Been coming here for years! Happy Hour has good cocktails and excellent appetizers. The spare ribs are so good, as are imperial rolls and such. It's a Viet Namese style of soup "buns" many choices. Spicy is popular. Nice service and good times! read more

My daughter and I came here for Kate lunch/early dinner and we were starving. We were hopeful to have a good experience since this is our kind of food. We came during happy hour and the waiter told us about the aps we wanted to order to make them happy hour but told us they came in less quantity and we were starving so I kept the aps regular price and size - this was a big mistake. The waiter should have however told us size was actually bigger than usual. We shared fresh shrimp spring rolls, pork potstickers, garlic noodles and kids pho. The only thing we really enjoyed was the garlic noodles and pot stickers. The shrimp rolls were huge and so big and so much stuffed that the rice wrapper came undone on all of them leaving a big mess. The kids pho was an absolute disaster and my daughter was throughly disappointed. It was just broth (no idea what kind because it felt like just boiled water) the rice noodles and shrimp. No greens no nothing. We have had pho in so many spots, this was the most disappointing one. We ended up not finishing the soup and packed 4 potstickers to go. This was just a sad experience, one we dont want to repeat so sadly we will not be back :( read more

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This is not your traditional pho restaurant. It is upscale like date night worthy. They have happy hour daily 4-6. But the server didn't realize the time when we came in (5:05pm) and didn't give us the menu. So just ask if they don't give you the HH menu. From the HH menu, we ordered the spring rolls and imperial rolls. Both were fine and as expected. Looking at photos on Yelp, the rolls are smaller serving size than the regular price item. The pho was decent. Overall, I would recommend this restaurant if you want to enjoy a nice calm Vietnamese meal. Though we thought it was very interesting to see pho with gumbo ingredients, and beignets on and menu. read more

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It was me and my girlfriends first time here. I have never had pho before and she wanted me to try it . It was very cute inside. customer service was okay. didn't really get tended to as much when we needed more water or sauces. The thai iced tea drink i had was very different from the kind i'm used to so not too sure if that's how it was supposed to taste or not . My yellow curry pho was spicy but good. she loved her pho order and the bao buns were delicious too. We were there for less than an hour and came out to a busted window from the public parking lot next to the restaurant shared with the library. Neither them nor the library had cameras to see who could have done this while we were trying to enjoy our dinner for our date night. very upsetting way to end the night but the food was great, terrible location don't think we will be back. read more

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I got the Rare Steak Pho, which came with a sizable amount of meat for pho standards. That was a lovely surprise. We also tried the happy hour spring rolls, which were also well-packed and yummy! Above-average bowl of Pho, but not life-changing. However, I must add that this is a restaurant where you pay for the ambience. It's tastefully decorated and holds amazing potential for a date night. The happy hour appetizers seem like a good deal, just keep in mind they give you significantly smaller portions of whatever you order than if you didn't order the "happy hour" version. Guess why that's why it's called "Happy Hour Small Plates". For me personally, that defeats the whole concept of getting a good deal during happy hour. I dare say it actually might be less of a deal than the normal menu, but don't quote me. The drink prices for happy hour seem reasonable, so if I end up visiting again, I'll focus on that instead of a meal. To summarize: It's a great place to go if you're not paying! I encourage the girlies to pick this spot for dates. read more

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BEWARE, the kitchen somehow dropped a RAW PIECE OF MARINATED BEEF into my to go order. My GF did not notice it until she finished half her food. I came back to the restaurant and they confiscated the food before I can take a photo. They only offered to remake the food and it was the wrong order. I would not come here ever again... Incident took place on April 5th read more

I enjoyed the food here! I wasn't feeling to hungry so I got the beef bao which I found to be pretty good! I tried a little of the pho from the person I went with, and it was tasty! And the waiter was very knowledgeable about celiac which made my celiac dining partner feel safe! The waiter provided excellent service. It was pretty quiet when we came in, which makes sense because they close for a few hours in between lunch and dinner. read more

Holy Basil Pho - Front decor - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

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Oxtail pho!! Chicken egg rolls was better than the pork Bun Bo hue Thai tea Thai green tea Shrimp tempura 5 spice bun bao Lao sausage garlic noodles Everything was so good and flavorful! Huge portions! I'm a BBH girly- very one had their own favorite dishes- we would reorder everything again Def a must try! Staff is really nice! They have the best recommendations. Nice clean bathroom. They have a small parking lot along with street parking Weekends and weeknights can get packed in the area. read more

Holy Basil Pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

Good food and service. Really enjoyed the bau and the combo beef pho was very tasty. Service was quick. Will for sure be back. read more

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This place is so cute and the service was excellent! A family place. The drinks were great. We had the Markut Sour drink and it was amazing. The bao buns were fresh and delicious. I had the seafood pho and my daughter had the oxtail pho. Both had delicious broths and were so filling. We also had the calamari. Also a large vegan menu. We were so full and had leftovers all for $140. Great prices for 2 appetizers, 2 bowls of pho, and 4 drinks. Definitely recommend it. Parking available in the library parking lot at night. read more

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Amazing food and it is all labeled. Servers knew everything about allergens. Just ask them and they will help. Gluten Free and even vegetarians have it easy here. It is a little loud but overall atmosphere is lively. Please support this business and their excellent service. read more

Holy Basil Pho - Gluten Free Hoisin at request - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

really great spot if you have certain dietary restrictions (or if you don't!) when i mentioned having celiac disease, the waiter immediately indicated he knew what that meant, and i felt safe eating here. also appreciated that they offer a vegan version of their fish sauce my bowl of tofu, rice vermicelli, two imperial rolls, vegan fish sauce, and lots of veggies was simultaneously filling and refreshing. meanwhile, my sibling enjoyed their pork bao buns the waiter was professional and attentive i might not make a special trip from a few cities over for this place whenever i visit the bay area again, but i would certainly prioritize if in the area read more

Def a must visit! A family owned mom and Pop shop that has a lot to offer. Service was amazing, everyone was attentive and gave really good recommendations. The Oxtail pho was a must, really flavorful broth with tender oxtail. The Bun Bo Hue was another favorite! Really delicious although if it was a bit spicer I would have loved it even more. If you plan to get the garlic noodle highly recommend ordering it with the Lao Chili Lemon grass sausage! read more

Holy Basil Pho - The spread - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

Staff was friendly and welcoming. Ambiance very cosy and pleasant. Food was hot and tasty. Portions were on the small side and costs were slightly comparatively higher than other Vietnamese restaurants. read more

Best Bún Bò Huế in Oakland!!!! If you are craving BBH, this is the place to try. There is such great depth to the broth and the flavors of a proper BBH are what you'll get! I've also tried the recently added Lotus Root Salad and WOW! it is fantastic!!! Not many places offer this, let alone a delicious version. I may have to order this every time. The decor is charming and cozy! It's modern, yet warm. The service is so friendly and helpful. It's great for date nights or family gatherings, lunch or dinner. The location is in Rockridge, with nearby shops to peruse before or after your meal. read more

Unassuming from the outside but actually a huge 2-story beautiful restaurant on the inside. Pricey for pho but big portions and good service. One of the few pho places in the area. read more

The server were not very helpful with the menu. Just want us to order and really not in the moment. We were worried about gluten free and we managed to order gf pho and later when we order dessert it was not gf and the same server didn't remind us. Especially in the beginning we told her we needed gf dishes. read more

Looks like I've found another great Pho spot! The atmosphere and service were great not to mention the delicious food and drinks. I'll definitely be back soon. read more

Holy Basil Pho - Oxtail Pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

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I was in search of a comforting meal after an intense day at work and found Holy Basil Pho. This big bowl of soup with its flavorful broth was exactly what I needed to decompress before going home. The ambiance inside was relaxed and the staff were welcoming. Shout out to Dana for her kindness and excellent recommendations. I always need something crunchy to go with my soup so I went with their fried calamari which went perfectly with the Laksa. I will definitely be back! They have a robust menu filled with different options which I am excited to try! read more

Holy Basil Pho - Spicy Shacha Laksa - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

I've always thought of this as a hidden gem in Rockridge and Oakland as a whole. The food here is always great, the Lemongrass chili oil, is one of the best table condiments around, and the happy hour has some solid deals. I can see this as a great weekday date night spot with a full bar. Last time I was here the waiter mentioned happy hour ending in 5 min and we rushed to get an order in, the portions are smaller than the standard app serving but it's still an overall deal. My gf loves the bun Ho hue and a really underrated item here is the Casian Gumbo, it's really hard to describe. It's a noodle soup, but has shrimp, okra, chicken, and sausage with subtle NOLA flavors. Very creamy and is begging for some bread to dip in, maybe next time If they have some banh mi bread around. Huge portion and Toni's of noods. I have yet to have a bad meal here, highlights are always the chicken wings and little balls sliders they have. Underrated item is the salt and pepper tofu but they also have a large selection of vegan items including pho and other soups that seem to be big sellers. The make your own bowls are great since they're a little on the healthier side with options for brown rice and the noods and plates have a little side salad that makes you feel healthy. Can't recommend this spot even more, my only concern with writing this review is hoping it doesn't blow up and get too crowded. read more

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SO GOOD. Just came for lunch, made my own bowl with garlic noodles and the pork and it was delicious. Portion size was huge too so I'm glad I didn't eat breakfast because I knocked out both meals. I'm excited to come back for more. Everyone there is extremely friendly and the restaurant itself is beautiful. read more

Soup was bland and it's very pricy comparing to other similar restaurants. I will skip this one and find other places offering more authentic flavor with reasonable prices. read more

I've only ordered to go but from the looks the ambiance feels welcoming and the hug pho bowl robot thing is super cool. My pho was fine but i think pho always tastes better when you dine in. Service was good as well. read more

Located on College Ave. so I figured street parking would be tough. Holy Basil is next door to a library parking lot and I'm not sure if you can park there but library was closed and there weren't cars there when we went to the restaurant and when we left, there were several cars so... There's that. Maybe it's ok after a certain time? Idk. I think it's a nice restaurant. There's two floors but we stayed on the first floor. The host let us choose our table. The menu was vegan friendly and I had the Spicy Lemongrass Vegan Beef Soup. I realize some fake meats are made of gluten and it tasted very gluten here.. Sometimes you're like, hm...I wonder what this is made of. Not here. The soup was ok. The imperial rolls were good.. Service was exceptional. Because we ordered all vegan, the server let us know one of the sauces on the table was not vegan. I appreciate that. We didn't finish all the food and the server took our food and packed it for us. I like that as well. It's worth tipping extra for that because I rarely experience that nowadays and I love it so much.. read more

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Came to dine in on a Monday for lunch to try their vegetable pho (regular size). Menu says it comes with seasonal vegetables and seaweed in a veg soup. I've never had a vegetable pho with seaweed before so that kind of intrigued me to try. Mine came with seaweed, king oyster mushroom, wood ear mushroom, cabbage, broccoli, and a piece of gai lan. You can add tofu but I did not this time. I always like to taste the soup alone without any added condiments - the soup itself usually is the judge for me whether I would order the same veg pho again and again. The main flavor component comes from the wood ear mushrooms and seaweed. It's seasoned so it's not bland but it doesn't have many layers of flavor in the broth if that makes sense. It got a bit salty towards the end. I couldn't finish the whole bowl and got full from all the veggies. Overall, it is a large portion for the regular size but the flavor isn't for me. I've been here once pre-Covid and I recall trying their appetizers. The imperial rolls look pretty good, I may return to try those. Will update my review when I return to try other items. read more

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I recently picked up some imperial rolls and chicken pho on a rainy day. I was bummed that nothing tasted that great. Broth was somewhat bland. The rolls were awful. I was so bummed. read more

Check this place out! Their food was delicious. The yellow curry chicken, spicy beef lemongrass and shacha laksa were all delicious and it was a big enough portion to take half of it home. I think I did want the spicy beef lemongrass to be a bit spicier but they have condiments on the side to help with that. The basil gin drink was refreshing. I would come back to try their other soups. read more

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Not disappointed Food are full of flavors and kicks Very earthy with packs of lemongrass, basil, garlic that elevated the your taste buds read more

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I will start off by saying the staff is really nice and I would give them a higher rating! But the food itself was so meh that I'm rating more for that. My friends and I went here to grab a few drinks and some food and all of us ended up thinking the food wasn't that great. The one thing that was a hit for everyone was the Java Fries appetizer! And the lychee martini was strong (compared to the other drinks we got) - this place definitely seems better for drinks and a few apps, but for a meal you'd probably be better somewhere else! read more

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The service is always excellent. I love their coconut soup base. Next time, I will try the lemongrass. The appetizers were also good; we had the spring roll and the fried roll. I also love their basil mocktail--it's refreshing. read more

Ordered beef pho for pick up. Unfortunately was not tasty at all. Neither my friend or I enjoyed the pho and we both eat a lot of pho. Coming from a Vietnamese family I've been fortunate to taste a lot of pho at restaurants all over the place and this was nothing special. The beef pho broth tasted like it was watered down with chicken broth. Some pieces of the steak tasted funky. The limes they had with the garnish felt dry. Overall not enjoyable. read more

Came here on a Saturday night and were seated immediately. Although I'm not vegan, I was curious to try their vegan noodle soups so I got the lemongrass beef one. It was definitely more flavorful than I would have expected and I thought the fake meat wasn't bad. I also tried the bao buns with lemongrass chicken which were delicious. My friend really enjoyed his yellow curry chicken noodle dish as well. The restaurant was also well decorated and has a full bar. Overall, I enjoyed it and would come back to try the non-vegan options. read more

Holy Basil Pho - Vegan Spicy Lemongrass Beef ND - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

This is a wonderful place and love the many options. We so look forward to our next order!!! Thank you!!!

I only eat pork vermicelli bowls and fresh spring rolls at Vietnamese restaurants - therefore it's simple for me to compare across restaurants. My meal at Holy Basil Pho was really good- probably the best I've had in the area (although disclaimer I have never trekked down to East Oakland). At $16 a bowl it is more expensive than I'd like or expect of Vietnamese food, but the quality was there and Rockridge rents are expensive. Overall I would come back! I do want to highlight the quality- too often I get gristly pork in my vermicelli bowls. The meat was very clean here. 5-spice was a different flavor than I'm used to (typically it's sweeter bbq), but I liked it a lot. The imperial rolls was a nice touch and stayed crisp. I ordered delivery via an app- no issues read more

Holy Basil Pho - Five spice pork vermicelli bowl - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

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Bun hue is so good! It's called "Vegan Spicy Lemongrass Beef Noodle Soup" here. I highly recommend it. We were promptly seated and the bowl came with very large quantity. Overall good service and enjoyable ambiance. We will be back! read more

Holy Basil Pho - Vegan Spicy Lemongrass Beef ND - Vietnamese Near Me - Oakland, California

Holy Basil is one of our absolute favorite places to get delivery from in the Bay Area. Our kids are addicted to the bao buns and garlic noodles. I'm obsessed with the tofu vermicelli. Nothing is cosier on a cold day than their Chili Lemongrass soup. Nothing is more refreshing on a hot day than their fresh rolls and ginger lemonade. We love Holy Basil food! read more

5 stars for the service, 3 stars for the food. I came here on a Tuesday evening and happened to make it on time for happy hour. They have a good selection of food and drinks on their happy hour menu and we opted to try the fried calamari, imperial roll (pork), and the holy basil pho special. Overall, I would say the food is about 3 stars. We got the - Fried calamari: is probably the best part of the whole meal. the calamari was nicely fried and crispy. not the biggest fan of their dipping sauce - imperial roll: hard pass for me... it was pork sausage wrapped in rice paper and then fried. not my preference but can be yours - pho: good portions, meat was tender and great. the broth was a little on the sweeter and bland side for me. However, the service was great here. Holy Basil Pho is not somewhere I would recommend if you want the mom-and-pop pho but great if you want Vietnamese with a hint of fusion. read more

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PHO: a true gem. Hubby and I were in Rockridge on our way to our favorite burrito shop. I saw Holy Basil Pho and I was like I haven't had pho in months. So we go across the street and the restaurant has the best vibes ever. They even have an upstairs lounge were you can have a private party. I ordered the Beef Pho and a cocktail while I waited. Loved the decor think black with a modern appeal and they had a bar downstairs too. She packed everything to go and when I got home I assembled it all together. Always get extra jalapeño and limes. Totally delicious Pho and will be going back again ! Street parking on College . Love the area Broth was delicious read more

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Absolutely love Holy Basil - wish they'd stay open a little later! I'm a night owl. Holy Basil isn't your traditional style Vietnamese place - there are definitely some modern and Asian-fusion elements. Think curry, pork belly, satay, etc. Take a look at the menu and you'll see what I mean. The cocktails are super tasty - try the lychee mojito! Food: I've been here twice with my SO so far and I think we've gotten the same thing each time. I got the #2 traditional "give me everything" pho combo, and really enjoyed the quality of the meats and the flavorful broth. The traditional spring roll appetizers were pretty good too - fresh and tasty, not pre-made and old tasting like some pho places. I'm looking to try more off-the-beaten-path stuff like the bao, honey glazed pork ribs, and the ceviche + tartare next time. read more

I was in the mood for comfort food for my "Yelp's Big Night In" meal. I remember seeing that Holy Basil Pho had oxtail (yum!) pho ($19)and I'm a sucker for chicken wings so I went for the honey chili ones ($12). Easy ordering process - called and picked it up promptly from the establishment. I made sure to give a good tip as an extra thank you. I had set up my table at home and was ready to dig in! The pho broth was super hot still and I poured it into the oxtail and noodz. The sprouts, basil, sauces, lime were neatly wrapped in plastic. The oxtail was cooked until just tender, the broth tasted like a hearty not too salty bone broth, and went well with the rice noodles. The chicken wings had a nice sweet salty flavor- they were a tad hard for my liking but they were good. I plan to eat the rest of them with rice in another meal. Overall, I was happy to support my local business and that I had a yummy comforting dinner! read more

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