Presentation on Map Reviews Nearby

Lao Wang in Goleta

4.2 (115) 6530 Pardall Rd SUIT.B, Goleta, CA 93117, United States

Categories

Asian restaurant
Chinese noodle restaurant
Chinese restaurant
Noodle shop
Steamed bun shop

Location on the map

Goleta, Santa Barbara County, California, US

Phone: +1 805-845-1614
Site: http://laowangstreetfood.com/

Opening hours

Monday:11 AM–10 PM
Tuesday:11 AM–10 PM
Wednesday:11 AM–10 PM
Thursday:11 AM–10 PM
Friday:11 AM–10 PM
Saturday:11 AM–10 PM
Sunday:11 AM–10 PM

Edit info

Total reviews rating 4.2

115 Reviews for Lao Wang 2024:

Review №1

2023-07-19 22:12:10

Visiting the beach with our dog and passing through the college town. Love the dog-friendly patio seating. We did noodles our own way, and both noodles we ordered are ok taste but not my favorite sauce. The pork belly buns were good though!

Review №2

2023-05-24 03:43:08

Lao wang is some of the best food in IV. I love how accessible it is. Their food is delicious and the service is always great! The craft your own mala tang noodles are yummy; its truly healing food if you’re sick. The buns are also some of my favorites :D cant wait to go back!

Review №3

2022-10-06 02:33:52

Lao Wang YUMMMmm, this is by far the safest and my go-to option in IV (imo). The food here is always consistent! I got the sweet and sour chicken rice bowl with an add on of garlic tofu and let me tellll you, its delicious! The chicken is crisp and tender with a coat of their homemade sweet and sour sauce, added on was fried tofu in their yummy garlic sauce, and the bowl comes with egg roll, corn, and Mac salad! I also tried their spam, Chinese sausage and popcorn chicken buns. This was a flavorful appetizer. I highly recommend trying them with spicy mayo and jalapeños that they provide in the dining room. And lastly, for this meal, I ordered the curry chicken fingers. As you bite into this, you can see the coat of curry sitting in between the chicken and batter. It is flavorful in itself, but dipped in ranch is even better! To quench your thirst, they have a variety of beverages like tea in the fridge (my fav is the herbal tea). Josh, the manager, definitely does a great job in recommending which items are good for you, and esp if its your first visit, hell eagerly want to present the menu to you. I highly recommend you try this place out and ask Josh for recs. Also its right outside Pardall tunnel, very close to campus!

Review №4

2023-01-26 20:02:03

Excellent restaurant to try some great Asian food. I tried their Vegan lunch (Rice noodles with toppings) Vegan Soybean Chicken and Tofu buns. High quality and tasty ingredients are used throughout their menu. Most dishes do contain peanuts so please be sure to ask if you are alergic. They have a mini section for free sauces where you can get sides of spicy mayo, chilli oil, soy sauce and peanut sauce.

Review №5

2022-05-11 03:50:39

The soup goes crazy on cold nights. Stopped by with a few friends for soup and buns! A little salty but super flavorful. The cashiers were helpful, grabbing cups and to-go containers for me. Yum!!

Review №6

2022-11-15 03:46:43

Come here 3 times a week. High quality asian food, awesome service, the manager is very nice. They also serve awesome alcohol here!My favorite food is hot and spicy dry pot!

Review №7

2022-09-26 03:37:57

I come here almost every day. I like the hot and spicy pot so much. It reminds me of my hometown far away. It’s a nice place to chill out with friends. It’s also the first restaurant I had visited when I was a freshman here at UCSB. There are so many memories🥰🥰🥰

Review №8

2023-08-21 20:54:11

Very nice workers and quick service, their soups are a 10/10, i got their sweet and sour chicken (pretty sure thats what it was called) and it was just ok? still recommend going and getting a soup tho! free fountain drinks too

Review №9

2023-07-17 03:38:55

Had lunch in Isla Vista, pork chashu small rice bowl, with 2 bao buns, Chinese sausage and popcorn chicken, and a june shine mango alcoholic kombucha. Came back after walking around and got a mala tang egg noodle bowl to go with beef, wood ear and enoki mushrooms for dinner later, so good.Heather was very helpful and nice, and offered me a taste of the kombucha.

Review №10

2022-09-19 00:31:05

By far a staple for a broke college kid. The fried tofu buns are my favorite and are super filling! Josh at the counter has always been super helpful and friendly. Would 10/10 recommend trying Lao wang!

Review №11

2022-09-29 17:49:22

Favorite Chinese/Asian food near campus — lots of customizations and easy to understand menu. Love toppings like beef tendon, enoki mushroom, fish roe ball that are hard to find in IV and Goleta, and highly recommend the garlic tofu! Great place to get a bun for a quick bite or a super filling noodle bowl (you’ll always have leftovers).

Review №12

2022-10-06 23:18:23

Great place with delicious noodles. Buns are also good but need to order a couple to be enough. Stuff are very nice!

Review №13

2022-09-10 04:20:43

I love getting pitchers here!! The customer service is amazing and they always play music upon request. I come here like every week with my friends, it’s a staple of IV:)

Review №14

2023-03-13 08:23:40

Remind me not to order from here again lol, that’s the worst chicken bowl I’ve had around here. The bun was alright, I wish the portion could be larger.

Review №15

2022-05-11 05:02:19

I love Lao Wang. I always come here to get beer with my friends and they always give me excess foam from my pitcher on the side! Josh is the best!

Review №16

2022-11-16 17:37:13

I visit here every time I come back to IV. A local gem and must visit! Always get the spicy egg noddles and meat bun!

Review №17

2022-09-15 01:47:28

I come to Lao wangs at least one time a week. The food is delicious, service is amazing, and the environment is fun. My friends and I have then best time here! Very much recommend visiting Lao Wangs

Review №18

2022-09-15 01:59:45

I absolutely love Lao Wang. My friends and I come here to eat and enjoy some pitchers after a long day on campus. The service is incredible (we LOVE Josh), and it has quickly become a staple in our weekly routine. We are here at least once a week. My friends and I even started doing homework here because of the central location and great atmosphere. I am genuinely a gigantic advocate for this place. Come here and have a good time.

Review №19

2022-09-19 01:36:14

I come here every week. my fav place in santa barbara. i usually get the chinese sausage & pork belly buns and they’re the best things ever. thank you!

Review №20

2022-10-23 17:11:53

This place is pretty fantastic. I love that they have a large variety of items, their bowls, ramen, buns, etc... I usually get their tofu or chicken bowl and last time I got their spam buns, which I loved a lot. There is also an extensive beer selection, as befitting the rich traditions of the restaurants at that location. The Big Wang is a fantastic beer when they have it.

Review №21

2022-05-11 03:44:59

Got the small sweet n sour chicken rice bowl☺️ Its BOMB💣add the chili oil, Sriracha and spicy mayo to the rice 🙌I like the punching bag inside 🤛😈

Review №22

2022-11-16 05:17:59

Lao Wangs is a fantastic establishment with a multitude of flavorful drink options and tasty food, perfect for those cold evenings. The staff is wonderful and welcoming. Perfect place to go hang out with your friends.

Review №23

2022-09-23 04:37:46

Lao Wang’s is the best. We come here once a week, we love getting pitchers and playing cards. This restaurant has such a great atmosphere and we always have a great time! Also Josh is the best!!!

Review №24

2022-09-08 23:38:17

The food at Lao Wang is amazing and well priced. Me and my friends go there pretty often after school. Also, the service is a 11/10 they treat costumers with respect and help you ASAP

Review №25

2019-10-01 19:48:24

Nice place near UCSB, the mala rice noodle is tasty

Review №26

2021-12-05 06:06:44

Upon buying my food, the guy at the register calmly looked up at and said I love you. To be honest, I was taken aback by the remark and made slightly uncomfortable, but I got my two buns and sat down.Both buns I got, the popcorn chicken bun and the stewed pork belly bun, were spicy which I wasnt really expecting. To be honest, I was disappointed by the taste and only ate half of each before tossing out the remaining contents of the tray.Its good that there is some cheap street food in IV--on the order of $3 a bun--but there was an apparent lack of diversity in flavors, as both were soaked in the same spicy red sauce. If youre not a fan of that specific cilantro sauce, which I imagine is pretty foreign to the Californian palette, this place is not for you--or me for that matter.So if you want food thats all the same, specific flavor, and a server who makes you uncomfortable, I guess this is your place.

Review №27

2022-05-09 04:34:34

Come here if you have no standards for food. I ordered the hot and spicy noodle bowl, it was terrible. I literally could not eat the beef, it was as if i was gnawing on a cows knee cap and ultimately had to spit it out. The broccoli tasted as if it was cooked in lysol. I have never left a review at any establishment, however I felt so compelled to leave a review due to being left thoroughly disappointed and still hungry.

Review №28

2021-10-25 00:14:42

Food: 5 StarsLots of different choices, good flavor, interesting ingredients. Hopefully once inflation goes down a bit, their price-to-portion ratio will improve. But very delicious in terms of taste, always.Customer Service: 1 StarHow come every time I go into this restaurant, the front desk guy, the one who is always working there, looks and talks like everybody owns him money? Like bruh, if you dont like working there, leave. Customers are not the ones forcing you to work there. No need to interact with every customer like youve been doing a job that you hate for 40 years.Average: 3 stars

Review №29

2023-08-20 04:33:20

Unique taste to the sweet n sour version they dished out

Review №30

2022-09-08 04:48:34

We love to drink with all our friends and come once a week. the service is amazing, we know the employees by a name by name basis. best place in isla vista. highly recommend

Review №31

2021-09-08 18:16:05

The spicy noodle bowl has big inedible chili flakes in it. broth was bad.ive been here before and it was great but this time it was poor.if i ever come back i will not get the spicy option. bad flavor.

Review №32

2022-09-23 04:37:08

I love coming here with my friends and playing cards listening to the best music. Service is always amazing. Josh is honestly the best and so kind to us :)

Review №33

2022-03-17 23:32:14

Really good food and great customer service! Always fun to come get a pitcher

Review №34

2021-09-20 02:57:47

Good luck getting your food within one hour. 4 blend noodle soup costs you 70 bucks. If thats not rip off, I dont know what else counts.

Review №35

2022-09-03 23:39:57

Amazing food & service! I’m always happy coming here. I started coming in college and repeatedly come back everytime I visit. Best Asian food in SB by far.

Review №36

2017-10-14 18:50:38

The noodle is so great! Real Chinese taste.

Review №37

2021-12-01 05:20:52

The food here is amazing but the service is terrible. The guy who regularly works as cashier and answers the phones is extremely rude especially over the phone. He is consistently rude and acts annoyed and mad at you that you’re calling. Tonight I ordered food over the food and he was being extra rude and scoffing at everything and responding “uh yeah I guess” to my orders. I asked for his name at the end of the phone call and he laughed and said his name was “cashier”. Extremely rude almost makes me not want to even order food from here to not have to deal with such a rude person. He has a shaved head and has been extremely rude and acted like they’re closing or something every time I’ve gone in and ordered in person even though it’s actually 3 or more hours before they close. If this cashier didn’t work here however I would 10/10 recommend the food!

Review №38

2022-04-01 21:41:29

Good food nice outside seating area. I usually get takeout if Im feeling sick since soup usually helps. The staff will substitute stuff if they are out of what you select on the online order and will leave kind notes telling you what they are doing so you arent surprised.

Review №39

2019-03-13 01:18:48

The soup bowl is a large portion, every time Ive tried it its been great but the chicken is always dry but I really like the broth and additional veggies you can add to it.If you get bobba thai tea, skip the bobba, mine wasnt fresh. Its one thing to order bobba tea at the end of the day after its been sitting in one of those crock pots but I ordered it around 5 pm so I expected it to be better.

Review №40

2022-03-29 00:00:23

Lao wang’s is one of the finest establishments i have ever been to. isla vista is so lucky to have Lao Wang’s. josh is one of the nicest and most supportive people i’ve ever met. i feel so fortunate to have great food and an incredible environment here. i love Lao Wang’s !!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Review №41

2023-06-22 15:26:14

The mala tang vegan broth was sooo yummy

Review №42

2022-04-14 19:32:01

Lao Wangs is the best place for a good time & for fundraisers for clubs! UCSB Rowing had a great time and look forward to doing more fundraisers with them in the future.

Review №43

2019-04-20 13:20:17

Excellent location for tasty asian food. Got there near five, it wasnt very busy. Ill return friends next time. Bring your hunger - portions are generous.

Review №44

2022-04-13 04:51:23

Laos Wang is the best place to hang out with friends, there’s a great beer selection, you can play your own music, and plenty of games at your disposal because they supply dye, cards,etc.,

Review №45

2021-07-23 23:26:07

No flavors at all！Not even a pinch of salt added in the soup. Spend almost 80bucks for 4 meals, the owner really should improve on the flavors, at least add some salts man!

Review №46

2022-09-18 13:20:30

Pretty good noodle. Probably better than most Chinese food around here.Update: tried again. Good food. Authentic!!

Review №47

2022-03-23 17:30:22

I had 1 dish and loved it. I will definitely go back. The amount and cost was perfect. It was just delicious. Amazing flavors.

Review №48

2022-01-04 05:21:18

Taking about 1 hour to make a noodle. Ordered double beef but the all I got is about 5 slices. Worst experience ever.

Review №49

2019-09-29 22:00:29

Kind of expensive, you do get a lot of food but other places are cheaper with better quality. I dont think the flavor is very good. The staff is very nice and friendly and its conveniently close to campus.

Review №50

2023-04-09 04:04:17

They don’t verify who takes the takeout order so my order was taken by someone else and I have to wait for another 30 min…

Review №51

2021-07-18 19:17:17

Surprisingly delicious. Added a whole scoop of peanut sauce to spicy egg noodle soup which made it very creamy. Highly recommend!

Review №52

2021-11-24 05:15:40

The our way choice egg noodle is phenomenal. I finished up everything in the bowl including the soup, will come back again.

Review №53

2018-01-08 22:35:56

Tried noodles, it’s good. If it’s priced at 80% if it’s current price, then I would expect it to become a hot place to visit often. No designated parking. If you drive there, find a street parking could be difficult

Review №54

2022-04-10 03:10:50

This place is great! They have the best rice bowls and amazing service from the gentleman up front.

Review №55

2017-12-16 22:20:17

Very casual order at the counter place, but also has a very nice inside. The food was pretty good, I got the chicken curry and the chicken was amazing. Would go again.

Review №56

2022-04-03 01:36:50

This restaurant is awesome. Not only was the food delicious. They let me use their charger! 10/10.

Review №57

2019-12-22 06:18:56

Everything on the menu is a treat! Great atmosphere!

Review №58

2019-02-04 09:32:28

Really good noodle bowls with a great selection of ingredients. I recently discovered their serve-yourself chili oil and suddenly Im addicted.

Review №59

2019-07-19 21:12:22

Amazing pork belly rice bowls. Great beer selection. Weird little space, but definitely go for the food!

Review №60

2019-03-04 21:58:05

Good food, the noodle bowls are my favorite but sometimes the noodles come stuck together. Pretty typical price range for this type of food

Review №61

2020-02-07 00:41:05

Great experience, really lively environment and very cash friendly for students on a budget. Really awesome cashier (Nicky), she made some really great suggestions.

Review №62

2022-09-23 04:35:55

I love to hang out with my friends here, its so fun. I visit at least once a week.

Review №63

2019-06-04 14:47:31

I come here a couple times a month for the lunch special. Really tasty. I avoid the chicken because its always dry, though.

Review №64

2020-05-21 18:28:02

Had a bad experience there, and they were so nice to call and follow up on it; indicating to me they really value every customers feedback. Definitely going to give them a second chance!

Review №65

2023-01-21 03:08:00

I love Lao’s it was so good the tofu rice bowl was so yum

Review №66

2018-11-07 06:22:30

The staff is okay and the food is good but the atmosphere is something else. It can be very loud and no seating at times.

Review №67

2022-03-12 00:30:55

Such good food and the best service, very nice employees. Best place in isla vista by far!

Review №68

2022-10-09 05:35:31

The service is great here and the beer prices are amazing

Review №69

2022-10-06 02:01:16

Phenomenal atmosphere and drinks!

Review №70

2022-01-18 00:29:51

Our go-to place whenever we visit Santa Barbara! Wonderful food and great service!

Review №71

2017-11-20 00:20:53

Great place for quick meals: food tastes great and is well priced. What more could you want for a college town restaurant?

Review №72

2021-07-13 00:05:39

I love the atmosphere here I am going to be back !Good amount of beers as wellThank you for serving the community on the daily

Review №73

2018-07-28 20:41:51

Food is good but on the pricey end. Theyre very skimpy when it comes to your protein portions.

Review №74

2017-06-02 21:39:37

The noodles were pretty good but the vegetarian/vegan option is pretty lacking tbh...

Review №75

2019-11-28 01:24:14

Great noodles 👌 spicy and house special. Plenty of 🍻 on tap. Street parking

Review №76

2022-10-09 05:18:23

Great service, great place to hang out with some friends

Review №77

2019-02-08 10:24:56

Welcome to the rice field everyone. In laowang the rice bowl will come with about 1kg rice, 150gram meat and about 1mg vegetable.

Review №78

2018-06-25 20:55:36

Chicken is extremely dry. Also they mess up the soup order frequently. Made me wait for a long time

Review №79

2022-09-03 23:53:51

BEST PLACE EVER! You gotta try the blood orange 😍

Review №80

2018-05-21 20:07:38

The “Our way” is really good :). Will try the buns next time!

Review №81

2017-06-25 04:21:52

Didnt get the order right, and food did not taste very good.

Review №82

2018-05-07 16:01:39

Good amount of food for the price. Good beer selection as well.

Review №83

2019-10-20 06:14:53

Nice beef tendon!

Review №84

2019-01-30 14:23:01

Excellent noodle bowls, good beer list.

Review №85

2019-07-14 01:33:06

I tried the Rice Noodles here & that was really tasty

Review №86

2019-03-28 21:53:33

Popcorn chicken is always overcooked and too salty. Waiting time too long.

Review №87

2021-09-20 21:17:12

I come here so often that the cashiers know me by name 🙂

Review №88

2018-04-26 03:48:58

Food was awfulPeople were pissing out backVery inconsiderate and unproductive place

Review №89

2019-05-27 19:52:10

Ordered noodles but it took two times to bring the right order.

Review №90

2019-11-16 17:47:52

Self-service, good for UCSBs students

Review №91

2019-01-11 02:23:53

Its ok, too much fat meat in pork bowl.

Review №92

2022-03-13 03:22:37

Its expensive but worth it once in a while

Review №93

2019-03-15 07:12:34

Great food. Good quantity.

Review №94

2021-12-11 05:08:30

Long waiting duration and just ok meals.

Review №95

2019-11-03 03:08:38

Delicious ramen, even if its a bit expensive

Review №96

2018-09-21 04:55:59

Dank deals on authentic southern Chinese noodles.

Review №97

2021-09-28 23:03:21

Way toooooooooooooooooooooooooo saltyothers are fine

Review №98

2021-08-07 22:59:15

Reallly good food and fun environment

Review №99

2020-02-03 17:19:21

Delicious noodles and friendly service

Review №100

2018-06-11 02:08:17

Very Chinese style, delicious!

Review №101

2018-04-19 14:48:47

Good portions and authentic

Review №102

2017-06-17 01:56:00

Nice no nonsense Asian cuisine.

Review №103

2020-01-17 23:59:44

The buns are amazing!

Review №104

2018-01-09 00:59:05

Good food

Review №105

2018-03-08 06:45:39

Delicious spicy noodles

Review №106

2019-12-04 17:25:32

Very good food

Review №107

2020-05-23 03:47:28

I love the food.....

Review №108

2017-12-13 20:49:59

Delicious

Review №109

2018-02-04 12:02:30

Great Noodle

Review №110

2018-03-01 05:37:55

Surprisingly bomb.

Review №111

2017-07-24 01:13:00

Great noodles

Review №112

2022-11-15 06:16:18

Amazing food here! Everything is rich and tasty. (Biggest bowl Ive ever had in my life lol)Super delicious! ! The soup base is very fragrant and you can add spiciness to it, or there are non-spicy options. (The material is full of life-saving information)

Review №113

2023-08-17 04:34:06

Friends who like to eat noodles must choose here. Their soup is very thick and the noodles are rich in taste. You can choose the side dishes in the noodles

Review №114

2022-02-09 05:06:06

Small quantity, high price, average service! Small quantity, high price, medical service

Review №115

2021-10-27 07:08:14

Excellent atention