"Deep in the jungle where the mighty tiger lies Bill and his elephants were taken by surprise So Captain Marvel zapped him right between the eyes" (The Beatles) West Hartford Center and Blue Back Square offer a king's ransom of dining options, and we just enjoyed a royal lunch at one of the area's crown jewels. The Blue Elephant Trail's lunch menu is very ambitious. They feature fourteen lunch specials in the $13-$15 range before protein choice that max out at just $3. So, adding Chicken, Beef, Pork, Tofu, Eggplant, Crispy Chicken, Shrimp, Scallop, Squid, or Mixed Seafood is a minimal surcharge. All lunch entrees come with a choice of Vegetable Tom Yum Soup or House Salad with Ginger Dressing. And if you're so inclined, you can convert your entrée into a Bento Box for $3 and add three shrimp Shumai and two Spring Rolls. I ordered a Bento Box of their Ginger Stir Fry with fresh ginger, baby corn, bell peppers, carrots, mushrooms, onions, brown rice, and chicken for $17. It was big enough for two portions. I loved it- the flavor was great, the chicken was delicious, the Tom Yum soup was loaded with vegetables, and the Bento Box goodies (especially the Shu Mai) were perfect. My wife is a big Pad Thai fan, and her Pad Thai lunch ($14) earned high marks. Her portion was also large, so both of us had enough for a second meal. Our server, Jordan, was professional, friendly, and attentive. Zero complaints about the Blue Elephant Trail. Food, value, and service were all excellent. PRO TIP Lunch menu is available Monday to Friday from 11:30AM - 3:00PM read more

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Love love loved our dinner. Our friends enjoyed the mussels in a curry sauce. An addition of some crunchy toast points would have sealed that deal. So much sauce would have gone to waste but they took it home to repurpose for another meal. I can never turn down chance for a whole fish and this snapper did not disappoint My favorite dish was the drunken noodles.. It was prepared perfectly. The $5.50 for a Singha beer is a fair price . We all left smiling and a promise to return soon. read more

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Charming Thai spot right in West Hartford's downtown! Did a pickup order on a rainy day and it definitely hit the spot. We got panang curry and pad see ew with tofu. The tofu was more dense than expected (usually it's more air fried, crispy on the outside and fluffy inside) which is the only reason for dinging it by one star. Overall flavorful and great leftover as well! read more

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Food was delicious. I can't believe we've overlooked this restaurant since moving here. We were headed to Nero's but got a parking spot right in front...kismet! My husband had the Tom Yun Goon and the whole red snapper and I had the traditional pad Thai. I'm not sure how much salt is in the fish sauce but I was so thirsty the day after. Nevertheless, I'll try something else and look forward to the warm and friendly service. read more

A small little Thai place in West Hartford. It's a cool vibe and pretty affordable all things considered. The staff were nice. I got the Ginger Duck. Flavor wise it was good but a little dry for my liking. It was accompanied by rice and vegetables that were honestly fairly bland. The rice added nothing to the dish. The appetizers were much better than the entree. I got the Thai Tea cocktail, it was good. read more

The Blue Elephant Trail - Ginger Duck - Thai Near Me - West Hartford, Connecticut

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Went for weekday lunch. The iced coffee was sweet and smooth, and everything came out in a reasonable time. The calamari was crunchy and hot, and the stir fry vegetables were crisp. Our server was very friendly and gave ample space for us to enjoy our meal. read more

The Blue Elephant Trail - Summer Roll and Thai Calamari - Thai Near Me - West Hartford, Connecticut

"Good food is the foundation of genuine happiness." - Auguste Escoffier I stopped by Blue Elephant Thai for a quick lunch takeout today, and it truly delivered! I ordered the chicken satay and chicken tom yum soup, testing out whether I could find a Thai spot in my new hometown that could measure up to what I was used to in NYC--and this one absolutely did. Even as takeout, the presentation was impressive, the flavors bold and authentic, and everything tasted fresh and vibrant. The satay was perfectly seasoned with a rich peanut sauce, and the tom yum hit all the right notes--spicy, tangy, and comforting. On top of that, the staff was warm and friendly, making the pickup experience smooth and welcoming. If this is just the beginning, I can't wait to come back and explore more of their menu. read more

We tried The Blue Elephant Trail over the weekend. It's a cute little restaurant on Main Street in West Hartford. The service was friendly and knowledgeable. Gluten free items are clearly marked on the menu. We tried the chicken satay (gf), the pad Thai (gf) and the green curry (gf). Our friend also got the drunken noodles. Everything was delicious, and huge portions. I took half my pad Thai home. Definitely a great place to stop in if you're in the area! read more

The Blue Elephant Trail - Gluten free Pad Thai - Thai Near Me - West Hartford, Connecticut

The Blue Elephant Trail restaurant is located in West Hartford. The other location, The Elephant Trail is located in Avon. There is on street metered parking at the WeHa location. We stopped in for a late lunch on Saturday. We opted to sit outside on their patio since it was gorgeous out. We started off with the curry puffs; the pastries were flaky with delicious curried veggie filling. I had the penang curry chicken with white rice. The dish was beautifully plated with a flower on it and the curry had the perfect balance of spiciness and sweetness. My son had the plain pad Thai bento from the kid's menu; this was huge! It also came with steamed mixed veggies, chopped pineapples, and two fried spring rolls. I had a taste of his meal and it was very good, we had enough for leftovers. Everyone in my party thoroughly enjoy their meals and drinks. Service was friendly but I did notice the food came out a little bit slow. In the end, we enjoyed the food and drinks and will definitely be back! read more

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Delicious Thai food with amazing flavors every time! Love that they always have great vegetarian options -- perfect spot for authentic Thai cravings...... read more

The Blue Elephant Trail - Green Curry - Thai Near Me - West Hartford, Connecticut

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I really like the vibe of this place, nothing over the top just simplicity and great food. I had the nibble sampler 10 out of 10 experience. The margaritas are good as well, if you would like to make their happy hour, it's required that you sit at the bar. The papaya salad was really good as well but the drunken noodles made the biggest impact. The staff was amazing and really attentive. Will be visiting again. read more

I will say the food was very tasty. Well seasoned, good proportions, everyone liked their dishes. But their attention to detail is definitely not there. A giant wedge of iceberg as a lettuce wrap? That's just bizarre. And my pad se ew had massive sheets of rice noodles that you had to cut (no knives in sight) to eat. But it was a lovely place. And I do appreciate the amount of options. But it would be great to have allergens marked on the menu. read more

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Ordered this on DoorDash so don't actually have any feedback on the service there or location just strictly the food. I got the Chicken Satay, Massamun Curry with beef and Mango sticky rice. The chicken satay was seasoned nicely and the peanut sauce was good. I wish the beef in the curry was more tender I found it kind of tough and not enough beef/veggies to curry ratio. The mango sticky rice was ok but unfortunately the mango was not as ripe as I would've liked so it was kind of tough and bland. Probably what irked me the most was that they did not include any utensils in my order. I was in a hotel room for work and specifically ordered DoorDash cuz I didn't feel like going out and wanted to be a bum. And how do you expect me to eat curry with no utensils?!? I had some leftover chopsticks from ordering sushi the night before but it was a poor substitute for a spoon. Would not order here again sadly and prob not interested in dining there either. read more

The Blue Elephant Trail - Satay - Thai Near Me - West Hartford, Connecticut

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Really delicious Thai food. I can't believe I haven't tried them sooner. My daughter and I ordered in tonight. We had the Tom yum soup, Thai basil beef and larb with sticky rice. All the flavors were on point! We'll be back for sure to try more dishes. Thanks Blue Elephant! read more

The Blue Elephant Trail - Fresh veggies in the Thai basil beef - Thai Near Me - West Hartford, Connecticut

Restaurant is located in the heart of West Hartford. There are some outside sitting. I sat outside. Went there on a Thursday night, there was no wait time, I immediately sat. I ordered Pad Thai with Shrimp, jasmine team, and iced Thai tea. The quality of the food was great. Service was not the best. I had to ask them to bring hot sauce, again ask them to bring chopsticks, they did not come to fill my water. Overall not happy with the service, but food quality and ambiance were great. read more

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We had food delivered during lunch for a large group. I was impressed that are orders all came and there were no mix ups as can occasionally happen with large orders. The food was good and the portions were large. Everything was well seasoned and cooked well. read more

The blue elephant trail is a small but delicious restaurant! The service was ok (loved watching the food delivery guy who slowly walked and clapped his clogs as he walked). The portion were huge (possibly too big) and there were a lot of gluten free options! We had the pad Thai, drunken noodles and green curry! Each had their different flavor profiles and were enjoyable! read more

This place was super cute and yummy!! The calamari was a bit weird, it was very thick but still good if you like big chunks of calamari. The chicken lettuce wraps were delicious and so were the drunken noodles, I wish they were a bit spicier though! Overall I'd return, the service was ok. read more

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I booked a reservation from California as a surprise for my sister and brother-in-law's 21st anniversary, and the team here went above and beyond! Sean, the general manager, personally took care of them and created such a beautifully curated, pampered experience that they genuinely felt like royalty. Thank you for making their celebration unforgettable -- you made me look very good from across the country! Highly recommend! And can't wait to visit this place in my next trip to CT! read more

Once we saw how much takeout was being carried out, we knew it was gonna be a good dinner. The food was 10/10, interior is very nice and our waitress was so polite. We unfortunately forgot our leftovers when we left, but we'll be back again plenty of times. read more

We have visited this establishment numerous times and found the food quite tasty and plentiful. The chicken wings were quite meaty and flavored beautifully. We also had the Pad Thai with chicken and it was mouthwatering and tasty. My favorite is the sweet and sour with chicken which was scrumptious and finger-lickin' good. Our experience there was divine read more

Went for lunch on a relatively quiet Monday holiday. It wasn't too busy when we entered. The restaurant has a nice motif and fits in well with the other options in the area - upscale chic. This is a much nicer place than it was years back when I first gave it a try. I will say the meal and service were solid this time around. I had my misgivings but having had some friends I trust try the place made me give it another try. The wine list is a bit sparse but plenty of good drink and beer options. One negative is the Shirley temple that we ordered for the kids was a no go as the machine was not working. The apps and Tom yum soup we got were awesome. The soup was such a big hit that my kids consumed it all before I could even get a picture. The salad was ok but I'd definitely get the soup if you have a meal with a choice of only one. The nibbled player was also out of this world. The sauces pair well and the foods were fried to perfection with no extra grease or sogginess. See the picture below. The drunken noodles and pineapple fried rice (BET Rice) were solid though not the best I've had. They did have a good depth of flavor and were well cooked for the noodles though the rice was a touch over. The pad Thai the kids got in a bento box was spectacular and they loved the fruit and veggies sides (so much they skipped the fries altogether). Overall, this is a solid choice in the area though it is a bit on the pricier end as compared to options in other nearby towns. For West Hartford it's definitely worth the trip and I would go again without misgiving. read more

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The basil duck paired with a custom whiskey sour w a splash of honey was absolutely amazing!! 5 s for sure

This culturally specific establishment is a must try! It was so quiet and such a calming ambiance.. The hostess was very welcoming and sweet. Our bartender Jake was so soft spoken, very helpful with suggestions on small bites to try and made great drinks! I had the sangria which was so refreshing! It was my sister's first time trying tofu with the lettuce wraps and spring rolls and she fell in love! It was that good! To top it off, we went during happy hour, and didn't wait long for our food at all and took advantage of great prices! read more

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I have passed by this place a couple of times and wondered . Well wonder no more!!! It was great!!! i We got in just before the rush so I was happy about that especially with COVID. Don't be turned off by lack of parking up front. Behind the buildings is a parking lot and you will pass many other places you may want to try on the walk to/from. I'm one of those that will preview a menu before getting there and I wanted everything! We started with the Thai wings and curry puffs so good!!!. The puffs were so flaky and airy! The sauce that came with the puffs was watery but I see what they were doing. For dinner we ordered the Pad Thai with chicken and shrimp and Yellow curry with tofu (mild). Tofu was fried perfectly! The pad thai was one of the best I have had and I asked for mild on the yellow curry but it was anything but. I'm sensitive to spices so it was a bit much for me but it was so good so I ate as much as I could . Why not send it back??? Because it was good and I should have known better and just order what I normally get at Thai restaurants. I was trying something new ‍. They do have a bar so you can have a drink or two if you want. The staff was very nice. We wanted a seat far from the door because it was cold out. Didn't seem like they had the heat up too high. I saw another party have their coats on and they were two tables over. Not sure how management can solve this one but it would be nice. I will come back but maybe for takeout or if it is not too cold. The place is narrow and long so coming here with too many large parties may not work unless you call ahead so they can prepare for you. There was another party of like 6 or 8 that came in when we were about to leave. read more

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We came in on a Sunday afternoon and everyone must have been out beaching it. It was empty so we chose our own seat and we're waited on right away. We ordered the filling summer rolls to start. We enjoyed some fresh edamame and the Rama entree was plenty for us to share for lunch! Peanut sauce galore ! They did not skimp. It was very tasty, even as leftovers. Thank you for a sweet & elegant little time. read more

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Got into town late and gave them a call to see if we could get take out. They were very helpful and accommodating to our dietary needs. The food was very tasty with good sized portions. Will definitely visit again. read more

Last minute decision to piggyback on a coworker's delivery to my job. I ordered from the lunch menu- drunken noodles with chicken. I have had drunken noodles from every Thai and Asian fusion restaurant I've ever patronized. This restaurant's drunken noodles was the BEST. Full of fresh vegetables, great cuts of chicken and the plentiful and flavorful sauce! read more

Have heard good things about this place, and finally got to try it. We got lucky and got seated very quickly with no wait. Food items were delicious. Tried 1. Soren's wings and edamame for appetizers 2. Got a Thai Basil fried rice and pad so eow for main course. Also Tom home another Thai basil fried rice and a crispy cashew chicken home. The sauce for the crispy chicken was too watery. Service was quick and food came out very quickly. Portions were good too. I prefer my Thai food to be spicy, I asked to bring the spice level for the fried rice at 4/5. But it was not enough for me, even after putting a lot of Sriracha sauce it wasn't spicy enough. It would be nice if the spice level is a bit higher. No condiments or sauces on the table, usually expect a chili paste and fish sauce for flavor. The place is decent sized and narrow, has out door seating for warmer months. Good place to try, will come back. read more

I have ordered from here frequently over the years. I am a pretty picky eater so if I find something I like, I tend to order it again, again, and again. My go to is sweet and sour chicken or shrimp. Y I can say is the quality of the chicken is very good ( versus other restaurants that use tidbits ). Hopefully the other food that they prepare is just as good! read more

I was craving Thai food and decided to order take out from this place based on the reviews. We ordered the following items: a pad thai, pad see ew, curry puff, and the lettuce wrap. The curry puff and lettuce wraps were good; I imagine if I had eaten the puff in the restaurant it'd have been crisper but it was still nice and flaky, stuffed with curry. The meat that came with the lettuce wrap had a generous portion, although I wish we could have gotten more lettuce. The pad see ew we got was also pretty decent. The noodles were still kind of chewy with a good amount of sauce and a generous portion. Unfortunately, the pad thai we ordered was less than satisfactory. The pad thai in the container was very dry (as you can see from the photo) and it was strangely stinky. I wasn't sure whether the noodles they used were just really old or if the smell was coming from the chicken, but it had a really strange smell and taste that resembled feet. I tried squeezing the lime to mask the scent and taste but it didn't help and I could not bring myself to continue eating this dish Although 3 out of the 4 dishes I ordered were decent, they weren't anything extraordinary out of all the other Thai places I have tried in my life. read more

The Blue Elephant Trail - Chicken pad thai, thai spicy. Very dry and very disappointing - Thai Near Me - West Hartford, Connecticut

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Excellent Thai cuisine in a nice location in the West Hartford town center. I went for lunch with a group of 8, and we enjoyed the entrees and apps. The summer rolls and especially the lettuce wrap were very tasty. Service was good but a bit slow. I attribute that to too many big groups at lunch. read more

We got delivery from The Blue Elephant Trail and it was very good. We got the Yellow Curry and the Red, both with chicken and both mild. The Yellow was much spicier than the red which was not spicy at all. Both tasted good and we're a good portion. Will definitely eat here again. read more

Stopped in around 3PM on a Saturday afternoon and there was only one other party seated inside. Since the weather was overcast and slightly humid, we were the only brave souls to eat outside. In other words, we received excellent service. We started with both spring and summer rolls, thoroughly enjoying the flavorful dipping sauces and the fresh ingredients. Moved on to the main course, two of us opting for chicken Pad Thai, which is my usual go-to, not gonna lie. This particular version did not include scrambled egg, which was fine with me. The more adventurous among us chose Pad see ew (not my thing) and garlic stir fry (omg nom nom delicious). For drinks we chose Thai iced tea, white wine sangria, and a Shirley Temple. No judgment, please. :) Next time I would like to sample some of the desserts. This time we were only able to waddle away with full bellies and a couple doggie bags. read more

I'm not sure what the big hype is about this restaurant. I came here at 12:30 PM on a Wednesday, and it was half empty, which is surprising because it was in the middle of lunchtime. The service was slow and the girl at the front took forever to take my order, much longer to bring the meal. I ordered the salmon lunch entrée Bento box. It was a lip-puckering sugar bomb. Everything was sweet, even the salad was sweet, I understand, it's part of the cuisine, but there was no way to differentiate one sweet mess from the other. Overall, I think this place is way overrated, service was slow, food mediocre, and the ambience was humdrum. read more

Kind of surprised this place has a 4 star review. I ordered via Grub hub and my food was not flavorful at all. Summer roll - the wrap on both rolls were ripped and it became difficult to eat it without a fork. See picture. Red curry - mild spicy - good amount of meat and veggies but the flavor just wasn't there. Pad Thai - tough, again, lacking flavor. So not recommend. read more

The Blue Elephant Trail - The rolls both came ripped. - Thai Near Me - West Hartford, Connecticut

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Food is pretty good, service is slow and not that helpful... We ordered 2 apps, 3 main courses, asked for all medium spicy. The apps came out in a normal speed, tasted pretty good. Though the papaya salad was extremely spicy, had to chug down the Thai iced tea to tame down the flame. When asked why that dish is super spicy while the other dishes are not spicy even though all were at "medium spicy", was told that the papaya salad is inherently spicy so medium is actually extra spicy... Not sure what the level is for then... Waited for 20+ mins for the main dishes to come out and only 2 showed up. After over an hour in dinner, we asked about the last dish (note: no one came and checked on the late/missing item), and was later told the slip was cut off in the kitchen so was never truly received... so we left half hungry since we don't want to wait for another 20-30 mins :( Overall the food is delicious, location and ambiance pretty nice, service is disappointing. read more

I am a huge Thai food fan and this place nailed it with their food, ambiance, and service. It was the perfect meal after a few drinks in West Hartford. I came here with a friend and we ordered white and red coconut sangrias that were so incredibly refreshing and delicious. Our server was wonderful and recommended Drunken Noodles and Fried Rice. Our food came out of the kitchen quickly and before we knew it, we were full! I can't wait to go back soon to try the Pad Thai and other goodies! read more

The Blue Elephant Trail - Curry Puffs - Thai Near Me - West Hartford, Connecticut

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This restaurant is absolutely amazing! The food was extremely delicious and very tasteful! Their service was phenomenal and on point! The restaurant was extremely clean and very spacious so you felt safe with regards to Culver's regulations. The service was quick. The waiter Sean was extremely friendly and helpful!! We didn't know some of the items on the menu and he took his time and explained each piece and ingredient! He also provided us with great feedback with traditional dishes and was able to accommodate the spice level for our yellow curry which was great! Highly recommend it! read more

The Blue Elephant Trail - Nibble Platter - Thai Near Me - West Hartford, Connecticut

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I ate here recently for the first time and really enjoyed the food and ambiance. The staff were very friendly, professional and attentive. The dining area clean with very nice decor. Place has a real upscale feel. I ordered the shrimp yellow curry which was just magnificent! Nice hearty bowl of vevelty sauced curried vegetables with large shrimp beautifully presented. The vegetables were perfectly cooked so they still had a bit of crunch. You had a choice of your type of rice - jasmine, stickey or brown. My only complaint was that despite it being a rather cool early fall day.. they had the A/C on fairly high and I was freezing until the hot food came. read more

The Blue Elephant Trail - shrimp yellow curry - Thai Near Me - West Hartford, Connecticut