Thai Elephants occupies a modest storefront on East Fourth Street in Watkins Glen, about a five-minute walk from the entrance to the state park gorge. The location is no accident — this has become the post-hike dinner spot for the million-plus visitors who come through Watkins Glen annually, and it has earned Gold for best Asian restaurant in the Finger Lakes three years running. The space is small and cozy, the kind of place where you might wait for a table on a summer Saturday, but the food moves quickly once you are seated.

The menu covers the full range of Thai cooking with legitimate depth. Curries span green, red, panang, and massaman, all made to order with your choice of protein and customizable heat levels from mild to genuinely spicy. The Pad Thai is a reliable benchmark, and the Drunken Noodles are a popular pick for people who want more kick. Appetizers worth ordering include the Thai Dumplings (steamed wontons with chicken, pork, and shrimp in sweet black soy sauce), the Crab Rangoon, and the Fresh Summer Rolls, which are only available at dinner and come wrapped in rice paper with tofu, basil, and peanut sauce. The Thai Elephants Sampler at $14.95 is a smart start for first-timers. They also maintain dedicated vegan and gluten-free menus, which is not something you always find in a small-town Thai restaurant.

What sets Thai Elephants apart from the handful of Asian restaurants scattered across the Finger Lakes is consistency and authenticity. The curries taste like someone's family recipes, not like they came from a sysco flavor packet. Prices are reasonable — most entrees run $13 to $18 — and the kitchen accommodates dietary restrictions without making you feel like a burden. If you have spent the day hiking the gorge or visiting Watkins Glen International, this is exactly the kind of flavorful, warming meal you want afterward.