Great place for an amazing vegetarian meal. We went for a Miso Soup, Thai Ginger Noodles and a Thai Basil Fried Rice. Miso soup was delicious and hearty - just what you need on a cold day outside. Both, noodles and fried rice were great. Btw their spice levels are catered to North American taste buds, so if you're an Asian just tell them highest spice levels and you'll probably still feel like moderate. Having said that, great flavours. The staff was nice and friendly. I used the restroom and they were clean and well maintained. Definitely recommended. read more

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I had hands down one of the best noodles I've had in a long time at this spot! And it was surprisingly through take-out. It is a tragedy that I was only planning to visit Portland for less than a day, so I didn't have the opportunity to dine in at the Green Elephant. However I would contemplate driving up from Boston just to have their Singapore noodles again. It was so flavorful, and the noodles were cooked to the perfect texture. The level 2 spice in the online ordering menu was not spicy at all, but the food still had a good amount of sauce and flavor. The dish was definitely heavy on the noodles and probably only had 4-5 bite-sized pieces of tofu for protein, but the noodles certainly were my favorite part. And for only about $15-20 per main dish, this is one of the more accessible/affordable restaurants for vegan options in Portland! read more

The Green Elephant was amazinggggggg. I was walking back to my hotel and wanted a late night bite and saw this place was down the street. Seemingly healthy enough I walked in and place my order. The guy at the front was such a sweetheart, we talked about life and stuff while I waited for my food. I got here late, it had to be right around closing time maybe 9 something and there were a few tables eating but it wasn't crowded. Don't judge my order for one, I was on vacation. I got the pad Thai but of course, and the basil fried rice. I'm telling you, there was nothing better than getting back to my hotel room, getting into bed with this Thai food and knowing life was goooood. The food was amazing. Fresh, flavorful, not overly salty, which I appreciated. Highly recommend this spot. read more

Visited Portland for a week with my fiance and went looking for some good vegetarian/vegan food and found this absolute gem. Had such an amazing curry (that I had to order uber eats to our hotel a second time!) and my fiances tofu and noodle dish was amazing too! read more

The Green Elephant - Siamese Dream Curry Noodles - Vegetarian Near Me - Portland, Maine

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Portland, Maine has a vegetarian restaurant. A surprise, but a winning one in my book. They have a pan-Asian menu which doesn't suggest up front that any of it will be great. However, I took them up on Singapore noodles and the lively curry and mouthwatering fried onion were entirely appropriate, the vegetables crunchy, and the tea on the side a suitable accompaniment. While the menu is not all vegan, people shouldn't have any trouble finding something to eat here. It's a brick-walled space in a relatively busy part of town, and even on the random weekday I stopped in, was pretty busy. They seem to have been successful for a while. read more

The Green Elephant - Singapore Noodles - Vegetarian Near Me - Portland, Maine

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The Green Elephant is one of our favorite restaurants in Portland, a go-to for birthday dinners, hosting out of state visitors, or just a special night of take out. I've eaten at and ordered takeout from The Green Elephant dozens of times, and have never had less than a perfect meal. My favorite order: start with the summer fresh rolls and a glass of Thai iced tea with soy cream, the Thai ginger noodles for an entree, and the fried banana and coconut ice cream dessert. (I like to eat half of the ginger noodles and take the other half home to ensure I have room for dessert). Other favorites: the fried mushrooms, the pad Thai, the chocolate orange mousse, and mango sticky rice desserts. The summer fresh rolls are always fresh and delicious and flavored with a little bit of fresh mint. The ginger noodles are a wide noodle, loaded with fresh snow peas, carrots, broccoli, and of course fresh ginger. They can be ordered vegan if you ask them to hold the egg. The service is always friendly and prompt and the food is consistently served as is if it's right out of the pan, so hot! I really don't know how they do it! It's fairly small space with a tiny waiting area, and they don't take reservations, so if you're going for dinner, get there right at 5 or at 6:30, when the 5 o'clock sitting is leaving. The Green Elephant is one of Portland's best, a consistent and solid five stars! read more

The Green Elephant - Thai Ginger Noodles - Vegetarian Near Me - Portland, Maine

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Amazing, high quality food and they are super accommodating with allergies. The Pad Thai is to die for. Limited seating so make sure you have time to wait if you're going at a busy time or call beforehand. read more

The Green Elephant Vegetarian Bistro is a must-stop when in Portland, ME. We rushed from the train station and made it in time for its lunch service. The restaurant's peaceful interior and friendly waitstaff instantly calmed us from the outside. From their daily specials board, we ordered the curry puff, which was more substantial than we thought, with a nice flavor and even nicer fry. We then shared the Chinese Broccoli with Crispy Breaded Soy Filet (like a katsu) and the Char Guay Teow noodles made with Samal Oelek, a red chili paste. I'm a sucker for wide rice noodles and this hit the spot. Green Elephant serves all vegetarian dishes (with clearly labeled GF options) that can be requested vegan by removing the egg. With so many egg replacers available, I do wonder why they don't just go full vegan. read more

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I was concerned about trying this place because I saw there were two previous food poisoning incidents, but I really wanted Chinese food. Lisa, the server, was very helpful, and I liked my food after she helped me make it spicier. It wasn't the best Chinese food I have had, but for Maine, it was good. read more

The Green Elephant - Garlic & Ginger Tofu - Vegetarian Near Me - Portland, Maine

There are NO vegan restaurants in Portland ME. This vegetarian restaurant is one of two listed. Manny can be made vegan by removing the eggs. Eaten in and had takeout for later groups. Love the variety of appetizers and entree. Flavor profiles are great. Not many dishes I haven't tried. Always on my places to visit whenever I can get here from the West Coast. Thumbs up for the ambiance and decor. Service is friendly and efficient. Glad they continue to serve the community. read more

This place is such a gem. I'll be thinking about the tofu tikka masala for years to come. We also had the roti canai which was just as incredible. My wife and I liked it so much we made a plan to come back a few days later and try something else! My second time I tried the dish that includes a "chicken" filet. It's perfectly crispy and has the same texture you'd find in the real thing. We also tried out the curry puffs special and it was like a fancier samosa. Everything was wonderful. The dining room is small and I could see it getting busy on weekends/holidays, but it'd be worth the wait! Service was very attentive and friendly on both visits. I'm excited to try something else whenever we come back to Maine! read more

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We were blown away by how good everything tasted. This place is heaven for vegetarians. Every single item we ordered tasted like comfort food, and the variety was excellent. Definitely try this place if you like Thai food, even if you're not vegetarian! We'll be back! read more

I came here with four colleagues around noon on a Wednesday, and the restaurant was totally empty, so we had no trouble finding seating. Our waiter was lovely, warm, and checked on us often. The restaurant itself was cozy and casual. Everything on the menu looked delicious and is vegan or vegetarian, which makes this place a haven for plant-based folks, especially since plant-based options can be quite limited at several restaurants in town. I ordered one of the specials, a goji berry noodle soup, which sounded great for a cold day. I was a bit worried that the goji berries would make the dish too sweet or tart, but it was absolutely delicious. There were some berries in the broth, but the broth itself was perfectly seasoned, savory, and flavorful. The noodles are really thin rice noodles, so they broke quite easily, but the dish was otherwise chock full of meatless "spare ribs" and veggies. I asked for three stars out of four on the spiciness scale, which was perfect for me. My only gripe is that the prices are a bit steep for lunch (I only ordered the one dish and it came out to $21 after tax and tip), but I think that's true of several lunch spots in the area, unfortunately. I'll definitely be back! read more

The Green Elephant - goji berry noodle soup - Vegetarian Near Me - Portland, Maine

The Green Elephant was great to finally find and all vegetarian restaurant in Portland. We visit on a Saturday Oct evening and reserved a table for 2. It was a bit busy but happy we were seated in twenty minutes. While waiting we took a walk down the street and back. Once seated we enjoyed the nice services and chill atmosphere and pleasant staff. We ordered some starters. Edamame, Summer Roles, and nuggets. They were very good and especially enjoyed the nuggets. I ordered the ginger noodles with a medium spice. I really enjoyed them. The were a bit spicier but very good. I really enjoyed be way the tofu was prepared.Excellent dish. I would recommend The green elephant. It was excellent. read more

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Our reddit research never disappoints! This place was unanimously recommended and like always we went with high expectations. They don't take reservations, it's quite busy so there might be some waiting time if you come at the peak timings. It's a small cozy place with friendly servers. We started with coconut soup, there was a distict zing to it, maybe lemon ? I don't know but it was very different than what we expected. Definitely a must have on a chilly night. Husband had the green curry which was loaded with vegetables and tofu. My ginger noodles were also loaded with tofu, snap peas and eggs. The spice level was on point and we were very happy with the entire meal. Would have tried the fried banana with coconut ice cream if I wasn't watching my sweet intake. Overall a good meal after a long drive from Acadia. read more

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This place deserves 5 stars for food, service, and ambience. First of all, they got my attention as the whole menu is vegetarian so plenty of options to choose from. We got vegetable dumplings (which came with 6 pieces). For the main course, we got basil fried rice, Thai ginger noodles and green curry with tofu. Thai ginger noodles were not spicy at all but had a very good ginger taste. Green Curry had a lot of vegetables like celery, basil, broccoli, zucchini. Rice had a soya based protein bot tofu, that was the only part I didn't like. Quantity was also decent and we were able to share 3 items among 4 people. Mango sticky rice wasn't available. read more

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Still love the Green Elephant. Every time I come to Maine, I have to have lunch or dinner here. I always order the same thing. Pad Thai, dumplings and sticky rice with mango. Got there just before 5pm, and already a line of people waiting to get in. Food is just so fresh and light and vegetarian or vegan. I love the heat on the pad Thai. You can get 1,2,3,4 for heat. I like the 4 level of heat. Portion is pretty big, I took a lot home for a late snack. The mango rice is rich, and creamy and sweet, just a nice ending to a beautiful meal. read more

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We were greeted and sat immediately We had Tyler he was awesome server and totally knows the menu. I started with the mojito and Patty got the rum punch. For apps we got curry puffs , so good!! I had tempura mushrooms ‍ so so good and Patty got broccoli and crispy Tufu , both were great Finished with chocolate mousse pie and fried banana with coconut ice cream !! Place is cool inside THANKS read more

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The location is a bit small and cozy, but well appointed. The staff was very attentive and on point. The menu was not simply vegetarian but almost exclusively Vegan. Everything we ordered came out amazing, hot and fresh. They did an amazing job, would return if I find myself back in Portland. As a small side note, as someone that is Vegetarian (but not vegan, and will occasionally have fish). I would have liked to see maybe a few more dishes with cheese or egg for variety, but thats a personal preference. read more

Delicious vegan food! Chef Julián is famous for his ability to bring creativity, flavor, and beauty to everything he creates! The staff are all attentive and, together with the ambience, create a memorable experience you want to come back to. read more

There aren't many all vegetarian/vegan spots in Portland, so we had to check out the Green Elephant. We appreciated the interesting seasonal specials and ordered the Chinese five spice goji berry soup which was comforting and flavorful and legitimately spicy. What an unusual, creative, wholesome dish. Other than this, we honestly struggled to find items that were both healthy and interesting. The summer rolls (one of the specials) and the steamed tofu and vegetables were both enjoyable but unmemorable. We also ordered the roti appetizer and the side of tempeh drizzled with sweet chili sauce. I'm glad this place exists and hope they will inch past early 2000s era vegan restaurant quality and add some fun, healthy, innovative items to keep us coming back. read more

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I was intimidated to go "on peninsula". But my daughter wanted to try it so I went. Got an on street spot I could park into. I couldn't figure anything from the menu. The waiter talked me down and I got a coffee with dumplings and something else. It was good. read more

For me, as of right now, The Green Elephant is my favorite takeaway in Portland. + It's always hot. + It's always exactly the right order. + It never feels like "takeout" portions. + It's always ready on time. + I never have to worry about it accidentally not being vegan. + Online ordering is SUPER easy (*PRO TIP: make your order early in the day and schedule your pick-up time in advance to give them plenty of heads-up). The only (real) drawback?: - The horrible parking, but that's Portland for you. I think my current perfect takeout order is: 1) drink: Thai Iced Tea (with soy cream) 2) app #1: Deep Fried Vegetarian Spring Rolls (crispy! comes with a tamarind sauce, but if you have a spicy English mustard at home you should use that) 3) app #2: Hot & Spicy Soy Sticks (soy "chicken" on bamboo skewers with garlic-chili-cilantro sauce... that sauce is EVERYTHING, it's just all the best flavors. Get it on the side!) 4) entree: Chinese Broccoli and Crispy Breaded Soy Filet (broccoli, Chinese broccoli, carrots, and Thai bird chili stir-fried in brown sauce and served with jasmine brown rice and a fried soy "chicken" filet - it's a satisfying amount of food and textures; like it spicy? definitely go for a 3 or 4 star!!) 5) dessert: Chocolate Orange Mousse (it's probably my favorite dessert at any restaurant in the city; it's so creamy, so rich, so decadent! ALSO: they sell whole ones at the holidays!) Personally, I'd skip: the edamame (it's just pricey for how much you get), the fried mushrooms and veggie dumplings (both are so underwhelming and bland compared to GE's other dishes), and the soy nuggets (*only* because the Hot & Spicy Soy Sticks are just waaaaaaay better). I'll say it again and again (and again when I get takeout in a couple weeks): there's a reason you're still going strong and that's because people love you, Green Elephant! read more

What I'm about to explain I guess could happen to almost any restaurant but knowing that this place had a Hepatitis A outbreak in the past (https://www.pressherald.com/2023/10/13/worker-at-portlands-green-elephant-bistro-diagnosed-with-hepatitis-a/) Yea not sure exactly what to say. The vibe is fineI guess. Kinda meh. The service was amiss but also to be fair they were kinda slammed for half the time from a concert across the street, so I get it. The quality of the meal was not awful but I wasn't really digging it that much either. The king oyster mushroom tempura was exceptionally flavorless and bland. The real kicker though is that their coconut broth got 3 of us very very sick digestively. It was the only item there or even through that entire month that our group had a common overlap with. So zero doubt about the source. We all had the tom kha appetizer soup which had the coconut broth. Regrettably, I also ordered the noodle dish that came with a ton more of the same broth. The other two people had a rough 24 hours. Me however, I was systemically liquified for 8 days. It was really really bad. Like 1800's Oregon Trail style dysentery. I was jettisoning pints upon pints of water a day from my Digestive Crack, severely dehydrated, nausea body aches etc. My doctor said it was classic E. Coli poisoning. I'm guessing it came from the greens (spinach?) in the broth? Nobody else in my household even had any illness whatsoever. Very bad deal. Dirty restaurant with a repeat problem. Cost me days off work and dollars lost. Giving 2 stars cuz the staff were well mannered happy people. read more

I came here with a vegetarian friend at the recommendation of the Portland Facebook Community. The food was exquisite and the atmosphere was very laid back and chill. We both had a great time. Our waiter was very polite and informative about the dishes, so the service was great. Highly recommend if you're looking for a vegetarian, vegan-friendly restaurant. read more

Great vegan restaurant. It's Asian-influenced with multiethnic flavors. Everything fresh, clean and my favorite, plenty of crunchy. Wish they had a branch in my town. read more

Charming place in downtown where you will enjoy vegan options galore! Appetizers excellent as well as delish entrees and plenty of choices! If you're vegan or vegetarian this spot is a must for your dining pleasure! Nice wait staff and good service. read more

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Vegetarians galore! I am impressed with The Green Elephant. They do a great job making your favorite dishes vegan/vegetarian. The food is creative, fresh and healthy. I am a satisfied customer. Good job Green Elephant. read more

The Green Elephant - Vegetarian Near Me - Portland, Maine

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Ate at Green Elephant in Portland , ME for the first time and it was unbelievable!! I'm not a vegetarian but my husband is. I usually don't like fake meat but the veggie curry "spare rib" meal was amazing! The vegan chocolate mousse pie was incredible. Linda H, our waitress, was so informative and suggested the spare rib. She was so correct. Will go back again. Check it out yourself. You won't be disappointed. read more

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This place was so good that we went two days in a row for dinner. We both loved every single dish we tried including the appetizers. I'd definitely do it again if I were ever again in Portland! Our server was super nice both nights too. read more

i love this place. delicious vegetarian and vegan options. always busy, great service. street parking though none directly next to it so be warned for accessibility reasons. the pineapple rice and the pad Thai are amazing. downtown location is close to state theatre which is nice for pre show dinner. read more

Amazing! Well placed across from the PMA. Small but pleasant vibe. Lots of vegetarian options with tasty umami sauces and steamed vegetables and tofu. Very satisfying! read more

I had an amazing experience at The Green Elephant. It's hard to find vegetarian only restaurants and this was a great find. The curry puffs were crunchy, buttery, and delicious. The green curry tasted very fresh and the tofu in the ginger noodles was unique and had a sweetness to it. The staff were exceptionally kind, brought our food quickly, and packed our leftovers for us. I'd certainly be back next time I'm in Portland:) read more

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Loved this place since they opened. While I love dining at the restaurant, service is great and the food is even better right out of the kitchen, I usually get takeout after running my weekend errands. They have done an amazing job of keeping up standards all these years. read more

Food was delicious and healthy. Staff was happy and kind. Can't say enough about the experience here. It's a must visit for tasty food made with love and kindness. read more

The Green Elephant - App was - Vegetarian Spring Rolls Lunch green curry w/ veggies, tofu and brown jasmine rice rice - Vegetarian Near Me - Portland, Maine

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The service was impeccable, and the food was even better. The feature a lot of types of protein that I don't care for, but there is also plenty of tofu. The chocolate mousse pie for dessert is vegan and really fantastic. I could eat it every day. not overly sweet. read more

Awesome vegetarian food in Portland. We had the Siamese dream curry noodles, brussel sprouts and the king oyster appetizer. All were amazing and the server was very nice and helpful. Will be returning read more

The Green Elephant - Siamese Dream Curry Noodles - Vegetarian Near Me - Portland, Maine

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Prolog: For all our years living in Maine, we just simply never make it down to Portland (a close to 2 1/2 hour drive) -- we'd driven through (or more like "around") Portland on a number of summer trips from Florida (before we permanently retired here), and only once did we actually park and walk around (for perhaps an hour) before we had to get to the Jetport to catch our flight. Review: A waitperson at a popular brewery in Brewer we frequent their brewskies and bravura fried Heiwa tofu, and who is also plant-based like us, said her favorite vegan restaurant in Portland was The Green Elephant. (This was well-over a year ago.) Recently, due to an unforeseen rental car cancelation, we found ourselves in Portland (early) to pickup family arriving at the Jetport, so we decided this was our (rare) opportunity to check The Green Elephant out! The Green Elephant is located in what appears to be a prime downtown location (mere steps from the Portland Modern Museum of Art; across from the State Theater); an area showcasing many of the, ahem, "characters" associated with city living (speaking from experience). ;) But I digress.... The restaurant is a narrow rectangle of a place, judiciously laid-out with a couple of booths on one side, 2-seaters on the opposite, and 4-seaters center and at the windows. We were there at opening (11:30 am), and (after the long drive) were famished!! Inside, the place is modern, clean and light. The host was prompt and inviting; we picked out a table at the window. Our waitperson, Kayla, arrived lickety-split thereafter, and was rarin' to get us goin' since we were time-limited and feeling light-headed from not having our mid-morning meals! ;) Famished and parched, a Singha is a no-brainer starter pour moi! (I was surprised to see it arrive in a can -- in all my years, I've only ever had it in a bottle. Lol!) We started with a shared order of the vegan King Oyster Mushroom Tempura (served with a soy dipping sauce). As an introduction to this restaurant's menu: OMG, this sets the bar and expectation level at a dizzying height! (I'm getting ahead of myself, but we came here with our visiting family several days later and ordered it again: O-M-G STILL amazing! Next time around, I'm ordering this one just for me: No sharing!) ;) For meals: I had the Local Mushroom Rice Bowl (which was very delish and used locally produced Tootie's Tempeh for a protein). My better-half had the Siamese Dream Curry Noodles, which he said was excellent. As stated, we loved it so much we brought our visiting family there before they needed to catch their flight back to ATL. This time around, on top of the tempura trumpet mushrooms appetizer, we ordered the Thai Ginger Noodles and Veggie Citrus Spare Ribs. Both were excellent, with special kudos to the "spare ribs" soy meat! Even the carnivore in our party said he was truly satisfied with the meal he chose and would order it again.... :) In wrap-up, I cannot give enough laudatory remarks about The Green Elephant! Without doubt, it is the best vegetarian/vegan restaurant we've eaten at here in Maine, and we can't wait to make the jaunt back very soon...! :D read more

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I am always a sucker for a vegetarian restaurant. We were craving a green curry and this was right around the corner from our hotel. We picked up the green curry with tofu and it was a bit thinner than we expected. The flavor was still pretty good, but if you are expecting a super authentic curry this wouldn't be in my top 5. I would still go back and try some other things on the menu and the host that got us our order was incredibly friendly! read more

Yummy! AND Healthy! Curry puffs were perfection. Everything was delicious, staff was accommodating and thoughtful as well as super positive and encouraging. Loved it! read more

The Green Elephant - Vegetarian Near Me - Portland, Maine

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