Portland is known for their many food trucks and before heading back to Hawaii, I wanted to stop in for food. While we were looking for the post office, I walked over to Veli Thai's food truck. I ordered and enjoyed: chicken pad Thai and fried tofu. After a short wait, my food was ready. The pad thai was at a medium spice level and I truly enjoyed it! Great flavors and plentiful for sharing, my pad thai craving was fulfilled! The fried tofu was also very delicious. Great food truck stop for my pad Thai craving ! I'll be back on my next trip for some pad Thai! read more

See all

In a sea of food stalls, Veli Thai stands out for their authentic Thai flavors and to die for Green Curry! With tons of large photos to peruse, you can select how you'd like your protein prepared -- curries, fried, noodles, rice, etc -- and can select your heat level. I love the customization and how many options there are for vegetarians! Their steamed Fish Balls and Mango Cashew Stir Fry are also great picks! Be careful in this area as there is a huge homeless population nearby and you'll surely be talked to. read more

Veli Thai - Thai Near Me - Portland, Oregon

My wife and I were hungry and we were glad to stumble across this food stalls area. Veli Thai is one of the Thai food vendor here. We ordered a couple of things because we wanted to try another Thai place there as well. Thai lemonade iced tea -- this is a solid drink. It has sweet and lemony taste. Chicken Kua Kai Noodles -- very tasty with pea nutty taste blending stir fried flat noodles and chicken with green lettuce green leaf bedding I would love to give them 5 star rating but I rounded down to 4. The price could be better considering this is street food and all. Still you wouldn't be disappointed here read more

I stopped at this food truck for dinner and got pork green curry with jasmine rice. I had asked for super spicy and this truck delivered a very tasty, flavorful spicy green curry. The truck had condiments which I gladly added even more spice to my meal. The portions and the price were an excellent value. I had Thai for dinner three nights in a row around the city and this was the best out of the three. If you are with others and they are not craving Thai, there is plenty of other food truck options. However, they might be disappointed. Just a word to the wise read more

Veli Thai - Green curry - Thai Near Me - Portland, Oregon

This was probably the best Thai food I have ever had! I wanted the Portland food truck experience and this food was better than anything I have had at my favorite fancy sit-down restaurants. I had the spicy asparagus with tofu and it's just like my favorite dish--spicy basil, only better. It had all the delicious standards in it (onions,bell peppers and fresh thai basil) read more

One of my top choices for lunch at this food truck. I've tried many items ranging from tom kha soup, pad prik king, to pad thai. I love pad Thai and pad sew ew but given that the portions here are HUGE, I tend to order something that will taste good the next day aka rice items. Their soups are very flavorful but watch out for kaffir lime leaves and lemongrass pieces! They're inedible but essential to the dish so I'm not complaining. The Chinese sausage fried rice is a little pricier than other items on the menu but it really is worth it! Loads of chicken and sausage in the fried rice. I can eat this for 3 meals and still taste amazing each time! Tip: don't forget their stamp card and spicy means SPICY! read more

There isn't much to say about this place besides go! I tried a few carts and this is my favorite. When ordering beware they are spicy!! Mild tends to be the best for me and I like spice. Order the chicken pad Thai, stay away from salad rolls they use iceberg lettuce read more

Veli Thai - The best Chicken Pad Thai I've had downtown - Thai Near Me - Portland, Oregon

There are tons of Thai carts in town. Tons of Thai restaurants for that matter. Why choose Veli Thai? If you stop asking so many questions, I'll tell you. One of my co-workers recommended this place and I usually agree with him. Plus he let me try some of his food a few times before and it tasted pretty good to me. Having never been to Thailand, I don't really know what is and what isn't authentic Thai food here. We are eating Thai food in America so in all actuality none of the Thai food we eat here is authentic. Do you like duck? If so, you must have the Pineapple Duck Curry ($6) here. It is one of their specials, but I was told they never take it off as it is such a big hit. Filled with pineapple, grapes, grape tomatoes, broccoli, carrots and chunks of Daffy, Donald or for those of you that remember Howard. Plus they actually have brown rice here and that is always a nice find. Specify the heat you want out of your dish. I got mine spicy and it had a nice heat to it. Not overpowering the food at all, but a heat that you know is there. An extra star to the super cute girl at the window who had a great smile. read more

Veli Thai - pineapple duck curry special - Thai Near Me - Portland, Oregon

This is the BEST Thai food I have tried in Portland. Where can you get a great meal for $5 (chicken or tofu) or $6 (Beef or Shrimp) and always delicious? At Veli Thai. My husband (again I brought to-go #4 Spicy with Beef) is a very picky eater and his jaw dropped when I told him this is purchased from a food cart. He gave it 100%! My favorite is the #5 with Tofu... give it a try! read more

A cold rainy day makes me crazy for Thai food. Surprisingly, there are only two options on the SW 5th and Oak blocks and Veli Thai caught my eye, especially since I love places that offer all their dishes at a flat $5. Can't go wrong with Pad Kee Mao, except somehow I did. There wasn't a lot of flavor and I pretty much was just eating noodles with gigantic cuts of red peppers. Not a satisfying meal at all. Plus, why was there a lone grape tomato in my dish? And what happened to my medium level of spice? I got none. I probably won't be back -- there are tons and tons of better options around town. read more

Veli Thai - Thai Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Walked up, ordered my tofu pad Thai, and it was done in a minute. Got my food before anyone else on the block. Piping hot, delicious, the broccoli kind of threw me but hey, it all tasted good together. Tofu was good. Ingredients were fresh. read more

Veli Thai - Thai Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Came across this place in a corner with a bunch of food trucks. I ordered the pad Thai and it was only $7! It was hot even by the time I got back to my hotel to eat it and it was very delicious!! read more

Veli Thai - Thai Near Me - Portland, Oregon

It's been a year or so since I last visited and this place has gotten faster, friendlier, and tastier. The speed is now respectable, they're much better at getting you food only as spicy as you want it (no more and no less), and they retain their signature dishes. The ordering process has been streamlined and the staff are very polite and helpful. The prices remain fair and, obviously, the location remains easily accessible. The food is served piping hot so it's still warm and pleasant by the time you get back to your office or favorite park. I'd strongly recommend this cart if you're in the mood for some Thai take-out. read more

I came here one evening for dinner around 5pm. There were many choices of food stands but I went with Thai. I ordered a Massaman Curry with Shrimp. When I went to get my order, they had prepared a Massamman Curry with Chicken. When I alerted them of this error, they took it back. When I got my meal a second time, there was shrimp but also remaining pieces of chicken. I don't know if they tried to pick out the chicken and missed a few pieces, but either way, this was unacceptable. I dont eat chicken so I ended up picking the pieces out myself. Needless to say, I will not be back here. The flavor was good, but I will not return here after that experience. read more

My partner and I decided to try this place out because, woo, $5 dishes! The girls working it are adorable and friendly. We got the Pad Kee Mao with tofu. They did forget about our order, and so we got a complimentary Thai iced tea. The wait was worth it, though. Not gonna lie, we were not expecting miracles for a $5 dish, but, uhm, WOW. The noodles were perfectly tender, the veggies fresh, the tofu flavourful and just crispy on the outside, and the egg not overpowering. We got a medium, which was just spicy enough to make our noses run, but we'll probably try their hot next time. And there was enough of it that we were both pleasantly full from sharing just one dish between us. So, 5 stars because of great taste, excellent price, and the sweet disposition of our server (yes, even though they forgot about us, we got excellent service and the free drink, so that extra star is well-earned). read more

I love pad kee mao and this is one of the best I've tried. I choose shrimp with 4 stars - and what an explosion of flavor! The balance between the sweet basil and spicy chili is where it's at. I can't wait to come back! read more

Sorry its a little more of the same with these food karts. I arrived and and couldnt decied what to order. But it didn't take very long and I narrowed it down to with cashew nut or Pad Khing. And after asking the boy at the counter what he thought was good, he recommended Pad Khing. So that's what I ordered I requested thai hot and I noticed that it has black mushroom on the ingredient list ; so I ask the young man if it's whole black mushrooms and I'm quickly responded to that no not whole black mushrooms....... Very finely sliced pieces of it. Of course I asked why don't they give whole black mushroom and he couldn't tell me why. I also requested no bell peppers. Now as I placed my order I was contemplating ordering fresh salad rolls. I asked the young man what is in the rolls and he wasn't exactly sure so he turned and asked the woman doing all the cooking. She came to the window. Seemed a bit perturbed with me or noticeably annoyed at my inquiries. But I wanted to know what was in the salad rolls before I made the decision weather or not to order them. Because not all Thai/Vietnamese. Make them exactly the same. So she told me that theirs Ice burg lettuce, rice noodles and tofu and carrots . I was still on the fence should I hmm . I went for it. So I get my food (big plus brown rice at no extra charge) they serve it in black plastic containers, the portion of pad khing was so small as you'll see in the photo the flavour was fine although not as hot as I would have liked but that's a minor issue....as their was some chilli peppers and some good spice. I know its only $7. I got no protein not even tofu. So why couldn't they take another handful of fresh veggies and make it full of love. Instead they give such a miserable small portion. Now the salad roll big mistake loaded with iceberg lettuce a tiny amount of carrots and one basil leaf and in the middle a slice of tofu. Good thing it was $3.50. But still not worth it no love. A good salad roll will have mint/ basil cabbage/ carrots and will be full of these ingredients. All in all I was disappointed. read more

See all

This mobile food court is amazing! Today's visit was cold and I was in the mood for a little Thai. Of course I unknowingly chose the Thai cart with the most customers. Another coworker went today another thai cart and got his food immediately. He patiently waited for me in the cold. Most customers actually bring their own clean, covered pyrex containers... that's greener than the carryout containers than most vendors already use here. About 15+ minutes after ordering I received my generous portion of Red Curry with chicken and brown rice (nice today have the choice). The quality and flavor were as good or better than many sit down Thai places I have visited. All for $ 5...what a deal! read more

Yummy, They are quick, cheap, accurate with your order, for example I dont' like egg in my extra, extra thai spicy pad kee mao, and they nail it every time. Have eaten everything on the menu, loved it all, doesn't come with a lot of fanciness or whatever, but it's always good, fresh, cheap, complexly flavored, and quick! read more

This Thai cart has a really good Pad See Ew and Pad Khe Mao. The price is totally reasonable. If you come here around noon, it would be a little bit too busy though. Nice, Decent and recommended if you want to have a comfort food for your stomach during lunch time :) read more

I couldn't praise this cart enough. Not only is the service friendly and quick, they give you a cup of hot tea (and occasionally a spring roll) while you wait, which is a nice added touch. Wait is never more than a few minutes even at noon rush. Ive found the food to have a good depth of flavor; the Pad Kee Mao is rich and savory, and was just about exactly as spicy as I like it. I usually order medium heat (I appreciate a lot of spiciness and use this as a gauge), and the medium was hot without being overbearing. One of the other reviews noted the couple of stray grape tomatoes, which is certainly true, but I'm not usually partial to getting a lot of relatively flavorless filler in my Kee Mao, so this didn't bother me. the other vegetables were crisp and fresh, and the noodles were well cooked. Their Pad Thai is moist and rich, relatively spicy, and has pretty good balance. Definitely on par with or better than most of the restaurants around town, and better than any of the carts that I've tried. Overall, everything I've ordered has been great, the prices are outstanding ($5 for almost everything), and the owners are friendly and outgoing. Seriously, give this place a try. They deserve your money! read more

I found this place years ago as I was wandering past the food carts downtown. I saw their massive salad rolls and that's what initially attracted me. They are about as good as you can get bang for your buck. $3!! And the best part is actually their peanut sauce. It's less peanutty and has a really great flavor. LOVE IT! Another item I've frequently got with them now is the green curry!! It's fabulous. Be sure that if you don't like spicy to be aware. Even when you ask for no spice it still has a kick to it. But i highly highly recommend. One more note... Generally you can tell a lot about a thai place by their pad thai. Not so much the case with this place. It is fine but def not their best dish. This is one of the best thai I've ever had for the price. And I've tried a lot all over the world. Most all dishes are $5 or less. Give Veli a try! =) read more

To be honest I am new to Thai food...growing up in Hawai'i you get mostly local hawaiian style dishes with Chinese and Japanese influences but I never had Thai food, but it is quickly growing on me. Veli Thai is awesome, you can get most items on the menu for $5 (add $.50 if you use a card...but hey at least they take cards). My favorite and usual is the #4 Pad Kee Mau (s/p) with chicken and medium heat (DO NOT get medium if you cannot handle sometimes sweating while eating your lunch). Not only is it cheap but it is extemely delicious. The different varities of fried rice are pretty good and part of the fun is the minor spelling errors on their white board i.e..."Stir fry egg phant" or "Tuna fries rice". I've taken all of my co-workers to this cart and this is a once a week regular minimum. The second best thing about Veli Thai besides the food is that on cold days they offer you a free hot cup of flower tea and double bonus today they were giving you a fried apple won ton! Give it a try its only $5 bucks! read more

The way you like your Thai food seems to be a personal thing, and there are plenty of places around town for you to find the one that does things your way. In my experience, most Thai places are good at one of the core dishes (stir-fry, noodles, curry) but not so great at the rest. This place crushes it at the dishes I like and should be on your list to try for the dishes you like. In the pursuit of finding the best Thai food cart in Portland, I've gone around sampling the Spicy Basil w/ Chicken (Phad gra pau) at a number of places. This one was my favorite - they kept it simple and true to the way it is done in Thailand. You won't find it stuffed full of bamboo shoot filler like at other places (ugh). This is chicken, onions, peppers, chili, basil, and sauce at its best. Another dish I've sampled is the yellow curry. Again, they killed it with large chunks of potato, carrots, and onions in a great sauce that is perfectly seasoned. Not too salty (or fish sauce-y) and the spiciness was pretty good. As others have mentioned, they serve their dishes with brown rice on request. Outstanding! read more

The quality went down from last year. The red curry is completely different than what I'm used to getting. It's much greasier and not as good. To top it off, the container cracks on the bottom and leaks food everywhere if the food is too hot, so be careful when carrying it! read more

$5; Shorter lines than the rest of the Thai carts on this corner; $5. Friendly & quick service; $5. But! Choose Veli only if you're down to your last Lincoln - if you can, spend a buck more at one of the neighboring Thai carts. I opted for eggplant & tofu, extra spicy, with brown rice. The eggplant was very thinly sliced and thoroughly saturated in oil, probably for accelerated cooking. Close your eyes, and you can't tell whether you've just slurped a bite of eggplant, bell pepper, onion, or any other vegetable that might've ended up in your to-go box. If you want to gulp your meal like a pelican swallowing whole fish, this is your place. Remember. $5. read more

First food truck I tried out in Portland. What was the USP? Man, they had appies on offer at super reasonable prices!! Egg rolls used to be my favorite thing back home, so when I saw it being offered for 3 bucks, I could not resist! Luckily the service was fast and efficient, as my friends were waiting for me. When I laid my hands on the egg rolls, I found out they were more spring rolls ( Deep fried rolls with stuffed vegetable) than egg rolls. No eggs were harmed in producing something called 'egg rolls'. In their defense, they actually had described spring rolls in small print below 'egg roll', and the spring rolls were pretty standard, and were coming at a decent price. Slightly faulty nomenclature which is easily forgiven by a spring roll lover. :) read more

Good Thai food. I'm not at liberty to give it five stars because the noodles in the Pad See Ew were quite mushy. That said, the flavors were spot-on and incredibly lively. Some reviewers have mentioned the food as "bland". I would say that that is *quite* a stretch and bordering on impossible (barring some freak accident). I also had the Pad Kee Mao and the noodles there weren't mushy at all. Maybe there is something to be said for consistency but not when it comes to the flavors. To all the homedogs visiting from Seattle: this is better than any place on the Ave maybe except Thai Tom. For the $6 price tag though I would challenge anyone to find better. read more

Amazing pad Thai and yellow curry! Mm mmm. The fresh rolls are my quick go to mid day snack

I was kind of burned out on Thai food as it seems there are so many different places to eat Thai at anymore in PDX. With that said, I took a good break from it for a while but decided I needed to make a foray back to the spicy yumminess that can only be found in Thai cuisine. I ordered basil fried rice w/chicken (hot). My food was ready in a couple of minutes and I marched back to my office...and found I had the wrong food. Went back and told the woman working what happened and she was extremely nice about it, apparently she misheard me and I got a different basil dish (I should have checked before leaving the first time as well). Anyway, she exchanged it for the right meal and I was back on my way within 5 minutes (great service!). The food was actually really good and the hot was definitely hot/spicy. I managed to eat it all and have no complaints. Certainly would eat here again and try some of the other dishes. Portion size was good for the price as well. read more

To be completely honest, I tried Veli Thai because the cart I was at had an insanely long line. This isn't my normal Thai cart, but it definitely is now. I got medium spicy chicken pad thai. I enjoy spicy food but I wouldn't order anything hotter than medium in the future. It only took a few minutes even though I was there during their busiest time of day. They are not stingy with the portions, the one order is enough for two people to split. It wasn't extremely greasy like a lot of the other thai places I've had (working downtown for two years I have had almost every cart around). I'll be going back without question. read more

Went their for the coconut curry. I lived in Thailand for 2 years some twenty years ago and it remains one of my favorite dishes. Once I took my first taste, it took me back. The flavor was on point. If you want authentic Thai food, come here. read more

I am absolutely addicted to their pad kee mao. This is my favorite of the food carts on that pod. I probably eat here once a week. Our office has also had delivery from brick and mortar Thai restaurants that I usually like, and I wind up wishes we could have just had take-out from Veli. I concur with the other reviewers about medium being a good level of space. read more

Flavorful, plenty of fresh veggies, really nice staff, great hours. Of all the thai carts in this area, Veli is the tastiest for sure. And even if you expand the radius further they're one of the best options for thai in town period, particularly at this pricepoint. Only word of warning is that when you say 'medium spicy' they don't mess around. So whatever your normal spiciness levels are ratchet them down a bit for this cart. read more

If you're coming here downtown for lunch, I would call ahead of time. They're pretty quick when you call ahead and arrive 10 minutes later. Their food is oily and tasty (just the way I like it). I've had their pad Thai numerous of times, and they also offer a punch card, which is a bonus. To come to think of it, I've only had their pad Thai because it's very flavorful and serves my cravings when needed. read more

So love this food cart! The pad Thai is amazing and the no-spicy is perfect for me. The sauce is perfect and you get a huge portion for only $7! Yummy!!! read more

Fantastic flavors! Super fresh ingredients and cooked perfectly. Get your Thai fix here when visiting Portland. Saw several other dishes that looked great too. Can't wait to return! read more

Veli Thai - Get those drunken noodles Extra spicy - Thai Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I placed 4 orders of their spring rolls for a dinner party and they surprisingly remained crispy for at least two hours. Very delicious. Next time I'll try their food and update my review. read more

Consistently satisfies my lunch thai cravings! If you order the pad thai, ask to get hooked up with a cup of their amazing peanut dipping sauce and pour it on top! If you want something lighter, order their $3 fresh rolls - delicious! read more

This is my absolute favorite Thai cart in Portland. The food is delicious, the service is good, and the prices can't be beaten. You get a ton of food for $5. The massaman curry and pad thai are my personal favorites. Yum! read more