"There aren’t many Lao restaurants around these parts, and this counter-service spot is the sticky-finger-food jolt that Austin has been waiting for. When we visited Lao’d Bar even when the window units struggled to keep up with the summer heat. Start with cocktails, specifically the Yum Chelada, which is like a tom yum michelada made with tamarind and lemongrass. Share a handful of dishes, and make sure one of them is the chicken wings tossed in caramel fish sauce with crab fat. Fusion-y finger foods, like a pork patty smashburger with cheese, jeow bong aioli, and rice-fermented pickles. In a city overrun by smashburgers, this is one of the most interesting." - matthew jacobs, nicolai mccrary, matthew jacobs, matthew jacobs, nicolai mccrary, nicolai mccrary, nicolai mccrary, matthew jacobs, nicolai mccrary, nicolai mccrary, nicolai mccrary, nicolai mccrary, matthew jacobs