Review: Hilton Head Island’s Thai Smile
On this episode of the Eat It and Like It Podcast, Jesse catches up with Hilton Head Island’s Monica Jacobs, better known as The Sandwich Maven, to talk about a Thai food discovery on the island. After seeing Monica’s social media post about Thai Smile on Hilton Head’s south end, Jesse invited her on to share the details. Monica talks about trying the restaurant after her husband found it on TikTok, what they ordered — including pad thai, drunken noodles, mango sticky rice and Thai tea — and why the drunken noodles were the surprise favorite. The conversation also gets into Asian food around Hilton Head, takeout, summer dining on the island and the never-ending search for great meals.
Sometimes the best food discoveries come from a little scrolling and a rainy day.
That is more or less how Monica Jacobs, known on social media as The Sandwich Maven, found herself at Thai Smile on Hilton Head Island’s south end. Her husband Andy had first spotted the restaurant on TikTok, and after a little nudging, the two finally made their way there on a chilly, dreary day that felt just right for Thai food.
“I’m like, all right, let’s go,” Monica said. “You gotta be in the mood for it.”
The restaurant is located near Publix, Sea Pines and the Bowdie’s Chop House area, putting it in a busy pocket of the island that locals do not always rush toward during season. Monica admitted she was a little skeptical about heading that far south, but once they arrived, she was pleasantly surprised.
Their order was not small. Monica said they had enough food for four people, but they managed just fine with pad Thai, drunken noodles, mango sticky rice and Thai tea.
“I think four people could have eaten that and we stuffed our faces,” she said.
While Monica expected the pad Thai to be her favorite, the drunken noodles won the night. They ordered those with chicken, while the pad Thai came with tofu — something Monica says she almost always orders when she sees it on a menu.
“They were all great,” she said. “They hit the nail on the head with the flavor, the spice.”
One note for anyone sensitive to heat: Thai Smile’s medium apparently brings a little punch. Monica said she would likely go a little milder next time, though she enjoyed the flavor and heat.
Beyond the food, she was also impressed with the service and atmosphere. Thai Smile is not a giant restaurant, which worked in its favor.
“The service was fantastic,” Monica said. “It was small, it was cute, the bar was cute. I felt good.”
Her overall grade? A solid four to four-and-a-half stars out of five.
For Hilton Head diners looking for something a little different — or for visitors who have hit their seafood limit during vacation — Thai Smile sounds like a worthy stop on the south end. As Monica put it, she would absolutely go back. Find more from Monica at @thesandwichmaven on Instagram and TikTok.
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