Lao Garden Restaurant & Bar

2514 San Pablo Ave, Berkeley
(510) 705-1958

Recent Reviews

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sam porter

I ordered drunken noodles to go. They were delicious with a nice slightly sweet, savory, chili sauce. And the carrots were arranged like a lotus flower! The space is super nice inside too.

And most important the staff is so kind, the woman handling my pick up remembered me from a month ago! This is a classy tasty and very local spot, I highly recommend it!!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Drunken Noodle

Michelle Fontana

New favorite spot in West Berkeley! Check this place out! The food is all delicious, every bite, and the staff is friendly and proud of the food they serve!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Francis Abbatantuono

When I return I will order Khao Poon Gai, Thu Lith’s Famous Saikoo, and Drunken Noodle. The food is scrumptious.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Yunjiao Liu

Every bite is a yum “mmmmmh” 😍 We really like the SaiKoo Tapioca Balls with ground pork. Can’t wait to visit again next time with family.

Eva Agus

My new favorite local.

Mok Catfish is lifechanging. Velvety juicy and fragrant. Luang Prabang Khao Soi and Yum Salat Lao are also delicious. They capture that tangy, savory Lao flavors while balancing with the freshness of veggies. Portions are enormous.
At dinnertime, the sunset can glare so sit on the front side of the restaurant.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Jacie Shields

First time having Laotian food and it was fantastic! Atmosphere was comforting and inviting, loved the lights and decor! Service was friendly and patient with us, she also suggested menu items. Food was so tasty! We ordered Kua Mee Lao (fried noodles with bean sprouts and egg omeleton top), excellent; Kua Khao (chicken and pineapple fried rice) so yummy; Thu Lith's Famous Saikoo (stuffed tapioca balls) these were different but really good. We finished it off with dessert coconut mango sweet rice!
Loa tea is also really good.
Thank you for the wonderful food and beautiful atmosphere!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

B F

The drunken noodles were delicious. Also the lychee iced tea

Michel Thouati

Extremely unusual dishes that represent a truly unique experience, at least for us. We never knew that Laotian food good be so different from Thai (I know, very naive of us).

I recommend asking the owner to make suggestions. The tapioca balls, for instance, are amazing.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Martha Morales

Amazing food, amazing people! The staff at Lao Garden are so friendly, the service is quick, and every dish is bursting with flavor. A true Berkeley gem — can’t wait to come back!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Rose W

Updated 1 star because of your annoying AI responses.

I’ve never had loatian food so bland.

The service was incredibly slow, though they were nice when they did get back to us to take our order.

This would have been fine if the food was good but it wasn’t tangy and lacked spices. The larb was the only thing that didn’t taste like it was cooked in mildly salty plain water. I have no idea why this place has such a high rating, maybe the chef is different on weekends?

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 1

Service: 1

Jesse Alejandro Cottrell

I didn't have time to take any pictures because as soon as the food was served, my dinner partner and I chowed it all down. It was delicious. We got fried rice balls, sautéed eggplant, and Nam Khao, which was as good a take on that dish as I've tasted.

I've always loved Laotian food, but sometimes it can be hard to find vegetarian friendly Laotian restaurants. At Lao Garden, several dishes were clearly labeled as being offered with vegetarian substitutions. I really wanted to stop eating so that I could save leftovers for my girlfriend. I failed.

Our server was attentive and charming. The restaurant is decorated beautifully, and there's a big back patio that I'm looking forward to checking out. I'm already planning my next visit.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Nam Khao

Michael Hanna

Lao Garden is a charming restaurant serving up tasty Laotian food! We had fragrant catfish and a generous portion of Khao Soy soup. The restaurant itself was quite welcoming too - the interior is vibrant and colorful, and the staff are very friendly. Give this place a try!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Debu Karchowdhury

Great food.Very good service.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 4

Amor Fati

OMG stumbled upon this place today and had one of the best dishes of the year. I took the Nam Khao, recommended by my server.

Crispy sweet rice, tangy lime, fresh herbs and lettuce, and perfectly cooked pork. A cold beer in a chilled glass on a quiet terrace and lovely kind service. WOW. And a huge portion with enough to take home for dinner. I will be back to try more dishes.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

christine kuehl

Excellent food, and you have to order the side of chili sauce it’s incredible! Crispy rice balls were so delicious as well. Will be back. Also nice they have a lot of vegetarian options/modifications

Recommended dishes: Nam Khao

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