SENTRY - WATCHING RESTAURANTS Smile Thai Cuisine 2107 S. Rural Road Tempe, 85282 I last visited this restaurant more than 10 years ago, so it was time for a new review. Upon entering I immediately noticed that the inside has totally changed. The entrance seems to be filled with a bar and a cash register and the tables have moved to the side. We started off with an appetizer of chicken satay. Long thin strips of chicken threaded onto skewers and served with a peanut sauce. It was a tasty dish though a bit difficult to get off the wooden skewers. For companions main course, ordered was pork cashew nuts. The dish had a melange of vegetables in a chile/garlic sauce. Companion enjoyed it be was unable to finish the dish because the portion was large. I ordered duck curry. I asked for it to be spicy, but unfortunately it was anything but that. The sauce was thin and without body and had an assortment of veggies in it along with some duck. At the bottom of the bowl I found a leg of duck. The dish was served with white rice which I promptly added to the sauce in an attempt to soak up some of it, but alas, it was to no avail. For drinks, we both ordered Thai Tea, which was properly made. It is served in tall jars, and neither of us could drink it all. If you have real Thai food that is Thai hot, Thai Tea will get rid of the heat on your palate in less than a minute. Cleanliness is a bit of a question, as our table had some old food encrusted on the edge. 3 Stars read more

My bestie and I were craving Thai food and tried going to our usual place. Being at Mekong Plaza on New Year's Day around lunch time, it seemed impossible snagging a parking spot so we decided to go somewhere else. Looking at nearby Thai restaurants, we ventured to Tempe to give our second option a try only to find them closed for the holiday. I see Smile wasn't too far from where we were at so we decided to give them a go. Why not try something new in the new year? We were greeted as soon as we walked in, the host/server was welcoming and provided great service the entire time. We ordered their Thai tea, crab wontons and spring rolls for our drinks and appetizers. They were crispy fried and so delicious. The appetizers come with a standard sweet chili dipping sauce. For my entree I ordered their chicken bbq with a side of fried rice. My friend ordered chicken red curry. For dessert, we ordered their Thai custard sticky rice and the mango sticky rice. Wow! All I can say is, what a great experience! We were so impressed with the food that I think this is our new spot. We'll tell our friends and family to give this restaurant a try. read more

See all

This is the 3rd time I've been here and have NOT been disappointed at all - any time! The place is never usually really busy (which is nice) and often can always walk in and get a table immediately. It's not a noisy place and even though there are a couple of TV's, the volume is off so its not distracting like other restaurants. I'm not really a fan of TV's in restaurants (bars, etc. are fine, but dining restaurants..... nah). Same thing as last night - my wife has been asking me to take her to Smile Thai for a while, as I've been the previous times with a mate who took me there initially. The Green Curry Fried Rice (which is a house specialty) is EXCEPTIONALLY good. Have never had anything like it before and now I'm hooked - have had it every time I've been there and will continue to do so! We shared the Summer Rolls (which are huge and come in a serving of 3) - we had one each and split the other. Served with both peanut sauce and sweet & sour. The Pad See Ew was delicious and we eat Thai often around Tempe and have found this one to be the best we have had - yes, we like the others too, but the sauce is a little different at other places - this was absolutely spot on! Topped off with a couple of Chang beers, and all in the world was good. Go to a local restaurant in Tempe and get yourself some delicious Thai food.. you won't be disappointed. read more

Called in a to go order and noted it would be ready in 30 minutes. Picked up order easily for take out. I got the panang curry with tofu, pad woonsen with chicken, pad eggplant, and satay chicken. All were between 2-3 spice levels. Parking could be confusing. If you enter in from the west side, the parking lot is a one way. Multiple cars were parked in front of the restaurant. Not sure if they were waiting for food. read more

Smile Thai Cuisine - Thai Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

See all

Always have a great visit at Smile Thai! So refreshing to find a consistent place that never lets you down and always serves up delicious well priced food. The lunch specials are giant portions, and there's so many choices on the lunch menu, when usually the items are limited at many other restaurants. Ambience is classy and casual, and they always have great music selection. The server girl is pleasant and always remembers us when we come in, which is appreciated. Great job All! read more

Smile Thai Cuisine - Lunch special #5 Drunken Noodles / Pad Kee Mao with chicken & #9 eggplant garlic with tofu - Thai Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

Really good Thai food. The green curry fried rice was amazing! The fresh spring rolls were indeed fresh and the tom kha (which they offered to do half portion) was also spot on. Nothing was on the sweeter side like most other Thai places so expect the flavors to be slightly different but in a good way! Service was prompt even with one person serving us all. And ambiance was casual, quiet when it empties out but you can hear the chatter when it's full of college age kids read more

See all

I took my daughter to lunch today and we shared the pad see ew and yellow curry! Both were very delicious. I also ordered spice on the side, the fish sauce with Thai chilis. That's the real deal, but spicy. I totally forgot to take a picture but trust me, it's yummy. I have been there a few times and it never disappoints. read more

Though I love trying new spots, this remains my go-to. I love that the dishes always have a nice variety of fresh veggies. My favorites are the drunken noodles, eggplant stirfry, and ginger stirfry. read more

Smile Thai Cuisine - Drunken noodle with chicken at top and ginger chicken at bottom. Always great fresh flavors - Thai Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

Noodles and curry calls out to me like the ocean calls to Moana. You might be wondering, "J-WoW, what's gotten you smiling today?" The answer: Smile Thai Cuisine! Thai Toast ($8.95 for 8 pcs - Flash fried toast filled with marinated ground chicken served with cucumber sauce): I was thinking the Thai toast would be more like the shrimp toast style and I was wrong. It's not as satisfying as shrimp toast. The overall seasoning was way light and most of the flavor came from the cucumber sauce. Drunken Noodles with duck (Pan fried wide rice noodles with your choice of meat, bell peppers, tomatoes, carrots, onions, broccoli, and Thai basil leaves - $17.95 for duck): The most flavorful of the three items, at a heat level of three on a scale of one-to-five, it was good. I was a bit surprised at how little of the noodles they actually supplied though. The technique wasn't quite there either as the little noodles that were there, they were broken. Spectacular flavor though. You really can't go wrong with duck. Yellow Curry with lamb (Choice of meat simmered in coconut milk with yellow curry, carrots, onions, and potatoes - $16.95 for lamb): Being completely honest here, their yellow curry tasted more like coconut milk with a hint of curry flavor on the back end. Where's the spices, the aromatics, and all the good stuff a comforting curry brings? 3.5 stars. While not a place I would return to, I can see why this place is so well-loved. Being so close to the ASU campus does have its perks. Rounding up because the hostess/waitress was nice. read more

See all

Ordered via uber eats - wanted to try something new. Felt like very average Thai food. A bit disappointed in the toppings as every dish had the same kind of veggies. Green curry: not bad but could have stronger curry flavor. Quite sweet. Liked the eggplants in it but wish there were more. Mostly liquid. Pineapple fried rice: rice was a bit mushy, might not have used day old rice like you should. Not many pineapples so didn't get much of that flavor. Had the same veg as curry outside of the eggplant: cabbage, carrots, broccoli. Pad see ew: this is usually served with broccoli and eggs right? Not much eggs at all and mushy noodles. Disappointed. Chicken skewers: sauces good but chicken dry. Overall won't return. Portions large though, that was one thing we liked! read more

See all

AMAZING FOOD!!! If you like spice, definitely do a 4 or 5. The staff are absolutely amazing!! Mine and my daughter's favorite Thai place! read more

2/15/25: yep, still awesome! Arrived this Saturday around 4:30 to an empty restaurant. It slowly filled up, but never got crowded while we were there. We ordered a few different menu items (drunken noodles w/ beef, garlic w/ beef, & the summer rolls), along with our standard orders from any Thai restaurant (Thai tea, sticky rice, crab wontons). Same as our last visit, our server was superior but again I failed to get his name. He was a younger gentleman, extremely pleasant, smiling, and very friendly. read more

See all

Is it the atmosphere that makes one feel they have found the right spot to enjoy their Thai food? Those lamps are simple yet captivating, to add a touch of elegance and make you feel relaxed. Or perhaps it is the service, where you are provided with cups of water without having to request it and offered refills when you may need it. Actually, it's the food, that is enough to share with someone, is served hot, and brings flavors to your tastebuds that you have not tasted before. This combination calls to be enjoyed. During lunch you are provided a soup and while sticking to the plate choice you're familiar with may be good, experiencing a new plate for taste may not leave you disappointed either. My brother-in-law typically handles the ordering for all but on the last visit I requested to try the eggplant plate. No one was disappointed! Their deserts are also served at the needed temperature, texture, and taste, to leave you more than satisfied, it'll leave you thinking about it days later. ENJOY! read more

The food is delicious, and the portions are very generous. It's my go-to takeout for comfort food. I can usually turn one order into two or even three meals, which I really appreciate. My food tastes fresh and satisfying. The service is friendly. read more

Food: We ordered pad Thai, yellow curry, and the green Thai tea. The pad Thai was tasty and had a good amount of sauce. The yellow curry was creamy and the potato and carrots were perfectly sized for easy bites. The green Thai tea got the job done and the large was more than enough for us to share. Service: Our waiter was very kind and helped us order as soon as we sat down. There was only one other table when we sat down for lunch. Ambiance: There's ample parking in the lot. The restaurant is very clean and is modern inside. read more

See all

My partner and I were lucky to find this place open on New Year's eve. We order the Pad Thai with Beef which was surprisingly saucey and had great flavor. We also got the Yellow Curry with Pork and this had a really great portion and I loved the fact it was very soupy and heavy with the coconut milk. I also preferred this option since it didn't have too many distracting ingredients in the mix. The rice that came with the curry though was slightly undercooked. We also ordered the Green Thai Tea, which tasted okay, Id say it tasted just a bit watered down, but it wasn't too bad. Service was great and the person who served us was very helpful and got everything we asked for and needed. He also gave us the spice tray they had and I was glad to see the fish sauce w thai chili as an option. The restaurant is easy to find and there is a good amount of seating inside. When we went, it wasn't busy at all and there was no wait. read more

See all

Yummy food! Was visiting for the weekend and it was perfect to split the pad thai, it was enough for 2 people :) read more

Smile Thai Cuisine - Pad thai, veggie spring rolls - Thai Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

Chicken lettuce wrap filling was so flavorful- only suggestion to include more lettuce for wrapping, the Mango Salad was tasty & refreshing. The Kao Soi was great too. The only negative was the packaging - the sauce from the Mango Salad leaked everywhere in the bag. read more

See all

When I went inside, there were only a couple of people sitting at the tables. It was pretty quiet in there. The inside of the restaurant is pretty small. There didn't seem to be a lot of seating. When you first enter, you come across the counter with a cash register on it, and the sun is shining brightly since the restaurant faces west. The employees were in the back when I first arrived. I was able to pick up my food quickly. I had the tom yum fried rice and pad Thai. The Tom Yum fried rice has a little bit of Tom Yum flavor. I was expecting it to be more flavorful. I have been to another Thai restaurant where their tom yum fried rice was packed for flavor, but was maybe too salty. The food came out hot. I like that the food came out hot. I also like that they had black containers that were microwave safe as opposed to Styrofoam containers. This means that they can handle the heat. When I first had the Tom Yum fried rice, I could taste the Tom Yum flavor. After tasting the pad Thai, I couldn't taste the tom yum flavor in the rice. The pad thai was also a little light on flavor as well. They didn't ask me how spicy I wanted my meal. My meal ended up being not spicy at all. I usually get at least a mild or medium spice level. The parking lot was interesting because you have to enter it by going north on rural and making a right into the parking lot or heading south on rural and making a left into the parking lot because the parking lot right in front of them is a one-way only parking lot. I have been here before and I had really liked their Tom yum soup. I'm not sure if they changed ownership since the last time I visited. read more

See all

Drove by this place few times and finally give it a try . Order a red curry and wing special 9.95 . Red curry was decent , large portion . Normally red curry they have only bamboo shoots and chicken onky . This have mix of green peppers and brocolli. The wings is excellent Thai chilli . Overall would give it another try in future read more

Amazing place & great Thai food! Came here with a friend for the lunch specials & we are completely satisfied! The food came out fast, service was great, & place was really clean. 100% coming back here again! Panang curry was amazing. The green curry was decent lack of flavor so I'll stick to the Panang curry or a different curry next time. The pad see ew was great not too sweet which I liked! Next time going to try their Thai iced green tea! 100% recommend CANT beat the price portion size and service! read more

See all

I had an amazing lunch today after Smile Thai Cuisine. It literally lives up to its name, I left smiling. The food was fresh, well made and delicious!!! The service was great, our server was kind and attentive. The ambiance was welcoming and I really liked the music. I wasn't too hungry. I wanted something good and healthy. I ordered the sweet and sour shrimp soup, vegetable wraps and thai tea. I high recommend this place. I will definitely be back. It isn't easy to find good fresh thai food like this. read more

Smile Thai Cuisine - Spring Rolls. Shrimp soup. - Thai Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

So delicious!! I love the menu and place here it's so aesthetically pleasing lol. I tried Thai food for the first time and it was delicious! The beef salad was so good! I also tried the pad Thai it was great!! read more

I literally just finished eating my meal from Smile and was immediately compelled to write a review. We ordered the orange chicken, drunken noodles with shrimp and pad Thai with chicken for pickup. The food was cooked very quickly- it was ready when I walked in to pick it up even though we only live about 10 minutes away. The orange chicken was very crispy but the breading wasn't super thick like most places cook it. The sauce was much more elevated than the normal super sugary orange chicken sauce we're used to at other Thai places. The drunken noodles were packed with shrimp. Medium spice was a comfortable amount; basically a spicy jalapeño level. The pad Thai was loaded with chicken and was topped with a generous amount of bean sprouts and green onion for a perfect amount of crunch throughout. Everything was cooked to perfection and very flavorful. This will be our new go to for Thai takeout! read more

I ordered the duck noodles and it was soooooo good! It's my go to! They always put plenty of duck meat in their bowls and it's a great to go size portion. I also love their Thai tea. read more

Pleasantly surprised with the takeout received from this restaurant. The staff were super friendly and very helpful when answering questions. I am usually very skeptical about trying places in Tempe as I have had terrible experiences, but I must say I enjoyed everything we received. Obviously we got takeout so I can only write my opinion about that. The cost was around 50$ for an appetizer, 2 entrees, and a dessert, so overall pretty fair these days. It took about 25 mins so I'd say pretty reasonable wait time as well The star of the show for me was the panang curry. Super flavorful, creamy, and rich. I would have preferred a little more spice, but it was delicious either way. The coconut really stood out, as with most panang curries. My boyfriend enjoyed the chicken pad Thai, but again I think it could have used a little more spice. Sensing a pattern here? Apparently I really like spicy food lol. The potstickers were good also. My boyfriend and I consider ourselves connoisseurs of mango sticky rice ever since we went to Thailand, but I am happy to report it was also very tasty. Nothing beats mango sticky from Thailand though! Overall, I would come back. Good spot for Thai in Tempe. Reasonably priced and delicious food! read more

See all

Viewed and placed my order easily through Menupages.com with no service fees. Received a text when my order was ready for pickup. Smile Thai is located in the Salad and Go plaza on Broadway & Rural. It's next to Subway. I can't believe I'd never tried it in all my years living in Tempe! Crispy Pork (Comes with a side of sticky rice), $13.95: -6-7 ribs marinated and coated in crispy garlic. The ribs were not consistent in terms of size although only 2 were on the thinner side. The meat fell off the bone, it was so tender! Seasoned well, not spicy. Definitely enjoyed more than I thought I would. Pad Khing, Chicken, $11.95: Described on their menu as a garlic dish with veggies. Choice of protein from chicken, beef, pork, tofu, prawn, duck, salmon, or seafood. The dish was colorful with yellow and green bell peppers, carrots, broccoli, and mushrooms. The veggies were fresh, not frozen! There were definitely large pieces of fresh ginger throughout the dish. Slight quip, I felt like they could have been slightly more chicken and consistently cut. Overall very fresh, light, and healthy! Would recommend. Pad Thai, Chicken, $11.95: Same choices for protein. Although we opted for chicken there were also some tofu in our pad thai which I was all for. The spice level was not customizable online (which is usually pretty standard) although there was a section for "special notes." There were 2 sides of sriracha, hot chili flakes, and peanuts packaged on the side which was thoughtful. Flavor was average; I'm used to spicy Pad Thai and this was very unspicy. Fried Banana, $5.95: At first I thought my order had been mixed up as there were 3 eggrolls in my box. Nope, it was the fried bananas with cream cheese rolled into eggroll wrappers! It was served with honey(?) although the honey had a slight vinegary taste? We dipped in our own honey. Good although I would have preferred the fried bananas on its' own; bf disagrees and enjoyed the fried banana eggrolls lol. There were some very fancy and boujee pictures of tarts and mousses in the pictures from a few years ago that I didn't see on the menu. I wonder if that changed with the new owner? I hope not because I really wanted them all!!! Although Smile Thai is not my favorite, it is fresh, decently priced, and the flavor is there (next time I'll just have to request spicy). Definitely recommend! read more

See all

It was Xmas Eve and I was very hungry and glad this Thai restaurant was open. It's decent sized with comfy booth seating and professional service. I had a seafood(shrimp, scallops, octopus, fish), veges in fried rice which was very tasty. The price was $25 for the meal(above avg. portion)Thai beer plus tip. Not wowed but no complaints either. Recommended Tempe Thai restaurant. read more

Smile Thai Cuisine - Thai Singha beer - Thai Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

See all

The fried rice is amazing! Reminds me of the fried rice from my favorite Thai Restaurant in Venice Beach that shut down years ago.

Delicious food, prices for take out can fluctuate, but solid portions. Highly recommended all the curries and pineapple fried rice!

We like this place. The food is excellent and at a fair price. I like the yellow curry, spicy sausage and thi tea. Cozy clean and excellent service. Give it a try for sure. BYO beer or wine. read more

WOW! I am at a loss for words! Went out on a limb and tried this place for dinner tonight, and I was not disappointed! I am gluten free, so I am often weary about trying new places for my own well being. I ended up ordering the Drunken Noodles with beef, Rama's favorite and an Iced Thai Tea. I was floored with how delicious the peanut sauce is on the Rama plate, and how flavorful each bite was! The tea was interesting to try, not my favorite but I could see the appeal. I will absolutely be back again! read more

Smile Thai Cuisine gave me a frown today. I arrived around 2:20 pm on a Sunday afternoon. I was seated immediately, and given a menu. The place started filling up, and I noticed that there was only one server to take care of the entire dining room, which had about 8 or 10 tables. All tables filled up completely within the next few minutes, with parties of 3, 4 and 5 people. She asked me right away if I was ready to order, and I felt rushed. I asked to start with Chicken Satay, and then to have Green Curry as my entree, and I stuck to water as my drink. I waited around 10 minutes for her to return with my entire order... the curry and the satay came at the same time. The Chicken Satay was cold, and it was obvious it had been sitting out. The Green Curry was hot with steam rising from the bowl. The food was flavorful, and the order was correct. I didn't see the server again. There was no follow up after I was served. She was super busy taking care of all the other diners in the room. I ate my food, and asked for to-go containers, which took her about 7 minutes to return with, and she brought the bill. I dished up my to-go containers, and then took the check and containers up to the counter to pay. I didn't want to wait for her to come back, get my credit card, etc. I had to wait at the counter while the same server helped out a take-out person with their order. I felt so bad for the poor server! She was the only person out front, trying to help the full restaurant! When I paid, I told her that I was unhappy that my satay came out with the curry, and it was cold. She told me that it was their policy that when it's busy, they send out the entire order at once. OK. Be warned! Anyway - I asked why they don't have another person on staff to help out when it is busy, and she said management didn't have another person, and she has had to do her best. I got the feeling this was not the first time this had to happen. Compliments on her sweet attitude, and ready smile. She was doing her best, and I recognize that. Bottom line: Owners/Managers of the Smile This Cuisine... shame on you for keeping your restaurant understaffed out front. What could have been a pleasant and relaxing experience for me was ruined by poor service and feeling sad for the one server who had to handle the whole house. Please consider hiring another person for the lunch/afternoon time period. If there was another person, I'm sure service would have been better. The food was good, but I won't consider dining in at this restaurant again. Maybe take-out is the way to go - though I'm not sure. read more

The food was absolutely delicious here we had the peanut curry and padpak. We ate outside with my dog, she loved the steamed veggies and rice noodles. The waitress was very kind and accommodating to our pupper. We also had the Mango and sticky purple rice which was incredible. read more

Smile Thai Cuisine - Padpak and my dog eating a rice noodle - Thai Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

The food is amazing! I discovered this place while on temp work assignment in Tempe and it's some of the best Thai food I've ever had. I usually get the Pad Thai with tofu and my friend gets the seafood fried rice. The ambience is quaint and clean. The service is wonderful! Support a local business and give them a try. You won't regret it. read more

This place needs more recognition as it's hidden in the plaza and everyone seems to just drive past it. First off, it's always clean and a calm and relaxing atmosphere. The staff is all super attentive and sweet, they always greet you and they continually keep an eye on water refills and taking away plates. I found this place back in. 2021, as I was craving Lao food and just wanted something similar to nam khao salad but I've had lots of menu items and I'd definitely recommend their green curry and all of their noodles. It's certainly authentic and delicious and the value for the price is great. They also pay close attention for gluten free and vegan requests as they are marked items on the menu. Also if you're craving something refreshing their Thai Tea always hits the spot as it's not too sweet and I request coconut milk for a creamier consistency. (My preference) Definitely must try. read more

See all

The service is wonderful very friendly and the food comes out hot and fresh - great flavors and love eating here. read more

See all

The workers are always friendly and the food is awesome. Juan always takes care of us! Finding tasty/healthy gluten free options is an adventure, but i've never gotten sick here with the GF options. I love the Rama's Favorite, the peanut sauce is to DIE for!! I got some friends hooked on it too lol so we all love it. Also the spicy noodle, or spicy fried rice is bomb.com. Great portion sizing, great flavor, support these awesome people!! read more

Smile Thai Cuisine - Rama's Favorite with rice noodles & side of extra veggies. Lots of leftovers lol - Thai Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

Been coming to this place for so many years and every time I go I have such a good experience it was time to post a review! The service is 10/10 always no matter who you get as your server. The food is also delicious and comes out in a good time. Not to mention the place smells clean and you can tell the workers put in a lot of effort to keep up with the sanitary standards a restaurant should have. My fav things to order is the drunken noodles, crab rangoons, and the Thai tea! read more

Smile Thai Cuisine - Drunken Noodle - Thai Near Me - Tempe, Arizona

See all

Their pad thai is seriously amazing! It is the best I've ever had! If you are looking for somewhere with good food, this place is it:)