Ba Lao

Gabriella Schmidt

5.03 months ago

Probably one of the best restaurants in Madison. We got the bratwurst, sticky garlic pork chop, and ginger chicken. The pork was a standout but everything was delicious. Will definitely be coming back

Tommy Souravong

5.05 months ago

Where was this restaurant/bar when I was a law school student at UW-Madison!? This restaurant/bar only opened in February 2026, so make sure to show it some LAOve! The workers and owner here at Ba Lao are very friendly and the Lao Bratwurst, chicken wings, Thai iced tea, and fever of passion are the bomb! The Lao bratwurst had sai oua, and the spicy Chinese mustard aioli was my favorite part of it! The chicken wings had a nice spicy, garlic seasoning to them, and the jeow som, my favorite jeow of them all, had such a strong, amazing garlic taste while still being spicy. I only ever have it taste this garlicky and spicy when I make it. I ended up getting a mocktail later on since I was feeling a passionate fever. I love how the passion fruit tastes, as I love passion fruit drinks, and the jelly was a chef’s kiss! They were playing a mix of old school hip hop/r&b, creating an awesome environment. I know if this restaurant/bar were around when I was a law school student at UW-Madison, then I’d been here all the time because of how many Asians (Lao and Southeast Asian) were here during my visit. I loved how they didn’t rush anyone to leave when they closed for the night. I can’t write a complete reflection of this visit without giving a huge shout out to my server, who also closed for the night, Brian. Even though he was recovering from a leg injury, he didn’t mention anything to any customer and still brought us our food and drinks without any delay. I can’t adequately say how much I appreciate him for trying to help me locate an iPhone charger more than once towards the end of my visit, as my phone was about to die and I wasn’t sure how to get back to where I parked my car. He didn’t have my kind of charger, but he still gave me super detailed instructions on how to get my car (which I was able to follow without any issues)! I equally appreciate how attentive he was when I was about to head out and told him I felt bad for not saying anything to the girl who came in

Barbara Gulten

5.06 months ago

Absolute rockstar of a spot on Willy St.! You know you hit gold with a place when you wake up the next day and you are still raving and talking about what you ate. And that is exactly what we been doing. Welcoming staff, casual fun feel with 5 dishes on the menu. Lukas was such a great host, helping us with questions we had and sharing in our chatter about Madison culinary scene. We tasted 3 out of 5 and were mind blown at the freshness and flavor. Yum Goong, the shrimp salad dish was just beyond… I could eat that weekly! Huge thanks and bravo to kitchen staff - not an easy space to churn out Bib Gourmand level dishes. Yep - I said it, this is a Bib Gourmand worth spot. The cocktails were good too, but the star is the food. We will be back to try the other two dishes. Nearby tables were having them and looked stellar. This place used to be Taco Local and never had good ventilation- hence can get a bit smokey in there. So while it has a cute casual atmosphere, my atmosphere rating reflects that issue taking away from the pleasure induced by those tasty dishes. In any case, run don’t walk! …go and enjoy this new spot!

Cory Neeley

5.06 months ago

They recently opened and this place is so fun. We enjoyed great service from their amazing staff who recommended the Lao Brat. This was life altering. I love pickled mustard greens and they absolutely enhance the sausage which is amazing in its own right but even better with the other ingredients. If you are in the neighborhood or just waiting for a table at Ahan it’s a great place to pop in and enjoy a drink or some tasty snacks.

Dillon Novak

5.06 months ago

We got drinks here on their opening day. The staff was friendly and the atmosphere was fun. The drinks we tried were unique and really good. I will definitely be visiting again to try the food. I highly recommend checking them out!