PHO LAO

Best pad Thai ever! My husband and I eat here weekly, and after having pad Thai at several…read morelocations in NC, theirs is by far the best. This is a hidden gem in Morganton of all places. The food is always consistent in portion and taste/quality and comes out HOT! Portions are on the large side- you will not go hungry here! They have a variety of different things on their menu, and everything I have tried has been delicious. Service here is an added bonus- always friendly and usually fast unless they're super slammed.

Crazy, fun, tacky decor with delicious food. The service was good- they kept our water glasses…read morefilled.

Decor

Strawberry Mochi

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The Madness

4.5(38 reviews)

2.1 mi

Service amazing!!! Bartender amazing!!!!…read moreMy family gathered for out annual March madness weekend....so of course we had to go to the "Madness " OG Kaylie was our server and killed it. HOWEVER, my precious husband misread our total, so it appeared that we shorted her on our tip. So as a table full of former wait staffers, it offended the hell out of me that the manager thought for one minute that we would do that!!!! But instead of advocating for her server, the manager, did nothing!!! Sending that precious girl to our table to wonder what she had done!!!! Shitty management!!!! Kaylie deserved every single dollar we left her, but a server manager should ALWAYS AND I MEAN ALWAYS advocate for her staff. Shame on her. Thank you Kaylie and Kenzi for making our night a glorious pleasure!!!! We will be back for them only!!!!!

Fresh sushi, great burgers. Several locations throughout WNC. I chose this spot for my birthday…read morelunch, and left happy. The bento box is a great deal and nice mixture of sliders and sushi. We will be back!

Sushi Bar

The Madness

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Front door

Bubblys

4.3(300 reviews)

21.7 mi

Love Bubblys! Great food, great service, portions are awesome, location is great and the price of…read morethe food is also great. Definitely recommend!

The food was amazing! It is NOT a fancy place and your feet stick to the floor when you walk…read more However I will definitely come back for the Bulgogi Hamburger and try other dishes. The people who work there are super nice -as an added bonus.

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Moon

4.0(225 reviews)

29.6 mi

Pork gyoza - mmmm so good…read more Tom yum soup - so good! Lots of flavor and a bit of a kick which adds more color! Makes your lips tingle but I enjoy that. Pad Thai - very good! I enjoy the rich sugary sauce because it gives it depth and the lime makes it. The chicken is a must! Green curry - YES! So fresh omg. This is a home run and some of the best curry I've had. This is why we come! This is our third time here and we always make a point to stop when we're in town!

The service was superior. The restaurant was a nice small. Very pretty tables. The food was also…read moreoutstanding. I got Gluten Free pepper steak and my husband got the Crispy fish. The food was prepared and served very quickly. My veggies were cooked perfectly with a crunch and not over cooked like mush. Great place to eat in Blowing Rock and Boone. Just off 321 almost across from the outlet. Great place to eat! Two plates and one beer ran $70

Dining

Cashew Nut with grilled chicken (no bell peppers or mushrooms)

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Aladdin Sake

M Fresh Asian Fusion

3.6(124 reviews)

49.8 mi

•$$$

First time here for lunch. I missed lunch specials that ended at 3p. Cute place with plenty seats…read more Has a bar, table service and you can sit where the sushi guys make sushi. Miso soup was delicious! Must try this hidden gem out!

Where to begin? This is not some run in the mill restaurant. The food is at best par. Where the…read moreflavor doesn't meet the value of the food, to say the least is lacking the need to be desired. The food was hot I will give it that but again just no true flavor profile. Although being said the waiter was great. And the food came out in manly time. The ambiance of this restaurant is very demure. It is low lit with a vibe of royalty atmosphere. The hues of purple and gold as the accent really bring this place to a calm almost eccentric feel. I would definitely come back and give this place another try.

Sushi Prep Area

Hot & Sour Soup

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Wild Ginger

4.4(384 reviews)

49.0 mi

Incredible pho!!! I see why this place is always voted top restaurant/asian restaurant in South…read moreAsheville year after year. The pho broth was delicious. Asked for a few extra limes which enhanced the flavor even more, along with sriracha to taste. Fresh spring rolls were good but had too much lettuce and not enough mint/basil. Parking lot out front has plenty of parking. There are a few outdoor tables, not sure if they are used for dine in.

Interesting place, beautiful decor. Very busy with about 15 tables. We were not sure what to order…read morebecause the place specializes in Poh. We saw some exquisite dishes come to tables around us. We ended deciding on the safe route. We ordered hot egg rolls, dumplings and garlic wings as appetizers and followed with chicken fried rice. Three thin egg rolls deep fried, almost like cigars, and sweet and savory sauce. There were 5 dumplings ... just delicious with the soy based sauce. Five chicken wings rounded out the start. We wanted them extra crispy - the kitchen did not execute. Fried rice was perfect - crunchy with plenty of protein, a combination of shrimp and chicken. Portion size was large. Would definitely return. Classic flavors, friendly service and good value. Highly recommend without any reservations. Enjoyed the experience.

Grilled pork chop

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Bahn mi

Duck N Good Food Place

4.2(93 reviews)

17.2 mi

The food was amazing!! We had Pad See You with roasted pork and a Duck n Good Food signature combo!…read moreThe meat had great flavor! It was a good idea to have Pad See You with roasted pork since what interested me about this place was the roasted pork! The service was great! Quite a few people here on a Tuesday lunch!!

Wanted to get some stuff chicken wings and this place popped up…read more You order first, pay and they'll bring the food. It was mid day so it wasn't to busy. The intestines stir fried with onion n jalepenos. It was soo good! Also order the duck n combo, comes with rice, duck, stuff chicken wings, roast pork, cabbage and paired with a sauce. The stuff chicken wings were good to me. Filled with vermicelli noodles. My favorite meat was the roasted pork dipped in the sauce. The only bad thing was the cabbage, it tasted spoiled. There's a lot of seatings and it was cool for a hot day. So if you're in the area, stop by and give it a try!!!

Duckin papaya tray

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Duck platter

Red Ginger Dimsum And Tapas

4.3(1.5k reviews)

49.0 mi

Women-owned & operated

Vegetarian friendly

This spot was truly amazing ! I'm a dumpling snob and they hand make all their dumplings…read more Must haves are the schezuan pork and shrimp dumplings , garlic green beans , mushroom dumplings , the soup dumplings . Great service with Stephen and also prices right! I'll Be back. Just go !

Red Ginger Dim Sum and Tapas is a trendy, contemporary spot offering dim sum and Chinese small…read moreplates, although there is sushi too. It is located in downtown Asheville so there is no immediate parking lot but there are some places nearby or street parking, The inside is very modern and there is seating both inside and outside. Our server was very friendly and service was very prompt! My family got the Lo Mein with Chicken, Chow Fun with Beef, Sautéed String Bean, Buddha Bean Curd Rolls, Crystal Shrimp Dumplings, and Spicy Chicken. I loved the Crystal Shrimp Dumplings! The wrapper was very tender and the shrimp filling was delicious. It tasted very authentic to me. I also loved the Sautéed String Bean as it had the right amount of garlicky sauce. The Lo Mein was made with thinner than usual noodles but still tasted good. I think the Chow Fun tasted a bit off. It kind of tasted a bit sweet and like drunken noodles at some points as opposed to the traditional smoky flavor that the dish has. The rice noodles that were used were also thin as opposed to the usual wider noodles. As for the Spicy Chicken, it tasted solid. I liked the slight crisp before biting into each piece and it was not really spicy. I definitely tasted the cumin (I am not a super big fan of), which is a popular flavor found in Szechuan cuisine. Overall, I think this is a nice spot for some Chinese food, especially being near the mountains which is more isolated. I would probably rate it a 3.75/5 stars if I could. I wish chicken feet were part of their dim sum menu (it is pretty small and there are no rolling carts in case anyone is wondering). I do think some flavors of the food I tasted seem to cater a bit more to the Western taste palate (my parents agree as well), but I enjoyed my time here.

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Nguyens Asian Grill

4.4(69 reviews)

31.1 mi

Food and service was excellent! We were looking for somewhere to celebrate our anniversary while…read morestaying in Newland NC. We love sushi and Nguyen's Asian Grill came highly recommended. We know why now, we will be back if we are in the area again!

Server was super friendly but food was not to our liking. It seemed like grease in fryer (for egg…read moreroll appetizer) needed changed out and dinner overall was not very good.

Front desk area

Chicken Fried Rice

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Fried calamari

Thai Hut

4.5(91 reviews)

38.2 mi

Aesthetic: Mom & Pop Thai restaurant in an Asian grocery store…read more What to try: Everything! Service: Excellent Parking: Plenty Rating: 10/10, this was the best Thai food I've had near Charlotte since moving from the West Coast. Very authentic and flavorful. We tried the Tom Kha and Massaman Curry, and both dishes exceeded our expectations. The server was also very kind. We can't wait to come back on our next hiking trip.

Very good food. I have been here a couple times and tried the green curry and the pad Thai. They…read morewere both really good.

Restaurant area

Pad thai

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Massaman Curry

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Vic J.

0

1

0

2 years ago

This is my favorite restaurant of all time. I go to college about an hour and a half away, and every time I come home, I go to Pho Lao. When I'm here at school, I'm missing Pho Lao. I take all of my friends here, I go here for special occasions, it's just the perfect combination of delicious food and ambiance, and everyone who works here is so very pleasant. I adore all of the staff, and they provide great service. I can't wait to come home so I can get my next dinner at Pho Lao. read more

Lynn M.

8

22

10

6 years ago

I love the food. It is so over the top in taste and quality. You can taste the love in every bite. Please give them your business so they will be around for quite a while. read more

Ivy D.

35

188

503

4 years ago

The employees are so attentive and remember you each time you come in! The food comes out hot and fast! Exceptional taste!

H S.

0

1

0

5 years ago

Great service , food and boba. We will be back for sure!

PHO LAO - laotian - Updated September 2026

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We love the Pho here and excellent service. The place is clean. We'll come back again.read more

As someone who has lived in LA, New York, and Houston, the last place I'd expect to find amazing…read morepho would be in Hickory NC. I ordered the steak and meatball pho and this place absolutely blew me away. The broth was so flavorful and they definitely don't skimp on the noodles and meat. The ambiance was great as well, very clean restaurant and very friendly staff. The price is absolutely incredible for what you get; I think this is in my top three pho restaurants of all time.

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Wow! Amazing Thai food. Do yourself a favor and check this place out. Very nice people and the…read morebest Thai I've had since moving back to western NC.

My husband and I loved this place. The curry was absolutely delicious. The girl behind the counter…read morewas so friendly. She was very busy, but made sure to check in with us frequently.

Thai Bliss

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What a hidden gem in WNC! Authentic, fresh and delicious thai food made by thai chefs. Portions…read morewere big, service was great, and restaurant was spacious. 10/10 can't wait to come back again! Overall: 4.8/5 When: Friday 6pm dine in party of 2 Food: 4.9/5 - wow. I haven't had thai food this good in a long time. Thai Bliss is better than most place in Charlotte where I'm from. We got the shrimp tom yum soup, beef pad kee mao, and chicken pineapple fried rice. The tom yum soup was SO SO good. They gave me 4 large shrimp in there and did not skimp like other places. The soup had the perfect balance of spicy, sour, tangy and sweet. Honestly I was almost full after my soup but when my pad kee mao came out, i was thrilled with the portion size. The rice noodles were bouncy and chewy and the sauce was delicious. Some places overdo it on the sauce but the PKM was sooo good!! And lastly the pineapple fried rice. I didnt get a chance to try it but my partner loved his dish. Overall, the food here you can tell is authentic and fresh and you don't have to worry about small portions. You will leave feeling happy and full! Service: 4.7/5 - was greeted by a server as soon as we arrived. Service was very quick and they were on top of things. Filled the water often, bussed tables often, and brought the check over often. No issues at all, they were very prompt. One suggestion to make it 5 stars is giving recommendations to the guests such as "XYZ dish is a popular customer favorite here!" Or even giving a little background about the restaurant / staff. Vibe: 4.7/5 - very spacious, newer restaurant that is clean. Large windows letting in ample day light- i recommend asking for a seat by the windows if possible. Great spot for a quick casual dinner or even a nicer family dinner. Other: free surface lot parking

I could not believe I could get amazing Thai food in Marion, NC. This place has it all and it is…read moreall delicious. The only thing I don't like is the stairs to get to the front door. You can walk up the hill behind the restaurant if stairs are a problem. There is a side door you can enter through there. Once you are in the room is open and easy to navigate. I like the decor. The chairs are a bit hard but they put pillows on them to help, which is a very nice touch. Everything I have tried has been amazing. I have been here so many times now. Pineapple fried rice and broccoli and peanut stir fry are my go to orders, along with a basil roll as an appetizer that I could eat 20 orders of. I have not been disappointed. You know me and spice, these items are not spicy unless you ask for it. They have great spice level control. My sister in law likes spicy food, and she has tried the curries, the soups and the pad Thai. She keeps wanting to come back and always says how much she likes what she gets. Our first time there we spent way too much on trying almost every appetizer and several mains. We were impressed by all of it and came away so full because everything was so good we had to eat it. We have been pacing ourselves since then. Anytime someone says how about the Thai place? Our answer is Yes!

The Madness

4.5

(38 reviews)

Service amazing!!! Bartender amazing!!!!…read moreMy family gathered for out annual March madness weekend....so of course we had to go to the "Madness " OG Kaylie was our server and killed it. HOWEVER, my precious husband misread our total, so it appeared that we shorted her on our tip. So as a table full of former wait staffers, it offended the hell out of me that the manager thought for one minute that we would do that!!!! But instead of advocating for her server, the manager, did nothing!!! Sending that precious girl to our table to wonder what she had done!!!! Shitty management!!!! Kaylie deserved every single dollar we left her, but a server manager should ALWAYS AND I MEAN ALWAYS advocate for her staff. Shame on her. Thank you Kaylie and Kenzi for making our night a glorious pleasure!!!! We will be back for them only!!!!!

Fresh sushi, great burgers. Several locations throughout WNC. I chose this spot for my birthday…read morelunch, and left happy. The bento box is a great deal and nice mixture of sliders and sushi. We will be back!

Mekvilai Thai Cuisine

4.0

(69 reviews)

I ordered takeout and got the beef Drunken Noodles. It comes as medium spice as standard and it was…read moreperfect. Their noodles are homemade and so fresh. The vegetables were perfectly cooked - not over done. I had enough for leftovers. Inside was very cute. Next time I will dine in.

Mekvilai Thai Cuisine is a casual Thai restaurant in Hickory. It is located in a medium sized plaza…read moreso there is plenty of parking. The interior is popping with red, albeit dim lighting. The service is friendly, but the food came out a bit slower (I had with four people total) than I expected. We got the Snow Pea Dish (Seafood Combination), Drunken Noodle with Chicken, Crispy Tofu, Rama Tofu, Red Curry, Tulip Dumpling, and Rice Pudding. I was pleasantly surprised the Drunken Noodle with Chicken! I enjoyed the sauce on my noodles which were also cooked well and did not clump together like at other places. I wish it was a bit spicy... next time I will ask for the chili spice rack (it was not readily available on the table). My cousins enjoyed their food, especially the tofu dishes. I ate a bit of the Crispy Tofu and I wish the tofu had some seasoning on it because the peanut sauce could only add so much flavor. I also tried a bit of the Rice Pudding, which is their mango sticky rice. I thought it was okay... the mango did not taste super fresh, maybe a bit artificial? But not bad! Overall, I am pleasantly surprised at how good my dish, the Drunken Noodle with Chicken tasted. I have eaten a lot of good Thai food, especially having lived/visited places like Atlanta/New York City, so I was not expecting this place... my tiny hometown... to be that good. Also, I had visited this restaurant a few years ago and I found the food to be very average, but this time it was very tasty. I am not sure if there was a change in chefs or management in recent years, but keep up the good work!

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I stopped by for takeout and grabbed the raw beef laab with a side of sticky rice. For the price…read morepoint, this was absolutely delicious. I requested a 'little spicy,' and while it ended up being a bit over my personal threshold, I suspect that was just the high-quality, potent peppers they used. The standout, however, was the sticky rice--genuinely some of the best I've ever had. A very solid meal all around.

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