Eat A Lao Restaurant - Rockville — Restaurant in Rockville

I recently had the pleasure of dining at Eat A Lao, a Laotian restaurant located in Rockville, MD. This establishment has been serving authentic Laotian cuisine for approximately six months. ​

The restaurant offers a cozy atmosphere, welcoming guests with the traditional greeting "Sabai dee." Their menu is both iconic and diverse, aiming to make Laotian flavors accessible to palates from across the globe. ​ eatalao.com

During my visit, I indulged in several dishes:

Lend Me An Ear: A cold pig's ear dish combined with wood ear mushrooms and a pickled garnish, accompanied by a spicy Asian seafood sauce. ​

No Guts, No Glory!: Grilled marinated chicken gizzards served with scallions and a spicy tamarind sauce. ​ eatalao.com

Belly Of The Beast: Fried pork belly paired with black vinegar and spicy seafood sauces. ​

Red Curry with Beef: A flavorful red curry made with coconut milk, bamboo shoots, basil, bell pepper, chili pepper, and Thai eggplant, served alongside jasmine rice. ​

To complement the meal, I chose the Black Tie Coffee, a blend of Thai tea, Vietnamese coffee, and half & half. ​

Each dish was a testament to the rich and vibrant flavors characteristic of Laotian cuisine. The pig's ear and chicken gizzards were prepared to perfection, offering unique textures and tastes, especially when paired with their respective sauces. The pork belly was crispy on the outside and succulent inside, while the red curry provided a harmonious balance of spice and creaminess.​

Portion sizes were generous, making them ideal for sharing. As I dined alone, I found myself with ample leftovers to enjoy the following day. This experience has certainly piqued my interest, and I look forward to returning with friends to explore more of their...

outstanding! not many Laotian/Thai restaurants that does it well but this is establishment definitely checked off all the marks. from the friendly service to the spacious seatings to the moderate cultural decor to the cleaned/well kept bathrooms to the food w it's presentations and preparations.

start off w the Laotian papaya salad. a very generous portion w the perfect amount of spice (didn't want to ruin my whole meal just in case I couldn't handle it!). fresh, crunchy, flavorful. I do wish it was a tad more of the fermented flavor exuding from it but that may be too much for foreigners.

the ping (some places has it as piing) pork shoulder was absolutely delicious. every piece was coated w rich, savory & sweetness that paired so well w the sticky rice - wish the rice portion was bigger! I could eat that all day!

topped it off w the traditional Thai iced tea in a visibly appealing goblet. makes it feel like a sturdy, strong drink even though it gets gulped down in 2 sips!

overall: I'd make an excuse just to come down to this area again for the food. the menu has so much to try and I would relish in more opportunities to do so! highly recommend!

note - entrance is located on side of big building complex w ample parking in rear. off...

Just tried this place tonight. To cut right to the chase, if you are reading this wondering if you should try this place, the answer is a is a resounding yes!

To start with, the food was all incredibly good. All the meat in the 4,000 islands curry and baby monster soup was well seasoned, spiced, and cooked. I was worried at first that the pork in the soup would be difficult to eat given that it still had the bone and cartiledge, but everything just fell right off the bone/ cartiledge while eating and it was so tender. The Lao fried chicken was crisp on the exterior and juicy in the interior. The Bermuda triangle appetizer was nicely fried and great with its dipping sauce (but not over reliant on it as I could have just eaten it plain and it still would have been seasoned well enough to taste good) . Lastly, the pandan creme brulee was just a great creme brulee with a nice addition of coconut.

Outside of the food, the restaurant looked really nice and well kept inside and our server was absolutely wonderful.

I will be back soon no doubt to try some more off this delicious menu and hopefully the beer Lao once they get the go ahead to sell it! Eat at this place, it deserves tons...