When my sister went to school in Merced, we always made sure to stop by Papaya Lady whenever we're in town. Since she has graduated, I won't be in town anytime soon, but I highly recommend them for some good Thai and Laotian bites if you're ever in Merced! They have a selection of delicious dishes and I have loved everything that I've tried. My go-to orders are the Papaya Salad and Khao Poon. The papaya salad is a must and the spice level was the perfect amount. The Khao Poon is a coconut curry based noodle soup that is so flavorful. I've also come to really enjoy the Nam Khao (Laotian crispy rice salad), each bite is crunchy and absolutely delish. Your Asian comfort food cravings will definitely be satisfied here. Wishing The Papaya Lady continued success! read more

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I had the Papaya Lady bookmarked for a long time when I finally had the opportunity to try them on my way home from Merced. Located off on the corner of 16th Street and G (same plaza as Little Caesars), the Papaya Lady is actually tucked away inside a carniceria. The aisles of the market nearly block the counter to this little kitchen. It's the neon sign of "The Papaya Lady" buzzing that guides you to the back. We came in the late afternoon on a Saturday and they were already out of the fried chicken and sticky rice (next time!). We ended up ordering: Papaya Salad (extra spicy) - The little peppers in this gave the dish a nice kick. Super refreshing on a hot day. Nam Khao (crispy rice lettuce wrap with pork skin) - I highly enjoyed this one with all the crunchy textures and flavors. Will 100% get again. Khao Poon (noodle soup) - This broth had a subtle peanut flavor which was delicious. Wished it had more toppings. Nam Vanh (tapioca drink) - My drink seemed to lack the other jellies that I saw in other pictures and only had the lil tapioca balls, sweetener and coconut milk. It felt like it was missing something for sure. The owner is so nice and friendly. I don't know if it's a psychological thing, but every time he acknowledged or spoke to me, he used my name. It just felt automatically more warm and welcoming lol The price per portion is also legit. You get so much for what you pay. Our order kept me and the SO fed for almost 3 days. So nice to have some good Asian food in the Central Valley. Will definitely be back! read more

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The Papaya Salad is so fresh & full of summer vibes! Highly recommend! Bonus- the couple that owns the restaurant is the sweetest! read more

The Papaya Lady - Papaya Salad - Imported Food Near Me - Merced, California

Unfortunately, I cannot rate this food at all. We went being curious George's because of the reviews and their food sounded delicious but my friend didn't appreciate hearing fish juice in their food. I appreciated the cashier really trying to sell us what we might like off of the menu. But it didn't work for my friend, so we left. In reference to ambiance, you are walking into a Mexican store, walk straight in to the end and will see the sign, PAPAYA LADY. I will need to go back myself to try their food. read more

We had the papaya salad and the kha poon soup (spelling?). They were both good but the soup stood way out. It was delicious. The place is located in a Mexican store and is take out only. The service was excellent and the owners very interesting and communicative. Definitely will be going back for the soup and to explore the rest of the menu! read more

The papaya lady is the best. Get dark style, it's more authentic and delicious. The service is warm and welcoming to each costumer. I crave thier food! And come back for they welcome me. Remember my name, and we can still talk about tennis. Love this people and food. read more

I was passing through Merced and I am so thankful I found this gem tucked away in the back of a Mexican grocery store. The Lao style larb was so pungent and refreshing and delicious. Super crunchy peanuts!! The soup was really light and enjoyable as well. But the cherry on top of the experience was chatting it up with the owners. He gave me dating advice, life advice, and really positive affirmations. He's a gem. read more

The Papaya Lady - Delightful owners - Imported Food Near Me - Merced, California

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Wow, this place is awesome. This is truly a hidden gem inside a little market. The drink is delicious, make sure to get it just the right amount of sweetness and deliciousness. I got the papaya salad and they made it as recommended with the shrimp paste. The flavors were so delicious together and well balanced. The portions are also huge here, and the price is inexpensive. I could've shared this with another person. I will definitely come back to try the other dishes. They are super friendly here, if you have any questions, just ask, and are very helpful and kind. No seating. Take out and enjoy at home or at the park! read more

The Papaya Lady - Imported Food Near Me - Merced, California

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We love local, we love simplicity, and we love papaya salad bby! Merced is killin it with these Asian eats! The Papaya Lady is a little kitchen tucked away inside of Nuevo Vallarta Mexican market on the corner of 16th and G. They have a little sign outside but it could be very easily missed. When you walk into the carniceria, just head straight to the back of the store and you'll see beautiful Papaya Lady neon sign. This spot is take out only but offers easily accessible parking. Oh man, this place is like mom and dad cooking for you straight out of their own home. The service is exceptional, literally the sweetest people who love connecting with their customers. I will preface with: you will definitely be there talking for a minute, so don't start conversation if you're in a rush. lol No exaggeration that everything on their menu is insanely good and you must try. The spring roll bowl, papaya salad, khaopoon, nam wan, fried chicken and sticky rice!!!! Ugh, all so so good. They will cater towards your spice or sweet level so when I tell them that I lowkey want to cry with the spice, they achieve that. I was also very excited they are able to make their nam wan and thai tea mildly sweet. They have the best chili oil, which is made in house and sold by the jar! Next on my list to try is the larb gai. Pro tip: Keep up with their insta (@thepapayaladymerced). That is definitely the most accurate place to check out their current hours and weekly specials. read more

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I have been coming to The Papaya Lady for over 20 years. When they say they're family, they mean it! Auntie and uncle are the sweetest people and they make their food fresh and with a lot of love! And you really can't beat these prices. I enjoy the kaopoon, papaya, and fried chicken. Auntie also makes nam khao and red curry occasionally, which are also delicious. Also, her Thai tea hits different! Their shop is located in the back of a butchery! It makes it easy to then also grab some drinks or beer or other snacks while you wait for your food to get prepared. read more

The Papaya Lady - Papaya with vermicelli noodles, extra spicy - Imported Food Near Me - Merced, California

Best Popeyes salad ever sticky rice with the fried chicken with the sauce, bro it's right there by Little Caesars in the corner inside the meat market go there you won't be disappointed read more

Definitely call before you come and don't rely on the hours listed here or on Google. We called ahead of time just because we were going to order like 6 orders or chicken, so we wanted to give her a heads up. No one answered, but since it was listed open here, we made the 30 min drive. She wasn't open ..and now I'm papaya salad-less and sad. read more

This place is a must when passing thru the valley or if you live within the area. It's nothing but good home style food serving Thai and Lao cuisine that warms the soul. From appetizers to entrees, you can't go wrong for a quick bite that will leave you satisfied and happy. Unfortunately "Aunty" had to leave her previous spot on old town and now she is located inside a Mexican mini-mart. From the famous spicy papaya salad to the delicious kapoon noodle soup, there is always something that will make your belly happy. Auntie is always so pleasant and calm, and service with a smile that reminds you of your grandma with the kind heart. I have and always make the time to go here whenever I'm passing thru the valley whether I'm coming or going to SoCal or the sierras. read more

genuinely one of the sweeeetest owners ever. I placed an over the phone order and my boyfriend went inside to pick it up. he took a while and came back 15 min later telling me that i NEEDED to meet the owners. i walked in and the sweetest gentleman greeted me. he was so kind. my boyfriend continued to tell me about the pastes and sauces he ended up buying too, along with the entire menu for us to try. honestly, this mom and pops whole in the wall is what i live for. wish we lived closer, but i know we will come back whenever we're around. highly recommend!! the papaya salad is what drew me first and everything has been amazingly delicious and affordable. limited menu = the best menu!! please come and check them out. you won't regret it. read more

The Papaya Lady - papaya salad and dessssert - Imported Food Near Me - Merced, California

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The papaya salad was delicious but it could have been spicier. Didn't taste like 10 peppers; probably am that batch of peppers. Service was excellent and the place if a awesome hole in the wall. It's inside a carniceria, so you're able to get some fresh pork rinds to pair and meat to bbq all at once. Excellent place. read more

Fun, quirky place tucked into a Mexican grocery store and butcher shop. The owner told me the neon sign hanging inside because he was worried about it getting stolen. A nondescript little plaza so be on the lookout for that and you're there. We had a small papaya salad (which was still too large for me), a beef jerky over rice, which my kid enjoyed, and a nam vanh dessert drink. The prices were modest and the portions were big. Unfortunately their stove at the time was a little compromised as they had to clear of everything for some work being done. So they couldnt prepare a number of things. Loved talking to the owner, or should I say he seemed to love talking to me about all sorts of things. Very friendly and welcoming. Will definitely stop by again. read more

Food is super yummy and the owners are so sweet!! The red curry is soooo good!! Love it there

Good food, good prices, and super warm and friendly owners. A lot of dishes sold out that day, but that just tells you how good the food is. To be fair, it was later in the day, so it seems you need to get there early for more availability. I've been waiting a long time to visit since first following them on Instagram. Unfortunately, we're not in the area often, as we live in SoCal. Glad I had a chance to bring my family there. We'll definitely return when we get another chance! read more

Honestly anything they sell here is great. I've tried the curry, the soup, the papaya salad, the tapioca drink and the flavors are always on point and quality. The only thing I'd recommend is calling ahead because the wait is usually a while. read more

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Hello Papaya Lady, Good food. Good folks First time it was difficult to locate you, tucked away in the corner of the market. But I'm glad I did as I love mom and pop shops and simple good food like this. Food was great. Price was good. The lady was sweet. Don't start a conversation if in a rush though :) Will be back again and let others known Kao Poon 5/5 - Simple but good. A dish I generally like. Not loaded fancy like some restaurants but that's why the price is good. Taste was solid Papaya - 5/5 - I'm actually not a papaya fan. Smells A bit funny. Not my favorite things. But can't let my bias influence the rating. I actually enjoyed this one so that says a lot! Thai Tea 5/5 - I rarely ever order Thai tea bc it's just too sweet.. but as I drank this one I thought dang this is good. One of the best I've had. Now I have a terrible memory and I rarely drink this so who knows if it's actually much better but at that moment I sure thought so. Red Curry 4/5 - this is the newest dish. Gave a nice but not perfect rating bc... Maybe bc the quantity was a lot less and that it didn't jump out like the other dishes. But still good. Gotta go support the local shops y'all! read more

The Papaya Lady - Papaya - Imported Food Near Me - Merced, California

The Papaya Lady is located within a Mexican market. We came here and discovered they were closed, so we came back again the next day. Of course I had to order the papaya salad. I enjoyed it. It was fresh and the noodles helped with the heat. If I find myself passing through Merced again, I'll have to get the nam van (tapioca dessert drink) next time! read more

The Papaya Lady - Imported Food Near Me - Merced, California

Was having a hard time finding this place. So apparently it's inside this Mexican market and you just go towards the back. I just think it is funny that this shop is in a Mexican market. Anyways, the owners of the shop are super sweet and I showed them a picture on Yelp of what I wanted to get. So it's tapioca and coconut milk. It's very hard to describe but it was very very good. if I was more local I would get it more often it was very tasty! read more

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Went about two weeks ago. My wife asked me to stop and pick up some papaya salad so I said ok. I show around 12, and go into the store and she wasn't there. So I asked the gentlemen working the meat counter is she closed today? They answered by telling me that she was running late. OK I get it sometimes life gets in the way. I go home and wait a few hours and call. She answers and she is now working so me and my wife get in the car and drive out there. Mind you she has very great reviews so that is why we decided to try her papaya salad. We get there order a Thai tea and a large papaya salad with extra chili and a couple minutes later my order was ready I was gonna tip her and she refused to take a tip. The Thai tea was good. We get home and we open the papaya salad there's no peppers Hardly any papaya. The majority of it was cabbage. We take a taste and we are bombarded with salt. Cabbage and salt is all I tasted. I don't know if I went on a bad day or something was wrong or if this is just the way she makes it. It was a rip off. It was bad. It was mostly cabbage. I'm glad she refused to take a tip because I would've felt more annoyed paying full price for that and tipping on top. I will not be back. read more

Best Papaya Salad and Thai Iced Tea. Lots of delicious eats on the menu and I love the cute owners. Boun is so friendly read more

The Papaya Lady - Papaya Salad - Imported Food Near Me - Merced, California

I've been ordering from this person since i was a kid. My favorite place for namvam! They add the perfect sweetness, and they're generous with the coconut milk. They make good kapoon, and the coconut milk/cream makes the broth extra rich. Oh, do try the thai tea, papaya wait just try everything on the menu! My only wish is for them to make medium rare laab. If only read more

Wonderful. We love the fast and friendly customer service. The food was great. We'll definitely go again.

Tucked in a Mexican market with the kindest service and authentic food! I wish we could had eaten more but the papaya salad and Nan vang drink was so good. It's a takeaway place so no place to sit read more

If you are in the Merced area, you absolutely HAVE to visit the Papaya Lady!! Absolutely amazing Laotian food at such a great price, made with love and always fresh. The Papaya Lady is tucked in a convenience store and run by a mom and pop duo who are SUPER friendly and kindhearted. Seriously the nicest people ever. They only do takeout. We ordered the red curry, the khao poon (noodle curry soup), mild and spicy papaya salad, chicken wing and sticky rice, and the coconut milk tapioca drink. All were so so so tasty, but my favorites were the khao poon and red curry. So fragrant, fresh, and delicious. They also do Vietnamese iced coffee and Thai iced tea. Both also amazing. A MUST VISIT! read more

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We stumbled upon Papaya Lady while driving through the area and were pleasantly surprised. Located in a plaza inside a convenience store, The Papaya Lady takes up residence in a corner stall ran by a lady that preps 3-4 entrees and a few beverages (Thai iced tea and viet coffee) and a dessert. The noodle dish is good ($7) and the fried chicken ($5) comes with one big drumstick that has decent batter and mostly moist chicken on rice - the sauce that comes with the fried chicken dish is really what elevates the dish. Parking in plaza read more

This place is location inside a Mexican grocery store lol. It's run by a a really nice mom and pop but TBH it's not all the hype all the reviews are saying. read more

Very tasty and very cheap,I don't know how they pay their bills cause they give you a lot of good food at a low price.very sweet retired couple,literally a mom n pop shop.i ask why they don't charge more,they said they want to make it affordable for everyone and didn't want to upset their long time customers read more

We got the papaya salad and the Khao Poon, both were really good and fresh tasting! Good lemongrass and cilantro flavors in the soup. We got the medium spice level with the papaya salad, it was plenty spicy if you're into that. The staff were really friendly! It's inside a little mexican market. We also got the coconut milk drink with jelly and jackfruit. That was good too. read more

If you're ever in Merced, do yourself a favor and stop by!! We came to Merced for my son's soccer game and stumbled upon this place while browsing Yelp. I couldn't pass up a spot named The Papaya Lady! We ordered everything on the menu and everything was soo good. It felt like a home cooked meal made by my parents. Better yet, they made me feel like they were my parents. They were so sweet and welcoming. I really wished they were closer to me but they said Merced is their home and can't see themselves anywhere else. Please support if you are local and if you're not, stop by when you do get the chance! You will not be disappointed! read more

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I was visiting Merced for the weekend and came across The Papaya Lady on Yelp and the Nam Vanh (tapioca dessert) looked really tasty - I had to check it out! I went in and bought a Thai Tea and the Nam Vanh and they were both incredible. Reminded me of my visits to Thailand. The couple working were so sweet to me and we chatted about Thailand and Merced for a bit. They were the friendliest people I encountered during my visit. I will definitely go back and tell all my friends to go there when they visit Merced! read more

The Papaya Lady - Thai Tea and Nam Vanh (Tapioca Drink) - Imported Food Near Me - Merced, California

Stopped by on our drive from the Central Valley to the bay. We were craving Lao food and were happy to stumble upon this little shop. Ordered: Papaya salad (with noodles) LAO style, medium spicy Khao Poon Spring roll bowl (shrimp and pork) Nam Van Iced coffee Portions here huge, and the papaya was made to order. Great amount of umami from the Padek (fermented crab). Khao poon was made with chicken thighs and finely shredded. Nam van had a great amount of jack fruit and pandan jelly. I appreciated the love and care they took in each item. No fuss; and only delicious food. Highly recommended. Clutch tip: park under a tree for shade and keep the car running if you plan to eat immediately. There's no seating; and the parking lot is shared with a few other shops. 107 degree heat is no joke in the Central Valley read more

5 stars for the nam va! Make an effort to come get your nam va here. The nam va is always good and the best in the Central Valley. I always look forward to the nam va when I'm in town and make a point to stop by. read more

I love this place so much I usually go almost every week if not TWICE a week! I love getting their chicken and sticky rice. It's soooo good. And that sauce that comes with it is fire! I always ask for extra sauce!! They always treat everyone like they are their family! read more

It's allll so delicious from the papaya salad , Thai coffee and everything in between, it's soooo good! Great customer service!

This is a Merced staple, iykyk!!! I've been coming to these folks for years and everytime I've been more than pleased. "Mom and Dad" feel like real family when they help you. They always remember a face and will treat you so kindly while serving up delicious dishes and big ole portions at super affordable prices. The chicken & rice BANGS! Idk what they season the chicken with. Hopes and dreams? Heart and soul? Idk but it's mouth watering. You'll want to dip EVERYTHING in the spicy sauce that comes with this quick meal. The Red Curry soup is incredibly flavorful and yummy no matter if it's hot or cold outside. The papaya salad BAYBEEEEEE! Mom does her THANG with this one. She makes them fresh to order with your liking of spiciness. I'm a food snob who often travels to the Bay Area or LA get my fix since our options are more than limited in Merced. The Papaya Lady has big city quality and flavors with small town customer service that makes you feel like you're at home. COME HERE NOW! Pro tip- order early, they sell out sometimes. read more

Delicious home cooking!! I was surprised to find this little gem inside a carnicera. The owners/cooks/cashier are this sweet elderly couple. They're running the whole show, so be patient and order ahead of time by 20 minutes if you don't want to wait. Did I mention the prices are very reasonable. read more