Wowza! White Elephant's duck salad has everything you could want - warm, crispy morsels of duck sitting on fresh greens topped with onion, cashews, pineapple chunks and that tangy-spicy-juicy mix that makes great Thai food so sensational. And, even though this was a delivery order, the salad still tasted top tier upon arrival. I'll definitely dine in here in the future, and snag this salad again, plus try some new dishes too. read more

White Elephant - Tasty and unique duck salad - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

Stopped her on a rainy New Year's Eve (2025!) I ordered to go pad see ew and crispy rolls. They were made quickly and I was in and out within 10 minutes. The pad see ew was delicious and had plenty of veggies inside. The flavor was perfect. A bit salty but not overpowering. Chicken was tender and cooked to perfection. As were the veggies. Ambience inside as I waited was perfect. Quaint and cute. Definitely recommend! read more

White Elephant - Crispy rolls - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

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Food: 5/5 Service: 5/5 Ambiance: 5/5 The flavors of each dish we ordered were on point! We ordered the firecracker shrimp to start, then the mango chicken and the pineapple curry with duck for our entrees. The spice levels on each dish were perfectly dialed in - level 7 and 3 respectively. The mango chicken pieces were crispy despite being covered in the sweet and spicy sauce. The pineapple curry had a great mix of veggies with plenty of pieces of duck. The service was friendly and quick. We sat inside which had enough seating for about 6-8 parties. We will definitely be back to try some noodles and the other curries! read more

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My husband & I were on a walk when we stumbled upon this place & we are so glad we did!! We are not spontaneous, as we like to PLAN, but this place just called our names when passing by. It's tucked in the corner of Richmond St & University Ave & looks like a cute little house. There were a variety of options to choose from, it was honestly hard to choose my dish! I got the chicken satay & it was so good. (Wish I could cook my chicken like that at home.) My husband got the Kanom Jeen and he also very much enjoyed his meal. Will definitely be coming back to try more. read more

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My sister and I decided to stop by for a quick dinner. It was cute little spot, but in a very busy area with not much parking. The restaurant is a little small but not cramped. The service was good and wait for food wasn't too long. Pad see ew was good but more veggies would've been nice. The crying tiger steak sauce was so good but the meat was a little tough for a ribeye. read more

White Elephant - Crying Tiger steak and Pad See Ew - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

Service was a bit rough at the start but everything smoothed out after we got our orders in. They seemed impatient and a unaccommodating. That was cleared up soon after we placed our orders though. Now, the food! I'll keep it short and simple. Whatever you get, I speak with high confidence that it will be delicious! The crying tiger ribeye steak and the shrimp pad see ew were both amazing. The egg rolls and shrimp salad were also really good. I will definitely be back. This may have made it into my top 3 spots! Affordable and delicious. Really cute inside in a prime location. It's a win win! read more

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We got our food to-go so I can't speak for the dine in experience, but our orders were packed well for takeout. We got pad Thai (spice level 8) and mango chicken (spice level 3). I read in the reviews that they make things pretty spicy, but I found that to be kind of overblown. Flavor-wise, the mango chicken was reminiscent of a honey walnut shrimp kind of flavor with a mayo based sweet sauce. I thought this dish was pretty interesting and good if you like sweet entrees. My pad Thai was missing a bit of the strong tanginess of tamarind and the flavor seems a bit understated with the noodles looking a bit pale. It was still decent, but Bahn Thai in University Heights has the better pad Thai for a lower price than White Elephant. What White Elephant has going for it is that the parking situation is better and the wait is not as long. read more

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Ordered for carryout. Everything was ready on time and hot when we got home. Staff was nice upon pickup, and the interior was cute. We had Pad Thai, Drunken Noodle, and Larb - all spicy level 5. I will say it was probably the spiciest level 5 I have had in San Diego. I would actually take it down next time. Everything was really good - just spicier than expected. The portion sizes and value were good. We will go back to try some other dishes, as so many options looked good - especially some of their house specials. read more

White Elephant - Drunken Noodle - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

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We had a party for 7 people here on Tuesday and this restaurant treat us very well with delicious food. This place is a little small but very chill and nice. It is a little but hard for parking if you dont know how, but the tip for you, let cross a street and get a spot for parking from another mall. We tried a lot of items from the menu and this is the list we really fall in love: calamari, crispy shirmps, pad seewe, patpaya salad, salmon panan curry, mango sticky rice. Service is profession, waiters asked and take care you mutiple time. They are friendly and kindly. Very high recommend!!!! Absolutely come back to enjoy more food!!! read more

White Elephant - Salmon panang curry - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

I ordered delivery as I am sick and not able to cook. Their food is solid. Always fresh and well prepared. I ordered no spicy but just so you know it is spicy :) read more

White Elephant - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

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One of my favorite local Thai places. Tucked away just off of university. You can't go wrong with anything on their menu but my favorite is their Pad See Ew with shrimp. If your a hard kombucha fan like me they have a nice selection of June Shine. The wait staff is attentive and friendly. Perfect spot for a date nice or to go. read more

My friends and I ate here for dinner and it was absolutely delicious! We ordered shrimp spring rolls and firecracker shrimp appetizers and chicken pad see yew and mango chicken for entrees. Everything was delicious especially the orange chicken! It was battered chicken that was fried and perfectly crispy with a mango mayo sauce and mango pieces. The pad see yew was amazing too! I would definitely come back and try other dishes read more

White Elephant - Mango chicken and chicken pad see yew - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

​White Elephant is our family's favorite local spot. We visit frequently with our kids, and the staff always makes us feel like home. The food is consistently fresh, flavorful, and serves as the perfect backdrop for our family dinners. Must try there Duck Salad. read more

White Elephant - Duck Salad! - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

White Elephant in the Hillcrest neighborhood of San Diego is an Asian kitchen and restaurant flavorfully blending Thai, Lao, and Vietnamese cuisine. AMBIANCE Cozy and modern, with indoor and outdoor seating SERVICE Friendly, fast, and knowledgeable. I ordered takeout at the register, and my food was freshly prepared in fifteen minutes. FOOD 5/5 WATER BEEF SALAD Perfectly tender, grilled beef with fresh mint, shallots, onion, cilantro, roasted rice tossed with lime dressing. I got red chili flakes and powder on the side, and added it for an intense heat. I'd come back to try more traditional and unique dishes with a group to split things family style. read more

White Elephant - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

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White Elephant is the first Thai restaurant that's actually reminded me of the food I ate in Thailand! The Green Curry was heart warming and the veggies were crisp. The tofu was cooked to perfection and the spicyness at level 5 was enjoyable but didn't blow your face off. The dining area is pleasant and casual which makes for a great conversational atmosphere. read more

White Elephant - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

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Cute restaurant with very friendly and welcoming staff. They have both indoor and outdoor seating. I got the chicken pho and it was so good. Everything that everyone ordered was great. The service was fast and the food was fresh, hot and good quality. Will visit again! read more

I am absolutely blown away by this place! You can tell that a lot of thought and effort went into each meal because everything was delicious and flavorful. I am already thinking about coming here again very soon. read more

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I've been going to White Elephant since they first opened, and it's one of my go-to restaurants in my neighborhood. The food is consistently solid, and it's one of my favorite spots for a quick lunch. Everything is good overall and the service is always excellent, but there is one small downside: the spice level runs mild. Even when I asked for an 8/10, it was still very tame. The dishes were still very flavorful and enjoyable, just not very spicy. Pro tip: if you don't like minced meat, just ask for sliced chicken instead. It works really well with dishes like Thai basil. read more

Reasonably priced, solid Thai food in Hillcrest. 4.4 The service is fair. 4.5 The ambiance is fine, nothing too exciting. 4 My husband always gets the Tom Kha and it only comes in a cup, so if you're here as a group, there isn't a large portion for sharing. I wish I could give it a 4.3 read more

White Elephant - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

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I was incredibly disappointed in White Elephant. They have a great location, and I loved the Thai restaurant that was there before they took over the space. But White Elephant... like most white elephant gifts I've ever received... was not good. My partner ordered the pad Thai and noted that it had no flavor; it simply tasted spicy. A good pad Thai will balance the flavors of the sauce with spice level. He said it was nothing but noodle and spice. I ordered the mango chicken. Unfortunately, there was no chicken in my mango chicken whatsoever. I received a bowl full of fried dough covered in a bright orange sauce with a few chunks of mango. The mango chunks were lovely, but the absence of chicken meant I was basically eating a county fair funnel cake for dinner. After a small serving I threw the rest away. Can't speak to the service or ambiance, as we ordered takeout. But in the words of my partner, "Next time we think of ordering Thai, remind me not to order from here." read more

White Elephant - Completely fried dough. Not an ounce of chicken in sight. - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

Consistently good food, great service, and a nice ambiance. Been here at least a dozen times, will always come back. The chicken wings, pad Thai, and crying tiger are all super tasty. read more

We went in for dinner on a Saturday evening and found this little gem off the busy street. It's very small inside probably sits around 50 people, but they also offer outside dinning in their patio. The service was excellent, the waitresses were very attentive and nice. My water glass was never empty, as they kept refilling it. The food was also very delish. We ordered: - shrimp spring rolls: you get 2 full spring rolls cut in half per order, great for sharing. The peanut sauce is also served warm. Perfect as an appetizer. - pad Thai with chicken (you can choose the type of protein) big portion perfect for 2. Includes peanuts, bran sprouts, egg, and green onions. The noodles were cooked perfectly and a good portion of chicken. The tamarind sauce is very tasty. - eggplant with shrimp (you can also choose the protein) large portion of veggies and a side of rice. Overall very cute and tasty place worth trying if you're in the area. read more

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9/10 for food & service! very simplistic restaurant with tasteful thai food! the crying tiger was a delicious starter as well as the chicken potstickers. The thai tea was good but I think I want to try it with coconut milk next time instead of half & half. I really liked the drunken noodles, but be careful because their spice level is intense!!! we got a 5 and it was really spicy for us Overall, the food was great, and the server was on top of things for the most part read more

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Craving some Thai food and happened to be in the area. The service was good. Nice quiet place. Parking on a Saturday night was not quick. Got the chicken satay, Cha' Gio' (Crispy Roll), pork garlic pepper, and beef Pad See Ew. The satay was good and juicy. The crispy rolls were tasty. The noodles were very good. The beef did the dish no justice. The beef was kind of tuff and dry. The pork garlic pepper I neither hated nor liked. It was something different for me. I would come back to try other items on the menu. read more

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I'm writing this review because I can't move. My belly is resting nicely on top of my waistband with my butt sinking into the couch. I am staring at the food on the table staring back at me whispering "Come on! Eat me. You've got more room." We discovered this gem whilst (I said whilst) out and about in Hillcrest. Flavorific! That's right! This place is loaded with yummy food, wonderful staff and a quaint restaurant good for a date night or a small group. But wait! There's more! Delivery. Hence the staring at my table while my belly is obviously trying to creep back to the green curry for just one more taste. read more

This was a last-minute choice to come here for dinner and it was such a good idea. It's a small restaurant. Great service food was amazing. 10 out of 10 would recommend. read more

White Elephant - Front of restaurant - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

Friendly service, food came out in a timely manner. Everything was delicious! Me and my husband love spice and their scale is spot on. (Go one less if you're not much for spicy food). We wish their place was bigger so they could spread more delicious food quicker to more people! read more

White Elephant - Nigori Japanese Cold Sake - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

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I will always say this--I wish I lived closer to White Elephant!!!! My favorite Thai food in all of San Diego! Unfortunately I can only really indulge on a day we make a trip to the SD Zoo since it's nearby. The Thai tea is so rich and looks so fancy. The pineapple fried rice was piping hot and oh so good. The shrimp spring rolls were a refreshing start although next time I'll ask for extra peanut sauce... SO YUMMY! And I will never not order the crying tiger. It hits every single time. Love how it's a small restaurant so even if all the inside tables are full, you don't feel squished. They do have outdoor seating too. The staff are always so sweet, helpful and patient. read more

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I ordered through a delivery service. The food was great and I got to try tom gha gai for the first time and a favorite basil eggplant. Plenty of flavor that's fresh. read more

Very good Thai dishes. Lovely decoration and efficient service. Possible to eat inside or out. read more

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Eggplant / Basil was very good. Pad Thai was a bit too sweet. Friendly staff, classy decor. Many wine choices. I think it was wine. We got it to go. read more

Absolutely delicious!! Got the mango chicken and the crispy rice salad. Both were excellent! Highly recommend! And will definitely be back!! read more

White Elephant - Delicious Thai tea! - Thai Near Me - San Diego, California

This is one of my favorite takeout spots right now. I ordered them 3x in a week a few months ago because it was all I wanted to eat. They have spicy garlic green beans, which are always my favorite anytime I see them on a menu. Everything else has been great too. Portions are good and the ingredients taste like they are higher quality than some of the other local places I've enjoyed. I haven't dined in yet since I've just gotten it delivered, but it's great to know they have a patio so I can bring my dog when the craving strikes again! read more

Stopped in after strolling around at the farmers market the place was empty like we were the only ones there at 2:30pm, already not the best sign but the reviews looked good. Eventually 2 more single parties showed up but that's not super important, it's just if it was truly amazing there would be lots of people I assumed. Anyways onto the food. We for yellow curry, eggplant dish, and the egg rolls. All of the food was food, my only complaint which removed a star was the portions for price. $17-18 per entree is normal for Thai but usually it's a big portion. The rice came out on a tiny little round cup which barely was enough for 2 people , the curry in a moderately sized regular bowl. I feel like if it was $13-14 I'd be happier. But I guess it's hillcrest so they have to charge read more

Delicious food! Got the crispy rice salad and loved it! There is some heat to it. Watch out for the dried chilis, they'll get ya haha. The mango chicken was so crispy and tasty! I highly recommend it with a side of Thai Tea :) read more

Chicken fried rice was excellent. Pad see ew very tasty. Kanom Jeen curry with noodles and veggie delight were all very good.

The food is pretty good but the surly, slow, inattentive service made for an unpleasant experience. We've been going here for some time, and the service has gotten steadily worse. We recommend the Veganic Thai Cafe instead, around the corner: better service, better tasting food. read more

My go to Thai joint is Hug Thai and I tried most of them so I wanted to try different spot. I saw good reviews and was excited to try different restaurant but I regretted as soon as I saw the food. I'm Asian and have been to Thailand 4 times so I know what's good. All of the food here were not edible to me. If you like Americanized Thai food, this is your spot but if you are Asian and knows what's up, this place is not for you. My favorite Thai place is Hug Thai and if I don't want drive to La Mesa, Bahn Thai on Park Blvd is another choice. read more

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Food was surprisingly bad. Tom Kaw was quite good, but things went downhill from there. The basil chicken was so salty that it was inedible. The mango chicken was made with what appeared to be a mayonnaise-based sauce and unripe mangoes. Service was fine, hence the three stars. No repeat here for us. read more

We were so happy to have found this place! It's very cozy and warm for the indoor dining area. Outside dining area is very welcoming. We were seated right away when we arrived. The menu is very generous with options and there were some unique dishes that I haven't seen in other Thai restaurants. Which made my family and I glad that it wasn't the same old stuff we see in other restaurants. We started with gyoza which was delicious and perfection! My son got the mango chicken which I think was the best between all of our dishes. This is definitely my go to dish when we come here from now on. It's a big plate that comes with a side of rice. It's enough to share. I got the pad Thai with shrimp and it was delicious. I loved that the bean sprouts were fresh and not wilted down. My mom got the pineapple curry which was extremely spicy. She gave her level of tolerance which was a 2 and it was overwhelming. She had to trade dishes with my brother who got the combination seafood eggplant dish. He asked for level 5 and it wasn't as spicy as the pineapple curry. While both dishes were delicious, the level of spice didn't make sense. We told our server and he said that was how it was. Towards the end when we were almost done eating he came back to our table and said that the cook may have put too much spice. He asked us if we wanted them to remake it. At this point we were almost done eating so there was no point. When we were ready for the check, our server was busy on his phone. My brother finally got up with the credit card to get his attention but he didn't notice him. He stood there in front of him for a few minutes before the server looked up from his phone to realize my brother had been standing there waiting for us to get our check. Other than this everything was great. We will still come back because the food was delicious. While the service was not the best that night, it wasn't horrible for us to never come back again. read more

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