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    The Smiling Elephant

    4.1 (776 reviews)
    ModerateThai, Chinese, Seafood
    Closed Closed

    The Smiling Elephant Photos

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    THE SMILING ELEPHANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed
    Good for kids

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    Reviews With Photos - The Smiling Elephant

    Marquetta D.

    I stumbled upon this jewel after a not so pleasant experience at another local restaurant. That said: They turned our day around. They greeted us warmly and seated us immediately. The menu isn't big and that works out perfectly as I prefer it this way. [[HIGHLIGHT]]It's a pretty small restaurant and from what I understand, gets pretty busy normally.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I felt happy to have walked right in. If you're looking for a restaurant with alcoholic beverages, this isn't the place for you as they don't serve alcohol. That wasn't a deal breaker because at this point in my night I needed food. Good food. Good food with good SERVICE. They delivered! I ordered the steam vegetable dumplings and they were sooooooo good! Very flavorful. I will definitely be bringing my foodie buddy here. My entree was Chicken fried rice and it was DELICIOUS! Just the right amount of everything. They didn't skimp on the eggs and I love that. This is definitely a spot I will check out again soon.

    Thai Fried Rice
    Lauren L.

    If you're in Berry Hill and craving Thai, you've got to check out The Smiling Elephant. This is some of the most authentic Thai I've eaten in Nashville!! I ordered a Thai tea and fried rice with lump crab, and both were incredible. The tea wasn't overly sweet and portions were generous. My friend went with the red curry and loved it as well! They have a rotating menu of curry (each day of the week) and provide a spice rack so you can make your food as hot as you'd like. They also have a huge house-made drink menu! My friend's favorite is the iced Honey Lime Tea. The service was very fast and our food came out quickly... we were seated right away around 6pm on a weekday. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The restaurant is set in a charming older house with plenty of seating,[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] but just a heads up: the parking lot is small and a bit difficult to navigate, but there's overflow parking in the back. I'll definitely be back soon for some curry!

    Mussels garlic basil sauce
    Nancy P.

    Mussel tasted like they were bad -- either sitting out too long or super old mussels. Pad see ew didn't have the nice chewiness to the noodles and it tasted more like oil than flavor. Pad Thai was also too sweet. Shrimp was good though. Service was also very good, but didn't make up for the food.

    Coconut soup
    Isabelle F.

    Amazing food!!! I visit every time I am in Nashville. Everything I have had here is SO good and [[HIGHLIGHT]]it's the cutest little spot[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]].

    Sticky Rice and Mango
    Phyu T.

    Love the food. This place is closer to the type of authentic Thai food I've had before. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The ambience is amazing inside- very homie yet traditional Thai decor.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Mango sticky rice is my favorite out of all dishes we ordered. Service was fast and hospitable too! Would definitely come again!!

    Chicken Satay
    Chris W.

    First time here! Definitely won't be my last! Food was amazing! [[HIGHLIGHT]]Very crowded but the efficiency of the staff is just amazing.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] They were getting people seated way quicker than I thought they would have been. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Quaint place to get out of the downtown craziness![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]

    The Smiling Elephant
    Barry P.

    [[HIGHLIGHT]]Small and cozy with a wide variety of pork and chicken dishes, appetizers, and soups.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I like the ginger chicken with jasmine rice. The serving was just the right size, not too much, not too little and just a hint of heat. The service is friendly and attentive. I always appreciated the way they were so attentive to my 90-year-old mom...very kind and patient. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The building is an old house and the dining room feels a lot like eating in your grandmother's house...warm and comfortable.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]Seating is limited and so is parking but that's part of the charm.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]

    Tom Yum
    Kim K.

    [[HIGHLIGHT]]The restaurant has an authentic feel when you walked in the door.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The staff is friendly. The food came out relatively quick. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The restaurant is small and cute decorations.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The food was okay. The flavors were there, but the ingredients used were not typical ingredients one would find in an authentic Thai restaurant. Our yum soup had zucchini and broccoli. Our steam mussels were good.

    Smiling Elephant Pad Thai, Pad Kra Pao, Green Curry
    Juliana C.

    This place is run by a group of Thai people who are extremely friendly and nice. They have great service and the food comes out very quickly. [[HIGHLIGHT]]I love the old run down, local restaurant vibe that this place gives off and the warm staff really add to the experience.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The pad thai is on the sweeter side but not as sweet as Deg Thai. They also give less meat than Deg Thai. However, I would say this place is slightly better than Deg Thai in terms of greater nuances in the flavors. It is deeper with subtle notes of the spices shining through more. I gave this place 3 stars because there were not just 1 but 2 pieces of thick black hair in our Pad Thai. It was actually pretty gross to see hair in our food. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The cleanliness and sanitary conditions of the kitchen is a little concerning to me. So be wary of hair or any other contaminants in your food.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] But since the food is good, I'm definitely willing to come again.

    Pad Kra Pao
    Dylan P.

    Im so glad i was able to finally make it over to this place. I've been putting it off for a really long time and idk why i didn't come sooner because let me tell you this is probably one of the best restaurants tucked away in Nashville. Hidden gem for sure and I want other people to know about it. Seems like a local staple in this area of Nashville very authentic, the staff knows what they are doing and each plate was perfection. Seems like they are famous for their mango sticky rice dessert so I'd say that's a must.

    Mango sticky rice
    Leslie R.

    Absolutely delicious! Staff was so attentive and informed on the menu and helped me make decisions. I got the chicken satay and WOW! They cooked it perfectly, and the flavor was amazing. The sauce dripped into the rice and it was so good! I do wish the vegetables had were seasoned a little bit but it was still delicious! We had the sticky rice mango and it was yummy! Can't wait to come back here

    Chicken and Cabbage dumplings
    Samantha K.

    My second time here. Quick service and food came out fast. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The tables and floors were clean.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The food was delicious.

    Pad See-Ew
    Rebecca Y.

    [[HIGHLIGHT]]this place is so cute! it looks very lowkey on the outside- it's a house and feels very homey.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]the inside is so unique with decorations that feel like you're actually in Thailand.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I got the Pad See Ew and tried the Pad Thai. Both were so yummy. I recommend being careful with the spice level, they can definitely ramp it up quick. Service was great and speedy!

    Smiling Elephant Pad Thai and Pad See-Ew

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    2 months ago

    Love their green bean noodles, pad Thai is our favorite and a hit with the whole family!

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    2 months ago

    Really is the best Pad Thai I've ever had!! & the best sticky rice!! Pad See Ew is delicious too. 10/10

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    Page 1 of 20

    The Smiling Elephant Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - The Smiling Elephant

    Is it still no wine: no serving or BYOB (bottle)?

    Right...no alcohol at all.

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    Krustaceans Seafood

    Krustaceans Seafood

    4.5
    (210 reviews)
    5.9 mi

    Tell a friend! This place's customer service makes you feel…read moreright at home come and enjoy some great boils and laughter. Bring the entire family! Great food! Great service!

    I owe it to my readers to always be honest. Unfortunately, this warning will be lost in a sea of…read moreaccolades and missed by many. With a 4.77 aggregate rating across all user-driven platforms and nearly 1,700 reviews to date, Krustaceans is much better on paper than it is in reality, a very overrated restaurant! As the highest-rated seafood joint on the entirety of Highway 70 across the America, it simply did not live up to the hype as I passed through Nashville. Perhaps I should have ordered crab or shrimp or some other boiled seafood which seems to be more of their specialty. But the fish and chips caught my attention. Beware, these aren't the fish and chips you'll find in the UK or the Northeastern United States. Instead of a crisp, beer-battered exterior, this is more like a catfish breading. And it's not bad, but it's just very different than the name would imply. The batter is probably too salty, but the fish is very fresh! The Cajun fries are horribly mediocre. They're definitely just frozen fries from a local supermarket with an uninspiring spice mix. The employees didn't seem very welcoming either, which was kind of sad since I was excited to be there. It's not a bad meal at all, but the ratings are way higher than they should be! If you're haphazardly shelling out five-star reviews, you've probably never had real seafood on the coast and have only inflated the truth for online viewers. Don't expect too much out of Krustaceans, hope for a decent meal, and you won't be disappointed.

    Photos
    Krustaceans Seafood
    Krab Platter with Cajun sauce is to die for!!! Not too spicy.. just right!
    Krab Platter with Cajun sauce is to die for!!! Not too spicy.. just right!
    A "lump"some of crabilicious meal. The flavor did not disappoint

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    A "lump"some of crabilicious meal. The flavor did not disappoint
    Gannons Nashville

    Gannons Nashville

    4.5
    (238 reviews)
    2.4 mi
    $$$
    Private events
    Happy hour specials

    If you come to Nashville, this place is a must try. Especially for it being a 10 minute walk to…read moreBroadway, the after party street lol. We came here for late dinner, 8.30 and this place was not packed which is very surprising, bc they play music jazz music, and you can have a lovely dinner and still hear ppl talk. But the best thing is their pork chop !!! This is a must get. Thank me later. We got the pork chop medium well bc we like our pork more cooked bc ain't no one trying to get salmonella from undercooked pork. But it was sooo good, has a nice char on the outside, and perfectly seasoned. Additionally, it sits on top of a bed of allegedly "rice" according to our server. But to me, it reminded me of a tendon brisket texture. I would've bet money on it too. But delicious with sweet peach sauce that came with it. For the prime rib, it was a huge cut of meat, but it was lacking flavor, needed some more salt and some rosemary to bring out the meat. Both main dishes can serve 2 people each, so worth the price and food. Definitely come back! And a shout out to our server Cole, who was great

    4.8* (out of 5) Food: 5* Atmosphere: 5* Value: 4*…read more Service: 5* Would I go back / Recommend?: 5* (Definitely) Total check/person: $75 03/20/2026 This place caught my wife's eye during her reviews of places to eat while staying in downtown Nashville and was an easy walk from our hotel, so it was our first dinner destination after arriving. The small signage made it a little difficult to find inside the Marriott (see pictures), but from the moment we walked in, heard the live piano player and saw the dining area - we knew this would be a great experience. We started off by sharing orders of Lobster Bisque (see picture) and Burrata with Toast (see pictures). We really enjoyed both of them - the Lobster Bisque was so creamy and smooth and the Burrata was cool, fresh and clean. They were a great combination to start our dinner experience and I would recommend both of them. Since it was a Friday during lent, my wife opted for the BBQ Shrimp Pasta (see picture) and I went with the Daily Fish Special on Blue Corn Grits (see picture). As we always do when we go out, we shared our plates and really enjoyed both of them. The BBQ Shrimp Pasta was rich, buttery and smooth and the Fish Special was a tasty white, flaky and blackened fish served on a bed of rich, creamy blue corn grits. Here again, both are highly recommended. While it is one of your more expensive area stops for dinner, you will appreciate the food quality and presentation at Gannons Nashville for your next special occasion. If you found this review helpful, please show your appreciation with a Like or a Follow. Photos copyright: happyhourdesmoines.com & thefoodanddrinkguy.com

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    Oysters
    Oysters
    Cheers to good times at Gannons
    Cheers to good times at Gannons
    Gannons dining room is perfect for any occasion.

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    Gannons dining room is perfect for any occasion.
    Eddie V's Prime Seafood

    Eddie V's Prime Seafood

    4.5
    (476 reviews)
    2.1 mi
    $$$

    I recommend making a reservation if possible. Even with one, we still waited about 15 minutes to be…read moreseated. We were placed in the lower-level dining area, which we didn't mind at all--it had a great atmosphere with a live band performing until 10 PM. Our server (I apologize for forgetting her name) was excellent--friendly, attentive, and very knowledgeable about the menu. For food, we ordered the seafood tower (The Big Eddie), crab fried rice, and Chilean sea bass. Everything was outstanding--fresh, flavorful, and well-prepared. For drinks, we had the Hope Diamond and a tequila soda. The Hope Diamond was especially good, and our server even shared the ingredients so we could recreate it at home. The ambiance is elegant with a lively energy, thanks to the live music. If you're looking for a quieter, more intimate experience, I'd recommend requesting upstairs seating. Be prepared to spend $$$, but overall, it's worth it for the experience.

    Eddie V's Prime Seafood is one of the most respectable upscale restaurants in the city, and the…read morefood lives up to the hype! As their name implies, their seafood is fantastic, probably the best in the entire city! They have a policy that every seafood served at Eddie V's was alive in the ocean less than 36 hours prior! Anything left over is donated, which is impressive! And you can taste its incredible freshness throughout the meal! There are only 30 locations of Eddie V's in 15 states, but the quality is hardly reminiscent of chain restaurant food. It's truly exquisite! And we have very high standard having dined at Michelin-starred eateries all over the world. The scallops, lobster, and lobster bisque are easily the best in Nashville, and we've dined at every high-class restaurant Music City has to offer! The butter poached lobster mashed potatoes are incredible, extra creamy topped with buttery lobster and a beurre blanc sauce. The truffle mac is equally stupendous, with a three-cheese blend, truffle oil, and thinly shaved truffles imported from France! While most upscale restaurants tend to make a very strong truffle mac that has overpowering flavors, the chef at Eddie V's manages to make this, and all dishes, subtle and flavorful without overdoing it. Just as amazing as the seafood are the steaks. Since they had a Japanese A5 Wagyu in the building at $40 an ounce, something they don't have every night, I took advantage of that! As expected, the highest grade of Japanese beef did not disappoint, and the chef prepared it to perfection. That impossibly tender steak seasoned beautifully just meted in my mouth, probably the second best steak I've eaten in Nashville! The ponzu sauce, one of three that accompanied the steak, was delicious. The Korean inspired gochujang was also good, but maybe not perfect for this style of steak. But the wasabi paste was the winner, a perfect compliment to the beef without being very spicy, just wonderfully flavorful. Like all dishes here, they've impeccably balanced flavor with subtly! The desserts aren't bad either, but they pale in comparison to the beef, seafood, and side dishes!

    Photos
    Our signature Hope Diamond Cocktail, featuring Grey Goose vodka, butterfly tea and a purple diamond ice cube
    Our signature Hope Diamond Cocktail, featuring Grey Goose vodka, butterfly tea and a purple diamond ice cube
    Our signature Bananas Foster is flambéed tableside and served with butter pecan ice cream.
    Our signature Bananas Foster is flambéed tableside and served with butter pecan ice cream.
    Live music trios.

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    Live music trios.
    Urbangrub

    Urbangrub

    4.2
    (1.8k reviews)
    0.7 mi
    $$$

    Urban Grub in Nashville is one of those places that feels like a hidden gem from the moment you…read morearrive. Famous for not having a sign, finding it may be part of the adventure, but once you do, everything else is effortless. Parking is simple--just pull up and valet takes care of the rest. With a reservation, we walked right in with no wait. The most difficult part of the evening was deciding what to order because the menu offers so many tempting choices. I selected the Kvarøy Arctic Salmon, while my wife chose the Springer Mountain Farms All-Natural Chicken. Both dishes exceeded expectations. The salmon was cooked perfectly--crispy on the outside, tender and flaky on the inside. It rested on a bed of greens with a subtle lemon flavor that paired beautifully with the fish. The chicken was equally impressive--moist, tender, and packed with flavor. What stood out most was the incredible smoky aroma that hit before each bite, making it even more irresistible. For dessert, the Blackberry Lemon Bread Pudding was the perfect finish. Soft, warm, and bursting with flavor, it was a standout ending to an already exceptional meal. From the outstanding food to the attentive service, Urban Grub delivered a fantastic dining experience. Make a reservation, enjoy the meal, and see if you can find the place.

    This is my new favorite restaurant in Nashville. Everything thing I tasted was superb. The service…read morewas top notch as well. I got the crab Beignets. They were not what I was expecting but they were good. They are more like a crab hush puppy. The Alabama white sauce that came with set the beignet off!! The grits...the grits (chefs kiss). Very flavorful. The steak was good. Didn't even really need an additional sauce. White linen type of vibe. We got to sit in the VIP area/chef table. I will definitely be back!!

    Photos
    Bar area where we ate
    Bar area where we ate
    Popovers
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    Urbangrub

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    The Smiling Elephant - thai - Updated July 2026

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