It’s Day 97 of eating at 100 Asian restaurants in Maryland, and we’re at Eat A Lao in Rockville for something you don’t see nearly enough of around here: real Lao food. Short answer, Nomsters, this place is a must, and the move is one of their MASSIVE shareable platters.
Google files them under ‘Thai,’ but make no mistake, this is Laotian cooking (with some Thai and Vietnamese in the mix), and it’s the kind of bold, herby, sticky-rice-and-larb spread I could eat every week. On this visit the spicy papaya salad and the beef jerky off the platter were my favorites, and a dessert I wrote off last time completely won me back. Come with a group, come hungry, and get ready to share.
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What Makes Eat A Lao a Standout Lao Restaurant in Rockville
Lao restaurants seem to be rare in the DMV, so having one this good on Rockville Pike is a treat. Eat A Lao leans into its roots, the menu’s built on family recipes and the flavors that make Laotian food its own thing: sticky rice, punchy herbs, fish-sauce funk, and heat that means it. Their whole personality is generosity, too, which is why the big round platters are the signature. It’s equally great for a solo lunch or a whole crew.
What to Order at Eat A Lao
Here’s everything we got, with pricing below.
VR Lao Platter ($49)
Their platters are MASSIVE, and this one’s the showstopper. It comes loaded with papaya salad, fried party wings, beef jerky, Vietnamese pork ham, cured pork sausage, pork rinds, vermicelli noodles, and sticky rice, easily enough to share with at least three people. I did the papaya salad spicy and, man, it was SPICY, consider yourself warned. The papaya salad and the beef jerky were my favorites of the bunch. I’ve also gotten their Pig A Lao platter on past visits and it’s been a great shareable both times, so you really can’t go wrong here. If the cured pork sausage and Vietnamese pork ham have you curious about that side of the menu, they do Vietnamese dishes too.
Fried Fish Tofu ($7)
This is my second time getting it, and it’s as tasty as I remembered. It comes out piping hot with the yummiest dipping sauce, and at seven bucks it’s an easy yes. Get it as an app to start.
Over My Dead Body ($30)
The team saw us filming and generously comped this one, so full disclosure there. It’s their larb tilapia, served with crispy curried rice and all the aromatics. If you love whole fried fish, this is a great option, that crispy-rice-and-herb combo is such a fun way to eat it.
Pandan Creme Brulee ($7)
Real talk, I didn’t love this on my last visit because it wasn’t caramelized enough for me. This time? They nailed it. It was delicious, and the pandan flavor was on point. It’s a must for dessert if you’ve got a sweet tooth, and I love that they clearly dialed it in.
What’s the Difference Between Lao and Thai Food?
Since Eat A Lao gets mislabeled as Thai, here’s the quick version. The two cuisines are cousins, but Lao food’s got its own identity. Sticky rice is the heart of it (Laotians are sometimes called ‘children of the sticky rice’), and most dishes are made to be eaten with it by hand. Larb, the minced-meat salad brightened with lime, herbs, and toasted rice powder, is basically the national dish of Laos. And Lao papaya salad, tam mak hoong, leans on padaek, an intense fermented fish sauce that gives it a darker, funkier punch than the Thai version. Where Thai food often reaches for coconut milk and curries, Lao cooking leans herby, tangy, and fermented, and it’s usually served family style, which is exactly how Eat A Lao does it. If you want to go deeper, this breakdown of Lao versus Thai food is a good read.
The Vibe and Experience
Eat A Lao sits in the Sunshine Square shopping center on Rockville Pike, so it’s an easy, casual stop with a big free lot. It’s laid-back and made for sharing, those platters basically demand a table of people, so it’s a fun pick for a group dinner or a family meal. The team’s so nice, too. Dine in with a crew if you can, but they do takeout and delivery if you’d rather bring the feast home.
Good to Know
- 📍 1327 Rockville Pike Suite K, Rockville, MD 20852, in the Sunshine Square shopping center.
- Hours run roughly 11:30AM to 8:30 or 9:30PM depending on the day, with a midday break earlier in the week. Heads up: at least one listing shows Monday as closed, so if you’re going on a Monday, call ahead to be safe.
- Reservations are accepted, which helps if you’re bringing a group for the platters.
- The platters are built to share, so come with at least a few people to do one justice.
- There are gluten-free options labeled on the menu, and the staff will check with the kitchen if you ask.
- Allergy heads-up: the larb tilapia and the crispy curried rice dishes include peanuts.
- Free parking in the shopping center lot; dine-in, takeout, and delivery are all available.
- Want more nearby? My roundup of the best Asian restaurants in Rockville has more picks.
Eat A Lao’s one of the only spots pulling off real Laotian food in the area, and it does it with huge portions, honest flavor, and a team that treats you like family. Bring people, order a platter, get the fried fish tofu to start, and save room for that pandan creme brulee. For Lao food in the DMV, it’s right at the top of my list, and I’ll be back the second I’m craving papaya salad with a kick.
Have you guys tried Eat A Lao yet, or is this your first time hearing about Lao food? Either way, I’d love to hear what you think, drop a comment and let me know your order, Nomsters. And save this one for the next time you’ve got a hungry crew to feed.