The Saap Avenue

I come here just for the mango lime soda. I don't understand how they make such a delicious drink. My girlfriend and I tried to recreate it at home with mango juice and fresh limes and some extremely high quality club soda and we did not even get close to how good the one at Saap Avenue is. HOW DO THEY DO IT?! I could drink them every single day. Sometimes we order their food for delivery and I get the soda and they put the cup in a plastic bag and tie it in case it spills. Of course it always spills and then I open up the bag and pour it into a glass at my house. I don't care- I would drink it out of the bag! I would drink it off the floor! That's how good it is. Even the ice cubes they use are delectable. Toothsome.The food is also excellent. I usually get the vegetarian curry noodle soup. I wish there were more vegetarian options, but the ones they have are great. It's all about that mango lime drink, though. I hope this place never closes because that soda is one of the tent-poles of my mental health. I am not exaggerating at all.

A week ago, I got to check out this really great Laotian restaurant/bar conveniently located on Piedmont Ave in Oakland. I overheard a colleague mention that they were a mixologist here and after a mutually rough day at work- another colleague and I decided to check it out for happy hour. Did I mention Happy Hour is everyday from 5-8 pm (only at the bar) with it's own bar menu alongside the restaurant menu?We were pleasantly surprised as we walked in- first off, we were able to find parking across the street on a busy Friday night so it made me feel safe to be able to see my car. The place seats about 50 people (both bar and restaurant). Lots of open windows- as you walk in you wait to be seated. We were delighted to see how many people were coming in and out- seemed like a lot of regulars including family, couples and friends. We even sat next to two friends who frequent here regularly and offered up some good food suggestions.We sat at the bar and chose the following from the bar menu: CRISPY VEGETARIAN EGG ROLLS- 5/5 The egg rolls were just as described- nice and crispy on the outside filled to the brim with fresh to order veggies and a sweet dipping sauce. This was our favorite dish. GARLIC PORK RIBS My friend ordered these as I'm pescatarian- she loved them and ate them all! CHIVE CAKE- Vegetarian 3/5 Personally not my favorite- I think it was a texture thing... a little gummy for me on the chew and filled only with chive. I would order the shrimp dish next time. THE COCKTAILS See Daniel at the bar- he is passionate and so knowledgeable about spirits and mixing cocktails. I had the Miss Lemongrass as I asked for something light and my friend had the Kissing Lychee which was tasty (I had a sip). We even asked Daniel to make up a drink on the spot and he didn't disappoint. COST- Pricing is very reasonable for the Happy Hour food menu- cocktails run about $14 so it can add up pretty quickly if you're ordering a few. OVERALL AMBIENCE/EXPERIENCE The decor was really funky and aesthetically pleasing- I took lots of photos and videos. I will definitely come back to try the regular menu with my Mom. It's a cozy place to get a good meal, have some sexy libations or mocktails and meet some cool people and although it was busy- it never seemed too packed.

My mouth is watering as I write this review - one of our absolute favorite go to restaurants -- unique flavors and combinations offer an elevated version of Thai/laotian food. My absolute favorite dish is the Kao Nam Tod - which is a crispy rice salad. If you like the crispy rice at the bottom of the pot, this salad is for you...they offer two versions - regular and vegetarian which I appreciate. My husband's favorite is the pumpkin curry - which is savory without being too sweet.Other favorite dishes include the fried salmon, steamed catfish, roti, and any other of their curries.Definitely a go to place for anyone living in Oakland - as well as a place to bring out of town friends (who often want a "return" visit when the come back)!

Had a cool time here. The sampler is awesome. Lots of fresh herbs and veggies mixed with awesome homemade sausage. The sticky rice is fun. Kao Mon gai is fairly good - but doesn't have the usual ginger sauce I love.

Delicious food and friendly service! We came as a group of three friends. Reservations were easy to make online. The ambiance is funky inside with interesting art work to look at. All the food looked good and tasted good. Their medium spicy is quite spicy lol so be conservative when they ask you want spice level you want! Great spot for friends catching up. I would love to check out their happy hour next time - it's only at the bar! The bar was crowded when we went - and the savings looked worth it so I get why! The bar for happy hour looks perfect for couples/parties of two.

I stopped by with my wife for date night on a Friday afternoon with a reservation at 7:00 p.m. and we were promptly seated at a table. The atmosphere is energetic ± with EDM music blasting over the speakers, and the decor is eclectic and fun.My wife got a rum based coconut cocktail while I got a bourbon, aperol, and mango cocktail. We both thoroughly enjoyed our drinks and loved that the fruit flavors weren't too sweet or overpowering.For our food, we got three items: the appetizer platter, the chicken wings with their house sauce and sticky rice, and lastly, their steamed fish in banana leaves and sticky rice. For two people, this ended up being way too much food. When the fish arrived, I could only take one bite because I was so full.The food itself was fantastic, especially the crispy rice salad that came with the appetizer platter. A spoonful of rice into a lettuce wrap with a small touch of their house sauce makes for the perfect, balanced bite. Another item I especially loved from the appetizer plate was the Laotian sausage, which is bursting full of flavor.The only item I would skip on would probably be the chicken wings, as they were not particularly special, as our other dishes came with sticky rice and their house sauce as well.I cannot wait to come back to this neighborhood gem.

Sometimes you gotta pop out and taste some new food. We ventured into Oakland for Happy Hour, and we found The Saap Avenue on Piedmont. What I really liked and appreciated was that their Happy Hour is Daily 5pm to 8pm (Most places I have seen HH start at 3pm and end at 6pm). The deals are great on the happy hour menu. All apps are $8 and drinks range from $6 to $14 (signature cocktails). The two drinks we got were the Saap Tea, which is like a thai tea with alcohol in it. Highly recommend this one. The Miss Lemongrass is a tasted more like a mojito. I wish I got more of the lemongrass flavor. It was still perfect for a hot summer day. All the apps were great. The Curry puff was our favorite of the bunch. The vegetarian is filled with potatoes and can fill you up easily. The spare ribs were on the pungent and salty side, so a heads up for you on that. Roti with the curry is a classic dish and can never go wrong with that order. The Chive pastry was great as well. The texture of the pastry is flaky ans crunchy. The best dish of the night was the Ka Poon. It is gluten free. There's a lot in this dish to love, but the best part was the broth. I will definitely order this again the next time I come back. Service also needs acknowledgment. They were very quick with every dish. The owner was interacting with us and comforting us throughout our meal. Thank you Saap!

This is my favorite Laotian restaurant in the Bay Area! Not only for its authentic flavors in all the dishes, but they have a really good selection at the bar. Staff is always super friendly and welcoming, you will never walk out of this place hungry, thirsty or angry. If you're ready for some authentic Laotian flavors and a good time, I wouldn't wait to come here. Weekend can get a lil packed, week nights are more chill with a great happy hr menu from 5-8pm. You will probably catch me sitting at the bar lol

The food here is delicious with incredible flavors and beautiful presentation. And the cocktails here are really special. The Manhattan had very unique flavors and was a piece of art. Very high alcohol content, served with extra on the side. We got the Lao Appetizer Platter which was perfect for making lettuce wraps. This was huge and could be a meal for 2 people. The pumpkin curry with tofu had a wonderful flavor, served with rice was a huge portion. The Tom Yum Noodle Soup was spicy and flavorful. The Panang crispy duck curry was something special as well. Service was great. Prices are on par with quality and portions are large. We made reservations for 7pm on a Saturday but it wasn't too crowded. By 8pm it was packed, so I recommend making reservations because this restaurant is fairly small inside.

A friend picked this place for a birthday dinner, and the food is a mixed bag.We ordered the lychee soda, they are so cheap with the lychee syrup, it taste like regular soda water; the cocktail barely has any alcohol in it.We liked most of the appetizers, but the entree was disappointing. DO NOT order the steamed catfish, it was absolutely gross tasting. The crispsy duck rice is soggy, but the duck curry was pretty duck. We liked the salad with the crispy rice the most. Not likely to come back.