Don't sleep on this place as this might be San Diego's best kept secret for Lao and Thai food. I've been here a few times over the last year and the aunties have yet to disappoint. I always order the papaya salad (Lao style) and add vermicelli rice noodles. I have also tried their Khao Poon, Lao Sausages, Curry, and Larb dishes -- all were absolutely perfect as if I were really dining at an auntie's house. Flavors are authentic and dishes are prepared in a way to walk guests down the journey of Lao and Thai cooking. Make sure to not underestimate spice levels for the dishes. Them hot chilli peppers these aunties harvest are not be reckoned with. Bonus, this dine in restaurant is located directly next door to a mini market selling anything you need for cooking Southeast Asian cuisine -- so you can dine and grocery shop. Everyone wins. Support local small businesses y'all! read more

See all

Came back recently after not having ordered here in a long while. Not that there was anything wrong but I've just been cooking more at home lately. Their food is all pretty good here and they have a lot of stuff regular Lao restaurants don't have on hand such as a refrigerated section with cold foods such as dipping sauces, stews, soups. I was just so blown away at the prices here the last time I was here last week. I know it's been awhile and with inflation and all but dang the prices were kind of outrageous for a takeout hole in the way place. I don't really consider this a sit down restaurant. Their prices were far more expensive than a nice higher end sit down restaurant. I wouldn't mind if the portion made sense but it was $23 for beef larp and it came in a tiny small white container! They downgraded their portions significantly and raised prices significantly. Their refrigerated foods were pretty pricey as well for being in small containers. Don't get me wrong, their food is good but their upcharged prices don't sit too well with me. read more

See all

I'm not even exaggerating when I say this place is SO good. The food was honestly amazing--everything tasted super fresh and full of flavor, like you can tell they actually care about what they're serving. Nothing felt rushed or basic, it was just really, really good. But what made it even better was the owner. They were so kind and welcoming, like genuinely good energy the whole time. You don't always get that kind of treatment everywhere, and it made the whole experience feel more personal. Overall, I loved it. The food, the vibe, the people--everything was on point. Definitely one of those places I'll keep going back to. read more

Delicious, authentic Lao food!!! It's somewhat of a hole in the wall and shares a wall with a Lao grocery store. I was very impressed with the food. My favorite thing was the mok pha - steamed catfish appetizer. It was in a carefully wrapped package of banana leaves and stuffed with dill, green onion, and what also tasted like lemon grass. SO FLAVORFUL with a light kick of spice. I thought it was a perfect appetizer. For the entree, I got a crispy pork belly kra pow. It had a hefty portion of pork belly that was fried to a satisfying crisp. The sauce was perfectly savory pairing nicely with the meat and bell peppers and onions, topped with a fried egg. Served with a side of white rice. Caution that their spice levels are on the strong side. I got medium spice and it was very spicy to my standards. I had to move some of the peppers off to the side to help subdue the spice flavor. I also got a thai tea which was strong, sweet, and creamy, so it was a nice relief from my spicy entree. We also got a thai papaya salad, which was still tart but had more of a fish saucey flavor and topped with dried shrimp. It was huge which was reflected in the price. Overall, super enjoyed my meal and would return!! read more

See all

Was craving Lao papaya salad and wanted to check this place out. I added vermicelli noodles to the papaya salad. I got medium spice and it was slowly creeping up and got hella spicy. I also got the beef laab medium spice but it wasn't spicy at all. It was missing the heat. I'm use to ground beef but this was the steak version. It had plenty of tripe too. It was $23 which is pretty experience in my opinion. Also got a side of Lao sausage. It had strong lemongrass flavors which I love. read more

Harborside Cuisine - Beef Laab - Laotian Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

We forgot to take pictures. once the food hit our table, we were stuffing our face. The food is delicious and reminds me of home. The customer service is amazing. They are all super friendly and hospitable. It's like going to your aunties house and she just cooked up a bunch of bomb food. The place is cozy, it's connected to a Lao store, massage and nail parlor also. SD's hidden gem. read more

Harborside Cuisine - Lao style papaya salad. - Laotian Near Me - San Diego, California

One of my favorite hole in the wall restaurants in San Diego is this Lao Restaurant. We celebrated a friend's graduation here and it's some of the most authentic Lao food I've had in a while. My cousins are Lao so I usually only get to have some during family parties but when I'm craving, this is the spot. It's located on Imperial & 47th in the Lao Community Market. Everyone is always so warm & welcoming. It feels like you're being served & fed by family. It's not the biggest space but even with a large group they do everything they can to accommodate & so what more can you ask for? Quick & impeccable service. They also have some Thai dishes which we've tried & love. 10/10 recommend Harborside Cuisine! read more

See all

Came for the first time on a Saturday afternoon around 3pm. There is free parking in front or behind the building. I ordered the khao piak sen (delicious), sai oua, an iced coffee, and papaya salad. The khao piak sen was tasty and extremely filling. Sai oua was nice and flavorful. Pros: -tasty food -friendly staff -indoor seating is available -they have snacks that you can buy like lotus cookies Cons: -n/a read more

Harborside Cuisine - Laotian Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

A must-have every time I am in San Diego. Prices have increased over the years, ownership changes but still amazing and consistent. Lao sausages were juicy and delicious, laab was very tasty (I got it w/ lime and raw, sooooo good and actually more flavorful when I reheated/cooked it to med rare), and papaya salad absolutely the best I've ever had. Bonus: grab a bag or two of pork skin!!! Perfect for the roadtrip back up to the bay. The parking lot is on a busy corner right off the freeway and can be tricky to get in and out of bc it's really small but definitely worth the work. Spacious and clean inside, super friendly and helpful staff. A 25 min drive from where I usually stay in SD but I went twice cause it's THAT good. read more

See all

Food is good, we have been coming here before it became harborside for over 10 years. Since changing owners, the prices have gone up dramatically While the food is good, the portions are so small that we can't justify spending $26 on beef laap when it's mainly tripe.. for that price you can go downtown for a steak and not a spot in the hood. read more

This is my favorite place.Very good food and good service.If you looking for the traditional Laos food.I recommend this place.

Authentic Laos food! Absolutely loved everything there and want to try the Laos pho next time! There's seating and there's a lot of to gos. Parking in the front is ok but there is parking in the back. read more

Super friendly service. Delicious food, made with love, and served in a comphy atmosphere. Everyone was really sweet. When I walked in, I felt like I was invited to their home for lunch. I ordered the papaya salad and sticky rice. I like a kick and the mild was spicy, but they prepare it to your preference. I also tried the sausage and shrimp chips. Yummy! I want to try everything on the menu. I highly recommend this spot! Shout out to Gareth Eats on YouTube for the rec. read more

We were visiting our son that goes to school in La Jolla and he hadn't had Lao food for over a month so took him there. Everything was so delicious! The ladies working there were very friendly. Definitely hit the spot if you are craving for good Lao food. read more

See all

We heard about this place when we stumbled upon watching Garret on YouTube. He highly recommended this restaurant. So here we are, why not give it a go. The food is amazing and the flavor is out of this world. We ordered papaya salad ,beef laab and mok pha (steamed catfish) . There's more on the menu guys. We are working our way through it. Everything was so DELICIOUS!!! My husband and I have been back several times and if I could , I would eat here every day. It's just that good. It's a busy kitchen with a very attentive staff and it was such a pleasure meeting Nina. She is so sweet! This restaurant is truly a gem . Give a try if you are looking for really good quality flavorful home cooked food . You won't regret it . Karyn & Vlad read more

i noticed this place had a very high rating so i decided to give it a try. Laotian food is not a cuisine that i know very much about so it's always exciting for me to try new things. My wife and I were very pleased with the offerings! we started with the egg rolls which were very good, moved onto the salt and pepper chicken wings which were some of the best i've had, and then the crispy pork with chinese broccoli. so delicious. the som pak, fermented mustard greens are absolutely out of this world. they were served cold and were a great acompaniment to our meal. they do thai dishes as well and their penang curry was absolutely delicious. i loved the veggies they included in the penang such as kabocha. then there was a condiment of sorts we had called mok nor mai which is a bamboo dish steamed in banana leaves. i look forward to trying to replicate this and the pickled mustard greens. i'm obsessed. this was all so good. they purport to be the most authentic Lao restaurant in San Diego and i have no idea if that's accurate but we were wildly impressed with everything we had. word to the wise, we ordered everything mild and some of it was still intensely spicy to us but i definitely suggest you give this place a shot! read more

The pho rib is soo good, was not expecting the broth to be so rich in flavor! Lao sausage, papaya salad, & beef laab did not disappoint as well. You can taste all the herbs & spices put into it. I thought they accepted cash only, but they also accept card. I love the atmosphere, very lowkey & not too fancy. Can't wait to come back again! read more

David and I visited Harborside Cuisine in search of authentic Lao flavors and we were NOT disappointed!!! Everything, from the moment we entered through the market side door and finished our meal, was EXCELLENT! The food was delicious and the service was outstanding. The owner and servers were friendly, the establishment super clean. Nina, the owner, was super friendly and took the time to tell us about the flavors, their experience with the restaurant and intention of keeping real Lao flavors alive. Her service was superb. Her smile and energy is amazing. We ordered several dishes and each one of them was delicious. We had the Papaya salad, the Lao Sausage, the Beef Laab and the Moc Pha and a couple other dishes and they were incredibly spot on Lao! Definitely an authentic Lao food. Thank you Nina, we are going back soon! read more

Walking in the establishment isn't the most pretty restaurant but you can tell they care about the food. Authentic flavorful food it's really fresh and although it did take a moment for it come out. It tasted so delicious and fresh so I was not even that bothered by the wait time. There's a couple tables to sit down inside if you are not wanting to do take out. read more

Harborside Cuisine - Pad Kra Prow - Laotian Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

I unfortunately didn't get to order but just stopped in quickly for my sauce cravings, Jeow Bong (chili paste) and Som Pa (pickled fermented fish) these go so well together with sticky rice..life changing! they were located in the fridge also saw that they had Gang Nor Mai (Bamboo soup ) in there as well If you're a beginner for Lao food though I do recommend Tham Mak Hoong (Papaya Salad, crunchy savory stanky goodness), Larb(Meat Salad mixed with Herbs, toasted rice and Fermented fish) Nem Khao (crunchy toasted coconut rice balls that have been deep fried and broken apart and mixed with sour pork sausage you eat it by itself or recommended with lettuce wraps) and Khao Piek Sen..(their rendition of chicken noodle soup with these delicious chewy silky noodles, often has pork blood cubes in it too!) I have yet to try it under the new management but looking forward to it soon! read more

See all

One of the few authentic Lao cuisine in San Diego. I had nam kow, mok pa with sticky rice and fried chicken. Nam kow and mok pa were super yummy, just how my momma makes them. The fried chicken could use additional seasoning and it shouldn't have costed more to have salt and pepper. The ambience is chill however a bit boring. if they really want to amp up the place - add more Lao decorations, paint the walls that will represent the Lao culture, and add some plants. read more

This restaurant serves the BEST Lao food in San Diego. The prices are reasonable & the portions are fair. Customers service could be better, but we always order food to go, so it isn't a big deal. I feel like they don't like giving out utensils even when we ask. Our family favorites are Lao papaya salad, beef lahb & nem khao. We drive all the way from Escondido when we crave Lao food because the food tastes like it was made at auntie's house. We will continue to come here & hopefully, customer service improves so I can give them 5 stars. read more

The best Lao food you'll find in SD! It tastes very similar to home cooked Lao food. Love their papaya salad, jerky, laab, etc. The ambiance is... eating in the corner of a small Lao grocery market . I usually only do take out, but I did eat there once when I came with a small group to have noodle soup. They have a small table and a few chairs to get the job done. Service is good enough to keep my family coming back for decades. Cash only. Thank you for being a staple in the San Diego community for so long. We appreciate you! read more

Authentic Lao street food. It is so good. Love the stickers rice, beef jerky and papaya salad

Authentic fresh laap, this is the place to go too. They have different meats or seafood to choose from. Also love that they have fresh items on the shelves. read more

Not from SD and wanted to order party trays for a Christmas party. I ordered papaya salad, lao sausage, sticky rice, beef larb, and beef jerky. I was disappointed in the papaya salad as it was no flavor. They tray was not properly secured and spilled in my friends car. The beef jerky was the only thing that was good. read more

I've been wanting to try this place for a while, but unfortunately it was a disappointment. We ordered the chicken larb, Lao sausage, sticky rice, and the thum cucumber salad. To start, the chicken larb didn't look right, it was extremely dark in color, the chicken tasted old and not fresh, and the flavors were very bland. The Lao sausage was just okay, and the thum was mediocre. Overall, I won't be returning. read more

This is our go to place for Lao food and has been since 2016 when we moved back here. The service from the staff is always great. The conversational exchange with the workers makes for a nice ambiance. If you're looking for fine dining-this isn't it. If you want some legit traditional Lao food for a reasonable price-COME HERE read more

I don't know why I ever gave 4*. I was crazy. This is the best most authentic Lao food I've tried in San Diego. Insider tip- the granny who does the amazing fish stew is only there on weekends and it's not posted on the menu. Be sure to order it if you can get it- the aromatics are divine. read more

This is a review for their restaurant. They serve authentic Lao food and their beef laab, jerky, and jeow bong with sticky rice are addicting. Being Vietnamese, I wasn't a fan of their fish sauce vinaigrette that came with the banh cuon. It was too fruity for my taste, I had to throw my dish away as it ruined the dish for me. As for the kapeak sauce, it was waaaaay too salty, everyone else who tried it agreed. Not for us but maybe someone else who enjoys a lot of salt. The price for sticky rice is spretty steep since rice is super cheap to make. But I understand they need to make some coin. Everything else was great though. read more

Old faithful for legit/authentic Lao food. Always my go to for some type of 'spicy' level papaya salad. Can never go wrong with pairing the papaya salad with beef jerky and sticky rice! read more

Craving authentic Lao food? This place hits the spot ! Customer service was very friendly , fast and best of all, the food was worth the wait . I'm a little sad I didn't get 2 orders of the Catfish.. OmG. We'll definitely be adding this place to our go to spot . It's a no frills , laid back environment. If you're looking for "scene/ambiance" this isn't that type of place . read more

Tried their khao piek sen today and was so good! Their Lao sausage is by far my favorite. The flavor in the spices and seasonings is DIVINE. Definitely would recommend this place for authentic lao and thai food. read more

I went and ordered medium rare larb & went home open the container to eat and it's fully cooked. So I had to call & tell them the medium rare I just ordered is fully cook and placed a new order for the raw larb now because medium rare is over cooked. The larb has so much juice it literally can be consume like soup. What a waste of money on my the fully cooked larb and had to spend more on the correct one read more

See all

If you're looking for Authentic Lao food, this should be your go to spot!!! New owner with way better customer services... way better looking restaurant than before. Restaurant has been revamped and looks beautiful & Very Clean. New owner and her staffs are more friendly, has positive energy and very welcoming to their customers. read more

This review is solely for the papaya salad, as that is all I've ordered from here. I usually get a large order of papaya salad mild spice, which is actually medium and already quite spicy. The medium is HELLA SPICY so just a heads up, don't do it unless you can handle it. I eat the papaya salad with my own rice and steak prepared at home; it lasts for multiple meals. My mouth is salivating. read more

Great flavor! My young kids loved them! My mom actually ordered more to take home.Beef Jerky read more

See all

Been going here for over 4 years and it's still the best lao food in sd. It's under new management but everything is still as good and ton of new items on their menu (this is a family business so the taste of the food hasn't changed one bit)! The photos were taken from my previous review before they opened up their own Yelp page. I was able to talk to Nina, the owner, and she is so passionate about continuing her aunt's restaurant and elevating it to another level! The service is so welcoming, fast, and friendly! The lao style papaya salad is still sooooooo good, chicken wings are fire, sticky rice and jeow bong are so savory and delicious! I've also had other dishes as well and everything's great. The prices are pretty good and portions are perfect for sharing. They currently have authentic lao dishes from laab, to mok pa, and all the fresh salads and soups! This is as authentic as it can get. Come support this business! read more

See all

My mom and I drive 45 minutes for the Jeow Bong and the Papaya salad. If you like spicy papaya salad, you're in luck. I like that the lady who prepares it lets you taste a little at a time to see if you want anything more or less added to your salad. The spice level is true, meaning that if you want mild it will be mild if you want hot it will be fire! She recommended to get mild/medium because the peppers are spicy. I am super happy she recommended that because after 5-6 bites my mouth was on fire. She also gave me a little extra pepper with padek in case I wanted my salad a little spicier. I have ordered some other items like the steamed fish and chicken wrapped in banana leaf and sausage. All are very tasty. Don't forget to order a side of sticky rice because you can't enjoy Laotian cuisine without it. read more

Harborside Cuisine - Mango Salad - Laotian Near Me - San Diego, California

See all

Review #285 - 2019 When I originally had this spot bookmarked, it was listed under the Lao Community Market & someone listed their hours on Yelp as closing at 8 PM. I showed up at 6:55 PM on Saturday, October 12th, and told my siblings to meet me here for dinner. Luckily, I asked the lady when she was closing and she said 7 PM so I immediately called my siblings to tell them to just head back to our hotel & I'll order take outs from here. I was very happy that the owner was still willing to take our orders even though they were about to close. I got an order of beef larb, medium spicy, and it was really tasty. It went very well with the sticky rice! I got an order of papaya salad, medium spicy as well, but I think she went a little heavy on the spice because my younger sister eats much spicier than I do and she said, "This is not medium! Does she grow her own chilis?" In our country this usually means they were a little too generous with that ingredient. It was tasty, just super spicy! I got a few of pre-made dipping sauce, some were tasty, while one was overly salty. The pickled green mustard weren't ready yet so they didn't taste right. The one item that everyone agreed on was the steamed banana leaf wrapped fish (mok pa). My son kept raving about how much he enjoyed it, even to this day. I got a large bag of fried bananas and I finished it all by myself, in three sittings. Talk about greedy! My siblings actually went back again the next day for lunch so they must have really enjoyed our take outs! Unfortunately, everybody was too excited to eat so I didn't get any pictures of our food. We'll definitely be back when we're visiting San Diego. read more

Harborside Cuisine - 10/12/2019: Their pre-made snacks & dipping sauce - Laotian Near Me - San Diego, California