Thai Lunch Worth the Trip from Porter Square — KaO Thai & Asian Flavors
Porter Square Lunch, Solved
Porter Square sits at one of Cambridge's busiest commuter crossroads — the Red Line stop, the commuter rail platform, and a dense strip of offices, labs, and residential towers all converge within a few blocks. That means your lunch window is real but short, and the nearby options cycle through fast. KaO Thai & Asian Flavors is located in Lawrence, MA, about 30–35 minutes north depending on traffic, but for catered office lunches or the occasional intentional food run, the food travels well and the value is hard to match in Greater Boston.
What to Order for a Weekday Lunch
Not everything on a dinner menu makes sense at noon on a Tuesday. Here is what works specifically for a Porter Square lunch crowd:
- Pad Thai — the benchmark dish, holds temperature well in a takeout container, never feels too heavy for midday
- Kao Fried Rice — the house fried rice is the namesake dish for a reason; straightforward, filling, and fast to plate
- Thai Fried Rice or Spicy Basil Fried Rice 🌶️🌶️ — if your office runs hot on spice tolerance, the Spicy Basil is the one people ask for by name the following week
- Drunken Noodle 🌶️🌶️ — bold, saucy wide noodles; a real lunch, not a side dish
- Grilled Chicken Teriyaki — clean and approachable if your team has mixed preferences
- Crab Rangoon & Gyoza — both travel well as shareable starters for a group order
- Thai Ice-Tea — yes, worth ordering alongside food; it balances the heat and it photographs well if your team posts lunch
For solo diners planning the drive, the Kao Platters are the highest-value single order — a composed meal rather than a la carte assembly.
Catering for Porter Square Offices and Events
Porter Square has a real mix of employers: biotech firms, architecture studios, university-adjacent offices, and the kind of small agency that eats lunch together every Friday. KaO caters to groups with a minimum of 10 guests, and they ask for at least 48 hours notice so the kitchen can prep properly rather than rush.
Note: KaO does not currently offer delivery. For a catered order, you arrange pickup or coordinate drop-off logistics directly with the restaurant. Given that Porter Square has limited parking and is easier to reach by car from Route 93 or I-495 than it looks on the map, the most practical move for a large office order is to call ahead, confirm everything, and send one person to collect.
General KaO Chicken and the LoMein both scale cleanly for group trays and are crowd-pleasing choices when you are feeding people with different spice preferences.
Plan Your Order
Porter Square lunch crowds move fast. If you are planning a team lunch, a lab meeting, or a group event in the area, the 48-hour catering lead time means you should place your request by Wednesday morning for a Friday afternoon delivery window.
KaO Thai & Asian Flavors is located at 125 Essex Street, Lawrence, MA 01840.
📞 Call to request a catering quote or ask about current lunch options: 978-923-0065
Ready to order? Call KaO directly and tell them the date, your headcount, and your Porter Square pickup or drop-off plan. The kitchen will take it from there.