I am very happy with this restaurant. The waitress was really friendly. The restaurant was clean. The food was spicy. We ordered egg rolls, papaya salad (medium), crab fried rice, crying tiger, and chicken pad thai. And top it off with fried banana and coconut ice cream. I have been to Thailand, and this place food is similar to what I had there. Couldn't be more happy with how the food tasted. Definitely recommend. read more

Elephant Cafe - Papaya salad - Thai Near Me - Lake Forest, California

See all

Yay, we've finally found our go-to local Thai spot! I am a panang curry fiend so am always on the prowl for a place with a panang curry that speaks to me and I think I've found it with Elephant Cafe! This panang featured my preferred veggies in panang - zucchini and carrots. Other places tend to only have bell peppers with limited other veggies but I feel like the subtle sweet and starchier texture of carrots/squash amplifies the creamy, salty/sweet/spicy flavors of the panang. There was a decent amount of tofu. The curry itself was superb - excellent balance of flavors - creamy, perfect consistency. The pad thai with fried tofu was also phenomenal - bold, mouthwatering wok flavors - good portion size. Noodles were cooked perfectly with a delightful chew. The e-san style papaya salad was refreshing and intensely flavorful - strong fish flavor (they warned us when ordering), which my husband loved and absolutely devoured. The restaurant itself was cute and cozy, though we got takeout this time - will have to try dine-in next time. Staff was super friendly and quick. read more

See all

I have been looking for a great Thai place since I moved here over a decade ago. This is hands down the best Thai Food I have ever had. The only complaint I have is that it took me so long to find this gem! The Chicken Pad Thai and Chicken Basil were both incredible, and the spice was just right. read more

Best Thai in Orange County! The pumpkin curry stays hits the spot and they have a great lunch special. Love elephant cafe!

The red curry is my favorite and pairing it with the Thai fried rice is heavenly. The pad see ew is good, but I wish it had a bit more char in dish. The wontons were extremely dry since they're filled with chicken. It didn't taste like there were any Thai herbs, so it definitely needed the sauce for flavor and moisture. The Pad Kra Pow was delicious. All of their dishes are a bit small in portion. The service was awesome. The staff are so friendly and sweet. The restaurant feels nice, cozy, and casual. They do get a lot of to-go orders, so people start to crowd around the door. read more

Everything here is good. Can especially recommend the Tom Kha Soup, Papaya Salad, Pad Kra Pow, and Green Curry. Service is good. Ambience is quiet and cozy. read more

This place is a little hidden gem that has quickly been added to the top of my favorites. Their lunch specials during the week are the best and offer a great selection of foods to enjoy. Depending on my mood, I'll either choose the mixed veggies with chicken or one of their curries. The restaurant is nice and cleaning, it offers an authentic Thai restaurant setting. The staff here have always been kind and they always offer the best service. I love coming here to have lunch and sometimes I grab it to go as well. I highly recommend this spot. read more

Elephant Cafe - Yellow Curry Lunch Special - Thai Near Me - Lake Forest, California

This dining establishment had the best Thai food I've eaten in a long time. The ambiance and service were very upscale. My beautiful friend from Chengdu in China did all the ordering except I ordered a small won ton soup. Mingjing ordered shrimp dish, pad Thai noodles and we shared some salad. Highly recommend. read more

Food - Thai food. Our faves are the Pad See Ew, their curries, crying tiger, and a few more dishes. All flavorful and delicious. Service - good service. We have only eaten onsite once, but always get our Thai fix to go when we do crave it. Ambiance - small joint but good enough. Verdict - good and a must try. Just the right amount of servings at a decent price point. read more

All I wanted was a sunny sideup egg for my Pad Kra Pao. The service was fine. The ambiance is outdated. read more

Elephant Cafe - This is the fried egg I got. - Thai Near Me - Lake Forest, California

See all

I had high hopes, but my taste buds staged a protest. The chicken in the Pad Kra Pow had a suspicious aroma--let's just say, I took one bite and reconsidered all my life choices. The yellow curry had potential, but it was more of a broth auditioning for a real curry role, with potatoes and carrots that clearly needed more time to soften their personalities. Sadly, this isn't the Thai food love story I was hoping for. I'll be swiping right on another restaurant next time. read more

The food was delicious no complaints. Service was OK. I think they were shorthanded during the lunch hour. But I would not come back because the place is really dirty. The carpet is so dirty, it's black. I can't imagine what the kitchen looks like. This place has been here for a long time, at least 20 years. If they were to do a major cleanup, I would come back. Otherwise, I really wouldn't recommend it. read more

I've been coming here for a lot of years. The food is so good. I definitely recommend this. The service is amazing and they're super sweet.

The good: The food tasted average. Service was good. The bad: Dirty restaurant. Tablecloths were dirty and filthy with both new and old stains, dust everywhere, and carpets looked very dirty. Unfortunately we will not be back. read more

Finally tried this place after driving past it for years.I had the yellow curry chicken which was really good and I ordered it medium spicy.My daughter ordered shrimp noodles of some kind which was supposed to also be medium spicy,but was not.She couldn't eat it and I also tried it,which was probably the spiciest food I have ever tasted.it was actually inedible.Mentioned it to the server and I was surprised that He did not offer to replace it with something less spicy,considering that it was absolutely no way medium.My daughter was disappointed and did not eat a thing.Its sad when you spend $80 and you have to stop somewhere on the way home to get a burger.I liked the vibe,but quite honestly not sure if we will go back there again.I eat out all the time and this is the first time this has happened before. read more

This is a great place to go for lunch. Excellent food, excellent service and a great price. If you'd like Thai food, this is a must for lunch. read more

This is the BEST Thai food in all of OC. The flavors, spices and freshness are AWESOME. read more

See all

I got pad thai with veggies to go, the wait wasn't long whatsoever!! I was greeted with amazing service by a young man, he helped me pick up my order. He had made sure they included utensils and extra sauces, as for the food it was amazingly light and flavorful not to mention a really good size portion and super nice to go containers! I recommend this place a bunch! read more

Elephant Cafe - Veggie Pad Thai Noodles - Thai Near Me - Lake Forest, California

The best Thai food by a family owned restaurant. Not only the food is awesome but also the people working there. Make you feel welcomed and home. read more

We stopped here for lunch on a Sunday and it was delicious and service was warm and friendly. It was busy and all the diners seems so happy munching on their delicious dishes. We got a combination of various dishes, including the Tom Yum soup which was very good and impressively served in a tin flaming bowl. I liked how the veggies were cooked in the soup (not raw and thrown in there) and the flavoring was nice- milky and tart at the same time! Their drunken noodles and pad see mao, crab wontons, and shrimp fried rice were all very good. We loved their mango with sticky rice! It was a generous portion with perfectly cooked rice and delicious ripe mangoes! read more

I visited with a friend for dinner. The seating was quick on a Monday evening. The place is very cute and the staff seemed very friendly and warm. We ordered Pad Kee Mao (drunken noodles) and Massaman curry, both medium spicy with tofu and veggies. The portion size is huge, and I think it would have been enough for 3 people. Pad Kee Mao has loads of veggies and very generous amount of tofu. The veggies included were carrots, bell pepper, baby corn, green onions, broccoli, and sprouts. I really enjoyed eating this one. The best part of drunken noodle was that it wasn't very oily. The curry came with a side of white rice. Just like noodles, the portion again was huge and loaded with veggies. I really liked the crunchiness in the curry from the peanuts and was wondering if next time I can ask for more peanuts. I will surely visit this place again and recommend this to everyone. read more

See all

Nice place. Vegetarian food too very good. Place little small but good service. Veg option Pad Kee Mao, Pineapple curry and many other. Try the tea too. read more

Elephant Cafe - Pad Kee Mao Noodles - Thai Near Me - Lake Forest, California

See all

We have been returning customers a few times now, this review is just long over due. There are many Thai spots in the South County area and this one just hits the spot! It feels very comforting, inviting, and authentic. Every time we return, the experience is always consistent, the staff and especially the dishes. Pricing is fair and servings are generous. We've ordered several items on our visits from your typical Pad Thai, Pad See Ew, Pad Kee Mao, crunchy belly, yen ta fo noodles soup, Thai boat noodles, and more. All dishes tastes fresh, authentic, and freshly made with quality ingredients. My absolute favorite is the Boat Noodles. The thick rice noodles are made in-house with fresh broth (not frozen) and plentiful beef protein. Same in-house noodles are used for Pad See Ew and Pad Kee Mao which are both really amazing here! I love that they use Chinese broccoli vs regular broccoli in their Pad See Ew and Boat Noodles, as it should be! We love returning here as we know we'll be fully satisfied after every meal! Can't recommend this place enough! read more

Elephant Cafe - Thai boat noodles - Thai Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Love this place! Always my go-to for a quick delivery via UberEats when the occasion arises. Will definitely be stopping in to dine at the restaurant soon :) Wish they'd add their Thai Tea option to the UberEats menu selection though! I'm always on the lookout for it. read more

Great service! And what a menu so many great items! if you want a tasty lunch or dinner, this is the place they're serving are good size too

Food: really good. Fresh. Everything was delicious and tasted like authentic Thai food. We often order to-go here, but decided to sit-down for once and don't have any regrets. Proportions were perfect Service: fast & friendly, what more can you ask for? Perfect balance of attentive but not overbearing. Food came out quicker than expected which was awesome since we were hungry. Atmosphere: ample space indoors between one table/booth to the next. Felt a bit dark though but maybe it's because the decor is dark. read more

See all

I wanted something nice and low-key for my birthday this year and was craving a good yellow thai curry. My husband looked around on Yelp and saw this restaurant pop up locally and thought that we would give it a try rather than our usual spots. I am so glad that we did because their yellow curry definitely hit the spot for me. The consistency of the curry was perfect (not too thick and not too watery, just the way that I like it) and quite flavorful. I also tried their cute money bag appetizers, which were little fried pastries filled with ground chicken and peanuts. As you can see from my photo, the presentation for them were quite adorable. Both dishes that I would definitely order again. Between their friendly service and wonderful thai food, we will definitely be back! read more

Elephant Cafe - Adorable little money bags! Golden pastries with ground chicken and peanuts. Yum! - Thai Near Me - Lake Forest, California

See all

Really really good curry. I was a little skeptic since I saw orange chicken on the menu, but the food quickly changed my mind-- except that the meat was too little. Both Curry(green curry with beef, roasted duck curry) were so good. The rice was very very mushy though. The top part was almost like a paste while the bottom was hard rice but still edible. Other than that, I have no complaints. The thai tea was very rich as well! Well done elephant cafe! read more

Elephant Cafe - Green Curry with Beef - Thai Near Me - Lake Forest, California

See all

I've purchased food from here numerous times and I was never disappointed. I ordered the basil fried rice with crispy pork today for pickup. When I got home, I noticed there was no basil present in the rice but it had plenty of bell peppers, onion and scallions...I can't stand bell peppers and way too many onions were present. I paid extra for crispy pork which was mostly fat. I wish I had gotten what I ordered. read more

This restaurant really inspired me to write a review! Nice decoration inside with warm atmosphere. Great lunch special portion for about $10 that included salad and a bowl of sour soup. We got Pad See Ew and Yellow Curry for the lunch special, and Crying Tiger for the entree, all tasted amazing and flavorful. Also got sweet sticky rice with mango for the dessert. We were a little bit surprised at first since the portion was small, not as huge as in previous reviews on Yelp. It was more on a sweet side too. Honestly, we thought the Thai tea was sweet, but after having the sticky rice desert, the tea tasted bland. But that was near the end of our meal, so it did not affect our taste bud too much. The wait staff was very friendly. Also, the waiting time for the food was not too long, which was perfect for us to visit during our work lunch time. First time visiting, but will not be the last! read more

See all

Great food and good service! We are vegetarians and order vegan drunken noodles, panang curry, green curry, summer rolls, cashew entree, eggplant entree. Always a great choice! read more

Recently ordered for delivery through Uber eats. I was surprised to find Their prices are very reasonable compared to other Thai places in the area. Portions are not bad either! Tom yum soup: Chose vegetables instead of meat or seafood. For the "bowl" size they filled the container all the way up with lots of yummy veggies. There was leafy Chinese broccoli, broccoli, carrots, tomatoes, baby corn, white onions and mushrooms. For spice level I chose spicy on accident when I meant to choose medium. Boy is it spicy!!! They use actual fresh Thai chilis, cut them up and cook them into the soup so there is spiciness and chunks of chili's in every bite! I was able to eat it bc I can handle a considerable amount of heat but I was almost struggling. If u cannot handle much heat DO NOT GET SPICY. The broth was really good! Beef Panang: I actually liked this but my opinion is that it isn't as authentic but the flavors worked well together. Their curry is a creamy, coconuty taste and the beef cooked pretty good. It was a TAD bit tough but still enjoyable. Glad we got to venture out and try a new Thai place other than our usual place. A plus is that this place is cheaper too! read more

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

I ordered the pork pad thai for $13.95. It's ok not the best pad thai I've had. Portion was smaller that I thought. The taste is mid and the noodles are a bit too soggy, I normally like pad Thai for its bounciness in the noodles. read more

Elephant Cafe - Pad Thai Noodles - Thai Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Came on a busy Friday night. Cute restaurant. Very small menu for a Thai restaurant. No Thai grilled chicken! A lot of curry dishes. The pad Thai was really good. The fried tofu was the best. read more

See all

We love coming here and every time the food, service and ambiance is wonderful! See ya next week! read more

See all

Awesome place for Thai food lovers. Tom Yam and Tom Kha are really very very close to the one in Thailand. Mild/medium spicy however is American spicy, not Thai spicy (medium spicy in Thailand will be hot in this place). For those who've been to Thailand it will be great to have really Thai beer, they have it all - Chang, Singha, Leo - such a great thing to feel yourself back to Thailand! Place is very nice inside with a lot of elephants and Thai decorations. One the other side, they don't have all the thing a from the menu available and the waiter messed our choice of ice cream served vanilla instead of chocolate. Bottom line - highly recommended for Thai food lovers. read more

See all

My first time here. Ordered a squid salad for $13.95, I expected a decent portion for the cost. I felt ripped off as you can see a few pieces of lettuce and pieces of squid. To say the least this is suppose to be dinner portion! I'll never eat here again. read more

Elephant Cafe - Squid salad (rip off) - Thai Near Me - Lake Forest, California

First time eating here. The service was great and the food was delicious! We will definitely return soon!!

Very clean and friendly service. Authentic Thai food. We came for a birthday and they played the birthday song loud over the speaker as they brought out a nice ice cream sundae. Delicious papaya salad, Tom Yum soup, fresh rolls, fried tofu, chicken sauté, sticky rice with mango. Prices are great for the portion size. Very clean place. Will definitely come back. read more

See all

The food was uneatable. As soon as we opened the containers the smell of old unfresh food was apparent