There’s never been a better time to dive into Thai and Laotian food in Houston. Long defined by its wealth of family-run staples, the city’s dining scene has recently expanded with a wave of chef-driven restaurants, bringing new range and perspective to the local landscape.
Laotian cuisine is often grouped under Thai, but it originates from neighboring Laos and carries its own distinct identity. While there’s overlap—think grilled meats, sticky rice, and herb-laced salads—the differences show up in ingredients, techniques, and flavor profiles that lean even more deeply into funk, freshness, and fire. Today, that distinction is gaining visibility in Houston, with restaurants like Sao Lao in Garden Oaks and Lao’d District in Asiatown helping to define the category.
From James Beard Award-winning Thai cooking to street food-style Laotian fare and even the emergence of royal Thai cuisine, the options are broader than ever. Whether you’re after a laid-back meal with Singha and familiar favorites or a more polished night out with inventive, high-end dishes, Houston delivers. Consider this your guide when the craving for panang curry or boat noodles hits.
Nidda Thai Cuisine
Nidda Thai Cuisine, one of Houston’s oldest Thai restaurants, has had many names since it first opened in the early ‘80s. What has remained the same is the community the restaurant has built around all things Thai food. The Montrose retail strip gem is a reliable place to sip on Singha beer, while relishing in classics like green papaya salad; deep-fried fish cakes, called tod mun pla; and a dizzying variety of curries. If you’re looking for a real delight, treat yourself to the basil duck, a potent dish served in basil sauce with carrots, bell peppers, and crispy basil leaves. 1226 Westheimer Rd., Houston, niddathaicuisine.com
Banh Som Tum
Few restaurants in Houston serve traditional boat noodles, and Banh Som Tum is one of the rare places that does. The focus is Thai and Laotian cuisine, where heat isn’t softened and funk isn’t disguised. The menu moves easily from fragrant salads, curries and rice platters to stir-fried noodle dishes and proteins like Lao sausage and beef jerky. The setting mirrors the food—casual, compact, and often buzzing with diners who know exactly what they came for. 13420 TX-249, Houston
Street to Kitchen
Chef Benchawan Jabthong Painter’s East End staple was previously housed in a gas station strip center before relocating to more spacious digs within the Plant development in Second Ward. It was thrust in the national spotlight when Painter snagged the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Texas in 2023. It’s easy to see why. Street to Kitchen’s “unapologetically, authentically Thai” menu doesn’t skimp on spice. Expect fiery renditions of tom yum soup, drunken noodles, and massaman curry that will leave you downing every glass of water within reach—and perhaps a frozen Thai Tea cocktail or two for good measure. 3401 Harrisburg Blvd. Ste. G, Houston, streettokitchen.com
Sao Lao Thai Cafe
Sao Lao’s signature boat noodles should be on every Houston foodie’s bucket list. The 40 ingredient-soup features everything from ribeye steak and rice noodles to beef broth cooked with pig’s blood. The hearty dish is a testament to the brilliance of chef and owner, Souli Phaduangdet, who is of mixed Thai and Laotian heritage. While the boat noodles are a must, other dishes like drunken noodles and Thai chicken or beef basil do not disappoint.Also, it’s BYOB. 5013 N. Shepherd Dr., Houston, saolaothaicafehtx.com
Thai Kun
Thai Kun originated in Austin, from Bangkok native Thai Changthong and James Beard Award winning chef Paul Qui, who met while working together at Uchi and Uchiko. Although its Houston outpost is housed in a seemingly diminutive stall in Downtown’s POST Market, it’s garnered impressive laurels over the years. It has a minimalist menu centered around the classics. Consider starting with the tamarind chili wings and chive cakes, before settling with the slow-cooked beef panang curry, one of the spiciest renditions of the dish to be found in town. 401 Franklin St. Ste. 1225, Houston, thaikun.com
MaKiin
Housed on the street-level of luxury residential tower, Hanover River Oaks, MaKiin is the brainchild of Lukkaew Srasrisuwan, who also operates Kin Dee in the Heights and Thai Tail in Montrose. It is among Houston’s only Thai restaurants that showcases “Royal Thai” cuisine. Renowned for its meticulous balance of flavors and striking presentation, the cuisine was traditionally reserved for Thai royalty. At MaKiin, a luxe menu created by Thai chefs Aphassorn Predawan and Eakkapan Ngammuang, highlights dishes like soft shell crab papaya salad and an uber-fancy pad Thai with lobster. Here, you’ll want to have your camera ready. 2651 Kipling St. Ste. 101, Houston, makiinthai.com
Lao’d District
While Thai food tends to be spicier, Lao food centers more around fermented ingredients and can lean sour, or bitter. At this fast-casual spot, must-haves include the Thai roti canai; traditional curry soup, called khao poon; and a crispy rice salad, called nam khao. Lao’d District also has an extensive beverage menu and hard-to-find desserts like durian ice cream–don’t knock it until you try it. 9393 Bellaire Blvd. Ste. B, Houston, laoddistrict.com
Rim Tanon
Rim Tanon is the sister concept of the popular Texas chain, Thai Cottage. The Upper Kirby restaurant’s structure is a replica of a wooden Thai house, with the dining area offering a cozy and casual atmosphere in which to slurp tom yum soup and savor comfort eats like crab fried rice, panang curry, and pad see ew. If the spice gets too intense, spring for a Thai tea or whimsical butterfly pea limeade soda. 2241 Richmond Ave., Houston, rim-tanon.com
Som Boon
A Houston newbie, Som Boon is a retail strip gem located on the feeder of I-10 in the Heights area. Ample rice and noodle dishes are on offer, but for something truly indulgent, go for the entree-size tom yum koong, which boasts a healthy serving of shrimp in a rich hot and sour broth. The well-appointed dining room draws in as many guests for dine-in as for takeout. 1801 Durham Dr. Ste. 2, Houston, somboonthaikitchen.com
Kin Dee
This restaurant from Thailand natives, Lukkaew Srasrisuwan and Miranda Leotkhamfu, is tucked in the corner of the Market at Houston Heights development, and with a lifesize mural of elephants charging through the wall in the main dining room, it offers a dramatic setting in which to dine. Expect modern interpretations of regional dishes, as in the pad Thai, which is presented with shrimp and chicken cradled in a Thai omelet; and Southern-style green curry served with rice noodles. 1533 N. Shepherd Dr. Ste. 160, Houston, kindeethaicuisine.com
Songkran Thai Kitchen
With a prime location in Uptown Park that boasts a low-lit dining room appointed with Thai decor and an expansive patio spanning the development’s breezeway, Songkran is a favorite for long lunches and cocktail-fueled dinners. Start with a lychee martini or mango mai tai while noshing on chicken satay with a massaman peanut dipping sauce. Then indulge wholly on the red curry duck, or the crispy whole red snapper, which always cues the head turns. 1101 Uptown Park Blvd. #8, Houston, songkranthaikitchen.com
Anna Thai
When in Asiatown, head to the Hong Kong City Mall to get your Thai fix at Anna Thai, a casual stall tucked inside the development’s food court. Find flavor-packed eats like pad kee mao, crispy pork with basil, fried rice, and fragrant panang curry. Shop the stall, which is stocked with prepared snacks and goods, and then linger around the mall and explore the various retailers, including the impressive Hong Kong Food Market. 11201 Bellaire Blvd. A6, Houston, anna-thai-food.res-menu.com
Thai Cottage
With multiple locations across the greater Houston area Thai Cottage has built its reputation on consistency—delivering the familiar comforts of Thai cooking with an accessible touch. At its best, Thai Cottage leans into balance: the sweet-sour interplay of tamarind, the slow burn of chili, the herbal lift of lemongrass and basil. The menu reads like a greatest-hits album—pad Thai, red and green curries, fried rice, and ample complements to any meal including spring rolls, soups, fish cakes, and more. Lunch specials draw a steady local crowd, and the atmosphere matches the food—casual, unfussy, and welcoming. Multiple locations, thai-cottage.com
Thai’s Thumbz
Located in Sugar Land Town Square, Thai’s Thumbz features a menu of comforting staples—pad Thai, curries, and soups—but elevates them with a subtle sense of refinement. Flavors are bright, layered, and confidently spiced. Start with chicken satay or the sweet and spicy fried chicken wings, before digging into the indulgent grilled ribeye panang curry. Linger around for awhile over a peach oolong coconut tea, or grab a boba to-go.
2268 Texas Dr., Sugar Land, thaisthumbzsugarland.com
Asia Market Thai Food
Asia Market Thai Food blurs the line between grocery store and restaurant in the best possible way. What began as a market has evolved into a low-key destination for excellent Thai—and Lao—cooking, where shelves of imported ingredients sit just steps from the kitchen. Dishes arrive bold and unfiltered—fiery curries, herb-packed papaya salad, and northern Thai specialties like khao soi that feel closer to Chiang Mai than central Houston. Portions are generous, spice levels unapologetic, and the flavors unmistakably rooted in tradition rather than adaptation. 4822 Fulton St. #2603, Houston, asiamarketthai.com
