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I spotted San Dao while driving past and quickly looked it up while making a note to eat there one day. That day came and I loved it! It seemed family owned and operated which made me excited, I feel like the food in mom and pop shops is made different and the service is always lovely. The boat noodles were amazing. The depth of flavor in the broth was unlike any noodle soup I've had before. A lot of noodles too and the meat was tender. The three flavor fish was so good and for a whole tilapia it was very reasonably priced. It was hearty and easy to pick out the bones. The flavors in the sauce really made it something amazing. The portions were on the larger side for the price and the flavors were all there, we will definitely be back to try other items on the menu.
Excellent food, no frills spot, fast service. What more could you want in a restaurant? Great easy dinner. Portion sizes make the prices reasonable!
I've read great things about this spot and bookmarked it for over a year. My friends and I came for my birthday lunch on a Thursday around 1:00pm. We got lucky with parking as it shares a lot with other stores. We were pleasantly surprised when we walked through the doors. It gave me Mom and Pop vibes. We were seated with menus and water immediately. I peeked at the menu ahead of time so I already knew all the dishes I wanted to try. We ordered the Laotian Papaya Salad, Fried Beef Jerky, Sticky Rice, Fish Cakes, Drunken Noodles with Beef and Green Curry with Tofu. The favorites were Papaya Salad with Fish Cakes. The portions were generous and service was friendly and attentive. We had plenty of leftovers. I look forward to coming back to try the Laotian Specials.
This family owned spot is a must visit anytime we are in San Diego. Their food is so delicious and authentic, I wish they had a location in LA. The owners Bobbie and Mike are super nice and friendly too. My husband and I ordered the lemon tea, Thai tea, Thai salad with shrimp, golden chicken wings, yellow curry with chicken and shrimp, and pad Thai with chicken. Everything was amazing! The food is delicious as take out but even better inside the restaurant with good music, tons of hello kitty decorations (my fave), and right now it's also decorated for Chinese New Year. They said they have a huge celebration for Chinese New Year so I would definitely love to check that out. They have Great vibes, great people, and great food...my go to dining spot when I'm in San Diego.
While in San Diego for the New Year, we visited Sang Dao for lunch this past Saturday and had a great experience! It's a very casual spot, the interior isn't the most modern, but the vibe is super friendly and the service is efficient. The food was honestly delicious. * Pad Thai: This was a highlight for me. The noodle texture was just right, and I loved that it had that tangy vinaigrette flavor and plenty of peanuts. * Tom Kha: Very good with a rich, creamy coconut soup base. * Dessert: We finished with the palm seeds and tapioca dessert soup, which was excellent. If you are looking for solid Thai food in La Mesa without the fuss, this is the place.
My family has been coming to Sang Dao for years! The food is always delicious, and the restaurant is clean and has a nice ambience. The staff are always great to talk to and have awesome recommendations as well. I miss the great Thai food here every time I'm away from home!
Greeted by the family of the restaurant, they are so cute and friendly! Really great service and the table is stacked with many accommodations for your dish-- soy sauce, chili oil, flakes, salt, etc. The tray was endless! We had the Pad Thai with Pork. It was wonderfully sauced with a bit of a stronger flavor of perhaps tamarind or fish sauce? The lime helps balance it. I love how much beansprouts they give! The pork was a little fatty at times, so next time I'd get a different meat. Also tried the Laos Sausage (I've never had it before) and the texture was a bit more crumbly than I thought it would be. Strong lemongrass taste, not spicy. Good crisp exterior. In addition, we had the Beef Jerky with Sticky Rice. I'm used to Vietnamese (papaya salad) with beef jerky. And I usually prefer the red one as it is softer and sweet in taste. This one looked similar, but it was heated up, thinner, and hard to stab with the fork. The taste of it was a little more "gamey" than I'm used to. It wasn't bad, but just not for me. If you're not shy, def ask for chopsticks to handle this dish! The rice was sticky but dried out fast. It came with a salty dippin sauce too. The sliced cabbage beneath it was bitter-- perhaps it was more for presentation. Our water glasses were filled up very promptly and tasted so refreshing. The interior of the restaurant was clean and they had more seating than I remembered them having as a child! In total, our lunch costed around ~ $40. A little pricey-- they gave a good amount of pad Thai and lots of sticky rice. 3 logs of sausages... Would come back, to try other items!
Sang Dao update (take out) love the packaging! The stamp on the bag, is a super cool detail. Appreciate the extra TLC, to ensure safety and quality is up to par when ordering Door dash. The food is still delicious and with consistent flavor. Food came hot and ready. The banana iced coffee is so good, tbh it might be better than most coffee shops. One of my fav Thai spots, hands down
We had a great time at Sang Dao! We wanted to try Laotian food specifically since there is so much Thai food in SD, the waiter gave us some great recommendations. We had the Phad Lao and red curry catfish, both of which were flavorful and unique from the Thai food that we are accustomed to. The waiter even gave us some sticky rice to mop up the delicious red curry sauce. We will be back to try more!
This is by far the best Thai food we've had! We highly appreciated the plentiful vegan options, friendly and quick service, pipping hot fresh food, and especially the portions, high proportions of veggies and protein, and overall insanely delicious, flavorful food for such an amazing deal! We highly recommend the green curry (made without fish sauce-win!) with fried tofu and drunken noodles with mock duck. We will definitely be our new go-to Thai spot!
Extremely friendly service. Affordable, extensive menu. Food wasn't bad but the sweet and salty contents weren't balanced too well, as some dishes were either too sweet or too salty. Chef was quite heavy handed that night, I guess. Will have to remember this place to return and try other items off the menu.
10/10 best mom and pops shop I have been to. The food is soooooo gooood! I highly recommend this place. This is LAO's food, i think. One of my good friends took me to try this place since she is part Lao's. She said its her family's favorite spot. The service was excellent, we were greeted as soon as we walked in. The ambiance is very asian inspired, so so cute! I highly recommend for you to order the sticky rice, so yummy!
Placed an order online. Was ready within 10 minutes. This the 3rd time I've eaten here. I wanted just the mango sticky rice but ended up ordering more. Got home and had to taste the sticky rice. So yummy and the mango tasted fresh. My husband enjoyed the salt and pepper wings and the chicken fried rice. I went in on those spring rolls...so fresh!
2 months ago
Sang Dao is a mom and pop shop that we found while driving on El Cajon and finally stopped by. It's got the classic local feel of a Asian family owned restaurant. Service was friendly and the food came out super fast. We started with the Yum Pla Mouk which is their calamari salad. Very flavorful with the tangy fish sauce and I could taste they added some shrimp paste in it too. The Boat Noodles were super delicious! The broth is an interesting combination of sweet and spicy. There's really nothing like it and make sure to add a bunch of limes to help balance out the richness! The Pla Som Rod (3 Flavor Fish) was also incredible and visually stunning. It's a flavor explosion that combines both a traditional sweet and sour profile but amplified with some fish sauce umami and spice. I could just eat the sauce and rice and be happy. The fish was really crispy and amazing too. And for the price of only $17 it's a steal for a whole tilapia! I loved our dinner at Sang Dao and cannot wait to go back! read more
4 months ago
4 months ago
SO GOOD! I hadn't been in for a few years and am so glad to have come back to sang dao. It's even tastier than I remembered. I often feel like all of the Thai food in San Diego tastes more or less the same. But Sang Dao is different. And it's sooooo good. Also! They're very vegan friendly. Our server told us that almost any dish can be made vegan. Highly recommend a stop in! (But also, maybe carpool. The parking lot is challenging) read more
2 months ago
I spotted San Dao while driving past and quickly looked it up while making a note to eat there one day. That day came and I loved it! It seemed family owned and operated which made me excited, I feel like the food in mom and pop shops is made different and the service is always lovely. The boat noodles were amazing. The depth of flavor in the broth was unlike any noodle soup I've had before. A lot of noodles too and the meat was tender. The three flavor fish was so good and for a whole tilapia it was very reasonably priced. It was hearty and easy to pick out the bones. The flavors in the sauce really made it something amazing. The portions were on the larger side for the price and the flavors were all there, we will definitely be back to try other items on the menu. read more
2 months ago
Excellent food, no frills spot, fast service. What more could you want in a restaurant? Great easy dinner. Portion sizes make the prices reasonable! read more
I've read great things about this spot and bookmarked it for over a year. My friends and I came for my birthday lunch on a Thursday around 1:00pm. We got lucky with parking as it shares a lot with other stores. We were pleasantly surprised when we walked through the doors. It gave me Mom and Pop vibes. We were seated with menus and water immediately. I peeked at the menu ahead of time so I already knew all the dishes I wanted to try. We ordered the Laotian Papaya Salad, Fried Beef Jerky, Sticky Rice, Fish Cakes, Drunken Noodles with Beef and Green Curry with Tofu. The favorites were Papaya Salad with Fish Cakes. The portions were generous and service was friendly and attentive. We had plenty of leftovers. I look forward to coming back to try the Laotian Specials. read more
This family owned spot is a must visit anytime we are in San Diego. Their food is so delicious and authentic, I wish they had a location in LA. The owners Bobbie and Mike are super nice and friendly too. My husband and I ordered the lemon tea, Thai tea, Thai salad with shrimp, golden chicken wings, yellow curry with chicken and shrimp, and pad Thai with chicken. Everything was amazing! The food is delicious as take out but even better inside the restaurant with good music, tons of hello kitty decorations (my fave), and right now it's also decorated for Chinese New Year. They said they have a huge celebration for Chinese New Year so I would definitely love to check that out. They have Great vibes, great people, and great food...my go to dining spot when I'm in San Diego. read more
5 days ago
While in San Diego for the New Year, we visited Sang Dao for lunch this past Saturday and had a great experience! It's a very casual spot, the interior isn't the most modern, but the vibe is super friendly and the service is efficient. The food was honestly delicious. * Pad Thai: This was a highlight for me. The noodle texture was just right, and I loved that it had that tangy vinaigrette flavor and plenty of peanuts. * Tom Kha: Very good with a rich, creamy coconut soup base. * Dessert: We finished with the palm seeds and tapioca dessert soup, which was excellent. If you are looking for solid Thai food in La Mesa without the fuss, this is the place. read more
7 months ago
My family has been coming to Sang Dao for years! The food is always delicious, and the restaurant is clean and has a nice ambience. The staff are always great to talk to and have awesome recommendations as well. I miss the great Thai food here every time I'm away from home! read more
1 year ago
Greeted by the family of the restaurant, they are so cute and friendly! Really great service and the table is stacked with many accommodations for your dish-- soy sauce, chili oil, flakes, salt, etc. The tray was endless! We had the Pad Thai with Pork. It was wonderfully sauced with a bit of a stronger flavor of perhaps tamarind or fish sauce? The lime helps balance it. I love how much beansprouts they give! The pork was a little fatty at times, so next time I'd get a different meat. Also tried the Laos Sausage (I've never had it before) and the texture was a bit more crumbly than I thought it would be. Strong lemongrass taste, not spicy. Good crisp exterior. In addition, we had the Beef Jerky with Sticky Rice. I'm used to Vietnamese (papaya salad) with beef jerky. And I usually prefer the red one as it is softer and sweet in taste. This one looked similar, but it was heated up, thinner, and hard to stab with the fork. The taste of it was a little more "gamey" than I'm used to. It wasn't bad, but just not for me. If you're not shy, def ask for chopsticks to handle this dish! The rice was sticky but dried out fast. It came with a salty dippin sauce too. The sliced cabbage beneath it was bitter-- perhaps it was more for presentation. Our water glasses were filled up very promptly and tasted so refreshing. The interior of the restaurant was clean and they had more seating than I remembered them having as a child! In total, our lunch costed around ~ $40. A little pricey-- they gave a good amount of pad Thai and lots of sticky rice. 3 logs of sausages... Would come back, to try other items! read more
Sang Dao update (take out) love the packaging! The stamp on the bag, is a super cool detail. Appreciate the extra TLC, to ensure safety and quality is up to par when ordering Door dash. The food is still delicious and with consistent flavor. Food came hot and ready. The banana iced coffee is so good, tbh it might be better than most coffee shops. One of my fav Thai spots, hands down read more
We had a great time at Sang Dao! We wanted to try Laotian food specifically since there is so much Thai food in SD, the waiter gave us some great recommendations. We had the Phad Lao and red curry catfish, both of which were flavorful and unique from the Thai food that we are accustomed to. The waiter even gave us some sticky rice to mop up the delicious red curry sauce. We will be back to try more! read more
4 months ago
This is by far the best Thai food we've had! We highly appreciated the plentiful vegan options, friendly and quick service, pipping hot fresh food, and especially the portions, high proportions of veggies and protein, and overall insanely delicious, flavorful food for such an amazing deal! We highly recommend the green curry (made without fish sauce-win!) with fried tofu and drunken noodles with mock duck. We will definitely be our new go-to Thai spot! read more
Extremely friendly service. Affordable, extensive menu. Food wasn't bad but the sweet and salty contents weren't balanced too well, as some dishes were either too sweet or too salty. Chef was quite heavy handed that night, I guess. Will have to remember this place to return and try other items off the menu. read more
10/10 best mom and pops shop I have been to. The food is soooooo gooood! I highly recommend this place. This is LAO's food, i think. One of my good friends took me to try this place since she is part Lao's. She said its her family's favorite spot. The service was excellent, we were greeted as soon as we walked in. The ambiance is very asian inspired, so so cute! I highly recommend for you to order the sticky rice, so yummy! read more
Placed an order online. Was ready within 10 minutes. This the 3rd time I've eaten here. I wanted just the mango sticky rice but ended up ordering more. Got home and had to taste the sticky rice. So yummy and the mango tasted fresh. My husband enjoyed the salt and pepper wings and the chicken fried rice. I went in on those spring rolls...so fresh! read more
7 months ago
Here on a Friday at one and no one eating in. That's a crime. Red curry catfish is the best dish in San Diego. Just spicy enough; just sweet enough; just creamy enough. Nice portion for $15. There should be a line out the door for this alone. Green papaya salad was the perfect antidote for a hot day. "The Garlics" is a revelatory garlic brown sauce with a plethora of fish. Fun yet utilitarian ambience that lets you know you're in the real deal. read more
I haven't been here in years, and the quality of food is still the same, if not better. The service was attentive. And our food came out really quick. Love the coconut curry in the Choo Chee dish and my friend loved the fish cakes. Love the stand of snacks by the cash register where you can grab a bag of fried chicken skin, pork skin or crispy pigs ear. Support local and come here. read more
3 months ago
Several years ago, I came to Sang Dao Restaurant with a large group after hearing solid reviews of their Thai and Laotian food. The parking situation was not ideal if you adhered to the 15 minute limit on certain spaces. Without those restrictions, more spots become available. The interior was ornately decorated with a South Asian cultural theme. The dining room contained enough seating for around 40 customers. On this occasion, I ordered a couple of appetizers for dining in. The Thai Fish Cakes were my first choice followed by the Fried Beef. Ground fish mixed with Thai red curry, lemon leaves, and green beans were formed into a patty and fried. Seven of them were served with sweet and sour sauce. The discs looked like chocolate chip cookies from afar, but they were savory and pleasant to consume with the sauce. Ten marinated strips of beef were deep fried and served with a special dipping sauce. It was like eating fresh, chewy beef jerky. I also bought the Drunken Noodles with chicken as a takeout item. For $12.95, the portion size was great for the stir fried flat noodles. Eggs, broccoli, carrots, onions, bell peppers, and basil leaves were the other components. A garlic sauce with Thai chili added mild spiciness to this dish. The noodles were really wide while the heat of the sauce was perfect for my palate. It's unfortunate Sang Dao is quite far from where I live, otherwise I would return more frequently to try more creations on their vast menu. read more
2 years ago
Everything was tasty! We got the drunken noodles, papaya salad and bbq beef. The only reason there aren't more stars is because the bbq beef was tough and slightly dry (I think it's bc of the type of cut they use, tastes like sirloin), the papaya salad could have been crunchier and the noodles could have been more chewy and less soft. So the taste is perfect on all of their food, it's just that the ingredients could have been better. Maybe I went on an off day. read more
1 year ago
Still as great as ever! Most Flavorful bold dishes, delicious food with lots of variety to choose from the menu. You won't be disappointed! I myself, never miss a chance to come when visiting my sister. I can't say enough good things about this place and their services. No matter how busy they are .. service still comes with a big smile. It's family own (mom/pop) establishment with welcoming ambiance. I appreciate them for sharing these amazing foods, hospitality and overall experiences. I'll definitely return when I'm in the neighborhood. All you Laos/Thai food lovers out there this place is a MUST! Come and check it out it for yourself. I assure you that you will agree. I highly recommend this hidden gem. I especially love their fish curry with sticky rice. read more
2 years ago
My first time here with my best friend but she's been here several times so I let her order. We were the only customers inside but nice and quiet with a big screen TV. Ordered golden chicken wings, steak. Lao papaya salad with extra padaek and vermicelli and sticky rice . The papaya salad was medium spice which was perfect for me and too spicy for my best friend. For dessert got the mango sticky rice which was good but I've had better. Recommend this places wanting Lao food . read more
Have been coming here since high-school, 10years ago . Tried another Lao/Thai food spot up in Clairemont about a month ago and it just didn't hit the same like Sang Dao.. Though I don't live in the area, I am willing to drive down south 20 mins every time. Sang Dao has big portions for the perfect price, you can get about 3-5 different dishes to share for less than $50. Another place I would suggest is Muang Lao. Both family owned, and authentic. Attentive, good customer service, good music and if you go during the week there is plenty of parking. read more
What we ordered: - Me Gatee: my first time having this and it was so delicious! I love a creamy/tangy coconut broth, 10/10 would get it again. - Lao style papaya salad: also my first time trying this. I wasn't used to the flavor combo, but still enjoyed it to eat on the side. - Phad see eiw: can never go wrong, this hits every time. Good flavor + noodle texture! We had a late lunch/early dinner, got seated right away, and service was so quick! Also, big fan of the restaurant's music taste. Def will be coming back :) read more
6 months ago
1 year ago
1 year ago
The FOOD here is SO GOOD! The Spring Rolls are FRESH with a nice peanut butter sauce. The Tom Kah Chicken Soup was HOT and DELICIOUS! The Chicken Pad Thai was PLENTIFUL! The Salt & Pepper Chicken Wings were RIGHT ON TIME! The Mango Sticky Rice was the cherry on top! 5 BIG STARS! read more
3 months ago
2 years ago
This is One of our Favorite spots Now! They have the Tastiest Thai Food I've ever had, I wish I could tell you the names but if you look at the menu & literally point at ANYTHING it WILL be amazing. The Curry's are beyond tasty, the tom yum is So Yummy!!! LOL pun intended.... the Wings are Deliciously Krispy. They have a delicious & strong (just like I like) Thai Coffee that will give you a perfect pick me up. Now My ALLTIME Favorite item is the Mango Sticky Rice! Oh My Goodness I have never been so addicted to a dessert, we have literally driven to Sang Dao which can be a drive between 20-25min just for the Mango Sticky Rice because it's THAT Delicious. The rice is perfectly warm and gooey and then you get the fresh perfectly ripe Mango. A MUST!!! read more
I have worked in this around a few times and I have been telling myself I was gonna try this place for lunch one of these days. I haven't had Thai food for a while so I just wanted a chicken pad thai. I went inside to order and waiting around 7 minutes. The price for the portion is very good and I thought it was really tasty and had a good amount of veggies and protein. Everything tasted fresh. I would love to try their tom kha or papaya salad next time. read more
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More info about Sang Dao Restaurant
5421 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92115
Rolando
Directions
(619) 263-0914
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http://www.sangdaorestaurant.com
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Ask the Community - Sang Dao Restaurant
What are the hours? I've been calling and calling and no answer. I stopped by twice when I was in the neighborhood and they were closed. I want to place an order but can't ever catch them open.
Do they sell Thai tea here? How much is one drink? Thank you.
Yes, it's really good actually. $3.00
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