Great lunch special with several options. I usually get the lemongrass soup, egg roll, and chicken pad thai. They also have several curry options on their lunch special menu. read more

A few evenings ago, I organized a birthday dinner for a friend and was happy to learn that they did not charge a cake-cutting fee. The restaurant is small (it fits approximately 3 small tables and 2 long tables), so I was glad I made a reservation. Their food portions were large and the prices fair. The staff was accommodating in every way possible. Above all, the reason I love them is they are truly an honest small business. Because we were a party of 7, they automatically included an 18% gratuity charge on our bill. I had not paid enough attention (due to the considerable amount of wine I had merrily consumed), so I added an additional 20% tip of the entire bill on my credit card. On the next morning, I did the math in my head and realized my mistake. When I called Smile Cafe to confirm my suspicion, they offered to give me a refund. I might be jaded, but I am genuinely amazed by how much business integrity Smile Cafe has. In all my years, I have not encountered such righteous people who doesn't just want to take my money. I will definitely return for many BYOB dinner dates and you hope that you will as well. read more

Great value for lunch. Ate there with a colleague and our tab was $17 for two apps and an entree. This solid thai food. Not spectacular but solid. read more

I was recently in Smile Cafe to celebrate my dad's birthday along with the rest of my family that was visiting from California and we left fans of this place! First off, this restaurant has a very intimate feel to the place and this beautiful mural of the many faces of Thailand. It's worth to sneak a peek! They were able to accommodate our larger group of 6 in their smaller restaurant and seated us right away! We started off with spring rolls and edamame, which were both a big hit of those. And everyone had ordered their own entrees that varied from Red Curry to Drunken Noodles to Pad Thai. The consensus of the table was that everyone was enjoying their respective meals denoted by the silence that came directly after the food arrived. (You know that the food is good when people can't be bothered with conversation.) I also was pleased that they were able to give me a respectable spice for the dish (some places barely even give you any spice when you request it). All in all, I found a new regular thai spot near my place! I'll definitely be back to try their lunch combo specials! read more

Meh...wasn't crazy about this place:/ Though the place is super cute with cozy decor, it's pretty small and I couldn't imagine eating there when there's a full house. Luckily my friend and I went in as soon as they opened so we basically had the place to ourselves. I ordered the panang curry with duck. The duck looked way better than it actually tasted. It was just too dry, no bueno. The panang sauce was OK but nothing to wax poetic over. It's take out spot quality food, I think I would have been less bummed about not having an amazing meal if I were sitting on my couch eating it. One plus out of the experience, I took some Pad Thai home because everyone raved about it in previous reviews and it was quite delicious. read more

I really wanted to give Smile four stars--I really and truly did. Went here on a date last night, after not having gone in at least a year. I had used to go to Smile a lot with friends before seeing a show at First Unitarian, right around the corner (rest easy, old friend), and remembered it as a really solid Thai spot. Which it certainly still is! I'm a huge fan of the Pineapple Fried Rice (no Shrimp), and will get it every time. When we arrived, my friend and I were the only people in (around 6:00pm), and got the great seat by the window. Our server was speedy in the beginning, but then as the night got longer, his visits to our table came less and less--to the point where other diners who had arrived after us had gotten their to-go boxes and gone, all while we were clearly waiting on the server. A mild annoyance, but still, could have been a little more attentive. I'll definitely still be coming to Smile, it's a great little place that's off of a lot of people's radar for being located where it is. Three solid stars, nothing to be ashamed of! read more

What a little gem!! Last Friday, I was in need of a date night at a byo stat. My boyfriend did a little research said some good options would be Smile Cafe or Aqua. Aqua is closer, so we opted to go there. Big mistake--they are packed with groups and our sans-reservations selves were told to wait half an hour. Um, sorry, we're too hungry for that!! We hopped in a cab and headed to Smile Cafe and I'm so glad we did!! A lovely, quaint little thai restaurant that felt very relaxed and romantic. We ordered soup (delish) and spring rolls. The bf got some drunken noodles and declared they were the best he'd ever had. I order chicken with basil and it was excellent. Perfect amount of sauce, veggies and chicken. In fact, they have a list of about 6 proteins and 8 sauces and you can create your own meal. and, the service was excellent. After dinner, we just sat for about 40 minutes finishing our wine. We weren't rushed at all! No one came and asked if we wanted anything else... we just sat and sipped. I didn't see the bill, but I was told it was totally reasonable. We'll be back for sure!! read more

I am very picky when it comes to Thai food, since I worked at a Thai restaurant for years and cook my own dishes. I also like my Pad Thai to be more tangy than sweet and this place has it :) The lovely duck is delicious!! Good service too Highly highly recommend and it's affordable! read more

Cozy atmosphere...friendly staff...great food...what else could you ask for? Smile cafe has been my favorite thai restaurant in the area since my first visit 4years ago... read more

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Had a great dinner here last night. The coconut soup & chicken satay apps were perfect. I had the pad thai & my bf had the spicy noodle- both were delicious. Great atmosphere although it is very tight...we were basically sitting at the same table as another party- but otherwise it was great! Will be back- they do take out too! read more

Great BYOB and Delicious Thai Food! Smile Cafe was very accommodating with our reservations. I had to call a few times to change our reservation time and also the number in our party. The food was delicious. Their menu is just the right size that offers everything you crave when it comes to Thai food. The service is quick! The prices are wonderful and portions are just right. I will be back many times. read more

Wants to try something new for lunch. I googled "lunch specials" in my area and lo and behold there was Smile right around the corner! No joke, this is definitely a solid bang-for-your-buck lunch special place! Got an entree with 2 apps (and extra chicken) for $10.50. Massive portion. As for the food, it was okay. I got the pad Thai with chicken and this was lacking much flavor. But the portion size was exactly what I was looking for. I'd come back to try different things for lunch, especially cause it was so reasonably priced! read more

Smile Cafe is a solid spot for good Thai food. I normally get the Pad Thai with tofu and the vegetarian steamed dumplings. Good combo and very filling. Service is always on point. Be prepared to wait though because it is a small restaurant, so take-out is normally a good option. Or they do delivery during dinner, not during lunch. I would give them five stars, but they do have some volatility in their food quality. On average, it's definitely pretty good, but sometimes it's great and sometimes it's okay. I think it's because they vary the spice levels so much. If you love your Thai food spicy, then this may not be the place for you because they are hit or miss with how spicy they make it. read more

I have eaten a lot of Thai food in my day, but this might be the best curry I've ever had!! I got the Panang curry with fried tofu and veggies, and it was AMAZING . The rice also was an excellent consistency, good stuff :). read more

This place is relatively small and very cute. It has good art on the walls, a water fountain, and more "proper" art gallery on the second floor. I like the $7.95 lunch special. You get a small appetizer (soup/ salad/ dumplings/ egg rolls, I think) and a generously portioned entree (lots of choices.) The place is also BYOB (no corkage fee) so you can bring some beer or wine if you like. The service is friendly and nice. The place is also often quite busy, making it a cozy environment to share a meal with a friend. I highly suggest this place! In terms of the entrees, I've had the drunken noodles, tilapia, pineapple fried rice, regular fried rice, and salmon before - all were very good. read more

I went here for a friend's birthday. It's a small place, but our table of nine fit just fine. The food was amazing (out of nine people, one complained about their noodles being a bit on the salty side) and the staff were super accommodating and friendly. We sat around and got a little stupid with real Jamaican Rum. We could have had a bottle of coke (to go with our rum on the table) if we had wanted to...they also let you bring in your own birthday cake :):) Everything I ordered had seafood in it--seafood soup with a coconut broth (very good and I remember it fell in the $4 range) and a rice/seafood platter with lemon grass (and then maybe there was some garlic and coconut in there as well). Yum! We also asked them to open the upstairs for us so we could check out the artwork on the walls (I think there's a gallery next door and they display their work)...they totally didn't have to go out of their way like that for us, but I'm glad they did and I'll be back. read more

This place is a great little restaurant with byo and Eve better for takeout, it is for sure our go-to thai location! The thai spaghetti is delicious and comes with tofu or can be made veggies only or with chicken, the peanut sauce is delicious! Their spring rolls are also a must for an added side dish and they're pretty inexpensive. Price-wise overall is not necessarily cheap, but not expensive either, it falls somewhere in the middle and for takeout for two people we usually fall in the $25 range. Will continue to return and recommend This place! read more

Still the best! It's been a bunch of years since my wife and I frequented smile cafe. It's still my favorite Thai in philly or Nyc. The pad Thai and curries are all excellent and authentic. I love this place. I wish we still lived nearby. Don't miss this place! read more

Very strange. I ordered dinner from here, and I planned on tipping with cash. About 5 min after I ordered I got a call asking if I am going to tip. I then received a call from the driver 20 min later asking if I was going to tip. Tips are earned, they are not obligatory. The food was not good and in my estimation it was not deserving of any type of tip read more

I have an absolute favorite Thai restaurant in Philly which is sadly closed on Mondays. I ordered take out from Smile the other night and got the veggie dumplings, duck pad Thai, spicy noodles, and pad see ew. I think this place will become a close second, or at least a Monday night favorite. Delivery was super speedy too, and came in 25-30 mins instead of the projected 45! read more

Never being one to turn my nose up at a Thai BYO, my boyfriend and I ventured over to the quaint Smile Cafe/Gallery's on a quiet Saturday evening. Being the cautious diners we are, we called ahead for an 8:30 reservation, only to walk in to a nearly empty restaurant. Good Yelp reviews and vacated on a Saturday night?! We soon found out that this night was an anomaly. From the moment we walked in and pulled out our bottles of wine, the service was fantastic. The ambiance was peaceful and romantic. Everything we ordered, from our spring rolls to panang curry to pad thai came out with generous portions and delicious flavor. And when my boyfriend a) thinks a portion is big and b) the pad thai is the "best so far in Philly," we know that we will be returning. read more

Been months since our visit but it's sooo good, I just have to write about them. This place, though small has very good, flavorful food. I always order duck when we go for Thai and this place has the best hands down. Crispy but not greasy. It seems like there was only one girl serving that night, but it was not too long of a wait despite all tables being occupied. Planning another weekend trip to Philly and my daughter already requested that the hotel be near that Thai restaurant...SMILE! read more

Smile Cafe - Duck with red curry sauce...delish! - Thai Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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I ordered take-out for lunch because my favorite go-to Thai place was closed. I was super hungry and all I was craving was noodles...my expectations were not that high. Yet still the food managed to disappoint. The drunken noodles seemed a bit dry to be "drunken". There wasn't any sauce to be seen or tasted, except the occasional pocket of oil. The noodles were mushy and stuck together in one giant lump, more like potatoes au gratin. They were lukewarm, so I started eating without worrying about it being too hot, except suddenly I found myself scrambling for water because I hit a hot spot so hot it burned the top of my mouth. What this tells me is that this was sitting around and microwaved when I ordered. On top of that, the steamed dumpling was doughy and tasteless, despite that it was floating in sauce and had some sort of filling (pork??). I have never in my life thrown away a steamed dumpling, but today was a first. I don't see any point in going back. This was hands-down the worst Thai food I've had. read more

I love this place so much. My boyfriend and I stumbled on Smile Cafe on DoorDash and have ordered it 3 times in the past two weeks. I haven't been disappointed by anything yet. Our go to items are chicken satay, and panang curry as well as the duck curry. I'm so thankful that we found this place. read more

Best Thai lunch special deal! For $7.95, you get an appetizer, soup and entree. I really don't think anything can beat that price and deal. I'm a huge fan of Drunken Noodles and always get it here! It's really delicious, especially with shrimp! Just wish it wasn't such a far walk from Center City so I could get it more often..I guess the exercise is useful... read more

Good takeout and fairly speedy. I always order the shrimp pad Thai and it has yet to disappoint. Would recommend for lunch or a quick dinner run. read more

I had a order to go of fried salmon salad and a half of roasted duck in tamarind sauce with a side of sticky rice. The salad was just ok. The sticky rice was not the original one and a very small portion. The duck was good, a little bit dry but still tasty. The place restaurant seem very cosy and the staff very friendly. I will recommend this place. read more

Smile Cafe - Boneless roasted duck in tamarind sauce. 15.45 - Thai Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Last friday night, my friends and I were hoping to score a last minute reservation at a BYOB. While trying to score a reservation at some of the more ubiquitous philly byobs can be tough the day before or the day of, smile cafe happily accomodated my group of 6. This place may seem a little unassuming from the outside, but they make tasty, affordable food. If you're in the mood for Thai, this is a solid option. Check out their lunch specials sometime too. It's a great deal. Can't be beat! read more

I went to Smile Cafe a few weeks back with friends (and had been CRAVING Thai food for weeks). And they did not disappoint! I ordered the "Create Your Own" with chicken, rice and yellow curry sauce. The service was quick and all of our dishes were delicious. Great serving sizes (had enough for some leftovers) and beautiful presentation. I could definitely tell that the ingredients were fresh! Chill atmosphere with plenty of room for any size group (we had approx. 9 people, but there were others around the restaurant with 2-4 diners). In my opinion, the prices were fair (since you get so much food!). All-in-all, I had a great dining experience and can't wait to go back! read more

I came here with a group of my friends and had a great time. We made a reservation and even when we came 20 minutes early, they accommodated us quickly and were very friendly. The food was also good. It's not the best Thai food I've ever had but it's definitely the best I've had in Philly. I got the pad thai (shrimp and chicken) which did not disappoint. It had plenty of both proteins, which i really appreciated. And, the portions are huge! I took leftovers home and when I reheated it the next day, it was still good. I recommend Smile to any budget-conscious Thai lovers (who also appreciate a BYO) read more

Smile Cafe has decent Thai food, but it did not blow me away, and there are better options in the area. The atmosphere is nice. It is small, but because it is attached to the gallery, the addition of the art makes it a nice space for a meal. The service is nice and helpful. But the food just really is not special. The spicy lemongrass soup is alright, but not anything to write home about. The curries are just ok. The penang and massaman curries had a nice taste to it. But the chicken was a little tough and the veggies weren't cooked that well. I was happy to try Smile Cafe, but I think for Thai food I will go to one of the other restaurants in the area. read more

I went out tonight in search of dinner. It was really rainy and windy. Totally nasty out. I had already walked several blocks and didn't feel like walking much more. I came to the corner of 22 & Chestnut and looked and saw this place. The menu looked good. So i gave it a try....for the first and last time. When I placed my order for the chicken coconut milk soup and the spicy noodles with chicken and shrimp, the first noise I heard in from the kitchen was a microwave beeping....big disappointment!! I should have canceled my order immediately. The food came out within 10 minutes. and i returned home within minutes to chow down. The soup was FLAVORLESS! It tasted as though they took coconut milk, scallions, mushrooms, and chicken and boiled it until the chicken cooked and stuck it in a container. The spicy noodles were OK. for something "spicy", there wasn't a lot of spice. Again, lacking flavor. there could have been more basil and certainly more chili flavor. So overall, the food didnt taste BAD, it was lacking in the flavor department. If you want a better thai experience, try circles new bold in south philly on Tasker St!! read more

Barely better than a run of the mill chinese take-out joint. I paid 16 dollars for a tough piece of duck that tasted defrosted on top of steamed vegetables sitting in a pool of trader joe's sweet thai chili sauce. My friend got fried rice that tasted mealy and under-flavored. This is thai cuisine we're talking about here. where's the complex flavors? lemongrass, lime, coconut, curry, cilantro chiles ... terrible. I can only imagine the high ratings are from people in the neighborhood used to inadequate thai offerings. read more

Went here for lunch. Small place with very closely spaced tables. If you want to eat here, probably go little earlier or later than the usual lunch time of around 12.30 pm. People are friendly. Menu is like a 40-50 year old book and gives the feeling that pages might wear off by your shear touch. Quite a few choices on menu which is good. I had the spicy fried rice with chicken. The portion is good. DONT look inside the kitchen even if u get sneak peek, you might barf or leave the place altogether. Word of Caution : Don't get the chicken, it stinks when u eat it. Get tofu or down other meat. Don't get the spring rolls, they are frozen and deep fried just before bringing out to you. I saw them getting those out from freezer and makes u feel bad for literally drinking oil. read more

We lived in Thailand for 3 years and this is as close as it gets here in Philly! REALLY good food and service is perfect...it's BYOB. It is a small space, but they do take reservations. They have even made dishes for us that were not on their menu and gave us a "recipe" for a dish they did not have ingredients for. Also do take out, which we do when don't feel like going out. You should try this place if you like Thai food...much better than the other philly thai restaurants. read more

Smile is a sweet, homey, clean restaurant and the staff is always knowledge and helpful. I enjoyed the food, but I'd recommend that if you don't like things super sweet, let them know. They'll adjust the dish to your preference. read more

The price is right, but Smile Cafe's lunch special did not impress me. Drunken noodles were overcooked and tasteless, and most of the container made its way into trash. Should have reviewed some Yelp reviews before ordering take out. Lesson learned. read more

This place is very small but the food is amazing. The sweet spicy chilli wings are my favorite

I placed an order for delivery for the first time, and there was PUBIC HAIR in the rice!!! DISGUSTING!!!

i used to live 2 blocks from here and when i first walked by i wasn't too moved, but it looked cute and small so i decided to try it out. Can't complain and I've been going here regularly since. The food is great, its cozy and the service is top notch. The gallery upstairs is also worth checking out. i approve =] read more