Popular Portland, Maine, Thai Restaurant Closes Permanently

One of the best hidden gem Thai food restaurants in Portland, Maine, has decided to close up shop permanently. And for fans of the home-cooked style meals they got there, it'll be a heartbreaker.

Thai Esaan took to social media last week to announce that they would be closing for good over the weekend. The post thanked their friends and loyal customers for allowing a mother and son to live out their dream, at least for a little while.

According to the Portland Press Herald, it was health concerns that likely contributed to Esaan shutting down permanently. The small restaurant operated with only one chef, the mother of the mother-and-son duo, who had recently run into a series of health issues that left her unable to work an arduous schedule.

It's an unfortunate ending for a place that was beloved by people who had discovered it. Esaan started as a small takeout joint along Forest Ave in 2016. Their secret was in the sauce (incredible family recipes from Northeast Thailand). Esaan consistently served up tasty dishes, including some of the best drunken noodle you could find in the city.

A building fire forced them to close in 2021, with the intention of reopening soon at the same location. That didn't come to fruition, and it looked like Esaan was finished. Instead, they surprised fans by reopening last year in the space formerly occupied by Back Bay Grill.

Esaan's last day of service was this past weekend.