Very much enjoyed our dinner at the BYOB, Vientiane Café. Being seated in the front room, we were glad that there was a double door to keep the chill outside. Servers were hustling, but were on hand for questions or requests for more water. With six diners, we were able to try a number of the dishes, and all were tasty! Appetizers: - Sticky Tamarind Wings (fried and tossed in a sweet and tangy sauce along with chili, lemongrass, and kaffir leaves)--delicious and sticky! - Crispy Pork Spring Rolls (silver noodles, cabbage, shiitake mushrooms, served with house sauce)--great sauce; - Steamed Shrimp Dumplings (stuffed with onions, carrots, and leaks, served with garlic soy sauce); and - Angel Shrimp (wrapped in wonton skin and deep-fried, served with sweet chili sauce). Mains: - King Soup (red curry broth served over vermicelli noodles with shredded cabbage, carrots, bean sprouts, mint, cilantro, and scallions with tofu)--requested at a spice level 3, this was a rich, filling soup thanks to a generous hand with the tofu; - Deep-fried Whole Pompano Fish with Ginger Sauce (sautéed with garlic, ginger, chili peppers, carrots, and onions) served with jasmine rice)--diner ordered a Triple Flavored Sauce (sweet tangy, spicy sauce, served with steamed vegetables) at a spice level 5, but though spicy, it wasn't overwhelmingly so; - Homemade Lao Sausages (stuffed with chopped pork, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, served with steamed vegetables, roasted chili garlic paste with stick rice)--consensus was these were some great sausages; - Casserole (napa cabbage, clear noodles, basil, chili, in a red curry base)--ordered by two diners, both with fish; - Laab Salad (marinated with roasted rice powder, herbs, lime juice, with spring mix, and served with sticky rice). Desserts: - Mango Coconut Stick Rice--my favorite, not too sweet with perfectly ripe mango slices! - Banana ​Chocolate ​Spring ​Rolls--my banana-loving fellow diners thought this dessert was great! - Fried ​Banana ​Tempura with ​Honey--again, my banana-loving fellow diners thought this dessert was great - Coconut Rice Pudding--my rice-pudding-loving fellow diners thought this dessert was great! Will definitely return! read more

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I tried Laotian food for the first time here! The restaurant is bigger inside than it looks from the outside, and I liked looking at the decorations while walking to our table. I also appreciated that the restaurant was well lit enough so that I could read the menu without issue. Our waitress was really nice and answered our questions about Laotian food. The pork spring rolls were super crispy and tasted especially good with the sweet dipping sauce. The Aw Lao was very dill-heavy (I learned that dill is often used in Laotian cuisine) but the flavors of the soup worked well together, and the sticky rice texture was great. I got the king's soup, and the portion size was big enough for leftovers. I wish the broth had been a bit saltier, but otherwise it was good! read more

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OMG the best Lao food restaurant I've ever dined! The food reminds me of times at my Lao friend's homes to eat. Such generosity, beautiful decor, and the food superb! What can I say? The sausage is so flavorful. Eating it with sticky rice brings me back to sitting on the mat at the Sribounheuang home dipping my khao neow in the jeow muk phet - heaven! Take a bite of sausage with rice and sauce and you'll want more. We also had GANG AW LAO (GF) - Stew lemongrass, shallots, chili, Asian eggplants, dill and served with sticky rice; more khao neow, yes! I'd surprisingly to me, never had this dish. It is such a lovely balance of flavors. Another Lao specialty dish I highly recommend you try at Vientiane Bistro/Cafe. So, not only is the food top notch but the service is as well. Opal, our server went above and beyond to provide a memorable experience for my friend and me. When I visit Philly again, I will definitely dine at Vientiane! read more

Vientiane Café - Lao Sausage, gang aw lao (lemongrass stew), and sticky rice in beautiful sticky rice basket! - Thai Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The food, service & the surroundings was wonderful. Our server was wonderful, friendly & made us feel so welcome. The food came out hot & steamy every time. It was not a long wait & it's a BYOB & perfect for girl's night out or a date night. I will be back very soon. read more

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I make it a point to dine here whenever I visit since it has one of my favorite dishes in Philadelphia! I used to live in West Philly and I always got the naam lettuce wraps; they're traditionally made with minced pork but they have a vegan version that is AMAZING. And everything else on the menu is also great. I love that it is BYOB. The dining area is bigger than it looks since it extends to the back, but you do often need to make a reservation during peak times. Parking in the area can be difficult, especially right outside on Baltimore avenue. read more

Vientiane Café - Thai Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Ordered takeout last week and was satisfied. We got the kings soup, the aw Lao, pad thai, and the drunken noodle. The flavors were really vibrant and the dishes reheated well the next day. read more

I'm updating my review. My last visit to Vientiane cafe was better. Most of the food I had was okay. Desserts are good. Here's a food summary (I use ^ to indicate a half-star and * for a full star. So, ***^ means 3.5 stars): ** Fish wraps (pun-paah) came with the ingredients for me to put together myself: fish, lettuce, star fruit, cucumber, tomatoes, vermicelli, tamarind sauce, etc. The fish was overcooked and not tasty. I would not want this again. **** Coconut Rice Pudding is creamy and good *** Mango Sticky Rice is fine 3+ stars read more

We made a reservation for last night by phone. It is not close to where we live. It was also extremely cold. We arrived and noticed that it was cold. We thought that maybe it was from the draft from the entrance. We were shown to our table and saw that the few patrons sitting all had their parkas and down coats on. We asked about the lack of heat and they said 'Oh, yeah, out heat is not working.' Do you think that you should have tld us when we made the reservation an hour ago???? Never again. read more

We got takeout from them, so I don't know about the service and ambiance, but the food was absolutely delicious!

Fantastic food. A little on the pricey side. I got the pineapple rice with extra tofu. It was awesome. Not sweet like you expected from something with pineapple. They didn't use any fruit syrups or anything like that. It was real fruit. I got the least spicy and for someone like me it was still a little spicy. My friends partner loves spicy shit so she got most spicy and it was almost too much! We kept checking if she needed a glass of milk. I got the tea too which was excellent. Great place but I hope it isn't $90 for 3 people next time. read more

I've been coming to Vientiane for YEARS! My mom was Thai and used to bring me when I was a child when they only had space for about 5-6 tables! They've grown so much but the staples have remained the same, thank goodness. My mom passed away a few years ago, but whenever I come here I feel a sense of nostalgia for the flavors I had as a kid. My personal favorites every time I come are the homemade Laotian sausages and the beef jerky with sticky rice! read more

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Our go to! Always delicious - a true neighborhood staple. The Pad Kee Mao, the red curry with beef, and the papaya salad are our faves!

Very filling and tasty! Bring your appetite! Service is excellent. Off street parking! Comfortable atmosphere! read more

Vientiane Café - Inside - Thai Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

So my friend and I went to this restaurant at my suggestion bc I saw that it had good reviews, and we had a meeting to go to after dinner that was close by. We ordered the Penang curry with beef and the pad thai with chicken to share. The Penang curry had a good peanutty flavor and creamy consistency, but the beef itself was very tough, which made it pretty unappetizing to be honest. The pad thai didn't have a strong sour tamarind flavor either. The chicken in it wasn't necessarily juicy either, but it wasn't as hard or dry as the beef in the curry. I was a bit disappointed, given that the food came out to around $50 with tip. I will not be coming back. read more

Vientiane Café - Penang curry and pad Thai - Thai Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Vientiane is another of several restaurants that was popular among my classmates when I was in college that I never got around to trying. So of course it's another restaurant that my partner was very interested in, so we recently made it one of our pandemic dinner takeout selections. The menu is quite extensive and vegetarian-friendly, and we both liked our entrees so much that this is definitely being added to our list of West philly restaurants to return to. I decided to go with a Laotian dish that I was unfamiliar with, Lad Na with tofu, while my partner went with one of his Thai favorites, Pad Kee Mao (also with tofu). While the containers were the same and looked similarly filled, the La Na is a MUCH bigger portion, even the half portion I ate was quite generous. And so good! The rice noodles were kind of sticking together, but still tasted great, the tofu was perfect- fried just to the point of creating that perfect crisp edge without being TOO fried - the brocolli greens were a good complement, and the sauce was spicy and flavorful. I was worried it might be too sweet but it wasn't at all. My partner really liked his Pad Kee Mao too, and was able to finish the smaller portion in a single sitting. While the prices are a bit higher than we're used to, the quality and portions make them quite reasonable (even without considering the Baltimore Ave markup). Looking forward to trying something new next time! read more

Vientiane Café - Tofu pad kee mao - Thai Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Tasty lao food with easy parking nearby and they take reservations. cash only. our lettuce wrap with fried pompano was the stand-out, but also enjoyed other things particularly the papaya salad. BYO read more

Bring Cash! First time having Laotian food, and I love it. This has quickly shot up to one of my go-tos, because of its location near University city, and its absolutely delicious array of food. I had the Sticky Tamarind and the Penaeng Curry, and both were super delicious. Not only does Vientiane provide great food, but it also has so many gluten free and vegan options. Definitely recommend for anyone living nearby. read more

Vientiane Café - Penaeng Curry - Thai Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Excellent experience. Nice ambience, wonderful service. Fantastic, varied menu. High quality food. Mango sticky rice is amazing.

The food was quite good, but it didn't live up to my expectations unfortunately. I would have liked if they called the foods by more specific names to see which lao or thai foods they are making, because I couldn't tell which soup the King Soup was trying to be (it was still not bad, could have been spicier and more flavorful) and the jerky was a bit dry. My friend also ordered a curry that honestly just looked like watery curried vegetables, so I'm glad I got the soup at least. The service was nice though, and they didn't rush me and my friend out even though we stayed till practically closing. read more

Vientiane Café - Thai Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Food is always good, never had a bad meal. Been coming here for years. Favorites: spring rolls, pad Thai, Panaeng curry, pho. Any selection you make should satisfy. read more

Got delivery from Uber eats from Vientiane tonight. The city is shut down this thanksgiving eve, so it was so comforting to get delivery from this consistent restaurant and eat such delicious food. I had the Penang curry with chicken and sticky rice.. silky, peanut-y, spicy...I ordered a combination so it came with the vegetarian naam salad. So delicious! My kid ordered the Kings soup with tofu. So tasty and comforting! Try this place! They've been putting out delicious, consistent food since 2000 when they were a secret restaurant just two streets over from me. They always deliver great food! read more

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My friend and I had never even heard of this place before but were looking for a restaurant to eat in the area. What a gem! The ambience inside was nice and the waitress was really helpful in making recommendations for us. We may be small women but we have big appetites, so we shared 3 dishes! * Homemade Beef Jerky - we felt fancy eating these, it was a nice appetizer to start the meal * Pad See Mao - kinda spicy, but very filling * Panaeng Curry - so good, especially loved the peanut and coconut flavor with lots of spices I can't wait to come back and try more dishes on their menu! read more

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The food is good but not outstanding. Prices are relatively high which makes cash only somewhat inconvenient. I usually get the Lao sausage which is both worthy and has some standout hot condiments with it. I have however had some bad experience with promised pickup time vs actual pickup time for takeout orders which has discouraged me from coming more often. read more

It took us more than 1 hour to get our food despite that there were only 2 customers in the restaurant, including us. Service is below average. And they messed up our order the first time, so it had to be brought back to kitchen to be re-made. Drunken noodles is a bit saltier than usual, but pretty good overall. The appetizer Banh Xeo is really good! It is or first time having it, and tastes Amazing. It looks like an omelette, but without eggs. It's liked fried crepe thing with vegetables stufffed inside. Quiet delicious! Highly recommend!! Aw Lao is like a stew with rice on the side. Stew has very strong basil taste, a bit sour, and interesting, not bad. read more

Vientiane Café - Drunken noodles - Thai Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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One of my favorite spots in philly- they have AMAZING vegetarian options, and you cant go wrong w your order. Love the drunken noodles, peanut based curry, eggplant sweet basil, all with tofu - soooooo good. Ive heard great things abt the banh xeo and the thai tea too! So many things i want to try on this menu. If you like spicy, i recommend ordering the spiciest level - i got normal spicy for the drunken noodles and didnt find it to be quite spicy enough read more

I live in West Philly and wanted to give this a try. On Saturday evening, the restaurant was packed which could be a good sign but it was understaffed and cold (only a couple of space heaters were warming up the entire restaurant and the restroom was ice cold). My food came late and it was cold (again another sign of the place being understaffed) and above all, it didn't taste good at all. I won't go there again and don't recommend. read more

I went here on a Saturday night at peak time, 730 pm, and my friend and I were seated promptly. We ordered the Naam salad (which is vegetarian), tofu pad thai, and the shrimp laab. Service here is only ok- the servers were friendly but pretty slow, we had to remind them a couple of times for things like hot sauce, etc. As for the food, the Naam salad is fantastic. Highly recommend. It's truly delicious and so fresh and flavorful. The pad Thai was excellent, more on the savory side, and just really good overall. The laab was good and I'm glad I tried it. It was very citrusy and savory. I probably wouldn't order it again because there are other things I'd like to try, but it's a light, fresh, tasty dish. read more

Vientiane Café - Exterior of restaurant - Thai Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Got take out at this place but I definitely want to return to eat in!! Would highly recommend the Penang curry. So delicious and spicy! I also really enjoyed the mok casserole with shrimp. Such a unique dish that I will definitely go back for. My new go to take out/delivery spot. they now deliver to center city area on Uber eats which is awesome! read more

What happened to this place? It was my fav in Philly! I went there recently and everything was watered down and lot pricier! The coconut soup was thin and bland, the Penang curry portion was smaller than before, no fancy presentation like they used to have, and the flavor was blah..the Pad Thai was generic. Seriously, what happened?? Maybe it's new management? read more

Vientiane is such a special place for my friends/family and I. We dine here for everyone's birthdays. BYOB, delicious food, what else can you ask for? Vientiane offers the most authentic Laos/thai food you can find in the Philadelphia area. do yourself a favor and try this place out, you will not be disappointed! read more

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Came here for date night and let's just say not one thing was disappointing. EVERYTHING was great, just be cash ready.

A worthwhile destination, even if you are not from the neighborhood. I lived at 48th & Hazel back in my art school days which was before the area was cutely named 'Cedar Park' and when Baltimore Ave. did not have very much to offer in the way of ethnic food, other than Lucky's Chinese Take Out, which is still in business after 37 years-possibly under new management. After a too long stint on the West coast, I moved back to Philly in 2015. I had been longing to see my old West Philly neighborhood again. In the back of my mind I was also on the look out for some decent, non trendy, authentic Thai food but I never expected to find it here. Laotian food is damn good food, somewhat along the lines of Thai cuisine but subtler. My dining companion and I found parking on a side street and as we crossed Baltimore and headed towards Vientiane, I was giddy with memories and pleased to see this old street looking better than the last time I waited on the corner for the trolley to take me to art school in Center City. This place is cash only and byob. First impressions-one was how utterly delicious the place smelled when we walked in. I wanted to go from table to table, asking the diners what they thought the best thing on the menu was. Second was the unfeigned courtesy. We got seated right away and were watered and menued up with no waiting. Everything looked so good. Wonderful to see that sticky rice could be had with entrees. We started with fried spring rolls and Yum Salad with shrimp. Excellent! Smart, crisp flavors and fresh, well handled food. Someone in the kitchen absolutely cared about what they are sending out to diners. The crowd was mixed; Caucasian students, married, straight 20 somethings, elegant looking mixed race couples, beautiful Rasta boys, professors, seniors-all the casual, natural and unstudied diversity that made me ache for Phillly when I lived elsewhere. This is not a big place and it can be loud, bit it's an easy, happy, comfortable kind of raucousness that washes over you and pulls you in, making you feel like part of an all embracing, wonderful party. Service was polite and pleasant. Entrees were more than ample. My companion had green curry with tofu that she raved about while I had the Lao pork sausages-three fat, juicy ones with a side of sticky rice, lick your fingers dipping sauce and a mound of vegetables which were forgettable but fresh. I didn't care because I wanted to reserve my appetite so I could do the sausages justice. Time slowed as it does when one is having a really exceptional meal. Between the audaciously fine food and the people watching, I was in heaven. We were not rushed or pushed to order more than we already had. We finally finished with Thai iced tea and the tempura fried banana (cliched but delicious). As we wound up our repast, we were making future plans to come back for lunch, and for dinner again and then for lunch and...who knows, maybe I'd even head down the block to get something to go from Lucky's for old times sake... Remember-cash only and bring your appetite. read more

When the world opened back up, and my partner and I finally felt comfortable enough to go out to a restaurant, Vientiane was the first choice. What a perfect spot for a date. We chose seats outside, in a twinkly-lit back patio, and ordered all of our favorites from the Lao Specialty menu: the Lao sausages and pork Laab (which are the two staples we order every time, without fail), and this time, the Aw Lao with salmon. You might be on the fence about the sausages, as there are only 3 for about $16 - but please know they are worth every penny. They're spectacular: crispy from a fire grill, and packed with fresh herbs and savory mince. The pork Laab is our favorite meal for a hot night in the city as it's served cool. With all the fresh herbs cooked in, it always tastes so light and bright. We finished the meal with the tempura-fried bananas and a drizzle of honey. It's my death row dessert, and so tough to find in Philly. A special bottle of red I received as a gift made the dinner date even more special - it's BYOB. If you're looking for a dimly lit, cozy date spot with tons of flavorful, unique options: Vientiane is definitely it. read more

Very good food at reasonable price. Really tasty Laotian options with additional Thai options. Something quite unique about Laotian food that also has similarities with Thai and Vietnamese, yet still unique in its own right. Vientiane Cafe does a nice job of offering quite a variety in a cozy family-run type place at a reasonable price. Service is friendly and helpful. Will definitely be back! read more

No need to fly to Asia to get amazing Laotian/Thai food. Vientiane Café will satisfy your Asian cravings without breaking the bank. For starters we had the delicately sweet beef jerky and level 1 and level 3 papaya salad (note: level 1 was just the perfect spice level for me, level 3 was like throwing a fireball in my mouth) along with the grilled mixed vegetables and spring rolls. Everything was made to perfection. Although I wished they served sticky rice with the beef jerky, that can be remedied by ordering a side of sticky rice. We continued to gorge on naam (crispy rice with lime and peanuts), vegetable fried rice, crispy duck, shrimp red curry, and drunken noodles with chicken. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu. As you can see we ordered a wide variety and we all left feeling like stuffed turkeys. read more

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Wont come back here again. Ordered spring rolls and iced coffees If I was actually eating here in the restaurant Be there at my table in 15mins Takes 45 mins for apps to go The hostess was nice and everything Never come back here again. read more

Came for a lunch special which is soup, app, and entree for 13-17 which is a decent deal. It was definitely a lot of food. The coconut soup was p good, although nothing really stood out- it was just a coconutty broth with veggies. The chicken satay were a bit dry, but still very flavorful- the sauce was perfect and really went well with the satay. I got the Panang curry medium spicy for my entree. All I can say is that it was alright. Spice level is as expected. My biggest complaint is that when it arrived, it looked like it was starting to separate into a layer of oil and a layer of lumpy inside. Still tasted pretty good, and they were generous with the beef so extra points for meat lovers. We got there at 1:30ish and there was no line, service was pretty fast also. Just watch out it is cash only. Still probably the best Thai place in west philly, although there really isn't much competition. read more

Vientiane Café - Penang curry - Thai Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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My favorite flavors in the city. Pretty next level -- next plateau! There's good food, very good food and then there's this sublime gem. Bright laab, rich curries. Cozy atmosphere paired with good service. BYO is a plus, rather than $7 Singha. read more

Walked in and was just overwhelmed with the aroma of this place. The service was outstanding and the Thai was probably the best in Philadelphia. Order the Vegetarian Naam Salad as soon as you sit down it was delicious. We also loved the green curry and the sweet basil. The restaurant is out of the way in west Philadelphia but gets filled up fast on weekends so plan ahead. read more

This eatery isn't much larger than a walk-in closet, but bright walls, flowers and candles - and the fact that they're a BYOB - make this an affordable date spot. Due to its size, you'll never be ignored by the friendly staff, even when there's a crowd. The kitchen works fast, turning out piping hot Laotian and Thai dishes in record time. There's the usual assortment of curries, seafood, and rice plates. Fresh spring rolls ($3.95; vegetarian; cash only, last I checked) come with a side of sweet plum sauce and a pleasantly tart fish sauce. Try the pad kee mao ($10.95; with beef): While it could be spicier and the beef is almost dangerously dry, the sauteed rice noodles are moist, and the mix of onions, carrots, broccoli, chili peppers, bean sprouts, and basil give it flavor and color. read more