Insider Pages Reviews for Basil Thai

1 Stars: One of the worst meals ever (by rakeshlobster)

rakeshlobster — Tue, 12 May 2009 02:00:00 GMT

I don't think I've been to a restaurant this bad in a long time. The skirt steak with peanut sauce arrived cold. The meat was charred (ordered medium) and the peanut sauce was a goopy mess.

Other food on our table was similarly bad.

4 Stars: Excellent Modern Thai in SOMA (by Brandon K.)

Brandon K. — Thu, 01 May 2008 17:08:00 GMT

Basil has a nice, modern, and casual atmosphere. The wait-staff was friendly, the food was delicious, and the prices were very reasonable. While the place is certainly white tablecloth, it's still very casual. An Entree will run you about $10-$15.

Whenever I first go to a Thai place, I always get the Pad Thai. This is the standard by which I measure all Thai places. While I a by no means Thai and have never been to Thailand, I can say in my lay opinion that it was really tasty. The prawns were jumbo and well cooked. A definite thumbs up!

They have a full bar and a mixed crowd. I'd definitely go back when I'm down for Thai, South of Market.

1 Stars: Unimpressive food, bad service (by jmand)

jmand — Wed, 27 Dec 2006 01:00:00 GMT

Lacking in flavor and authenticity. They bring out shrimp chips when you sit down, which was tacky. Unless they are for kids, shrimp chips are really only good as a garnish. Our appetizer, the corn and bean cake fritters, was tasteless and cold. I ordered vegetables in green curry for my entree. The curry should permeate the vegetables and provide rich flavor when it's done right, but these vegetables were tasteless. Even worse, the curry did not contain the spices typically found in curry--it was more like sauce with lots of pepper. Worst of all, however, was the service. When you go to an American restaurant, the waiters don't take away your bread basket. These guys wanted to take away the shrimp chips after we ordered. Also, we had a lot of leftovers at the end of the meal, and the waiter never asked us if we wanted a box, just started gathering the dishes without a word. When we informed him that we wanted to take the leftovers home, I mentioned that I wanted to bring my rice as well. The rice never ended up in my box. Avoid this place. There are much better Thai places in the city, like Narin on Clement.

4 Stars: great music, great food (by akfj)

akfj — Mon, 21 Aug 2006 02:00:00 GMT

My husband and I just went and really enjoyed it. They have a jazz trio that plays on Monday nights which was a total surprise especially when many restaurants are closed on Mondays. We loved the corn bean cakes for an appetizer. I had the pad see ew which was great but my very-picky-Thai-eater husband had the lamb curry and though he said it could've been spicier, it didn't stop him from wolfing down the whole thing. We parked easily one block away. And then continued on to the Metreon for a movie. Great night!

5 Stars: Very tasty and pretty cozy setting (by manusse)

manusse — Tue, 15 Aug 2006 02:00:00 GMT

We were a group of six and sat in the end of the restaurant. The food was very flavorful, tasty and the services was great. I will definitely go back there.

5 Stars: mouth watering (by kasalos)

kasalos — Mon, 14 Aug 2006 02:00:00 GMT

SO GOOD SO GOOD SO GOOD. Great food good service, decent bill. What more could you ask for.Except maybe making parking a bti easier but hey its San Francisco, I'll walk anywhere for good food

4 Stars: Bargain Thai without sacrificing ambience (by lsblondie)

lsblondie — Thu, 10 Aug 2006 02:00:00 GMT

Living and eating in SoMa can definitely be a challenge on your wallet. Luckily with restaurants like Basil, you can have your dinner date and not break the bank. The best part about this place is that although their prices are low, their service, quality and atmosphere are not. Their flavors are great...and their menu is pretty extensive so you're never at a lack of options.

4 Stars: Best Thai Food (by N R.)

N R. — Mon, 26 Jun 2006 17:30:00 GMT

I've tried lots of Thai restaurants in East Bay and on the Peninsula (Thai Time, Thai Kitchen) and this is my favorite. The ingredients are fresh and wholesome, the food always tasty, and very friendly service. I haven't had one bad dish here....everything from the veggie to fish entrees. I highly recommend the veggie spring rolls and satays -- excellent.On the weekend evenings it can be crowded and loud, especially toward to the back. They are located in SOMA and I have never had a problem finding parking. I've also done take out where I've come to the restaurant and placed an order. They were super quick but invited me to sit at the bar while I waited for the food!

PROS: Moderately priced, good quality ingredients, friendly service
CONS:

4 Stars: Great lunch eatery in vacant SOMA (by Diane S.)

Diane S. — Thu, 23 Jun 2005 10:14:00 GMT

\ Basil Thai is a refreshing change for a south of market lunch eatery. They serve up tasty thai appetizers and the entrees are just plain fun.

The pad thai is delicious, as is their stuff eggplant dish. In fact, I've heard very few complaints about any of the dishes.

Check it out if you're in SOMA.

4 Stars: Easy Parking, Decent Thai (by Britt C.)

Britt C. — Tue, 21 Jun 2005 16:43:00 GMT

With your typical white tableclothes and wicker chairs, Basil Thai serves up tasty (if not spicy) thai food. It's almost worth ordering off of the appetizer menu alone. Try the fried shrimp egg rolls and lamb satay.

My favorite entree is the kang gai, with chicken cooked in a yellow curry with basil (what else) and bamboo chips. The pad thai is also delicious, as is their spicy seafood soup. In fact, I've heard very few complaints about any of the dishes.

Check it out if you're in SOMA. The screaming fish by the door are also nice.

5 Stars: Great Thai food and value (by fjkahn)

fjkahn — Sun, 13 Jun 2004 02:00:00 GMT

Basil is a true find. We had outstanding prawn appetizers, egg plant satay, mushroom on fresh spinach salad and duck in red curry sauce with no wait early on a Sunday evening. It is within walking distance of MOMA, Moscone Center and the Civic Center with lots of on street parking too. Our total bill for a filling and most satisfying meal for two was under $40 before tax. Given the high quality of the food, the prices are hard to beat. Highly recommended.

5 Stars: explores the young & hip side of Thai (by gosia0)

gosia0 — Tue, 13 Apr 2004 02:00:00 GMT

The food here is indeed very "Thai" but offers a sort of younger, fresher, more hip twist to it rather than the usual traditional. The menu is extremely extensive and you will find many unique dishes not offered in other Thai restaurants. Which makes this a very fun place if you like to venture away from the expected dishes and try something new. We sampled quite a few different dishes and noticed they they are very 'potent' in flavor, sometimes a bit overwhelming, and definately on the sweet side. The only dish we were not crazy about was the Pad Thai which was too sweet. The green curry sauce used in a few dishes was very yummy and tantalizing but again quite 'potent' and best reserved for sharing as you might get tired of the strong flavors.

5 Stars: The BEST catfish! (by vandana_nair)

vandana_nair — Mon, 26 Jan 2004 01:00:00 GMT

Highly Recommended: the 'catfish sautéed in kaffir red curry paste' - yummmm... the best catfish I have EVER eaten in ANY thai restaurant!
The service is very friendly, and has helpful suggestions.

3 Stars: Bad service (by urbancocoa)

urbancocoa — Tue, 16 Sep 2003 02:00:00 GMT

I scheduled a large b-day dinner at Basil. The service was horrible. The asst. mgr kept coming up to me during the dinner to tell me that our group hadn't reached the $15/person minimum (a minimum amt he failed to tell me about in our 3 phone conversations prior to the dinner). He said that if we didn't meet the minimum that he would automatically charge us $15 per head including $15 for any seats that were left empty at our table! His (and the waitress') constant badgering ruined the dinner (which, btw, came to $21/person as you would expect a large group dinner to come to - he should've known that the harrassment would be unnecessary).

5 Stars: One of the best date restaurants in town (by darklockci)

darklockci — Wed, 30 Oct 2002 01:00:00 GMT

Second only to Asqew Grill, I'd say this is about the best place in town to take a typical date. The place is classy, the food is good, service is excellent, the price is reasonable, and the locale is hip (SoMa clubs and bars aplenty are nearby). On Fri. or Sat. night the wait can be long, so get a reservation. Weeknights, the wait, if any at all, is quite short. This is not your typical Thai restaurant, but a very nice, stylish place. NB: They have a full bar.

4 Stars: Good lunch option (by daisy14)

daisy14 — Fri, 13 Sep 2002 02:00:00 GMT

Great value for lunch specials - from the soup, to the meal, to dessert.

4 Stars: Decent (by mv6198)

mv6198 — Sat, 07 Sep 2002 02:00:00 GMT

The food was not impressive and most of their lunch items came out cold. The service was unfriendly. The atmosphere was nice, but there are definitely better thai restaurants in the city.

1 Stars: Far from good Thai (by Bill_C)

Bill_C — Fri, 23 Aug 2002 02:00:00 GMT

The mere fact that they have chopsticks and not forks and spoons already on the table is a sure sign that it is not an authentic Thai restaurant. The Thai people use chopsticks only for some noodle dishes and NEVER with rice dishes. Going beyond that technical faux pas, this restaurant has food that is clearly below average. It appears that they spent all their energy, time, and money on the decor and not on producing good food. In short, a place to be avoided.

5 Stars: Best Pad Thai in town! (by marie1978)

marie1978 — Wed, 26 Jun 2002 02:00:00 GMT

Basil is a great place for lunch. I have called in and picked up my meal many a times! The Pad Thai is delicious, and I've tried many through out the city. I would reccomend this place to anyone for a great, quick service, lunch!

4 Stars: Great example of Thai (by fnordpig)

fnordpig — Wed, 12 Jun 2002 02:00:00 GMT

I used to live across the street from this restaurant, and my Thai wife and I used to go here all the time. Although the food is somewhat overpriced, it is a rare example of excellent Thai food. Although ingredients for Thai food are easily accessible in San Francisco, and it isn't such a hard cuisine to master, there are few examples of truely good Thai food here. This is one. The service is generally polite and prompt, although there is one waitress that isn't very polite. Most of the waiters however are very nice and polite, which reminds me a lot of a upper end Bangkok restaurant that caters to westerners.

5 Stars: Perfect even for lunch (by Jenifer1)

Jenifer1 — Tue, 11 Jun 2002 02:00:00 GMT

I have only eaten at Basil for lunch and it is delicious. Authentic Thai flavors with a more elegant feel than the average SF Thai restaurant. The yellow chiken curry delicious and extremely fresh, as is everything else. The prices are comparable to regular Thai. The gai kra-prow is also fantasic: ground chicken, eggplant, basil and spices. A must in SOMA.

4 Stars: Delicious and Pretty (by uncarved)

uncarved — Mon, 27 May 2002 02:00:00 GMT

Food is delicious, but servings are not that big. Great atmosphere as well as good place to take out-of-towners. I would recommend their vegetarian dishes, especially the ones with eggplant. Everything is well flavored, but how could it not be with MSG? All in all, I would come back for the experience and the food, but not for the prices.