Vientiane Noodle Shop

My husband and I have been wanting to try this restaurant since we moved to the Silver City neighborhood late last year. Tonight was the night and unfortunately, we were very disappointed. We decided to try the fried rice and pan fried dumplings because we LOVE fried rice and dumplings. It. Was. Bland. It was also watery? Although it didn’t look like mushy overcooked rice, it definitely tasted like mushy overcooked rice. The chicken was HARD, almost rubbery and flavorless. I was hoping for at least decently fried rice and tender chicken, even if I had to season it myself. The fried dumplings were just okay. Nothing really special about them, but they were the only good part of the meal.

This is my boyfriend’s favorite place to get pho in Milwaukee; 1) for the flavor and 2) for the price. He orders out from here sometimes once a week. I love their pho, as well as all of their curry options. The ambience is lacking, but you’re coming for the food and flavor, not the atmosphere. The workers are always very kind and have come to know my boyfriend by name! We love this spot!

Friendly staff and wonderful food! Their spring rolls are so yummy :)

This restaurant is located on a block of Silver City that has two other Thai/Laotian places to choose from. I think that this may be the best overall choice, for sausage, wings, curry or pho.

Excellent Pho and fresh not fried spring rolls! Would definitely return. 😁

The pho was absolutely amazing. The broth was perfect and the cilantro added exactly what I needed. If you are picky about your pad thai, just note that this restaurant’s seemed to be more on the sweeter side of other pad thais. For all the dishes, they came in huge portion sizes. Their boba teas are also all blended so they are like smoothies, but they also seemed to be pretty sweet.

My favorite place for PHO!!! This is a Lao style family owed restaurant, and by far the best that I’ve been too!! Was seated right away, staff was very friendly, appetizers and entrees came out at perfect timing. Menu was very easy to navigate as well, and their prices never seem to go up. Their egg rolls and egg crepes are a must try every visit. Plus side, they do serve OX tail pho! Thanks Vientiane for being so awesome towards us and every visit!! You guys definitely take care of your customers!! 🙌🙌🙌 See you guys soon :))

Cold weather always has us in the mood for pho! Vientiane has been on our radar so went to check them out today and so glad we did! Oxtail & Duck Pho, Pad Thai, Spring Rolls, and Mango Sticky Rice 🤤

Food & service was spot on! Husband enjoyed the papaya salad which was more on the salty than sour side. Highly recommend.

I have been going to the Vientiane ( pronounced Vien chun) Noodle Shop with my family for over 20 years. I love that it's authentic Lao food. The service is friendly. During COVID-19, my husband and I would call in to go orders, and the owner would know how we wanted our laap. The food here and close to how my dad's recipe. I love it because it's the kind of food I grew up and still eat. I recommend the Lao beef jerky with sticky rice. I usually have my papaya salad Lao style, which is very spicy and has a fermented crab sauce. If you are not that adventurous, you can order it without. The food is always flavorful and prepared well. Highly recommend it.

It's been 8 years since my review. Time to update and upgrade! I've had pho and apparently Khao Poun a couple of times, in addition to fresh spring rolls and the Vientiane Salad. The Khao Poun is not as spicy as most places, but every bit as delicious! This restaurant serves up authentic dishes and has the reputation for being the best, if not one of the best, at what they do. Make it a point to get here soon, if you haven't already!

This place is a hidden gem! It was so good. The people were so friendly and everything was so fresh! This is the most authentic Vietnamese restaurant I've been to in a long time. I will definitely be back whenever I'm back in Milwaukee.

Vientiane Noodle Shop came to our attention when we read that "Top Chef" host Kristen Kish and judge Gail Simmons visited the restaurant when they were in Milwaukee filming the 10th season of the show. We stopped by around 1:00 pm on a weekend on our way to another store nearby. The space inside the restaurant is pretty tight, which is not unusual for eateries in this price range. It was quite crowded that day, indicating the popularity of the restaurant in the community, although the staff seemed to run the place efficiently. We ordered Fried Vientiane Sausage, Pork Larb, Chicken Pad Sieew, and Beef and Meatball Pho for our lunch. The qualities of the dishes were quite large, and the leftovers were more than enough for another meal. All the dishes are flavorful, but we liked the Fried Sausage and the Pad Sieew better particularly because the meat was tender and largely free of chewy bits. The flavor combinations of the sausage were quite distinct, and the Pad Sieew had a mild but relatively complex flavor profile. The ground pork in the Larb and the beef in the Pho, however, were not from the best cuts of meat and had a lot of gristle (tough elastin). The Larb was also too salty; with all the spices and fresh herbs in the dish, we didn't think it needed so much salt to bring out the flavors. The taste of the Pho was just fine; so, our search for a great Pho in the city continues. My overall impression is that the restaurant serves flavorful Laotian dishes but tries to keep the price low for their loyal customers in the community by using inexpensive ingredients such cheaper cuts of meat. We will for sure stop by again when we are in the neighborhood and want a quick lunch.

Vientiane continues to be my go to place when I am in the mood for flavor and authenticity. So much so that for Mother's Day yesterday, I decided to skip the overly hyped brunch experience, asked my kids to pick up a few entrees from Vientiane, took the carry outs to Lake Park and have a wonderful picnic, paired with some wine. It was amazing. What I also appreciate about Vientiane is their service, they are efficient and very friendly. Lastly, they are one of the few restaurants who provide paper straws and paper containers for carry outs. That speaks to me. Also, their pad Thai, green curry and steak sauce with sticky rice, is my go to, every time.

Fantastic gem in the Silver City area of Milwaukee. I was visiting Milwaukee with a friend for the weekend, and we were craving some more homemade Asian food and not the typical American burgers and cheese curds, so this place did the trick! The Ox Tail Khao Poun was delicious! We love a good flavorful noodle soup and I was impressed. Laotian food is just so good! My friend was basic and got a Pad Thai here which we did think was good, but I will say that the egg rolls here were delicious as well! Definitely recommend this place to others.

Go to Vientiane for a warm, wholesome experience! The small noodle shop and restaurant is in the heart of Silver City in Milwaukee. My partner grew up in this neighborhood, so it definitely was a walk down memory lane for him when we parked and walked up to Vientiane. We were greeted by the staff and asked to sit sit anywhere we please. We got the Phobruary specials - Veggie Pho and Chicken Pho with Thai coffee and crab Rangoon. Absolutely delicious, full of flavor and overall feel good food. Go support these small businesses for Phobruary or any other day, it's great for the body and the soul.

Vientiane Noodle Shop is my current go to for Thai/Laos food. This ma&pa shop is packed with flavor, variety, and value! You know a place is going to be good when there is fish sauce on the table! We have been a handful of times and we always get the papaya salad, fried vientiane sausage, tom yum combo, and the pad sieew. I recommend getting a side of sticky rice with the vientiane sausage. You can taste and see the wok hei on the pad sieew noodles. I try a new menu item every time I can come and also recommend lao style beef jerky, the vientiane stir fry, and the larp. I would skip on the volcano chicken, khao moo deng (all rice, hardly any bbq pork), kang kheaw whan (too soupy), sweet rice mango (too sweet & not fresh), personally. They were fine but not stellar. Give this place a taste!

This is my second stop at Vientiane Noodle Shop. And for lunch I ordered the Kao Piek Sen with chicken (like chicken noodle soup). Kao poon chicken to go and a bag of their house made Lao sausages. The service is consistent and the food and flavor is comfort. The taste of Vientiane. I recommend anyone who have traveled to Laos cell in love with the food and people, this restaurant has it going on. Literally sitting there writing this review, and can't wait for the food to come! Well it's here !

Yummy Pho! Not all Pho are the same, the broth of this pho was delicious. I came with a a friend during lunch time during their Phobruary deal and it was super affordable. Pretty quick service and know that the space isn't huge but plenty of seating. I'd for sure love to come back not just for Pho but to try their other dishes. The egg rolls were delicious. For sure would recommend their pho is you prefer a more bone broth broth than fish broth.

This is my boyfriend's favorite place to get pho in Milwaukee; 1) for the flavor and 2) for the price. He orders out from here sometimes once a week. I love their pho, as well as all of their curry options. The ambience is lacking, but you're coming for the food and flavor, not the atmosphere. The workers are always very kind and have come to know my boyfriend by name! We love this spot!

The Pho was fine , but the broth wasn't that flavorful. Kind of soupy. First time there, maybe just a fluke.

This is a hidden gem in Silver City area of Milwaukee. The service made us feel we were old friends with their welcoming attitude. The servers were super nice, especially Mary. The food prices were affordable and the dishes delicious. The oxtail noodle soup was very savory and creamy with the meat falling off the bone. We will definitely come back for this authentic restaurant.

the food here was absolutely delicious and so authentic. we were craving pho and found this restaurant and we are so glad we came here. it was so good, we had to come back again for our four day work trip. it's a combo of viet food and laotian food. i've never had laotian cuisine before and this was so delicious. we tried their pho and summer rolls which was delicious. the fried quail was also so good. the khao piak was 10/10 and the larp was extremely tasty, im still craving it! service was fast and super friendly both times we were here. this is your typical mom and pops restaraunt and super casual ambiance. perfect for quick or casual lunch/dinner. Definitely visit here if you're in Milwaukee!

Came in for a late lunch by myself.. grabbed the last small table. Staff courteous and prompt. Got my order right away. And I got my food in a timely manner.. quicker than i expected, especially since the restaurant was packed. Ordered the beef pho.. and chicken dumplings.. so yummy. Best Pho in Mikwaukee. Love it.

We stopped here on a Sunday afternoon for lunch and it did not disappoint. The restaurant is smaller and only street parking but cozy. I went there primarily for their oxtail tail Khao poun noodle dish since I heard it was good, I can confirm it was delicious! But let's start with what we ordered: Oxtail khao Poun noodle dish Rate 5/5 Delicious, noodles are nice and cooked well. Broth is sweet, perfect spice, sour and a taste of creamy peanut. The bamboo shoots, cilantro, green onion, lime leaves compliment the broth very nicely. Oxtails we're also meaty and soft, definitely cooked for hours. Pad Thai Rated 4/5 This is was great dish as well. The flavoring was on point. Complimented by shrimp, eggs, peanut and a slice of lime. Beef jerky and sticky rice Rate 5/5 Their beef jerky taste of a fermented, salty but yet very tasty. Complimented by a sweet and tangy chili sauce. This dish pairs well with a side of sticky rice. Highly recommend as a appetizer or side. Chicken wings Rate 4/5 Seasoned well and tasty. fried and crispy chicken wings. Again paid well with a side of sticky rice. If your in the mood for some authentic Asian food give this place a try. The staff was very nice and attentive. That oxtail noodle dish was the highlight! Overall 5/5.

Came for some pho in February and happy to see it was on some kind of a phobruary special. I wasn't sure how I would like this pho, because their dishes seem more Laotian than Vietnamese... but these were very tasty. It didn't have all the mat parts that I usually like (tripe and brisket) but it was ok anyway. The broth was very soothing, and the regular size had plenty of noodles and toppings. I'd come back for pho here! ============ Previous review of 3 stars: You can customize the larp dish in 3 ways: 1. raw or cooked meat 2. spicy level 3. bitter or not bitter I was quite used to getting asked for the spicy level, but never for whether I wanted cooked meat or whether I wanted "bitter". I opted for the cooked, very hot, not bitter version. The beef larp was good, but there was an odd seasoning taste that I didn't care for much. I wish I could identify it, but I can't. It's probably the "Latian" in this dish, but for having come to love this dish in its Thai version, I can't say I will come back for it here. Oh, and this dish really needs rice... it's a pretty spice-full dish. The server asked whether I wanted sticky or jasmine rice, and I asked for jasmine. I didn't expect to be charged for it. Hubby had the Pad-si-eww. It was OK. not great. not bad. just ok.

Pho: 1/5 Pad Thai: 4/5 Service: 3/5 Cleanliness: 3/5 The pho at Vientiane Noodle Shop is sub par. The sizes are smaller than other pho places I have been to in the area with similar prices. The biggest disappointment about the pho is the broth. It is not flavorful at all, it tastes like water. Very bland, not enjoyable. The heart of pho is the broth, and a bland broth makes for a very disappointing pho experience. The broth at Pho Ever is the best in the area, and Pho Saigon is good too. The other noodles were good though. Pad Thai was nice and saucy which is how I like my pad Thai although the noodles were a little bit mushy. The koua lorn was good too, the sauce is similar to the pad Thai, but it is with clear noodles instead of rice noodles. The service was pretty slow, unfortunately. It took a long time to get our food, and even the bubble tea took like 20 minutes to come out. Same thing with the appetizers. When we asked them about the drinks, the waitress told us they were taking so long because they ran out of milk and had to go get more. Definitely understandable, but that could've been communicated to us. Cleanliness was ok, but they really should wipe down the bottles of condiments on the table. So many people touch those, and they are sticky.

My new favorite spot to add to my restaurant rotation list!! Incredible khao poun soup!! Like truly the best soup I have ever had. All the various vegetables make it light and refreshing while the chicken and incredible unique noodle mixed into a red curry cocunut soup has to be one of a kind! You can share one bowl with two people and get sticky rice and appetizer and call it a meal for 18$ which is what we did our second time coming!! Next time I will be trying the pho! The best part is it is the best bang for your buck food I have come across!! 10$ for pho, 10$ for khao poun! Absolutely fantastic deal!! Please go because I promise you you won't regret it. Add sriracha, peanuts and spicy seasoning to the curry to top it off because every dish needs some spice, am I right?!

This place always hits the spot. Everything is so good. I got the papaya salad and kaopoon this time. My friend got the raw laab. So much flavor in each bit. I also got Pad Thai to go which was just as good. Always try to stop by when I'm in town. Cons: place is small and on a business street with only street parking

No frills. Awesome pho. Great service. Pad Thai was great as well. Went for their phobruary special. So good!

First time visit this restaurant. We searched google and visit near by Pho restaurant. This place got A grade. But Sauce on the table are so dirty. I don't know when they clean them. I was wonder how they got A grade. Foods are just ok. I don't think I will back again here.

One of my favorite spots to go to- we usually order Lao sausage, chicken Khao piak, cucumber salad and Lao jerky with a side of sticky rice.

A great little Laotian restaurant with good food and pho. The seating area itself is pretty small, so when it does get busy it might take awhile for you to be able to get a seat. When I went with my family, there was only two servers working, the hostess and another waitress. They were hospitable enough. with the limited ammount of servers, i will forgive them if it took them a while to clean off tables of other guests and the time for them to actually come out and take people's order. The food was great. Ordered some laab, papaya salad, tom yum soup, steak, and some fried chicken for the kids. everything was quite delicious, the kids enjoyed the fried chicken, the tom yum soup was favorable, I enjoyed the steak and the laoation spicy dipping sauce it came with. For the laab and papaya salad, you get to pick your spice level for both of them. I went with medium for both. Though while it does provide a nice kick, I did really wish i would've made the laab a bit more spicier. Also for the laab, you can also pick your bitterness level. Some people enjoy their laab to be a bit bitter, my father wanted it to be a bit bitter, so we got it at a medium level. He enjoyed it while I personally wouldn't have made it bitter at that level, maybe a mild at most. I definitely would come again.

Being completely candid, it's in a shady side of town. Just get takeout. The food is so worth it, I've had multiple things on the menu and it is so good. We keep coming back because it is just so amazing. My favorite is the Pad Burapa.

Excellent customer service! I am gluten free right now and the employee even read the ingredients in one of the sauces used to make my meal to make sure it didn't have gluten in it. Exceptional! I got my food to go.

If you're looking for great food AND value, this is the place for you! We ordered papaya salad, khao pun, tom yum goong, stir fry, pad sieew, and pad thai (all for under $75!). For the most part, everything tasted great! Papaya salad was spicy and stinky (in the best way possible and the only way you should be eating it). Khao pun and tom yum were flavorful, hearty, and delicious. My only complaint is that they had on their menu that coconut milk can be added to their tom yum if requested (making it tom yum kha), but even without us requesting, they still added it. My family is not a fan of coconut milk in our tom yum, but they offered to make us another one, so great service on their end. Just make sure you specify if you'd like coconut milk or not. Pad sieew was excellent. Soft and chewy rice noodles drenched in a savory deep sauce. I have my personal preferences for pad thai so that wasn't my favorite dish, but I am not going to doc them for that. They make theirs drier and tomato-y compared to what my usual choice is, but it was great nonetheless! Stir fry was delicious and great over rice! Every dish had a good amount of veggies and protein. Really enjoyed this place and will continue to come back!

Amazing service, delicious food, and a comfortable atmosphere. Waiter was very friendly, chatted with us for awhile. The portions were very large and filled us up and everything tasted Delicious! I had the pho and my husband had a specialty meal. (I can't remember what it was exactly, but the waiter recommended it!)

The food and service was amazing First time coming here wow egg rolls spring rolls gyoza and the pho were amazing all was really yummy def I I'll be coming back

I am so glad we got to try this place out while visiting Milwaukee. It's so hard to find a Laotian restaurant that serves authentic Laotian dishes. The wait staff was very attentive and friendly. The food was so tasty! It was full of flavor and great portions.

Great noodle shop! Actually my favorite. HIGHLY recommend the spring rolls (not fried) ... why you ask? What could be so awesome about a spring roll?? The peanut sauce that accompanies them! That's what! A must have if you go here. Volcano chicken is amazing, I get it mild. Boba tea, Lo mein, pho I have had and DO recommend! One person mama the front so don't go here with high expectations, or order to go! Lol

This place is a hidden gem! We ordered Egg Rolls, Goyza, Khao Poun, and Pad Khee Mao. Everything was so good and hit the spot. Staff was so friendly and attentive. Tons of people came in for take-out too.

This was a long time bookmark and my choice for support a local restaurant of the day. The place is all blocked off with the virus so you can't go deep inside the restaurant and only the very front of the place. I was going to do something a little different and try the wings and the spring rolls instead of a Pho etc. The wing order is only four pieces that was very tasty and seasoned well with a very crispy coating and moist meat inside cooked perfect. My lady has never had a spring so she didn't really know how to eat it or what it was because the sticky wrapper confused her, just eat it like a cold egg roll and dip it into the sauce that came with it. The spring rolls were pretty good and I really liked bbq pork better than the shrimp and they were fresh and tasty with the fresh cilantro being the star.

The food here is excellent! It is a charming storefront with a neighborhood vibe. The service is quick and friendly.

Well, the weather greatly impacted the urban hike plans. I was thinking: yay, food trucks! and was dreaming about tacos and falafel, but alas, it did not quite pan out like that this time. So, what to do when it's 6:30 and you want some yummy food in Silver City? Check out what's nearby! This is how we stumbled upon this cozy and unpretentious place on National, by 35th. The pad Thai with veggies was delicious and a great deal for $9.99. You can dine in or order carry out. Good service and two can dine for about $25 (food and soda). A hop from the Blue and 23 bus lines.

So many things to say about this place that hits the core of life and food. One particular time I came for a pick up and the service was way, way behind, a young server (young!), had the decency and kindness to offer me a drink on the house, after not only the long wait, but after the kitchen (maybe?) messed up one of my orders. I wasn't in a hurry, I didn't mind, and as I sipped on what could be the sweetest sickliest iced thai tea ever (not to self: next time pick another drink), I reminisce the good ol' days about what food service used to be like. Vientiane has a special place in my heart and transports me back to a time I used to know way back in my childhood. Maybe it's you and Bourdain who will finally inspire me see the actual Vientiane in person --and if one day you decide to move to a less crazed location (Milwaukeeans on National Ave., please drive safer), I will certainly not hold it against you, but please stay in the south side!

This is a good destination for warm Asian food on a cold day. I ordered the combination pho (with meat and seafood) and my friend ordered the spice duck pho. While the meat was flavorful and the broth rich, anytime I tried the seafood, it had an overpowering fishy taste. I found myself eating around all of the seafood. I recommend only getting the meat pho, vegetarian, or trying the spiced duck like my friend. She really enjoyed her meal and ordered a smoothie from the large menu of smoothie flavors with boba. There are at least a dozen condiments on each table, from hoisin sauce to chopped peanuts. Service was attentive and friendly. The prices are very reasonable-I made 2 meals out of my "small" bowl of pho. I'm looking forward to trying other recommended foods from here that aren't pho!

This place is super authentic. We got fried Vientiane meatballs, egg rolls, ox tail khao poun and Laotian larp. The meatballs and the sauce with it were super delicious. The meatball was tender, super flavorful and tasty. Additionally, they made their own sweet and sour sauce. Super citrusy and so perfect. The egg rolls were delicious as well. As for the oxtail khao poun, the curry flavor was not my cup of tea but the oxtail was so tender and sweet. It melts in your mouth. My boyfriend got the larp. We didn't know that there was so many cilantro in the dish. My boyfriend doesn't like cilantro so he didn't really like the dish. It tasted alright for me. I felt like it was missing something. Overall, we would come back to this place again for other dishes. Happy that we found this place!

I wanted to try an authentic Vietnamese restaurant while visiting Milwaukee and I was very satisfied dining at Vientiane. Initially, I thought it was odd that the Pad Kee Mao seafood combination also included beef, chicken and pork but the employee pointed out it's the combination which includes everything and the shrimp makes it a seafood combo. I was also sad to see they don't offer my favorite Pad Sew Ewe. I ordered Pad Kee Mao but asked to have the pork and beef omitted. I also ordered the Tom Yum Kha Gai which is the Tom Yum soup with chicken. I asked for medium spice level and both dishes were so flavorful

Came here on a cold winters eve to warm up with some Thai food. As one does. We were originally going to get takeout, but when we entered, the server was so friendly and there was plenty of seating--we decided to stay and eat in house. We started things off with some egg rolls, which were solid. I then ordered the pad sieew with chicken, which was incredibly tasty. I've had pad sieew other places that was served soupy with limp vegetables. This was the opposite of that. The veggies were fresh, flavorful, and perfectly sautéed. There was just the right amount of sauce and the rice noodles were the exact right size and texture. Amazing. We also enjoyed some Thai iced tea and ordered some of their tom yum kha gai soup to bring home. We were less enthusiastic about the soup than we'd been about our meals. We had it made with coconut milk (as is an option on their menu) and were hoping for the coconut milky flavor of your typical tom kha soup--but alas no. It wasn't bad, just not what we were hoping for. Beyond that, the service was attentive and friendly and their prices are quite reasonable. Get to it!

A friend recommended the spot after seeing Van Gogh and it did not disappoint! Nate delivered great service. The pad Thai was as expected and we were blown away by the kang phet curry. They are now open for dine in.

Man....this place is authentic as it can get. We stopped by here to grab something to eat before going out for the night nearby. I'm not familiar with the area, but parking was definitely tough. It is street parking, we had to circle around a couple times & luckily found a spot in front of the restaurant. We were greeted immediately by one of the servers & she also spoke our native language, which made us feel very welcomed. All of the food that was coming out for the nearby customers smelled & looked so good, we wanted to try a little bit of everything. We ended up getting the fried chicken, papaya salad (medium spice level) was good, but a bit spicy for me still, spring rolls, lad na, combination lad na with crispy noodles & fried egg on top & combination pad thai. Everything was so delicious! It was just the 2 of us, so we definitely had leftovers. This is a place you should bring several friends, order some apps & entrees to share. All the food we ordered was good enough for at least 4 people. We are about an hr & a half away from this town, but whenever we are in the nearby area, we are already planning to stop by & have an idea of what to try next!

The only way you are going to get better Laotian food is to book a flight to Vientiane. Truly exceptional food and service - if you like southeast Asian food this restaurant is a must try for the area.

This place is a hidden gem. Visited with my family while in town this weekend. I ordered the khao poun (a spicy rice noodle soup with chicken, herbs, & a coconut milk broth) & my mom & grandma shared khao piak (rice noodle chicken soup with cilantro & onion broth) which were both phenomenal! The shrimp Pad Thai & egg rolls were also fresh & delicious! The service was friendly & fast even on a busy Friday night & the portions are big while the prices are cheap. We will definitely be back soon! :)

I am a huge fan of authentic hole in the wall restaurants so I was really excited to try this place when a friend suggested it to me. First time I went there, I tried the khao poun. The best way I could describe it is it's like a combination of red curry and pho. It was delicious and a perfect dish for a rainy day! I went back for a second time within two months to try their Koua Lorn (dish made with glass noodles). Both times we were seated by the owners who made us feel very comfortable and at home. I look forward to trying more of their dishes and their daily specials!

I really quite enjoyed this place! We came later, like 8pm on. Tuesday so it was just the group of us and a few others who trickled in and out. Waitress was nice, young and attentive seeing how we were the only ones. Ambiance is mediocre and space is rather small, but let's get to what's really important: the food. We ordered the meatballs and sausage appetizer. The meatballs were so delicious and when I go back here, I will definitely be ordering this again. The sauce that it comes with, YUM! What IS that deliciousness?! Sausage was standard but I wouldn't order it again. We also ordered their fresh spring rolls. They were having a special for $1 each. Awesome!! I got two and they were awesome. Not only were they big, but they had shrimp AND pork. Rachael got the Larb for her meal. She didn't get large enough lettuce leaves to eat all of the Larb with, but it was also heavily seasoned with fish sauce, so the meat towards the end wasn't as good as the meat from the top of the pile. The Pho, although I didn't have it, came in crazy big portions for really cheap. It smelt and looked delicious. So I got the Pad Thai. My expectations were not that high, but this was the best Pad Thai that I've had in Milwaukee so far, which I had at a few other Thai restaurants. The best, so far. Absolutely delicious. I can't say enough about this and the portion was big. I'll definitely return sometime in the future. It was nice that this restaurant was open, considering that it's competitor Thai BBQ was closed.

This place is the best! Their food is made fresh and is so incredible the owners of the restaurant are the sweetest people. Such a positive experience I eat there all the time now!

So we use to go here ever since I was a kid. Well we recently went and had a terrible experience. The person who waited on us was upset and bothered about our questions about the menu. Mind you we haven't gone in years so things have changed. To start with the sides to go inside the pho before we would each get one, not to split, the pho was watered down and had so much broth a not enough noodles inside. Before they use to give lettuce and he was like "no lettuce" walked alway with an attitude. We asked general questions about the menu and a cup of water for my daughter. Well time to pay my mother had left a cash tip on the table under the plate he comes back with the recite saying we need to leave a tip that we asked for to many things and to many questions. My mom didn't fully understand what he was saying and said we are not leaving tip on the card we have no more cash. My mom asked to speak with the owners daughter and his response was "that's your friend not mine". He started raising his voice to my mom. I told my mom to leave it and start walking with my daughter to the door. This was just a few rude things he was saying. My mother did not once raise her voice nor did I. I took back what tip my mother left under the plate that was over 20% and only left a few dollars. I told him she didn't understand him and that his money was on the table and the way he acted was rude and just not right. As a waiter you do not demand a tip regardless of your pay. If you don't like it get a new job. I have always tipped based on service and if you have a bad attitude and roll your eyes I'm sorry but that is just bad service. It's so sad this place was part of my child hood we celebrated the owners birthday with him when it was just them. I had so many fond memories here. And it just isn't the same anymore I wish them all the best, but I will never be returning.

We went on a bike ride on the Hank Aaron bike trail. While taking a break at Three Bridges Park, we decided to find a local place for lunch. Using Yelp, we found Vientiane Noodle Shop up on W National. I told my wife, "this is the kind of place we drive past four times a month, but never stop." One reason is that there is limited on street parking. But, as we were on bikes, we were just a block off the trail. I am always amazed at how restaurants handle a crowd. At this noodle shop, one waitress handled five tables, and she was attentive to every one. Every table seemed to be enjoying their meal, while engaged in conversation with great food. As it was 1:00 our party of four opted for the lunch menu. There were 5 lunch specials. Each one started with a spring roll filled with cabbage, vegetables, and pork. A light sweet sauce with crushed peanuts accompanied it. It was great to have an an alternative to the deep fried egg roll. Next came a very good Tom Yum soup that had a wonderful kick to it, as the broth was rich in chicken stock and spices. The main lunch entree I had was the Vientiane stir fry. It was a stir fry with red peppers, broccoli, bamboo shoots, mushroom and chicken. It was served on a very colorful plate with a side of hot fried rice. The other 3 bike riders all opted for the Pad Thai. It was filled with chicken, a hot and yet sweet peanut sauce and flat noodles with bean sprouts. Crushed peanuts came on top. They also enjoyed the spring roll and soup. Again, this entire meal was brought to our table efficiently, while the waitress serviced four other tables. It is an intimate little restaurant on a very busy street. The type of place that is soooo easy to just drive by. If you do, you are missing a great meal!