We got here early so there wasn't a wait at all. The service was incredible, I love how they ask about your allergies instead of you having to ask them. The food was amazing! We got the fried peanuts as an appetizer. Then we got the quail eggs, sticky rice, and a beef-noodle dish I can't remember what it's called. It was also very nicely decorated inside. We got the best seat in the house, right by the window. Would definitely recommend and I will be back! read more

Terrific food. Not your run-of-the-mill thai spot. The quail eggs are an absolute must. Also loved the noodles used for the pad thai - much better for sauce absorbtion than the regular kind. read more

The food served here is really good. My boyfriend is not a big fan of Thai food but he loved it and has already planned to visit this place again. We had ordered chicken drunken noodles and chicken Penang curry and for the very first time tried chef's choice oysters. The dishes were pretty good...no complaints at all. Ambiance is very cute and very date worthy. read more

Boda - Thai Near Me - Portland, Maine

Was looking for a late night option after a 12 hour work day, and Boda was it. I got the pork salad dish. It comes with fish sauce as a dressing. It is exactly what it says it is. I found it to be a little strong and the saltiness of the pork with the saltiness of the fish sauce was overpowering. That being said, I ordered it over a safer more familiar dish like the pad thai, so that's on me for being adventurous. The ingredients were fresh. The food came out quick. I had one of their mai tai drinks and it was strong. I would go back to try their noodles. read more

Boda - Goi Moo - spicy pork salad - Thai Near Me - Portland, Maine

Boda might be the most requested takeout in all of Portland over the years. But they refused, which makes sense. The restaurant is an hour plus wait for the more profitable dine in at all times. Well, unusual times call for unusual measures, and here we are. I've reviewed Boda before and it's a great restaurant. So how is the temporary takeout? It's better than nearly all full time takeout Thai restaurants. You order online from their website, which surprisingly has the full regular menu available (do the quail eggs hold up for takeout?). You set a time to pickup, you pay, and when you arrive you just call their number. They bring your food to your car. The packaging of the food was so impressive that you would never know Boda wasn't a full time takeout restaurant. Liquids were boxed separately, every sauce and spice imaginable was on the side, and it was clear that a lot of thought was put into the customer experience. I don't need to write to a novel here. It's Boda to go, with online ordering. And it's fantastic. This should be a top option during the pandemic. read more

There is only one word I can use to describe Boda. Eh. It wasn't awful but I didn't quite enjoy it. We ordered a few things and the others in my party seemed to be mildly impressed but only one of us didn't walk away with not of our meal left. It's Thai food, but if you're looking for traditional pad Thai, Som Tam, curry place, this might not be for you. Service was good; people were nice. Our waiter seemed a little overwhelmed with tables so we waited for awhile for the check but it was nicely split for us and easily laid out for us. read more

Boda is not your authentic Thai restaurant, but it's got a modern twist that keeps this place interesting. We ordered the Tapas: Spicy Thai Wings, Crispy Squid, and an egg with shreds of kaffir lime leaves and a sprinkle of dried catfish to add the saltiness to the meal. Entrees: Pad Kee Mao Noodles and the Yaowarat Duck (crispy, roasted duck) with rice. My favorite was definitely the Pad Kee Mao noodles! If you aren't a fan of bamboo shoots (it's an acquired taste, request to remove them)! The spice levels go up to 4, we ordered the 3 and it still wasn't spicy enough! *THEY DO NOT HAVE PRIVATE PARKING, STREET PARKING ONLY* read more

See all

The best restaurant in Portland. Open late, this place was still seating after midnight. Stellar waitstaff. Amazing food. If you like an asian flare on your tapas, this could be your spot. Loved every dish. Recommend the chicken wings, quail eggs and mussels for small plates. For a bit more heft, get a bowl of pad thai. We will be back read more

See all

This is a 3.5/5 for me. I ordered the Thai iced tea and it was TOO sweet, so I didn't bother with it anymore. It isn't like the Thai iced tea that I get from Asian restaurants back home in Boston. The fried squid was good, but they overdid it was the chili sauce (the kind of sauce you dip egg rolls in). I got the chicken entree with rice and it was really good. The fish sauce for the chicken dish, the waitresses asked me what level of spiciness from 0-4, I got a 2 and was a little disappointed because it didn't taste spicy at all, but that's not their fault. The bok choy was really good, but I wish they didn't drown them in super salty soy sauce. The skewers were okay, just don't wait to eat them when they cool down because they get super chewy... Service was okay. It gets REALLY packed and loud around 7:00pm, we came around 5:30ish and was glad that we did. read more

See all

Great service and good food on a wild and nasty weather night. Had my favorite the duck . Perfect and more than I could eat. read more

Boda - Duck - Thai Near Me - Portland, Maine

Did a take out over here since it's not open for dine in yet. We had to order online and then Call to pick up in front of the door. We saw good reviews on yelp and decided to order from here. Tasted ok, nothing impressive. Perhaps I think it's not authentic enough. However the service was great. We did everything six feet apart. read more

Boda - Woon-Sen Pad Thai and Pad Kee Mao - Thai Near Me - Portland, Maine

Food is good, cocktails were good, I wouldn't exactly call it authentic Thai though, sort of average all around

I was not impressed with the food at boda. I was served an almost completely raw shrimp in my combo drunken noodle. In the restaurant I thought the shrimp texture was strange so I only ate one. When preparing the leftovers at home i cut into the shrimp and was disgusted to realize the texture was weird because they were RAW. The drinks were really good and the service was good but I would never go back read more

Boda - Raw shrimp - Thai Near Me - Portland, Maine

We came in hoping to order takeout but it turns out Boda didn't do takeout, so we sat down to eat. Service is fast and the server was nice enough to give us recommendations. We ordered the mussels, chicken wings with level 1 spice, the peach oolong tea, the drunken noodles, and the thai tea flan. The mussels in the curry broth were delicious. The sticky rice that accompanied it worked really well the curry broth, however, if you drink the broth on its own, it is very salty. The wings were good, but did not have any strong tastes. I definitely do not think we could have handled anything greater than spice level 1 though without our stomachs hurting. The pickled radish and carrots that came with it were good, but would have been even more flavorful if they were cut thinner. The drunken noodles were good because the rice noodles were cooked well. The peach oolong tea did not have any peach flavor and only tasted like oolong. The thai tea flan tasted like thai tea. It was really good. The puffed rice complimented the smooth flan and the thai tea syrup well. The coconut meat added a nice chew. read more

See all

Boda is a staple in the Portland culinary scene, and with all these new places opening left, right, and center it feels like it's being pushed down the list of "must trys". But locals will tell you: this is a beloved spot. 1. It's small and they don't take reservations; expect a wait especially on the weekends. 2. Unless you go late at night; they serve food and drinks until (nearly) 1am every day! The late night menu has plenty to choose from, including a few vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options. 3. So does their regular menu. 4. Yes, the Quail Eggs are everything you've heard and more. Order them. 5. Also the Thai Sticky Rice Ball? So dense and so filling for just $4. Get many of them, drench with soy sauce, and skip the vegetarian skewers (tofu, shiitake, portobello) altogether (they're underwhelming). You're welcome. 6. The Pad Kee Mao Noodles with tofu is a lovely, warm, and filling comfort food; if you're vegetarian (not vegan) the Woon Sen Pad Thai with tofu is fun (...because it's the pad thai you know in love but hidden inside an omelet). Both of which are substantially cheaper on the late night menu (though the pad thai is *just* pad thai at that point, no omelet). 7. The Awesome Coffee *is* in fact awesome (and boozy), and the John Daly is a pint of summery refreshingness. Writing this review has made me realize what a gem we always had in Boda. I'm genuinely excited for my next night out here! read more

Great food. I had the drunken noodles. Service was quick and efficient. They have Athletic non-alcoholic beer. Nice touch. I recommend. read more

This place is incredible! We love everything we tried. The pad kee mao was delicious and the fried rice balls (order with quail eggs) were out of this world. I literally dream about this place! read more

Found this place while walking around heading to out to get some drinks was a little suspicious at first looked like the same old hipster rubbish but it's was an Epic place for epic food , good portions for the price , it's in a great location . Good hours if you find yourself going out at night . It was everything I wanted . read more

Excellent Thai food! Can't wait to come back! Great customer service. The food came out hot and delicious and presented well. It's great to have a place that's open late with dine in and such amazing food with excellent flavors! Everything we ordered was perfect! This is definitely a new Thai food contender! read more

See all

I've been looking forward to trying Boda for a long time. I've heard so many wonderful things about the food. Maybe it was an off night, but I'm so disheartened to say that it wasn't the experience I was hoping for. The waitstaff was courteous and attentive, absolutely no problems there. But the food didn't stand up to all the raves. First, we tried the brussel sprouts. I literally order Brussels sprouts whenever I see them on a menu and consider myself an experienced judge. These were double fried, but somehow not crispy, and don't really have any standout flavor profile. They were underwhelming. Next we tried the bacon wrapped asparagus. They were burnt to a crisp. I love a good char but you couldn't taste anything else. The star of the show was beef paenang entree. The meat was super tender and the coconut lime profile of the sauce was a unique and enjoyable blend. In fact, we dipped the brussels in it too, we liked it so much! I'm going to give Boda another chance because of its stand up reputation but I was a little disappointed with my first impression. read more

See all

Delicious and affordable. Nice cocktails, great atmosphere. They take reservations. Very easy to do GF here

The only thing that I am disappointed in, is the fact that I waited so long to try Boda. All of this time, I have been missing out. Well, better late than never. My husband and I are lukewarm about Thai food in general, but this experience has really changed our opinion. Not all Thai food is equal. First - the employees. Extremely pleasant and welcoming, but also focused on the business of ensuring customers are efficiently managed throughout the dining process. Matthew our server was FANTASTIC. Pleasant, patient with a warm personality. He was attentive to our needs as if we were his only table. We were not, we were there on a busy Saturday and he took time and care with all of the customers. Second - the atmosphere - I loved the space. It is tardis-like - much bigger on the inside. It has a warm feel to it, like I was dining in someone's rustic home. A lot of character in this space. They have done a great job fixing up this space. Third - the FOOD...oh my gosh, I woke up the next stay still thinking about everything from the sticky rice ball, to the quail eggs, to the crispy pork belly appetizer...everything made me so happy. It really is tough to eat while smiling a big smile. My noodle dish was fantastic - apparently so good, that I forgot to take a picture :( Everything we ordered was so fresh and the flavors were bright and rich. The portions are just right, not too big or too small and enough to share a bite with family and friends...if you can spare it. Because we had just come from the Maine Brewer's guild, we only had soda and water for beverages, but I can't wait to return to try some of the drinks off of the creative menu. Soda comes in cans...FYI. We had diet cokes. The water container never ran empty...actually I don't recall it ever being filled, but I know we were drinking a ton of water. I am guessing it was because we were all looking down at our dishes. :) Like an olympic swimmer doing the crawl stroke, your face is down most of the time, only on occasion turning up for a quick breath of air. Parking - well, it's the city. Be prepared to walk, pay (unless it is after 6pm). After consuming all of the delicious food, we welcomed the walk back to our car. If you like Thai food or non-fast food asian food. Please do give this place a try. read more

See all

Went on a Saturday night for dinner. Not really sure why it's that busy or expensive. Granted, I don't live in Maine so maybe it really is the best Thai food here? Several concerns but also some positives. 1. Website has some dead links - dine in menu is nowhere to be found. FAQ states no reservations but some random page says there's a waitlist. Would have loved to have seen that earlier because by the time we got on the waitlist and got seated we were quite hungry. 2. Thai basil Tom collins - felt a bit lacking in flavor. Weak basil taste. 3. Overall menu options were good but could have been better seasoned. For the price and the ratings, we were expecting higher quality items. It was mostly chili and fish sauce that came through and could have done with stronger spices and flavors in general. This seemed comparable to (or not even comparable to ) many a hole-in-wall Thai kitchens for 1/3 the price. We are really just paying for ambiance. 4. Dessert menu was weak. They used to have mango sticky rice, right now only black rice pudding and a tea cheesecake. I've had black rice many times and it's really not a very good dessert. Thailand has so many amazing dessert options and this menu did not do it justice. 5. Service was not great (and I save my complaining for reviews - we were very easy customers and great tippers). They were not busy by the time we were done but still our server forgot about us. Literally brought a check to the next table who had been there for less time than us, while we were staring up, empty drinks, waiting to leave. Her coworker had to pick up the slack. I understand people having off days, and also, it's hard when you're on the receiving end of it and are literally just paying for the ambiance. Forgot to mention someone else tried to serve us food for a different table at one point. I said I think they have the wrong table and they just said oops and walked away. It's fine - people make mistakes. But like, I really was expecting better given all of the rave reviews about service. 6. This restaurant seemed to have replaced the word "appetizer" with "tapas" to make it sound fancy. There's as many tapas options as there would be appetizers on a regular menu. Entrees seemed to steal the show, still. Some of the tapas items really weren't tapas sized. it was a confusing concept and seems to be a way to make a regular menu seem upscale and worth the cost. Tourist trap. For tapas I'd usually think of more creative plates with smaller portions and lower prices so you want to try more. Positives: 1. Tom yum dumplings were a neat idea and well cooked. Not really in the spirit of a true soup dumpling, but an interesting concept. 2. Papaya salad was very fresh. 3. Sauce for duck egg rolls was delicious. 4. Waitlist function, when found, was easy to use. Verdict: I think I'll make my peace with the 10/10 lobster (and beer) options Portland has to offer. read more

The food was delicious. I love it. Good drink as well. And servers were very nice I recommend should get all these food. That's I posted. Very nice read more

Boda - I love the Crispy Squid,Kanom-Krok Quail Eggs, and Grilled Local Squid - Thai Near Me - Portland, Maine

This is one of my absolute favorite restaurants to go to. The ingredients always so fresh and flavorful. The way the food is prepared is so authentic. My most favorite thing on their menu is the mussels and sticky rice. I could eat these all day long. Another favorite is simply the pad Thai. I love how it is all neatly wrapped in an egg omelet. I have yet to try the whole menu because I sometimes stick with those favorites. They have specials that are out of this world. It is a great place to go and just hang out with friends/family and truly enjoy great food. My best friend and I tend to go here also because of their many gluten free options read more

See all

After years of dining all over Portland I finally tried Boda. I should have tried it sooner! Everything was delicious from the Quail to the Ma-hor. Top notch skewers of every kind. Great flavors and well put together. So many options and things to try. I also liked how they brought out each dishe as soon as they were done not all together at one time Only negative was they were out of mint and mussels that night. read more

I know everyone loves Empire but this place is so good and might be better than Empire. Boda has an amazing menu, it's affordable, and it always tastes fresh and authentic! You will Never ever go wrong with take out or eating in here!! read more

While this restaurant seems to be a popular one, I find that "authentic Thai food", or at least the one served at Boda, is not entirely to my liking. The service was good though. The vibe of the main/entrance level (didn't get to the upper level, which is to the left as one enters the restaurant) seems busy but not frenetically so. Just an overall hum of activity. read more

Having Dinner here on Saturday around 5.30pm. Waited around 30mins to be seated. I visited my family here from Boston. I chose this restaurant from Yelp. All the foods we ordered are awesome. Eric was our sever. We loved him. Great Job!! Very Nice Polite and good take care of us. We hit the spot!!! read more

See all

This was our first meal in Portland and it didn't disappoint! The grilled octopus special was so good and we just about licked the delicious sauce off the plate, the chicken curry puffs were wonderful and the beef skewers were so tender. Great choice to kick off our son's wedding weekend. Staff was very friendly read more

Really cool place! Good vibes, good service, and good food. Honestly some of the dishes taste like what I would cook at home so it was maybe not mind blowing but still comforting and yummy :) the highlights for us were the spicy Thai wings and the Thai tea basque cheesecake. I would definitely come back for the cheesecake alone - it's a must try! (Fyi parking was tough so be prepared to loop around many times or go on an off day) read more

See all

Went to Boda for the first time this past weekend. I used to live in Portland but hadn't been back in several years so I asked some locals where the best place was to have dinner within walking distance. The group of folks I was talking to all recommended Boda. I was so thankful for their recommendation! Everything was fantastic. The service, food and drink were all top notch! I had the Yaowarat Duck and the Volver (Lychee Martini). I will "volver" to Boda for sure!!! read more

Boda - Yaowarat Duck, Volver. - Thai Near Me - Portland, Maine

Thai restaurant & bar! this place was recommended to us by our hosts for drinks! there was no seating left at the bar when we arrived so we opted for a table! ---Basil Tom Collins: refreshing! the basil was very fresh ---Thai tea magarita: waaaayy too sweet for our taste If you need food to wash down the alcohol they have a late night menu available wasn't amazed by the drinks but I hear the food is bomb so i'll have to give it another shot read more

Boda - Basil Tom Collins and Thai tea margarita - Thai Near Me - Portland, Maine

Boda is one of those places that just never disappoints - it's as simple as that. One of my absolutely favorite spots in Portland, this is the perfect place to go for small bites, a full meal, a drink with a friend, or all of the above. It's essentially thai tapas with some delicious full entrees thrown in. The ingredients taste fresh and the flavors are spot on every single time. It's a place I can recommend to someone who is visiting and know that they won't be disappointed. My favorite things at Boda are some of the simplest. Their brussels sprouts are fantastic - not too salty, a little char on the outside, and a soy sauce that gets soaked up by every sprout. And then there's the crown jewel: the quail eggs. I love them for so many reasons. Again, they're hit with a touch of soy and scallions that gives them the perfect kick in what is otherwise a very simple dish. I also love how interactive they are. They're served sizzling on a hot plate and it's up to you to turn them over and cook them for as long as you'd like. It's that extra element of involvement that really makes them on of my favorite dishes anywhere. The cocktails are also stellar. I have a friend who gets the "awesome coffee" every time and, while it's quite decadent, it's a fantastic drink. The wait staff is always incredibly friendly and patient with customers when there is an inevitable wait for a table. Overall, Boda is simply a can't miss spot when you're visiting Portland. And as a Portland resident, being a regular is just as exciting. read more

See all

We got the green curry mussels which came with a side of sticky rice, woon sen pad thai, and the kad prow chicken. The mussels were considered an appetizer, but they could honestly pass for an entree. Portions were generous and I liked the sticky rice on the side. Eating the sticky rice with my hands and dipping it into the mussel sauce felt like an authentic experience. The woon sen pad thai was pretty good as well as the kad prow chicken. Flavorful and the perfect amount of food. For the woon sen pad thai, it's different from your typical pad thai in that they use thinner noodles and they wrap the noodles in a thin egg omelet. read more

See all

Holy drunken noodle and pad thai. F-in awesome and service was awesome! Had a mai tai and sticky rice ball it was amazing! read more

I searched for top restaurants in Portland and BofA showed up in the article I was reading. I pulled the name into Google, and it showed me to make a reservation for two at various times but not for one. So I decided to wing it and go super early (before they opened) and wait it out, and ask to sit at the bar. I ended up meeting a nice young lady to chat with (Sabrina). Apparently, she's a regular she says you really can't go wrong with any meal you offer from the menu, so I chose the duck because that's my go-to when I'm in a Thai restaurant. The meal came out beautiful (see photos), but it was on the dry side. The bokchoy vegetable skillet was yummy. To bad they don't have a large size skillet with a bunch of veggies to order as a meal - that would be the perfect vegan meal. Spaking of which, they don't have vegan meals per se, but you can order the fried brussel sprouts or a combination of veggies to make a meal. Unfortunately, nothing really fun for vegans, unless of course, they decided to add a large bokchoy vegetable skillet, then, that would be fun for your palette - just delicious. For a drink, I decided on the Thai Iced Tea - it was premade and if you order light ice, it comes in a rocks glass instead of a highball (see photo). Maximilien wh bartender and you can get him talking when you ask him about his favorite drinks. He was nice, friendly and informative. I had a good time. I'll be back. read more

See all

I love coming here. Their food is always very exceptional and the service is great. They always try to make new drinks. Since Covid I haven't been able to eat in but have taken their food to go on many nights. Definitely looking forward to dining here again read more

See all

We ordered takeout from here on our first night in town and it was fantastic. They are offering curbside takeout only right now, but the online ordering and pick up process were very easy. We ordered the portobello skewers, shrimp skewers, a coconut based soup, the crab and shrimp fried rice, and a chicken coconut curry dish (we had leftovers - this was a little aggressive for two, even though we were very hungry humans). Would order all of it again, but the fried rice was the clear favorite. We grabbed a drink at Local 188 up the road while we waited, which I would also recommend! read more

Favorite Thai place outside of Thailand! Incredible flavirs, great drinks, great service.