Green Papaya

Man I haven't been back to Stockton for a while and I came in for a work function. I remember when this place was a food truck! I was excited to see they are now a decent sized restaurant and immediately told my coworker we had to go here for lunch! It tastes just like it did when it was a small food truck! Authentic, homemade, like your mom or grandma would make, with love! It's always been a 10/10 for me, and many years later it remains so.

Love this place!! The red curry is amazing and I love the sausage with sticky rice!! Really can't find that anywhere in Stockton here that actually tastes good. Their Thai tea... is AMAZING. Best thai tea ever, perfect sweetness and balance of creamy. Even when my ice watered down and melted, it still tasted the same and amazing. Their drunken noodles are also very good, great blend of flavors. Service was okay though, took quite a while to deliver our drunken noodles and pad see ew out to us, we had already pretty much finished our other dishes when they brought it out. Server should also check in regularly with refilling water or needing condiments or necessities like napkins. Otherwise, food was great.

Nice place to get Thai food. They don’t have green curry but they have Thai tea and most of the other Thai dishes.

Not much to say. The food is incredible. The service is incredible. The atmosphere is laid back, and un-intimidating enough for a daily visit. A true gem in Stockton, CA. I recommend anything, literally. Try them all, you won’t be disappointed.

Foods tasted delicious!!! Big and spacious insides. I should have added more spice to my food but it okay, food was still good!. Portions are just about right. Still need more sticky rice though. But still good.

We first had their food when they had a food truck at the Hmong new year in sac like 8 years ago I think and from that moment my wife and I were on a mission to see them again. So here we are at their physical location in Stockton and it was like we first remembered it. Amazing food and very friendly staff. You won’t be disappointed, only disappointment was they were out of the nam khao. We will be back.

The food here is always delicious. Rich creamy curry, refreshing spring rolls, and perfectly balanced tom yum. 👌

California Hip Hop artist SpenDoe is back with another restaurant review! I first discovered Green Papaya on The Food Network. I decided to hop in my car, and drive a distance to try their noodle soups in Stockton, CA. I must say, their food is bomb! The freshness, the spices, and the way the flavors blend together.. Amazing! Staff is friendly, and the place is extremely clean. If you are in Stockton, CA then check them out. They also have a food truck, btw.. Support your local businesses.

After ordering a pick up order I showed up earlier than the order time promised. They were on the verge of closing and had no one in the dining area. A few orders came and went. I was just waiting. Without me having to check in the staff kept me updated on delays and would continually check in with me and apologize without any prompting from me. When they got me my food they surprised me with a free Thai tea for the inconvenience. I already love their food and service and this was above and beyond. So I had to speak to their customer satisfaction tonight and though I would be coming back either way this review would not have happened if it wasn’t for that above and beyond service.

I have been to this place for years since it was just a food truck. It has grown into it 2nd location and it's my first time here. Great spot and restaurant is super clean and opened. Review is solely based on this visit alone. Gotta say this was one of the best dinners I've had in a long time. Everything came out quick and food was on point. Can't wait to come back.

The restaurant was nice, clean and air conditioned. Service was fantastic. Very attentive and kind staff. We ordered Pad Thai, KaoPoon, Spring Rolls, Nam Khao and Lao Sausage and everything was delicious. The Pad Thai was a little saucier than most places but I didn't mind. Thanks for the great meal!

Steve Jeglum

After ordering a pick up order I showed up earlier than the order time promised. They were on the verge of closing and had no one in the dining area. A few orders came and went. I was just waiting. Without me having to check in the staff kept me updated on delays and would continually check in with me and apologize without any prompting from me. When they got me my food they surprised me with a free Thai tea for the inconvenience. I already love their food and service and this was above and beyond. So I had to speak to their customer satisfaction tonight and though I would be coming back either way this review would not have happened if it wasn’t for that above and beyond service.

Bruce Thao

I have been to this place for years since it was just a food truck. It has grown into it 2nd location and it's my first time here. Great spot and restaurant is super clean and opened. Review is solely based on this visit alone. Gotta say this was one of the best dinners I've had in a long time. Everything came out quick and food was on point. Can't wait to come back.

Vincent HT

The restaurant was nice, clean and air conditioned. Service was fantastic. Very attentive and kind staff. We ordered Pad Thai, KaoPoon, Spring Rolls, Nam Khao and Lao Sausage and everything was delicious. The Pad Thai was a little saucier than most places but I didn't mind. Thanks for the great meal!

Shiroha Saika

Foods tasted delicious!!! Big and spacious insides. I should have added more spice to my food but it okay, food was still good!. Portions are just about right. Still need more sticky rice though. But still good.

Tony Thao

We first had their food when they had a food truck at the Hmong new year in sac like 8 years ago I think and from that moment my wife and I were on a mission to see them again. So here we are at their physical location in Stockton and it was like we first remembered it. Amazing food and very friendly staff. You won’t be disappointed, only disappointment was they were out of the nam khao. We will be back.

Amanda Holbo

The food here is always delicious. Rich creamy curry, refreshing spring rolls, and perfectly balanced tom yum. 👌

SpenDoe

California Hip Hop artist SpenDoe is back with another restaurant review! I first discovered Green Papaya on The Food Network. I decided to hop in my car, and drive a distance to try their noodle soups in Stockton, CA. I must say, their food is bomb! The freshness, the spices, and the way the flavors blend together.. Amazing! Staff is friendly, and the place is extremely clean. If you are in Stockton, CA then check them out. They also have a food truck, btw.. Support your local businesses.

Excellent food. Got Pad Se Eew Chicken, Red Curry Shrimp, & Lao Sausage. We ordered to go and was ready in less than 15 min. Really a 4.5 star, but google doesn’t let you do half stars. I can see why people don’t like the atmosphere. Decor is minimalist and the acoustics are awful. However, I’m a good first reviewer and have had lots of Cambodian, Lao, & Thai food where this compares highly to some of the best. Lao Der nearby is more authentically Laotian, but Green Papaya is still very good. Prices may be high for the area (don’t really know), but good compared to overpriced Bay Area.

Fandyllic

Excellent food. Got Pad Se Eew Chicken, Red Curry Shrimp, & Lao Sausage. We ordered to go and was ready in less than 15 min. Really a 4.5 star, but google doesn’t let you do half stars. I can see why people don’t like the atmosphere. Decor is minimalist and the acoustics are awful. However, I’m a good first reviewer and have had lots of Cambodian, Lao, & Thai food where this compares highly to some of the best. Lao Der nearby is more authentically Laotian, but Green Papaya is still very good. Prices may be high for the area (don’t really know), but good compared to overpriced Bay Area.

Sandradee

I placed an order through doordash. I've been wanting to try Green Papaya for a while the food is excellent I got play Thai noodles and I got some rice that had chicken and tomato and pineapple in it and course spring rolls and a drink. I would say I will definitely be back but this time I want to go inside and see the atmosphere

The Thai Boat noodle is really good here with blood cake. The Kao-piek and kao-poon is ok . I go here when I’m too lazy to cook. lol definitely better than lao’der

Went here for pad Thai and fried rice to go. A little on the greasy side, but flavorful. Waited for about 15 mins. Friendly staff and menu is not overwhelming. Would go here again.

I'm so happy that Green Papaya had a permanent location now. My first encounter with them was completely by chance 3 years ago, and I was pleasantly surprised by how authentic the food was. Recommendations: Spicy Laotian sausage (5 stars) - $8. If you enjoy the flavors of South East Asian food in one bite, you must must must try this sausage. The flavors include the perfect balance of savory and spiciness, chili, lemongrass, basil and more. I get craving of these sausage for realz! Papaya salad Laotian style (5 stars, it had shrimp paste so an unique taste, medium was already very spicy, just FYI) Mango sticky rice (5 stars) -$5, this is a seasonal dessert. The mango was perfectly ripe and the wild rice gave this dish an interesting twist) Pad See Ew (4 stars) - this noodle dish is my go-to and what I use to judge a restaurant. The version here is not the best I've had in the US but still good, nice amount of soy sauce and vegetables, though not enough wok flavor. All the main entrees (except noodle dishes) come with white or sticky rice. The price is not cheap but the taste and the ingredients are legit. Give this place a try if you are in the Stockton area and craving for Thai/Laotian food. Tip: 1) You can eat at the restaurant (it's a small space) or call ahead to order take-out. 2) They close somewhat early (8:30PM) and is closed on Sunday.

Some good authentic food.

We ordered the beef laap, riblets platter and Thai teas. All of which was very good. The beef laap was my favorite though! The restaurant was very clean and the service was excellent. Keep up the great work guys.

Good food, competitive pricing, good location. Friendly service. My husband enjoyed the flavor of the Pad Thai (Beef & Chicken combo). I had Drunken Noodles (Chicken). It was an interesting dish, I enjoyed the chow fun style noodles, though I don't care for Mint leaves in food or overly salty foods. My husband also agrees that there was too much tomato-ey taste to the Drunken Noodles. Customers, please, close door behind you when entering or exiting, to keep flies out! 👌🌺🤙I've also had their tasty Beef Laap over steamed rice from their Food Truck, before they opened brick & mortar location. When available, they also have great tasting Pork Belly. They have moved to a new location on Pacific Avenue which is a nicer & larger space.

Prices are a bit higher for the papaya salad and spring rolls I thought, but it makes up for it with huge portions. The condiment for the spring rolls were too sweet for me. Otherwise, it was a good balance of greens to noodles.

I ordered the khao poob (red curry noodle soup). It was very flavorful and pungent, though a bit too fishy (salty) for my taste. The noodles had a perfect texture, and there was plenty of chicken. I do wish there were more mint and herbs, as they really balance the soup—without them, it tasted overly fishy. Overall, it’s worth trying if you want something different, but if you’re looking for a more coconuty, traditional Hmong khao poob, this isn’t it.

This is the ONLY place I eat at when I am in Stockton. I can’t get enough of their pork belly with sticky rice plate. I’m aware that I can get pork belly anywhere but the dipping sauce here pairs really well to keep the taste buds excited for more. I was unaware that Green Papaya was featured on Food Network as well. The service is always great and the food tasting consistent. Quite a large establishment but it’s never filled. There are always LOTS of take out orders. I feel the menu items are fairly priced. Have you ever been in a men’s bathroom at most Asian restaurant? It’s usually neglected and very dirty. Not here! Well kept for the most part. Perhaps one day when I have the courage to try out the entire menu, I will give it 5 stars. It’s not because I’m afraid to try other items. I just can’t get enough of the pork belly!

SV

This is the ONLY place I eat at when I am in Stockton. I can’t get enough of their pork belly with sticky rice plate. I’m aware that I can get pork belly anywhere but the dipping sauce here pairs really well to keep the taste buds excited for more. I was unaware that Green Papaya was featured on Food Network as well. The service is always great and the food tasting consistent. Quite a large establishment but it’s never filled. There are always LOTS of take out orders. I feel the menu items are fairly priced. Have you ever been in a men’s bathroom at most Asian restaurant? It’s usually neglected and very dirty. Not here! Well kept for the most part. Perhaps one day when I have the courage to try out the entire menu, I will give it 5 stars. It’s not because I’m afraid to try other items. I just can’t get enough of the pork belly!

Tiaone G. (T-EATZ)

We ordered the beef laap, riblets platter and Thai teas. All of which was very good. The beef laap was my favorite though! The restaurant was very clean and the service was excellent. Keep up the great work guys.

Juneve Kimble

Good food, competitive pricing, good location. Friendly service. My husband enjoyed the flavor of the Pad Thai (Beef & Chicken combo). I had Drunken Noodles (Chicken). It was an interesting dish, I enjoyed the chow fun style noodles, though I don't care for Mint leaves in food or overly salty foods. My husband also agrees that there was too much tomato-ey taste to the Drunken Noodles. Customers, please, close door behind you when entering or exiting, to keep flies out! 👌🌺🤙I've also had their tasty Beef Laap over steamed rice from their Food Truck, before they opened brick & mortar location. When available, they also have great tasting Pork Belly. They have moved to a new location on Pacific Avenue which is a nicer & larger space.

Arrielle

Prices are a bit higher for the papaya salad and spring rolls I thought, but it makes up for it with huge portions. The condiment for the spring rolls were too sweet for me. Otherwise, it was a good balance of greens to noodles.

Pretty good Thai food, we liked the basil chicken and the Lao sausage. The dining room has nothing on the walls and is SO LOUD though. Hopefully they put some cushioning on the walls! Very friendly service.

erica pool

Pretty good Thai food, we liked the basil chicken and the Lao sausage. The dining room has nothing on the walls and is SO LOUD though. Hopefully they put some cushioning on the walls! Very friendly service.

My first time eating here: The menu isn't overwhelming, but I wish that there were photos or descriptions of each dish because of my lack of familiarity with Laotian/Thai food. The staff are incredibly friendly and very helpful with explaining and recommending dishes. They were patient with my mispronunciation of their food! Service was fairly quick and I didn't mind the little wait. BUT I was disappointed with their Drunken Noodles. Perhaps it's a personal preference but I felt that it was overly-flavored, too salty, too sweet, and had too much going on. I needed to freshen it up by adding my own cilantro, cucumber, and greens to it. The amount of food was filling but I was surprised by how pricey it was, considering the majority of my plate was overly-spiced noodle, too much tomato, and maybe 3 pieces of over-cooked chicken. The rest of the menu sounds promising though, so I will be coming back to eat here! But I won't be eating those Drunken Noodles.

The laap chicken was a little salty for me. Didn't care for the onions that looked like fingernails and were crunchy. Music is a little loud to hear the cashier's.

The first time, I ordered beef larb... It was okay. It was just a bit too salty. Its fish sauce was overpowering. They took too long of time with service, I had to take it to-go. I decided to give it a 2nd chance... The spring rolls is good. Yet again, I didn't like how slow the service was... I highly doubt I will come back...

First time visiting their restaurant that's been open for 1yr. Place was clean so was the womems bathroom . I ordered spring rolls with shrimp 🍤. Which the rice roll was to stiff gummy to eat with no flavoring. Good thing they had housen sause made it a Lil better. My mom ordered pork short ribs which was ok . But didn't know they came Krispy. Granddaughter ordered pan soup With strips of chicken. But didn't get eaten. 🤔. Maybe we would have to order something else to try to come back!! 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

We order 2 pad thai for the kids, chicken kapoon and ka piak. Pad thai was ok. Kapoon was no taste very bland. Color looks so good but it does not have any flavor. So sad, drove all the way here bc of the photo that was shown online. But photos can fool you. Ka piak was the best. Thai tea was eh... so so.

Honey Love

We order 2 pad thai for the kids, chicken kapoon and ka piak. Pad thai was ok. Kapoon was no taste very bland. Color looks so good but it does not have any flavor. So sad, drove all the way here bc of the photo that was shown online. But photos can fool you. Ka piak was the best. Thai tea was eh... so so.

The interior looks bright and clean, but there seems to be an unpleasant smell coming from the floor. The taste is average, and it feels like they use old ingredients.

We ordered to go. The only thing good was Beef drunken noodle. Pad Thai had only a few pieces of chicken and did not taste good. I could only stomach 1/2 a shrimp spring roll. Pretty disappointed.

Ordered the chicken soup and pad see ew. They ended up giving me pad Thai. Food tasted good, just got the wrong dish.

The papaya was pretty good but too much on the sweeter side...the Thai coffee was like drinking sugar and the spring rolls was good...but the sauce was not great it was way to sweet like dipping in sugar! Whoever has diabetes this place is not recommended for you!!! I’m pretty sure everything would be really good if they lower down their sugar level had couple sip of the Thai coffee and had to stop the spring roll sauce as well we couldn’t eat it!! Sorry we just had to be honest!!!

Been here a handful of times and had high hopes... but was a huge let-down. Their in-service is much better than take-out. Plates seem to have more food. I also love the flavor of the food. However, they consistently take forever to serve you. Food is cold sometimes. This most recent time I called in advanced to place a take-out order. I was told the wait would be about 15mins and was told there was no line of people ordering food. I arrived 15mins later to pick up my food. One person in front of placed their order in line. Upon my turn, the waitress said it'll be more wait time. Another 10mins pass and I ask again. The same waitress goes to the kitchen and returns after a few minutes to serve the person that was in front of me. She proceeds to tell me to continue to wait. (At this point I'm convinced they had never started to cook my order when I placed it over the phone.) After a total of close to 40 mins since I called initially to place my order, I finally receive my food. While checking my order, I see it's in small plates/containers..... Wonderful. I'm paying for over-priced food, lousy service, and small portions. As much as I love the flavor, I will be eating elsewhere until service improves. Thanks!

This place is definitely overhyped. Portions are small for the price. The papaya or noodle salad is bland. Chicken noodle soup is on the sweet side and salty. Inside the restaurant looks spacious and nice. Customer service is fine but the owner has a bit of an attitude for no reason whatsoever. Even if you're being super nice and smiling she seems to have an attitude. I used to go because location was convenient but now i am willing to drive further to a different restaurant

Devon S

This place is definitely overhyped. Portions are small for the price. The papaya or noodle salad is bland. Chicken noodle soup is on the sweet side and salty. Inside the restaurant looks spacious and nice. Customer service is fine but the owner has a bit of an attitude for no reason whatsoever. Even if you're being super nice and smiling she seems to have an attitude. I used to go because location was convenient but now i am willing to drive further to a different restaurant

Very bad experience. I had the spring rolls which taste good, but the dipping sauce was horrible. Too sweet yet bland taste. Will not buy again!! As for the mango sweet sticky rice, the rice wasn’t sticky at all and tastes bland. Mango was good though. Left me very disappointed when I was hyped. Please consider doing something else for the dipping sauce.

This place is terrible. The menu is super limited and the flavor of the food falls flat. Thai food usually has bold flavors, uses chicken meat that is not ground and the Thai ice tea is the worst I’ve ever had. The atmosphere feels like a hospital cafeteria and I had to remind them about my beverage. The service was lacking at best. I will not be returning.

Only 4 tiny shrimps! Please lower your price if this is what your customers going to receive.

If you’re in the mood to test your patience and your digestive system, this is the place. I only had to wait a mere 40+ minutes for one dish😂because, you know, greatness takes time… except when it arrives cold. Then it’s just confusing. I ordered the laab, which I believe they’re now rebranding as “Grey Mystery Meat Salad.” A bold twist! The meat looked like it had been personally aged on the countertop all day. Flavor? Who needs it? Certainly not Green Papaya. This laab had all the zest and excitement of a soggy napkin. I remember when this place used to be good. Apparently, so do they, because they’re still riding on that memory while serving up poor customer service and questionable meat. Honestly, I’m not sure how they’re still in business unless the health inspector is on vacation. Maybe it’s time for a rebrand… or at least a new cook. Or both. Until then, I’ll be dining elsewhere — preferably where food is warm and not a potential science experiment.

I was disappointed. I'm always excited for small businesses but the food I had here were not up to par. We ordered Pad Thai, chicken wings, papaya salad, egg rolls, spring rolls and Thai tea. The pad thai was dry and lacked flavor. The chicken wing entree was a huge disappointment. 5 wings and just a side of rice for a little over 10 bucks. The wings were not good, small and was lackluster. I was hoping for some crispy, juicy, flavorful wings but these were the opposite. The papaya wasnt my favorite. I know I ordered it no spice but I've had some really good ones at other establishments. The egg rolls were okay but again no flavor. The spring rolls tasted the best. It tasted fresh. The thai tea was surprisingly good. I was not happy with what I got and I would take my money elsewhere. I didn't finish my dinner. The cashier was nice though but the food was a let down.

I used to love Green Papaya, but I’m so disappointed I found maggots in my drunken noodles. This is completely unacceptable and honestly disgusting. Please take this seriously and fix your food safety standards!

So very disappointed! If I could, I'd give zero stars! My son loves the Lao sausage here, so he went out of his way to drop by on his way home. He bought some papaya and chow fun for me on the way home. The papaya is stale and tasteless! It's so bad, I am just so upset that this place, which receives good ratings, produces such poor quality food. Stale taste tastes like it's been made for at least 3-4 days. The papaya was soft and not crunchy at all. Doesn't taste good at all! I poured it out from the plastic bag and put it in a container, excited to eat it.... only to taste it and shocked at the bad taste! This is the worst papaya I've ever tasted!!! The chow fun didn't taste good at all either. I didn't even eat it. No one likes the papaya so it's just going to end up tossed. Waste of money! You can tell the papaya looks stale from the photo. I told my son to not go there again!!! Please do better! Do not give customers old and stale food that you couldn't sell from days before!

Stage Vu

So very disappointed! If I could, I'd give zero stars! My son loves the Lao sausage here, so he went out of his way to drop by on his way home. He bought some papaya and chow fun for me on the way home. The papaya is stale and tasteless! It's so bad, I am just so upset that this place, which receives good ratings, produces such poor quality food. Stale taste tastes like it's been made for at least 3-4 days. The papaya was soft and not crunchy at all. Doesn't taste good at all! I poured it out from the plastic bag and put it in a container, excited to eat it.... only to taste it and shocked at the bad taste! This is the worst papaya I've ever tasted!!! The chow fun didn't taste good at all either. I didn't even eat it. No one likes the papaya so it's just going to end up tossed. Waste of money! You can tell the papaya looks stale from the photo. I told my son to not go there again!!! Please do better! Do not give customers old and stale food that you couldn't sell from days before!

Kay Vidad

I used to love Green Papaya, but I’m so disappointed I found maggots in my drunken noodles. This is completely unacceptable and honestly disgusting. Please take this seriously and fix your food safety standards!

Cindy Fernandez

I was disappointed. I'm always excited for small businesses but the food I had here were not up to par. We ordered Pad Thai, chicken wings, papaya salad, egg rolls, spring rolls and Thai tea. The pad thai was dry and lacked flavor. The chicken wing entree was a huge disappointment. 5 wings and just a side of rice for a little over 10 bucks. The wings were not good, small and was lackluster. I was hoping for some crispy, juicy, flavorful wings but these were the opposite. The papaya wasnt my favorite. I know I ordered it no spice but I've had some really good ones at other establishments. The egg rolls were okay but again no flavor. The spring rolls tasted the best. It tasted fresh. The thai tea was surprisingly good. I was not happy with what I got and I would take my money elsewhere. I didn't finish my dinner. The cashier was nice though but the food was a let down.

Marvin Trin

Only 4 tiny shrimps! Please lower your price if this is what your customers going to receive.