Elephant Cafe

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.

This place is amazing! The food is fantastic, service is great, and the atmosphere is pleasant and cute! This is probably one of the most authentic Thai places I have be to in OC. Love the decor and elephants everywhere. Highly recommended! Lunch special is great deal!

Very good Thai! We had chicken skewers with peanuts sauce, which were okay. The tom kha with shrimp was impeccable, though. Just perfect flavor. Finally, the pad woon sen with beef was very tasty. The interior is pleasant and the staff was very friendly. In general, this seems like a solid option for Thai food in South Orange County.

Ate here while visiting the area. Tasty food and plenty of it. Space was decorated very authentically. Would recommend for to anyone looking for an authentic tasty Thai experience.

The lunch specials are pretty good. It comes with soup and a salad. The soup is interesting it was very sour. I got the Thai red curry and it was a little too sweet for my liking. The place has a fishy smell and the air conditioner wasn't off. The service was pretty good.

Great spot! The pad thai was very reminiscent of a dish you would get in Thailand. This has been one of my favorite spots in the Lake Forest area- when I go back I’ll try some other dishes!

I so much wanted to like the restaurant but it misses on my aspects; No go for pick up: they give wrong orders over the phone, missing noodles here and hot liquid in plastic bin. Not healthy Chicken is very dry, I have chew a lot even though it’s thin cut and dipped in sauce. Couldn’t eat the chicken at all especially with boiling sauce, very disappointed I had dine in here which is much better than taking out, so totally not recommend for taking out.

Every dish was packed with authentic Thai flavor. The som tam, green curry, and pad thai were all incredible!

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 :)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Friendly staff, reasonable prices, and amazing food. Plenty of modifiable options for vegans like me, and my nonvegan family also devours their food. I have been there and ordered takeout many times, tried tons of menu items, and never been disappointed. The food comes out relatively quickly, which is another plus. The restaurant also has a very cozy vibe, and they decorate for the holidays! Overall, Elephant Cafe is a slightly hidden gem with delicious comfort food at a good price.

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!

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

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.

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.

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.

This was our second favorite Thai place in the area. We went back after our first visit and yes, the papaya salad is good. Tom Kha Soup was just okay. My man always orders Pad Thai and I get Pad See Yew that were both good -- but they seem too saucy the second time we went back. And the ambiance is weird. Music is loud, not conducive to our nice lunch dates. Service is off too - just not friendly or inviting.

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!

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!

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.

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.

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

Went here for lunch. Service was quick and friendly. The Pad Thai was a bit on the sweeter side which I liked.

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.

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.

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.

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!!

Good foods but bad service! The servers either didn't like their job or they need to be retrained for customer service. Highly recommend this place for takeout only.

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.

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.

It is concerning how overly sweet and salty their food is. Good flavor can be achieved without so much salt. Too much salt and sugar and it's not food anymore, it's poison.

Elephant Cafe is by far the best Thai in the area. It's clean and quaint inside, and the staff is very attentive. The food is simply incredible, and portions never leave you hungry. I especially recommend the Golden Triangle appetizer, there's something about it that leaves me craving it. Please stop by and support this amazing Thai restaurant!

I won't be going back. When we arrived, the restaurant had just opened, and we were the only customers, yet it took a long time for anyone to take our order. I ordered Tom Yum, but they brought the wrong dish and even forgot the food I had ordered to go. I'm pregnant and was really craving Tom Yum with seafood, but they said seafood was only available in the large size, not the small, which was frustrating. Overall, the service was disappointing, and the food was just average.

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.

This restaurant is ok, but first the carpet is so old and so filthy it's hard to feel good, the booths are also old and dirty. The food is nothing to remember.

The food at this restaurant is so amazing and always beautifully prepared, the service is excellent! We love this place and highly recommend!!

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!

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!

The food was good and everyone was very friendly. It would be a great takeout spot. Portions were big

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.

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.

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.

I've ordered takeout/delivery here a couple times recently and have not been disappointed with the accuracy of my orders as well as the food quality, quantity, and takeout packaging. We've ordered pad see ew, pad thai, crying tiger, pad kee mao, vegetable egg rolls, and crab fried rice. All are very good and when ordering a medium spice level, it's legit spicy. We hope to dine in soon but right now this is one of our top go-to Thai places in the area.

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.

My new favorite Thai restaurant in central OC! I've eaten here several times over the last few months. The service is good. The portions are huge and the food is so yummy. Interior is quaint.

I've been wanting to try out this spot I pass it everyday for work & I am so glad to finally have tried it! The service was efficient, we got seated instantly. The food was so delicious and authentic. I got the pad see ew with beef. And my dad got the crying tiger the meat was very tender & flavorful! My sister got the chow mein which was great with shrimp & steak. So so good excited to come back & try other dishes of theirs.

Friendly service & cute atmosphere. I wasn't feeling well so got a lunch special for smaller portion. The soup had very little in it, mostly broth. It was still tasty. Could've skipped the salad. The Kee Mao was decent & did have a smoky flavor but needed salt. I've had better elsewhere. When in the area again, I'd return & try something else.

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

I go here weekly, the Pad Thai is excellent, Pad See Ew, yellow curry, pineapple fried rice, and pretty much any appetizer or salad are good choices. Very friendly staff, and definitely gives a mom and pop vibe. Started by door dashing food from here then came in one day and ever since then I've been a loyal customer.

We got take out food and the food was not good at all. We ordered pad thai and fried rice. Both were bad.

So my family were having a debate on which location in lake forest has the best Thai food here or Thai cuisine and by far this place beat the blind taste test! Their chicken patties delicious they're Tom. Yum soup is my wife's favorite. The owner is so sweet! They have seasonal mango sticky rice, and my favorite salad there is the papaya salad!!!! I'm going to be so sad moving and not having this Thai restaurant 15 min away. Anytime I'm back in cali I will be making a stop here. This is the BEST Thai food in lake forest

The family loves this place. We've tried just about all Items on the menu and never been disappointed. It's a good sign that our 7 year old mows it all down...no different than Mom & Dad!