Bar Lao

This place is amazing! The atmosphere is so chill. The food was so flavorful and delicious. The crispy fried rice was our favorite and the OOO Bae slush was just the right amount of sweet. The wings were also very good. We had ours tossed in the caramel fish sauce. The owner came around and greeted everyone. He was wonderful and so was the entire staff. Can’t wait to come back!

The vibe of the restaurant reminded us of our trip to Southeast Asia. This place is technically a bar but their foods are an experience. Each dish had bold flavors and was well presented. The flavor profiles contain authentic Laotian elements and can be foreign if you have not eaten Asian flavors before, i.e. fish sauce. Wife and I loved every dish, and the portions are designed to be drinking appetizers and we were able to share half a dozen menu items, each was more impressive than the last. We didn't get alc drinks but the Ube drink was delicious! Overall, amazing food, ambiance, service! Restaurant deserving of its award. This place is a perfect spot to visit with a group of friends to drink with and experience the different sharable dishes.

Colorful beautiful space, delicious food, and lovely staff!! Favorites were everything, would definitely come back to try more.

Some of the best food I’ve had in Austin, small plates but all were tremendously flavorful and authentic tasting. Cocktails were very creative as well. The crispy rice, steak skewer, garlic wings, and ceviche were all so good.

bethany dufresne

Great new addition to the Austin food scene: low-key good, Laotian-American. We ordered the lahb, nam khao (crispy fried rice) with steak skewer and had the weekend crawfish boil special. All really tasty, but to the owners, please make that crawfish sauce a regular on some dish, if not already. That was truly awesome. A couple of other notes, since it’s still a little newer: -Food: Subtle Laotian flavors, with a MIX of Austin. I would come back to try the wings, ceviche and shrimp. -Service was friendly and helpful- I think they just opened a couple of weeks ago and seemed to work out the kinks that some of the earlier reviewers noted. -Price and atmosphere: Very casual, but well designed with a nod to Laos. Price seemed standard to me for Austin and I thought the quality and freshness of ingredients were good. Not massive portions, but we left feeling pretty full. Note, we also ordered a couple of drinks. Next door to Sign Bar, which also makes a good weekend combo.

Mariah Whitney

Laod Bar is such a gem in Austin — not only are the cocktails incredible, but the food completely blew me away. Every dish had layers of flavor that felt creative yet comforting, the kind of food you can tell is made with passion. The chef’s talent really shines through in the details, from the way everything is plated to how the flavors balance each other out. Pair that with the laid-back vibe and friendly bartenders, and it’s honestly one of the most memorable spots I’ve been to in Austin.

Charles Parsow

Very creative, fun restaurant! For drinks, we got the OOO-Bae and the Lemon Basil soft drink. For dinner, we got the nam khao, fried chicken wings (caramel fish sauce with crab fat), single smash burger, fried pork ribs (a special that day), and mango sticky rice for dessert. Next time, I want to try the Pork Bao Bun, Lahb, and Sugar Cane Pork Skewer.

Carolyn Barrett

You are in for a treat here. The crispy fried rice is delicious. Excellent flavors and textures. The restaurant has a bright and comfortable vibe. We’re so happy for the success of Chef Bob and his wife.

Sarah C

We went to Lao'd bar for my husband's birthday after he saw it on the NYT top asian restaurants list, and it didn't disappoint! I love the vibe inside, it's fairly small but has a real family-cooking feel to it. The decor is fun, the staff were all super pleasant, and we got a (delicious) surprise birthday dessert! Ordering at the counter was a little different, but the staff were awesome and brought us our drinks even after saying that we should pick them up ourselves. My only small complaint is they were out of a lot of items; I don't know if they are still getting the hang of a brick-and-mortar place or if this is going to be the norm, but next time I'd go for lunch to make sure I get to try items I missed out on this time! The food! We went at 7pm on a Sunday and there were a good number of menu items that were sold out, but I think we tried almost everything that was available lol! I'd love to come back and try some of the sold out items, especially the Lahbs. Coconut Escolar Ceviche- It is on the expensive side for 5-6 pieces of fish, but it was delicious and fun to share. I poured the extra juice and onions on some rice and enjoyed every bit of it! We even snacked on some of the coconut. Lao Sausage/Lao'd Dogg- A very unique sausage that reminds me a lot of Filipino longanisa; it is vinegary and delicious and I really enjoyed both the sausage by itself and as a hot dog (which had a lovely soft bun). Nam Khao/Crispy Fried Rice- This one was a table favorite; flavor is on point and the crunchy bites of rice are super fun and tasty. We eat a lot of Persian tadig so this was a fun comparison! Pork Bao Bun - This bun is chock full of tender juicy pork, definitely recommend. I find bao buns to be pretty bland, so having lots of filling is essential for me and this one hit the spot. Waterfall Ribeye Lahb- Delicious, tender, juicy, great over white rice. The sauce was fresh and tasty, overall not super spicy but I did get some spicy bites of pepper in there. Great to share with the table. Ribeye Steak Skewer- The ribeye was juicy and tender and I enjoyed their unique take on bbq sauce. A small snack especially if shared but I'd get it again. Fried Chicken Wings with Caramel Fish Sauce- Super juicy chicken, some massive drumsticks included, and we really enjoyed the Carmel Fish Sauce. It is definitely salty and fishy, but with a big bite of chicken it's on point. It was great to share but might be a little overwhelming if you were eating all the wings yourself. Surprise Birthday Dessert! The chef brought out a coconut ice with some sort of crispy cookie in it- apparently you cannot order this dessert; it's exclusively for birthday guests lol! It was super tasty, sweet and refreshing and coconutty! I'd order it again if I could, and this made up for them being sold out of mango sticky rice :( The drinks- we tried several of the cocktails, just be aware most of them (except the ranch water) come in a short glass, several without ice. If you are looking for a cocktail that will last a little longer the options are limited. Nam Kham - very good but it comes in a little cup with no ice so it's almost more of a sipping shot than a cocktail! OOO-Bae frozen- very spiced, like others have said it has kind of a horchata vibe. Fun but I don't know that I would drink an entire one myself. There is plenty of parking, and its right next to the Sign Bar so you could bar hop to another cool place if you weren't in a food coma at the end like we were. Food is a bit pricey, but we ended up spending about $65/person which isn't wild for a lot of great food and 2 drinks each. No flies when we were there!

Randall Rush

A most excellent experience. Food great. Service is good but might have been overwhelmed. The Nam Khao was perfect. Coconut ceviche tasty but I wanted a bit more coconut flavor. I recommend trying the Miang Kham as well. Of course the Laab is great.

Rowan Martindale

We have been huge fans of Bob's creations since before COVID, when he was at 4th Tap brewing (RIP). His crispy fried rice is one of my all time favorite dishes, and I can guarantee that all of his creations are a flavor sensation! Now pair that with Lao'd Bar's innovative, well balanced cocktails and you have a fabulous night in store! Go here! You will not regret it!

Max

An incredible surprise in every way. We went to sign bar and noticed this place next door. Did not expect some of the best food I’ve had in Austin with great counter service and a cute environment. You could tell the frozen ube was handmade. The waterfall ribeye and spring rolls were to die for. The coconut ceviche was a perfect summer treat. They had an aged lamb chef special that had a complex, balanced funk to it that we loved. We met the chef and he was clearly passionate about Laotian cuisine and techniques, but the fact that it’s such an approachable spot with a reasonable price point is a feat in 2025. We even got two frozen ubes to go. Go there NOW before it becomes a viral destination ☺️

Kristina Miller

This place is amazing! The atmosphere is so chill. The food was so flavorful and delicious. The crispy fried rice was our favorite and the OOO Bae slush was just the right amount of sweet. The wings were also very good. We had ours tossed in the caramel fish sauce. The owner came around and greeted everyone. He was wonderful and so was the entire staff. Can’t wait to come back!

Anna Mastryukova

Hidden gem in Austin. The food is absolutely phenomenal. This city doesn’t have enough authentic Asian restaurants and we were so excited to finally try this place. Delicious skewers, pork bun, Laos sausage, chicken wings. If you like spicy, this place doesn’t mess around. Drinks are also unique and delicious.

Michael Pay

The vibe of the restaurant reminded us of our trip to Southeast Asia. This place is technically a bar but their foods are an experience. Each dish had bold flavors and was well presented. The flavor profiles contain authentic Laotian elements and can be foreign if you have not eaten Asian flavors before, i.e. fish sauce. Wife and I loved every dish, and the portions are designed to be drinking appetizers and we were able to share half a dozen menu items, each was more impressive than the last. We didn't get alc drinks but the Ube drink was delicious! Overall, amazing food, ambiance, service! Restaurant deserving of its award. This place is a perfect spot to visit with a group of friends to drink with and experience the different sharable dishes.

Valeria Sanchez

Colorful beautiful space, delicious food, and lovely staff!! Favorites were everything, would definitely come back to try more.

Avinaash K

Some of the best food I’ve had in Austin, small plates but all were tremendously flavorful and authentic tasting. Cocktails were very creative as well. The crispy rice, steak skewer, garlic wings, and ceviche were all so good.

Lydia Gonzales

The Nam Khao is fantastic, perfectly made! While the Lao Sausage was delicious, I was disappointed about the price. $8.00 for one tiny sausage? Not worth it. Lastly, the Mango-sticky rice was 10/10 ! Yum!

I visited here on a Saturday evening with my wife and while we didn't necessarily have a bad experience, we didn't have a 5 star experience either. I think my biggest complaint is the price to portion ratio. I don't think I have ever spent $100 on a dinner and still walked away hungry. My wife and I quite literally went home and made another dinner. And I'm 5'11" 145lbs.... We bought the Coconut Escolar Ceviche as an appetizer and the flavors were amazing! We really enjoyed this dish, however it was $17 for 5 small squares of fish - holy smokes! 5 even? I think it's typical for a couple to go out for a meal, how do you split 5? We bought the Pork Bao Bun and it was very small but it had a good helping of meat and was super flavorful, this might have been our highlight dish of our experience. However, it was a little disappointing that in the description of the hand held, it listed what was in it and it just mentioned 'herbs', come to find out it was LOADED with cilantro, and unfortunately my wife hates cilantro - it tastes metallic to her and I don't think that this is a completely uncommon issue for people. That was unfortunate to unknowingly be served something so heavily incorporated in the dish like that. We also ordered the Nam Khao (Crispy fried rice). This felt like it had potential, but unfortunately the 'crispy' fried rice wasn't a pleasant 'crisp' it tasted crunchy and stale. We also ordered a cocktail each. We didn't particularly enjoy either one. They were both way too strong and way too small. Because we were still hungry at the end of our appetizer and two 'entrees' we ordered another pork bao bun, this time without cilantro. Not only have I never spent $100+ on two people and not walked away full, but I have also never spent that much and been given paper plates and plastic silverware. As far as the service went, the young male bartender seemed to be working hard, making small talk with us, he was cordial and provided good customer service. As far as the other 3 staff, they felt cold and stand offish. I felt uncomfortable eating as they just stood there and stared. If Lao'd Bar were to adjust their pricing or increase their portions sizes, I would consider coming back. But if everything were to stay the same, I would not come back. The food was inconsistent, the service didn't feel warm and welcoming, the drinks weren't well made, and the prices were just too high to walk away still hungry.

Casual restaurant in a cute eclectic location. You order at the counter and sit either in the dining room, at the bar or outside. Fantastic drinks at good prices. The food is good, but a bit pricey especially for counter service. A bit too much red onion in the dishes we ordered: Papaya Salad, Coconut Escolar Ceviche, and the Shrimp Lahb... the Fried Whole Prawns were good, but not exceptional. The Shrimp Lahb was not spicy enough. Honestly the chicken wings and the ribs looked really good, but I do not eat warm blooded creatures. So this is not a whole encompassing review, only limited to the items we ordered.

There’s still opportunity for improvement with Google and how the restaurants are categorized. This isn’t the first time I’ve gone somewhere because of glowing reviews and it was nothing like what I perceived. It’s difficult because most places in Austin are “casual”, even the fine dining venues. However, there needs to be a way we can distinguish places that are more of a lunch vibe or an in and out place. For Lao’d, I envisioned something more in line with a Bar Tote or an upscale bar/restaurant combo. I was wrong. It’s metal chairs with some outdoor seating and a very casual Tiki bar atmosphere. The food was ok but not fabulous. The smash burger and pork bao bun were good but the fried wonton were all fried together (see photo) with no flavor. The ceviche super bland as well. We went on a Saturday at 5:30 and were the only people at the bar and 1 other family at a table. Super surprising after all the hype I’ve read recently. Very cute, “casual” area with food trucks and another bar. No non alcoholic beer options which is disappointing for this day and age.

Brendon Stinson

I visited here on a Saturday evening with my wife and while we didn't necessarily have a bad experience, we didn't have a 5 star experience either. I think my biggest complaint is the price to portion ratio. I don't think I have ever spent $100 on a dinner and still walked away hungry. My wife and I quite literally went home and made another dinner. And I'm 5'11" 145lbs.... We bought the Coconut Escolar Ceviche as an appetizer and the flavors were amazing! We really enjoyed this dish, however it was $17 for 5 small squares of fish - holy smokes! 5 even? I think it's typical for a couple to go out for a meal, how do you split 5? We bought the Pork Bao Bun and it was very small but it had a good helping of meat and was super flavorful, this might have been our highlight dish of our experience. However, it was a little disappointing that in the description of the hand held, it listed what was in it and it just mentioned 'herbs', come to find out it was LOADED with cilantro, and unfortunately my wife hates cilantro - it tastes metallic to her and I don't think that this is a completely uncommon issue for people. That was unfortunate to unknowingly be served something so heavily incorporated in the dish like that. We also ordered the Nam Khao (Crispy fried rice). This felt like it had potential, but unfortunately the 'crispy' fried rice wasn't a pleasant 'crisp' it tasted crunchy and stale. We also ordered a cocktail each. We didn't particularly enjoy either one. They were both way too strong and way too small. Because we were still hungry at the end of our appetizer and two 'entrees' we ordered another pork bao bun, this time without cilantro. Not only have I never spent $100+ on two people and not walked away full, but I have also never spent that much and been given paper plates and plastic silverware. As far as the service went, the young male bartender seemed to be working hard, making small talk with us, he was cordial and provided good customer service. As far as the other 3 staff, they felt cold and stand offish. I felt uncomfortable eating as they just stood there and stared. If Lao'd Bar were to adjust their pricing or increase their portions sizes, I would consider coming back. But if everything were to stay the same, I would not come back. The food was inconsistent, the service didn't feel warm and welcoming, the drinks weren't well made, and the prices were just too high to walk away still hungry.

janna k

Casual restaurant in a cute eclectic location. You order at the counter and sit either in the dining room, at the bar or outside. Fantastic drinks at good prices. The food is good, but a bit pricey especially for counter service. A bit too much red onion in the dishes we ordered: Papaya Salad, Coconut Escolar Ceviche, and the Shrimp Lahb... the Fried Whole Prawns were good, but not exceptional. The Shrimp Lahb was not spicy enough. Honestly the chicken wings and the ribs looked really good, but I do not eat warm blooded creatures. So this is not a whole encompassing review, only limited to the items we ordered.

GTownJenny

There’s still opportunity for improvement with Google and how the restaurants are categorized. This isn’t the first time I’ve gone somewhere because of glowing reviews and it was nothing like what I perceived. It’s difficult because most places in Austin are “casual”, even the fine dining venues. However, there needs to be a way we can distinguish places that are more of a lunch vibe or an in and out place. For Lao’d, I envisioned something more in line with a Bar Tote or an upscale bar/restaurant combo. I was wrong. It’s metal chairs with some outdoor seating and a very casual Tiki bar atmosphere. The food was ok but not fabulous. The smash burger and pork bao bun were good but the fried wonton were all fried together (see photo) with no flavor. The ceviche super bland as well. We went on a Saturday at 5:30 and were the only people at the bar and 1 other family at a table. Super surprising after all the hype I’ve read recently. Very cute, “casual” area with food trucks and another bar. No non alcoholic beer options which is disappointing for this day and age.

Walked in on a Saturday night, not busy about 14 people inside. Beer is cold, atmosphere is nice, food is unique in a good way. Double smash burger and a beer, cost me $28.99. $13.00 for burger and $13.00 for beer and there is a 3% up charge for using your card. Service is subpar, not a smiling face in the building. If you ask them a question, they seem like it’s a bother. Service is badd but food is good.

Hot Sunday noon! Came with family but they were about 10 minutes late to opening. Had to try a lot as this place was voted as top five new place to go. 1 in Houston. 1 in San Antonio and 2 in Austin. Not sure if it’s a hype but the food was good! Tried the pork bao, pork rinds, fried wonton wrap (the sauce made the difference), the ribeye, and a lot more. The place was hot the ac didn’t do it for the crowd. This place is popular. I tried the oobae and it was good! I have to try it again when it’s cooler maybe my perception would be better. Not too pricey. Small portions.

MC S

Hot Sunday noon! Came with family but they were about 10 minutes late to opening. Had to try a lot as this place was voted as top five new place to go. 1 in Houston. 1 in San Antonio and 2 in Austin. Not sure if it’s a hype but the food was good! Tried the pork bao, pork rinds, fried wonton wrap (the sauce made the difference), the ribeye, and a lot more. The place was hot the ac didn’t do it for the crowd. This place is popular. I tried the oobae and it was good! I have to try it again when it’s cooler maybe my perception would be better. Not too pricey. Small portions.

Willie Jenkins

Walked in on a Saturday night, not busy about 14 people inside. Beer is cold, atmosphere is nice, food is unique in a good way. Double smash burger and a beer, cost me $28.99. $13.00 for burger and $13.00 for beer and there is a 3% up charge for using your card. Service is subpar, not a smiling face in the building. If you ask them a question, they seem like it’s a bother. Service is badd but food is good.

Very let down. As a Lao person, I wasn’t expecting the food to be traditional, but I wasn’t also expecting it to be so distasteful. We ordered the waterfall ribeye laab, sticky rice, caramelized chicken wings, fermented pork riblets, and papaya salad. Everything was so salty. The wings and laab had a lot of potential, but the salt was very overwhelming. The sticky rice wasn’t traditional and it was overcooked with a hard center. Papaya salad was too citrusy and salty. The pork riblets were the worst dish for me, very overcooked and salty as well. Didn’t appreciate how slowly the food was coming out AND one at a time. I wanted to eat the wings with the papaya salad, but by the time the salad came out my wings weren’t hot anymore. The service wasn’t great either. The bartender who took our order didn’t seem very patient and only had a smile as we were checking out. I was very excited to try some Lao food here, but left with disappointment.

Judy Thavone

Very let down. As a Lao person, I wasn’t expecting the food to be traditional, but I wasn’t also expecting it to be so distasteful. We ordered the waterfall ribeye laab, sticky rice, caramelized chicken wings, fermented pork riblets, and papaya salad. Everything was so salty. The wings and laab had a lot of potential, but the salt was very overwhelming. The sticky rice wasn’t traditional and it was overcooked with a hard center. Papaya salad was too citrusy and salty. The pork riblets were the worst dish for me, very overcooked and salty as well. Didn’t appreciate how slowly the food was coming out AND one at a time. I wanted to eat the wings with the papaya salad, but by the time the salad came out my wings weren’t hot anymore. The service wasn’t great either. The bartender who took our order didn’t seem very patient and only had a smile as we were checking out. I was very excited to try some Lao food here, but left with disappointment.