Blue Elephant Thai Cuisine — Restaurant in South Carolina

I have a very hard time scoring this place. It feels like a half-hearted attempt at authenticity. The food has good flavor but it just isn’t correct.

Imagine ordering a cheeseburger in an American restaurant but getting soy sauce instead ketchup and cabbage instead of lettuce. That’s what Blue Elephant is doing with Thai food. Perhaps it’s just the chef’s creativity but it’s somewhat off-putting.

The pad-krapow came with some weird veggies (mushrooms? Broccoli?) while completely lacking the standard requirements (กะเพรา, ie, holy basil).

Some things seemed really authentic- the thai tea is spot on, the soups look great (though I didn’t taste them), and the furniture and silverware are all thai imports. Great atmosphere. Lots of Thai decorations, including art by Kositpipat (mad respect!). But then main dishes like fried rice seemed closer to American Chinese food with baby corn and peas than authentic Thai style fried rice.

This is an attempt at fusion but in all the wrong places.

Moving beyond the food there were some other weird oddities. The place was cash only despite having Amex logos up. Why advertise for Amex if you don’t take them? All the food was rather expensive. Myrtle Beach has several cheaper and more authentic Thai options closer to town so I’m not sure what the appeal is here. Also the owner uses the restaurant as a platform to advertise tours of Thailand but they are really overpriced ($5k-$6k for a $2-$3k itinerary, including alot of factory tours that I personally know pay kickbacks).

I think ultimately this restaurant is an attempt at packing and selling Thailand to farang who just want a taste of orientalism without the full package. If you’re new to Thai food and don’t want anything too exotic - this is a good place. If you’ve never been to Thailand, this is a good place.

If you’ve ever lived or worked in Thailand or taken an unguided roadtrip or even hung out drinking Chang on an unnamed Soi and know what 555 means - you’ll find this to be a truly bizarre experience.

This place is for the Murrels Inlet retirees who want measured controlled exotic doses. This is not for those who would hop on a plane to Isaan with 500 baht in their pocket and no itinerary. If you like the idea of Thailand, but you aren’t actually ready to commit to Thailand, this is the...

We had an unforgettable dining experience at Blue Elephant Thai Cuisine in Murrells Inlet, SC as always! ✨From the vibrant flavors to the beautiful presentation, this place will exceed all expectations. 😍 The pineapple fried rice with salty pork floss was a tasty revelation, elevating the dish to a whole new level of deliciousness. When I’m telling you that this dish is 100/10 highly recommend, I’m not exaggerating.🍍🐖 But that's not all! The green curry was bursting with flavor once I added a little bit of the salty pork floss. It needed salt but it’s not readily available on the table. 🌿🌶️

Some key notes/takeaways:

-Reservation only

-Cash only

The owner is usually the only person running the show here so reservations are a must. No walk ins unfortunately. The food is a work of art and a culinary adventure for the taste buds for sure. 🖼️ The dishes can be spicy so please note if it says spicy on the menu it’s gonna be hot. 🌶️ 🥵 This isn’t the place where you want to go all out and order a spice level higher than two. My husband and I love spice and found out years ago this one tip can ruin your evening. 😂

With that being said it is a must try if you live or are visiting the Grand Strand. Don’t try to dine here if you are in a rush. Plan a nice date night and enjoy each others company.

If you're in the area, I highly recommend giving this gem a try. Trust me, your taste buds will thank you! 😋 #BlueElephantThaiCuisine #MurrellsInletSC #FoodieParadise #FlavorfulDelights...

Want to start off by saying the food was delicious. But the amount you got for the price tag doesn't match. It truly is a one man show, so be patient, because I promise you, the food is so worth the wait. That said, keep in mind that the restaurant doesn't take cards, so for a party of 4, plan to possibly need around $200 cash on hand. We weren't aware of the fact that he only takes cash or check, and the only sign he had in the whole restaurant was blocked on arrival by a couple of people waiting on their takeout orders. So when he gave us the check in an American Express packet with a card slot, we assumed that like any other restaurant, he would take the card. Immediately stated that they don't take cards. So we had to leave the other couple we were dining with to go find an ATM and have to pay a convenience fee. There were also some signs that he just doesn't want to pay for anything more than he has to (bowls were glued back together and used for serving food; tablecloths that hadn't been replaced when they had stains from years of use; no servers or anyone to help him, broken glass window at the front of the restaurant that was duct taped instead of replaced). Just to be as fair as we can, while the food was absolutely delicious, the overall experience left us put off from...