I am nursing a kid who seems to have a particular aversion to spicy food, but I love Thai food and Cha'Ba is in our neighborhood, so we continue to try it. The last two times we've ordered from there, my husband has specified "Mild, very mild" for my order (he even went out of his way to stress it this time) and it is still almost too spicy for me to eat, just for fear of being up all night with a really grumpy baby. Why is this so hard? The noodles this time were soggy and gross, too. I'm pretty sure we won't give this place another shot. It's a shame, I love the Alberta location and was excited to see we had one closeby, as we've recently moved to the Roseway neighborhood. Bleh. read more

I could easily give this Thai food a 4 or a 5 rating. Unfortunately, I was at this restaurant on Thursday 1/10/2013 from 6:30pm to 7:30pm and for whatever reason the restaurant decided to play through the speakers the same melody 20+ times and it totally spoiled my dinner. I felt as if somebody was inflicting music on me. I don't get it I've been at this restaurant other times & it's been a great experience...I talked to one of the ladies and she said that they could not change it...too bad. read more

Consistently good Thai food. Everything me and my girlfriends have ordered here have always been great. One of my favorite Thai places and highly recommended. Pad Thai, pad kee Mao, pad see ew, mussaman curry, papaya salad, and beef salad are the dishes I have tried and loved. read more

I thought it was very typical Thai food but it was very good. A bit too salty for my taste I wish all Thai places would cut back on the salt. The staff was very friendly and courteous. I was here on a Tuesday night and the place had a few people so it was not real busy. read more

For the price you can't beat Cha Ba Thai. Any other Thai restaurant in town that could compete charges AT LEAST 50% more for comparable entrees. I am picky about freshness, quality and cleanliness. I find that most Thai restaurants lack in at least several those areas. Many times I find the vegetables overcooked, old and inedible. Not at Cha Ba Thai! Everything is fresh and delicious, even the bean sprouts, which are always well cleaned, crisp and tasty!! The restaurant is spacious and tastefully decorated. Everything is VERY clean, even the restroom! Whenever I visit at least 90% of the customers are Asian, which I always take as a good sign. We have been going here for years and everything has always been fantastic. The service is very good, but be prepared for a bit longer wait for Take Out during busy times. They are very popular and it usually takes about 30 minutes for our To Go order. Definitely call ahead!! It is soooo worth waiting 15 extra minutes! I think they have some authentic dishes but it is more the Americanized version of Thai food. read more

Great food but not so great service. We order a papaya salad and ask for mediums. It came out firing hot. I love spicy food and can handle the heat but it was extremely spicy that is not eatable. I told the waitress that the level of heat is not what we ask for and she ask if we want to order another that is mild without offering a replacement. She said that there they don't know how spicy the pepper is. She also ask if I should order a Thai ice tea to help with the heat. I was very disappointed with the service. I usually being guest from out of town there and will not do it again. read more

Amazing service, amazing food, amazing location (welcome to the neighborhood!). Can't think of one thing there I didn't like. The people there are so friendly. Can't wait to go back! read more

This is the second time we have had a horrible experience. Surly, unfriendly service. Served three of six meals ordered, and then when we inquired about our other meals (two were for very hungry children), we were told they had not yet even started the meals. Stay far away from this restaurant unless you like bad service and partial meal service. read more

Amaaaazing. Recommend pad eggplant stir fry and pad see ew. Good for both take out and eating in restaurant.

Wow chu chee curry with prawns. The bomb!

I'm not going to lie, the food is very well made and tastes delicious but one particular waiter made me feel very uncomfortable. My boyfriend and I have eaten at Chaba Thai before and that time we did not tip. In all honesty, we had just forgotten because one is supposed to write the tip in on the receipt when you pay with a card but we were in a hurry. Today we ate there again and we DID tip this time. However, as we got up, the waiter literally followed us out the restaurant and proceeded to ask us: "Do you want to tell me why you didn't tip me last time?" We told him what we said above and he responded by telling us to not forget to tip him again. I don't know how restaurant etiquette works but are we patrons always required to tip? And if so, I don't think waiters should be interrogating us about it. I would like some answers please! I don't know, I'm pretty sure there are other reasons why some people don't tip. What if the service wasn't all that well, etc. read more

The noodle dishes are especially good! This is as close to authentic as I've tasted outside Thailand! Well done! Service isn't that great, and they didn't seem to speak Thai, but whatever I went there to eat. read more

Great soup - the base was perfectly spiced with a light fish base. The squid was also fresh and un-processed leaving it chewy and delicious. The service was very fast and friendly. read more

This is a sorry excuse of a Thai restaurant. The waitress we had was rude, condescending and impatient. There were 6 of us in an empty restaurant so don't know why they were being like this to us. We ordered the following: Pad Thai w/chicken (tasted like spicy vinegar); Massamun curry w/chicken (barely had any taste at all with it being so watered down); Lemon Chicken w/peanut sauce (no lemon taste, dry chicken was served in strips on top of a bed of broccoli with peanut sauce slathered on top...tasted disgusting); chicken friend rice (pretty basic compared to other Thai restaurants we've eaten at); Vegetable combination w/chicken (didn't taste fresh and we asked if it had cabbage with it, the waitress said yes but there was no cabbage). The only decent thing we ordered was Thai iced teas. They never asked us how the food was or checked on us. The food was brought out one dish at a time. Weird. The waters they brought out had no ice and when we asked for an ice water they brought out a cup of ice! They also wanted to automatically charge us 18% gratuity for our table of 6. I don't give tips for bad, scratch that, HORRIBLE service and nasty food. We barely ate what they served. They argued with us about taking off the 18% gratuity and instead took off one of the dishes from the check. Also, there was one lady who had been waiting for her pick-up order for over 40 minutes and they kept telling her it would be another 5 minutes (they told her this a couple times) all while handing out other pick-up orders. Unorganized, horrible, not worth it place. Plus the prices are WAY too high for what you are served. read more

Good food but the service wasn't all that great. When we walked in, it took the workers a little while to address and seat us. When we were seated, it took even longer to order our food. read more

Needed take out Thai food for dinner at home with friends. I've been to the restaurant and liked it, but never ordered take out. I'm happy to report that the food was quick and well prepared, and survived the ride home. Everything tasted good out of the box - and we got PLENTY of rice. I love having leftover rice. Cha Ba Thai is just plain solid Thai food. I love their Massaman curry, and we always get one of the noodle dishes. Medium is kinda spicy, but mild is truly mild. So, you just have to know your own tastebuds. We tried the fried fish with sauce for the first time and it was delicious! It came on a bed of spinach and the sauce was on the side so it didn't get soggy in the take home container. Smart. Nice to have something taste good at home. I recommend the restaurant because its fun to eat with other happy people around you but it can get loud because somehow it's kind of cozy in there. So, if you want to stay home and eat, Cha Ba Thai is still your place! read more

Great thai spot in the area. Soups were bomb and sizeable.

We have eaten here for years. Tonight's food isn't even worth the drive back to return the food. Vegetables that are rotten, no taste to the curry, and their customer service on the phone is really not good. Not going back. read more

Best Thai food I have had in Portland. Really love the green curry and the mango sweet rice dessert. They are usually so crowded in the evenings that we get our food to go, and even when we call ahead we sometimes have to wait. Even my husband, who claimed to dislike Thai food, really enjoys the food here. Good stuff. read more

This is our 2nd time here and we love it! Our favorite dish is tom yum seafood soup.. they give you a lot of fresh seafood and vegetables! The beef salad is delicious. The crab fried rice with nem (pickled pork) is a specialty! The price is on the expensive side but the portions make up for it! read more

tasty... my friend took me here since he likes the place and visits regularly. he told me it was good and reasonably priced. I did not disagree. The food was cooked well. The Phad Ke Mao was very tender, full of flavor and danced in my mouth. The yellow curry was pretty good. A little too soupy and the veggie were a little undercooked but the flavor was good. The food didn't disappoint. The cost was good too. About $8.50 a dish. The environment/decor could use some work. Seems to be a little run down and needs some touching up. Service was good so they are getting 4 stars. If I was in town with a thai craving, I would definitely go back. read more

Fast courteous service. Food very good. I wonder why I don't eat Thai food everyday....its sooooo good. We had spring rolls with Chinese sausage and some good peanut sauce. Its funny at first I thought....these rolls are ok but nothing special....BUT we were practically liking the plate when were done. We also and Pa Nang Curry with Chicken and Pad Thai Noodles with Pork. The curry was Great. The noodles very good. We will be back. read more

Excellent Thai food. Tried a new dish that I don't normally see, Catfish. Looking at what everyone had and having a bite would agree that the food is very good. However, be aware of the spice star rating system. I ordered my normal 4 star and it was more like a 10 star. The 3 star that others had ordered caused them to sweat. I am Thai and can eat very hot food but had a tough time with the 4 star. read more

Yummy& fresh egg rolls. But my boyfriend & I both ordered chicken pad Thai & chicken was tough & didn't seem fresh as it usually does. On a.spice scale of 1-5, I asked for a 4& got a 2. Maybe it was an off day in the kitchen? read more

This place was a real surprise for me. Wasn't expecting much, but was blown away by the simplest of dishes. Pad Thai is usually just one of those things you get at a Thai restaurant, but I have to say that this was actually one of the things I kept coming back for. Also had some yellow curry, and the pad prikh. All dishes were very good. We had this for take out, and I have to say that it traveled well. Food was ready quickly, service was nice. I will try to go here again. One of my sneaky favorites. read more

I ate here once. It was so not memorable. Fast forward a year or 2. I was thinking Thai food And didn't want to drive up 82nd. Of course I turn to Yelp and read all the stellar reviews of this place. I was like I swear I have eaten there before and it wasn't that great but the reviews make it sound like they can't possible be the same place. I start to park and was like yup I've been here before. Since I was already there I went for it. Yeah nothing spectacular. Food was boring again. I will make the trip to 82nd or when I want good Thai food. read more

Pad eggplant with beef was excellent, and the Kao Soi with chicken, wow, that was pretty amazing. Just get it and you'll see too.

Consistently the best Thai food I have had in Portland, or any other US city. Friendly staff, nice ambiance, and the best crab fried rice you'll find around here. Good for groups, as well as solo dining (there is a small bar with a nice TV at the front). Highly recommended! read more

Food was ok - service was attentive and good. Would not go back anytime soon. Sampled their special appetizer, Shrimp Tempura - came out looking like mini hotdogs on a stick. Pad Kee Mao and a curry which came with a pretty small amount of rice (we were 2 people) and no offer of brown rice. Good, but nothing I'd mention to anyone else. Beer only available in bottles. read more

Beat Thai food in Portland I've had thus far! Tom gai soup is a must and just their plain pad Thai has incredible flavors. This definitely will be our go to spot now. read more

I have had many pretty good meals there in the past but the dish yesterday had obviously been cooked way ahead : cold steamed broccoli and spinach topped with cold "grilled " chicken with lukewarm bland peanut sauce on top. After sending it back it came out with what I believe was basically haven been nuked or dunked in hot water. Ick! People were nice, good service, crappy food. read more

Absolutely my favorite Thai food in the entire city, I've been there no less than 20 times and every time is consistent and delicious...its almost always crowded and that should tell you enough...go there! read more

I've been looking for a good Thai default place. This very well could fill the position. It's not the absolute best Thai I've had but it's pretty darn good read more

The phad thai is amazing and the service is always great!

Definitely worth a try! Nice atmosphere and good prices. Great Pad Thai and crispy rolls.

I eat here all the time! Best Thai place in NE Portland hands down! Authentic food always amazing! And they will give you extra spice on the side which is awesome because I hate when I accidentally order it too spicy and I can't even eat it! If you are trying to decide between here or Thai seasons come here Thai seasons is not authentic and has no flavor what so ever! read more

Not the best in P Town, but pretty good. E-San Thai Cuisine is better

If you like Thai, you'll like Cha Ba Thai. This place plays the standard dishes well. Be careful though. The menu is large, and on a recent visit I strayed from the standards. It probably tasted exactly how it should, but I will now stay away from anything with oyster gravy sauce. The Rad Nah is swimming in this sauce. I kept comparing it to syrup and I felt like a dumb gringo for ordering it. On the flip side, the Pad Kee Mao is fantastic. read more

Lovely Thai food. Crab fried rice is pricey but worth it ($15). Comes with 3 or 4 crab claws packed with crab meat and a healthy amount of fresh real dungeness crab. Not canned costco crab or crab from a tin can. Real, fresh, Dungeness crab. This dish could be split with another person and both of you could be stuffed just trying to finish this dish. The fried fish cakes are delicious. Docking a star for..... Only problem I had was the Thai iced tea was more ice less tea. Definitely gonna order my icead tea with little or no ice. They do an incredible amount of to go orders. Easy street parking. read more

Very comfortable atmosphere, friendly service, and great food! I always order "extra hot" Thai food, which sometimes ends up translating to "hot but not much flavor". Not the case here; the food maintains flavor while still being hot enough to burn your lips- a good thing in my opinion. I had the Pad Kee Mao on my first visit, and it was some of the best I've had: excellent heat, herby basil flavor, and a pleasant subtle sweetness. Second time I had the Kao Pad Spicy Basil fried rice, again a pleasant balance of heat, sweetness, and licorice basil notes. read more