Frequently asked questions

Arriving

- Where can we park?

We have a small lot in front of our restaurant and behind it. If parking is full, there is a paid lot by the Dollar General (2101 8th Ave S) not far from our restaurant. Please do not park at the Animal Hospital as they will tow your vehicle.

Seating

- Do you accept reservations?

Due to limited seating, we only accept walkins.

- Do you do call ahead?

We do not do call ahead seating nor do we place names advance on our waitlist.

- When is the best time to dine at your restaurant?

Our shortest wait time are usually 30 mins to an hour after we open and an hour before we close for the night. This varies depending on the night. The wait time usually goes up during prime lunch/dinner times. Please feel free to call ahead and check wait times. Please be ready to provide the number of guests in your party.

- How long should I expect to wait for a table?

The wait time varies each night and it is hard to predict. Sometimes we are able to seat people right away while other times there can be up to 45 mins to an hour wait. Many factors determine the wait time such as the number of previous customers just seated, kitchen pacing, or the table availability for your party size.

Dining In

- I am allergic to a certain ingredient. Can you accommodate my allergy?

We will do our best to cater to your allergy. This includes washing our woks before making your meal and excluding the ingredient from the dish if possible. Some dishes have certain ingredients prepared already into the pre-made sauce and cannot be taken out. We can also try to substitute an ingredient but please know that the dish will no longer be authentic to our recipes and we cannot guarantee the taste/flavors produced. Since we are an open kitchen, we cannot guarantee 100% that no contact with allegens will occur during preparation, cooking and/or serving.

- Can I substitute ingredients?

We ask that you limit substituting ingredients. Substitution changes our recipes and makes them no longer authentic to our tastes.

- Do you serve alcohol? Do you do BYOB?

We are a completely alcohol free restaurant and do no do BYOB. Please do no sneak in alcohol into the restaurant or consume it on our property, such as the parking lot. Doing so will result in a permanent ban from our establishment.

- Do you have vegetarian options at your restaurant?

Yes, we do! Most entrees can be made with tofu or vegetables.

- How spicy is your food?

Our spice levels range from mild (no spice), hot (a bit of spice), and thai spicy (a lot of spice). Some dishes are made to be spicer than others, such as the curry, and will contain a bit of spice even at the mild levels. Also, note that while Thai food is known for it's spice, heat is only one component in the Thai balance of flavors. Too much heat may overwhelm the complimentary sweet, sour, salty or other delectable tastes in your meal. Choose wisely!

- I have never eaten at your restaurant before...How do I order my meal?

Choose any entree and pick a protein to go with your meal such as chicken tenderloin, veggies,tofu, or pork loin and then choose a heat level (mild, hot, thai spicy).

- What should I order if I have never been?

We are known for our Pad Thai, so definitely try that. We change our curries everyday, so that is a must try too! Customer favorites include the Cashew Chicken, Pad Kra Pao, and Gai Yang! We recommend getting a couple of dishes and eating them family style :)

- I am in a rush, can you speed up my meal? I have a show to catch!

A family saying you will often hear at our restaurant is, "Good food takes time." We make every dish on the spot, which while takes longer to make, tastes much better. We are not a fast food restaurant.
We are a sit down, causal family owned restaurant that highly values the joy of food, we encourage our guests to arrive when they have time to fully enjoy our ambiance and taste. We ask if you are in a rush to join us when speed is not a factor.

Delivery

-Do you guys do delivery?

We do not do delivery.

-Do you have a service that you partner up with that delivers?

We do not. In the past, these partnerships have delivered food to our customers incorrectly or cold and late. We have chosen to opt out of services to ensure the quality of the food our customers have come to know.

Carry out

- Do you offer carry out?

We do offer carry out! Please call us at 615-891-4488 to order. Please note that at peak dining hours, we sometimes, but not often, may stop carry orders for a small amount of time to allow the kitchen to catch up.

- I have tried calling but your phones are busy/your mailbox is full.

During peak dining hours, we experience multiple take out calls at once. Most likely, if you are getting a busy signal, there is another guest ordering food on the phone. Please wait a few minutes and call back then.

- What information should I have ready when ordering?

Please be prepared to provide your name, telephone number, and order. When requested, please provide the information slowly (phones can be staticky and hard to hear). We will provide you with an estimate time for pickup.

When ordering an entree, please specify the dish, the desired protein and the spiciness level of the dish.

- Why does my order sometimes take longer or shorter to be ready?

Since we make all our food fresh on the spot, it takes a bit more time to make. If there are a lot of orders in the kitchen, it sometimes takes a bit longer if there is a complicated order ahead of yours. On the other hand, if there is an open wok, we can sometimes get your food to you quicker. Since it is sometimes hard to predict exactly when an order will be done (we are only human, after all), feel free to call us to check on your order.

Catering

- Do you do large catering orders?

Yes, we do! Please email us at ThaiFood@TheSmilingElephant.com and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Please provide in your email the number of people for your event, the date of the event, and the type of dishes you need.

- Do you deliver the catering order?

We do not. We package the order in tin pans that you can pick up at an agreed upon time.

Other

- Are you hiring?

Please send resumes for waitering and hosting positions to ThaiFood@TheSmilingElephant.com .

- I have more questions, who should I email?

Please email us at ThaiFood@TheSmilingElephant.com .