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Address and Contact Information
Address: 586 Westford St, Lowell, MA 01851
Phone: (978) 441-0014
Website: https://www.zabb-elee.com/
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Reviews
Jea Kim
Stopped by Lowell last year while exploring a few Lao spots in the area. This one came recommended by a friend who lives nearby. It was noticeably quieter than some of the more crowded Lao restaurants around town, which gave me a bit of hesitation at first, but the food turned out solid overall.
Chicken wings: The menu said Lao spices, but the reality was much gentler. It was a subtle, hard-to-pinpoint flavor profile that played it incredibly safe.
Moo Krob: A straightforward execution of crispy pork belly. Crispy skin and tender layers. Very similar to the crispy pork belly you’d find at a typical Thai restaurant.
Sticky Rice: Wrapped and steamed inside a traditional bamboo container. This was so much more satisfying than I thought, and that chewy base paired beautifully with the heavy meats. A massive upgrade over standard jasmine rice.
… moreChicken wings: The menu said Lao spices, but the reality was much gentler. It was a subtle, hard-to-pinpoint flavor profile that played it incredibly safe.
Moo Krob: A straightforward execution of crispy pork belly. Crispy skin and tender layers. Very similar to the crispy pork belly you’d find at a typical Thai restaurant.
Sticky Rice: Wrapped and steamed inside a traditional bamboo container. This was so much more satisfying than I thought, and that chewy base paired beautifully with the heavy meats. A massive upgrade over standard jasmine rice.
Mick Dunn
Zabb Elee is an excellent Lao and Thai cuisine restaurant featuring “Traditional Laos Cuisine” near downtown Lowell. The room is small with only a few tables for seating. It has a kitschy museum feel that’s almost like someone’s home where they keep their heirlooms and collections. There’s a lot to look at here, and every glance at the same spot reveals something you missed the first time; pretty interesting actually, and much of it is for sale. For food, I started with the excellent Lao Sausage; very tasty with a mild kick. Next I had Moo Krob (deep fried pork belly). This was way too fatty for me; nearly 100% fat on three quarters of the plate, with the outer surface of each bite being very hard. Generally, I like it about 50 / 50 or more on the lean side like Dominican chicharrones. Maybe fatty is how the Lao prefer it but for me it was unsatisfying, however, the spicy sauce that came with it was excellent. After that I had the delicious Pad Pak Boong (stir fried vegetables); a wonderfully flavorful dish. For drink I had hot black tea. Service was very friendly and attentive. Overall it was a pleasurable enough experience and I most certainly will return. Very much recommended.
… moreChristopher Dutton
First time trying Laos food and I am blown away with how flavorful and delicious everything was. Definitely would recommend to others and I will be coming back to try new things!
… moreMicah Lubensky
This place is a delight. We were going to be passing by Lowell. Though I had never been to Lowell before, I had heard that there are a bunch of Southeast Asian immigrant communities living there, and equally a large variety of Southeast Asian cuisine restaurants in town. I was particularly craving Laotian cuisine. We stopped in to order to go.
Once we walked in the door, we were greeted warmly (I forgot to ask for the hostess’s name). I said up front we wanted to order take out so she gave us a seat with menus and offered us two large glasses of ice water. After placing the order, I started to take in all of the decor. It’s pretty sumptuous, and at times I might call it a little decadent, but I’m guessing the goal is to make customers comfortable and feel like they are in a (small) palatial setting. There is a lot to look at in the large display cases, above and below the bar, in the corner with the ornate (rosewood?) table, chairs (thrones?), and divan. Lots of beautiful, spiritual, and fun, carved statues.
Our food was ready within 25 minutes, which was about the time we finished looking around from our seats at the heavy wooden table/chairs area.
The food smelled fantastic as we dove home. The dishes did not disappoint in the least. We ordered
C14. Nam Kao (deep fried rice with pork sausage and peanuts, to be wrapped with lettuce leaves).
C12. Pad Pak Boong (water spinach).
C7. Kra Pao Moo Krob (stir fried pork belly with bell peppers and onion)
B6. Lao sausage
Side of Jasmine rice
Everything was wonderful and fresh with delightful flavors. We would order these dishes again without hesitation. And I’m sure that there are many other things on the menu that deserve trying. That said, the star among our ordered dishes is the Nam Kao. That particularly was what I was craving and this is among the best that I’ve had (to be clear, I’ve only eaten Laotian food in the US; I’ve never been to Laos). The textures and the flavors were perfect. The Lao sausage was also worth writing home about.
Definitely give this place a try. Note that there are only a few tables to sit at in this tiny restaurant, so if it’s a busy night you may have to wait outside.
I will add photos and label them too.
… moreOnce we walked in the door, we were greeted warmly (I forgot to ask for the hostess’s name). I said up front we wanted to order take out so she gave us a seat with menus and offered us two large glasses of ice water. After placing the order, I started to take in all of the decor. It’s pretty sumptuous, and at times I might call it a little decadent, but I’m guessing the goal is to make customers comfortable and feel like they are in a (small) palatial setting. There is a lot to look at in the large display cases, above and below the bar, in the corner with the ornate (rosewood?) table, chairs (thrones?), and divan. Lots of beautiful, spiritual, and fun, carved statues.
Our food was ready within 25 minutes, which was about the time we finished looking around from our seats at the heavy wooden table/chairs area.
The food smelled fantastic as we dove home. The dishes did not disappoint in the least. We ordered
C14. Nam Kao (deep fried rice with pork sausage and peanuts, to be wrapped with lettuce leaves).
C12. Pad Pak Boong (water spinach).
C7. Kra Pao Moo Krob (stir fried pork belly with bell peppers and onion)
B6. Lao sausage
Side of Jasmine rice
Everything was wonderful and fresh with delightful flavors. We would order these dishes again without hesitation. And I’m sure that there are many other things on the menu that deserve trying. That said, the star among our ordered dishes is the Nam Kao. That particularly was what I was craving and this is among the best that I’ve had (to be clear, I’ve only eaten Laotian food in the US; I’ve never been to Laos). The textures and the flavors were perfect. The Lao sausage was also worth writing home about.
Definitely give this place a try. Note that there are only a few tables to sit at in this tiny restaurant, so if it’s a busy night you may have to wait outside.
I will add photos and label them too.
pingyao shao
I love this place. The food is great. Tasty and feel like eating at home. It’s just a little different about yum Nam sod, it was too sweet. However, I will go back here to eat again.
… moreErik Swider
I’ve been looking for duck larb in the area for YEARS since having it on the west coast. Food is amazing, the owner is so sweet, and it’s such a cozy and homey place to be. Will absolutely be back. Easily the best dish I’ve had in Lowell
… moreClay Mangiameli
I had this restaurant recommended by a Lao friend who is in the restaurant business and it did not disappoint. If you want truly authentic Lao food that caters to the local Lao population this is a great option. You will get food cooked like they do at home & not modified to an American palette that is more accustomed to Thai food. Small restaurant with limited seating, and lots of Lao decor. The staff was very friendly. There are 6 parking spots right in front or else street parking.
The cooked larb beef was fantastic. Often if you can find this dish at a Thai restaurant it will be ground beef which isn’t as good, but not here. Thinly sliced beef with lots of aromatics. Make sure to order a side of sticky rice which it is typically eaten with. There was enough food for 2 people if you ordered 2 sides or rice. Heat was on a scale of 1-10 and they gave me a “medium”. I like spicy food and boy was I sweating.
I was also recommended the Kao Piek soup and absolutely loved it. It balanced out the heat from the larb since it is not spicy. It is similar to an American chicken noodle soup, but 10X better. Very thick broth with tons of garlic and very comforting. They hand make the noodles everyday. If you want it spicy, typically you add chili oil (not sriracha) which is a condiment at the table. Their chili oil is much spicier than other Asian restaurants I’ve been to so taste it first.
… moreThe cooked larb beef was fantastic. Often if you can find this dish at a Thai restaurant it will be ground beef which isn’t as good, but not here. Thinly sliced beef with lots of aromatics. Make sure to order a side of sticky rice which it is typically eaten with. There was enough food for 2 people if you ordered 2 sides or rice. Heat was on a scale of 1-10 and they gave me a “medium”. I like spicy food and boy was I sweating.
I was also recommended the Kao Piek soup and absolutely loved it. It balanced out the heat from the larb since it is not spicy. It is similar to an American chicken noodle soup, but 10X better. Very thick broth with tons of garlic and very comforting. They hand make the noodles everyday. If you want it spicy, typically you add chili oil (not sriracha) which is a condiment at the table. Their chili oil is much spicier than other Asian restaurants I’ve been to so taste it first.
Linda Roy
My family and I were so surprised to stopped by and have lunch here for the first time in the area. The food was deliciously amazing and authentic. Duck salad, baked cow tongue, papaya salad, crispy pork and fried hollowed vegetables were all delicious!
… moreSilly Bunny
This Lao place offers a good selections of Lao dishes. Their fried meatball was quite good. The meat was not too dried. The sweet and sour sauce went well with the meatball and cabbage on the side. Nam Khao is my favorite lao food, and I’ve tried it at many places. Nam Khao at this place was a little too sour for me, but I liked the ratio of their peanut and cilantro to the rice. It would have been better if they made it less sour and just added lime on the side.
… moreMorgan H
Pros: Extremely flavorful, friendly staff
Cons: Crab Rangoon was completely burnt and inedible as seen below, food was cold upon opening, shrimp pad Thai had maybe 6 or 7 tiny pieces of shrimp hidden in the whole box, as pictured below, they forgot to put the chicken in my Chicken Basil Fried Rice. Paid $31 for a mediocre meal. Wanted to return it for a refund, but was persuaded in just letting it go by my husband, who wanted to enjoy a date night in.
… moreCons: Crab Rangoon was completely burnt and inedible as seen below, food was cold upon opening, shrimp pad Thai had maybe 6 or 7 tiny pieces of shrimp hidden in the whole box, as pictured below, they forgot to put the chicken in my Chicken Basil Fried Rice. Paid $31 for a mediocre meal. Wanted to return it for a refund, but was persuaded in just letting it go by my husband, who wanted to enjoy a date night in.