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Sapp Coffee Shop
Categories: Restaurants Thai Food Coffee & Tea Thai, Coffee & Tea
5183 Hollywood BlvdLos Angeles, CA 90027
Neighborhood: Hollywood
(323) 665-1035
- Hours:
Mon-Tue, Thu-Sun 7 am - 8 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street, Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
290 reviews for Sapp Coffee Shop
Review Highlights
"I could eat boat noodles all day every day."
(in 173 reviews)
"Another favorite is the papaya salad."
(in 20 reviews)
"...as the spicy beef salad, crab fried rice, and the thai tea."
(in 12 reviews)
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290 reviews in English
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Review from Steph C.
1/2/2012 3 photos
Sapp Coffee Shop is one of my favorite cheap lunch spots in L.A. It's very hard for me to get to, even though I'm just a few minutes away - life with a job and a picky boyfriend can be limiting when it comes to ethnic lunch spots. This difficulty saddens me greatly, but I have managed to eat here a few times.
The place is small and so casual I'm almost surprised it has a (small, just functional) bathroom. It really feels like a coffee shop, the kind where you might order a sandwich over the counter and sit and eat cafeteria style. It's actually a full service spot with a huge menu, but it has a particularly low key feel with very little purposeful atmosphere. The service is great - the place seems to be run by a couple of Thai women, and they're quiet but personable, and they bring food out fast. They also check in often, so you never lack for napkins or water.
The food is excellent and remarkably cheap. The signature boat noodles with beef cost $5.75 for a filling portion. The boat noodles are delicious. The soup is masterful, complex and rich with flavor. It's dark and deep, blood-thickened and swimming with a little bit of evil pungency that tastes so good. The broth gets some lightness and zing from vinegar and lime and cilantro, a combination that makes the whole sing out in the ear of every taste bud. The actual noodles aren't the point of the bowl, but they are good, springy rice noodles that take well to the broth. The noodle portion isn't big, though, and it looks deceivingly larger than it is because of the bean sprouts in the bowl. I've had the boat noodles with beef with and without the addition of tripe, liver, tendon, and meatballs. I would recommend both. The beef is decent, with a stir fry quality, and it comes with some nice crispy fried skin that reminds me of fried tofu in the way it soaks up the broth. The special beef boat noodle is good because of the supple tripe and delicious meatball, but I hate the chalky liver. That taste lingers, and it isn't pleasant.
The rest of the menu seems worth trying as well. I've only touched a small part, but everything has been great. The som tom, or spicy papaya salad, is refreshing and zippy, with a nice crunch of peanuts and a bright dressing. I also like the Thai omelet with ground pork - it's fluffy and filling, and it comes with a side of sriracha. My favorite dish, though, tied roughly with the boat noodles, is the jade noodles. This is a bowl of warm, dry rice noodles with sliced duck, pork, shredded crab, peanuts, scallions, and Thai spinach. You squeeze in a lime then take everything and give it a vigorous mix. This yields a flavorful, slightly bitter, hefty bowl of noodles that feels astonishingly light going down. It's even better with some of the dangerous pickled jalapeño in a condiment jar on the table.
I haven't had dessert at Sapp but the Thai iced tea is some of the best I've had anywhere. It's sweet and tasty to the last drop, and though it comes with a lot of ice, it doesn't get too watered down. You also get a honey green tea candy when you leave.
It may be months before I can hit Sapp Coffee Shop again, but I think of it fondly and often. It's a great, affordable spot with destination food, and it will be a bright spot in my next spat of unemployment.Listed in: The Best of My Hometown,
In any case, it's unlikely…">Chipping away at Gold's 99 -
Review from Johanna C.
Los Angeles, CA
this place was featured in LA times's "ethnic food tour of LA" article.
my husband ordered the pad-see-ew noodles which i rate 8/10. it was some good stuff however most thai restaurants nail this dish so i wasnt too impressed.
i ordered the boat noodles with beef which is what they're most popular for. i asked for it to be mild spicy however i'm pretty sure they make it the same way for everyone bc it came with a huge chunk of hot sauce spooned right into the middle :x. the boat noodles were good however wayyyy to spicy for my taste and asking (part of why i gave it 3 stars).
service 9/10. this is a family-run business and i LOVE places like this. i'd go back just to become friends with the employees :p
all in all, i gave it a 3 bc i dont think i'd go back and i'd pick other thai restaurants over this one. -
Review from Edison T.
Friend told me about this spot and decided I need to try out these "boat noodles."
The noodles themselves are very similar to pho noodles but the broth has a very nice, rich taste to it. The spices and blood infused into the birth give it a distinct flavor and definite Thai taste to the dish.
Shop is nice and is a lot bigger inside than it looks outside. The parking lot is very small and when I got out to my car, I noticed that people just parked right behind me, blocking me in. -_____-
So try this place out and park on the street if you can, -
Review from Willy W.
1/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
*phew* finally got to go here after having this place bookmarked for ages!
I first heard about Sapp Coffee Shop place many moons ago when watching No Reservations. And then forgot about and moved to LA. Anyway, a re-run later, I bookmarked it and can now "cross it off the list".
Parking is limited in this tiny strip mall in "Thai Town" right by Hollywood. It is a small hole-in-the-wall that has no AC and accepts cash-only, but where else are you going to find "Boat Noodles"??
That's right, folks: Thai soup noodles! When in a mood for something different than the "ordinary" ramen or pho, come try this out.
The place is small, like I said. They have about 10-12 tables (I think). A few nice women seem to be running the place and keep it up in pretty good condition. Service was fine and their English was more than good enough.
I ordered the traditional boat noodle (asked for medium spiciness) and was a happy camper! I do wish that the portion was a bit bigger cuz I was a little hungry a few hours later already. But for the price (about $5-6) per bowl, it's not too shabby either. The broth was VERY tasty and not too spicy for me. I quite enjoyed it.
If I get another opportunity to stop by, I will have to try their Jade Noodle, which looks really good judging from the pictures.
Thanks to Yelp and Bourdain for putting this place on my radar. -
Review from Alex S.
12/26/2011
Like many, Mr. Gold brought me here. But compared to the other Boat Noodles I've had in Thai Town, these didn't taste any different.
I had met a friend for lunch down the street at another small Thai place and decided to have the Boat Noodles there, knowing that this wasn't "the famous Boat Noodles place" and they were really tasty and interesting. Fast forward a few weeks later and here I am trying the same dish. Is it good? Sure, and yes the tripe and liver is kinda gnarly so caveat emptor. But better than the other Boat Noodles? Nope. Just as good. Nothing special. Move along, nothing to see here.
My friend got the jade noodles and didn't want to eat the duck - HER LOSS! That duck was AMAZING. The pork and noodles too were really delightful. I think I liked this more than the Boat Noodles. We also split a Papaya Salad which wasn't the best I've had, but still good. We ordered it very spicy and the spice level didn't really hit too hard. Then again, maybe they made a mistake because I've suffered some horrifically spicy Thai before, down the street actually, so maybe it was for the best.
Super cheap but yes, cash only. -
Review from Suzan L.
Los Angeles, CA
12/23/2011
This hole in the wall is an awesome find. All my thanks goes to Anthony Bourdain for shining some light on this gem right in the middle of Thai Town, Los Angeles. I don't know why I've never ventured over to Thai Town before but I am definitely coming back...for Sapp's noodles! So far, my favorite has to be the Boat Noodles with beef (of course!), but the taste buds do not lie!!! And this bowl of serious GOODNESS will take you for a ride. I also tried a rice dish with 3 of their meats. Their roast duck was the best of them all.
Next on my list: Pad Thai or Pad See Ew???
more boat noodles, more boat noodles...pleeeaseee! -
Review from Ji-In L.
12/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
I really enjoyed the broth of the boat noodle soup. The broth (with blood) is deliciously rich and has a good amount of subtle but deep heat. I didn't think it was too salty at all. I ordered mine "special" and while I'm normally a fan of liver, tripe, and Asian meatballs, it was a little too much for me. All the pieces were just too big and too... easily identifiable for me. But if that doesn't bother you, go for it. My boyfriend got the jade noodles with bbq pork, duck, and crab meat. It's served with cilantro, peanuts, fresh lime, and what I think was just white sugar. Mix that all up and you got a great dish that's full of bright flavors. I also ordered Thai tea, which was perfect.
Bottom line: I'd definitely come again for the boat noodle soup but I'd order mine with just beef. The only reason why I might take a while to return would be there are so many places in Thai Town to try. But, I'm glad that I made Sapp my first destination.
My only complaint is a can of Coke shouldn't be $3. Also, cash only. -
Review from Susan V.
Thousand Oaks, CA
12/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
I want to say that I LOVE this place after eating their Boat Noodle soup but unfortunately I don't. It may be my personal preference but I felt that the noodles were extremely overpowering and salty. Hey-who knows that might be how the authentic noodles are supposed to taste, but it was too much for my palate. I nearly died of thirst an hour later. Along with the thai boat noodles, I also ordered a cute lil mug of thai iced tea which was delicious! I love that this place is so hole in the wall - feels like you're eating at a friend's house.
I think it's worth a try!
(Esp. after this was good enough to be on Bourdain :) ) -
Review from Chris B.
10/14/2011
"Foodlatio" (140 character reviews blog):
Like Thai? Feelin gutsy? Eat intestines & blood (famous boat soup). While I can see its rich appeal its not for me, like being a prostitute. -
Review from Su L.
Culver City, CA
1/9/2012
Tried boat noodle with beef and with pork. Decent meat and both are pretty flavorful. Portions are really really really small but everything is quite cheap.
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Review from Teresa C.
San Gabriel, CA
11/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
Apparently everyone's already heard of this place thanks to Anthony Bordain? Got off work early to go enjoy a nice Friday date with K at his new find, Sapp Coffee Shop which really looks nothing remotely like a coffee shop. A large Thai restaurant with a tiny parking lot, Sapp looks like it does a lot of local and to go business.
The thai tea was a great start, large glass and fresh. The boat noodles were good with a more brothy base and large cuts of the meat inside. I asked for no blood and received none. Decent but not the best.
The fried pork with chinese veggies was similar- well cooked although lacking in a lot of juicy sauce to drench the rice, the meat was more lean than some of the other places I've had it at and less crunchy. Good dish though. The crab fried rice was medium sized and had good flavor. A good dish for guys who need to fill up on carbs.
The lady was very friendly and recommended the Tom Kha soup which we ordered mild and arrived spicy, sob. We were pretty full and I took the soup home to make noodles for dinner afterwards though. Lots of seafood. Our waters were always full.
Decent place but if I'm going to fight traffic and parking, I'll probably sticking with Wat Dong Lek Noodle in Silverlake. I do want to try their sticky rice and fried salted pork though so maybe if I'm in the area, I'll be back. -
Review from Katie g.
Los Angeles, CA
1/8/2012
boat noodles
delicious boat noodles, light, flavorful, tasty.
(what they are known for)
really good spot for lunch.
cheap $5
*will maybe eat here again
*would enjoy the same dish -
Review from Danny R.
Valencia, CA
11/10/2011
I love this hole in the wall restaurant. Parking can be a bit hard, but i always lucked out and found a spot.
Here are my favorites
Thai boat noodle 4 1/2 stars
Roast duck with rice 4 stars
Crispy Pork with brocolli 5 stars
Crispy Catfish with curry 4 1/2 stars
Larb 4 stars
Tom Ka Gai 4 1/2 stars
Cha Po 5 stars
Pad Woon Sen 4 stars
Rad Na 4 1/2 stars
Service is great and price is excellent! -
Review from Mathias S.
Hayward, CA
10/12/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Sapp Coffee Shop is my new favorite Thai spot. Located in an inconspicuous strip mall, the inside is simple but comfortable. Service is always prompt and very friendly. Price is affordable, entrees average about 8-9 dollars. The food is always delicious and tastes like good home cooking. Make sure to ask if they have any specials that day, there's a whole assortment of items not on the they hand you.
Definite winners: Thai boat noodles, jade noodles, Chinese broccoli w/ crispy pork, fried pork with sticky rice, curry chicken and rice, papaya salad, and pad see ew. -
Review from james j.
Los Angeles, CA
1/1/2012
Kind staff, delicious spicy food. It was so good we wanted to go to lunch today after eating there last night. Chicken larb, spicy, mint, fresh light. The wonton soup was amazing!
Sapp, totally digging you! You are the reason why I love LA, a chance to discover something new after being here for 12 years. -
Review from Sharna H.
Los Angeles, CA
10/8/2011
First of all let me say I know my thai food one bc my mom lived in Thailand as a kid and two I've been to Thailand many times! This thai food is almost equal to what you get in Thailand extremely authentic! The non Asians who hate on this place prolly don't no what to order no offense!!
The tom yum is my fave in the states! This place is truly traditional! Ppl who complain bout portion size clearly don't realize portion size is smaller in foreign countries like thai land! And since this place is traditional thai it's sizes are closer to Thailand size! This is not Americas super size portions loaded with fat! Hence why Asians tend to b heathier and have better bodies bc they don't overeat! -
Review from housephiliac h.
West Hollywood, CA
10/13/2011 3 Check-ins Here
As far as advance Thai Food goes (you know, where you graduate to after eating pad thais, stirfries and very colorful soupy curries - this is still my favorite.
Maybe it's the fact that this was first love that I'll always prefer this spot to others. Food is always great here, the #1 is so good but you've gotta try other things here as well.
Sapp will forever be on regular rotation along with Pa Ord on Sunset and Spicy Bbq on Santa Monica
Do yourselves a favor and order spicy just once. The endorphin rush is serious! -
Review from Andrea O.
Pasadena, CA
10/11/2011
This is one of the places I take out-of-towners when they visit LA :) We are very lucky to have access to such authentic Thai food just around the corner!
The boat noodle (I recommend extra tendon), stir-fry duck with morning glory, and Sen Chan Pad Pu (spicy/crab egg pad thai variation) are my favorites. The service is fast, the prices extremely affordable.
If you're not a big fan of liver, don't forget to ask them to remove it in the boat noodle!
The coconut juice is very refreshing after this meal, especially if you opted for spicy. -
Review from Robert B.
Camarillo, CA
8/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
Checklist to identifying an annoying yelp food hipster.
1. Quotes qualifications before posting review ("I'm ____", "I've been to ___", "I've eaten plenty of ___ ")
2. Chooses to review only the most obscure food items("People come here for the ___, but this review is for the ____")
3. Admonishes all other people who've reviewed it as ignorant rubes ("The people that gave this place good reviews must/must not ____")
4. Loves to say "lacks seasoning" and "bland" when describing food
I only say this because god forbid, a Thai family emigrates to the US, wins the damn restaurant lotto and gets featured on television, they'll be jumped on by these horribly annoying food hipster jackals and demonized for their bland and flavorless food, and these reviewers, they know their stuff, they're self proclaimed experts with tons of internet credentials.
This place is a simple thai restaurant, with good hearty and cheap food. Yes, I only came here because of No Reservations, a show which has caused me to salivate onto my remote on multiple occasions, but that doesn't mean I'm some brain dead retard fan boy.
The soup was good, exactly what I was expecting, meaty broth with a fair share of meat and offal. I'm sure there's a ton of other places where you can get a variation on this dish that's a hair better, or significantly worse. The people there basically jogged up to us to get us when we walked in and were all smiles the whole time. If you're looking for some good noodle soup, this is the spot. -
Review from Alana M.
Los Angeles, CA
10/28/2011 7 Check-ins Here
Small hole in the wall restaurant with great service and food. This is HANDS DOWN my favorite thai restaurant and i am thai so believe me when I say it's good! I have been coming here since I was a little kid. The owner is super nice and the food is always consistently great.
I definitely recommend the Thai Boat noodles and the Laht Nah. Also, I saw an episode of No Reservations a couple years back and I was surprised to see that Sapp Noodles was on. Woohoo! Anthony Bourdain loved the boat noodles! SOOO if you don't believe me, maybe you'll believe Anthony Bourdain's review of the place. -
Review from Sak Y.
Redondo Beach, CA
I've been here on several occasions and have tried both their boat noodles and jade noodles. I wasn't too fond of the boat noodles, but their JADE NOODLES are something else. Nuff said.
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Review from David a.
Los Angeles, CA
8/19/2011
Just because some shitters from the Food Network panders to this place does not mean that I am going to line up behind the kitchen to give them a San Diego thank you or a reach around either. My lunch left me with ambivalent feelings about this place. It was half average, and half great.
The papaya salad that I ordered came out devoid of chili and lacking the taste that I have come to expect from this dish anywhere in Thai Town. I forgive them for what can only be described as a sub-standard papaya salad by Hollywood standards because all Farangs look alike they always say. Next time I will make myself perfectly clear that I want to enjoy the heat without having the chef pull any punches. The portion was pretty fucking skimpy to add insult to injury.
But people come here for the boat noodles, you reply in your incomprehensible babble. I opted for the Yen Ta Fo soup noodles instead which salvaged my lunch. There were a lot of assorted fishcakes, tripe, and fish balls floating around in a tasty broth with some vinegar based red-sauce on top. Additionally, the soup had morning glories, a slice or two of pork, and some pieces of dried squid. I had to put 1/2 a teaspoon of the dried chili powder on top to adjust the heat level to my liking, but I was still feeling happier than a pig in a poke. These were leaps and bounds better than the Yen Ta Fo at my old noodle standby across the street.
I saw something on the specials board which I am clearly going to try next time and that was was the Jungle Curry (no coconut milk). -
Review from Dustin D.
West University, Houston, TX
9/3/2011
OK, I did it... I performed the shameful act of recreating a culinary experience from an Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations" episode. Admittedly, it satiated a craving that sparked four years ago when I watched Tony eat at Sapp Coffee Shop with the self-proclaimed champion of noodle hunting, aptly named, "The Noodle Whore." After sitting at the exact table and ,literally, ordering the exact same dish that Mr. Bourdain slurpled up (Boat noodles with Beef - including meatballs, tripe, beef liver, and tendon), the fanatical, giggly shame I felt quickly turned to a moment of complete clarification from the first taste of this amazing broth. Not that i doubted Tony's taste buds... But i've never been a fan of tripe - and this is literally the first time I can say I actually enjoyed it!
Sapp is much smaller than I thought it would be. If a camera adds ten pounds to a person, well.. it adds about 30 square feet to a room! More so, the parking is close to impossible. It seems that the parking places within this corner shopping spot is mostly filled by the owners of the shops, if that gives you any indication of how small this plot of land is. I had to find an empty metered space across the street and commit jay-walking to get to Sapp. Also, for those of you who remember the No Reservations LA episode, Sapp at the time had a C rating from the city inspectors... well, it can now boast a whopping B rating! All that said, Tony's words still ring true," a little honest dirt is never an impedement to a great meal." This was a fun and rememberable lunch... You'll find me here again when I come back to LA. -
Review from Jan K.
Cerritos, CA
8/18/2011
TL;DR - Boat noodle is terrible but Hoy Tod is money.
People who say the boat noodles here are awesome must be new to Asian noodles or something. I find myself so disheartened when bloggers/critics praise their noodles because it feels akin to hearing someone say "Yo man, Taco Bell is the BOMB for true Mexican. It's so authentic!" Maybe a bit overboard, but I feel strongly about my noodles, particularly when one of my favorites in this category was so utterly butchered.
Before all the hatin' starts, I'm not talking out of my a** here. I'm Thai with a Thai mom who often makes this from scratch, spending hours over a simmering pot until the meat and tendon reach their tender perfection, blending the pork blood by hand to achieve the perfect thickness and texture for the soup base. I once ate nothing but boat noodles for two weeks while visiting the motherland and over the years have eaten boat noodles of every variety-from boat noodles actually made and served from a boat, to the delicious dry variation from my home town fave in Samsen, to my favorite place ever for boat noodles in Ayuttaya, to Tesco food court boat noodles-I've had them all.
What makes or breaks a good bowl of noodles for me is the broth. If the broth is whack, not much else in the bowl can redeem it. Boat noodles to me should be thick and full of flavor. By thick I mean both in consistency and in taste. It should taste multidimensional, allowing you to savor the delicate blend of salty, savory, sweet, sour, etc. The broth here was flat. It was not only thin in consistency but also in flavor. It literally tasted like it was made from an old, stale package of soup mix, as in there was a funky aftertaste on my palate after each sip. Maybe the cook forgot to add a few things before it left the kitchen? Maybe it was an off night? New cook or staff in the back perhaps? I don't know what was up but this was a far cry from the best.
If you liked your bowl of noodles and it tastes good to you then by all means, enjoy and more power to ya! I know everyone is different so maybe to someone who is not OCD about her noodles it really is the best. But for me, it was game over from the first sip. I realize I'm being a bit harsh here but for all the raves this place gets for their noodles, I thought I should speak up for the boat noodle purists out there. I can't be the only one, right??
To their credit though, I also ordered Hoy Tod, and that was surprisingly delish. They should also get major props since a lot of places don't offer it, or if they do it's too gooey which I despise, but Saap hit the mark here. Hoy Tod is another one of my faves (I also spent a week while in Thailand eating nothing but Hoy Tod, lol) and this place makes it better than a lot of other LA joints, and honestly, better than some places in Thailand! It was just the right amount of crispy and gooey and came with plenty of bean sprouts which I love with Hoy Tod and other places tend to skimp on for some reason.
I really want to love this place. I love small joints and mom and pops and for all the hype I really wanted it to be good. I might go back since I think my bowl may have been a fluke; but seriously, one of the benchmarks of a good restaurant is consistency and I'm not sure if I want to make the drive out and give up valuable tummy real estate in the hopes of getting a consistent bowl. -
Review from Cat T.
Los Angeles, CA
11/16/2011 5 Check-ins Here
thank you, anthony bourdain... for sending me to this place to get boat noodles... of which i am not a fan. (and i gave it several tries)
BUT, it led me to find my new favorite noodle dish EVER...
the JADE NOODLES w/bbq pork, duck, and crab meat (craving it right now... drooling on the keyboard as i write this...)
i also love their seasoned duck noodle soup with its dark sweet broth... mmmm...
the fried salted pork is like thai bacon... it's meh with the sauce it comes with... it's amazing with that green, vinegar, chili sauce they give you... make sure you order with a side of sticky rice... -
Review from Kristen C.
San Francisco, CA
7/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
Definitely one of those places that I would have never known existed if my friend hadn't pointed it out to me. But I'm so glad she did. The Boat noodles we're delicious, however I had to steer clear of the liver pieces in my bowl. I didn't want to opt for the one without all the tripe, liver, etc since sometimes that changes the whole flavoring of the soup! All in all, it was delish, but I also have to give it to the spicy crab fried rice with chinese broccoli. It was sooo good!
Next time you're in thai town, stop on over here and see if you agree with Anthony Bourdain
TIP: CASH ONLY!! ! -
Review from Susan L.
Camarillo, CA
8/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
OMG...Amazing! The place is in a little shopping center on the fringe of the uber-hipstery Los Feliz neighborhood. The parking's really cramped so I would definitely recommend the metered parking on the street. Also, if you are really conservative, I wouldn't recommend you come here either. I was seated across the least convincing tranny that I've ever seen (esp. considering I've been to Jersey), and even though I could give two poops about someone else's sexual identity, it was slightly distracting, so I can imagine someone from the Bible belt freaking the eff out.
I went there with the boyfriend. He had the #6, I had the #3, both noodle soups, and they were both delicious. There is the perfect noodle/soup/meat ratio and the texture is nicely complimented by the generous sprinkling of green onions, pork cracklins and sprouts. Almost everyone else in the entire restaurant was Thai, so you know the food is authentic and of good quality.
Prices were great too!
2 noodle soups + 1 soda + tip (15% +) = less than $20.00
Also, if you're super squeamish about your food, I'd probably save this place for a day when you're feeling particularly adventurous. They have dishes that contain livers, tripe, tendon, etc., and they have, as of 08-20-2011, a B rating from the Health Dept. But seriously, if you're only willing to eat at places with A ratings, you need to live a little. -
Review from Stephen N.
Los Angeles, CA
6/22/2011
Sapp Coffee Shop is kind of place where the pseudo religious pictures on the wall have been hung up incorrectly and there is no chance in hell that anyone that works there will take two minutes to fix them. So,the place is kind of a dump. And the parking situation is nonexistent.
But, their boat noodle soup is the best soup you can get in Los Angeles and that buys you some stars in my opinion.
Man up and ask for it hot.
Consume.
Rejoice at your newly cleared sinuses.
Also, as a bonus it's only a few blocks from Jumbos. So, there's that. -
Review from natalie t.
Los Angeles, CA
11/7/2011
service is good. always refilling my 3/4's full glass of water.
food is good.
the restaurant name is deceiving though...sounds like a donut shop. -
Review from Caitlin K.
Costa Mesa, CA
5/3/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I heard about this place as a result from a food. I'm guessing that this is more of an authentic Thai place since there are dishes that I've never heard of. Also since there seemed to be lots of asian people there, and the non-asians that were there seemed to have been brought by asians.
The dish I ordered is called Sen Chan Pad Poo (it goes by different names at different places) It's a rice noodle and crab dish. Get it regular spicy. It wasn't as good as it is at the other place I go to (which is in the bay area) but it might be because I got it spicy which took away from the flavor a bit.
Anyway, I will be going again to get my fav dish again and to try the other things on the menu that are not typical.
The decore is not fancy, it's decorated like a lunch place, I think it doesn't stay open late for dinner anyway. The parking is crap but I think it is worth the trip if you're looking for something different. FYI, cash only! -
Review from Environmentalist W.
West Los Angeles, CA
11/6/2011
I've only been once, and I can't wait to go back. In round one, we had the boat noodle soup with beef, jade noodles, and crispy pork over steamed rice. The waitress said they have Specials on Saturdays. Very nice staff, good, friendly service, and excellent prices. Cash only. Worth a trip!
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Review from Joseph S.
7/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
Sapp has great boat noodle soup. You can go safe with the beef, or dangerous with the tripe, tendon and liver. Since danger is my middle name, I went with the latter.
There's nothing dangerous about the organy soup. It was actually really comforting to eat, kinda like the feeling when eating pho on a rainy day. Can't wait to go back in the winter.
Cash only!Listed in: Jonathan Gold's 99 Things to…
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Review from Fontaine Y.
Los Angeles, CA
4/6/2011
The best Thai Boat Noodles I've had in LA! The broth is super flavorful as are the random meat bits. I always get the #2, no liver. Gahd, so good. It's a somewhat small bowl of noodles, so if you're hungry, I would recommend getting another somethin' somethin'.
The papaya salad is very good also, along with the beef salad with the rice powder stuff. Watch out with the spice level of the papaya salad. I can generally handle my spice, but those thai chilies are pretty brutal. I was literally sobbing into my salad last time I ordered it. Specify mild if you're not really a spice person.
Parking can be a bit wonk in their lot, but you can generally find something on the street. Also, CASH ONLY! -
Review from Gino E.
3/28/2011
Ordered take-out from Sapp, and when I got there to pick it up, they were insanely hospitable! They might as well have carried me to the register and gave me a back rub (that would have been pretty cool)! To say the least, ALL staff was incredibly nice.
As for the food, we ordered the beef boat noodles, papaya salad, and fried rice with pork. The flavors from the fixings and spices in the noodles creates a beautiful drunken party in your mouth, while the papaya salad brings serious tears to your eyes (and mucus to your nose) from deliciousness and spiciness. Definitely not recommended for those with a low-spice tolerance. The fried rice was average, nothing especially memorable, but still good.
Sapp has definitely gone on my top three list of my favorite Thai town spots and looking forward to returning! Probably later this week...... -
Review from Yoojin L.
Los Angeles, CA
9/15/2011
so...if you don't like animal's BLOOD...don't get the sap's ultimate dish, boat noodles..or whatever they call it..
don't get me wrong, the boat noodle was good! but it wasn't something I'll CRAVE. The dish left me unsatisfying aftertaste. Although when I was eating the boat noodles, it was A-OK as yelp describes it with 3 stars.
Their thai iced tea was good though. Very refreshing with shaved ice, NOT just cubes of ice..SHAVed ice. mMMMmmm...
I would try rice dishes next if anything -
Review from Weixin D.
North Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA
7/4/2011
Happy Fourth of July! Today, we went as a family to Sapp Coffee Shop. We originally knew of this place through a Food Network show that recommended their Thai Boat Noodles. Since then, we've gone back many times, but this is my first review of them.
Most of us ordered the Thai Boat Noodles. You can order the #2 with Beef, or the #3 with crazy Beef goodness--liver, meatball, tripe, and tendon. The broth is rich in herbs and spices, including lemongrass, cilantro, bean sprouts, green onion, lime, and chili. It is thickened with beef blood, but don't be put off by it; it's the best thing ever! Together, it's one big awesome beefy bowl of magic for only $6.
We've gone to other restaurants to try their thai boat noodles, but nothing compares to the richness and complexity of Sapp's. Combined with a friendly staff, this makes it one of the best stops for Thai Boat Noodles. We've been before and we'll definitely be back again!Listed in: Good Yelps
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Review from Demon V.
Los Angeles, CA
10/30/2011
There are thousands of Thai restaurants sprawled all over Los Angeles and sadly the vast majority serve the usual lack-luster Pad Thai to bored tourists. However, hidden away in a strip mall underneath a unprepossessing sign is a place with fantastic food. The place is justly famous for the Boat Noodle soup but everything on the menu is worth ordering; the ingredients are fresh, no pre-made packs, the fried foods are perfectly crisp, noodles are neither soggy nor overcooked and all flavors are intense. Even the drinks are both generous and refreshing and the wait staff friendly and quite fast.
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Review from Jennifer C. L.
Studio City, CA
10/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
Yummy Beef Noodle Soup & Papaya Salad...very spicy!
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Review from madison l.
Glendale, CA
7/29/2011
Best food I've ever had of any cuisine. You step in the main door and feel like you've been shipped overseas, a feeling I love for little Asian restaurants. Service is always amazing, and since we give them a good tip when we go every weekend, they always send us home with goodies.
My favourite noodle bowl of theirs is the Jade noodles, which are brothless, sweet, and make up the fact that I can't eat ramen (MSG allergies). Plus, they are just as great reheated since the noodles don't deconstruct in the broth.
The Som Tam is also amazing, (we always get it minus shrimp). But be aware, if you ask for it spicy, they give it to you spicy. The first time my boyfriend and I went in and asked for spicy it was literally the spiciest food I'd ever had.
My boyfriend gets the boat noodles a lot, which are also amazing, but I like lighter foods, and that broth is a little on the meaty/rich side for me.
Anytime we want to get together with friends, we end up going here, (prices are about $7 per person), and the service is great. I'm still new to thai spicy and drink about 4 or 5 glasses of water in 20 minutes, but my glass is never empty. Service is outstanding, and the people are so nice. I've never ordered something off their menu and not liked it.
If you're in the area, or if you're a Thai food junkie, make this your next adventure. -
Review from Lauren T.
9/30/2011 1 photo
I discovered this place after watching a rerun of No Reservations in Los Angeles. The restaurant is very quaint and family owned. I followed the suggestion of the show and ordered the boat noodle #3. It was spicy and very tasty, similar to the taste of pho, and super cheap. I really enjoyed my meal.
