Still love this place! The Lime Cream Chicken and Pho are still my go to orders. However, they changed the pad see ew noodle quality back to the flat wide noodles!!! For a while, the noodles for that dish were these short flat noodles that curled up and chewy. I'm really happy they switched back to the usual noodles! read more

Ambiance: Open interior with plenty of tables to sit at. No complaints on cleanliness. Service: Staff is friendly. You order at the front counter and someone will bring your food to your table when ready. I have never experienced a long wait. Food: The lime cream sauce chicken is one of the best dishes I've had on campus. The chicken is so crispy and the sauce is the perfect combination of sweet, creamy, and tart. The lettuce also adds some balance to the meal. First time I got it, I came back the next day to get it again. I have a friend who visited and tried it and also talks about wanting to come back just for the dish. read more

Basil Thai Urbana - Lime Cream Sauce Chicken - Thai Near Me - Urbana, Illinois

Not that clean looking, a bit run down, grimy. Very self service. Thai barbecue chicken was like a mediocre satay and very dry. Basil tofu was tasty but only 4 or 5 smallish cubes of tofu in the whole dish. I couldn't believe how fast I ran out of tofu to eat. They brought us one dish we didn't order so we had a delay in getting all of or food. Flavors did not wow us and some were unappealing or mediocre. We had to bus our own table, too. read more

Horrible service, the people there would not fix our order unless we brought another plate. Food taste bad but they claim its good. water had weird things floating in it. But if youre a college kid and want to go troll this place highly recommended. read more

Basil Thai Urbana - Pad Thai - Thai Near Me - Urbana, Illinois

I ordered a Beef Noodle Soup. The beef was a little hard to chew with some meaty smells (hard to describe TT). The soup was good, but when I went home this night, I felt very thirsty, so I guess they might put a little too much MSG or other condiments to add the flavor. Nevertheless, both the environment and their service were great, and they didn't request tipping, which just surprised me at that time. I would say it can be a good place for an ordinary quick lunch due to its convenient location. read more

Basil Thai Urbana - a table and chairs in a restaurant - Thai Near Me - Urbana, Illinois

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Amazing delicious food, cozy atmosphere, family owned, and friendly staff. I go to basil Thai anytime I want Thai food and would highly recommend the Thai tea, lime cream sauce chicken, and crab rangoons. 1000/10!! read more

I have ate there for several times. The restaurant serves standard Thai food--not excellent but definitely not bad. The curry dishes they have, at least those I have tried, including yellow, green and Panang curry, were good. Besides, I like their spring rolls. The Tom Yum soup was not very authentic, however, and the stir fry is too oily for me. Their salad was not bad either. But the best thing is that it's an on-campus restaurant so super convenient! There is not much service. You need to order at the checking table. So in general 3 stars, plus one for its great convenience lol. read more

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*Review from an experience in September 2019* +1 Big portion sizes +1 Super flavorful (or salty) dishes +1 Very reasonably priced Would recommend this spot if you are near UIUC and not sure where to eat! I ordered: 1. Tofu satay ($5.45, appetizer) // fried well, lots of pieces! The dipping sauce is pretty good. Definitely needed to share this with 2 others (and still could not finish). 2. Pad thai with chicken ($11.95) // A bit too soggy compared to what I am used to, but I appreciate the noodles are not electric orange. A bit too sweet, but huge portion size! 5. Thai ice tea with milk ($2.95/glass) // I usually don't order this since this drink is usually pretty sweet...yup. But still delicious! Service was pretty nonexistent. They have to-go boxes at the front if you need to pack it to go. You also need to drop off your own plates and utensils after you finish dining. Overall, would come here again! read more

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the staff was friendly and that was the only thing stopping me from sending my pad thai back. it was practically liquid and made me reminisce on the time i had covid- as there was literally zero flavor. read more

Worst experience ! Bad food and service. Forgot the order and made us wait for 20 mins. Don't recommend to visit the place, paid 30+ dollars for a drink, starter and a dish. read more

Been going here for over 3 years and my meals are always amazing honestly. The servers are really lovely too. Nice big windows too.

Basil Thai is a hit or miss for me. I've been a few times since it's so close by to school, but I've found that you have to be careful with what you order. First things first, they have a lot of stuff on their menu. Not all are Thai food entrees. They have all sorts of noodle and rice dishes and plenty of meat dishes as well. Basically, you order at the front and get a number for your table. Food will be brought out to you. Water and utensils are self-served. I've had their pad Thai, which was okay. A bit oily for my liking. I've also had their fried rice, which was probably much better. Stay away from their noodle soups.... not the best... and appetizers... There are plenty of tables and seating but it does get busy during peak days and hours. Serving sizes are very generous so expect a lot of food! read more

Looks great. Pad Thai was actually the most tasteless we have ever had. Lots of rice less meat I'd say not best. But for a college town probably ok. Maybe should have gone to rosaries pizza next door. They need to review taste of the food. Expensive read more

Above average Tai and I like the ability to set your heat preference I had the pork and rice tasty!

Great. It's honestly exactly what I expected when I had thought to have pad Thai. It's authentic and very well made, it hits the spot. I also had the tofu satay with peanut sauce which is also to crave. The service was super fast, and efficient. Highly recommend them for authenticity and great experience read more

I had a good and bad experience at this restaurant. I would suggest if you do not know anything about Thai food that you ask for a recommendation because it is very difficult to choose otherwise. The size is very good and for me, I always have some leftovers. My recommendation is the sweet and sour chicken. Follow me on Instagram: @tryatreat read more

I had the Tofu Satay and the Basil Tofu & Vegetable entre. The food was tasty, thus the 2-stars (instead of 0). This is an order-at-the-counter restaurant. After placing my order and paying - including a tip - I noticed the receipt reflected Chicken Satay instead of Tofu Satay. I told the cashier, and she immediately walked to the kitchen to let them know, and my food was made correctly. Most Thai restaurants have a dish of the entre, with rice on the side in a separate dish, but this place filled half my plate with a huge amount of plain white rice, and a very small portion of the Basil Tofu & Vegetable entre. I ran out of vegetables to mix with the rice very quickly, and left about 3/4 of the rice on the plate. I was hungry when I left, but just couldn't eat that much plain white rice. Notably, the price for the entre was average, but the portion size was well below average, compared with other Thai restaurants I've eaten at. Overall, it was a disappointing meal. When I got up to leave, the cashier called out to me to clear my dishes off the table (there was a place to the side where you could put them, which I hadn't noticed before) ... no service at all. I'm not sure why they asked for a tip, since they provided no service ... just greedy I guess. I'm not likely to eat here again. read more

Basil Thai Urbana - Tofu Satay and Basil Tofu & Vegetable entre - Thai Near Me - Urbana, Illinois

Finally got all the vegan meals in one place! They're spread out on the menu, so I've gathered them here for easy access. According to the owner, the following dishes are vegan (most are also g/f): Thai Style Fried Rice section: Basil Fried Rice Typical Thai Rice Dish section: Pad Kra Praow Lard Khao and Pad Prik Lard Khao Soup section: Tom Kha Noodle Soup Noodle Soup section: Vegetable Noodle Soup (specify veggie broth!) Stir Fried Noodle section: #3 Pad Lee Mao Entree section: #1 Basil Tofu and Veg; #2 Garlic Tofu And Veg; #3 Ginger Tofu and Veg; #11 Peanut Sauce Lover I really enjoy the Vegetable Noodle Soup pretty much any day. It's a huge serving, so come extra hungry or be sure to take your leftovers for later. When I'm feeling under the weather I like the Garlic Tofu with Veggies at the highest spice level possible, which just about blows my face off. The garlic flavor gets lost in the spice, but my sinuses don't complain about the cleansing heat! The Peanut Sauce Lover tasted weird. As it cooled it tasted less and less like peanut sauce and I stopped loving it. If you discover other vegan, g/f dishes please let me know! I wish this restaurant would just make an additional menu, but until then, Yelp records will have to do. read more

Basil Thai Urbana - Thai Near Me - Urbana, Illinois

I have never felt so frustrated ordering food from a restaurant before. I came here to order shrimp pad Thai spicy level 2 which was strongly recommended by the cashier over level 3. I get home to find out it was chicken instead of shrimp. I called back and the Asian cashier pretty much said it was my fault because she repeated my order and I said it was correct but mind you an Asian girl that came right after me was the one that ordered the chicken pad thai. She told me to bring it back and pay two dollar difference. They took my food back and 5 minutes later bring out another tray with 7 shrimps on top. I take it back home and it wasn't spicy like I asked. I called the lady back and she never apologized and she didn't have a solution. She insteead asked if I needed it to be spicy like I didn't make it clear in the restaurant. No apology or solution and hung up the phone. Besides the food being basic their customer service and comprehension skills are sub-par. Go at the likelihood of being frustrated. I returned my food for a refund. read more

When you order a Pho and you saw this when you open it in the lab... Don't feel very good read more

Basil Thai Urbana - Pho - Thai Near Me - Urbana, Illinois

The reason why I am giving it three stars is because of my service I got during lunch. I ordered pad kee mao medium spice level with no bell peppers or any tofu, just vegetables. We also ordered cucumber salad. Yummy. read more

I first discovered Basil Thai freshman year at the University, when I lived at Allen Hall. I'd eat there on weekends with friends before we headed out to hang out and have fun. The first dish I ordered there, Pad See Ewe, I instantly became a fan of. It remains unchanged on their menu, which keeps me going. For the price of their entrees (~$7), you're bound to leave the place happy and content. The thai iced tea, while a bit on the expensive side, is also a treat with any meal. Unfortunately it's price and the lack of free refills (~$2) makes me feel a bit unsatisfied. It's certainly not the best thai food I've had, but it's definitely not the worst either. I remain a fan. read more

Basil Thai is a decent Asian eatery on campus. It's very convenient for the Urbana-side dormers or residents as it is right between the Allen and the ISR dormitories. They've got most of the staple Thai items, from the egg/spring rolls, to the pad thais/pad se-ews, to the curries and salads. Thai iced tea is always a great to-go option as well. I think Basil Thai offers quick turnaround times for your orders, convenience, and affordable prices for the college kids. It really deserves four stars if Golden Wok had not existed. read more

Restaurant review I am still on the search for the perfect Thai restaurant in Champaign. This restaurant comes closest but it still misses the mark. I ended up with the traditional pad Thai dish with chicken. There was ample amounts of peanuts in this dish but it was rather on the greasy side. The nice thing about this restaurant is that there are no waiters and you bus you tray afterwards which means that you don't have to leave a tip. When you're ready you order at the counter they give you a number and you sit down at a table while you wait for him to bring out your food. The food is fresh but as I mentioned before it is a bit on the oily side. I did end up getting an appetizer of the fish cakes. The sauce is amazing however the fish cakes were a bit on the dry and chewy side. There's also a parking lot next to this restaurant however it is often difficult to find parking during normal school hours. Pros: Cheap Thai food on a college campus, no need to tip Cons: Food is bit on the greasy side in one of the most popular dishes is not even a Thai dish which is pho Hidden deals: Most of the dishes are very cheap Health code rating: B. Overall clean feeling, looks like they have some issues with non-food contact surfaces. http://champaign.il.gegov.com/champaign/estab.cfm?facilityID=1074 read more

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After being a customer for over 20 years, I will never order from Basil Thai again. We received an incorrect dish (included eggs, which we specifically asked be omitted as we do not eat them). Mistakes happen. But when we called and asked for the dish to be remedied, they flat-out refused and claimed it was our fault and not theirs. The woman on the phone simply said there was nothing they could do, unapologetic and oddly shocked that we would even ask for such a thing. I get it. People and places can have off days. But it's never ok to be rude to customers. read more

This place is unique. They keep their OpEx (business speak for operating expense) low by having you get your own water and bus your own table. Here is how it goes. Line up to place your order. The menus are to the left of the register. Get your number and grab a table. They will bring the food out to you as soon as it is done. It may mean that food is staggered as it comes out when done. What did I learn today? This place has a cafeteria like feel to it. read more

Came here for a quick lunch so didn't have high expectations. But the food was actually quite good and walked away my tummy is definitely very happy. read more

Basil Thai Urbana - Thai Near Me - Urbana, Illinois

I haven't had anything I don't like at Basil Thai- big portions and on the cheaper side.

I'm not the type of person who lets one bad experience ruin a restaurant, I know that sometimes people make mistakes and running a restaurant can't be easy. I went here 3 TIMES, and every time something bad happened. First time I went here, food was good if not expensive, but immediately afterwards I felt a sharp pain of sickness to my stomach. Let's end the story there. Second time, food was alright with no "incidents" until my friend discovered a long black hair in his food. That's flavour country! OK, so it's one hair - NOPE, there's another friendly hair in his food! The guy working there refuses to give a refund, only offering more of the same food that had made my friend feel like throwing up after his nice discovery. Good business! OK, Basil Thai - you get one more try. I go there and my other friend orders Basil Chicken which is made with "ground chicken." Upon receiving the order, we notice the chicken is "ground" into pieces of the size of bacon bits, not to mention there was barely any of these "chicken bits." So, we ask for more chicken, since it's a chicken dish, and the same douchebag refuses, saying we should pay for more chicken and that it's "our fault" for not reading the description. He refuses to give a refund because "we already paid for it." What the fuck? How exactly would you get a refund if you haven't paid for something in the first place? Genius! No reason to go here, if you crave Thai food - make it yourself and save yourself assholish service and high prices. read more

Basil Thai: where good Thai goes to die. It is THAT bad, in terms of service, taste, and cost. read more

Basil Thai would not make any one's top ten Thai list if they included places outside of C-U, but it's well worth a stop if you 're hungry in the area. The space is a bit sparse, yet it's pleasantly decorated. Decent is the watchword for Basil Thai. The place feels like a gussied up cafeteria with nice little touches. The curry was...okay. It was my fault for trying to be super manly and ordering it as extra spicy, and they delivered, but of course that obscured the full range of the curry's flavor for me. And I went through four glasses of water. But that's how things go. So if you've learned anything from this review, please remember: Basil Thai is decent, and masculinity is not safely garnered by eating super spicy stuff. read more

You are a solid place, Basil Thai. I am glad that you exist, particularly because you give the student population (read: not me) a decent Thai eatery. That's nice of you. Basil Thai, I walked in at Noon--the height of your busy time--but you just keep churning right through the line. People were getting their food quickly and no one looked dissatisfied. Granted, the harried girl taking orders did order me to WAIT UNTIL I GET MY SODA (I was waiting, mind you, I'd just stepped to the side for the next person to order), it was still all okay. The food was really nothing to write home about, though. The tofu was a little smushy for my liking (I know, I know. "It's tofu, Heather, is it supposed to be crunchy?"), and while it was spicy enough, it lacked flavor....given that it was red curry. I was happy with the amount of veggies you put in, though, Basil Thai. Thanks for an a-okay meal. read more

Without much competition close to campus, Basil Thai is pretty much the only viable lunch-time option for students craving a bit of southeast Asia. The setup of the restaurant is obviously catered towards students; much like other campus restaurants, there is no wait staff and customers are expected to clean up their own dishes when finished. I've sampled a broad range of dishes at Basil Thai, and my favorites are the tom yum noodle soup and egg noodle/BBQ pork soup (particularly comforting in winter). While the pad thai and pad see ewe are good enough to sate a noodle craving, they are somewhat mediocre. I also dislike the tofu used in their curry dishes as it is plain cubed tofu (soft-ish and flavorless), whereas many places often choose a hearty, smokey bean curd instead. I attend student lunch meetings that are frequently catered by Basil Thai. The employees are very familiar with our group and the protocols associated with the university (including tax-exemption policies), and they now throw in free appetizers (usually fried spring rolls) when we order. Many of the complaints from other reviewers seem to be primarily associated with food poisoning and (strangely) the basil chicken. I've eaten at Basil Thai well over 50 times in the past 3 years, and I've never personally encountered food poisoning (fingers crossed?). As for the basil chicken, I am sure that there are all sorts of regional variations of this dish, but I am mostly familiar with the ground chicken version that seems so revolting to my fellow reviewers. Google a recipe for the dish and you'll see that Basil Thai isn't using ground chicken just to be offensive. read more

I'm sorry. I see all the good reviews on here, but I just can't agree. My food was cold, bland and overall yuck. They had it in the picture with fresh herbs and veggies, but I didn't get any of that with mine. So I felt ripped off. The coffee and tea are the only things I will order again. I have been 3 times and I'm just not impressed. Having been to a few thai places, this is my least favorite. Sorry guys. But this place needs an upgrade. read more

I discovered Basil Thai on a visit to UIUC in high school. At the time, I was just getting into Thai food, so I had very little experience with it. I got the pad thai and thought, "Wow this is really good!" Well, over the years, I've eaten a lot more Thai food and my opinion of Basil Thai has gone down. But don't get me wrong, I'm not a Thai food elitist (I save that for sushi) and I still do enjoy eating here. I used to only get the pad thai here, but now my go-to dish is one of the salads, yum moo I believe it's called. Lots of lettuce, topped with thinly sliced pork, with a delicious and somewhat spicy dressing. I definitely recommend it. I've sampled other dishes as well, and they're all pretty tasty. Not the best Thai I've had, but I still keep going back. It helps that it's cheap! In general, I've always had a good experience here. The food is made relatively quickly and it's always come as I've ordered. I've come a few times with large groups (12-14 people) and it's actually pretty nice to not have to deal with waiter service. There's no wait for a table (assuming you can push some together, but you usually can) and no issues with getting separate checks or dealing with tips. If you're looking for top of the line Thai food, you should probably keep looking. But if you're looking for a quick Thai fix, definitely give Basil Thai a try. read more

This is a nostalgic review, since I used to live in the Gregory Place apartments above the restaurant and ate here ALLLLL the TIIIIIIIIIIME. And I really only have experience eating the chicken pad thai, so I can't speak too confidently about their other menu items. Nevertheless, I give them a solid 4 stars. Sure, their Engrish is not so good, and apparently they have a no-refund policy even when customers are furious (although one time, I asked for chicken pad thai and they misunderstood me and gave me chicken satay, and they quickly corrected their mistake when I said something and they didn't charge me, so it hasn't happened to me). It's quick, it's cheap, it's delicious, and it's guaranteed to cure your hangover. And the restaurant space is white, bright, and pretty! Sitting by the window is perfect for people-watching. read more

Definitely my place of choice to get some good Thai food on campus. I usually go for the Pad Thai or Pad See Ewe with chicken, but their other noodle dishes as well with their curries and rice dishes are also tasty. There is also a good selection for if you are vegetarian (you can replace any of the meat with tofu or mixed vegetables). Can't say I'm a big fan of their noodle soups though - I find them kind of bland. Price-wise, at $6/$7 a dish, it costs approximately the same as if you were to grab lunch on Green St., but this is definitely the place to go to sit back, relax, catch up with friends, study, etc. while grabbing a bite to eat if you have some extra time. While they do tend to err on the greasy side, I have never been dissatisfied with an order, and their friendly service coupled with the clean, open decor (much nicer than their sister location on Green St.) is very refreshing compared to many of the grungy feeling restaurants/cafes around campus and keeps me coming back. read more

My husband tried to change his order literally thirty seconds after he placed it and was told it was too late. When he went to pick up our food, the soup I had specifically requested be spicy was NOT spicy at all and they packaged it up totally carelessly so that most of it spilled out on the way home. When he told them he was never, ever coming back there because of his bad experience, they just shrugged. Since I'm currently home sick and most places are closing and I need spicy soup in order to live through the night I am seriously considering plastering their windows with fliers that say 'FUCKING RUDE ASSHOLES WITH BAD SOUP' after my recovery from the flu. Obviously, this is totally fucking unacceptable and extremely bad business. I order a ridiculous amount of thai food and will never be back to this place - this is my karmic retribution for trying to stray from Siam Terrace. read more

Alright, Sorry, but I would have to not recommend coming to this place. The problem with it is that 1) the portions are so small for such a mediocre price range, the couple times I've been the curry just has not been very good. I've ordered the Pad Thai and well, it's been alright, but the beef was overcooked, and honestly Golden Wok is pretty much a better padthai / pad see ew place. read more

We were in Urbana for our son's violin lesson, and decided to stop here. I'm frankly in no hurry to come back. This is a very "do it yourself" sort of place. I'd rate the service, but the only thing exceptional about it was its absence. You order and pay up front and bus your own table, which is kind of at odds with the menu and prices. I ordered the Mussamun curry, which is my favorite Thai dish. I've never been disappointed until today. It was weirdly tangy, and missing both the sweetness and spiciness I generally expect. My wife enjoyed her Pad Thai, but it tasted really oily to me, with too much cabbage. There's no kids' menu, so we had to improvise. We got them chicken fried rice to share. Funny enough, this was far and away the best dish we tasted tonight. It was legitimately good, and about the only thing saving it from 1-star. It's disappointing... I expected to get much better Thai food in Champaign/Urbana than I get in Bloomington. read more