Thai Pod Restaurant

09/02/08

The best happy hour in the city, can't be beat!

by mariepdx

I just moved into NE Portland from SE and have been trying to find new restaurants and bars, especially happy hours. Thai Pod has an amazing happy hour. They are one of those golden places that realize drink and food specials both are a must. They have $1 PBR and very good cheap thai food. My favorite is the $2 Merlot. The service if very good and quick, portions are good. I also noticed they have a lower carb pad thai option. I haven?t tried that yet though because the normal dish is so good.

Service: Great, Quick, no lines to get in

My favorites: $2 Merlot and crab puffs

Best Deal: $1 PBR

Location: No parking trouble, on the 9 line, very clean, good atmosphere ? music is decent, not too loud, lighting sufficient not too bright.

• Pros: $1.75 microbrew $1 PBR, $2 Wine AND Cheap appetizers
• Cons: I've been three times and haven't found any yet.

08/11/08

Great Food, friendly staff!

by ashley1227

The owner is always around and he is very friendly and helpful. Their happy hour looks fantastic-- they have microbrews for $1.75! They also have occassional coupons which is never bad. I recommend their green curry, the cashew stir fry, and the drunken noodles.

• Pros: Good food, good service
• Cons: The bathrooms are yucky

07/24/08

my favorite Thai place

by gailsafter

I feel like a regular at this place. I only go once in a while but still, the owner always makes me feel like the most important person in there. He remembers my favorites, takes time to talk to me. Even at the end of a long day when they are about to close I still get service with a smile. I go to this restaurant because these are the people I want to give me hard earned dollars to but the food is also great. I get every delicious meal exactly as I wanted every single time.

07/09/08

Delicious Thai, Great Neighborhood Spot

by BornAndBredPDX

My husband and I have grown to love this local Thai restaurant over and above our former favorites. The owner took over management about a year and a half ago, and it has just gotten better and better under his care. We love every dish, but consistently order the panang curry (the creamiest, best spiced panang in the city!) and pad thai noodles (perfectly balanced flavor and texture - not gloppy). I disagree with the previous post that the portions are small - they are plentiful, and, if we don't stuff ourselves silly, we can easily turn our dinner into a lunch apiece the next day. Last night we tried the seasonal mango with sticky rice and it was just divine - perfect blend of ripe mango and coconutty rice. Yum! Please take a detour next time you're heading to your standard thai haunt, and give this newcomer a try!

• Pros: Authentic and wonderful food, prompt and attentive service
• Cons: Only con: sometimes the restaurant smells like air freshener which can overpower the smell of the cooking (which smells so good!)

06/25/08

A Terrible Experience

by xxyyxxyyxxyyx

Went last night, and I've got to say my experience here bears little resemblance to these other reviews... Had the salad rolls, pad thai tofu and green curry chicken. Serving sizes were small. Audible fighting was coming from the kitchen. The waiter acted tense. After finishing the meal went to the restroom which takes you right through the hot kitchen and saw "things" that made me uncomfortable to eat there. Without violating the unacceptable content rules of this website, suffice it to say hours later everyone it our party was extremely unhappy with the quality of the food preparation.

We will never return to Thai Pod....

• Pros: Cute Name
• Cons: Food Quality, Service

04/11/08

as many stars as you like!

by JulianaP

Loving Thai food and with so many to choose from, here is one special place that you NEED to check out! It is now our favorite! My husband likes it spicy. Seriously, he likes is HOT... He thinks a Costco sized bottle of Tabasco is a single serving item that should accompany every meal! (Yeah- a little ridiculous!, ...but the man knows what he likes) Every Thai restaurant we go to asks how many stars? He gets excited with the possibility that it might actually be spicy enough for him. Whenever he replies, as many as you can do, the waiter/waitress always pauses and thinks he's joking, or that he truly doesn't realize the potency of the spices they use and normally give him 5 stars (or less). Thai Pod however is different! Krit, our waiter who also happens to be the owner (and is hilarious by the way), wanted to make sure that we were satisfied in every way. This included taking my husbands challenge of spiciness! So out came his meal with 12 STARS!!! He ate every bite and was extremely satisfied! My food was exceptional as well. We tried a variety of dishes since this was a new place for us and we loved them all. I especially am a fan of the curry and crave it often! So go check out Thai Pod! And if you are brave enough, ask Krit for as many stars as you think you can handle!

• Pros: Terrific food! Seated promptly, fast and very friendly service!

03/03/08

Everything is good?

by methnen

Easily my favorite Thai place in town now.

The food is great. The curries here are the best I've had. Always fully flavored and never watered down like often happens in other restaurants. The Pad Thai is good. Though, I sadly still have to give the nod to Eagle Thai (on the same street) for the best Pad Thai in town. However, EVERYTHING else at Thai Pod is much better.

Beyond the more ordinary fare of Curry and Pad Thai there is a wonderful selection of other dishes and soups. The Tom Yum is great, as is the Fried Basil, Black Soy Sauce Chicken, and the constantly updated selection of creative specials.

The base ingredients and finished product always tastes fresh.

The owner is an absolute blast and just clinches the deal. He is friendly, remembers your name, and favorites, offers great suggestions, and provides simply great all around service.

Its just like a local close to your home restaurant should be.

• Pros: Everything...
• Cons: I eat here WAY too often.

02/29/08

Fantastic Pad Thai

by jgayla

Thai Pod is my favorite Thai restaurant in town. I used to like Cha Ba Thai and Thai Peacock, but when I discovered this one it took the top spot in my opinion. The pad thai is awesome--not too greasy, a great tangy flavor, and it doesn't taste fishy at all (a problem with some pad thai if you're not much of a fish fan). And the prices are fantastic, especially considering that lunch comes with soup.

• Pros: delicious
• Cons: none

02/27/08

One of the best

by noisyneighbors

Thai pod is so good! Its close to my home, and of the 4 thai restaurants within walking distance of my house (it seems Thai food is the new Chinese food, popping everywhere and of dubious quality!) its definitely the best. I've eaten here quite a few times and its always delicious. The papaya salad is spicy and flavourful, the curries are varied and always great and the soups are just perfect, none of that overly-salty-broth-with-too- many-onions copout. The main waiter (owner?) is so sweet and ambitious he borders on unreal, the prices are cheap, and the atmosphere is clean, simple and home-y. The menu itself is adorable, with the most in depth descriptions I've ever seen at a Thai place (where else do they tell you exactly what veggies and spices make up your meal??) This is one of my favorites!

• Pros: In depth menu, fresh fresh food

12/16/07

fresh & friendly

by miles333

This is one of my favorite neighborhood restaurants! My boyfriend and I get take out from here at least once a week! The food is always fresh and flavorful. The service is friendly and the place has a cozy air to it. A few of my favorites: the salad rolls (very refreshing), the red curry (it's positively mouth watering) and the Tom Yum soup is perfect during our chilly winters.

• Pros: inexpensive, fast service, super tasty!