Between Richmond and San Pablo, there are several Laotian restaurants reflecting a substantial local community in the western part of Contra Costa County. Sue's Kitchen and Maya Thai Laos Restaurant are two solid ones I've tried before, and this one sits in the San Pablo Towne Center shopping center near the San Pablo Dam 80 off-ramp. On my way to Pinole for a walk, it was fairly empty when I arrived here since it was the middle of a weekday afternoon. I honestly can't tell you the differences among Thai, Vietnamese, and Laotian cuisine, but I do know they all make their own versions of noodle soups. I was drawn tight away to the $15.95 Pork Kidney Noodle Soup (Photo 6). They ask your noodle preference, and I went with the ho fun rice noodles since they're thick and flat like chow fun. The broth was a given, a rich pork bone broth with a lot of umami. The kidneys were plentiful and tenderly prepared without being too chewy. Ginger, scallions, and garlic oil helped deepen the flavor. Good stuff, well worth trying. FOOD - 4 stars...solid noodle soup, tender kidneys AMBIANCE - 3.5 stars...pretty spacious on a weekday SERVICE - 3.5 stars...a bit mechanical since I'm not part of the community TOTAL - 4 stars...definitely try the noodle soup if you're into pho or ramen CORRESPONDING REVIEWS: Sue's Kitchen: https://yelp.to/8rMq4KrPLF Maya Thai Laos Restaurant: https://yelp.to/eatx9AIjHF RELATED - Exploring western Contra Costa County? Here's a collection of places I've tried and reviewed: https://yelp.to/iyxRS5lyac read more

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I'm gonna give this place a 2.75. I really wanted to like this place because it's close to my job and on days I either forget my lunch or I want to grab something out, it'd be nice to have a go-to. In terms of cleanliness and ambiance, it needs a deep cleaning. It seems to have been in business for a while. The tables were sticky and so were the floors. The decor seems a bit outdated. Don't go here if you have an hour lunch. It will not be enough time for you to eat. We got there around 2:07 and didn't get our food until 2:40. 10 minutes to eat a very hot soup is neither feasible or safe, lol. I love that it's a family-run establishment. There was a young school-aged girl who served us. She must've been on spring break. She did make a mistake on our order. I had initially ordered one thing but then changed my mind and went with something else. She ended up bringing both. I wasn't going to send it back or ask to take it off the bill, because I felt bad. So, I just asked her if she could please pack it to go. Which she did. We ordered some calamari, which we all liked. My daughter and I ordered some soups, I don't remember what they were called. They were lacking a bit in flavor. My son ordered the Pad See Ew, which also didn't seem like it was seasoned enough compared to others we have had. I do think I'll give this place another try. Hopefully it was just an off day. read more

Overpriced, for not much in quality Came by here hoping to try out their chiu chow noodles, which are not easy to find because it is very specific. I got the noodles (#21 in the menu) as to-go. The portions were small, just 1 small chinese takeout box. The broth was in a bigger container, medium size. Maybe because broth is cheaper. Since this is to-go, how do you eat it to-go? Well you would pour the soup into the noodles, because the noodles were already arranged neatly in the box with the meatballs and other non-noodle ingredients on top. But when I did that, the box started leaking soup on the side. After a while, the box started breaking apart because it was wet. So how am I supposed to eat this to-go noodles in my car drive home? Do I need to empty the noodles into a pot at home? That means I cannot eat to-go food while I am outside? That makes no sense. Inside, there was very few customers (2 tables have customers out of like, 12). It was Monday around 7pm. Not exactly packed house. When I pay at the cash register, they gave me an ipad where it showed a few buttons for tips. The lowest was 18%. Wow, why would I pay 18% when I come pick it up at your restaurant? That makes no sense. So I declined. The price of the noodles was listed as $14. Later I saw the receipt was $18+, how is that possible to have $4 tax on a $14 item? That's like 30% tax. Turns out there was a row that said "non-credit charge". So they charged me for using a credit card without telling me. But in the store I am 100% sure there were no signs anywhere that said any extra charge for credit card. I get that running a restaurant is hard. But with all these hidden charges and suggestions of 18% tips and small portions, at what point are you just driving customers away? Will not be coming back again read more

Noodle 21 - Inside - Noodles Near Me - San Pablo, California

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Things aren't always what they seem. I came to this place and my first impression wasn't good: dirty dishes, slow service. But then i noticed that the lady working was the only employee there that night. She was the only one and did everything: the greeting, the cooking, the waiting. And she handled the workload like an absolute champion. Never complained, never made excuses, simply worked hard and provided with one of the best garlic noodles ever. An amazing experience in both dining and human resilience. Thank you, ma'am for the fantastic meal and your hard work read more

I've been going to Noodle 21 for a while now, and I have nothing but good things to say about this place. All of their food is authentic and delicious, and the restaurant is spacious enough to accommodate large parties. If you're looking for great food and want to support a locally owned, family-run business, definitely come check out Noodle 21. You won't be disappointed! read more

I gave 2 stars, because though the food is great. The young lady that acts as hostess and waitress, does her job with a frown, and does not offer a happy welcoming as you enter the establishment or as she takes your order I feel she does not know the phrase, " You can get more with sugar than you can salt". read more

The Nam Khao was amazing-highly recommend! We also got the Larb Chicken with rice and Khao soy and both were good. Will be back for more! read more

Noodle 21 - Nam Khao - Noodles Near Me - San Pablo, California

Entered, Sat down, held the menu, left. Immediately upon walking into the restaurant it did not feel clean at all. Touched the chair to move it and my hand felt sticky... touched the table and it was not clean at all. The smell also was not great inside. read more

Number 21 never disappoints--it's my top pick every time! The broth is flavorful and consistently delivers the perfect comfort experience, making every visit memorable and satisfying. read more

Noodle 21 - #21 soup on the side, Nam Khao, Fried Chicken Skin - Noodles Near Me - San Pablo, California

We've been coming to Noodle 21 for over 5 years now, and it continues to be one of our favorite spots! My husband introduced me to this place, and over time I found my perfect pho order -- #21 with thin egg noodles, no bean sprouts, and soup on the side. Back in August 2024, the original owner told us he was leaving and passing the business on to his partner. He was always so kind, always made time to chat with us, and greeted us warmly every visit. I was pregnant at the time, so sadly, he never got to meet our baby -- but we're happy to say we've kept coming back and still love it just as much as day one. The staff now is just as welcoming. They remember us, they remember our baby, and it truly feels like a place that values its regulars. The food is consistently delicious, and the atmosphere is comforting and familiar. We're so glad this spot continues to thrive, and we look forward to many more meals here as a family. read more

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Ordered #21 to-go but was given overcooked soggy noodles and broth had zero flavor. literally just boiled water with noodles. Not sure if I was the first order of the day and this was food from previous day but it was not good. I've ordered from here before and first time was way better. read more

I'm glad I came back here again, for awhile I did not come here because of Covid. After returning from covid break, food and service was not the same and never came back. After hearing a new management taking over I gave this place another try. It did not disappoint, my fav noodle 21 is why I came back here. The Lao infusion added to the menu elevated this place. Ambiance - use to be cluttered but now it's all cleaned up. I will be coming back! read more

Noodle 21 - Noodle 21. Chow Jou Ho Fun - Noodles Near Me - San Pablo, California

I come here for the Wontons in House Special Chili Oil, they have my favorite ones. The oil is amazing. Rich and meaty, and he wontons are always perfectly tender with a good ratio of filling to noodle, and they hold all the oil perfectly. You'll want to drink the leftover at the bottom of the bowl! The stir fried dishes are good too, I had a ginger beef one that was flavorful and well seasoned without being saucy. I really like their Hi Tieu Trieu Chau, their noodles have a wonderfully soft, slippery texture with the perfect chew. I definitely recommend the wontons and noodles here, even if you don't live in San Pablo it's worth the drive. read more

Great place to have Lao food. Friendly service, Lots of parking. Good price point for quantity of food. Nam khao and chicken larp. Tip... make it spicy! read more

I was actually really excited to try this place my brother told me about. We were at my parents and all sick, we ordered 6 chicken soups. I was actually disappointed to see how little broth it came with. I was actually bummed out when I noticed there was no hoisin sauce and only sriracha. Anywho, it tasted ok but the broth was only less half of the container. I was actually really impressed with their smoothies. I got the pineapple one and it was so good - like too good to share. I'm glad I ordered it cause otherwise I would've been starving since there wasn't enough soup. read more

Let me just say WOW. Noodle 21 a true authentic Laos/Thai fusion restaurant located in San Pablo. The soup was so good! Didn't even needed to add any extra seasoning. The chili oil was also so good! Service was quick and friendly. It wasn't busy for a Saturday. Ambiance was quiet and chill. Restaurant was nice and bright. * Number 21 (House Speciality Rice Noodle) 5/5 * Khao Piak (Lao Chicken Noodle Soup) 5/5 read more

Noodle 21 - Noodles Near Me - San Pablo, California

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if your coming here ..GET THE NOODLE #21 with wonton Trust (or any soup you want...) tell them to ADD KHAO SOY MEAT! it is going to be a big bowl of food... THANK ME LATER! read more

The food and service was delicious. They were very nice and even gave us free cookies at the end

New ownership has made this spot way better. Could never go wrong with #21 soup on the side with a thai tea

We used to enjoy dining here before management/ownership changed. The food was so delicious and clean. One of our favorite orders was the pho, but after trying again, it has a distinct dirty taste to it... I can't mark why the change of taste of the stock for their pho. Also it was interesting that when we last visited here, several months ago, all of the servers were eating what looked like their casual every day clothes. Servers used to all dress in black. read more

I love Noodle 21 -- my go-to spot in San Pablo for Laotian and Thai food. Noodle soup (with wontons! yummm), scrumptious appetizers, delicious curry plates, fried rice, pad thai, and tasty fruit smoothies. It's my lunch treat for myself every now and then, and they never disappoint! read more

The dish I always order from Noodle 21 is their Chow Jew With Thick Egg Noodle Soup (#21 modified with thick egg noodles - I forgot to order it with thick egg noodles today so my photo is with what it usually comes with, hofun noodles). It's been my go to dish for the past 20 years since going to VH Noodle House in Oakland and their El Cerrito (now called "Mi") location weekly back in the day. Noodle 21 is pretty much the same restaurant as VH and Mi. Though they honestly were missing something in their recipe for a while, specifically something in their broth. I will say I have never had a particularly bad meal from Noodle 21, though there was just something in their flavor that was not there. Fast forward to today. I was craving noodle soup this evening and decided to give Noodle 21 a try again. Yes! Whatever they have done to enrich their broth flavor, it's there. I don't know if it's one of those broths where they add more ingredients every day and it becomes better as they go or what. Though they now have that deep flavor that I've been wanting from them. Definitely beats driving out to El Cerrito or Oakland for my favorite noodle dish since moving to the Pinole area. The one thing I'd like to see from Noodle 21 is the kidney in their soup was a little overcooked today, though I did order to-go; so I'm sure that plays a factor on how they would cook kidney in general. Overall I'm very happy to see their flavor is now there and I am looking forward to my next bowl of soup already. read more

Noodle 21 - a bowl of noodle with chopsticks - Noodles Near Me - San Pablo, California

Good food and service. Love the curry noodle soup. Wish they would open on time. Not consistent.

This place is good and love the customer service. Love Lao food, they are real authentic.

If you're looking for a chill, local and authentic Southeast Asian spot Pull up to Noodle 21! Food is mouthwateringly delicious! Alex, the owner and chef, is hella hospitable and will go above and beyond to make sure you and your family are taken care of. In addition to being a frequent customer, we catered from them for our baby shower. There was a mix up in our vegan pad thai order and Alex made a whole new batch and delivered it to our house in time before our party started. All our guests were very pleased with our our spread from Noodle 21. They have vegetarian / vegan options as well. We are always on a hunt for delicioius/authentic Lao/Thai/Viet spots in the neighborhood and we found this gem. Our neighbor put us on this off menu order - fried papaya salad!! Just Wow!! If you're familiar with VH in Oakland Chinatown, they have similar style/taste of noodles. Specifically #21 no kidney, soup on the side - thus Noodle 21. IFKYK! Support this local business. You will not be disappointed. 10 Stars! *** Authentic Southeast Asian Flavors **** Customer Service and Hospitality *** POC small business read more

Everything was delicious!! Customer service was great, very welcoming. Will definitely be back! read more

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Food was good! I ordered the choi jou wonton noodle and thai milk tea and it was so good! A commendable place to go when you crave noodle soup. Will definitely go back to try their other menu read more

Our go to spot every time we visit from Monterey. Food and service is always on point. 21 soup on the side all day read more

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Food is always good. Their original 21 and all the Lao menu is on par. However I got these fish cakes recently which I thought was supposed to be like the old ones. It tasted ok, but I wouldn't re-order. read more

Noodle 21 - A11. Fried Fish Cake - Noodles Near Me - San Pablo, California

Great! Have all the food I enjoy Deliciously appetizing Friendly associates Ambiance read more

I had a peice of clear plastic in my food. I order the vermicelli soup with flank. It was tasty but now as good as I remembered it. The service was attentice. Their tables need a thorough wipe down and you have to walk up to the cash register when done. They passed their health inspection for.the restaurant but I wont return. read more

Noodle 21 - Vermicelli soup with flank - Noodles Near Me - San Pablo, California

We recently went back and found that the restaurant has the the noodle soup from the old menu, but now includes Thai-Laotian dishes. We decided to give it a try. The noodle (the old famous #21) is as good as before. Some of the other dishes we tried, Curry puff (excellent) and Nam Kao. The Nam Kao was one of the best we had. For those who frequent Sue's Kitchen, this Nam Kao is on par with Sue's. We will go back to try other items on the menu. Almost forgot to mention, the portions are generous. read more

I got home and my son got me Wonton Soup. It was one of the hottest days, but I appreciated the thought. Tried the chicken broth and it was light and savory. The dumplings were separate and tossed in green onions and spices. Simple and yet, delicious. I added a dash of homemade chili oil and even better! read more

We are from Laos so we know a few things about Lao and Thai food. We ordered their beef larb, papaya salad, chicken eggplant, drunken noodle and sticky rice. The food was well seasoned and delicious. Now, I get it that some people have different tastes but the food here tastes authentic. We would definitely come back whenever we are in the area. Thank you, Noodles21 for the delicious Lao food because it's hard to find a good Lao food restaurants. read more

One of my favorite things in this world is the Vietnamese iced coffee and chicken vermicelli-curry soup from noodle 21! I hadn't come recently because of a new shellfish allergy :( but I am happy to know that the owner and chef made a conscious decision for those with food intolerance and uses anchovy fish sauce! So I will sure put this place back on my list for safe choices! The coffees cold, the soup is hot! And they both do the trick with lifting your soul, from the cooks love and time that goes into preparation and flavor... read more

Noodle 21 - Vietnamese iced coffee - Noodles Near Me - San Pablo, California

This place always hits the spot! Lao sausage and sticky rice never disappoints, do yourself a favor and grab some papaya salad too... epic combo I promise! So many soup options so you can never go wrong. Always decently priced, convenient parking, and genuinely friendly service. read more

This place is good for their name sake. I knew better to order the noodles, which looked very similar to my my old favorite noodle spot, Vien Huong in Oakland. The plaza looked so quiet, and I was surprised because it was a Sunday afternoon. We walked in, the restaurant was clean and welcoming. We got service right away, which is really nice. The menu is a newspaper, which is cute. I got the -- you guessed it -- 21! It was delicious, and did not disappoint. I finished the whole bowl. That was the only thing out of the three items I liked. The other two items were the pan fried noodles and cornish hen with fried rice. Pan fried noodles: There are a lot of noodles and not enough topping and sauce. We asked for no broccoli and it came with broccoli. We just kept it since we were hungry. There was meat lacking in the dish and it was just a 3. Cornish hen and fried rice: The spices were a little too heavy and fragrant, which took over the chicken. The chicken was also overcooked, so that made it worse. The rice that came with it was OK. I wanted to like this place a lot more, but only one out of three dishes was good. Had I only tried the noodle soup, and dismissed everything else, I would give this restaurant 4 stars. The service was decent and staff were friendly. I would say 3.5 for now, but I would definitely return for their noodle soup. read more

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Walked in, ordered, then quickly noticed how filthy everything was. The condiments all looked like they had never been cleaned, the floor was sticky, and there were boxes and junk everywhere like they just moved in. We wanted to leave but decided to not cancel out of courtesy. Overpriced for what it was and kind of hard to choke it down considering how filthy the place is. Hard no !! read more

Noodle 21 - Random box w a can of food next to our chair - Noodles Near Me - San Pablo, California

Yummy authentic Lao/Thai restaurant. The owner/chef is such a sweet person. I come here at least twice a week and I'm never disappointed. She even makes off the menu item upon request! read more

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Noodle 21 has added some Laos and Thai infusion. Please come through and support Alex. Had their papaya salad (Laos style) and combination ka piet. Super yummy! New chef and new menu items. Must try! read more

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