly and helpful with gauging how much food we should order for the table. The food was great too. We had fried rice, pad Thai, and fried potstickers. There was a bathroom inside for customers. Overall the inside was clean too. I would definitely recommend coming here for some good Thai food! read more

Lao Thai Restaurant - Thai Near Me - Carpinteria, California

Food is so good! Nice mellow vibes in the restaurant, perfect for a date. Service was great! read more

Lao Thai Restaurant - Spring rolls - Thai Near Me - Carpinteria, California

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Get a better attitude!! The woman was so RUDE and wanted an explanation about why I didn't want salt or sauce on fried rice. Because you over salt the food!! Do not go here if you have any dietary restrictions!! The woman acted like leaving sauce and salt out was brain surgery. Lol. Lousy attitude. She kept saying it was so difficult. RIDICULOUS. I've never heard a restaurant worker complain so much just to leave salt out. Fine. I'll take my business elsewhere! Ever heard of customer service??? read more

The food here is delicious, so glad we have this amazing Thai food in Carp. Their pad see ew is my favorite noodle dish and their yellow chicken curry is my next favorite. Their apps are great too... spring rolls and chicken satay are my fave. Great service, clean restaurant, fresh tasting always. read more

Lao Thai Restaurant - Yellow chicken curry. - Thai Near Me - Carpinteria, California

Cruising out of Los Angeles on a rainy Tuesday afternoon, my good cronies and I decided to stop in Carpinteria as traffic picked up. Lao Thai is located in a small strip mall plaza right off highway one and had their door propped wide open despite the inclement weather. . We all love Thai food and wanted something warm and hearty to combat the cold outside, but also filling. We were greeted by a young woman with long black hair and seated immediately at an adjusted table for five and then given menus. The place is miniature and intimate, but there was only one other table present when we got there. Soon after, we placed our drink order and the place was bustling with people. I treat Thai food the same way I treat my tea lattes, if I like it, I'll order it anywhere. My staple with Thai cuisine has been Green Curry so I got that with shrimp and a pot of Jasmine Tea. Two of my friends got the Drunken Noodles, one regular and one spicy and the other ordered Pad Thai. . Everyone cleaned their plate except for me. Despite not having the tummy space to eat all of my food, the green curry was piping with a cup of steamed jasmine rice. The sauce had a slight spiciness to it which I loved, because it feels really cleansing combined with the warmth of the dish. For all four (4) dishes and two cups of tea, our grand total was $86, so approximately ~$21.5 pre tip. One can never go wrong with decently priced Thai food. Thank you for reading and breaking bread with me. read more

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Overall flavors were good...pad thai noodles sticky and not cooked well, made it hard to chew. Shrimp wraps super yummy. Not the friendliness place I've been lol. read more

We've only recently discovered Laotian food and were excited to try some of the Laotian items on offer here. Sadly, there are only 2 or 3 Laotian items on the whole menu. Instead, we went with some of our favorite Thai dishes and they were amazing. The service was good and there were a couple sweet 4 or 5 year old girls doing sweet, silly 5 or 6 year old things that made me smile throughout the meal. The two sets of parents were concerned that they were bothering the rest of the patrons. But considering that my girls are now adults it was fun to sit around and enjoy the wholesome silliness of this age. If they'd advertised themselves as a Thai place that surprised you with a couple Laotian items I would have been thrilled. But instead, they overpromised and underdelivered with an almost exclusively Thai menu and lost a star. read more

Ordered Chicken Pad Thia and Noodle Curry with Chicken. We didn't receive or not offered a coconut soup or side of rice as other reviewers have mentioned. The Pad Thia was dry, Noodles Curry tasted like they used a canned food product in it. Service was slow and inattentive. We wanted to order desert but they never asked if we wanted anything else. read more

This place has great food and the people are always very nice. I've tried a bunch of different things too and it's all good. The curries are spicy, soups are great and good portions. I also love the noodle dishes. read more

Food is sooo yummy!!!! The red curry is always delicious, the eggplant spot on and I even had tofu larb and it was amazing. Family run business Every time we go, whether we eat in or grab a to go order, everyone is so friendly and efficient. After just a couple of visits to this restaurant, they remembered us and remembered our spice level preferences. Please go support them! read more

Excellence friendly service. Food came out quickly. Everything was delicious. Very authentic, and flavorful...will definitely return next time. I'm in the area. Thank you.! read more

Poor customer service. Lady was rude and unwelcoming our party into the restaurant. Very unprofessional. Would not recommend this restaurant. I would definitely go to Uncle Chen's instead. read more

Very average food. Pad Thai noodles were mushy and too sour and sweet with very little veggies and meat. Tom yum soup and green curry were ok in terms of flavor, but the chicken in these dishes was dry and tough. Service was without a smile. read more

Amazing tasty Thai food, perfectly spiced, large portions and nice mix of chicken and vegetables. Rice on the side. Friendly service and no wait! We will be back. read more

Lao Thai Restaurant - PRA Krapow - Thai Near Me - Carpinteria, California

Everything was perfectly portion sized although a bit pricey. I got soup, plain small rice, spring rolls and ginger tea and paid well over $50 with tip. I do wish I had gone to a steakhouse instead for what I paid. Anyway: - The ginger tea was hot, SWEET and spicy. Very comforting and I wish the pot size were larger. - The Tom Kha with Tofu was a bit watered down instead of thicker, but it had all of the flavor and aromatics. Even the galangal was cooked down soft and tender. - The rice was plain rice. - Fresh rolls were simple fresh veggies and tofu wrapped in rice paper, but it was pricey for the simple contents and portion size. I should have just ordered a full regular meal/regular entree instead since the price was comparable. I liked the simplicity of these, but I did NOT like the price. All in all, pretty good. By the end of your meal you realize that you've paid steakhouse prices for a light meal...but everyone has to survive, so I get it. It's a new spot so please kindly allow mistakes until they work out the kinks. read more

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The food is great! i ordered one of the pho noddles and it's great. I also ordered the golden spring rolls, they were amazing. Staff is so polite and kind they will ask you about your preferences in food. It is so calm and very quiet. the place feels so cozy like as if you're a guest at someone's house! i'll try to add some photos. read more

Lao Thai Restaurant - pho, golden spring roll - Thai Near Me - Carpinteria, California

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Their Tom Kah Coconut Soup was the perfect comfort soup for the end of the day. I was skeptical since it was one of the only Asian restaurants in the area, but they did not disappoint. Thanks again! read more

Great little place! A must stop whenever we pass through. Food was amazing and super fresh! Great customer service too.

Having had a very nice experience when we first ordered from this delightful local business, we decided to give it a second (closely followed by a third) try. This time we tried the Drunken Noodles with Tofu, the Basil and ginger chicken, and the fried wontons. Let's just say I plan to try pretty much everything on their menu. This order was, as with the first order, obviously made from fresh ingredients and lovingly prepared. Very tasty. And I've never been a fried wonton fan but I am now. Service was great in this busy but friendly environment. And, as with the best of local merchants, I got the feeling of being a "regular". I wish these folks continued success. Til next time. read more

A nice surprise! Was the first time we ate at Lao Thai. The menu offered selections we enjoy. The waitress was friendly and efficient, with our lunch items arriving quickly. The small restaurant was well-decorated and clean. If you are interested in enjoying a nice meal at a reasonable price will give Lao Thai a try. You will not be disappointed! read more

Was in Carp today and stopped by here for lunch. Lunch specials were abundant and priced around $14. Service was very nice and attentive. I opted for chicken with mixed vegetables. A fresh and crisp salad came first...tasty. The plate of food was very generous and piping hot, fresh with good flavor and spice. All in all a good lunch and I would return. read more

Lao Thai Restaurant - Thai Near Me - Carpinteria, California

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Very yummy!!! Came in for lunch on the way to Santa Barbara. Very happy we tried this place. The chicken Prick King was so good, the seasoning, spice and green beans were perfectly balanced. The tofu appetizer was very tasty with the dip. The mango sticky rice was well worth a try as well. We will be back. Enjoy read more

Lao Thai Restaurant - Mango sticky rice - Thai Near Me - Carpinteria, California

Sweet family owed restaurant. Pleasant atmosphere with a good menu. We opted for two dishes off the lunch menu. The Panama curry and pad Thai were both delicious. The lunch special came with a choice of salad or hot and sour soup. The soup was absolutely delicious. A little different than Chinese hot and sour. We asked the lovely lady who cooked the soup about it. She says it's a family recipe and it's cooked the day before, so all the ingredients marry together. She told us, most of the recipes are from her family. read more

Lao Thai Restaurant - Pad Thai - Thai Near Me - Carpinteria, California

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I stopped at this Thai spot before heading to Santa Barbara for an event. I ordered Pineapple Curry, Pad See Eiw, and Kaprow Sweet basil & chili. The pineapple curry was okay but the chicken and veggie were delicious. The brown rice was good with the curry. The Pad See Eiw was my favorite dish. The beef was cooked and the noodles were soft and flavorful. Everything was well prepared. Our server was very good and attentive. The restaurant was clean and nice on the inside, 5/5. The food came out quickly which was awesome. Plenty of parking in the parking lot. Overall I give this place a 4/5 and would comeback. read more

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Incredible flavors. The side salad with the lunch special has a remarkable tasting dressing. Total surprise. Get it! Loved everything about this dish from how well it was cooked to its flavor profile and texture. Tables inside and on the sidewalk. Attentive servers. read more

Lao Thai Restaurant - Kra POW with chicken. I asked them to put broccoli instead of peppers. - Thai Near Me - Carpinteria, California

After 4 hrs drive, we planned for a light dinner and retire. Sorry, no light dinner tonight..we got a very good food lineup; Tom Yum Soup, and Seafood Salad, and finished it with Sticky Rice with Mango and a pot of green tea. We will be back! read more

Lao Thai Restaurant - Seafood Salad - Thai Near Me - Carpinteria, California

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Some of the best panang curry I've had. The staff were so friendly, the food came out so quick and the food was delicious! My boyfriend got the drunken noodles and loved it! He said to taste it first before putting on the hot chili cause he was sweating read more

Lao Thai Restaurant - Panang curry - Thai Near Me - Carpinteria, California

The food here is really good and always consistent. The people who work here are always nice and welcoming. It's super cute inside also. I always like what's playing on the screens which I don't usually enjoy in other places. Definitely recommend coming here and the service is really fast. read more

It's our first time to have eaten at Lao Thai. The food here is full of of the flavorful character of Thai Cuisine. Ingredients are served fresh and prepared with exquisite quality. Their service are both courteous & attentive, while the quaint ambiance is clean & simple, yet exemplified Thai artistry; while its' location is nearby many eateries & convenience stores. I would like to come back & enjoy the great food & warm, relaxed-environment yet again. Thanks for the experience, Lao Thai! read more