Ovo
Thai
Delivery
Take-out
Asian
Gluten-free
Laotian
Non-veg
Serves meat, vegan options available. Thai and Laotian food in Chinatown. Everything is labeled on the menu as to what can be made vegan. Includes summer rolls, several curries, noodles, rice, and fried rice, with lots of choices for tofu. NOTE: Reported to have served eggs with food in error. Also reported to cook spring rolls in a shared fryer. Open Mon-Sun 9:00am-9:00pm.
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- Outdoor seating
- Wheelchair accessible
- Accepts credit cards
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Last update on 24 Jan 2022 by Izanowak
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Added by JTA on 17 Mar 2021
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18 Reviews
First Review by JTA
rervais
Points +184
Delicious and very veggie and vegan friendly! - Edit
I read great reviews of Olay's Thai Lao Cuisine here on Happy Cow. So Patti and I stopped in for lunch. Such a hidden gem - a beautifully decorated courtyard, great service from Michela and others, and the most delicious and creative cuisine. Olay's is extremely flexible - vegetarians and vegans will be very happy. Meateaters will be very happy. Make sure you try Olay's!
Read morePros: Delicious and almost everything can be made vegan, Beautiful hidden peaceful oasis courtyard, Great service
Guest
babybites
Points +121
So delish - Edit
They have quite a bit of vegan options! I love their yellow curry w/tofu & a kick of spice😉
Read moreThe courtyard seating area is absolutely beautiful (just be aware there may be flies trying to get into your food)
Amazing service and it’s byob so it’s a good place to come with a group if that’s your thing. 💜
Pros: Food is amazing, Great service, Lovely ambiance
Guest
MaxieP
Points +54
Yum yum yum - Edit
Super delicious and 2/3 of the menu can be made vegan, including the drinks!
Read moreCan't believe I never noticed it before right next to Downbeat.
Guest
LindaSWatson
Points +159
Great choices - all terrific - Edit
Almost everything is offered with a vegan option, it’s DELICIOUS, and the courtyard atmosphere is wonderful.
Read morePros: Almost all dishes offered with vegan option, Truly delicious, Desserts, too!
Cons: Make reservations!!
Guest
MarkusMars
Points +231
Love their tamarind soup - Edit
They mark everything that can be made vegan on the menu which makes ordering a breeze. Our waitress was very knowledgeable and friendly. The ambiance is awesome! Laid back. Definitely coming back!
Read morePros: All vegan options (many!) clearly marked, Tasty , Friendly
Guest
bigfir
Points +59
Better than any Thai in SF - Edit
Tasty and tons of vegan options! Make sure to write in the notes no eggs if you order pad Thai, just to emphasize again vegan, no eggs.
Read moreGuest
thetravelingvegan
Points +1099
Pleasantly surprised - Edit
Ong Choi with tofu was amazing plus the crispy rice was amazing. Very surprised that they were able to offer many things because vegan is not very clearly marked on the menu. But as soon as we told her we were vegan, she knew what to offer. Very nice atmosphere although the neighborhood is sketchy. This Chinatown has seen better days. In the back outside is very cool. Nice staff.
Read moreGuest
Ms.Jenna
Points +525
Thai Food for vegans - Edit
Love the ambiance. Perfect atmosphere for family gathering, girls night out or a nice date night. Food was so delicious and it’s BYOB. If you forget no worries there is a store next door that sales wine. The customer service was friendly. They were busy and it took a few reminders of past request but overall I appreciated the friendly staff along with the great food this is a winner in my book. Also, as a vegan it’s always hard to find a spot but this is perfect vegan spot with tons of vegan options. I will be returning
Read morePros: Lots of vegan options , BYOB
Guest
rawmess
Points +50
Not for Vegans - Edit
Writing negative reviews is extremely rare for me, but this has to be said. For over two years, my husband and I have been ordering takeout from this restaurant to show support during the pandemic.
Read moreFor over two years, he's ordered over the phone and online. He ALWAYS asks that they prepare certain items vegan so I can eat, too. Last night, after finding eggs in the Pad Thai for the SECOND time, he called to kindly let them know and to verify that the spring rolls were vegan. It was then he was told they cannot be made vegan because they are cooked in the same fryer as meat.
So, FOR OVER TWO YEARS, I've been eating non-vegan rolls and they never bothered to say anything about it until he specifically asked for verification (which he has actually done in the past when ordering over the phone). When we order, they even write "vegan" on the boxes.
Please train your staff on the importance of paying close attention to dietary restrictions. Contrary to popular belief, vegans don't choose to avoid animal products because it's a fad; it is an ethical decision. Serving non-vegan food to a vegan and letting them think it's vegan is akin to serving non-kosher food to a practicing Jewish person (minus the religious aspect). In other words, it's completely against our beliefs.
Though writing the word "vegan" on a non-vegan container of Pad Thai isn't ok, I can give the benefit of the doubt and assume the restaurant was probably really busy and it was an honest mistake. Luckily I saw the eggs before attempting to eat it, unlike last time when I only realized after taking a few bites and noticed an unexpected taste. However, not telling us a dish can't be made vegan for over two years, despite our explicit requests, is negligence at best
People put a lot of faith in strangers, when ordering food from restaurants. We trust that the people preparing our food are taking seriously the fact that we're going to be ingesting what they're serving us. Thank goodness I don't have any serious allergies to what they gave us.
I will not be eating here, going forward, which is too bad because I really like to support places that are trying to make an effort to be inclusive. If you can't make something vegan or it's too much of a bother to take requests seriously, just let people know so they can make other arrangements. It's just not ok to be dishonest to customers about the food they are eating. #Veganuary
Pros: Food tastes good
Cons: See review
Guest
catdaddyyyyyyyy
Points +16
So vegan friendly - Edit
Almost the whole menu had vegan option making sure to do no fish sauce, etc. everything is made fresh to order so that’s why it can be customized. Highly recommend - the papaya salad and pumpkin curry were amazing.
Read moreGuest
Brendamarlene
Points +62
Good food, very friendly and helpful staff!!! - Edit
Found this place thanks to happy cow and a stranger who saw me and my family struggling to find a place to eat. We were greeted right away with a friendly staff member who made our check in process so smooth (COVID restrictions require you to show proof of vaccine or negative COVID test). We had actually driven to go eat at the other side diner but were completely rejected (very rudely) because my husband and I only have digital proof of vaccination (which complied with state requirements as well as us being health care workers and being fully vaccinated since January 2021). Thank you to all the staff at Olay’s for turning this experience into such an amazing one. There was plenty of vegan options for me and my husband and our host was knowledgeable on vegan options and answered all our questions. She really exceeded great level of service.
Read moreUpdated from previous review on 2021-09-16
Pros: Lots of vegan options , Great service , Great prices
Guest
BrianDove
Points +214
Great Food and Great Service - Edit
So many vegan options that I had a difficult time choosing. The courtyard seating was so far from the street that I forgot I was in downtown; such a peaceful location.
Read moreGuest
LoganMelton
Points +1273
Very vegan friendly - Edit
Most items on the menu have a clearly labeled vegan option. I got the pad ki map and it was extraordinary. I ordered it spicy and the spice level was good but nothing crazy. We also had the mango sticky rice and it was extremely flavorful and a perfect consistency.
Read morePros: Very vegan friendly, Large menu
Guest
·X·
Points +19618
Olay's Thai Lao Cuisine - Edit
EVERYTHING ON THE MENU CAN BE MADE VEGAN!
Read moreOlay's vegan options were top notch for me. I had the papaya salad made Laos style extra hot/spicy and it was very delicious...the peppers were not messing around, so make sure you can handle it if you order super spicy! The vegan tom yum (also made spicy) was full of so much flavor and I find myself wishing I had another bowl of it in front of me as I write this review. All in all, it was a tasty and very healthy meal. The back patio area was extra cute with lights and a little waterfall. 4.5 stars!
Guest
FlopStar
Points +248
Lots of choice, great courtyard - Edit
Had my first vegan green papaya salad and a delicious Laotian Pad Thai. Tasty and super easy to know what can be ordered vegan.
Read morePros: Lots of vegan options
Guest
schneitmm88
Points +62
Amazing! - Edit
Highly recommend this restaurant. Food quality was fire! Listed on the menu what can be made vegan. Tons of options available. We had the pad Thai made vegan & fresh summer rolls.
Read morePros: Lots of vegan options , Clearly labeled on menu, Reasonable prices
Guest
rjmj76
Points +29
Great restaurant in Chinatown with many vegan options - Edit
The great Thai restaurant in Chinatown with an interior courtyard with water feature.
Read morePros: Lots of vegan options, Beautiful interior courtyard
Cons: None
Guest
JTA
Points +645
Best choice for vegan in Chinatown! - Edit
The ambiance is what drew me and the food keeps me coming back. They have an awesome courtyard outside with weeping willows, a coi pond/waterfall, and lots of little lights. And then you get to the menu and it shows everything that can be made vegan. I had avocado summer rolls and vegan fried rice. The best fried rice I have ever had! They also had live music when we went. Definitely check them out!
Read morePros: Ambiance , Vegan options, Fried rice
Guest
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