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    The Smiling Elephant

    4.1 (771 reviews)
    ModerateThai, Chinese, Seafood
    Closed 11:00 am - 2:30 pm, 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM

    The Smiling Elephant Photos

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    THE SMILING ELEPHANT ATMOSPHERE

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

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    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.

    Chicken Satay
    Chris W.

    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!

    Sticky Rice and Mango
    Phyu T.

    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!!

    The Smiling Elephant
    Barry P.

    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.

    Tom Yum
    Kim K.

    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.

    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. 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.

    Chicken and Cabbage dumplings
    Samantha K.

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

    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

    Pad See-Ew
    Rebecca Y.

    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!

    Smiling Elephant Pad Thai and Pad See-Ew
    Thomas K.

    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

    Gabe P.

    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!!!!

    Pad See - Ew

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    14 days ago

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    22 days ago

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    1 day 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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    5 months ago

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

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    2 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Tom kha (coconut soup) is so dang good I have to close my eyes every time I take a bite

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    3 years ago

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

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    The Smiling Elephant - thai - Updated May 2026

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