Soul Lao Photos
Soul Lao Popular Dishes
SOUL LAO ATMOSPHERE
What's the vibe?
You might also consider
More like Soul Lao
Recommended Reviews - Soul Lao
Start your review...
Reviews With Photos
Our Friday evening experience at Soul Lao did not disappoint! Had always wanted to try their food truck and was determined to get there now that they have a brick and mortar spot! We were graciously greeted upon entering and offered complimentary shrimp chips as soon as we seated ourselves. We ordered the egg rolls, OG wings, crispy rice salad, and grilled short ribs! We enjoyed it all! especially enjoyed the egg rolls and accompanying sauce, the crispy rice was full of herbs and Lao sausage and the OG wings are crispy, well done and come off the bone easily! (might be considered a bit salty for others due to fish sauce) but not for me! The short ribs were also good - just wished they had more grilled/craggy texture since they said "charcoal grilled" but they were very tender! The sticky rice and tomato jeow that came with the ribs was also very good if you can handle the spice of the jeow The lager was given "on the house" and is super light and complimented our meal perfectly. The standout here was definitely the service and hospitality! This is a family owned restaurant and it was obvious they take tremendous pride in serving you their modern take on traditional Lao dishes! The restaurant is small and informal but all around pleasant and delicious! Will be back!
The wings were great!! The burgers were very good too! Unique flavor, it sort of tasted like Frosted Flakes?! lol Service was awesome! Very nice and quick. I ate at the wondering leaf brewery, which is always a fun vibe!! Especially on the weekend!
Looking for the best wings in the Twin Cities? They're at Soul Lao. They OG Wings are crispy, garlicky, and so so savory. There's nothing better. The Sen Mae Yai is also a gem if you are intrigued by a pancake sized noodle! The space inside for eating is pretty small, but you can order your food to go and take it to Wandering Leaf Brewery next door. The staff are so friendly and do a great job explaining the various dishes and offering recommendations for sauce pairings. They even brought us some shrimp chips to snack on while we waited for our order.
So delicious! The inside was small but comfortable. My husband and I split 3 items (2 starters, 1 wok item) which ended up being the perfect portion to share. I loved the crispy rice appetizer with the lettuce wraps, it was really good. The fish sauce that came with the spring rolls had a great flavor. Service was nice and fast. Will definitely be back!
Was on the hunt for some Lao food while visiting MSP. After reading the reviews, we made our way here. Upon arrival, they were out of Lao sausages, which I was so excited to try. Decided to order the pork belly, and it was also out. They recommend trying their Lao-style short ribs so we went with that and also ordered their Naem Khao dish. They were friendly and helpful here and more of a cute takeout place than a sit down spot. The Lao-style short ribs were good. The fish sauce flavor was coming through, but not strongly, just enough to heighten the umami level a few notches. I would recommend this for anyone to order if the Lao sausage and Pork Belly menu items are out. I was a little undecided if I liked their version of Naem Khao or not. Could be just preference on my end, however, it seemed to be missing cilantro and peanuts in the actual rice mix. Yes, there was cilantro as a garnish, but none in the mix. I wouldn't have been mad if they added mint also. My guess would be that they are probably trying to be more in line, flavor wise, with the demographic of the city. It was still good, but missing a few flavor profiles that go hand in hand with this dish. Still would recommend if you're here.
Seriously, so good! We grabbed food to go while we were hanging out at Wandering Leaf Brewery and were very impressed. The wings were crispy to perfection and so flavorful--even the cucumbers that come with the wings were delicious. You can't go wrong with the egg rolls; they were very good as well. The restaurant was small, but they do have a few tables if you want to eat there. The customer service was amazing, and we'll definitely be back to try more food.
Fantastic service and cute little space and plenty of parking. My partner got the KMG sandwich and I got the egg rolls and the khao mun ghai tod. The chicken in the sand which and the rice dish were a little too salty for my liking, so I had to tone them down a little with the rice and some of the sauce to balance it out. The rice was really well flavored and the egg rolls were delicious. I would give it another go to see how the other dishes on the menu are.
Ambience was small yet eclectic. Service was quick and accommodating. And the food. The food was fun to explore. I went with a friend. And I was impressed especially by the O.G. Wings, Egg Rolls, and the Lao Smash Burger. The Crispy Rice wasn't a particular favorite of mine yet I found I'm not a fan of crispy rice, yet the flavors were there in every dish and the sauces that came with them.
Great takeout Asian food right next to Wandering Leaf Brewery. Highly recommend ordering food from here and bring next door for cold beer! The soul Lao smashburger and KFC chicken sandwich were both 10/10.
Amazing food, super friendly staff - a must try! I ordered the O.G. wings, Naem Khao (Crispy Coconut Rice), Noakeo's Eggrolls, and Garlic noodles. My favorites were the wings and noodles. Both had a perfect balance of sweet and savory and even a little bit of spice. The rice was good, but crispy rice isn't my favorite thing. Delicious flavor and generous servings. We ate next door at wandering leaf which had lots of seating and I highly recommend digging in there. On Wednesdays, they have a deal where you can get 3 pieces of chicken wings instead of 5 and $2 off a beer for a reduced price. It was a little pricey, but I'd give it a try at least once.
We were at Wandering Leaf Brewing when we noticed someone nearby eating food that looked incredible. After asking where it was from, we found out it was Soul Lao. We ordered on the spot, and it ended up being one of the best decisions of the day. The mango sticky rice was the standout--perfectly sweet, creamy, and easily one of the best I've had. The crispy pork belly had an amazing crunch while staying tender inside, and the wings were juicy and packed with flavor. If you order either, don't skip the fish habanero sauce. It adds the perfect balance of heat, tanginess, and flavor without overpowering the food. Everything tasted fresh, the portions were generous, and it paired perfectly with a beer next door. If you're at Wandering Leaf (or anywhere nearby), do yourself a favor and order from Soul Lao. We'll definitely be back to try more of the menu. read more
Wanted to try some SE Asian grub after a day at the Zoo, and Soul Lao popped up. Menu was simple snd to point. Lots of classics but with their twist. Kitchen and cashier were extremely friendly and hospitable. Ordered - Crispy Pork Belly (4.5/5). Probably my favorite dish. It can stand on its own, was very favorable, crunchy and had a good meat to fat ratio leaving you wanting more - Duck Noodles (4/5). Flavor profile was a good balance of sweet and salty. Good but nothing memorable - OG Wings (4.5/5). Always fun to see other places try this dish. Last few years the rise of fish sauce coated wings has been a hit which is awesome since my mom's been doing it for decades. Packed a 1,2 punch. A bit salty so make sure you chase it with rice Food was by in large great and if you're expecting fusion then this is what you will find. Price is a bit steep ($25 roughly per dish) so you be checking your Apple location to figure out why you're paying NYC prices in MN ha :) read more
Our Friday evening experience at Soul Lao did not disappoint! Had always wanted to try their food truck and was determined to get there now that they have a brick and mortar spot! We were graciously greeted upon entering and offered complimentary shrimp chips as soon as we seated ourselves. We ordered the egg rolls, OG wings, crispy rice salad, and grilled short ribs! We enjoyed it all! especially enjoyed the egg rolls and accompanying sauce, the crispy rice was full of herbs and Lao sausage and the OG wings are crispy, well done and come off the bone easily! (might be considered a bit salty for others due to fish sauce) but not for me! The short ribs were also good - just wished they had more grilled/craggy texture since they said "charcoal grilled" but they were very tender! The sticky rice and tomato jeow that came with the ribs was also very good if you can handle the spice of the jeow The lager was given "on the house" and is super light and complimented our meal perfectly. The standout here was definitely the service and hospitality! This is a family owned restaurant and it was obvious they take tremendous pride in serving you their modern take on traditional Lao dishes! The restaurant is small and informal but all around pleasant and delicious! Will be back! read more
The wings were great!! The burgers were very good too! Unique flavor, it sort of tasted like Frosted Flakes?! lol Service was awesome! Very nice and quick. I ate at the wondering leaf brewery, which is always a fun vibe!! Especially on the weekend! read more
Looking for the best wings in the Twin Cities? They're at Soul Lao. They OG Wings are crispy, garlicky, and so so savory. There's nothing better. The Sen Mae Yai is also a gem if you are intrigued by a pancake sized noodle! The space inside for eating is pretty small, but you can order your food to go and take it to Wandering Leaf Brewery next door. The staff are so friendly and do a great job explaining the various dishes and offering recommendations for sauce pairings. They even brought us some shrimp chips to snack on while we waited for our order. read more
So delicious! The inside was small but comfortable. My husband and I split 3 items (2 starters, 1 wok item) which ended up being the perfect portion to share. I loved the crispy rice appetizer with the lettuce wraps, it was really good. The fish sauce that came with the spring rolls had a great flavor. Service was nice and fast. Will definitely be back! read more
1 month ago
1 month ago
3 months ago
1 year ago
Was on the hunt for some Lao food while visiting MSP. After reading the reviews, we made our way here. Upon arrival, they were out of Lao sausages, which I was so excited to try. Decided to order the pork belly, and it was also out. They recommend trying their Lao-style short ribs so we went with that and also ordered their Naem Khao dish. They were friendly and helpful here and more of a cute takeout place than a sit down spot. The Lao-style short ribs were good. The fish sauce flavor was coming through, but not strongly, just enough to heighten the umami level a few notches. I would recommend this for anyone to order if the Lao sausage and Pork Belly menu items are out. I was a little undecided if I liked their version of Naem Khao or not. Could be just preference on my end, however, it seemed to be missing cilantro and peanuts in the actual rice mix. Yes, there was cilantro as a garnish, but none in the mix. I wouldn't have been mad if they added mint also. My guess would be that they are probably trying to be more in line, flavor wise, with the demographic of the city. It was still good, but missing a few flavor profiles that go hand in hand with this dish. Still would recommend if you're here. read more
2 years ago
Seriously, so good! We grabbed food to go while we were hanging out at Wandering Leaf Brewery and were very impressed. The wings were crispy to perfection and so flavorful--even the cucumbers that come with the wings were delicious. You can't go wrong with the egg rolls; they were very good as well. The restaurant was small, but they do have a few tables if you want to eat there. The customer service was amazing, and we'll definitely be back to try more food. read more
3 months ago
4 months ago
Fantastic service and cute little space and plenty of parking. My partner got the KMG sandwich and I got the egg rolls and the khao mun ghai tod. The chicken in the sand which and the rice dish were a little too salty for my liking, so I had to tone them down a little with the rice and some of the sauce to balance it out. The rice was really well flavored and the egg rolls were delicious. I would give it another go to see how the other dishes on the menu are. read more
2 years ago
Ambience was small yet eclectic. Service was quick and accommodating. And the food. The food was fun to explore. I went with a friend. And I was impressed especially by the O.G. Wings, Egg Rolls, and the Lao Smash Burger. The Crispy Rice wasn't a particular favorite of mine yet I found I'm not a fan of crispy rice, yet the flavors were there in every dish and the sauces that came with them. read more
9 months ago
1 year ago
Great takeout Asian food right next to Wandering Leaf Brewery. Highly recommend ordering food from here and bring next door for cold beer! The soul Lao smashburger and KFC chicken sandwich were both 10/10. read more
3 years ago
Amazing food, super friendly staff - a must try! I ordered the O.G. wings, Naem Khao (Crispy Coconut Rice), Noakeo's Eggrolls, and Garlic noodles. My favorites were the wings and noodles. Both had a perfect balance of sweet and savory and even a little bit of spice. The rice was good, but crispy rice isn't my favorite thing. Delicious flavor and generous servings. We ate next door at wandering leaf which had lots of seating and I highly recommend digging in there. On Wednesdays, they have a deal where you can get 3 pieces of chicken wings instead of 5 and $2 off a beer for a reduced price. It was a little pricey, but I'd give it a try at least once. read more
2 years ago
Heard about this place from numerous posts via Instagram and Facebook, so I had to try! It was definitely worth the hype! First off, plenty of parking as it's located in a strip mall, so you'll be all good there. Upon my arrival, I was greeted quickly, kindly, and told my food would take 15-20 mins to complete. I was told the brewery next door would allow me to bring my food in and to have a beer as I waited. I thought that was a great addition to the experience! Side note, the Wandering Leaf Brewing Company was fantastic and beautiful inside! My food was completed on time and it was delicious! I ordered some crispy rice w/pork, egg rolls, and my gf got their wings, and mango sticky rice. Everything tasted completely fresh, flavorful, and even the foods appearance looked great! Overall, food came out timely, fresh tasting, delicious aroma, and very nice staff inside. - Anthony read more
3 months ago
3 months ago
1 year ago
1 year ago
Greeted right away, cashier was very friendly and helpful with their food items. Small location but still some seating and I heard lots of people grab food to go and sit next door at the brewery which is a great idea. Ordered several items photoed below. All the food was very flavorful, rich with umami! Favorites were the OG Wings and Lao Style Ribs. The only miss was the Moo Pin pork belly. It was not served hot and the skin was not as crispy. Good flavor but had higher expectations. Definitely would try the rest of their menu! read more
This is primarily a takeout place parking is pretty good since it is in a strip mall with a large parking lot. The ambiance for pick up was very good. The place is nicely decorated making it feel homey and clean. There were 2 tables so limited seating, but you can go next-door to the brewery if you want to sit and eat. Service was very good - online ordering was very easy and it was ready when I got there by the time and the food was still hot by the time I got home! The food: Egg rolls - a must get. Perfectly small compact portions that pack a nice flavorful bite. Chicken skewers - this was the best thing of all things that we tried. The chicken was perfectly spiced and was juicy and felt like a good deal for $14 Crispy pork belly - this was very yummy and the green sauce was a little spicy, overall I did not feel like this was worth $23. Pork belly is very rich and fatty and really you should only have a few pieces. It was good and I'm not sure where else you would get this so it's worth a try. It comes with white sticky rice, which was also good but if you just have a bite with spicy sauce, one piece of pork belly and the rice, it feels a little bit dry and bland and spicy! Chicken noodle dish - oh man this was life-changing and if you're going to get an entrée get this great portioning for $20. I've never tasted anything quite like this. The flavors were very bold. Only complaint a little greasy but really amazing and would get this again. There is also a side of sticky rice pictured for $5 and I thought that it would go with the chicken skewers but overall I think you can just skip this. read more
Wow, just wow. This place is incredible. There IS seating inside. I was extremely confused beforehand whether this was a takeout only spot or not. The food here is familiar, but different. We've had sausage, but not like this. It has so much flavor and seasoning, and spice too. We've had fried rice, but not like this. It has a crunchy texture, but not an undercooked rice... a truly fried rice. The wings were also incredible. They were very crunchy. I think I read that they deep fry them twice? Sounds amazing. This surpassed all my expectations. Not to mention that I drove 35m, and eventually ate most the dishes cold. I can only imagine if they were fresh and hot, lol. read more
I've visited them once a while back when they had the food truck. I finally made it to their actual restaurant. It's really cute, next to the Wandering Brewery. The guy was very helpful with the menu. I wanted to eat the pork belly and checked to see if anymore was available, he confirm there are. So we added an order of the sausages. both came with a small container of sticky rice and jeow tomato. Spicy tomato sauce for dipping. Once I picked up my order, they were out of the pork belly. He refunded the amount charged and gave me an order of chicken wings to accommodate. They were delicious. Sausage was really good too, full of herbs and flavors. read more
The eggroll was delicious and cook well. It wasnt dry and it was well seasoned. the chicken wings were big and the sauce on it was good, just need more sauce after a bite into the wing it . I really enjoy the chicken with fried egg. That meal was delicious the egg was crispy and the yolk burst really well. The chicken had flavor, not really dry. The drink we have was alright. Not my kind of drink to get. But definitely something to try! It's very different! The service was good. Just a slow day for them. The ambiance was oka, it's a small place so there isnt much to say about it. read more
I followed Soul Lao when they were a food truck- stopping by at Black Stack or other random spots, so I was pleased to find out that they had a brick and mortar store now, next to another great brewery! I'm a huge fan of the naem khao, OG Oyster Sauce Wings , pork belly (perfect amount of fattiness with crispy skin) and the lao sausage is so fragrant and lemongrassy. I haven't had anything that I didn't like from Soul Lao. Right now, you can order at the counter, online, or from a QR code inside Wandering Leaf. It's mostly take out but if you choose to eat in, there are a couple small tables (but i preferred to take it next door and pair with a beer). Overall, i love that I can find Soul Lao anytime I want now! read more
2 years ago
Food: 3.5/5 stars Service: 5 stars Ambiance: 4/5 stars Friendly service was greeted right away at the door. Cashier asked if I had any questions about the menu to ask. Which everything on the menu was self explanatory except for the crab Rangoon where I didn't know that it was a dip. But nonetheless was delicious. read more
2 years ago
The Best Restaurant in St Paul award And they have a rotisserie belly plate . Is very delicious read more
Here I am visiting from CA, and I'm always looking for a good Asian restaurant. What caught my eyes was a picture of the rotisserie pork belly. The skin was so crispy and the pork was so tender. It was a heavenly bite. We also picked up the OG chicken wings, the Naem Khao, Khao Min Gai Tod, and Noakeo's Eggrolls. Be aware that some dishes or sauces may have a little kick, which is also listed in the descriptions. The restaurant space is small, with only a few tables, but we were opting for takeout. Definitely the standouts for me were the rotisserie pork belly and the OG wings. The OG wings had that umami flavor, I'm still dreaming about it. Maybe I'll make another visit during this trip, but it's definitely worth having any time I return to the Twin Cities! read more
1 year ago
11 months ago
Ever since I heard that Soul Lao does catering for weddings, I've told my boyfriend that I refuse to have any other food at our future wedding. We used to go to the food truck and sit in line for this food. I was so happy and proud when I found out they were opening a restaurant ! The food is beyond good. The Naem Khao is SO GOOD!!!!! If you get one thing, I recommend getting this. It has crispy little rice pieces, it's a great balance of spice, sour, savory and is a pretty big portion! The wings are a 9/10. Honestly I would stick with the Naem Khao but these are still definitely worth a try. I also love that it's right next to a brewery and that you can order food from Soul Lao while getting a beer ! The owners are super nice and I really love supporting them. Not much space to sit in their restaurant but like I said, there is more than enough seating in the brewery right next door. Please come here and try this for yourself. If they were closer to me, I would get it literally every week. read more
6 months ago
1 year ago
Page 1 of 3
More info about Soul Lao
2465 7th St W
Saint Paul, MN 55116
Highland
Directions
Visit Website
https://www.soullao.com/home
Hours
Food & Alcohol
Outdoor Amenities
Other Amenities
Ask the Community - Soul Lao
You might also consider
Why does Yelp recommend reviews?
1 review that is not currently recommended
The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.
3 months ago
