SAAP - Cary

The food was absolutely amazing. Loved everything from the drinks to the meal. The plates may look small but definitely very filling. The vanilla crème brûlée is out of this world!

Went here for the first time a few weeks ago when they first opened, was so good I brought my “Foodie Group” (Singles&Socials Eatz) here for an event last night! Chef Lon, Hera (GM) and our server Dawn gave our party of 12 diners the complete VIP treatment to rave reviews from all - the food, the service, drink selections, presentation, everything. Those in the group that missed the event are already asking when we will be doing another at SAAP after hearing/seeing the others rave. This is a place not to miss.

A cute little find in downtown Cary! If you’ve never had the pleasure of trying Laotian food, this is your sign! 🛑 We popped in for lunch just 15 minutes before closing, and they were fully accommodating, no rushing at all. We started by sharing the cucumber and rice vermicelli salad, which was huge and bursting with bright, refreshing flavors. It’s so hearty that it could easily be a meal on its own. Green papaya salad is one of my favorite dishes, and it didn’t disappoint! I added the crying tiger steak, but it was a bit fatty, so I wouldn’t recommend it. The mee ka tee was absolutely massive, way more than a typical lunch portion, and we had plenty left over to enjoy for lunch the next day. The best part? After your meal, you can enjoy a relaxing stroll around the park—it’s the perfect way to wrap up your visit! 🌳

Fantastic food! So happy to not have to drive to Raleigh for their sister restaurants to enjoy the Laotian food. We loved every bite! We had the chicken satay to start so juicy and delicious that we ordered another round 😂 then I had the pork belly soup and my husband had the green curry seafood dish. I would order it all again! The only reason I deducted a point on atmosphere is because of the sound levels but the waitress was fantastic and the check in/sit down was quick efficient. We will definitely be back!

I don’t normally leave reviews this quickly but I just wanted to say wow! For my boyfriend & I’s first time trying a Laotian restaurant this exceeded my expectations & more. To start the atmosphere is bright & airy. Absolutely love the decor. Parking was easy for us on a Sunday night. We got the 4th parking spot on the 1st floor of the parking garage so not much walking at all. I’m doing dry January & I decided to try their zero proof margarita & it was incredible! I’ve had a lot of margaritas before & this is in my top 3. I can’t wait to try it after dry January to see if it’s just as good with actual tequila. Our server was very nice & attentive but not over barring. We were off to a great start. I ended up ordering the Chicken Curry & my boyfriend got the Crying Tiger. The chicken curry was amazing! It was such a comfort food with a thicker creamy broth & yummy pieces of chicken, carrots, purple potatoes & regular potatoes. My boyfriend’s dish was the crying tiger was a steak with a papaya salad. The steak was cooked beautifully. It was super tender & flavorful. This was a bit more expensive coming in at $49 but it was worth it as an occasional splurge. Please come here & try out their food, you will not be disappointed!

Enjoyed a family dinner at this relatively new Laotian restaurant in Cary last week. The place was packed with patrons and loud, but we did not mind the noise. The food and service were both great. Everything we had, some of which are pictured here were delicious. The drinks also had some unique twists to them and were equally delicious. Will definitely go back again.

We came to SAAP after grabbing a drink a Bark Bar in the new park. We were greeted and taken care of promptly and we decided to sit bar side. We started with some drinks and decided on the Old Fashioned with ube pandan and The Mantra. These drinks were 🔥🔥🔥For apps we got the Nam Khao & Pork Belly and the Crying Tiger as our main. The food was on point!! The pork belly was crispy and tender and the wraps were amazing. The steak was cooked to perfection and the papaya salad was a great accompaniment. For dessert we got the parfait and it did not disappoint. Our favorite though…. the Ube Colada. Don’t miss out on SAAP!!

I’ve been meaning to come here since I heard it opened. My favorite chef from Bida Manda has brought more culinary delights to everyone. My seafood curry had a lot of oysters, shrimp, and scallops. The curry was very flavorful. The rice was a little hard and tasted not very freshly made, though. The mantra (cocktail) was highly alcoholic and delicious. I probably drank it way too fast. We were a little disappointed by the honey wings. There were no dipping sauces and there were only six wings per order. The pho was flavorful and unlike the pho I’ve had elsewhere. Very meat-packed, though! The meat was tender, and the broth not too strong. We got complimentary shrimp chips, orange juice with lemon shots, and Valentine’s Day chocolate fondue strawberries. All in all, it was a memorable meal. Happy to celebrate Valentine’s Day here!

Great addition to restaurants in Cary. Located in the heart of downtown adjacent to the new town park, SAAP brings new flavors to Car’e restaurant scene. The restaurant isn’t spacious, so since its new AND good, plan ahead and make a reservation. I’ve dined here twice for dinner and just made another reservation for later this month. The cocktail menu includes classics with a twist and also features specialty drinks. Had “nights in Vientiane” which was tequila based with caramelized pineapple ginger shrub, fresh pineapple, lime, and agave. Refreshing blend of flavors, perfectly balanced. Also had “Mekong River Rush”, with habanero infused mezcal, Hibiscus/orange infused syrup with lime and orange. Not too spicy with a sweet smoke flavor. I didn’t try it but someone in my party did and throughly enjoyed “The Mantra” which is vodka based with elderberry, lemongrass, lemon, and lychee. Mocktails are also available. Shrimp crisps/ chips (not sure if thats what they are actually called) were brought to the table for munching when looking over the menu. Watch out….those things are addictive! Crunchy but light, not oily or greasy and dont leave any aftertaste like others Ive had at other restaurants. A number of small plates are available. Both times I’ve dined there we order a few to share. The portions are good for “small” plates. The crispy spring rolls were a favorite. Other items include salads, chicken satay, BBQ pork skewers, soup, and sausage. One of my favorite menu items is on the small plate menu, the crispy coconut rice lettuce wraps. So good! I had them one time as an appetizer and liked them so much I ordered them for my main course the second time I dined there. I did not add the optional cured pork roll. There’s no need. The dish is amazing as is with crispy crunchy goodness in every bite. Tghe flavor us outstanding. Comes with lettuce leaves to use as wraps. On the main menu are dishes that include curry, fish, steak, stir fry, and fried rice. For dessert the server brought us sweet potato croquettes since we were there for a special occasion. I didn’t see them listed on the dessert menu. OMG! Ive never had anything like them. So good we placed another order for more once we ate the first. Delicious! Ask for them. Not sure best how to describe them … warm thin crispy round hollowed out shell (think of a munchkin donut hole empty with a light, crunchy exterior) filled with cool citrus custard/pudding/cream. Not overly sweet and very flavorful. Im already looking forward to going back and getting them again. Our server (both times) was Noel. She’s excellent. Knowledgeable about the menu, friendly, fun, personable, attentive, and professional. She goes out of her way to make sure customers have the best possible experience while dining at the restaurant.

I recently had the pleasure of visiting Saap again, this time to celebrate my boyfriend’s birthday. We started with the tiger prawns—absolutely delicious! For our entrees, we chose the green seafood curry and the braised pork belly & ribs. Both dishes were exceptional, just as they were during my first visit. The ambiance at Saap only added to our wonderful experience. To top it off, we were treated to a complimentary glass of champagne for my boyfriend’s birthday, complete with a little candle, making the evening even more special. Thank you for such a delightful experience! We’re already looking forward to our next visit to try the desserts.

Cute little place to have a swanky date night. We got the appetizer grilled wings and shared the Tiger Eye Steak. It was good but spicy hot. We got medium heat and it was perfect but I love spicy/hot food. The Moscow mule was nice and made with house made ginger syrup. Love that it’s on the edge of the new Cary Downtown park.

Food is amazing and was so happy to visit SAAP. We had dinner here on Saturday and it’s one of the best Asian restaurants in the area. Will be back with friends and family!

It was our first time at this restaurant and we had a lovely time celebrating our anniversary! Two small plates, a shareable large plate, and dessert was enough for my partner and I. Everything tasted delicious and fresh, well balanced in flavors, and elegantly presented! *Updating the review with some more recent pictures.

We had a wonderful time at SAAP. This restaurant is excellent for anyone but is truly a GEM and a treat for those of us with dietary restrictions who want to go out and enjoy ourselves!! I am gluten and dairy free and they have many options. The entire menu is basically dairy free. GF items are clearly labeled on the menu too. Our server, Miranda, was very kind and attentive. She said she is related to the owner and her son has dietary restrictions so she was very patient with my questions. The sauces that come with the pho are not all gluten free. Only the chili oil and sugar are. They can bring you special gluten free soy sauce. It was 2 of us and we ordered 2 small plates (crispy coconut lettuce wraps and herb sausage) and 1 large beef pho. It was so nice of them, they served our pho in 2 separate bowls even though it was 1 order, which made it easy to share. The portions were so generous and we were stuffed at the end of it! But we made room for the sticky rice dessert… yum!! We also had several drinks including a sour beer, Thai tea, and 2 mocktails. The Lao in Thai pineapple chai mocktail was yummy! With all that we ordered and how full we were, the total bill including tax was around $109 which felt really reasonable for the quality of the restaurant. I hope they will maintain the generous portions and great quality and price going forward! For parking, you can use the parking deck and take a 2 minute walk to the restaurant. This will definitely be a favorite restaurant in our regular rotation! Thank you SAAP!

Everything about this establishment is so beautiful, warm, & inviting. While waiting on our table we took a moment to enjoy various drinks at the bar and they were delicious. We loved how hospitable & engaging the bartenders were. All of our meals were flavorful and had us craving more. We will definitely return!

This is one of those places that I don't think you can go wrong as long as you have a palate that enjoys Asian foods. Even if you don't, a great place to get an introduction. Service is friendly and I believe you can find flavors that anyone could enjoy. There is some Thai food overlap so I would imagine if you have a peanut allergy that could be difficult. Otherwise, sit back, relax, and enjoy a well-balanced cocktail and a phenomenally hearty meal. Our kids ended up enjoying the green beans, rice, noodles, and chicken satay. We ended up enjoying the oxtail stew which was something that warms the soul inside and out. We had one of the noodle dishes with tiger shrimp which I could have scraped the bowl.

Had such an amazing time at Saap! The food was delicious — full of flavor and beautifully done. But the real star of the night was our server, Noel. She was so friendly, attentive, and just a joy to talk to. You can tell she genuinely cares about her guests. She made our whole experience even better! Can’t wait to come back — definitely ask for Noel when you visit!

The food at SAAP is excellent, service is good. Few people know that it’s open for lunch and they serve a great Bahn Mi. My only complaint and the thing that keeps us from coming more often is that all year long it’s freezing inside. Most customers keep on their coats and scarves to eat. It’s a bummer that there is no cozy factor, just eat and get out.

Amazing food and excellent service. Got the Pad Lao and Drunken Noodes, along with the duck dumplings special. The flavors were all amazing. But the best dish has to be their purple rice dessert. It’s just an explosion of flavor. It’s a little loud inside and is quite busy on the weekends. The restaurant itself is also rather small so the seating does feel somewhat confined. However, the food and service more than makes up for it

I don’t usually post reviews, but this experience far exceeded my expectations. Food came out hot and fresh and the flavors were great. Atmosphere felt like a local neighborhood establishment. Our server , Jane was fantastic! She truly believes in the product she’s representing and that made the whole experience even better. That type of representation of any business by its employees is extraordinary. Well done and we’ll be back soon.

My husband and I truly enjoyed our dining experience at SAAP. The food was fresh and so delicious. The seafood salad is a MUST!. Service was amazing. Our waitress was attentive, friendly and so helpful in explaining and suggesting items on the menu. This is now on our top 3 favorite restaurants in the RDU area- and we've been to many restaurants 😊 Heading back tonight for date night.

High end Asian fair. If you like spicy, the papaya salad turned all the way up was awesome! This is a great space in a great location. Full bar, espresso, quality desserts. We found the staff prompt and engaging. I have friends who've mentioned loving it for take out too.

Amazing food an excellent service. We got the green papaya salad and summer rolls to start and shared the oxtail pho and squash curry. All of the dishes were delicious. It’s a little loud inside, which makes it hard to hear conversation, but the decor is beautiful and the staff were kind and thoughtful. Definitely recommend!

3 months later edit: I truly enjoyed my first visit to Saap, which was an easy 5-star experience. The food, flavors, and presentation were outstanding. On my return visit, however, things did not shine as brightly. This time, I came with a smaller party, and it seems the menu really excels during dinner service and especially in the large plates section. Since our group was smaller, we ordered a few smaller dishes instead of the large shared plates. The Moo Ping unfortunately missed the mark. It was overly salty and had a very bold color that made it seem like food coloring might have been involved. The grilled tiger prawns were decent and paired nicely with their sauce, but not particularly memorable. The seafood green curry was still excellent, rich, and flavorful, even if it leaned a bit salty. It ended up being the highlight of the meal. Service was outstanding once again. Our waitress was attentive, kind, and genuine, which I really appreciated. Overall, I have learned that Saap’s strengths come through most clearly in the large dinner plates and main dishes. That is where the kitchen’s creativity and balance are best expressed. While this meal was more of a 3 out of 5 compared to my previous 5 out of 5 experience, I am averaging them to a solid 4 out of 5 stars, thanks to the consistently wonderful service and the potential for truly great meals here. ——————————————————————— I had never tried Laotian cuisine before visiting Saap and I’m so glad I gave it a chance. From the moment we walked in, the staff were incredibly warm and welcoming, which was a great start to what turned out to be an amazing dining experience. We ordered the Laotian sausage and the special rice noodle wrap, both packed with unique and bold flavors that showcased the authentic spices of Laos. The pork collar was a standout, perfectly fire grilled and bursting with flavor. The green curry with fried soft shell crab was another highlight. Rich, flavorful, and well balanced, the crispy crab brought the entire dish together beautifully. The shrimp chips were crisp and clearly made fresh, pairing perfectly with both the sticky rice and jasmine rice. As someone who was hesitant about trying new cuisines, Saap completely won me over. Every dish was thoughtfully prepared, deeply flavorful, and made with clear attention to authenticity. Five stars, no question. I will absolutely be back.

Fairly good Laotian/vietnamese/Thai fusion. Flavors are good, though it could have popped more. I would order the curry again. The appetizers are all delicious. The pho was disappointing. You can skip the dessert

The new Laotian restaurant in town with good ambience, great service and good food. The menu has different vegetarian options with tofu as a substitute for meat. Good place for date nights, special occasions.

Third time visiting this Cary treasure, this stop was for just a quick solo lunch. Loved the latest rendition of their Green Papaya Salad, this time I got it with optional Char-Grill Ginger Pork Collar. I expected a few bites of protein but this was nearly a main course - very nice surprise. Delicious. Next time I will have to try the other optional add-ons for the Papaya Salad! Photo: Green Papaya Salad - Shredded Green Papaya, Garlic Chives, Cherry Tomatoes, Fish Sauce, Tamarind Sauce with Char-Grill Ginger Pork Collar I was one of the first customers on a cold February Wednesday. So any photos of very quiet restaurant reflect that, I know it is usually packed when I go by in the evening.

Overall this restaurant was VERY good. The menu has a wide set of choices, as does the cocktail menu. The food was delicious and prepared perfectly. Presentation was nice too. Our server was very attentive and friendly, as was the rest of the staff, all pitching in to make our visit great. The room is a little loud with talking and chairs moving around. Lighting was nice and dimmed as night progressed. Prices were a little high, but reasonable for a special night out. Would recommend for sure.

Delicious, relatively new restaurant downtown Cary - overall it’s really good. Great service. The inside area is a bit too loud. Feels slightly over packed with customers, leading to possibly waiting for set reservations. Food was good, but felt overpriced for certain dishes. Overall, expectations felt met. The broth was very delicious.

The restaurant offers an exquisite dining experience with refined cuisine. Personally, I adore their sticky rice with mango; however, I wish they had a dedicated dessert menu rather than verbally listing the options. While the silverware is excellent, it might enhance the experience to replace the bamboo chopsticks with higher-quality ones more fitting for such an upscale establishment.

We had a really great experience at SAAP in Cary! Overall, the food was excellent. I ordered the green papaya salad — it was fresh and well-prepared, but a bit too fishy for my personal taste. That said, everything else we tried was absolutely delicious. The standout for me was the s’mores dessert. It was exceptionally good! The homemade marshmallow, rich ganache, and house-made graham crackers were perfectly balanced and not overly sweet like typical American s’mores. You can really taste the quality and care in the ingredients. On top of the great food, the service was fantastic — attentive, friendly, and welcoming. We’ll definitely be back!

Very mediocre not what the prices suggest. You would think an Asian restaurant would have decent rice yet ours was almost solid and room temp. Presentation was really nice and the shrimp and pork skewers had nice flavor and texture, but everything else was just bland. I ordered the pho lang and the oxtail was definitely very cheap. I got three crappy pieces instead of just one good piece, barely any brisket, barely any sausage, but a crazy amount of noodles and I wasn't given the correct utensils to eat it. Broth was really good; the dish just lacked a good balance of of flavorful ingredients.The noodles for my wife's wraps(which they used gem lettuce so pretty much tacos)tasted like it came straight out the prep bag without any refreshing. Cold salt water would fix that easily. Service was sub par; we had one appetizer plate that sat at the edge the entire night and my wife and I had to constantly fight around it. Seemed like no effort to keep us comfortable. The server did ask if we needed anything several times so yay for that, but seemed like he just wanted an opportunity to sell more items given the lack of attention to things like pre bussing.

This is a beautiful restaurant for a special dining occasion. The food was okay for what is essentially gentrified street food. It was still better than most other Thai restaurants that tend to “borrow” Laotian dishes. Our experience felt lackluster because our server did the absolute bare minimum and barely spoke to us. They immediately asked us about food allergies and explained the specials with surprisingly little enthusiasm. They hardly engaged us for the two hours we were there. I had to stop them during one of their quick drop-offs and ask for a drink. They never tried to upsell or offered desserts at the end of our meal. Our server asked us if we were celebrating anything (birthday) and they brought us a tiny complimentary dessert. Overall not a terrible experience, but not great enough for us to return or recommend. Thank you for trying a new concept and inviting diversity to our area.

I must say this restaurant is beautiful. Nicely appointed with minimalist decor and large windows. We would have loved to sit at one of the large windows and see the view, however, we were sat at one of the few windows that had only a wall for a view. Bummer. As for the food, I can't say I was very impressed. We saved this restaurant for a special occasion since it's on the pricier side, but for me, I don't think I'll be back. The server was also just ok, but the other employees were spectacular. The to-go container was a paper box with a metal handle, no black plastic or Styrofoam in sight!

The fam and I were excited to try this restaurant as it has been recommended by some friends. The service was great, they had comfy seats, and the location is a prime dog watching spot! However, the dishes seemed to be pretty hit or miss and it gets quite noisy inside the restaurant. The chicken wings, pad Lao, and hibiscus spritz drink were good. Pho Lao and banh mi were decent. Dishes that were not worth getting: tiger shrimp (tiny portion for the price) and green papaya salad with fried flounder (papaya salad was alright but the fish was SO dry and terrible that it was almost a jerky). Inconsistent across the board, therefore I had to rate SAAP 3 stars.

We had a reservation for 6:00 PM, and one member of our group arrived late. Despite several empty tables, the manager refused to seat us until 6:50PM, when she arrived. (our table was empty the whole time, and 4 of us were there!) There was absolutely no flexibility to accommodate us or improve the overall experience. To make matters worse, we overheard the owners speaking with the manager and commenting about us, saying, “If they don’t want to wait, bye-bye.” This was extremely disappointing and unprofessional. This was not my first time at SAAP and I felt especially let down because I had brought friends there expecting a good experience. While the food and drinks were good, customer service is just as important. If the goal is to truly please clients, there is significant room for improvement. I’m a big supporter of restaurants and bars, especially small businesses, but unfortunately, SAAP is the only place where I’ve experienced this kind of behavior. We make an effort to support local businesses, yet in this case, it didn’t feel like the support went both ways! There are a lot of great restaurant options with excellent customer service in Downtown Cary. At SAAP, unfortunately, they are not that friendly!

Disappointed. I question the quality of the ingredients and how they cooked the food after dining here. Service and atmosphere were good but not considered in overall rating Ube colada - 6/10 was hoping for something similar to delbar. Pretty similar but wayyy too sweet gave me a headache Crispy pork belly small plate - 4/10 the fatty parts of the meat was stinky to the level that I thought it was made the same way that stinky tofu is. The sauce was refreshing and good but the meat was lukewarm. Feels like they just barely reheated or left it out for a long time Lemongrass chicken large plate - 4/10 the meat was so so tough. I don’t think I would have minded usually since the flavor was decent but it was $28 and other fast food places can make their chicken juicy for a fraction of the cost despite it being chicken breast. Also ran out of cauliflower and only offered green beans or broccolini. Chose green beans which came out overcooked, dry, and brown I liked the sticky rice that came with the appetizers and entrees but it was still cold. Wish it had been reheated. The container it came in was hard to use too but I liked the concept.

We had a 6:00 PM reservation for five people. Four of us arrived on time and were told we could not sit until everyone arrived — even though 5–7 tables were empty. We were left standing by the bar for about 40 minutes while the restaurant remained visibly half empty. Our fifth guest had already informed us they were running late, but instead of any accommodation, the manager schooled us to have booked a later reservation. When we politely asked again to be seated, a member of management loudly said, “If they are not happy, bye-bye.” At that point, it was clear hospitality was not a priority. Ironically, the restaurant charges a 20% “large party” service fee for a party of five, adds a credit card fee, and enforces a $25 per guest no-show penalty — yet still seated us at a table for four once we were finally allowed to sit, while other tables stayed empty the entire night. The awkwardness continued when a waiter stopped mid-order and stared at members of our group until they stopped talking, creating an uncomfortable and unnecessary moment. Policies are understandable. Disrespect and lack of basic courtesy are not. A reservation should make guests feel welcomed — not punished for arriving on time.

Pretty overrated and overpriced.. was not impressed. Weren’t greeted upon entry. Waited at hostess stand for like 5 mins and just walked myself to the bar. Despite how busy it was, appetizer and food both came out cold which we had to send back… this was crispy pork belly and ramen, mind you. Very strange for soup to be coming out cold. Especially with everyone running around like crazy it’s weird to think our food was just sitting there. Makes you wonder what the runners are doing. Lacking flavors, like it almost gets you there but really just doesn’t do it. Each bite has good initial profiles and then doesn’t end up delivering and leaves you disappointed. Fat wasn’t rendered on the pork belly at all, the rice was overcooked to the point where you couldn’t even break it up with a fork.. Every dish felt like it was missing a key ingredient and overall lack of seasoning was noticeable. Won’t be back.

I visit this restaurant almost monthly, but our latest visit today - on our anniversary - was underwhelming. The steak was burnt, and although we informed the staff, the replacement hadn't been grilled. We waited for a considerable time, and the manager's attitude was off-putting, showing no remorse for the delay. The manager suggested the steak might have been cooked in the oven to prevent burning, which didn't reassure us, as it's supposed to be grilled. She didn't even try to make things right( not even sorry ), she grabbed the steak and walked away. Given the restaurant's prime location and prices, we expect better customer service. It really ruined my special day. Unfortunately, the manager's behavior overshadowed the good service provided by the staff. I hope the owner takes our feedback seriously and improves their customer service, as we will never be returning despite our love for Lao food. First review ever in my life!