Paula helped me with my order and suggested specific items. She was professional, friendly and very welcoming. I would highly suggest coming and checking this restaurant out. Thank you, Paula.
Maria Khan
I've gotten takeout from here a bunch of times. Absolutely love all the flavors, probably my favorite Lao restaurant in SD. Nam Khao is unbelievable, I could eat that every day. Everyone who works there who I've interacted with has been extremely nice and informative about the food and flavors. Love trying new things from here but the nam Khao will always remain my must-haves.
Food: 5
Ryan Nunez
Delicious Thai entrees with great Thai tea. Som tum (papaya salad) wasn’t the best I’ve ever had but it was fine. It was missing fresh green beans and wife said it didn’t seem like they used a mortar to make it. Everything else was top notch with tons of flavor. We ordered like 5 dishes and brought leftovers home. Prices are typical. Plenty of places to sit. Waiter/waitresses were nice. Young kids working on the weekend, gotta respect that. We will be back. Not going to leave a 4 star for the som tum cause everything else was amazing and they are nice.
Navs L
I’ll have to come back and try more items. Relaxed vibe with snacks and goodies you can take home. Everybody seemed sweet. It wasn’t very busy. I liked that they have a beer and wine license but they’re missing out on revenue by not keeping these items in stock! The Nam Tok was tasty and a good portion. The large order of sticky rice is actually “large” compared to other places. The papaya salad wasn’t my favorite but it’s customizable which I’ll try next time. Great spot to catch up and have a conversation as well as get lao food which I crave alll the time.
Drs. Mini Me
Never tried Laon cuisine before and we quite enjoyed it. First decent pork belly I have had in about 10 years (although I did have the urge afterwards to wash my mouth out with soap or have a very fizzy soda!). Service was good and seating comfortable. Unfortunately, appears to be located in a rough part of town. There was a homeless person literally sleeping next to the entrance and a couple more vagrants within about 10 feet. Sad to see but also might make some people feel unsafe.
Mimi J.
My 1st time visiting here on a Sunday for lunch before heading back home to Oc. My cousins fav Laos restaurant, her friend owns it. Located in a really small plaza with very limited parking that is really compact. Located in same plaza as Starbucks. This place was ok, does serve authentic Yummy Laos food but i felt I've had better and this restaurant can do much better. What we ordered. ~Boat noodle soup was yummy. The broth was delicious & filled w lots of yummy vegetables. ~Papaya salad in Laos style was tossed w actual crabs. My complaint is the papaya shred was so huge & thick. I didn't like the texture and my friend said the same thing. ~Pork rinds they sold in the bag at the counter. We got that to enjoy w the papaya salad was bitter. Not only i noticed it along w my friends. Doesn't taste good unless you like bitter pork rinds. Lol ~ Thai ice tea was good. Not super l sweet. Perfect the way I liked it. My cousin was surprised the menu has charged and really limited. I guess they are short staffed, there's a sign on the front entrance letting customers know regarding the menu. Service was good & food was received in a timely manner. ~Tip, Ck in on Yelp for a free thai ice tea offer. Highly suggest to get the drink. It's really good. The restaurant itself is traditional Lao style decor. With some items pre made for sale, like pork rinds & beef Jerky. Only downside I'm not really digging is the paper containers that are given to us to use along w some of the items are served in it too. Really not classy. Was definitely an eye sore. Doesn't look appealing. So i deducted a star for that.
Sawyer Jenkins
I love this place! very kind workers and AMAZING FOOD! the portions are big and for the price very good. this is actual authentic thai food and comes with much room to adjust spice levels. will be coming here again! 10/10
Cindy S.
Ban Lao fits the bill when satisfying my Thai craving. Where have you been all my life? The curries are amazing and the crab fried rice is so good. But really the star of this show is the crying tiger. When I think Thai food, this is the first place that comes to mind. Too bad it's a 2 hour drive away. I have recommended to others to visit Ban Lao and their crying tiger is a must and I have only gotten rave reviews from others as well. San Diego visits now include a stop at Ban Lao at all cost. Thank you to my dear friend that introduced me to this place. My Thai food experience has been elevated.
Noah D.
This restaurant is my go-to for great Laos and Thai food. I usually place my order with Paula by phone. She pleasantly answers my call and have my order ready within 10-20 minutes. My usual order consist of drunken noodles, spicy fried rice, or Khao Soi, etc. When I'm feeling extra hungry, I also order Lao sausage since I believe that it is seasoned to perfection. I get my food with a medium spice level. The savoriness of the meal always comes through to satisfy my taste buds. I also recently developed an addiction to the taste and smell of Thai basil incorporated into any of the dishes made here. The portioning of the food is quite generous because I always have leftovers for later, can't complain.
Katie S.
Bomb authentic lao and Thai food. East San Diego has their choices on Lao and Thai food, being a Laotian/Thai/Cambodian person myself, it's so hard to find the right spot. I really love this spot because not only are the ingredients and food itself is fresh but it's a cute intimate spot that's family owned.
I love this place! very kind workers and AMAZING FOOD! the portions are big and for the price very good. this is actual authentic thai food and comes with much room to adjust spice levels. will be coming here again! 10/10
Ray T.
Thai food never disappoints!! This was another great Thai restaurant with authentic flavors! They offer a Thai tea on their app for checking in. The waitress was friendly and engaging, but I wish she told me about the free tea for checking in on Yelp instead of having me pay ):
Daisy R.
I ordered drunken noodles with veggies and Penang with chicken, both were very good, not really their fault but my daughter is allergic to nuts and there were nuts in Penang, never thought to ask as every restaurant that I ordered Penang never put any nuts in their curry, I always try before giving her anyway so all was well, but both dishes were absolutely delicious. I would definitely go there again to try out some other dishes.
Oscar A.
I really enjoy coming to this spot for their Lao/Thai food. Both food and service are great. There's a lady that works there, not sure if she's the owner, but she's always very nice. Everything I've tried here is good, but my favorite plates are the Crying Tiger and Pad Thai. Make sure you check in for a free Thai Tea!
Cynn J.
Food is very good. I use to come here a lot & always recommend this spot to my clients & friends. Was actually excited when I heard they were moving next door to bigger spot.But sucks now cause They offer dine in but everything has to be in a to go box which is something I don't like to much. I feel a restaurant should have dine in options with dine in services like a waiter who can take our order & bring our food to us. especially if they still want us to tip them. While dining in, Eating out of a container or plastic plates just not so classy for a restaurant. Owner just says they don't have enough staffs. Hopefully they can hire more people or take out dining. Wont return or recommend anymore if my clients till they get situated
Paula helped me with my order and suggested specific items. She was professional, friendly and very welcoming. I would highly suggest coming and checking this restaurant out. Thank you, Paula.
I've gotten takeout from here a bunch of times. Absolutely love all the flavors, probably my favorite Lao restaurant in SD. Nam Khao is unbelievable, I could eat that every day. Everyone who works there who I've interacted with has been extremely nice and informative about the food and flavors. Love trying new things from here but the nam Khao will always remain my must-haves.
Food: 5
Delicious Thai entrees with great Thai tea. Som tum (papaya salad) wasn’t the best I’ve ever had but it was fine. It was missing fresh green beans and wife said it didn’t seem like they used a mortar to make it. Everything else was top notch with tons of flavor. We ordered like 5 dishes and brought leftovers home. Prices are typical. Plenty of places to sit. Waiter/waitresses were nice. Young kids working on the weekend, gotta respect that. We will be back. Not going to leave a 4 star for the som tum cause everything else was amazing and they are nice.
I’ll have to come back and try more items. Relaxed vibe with snacks and goodies you can take home. Everybody seemed sweet. It wasn’t very busy. I liked that they have a beer and wine license but they’re missing out on revenue by not keeping these items in stock! The Nam Tok was tasty and a good portion. The large order of sticky rice is actually “large” compared to other places. The papaya salad wasn’t my favorite but it’s customizable which I’ll try next time. Great spot to catch up and have a conversation as well as get lao food which I crave alll the time.
Never tried Laon cuisine before and we quite enjoyed it. First decent pork belly I have had in about 10 years (although I did have the urge afterwards to wash my mouth out with soap or have a very fizzy soda!). Service was good and seating comfortable. Unfortunately, appears to be located in a rough part of town. There was a homeless person literally sleeping next to the entrance and a couple more vagrants within about 10 feet. Sad to see but also might make some people feel unsafe.
My 1st time visiting here on a Sunday for lunch before heading back home to Oc. My cousins fav Laos restaurant, her friend owns it. Located in a really small plaza with very limited parking that is really compact. Located in same plaza as Starbucks. This place was ok, does serve authentic Yummy Laos food but i felt I've had better and this restaurant can do much better. What we ordered. ~Boat noodle soup was yummy. The broth was delicious & filled w lots of yummy vegetables. ~Papaya salad in Laos style was tossed w actual crabs. My complaint is the papaya shred was so huge & thick. I didn't like the texture and my friend said the same thing. ~Pork rinds they sold in the bag at the counter. We got that to enjoy w the papaya salad was bitter. Not only i noticed it along w my friends. Doesn't taste good unless you like bitter pork rinds. Lol ~ Thai ice tea was good. Not super l sweet. Perfect the way I liked it. My cousin was surprised the menu has charged and really limited. I guess they are short staffed, there's a sign on the front entrance letting customers know regarding the menu. Service was good & food was received in a timely manner. ~Tip, Ck in on Yelp for a free thai ice tea offer. Highly suggest to get the drink. It's really good. The restaurant itself is traditional Lao style decor. With some items pre made for sale, like pork rinds & beef Jerky. Only downside I'm not really digging is the paper containers that are given to us to use along w some of the items are served in it too. Really not classy. Was definitely an eye sore. Doesn't look appealing. So i deducted a star for that.
I love this place! very kind workers and AMAZING FOOD! the portions are big and for the price very good. this is actual authentic thai food and comes with much room to adjust spice levels. will be coming here again! 10/10
Ban Lao fits the bill when satisfying my Thai craving. Where have you been all my life? The curries are amazing and the crab fried rice is so good. But really the star of this show is the crying tiger. When I think Thai food, this is the first place that comes to mind. Too bad it's a 2 hour drive away. I have recommended to others to visit Ban Lao and their crying tiger is a must and I have only gotten rave reviews from others as well. San Diego visits now include a stop at Ban Lao at all cost. Thank you to my dear friend that introduced me to this place. My Thai food experience has been elevated.
This restaurant is my go-to for great Laos and Thai food. I usually place my order with Paula by phone. She pleasantly answers my call and have my order ready within 10-20 minutes. My usual order consist of drunken noodles, spicy fried rice, or Khao Soi, etc. When I'm feeling extra hungry, I also order Lao sausage since I believe that it is seasoned to perfection. I get my food with a medium spice level. The savoriness of the meal always comes through to satisfy my taste buds. I also recently developed an addiction to the taste and smell of Thai basil incorporated into any of the dishes made here. The portioning of the food is quite generous because I always have leftovers for later, can't complain.
Bomb authentic lao and Thai food. East San Diego has their choices on Lao and Thai food, being a Laotian/Thai/Cambodian person myself, it's so hard to find the right spot. I really love this spot because not only are the ingredients and food itself is fresh but it's a cute intimate spot that's family owned.
Restaurantji Recommends
I love this place! very kind workers and AMAZING FOOD! the portions are big and for the price very good. this is actual authentic thai food and comes with much room to adjust spice levels. will be coming here again! 10/10
Thai food never disappoints!! This was another great Thai restaurant with authentic flavors! They offer a Thai tea on their app for checking in. The waitress was friendly and engaging, but I wish she told me about the free tea for checking in on Yelp instead of having me pay ):
I ordered drunken noodles with veggies and Penang with chicken, both were very good, not really their fault but my daughter is allergic to nuts and there were nuts in Penang, never thought to ask as every restaurant that I ordered Penang never put any nuts in their curry, I always try before giving her anyway so all was well, but both dishes were absolutely delicious. I would definitely go there again to try out some other dishes.
I really enjoy coming to this spot for their Lao/Thai food. Both food and service are great. There's a lady that works there, not sure if she's the owner, but she's always very nice. Everything I've tried here is good, but my favorite plates are the Crying Tiger and Pad Thai. Make sure you check in for a free Thai Tea!
Food is very good. I use to come here a lot & always recommend this spot to my clients & friends. Was actually excited when I heard they were moving next door to bigger spot.But sucks now cause They offer dine in but everything has to be in a to go box which is something I don't like to much. I feel a restaurant should have dine in options with dine in services like a waiter who can take our order & bring our food to us. especially if they still want us to tip them. While dining in, Eating out of a container or plastic plates just not so classy for a restaurant. Owner just says they don't have enough staffs. Hopefully they can hire more people or take out dining. Wont return or recommend anymore if my clients till they get situated