The naming of Asian themed restaurants is in need of a serious makeover. I think this is the next frontier for marketing gurus; a potential fortune could be made here. Most restaurants fall into the category of being painfully bland ("China Food"), vaguely insulting ethnic caricatures ("Mr. Yings' Happy China Meal") or horrific puns ("Pho Sure"). Names like these don't inspire a lot of confidence in the quality of their food, even though that's not always the case (for example, "China Food" was actually pretty good).
So when I saw Thai Elephant, my mind immediately reversed the name which sounds suspiciously close to a parasitic disease (elephantiasis). Plus the fact that it's located in a strip mall is a bit of a red flag. But a growling stomach can overcome these biases and so I pulled into the lot......
......And was pleasantly surprised. This is actually pretty good Thai food. The inside is a little more ornate than you would have expected; there's the whitewashed walls that fits the strip mall theme, but the furniture is darker wood with slightly dimmed background lighting. A large screen TV was playing the Suns game in the back room and a small bar is present in the front part of the restaurant. There are a few tables as well as some seats with a mix of wooden booths and chairs.
Still wary, I ordered the hot tea, Thai sweet potatoes and chicken Pad Thai. All of these were above average: the Thai sweet potatoes were perfectly fried and mixed well with the slightly tangy sauce. I may have eaten more than ten times my body weight in Chicken Pad Thai over the years, and this was definitely above average.
Although I was just here for dinner, I did see that they have a Happy Hour which runs from 5-7 pm.
All in all, it's a pleasant place that belies its' strip mall exterior and is worth a visit for respectable Thai food.