The best orange chicken I've EVER had! Always light crispy and side of the orange sauce is just amazing! Did I mentioned all white meat?! I have continued to order this 2-3x per week! Soooo addicted to it. The egg fried rice on point! I mean i seriously can't say anything better than this place is one of my favorites! read more

Elephant Cafe - Orange chicken - Thai Near Me - Lake Forest, California

It's hard to go wrong with Thai food. There's certainly an abundance of Thai places here in California and in this bustling area in general. I'm blessed this is right around the corner from my work, so it's convenient (which is a temptation). The food is very delicious and the portion sizes are generous. I'm ordering form here every week for lunch, and nothing I've had has really disappointed. Food is served hot and made quickly. Their pineapple rice is off the charts. I would suggest getting it a bit spicy/with more Thai curry. Their crab and Thai fried rice is also a hit. Their massaman curry is flavourful and not too hot. You can always add more spice if you want. My favourite noodle dishes are the Pad thai (so yummy and not dry), pad kee mao (love the Thai basil), and pad wood sen. I have ordered the chowmein, it wasn't the best or my favourite, this dish didn't really taste "Thai" at all and I would not order it again, but it does not affect my opinion of this place. The people are friendly and food is ready despite them usually being busy. Don't forget to ask for chili in vinegar - these are a yummy addition to your food. read more

Today was my last day eating at this restaurant. Usually a pretty good experience so I wouldn't tell anyone not to try it but today was sort of the last straw for me. I spend around $100 a week on Thai food alone many times ordering from elephant cafe. Today me and my group ordered 2 tom yum soups and were brought tom Kha. I tried to like it but it wasn't what I ordered and I asked if they could bring me what I asked for politely while my friend chose to just eat the tom kha. After I ate the soup directly from the pot they decided to take it back. I figured since we were inconvenienced maybe they would let us keep the extra soup. But no. They took it to the back and probably used the contents of it to make me my new large soup. The new one they brought out was watery and rushed. The shrimp was over cooked which confirmed they probably used the original soup contents in this one. A small business decision of not letting me keep the extra soup made me and our table completely uncomfortable. If I ate straight from the bowl why take it back? We paid for it all and left and have decided to never go back. Huge misstep on their part. Hospitality wins loyal customers. My every week expense totally $5,200 for the year on Thai food now given to another Thai restaurant. Very disappointed. read more

This is a long overdue review for my favorite Thai restaurant in the area. It's rare for me to be able to say that there isn't a single item on the menu I wouldn't recommend from this place. My favorite go-to items are the spicy eggplants, green curry, and their fried rice. Thai food is a great way to enjoy loads of vegetables without feeling like you're eating mouth full of bland vegetables. Whenever I am doing my 3x weekly meatless supper days, it's the first place I get my food from. What I really appreciate about the Elephant Cafe location is how flavorful the food is without it being too greasy, watery, or sweet. When I select spicy as the spiciness level, it's actually perfectly legitimately spicy. It makes my hot tooth sing and so happy. Parking is free and plenty in front of the restaurant. Takeout orders are always ready upon arrival and service efficient and friendly. The inside decor is beautiful. Many elephant related objects are carefully displayed. It's absolutely gorgeous. I know I wouldn't mind bringing my family here as we used to love visiting Bangkok to enjoy Thai food. read more

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Colorful interior and friendly customer service. We went for lunch on a Sunday and were seated immediately. The food is authentic Thai cuisine and reminded me of the delicious Thai food I had growing up while traveling to Thailand. I enjoyed the meal and the dessert was spot on. read more

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Came with my mom to visit her friends in Irvine, they brought us here because they come here quite often because of the good quality of the food. Very welcoming and cozy environment as we walked in. I like seasonal food so I ordered a pumpkin curry with beef and mild spicy. Excited and looking forward to tasting my food. The wait time was a bit longer than I expected since there were only less than 5 tables in the restaurant but I did not want to criticize too soon. Took a bite and I almost clapped in the restaurant, it was SO good and flavorful. The pumpkin curry was so creamy and smooth, the spice was perfect and I even finished a whole bowl of rice which I have not done in years. So you know how good the food was. I will come back for sure but I need a ride lol really not a fan of driving. read more

Elephant Cafe - Pumpkin Curry - Thai Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Elephant Cafe is my favorite Thai place ever! I love a cozy, homely spot. It's best to come with a larger group and order multiple things to share because you really have to try it all. The crying tiger is especially good - the tender steak with the tangy nam jim jaew sauce hits every time. The tom kha is also amazing with its spicy, sour, and creamy broth. I love that soup is served in a fire pot so it stays warm throughout the meal. On top of the food, the service here is great; everyone is very helpful and attentive no matter how busy it gets. I can't recommend this place enough, sooo tasty and comforting :) read more

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My husband and I love the papaya salad here. We will come grab papaya salad as a side even if we're cooking at home. I usually order the mild and it's good but the last time was extremely spicy and I couldn't eat it. I ordered the green curry with eggplant and chicken. Was very good. I loved the flavors of the curry. It could've used more eggplant. We also decided to try the chicken skewers but unfortunately they were a very weird texture and very stringy which is unfortunate because the peanut dipping sauce they came with was delicious but not enough to save it :/ wont be ordering that one next time read more

Elephant Cafe - Very stringy Chicken Satay (comes with 4 Pieces) - Thai Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Finally! We've found a solid, reasonably priced, consistent Thai restaurant in the OC. Every curry (green, yellow, red, and panang) we've tried has delicious savory and slightly sweet, creamy flavor. Chicken, beef, shrimp, tofu - regardless of protein, it's all good. The pad thai is sweeter than I'd prefer but others in my family enjoy it. The spice/heat level in most dishes can be adjusted to preference. Attentive service. Dishes come out at a great pace. Nice for a casual business lunch, family meal, and friends meet-up. read more

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Ordered for takeout multiple times now. Prices are reasonable for Thai food, so this one is in our rotation whenever we're craving Thai. We've had the yellow and green curries. They let you adjust the spiciness. Just know that anything beyond mild will pack a punch, Thai spicy is no joke haha. But curries are flavorful, there's a charge for meat, rice is included. We've also had their pad thai and pad see ew. Overall, quality is great, but knocking down a star for inconsistencies with the pad thai. There have been times where the pad thai came out super soggy and bland... Overall, service is quick. You can place orders online, which is very convenient. Parking is easy, lots of spots in this strip mall. We haven't dined in before, but decor is very traditional Thai. read more

Very cute Thai place in Lake Forest- Laguna Hill area. I'm suprised with their traditional decoration inside. Soup and broth are clear, Usually when I try tom yum the broth is usually more orange color ( because of the tomato) however to my surprise, it was a perfect balance of sweet and sour taste in their TomYum . We also tried the crispy fried wonton and it was decent I was impressed with their unique ceramic bowls and plates. Recommend going here if you're in the Laguna Hills area and wants some good quality Thai Food 3.9/5 read more

Elephant Cafe - Tom Yum Seafood Soup - Thai Near Me - Lake Forest, California

The spicy eggplant and tofu was so perfect that for the first time in the 20 years that I've been eating Thai food I didn't add any condiments at the table. Boom. And something as simple as the mixed vegetables tom yum could be such a write off other places - but here it's craveable. Chock full of vegetables, spicy, sour, perfect. The one less than bright spot was the Pad Thai which was mostly noodles and had very little egg or scallions and very little tamarind or dried shrimp flavor. That being said, the tofu was cooked beautifully and was served in a massive portion. Service is wonderful. Prices are great. Would return to keep trying more of the menu. read more

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It saddens me to give one less star, but today, waited for them to come back from lunch at 4:30, they close the restaurant and reopen it. And for some reason, everything was off. (not the same as it usually is) Found out through my kids that I ordered the wrong coconut soup. Apparently, I like the Tom Young soup something like that. But the waiters know me! Secondly, they usually ask me on a scale from one to 10 how hot and spicy I want the food and I always say eight. Once again, after going there for almost several years, the waiter gave me the food "mild" needless to say it wasn't the greatest. Had to send it back for more heat. Additionally,, I would say that the meat, the beef in the eggplant with beef, beef was about 25% less. I actually had to ask them if they had a different cook in the back because this is not the norm. Even the soup had NOT a generous amount of shrimp.... A friend of mine ordered the crab fried rice, and he mentioned that there was not a lot of crab in it. I received the reply " well the owner is not here today". - Now I'm under the impression of Food is a lot better, when he's in. I crave eggplant, and it was good. BUT just not a lot of beef, and the heat was off. If I wasn't a fan of this place and didn't write so many other positive reviews about this location - it would have received three stars. PS, they did give me a little bit extra meat, when I mentioned this to the waiters. But it was once again not a generous portion. read more

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I've lived in South OC for so long and have always seen Elephant Cafe and was always curious about it. We got to visit on a Wednesday for dinner. We got seated right away. The restaurant has plenty of seating inside and the aesthetics is very cultured. It took a while for a server to greet us and take our order. We ordered shrimp fried rice and yellow curry. The food came out pretty quickly. Food had great flavor. I would definitely come back and try their other food items on their menu. read more

Elephant Cafe - Thai Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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This Thai restaurant is so good with cool protein options like duck and crispy pork. I love to get the pad thai with combination seafood because there are lots of generous fish portions that are deliciously grilled. The papaya salad is zingy and fresh. It feels like a comfortable mom and pop Thai restaurant. read more

Elephant Cafe - Pad Kee Mao Noodles, Crab Fried Rice, Rad Nah Noodles, Massaman Curry - Thai Near Me - Lake Forest, California

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Neighborhood fave! Lots of locals eating as a table for 1. They've booths that are like back to back so there's some privacy. Friendly service & good food! Pad see ew with beef- delish! Tom yum soup with shrimp- good! Lao papaya salad good but regrets getting the medium spicy bc it was just off the edge for me. Chicken wings- good! Take out is just as delicious! Thank you Elephant Cafe! read more

On this cold evening warm Thai food sounded perfect! One of our favorite local places is Elephant Cafe in Lake Forest. This small restaurant is on a busy corner intersection so if you aren't paying attention, you can miss the driveway to enter and then you have a long block before you can turn around. Elephant Cafe is a charming place with super friendly staff and amazingly authentic food. There are plenty of options for everyone. They even customize the level of heat on many of their dishes. Tonight the place was hopping! Booths full of customers chatting away and a constant flow of take out orders. I got take out as well and only had to wait about 10 minutes or so for our food. Tonight's menu was fried wonton, Thai Basil Fried Rice with veggies and Mild heat and Pad Kee Mao noodles with Chicken and Mild heat. We are so happy eating our yummy Thai food and watching college basketball at home! Prices are excellent too and I highly recommend Elephant Cafe! read more

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Elephant Cafe you had me at pad Thai.. I'm SO particular with my noodles and I've tried quite a few pad Thai's in this area and nothing compares to this one. I like my pad Thai more on the sweeter side than salty. It's not too oily and seasoned so well with the veggies. I usually get it with tofu and it's a perfect combo of firm but chewy too. It doesn't come spicy so if you want it with spice just ask it tastes better spicy too. The Thai tea is sweet, some would say too sweet but I love it, and if you ask them they'll even add boba to it. I ordered the lunch special for $12.95 and the portions were huge! It came with a scoop of rice, small salad and soup, The service is fast for the most part, when they get busy you just need to track someone down as they are hustling in the restaurant. The ambiance really makes you feel like you stepped into Thailand, the decor is pretty and full of nooks and crannies. I've been to Thailand so I feel like this is authentic to me as they come, the closest place that has pad Thai that I loved was in Denver so I'm happy we have this gem here. And don't skip dessert, when in season (our waitress said summer time) the mango sticky rice is just what you need to cleanse your palate. read more

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Came to Elephant Cafe for lunch. They have lunch specials Mon-Fri 11:30am-3pm, starting at $12.95 with your choice of chicken, veggie, tofu or pork or $14.95 for beef or shrimp, and comes with soup, salad and steamed rice. I chose the pad see ew off the regular menu since it was the same price. It was a generous serving, with a good mix of rice noodles, chicken and veggies. I have a big appetite and couldn't even finish it! My husband chose the pineapple curry lunch special, which was good. Spice levels are mild, medium, spicy and very spicy. Service is terrific! They really make you feel welcome. Plenty of parking in the lot. read more

Elephant Cafe - Thai Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Let me start off with saying the service here is great. They are attentive, but not overly, and kind. 5 stars. We got the pad kee mao first, and it was absolutely delicious. Perfectly spicy (medium) and the flavors were robust and spot on. Thoroughly enjoyed this plate. 5 stars. Next came out the pork chop plate. This was unfortunately a 1-star for us. First, it took quite a little while to come out. We were pretty much done with our noodle plate. Secondly, it had quite a porky smell. It was almost as if it was thawed out, grilled, then spread out on a bed of raw cabbage. I couldn't understand why it would have taken so long to come out, but, maybe it was the thawing out. Also, it wasn't really a pork chop, but more like a cutlet. Fortunately, the servers were willing to replace our order with something entirely different. 1 (0) stars. We then ordered the cashew chicken. Cooked well, with a great flavor. The only downside would be, the sauce seemed quite sweet. But, definitely way better than the pork chop plate. 3.5 s read more

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Food is great here! Always driving by but never decided to try until last week and very glad I did. Restaurant is in same plaza as the new Aldi. Plenty of parking and easy to access. It was pretty busy on a Monday night. Cute place, with Christmas decorations and lots of lighting. We were seated right away at a booth. From the time our order was taken to food being served, it was only about 10-15 minutes. I ordered the hot jasmine tea and I had to request a second tea bag because with one, I couldn't even taste the flavor. Definitely needs two to taste decent. We started with the fried pork belly and the Tom Yum soup (small size). So good! Then we ordered the Pad Thai and the Pad Kee Mao. Also delicious and I was able to take half of my dish home to have the next day, so the portions are very generous. Servers kept checking on us and provided excellent service. read more

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Early weeknight dinner. Lots of parking. No wait. Excellent service and the best Thai restaurant in the area. Very clean and spacious. The roasted duck curry is so flavorful and delicious. The chicken tom yum soup is just perfect. Til next time! read more

I had Pad Thai, Pad Kee Mao, and Banana Lover. The food was very tasty. I chose extra spicy and it delivered. My only negative is the noodle to veg ratio is off. It needs more balance in both dishes. I chose Tofu for the Pad Thai, meh, what can you say...it's TOFU. The other I chose vegetables.if they balanced the noodle ratio, these would be great dishes. Pad Thai was my favorite. Oh, we cannot forget the Banana lover. They are little dough triangles filled with banana. I ordered all to be delivered. Everything head up but the Banana Lover, but nothing a little help from the air fryer could not fix. I recommend. read more

if you are eating here you MUST try the mango sticky rice, it was one of the best I ever had!! It was so delicious 10/10 for sure!! read more

Elephant Cafe - Sticky Rice with Mango - Thai Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Elephant Cafe checked all the boxes for me. The food is delicious and the service is impressively fast without feeling rushed. I particularly loved the cream cheese wontons (perfectly crispy!) and the sticky rice with coconut sauce. The atmosphere is very inviting and the staff makes you feel right at home. Plus, plenty of free parking in the lot! read more

I got their pad thai delivered through door dash. It was hot, and actually decently spicy! I received a fair portion and it had great flavor. It was a little dry, but that is pretty common, next time I will ask for more sauce. I'm very happy, and a little embarrassed that after living in Laguna Hills for 35 years I never tried them before. If there was a little bit more beef and other items besides noodles, this place would be a five. But they are a bit greedy. read more

We were looking for some yummy Thai food & all we can say is - disappointing. We ordered vegetable egg rolls, yellow curry, chicken fried rice, and mixed vegetables. The mixed vegetables came with chicken & when we called they would not refund. The curry had barely any flavor which was the same as the chicken fried rice. After this disaster, we couldn't figure out if the egg rolls also had some type of meat so we said forget eating it. Avoid avoid avoid - that is the advice! read more

Not great. Lacked good customer service. Asked for a side of green beans changed me a plate with green beans and subtracted the meat and rice so $15. Not a vibe. Food was ok. Wouldn't come back. read more

Elephant Café in Lake Forest served up a flavorful and satisfying meal. We arrived just before their afternoon closing at 3 PM and tried a variety of dishes. The Crying Tiger steak (not pictured) was the best dish of the meal--tender, juicy, and surprisingly sweet, with a rich depth of flavor that set it apart. The Pad Thai with beef had a well-balanced tamarind sauce, while the Pad See Ew with shrimp featured wide rice noodles with a great wok-seared taste. The Tom Yum Soup with chicken was delightfully sour, packed with lemongrass, mushrooms, and tomatoes. The fried tofu was crispy and made for a great appetizer. We paired everything with a classic Thai tea, creamy and sweet, which balanced the bold flavors. Fresh ingredients, friendly service, and generous portions made for a great dining experience. read more

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Elephant Café is one of my go-to spots in Lake Forest/Mission Viejo, which honestly still surprises me. I didn't think authentic Thai food existed this close to home, but apparently I was wrong. Happy to admit it. I show up about once a week, which says a lot. The 101 Street Noodles, soups, beef and shrimp salad, and crying tiger are all excellent. Then there are the dishes that feel like they were just thrown on the menu for filler. The sausage? Forgettable. The BBQ spare ribs? Dry and flavorless. Pad Thai is decent but not great. Pad See Ew lands in the "pretty good" category--good enough to eat, not good enough to crave for it. All in all, this place is worth keeping in rotation. The staff is friendly, the price doesn't hurt your wallet, and for Thai food in this area, you could do a lot worse. read more

The chicken pad Thai was VERY dry. I also got extreme heartburn after eating it. The Thai tea was delicious though. read more

Food/Service has been much better since my last review so updating my rating. Go-to dishes are the Pumpkin Curry (not typical at Thai spots) and Pad Thai. Thai tea also good here. Nice booth seating available. Service friendly. Authentic flavors. Colorful interior. Bathrooms could be cleaner. 4 stars for the food. read more

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A very decent, authentic, and consistent Thai in OC. Non-assuming decor and can get a bit hustle bustle during dinner hours, for good reason. Service is pretty good! Cat fish: very good, if you don't mind the fish itself can taste a little earthy. Pad Thai: a bit more turmeric than normal (more yellow color), but was so flavorful and juicy! I hate dry pad Thais. green curry: not very green but nonetheless still delicious. Broth is very coconut milk tasting. Spicy isn't that spicy so next time, dare I try Thai hot? I didn't want to die today. read more

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Nice, low key mellow restaurant. The service is good and food tasty. I we usually go on Saturday for lunch. We tend switch from one salad and a different noodle each time. read more

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Thai food below average - chicken in Pad Thai dry noodles overcooked - spring rolls had stale taste. I would not go back- I dont like to give poor reviews but I would not like people to waste their money. read more

The BEST Thai restaurant in the area. Truly a hidden gem on this side of town. We've probably dined here or ordered food to go once a week since we've tried this place. My husband is a Thai boat noodle snob and he finally found his spot. Authentic, reasonably priced given south OC, and wonderful service from all the staff. Here's what we get there: crispy pork belly with Chinese broccoli (my all time favorite, this comes with rice that comes in a variety of cute shapes, they like to surprise us each time), the Thai boat noodles with beef, your level of spice, and order of the papaya salad and a small cup of Tom Yum soup. The yellow curry is also a favorite here. For dessert, the mango sticky rice and the fried banana with ice cream hits the spot. You almost can't go wrong with anything you get from here. Amazing service from Pom every single time. Be prepared to wait Friday to Sunday for dinner. The line is usually out the door, but it is worth the wait. Decent sized dining area with tons of elephant decor. Quoting my husband... "They don't make food and flavors like this in south OC!" LOL. read more

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After passing this location over the many, many years, Yelp convinced me to give it a try. We're so glad we did! From the start -- and each visit since -- we've been warmly welcomed upon entering the door; customer service has been wonderful (friendly, attentive, and unrushed). Among the other Thai restaurants we've experienced, we like their Crying Tiger here the best (except once when it had more fat than previous times). We've also enjoyed their Thai Style Fried Rice (first fried rice that hasn't been dry and bland as other restaurants tend to serve); Pad See Ew; Chinese Broccoli, and Mixed Veggies (without meat). The food presentation is very attractive. The interior is older, but inviting and comfortable, with pretty Thai theme throughout. This is one of our local go-to places when craving Thai cuisine. Eager to try more of their menu items! Wonderful find... confirming one cannot judge a place by their (older) exterior! read more

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Worst Pad Thai Ever !! I am regular customer here and came to Try out chicken Pad Thai. Food arrived with in 5 mines and should have been surprised when it come-out fast. It was just a big pile of mush. It was extremely sweet no flavor at all and very un appetizing. I was trying to get attention of waiters to get some condiments but no response, had to get up and get myself to table. Got up to the cash register to pay and leave, mentioned that the food was sweet and flavor to the waitress To my surprise the waitress responded sometimes its premade and could be the reason. No apology just left me to sign the bill plus tip and leave. Disappointed, Not coming back here after this. read more

Pretty room, great friendly staff, always consistent foods! My favorite is the green curry chicken, but I liked the pineapple curry too.. What can I say? It's a cozy Thai place you'll want to keep coming back to! read more

Delicious Thai food. A real surprise and find. We had the yellow curry dish with pork and the eggplant with tofu, both delicious and tasty! Good service and friendly staff. Place was packed on a Monday evening. Nice ambiance as well. read more

Elephant Cafe - Interior of the restaurant - Thai Near Me - Lake Forest, California