Last time I was in Portland I didn't get to come here. I made sure it was the first dinner spot I had this time around - What fantastic fried chicken and the chewy chive triangles (basically scallion pancake in a triangle form). Lets start with the Chive cakes. Unassuming at first, I got them and said "how good could these be?" - one bite put that thought to rest. There is some kind of seasoning they dust these with that makes them pop - its salty, a little bright, makes your mouth water. Pair it with the dipping sauce and that whole experience gets jacked up a couple notches. Scallion pancake type dishes don't excite me much, but this one was my favorite to date. Just know going in - a scallion pancake (or chive in this case) is still just that - its not going to knock you onto the floor, they are just very good. Now the chicken, how the heck did they get the skin so crisp and feel so light? I preferred the leg over the thigh, it stayed a little more moist. The thigh wasn't dry by any means, but it didn't stay as juicy as I expected. That said the dipping sauce I got, Nam Jim Jaew helped pull it all together. It was salty, full of umami, had good acidity, nice freshness from the aromatics mixed in - all in all, this was a great meal and I'd definitely recommend making it a stop. Food came out quick, and if you're solo like I was, there is single-seating along the wall which really maximizes the space in here. read more

Crispy Gai - Two Piece Hat Yai Fried Chicken - Chicken Wings Near Me - Portland, Maine

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Delicious on all levels. It's a dark and moody spot with pops of color and whimsy. Service was friendly and prompt. Cocktails were unique and so tasty! But the WINGS. I'm a wing snob. I want crispy, juicy and flavorful wings that pack real heat and that fall off the bone. I want an assortment of homemade dipping sauces so every bite is different. Crispy Gai delivered. The crispy mushroom salad was a wonderful palette cleanser - fresh herbs and spice with wonderful textures. read more

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This place serves the best fried chicken I have ever consumed. I have tried fried chicken all over this country and this is hands down the best. You can tell it's made from scratch. I wouldn't be surprised if they had chicken pens out back (kidding). The rest of the menu is also amazing, and the drinks are delicious. The staff is really fun as well. It's a regular spot for us. Just know, they get busy fast, but I believe they will page you when your table is ready. Get the dipping sauce flight with your chicken. read more

oh YUM!!! Crispy Gai serves spins on classic thai street bites that do not disappoint. Its a smaller space but very cute and moody ambiance. Known for their fried chicken, we started with that. We had one that came in a red curry rub and dipped in the most buttery creamy ranch sauce - a heavenly combo. We also had the crab ragoon spring rolls - so creamy and crabby i just wish there was more it was that good. For a vegetable we ordered the crispy waterfell salad - I do not usually like cilantro but the way this dish was prepared was SO good. The cilantro was almost sweet and perfectly paired with the crisp marinated chicken bites. Our other main was the crying tiger, it was also delicious but a bit tough. Service was very nice! read more

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My friend and I were looking for a lunch to refuel us on a Friday and we found crispy gai. The staff immediately welcomed us and had us seated (we were at the very start of the lunch rush). Our server helped give us some recommendations and was really personable. We decided to get the waterfall salad with mushrooms and the fish sauce wings and both were delightful! The waterfall salad is a herbal salad and the flavors melded together perfectly with the fried mushroom. The chicken wings were crunchy, moist, and flavorful! We were extremely satisfied with our lunch and back out into the world we went! I'd definitely come back here again in the future for some delicious flavorful Thai food! read more

Crispy Gai - Waterfall Mushrooms - Chicken Wings Near Me - Portland, Maine

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The best place to get fried chicken in Maine hands down. You have to get the sauce plate with your wings! I also got a Thai tea and it was the perfect amount of sweetness. Highly highly recommend this place to everyone! read more

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We today to enjoy their Maine Restaurant Week menu which serves two. The husband vetoed this so we started with Cabbage Salad which was fresh, vibrant and flavorful. A nice sized portion that we finished off to the last piece. Next came the steamed dumplings with roe on top. Total of four dumplings filled with ground chicken and seasoned perfectly. Delicious. Main dishes were the Satay Chicken Sandwich and the Deluxe Chicken Sandwich! Both fried chicken on a soft roll with different spices and sauce. The Deluxe Chicken had a bit spicier sauce, but we agreed both were delicious. So glad Crispy Gai is part of Restaurant Week as it got us in the door. I can see this being on our regular stop in Portland!! read more

We came here for brunch and it was absolutely excellent! We started with the crab rangoon dip and the chive cakes. The dip was solid but the chive cakes were delicious. Really crunchy and oily but in a good way! I ordered the pad krapow gai and it was really good. I took half home for later and it was also great cold! My friends ordered the chicken sandwich and the mcmuffin and both really enjoyed. It was pretty sleepy on a Saturday morning and our server Chloe was amazing and very attentive. Would definitely come back here to try more of the dinner options! read more

Crispy Gai - Daiquiri - Chicken Wings Near Me - Portland, Maine

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Best happy hour ever!!!! Half dozen oysters for like 8 dollars. Their fried rice is simply amazing. The staff is welcoming and efficient. The atmosphere is relaxed but the food is above average and feels high end. read more

Changed my life. Period. I am absolutely devastated that I do not live right next to Crispy Gai (or perhaps I and my wallet should be grateful). The wings. THE WINGS! were so perfectly crispy. I highly recommend the Gaeng Pèt Wings (if you like red curry flavor profile). I don't know what they put in the seasoning, but it encompassed red curry really well. I ascended. That first bite made me religious. We also got the Hat Yai wings which were great as well! Very simple flavor but seasoned and cooked so perfectly. We didn't get any of their sauces but I would probably recommend one for the Hat Yai Wings. However, if you don't want a sauce, it's great on its own! We also got the Crispy Waterfall Salad, which was also Very delicious and much needed after having lots of fried chicken (the salad also had fried chicken in it though LOL). It was herby and had this delicious dressing that was sweet and sour. Service was fine! It was quite busy when we went. We had to wait about 45 minutes to get seated. It's a bit loud in there and with majority bar seating-esque tables that can be a bit difficult with bigger groups. read more

Crispy Gai - Gaeng Pèt Wings - Chicken Wings Near Me - Portland, Maine

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Very filling large chicken sandwiches. Great crunch. Super friendly service. Fries are well seasoned and they have some fun ice cream sandwiches! Cocktails were fun too! The staff there were super gracious and helpful in choosing which dishes to order. read more

Crispy Gai - Chicken Wings Near Me - Portland, Maine

Sichuan Wings (7/10): Crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside. The spice balance was heavy on the numbing side, but not enough on the spicy side. I felt like it also lacked the aromatic dimension of Sichuan spices, and was a bit one-dimensional toward numbing spice. We got Nam Jim Jaew sauce to go with it, but it really wasn't necessary. Also, $2 per sauce doesn't seem worth it. Pad See Ew (9/10): Delicious! Noodles were cooked with a nice amount of wok hei. The pork was delicious. I found the sweetness level to be fine. We waited an hour for dinner on the Sunday before labor day. read more

Crispy Gai - Sichuan Wings - Chicken Wings Near Me - Portland, Maine

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Another amazing spot in Portland, we came here on a whim for lunch during our trip. My personal favorite was the crab Rangoon dip I was tempted to eat it with a spoon. The wings were also delicious and a must try. The shumai were also good and well executed. Staff were super nice and the interior is small but cute. read more

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On Sunday May 10th, 2026, a bunch of my co-workers at MMC decided to treat ourselves by ordering lunch from Crispy Gai. The deluxe chicken sandwich was pretty excellent taste wise except for some gristle in the center of the sandwich. Within a few hours I was feeling pretty ill. I spent the next 36 hours with vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach cramps. 3 of us that ordered that day got food poisoning (that I know of, I haven't checked in with everyone). This was a horrible experience I wouldn't wish on anyone. read more

Yum! Gets packed. The original hostess we had wasnt that nice but our waitress was great and compensated for our initial greeting to the restaurant. Food was oily and salty but still good. The wings were SUPER umami - idk how i feel about it. Weird tingly feeling left in mouth. Fried rice was incredible but oily. I think the place was decorated cool but not a big amount of space for seating read more

My friends and I tried Crispy Gai as part of our food crawl through Portland. Crispy Gai was one of the best if not the best restaurants that we tried! From the drinks, to the sauce, to the chicken, all of the food was amazing! We got the red curry chicken and the original crispy chicken with shallots, and I definitely recommend the red curry one! You could eat it without the sauce, and it's still great. Our favorite sauce was definitely the ranch (and usually I don't opt for ranch). A must-try in Portland! read more

Crispy Gai - Chicken Wings Near Me - Portland, Maine

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First stop in Portland and we hit it off with a BANG! I got the mushroom pad see ew and all my friends got various chicken sandwiches. We shared the fried wings (hat yai wings) and the rangoon dip. Both were delicious! The wings were perfectly crispy with tender meat cooked to perfection. I'm not usually a crab rangoon fan, but this was a pleasant surprise. The star of the meal for me was my pad see ew. The mushrooms were delectable and the overall dish was amazing. Super happy we were able to find great thai food in Portland! read more

Crispy Gai - Mushroom Pad See Ew - Chicken Wings Near Me - Portland, Maine

We were greeted by a nice young man and seated right away. The drink menu was fun with alcoholic and non alcoholic drink choices. I ordered the herb tonic Thai basil, mint, coriander ginger and tonic, amazing drink, I loved it! For dinner the waiter suggested Khoa Kha Moo, great choice. Perfect portion, our meals came out hot and fresh. Full of flavor nice big chunks of tender meat, noodles cooked perfect. The atmosphere is comfortable and easy. The staff all friendly warm and welcoming. I will definitely be back again to try more food and drinks from this amazing menu. read more

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We waited a long time for our first drink, beer and food but it wasn't the staff's fault. They were bustin' their ass, so friendly and the food was really good. Maybe could use a 2nd bartender but I'm sure it's a tough balance. Overall 4. Service a 10. Thank you! read more

Yum!! Two people recommended this spot so we tried it midway back to Boston. We loved our drinks - Thai iced tea and Lemongrass Rickey. The crab rangoon spring rolls were amazing. I enjoyed my chicken sandwich and my son loved the wings. Very fun spot and the folks working there are so friendly. Delicious! read more

Really cute place! The decor and ambiance were super cute and the service was quick and friendly. I got the chicken wings and they were crispy (as advertised) but otherwise quite ordinary. I didn't really enjoy the sauce I chose, maybe next time I will try another. The tom yum fries were my favorite part of the meal. I am knocking off a point because of how pricey the food was for what we got. Overall a nice place to grab lunch. I will try again and adjust my review based on what I try next time. read more

Crispy Gai - Hat Yai Wings - Chicken Wings Near Me - Portland, Maine

I cannot say enough about this place. My partner and had I dinner here after it being in my list for over a year and it was amazing!! The Brussels sprouts were so flavorful, delicious, and perfectly cooked. The extra crispy wings were so juicy, fresh, and well seasoned. In addition, we got the pad see we with mushrooms with was also very delicious. We were stuffed, as the portions were very generous. We wanted to try such more but simply didn't have room. Next time I'm in Portland I have to return! The only disappointment was the service and the Thai iced tea. The iced tea lacked any real flavor and was very unsweetened. I've had many before and none lacked flavor. Also, the service was very lackluster, no one really checked on us and we didn't have a consistent server. Also when food was delivered it was just left on the counter not even moved to us, we had to reach across and pull it over each time a dish was brought. I think service could be improved by a lot but the food quality definitely makes up for it thankfully. read more

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Easily one of my favorite Portland establishments! It's a small place so it can be a few minutes to get a table/bar seat sometimes, but it's always worth the wait. Such a convenient location and fast service, which makes this a go-to for me before seeing shows at Merrill. The food is always amazing! The som tum (green papaya salad) is a must for me. So fresh and delicious. I recently tried the chive cakes, which were crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside, finished with a sprinkle of flake salt. Tasty and such a fun mix of textures! The chicken is what they're know for (crispy gai=chicken). I get the hat yai, which is crispy on the outside with plenty of little fried onions and juicy on the inside. The sauces they have to pair with the chicken are also great! I especially like the NJS Ranch, but also really enjoy the ginger soy (especially with the fried onions). The amount of sauce for $2 is generous too. Lastly, I also really appreciate their drink options! So many fun nonalcoholic creations, including the Gucci Gai and the Lemongrass Rickey. Both are great! The Thai tea is also nice and has a distinct taste compared to other places I sometimes get it because it's made with condensed milk. read more

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Incredible fried chicken. Great vibe to the place. Our waitress was a star. 5 stars well-earned.

I have to say that I have been back to crispy gai a couple times now and while it's good... it's not at the top of my favorite places to go in Portland. This was the second time I've gone in for a chicken sandwich and, again, it's a good sandwich. I do truly appreciate the crunchiness of their breading and the integrity of their buns (both crucial to a good fcs). But I do have to say that their toppings/flvor combinations leave something to be desired in my opinion. read more

Crispy Gai - Chicken Wings Near Me - Portland, Maine

I have been wanting to come here for sometime, I heard such good things about the chicken sandwich. It was all true. This was truly an amazing sandwich. It was late the the afternoon right before they closed for lunch so there were not many people there, my order was ready very quickly. We choose take out which may not have been the best plan after realizing just how messy it was to eat, but it was worth every napkin. The cabbage salad was also very good the dressing had a bit more zing than I like on a salad but we used it sparingly so it was really good. We will return to sample the wings and maybe the Brussel sprouts next time. read more

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I've been to some great food spots in and around Portland, Maine over the past five years. All were good to great. Okay some were really good. Let me tell everyone about an Excellent food spot on Exchange Street. Crispy Gai! I walked in and there was a cool vibe (nothing to do with the cold weather) and the smell of plated food on customers tables and at the bar, drew me into the intoxicating venue. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the ambience and their food. Not an echo chamber spot. Just relaxing and able to talk with one another. I ordered the crispy chicken sandwich and fries. I don't know how to best describe it, other than, the fries were crispy to perfection, you could actually taste the potato, the crisp, the seasoning, all in one explosively delicious bite. They were perfection at its best. The best! The Crispy Chicken sandwich on a bun, with the secret sauce, pickles, lettuce - Christopher Walken said on SNL "we need more cow bell", I digress - let me just say as I was trying to talk to someone there, in between bites and not trying to be rude to them, it was like I was in a 5 star restaurant with a bunch of Michelin Awards kind of sandwich. Plump fried chicken, crispy nuggets of gold, moist and cooked to perfection! Not sure how and what they used for the light batter, but it was "EXCELLENT"! What I can say is, it is a must, really should try it out, must go spot with friends or alone. I'm going back Saturday. So many dishes were being served, each one enticing the palette to be tried another day or evening. Awesome friendly staff, cook/s, wait staff, Owners on site, yah need to give it a try. It will become a new spot for sure. Karl read more

Ambiance fun, food spicy and yum - makes your tongue tingle, homemade ranch and soy sauce are a yes!! Service was FIVE STARS - Morgan was the best read more

Crispy Gai - Spicy wings, yo dong and ranch sauce, pilsner - Chicken Wings Near Me - Portland, Maine

I've been here twice now -- once for lunch, once for dinner -- and have enjoyed it both times, though I think the quality of the dishes is a bit uneven. The interior is trendy and colorful, and we thankfully didn't have to wait either time for a seat (though I here this place is slammed during the summer months). At dinner, I tried the Chinese sausage fried rice with the crab add-on, which was quite good, and the pad see ew, which was well-cooked but way too salty. I'd say the absolute winner here is the chicken: I tried one of my friend's chicken wings, and it was incredibly crispy on the outside, perfectly seasoned, and impossibly tender. When I came back for lunch, I went straight for the chicken: I ordered the Crispy Deluxe Sandwich and the Tom Yum Fries. Both were absolutely delicious, flavor-packed and texturally flawless. This has got to be some of the best fried chicken I've had in recent memory. I'll be back soon to try out the happy hour ($1 oysters every day from 11am-3pm!) and for more of that incredible chicken! read more

Crispy Gai - pad see ew - Chicken Wings Near Me - Portland, Maine

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Popped in right at 5pm on a Saturday night - zero wait whatsoever. Service was quick and the inside was small and cozy. The khao soi and crispy chicken are as good as people say they are and i would get them again in a heartbeat. They had a mango sticky rice special for dessert which was the perfect ending to the meal. Warm creamy fresh and delicious. Everything about this place lived up to the hype. Even a simple Thai iced tea was done very well. Would recommend for Thai food in Portland. read more

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Absolutely amazing food, the wings were crispy as anything, the sauces were all top notch. We sat at the bar so naturally the service was impeccable and the ambiance was a low soft lit atmosphere. We've been coming to Portland for years now and this is our first time at Crispy, we will be back time and time again. read more

Hot damn, this place is SO good. My husband and I stumbled upon Crispy Gai while strolling around Portland and it ended up being one of my top meals in a very long time! We sat outside and ordered yummy cocktails (we both got the passion fruit coconut mimosa). For food, we took advantage of the $1 oyster deal and were pleasantly surprised by the unique sauce that accompanied them. It was some sort of chili cilantro flavor. So good! For mains, we shared the Sichuan wings and pad see ew. We were blown away by both but especially the noodle dish! It was so flavorful and the pork was tender and falling apart. SO good. The wings were super crispy and you could pick from one of 6 or so sauces! My only regret is not ordering the fruity pebble/lemongrass ice cream sandwich. May have to go back just for that! I highly highly highly recommend you stop by for a meal (or two!). You won't be disappointed! read more

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Walked in on a Tuesday night around 9pm and waited about 15 minutes for a table for 3. The restaurant is very darkly lit with some disco balls and neon lights, definitely a more buzzy vibe. I ordered the hat yai wings, which were REALLY GOOD. I recommend getting the sauce flight and dipping them in all 5 and deciding which one is your favorite. I also got the khao soi gai, which honestly wasn't very good at all, the chicken was dry and the flavor and the noodles were very mediocre. The ice cream sammy was just okay. Tried a bite of my friend's pad see ewe which was really flavorful and delicious, I would go with that over the khao soi if you're deciding between entrees. But honestly, the fried chicken here is so good that that's what you should be focusing your energy on. The service here was fine, a little on the slow side. read more

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Unexpected find in Portland. I saw in reviews there was pad see ew, so was kind of sad to not see it on the menu when we went. That's a favorite I get at Thai places. The cabbage salad was good but way too flavorful that I needed rice or something else to cleanse my palate with it. I wanted to try the lo bak gao tots - and it was good but is a Chinese dish and not Thai, so I'm thinking this place is definitely more Asian fusion than Thai. And the lo bak gao was not as crispy as I thought it would be, being a tatter tot. The highlight was really the wings. So juicy and crisp- hit the spot. Also got a Thai iced tea, and was so refreshing. read more

Crispy Gai - Menu - Chicken Wings Near Me - Portland, Maine

After eating a bunch of lobster, crab, scallops and shrimp on my trip to Maine (and yes, I thought about Thai shrimpers a lot the entire time), I decided it was time for something different. I ended up at a Thai street food restaurant and my experience was very pleasant. I went with the Sichuan wings, which are listed as the hot option. They were incredible, among the best wings I've ever had. Sichuan peppercorns aren't common in mainstream cuisine, so seeing them executed so well in Maine was a delightful surprise. If you've never had Sichuan-style spice, it's not a typical burn. It's a numbing and tingling sensation. These wings were as Sichuan as you can get. My lips tingled from the first bite, which was quite an experience compared to all the spicy wings I've had in my life. I would have loved the option to mix and match wing flavors, which would be very beneficial for solo diners. I wanted to try the other flavors but that would've been too much food for just me. So while I highly recommend the Sichuan wings, I can't wholeheartedly say they're the must-order item because I didn't get to try more of the menu. A complimentary sauce would also be a nice touch, especially given the price at about $3 per wing, having to pay another buck for sauce feels excessive, even if the wings are darn good. I'd rate Crispy Gai a 4.5, but my critiques aren't enough to round down the score down, so I'm rounding up to 5 stars. read more

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Theee best place o m g. Went into it thinking it'd be overhyped but it was nottt. So freaking good and worth it imo. It was cute inside, and the staff was super kind with positive energy. You just can't get wings like this anywhere else. Soo good. read more

Crispy Gai - Chicken Wings Near Me - Portland, Maine

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Partner was craving fried chicken and this spot popped up! Pretty packed for. Wednesday night. He got the 4 piece fried chicken which were HUGE pieces. Really loved those. Super crispy juicy and hot. I got the Sichuan chicken wings; also crispy and juicy. Realized sichuan is not my cup of tea, unfortunately. I got ranch which helped drown out the numbing-ness. No fault of the spot, just wanted to try something new. read more

Crispy Gai - Sichuan wings - Chicken Wings Near Me - Portland, Maine

Noontime Just arrived-seated in 5 minutes. Started with a lemongrasslime rickey cocktail. I ordered 6 $1.00 oysters & an order of their most popular wings. Kris also ordered the wings. Watching people eat everything looks great. Can't wait to try the famous wings. Here they are, 6 ultra crispy chicken Hat Yao wings with fried shallots scattered around. Without sauce the wings are pretty flavorless. It 's obvious there is no seasoning on the wings other than the batter & fried shallots. Will I have these wings again; probably not. I did opt for an additional $2.00 add on ginger soy sauce but that was a bit overwhelming. I did however eat the oysters; they were sensational 11-3 pm happy hour $1.00 oysters how can you go wrong. The accompanying mignonette had quite a spice to it kept my mouth aflame.I should have had a dozen or two dozen oysters instead of just 6. Live & learn. Other than the oyster special the pricing seems a bit excessive but it 's obvious the place is a gold mine based on how many people were there eating. Do make sure you have deep pockets. My next visit I'll make my own wings at home theyvmost definitely have more flavor!!! and cost far less. I should have gone next door to High Roller & enjoyed lobster. We went, we explored, we tried, we now move on to our next destination. read more

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Chicken is as advertised- so meaty and perfectly crispy. It's a small crowded restaurant on a Friday night- we waved around 30 minutes but it was worth the wait. read more

One of my fave meals in Portland -- lots of flavor & great bang for your buck as far as portion sizes go (I was stuffed after)! I ordered takeout for lunch, and it was really fast/everyone was super helpful & kind. Wish I could have sat inside & enjoyed a drink, everything looked amazing read more

Crispy Gai - Pad Krapow Gai - Chicken Wings Near Me - Portland, Maine