Thai Basil

Love this place! Been coming here for years for the Pad Thai, and now my kids love it too. Important: CASH ONLY, there is a bank of america around the corner. It gets busy sometimes at dinner time but if you happen to get there at the right time there may not be a line. They move pretty fast and the wait isn't usually very long. It is small inside bit you can take it to go or find a seat out in the courtyard. The courtyards not very clean so take wipes for younger kids who tend to touch everything, there is one public bathroom for all the shops in the courtyard. You really don't want to use it, if you don't have to. Plus you have to get a key, and walk down a dingy halfway. Again don't do it, unless last resort.

The quantity. Its sooo much! But they don't sacrifice quality for that. So basically you get a lot of good food. Easily for 2 people worth in 1 dish. Order any of their curry and rice. I had the red vegetarian one. Amazing. The spice level is also spot on. Hot means you're ready to get some heat on your tongue and very hot is a real challenge in this August hot weather. Overall, really good food and service.

Basil chili seafood if u can handle the heat get Thai hot 🔥 💥💣hella good!

It probably depends on the day and time you go but I went on the weekend. I had their Lychee Pineapple curry and it was amazing. Lick the plate clean, good, and it wasn't overly sweet, but pretty balanced. The Papaya salad was also lick the plate clean, good. I just wish the portion wax 2x as much for the Papaya salad. Super reasonable, non-yuppy pricing. Like every other place was 40-60 a plate, and this was on pay or cheaper than our local East Side places like Red Chili and just as good with a better/different menu variety.

Thai Basil restaurant serve Thais home cooking which is very suitable for overseas student particularly from Asia.

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve had the fried rice here. The Basil Fried Rice Chicken is soooooo good! It is a little pricey for rice, but they give you so much that it’s two meals for me. The staff can be intimidating, but I order takeout so it doesn’t bother me. Thai Basil is a staple of South Side!

Loved the basil chili chicken! Got it Thai spicy (max spicy) which added a great kick. The flavor was great and there was some sauce that mixed really well with the rice.

CASH ONLY & the best reason to have cash on me around campus. All the pan fried noodle dishes are amazing, but I get the pad kee mao every time. Items are priced so that your total comes to .00 or .50 even after tax!

Lovely place with really good food and extremely reasonable prices. I always get the pad see ewe and it's great! They have vegetarian options too! One thing to be careful about is that they are cash only, but there is an ATM nearby I think in Asian Ghetto. Or there is a Bank of America ATM down the street on telegraph. Definitely recommend this place if you want food or anything.

Lusiana Gomulia

Thai Basil restaurant serve Thais home cooking which is very suitable for overseas student particularly from Asia.

Emily Spradlin

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve had the fried rice here. The Basil Fried Rice Chicken is soooooo good! It is a little pricey for rice, but they give you so much that it’s two meals for me. The staff can be intimidating, but I order takeout so it doesn’t bother me. Thai Basil is a staple of South Side!

Alan Zhu

Loved the basil chili chicken! Got it Thai spicy (max spicy) which added a great kick. The flavor was great and there was some sauce that mixed really well with the rice.

Barbara Yang

CASH ONLY & the best reason to have cash on me around campus. All the pan fried noodle dishes are amazing, but I get the pad kee mao every time. Items are priced so that your total comes to .00 or .50 even after tax!

Steven Du

Lovely place with really good food and extremely reasonable prices. I always get the pad see ewe and it's great! They have vegetarian options too! One thing to be careful about is that they are cash only, but there is an ATM nearby I think in Asian Ghetto. Or there is a Bank of America ATM down the street on telegraph. Definitely recommend this place if you want food or anything.

Best spicy food I have ever had. Super packed with flavor and absolutely satisfying! Words cannot describe how good it was. I now have my new favorite go to place. I will definitely dine here again.

My go-to is the basil fried rice chicken as it is always consistent. The wok-flavor is present in every bite I take. The basil flavor is perfect and something many other authentic Thai restaurants can’t quite get right. Pro-tip is to ask for chili powder and mix the fried rice with it before eating.

Been going here for years!!! Always a good warm meal during the winter months. Love the pineapple curry! Located in an area with many different restaurants for your liking

Quaint little place loved the atmosphere. Also, the client cow that was there was very engaging and fun to be with the food was utterly. Amazing, could not ask for more authentic than real Chinese food.

wolfjm11

Been going here for years!!! Always a good warm meal during the winter months. Love the pineapple curry! Located in an area with many different restaurants for your liking

steve mead

Quaint little place loved the atmosphere. Also, the client cow that was there was very engaging and fun to be with the food was utterly. Amazing, could not ask for more authentic than real Chinese food.

Dominic Tsang

My go-to is the basil fried rice chicken as it is always consistent. The wok-flavor is present in every bite I take. The basil flavor is perfect and something many other authentic Thai restaurants can’t quite get right. Pro-tip is to ask for chili powder and mix the fried rice with it before eating.

Sarah Thomas

Best spicy food I have ever had. Super packed with flavor and absolutely satisfying! Words cannot describe how good it was. I now have my new favorite go to place. I will definitely dine here again.

The Pad See Ew with chicken is just awesome. Very reasonably priced too.

This is one of my favorite restaurants, i would also recommend The House to all my friends! Parking is a bit tough around the North Beach area, so plan ahead. The service was amazing, the wasabi noodles are to die for!

Thai basil is great for large portions and great food for a relatively low price! Food is always cooked after you have ordered, so everything is fresh and hot. They only accept cash and the workers are snippy at times, but it's worth it for great college food.

Our go to Asian food in Berkeley. Very flavorful, and definitely very fresh. Not five stars simply because there's better Thai food out there, just haven't found it in Berkeley yet.

I *like* this place! But last evening something was 'off' - I stepped outside after those deep fried spring rolls and half a plate of pad thai and almost lost it. Before coming back in and getting the rest to go. Happens.

Fairly fast, decent tasting food. Used to be cheaper, but still great portions.

Service here is poor. The worker ladies are pretty rude and are inconsiderate when I ask a question. Once, my friend was yelled at for typing in his phone number wrong and almost didn’t receive his food. Another time, I ordered my food on Grubhub to pick up and just decided to wait there because I was close by and the ladies yelled at me to leave after just sitting there for like a minute until I showed them I ordered on Grubhub. These are just the instances I remember. That being said m, the food is bomb and reasonably priced with the food proportions (relative to the prices of Berkeley). I will keep on returning even under threat grumpy ladies.

A decent place to eat tucked into the back of iAsian ghetto with good portion sizes at a reasonable rate. One self-orders on a kiosk or pay with cash at the counter. They'll call your number when your food is ready and you can come pick it up. The staff are friendly and there's plenty of seating!

Very affordable Thai place in Berkeley. Great food, very good and fat service. Thai Hot is spicy without a doubt but don't fall for the looks, definitely taste the food and feel the heat. Padthai is very tasty but different from other Thai places, in a better way. Thai Fried Spring Rolls are 3 pretty plate but just ok, can be skipped easily. Cashews with Tofu curry is very good in taste, plateful for sharing and perfect 👌.

Reasonable price resulting from targeting students :) 🍛Red curry: one of the best I have ever had, would make you eat more rice 🍝Pad Thai: super sweet just not something I would order again 💁🏻Aunt even brought more bowls since we were sharing food, super considerate

James Wang

A decent place to eat tucked into the back of iAsian ghetto with good portion sizes at a reasonable rate. One self-orders on a kiosk or pay with cash at the counter. They'll call your number when your food is ready and you can come pick it up. The staff are friendly and there's plenty of seating!

Sri B.

Very affordable Thai place in Berkeley. Great food, very good and fat service. Thai Hot is spicy without a doubt but don't fall for the looks, definitely taste the food and feel the heat. Padthai is very tasty but different from other Thai places, in a better way. Thai Fried Spring Rolls are 3 pretty plate but just ok, can be skipped easily. Cashews with Tofu curry is very good in taste, plateful for sharing and perfect 👌.

Rachel Tsai

Reasonable price resulting from targeting students :) 🍛Red curry: one of the best I have ever had, would make you eat more rice 🍝Pad Thai: super sweet just not something I would order again 💁🏻Aunt even brought more bowls since we were sharing food, super considerate

Honest review, the Pad See Eww is delicious. The noodles texture is very comparable to what youd find in Chiang Mai. I dont know if the workers are Thai, tried speaking Thai with them and got no response back. The Pad Thai is awful. Its toooooo sweet, taste more like candy than anything. We tossed this and shared teh Pad See Eww The Pad See Eww is delicious. Prices have risen since I last went here a few years ago. $16 for a dish is a bit much in my honest opinion. I know nothing compares to the 120 baht pad thai noodles walking in Khaosan rd, but $16 for some noodles eggs chicken and broccoli is a lot.

Ismail Ayar

Honest review, the Pad See Eww is delicious. The noodles texture is very comparable to what youd find in Chiang Mai. I dont know if the workers are Thai, tried speaking Thai with them and got no response back. The Pad Thai is awful. Its toooooo sweet, taste more like candy than anything. We tossed this and shared teh Pad See Eww The Pad See Eww is delicious. Prices have risen since I last went here a few years ago. $16 for a dish is a bit much in my honest opinion. I know nothing compares to the 120 baht pad thai noodles walking in Khaosan rd, but $16 for some noodles eggs chicken and broccoli is a lot.

Okay, I went here because my girlfriend said it was really good. She ordered the Eggplant Thai basil, I ordered the Pumpkin chicken curry (my favorite Thai dish) thai spicy 🌶🔥 Food: both dishes were bland and not spicy at all (remember I ordered the spiciest level and it came out mild) Adding chili paste threw off the flavor completely Transaction: We ordered at the kiosk, everyone did because the register was cash only. Kiosk took card. My curry was watery, it was either made with water of very little coconut milk. The eggplant was overcooked but Still tasted good, just soggy/slimy Service: The servers/cook were rude to everyone. There was a group of girls waiting for their food. An employee came out and yelled at them to check if their food was ready. The same lady gave attitude when i asked for napkins. She said she already put them in the bag. I informed her that the tables were dirty, thats what I need the napkins for, she scoffed and cleaned it herself. Whatever, I’m not mad, ppl have bad days No interest in trying it again

Food is pretty decently priced. It just sucks that it’s so oily. The people there are pretty kind, though.

Update: This WAS my fav affordable Thai food until they raised the prices by 50%. This food is not good enough for the price. There are MANY excellent Thai eateries that can charge these kinds of prices but Thai Basil is NOT one of them..tonight the dishes i ordered all tasted the same and were very bland.. the bamboo shoots were tough and impossible to chew. My chicken basil had very little chicken and an abundance of vegetables....long story short, the food is not worth the inflated price tag ² This is my fav affordable Thai food. Good food on a budget. I can easily oder 3 entrees for $30. Cant beat it. They only take cash and parking can be a real nightmare. Very close to campus and public transportation

This restaurant is within walking distance from the UC Berkeley and is set in a plaza with outdoor seating that provides a pleasant experience when eating with friends and family. The prices and selection are also very pleasing considering the location of the restaurant. The food quality is decent: plates are not presented well, and flavors are very basic. During busy hours, the wait for food preparation is upwards of 25 minutes. The inside of the restaurant is small, and tables are not cleaned between customer meals. Overrall, the affordable price and location balance these negative qualities assuming one orders carryout.

Thai Basil in Berkeley offers a convenient option for a quick Thai food fix. I tried their Basil Chili Chicken with fried egg, which was a decent portion size. The chicken itself was cooked well, but the overall flavor lacked the punch I was hoping for. The ambiance of the restaurant is pretty basic, with simple décor and generic Asian-style furniture. It's clean and comfortable enough for a casual meal, but the inside space may feel very crowded when you have a few occupied tables. There is open seating outside the restaurant, which is shared by all the other restaurants in that section, so it's available on a first come, first served basis. The service was fast but the staff could have been friendlier. When my friends and I asked for to-go boxes and utensils/napkins, we got an angry look from the staff. Please also note that the restaurant doesn't have a bathroom for its customers, so you'll have to find some place else if you really need to go. Overall, Thai Basil is an average option. The food is decent, but a little pricey for what you get. If you're in the area and looking for a quick bite, it's not a bad choice, but there are probably better Thai restaurants in Berkeley worth exploring.

SO heard some rave reviews about this place when he was at Berkeley so had to try at least a dish. Food/Taste/Flavor: 3/5 (maybe a 4 for college food) - Basil Chili Chicken (4) was a generous portion with rice. You can really taste the basil on the chili oil but the chicken itself was dry. There were some pieces of basil, bell pepper, and onion that helped cut through the dryness but you definitely need some sides to help with this dish Ambience: N/A - to go only but there are some benches and tables in the center of the plaza to eat at Service: 3/5 - cashier lady did not seem like she wanted to be there so we ordered from the kiosk instead Value for price: 3/5 - do note that the menu is outdated and the price is about $1.50 more per dish and they charge $0.10 for plastic bag for take out even though it's the only option

ayush kalani

Thai Basil in Berkeley offers a convenient option for a quick Thai food fix. I tried their Basil Chili Chicken with fried egg, which was a decent portion size. The chicken itself was cooked well, but the overall flavor lacked the punch I was hoping for. The ambiance of the restaurant is pretty basic, with simple décor and generic Asian-style furniture. It's clean and comfortable enough for a casual meal, but the inside space may feel very crowded when you have a few occupied tables. There is open seating outside the restaurant, which is shared by all the other restaurants in that section, so it's available on a first come, first served basis. The service was fast but the staff could have been friendlier. When my friends and I asked for to-go boxes and utensils/napkins, we got an angry look from the staff. Please also note that the restaurant doesn't have a bathroom for its customers, so you'll have to find some place else if you really need to go. Overall, Thai Basil is an average option. The food is decent, but a little pricey for what you get. If you're in the area and looking for a quick bite, it's not a bad choice, but there are probably better Thai restaurants in Berkeley worth exploring.

sbbcampervan

SO heard some rave reviews about this place when he was at Berkeley so had to try at least a dish. Food/Taste/Flavor: 3/5 (maybe a 4 for college food) - Basil Chili Chicken (4) was a generous portion with rice. You can really taste the basil on the chili oil but the chicken itself was dry. There were some pieces of basil, bell pepper, and onion that helped cut through the dryness but you definitely need some sides to help with this dish Ambience: N/A - to go only but there are some benches and tables in the center of the plaza to eat at Service: 3/5 - cashier lady did not seem like she wanted to be there so we ordered from the kiosk instead Value for price: 3/5 - do note that the menu is outdated and the price is about $1.50 more per dish and they charge $0.10 for plastic bag for take out even though it's the only option

Worst Tom yum I’ve ever had. No spice just lime, lemon grass and sugar. 15$ for a small bowl of plain vegetables and 3 pieces of soft tofu in a broth closer to rice vinegar than Tom Yum. Never again.

No waiters. Just kiosks. Credit cards only. Employees behind a barrier, like a bank. So-so food. Fast food paper cups. Hard benches. Tiny napkins. No bathroom. OK for local students who don’t expect much.

Okay to be fair the restraunt is called thai basil and i tried my friends order of the chicken eggplant basil and it was fire. However I made the mistake of ordering the vegtable tom kha, and it gave me food poisoning)): next time i know to get there signature

The food was reasonably good but the ambiance and the service was terrible. A meal for two costs equal or maybe even a little bit more than at a full service nice sit down restaurant. Yet these employees literally walked all the way out to my table to tell me my order was sitting on the counter. And, they had the audacity to ask for a tip.

Trillè Galli

Okay to be fair the restraunt is called thai basil and i tried my friends order of the chicken eggplant basil and it was fire. However I made the mistake of ordering the vegtable tom kha, and it gave me food poisoning)): next time i know to get there signature

Scott

The food was reasonably good but the ambiance and the service was terrible. A meal for two costs equal or maybe even a little bit more than at a full service nice sit down restaurant. Yet these employees literally walked all the way out to my table to tell me my order was sitting on the counter. And, they had the audacity to ask for a tip.

I recently spent a good amount of money there for a catering tray of food. The food is good, but the service is ridiculous! There is one rude older Asian lady that works the register. I think the whole staff can benefit off some good training on customer service. They are definitely lacking it!

Very poorly noodles and pad Thai. Simply serving low quality food because they are in a location where students will gladly eat what is made. A few times it has been ok, but today was not good. Will urge them to up their service quality.

Had high hope going into it but the food quality is not there, absolutely very beginner’s cooking level. There is nearly any basil in the “Thai basil” dish. With so many great restaurants in Berkeley, this one is really a disappointment. Will not go back.

Foods are very salty and taste very bad. Service is even worse. Dirty plates, no AC, workers aer rude. After we are eating, as we left, the worker yelled at my kids to put away our plates. The kids were scared. We had to order our foods from a computer and came to the counter to get our foods. I still gave them tips. But they still made us put away the dirty plates. I asked for my tips back but they refused. Would not come back here. Do not recommend this place

Oh Thai Basil, how far have you fallen... I've been coming back for over 10 years and the quality has definitely hit rock bottom now. Garlic pepper chicken is my go-to, and I haven't been able to find another Thai place that make it like they do but today the chicken quality has gone downhill. It's so dry you're pretty much eating cardboard. With the abundance of Thai places in Berkeley, what this place is wayyyy down the pecking order considering what they are charging now.

Daniel Judianto

Oh Thai Basil, how far have you fallen... I've been coming back for over 10 years and the quality has definitely hit rock bottom now. Garlic pepper chicken is my go-to, and I haven't been able to find another Thai place that make it like they do but today the chicken quality has gone downhill. It's so dry you're pretty much eating cardboard. With the abundance of Thai places in Berkeley, what this place is wayyyy down the pecking order considering what they are charging now.

I tried to eat here on a recent visit but was unable to. Their menu on the wall shows options that are unavailable on the electronic ordering system. I explained the situation to the person behind the counter and asked if I could order with her...she said no I had to order from the machine. Needless to say, my burrito from next door was very good.

Chris Dunn

I tried to eat here on a recent visit but was unable to. Their menu on the wall shows options that are unavailable on the electronic ordering system. I explained the situation to the person behind the counter and asked if I could order with her...she said no I had to order from the machine. Needless to say, my burrito from next door was very good.

VLOG VỀ NƯỚC MỸ

Foods are very salty and taste very bad. Service is even worse. Dirty plates, no AC, workers aer rude. After we are eating, as we left, the worker yelled at my kids to put away our plates. The kids were scared. We had to order our foods from a computer and came to the counter to get our foods. I still gave them tips. But they still made us put away the dirty plates. I asked for my tips back but they refused. Would not come back here. Do not recommend this place