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    Houa Khong Restaurant

    3.9 (141 reviews)
    InexpensiveThai
    Open 10:00 am - 8:30 pm

    Houa Khong Restaurant Photos

    Business Info

    HOUA KHONG RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Quiet
    Good for kids
    Dogs allowed

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    Combination noodles
    Dennis X.

    When I think of Merced comfort food, I think of this place! Commonly known as the Blue House (even though the restaurant is NOT the Blue House), I've been going to this restaurant for decades and it's been consistently comforting and of quality. The servers feel like family and are very welcoming and attentive. I usually get the combination noodles or the kaopoon. My brother LOVES the raw laab here. Apparently, it REALLY hits different. Prices are fair and the restaurant feels like you're eating in someone's dining room.

    Combination pho
    Frances V.

    Came down to have lunch with a friend. I ordered the combination noodles, Thai tea and garlic beef to go. My friend also shared her spring rolls with me. Thai tea was just how I expected. Nice and creamy and cold. One of my favorite drinks to get when eating eating Thai. The spring rolls were light and fresh. I really enjoyed enjoyed dipping sauce. It wasn't as strong as a peanut flavor as I am used to, but I loved it! The combination noodles included shrimp, imitation crab, calamari, rare steak and meatballs. It was served with a side of bean sprouts, lemons and lettuce leaves. I was really missing my fresh basil here. The flavor of the broth was more bland than I was used to, so that was a bummer. Hoisin sauce is served in a red squirt bottle that reminded me of a hot dog stand. Added hoisin and Sriracha to my pho and it still wasn't where I wanted it to be in flavor. I offered to bring my husband something to eat and he wanted garlic pork, but they were out of pork so we did garlic beef. I brought it home and he took one look and was like, what is that? It didn't really fit the description on the menu, which said it was deep fried. He didn't want it, so my girls ate it. The waitress was friendly, but she was on her own. Flagged her down for my to go order and when she said no pork, I had to check back with my husband. She disappeared and had to try to flag her down again. My friend asked for no shrimp in her spring roll, but it still arrived wirh shrimp. It was worth a try, but I'll be sticking to my local spot for pho.

    Thai Iced Tea with Lemon
    Myles L.

    Great gem of a pan-Asian restaurant in Merced open til 8:30pm. They were gracious to let us sit down at 8pm on a Sunday after we came from a long drive and found most other restaurants were closed. The Pad Thai was very flavorful and the duck soup reminded me of pho. The service is wonderful, and the place reminds me of an old homey church potluck canteen. Would return :)

    Khapoon, Green Curry, Eggroll.
    Andrew N.

    No need to write a review. All you need to know is that it's literally a hole in the wall in the middle of nowhere (we were coming back from Yosemite) with home style food. Service is 10/10!

    Green curry (nothing left) Combination pho
    Daniel G.

    Doesn't really look like a restaurant passing by but I'm so glad I did. The green curry was really delicious. Packed with veggies and choice of meat. The combination pho was jam packed with noodles and different meats which were all amazing. Will definitely come back when I'm around the area. The wait time was a little high but it was all worth it at the end. Highly recommend if in the area!

    Beef larb
    Kayla L.

    This place is a hidden gem and the perfect place to satisfy your Thai craving. There is nothing fancy in their decor, but the foods are delicious. They serve authentic raw larb, MY FAVORITE.

    Thai Tea with Milk

    I've never been to Merced, so finding this little hole in the wall after a long commute was refreshing. Their portions with food such as the Phat Thai I ordered as well as the rice my partner ordered that went along with the curry; we were extremely happy with the size of our meal. At first glance, I will admit that I was hesitant to eat there, but as we pulled into the parking lot, and contemplated our hunger, I'm glad we didn't go elsewhere. Upon walking in, we were immediately greeted by a nice older woman who I assume is the owner, and seated in the back of the building with the whole place to ourselves. This is a "home business," get it? It's a home converted into a restaurant. Anyway, it was really clean inside; however, my biggest complaint is probably how awkwardly quiet it was. There was no ambiance like music playing to make us feel comforted while eating since we can hear the people in the front talking loudly amongst themselves while preparing orders. The woman who had seated us took our orders right away and the food was brought out soon after. Finally, the food. Well, drinks. The Thai tea is as sweet as any Thai tea you order at most Asian eateries, so you can dilute it with water to lessen the sweetness if you need to. The yellow curry had an adequate spice level with soft potatoes and an interestingly textured, chewy chicken. It wasn't bad, just... interesting. The curry broth with its veggies were very good though and the huge bowl of rice was freshly made for us. The Phat Thai, with additional charges, was served on a large platter with added seafood (shrimp & calamari), but I overall ordered chicken as the main protein for the dish. We couldn't finish the food, and the lady from earlier asked if we needed boxes for everything, even the drinks. I'm satisfied with the service and quality of the food. Would you pay $46+tip for all of this? Um, I'll let you guys decide yourselves.

    Pad Thai comb w/ beef
    Lakresha S.

    Pad Thai The pad Thai is sooo good!! It's my first time going I will most def be returning!

    Pad KeeMao - they use ground pork!
    Tiffany K.

    Don't let the funky old house exterior with the mobile phone radio tower in the background scare you away from this Laotian/Thai eatery. Stopped by here as it was conveniently located in the Central Valley area. I'm often out here for work and imagine my surprise to find something authentic and tasty! They did have Kaw Poon on the menu, similar to laksa with its coconut milk curry broth but I thought I'd try the Phat Kimao (pad kee mao) or Drunken Noodles. Don't recall the exact price but with tax it came to $9.65. Very reasonable. Flavoring was solid and medium heat was just right. The noodles were more shorter and thinner than the traditional wide and thick rice noodles that I'm used to. There is a larger seating area in the back which you wouldn't expect. Decor is very simple. When asked what the "Delicious Sauce" was our waiter said he didn't know since he eats hamburgers. Yeah it's that type of place. If you're driving down the 99 and need to satisfy your green papaya salad craving then check this spot out.

    Red Curry

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    10 years ago

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    9 years ago

    Been rocking with this place since I was a kid in the late 90s. Great food and they are a hidden gem in Merced.

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    13 years ago

    Anyone who is a regular here, knows they have to compromise rude service for amazing food. Pho is one of the best in town.

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    9 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    14 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    11 years ago

    Not the trendiest restaurant or in the best location but the food is out of this world. Go, if you get the chance.

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    15 years ago

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    13 years ago

    A must! I go there often for the combination noodle soup and never gets old. Healthy, fresh, and delicious food. Friendly people!

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    11 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    Houa Khong 2

    Houa Khong 2

    4.1
    (175 reviews)
    2.6 mi
    $$

    It's a nice little place…read more Awesome customer service. Staff was welcoming and warm. Crispy Pork Belly - So delicious and satisfying! Also, the plate look exactly like the online image; so its not false advertisement. Red Curry - my husband really like it Kao Piak (thick rice noodle soup/ aka Vietnamese udon) - delicious! Thai Tea - love it I found this on Google and the way home from out of town. I was attracted by all the beautiful food photos on Google maps. Glad I picked this restaurant. If you haven't eaten here, I highly recommend you give it a try.

    We used to come here all the time, but they're under new management now. There's plenty of parking…read more They're located at the corner, so it's easy to get to from G Street, E Donna Drive, and/or E Yosemite Ave. Food is just as good as it was prior. Staff is nice. The place is clean. Nevertheless, it's a small spot though, so there's limited seating available. Better for a small lunch/dinner, but probably won't accomodate an extra large group. The food is fresh and made to order. It's your typical Laos/Thai spot. My son's favorite is the Satay Chicken. We used to be a huge fan of the coconut water because it was as fresh and came with coconut bits, but under new management, they just handed us a can of coconut water you can easily buy at the Hmong Store in town AND without pulp. Unfortunately, that was a bit disappointing. Regardless, overall, food, service, and location took the cake so seeing as this was not our first time here, it also won't be our last.

    Photos
    Coming inside everything's new, nice and clean
    Coming inside everything's new, nice and clean
    Shrimp salad
    Shrimp salad
    Fried Tofu

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    Fried Tofu

    Houa Khong Restaurant - thai - Updated July 2026

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