Restaurant

Lao Der

Name: Lao Der
Address: 3922 N Elston Ave, Chicago, IL, 60618, US
Telephone: (872) 241-4879
Price range: value

Thai•Chicago•value

Lao Der is one of the best thai restaurants in Chicago for dinner, especially if you want a strong option in Chicago.

Editorial review updated•Jul 28, 2026

Chicago went more than a decade without a sit-down Lao restaurant, and Jack Ekkaphanh — who grew up in Vientiane and now runs the entire kitchen solo at Lao Der — is making that gap feel inexplicable. He opened the place in April 2025 alongside Frankie Waljorhar, his lifelong friend from Nong Khai in Thailand's northeast, and the restaurant exists precisely because these two wanted to cook the food their families taught them. That's not a marketing premise — it's the actual organizing logic of the menu, which blurs the Lao-Thai border in a way that reflects lived geography rather than culinary trend-chasing. The spot is on Elston in a compact, wood-paneled room with an exhibition kitchen, which means the solo-cook situation is visible and unhurried service is part of the deal. Price level is about as low as it gets in this city for food this specific. The three dishes that have drawn the most attention since opening tell you exactly what this kitchen is about. Nam Khao — a rice salad with ground pork, herbs, peanuts, and shards of crispy rice, served with lettuce for wrapping — has become the most-liked item on their delivery platform, and diners consistently flag it as the thing to order first. Khao Piek Sen, a chicken broth noodle soup with chewy noodles, is the kind of dish people describe as immediately satisfying in a way that's hard to articulate but easy to repeat. The Sai Ua Moo Laos, a coarsely ground pork sausage packed with lemongrass, galangal, and lime leaf, arrives with sticky rice and tomato sauce — it's an herbaceous, aggressively flavored link that reads as distinctly Lao rather than the Thai-American sausage styles most Chicagoans know. Lao Der is closed Tuesdays and doesn't open until 4pm on weekdays, so weekend lunch is the rare window where you can walk in without competing against a dinner crowd in a small room. Given that Ekkaphanh is the only cook in the kitchen, pacing matters — don't rush it. The move is to start with Nam Khao and the sausage, add Khao Piek Sen if you're eating with someone, and let the kitchen move at its own speed. Come Friday or Saturday at 11:30am to actually get a seat.

Carlos Mendez, Food & Drink Editor

Methodology•Chicago guides•Editorial team•Report outdated information

Thai dinner takeout boldlively

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Taste ID

Rate this restaurant

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Taste Score 8.4/10

Rating (Google) 9.8

238 reviews

Chicago

At a glance

The fastest read on whether this place fits tonight.

8.4/10

Taste Score

Google 9.8 from 238 reviews

Best for

dinner and Thai

Price and pace

Good value

Neighborhood

Chicago | 3922 N Elston Ave, Chicago, IL 60618, USA

Price

Good value

Taste Score

8.4/10

Phone

(872) 241-4879

Watch

Lao Der on video

Short: Chi Food Local (third-party feature) · plays on YouTube

Short: Thomas Poovathur (third-party feature) · plays on YouTube

Menu and ordering

Lao Der menu: what to order

Start with the dishes below, drawn from the restaurant details and TastyPals notes available on this page. Lao Der is listed in the Good value price range. Menus, availability, and prices can change, so confirm current details before visiting.

Nam Khao

Khao Piek Sen

Sai Ua Moo Laos w/ Sticky Rice & Tomato Sauce

Why go

What makes Lao Der worth the move

Lao Der is a reliable thai choice in Chicago when you want something that tends to land well. Nam Khao and Khao Piek Sen also give you a decent sense of the menu. It also holds a 9.8 rating across 238 Google reviews.

What to know fast

Public rating

9.8 from 238 Google reviews

Best for

dinner and Thai

Style

Thai in Chicago

Spend

Good value

Best for

Thai dinner takeout bold lively

Know before you go

Google rating: 9.8 from 238 reviews

Price point: value

Popular dishes: Nam Khao, Khao Piek Sen, Sai Ua Moo Laos w/ Sticky Rice & Tomato Sauce

Website linked on this page

TastyPals Reviews

What diners are saying

0 diner reviews · reviewed by Carlos Mendez for Lao Der

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Google snapshot

9.8 from 238 reviews

TastyPals notes

Editorial review by Carlos Mendez

No diner notes for Lao Der yet.

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Plan the visit

Quick details

Visit Website Directions

Address: 3922 N Elston Ave, Chicago, IL 60618, USA
Phone: (872) 241-4879
Price: value
TastyPals score: 8.4/10
Google rating: 9.8 (238 reviews)
Cuisine: Thai
Neighborhood: Chicago

Read guide

Frequently asked questions

What cuisine does Lao Der serve?

Lao Der is a Thai restaurant located in Chicago, Chicago. Chicago went more than a decade without a sit-down Lao restaurant, and Jack Ekkaphanh — who grew up in Vientiane and now runs the entire kitchen solo at Lao Der — is making that gap feel inexplicable.

What is Lao Der best for?

Lao Der is best for thai, dinner, takeout, bold, lively. Lao Der is a reliable thai choice in Chicago when you want something that tends to land well. Nam Khao and Khao Piek Sen also give you a decent sense of the menu. It also holds a 9.8 rating across 238 Google reviews.

How much does it cost to eat at Lao Der?

Lao Der is in the Good value price range (value). Google rating: 9.8 from 238 reviews

What should I order at Lao Der?

Start with Nam Khao, Khao Piek Sen and Sai Ua Moo Laos w/ Sticky Rice & Tomato Sauce. These dishes are shown from TastyPals notes or restaurant data on this page.

Is Lao Der worth visiting?

Lao Der holds a 9.8 Google rating from 238 reviews. Lao Der is a reliable thai choice in Chicago when you want something that tends to land well. Nam Khao and Khao Piek Sen also give you a decent sense of the menu. It also holds a 9.8 rating across 238 Google reviews.