Lao Garden Restaurant & Bar

The service was excellent. Even though it was very busy during lunchtime, the staff was incredibly attentive and helpful. Our server, Smile, truly lived up to her name — she was friendly, patient, and kept a warm smile the entire time while giving great recommendations. All of the food was delicious. My favorite dish was Tum Lao Lao — it was absolutely amazing, especially when eaten with sticky rice. To finish the meal, we had Lod Chong in coconut milk, a fragrant and creamy pandan dessert that was perfectly sweet and very refreshing. Overall, a wonderful dining experience. Highly recommended!

Good food. We were the first customers (11 people) arrived at 12nn on Sunday. The waitress was nice until she forgot to place my crab rice order. She even said “ you did not tell that to me..” we checked her paper and written there my CRAB RICE. my family had done eating, and my crab rice has not arrived still, i asked the other waitress to just cancel it, but she got pretty annoyed and guess what, we still waited for another 30mins. The 2 orders of mango sticky rice took another 20mins of waiting. To the owner, please train your servers to have the sense of urgency and common sense of how to split the bill with 2 families. Not mixing who ordered this and that. Overall the food are great.

I really wanted to give this place 5 stars, but the amount of burnt pieces of egg rolls in the Vientiane Crispy Rolls really disappointed me. I spent half my childhood making egg rolls with my mom, we NEVER served the broken wrapped egg rolls to customers because when they break open in the hot oil, it quickly burns the thin/minced filling. Otherwise the Nam Khao was a 10/10 and the Laab Ped was a solid 8/10. The service was solid and the place was beautiful.

One of the better Nam Khao (Crispy Rice Salad) I've had that's crispy and fragrant with generous amount of Lao sausage while not being greasy. The papaya salad was also a great balance of flavors and wasn't too salty or fishy with a nice spicy kick.

We stumbled upon this restaurant while exploring. It's about 15 minutes away from downtown Berkeley so parking was relatively easy to find. The food was rich in flavor, tasty, and filling. The service was amazing and we got some great recommendations from our server. Try their laos coffee and tea as it has a unique taste.

I enjoyed the Mok Catfish with some Sticky Rice. The flavors were unique, interesting, and delicious. I'll definitely go back to try some of the other entrées. Nice casual atmosphere, and good, friendly service as well.

this is the best southeast Asian restaurant I’ve had in the all of United States. Without a doubt. this is coming from someone who lived in Southeast Asia for 15 years. i NEVER leave reviews but this place is LEGIT!!!! the vientiane rolls are out or this world. 100% my favorite restaurant now

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!

I came here to try Laotian cuisine for the first time, excited to come back & try more dishes! I came on a Friday as a party of one (I was curious & wanted to taste Laotian food) & they treated me just the same as if I were with a larger party. Kind and friendly, seated me right away at the bar area (UNDER-BAR HOOKS FOR YOUR HANDBAG!!! I love when restaurants have those!) I felt happy right away. Pretty, inviting decor that feels cozy & classy at the same time. I ordered the mok catfish (catfish in a sauce with herbs, steamed in a banana leaf) the blue lemonade, and the side of pickled vegetables. The catfish and pickled vegetables were very yummy! ... I didn't expect such a generous portion of either, but I am not complaining! I have lunch for tomorrow. The only thing I wouldn't give 5 stars is the steamed veggies that come with the mok catfish. Will definitely be coming back, so many more things on the menu I want to try. Service is kind and thoughtful, dishes are flavorful (& generously portioned)

We happened to come here for our girlfriend's birthday celebration and it turned out to be a vegetarian day for most of us so this review is based on vegetarian entrees we ordered. One of our girlfriend did order a meat larb which we didn't try and I forgot to take a picture of. Upon entering, the place is decorated with cute fake flowers backdrop. We were the first ones there and got to choose where we wanted to sit indoor which was very nice. They had outdoors seating as well. We ordered as many vegetarian dishes as possible and I made a note on my phone but somehow some of the entrees in my notepad showed up bold and enlarged and some didn't and our waitress only wrote down what was bold and enlarged so we tried less than we wanted to. By the time we wondered where the rest of our food was and found out the reason, we didn't order the rest because it would take longer than the two hours we already put in for meter parking. A few of us ordered Lao tea and some lycee tea. The Lao tea I heard was super sweet so ask for more ice if it's too sweet to your liking. My lycee tea was sweet as well but not overwhelming sweet. We especially enjoyed the vegetarian larb and the vegeterian papaya salad with vermicelli. The pineapple fried rice and jackfruit salad was a little wet to our liking. We ordered two mango sticky rice and one the pandan sticky rice was better and the sticky rice fell apart more. Overall, this place is nice for meeting up with a large group and cute for a girls day out. There's street parking and meter parking and you may need to drive a few rounds around if you're not so lucky. The food was okay but food did take awhile once you order so give yourself time here if you go in a bigger group since it seems like there's one chef and one person running the place herself. But she's a sweetheart doing her best holding down the cute looking restaurant.

This was my second time visiting so I feel like I can be honest. I grew up with a ton of Laotian friends so I am very familiar with the food and excited that a Lao restaurant opened in Berkeley. It's a beautiful restaurant but they need a manager to run the restaurant. My family and I went for dinner tonight. The servers seemed so stressed out and all over the place. We placed our order with one, then another would come to take our order. We asked for water 3 times before someone actually brought us some. Our dishes started coming out one by one at a VERY slow pace.. Entrees before appetizers.. it was just a mess. My husband asked for hot sauce from 3 different servers and it never came. We ordered: Grilled fish (really crispy and tasty!) Lamb chops (marinated nicely, just slightly dry) Bamboo shoot appetizer (good but a little on the salty side Saikoo (this is one of my absolute FAVORITE dishes and they missed the mark soooo bad on this. It was over steamed so the balls could not even be separated, it was just a mushy mess. See photo) We decided to add 2 dishes after our initial order (crispy rolls and a noodle dish) but after being there for almost 2 whole hours and they never came, we canceled the orders and just asked for the bill. The restaurant was extremely busy and overall the food was good (except the saikoo) BUT they need a better system. Maybe divide the restaurant in sections and have one server per section instead of all the servers working the whole restaurant. There was a table behind us that ordered before us and they didn't receive their first dish till we got our 4th. Hopefully they can get it together soon.

Lao Garden features a modern bar setting with a covered back patio and offers a menu of authentic Laotian specialties. The Thum Lao Lao was a salad of shredded papaya, carrots, and tomatoes in an intensely-flavored fermented fish sauce dressing, served with crispy pork cracklings, rice noodles, and cabbage. The Laab Seen was a mixture of raw sliced beef and tripe mixed with lime juice, fish sauce, roasted rice powder, herbs, and chili; and the Khao Poon Gai was a noodle soup made with a coconut curry broth, rice noodles, and raw vegetables including green/red cabbage, bean sprouts, carrots, scallions, mint, and cilantro. One of the most unique dishes was the Saikoo, chewy steamed tapioca balls with a filling of minced pork, radishes, and shallots. But my favorite dish of all was the Nam Khao, broken crispy rice balls mixed with fermented pork sausage, peanuts, herbs, and chilies, served with romaine lettuce leaves for making wraps. The rice and peanut mixture was insanely crispy and had a nice balance of savory, sour, spicy, and herbaceous flavors too! Overall, the food here was delicious and authentic and completely unexpected for a restaurant with a modern bar vibe.

My friend and I stopped by to have dinner there last night and were not disappointed at all! The food is very authentic and the flavors are amazing. If you want a true experience of Lao food this is the place! The restaurant is nicely decorated which brings you into another place in time and the owner is super welcoming and helps to serve the customers. If you are looking for authentic flavors then this is the place. We loved everything that we ordered and would definitely return to try more items on the menu!

This is the location of the former Italian restaurant - Paisan - which I'm a little sad of their closing because they had a great budget friendly, delicious ribeye steak. But Lao Garden did a nice job of transforming the space - colorful, vibrant and cozy - which seems to be the trend among Thai/Lao restaurants these days. Not that I'm complaining. This space has a huge back area which they aren't fully utilizing. Perhaps if/when they become more popular, they can have a real "Lao garden" with a fountain and all. Staff is attentive and friendly, deserving of 5 stars. Their dishes were solid and on theme with the interior decor. I had ordered the Thum Lao Lao, which is basically Lao style papaya salad. For those that aren't familiar, basically they use a thicker/cloudier and more pungent fish sauce which they refer to as "funky". For those that are less into funk, they do have the Thai style papaya salad - Thum Tum Ma-Da, which tends to be milder since they use the clear, less "fishy" fish sauce. But to be honest, theirs isn't the funkiest in town, in case you felt adventurous but needed that stepping stone. I also ordered the Khao Poon Gai, which was good. The chicken was tender and moist, and loved the contrast of the fresh veggies and herbs to compliment the hot soup and noodles. But I had to inject some of the funk from the Thum Lao^2 to elevate it to what my taste buds have been calibrated to from eating my Laotian friends' authentic home cooking. Over all, expect a good dining experience keeping in mind that the flavors have been toned down a notch to accommodate Western palates.

Lao Garden opened in Paisan's vacated space. Decor and seating totally renovated. Some seating outside. Back area not utilized. Parking available in private lot. Was seated promptly by Gia who was very helpful answering questions re food & how to reheat same. G very knowledgeable for the few years in the industry. Did eat in eateries G worked at but years or decades earlier. *stopped eating Thai food as it was too sweet, too "Americanized". Ordered. Food ready in 15ish minutes. Cooked to order. Offerings (Laotian): wraps, noodles, stew/curry, platter specials, desserts, small plates, chef's specials, fried rice, grills, roasts, soup, salads(yum, Thum, laab) Bites: seen savanh (12) -dehydrated pork pieces, flash fried. No hint of oil.. Very chewy. Frying can be skipped. Probably goes good with beer. (Too early for me.) -flavorful. Takes getting used to. Gang Phet Gai (chicken) 18 -stew like dish a mix of red curry, chicken pieces, green beans. Bamboo shoots, lemongrass & basil. -best eaten with rice but I passed. -nice alternative to classic curry. Slightly spicy, not overly sweet like American curry version. The herbs adds nuanced flavas.. I like.. Thu Lith Saikoo (22) should be shared. -similar principle as Nam Kao. House made steamed tapioca balls with ground pork, roasted peanuts, sweet radishes, shallots within. -place a ball within partial lettuce leaf. add drizzle of chili oil & other leafy herbs. Eat slowly, repeat. Prefer nam kao. Portion too big for me. Carbs an issue. 4.5 stars Worthy! Quality: Ultra. Quantity: reasonable for top quality-YMMV

First time trying Lao Garden and it was delicious! Every item we ordered was on point! I will definitely be back here again!

Came here with my family when they visited! Food: A bit on the pricier side but it was great to try Laotian food. I absolutely loved the catfish! It was so tender and very fragrant. It pairs well with sticky rice. I liked how it came with steamed veggies so the entire plate was well balanced and not overdoing it. The drunken noodles were great- chewy saucy noodles with a spicy kick. The curry (I forget the name of the dish) was also well cooked although the portions for this were small. we tried the famous saikoo. I thought I would be a big fan of it but it lacked flavor and I couldn't taste anything other than the chewy tapioca. We wrapped it in lettuce like we thought it is usually eaten, maybe we ate it in a different way? Regardless I wish we tried the crispy rolls instead. It was still nice to try. You pay extra for sticky rice and jasmine rice on the side. Service: kind waiters and staff all around! Ambiance: this place is well decorated and so pretty! The bar area looks great. If I ever come here again, I'd want to try their mimosas

This is a cute place (photogenic wall of flowers and butterflies), very calm and clean, serving Lao food, with outdoor seating as well. We ordered two dishes and were served with smaller plates with the correct assumption that we would want to share. I ordered noodles with an omelet-style egg on top, and even though it was a lot of food, I just kept eating it. So delicious! My husband ordered a medium spicy smashed salad with noodles, and its sauce had a fresh jalapeño heat mixed. I liked how the food was presented. It's all around a very aesthetically pleasing restaurant. I don't think I have ever had food that was specifically Lao, and I am eager to go back to try other dishes. It's a great spot to eat if you are in the neighborhood, especially for dates or groups of four. They have a wine and beer list.

The place had great decor - my friend and I were excited to check it out. She ordered wings and drunken noodles, and I ordered the steamed fish. She got her orders first, and was surprised that the wings came with no sauce in the top but rather on the side. She also mentioned some of the vegetables in her drunken noodles tasted off. My steam fish took a while, and it was ok. I was bummed because several friends wanted to check out the place and I wanted to like it. The staff were nice but unfortunately the food missed the mark.

Food was very good. Nam Khao is a must order. Loved the drunken noodles and egg rolls. Service was attentive and friendly. The place feels like you're eating in a wonderland. Beautiful decor and clean dining room. I highly recommend this place.

Service was prompt and friendly from Kanlaya. The restaurant decor is lovely. I don't know what was here before, but the yellow chairs are fun and refreshing and the greenery and Buddha head waterfall offer a soft ambiance. Relaxing Lao background music is clutch. Thum Lao Lao - Lao green papaya salad: Was ordered medium spicy. The flavor was great and there was the right amount of fish sauce and crab paste. I'm considered the weak one in my family when it comes to spice, so medium was perfect for me -- maybe even a tad too spicy. If you're accustomed to spicy food, go for medium on your first visit. If you're not accustomed to spicy food, go for mild. Would recommend if you like spicy Lao papaya salad. Khao poon ghai - Vermicelli noodles with chicken in red curry soup: The noodles weren't cooked enough for me, as they were still a little chewy. The chicken was sliced, not shredded or ground. The flavor was good and there were bamboo slices. I don't know if I would order again, but if you're a kapoon lover, give it a try. Nam khao - Crispy rice with nam sausage: Tasty and crunchy! Perfect size for sharing. I recommend ordering, but beware it comes with peanuts if anyone in your party has an allergy. Sai oua - Lao sausage: A little spicy and cooked to perfection. The side sauce was also really good. Would order again. Side of sticky rice: Ordered to enjoy with the Lao sausage and papaya salad. It came in a little bamboo basket. Would order again. Mango & sticy rice dessert: Cute heart display. The mango was almost ripe, so the slight sour with condensed milk was a great combo. Recommend ordering if you have space left for dessert! My only complaint, if I had one, is that the Lao tea was much too sweet. I had to separate half into another cup and add water. It was still too sweet. I wouldn't order again unless they change the ingredients / amount of sugar or sweetener. Metered street parking out front and in the surrounding neighborhood. The single use bathroom is outside the restaurant. There is a second bathroom located outside the backyard area, but it requires a code to enter the bathroom as well as a code to return to the backyard. The backyard has seating, but while useable, it looks like it might be undergoing a makeover and would be a great outdoor dining space when it's ready!

Came here for lunch on a Saturday. We ordered the fried fish, som tum Lao style, the kao soy, and two drinks. Fried fish was delicious, a 10/10. It comes with sticky rice and a dipping sauce. Crispy, fresh, would definitely order again. Som tum Lao style was soooo good. Also a 10/10. I love a good papaya salad and theirs was delicious! Good portion and also comes with some noodles and pork rinds to mix together. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. Kaosoy: not good today, we had to substitute the noodle because they ran out of the wide noodle which is fine with us but the soup itself lacked flavor. It must have been an off day because the other photos I saw of the kaosoy looked much better. I would order it again in the future because I'm sure they can do better I think it was just an off day hopefully. Drinks: both were good, I liked my Lao tea which is basically a Thai tea and my sister got the blue lemonade which she really loved. Can't wait to come back here, I love Lao food and I'm happy to support local restaurants.

Good food and service, will def come back. Recommend the saikoo and mok catfish. Beautiful decor inside.

I feel so fortunate to have another Lao restaurant in Berkeley. I've dined here in person (cheerful decor) and ordered for delivery. Both formats are great. Their food is authentic and unapologetically Lao - not trying to masquerade as a Thai restaurant. Basically everything tastes amazing. Our waitress was really helpful and funny. She asked if we wanted papaya funky or not funky! Then she explained the funk comes from fermented fish paste. We got the funky and it was great!

Authentic Laotian food! Look no further. Found this gem on a whim. Was craving Lao style cuisine early on a warm Saturday. Upon entering your eye has many places to look. The ambiance was open and inviting. There were ample, and different types of seating areas inside, as well as a large back patio, and full bar. Service was rather on point and very friendly. We had the pleasure of meeting Kanlaya (owner/chef). She took time to both introduce herself and background on the restaurant, asking us about our experience and their food (which btw was packed with amazing flavor while presented in a beautiful and inviting fashion.) It was an immensely pleasing meal, that was enhanced by the numerous touches and small details which present as well considered. The menu does not indicate if an item is GF. However, you may need to inquire for specific food allergens. We will happily return and continue working our way through the menu.

service was lacking, sad to say, for a place with such rave reviews. as for food, I really enjoyed the crispy rice balls with lettuce wraps and the lao sausage! the steak was a bit on the dry side probs bc it was well done. And the fried egg rolls were just ok. my friend mentioned the noodles were a much bigger portion at Champa Garden. I think this place will have a hard time not being compared to the OG laotian resto in Oak as there aren't many and it's a go-to for a lot of people. ambiance-wise, I would give it 5 stars. but because the service was such a let down and food was just okay, it averages my score out to 3. I hope they can hack it at the current space because I've seen it vacant for such a long time. there have been many new and excellent restaurants popping up in the area. I would def come back if I were in the mood for Lao.

The ambience is wonderful and the restaurant has several well thought out decorations, making it the perfect little aesthetic lunch spot. Very clean restaurant which is always very important for me. The service was great! The restaurant is family run and the family is very considerate to explain to their guests not only what certain ingredients are but also a bit of history into the food. I order the Thum Loa Loa with a side of sticky rice since I like to pair together carbs and a refreshing savory salad. You get to choose the level of spice for your salad: 1 chili, 2 (medium)chili, or 3 (very spicy). I had ordered the medium which was indeed spicy, I think next time I will go for the one because it was very spicy but still delicious. I would have liked if the salad could include thin grilled beef or chicken, other than that, beautiful restaurant and wonderful authentic Lao food.

Absolutely delightful food and service! Exquisite, fresh, complex flavors that excite my palette. Ask for a side of the chili oil, it's a must. The loa sausage was so decadent. Beautiful and large restaurant. I can't wait to go back for bottomless mimosas! $22 is such a deal!

I went here a few days ago with my sister she said the place was amazing so I decided to come here and give it a try also. The food was amazing and the staff was super friendly and we also got to meet the cook/owner. They were really nice. Their food remind me of home-cooked meals and you don't really get that often especially with a lot of restaurants because usually they like to water down culture food for others but this restaurant is not like that at all. Their papaya salad is so good too so highly recommend when coming here. You will not be disappointed

Great food and great service. food so Amazing in town . highly recommend. I fall in love with ingredients of the food so tasty .

Disappointing experience. The food really missed the mark. The drunken noodles were a mess -- clumpy noodles, overly sweet sauce, undercooked green beans, and overcooked pork. As for the crab fried rice, it was full of shell bits and had an odd sweetness. The nam khao was the worst i've ever had. The limey taste full of huge pieces of burnt rice ... honestly felt like the food-was cooked by someone with little experience. It took a while to get the dishes & came out one at a time. The wait staff did say they were short staff, but failed to mention the chefs may not know how to cook lao food.

I work nearby and ordered lunch on a whim because I've been curious about Lao Garden for a while. I had a fantastic experience, both with food and service. I ordered the Nam Khao and it was delicious: refreshing and full of flavor with perfectly crispy rice. It was a little pricey for lunch for one person, but there were definitely plenty of leftovers. The woman at the front of the house who was handling my order went above and beyond with customer service. I would definitely recommend this place to friends and am looking forward to going back for dinner to try more of their items!

Amazing decor and flavors in food. I enjoyed eating in this new restaurant. The place was very clean. The staff wasn't as helpful in picking out good dishes to try since they liked everything as they said. Luckily the two dishes we ordered were delicious and plentiful.

Thank you, Lao, for a great first visit. I'm excited about that rejuvenated area of Berkeley on San Pablo. There are lots of new restaurants on that row. I look forward to exploring that neighborhood. Lao has a very warm and inviting atmosphere. BB

5 Stars - A Hidden Gem You've Gotta Try! My family and I discovered Lao Garden while out for lunch before dropping off our granddaughter--and WOW, what a five-star experience from start to finish! This place is an absolute gem, and it's already secured a spot on our favorites list. As soon as we walked in, we felt at ease. The vibe is clean, cozy, and welcoming, with a warm, relaxed atmosphere that just feels right. We let our server, Gia, know right away that we planned to enjoy everything family-style--her smile lit up as she said, "Perfect! That's how we do it here!" It was such a great sign that we were in the right place. We kicked things off with the Crispy Rice Balls (Nam Khao), and let me tell you... game changer! Perfectly crispy on the outside, soft and flavorful inside, topped with slices of som moo (Laotian fermented pork) and drizzled with a tangy sauce. Every bite was bursting with flavor and texture--seriously addictive! Next up, we shared the Drunken Noodles and Fried Crab Rice--both knocked it out of the park! The noodles had a bold, spicy kick with vibrant, fresh veggies, and the crab rice was packed with sweet, tender crab meat and rich seasoning. Each dish was generous, beautifully plated, and made for sharing--just like Gia said! To top it all off, we couldn't resist the Fried Bananas with Vanilla Ice Cream --a warm, crispy, sweet finish paired with cool, creamy ice cream. Simple and perfect. Oh, and get this--this was just lunch! I can only imagine how amazing dinner must be here. Between the incredible flavors, top-notch service, and the genuine hospitality (we even got a visit from the owner/chef, Kanlaya Palivan, who was as kind as she is talented), Lao Garden isn't just a meal--it's a full-on experience. Bottom line: If you're anywhere near the area, do yourself a favor and check this place out. We're already planning what to try next time--and we can't wait to be back in the neighborhood!

We're always on the lookout for new Laotian restaurants near us and randomly stumbled across this one. We had never tried Saikoo before and so we ordered it--a great decision, the textural and flavor components definitely worked together. Sai Oua (Lao sausage) was a must-get for us and this one satisfied that craving. The Laab Moo was light, refreshing, and tasty. The only drawback food-wise was the Khao Poon Gai, which we found too rich. The interior was richly adorned and very vibrant. Worth trying for sure!

Authentic Laos food with a warm and friendly staff! Laos food to hard to find in the Bay Area and this one is absolutely a gem! Will be coming back as often as I can.

I went with a friend to Lao Garden for the first time last night. And, I am certainly glad we did. The decor was charming with flowers and butterflies. It was joyful and uplifting. There was lovely music playing softly in the background. The tableware was pretty. The lighting was perfect and not too bright like many restaurants. The ambiance made the restaurant very inviting. In addition to the front of the restaurant, which is the size of a typical restaurant, there is very large patio area in the back. It's delightful. And another surprise is that there is a large parking lot. Imagine that, available parking in Berkeley. The proprietress had worked in Silicon Valley for years and decided to undertake a new career and opened her own Laotian restaurant to familiarize others about her heritage and traditional Laotian dishes. She was very helpful to us as we ordered. She helped us understand the menu and the ingredients in our authentic Laotian selections. We loved what we ordered and can't wait to go back and bring friends to introduce them to a wonderful restaurant. This restaurant should be on Check Please so that everyone can get to know it.

The foods are good and the price is reasonable. The atmosphere is nice as well. We really enjoyed Thu Lith Saikoo.

My first experience at Lao Garden was extraordinary enough to mend what I thought was a forever-hole in my heart stemming from the loss of the space's former occupant, my beloved and oft visited Paisan (RIP, sweet friend!) Ate here with my mom and brother, and I'd pregamed my choices via a good photo stalk - I'm so glad I did. From the starters menu, Laotian sausage (Lao Sai Oua) and the omelet were both 'new to me' dishes, and they started us off with a bang. These were the stars of the night for us. From there, we did the Red curry based Khao Poon - also basing this decision on a photo - and a Beef Laarb, plus some extra sticky rice (one of the dishes came with rice and the extra order was a good call for our selections.) The Khao poon was SWOON worthy, definitely would get that again as well. The Laarb, while delicious - and, at medium spicy, appropriate to our expected heat level - didn't particularly stand out, but this could be because we were so wowed by the other dishes that it faded into a sidekick role. For the three of us, the 2 apps, one saucy option, and one dry-fried option plus the 2 total sticky rices were a perfect amount, and we'd all come in pretty ravenous after an active day. Our servers were great - warm, attentive without hovering, and shared the family origins of the place. We're planning to return soon - the crispy rice lettuce wrap section of the menu still haunts me. 10/10 (note: we're a hard family to please. We grew up with gardens bursting with produce, all cook a fair amount, and might be accused of being ingredient quality snobs as well as being technique obsessed in our own kitchens. See: family debates over the best method for a soft-boiled egg.)

After reading the rave reviews on yelp I was so excited to try this place with my family. Wow what a disappointment. Every dish was beyond bland, noodles were clumped together. The curry barely had detectable flavor. The beef stew with dill was almost inedible and I love dill. Positives are that the staff is nice and they have tried hard with the decor. The cost is somewhat outrageous - we spent $130 for three people and didn't even have drinks. I left feeling sad and wishing we had spent our money elsewhere.

Decor is 5 stars Service is 5 stars Food is -1 star This is the worst Laotian food I've had. There is a texture in the laab salad that anyone who has ate a salad on a beach on a windy day would immediately recognize. Obviously the chef doesn't taste their menu

Amazing. Period. Thank you for bringing authentic Lao food to berkeley. I am forever grateful.

Would give ten stars if I could. Stopped in here for dinner with a friend. From the moment I walked in I was continually impressed. The ambiance, service, and food are all amazing. Service was truly top-notch, it is very apparent how much the staff cares about delivering the ultimate experience. I tried the drunken noodles with shrimp and it was so fresh and flavorful. I hope Lao Garden has all the success it deserves. I know I will definitely be back!

They've been open about six months and I want to support this new family business! The food is yummy, the sticky rice dish is so good! The service was very friendly and warm. The inside decor is a labor of love by them and they will be doing the outside patio roof decor too. Both inside and outdoor spaces are very nice. The restaurant is good for dates. Family, or large gatherings.

My first time eating there it was amazing delicious food very flavorful, and very authentic absolutely will be back. I love the ambience. It was very authentic and the service was amazing, I recommend Lao garden ; one of my top choices

My friend and I came here for lunch and I have not had much Lao food before. I was pleasantly surprised! Everything we had was delicious and the service was great. It is a family owned business and everyone was so nice and friendly to us. I would highly recommend the Thu Lith's Famous Saikoo. This is not something i would typically order but they recommended it and I loved it! The Nam Khao and Sai oua lai sausage was also really good. I will be coming back and ordering these delicious dishes again. Give it a try!!!

If you know Lao food, you'll know this is legit. If you like Thai food, you might need a minute to adjust 'cuz Lao food is like Thai on steroids. The dishes frequently cross, but the base flavors are distinct and Lao flavors don't just pop, they bowl you over. Learn to love it and you'll never go back. This could become a Berkeley institution.

The food overall was delish, I was very skeptical about trying Lao food in the bay but they proved me wrong it was fresh and delicious. our server Jia was the greatest very nice and attentive. She recommended some yummy food I say! We will be back.

I never write reviews, but had to as the food at Lao garden in Berkeley today was the bomb. I had the red curry and it was soooo flavorful. The service was excellent and not overpriced. On my way out, I just had to order a takeout bag for my husband to try when i got home by ordering the chicken pineapple fried rice and spring rolls for him. He absolutely loved it and wants to go back for date night next week. Thanks for a great lunch Kanlaya. I'll be back.

I went on a Monday right at lunchtime when they were opening, but their door was locked. I got back in my car to call and sure enough they said they were open. I also saw some other people try and get in and they then opened the door. The place was really lovely. The waitress I had was nice. The vibe in there seemed very slow not in a bad way just in a very mellow relaxed way. I'm not sure how to explain it. I got a noodle dish and it was very tasty.

Everything thing we ate here was great. I went with a few friends during the soft opening. The service was top-notch, the serve was great with good food suggestions.

We just finished an outstanding meal at Lao Garden. We started with crispy rice balls, then we had Laab Ped, a delicious duck salad and finally we had the signature dish Mok catfish. The flavors are sublime. The atmosphere is just lovely with very mellow music and an open kitchen so you can see the chefs. And the service by Gia was top-notch. We cannot wait to come back.

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!!! Martha Morales

Lao Garden has a wonderful atmosphere. The service was friendly and attentive. The food was amazing !

Lao Garden has delicious/beautiful food, great service and a great atmosphere! Easy place to find especially coming from Vacaville, CA. I had the Fried Egg Rolls, Crispy Rice Balls, Kua Khao with Shrimp, Drunken Noodle and mango with sweet sticky rice. Food was on point and good size portions! A must try if you are looking for authentic Laotian style Food.

I had a wonderful meal at Lao Garden, drunken noodles and Lao papaya salad. Full of flavor and generous portions. Ambience was relaxed and staff was very friendly. There is a large area out back for outdoor dining. All and all a really great experience.