Our waiter was very friendly and helpful. The food was delicious, I got one of the fried sushi rolls and it was amazing.

Updating my review, deservedly so. After going back a few times and regaining trust in the staff's knowledge of ingredients, I have been able to confidently order all the dishes I used to love, modified to fit my dietary restrictions, without winding up ill or worried that I might be. I think the lack of knowledgable staff and kitchen mentioned in my previous review may have been a set of unique experiences, because I haven't had an issue since. Cool Basil is still one of our favorite local restaurants, despite the small hiccup in service. We don't care for sushi, and we stick to the noodle and stir-fried dishes. We always start with a small Egg Drop or Corn Crab Soup ($3.95), which can easily be modified for dietary preference or need. For an entree, it's always a tough choice between the naturally gluten-free Crab Fried Rice ($11.95), modified Curry Noodle or Pad Thai (both $10.95), or the fantastic Panang Curry ($11.95). My husband will either go with the BBQ Pork Fried Rice ($12.95), Broccoli stir-fry ($8.95), or the Sweet Basil stir-fry ($10.95). The portions are huge, and make for some pretty killer leftovers- especially if you order with spice. For the quality and size of each dish, their prices can hardly be beat. They prepare fresh sushi in the dining room, and have a full drink bar, too. The building is huge, and their seating accommodations range from intimate booths, to cafeteria-style dining room, to being seated at the bar, and can even accommodate large parties. In warmer weather, they also have a large patio for outdoor seating. Even on their busiest nights, we've never had to wait more than 5 minutes. Bottom line: whether you're looking to get sushi and drinks with some friends, stop in for a laid-back lunch (at even lower prices), or want an intimate meal on date night, Cool Basil is a great choice. read more

Food was delicious! Waiter was horrible, rude, and aggressive. She (Stacy) was very unagreeable even with her own coworkers. I've come here several times and the past waiters I've had have been nothing but kind, caring and attentive individuals. I was very disappointed this time! At the end I had asked for a receipt because Stacy hadn't given me one and I went upfront to ask the desk and they couldn't find it so they had to go ask her and she was getting upset with them! I love Cool Basil but this was not at all a positive experience. read more

It's one of my favorite restaurants! Food's great, service is fast, and the pricing is solid. Do the Cool Basil please!! read more

Cool Basil - This is me waiting for Cool Basil. One of bestest things!! - Thai Near Me - Clive, Iowa

Maybe one of my fav places to eat in The area due to the food being very good but 8/10 if we order to go or through an app the order gets messed up in some way. Not an exaggeration. Still very very good food. Service is horrible. If you call to do curb side they'll have your food sitting 20+ mins before it's walked out the door read more

Ordered takeout of Crab RAGGOONS and Fried Rice w/Shrimp. Everything was DEEEEELICIOUS

My opinion of Cool Basil has gone down hill. They obviously don't care about their customers. We ordered on line last night, and the food was delivered by uber eats. The food was not what we ordered and didn't match the ticket. I went in to talk with them today and asked for a refund. I had a photo to show them what we received. The person I talked to said they couldn't give me a refund since i paid uber eats, but she would have her supervisor call me as soon as she came in which was estimated to be 15 minutes. It's almost 8 hours later and no call. It certainly appears Cool Basil does not want to stand behind their orders. Just because you use a delivery service doesn't mean the customer should not get what they ordered and doesn't deserve a refund. We have eaten at Cool basil for years and have used the delivery service from time to time, but no more. read more

Huge place and their Thai tea is super yummy. Service seemed like they were a bit confused and scattered as we people bring us food that wasn't ours and the same beer out twice. But the curry was huge and delicious! Price point was perfect. If the service was better, they'd definitely be higher reviewed read more

Cool Basil - Thai tea - Thai Near Me - Clive, Iowa

See all

Once again Cool Basil came through with flying colors. I highly recommend the cashew chicken.

Everyone and their mom has told us we needed to come try Cool Basil. We've been to Thailand and are really picky about our Thai food. And I've never been a fan of Asian fusion places. But anyway, enough people told us to go that we finally did. And we were disappointed. Firstly, the place was absolutely boiling. Yes, it was one of those extra hot days, but your HVAC system should keep up! If not, get a new one. No one wants to eat food while they sweat, and hot people aren't hungry. It's bad business all around. We had some potstickers for an appetizer (not Thai, I know, but they sounded good!) They were okay. My Thai dish was solid, but it was spicy and making me even more hot. I ate about half before I was just done and overheated. This was not a great experience. We will stick with Eat Thai, Thai Eatery just down the street. read more

Delicious food and wonderful service. Their Tom ka kai is a family favorite, as are their sushi rolls.

I keep going back to this restaurant in hopes that its carry out service will improve. It has not it was 15 minutes between the time I Arrived to pick up my food and received it. Mind you this was after I got a text saying my food was ready. It was a total of 25 minutes. I have to find somewhere else that cares more about providing my food on a timely basis. They could've cared less that they served me luke warm food. No apology. No offer to remake. Nothing. read more

Great atmosphere, quick service and an awesome courteous staff. Food was terrific and served as expected! Best Asian cuisine around and lots of gluten free options. read more

Cool Basil - Sweet and sour stir fry - Thai Near Me - Clive, Iowa

The staff here is awesome! They are always willing to work with me. My bunco group holds our annual Christmas party here. It never fails we end up with more people than our reservation. They are more then willing to accommodate us. The menu here is very extensive which give my group of approximately 12 a wide variety to choose from. The portions are very generous, I always leave with a to go box. read more

See all

Perfect green curry. I like heat and said a 3-4 and it was solid. I'll easily get 4 next time. It has carrots, bell peppers and green beans in it, which I'm not accustomed to, but I think that might be to make it more friendly to the customer. The smell, ingredients, chicken... wonderful! I've been craving a good green curry, and this took care of it! read more

Always a pleasant, delicious experience. This is our go-to place whether just grabbing a bite or special occasions

Stopped here for lunch while visiting some friends in Des Moines. We went a little later in the afternoon on a weekend and it looked as though the lunch rush had just died down so we were able to get a seat right away. The service was super quick and friendly. Large menu with several different categories to choose from, the main ones being sushi and Thai. Prices were pretty reasonable for most things. Everyone in my group ended up ordering the pad see ew but at different levels of spice. Never having eaten here before, I think if I come back I will definitely go up at least a level or more for the spice. I have an okay spice tolerance and got it at a 4 and didn't feel any heat whatsoever, but it was still really good despite that. It was also a really large portion, definitely enough for me to have for dinner later that night. Our only problem that afternoon was that my friend had also ordered a miso soup as an appetizer and didn't get it until we were almost finished with our meal. She had to remind the waitress about it but the waitress apologized and brought it out right away. The waitstaff here was great! If I'm ever craving Thai food in the area, I'd definitely give Cool Basil another try! read more

The food was good and service was very pleasant. The table caddy's need a serious wipe down, kind of a trend in Des Moines we have found. Gross to put hand on caddy and find sticky substance. Weird also to see a mop bucket at front entrance. I have it a four star only due to food being descent. The cleanliness was a bit sketchy. read more

Cool Basil - Some GF options. - Thai Near Me - Clive, Iowa

One of my go-to's. Always a fantastic meal! Ordering online for pick-up is super easy. Dine-in is really nice as well. When the weather is good they have a large lovely deck. Fresh delicious food, great variety. My favorite dish is Healthy Fried rice with chicken. Meat and veggies are high quality and fresh. You pick your spiciness 0-6. I like the 2. Just enough kick. read more

I've eaten here several times and the food has always been great. Good service, nice interior. I will return

We have been here a couple times now. ( I am really sure I have written a review before but don't see it. ) The restaurant is clean and they have booths and tables. Service over the last couple visits has been rather good. I have to say if you can make it in the evening during the work week you might be able to get in good timing. I have also been in during a lunch time period during the work week. Depending on your timing is if you are going to hit the crowd just like any other place. I will have to say that I was not super impressed with the sushi. Word of mouth from others is also don't go here for the sushi and I agree. This place has so much to offer that you want to spend your tummy space on the other food. This day we were here for the lunch. We got seated to the right of the entrance way in a smaller group area. We had our own waiter which I thought should have given us a little more attention than he did. We all got something a little different. I was really impressed on the size of the soup bowls. They have great options for fried rice, Thai meals and salads. This restaurant has lots of options for quick lunches and you will still probably need a to go box. I will be back again as we really enjoyed the variety of meals this place offers. I will update my review on my next visit. read more

See all

We've given this place a chance several times and it's been consistently bad, the popularity by fellow locals perplexes me a bit. The food is bland, rice was soggy, and the imitation crab in the fresh spring rolls was oh so bad. We've never been really impressed with the service, but it's not been terrible either. I try not to leave overly negative reviews on yelp, but having previously lived in a location that had amazing Thai food this restaurant just doesn't come close. read more

Delicious food with plenty of variety on the menu. I've never had a bad meal here! The sweet Basil stir fry is my go-to meal.

My favorite for green curry chicken, love this place, friendly service, always great food n service we come here read more

Cool Basil - Thai Near Me - Clive, Iowa

READ before eating here!! My family has had a range of dishes from here before, however last night we had a TERRIBLE and scary experience with the food and customer service. We ordered 5 dinners from the restaurant, four of the dishes were ordered at a "level 2/6" on their spice rating scale. Each dish was inconsistently spicy. As my boyfriend bit into the last few bites of the grilled beef noodle (ordered at a level 2/6), he bit through a ball of paste that made him instantly scream (I thought he broke a tooth on something). He typically eats his food very spicy, and has had experience with Carolina reaper paste before however this was spicier than anything hes had. The ball of paste was stuck to his back molars and it took him over 30 minutes to just get it all off of his teeth. We called the restaurant and spoke with the supervisor that insisted the spice was only ground up red pepper that just didn't get mixed into the dish properly and offered to refund the 1 meal or remake it. After seeing him in extreme pain for another half hour, we called back and stated there was no way this was just a crushed red pepper ball that didn't cook down in the meal. She then admitted that it was a mistake, and when I asked how they flavor their spicier dishes she said it was all the same type of spice but they just use a lot more. She repeated over again that it was a mistake it was in his meal but didn't seem to understand the consequences if this ball would have made it into someone else's dish. When I told her how bad he was in pain, all she had to offer was "even if we refunded the entire bill, he would still be in pain." They were very unapologetic and didn't seem to care that they could have killed someone with an allergy or sensitivity if that ball accidentally fell in someone else's dish. If you eat here, make sure you shine a light on your food and thoroughly check that there aren't any surprises, especially if you have a child, elderly, or someone with stomach issues eating a meal - even if you order with no spice. My boyfriend has one of the highest spice tolerances, and was hurting so bad to a point we were afraid his throat might close. Restaurants are expected to use precaution when preparing people's food, so if you have a known allergy, I wouldn't eat here at all because random stuff ended up in a dish and they don't seem to care! read more

Normally this is always a 5 star, tonight a couple things weren't quite right. We ordered sushi this time, and the California roll was just not as good as usual. The fish was good, but the combo wasn't flavorful enough. We also paid extra to get the Thai fortune rolls, and they weren't even in the bag:( I don't know why they are standard in the restaurant, but you pay extra for takeout, which makes it stink they weren't in the bags! read more

I love this place. Been here a million times. The crab rangoon recipe is amazing!! Perfect flavor for me. The sushi is also amazing. I'm obsessed with their cooked sushi rolls. I could eat here everyday! Love the Des Moines roll. read more

Great service, excellent food choices! So much to choose from, but all good. There are different variations of hot. I like hot, but the medium one is very hot, so be careless. All in all it is a wonderful place to eat. read more

It was really good food and fresh. We got the hot and sour soup, crab Rangoon and the angry chicken.

A wonderful collection of different Asian cuisines. We have always been treated exceptionally nice. Quiet, dignified, and pleasant atmosphere. Worth every visit read more

Delicious! This is my favorite Thai place. I go here regularly for lunch when I am in town. It stays pretty busy during lunch and dinner. Some of my favorites here include the sushi, the sashimi platter (great!), the Tom Kha soup, the pineapple fried rice, drunken noodles, and the thai ice tea. I also love the cookies they give you at the end of the meal - they are round and wafer-like. read more

This place was recommended by a local for lunch, and ot did not dissappoint. My daughter had the green dragon sushi roll, and it was very tasty. I loved the pumpkim curry, although if you really like it spicy, tell them. I had a level 4 spicy, amd it was good, but didn't have the clear my sinuses kick I wanted at that level. My wife had the mixed vegetable stir fry with duck. I am not a hige fan of duck, but,she loves it, and was pleased it was available as an option. The Tom Kha soup was rush and delightful, again, crank up the spice level if you want ot spicy. We will certaimly return. read more

Cool Basil - A nice fountain on the patio. - Thai Near Me - Clive, Iowa

See all

My family does takeout mostly and we all have our favorites. It's always delicious, but beware the spice level (1-5) is inconsistent, varies by the person cooking I assume. read more

Cool Basil ​Restaurant ​does not seem consistent with its food quality anymore and has lost its finer dining feel/ambiance over the last few years. Today my meal was ok, but the full-bodied ​lemongrass flavor has not been there the last two times I ordered my once favorite vegetarian dish. Also, when a server first delivered my dish to our table, the serving was very small, much like a lunch special. We were having dinner and paying dinner prices. I asked the waitperson about the portion size, and she coldly ​offered to take it back and make it again. She returned with a dinner-size serving. I asked her if she had asked the kitchen staff ​why such a small portion was sent out? It was only then that she softened her mannerisms and said they were busy and rushed in the back to get out take-out orders. She said casually, "​They said Sorry!" read more

Yep it's in the name this place is COOL! And by Cool I mean awesome! Great new space for a gem of a thai place! I love the Yellow Curry, I get it with tofu, and this pack it in! I love this coconut milk dish, it's like no other in town and topped with a little garnish on top, the portion is just right, but I always want more cause it's so delicious and spicy! The veggie spring rolls are no fool either! If you are Vegan, this is a must spot in Des Moines not only for options but just for being a beautiful restaurant with great service and great food! I'm excited to sit on the patio here when it get warm, cause dang it looks COOL! read more

Cool Basil - Great night on patio - Thai Near Me - Clive, Iowa

See all

Probably the best Thai food in town that I know of! I've been to their smaller location in Altoona and always enjoyed their food and service there, this place is just bigger and better! (Was just informed they are not associated with the Altoona location) I know they just recently opened at this larger location in a prime Clive spot. Their parking lot is big and spacious. The atmosphere here is wonderful, low lighting and soft music. Their menu is very big, primarily because they offer a full sushi menu as well. Also for the record, I think Cool Basil offers the best sushi for a non-sushi restaurant! On this inaugural visit to this location we started with the prawn cake for appetizer, it was very good! I also ordered the VIP sushi roll like I normally do, it's one of my favorites because it gives you a good portion of raw fish inside and on top of the roll, lots of flavor. For the entree I had the green avocado curry (I think), it was very very good! Lots of flavor and Their rice quality is always good! My friend had the drunken nnoodles(I think) and it was good as well! Perfectly prepared and had a great experience with the food. Staff members were one of the best I've seen, friendly and helpful. Would definitely return again! read more

See all

I don't know if I'm ordering wrong or what, but I have not had a good experience at this restaurant. It's not for lack of trying; I've gone three times. The service was slow and dismissive. I had sashimi, soup, and a noodle dish. I didn't like any of those meals. I tried the crab rangoons. They were not cooked all the way (doughy in the middle). I felt it was overpriced. I'm sorry; I can't recommend this restaurant. read more

UNBELIEVABLE FOOD!! I've been to Thailand over 20 times... and I go there for the food. Cool Basil might be the best Thai food I've had outside of Thailand. I was on a road trip from Santa Fe, NM to Madison WI. After driving for 10 hours through wind and rain.. I got to my hotel in Des Moines and was craving Thai Food. I was NOT about to get back in the car to get dinner, so I decided to use DOORDASH. There will several Thai restaurants to choose from, and Cool Basil was the priciest... which is why I chose them. I figured it had to be good. I ordered the fresh spring rolls, the seafood salad, Pad Thai... and Garlic Pepper Pork. OK... the food arrived and the portions were ENORMOUS !! Good Lord... I have enough food for a week!! Everything was amazing.... but the STAR of my dinner was the Seafood Salad. WOW. Shrimp, Scallops, Mussels, Squid.... PACKED with seafood. The dressing was PHENOMENAL !! Packed with flavor!! In fact... when I finished the salad, I drank the rest of the dressing!! (Don't judge me). After the HELLISH day I just had of driving through the worst weather... You have no idea how amazing it was to arrive at my hotel and have this dinner. Seriously.... AMAZING THAI FOOD!! When traveling through Ohio in the future... I will plan to stop and eat at this place every chance I get! Trust me on this one!! DELICIOUS!! read more

After hearing such rave reviews, I am pretty bummed that I didn't get the same quality of food that everyone else got. I ordered streamed shrimp dumplings to start and when I bite into the first one, it was frozen in the middle. I sent them back and they did offer to take them off my bill. Next was my entree, I ordered the pork larb, and came with a sad wedge of lettuce with and was..okay. I just wasn't impressive with the taste and I have had better at other places. One thing I was happy with was our service, the waiter came by several times and offered to get me new shrimp dumplings or for me to be refunded, he was probably the highlight of the visit. It will probably be a while before my next visit but I will try to get up the courage to try this place again. read more

Cool Basil - Larb - Thai Near Me - Clive, Iowa

See all

I did it. Asian food in dsm, and this is how it went down... Price: Look to spend about $10 per entry. Parking: Large Lot Service: ok, no complaints. Food: Ok. Tasted quite bland.. I ordered the 2nd to highest spice level and it was NOT spicy. Notes: I've been here when the wait was an hour and when the place was half empty. It's a hit or miss. read more

See all