Big Blue Thai BBQ

I recently visited this local food truck in Salem after being curious about their offerings since 2017. I was excited to finally try their food again, as I had fond memories of the taste from a previous visit. This time, my husband and I ordered a couple of salads, Thai iced teas, and cups of soup, which totaled $90 for the two of us. Honestly, this price point felt unusually high for a food truck experience, especially compared to dining in a higher-end restaurant, where you’d usually expect more amenities, ambiance, and service. As for the food itself, the flavors were decent, with good seasoning and a nice balance of veggies and proteins. However, the ingredients didn’t feel particularly premium or organic; the texture was quite tough, and some bites were chewy enough that it felt tiring to eat. Service-wise, I noticed it’s run by a husband and wife team. The husband, who takes orders, was very friendly and welcoming, but I found the overall experience a bit lacking in customer interaction—especially from the wife, who was focused on her tablet and didn’t greet customers. Even a small gesture of hospitality would have made the experience more enjoyable, given the high prices. Overall, while I appreciated the taste and effort, I felt the prices were higher than what I expected from a food truck and the overall experience didn’t quite match the cost. I hope this feedback helps others set their expectations.

Some of the best food I’ve had! Super flavorful and fresh! The Grilled Pork Plate is the perfect lunch. I recommend the peanut sauce for dipping.

Always great food and friendly service. I have had the Thai Ice Tea, chicken skewers, spring rolls and curry on various visits. All are good but the curry is my favorite. There is seating outside for sunny days but is good for take away as well. Smaller menu but what they do, they do well.

Stopped for lunch on our way to Eugene from Portland and had an outstanding meal! We got both their pork and chicken lunch specials, which were made to order and extremely filling. The salad was super fresh, the dressing was great, and the sauces were incredible. The meat was cooked extremely well too. We chatted for a while with the owners, and they were very friendly! Would definitely recommend!

Good food, friendly people Who run it. Very tasty!

My wife was shopping at the Antique place nearby and I was hungry for lunch so I decided to give this place a try. I was so impressed! The #1 pork lunch special is delicious! Can't recommend it highly enough. I just wish we lived in Salem so we could go often and try all the menu items. We'll definitely go back when we are in the area next time!

Folks.. the food is delicious! I highly recommend it. I placed an online order for the Grilled Pork & Papaya combo and the Tasty Thai Grilled Pork. Each is accompanied by a side of jasmine rice. For the combo, I selected medium spice that has some buildable heat but nothing unreasonable. (Just what I wanted). Wow, where to begin. The pork was tender and flavorful. The papaya salad was so fresh, flavorful, and delicious. I haven't had Thai food like this since being in Thailand. This isn't a watered down version of Thai cuisine. It's authentic. Give it a try. Too bad for me, I don't live in the area, so I'll have to wait for my next trip to revisit. It's bookmarked!

Let me start off by saying that the Thai Lime Tea and the Grilled Pork are fantastic and I definitely plan on ordering them again. The customer service is great, the location is convenient, and I love having another Thai restaurant to choose from. The only dish that wasn’t what I hoped it would be was my favorite soup ever, Tom Kha Gai. The soup here definitely tasted like sweet coconut, but it was missing the other flavors I love about Tom Kha Gai soup such as lime, chilis, and fish sauce. Overall though, the curry and grilled pork were amazing and we will definitely be coming back!

Best thai bbq and papaya salad. Best curry too.i recommend everyone to go and show this lovie big blue some

This place has been on my to-do list for years! I finally made it. It operates out of a food truck parked under an awning with some seating. It looks like you can order verbally at the window, or they have a touch screen computer where you can order and pay with a card. Ordering went smoothly. I decided on two of the lunch specials, the #1 Tasty Grilled Pork, and the #3 Satay Combo (chicken). After about 10 minutes, my food was ready. Service was friendly with lots of smiles. I got home and my dining companion and I split both entrees. The grilled pork was delicious! It was cooked beautifully, had a nice sweet flavor along with a nice smokey touch from the grill. Yum! The spicy tamarind dipping sauce was a complex flavor punch with fish sauce funk, tang from the tamarind and a touch of heat. The side salad was amazing! I really liked the greens with a great dressing that I think had notes of coconut. The jasmine rice was nice and filling. The chicken satay was also very good. The chicken was nicely cooked with a light curry flavor, and the dipping sauce was redolent of peanuts and coconut. The cucumber salad was good, reminded me of lightly pickled cucumbers, but with a fresher taste. They threw two candies into the bag, and they were a nice touch. I think they were tamarind flavored. I am so glad I finally made it here. It is a fantastic place for a flavor-packed lunch with friendly service. I will be back!

Wow. Finally some decent, authentic Thai food. The service amazing. Seating is limited but available. Or you can get it to go. The ordering is easy. I got papaya salad with padek. I also got their bbq pork. The papaya salad was the best I have had in twenty years. Made the authentic way with an ingredient not many people request. The pork was cooked perfectly and tasted excellent. Juicy and succulent. It came with some dipping sauce and rice. This will be my new go to, when going out for lunch or dinner. You will not be disappointed!

Stopped for lunch on our way to Eugene from Portland and had an outstanding meal! We got both their pork and chicken lunch specials, which were made to order and extremely filling. The salad was super fresh, the dressing was great, and the sauces were incredible. The meat was cooked extremely well too. We chatted for a while with the owners, and they were very friendly! Would definitely recommend!

Walked up to the window & was immediately greeted with an offer to try a couple of curries! The Penang curry was one of the best I've tried & I'll definitely be back for the green curry. I also ordered crispy veggie spring rolls which were so good. Love the chairs and tables outside of the adorable trailer & look forward to coming back for more to sit when it's warmer! Definitely worth the trip and waiting in the cold!!

I can't even give it one star but it needs at least one to post. I will never go back here. After being profiled and treated like a trespasser just for walking around the building (not his food truck) while on my break and deciding to get some food - I was approached by a man (who apparently was the owner of this food truck ) in a way that made me feel like I was doing something wrong or not supposed to be there - as he asked me what I was looking for and what I was doing there with this weird expression (it was not welcoming). I responded I'm just looking around - is that ok? It's sad to still have to deal with people like this who profile and make judgement when all you are doing is taking a break from work. He didn't question any of the other people - only me. We've spent money here before and someone else dealt with something similar as far as how they felt by his comments. None of my family or friends will support this business moving forward, and it's sad that he is hiding behind this Thai cuisine.

This was one of best Thai food I had since I been to Oregon. Here in Salem for about 4 weeks now and Portland over the weekend. Had Thai food in Portland and it was a total disappointment. Place was too mainstream and lost focus of the actual food. Now here at Big Blue, WoW! Flavors and authenticity is spot on, really appreciate the sauce how it was perfectly balanced of sweet, salty, and citrus. Food takes a bit to be prepared for it to be fresh when you get it. For reference I took this Togo and the drive was 17 mins. Food was still hot and delicious! Grilled pork was tender and juicy. Papaya you can get it any spice level you want. I got extra spicy but it wasn't that spicy lol hopefully when I go back I can tell her I can handle it so she will give me more chili. Rice is a little softer than I would like but honestly I didn't even need it with the meal. Everything was so well balanced. I can't wait to come back for more. If you are deciding on coming just go you won't regret it. Place is in a plaza on the corner with plenty of parking. They provide seating if you want to eat there and it is outdoor seatings. Or you can take it to go and will taste delicious no matter where you eat.

Incredible food, outstanding warm Thai hospitality and very convenient location. Can't recommend it highly enough.

This is hands down our favorite food truck. We stop by weekly for the grilled pork, papaya salad and chicken satay. The food is always done quickly and super friendly owners.

I had the cucumber salad and bbq pork! OMG flavor explosion! I knew the bbq was gonna be good but the sauces were extraordinary!

Always drive past this place and decided to just stop one day to try it, i got the chicken and soup (coconut one). I cant have cabbage so they subd it for zucchini.. It was so good! I craved it all night long. The man and woman that worked there were very nice to my son and I. I will def be back.

Amazing flavor and service. High quality food that makes you feel good. I would recommend this place to anybody. Will definitely be back.

I was too hard on them for taking the steak skewers off the menu. I've moved on to the sliced pork. A+

All is good, best BBQ Thai north of SF, highly recommend. Two person crew making amazing food!

Excellent ribeye skewers and their sauce is perfect. Very freindly owners and area is convenient. Ask for the Thai tea!

Taste like I ate at Thailand so delicious. Amazing food and service. The sauces are very flavourful.

The family is so wonderful and the food is delicious! We love the curries, the salads, the coconut shrimp, and their Thai ice tea. We highly recommend!

Yummy Thai food: great curry and bbq rib plate special. I miss the restaurant and bigger menu!

Best peanut curry I've ever had (and I've had a lot of curry). Food was awesome. Authentic Thai food!

I have driven by several times while working with a client on the purchase of their home. I finally stopped in yesterday while waiting to deliver keys and never have I ever been so satisfied in my life by a food truck! I wasn't sure what to get so he told me a couple of the most popular dishes but then let me know they had ribeye skewers on the grill. Immediately YES. That is what I wanted. This was some of the most amazing meat I have ever had. Perfectly grilled and tender, the sauce was AMAZING and it was just a party in my mouth. I cannot wait to go again. I told everyone I saw yesterday about it. So good!

The food here is absolutely delicious and the owners that run it work SO unbelievably hard. They are so kind and personable and although they are busy cooking, still take the time to check on you and make sure you're doing okay. It's one of my favorite places to eat, and definitely the best Thai food.

The family that runs Big Blue Thai BBQ alone deserves a five star rating. They are so warm and welcoming, and make amazing food for a great price. They have the best Thai Tea I've ever had and I cannot recommend them enough. There's few things I enjoy more than walking to their food cart in the summer and having food with my partner on a hotter day.

Fantastic food, very friendly service. Conveniently located and comfortable. A reliable favorite.

Not impressed! We stopped here to get a bite after shopping nearby. We walked to the window and a really really young kid who didn't look legally able to work...was standing there at the window. I waited for a reaction of some kind from...like for this kid to go get a adult. BUT He said nothing and just stood there....so I asked if I could place a order. His bored response was "yes". I placed my order and was given zero feed back about anything from the bored child. They weren't busy and there was just a small family of 4 sitting at a table. We took a spot at another table and waited. And waited.........and waited.......and waited. Finally the child brought me two plates of food. BUT With No napkins or eating utensils. So had to get up and asked for them. All in all the food was just ok but way overpriced and with terrible service. Nope... I won't be back.

Super good food and great customer service! My partner and I ordered the lunch combo 1 with grilled pork and the last two spring rolls. Not only did they toss in an extra miso soup they even delivered our food straight to our car as we were waiting. The flavor is amazing and the spring rolls came with two different sauces as well. It's definitely worth coming back for and I can't wait to try their other dishes

Great food! I just wasn't prepared for it to be a food truck. Luckily it wasn't raining or we would have had to eat in the car. If you don't already know, peanut sauce is very spicy. It's good but sneaks up on you. Just FYI.

Delicious Thai bbq! Locally owned and the homemade salad is amazing! It's a food truck with some outdoor seating.

Great food and the owners will remember you if you come back. The bbq always smells great! Will be back soon!

Big Blue Thai BBQ never disappoints! They are one of my favorite food trucks in Salem and their spicy peanut curry is to die for. If you love Thai food, give this place a try.

I've been driving by this place since December. Today for some reason I decided to pull in and try it and well! It was excellent food. I've been looking for good Thai food and I have not had any delivered that was good enough to put a dent in. Every ingredient is so beautifully prepared and selected. The flavors are rich and bright. Their tea is unsurpassed! Ice cold and delicious! I had pork which came with not hard dry rice but freshly prepared jasmine rice that was delicious with the sauce provided. Portions were generous. Had leftovers for dinner tonight and looking forward to tomorrow for the rest. Awesome food! The couple that run this place are truly a class act.

Best Thai food I've honestly ever had, and great friendly owners!! I've been going to them for the last few years now and they remember me every time I go, so personable

Simply the best Thai food I've ever had. Their Super Best Combo was the best meal I've had in a very long time. You'll wait a little longer, you might pay a tad more, but it's so worth it.

No pad Thai, which is what I always order - we tried the daily special and the spicy chicken soup - highly recommend both! Best Thai food in Salem

I honestly wasn't impressed with this place this time. I've been here a few times but haven't been here for at least a year and to me it seems to have gone downhill. But maybe I just caught them on a bad day. Most likely will not be visiting again to figure that out.

Friendly service, great location and it was delicious!!! We had Big Boss combo for lunch; pork, sausage, spicy salad and steamed rice. I highly recommend and we will be back.

TL;DR: it's great and you should go. Big Blue Thai BBQ has been our top go-to for years and now that we've moved we actually have plans to drive down from our home north of Seattle, WA to get our Tasty Thai BBQ fix in Salem, OR. Disclaimer: I was a regular who ended up working for Big Blue for a couple months while one of the owners was recovering from a surgery. It was either they get some temporary help or close up for a bit and I wasn't willing to go without my tasty Thai grilled pork fix :P I give this disclaimer because I anticipate writing a glowing review, and I want to be clear that they earned all this praise on the merit of their food and service and not because I think of them as friends or former employers. I'm an attorney, I don't work here anymore. This is simply my opinion of Big Blue. The Owners: This is a family place. Ray and Kae are the sweetest and most engaged restaurant owners I've ever met. If there are any problems, or suggestions, these two are genuinely interested and they care about the dining experience of their customers. Kae is from Thailand, and Ray and Kae have worked to recreate some of their favorite Thai flavors here. If you want "a place where everybody knows your name", or the quintessential "regular customer" feel, I vote you try here! Their memory of their customers is amazing. Individual preferences or special orders, or helping you remember that thing you wanted to try next time. The Food: Wonderful. My usual go to is the tasty Thai grilled pork with salad instead of rice. It is worth mentioning that the spicy dipping sauce - as suggested by it's name - is spicy. If you need more mild food, let them know and they're very accommodating! I could write a short novel about my love for the tasty Thai grilled pork, but the other items have their own following. It's like Pokemon, where everyone has their own die-hard favorite. If you need a quick snack, or want something light and quick to go, definitely try their garden rolls! Made fresh every day/few hours, the rolls have a protein (grilled pork or lightly crisped tofu) with greens and a few noodles. Their tag line is "made fresh" and as a regular, and former employee, I want to emphasize that this truly is the case and it makes a world of difference. They make nearly everything from scratch, from their signature sauces and marinades for the meats to the Thai sausage itself. They cut and prep everything themselves, and make most food items to order. Even the rice powder on the sauce is made from scratch. They do as much on their own as they can, and they do it well. And it shows. If you're on the fence, just go. Ray and Kae will help you find something on the menu that you'll love!! The Price: I saw a review saying the food was overpriced. Listen, frankly if you want a quick, cheap, edible but unremarkable meal then go somewhere that uses the same canned or bottled sauce as everyone else who buys their flavors in bulk. Yes, Big Blue charges $12 for my favorite pork meal, but I honestly feel like it's a bit of a steal on my part. Everything is fresh, made to order for me, the pork is always tender and perfectly marinated with just a enough of the grill taste and texture. I can't describe it well enough, so I'll summarize it by saying it is well worth the price and you can tell you're buying quality. On a student income (aka living on loans) I still felt like the price was worthwhile. 5/5 stars

THIS IS LEGIT YUMMY! I'm relatively new to Salem and heard that they had good Thai food so I finally made it over to the truck to give it a go. Being that I was a virgin (customer that is), I asked Ray to surprise me with whatever he suggested I try first. He whipped up the blue green pork curry with a smile and a small side of conversation. Man, it was sooooo tasty! Now I see what everyone was talking about. Next up to try is the spicy pork salad. I'm such a sucker for everything pork! I will now be making the lunch trip across the bridge from West Salem to get my Thai fix!

Just went here on the recommendation of a co-worker. It's located across the side street by the Jack in the Box and tucked away in a little shopping center off Commercial. Kind of hard to notice unless someone describes the location. Ordered the grilled pork, ribs and papaya salad combo and Tom Yum soup to go. Owners were super nice and helpful when ordering for the first time. The food is amazing and tasty. It's like a slight twist on traditional Thai dishes using the freshest ingredients. I like things spicy, so they gave me extra homemade spices in case it wasn't hot enough. The sauces they include are so flavorful and delicious that I would buy them if they sold them (hint hint). The ribs and pork were so tender (I'm picky about my meats). In fact, the chicken wings, which I usually don't like to order, were so meaty, crispy skin and a delicious grilled flavor. I will definitely be a regular and wish them every success in their new location. Super happy to find a great place to eat here in Salem.

Absolutely the best lunch food in Salem. Try it today and you won't regret it!!! Have been eating here for years and will continue as long as they're open.

We are at the restaurant not the food truck version of Big Blue. You better like pork it's the primary portion served. I do love pork so we had pork green curry and pork salad. The green curry had longan fruit which is fine just not necessary in green curry. It could of used more veggies and a thicker curry. The pork salad was lacking in dressing. I could taste it only on the pork. The lettuce and cabbage had nothing in them no dressing at all. Portions were small for the price. I live far way from here so I will not be able to visit this location on a regular bases.

Big Taste from a Little Blue Box! I have had the opportunity to enjoy the menu items a few times now. Its fresh, consistent and full of flavor. My first encounter i was met with a "you'll be back" statement. He was right! I highly recommend this south salem secret.

I was looking for grilled meat and a nice salad. This place hits the spot. Ordered the Blur Green Curry, Coconut Shrimp, Spicy Papaya Salad, Mango Sticky Rice, and Superbest Combo. The Meat was grilled to perfection with a marinate to die for. I really enjoyed the ribs and the pork. each come with their own special sauce which compliments the meat. The curry was flavorful and full of veggies and meat. The coconut shrimp were what you you expect them to be. The Papaya salad was great! you could taste the subtleness of the sauce/juices/spices in it. The veggies were fresh and had a great crunch to them. The thing that really surprised us was the the Mango Sticky Rice. We have never had it before and it was delicious. Another thing I would like to mention was the service. It was a cold and rainy day when I ordered the food and I was able to wait in my car. The people over at Big Blue took care of me and brought the order directly to my car. TLDR: great food and service!

I love Thai food, but kind of feel like every place is the same. However this place is different, food is fresh and flavorful. Had the green curry and papaya salad, full of fresh veggies and the grilled meat in the curry was awesome. We asked for medium spicy, it was perfect but I would not go spicier. Will definitely be back.

Had this for the first time the other day. Pot stickers were PERFECT Thai Pork was great on flavor. Meat just needed a little more cooking. Too chewy. But other than that no complaints. Great food.

Delicious Thai food! Everything is so authentic and the meats are so flavorful. It's definitely a favorite stop!

Best curry in town and you can get BBQ ribs too. We love this place. The owners are so nice and always go the extra mile and the good is consistently good.

Absolutely recommend this place. The Blue Green Curry is crazy delicious. Great mix of textures and very filling, especially on a cold day in Salem. The fresh garden rolls are also excellent--great quality ingredients and they don't fall apart while you're eating them. I've eaten a lot of Thai food from some of the best hole-in-the-wall spots in Los Angeles and this is easily right up there with flavor and authenticity. If Jonathan Gold (May he Rest In Peace) were still alive, and paid a visit to Salem, I imagine he'd have rather favorable things to say about it.

Absolutely killer combo plate! The BBQ ribs have a great smoke ring, lots of meat and a awesome dipping sauce. The sliced pork flank steak has great char and the different dipping sauce is also outstanding! Oh... did I mention that salad? Crisp, fresh ingredients including toasted peanuts! Went with medium heat, as they always ask how hot. All dishes were at medium heat which was tempered with a fab Logger Lager beer. We'll be back...again and again!

My wife and I were looking for some place new to try and happened on the Big Blue. We were welcomed by the staff with smiles and friendly greetings. We were unsure what to try, but Ray our waiter was very helpful and was more than happy to make suggestions. The food was excellent, Satay Chicken, Pot Stickers and the Rib Combo. We had a marvelous time and will certainly be back.