On a Sunday with almost no choices for food available anywhere on Oak Island, we decided to stop by this restaurant. Although during business hours that were posted, the sign on the door said "Closed", The owner answered the phone and took our order. She prepared the order and came to the door. While she was ringing us out, there were problems with the card reader. I had to get cash to pay. While waiting, we discussed where she was from in Thailand. I have visited various parts of Thailand in the past and we talked about it as well. The food was freshly prepared and very flavorful. The only thing, and it may have been a supply issue because of the times, is that the rice was regular white rice and not jasmine rice. We were the only customers and she prepared our dishes, prepared prik nom pla for us immediately, and greeted and thanked me in Thai. All in all a very nice experience.
Stiv X
Amazing By the Sea Delight and Spicy Fried Rice. Will eat here many times.
Morgan Taylor
Went in when they opened at 5 and was told it would be 8:15 (15 minutes after they close) before the food would be ready?? But based on the other reviews it seems this is a regular problem and apparently the only thing thats good is the coconut cake
The Doodlebug
Owner has his times mixed up, whether or not the store was open for ordering was a hit or miss. The meals were okay, but the best part was certainly the coconut cake.
Alison Hilkey
Very friendly. Best thai food I've had. It did take a while to get food. But it was a long wait at every restaurant we tried.
B G
Couldn't order because the worker was chatting and then informed me we were four minutes too late to order take out. Very understanding, considering phones are out all over the island. I cannot understand why people would enter the service industry and then have poor customer service skills. The food probably isn't very good either.
Crystal Jones
My expectations were high here. I called on a Wednesday at 6:00. I ordered the sampler & Chicken Eggplant entree w white rice. My ETA was ALMOST 2 HOURS LATER....i was told pickup @ 7:40 !!!! Soo, I'm thinking...must be excellent, right? The Wontons were good...small, but good. The Dumplings were good, small & a bit overcooked. The vegetable rolls clearly held a lot of oil & were mostly wrappings & oil...it retain a good amount of oil... hardly any veggies. My Chicken Eggplant had awesome vegetables & white rice.... however , the Chicken tasted very weird & undercooked...no pink, but very strange. Definitely NOT HIGH END QUALITY...Plus wait time is absolutely ridiculous
Rushn Honey
Very good Cashew Nut Chicken. The appetizer sampler was delicious and crispy, thanks to the clever vented takeout box. Call early so you don't miss out!
KAJ
We've had Thai food all over the United States, this place is up there as one of ours favorites. Simple menu, that allows all dishes to be very well done. You have to be on your redial game to get your order in but worth the effort. To the 1 star raters who have not tasted their food, come on man, stop your whining and try harder to get your order in on time. Its worth it. We eat here frequently and are never disappointed.
sharon smith
Great food, especially their coconut cake! I always get their curry, delicious is the only word to describe it. I usually make 2 meals put of one order.
Great place! Always making great food. Clean kitchen, good people. They were gracious enough to make me something during lunch hours when they are supposed to be closed right now.
HMM31
I was born and raised in Brunswick County and for years I had heard so many friends talk about how great Thai By the Sea is. I finally decided to check it out on Sunday evening. I double checked the hours before I went. Their hours said they were open until 8pm on Sundays. It was 7 so I figured it wouldn't be unreasonable to get take out. I arrived at 7:13 and was met by the owner at the front of the restaurant. I asked to put in a to go order and he told us that they were no longer taking orders for the night. To quote the owner, "We've stopped taking orders for the night. We don't take orders after 8:30 so that we don't get backed up and can close at 8. There aren't a lot of places open on Sunday evenings." I think he meant to say "7:30" and misspoke but I double checked the time on my phone and it was 7:13. I was pretty confused but left and found food elsewhere. I have worked in the food service industry and I would never try to eat a restaurant less than 30 minutes before closing because I know what it's like to just want to go home. But it was over 45 minutes before they closed and I wasn't planning to dine in. I later realized that they were take out only(which would explain the why the restaurant was empty). I also thought maybe they just didn't have help because of the pandemic but after looking at other reviews from YEARS back, I don't think this could be chalked up to the pandemic. I'm disappointed and I don't like to leave 1 star reviews and I would love change my rating and review in the future once I can actually try the food, but I don't plan to be back anytime soon. Maybe one day.
James Murray
I would love to tell about how wonderful the food and service at Thai By the Sea, but I cannot. It’s clearly listed online and here on Google that they closed at 8:00 on Sunday nights. However, when I arrived at 7:13 to place a take out order I was told they weren’t taking any orders because, “we close at 8:00/8:30.” I would completely understand if I had come in right at 8:00 to order food that they were about to close, not 47 minutes before the advertised closing time. The man behind the counter seemed honestly annoyed at the very presence of customers trying to order food because as he said, “not much is open on the island on Sunday.” I watched several other people have the exact experience as we were leaving and spoke to another couple who also were turned away plenty of time before the advertised closing time. If it’s so incredibly obvious you do not want the business of customers before you close, don’t tell the world you’re open until 8:00. While I was not served any food, I was served disappointment from a place that seems to be loved by many. Unfortunately, with such a terrible attitude given I don’t think it’s worth giving my patronage in the future.
Judy Mize
We love Gai's yellow curry and coconut cake.
Lindsey H. Barber
Great Thai food, nice owners. Husband and wife duo who have pride in their food. Since it’s just the two of them, it can be hard to get your order in during busy times, but worth the effort.
On a Sunday with almost no choices for food available anywhere on Oak Island, we decided to stop by this restaurant. Although during business hours that were posted, the sign on the door said "Closed", The owner answered the phone and took our order. She prepared the order and came to the door. While she was ringing us out, there were problems with the card reader. I had to get cash to pay. While waiting, we discussed where she was from in Thailand. I have visited various parts of Thailand in the past and we talked about it as well. The food was freshly prepared and very flavorful. The only thing, and it may have been a supply issue because of the times, is that the rice was regular white rice and not jasmine rice. We were the only customers and she prepared our dishes, prepared prik nom pla for us immediately, and greeted and thanked me in Thai. All in all a very nice experience.
Amazing By the Sea Delight and Spicy Fried Rice. Will eat here many times.
Went in when they opened at 5 and was told it would be 8:15 (15 minutes after they close) before the food would be ready?? But based on the other reviews it seems this is a regular problem and apparently the only thing thats good is the coconut cake
Owner has his times mixed up, whether or not the store was open for ordering was a hit or miss. The meals were okay, but the best part was certainly the coconut cake.
Very friendly. Best thai food I've had. It did take a while to get food. But it was a long wait at every restaurant we tried.
Couldn't order because the worker was chatting and then informed me we were four minutes too late to order take out. Very understanding, considering phones are out all over the island. I cannot understand why people would enter the service industry and then have poor customer service skills. The food probably isn't very good either.
My expectations were high here. I called on a Wednesday at 6:00. I ordered the sampler & Chicken Eggplant entree w white rice. My ETA was ALMOST 2 HOURS LATER....i was told pickup @ 7:40 !!!! Soo, I'm thinking...must be excellent, right? The Wontons were good...small, but good. The Dumplings were good, small & a bit overcooked. The vegetable rolls clearly held a lot of oil & were mostly wrappings & oil...it retain a good amount of oil... hardly any veggies. My Chicken Eggplant had awesome vegetables & white rice.... however , the Chicken tasted very weird & undercooked...no pink, but very strange. Definitely NOT HIGH END QUALITY...Plus wait time is absolutely ridiculous
Very good Cashew Nut Chicken. The appetizer sampler was delicious and crispy, thanks to the clever vented takeout box. Call early so you don't miss out!
We've had Thai food all over the United States, this place is up there as one of ours favorites. Simple menu, that allows all dishes to be very well done. You have to be on your redial game to get your order in but worth the effort. To the 1 star raters who have not tasted their food, come on man, stop your whining and try harder to get your order in on time. Its worth it. We eat here frequently and are never disappointed.
Great food, especially their coconut cake! I always get their curry, delicious is the only word to describe it. I usually make 2 meals put of one order.
Restaurantji Recommends
Great place! Always making great food. Clean kitchen, good people. They were gracious enough to make me something during lunch hours when they are supposed to be closed right now.
I was born and raised in Brunswick County and for years I had heard so many friends talk about how great Thai By the Sea is. I finally decided to check it out on Sunday evening. I double checked the hours before I went. Their hours said they were open until 8pm on Sundays. It was 7 so I figured it wouldn't be unreasonable to get take out. I arrived at 7:13 and was met by the owner at the front of the restaurant. I asked to put in a to go order and he told us that they were no longer taking orders for the night. To quote the owner, "We've stopped taking orders for the night. We don't take orders after 8:30 so that we don't get backed up and can close at 8. There aren't a lot of places open on Sunday evenings." I think he meant to say "7:30" and misspoke but I double checked the time on my phone and it was 7:13. I was pretty confused but left and found food elsewhere. I have worked in the food service industry and I would never try to eat a restaurant less than 30 minutes before closing because I know what it's like to just want to go home. But it was over 45 minutes before they closed and I wasn't planning to dine in. I later realized that they were take out only(which would explain the why the restaurant was empty). I also thought maybe they just didn't have help because of the pandemic but after looking at other reviews from YEARS back, I don't think this could be chalked up to the pandemic. I'm disappointed and I don't like to leave 1 star reviews and I would love change my rating and review in the future once I can actually try the food, but I don't plan to be back anytime soon. Maybe one day.
I would love to tell about how wonderful the food and service at Thai By the Sea, but I cannot. It’s clearly listed online and here on Google that they closed at 8:00 on Sunday nights. However, when I arrived at 7:13 to place a take out order I was told they weren’t taking any orders because, “we close at 8:00/8:30.” I would completely understand if I had come in right at 8:00 to order food that they were about to close, not 47 minutes before the advertised closing time. The man behind the counter seemed honestly annoyed at the very presence of customers trying to order food because as he said, “not much is open on the island on Sunday.” I watched several other people have the exact experience as we were leaving and spoke to another couple who also were turned away plenty of time before the advertised closing time. If it’s so incredibly obvious you do not want the business of customers before you close, don’t tell the world you’re open until 8:00. While I was not served any food, I was served disappointment from a place that seems to be loved by many. Unfortunately, with such a terrible attitude given I don’t think it’s worth giving my patronage in the future.
We love Gai's yellow curry and coconut cake.
Great Thai food, nice owners. Husband and wife duo who have pride in their food. Since it’s just the two of them, it can be hard to get your order in during busy times, but worth the effort.
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