4. Restaurants

Bangkok Golden

6395 Seven Corners Center, Falls Church, VA, 22044
  • (703) 533-9480
  • Store is closed

Bangkok Golden Menu

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  • Eric C.

    I have been sampling Drunken Noodle dishes at every Thai restaurant I can find in Arlington and I give Bangkok Golden's Drunken Noodles an outstanding 5 stars. The chicken was well cut with a good mix of vegetables. The flavor was as close to perfect as you can get - spicy but flavorful. While it wasn't a super bargain like a few other places, the portion size was good and I'd say the overall value was excellent. As of writing this (2/13) I would say Bangkok Golden is the best place for Drunken Noodles in the Arlington area.

    (5)

  • Vincent C.

    I was so happy to find this on yelp. I have been to this shopping center for so many years and never even knew what I was missing. I had a craving for thai food and got excited when I found out they had a buffet here. I went here today for the first time with a friend and we thought the food was really good. We are hoping they change up the menu from time to time. I saw a lady leaving with to go Thai Iced Tea and I did the same before heading out. It will take more visits to find out. I plan on going again next week. Hopefully it be just as good as today.

    (5)

  • Vivian C.

    Thai buffet? Who knew there was such a thing! At first, I was skeptical about the food, but honestly the buffet food was ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS. The buffet selection includes: Pad Thai, Fried Chicken, Crispy Basil Chicken, Mixed Vegetables, Panang Curry, Shrimp and Vegetable, and Larb beef or chicken, Payaya Salad, Drunken Noodles, Fried Tempura, oranges, and Taro milk dessert. Every dish was hot and delicious. The workers find it imperative to replace the buffet food every 7-10 minutes or so; maybe to keep the food hot or people were just eating them up to fast? The pad thai was delicious, not pink looking as someone else had reviewed. My absolute favorite is the crispy basil chicken. It was crisp, a bit sweet, and not to saucy. All the foods tasted great; they exceeded my expectations. Definitely worth my 12.95 (for dinner).

    (5)

  • AngelinaM L.

    Just ate here with my husband during a total off time, 2:30, and everything about the experience was awesome. The staff was personable and lovely and the food was incredible. Loved the crispy rice with Laotian sausage.

    (4)

  • Rick W.

    One of my favorite lunch places. The pad Thai is excellent and the buffet is a good value. I've tried 3 of their locations and all were good.

    (4)

  • Anson P.

    It looks like they don't do the dinner special that I was talking about any longer. I got a chance to try the dinner buffet and I think the food is still pretty good, especially for buffet. I loaded up on calamari, dumplings, and chicken wings. That alone is a good reason to come here. There were 5-6 entree options with the best being the green curry with chicken. Service was good and the staff are incredibly friendly. Here's a tip - dinner buffet is scheduled from 6-9 Monday-Friday, but the best time is probably to show up around 6:20ish. They don't want to get the buffet started until they get a good number of people (which is understandable) but they will try to accommodate you. Also, you can always request a dish be put on the buffet, and if they like you, they'll do it. This is one of those places where they hook up their regulars.

    (4)

  • Noel O.

    Holy mouth on fire, Batman! Last night's trip to Bangkok Golden was amazing in so many ways. The restaurant is exactly the kind of random restaurant I love: friendly and welcoming staff to help you with selections, plenty of food to choose from, and tables that can be moved around to cater to any sized party. Through word-of-mouth we had heard about the "secret" Laotian menu, though as other recent posts have noted, it was sitting on the table when we got there. (As a side note, a Laotian co-worker told me that the former [Thai] owners still own the naming rights, but that the current [Lao] will be changing that in a couple of years.) Our group decided to share a number of dishes that ranged from crispy duck to papaya salad (one of the hottest things I've ever stuck in my mouth) to tamarind soup. Each dish was as pleasant as the next, and it was just nice to have a lovely meal where you didn't really have to worry about whether or not you were going to like something. On the Laotian menu, there many shredded meat, or "larb," dishes. Think of shredded meat with a whole slew of herbs and seasonings stir-fried with onions and basil and the like. What I liked most about any of these dishes was the fact that things weren't heavily seasoned like you'd have in Mediterranean food. Rather, the herbs and flavors of the ingredients were allowed to blossom on their own right, though the balance of each dish wasn't specifically thought out like Thai food (where the sweet matches the sour, the hot with the spicy, etc.) Granted, we were just eating random food as it came to us, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Definitely a must try in the DC area!

    (5)

  • Eric N.

    This is the first time I have ever had Laotian food. I have to agree with most of the reviews on here, its an experience that you really can't find elsewhere. I've never heard or seen any Laotian restaurants in the DC metro area and I didn't find out about this place until the review in the Post. They serve mainly Thai food, which I haven't had, but I'd come for the Laotian food. Seriously, its that good. The dark Beer Lao is also not overly strong at all. Try it out

    (5)

  • Sheila D.

    I can't get this place out of my head!! The food was soo yummy! Per the owner; This is the only AYCE Thai places in the state of VA. For $8 weekday lunch and $12 weekday dinner, you can eat as much Thai food as your heart desires. They have Pad thai, drunken noodles, papaya salad, fried chicken, fried bananas, some sort of seafood medley with musscles and shrimp, and much more. And don't forget the yummy Tom Yum Kung soup (you might miss it b/c it's next to the rice). And you have the option of steamed white rice or egg fried rice. This place is definately worth every penny. The only negative about this place was that the flat screen hanging over the bar was blasting cartoons to entertain one of the employees (or maybe owners) young son. My daughter ended up not eating anything b/c all she wanted to do was watch TV. Other than that, this place was SUPERB!! Can't wait to go again.

    (4)

  • Ani P.

    I hate the people who write reviews on Indian buffets and don't know sheet about Indian food. I'm going to be one of those peeps today as I write this review for AYCE Thai. (AYCE sounds hella cooler than buffet). While I am no Thai food expert, I do consider myself to be a flavor-ista... I met up with my lunch crew on a Friday (around noonish) and they were able to score a table for a decent size group. The food was all set up and ready to go. I can't really tell you precisely what I ate. I distinctly remember being very impressed by the selection: great for veg and non-veg and they didn't skimp on the selection. I was able to feast on many dishes that were doused in flavor. Most of the dishes seemed relatively healthy, meaning they weren't smothered in oil. Even after stuffing my face, I didn't feel heavy, more like full and happy. Awesome for lunch! Easy peasy parking. Uber fast. Cheap as hell -- $8 for AYCE Thai - seriously, who has ever heard of this kind of wonder?

    (5)

  • Lauren M.

    When you let your server know you have come for the Laotian menu, you get your own personal lesson in ordering, consumption and spice. The Laotian menu is separate, and one of the chefs will guide you through her favorites and how to eat them. The beef jerky is an outstanding starter. Crisp, limey and hot. Highly addictive. Also not to be missed is the crispy rice salad. Think of the crispy bits of hash browns, but rice. Add lime, onion, fish sauce and it is out of this world. Wrapped in lettuce, a treat for eyes, nose and mouth. She even gave me a fork, so I could get the last bit without licking the plate. Also sampled fish larb (sp?) and tilapia moak. The rice comes in a little basket and the waitress will show you how to roll it in a ball and use as a scoop for the larb. Fun, and funky. Don't be in a hurry, and don't bother with the buffet. They are tickled that customers want to try the Laotian cuisine.

    (4)

  • Foodie C.

    It's the first Thai Buffet in the area that I know of The food is good its not awesome but good. Its buffet right... What can you expect? The Laos menu is something I have been trying and enjoying. The service though is Great! Its why I keep coming back. Buffet price is an awesome value!

    (3)

  • Y G.

    I don't know why it took me so long to try this place but I'm glad I finally did. I don't know anywhere else in the area where you can get a thai/laos buffet. They are genius. I went here for their dinner buffet on Friday evening. The wait staff were extremely attentive and nice. The dinner buffet had a good variety of items which included: pad thai, drunken noodle, chicken curry, wings, larb kai, veggie stir fy, steamed fish, and so much more. I had never tried larb kai (chicken) and it was soooo good. I'm a huge fan of cilantro which the dish had plenty of. I told my boyfriend about this place and we plan to visit soon.

    (4)

  • Nene L.

    This restaurant is one of my favorite Thai places. It's not the best food but it's very good and economical. I'll go here any day. The best part about this place is the $13 dinner buffet available Fri-Sun. $13??! I did my birthday dinner here recently and not one of my friends ordered off of the menu. The buffet was definitely the way to go. It's always packed and the decor is beautiful. It's not a huge place, but so cozy and pretty.

    (4)

  • Minger M.

    Nicole L and I shared the meal in her review together. I'll complement her thoroughness by saying that our meal represented authentic Lao flavors rarely tasted in our area. The closest sampling of those flavors would be at the Lao and Thai Songkran festivals each year where the vendors serve undiluted flavors to their own people. The bold sour and spicy flavors there make you realize how bland or Americanized are the restaurant versions and make you wistful for the real deal. The restaurant is under new ownership--there's no sign of a change in regime anywhere--and the Lao food is entirely off menu. There is the Thai menu for the public and an oral Lao menu for those who ask. We ordered our entrees medium spicy and my tummy is still tingling. I would like to try this place again before Thanksgiving before the hordes descend after publicity. It remains to be seen how the owners integrate the mainstream and authentic menus in the long run. Whatever happens, I hope the flavors stay.

    (4)

  • Amber R.

    Ask for the Laotian menu and eat from that. The Lao food is sensational and just delicious. One of the best Thai/Lao restaurants in Northern Virginia.

    (5)

  • Zynie M.

    My friend and I were here for the first time today. We went for the lunch buffet right after i read the reviews on here because i never thought there would be a thai buffet anywhere near. We got there at around 12:30pm and the place was half full (it was a Thursday). We were greeted and seated right away by a friendly waiter. There were 2 buffet bars which had: pad thai, pad see ew, egg rolls, curry, fried chicken, basil chicken, beef/chicken salad, taro in coconut milk desert and more. There was also a table for tom yum soup, fried rice, steamed rice and various sauces. So there were about 12-15 things to tried. I started off with the beef salad and pad thai. Both were very tasty but please don't expect these to be as satisfying because they are buffet food. My favorite things were the beef salad and taro in coconut milk dessert. I will definitely come back this month just to eat that dessert. However, every single dish was tasty and fair for the price.

    (4)

  • Steph W.

    This is the restaurant that my family and I go to when we want to go to a buffet ($12.95) for dinner. This is a STEAL to eat the variety that the buffet provides: all you can eat larb, coconut soup or spicy soup, crispy chicken, pad thai, fried bananas, etc. I have never been to dinner on a day with green curry chicken =X but if they had that in addition to all that I had, I would definitely have up my rating. The service is good. I generally request extra pieces of lettuce to load up with larb, and the staff always accommodates us with no extra charge. The only thing to be weary of is that sometimes they are not doing dinner buffet so perhaps call ahead.

    (4)

  • Antonio M.

    I like food. Food likes me. I like when food likes me, which makes me like food even more. I eat because I like food. I'm fat because I eat food. My fat belly demands even more food....thus I looove all you can eat (AYCE) buffet type places. Okay, now on to the important stuff!! Today's last-minute lunch visit was courtesy of my boy Steve "Batman" L who suggested Bangkok Golden or Dogfish Head Alehouse as today's lunchtime choices. As soon as he mentioned "Thai Buffet" to describe Bangkok Golden, my stomach growled loudly as if to say, "Hey fat ass, pick the buffet! PICK THE BUFFET!!" Okay okay, I'll pick the buffet....ya jiggly jerk....sheesh! We met up at the Bangkok (btw, I love saying Bangkok as it makes me chuckle like a little kid that loves saying naughty curse words) and entered into the small little place. There was a boisterous older lady in glasses that was directing patrons to the buffet with emphatic "Please help yourselves to the buffet!!!" When this lady asked us where we wanted to sit, we opted for the single table next to a wall versus sitting in the middle of the large table elbow-to-elbow to other hungry patrons. Before we headed to our table, we made a straight line to the stack of plates and hit the buffet line. Steve happily pointed out his favorite dishes and I quickly stacked a pile of tasty Thai treats on my plate. From the classic Pad Thai, to Drunken Noodles to the Coconut Curry Tofu....it was all on my plate and delicious. "Nom nom nom" were the only sounds we made as we stuffed our faces while managing to squeeze in a few words in between bites. So as with any other buffet/AYCE type places I give them a special pass. What do I mean? Well lemme 'splain it to you... I'm not as harsh on AYCE places for the quality of food for the reason that they're AYCE places. My expectations are a bit lower because I know that they have to make food for the masses and which may sacrifice quality in exchange for quantity. For this reason I decided to give Bangkok Golden 3.5 stars...very very close to 4 stars as the food is not of the same quality/level as a order-by-the-plate Thai place, but it's very good. Honestly, Bangkok Golden's food blows away any AYCE Chinese buffet in terms of taste and quality of the food. Keep this in mind if you feel the need to visit Bangkok Golden for the buffet. Go there knowing that you're gonna get buffet quality Thai food, don't go there expecting to eat 5-star Thai food. If you do go with the latter expectation, you've come to the wrong place and are clearly delusional...especially if you've read my entire review. Now if you're ready for a tasty AYCE Thai experience, head on over to Bangkok Golden. Maybe you'll see Steve and I stuffing our faces with tasty Thai food. Oh yeah, as others have mentioned the price kicks serious butt; $8.95 for the weekday Thai lunch buffet. That's "smack your momma" cheap 'n good!!! Believe that...nom nom nom!!

    (4)

  • T. A.

    It was really good...the other reviews don't lie. It isn't gourmet, high end, but it is very tasty and for less than $10 for an all you can eat buffet, you can't really beat it. It was clean, and yes, the atmosphere is "lackluster" but I can deal with that if the food is fresh and the staff is friendly.

    (4)

  • alan P.

    Having the buffet today it's all very delicious.

    (3)

  • Young Farm R.

    Incredible food and service. Larb gai and crispy rice salad are killer. Friendly staff and pleasant atmosphere. Crowded for lunch with good reason

    (5)

  • Eduard D.

    This is a simple and small place but a very good choice for anyone who likes spicy Thai and Lao food. The place is clean, staff is attentive and friendly. You have a choice between Thai menu Lao menu and buffet. I have tried a Thai soup and on a different occasion the buffet. Very fresh, good selection, tastes great. Buffet seems to be the same for both lunch and dinner and though limited, offers good variety. The place has been quite full both times and sometimes you need a reservation to get a table. Crowd is mixed offering full range of races and genders, families and singles. Prices are very, very reasonable. So, if you want to get great food at modest prices and do not care much about the ambiance, this is the place to go (and come back) to.

    (4)

  • Tom N.

    So there's a Lao menu since I last visited, and it has a several dozen options from which to choose. As much as I was displeased with the Thai food, the Laotian food was a delight to behold. The first surprise was the sticky rice which came out in little steamer baskets. I was tempted to discard my chopsticks and eat my meal by hand for the nostalgia of it all. Chicken Larb is usually a safe bet at any restaurant when you're cautious with their cooking ability, but they nailed it here; I'm definitely venturing for the raw beef version next. The Papaya Salad was made the traditional Lao way with fermented shrimp paste; it takes an acquired taste because I was holding my nose to finish one bite... my Hmong dining companion subsequently finished every last morsel from that plate. It was supposedly made just they way she had it as a little girl. Growing up, my Vietnamese dad used to cook fish and make soups using excessive amounts of dill. The Orn Lam is a meaty stew with the consistency of heavy gravy, and it had plenty of dill in it. In a role reversal, my friend had just one bite while I finished the rest; not because it was good, but because it reminded me of my dad's cooking. It's not exactly a ringing endorsement of this entree, but try it if you've exhausted the other options. The Moak Moo was pork and bamboo steamed in a banana leaf; I'm going to recommend the unsteamed fresh version instead. I guarantee that this menu is authentic Laos without the usual compromises to suit less adventurous tastes, so Bangkok Golden will now get the full 5 stars from me. I'm not going back on my original review though as I'm still avoiding the Thai food here.

    (5)

  • Cat P.

    This is my new favorite place for cheap, delicious food. I come here for the Lao menu, as Lao cuisine is a rarer find than Thai cuisine in this area (save for at Wat Lao in Catlett). This place deserves five stars because everything I've tried has been so good-no complaints. To date, I've tried the papaya salad, tilapia stew (orm) and rice vermicilli noodle soup with fish (nam pah). None of the overpowering sweetness that sometimes accompanies Thai dishes. Generous portions, vibrant seasonings, gorgeous colors. My dining companion and I also noticed that we didn't suffer from any common MSG side effects after our meals, which is a definite plus. The service is always friendly and helpful. There's nothing like a good bowl of soup in the colder winter months, especially a bowl of soup that contains fish, veggies, coconut milk, galangal, and more. However, I can see any of the soups being equally satisfying in the summertime too. I must warn you, "Lao hot" is super hot, mouth-numbing. Thai hot is probably a better option for soup. If you're feeling brave, get the papaya salad Lao hot and be prepared to weep.

    (5)

  • dan f.

    Bangkok Golden is an excellent alternative to pricey restaurants in DC like Little Serow and Doi Moi. The service is friendly and food is great. Although the buffet is enticing, the crispy rice salad is so good you should order a la carte at least the first time you come. Crispy rice salad - This dish is amazing. The textures are perfectly crunchy. I'll get this over and over again. Watercress salad - A little oily, but this has an amazing savory and sweet flavor. 2 crispy shrimp (not overly fried) and cashews make this a must-order dish. Larb Ped - Duck was a little chewy and not worth the extra cost ($4 more than the chicken). I wouldn't recommend Mango Sticky Rice - The MSR from Thai Xing in DC is a lot better. The sticky rice here is cooked perfectly but is a bit too sweet and needs more mango. Still tasty but wouldn't order again. Recommendation - Get here early because it fills up fast (I came on a Friday @ 5:30 and was fine, but by 6 it was packed).

    (4)

  • Darren S.

    Just a head's up for those wanting the dinner buffet on the weekends! Showed up today and weekend dinner buffet is covered over on the window sign.

    (2)

  • Ron H.

    I've never eaten Laotian before, and this place came recommended by some fellow Yelp elite friends of mine - so I had to give it a try. What a delicious and unique alternative it is! Bangkok Golden may be a tiny restaurant, but it is a pure diamond in Northern Virginia and deserves attention for those who crave something different. Warning: The restaurant itself can be difficult to find because it sits in the lower corner of a strip mall in always-confusing-Seven Corners. Take note - it is to the right and below the Shoppers Food Warehouse that faces Route 7 (Leesburg Pike) across from the funky looking Sears. Enter at Shoppers and turn right. I ordered the highly recommended crispy rice and my wife had the grilled herb chicken. The crispy rice was fantastic! I've never had anything quite like it and it completely satisfied my experimental appetite. It has a semi-sweet, tangyness to it with a combined crunchy/sticky consistency that makes it amazing. The chicken came on skewers with rice, fresh vegetables, a sweet and sour sauce and lettuce leaves for making wraps. The chicken was cooked just right over an open grill and the taste provided just the right seasoning to make everything turn well together. Another awesome selection I would recommend. Although very clean and wonderfully decorated in Laotian / Thai fashion, the dining area is really tiny and cramped by the most reasonable standards. I can imagine on weekends during peak hours things might get a little crowded. The parking lot too - can be stressful experience as there are not enough spaces for the multitude of businesses sharing the same lot.

    (4)

  • Dana G.

    I think 3.5 is where I'll stay on this one. The whole family was together and we decided to give BG a shot for take out. Results were split again. The people were wonderful...super easy to order and pick up, accurate timing, everything correct. Some food was terrific (Pad See ew, tilapia with basil, drunken noodles) but some was just barely okay (the non-coconut milk curry dish, tempura veggies, soup). It's not a lock for excellent food across the board which makes it hard to get very excited about. I think the way to go is to ask the wait staff for their recommendations, which I suspect will help assure a good meal.

    (3)

  • Chau P.

    7:00 PM Saturday - 2 People 1. Ambiance: Such a cute restaurant with Laos/Thai decor. The walls are filled with Laos/Thai paintings and collectible objects. The lights are dim lit and the place is not very spacious. It has a very cozy feel to it and the music in the overhead adds a nice touch to your eating experience. 2. Food: The Papaya has a tinge of "Ba Det". I'm unsure of the correct spelling, but it is a stinky sauce that they place in there. I have to be honest when I say that only an Authentic Laos/Thai Restaurant would place such thing in the Papaya since the smell is quite daring for those that aren't apt to it. Also, be careful when you ask for "Thai Hot" and only the intrepid and tolerable few will walk away without breaking a sweat. I drank two full glasses of water to reduce the inflammation on my tongue. Please order the Larb Duck and the Laotian Sausages. Both, including the Papaya, were very delectable items from the menu. 3. Service: Our waitress was very sweet and thoughtful in refilling our drinks. She was attentive and made sure we were never low on sticky rice. 4. Costs: I've been told that the restaurant is overpriced for Laos food; however, an authentic Laos/Thai restaurant (Mostly Laos way of cooking) is non-existing in this area, so think of it like it is its own monopoly. Unless there are competitions for an authentic Laos/Thai restaurant, what you see is what you get. 5. Overall Experience: I would definitely go back! I'm grateful I found such a gem and surely, this place is not going away anytime soon. The entire experience was great and my mind is still occupied with the amazing food! Side Notes: Thai Hot is equivalent to blazing hot or worse.

    (5)

  • Alison S.

    I don't know what is happening to this place .... my family still likes it, but I'm becoming increasingly disappointed. The last few times we've come here, the seasoning is all wrong. We keep ordering similar dishes over and over -- Crispy Rice Salad, Som Tum etc. -- so I can tell how the same dish has been changing over time. Initially I thought maybe the cook was having an off day here and there, but it never got better. It has been just too much of everything -- too salty, too sweet etc. It's like the chef has lost his/her sensitivity in the taste buds and is over seasoning everything. I cook a lot myself at home and hate how most restaurants just over season on everything. To me that is the true test of a good cook. One must know and understands one's ingredients and bring out the best it has to offer in way of it's natural flavours without covering it all up with salt, sugar, vinegar, spices etc. Seasonings are there to enhance the natural flavours of the meat or vegetables, not to cover it up. Use fresh ingredients and treat it with respect & love -- that's all you need!

    (3)

  • Tony C.

    Went with some skepticism since Asian buffets have a certain reputation as being bland eat-a-ramas catering to noobs.. But the promise of Laotian cuisine was too tempting since I have no experience with this. We went with the server suggestion of crispy rice salad, the spicy sausage and a fish dish. It was all good and the spices are well executed, not just a mash of hot topical seasoning. We didn't really sample enough of the food to make a convincing argument in favor of Laotian food vs Thai but the experience was ok. The place is obviously popular with the locals as it was very busy. Service was prompt and very friendly. I would go back to try out some of the other menu items if I lived close by.

    (3)

  • Delaware F.

    On our second visit we had duck larb, crispy rice salad, a noodle soup, and a dish that I think was called Som Pa. Once again, the duck larb and the crispy rice salad were the highlights. The crispy rice salad is especially delicious, and I would think about getting two orders except that I have doubts about its nutritional value. It basically just seems to consist of oily rice and peanuts. We had thought the Som Pa dish would be pickled fish. The fish itsef (Tilapia) clearly had not been picked, but the broth had a distinctly sour pickled taste to it. I liked the rich, complex taste of the broth. However, as is the case with many less-expensive ethnic restaurants, the seafood dishes suffer because I think they use somewhat lower quality fish. With a nice expensive halibut, I bet it would be pretty good.

    (5)

  • Ruth C.

    Just to get it out of the way: I love the evidence of their spirituality by the doorway with the tiny quartered arrangement of food and drink offerings. It's so feel-good it's not even funny. I like imagining the guardian spirit nomming them with his ghostly fists and blessing them with lots of business. I'm sure that sounded crazy offensive but I mean that with all fondness. Beware of potential bliss. I'll organize the list of menu items I've tried from fave to least, and tip my hat to Corbo/Nicole for dining descriptions less cluttered with giddy enthusiasm. Nam khao. You must try the crispy rice salad. You can add heat with the garnishing peppers if you like, but really the flavors and textures of this dish are amazing even before you dollop it into the lettuce leaf. I initially raised an eyebrow in bewilderment at Nicole's declaration as the singular must try dish, but once I tasted it I understood. I could eat it thrice a day and not get bored for weeks. Bua loi. Dessert soup with tapioca pearls, diced taro, yam-colored pillows of glutinous rice flower. Good hot, and much easier to keep the components pleasantly chewy, but I suspect would enjoy this as a cold variation, too. Larb ped. Minty duck wraps. Light, refreshing, the mix of textures I love and just as tasty. I've always been a larb fan, though. I passed on the extra chiles. Orm. Tender chunks of meat & peppers in a generously seasoned mini-pot of stew broth with dill. Careful not to drip too much into your nested handful of sticky rice, it's savory but piping hot. I've had beef/pork/chicken (they are happy to make Laos spicy); I'd recommend in that order, the red meat stands up better to stewing. Moak pha. Lovely steamed broccoli florets not cooked to death (frankly, all the garnish is fresh & executed nicely). Fish was prepared in the banana leaf, seasoned nicely with curry undertones that had me going back for thirds. This disappeared faster than the orm. Chunh nok. As a quail fanatic, I've had better preparations elsewhere but this satisfied my craving. Dry roast with just enough crunch to chew through the bone if desired, though I prefer a touch more cooking for real offal enjoyment. I don't regret trying it, but not a must like Justin describes the quail at HV down the street. Kaing keuang nai had the staff asking if I was Laotian or Thai. No noodles, just tender tripe/intestine/brain/other offal in a spicy, moderately flavored broth. Lemongrass, galangal, cilantro, fried onion. Mee kathi. Poor quality noodles saved by a broth given complexity by ground peanuts. Sai oua. Bright flavors overtaken by the decent amount of heat mixed in. I prefer a sausage density somewhere between this and Chinese sausage. Yum marg muang. Mango salad with a few shrimp. Low amount of spice, far more tangy than sweet. Tum marg huong. Papaya salad lowers the sweetness of the last salad and steps up the heat if you scoop up the juices it's been marinating in. Right when you think the spice level is going to blow out your palate, it eases off into a tolerable burn that clears your sinuses and tickles your ears from the inside out. Lao curry puff could be flakier, but spiced potatoes are cooked through and the sweet/sour sauce with pickled dice veggies counter it nicely. Low chicken ratio. Nam kai. Low quality noodles dominate. Mango sticky rice. A drier iteration from standard without being unpleasant. Fairly balanced dessert. Thai tea. Heavy on cream but an effective counter to the spicier dishes. Not a must-have, also pretty standard. Tomp pho. Laotian pho with too-soft rice noodles, lemongrass instead of anise/cardamom, with tomato and red onion adding limited depth. Meatballs and beef fine. Probably won't repeat. Mieng muang luang. Light snack amounting to Asian fajitas for lack of better comparison. The small slices of Thai eggplant were definitely my favorite garnish (scallion, tomato, peanuts, garlic); the rice paste incorporated a lot of the traditional fermented shrimp paste (not bad, just mild compared to the wonders of all the other dishes). Mikkela compared it to the subtlety of Asian peanut butter once wrapped in lettuce. Seems like I could reasonably assemble this at home. Easy 4.5 stars with so few dishes disappointing me. Disclaimer: this is my starting baseline for Laotian food (menu book with the black detailing, not the red). Service impeccable, friendly & helpful about guiding us through the menu, just the right amount of chatty without any sense of rushing their patrons. They kindly mathed out the tab for us; this is the kind of interactions that turn customers into regulars. After making happy food noises that I didn't realize could be heard over the thematic background music: Fail: "Ruth, do you know this song?" P.S. Why do SE Asian dishes result in such tasty burps hours later? P.P.S. My pops took ages to find it in the Seven Corners cluster, then couldn't resist enjoying the weekend dinner buffet.

    (5)

  • A F.

    Crispy, spicy rice wrapped in lettuce...OMG. I had it 3 times in two weeks!!! Sooo delicious!

    (5)

  • Sarah S.

    Lost our reservation and rudely told us we'd have to wait 45 minutes, with nowhere to sit (and clearly no concern) for my elderly relative. Not cool.

    (1)

  • Elain X.

    Laos food! Spicy deliciousness! I came here because an amazing instagram picture was taken and hearing great things from Kimberly V. I just had to come to see for myself. When my bf and I got there their laos buffet closed but I was fine with that, maybe i'll try it next time. I first sat down knowing i wanted papaya salad (the pic i saw from Kimberly was a photo of papaya salad) I love papaya salad so it was a must. I ordered it thai spicy and omg was it spicy, like really spicy! My bf started sweating the first bite he took but I polished it off because it was soo good and spicy. We got the beef larb and it had a wonderful mint taste to it, very refreshing and tasty. The next thing we got was a pork stew or pork orm and this thing was like jammed packed with flavors like dancing around your mouth. Spicy, sour, sweet all in one bite. I finished off with fried bananas with ice cream. PERFECT! I will be visiting here again soon!

    (5)

  • Hugh A.

    I've eaten here several times since my first review. I always order from the Laotian menu or from the specials. The buffet looks good, but I've never tried it. Crispy rice salad is my 'go-to' dish. I've also had some of the grilled dishes, salads, soups, and fish. I love the Lao spiciness. The service has been outstanding every time. The servers are very helpful with the menu, and usually have a recommendation from the chef.

    (5)

  • Steve L.

    Lets get the logistics out of the way. My GPS took me to a shopping center nearby. This place is located in the same shopping center as Shoppers Supermarket, and the Post Office. Don't let your garmin fool you. Now on to the amazing lunch buffet. It does not get much better then this for under nine bucks. They have the all of the standard Thai fare; pad thai, curry, chicken wings, ect. But they also have some other dishes that rotate though. It keeps it from getting old. But it does not keep you from getting full. I had to literally be rolled of here last week. The food just kept on coming..... The staff is very friendly and energetic. If you come towrds the end of lunch, they will make the buffet items to order for you. Very fresh and very Delicious. I love buffets, and this one is up there on the list. Definitely worth the trip out to FC.

    (4)

  • Alison L.

    I like Isan food, which is eaten in the Northeastern part of Thailand. That's the part that is closest to Lao PDR. I'm not impressed with the Isan food I've had here since returning to the states. But reading Tom Sietsema's review in the post this weekend, I figured this might be the place to try. I love cilantro, lime, onions, and fish sauce. It might sound weird, but I do. So I think larp is just about the best dish ever. I have been on a quest for the past several years, trying larp at almost every restaurant where it is served, looking for something that is passable. Seriously, it either lacks the appropriate accoutrements, it's bland, or the tangy/salty/spice ratio is off. My quest ended today. This is the best Larp I've had since I left Luong Prabong 7 years ago. For starters, they actually serve it with sticky rice - it even comes out in those little straw basket things you can sling over your shoulder. And you can eat it the right way (with your hands) and they don't think you're weird. Second, they have 7 different varieties - you should definitely get the raw fish one. Also, unlike the bland stuff the other restaurants serve around here, this actually tastes like the larp they serve in Khorat, or outside of Vientienne. They had the tangy/salty/spicy ratio down pat. And it was hot. When they asked how hot I wanted it, I said very spicy for a foreigner, but a little spicy for a Lao person (this is how white people describe what I want in South East Asia). She knew exactly what I meant and brought out exactly what I wanted. I also got the Lao version of som tam. It was good, but I honestly prefer the Thai version better (more palm sugar and less salty/anchovie flavor). But I ate quite a bit of som tam when I was in Lao PDR, and it tasted like the stuff they had here, so in my opinion, it is authentic. Also, they encourage you to eat it the right way, with sticky rice and grilled chicken. Next time I go back I'll definitely get that, but it would have been too much food for lunch today. I like this place. It's good, you should try it. Also, my friend got the buffet and she thought it was tasty.

    (5)

  • Ryan M.

    Really cannot overstate how great Bangkok Golden is! It's one of the truly craveable restaurants in Seven Corners. The only disappointing thing about this restaurant is that the buffet isn't served every night!

    (5)

  • Ron I.

    Laotian food for the first time .... Enjoy the pork neck the most. Similar to Thai cooking but different and hotter.

    (4)

  • Anthony I.

    2.5 stars, I went here on Sunday based on yelp reviews and I wasn't too impressed. The buffet was rather empty, most of the trays were baron, maybe some residue of a sauce perhaps. My dining partner and I asked "what time does the buffet close", it had only been open an hour, it didn't seem like it was going to be restocked anytime soon. Our waitress dropped off some menus and then disappeared for about 15 minutes, at this point the baron buffet was looking better and better. We ended up ordering off of the menu and in about 10 minutes our food arrived, although the place wasn't crowded and they were only open an hour we were told, when our food arrived, that they were out of sticky rice. The food was good, but nothing spectacular and with the service as it was, I won;t be back.

    (3)

  • Chatsphotogpilot C.

    This is a Laotian restaurant that also serves Thai food but I recommend skipping the Thai. The Yum Marg Muang is a good and oh so spicy raw mango salad that sets the stage for the rest of the meal - tart, fresh, crisp, with a hint of nam pla and those fiery red bird chilis. Yum! Ping Moo is like satay of pork - perfectly seasoned bits of luscious tender pig flesh grilled to perfection, and served with a light and airy dipping sauce. Do not miss the Nam Khao - this is a delightful crispy rice salad laden with cilantro, crispy (almost candied, in my opinion) fried rice, pork and seasonings, served over a bed of crisp lettuce. Delicious. I've been here twice already and I can't wait to be back.

    (4)

  • SweetPea D.

    First time visiting this place. A small restaurant that's easy to missed when you are driving into the shopping centre. Just turn right if you are getting in from the Shopper's entrance. Pretty busy on a Friday night. Most of the people are getting the buffet, i saw that they have a pretty good selection for the buffet. However, we both are not in the mood for a big dinner. So we decided to get something from the menu. A little confusing when the waiter gave us 2 menus, later on realized that one is a Thai menu and the other is like a Lao menu. Ordered Tod Mun, Panang Seafood Curry, Tropical fried rice and my personal must have- Thai ice tea. The ice tea was just okay, I think they put too much ice in it so that you can't really taste the tea. The Tod Mun are nicely spiced, little hint of spiciness and go really well with the sweet and sour sauce. The curry was kinda spicy to me but it was still pretty good. I'm a little bit disappointed of the Tropical fried rice. If I get them right, this is also called pineapple fried rice in some other Thai restaurant. The skin of the stir-fried cherry tomatoes were not quite edible, besides if they can add some raisins and chopped peanuts would make the whole dish more "Tropical". Pretty decent Thai restaurant in the area. BTW waiters are nice and friendly. Will go back and try the buffet.

    (4)

  • Kevin Y.

    i think the restaurant underwent management change because the food is actually hot and good now. A full array of your stereotypical thai food well-known to the American public. Pad thai (pink...interestingly made with sweet and sour sauce instead of tamarind), drunken noodle, crispy basil chicken, some type of veggie curry, WINGS, and seafood combo mix (frozen probably bought from sysco). Best bang for your buck in falls church for cheap thai food!

    (4)

  • PK Z.

    I will never go back here and I do not recommend this. I was reading the positive reviews about people who has come to this Bangkok Golden, and I want to warn you .... there is a buffet at this restaurant. But everything they bring out is old and NOT cooked to taste -- it's either too sweet or too salty. The restaurant is way too small for an actual buffet so they just over-seat the restaurant and at times, they don't even care if their customers are taken care of. I have been a customer to this restaurant a few times now ... because there aren't other Thai restaurants in the area, but I've decided that I'd rather go the extra mile than go back to this restaurant. What really ticked me off was that I ordered take-out food and I was left to wait for 40 minutes ... with no offer to sit down or anything. They do NOT care about their customers. There is MORE! When the food was, it was not done right?! I ordered a Pad Thai - and I did NOT get this. Instead, I got some appetizers. Then, I ordered everything to be extra spicy - and what I got was my entrees cooked "normally" and then a little container of their spices. BAD service, BAD food. Don't go.

    (1)

  • Jack F.

    Finally, somewhere I can eat unlimited pad thai ... which turns out to be 2/3 of a plate. How can you say no to a $12.95 buffet with all your favorite Thai dishes? It's even cheaper ($8.95) for lunch. $12.95 is what it costs for just a regular entree at any other Thai restaurant, let alone a multi-course feast. The price itself is simply astonishing. While not extraordinary, the food is still quite tasty. For your money's worth, there's not better restaurant. Oh, you should read Donald P.'s review. [Original Visit: Jan. 22, 2010]

    (4)

  • Bryan N.

    Don't be fooled by the name, this restaurant is all Lao. The food is so good. Yea they serve Thai food but the Laoian food is what you come for... I had the Lao spicy sausage and the papaya salad. AUTHENTIC!

    (5)

  • Ross M.

    Lets talk about pad thai. I usually go here for the Laotian options, but the pad thai here is made really well. Like most people, pad thai was the first Thai food I ever tried. After you graduate you move on to curries and then to some of the rice dishes. You never go back to pad thai, because you're an elite Thai food expert. Now you like beef blood soup and fermented fish. This is a good reason to go back though. It's cooked well. It's not suppose to be like pad see ew or pad kee mao. The sauce here is redder, and has flavor. The noodles are cooked well, and with the meat so all the flavors blend together. The chicken tastes like chicken and the shrimp tastes like shrimp. I love cilantro, but you just don't put it on pad thai. The waitress isn't suppose to ask you about spice level for pad thai, because it's not a dish to be made super spicy. Meat is not the star, the noodle is the star. Served with a nice side of crushed peanuts and a lime. I felt the blend of fish sauce, spices, meat flavor and lime was spot on here. After eating a couple crappy made pad thais, you realize how good this one is. They nailed it. Someone in the kitchen knows what they are doing.

    (5)

  • Sudipto B.

    Good bang for your buck. I would definitely go there again.

    (4)

  • Ankush J.

    Awesome thai food, i have tried multiple dishes and everything is great..

    (5)

  • Greg W.

    Went to try this buffet for dinner on Friday and was very pleased. The buffet runs about $12.95 a person. It isn't a very large buffet but the food is very freshly made and very good. The wait staff were attentive and quick to clear plates or refill drinks. Definitely an excellent option when you have a hankering for Thai food but are on a budget.

    (4)

  • Sarah W.

    My second trip to Bangkok Golden was just as wonderful as my first... I repeated several dishes, including the crispy rice, which was even better than I remembered, the Lao spicy sausage, and the green papaya salad. New items included the Larb Ped (Duck), and, for dessert, sticky rice and mango, which was the best I've ever had (and I just returned from a trip to Southeast Asia, so that's saying a lot!). I'm now a self-appointed ambassador of Bangkok Golden, so look forward to bringing many more friends along!

    (4)

  • Paul L.

    Nice to see that there is a good Lao restaurant (in additio to a full Thai menu) in the area at last (there used to be a hole-in-the-wall in DC's Chinablock). We came on recommendations from Tim Sietsman and Taylor Cowen and expectations were met or exceeded. We started with a delicious papaya salad, subtly different from the Thai variety, and a good curry puff. My spouse got wide Thai noodles with chicken and squid, done very well, and I had the Ping Moo (grilled pork). It was just too bad there were only two of us so I could not try more dishes. I aim to be back. Prices were very reasonable and unlike what I read in some other reviews, service was punctual as well as friendly. There was also a buffet that looked awful.

    (4)

  • Chay C.

    Nice people, great food. I am Thai and grew up in thailand, this place is it!!!

    (5)

  • Brian S.

    My favorite GO-TO-PLACE for Thai Food, hands down. I vote the best cheap eats in Northern Va. $8.95 (lunch) for Thai AYCE? That is ridiculously cheap for Thai. The buffet table got all the main basics like pad thai, drunken noodles, chicken dishes, beef dishes, curries,veggies, soups and more. The food is very good for the price. I definitely give it two thumbs up.

    (4)

  • A. O.

    The buffet is awesome! All you can eat spring rolls, pad thai, drunken noodles, and basil chicken. The fried rice is also very good.

    (5)

  • Jaspreet S.

    Went for lunch and it was excellent!!! Started off with the Tum Marg Huong/Papaya Salad, which was spicy.....then came Ping Moo/Grilled Pork and Orm Chicken. Both dishes were wonderful, much more flavorful than usual Thai restaurants. They were accompanied with Stick Rice - a great meal for excellent price. I highly recommend for a cheap eat in Falls Church.

    (4)

  • L T.

    The buffet is out of this world... but I'm withholding the fifth star because they just never refreshed the trays on the lunch buffet, so we were unable to try several different plates. To be fair, they had a very large party of maybe 20 or so who were not eating from the buffet, but not only did they neglect the buffet, they also forgot to refresh custom drink refills, etc. That being said, the food was just superb, so I would definitely give this another go.

    (4)

  • Jason W.

    Yes, it's a buffet. But every item on the buffet is really good, and the dishes change each time we visit. The Pad Thai is a big different than traditional, but still very good. There is always a curry, and there are fried chicken wings and other dumplings that are scrumptious. The price is right and, while the trays are sometimes empty for too long, the food that does eventually come out is really fresh and really good. Parking isn't too much of a problem, though the Seven Corners area is a traffic nightmare. Service was super-friendly, though the one waitress seemed a bit stressed out. Overall, though, with the food being so amazing, this restaurant gets five stars.

    (5)

  • Anna W.

    WARNING NEW MANAGEMENT I have been coming here regularly at least every once a month or more often. Since the new management came into the picture however I have not been impressed. For one the waitress is way too loud for my taste. But for the food: The spring rolls taste like they have been frozen and reheated, the sauce for them is so watery as opposed to being the consistency of honey, that if you dip your spring roll it will just look like water. They use sub par coconut milk and in my opinion it shows now in all of their food that uses it. It has that stinky smell from the can, maybe they buy huge cans and leave it siting around. The ground chicken salad should be nice and have the individual pieces of chicken should be easily sifted, now it's runny and almost looks like its not cooked. The cold beef and pork salads used fatty pieces of meat, they should be lean. The seafood tastes fishy, and the basil chicken I liked before is the only thing I could possibly eat now. But it's nothing like before. The rice is not the high grade, and the soups are lacking meat. This place has definitely gone down hill since the first owner a few years back, then the recent owner did a decent job, now I would rather go and pay full price to another good Thai restaurant than eat this. Sorry, I tried it twice and WILL NOT BE BACK.

    (1)

  • Greg W.

    After reading the reviews in Washington Post and the Washingtonian, I was excited to try this place out. Unfortunately, everyone in my party was seriously underwhelmed. We opted to go with the dinner buffet and I sampled all of the different offerings. None of the Thai dishes had the robust flavors and spices I've come to expect from the area's best Thai restaurants. The Laotian options were also rather bland. On top of the lack of flavor, all of the food was also very greasy and the meat was poor quality. The service was also poor -- we had to flag down our waitress to order, then to get water refills and finally to request the check. Definitely won't be back.

    (1)

  • Alex K.

    I've never been to a Thai buffet before so I can't compare it to anything, but this place is pretty darn good. My brain couldn't comprehend this concept of all you can eat Thai food, since most Thai restaurants I've been to have small portions. The restaurant itself is pretty small; it was full when we finished eating. They have a large variety of food so that your taste buds won't get bored. I was a little disappointing with the Pad Thai, which is the only reason I didn't give this place a 4 star. Everything else was superb. Our waitress, which I think is the owner (or owners wife), was very friendly and flamboyant. I overheard her saying that the management changed recently, so if you didn't like it before, give it another shot. I believe the price is now $9.75 per person (weekday). I am not sure, I didn't pay :P

    (3)

  • K. C.

    My husband and I love to try new food and when this was recommended for its Laotian food we headed to the restaurant. We were not disappointed--you have to try the spicy sausage appetizer -- just enough "hot"! The mango salad was outstanding and the pork Lorb and Crispy rice salad was incredible. Make reservations for dinner -- it fills up fast after 6 pm.

    (5)

  • Mark G.

    The AYCE buffet at lunchtime is outstanding. One of the things that makes the food particularly good is the fact that the portion sizes of the items on the food line are pretty small so that they are renewed from the kitchen frequently. No cold and soggy dishes here. The staff is very obliging. As noted in another review, you can get some dishes cooked to order if they have the time. Now the food: cold meat salads, soups, pad thai, stir-fried, etc. all great. Really good beef dishes. And chicken too. And the desserts.

    (4)

  • Stacey P.

    I am a Lao-American far away from Mom's house and Bangkok Golden will always be my "emergency" Lao food, home away from home. We usually get sai oua, kao nhio, thum mak hoong, and mieng kao. Always a happy meal every time we go.

    (5)

  • J K.

    This Thai buffet is an excellent find and they also have Lao food. There are so few Thai buffets around, but this one is a standout regardless. The food is fresh and flavourful, and they have a pretty wide selection of dishes. Depending on the day, they might also have some Laotian dishes on the buffet. They have both a full Thai menu and a full Lao menu, so if they don't have the Lao crispy rice salad or Laotian honey chicken wings on the buffet, these are well worth ordering separately.

    (5)

  • Virginia D.

    Excellent flavors in the dishes. My only quibble was the texture of the wide noodles, which I prefer a touch more firm. Standard Thai decor, friendly staff. Spice tray has all four condiments, several of which appear made in house. Very large dinner portions! Did not try their buffet but it might be okay.

    (4)

  • Barbara B.

    Had to try this $8.95 Thai buffet - especially because of the price, and because I'm not that familiar with Thai food to know what to order. We got there at 12:30. Not sure when the buffet starts, but the egg rolls were on the cold side. I don't think fried foot is ever a good bet on a buffet, but I did try the crab and chicken wontons: a lot of crispy and no filling. Still good for a little crunch. Other dishes: - Beef salad was tasty - lots of yummy greens. - Drunken noodles were a little mushy (but still good). - Didn't seem to have a lot of chicken in the green curry chicken. - Combination seafood curry had lots of mussels, but I didn't see any other kind of seafood, so I passed. - Pad thai was about the same as other places I've had it - not bad, not outstanding. - Egg fried rice - kind of bland. - Stuffed chicken drumsticks - I passed on these since I'm not a big 'on the bone' eater, but my friend had 2 and enjoyed them thoroughly. - Fried banana (dessert) - it was ok, a little on the greasy side, and they usually serve it with ice cream if ordered as a dessert off the menu. It would probably be awesome if it were hot and crispy with a nice scoop of vanilla. But drumroll please... The crispy chicken. Oh my. Thin slivers of chicken, fried until crispy, and then tossed in a slightly sweet sauce. Not overpoweringly sweet like a General Tso's, and not so much sauce that it makes the chicken lose its crispness. I went back for THIRDS. I will definitely be back for the all you can eat crispy chicken. It's worth your $8.95 to at least try it out once, since how often are you going to find a Thai buffet? Just be careful in the parking lot - lots of crazy drivers going to the nearby Shopper's.

    (4)

  • Reginald T.

    Bangkok Golden is on of the first eateries that me and Yana started going to together. It may have been a date for us but can't really remember. Hopefully she doesn't read this. We went out a lot if that justifies it? We used to be major fans of this place until we started trying out other Thai places. I swear I haven't seen more than 5 people at a time in this place while we have been there. We are always wondering how this place stays in business than we found out there are two other's that I'm assuming helps support it? The pplace isn't that bad but ranks as ok since we have expanded our horizons in the Thai food catergory. I will say that I think they have one of the best seafood salad (Yum Ta Lay). Delish and spicy. AS for the norms like Pad Thai, Drunken Noodles, and Panang, they are average. Not bad and not fab. The desserts are pretty good. The sticky rice and mango has always been pretty good where at some places the rice seems to be old and less tasty. They have this fried banana w/ a scoop of vanilla that is pretty good also. Yana loves it. I will say that one of the things I love about this place is if your feeling for some Thai on a busy weekend night then you are sure to get a table because like I said before, this place is never ready.

    (3)

  • Norlie L.

    Love this place. One of the best in the area. Crispy basil duck is super. Seasoned perfectly and cooked just right. Pad thai is fine, a tad sweet-- shrimp in it was cooked perfect. other dishes here are all equally good. Thai ice tea is just right.

    (5)

  • Andrea W.

    I like this place. I will say that I'm usually not a fan of buffetts, but this one is okay. It's nothing huge like Golden Corral or OCB, but they have a few options. It's just small enough that I don't get grossed out with all the people sneezing and touching all over everything before I go up and get my food. One reason I really like this place is because I get the opportunity to try different types of Thai/Lao food in one sitting. I'm usually skeptical about trying different dishes when I go out for fear that I will not like them, or it may upset my stomach (sensitive stomach). I'm a fan of the Pad Thai, however a few people that I've spoke with said it was just okay and too sweet. I also really like the Red Curry Chicken, that is def one of my favorites. They also have a Basil Chicken that I like. Some con's that I have for the place. It is a clean place, however it does have a bit of a dingy look and feel, it needs a makeover in my humble opinion. Sometimes depending on when you go, the food in the buffett can be some what cold, so its good to arrive close to when the buffett starts. Outside of that, I don't see any other major issues that would keep me from not coming back.

    (4)

  • Kim G.

    New management, new decor, new review. Hungry? You gotta try this spot for lunch buffet. They have all the staples like pad thai, drunken noodles, veggie egg rolls and tom yum soup, and they've moved the buffet to the back so the feng shui is better when you walk in, and the dishes are transferred hot. If you're the type of vegetarian who is lenient about fish sauce or doesn't mind picking the veggies out of a dish with meat, you'll be able to eat most of the items here. Also gluten-free friendly! They also have cartoons during lunch hour that the kids watch so you can eat, but mothers like Sheila D. may not encourage this habit if it distracts your child from getting proper nutrition...

    (4)

  • Jim A.

    You can get authentic Laotian food here if you order off the menu.

    (3)

  • Tony M.

    After seeing this on the hot list for the past couple weeks I went to check it out last Friday. The Good: Buffet - Yes, a Thai Buffet! Taste - Food tasted great. Pad Thai, Currey, mini satay, spring rolls were all great. Price - 8.95 for the buffet including all the items listed above and then some is a bargain. The Bad: Temperature of buffet food - although the food was delicious, some of it was downright cold. I think they need a better buffet table. This one doesn't have any heat lamps or any other noticeable measures to keep food warm when it comes out. Even food just brought out is only warm, leading me to believe it sits out for some time before hitting the buffet. Overall: If the food was warm enough I would have given this place 5 stars. Even though the cold food still tasted great, hard not to knock Bangkok Golden a star for letting food get that cold. I will be back though. I hope they get the heating situation on the buffet table figured out!

    (4)

  • Mike R.

    This place is awesome. Went here after reading the good reviews on Yelp. Like other reviewers have said... the buffet is a little on the small side, and they dont put a lot out at once, so you may have to wait for the food... but it comes out consistently one after the other, hot and fresh! No old buffet food in the trays here. The waitress was very polite and informed me that if I would like to wait a minute, more fresh food would be coming out. I thought this was nice of her. Every few minutes, you would hear a ding from the kitchen and a fresh pot of delicious thai food would emerge

    (4)

  • Annie S.

    This place is over hyped. I called in a take out order and they said it would be 15 minutes. I got there in 15 minutes and had to wait another 35 minutes for my order. The excuse they gave was that after I called they got a bunch of other take out orders. That doesn't seem to make a lot of sense. Wouldn't it be first call first serve? But besides the poor service the food was just not good. The papaya salad was inedible. The rice was probably the worst I've been served by an asian restaurant. The larb ped and moak fish were just o.k. Nothing special. This place is too expensive for the bad service and o.k. food.

    (1)

  • Matt R.

    2 stars for the buffet. I did not order off the menu so I cannot comment there but the buffet was average at best. The dishes didn't have much spice or flavor. Panang was average, drunken noodle pretty tasteless. Much better thai food in Northern Virginia at Dungrats or Sawatdee. Doesnt even come close to Ruan Thai (amazing) in Silver Spring. I would definitely skip Bangkok Golden or at least order off the menu and not go with buffet. Don't know how this place gets so many good reviews.

    (2)

  • Mark M.

    Great place with outstanding service. Authentic Thai dishes were great to discover. We selected this restaurant because of the Yelp reviews and were very pleased.

    (5)

  • Karria S.

    Tropical Rice & Bangkok Chicken r so good together. Wish they could do half and half but they cant. Called one day to try my hand the thai lady said no firmly so if u go try to go with someone so u can indulge in both. Huge portions as well. Clean too.

    (5)

  • Steven R.

    My family was in D.C. a year ago and I just returned with my wife for three days. We had a very small number of must do items and having dinner at Bangkok Golden was on that list. We weren't disappointed. I didn't see the happy, bubbly owner from a year ago but the family-owned business continues to offer great service, great food, and great value.

    (5)

  • David M.

    I've been a few times, this place is simply fantastic. There are three different menus - one is I think a toned down Thai menu, a Laotian menu, and then a more authentic Thai (in Thai only). Stick to the latter two. The mango salad, nam khao, and pork neck are all delicious, and the avacado sticky rice with coconut dessert they just added is excellent. Also the khao soi soup on the Thai-language only menu is also quite good.

    (5)

  • Brad Z.

    For a Thai buffet, I'm giving 4 stars. I've only eaten at one other Thai buffet in my life (6 years ago, in Florida) so there's not much to compare it too. I haven't had anything straight off the menu so I can't comment on their non-buffet options. I'm not sure it's fair to compare the buffet with any of the excellent non-buffet thai eateries in the area, but if I did, it would be about a 3, average. I was generally very satisfied. They had about seven main options, including at least one pork, one beef, one tofu and a few chicken options. There's always a curry option, and always Pad Thai, on the occassions I visited. For starters, fried spring rolls, larb, salad, and two soups. Also were two dessert options. Also, plenty of condiments to make the food spicy to your liking. The quality of the food is good. I haven't been able to get there before 1:00pm, so the food hasn't been especially hot by the time I've gotten to it, but they do continuously add as necessary. Like any buffet, opening time is the time to go. Compared to the typical Chinese buffet, this is much better. I plan to visit again for their dinner buffet.

    (4)

  • Dan J.

    This was our first time at this restaurant. We saw all the good reviews on Yelp and decided to give it a shot. The ambience of the restaurant was great. Beautiful Thai decorations on the wall and very clean. The food was out of this world. We had the buffet and were very impressed. The buffet had around 15 items that were all very delicious. The service staff were very friendly and attentive. If you like Thai and like good service, then you will not be disappointed by this restaurant!

    (5)

  • Matthew B.

    Decent, but definitely doesn't live up to the other high reviews. The pho in particular was tasteless and the service was quite slow. Very nice people however and nice presentation of food. Modest portion sizes.

    (3)

  • Bro H.

    This place is about as exciting as it seems like it might be. The food on the buffet is much better than your average buffet fare - nothing is spicy, but it's all pretty good. I came for dinner, which was 12 bucks. Given that you're not going to get an entree for less than 10 in this town, paying an extra two and sacrificing some spice to be able to have 9 different dishes at once is more than worth it.

    (5)

  • Leon Y.

    One word: Excellent! They might really figured out the golden rule. The buffet is high quality. Even though it doesn't offer the number of selections that the Chinese ones do, but the quality here is unmatched. Every time, I leave stuffed and wonder why i don't control myself. Their fried banana tastes out of this world. I have yet to find any other restaurant cook it as good as Bangkok Golden. If anyone knows about their secret, please hit me up. Thanks!

    (5)

  • Chris A.

    Buffets are always something that can be questionable, but this was a major exception to that rule. The food was delicious, not as many choices as you would expect with a buffet, around 15, which is fine, because the quality of the entrees that were out was great. The food had a lot of flavor and the cost, $9, makes for a great lunch with variety and lots of strong flavors.

    (4)

  • J s.

    ignore the buffet and ask for the Lao menu. most authentic Lao meal I've had in the states. i ordered the delicious larb moo (spicy minced pork), but there's quite a good selection. they even have Beer Lao! great and friendly service as well.

    (4)

  • Wayne S.

    Excellent lunch. Crowded place at lunch with lots of Asian people speaking non-English -- always a good sign! This is a combo Thai and Lao place (we don't get any of these in San Diego!), and the flavors were fresh and wonderful. Will definitely come back when we're back in this neck of the woods.

    (4)

  • C J.

    This one gets more stars because of the sheer fact that they have a buffet... you heard that right a Thai buffet! Sure there is some quality lost with a buffet, but the fact that you can get all the soup, all the spring rolls, all the larb kai (or other salads), all the pad thai, all the Thai veggies, green curry, red curry, etc, etc, etc you want... well makes up for it. Here's the catch... the buffet is only at lunch on weekdays. Why, who knows, but you should catch it. For 7.95 it's the best deal in Falls Church. I used to work around the corner and could drop in weekly. Sadly that's not the case anymore! I've eaten here plenty without the buffet and its quite good Thai, could stand to be spicier, but the portions are generous and the flavors good. But if you just love everything about Thai food, its worth searching out for the buffet!

    (4)

  • Gene B.

    Probably one of the only authentic places to serve Laos food to my knowledge. Rare but also tasty, serving both thai and Laos cuisine. A must try is the beef larb and papaya salad, can be a bit spicy if you don't let them know to tone it down. Customer service was pretty decent and dont't forget to try their buffet which was surprisingly very good.

    (3)

  • Thuy N.

    It was delicious!! We really enjoyed the buffet! Not a lot of options, but every single dish was very pleasant! The staff was friendly, too. I'd love to come back!

    (5)

  • Ken C.

    Average foods, but not a bad place to try out or for last minute dinner. Service need some improvement. Appetizers 3,5 and 8 were great and don't forget to ask for the spicy plate.

    (3)

  • Ian F.

    By now, my review is nothing more than an echo in the halls of deliciousness. I went here with low expectations, but immediately I was taken back to culinary delight by the Laotian Style papaya salad, Larb beef (raw) and fish (also raw). I complimented the meal with a Lao Beer dark and good friends. Everything was absolutely devoured. I loved it and will be back for more. The spices weren't dumbed down. The flavors popped, the textures tantalized, and the atmosphere was decorated a little closer to authentic Laos as opposed to typical Thai restaurant. Yum!!! Will be back soon!

    (4)

  • Mickey C.

    Two years I lived in Thailand and here I find street food at best. ToFu coconut curry was watery and bland, Pad Thai bland with zip in it, spring rolls like you buy frozen at BJ's. All in all a disappointing spread that was worth $4.95 at best.

    (2)

  • Nabiha C.

    Scrumptious food. Although please stay away from the pad thai. God awful. Everything else was so good I had to give this place a 4 star. YUM!

    (4)

  • Rob O.

    The food wasn't great but it was tasty enough that I kept stuffing my pie hole until I almost exploded. Fairly limited buffet but they hit the main dishes most people enjoy and it's priced right. Place is small. Some would call it cozy, I call it tad tight. But that won't stop you from you from enjoying this gem of a place.

    (4)

  • Gabe O.

    the place gets 4 stars for just being a thai food buffet ... never seen that in this area. now, the food, takes it over the top to five stars. everything was delicious and the selections were awesome. from larb gai to a tasty curry chicken, to the toned down tom yum soup - everthing was so good. price was resonable as well. the inside has a "hole in the wall" feeling, but its clean and very quaint with cool Thai pictures.

    (5)

  • lAy O.

    If I choose to eat Thai food I come here. The buffet is really good. I am in love with everything on the buffet.

    (5)

  • Chiang K.

    This review is about the Laos items that my friend and I tried. First of all, the restaurant's location is not accurately depicted by google map. The place is near the post office on rt 7 across from Sears. On this particular evening, we ordered from the Laos menu. We ordered the laos papaya salad, larb gai, and orm chicken. My Laotian friend liked the papaya salad and said the larb gai was quite good. He did not think the orm chicken (Laos chicken curry) was authentic enough. It had a good flavor and do not expect a typical curry taste. The Thai menu is very extensive. Overall, the Laos food was pretty good. I can't wait to try the Thai lunch buffet next.

    (4)

  • alan v.

    It was my first time trying it on Friday night with my boyfriend and i must say the food was very good and affordable. The waitress Kitty was hilarious and very welcoming. She definitely made us feel welcome and at home the minute we stepped in the restaurant. I would definitely go back for the delicious variety of food they serve for their buffett, not to mention go back to have Kitty wait on us again.

    (4)

  • Larissa M.

    I loveeeee this place for their buffet...I mean, $8.95 and you get 2 types of soup (mushroom coconut soup and tom yum), larb gai, beef salad, drunken noodle, fried crispy chicken wings, mini satays, beef basil stir fries, fried banana, sticky rice etc. It's not a large selection but I love this place when I'm craving thai food for lunch. MUST TRY: the crispy chicken basil, larb gai (ground chicken salad), the beef salad, drunken noodle (not sure what day they serve this), beef ka prow basil stir fry. Unfortunately, the pad thai isn't all that good but everything else is great to me. It's a buffet so you can't expect the same quality you'd get in expensive thai places but their larb, crispy chicken basil and beef ka prow are one of the best I've had in the area. They have dinner buffet for $13.95 and lunch is still $8.95. I'm there at least once a week.

    (4)

  • Shirly P.

    My friend J.T. (no...not Justin Timberlake) introduced me to this place. I'd never had Lao food before, and yes, I had to look up the country in a map. I'm vegetarian, so I couldn't go with my friend's food recommendations. So, for starters, the super friendly server suggested the "Fire-cracker Tofu", which was DELICIOUS! I also ordered the tasty "Larp Tofu" which I had fun eating with my hands. I loved it so much, I had to bring my brother and mom to try it a few weeks later. My brother was all over their crispy chicken wings. On my third visit, I tried the "Green Mango Salad" (thai spicy) and OMG it was HOT!...still, I ate it all. :)

    (5)

  • Kunndi K.

    This place is authentic with great tasting food! The art and artifacts on the wall and a Lao/Thai atmosphere give you a feeling of being there. Highly recommend it.

    (5)

  • shawn g.

    WE got some take out from this place. The Tom Yum Kai was nice and spicy, the prefect thing on a chilly evening, but the Pad Se Ew was greasy. It was barely $16, so relatively cheap for two people, definitely a few dollars cheaper per dish than the other thai places in the area. The buffet was still open, but I don't know how long it was sitting around, and the odor of the cigar place next door was permeating through the wall.

    (2)

  • Elizabeth G.

    What a treat! I went to Bangkok Golden last weekend with a few friends in search of a unique dining experience. We heard they had a laotian menu and not familiar with the cuisine, decided we must give it a try! We ordered an array of items that were shared amongst us. Our favorites by far were the Nam Khao (the crispy rice salad) and the Larb Ped (duck). We also got chicken (quite pickly tasting) and tilapia dishes, which were mehh, but probably only because we had finished the Nam Khao and the Larb Ped already. In addition to the already superb food, the service was very good. Our waitress was happy to help us with recommendations and just a pleasant person in general. The establishment and the people seemed just really down-to-earth (I, mean, it's in a strip mall...). Their friendliness, quick service, and incredible food made our first-time Laotian dining experience quite pleasant, and we will all be back for more.

    (4)

  • C Q.

    We visited the restaurant again late on a Saturday night. The buffet selection was about the same as the last time. Once we started eating, we can tell that we came too late. They were not cooking anything new. We were waiting for them to cook more of the chicken wings, so my kids were eating the drunken noodle and Pad Thai while they were waiting. Next thing we know, the manager came over and said they were about to close their buffet. She asked if we wanted anything else. It was our fault for not asking them directly to make more wings. But if you want fresh buffet food, don't go there late.

    (4)

  • Quynh N.

    since my last review, I think the management has changed. The variety and food are wonderful. Highly recommend it!

    (4)

  • Phu V.

    Just went today and thought the food was mediocre at best. Had some salad with beef that was just kinda bland. Spring rolls tasted like banana. They actually had a banana spring roll dessert that wasn't great and I'm guessing the use the same oil to fry that and their regular spring rolls :( Had some broccoli stir fry which tasted off and their pad thai was not good at all. Most of the hot foods were served lukewarm. One thing that was decent was their fried chicken wings which were pretty tasty. I don't see myself going back.

    (2)

  • Leo W.

    My wife and I came here for lunch buffet. This place had the best wings in this area!! Comparable to Bonchon chicken, if not better. It's indeed quite pricey for Sat/Sun lunch - $12.95. It pretty much served the same food which we had on weekday lunch. The variety was limited too. Nevertheless, everything here was simply delicious - pad thai, pad see ew, tom yum gong, coconut taro dessert, etc. The chef didn't make anything a whole lot, so there was some wait for the freshly cooked food but it's all worth it. Will certainly come back again!!

    (4)

  • R P.

    If you don't like the smell of burned cigarettes, perhaps this place is not for you: The whole restaurant & even their bathroom smell like you are in a smoking section although the fact is that this restaurant is smoke-free--the next store is a cigar store and the smokey air is straight to the restaurant. My husband got so sick after inhaling that bad air during lunch; beware. Food is decent, but too salty.

    (3)

  • v o.

    Well, its a great thai buffet. Not the largest selection, but what they do have is solid. The buffet generally has 2-3 entrees, soup, appetizers, and dessert. During the week, its 8.95 and at night and on the weekends its more expensive at 12.95. For some reason there isn't much difference between lunch and dinner so i'd recommend going there for lunch. Another plus is that the portions in the buffet aren't large so when they start to run out they make a new batch.This is much better than having food sit out for hours. All in all, a great buffet and highly recommended!

    (4)

  • Christine T.

    Instead of waiting in line at Little Serow, drive over to Bangkok Golden. We had read about Bangkok Golden and have been wanting to try it. It is one of many Asian restaurants in the confusing tangle of Seven Corners; it is on the backside of the Home Depot shopping center. We went at 230pm on a Sunday afternoon and got the last table in the place. The buffet looked okay but the waitress recommended ordering off the menu. They had whole baby coconuts to drink from and then cut open the coconuts so we could eat the sweet meat. This was key (KEY, I tell you!) to handling the delicious heat of the meal. We started with the fried watercress salad. It is like a Laos type version of the palak chaat (deep fried baby spinach salad) from Rasika, topped with a sweet and savory sauce, mango, shrimp, and cashews. Not the healthiest of salads, but totally tasty and worth it. We had the laarb duck, which was very similar to a dish we had had at Little Serow before. We ordered our seasoning of all dishes to be a Laos six out of ten. This ended up being on par with Little Serow's heat. The flavor of the dish was outstanding, with mint, lemongrass, and the acid of the lime complementing the flavors well. We also got the moak chicken, a sort of stew like dish served on a banana leaf, which had a smokey lingering heat and flavor that was incredible. We ate these with a couple of baskets of sticky rice. The main heat saver was sips of coconut water and scoops of refreshing baby coconut meat; the fat in these work better than water or sticky rice to temper the chili heat. Last but not least was the whole fried crispy fish. This was very authentic, head and tails, and was very delicious, with a sweet and sour sauce to dip the fish into. If you don't like your food looking at you, this dish is not for you. But if you like to eat a crispy fish Asian style (fins and tails!), this is a tasty fun dish. I don't know what those other reviewers were talking about. The service was excellent. Helpful and attentive without being intrusive. The food is not as elevated as that at Little Serow, and the dining room not as fancy or serene. But for real Thai/Laos cooking, drive over to Bangkok Golden. If you call Little Serow a 10 (food plus service/ "dining experience"), Bangkok Golden is a solid 8. More like 8.5. Skip the buffet. We'll be back again soon.

    (5)

  • Alyssa P.

    They have my favorite soup of all time- #13 on the Lao menu, can never remember what it's called. It's delicious every single time we get take out. Definitely my favorite take out place in Arlington!

    (5)

  • Eve L.

    In order for me to give a restaurant one star, I need to give it a second chance (and in this case, a third chance). I ordered off the menu each time, rather than go with the buffet. Consistently disappointed. My chicken curry was served in a large bowl of green, watery soup base. The chicken satay appetizer was served with half of the chicken missing from the stick (1" of chicken on the stick. Really?). If you're a buffet-loving, Thai-food-hating consumer, this is your place!

    (1)

  • Buddha N.

    Ummm hellz yeah I am a fan of this place! its a hidden gem I must say Its a spot that is in the 7 corners shopping center on the Shoppers Warehouse side so if you know where that is you will find it! Its a small Thai/Laos Restaurant which has a lunch buffet for $8 and its a solid buffet too! maybe about 16 different items on it. The menu items looked pretty awesome! So I had the buffet and my guest had veggie pad thai, she said it was the best pad thai she has had in awhile compared to other Thai Restaurants , she said it was full of flavors and it was huge! it was lunch that day and dinner the next! so yes it was a huge portion! The buffet items were on point too! lots of flavors and spices! I tried drunken noodles, honey crisp chicken, the chicken wings, egg plant with pork, veggie spring rolls, yellow curry with veggies and oh man all of that was awesome! I need to make another trip back so I can give it 5 stars cause I have to try the Laos food

    (4)

  • K. Anand S.

    2nd time here. Great food. The peanut salad appetizer was great. The chicken stew was very tasty. Always busy during Saturday evenings.

    (5)

  • Dan C.

    LOVE this place. I had the larb and crispy rice salad, both of which were fantastic with just the right amount of spice. If you love Thai food, I highly recommend sampling the Laotian menu.

    (5)

  • Lisa N.

    My friend wanted to try this Thai/Laotian place out so we gave it a go and ordered 4 dishes: CHICKEN LARB: contained great spices and was a rather large portion size LAOS PAPAYA SALAD: better than the typical Thai one; however, it had more of a fishy smell/taste BEEF DRUNKEN NOODLES: pretty standard; it was not as flavorful and did not contain as much sauce as I had hoped RED DUCK CURRY: my favorite dish out of the four; the duck was fatty and tender Service was prompt and friendly. Overall, the food was great and contained great spices that were not only hot, but flavorful. The scale is from 1-5, 5 being the spiciest. We got all our dishes as 4, which was a good balance. My main complaint is that there were many fruit flies in the restaurant (they should try running bleach down the sinks) which was pretty annoying/distracting. Other than that, I will return and recommend it to anyone who wants a good kick to their food!

    (4)

  • Mia N.

    Uh, so far we have eaten here 3 or 4 times, once a week for the lunch buffet. Love the soup. This place is perfect on a cold winter day for lunch. I wouldn't dare come here on the weekends. The place is too small and crowded. I would definitely order dinner from the menu and do carry out, especially for the Laotian crispy rice salad. So good. Maybe this coming holiday weekend.

    (5)

  • Katie R.

    I believe the owners are Laotian and the Lao food is SUPERB! Not to mention, the staff is incredibly kind and friendly. For these two reasons, it's a great place to go. I haven't tried the lunch buffet, but will very soon. Try the curry puff pastry for the appetizer...it was delicious...like a samosa. Seriously, I can't imagine disliking this place. Makes me wanna visit Lao!!!!!!!

    (5)

  • Jim W.

    Again another great lunch time meal. The buffet had all the right dishes. Great service.

    (5)

  • Lee F.

    I read about this place on one of Tom Seitsema's (Washington Post restaurant critic) lists. My favorite are the grilled Loatian chicken wings, which I've had several times. Such an unusual but delicious flavor! (One caveat is that last time the meat on the wings was a bit rubbery--one time issue, I hope!) You just have to be patient on the grilled wings, though, because it takes a good 20 mins to prepare them. The basil chicken, drunken noodle and tom yum soup are also very good. The buffet is hit or miss, because it's different every time I go. Biggest drawback to this place is that they seat you at tables no more than a few inches from the next table. Even if the entire place is empty, they'll seat you right next to the only other person in the joint. Weird.

    (4)

  • TK D.

    I tried Bangkok Golden six months ago, and I've been coming back (almost weekly) ever since. I grew up on Laotian food, so the food here is pretty close to Mom's cooking (not quite like Mom's, but darn close!). If you go, definitely try the crispy rice salad. My other favorite is the gang som pah. Delicious and hearty fish soup. Even for me, someone who's used to eating very spicy food, the "Lao" spicy is pretty spicy. Have fun, experiment, and do try all their dishes!

    (5)

  • Mark R.

    I have eaten at quite a few Thai restaurants in DC and VA, but have not been very satisfied. I had lived in San Francisco for 20 years which has excellent Thai and other restaurants. I was very happy to find this place which is also very reasonably priced. The service was also excellent when I went to lunch with three co-workers. This place was recommended to me by a graduate student from Thailand. The food is very tasty and the value for the buffet is great. You don't usually expect a buffet to be well prepared, but they are busy so they are frequently refilling the trays, and the trays they use are 1/2 the typical size of other restaurants. When I told him I enjoyed it very much, he said another friend had gone and ordered off the regular menu and it was even better.

    (5)

  • Dane B.

    One of the best restaurants in the dc area regardless of cuisine. Very complex yet delightful flavors even when you order dishes Lao hot. If you really like the heat make sure to order the papaya salad.

    (5)

  • Bob W.

    This place provides two menus - one Thai and the other Laotian. I've had the Laotian menu 3 times in the last 3 months and maybe two more times in the last year. I'm shocked by the number of memorable dishes that we have been served. Love the crispy rice. I've gotten to asking the waitstaff to recommend dishes since I don't know Laotian food. Every recommendation has been a hit. I haven't tried their Thai menu in some time, so have no opinion. The only downside to the place is that they are small and now have a following, so at popular times there is a wait.

    (5)

  • Sara N.

    This cute place is as authentic SE Asian as you're going to get around DC. It's like you're transported back to SE Asia! Order from the Lao menu--the Crispy Rice salad is the must order item as it's totally the most interesting and refreshing flavors your tongue has tasted. If you're not into the fishy, smelly, bold taste that can be too spicy (depending on how much you can handle the heat) than true stay away from the Lao Papaya salad (order Thai style) (& don't give this place a bad rating because you don't know what it is you've just ordered--as someone else rated). I've never actually eaten from the buffet so I can't comment on that, but the Lao menu continues to tempt me every time. The staff are always very nice and for the price, the food is great value.

    (5)

  • William V.

    This is an update: This restaurant deserves a proper write up. My gosh... 3 years have passed since I first learned of this gem. WaPo's Tom Sietsema and countless others have found out the secret. The tables are packed during the lunch and dinner rush, and I suspect all day long. Yes, it's small. It's in a northern virginia strip mall near Home Depot. But my god, it reminds me of home. The proprietor is a lovely, busy lady these days. She bought failed restaurant and turned into into a true mid-altantic food destination. My advice still stands. Skip the buffet, which looks delicious btw. It's the authentic lao cuisine menu that you should try. Particularly, the papaya salad. It's my all time favorite dish and what I would want to eat as my last meal. Hers is on a bit on the sweet side, but all the flavors are there. Pro-tip: Sticky rice helps calm the heat of her dishes!

    (5)

  • T N.

    I've been on a hunt for really good Thai food since most Thai restaurants in this area are now too bland, generic and catered to the American taste. After hearing and reading many great reviews, I decided to pay a visit. My friend and I ordered: Laos style papaya salad - my favorite! this dish is very special since it is much more flavorful than the Thai version. I like my papaya salad stinky and ultra spicy. This restaurant makes it the best by far. Laos style chicken larb - this version has a lot more different herbs and spices mixed into it compared to the Thai version. I cannot say that I like it more than the Thai version since it is almost an entirely different dish Drunken Noodles with beef - this dish met my expectations but did not exceed it. To say the least, it was good and theres nothing to complain about it Duck red curry - Again, this dish met my expectations. The quality of the duck was nice, juicy, thick, and tender. Although, the duck curry at Thai Square surpasses it a little Everything was ordered with a spicy level of 4 out of 5. It got really intense but our water was quickly refilled to burn out the fire. Service was very friendly and quick. The gentleman waiter was very informative to our questions. I have not tried the buffet but I will most definitely come back for that!

    (4)

  • Lily Z.

    Tom Sietsema did a piece on this small Thai place back in November. I am happy to report that the secret menu is secret no more. When we entered the small place this afternoon, we were handed two menus, one Thai and one Laotian. I never had Laotian food before, it was like Thai, but more rustic. Like other southeast Asian cuisine, Laotians make heavy usage of fresh vegetables and herbs as evident by the numbers of salads on the menu. We ordered the Laotian sausage, orm beef (A stew made with lots of fresh dills. The menu calls it curry, but its only a curry in a sense that curry means a stew of meat and vegetables), crispy rice salad, and an order of chicken satay for the kiddo. My favorite dish was the crispy rice salad, consisted of herbs (probably cilantro and lime leaves), coconut, onions, scallions, julienne pork skin, ham, peanuts, and crispy rice in a refreshing spicy lime dressing with large lettuce leaves served on the side. You are suppose to eat it like a bulgogi by wrapping the salad inside the lettuce leaves. It was a prefect balance of savory, sour, and spicy, with bites of crispy rice and peanut for textural contrast. The flavor was incredibly complex and words do not do justice in describing this dish. Bangkok Golden deserves a 5 star for bring something unique to the DMV dining scene. Even if you are not familiar with Laotian cuisine, go there just once, and try it. Small places like Bangkok Golden need people's support for being adventurous and churning out dishes that are foreign to majority of the Americans. Now the only hard part is resisting not wander over to Hong Kong Palace when you are in the parking lot.

    (5)

  • R Scott L.

    Blew off the buffet for Loa sausage and crispy rice salad that was touted for here. Was not disappointed. Great flavor and dying to return already. Will try the buffet next time - currently $9.95(?) + 13.95(?) for lunch-dinner. They had drunken noodle, 2 larbs, pad thai and others on offer. Small servings are placed, about 2x quart containers worth, so food is always fresh.

    (5)

  • John P.

    I am shocked that no one in the DC area thought of the idea of a Thai buffet before this place came along. Unlike most buffets, the quality of the food does not suffer from being mass-produced. Sure, things aren't quite as spicy as one would sometimes like, but you can overlook that once you realize you can have three plates of drunken noodles for the price of one.

    (5)

  • Andrea R.

    The lunch buffet here was impressive. It was crowded, Always a good sign.

    (4)

  • max j.

    I love this place. Papaya salad is great, pork neck BBQ is also good and it's better than Pork on stick (ping moo). The must try item is the Crispy rice salad. As for the buffet, the pad thai, drunken noodle and Larb Gai are my favorite. I love the coconut milk with tapioca and taro and fried banana. My least favoirte is probably the seafood basil, little over cook (maybe from the heat at the buffet station?). The service is great! one of the server (taller guy) was very friendly and resourceful. I can't wait to go back again.

    (4)

  • Nicole L.

    In anticipation of Tom Sietsema's review on the 26th that is going to draw a crowd to Bangkok Golden, we decided to make a trip to the restaurant before the frenzy. It was proven worthwhile because this restaurant was a hidden gem for Laotian food! Laos is one place I have not visited but now it's next on my list. Other than watching Anthony Bourdain eating away the fantastic Laotian cuisine I have not come close to trying Laotian food because there is a lack of Laotian restaurants in the DC-area. Kudos to my friend whom through his wide-social contacts of people Laotians included found out about this family-run business that had taken over Bangkok Garden and the dishes to order (not on menu). At first the restaurant appeared to be like any other Thai restaurant with the exception they served a Thai buffet even in the evenings. When all five of us arrived, my friend pulled out his HTC phone (his social blackbook) to look up the list: There were the crispy rice with sausage, fish curry, laotian cerviche, laotian beef tartare, fish tamarind soup, lao papaya salad, lao sausages. The array of laotian dishes spreaded out on our 6-seater dining table, almost running us out of space. We were also served little baskets of sticky glutinous rice and technically we were suppose to roll the rice in our hands and eat with the dishes. First of, I was trying Laotian cuisine for the first time but we got lucky with this fantastic restaurant that made amazing Laotian food. One thing I knew for sure was the milder flavor compared to Thai food but the heat element from hot pepper was bold! Nam Kao or Crispy rice with sausage: Bits of crispy rice mixed with bits of sausage, served with lettuce. It was tangy and flavorful. Wow it blew my mind! Imagine the atomic cloud forming over my head. It's that good! Fish curry: The curry had a gentle flavor with fresh tasting cubes of fish. The subtleness and delicate quality of the dish was just wonderful. Another winner! Goy Paa or Laotian cerviche: First of, even a third-world country can make a better cerviche than Nora. It's embarassing! The cerviche was fresh with a hint of lime and bird eye pepper. It was tangy and refreshing. Laab Beef or Laotian beef tartare: Good cut of raw beef marinated in spices and lime juice and peppers, it was well-balanced another dish with great flavors. Gang Paa or Tamarind fish soup: The soup made of clear fish broth with little cubes of fish. No, not fishy. Good fresh fish soup that can get rid of any nasal congestions. Lao Sausage: Homemade sausage with spices. It was made with good quality meat, not fatty at all. It was bursting with flavors. Lao Papaya Salad: A lao variation of papaya salad it was drizzled with the sweet molasses-like shrimp sauce. I loved the flavor because I've had rojak (a salad of fried beancurd, pineapples, jicama, cucumber, convulusm chilli paste, lime juice and crushed peanuts) in Singapore made with the same sauce. So many similarities. When we ordered the food I thought it wasn't going to be filling but it was more food than expected. The party of five allowed us to try all the fantastic dishes all at once. After we were done with the entrees the nice lady offered us desserts, she recommended the hot coconut milk dessert with taro root cubes and taipoica cubes (think bubble tea). It turned to be a variation my family used to make and I ate as a child, it really sent me back to my childhood when things were simpler but great! We sat there in awe and chatting about everything from travel to other food adventure while our food settled, the restaurant owner/servers were so chill, we could sit there for as long as we wanted. What a wonderful restaurant. I can't say enough good things about the food. Now I hope Tom Sietsema's review will do the restaurant justice, looking forward to the review.

    (5)

  • Alison L.

    So after reading these yelp reviews, I had pretty high expectations for the dinner buffet. We came on a Friday night, not long after it had begun, and half the tables were already full. The buffet is in a corner and consisted of a soup, rice and fried rice, egg rolls, fried chicken, pad thai, drunken noodles, 2 deserts (the taro coconut was excellent), papaya salad, basil chicken, larb kai, veggies and tofu/seafood, red curry, tempura veggies, and a rice noodle dish. All in all the food was pretty good, but I wouldn't say anything spectacular.... The variety was really nice, especially because you can get a little of everything instead of ordering a bunch of dishes.

    (3)

  • Abbey G.

    Authentic Lao food. Love this place, wish I lived closer. It's the only place in DC serving real sum tum lao/tummakhung. I ordered in Isaan. When asked how spicy I wanted my dishes, I said Thai spicy. The server didn't bat an eye and actually had the kitchen make them spicy (unlike other Thai places where they take one look at me, the whitest farang, and think there's no way that's the level of spicy that I really want and dial it down). I was in heaven. Little Serow, take note- this is how Isaan food is done right.

    (5)

  • Misha T.

    This place seems pretty legit. I had the lao pho today and it was delightful. Hot, sour, and still beefy. Their meatballs in the pho were particularly good. I'll be back for some nam khao.

    (4)

  • Brenda D.

    I just want to thank everyone on yelp who recommended the crispy rice salad. It was delicious and did not disappoint for my first Laotian experience. It was a little spicy, but the lettuce helped cool it off. It was crunchy, but not chewy and the flavors blended together perfectly. The prices and service here are great, I will definitely be back to try their sticky rice and other dishes. Already craving for the crispy rice salad as I am typing this.

    (4)

  • Steph L.

    Ever since I had the crispy rice salad at a Thai/Laotian festival 3 years ago, I've been jonesing for some more of the crispy yet soft, refreshing yet rich and full of flavor, tart and savory salad. I wish the version at Bangkok Golden also had strips of soft pork skin in it to make it even better, but I guess when you have to appeal the mass, the pork skin's gotta go. Also good on the menu are the sausages, the jerky, and the orm. The dishes wrapped in banana leaves sounded better than they tasted. If you like the tartness in many of the Thai dishes, you'd really like Laotian food. It's a good sign when you walk in and everyone looks SE Asian (I'm an Asian so I'm aloud to make these generalizations, right?), and an even better sign when you hear them speak in Thai or Lao.

    (5)

  • Patrick C.

    Excellent Laotian food. Will definitely go back. Gets a 4 rather than a 5 because servers were slow to clear piling used dishes, they ran out of Lao beer, and there were flies, otherwise I would have given it a 5.

    (4)

  • Eric O.

    Duck curry is small Drunken noodles is tasty Free check-in dessert!

    (4)

  • Rachel K.

    This place was amazing. Food I'd never, ever had before. We had the Lao-style papaya salad (glad I tried it, but a little too spicy/stinky for my American tastebuds), the crispy rice salad, a spicy-sour sausage that was a nightly special, and moak normai, which is listed as "steamed bamboo with pork" but is basically a really delicious curry made with veggies, bamboo, pork, coconut milk, and I have no idea what else. I get the acclaim for the crispy rice salad--it IS quite good--but the moak, oh my gosh, was delicious. I'm eating the leftovers right now. They've been in the fridge a few days, the sticky rice is all dried out, and it is STILL one of my favorite foods. I never would have ordered the moak if not for a recommendation from a friend, so now I am paying it forward. Get it.

    (5)

  • Edward C.

    Update: must give credit where credit is due. I've been back 2 times since this review, each time to have their dinner buffet. Eating buffet style and without much server interaction, I can focus on the food--which I must say is always consistently delicious and fresh. The tom yum soup is always available, dishes seem to be made in small batches so they don't sit on the buffet for long, and there is always good variety including seafood dishes. One thing to note is they can't ever seem to get their temperature under control. On one visit, it was incredibly hot in the dining room, with only a dyson fan in the corner to help move the hot air around. When I went to the restroom, I noticed there was a thermostat set to 80 degrees...seems like they simply refused to run the A/C even with a full house. On another night months later, it was quite cold outside and we were seated right by the front door. Each time the door opened we got a nice blast of freezing cold. For these reasons, my wife is still reluctant for us to return. But, the delicious food will keep me asking to keep Bangkok Golden in our regular Thai restaurant rotation.

    (4)

  • Ziv B.

    Like a lot of other people, I dropped by first for the buffet, and was pretty happy with it. I like the seafood dish with calamari and mussels, and the tofu curry is good, but my favorite dish isn't on the buffet usually. The crispy rice salad with the pork skin extras is simply a great dish. This alone makes the restaurant worth visiting. The som tom is good but I don't know if it is on the menu or just a special. I asked for it and the waitress looked surprised, not sure what was up with that. The larb gai/kai is good and actually kind of reminded me of the larb gai I got in an Isan place in Nong Khai. The ground up larb mu was pretty good, tho a bit on the mild side. When I ate in Isan areas of Thailand and in Laos, half the dishes were hot enough to put a little sweat on my forehead, which is my favorite level of heat. Bangkok Golden only packs that much heat in maybe one dish in 5 or so. But they do have a good handle on layering flavors and keeping the dishes complex enough to be interesting.

    (5)

  • Donald P.

    Still love this place. The interior of this place changed a little since my last visit but I think it looks better...but to be completely honest I don't really care as long as the food still tastes good. Everything was good. However the Pad Thai was lacking in some of the usual stuff like bean sprouts and scallions, and very light on the egg. I don't know what happened there, but at least the taste was still good. Everything else was delicious.

    (5)

  • Samantha W.

    There aren't too many Laos restaurants in the area, so imagine my surprise when I found one that gets the Laos stamp of approval! (My boyfriend is Laotion and he lurves this place!) One of the main highlights of this restaurant is the buffet - buffet prices at you-won't-believe-its-a-buffet prices. Although the buffet station looks modest, it offers an amazing variety of dishes such as; tom yum soup, chicken wings, pad thai, drunken noodles, spring rolls, larb and many more! The only thing that IS modest, is the price. We paid $12 for a lunch buffet on a Sunday. Top it all off with a thai iced tea and ahhhhhh, refreshing heavenly-ness!! I've also had the opportunity to do the Laos tasting menu here one night. Every dish was more savory, succulent and spicy than the last. We were served papaya salad, Laos sausage, larb, a delicious steamed fish dish, and a lovely avacado sticky rice for dessert. I urge you to try some foods from the Laos menu next time you come here, as it will give you different flavors than your typical Thai food.

    (4)

  • Vivian D.

    Let me tell you...I love love love Thai food. So after overhearing "$10 all-you-can-eat Thai food" from a coworker, I thought to myself...it can't be true. You always hear about all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet but you never hear much about all-you-can-eat Thai buffet (or any other cuisine to be honest) so I was super excited and instantly bookmarked this place on my list of restaurants to try. Well that day has come my loves...I successfully managed to persuade my boyfriend, who initially wanted to go to Olive Garden (eh.), to come here instead for lunch on our day off (yay!). Instantly when I walked through the door we were greeted and seated promptly despite the restaurant being busy. We had the option of either ordering off the menu or do the lunch buffet, and we chose the buffet option. It wasn't a large buffet, but each item was well chosen and tasted great. Some dishes that stood out were pad thai, chicken larb, drunken noodles, fish, fried rice, eggplant dishes, and some sort of dessert with tapioca pearls/yams/diced taros in a milky soup. OMG THE DRUNKEN NOODLES WERE SO GOOD. I swear if I had gotten the drunken noodles the first round I would have just eaten everything at the food bar. It was soooooo delicious. They also provided a lot of sauce options for saucy individuals like myself. Besides the food, I really enjoy the ambience of the restaurant. They had so many beautiful paintings and mini sculptures on display. It was just nice to enjoy your food while gazing at the many beautiful artworks being showcased.The servers were very attentive at refilling my boyfriend's continuously empty water glasses. I don't know why he was drinking so much water. The buffet food wasn't spicy at all. But you know....white people (*inserts stereotypes*). Ha ha ha.

    (5)

  • Krystina T.

    I accidentally stumbled upon this place and figured "let me try their buffet." Simply YUUUUM! Great variety and fresh food. A lot of times, you go to a buffet and all you see are dishes with tiny pieces of veggie or meat and lots of sauce. But definitely not this one. The meat pieces are chunky and veggie fresh. I was so stuffed. And the staff was pretty nice and attentive as well. Although we arrived with a big-ass stroller, and the place was full during lunch hour, the waitress was able to accommodate us and have my baby, who is in the stroller, close-by. I am interested to try out their a la carte selection during dinner times.

    (5)

  • Steve L.

    New management? So that's what happened, eh? I hadn't been here in a few months, but now it's awesome! My work lunch bunch arrived here last Friday around 11:40 and were lucky enough to grab the last available table - it's never been that full before! The manager was so happy that her establishment was full that she was hugging regular faces, and visiting with everyone and sharing her excitement. Probably because it was full, the food items were brought out very quickly - and there are even more food options than I remembered in my previous visits. The waitress clearing the empty plates for us also seemed to be a new face. She was happy, polite, and even willing to share words with us - a new, refreshing experience here! My lunch bunch and I eat together a lot, and most often at Thai restaurants. I've never seen my one coworker so happy in his life. He was so happy about the quality and quantity of food he was receiving at such a great price that he couldn't stop expressing this all the way back to the office! This is the same lunch bunch that will stop at McDonald's for more food after lunch when a meal is that disappointing!

    (5)

  • Laura V.

    Best Thai food ever! I love this place! I always get their Red Curry with chicken. I could eat it every day if I could. I definitely recommend the place to anyone who enjoys this type of cuisine.

    (5)

  • Graham E.

    This place is delicious. The lunch buffet is amazing... where else can you get an all you can eat portion of lemongrass soup? Nowhere else...that's where... The papaya salad is also a must try. Although, I recommend the Thai version over the Laotian version.

    (4)

  • Shelly S.

    I love this restaurant. One of my go to places with friendly staff and great food. The only restaurant in the area, that I know of, which serves authentic Laos cuisine.

    (5)

  • stephen c.

    Take your lunch crew here, pretend that it's your birthday if you have to! Call ahead if there's more than 6 people in your party. The food is spectacular. It was the best of every dish with pork, chicken, beef, and eggplant. I liked the batters, sauces, and taro dessert. The buffet was only $10 and so tasty.

    (5)

  • Stacy S.

    This restaurant has a buffet, which is of course seldom seen for Thai food. It is delicious! The price is reasonable at about $10 for the lunch buffet. Service is good.

    (4)

  • Chich S.

    I visited this restaurant during their buffet brunch. The buffet selection was quite good and the food in the buffet was delicious! For a good price you actually get a good food selection that tastes like quality dishes rather than the lower quality fare you typically see at buffets. I'll definitely come back for the standard, non-buffet experience since I've heard such good things about it!

    (4)

  • SD H.

    I almost don't want to review this place because I don't want any one else to know how amazing it is!! I've never had a bad dish here. Super spicy, authentic Thai/Laotian food. I almost always end up going for the buffet, only because hey - its incredibly cheap, the quality of the food is amazing, and it means I can have a little (let's face it more like a lot) of everything! Usually we order a couple sides of sticky rice ($2 for a little basket) as well, to sop up all the delicious sauces. I am not usually one to go for buffet-style food. But this place does it right. The food turns over quickly (this place is always packed!) so everything is always fresh. Staples like papaya salad, fried bananas, super spicy larb, pad thai, green curry, panang, drunken noodles... I can't say enough good things. The service is exceptionally friendly, the wait staff get to know you and you'll often see the chef pop out to chat with diners! Love this place!

    (5)

  • Rose N.

    Woke up with a sore throat. Immediately thought of one thing for lunch, pho. Initially, I was aiming for a traditional vietnamese bowl of pho, but I had a light bulb moment for Lao-style pho. Haven't had a bowl in years and I was craving the different flavors that a bowl of laos pho would offer. Went on yelp for Laos food and checked out Golden Bangkok's menu, bam, there it was- tomp pho. Let me tell you, eating Laos/Thai food when you have a sore throat is a horrible idea, but I couldn't stop myself. The food was really spicy, but addictively good. I ordered the tum marg huong (papaya salad) which I asked for mild because I didn't think my throat could handled any more. It was still up there on the spicy scale. Man, was I sipping on a lot of ice water and my thai ice tea. Don't get me wrong, it was delicious. My palate definitely changed after eating the papaya salad because of the spiciness but did that stop me from adding more spice to my pho, nope. First taste of the broth was impressive, there was so much flavors going on, nothing really needed to be added (unlike vietnamese phos). Just a few scoops of chili sauce and my pho continued the spiciness my mouth had grown accustomed since the beginning of the meal. Bf got the seafood red curry which he thoroughly enjoyed. Checked in on yelp, and showed the server the deal for a free dessert (doesn't get better than that). The server recommended boua loy which was tapioca balls in sweet warm coconut cream. Really enjoyed the chewiness of the balls with the sweetness of the coconut milk. Reminded me of home.

    (4)

  • Claire B.

    this is one of my favorite thai and Laos restuarant. they cook the authentic food. always crowed, make sure you call and make a reservation before you leave your house!

    (5)

  • Genea C.

    The monkfish (on the Laotian side of the buffet) alone is a reason to go. But so is everything else. WOW.

    (5)

  • Yan W.

    We originally intended to go to the Chinese restaurant next door, but there was a very long line out the door, so we went to the end of the same strip mall and found this pleasant surprise. Ever since this first accidental visit, I've been a major fan. First, the service was incredible. The staff always know what's hot in the kitchen and what to recommend. Like other yelpers, I'm a major fan of the crispy rice and the duck dishes. I also love the sticky rice in the cute little baskets! Their off menu BBQ pork will chance your world. If you go during the summer, definitely try their sugarcane drink. I usually don't like some sugarcane drinks since they can taste a little gamy after shipping the cane across the world, but theirs tasted really fresh. You can tell all of their ingredients from the sugar cane, pork, rice, etc. are fresh and handpicked - not stuff from the local A&P. Also got the yelp check in offer so we enjoyed their free desserts. The fried banana is good, but their coconut "soup," garners them many extra stars. Oh - and I didn't get any of their Thai dishes, so I can't speak to the Thai menu.

    (5)

  • Crystal C.

    13.95 for dinner buffet, not too much option but in general food taste good, waiters are very friendly and attentive. The two thing I don't like are: 1) the food is way too salty, my first bite on the plain egg roll was scary, I thought I was chewing on salt! Heard from their repeat customers that they have recently changed chef, both presentation and taste have went down a bit. 2) way to crowded, no space between tables, no privacy.

    (3)

  • Tj T.

    This place would have gotten 3 stars had we both not gotten VERY sick! We each had the buffet and it looked to be fresh as far as it was pretty busy and going through a good amount of food. Aside from getting sick, The buffet was nothing special as far as selections, there was a lot of fried foods (bananas, broccoli, egg rolls, wings) pad Thai, drunken noodles, chicken curry, chicken lemongrass soup, and papaya salad. Nothing tasted bad but nothing was outstanding either. Until we got sick, we had thought about coming back to try ordering from the regular menu. But we won't be back! The 12.95 buffet that seemed like a good deal wasn't worth the time spent sick!

    (1)

  • George N.

    very popular place, but the food was ok, but different, had the Lang seem(beef) it had a lot of mint leaves

    (3)

  • Mimi P.

    I have been meaning to come to BANGKOK GOLDEN for a few months now to try their lunch buffet. I'm glad I finally did. My gosh, the experience was GOLDEN. They had a huge selection of Thai/laotian food-16 different dishes if you are counting. Dishes/selection include larb gai, larb beef, egg rolls, curry tofu, seafood vegetables stir fried, drunken noodles, pad thai, etc along with two choices of their desserts! Wow, all for 8.95! To top out off, they keep bringing fresh food out. Can't beat that. I arrived at 11:30 for lunch and felt weird that it was just my boyfriend and I but a few minutes later, they were swarmed with hungry people which easily filled up the place in fifteen minutes. (whew! glad I beat the crowd) The service was also excellent. Our beverages were always timely refilled. I left the place on cloud nine. I wish I could have eaten more after my third plate.....aaaaaah but I didn't want to ruin the experience. I'll definitely return to do more damage;)

    (5)

  • Michelle N.

    I had heard about this place so a co-worker and I decided to check this place out for lunch. Upon entering, we noticed that it was really dim inside and really cramped. We both did the lunch buffet and while there were a good amount of food about (15?) different dishes, most seemed to be all vegetarian. The vegetarian pad thai and drunken noodles were good and that seemed to be the only dishes I kept coming back to. The tofu larb they had were by far the most saltiest dish they had and thats not saying much since most of the food there seemed to be salty, especially their chicken and tofu soup. The only thing I commend them on is the fried plantains and their taro dessert. Overall, not a bad place for a cheap lunch but beware of the salty dishes. After lunch, I kept guzzling water all day to quench my thirst.

    (3)

  • Emma D.

    Thought this was great! I backpacked Thailand and Laos and this was pretty spot on. The servers were as sweet and nice as the people back in Lao. The actually had Beer Lao on the menu!! Great parking out front. Sketchy neighborhood but aren't the best places holes-in-the-wall? One star taken off for the odor of cigars and nail polish--which are their neighbors on either side of the restaurant--however it distracted from the taste of the food.

    (4)

  • Daniel H.

    We went there for the buffet. It was nice not to have to wait to food to be prepared. One thing I noticed was all of the dishes tasted better when they recently refilled the trays. I will give the restaurant appearance 1 of 1 starts the prices 1 of 1 stars the service is hard to rate because of the buffet but they seems very nice and helpful to others 0.75 of 1 stars and I would rate the food 1.75 of 2 stars. So all together 4.5 stars. For now ill leave it as a 4/5 and will revisit for a lunch buffet and post an update.

    (4)

  • Wasc W.

    The food is delicious. The service is excellent. I have only tried their delicious lunch buffet, and it is quite the bang for your buck/baht/Lao Kip at $8.95. An exceptional value compared to the $50 I spent the week before on just an appetizer, soup, and one seafood dish at a nearby fancy Thai restaurant. The spiciness of each buffet dish has been dialed way down to suit the American palette, so I use the spice tray to kick it up a few notches. I think about the food here on days when I don't visit. I'll definitely be back.

    (5)

  • Emily N.

    Review for lunch buffet: Typically would have gone straight to Eden for lunch but.. decided to try something different! And was I happy. Yeah the buffet was a bit pricey but wasn't disappointed whatsoever. The selection wasn't much but what they did have? Was yummy. They didn't skimp on the taste or quality even though it was a buffet. Warning: things are spicy! I'm not one for spicy.. But things were so flavorful? That it didn't matter. Things tasted authentic though I'm no specialist but the soup was the only iffy for me. Reason for it not being 5 stars? Some things were just toooooo spicy.. Why not just make it medium for those who aren't traditionally used to the spices.

    (4)

  • Natalie G.

    Thank you, Yelpers!! We wouldn't have found this restaurant without you! It's in the upper part of the Seven Corners "mall" -- if you're facing the front of Shoppers Food Warehouse, it's in that line of stores and shops to your right. My husband and I had a "date night" without the kids to try this restaurant, as some of the reviews had indicated the food was pretty spicy. We both had the buffet, and while the spice level definitely built over the course of the meal, it wasn't excessive. I'd judge most of the food on the buffet to be about 1.5-2 spicy peppers on the normal Southeast Asian scale of 4 peppers. The buffet was a remarkably good deal. For $12.95 at dinner, it included a tasty chicken mushroom soup (a lot like the galangal at Rabieng, which is high praise). It also had a variety of chicken and seafood dishes, as well as some veggie entrees. Best of the bunch was a monkfish with dill and several herbs and spices I couldn't identify. It was mostly savory, but with a bit of fruity sweetness from the dill and the other herbs. The fish was cooked beautifully! The larb ka (chicken) reminded me of the chicken appetizer that some Chinese restaurants serve with lettuce leaves. It had a bit too much raw onion for my taste, but the chicken was really flavorful. Several of the dishes included seafood, which is extremely uncommon for a buffet at this price level. And they refreshed the buffet frequently, so even the fried food was fresh and crispy. We had to wait a while for a table, because a group had reserved space for 25 people (which is probably 2/3 of the restaurant) for 6PM. They didn't show up until 7:15PM; the restaurant only started releasing the tables about 15 minutes before that. And they had the nerve to come in at 7:15PM and say they had a reservation! Service was excellent; attentive without being intrusive. The Thai iced tea is a super deal at $2, and helps offset any food that's a bit too hot.

    (4)

  • A.R. P.

    Yes, Lao food...there, on its own, on the printed page. The days of ordering off-menu and coaxing a few representative Lao dishes from the staff here at Bangkok Golden apparently are gone. There is now an actual menu (presented as a multi-fold booklet) that showcases Lao food in all of its glory. Despite this, it felt a bit strange reading the names of Lao dishes off of a menu for the first time and deciding what to get. The prospect of eating Lao food and ordering unfamiliar items had me thinking about Southeast Asian cuisine in general (especially, the food of Vietnam and Thailand). Almost unconsciously, those more familiar cuisines, certainly, served as a kind of guide. The Lao version of papaya salad is a prime example of how one version is a springboard to another. It shares much in common with its Thai counterpart. However, as I learned, it has many distinct features of its own. While it contained the usual green julienned strands of unripe papaya, for instance, the Lao version that I was served had a murky quality to it. This was due to the fermented shrimp and crab pastes that partnered with the lime juice dressing. The end result was an utterly refreshing and spicy salad (as papaya salads are apt to be). Yet, the additional use of the aforementioned pastes created an added layer of rich, pungent flavor that the Thai version lacks. Another appetizer that I tried was the Lao spicy sausage. This homemade sausage consisted of a soft casing that enclosed loose clusters of pork mixed with fresh herbs such as lemongrass and dill. While tasty, I thought it could have been spicier, tighter, denser, and the herbs more pronounced. However, whatever the sausage lacked, in my estimation, the crispy rice salad, the next dish, more than made up for. In a word, the crispy rice salad was a masterpiece. The interplay of parts in this salad was just amazing. With an array of ingredients mixed with a lime juice dressing (ingredients that included minced or otherwise diced lemongrass, galangal, cilantro, mint, shallots, scallions, chilies, and ham -- and probably more elements that I could not identify), the flavor profile of this dish was so complex. Yet, the bits of crispy rice powder that were integrated into the salad took it to another level altogether. Once wrapped in the accompanying lettuce leaves, each bite was such a great mix of melded flavors and aggregate textures (with the crispy rice powder leading the way). Wow. Larb, a Lao salad of minced meat and herbs that can be prepared either sour or bitter, was also delicious. Ours was prepared bitter, the traditional way, with shredded beef and cooked medium rare. Like the crispy rice salad, the larb beef was similarly complex with notes of cilantro, shallots, scallions, Kaffir lime leaves, mint, hints of Chinese bitter melon, and yet more of that magical crispy rice powder. It was just fantastic. Lao stew, called "orm" (consisting of meat in a savory sauce with, among other things, onions and tomatoes), completed our meal. Ours featured fresh flaky pieces of tilapia. As a stew and with fish as the main protagonist, the soft ingredients, by design, did not provide a complex textural portrait. And, while it certainly utilized the usual suspect of herbs, it seemed a more muted cousin to the larb and salad entrées. However, as a vehicle for dill, which was the loudest constituent herb, the stew, eaten with balls of sticky rice, was very good and enjoyable nonetheless. To top everything off and send the evening toward five stars, lest I forget, the service was top-notch too. Brylle, our server, was engaging, patient, and attentive. He educated me on many aspects of Lao food and culture; and, at times, upon my being asked, I taught him a few things about Chinese food as well. In the end, my evening was a great first foray into Lao cuisine. The tasty food combined with excellent service made for a wonderful experience. I realized too that, even though I am a huge fan of Thai and Vietnamese food, I really didn't need to be to have enjoyed my food. Lao food, like a strong individual, can certainly stand on its own and, yes, speak confidently for itself.

    (5)

  • Geoffrey C.

    My g/f introduced me to this place. I have been to their other location in Oxon Hill, but this BG has a Lao Chef which as others have said, makes the difference. Keeping this short, one must truly try the Nam Khao - crispy rice salad. So much flavors and textures all wrapped in a juicy lettuce leaf. Thank me later! Their panang curry is top notch as well!

    (5)

  • joe w.

    If you like spicy, sweet and delicious Thai or Laotian food, I recommend going here hungry so you can try all the dishes. The lunch buffet seemed like a good value for the money. I specifically recommend the taro root taopioca dessert and drunken noodles. Note seating is in an open area so it is recommended to be careful if having any discussion about any politically polarizing topic as anyone nearby can overhear and object if the topic is controversial enough. The staff and food are something good to write home about. However, some customers might not come from countries that practice free speech so it is useful to keep that in mind. If the group is large and loud or people need to share a quiet word, I would recommend eating elsewhere simply because this is not the best place to share a semi-private word. I stand by a top rating on the staff and food as they were very nice.

    (4)

  • Lisa T.

    Went for the new vegan tasting menu and I cannot say enough good things! This was one of the best meals we've had in a long time. For a mere $25pp we had SEVEN delicious courses. We'd never had Laotian food, much less a completely Laotian tasting menu, and we were pleasantly surprised and thoroughly delighted. The server began by asking how spicy we like our food--well, very. Usually this doesn't get us much in the way of flavor, but Bangkok Golden did not disappoint! Our entire meal was flavorful, perfectly spiced, and the courses were served in the perfect sequence to balance the heat and spice and cool and sweet and smokey and bitter. In short, we had: Steamed Asian veggies with tons of garlic, ginger, and roasted chili. The perfect next dish--a mango salad, somewhere between chilled and room temp, but still with a spicy kick. Crispy rice salad--apparently this is a Lao staple. And apparently it is AWESOME. A wonderful mushroom soup with sticky rice (and I don't even LIKE mushrooms!). Tofu larb--again, another tasty dish full of fresh herbs. Steamed bamboo in banana leaf. This was my least favorite dish, a LOT going on, but the more I ate it the more I liked it. I was just so so full I felt near death. Seventh and final course: Brought back to life by avocado sticky rice with coconut! This was nothing short of incredible. Bangkok Golden is entirely worth the trip out to Falls Church. It's not a fancy place--a small restaurant in a strip mall--but the service was very warm and friendly. I hope the tasting menu continues as it is a star for the entire area, and we will return again and again. Also hoping that Chef Seng produces a cookbook!!

    (5)

  • Alice Z.

    I was drawn in here by promises of yummy Thai buffet, but I quickly realized the REAL reason to come here is for the DELICIOUS LAO CUISINE! My first foray into Lao food and this did not disappoint. I initially came here on a Sunday night set on doing the tasting menu, but apparently they only do those on weeknights so heads up: if you want to sample a bunch of food GO ON A WEEKNIGHT. Second word of warning, everything is MAD spicy (I guess that's the nature of this kind of cuisine), even the mild...I guess that can be a super plus or minus depending your preferences. FOOD: - Crispy rice salad w/ Lao spicy pork sausage ($9.50) - for only $1 more you can add their signature Lao spicy pork sausage to their signature crispy rice salad. I loved the confluence of flavors in this dish, from the aromatic basil to the crunchy peanuts and crispy rice that gave it a nice texture. It comes with a side of lettuce for you to wrap the crispy rice in. Spicy! - Duck (Larb Ped) - Ground duck that comes with sticky rice. Probably my least favorite of all the dishes, but still good! Couldn't really taste the duck flavor though, as it was obscured by the numerous other strong flavors in the dish. - Fish Moak ($8.95) - Fish wrapped in banana leaves and steamed. SO GOOD and SO tender. The fresh dill really complemented the fish really well and wasn't overpowering at all like I thought it might be. Nice and light, which was a welcome contrast to the other spicy/heavy foods we got. The Thai buffet looked okay too. I wish I could have tried at least some of their Thai fare, but their Lao dishes really stole the show, so if its your first time here definitely try their Lao specialties!

    (4)

  • Eric T.

    So glad Kimberly V. has all the dishes written down, since I definitely don't remember them all. The tasting menu was really unique and cool if you're open to trying a bunch of stuff you wouldn't normally order. And also to sweat. It gets hot. My favorites were: Crispy rice salad - defnitely unique and with a lot of different flavors and textures. Lime, crunchy, cilantro, chile, fish sauce. Real good. I could definitely see myself eating a large portion of this and be fat and happy. Grilled pork neck and papaya salad - the pork, so tender and flavorful. Damn good meat if I should say so myself. And perfect with sticky rice. It brought me back to my roots. The papaya salad was actually just above average, but not super amazing. It was spicy for sure, but I think the texture/freshness of the papaya wasn't right. Steamed fish in banana leaf - honestly, I saw this and thought it looked like a block of some type of mutated fish spam. By this point I was really full, but I had to try it. It was soft, flaky, and flavorful. The rest of the dishes were good, but I think these were the top performers. I would definitely like to come back and to see what else is on the menu.

    (4)

  • Ashley D.

    To those who recommended the crispy rice - thank you! I now have dreams about that dish.The Tom Ka soup and duck panga we got was delicious and the drunken noodles were well spiced. We'll be returning.... Often.

    (5)

  • Rich A.

    I'm still not sure why anybody looking here goes for the Thai buffet. On recommendations I ignored it completely and shared various Laotian items from the menu you must ask for. Better yet, ask for the specials menu that is only in Laotian (with some English transliterations but no translations) and ask them to help you pick out some tasty things real Laotians like. Just choose at random and you're sure to find something incredible. I came with some friends and simply have few words to describe the food beyond superfantastabulous and as spicy as you want it. if you ask for it to be actually spicy, they do not dumb it down. Look interested and glad to get the real stuff and they reward you well. The staff was friendly and glad to help us pick some good dishes. If you like spicy asian fare this is basically one of the best places in the DC metro area. Go now!

    (5)

  • Mike S.

    This review is for the buffet only. After popping in here on a whim, unaware of the Laotian menu items, I will return and order off the menu instead. The buffet items were overly sweetened, with very little heat, herbal flavor, or citrus, especially the curry. I also got a crippling stomachache afterwards. Maybe the menu items are better, but the Thai buffet was egregiously bad. Like chain-Chinese-buffet bad. The only positive was that the vegetables were pleasantly crispy.

    (1)

  • Jaye V.

    3.75 stars. Went to try the Laotian food with a Cambodian friend (among others) who started a conversation recently about how we've never had Laotian food although our ethnic origins are from bordering countries. Then I discovered that the Bangkok Golden, an unassuming Thai joint in the same strip mall as HK Palace, was actually run by Laotians and had a Laotian food menu. After a night out, we decided on going because they have quite a few meal-sized soups, including a Lao "pho". We both ordered that, which came in a garlicky broth with tomato, thin vermicelli rice noodles, with slices of beef. The broth was reminiscent of Thai floating market noodles rather than Vietnamese pho. A bit light at first, as I continued eating, it became more and more flavorful - that fried garlic really coming through. My boy had the pork-peanut-coconut milk-egg curry noodle soup, which was thick, creamy, with all the non-noodle ingredients pretty much minced together. Really good at first, it was a bit heavy after eating a lot of it. It was reminiscent of curries found in Northern Thailand... but also kind of reminded me of a creamy version of Malaysian/Indonesian curry laksa. Her boy had the grilled lemongrass pork skewers, which were whole chunks of pork fit together to look like a strip of meat on each stick, with a supery lime-y fish sauce for dipping. A really good slight variant on nuoc cham. The pork tasted more like the slightly sweet Vietnamese pork balls that are grilled on sticks than they did the lemongrass charcoal pork. It was served with sticky rice as well, in a cute little hanging basket. The best thing we ordered, however, was one we ordered on a whim to share - the "crispy rice salad", containing some sort of ham and onion, which came with lettuce. The rice was very crispy and kind of like quinoa otherwise in texture, perfectly balanced with lots of peanuts and tons of salty-tangy-spicy-sweet flavors. I couldn't get enough of it, and made little tacos out of it with the lettuce cups. Although I didn't see it on the menu, they also have Beer Lao in both light and dark varieties. I had never seen nor heard of the dark version before, and it tasted similar to a Birra Moretti Dark (like a toasty stout but thinner in body), at just under 7% abv. Although we ordered the pho soups medium-hot (just in case it was more like the Vietnamese version, which I don't like spicy if the broth is really good), everything else was ordered without specifying heat. They had a nice, flavorful heat to them already. A level up is Thai hot, and 3 peppers = Lao hot. Next time. I think I'll also stick to/try more of the non-soup entrees next time. And I've got to try that lemongrass garlic grilled quail appetizer.

    (4)

  • Arthur F.

    A nice twist on Thai cuisine... in that they have a whole seperate Laotian menu! Pros: Good thai food. No point of reference for me but the Laotian dishes were also good and the girl I was with grew up on Laotian food and said it is pretty on point. Cons: Small place that only had a handful of customers yet it took forever for us to get served. I don't like to generalize but I guess it's pretty well known that a lot of asian restaurants have poor wait service. It's a cultural thing I guess.

    (4)

  • Bernie G.

    Their lunch buffet is great! The food is fresh, and tasty.

    (4)

  • Carol W.

    I went here for lunch with a colleague. Actually he said we HAD to go here. Since I like to eat, he really didn't have to twist my arm that much. I'll apologize in advance for not having the actual menu names. Next time I go back, I'll take a photo of the names so that I have them. Unfortunately they do not have the Lao menu posted online. We ordered Laotian rather than going for the standard lunch buffet. We started off with the fish cake and the papaya salad. The fish cake had good flavor, but the texture was a little bit off for me. It was a little too chewy or my taste, though the sauce that came with it was the right amount of sweet and spicy. The papaya salad was very different than others I've tried. I found this salad very savory with good spice (okay it was really spicy!, but I loved it). The fermented fish sauce definitely gave it a totally different taste. For our entrees, I got a beef curry. Not your typical curry you would find. This one had no coconut milk in it so it wasn't as soupy, but it also had fresh dill in it. Dill is one of my favorite herbs so I can say that this made the dish. It was wonderful. My colleague got a duck dish that was served cold. It had kaffir lime leaves and basil in it. Both of our dishes were served with sticky rice. My one and only complaint is that our dishes were not very spicy, but I'm not sure if we asked for them to be Lao spicy or not, though we did tell our waitress we liked spicy food. I'm definitely going back here! Not only was the food delicious, the service was impeccable and our waitress explained all of the dishes. Next time, I might have to try some Laotian beer too!

    (4)

  • Ira P.

    Probably not quite as much of a hidden gem now that Tyler Cowen has written about it, but it's definitely great. Amazing Lao food, just as good as what we had in Luang Prabang. Great service - the wait staff were very nice, attentive, and helpful - when I had my laptop out during lunch, they actually asked if I wanted to move to a table with an outlet. And the place is cute, not decorated in the usual cheesy modern style that a lot of Thai places seem to be for some reason. Totally recommended, and get the crispy rice.

    (5)

  • Allen S.

    I went here for the first time with some friends, and we had free lunch buffet. The food was really good even for buffet food. Fresh food brought out often. The Pad Thai and drunken noodles were good. Service was impeccable. I will definitely be back here again.

    (5)

  • Nick H.

    There aren't many Thai buffets in the area...in fact, I can't even think of another one that I know of, since Tarin Thai is closed in Herndon, VA. But for my money, even if there were other restaurants, there is no better one than Bangkok Golden. Their small, but plentiful buffet has everything you could possibly want out of a Thai cuisine from panang curry to drunken noodles to pad thai to tom kha soup. Everything is flavorful. The crispy basil chicken dish was my favorite part of the buffet...but really all parts of it were delicious. Need to satisfy that hunger? Drop the snickers bar and head over to Bangkok Golden.

    (4)

  • Kevin S.

    We drove all the way over here from Montgomery County Maryland. We wanted to give it a try since we are big foodies and particularly love thai cusine. VERY DISSAPOINTED. Food was awful, service was even worse, and the ambiance was poor. After walking through the crowd at the door we asked someone how we get a table and they said to ask one of the ladies walking around with the clip board. We didn't think it was going to be a problem until we realized that the lady holding the clipboard was also serving tables.... So after waiting 30 minutes we got seated, right next to another couple on one side and another one the otherside. Not comfortable and awkward. We decided to go with the buffet which we soon realized was a bad choice. With a minimal dry selection on the buffet line, we did not care for the choices that were offered. So we decided to order a few things off the menu. The waitress got mad at us because we didn't want to eat from the awful buffet and said you are not going to pay for it? I responded we can pay for it but I don't want to eat it anymore because it tasted bad. We ordered two more dishes, and they to were awful. So we paid the bill and left. In a defense to the restaurant they had great sticky rice and looking around the restaurant it seemed as though others were enjoying their meals.

    (1)

  • Kevin R.

    I love this place. The thai food is really great and the service is attentive. I have been here a bunch of times and have never been dissapointed. The buffet is great and everyone raves about laos food.

    (5)

  • Sal P.

    WHY I WENT: - Looking for good cuisine out in Seven Corners! WHAT I LIKED: - WOW - I have been to Thailand, and was so impressed by the food here. (the 1 star deduction was because of See Below!) - Incredible Laotian menu - Fantastic preparation and every meal was piping hot and fresh. - Beautiful blend of spices (not too hot, but well balanced with the right heat) - SUPER CHEAP Mango Sticky Rice -- $3.50 for a great serving! - All the dishes were AMAZING. The Moab Pork was my favorite (steamed in bamboo), and they served everything with style. - Very sweet servers. Lovely decor and overall good vibes. WHAT I LEARNED THE HARD WAY: - This sweet establishment is sandwiched between a cigar shop and a nail salon. Unfortunately, they really need good fans or something to get that smell out -- once the food came, though, we quickly couldn't smell anything but deliciousness!

    (4)

  • Y V.

    Don't go for the buffet. If you're hungry and you need something fast, sure go ahead and order from the buffet. It won't be the best thing you ever ate, but it won't be the worst either. I prefer the chicken larb, some eggrolls, mok pa fish, and crispy chicken. But like I said, don't go for the buffet. Don't go for the Thai menu either, for that matter. Yes, I know it's called Bangkok Golden, and I know that Bangkok is the capital of of Thailand, but ask for the Lao menu. It's the only reason why you should go there. This place has the most authentic Lao food you'll find in the DC/MD/VA area without being invited to the Lao Embassy for a reception or making a new Lao friend. Everything on the menu is good. Remember that the Lao spicy scale starts where the Thai spicy scale stops. Get the papaya but don't try to be a hero and order the spiciest Lao version. It'll hurt you. Bad.

    (5)

  • MinTfresh 1.

    This place was really good. This is the only Thai Buffet that I know of. I came here for lunch twice and every time we go, my co workers and I are very full and happy. The Thai buffet is fresh, i really like the fact they cook everything in small portions to keep the food fresh. The service was on par with other buffet restaurant, where they were constantly picking up my finish dishes and filling my glass of water. I had their pad thai, drunken noddles, egg rolls, some curry dish, etc. They had really good Thai desserts which I really enjoy. I appreciated that they had Thai desserts and not an attempt to buy cake/cookies and call it a dessert. All were very good. It was very delicious. I would recommend this place for lunch.

    (4)

  • Nikki R.

    Oh my, I'm in Pad Thai Heaven! I love pad Thai but none live up to my personal golden pad Thai standard (baseline is in a Thai place in Ferndale, Michigan), until now! I really loved the sweetness of the pad Thai at Bangkok Golden as well as the heat in the dish. It was perfect, in my personal pad Thai universe. We shared the pad Thai as well as a chicken and broccoli in peanut sauce dish with rice and both were wonderfully prepared and so delicious! We'll be back :) Btw, we ignored the buffet completely.

    (5)

  • James L.

    I tried this place a couple of months ago and it was my first Laotian experience. They have a Thai menu as well. The food was fresh and well-prepared. The waitress was very helpful in explaining the different choices and I believe I decided to go with the crispy rice salad (which you can wrap in lettuce). It was very good although a bit salty (I think it's supposed to be). Food was fresh as can be and it was a nice sized portion. The place isn't too big nor is it too small and it has a nice ambiance to it. If you're in the mood for some authentic Laotian food, this seems like the place to go! I believe they have a buffet option as well so if that is the sort of thing you like then check that out.

    (4)

  • Kunal M.

    a Thai Buffet in DC is rare, A Thai buffet anywhere is rare. Approx $10-12 for the lunch buffet with a variety of food (tom yum soup) and dessert with excellent thai style chicken. Was a great hit and we went in a crowd of 10 angry hungry young men and devored the buffet An hour later we were satisfied and left and nobody complained about anything. Recommended for ACYE Thai food, price and quality of buffet food is decent. parking can be a pain and crowded at lunch time so go later

    (5)

  • Christina W.

    I love this place! I've only been here twice, once for the Thai buffet (how freaking awesome is that!?), and another time to sample their Lao menu because they offer dinner buffets on the weekdays. When I found out there was a Thai buffet place in Va, I nearly fell out of my chair. I love Thai food and NoVa is blessed with an abundance of really good Thai restaurants. Their Thai buffet was pretty cheap, $13.95 for all you can eat Thai, too bad they don't include all you can drink Thai iced tea. That would be money. Anyways, there was at least 8-9 different options served at the buffet, pad thai, drunken noodles, crispy basil chicken, papaya salad, chicken ka prow and some other dishes. Everything was TASTY and I ate way too much of course because I couldn't stop piling the food on to my plate. Would totally go back in a heartbeat.

    (4)

  • Ana R.

    I can't ever go wrong with Falls Church Bangkok Golden, and this time it was my family who surprised me and my mother in-law to a special lunch/dinner, it was perfect timing too because after we arrived the place started to get really busy, good thing some people were also leaving, and it's no surprise, Bangkok Golden is always like that. I had the buffet as usual, that's the best there, they have many options and they are all so good you really want to have a little bit of everything, and by the time you think you want to get the other items that didn't fit in your plate the first time, you're too full to go back. I had soup, papaya salad, chicken Larb Kai, crispy chicken, pad thai, rice, and then went back for a couple things more that I didn't have earlier, this was just AWESOME!!! And with all that, you gotta have their lemonade, it's so refreshing! As is the Lao Beer, always excellent.

    (5)

  • Josh Y.

    Went there for lunch numerous times, but since being not familiar with Laotian food, and trying to be quick and easy, I always have their buffet. Even though after several attempts trying to remember the names of those dishes, I still have no idea what they are called. But I always get satisfied by their food. About their service, most of time, average or above. but it could be a miss sometimes. I would have gone back more often if they were not located in the most miserable traffic area - Seven Corners.

    (4)

  • Jenny N.

    This place was packed for a late Sunday lunch. I ordered the Laotian crispy rice salad again and it was excellent. I recommend ordering off the Laotian menu rather than the mostly Thai buffet.

    (4)

  • E L.

    I tried their lunch buffet - pad thai, drunken noddles, egg rolls, larb kai, fried chicken wings, shrimp stir fry, veggie w/tofu stir fry, and tapioca thai desserts. Service - 4 stars

    (4)

  • James B.

    This is a very unique restaurant and different restuarant for two things. #1) The combination of Thao-Lao cusine and #2)The only exclusively Thai Buffet in the DC area. The Thai Dinner Buffet is served only on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights from 6:00 PM until 9:00PM. It is a very reasonable price $12.95 and the selections are excellent from Pad Thai, Tom Yum Soup, Drunkin Noodles, Papaya Salad, Lao Curry Fish, Seafood, Basil Chicken and many more. The food is always fresh and hot,I say that because not all buffets are that way. The menu itself has a large selection of Thao-Lao dishes at very reasonable prices and good size portions. Servers and employees are very friendly and service is excellent. The restaurant is a bit small and on weekends there might be a wait, but it is well worth it. Keep up the great work!

    (5)

  • Alan H.

    I've never been to a Thai food buffet so when my mom asked if I was interested in trying one, I was all up for it. At a rate of $9 for a lunch buffet with a pretty good selection of food, I was quite satisfied. The place was packed and we had to wait about 10 minutes to get seated but it was worth the wait. The staff was pretty friendly and worked very quickly. The selection of food was pretty good as well. Pad thai, drunken noodles, chicken wings, some seafood and veggie dishes, soup, etc. I can never turn down drunken noodles since it's one of my faves. I am curious to try Laotian food as well and this place has it. I used to be a big buffet person when I was younger but since my metabolism has slowed, I try to avoid them. I will however make an exception for here!

    (4)

  • Genesis B.

    First thing I learned here was their spicy ranking system is different from other places. Apparently, Thai hot falls underneath Laos hot, now that's a scary premise. I opted for mild hot and it was just right, I'll leave the other two levels to other more daring friends. The setting was great, small, relaxing, and welcoming. The same goes with our waiter who was very helpful with our questions on food recommendations and even making alterations to the orders. The pricing was fantastic for the order size and quality, very much worth every penny. The tilapia in tamarind soup was fantastic. It's a good balance of sweet and bitter with a good kick in there with red peppers. You can't beat a great soup like this filled with chunks of tilapia. Fantastic soup to warm up on a cold day. To top it off, I requested some fish sauce and they brought out the real deal sans watering down like many Asian restaurants like to do. I was impressed and tamarind soup with fish sauce is just heaven to me. If you want to try Laos food, this is definitely a good place to do that.

    (5)

  • Tam B.

    I cant get enough of this place. I live for spicy food and this place does not disappoint! The lunch buffet on Mon-Fri 11am-3pm is a bargain too at just $8.95! I eat here at least twice a week cuz it is THAT good folks! :)

    (5)

  • art f.

    Decent ambiance for a low-cost restaurant and exceptionally gracious and attentive service. We all ordered off the Laotian menu and the staff (proprietors?) spent time counseling our choices, explaining how to eat the sticky rice with stew, and seeing if our meal was going well. We ordered spring rolls which were decent but ordinary. My main dish was chicken orm - chicken coated with a dark brown sauce. It melded very nicely with the chicken rice although I did not eat it by hand Laotian-style). Other dishes were spicy diced chicken, a basic chicken noodle soup, and a seafood orm. Your business is really appreciated here. It's worth finding (in the corner of a strip mall near the larger Shoppers' Food Warehouse).

    (4)

  • Jessica B.

    I decided to try this place after seeing it on DC's top 100 restaurants. I was not disappointed. I love asian cuisine and this place seems really authentic. On others recommendations we tried the crispy rice salad and it was fantastic. So much flavor and textures in one dish, I highly recommend it. We also tried Nam Kai chicken soup which was also amazing and came out fast. We tried the buffet (which is very reasonably priced) and most of the dishes I tasted at the buffet were also very good. The only thing to be weary of is their pad thai is not great and the restaurant is small and popular. It fills up quick and there was a wait at 1:30 on a saturday for us so come early and come hungry! Definitely give this place a try!

    (4)

  • Bobbi Rae S.

    Lunch buffet item review: 1) Wings - ridiculous. I love a good heavily-battered wing, or a good non-battered wing as long as it's spiced well. These wings are the former, with a beautiful savoriness to them. The crust is crispy without being overly greasy, and the meat is always juicy and succulent. The flavor is omg so good, and that's BEFORE you use any of the dipping sauces. 2) Pad thai - different from any other pad thai I've ever had, maybe a Laotian interpretation. Noodles always cooked perfectly (al dente), nice large chunks of chicken, sometimes they toss it with a ton of chili. A little sweet for a pad thai, and not enough tamarind, but man, this is really addictive stuff. 3) Drunken noodles - smokey and sweet, the thick noodles are always cooked perfectly just like with the pad thai (slightly squishy). Huge chunks of meat here too. 4) Steamed fish with dill - Tender flesh, light, herby sauce. Damn. 5) Basil chicken - Crispy fried battered tender chunks of chicken (no weird filler under the batter like with those sh*tty Chinese places). Sauce is sweet, not greasy, again...damn.

    (5)

  • Kristen O.

    Okay - i dont know what all of the hype is about this place. I have read reviews on Yelp, the Washingtonian, the Washington Post ALL raving about the delicious Thai Cuisine at Bangkok Golden - my experience here was subpar. I am a die hard Thai fanatic and was not impressed by the lackluster atomosphere (the AC was out when I was there- which is unacceptable on a 96 + degree day) and the food was average. Upon recommendation my boyfriend ordered the crispy duck on rice and it tasted no different than general Tso's that I could easily get in the frozen food section of Giant. I ordered Pad See Ew (a relativly safe dish that's also hard to mess up). The Pad See Ew had a burnt flavor to it and did not appear to be very fresh. I have had better Thai food at: Buscara in Tysons and ithai

    (3)

  • Johanna H.

    By far my favorite thai food in the area. I have tried many other thai restaurants but none have come close to how good this foo is. I come here at least once a week and get the buffet every time. All the food is delicious. The trays are replenished very frequently so you are getting fresh food the whole time. My only advice is to make sure you have ample time to eat the buffet before it closes so you have a full selection.

    (5)

  • Alan V.

    Let's start with the good: The pad Thai and Larb chicken were excellent. Now the bad: the pork sausage appetizer which was the size of a hot dog costs $9! Overall, every dish comes in midget-sized portions. So don't be expecting a full and satisfying meal with just one dish. One last note, we came at 9pm on a Sat. and they were talking behind our back in Laos about us still eating at 9:30, even though they had forgotten one of our dishes. Little did they know that my friend understood what they were saying. We also got the free fried banana for checking in with Yelp, but the banana had a stale taste like coconut going bad, so after one bite of the dessert, I immediately stopped eating it. I guess that's why it's free!

    (2)

  • Sam M.

    Bangkok Golden: Buffet was awesomely delicious, varied, and filling. On the day we chowed down, Bangkok Golden had: -Tom Yum Soup -Steamed Rice -Egg Fried Rice -Chicken Larb Gai -Fried Spring Rolls -Thai sweet chili sauce -Thai spicy soy dipping sauce -Shrimp/Vegetable Tempura -Batter Fried Chicken Wings -Fried Chicken Strips (went back for thirds) -Pad Thai -Drunken Noodles (with "wok hei" smoky aroma) -Chicken Basil -Red Curry Chicken -Seafood Kra Pao -Monk Fish Prik Pao in banana leaf Desserts: -Buo Lai (YUM! coconut milk with mini pearl tapioca sago balls, taro cubes, & orange sweet sticky rice dumplings) -Fried Banana -Orange Slices They offer both a Lao and Thai menu - - can't get anymore authentic, fresh, and spicy. Service was friendly, but inconsistent -- largely due to the place being packed on a Friday night, nevertheless a GREAT sign. Bathroom was clean. Their Drunken Noodles had a "wok hei" smokey aroma -- sure to be a favorite amongst all you persnickety Chow Fun lovers! The Spring Rolls would have been fine except that the oil tasted a little rancid and old. Overall, Bangkok Golden, a 'hole in the wall' gem, was a pleasant surprise, as we sauntered into this place after discovering the 45-min. wait at nearby Dogfish Head Alehouse, and 15-min. wait at Hong Kong Palace Restaurants. Not too many Thai eateries offer buffets, even more rare is Lao cuisine!

    (5)

  • Ken L.

    Excellent buffet. Great service. The best Thai buffet I've been to in the DC area. Last time I was there the place was full and my wife and I were the only two Caucasians-- authentic it is!!!!

    (5)

  • Mariam R.

    While it's just okay, I can't say I wouldn't come back. I went for the buffet because what could be better than all you can eat Thai food? They had 2 soups, spring rolls, white rice, fried rice, drunken noodles, chicken pad thai, chicken larb, crispy basil chicken...and several other items I didn't try. The food was decent, but not hot - just warm. I really think if the food temp was up a few notches, it would be a great improvement.

    (3)

  • Michael L.

    Avoid this place. Like a previous reviewer mentioned the staff talk loudly and badly about the customers in their language. The restaurant staff are also very rude -- there was an incorrect charge on our bill and five staffers came one by one to question us until the owner came out and put a stop to it. We have gone there a number of times and the food has gone downhill. The food is unappealing, mostly has the same flavor, and does not seem fresh. We will definitely not be going back.

    (1)

  • T L.

    Try their Laotian menu! The Honey Crispy Wings were somehow still crispy as advertised even with the amount of sauce on it. The sweet, savory sauce was good and that dish came out so fresh I slightly burned my fingers. Unless you're an expert knife and fork eater, this can get messy. I was less impressed by the Lao Spicy Sausage because of the chunks of fat in the sausage slices. I just don't like eating that type of texture! But I would still recommend it because it is not something I've seen elsewhere. Beware of that brown paste on the side. Spicy to the max! Have a thai iced tea ready by your side. The showstopper was the Crispy Rice Salad. It comes with a plate of lettuce leaves to wrap the rice salad in. No sauce served with it, but no sauce needed. I think fish sauce is already embedded in it. Also good by itself once the lettuce leaves run out.

    (4)

  • Jesse C.

    I originally came here on a dare from a friend to eat all of their Papaya Salad (Laos style) due to it being crazy spicy. I am known for having a high heat tolerance and enjoying spicy foods. When I ordered this I instructed the waitress to make this as spicy as they can while maintaining its original flavor. I finished the entire salad, but I was sweating with glazed eyes when done. When you arrive they give you two menus. One is Thai and the other is Laos. I don't know how the Thai differs from Laos, but I am pretty sure that Laos food is spicier. Apart from the Papaya Salad (I'm sure it has something papaya in it, but there is no fruity flavor to the salad), I have had several other dishes as well and they have all been very good. I have been here for dinner as well as for the lunch buffet and I would suggest coming here for the buffet opposed to dinner. My reasoning for this is that you can get a wide variety of dishes and if you don't like something you just move on. The buffet had the before mentioned papaya salad (not as spicy though) along with the Thai staples of Pad Thai and green curry chicken. At dinner we had the crispy rice salad, and as others have stated it was very good. They also offer Beerlao which is Laos equivalent of Budweiser. It comes in both a light and dark variety, but I have only had the light kind. Staff is very friendly and observant, but some speak less than perfect English. They even will put on the Redskins game if a patron requests it.

    (4)

  • Jane T.

    We really like the buffet. It's tasty and although the selection isn't huge, every item is good so you will be very satisfied. It's hard to find a really good buffet and every time we've been, we have enjoyed the quality of the buffet items. It's more fun to get to sample lots of different choices instead of being limited to "family style" nibbles from what everyone else has ordered! Staff is friendly and helpful. Highly recommend!

    (5)

  • Griffy C.

    The food was pretty good. I haven't tried the buffet, but the Bangkok noodles were really good, giving you beef, chicken, and shrimp for a cheap price. Good service, two different menus are kind of confusing though.

    (4)

  • vicky m.

    What a wonderful find! Our son took us to dinner to celebrate our birthdays. He had eaten here before and knew we would enjoy. Enjoy we did! He ordered a variety of appetizers and entrees from the Lao Menu, they also have a Thai Menu. Each one was tastier than the last with wonderful flavors. The crispy rice salad, my favorite; grilled pork, chicken and beef, served with sticky rice and full of flavor; the mango salad, delicious; we had curry and steamed fish and a few more things, all very tasty. It was a wonderful experience, and we will definitely come back and bring friends with us. The place is packed so reservations are a must. The staff if very friendly and helpful.

    (5)

  • CC L.

    One word GROSS! I cant believe the raves about this place. We ordered off the menu. I have had so much better Thai food elsewhere. Will not be going back

    (1)

  • Ben S.

    Yelp Office Hoursss! I came here with the yelp crew. There was a 7 course tasting meal which was fantastic yet incredibly spicy. I didn't even get a change to look at the menu becasue everything was set up before hand. I thouroughly enjoyed all the different courses and will be coming back here to try what is not on the tasting menu. The food was great but most dishes were super spicy and we only got the medium spicy, they have an even spicier level..Whoa too much for me!

    (4)

  • Jade W.

    I'm going to just say this: The wait staff sucks. The food is awesome. Crispy rice salad is to DIE for. Will return when I am in the area again.

    (4)

  • John D.

    It's $13 for all you can eat Thai food, and the food is decent. There's really nothing else that needs to be said.

    (4)

  • Chris B.

    Pure awesomeness. While I'm usually against restaurants that cross borders or serve from dual cultures (i.e. Thai/Sushi, etc), Bangkok Golden does Thai/Laos very well. They provide two menus (Laos and Thai food) and there is plenty to choose from. Even the buffet rocked, and I'm always apprehensive about eating at any buffet. The food in the buffet was actually like each option was made for a customer, not bulk customers. It wasn't inferior by any means. I intend to return and eat more!

    (4)

  • Lulu T.

    The buffet is surprisingly good. The food was hot and fresh. There was a lot of variety. The evening I went they had the following: Several kinds of cold salad Several kinds of dessert - sweet potato, taro in coconut milk, YUM! Veggie spring rolls Tom Yum Soup Fried Rice Phad Thai Drunken Noodles Crispy Fried Basil Beef Tilapia in banana leaves Seafood Curry Veggie Curry Fried Honey Chicken Wings ...and a bunch of other dishes I didn't even try. My stomach can only hold so much food before it explodes :) It can get very crowded and sometimes they run out of food. Don't fret, the kitchen does try and keep up with the demand and fresh hot food arrives several minutes after it's empty. Be patient and you will get your fill.

    (4)

  • Mikkela T.

    AMUSE BOUCHE Screenplay by Mikkela T. INT. THAI RESTAURANT - NIGHT A small restaurant. Clean and packed with dark wood tables and chairs. Restaurant is painted in warm tones. A bar lines the back wall. Customers sit at two or three other tables happily enjoying their own meals. SIX YELPERS and TWO OTHERS gather at a long table, set conveniently along the side wall, close enough to the door to be visible but near enough to the kitchen for good service. The Yelpers greet each other and socialize. NICOLE, Elite Yelper, orders the food. The others admire the two menus, one with Thai food and the other with Laotian food, but mainly they chat, boast, tease, and giggle with each other. Some talk of chipmunks. The restaurant OWNER and WAITER are attentive, helpful and friendly. OWNER (smiling) You want the special menu? NICOLE (knowingly) Can you make it spicy? OWNER Yes, Lao spicy? NICOLE (smiling) Yes, please! All eyes and smiles bob up and down in agreement except for one. NICOLE (CONT'D) (turning to waiter) Okay, some dishes not so spicy! The evening continues with dish after delectable dish produced fast, served beautifully, and pounced upon by diners. Each Laotian dish is a revelation. Sour, zesty, sweet, wet, chewy, briny, tangy delights for the mouth. Many of the dishes are small but just right for tasting by eight. Some of the meat dishes are shredded meats, some baked, some steamed, and all prepared with herbs and delicacy. The sticky rice is served in a small lidded basket with red string handle. The variety of dishes give a sampling of the highly evolved palate of Lao cuisine. The Yelpers continue to enjoy themselves, each as varied as the dishes on the table.

    (5)

  • Mel A.

    Was in the mood for Thai food...my usual craving. Came here for lunch with my sister while I was in town. She was fond of this place and suggested we go. Glad we came here. The food was bountiful and super delicious. I must have piled every vegetarian dish on my plate and after the 2nd plate, there were no regrets. Well maybe a little regret that I didn't wear my sweat pants and opted for a pair of skinny jeans that day. I shall plan well the next time I'm in town. One of the great things about this place is the price. Who could beat $8 for a tasty buffet?! Certainly wish we had this place in Phoenix.

    (5)

  • Ngoc L.

    The buffet itself is good and do go for lunch as it's a great value for what you can get. We ordered the papaya salad and it wasn't good. It was too bland for me. I enjoyed the honey crispy duck (or chicken can't remember) and the seafood mix veggies. The pad thai was decent along with the fried chicken wings. The lunch crowd was not heavy but the food was running low. I suppose it's a good thing as it's made fresh every 30 min or so. Not so good if you are wanting some pad thai and have to get rice instead. Service was mediocre.

    (3)

  • Chatsuda E.

    Authentic Thai food. I was craving for some som tum and finally I found Som Tum Lao!! Delicious!!

    (4)

  • Nathan D.

    Such a fan of this place, I'm struggling to use complete sentences. Been here half a dozen times, worked through a good chunk of their menu, and have never regretted one bite (except when I accidentally step on the bathroom scale later, but that's life). Bangkok Golden is easy to overlook because it's unassuming and off in a corner of a strip mall somewhere. The place is insane during peak hours, especially at lunch; it's small, in close quarters, and very, very popular. It makes it tough to walk in and get a relaxing lunch, but it's also quite an endorsement - look and listen and you'll find Thais and Laotians, state department and foreign aid types who have lived there, hard-core foodies, and other types who you'd expect to have high standards. All their stuff is good, though my read is that this is more of a Lao place that happens to make Thai food; the Thai dishes are good but unremarkable, on the high end of food like you'd get in a dozen other places, but the Lao food is a) delicious, and b) strikingly faithful to Lao food in Laos (yeah, I've been too). Their dishes are uncomplicated but delicious, the flavors are bright, and the ingredients are fresh and high quality. Staff are friendly and attentive. I am not a big fan of lunch buffets in general, but theirs is unusually good as far as they go, with a good selection of dishes and preparations and no sign of the balls of gristly fried chicken in a generic sugar syrup you find... elsewhere. I'd rather order of the menu but it still may be my favorite lunch buffet in NoVa. These people do not mess around with the heat. They don't do 'mild' - the servers usually ask me if I want my food 'American hot, Thai hot, or Lao hot'. Unlike the various generic Thai places around the District that put a half dozen hot pepper icons on their menu and barely make your tongue tingle, when Bangkok Golden says hot they mean 'and the fire extinguisher is over there if you need it.' I say this with love and praise, but it would be a rude surprise if you expected a PF Chang interpretation of 'spicy,' so there you go. As a final thought, you've done yourself a disservice if you have never gone on the weekend. Usually, on Saturday and Sunday they have great specials that are usually more unusual Lao specialties like sausage salad - they're worth trying. I don't say this very often but I can't recommend this place with enough enthusiasm to do them justice. It's not just a while-you're-in-the-neighborhood food option; it's 'make plans to drive from Silver Spring next Saturday' good.

    (5)

  • Sheau Chin W.

    Great homey food! You can't go wrong with the spicy sausage (#5 on Lao menu) and crispy rice salad (#43 on Lao menu).

    (4)

  • Helen C.

    When they say they're open at noon, they're not kidding. Went on a Saturday a tad early and had to wait outside in the cold until a few minutes past noon. That said, I've been here several times and got their nam khao (tofu crispy rice) almost every time. Absolutely delicious. Buffet is definitely an upgrade compared to other buffets I've tried.

    (5)

  • Erik H.

    The Best Authentic Lao & Thai Food in DC, MD., VA this location has a huge following and they are opening totally Lao restaurant in DC in a few months. There's often a wait in line for a table and it's worth the wait. Everything is cooked to order and the chef & owner always make the rounds to the table. If you've ever visited Thailand or Laos you would feel right at home with the food, drinks and staff. I'm always taking a To Go order for lunch the next day. It's difficult to figure out what to order as they always have something on the Special of the Day. This causes a little "Eyes Bigger Than My Stomach" as I want both my regular dishes and the Special of the Day! I'm always visiting this location 2-3 times a week. I can't wait for the DC location as it will be my lunch location frequently. If you are looking for the Authentic Lao & Thai this is worth the trip any day or night of the week.

    (5)

  • Wendy W.

    I showed up just when they were cleaning up the buffet :sad face: but walked out smiling from a delicious lunch :happy face: Missing Laotian food I did a Yelp search and found many of my Yelp friends had given Bangkok Golden high reviews so off I went. The menu is divided into a Thai side and Laotian side. A couple of dishes were ordered from each side. I definitely found the Laotian offerings to be more interesting and fit my palate more. The larb was a mouthful of interesting spices and textures at a really pleasant temperature of warm meat and cool herbs. Wrapped in a crisp lettuce leaf, the dish became a very satisfying meal. The Thai menu was more standard and more heavy handed on the spices. I will note that the drunken noodles were cooked beautifully. Too many places are getting away with serving mushy noodles, the noodles here are chewy and unmuddled. The restaurant has a cozy, family run feel to it. Service was warm. They seemed genuinely interested in how we were enjoying our meal and checked in on us often. Not a bad place to add to my repertoire of rotating restaurants.

    (4)

  • JiaJia T.

    This was my first time trying out Laotian food so I didn't know what to expect. The restaurant was very busy on a Saturday evening and we had to wait for about 45 minutes or so. After sitting down, we ordered right away to prevent more delays. We ordered chicken satay, Lao papaya salad, steamed fish in banana leaf, crispy rice salad, and some curry beef dish. Everything was ordered medium spicy. The service was quick and friendly, and all the dishes came out pretty fast like most Asian restaurants. The chicken satay was good and pretty standard. The star of the show was definitely the crispy rice salad. There was a myriad of ingredients, flavors and textures-herbs, citrus, onions, crispy rice-that all worked in harmony. But the meal quickly went downhill from there. The Lao papaya salad had an overwhelming, pungent fish sauce flavor that made it unpleasant. The steamed fish in banana leaf had a coconut flavor, was tender, but was bland in flavor overall. Instead of the curry beef dish, we got a Lao spicy beef larb. My entire mouth was on fire with 1-2 bites, so we asked for less spice. When it came back, the dish was still really unbalanced to my taste... too much citrus or something. I had 2 bites and wanted no more of it. Pretty disappointing first experience with Laotian food especially considering the wait and high ratings. Maybe the flavors are an acquired taste.

    (2)

  • Jess C.

    $15 dinner buffet was better than what I was going to get for dinner at any other Thai restaurant in the area. My go to entree at Thai restaurants these days is usually the drunken noodles, and they had that in this buffet! The taste was comparable to what I would get anywhere else. Not only did I get to eat my favorite drunken noodles, I also was able to try 10+ other delicious dishes I may not have known about, and topped it off with their tapioca coconut dessert. :) I think some of the dishes could have been a little less oily or less salty, but I can't complain too much because it was still good. Not a bad dinner for $15 I must say. I can't wait to go back and try a la cart next.

    (4)

  • Cyndy K.

    Cyndy's Bottom Line: Great buffet with a wide selection of items. The caliber of the food have changed on the buffet line. Seems as if the quality went down. This restaurant is small but they tend to allow groups to dine in. There were tables reserved for yet another group. The restaurant is crowded, and chaotic which makes for an un-relaxing dining experience trying to maneuver to the buffet line and tables of people. I started with the Tom yum soup made of chicken, mushroom, and lemon grass. Delicious flavor and generous amounts of button mushrooms. Moak / Steamed: Seasoned, Wrapped in fresh banana leaves and steamed. It is always consistently delicious and moist.

    (3)

  • Jennifer W.

    Not a big fan of buffets at Thai Restaurants because people tend to pick out the food they want in the dish and leave the rest behind. I haven't had good experience with Buffets at Chinese and Thai Restaurants. However this was different. I went with 8 people to this restuarant during lunch for their 13.99 lunch buffet. The kitchen constantly brought out food every 15 minutes to refill the buffet station. They had salads, appetizers and lots of dishes and two kinds of soup. The food was actually really good and there was no limit to the portions you can get. Considering one dish costs around $10, the buffet allowed you to eat many different dishes for $14. The staff was very courteous and accommodated our group without a problem. They even had separate checks made for each member of our group. We did not ask them to do this but were planning to ask at the end of the meal. The place was tiny and seats only 55 people and the fact that they took the time to accommodate us, as busy as they are, was gratefully appreciated. I will definitely come back again at some point to try their they sizzling rice salad which I heard was delicious.

    (4)

  • Kim H.

    Loved Bangkok Golden! My boyfriend and I decided to be adventurous and tried some grilled (or "Ping" as they call it) dishes from the Laotian menu. All ping dishes comes with sticky rice, house sauce and steamed broccoli. I tried the boneless chicken breast and herbs and he tried the pork marinated with house sauce, lemongrass and ginger. The sauce is a mild soy-like sauce and accompanies the chicken quite well. The best part is the sticky rice which compliments the meal sooooooo perfectly. I have yet to try the Thai menu but will surely be back!

    (4)

  • Pragna H.

    You know you have had a great meal that one time when you distinctly remember the taste, the atmosphere and the feelings that food caused in you. Yep, one of those dishes was Kao Piak Sen (Seafood) at Bangkok Golden. I can longingly remember the hot hot ethereal broth that carried the cilantro, the crispy shallots and garlic, the pieces of ginger all surrounding the succulent pieces of seafood. Hope they serve this in heaven! I have been here one other time two years ago when I thought I hated larb after a terribly sour and salty experience at Cee in Fairfax. Well, Bangkok Golden totally changed my view. The larb presented a delicate balance of spices and heat, tender chicken and crunchy toasted rice. That happened two years ago and I still remember how I felt while enjoying this amazing fare. BG was #40 in Washingtonian's Best Restaurant list. Which is of course excellent considering there are millions of restaurants to compete with in this area. However, if that list was weighted by price point, BG will definitely climb way up. It's a little easier to create a great food experience if you are talking about a $200/plate vs a $15/plate. However, BG is toward the latter end of the spectrum, and yet creates an unforgettable experience.

    (5)

  • Yong H.

    Came in 30 minutes before closing on a Saturday night and not sure if it was hipster night or not, but felt like the loud Arlington crowd was in here. It's definitely a hole in the wall and they serve authentic Thai and Laos food, which is a plus. I've never tried Laos food before, so I gave it a try and ordered the Moak Fish. It came out very nicely presented. I ate the whole thing because it was so good. Yum!

    (4)

  • Lily M.

    The restaurant is a little bit small and busy all the time. I recommend to make a reservation before you go. I love the food here and service is very nice. I always get papaya salad ( Laos's style ) with sticky rice. ( it's spicy but so good! ) and another one that I like is ka-nom-jeen ( it's a noodle, come with chicken and fish. A little bit spicy but very yummy! )

    (5)

  • Sean L.

    Laotian food is so good and this is the place that introduced me to it. I have now found out that all my favorite Thai dishes (like Larb and sticky rice) are actually Laotian.

    (5)

  • Eddie L.

    Nice all-u-can-eat lunch buffet with authentic varieties for very competitive price. I gave only 4-star because they did not have chicken satay on their buffet menu. But for the price, it was a very decent buffet. I would go back.

    (4)

  • Tanya M.

    Bangkok Golden has a great weekend buffet for $13.99 per person. Two buffets, an order of crispy rice salad, and two sprites came out to be less than $45. Great food and great quality

    (5)

  • Lu D.

    Chef Seng, if you're reading this, Maureen and I love you. Thank you so much for always taking care of us and our pathetic addiction to Laos heat. Since my initial review, we come at minimum, twice a week, and sometimes three. We are constantly bringing new friends into this fold. We've had the Thai buffet twice, and can say with confidence, it's delicious and quite surprising how inexpensive ($8-lunch/$13-dinner). It is literally the Thai menu, in a buffet format. And while we rarely do a buffet, this is a high recommend. If you are reading this review, I'm enclosing our recommendations to friends. We usually get asked once or twice a week from friends that know how highly we think of Bangkok Golden. We only order from their Lao menu: 1. Fried Watercress Salad: Oh, my...goodness. This dish is DIVINE. You may be skeptical at the name, however, the crackling, crispy, watercress with a lovely tossed-in sauce is heavenly. A must! 2. Kaing Som Kai soup: A lovely large soup comprising of ginger, lemon grass, tamarind juice & tomato. If you can handle heat (spiciness), go for at least one star Lao. That extra kick really brings this soup together. You can choose a protein, and we usually request tofu or fish. 3. Crispy Rice Salad: Must order. 'Nuff said! Scoops heapful or two in the lettuce they provide, like a taco, and enjoy. 4. Moak (fish): Fragrant aromatic dill steamed with a curry-esque sauce. Amazing. Served with sticky rice. 5. Larb: We love their tofu version.

    (5)

  • David K.

    Friendly service, great food, and a good value. Who can ask for anything more?! We had watercress salad, Lao sausage, Thai dumplings, and a Lao seafood soup. All were very good. BE WARNED: Lao sausage has a HUGE garlic kick! My girlfriend was not happy later in the evening when it came back to bite me! There's not much ambiance here, but go here and get a variety of dishes, it's about the FOOD! This is my second time here, and I'll return again.

    (4)

  • Natasha G.

    I still cannot believe there is a restaurant that has a daily Thai lunch buffet. So ridiculous (in the best way possible)! I came during the week when the buffet is only $10 (on weekends it's a few dollars more). I was amazed at the offerings because they had everything I would normally order as an entree alone. Both meat-eaters and vegetarians can easily fill up on the food. My favorite was the drunken noodles - it had a nice flavor, and when mixed with vegetables from another entree, it was utterly delicious. The eggplant was divine - so soft and smooth, it melted in your mouth! It was tasty to say the least. The ma po tofu was great because the veggies were crisp and the tofu was well-cooked. The pad thai was okay - it wasn't spicy, and the flavor wasn't strong enough for my liking. It also needed some crunch...maybe from sprouts? The white fish dish was alright - I think I just didn't like the type of fish (it wasn't known). The beef entree was empty and wasn't refilled when I got there. The fried bananas were amazing! I could have had so many of those instead of eating actual lunch. They were cooked to perfection, and the flavor was spot-on. What a brilliant finish to lunch! The service here is on point, and the atmosphere is laid back and casual. Bottom line: seriously, the lunch buffet here is a must. I absolutely cannot wait to go back! I also want to try the Laotian dishes which receive quite the praise.

    (5)

  • Terri S.

    Excellent. Enjoyed both the Thai and Lao dishes. Excellent, friendly service. Good prices.

    (5)

  • Neal C.

    As far as variety, uniqueness, service, and prices are concerned (pretty much everything!) this place is stellar. Can't say enough about how flavorful and unique the food offerings here are. Also, a big plus that "Lao Spicy" is actually spicy! I get so tired of never getting any heat in my Thai/Lao food-- but this place delivers on their "3 chili pepper" description. My nose was running and I drank about ten glasses of water, and I'm used to true spicy food. Of course, I might have just gotten an extra-hot serving, but I'd take them at their word. The dishes I ordered were the Orm (curry-- mine was chicken) and the jerky. Both were great and very different than your usual Thai dishes (they were Lao after all, but sometimes I feel the two are not differentiated in flavor). Friendly servers, and a reasonable $8-14 per dish makes this place a must try in a mediocre DC food landscape.

    (4)

  • Chris H.

    Just came back from a late night dinner with a friend and her family. Wow! Very tasty. We had their pad thai (shrimp), one of their Laos curry/stew dishes (can't remember the name), the crispy rice salad, a fried tilapia dish, and some skewered beef sticks, and one other dish I unfortunately do not remember much about. Pad thai was great, and while it was only the fourth or fifth time I've had any, I have to say it was probably the best I've had so far of those four or five. My more experienced friend and her family said it's not the best, but still pretty great, so their judgement is probably more accurate. The chicken it came with was cooked very well; not chewy or dry in any way. The curry was decent, but it didn't blow me away. It was interesting in that it had something of a sourness to it (friend's dad said it may be cooked with dill or something). I'd like to try more of their Thai curries next time I visit. Crispy rice salad, as everyone has reviewed, is wonderful. They serve it on a plate, and you wrap it in lettuce leaves and eat it. I couldn't get enough of it. The tilapia was a little bit lacking in flavor, but they have additional spices available if you want to kick some of the heat up. Texture-wise, it was some of the best tilapia I've had. Would definitely recommend if you're a fan of tilapia. The beef was alright; I wasn't too interested in it, and I had a bite, but not something I would order on my own. Certainly nothing bad about it, though. The last dish was very interesting. It sort of tasted like a wakame salad, which I love, with a good amount of heat behind it. Served cold, we ordered it under Mild heat, but a lot of our group were still very surprised at how spicy it was. I enjoyed it, though, and I took the rest home with me. Most of the meals were price right around $10, so I would say that it may be slightly more than I would personally pay for most of the meals, but you do get a good amount with them. I know I'd be frequenting it if they were closer to the $6-7 area, but I'm also a poor college student. ;) Looks like parking can be a little tight, and was rather packed, even at the end of the night. It's probably good to call ahead for a reservation, as there's very limited seating. Overall, very good, and reasonable price. A sizeable selection of choices for you to pick from, so I'm definitely planning on coming back sometime.

    (4)

  • B S.

    My 3 star review is for the lunch buffet ONLY. Me and my girl just had lunch here and the buffet was definitely above average but nothing amazing. We heard about this place through Northern Va Magazine top 50 restaurants so I thought it would be really impressive and maybe that was the reason I was a little disappointed. Expectations were set a little high before walking in the door. The crispy basil chicken was good, the drunken noodle was pretty good, the Pad Thai was below average. They did have a spicy peanut sauce that was bomb though! Service however was great. They were attentive and constantly filled water and cleared plates. If I was in the area I would eat here again but not sure it should be mentioned in Northern VA's top 50 restaurants.

    (3)

  • Danny V.

    Im pickin up good vibrations Shes giving me excitations -Beach Boys Good Vibrations 1966 Seven Corners is representing with this one continent, two-country little restaurant. While the Laos-Thailand friendship was established long ago, this little Golden nugget is a magic show that sets itself apart from its aging surroundings. Word-of-mouth is as important as what goes in my mouth. Thanks to the recommendation of my friends, I pulled up a chair, paid my check and was back in two shakes of a lamb's tail (2 weeks later) for another round. Nothing could stop my tastebuds from another round of red pepper flake, basil, lemongrass & coconut taste sensations. Just like an old Calgon commercial, the Poh Tak soup had me saying, 'oh Tak" me away. Sorry, couldn't resist. Sub chicken for seafood = Tom Yum soup. Yes, Tom, my sentiments exactly. What does it taste like? Seafood (or chicken) and mushrooms find themselves on a clear, tropical beach swimming in a sea flavored with lemongrass, chili and lime juice; an unexpected delight. When all the leaves are brown and the sky is grey, check out the Nam Kai (chicken) soup with drunken noodles. Warm your cockles without unbuttoning your jeans or having to wear an expandable eatin' dress. Lemongrass, coconut milk, generous portions of ginger, cabbage, bean sprouts and carrots join forces to revive you from a corpse-like cold and protect you against the dreaded hunger pangs. The buffet is a great way to sample many dishes that pepper the menu and is a cost effective way to enjoy more for less. A buffet is a fair representation of the menu items, but doesn't have the same quality...but that's okay, I'll be back. The service is the sticky that holds the rice together. Hard working, sincere professionals band together for an exceptional team service approach with a smile. Bravo. Verdict: Tasty options hit over the head with a stick of freshness. I'm in.

    (4)

  • Jenn M.

    A Thai restaurant that has a buffet?! Oh you know I just had to try it! For about $10 for a lunch buffet during the week, I'd say that's a pretty good price. The food was decent. The buffet comes with soup, fried rice, chicken dishes, pad thai, beef dishes, vegetables, fried banana fritters, to name a few. It's not a huge selection but there's still plenty to choose from. Everything was tasty and good. It gets busy during the lunch time so plan accordingly. Servers were attentive and refilled my water many times, I don't think I ever finished a glass of water because they kept filling it! I would probably come back to try the Laotian menu next time because I hear that's where the hype is!

    (4)

  • Alan W.

    First time having Laotian food and it was a great experience. Interesting flavors. I will definitely go back to try more.

    (4)

  • Christine O.

    ** buffet review only; dine-in to be eaten/reviewed at a later date! ** * Thai AND Laotian food! * Why have I not been here for the past few years?!?! $9 bucks for their lunch buffet and only $13 for their dinner?! GOODNESS! That's a steal considering how much Thai food I eat and love! I think they are losing money with me there :/ sorry... They do have the same food served for their lunch and dinner buffet. From memory they have the following options that are always there: Chicken drunken noodles (spicy) Chicken pad thai Crispy veggie egg rolls Fried banana dessert Coconut taro dessert Larb chicken (spicy) Yum woon sen Veggie stir fry with tofu Spicy stir fry seafood (mussels, shrimp, octopus with broccoli) Crispy basil chicken Chicken wings I've seen mook fish served at dinner once. Steamed rice and fried rice are in the rice cooker containers and they serve soup as well. Although some might think the options are lacking, those dishes above are plenty for me (best of the thai dishes with a variety of protein choices - who can complain?!). Ordered the avocado sticky rice with mango (yes you heard right) for dessert and it was delicious! Pretty presentation too. The avocado went along with the consistency of the sticky rice to make it creamy and tasty! Mangos were sweet... and the coconut milk + almonds topped it off nicely. Service - by far the best. They fill your water cup so fast... and always clearing up your plates... and always smiling/very nice! I need to come back for dine in ... and to try more of their Laotian food!

    (5)

  • Alvis H.

    I don't ever feel bad about coming here because the price is so cheap and I always get at least double of what my money would be worth at a regular thai/laos restaurant. This place is very good for "buffet" style food. I've been here multiple times with my mom for the lunch buffet and the quality is always consistent. It may not be the most flavorful thai food I've ever had but they also have many sauces and the spicy rack on hand to fit your needs. We also ordered the crispy rice salad as an appetizer this time but unfortunately I was not very impressed. It was a little over seasoned so I could barely eat it. The waitress noticed that we hadn't really touched it so she came over and asked if there was something wrong and we kindly told her the problem. Without hesitation she took it to the back and gave us a new batch! The service here is great and they're always ready to meet your needs without any question and I appreciate it a lot. What really sells me about this place is the dessert though. The plantains and coconut milk dessert is the perfect way to end this meal! Definitely try this place if you're in the area!

    (4)

  • Nandini M.

    Went here for the lunch buffet and it was fantastic! It is seriously a Thai food lovers dream. Hidden away in a corner of a busy shopping plaza, the restaurant was a little hard to find. Also it isn't anything special inside as far as decor but the menu is enormous. We also got the larb (which was not in the buffet) and it was some of the best I've tasted. The service was very nice and they were extremely courteous about catering to any dietary restrictions. A couple of us are still thinking about the food a week later. Come hungry!!

    (5)

  • Sam C.

    My lunch buffet partner insisted the dishes were extra spicy with the intent of customers filling up on rice and drinks. I argued the food speaks for itself, and was properly 'Thai spiced.' I wondered if one of the art displays represented "fallen Buddha" but my lunch partner insisted the work was misplaced on it's side. Nothing like a spirited conversation with my meal so all good on that respects. I really appreciated the unique smoky spiciness of the drunken noodle as I just have not had it in a while. I think next time, I will focus more on the wonderful dishes and pass on the egg roll and fried chicken wing. I think those were fried plantains not bananas but they were the bees knees.

    (4)

  • Kay D.

    The way they wrapped my leftover food for taking home was shocking me when I open, 2items in one box. Unbelievable if you have leftover, make sure pack you'd own food.

    (1)

  • Darren N.

    It's a rarity to find a restaurant serving traditional Laotian cuisine, pair that with one that does it well and you have yourself Bangkok Golden! Nam Khao (Crispy Rice Salad) - Great texture (from the crispy rice) and flavors. Very light and refreshing with the leaves of lettuce. Favorite dish of the night! Pad See Ew - Surprisingly flavorful. The chef is Laos so I wanted to order only Laos dishes, but the one Thai dish we did order was very good. Larb Seen (Beef) - Copious amounts of lemongrass which I'm a fan of. Chunh Nok (Crispy Quail) - Very crispy and paired well with the sweet chili sauce. Moak Pha (Steamed Fish) - Subtle hints of the chili paste, lemongrass and dill. Not as flavorful as other renditions of this dish I have had. So much more to try and retry, I'll be back!

    (4)

  • Caitlin O.

    Finally made it out to seven corners and bankok golden. Unfortunately went on a crowded Saturday night. Kinda choatic but the line moved and we were seated within a reasonable time. The food was amazing and so reasonably priced. Will go here 10 times before going to doi moi, which has inferior flavors and double the prices! Loved the crispy rice salad. The reason for 4 stars instead of 5: one of our dishes was so spicy we couldnt finish it. We just werent expecting it (asked for the 'medium' level). Next time we'll know!

    (4)

  • Carisa J.

    I always hanging out with my friend at here. Actually we love Lao foods. And I think this restaurant is the best choice to someone who loves Lao foods.

    (5)

  • Vina Y.

    Be prepared for slow service and some miscommunication. I've been here twice now and the waitress has brought us things we didn't order or we had to ask for things a few times. Not a huge deal because the food is worth it. Their whole fried fish is delicious. I would also recommend the fish/shrimp cakes, the crispy rice salad, and any of their noodles.

    (4)

  • owen h.

    Had the lunch buffet. half the items were slightly too sweet (still tasty). would go again

    (3)

  • J D.

    Tucked away amongst a small group of storefront stores in the Seven Corners shopping area, Bangkok Golden has been serving Thai and Laotian cuisine to a steady stream of customers partaking from a remarkable buffet of dishes offered both at lunch and dinner. Unlike other buffets that tend to cook dishes in huge portions, Bangkok Golden scales down its cooking to more manageable sizes. As a result, the seasoning of the buffet offerings is more balanced, the flavors brighter, and the offerings fresher. Fried dishes (wings) are refreshed often and don't suffer from the steam table influence. It is an inexpensive way to explore Thai cuisine and determine the dishes that merit more attention. Yes, the buffet is a bargain. The strengths of Bangkok Golden however are in the Laotian offerings. Other Thai restaurants offer dishes on par or better than those here. So, focus on the Laotian offerings I'd start (and could finish) with the Duck Larb. This is a terrific dish with complex seasoning, good textural contrasts and just spicy enough to heighten the palate without brutalizing it. The duck meat isn't ground up but, rather, the duck is minced into tiny pieces. The dish is best eaten when served though I liked it enough to order a couple to take home and enjoy over a long weekend. It heats up nicely if one forgets the soggy mint and cilantro that suffer from reheating. The grilled dishes are all outstanding. The grilled pork is excellent, with a flavor close to comparable Thai grilled pork but slightly sweeter. The same observation is true of the grilled chicken wings and beef. They are all dishes that one can enjoy there or at a later time. The fish stews were less successful. I prefer my to have firmer fish textures and stewing tends to result in fish cooked more well done than I like. I also found the Laotian papaya salad to be less appealing to me than the Thai version. The dressing was heavier and the flavors muddled; the Thai offering had brighter and cleaner flavors. Parking is generally easy in this corner of the Seven Corners shopping center. Service is necessarily prompt (of course, the buffet is self service) given the line of would be diners waiting to be seated. On an early Friday evening excursion, we waited in line to be seated and, when exiting, had to navigate through a horde of people waiting at the entrance to be seated. There are other dishes I plan to sample at my next visit here. Soon.

    (4)

  • Rokeya J.

    I must say, I was disappointed. I went here because of the reviews but I guess I should not have gotten the lunch buffet. I love Thai food but that buffet was less than fresh. If I go back I would try the menu options.

    (2)

  • Greg M.

    This place comes up under a "sushi" search. They of course have a large Thai food selection but no Sushi.

    (3)

  • J E.

    This place looks like a dump but the food is amazing. Fresh, delicious and authentic.

    (5)

  • Gretchen P.

    Thanks to the many (many, many, many) stellar reviews for Bangkok Golden here on Yelp, my boyfriend and I went to give it the good ol' college try over the weekend. As others have mentioned, it's tucked into the back of the strip mall next to the Shoppers (or the Dogfish Head, if you're more familiar with that). Plenty o' parking. The space is small and decorated pretty much how you'd expect. I loved how welcoming and friendly the staff was! We were seated immediately, and asked if we wanted to partake in the buffet or order off the menu. We both already knew we wanted to try out the buffet, but I asked to see menus anyway -- they provided separate menus for their Thai and their Laotian food. Next time, next time... I ordered a Thai iced tea, and then we attacked the buffet. For a $12.95 dinner buffet, I was really impressed! They had a good variety - noodle dishes, curries, chicken wings, fried bananas (yummm), and even a couple dessert dishes - and everything tasted great! I thought the drunken noodles tasted just as good as any you'd order direct from a menu. The staff seemed to be really on point about refilling the dishes when they started to get low, and they were awesome about refilling our water glasses regularly. A note to those who are slightly less spice-tolerant: Everything on the buffet does have some spice to it. It ain't "Laotian Hot" by any means, but it's certainly not mild either -- even the pad thai! Just something to keep in mind. Next time we come back, we want to try the crispy rice salad that I read recommendations for on here -- the table next to us ordered some and it definitely piqued my interest! Awesome, awesome value for the buffet. Two thumbs up!

    (5)

  • Rodrigo M.

    The food here is just incredible. Both Thai and Lao menus are quite comprehensive, and while I have not tried most of their dishes, the ones I have tried were delicious. If you're not afraid of heat, try the Orm, which has great complex flavors. The Pad Thai is the best I've had, and even their buffet is worth the trip. Fortunately for me, they're very close to my house. Unfortunately they don't have delivery, but if they did, I would probably never cook again.

    (5)

  • Sherry Z.

    This restaurant was really yummy. I did not try their Thai buffet, but ordered off the Lao menu instead. The funny thing is that instead of regular white rice, all their entrees come with sticky rice instead. It was absolutely delicious. The Crunchy rice was very good and I don't think i've gotten a bad meal here at all. Just choose from their Lao menu and you won't be disappointed.

    (4)

  • Samantha S.

    Quick service, awesome for carry-out. Their green curry, drunken noodles and pad Thai are AMAZING. I go here once a week..

    (5)

  • Terri G.

    It was ok -- not great. Lets just say I wasnt blown away....

    (3)

  • Albert L.

    I'm by no means a Thai/Lao food expert, but I'd like to think that Bangkok Golden is as authentic as you can get around these parts. Heck, Toki Underground's chef comes here on occasion for his fix. In any case, BG gets packed with people during dinner hours, so put in a reservation if you plan to dine at normal hours or be prepared to wait. There is limited seating (about 30-40). The main draw for most folks is the buffet that features both Lao and Thai dishes. Being new to the Lao cuisine, I opted for this (only $13 for dinner). My group also ordered the crispy rice salad to try out based on recommendations here. Good call guys, good call. The spicy-sour crunch and bite of the rice salad was refreshing when wrapped in the lettuce leaves. For the buffet, they've got a rice and soup set on the side, and then half the dishes are Thai and the other half are Laotian. I went for the items that I deemed to be more unique to these cuisines, and I pretty much loved all of them. The papaya salad was spicy, tangy, and crunch-bombtastic. Think of it as a Southeast-Asian slaw. The ground spicy chicken was not overly hot and could go down really well with a bowl of rice. The fried bananas - yes. Do it. A crisp, battered exterior and a soft, fragrant inside. Fried chicken wings had a unique batter (never seen that specific texture before) and were actually well-seasoned. This one was popular. The pad thai was tangy enough, spicy enough, and very enjoyable. Probably one of the better pad thais I've ever had. The drunken noodles had a nice soy flavor, though it wasn't too different from comparable Chinese dishes you'll find on other menus. The Lao curry fish was a surprise hit. Tender pieces of fish in a curried sauce presented on a banana leaf. It was very aromatic, and I could definitely gone for a whole entree of just that. The green curry with eggplant and chicken was mild and mellow. Enough spice to let you know it's a curry (I would prefer a bit more curry spice actually), and I liked the eggplant. Bangkok Golden is one of those stripmall gems that will surprise you. If you've never tried Lao food or want to get good value for money, look no further.

    (4)

  • Jenny E.

    The laotian menu is to die for, and super inexpensive! Definitely get the crispy rice salad and the lemon grass beef! I would eat here over and over again....and not go broke!

    (5)

  • Candace C.

    Tucked behind the Home Depot, I wanted to try Laotian dishes for the first time. Our waitress was very helpful and patient with our group of 5 at dinner and gave recommendations based on our food preferences. I knew I wanted to try the Nam Khao. It was a great dish with crunchy rice, peanuts, and ham but mine was overly salty, unfortunately. I also tried the Bua-loy, which was a warm coconut milk soup with rice cakes (like cooked mochi balls), taro, and very little tapioca. Probably could have contained more toppings but it was mostly coconut milk. They no longer offer dinner buffet so it's not as packed as it used to be, but still pretty busy. I'd definitely try the lunch buffet at some point and try the other Laotian rice dishes that come with a side of sticky rice basket.

    (3)

  • Julia N.

    Our minds were set on trying the buffet here for our first time. Because we decided to get there early for dinner on a Friday night, we saved ourselves the trouble of waiting. This place is busy and small, so it crowds up fast. Luckily, we had made a reservation just in case. The buffet is not huge, but the amount of different dishes are just enough and just delicious enough to satisfy you. I'd have to say it was pretty impressive for its size/appearance. So don't underestimate it. I enjoyed the fried rice, the drunken noodles, the pad thai, and the crispy fried chicken the most. I'd have to say the crispy fried chicken is the main star of the buffet. It's fried chicken. That's crispy. And super delish. You must try it. Even if it's all you eat. Nothing worth mentioning about service, they did their job. I would like to return and perhaps try ordering dishes instead of eating from the buffet. Although I wouldn't mind eating from the buffet again.

    (4)

  • Tay L.

    This is the only place I know in NOVA that serves reaaaaal spicy food. When you ask for "thai spicy" or "Laos spicy", oh they will give it to you!! My bf who has really good tolerance to spicy things love getting their papaya salad and actually showers in sweat eating here. I have also tried their lunch buffet which I thought was decent for the price. In short, if you are looking for something real spicy, this is the place!

    (4)

  • Raquel N.

    Okay I found how to get the best atmosphere & best meal......For lunch go just when they open. It's not too full & the meal is so much more enjoyable. You have choice of a table:) Food no matter when you go is always still fresh & the service is always amazing. I just like being is certain restaurants that are small when their aren't as many people there.

    (4)

  • Anne T.

    Lunch buffet! I have mixed feelings about the lunch buffet a Bangkok Golden because I always eat too much. Still, I can never turn down the offer. The buffet has a diversity of options that are not often found on all-you-can-eat buffets and the price can't be beat.

    (4)

  • Ha T.

    Went here for the first time yesterday with my friend. Since we never had Laotian food before, we both decided to order off the Laotian food. The presentation of the food was lovely. We both thought the presentation of the sticky rice was adorable (now I know it's called the tip khao) :) I got the Ping Moo & she got the Pork Orm. Both were so flavorful and delicious. The service was really good too. Since we told our waitress that it was our first time there, she explained the different menu to us and when we decided to pick the Laotian menu, she gave us recommendations on the dishes people usually order and what it contained. It was very helpful. Will definitely return! *Oh. I really wanted the fried squid appetizer from the Thai menu, so we got that too. It was light and was not drenched in oil.

    (4)

  • Min Sae C.

    This place needs to expand and get more seats. Found this place in the annual Washingtonian best 100 restaurants. Found the reason to end up in this neck of the woods and man what a little gem... Place is very small but warm with friendly, attentive staff. Buffet is very small but the quality more than makes up for the limited selections. A simple dish such as their fried rice was full of flavor and complemented many of their other dishes. One of my favorites was a cold beef salad. Sounds strange until you try some. It set off fireworks in my mouth with the textures, cold temperature and bright flavors. I ate it with everything from the rice to the fried won tons to the drunken noodles. The crispy chicken was also very, very good which went great with the drunken noodles. The Pad Thai was meh for me, overall I am not a huge Pad Thai fan to begin with because of its sweetness. The pork dish and tofu was also packed with flavor. Go to enough buffets and you can usually tell in the first bite if a place actually cares about its food. I look forward to trying the dinner buffet and then ordering off the menu.

    (4)

  • Chef T.

    Run, don't walk to this place. Your run will help build up an appetite for the high quality Thai and Lao food with great service and large portions. My Epicurean Sister (favorite dining companion, noted Northern Virginia food hunter) suggested we try this place after my return from nine years cooking and eating in Thailand. Although excited to be back tasting the solid delights in The Land of Meat and Bread, I was yearning for the burn and intricacy of Thai and Lao Food. High satisfaction was achieved. Epicurean Sister stated "I like it when my ear canals get hot." So we ordered a progressive selection of items in increasing levels of spiciness as a controlled experiment in joy. To honor restaurant proprietor Chef Seng's ancestry, we ordered from the Lao menu with full king caution from the server that the food was notably spicy. 1) The curry puffs were good training food for children - crispy exterior and soft potato inside with a sweet dipping sauce - menu item #2 is a good start for those not favoring spice. 2) The crispy rice salad (menu item #43) is well recommended for the double crunch of the rice and the lettuce wrap (with bits of fermented Thai pork sausage for an authentic Lao texture and flavor). 3) The minced duck salad with sticky rice - true to the original with fatty bits of the duck skin included, topped with refreshing mint and cucumber slices on the side to cool the mouth (menu item #20). It was appropriately spicy and balanced. 4) Challenged yet cautioned by the server about the robust spice in "Lao" level of spiciness, we bravely ordered the powerful, endorphin-inducing orm soup with chicken. Epicurean Sister achieve her desired level of ear canal heat; sweat under the eyeglasses and a feeling of nirvana-like satisfaction pleased my chili lonely heart. This menu item #32 was as spicy as I ever experienced in Thailand without hospitalization; the hot liquid momentarily cut off the ability to speak. I would order this again on every visit. Overall, this is the destination for original and authentic Lao food. Sep lie lie!

    (5)

  • Alida H.

    Definitely a favorite spot of mine. The price is right, and the food is satisfying. However, the venue is a bit on the small side. I've paid this restaurant a visit twice for their lunch buffet. I usually despise buffets unless they are korean or brazilian, but you just can't beat $8.95 for a wonderfully executed Thai/Laos fusion Lunch buffet that runs until 3PM. They had a lot to offer in their buffet including both chicken and beef larb gai, egg plant stir fry, drunken noodles, laos-style fried chicken wings, fried rice, pad thai and chicken tom yum soup. Everything was wonderful, hot, and delicious. The servers were friendly, attentive, and made sure the buffet, or rather your stomach, was always filled.They also offered orange slices, fried plantain and a tapioca and taro dessert in sweetened coconut milk for dessert. I can't wait to come back to try the items on their regular menu!

    (4)

  • Ona B.

    Loved this place...until...the buffet's drunken noodle recipe changed. It used to be a party for the taste buds with yummy noodles, gorgeous peppers, Thai basil and chicken in a divinely delicious sauce but on my last two visits (a month apart) it's been a blob of dried out gooey noodles in a totally bland, colorless sauce. Bah!! Do I try for a third strike? Please oh please, bring back the good recipe!

    (3)

  • Heather B.

    I love thier papaya salad loas style. U can even choose the spice level. So good reminds me of my friends home made one. I go here when I crave that and sticky rice.

    (4)

  • Cat W.

    Love love love this place! I always go here with my laotian girlfriends and get the best service everytime. We normally get the nem kao, papaya salad of course laos style, and a bunch of other stuff off the menu. The chef is awesome to let us always do that. Everything is AMAZING every time. This is a must go to if you love laos food like i do.

    (5)

  • tony c.

    Often statistics show that Thai Buffet has a life expectancy of less than a year. But Bangkok Golden has defy these odds. Why? They maintain top quality taste with unique flavors. Larb, sort of like a chopped salad (w/ chk or beef) has a fresh clean taste. The curry, noodle dishes are all excellent. Have to come back and try their traditional Laotian dishes. Also very friendly and accommodating staff!

    (5)

  • C. A.

    Get the laotian menu that is in laotian and you won't regret it. The service was great - the owner came out and explained the laotian menu which took a while but we didn't feel rushed or anything. We didn't do the buffet, just ordered off of the menu. The food was just different than other south east asian food - very different from thai. So fresh and refreshing. Mmm, can't wait to go back. I had some sort of housemade sausage which was REALLY good. Also the crispy rice salad - can't be beat.

    (5)

  • Mark B.

    The staff here is super friendly. I had the buffet- as good as advertised. Next time, I'll order off the Laotian menu.

    (4)

  • Charlotte B.

    A tiny little restaurant hidden away in the back corner of a shopping center packed with cars, Bangkok Golden offers patrons quick paced service and incredible flavor. Based on the range of customers packing themselves into what available space could be found, everyone can find something they will enjoy here. For those who share my love of chicken wings, the extra crispy fried wings served with a tangy fish sauce syrup will leave you wanting more. I ordered the Nam Kai - a rice noodle soup containing chicken, coconut milk, lemongrass, chili, cabbage, bean sprouts, carrots and onion. The generous portion was filling. The chicken was tender, and the vegetables were crisp, providing a nice textural contrast to the soft noodles. I'd suggest ordering Lao spicy. For desert - I got the mango sticky rice. Most places give lots of rice and a few slices of under/over ripe mango. Here, the mango is the highlight of the dish. Half a mango is served with a few spoonfuls of rice and black sesame seeds. The mango was perfect. It was ripe enough that there was a minimal amount of resistance, but was not so overripe as to be mushy. Looking at the restaurant, one would not expect such a delightful range of flavor. This is definitely a case of "don't judge a book by its covers". I was happily surprised. The interior is decorated with paintings and traditional equipment. The change over from early evening to mid evening sees the restaurant change from a quiet dining room to a packed room with happy visitors filling their bellies while chatting. For those who like to eat at home, the food travels well and is packed neatly so as not to cause items to get soggy.

    (5)

  • Matthew T.

    Finally! I've been looking for something different and who knew I'd find it behind Home Depot in 7 Corners Center?! Looking for a change from the standard Thai fare that seems to be ubiquitous, I happened upon Bangkok Golden. The best news, it turned out that Laotian food was actually what I was craving. This restaurant has both cuisines (two menus in fact, Thai and Laotian) but this review is based on the Laotian dinner menu (they have a combo Thai/Lao buffet too) Saturday night about 8ish - the restaurant is packed and the line was almost out the door on a cold night. The patrons were a mix of Thai/Lao speakers and English speakers. Everyone waiting seemed unphased by the line and undeterred by the cold. The atmosphere is cramped but homey. The service was attentive and helpful. We had the oft-recommended crispy rice salad and it did not disappoint! Get it - it's so delicious and the texture is incredible. We also had the Larb Moo (pork) and the Ping (grill chicken skewers) as well as a Lao Dark beer and a Lao Light beer. It was excellent. The food was so flavorful and the sticky rice came in little grass woven containers. Spiciness is at your pleasure. I rarely give a 5 star rating but this place is a find. Affordable (and very reasonable for the area) prices makes this a real gem in the Northern Virginia area. Finally, some place that is exciting even though it's in a very bland location. Situated adjacent to the Shoppers supermarket and behind the Home Depot. Easiest access is from Route 7 (across from the odd and unique freestanding Sears)

    (5)

  • Hannah H.

    **This review is strictly for the Lao dishes we tried** My husband and I love Bangkok Golden's lunch buffet that offers lovely Thai dishes and entrees. I've heard many positive things about the Lao menu, and since I haven't tried that cuisine out yet, I was quite curious. My husband and I came for dinner, and we were seated right away - the place was packed as always! As a starter, we ordered the Lao Curry Puff (curry potato and chicken wrapped with pasty dough) and Siin Haing (your choice of either beer or pork jerky; I opted for the beef; marinated with lemongrass, ginger, and black pepper) - the curry puffs were okay, but more on the sweeter side than savory, and very cilantro-flavored-based; I wasn't much of a fan of these, but I did like the crispy exterior. I really loved the Siin Haing, as the beef jerky were thin strips, tough (tough as in well-done meat, rather than jerky-like), and had pretty good flavor (sort of like beef teriyaki). For our entrees, we ordered a Larb Moo (minced pork meat seasoned in the restaurant's spicy sauce, Kaffirlime leaves, toasted rice powder, shallots, garlic, green onion, and mint (we opted out of cilantro) - this was also served in a cute little wicker-rice basket with a string, the interior lined with a plastic sandwich back, with rice. The larb itself was okay, having more of a sour-taste to it, slightly spicy, and good with the fresh red leaf lettuce that it was served with. I also tried their Moak Fish, which was a very soft white fish, seasoned, and cooked in a banana leaf and steamed - it had a creamy sauce to it, slightly fragrant, and the fish was cooked well and delicate; I wasn't much of a fan of the flavors as it was kind of like a stew that was poured over fish. We also tried the Orm Chicken, which is a Lao country-style stew with curry, chili paste, lemongrass, glangal, Asian eggplant, and fresh dill - my husband actually mind this soup as he likes broth; the soup itself tasted fresh, but I thought it would be a little bit more thicker; it was definitely heavily dill-focused. We also shared the Nam Khao, which is the popular crispy rice salad - this came with crispy and spicy rice bits, herbs, shredded coconut, lime juice, onion, and ham (circular crispy sausages) - this salad was actually pretty okay; very vinegary and sour, but I liked the crunchy bits of the rice (kind of reminded me of noorungji, the Korean version of their 'scored rice'). Pad See Ewe was also ordered that was served with Chinese broccoli, but I wasn't a fan of this as the noodles seemed to be overcooked and the flavor very unflavorful (which was surprising, as their buffet version seemed to be much tastier!). Service was very friendly and efficient, and I'm glad I got to finally try out Lao cuisine. I do recommend the following: +Beef Siin Haing (beef jerky) +Nam Kaho (crispy rice salad) Other than these two dishes, I wasn't much of a fan of others; I might try out their noodle dishes out next time, but for now, I think I'll stick to their Thai lunch buffet items!

    (3)

  • Patrick W.

    This is one of the best Family style Thai Laotian restaurants in the region. Def add this to your must dine list. Excellent starters. You could fill up on all the delicious salads, soups and savory roasted starters. Pad Thai, Criapy Rice salad with sausage, mint and fresh ginger is one of the best bites in DC. True home cooking. The service is friendly, prompt and warm. Go here before it gets stupid.

    (5)

  • Donna W.

    Excellent Thai Food!!! We had great flavored green papaya salad; compared to the streets of Bangkok, but not too much cabbage and long beans nor any raw crab (authentic Thai style), Drunken noodles was the best I've ever had without a doubt. The spicy seafood salad had super fresh vegetables and fresh seafood flavored to perfection. The Tom yum soup was excellent too. My only complaint is that the green curry with chicken was too soupy. The flavor was great and ingredients fresh too. I would give this restaurant a 4.6. If the curry was thicker and ambience nicer, larger lunch buffet, than I would give it a 5 stars. Service was spot on. I have family in Bangkok so I know my Thai food, and this was AWESOME! I love k forward to trying their Lao dishes!

    (5)

  • George B.

    Great food. A little cramp for the buffet setup. Been here twice at different times and it is real busy. They should expand.

    (4)

  • Adventure E.

    Cant believe they charge for a 17 month old baby! Most places dont charge for toddlers below 2 years old. Some places it even goes up to 3. I would pay 2maybe 3 dollars maximum for a baby for a lunch buffet but this place charge half price for a baby! So RIDICULOUS!!

    (1)

  • Jovonne A.

    Always such pleasant staff waiting on you. Came in for take out and was out with hot yummy food in no time. The waitress even offered me something to drink while I waited. Always consistent. Always good.

    (5)

  • C P.

    Excellent Thai and Lao food. I'm a huge spicy food person, but do be careful how much you encourage them to spice it up. I've had one experience where the food was just too spicy. Otherwise YUM.

    (4)

  • Alex H.

    We tried this on Friday, 3/27, based on Yelp reviews and much to say we were not disappointed, but extremely pleased with the service and the food. The appetizers were great, especially the special called Crispy Watercrest, as well as Sai Quo which are both unique Laotian food. They both have an extensive Thai and Laotian menu and we wanted to try Laotian since we never experienced their food. Overall, we were highly satisfied with our Laotian meal which were very authentic and tasty. The spice was also far more different than Thai and actually had much more interesting flavors that you'd want to try and eat more. As for the service, it was overall the best we ever had as all the servers were very attentive, courteous, and always smiling and ensuring that our drinks are full--and surely enough for the spicy Laotian food. The place was rather small, however it was very popular since it got busy really quick after we got there at around 6:30pm. By 7:15pm, people were waiting outside! We're glad that we got early enough to be seated and be able to enjoy an outstanding dinner. I cannot see any downside to this restaurant, as you get outstanding service and food. Definately a place we would always go back for more!

    (5)

  • Dennis M.

    After a 1 year hiatus ... I decided to return to the buffets... Bangkok Golden is a Laos/Thai Restaurant so I pretty much get 2 buffets in ONE and for only $12.95! BooYAH! This place is very cramped/cozy and there were a lot of people waiting to be seated so it better be good right? I really enjoyed it. Here are the rules to THIS buffet: 1) Line starts on the LEFT if you're looking at the buffet tables, so DON'T sneak in on the right with your dirty plate! 2) Rice, soup, and sauces are up first. There were 2 types of rice, one egg fried rice and the other traditional white rice. I didn't try the soup but it was the traditional sour Thai soup. As for the sauces....who knows what they are. Just bring them all back to your table and experiment. That's what I did. 3) Desserts come next which is PERFECT! The line can be long and you don't want to wait just for dessert. So get your fried bananas and oranges and EXIT stage right! 4) Salads and main entrees are up next. They have all your traditional Thai dishes like Drunken Noodle, which was yummy and a tad spicy. Not too spicy but it definitely had some KICK. Make sure you try it before giving to a toddler like we did! They also have chicken wings, which were kinda bland, but if you add the orange sauce, it works. 5) Please COVER YOUR MOUTH if you sneeze or cough! I almost went NINJA on someone who didn't know how to "vampire sneeze" (Google it). 6) Be patient! Everyone is hungry, the place is small and packed, so the more civil we are the better! Rules over! The staff was AMAZING. Each of them walk around with a full pitcher of ICE water. I can't believe my family didn't have to ask for ONE REFILL. Plus our dirty plates kept vanishing seconds after we left the table to get back in line. This is huge for me because I'm sure we've all been to a buffet where all our empty dirty dishes were staked on top of each other at the end of the table while the staff plays Candy Crush. Oh and last thing.....if you DON'T want a buffet you can always order from their regular menu. I saw several people do that. Better for me cause then you'll stay out of my way. Woohoo! This place rocks!

    (5)

  • Kathryn A.

    This place is legit spicy, and the vegetables are very fresh. The buffet is great, especially the cold Laotian salads and the eggplants. Everything is super cheap (less than $10 per person), which is always nice. Get here early for lunch, because there's almost always a line to get in at around 12:30.

    (4)

  • Promodh M.

    Excellent Laotian food, a rarity in the Metropolitan area. Subtle flavors and good prices. A little difficult to find the location but well worth the effort. Good availability of parking in the mall.

    (5)

  • Jane M.

    Bangkok Golden has been reviewed countless times now by much more legit critics than myself, receiving high praise. Even just a year or so ago BG one of those hidden gems but the weekends there now are packed and you're better off making a reservations rather than trying to just drop in. But if you do, the wait is definitely worth it. TAPIOCA BALLS. Get them if they're on special for the night. And the crispy honey wings too. Just get everything. Seriously.

    (5)

  • Abraham H.

    God this place is good... everything here is soooo good.

    (5)

  • Kimberly S.

    First off, I LOVE Bangkok Golden (read earlier review). Their spicy papaya salad makes my eyes water and my heart sing. Their grilled pork neck and grilled chicken wings are fab. The taste and value of Bangkok Golden is unmatched in this area.... BUT...... They really need to be more careful about their food prep. A few months ago, I took my family here for dinner when I noticed a little green caterpillar inching along the bottom of our crispy rice salad plate. Not wanting to cause a big deal (especially since I chose the place), I flicked it off with my napkin and kept mum about the whole situation. It grossed me out but my craving for Chef Seng's amazing cooking won out again a few weeks later so I decided to order take out of all my favorite food items. I PLOWED through everything I ordered and it was just as delicious as I remembered. However, after digging into a box of sticky rice my boyfriend noticed THREE large black bugs buried in there. He threw it out and I was lucky enough to have been smart enough to order extra rice (I love carbs, so sue me!). I will continue to support this wonderful, locally owned treasure but you can bet that I will be combing through every bite the next time I am there.

    (3)

  • Dee B.

    I'd love to return and try more Laotian dishes! As a gluten-free diner, I really appreciated the clearly marked g-f options. My curry was very good - nice amount of spice - and my friend's Laotian salad was delicious. Prices are reasonable, and service was pretty good. Definitely recommend!

    (4)

  • Karisa D.

    Bangkok Golden is a foodie destination right in my own backyard! It's a small restaurant in a shopping center in Falls Church and from the outside, it does not look like much. But when you walk inside, you are immediately hit with the delicious smells coming from the kitchen. They focus on Thai and Laotian cuisine. When was the last time you had Laotian food? Bangkok Noodle was the first time my family and I had Laotian food. We were hesitant but i knew we had to try something. We went for lunch and opted for the buffet. The buffet serves a mix of a Thai and Laotion food, but leans more towards the Thai influences. If you're going for quantity, the buffet is a good value. The food is good, there are plenty of options, and everything is labeled which is helpful. I loved the Drunken Noodles, Papaya Salad, and Seafood dishes. We also decided to order the potato curry puff pastry, at the recommendation of our waitress. We were told that it was one of their more popular Laotian dishes and after tasting it, I could see why. It looks like a empanada and the taste reminds me of a samosa. The puff pastry is sweet and is cooked with delicious spices. The curry is present but does not overpower the dish. The restaurant is beautifully decorated with unique art pieces. You almost forget you're in NoVa. The staff was friendly, checked on us often, and made good recommendations on what to order. The people dining at the restaurant was very diverse too, which I thought was interesting. I definitely want to come back again and try more things from their Laotian Menu. I'll just have to ask what to order.

    (4)

  • Alice W.

    On recommendation from friends, Stephen U. and I were able to finally come and try Bangkok Golden and it did not disappoint. Far from it, in fact. Our friends, who have been here several times, recommended several dishes that were all really great. There's a separate Lao and Thai menu that you can order from, as well as a buffet. Many of the items on the menus are staple Lao and Thai delicacies and I'd recommend ordering off the menus rather than get the buffet. A few of the dishes we ordered: + Vegetarian Nam Khao / Crispy Rice Salad: Crushed fried rice seasoned with lemongrass, ginger, peanuts, chile, cilantro and fish sauce wrapped in a lettuce wrap + Orm Fish Tilapia: Soup with chili paste, lemongrass, galangal, Asian eggplant, fresh dill + Larb Moo (Pork): Minced pork seasoned in spicy sauce, Kaffir lime leaves, fragrant toasted rice powder, shallots, garlic, green onion, cilantro, mint, served with sticky rice My favorite dish was the larb moo. The pork, in combination with the sticky rice, was very good. I also liked the orm fish filapia soup and thought it was flavorful. The nam khao was good although a little too sweet for my taste. Overall, a great meal at Bangkok Golden. Definitely am coming back for more.

    (4)

  • Christine V.

    We started with the Sai Oua (spicy park sausage). The sausage is sweet and spicy and so delicious with the sticky rice. The Nam Khao (crispy rice salad) has such an amazing texture with a perfect amount of heat. The first time we went, we had the Larb Moo (minced pork in spicy sauce) in Lao spicy which was too hot for me. We had Mild Hot the second time and it still had a heavy amount of heat (by American standards). I also enjoyed the Ping Moo (grilled pork) which kind of reminded me of Vietnamese Thit Nuong. The flavors were fresh. I can't wait to come back here and try more Lao dishes! If I lived closer, I would be here all the time.

    (5)

  • Safia I.

    Delicious food and beautiful atmosphere. It's small, but very cozy and they have very nice artwork on their walls. The waitresses were all kind and smiled. I tried their lunch buffet and wasn't disappointed in the least. They had a great variety of food. I'm definitely visiting again!

    (5)

  • Jae B.

    OMG. Thank goodness for a Laos restaurant in the DMV area! Ever since meeting my husband (he is Laos) my taste buds have ever been more happy. When I found out that there was a Laos restaurant I thought that it was for sure I had misunderstood. But after coming and reading up on what to get here, we probably went back 4 more times within 6 weeks (and we live in Silver Spring). So here is what we always have to get Laos fried rice Laos sausage Laos style papaya salad Fried fish with ginger sauce Grilled pork neck Duck larb Beef larb Yes!! Every single thing is a must when we go! Some how we always manage to order a new dish, but the above is just a hands down what we come for. Can't wait until the dc restaurant opens!

    (5)

  • Mari A.

    #46 More like a 4.5.. But definitely my GO TO Thai restaurant. I don't even bother looking anymore. Why? 3 fundamental reasons: 1. Dirt CHEAP for a Thai restaurant so close to Arlington (it's Seven Corners actually but whatever, less than 3 miles from my place in Ballston). 2. CONVENIENCE- get it in the morning, get it in the evening, get it at suppppper time (3 miles away from my place, on my way to work, and back) It's too easy to hit it I'm not even going to try NOT to. 3. LEGIT DELICIOUS- soo good. i'll stop right there. I still have yet to try their Laotian menu .. so that's next on my agenda. Thai is my top 5 fave cuisines so it was hard to venture from that my first couple of times there. On my list the next time I'm there! The delicious dishes: Pad Thai, Pad See Ew, Tom Khar (must get EVERY time), Shrimp with mixed veggies in a brown oyster sauce (totally forgot the name), and Panang Curry. DELICIOUS!! How I heart you Bangkok Golden!

    (5)

  • Lindsey M.

    I have yet to find a dish I do not like on either the Thai or Lao menu. Truly a wonderful dining experience. My favorite dish so far is the Mee Kathi. Wonderful! You can find their menu at Chefseng.com

    (5)

  • Michael T.

    Outstanding Lao food. Better Lao food than anything I had during two years living in ​Vientiane. Although, unfortunately, no ant egg soup. I order from the menu, as the (Thai) buffet does not look very appealing. The Thai curries from the menu are merely ok. Adequate service. Come for the Lao food and you will keep coming back!

    (4)

  • Jenny C.

    Authentic Laotian cuisine at Bangkok Golden. WARNING: I recommend to go with "American hot" if you cannot handle tongue-numbing spiciness. We went with "Thai hot" and a couple of the dishes (larb and stew) were so spicy that we could not taste much of anything else in the dishes. We ate all the sticky rice that came with the dishes and even got more, in order to combat the spiciness. Must tries: - Crispy rice salad: Perfect blend of crunch and flavor. Excellent start to the meal! - Summer roll (on the specials menu): Fresh ingredients, great flavor, went perfectly with the peanut dipping sauce - Soup with tilapia and lemongrass: Lemongrass brings a distinct flavor of Southeast Asia cuisine; fresh pieces of tilapia in the soup along with other vegetables Cannot comment on the pork larb or the tilapia stew because the spice level was way too hot. Despite the spiciness, I would definitely go back to the restaurant and try other dishes on the menu at the American hot level.

    (4)

  • Wen F.

    Really solid Thai food, the buffet gives really good value since for a little over $12 you can try about 7-8 different dishes. Sometimes I want a papaya salad, a pad Thai fix, and who doesn't love Thai curry? Well here I can get all that and some! I never ordered off the regular menu but I'm sure it is delicious too. The buffet is just too much value for a sucker like me to give up especially since I love to eat ... Whenever you are in the seven corners area be sure to stop by here if you have a Thai craving.

    (4)

  • Grace H.

    To start with even the restaurant is named 'Bangkok Golden", the chef is Loatian, and there is a Loatian menu. Chef Seng took over this place from 2010 and had sneaked in the Loatian menu. I am disappointed to say the least. I was recommended to come here by the Chef/owner of a restaurant in H Street, who recently had dined here with a bunch of Chefs. The reason why I was disappointed was that there is no doubt the food had great flavors, but my entree was very salty. I know the difference between the likings of Americans and Europeans. In Europe, in general not that much salt is used. The menu itself does not actually stated which is a Thai Menu and which is a Laotian Menu. However the third page is the Laotian Menu. I been to Thailand and lived in Asia, and tried many Thai food. My sole purpose was to try Laotian food. So I jumped to that one. I only know because I done my research before I come and read Chef Seng's blog. For appetizer, I chose "Chunh Mun" (Shrimp Cake with Lao curry, bean & fresh dill, served with cucumber sauce), this was nice and fragrant with dill and cucumber sauce. The "Tum Lao" (Julienne green papaya, tomato, lime juice in a savory Lao style spicy sauce and shrimp paste). Now for me this one the shrimp paste was so overpowering, that I cannot taste anything else but the shrimp paste. So we hardly touched this one. The Vegetable Spring Rolls features in the Thai Menu's appetizer section, this one's salt level suits me the best and it was crispy golden so ticked. For main course, I had "Larb Moo" which is minced pork seasoned in spicy sauce, Kaffir lime leaves, fragrant toasted rice powder, shallots, garlic, green onion, cilantro, mint. Served with sticky rice. My dinner companion had "Larb Kai" which is the same thing but is minced chicken. Now, I did not enjoy this one, and here are the reasons. First I told the waitress that I cannot eat very spicy food, she said she can ask the kitchen to make it not spicy. When it arrived, I took one bite, my mouth was burning. On top of that it was very very salty. I have to say the flavor is there, but it was way too spicy and way too salty for me. Don't ask me why, for some reason I have to act polite and not a b___h because I am in an Asian restaurant. I feel really embarrass to say anything. On top of that I heard enough horror stories from chefs and cooks in my hotel days how they split into client's food.... in Asian restaurant. I never send back a dish in an Asian restaurant, while in a western restaurant, it is a totally different matter. If one ask what is the difference between Thai cuisine and Laotian cuisine, I guess I will quote Chef Seng in one of her interview with a local radio station - "We use similar herbs, galanga root, and kafifir lime leaves. The difference is the technique of cooking. We do a lot of grilled meat, or steamed meat. We don't do a lot of stir fry," she points out. Thai food uses more coconut milk, and tends to use a lighter, fermented fish sauce. In Laos they also take that same fish, boil it and create a heavier, fishier sauce called Padeak. Chef Seng says, the real difference between the two cuisines comes down to spice. Food in Lao, she says, is a lot more spicy than its Thai counterpart. "If it's not spicy, it's not good," she says. Well, there you go, it should answer a lots of people's curiosity. As for me, I don't know what went wrong with the salt in my entree. That is why I gave it a 3 stars. The owner is going to open a new restaurant in Columbia Heights in the location where Thaitanic II used to be, but the staff do not have more information on the menu.

    (3)

  • Tee D.

    The first time I came here was for the weekend lunch buffet. There were several items to select from at are popular Thai dishes. There aren't many Thai buffet places around, so it was a great option to eat different dishes; however, I felt the flavor wasn't that great- quantity over quality in this case. My friend raved about this place as the best Lao/Northeastern Thai cuisine and we came here for dinner and ordered from the Thai menu (all in Thai for Thais). We ordered 2 different types of Som Tums, Beef Namtok (my fav), Tom Sap, Sai Oeu (sausage) and Pork neck. Everything was really good- the flavor was authentic and spicy- none of that overly sweet flavors. I'm not sure if that's the norm or because we ordered from the Thai menu. The price was portion is good too. If it wasn't far away (for me without a car), I'd come here more often!

    (4)

  • Elyse B.

    Bangkok Golden has awesome Thai and Laotian menus. Unless you've signed a suicide pact, stick with Thai hot (it'll still make you cry). Laotian hot will literally kill you. If you go, you aren't going for the ambiance. The food rocks. If I've learned anything over the years, it's to come here and order wayyy too much food just for the leftovers. Again, a reminder, spicy food only gets spicier when left in the fridge over night. Lao hot will kill you.

    (5)

  • Margaret D.

    This place does well by getting some really strong punchy flavors into their food! The crispy rice salad was excellent. You take the savory crispy fried rice and wrap it in lettuce to eat. Great contrast of different types of crunchy. We had some beef with lemongrass flavoring, except the lemongrass was chopped up into tiny pieces and incorporated in the stir fry. You had to eat it with the meat and the lemongrass left a bitter taste. Would definitely return to sample more dishes. I did feel like the dishes were kind of haphazardly made. The punchy flavors meant they should get away with more pre assembled dishes, and things didn't feel fresh out of the kitchen. Might also just be a cleanliness factor.

    (3)

  • Jeffrey M.

    2 menus - Laotian & thai. We stuck to the Laotian. Food was excellent. Had crispy rice salad that was wonderful. Tried the homemade spicy sausage appetizer - very good. They have a lunch buffet $9.95 that is very popular. Seating is limited and rather tight. Step mall ambiance, but attractive decor.

    (4)

  • Z C.

    Laotian food WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!­!!!! Larb Ped (spicy diced duck with mint) Kao Piak Sen (soup) Ping Pah (fish steamed in a banana leaf and grilled) If you don't love it, you're wrong. Kate was a fantastic server, attentive, informative, friendly. I'm an instant convert.

    (5)

  • Ben S.

    Hands down this is my favorite restaurant in the DC area. It is in no way convenient to me and yet I keep coming back for more. I've only ever ordered off the Lao menu because if I'm going to drive all the way out to 7 corners and avoiding the siren song of the Eden center then it has to be for something unique and amazing, and Bangkok Golden's Lao menu is both. I'm trying to work my way through the menu at this point but everything I've had is excellent but every meal needs one Nam Khao. Lao spicy is really spicy, but the food is still excellent even if you get it less hot too. Prices are also cheap, but dishes tend to be a bit on the small size. For two of us we tend to order three dishes, which still comes to about $30.00 total. The menu is ok for vegetarians but not as great as you might hope. There is definitely a lot less variety if you come with vegetarians. Also the papaya salad is quite different from the thai version. MUCH more fish sauce (especially pungent smelling) and not nearly as sweet. The servers have actually been warned not to recommend it because of this and will try to steer you towards the less fishy mango variant. It is still delicious but you need to know what you are getting into. The restaurant can be crowded because it's small, but I've never had to wait too long to get a seat. They also have a Thai buffet on the weekends which I've never tried. Basically a cuisine with a ton of different flavors and textures that is delicious. It is also hard not to compare it to Little Serow because the food is actually quite similar (at a much different price point and with a much different ambiance).

    (5)

  • Audra B.

    I was SO excited to try Bangkok Golden. I keep reading about it in the Washington Post, Washingtonian, etc. and finally made it there on Monday night. I picked out what I was ordering based on all of the reviews and articles I had read. Here is what I had: Shrimp Cakes Grilled Chicken Wings Crispy Rice Larb (beef option) Sadly, I was not impressed at all. The shrimp cakes were almost inedible. They were completely spongy and I couldn't take more than a few bites. The larb wasn't as special as everyone made it sound; it was good but not good enough to get again. The chicken wings were very tasty with a flavorful sauce and a great char on the wings. The crispy rice was my favorite and if I had a craving for this again, I would get it and try new things. I'm very disappointed because the hype drew me in but the food just didn't measure up.

    (2)

  • Jinnie N.

    There are so many different flavors of Thai!! This place really catered to my tastebuds!! We got the fried veggie spring rolls, drunken noodles with shrimp, shrimp fried rice, and pad kee mao with chicken. All very flavorful and tasty!! My only gripe would be that I wish that the dishes had more meat!! There were only 4-5 pieces in the shrimp dishes. I would definitely come here again & try the other yummy dishes!!

    (4)

  • Air R.

    We loved this place!! You gotta try if you love thai food ( Laos style) . You will love this place!

    (5)

  • Barbara H.

    I haven't tried their Thai food, but LOVE all the Lao options we've tried so far. I have nothing to compare it to, but as far as Asian alternatives, it's fabulous! Just make sure you order mild, unless your mouth is bullet proof.

    (5)

  • Ben Y.

    People say white folks don't know what it's like to be racially profiled. Well now I know. I asked for my nam khao "Lao hot" -- and even said "I mean it" when the waitress told me I seemed like more of a "level one" kinda guy (I can rub ghost peppers in my eyes without crying and my favorite condiment is pepper spray!) -- but when I received my dish it was mild anyway. The good news is it didn't matter. This food was some of the best I've had in Northern Virginia.

    (5)

  • Richard F.

    We were very interested in trying Laotian food and when we found that Bangkok Garden offered a Buffet at lunchtime, we thought that this would be a great way to try Laotian dishes. While the food was tasty, the buffet had only one Laotian dish. And the Thai dishes served were somewhat less than spectacular. Had we known better, we might have been better off ordering some Laotian dishes off the menu instead of having the buffet. The stuff on the buffet was not very exciting and it was the typical buffet trip to the trough. Someday I hope to really enjoy and learn more about Laotian food. The one bland Laotian fish dish was all we were able to experience.

    (3)

  • Jenny L.

    A 20-minute wait for a 2-seater at a tiny Thai/Laotian restaurant in Seven Corners at 8 pm on a Wednesday night means the restaurant has got to be good! And it was! For drinks, I ordered a glass of coconut juice. The juice was too sweet for my liking but it contained generous slices of coconut meat which were tasty and refreshing. At the waitress' recommendation, we ordered the spicy sausage appetizer. I could taste the ginger in the sausage pieces (sad and random fact: I can't stand ginger) so I had one piece and my dining partner had the rest, and he really enjoyed it. As for entrees, I had read rave reviews about the crispy rice salad, but I had trouble finding it on the menu. The waitress pointed us to #43 (Nam Khao) and #44 (Nam Khao Vegetarian) and mentioned that #43 is very popular. My dining partner ordered #43 while I chose the vegetarian version. He is a spice-loving Caucasian who often finds that food is not spicy enough when he orders at Asian restaurants. Sadly, this was the case tonight. Even after the waitress recommended the lowest level of spice (level 1), he specifically requested the highest level of spice (level 3). When our entrees came out, he was disappointed to find that it was not spicy enough. I even tried it (and I can't handle very spicy food) and I thought it was closer to a level 2, maybe between 1 and 2. Very disappointing for him. Despite this, we both really enjoyed our crispy rice salads. The lettuce-wrap method is a wonderful way to soak up this dish and all its flavors. The refreshing lettuce is a nice complement to the multitude of flavors in the crispy rice (coconut, lime, herbs, onion, and peanuts). Even though mine was vegetarian, I could have sworn it had some relative of bacon in it -- it was that addictive!! Notwithstanding the spice mishap, we plan to come back and look forward to the lunch buffet in particular!

    (4)

  • Thuan T.

    At long last, I came here for the lunch buffet with my parents for a birthday lunch. Weekend buffet price was $14.95 and was weeelllll worth it! We got there when it opened at 12 on a Sunday, and by 12:10, over half the seats in the restaurant were already filled! The place itself is fairly small so seating is not plentiful, which definitely explains the lines and waits I read about before on previous reviews. Since we were among the first to get there, we were seated quickly and got right to eating. The selection was limited to maybe around 12-15 dishes total, but they were all quite good. Pad Thai, Drunken Noodles, vegetable/seafood tempura, monkfish, green curry chicken, basil chicken, Tom Yum Soup and more that I can't remember off the top of my head. Aside from Thai food, I really liked the Laotian food that was offered as well, particularly this one chicken and cilantro/chives dish that I can't remember the name of. In my opinion, the Pad Thai had this slightly sweeter taste than what I'm used to for Pad Thai that was interesting, but not really up my alley. And as a word of warning, the Drunken Noodles were also pretty spicy so watch out if you are sensitive to spice. In general, the dishes had a little kick to them and were all pretty well seasoned. I particularly liked the Tom Yum soup, basil chicken and green curry chicken. Overall, I give Bangkok golden 4 stars because I found the lunch buffet here to be well-priced for the flavor (and not quite for its variety of selection) and the food to be quite tasty, but the food didn't quite have the WOW factor that I was expecting. Maybe because it was hyped up in my mind, but I would definitely come here again for their lunch buffet.

    (4)

  • Brandi O.

    IT'S ALL ABOUT THE LUNCH BUFFET BABY $10 for an all you can eat laotian/thai buffet, yes, count me in. Everything was piping hot and full of flavor. Not your regular buffet. The beef and chicken larb is where it's at. The curry is stand-out, too. Fried bananas? Oh yes. Rice ball soupy soup? OHHHHH YEAHHHHHH. Really good deal for such good quality food. The restaurant is clean and so is the potty. Be sure not to be wasteful or they'll charge you extra. I would definitely come back.

    (5)

  • Jackie B.

    Weekend buffet was delish! I can never choose between noodles and rice/curry dishes when I go out for Thai, so it was awesome getting to eat some of everything. Loved the pad thai, beef drunken noodles, papaya salad, panang curry, and crispy chicken. And everything, even the pad thai, had heat and spice just the way I like. This place is pretty low maintenance with no real decor or frills - think typical pho restaurant. But it keeps the prices reasonable; lunch buffet plus a Thai iced tea was around $18 - not bad at all. And food was very tasty! I left stuffed and satisfied, and would definitely come back again.

    (4)

  • Le L.

    The best place for lunch buffet. I came here several times to grab lunch with co -workers and yes we come back everytime and even though we work at tysons area and driving here take us around 15 mins. why? because is that good. I love it here. They have lunch buffet for 10 dollars per person. Price is reasonable. The place is a bit small so for lunch, it can get very crowded. For buffet , they have pad thai, drunken noodles, curry, beef salads, fried fish (lao), egg plants with tofu, egg rolls, fried chickens, two other desserts. They closed tuesday.

    (5)

  • Kanisa Y.

    One of the best authentic Thai place I've ever been to! Definite will become a regular here. The food is legit and not made up. The restaurant is very small. Nothin fancy, but the food is right! However, the lab gai did not taste that good. It tasted as if they forgot to put line in it and it's very dry. Would never order that again.

    (4)

  • Kroopa D.

    Amazing food! Don't miss out on the crispy watercress salad (if it's on special) and the Mee Kathi with ground pork. The chicken pad Thai is also very delicious.

    (5)

  • Chaye V.

    This was the best bowl of goodness I had in a long time. It was spicy, sweet and sour and the perfect amount of curry and coconut went into this. This place is literally worth the trip if you want to go for good laos food it is spectacular! I am so happy I live only 10 minutes away from this place! Thanks to my sisters this was a amazing place definitly coming back! They know how to cook!

    (5)

  • Justine S.

    One of the my favorite restaurants in NoVA! Rarely do you find a restaurant that serves authentic Laos food, Chef Seng is amazing! Definitely try the nam khao tod (crispy rice salad), crispy honey wings, chicken laarb, and spicy papaya salad. Honestly my last meal on earth would probably include nam khao tod-- the flavors of the crispy rice, cured meat, fish sauce, lime, etc. are so bold yet they work well together forming an extremely amazing dish. They also have a Thai menu with the typical offerings (Pad Thai, pad kee mao, boat noodle soup, etc.) which you can't go wrong with. They also offer more authentic dishes that I can't even pronounce but are still quite tasty. They offer an assortment of drinks and desserts as well. I personally love their Thai tea, perfect blend of flavors as well as their sticky rice dessert. It can get pretty busy during lunch and dinner hours on the weekends, but they're quick to seat and the service is very efficient. Expand your horizons and give this place a try!

    (5)

  • Sivilay T.

    I really dread writing this review because I came here for a special non profit fundraising event a few years back with a girlfriend of mine and I try to be nice to businesses that support those types of stuff. However, I don't like to be bias or unfair if I feel that the food doesn't live up to its expectation and especially if I feel that the service is lacking. My girlfriend, April, and I showed up around 9:30 PM on a Sunday night because we were both craving Lao food. She ordered a bowl of kao piak and I asked for the miang muang luang, which they ran out of, so I opted for the closest thing to it which is the tilapia miang viangchanh. April said her noodle was just ok, but she couldn't finish it and being that it was such a small bowl and she was pretty hungry, that already tells me it wasn't very good. My tilapia miang viangchanh was not what I had expected at all. The fish was too sweet and wet. I was expecting a grilled tilapia not sautéed in sauce. The dipping sauce was also too sweet, which was also unexpected. I think I took about 5 bites and gave up because I didn't want to torture my taste bud and had to ask April if she was ok with taking the rest of it home to make her own sauce and she said that would be fine. I understand that we showed up close to the end of business day/night, but I was a little annoyed seeing everyone's faces looking like they wanted us out as soon as possible. Also, I overheard the waitresses commenting about my corset and I could care less what they were saying, but the fact that they didn't realize I am Thai and I could understand them was just plain rude. Yes, I don't look Thai, but people in the business industry should learn that it is not ok to talk bad about their customers just because they think you won't understand. That's just plain bad business practice.

    (2)

  • Scott M.

    This Thai restaurant is legit. I knew it was going to be winner when I walked up to the establishment and there was a line out the door, 30-45 min wait, and people coming in to pick up their take out. I ordered the pad see ew w/chicken, one of the best i've ever had. I plan on coming back and trying their kee mao. As you enter the place I noticed a ton of plaques on the wall from Washingtonian giving this place the "best bargain restaurant award"....yes I would agree the food was pretty cheap, most dishes were under $10 but when you compare the amount of food there is about 1/5 less than you'll find at a Thai restaurant where it costs $12 for the same item. bottom line, food tasted great and also "cheap"

    (4)

  • Marada C.

    Alright ladies and gents, my first time there was yesterday. Based on the reviews, I was expecting good things I love me my buffets, so naturally that's what I went for yesterday. And again today... Don't judge because I left very happy both times. The good thing about this place is that I feel a lot of places of Asian inspiration that offer buffets do so in the typical "Chinese" buffet style. But not here. They may have their own variations on dishes, which what dish doesn't, but at its core it is truly something that I am use to growing up with this style of food. I'm not Laos by blood, but Khmer and Chinese. I grew up around a lot of Laos people that kindly shared they're foods with us at gatherings. This was very similar and that's just the buffet. I'll be honest and admit that've haven't ordered from their menu yet, I've only been there twice, but man is their buffet good and hit my craving spot. The standouts were the Chicken Larb, which growing up I've only had it with beef or tripe, didn't know chicken was an option, the fried chicken wings which has its own unique flavor than other American fried chicken wings, the egg roll, tempura, and of course the papaya salad. The papaya salad was a hint sweeter and less spicy than I'm use to but it's ok I'm not a fan of spice. The tempura was an odd choice but definitely good. I also had the drunken noodles and egg roll and pretty much tested everything in the buffet minus the orange slices. They're menu is a blend of Laos and Thai cuisine and the buffet had a good representation of both cultures foods. I wish they had he sticky rice as part of the buffet but the normal white rice was fine. I will without a doubt be going again and again and again... If not just for the buffet.

    (5)

  • C J.

    Ahhhh yum yum mmmm. That's what my tummy would say if it could talk. This was my first time trying Laotian food and wow. Definitely my new favorite Asian cuisine. We tried the duck larb and the grilled lemongrass pork skewers. Oh my gosh where to even start, the larb was incredible with the perfect amount of heat from the peppers, just a little coolness from the fresh mint and a little bit of crunch. Paired with the lightly flavored sticky rice, this dish engaged the senses and satisfied every little taste bud of mine. Ughhh I'm drooling thinking about it again. The pork skewers more than exceeded my expectations. They were so moist and flavorful times 3. The meat itself was moist and held the sweet flavor of its marinade. The skewer was then rolled in a savory spice rub made of who knows what, but completely amazing. The skewer was then dipped into a slightly sweet slightly spicy dipping sauce. Ahhhh my stomach and taste buds were dancing. The service here was excellent as well, very attentive and friendly staff. Always proactive refilling my water glass when it was half way full, checking in to make sure everything was ok, etc. I normally don't get this kind of service at such small local places, but I was impressed all around. Definitely going back for some more larb!

    (5)

  • Irene C.

    Their weekend lunch buffet is great! For $13.99, you get a variety of food and they are all really tasty. Bangkok Golden does a really great job with the buffet compared to buffets other restaurants order.

    (5)

  • Pegah Y.

    We were hungry and since we'd cooked for several meals, we decided to forage outside for food. We stumbled upon Bangkok Golden after our dinner reservations at another dinner establishment nearby in Falls Church did not work out. Good old trustworthy Yelp told me that Bangkok Golden was very reputable, as it had received numerous 4 and 5 star reviews, with an average of 4 stars with over 300 reviews. Sold! This was to be our dinner spot. Unlike other Yelpers, my boyfriend and I were fortunate enough to be seated right away without reservations at around 8:30pm on a Saturday. I really loved this place - the food was excellent and the service was both friendly and efficient. My main qualm (and the reason I'm docking a star) is that this place is CROWDED! The tables are too close together, in my opinion. We didn't feel like we had much privacy, as there was another group of people sitting just 2 inches away from our table. I understand they are a very crowded place and have tons of business, but spatial arrangement is important and I feel like they can take out a couple of tables to make guests feel more comfortable. Other than that, I LOVED the food. It was actually my first time trying Lao food and I ordered the Tomp Pho, which was a Lao pho, which came with a delicious broth, filled with noodles, different kinds of beef (including meatball and thinly-sliced beef), basil leaves, green onions, cilantro, fried garlic, and hot chili sauce. It was so delicious! The portion was a little smaller than the pho you typically get from Vietnamese restaurants, but the flavor was so rich that it was truly filling. The restaurant also offers Thai food (hence, the name Bangkok). The menu is divided between Lao and Thai food. My boyfriend opted for a dish from the Thai menu - the Chicken Fried Rice (Chicken stir-fried with rice, egg, onion, carrot and tomato). He enjoyed his dish, though he said the dish was served a bit hot and it burned his tongue, unfortunately. Overall, we had a nice experience. Very packed, but the food and service were great, we were thankfully able to get in without a wait, and there is ample parking in the strip mall where the restaurant is located. I definitely recommend it! Oh, and I've been told that the Lao crispy rice salad is delicious too.

    (4)

  • Melissa M.

    After reading the reviews, I was excited to try this restaurant. Sadly, my palate was a bit disappointed when the food we ordered did not live up to the hype. We ordered the Nam Khao (crispy rice lettuce wraps), Laotian sausage, and Larb Ped. Out of the three, the sausage was the best by far. Least favorite - the Nam Khao. I know, shocking as it is the most popular. I was excited to try it with all the recommendations but when we ordered it, the dish did not leave a good taste. As it was Valentines Day, the flower at the end of the meal was a sweet touch. So service 4 stars but food 3.

    (3)

  • K P K.

    So its always difficult to find Laotian food anywhere, and if you've seen my review of Bida Manda in Raleigh, NC you will know I am a big fan. I happened to stumble upon this place thanks to Yelp (which is my lifeline btw), and I loved the food. I got the Mee Kathi and the Crispy Rice Salad and both were excellent. While their Laotian menu is limited, its enough to satisfy your craving for something different from Chinese and Thai. I got take out from there and yet the food was fresh and different. I am definitely going there to eat in very soon. Keep up the good work! I will update the review once I have tried more dishes there

    (4)

  • David H.

    So good. Soo good Restaurant is small - make a reservation I loved every dish we had here. crispy spring rolls, papaya salad, mango salad, drunken noodles, pad see ew, honey wings. Reeally liked the crispy basil with duck, and the green curry. Although the mango salad was really tasty, man it was spicy - will avoid this going forward. Desserts were ok - mango was small with the sticky rice, fried bananas were good. Giving my favorite thai place a run for the money - I'll be back for sure.

    (5)

  • Lan N.

    It's not often that we get to try new dishes, so this was very exciting for us. We were there at opening, and there was already a small group of ppl at the door. Def a good sign. Our table ordered: Nam Khao: Such a surprise in texture and the coconut flavor was a fun addition. This was my hub's fave. Mango Salad Lao hot: do not order Lao hot lightly. That said, the spiciness had depth and retained the flavor of the food. I expected unripened mango, and was surprised to see they used ripened julienned strips. Still a good dish, but it tasted very close to som tum. We ate this with the sticky rice...luv it. Grilled pork skewers- Such a great amount of flavor is so small a piece of food. Eaten with sticky rice, this is ultimate street food. Definitely must order again. kao piak sen (house noodle soup)- very flavor for a clear broth. mieng viengchanh- This was more fun than taste for me. I liked getting the plate of veggies to wrap with the fish. Service was good, and I never ran out of water. Bangkok Golden really introduced me to a lot of new Laotian foods. Everything was so flavorful and seemed pretty healthy. I would definitely return.

    (4)

  • Annie K.

    After having Bangkok Golden bookmarked for over a year, I finally got to try it out! We ordered several dishes, but the ones that stood out to me were: nam khao (crispy rice salad), honey chicken wings, and pork skewers. My favorite was the nam khao (wrap it in the lettuce!), which was flavorful and full of texture. They were out of mangoes for mango and sticky rice, but I enjoyed their fried banana dessert, complimented with vanilla ice cream. I'm happy that I was able to devour authentic Thai/Laotian food only a 20 minute drive away from home, without having to fly back to the motherland!

    (4)

  • Michelle W.

    This was very tasty! The restaurant is a no frills place in a strip mall in Seven Corners that serves both Thai and Laotian food. However, the service is pretty efficient. The food was delicious! My favorite dish was the crispy rice. The flavor of that dish were amazing as was the texture. I could eat the entire dish and then some. My second favorite dish -- although it was a close contest between first and second -- was the crispy watercress salad. It was fried watercress was light and crispy and it had a sweet dressing. There were also a few fried shrimp. Everything, though, was very, very good!

    (5)

  • Dan P.

    Probably my favorite Thai restaurant in the DC Area. They have things on the menu which you won't find anywhere else. The tom sap soup is very good, but ask them to make it mild if you're not used to spicy food. They also have very good grilled pork neck

    (5)

  • Alexandra M.

    Been coming here for years (from right after the "secret" Lao menu became public). It keeps getting better (and, unfortunately, more crowded). Avoid peak times and beat the rush or call ahead for reservations. Don't let the restaurant name fool you- the Lao menu is the way to go (it's where Chef Seng made a name for herself before opening Thip Khao in Columbia Heights), and you can't go wrong. Beware of the heat. The papaya salad-Lao hot is quite possibly the single hottest thing I've ever had. But it's so good that the watering eyes, the burned lips, and the hours of pain are simply worth it. Other dishes not to be missed: crispy rice salad (even the vegetarian version), nam kai (peanut based noodle soup with chicken), crispy watercress salad (off menu-rivals the palak chaat at Rasika), pork neck, really anything on the Lao menu.

    (5)

  • Chris C.

    Lunch buffet on the weekends $13.95 is back! I remember about 6 months ago when it was discontinued based upon Chef Seng's website but I headed back this past weekend and saw that it was up and running as usual. If you love authentic Thai and Laotian food, this is one of the best valued lunch buffets in town!

    (4)

  • Jason G.

    I've seen Bangkok Golden raved about on Yelp!, and decided to seek it out while I was in the Virginia suburbs. My meal here was a great example of why I love Yelp!... for leading me to such a great meal. The place itself is very unassuming. It's almost like a hole in the wall kind of place, with plastic chairs in a cramped setting. But really, I'm not here for the aesthetic value, I'm here for the great food. As we were driving here, I looked at the tips from its Yelp! page and settled on the crispy fried rice, the mango salad, and the watercress salad. The watercress salad was delicious, and there was no heavy batter on the watercress and it wasn't sopped in oil. Very delicious. Also, the mango salad was equally delicious. I normally don't like mango at all, but the sweetness of the fruit mixed with the high spice factor was a great combo. We ate all of it. However, the crispy fried rice was the definite standout of my meal here. The combination of fresh mint with sausage with rice and all the other ingredients made for a perfect combo, and I couldn't recommend it more. While the appetizers, for me, were great, the entrées were only "pretty good." We tried out the pad thai, which I like a lot. We also ordered the larb moo (pork), but I mistakenly ordered it with only medium spice, and that kind of ruins the dish, because you could tell all the ingredients were just asking for spice. Overall, I had a great meal at Bangkok Golden and I would definitely recommend this restaurant if you were in the mood for great Thai and Laotian food.

    (5)

  • Richard C.

    We intended to have lunch at an Indian restaurant at seven corners because of a Groupon but found that they were "under new management ",so we decided to try Bangkok Golden based on Yelp reviews. What a pleasant surprise! My wife ordered the grilled Talapia wrapped in banana leaf with sticky rice and I tried the lunch buffet to sample both the Tai and Lao dishes. Food was great, prices very reasonable, service prompt and friendly even on Memorial Day lunch time. We will be back to Bangkok Golden again.

    (5)

  • Lia M.

    There was a while when it seemed like I was going to Bangkok Golden all the time for lunch. Between a Yelp lunch club, plus it being an easy, affordable option, and quite filling, it was a good choice. The last time I was there, I vowed that on the next visit, I would try the Laotian menu. It's not that I didn't want to try it before, it's just that I love Thai and was beguiled by the buffet. Also, I vowed not to write a review until I had tried the Thai menu (that was in 2010). Well, I stuck to my promise and tried the Laotian menu and was quite happy. I'd had the papaya salad before, and am a fan, but beware: Lao spicy is NOT Thai spicy. I tried the larb ped (duck larb) and vegetarian nam khao (crispy rice). I knew (sort of) what to expect with the larb, but I much prefer this version over the Thai style. The meat pieces are bigger, less minced, and it's spicier. Also, the duck provides additional flavor. The nam khao is a fun mix of textures (crispy rice, peanuts, wrapped in lettuce) and flavors. I can't wait to have that again. It's highly rated for good reason. I also hope to try the moak or a curry next time. As for the buffet, I'm still a fan. It's fairly consistent and tasty, with all of your standard offerings. I recommend going on the weekends or at dinner, at least once, because while it is slightly higher priced than lunch, the offerings are also a bit better (I've found fish, papaya salad, and a few other dishes that they don't normally have at lunch). Service is good here, and if you go at an off-peak time, it's not crowded. This is the place for a tasty, inexpensive meal that will leave you satisfied and glad you visited.

    (4)

  • Nick A.

    Praise Bangkok Golden -- Your food makes me long for the day that I take a trip to Thailand! For whatever reason, I found myself in Fall Church, Virginia -- an area of the DMV that I don't trek to often. I am so glad that I heard about this place and stopped in! Bangkok Golden is a small, hole in the wall in a strip mall. Don't be alarmed or deterred. For what Bangkok Golden lacks in decor, they make up for in authenticity and flavor in food. We stopped in during their lunch buffet, which was less than $15 a person! It was a great opportunity to get small tasting of what they had to offer and my belly was more than pleased! In a daze of glory, I didn't make note of all the lunch buffet options. All I remember is that I continue to pile on the cod(?) dish on top of fried rice with all the egg rolls I could fit on the plate. I guess I'll need to come back to make a more thorough assessment and recommendation of the food. Dang, life is hard. PS -- Bangkok Golden also recently opened up their first sister restaurant Trip Khao in Columbia Heights. If you enjoy this place, you also try the food there.

    (4)

  • Suriya E.

    Omg amazing food thia and Laos food !!! Taste authentic like I was in Thailand and good price. The place is small but it worth the wait .Amazing boat noodle soup and papaya salad !! The larb nice and spicy . Writing this make my mouth water just wish is was closer to me

    (5)

  • Mary Kate M.

    I really liked this place. Lia and I came here today around 2:30 in the afternoon. Surprisingly it was decently busy for this time of the day. I think it was a decent Thai place. I ordered something I typically do not get, and as content with my decision. I ordered the larb duck --minced duck (no spice because I asked for it that way) with scallion, toasted rice powder, lime, and fish sauce with a side of sticky rice. This was the first time I had sticky rice without coconut milk on it. I have never had it stand alone. It was a different consistency to what I am traditionally used to, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. The duck was well prepared. Lia got the same thing except really spicy. Service was good. I really do not have any complaints. She was really nice and paid good amount of attention to us. I'd return. Decent food and atmosphere, and you can't find a reason to beat that.

    (4)

  • Derek T.

    As I work nearby I've eaten here many times, most often the Thai buffet. It's good quality and fairly priced. I just wish they would change out the occasional dish for the sake of variety and maybe use less salt. Something, maybe the larb, doesn't come across as salty until it catches up with you later. But this review is not about the buffet or even their Thai menu which is quite good and, not surprisingly, better than the buffet. I'm writing about the Lao menu (find it at chefseng.com ) which I tried once and never looked back. Of course not everything is a stand-out, although many dishes are, but two are so good I can't recommend them enough. First, you have to try the Sai Oua sausage which I can only describe as savory Asian-style Bratwurst. It's lean, fragrant, medium-spicy and comes with roasted peanuts and slivers of fresh ginger. It's absolutely fantastic and worth every savory calorie. Every single one of them. The peppery chutney-like jam it comes with is also to die for and at times it can pack a real punch on the uninitiated. I've slowly turned most of my staff onto it, even-the burger only types, and it's always a winner. My name's Steve and you won't be disappointed. ;) The other dish is their Tomp Pho. I've always found Viet pho kinda meh, okay, really meh (with one exception also found in Falls Church, wish I could remember the name... off Annandale between 50 and Lee). Anyway, this is the best damn noodle soup I've had outside of Jakarta. Not too many bean sprouts, a few diced tomato slices for acid brightness, a medium level of pepper heat (pro-tip: save some of the spread from the sausage and throw it in here), modest amounts of noodles, flank steak and meatballs, all tied together with fried garlic on top. No basil needed although sometimes they throw in some cilantro which I can take or leave in this case. I'd dare any Vietnamese restaurant to put up against this dish but it would be pointless. This is soup in full glory. Note: I found some of their other soups okay but not up to this one so I stay with what I know and like best. I've been turning folks on to this as well and to good reception. This restaurant is totally 5-star worthy. I only gave it 4 because I've had the buffet a few too many times. That's me, not Chef Seng (although if you mix it up from time to time I'll be back for that too). Conclusion: Go already! PS: this place is consistently packed from early to late lunch hour and on weekends. Factor this into your expectations. They are also closed Tuesday's, which is how I found Hong Kong Palace next door on one visit.

    (4)

  • Gwen B.

    We came here after I read about Bangkok a Golden in the Washingtonian and were NOT disappointed! It was certainly a bit of a hole in the wall looks wise but those are usually the best asian restaurants. The server was nice and helpful with the menu when I asked for her recommendations. I know it gets very crowded here so either come late (like we did) or go early to avoid the crowds. They serve both Laotian and Thai food (two seperate menus) so we tried a little from each. The dishes were ordered were: -Crispy rice salad: LIVED UP TO THE HYPE, highly recommended -Pad thai: very good -Crispy duck: tasty! -Pork Sausage: Flavorful The decor of the restaurant leaves much to be desired but that's to be expected with this type of place. The prices are reasonable and I understand why people love it so much! I would definitely recommend Bangkok Golden and look forward to returning very soon.

    (4)

  • Ella m.

    If you can make the trek to VA, Bangkok Golden it is definitely worth it. Although it's Thai and Laotian most people come here for the Lao food The crispy rice dish is their signature, and you should definitely make sure to order at least one for the table. It's really unique and I have never encountered it outside of this restaurant. All of the other dishes turned out really great. Their Duck/Pineapple curry (Thai menu) was really good too. The larb is delicious but be warned that even the mild is extremely spicy - so if you can't handle spice I would try something else. Overall, it's delicious, chill atmosphere, good service, and very reasonable prices.

    (5)

  • YM C.

    I reviewed this place back in 2010 (or thereabouts). I avoided this place for about a year or so and then I happened on it for lunch about three years ago. I don't know what they did but you cannot smell the cigars anymore. It's only food!! Now that I can smell my food the experience was completely different. The buffet is always fresh and well stocked. I love bringing my work colleagues here. Totally recommend. Just be sure to arrive before 12 or after 1 to avoid the long lunch wait.

    (5)

  • Tiffany L.

    This plAce is alright. The Laos papaya salad had tooooooo much shrimp paste in it. So dark and salty- I felt like I was getting whatever high sodium health issue from just that app. The Laos pho tastes similar tony family's pho.. I think it's the fried garlic taste. It was just okay. The floating market soup was also just okay. We came in during lunch buffet time but the food on the line looked like standard Thai food.. Stuff we didn't come here for. We are more likely to visit thip khao than this place again. Oh.... Not sure why... Fiances stomach was hurting right after we ate. He had to use the restroom before we left. And we were out in dc all day and my stomach started to hurt too.

    (2)

  • Charles S.

    My sons and I did Christmas Eve at Bangkok Golden. Jake had been gone with me once and loved it; tTom was in for a treat. We ate and drank Lao beer as we chatted up the waitresses as they explained what was what and how to eat it.. The bottom of the Lao menu really does have a explanatory key: one pepper = spicy two peppers = Thai hot three peppers = Lao hot So here's what we ate. We split al the dishes. Crispy rice salad (vegetarian). "A symphony of flavors," says Tom. This is the signature dish. Nam kai. Lao version of a very thick, very tasty chicken soup. This would be great if you were just popping in on a week night and wanted a filling, tasty soup. But it paled in comparison to the other dishes, Orm tofu. Wow! Spicy soup full of crispy tofu squares. We took our sweaters off. The room had suddenly gotten much warmer. Ping pah. WOW! Flavor layered onto layer with fresh ginger predominating. The fish is wrapped in a banana leaf and grilled on the fire. Bua loi. The surprise of the evening. We loved the "Floating Lotus." Coconut milk, sticky rice flour, taro root, and a couple of varieties of magic cooked together into this warm soup-like dessert. And of course we loved the sticky rice that comes with the main courses. BeerLao light was too light. The dark was tastier. I think we have a new Christmas Eve tradition.

    (5)

  • Anna Y.

    I love thai food, but wish it was not so expensive. The lunch buffet for $9.99 is a great way to try it for the first time or eat to your hearts content if you are already familiar with it. Expect a 15-30 minute wait. It is worth it though so stick around. It usually clears up faster than what they tell you. The tom yum soup was my favorite. Its a rich broth with lots od lime juice in it. It is so good. The pad thai, drunken noodles, basil chicken, beef salad, etc are all good. Try everything once then go back for what you like. I heard the Lao regular menu is amazing.

    (5)

  • DeAndrea C.

    I love Bangkok Golden. It's one of the few places one can get Lao dishes and the Thai food is pretty good too! The weekday lunch buffet is a steal at $9.00.

    (5)

  • Lydia R.

    I have been on a Thai Food kick lately, and acting out of adventure on a Friday, my boyfriend and I decided to find a Thai Buffet. We were impressed that there was actually a place where this unique phenomenon existed, along with serving food from Laos. When we got there, we were told that the buffet was no longer available Friday nights, but we decided to stay and eat dinner a la carte anyways because of the amazing reviews. We started off with the Laos Beef Jerky, which was really flavorful and hit the spot as an appetizer. For main courses, I got the pad see ew and my bf got the pineapple fried rice, which I really recommend! It was amazing! Being the spice fiends that we are, we had to ask for the spice tray. My bf loaded his entree up and pretended his mouth wasn't burning but his red face told me otherwise, so we opted for the mango sticky rice for dessert! It was cute and tasty! I enjoyed it. And for our whole meal, we paid about $40 without tip. Really great deal!

    (4)

  • Kate N.

    I've been wanting to try Bangkok Golden for a looooong time, but I hate driving, and there is always somewhere closer to go. Now I'm kicking myself for being so lazy. We came here the night before Thanksgiving, and despite it being the eve of the national eating holiday, we did not hold back. Our table of four got two appetizers and four entrees, and finished every single bite. And all the sticky rice. Every person at the table had a different favorite dish, but since it's my Yelp account, I get the final say (muhaha). NOT TO MISS: 1. Orm Tilapia-- This just might be my soup soul mate. (Sorry, pho. Don't be mad, I will always love you.) 2. Nam Khao-- Sometimes the popular kid is popular for a reason. Crispy, spicy, and completely unique, with a stylish lettuce wrap--this dish is a must try. (It's on the second page of the Lao menu under "Rice." For some reason, I was expecting it to be in the appetizer section.) 3. Ping Moo-- Four skewers of succulent grilled pork. So simple, and yet so satisfying. I highly recommend ordering a dish off the Ping/Grill section! I'm coming for you next, Ping Peek Kai! We also tried the Pad Thai just in case the picky eater in the group didn't like the other food. Pad Thai might not be the most exciting dish on the menu, but they do it exceptionally well here. The meat was much better quality than the weird rubber chicken you tend to get at other places, and the noodles were perfectly done. It was a nice break from all the heat. Finally, what came out first, was last in my mind. We went with the Lao papaya salad and the Lao Larb Seen (beef salad) appetizers. The fish sauce in the papaya salad was just a little too much for me, but half the table loved it. A note on the spice: You can order Thai hot (medium) or Lao hot (super spicy hot). But the spice level varies by dish--the Thai hot papaya salad and Orm Tilapia were intense, but the Thai hot Nam Khao was nowhere near as spicy.

    (5)

  • Jackie N.

    The BF surprised me on an impromptu last night after a long day of studying. I have been desiring to try Bangkok Golden for so long and was so excited that he picked it out! It is located in the Seven Corners shopping plaza, on the side with Shoppers. On a Saturday night, it was packed with non-asian people (hahaha), which I find to be trend for authentic Asian cuisine restaurants, especially if you go to Eden at night time. They have a full menu - half being Thai and the other half Laos. For an appetizer, we got the Laos sausage, which the waitress recommended. It was delicious and so flavorful. I am not usually a fan of high lemongrass-content, but this sausage had just the right amount of lemongrass. For our entrees, the BF got seafood pad thai and I got panning curry. Yes - we were not so adventurous, but I was not feeling well and I just wanted curry so bad! It was the best thai curry I have ever had!! The delicious coconut-filled broth came in a stone pot, filled to the brim with peppers and chicken. The curry was so tasty with a nice kick at the end of each bite. I took a bit of rice with each spoonful of soup. I wanted to save half for lunch the next day, but it was so good i couldn't stop. The pad thai was also very good. The sauce was a little sweet, but we should have asked for a little more spice. I can't wait to come back here!

    (4)

  • Peter V.

    Bangkok Golden is a very understated place. While called Bangkok Golden, don't be fooled that it is just a Thai place; it is also Laotian. While using the same similar spices, it is much spicier and the flavor is a lot more intense (for more, read this piece from the local NPR station: wamu.org/programs/metro_… ). If you come here for lunch, avoid the buffet and have a seat with the Laotian menu and order to your heart's content. The Curry Puff, a curry potato in a pastry dough, is a good place to start. The Larb for an entree is always a sure bet - choose your favorite meat and go. We got the Larb Seen (Beef) on our last visit and hoo! It was very spicy but very flavorful and tasty. If you cannot eat that much spiciness, tell them to tone it down a little bit. We also ordered a noodle dish, the Mee Kathi, which, while spicy, the coconut milk in the broth makes for a good compliment and take the spicy down a notch, but kept the flavor. The Nam Khao, which when wrapped with the lettuce, is just really awesome. Finally, we also ordered the Ping Peek Kai, marinated chicken wings, where the chicken is good on its own, but with that Lemongrass sauce, added some additional flavor. Aside from the ones that already included rice or noodle, the other dishes come with this sticky rice that is really great. Sticky and flavorful (with a hint of sweetness in it). The linked article also has a video showing people how to eat like a Laotian. For dessert, we got the Fried Banana (they were out of Mango that day) and the Banana came out piping hot and flavorful. So, while the lunch buffet is a good deal, I would recommend skipping it. We have gone for lunch and dinner and both times did not disappoint. Beware that the Laotian flavor is meant to be spicier than Thai, but it is also flavorful. So if you like spicy, go for it - if not, ask them how they can tone it down and they should be more than willing to help you out as all of the wait staff is very attentive and willing to help. Also, if it's your thing, try and share. When we went with another couple, they gave us each bowls and separate silverware without asking, just in case we wanted to try anything, and it came in handy. The place is also baby/kid friendly - our friend's baby was loved by all wait staff and there were a couple of tables with kids and babies as well.

    (4)

  • Ali B.

    This review is about their buffet which included sometime type of chicken with vegtables, red thai tofu curry, fish dish, fried wings, vegetable pad Thai, water melons, fried banana, vegetables egg rolls, salad, melons, other appetizers I don't remember, tom yum soup, white rice, vegetables/egg rice. Pro: Good variety, good service Cons: Small space, the food can be better You pay: $10.55 (lunch)

    (3)

  • Kevin G.

    Food is good, but no more dinner buffet, which was prob the main reason coming out here because you get a variety of dishes to try without having to spend more than 13 bucks.

    (4)

  • Quyen N.

    Thai restaurant with Lao food with Lao chefs and Lao owners = skip the Thai food and go straight for the Lao food! Delicious: NAM KHAO (Crispy Rice Salad) (#43) - crispy and spicy with shredded coconut, lim juice, onion, ham, and ground peanuts (which add an excellent crunch and more flavor) ORM (Stew) TILAPIA (#26) - traditional Lao style curry with chili paste, lemongrass, dill, eggplant, galangal. If you like spicy, go Lao spicy Hot. Served with sticky rice - is yummy and hits the spot. Short-grained white rice. It helps off-set the spicy kick of Lao heat. *The tilapia is much better than the chicken. More flavorful and tender. DESSERT: MANGO w STICKY RICE, topped with coconut milk. Just delicious! BUA-LOY: rice cakes, taro root, tapioca, warm coconut milk. Just delicious! On my list for next time to try: LAO DISHES: Sai Oua (#5) - spicy port sausage stuffed with lemongrass, herbs, dill with peanuts, ginger, prik noom (chile relish) Larb Ped (Duck) (#18) - ground duck seasoned in spicy sauce, mint, lime toasted rice powder, shallots, garlic, green onion... served with sticky rice! Chuenh Peek Kai (Chicken wings) (#6) - marinated in lemongrass, soy sauce, ginger before being grilled... sweet and spicy THAI DISHES: Shrimp Cakes (#1) - delicately flavored with curry Yum Mak Mung (#10) - julienne green mango, carrots, shimp in spicy lime sauce with peanuts. Heard this dish runs on the sweet side. Nam Tok Nor Mai (Shredded Bamboo Shoots Salad) (#12) - tossed with ginger, garlic, mint, shallots, toasted ground rice SKIP THE THAI ONLY BUFFET AND OPT FOR THE LAO MENU! *Note: Laos are known for grilling more than frying!

    (5)

  • Amruta H.

    I had been there for a birthday treat of my friend. It is a small restaurant but was quite crowded during the lunch hour. We were a party of 5 people out of which 2 opted for the lunch buffet and other 3 for ala carte. The buffet guys accepted that the food was not that great. We ordered Thai ice tea, and guess what, they were out of it already (in an hour after opening!) The ala carte orders were fairly ok. The bankok noodles ordered by one of us was exceptionally spicy and almost made my friend cry! The dessert time: we decided to go for the traditional Thai mango with sticky rice. And again, for the same answer banging on our face " We are out of it (care to say "Too"?). In short, a very average place for Thai food, yes I have had much better ones at other places around here.. The waitress will be kind and nice too you only at the time of presenting the check :)

    (2)

  • Roanna O.

    Nam Khao quality has gone WAY down since it has become so popular. They are seemingly no longer frying the rice ball before smashing it and adding other ingredients. The loss of this step turns an amazingly flavorful and textural dish into a mush, yet tasty experience. The kitchen is taking short cuts, and it shows. Time to rework the dish to bring back the high quality.

    (3)

  • Kelsey F.

    Literally the best Thai food I've had....maybe ever. When I got the invite to go to "a random Thai place in a strip mall in Virginia" I knew I couldn't say no. That set up had success written all over it. Bangkok Golden is a no frills location literally located in the corner of a strip mall. It is an easy drive from DC and quite close to the East Falls metro. Three friends and I started with Laotian Nam Khao which is crispy fried rice with herbs, coconut, onion, ham, peanuts and lime served with lettuce. I'm a big fan of lettuce wraps. These were next level and a perfect appetizer for a group of four. I ended up basically sharing three dishes for my main meal. I sampled the not spicy pad thai, pad se ew with chicken and not spicy drunken noodles with beef. The spicy dishes can be made less spicy which is great for someone like me. We were nervous about the pad thai at first because it looked like there was no sauce. Turns out it was some of the most flavorful pad thai ever. Such a fan. The drunken noodles were less spicy than normal (which was great), but still a little on the spicy side for me. The Pad Se Ew was perfectly sweet with fresh and earthy Chinese broccoli. I think the pad thai was my favorite of the three. Overall, Bangkok Golden is such a win and totally worth a drive to Virginia. Everyone's main dish cost less than $10 and with the appetizer, I think my total bill was $13.50. Not bad for the best thai food around.

    (5)

  • Mark J.

    Bangkok Golden a treasure of a Thai restaurant! Authentic Thai cuisine that is delicious. This is one of the best Thai food places we have eaten at outside of Thailand. We ate here for Lunch today on our way home from DC. It's located in a kind of strip mall and very unassuming. Once inside the decor is quite nice and the menu is fabulous. We ordered Papaya Salad with sticky rice and my wife was in heaven! She is Thai and was beaming on how authentic the flavour was. Spicy too! We also ordered the northern sausage which was scrumptious. The sauce/paste that we dipped it in was amazing. We also had crispy pork with Chinese broccoli which was really good too. The other dish we ordered was yum nam khao tod with pork and crispy rice with lime and ginger. I had never had this before but I am hooked. It was fabulous tasting. We recommend anyone who loves Thai or Lao food to stop by this oasis in Seven Corners, Falls Church VA.

    (4)

  • Oscar F.

    First time ever trying Thai food was here at Bangkok and it was TheBomb.com . The food was full of taste and the service was on top of everything. The waiters are full of knowledge on their menu and are more then happy to help.

    (4)

  • Jennifer I.

    Small little out of the way place in a strip mall setting but really good Thai. The buffet is very popular and it's always crowded on the weekend. Basil chicken and drunken noodles are my go-to here. They have a little spice bar so you can add a kick to your food if you like it extra hot like I do! They are constantly refilling the buffet so everything is fresh no matter how busy or slow they are. Only complaint is because it's so tiny they really pile as many people as possible in there so the tables are practically on top of one another. Other than that I have no complaints and I'm sure I'll be back again! We tend to eat here before we go grocery shopping since there's a Shoppers next door (best time to go is when you're stuffed from a buffet!). Service is wonderful and they are always very attentive and friendly!

    (4)

  • Jean S.

    I did a lot of research on which Laotian dishes to order before going to Bangkok Golden. I had heard of their "secret menu," and I knew that I wouldn't know what to order unless I did a bit of research on Chowhound.com . I went with a list of foods on my iPhone, and the waiter asked me to show him my list, and he dutifully brought out everything on my list except for a couple of things they couldn't prepare that day. I find Laotian food is kind of like a hybrid of Thai and Vietnamese cuisines - lots of fish sauce and bold herb flavors - and not very heavy. We ordered Beef Jerky (Siin Haing), Lao Spicy Sausage (Sai Oua), Crispy Rice Salad (Nam Khao), Grilled Chicken (Ping Kai) and Grilled Pork Neck. I later went back to Bangkok Golden and tried their Thai lunch buffet - that is also a big winner!

    (5)

  • Rudy H.

    Laotian food in disguise .. this is a Thai restaurant but inside they serve some of the most delicious Laotian / Isaan dish that I can proudly say, yes I would love to go here again and again. their Tam Maak Hoong (Green Papaya Salad) is incredible! don't order it Lao hot (extra hot) because they don't play around and you won't be able to enjoy it unless you have extreme tolerance of chilli peppers. order it Thai hot (medium), and trust me you will fall in love with it. order several items from the Lao Menu: Papaya Salad (Thai hot), Sai Ua (a grilled sausage of ground pork mixed with spices and herbs), Larb Gai (minced chicken), Larb Moo (minced pork) and Larb Seen (minced beef), Larb Ped (minced duck). order them and share them .. Be Golden.

    (4)

  • Jamie G.

    Amazing Thai restaurant in a random shopping center in Falls Church. A must try dish is the crispy rice salad. It's their signature dish. Had the chicken pad Thai and also the chicken skewers with sticky rice and veggies. So so good. They also opened a restaurant in Columbia Heights- thip kao

    (5)

  • S M.

    First time trying this place great appetizer and food was excellent. Service was really fast very satisfied definitely be back more!!!

    (5)

  • Albert Y.

    I was a first timer. I asked for "Lao hot" salad with fresh birds eye. By golly I got it. These folks are not afraid to serve authenticity. This place took me back to some wonderful memories of Thailand/Laos, at least to the extent an American restaurant can.

    (5)

  • Cecilia N.

    Consistently flavorful food! I was first lured there by their Thai buffet which was pretty good but their Laos menu won me over. Their papaya salad (Thai or Laos) are both delicious and spicy. Thai hot had my tongue tingling. I come back for the Nam Pah (fish curry noodle soup). It's one of my favorite noodle soups, I always end up ordering it instead of trying something new because it is that good.

    (5)

  • Tina T.

    When mama T can't feed me because she's back home in NC and no one else can cook Laotian food for me, I come here. This place is my go-to (probably only as well) Laotian spot. Everything on the menu is pretty authentic and almost hits the nail on the coffin. Of course no one comes close to my mama's cooking, but this place, does deserve that zagat sticker. Bangkok Golden dishes are almost like tapas to me. Order some starters and a couple of main dishes and share within a group if you can:) Ka Poon: rice vermicelli dish with a fish broth (most of the time) in a spicy coconut milk broth 5/5 Mee Kahti: is almost the same thing as Ka Poon but with pork 4/5 Sa oui: pork sausages flavored with lemon grass 5/5 Mok pai: steamed fish. This isn't one of my favorite Laotian dishes, but Bangkok Golden does a good job with it it's 4/5 Nam Khao: crispy rice, one of my favorite Laotian dishes ever which contains some pork 5/5 They also serve larb (or goi for Laotians) and sticky rice!! But the sticky rice is in a small serving basket. For those who are curious about Laotian food try Bangkok Golden! The food taste almost just as good as mama's house. They also serve a Thai menu as wells so you can interchange and try both :) The crispy chicken on that menu is yummy as well 4/5

    (5)

  • Benjamin F.

    Other than eating at my Thai's friends, this is my first Thai AYCE buffet. Boy is the place pack for lunch. The lunch buffet is pretty good. It's got most of the popular dishes. The Drunken Noodle, Thai salad, and chicken wings have good buffet quality. I will come back for Thai buffet when I'm in the area.

    (4)

  • Sohrab S.

    Come excited and hungry, because this place is not your cookie cutter southeast Asian restaurant. This is one of the tastiest and authentic Thai/Laotian spots I've been to, ever. As many others have said, a dish you have to try on the menu is the crispy rice salad. Probably the only downside I can think of is that the smell of the cigar place next door noticeably lingers in the restaurant, but you stop noticing 5 minutes in.

    (5)

  • XB S.

    First time here and all I could say is yum yum yum!!!! Their spicy cucumber hit the spot! Def will be coming back! Good food!

    (5)

  • Vanessa S.

    The papaya salad is to die for. It's seriously the bomb! Wouldn't recommend any other place.

    (5)

  • Phuong O.

    We came for the lunch buffet. Prices have gone up, it is currently priced at $9ish. The place is small and selection is not big. Most of the food is Thai except for one fish dish. Food tasted great, some of them were really salty like the tom yum soup. It didn't have that spicy and lime taste to it. Pad Thai and drunken noodles were awesome, a little salty and a little spicy. Spring rolls tasted like any other buffet, veggie stuffed. I really enjoyed their taro soup desert. It was nice and sweet. Service was really good too. They were really attentive, I wish they have more food selection for their buffet. Overall, really good and I would definitely come back.

    (4)

  • Reina C.

    Very disappointed. I ordered the floating noodle, it wasn't authentic at all. It tasted exactly like the instant noodle package.

    (2)

  • Andrew H.

    There comes to a point of every true yelper foodie's life when you feel like that you have tried everything there is to offer, short of having to fly overseas. No food cuisine excites you anymore, because you have tried them all. Sushi isn't exotic, it's normal, I eat raw fish like it's nothin'. Thai food is the Chinese food of now, and you can get it on any block. Ethiopian? Yawwwnnn, that's considered mainstream now. Vietnamese food? I've been eating that since I was 5. Then there are the cuisines that are not as well known, and you find out why, it's just not very good. Every once in awhile, you finally discover a new cuisine. A cuisine that opens up new worlds, with new spices, and depths of flavors you've never had before. This is what Bangkok Golden did for me. I've been trying to find new cuisines to eat, I felt like I have almost had them all. I have been hearing about Bangkok Golden's Laotian menu for some time and I live down the street, but I have never dragged myself there until I was truly bored of everything. I've had plenty of Thai food, so I opted for the Laotian menu. I got the crispy rice salad, tamarind fish soup, and pork skewers Laotian style. The crispy rice salad had interesting flavors I've never had before. I'm a meat man but this dish had strong bold flavors, without the use of meat. It tasted very fresh, and gave a nice interesting crunch from the rice. Even without meat, this dish was delicious. The tamarind fish soup was also really good, and provided a sort of "sweet and sour" taste. It was different enough and tasty, I'm a fan. I've had skewers of all types, but the pork skewers did not disappoint. It was grilled perfectly, and had an interesting depth of flavor I haven't had on pork skewers before. It also came with a sauce, and sticky rice that you ate with it. All dishes came packin some serious heat, but I could handle it after eating spicy foods from around the globe. But a warning for those who don't particular eat spicy foods, Laotian is definitely on the higher side of those! All in all, a delicious meal with spices and flavors I've never had before. I will definitely go back, and will explore other Laotian cuisines. I'm sure even though I feel I've experienced most things around here, sometimes you just need an experience like what I had at Bangkok Golden to remind you that it's definitely not the case.

    (4)

  • Keshav M.

    I love Thai food and personally am a big critic of it, but I also understand how tough it is to run a lunch buffet which is what I came here for. Normally in lunch buffets, you'll find leftover food from the night before and a drastic drop in quality for quantity. However at Bangkok Golden this isn't the case. The food overall seemed freshly prepared and the quality didn't seem too off from what it would've been at dinner. The Pad Thai however was a bit too sweet and the crispy basil chicken tasted tough. However the drunken noodles were great, and I would like to add a special note for their peanut sauce. It is SOOOO good. I've eaten Thai food all over the country and this place has probably the best peanut sauce any of us have ever had!!! For $10/person on weekdays and I think $14 on weekends, it definitely beats going to an overpriced, bland Indian buffet for lunch (coming from an Indian that's saying something!) so check it out!

    (4)

  • Mina C.

    I really like spicy food. So I did enjoy this place. I didn't have the buffet. My boyfriend and I came, and we decided to do one Laos dish and one Thai dish. My Laos dish was tilapia wrapped in a banana leaf with ginger and dill. This was really really good (I cannot remember the dish name). It was NOT spicy enough. The waitress recommended the medium spicy, I figured I could enjoy the food more if my mouth wasn't burning off. I was bummed it wasn't spicy enough for me. My boyfriend got his dish thai spicy as well, and he thought it was fire. I think we have different levels of spicy intake. Anyway, I'll come back and try more of the Laos dishes. Oh, and I'll get it LAOS spicy.

    (5)

  • Hui H.

    This is one of my Thai friend's FAVORITE spots -- that's how you *know* it's authentic and good. I've had the: 1. Pad Num Prik Pao 2. Pad Se Ew 3. Pad Thai 4. Crispy Rice Salad 5. Pork Neck Nam Tok (Secret Menu) Pad Num Prik Pao - I love this dish! I love the savory and spicy sweet flavor of the sauce and it has a lot of veggies, which I LOVE!! Pad Se Ew and Pad Thai were both very good. Crispy Rice Salad is one of the most authentic and popular items ordered on the menu. It has a strong lime and cilantro taste. Pork Neck Nam Tok is one of my friend's favorite from the secret super-authentic menu. The Pork is finely roasted, juicy and a little sweet. Great flavor! Also, I ALWAYS order a Thai Iced Tea here. So yummy!!

    (5)

  • Lam S.

    Lao spicy papaya is on point!!! Nam kao was tasty along with the fried chicken wings, larb gai and steamed talipia.

    (5)

  • Thomas D.

    What can I say? Lived up to the hype. Only real let down was that the "Laotian" spice, supposedly the hottest, wasn't all that hot. I mean, don't get me wrong-it was hot-but I guess I expected lacerations on my tongue. Unreasonable expectation on my part I suppose. I started off with Nam Khao (crispy rice salad). It was, as every Yelper said, very good. It was a good compliment to have on the table since it wasn't spicy at all-nice to give your mouth a break. It came with a plate of giant romaine lettuce leaves to wrap it in. I also got the Tum Lao (green papaya salad) however, as the name suggests, it is Lao style-not Thai. It was delicious, crispy, and refreshing. Surprisingly it was also the spiciest of all the dishes, despite being ordered with medium (Thai-level) heat. The entree was the Larb Ped (duck). This was ordered with the spiciest option-Lao-level). It was delicious. It was minced duck with mint and cilantro. I also noticed a curious separate menu written in English and Thai but the food was all Lao. The host told me it was the "special Lao menu for Thai people." I ordered the pork neck and it was amazing. It was very tender, no fat or grizzle. Came with a delicious sauce that really completed and amplified the meat. Can't wait to go back and try additional items.

    (5)

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Map

Opening Hours

  • Mon :11:00 am - 10

Specialities

  • Takes Reservations : Yes
    Delivery : No
    Take-out : Yes
    Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
    Good For : Lunch, Dinner
    Parking : Private Lot
    Bike Parking : Yes
    Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
    Good for Kids : Yes
    Good for Groups : Yes
    Attire : Casual
    Ambience : Casual
    Noise Level : Average
    Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only
    Outdoor Seating : No
    Wi-Fi : No
    Has TV : Yes
    Waiter Service : Yes
    Caters : Yes

Bangkok Golden

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