I've never tried Lao food before until now. My team invited me to try the new Lao restaurant, and…read morethe food was more flavorful than I expected! I recommend the nam khao and pad kee mao. They're really flavorful with a nice spice! I'd love to order the Lao food! The rice sticker with mango is great and sweet! Reminds me of the Vietnamese dessert. The service is sweet and great! They have a deaf daughter. They speak English, Lao, and use some ASL. They cook the Lao food with heart. Please support their business! The interior is full of cherry blossoms and paintings of Laos and Thailand. They beautifully display Lao and Thai culture.

This was my first time trying Laos cuisine. I truly wish I could remember the name!…read more Service was great. Granted I was the only one in there. I told him it was my first time there and had no idea what to get. He explained the dishes and I ordered a noodle dish. Tasty! Super hot (temperature!) and very fresh. I enjoyed it. The decor was a delight!

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.

I had the BBQ pork Banh Mi. It's delicious, a good size…read moresandwich and worth the price. I walked in and ordered, they told me it would be about 15 minutes since they had three orders in front of mine. I went and sat in my car for about 8-10 minutes and went back in, my order was ready. There's plenty of indoor seating and a beautiful mural on the wall, if you prefer to eat in. I took it to go.

Spicy Joi completely blew me away. It's a casual, counter-service spot in a strip mall, but the…read morefood is easily next-level. The Oua Lao Sausage Banh Mi is an absolute must-try--the bread is perfectly crusty and the spicy sausage pairs incredibly well with the pickled veggies. If you're looking for ultimate comfort food, the Khaosoi noodle soup has a rich, deeply savory broth topped with crispy pork belly that is to die for. Everything is beautifully seasoned, but they also have a jar of chili oil on the table if you want to kick up the heat. Service was fast, hospitable, and friendly. Parking can be a little tight, but the food is worth every bit of the effort!

It's hard to tell when you walk up to this restaurant in a strip mall that you're going to be…read moreexperiencing some exceptionally good Thai and Lao food. When inside it's actually really nice. The staff is super friendly. And most importantly, some great tasting dishes. My wife really enjoys the peanut lover. I think the Khao Soi is one of the best.

Spacious and tasty Thai/Laotian spot in El Sobrante was able to accommodate our group of 10…read more Menu is available via QR code and we ordered the following: -Vegan tofu cashew with brown rice -Papaya salad -Shrimp rolls -Pad Se Ew with prawns -Fried rice with pork The dishes were hot, fresh and flavorful - for those sensitive to spice, make sure you let them know because they spice their food pretty generously. Our server was friendly, prompt and our food arrived within 10-15 min. Staff said they'll be selling their restaurant soon so dine here before they close their doors!

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.

We came on a random Wednesday night, and so glad that we did. It was just us for a while, then…read morepeople started to trickle in. We wanted to try a little bit of everything. And every single thing we tried - you could definitely taste the love and effort being put into the food. It felt like our aunties/uncles were cooking for us. Ambiance was intimate, but felt like home. Based on the food alone I'm surprised there aren't wait times or lines out the door. Most memorable were the crispy pork belly, pad see ew, lao sausage. Service was also great. Personable, kind, and timely. So glad to have stumbled upon this restaurant in the community. Will be coming back...regularly!

Used to be Banana Leaf which was just as good. It's now remodeled in an elevated way. They still…read morehave lunch specials which is a bonus, but it seems to be smaller portions than before. The waitress was super friendly and attentive. My curry tasted like yellow curry when I ordered pumpkin and it had a particular after taste that I never experienced before. Also, it had more onions than anything else. Towards the end, I was eating onions with my rice because all the chicken was gone. All in all it was decent for a lunch special.

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?

Omg! I'm blown away with this place! The food is ready, fast, packaged well, really good portion…read moresizes, tasted so fresh, and made so perfectly traditional and exactly as described!! I was not expecting this at all! I have a local Thai restaurant I've been going to for years, but they've changed in our quality over the past year or so so my family and I decided to just try something. We've never tried before and this is what we landed on.... THIS is our new favorite Thai restaurant 100%! What you see in the picture? Is there chicken larb, mango sticky rice, sticky rice, & Thai ice tea. The picture doesn't do the size portion justice, it is well worth the price and each portion size is enough for two people or more. I'll definitely be a returning customer! (P.S. I had DoorDash this and it was so good. I felt motivated to jump over here to Yelp and write this review)

The crisp clean ingredients and yummy salad sauce brought me right back to living in Bangkok! The…read moreflavors and quality of ingredients are spot on and the pricing is decent compared to other nearby thai restaurants. Minimal wait time & a variety of options. I will definitely be back :) Ordered Larb gai, pad thai & papaya salad 10/10

Been coming here for a very long time. The have the best Thai, Laos, Hmong, and not Vietnamese food…read morehere. Consistent very good food quality, service, cleanliness, great price and always satisfying. They always have the best Laos style papaya salad, Kapoor noodles, curries and have this huge large size Thai Iced Tea or lemonade for $7 for like two people. Love this place! The waiter/waitress are very fast and attentive and always greet with a warm smile like you are home. Parking might be a bit challenging but somehow we always are able to find one pretty easily.

4: Nam Khao: Nice crunch, but missing some flavor. Not as addictive as the version at Bhan Mae Vane…read morein Alameda. It was better the next day after I steamed it, to make it softer and less crunchy. 4: Lao sausage. Good, but also not as addictive as at Bhan Mae Vane. The neighborhood is sketchy, and parking is difficult. For pre-paid take-out, I recommend parking (briefly) in the red zone across the street.