Zabb Elee

Zabb Elee is a good Lao and Thai cuisine restaurant featuring “Traditional Laos Cuisine” near downtown Lowell. The room is small with only a few tables for seating. It has a kitschy museum feel that’s almost like someone’s home where they keep their heirlooms and collections. There’s a lot to look at here, and every glance at the same spot reveals something you missed the first time; pretty interesting actually, and much of it is for sale. For food I started with the excellent Lao Sausage which is very tasty and has a mild kick. Next up came Moo Krob, which is deep fried pork belly. This was way too fatty for me; nearly 100% fat on three quarters of the plate, with the outer surface of each bite being very hard. Generally, I like it about 50 / 50 or more on the lean side like Dominican chicharrones. Maybe fatty is how the Lao prefer it but for me it was unsatisfying, however, the spicy sauce that came with it was excellent. After that I had Pad Pak Boong which is stir fried vegetables; very flavorful and very good. Service was also very good, and friendly. For drink I had black tea which was good. Maybe I didn’t try the right things, but overall, it was a pleasurable enough experience and I most certainly will return for another try sometime.

This place is a delight. We were going to be passing by Lowell. Though I had never been to Lowell before, I had heard that there are a bunch of Southeast Asian immigrant communities living there, and equally a large variety of Southeast Asian cuisine restaurants in town. I was particularly craving Laotian cuisine. We stopped in to order to go. Once we walked in the door, we were greeted warmly (I forgot to ask for the hostess’s name). I said up front we wanted to order take out so she gave us a seat with menus and offered us two large glasses of ice water. After placing the order, I started to take in all of the decor. It’s pretty sumptuous, and at times I might call it a little decadent, but I’m guessing the goal is to make customers comfortable and feel like they are in a (small) palatial setting. There is a lot to look at in the large display cases, above and below the bar, in the corner with the ornate (rosewood?) table, chairs (thrones?), and divan. Lots of beautiful, spiritual, and fun, carved statues. Our food was ready within 25 minutes, which was about the time we finished looking around from our seats at the heavy wooden table/chairs area. The food smelled fantastic as we dove home. The dishes did not disappoint in the least. We ordered C14. Nam Kao (deep fried rice with pork sausage and peanuts, to be wrapped with lettuce leaves). C12. Pad Pak Boong (water spinach). C7. Kra Pao Moo Krob (stir fried pork belly with bell peppers and onion) B6. Lao sausage Side of Jasmine rice Everything was wonderful and fresh with delightful flavors. We would order these dishes again without hesitation. And I’m sure that there are many other things on the menu that deserve trying. That said, the star among our ordered dishes is the Nam Kao. That particularly was what I was craving and this is among the best that I’ve had (to be clear, I’ve only eaten Laotian food in the US; I’ve never been to Laos). The textures and the flavors were perfect. The Lao sausage was also worth writing home about. Definitely give this place a try. Note that there are only a few tables to sit at in this tiny restaurant, so if it’s a busy night you may have to wait outside. I will add photos and label them too.

I love this place. The food is great. Tasty and feel like eating at home. It's just a little different about yum Nam sod, it was too sweet. However, I will go back here to eat again.

Absolutely loved this Lao restaurant — such a flavorful experience!” The food is bursting with authentic flavors, from the spicy papaya salad to the perfectly grilled meats and sticky rice. You can really taste the heart and tradition in every dish. The atmosphere is welcoming, cozy, and full of smiles. The staff treated us like family and made great recommendations. It’s a wonderful spot to explore Lao culture through food. Can’t wait to come back and bring friends next time!

I had this restaurant recommended by a Lao friend who is in the restaurant business and it did not disappoint. If you want truly authentic Lao food that caters to the local Lao population this is a great option. You will get food cooked like they do at home & not modified to an American palette that is more accustomed to Thai food. Small restaurant with limited seating, and lots of Lao decor. The staff was very friendly. There are 6 parking spots right in front or else street parking. The cooked larb beef was fantastic. Often if you can find this dish at a Thai restaurant it will be ground beef which isn’t as good, but not here. Thinly sliced beef with lots of aromatics. Make sure to order a side of sticky rice which it is typically eaten with. There was enough food for 2 people if you ordered 2 sides or rice. Heat was on a scale of 1-10 and they gave me a “medium”. I like spicy food and boy was I sweating. I was also recommended the Kao Piek soup and absolutely loved it. It balanced out the heat from the larb since it is not spicy. It is similar to an American chicken noodle soup, but 10X better. Very thick broth with tons of garlic and very comforting. They hand make the noodles everyday. If you want it spicy, typically you add chili oil (not sriracha) which is a condiment at the table. Their chili oil is much spicier than other Asian restaurants I’ve been to so taste it first.

This is a hidden gem! I have gone here a couple times, and the food is amazing. Unsure what the dishes are called that I had tried, but everyone has got to get that sticky rice!!! There is a spicy sauce with fish sauce in it that is also incredible.

This Lao place offers a good selections of Lao dishes. Their fried meatball was quite good. The meat was not too dried. The sweet and sour sauce went well with the meatball and cabbage on the side. Nam Khao is my favorite lao food, and I've tried it at many places. Nam Khao at this place was a little too sour for me, but I liked the ratio of their peanut and cilantro to the rice. It would have been better if they made it less sour and just added lime on the side.

Pros: Extremely flavorful, friendly staff Cons: Crab Rangoon was completely burnt and inedible as seen below, food was cold upon opening, shrimp pad Thai had maybe 6 or 7 tiny pieces of shrimp hidden in the whole box, as pictured below, they forgot to put the chicken in my Chicken Basil Fried Rice. Paid $31 for a mediocre meal. Wanted to return it for a refund, but was persuaded in just letting it go by my husband, who wanted to enjoy a date night in.

Zabb Elee delivers straight-up fire when it comes to Lao cuisine. The laab and tum pu (Lao papaya salad)-- absolutely showstoppers. Both dishes nailed that perfect balance of heat, and freshness that defines real Lao flavor -- bold, spicy, and not watered down for the masses. Respect. The laab was packed with herbs, lime, and just the right kick -- you could taste the authenticity in every bite. The tum pu came through with that fermented crab funk and chili heat that hits just right if you know what you're getting into. This is not your average Thai or Lao-style som tum -- this is the real deal. Sticky rice came in a solid portion, perfectly steamed and ready to scoop up all the flavor. Honestly, those three items alone make the trip worth it. Other items were on the sweeter side if you like sweet(er) flavors. That said, if you're craving legit Lao flavor, Zabb Elee is a must.

Having come from California and eaten plenty of amazing Lao food, I recently checked out this true mom and pop shop, and I've gotta say, it was pretty good! The flavors were unique and heartfelt, but I found some dishes a bit too sweet for my taste. The spiciness? Spot on! It really brought the heat, just like I hoped it would. The vibe of the place was fantastic--walking in felt like visiting a Lao home, surrounded by trinkets and Buddhas. The decor added a special touch that made the experience even more authentic. Just a heads up about parking: there are only about six spots available, so plan accordingly. We rolled in around 4 PM and were the only diners, which made for a relaxed atmosphere. And let me tell you, we drove all the way from Boston just to try this place, and it did not disappoint. If you're craving genuine Lao food, this spot is worth the journey!

The food was amazing. Ordered the crispy pork belly, sticky white rice, and chicken pad Thai. The service was fast, and the ambiance was good.

I was craving for some Lao food and this place popped up. They have onsite parking as well as street parking. I love places that have parking! Aside from that you'll walk in and it is small with temple decor. I was greeted and sat down. I had the Thai ice tea. It was perfectly sweetened the way I like it. I ordered mostly apps bc I was craving more Lao street food. I honestly did not wait long at all. I got the Lao egg rolls and you can never go wrong with egg rolls! I also got the Lao sausages. I'm sensitive when it comes to spicy and it was too spicy for me. It did have great flavor with the sticky rice but I was only able to taste one. I enjoyed the Lao chicken wings! It's flavorful and crispy! The Lao beef jerky was decent. I do like it on the sweeter side but if satisfied my cravings today. I would def come again it started to get busy once I finished my meal. I over heard other customers orders and they do all types of spicy levels.

Odd place to dine in. Food was phenomenal though. Recommend only ordering takeout. Small portions but well made and tastes great.

Food is good most time we eat here. Service is pretty slow even if we order 45 mins ahead of time. Y'all just gotta have patients. The place is really small, there is about 4 tables only to dine in.

Quick lunch in this eclectic tiny establishment. Absolutely delicious wings. And the yum seafood was perfectly tangy /savory / sweet and a tiny bit spicy. Next time I'll ask for more , but I'm sure they were just being careful for the white girl!

I came here several times during past two yearsand never disappointed. Food is authentic Laotian food, service little slow but understanding because home-cooking style. Mostly, servers are able to satisfy my special requests which is great.

I love this little place. Food is always good and the staff is always friendly! I always get beef larb!

We were in town and looking for Authentic Laos food. We came across this Restaurant and I also follow the chef on FB. The food looks so delicious. So we decided to have lunch here. The food was great. It's like mom's home-cooked meal. I've noticed there's plenty of Take-out then dine in. We did not regret it at all. The food was excellent. Definitely recommend.

Home style Lao food, everything was deeply satisfying - spicy, citrusy, and herbaceous. The place is decorated with a lot of home decor which creates a nice homey atmosphere but it's different than what a lot of people would expect from a restaurant. I happened to love it, I felt like we were traveling abroad. The Lao sausage is an explosion of flavor, just thinking about it makes me drool. Seriously, so delicious with the dill flavor coming through. We also got the chicken soup with homemade noodles which was really simple but really nice and flavorful. The chicken bits included pieces of skin which added to the richness of the broth and the balance of herbs was tasty and comforting. I'd love to have this soup sometime when I'm sick with a cold, it seems like just the thing to get you back on your feet. We also got the Thum Lao, which was nice and crunchy. The salad was a nice balance of acid and heat from the papaya, tomato, and chili. They were pretty heavy handed with the fish sauce, which I enjoyed but my boyfriend found a tiny bit too much. We also ordered a side of sticky rice to eat with the Thum Lao which, of course, is essential. Everything was extremely fresh, and obviously cooked to order, and was made with a lot of care. We plan on going back with more people and to order the Nam Khao. The menu is good sized and There were a lot of dishes we still want to try, including the chicken wings!

We have tried every Laotian restaurant in Northern California and this restaurant beat them all. Every dish was authentic (wife is Laotian) and delicious - we had the Lao sausage, special fried rice, Kao poon noodle soup, Kia pork noodle soup, beef larb, Nam lao, and ban gun. Dishes run spicy even if requesting mild.

Authentic Laotian food made right. Great flavors and fresh ingredients. If you're looking for freshly prepared raw beef larb "Larb Dip" with spice and roasted rice powder. This is one of the spots to go for the authentic flavor. Papaya Salad - spicy (I asked for 15-20 peppers) and I was not disappointed on the spice level! Add some more fish sauce and fermented fish paste and it will Be golden! They have the infamous cow organ stew typically served with traditional Laotian food. The soup has it all and many more. Organs , tripe , intestines - if you are looking for traditional Laotian this is the spot.

Very delicious and authentic, especially "Duck larb". Worth driving 3 hrs from Albany

Their Laos sausage is not homemade. Brought from Laos or Thailand frozen and cooked. Very misleading when they say Homemade Laos Sausage. Taste like the store bought ones.

Definitely one of the better restaurants in the area. The food here is super flavorful and well balanced. The prices are reasonable while the portion sizes are My favorite things to order here are the spicy lab chicken,papaya salad and sticky rice! If you're ever in the mood for some very food, zeeb elee is the way go! It will be sure to satisfy your taste buds and make your tummy happy :)

Small place but very decorative. A bit chilly though in there. The workers there are nice. We were the only one there but somehow they didn't bring us any water until we were ready to order. I would think the first thing after seating you, you bring them water. We ordered 3 dishes, they were just ok. The raw beef salad has a bitter taste I wasn't familiar with. The nam kao was quite salty and didn't come with cilantro and leafy lettuce like expected. Lastly the spicy noodle salad, which was also salty and too watery. The only think that came out just right, was their overpriced sticky rice.

I've never dine in. I've only ordered take out and I love the raw bee larb extra spicy and bitter!

Best thum ka poon . (Vermicelli with papaya salad) Instead of papaya, it uses vermicelli pretty much. They are good but the price is kind of expensive just like everywhere else. I usually order here once a month

Excellent homemade style Lao food. The owner and staff members are always friendly and caring. I've been many times and I will go again. Beef laap is my favorite. Khop jai

There are a lot of South-east Asian restaurants in Lowell, but very few specialize in Laotian cuisine - and I mean REALLY specialize. Formerly Phien's Kitchen (also Laotian cuisine), Zabb Elee has pretty much retained all of the interior atmosphere. The drink menus are the same, but you'll notice the menu has changed drastically. All of the menu items now have pictures above the names! Not only that, but every photo looks delicious and you can literally order what looks most appealing to you and not be disappointed. You have to be careful on some of the soups - they are actually "family style" and meant to be shared. Another big change you'll notice is the portion size, and I mean something in the range of 30% more food for the same price. The spiciness of some of the dishes has also been toned down, but not so much that it takes away from the flavor. Service is a little slow, and food might take a little longer if you have a party of four or more - but you can rest assured that it will be quality. My favorite dish here is the "Kadna Mu Krob", which if I had to translate poorly would be: "Chinese-Broccoli-with-something-something-Roast-Pork". The sauce compliments the veggies very well, and the pork has tender side with a crispy skin. It's slightly less spicy than it's predecessor, but the portion size makes it worth every penny. Be sure to try out this hole-in-the-wall hidden in a residential area. It really is a nice change of pace from Khmer cuisine. Did I mention you can request certain dishes to be cooked Khmer-style?

We're here for a Thursday night dinner. Decided on this place solely based on Yelp search and reviews. Chicken satay appetizer: five big and tasty long pieces of chicken on sticks. Mild flavored marinade. A few pieces of pickled veggies. Spicy string beans main dish: beans were fresh and gently stir fried. They were nice and crispy not overlooked. Spiced with garlic and chopped hot peppers in a brown sauce. Kra pao Kai-kai dao combination platter: chicken chunks with stir fried basil, hot peppers, onions, and green peppers. Spicy enough for my wife, but I dosed mine with the Srirachi sauce. Big pile of rice to accompany. Had a fried egg atop. Quite good. Wife and I ate our fill and there was plenty of good food for our student son's meal when his night class gets out. Friendly waitstaff. Interesting decor in the small dining area. Very fair prices for the servings. Reading prior reviews there was a remark about slow service - ours was quick, accurate and just right. We liked it and will probably return. We recommend.

I was craving the Basil pork belly and we went back for dinner. It wasn't the same as I had before. THe picture clearly showed a red sauce in their menu and the owner and chef told me that it was a dry chili sauceless dish. Umm.. can you explain the picture in the menu and my other yelp review? The food wasn't as great as my previous experience. The beef jerky was REALLY hard, they made the pork belly in the wrong sauce , the meatballs didn't have any flavor excitement and the wide rice noodles lacked sauce and flavor.

For starters, we came a couple hours before they closed. They had just finished up with a party as we were told. When we went inside we were greeted with awkward stares and silence. I couldn't tell who was staff and who was left over guests. They told us to sit anywhere and haven't even cleaned the table. A drunk lady asked us if we liked chicken fried rice. We just nodded and ignored her.1 A waitress quietly gave us our menus but did not offer us drinks. The whole room was awkward and rude. The menu was pricey. The cost of everything that was on there can be found much cheaper at plenty of other restaurants. 13$ for pad Thai? I can find one for 8$ and much more delicious. I can tell by the looks of my S/O that we needed to go and we did. They didn't even tell us to have a nice day.

Ordered the crispy pork and this is what I got! I paid 11.99 plus tax for this. There's literally like 10-12 pieces of thinly sliced pork. It doesn't even look like the picture on their menu! So disappointed!

Menu selection and food is very good. Service was quick and friendly. Food is authentic. The downside is the prices. A very small side dish of white rice was $10. WTF? White rice doesn't come with any of the meals, so if you want rice, white or sticky rice, it's $10 for a small cup on the side.

I mainly come here for the kao piek! It is so darn good! It's just fresh and homemade every time. The staff is always super friendly and the atmosphere is super casual. Be warned it's a tiny restaurant with limited parking in the front. Luckily, each time I've come here it hasn't been busy. I've tried other foods here but the kao piek noodles really overpower my mind so I can't remember what else I ate. I know it's good as well! Thai iced coffee = bomb

I really like eating here. They're fast and very nice. The food taste great too. It's on the smaller side but it's nice there.

Went here today. The menu has expanded quite a bit since the Phien's Kitchen days, but they simply have photos rather than descriptions of the dishes. However, the photos look great, and everything looks delicious. Lao sausage: so tasty, and very similar to the recipe Devon's mom used. Papaya salad w/salty crabs: Amazing, but I didn't quite know what to do with the crabs, though. Super hot, as we requested. Fried Sticky rice: good, a nice textural difference from the standard fried rice. Beef Larb: Really good, with lots of fresh herbs, a nice acidic bite from the lime, smokey grilled beef and bits of tripe for chewy texture. Crispy pork w/ holy basil: Again, really good, with meaty pieces of pork belly, and a great tasting sauce. Not what I'd call "cheap eats", but good value for the price, and everything was intensely flavorful. I would say that, given the higher number of menu options and value, I like this place even more than I liked Phien's.

Good food, TOO BAD they no longer carry spring roll, is very clean, the atmosphere is a bit eclectic, I love their pad Thai ( shrimp)

Love the food there!!! The menu has pictures of different dishes, they all look so good that u want to order everything off the menu... It was so hard to decide which one to pick... So, I finally picked # 5, 8 & pho Lao for my son and an order of sticky rice... I'm still craving # 8 right now!

Please don't go here unless you like getting ripped off. We made that mistake yesterday and learned our lessons the hard way. We ordered crispy pork dish $14+ and it was the smallest plate we've ever seen, the pork prolly contains no more than 6 little pieces. Don't believe me? Scroll down and look at the pictures of other reviewers.

Great authentic food, pleasant service, portion size was huge for my chicken larb and couldn't finish it. A bit pricey, but worth it! Hidden gem and a nice change from the other Asian cuisines in the area.

Good authentic lao food..the raw beef larb is most people favorite fresh with aromatic herbs you can have it spicy mild or however you prefer the service is fast it is small resturant but clean looking

Automentic Laos food. Best place for Larb and Laos salad

This place's a hidden gem one of the best authentic Laos cuisine I've ever had, but it's very pricey and portion size is not worth the money spent therefore -2 stars! It was formerly known as "Phiens Kitchen" under different owners, their price was affordable and you get what you pay for!

I got the beef Jerky which was $7.99 when I came to pick it up the weight of the plate threw me off right away . Evidently when I checked I saw that it only contained about a dozen straw length shaped pieces of beef with a couple of lemongrass thrown here in there. That's $10.69 that I'll never get back but now I know not to bother with this place. Not like the picture at all

First and last time here. Food was flavorless. Service was okay, place looks really nice, but the food... trash. Whoever said it was flavorful has no working taste buds I swear. I could've easily made the dishes at home honestly. Never again.

This place has completely changed from Phien's Kitchen and it is a down fall. My girlfriend and I wanted to get some papaya salad today so we chose this place. We ordered papaya salad, beef on the stick and rice with beef dish. The papaya salad was super sweet and it did not taste like anything we got from Phien's kitchen and beef on the stick was super hard but the sauce was good. Rice with beef dish was nothing special. We both did not finish our foods and barely touch the papaya salad. It was a disappointing visit. The place is nice and clean with a few flies in the dinning area. Not going to visit again unless they change the owner or something.

We went after reading the reviews for Phien's Kitchen only to find it has was replaced almost a year ago by Zabb Elee. Nice, small restaurant in a residential area of Westford Street. Portions were very big, food was spicy and tasty. There was only one other table, and yet the food came out rather slowly. Might not be the place to go if you are in a hurry for lunch. The server was friendly and helpful though clearly reading his e-mail on his smartphone. Zabb Elee does take credit cards, unlike it predecessor. I will definitely be back, though I will split the spring rolls 4 ways instead of 2, they were huge.

Some food is good and spicy. If you don't like strange ingredients be sure to ask what is in the entrée.