White Elephant

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.

Reasonably priced, solid Thai food in Hillcrest. 4.4The service is fair. 4.5The ambiance is fine, nothing too exciting. 4My 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

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!

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

Nice selection of Thai cuisine if you want to order in. The takeout order is nicely packed, however, they forgot to pack utensils and napkins. This may seem like a silly comment, but I was traveling for work (staying at a hotel) so I didn't have access to my own silverware. Eventually figured out a solution, but it was a bit of a hassle.Pad Thai - 8.5/10Tom Kah Soup - 6/10Papaya Salad - 8.8/10Sweet Rice with Mango - 9.8/10Beware of the spice levels! I got a 6 and I was feeling it, so rule of thumb... always stick to the side of underestimating. I was fortunate to have ordered the sweet rice because it helped cool off the heat. It was a pleasant treat!Overall, really good spot. I'd order again from here and just add a note for utensils next time :)

I chose this place for my work's holiday lunch, and while it is kind of hidden, the food was delicious and the ambiance was great.While there are lots of tables for smaller parties of 1-4, there appeared to be only one table for a party of 7 or more, which was perfect for us. We went on a Thursday for lunch and there were only two other parties inside other than us, so we didn't have to yell over each other or anything. Our food came out delicious, to the point where everyone cleaned their plates, except those of us who ordered the pad thai bc they gave us so much. Would definitely recommend this spot for anyone craving some good curry, pad thai, or mango chicken!!

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.

Highly recommend this place! We've been coming here ever since they open. The food, service and the ambiance are perfect. The house salad, red panang curry, mango chicken and chicken pad Thai are our faves. The owners are very friendly!

This review is for White Elephant in Hillcrest. There was no wait time as I arrived on a weekday during lunch time. The atmosphere was very modern and sleek with wooden tables and great natural lighting. There is also outdoor seating as well. As for starters I ordered the waterfall beef salad and Thai tea. The Thai tea was served chilled & tasted delicious, it came out in this giant glass cup. The waterfall beef salad was grilled beef with mint, shallots, onion, cilantro, roasted rice tossed with lime dressing. The salad was absolutely delectable. It was very refreshing. The ratio amount of meat to the salad was perfect. There was a great abundance amount of meat. I asked the server what kind of cuts of meat they used, and he said rib eye. The dressing was lightly drizzled and paired well with the waterfall salad. As for my main dishes i ordered the crab fried rice and Thai basil with beef. I confirmed with the server if the crab fried rice is made with real crab, and he said yes. The Thai basil is mixed with a concoction of sautéed garlic, minced meat, fresh chili, green beans, onions, green bell peppers, red bell peppers, and fresh basil. I opted out of minced meat, and requested to have my beef cut into slices. All entrees are served with a side of jasmine white rice. The crab fried rice was a mixture of stir fried crab, with egg, and onion, served with cucumber and lime topped with a garnish of cilantro. Once again, White Elephant did not disappoint with the amount of ratio of crab to the fried rice. There was a great heaping amount of crab in the fried rice which made me really enjoyed my meal. The taste of combining the Thai beef basil with the crab fried rice, was like enriched bursting flavors in my mouth. The umami taste of sweet, sour, a hint of bitter from the basil and saltiness from the fried rice was like a unity of perfection. My server Shawn was excellent and made sure to refill my water at all times. No dislikes here, I had left overs to take home as well, which was a win win for me. I really enjoyed everything, from the quality of the food and the savory flavors, just thinking about it, is making me hungry. I look forward to returning back again

Food was fresh and tasty! Restaurant was able to accommodate our larger group with kids too. We enjoyed the ambiance as well.Parking we got lucky to find a space right in front. Looking forward to eating here again.