Fantastic family recipes and great service. Love this place stop in and try them.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Michelle Merrigan
This place is really good! Loved the fat little spicy sausages, the Lao salad, the crying tiger beef, the Mok fish and the heavenly jerky. So flavorful, warmly spicy but with lots of lemongrass and herbal flavors. Not a fancy place, but you can definitely feel the love.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lao Sausages Sai OUA
Jeff Cooperhouse
Got some yummy take out from Spicy Lao Kitchen! Ordered chicken pad Thai and beef pad see ew and waited for about 15 minutes. Very friendly staff and loved the aesthetic of the restaurant. Recommend, they have a large menu so will have to come back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pad Thai
Paige Boies
My life mission is to find the illusive Nam Kao Tod (Crispy Rice Salad, a traditional dish from Laos). I was so excited to find this one as it’s closer to Escondido than Suppanee Thai by the airport and (only slightly) more convenient than the Thai place on Convoy, both of which have Nam Kao. Tried the Nam Kao (extra crispy was a delicious choice) and the Wings. AMAZING and I will definitely be back. Atmosphere was nothing special, just like the location but don’t be deceived by the hole-in-the-wall look. The service and food are what matters and both were great. There was only one gal running FOH for lunch and she was attentive and quick. Place seems to be family-owned and very authentic. Can’t wait to go back!
Dietary restrictions: My sister couldn’t have the salad because she’s allergic to peanuts. Normally it’s fine because peanuts can just be removed, but they happen to fry the crispy rice part in Peanut Oil. I didn’t check this restaurant’s oil, but I happen to know there are certain types of refined peanut oil (like at CFA) that are actually ok for people with allergies. But my sister didn’t feel like taking the risk this time around.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Crispy Rice Salad Nam Khao, Tom Yum Chicken Wings
Chen Dow
Family run Laotian restaurant with very friendly staff and some unique dishes among. They also have packs of pork rinds, their own instant noodles, and other specialty items for sale. The boat noodles we got had two kinds of beef, one of which a little dry. Unfortunately the soup was a bit salty, and despite the ingredients, the flavor was a little one dimensional. Maybe it’s because they did not put in the usual pork blood found in typical Thai restaurants. The Lao pho had the better kind of beef in the boat noodles.
Wheelchair accessibility: Easy wheelchair entry from the parking lot
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 5
Calvyn Sykeo
Walk-in: Greeted by staff to find somewhere to sit down. The register counter is filled with products sold by either the owner or someone else; I am unsure. I saw people come in specifically to buy the beef jerky presented at the register, which is nice.
Experience: Came in with my family. We ordered the Lao Pho, Lao Sausage, Pad Sa Ew, Tom Yum Chicken, Eggrolls, and Spring Rolls.
The Lao pho can be done better. Usually, Lao pho is jam-packed with seasonings and spices, and you don't have to add anything because it is just THAT GOOD. Unfortunately, it is a good 3/5. The broth is okay, but you have to add to it to make it better.
The Lao sausage was okay. I am not sure if it was supposed to be presented differently or not, but it definitely needs to be done traditionally. The casing was thin, and it doesn't have that snap that Lao sausage usually has. The filling just fell out, and the flavor was just not present. A solid 2/5.
Pad Sa Ew is just Pad Sa Ew. Good flavor and not oily. The noodles weren't stuck together, which is good. 4/5
Tom Yum Chicken is basically the same as Chinese takeout wings. Flash fried outside and moist outside. I was kicked with the Tom Yum flavor! 4/5
Eggrolls can use a bit more meat. I might as well go vegan if I was eating these. It was nice crispy outside, though, and it was filled nicely. 3/5
Spring rolls were... terrible. They should have offered two options; a veggie roll and a regular roll with noodles. Yes, the spring roll looked nice with the all veggie interior and the token shrimp on the side, but it was so big for no reason. This is definitely a dish that needed to be kept simple. The peanut sauce to go along with it was very thick and was basically peanut butter consistency. A solid 1.5/5; this is a dish that needs to be kept simple, for sure.
Our experience with the food was not good. The menu is simple, but the food is not in terms of adding more flavor and also just keeping certain dishes simple. For the amount you pay, it definitely somewhat doesn't reflect what you're about to consume.
I wish this business to do well in the future!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Tom Yum Chicken Wings
A T
Very good food. I never had Lao food. In a good way, it was pretty different from the Asian food that I'm used to having.
The chicken wings were unlike any Asian chicken wing I've had. It's a dry rub. Very good and would come back just for that.
Good service although there was a lot of customers so the waiter was busy.
It's really spicy here. A 3/10 for one of the dishes was very spicy. I recommend you ask the waiter what he recommends regarding spice and your tolerance for it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tom Yum Chicken Wings
Geoffrey Frial
Nice asean dining place
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Kai Wen
Walk-in: Greeted by staff to find somewhere to sit down. The register counter is filled with products sold by either the owner or someone else; I am unsure. I saw people come in specifically to buy the beef jerky presented at the register, which is nice.
Experience: Came in with my family. We ordered the Lao Pho, Lao Sausage, Pad Sa Ew, Tom Yum Chicken, Eggrolls, and Spring Rolls.
The Lao pho can be done better. Usually, Lao pho is jam-packed with seasonings and spices, and you don't have to add anything because it is just THAT GOOD. Unfortunately, it is a good 3/5. The broth is okay, but you have to add to it to make it better.
The Lao sausage was okay. I am not sure if it was supposed to be presented differently or not, but it definitely needs to be done traditionally. The casing was thin, and it doesn't have that snap that Lao sausage usually has. The filling just fell out, and the flavor was just not present. A solid 2/5.
Pad Sa Ew is just Pad Sa Ew. Good flavor and not oily. The noodles weren't stuck together, which is good. 4/5
Tom Yum Chicken is basically the same as Chinese takeout wings. Flash fried outside and moist outside. I was kicked with the Tom Yum flavor! 4/5
Eggrolls can use a bit more meat. I might as well go vegan if I was eating these. It was nice crispy outside, though, and it was filled nicely. 3/5
Spring rolls were... terrible. They should have offered two options; a veggie roll and a regular roll with noodles. Yes, the spring roll looked nice with the all veggie interior and the token shrimp on the side, but it was so big for no reason. This is definitely a dish that needed to be kept simple. The peanut sauce to go along with it was very thick and was basically peanut butter consistency. A solid 1.5/5; this is a dish that needs to be kept simple, for sure.
Our experience with the food was not good. The menu is simple, but the food is not in terms of adding more flavor and also just keeping certain dishes simple. For the amount you pay, it definitely somewhat doesn't reflect what you're about to consume.
I wish this business to do well in the future!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Tom Yum Chicken Wings
Landy Lin
Food was way too bland and missing flavor. Did a take out of drunken noodles, green curry, and tom kha, and they all were so bland. Never had Thai food that wasn't flavorful.
The food is authentic, The taste is similar to being in Thailand or Lao. The young staff are friendly like a family run business. The pricing is good. The restaurant is clean and the food comes out looking tasty and in a timely manner. Living in Thailand 20 years, we are always trying to discover places in San Diego that have authentic tasting Thai food, Spicy Lao Kitchen is similar to Thai and definitely gets close to that mission. MSG alert! Despite our love for the good food there, an hour or so afterwards everyone got super thirsty, and had dry mouth. That normally means the restaurant loads up on adding MSG to the food. A note to the owners of the restaurant, please inform your customers if you put MSG in your food. At least then we have a choice. MSG is not healthy, and the way you cook your food is so good anyways, we the customer wouldn't even notice the difference in taste. I will remove this warning message, if I am wrong about the MSG. Let me know. Your food is fantastic, so please give us a choice on the MSG. Thanks.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lao Sausages Sai OUA, Lard Na, Sticky Rice
Arlyn Shanti
They play music from my generation so that’s already a plus for me. This is the only place that makes good Lao style papaya salad in my opinion. Their tom yum wings are AMAZING. Atmosphere is always good, the vibe is always welcoming. The staff works hard and they can get busy so be patient sometimes. It’s not like their staff is at back kitchen sleeping. This is definitely a comfort food place for us. Thank you for all your hard work!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Yoshie Obara
Delicious food and good customer service!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Richelle Anne
The food is freakin' fire & everything else is jz on point! Thx again SLK!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Nam Khao, Khao Piek Sen, Larb Tuna, Ahi Tuna, Lao Sausage, Chicken Wings
Kevin F
I had the spicy tofu. It was very good. I'll be going back.
Fantastic family recipes and great service. Love this place stop in and try them.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This place is really good! Loved the fat little spicy sausages, the Lao salad, the crying tiger beef, the Mok fish and the heavenly jerky. So flavorful, warmly spicy but with lots of lemongrass and herbal flavors. Not a fancy place, but you can definitely feel the love.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lao Sausages Sai OUA
Got some yummy take out from Spicy Lao Kitchen! Ordered chicken pad Thai and beef pad see ew and waited for about 15 minutes. Very friendly staff and loved the aesthetic of the restaurant. Recommend, they have a large menu so will have to come back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pad Thai
My life mission is to find the illusive Nam Kao Tod (Crispy Rice Salad, a traditional dish from Laos). I was so excited to find this one as it’s closer to Escondido than Suppanee Thai by the airport and (only slightly) more convenient than the Thai place on Convoy, both of which have Nam Kao.
Tried the Nam Kao (extra crispy was a delicious choice) and the Wings. AMAZING and I will definitely be back.
Atmosphere was nothing special, just like the location but don’t be deceived by the hole-in-the-wall look. The service and food are what matters and both were great. There was only one gal running FOH for lunch and she was attentive and quick. Place seems to be family-owned and very authentic. Can’t wait to go back!
Dietary restrictions: My sister couldn’t have the salad because she’s allergic to peanuts. Normally it’s fine because peanuts can just be removed, but they happen to fry the crispy rice part in Peanut Oil. I didn’t check this restaurant’s oil, but I happen to know there are certain types of refined peanut oil (like at CFA) that are actually ok for people with allergies. But my sister didn’t feel like taking the risk this time around.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Crispy Rice Salad Nam Khao, Tom Yum Chicken Wings
Family run Laotian restaurant with very friendly staff and some unique dishes among. They also have packs of pork rinds, their own instant noodles, and other specialty items for sale.
The boat noodles we got had two kinds of beef, one of which a little dry. Unfortunately the soup was a bit salty, and despite the ingredients, the flavor was a little one dimensional. Maybe it’s because they did not put in the usual pork blood found in typical Thai restaurants. The Lao pho had the better kind of beef in the boat noodles.
Wheelchair accessibility: Easy wheelchair entry from the parking lot
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 5
Walk-in: Greeted by staff to find somewhere to sit down. The register counter is filled with products sold by either the owner or someone else; I am unsure. I saw people come in specifically to buy the beef jerky presented at the register, which is nice.
Experience: Came in with my family. We ordered the Lao Pho, Lao Sausage, Pad Sa Ew, Tom Yum Chicken, Eggrolls, and Spring Rolls.
The Lao pho can be done better. Usually, Lao pho is jam-packed with seasonings and spices, and you don't have to add anything because it is just THAT GOOD. Unfortunately, it is a good 3/5. The broth is okay, but you have to add to it to make it better.
The Lao sausage was okay. I am not sure if it was supposed to be presented differently or not, but it definitely needs to be done traditionally. The casing was thin, and it doesn't have that snap that Lao sausage usually has. The filling just fell out, and the flavor was just not present. A solid 2/5.
Pad Sa Ew is just Pad Sa Ew. Good flavor and not oily. The noodles weren't stuck together, which is good. 4/5
Tom Yum Chicken is basically the same as Chinese takeout wings. Flash fried outside and moist outside. I was kicked with the Tom Yum flavor! 4/5
Eggrolls can use a bit more meat. I might as well go vegan if I was eating these. It was nice crispy outside, though, and it was filled nicely. 3/5
Spring rolls were... terrible. They should have offered two options; a veggie roll and a regular roll with noodles. Yes, the spring roll looked nice with the all veggie interior and the token shrimp on the side, but it was so big for no reason. This is definitely a dish that needed to be kept simple. The peanut sauce to go along with it was very thick and was basically peanut butter consistency. A solid 1.5/5; this is a dish that needs to be kept simple, for sure.
Our experience with the food was not good. The menu is simple, but the food is not in terms of adding more flavor and also just keeping certain dishes simple. For the amount you pay, it definitely somewhat doesn't reflect what you're about to consume.
I wish this business to do well in the future!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Tom Yum Chicken Wings
Very good food. I never had Lao food. In a good way, it was pretty different from the Asian food that I'm used to having.
The chicken wings were unlike any Asian chicken wing I've had. It's a dry rub. Very good and would come back just for that.
Good service although there was a lot of customers so the waiter was busy.
It's really spicy here. A 3/10 for one of the dishes was very spicy. I recommend you ask the waiter what he recommends regarding spice and your tolerance for it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Tom Yum Chicken Wings
Nice asean dining place
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Walk-in: Greeted by staff to find somewhere to sit down. The register counter is filled with products sold by either the owner or someone else; I am unsure. I saw people come in specifically to buy the beef jerky presented at the register, which is nice.
Experience: Came in with my family. We ordered the Lao Pho, Lao Sausage, Pad Sa Ew, Tom Yum Chicken, Eggrolls, and Spring Rolls.
The Lao pho can be done better. Usually, Lao pho is jam-packed with seasonings and spices, and you don't have to add anything because it is just THAT GOOD. Unfortunately, it is a good 3/5. The broth is okay, but you have to add to it to make it better.
The Lao sausage was okay. I am not sure if it was supposed to be presented differently or not, but it definitely needs to be done traditionally. The casing was thin, and it doesn't have that snap that Lao sausage usually has. The filling just fell out, and the flavor was just not present. A solid 2/5.
Pad Sa Ew is just Pad Sa Ew. Good flavor and not oily. The noodles weren't stuck together, which is good. 4/5
Tom Yum Chicken is basically the same as Chinese takeout wings. Flash fried outside and moist outside. I was kicked with the Tom Yum flavor! 4/5
Eggrolls can use a bit more meat. I might as well go vegan if I was eating these. It was nice crispy outside, though, and it was filled nicely. 3/5
Spring rolls were... terrible. They should have offered two options; a veggie roll and a regular roll with noodles. Yes, the spring roll looked nice with the all veggie interior and the token shrimp on the side, but it was so big for no reason. This is definitely a dish that needed to be kept simple. The peanut sauce to go along with it was very thick and was basically peanut butter consistency. A solid 1.5/5; this is a dish that needs to be kept simple, for sure.
Our experience with the food was not good. The menu is simple, but the food is not in terms of adding more flavor and also just keeping certain dishes simple. For the amount you pay, it definitely somewhat doesn't reflect what you're about to consume.
I wish this business to do well in the future!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Tom Yum Chicken Wings
Food was way too bland and missing flavor. Did a take out of drunken noodles, green curry, and tom kha, and they all were so bland. Never had Thai food that wasn't flavorful.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 4
Restaurantji Recommends
The food is authentic, The taste is similar to being in Thailand or Lao. The young staff are friendly like a family run business. The pricing is good. The restaurant is clean and the food comes out looking tasty and in a timely manner. Living in Thailand 20 years, we are always trying to discover places in San Diego that have authentic tasting Thai food, Spicy Lao Kitchen is similar to Thai and definitely gets close to that mission. MSG alert! Despite our love for the good food there, an hour or so afterwards everyone got super thirsty, and had dry mouth. That normally means the restaurant loads up on adding MSG to the food. A note to the owners of the restaurant, please inform your customers if you put MSG in your food. At least then we have a choice. MSG is not healthy, and the way you cook your food is so good anyways, we the customer wouldn't even notice the difference in taste. I will remove this warning message, if I am wrong about the MSG. Let me know.
Your food is fantastic, so please give us a choice on the MSG. Thanks.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lao Sausages Sai OUA, Lard Na, Sticky Rice
They play music from my generation so that’s already a plus for me. This is the only place that makes good Lao style papaya salad in my opinion. Their tom yum wings are AMAZING. Atmosphere is always good, the vibe is always welcoming. The staff works hard and they can get busy so be patient sometimes. It’s not like their staff is at back kitchen sleeping. This is definitely a comfort food place for us. Thank you for all your hard work!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Delicious food and good customer service!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food is freakin' fire & everything else is jz on point! Thx again SLK!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Nam Khao, Khao Piek Sen, Larb Tuna, Ahi Tuna, Lao Sausage, Chicken Wings
I had the spicy tofu. It was very good. I'll be going back.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Loading...