It is a horrible place for a party of more than 3. The customer service is horrible. We have been told no reservations. However, it was reserved for other party of 4 who came 20 minutes after us. The greeter was outright rude. Asked us to go out and wait in the cold. After waiting for 30 minutes, he failed to acknowledge us. Never returning to this place. The food may be good but definitely not worth the crappy customer service!! read more

If you love southeast Asian food, Pho Basil may well be the ideal restaurant. They make great Thai AND Vietnamese food, and pretty much floor me on every other aspect of restauranteering as well. Everything I've ordered here has been delicious, served in huge portions, and ~5-30% less expensive than surrounding Thai restaurants (yes I have done my market research). The restaurant is roomier than it looks front the outside, and has a soft-lit, cozy ambiance. Service is sometimes shockingly fast, and everyone who works there always seem to have big grins on their faces. Also, I've noticed that they do a lot of unexpected, cutesy things, such as making a little swirly-Q with the straw wrapper on your soda or cutting the cucumber garnish on your entree into a heart shape. These perky flourishes make me just a bit happier, so when the smiling server comes back, I just want to jump up and give him a big hug, or at least a 25% tip. The only drawback is that it gets packed at lunch AND dinner times, so there is a long wait unless you prefer to eat between 2 and 6 p. That's hardly a flaw, though. Basically, I'm saying PB is too perfect. Suspiciously so, you ask? I'll take my chances. read more

I am Vietnamese, I can eat pho each and every single day of the week for 5 months and I have done so. Do not go here if you want authentic pho, the broth is completely douse in this weird spice that doesn't truly have a southern/northern vietnamese taste at all. I think that it was below mediocre for the Pho Dac Biet that we ordered. It had too much of an msg taste and clearly coated my tongue making everything else taste horrible. If I could, I would give this place 0 stars. There were so many things that went wrong when I visited this place reccently. This place had no AC on the day I went when it was almost 92 degrees outside. There was one fan at the door that was supposed to attempt to circulate the restaurant, which it didn't do it's job well at all. My guests as well as I were dying from the heat. The interior looks clean but if you look up close it looks shabby and very cheap. Goi is a specific type of vietnamese salad that comprises of certain chilled boiled meats or seafood with pickled cabbages and carrots as well as other veggies of choice. It is a pickled salad. We ordered the tofu goi and it was an embarrassment to call it goi. It was raw cabbage with carrots and some basil on top douse in nouc mam. It was deceiving to say the least. The salad wasn't flavorful and the food was just not mixing in my mouth. We also got the grill beef salad. This is usually served as a raw beef salad from the beef 7 course meals. This salad was so horrible it makes me want to use bad words. There was a strong overpowering taste of sourness and tomatoes. This isn't vietnamese, it shouldn't taste like this . My friend got her pad thai and I got the drunken noodles, both of which we thought was just mediocre. One of the other reasons that I don't like this place is that they gave us wooden chopsticks. Normally whenever yougo to a pho place they generally give you plastic or real actual chopsticsk (i dont actually know what theyre made out of) the wooden chopstick that was given to me had a fly crushed in the middle of it when i broke it apart. I know this isnt the fault of the restaurant however, it was distasteful and is repulsified my appetite to which i ended up not even eating that side of the plate at all. I am never ever going to come back here again. The food wasn't good. The vietnamese foods that they offered were lacking in flavor and were an embarassment to me. They need to fix the simplest things if they want to be a good restaurant with authentic customers of all kinds willing to try new food and flavor profiles, you can't fake food being well made with a pretty sign. read more

YUM! I had pho from here before and it was on par with pho I've had before, nothing out of the ordinary but still very good. I recently ordered in from here and got the tom yum noodle soup, shumai and the Roti and Curry dip. I was surprised at how good everything was! The tom yum soup was deliciously spicy and tart with that very important kick that makes tom yum, tom yum. I was so excited to see that they gave me those thick, chewy udon noodles I love and struggle to find. The roti and curry dip was delicious too. I was concerned the scallion pancake would harden and and get too chewy on the way to my house but they held up and seemed very fresh. The curry was aromatic and went great with the pancake. Definitely will be trying more stuff from here, I thought it was primarily a pho place but it looks like they have a ton of different options. read more

Pho Basil is exactly what you'd expect from its title alone: half Vietnamese, half Thai. Service: Not extraordinary nor remarkable. They weren't rude, they weren't over the top saccharine. They left you alone unless you waved them over. They did their job & were cordial. Whether it's vacant or crowded, they're not too attentive with water refills or making sure everything is okay. They appear when needed: drinks, orders, plating, removing plates, bill, collection, done. Prices: Fair! Lunch specials are great. Get the combo for $2 extra & you'll still be under $13 including tax & tip! (Given that you don't order seafood or an additional appetizer.) I'm used to seeing pho priced around $5.50 to $7.50 in Little Saigon (California), so the pho here is a few bucks more. Overall, I don't think anything is too outrageous. Food: Been here twice & I may make another trip to really finalize my decision of 3 stars, but man, disappointment. The first time I came here, I got the Pho Chay. It's not terrible, it's just not good. Flavorless, lacks the aroma of pho, just.. isn't very creative. You guys need to step up your Pho Chay game. Give me more fennel, cinnamon, star anise, ginger, onion, etc in my soup! All I taste is vegetable broth with pho noodles & some random vegetable toppings. The best way for them to improve this pho is to add some properly seasoned seitan, white wood ear (emulates the fat from pho bo), & maybe some bean curd sheets. Don't just toss any vegetable in there, pretend you're a vegetarian & you want to experience the wonders of pho. Do pho justice. Get the flavor profile down. I also had the drunken noodles & asked them to make it the spiciest (they have 4 levels). It was more mild than Sriracha & they ran out of the wide flat rice noodles, which was disappointing. The flavor was okay. I want to say I'm making bad menu decisions, except if it's on the menu, it should be good. The combo lunch with 2 vegetable triangles, gyoza, soup, & salad were delightful though. I enjoyed that more than the main dish. Sigh, I'll be back to try another Vietnamese dish because that's comfort food I miss from home, but I probably won't be happy. The vegetarian egg rolls are a let down too. Not very good, but not terrible. Edible, enjoyable, but not, "damn those egg rolls are delicious. I can't believe it's not meat!" good. Environment: Restaurant is on the smaller side & can get really crowded at night. There's sort of a bar in the back. It's nicely decorated, nothing too cheesy or outlandish. I don't recommend Pho Basil, but it has potential to improve. I'm disappointed that Yelp's ranking for this place tricked me into thinking it would be really good. I want to like it because it's so close to me, but I can't. tl;dr Vietnamese American, grew up near the 2nd & 3rd most populated Vietnamese cities in the US outside of Vietnam; standards pretty high. Pho Chay not accurate. Much disappoint. read more

I have officially made Pho Basil my default restaurant for just about anything: visiting friends, dinner-for-one, romantic nights out with a lab mate. Basically anything that requires attentive staff, awesome staff and EFFing amazing food. Ahem. Sorry, got a little carried away there. This place is one of the few restaurants in Boston I tell my guests to order anything they want off the menu - there is no bad choice, seriously. Personal favourites are their pho soups (i.e. Mi Hai San for $6.50) and the infamous drunken noodle. And with everything priced less than $10, you really can't complain. Minus one star only because their handling of a big group (10 people) was a little off-beat, it took a while for the food to come out (and I'm a pretty reasonable person) and they messed up two of the orders. But hey, those meals were still enjoyed. Other than that, magnifique! read more

I actually haven't had pho.. or basil.. here.. but I've had a whole lot of everything else. I'm not too impressed with their appetizers, although I've ordered their steamed gyoza more than once. Sometimes it comes out lukewarm.. but kinda lukewarm in the way that it might have been microwaved (AKA cold in the middle). The golden bags are more bags than golden goodness inside. Too much fried stuff, not enough ingredients. As for their summer rolls, they're pretty standard and satisfying. The entrees are what really get the stars (besides the stellar service). I'm a fan of their chicken pad see ew. Not the best I've ever had, but definitely reliable. Also, the chicken always seems to be cooked just right (not too dry like some other places). But 9 times out of 10, I'm ordering the duck noodle soup. SOOO good. The duck is tender and plentiful and the broth is really delicious. Oh and if you get it to go, they give you a lotta soup. Definitely enough for two meals. The staff is extremelyyyy friendly. Like redonculously friendly. They check in on you enough so you don't have to flag them down, but they're not too in your face so that you can't carry on a decent conversation. Once, a friend and I didn't have enough money for a tip, so I gave our waiter pretty much all the laundry money I had (standard 20%.. except it was all in quarters). The meal was definitely worth breaking into some "laundry day clothes" for work and he didn't even give us the evil eye after we left. read more

I am giving it three stars because of the Pad Thai. It was not the best pad Thai and just was mediocre. The lunch specials are great and very cheap so I do give them that but the service was not good during lunch as it took 10 minutes to get a waiter over to us to get an order in. The chicken satay was good. The next time I come I will be trying the Pho as it seems that's the thing to get here over the Thai dishes. read more

During my Boston trip, I decided to check out this place purely because of the positive reviews on Yelp. I was not disappointed. Viet or Thai, this place has it RIGHT ON THE SPOT. Service is friendly and quick and the interior is spacious and conservatively decorated without going overboard with the Asian theme. And yes, this food is delicious and uses a lot of basil. read more

If you like cheap, good food and especially fast delivery, this place isn't for you. I'm actually really surprised this place has such good ratings and reviews. Delivery took forever and a day, the driver got lost several times, yelled at me over the phone, the food was really expensive and to top it off, they messed up 2/3s of my order. Also, after receiving my order, the driver texted me. Talk about unprofessional. read more

I've visited basically every Vietnamese restaurant in Boston from Chinatown to Dorchester in search for the most authentic pho that my Vietnamese grandmother would approve of. Pho Basil honestly has one of the best broths out there! The vermicelli noodles are cooked just right (soggy pho noodles ruins my day) and the portions are very generous. Even though there are Thai people running the restaurant, the Vietnamese food is fairly authentic--not as amazing as the pho I had in Saigon but it comes pretty close. (: As for Thai food, the roti dip and spicy crab rangoon are the best appetizers and you can't go wrong with ordering the Drunken Noodles and Pad Thai. For vegetarian food, the Pho Chay (Vegetarian Pho) is amazing--as I've heard from my vegetarian friends. The Thai iced tea is a bit too sweet but that's just a preference thing. The service you get is pretty fantastic. The servers are very friendly and the food comes very quickly. Since it is fairly popular, wait times could be a while but it's totally worth it for tasty food. When I order delivery for grabbing late night food while studying, service is still quick and the driver is super sweet as well. Overall, a very down to earth restaurant with amazing food-- will be back time and time again! read more

I know I'm being harsh because nobody expects to eat good Asian food in Boston. But really? pho is like a typical Vietnamese dish. I get it you're feeding it to a bunch of foreigners what do they know about good pho. But what about you're own standards huh Pho Basil? Don't you take pride in making pho? My pho was mediocre to say the least. Didn't even have enough decency to pack chili sauces so that I can drown out the mediocre taste. Whatevers, I'm over it. Stupid me for wanting to compare to the Pho back home. But there is NO comparison..like comparing heaven and earth. Yes! It's that big a difference! read more

Even if i am already living in LA, i still dream about Pho Basil. Word of advice. skip the usual Pad See Yew, Pad Thai, Drunken Noodle. They are good and all but do not give you a good picture of what the food is like. The Pho (Dac Biet) is classic. Try different things like the GOI CUON: so fresh. drizzle some chili with your peanut sauce. Shrimp pork and vegetables with a rice wrapper. CHICKEN SATAY: SESAME WINGS (!!!) ROTI AND CURRY DIP SPICY RANGOON: cream cheese filled fried wonton wrappers with sweet and sour sauce. DUCK NOODLE SOUP (so good!) TOM YUM FRIED RICE BANH HOI THIT NUONG: TRUST ME! PANANG and MASSAMAN CURRY: i swear there was a summer when i practically ate massaman curry everyday. It was so good. And was only a periodical special. Needless to say, i cried when it came back for a weekend or something. and lastly KHAO SOI!!! Their version is so good! I just set aside the pickled vegetables since i don't like the taste so much. The staff is so friendly and they know what you want if you are a regular. I must have spent so much money eating here the last 5 years. I still miss it! The ingredients are so fresh and you really feel like you are eating quality food. read more

Phenomenal food! Can't say enough about how this is easily our favorite Vietnamese food we have ever had - and we have tried a lot across America. We had the Soft rolls, Beef salad - which my husband loved so much he is thinking about coming back for lunch tomorrow - and says is the best Thai salad he has ever had as the flavor a were so rich Pad Thai - easily the best I have ever had Pork bun - very good but the best ever was in the quality of meat they used - no gristle which I do often find Chicken fried rice - which my son noted was one of the best he has had and he orders it often We will definitely be back!! Awesome find!!! read more

Passed by this place many times and never went in before until yesterday. It was a very busy place packing with most students. The food was quite authentic. We had Calamari, Bac Diet and Bun Bo Hue. I have to say that calamari was nothing special but both noodle soups were excellent. This place has more items for me to try and it will be on my list for regular visit from now on. read more

Love their pad thai. Only place in boston where it is worth ordering pad thai. It is savory and fresh. Noodles are perfect. Portions are generous. Their pho is solid. Broth is clean yet flavorful. The noodles are just the right thickness and chewy in all the right ways. My fiance swears by Le's restaurant in allston for pho, but this is the only other restaurant he will order pho. Interior is cute. Staff is friendly and so good at keeping your water full. We usually come here for post-work dinner when its not too busy. This place is great! read more

I read all the good reviews so I had to check it out. Unfortunately, I was underwhelmed by the pho. Despite the name, Pho Basil is not a Vietnamese restaurant. The signs? They serve Thai red tea. Chopsticks aren't available by default. You have to ask for them and even then, they're the Thai design disposables. The menu is at least two-thirds Thai. It's really a Thai restaurant trying to capitalize on a recent Asian food trend. That's not a problem, if they're at least good at what they're trying to capitalize on. It's too bad they missed the mark here. I was only interested in trying one thing, the Pho Xe Lua with meatballs. Before the pho arrived, a plate of pho accompaniments (to call it garnish would trivialize its importance to properly enjoy pho) was dropped off at the table The plate consisted of bean sprouts, basil and one wedge of lime. The only problem was that this plate was meant for one, even though my dining companion also ordered pho. Any self respecting pho restaurant would know that these accompaniments are almost as important as the pho itself. The pho arrived as ordered. However, the broth was way too sweet. It also had a strong taste of a sweet root vegetable. The broth wasn't very beefy. It was just another MSG-laden broth. I generously offered the one wedge of lime that was on the plate to my companion while I waited for more lime. By the time the lime arrived, the eye round was well-done and tough. The tendons were overcooked to the point where it was just jelly. The meatballs were a bit mealy though they did at least contain bits of tendon. I am a pho-holic and as far as pho goes, I really wouldn't recommend this place unless you're desperately craving it and are in the area. I may come back, but I wouldn't order the pho or anything else Vietnamese. I'd probably try the Thai items instead. From what I could see, those looked pretty good. Here's an idea, Pho Basil. Change your name to Pho Thai. Get it? It's a play on Pho Tai, the classic version of pho and your obvious Thai roots. You can thank me later. Oh, and please learn to serve pho properly. Because, honestly, the pho was about an average 3 stars with potential for more. But the poor execution knocked it down a bit. read more

Pho Basil is like that friend you don't dislike but wouldn't go out of your way to spend time with. The food is acceptable and the prices appealing, especially if you come for the lunch specials. The Pad Thai is solid. Better than most restaurants as the ingredients tasted fresh and the vegetables were properly sautéed but the seasoning could have used some kick and suffered from being a tad too bland, especially when compared to the explosion of flavor in Thelonius Monkfish's Pad Thai. The Ginger Tofu was another solid but unremarkable dish. The tofu was delicious and well seasoned but the veggies and rice were bland. It felt like the tofu was a separate dish. The veggies and rice were "just there", not as a complement to the tofu. It needed more ginger sauce to integrate the ingredients. read more

Once upon a time I was a virgin to the art of Pho. Yes, I call it an 'art' because there is an element of creating one's own perfect masterpiece in this fine, fine, oh so fine asian noodle soup. My Pho cherry was officially popped today -- and for that I can thank Marc, Amanda, and Kristin. Thanks. On to the review -- Pho Basil has a simple atmosphere, a friendly staff, and very reasonable prices. $6.95 for a bowl of seafood pho with yellow noodles -- a facade of deceiving portions. At first glance, it's just a bowl of incredibly tasty noodle soup. About half way through, your stomache is already almost full, and you've still got that mass of noodles waiting at the bottom of your bowl. Fantastic. Now -- onto the bubble tea. Frozen concotions laced with giant tapioca balls, served with a monica lewinsky-worthy straw -- nearly the circumfrance of a cigar. Highly recommended... and definately a classic Yelp 5 star review. read more

If you're looking for delicious food, go to Pho Basil NOW! We came here around 3:30 on a Thursday before the Red Sox game in September and the place wasn't busy, but was starting to fill up with more and more single diners as the work hours were ending. We started with the chicken satay and egg rolls. Both were full of flavor and delicious. The egg rolls were lightly fried and you could tell the oil was clean by the fresh taste. The chicken satay had just the right amount of seasoning and the peanut sauce and cucumber sauce that accompanied the dish were outstanding. I had the pho bien (beef ball) soup in a large. They offered small, large and extra large. With the appetizers, I could've done a small, but the large was still a good size and so cheap for the amount of broth/noodles you get. The broth was delicious. You can taste how much dedication goes into perfecting the broth. My fiancé loved his pineapple chicken. The meal came with rice, chicken and assorted vegetables on top of a half sliced pineapple surrounded with sauce. Everything in the dish tasted so crisp and fresh. The chicken was tender and the vegetables were still crunchy just the way they should be. The service was lovely. Our server was very polite and made sure our order was correct before placing it in the system. She was attentive and always made sure we had water and whatever else we needed. For a soda, two appetizers, pho and a meal the bill only came to $35!!! Other than the food, this was the impressive part! It's hard finding good AND cheap food in the Boston area unless you really dig around. Pho Basil is the perfect place for a quick bite to eat with quality you won't find in most of the upscale areas around town. read more

Pho Basil - Pho - Vietnamese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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I've been going to Pho Basil consistently since moving to the neighborhood a couple of years ago. It is my go-to place for delicious Vietnamese or Thai food. And it's about time to finally review this place and refute some of the negative or incorrect criticism: First off: This is not, I repeat, NOT, a fusion place. Pho Basil serves both authentic Vietnamese food and authentic Thai food. They they do not make any hybrid type dishes that would merit calling this a fusion place. Second: Viet-Thai restaurants really aren't that rare. When I used to live in Vancouver and Toronto where there is a large Asian population, Viet-Thai restaurants are abundant. And if you think about it, it's not that weird. After all, the two countries are side by side, so it's not so far fetched to think a chef/cook would know how to cook the cuisine of neighboring countries. Third: While I haven't had everything on the menu, there are several stand-outs. And these recommendations come from someone who has grown up on the West Coast where good Asian food is abundant. RECOMMENDED DISHES: *Pad Thai with crispy chicken This is solid, and arguably one of the best pad thai's I've ever had. It's not soaked in too much sauce, not too sweet, not too dry, but just right. This dish tastes fresh, with the customary fixins. And yes, it contains peanuts (contrary to another reviewer's complaint that this dish lacked peanuts). *Bun Thit (Vermicelli bowl) with grilled pork I adore all the tastes and senses this dish evokes. Imagine a bowl of soft vermicelli noodles counter-balanced with the fresh crispness of shredded lettuce, bean sprouts, carrots, cucumbers and cilantro. Throw on top of that the smokiness of grilled pork which has been marinated in all kinds of goodness, a sprinkle of peanuts for crunch, and you got yourself an amazing, authentic, and well executed Vietnamese dish. *Crispy Spring Rolls Small bite-sized goodness that honestly rivals the ones my mom makes. *Massamun Curry When this is on the menu, you MUST MUST MUST order it. Massamun is my favorite type of Thai curry dish, and Pho Basil does it well when it's on the menu. Apparently whatever spices they use in the curry are only in season a certain time of the year. Whatever. I say everyone ask for this regardless and maybe they'll make it *Honorable mention goes to the roti with curry dip. I could be wrong, but I think this is more of a Malaysian dish. Finally, the bowls of pho are good. Admittedly, I've had better. I wish they'd put more meat in them. However, I'm will to forgive them because of the great service and clean, new-ish restaurant. Bottom line: Pho Basil has some misses on their menu (like any restaurant) but has far more hits. And their hits beat all the other similar places in Boston in terms of taste, value, authenticity. read more

Absolutely lovely place and the food portion is incredible for the price!! The service was swift inspite of it being busy on the weekend. This is really impressive. We enjoyed the vietnamese rice and the drunken noodles. Good job to the mgmt and staff operating this spot. Absolutely lovely! read more

Pho Basil is perfect when you want a delicious, affordable, and casual Thai/Viet meal. It's consistently very good. Waiter service is quick and usually friendly. Never had a problem with take-out either. When I don't feel like going to Chinatown or the Dot for Viet cuisine, this is my go-to place for pho (noodle soup) and crispy egg rolls on this side of town. Flavorful beef broth + silky noodles + fresh ingredients = the perfect cure for cold winter days and hangovers ;) Plus, they have sate (chili) version too, my faveeee! Order this if you like the mouth-burning, face-sweating, nose-dripping kind of heat. On the Thai menu, I love everything from the tom yum soup to pad thai and fried rice dishes. The curry dishes are just OK, compared to the other choices. Don't forget to order a Thai iced tea with your meal! Love this cute little restaurant (see my frequent check-ins??). And it's only a short walk from Newbury St shopping area. read more

Pho Basil is pretty awesome fo sho. I mean fa sho. (Apparenly pho is pronounced fa?) The food was fresh, the ambience nice, the menu large, and the service excellent. They have both Vietnamese (Pho) and Thai (Basil) food. I'm usually not into restaurants that claim to have two different cuisines, but they were so good about being explicit about which is which (down to their name), that I didn't mind. I went Vietnamese since I always go Thai, and I really liked it. I liked the vegetarian pho (though apparently you're supposed to add more hot sauce and fix-ins than I realized) and the hot pot --which contained these really yummy glass noodles. But my favorite dish of all was the Saigon noodles, which were like drunken noodles with a hint of ketchup (except in an awesome way that my description totally doesn't convey). My favorite non-culinary part of the meal was the presentation of the birthday cake. We went with a group of 7 for a friend's birthday and they were really accommodating about bringing out the birthday cake we brought with us. They even added their own candles and turned off the lights in the restaurant to sing. The moment when they turned off the lights, I was like, awwww and got all warm and fuzzy. It's the small things... and Pho Basil got all the small things and the big things right. read more

PAD THAI FTW!!! I love their Pad Thai here! I've actually never had their Pho, but their Pad Thai game is strong compared to other places in Boston. I usually get the duck Pad Thai and they give you so much you'll probably have to pack it up to finish for another meal! The noodles for the Pad Thai are perfectly cooked and the duck is prepared so nicely and is incorporated well into the rest of the dish with the other ingredients. I tried their curry before when I was in the mood, but I didn't expect it to be so spicy. If you like your curry super spicy then I'm sure you'll like theirs, but I personally like my curry sweet with some kick to it..just not all kick to my taste buds. read more

reasonably priced and the kao soi is absolutely fantastic. had it many times and it's always tasty

First things first! The food is worth the wait! This place is slammed come dinner time, especially on the weekends and for good reason too. The food is delicious and the prices are very reasonable. This place does not take reservations so be prepared to wait for 20 minutes. I would also like to add that if you are a party of two, this place will seat you with little to no wait, however, the larger parties take longer because they have to move tables to accommodate. (Be prepared that if you just sat down, the staff may ask to move you to a different table to combine tables for the bigger parties). This happened once while we were there, but it was not a big deal at all. The place is loud because the tables are close together but I could still here my husband in front of me. I just wouldn't talk about intimate things ;) unless you want those around you to here. After sitting at our table, it took about 10 minutes for our server to come take our orders. This was time needed. The menu is extensive, so many wonderful dishes to try. This is a Vietnamese mix with Thai restaurant so there is something for everyone. There is even a vegetarian menu on the back and they offer several meat dishes with a vegetarian option as well. I ordered a Thai bubba tea and it was outstanding! Seriously in the top two that I have ordered in my life. My husband and I started off the with spicy crab Rangoon and it was delicious and fresh and had a slight spicy taste. For our entree, my husband orders tom yum noodle soup and I ordered the crab curry on the seafood page. My dish was a fried soft shell crab with yellow curry and vegetables. It was delicious and spicy and full of flavor. Did I mention the portion was so huge that I had leftovers? This is coming from a girl who can eat 5 slices of pizza. ;) my husbands soup was delicious (didn't try it because I don't eat meat besides seafood). He said the flavors were on point and the noodles were delicious. We really wanted to try dessert but we were stuffed and looked pregnant as we walked out of the restaurant. Take the transit or park at Patriot parking. During baseball games you may find the parking garages are completely full, so the best advise is to take transit and go here. You won't be disappointed. Food 5* Price * read more

Pho Basil - Fried soft shell crab with yellow curry and vegetables - Vietnamese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

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OKAY. Let me start by saying this poor review is more for their service than their food. I got the vermicelli with lemongrass chicken and it was delicious. The service however...not so fantastic. Once we were seated nobody came over to us for a while. By the time they remembered we were there we were ready to order our food with our drinks. They didn't bring our food out at the same time; my friend had the vegetables and tofu and she was halfway done with her dish by the time they brought out my food. So after this slow service when it came time to pay I gave a 2.00 tip. It was 10% of our total so it's not like it was so awful. I signed the check and we left. We had walked about two restaurants down and the waiter RAN OUT AFTER US pointing at the receipt. He was asking us if his service was bad and why we gave him a 2.00 tip. It was SO RUDE and he stood there harassing us on the sidewalk for a couple minutes until I told him that his service was bad. That was totally impolite and I'm never going there again. read more

Comfort Thai...mmm. This place was pretty good and we settled on it in the midst of the 134 Asian restaurants on Mass Ave. They have Singha which is a huge plus....yummy (although they aren't as big as in Thailand, boo). Started with some Tom Yum soup which was goooood...could have been a bit spicier actually, but otherwise delicious. The bf got vietnamese spring rolls for an app and he enjoyed them (esp the peanut sauce you dip them in). Got a Thai favorite for my meal - a cashew dish with tofu and veggies in a brown sauce. Pretty decent, nothing to write home about, but it was good then. For dessert we split a mango-sticky-rice.... if you haven't had this dish you MUST try it sometime in your life. The bf's exact words were: "Dude, sticky rice is f'ing awesome". The only thing is the mangos were a bit unripe, so this might be better in season. read more

Dear Foodie: go here. Order the fried rice with mango and chicken. You're welcome :) read more

BEST THAI FOOD IN BOSTON! I have tried numerous places like Pho & I, Brown Sugar, Chili Duck, Thai Basil, PadThai Cafe, Pan Thai but Pho Basil is by far the best in flavor and presentation. I'm sure you've walked past their small entrance (on Mass Ave across from Mc. Donald's) millions of times but it's worth the visit. Recommended Food: Tom Yum Fried Rice -- (order this and you will be hooked for eternity!) Basil Fried Rice Green Curry Pad See You *Though they do so many things wonderfully here, I am not a fan of their Pad Thai. Recommended Drinks: Lychee Shake Thai Iced Tea Tips: Definitely get the lunch combo. For just $2, it comes with nice small sides of soup, salad, dumpling and veggies in a fried dough like samosas. They are delicious, fresh and worth the extra $. When they say their food is spicy, they mean it! I like how their menu indicates the spice level of each dish. Do not expect a full-on dining experience when you come here. It's more of a causal lunch sit-down restaurant. For dinner, I recommend getting a delivery or calling in to place an order to-go. read more

I don't really know what authentic Viet or Thai food should taste like, despite being 1/8 Viet and 1/8 Thai, but I do know that of the 10 or so times I've been to Pho Basil in the past 3 weeks, I have been disappointed with nothing except my inability to finish the huge portions I keep getting served. Sometimes I wish they could add a bit more flavor to the broth instead of just throwing bowls of MSG in, but it's not awful. The pineapple fried rice is by far my favorite dish, followed closely by the duck noodles (which aren't quite as herb-infused as one might hope, but pretty yummy all the same). Beware the bubble tea, though. It comes in an ice-blended form, which is kind of... odd. I like my bubble tea all liquidy and warm, not freezing cold and frappuccino-like. read more

I admit that it has been a while since I've lived anyplace where you can get good Vietnamese food -- so perhaps this is why on a recent trip to Boston, when I discovered the Yelp reviews for Pho Basil and ventured there for lunch, I decided that I NEEDED my Vietnamese food fix, because I took a group of people from the conference I was at to dinner. That's right--on my first day in Boston I ate at Pho Basil twice--and I was not disappointed. My mark of a good Vietnamese restaurant that I will return to begins and ends with pho. Do they have good Pho? The answer is a resounding YES! The broth is fragrant and savory--and the delight of squeezing limes into the soup to further enhance the flavors brought me back to the times I would frequent my favorite Vietnamese noodle shop in the winter. The fresh squeezed limeade also didn't disappoint. Tart and sweet and absolutely refreshing. The night I went back I had the bun with grilled pork and tofu (a substitution that the restaurant did for me instead of shrimp because I wasn't feeling in a shrimp mood--another mark of a restaurant that really cares about its customers) and it was also yummy and flavorful. And the spring rolls were perfect--crunchy on the outside and steaming hot on the inside--but its the fillings--a combo of pork, shrimp, and veggies mixed with some other flavorings that made me want to just gobble them up. Finally, the service was wonderful. We had 2 young children in our large dinner group and the wait staff were patient and kind and understanding, esp. with some spilled water and some cranky tempers. Overall I think you can't go wrong with the traditional Vietnamese dishes--and the folks I was with at dinner were also raving about their choices. Pho Basil, how I wish you were in North Carolina! read more

The food is quite good, and they deliver locally (a relative rarity for non-Chinese Asian food establishments). The pho is good, not great. The prices are very reasonable considering location and generous portions. I am particularly a fan of their Mass Ave Noodles with crispy chicken (you can actually substitute crispy chicken in many thinks - it's basically fried chicken). Overall good food and good value. read more

My friends and i were on Newbury Street in Boston and wasnt sure where to eat. We came across this via a recommendation- it was like a asian fusion of Lao, Thai, and Vietnamese. It was pretty good, better than i expected- i had doubts as i'm from the west coast and not a fan of Asian Fusion restaurants. We had the Pad Thai and some rice dish. My friend had the Pho which also looked great on a snowy day -- we went back in Jan. we had Mango with Sticky rice and it was delish! I'd say try it and see for yourself! read more

Casual ambience. Good for a quiet weekday dinner. Decent prices and generous proportions. Green chicken curry - flavorful, good for one. read more

My enjoyment of this place has been very dependent on what I've ordered. I come here often, at least twice any time I visit Boston. The service is fine, they're always busy, but I've never been unable to get a seat. My usual and preferred order is the Duck Noodle Soup which is so delicious. The duck is perfectly cooked, and not overly fatty. The broth definitely has spent some time cooking and it's delicious. I also love the wide noodles, as opposed to the thin rice noodles, it gives the dish so much more body. My boyfriend usually gets the Chicken Pho, so they definitely know what they're doing when it comes to their namesake. I've experimented a couple of times here, and I've never been that impressed. Since my usual order of duck is so good I thought other duck dishes would be good, but sadly no. I've had both the Lychee Duck Curry and the Tamarind Duck. The Lychee Duck was better than the Tamarind Duck. The curry at least had some flavor, but the duck was buried by the sweetness of the lychee. The Tamarind Duck was dry despite being drenched in sauce, and the vegetables had absolutely no flavor, not even salt. Both portions of duck were lacking, in my noodle soup I had about twice as much duck than I did in the other orders. I'm going to continue to come to Pho Basil, but for the pho. I don't even want to bother trying the Thai food, because as a Thai person I'd probably cry of disappointment. read more

Pho Basil - Duck noodle soup. Can you tell why this is what I always get? - Vietnamese Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Despite the name, I was feeling more Thai that night so I opted for Pad See Ew - my usual Thai order. Service was friendly and efficient and the food was good. Nothing particularly special, just some good Thai food. A little more expensive than what I'm used to paying in LA, but maybe Thai is just a little less prevalent on the east coast. Still - some good stuff and packed at 8pm on a Fri! read more

I have actually eaten here a couple of times (finally writing a review), but I like this place because it is probably mixed with my two favorite types of Asian cuisines - Vietnamese and Thai. I think they are in a great location which adds to their success and business. It is a small restaurant and gets crowded, fast. I suggest to get there early and avoid large groups. A party of 2 gets seated much quicker. It's a small space so be prepared to walk between all the tables. Food: Xe Lua: The boyfriend always get this, he can eat! The broth is good and it's a typical pho dish. It's good with all of the meats. Get this if you're hungry. Bun Bo Hue: I sometimes crave this and tried it once. I think it was an off day because it was not that great. The meat was not tender as it should be, the soup was alright, not that flavorful as it should be too. I would not order this again because there are other better dishes they serve. Bun Thit Nuong with beef. Beef was thin, marinated right, and just tasty. I like the vegetables mixed all in it. Add the fish sauce to eat. I also add some chili to the fish sauce because I like spice. Mix it well and add the fish sauce slowly. People usually dump the whole small bowl in it and ask for more. You actually do not really need all of it, unless you like salt. But it'll soak and the taste will be there, just be patient! Tom Yum Noodle Soup: I was craving tom yum soup. I love all the flavors mixed together. I drink most of the soup and eat everything. It's actually a lot of food and very good. Drunken Noodle: Pretty darn good! I think this may be my to go place for drunken noodles. It's close and you can call in the order! It's a good price for the amount you get. It's a large plate. Nice and spicy, just the way I like it! Panang Curry: I absolutely love curry, and therefore have high expectations for it. They did a pretty good job with the Panang curry. It's a sweeter light one. I like the mix of vegetables. Chicken was good and moist. I sometimes don't like the chicken because it is overcooked and dried, but it was pretty good. It is also a very large serving. The rice is also a large serving. I would recommend maybe ordering this to go because they give more curry sauce, if you like it. (The boyfriend ordered this and had lots of extra curry sauce). Jungle Curry: This was absolutely delicious!!! I ordered it way too spicy, but it was still so good. It's red curry, but this curry does not use coconut milk. I like the mix of meats and the sauce is just so good. Don't order it too spicy, unless you like it. Basil leaves and ground lemongrass play such an important flavor. It's a good mix! Service is alright. Just wave your hand and they come quick. They are really nice and quick about things. It gets busy so do not expect them to come right away. Obviously, I come to this place a lot. I think they are great for take out! Just call in and they usually have the order ready for your quick! They are convenient and all at a reasonable price. I think the portions are large so it definitely worth it. I will eventually branch out and try new dishes, but I do like my go-to dishes. read more

This place has great food, I love the thai tea boba, but had a very disappointing experience here most recently. Two friends and I were sat and ordered almost immediately because we knew what we wanted. Two, 2-person tables were sat after us and they got all their food before ours, one of the tables finished their whole meal before a waiter or waitress even checked on us. read more