A classic local Nashville thai spot with the coziest interior and great parking! It's no wonder why smiling elephant has withstood the test of time, and the test of 8th ave's growth. I'd definitely recommend dining in - we went in on a rainy Thursday around 6 and it was already packed, but a table for two opened within about five minutes. Service is great and food hits the table quickly. We started with the fresh rolls, chicken and cabbage dumplings, and the tom kha. We added a side of peanut sauce, which was a game changer for the fresh rolls. The tom kha was a little tart for my taste, but was loaded with veggies that were cooked perfectly. The dumplings were super tender, and the fresh rolls are my favorite in town! For entrees, we got the pad thai and pad see-ew with rice noodles. Both absolutely delish, and we loved how the pad see-ew was prepared simply and traditionally with Chinese broccoli. Those portions are not to be reckoned with... we ended up taking two boxes full of noodles home! Their sticky rice with mango was our favorite bite of the night. The rice was the PERFECT texture, in a not-too-sweet sauce, topped with toasted coconut, and the juiciest, sweetest mango. What a treat. read more

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I was really looking forward to trying out this spot, but left (very quickly) unimpressed. This restaurant is super cute and cozy with two small dining areas, so I was expecting welcoming service once we were sat. I ordered their tom kha soup as an appetizer. The broth was good, but the vegetables in it were not cooked at all. It felt like eating a crunchy salad in your soup. Only a minute after ordering the soup we were asked to go ahead and order our main dishes. My pad thai was good, but there was nothing particularly special about it. I had just started eating my food when the server asked us if we wanted to-go boxes and how we were splitting the check. I looked at my phone, and it had only been 30 minutes since we had sat down that we were handed the check. I would have tried their dessert if I hadn't felt rushed out the door. Also, the restaurant wasn't busy/didn't have a wait on tables, so I'm not sure why they rushed us out. read more

The Smiling Elephant - Thai Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

I was unfortunately disappointed in both the food and the service at The Smiling Elephant. I dined with some friends and despite the restaurant not being close to full, we were rushed throughout the entire meal. Whether it came to ordering or receiving the bill, it felt like our server was doing everything she could to try and get us out the door. I was not impressed with our food. I ordered the Thom Kha soup and I enjoyed the sour and savory broth, but the large chunks of hardly cooked vegetables were unpleasant. The Chicken Satay was not cooked to my liking -- again, it was served with large chunks of vegetables that were too hard, the chicken was hardly grilled like traditional satay would be, the peanut sauce was one note (as an Indonesian I know how good a peanut sauce can be and this was just not it) and the rice was just "fine". The bathroom had a large frosted window that shared a wall with the restaurant, so despite the frosted glass, there really wasn't any privacy. I did enjoy the decor and the "hole in the wall" feel to it. But I don't know if I would come back to dine again. read more

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I wavered between a 3 or 4 star review for this restaurant so take that as you will. This place has won many awards and was "good". I have eaten Thai from Washington state to Florida and everything in between. I always get chicken pad Thai as a barometer to compare between restaurants. I can't believe it but the very best Thai restaurant I have experienced is in Frankfort Ky. I'm spoiled so even a "good" experience isn't going to rank as high. This is a really cute restaurant and from the parking lot I knew it was a local favorite. Chicken and cabbage dumplings were excellent. Pad Thai was good, as mentioned. The sauce wasn't very flavorful and while I like onions, this dish had A LOT. Red and green onion and not consistently chopped. The green onions were very large, fibrous pieces that were difficult to eat. I also like the egg component but this dish had a lot of egg and seemed to be a large filler. We also had the pad see ew with chicken. Also good, but not outstanding. The service was top notch and the restrooms were very clean. read more

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Overall: Yummm! I got the pad thai and chicken satay, and it was so delicious and they had great portions! I also got the thai tea which was pretty solid. I would definitely be back for some GOOD Thai food! Service: We got seated right away and our food came out really fast. Ambiance: So cute! It's a little house and super cozy and homey inside. You really feel like you're eating a home-cooked meal. read more

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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. It's a pretty small restaurant and from what I understand, gets pretty busy normally. 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. read more

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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. The restaurant is set in a charming older house with plenty of seating, 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! read more

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I always love a trip to the smiling elephant! The service has always been efficient and the food never disappoints. My go to are either of the bao, pad Thai, and the mango sticky rice. Beware the plates are shareable so you can either order for the table or plan on having it for the next two meals too. It is located inside a quirky little house with lots of plants and some seating in both the front and back of the house. read more

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. read more

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

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

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

The Smiling Elephant - Chicken Satay - Thai Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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. read more

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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 read more

The Smiling Elephant - Mango sticky rice - Thai Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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Small and cozy with a wide variety of pork and chicken dishes, appetizers, and soups. 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. The building is an old house and the dining room feels a lot like eating in your grandmother's house...warm and comfortable. Seating is limited and so is parking but that's part of the charm. read more

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Omg food was so good and the service was really quick. We got a to go order and they gave us so many sauces and the food was so hot still once we got home. Looove this place so much read more

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. I love the old run down, local restaurant vibe that this place gives off and the warm staff really add to the experience. 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. 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. But since the food is good, I'm definitely willing to come again. read more

The Smiling Elephant - Smiling Elephant Pad Thai, Pad Kra Pao, Green Curry - Thai Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

The restaurant has an authentic feel when you walked in the door. The staff is friendly. The food came out relatively quick. The restaurant is small and cute decorations. 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. read more

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My second time here. Quick service and food came out fast. The tables and floors were clean. The food was delicious. read more

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I wish I could give a more critical review, but my food was too spicy... despite ordering it mild. I went with my cousin and her boyfriend. He ordered his Hot, my cousin said no spice, and I said Mild. They were all the same level of spicyness! Like how? My cousin and I got the same thing and we were in pain. I couldn't even taste the rest of the food. And sorry, one's tollerance for spice is genetic, not just me being "soft". Her boyfriend's was perfectly hot (per him) and when I tried a bite of his it was as equally as spicy as mine. I then tried my cousin's and hers was also the same level. In a city with ample great Thai restaurants, I'll be heading elsewhere from now on so I can actually taste more than the heat. read more

Very authentic! I ordered the chicken pad Thai which comes with several different noodle options to try. It was flavorful and tasted fresh. We also got the Thai tea which can be adjusted depending on how sweet you like it which i like. The waitress was happy to explain all the different options here and the atmosphere made you feel like you were sitting in Thailand. read more

this place is so cute! it looks very lowkey on the outside- it's a house and feels very homey. the inside is so unique with decorations that feel like you're actually in Thailand. 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! read more

The Smiling Elephant - Pad See-Ew - Thai Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

The food was good. The green bean noodle is a bit too firm, get the regular rice noodle. Food came out fast. Good service. Reasonable prices. The only thing I didnt like was the pad se eww used pad thai noodles and the pad thai used pad se eww noodles. It was a bit strange read more

The Smiling Elephant - Smiling Elephant Pad Thai and Pad See-Ew - Thai Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

Here we go again - looking for great food before a Nashville SC game at Geodis park and decided we'd try some local Thai food just down the street....here's what we found: Ambiance: Super quaint but difficult parking for this place. Thankfully we weren't in a rush and we found a spot right up top. Very basic interior filled with all kinds of magazine awards and "best of" awards covering the walls as well as your traditional Thai decorations (Royal Family / King, etc...) however I did not see the golden cat with the waving arm....lol Food: Great food regardless of what you order....clearly we did not have everything on the menu but from what we could see around us many different plates were evident and everyone was enjoying to the Nth degree! The potstickers were awesome and the ginger sauce was top notch - i added it to my pork and fried egg dish which was also amazing! Highly recommend! Price: A bit pricey for Thai but for all their awards and "best of" clearly they can charge a bit of a premium! Pay it - you won't regret it! Service: Typical - not overly friendly but again it's cultural and a business they are running which they run on efficiency, speed and quality. This is what you come here for - not to be best buddies with your server or bartender (which they don't have anyway as they don't serve alcohol$. Summary: COME HERE / EAT THE FOOD and ENJOY! A GR8 PLACE! KEEP MUNCHING!!!! read more

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Pretty close to the airport so if you missed breakfast to hop on a 6am flight like I did, this is a great place to stop for lunch. I had the large lettuce wraps which were probably the best I've ever had. Served with Romaine instead of the butter lettuce I'm used to at home. Cashew chicken was was tasty, but i wish there was more peanut sauce cause it was amazing. Also had the pad see-ew with what seemed like glass noodles. The noodles were not my favorite. Our server was so kind, especially since we had a 1 year old and 4 year old...they were pretty messy. I would absolutely recommend this place! read more

cannot recommend enough! our server had a great personality, was very helpful navigating the menu and provided great recommendations. the food came out so quick and was very flavorful. we cannot wait to come back and try other dishes! read more

Best Thai food in Nashville, hands down. They never miss. The portions are always super large, so a lot of my friends have leftovers to bring home. This is authentic Thai Food, and you can tell because all the servers and cooks are Thai. Their Pad See Ew is 11/10, just PHENOMENAL. The wide noodles are almost melt in the mouth, and the flavor just brings it to comfort-food elite level. I know they also have won awards upon awards for their Pad Thai, which seems to be the best in Nashville as well. Any noodle dish here will please. My friends have also gotten their fried rice and loved it. Also, their Thom Kha Kai (coconut curry soup) is delicious as well. You really just can't go wrong with The Smiling Elephant. The only thing I wouldn't get again is their Cashew Chicken, but that's just because I was spoiled with some of the best Cashew Chicken I've had when I went to Thailand, and this doesn't compare flavor-wise. We also got the Mango Sticky Rice once, and it came with a whole half mango. I mean, come on. There is usually a bit of a wait, around 20-40 minutes depending on the night, but I really do think it's worth it. There is a bench outside to wait on if it's not too cold. The parking situation is a little weird, since their parking up top is pretty limited, but they have a whole parking lot down a little hill that always has room. read more

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If you don't know, there is parking behind the building! This parking concern has kept me away for too long. Now I know. I came here for lunch with a friend and we both had the daily special curry. It was yellow curry with chicken and it was fabulous! The service was fast and the atmosphere buzzing with lots of happy customers. I wish I lived closer! My recommendation is to try the daily curry, you won't be disappointed. (And, once again, I didn't think to take photos. Believe me, the food was beautiful and delicious. read more

Great Thai food at a reasonable price! The restaurant has a very casual/cozy feel and can get quite busy during dinner time.

Authentic Thai cuisine. The environment is a wonderful little spot. Parking is limited, but they are working on the lot. This place is known by so many in Nashville and if you haven't been it's a must! The pad Thai is great and the portions are huge! Though it may seem a little pricey, you can get multiple meals out of it. If you have a peanut allergy, make sure you are clear about that when ordering. read more

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

Not sure about the 'elephants' but the People indeed are smiling up on entering and especially leaving with satisfied appetites. Upon each and every visit the food is prepared to expedited perfection. Travel to Nashville on the regular to attend concerts. Regardless of the time I have to spare this restaurant is always prompt with food delivery. Just a quick trip outside of the hustle and bustle from Broadway. You feel like you are eating inside a family kitchen. Warm and inviting ambience from the moment you enter the front door. read more

The Smiling Elephant - Larb Lettuce Wraps: minced chicken tossed with fresh cilantro, chili peppers, onions and lime juice. Served with lettuce and jasmine rice. - Thai Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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There is little more I love in this world than good food, good vibes, and good company. The Smiling Elephant captured all of these things for me. The small footprint of the venue is more than overcompensated for in their dynamic menu of daily curry specials and thai classics. I visited on a Tuesday for lunch and ordered their daily curry special--Karee Curry. My husband ordered their signature Pad Thai. Both of us were blown away by the quality and flavor profiles of our dishes. The portions are hefty, so we found ourselves with both lunch and dinner for the price of one meal. Definitely a good deal in a city with ever-increasing prices for food and leisure. My only gripe was that I was too full for dessert! I will most definitely be returning for their mango sticky rice. Our service was swift and kind, just what you need for a quality lunch spot. When I informed them about my dairy allergy, they assured me that dairy is not used in their kitchen. Though there are items containing "condensed milk" on their menu, this may be condensed coconut milk. I did not order anything with this ingredient, so I didn't ask for clarification. But this restaurant obviously ranks high in dairy-free friendliness despite this potential blunder. Overall, I am very fortunate to live close to The Smiling Elephant and will be a repeat customer! I hope to try every one of their daily curries and spread the restaurant's praises to just about anyone who will listen. read more

Service was quick, friendly and food delicious! The chicken dumplings were good/sauce had an overwhelming taste though. Paid Thai with little, crisp pieces of tofu was amazing. They say it's not the regular sticky sweet sauce but it was sweet and lime-y! So delicious! Fried rice with tofu was not too salty. Had fresh steamed broccoli and tomatoes in it. This place is a small hole in the wall but it packs a big punch! Serving sizes were big. (Pics of celebrities who've been there including Keith Urban/Nicole Kidman) try it!!! read more

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

This is probably my favorite spot in Nashville. My go-to order includes a fresh roll, the mussels special (when they have it), Chicken Cashew Stir Fry, and hot ginger tea. The Pad Thai is amazing, and the Larb Lettuce Wraps are also great. The staff is incredibly friendly, and I've never had a bad meal here. I feel lucky to have this place in my neighborhood. I can't say enough good things. It's also excellent for takeout. read more

This place just never fails! Hands down the best Thai in Nashville! Visited recently on a Friday night and had delicious Pad Se Eew and some Dumplins. My eating companion had red curry. Everything was delicious! Every time I go to Smiling Elephant I'm reminded of how authentic it is of the Thai food I have had in Thailand! I'll keep going back to this place! read more

Absolutely delicious food! Every bite was special! I give it 4 stars only because there is no alcohol served, which doesn't bother me but you definitely need to know this. The decor is simple but the food excellent! read more

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One of the best Thai places in Nashville! Have been here a few times and ordered different dishes each time, including the pad thai and pad kra pow. Always delicious! Only qualm is that the parking can be a little difficult - the front lot is small and almost always full, and the back lot is on a very steep hill and quite crowded as well. read more

"If I was an elephant I'd be smiling!" Very yummy food. I ordered the pad see ew and my friend got the pad thai. This restaurant is super cute with lots of plants and decorations. read more

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