Elephant Cafe

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!

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!

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.

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.

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.

⭐️⭐️ (2 out of 5) I was craving Thai food and happened to be driving through Lake Forest on El Toro, so I decided to try Elephant Cafe. I called in my order and was very specific. I ordered Pad See Ew and asked for the noodles to be burnt/charred, the way they’re often done at Thai street markets, and requested medium spice. The person who took my order said she understood what I meant. I also ordered the Panang Curry. Unfortunately, the food didn’t meet my expectations. The Pad See Ew noodles weren’t burnt or charred at all, despite the explanation and confirmation, and there was no hint of spiciness even though I had requested medium (which was also repeated back to me on the phone). I opted out of the carrots and American broccoli because they aren’t traditional in Pad See Ew and they change the taste of the dish. I asked for bean sprouts instead, which made better sense to me. That part was fine, but overall the dish still lacked the depth and flavor I was expecting. I wasn’t thrilled with the Panang Curry either. It was edible, but I’ve definitely had better elsewhere. Overall, the food was disappointing and didn’t stand out enough for me to want to return. This review is based on my personal taste and preference, especially from a more traditional Thai food perspective.