Reviews for Vientiane Restaurant

07/12/2010 - Joel Vertone
This is a GREAT restaurant! The place is clean and the staff is friendly. I don't know how anyone is making bad comments about the cleanliness of the place, the decor may need some updating but it is not dirty by any means. the food is incredible and the portion size is a great value. In my 20+ experiances, i have never been let down.

Go for the beef Mee Crop add mushrooms!!!

06/13/2009 - Skunknuts
This is the best Asian food in Madison. It is rather unique, as it combines Thai and Laotian, without begin steadfast to either in particular. This results in dishes like Pad Thai deviating from what one might expect, yet I believe this is an asset. The Pad Thai is saucy and flavorful, compared to the drier dish served at most restaurants. The owner is friendly, and will cook you up something special if you ask. You can add/ tweak dishes to your taste, and the spiciness is adjustable. The restaurant has been redone, somewhat, and has a better ambiance compared to when some of the previous reviews were written. If you feel like staying at home, the owner will happily deliver. In conclusion, if you are looking for flavorful, aromatic, spicy food cooked in a Thai/ Laotian family style, this place can't be beat. I have enjoyed the owner's food for over 16 years (I'm only 29), and have introduced it to numerous others for whom it has also become a favorite. Try it, you won't end full of regret, rather a delicious one of a kind meal!

05/29/2009 - food fan
The service at this place was SUPERB! Probably the best service I've ever had! I think our waiter may have also been the owner, I'm not sure but we arrived near closing and he quickly reassured us he was still open for another hour and we had plenty of time to be served - I think it was near closing time but he was happy to serve us. They have a scale to rate how hot you want your food (only certain meals are spicy) and the scale ranges from one to five with five being hottest... I told them i wanted 2 (medium) the waiter told me that the curry is quote spicy and encouraged me to go to a 1.5 which was mild to medium - the food was great but was incredibly spicy --- if you eat here you should trust the wait staff when they tell you to start mild. I started mild to medium and my food was so hot that it was almost unbearable!.. buti it was still tasty. The Tom Tofu soup (something like that) was tasty, I recommend that you add white rice right into the soup. The chicken satay was ok but I don't really recommend it. The only downfall was that the mountain dew was flat or watered down, but it was only $1! This place has good prices, a nice menu selection and absolutely fantastic service and for us that is what will bring us back! Even if you aren't familiar with Laos or Vietnamese food you SHOULD TRY THis! There is something for everyone on the menu and each item comes with a description so you know what you are getting.

04/01/2009 - MenuPix User
The atmosphere may not be the swankist, but you know what, not every restaurant has to be swanky. Some of us like down-home looking places we can just be ourselves.

The food is great and they've made some improvements to the recipes that have really added a lot of depth to the favors. The place is clean, if a bit disorganized. I highly recommend the hot and sour soup and singapore noodles. They also have the big old school egg rolls with the bright red sauce.

I've never had anything but great service with this place. There is off street parking right next to the building.

03/02/2009 - MenuPix User
Best Thai/Laos food in Madison. Great price, excellent spring rolls and soup!!

01/10/2009 - MenuPix User
To the person who couldn't figure out whether the food was 'Chinese, Thai, or hmmmm'. Ever try googling the name, since you clearly lack any sense of geographical or world knowledge and thus couldn't figure it out without the internet? We're talking the capitol city of an entire country here... Damn, way to hold up the stupid American stereotype.

As for the restuarant, tasty and one of the better spots in town- Lao Laan Xang is also very good.

I've never been disappointed and while the service can be a bit slow, they are very friendly and the food and atmosphere work well for the place! Plants make it cozy, large windows let in lots of light, and this is where I bring friends who I'm introducing to the world of Laotian food.

12/02/2008 - MenuPix User
This restaurant is far too confusing for me. Is it Chinese or Thai or hmm? The curry was half onions, and every part of the meal was underwhelming. Worst food I've ever eaten in this city.

07/28/2008 - MenuPix User
Couldn't eat the food, couldn't get past the cochroaches running around the kitchen, or the meat that appeared to be sitting out all day.

06/28/2008 - Sun Prairie
The store needs a make-over and some of the plants need to be taken out of there because of clutter. But, the food is the BEST in town for Thai/Lao food. The service sucks but for the food at their prices, it's worth it. I suggest going in during "down" time or carry-out/delivery.

05/20/2008 - MenuPix User
Best Thai food in Madison. Atmosphere a bit shabby and service is a bit slow - but totally worth it!!! Parking hard on Park St. - may want to consider carry out or delivery.