My husband and I got food poisoning from this restaurant last night! We ordered a chicken curry, tofu dish, and pork fried rice. It was our first time ordering from here and it will definitely be the last. The prices are high for what you get, and we were super unimpressed with the food before we got sick, let alone after. Blegh. Never again. read more

Save yourself the agony Go to Bua Luang down the street !!! Three of dined at Sweet Basil , we barely touched the food. The fish special was cold and rubbery. The calamari salad was tough as shoe leather. The soup, uneventful!! Use to eat there years ago and was good. Not anymore!! read more

A lot of places that I have gone with friends and loved ones give me good feelings and memories. And I like to share many of them with new friends and create new good experiences. Yet, there are places that are associated with a past loved one at some special time, whose good memories are probably best left there. And not for me to return anytime soon. Sweet Basil, unfortunately is one of those places... read more

We've been eyeing Sweet Basil for the entire 12 years we've lived in Albany and finally gave it a try. I mean, the restaurant has been around for 12 years, it must be good...right? No. The servings were really small and I found it expensive for what you get. The servers were pleasant. I won't be coming back, but I'm happy that others seem to enjoy it... read more

Had the lunch combo here as it looked cute but...that's where the thrill stopped. The tom ka soup and red curry tasted almost the same. Almost no curry paste in the curry, mostly sauce, very little veggie or chicken. (I make Thai curries at home so I at least expect a curry to taste like curry.) The tom ka soup had 3 mushrooms, not much else although I know that soup tends to be mostly coconut broth. The crispy roll was hot and tasty. The salad was refreshing. The bill came to $12 including tax and I wished I had gone somewhere else or simply ordered pad siew as I felt like I hadn't had a substantial meal. My takeaway was that this is somewhere I would go in a town that didn't have "authentic" Thai places (I.e., if it was the only Thai place in town) but as other reviews have said there are others surrounding this place. Not sure why they choose not to make delicious authentic Thai food and given that I know the price of produce locally they could beef up the substance in the dishes. Why haven't they improved given many months of bad reviews?! read more

Ohh my this place is small!!l.. My husband & I discovered this place while visiting the Solano Stroll this past September. We had no idea there was another Thai restaurant on Solano. Sweet Basil Thai had a food booth at the Stroll and we really liked the chicken satay and sticky rice, so we said we gotta try this place sometime. We couldn't remember where is was actually located and stumbled across because it is quite hidden. The place inside is so small and only fits approximately 20 people. The wait staff was very friendly and accommodating. Overall we felt the food okay. There are better authentic Thai restaurants elsewhere. We started with corn cakes and chicken satay. Corn cakes lacked flavor but the presentation was presentable. The chicken satay was ordinary and for some reason on the Stroll there was more chicken on the stick. They didn't have too many items on the menu that were recognizable so we stuck to something safe. Thai chicken fried rice. It has all the ingredients that most chicken fried rice plates include but there was no cilantro and no after taste that is usually mouth-watering. And they went a little crazy on the pepper! The Thai ice tea was ultra sweet and ruined our appetite. The place is cute and very intimate. The lighting is romantic and the decor is modern. My only suggestion is that if they want to be a 'different' Thai food restaurant, in which they are striving for, they should make the whole menu tapas style, small plates. And make these plates very flavorful and succulent. Since they already have a good selection of wine and beer, this place could be a trendy tapas style Thai Cuisine! {The new Fondu} read more

Sweet Basil Thai - Corn Cakes - Thai Near Me - Berkeley, California

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It's like a law office converted into a restaurant. Despite the small space, they make good use of it with well placed mirrors. I can't quite figure out the 2 different entrances and seating areas. Food was pretty good and service friendly. A table near us (also party of 2) seated after us and with their order taken after ours got their food before we did. They brought us the wrong curry dish so that took another 15 minutes. Shrimp spring roll appetizer, yellow curry with chicken and the garlic pork we ordered (once it all finally arrived) were all yummy and generous in quantity. Not counting the days till I go back, but willing to try it again. read more

Messed up my order (asked for no egg, can't eat it, on two dishes) but I didn't want to waste food so kept them and ate around it. They gave a 10% discount, which seems hardly worth giving (it would've cost more if I'd insisted they make new dishes) and when I asked about it, the generally rude old lady with glasses snapped "You arguing for discount, we gave it to you!" so indignantly I thought she was going to spit in my face. So if you have dietary restrictions (even though their menu seems friendly) and don't want to waste food, and/or just want to be treated with respect don't go here! read more

Walking into the restaurant, I was floored by the aesthetic ambiance and amazingly kind hospitality. We got seated almost immediately by the server and were given an appropriate amount of time to make our decisions. We even were given complementary drinks( I recommend the lychee and Thai drink) In approximately 10-15 minutes after we ordered, we got all our food in a timely and organized manner!(The arrangement and plating was absolutely gorgeous) From first taste, every dish was filled with a variety of amazing tastes. The crab fried rice was perfectly balanced as a nice palate cleanser in between the spicy(& delicious) curries. The pad Thai was also a crowd pleaser along with the well arranged appetizer plate. We ended the meal with the mango sticky rice -- a perfect way to end a perfect meal. This restaurant is an amazing place to go with family and friends if you are looking for amazing hospitality, good food and unforgettable memories!! read more

When it comes to Yelp reviews, the worst a restaurant can be is mediocre. Middle-of-the-road reviews are the hardest to write, and consequently, I suspect many of them don't get written. How can I express the intensity of my utter LACK of enthusiasm for this place? Will readers be sensitive enough to realize that this review's absence of either praise or blame is damnation itself? Or do I need to spell it all out? And why is it that the more I wrack my brain trying to figure out what I can possibly say about this place makes me even more annoyed that they didn't make their food more worthy of description? Maybe I'm leaning more towards a bad review after all... My friend and I chose this place because it looked cute and homey from the outside. On a Friday at high noon, there was only one customer besides us. Two more customers entered before we were done -- so if you like a quiet lunch, you've got it here. I got a $7 chicken dish (too much black pepper) and a $4 bowl of tom yum goong (two decent-sized prawn, but not enough zing), and she spent a similar amount on her drunken tofu and tom kha gai. The food, along with the service, was neutral, unintrusive, lackluster, just a hairline away from bad (literally -- my friend found one in her dish, and though neither of us are squeamish about *one* short strand of normal human hair, I guess it's worth mentioning). I'm glad I got this lunch over with, so I can stop wondering about this restaurant every time I pass by. The mystery is gone. My tastebuds shall water no more for the imagined fare behind these doors. read more

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If walked by this place so many times and finally had a chance to try it. The service was great-- pleasant waiting staff who sat us at a table right away, and refilled out waters within reasonable time.the only critique I had was that the waiter didn't know how to describe some of the beers on the menu (like whether it was dark or light), but other than that, it was fine. The dishes were good portions, so I suggest sharing a few with whomever you're with (more fun that way anyways). We started with the calamari. It was pretty good, but a little too sweet for my taste. I know that it was intended to be sweet to balance with the tangy/sour/spicy sauce, but I still found that with the sauce it was too sweet for my liking. I also think, however, that the pieces should be a little smaller. The presentation, vegetables it was served with and amount of crispy texture was perfect. We shared the coconut and galangal soup which was super yummy-- creamy, rich, and flavorful. The mushrooms were my favorite part, soaking up the flavor a of the soup, it was delicious. You could definitely taste te coconut milk, but it wasn't overpowering. We ordered a pot and shared it amongst the three of us. We also ordered a kabocha braised pork red curry. Usually, I've gotten yellow curries with kabocha in it. It was a bit spicy, but not so much so where it took over; I love kabocha, which was nice and soft but added a sweetness to the already sweet curry. I didn't mind it too much, but I think that it should have either been a bit more spicy or had more bell peppers or onions which, though also sweet, would have offset the monotoned curry a bit more. Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy the dish though. read more

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Boooommmmbbb Thai food. Great ownership and mgmt. too. Portions are great and Jeff the server is the nicest guy. Super accommodating and friendly. The hot Thai tea is perfection. read more

Sweet Basil Thai - Thai Near Me - Berkeley, California

I've been to Sweet Basil Thai a few times now. They have a very nicely decorated inside. They also have inside and outside seating for the nicer days on Solano Ave. Parking can be a bit tricky, but you'll eventually find some. But sometimes it's quite a walk! Food: The food here is pretty decent. I like their curry alot, but everything else was just okay. Nothing too special. Service; Their service here is always super friendly, but I have to admit that they are a bit slow most of the time. But they are very professional. So if you're in a rush, I wouldn't come here. But if you have some time to talk and relax, definitely give this place a try! read more

Great service, an intimate atmosphere and good food make Sweet Basil Thai a highlight of Solano Avenue. Perhaps I should have been more adventurous with my menu selections, because some stuff looked pretty unique. I came by with a friend on a Saturday night art walk and grabbed a table in front. The decor was subdued for a Thai place, but fresh flowers and other touches showed. We didn't feel crowded in, but had a large table since it was getting late. Our servers were quick and very nice. I had some fried spring rolls, which we wished were much longer/larger. Otherwise, they were crisp and not greasy. I wanted some more flavor out of them, but the sweet sauce was good. The chicken satay was very well seasoned (filled up my car and fridge with garlic and curry) and had pretty good meat. I wanted more out of the pickled cucumber though. The peanut sauce and jasmine rice were good as well. My friend's thick noodle dish (pad something?) was good but not overly memorable. For a nice, consistent Thai meal in the area, Sweet Basil is a great choice, with service that really shows. read more

Two stars because it's tasty. Subtract 3 stars because small portions, to the point of laughter. I present the $9.50 "pot" of Thom Yum. Seriously? OK, 3 stars for the flavor and spice. Much needed for a head cold. Still, fill that container up. read more

Sweet Basil Thai - Thai Near Me - Berkeley, California

I come here often for both lunch and dinner...although they recently raised their prices. I always get the pad ke mao...so flavorful! I tried the dish at other thai places and none of them match up to the pad ke mao at sweet basil. Everything tastes so fresh and you don't get the yucky greasy feeling from other places. The atmosphere seems very calm and it's a nice sit down restaurant. They also have the best thai tea (both iced and hot) I've tried! They've mastered the proportioned of tea-milk-sugar well. The thai iced coffee is good too! Service can be a little slow, and the way the property is situated makes it easy for someone to walk in and not get noticed. I do agree that it often seems like people can listen to your conversation because of how small the main dining area is---but I haven't found another thai restaurant that serves as good food as the food at Sweet Basil read more

A very solid 3 star Thai restaurant. We ordered a variety of dishes on a weekday lunch; it wasn't crowded. Hit ratio was over 50% which is very good for a modest neighborhood spot like this. Good: - potstickers. Nicely done, good dip. - Yum Talay: Charcoal grilled prawns, calamari, and scallops with salad of coconut, mint, and fresh lime. Not at all spicy, LOL. The seafood was average in quality, but still this was a refreshing salad; not too much sugar. - Moo Yang: Thai honey glazed BBQ pork. Spouse found Sweet Basil's dish not as good as Siam Bay's/Oakland version. Still, it was tasty even though poorly trimmed; he'd order it again. - Crab Fried Rice: Thai style fried rice with Crab. Unlike the Crab Noodle dish (below), this had no sugar at all. It was savory and much better. The amount of crab is generous although frozen. Asian crabmeat tends to be low quality and runs mild to tasteless; this was mild. - Hot Tea. Yes, tea. This turned out to be the now rare vanilla-scented black tea, which brews to a beautiful orange-tinted dark brown. I love this tea, and it's not often offered by restaurants any longer. 5-stars for tea fans. So-so, probably wouldn't order again: - Crab Noodle: Fresh rice stick noodles stir-fried with Crab meats, egg and scallion. Essentially Pad Thai, without beansprouts and using crabmeat as the protein. Chile flakes/sauce on the side help, but it's too sweet for our tastes. - Thom Kha Gai: Coconut and galangal soup with chicken, mushrooms and lemongrass. Again, too sweet without the necessary acid, and chicken slices were thoroughly dead and like leather. read more

The green curry I got is good, but for as much as they charge for a curry dish you'd think they could include rice. Or at least specify that it's not included. read more

The food was good, minus 2 stars for the service. We came here on a Wednesday night a little before 8:30p and there was one other couple in the restaurant. We were greeted and seated quickly. There was some delay in getting our meals (appetizer came out quickly) since a few people came in the meantime with take-out orders. The delay in getting our main meals meant that we were still eating close to the closing time. The food and service were good until it was getting close to closing time (9:30p). I understand the urgency to leave after work, but this was unacceptable. The staff kept asking to take our plates while we're still eating, making us feel rushed. And when I say "kept asking", I mean two separate people each came up to us at least 4 separate times in 10 minutes. Another person left the front door wide open (it was quite chilly outside) making it very uncomfortable inside. I had to ask them to shut the door. The passive-aggressive behavior of "get the f%$k out" was unreal......perhaps if they just said that, it would have felt less rude? Seriously, never experienced anything quite like it before and will not be returning. read more

Was a tad skeptical after the 3.5 star overall reviews but it was actually pretty good! The green curry with chicken was excellent. Ordered it with sticky rice and had to put it in a fridge for an hour bc one bite of the veggies fried our mouths but once it cooled off it was delicious. It's huge too, so out of all the items you get your bang for your buck. I actually really liked the Thai taco but was surprised when there was only one. A bit pricey for just 1 if you ask me, and it could be even better with some sauce maybe. Also had some noodles which were average, nothing bad, nothing spectacular, and ended with fried bananas and coconut ice cream which never disappoints. Pretty good portion of ice cream and bananas. We got take out and it was made very quick, only about 15 min from the time we called! read more

Great service, large portion sizes, and a huge variety of dishes. The green curry and sweet and sour fried chicken are must-try items. The atmosphere is very cozy. The interior is very clean and dimly lit for that ambience. The outer patio seating makes for perfect lunches. They also have some great happy hour deals for food and drinks. read more

Sweet Basil Thai - Coconut ice cream and deep fried bananas - Thai Near Me - Berkeley, California

We went there for dinner. It is a very beautiful and nice place. The service was very good, and the food was amazing. I especially love the Thai ice tea, highly recommend! Will definitely come back again :) read more

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This is my favorite Restaurant. Great food and service. I ordered fried flat noodle and fried rice, they were very delicious. This is the second time I've come here. Definitely coming back in the future. read more

This was the best pumpkin curry I have had in years! You can taste the lemon grass, flavors are perfectly blended with just enough spice to warm the palette. My 3rd time here in a few weeks. Decor is beautiful, intimate, very kind staff, sweet family. Best of all they do not use msg & pretty much everything is gluten free. I was raised by chefs & I'm discerning about good food! This place is fantastic! read more

Situated in the cozy downstairs of house setting on Solano. Have passed it by many times. Very small interior. We ordered mainly off their specials menu. Exciting lemongrass tea and divine fried corn cakes appetizers. Starting with such high expectations, the mains were disappointing. The chicken and pumpkin curry was a bit lazy. Although the pumpkin and curry was good, the roughly cut chicken and pumpkin was rough around the edges, like it had been rushed and hurriedly thrown together. The noodles dish was better, but could have used more veggies and seafood in proportion to the amount of noodles. Even though we asked for mild and medium on the dishes, it seemed like they reversed the spiciness on the dishes. Hopefully, they have other entrees that are better than the ones we tried. Overall, only a bit better than average - 3.5 stars. read more

A very quaint and small establishment. The service was disinterested and uninvolved but the food truly spoke for itself. Both my cohort and I enjoyed our decent size portions. I was impressed by the presentation of my dish, Tofu Curry Vegetables, with the veggies julienned long and stacked on top of each other cross wise. The taste wasn't out of this world amazing but it was a solid Thai experience. The curry was even handed. The soup for my animal eating friend just hit the spot on a cold rainy day. But for the vegetarian..no soup :( options. read more

Literally gave my husband and myself food poisoning all afternoon after coming here for lunch. These folks need to clean up their kitchen, or need to be checked out by the department of health. read more

We always enjoy eating here, particularly the Drunken Duck. Did takeout last week and everything was delicious. We enjoyed our chicken, duck, and soup. Looking forward to in person dining again. read more

Came here with two of my best friends for dinner. We oftentimes eat Thai food together, and one of our favorite thai joints is Thai Delight on Shattuck. But we decided to try someplace new and headed out to Solano to get our thai food fix this time. We entered through the upstairs entrance, which we took to be the "main entrance." The doors open directly into the upstairs seating, which was slightly awkward (there is no real waiting area or hostess stand, so we were standing right next to several dining patrons). Seating in this area was full, and the serving waitress asked us to "please go downstairs, go around." Slightly confused, we went out and saw that there was another room with seating "downstairs" (split level building). No staff was down there, and only one table was taken, so we sat ourselves. The tables are in pretty close proximity, so it was a bit hard to get into our seats. Table was wobbly too, we had to be cautious to not spill our drinks when they came. Anyways, the waitress from upstairs came down to give us menus. The water came fast and they also took our food order fast. They didn't check on us much throughout the meal, but that was fine with me because they made sure to fill our water glasses on the occasions that they did come. No complaints about the service. We ended up ordering pad thai, green curry prawns, and drunken tofu. All three dishes were good: well-seasoned, tasty, and steaming hot. We went with "medium" spicy for the drunken tofu, and it came out a true "medium" in my opinion. Definitely not spicy enough to be painful, but enough to have a kick. The pad thai was not as good as Thai Delight's pad thai in my opinion, but it was satisfactory. The flavor of the green curry prawn dish was darn good and had lots of bamboo shoots. I'm fairly certain there were only about 4 or 5 prawns in the bowl though, which is a bit skimpy. Oh, yeah BEVERAGES! I almost forgot. Well, my two friends decided to try their "lemongrass" drink and I went with the standard thai iced tea. We didn't know what to expect with the lemongrass drinks, but when they came out they were pretty cute- looked like iced lemongrass tea w/ a stirrer (a stalk of lemongrass). I tried a sip, and it was pleasant, lightly sweet and mild in flavor. My thai ice tea was fine, a little bit sweeter than necessary, but still enjoyable. Overall, a satisfactory thai food experience. The prices were decent, it came to around $45 (before tip) for 3 dishes, rice for 3, and 3 non-alcoholic beverages. I'd go back if I was in the mood for thai food and found myself in the Solano area. read more

This place serves up solid thai cuisine in a cozy atmosphere. The menu isn't incredibly extensive, but the items are delicious. I recommend the Satay Tofu (great dipping oil) and the Tom Kai Gai soup. The servers are really attentive and even though it's a small place, others are considerately not loud. Only drawback is that they have small tables so if you're going to order a lot of items, make sure you can work with the space or maybe ask if you can combine tables. read more

Delicious Thai food, pleasant service, and a nice little place. So glad we walked by and found it!

Came here with my coworker for lunch. The server was very pleasant. She always had a smile and she was very attentive to us. We both ordered the PadThai. Hands down, the BEST PadThai I've ever had. The noodles weren't overcooked and the chicken was tender. I would come back here again! The food presentation was beautiful and the inside of the restaurant was relaxing. read more

Sweet Basil Thai - Pad Thai - Thai Near Me - Berkeley, California

Had a delightful impromptu dinner here last night. We didn't realize the place we wanted to go to is closed on Monday. We headed to Solano Avenue and started walking. I remembered coming here a few years ago and so we stopped in and I am happy we did. The place was not crowded and we were able to hear each other. I had a wonderful glass of Zin and loved the fresh vegetable rolls and corn cakes. I was disappointed with the Papaya salad. I've had much better. The Pad Thai was really nice. We had great service and a great experience. What else could you want on a Monday night? read more

Eaten here twice. I love Thai food, this place is nothing special. Soapy flavors from too much leafy spices. One meal was oily & not fresh tasting. I'm never going to return, when there are so many Thai places that are so much better. read more

I have been here once, but our table had shared a check over $200.00 which gave us a impression of most of the food that they had served us here. Food is a tiny bit expensive but worth it. The location and setting of the restaurant is really nice. It's a multi-story house-like restaurant. The interior is decorated very nicely. Me and my family had so many different. Each dish was carefully made almost to perfection. Flavors contrasted amazingly well. This restaurant doesn't pour a mountain of salt in the dishes to make it taste better. Presentation of each dish is awesome. 4 Stars, I definitely want to come here again and try out more dishes. read more

As a lover of Thai food in general, I decided to give this place a try per my boyfriend's recommendation with him, along with a friend visiting from the east coast. Upon entering, the first thing I thought to myself was "This place is pretty small". There are two levels to the place, along with an outdoor patio which is pretty decent, as well. We were seated outside, since the night was pretty warm. The menu is pretty small and meager compared to other thai food restaurants I've been to, and the drink menu is beer and wine only. The boys started off with appetizers. The visiting friend had Chicken Satay with had peanut sauce on the side. He spoke highly of them and I actually enjoyed dipping a cucumber slice into the peanut sauce. I ordered the Thai Iced Tea as an app. It was delicious. For my entree, I ordered the Thai Fried Rice (I wasn't in the mood to be disappointed by crappy food, so I played it safe) with pork, requesting that it be made spicy. The food came out and it was delicious, although not spicy at all. Not a high point in the dinner. For dessert, the boys noshed on a dis of fried bananas and coconut ice cream. VERY TASTY. I requested the house white wine for dessert, and it NEVER CAME OUT. Slightly upsetting, but a sign that maybe I shouldn't have had the wine that night anyway. All in all, a pleasing dinner experince. Fairly priced, decent food. Would go back again, for sure. read more

Review in bullet points: *This is a nice Thai spot on Solano Ave. *It's not your hole-in-the wall kinda place but a bit fancier... even though it's still pretty casual. *The ambiance was nice. The decor is pretty and modern. Love the purple walls. *How could I not love a place that serves brown rice in the shape of a heart? *Oh yeah, and the food is yummy. I found the flavors to be well-balanced and authentic. *A lil bit on the pricy side but not too exorbitant. read more

Had the worst panang I have ever tasted here. I took one bite and asked my parents to taste it because I couldn't tell if the meat was rotten or if it was just such a weird blend of spices that it tasted spoiled. To their credit they took it off our bill. We also had Pad Thai- about 3 stars- good flavor, but a little on the sweet side. Pinapple fried rice- 4 stars. very good flavor. Tom Yum- 5 stars. Perhaps the best tom yum broth I've ever tasted. So with food ranging from 0 to 5 stars, what do I rate this restaurant? . It's a weird set up. The table was incredibly difficult to get into and out of. The service was adequate. This place has a very good reputation, perhaps because it has been here so long. But I think I have to go with tasting the worst panang and lean towards 2.5 stars read more

Sweet Basil is a nice little Thai restaurant that seems to have been in business forever. It's got a main area with a second dining area on the lower floor. It's got somewhat classy decor with clean lines and mainly white tones, at least in the upper section. I've tried their padh Thai and curries which I find to be pretty good (I still like Lao Thai down the street better). One thing about the yellow curry, though, is that it's a bit different from most other restaurants. It's not as thick, and has a predominance of what I think is either lemongrass or lime juice or both, which in itself is pretty good, but not what I expect from yellow curry. Prices are reasonable if not tipped to the high side just a tad. The staff is friendly and attentive, which is always a plus. read more

I have driven by this place hundreds of times always thinking that its a really cute name for a restaurant. Finally I got to eat lunch here with my friend. We set outside & enjoyed the weather & the food. We ordered several small plates & shared. *Thai spiced corn cakes served with a sweet cucumber relish - superb *Golden-fried calamari served with sautéed vegetables & Sriracha - very good *Skewers, mix & match: chicken, eggplant & pork - wasn't our favorite I also had - Thai hot & sour lemongrass soup with prawns which was wonderful My friend had a house salad with peanut dressing - was not a successful dish. At the end we shared a dessert of sticky rice with mango & coconut milk. It was ok. Overall we really enjoyed our lunch & will definitely be back. read more