First time having a Lao food . It was a pleasure surprise. The food was amazing fresh and delicious! I had the Lao salad to start with a taro color cocktail . They are very good match, both have the nutty flavor! For main course I had the catfish special. Wow it was a killer ! Both in presentation and Flavor ! Strong recommended . read more

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Easy 5 stars. If you enjoy Bida Manda or Brewery Bhavana in Raleigh, then you should definitely check out Saap in Cary. The chicken satay was one of the best satays I have ever had; tender, flavorful, and paired with a tasty peanut butter sauce. The seafood green curry was just delicious. The curry had great depth and complexity of flavor. The scallops, mussels, and shrimp were all succulent. I loved the addition of Asian eggplants to the dish. The broth of the Pho Lao had good depth of flavor but I thought the rest of the components of the pho was pretty standard. I would have loved if they included something more bold in the pho like tendon or bone marrow instead of meatball and rather overcooked brisket. The service was fantastic and the atmosphere was lively. read more

Saap - Seafood green curry and pho lao - Laotian Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

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Awesome new Laotian restaurant! We needed something like this in the area! The Mee Ka Tee (crispy pork belly noodle soup) was insanely good! The flavor was amazing as was the portion size! Summer rolls were also a great appetizer. Service was great and the restaurant/bar space was very clean and freshly decorated. Just a really nice place to sit down and have a meal. We will be back very soon! read more

Saap - Summer Roll, bbq pork version - Laotian Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

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I stopped in to see if we could have our dog with us at an outdoor table and they said no. We were tired, hungry, and traveling, so i opted for food to go. I normally wouldn't do this on upscale food. My wife got the NY strip steak Medium Rare, and it was cooked perfectly, along with the flavor being great. She really enjoyed it. I had a soup that had beef, lamb, and oxtail and it was amazing. We also got the Shrimp fresh spring rolls and again they were awesome. Especially the sauce. I also got the sticky rice desert with mango, which tasted amazing. Definitely enjoyed it, which says a lot, considering we brought it home in a bag vs eating it fresh at the table in the restrestaurant. I can only imagine how much better it would of tasted. read more

Food was good as was the server. Unfortunately we were asked to leave after just 2 hours to provide room for other diners. Really?? Seems a little crazy for downtown Cary. She wasn't even nice about it. read more

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. The ambiance is light and airy. 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!! read more

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Sorry to say, very disappointed, food was very bland, no flavor, not sure what's going on here for Laotian restaurant. We have tried four different dishes, all of them were very bland, brisket was tough I think actually, it was roast beef, and not very good. BBQ pork wrap no flavor Dipping sauce was the only highlight of the whole expensive meal. The restaurant did comp our dinner still very disappointed good service, and cocktails. read more

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This is a high end Laotian restaurant, we ordered five items three were heavy on sodium, main dishes come with green papaya salad, we were surprised that the server didn't tell us that when we ordered green papaya salad separately. Anyway, the food were okay, but too salty. Service was good. Reservations are encouraged, the place is busy often. read more

I made a reservation for Saturday night at 5:15pm three weeks in advance. There is ample parking on the street & an underground parking around the corner. We were seated promptly and order two tequila drinks that were absolutely delish! For appetizer we order the papaya dish. We unfortunately did not like this dish at all. It tasted like fish oil. Maybe it was suppose to be fishy but it was not for me! The pho was delicious. The meat was tender and good quality. The seafood curry dish was very filling and so tasty. Just the right amount of flavor. I'd come back just for the tequila drink & curry seafood. The restaurant its self is a very clean, fresh decor. The services spot on. I'd give it 5 stars if I didn't order the papaya salad read more

The food was great! Had satay skewers, so tender and tasted great. The seafood salad was perfect and the pork belly soup was two delicious meals in one, but I ate it all! They asked if we were celebrating and brought us two complimentary birthday desserts, one was vegan. It was a busy Tuesday night and service was a little slow but the server was attentive. It was too noisy for me. I am elderly and noisy rooms are difficult for me. I recommend they install several more of the ceiling sound dampers. Ambiance was modern cafe. Nice for younger folks. read more

Sat at the bar. Great friendly atmosphere. We had a couple of cocktails which were lovely. The food was fantastic. Will definitely go again read more

Saap - Laotian Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

We had high expectations and were disappointed with our food. Beef jerky: dry, bland, incredibly hard to chew Chicken satay: 3 sticks. This is a stable and pretty hard to mess up, but the peanut sauce is runny and watered down Steamed sea bass: again, bland. And for a more upscale restaurant at $38, I'd expect the fish scale and gills to be cleaned off the fish. I guess if we weren't so hyped up for this placed and waited to find a reservation we'd not feel such a let down. But based on experience tonight o wouldn't come back. read more

Oh my goodness this place is amazing! The pork curry noodle bowl is one of the best dishes I've had in the area. read more

First of all, I want to comment on the location. It's overlooking the new downtown Cary Park, which is fantastic and so well done. We started with the spring rolls and beef jerky. Both were fantastic. We also had cocktails and I was impressed at the creativity of the cocktail menu. For dinner I had the pork belly noodle dish and my husband had the Larb. Again, absolutely phenomenal food. Attentive, weight staff that didn't awkwardly hover, overall this place is absolutely the new jewel in the downtown Cary restaurant scene. read more

I don't think there are enough adjectives to describe how wonderful our dinner was tonight. From the ambiance to the server to the fabulous food, everything was perfect. Our server, Noel, was personable and extremely knowledgeable in regards to the menu. Her suggestions were spot on. She did everything with ease and always with a smile. Every restaurant should have a Noel!! The food was AMAZING!! Everything we ordered was cooked to perfection!! Even the dessert didn't disappoint. I don't think I've ever given 5 stars ... til this review. Y'all need to try this restaurant. It's that good!! read more

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We had early reservations last night. WOW it was terrific! The decor, the location and the food...we are so fortunate to have this in downtown Cary. The crispy spring rolls were amazing and the dipping sauce gave it just the right kick. We also shared the lettuce wrap with chicken as it was a big portion. Speciality cocktails were also tasty and strong. As we were leaving it was getting quite crowded as I'm sure it will be for some time. (Make reservations!). There were plenty of staff all of which seemed to be experienced. Can't wait to go back! read more

Saap - Spring rolls - Laotian Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

Service, vibe, food- all wonderful. Went for lunch and had a work meeting directly after so was not able to enjoy a cocktail but the cocktail menu looked amazing. Our food was delish. For apps we ordered summer rolls- fresh, not gummy and the dipping sauce was great. Also ordered chicken satay. Very flavorful and tender. Main entree was green papaya salad with airline chicken- 10/10, delish. The hubs ordered a noodle dish ( the name is slipping me right now) but he said it was wonderful. When we sat down the first thing we were asked was if anyone had food allergies. I do. Celiac. They were extremely good in making sure all my food was safe. They did a great job. We made a reservation to go back in a few weeks for dinner so we can test out the cocktail menu. Only downside is you have to really plan in advance as reservations are hard to get. read more

We LOVE it here. Miranda was an amazing server and asked for any dietary restrictions and elaborated on gluten free items. The food was divine! Came out very fast. The vibe is very relaxing with the jazz music and it was the perfect lunch and experience. read more

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Amazing food! Our server, Noelle, was fantastic! It was a bit loud, but not outrageous - simply the sound of a lot of people enjoying themselves and their dinner. We already made reservations to go back! read more

Saap - Crispy shrimp rolls - Laotian Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

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Let me start by saying...run don't walk to SAAP! Chef Lon and crew have done an amazing job! Everything from the atmosphere to the menus to the palate cleanser at the end of the meal are superb! Now, the food...we were so busy enjoying the appetizers we forgot to get pics. I highly recommend the chicken satay (best I've had), Lao beef jerky and the spring rolls. For the main course, we had Mee Ka Tee, Pho Lao, Pad Lao with Tiger Shrimp, and chicken curry. They were all fantastic! We ended the meal with sweet mango coconut rice and the cream puffs. Thank you Chef and crew for an amazing birthday dinner and experience! See you soon! read more

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The worst experience ever! Such a small portion of food with that kind of price. Plus, it took forever for the waitress to hand us the check. Will never come back read more

This is my new favorite restaurant! The service, drinks and overall aesthetic is amazing. The food is the absolute best part. I could eat this food every day! read more

Saap - Crispy Coconut Fried Rice Lettuce Wraps - Laotian Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

The entire experience was elevated!! The food, the service, and the ambiance!! The drinks were a solid 8.2 out of 10 as well.. This has to be the most well rounded menu around. The attention to detail from start to finish will leave wanting more!! AMAZING job SAAP!! I can't wait to return and try a few things differently. read more

I was very much on the fence about giving a three star review because there were many aspects about my dining experience that were quite good. The first downside was the fact that it took my friend and I three weeks to get a reservation unless we elected to eat very late at night which means after 8 PM. But even waiting three weeks for a 7 PM reservation meant getting it on a Tuesday night! That was a little surprising. AlThough the place is very new, and it's still sort of a novelty, I'm not sure at the end of the day it was worth that long of a wait The ambience is generally pretty good, although the acoustics were not great, and it being a fairly small venue, when my friend and I were there at 7 PM the restaurant was full and people were being turned away at the door that did not have Reservations and the noise level was quite high Because of the acoustics. It was a little difficult at times to have a more intimate conversation. Around 8:30 PM as the place began to empty out in the noise level dropped dramatically then, and only then, could we really have a decent conversation. I will say right up front I would not describe the place as "warm and romantic" but very clean and very crisp and although it could use a little more color, it was, generally speaking, comfortable. One important note is that the service was exceptional! Our server was really on her game, and in addition, was very friendly and very sweet, and made our interactions good. They had a decent wine list, a pretty good specialty cocktail list, as well as other normal bar fare. Across the board, I found the menu to be a little on the small side, but definitely not short on items that could appeal to any palette or, anyone that has any food restrictions. In my case, and my friends case, we're both gluten-free, and there were ample items from the menu that would've easily satisfied us , and that food restriction. Here's where things kind of fell off the cliff with me; we started off with the appetizer tiger prawns, which were basically very large prawns, cut into smaller pieces on wooden skewers and grilled. The presentation was wonderful, and the flavor was decent, but I was very surprised that at least a couple of bites came back out of my mouth into the napkin, and off to the side on my plate. They were very chewy and not in a good way. I've never had an experience of prawns that led me to remove the bite from my mouth. We also had the chicken Satay again was a beautiful presentation, but I found the classic peanut sauce that goes with it a little thin on flavor and a little more watery than I'm accustomed to and as a result, it didn't really sit on the chicken and somehow, it left me feeling a little less than thrilled about it. Since neither my dining mate, or I had a ravenous appetite that night, we elected to share a main dish and it was sort of a classic curry dish which they split for us in the kitchen, which was quite impressive. Again, the presentation was magnificent, but I found the Curry to be a little too spicy for my pallete which I won't hold against them. I've both lived and worked in Asia and have had a wide range of Asian cuisine during my years there and know that certain cultures, including Vietnamese, Laotian and others tend to like to really jack it up on the spices. Had I known prior to ordering that it was higher on the spicy scale I would've asked for something more mild. The first few bites definitely woke up my tongue and I had to add quite a bit of rice to the dish to calm it down a bit. However, I have to be honest and say, although generally the flavor was pretty good I woke up this morning with a very unhappy stomach! I know it came from that main dish. Of course, to be fair to the owner and the chef, I waited several hours after my gastric upset to write this review so as not to have a "slant" against him because my body would not process the meal the way I had expected Overall I would say, and with no reluctance, I've eaten in dozens of hole in the wall Asian restaurants, including many of them that were Thai food. To be brutally honest, I think some of the best Thai food I've ever had were hole in the wall, even here in the Raleigh area, and I don't think for the $100+ we paid for the meal that they did in anyway exceed the quality and flavor of the place where I walked out spending $40 for myself and a friend to dine I definitely would be confident in saying the place was not worth a three week Wait for a reservation and I'm pretty confident I would not return. I'm not really a "trendy guy" and don't buy into hype and there's a lot of hype around this restaurant. I really think the owner/chef has to give some serious thought to the quality of the food and there is some room there to make some adjustments. read more

While I can't comment on the authenticity of the food, I can tell you everything we ordered was fresh, delicious, and meticulously prepared. The kabocha squash dessert and the lao salad were standouts. The space itself has a lot of natural light and feels really clean. There is also some outside seating. Besides the food, our server Kenna really elevated the whole experience. She was warm, knowledgeable, and gracious. Tl;dr: terrific food and terrific service. read more

The food we had was delicious. Spring rolls Fried flounder with sticky rice Bok choy A flavorful beef dish Why am I only giving this restaurant 3 stars? Despite the pleasing decor and friendly staff, the noise level is so deafening I have no desire to return. It's not just the acoustics, the chairs make a loud unpleasant sound every time someone is seated or gets up. This was not only unpleasant, but made conversation extremely challenging. If it hadn't been 95 degrees we would have eaten outside. read more

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. read more

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Amazing food! I've loved everything I've ordered at this restaurant but my absolute favorite dish is the chicken curry. It's usually quite busy so I'd recommend a reservation but the service is pretty good as compared to most places these days. The acoustics are poor therefore, it's very loud during peak hours. Perhaps not a great place for catching up with an old friend or a business meal. Quickly becoming my favorite restaurant in Cary! read more

Saap was fantastic! We'll definitely be back! We had the summer rolls and the pad Lao with tofu--totally delicious.

We were able to sit at the bar of this very popular restaurant in downtown Cary. The bar is first come first serve but it did stay full the whole time we were there so I recommend a reservation. We started with the chicken satay. The chicken was extremely tender and the satay sauce was a bit unique from what we are used to. It still had the great peanut flavor, but had a bit of a thinner consistency. We absolutely loved it and would order it again. We also started out with the pork belly the two things that stood out about this dish, the crispiness of the pork and the measured level of fat it contained. It had just enough fat for the crispy texture to come through and enriched flavor, but not so much that it overpowered the dish. At this point something else I would point out is the wonderful sauces. They are spicy and the flavors are so delicious you cannot stop eating them. Finally we tried the jerky and rock shrimp. Again the richness of the dishes is outstanding. The staff is great at working you through the menu and catering recommendations to your taste. A great spot!! read more

My favorite restaurant! The food great and the service was excellent! I have been three times and the food gets better and better! read more

Saap - Spring rolls, shrimp fried rice and honey wings - Laotian Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

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Visited about a month after their opening on a Friday night. Didn't have a reservation and waited about an hour for two spots at the bar. The drinks were great. Fresh and flavorful, though a bit pricey, but that was expected. The Chai was the best I've ever had, but I was a bit disappointed at how small the pour was for being non-alcoholic. It was essentially the size of a small martini for $6. The Ube Colada was much sweeter and more watery than expected, but it was still delicious. The Pandan Old Fashioned was excellent. The food... wow. We ordered the crispy coconut rice lettuce wraps and chicken satay for an app and both were absolutely delicious. Some of the best satay we've had and the peanut sauce was out of this world. For entrees, we got the Larb, which was excellent. The only complaint my boyfriend had was the Thai pepper was so potent that it was difficult to really adjust how much spice he wanted on the Larb. A little goes a loooong way, and accidentally adding an extra 1/8th of a teaspoon will land you on the toilet the rest of the day. Lol. I ordered the coconut curry. It was fantastic, and so filling. If you're not into spice at all, you will want to pass on both meals. We skipped on dessert because we were super full and nothing jumped out at us. Spent about $165 with the tip, which included 4 drinks, 2 apps, and 2 entrees. The night would have been a 10/10 if it hasn't been for a super uncomfortable interaction with one of the bartenders. He made a sarcastic joke that I could barely hear over the loud volume of the restaurant. The joke also went over my boyfriend's head. My boyfriend explained that he doesn't understand sarcasm because he's autistic, and I said I totally misunderstood the joke and couldn't hear much of what he said. The bartender proceeded to imply that we were racist for not understanding the joke, as we are white and the joke had to do with understanding nuances of Asian cultures, in front of a bunch of other people at the busy bar. When I gave the bartender a confused look because this came completely out of nowhere, he laughed, then seemingly realized how completely inappropriate and uncalled for what he said was, and repeatedly apologized and admitted he shouldn't have said it. I totally get that we all say dumb things sometimes, but it made both of us incredibly uncomfortable and it was really disappointing. Tl;Dr: make a reservation. You can't go wrong with any of the food and drinks. Order the coconut lettuce wraps and chicken satay for apps, and the Larb and coconut curry for entrees. Know that whatever you order is going to be Thai spicy, and not Popeyes chicken spicy. Lol. read more

Very disappointed with meal. I had Basil & Garlic Stir Fry (chicken), pickup. The chicken was overcooked, and breading was hard and chewy - tasted like Panda Express. The rice was crispy, crunchy and chewy - looked like it had been scrapped off the bottom of a rice cooker. The manager was aggressive and offered that I could drive back to pick up a remake (20 minute drive and didn't care) or that they would issue a $15 gift card that I could come back and pick up. The dinner was $35 ($29 + tax + tip). Was told rudely that she wasn't going to argue with me and $15 was all they would offer, that the dish was only $20 and I shouldn't care that it was $5 less. (even though they were offering $20 less than I paid). I've eaten at Saap 4-5 times and the food has always been great, but with this experience I plan to never eat here again. They obviously don't care much about their product or their customers. I've worked in food service industry for years and this treatment was unacceptable at any level of restaurant - let alone one of this level of cost and service. I'd recommend going elsewhere. I know I will never eat there again. read more

Service was decent. Ambiance was good. The food was OK, nothing amazing or terrible but it is way overpriced for what you get. For instance, the seafood curry is almost thirty dollars and there is barely any seafood worthy of ten dollars. You'd expect lobster or prawns for this price. Not to be negative as I wish this place for success but I would not go back as it is way too overpriced. read more

One of our favorite places. Food is always on point (I want to branch out but the pepper steak always pulls me back in. So tasty!). Service is friendly and efficient. It can get a bit loud at times but it doesn't detract from the experience. read more

My husband and I went to Saap in Cary for lunch the first time, and it was excellent. It was actually the first time we tried Laotian food, but we both enjoy Vietnamese and Thai food. I ordered the kabocha squash & root vegetable curry which was very good and the perfect amount of spicy. My husband ordered the Pho Lao, which he said was one of the best beef pho dishes he tried. We also ordered the shrimp spring rolls as an appetizer which was really tasty. We will definitely be back! read more

Great food, great ambience, great service we will be back. I rarely give five stars and this place deserves a ten!

Food was fantastic! We had pork belly egg drop soup, a stir fried noodle dish, and green papaya salad with pork rib. read more

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The food was exceptional. Server was great too. Loved the pad Thai with pork belly. But it was all great. Restaurant very noisy though.

Staff gives new meaning to the acronym SAAP, Seriously Arrogant Attitude Problem . Sadly encountered one of the rudest employees ever after attempting to have lunch at the establishment after 2pm. All doors were locked, a woman cracked the door to let us know there was no room at the inn, they were closed and would reopen at 4pm but there probably wouldn't be any reservations available. Both myself and my friend are hospitality professionals, this is the poison that will destroy a workplace environment. Good luck! read more