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    Houa Khong 2

    4.1 (176 reviews)
    ModerateThai, Laotian
    Open 11:00 am - 3:00 pm, 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM
    Updated 2 months ago

    Houa Khong 2 Photos

    HOUA KHONG 2 ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Houa Khong 2

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    Reviews With Photos

    Raw beef Larb my favorite and Pad Thai
    Mai Y.

    I didn't know they had a second location because my friend took me to their first location once. The day I went they were closed so I drove to their second location and was not disappointed at all. The raw beef Larb was made perfectly in texture and flavor. The Pad Thai was also very good but I was most impressed with the duck curry bc they were very generous with the duck. Most Thai places would serve duck curry with very limited duck meat but this place made it worth the order. This will definitely be my go to place whenever I'm in or around Merced area.

    Meat Ball Pho .

    They serve really good food, and drinks. Comfortable and cozy sitting area. I came here couple times already and I'll definitely come back soon to try out more of their menu options.

    Pork belly

    The food delicious and service was good! There wasnt a long wait time and they were very attentive. Highly recommend!

    Combination Pho
    Mich M.

    We were frequents of this place prior to it changing ownership and we absolutely loved this place. We finally decided to try it since the ownership change. Let me tell you-from the second you walk in being warmly greeted to the second you walk out with warm "thank you for coming in, hope to see you again soon" , it's amazing! The ambiance and decor is warm and bright. It's tropical feel with the mix of burnt salmon orange and cool pops of aqua are inviting. It's clean and modern. It's cozy and feels home like. The place was updated with new tables and chairs, nice navy blue table cloths, chairs and bench seating, a new check out counter was all tastefully done, the dishes are clean white "china" with gold trim. The glasses are like a dainty goblet and you feel like you are in an expensive, ritzy place. You can sit anywhere you'd like. You are greeted and conversed with, taking your drink order. The drinks are brought to you with a smile and you tell her what you'd like to eat. If there is something you aren't sure of they are excited to explain. The presentation is absolutely amazing! We eat with our eyes first and let me say that my eyes were very excited and happy! We were used to the cuisine we had before and so we didn't know what to expect. Our dishes didn't disappoint! I had my usual, Panang Curry with chicken and added mixed vegetables and sticky rice. My husband had BBQ Beef. My sons had the combination pho and chicken satay. From the first bite to the last it didn't disappoint. The Panang was gorgeous and flavorful! The veggies were perfect and I ate until I couldn't eat anymore! The BBQ Beef was tender and perfectly seasoned. My son loved the pho, it looked and smelled amazing and tasted so good! My younger son didn't waste any time with the chicken satay. It was tender and flavorful. We will definitely be back. It is STILL our favorite Thai restaurant. It's a gem in Merced.

    My friend and I decided that we wanted to switch up dinner plans and came here unplanned. The service was amazing, the staff were routinely checking in on us, and very hospital. The food itself was delicious, it was fresh and flavorful. We ordered the pineapple fried rice, drunken noodles, and the yellow curry. Like it was so good. The restaurant itself is quite small, and perfect for families and friends to go and get a warm meal :)

    Menu items
    AA J.

    Great food. The restaurant provides excellent service. Small space but great ambiance. It is a place you must try.

    Phat Thapow
    Philip J.

    The pictures don't do it Justice, the serving sizes are very large. Authentic Thai cuisine here. So many people come here for lunch and take to go. Legit spot! Each spoonful is bursting with flavor If you want hot, 7 is pretty standard. 8 is super hot. Great service here, very nice staff. Cozy spot that is clean

    Roach is on my spoon

    My favorite place in Merced changed after today. Been coming here for years just to find a roach in my $35. Meal Never again

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    Don B.

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    Don B.

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    13 days ago

    This place has a good variety of Thai food. Their service is awesome and the food is tasty and flavorful.

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    2 months ago

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    4 months ago

    Kay gives amazing service and the Massuman curry is incredible. This a restaurant I can't recommend enough. Highly recommend!

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    5 months ago

    It's not the same. Did not like anything! We ordered a lot and everything was disappointing.

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    6 months ago

    Under new ownership, the hot wings are not what they used to be. They're not as crispy and not as hot. Very sad.

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    8 months ago

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    7 months ago

    this food is nasty. has bugs in it. my food has a maggot was cold. and their customer service is horrible. DONT GO. REVIEWS ARE DAKE

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    2 years ago

    Great service and excellent food. I highly recommend this restaurant! I usually get the pad Thai

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    2 years ago

    They have the best Thai ever but they're very best is their soups specially, their soups super delicious

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    10 years ago

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    Page 1 of 5

    Ask the Community - Houa Khong 2

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    Wow! What a great place. From the outside it looks like a non-descript grocery and purified water…read morestore but inside lurks a very authentic and delightful restaurant! Walk right through the near windowless building and walk back to the right rear corner of the building. The delicious aroma should be your guide. I ordered the Pad eggplant with pork and my partner ordered the Pad Woon Sen. It's also nice that they allow you to pick the protein, Beef, Pork or Chicken. They also ask for your preferred spice level. I say choose carefully as my spice experienced partner confidentially ordered "Spicy". He ended up looking like he got caught in a downpour and was drenched in sweat! lol The woman who took our order was very friendly and helpful! She answered all of our questions about the food with confidence and personal knowledge! The prices are stuck in the early 2020's and the amount of food in the serving is generous! The building is old but the store and the restaurant are spotless! No clutter, all products neatly stacked and the shelves loaded with food items were neatly stacked and arranged. I'll definitely be stopping by again to try the Pad Eggplant with a different protein or maybe to try something new. They also serve drinks. The Thai Ice Tea was very good!

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    Visiting from Oregon and having dinner with my bestie. Everything was closing early in Turlock, and…read morein Modesto they'd close soon after. I saw that this place was open later and it was not Mexican food. That's the majority of the food around heres. We looked inside as we parked. Ok, not terribly busy. We were hungry and looking forward to some good Thai food. By the way, there is plenty of parking and it's super easy to get to from 99. Mike sat us down quickly. It's not a huge place, but there's enough seating to dine in. We sat in a booth. He served us our waters and menus. We ordered the red curry with chicken and pad thai with chicken. Both with medium heat. We wanted mango sticky rice, but Mike was not happy with the mangoes and did not want to serve them. I appreciate that he valued quality of food for his customers over making a buck. He apparently got slammed with online orders just before we arrived. He offered us some free appetizers since he felt it was taking longer than usual. We actually declined. Bestie and I were catching up and honestly didn't notice that the food was taking a while to make it to our table. It was a nice gesture from Mike. As the food came out it all looked great. We dug in and yum. Being from the Bay Area and now living in the Portland OR area, I have a certain standard with the food I consume. Honestly, I was not expecting too much from a place in Ceres. I've traveled to many small towns throughout the country. But I was pleasantly surprised that this place was up to par. And you know what topped it off? Mike's personality. He was such a pleasure to chat with. Me, him and my bestie had some good laughs while eating this great food. I love having my "go to" places while I travel and I think this is my spot now. Thanks Mike, me and "Kimmy" will definitely visit again. And hopefully mangoes will be in season.

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    Houa Khong 2 - thai - Updated July 2026

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