Enjoying authentic Laotian food at Vientiane Cafe. Living in the Bay Area has its perks & this is one of them. This cafe seems to be mostly women operated from the waitress' & chef & preparation crew. I appreciate the nicely decorated & remolded interior. This setting gives a nice warm & inviting atmosphere. Appetizer: #6 Sai Ooa(1 Lao sausage) $5.50- grilled pork, garlic,onion,lemongrass,Thai chili & lemon leaves. By popular consensus we orders this & we were not disappointed. Although to me it felt like it was fried not grilled, nonetheless still addictively delicious. #9 Nam Khao $14.95 deep fried rice bits w/mixed gd.pork,coconut,gd , fermented pork, cilantro, gd.onion in a special sauce then they serve it w/a basket full of lettuce leaves & cilant Orders: -Mok Pa $9 (steamed fish)-catfish nugget, lemongrass, dill,onion,garlic,egg,kaffir leaves w/Lao sauce cooked in a leaf. This dish is easily eaten w/a spoon bc it is very soft & scoopable. I thought this paired better w/the lettuce leaf & cilantro. This was a very aromatic lemongrass & kaffir leaf infused dish. I really enjoyed it. Dessert: -Fried Banana w/Ice Cream $7.50- the perfectly fried banana without a mushy interior was addictively delicious & to balance the warmth of the banana you can dip it in vanilla ice cream. Absolutely worth the treat! Look forward to returning to a clean, modern, family run restaurant in Oakland. With so many new dishes I've never seen, it was hard to choose read more

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place is just ok and busy during lunch time. staffs and service are just ok. will say the foods like home foods and taste: * tum tang: it is just ok. i expect more cucumber even though it is shredded and will say prefer having hard texture of cucumber * angel wings: it is mediocre but sauce tends to sweet * lad nah: it is just ok but sauce is a bit salty for my taste buds overall, taste is just ok and prices are average. three stars at this time... read more

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While visiting Joaquin Miller Park, we needed some good food and we came by here for dinner around 5:30pm. We ordered many dishes, all tasty and not overly spicy. Larb with chicken, fried tofu with string beans, cabbage with pork, and a few more. All made well and look well presented on your table. Veggies nicely cut and tasted good. Customer service: good. Bathroom: clean. Decor: homey, pleasant paintings of their Fatherland hang on the wall. I would come back. read more

I truly love this place. The food is always good and its a hidden gem in the middle of a neighborhood. If you haven't tried it please do yourself a favor and try it out. Pro tip: not alot of parking so either pick up to go, have delivered, take an Uber or try to all drive in one car rather than meet there. read more

Vientian Cafe - Spring rolls, shrimp chow mein, egg rolls, beef and broccoli and chicken wings. - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

I have a feeling if I came here as a regular customer and tried a variety of their specialty dishes that I'd be more enthusiastic about this somewhat isolated East Oakland place. I had heard about the place from a local vlogger on YouTube, and the cross-pollination of Lao, Thai, and Vietnamese cuisines really appealed to me. I have to admit it took me a while to find it because it's in the middle of a residential neighborhood. Once I entered, they seated me in an area separate from the larger parties who appeared to be feasting on a variety of dishes. It took me some time to review their comprehensive menu, but I found one that appealed to me, the $9 Mok Gal (Steamed Chicken) which included several supplemental flavors like lemongrass, garlic, and kaffir leaves. Unfortunately the server came back five minutes later to say they couldn't make it. Bummer. I then decided to order the $14.95 Param, pieces of chicken breast over steamed mixed vegetables ladled with a thick peanut sauce and accompanied by white rice (Photo 8). It was good but not all that unique a dish. I felt a need to try something uniquely Laotian, so I ordered the $5.50 Sai Ooa, a hearty pork sausage mixed with onion, garlic, lemongrass, and Thai chilis (Photo 10). That was tasty and different. More of that please. A return visit seems to make sense. FOOD - 3 stars...the sausage was uniquely tasty, the rest didn't stand out AMBIANCE - 3.5 stars...plenty of room in my corner of the restaurant SERVICE - 3.5 stars...polite though not engaging TOTAL - 3 stars...maybe focusing on the Laotian dishes would amp up my satisfaction RELATED - Exploring Oakland? Here's a collection of places l've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/D4ZqCEpC9n read more

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Located in East Oakland in a mostly residential neighborhood, the place was small but clean and definitely had a lot of patrons. As others have noted, parking is tough. We were there to try the Laotian special dishes and ordered mok pa (steamed fish), oar lam (beef stew). zoob nor mai (bamboo stew) and lao sausages. The fish was good with standout herbal flavors which I liked. The oar lam (beef stew) flavor was on point but lacking in meat and Thai eggplants which I love and thus wanted to order this dish. The bamboo stew was fine. First time I had it so didn't have any real comparisons. The Lao sausage was fried? It was dry and would have preferred baked. Not as good as others I have had. The dishes were small, like tapas, but was enough for two of us. Service was fine. Overall, the food was decent but I've had better Laos food elsewhere. Maybe their Thai dishes are better. Next time! read more

Vientian Cafe - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

4: Nam Khao: Nice crunch, but missing some flavor. Not as addictive as the version at Bhan Mae Vane in 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. read more

I've been coming here since the early 2000s for the Pad Thai and angel wings. Still as good as I remember Kind small business owners with noticeable regular customers! read more

Vientian Cafe - Angel Wings (10) Meat Salad Pad Thai - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

Been coming here for a very long time. The have the best Thai, Laos, Hmong, and not Vietnamese food here. 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. read more

Vientien was on SF Chronicle's list of Top 100 restaurants so I've been eyeing it for a little bit, and finally got chance to stop by after some hiking in Oakland hills. My only exposure to Laotian food was "Lao Table" in downtown SF some years ago which felt bit gentrified. We tried: 1. Beef larb salad - bit too salty 2. Mok Pa - Lao specialty, tender catfish with no fishy taste, tasted the lemon grass, liked this the best. Lao specialtkes were more like small plates. 3. Kao poun- mild coconut curry still has kick. Only a few pieces of chicken 4. Nam Khao- tasted like crunchy fried rice with sweet hint Seems like Lao food has more fermented ingredients in comparison with other SEA cuisine like Thai and Vietnamese. Like others mentioned, family run neighborhood spot in East Oakland. Street parking only. Arrived around 1pm and only a few tables but people started to roll in after. Appreciated trying a lesser known cuisine, but not sure if I'd consider this a Bay Area Top 100 restaurant. read more

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Vientian is the place to go if you are craving Lao or Thai food. I have been coming here since I was a kid and I still come back regularly. Over the years, it has become my go-to spot for comfort food. It is the kind of neighborhood restaurant that is all about the food, no frills. What I appreciate most about Vientian is that they do not tone down the flavors. The food tastes authentic, with bold, pungent, and powerful flavors done right. Everything is more bold compared to other restaurants I have tried, which suits my personal preference and keeps me coming back. I usually rotate between a few favorite dishes, but this time I ordered the angel wings, Lao-style papaya salad, and chow mein -- all solid choices. The restaurant is located in a residential neighborhood, so parking can be a bit challenging since it is limited to shared street parking. On the bright side, the food is very affordable, and who does not love delicious food at a great price? While the flavors can be slightly inconsistent at times, that is just my personal take and it is never enough to stop me from enjoying the food or coming back. read more

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Local homey spot that served more unique dishes such as Lao sausage and kao soy. We got a chefs special involving a fried fish, which was okay, but seemed like it was americanized with gravy and white mushrooms. Overall, it was a great place to satisfy a craving and the Lao sausage was yummy with strong lemongrass flavor, but I was overall not super impressed. The kao soy was okay too. I'm glad I gave them a try, and the service was pretty fast for a weekday evening. It is not on a busy street, but there were still a decent amount of diners for dinner. read more

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Food was not great a thick chocolate with coffee, not espresso, i think it was coffee Service not friendly at all, needs so much improvement, the guys at the register was not nice AT ALL. Ambiance average, feels a bit outdated. read more

Vientian Cafe - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

Nostalgic and Historic spot in East Oakland that I feel has still kept that delicious, warm, diverse and honest vibe. I'm so glad it's still here and offering the great array of Vietnamese, Laotian food read more

Nice mom & pop shop located in the middle of a neighborhood! They got all the spice you need if you're into that, and serve very generous portions. Brought it to-go to enjoy at home & it kept feeding not only that day, but the day after that as well! read more

Very tasty, large portion sizes. Called in an order to go and it was ready right on time. We had the wrapped fish, which they told us to microwave once we got it home - this was fantastic. The crispy rice in romaine wraps was also very good. The duck curry was fine, came with plenty of veggies in it, which was nice. Nothing unusual here, but it was good - not too salty, not too sweet, the duck was cooked perfectly (not too dry). They're very generous with the rice, unlike some places. Can't comment much on ambiance, it's a small place and I guess most people don't eat there. Price was about what you'd expect - plenty of food for multiple meals, total came to about $65 for 3 dishes (enough for 2 people + at least a full set of leftovers). read more

Our maiden voyage to an Oakland staple like Vientian Cafe netted a great first-time experience. It didn't surprise me that an establishment like this one has successfully served the local community for over 20 years. Thank you Vientiane. BB read more

I was finally passing through the neighborhoos so we ordered ahead online for takeout, we got the gang deng pak (vegetables with red curry). It doesn't come with tofu, I do wish that this as a vegetarian dish had some proteins as a default. I tasted cabbage, carrots, broccoli, zucchini, bell peppers in it. It was mildly spicy (at least for me as someone with a low spice tolerance; I only realized this because I coughed a little from eating it) but it was tasty. The online ordering site doesn't let you set a spiciness level. When I went to pick up, I saw that they require a photo ID when paying with credit card. They only had indoor seating unfortunately. It is indeed located in the midst of a residential neighborhood, parking on Friday evening so we could pick up the food wasn't too hard thankfully. read more

Vientian Cafe - Gang deng pak - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

Oh my goodness is all I can say. Their Laos food is sooo dang good. I hardly come to Oakland but when I do, this is like a dream come true. Nam Khao always on point, Chicken Larb, Kao Poun, Chicken Red Curry, and the Mok Pa!!! Chefs double kiss!!! Don't forget to grab a couple bags of the fresh pork rinds. You can thank me later. So good didn't even take any pictures. read more

This is a neighborhood restaurant. Looks like it was a garage converted to a small restaurant. This is a hole in the wall spot. Not in the best location in Oakland but their food is very good. Located at a corner and only has street parking. Tip: do not leave anything valuable in your car. Let's talk food! They have an extensive selections on the menu. I came for the Laos food. I looked at what others have and ask them what they ordered since this is my first time here. Jeow Bong (fermented dip) - salty but very flavorful. Must eat with sticky rice and/or veggies like cucumbers. This is my new fave dip! Kao Poon - very flavorful and delicious. There was a good amount of chicken but I wished there were more bamboo shoots. Nam Kao - this came with a plate of lettuces and fixings. I used it as a lettuce wrap. Lao sausage - mild spicy. It was good with sticky rice Angel wings - my least fave. It was too sweet and dried. It was like having candy chicken wings. Don't think I will order again. Overall, food was very good and would def come back again but skip the chicken wings. read more

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The owner not only treats customers like trash, she also mistreats employees and she isn't capable of handling stress. She took my order, ever since I came in she had an attitude and I get it, stressful night. When I picked up my order, I was missing a mango sticky rice for my daughter. I went back, to tell them I was missing the item and she Blamed me for her mistake. She wouldn't let me speak, she started screaming looking for other customers approval. And started screaming "oh so you want the item for free". Every time I was trying to speak she would interrupt me, and started screaming, so embarrassing for her business. She had 2 employees, Both of the employees were being mistreated and when I called her out she told me she wasn't going to be lectured about the way she treats her employees and that she was able to treat them however she felt like it. Sincerely her attitude towards the employees and paying customers was so disrespectful and disgusting, I hope they get to work at a better place. read more

Vientian Cafe - owner's lack of mental strength and management (violent and Rude) will impact her business.evolve and learn how to treat people kindly. - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

I've been here plenty of times, but first time reviewing. I took my boyfriend here and he loved it! He said the red bull is better than the American one. Can't go wrong with Thai iced tea. On to the food! Angel wings: fire! Get it! Super flavorful 5/5 Papaya salad (Laos): my favorite always and it was demolished. We did medium spicy which can be too much for some 5/5 Nam Kao: we did appetizer portion. Loved wrapping it with lettuce and taking a bite of the chili 4/5 Kao piak: my boyfriend loves this and it was really good with pork blood 5/5 Everything was delicious! Parking is street and overall pretty safe. Such a popular restaurant. Staff are attentive. Come here if you're craving some amazing Thai/Laos cuisine. read more

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A true hole in the wall spot in Oakland. There's basically nothing else nearby, but Vientian was PACKED on a weekend lunch. I've never had Laos food before, so I was super excited to try Vientian with my Thai friend! We ordered Tom Saap, Fried Pork, Gang Nor Mai, Laos style Papaya Salad, Thai Iced Tea, and sticky rice. Everything was insanely flavorful and SPICY despite getting mild so beware! This was my first time trying Laos style papaya salad and it's definitely an acquired taste since it's very fishy. The prices are so affordable and portion sizes are good. I'd definitely come back to try other dishes!! read more

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Beef larb - still great, medium rare, spicy ok. Extra sauce? Mok pa - great. Kao poun - soup is mild coconut as stated, so on light side. Chicken has bone. read more

My family and I have been going here for the best Laos food in the Bay Area for over a decade now. Never took the time to write a review until now, we actually just visited this past Sunday and everything was so delicious as always! Our usual spread here consists of the Nam Khao, Khao Soi, Angel wings, papaya salad, and Laos sausage (we also order frozen pre-made sausages for togo to grill/airfry at home!). To this day, I have not dined at any other Laos restaurant that has better sausage and Nam Khao than Vientian Cafe! I even attempted to make a homemade Laos sausage at home in hopes of replicating theirs using an authentic recipe, but Vientian's version is just simply untouchable. Their food tastes like there are grandmas in the back making it the way they've made it to feed their own families...and funny enough it tastes like this because the whole kitchen (as far as what I have seen when I walk by and catch a glimpse) is indeed a bunch of older Laos/Thai women freshly whipping up each dish! Even though this place looks like a hole in the wall on the outside, they've done a few renovations over the course of time like revamping their bathroom, front entrance, etc which looks great. The establishment has always been very clean inside as well, but to be honest I'd be willing to sit on the floor outside if I had to in order to dine at Vientian Cafe, their food is just that amazing and worth it. Not to mention, the service is always polite, quick, and efficient even when we come in with larger parties of 5+. There is one lady who is basically always here serving tables whenever we visit and she is evidently very hardworking and polite. There is also a young man too who serves the tables and he always moves quick and is polite to us and all of our needs. I hope to continue dining here for more decades to come, and am glad to see they actually were recognized as a Top 100 restaurant in the Bay Area per the San Francisco Chronicle for 2025. Now that is an amazing and well-deserved accomplishment. Keep up the amazing work, Vientian Cafe! read more

Vientian Cafe - 2025 Top 100 Restaurant Recognition - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

As a Lao person not from the Bay, this place hits all the homey notes for me. Mokpha, larb, papaya salad, and nam khao are my go to. These are must tries if you haven't yet. Lao sausage a little different than what I'm use to but I still buy the frozen ones to take home. read more

Fast service, food came out fast, prices are reasonable, and it's kid and wallet friendly. My kids loved the chicken noodle soup. We enjoyed the sticky rice with the catfish appetizer, chicken larb, and the nam kao which comes with lettuce wraps. It's a casual spot that doesn't have a lot of tables but the food comes out quickly so the turnaround is fast. Great local spot for flavorful food kids can eat too. Came here after a visit to the Oakland Zoo. read more

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Warning: the parking situation is bad due to its residential location. The inside looks dated, but that's part of the character. I'd say the main selling points are their authenticity and prices. We came here Sunday night and was able to get seated right away. The food orders and water refill took awhile, but the food came very quickly. Highly recommend the angel wings! Super delicious albeit kinda small. Wasn't impressed with the combination noodle soup though. Thought it was leaning towards the bland side. read more

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Love coming here whenever I'm craving Lao food. My favorites are always the kasoy, tham som (papaya salad) and Lao sausage. This time we got the Lao jerky instead of the sausage and it was very good! This is my go to spot if I'm looking for authentic Lao papaya salad, I've eaten at most Thai/lao spots in Oakland and nobody can make a better Lao papaya salad than Vientiane (in my opinion). Their kasoy is also the best (in my opinion) as well. Other restaurants will not put enough bean paste but Vientiane makes theirs so good and flavorful. Support this local restaurant, you won't regret it! read more

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Vientian Cafe is located in a residential neighborhood and street parking may be hard to find, but it is worth the extra effort. This is a no-frills restaurant catering mostly to locals, and as such the food is outstanding and the prices are very reasonable. Vientian Cafe has a vast menu and features Laotian/Thai/Vietnamnese items. You have to try the Laotian specialties. I first tried Mok Pla, a steamed fish curry wrapped in banana leaves, in Orange County Cambodian restaurants, and it is rare to find this in the Bay Area. The Mok Pla at Vientian came in nice portion for the price. The fish was tender, and the taste was delicate and aromatic, not fishy at all. We also tried the bamboo shoot stew. I think this dish is a bit fermented so the taste may be strong for some people, but I loved it. Both the Mok Pla and bamboo shoots stew were so good with rice. We also enjoyed the Laotian sausage, kao soy noodles and Nam Khao. Some reviewers said the service can be rude, but fortunately for us, that was not the case. The owner and server were cordial and helpful. We will come back for sure to this neighborhood gem. read more

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My go to takeout spot for Thai/Laotian food. The people over the phone are always attentive and double check your order. They always make sure that your food is what you want and that you know that this is legit Thai spicy. The nam kao here always has a great crunch and lots of yummy umami to it. I usually like it lettuce wrapped and with a little extra lime from my house. The papaya salad retains spice the best so mild is already quite spicy for most people. Laos style is much funkier so be prepared for that! They're both good but I personally prefer Thai as Laos is a tad too strong for me. The beef larb is quite tender and delicious as well. Spicy for this was less spicy than medium papaya salad! I've had a few of their noodle soups here, kao soi and kao puon coming to mind at the moment. The noodle soups are always flavorful and warm in the tummy. Similarly, the noodle dishes like pad see ew or pad kee mao are basically what I crave when I want some stir fried noodles! I've never had a bad dish here and I'm always happy to try new things but the nam kao is forever in my heart. Also, they fry their own pork skins and if you like them crispy, these are it! I haven't sat inside so I can't speak to the ambiance, but it always looks clean when I go to pick up food :) read more

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Delicious Khao Sao! I have nothing to compare it to but the silky noodles and an unchious broth hit the spot. The Laotian sausage is heavy on the lemon grass, and seems to be a fan favorite among locals. read more

Vientian Cafe - Khao Sao - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

Came here the other day. I went to use the bathroom and apparently walked out the wrong corridor. The guy, that looked like a girl tried to press me for that. I didnt know. This place has gone downhill from the original owners. Pass. read more

The bestest. Try everything on the menu once. I love that it's in the neighborhood. nom nom read more

Been here twice. Excellent pho the broth was the best I've had. Beef green curry great too. If we lived closer would come regularly.

I went with my friend at opening time. The menu is extensive, and the staff is nice. The kao soy was incredibly flavorful and spicy; I was sweating through the meal and enjoying every bite. The angel wings were perfectly crispy and covered with a sweet glaze. We were lucky with street parking but during busier hours, you may have to look for a parking spot. I will have to come back and try their other menu items. read more

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Ordered the food ahead for pickup and the food does not disappoint. The nam khao, fried chicken, larb are the popular choices for us here. In the past we have dined in and the ambiance is fine; however, this review is for takeout service only. We ordered a fried rice and it was ok. The pineapple chunks were huge and the rice serving was fair. The rest of the food ordered were fine. read more

Vientian Cafe - Some of the takeouts - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

I love this place so much... It is truly one of the best restaurants around. Tonight we had the pho, the fried tofu and also a yellow curry. Yum! read more

They have a number of items on their menu explicitly labeled vegetarian which are NOT vegetarian as they contain shrimp paste. FYI, if an item contains shrimp paste, fish sauce, chicken/beef bouillon etc, then it is not vegetarian. I'm sure many customers have been duped into eating things they did not intend to eat. Furthermore, shellfish allergies can be serious and are very common. Please respect your customers and label your menu correctly. read more

I learned about this place over 20 years ago when it was a video rental shop with a good order service in the back. Yup. It's been that long. Back then, an order of papaya salad came with 13 peppers!! It was so spicy my tongue and lips would burn but then Id keep eating. That's when I knew I was in love. Since then this place has become a cornerstone of east Oakland neighborhood restaurants and it has outlasted recessions, a pandemic, and doing business in Oakland. My favorites here are Laos papaya salad, sausage, and Angel wings. Papaya salad I'd a little on the simply side these days. Sausage always smacks. And Angel wings are usually good, except one time the meat was undercooked. Today however I ordered nam kao and beef larb. The nk is crunchy and has a bold coconut flavor. I got my larb beef medium cooked and I have to say it tasted really salty and didn't have enough lime flavor to balance. It also seemed more well done. I've never dined in before and always do take out. I cant speak to ambiance or table service. But it's a pretty straight forward place! I noticed they do catering. Will check it out someday. read more