The Bottom Line
Pros
- Great Food: Love the Tom Yum Gai soup
- Fast Service
- One of the only places to get Lao Food in the Twin Cities
Cons
- Decor
- Parking
Description
- 501 West University Avenue
St Paul, MN 55103-1938 - Telephone 651-224-5026
- On-street parking on the blocks north of University Avenue.
Guide Review - Lao and Thai Restaurant, University Avenue, St. Paul
Lao and Thai opened in 1996, and the restaurant doesn't seem to have had any cosmetic attention for at least ten years before then. The outside is a off-white box and the inside is 1980s pink and green pastel. I'm assuming it was once a chain restaurant and the new owners didn't see any need to remodel.But that doesn't matter. Perhaps you wouldn't bring a business dinner or a first date here, but I don't care about what the place looks like. I go for the food.
As the name suggests, they serve Lao and Thai food, one of the few places in Minneapolis or St. Paul that has Lao dishes.
The spring rolls are fresh and zingy, with sweet and tangy peanut sauce. For entrees, the noodle dishes are sometimes a tiny bit greasy but very tasty. The Pad Thai is a classic but they do it so well, and the noodle dishes with curry sauce are perfectly spiced with delicious rib-sticking noodles.
My favorite is the Thom Yum Gai soup, which has a wonderful flavorful broth with plenty of fresh herbs and lime.
I went this Sunday evening, and I've got a bag full of take-out containers of leftovers in my fridge, after spending just over $20 for dinner for two people. But, I think it will become a midnight snack rather than tomorrow's lunch: Lao and Thai food is just too tempting to stay in my fridge for long!
