This is the kind of restaurant that makes me love living in Chicago. Every dish was delicious and made me and my partner come back multiple times to try out the rest of the menu, which is pretty curated for specifically Laotian dishes. Prices aren't bad, portions were solidly sized, and service was quick and easy.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Carolyn
We had a very poor delivery experience from Lao Der last night. Every single item we ordered was the most minuscule portion I’ve ever seen - for example, 1/2 cup of rice, 3 slices of cucumber and 1/2 of a poached chicken breast for $14? Seems like a bit of a joke. Beyond this, the larb contained 1 singular whole Thai chili mixed in, which we had the displeasure of biting into accidentally and essentially ruining the dish. Furthermore the fact the larb doesn’t come with any lettuce wraps, rice, or bread is actually crazy. For $95 you’d think each of us would get more than a bite of rice, scoop of larb and 1 slice of chicken. I understand things are expensive nowadays, but you need to provide value. At the price point I expect a satiating dinner not a snack. Overall incredibly mid experience, flavor fell flat, no accoutrements provided with the overpriced dishes - we will never return.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Dirk Vogel
Authentic Laotian Cuisine Finally Gets Its Own Spotlight
Lao Der Restaurant on Elston in Irving Park is a relatively new Laotian spot that's been a revelation for us. Previously, we only experienced Laotian food at family cookouts and special events like weddings. While some Thai restaurants offer Laotian dishes if you know where to look, Lao Der takes things to another level entirely.
The restaurant itself is cozy and modern, with comfortable seating and generously-sized tables. Despite having just one server during our visit, the service was exceptionally attentive and made us feel well taken care of throughout the meal.
Now for the food - everything we tried was excellent:
Tum Vientiane - A superb papaya salad featuring sliced papaya, cherry tomato, lime, sugar, and anchovy, served with crisp lettuce. Fresh and vibrant!
Sticky Rice - An absolute must-have accompaniment to any meal here.
Esan Sausage - Ground pork with sticky rice, garlic, black pepper, and brown sauce. Flavorful and satisfying.
Nam Khao - Our standout dish that truly raised the bar! This crispy rice salad combines jasmine rice, red curry paste, coconut shreds, lime leaves, cilantro, green onion, peanuts, and fermented pork, served with lettuce and mint for wrapping. Absolutely spectacular.
Khao Piek Sen - Traditional Lao chicken noodle soup with house-made rice noodles, onion, cilantro, fried shallots, black pepper, and homemade chicken meatballs in a deeply flavorful chicken broth. Comforting and delicious.
Next time we're trying the larb and jerky - we can't wait to go back and explore more of the menu! Lao Der is a wonderful addition to the neighborhood for anyone seeking authentic Laotian flavors.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
N_li
First time trying Lao cuisine and did not disappoint. Savory, spice ok, tasty, proportions are optimal. Try it and see for yourself.
Service: 10/10 Food quality: 10/10 Presentation and place: 10/10 ***Pet friendly. I just had to mention this because we dined at ~50 temp outside. I had a small dog that we kept in the corner so it would not pose an issue with other customers. Staff was very considerate. Thank you. 🥰
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
May
This place serves pretty much real Lao food! It’s great that they’re trying something new. If you’re looking for a change from Thai food, you should definitely check this out! I ordered Nam Khao Tod (Thai Crispy Rice Salad), and wow, it was amazing! I’m a huge fan of Nam Khao Tod, but this place gave me a totally different take on it. If you’re in the area, you absolutely have to try it!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Enoch Johnson
The reviews do not lie
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Adrian Garcia Badaracco
Amazing food. Kind people. Great prices.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
1031eva
Amazing authentic Laotian food! Some of the best we’ve had, highly recommend
Ordered the Khao Mun Gai. I forgot that chicken could taste this good. So good im going back rn.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Rebecca Seiler
This place has been on my radar for a minute and I'm so glad I finally made it in! No bad bites, everything was delicious.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Matt Vang
Food overall 3/5.
Papaya salad - 3/5 I asked for max spicy. It was not spicy at all. It was more sour versus what other Lao papaya salad that I’m used to. Papaya was not shredded. This dish is based on personal preference. Just not mine.
Beef Laab / Larb - 3/5 it was ok. Seasoning seemed to be missing something. A little runny. Small portion for its price. Very herby which I liked.
Beef pho - 1/5 it was bland. Broth wasn’t as flavorful as I would like. Not really a big fan.
Sausage - 3/5 it was okay. Not bad.
Chicken wings - 4/5 probably the best thing we got. Very flavorful. Meat was soft. It was crunchy and crispy. Definitely get this for sure if you’re trying this place out.
Overall, I hear nice things about this place on social media. I wanted to try it out and I did. Im sure there will be a lot of people who like it. It’s just not for me. It’s not catered to what I’m used to. Portions were smaller than what I anticipated.
Vibe was nice. And the waitress was really great. Overall okay food, good service, and clean restaurant.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Haley Horton
so happy to have this spot close to my house! so cozy, great food, what more can you ask for.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Isaac
NAM KHAONWAS SO GOOd! My friend has lived in Laos before and he loved it. So you know its legit. Look at that smile. 10/10.
Excellent
This is the kind of restaurant that makes me love living in Chicago. Every dish was delicious and made me and my partner come back multiple times to try out the rest of the menu, which is pretty curated for specifically Laotian dishes. Prices aren't bad, portions were solidly sized, and service was quick and easy.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We had a very poor delivery experience from Lao Der last night. Every single item we ordered was the most minuscule portion I’ve ever seen - for example, 1/2 cup of rice, 3 slices of cucumber and 1/2 of a poached chicken breast for $14? Seems like a bit of a joke. Beyond this, the larb contained 1 singular whole Thai chili mixed in, which we had the displeasure of biting into accidentally and essentially ruining the dish. Furthermore the fact the larb doesn’t come with any lettuce wraps, rice, or bread is actually crazy. For $95 you’d think each of us would get more than a bite of rice, scoop of larb and 1 slice of chicken. I understand things are expensive nowadays, but you need to provide value. At the price point I expect a satiating dinner not a snack. Overall incredibly mid experience, flavor fell flat, no accoutrements provided with the overpriced dishes - we will never return.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Authentic Laotian Cuisine Finally Gets Its Own Spotlight
Lao Der Restaurant on Elston in Irving Park is a relatively new Laotian spot that's been a revelation for us. Previously, we only experienced Laotian food at family cookouts and special events like weddings. While some Thai restaurants offer Laotian dishes if you know where to look, Lao Der takes things to another level entirely.
The restaurant itself is cozy and modern, with comfortable seating and generously-sized tables. Despite having just one server during our visit, the service was exceptionally attentive and made us feel well taken care of throughout the meal.
Now for the food - everything we tried was excellent:
Tum Vientiane - A superb papaya salad featuring sliced papaya, cherry tomato, lime, sugar, and anchovy, served with crisp lettuce. Fresh and vibrant!
Sticky Rice - An absolute must-have accompaniment to any meal here.
Esan Sausage - Ground pork with sticky rice, garlic, black pepper, and brown sauce. Flavorful and satisfying.
Nam Khao - Our standout dish that truly raised the bar! This crispy rice salad combines jasmine rice, red curry paste, coconut shreds, lime leaves, cilantro, green onion, peanuts, and fermented pork, served with lettuce and mint for wrapping. Absolutely spectacular.
Khao Piek Sen - Traditional Lao chicken noodle soup with house-made rice noodles, onion, cilantro, fried shallots, black pepper, and homemade chicken meatballs in a deeply flavorful chicken broth. Comforting and delicious.
Next time we're trying the larb and jerky - we can't wait to go back and explore more of the menu! Lao Der is a wonderful addition to the neighborhood for anyone seeking authentic Laotian flavors.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
First time trying Lao cuisine and did not disappoint. Savory, spice ok, tasty, proportions are optimal. Try it and see for yourself.
Service: 10/10
Food quality: 10/10
Presentation and place: 10/10
***Pet friendly. I just had to mention this because we dined at ~50 temp outside. I had a small dog that we kept in the corner so it would not pose an issue with other customers. Staff was very considerate. Thank you. 🥰
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This place serves pretty much real Lao food! It’s great that they’re trying something new. If you’re looking for a change from Thai food, you should definitely check this out! I ordered Nam Khao Tod (Thai Crispy Rice Salad), and wow, it was amazing! I’m a huge fan of Nam Khao Tod, but this place gave me a totally different take on it. If you’re in the area, you absolutely have to try it!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
The reviews do not lie
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amazing food. Kind people. Great prices.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amazing authentic Laotian food! Some of the best we’ve had, highly recommend
most excellent
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Ordered the Khao Mun Gai. I forgot that chicken could taste this good. So good im going back rn.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
This place has been on my radar for a minute and I'm so glad I finally made it in! No bad bites, everything was delicious.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food overall 3/5.
Papaya salad - 3/5 I asked for max spicy. It was not spicy at all. It was more sour versus what other Lao papaya salad that I’m used to. Papaya was not shredded. This dish is based on personal preference. Just not mine.
Beef Laab / Larb - 3/5 it was ok. Seasoning seemed to be missing something. A little runny. Small portion for its price. Very herby which I liked.
Beef pho - 1/5 it was bland. Broth wasn’t as flavorful as I would like. Not really a big fan.
Sausage - 3/5 it was okay. Not bad.
Chicken wings - 4/5 probably the best thing we got. Very flavorful. Meat was soft. It was crunchy and crispy. Definitely get this for sure if you’re trying this place out.
Overall, I hear nice things about this place on social media. I wanted to try it out and I did. Im sure there will be a lot of people who like it. It’s just not for me. It’s not catered to what I’m used to. Portions were smaller than what I anticipated.
Vibe was nice. And the waitress was really great. Overall okay food, good service, and clean restaurant.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
so happy to have this spot close to my house! so cozy, great food, what more can you ask for.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
NAM KHAONWAS SO GOOd! My friend has lived in Laos before and he loved it. So you know its legit. Look at that smile. 10/10.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
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