Sang Dao

Amazing and fresh! We Love this place. Would recommend to everyone.

One of my favorite restaurants. The food is always good and flavorful. I love the papaya salad… prepared how I’m used to having it back home.

They never disappoint. Their food is always on point. Literally less than ten minutes after we order, our food was at our table!

These guys do Lao and Thai Food. Roommate suggested this place for good Thai Food. I had the Boat Noodles and the Fried Egg Rolls. The Boat Noodles could have been spicier but it’s okay cause they had the dried chili peppers at the table to spice it up. There were a couple of pieces of meat in the noodle dish that were so hard to chew I had to spit them out. Overall the noodle dish was good and the customer service was excellent and that is why I went 4 stars because the servers there were very nice and answered all my questions. The cute female server even came over and asked me how my meal was which was a plus.

This place was amazing. I have not had authentic Lao food in awhile, especially at a restaurant! The beef laab was amazing (half cooked, half raw) along with the papaya salad (lao style). I definitely will come back again if I am ever in the San Diego area.

So my original Thai place is closed for renovation and I’ve been craving Thai food. Yesterday I went to the chase ATM & tadaaa right behind me was a Thai place. Never even knew they were there. & normally I look at Unilocal before I try a new place but it was packed so I figured they were good.
So impressed. I got my normal drunken noodles asked for extra spicy. So good. She gave me extra jalapeños and extra spices for the side just in case it wasn’t spicy enough.
I will return and spread the word :)

Good place for kow piak, especially after a long night of going out. This place has been around for centuries and it’s still just as good as the first time I went. Their cream cheese wonton is also good, heck who am I kidding everything is GOOD. Give it a try you won’t be disappointed! I’m already craving it, will be my first stop next time I’m in San Diego!

LOVE this place. I’ve been going here for quite awhile now and it is one of my favorite Lao restaurants. HIGHLY RECOMMEND: raw beef larb, pineapple fried rice, and papaya salad (Lao style) If you’re reading this you’re probably saying. raw beef. what??? Sounds really gross but I think they put enough lemon it won’t hurt your stomache. The raw beef is super delicious, eat it with sticky rice and you’re set. Coming from Lao roots I really enjoy Lao food, it’s very different, it looks gross but it is delicious so if you’re in for adventure, try it out! Pineapple fried rice and drunken noodles are really tasty as well. Papaya salad (Lao style) has more fish sauce if you’re into that, it’s still not as great as my moms but pretty good. I also got the khao pek and if you want some good hot noodle soup you should get that too!
Def try this place out! Great Lao restaurant.

This may be a bold statement but I think Sang Dao has the best Thai food in town! I stopped by for lunch with some co-​workers and we all left happy and satisfied.
Their drunken noodles and green curry were fresh, hot and packed with flavor! This location is great for people who need to be in and out within an hour. The service was prompt and the food came out within minutes of ordering. Their prices are reasonable too at $ 9 – 11 per entrée.
If you are in the area, stop by for some delicious food!

A lot of times when I try new places, I will go in, sit down, and tell the waiter, «please bring me whatever you think is good and I will happily eat it.» I did the same here and Mike asked a couple of clarifying questions before bringing me a delicious mock duck pad thai at medium heat and some tofu spring rolls (I have been eating vegan of late). The vegetables crisp and had standalone flavor making for a great break from the spicy yet rich sauce over the perfectly textured noodles. The spring rolls had a very fresh flavor with plenty of mint and after adding a bit of chili paste to the peanut sauce, I found myself really enjoying a simple, classic, thai lunch.
Thanks for the great service Mike! Next time, I’ll probably have it a bit spicier though

Received great customer service and great food. I ordered take out and showed up a little earlier than I said I was. Everyone behind the counter was good at communicating that I was there to pick up and got the food cooked and packed within a few minutes. They also kept me updated on the food status the whole time.
We ordered spring rolls, pad Thai and fried catfish. All dishes were very good. We will order from here again and try a curry dish next time!

This place has great authentic Lao/​Thai food. The service is good and the place is clean. The Lao style papaya salad is flavorful. I had it with chicken wings and sticky rice. I was not expecting the wings to be so crunchy. It was the best. I will definitely be back to try more of their dishes.

I recently just moved near the area and this is my new to go spot! The sizes of the dishes are generous and hot when they come out.
The cream cheese wontons are a must! Great sauce dip with great flavor. A perfect appetizer! The pad thai is my second favorite! The bbq pork was a little dry but still good!
Love how they have a tv with the latest movies to enjoy while having a nice dinner with family and friends.
Customer service was great! My water was constantly refilled!

Plan to eat inside restaurant but then I end up ordering togo.
I got papaya salad, spicy HOT, no peanut. Thai style BBQ Beef. Both of them are so delicious. This is my first time experiencing the food but it won’t be my last. I will come back for more and mango sticky rice too.
Yummy yummy…

The chill vibe of the service here is what sets this place apart for me – the staff is so kind and relaxed in the best possible way. Excellent seafood massaman curry with delish array of spices and generous portions of seafood, and the sticky rice is also a nice side selection. Pad thai and fresh rolls were decent. Great diverse crowd, good food, and on point service.

This place is delicious. Their golden wings are so good, so crispy, gets me hungry just thinking about it. Had some chicken pad thai as well, and it was amazing. It was more on the sweet side than most I’ve had in the past, definitely good, but not my favorite. I think I need to spice it up a little more to get it just right for me.
Oh, and do get the mango sticky rice. It’s so stupidly good. End the date just right.

My mouth waters just thinking about this place!!! Whenever I’m craving Authentic Lao food this is my place of choice.
Sang’s is a eatery located in a mini plaza not too far from SDSU. It’s within a pretty packed for parking plaza so plan ahead when thinking about parking here. They also have another location located in clairemont if you don’t feel like making to trip to the college area.
Four words. Mild «Lao» Papaya Salad.
Three words. BBQ BEEF BRISKET.
Two words. Sticky Rice
One word. Heaven!!!
Their Som Tum (papaya salad) game is on point it’ll make your taste buds want to scream of excitement. I love their Thai style as well it’s always consistent and solid but their Lao style has such an umami esq flavor to it that it’s hard to define. If your not use to deep serious Asian flavors stick with the Thai style. The Lao style is more for the adventurous foodie!
Their bbq beef brisket is amazing and the spicy sauce that accompanies it just completes the dish. And of course you have to have sticky rice to eat everything together.
Their spicy Lao sausage is also something you should definitely take home! It’s an explosion of spicy chilies with garlic and a finish of lemon grass. This place is also known for their crispy angel wings but I’ll save that for my next visit.
The servers make you feel like your at home and cater to all your questions and needs.
Don’t be afraid to tryout this place, you won’t be disappointed!

Unless you’re in Laos, Thailand, or LA, it’s not every day we encounter a good restaurant that serves good Thai and Laotian cuisine.
The first time I had ever been here, they had not yet expanded. Now, it seems they have plenty of space for larger parties and generally more customers. I don’t believe I have ever been here when it was packed, but if they have, then the expansion is necessary.
The food is good. Still haven’t had anything I don’t like.
Service is solid.
The parking lot is small, but it’s never insanely full. You aren’t likely to have trouble finding parking. No need to circle around the block.
It’s located very close to SDSU, just down Collwood and a quick turn on El Cajon Blvd at that corner plaza.
One random plus: There’s a Chase ATM just outside in the lot just in case you need cash for one reason or another. Perhaps to make the bill for the large party much less complicated.

If I could hit that 10 stars button I would! This is one of my favorite top 5 restaurants of all time!
I love everything about this restaurant from the owners the service the ambiance and of course, the food! This is authentic Lao food! Some of the usual dishes that we order here are Pad Thai, drunken noodles, papaya salad, chicken larb, BBQ beef, fried chicken wings and sticky rice. Everything is ALWAYS on point. Consistency is what sets this place apart! Portions are generous and served family style. They know exactly how to balance that salty spicy sweet Also this place is super affordable! I feel like we order 5 – 6 dishes and never pay more than $ 40. LOVE IT HERE!!!

Sang Dao is at the top of my list of Thai places – the papaya salad here is incredible. I have a handful of favs here, but the papaya salad is THE ONE.
Family owned with friendly staff and great service, this hole in the wall is where dreams are made. I’m not usually in the El Cajon area, but if I ever am I usually grab a bite here.
Make sure you try the following:
thai tea
fried fish
panang curry
drunken noodles
Tip: For anything I order here, I usually order it with chicken or fried fish.

I’ve never had Thai or Lao food so when I first passed by I was skeptical of how authentic this place could really be. The second I walked in to the aroma of delicious food being prepared and colorful and well picked décor I was already satisfied.
Their were two families and other single guest like myself but all had the same feature, they were all smiling. The mixture of the food and pleasant waitress made my visit warm instantly I could tell this was a family run business. I ordered the spicy fried rice and egg roles and was given my food in 5 minute give or take. The rice was delicious and exactly what I was hoping for it to be, spicy. Note it’s just enough kick to tell its spicy and not overwhelming. The egg roles tasted good and didn’t have too much of a wow factor but enjoyed it with the sauce they offered. I asked for water and to my surprise right before I could ask for a refill their would be someone on they’re way to fill up my cup. Over all I am a happy and content customer. I will be visiting soon to try they’re Ka’piek.

My favorite authentic Lao food restaurant!
Family owned business with quality food at great prices!
You can never go wrong here, especially if you get the essentials that im about to list down below:
Papaya Salad (Lao Style) $ 7.95
I usually get my salad mild-​medium spiciness level. It always tastes fresh and delicious! Their fermented fish sauce is strong and they always serve generous portion sizes! Can be shared between 2 – 3 people.
Thai BBQ Beef + Side of Sticky Rice $ 8.95
Absolute favorite. It’s basically grilled steak with just enough amount of fat on it to make it nice and juicy. Cooked on the outside and slightly pink on the inside. Just the way I like it. And sticky rice is also a generous portion and always perfect.
Seafood Khao Piak Sen $ 8.95
I always say to vietnamese people, that its the Lao style Banh Canh.
This is a rice noodle soup that looks similar to udon but is softer in texture. The soup is thicker and delicious. Great for any time of day or weather!
HIGHLY RECOMMEND trying out these dishes (: