Sang Dao Restaurant

While in San Diego for the New Year, we visited Sang Dao for lunch this past Saturday and had a great experience! It’s a very casual spot, the interior isn’t the most modern, but the vibe is super friendly and the service is efficient. The food was honestly delicious. • Pad Thai: This was a highlight for me. The noodle texture was just right, and I loved that it had that tangy vinaigrette flavor and plenty of peanuts. • Tom Kha: Very good with a rich, creamy coconut soup base. • Dessert: We finished with the palm seeds and tapioca dessert soup, which was excellent. If you are looking for solid Thai food in La Mesa without the fuss, this is the place.

Extremely friendly service. Affordable, extensive menu. Food wasn't bad but the sweet and salty contents weren't balanced too well, as some dishes were either too sweet or too salty. Chef was quite heavy handed that night, I guess. Will have to remember this place to return and try other items off the menu.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ First come, first serve with no reservations, and they still managed to accommodate our last-minute group of 17. That alone says a lot. My family came down from Sacramento to visit, and this was the first place I wanted to take them. We’ve been coming here for many years, and the experience is always consistent. The customer service has always been superb. They were incredibly welcoming to my kids, nieces, and nephews. The staff went out of their way to make them feel special with small gifts and complimentary items, which really meant a lot to our family. Even with a large group, the service never felt rushed or chaotic. The food was bomb as always. Fresh, flavorful, and exactly why this spot has been our go-to for years. Great food paired with genuine, family-friendly service is hard to find, but this place delivers every time. Highly recommend if you’re looking for a place that treats you like family and keeps you coming back.

Larb (with chicken) and sticky rice were excellent. As were the tapioca balls with pork inside (sakoo yat sai). People were very friendly and patiently answered my questions about the wide selection of prepared foods and sauces at the front.

I'm a very judgemental person, so it's rare for a restaurant to get everything right. They got everything right, especially the som tum! Keep in mind while ordering that the portion sizes are huge!!!

My bf brought me take out from this place and I was so happy. He said it was super busy with a lot of people and great ambiance. It was my first time trying it and everything tasted so good. He brought me the Drunken noodles with chicken, Golden Wings, and fried rice. I love that they served us such big portions. The rice was good and spicy, noodles were flavorful, and wings were crispy and tasty. I can't wait to go back and actually dine in and try more stuff.

We love this place! Just discovered it yesterday. People are so friendly and the food comes out super quick. Larb, shrimp fresh roll, tom kah gai, egg roll, pork phad lao, sticky rice 100% authentic and seasoned perfectly. Thai iced teas delicious. The beef tripe larb was tangy, savory, and spicy with toppings of fresh basil cucumber and sprouts: you even get a choice of a bitterness! We also loved the selection of “ready to go” items. We will be going back for sure. Thank you!

This is a chill and casual restaurant with excellent authentic Laotian and Thai dishes. I got drunken noodles and they were perfectly spicy, full of color and fresh veggies, and tasty noodles with tofu. I had to take a few breaks to cool my mouth down (that’s a good thing). The dish was also very generous portion for the price of $13, plus great service too and kept my cup filled with ice cold water. Menu has many options- I want to go again and try the curry fried rice.