Tara Thai

Coming from out of town into the Portland area, my boyfriend and I were super hungry and craving Thai food before the Trailblazers game! We found this place, and enjoyed all the dishes we ordered. We shared a chicken pad Thai, yellow curry, and the Singapore noodles. It was probably the best Thai food I’ve ever been served and my favorite pad Thai ever. I really enjoy pad Thai anywhere in general but there’s was definitely my favorite. This restaurant is also conveniently located close to the Moda Center, so if you’re ever craving Thai food before the game, this is definitely your best bet.

One of my ex GF favorite places for lunch dates near her work. Great food and rarely busy for lunch.

Incredible food! We had coconut tofu appetizer, a duck curry and also a sausage dish. We were completely blown away. We were the last people in there on a Friday right before closing and the staff was courteous, friendly and welcoming.

DO NOT EAT HERE! There were BUGS in my won ton soup. Not just one, but a ton! One spoonful had about 5 bugs. Little aphids and worm looking bugs. I didn’t notice them until my 2 year old and I ate almost half of it. When I finally saw a caterpillar floating in my spoon I scrutinized the soup and there were little tiny bugs floating all around in it.
I went back to the restaurant the next day and returned all the leftovers and asked for a refund. The owner was very rude to me and wanted to refund me for only the items that I returned. I told her we ate the other stuff not knowing about the bugs before then or else I would have returned everything. She said there wasn’t any bugs in the other stuff and I told her, how would we know that?! I wanted a refund for everything and she just threw her hands up and said «FINE, I DON’T WANT TO ARGUE!» all huffy and walked away. Then told her employee, give her all her money back. There was no sorry, or remorse or anything. VERY VERY VERY rude! I’m going to spread the word and also call the Health Department on this restaurant.
BEWARE! DO NOT EAT HERE!

Great food, great service, descent prices. What more can you ask?
Great location too! Parking isn’t too hard.

I went there today. I liked the patio. Its nice and shady with little birds singing and the have nice water features by the stairs. The waitresses seem to be shy or quiet. Maybe cause of their english. I don’t knw much about Thi food but I ordered the mango chicken with rice it was fresh and tasty they also had a yummy cup of tomato soup before my meal which sooth my sore throat. It was very good. And I tried their iced coffee. Yum it was delicious.

I would have rated it a 4 but I ordered this teriyaki chicken for my son and it was so bad. The chicken was so dry that if I bought chicken at Costco and microwaved it would still taste better. It tasted Iike it’s old meat that’s been in the freezer for a long time. I was just in awe that it came from the same kitchen as my noodles did. The noodles however was really good. Sadly that one dish ruined it for me that I probably won’t be back.

The BEST Thai I have EVER eaten (and I visited Thailand for a couple weeks)!! The outdoor/​patio seating is awesome, and the waiter we had was great! I can’t believe this place had a 3 star rating… don’t be a sheep… think for yourself! Drinks are fantastic as well.

Food is alright, felt super rushed by staff though… The lady in the back came up to me and tried to get me to order something else when I wasn’t even totally done with my entrée.

This place was one of our favorites when we lived in Nob Hill, but being a die hard Unilocaler I still checked the recent reviews on here before we hit them up for a Sunday lunch last week. I saw the comments on service and quality of food and almost reconsidered going to what had been a favorite haunt less than a year prior!
I’m so glad I didn’t let a few sour folks dissuade me. Service was punctual, attentive but not overly so, not chatty – just right. The food came out quickly but it did taste a little different than it used to. The Rainforest Fried Rice used to be like crack to us, but now it’s just normal good. You won’t see me burying my entire face in a plate of it anytime soon. I would go again, but only if I was already in the neighborhood, and even then I’d probably hit up Red Onion instead.

We sat outside and it was lovely! Service was good, food was pretty great, and I love the old house they’re in! Made for a good experience, discovering a new Thai restaurant. They have their own twists on things as well, my pad Thai was good, but different from other places!

Just went there to have a meal on patio — the waiter had such an attitude, I left. Too bad, I love Thai food and new to neighborhood.

Excellent food, the prices are right, location and service are incredible. It’s towards the end of 23 in terms of commercial joints. Went there on the recommendation of a friend and was not disappointed. They have a surprisingly long menu that goes far beyond the typical pad Thai, pad kee mao, etc. will definitely be returning.

The atmosphere here is great, especially if you sit outside in nice weather. The food, however, is sub-​par. This is not Thai food. The Pad Thai was a color I’ve never seen Pad Thai be before. Very orange and very greasy. Ew.
Go to Red Onion down the street. MUCH better and more authentic.

No idea why people are complaining about the service. When i went, the staff were all very nice. Speed was about average. The food was really good.
The coconut tofu was probably the highlight of the meal.

Been to this place 4 times and am shocked every time at how rude the owner is. Each time I’ve gone in she’s either closed me out or waited on me and has acted like I was a HUGE inconvenience for her. I figured I just caught her having a bad day the first couple times, but the last time I went I to pick up takeout I thanked her and asked her if I could get some spices also, and she walked away from me before I even finished speaking. I still kindly thanked her and went on my way. Their food asked least that I’ve had has been pretty good, the calimari I would recommend staying away from though. never had calimari in my life that snapped and hit me in the face when I took a bite lol! I’d if it is just a cheaper version of «calimari» but I was disappointed when I saw there were no legs & only the cut up circular rubbery tube pieces.
Overall: Place has decent food. Staff is not very kind. If that is important to you when spending the money to dine out I would avoid eating here :)

The royal fried rice looked pretty, but basically was rice in a hollowed out pineapple mixed with cheap frozen vegetables. Extremely slow service, didn’t get enough silverware or water cups, and lots of Mosquitos on the patio

After traveling all day, we came upon this little beauty. It was an AMAZING meal. I had the Pad Kee Mao, it is the best I’ve ever had! Honestly and Thai food is my favorite! The servers were so nice and so friendly! I made the mistake of ordering my dish just veggies and I asked if it was too late to add some beef and our server ran in the back and changed it for me! (He was also very attentive to our waters and just making sure we were happy!) the food was amazing. It really really was. I would come all the way back here just for this! And I probably will!

Any Way You Want It
Tara’s Combo — 3 Choices: $ 10.95
Try a little of everything! Make your own combo… all combos served with sweet chili sauce and our delectable peanut sauce. Combination plate includes your choice of: 2 BBQ chicken sticks, 2 fried rolls, 2 salad rolls, 3 crab wontons, 4 deep fried tofu or 2 coconut shrimp.
Kaeng Paneng Curry served with Brown Rice: $ 9.25
Fresh Asian pumpkin, tofu, green beans and fresh basil simmered in red curry paste with coconut milk.
When anyone walks through Portland’s Northwest district, they are overwhelmed with cafes, family-​owned restaurants, and bars with local beers on tap. Most of them are adorned with hand painted signs or tables outside, indicating that they are open for business. In the case of Tara Thai, if you aren’t sure what you’re looking for, you might walk right passed it.
This adorable thai restaurant resides inside a blue house with white trim. Designed like a B&B, as you step inside to what you think is a living room, you see the hostess counter. Outside is a dual-​level deck surrounded by fences, vines, and the trees that make Portland’s patio experiences so fresh.
Tara is owned and operated by a family straight out of the heart of Phuket, and their food is hard evidence. Their menu is gigantic, without being overwhelming, and they’ve made it even easier by providing over a dozen lunch specials during the day. The staff is about as friendly as they come, and are never annoyed by my vegetarian preference or substitutions for brown rice.
My Only Warning: I took a couple of my friends last week, one of whom is from the south (as far south as you can consider Tennessee) and prides himself on his craving for a good kick of spice. The «hot» option at Tara (⁴⁄₅ on the scale) nearly killed him. Order at your own risk.

Although I live in a diverse city like SF, I don’t think we have a single Laotian restaurant. So on my trip to Portland, I was delighted to find a Laotian restaurant!
I don’t know how their Thai food is but I can def vouch for their Laos menu. It’s brief but very solid. Get the #34 lettuce wraps as either a meal or app– it won’t disappoint. Ask them to make it spicy!
Thai food is everywhere and mostly unspectacular so I’m sure the negative reviews reflect that. But give their Laos menu a try!