I can be stubborn. Despite the fact that many of my friends who work in Oregon City have told me to check this place out, I've driven by it for the longest time with hardly a glance. Maybe I was put off by the overly humble storefront where Thai Chef makes its home, stuck between a Subway and a meat emporium. But of course the notorious "hole in the wall" is where you're going to find the next amazing meal, right? Word was that their Pad Thai is the bomb so I decided to start there. The lunch special Pad Thai costs just $6.95 although there is an extra charge for to-go. If I hadn't already decided to head back to the office I might have stuck around as the place was quiet, the hosts were very pleasant and the complimentary stack of Asian Reporter newspapers made for interesting reading. The Pad Thai was delicious as promised, not too huge a portion and also not greasy or overly salty. The chicken in particular was grilled and not just sauteed, which gave it more flavor and texture than one might expect. I wanted a few more bean sprouts but that didn't slow me from hoovering up the whole entree. I'm going back to check out the Massaman Curry next time around and that won't be long.
(4)
Susan B.
If you want to go someplace where they will cook what's in the fridge and prepare it how they like it , then this is your place. Order mild or medium and you get hot surprise, fantastic. Seriously, I think they ran out of 1/2 of the ingredients and instead of going to the store, made a poor choice. I'll head to either West Linn Thai over this. I care about quality of food and service. We went here a month ago and it was pretty good, but we're done.
(1)
Cari S.
Based on Yelp reviews we went here for dinner Saturday at 6;30. They were out of RICE - a asian restaurant without rice. Wanted to serve our curry on rice noodles -yuck! Won't be going back.
(1)
Anne O.
I think this place is under new ownership or has a new chef, but it's much improved. Their curry is fabulous (medium spicy is extremely hot--just how I like it) and the pineapple rice is well balanced and not mushy like some other places. It's a great find for Oregon City.
(4)
John E.
Building looks like it might be condemned at any moment. The space is limtied. It is not easy to find. However the food here is solidly some of the best Thai I have found yet. Best Friend and I were having a short guys evening out and decided to try a new place for both of us. A quick trip through Yelpdom yielded us this little nugget, Thai Chef. We walked in to see two other tables in use and the food on those tables looked pretty darn inviting. We started with a pork spring roll appetizer which had a wonderful flavor, kind of savory and a little salty. From there best friend had the Drunken Noodles on the hot side and I decided to have the Pad Thai on the mild side. The service was nice and quick, very friendly and best of all she didn't hover. Sometimes in smallish places the wait staff can be a little... close. Respect my personal space people! I have to say that the Pad Thai had a wonderful flavor, lots of peanut and bean sprouts, maybe a little heavy on the cabbage but it was easily pushed off to the side. Best friend hoovered the Drunken Noodles so I am assuming they were pretty good as well. Yup, I'm enjoying my Thai kick I am on right now and I hope the ride doesn't end too soon. Surely this place will become a regular stop.
(4)
Stephanie P.
I ordered chicken fried rice. Absolutely no flavor. Looked pale as if they didn't put any sauce in it. I didn't even eat half of it. Very disappointed. Not going back to this place ever.
(1)
Alan S.
This is a small restaurant, hole in the wall, but well worth the effort to seek out and dine. Thai chef was recommended to us by a local associate at a business and since we do like Thai food we decided to try it out for an early dinner. I ordered the number 30 which was my choice of meat, chicken, and vegetable with peanut sauce. My dining companion ordered the drunken noodles, an favorite of hers. As an appetizer we tried the shrimp fresh salad rolls which is also a favorite of ours that other Thai restaurants. The appetizer was excellent, very fresh and they were quite large shrimp salad rolls, highly recommended. My dining companions said the drunken noodles were excellent. I didn't try a small bite and it did taste good but honestly was too spicy for my taste. My chicken and vegetable in peanut sauce was excellent. I was a little surprised that they used white meat and was a little concerned it might be dry, but it turned out not to be dry at all. We were both impressed with the freshness the food placed in front of us as well as the crispness of the cooked vegetables done just right. Everything must be cooked when ordered. Service was friendly, helpful and quick. There was a fair amount foot traffic in and out, so obviously the locals know how wonderful this restaurant is. An excellent choice, you just gotta find this hole in the wall Thai restaurant. We will return!
(5)
Nicole J.
Love this place. Great service, great food. Small, so we usually just order take out. We are always satisfied!
(5)
Valerie B.
I like this place a lot. I LOVE the Lemongrass Chicken, and of course all noodle dishes are good. I love the salad rolls with shrimp. Their prices are super fair, and the service is nice. I never dine in, so I cannot speak for that. I did get one dish where the chicken tasted weird, so I called back and they comped me the next meal. :-)
(4)
Thy Thy H.
The lady that works there gave me a cute little purse from Thailand when I came in to get my to-go order. She's the sweetest thing! The food was delish as well, my family ended up fighting over the drunken noodles and tom yum soup. I'm planning to go back soon!
(5)
Real Talk R.
Not the worst Thai food I've ever had, but definitely not going back.
(2)
Beth P.
Dudes, this place is legit. The Massaman Curry is delish, loaded with all sorts of veggies and not even remotely comparable to tomato soup (which I hate with a mad passion). Lets talk about price. Totally good prices. Totally awesome drunken noodles, good shrimp that don't smell like shrimp, bomb satay and really yummy peanut sauce. The owner is a total doll, she always showers my baby with odd cakes and snacks and practically rips him from my arms. Do not let the old reviews sway you into avoiding this joint.
(4)
Bree C.
I consider myself pretty Thai Savvy, I've definitely tasted around. I wasn't too impressed with the Pad Thai, but I've gotten more obscure things that I liked. And after testing a lot of Thai food, this is definitely a safe bet, especially for Oregon City. Portland has more options of course. The Masamun was delicious, and I've had it a lot of places, so I'm not sure what the other reviewer was mentioning... It didn't taste or look anything like tomato soup... It tasted like it should... The Tom Yum soup was actually good, and it's hard to find a decent tom yum soup, since my favorite Eagle Thai closed =( The green curry was also good. They have $6.95 lunch specials that you can call in and expect to be ready when you arrive from work, and should provide enough to give you lunch the next day too. The people are nice, location is easy to get to quickly if you're in the area.
Hole in the WALL!!! I have lived in the OC for my whole entire life and have no idea how long this little gem of a place has been here. I have seen it for years, but have never been in and never have known anyone to dine there either. Well....tonight I had the Thai craving that I get every so often and had no other Thai options without driving out of our fine little city here. I was seriously pleasantly surprised. I had Chicken Pad Thai Noodles and they were DELISH! They were perfect on every level. They arrived at my table by a friendly waitress piping hot in less than 10 minutes. They were perfectly cooked and served very authentically and made to order. The taste was absolutely perfect, there is not a thing about this dish I would change. BUT....this was my first time and this is literally the only dish I've ever had here. Pad Thai is always my safe bet when trying a new Thai restaurant, as you never know what you are going to get. I will be going back, next time I am going to try their Salad Rolls, Tom Kah Gai soup and their Chicken Satay with peanut sauce. I hope they are just as good. Why didn't it earn 5 stars if it was so good? Good question! First I paid 9.95 for a medium sized portion of noodles with chicken. Yes, they were great, but having cooked Thai myself, Pad Thai sauce is insanely cheap to make, as are rice noodles to buy. The only thing that costs any sort of money is the chicken. Arwan is my other favorite Thai place in Clackamas and their prices are the same as Thai Chef, yet their portions are bigger and the establishment itself is very well cared for. I think 7.95 for this dish here would be a little more fair. However, is it enough to keep me away? No Way...I am a sucker for good food, especially if I can find it in Oregon City (which is close to impossible sometimes). Thus, I will be returning in the very new future. The sequel to this review will be published shortly.
(4)
Amber P.
Great little place to go for good Thai food. Curry is great as are the fresh spring roles. Service has always been quick and very friendly!
(4)
Alexander C.
For Oregon City, this is a darn good Thai food restaurant. I live on the Se side of Portland and have a ton of options for Thai and have eaten at probably 20, and this place is in the top 5 for sure. Conscious of vegan changes and has tofu and veggies are fresh. Great little place and the owner is always there and friendly, and embarrassingly knows my order.
(5)
Jason L.
This is a local and perfect hiding place for a small thai place. Very quick and personable owners. Food hits the spot and are some gems on the menu. Is simple and great for oregon city.
(3)
Pui S.
I went there a few months ago (under new management / new owner). It wasn't all that great! :( I was disappointed & I already didn't expect too much out of this place from the beginning... Sigh! Instead of leaving me to eat my lunch, she was so chatty, forgot to refill my water and really taking care of her services. I like that the new owner repainted the place and move things around. The place looks a little bit brighter & bigger.
(2)
Kalene C.
Place is run down, ordered Pad Thai and very disappointed. Highly over priced and not very good. We won't be going back and suggest you don't waste your time or money.
(1)
Colleen D.
Went here because it had some good reviews, and was GREATLY disappointed!! We ordered Chicken Pad Thai, Lemongrass Chicken and shrimp Salad Rolls w/ peanut sauce. The Salad Rolls came first and the lettuce was wilted, the shrimp had a funny taste to it and the peanut sauce was okay. Pretty much all that was included in them was iceburg lettuce. Not worth the price. Onto dinner.. The pad thai came out first (there was a HUGE time gap in the plates coming out) and the chicken tasted old, and they smothered it in an over the top amount of green onions. Both my SO and I could only taste egg and some weird taste that we couldn't put our finger on. We ate a few bites and then waited for the Lemongrass Chicken, hoping it would be better. No such luck. The vegetables were the kind that you freeze and tasted like they were warmed up in a microwave (we even heard the microwave go off shortly before our food came), the rice had a really bad aftertaste, the peanut sauce was really watered down and tasted more like peanut water vs peanut sauce and once again, the chicken tasted like it had been sitting out and was a day or two old. To top it all off within 12 hours both of us were sicker than dogs. Food poisoning. Definitely do NOT recommend this place to ANYONE. My SO isn't very picky when it comes to thai, so if he thought it was horrible, it was really bad!!! Also, the service was not good at all. We had to go ask for more water, go ask for our check etc. Major waste of $30 :(
(1)
C D.
TOMATO SOUP IS NOT MUSUMUN(using the spelling from the thai chef menu) This is the WORST "Thai" (can't even call it that without the quotes) food I have ever had. The curry is bland and way to sweet, the pad see ewe is as bad as top raman. I know it's Oregon City but COME ON!!!! Just Terrible, don't know when ownership was changed or not, but as of Oct 7 2010, this place is AWFUL.
(1)
Tara D.
This place used to have the best Thai food I had ever eaten. Everything they made was delicious. It has now changed hands and is totally gross. The new owner is extremely nice, but the food is a major disappointment. I ordered the massaman curry because I was hoping that the old owner had sold the recipe to the new folks. No such luck. It tasted like tomato soup, and the pad thai at the table next to me *looked* like there was ketchup involved. I won't be going back. Sad.
(1)
Martin F.
It's authentic, it's small(7 tables), it's nothing fancy. When we were there, the owner's daughter was (I hope) filling in for a regular staff person and spending half her time on her computer and half her time being a server. The food was tasty and the portions were well sized. I like the menu and I'll go back again at a different time to see if the service is any better. Check the whiteboards on the wall for food choices that are not on the menu, I think there is a lot of variety there and worth exploring.
(3)
W B.
It was good food. The place is a little run down, but typically those are the best places. The spicy wasn't spicy enough for me and I will definitely ask for Thai Spicy next time.
(4)
Sean A.
This place seems authentic. With the usual Thai food. The thing that impressed me most was the Pad Prik King (spicy green beans). Probably some of the best I have had. The 3rd best Pad Prik King was in Florence, Oregon. (This of course doesn't include food IN Thailand.)
Sorry, Store hours have not been updated. If you are the owner of this restaurants. Please update the store hours.
Specialities
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : No Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Loud Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Tom A.
I can be stubborn. Despite the fact that many of my friends who work in Oregon City have told me to check this place out, I've driven by it for the longest time with hardly a glance. Maybe I was put off by the overly humble storefront where Thai Chef makes its home, stuck between a Subway and a meat emporium. But of course the notorious "hole in the wall" is where you're going to find the next amazing meal, right? Word was that their Pad Thai is the bomb so I decided to start there. The lunch special Pad Thai costs just $6.95 although there is an extra charge for to-go. If I hadn't already decided to head back to the office I might have stuck around as the place was quiet, the hosts were very pleasant and the complimentary stack of Asian Reporter newspapers made for interesting reading. The Pad Thai was delicious as promised, not too huge a portion and also not greasy or overly salty. The chicken in particular was grilled and not just sauteed, which gave it more flavor and texture than one might expect. I wanted a few more bean sprouts but that didn't slow me from hoovering up the whole entree. I'm going back to check out the Massaman Curry next time around and that won't be long.
(4)Susan B.
If you want to go someplace where they will cook what's in the fridge and prepare it how they like it , then this is your place. Order mild or medium and you get hot surprise, fantastic. Seriously, I think they ran out of 1/2 of the ingredients and instead of going to the store, made a poor choice. I'll head to either West Linn Thai over this. I care about quality of food and service. We went here a month ago and it was pretty good, but we're done.
(1)Cari S.
Based on Yelp reviews we went here for dinner Saturday at 6;30. They were out of RICE - a asian restaurant without rice. Wanted to serve our curry on rice noodles -yuck! Won't be going back.
(1)Anne O.
I think this place is under new ownership or has a new chef, but it's much improved. Their curry is fabulous (medium spicy is extremely hot--just how I like it) and the pineapple rice is well balanced and not mushy like some other places. It's a great find for Oregon City.
(4)John E.
Building looks like it might be condemned at any moment. The space is limtied. It is not easy to find. However the food here is solidly some of the best Thai I have found yet. Best Friend and I were having a short guys evening out and decided to try a new place for both of us. A quick trip through Yelpdom yielded us this little nugget, Thai Chef. We walked in to see two other tables in use and the food on those tables looked pretty darn inviting. We started with a pork spring roll appetizer which had a wonderful flavor, kind of savory and a little salty. From there best friend had the Drunken Noodles on the hot side and I decided to have the Pad Thai on the mild side. The service was nice and quick, very friendly and best of all she didn't hover. Sometimes in smallish places the wait staff can be a little... close. Respect my personal space people! I have to say that the Pad Thai had a wonderful flavor, lots of peanut and bean sprouts, maybe a little heavy on the cabbage but it was easily pushed off to the side. Best friend hoovered the Drunken Noodles so I am assuming they were pretty good as well. Yup, I'm enjoying my Thai kick I am on right now and I hope the ride doesn't end too soon. Surely this place will become a regular stop.
(4)Stephanie P.
I ordered chicken fried rice. Absolutely no flavor. Looked pale as if they didn't put any sauce in it. I didn't even eat half of it. Very disappointed. Not going back to this place ever.
(1)Alan S.
This is a small restaurant, hole in the wall, but well worth the effort to seek out and dine. Thai chef was recommended to us by a local associate at a business and since we do like Thai food we decided to try it out for an early dinner. I ordered the number 30 which was my choice of meat, chicken, and vegetable with peanut sauce. My dining companion ordered the drunken noodles, an favorite of hers. As an appetizer we tried the shrimp fresh salad rolls which is also a favorite of ours that other Thai restaurants. The appetizer was excellent, very fresh and they were quite large shrimp salad rolls, highly recommended. My dining companions said the drunken noodles were excellent. I didn't try a small bite and it did taste good but honestly was too spicy for my taste. My chicken and vegetable in peanut sauce was excellent. I was a little surprised that they used white meat and was a little concerned it might be dry, but it turned out not to be dry at all. We were both impressed with the freshness the food placed in front of us as well as the crispness of the cooked vegetables done just right. Everything must be cooked when ordered. Service was friendly, helpful and quick. There was a fair amount foot traffic in and out, so obviously the locals know how wonderful this restaurant is. An excellent choice, you just gotta find this hole in the wall Thai restaurant. We will return!
(5)Nicole J.
Love this place. Great service, great food. Small, so we usually just order take out. We are always satisfied!
(5)Valerie B.
I like this place a lot. I LOVE the Lemongrass Chicken, and of course all noodle dishes are good. I love the salad rolls with shrimp. Their prices are super fair, and the service is nice. I never dine in, so I cannot speak for that. I did get one dish where the chicken tasted weird, so I called back and they comped me the next meal. :-)
(4)Thy Thy H.
The lady that works there gave me a cute little purse from Thailand when I came in to get my to-go order. She's the sweetest thing! The food was delish as well, my family ended up fighting over the drunken noodles and tom yum soup. I'm planning to go back soon!
(5)Real Talk R.
Not the worst Thai food I've ever had, but definitely not going back.
(2)Beth P.
Dudes, this place is legit. The Massaman Curry is delish, loaded with all sorts of veggies and not even remotely comparable to tomato soup (which I hate with a mad passion). Lets talk about price. Totally good prices. Totally awesome drunken noodles, good shrimp that don't smell like shrimp, bomb satay and really yummy peanut sauce. The owner is a total doll, she always showers my baby with odd cakes and snacks and practically rips him from my arms. Do not let the old reviews sway you into avoiding this joint.
(4)Bree C.
I consider myself pretty Thai Savvy, I've definitely tasted around. I wasn't too impressed with the Pad Thai, but I've gotten more obscure things that I liked. And after testing a lot of Thai food, this is definitely a safe bet, especially for Oregon City. Portland has more options of course. The Masamun was delicious, and I've had it a lot of places, so I'm not sure what the other reviewer was mentioning... It didn't taste or look anything like tomato soup... It tasted like it should... The Tom Yum soup was actually good, and it's hard to find a decent tom yum soup, since my favorite Eagle Thai closed =( The green curry was also good. They have $6.95 lunch specials that you can call in and expect to be ready when you arrive from work, and should provide enough to give you lunch the next day too. The people are nice, location is easy to get to quickly if you're in the area.
(4)Paul H.
Thai Chef restaurant is really a hidden gem on the "Top of the Hill" in Oregon City. In fact, residents of Oregon City just know this place as, "The Thai restaurant is conveniently located so that you'll always see a mix of college students, government workers, and police office (OCPD is right around the corner). What they all have in common is that the great food makes anyone who here once become a fan. They are like the Dutch Bros of Thai food in Clackamas County. I usually have the Pad Kee Mao and the salad rolls. The curries are fantastic as well. The décor of the restaurant adds to the ambiance. This isn't a high-end 5-star Chart House experience, but it is authentically Thai and I always feel like I've eaten good food, prepared by good people. I couldn't recommend this restaurant more enthusiastically!
(5)Zax H.
I'll be back. Spicy pad thai is the best.
(5)Jonathan G.
Good food, good prices, very friendly staff.
(5)Michelle A.
Hole in the WALL!!! I have lived in the OC for my whole entire life and have no idea how long this little gem of a place has been here. I have seen it for years, but have never been in and never have known anyone to dine there either. Well....tonight I had the Thai craving that I get every so often and had no other Thai options without driving out of our fine little city here. I was seriously pleasantly surprised. I had Chicken Pad Thai Noodles and they were DELISH! They were perfect on every level. They arrived at my table by a friendly waitress piping hot in less than 10 minutes. They were perfectly cooked and served very authentically and made to order. The taste was absolutely perfect, there is not a thing about this dish I would change. BUT....this was my first time and this is literally the only dish I've ever had here. Pad Thai is always my safe bet when trying a new Thai restaurant, as you never know what you are going to get. I will be going back, next time I am going to try their Salad Rolls, Tom Kah Gai soup and their Chicken Satay with peanut sauce. I hope they are just as good. Why didn't it earn 5 stars if it was so good? Good question! First I paid 9.95 for a medium sized portion of noodles with chicken. Yes, they were great, but having cooked Thai myself, Pad Thai sauce is insanely cheap to make, as are rice noodles to buy. The only thing that costs any sort of money is the chicken. Arwan is my other favorite Thai place in Clackamas and their prices are the same as Thai Chef, yet their portions are bigger and the establishment itself is very well cared for. I think 7.95 for this dish here would be a little more fair. However, is it enough to keep me away? No Way...I am a sucker for good food, especially if I can find it in Oregon City (which is close to impossible sometimes). Thus, I will be returning in the very new future. The sequel to this review will be published shortly.
(4)Amber P.
Great little place to go for good Thai food. Curry is great as are the fresh spring roles. Service has always been quick and very friendly!
(4)Alexander C.
For Oregon City, this is a darn good Thai food restaurant. I live on the Se side of Portland and have a ton of options for Thai and have eaten at probably 20, and this place is in the top 5 for sure. Conscious of vegan changes and has tofu and veggies are fresh. Great little place and the owner is always there and friendly, and embarrassingly knows my order.
(5)Jason L.
This is a local and perfect hiding place for a small thai place. Very quick and personable owners. Food hits the spot and are some gems on the menu. Is simple and great for oregon city.
(3)Pui S.
I went there a few months ago (under new management / new owner). It wasn't all that great! :( I was disappointed & I already didn't expect too much out of this place from the beginning... Sigh! Instead of leaving me to eat my lunch, she was so chatty, forgot to refill my water and really taking care of her services. I like that the new owner repainted the place and move things around. The place looks a little bit brighter & bigger.
(2)Kalene C.
Place is run down, ordered Pad Thai and very disappointed. Highly over priced and not very good. We won't be going back and suggest you don't waste your time or money.
(1)Colleen D.
Went here because it had some good reviews, and was GREATLY disappointed!! We ordered Chicken Pad Thai, Lemongrass Chicken and shrimp Salad Rolls w/ peanut sauce. The Salad Rolls came first and the lettuce was wilted, the shrimp had a funny taste to it and the peanut sauce was okay. Pretty much all that was included in them was iceburg lettuce. Not worth the price. Onto dinner.. The pad thai came out first (there was a HUGE time gap in the plates coming out) and the chicken tasted old, and they smothered it in an over the top amount of green onions. Both my SO and I could only taste egg and some weird taste that we couldn't put our finger on. We ate a few bites and then waited for the Lemongrass Chicken, hoping it would be better. No such luck. The vegetables were the kind that you freeze and tasted like they were warmed up in a microwave (we even heard the microwave go off shortly before our food came), the rice had a really bad aftertaste, the peanut sauce was really watered down and tasted more like peanut water vs peanut sauce and once again, the chicken tasted like it had been sitting out and was a day or two old. To top it all off within 12 hours both of us were sicker than dogs. Food poisoning. Definitely do NOT recommend this place to ANYONE. My SO isn't very picky when it comes to thai, so if he thought it was horrible, it was really bad!!! Also, the service was not good at all. We had to go ask for more water, go ask for our check etc. Major waste of $30 :(
(1)C D.
TOMATO SOUP IS NOT MUSUMUN(using the spelling from the thai chef menu) This is the WORST "Thai" (can't even call it that without the quotes) food I have ever had. The curry is bland and way to sweet, the pad see ewe is as bad as top raman. I know it's Oregon City but COME ON!!!! Just Terrible, don't know when ownership was changed or not, but as of Oct 7 2010, this place is AWFUL.
(1)Tara D.
This place used to have the best Thai food I had ever eaten. Everything they made was delicious. It has now changed hands and is totally gross. The new owner is extremely nice, but the food is a major disappointment. I ordered the massaman curry because I was hoping that the old owner had sold the recipe to the new folks. No such luck. It tasted like tomato soup, and the pad thai at the table next to me *looked* like there was ketchup involved. I won't be going back. Sad.
(1)Martin F.
It's authentic, it's small(7 tables), it's nothing fancy. When we were there, the owner's daughter was (I hope) filling in for a regular staff person and spending half her time on her computer and half her time being a server. The food was tasty and the portions were well sized. I like the menu and I'll go back again at a different time to see if the service is any better. Check the whiteboards on the wall for food choices that are not on the menu, I think there is a lot of variety there and worth exploring.
(3)W B.
It was good food. The place is a little run down, but typically those are the best places. The spicy wasn't spicy enough for me and I will definitely ask for Thai Spicy next time.
(4)Sean A.
This place seems authentic. With the usual Thai food. The thing that impressed me most was the Pad Prik King (spicy green beans). Probably some of the best I have had. The 3rd best Pad Prik King was in Florence, Oregon. (This of course doesn't include food IN Thailand.)
(4)