Green Elephant Vegetarian Bistro — Restaurant in Portland

I was told that Green Elephant was the most popular place in Portland for vegetarian food. After having flown in from NYC and a recommendation from my inn and cab driver who called Portland a restaurant capitol made this my only stop on my first night in Maine. The wait for a table was long but the wait for soup and two appetizers was another twenty five mins. My waitress said it was because l requested no tofu in my soup and she was checking on it. The tea l got was flavorless and l kept asking for more lemon and agave for it. The more l asked to just take it to go, the more the waiter insisted on doing it over. I was afraid of them screwing up further and they sure did. I was finally too disgusted with the long wait and bad service that l had my dinner wrapped to go. They gave me no tamarind sauce that was recommended in lieu of peanut as a gluten free option. No utensils or napkins were packed so l asked for those. I also asked for another bag because the waitress placed my meal squarely in the middle of spilled tea on the table. I walk to my hotel room and unpack only to discover my tea wasn't there. I walk back to get that fixed and speak to a manager who was only sorry for the long wait. He asked what l wanted him to do and l asked what they usually do. He made no offer but went back to being sorry for the long wait. He didn't care about my having to walk back to retrieve tea that l paid for. I was done talking in circles with him because it was clear that he wasn't offering to comp anything. I walk again back to my hotel and unpacked this renowned food. They gave me peanut sauce instead of the Tamarind l requested. The soup had tofu chunks that l asked be omitted. Wasn't that the reason my meal was supposedly late? For a soup, two appetizers and iced tea, they disappointed and were sweetly rude. NY has better variety and service for vegetarians and vegans. This place...

Phenomenal! Delicious food and impeccable service, even on this holiday weekend! We had the spring rolls, the dumplings, the special which was a fried rice and vegetable dish, and the ginger noodles. Everything was outstanding, especially the sauces.

There was a wait of about 30 minutes for our party of three, and while we waited we witnessed a steady stream of people come in and add their names to the list or pick up take out, including a woman who told us she drove for an hour for the food! A twenty- something who was also waiting muttered, "ok it's good, but is it THAT good?" She then complained loudly to her friend that other people had been seated before their seven top.

But, hold on, you may be asking, who goes to a popular, small, restaurant on the Saturday of a holiday weekend with seven people and no reservation, and complains loudly and nastily about having to wait for a table? Oh, that's right, Portland Karens do. The only two servers in the whole place were professional and courteous despite, barely under the breath of Karen number one, being called passive-aggressive because they wouldn't rearrange the furniture for them, while Karen number two complained to her boo on the phone that she had only had one beer all day and it's already 1:30.

That the servers maintained composure is worth giving accolades, and our dining experience was beautiful and untainted by those snobs because of the staff's gracious hospitality.

Please visit this wonderful restaurant for lunch or dinner, eat, enjoy, and be gracious and grateful that there are people there to serve you in the post-covid, still-covid holiday season. And to the Karen that muttered 'service begins when you step in the door', I have this to say: the taste you leave in the mouths of those you encounter will not end...

Couldn't be more pleased with the service and atmosphere here! We arrived at 5pm on a Sunday and we're immediately seated. We decided on the King oyster mushroom tempura as an appetizer, which was overall fantastic! And it was easily enough for 4 people to have a decent share. However we felt as though the mushrooms themselves could have been seasoned more, or at least mixing some salt and pepper in with the batter to enhance the flavor as the mushrooms without the soy sauce were a little bland. My girlfriend ordered the Garlic and Ginger today which she was very pleased with. There was a good portion of fresh vegetables to tofu, and she said that the rice was a perfect pair. I had trouble deciding between the char guay teow and the curry, I ultimately went with the supreme dream curry noodle. Great decision. The dish was bursting with flavors of fresh vegetables, hints of cashew, and warm sweet coconut. The curry was not spicy and overpowering. I would have liked a little bit more curry spice personally but that did not detract from the quality of the meal overall. We felt the price was quite fair for the amount of food we received as well. You can easily make 2 meals out of the entree if you order an appetizer. It's important to note that even if you are not a Vegetarian or Vegan, the meat substitutes (soy, tofu, etc. Are quite tastey and easily distract you from the fact that there is no meat within the meal.

I would recommend the Green Elephant to a friend or stranger looking for a fresh...