Wholy nomdiggity goodness Batman!!! You've gotta chill at this lil' spot. And I don't know about you, but it's been a looooong time since I've had some good Laotian food. Could I find some when I was living in the Bay Area? No. Could I find something hidden in Garden Grove of the OC? Maybe, but I don't recall. Yeah, it's been that long. OK, enough of my Cali snobbiness! Here's my take on this joint: + P A R K I N G + They've got a tiny lot, but we arrived around 4:19pm and easily found a spot. Only about five spaces really. Soon enough, they plan to fill up the lot with other food trucks to put Cully Central on the map! So future parking will likely be street parking only. ++ A T M O S P H E R E ++ Inside dining is open and well spaced out. They've got a few big monitors to catch a game or two. Plus, you'll place your order at the bar. They've got specialty drinks and local beers on tap. Clean! The bar was clean as were the tables. Fancy outside patio picnic tables with some sweet lighting. But wait, I'm suppose to talk about "atmoshphere"... CHILL!!! Folks around me seemed neighborly and polite. The area is old school 'near the airport' sketch, but I was told this neighborhood has greatly improved. Regardless, the patrons around me were happy, probably because of they're grubbin' on dang good food and drinks. Now onto that!!! +++ WE BE G R U B B I N ' +++ Hmm, where do I start? Ugh, where's my phone? OK ~ The cool cat at the counter gave the "what they're known for" answer, and that was #7!!! ~ Nam Khao ($11) - Oh man, crispy salty and spicy (mild) rice that just hit the spot. Mmm, mmm, mmm! Cilantro, chopped green onion, with chopped up cured pork pieces. The lettuce leaf cuts were crunchy, and man, combine it together and this was simply intoxicating but in a food sense! ~ #11 Tha Lao Sausage & Sticky Rice ($12) - Now this dish had three pork sausages. Nice and juicy with every bite. Add that red sauce, and the flavors just explode! Perfect with that sticky rice too! Or use a lettuce leaf. ~ #20 Butterfly Coconut Shrimp ($7) - They use real coconut too! A decent appetizer, but not my favorite. ~ #6 Thum Mak Hoong ($5 sm) aka Papaya Salad - Man'oh'man was this refreshing! It's gotta be the fish sauce or little chillies that brought out the savoriness with these stringy papaya strands. ~ Fishsauce Wings ($7) - So they do other flavors of wings. Typical buffalo, barbecue, but I didn't want that. I means, this place is also a bar so I understand. But I wanted more of that Laotian salty crispy flavor, and these wings fit the bill. ~ Banana Chips ($5 bag) - Umm, I haven't opened the bag yet. I'll update my review once I try them. ++++ O V E R A L L +++++ Great place to kick it! Great tasting food and drinks, and excellent service to go with it! I did meet Nong (family member/manager/owner) and he shared a bit about the place and the community. Great guy! So honestly I'll admit, this is more of a 4-star kind of joint, but the whole set up and satisfying food just gave it that extra edge. However, they do need to update their changing menu board as my receipt prices didn't match the prices on the board. But not a deal breaker for me. I'll still be back! Give them a try, support your locals! read more

See all

Tried some Lao food on a whim, and once again the Yelp community steered us right! What a cool find, some things to know, order at the counter, then grab your seats. It feels like a normal sit down place, we missed that message. Went with the spicy noodles (I'd say they were 5 out of 10 on the spicy scale) and some pot stickers. Great flavor, super friendly staff, really comfy homely feel to it! Definitely give it a try! read more

A must-know Cully neighborhood spot! Friendly staff, delicious food, great outdoor patio. I've convinced myself: I should come here more! read more

Cully Central - Mural on Cully Blvd - Beer Gardens Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Delicious food! We had Tom Yum soup, pot stickers, chicken Karen and nam khan. All delicious. I was so hangry that I called ahead and scarfed everything down before taking photos, but it was all beautiful! The don't offer table service, but we got it anyway. Great local business I can't wait to return to! read more

This cute neighborhood establishment is a great casual meeting place. When the weather is nice, there are sliding doors that can open up to the outside. The outside seating area is also equipped with heat lamps, umbrellas, and speakers. Inside there is a wall of 3 TVs to broadcast sports. #1 Khao piek: 3.5/5 The house-made rice noodles are thick and have a nice slightly chewy texture, but they get softer as it sits. There is shredded white meat chicken, and the broth is white pepper-forward. #7 Nam Khao: 4.5/5 Signature tasty crispy rice dish with romaine lettuce wraps #11 Lao sausages: 4/5 I liked the sausage--it has a nice texture in which you can discern the different ingredients. The pre-packaged sticky rice was a bit chewy--it would be nice if it were seasoned. There is a parking lot as well as street parking. read more

See all

This is the "Salt & Pepper" chicken wings. To be quite HONEST..these wings by chef "Nong" Should be deemed "ILLEGAL" because they're deliciously addicting. Definitely order a few orders. The best wings I've ever had in my 53 years on earth. Love em. read more

Cully Central - "Salt & Pepper Wings" - Beer Gardens Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Growing up, my family and I never dined out for Laotian food because there was never any need to when my mother and grandma ALWAYS threw down in the kitchen. Now that I live away from my family, I can't help but miss home cooked meals and constantly crave some of my favorite Laotian dishes. Cully Central is truly authentic as authentic gets and reminds me so much of my family's cooking. The portions here are huge and prices are so fair. I was not disappointed one bit. To order, my boyfriend and I shared: - Firecracker Shrimp - seasoned and fried perfectly - Lao Sausage - bommmbbb. So good with the sticky rice and spicy + sour dipping sauce - Larb Gai (seasoned minced chicken) - amazing flavor with the fresh herbs and lime. Ordered this with medium spice level and it had the perfect kick - Nam Khao (Lao crispy rice salad) - one of my all time favorite dishes and this one was very yummy A lot of people downplay the level of spice when it comes to Laotian food and I advise it's best not to.. We don't play when it comes to spiciness lol! The neighborhood seems very dim lighted but the area and space itself is very well lit. Outdoor dining was still available when we had went about 2 weeks ago (12/8/20) and the tables are also well spaced out. I'll be back for their other menu items especially their thum muk houng (papaya salad) and jeow bong (chili paste). I love that they have a variety of snacks (beef jerky, chili paste, chips, etc) for sale as well. Thanks Cully Central for being my new go-to when I'm feeling home sick! read more

See all

People love this place. I thought it was expensive and average. Too many better places to go to. Try Mekong Bistro or any of the very good Thai restaurants in town. They are better. read more

This place is always a hit! Can't go wrong ordering anything here. It's a great place to grab a beer or drink and delicious food. I had a sampler plate, nam khao, spicy noodle dish, and shrimp rolls. My favorite dish is the sampler plate. You get a taste of everything and it's all really good. Love the papaya salad and the Laos sausage the most. read more

Cully Central - Beer Gardens Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I thought I'd already reviewed Cully central but just in case. This place is fantastic. It's easy to drive right past this place, but once you find it, it's a nice little oasis in the Cully neighborhood. Affordable and delicious, what's not to like? read more

I can honestly say I have had the worst meal at restaurant ever. Or maybe the worst meal I've ever had. In the USA, Europe, Asia Or Latin America. I had a #3 with papaya salad. I ordered medium hot. That works for me in every country and restaurant except Cully Central. The papaya salad was limp and tasteless. Too hot. I've had papaya salad in quite a few countries and that was hands down bad. So let's move on to the beef jerky part of this dish. The meat was so hard and dry I could have put chile sauce on my shoes and had better flavor. Tough and like eating a belt. That wasn't bad enough. I ordered meatballs as an appetizer. Again I've eaten meatballs on the street, in markets and in restaurants in three Asian countries and always find them enjoyable. Cully Central? Pass. When you go to a restaurant with no wait staff, order at the bar, seat yourself, get your own water you'd hope after putting down $80 for two people the food would be good. You won't find it here. There's lots of other choices close by where you'll be waited on and have a delicious meal. BTW. The ambiance isn't much. Metal chairs and tables and three large big screen TV's. That's what I call cozy. read more

Delicious! My first time in and I will definitely be back. The food was fast and excellent, I literally am planning to go back so I can try everything on the menu. Nice chill neighborhood pub type vibe, very nice staff, and very fast service. Solid beer selection and enough wine and other drinks. Chill outside area in the sun, and nice ac inside (it was real hot the day I went..) This is exactly what the cully neighborhood needs! Update: I have been back multiple times and tried everything on the menu, it really is all amazing. For me the soup, the steak, and the crispy rice is all the must haves! read more

I had some of the best beef Pho that I've had in Portland here. Really really good. My brother also really liked the soup he got, but I don't remember which one it was. The only recommendation I'd have for the owners. if you are reading your reviews, please get a Mr. clean pad and wipe down your front door. All the dirt along the white entrance door is a little offputting. It would also be great if you had a chicken pho option. read more

Best Lao food in Portland hands down. Atmosphere was great, staff was friendly. Order the sample platter for two and the khao poon

I really enjoy this place feels like an understatement. Service is great and really friendly. I highly recommend the Nam Khao, it's perfectly seasoned. I love the crunchy cured pork bits in it. It's not too spicy, and just hits the spot when you want a salty treat. The brisket with the sticky rice pairs great with the papaya salad. Keep the sticky rice in the bag to ensure it doesn't dry out. If you're in the mood for something soupy, definitely try the khao piek sen. It's a nice place for both adults and children. It's clean and the environment is really chill.They have a little play area that my nieces love. There are 3 big screens with sports constantly on. There's a wide selection of beers on tap to enjoy. It's a really comfortable space to be at and good for groups. In the summer, they open the sliding doors and it really opens up the space. There's a good amount of outdoor seating as well. read more

The soup comes out piping hot and it's plentiful and very flavorful. The noodles are also very tasty with right sticky consistency. Get the sticky rice for dessert. read more

This is one of my go to's when in Portland. I love me some thinly sliced Laos beef jerky + authentic papaya salad & fish sauce chicken wings + sticky rice! They also sell thicker cuts of beef jerky in packages with 0-3 spice levels; warning-- I can usually handle spice-- but I could barely handle level 1. read more

Wow, this place is a gem. Located in Northeast Portland, Cully Central is advertised as a "beer garden food pod establishment." They serve local beers, ciders, wines, and all sorts of juices. They also have an in-house restaurant called Khao Niew that serves flavorful Lao street food along with wings, tots, and fries. Their menu is composed of family recipes, and I can tell that their dishes are created with a lot of heart. I've eaten a lot of Thai food but never Lao, so this was a new gastronomic experience for me. But I think I need to try more Lao cuisine before I can make sound conclusions comparing Thai food versus Lao food. Now back to my review... FOOD: My friend ordered khao piek sen (fresh handmade rice noodles and savory chicken broth, topped with shredded chicken; $7). I ordered nam khao (Lao crispy rice salad seasoned with fresh herbs and lime juice, served self-wrapped with green leaf lettuce; $10). Nam khao was bomb! You eat it burrito-style. Load up a big lettuce leaf with a huge heap of crunchy rice and cured pork, and you find yourself in food heaven. The texture was perfect. Overall, it was incredibly tasty and spicy (if you're not into spicy food, you should ask them to tone it down a little). My friend thought that his rice noodles and chicken broth were great. One thing I also liked was that everything in their menu was reasonably priced and the portions were fair. VIBE: Cully Central is a family-friendly sports bar. The atmosphere is relaxed and very casual. There is a kids' area on one end of the room. TVs tuned in to sports channels are on the other end. Plenty of seats outside as well. PARKING: There is a parking lot in front. Street parking is also an option. HOURS: Monday-Friday 4-10 p.m. Saturday 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday 11 a.m.-9 p.m. SERVICE: What sets Cully Central apart is their service. I arrived earlier than my friend and so I sat at the bar. Lou welcomed me like I was family (I think Lou is one of the owners). He told me that the restaurant opened in January 2018. He spoke with so much passion about their business and their fine goal of putting Lao street food in the limelight. I noticed customers come in and Lou was consistently patient and friendly to every single one of them. He called them by their first names. He took pride in giving first-class service to every person that walked into the restaurant. Hospitable. Friendly. That's the kind of service you receive from Cully Central. WHAT TO ORDER: Number 7 on the menu. Nam khao. You're welcome! :-) CONCLUSION: This is a place that I will easily recommend to my family and friends. Solid five stars for Cully Central! read more

See all

the food was so dang good and authentic that it literally made me miss my grandma! the service was amazing the vibes are immaculate the food is to freaking die for. don't even get me started on the dang chili oil in that khao piek sen. that lao was wow ;) read more

Cully Central - #01. Khao Piek Sen #07. Nam Khao - Beer Gardens Near Me - Portland, Oregon

So I went into this restaurant for the first time, and the owner was so kind. He was extremely helpful with the menu since I didn't know anything. I ordered nam khao, it was actually alot of fun to eat. The environment is a lot of fun, they play fun music, they also have games, and a chalk wall!! It's a great place to hang out have some drinks and read more

Cully Central - Beer Gardens Near Me - Portland, Oregon

This place is awesome check it out soon if you have not already. Great food and staff. I enjoyed this tasty sour apple tequila drink recently. Cheers! read more

Cully Central - Delicious sour apple tequila drink. They have really great food. The service is amazing. Check it out soon if you have not already. Cheers! - Beer Gardens Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Best Lao food in Portland, hands down! Come test this review! I recommend the khao pun, lao sausage, nam, sticky rice, and beef jerky ! read more

I really liked it here! The cocktails were strong and yummy and the service cool and quick! We bought the homemade plantain chips to go and I need to go back and get more! Ron R. ordered a bunch but my favorite was the papaya salad and the tha Lao sausage w/sticky rice!! So good! We will so be back!! read more

Cully Central - Outdoor patio area but they're also seating people inside. - Beer Gardens Near Me - Portland, Oregon

See all

Unfortunately, I was slightly disappointed with the food. The meat had good enough flavor, nothing extroidinary but not bad. I am not a fan of the sticky rice in a plastic sandwich bag. It came out a solid weird blob. It had the feel and taste of the bag itself. Such a waste of plastic, rice, and my money. Feeling jipped. Honestly, I am still hungry and bummed. Ho hum. Oh well. But hey, the pineapple cider was tasty. read more

Cully Central - Larb gai with plastic rice - Beer Gardens Near Me - Portland, Oregon

excellent food. delicious lettuce wrapped tacos. definitely recommend this place. good beer menu too.

A great neighborhood gem for excellent Laotian cuisine. VERY reasonably priced. Order at counter, grab a table, and enjoy the food and drink. Close to PDX if you're spending the night for an early morning flight. read more

You can't go wrong with anything you get here, seriously. Everything I've had has been delicious from their Nam Khao to Sukiyaki soup to larb to Kapiek soup to Papaya salad to the beef jerky. Customer service is great as well. They are friendly and efficient and even with a packed place, they manage to get food orders out pretty quick. My only gripe as of right now is that they recently changed their papaya sauce recipe for the new year. I believe they removed the shrimp (or was it crab?) paste. I spoke to an employee and they said they may start having two different sauce recipes to accommodate for the taste difference, so if you're someone like me and like it really authentically asian, ask to see if they have the version with shrimp paste! You won't be disappointed! read more

I got the Nam Khao and a side of meatballs, both were really good. The Nam Khao had a nice balance of texture and flavor. Crispy, chewy, spicy, tangy. The preparation was much better than some other restaurants in the Portland area. The accompanying lettuce was fresh and crisp as well. Price point was spot on and very reasonable IMO. I would recommend eating here and will be coming back to try some of the other dishes. read more

Cully Central - Meatballs - Beer Gardens Near Me - Portland, Oregon

See all

Good selection of local brews on draft and a menu of tasty, well-prepared Laotian food. Extra credit for bothering to make the semi-enclosed outdoor patio look nice and feel comfortable. That's all you need to know - just go there unless for some reason you don't like noodles or beer. In which case I pity you. Incidentally my companions poked mild fun at me for eating wrong. I think I may have been on the receiving end of a LAO LMAO. read more

Good food. Good brews. Good people. I've here a couple of times. The place is chill. Low key. And they serve Lao Food! From spicy to extra Lao spicy, the place has a bit for everyone. read more

See all

Pretty nice place. I so happy to have a cool place like this in my neighborhood. They have a good variety of beers and ciders. Not so much in food, but to me that's perfect cuz I have trouble deciding what I want, but for my husband that's hard cuz nothing that he saw in the menu got his attention. But he absolutely liked the ambiance, and the beer that he got. Will definitely go back and probably take some friends with us since is a family place. I just wished they had the fire on when we went. Maybe next time. read more

Cully Central - Beer Gardens Near Me - Portland, Oregon

My buddy had a hankering for Laotian food and I heard about Cully from the willamette week. The place is a pretty chill neighborhood bar (though kids are welcome till 9pm). Lots of parking outside with a sweet patio with a fire pit, giant size Jenga and disc golf cage for when it's not hailing and rainy in June. They have a good sized menu - same as the food cart in Happy Valley. We split the number 4 and 12. Number 4 is marinated beef served with a tomato sauce and sticky rice. It was grilled up nicely and cut up into bite sized pieces. My friend ate the sticky rice with his fork ( aka white guy style ) but the regulars quickly showed him that the proper way is to mold the rice into a bite sized piece, place a piece of meat on it, dip in sauce, and pop in your mouth. The beef was tender and flavorful but not too overpowering. This is their most popular dish - 4 other people ordered it when we were here. Number 12 is the spicy noodles and I got it with the fried egg (which I highly recommend). The noodles looked like ramen noodles (and the bartender confirmed) but it shouldn't detract you from the dish. It's actually pairs well with the spicy sauce. Fried egg is a must, as the runny yolk cuts into the spice perfectly. Cully has a nice beer selection on tap. They also have a good cider selection and the friendly bartender let me sample a few before I made my choice. The place was filled with regulars and the staff had some chill hip hop from YouTube playing on their smart tv and piped through the place - they even took my request! My friend chilled out with the staff for a few hours. Before we left they broke out some sliced homegrown apples served with a salty/spicy sauce made from fish sauce, sugar, garlic, chili, and fried rice (yes fried rice) - apparently a Laotian delicacy. It was amazing Highly recommend anyone looking for good food and a good vibe to check this place out read more

See all

This is a wonderful neighborhood gem. The flavors are authentic (truly spicy if you want it) and there is truly a family environment. If you're looking for a good time and good food you should check this place out. It's at least worth checking out read more

Cully Central is a great addition to the city of Portland and the Cully neighborhood. I make many trips to Portland, and when I heard about Cully Central, I knew I had to stop by on my next trip! You can't really miss this place- just keep an eye out for a beautiful mural representing the city of Portland. You'll know what I'm talking about it once you see it. There is outdoor covered seating for warm sunny days, and plenty of seating inside at the bar or the tables. The tables by the way, are custom made, which adds a nice touch. Inside is very spacious, clean, and with very inviting decor. This is a family friendly establishment. There's a section for children with toys to keep them entertained while the adults can have a nice selection of cold beer on tap. My favorite is the Ace Pineapple. It's more of a cider, but it's absolutely refreshing with a sweet enough taste to a tart finish. Now, on to the food! Lao food in general uses many herbs and spices, so be prepared for a blast of flavor! If you're starting off as your first time with Lao food, I will HIGHLY recommend the Lao sausage, which is made with pork, lemon grass, garlic, chilies, shallots, and cilantro, just to name a few. Enjoy that with some sticky rice. If you're into lettuce wraps, you'd like the Nam Khao, which is crispy rice with shredded cured pork, tossed in a blend of spices and herbs. Feeling cold or getting over a cold? I suggest ordering a bowl of Khao Piek Sen, which is basically a Lao version of chicken noodle soup. It's hot savory chicken broth topped with slices of chicken, white pepper, cilantro, green onions, and a nice addition of quail eggs. If you're feeling even more adventurous, or quite the expert on Lao food, you'll go for the papaya salad, which is a staple of Lao food, or the Larb Kai (chicken salad). After a well fed tummy, go enjoy giant Jenga outside, or other games that are available there. Catch up with some friends, make new friends, or watch that night's ball game on one of their T.Vs. The staff is incredibly friendly and down to earth folks. They'll steer you to the right direction of what your pallet really wants. Come support your local community at Cully Central and have fun! read more

Interesting space. The space is open and well lit. There's a chalkboard wall one the right when you walk in, with a kids table with trains and what not, a bar in the back, and a mix of seating scattered around. The open and well lit space (along with the kids area) keeps it from feeling like a traditional bar. There's a small outside seating area as well, and there was one of those jumbo Jenga sets. Decent beer choices - maybe 1/3 to 1/2 of the handles were AB InBev, and the remaining taps were some of the more common local brews - Deschutes, Breakside, Ecliptic, etc. Nothing amazing, but friendly service. The Laotian food from Khao Niew was a bit mixed. Ordered the khao piek sen (#1), which is rice noodles in broth. the super spicy fried noodle ($12), and the meatballs on a stick (#5). The khao piek sen came out in a a big bowl, while the other items came out on paper plates and baskets. Meatballs were fine, especially for a $3 item. The khao piek sen was good, hitting the spot on a cooler rainy day, especially once I'd added some heat (there's a selection of condiments near the center of the space with a variety of hot sauces, chilis, etc). The spicy fried noodles were a bit of a mix . . . my gut thinks it's the Samyan spicy chicken ramen, doctored up with with some garnish. Nothing amazing here, but a cool space that's strength is likely in it being a community space more than a bar or eatery. read more

We happened by here when we went to IKEA and decided to try something besides reindeer meatballs or the generic chain places nearby. My husband found the Yelp reviews, and we were here in 10 minutes. Very friendly place with a great tap selection and a handy photo menu for the Laotian street food they serve. I definitely recommend the Nam Khao, crispy rice. read more

Cully Central - Beer Gardens Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Best Lao food in Portland hands down. Our go to is the Laos sausage with sticker rice and for soup the sukiyaki or Khao piek, both are fire. Best hangover food too! read more

The restaurant/bar was a very friendly, clean environment. The large TV Screens were nice for entertainment while waiting for the food. There were several board games available, so it's a good environment for large group of friends! Def worth a shot to try! The Nam Khao (Fried Rice) was flavorful and the egg rolls were great as appetizers. read more

See all

Our friend from Hawaii was in town and, if you've been to Honolulu you know the food is kick-butt everywhere so we looked on yelp for something she might like and found Cully's! Everything was fantastic; the Sukiyaki soup bowl for $5 was flavorful and light, Pieng Sien & Jaew marinated grilled beef with sticky rice, nam Khao (sooooo good) lao crispy salad, khao niew ma moung mango and sticky rice, and pork eggrolls (fresh and crispy) were all delicious. It was my first time ordering Lao food and I'd say I'm hooked. You gotta love spicy food to enjoy Laos style meals and we are spicy food fanatics and enjoyed every bite! They are in Portland and on a street that didn't look like a place for a restaurant but was worth the drive for great food and awesome, warm and friendly service!! read more

Great spot! The food is excellent its Viet/Laotian (sorry not sure if either or both) but its really good! I liked the "nam cow" (thats how i say it i dont know how to spell it). Also kid friendly spot. My only complaint is i wish they'd open up earlier in the afternoon, hopefully someday they will read more

Cully Central - Kid Friendly. Relax with a beer and AC with your little one in sight. - Beer Gardens Near Me - Portland, Oregon