Lemongrass Thai Restaurant Reviews

It's been way too long since we went out to this restaurant. We love this restaurant as our must go Thai in PDX. Never disappointed by their food and the environment. Must go!

Wonderful food! Forget those trendy, overpriced places taking turns being the current hot spot. Lemon Grass has been the real deal for years, and it won't last forever. The cook's mom used to own Bangkok Kitchen on SE Belmont years ago, when it was rocking good, and once she retired, we stopped going. I've been dining at Lemon Grass for nearly fifteen years, and it never disappoints. Lemon Grass is located in a charming old revamped house in a residential neighborhood. The wife (who is Thai) cooks and the husband (not Thai) waits tables, with occasional help. The atmosphere is a bit fancy with flowers on the table and nice linens, making it a cozy date destination. Most tables have views of the lovely garden. The menu has just the usual Thai fair, but everything is top quality. The cook travels to Thailand regularly and imports her own spices. The fried tofu is wonderful, as are all the soups and pretty much everything else. Best peanut sauce I've ever tasted. The spice levels on most dishes can be adjusted to taste, and the husband and wife tend to remember the preferences of regulars and really hone the dishes until they're just what you want. Err on the side of caution, though, those real Thai spices pack a punch! If food is rarely too hot for you (my husband is that way), Lemon Grass is a must-try. The service is sketchy, especially if they're busy. This is a small operation and it's easy for them to get overwhelmed. Well worth the wait. They generally only welcome take-out orders by five p.m.; otherwise they're likely too busy.

Friends suggested we grab dinner here a few Fridays ago. I live reasonably close, but had no idea this place existed! The restaurant is housed in an old, Portland house. Entry leads you into the foyer, and you are led to seating on the main floor of the house, through the French doors. We were seated towards the back, and there were a few other people in our section, close enough to talk to. It almost felt like I was eating at my Grandma's, except Thai food. I had the Pad Thai, and my friends ordered the Pad Thai and the Yellow Curry. The atmosphere, intimate and cozy, also easily handled some larger groups. The gentleman taking our order was kind enough to get ours in before the party of nine, because they had only the main "cook" in the kitchen. After we finished eating our delicious food, the table next to us seemed to have plate after plate of food delivered to them. Mussels and wide rice noodles and some other dishes we could not identify. Our "oohs" and "aahhs" were audible as we waited for our check. Even being full, these dishes looked amazing. What more needs to be said? If you're full and food still looks good, they're doing something right. I say go!

It's a small place in the middle of residential area. Real flowers decorating the place accentates the fresh food that are served. The selection can be considered limited but the quality of the food makes up for it. All the food is cooked by the owner-chef. Simply the best place to take out-of-towners to for a charming dinner.

I had a unique and delightful experience dining in Lemongrass recently this week. The food, to put it lightly, was superb. Furthermore, the hospitality and kindness that I experienced are that of honest Portland folk looking to create honestly great dining experiences for its customers. The location itself was as charming as the food served on my dinner plate, from Thai green curry with beef to the mixed vegetables, everything was superb. I would highly recommend making a trip down to the restaurant during dinner time as the homely vibrancy of the property coupled with the deliciousness of the food truly make it an experience worth while. A word of advice, check the closing times, you don't want to miss this!

It's been years since I've been to Portland, but I always make time to go to Lemongrass and I'm always amazed at how good the food is. The coconut soup has so many wonderful flavors!! I begged the owner for the recipe and he said it was in aisle 5 at the grocery store, Progressive! They are both so charming and funny! The green curry chicken and pad thai have got to be the best you can find. Everything is just so fresh! I'll never miss a visit whenever I come to town!!

I’ve been coming to lemongrass over 25 years. Best Thai food I’ve ever had each and every visit! Moved to Texas, but every time I visit Portland my first stop is Lemongrass

I went to this restaurant during my stay in Portland. The food was incredibly authentic and super fresh. I would highly recommend this restaurant if you enjoy authentic and tasty food. It is a very familial restaurant and the service is amazing. I can't stop repeating, if you are in Portland this restaurant is no to be missed!

We ordered a takeaway from here while staying at the Quest Portland apartments nearby. They took our order efficiently. We collected it 15 mins later. We had a selection of green curry, red curry, pak thai, duck dishes, various rice and noodles. All very tasty. Highly recommended.

We have been going to lemongrass for at least 10 to 15 years. Every time we go, we have consistent, excellent food. The garlic basil fish is so tasty and amazing I have not been able to make anything remotely close. They have a great peanut chicken, and my kids absolutely love their Pad Thai. When they have salad rolls they are a must get ! They are amazing also!! The owner Chef always comes out to say hello and is very nice !! So glad to have this neighborhood restaurant!!

This Thai restaurant has a number of honest to goodness Thai dishes. The servings are big so careful to not over order.

If you like Thai, this is the place to go! Really delicious food. The papaya salad is a must and was such a generous portion we shared between 4 of us. All of our dishes were fantastic. The chicken in the dishes was moist and delicious. The tou perfect. The owners are so nice, fun and able to accurately guide the right "hot" level. Portions big enough to take home leftovers but I wish I had ordered something just to have the next day for more! Just be sure to bring cash. Not credit card. It's worth it! Definitely going back.

I don't get the rave reviews about Lemongrass. I sometimes think people think they are "wrong" or "not hip" if they give a bad review when most are raves. It's walking distance from our house so thought we'd try it for the first time. When first walking in you look straight into the kitchen, which looked awfully messy to me-things stuffed into a cart by the door, etc. And there was an odd smell, almost like an animal had lived there and the smell was still in the floor. Then the food. I ordered "thai noodles" which he called Pad Thai when he served to us. Bland and boring. I've had much better. Then, to add insult to injury, we got the bill and he told us no cards, but gee, "luckily" they had a cash machine, meaning they got an extra chunk of our money from that. NOTE: I'm happy, and expect to, pay cash at food carts. I'm also happy to pay cash if I know ahead of time. But: NO MENTION anywhere. Not on the door, not on the menus, not on the hours open sign-a person walking up has no way of knowing-in our case we could have walked home to get cash. Not nice. We will not return. Very bad vibes for us.

the food is very good, especially the curry. salad rolls are nondescript. but, the surly waiter who should find a different profession, makes the experience less than enjoyable. he just doesn't have time to be nice.

Amazing food, the kind of place that ruins a person for other Thai restaurants. Once you go here, you will not want to go anywhere else. I recommend the Pad Thai. The food is very spicy, so be sure and talk with the server about what you can handle. Also, the prices are high, but the servings are generous - two or three meals in one. They only take cash and checks. The dining environment is pleasant.

Our actual visit was in April 2010, but when someone asked me for the name of "that great Thai place in Portland," I realized I hadn't written a review and needed to remedy that! Here's the deal... I would go there at least once a month if I lived in Portland. The food was amazing! The owners run this little place out of a house; she is Thai and cooks and he does everything else. They have an unusual "heat" index -- instead of 1 to 4 stars, they use 20 as the high and even if you tell them you always get 4 stars at your local joint, if you haven't been there before, they won't let you go above 2 on their scale. The food was amazing and I don't remember the prices, but they didn't seem out of the ordinary.

the chicken is the best here

Hands down this is the best Thai food in Portland (my opinion of course). Shelly cooks the most authentic food, and as spicy as you'd like. We've been getting take out since Covid - be sure to call ahead a a day or two if you can. She does it all by herself and it helps her plan. You will not be disappointed!

What I expect from a good Pad Thai is flat noodles, tenderized chicken, peanuts, egg, lime wedge, green onions, bean sprouts. What I got was a white round noodle, with a mushy egg like substance mixed into it, that was overly sweet. Big chunks of chicken as if they were pulled off the chicken and just thrown in the the noodles. I think there was some green onion in it and wedge of lime. It was a lot of food for lunch $13.00 I threw away most of it... Also ordered a Thai Ice coffee $2.50 I received a very small glass.... unimpressed. I don't plan on returning. Payment is cash only. No lunch menu. Ambiance is an old Victorian House... Disappointed.

A coworker showed me Lemongrass, hidden in an old Victorian house I never would have noticed, a block off Sandy, past See-See's. Our chef came to the table to greet my friend, who's a regular, and I found her to be the most gracious and friendly cook who's ever ventured out of a kitchen to check on her guests. Let's talk about the food, because so much Thai is passable these days; I can think of ten decent Thai restaurants. Let's call them "good enough Thai". But Lemongrass reminded me how the combination of flavors in Thai food first captured my curious palate decades ago. And she does so without the excessive sugary over-sauciness of so many mainstream Thai restaurants. I had green curry chicken but was jealous of my partner's peanut chicken. Perfect sauces, huge portions, and the most fragrant and perfect jasmine rice. The bamboo shoots were plentiful and perfect, reminding us of how exotic Thai food can be when it's not given the American-Chinese food treatment with too much bell peppers and carrots. I'm not sure how she made the broth so flavorful yet so light, without the dense from-the-can creaminess that bogs down some restaurants' curries. When our host packaged up our food, she topped off our rice (these lunch portions easily left another meal for later), and informed us that she would be closing down in a year. Get it while you can, folks.

This excellent Thai restaurant is located in an old victorian hard to find house. The search is rewarded with first rate food .

Funky atmosphere, great service, really good food (1 visit)

The owners were so nice and funny. She thanked us for not eating at Taco Bell on New Year's Eve! They were very helpful in choosing dishes (and quantity). The food was spicier than most Thai restaurants, but they also disclose this fact when you order.

Very unique take on Thai food. The spring rolls are out of this world

Great dining if you are eating in the restaurant. Terrible experience if you are ordering to go. I actually had someone yell at me when I tried to order at 6pm saying that I should have known to call before 5pm and it would be near impossible to get to go food now. The experience was similar when I called back a few months later.

The food at Lemongrass is beyond fantastic. Everything is so fresh and the spicyness is authenic Thai style (their "mild" is what other Portland Thai places call hot). The only down side is they only take cash (no credit cards).

Great local Thai cuisine in a quaint homey mid century residence atmosphere. This mom and pop locally owned restaurant is one not to miss and it will set the bar for future Thai places you visit. We were turned onto this restaurant located in a residential neighborhood by a local and we are glad that we did not skip the recommendation. Our dinner consisted of the traditional Thai soup-Tom Kha, and two types of curry-yellow and peanut. The dishes were some of the best we have experienced, and my wife and I frequent Thai restaurants every where we travel. The peanut sauce was divine and we can't wait to go back on our next travels through Portland. The only thing that was a disappointment was the fact that on week nights you need to pre-order the fresh spring rools. Word to the wise for the spice content, go low and ask for additional on the side for the more courageous ones! Some reviews may comment on "slow service" and "no credit cards", but the couple running the show are well worth the wait and cash or check policy adds to the ambiance. Great wine selection too!

This is probably the Most spicy food. If you LOVE spicy Food this is the place. We really enjoyed the food. Definitely recommend,

In Portland for work, a group of us decided to grab Lemongrass for lunch. It was the best decision we made the whole week. Greeted at the front door of an old, beautiful house by one of the two employees, our experience began. We knew we were in for a special meal when Shelley, the owner, came out of the old kitchen to meet and greet us. She then made the most spectacular Thai food I’ve ever eaten. The Pad Thai is second to none. The spicy fried rice with chicken was out of this world and the prawns were amazing too. That was day one. The second day we decided to go back. Shelley was nice enough to cook us a traditional, off menu feast. There are no words to describe the flavors and the fabulous foods we ate. If you are in Portland and want to have amazing food in a beautiful historic home with the most incredible service, go to Lemongrass. You’ll never regret it.

really nice thai 3rd best in town behind kuhn pic and pok pok

Great Date Location

But I can't lie. The food is simply the best anywhere. Here is a tip, however, if it is crowded, it may not be wise to stick around. This is a very small restaurant with a small kitchen. If you are in a hurry and it is crowded, you will be unhappy. So just don't stay. If you want to dine, you can stay. It will be well worth the wait. Lunch is good too (and a bit faster).

Visited in July 2016 and the food was incredible. The best Thai food I have ever eaten. A warning however, the level of spice is incredible. I went for a 2 on their scale (1-10?) and I normally order on the hot side of medium. Thoroughly recommended to anyone if you are anywhere in the Portland area.

I cant say enough good about this place, We had a peanut dish and a curry dish. One of the better Thai restaurants in the country for us. The owners are really fun talk to, as well as serve a great meal. We will return.

Serves real spicy food here, with a touch of sour and sweet taste, good.

You should NOT be able to taste that prawns were previously frozen. If they weren't, then I guess they were simply gross. Not nearly enough vegetables in any of their dishes, either, and the ones present are overcooked and flavorless. I had Pad Thai, basically, and it had next to no veggies in it. Plus they have this smug, ridiculous heat scale (1-10, with 1 being hot for most people). And what can I say about the guy serving the tables? That guy is just butt. A real smart-mouth with an attitude problem, and in no way a good waiter. Finally, WA-HAY-HAAAAY too high of price for what is really boring Thai, especially when you can get super good Thai food almost anywhere in Portland for half the price.

Wow. We found Lemongrass Thai to be really tasty. The lettuce leaf appetizer was out of this world. The combination of favors (lime, ginger, coconut, etc) was so good. You have to try it! Don't bother with the salad rolls. They were common and bland. The yellow Indian curry was my favorite curry. Lots of veggies. Really outstanding! Their Thai noodles (pad thai version) was second fav. We ordered mild. Just a hint of heat so next time, we will go with mild plus. They used very fresh vegetables in all the dishes and lots of them. Tofu was excellent. We didn't go with fish fillet because they use Talapia (yuk). We enjoyed the ambiance, too. A bit more elegant than your usual Thai digs.

what a happy accident. I typed in "Thai restaurant" into the map of my smartphone and this place popped up. When I got to the corner of NE Couch St and NE 17th Ave, I thought that I was lost. Then I saw a beaming group of guests coming down the front steps of an old Victorian house and spotted the "Lemongrass" sign. Our party of seven was seated at a long table in what was once the living room. The early summer sun shone through stained glass windows onto vases full of hydrangeas. The chef obligingly taught us how to say hello in Thai, as she took our orders. Then there was the food. Fresh vegetables, flavorful sauces and homey service from the owners. We sampled each others' plates and ooh'ed and aah'ed over each dish. The only slight down side was the fact that they accept only cash or local checks, and onsite ATM was on the fritz. Fortunately grandma doesn't travel with a wad of cash, so we were able to pay without searching the neighborhood for an ATM. Next time I'm in Portland, this will be one of my stops.

Time and time again Lemongrass delivers. As pointed out by other reviewers, Portland has a ton of Thai restaurants. Simply put, nothing comes close to Lemongrass. Everything is fresh, everything is full of flavor, and you can customize it yourself with their spice scale. Please believe them when they tell you, it can get HOT. Great people, great food. So much to choose from, but the simple things are fantastic -- Pad Thai and Fried Rice are family favorites. Best we've ever had.

there is nothing that does not draw regulars on the menu. every level of heat is possible and flavor is adjusted by chef to match heat. this is not Thai street food, menu is always the same and dishes are tasted in the kitchen to manage variables inherent to fresh ingredients so that each dish is what the chef intends. one chef makes every dish so there can be a wait when busy, but you will be even more satisfied when you get the meal from the aromas you happily suffered while you waited. cash or check only. don't be surprised if chef comes out to meet you personally if she does not recognize you as a regular already and asks you about your meal, your life, the vacation you are on....

This is the best Thai food I’ve ever had. So fresh. Lots of spice (medium is spicy). I’ve lived in Southeast Asia and spent time in Thailand and I’ve never had Thai food this good. I’m visiting from LA, but I will be back every time I am in town. The pad Thai was stunning!

Not bad, kinda late at nite when I went there after a few.. good nicer late nite and healthy...

Was looking for some authentic Thai for dinner, and this place delivered. Nothing fancy, just delicious Thai food, flavorful, thoughtful and made with love. Papaya salad was top notch, well seasoned - curry had that faint hint of heat and full of fresh veggies. Thanks for a great meal!

The hours are short so make sure to check this out prior to going. The food was quite good and is prepared fresh. We had the garlic chicken and vegetables which was extremely tasty. Everything on their menu is seemingly good, depending on your tastes. You cannot get a pot of tea, however, it is poured separately so does not stay warm for long. We enjoyed the ambiance and the food both...a nice lunch

This place used to be extremely popular until Pok Pok became more, well, trendy. But this is some of the best Thai food we've ever put in our mouths. It is cooked with love by the proprietor, who is Thai, and carried out with love by her husband. It's old school -- as in no credit cards and located in a historic PDX style house -- and really really really delicious.

I'll start with the positives; the food was very good and the woman cooking served it herself. She was very nice. I asked if it was her business and she said yes it is, for 23 years. That's it for the positives. The initial impression walking in the door is a quaint old house with period furniture. It smelled like an old house with poor ventilation. The fellow working the dining room, Dave, said it would be a few minutes even though there was only one other table with customers. The wait was only about one minute. Rather than speak to us he gestured with his finger for us to follow him. Unprofessional. He brought water and a small water pitcher to leave at the table. After we'd been there a while we noticed there was mildew on the bottom of the pitcher; clearly it hadn't been washed for some time. We ordered Thai tea and requested the milk be brought on the side. When the tea arrived the milk had been added and it was sour! It didn't look quite right but smelling it left no doubt whatsoever that it was indeed unfit for consumption. When Dave came back to take our order we point out the sour milk. His response "I just served three to that table over there and they told me they are loving it". Not cool. He reluctantly took the glasses away but promptly returned to the table with a milk carton so he could prove that it was not out of date. Again, not cool. The milk was undrinkable but he refused to accept or apologize. I was relieved that he did not return to the table with our food, the cook brought it herself and was very courteous. Good food does not make up for such poor customer service. I would not eat here again, neither would I recommend. It's too bad because the woman who owns it is a great cook and she told us a couple times to be sure and come back. Obviously she cares about her business but having someone in the dining room who does not understand good customer service is unacceptable. And clearly there needs to be more attention to detail and cleanliness. I should add, prices were higher than average for this type of food.

Portland has a LOT of Thai restaurants. This one is a distinct hidden gem. The menu is a little more limited than other places, but you won't miss any of the staples. It's flavorful, fresh, & incredibly tasty. Trust the folks on their spice scale. Their mild is a regular medium. If you love Thai food, give this one a try. You won't regret

During a recent family trip to Portland (first time to Portland), we visited Lemongrass based on a recommendation from our tour book. Located in an older house, we were not sure what to expect. What we found was quite amazing. Lemongrass is a family run business and in my experience serves very authentic Thai food. The food was great and, while we are not from Portland, I have to imagine it is one of the best choices for Thai food in the city. While I agree that Dave (the waiter) is no nonsense, I found him to be helpful and his wife was wonderful - particularly with the kids. Please take their heat/spice scale seriously (Level 1 through 10). I ordered at Level "3" and, as I was warned, have rarely encountered as much spicy goodness. Please note that I really like spicy food. The cook actually came out to check on who might be daring enough to try a Level "3". However, they also were able to make dishes with absolutely no spice for the kids. You just have to tell them what you are looking for. We enjoyed Lemongrass so much that the family insisted on going back for our last dinner in Portland. That is pretty unusual for us while traveling. I have to admit that I went level 2 on our second visit. I thought that the prices were very reasonable. We ended up paying less than $100 for a family of four including tip and with adult beverages. Please remember that Lemongrass only takes cash. We certainly will go back next time we are in Portland. I suspect that it will be our first meal.

I was there a couple of years ago. Wait times were way too long and the food was so spicy it was almost inedible. Everyone's dish was the same.

The first thing you notice when you walk in the door is a bad smell, like animal urine (several other reviewers note this). Okay--it's a cool old house, let that slide. Then you sit down: the place is so dirty it's shocking. The walls next to the tables have food specks all over them, the lantern in the main room has cob webs all over it and dust an inch thick. The curtains also have food on them and clearly haven't been washed in years. The dishes and glasses look greasy (other reviewers have noted this, too). The bathroom has a lot of cleaning products on the windowsill but it's unclear if anyone is using them. The food was delicious, but I'm surprised the health department hasn't cited them. I'd hate to see the kitchen. Folks -- seriously -- clean this place! Dust, vacuum, wash the tables down, wash the dishes. And figure out that urine smell and clean it

This place had one of the best meals that we had on our trip to Portland. The restaurant is situated in an old house that has loads of charm. The curry was wonderfully tasty, but beware that this place is spicy. We got our meals a zero and one-half spiciness and they were still pretty spicy. I highly recommend this place.

This is simply the best Thai in Portland. The pad thai dish is so fresh tasting. This was my forth experience and the food seems to be made with care and love. A`Very small restaurant giving it a homestyle feel.

the only place in town that has set my mouth on fire. Nice staff, wierd hours though.

Great food served in the dining room of a very attractive house. Food was super fresh and very tasty. Papaya salad was delicious as were the other dishes that we tried. The waiter helped us in choosing what to order and the right degree of spiciness. The chef/host was extremely friendly and we enjoyed talking with her.

The food is five stars, but please ignore the surly waiter - one star deduction (the food is worth it). The prices are higher than your average Thai restaurant in Portland but it's really the best Thai around (unanimous for my family - husband and two teens). We love spicy food and do be warned, they have an unusual spice rating, 0 to 10 but you can't order more than a 5 on your first visit. This is most definitely the Spiciest Thai in Portland. For newbies, 1 is definitely a great heat. The portions are generous. Our family favorites are the Curry Peanut Sauce with Chicken and the Green Curry with Chicken. This restaurant is located inside a quaint little corner house, in a neighborhood. As you enter, you can see the wife cooking back in the kitchen while the husband (also known as the surly waiter) mans the front. I'm sure he drives away business, so be prepared, expect it and ignore his attitude - he's actually starting to grow on me! FYI - They are cash only but there is an ATM on site.

I got the chicken noodle pho soup, and it was a HUGE bowl! They also give you a little plate of mung bean sprouts for you to put into the soup, it was awesome. But the chopsticks were made of plastic so it was harder to eat since the noodles slipped off of the sticks :P